Dogs Need Friends Too

When we left for a couple of weeks this summer, our dog migrated over to the neighbor's house.  I think he missed our boys, and family companionship.  He and the neighbor's dog, Bailey, became fast friends.  So when our neighbors left on vacation a few weeks ago, Bailey decided to return the favor and move in to our yard.  The neighbors returned, but Bailey is still spending a good part of his days at our house.  I'm happy for Scooter.  Dogs need friends too.  In the past, we've always had two dogs at a time, but for some reason since we adopted Scooter from a shelter 4 years ago, we've just had him. 

Scooter and Bailey, while different breeds, are both herding dogs, well-suited to the farm life.  They play rough, but you can tell while watching it that they are just having fun.

Bailey is really good at making monster faces.  Kind of reminds me of my twins when they put on monster masks and try to scare each other.  If I was Scooter, I'd be terrified of that face, but he isn't fooled.

He says, "Now who's got the upper hand?"

Yup, they sure do enjoy hanging out together.

Let's just hope that Bailey doesn't teach Scooter the joys of chasing the schoolbus!  

Photobombed

1.  When we went to the pumpkin patch with the twins' preschool class (this is the last of them, I promise!), I was shooting some pictures and I got photobombed!

2.  See the bottom left corner?  Yup, photobombed.  What do you think that black streak is?  Leave a comment, and I will draw one random commenter to send one of my homemade fairy, dog or cat soaps (winner's choice).  The winner doesn't even have to have the right answer, you enter just by guessing!  Next week I'll tell you just what the photobomb is.

3.  I don't really like turkey.  I prefer the sides at Thanksgiving, and don't tend to even put turkey on my plate - or if I do it's just one small bite, for the spirit of it.

4.  My favorite sides are green beans, mashed potatoes, my Dad's oyster stuffing, and broccoli cheese casserole.

5.  For those of you with children, this might interest you (I will have a review and giveaway up in the next few weeks):  K5 Learning has an online reading and math program for kindergarten to grade 5 students. I've been given a 6 week free trial to test and write a review of their program. If you are a blogger, you may want to check out their open invitation to write an online learning review of their program.

This post linked with Random Friday at A Rural Journal. 

We Packed Our Shoebox

Each year we pack a shoebox to ship to a child overseas that wouldn't otherwise receive anything special for Christmas.  You can find out more about this through the organization Samaritan's Purse.

 I look for little items all year round that might be just right to send to a child.  I like to pick a girl each year, since I normally do all my shopping for little boys. 

But you know what happened this year?  My boys complained.  Did they complain about sending toys to another child?  Oh no.  Not at all.  They complained that we were sending toys to a girl.  They wanted to shop for a boy!  I guess my girl shopping days are over.  Either that - or next year we are just going to have to do two boxes!

How about you, readers?  Do you like to shop for disadvantaged children over the holidays? 

My Best Vegetarian Vegan Chili

I think I've been making this recipe longer than any in my collection.  Over twenty years.  I didn't cook much as a kid, but I found this recipe in a magazine, and made it for my parents and brothers to rave reviews.  It's curious - it doesn't seem like the sort of recipe that would've been in Sassy or Seventeen, which are the magazines I read back then, so I must have been flipping through one of my parents' magazines and found it.  I guess you could say this was the start of my cooking adventures, and somehow I've hung on to the magazine clipping for all these years, breaking out the recipe each fall to make this savory dish for my own family.

Ingredients:
1/4 16 ounce package elbow macaroni (1 cup)
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 medium sized carrots, thinly sliced
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium size zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium sized yellow squash, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 28 ounce can tomatoes
1 16 ounce can whole kernel corn
1 4 ounce can chopped mild green chilis
1/3 cup tomato paste
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce
2 15 1/4 ounce cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Prepare macaroni as label directs, but don't use salt in water.  Drain and set aside.  Meanwhile, in large pot over medium-high heat, cook carrots, onion, and garlic in olive oil until vegetables begin to brown.  Add zucchini and yellow squash, cook until all vegetables are tender-crisp.
Stir in chili powder and salt, cook 1 minute.  Add tomatoes with their liquid, corn with its liquid, chilis with their liquid, tomato paste, hot pepper sauce, and 2 cups of water.  Over high heat, bring to boiling.  Reduce heat to low, simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes.  Stir in beans and macaroni, heat through.

Makes 6 main dish servings (we typically have plenty of leftovers - it makes a lot).  390 calories per serving.  You could easily convert this to gluten free, if needed, by omitting the pasta or using a gluten free version.

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family has!  Readers, is there any recipe you've been making for most of your life?

Running Recap October 2013

Below is a statue that I love, which is on the back part of the greenway, on a loop I run from time to time.  Sometimes, running makes me feel just like this statue.

I backed off some on the running this month.  More than I had planned to.  It's been hard - time constraints, shorter days, an illness, and a hard time finding continued motivation for the treadmill early in the mornings on days I don't have time to run outside.  Still, I ran 108 miles this month.  I also did weights a couple of times. 

Readers, what has you lifting your arms up in joy lately?

More Red Barn Goodness

Another shot of the huge red barn at the Jeter Farm pumpkin patch.  You can just see the twins on the tractor. 

I was going to link with Barn Charm Monday, but it seems it is no more.  Sad, isn't it, when blogs dissolve.  I still have blogs from several years ago that I miss, and wonder how their families are doing. 

Just Reid. And Kittens. Orange Fluffy Kittens.

1.  Reid is tricky to photograph.  He's a little camera shy.  Also, he fake smiles in a grimace - with just his bottom teeth.  We have a lot of staged family photos where Reidy has a little grimace.  It's much easier if I can sneak a shot when he doesn't know it.  Like below, taken at the pumpkin patch.

2.  I'm taking on a new client with my part time job.  Supposedly it will only be an extra 3 hours a week (as other people will be doing the other hours), but I'm still distressed over how to fit it all in, as I already feel overwhelmed on a daily basis.  But this is a person who truly needs help, and after hearing her story, I felt it was an opportunity for me to make a significant difference in someone's life who has hit rock bottom. 

3.  I'm such a softie when it comes to animals or people in distress.  I'm not in a position to do much to help financially, but I'm always open to helping with my time and effort.

4.  I also have a weakness for orange fluffy kittens. 

5.  I think my husband may live in fear that people will randomly start dropping orange fluffy kittens in our yard.  He knows I could never resist them.  I would have 50 if he'd let me.  Sadly, we have no orange fluffy kittens (or cats) right now amongst our three adult cats.  Michaele is killing me lately with her adorable orange fluffy kitten blog posts!  If she weren't so far away, I'd be over there now getting some orange kitten love.

This post linked with Random Friday at A Rural Journal.