Home Again

We had a wonderful time visiting family over the long weekend.  My nephew has grown into a very honorable young man.  There wasn't a dry eye in the house when his Mother pinned his late Father's Eagle Scout Pin on. 

His graduation was equally tearful.  His GPA was 4.0+!  Did I tell you he was smart?  How about dedicated?  He is all these things and more.  We are so proud to be his Aunt and Uncle and we are looking forward to see the direction his adult life takes. 

It's a good thing we had these other activities planned.  Our outdoor plans got relocated inside Friday and Saturday when the weather took a turn on us.

But as any resourceful traveler will do, we went to a fabulous coffee shop for breakfast.  The best part of this coffee shop?  I happen to know the owners very well (my sister and niece).  We were treated to wonderful coffee and a delicious breakfast and the service was superb! 

I hope your holiday weekend was filled with good company, good fun and good food.  As with any trip, it's always good to get back home and so we find ourselves back home again at Prairie Cairn Cottage.



Road Trip

Everybody in?  Seat belts secure?  Do we have the necessary snacks and beverages?  Any last minute potty breaks before we start the car? 

Tomorrow, we are off to visit my sister in the opposite corner of the state.  Almost 400 miles away.  My youngest nephew is not only graduating from high school but he is having a ceremony to commemorate his becoming an Eagle Scout.  He is becoming a fine upstanding young man and we are all very proud of him.

Little Black Brindle has never experienced a pleasure road trip before.  He did get carted by van from his puppy mill in Missouri all the way to his foster home in Minnesota but he was crated the whole way and I would imagine, very fearful.  His next big jaunt to his fur-ever home was by air.  This will be an experience for him as he has never had to be in the car longer than 2 hours with us.  But we've planned for several stops for leg lifting and general walk abouts and we will bring along his favorite snacks and toys.  I think he'll enjoy the visit. 

Enjoy your holiday and we'll see you next week back at Prairie Cairn Cottage!

Day Off

I got to take the day off yesterday.  It was the first day that spoke of the summer to come.  The air was warm verging on hot.  The wind was mild.  I had so many things planned but the warmth and quiet beckoned me to come enjoy.  We could hear the soft lowing of the cows nearby.  The clouds were like ships sailing past us in the sky.  Antelope were in the field behind us and we were serenaded by a meadowlark on the roof. 

It was a perfect day off.

Bread Making

I got this recipe from another blogger here.  This is seriously a yummy loaf of bread.  Everything you want in a bread, tall, good flavor and texture and it makes great sandwiches.  The best part?  It has got to be the easiest bread I've ever made (not that I've made that many loaves but you understand).  Her recipe tells you to mix the remaining flour by hand but I just keep adding it to my KitchenAid mixer.  It's a very moist batter and rather sticky when you put it in the loaf pan but it bakes up perfect.  I questioned whether I needed to let it rise again after putting it in the loaf pan but nope, you pop it in the oven as is.  It does the rest of the rising while it bakes. 

If you haven't made bread before or if it's been awhile, give this recipe a try.  I think you'll be as pleased as I am.  And thank you Alicia for sharing the recipe!

Ann's No-Knead Bread

Combine and set aside:
2 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 T. salt (I use Kosher salt)
4 1/2 teaspoons (2 pkgs.) active dry yeast
Heat until warm:
1 c. water
1 c. milk
1/4 c. vegetable oil
Have on hand:
1 egg
2 to 2 1/2 c. flour
Butter

Mix egg with the liquids, then stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture. Blend at lowest speed on mixer, then blend on medium for 3 minutes. By hand stir in another 2 to 2 1/2 c. flour. Cover, let rise 50 minutes until light and doubled in size. Stir down. Spoon into greased  6" x 9" loaf pan. (If your pan has short sides you might want to split it up and put it in two smaller pans; it rises quite a bit. I think my pan is actually 5" x 8".) Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes. Brush top with butter.

Neighbors

I thought you might enjoy seeing who we share our small part of the prairie with.

Tuesday Truths

How big is your god?  Mine is God Almighty himself.  The creator of the universe, the earth and all that is of the earth, including me.  The Bible shows us nature itself, testifies of this truth:

Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

I look at nature on a casual walk with Little Black Brindle and see God's perfect work.  How many varieties of grass are there out on this prairie?  How many types of trees are there just in my little section of the state?  How many birds singing their own unique tunes?  This cannot be random or the result of an explosion.  Look at the intricacies of the human eye or the mechanism that allow us to hear those bird calls.  Why our very skin can heal itself!  That can’t be just a coincidence.  No, I see God’s hands in all of this. 

If He can make all of this, what else is He capable of?  So...how big is your god?  I hope he is as big as mine

Fence Building

We spent the weekend putting up a 3 rail fence in the back yard of Prairie Cairn Cottage.  Trenching, digging holes, placing posts and rails.  My ever so handy husband did most of the heavy work but I did a fair share of lifting posts into position then fastening the rails.  We like to call this project the Cairn Containment System.  It will soon give little black brindle a safe place to spend sunbathing.  The pile of wood in the 2nd picture is another project.  A dear friend gave us his no longer wanted gazebo.  Check back for progress on that project.

I thought you might like some updates on previous posts.  I love the laundry soap I made.  It works great and I will definitely make some more when this batch runs out.

The chickens are loving their new home.  They were a bit cramped in the cardboard box they were brooded in.  They have a nice secure yard they can run around in and a cozy coop where they can dream chicken dreams.  Moths are adding entertainment to their days as well as being a tasty snack!  Little black brindle has taken it upon himself to check on them every chance he can.  He fancies himself quite the chicken wrangler.  

Another busy but satisfying weekend at Prairie Cairn Cottage.