Another Mile Stone Met!

Before I start chatting about Baby D's accomplishment, I would like to take a moment to thank all of the Veterans and armed forces. We can not begin to thank each and every one of you enough for everything that you have done for our country. It's because of you, we have all of the joyous freedoms that we know and love. A deep set of gratitude is felt by us all. Thank you!

And on this day of reflection, I am proud to announce that our son has SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT! He has been so close for some time snoozing from 9:30 till 3:00 in morning and then from 3:00 to 5:00. Well today we slept right on through until 5 AM. How delightful is that? Of coarse, mommy was by his bedside about every half hour making sure he was still breathing. But my lack of sleep was irrelevant, compared such elaborate sleep progress on Baby D's behalf. Maybe oneday we could even sleep till 5:30, wishful thinking perhaps.

Proud Momma,
Farming Fabulously

Tis The Season For Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Every year about this time, I get a craving for all things pumpkin! So naturally I seek out recipes that have this spectacular ingredient in them. This recipe is one of my old reliables, I make it every year. Each cookie is so moist and flavorful, that I have a hard time eating just one. Fortunately for me I am the only one at the farmstead that considers pumpkin to be a delicacy, so I have a tendency to over indulge abit with this cookie. But they are so worth it!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 Cup Cooked Pumpkin or you can use canned
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Egg
2 Cups Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda dissolved in 1 tsp Milk
1 Cup Chocolate Chips
1 tsp Chopped Nuts (Optional)

Combine pumpkin, sugar, oil, and egg. Shift together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add to pumpkin mixture along with dissolved soda. Mix well. Stir in chips, nuts (optional), and vanilla. Drop by the teaspoonful (dainty cookies more preferred here), on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake @ 375 for 10-12 minutes.

Enjoy,
Farming Fabulously

Baby D Is No Longer The Youngest!

The title is not a typo! Baby D is no longer the youngest cousin any more. We will have a new baby in the family next July! Is that exciting news or what? I have already began planning everything that I think that this newborn baby has to have in his/her life. You know auntie FF will do everything in her power to spoil the little munchkin rotten. That is after all what aunties do best!

Huge Congratulations to the new mommy and daddy to be!

Sincerely,
Farming Fabulously

Program Note: Please excuse my goo goo gaa gaa voice, as that is the only way I can get Baby D to respond accordingly.

November Is Warmer Then October?

It is absolutely gorgeous here at the farmstead today! So Baby D and I have decided to take a stroll around the countryside to get some much needed fresh air. Wishing you all a fabulous weekend.

Sincerely,
Farming Fabulously

Bonding With Baby D!

Baby D is the apple our eye! A treasured little munchkin that is loved by all. He is really beginning to develop a personality, so we enjoy our daily chats. That's right, our bundle of joy is cooing and smiling like crazy. Thank heavens, because mommy was beginning to worry the poor child had some sort of complex. Which I am sure has nothing to do with the fact that mommy dresses him up in less then complementary clothes.



Gaining approximately .4 lbs a day is tough work! It requires numerous feedings, in which family members are always willing chime in and help. Sometimes Baby D spits up, this particular time it was on Uncle B's MIZZOU shirt. I had to have a discussion about that with our infant, "No spitting on Black and Gold Honey".



Grandpa is always the first in line for feedings. He tells Baby D, all about tractors, combines, and fast trucks. Explaining that if he is a good boy, he might get to ride in the combine during harvest season. When Baby D hears this, he always improves his posture, coo's softer, and giggles; Hoping to encourage grandpa to take him out into the fields.



Have a Wonderful Day,
Farming Fabulously

Pondering What To Do With All Of Your Kiddo's Halloween Candy?

By now your thinking to yourself, what on earth am I going to do with all of the pounds of Halloween candy that my kiddo's collected last Saturday? Well, this is my suggestion to you. Make some bark baby!

Back in the day when I was a mere lad in High School, I worked in a candy department. I was fortunate enough to apprentice with some of the finest "Candy Connoisseurs" in all of Wisconsin and they taught me alot. Making "Bark" was a simple technique that they would use in order to decorate even the oddest of candy's up. All you needed to do was melt a pound of any color chocolate and then mix and match a variety of candys with it. So what I am trying to say is grab thous Snickers, Reece's, Butterfingers, Carmel's, Twix, ect...Chop them up and swirl it into the melted chocolate. Easy right!

1 lb of Baking Chocolate (any color)
Handfuls of a variety of Halloween candy roughly chopped

Melt chocolate in a NON-stick skillet on the stove top. Do not over cook chocolate or you will have a goopy (word?) mess. For approximately 5 minutes. Grab a sheet pan, and cover it with parchment paper. Pour melted chocolate on paper evenly. Take your chopped up candy and sprinkle it over chocolate. Voila.

Enjoy,
Farming Fabulously

Bread Stick Bones!

This is one of the easiest Halloween side dishes ever! Or if you just want a "Change Up" for your kiddo's every day meal solutions. When your tiny tykes think they are gnawing on bones, look out, they will devour all of them.

Bread stick Bones

1 Package of Pillsbury Bread sticks in a pop can
2 TBSP Butter
1/2 Cup of Parmesans Cheese
Salt & Pepper

Preheat your oven as per package directions on Bread stick container. Next pull apart sticks, stretch out each "Bone" individually, tying a knot on each end, then place on baking sheet. Once all of the bones are made, melt butter in microwave and brush on top of all "Bones". Sprinkle cheese, salt and pepper on Bones. Cook until desired crispiness is achieved. And Voila!


The dinosaur could only stay in his custom for our Halloween arrival(he was a bit toasty in it) at each of our stops. So we had to strip him down to his onies once everyone got a glimpse of him at each house. Here Grandma was attempting to redress our little munchkin.

