Cowgirls on Horseback

If you remember, my sister Mattie Rae organized a horseback riding lesson for me for my birthday. Thursday was the day. I dressed in my new cowgirl outfit for the occasion and met my Mom, Mattie Rae and my niece Madison (Shan'l couldn't come so Madison took her place). We went to the farm where we got the harnesses and some grain. Mom was in charge of carrying the grain bucket. She asked our "teacher" who was actually her neighbor Brother Murdock what it was. He said "grain". She sticks her hand in there and stirs it around and feels it. (This is very typical of my Mother. She likes to experience everything with all her senses. She has to touch and taste everything new. I am the complete opposite. I'm content with just looking. I have no desire to touch or taste anything I'm not familiar with. I am always giving her a hard time about this.) Teasingly, I asked her if she was going to taste it, too. She said "Yeah." But not believing her, I turned away. When I glance back at her she's spitting out the hull and says "Wheat". Alarmed, I said "Mom, what if it is medicated?" She replies "Well, it wouldn't be the first time I've had animal medicine. You know Absorbine?" My mom was raised on a dairy farm and consequently her dad used some of the same medications for his family. Absorbine is an antiseptic used on animals and they later made another version called Absorbine Jr. that I remember getting treated with as a child as well. Doesn't mean I'm going to eat horse food.

So then we go out to the pasture to catch our horses. Brother Murdock puts leading harnesses on the ones we will use and hands us each a horse. The one he handed to me was white with black speckles named Bonnie. I noticed that Bonnie only had one eye and asked him about it out of curiosity. He said that she got her eye poked by a wire on a fence and they had to remove her eye. I am very intimidated by horses and so was extra nervous knowing my horse might be more skittish because of her vision impairment. But he assured me she was a good horse and hadn't ever done anything wrong. And she did prove to be a wonderful horse. Just in case you are curious, I've included a photo to satisfy your curiosity. It's not every day you see a one-eye'd horse. And now we know why we have glass eyes. It's kind of unnerving to see an empty eye socket.

We loaded them up in the trailer and took them to another field where we would saddle them and ride them. First, he had us brush them down. He said that if their back is dirty where the saddle goes it can cause irritation. I think it also helps the horse and rider get to know each other a bit better. I know it helped me feel more comfortable.

Then he put saddles on them and had me lead Bonnie around a bit with her saddle on. Then we got on our horses and went out into the field. Brother Murdock rode with us at first and answered any questions we had and then went back when we felt comfortable. We rode round for probably another 1/2 hour. It was a lot of fun. It was fun to see my Mom in that setting. She was so comfortable. Madison did great, too. I was terrified of horses at her age but she loves animals and has had some riding lessons and was giving us some pointers as we went. Our horses pretty much liked to stay together so if one started running, unless we protested, the rest would start running, too. Bro. Murdock also has a herd of cattle that graze up Hobble Creek. These horses have been used for cattle round ups for years and years. The horse my Mom rode was also used in a rodeo years ago. They are ridden several times a week and they were the best behaved horses I've ever been around. It sure made the riding experience a pleasant one.






When we were finished we brought them back and Bro. Murdock took the saddles off. We brushed them again and put the horses away. Bro. Murdock gets out his lasso and a bucket and shows us how to rope the bucket. Then he gives Madison a try and she does a great job. She's a natural. Then Mom goes and has trouble and ends up lassoing herself a few times. She gives up and Mattie Rae gives it a go. She had the same trouble as Mom and I start to get nervous thinking it's harder than it looks. Bro Murdock demonstrates again and then it's my turn. See video below.

Yee Haw! I'm a cowgirl! I'm one step closer to my goal of riding in a cattle round-up someday!

Zucchini

Summer is here. That means Zucchini. I love Zucchini. I love how prolific it is. How reliable, how versatile. I was very sad to come home from our crazy month on the road and to see that both my zucchini plant and my yellow summer squash plants had been eaten to dust by squash bugs. Never fear, there is always zucchini to be had somewhere.

