The Delay Button

  This winter, the Delay Button has really helped me out around the house.  I thought that fall was a time to get caught up, however that wasn't the case this fall.  I think it all started back in September when the calves started getting sick, continued on thru weaning and having the calves sorted up into extra bunches needing different feed for each bunch, and then the cold snap in December.  It seemed like I just could not get caught up in the house in to save my soul.

  So, I got in in tune with my delay button and it totally saved my life!  I started using the delay button first on the dishwasher.  At the end of the day, I pile everything into the dishwasher and then delay start it for four hours, that way the dishes are cleaned and dry by the time I get up in the AM.  I was starting the dishwasher after I got it loaded but then it was running when I went to bed and since I am a super light sleeper, I could never fall asleep since our dishwasher is a little noisy.  Cleans awesome but it is noisy and an 1+ hours to finish.

  During the cold snap, I started using the delay button on the wash machine, and it totally saved my life!  I was struggling getting time enough to wash a load of clothes, dry them and fold/put away since we were in and out so much.  I don't like to have machines run when I am not home (in case they don't shut off).  When I got up in the AM, I would throw together a load of clothes and set the delayed timer for the time that I thought I would be back to the house for breakfast.  Usually, that was two hours delayed, since I was back in about three hours.  Then I could dry the load of clothes during breakfast.  Laundry would be done for the day (If I stick to one  load of day, that will usually get us by) and I was ready to continue on with feeding for the rest of the day.  This helped a lot since I wasn't trying to wash bedding while Tyson needed to nap and I could fold clothes in the afternoon when I had time.  This also saved me from having Hubby having to do laundry!

  I am a huge fun on the delay button, I think it all started with that wonderful snooze button on the alarm clock! ;)   Well, I hear the washing machine just kicked off, I had better get things in the dryer before my day actually starts!!!

  Have a Blessed Day!
  ~C~

Upstairs Reveal!

  I have posted a few pictures on Facebook about the progress but wanted to expand the reveal on here!

Looking into the "Living room" area of the Rec Room.

There will eventually be storage where the doors are leaning.  See my office (door on the right), pretty sure it will be a while before I get to use it!  Bedroom is the left door, and then furnace room is the large door.

Soon (as in next week), we will have a pool table in this area!

The gray door is the doorway into the shop room, with the outside entrance to the shop.  Bathroom on the right.

North Bedroom - all done :)

South Bedroom - Nearly Done!

Closer look at the flooring choices!

  Hope that everyone has a wonderful new year and that you enjoyed the 'house tour'!

Have a Blessed Day!
~C~

My Office/Crafting Space

  We picked up some flooring at Menard's last month and installed it in my office.  I can officially say that it is MY office since it's on the 2nd floor and I do all of the book work for our part in the ranch.  Add in the fact, that once I fill it up with crafting stuff supplies, Hubby will not want to venture into this space!  I ended up painting the office walls the same color as my kitchen.  It's a little darker than I had planned on for a color since there are no windows in the office.  However, I plan to lighten the space up using pine (natural stain) trim and shelving, along with a medium light flooring coloring.

 

Such pretty flooring :)

Hubby getting all set up.

It's a family affair!

Tyson carrying the pieces into the office.

All finished - Looking back towards the door.

Contemplating the usage of space!

  Of course, it took me so long to get a post put up that now I have trimmed installed, the floor and wall ducts installed.  I am considering carrying a folding table and some scrap-booking supplies up to the office space to finish up some Christmas projects but I haven't gotten that far yet :)

Have a Blessed Day!

~C~

Linen Cabinets - Part One

  Awhile back, my Hubs installed some Linen cabinets into our two downstairs bathrooms.  This was a much anticipated bathroom accessory for me!  I was tired of cramming the towels and other bathroom stuff into the few drawers and doors under the vanity....it really wasn't cutting it for me.

Guest Bathroom - Linen Cabinet

Another view - all installed!

Master Bath - Debating on the best strategy. 

Installed!

Since we weren't thinking about linen cabinets when we ordered our vanities with counter tops, we have some 'holes' to fix!

  So far, we haven't gotten this fixed.  We had pieces on order to work on it but our contact guy at the Lumber Yard seems to have gotten himself fired and given 5 minutes to leave the building.  Since, we are hard at work on the top floor, this project has fallen to the wayside until later.  In the meantime, I have adequate storage and I am planning a post (part 2) to showcase that.

  We are getting closer on this house project though!!!

  Have a Blessed Day!
  ~C~
 

Pumpkins!

