Humor

Easy banana bread

I made banana bread with a yellow cake mix, 3 bananas, 2 eggs and some pecans. Smells good. Hope it tastes as good as it smells.

Homemade A1 steak sauce

Homemade A.1. Steak Sauce... from the Duchess of cansalot

1/2 c. cold water
1/4 c. golden raisins
1/2 c. aged balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. ketchup
1/4 c. dijon mustard (don’t substitute or you won’t get the same product)
a pinch of cayenne for some heat
1/4 t. black pepper
1 garlic clove, cut in half
1/2 t. celery seed
1/4 t. salt
1 large orange...Cut the orange in half and cut one of the halves into quarters.
Add all ingredients (except orange) to a medium saucepan. Add two orange segments, squeezing the juices into the pan first. Mix it well.
On low heat simmer sauce for about 15 minutes. You want bubbles just breaking the surface, not a rolling boil or it will get too thick.
After 15 minutes, strain this through a fine mesh strainer. Squeeze out all the juices.
Before you adjust the seasoning, you have to let this cool completely. If you season this hot, it will taste different when it’s cold.
Once it’s cooled, then taste for salt and pepper adjustments.
Makes about 1 3/4 cups

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Missionary update

FROM "BUSH BUNNY BRENDA"

DATE: JUNE 7, 2015

175 TONS OF CORN IN THE BARN IN 5 DAYS!   BEFORE OUR TRUCKS ROLLED OUT, we prayed for super natural strength, endurance, and safety for our Balama corn buying team. God answered in a BIG WAY!    Our 100 man team broke 3 Balama records in 5 days.     Unloading sacks weighing 165 to 176 lbs EACH.  Amazing strength, balance, and coordination needed to control this kind of weight on your head.   1.        TUESDAY:  Team moved a record 830 sacks of corn in 8 hours.  650 sacks (42.5 TONS) weighed, sacked, and stored in the barn IN FOUR HOURS, with another 180 sacks (14.4 TONS) trucked in by 2 p.m.   2.       THURSDAY:  REPEATED TUESDAY’S RECORD by putting another 650 sacks in the barn!      As the 100 ton pile gets higher, a staircase of sacks is built that the men must climb while carrying the sacks.  These sacks only weigh 132 lbs. (60Kg), and only our strongest men are able to manage the climb to get it to the top.   3.       FRIDAY, our teams reached deep into the bush to haul in another 400 sacks, leaving only 300 for Monday’s work load.  Monday, we should complete our JUNE GOAL by having 200 TONS of corn in the barn.  With the help of 2 large trucks, what use to take 3 weeks, now only takes 6 days!      Sometimes, a helping hand is needed from the guys on top.   100 TONS sits in this stack, ready for distribution to the orphans in July.   FOOD BUYING CONTINUES THROUGH JULY   This 200 tons of corn meets the distribution needs for 2,500 orphans from June to January.  Another 100 tons of “super dry” corn is needed to feed the children from February to May.  It will be ready by late July.  Locally grown peanuts and rice will also be ready in early July, completing our yearly food buying needs for the children.         Widows enjoying the children’s feast last week.  These 24 dedicated women and 2 men are the foster parents for the 104 orphans who are directly in our care in Balama.   BUSH BUNNY TIDBITS   We are very sad that Caitlin Pruitt contracted malaria last Friday, and must shorten her stay by flying out later this week.  She is recovering well, but all concerned feel it best that she not risk a 2nd infection with only a few weeks left to her stay.  Caitlin is attending RN School, and we want her to regain full strength before beginning the very busy semester she faces in August.   Abbie Wheeler will complete her 6 week volunteer program with us in Balama.    WORDS cannot express how much JOY our team feels at having completed another June corn buying season THANKS TO YOUR HELP.   It takes ALL OF US working “hand in hand” to save the lives of orphans and widows.   Some plant, some water, while others are sent to reap the harvest.   If any 3 of these steps are missing, then the harvest fails.   Each person helping us provides a valuable piece of this process.   Thanks to your prayers, love gifts, and volunteer helpers, God’s harvest of souls is coming forth in a mighty way in northern Mozambique.   THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH!   NOTE:  Our final licensing documents are once again before the National Social Service’s Committee in Maputo.  We expect an answer in July.   BLESSINGS,   Bush Bunny Brenda Lange Dawn Horger Caitlin Pruitt Abbie Wheeler

Love and money looms

A friend loaned me her love and money loom and another friend loaned me a different size loom.  Once I learned how to string it up and tie it off it was quit easy.  Here are a few centerpieces and hot pads that I made.
I also bought the wood to make my own looms so I can return these to my friends.

The top set is yellow tied with brown, then purple tied with white, red tied with white and turquoise tied with red.  I've made a few other colors but didn't want to get too many made up as I have a tendency to overdo things.

Easy Peach Crisp

Living On A Dime

 

Must try!
5 Minute Peach Crisp Recipe
1 (29 oz.) can sliced peaches, drained...
2 envelopes (1.6 oz.) cinnamon spice instant oatmeal
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine, melted

Check out the rest of the recipe here: http://www.livingonadime.com/menu-ham-dinner-peach-crisp/

 

I usually make peach or other fruit crisp by opening a can of fruit and pouring it into an approiate sized pan.  Then I sprinkle a white or yellow cake mix over top. 
Then I drizzle olive oil and bake.  I want to try this with the oatmeal.

