Adventures in Country Living: Raising Chickens

So these are our lovely ladies. They are a great group of chickens and there's nothin' like fresh eggs.

The yolks are a deep orange that make the yummiest fried eggs, rich quiches and are a blessing to have on hand when throwing together a cake or batch of brownies. What? No eggs in the fridge? Time to trek out to the coop! And I must admit, I'm the #1 go to person on our street for "Do you have an egg to spare?" :D

As you can see they're a hodgepodge of different breeds. We started out with a quad of beautiful Rhode Island Reds.

And then we got a dog.

Turns out chickens and ADD Labrador teenagers (who know how to dig) don't mesh well. I'm pretty sure he meant well but no, they weren't moving toys. So the Labrador went to a neighbor (thanks Kelly). And she posted this picture on Facebook a few days later...

"If I don't make eye contact, they can't see me"

This would have been our backyard.
And those feathers would not have been a pillow.

So fortunately now, Zak has a home that is chicken-free with a super loving family, and a BFF named Kaya to play with all day long.

Keeping chickens is incredibly easy. All they need is a little shelter from varmints, food, water and room to roam when the weather is nice. Ours love walking the yard and eating grass and worms. This makes for happier chickens. I used to run a country store with my mother-in-law. We had a sign out front for "Happy Chicken Eggs." They sold as quick as we could put them into cartons. There's nothing like a farm fresh egg and the experience is all the more enjoyable knowing they come from happy chickens :) 


My favorite way to eat eggs is fried with crumbled goat cheese on top. SO good! How about you?

Don't Be A Stagnant Writer: 5 Helpful Tips

Write with purpose and be flexible. It's important to have a game plan in mind. There's much to be said for well thought out character outlines and scene summaries. I have plenty of them on hand. But sometimes its just plain OK to hit the keyboard with reckless abandon, with no destination in sight. Crank up the radio and channel the inspiration that fell in your lap earlier in the day. Have fun with it. Be crazy. Don't edit. I've written some of my best scenes this way and talk about an adrenaline rush. In a nerdy, writer, sort of way ;)

Play with different genres. I know writers hear all the time to "pick a genre and stick to it." Wise advice, to be certain when building a platform and readership, but when it comes to just you, your writing space and imagination, feel free--better yet--take the liberty to play around with different story ideas, time periods and locations. I mostly write historical fiction. Petticoats, wagons and butter churns pretty much make up my world, so to keep from losing my mind, I allow myself to play with crazy plots as they hit me. Recently I put down two chapters of a contemporary suspense-kidnapping-romance. Might not jive with the whole Appalachian brand thing, but it sure was fun and it helped stretch my writing muscles and was a ton of fun to hash out. And one never knows...wait do I smell a future Christy Award? Kidding!

Get critiqued. And I don't mean by anybody. Your mom, aunt or grandma do not count. Because one of those ladies just might think that Daisy Lou Starlight is a great name for your heroine. *hand to forehead*

Get critiqued by someone (better yet several someones) who knows the ins, outs, ups and downs of good writing. Yep, it'll sting. I sort of think it's supposed to. Kind of like a really tough workout. You might not feel so great while your in the middle of that seventh treadmill mile, but your body will thank you for it later. So will your book...and your agent and your editor. And mind you, not all critique groups (or critique partners) are created equal. I've had my moments of tears. But those moments were few and far between. Equipped with a little discernment and a learners heart (read that last part five times), you will find your writing and storytelling grow in ways you never thought possible.

Learn from what you read. Didn't like that last beach flick? Thought that mystery was some of the greatest writing ever? Don't just put the book aside with a satisfied sigh (or fling it at the wall). Let it marinate. Shoot, take notes if you want to. I typically analyze everything I read and when a line stands out at me as being totally amazing, I take a moment to figure out why and how. What makes it so special? What's the writer doing here. It's not just luck...it's a craft. And if a story line isn't doing it for you, study the characters--is something about them bugging you? Is the plot just going nowhere? Too many pet phrases? Take note for your own writing on what to avoid and what to embrace.

To take things one step further, if a book has a strong impact on me--whether good or bad--I sometimes look it up on amazon and read some reviews. This helps me gain a little outside perspective. Maybe readers agree with me, maybe not. But it's helpful to know what others think. What makes them tick. Could very well be the same readers that rate your novel one day. So their opinions carry a good bit of weight.

