Alisha And Her Family

This is my other beautiful, first born daughter, Alisha with her daughter Savannah on a trip to... you guessed it, Tennessee. They were there to see the Ripley's Aquarium. We have made the trip there ourselves. It is a wonderful place to take your family.

This is her husband, my son-in-law, Jason. Savannah, where are your sunglasses honey!

Savannah is a beautiful young lady with lots of energy. Her Ganpa and GanGan love her very much!

We are very proud of her. Our children and grandchildren truly do grow up so (too) fast. They are truly blessings in our lives.

My Daughter Andrea

Until I learn more about blogging and get my blog in better shape, I will be adding post in no particular order just to add some interest. I have so much to learn. For all you experienced bloggers out there, with wonderful blogs. Feel free to leave a comment on any ideas you have that would help to make my blog better. I enjoy finding ways to make my blog a interesting and pleasant place to visit. This is my youngest daughter, Andrea with her face painted for Halloween several years ago. She is growing up faster than I want her to.  

She really enjoys Halloween!

She loves posing for the camera also.

Sausage Puffs

 A local restaurant serves what they call, "Sausage Poofs" They are very popular with their customers, including me. They have been ask for the recipe countless times but will not share it. I have tried to recreate the recipe and although is doesn't taste exactly like there's, it is close.

Sausage Puffs

1-(16-oz.) roll mild sausage 

2 tablespoon butter

1-(8-oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 (7.5 oz.) cans buttermilk biscuits

~Preheat oven to 450 degrees (425 degrees if you are baking on dark non-stick baking sheets). 

~In a medium skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink, finely breaking up sausage as it cooks.

~Drain off any grease. Add butter and mix well. Set aside.

~In a medium bowl, combine warm sausage and cream cheese, mix well.

                                                         

Open can of biscuits and working with one biscuit at a time, flatting biscuit on a clean surface, such as a plate, until about 3-1/2 to 4 inches in diameter. 

                Place a tablespoonful of the sausage filling, in the center of the each flattened biscuit. 

Take right side and left side of flattened biscuit, pinch together in the center, then repeat with the top and bottom of the biscuit and the areas in between until filling is well sealed inside the biscuit. Place filled biscuits pinched side down on lightly greased baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart.

Bake at 450 degrees(425 degrees if you are baking on dark non-stick baking sheets) for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. These are best served warm. A great on-the-go breakfast. 

Yield: 40 Sausage Puffs.

* Recipe Source: Dana's Recipe *

Fruit Trays With Fruit Dip

Fruit trays with fruit dip I prepared for 4th of July. My twin sister shared this dip recipe with me, she calls it fruit fluff. This recipe makes a lot. My family loves it!

This fruit fluff taste great with blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, grapes, strawberries and watermelon.

Fruit Fluff 

1-(8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 container frozen whipped topping, thawed

~In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and sugar, mix well.

~Fold in the whipped topping, mixing well.

~Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

~Stir well before serving.

~Taste great with blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, grapes, strawberries and watermelon.

 * Recipe Source: My Twin Sister, Denise *

Our Horse, Rango

Meet my palomino quarter horse Rango. When I was trying to decide on what his name should be , I looked on the web for ideas, but found none that I liked. As I was writing down some of the names that came to mind, I thought about the Dodge Durango that I drive. I removed the D and U from Durango and that's how he got his name. He was purchased from a truck load of colts coming from Nebraska and after changing hands several times, ended up with people who purchased and traded horses for resale.  He was three years old when we purchased him and he is 6 years old this year.

My sister was kind enough to keep him at her house for two years until we could finally get him to our house just last year. I am forever grateful to her for doing that for me. 

We had to clear a wooded area of trees and other debris, have the area graded, have the trees from this area milled and then used the cut wood to build a run in and stall for him, plus put up fencing. My husband and I built the barn by ourselves with over-the-phone guidance and some photos from a friend who has built  a few himself. We are proud of our little barn and the great feeling of accomplishment we have from doing the job ourselves. We never even built a bird house before. I can hardly wait to see the finished project.

We had to clear a wooded area of trees and other debris, have the area graded, have the trees from this area milled and then used the cut wood to build a run in and stall for him, plus put up fencing. My husband and I built the barn by ourselves with over-the-phone guidance and some photos from a friend who has built  a few himself. We are proud of our little barn and the great feeling of accomplishment we have from doing the job ourselves. We never even built a bird house before. This is some of the trees loaded and on the way to the mill.

This is the same site after a lot work removing truck load after truck load of debris.

Can you spot the snake? We actually found him pinned under a smaller tree and removed the tree so he was free to go on his way.

Grading the area has begun.....

Some of the trees cut off our property, milled and ready for a barn building. Any volunteers?

