Bowl of Goodness

I am trying to increase the amount of veggies I eat. I am not very good about getting all of the servings I should. I don't really know why, I like the taste of all sorts of vegetables. I am also trying to incorporate more whole grains in my diet, so..... I made this little dish~

1 cup of Brown Rice ( I found the organic kind at Wal-Mart). I cook mine in half water and half organic chicken stock.

Saute': Red Pepper, Onion, Mushroom, Carrots, Celery and Garlic in a small amount of Olive Oil (You can use any kind of vegetables you like, these are just some of my favorites) Season with salt, pepper, oregano and cumin.

When veggies are almost finished, add one can of drained and rinsed black beans and heat through. Add cooked rice and stir well.

Enjoy a bowl of goodness knowing that it not only tastes good, but is very good for you.

~Rhonda

Chick Tricks

"Look, look at me. Look at what I did!"

"Hey, how did you get up there?"

"Uhm, I'm not quite sure really.... Hmmm, well...."

".... does anybody have any idea how I get back down?"

Sunday Smiles

Snuggled down in a warm sunbeam with his good buddy Rufus :-)

A Day at the Farm

On Tuesday, my Mom, son and I got a rare treat. We were able to go to the 100 acre farm of fellow blogger Pam from Life on a Southern Farm. It started out as a strictly business trip~ she had baby dominique chicks and I wanted some.

But turned into a wonderful day full of adventure.... especially for my little Farm Boy.

It started with a walk to the pond that Pam's FarmMan had made, then a fun paddle boat ride. My son has decided we need one of these:-)

Next, we explored the beautiful waterwheel her DH had built~


My little investigator was very curious about how it all worked.

We got to meet lots of the locals while we were there~

Miss Annie, came over to welcome us and get a little rub on her nose.

The guineas were not sure they cared for us at all, but at least they were kind enough to pose for a photo.
This Polish rooster kept a watchful eye out to make sure we were not going to get too close to his women.
The rogue rooster that ran with the goats, fascinated my son. He assumed he was an escapee.

BoDog and Little Farm Boy became fast friends. What sealed the deal was the bone my son found and gave to Bo.

Lionel, the resident Mouser, came out to have his picture made and let us get a good look at him. He is a beauty!

Of course there were Chicks.... lots and lots of tiny little peepers that made me want to scoop them all up and take them home.... if only I had enough room... ***sigh***

Being the 100% All-Boy that he is, my son was extremely intrigued with all of the farm equipment.

This is the Old Saw Mill that the FarmMan used to make their beautiful kitchen floor.

And the generator that my little one could have stayed and messed with for hours.

The most precious part was when we got to meet Miracle Eve. And would you just look at who got to feed her!
And even pick her up and carry her around :-) She didn't seem to mind a bit.
Before we left, Ms. Pam invited us in for some Sweet Tea and Turtle pie. Then she played us a wonderful old Hymn on her gorgeous Upright Piano.

All too soon it was time to load up and go back home, so we got what we came for.... 10 precious little biddies of our own, and said our good-byes.

I hope that we will be able to visit this charming farm again in the near future. Thank you Pam, you were such a warm and inviting hostess. We will not soon forget our wonderful day on your farm. My little one has not stopped talking about it yet and today, he took a report to school to share his experience with all of his friends.

And, 10 of your little biddies will make a much requested visit to his classroom this afternoon.

Where I am sure to be as nervous and protective as a Mother Hen. ~Rhonda

Seed to Seed

Like so many others, it seems my thoughts have turned to the anticipation of warmer days of Spring and the opportunity it offers to get out and get in the garden. There have been moments when cabin fever has threatened to overwhelm me but I have tried to take advantage and make the most of the down time. It has offered me the opportunity to really get out and evaluate my soil and the lay of my land. This winter I have put more effort in planning for Spring planting than I have in any winter before. I have come up with more concrete goals and devised the steps I need to take to make those plans work.

You may have noticed this little button in my side bar~~

It is a growing challenge that is being hosted by One Green Generation. The rules are simple:

1. Plant at least one new crop from seed, grow it organically, and save the seed to plant next year.

2. Check in here when I post Seed To Seed or Growing Challenge posts (more or less once/week). Or if you have your own blog*, you can write about your gardening there instead – or in addition. The point of #2 is to learn from one another, inspire one another, and build our growing community. So please share questions, thoughts, and discoveries as they come up.

3. Sign up in the comments!

So I'll keep you up to date on the progress at least once a week.

See this little grassy hillside? I know it doesn't look like much now, but I have big plans for this little spot.......

