Love and Fallen

 Today Mr. Blondee and I drove to the Pennsylvania border to collect this sweet girl. A surprise for the boy, since his dog went to Heaven.

 Just shy of 6 weeks old, she has quite the personality. She sleeps on her back, ears up, mouth open.

She loves dandelions, she rumps over to them and sniiiiiiiiiffs.

 



Then she bites off the tops and looks silly.

Needless to say, the boy saw her when we got home and is in love with her. No name just yet, just calling her 'sweetheart' in German, so far. She is part long hair German Shepherd, part Tibetan Mastiff/black Lab.

 

Perfectly puppy.

Roofs and Roofers

 Mr. Blondee and the boy replaced the roof this weekend. I was a little nervous to have the boy traipsing around the roof at first, I will admit.

 He did great, though. He was a big help to Mr. Blondee.

 And all the free entertainment that Mr. Blondee could stand, and then some.  :)

The girly, Ladybug, and myself remained safely on the ground and supervised. 

Mail and Babies

Wednesday morning came with the sunlight streaming through the trees. A call at 7:12 a.m. from the post office, our package had arrived.

A quick jaunt and back home again with said package in tow.

Fifteen Buff Orpington chicks all ready for their new home.

 

 

Blondee

Hippies and Begin Again

 No, we haven't gotten an infestation of hippies here in Blondeeville. The girly decided to make some tie dyed shirts for herself for summer.

 It's finally consistent Spring weather! Kitty is almost willing to snuggle with Ladybug in order to share the sunbeam. Almost being the key word...see her feet propped firmly against the dog, keeping her at a distance?

 Sad finish to the week here. My egg laying chickens were killed in the night. Awful sight to walk into, even sadder is thinking on how my little ladies must have suffered. Little ones buried, the coop was cleaned and moved to a new spot in the yard. More visible from several windows....just in case our hungry thief comes back, I can get a clean shot from more angles.

 Starting over again, 15 new egg laying chicks will be here on Wednesday. The other ones were about 4 weeks away from being ready to lay eggs. When I first found the girls dead, I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep going with new ones. It's a big loss, sad for sure, and I didn't want to chance losing anymore. Then I saw this robin with her mouth full of dried bits of grass and straw. Again and again she flew back and forth delicately collecting just the right strands for her babies-to-be. We could see where she was building her nest and those first few mouth fulls blew free from the branches the moment she flew away. She kept coming back and adding more, though. After a couple of hours she had a strong foundation started. If a robin can see their work flutter away in the breeze and keep trying, then we can, too.

Flowers are finally up. So nice to have their sweet scent waft through. My cute little purse turned vase came from my lovely friend, Chatty Crone.

 

Blondee



Cookie Cups and a Recipe

Going grain and sugar free last summer was a big change. One of the hardest things to give up was Mrs. Field's cookie cups when we went to the mall. I finally came up with a substitute that I think not only compares, but surpasses the originals! I made these for the girly's birthday party this year, they were a huge hit.

Ingredients

2 sticks softened butter

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sugar free vanilla whey powder (I use Biochem brand)

2 cups blanched almond flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla

1 bag Hershey's sugar free chocolate chips

1/2 cup Truvia (do not use the baking blend)

 

Preheat oven to 325. In a large bowl, cream butter, Truvia and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, incorporate each one completely. Add almond flour, baking powder and protein powder all at once. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon dough into a greased muffin pan, pressing down on each slightly. I fill them 3/4 of the way full. Bake in 325 oven for 12-14 minutes or until they turn golden brown on top. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely in pan. (This allows them to firm up.) To remove from pan, gently turn each cookie cup to loosen, then invert pan.

 

Frosting

1 stick softened butter

1 brick softened cream cheese

1/4 c. Truvia

1 tsp vanilla

food colorings of your choice

 

Cream butter, cream cheese, Truvia, vanilla and coloring together. Place in piping bag and swirl on each cookie cup. Refrigerate to store.

 

 

 

Blondee

New and Fancy

 Lying in wait, one of our egg layers checking out the view from her new digs. We moved the girls out to the cabana in the yard two days ago.

 We needed to make room inside for these little cuties.

 Twenty little golden balls of peeping fuzz. This brings our temporary total of chickens to 32 this spring.

 A swing, a real swing in one of the tall, tall trees. That was the girly's request. What momma wouldn't oblige that? Our project this afternoon was hanging this rope swing. We cut lumber, drilled holes, hung the rope and then had so much fun!

 It hangs from a branch about 35 feet up. Mr. Blondee will eventually lock up all tools, ladders, etc., when he sees what we have done, now.  :)

 A row of 9 nests in the midst of being built line a ladder that is stored under our back deck. Some of them are your 'run of the mill' type nests that are drab and made of twigs and straw bits.

While other nests are flashy and bright blue, made of the threads of a tattering tarp.

 

 

Blondee

A Hammock and a Heart

 I wasn't quite sure what to do with the heart we got with our cow. Normally, I'd cook it for the dogs as a treat. This time, I decided to try cooking for my family. It's not pretty, that's for sure. I cut it in half, removed all of the ventricles and fat from the outside, and it looked like the leanest steak I had ever seen. I placed it in the crock pot on top of one large onion sliced thin. A bit of beef broth and 8 hours later it was falling apart. I shredded the meat in the crock pot, added a brick of cream cheese, 2 cans of sauerkraut with the juice and 2 cups of swiss cheese. I used a hand mixer to blend it all completely and it was amazing.

 I served the 'reuben' over cabbage that was ribboned and fried in butter. The family loved it. I told them later what it was...the girly was not happy that her new favorite meal was something she would never, ever eat again. No matter how tasty it was.

But somehow, she got over the 'thought' of it and asked for the leftovers the very next day for a quick lunch!

 Today was really warm and sunny. The egg layers got to venture outside for the first time.

 For ten minutes they fussed and sat tight together. Then they got brave and wandered a bit. Before long they were pecking at the ground and bathing themselves. Very cute.

 The boy has been sick for about a week, he laid in the hammock with Ladybug and soaked in the sun.

 The girly wanted to make sure that Myloheilohei (the cat) was able to enjoy the nice weather as well. A buggy ride was in order.

Hope you are having some warm weather, too!! Have a great week!

 

Blondee

Inches and Yards

 Mother Nature's April Fool's joke on us-awaking to 5+ inches of new snow. Not at all pleased to see it, but grateful in His mercies that the snow fell last night and not the previous night or yesterday would have been even harder burying our precious dog in the deep snow.

Several yards of new fabric, some of which has already been sewn into new dresses and skirts for the girly.  

 Our little house guests growing quickly. The egg layers will be moving out into the cabana in the yard in three weeks when the next batch of house guests arrive. Twenty meat birds have been ordered as of last week.

 Beautiful artwork done by the girly, framed for me.

 Our hibernating pup, awaiting warmer weather. (Smart girl!)

Tonight's view of the back field. More snow whipping in the wind, bringing today's totals to close to 8 inches on the deck.

 

Blondee