My parents took a motorcycle ride to Montana for a week and left me in charge of caring for the chickens and her garden while they were gone. Rick volunteered to check on the chickens on his way home from work every day, and not wanting to overwhelm him, I decided that I could go check on the garden a couple times during the week, well, I FORGOT. Saturday had arrived and I went to tend to my duties for the last time. As I was watching the chickens, my gaze landed upon my parents' lovely garden, and oh, how many red tomatoes there were. And then it hit me! So I spent the next hour harvesting tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers of every size, and 3 zucchini. 2 of them were large, but still edible, and the third? I don't know if I have ever seen a zucchini that big. I laid all of the fruits out on a table, put the large sized evidences of my neglect in a couple grocery bags, left the tomatoes, small cucumbers, and zucchini, and headed home.

With the zucchini the size of a small child in my fridge, I began to look for ways to cook it. We have tried 3 new zucchini recipes this summer that we've all liked that I thought I would share.

The first 2 I tried on the same day. A main course and a dessert. Both were a hit. The main course was called Spaghetti Zucchini Bake. I actually doubled this recipe and froze the other half. I just unthawed it, topped it with cheese and cooked it. It worked out great!

Spaghetti Zucchini Bake (serves 8)

1 lb Penne or Macaroni Pasta

1 1/2 lb Italian Sausage, cooked and cut in to bite sized pieces or Meatballs (I used hamburger)

2 cans 14 oz Diced Tomatoes

1-2 cans mushrooms (optional. I opted OUT)

1 can Tomato Paste

1/4 C. Dehydrated onions, hydrated

1-2 cloves of Garlic

4-5 C Zucchini, cut into large chunks

1 t. Oregano

2 t. Basil

2 C. Mozzarella Cheese, grated (I used cheddar)

Salt to Taste

1. Cook your pasta in boiling water until tender.

2. combine diced tomatoes, mushrooms, tomato paste, hydrated onions, garlic, oregano, and basil in large pot. Heat to boiling and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

3. While the noodles are cooking, grill Italian sausage.

4. Place zucchini chunks in a bowl and microwave for 3 minutes (just to cook them slightly).

5. Add zucchini and meat to sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Add in noodles and 1 C of cheese and stir. If you don't want to heat up your oven just place remaining cheese on the table for people to top theirs with.

6. Place Spaghetti Zucchini Bake in a 9x13 casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Place under broiler until cheese is melted. Make sure and watch it so the cheese doesn't burn.

The dessert we had that night was

Death by Chocolate, Zucchini Cake (one 8" pan)

1/2 C. Brown Sugar
1/4 C. White Sugar
1/4 C. Butter
1/4 C. Oil (or Applesauce)
2 Eggs (if you're doubling the recipe use 3 eggs)- 2 T. dehydrated eggs + 1/4 C. Water
1 t. Vanilla
1/4 C. Buttermilk-3/4 T. Dry powdered milk + 1/4 C. Water + 1/4 T. lemon juice or white vinegar, let stand for 5 minutes before adding to the recipe
1 1/4 C. Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 t. allspice
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
2 t. baking soda
3 T. cocoa
2 C. Zucchini, grated
1/2 C. Chocolate Chips
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Cream brown sugar, white sugar, butter and oil together in large bowl.
3. Add eggs vanilla and buttermilk and stir well to mix.
4. In a separate bowl mix remaining dry ingredients together and add to mixture.
5. Fold in grated zucchini.
6. Pour into greased, floured 8 inch round cake pan or 8x8 pan.
7. Sprinkle the top of cake with chocolate chips and bake at 325 for 30-35 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

