What you bring back from vacation…

My parents just got back from a week long vacation in Hawaii. This was their first big vacation, just the two of them, in a long time. They were quite excited about the chance to get away for a bit, not to mention it was crazy negative temperatures around here so they were looking forward to the sun. From the sound of things they had a great time, the pictures were very beautiful but a few caught my eye.

My conservative modest parent, crazy new tattoos??? No but they thought the fake ones were fun for a few days. We are so happy that they had a great time and hoping maybe they will take us with them next time!

Oh Baby!!!

Look at these cuties! Over the past week we have had several new additions to the farm family. And oh boy are they cute. The cold weather has been a bit rough on them, but the hubs is like the postal service come rain come snow come sleet come hail he is always ready to deliver and care for new babies. He even brings a few of them into our house to warm up, I think it is fun, Gabby is not so sure. Enjoy the pictures!

Who are you looking at!!!

These little guys had to come inside and warm up for a few minutes

Getting a bit to eat from mamma!

Mamma wasn't too sure about the camera taking shots of her little ones.

Cabin Fever…

Over the past week the temperatures around here and basically everywhere else have been quite cold and when I say cold I mean like single digits. I love snow and I love winter but I do believe these temps are a bit to the extreme. Well the weather not only makes life rough for us human it is also quite hard on the animals, our piggies are not excluded from the group. The past day or so we have been experiencing a bit of a warm up temps in the twenties (wow!). I guess this is ever making our sows feel a bit friskier. The hubs said this was the sight he saw as he moved toward the sow pen this morning.

We are ready for our close up!

Oh I was so proud of the hubs for promptly taking this picture and sending it to me I sent him out with the camera to get some shots of the new litters of pigs we have been having. Sorry the cold is a bit too much for me to want to get out and take the cuties pictures. So with a little luck we will have pictures of them tomorrow.

Every now and then the hubby requests a certain meal, and very very rarely does he request something other than a juicy pork burger with cheese. But when the conservation goes like this:




“Hubs what would you like for supper tonight,”


“Oh I don’t care”

“Really just tell me you complain about so much pasta so just tell me,”


“Anything”


“Sure anything well besides meatloaf” (I just have a fear of meat formed into a loaf)


“Haha I figured that well I want pork chops with an orange glaze and broccoli no cheese on the veggies please”


“Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh (this is my utter shock) ok I will do my best.


So when we have that discussion for dinnerI am so so so happy! He had a different type of orange glaze in mind; he was thinking more of an orange and honey glaze while I was thinking orange and balsamic, I guess we need to communicate a bit better, oh well at least we had that conservation. Anyway regardless we both really enjoyed this dinner.



Orange and Balsamic Glaze-

½ cup Balsamic

1 cup orange juice

A sprinkle of sugar (this is to your taste)

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and let reduce in half over medium heat. Baste chops with glaze and top them with it after they are cooked.

Pork Chops (use your own method if you would like this is mine)

½ in thick boneless pork chops

Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and a bit of cumin

Mix seasons sprinkle on top of chops (both sides)

Brush with glaze

Sear in a hot pan 3-4 minutes per side

Allow to rest and top with glaze before serving



Roasted Broccoli (super easy and one of my new favorites)

2-3 heads of Fresh Broccoli

Olive oil

Salt, Pepper, Garlic

Break heads of broccoli into small bite size pieces place on a cookie sheet, drizzle with oil and season with salt pepper and garlic. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. If you would like top with a bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese.



This meal is really easy and delicious, we definitely enjoyed.

Reese's Cake

Birthdays are a huge deal in my world; I truly believe that you should have the day off from everything when it is your special day. I know I live in a fantasy world if I truly believe that, but I do try to make birthdays special for my family and the people I work with well it happened to be my most creative co-worker’s birthday. Each year he tries to create a cake that he would like me to bake, most the time it is a cake with some form cookie or candy in it. This year he decided that he had a hankering for peanut butter and chocolate what does that equal a Reese cake!

 

1 Butter Cake Mix

1lb bag of Reese’s miniatures unwrapped and cut into quarters

1 cup Peanut butter

¼ cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 TBSP Butter

A batch of your favorite chocolate icing





Mix cake according to package directions, just before baking fold in two handfuls of the quartered miniatures. Bake according to package directions. In the mean time melt the peanut butter and chocolate chips together with the butter in the microwave for about one minute stirring every 20 seconds or so, until you reach a smooth consistency, this is the filling for the cake. Once the cakes have cooled place one layer on a cake plate of your choice, spread filling over the top and place second layer on top of the filling. Next ice the cake with your fave, chocolate icing and decorate with the remaining Reese’s candies. It is quite a rich cake, but I do thank Nick for the idea.

Here is birthday boy himself enjoying some cake!!!!!!!!!