Simple Centerpiece

Table centerpieces are a simple way to update your everyday decor. However, centerpieces can be expensive and sometimes it's difficult to find the right one. Some are too big for a small table or too small for a big table or simply don't match your other decor.
Making your own centerpiece is simple! The picture below is twigs that I clipped off a dead bush in my backyard and spray painted with metallic gold paint and placed in a red vase that Linda had in her stock of vases. Simple, efficient, and pretty. It made my kitchen table complete.

You could also use glitter spray paint, which is what I would have used had the store not been completely out of every color except for clear!

The Secret Magical Playground In The Woods

Spending your childhood in the country is comparable to the old joke about buying a small child an expensive gift, when all they want to do is play with the box.  Instead of playing video games or going to the park, we entertained ourselves with much simpler diversions.

I can remember hiking through the pasture with my younger sister and my niece and three nephews (we are all about the same age, by the way, but that's another story).  Each excursion was a greater adventure than the last.  We discovered a "secret bone yard" where we knew some tragic massacre must've taken place.  My dad later told me it was where they hauled the carcass when a calf died.  I like the earlier rendition better, though.

There was also a "land of hidden treasure" where beautiful old glass bottles and remnants of all kinds of interesting things were stowed.  I laughed when I found out that it was actually a dump of sorts where someone hauled a few loads of unwanted junk in the 1950's.  Some of that junk really was treasure, though and I still have it today.  I have always been a connoisseur of junk.  Still am...  I LOVE OLD JUNK! (also another story...)

All of these things came flooding back to me when my children came in one evening after playing around the farm to tell me that Grandpa Bob had showed them a "secret magical playground in the woods".  I shot my dad a skeptical look and he smiled mischievously and nodded.  (He also told them that the same woods were haunted by witches.)

I shook my head and followed as the boys ushered me out to the woods.  When we got there, I realized that what was so magical and enchanting to them was an old swing set that my older siblings had played on over 30 years ago.  Our dad had used the tractor to haul it from the backyard out into the woods where no one would get hurt on it.  Over the years, the swing set has become wedged between two Honey Locust Trees and the base has sunk in the ground a foot or so, making it perfectly safe and secure - and mysterious!

I laughed as I told my dad I didn't need to worry about buying them a new swing set for Christmas.  They were more excited about junk!  Poor boys, they got it from their mamma.

Next time you feel guilty about not buying your children everything their hearts desire, step back and give a new perspective to something old.  After all, when was the last time you heard a child refer to a store-bought swing set as secret or magical?

Welcome to the farm.

Grandpa Bob found a newer swing in the garage - the old one was shot!

Somehow, they were actually using this two-person teeter totter swing without seats!

There's even a cat walk.

The slide, I'm afraid, is un-salvagable.  The boys have told me of their plans to build a new one, though.

Pumpkin Coffee Bread

This delicious concoction satisfies the sweet tooth with velvety pumpkin goodness without being overly sweet or decadent.  Made with simple ingredients, this is another holiday favorite I gleaned from my mother.  Enjoy.

You will need:
1 cup of butter
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 cup of solid pack pumpkin
1/2 cup of Dutch apple yogurt
(You may substitute a mixture of vanilla yogurt and Dutch apple baby food)

Directions:
Cream sugar and butter, add vanilla and eggs (one at a time, beating after each addition).
Sift the dry ingredients together.
Combine the yogurt and pumpkin in a small bowl.  Add yogurt-pumpkin mixture and sugar-butter mixture to dry ingredients alternately, beginning and ending with the sugar mixture.
(Don't ask me why... this is just how she does it.  If it makes you feel better, you can also spin around three times and throw a dash of salt over your shoulder for good measure.)

Pour 1/2 of the batter into a buttered 9 1/2 inch tube or bundt pan, top with 1/2 of the topping mixture* and cover with remaining batter, then add the rest of the topping mixture.
(I use a bundt pan because it makes for a prettier presentation.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes.

*Topping: Combine 1/3 cup of firmly packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 cup of chopped pecans.

This really is delicious and as the name suggests, goes perfectly with a cup of coffee.

If you make this recipe, we would love to know about it!  Send us a photo and let us know if you made any substitutions or revisions of your own!

A Simple Birthday Celebration

I hate to disappoint, but this is not a recipe.  I did not make any of this from scratch.  I cheated.

My eldest son was born on New Years Day 2005.  This has made birthday celebrations a little tricky at times, but has also made me realize that simpler really is better.  The years that I have gone out of my way to make complicated (and expensive) birthday plans, it has only brought undue stress to all of us. 

This year we are keeping it old school.  I MADE him a birthday cake and let him help.  We made chocolate peppermint cookies, too.  (Mostly because grandpa loves chocolate and we didn't want to leave him out.)

I'm not about to get wild and tell you how I made all of this from scratch - because I didn't.  The cake and cookie mixes were on sale for $0.37 each because they were in holiday themed packaging.  (Man, I love bargains.)  Now, granted, the cake does have red and green flecks in the batter, but I asked him and he didn't care.  We decided that it looked like confetti anyway.

We've invited friends and family who were going to be in the area to meet us at a pizza place that has arcade games and go-karts.  They have an all-you-can-eat buffet and plenty of room.  I didn't make a big fuss with themed plates and napkins and cups and hats, because all a seven-year-old boy really wants to do is open presents and play games, anyway.  I have discovered that often, the "big fuss" is more important to the moms than it actually is to the kiddos.

So, next time you're stressing about making sure your child's birthday as special as possible, stop and think about which parts of it they are actually going to remember and just focus on those and let the other details fall to the wayside.  You'll be glad you did.

More About Us...

We're just a couple of gals who couldn't wait to get out of our small town and blend into the big city.  We attended prestigious universities and walked away with prestigious degrees and a couple of resumes that are the equivalent of a 10 gallon hat.

After all was said and done, we looked around and realized we actually didn't desire any of that.  So here we are - back at square one - only this time we have an arsenal of somewhat random and unrelated professional experiences that might just prove handy in our new endeavor.

The high heels are off and it's about to get real around here.  Welcome to the farm!