I love this darn dipping sauce

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Happy Earth Day!  Chloe is

Chloe's 13th Birthday List

Chloe at Dr. Guinn's in Jonesboro-
we had a 3:40 appointment and
weren't seen until 5:15...I know...
So by the time we finally got in a room
at 5 pm, Chloe went to town on the
grease board...Dr. Guinn loved it!
And we loved the cast is off!

The greens...this was 2 weeks ago, the bed is three times
as big with a ton of greens!!  Go me, go seeds, go compost
from Fred's barn next door that he tractored over last fall!

into Earth Day this year.  She has put a tree on her 13th birthday list.  I loved that.  She's also slated to give an oral presentation in her science class on Friday about trees and what benefits they give the earth, animals and people.  I can't believe she'll be 13 in a couple weeks.  Where HAS THE TIME GONE?  I'm older, grayer and grumpier (even though my new addiction is Jimmy Fallon. Now that he's been on for 2 months, I have seen every single episode.  I know.  It's crazy but I love the show :))

Okay, so since we are getting Chloe ready for trying new food for the Italy trip in June, I found this recipe on the web and made my own changes.  This was the first time to make this recipe and I usually NEVER change a recipe on my first try but I did and somehow it worked beautifully.

Garlic and Olive Oil Dipping Sauce

1 T dried parsley
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. dried basil
1 T. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 t. salt
1 t. pepper
2 large cloves garlic, minced
juice of half a lemon
1/2 C. extra virgin olive oil

Put the dried herbs in a mortar and pestal and grind.  Then transfer to a bowl and add remaining ingredients.  Serve with french bread.  Store in refrigerator for up to one week in an air tight container.

THIS WAS SO DARN GOOD!  I believe we will all be munching on it for the rest of the week.  Enjoy!

Track Meet and Easter, 2014

Birdeye's new track star

It thrilled Chloe that her name was announced over the
microphone at the track meet.  She did the mile in a little
over 9 minutes (that's faster than me)

A great photo of Anna by Chloe

Chloe's quite the photographer

Owen...he is perfect

Another good one of Owen

Chloe gets the cutest photos of her cats...

After Easter lunch and a stellar Birdeye
Baseball game, the kids all went to the creek
(Chloe got some good shots)

Here's Walker...adorable!

Thanks to Beth Huff  for reminding me we
didn't get a group shot last year.. we got this
one at the last minute after the ballgame.
We had 37 over for lunch (Bob Hardin's the
photographer, thanks Bob!)

Chloe loved track.  I hope she does it again next year.
(she's in the back of this crowd)

Here are the Wynne Presbyterian junior high and high school
youth on Easter

I'm not sure why this photo is
so small (must be the compressing)
this is during the mile (1600 meters)

Chloe with Reece
Bradshaw

Easter 2014

Another great photo by Chloe

Sunday, April 20, 2014

You'd think I haven't been cooking at all on this blog.  Chloe had her first and last track meet of the year last week.  I've shared some photos of that plus her latest foster dogs.  We had a busy weekend again, here's a run down of photos from the weekend.  (Most taken by Chloe).

We had 37 over for lunch today and then had a fun baseball game in the front yard.  I will post some garden and recipes soon, I promise!

Owen and Anna, Birdeye

Shannon's Beagle Anna

She's super duper sweet!

Owen, oh how sweet he his! 

He's a handsome fella

Sunday, April 13, 2014

The weather has been beautiful all weekend!!  It rained a bunch last night but my garden needed it.  I'm fostering a beagle named Anna for Shannon, a girl who works at the vet clinic with me.  She's a precious beagle mix (you realize when dogs come up you don't know what they really are but by her bark, I'm calling that thing a beagle).  Anna is SWEET, great with kids and cats and fine with chickens.  She's crate trained and an excellent listener.  I love her because she's not too needy (like Heddy was good God) and she's a quick learner.  She doesn't jump on you (like Heddy) or lick you (like Heddy).  She's about 24 lbs and won't grow much more.  (And Heddy's in a home in West Memphis thank goodness :))

