Enjoy the Journey

A friend reminded me the other day to enjoy the journey, because most of the time that is as important than actually arriving at the destination. It doesn't hurt to slow down a bit and appreciate the present moment while we're working toward a goal.

Sometimes it's good to be reminded...

It is better to travel well than to arrive.

~Buddha

Recipe: My Go-to Pound Cake

Lemon Pound Cake, recipe by Mrs. Lib Plyler, baked in my favorite pound cake pan given to me by Mrs. Mary Lee Rowell. Both ladies were elderly and close neighbors when we moved to our little farm in 1985. Whenever I bake this cake I think of them both.

Was that a Fairy?

It looks like our pond is covered with lily pads until you look more closely.

Recipe: Just a Little Something Sweet

I got this recipe from Grandma (the one with the peonies) when I was a little girl, and she made it with the sour cherries from her tree. It was called "Cherry Pudding" when I copied it down, but it's really not a pudding and I don't have a clue why it was called that. It's somewhere between a pound cake and quick bread, dense and very moist and not-too-sweet. Whatever it is, it's really yummy with a cup of coffee or tea and just the perfect size to take to a friend, or to keep in the freezer for unexpected occasions that require just a little something sweet.

This is the blueberry version.

Cherry Pudding/Pound Cake/Quick Bread
(Makes one loaf)

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 c. granulated sugar
1 T. butter, melted
3/4 c. milk
2 tsp. baking powder
2 c. all purpose flour
1 c. seeded sour cherries (or blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, peaches, etc.)

1. Combine the egg, sugar, butter, and milk, then stir in the baking powder and four, which have been combined. (You don't need an electric mixer for this, just a good old fashioned wooden spoon will do!)
2. Fold in the fruit and spoon into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 325* for about an hour, or until it tests done. (Run a wooden skewer into the middle clear to the bottom. If there's gooey batter stuck to it when you take it out, bake another 5 minutes and test again till the skewer is dry when it comes out.)
3. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a rack until completely cool. 

To Serve: Depends on the time of the day. For breakfast you can toast and butter a slice. For tea, just slice into rectangles that balance on the edge of your saucer. For dessert, warm a slice and plop a big dollop of homemade whipped cream right on top. 

To Freeze: Wrap cooled cake in plastic wrap and then in foil or slip into a ziploc bag.
Note: If you are using frozen fruit, completely thaw and drain before adding it to the batter.

Quilting: Perfect Fabric Disk

One great thing about quilters is that all you have to do is ask for help and lots of talented and generous folks come to your aid. I needed help with making a fabric disk for the center of my Dresden plates. I wanted perfectly crisp edges and a perfect circle, and no matter how I tried, I just could not get it PERFECT. Although many shared their favorite methods with me, this is the one that I finally settled upon that worked perfectly for me. (Thank you Sue Dague!) You may have found another way that works just right for you; there are many ways to do most things and you just have to find one you like best. Here's the method I like best for the project I'm working on right now.

Meet Libby!

Here's our newest "bottle baby," Libby. We can't figure out who her mother is. We think she was born a twin and her mom abandoned her for some reason. Bob found her one morning, cold and wet and very weak. She slept on a heating pad for a week and I fed her every two hours. She's getting stronger every day!

Libby, still a bit wobbly, but ready
to discover the great outdoors!

Peeking around a bird bath

Louie meets Libby

Now they are inseparable!

Our Newest Baby!

Here's our newest baby. When I moved the sheep out of the tall grass to their secure pasture for the night, this momma refused to go. She was showing signs of early labor, so I just left her alone. Hobart, our Anatolian livestock guardian dog, stayed with her. Just before dark, I checked on her and could just see a little bobble headed lamb under her, but the grass was too thick for me to get a good look. This morning I was delighted to see that we have another healthy ewe lamb!

Fancy little girl!