  Slowly but surely, I am obtaining Pioneer Womanish Status as a DIY'er in the kitchen.  The same neighbor that let us have pumpkins to carve for Jack-O-Lanterns also let us have extra pumpkins to make puree with.  I jumped at this chance to find my inner PW and decided that I was going to follow thru this odyssey and make my own pumpkin puree.

  I started off with two nice sized medium pumpkins.

  Then I decided after a phone call to my SIL M, that I should only puree the pumpkin on the left, we decided that the pumpkin on the right was past it's useful life.

   Then we cut the pumpkin into slices and cleaned the 'guts' off of each slice.  I was pretty shocked when Mr T offered to help with the seed cleaning because when we did Jack O' Lanterns, he wouldn't touch the 'guts' at all.

   I put the sliced pumpkin on baking sheets - I would cut up the pieces into smaller chunks next time.  I stuck them in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or so.  Then I took a large spoon and peeled the 'pumpkin meat' off of the skins and put it in a bowl.

   Then I used my AMAZING (yes, I had to shout that!) Vitamix blender to puree the pumpkin meat.  I had to use a little water to get it to puree properly but in the end I got great results!

  Out of this one pumpkin, I got 12 cups of pumpkin puree!  I did learn via another phone call to my SIL M that the larger the pumpkin the more they tend to be yellow.  I was afraid that I had a 'bad' pumpkin and had spent the better part of my morning making puree for nothing.  Next year, I am going to try a smaller pumpkin and see if the taste is any different along with coloring.

I used this as my main resource (besides two phone calls to the SIL) - Pioneer Woman's Site:
Make Your Own Pumpkin Puree

Then I kept the seeds and used this recipe for roasting the seeds:  Pepitos!

In the end, I wasn't all that crazy about roasted pumpkin seeds but I am excited to make something with the pumpkin puree!!!

Have a Blessed Day!
~C~

No Bake Cookies

  I like to bake.  I am not a great baker by any means but I love to dabble in the baking world.  It makes me happy and it also entertains Mr T for a bit as well.  I have to have recipes to follow, I am by no means creative in the kitchen!

  I didn't grow up helping mom in the kitchen, instead I grew up outside with Dad.  I helped feed cattle, fence, hay, weld in the shop, move cattle, work with the horses and whatever else needed done - outside.  When I went to college, I had to learn to wash my own clothes (however most weekends, I was back on the ranch and washed them at home), and cook a little.  I lived in the dorms, so most meals were taken care of for me but I did learn to make Mac N Cheese and poached eggs in the Microwave to survive.  Then I realized that I had friends that could cook!  So, I did the smart thing and trade out cafeteria dorm food lunches for home cooked suppers!  It was amazing :)

  What's all of this got to do with No Bake Cookies?  Well, I am encouraging Mr T to help me out in the kitchen whenever he can so he learns to fend for himself earlier in life than I did!

Here is how he helps me out now:

A little stirring action (don't mind the mess in the background).

Official spoon licker aka test taster!

    Here is the recipe for the No-Bake Cookies that we love!

No Bake Cookies
*1/2 Cup Butter
*2 Cups White Sugar
*1/2 Cup Milk
*3 Tblsp Cocoa
*1 Tsp Vanilla
*3 Cups Quick Cooking Oats
*2/3 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter

-In a Saucepan, bring butter, sugar, milk and cocoa to a boil for a minute (make sure they come to a full boil   and then set the timer for one full minute - keep whisking!)
-Pull it off the stove and immediately add the peanut butter, vanilla and oats.
-Stir well and drop spoonfuls onto waxed paper.
-Let Cool.

*Note - we keep these in the freezer for treats.  The guys loved them frozen and then they last a little longer around here.

Happy Halloween

  I am not going to lie, I am not a fan of Halloween.  I hated dressing up as a kid and as I got older I never quite got as excited about the whole Halloween bit as the rest of my friends.  However for the sake of my Hubby (who loves the scary movies of Halloween season), I decided to bake some treats to get into the spirit of things.

First, we made some 'spooky' Sugar Cookies

Then we made some Yummy Cupcakes

I got the cupcake picks from Hobby Lobby, they were on sale for a pack for $1.

Mr T holding one of the 'treats' for Daddy!

  That is all that we will do for Halloween.  Maybe when Mr T gets a little older we will take him into town for some activities but for now this is good enough for us!

Here is the link for the frosting that I used on the cupcakes, I highly recommend it!  Buttercream Icing

Have a Blessed Day!
~C~