Birthdays and anniversaries

The end of August is a busy celebration time for us. Our third wedding anniversary was last week and Farmer Doc’s birthday was earlier this week. Why did we schedule our wedding so close to his birthday, you might ask?



Believe it or not, we scheduled our wedding to be after fair season, but before college football season. And with a 3-week state fair in August and Purdue football starting the first weekend in September, we weren’t left with a lot of options!

(Seriously, that’s why.)

It’s all about priorities.

Burrito lasagna

The cookbook where I found this recipe calls it “Family Burrito Bake.” But it’s burrito ingredients smashed into lasagna form. And Farmer Doc knows what I mean when I say “burrito lasagna.” Easy, no explanation. When I say “family burrito bake,” I always get “huh? what’s that?” It’s just easier this way.



The beauty of this recipe is that it’s all done in the microwave. It’s not quite a one-dish meal, but it’s pretty close.

Weaning calves

It’s that time of year again. Our calves were born in February and March, so now they’re around 6 months old. It’s time to wean.

We started them on creep feed back in June, and they’ve been eating hay with their mothers for a few months. They don’t know it yet, but they’re ready to be weaned.

First, we brought all the calves into the barn and left the mothers outside on the pasture.

Gardening at the State Fair

I didn’t have too much time to actually see the state fair during the 3 days I spent there last week. I did make some time to get out and see my favorite parts like the butterfly garden and the FFA building.

This year, I saw an exhibit I don’t remember visiting before – the Master Gardener’s exhibit.


I loved the sign at the entrance to the greenhouse – “Food Begins Here!”

2012 Taste From Indiana Farms

Last week I spent 3 days at the Indiana State Fair working the Taste From Indiana Farms event. This event is put on by the Women’s Leadership Committee of the Indiana Farm Bureau every year.

The Indiana Farm Bureau has 10 districts. Each year, every district is assigned a different commodity. This year, my district had fruit. I found an orchard in our area, and loaded up the back of my truck with 120 pounds of apples – enough to give a sample to each of the almost 5,000 people we expected to see over the next 3 days.

Martin goes to college

Every once in a while, Martin gets mail. But it’s not often that he gets a diploma!

Watching the crabs

We found a spot on the San Diego bay where we could watch the little crabs run around on the rocks. See the little guy here? He kind of blends in with the rocks…



Look out, crab, the wave is coming!

San Diego

Last week Farmer Doc and I headed out to San Diego. Before you get too jealous of our 4 days in perfect weather with gorgeous scenery, let me tell you that it was mostly a work trip. We went out for the American Veterinary Medical Association, and Farmer Doc had some work to do with the Future Leaders Program.

But we did have some good times while we were there!

The opening session for the conference featured Joan Embery as the speaker. She brought all her friends.



Cheetah!!

How to pack a suitcase quickly

I’ve been traveling a lot lately. It’s all been fun, but there comes a time when I’d like to spend 7 days in a row at home! One thing I have realized is that I’m pretty good at packing my suitcase in a hurry!

I need to start with a clean surface. It doesn’t matter if I’m starting to pack at 10:00pm, I always make sure the bed is made so I’ve got an easy space to work. (It’s kind of like cooking in a clean kitchen – so much easier than when the counters aren’t covered with yesterday’s dishes!)

Sausage and artichoke risotto

I found this recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I adapted it a little bit, and it has become one of my favorites! It’s an easy baked risotto dish, with plenty of sausage and veggies.



Start with 1-1.5 pounds of ground sausage and a chopped onion.

5 kitchen gadgets I can’t live without

We’re finally settled into our new house. And I’m pretty well settled in the kitchen. I’m still moving things around now and then as I try to figure out the best places. It’s a work in progress.

The point is, after all the moving, building, and traveling we’ve been doing lately, I’m finally getting back into the swing of cooking. Most nights. And I’m rediscovering some of my absolute favorite kitchen gadgets.

1. You’ve met this guy before. He’s an OXO egg slicer and chopper. First, he gently cradles the egg.

The cats’ favorite toys

We have no shortage of cats around here. Which means that we also have no shortage of cat toys. There is definitely one type of toy that has emerged as the favorite.

It’s a squirrel. They love this toy so much, we have two of them. And for some reason, our bed is the favorite place to put the toys.

Egg salad

One of my favorite lunches is an egg salad sandwich. Farmer Doc claims that one of the reasons he married me is my egg salad. Let’s hope that was a small reason…