Growing Up

The kiddos are growing up fast. Everyone is starting to get their big boy/girl feathers. The duckas are almost as tall as Thelma and their wittle heads are close to the top of their brooder boxes.

The kiddos were three weeks old on Wednesday. The weather has been wonderful and they have been outside every night from the time I get home till it gets dark. We plan on making some modifications to the coop this weekend so they can be outside full time. I love these little guys, they are just so darn cute, but it is time for this mama goose to reclaim her dinning room. You thought wet dog smells bad, try living with wet duck!

Seedlings

These little ones will be making their way to the garden in the next week or so. Mr. B and I decided to start our own plants this year. Last year we bought them from the garden shop. We figured we had the time and the space to try our hand at starting them ourselves this year. It also saved some money. We paid a few dollars per seed bag and got over eight of those type of vegetable verse a few dollars per plant. We have different varieties of tomatoes and peppers, some cucumbers, and some cauliflower. The other varieties will go directly into the garden. 

I'm sure you have been seeing all over the Internet how you can regrow green onions. I thought I would give it a chance. Check it out after a week these things are awesome and read to be put in something delicious. Gus is being sneaky and got into the photo. 

Chocolate Cake with Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting

It's been rainy out lately. No yard work being done here. And it has been too gloomy and dark to do any decent painting. The stairs are almost done, can't wait to show you! I got quite a pile of sewing done this weekend. Tonight I thought I would give the machine a break tonight and bake a cake. After all my coworker's birthday is tomorrow. 

I decided to go with a simple chocolate cake and fancy it up with hazelnut frosting. Really cake, in my opinion is mainly about the frosting, that's what makes it divine. Now Mr. B, he would scrap all that gooey sugary deliciousness every time. I know, I married a man who DISLIKES frosting!! The horror! 

I used the old stand by chocolate cake, the never fail me Better Homes and Gardens recipe. Now for the frosting I made the usual butter cream with a secret ingredient. 

Yup, that's right hazelnut creamer.

 I discovered this on accident one day when I was making frosting and there was NO milk, cream, or half and half to be had. It turned out delicious and it goes fabulous with chocolate cake. Sprinkle a few chocolate shavings on top and call her a day. Now off to do all those dishes.

Thursday Night Suprise

Mr. B and I made dinner last night, chicken enchilada pasta. Delicious by the way. Will defiantly be making that one again. We then cleaned up the kitchen and decided to go to church. When we got home this was waiting for us when we walked in the door. 

NOT what I wanted to deal with when I got home last night. Gus was no where to be found. You know where he was hiding? Behind the bed. He knew that he was naughty but he still did it any way. There were several of those foam trays from chicken in there and that's what he was after, along with the Arby's bag at the bottom. Those meat trays are like crak to him. He knows it's wrong but he needs to have them any way. Hopefully there are no tummy aches from his adventure. 

In Memory

Charlie

Today Shady Acres lost a tiny member of our community. We might not always understand why things happen, mother nature can be cruel. We can be reassured that they happen for a reason, and we know that life must go on. Your time here may have been brief little Charles, but you will be missed.

Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

Because it's Wednesday and the first 80 degree day this year and I can finally open my kitchen window (the new ones were installed today!!), I decided to bake a cake. It was either that or get my bum kick by Jillian Michaels. I chose the obvious decision. Cake. Really, who would want to work out when they could make delicious cake and perform all the necessary quality checks. 


I had bananas sitting on the counter. It was only a matter of time before they attracted fruit flies. Banana cake it was, with chocolate chips. There were some hanging in the cupboard,I had meant to make Mr. B chocolate chip cookies weeks ago. Now for frosting. No cream cheese to be had in this house. My usual frosting for banana cake. What goes well with bananas...Peanut Butter!! Peanut butter honey frosting it was. 


The combination is amazing. Bananas, peanut butter, honey, and chocolate oh my! Even Mr. B who is NOT a desert person approved.

Banana Cake


1/2 cup butter softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3ish bananas
(half bag of chocolate chips optional)


Cream together butter and sugar. Add sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix flour, sugar, and baking soda. Alternately add mashed bananas and dry ingredients. If adding chocolate chips mix them in at this time. Pour batter into a 11x17 jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. 
Let cool completely.


Peanut Butter Honey Frosting


1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. water
2 cups powdered sugar


Cream together butter, peanut butter, and honey. Add vanilla and water. Add sugar mix until well blended. 

The First Outting

Just shy of two weeks old, we took the babies outside for the first time . They were adorable frolicking in the grass and sploosh in the water. The best part they could make as big of a mess as they wanted. Patty and Bernice were leery at first, but started to warm up to the little ones. 

The Three Amigos, Thelma, Charile, and Shadow, enjoyed tromping in my garden. They were so cutsie I didn't even mind that they were snacking on the flower.

The ducks were drawn to the water like a pigs to mud. It was adorable watching them take a bath for the first time and flap their little wingies to dry off.

It was a successful adventure. Unfortunately it is supposed to rain for the next three days. The babies will have to stay inside for a while. In a bout two weeks they will be ready to be outside full time, and I will be able to reclaim the dinning room.