Blahging About Blogging

My very best blog friend 4 Shoes is back to blogging!
You really have no idea how happy this makes me, she has inspired me to blog again and now I want her to blog every single day!
It seems as though most of my circle of blogs fell out of the loop somewhere along the line and moved to the ever expanding, thought sharing, junk food shaming, over memeing, totally addicting, soul sucking Facebook.
There I have watched children grow, marriages come and go, holidays celebrated and meals prepared.
It is so satisfying and such a quick fix, but here's the problem, I have no reference on my life.
I don't post about the happenings of my day or the funny or horrible or horribly funny things that happen and even more often don't happen in my own life.

When I started this blog it was The Trailerparks Farm.

It was a place for me to post every day about what was happening within my family and for my family as I cared for our aging grandparents, but it quickly turned into a thing that I loved to do and I found a community that made me laugh and sometimes even cry as they shared their lives with me and the rest of the world.
And so, I blogged.
And blogged.
And blogged.
And blogged.
And then, I stopped.
And now I have no reference to the things that have gone on in my life, except for what sticks to the sticky part of my brain and the BIG stuff that I would remember anyway.

I want to get back to my blogging basics and start posting all the boring stuff.
Pictures of cats, crappy arts and crafts and I want to talk way too much about the kid that calls me "Tranny" because he can't pronounce a hard "G".

And I suppose if I talk too much about that stuff, you could just click out and go find something interesting on Youtube or call your mom or something.

And I guess if you're one of the thirtytwoeleventeen people that end up here because you think I'm the Dirty Jobs Fat Bottom Farm (I'm not) you will figure it out and keep looking for them on Google
(They're not there) and just for the record, our farm is NOT named after their farm, we were fat before they were on T.V and our fat bottoms are donkeys not goats.
Jack asses, fat donkeys, fat asses, can't say fat ass on the internet, fat bottoms, Fat Bottom Farm.
Donkeys.
And I do make soap, but I do not make goats milk soap because I do not have goats.
I have donkeys.

And a pig.

And sheep.

And dogs and geese and chickens and some cats.

None of which would make very good "milk" soaps so I stick with the basic home made, cold process milk free soaps that you can buy here at the Fat Bottom Etsy.

So, what all of this has been about, is, I'm going to try to get back to some basic blogging, and if most of my other blogging friends are gone, I hope to make a lot of new blogging friends who like to talk about a lot of boring stuff and look at pictures of cats and kids and crochet projects, and cake, and soap and failed craft projects that would have been better off just left looked at on Pinterest.

Sound good?
Good!

Peas.

Fat and Juicing Day 13

I failed at my 21 day juice fast.
I tried, I really did, but much like my blogging, I found it very hard to stick with.
But... I'm eating a really healthy diet now, and I believe my initial days of juicing helped me to achieve that.  I've stuck to a diet free of sugar, caffeine, wheat, soy and all processed food.
I'm eating buckets full of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables and at least one or two proteins a day and I'm finding that it's way easier to stick with that and be happy than with a diet of just juice
(even if it was for only 21 days).
What can I say, I'm weak ;)
Quitting sugar is like quitting smoking I think, if not even a little harder.
I quit smoking eight years ago by just telling myself that smoking was gross, it smelled bad and it was bad for me. Maybe quitting sugar was harder because it didn't make me stink! For whatever reason, I made it through the quit, and now the hard part begins because sugar is in e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.
I find that my shopping has changed more drastically that my eating habits, but I have to say, everything tastes so much better now and using fresh foods to flavor really outweighs any box you could ever add water to.
Try it, you'll like it.
I'm also in love with my NutriBullet.
Perfect for smoothies, soups and sauces. I'll see if I can start a bullet board on Pinterest so you can get some crazy good ideas.

I'm sleeping less and I'm less tired.
Go figure.

Old neighbor Butch was out to do some donkey foot work a few days ago.
We sure miss him and I guess at least if he had to move I'm glad I still have the donkeys to bring him back around on a regular basis.
I still cant walk the pasture without going into rotten heart mode, so Wyatt did the jackass round up with a heard of sheep at his heels wondering what was going on. Throw a dysfunctional Border Collie who has his own ideas of what herding and helping is and trust me, you have quite a show!
We decided to do the round-up early and got them into the pen by the gate at the bottom of the pasture so they would be easy access, and Jack, the (fun size) mini menace, decided to army crawl under the makeshift wire "gate" leaving Snowball our queen (King) size donk behind.
That's a man for you, see's his freedom closing in and makes a run for it.
He was pretty quick to return though with a shake of a bucket and the pleading gaze of his girl, and only put up a little fuss when it came to his overgrown feet.

