Winter Wreath Fun at the Farm!

So this is how I see the Peaceable Kingdom at the farm... and how I'd like to imagine our country getting along.

Maggie and Milky Way, like Tod and Copper, friends for life.

They are so cute! 

And this kitten tries to nurse on Maggie... who has never had a puppy... and Maggie lets her. So we've got wonderful (and weird!) maternal instincts! 

So we've been making pretty things for the farm season because this is the time we can spend a few hours to do it... and I have some young buds who are between semesters. Sweet! 

So this is Lena (five years old) working with me on Sunday.... Train 'em young!

Spring theme....

Christmas wreaths!  This first rag wreath is 18" across, so extra large and look how cute with the sign in the middle!!!! LOVE IT!!!!  My two college gals are home for an extra couple of weeks because of Covid so they might as well stay busy, right? Taylor's been making wreaths and Christina's been doing rustic porch and yard decor in Patriotic themes.... Because we love the Red, White and Blue!  But here are Christmas wreaths waiting for bows... and then we'll wrap them and tuck them away until next fall.

We made a family project day last weekend and got a lot of things done and a lot of ideas for 2021 Farm Events...  Here's a rustic burlap ribbon wreath, waiting for a bow.... my ribbon order hasn't gotten here yet, so the bows are coming!  I've learned a lot with these first wreaths... and had a lot of fun. I love creating things that make folks happy. Their smiles make us smile!

Christina's rustic flags.... so popular last year! Amazing what one can do with old fencing!

We're getting together every few weeks to create as a group and doing what we can in between... and it's fun! A pot of chicken soup, some Swedish meatballs, Italian bread and pasta... and a cake to celebrate a precious life, gone too soon... our little Joseph who's waiting for us in heaven. No doubt being rocked by Lisa right now... She's got him in heaven... I've got her littles (and not so littles) down here. And we move on.... because that's what folks do when they love one another.

So that's our week... we did have one hour of sun one day... and maybe one hour of sun another day in December. Crazy cloudy and gray here, no snow, just icy mist and rain, very British!!!! 

But that's all right. We can't change the weather.

We can change our hearts... So from our farm to you, we're sending winter blessings as I work on finishing a Christmas mystery and busy hands create this, that and the other thing!

Oh, and then this... I swapped out Christmas lights for white lights to go through March because it is SO DARK AND GRAY up here.... But I do love this effect! Winter White!  #MustLoveTwinkleLights

There's just something heartening about seeing the white lights in the depths of winter. It brings a smile to people's faces, driving by...

Okay, that's it for now.... Until next week from the farm!

Multi-published award-winning USA Today Bestselling author Ruth Logan Herne is living her dream of writing beautiful stories of faith, hope and love... while running a busy and fun family-friendly pumpkin farm in Western New York with her husband and a whole crew of family and friends. You can pester Ruthy over on Facebook where her more conservative views are always stirring up some sort of conversation, email her at loganherne@gmail.com or stop by her website ruthloganherne.com. She'd love to see you and know more about you! 

Pantry Redux

News flash! Winter came to Texas this weekend. While we only saw a little bit of sleet that was barely detectable except that it coated the deck with slush...

A little farther north, our granddaughter was having the time of her life.

Such a lovely sight.

Our cold rain made it the perfect day for doing some much needed purging and rearranging, though.

We moved into our house in December 2017, a mere 10 days before Christmas when we were inundated with family. So despite the best laid plans, by the time January rolled around, my new pantry looked like this. 

A catch-all for anything and everything until I gave it some organization.

Three years later, it once again looked like the first image, only with a lot more stuff. So while the rain fell, I rolled up my sleeves and removed everything from the pantry.

As I started putting things back in, I realized I'd forgotten to take a Before picture.

I started by grouping similar items into these old locker baskets I'd had shoved in a cupboard in the mudroom.

Then I did the same thing with some smaller items that tend to get lost in the pantry, grouping them in these small baskets I'd picked up for less than dollar.

The biggest job was repackaging a lot of items. Combining multiple packages of the same thing into one central location.

Those half-gallon size Mason jars are perfect for storage, though I still use some of the Tupperware I bought way back in the 80s.

It took me all day, but as night fell I once again had an orderly pantry. Save for that wayward box of aluminum foil. Who put that there?

What could have been a lazy rainy day turned into a productive rainy day. One that had me so jazzed I couldn't wait to move onto the mudroom. Hooray for newfound space!

What are some of your favorite storage ideas?

Award-winning author Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, two sassy pups, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com

January Musings and Planning for Spring!

 Jan here, in the middle of a gray January afternoon.

We had fog on Saturday morning, and the temperatures hovered around 28° all day long...and that means freezing fog, or hoarfrost! I remember reading about hoarfrost in old stories (maybe Dickens?) and thinking how awfully cold it sounded.

I was right. Even though the temps were warmer than they could be for January, the chilly damp seeps into your bones. But Sam didn't seem to care.