Learn from the pros. Last but definitely not least. I've chatted recently with other writers about my journey toward publication (which might I add is getting REALLY close! But that's a whole 'nother post) Anywho, the best advice I can usually give is to READ BLOGS. Yes, read blogs by the pros. Agents. Editors. Authors. You name it, if its good, read it, study it and see how you can apply it to your own writing and career. Think of it as a free creative writing and marketing education. I can't tell you how many times in the past I read blog posts or articles on how to write the perfect pitch. Then how to write the perfect query. Proposal. And so on and so on. There is a wealth of information on the web (and in many fabulous books). Take advantage of it. Learn. Learn. Learn.

I'd love to hear what advice and tips you all have to keep from being a stagnant writer!

Five Must-Have Writer’s Tools

Guest blog post by author Beverly Nault

I took a poll of authors I know, and asked them “What resources do you keep at your fingertips?” Here are the top five.


1. Chicago Manual of Style, Fifteenth Edition – considered the go-to twelve-pounder on all things punctuation, this is the editing tool that will make you look and feel like a pro. Excellent for building upper body strength and solving every question about commas, split infinitives and when to use a semicolon. All right, it’s only three pounds, but worth its weight in royalties. Wait, did I punc that right? Lift and curl.

2. Revision & Self-Editing by James Scott Bell. Alongside his Plot & Structure, these twins from the Writer’s Digest Write Great Fiction series are not only fun and easy to read of themselves, their advice and techniques have transformed many a dull, hard-to-follow manuscript into blockbusters.

3. Flip Dictionary by Barbara Ann Kipfer. Subtitled, “For when you know what you want to say but can’t think of the word,” this gem is a cross between a thesaurus and an antonym/synonym dictionary. The Flip suggests alternates for boring words or clichés. The author also includes terrific lists like, “Horse Related Terms” and “Currencies of the World.”

4. Better than Great by Arthur Plotnik. I just got my copy, but I’d heard so much about this new guide from the great Plotnik I pre-ordered, and now I’m studying it from cover to cover. He’s not only compiled superlatives that are fun to read, he teaches how to combine phrases and expressions in new ways to go beyond merely awesome. Jaw-breakingly amazing (p 57).

5. www.thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/ Angela Ackerman and Becky Puglisi’s site discusses topics such as “how to describe a tornado” and “character and emotional traits” in their fantastic thesaural lists. You can click through for inspiration and creative ways to describe colors, weather, nature, people. I’m hoping they’ll compile it into book format soon.

Bonus Material! Before you go, here’s a site I’m learning to use myself:

6. www.behindthename.com, a clever site to find the perfect character name.

What are you dog-earing or clicking on to support your writing? We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to the authors and editors of Lamp Post Publications www.lamppostpubs.com for the assist! @lamppostpubs and @bevnault

When Characters Get Distracted

I recently razzed my friend while critiquing her manuscript. During a crucial "the sky is falling" kind of scene, her heroine had a thought that was completely off topic from the urgency at hand. I made a joke in the comment section, "Don't let her get distracted."

About a week or so later, I was editing a manuscript of mine that I hadn't touched in a few months (fresh eyes are always good, right?) As I was working my way through it, dusting away cobwebs, I kept finding instances where I let my characters get distracted. It's such an easy mistake to make. As writers, we are often focused on describing a setting in such detail, we forget that in some instances...no one really cares! Sometimes it just doesn't match the emotion of the scene.

I was editing my way through a crucial--heart wrenching--life altering--world shattering moment, when suddenly, my protagonist noticed a bucket of water in the corner and the line said, "He watched it, suddenly curious why he hadn't noticed it before."

WHAT?! Is he seriously thinking about how he never noticed the dumb bucket right now? I wanted to smack him. Here, O observant one, have a boy scouts badge. I couldn't believe I kept letting my characters get distracted. There I sat, tears forming in my eyes, and the moron was staring into space. Fabulous.

But I had to admit, it wasn't his fault. I'm the one who gave him the thought. Poor guy, I felt bad for being hard on him.

It's never intentional. We don't mean to have our characters throw themselves out of the scene. It's not like they get a text come in or something and say "hold on. I need to answer this." Really, it's just author error. We think we are setting the stage or offering up an interesting piece of information, but unless it pushes the story forward or offers the reader an interesting morsel to ponder, it's just taking up valuable real estate.