Next up, the annual shearing of the sheep, also known as my least favorite part of sheep shepherding.
But that's at least a month away so I'll worry about that later.

The geese are sitting on eggs that I think will be hatching within the week.
Goslings are the best of times and the worst of times around here because we have to go on high coyote alert for weeks.
Geese are, without a doubt, the best parents on the farm.
WAY better than chickens, and even better than the sheep.
You probably already know this, but geese can be pretty fierce, ask anyone who's ever been goosed.

Here's a recipe for you from Chef In Training, it looks SO delicious!
I guarantee this will be in my crock pot before the week is over.

Chef In Training

Peas.

Natural Wonders

It's time to pick some weeds amazing plants!
So far I've found, growing in the pasture and around the barn, chamomile, applemint, nettle, foxglove and of course, the ever consuming, creeping wild blackberries.
It's amazing to me me, how as soon as I started looking around and paying attention to what was growing under my nose, I discovered a plethora of of goodness as opposed to what I had always considered a plethora of a huge pain in the as... Well you know.
Don't misunderstand, I think it can all still overtake me, but it's more comforting to know that the farm may slowly become overrun by herbal wonder disguised as evil green weediness.

Foxglove

Foxglove was typically used as a heart remedy and can be highly toxic, so I won't be using any of it, but it is beautiful isn't it...

Chamomile

I have chamomile growing out of my ears.

I'll pick the flowers as they bloom and dry them between layers of cheesecloth to be used later in teas for insomnia and headaches, in bathwater to relieve minor aches and of course in my homemade soaps.

After the last blooms I'll pick the leaves as well and cut the plant back for next year.

Nettles

If you have been a follower of the blog for long you know my ongoing battle with nettles...

They are overtaking the barn and sheds and it doesn't matter how many I cut back they come back two-fold.

Maybe I need to get into the nettle farming business and get rich on the stinging weed!

Nettles are used in teas, salads, stews and just about anything you would use a green in.

I'll dry the leaves and use them for tea and in my soaps.

In soap, nettle works for soothing eczema and psoriasis and helps with acne.

In tea it helps with arthritic pain and joint swelling.

Apple Mint

So...

I have this growing everywhere and had no idea what it was until one of YOU told me that it was apple mint!

Let me start by saying this... Apple mint smells amazing.

I walk outside on a warm day and the smell of the chamomile and apple mint is almost overwhelming.

I will cut and dry most of the mint, but I will also use some of it fresh in teas and salads.

Dried I will use it for tea as well but also, of course, in my soaps.

Blackberries

And finally, the Queen of all things, the blackberries.

They are everywhere.

I have tried goats, llamas, sheep and donkeys.

In the war on blackberries there is only one winner. 

The blackberries.

Of course an excavator and some Round-Up would would do the trick, I just don't happen have an excavator at my disposal and well we all know how we all feel about the Round-Up people.

So, I will become one with the blackberry and throw myself into the cobblers, jams, scones and soaps that the blackberry provides.

The following is taken from Alternative Nature Online Herbal

"Delicious Blackberries are edible raw or made into jelly or jam. The root-bark and the leaves are astringent, depurative, diuretic, tonic and vulnerary. They make an excellent alternative medicine for dysentery, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, and cystitis.

The most astringent part is the root. Orally, they are used to treat sore throats, mouth ulcers and gum inflammations. A decoction of the leaves is useful as a gargle in treating thrush and also makes a good general mouthwash. The presence of large amounts of tannins that give blackberry roots and leaves an astringent effect useful for treating diarrhea are also helpful for soothing sore throats. A medicinal syrup is also made from Blackberry, using the fruit and root bark in honey for a cough remedy."

I don't think I'll be using blackberries for hemorrhoids, but I will be making some AMAZING soap with the leaves.

That concludes the weed walk around the farm.

Now to go out and get it and put it to use!

Peas.