Enjoy,
Farming Fabulously

Program Note: Are you wondering what to do with all of the Halloween candy your kiddo's collected? I will show you what the farmstead does with all of the treats tomorrow.

Packers vs. Vikings, Baby D Fears The Outcome!

Baby D is a huge football fan! By football I mean a lover of the Green and Gold! When I told him that the Packers would be playing the Vikings this afternoon he was atad skeptical of the outcome considering Farve would be traveling back to the "Tundra"!



Feeling his concern, I tried to lighten his spirits by stating the obvious: "Honey, the Vikings are coming to Lambeau Field, they would never allow that team to win." This tactic proved to be uplifting, and by the end of the conversion he was raising his arms in field goal motion and chanting "Rodgers, Rodgers"



I am so proud!

Sincerely,
Farming Fabulously

Program Note: Baby D and I are now grieving!

Baby D's First Halloween!

The farmstead is geared up for this Halloween season! We are siked to begin trick-or-treating TODAY! Yes, that's right the festivities are starting a day early here at on the home front. Baby D is ecstatic, I have been properly mentoring him about the do's and dont's about this wicked fun holiday for the past week. So now that he knows what to expect, we are ready to hit our local Metropolis to get some ghostly goodies.

As you all know, Baby D is going to be a dinosaur for All-Hallows-Eve this year. But what you haven't heard, is what I (FF) is going to parade around the country side dressed up as. I will give you a hint....There are approximately 1109 feathers involved. Hmmmmmm? I *heart* Halloween!

Sincerely,
Farming Fabulously

Program Note: Baby D's outfit is courtesy of Markie Hart. So adorable, what impeccable taste.

Scary Good Cupcakes

Halloween is in two more days, I am so excited! I dress up every year for this cosmically spooky holiday, but this year Baby D and I both get to get all dolled up. So to pass the time, I have to keep myself busy in the kitchen. I made these cupcakes last Sunday, lets just say they were a tremendous hit amongst the farmstead. Now normally I would try to go into "grave" (hahaha, excuse my cheesiness), detail about the concoction that I have made, explaining the taste, flavor combo, how it emphasises your palate, ect...However, I am unable to tell you anything about this Cupcake recipe! Why? The Farm Boy's devoured each and every Hauntingly Delicious morsel of the cupcake goodness. That's right, I didn't even get to try one. I guess they were just that good!





For more information regarding this recipe please click HERE!


Enjoy,
Farming Fabulously

Program Note: FF is currently making another batch of these cupcakes, so she can indulge in the chocolate and peanut butter deliciousness.

Have You Ever Tried To Explain Halloween To A 8 Week Old?

Considering this is Baby D's first Halloween, I thought it logical to discuss with him what exactly this holiday is all about. So this is our rational question and answer session that took place at the farmstead yesterday. I am sure you will find it very enlightening.

Sincerely,

Farming Fabulously

Program Note: Yes, thats right two posts in one day. Fabulous isn't it!

Baby D's wardobe was provided by Uncle B and Auntie M! Spookly Grand!

Baby D's First Combine Ride!

Yep, that's right! Our little tyke has finally made his way around the field in a combine. Oh Happy Day!



You can't exactly tell the excitement/enthusiasm that he was demonstrating by his face in this picture. But lets just say, he was "fit to tied".



For the past few days the Farm Boys have been in the field around our house. So naturally I found two of the unsuspecting souls, and convinced them to let me take their pictures. Stating that it was solely for recreational purposes of course.



Such handsome fellas!




Sincerely,
Farming Fabulously

Horse Barn Rewind!

Before the arrival of Baby D, we were scampering around frantically attempting to complete the horse barn/pasture. The completion was successful by a mere 4 days!



These are some of the pictures of near the end of completion.



As you can see, every detail had to be exact. Who needs a tractor when you have man power like these FB's (Farm Boy's) to get the job done.



However, self motivation and pure endurance can only last so long.



Now using equipment to get the job done, does not show a sign of weakness but instead a sense of genius.



Farm Motto: "Work Smarter Not Harder". Yeah, that's definitely our motto today!



Utter contentment was felt by everyone, our boys (the horse's) were finally home!



Sincerely,
Farming Fabulously

Introducting T-Dex!

Can you believe that Halloween is right around the corner? With that in mind, Baby D and I have decided to get all dolled up ahead of time so mommy can design an appropriate All-Hallows Eve Card.



These are just a few of our practice shots. As you can see, our bundle of joy is a natural poser, just like his momma! I told him to give me a big Dinosaur ROAR, and this is the response that I received. It was a great effort on his behalf even though, he does look abit fearful for life.



Then we decided to take some tummy shots I think however, between the weight of his cheeks and the excess pounds of the Dino scales he was unable to lift his head like he normally would. And then this happened........



Note to self: Dinosaurs should only pose for pictures on an empty tummy. Lesson Learned.

Sincerely,
Farming Fabulously

Program Note: Baby D's outfit is courtesy of Beverly Dillion. Thanks Bunches!

Everythings Better With Cayenne

Brownies With Cayenne Pepper Really? I have always wanted to try a recipe like this; A blend of sweet and spicy, does it really work? Well I am here to tell you that it passed the farmstead Treat Test with flying colors. It is not an overwhelming "set your mouth on fire" taste by any means, the pepper just adds alittle unexpected flare to your taste buds. The Farm Boy's devoured every morsel, I was fortunate enough to have hid one brownie before serving them so I was able to fully enjoy the brownie flavor explosion.

The preparation of this brownie concoction was done on the stove top, and then transferred to a baking dish. This was a first for me as well, but it was so worth it! I was able to wipe these delights up in no time at all.




For more information regarding this recipe please click HERE.

Enjoy,
Farming Fabulously