In a sense, its almost like a POV (point of view) violation. Of course its not technically head hopping, but is the character seeing that bucket in his moment of deep despair, or is the author jumping up and down, waving her arms, pointing at the stupid bucket and shouting, "Look, reader. I'm so clever! Do you like my carefully placed bucket? Isn't it interesting?!"

Oh, dear. We've got an author on the loose who doesn't know how to keep her thoughts to herself.

Its called author intrusion and it's VERY easy to do. We love to think our characters are beautiful, or handsome or really smart when truthfully, it can only come across if it's seen through the POV character's eyes. It has to be natural. It has to be organic. Otherwise the reader will notice. They're very bright people.


If you're in the villains head, he probably wouldn't be noticing that the wildflowers are in bloom or the softness of the breeze through his dark, greasy hair. He wouldn't think his laugh was sinister. He wouldn't think his thoughts were evil. And he certainly wouldn't think your Hero is debonair. Yikes. Major author intrusion ;)

Photo credit: The Princess Bride, 1987

Writer's Block (part two)

So I'm back on the subject of writer's block. (If you missed part one of this duo, check it out here.)

Do you want the good news first or the bad news?

Good news? OK, the good news is that I've gotten over my writer's block. Hooray (cue the confetti)

But now for the bad news: there was no fool proof solution. :( Sorry. I was hoping there would be one, but at the same time, its a little freeing to know that as an author, I wasn't doing anything wrong. This wasn't a problem I needed to fix. It was just a season. A phase. And it worked itself out.

After googling "How to overcome writer's block," I found plenty of sites that had the best 10 ways of moving forward. Suggestions like, get some exercise, have a snack, while useful--weren't helping. Its like telling someone you have the flu and they say "Have you taken any vitamin C lately?"

"Yes, I practically Od'd on the stuff, thank you very much, and don't even get me started on the amount of garlic I've consumed. Oh, you already noticed. My point exactly. "


I just didn't find the advice I was looking for. Granted, I could have dug a little deeper, but I was trying to write, and googling writer's block meant I had reached and all time low.

So, while I've mentioned there were no clear-cut solutions, there were a few tricks that definitely helped get the ball rolling--asking my fellow writing friends for tips and suggestions was incredibly helpful! For starters, I kept it up with the outlining and continued pounding away words even if I didn't end up keeping them.

Also, I cleaned up my writing play list. Old songs just gotta go. If I've listened to them too many times, they tend to loose their, uh, potency. Writers, you know what I mean. So I added a song or two (really great ones, as a matter of fact!) and those helped me break into a different level of emotion. Also, I tried acting out the scene (thanks, Dona). While I felt moronic sitting at my kitchen table, a pretend cup of coffee in my hand, having a conversation with invisible people, that experience pretty much aided in the elimination of lame dialogue :D

Another thing I did, was accept that me and my delete button were just going to have to get along. I knew that whatever I wrote on day one, would be deleted on day two. And whatever got put down on paper during day two...yep...day three pretty munch meant: select all, delete. Ugh. It was a little frustrating, but I knew that eventually, I would come up with a scene that would be, well...undeletable (not a word, I know.)

I've just organized my writing desk and have stumbled upon pages of scratch paper. Scribbly notes. Chicken scratch. Arrows. Happy faces. All the workings of a mad woman trying to pull her way out of writers block. But it truly helped. At one point, I just decided to settle on a tone for a particular chapter, whether it be happy, or melancholy, etc. Then I circled it and branched off from there with dialogue ideas, action ideas, what NEEDS to happen.

This NEEDS to happen thing is a really important one to me. In an overall book...certain things need to happen. Take The Chronicles of Narnia, for example. What needs to happen? The kids need to find hope and joy in their new situation (solution: the wardrobe and their discover of Narnia), they need the chance to make a difference in a situation since they have absolutely no control in their lives or the war (solution: they help to save Narnia from the White Witch), etc. etc.