*Sorry for the wonk of todays post, I'm not sure what went wrong with the formatting

A Lot About Nothing

And the year of the sickies rolls on...
Wyatt has been sick so many times this year, nothing serious, just colds mostly, snotty nose and coughs, but they just keep coming one after another.
6 was sick last weekend, but I don't think it's the same thing Wy has now, Wyatt is having really bad stomach pain and 6 was having dizziness, shortness of breath and a heaviness in his chest.
I know, I know, it sounds like he was having a heart attack, but he's fine now.
I hope.
He has to be ok, and so does Wyatt because our insurance doesn't kick in until February 1st and we're still paying off our last two medical emergencies.
So keep your fingers crossed and hope for speedy recoveries, I need them both well so they can take out the garbage and open the gate.

Still no call about my dream job.
Deborah went over my resume and cover letter though, so maybe I'll have a better chance at the next job.
I really wish I could just set up a farm store in the little house and make my soaps and candles and sell coffees and flowers and produce and honey and berries, and pumpkins and eggs and antiques.
I'll work on that.

I'm trying to think of what to make for dinner tonight...
I think I'll make PW's Round Steak, I have a few in the freezer and anything fried is always a hit in this house.
Maybe I'll make some M&M cookies for dessert.
I made Paula Deen's Monster Cookies last week and they were deeeeelish but what wouldn't be deelish with an entire jar of peanut butter, a stick of butter, M&M's and chocolate chips.

Ok, I have to go to town, I'm out of dog food and chicken scratch.

Peas.

Cupcake Casserole and A New Nanny

Big blog day today!
I have so much to talk about, but first lets start with this...

Nanny

This is Nanny.
As you all know we lost Timber last week to a parasite carried by white tail deer that is deadly to llamas but has no effect on other animals. Losing Timber was not only heart breaking to me but also to Belle our little orphan lamby. I have been trying all week to decide what I could do for Belle.

 Should I put her back in the big pasture with the other sheep? No, they don't like her and the donkeys won't have anything to do with her either. If I just wait a while will Pearl come around and be her friend? No, Pearl is an old egg stealing grouch who wants no part of baby sitting a little lonesome lamb.

Ornery old pig.

I just didn't know what to do and it was looking more and more like I was just going to have to let her run free with the border collie.

Until...

Yesterday was donkey and mule pedicure day and Randy showed up right on schedule at 10:00 a.m.

I noticed him taking a closer look around the farm than usual but didn't think anything of it until halfway through the first horse mule when he asked where my goats were.

I reminded him that I had traded my goats for Molly {the mule} because the goats kept escaping from the barnyard and coming up on the deck and head butting the slider trying to come in the house.

Oh, he said.

Why, I asked.

Well, he said "My parents had two goats, but one died and now the surviving goat is really sad and lonely and needs a friend."

omg.

So, as soon as we were finished with the feet the family loaded up in the old red farm truck and took a drive to the top of Wildcat Mountain to take delivery of a goat, and the goat we got was Nanny :)

We all had quite a laugh when we got our first look!

Here, I'll show you her picture again,

Seriously, what kind of goat is that!

Erin says she looks like an oompa loompa and I think Erin's right.

But Belle loves Nanny and Nanny... Likes Belle and Pearl is free to do her own thing without the bothersome baby following her everywhere she goes.

I really love a happy ending, don't you :)

Cupcake Casserole

Ok, so for a week or so I have been talking about my cupcake casserole and lots of people have been asking for the recipe.

It's a cinch to make and really delicious so here's the how to in easy to follow directions.

First assemble all your ingredients.

Follow the mixing directions on the box and pour the entire mix into this....

Bake at 350 for 35-38 minutes and then let cool.

After it has completely cooled, frost with your favorite frosting, mine is buttercream.

WaaLaa!

Cupcake Casserole!

Ok, last but not least,

Big Blog Giveaway

For the rest of the month of January I will be hosting a blog extravaganza.

All you have to do is follow the farm on the blog facebook page, see that little facebook box over there on the right? If you don't already follow the farm click the "like" option, and if you already follow the blog on facebook you're golden. Keep in  mind, I had to create a new facebook page because I permanently messed up the first one and had to start over, so make sure you're on this one.

http://facebook.com/thefatbottomfarm

Ok, so the deal is, all you have to do is leave a comment on facebook, it can just be a one word comment and you're in.

What do you do if you don't have facebook? 

Why leave a comment here of course!

What will you be recieving?

Let me tell you!

You will be receiving SIX cotton dishrags and two bars of handmade cold processed oatmeal soap!

But wait, that's not all!

You will also receive one six ounce jelly jar all natural soy candle!

Can you believe it!!

Wow.

I was going to post a picture of the loot all together, but I didn't get it all made in time yesterday because of the Nanny Goat mission to the top of the Mountain, but here's an idea of what you'll be winning...

