Owl and Bear Farm

01/10/2025

I've got a nice, gentle snow falling, jazz on the stereo, a nice cup of hot tea, and bread baking in the oven. The only thing missing to make this a perfect afternoon are my Menfolk.
I think it's best to have loved ones around to share the experience.

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12/28/2024

I wish there was an easing out of holiday music after Christmas. Not all songs we’ve been listening to are specific to Christmas. A little more “Let It Snow” wouldn’t be awful! I mean, it’s still Winter out there.
Help me out here; what other
“Christmas” songs could carry us through for awhile yet?

12/25/2024

The boys said they just wanted money for Christmas, so I set them up with the Twelve Pay Days of Christmas.
Each little bucket had the dollar amount of the day it represented, so the First Day (where they got a snack pack of pears) there was a single dollar bill, 5 Golden Rings were actually 5 gold coins (Presidential dollars) and 11 Pipers piping (a loud whistle for being out in the woods) contained $11.
The total amount came to $78, and they had a grand time going through the different days.
Merry Christmas, y’all!

12/24/2024

The wonderful Christmas tree Grey built, with all the goodies underneath.
Merry Christmas, my friends!

12/21/2024

Happy Solstice!

12/08/2024

It’s been a productive morning.
Time for a cocoa break!

12/08/2024

Today is a Jammies And Cocoa type of day!

11/28/2024

Our youngest kiddos are now 18, and Blitzen, our elf, is reminiscing......

11/26/2024

It's getting colder and that means it's time for baking, decorating and making soup.
At his time, the two most vital tools in my kitchen are my cast iron dutch oven (makes the most amazing no-kneed, rustic breads) and my immersion blender. I'm really getting off on roasting a variety of vegies, throwing them in my dutch oven with broth and spices (I grow thyme, rosemary and sage on my patio) and zhuzhing it up with the immersion blender for a nice creamy texture.
Last Saturday was declared a baking day, and I made bread, two types of cookies (butter pecan and lemon drops) and some Christmas bark candy. My next baking day will include decorated sugar cookies, spritz and ginger cookies.
And yes, I'm taking some to the Menfolk.
I had found this old boxspring on our mountain property a couple of years ago, and it makes a most excellent medium for my ersatz tree. Now I just need to retrieve some Holiday CDs from DownHome and keep on baking on!

11/22/2024

I'm back UpYonder in Asheville and we had our first snowfall this morning!
So there was nothing for it, but to make Cranberry Upside Down Cake.
Today is the first day in almost two months that my Starbucks is open,so I needed to take something in to celebrate it!