The one we had last night was called

Zucchini Cakes

1 large zucchini
1/2 c. seasoned bread crumbs
1 heaping Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2-3/4 c. Italian cheese blend (I used half queso fresco and half cheddar)
1-2 eggs
a pinch of kosher salt
olive oil
black pepper
Chop the ends off the zucchini and then use a cheese grater to shred it. Place the shredded zucchini in a clean towel and squeeze out the liquid (VERY IMPORTANT. I even ended up putting mine in a strainer as I was cooking to continue to let the moisture out). I was very surprised how much came out. Next place the semi-dry zucchini in a large bowl. Add the garlic, bread crumbs, cheese, 1 egg and salt and pepper then stir with a fork (I used 3 eggs. I liked a firmer texture). If mixture is to dry, add another egg. If it is too dry, the mixture will fall apart when you try to cook it. In a frying pan, heat olive oil on medium heat. Use enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan by about 1/4". When the oil is hot, drop the zucchini batter by large spoonfuls into the pan and then flatten with the back of the spoon. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. The PW recommends serving these with Ranch dressing for dipping sauce, of which I had none last night, so we ate without and they were still fabulous on their own.

Insight into Ian

Background:

Ian is a perpetual mystery to me. He is so different from me I have a hard time understanding why he does the things he does. And because he is a boy, he doesn't seem to share much of what is going on inside on a very regular basis.

Ian is a very smart boy (I know all moms say that about their kids). He never went through a baby-talk stage. He spoke very clearly and completely at a very young age. By his 3rd birthday he was talking in complete sentences with large words and phrases like "I'm feeling very frustrated!" The complete sentence thing isn't just occasionally. This kid was not capable of a one-word response.

"What would you like for lunch today?" "For lunch today, I'd like..."

"What is your favorite color?" "My favorite color is..."

This trait was very cute as a toddler, but if that's where you start, you can imagine what this has blossomed into. Now he has a hard time explaining anything without including every single detail he knows about the topic. A simple inquiry of "Mom, may I please have a drink?" Begins with some sort of history of the day, evolves into the physiological aspect of bodies needing water to function, and then he moves to explaining away any debatable reason why I might protest. This is all before he gets to the point, mind you. All this with no sensitivity to my body language and glazed over eyes screaming that he's lost me. Again, cute for a day or two, but frankly it EXHAUSTS me!

So we've been working on this, and I can tell he's beginning to try, although at least once a day, I have to interrupt him and ask "What can I do for you, son?" He then realizes what he's doing and gets to the point.

I try to take my kids' most annoying habits or traits, and see how they could be very valuable characteristics for an adult. It helps me be more patient with them. I would imagine this detail in speaking and never ending desire to communicate would be a wonderful trait for a writer. But, to my dismay he has yet to incorporate this talent into his writing. I was disappointed last year to see that not one of his writing projects did he include any sort of detail, order, or depth. I could tell he was just rushing through it and only finishing his minimum requirements.

Insight:

At the Elementary School Open house, we went to the school to meet our new teachers. I like to take care of business and then just hang out until my kid is feeling comfortable and ready to go. While we were in Mrs. C. Peterson's class, she turned to me and asked if I had any questions. I told her that I was simply waiting for Ian to feel like he was ready to go. So she turned to Ian and asked if Ian had any question's. Teasingly, I told her that was a dangerous question. Ian then proceeded to tell her about how he likes to talk and has a hard time simplifying his thoughts but how he is working on that.

"Sometimes before I go to talk to my Mom I tell myself that I need to be brief, but sometimes it's just too hard not to include all the details". *I didn't realize he was working so hard on that.*

Then Mrs. Peterson left to help someone else and we were looking around the classroom. I mentioned that it looked like they would be working on their writing skills a lot in 4th grade. Then Ian said "If only I could apply my talent for speaking into my writing" *I'm glad he views this trait as a "talent". Especially with my continual frustration and irritability with this said trait.*