So as I sat staring at this unfinished story of mine, I often write down what needs to happen. Character A needs to make peace with Character B or Character B needs to pick a fight with Character C because I need some conflict in that particular relationship. Once I know what is needed in a chapter/section and if there is a particular mood I'm aiming for, then the pieces can start falling into place. I typically do this for each chapter and after taking a few moments to mentally go through these basics, I dive into writing. I don't really do any planning beyond this. And I just sort of take the chapter...for a little ride (actually, more often it feels like the story takes me for a ride and I'm just hanging on for dear life as the action unfolds--no wonder this writing thing is so much fun) :D

My point is, that for the most part, it just took being bigger than the problem. I spent some time in prayer, knowing that it would not only clear my head, but help me focus on what was important, including hurdles that had been overcome in the past. And I trusted that nothing was impossible!

I stared writers block in the face and told it to hit the road. And when it didn't listen (grrr) I ranted and raved for a few days (hey, I'm human) before buckling down and hitting the keyboard with everything I had. Write. Delete. Write. Delete. Until finally, victory!

Its such a blessing to be free of writer's block and if (I mean, when) it comes back at me, I'll be a little better prepared, and above all, trust that its all in the Lord's timing and sometimes, feeling helpless is a good thing. Its humbling and a tangible reminder to be thankful for the good times, and to keep the faith in the bad.

Oh yeah, and I gotta admit that the exercises thing kinda helped. I bought myself a gym membership and after a few rounds on the treadmill, things at the typewriter started flowing again. Maybe there's something to that bit of advice after all ;)

Writer's Block (part one)

Tap. Tap. "Is this thing on?" oh, ok, it is.

"Ugh." I have writer's block.

To be perfectly honest, its been a while since I've been visited my this unwelcome guest. And as much as I'd like him to pack up his little suitcase and obnoxious voice, which reminds me each time I sit at my computer and pull up my current manuscript, "You have no idea what you are going to write about." And, "Haha, you've written yourself into a corner."

Grrr. I feel helpless.

So since my 1200 word quota for my mon-fri 2 hour writing session (aka, kids nap time) has pretty much dissipated into digital chicken scratch, I am down to making short notes that look like this:

Such and such character should do this. And this other character should do this. And they should get mad at each other and then it will snow and maybe a stray dog can wander into the story and we can name him Pierre, but this is Appalachia so I should name him Jimmy Hotsocks or something really cool and is it too late to add aliens? Maybe Vampires? How 'bout an Amish girl. No that's been done and I still have no idea what I am going to do in this chapter so why am I still typing and when is my brain going to get back from vacation?

Have I already said Grr? Oh I have? That's right, I'm also repeating myself. Lovely, this keeps getting better.

So now that I've used up the allotted amount of word count to rant, I've decided its time to seek a solution. There are several. 1) continue on because I am a professional and this is my job. 2) seek an alternate career choice. 3) go on a three month vacation to Reykjavik and read all the books I can while snowed in for the winter.

Option 3 would be great, but our vacation fund just ain't up to par for that one.

Option 2 is tempting, I could always become a baker, or a butcher or a candlestick maker, but then again, I have this half-written novel that's just begging to be finished.

Which brings me back to option 1. Sigh. I will be professional about this. It CAN be done.

So where do I begin? The first thing to do is step back and take a deep breath (resisting-the-urge-to-turn-on-a-Yanni-CD) and accept that it is now time to plow through my true options--and figure how on earth I can kick this thing called writer's block.

Brace yourself--this is not a writing course and my methods are probably not perfect or even correct, but I'm a little desperate, so I might as well start small and build from there.

Here's what I've got so far:

I've realized that I need to sort out my objective for the next chapter(or 2 or 3). What do I want to accomplish? What mood am I trying to evoke? What MUST happen to drive the story forward? Who do I want the reader to sympathize with, the hero? Heroine? Villain? Hmmm. Lots to think on.

This weekend, I've spent many moments in my "cocoon" which includes shutting out the world for about three minutes while I listen to music and try to play the story out in my mind. This has been incredibly helpful, yet not quite getting me over this hump. I even tried different scenes with different moods. Sometimes I'd imagine a scene with a love song, other times a tense song or even an upbeat song. Each time, the scene changed in my mind, different words were spoken, different actions and in the end--a different result. Scenes got deleted or added in.

So as I'm wading around in the swamp called writer's block, I've realized that the process is starting to feel a lot like making a soup--a little garlic, a little salt, maybe a sprinkle of pepper. As I tweaked things here and there, making subtle changes to dialogue, etc., the scenes started to become closer to what I wanted them to be. But its not there yet. My pages are still covered in chicken scratch with no quality writing, so my goal this week is to break through these next three chapters and hopefully come out on the other side with a few great scenes that are just what this story needs.