BIG plans! ~Rhonda

Sunday Smiles

Chocolate, roses and candlelight, FarmHouse Style.

Happy Valentine's Day

I told my son that I would make hearts that he could give to his teachers for Valentine's Day. "OK," he said, "but can you put their names on them?" Sure, I think I can handle that. He told me this morning that my design met his approval :-)

.... the things we do for love ~Rhonda

With a Spoon

Last night as we were going through our usual bedtime routine, I was struck by one of those moments. The ones where you look at your child and you are so overcome with such an intense bittersweet emotion that tears spring to your eyes and you just want to scoop them up and hold them so tight that time stands still and you remain forever captured in that one second.

But instead, I gave him a little kiss and said something silly~ "You know what? I could just eat you up with a spoon!" To which he responded with a wide eyed "AACKK!" Then he proclaimed, "I've got hopes and dreams you know!? And besides, if you do that, how will I ever grow up to be a Scientist?"

Yes indeed I could.... with a spoon.~Rhonda

"February is for planting peas."

I was going to wait until the end of the month or possibly the first of March to plant the English Peas, but Mother Nature delivered a beautiful weekend of near 70 degree temps and my strong desire to play in the dirt got the better of me. Besides, Grandmaw always said, "February is for planting peas."

My little helper made the row markers.... "Peas, 1 Week".... he's a very optimistic little fellow :-)


Well, here's the spot, better get started.

First I need to cultivate the area. I have a very nice tiller that was my Grandfather's, but it is a large beast and when I use it I really take a beating. So, for this job, I will use this handy little gadget and my shoulders and back will thank me in the morning.

Now I need to get the weeds out. The little wild Spring onions are already popping up everywhere.


Miss Honey takes Grub patrol. Actually, she gobbles up grub worms, earth worms, beetles, bugs, spiders and any thing else that dares to move.

Watch out little earth worm, or you will be the next snack! I'll just cover him up right quick, I really prefer to keep these around.

Now that the tilling and weeding is all done, it's time to add the gold. Compost, made right here on my little farmette.

Well, the seeds have been gently enveloped in the warming earth, given a good drink and now I'll wait in anticipation for the first little green shoots to pop their heads out of the ground and say, "Hello!"

In the words of my Little Blonde Headed Helper, "It is a good day to be a Farmer." Lord, I love that child.

I hope you all thoroughly enjoyed your weekend as we did.~ Rhonda

Sunday Smiles

Good Grief!!

Sweet Taste of Nostalgia

I made myself a treat the other day. It is a pear salad that my Mom used to make my brother and I when we were kids~only my brother, who has an aversion to Mayonnaise, ate his with NO mayo. It is very simple... lettuce, canned pears, cheese, mayo and I added a maraschino cherry, Mom didn't use those.

I made mine with a different type of cheese than she used... I adore extra sharp cheddar. Plus I was fresh out of the government issue sliced American.

Times were very lean when it was just the three of us. My Mom worked two jobs to make ends meet, as a Dental Assistant during the day and as a Shirt Factory seamstress at night. I spent lots of time with my Grandmaw and Papa and my three Aunts. I remember making biscuits with my Grandmaw in her big round biscuit bowl, scooping out the flour and lard from big metal containers in the pantry. She never measured the ingredients or followed a recipe, she just knew how to make them from years of practice. I helped my Papa in the garden, he grew corn so tall that it towered above us and row after row of ripe juicy tomatoes. Green beans, squash, okra, cucumbers, onions and the best cantaloupes I have ever eaten.... from this my love of cultivating the earth was born. My Aunts played with me and pampered me, especially my Aunt Doris who was a young teenager when I was a child.

As an adult, I can understand how difficult it was for my Mom, how tired and worried she must have been. There is a picture of the three of us on Easter Sunday. I must have been three and my brother was 1. We are all dressed for church, me in my white bonnet with little yellow daises, my brother in a striped jacket and clip on tie and my beautiful mother is dressed in a pale yellow sheath dress that details how thin she is. We are all smiling, me with a silly grin that stretches from ear to ear, but under my Mother's eyes are deep dark circles.... she is not even 20 years old in this photo. I cry every time I think of it.

It was not until I was older that I came to comprehend the sacrifices she made for us. Because as a child, I was happy and I was loved, and that was all that mattered.

Funny, isn't it ? How a simple pear salad had the power to transport me back almost 40 years.~Rhonda

Sunday Smiles

My Mother-In-Law sent us this little treat. Guaranteed to make you smile!

Enjoy~ Rhonda