Then he went onto say how he wasn't sure if he wanted to apply his full talent into his writing because then he might become too popular. So maybe he'd just improve it a little. He said he's only comfortable with, like, 10 friends at a time. I said "So you don't like to be the center of attention?" He said "No!". So, wishing he would apply every drop of his "talent" into his writing, I tried to explain how writing ability doesn't necessarily affect popularity. *He isn't one that demands the spotlight, but I didn't realize it's because he doesn't like it! That would explain why he won't sing (although he has perfect pitch and a lovely voice), and maybe why he doesn't like sports. Maybe he doesn't like people watching him. This could also explain how my "gifted" child doesn't excel in his schoolwork. He is sloppy and careless. Maybe he's afraid of the attention if he gets every answer right*

I am so competitive and goal oriented, that I have a hard time understanding how someone wouldn't want to do their best, or to aim for straight A's, or to do whatever it takes to please the teacher. But now that I understand where he's coming from it is easier for me to understand his approach to life. I can understand his desire to keep his friend circle small. I do better one-on-one, or in small groups as well. I didn't like the spotlight, either, as a child. I'd get so embarrassed if I was singled out for any reason. To this day, my face still flushes red if I ever get up the nerve to raise my hand in Relief Society. Isn't it amazing how a little insight into a person that we don't understand helps us to have a little more patience and compassion? Sometimes we even find that we are a lot more a like than we initally thought.

Yee-Haw, I'm 30!

So, although my birthday was on August 6th, we finally got around to celebrating it yesterday. And my party was much better than my actual birthday. My Grandpa passed away at 11:45 the night before which made me very sad, and made for a very late night. I didn't hit the sack till probably 3 am. Then I had a migraine and was miserable with allergies for the next 3 days. I was pretty discouraged about what "30" was feeling like for awhile. I wasn't feeling much like celebrating, but Rick and Mattie Rae especially went out of their way to make sure my birthday wasn't overlooked amongst all the funeral sadness and planning.


While we were in Gridley at the end of July, we had dinner with some of our good friends Blane and Lena Sannar. Blane served his mission in Honduras and makes the most wonderful tacos. This time he taught me how to make the tortillas and I've been so excited to share my new recipe with my family ever since. So, we get to my Mom's and are getting things ready, and my mom can't find her tortilla press. What will I do now? Rick gives me one of my birthday presents and says "I hate to have you open this early..." I open it and it's my very own tortilla press! Woo hoo! So I made the tortillas, Mom made the shredded pork, Wyn made the Pico de Gallo, Mattie Rae crumbled the Queso Fresco and Rick made the guacamole. My grandma came over to have dinner with us. Although she is not a fan of tacos, she loved these (and even said so!). I asked my mom if we'll ever go back to our traditional way of making tacos. She said "NEVER!" What a success!



Mattie Rae and Rick made my requested dessert: Cookies and Cream Pie. I love Oreos, and I found that "Jello" has a new flavor of cookies and cream. It is so delicious. So, for my simple dessert we put the pudding in an Oreo crust, topped with whipped cream and topped with Oreos. Rick even bought special "shimmer" candles. It was divine. After cake was PRESENTS!

I was very surprised and the gifts I received (I love surprises). The first gift I opened was from Braxton. It was a brown bandanna. Interesting... Then I opened up one from Dad. It was a belt with a small belt buckle...almost western style, but still cool. Then Shan'l's gift was a new shirt that also had a sort of trendy-cowgirl style. Mom and Wyn's gift was a cowgirl hat! I'm seeing a theme here... Then mom takes the cowboy boots that were holding flowers for our table centerpiece and says if they fit I can have them. Then Mattie Rae gives me an envelope and the card inside says:

Murdock Ranch

Come to the ranch

for a night of

horseback riding and

a dutch oven dinner

on

August 28th, 2008

at 4:00

Mattie Rae has been asking me what amazing thing I'm going to do to celebrate my 30th birthday. She said I had to do something I've always wanted to do or go see something I've always wanted to see. I don't have many big amazing goals like that (or the money to make them happen), so I've been stumped as to what I should do.