Which is why this is called Writer's Block, part one. I'll let you know what happens on the other end! (And I would love any advice or suggestions on how you deal with writer's block, so please, share away!)

If you're ready for part two...check it out here!

Apple Recipes

As fall has come upon us, I realized that I truly have a pathetic stash of apple recipes. Any applelicious treats that have blown my socks off were always made by other people. Pie. Cobblers. Crisps. Apple cake. Now, to vamp up my stash of tried and trues, it would be easy enough to google a few or buy a cookbook, but there's nothing like those really good recipes--yummy family delicacies or those home tested favorites.

It's just that time of year to bust out the apple peeler, pull out the cinnamon and spices and dress up these tart and tasty fruits. Homemade crusts call my name and although I think melting a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top is criminal, it should certainly be on hand for those who disagree. (I know I'm weird. You can throw your apple corer at me. I won't hold it against you)

So jump on in and share your favorite recipe and I'll give you mine (as lonely as it is) and I have to admit that this isn't even my recipe. My sister-in-law gave it to me and I have to also confess that she makes it ten times better than I do. I don't know how she does it. They grow their own apples. They're really small and crisp and the crumble topping is buttery and golden and tender all at the same time. OK, now I'm just plain hungry!

Apple Crisp

4-5 medium apples (or 8 small), peeled and sliced
1/4 cup sugar
sprinkle of cinnamon
sprinkle of nutmeg
*cut apples into pie dish and sprinkle with sugar and spices

Crumble Topping:

3/4 cup Quick Oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine softened
*mash together with a fork until thoroughly mixed and "crumbly" :)
Sprinkle over apples and lightly pat down

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until top is golden brown

Adventures in Country Living: Drying Herbs

Summer is winding down. The arid days are drawing to an end and with a few summer storms prayerfully on the horizon, gardeners and growers everywhere are putting up their garden harvests. Aside from the usual methods of preserving like canning and freezing, drying is an excellent way of storing everything from apple slices to fresh herbs.

Herbs are a delightful addition to any garden. They are relatively easy to grow, can live in convenient containers and are so rewarding to harvest. I love to toss fresh chives and cilantro onto the table as taco fixin's and making rosemary Italian bread at Christmas is a cheery gift for family and friends.

In the past I have only used herbs fresh. But this year, I've put some energy into drying and storing my herbs to use year round. It suddenly struck me one day when I was completely out of Italian seasoning, that I had all the makings of the herb blend right in my garden. So I snipped several sprigs of rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil and parsley, dried them for several days, then crushed the herbs up and tossed them in a glass jar with a pinch of red pepper flakes. Yum! Not to mention, I'd always bought dried herbs from the store. I had never taken advantage of using my own herbs, but when I did, even in their dried stage, they remained bright and green and had a lovely, fresh taste.

For another project, I purchased jumbo teabags on eBay ( I felt like a bidding geek--I mean, who sits there watching the minutes and doing the math to buy a two dollar box of empty tea bags on eBay. Me, apparently) Anywho, the key to drying herbs is that not all herbs are ready when you want them, so be sure to dry them at the peak of their season. I cut handfulls of lavender and chocolate mint (my personal fav) and hung the bundles upside down in an airy spot away from direct sunlight which will kill their potency. I've got the rest of the ingredients for bath teas right in the pantry: oats, Epsom salts and powdered milk (sounds strange but oats and milk have been popular bath additions for years.)

The third use for herbs is medicinal purposes. Now I am not an herbalist, so I have a hard time figuring out the many uses and properties of herbs, but its easy to look on the web and find great sources. My particular favorite is the Bulk Herb Store (check out their Eden Salve. LOVE IT!) This is where I got the recipe for a tincture that is designed to draw out poison and toxins, things like bug bites and beyond. So far it has worked great. I bought a pound of dried plantain and soaked the herbs in a jar of apple cider vinegar for three weeks. After straining away the herbs that have now relinquished their potency to the vinegar, I labeled the jar and it comes in handy all the time.

Drying herbs is fun, satisfying and this is just the beginning. I'm excited to add new and different herbs to my garden each year and study up on their medicinal uses, skin care qualities and yummy recipes for the fam.

Happy Homesteading!