Six glamorous dishrags

Two bars of soothing oatmeal soap

And a candle that I haven't made yet :)

Ok, I gotta go, but remember, you can't win if you don't play!

Peas.

Tis The Season Already?

I have restarted the same load of laundry six times.

Whatever I don't care, but I'm starting to wonder if I have some sort of brain disorder or if I'm just lazy. I don't think I'm lazy because I'm always doing stuff, it's just that I'm always doing stuff that I want to do and not necessarily what I need to do and what I want to do is fun up until the point that I need to do what I want to do and then I don't always want to do it anymore.

Can you believe it's almost Christmas! I have my Christmas tree up but I haven't decorated anything. 6 brought the decorations down two weeks ago but I haven't put anything out yet. It seems to soon but maybe if I start decorating it'll feel more like Christmas. What's really crazy is Wyatt isn't even talking about Christmas this year. I haven't seen any Christmas programs on T.V, I only hear Christmas music in the car, I haven't driven by any Christmas tree lots and we live in the Christmas tree capital of the world for cripes sake, it's like we're in some kind of weird holiday vortex. Maybe as the big day gets closer and maybe when 6 comes home it will seem more festive. That and I should probably start eating boxes of chocolate covered cherries and stacks of  Christmas cookies and drinking whiskey eggnogs and schnapps and hot chocolate.

Do you read PW? If you don't, you should. She made Christmas cookies last week and OMG, they make my Christmas cookies look gen.u.ine.lee trailerpark. Take a look at these...



Is that amazing! You really need to go read the whole post and see how they make these little frosted gems. I wonder if PW has a sister, because if she does I need to meet her because I think we would probably have a lot in common. My sister is a total PW except I guess you would call her an IW because she lives on an Island. She sews and cooks and cleans and has had the same husband all her life and has four kids and none of them have ever been to jail. I wonder how many times PW's sister has been married or if any of her kids have ever been to jail... Oh well, I look at it this way, what I lack in domestic ability I more than make up for in dramatic interest.

Well, thats all for today, I need to go drink eggnog and think about Christmas decorations!

Thanksgiving Crafts and Cooking!

~Repost from Friday~

Ok, so as promised in yesterdays post, today I have gathered some different examples on how to add to your holiday enjoyment through simple crafting and creative cooking. It has always been my belief that the family that drinks crafts and cooks together stays together.

 

So let's get started...

It's always fun to show your holiday spirit through fashion and nothing says I'm thankful like a sweater vest!



So go ahead and make a real sleeveless statement and flaunt your bounty in a cozy colorful poly acrylic blend. These timeless beauty's are a cinch to make, just cut the sleeves off an old sweater and hot glue on some seasonal applique!

When it's time to gather with the kids here are a few craft ideas to really drive home the true meaning of the day.

Toilet paper pilgrims!

 

These TP pilgrim puppets will keep the little ones delighted for hours and while they're spending time exploring the new world you can work on "covering their base" by whipping up this lovely crochet toilet tissue cover!



Seriously, your friends and family will definitely feel the warmth of your giving when they go to grab that swaddled roll.

Now lets move on to the kitchen...

Not everyone in you clan may be up for a poultry feast so it's alway a good idea to serve a vegan dish as well, and I find that a nice jello mold always puts a smile on those meat free mugs!



This dish will take a little time to set up, so start preparing right after you tap the wine when you wake up, and remember to garnish with a little fresh fruit. If you don't have any fresh, a nice can of cocktail will work in a pinch.



Now, if you remember, yesterday I made quite a to-do about cranberry sauce and how I'm particular to the can brand, but today I found an enticing new way to serve cranberries in the round...



Now that's what I call going "full circle" and trust me when I tell you that I'm looking forward to making that bold leap from jellied disc to molded ring!

But I realize that not everyone may share the same love of the little red berry and so for the rest of you I found this to set upon your holiday table...

 

Beautiful right?

Ruby red crocheted fauxberries, ridges and all!

Ok, winding things down, it's always nice to have a wide array of desserts to offer. Tired of the same old hum drum pumpkin pie?

Try these...

 

 

Rice Krispi Turkeys with mini marshmallows and fruit loops!

And last but not least lets not forget our four-legged friends!

 

 

They will be truly thankful Thanksgiving only comes once a year.

Well, that wraps things up for my Thanksgiving Tips and Treats post, have a great weekend!