Mattie Rae knows that one of the things I want to do before I die is ride in a cattle round-up. But in order to that, I have another goal of becoming comfortable around and riding horses. So Mattie Rae used her connections to find someone who is willing to teach us to saddle and care for horses and ride them whenever we want. Then she coordinated everyone to get me some cow-girl clothes for the event! What fun! And I was so tickled that everything they picked for me was something I liked (cuz I'm not a fan of purple jeans with no back pockets-style cow girl clothes).

Have I ever mentioned how Mattie Rae is so thoughtful and good at making dreams come true? Well, she is. She knows how to make people feel loved.

I think Rick actually liked spreading my birthday out over almost 3 weeks. I think he liked having a little extra money from his working in California, too. He took me out to dinner on my birthday and also bought me a new TV, helped me re-arrange the living room furniture, got me a car charger for my cell phone, and fixed my vacuum. I think I like having extra money in August and spreading my birthday over 3 weeks. I think I'll try it again next year...

Carrot Harvest

This year I am trying square foot gardening. I have 2 grow boxes that I've used for 2 years and just this year I decided to divide it into squares and try this new method. This is my carrot harvest I got out of 8 square feet (1/2 of one box). I was pretty pleased with the amount of carrots I got, but of course I couldn't enjoy all the fruits of my labors without ruining it somehow.

I picked about half of the carrots one day and then got so busy I wasn't able to do anything with them, so I just left them in a bucket with greens and dirt and all. By the next morning all of those carrots were like wet spaghetti noodles they were so soft. So, Carrot Lesson #1: CUT GREENS OFF IMMEDIATELY AFTER HARVESTING. That was quite disappointing, as I was hoping for a large one-time harvest to make one of my favorite carrot-treats to freeze.

I was still able to use about half of the carrots, but I didn't get nearly as much as I wanted, so I'm going to attempt to re-plant for a fall harvest. I've never done that before, but I've heard it can be done, so watch me! It may be too late already, and I just can't seem to get organized enough to get the seeds in the ground, but hopefully I'll get to it this week.

My favorite carrot treat is called "Carrot Stuff" (creative, I know. Any new-name suggestions are welcome. I've thought "Orange Delight" might sound a little more appealing). It is a recipe my not-famous-for-her-good-cooking Grandma Orton made up to feed my Grandpa when he got old. It is very simple to make, and my mom would make it for us occasionally growing up. I love it, but am aware it's weird, so I'm not offended if no one else likes it (I'm the only one in my family that likes it). But I'm sure I've made you curious by now, so I'll include the recipe.

Carrot Stuff

Carrots, peeled and chopped coarsely

pineapple juice

sugar to taste

Cut up the carrots in large chunks (1-2 inch pieces) and put in blender. Cover carrots with pineapple juice. Add sugar (I add about 1/4 cup of sugar per quart, but that might be too sweet for some). Blend till very small chunks (Do not puree). Eat chilled, or put in plastic containers to freeze and enjoy later.

Brynlee's Story 2

Brynlee can be a talkative baby. One day Rayna (age 6) was holding her and Brynlee (age 3 months) was cooing away. so Rayna started interpreting the story, and Ian (age 8) transcribed it. Illustrations by Rayna. Here is a picture of the story, and I will interpret the interpretation for you...

Brynlee was a Princess. She was in her palace. She started to cry because she couldn't play with her seaweed. So she went outside and sat on a seashell that she didn't know was a clam. The clam opened up and put her inside. She cried even harder. and her Dad heard her. So he followed the sound, and recognized it. It was his daughter crying! He came upon a gigantic clam and got his daughter out, Brynlee!

Simple Sensitivity

Jaeda: Mom, can I watch a movie?
Me: Yes
Jaeda: Do you has tears?
Me: Yes
Jaeda: (approaching slowly) Why you has tears?
Me: I'm sad because my grandpa died
Jaeda: Oh. (outstretches arms) It's okay. (I lift her to my lap and she hugs me) I love him. I not sad. See? I happy!
Me: Thank you Jaeda. You are a good example to me.
Jaeda: (hops down and leaves the room) Rayna, Mom is crying. She is sad hers grampa died.