Sunday afternoons are for good people

Thanks to Aunt Ruthie for inspiring me to think of times like this. Join her at Sugar Pie Farm..

Sunday Afternoon are for remembering the good People and Memories- times, thoughts and people (With us and not)














After a big Sunday Dinner. We head outside. Then a big family/neighbor game of touch football or daddies trying to figure out hop scotch with big feet.
Before we know it the day is cooling down ....The kids and grand kids are running with the dogs and playing games. Giggles galore.
The adults, young and old, sitting, swinging or laying on hammocks. They are talking about the just plain good to the world people. The Good out number the bad ten times. But you never hear about em. But they are all around us. We talk about em. We remember em. Those who..

1. Going down the dirt road hurrying to the store- when ya spot your neighbor pulling weeds. You have to yell and throw up your hand at least but 9 out of 10- You stop and see how they are doing. And pull afew weeds while ya jawing.
2. Dropping a $50.oo bill in the mail for that hard working friend that is trying to stay afloat on unemployment. No return address of course and it is never mentioned :.) We all had times a 50 would be a blessing- Shoot plenty a times a 5 was greatly appreciated.
3. Pulling over and turning down the radio when a funeral procession was coming down the road
4. Welcome new neighbors with a cake and invitation to next Sunday afternoon.







5. The neighbors who wander over to sit and join in.

We all get revived for the next week of work and to survive hearing about the negative.






The Good People and Sunday afternoons refresh our souls and spirits. (The deserts and tea/lemonade are pretty good too!) We see the world as good again. until after church next Sunday.

Want ya join us next Sunday?



PS. The little ones climb up in laps towards the end of the day, to learn what Sunday Afternoons are for. They will be talking about the good in 50 years because that is how it has carried on for hundreds of years....

The baby chicks are 1 week old

Yes, they have gotten almost double in size. So the brooder that made them look so small is now not large enough.

How did we figure that out? One chick flapped her little wings so much she was on the top rim looking around. Buddy, Ali, Bogart and I started running and barking. Buddy and I weren't really barking but yelling and flapping our arms to try to catch her before the ground.
We had thought 2 weeks before a full size brooder would be needed. Just like children, They proved us wrong :.)


So Buddy built the new larger brooder



Now the babies are flapping across the entire length. Crawling up the multi level roost. Of course they don't realize that they should sleep on the roost. Wonder how Buddy will teach them that lesson? Any suggestions???

Spring and the Baby Chicks are here!

I LOVE Spring!! The sunshine, the warm weather and such happy thoughts. What else can cheer you up in the springtime?


Baby Chicks

The Baby Chicks are tiny. Of course, what can we expect at 3 days old?
We had to go to the post office and pick them up.
I walked in and explained that they called at 6am to pick up our delivery. I and everyone in the lobby could hear them. haha

This is the box that 20 babies came in.



We ordered 5 Buff Orphintons pullets
5 Black Sex Links pullets
5 Golden Comet pullets
and 5 Cinnamon Queen pullets

The Golden Comets have the blue dots on their foreheads
The Cinnamon Queens have the green dots on the foreheads
The Buff orphanigton are not marked
And the Black Sexlinks are black


You have to teach baby chicks where to drink and eat
You dip their beaks into the water (around 98 degrees)and then set them in their brooder. You can see in the picture that my husband Buddy is prepping the babies.

The first week of life you put paper towels down with a little feed so they will start eating starter pellets instead of shavings etc that will later be placed on the floor of the brooder


Sprin makes me feel alive, hopeful and excited for the future. Baby chicks make me feel the same !!

A Great Day

"No one can ruin your day without YOUR permission" - unknown author

I hope you Have a great weekend, it's your decission!

Our neighbors the bears and the coyotes!

Yes we have had more snow than usual. But only 2nd highest in the list of all time records. Across the US most people have had a hard winter but the winter is not only hard for people. Animals are coming in closer sooner than usual. Of course we hear the animals but think they are further back in the mountains.(Wishful thinking ?)

We had our first bear of the winter in October? First saw when when I came in one evening. The dogs were barking but I paid no heed to it. When I walked from the car to the front porch, something caught my eye. The bear was coming out of the woods in front of the house He was looking at me and I was looking at him.(My husband was on the porch waiting for me )

That bear was big. Usually we have short and skinny bears but this one was tall and rather plump. He has been eating well.

The next morn we went checking things out. The bear had moved in to the woods where the deer have been hunkering down at night.Looked like for a few days too( the brush had been the bear's bed and showed his imprint.)

We kept an eye open when we were outside since the bear's bed was about 30 yards from our front porch and every time we walked to the pens, we had to pass the wildlife hotel.