While Jack happily snoozes in the house, Sam can't wait to go outside. And he loves posing for pictures! As soon as he sees the camera, he sits. Silly dog!

And the leash? A necessary item. We have a herd of about two dozen mule deer in our neighborhood. They wander around eating whatever they can find, and often take their afternoon siestas in our yard. On Saturday they were at the neighbor's and Sam was safely on his leash.

It's not so much that I'm worried about him chasing the deer as it is that the deer can be dangerous. There are two good-sized bucks in our little herd, and they can kill a dog that they see as a threat.

One of the things Sam and I did on his walk was to visit our garden.

Yes! This is new! We have four units in our building and last year three out of the four of us decided to start a shared garden space. Last summer the younger one of us spent his spare time putting in a fence (it's nearly complete.) The ground has been tilled, covered with composted horse manure, tilled again, and is enjoying a winter of snow fertilizer. In the spring we'll be ready to plant.

We have an 8' x 10' spot, and I hope it will be this end. I plan to put in some perennial plants right away (rhubarb and asparagus,) so I often cast a longing look toward this corner. :-)

While I wait, I spend many hours planning the garden. Unlike Ruthy, I am NOT planning to plant thousands of mums! Eventually I hope to grow all of our summer produce here. But for the first year, I'm sticking with some tried and true easy friends - beans, radishes, lettuce, spinach, zucchini, potatoes, and peppers, among others. I know it will take a few years to get the garden up to speed. After all, a year ago this was a grassy meadow!

Another chore we took care of on Saturday afternoon was doing an inventory of our food storage pantry and freezer. We straightened, counted, and planned what we needed to bring the inventory up to the next level. We're ready for a blizzard (whenever the next one comes!)

Then, once the dogs were walked and before it's time to start supper, I turned my attention to this project!

I love this picture. Years ago when I had just graduated from college, I backpacked through Europe. One day I visited Neuschwanstein Castle. I stayed at the Youth Hostel in nearby Fussen the night before, then walked to the castle. I took the tour, then also toured nearby Hohenschwangau - King Ludwig's ancestral home. (To tell the truth, I enjoyed Hohenschwangau more!) While I was on that tour, I might have touched the piano that Richard Wagner played when he visited the royal family.

While I work on this puzzle, those memories swirl through my mind. What a wonderful way to spend a long winter afternoon, don't you think? And it's a good thing I'm enjoying it, because this puzzle is HUGE! 2000 pieces! Four and a half feet long! Two feet wide! 

But before I knew it, it was time to go upstairs and fix supper. This night it was my favorite Tuscan Style Soup, aka "Zuppa Toscana." You can find the recipe here.

It may have been a quiet afternoon, but, you know, I enjoy those times. Life is hectic enough. Sometimes we just need to slow down, muse on the future, and soak in some quiet peace.

What kinds of things fill your quiet afternoons?

Jan Drexler has always been a "book girl" who still loves to spend time within the pages of her favorite books. She lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her dear husband of many years and their active, crazy dogs, Jack and Sam. You can learn more about Jan and her books on her website, www.JanDrexler.com.

The Winter Solstice is Special This Year

Regular readers of the Yankee Belle blog know the bloggers pretty well, don't you? Mindy is the Texas rancher, Cate is the teacher living in the middle of Brooklyn, Ruthy is the Upstate New York pumpkin farmer, and Missy is the sweet-as-a-Georgia-peach pastor's wife. But what about me? Well, Jan is the lover of all things Black Hills and a closet weather geek.

What? You didn't know I was a weather-geek?

No matter where we've lived, my eyes have always been on the sky.

Of course, in our new Black Hills home, there is plenty of sky to be watching!

I've been known to drive a hundred miles to experience a temperature inversion, or spend hours looking at weather maps. I'll go outside in the middle the night to feel what -15° is like, or bake in the sunshine on a 100° day to get my dose of Vitamin D (it doesn't take long!)

Now that we live in the country (wide open spaces and little light pollution,) I'm adding a bit of astronomy in a subheading under meteorology. A couple years ago, I started tracking the sunrise and sunset times in my bullet journal, along with the day's weather and phases of the moon. I'm slowly learning to recognize constellations (hello, Orion!) and have started tracking their nightly progress. 

One reason why I take the dogs out for their final nightly walk instead of my dear husband is to look at the stars!

All of this is an introduction about what I really want to talk about today! This is the winter solstice, and it's a very special day.

For the first time since 1226, tonight we will be able to observe a great conjunction of planetary alignment with Saturn and Jupiter - basically, a double star.

That's pretty cool. Here's an article about it: Is it the star of Bethlehem? or This article from Forbes

Whether it is the star of Bethlehem or not, it's still a fantastic occurrence. Not a once in a lifetime event, but a once in a millennium event!

I just hope the skies will be clear tonight!

But the greatest thing about the winter solstice is that our daylight hours begin to increase. 