 

Kitchen Chaos

This morning as I was loading the dishwasher I did something so shocking I almost blew my own mind. I loaded the silverware heads up. Not just to be a rebel, but to see if there really is a difference in how clean the utensils get. See I was always a heads UP girl and then Trina said that was wrong because then you handle the heads on the way out which totally makes sense to me and add that to the fact that there is less risk of losing a finger or slicing your wrist open heads down but there has always been that nagging voice in me that says heads up.



My sister has a fancy pants dishwasher where the silverware lies on its side on its own shelf and I have anxiety even writing this because I don't get it. See there's a system to loading that kind of rack and if you're the kind of person that struggles with heads up heads down how can you possibly handle on its side in certain order.



I'm having a grit in the butt of my glasses issue with my washer too. I wonder what that's all about.

Now I'm going to tell you something that might make you decide you don't like me.

I'm going to share with you what a freak I am.

A few years ago 6 got me a set of Rachel Ray pots and pans but I gave them to his mother because Rachel Ray drives me nuts because she's always licking the corner of her mouth and I couldn't concentrate on cooking, all I could think about was Rachel Ray licking the corner of her mouth and I would end up a total basket case before dinner was even on the table.



Then my sister gave me a Rachel Ray cookbook and I had to pass that on too because the thought of her on the shelf in my kitchen licking the corner of her mouth was enough to give me fits.

There's more...

Shortly after I passed off the set of Rachel Ray pot lickers 6 got me a set of Paula Dean cookware (I wonder if he's a secret shopping channel watcher...) but I can't stand her either because she's so political and I don't want to be thinking about Paula's political opinions when I'm making a pot roast or no bake cookies. I really love her love of butter but hold the opinion please, if I want to know the state of the nation I'll turn on the news thank you very much.



So I've decided I'm going back to cast iron frying pans and Walmart Target Kmart garage sale pots.



OMG!

I always forget about the garage sale my Grampy left up in the barn, there's enough miscellaneous bits and pieces of this and thats up there to outfit seventy hundred kitchens!

I gotta put my boots on, I'm going shopping.

HELP!

Whats for dinner tonight?!

Blog Bread

Amy and Jill spent the weekend with family and came home with Amish Bread starter.

Amy baked hers yesterday and it looked so good that I suggested to her that we start a "Blog bread" and since it was my idea I got to chose who would be in charge and I chose her.

Amy said she was to "busy" whatever and I understand so I guess it's up to me to get this blog bread ball rolling.

Me being in charge of anything rarely ends well so I want to pass this off as quickly as possible.

I need two people to volunteer, so if you want to participate leave a comment below.

If nobody volunteers, I will choose two people at random and stalk them until they give up their mailing address.

The only rule is when you get your "start" in the mail, you have to post that you received it along with a photo and choose two more people to pass it on to.

Easy huh?

The goal is to get everyone involved.

We can't rest until our bread has risen.

So, leave a comment and I will tag the first two people and SO help me you, if nobody comments you can all watch you backs because somebody's gonna play, like it or not.

Okeydokey Artichokeys, who's up for a little Bloggy Bread?!

You guys are SO bad! 

I can see how many of you have come and gone and not left a comment for the bread.

Don't worry, it may not be today, but the bread will come to you. 

The bread will come.....

TrailerParks Preview

Here's two of the coming attractions for tomorrows  NO*TEL - RO*TEL.

Turkey eggs and Velveeta.

I have never in my life had Velveeta cheese.

I'm a little nervous.

It's crazy that I've never had Velveeta cheese, because I am totally a Velveeta cheese kind a girl.

Come and Get It!

It must be blogger awareness week.

I'll just go with it and continue with my theme.

Miss Kris hates dislikes meatloaf.

I love meatloaf, but it has to be made right.

My favorite is the Stove Top Stuffing method.

You make it with Stove Top, a couple of eggs and some bbq sauce.

Deelish!

I  believe it's what you serve with the meal, that makes the meal.

No frozen (or even worse, canned) peas and carrots for me.

With this dinner there should be some sort of law mandating canned corn and mashed potatoes with brown gravy as a side.

I'm serious.

I think it's wrong to get fancy or funky with meatloaf.

Dragnet Dinner... 

Just the facts Ma'am.

Meatloaf, corn and potatoes.

Here's an idea... Make you meatloaf in muffin pans!
Easy to freeze, super simple to make sandwiches with and you can trick the kids into thinking they're eating something cool!