My Garden ~ Growing Potatoes

The hardest part about this blog post was not preparing my scraggly spuds for planting, it was looking up how to spell the word "potato". Growing Potatoes...hmm to "e" or not to "e" that is the question. Once I figured out how to spell that bugger of a word, I was ready to proceed with sharing my experience on growing potatoes.

I wish I could say that I have an abundant crop of potatoes enough to feed an army, but that's just not the case. I'm not quite sure where I have gone wrong, but they just don't seem very impressive...I mean, its quite clear from the photo that they are all large, of similar size and color, ok, just kidding.

So what spurred me onto the idea of growing potatoes? Well I read that potatoes are one of the worst vegetables to buy through conventional growers--meaning, they're quite covered in pesticides from the soil. Ick! And since I don't live near a farmer's market (sigh) I decided to dedicate some space in my garden to these multi-eyed babies.


This year, our garden contains red potatoes, russet and Yukon gold, one variety which is residing in a half-barrel so all we have to do is dump over the barrel once they're ready and harvest with ease. Its still too soon, but I'll be back to update this post on the success of that method. Seed potatoes come pre-sliced and ready to plant, but you can also buy organic potatoes, slice them in chunks and let the cuts dry out for a few days before planting. I've tried both methods and have had up and down results no matter what I try. So while I am still far from being crowned the spud expert, I think potato growing is fun and relatively simple. Now I just have to master the art of reaping in abundant crops of the little guys and I know that if I keep trying, in time I will!

The other day, I skimmed from several different locations to come up with our dinner and I think a mixture of different varieties makes for a nice presentation. We wrapped the potatoes, a handful of green beans, (both green and yellow!) and some amazingly good carrots--all from our garden =) in tinfoil, topped with garlic salt, pepper, and butter then cooked the little package on the BBQ. It made for a beautiful array of summer veggies, which I am quite proud to say that my children thoroughly enjoyed. (Woohoo! My kids eat vegetables.)

Disclaimer: they only really eat them if they are out of the garden. I guess that goes to show that there truly is a difference in taste! They plowed through my spring peas like they were candy, and fight over carrots that I pluck, rinse and offer them whole. My 1-year-old likes to hold them by the green tops, making for a rather droopy, difficult, yet completely adorable method of eating.

The point is, what my potato crop lacks in quantity, it makes up in taste and texture! The great thing about home grown potatoes, is that the skin is quite tender and very delicious. If you're not in the BBQ'ing mood, just rinse 'em carefully and cook them in a little water with the skin on, then saute them a minute with butter, salt and pepper and garlic or fresh herbs. I promise you, if you give potato growing a shot, you will not regret the quality of your home grown potatoes and will never look at those gigantic store bought spuds the same again.

Adventures in Country Living: Dutch Oven Cooking

100 years ago, along the path from the east to the west, came thousands of families traveling in a wagon with less cargo spaces than some refrigerators I've seen. They packed up what little they could tuck into nooks and crannies and set off on the journey of a lifetime. The supplies they packed varied, while some may have valued a prized fiddle or sewing machine, others clung to family portraits and hand-me-down cradles. But what most every family packed, was the key to cooking on the open plains--a Dutch oven.

Imagine standing over a campfire and relishing in the ability to bake breads, cakes and rolls, and cook stews and cobblers. The Dutch oven truly is a remarkable tool.

These are the images that come to mind when I think of a Dutch oven, but Dutch ovens still have their place in the here and now. Our family just got home from two week-long camping trips. And while my washer and dryer are working over time, our Dutch oven is tucked snugly in its home inside our trailer, resting from several weeks of feeding everyone.

The Dutch oven is my husband's baby. He's the campfire man. He can start one in a heartbeat, I've even seen him do it without a flame. He's basically like an over sized boyscout. But he's our resident chef when we go camping and he knows how to whip up more than one crowd pleaser. He pretty much does all the work, and I'm mostly allowed to observe. I think its a guy thing. They love cooking in the great out doors--BBQ's, can of beans tossed into the campfire, fish grilling in tin foil on the side of a stream, it doesn't matter where they are, they were born to cook in the great out doors.