With the grading completed, now it was time to start the frame work.

Side view of the frame posts.

Adding the walls to the run in side of the barn.

It was a slow process for us amateurs, but we are getting there...

Wow! We are so happy with our progress. 

We finally finished our little barn! We are proud of the barn. What a great feeling of accomplishment we have for doing the job ourselves. 

Welcome home, Rango!

A metal star added to the side of the barn.

He seems to enjoy the shelter it provides for him.

Our Dogs

This is our poodle Lexi. She is waiting for someone to try and take her hamburger.

This is our other poodle Snickers. He would rather have a real hamburger to chew on.

Meet our new dog Cassie. She is part border collie. My husband found her playing in the road, in an rural area. He thought she was a skunk. She was probably about 6-7 weeks old when he found her. She is full of energy and very sweet. Her favorite things are eating, running, having her belly scratched, barking at our horse, Rango and playing with a empty water bottle.

Ashley's Is Expecting.......a Baby Girl!

        This is my beautiful daughter Ashley and her 
                             husband Bryan.

This wonderful waterfall was located behind the building of her doctor's office. Each time she went to her appointments we would stop by the waterfall to take a picture. It is fun to see the different stages of her pregnancy and the changes in the weather also.

Meet Ashley and Bryan's beautiful baby daughter Kylee. Ashley named Kylee after her Father, Lee. What an honor for him!

She is a wonderful blessing in all of our lives!

She is loved very much!

Ashley's Baby Shower

  The refreshments table.

We made cowgirl cookie mix in mason jars to give as party favors.

I think these bird nest with jelly bean eggs are adorable.

Ashley's diaper cake.

Ashley's It's a girl tree. Her baby shower was given just after Christmas so I decided to leave up the Christmas tree and decorate it with baby care products and angels.

Some of the baby gifts under the tree.

Ashley opening her baby's gifts. 

Nana's Pumpkin Cake

My daughter Ashley shared a piece of this cake with me on Thanksgiving day several years ago. She received this treasured recipe from her husband's Nana. It is a delicious cake and a family favorite. I adapted this recipe and entered it in a King Arthur Flour muffin baking contest at our local fair July 2012 and won 2nd place (recipe in my muffin category). My twin sister entered the same muffin contest and won 1st place with her strawberry muffins with strawberry butter (recipe in my muffin category). It was our Birthday and after the story got around at the fair we where asked to do a television interview. What an exciting day with wonderful memories!

This recipe is shown just as it was written, when it was given to me.

Nana's Pumpkin Cake

In a large bowl, beat :

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

Sift together :

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Beat into creamed mixture and stir in :

2 cups  pure pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla

~Pour cake batter into a lightly greased and floured tube or bundt pan.
~Bake at 350 degrees F. for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
~Cool cake completely before frosting it.
~While cake is baking prepare cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1-(8-oz.) package cream cheese (softened)
1 stick butter (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound box powdered sugar

~In a large mixing bowl mix cream cheese, butter and vanilla until well blended.
~Frost cake and enjoy a slice with a glass of milk.

Nana's pumpkin cake ingredients: eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, pumpkin, vanilla, flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 (9-inch) round cake pans or a tube or bundt pan with non-stick baking spray. Set aside. In a large bowl add eggs, sugar and oil. 

Beat until well blended. 

Add pumpkin and vanilla.

Mix well.

Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnmon and salt. (I did not sift my dry ingredients)

Gradually beat into egg mixture until blended.

Pour cake batter into two prepared 9-inch round cake pans, a tube or a bundt pan, if desired. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes for a 2 round cake pans, or  50-55 minutes in tube or bundt pan.

Remove cake(s) from oven and allow to cool in pans for about 10 minutes before removing them to a cake rack to cool completely.

For the cream cheese frosting. In a mixing large mixing bowl add softened cream cheese and butter.

Beat at medium speed until well blended and creamy.

Gradually add 1 pound of powdered sugar.

Beat at medium speed until well blended and creamy.

Frost the top of bottom cake layer. Then place second cake layer, on top of frosted bottom layer. 

Frost the sides of both cake layers and then frost the top of  the cake.

Using the remaining frosting, I piped some swirls on the top outer edge of the cake, using a Wilton's 

# 22 open star tip. I used the same tip to created the center heart surrounded by stars. I topped each outer swirl with a pecan half. Placing two pecan halves in the center of the heart. If you just want a cake without the additional decorations. Just put a heavier layer of frosting on the entire cake and between the layers.

This is a delicious cake that is nice and moist. And the flavor of pumpkin and cinnamon go so well with the cream cheese frosting. Everyone in my family likes this cake.

Enjoy a slice with a cold glass of milk.

* Recipe Source: My Son-in-laws Grandmother, "Nana" *