A month or so later, We were sad to hear that a car accident had taken the life of a large male bear right down the road from us. Male Bears are very territorial so we knew it was our neighbor the bear. My husband and I were sad to hear the news. We must share the land with the wildlife.People complain about the bears getting to close but we must remember they were here first.

Not long after that, My husband asked me to come and listen. We could hear the coyotes quite often but this was the babies crying out too. And they were very close. Our neighbors on the bottom of the mountain had to take their dog to the vet. It had been ripped open by an animal. The coyotes strike again. The dog and coyote survived. We haven't hear from The coyote family for a good month now.

The snow is usually a good tracker of the wildlife. Because of the continuous snows, often we have to hike down the mountain to the bottom and leave one of our cars or trucks down there. One morning we were heading down by foot and saw that we had company. Bear tracks clear as day down the mountain. Thankfully he strolls in the evening more so and we the daylight time. And yes he is staying in our wildlife hotel in the woods in front of the house!

We have almost daily contact with wildlife. But usually deer, wild hogs, turkeys, rabbits, raccoon, and lots of crows,bats, hawks etc. Boy Can I tell you some funny tales! Like the morning my husband's lunch ended up in the treetops! haha I will save that funny tale for another blog. (I am setting here laughing out loud just thinking about that one haha)

Remember to use caution when sharing the beautiful earth with wild animals. Caution to protect the humans and to protect the wild animals.

Yes you can teach an old dog, new cooking tricks

My daughter gets credit for this cooking tip. Thanks baby!
It saves lots of money, time and tastes can't be beat!

When I first heard of using a pressure cooking, It was about 30 years ago. I have been using for canning for years. But I am talking about pressure cooking meats. Yes, meats.

You can take the cheapest cuts of meats and they taste like the most expensive. I kid you not! I know I didn't believe it either but I can eat pork roast , hams, chops almost everything and not a knife in sight!

It takes about a third of the time. So you know me that is important, especially when i forgot to defrost and need a few hours for defrosting or need to go somewhere. Yeah like work.

You want to know how? I am going to send you to the expert.But first, some people are afraid of pressure cookers. The whistling and rattling can be unnerving but not if you know what you are doing. Get you a pressure cooker with directions. Read them also the web site I am about to send you to has lots of great info on selecting a pressure cooker, how to cook with, recipes. Everything you will need.

Seriously I can't make meats to compare with these even after cooking for 30 years!

Ready to enjoy the most succulent tender meats of your life?

Step into Miss Vickie's Wonderland! Yes I love this site!

Thanks for visiting! Come back soon ya'll!

Another tip for the Perfect Homemaker- They think so anyway :.)

My Best tip to save time, money and reduce stress.

Every cook has had a meal or hundreds of them, when they don't have the time, ingredients or inclination to cook. When that happens to a cook-from-scratch girl what do you do? Well I can't speak for you but this is what I do at times like that....

I pull a pot (freezer bag) of soup out of the freezer. No I didn't buy it, I made it.(all of them) on my back up day.

At the beginning of Fall or when I run out of "back ups" I have my "back up day".

But the day before "back up day" starts the process...I select my 3 soup menu. Then you add the ingredients into one list. The list should have amounts to shop and chop by. Now Shop!

On back up day you gather all of the ingredients. And chop and prep!
Most stews and soups need the same veggies and meats. So chop ,cook or prep all of that ingredient at one time. Prep meats last to keep it safe!

So if i need 6 cups of chopped carrots I chop and then place in one large bowl. all of the bowls are lined up on the counter. When the meats and veggies are prepped then...

Grab one recipe and one big pot and collect your ingredients. Add spices and any missing parts :.)

Put the pot on stove and start cooking. Proceed to next recipe. You will have your Back ups cooked in no time. In fact, This process hardly takes longer to cook 3 big pots than it does to make one.

Once cooked, I let cool some and then put in refrigerator. (if you refrigerate the soups, the liquid will be solid and easier to put in the freezer bag.) You can skip this step , if you want :.)

You can divide your soups into meals or individual size. I use half gallon for meals and quart for individuals or lunches. Plan you sizes to fit your needs. Do you provide lunches or have teenagers who eat all the time? Do you only need the family meal size?

When the soups/stews are ready to bag I distribute into the correct bags. Mark the bags with the meal name and date to keep everything right on schedule.


So now when you are running late, have an unexpected guest drop in, or you would rather read your book then standing in the kitchen cooking - You will have a wonderful meal on the table. Once again the perfect homemaker :.)

What are you teaching your children today?

The Wooden Bowl
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson.
The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered

The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and
failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor.
When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess.
'We must do something about father,' said the son.
'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.'