But the guy makes a mean breakfast quiche, he learned it from his brother (who also makes an amazing stew), and when I asked my husband for the recipe so I could blog about it, he stared at me like a dear in headlights with this look like "I can't believe your going to give away my secret." So I'll just blurt out the ingredients, and run like the dickens in the opposite direction: egg, cheese, sausage, bacon, potatos. That's all I'll say, but if you see him, you might be able to work the details out of him, or just bring him camping. He's already had several offers..."um honey, did you pack the tent and the marshmallows, oh and the cast iron guy whose going to feed us like kings?"

So I'll share another recipe and it's as simple as, well, dump cake.
My favorite is blackberry-rhubarb. I like to cut fresh rhubarb from the garden, cook it down for thirty minutes with sugar then freeze it in quart containers, but the beauty about this way-too-easy cobbler is that the fruit combinations are endless.

Dutch Oven Dump Cake:
First, start coals by lighting a fire in a pit or using charcoal.
A 10 or 12 inch Dutch Oven work great. Grease the inside of the oven, or insert a greased foil liner.
Dump in 2-3 cans of pie filling or fruit and 1-2 packages of cake mix (depending on the size of the Dutch oven)
Pour over a stick of melted butter or spread diced butter evenly on top
No need to mix or stir anything!

When working with a fire pit, it helps to use a heat proof glove, like a welding glove and a lid lifter is a must. With the lid on the oven, set it gently on a small bed of hot coals, place more coals on top (more on top than on bottom if you like a nice golden-brown crust)and allow to cook for about 45 minutes, give or take. Rotate the Dutch oven as needed so the sides cook evenly and replace or remove coals as necessary to regulate heat.

This is not an exact science. The rate at which the Dutch oven cooks ranges depending on the amount of coals, heat of the coals, and the weather. The fruit will begin to bubble up and that's good. When the cake is set and as golden as you like, its done. Allow to cool slightly and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream for those people who like runny vanilla ice-cream on their cobbler, but I'm weird, and I like it just the way it is ;)

Happy Homesteading!

Encouragement For Mothers: Patience

In honor of mothers day, I would like to share a thought that has been close to my heart for the last few days:

"Why is my patience conditional?"

My relationship with Christ is not conditional.
My relationship with my husband is not conditional.
Therefore my relationship with my children should not be conditional--and one of the most tangible ways a mother demonstrates her love for her children is through patience. Yet I find myself often losing my patience with my children based on factors or conditions that arise throughout the day. Perhaps my daughter dumped out the box of raisins or perhaps my son decided to unroll the toilet paper into the bathtub only to make a wet sopping mess. Even though I have to address them as an authority and correct their behavior, it should always be done through NEVER ENDING patience. How I wish that were the case, because I am ashamed to say, that is sometimes (more often than not--wince) not my resulting attitude.

God handles us, his children with never ending patience. He is perfect at it because he is 1) God and 2) fathomless in all that he does. So since I am called to have a Christ-like mindset and heart, I want to follow in my Father's footsteps. I want to stop losing my patience and start gaining it!

This was my cry last week when life and motherhood were not going my way: "My patience is wearing thin. My patience is wearing thin!" I was frazzled and my children had a front row, interactive seat.

Then the Lord spoke to my heart and He helped change my mindset. This became my prayer: "Lord strengthen my patience, deepen my patience, let it not be conditional. Let my patience be ever growing and steadfast. This is how I can be a good mother to my children." With this prayer filling my heart, my patience suddenly was not a conditional thing, something that swayed with the tides of my emotions. It became steadfast and solid, something my children could depend on as I loved them and nurtured them throughout the day. Then, even when trials arose, I was calm in addressing those trials. I want my little ones to look to me for refuge and stability and they should be able to rest in the security of my patience.

I'm still working on it, but I am determined to hold myself accountable for my behavior and temperament by trying to overcome the little things throughout the day that try and throw me off course. When daily life begins to escalate, and the teakettle of my heart is close to boiling, I don't want the result to be a steaming, fuming mother for my children. I must pause for a moment, remember to pray my little prayer and allow God to do his work in my heart.

Blessings to all you mothers out there. The Lord is watching over you and your little ones. Lean on Him and let Him be your pillar of strength.

Adventures in Country Living: Sourdough Bread

My latest project thats been going on for about six months is learning how to bake homemade bread. As usual, my attempts at these sort of tasks are not only for my families benefit, but its also hands on research for my books...when I say someone lets the dough rise on the back of the stove in my story, I really want to know what I'm talking about.