Starting tomorrow, the days will be a little bit longer and the nights a little bit shorter. Only about a 15-20 second difference at first, but then the sun begins its journey north, picking up speed as it goes until we reach the summer solstice. This difference isn't as dramatic the farther south you go, and I can just imagine what that yearly trek is like in Canada or Alaska!

You might have noticed that the increase in daylight just happens to happen close to our celebration of our Savior's birth.

Coincidence? I don't think so. 

Many years before Jesus' birth, Isaiah prophesied this:

John, in the first chapter of his gospel, tells us this:

Jesus is the light of the world. 

Have a wonderful Christmas week! 

Jan Drexler has always been a "book girl" who still loves to spend time within the pages of her favorite books. She lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her dear husband of many years and their active, crazy dogs, Jack and Sam. You can learn more about Jan and her books on her website, www.JanDrexler.com.

Cheesy Cream of Broccoli Soup

In our part of the world, winter is still going strong.

"File photo" Why take another photo
when you already have enough snow pictures? LOL!

On Friday night through Saturday morning, a winter storm came through. Snow on top of snow and blustery winds along with it.

That means that it's still soup weather!!! We have soup so often at our house that one of the checkout clerks at Walmart has started asking what kind we're making this time. (Maybe it's time to choose another lane at the grocery store...)

Anyway, last week I had some fresh broccoli, so I made one of my favorites....

Cheesy Cream of Broccoli Soup

(makes about 4 large servings)

ingredients:

4 cups fresh broccoli, steamed and chopped (or a 16 ounce bag frozen broccoli florets, cooked)

1/2 cup finely chopped carrots

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or chili powder (don't worry - it will be flavorful rather than spicy)

1/4 cup butter

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I like this soup better with the vegetable broth)

1 cup heavy cream (you can use a can of condensed milk for a lower fat version)

2 cups shredded cheese, or 8 ounces Velveeta, cubed

A super easy way to steam fresh broccoli is to use your Instant Pot! Use a steamer basket for this.

Put one cup of water in your Instant Pot, then insert your steamer basket. Put the broccoli in, then seal the lid. Set your IP to pressure cook on high for zero minutes. That's right. Zero. The broccoli steams while the IP is coming up to pressure. Use quick pressure release and immediately rinse the broccoli in cool water so that it stops cooking. That's it!

Once your broccoli is cooked, chop it into small pieces for your soup.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in your soup pot (I just used my Instant Pot's saute function since I had already used the pot to steam the broccoli.) Once it's melted, add the chopped carrots, onion, chili powder, and garlic. Cook and stir until the carrots have softened, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the broccoli and broth, then bring the soup to a boil. Add the cream and reduce the heat. Let it continue to cook without boiling until hot.

Or if you aren't quite ready to eat yet, let your soup pan sit on the stove on low to keep the soup warm, or switch your Instant Pot to the slow cook function.

About 10 minutes before serving, stir in the cheese until it's melted.

This soup is warm, hearty, and full of flavor!

Even though the weather is still wintery, I know my soup-making days are numbered until fall. I am SO looking forward to spring!

How is winter doing where you are? Is it still holding on, or is it long gone?

Jan Drexler lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and growing family. When she isn't writing, she loves hiking in the Hills or satisfying her cross stitch addiction.

You can find Jan on Facebook, Jan Drexler, author, or her website, Jan Drexler.com.

Top Five Foodie Reasons to Love Winter

Freezing temperatures have returned to the coastal plains of Texas. A rather strange twist, considering I just saw my first bluebonnets on Friday.

But since I appreciate the cold weather, and wither at the thought of summer being just on the horizon, I thought I would celebrate some of my favorite cold weather dishes. Simply click on the names for the recipes.

At the top of my cold-weather comfort food list would be Chicken and Dumplings.

My girls' great grandmother shared this recipe with me when I was a young bride. Not only was it the first homemade chicken and dumplings I'd ever had, it was the first time I'd had dumplings that weren't giant Bisquick biscuits. It was love at first bite. Ever since then, it's been my first go-to whenever cold weather sets in.

Next on my list would be Loaded Baked Potato Soup.

I think this picture pretty much says it all.

Number three has to be good old fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup.

Loaded with chicken and veggies, not to mention legendary healing properties, this soup is a delicious treat on any cold day.

Another chart-topper would be Beef Stew.

This is a sorry picture, but the meal is to die for. A bowl of hot beef stew with a slice (or two) of fresh-baked bread... That's the stuff dreams are made of.

Last, but definitely not least, is Southwest Chicken Soup.

This soup is not only flavorful, it's a crockpot meal, meaning you can toss everything together in the morning and work or play right up until dinnertime. 

As I said at the beginning of my post, we are having a late-winter freeze here in Texas. The good thing is that it never lasts for long. We'll be back in the 70s by this weekend and next week we're planning to plant our spring flowers. I know that's hard to imagine when you're still looking at piles of snow. But spring will come.

In the meantime, what are some of your favorite cold-weather meals?

Three-time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com.