Life Is Good

Life is good, especially when there’s coffee cake involvedJ.  Yum, the crumb topping.  Just a little brown sugar, b…..u….t…..t….e….r and cinnamon.  Thinking about it puts 10 pounds on each hip.  Hmmm….. that explains it!!!!  Stop thinking about it, just eat the damn thing!

Coffee Cake

1 ½ cups flour (all purpose)

¾ cup sugar

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup melted butter

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

½ cup milk

1 egg

Topping

1cup brown sugar

¼ cup flour (all purpose)

¼ cup butter (room temperature)

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray 9 inch cake pan with Pam or coat with butter. In a bowl, start combining items for coffee cake.  Flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, melted butter, vanilla, milk and egg.  Mix well with spoon until totally combined.  Place in coated cake pan.  In another bowl, make your topping.  Combine brown sugar, flour, butter, and cinnamon.  Spoon topping on top of cake mix already in pan.  Once done, place pan in oven for 25 – 30 minutes depending on your oven.  Remove and let cool for 15 minutes and serve.

Today, for the first time, I’m using the dehydrator Bulldog man bought me.  I cleaned and sliced strawberries and peeled kiwi for the first run. One more hour of dehydrating, and then I will have a final product.  Hopefully, the end result will taste fabulous.   I’m looking forward to dehydrating all kinds of fruit, vegetables, and herbs.

Thank You, Bad Weather, Great Product,Intro.

A special thanks goes out to Angela at http://foodstorageandsurvival.com/, she had a contest give away on her blog for a Life Straw, from Eartheasy and I won the giveaway.  Angela’s blog, Food Storage and Survival Adventures in Self Reliance is a wonderful blog to follow.  She gives you great advice on survival, preparedness and self reliance.

On to our weather, last night through tonight we are expecting severe storms with potential tornadoes, 100 % heavy rain, possible flooding, hail and wind.  I’ve pulled in all of our potted flowers and vegetables and have prayed that the seeds we’ve already planted don’t wash away.

Map of Weather From Our Local News Channel 9

I would like to introduce you to a product I found at Whole Foods a couple of years ago.  This product can be used full strength for tough jobs or diluted for general cleaning.  It’s a natural citrus cleaner and degreaser.  It’s called CitraSolv. I have used it in the house to clean floors, walls, stove, oven, and on clothes. CitraSolv leaves a citrus orange fragrance throughout your house.  I have also used this product outside to remove grease, paint, and even gum. This bottle pictured below will last me approximately 2 – 5 months.  The cost, depending on the store you purchase it from will range anywhere from $8.99 – 16.00.

Is The Weekend Over Yet?

Happy St. Patty’s Day to everyone! 

Friday was the start to a busy weekend.  I went into town to go to Sam’s Club to pick up some bulk items needed, did some grocery shopping and filled the truck up with gas for our Saturday trip into Texas. 

While on spring break our son, Tank wanted to go down to his grandparents house in Weatherford, Texas and help them on their property.  So this morning, we rolled out of bed, loaded his bags in the truck, and headed out toward Weatherford.  Interstate 35 was a goat rope down by Marietta due to road construction, picture below. 

We took a pit stop (brief bathroom break) and came across this bus…..go Pokes!!!  I took a picture for all you OSU fans J

The Start of the Arbuckles



We passed by this casino while on the highway (I love listening to Heart, wish I had tickets).



Woohoo, finally in Texas, we also passed the Texas Motor Speedway.



We literally arrived at my parent’s house, dropped Tank off, visited for 20 minutes and made a complete turnaround, back to Oklahoma.  Here are a couple of pictures of the Court House of Weatherford and downtown (quaint, little town).

While coming back on Interstate 35, traffic going southbound toward Texas was a goat rope.   Bulldog man and I were happy we were not part of the parking lot. 

 

Beans is exhausted on the return home, he’s decided to sleep.

Bulldog man bought me a new appliance for the house, a dehydrator.  I can’t wait to use it on vegetables, fruit and jerky.  I know what I will be doing this week.

The onions planted earlier, are looking so much better and my lettuce seeds are now producing (check out the little nubs below).  Tuesday, we will do some more seed planting.  The local weather service is indicating 100 % rain and bad storms for Monday.   

Lettuce peaking through