So this path at homemade bread making has been a ton of fun. It might be responsible for a few extra pounds padded onto me and my family (sorry guys) but there's this thing about homemade bread...when it comes out of the oven and its hot and the house smells amazing, you can't just eat one slice. ( A dear friend of mine who bakes bread regularily for her family says the excitement wears off after awhile and you develope some self control...I don't know about that) I mean, I've never seen anyone sit down with a loaf of store bought bread, undo the twisty tie, pull it out of the bag, and eat the whole thing. It just doesnt have the same effect on the soul as homemade bread.

So now, I'll tell my adventures in the wonderful world of sourdough! There are some misconceptions about sourdough. 1) you don't have to live in San Fran 2) you don't have to be an apron-clad Italian man in a bakery to make good sourdough 3) and although you have to feed your sourdough starter like a pet, its not going to crawl off your counter and attack you while your sleeping (haha) although when it bubbles, it can be a little creepy.

I bought my sourdough starter online (amazon.com, about $6) after researching how to make a starter. But what I didn't realize is that you can make it just as easy. All the online recipes discouraged making a starter from scratch using yeast (hence the amazon purchase) But, after looking in Carla Emery's, Encyclopedia of Country Living, she says it plain: "I hate to say it but there's a certain element of hoax potential in this sourdough business. You don't have to send away for a starter..." (don't I feel dumb!) "...anybody who wants an authentic and usable starter and who lives in a normal (food around and air circulating) environment rather than a totally antiseptic one (an operating room) need only to mix a cup of flour with a cup of water and leave it covered with a light cloth up to 5 days." What will happen then, is wild yeast in the air will be attracted to your flour/water mixture and decide to live there :-) Gross in a cool kinda way!

Well, my sourdough starter arrived, I followed the simple directions of keeping it in a loosley covered container, fed it flour and water occasionally and after a few days, it smelled like beer and looked like bubbling toothpaste (this was all quite exciting for the 3 year old in my household) I got the easiest recipe for 1.2.3. Sourdough bread on youtube and baked up my first loaf this morning. I've worked with a lot of homemade dough in the past and I have to say that this was THE EASIEST recipe I have ever used. It only required 3 ingredients (flour, salt, water) and a slight ammount of brain power which I successfully provided and, voila! For breakfast we're eating crunchy crusted, soft centered, warm, fresh from the oven sourdough bread with melting butter. I think I better go for a jog later.

Now that I know how easy sourdough is and that it did not originate with the goldminers as is a misconception (they simply popularized the bread because it was so easy for those single guys, it originated, supposedly with the Egyptians) I think I will sneak it into my next story. It seems such a practical way for folks to bake, even if you have no baking powder or yeast, you can still have wonderful bread for your family. Salt, flour, water and some wild yeast floating in the air. How easy is that? Oh, and a bonus: If for some strange reason your dough ever flops, it makes great playdough for the kiddies!

Happy Homesteading!

Adventures in Country Living: Braided Rag Rug

Adventures in Country Living Braided Rag Rug: "As part of my research, and just general fun, I like to try my hand at tasks and projects people would have done on a regular basis one hundred years ago; soap making, bread making, gardening, and my latest project: rug braiding. These sort of projects are a hands on way of discovering and understanding what life may have required for women such as Elsie or Lonnie in my book, Cry of My Heart, and homesteading women all across America.

After searching ebay to try and buy one, I discovered they are much to expensive for the handmade kind, which I really wanted, so I have began my first braided rug. Traditionally, these rugs are made from scraps that frontier women saved and cut into strips for future use. Waste not, want not! Was certainly their mantra in those days when they had an entire household and family to see after, with often, little income. It would make sense to start with a small rug, say a 2 x 3, but since I am in desperate need of a 5 x 8 for my living room that has just been re-done in hardwood flooring, I'm tackling a biggy!

The colorful strips are braided into loooong (did I say long?) braids (I purchased 20 yards of fabric and cut it all into 2 ' wide strips...that's a lot of braiding!) The braids are sewn together in a flat coil to create a beautiful, homemade and unique rustic rug. So far I have had several meltdowns and nearly as many tantrums over this project, but I am finally getting somewhere! I am about to sew my first few feet of braiding and I am excited to see how it turns out.

As I attempt new projects, I will post them here :-) I would love to hear about other old-time projects, so please share what you are creating! Happy homesteading!"