Friday June 5, 2015

I don't know where the times goes.  It just was May and now its already the fifth of June.

I had an order for 100 neck warmers for our church vbs and I have completed them, whew.  Now I am making washable menstrual pads.  I enjoy sewing and am always looking for projects to sew that are now real complicated and that are useful.

Its been very hot here and summer is just starting.  Rain, rain, rain as well.  All around us people have experienced flooding but we are fortunate in that we live on the side of a slope that slopes down to the lake and we are three blocks up from the lake so flooding is highly unlikely.  That unfortunately is not the case for many around here.  In fact I just was told to stay home because Corpus Christi was hit by three hours of down pour and was having some flooding issues.  At least the lake is full.

Hannah started her summer job at the state park a couple of weeks ago.  She chose to work outside this year and I think she really likes it.  She has to do some pretty gross work sometimes but she seldom has to deal with people so she likes that.  She's the type that just wants to work and not deal with drama in any way shape or form.  She also graduated from homeschool high school so when her sisters come to visit in July we will do something to celebrate then.

I had three molars pulled last week and they were all abscessed and boy am I sick.  I guess the infection spread into my head.

My ipad died so now I will probably post more because I have to use my lap top to get online.

I wanted to post this list so I can reference it as needed.

Western Diamond Back Rattle Snake

We took a drive yesterday and this was in the road.\

Hannah said its a western diamond back rattler.  It was between 3 and 4 feet long and quite fat.  It had at least ten rattles on it.

Its hot here already

     This year spring was pretty short.  Its hot here already.  I mean in the 80's hot.  Its just April, you'd think we'd have a few more nice days.  Ugh.

     Hannah and I added cucumbers, kale and pole beans to our little garden the other day.  Today I am going to plant two cherry tomatoes there as well.

     Hannah is pretty much done with her senior year.  Her transcript is done and I've ordered her diploma.  She has been accepted in to the two somewhat local colleges.  I'm proud of her for getting things done in a timely manner.  Joy and Mollie are both in college as well.  So com this fall I will have three daughters in college.  I'm proud of them because they are all paying their own way.  Joy and Mollie share an apartment and both work as well as attend college.  Hannah has decided to attend a junior college close enough that she can drive and still live at home.  Pretty smart girls if you ask me.

    

     I traded a facebook friend my old phone for 4 of these darling aprons.  This is Hannah modeling one.  I really like the style.  My friend is going to send me the pattern as well.  Hannah had just been saying that our aprons were worn out and that we needed new ones.  Now we have them.

 

 

As you can see in the picture above, the dogs are grown and love Hannah.  She loves them as well.

 

I hope you are all having a great spring and are getting your gardens planted.

 

Miss you

 

Garden update

Last fall we put in two cinder block raised beds.  We made them two blocks high.  Now I am reading that its bad to use cider blocks.  Too late.  I will use these until I can make wooden ones.  Its always something isn't it?
So far we have tomatoes, jalapenos, green peppers, lettuce, yellow squash and zucchini planted.  Everything is up and growing fine.  Today I got cucumber, green beans and kale to plant.
I also started about ten rose starts off our rose bush and the same amount of fig starts and they are all doing amazing.  Especially considering I really have no idea what I am doing.

This is my little garden area.  I will get a cattle panel to replace the chairs that are keeping the dogs out of that area.  Sandy likes to dig and I have to keep her out so my little plants can survive.
Miss you.

We like to camp

We enjoy camping.  We even went a few days after Christmas.  Here in south Texas winter and spring are the best times to camp because of the heat.
Recently we traded our fifth wheel for a smaller, pull behind camper.  It suits us better now that it's not our home but a weekend get away home.
We have decided to see how many state parks we can visit.  We take a picture by the entrance of each one to document where we have been.  So far we have been to four state parks.
There are quite a few around the San Antonio area.
I imagine we will at least try one time to camp on the beach.  Just for fun.

In other news I will be planting my garden in a couple of weeks.  Seems strange.

Its been a long time

I have not posted much because most of the time I am on my ipad and cannot post pictures from it for some reason.
I have also had trouble with my blog for a while.  I don't know what's up with that.
Today I decided to try posting something again.  I do miss blogging although I wonder if anyone reads blogs any more.
I had gotten to where I was only reading kindle books.  While that is neat I missed actual paper books.  When we moved from the farm into the 5th wheel I had to get rid of many of my beloved books.  I have since started collecting them again.  I want to move more away from Facebook and the internet.  While I love the friends I have there I find I tend to get less actual living done.
With that said I hope to go back to blogging.

Crochet

I have been so busy with crochet orders.  I had thought that after Christmas I would be done but I tjhink I have more orders than I did before the holidays.
Who knew?

Happy Veterans Day

Thank you to all veterans.  I appreciate your service to our country.

This is my favorite veteran, my husband Jeff.