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.
There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.
Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone.
Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.
He asked the child sweetly, 'What are you making?' Just as sweetly, the boy responded,
'Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.
' The four-year-old smiled and went back to work..

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.
For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason,
neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

What are you teaching your children today?

Simple Things make Life Good- no matter where you are!

I had a doctor's appointment today. Just a checkup.
When I walked out, I has happy and cheerful. The weather is forecasting the heavy snowfall to start any moment. Had my pap smear and full check up. Blood work. No reason to be happy and cheerful right?
The secret to happiness is simple. I was sitting in a row of chairs waiting in the hallway for the lab to call my name. Next to me were a woman and 2 men. They were complaining about having to wait....




The woman and I proceeded to talk about our life, children, grandchildren, and the up-comin weather. We had a nice conversation. Her husband joined in now and then. We were laughing ,having a good time. That left one man sitting quietly. Well can't have that so i pointedly brought him into the conversation. By the time I was called in the lab, the others were finishing.

But the finished ones didn't leave, they sat and waited so we could continue talking and laughing. So yes we were sitting , having fun NOT waiting for the lab!
Yes , we all have busy lives and things to do. But there are times when happiness and fun takes front seat.

Sometimes it just takes seconds to say "hey, How ya doin?"

Did I tell You that I live in the mountains of NC? It is outside of the big town of Asheville but just about 30 minutes driving time.


To have a nice conversation while waiting isn't unusual here. Standing in line at the grocery store, waiting for your prescriotion at the druggist even waiting to be called at the DMV can be a perfect location for happiness. Anywhere that someone is within hearing distance from you, is the prefect place and the perfect time.

I know you might be thinking well people look grouchey, in a hurry and pissed off. Well darling, those are the people that need you to start a nice friendly conversation. They are usually the ones that get their turn and wait, just to continue the fun.


It's nice to make someone else smile, laugh or just feel good. You can do it. Big Town or Small- works everywhere.

Just Smile and say "Hey, How ya doin?" That's all it takes :.)

PS. I got more good mountain stories to share soon!

Am I ready for another foot of snow?

The news just said possible foot of snow this weekend. Does that mean we have to run to the grocery store and hope something is left from the other "it's going to snow" shoppers? No, I am sitting here and writing this to help you be prepared for the next snow storm, other natural diaster, financial situations or I am sick and don't want to go to the store.I want to share with you how to be prepared aka "think ahead"!

Are you already coming up with the excuses that you can't be prepared? Takes a lot of money - NO you actually SAVE money . Takes a Lot of time- No, you save time too. You don't know how? That is why I am here my friend!

Being prepared: (Take out a notebook and start your current and back up lists)
To prepare for winter in the western North Carolina Mountains, I must keep keep 2 "sets" of every food we use.By this I mean I keep the current staples and a backup!I always replace current used items with backup. (I never have to worry about back up use by dates :.)

Your staples might be different but I am showing you my list as a southern mountain mom of grown kids, grandchildren and a very hungry husband!My husband and I are the only full time eaters plus our doggie kids:.)

No I did not go out one day and buy double everything. Every week, I would buy several things for my back up list and use coupons when possible (that is another survival tips). Before we knew it ,we were set.



Staples:
All purpose flour 20 lb bags
grits 5 lb bag
sugar 25 lb bag
rice 20 lb bag
powdered sugar
various noodles
coffee
baking powder
baking soda
coconut
chocolate chips
bread flour
powdered milk
evaporated milk
condensed milk
water- large containers for cooking and drinking


Refrigerated and frozen items on current and backup plan:
butter 5 lb total
bacon
sausage
all meats
mayo
mustard
ketchup
canned OJ (for emergencies)

Vegetables canned or frozen from garden:
corn- cream, whole kernel and on the cob
greasey and butter beans
dried various beans
garden peas
potatoes
sweet potatoes
onions
squash-butternut
tomatoes
various berries

There are some things that need to be replaced on a current basis. Milk,fruits etc.


As you can tell I cook mostly from scratch. This enables me to have more control over the nutritional numbers of our meals but also makes it easier to prepare anything we want even on a whim and I save a LOT of money!. And If I see a recipe I want to try I usually have the items. If not, it will be placed on my "current and Backup "lists or preserved. So my lists are constantly be updated but not alot..
Do you think cooking from scratch takes more time? Oh you are mistaken! I work full time and then some. Don't worry , we will tackle time saving tips too. :.)

I hope this explains the number one system that enables me to hear " a foot of snow tomorrow night" and not panic! Of course we need more than food to survive. I will post my (non-food) survival list soon!
Please leave your tips and questions in the comments.
Thanks so much your comments and questions open my eyes to other survival needs and tips!! Thanks for sharing!