Now to this gentleman who came up yesterday afternoon while I was working in the yard.  I was outside for 2 hours getting things in shape for our Easter lunch next Sunday.  The weather looks great for Easter and with about 29 people coming including 9 kids, we thought we'd host a baseball game to keep the kids outside.  Needless to say the yard needed some attention!  So I noticed back by the creek this little German Shepherd-y looking fella walking back and forth.  When I acknowledged him with sweet, "hey sweet boy, how are you cutie?", he rolled over on his back just like Gumball does.  After an hour of talking to him and feeding him (he wiped it out fast), I got a collar on him and put him in our isolation run.  I LOVE THIS guy and he reminds me so much of Gumball who's from a litter born at the Birdeye Store 3 years ago.  Way back, we sent Gummy's blood in for DNA testing and he came back German Shepherd dog and Retriever.  Obviously, Owen is a shepherd mix.  I think he's a first cousin to Gummy.  If I could just get my hands on the mother or father for spay/neuter I'd have it made...spay/neuter people!  Bonus: I kept him in a crate last night because of the storms and he didn't use it in there or bark one time :)

Spread the word on these two strays, they need a forever home!  And spay/neuter...

Happy Spring 2014, Birdeye

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Happy Spring Ya'll!  I'm so glad to finally be able to change my background photo to blooms in the yard.  I know I've not posted a bunch on here but it's been busy as I have been to Oklahoma City three times to help mother after her surgery, throw in a half marathon, spring break, Chloe's broken arm, track practice and homework... I know this is nothing to those with multiple children but it's my reason I haven't gotten on here.

Here are some recent photos of Winnie Bob's yard (our yard).  I'm so thankful for the many types of daffodils and blooming trees.  The bees are out in force as well as the hummingbirds.  Bring on Spring!  I have the greens, onions, kale and herbs planted.  I am looking forward to getting the rest of the garden in the ground after Easter.  We always get a late freeze between Easter and May 1.

This is on the west side of the house facing the barn

Here's Eggs, Chloe's french chicken that immediately got
in a bed that I just planted onions in.  She likes a dust bath

This old tulip tree is right outside Chloe's west
window

Weeping Cherry Tree

The other view of Eggs.  I've probably mentioned this
before, this is the chicken Chloe's tamed and eats out
of her hand.  

Two of the types of daffodils back behind our fence
near the creek

I'm the proud maker of a compost pile.  Jeanie made the first
one you can see with metal stakes.  In desparation to use that
older pile, I went to the lumber yard and got wooden posts
to make another one with the compost from this year.  I've read
that it takes anywhere from 2 months to a year to get everything
to compost down.  That makes be keep turning the pile frequently.

Some of the flowers in my kitchen

I should have thought to get Chloe in this photo from
August's 4th birthday party.  Martin had Chloe taking
photos so he could send them in for the grant for the
Birdeye Fun Park (it's across from the Birdeye Store)

I bought Heddy, the foster, a 3 foot long rawhide but we let
Biscuit take the first lick, he looks crazed in his eyes because
he is...he's a freak about a chew bone

A goose from the Arkansas Post, an Arkansas museum that
is located south of us in Gillette, Ark.

Memaw and Grandad took Chloe to the Arkansas Post
Museum (at her request) during spring break
because they were reading about it in Arkansas history

We went to Oaklawn in Hot Springs this year for spring break.
Note to self, if you have intentions of staying at any hotel for
the swimming pool, it might be a good idea to check with them
and make sure it's open.  We stayed at the Embassy Suites (for
the pool not for the $179/per night) to swim but it was closed
because the weekend before a state choir convention filled the
hotel and either vomit or stool was found in the pool and shut it
down.  We were sad at first but I'm totally thankful since I wouldn't
want either vomit or diarrhea to come home...just saying

Whit, Chloe, Stella and August at Oaklawn (it rained after
the 5th race so we headed back to the hotel where we couldn't
swim, couldn't go play miniature golf or do anything but rent
a movie on the hotel room...it was fun though!)

Photo from the farm taken by Chloe

At the Arkansas Post Museum

From the Arkansas Post Museum

I couldn't believe this asparagus is coming up.
Asparagus out of the garden is so much
tastier than what you get in the grocery
store.  I don't have but a few at a time to harvest,
so there's usually not many to share.  I may have
to add more to the box this year.

I bought this fencing to cover my boxes while the spinach,
mesculin greens and romaine come up.  The ladies get in there
and peck away.  Jackie reported seeing those heifers on there
last week so I may have to do something else.  We'll see.
This box is 3 weeks after planting

The latest challenge at Birdeye are Chloe's chickens that she's
been hand feeding.  This was yesterday after school.  It's like
they are at the back door waiting on her.  With chickens comes
chicken POO so I've got to figure out how to handle this.
Look at Gumball on his pad watching them.  What to do...:)

Chloe was excited about getting this photo at the museum :)