Backyard Glamour Shots

We sat in the backyard. Silently. Hardly moving. (That was after I told Randy to quit making noises to attract the cats.)

So ... if you think bird watching is a good time, are you officially old? Asking for a friend. 

From looking at a Kansas bird book, we think this might be a Nashville warbler. But we are willing to be educated by someone who knows more than we do.

OK, really, I'm asking for us.

Randy's bird house addiction is creating a new diversion. In recent years, he has added different birdhouses to the windmill tower in our back yard. Just this winter, he added two more. He selected a birdhouse and bird seed for his contribution to the men's Moore family grab bag gift at Christmas. And then he proceeded to select his own gift. Since no one stole the gift from him, he came home with the gift he arrived with. It was all part of his plan. (That's the red feeder below.) I carried it into the house. It was heavy. I made him carry it back out to the car.

Then, he bought another bird feeder that had been designed by a high school classmate. It's amazing what you learn about at your 50th class reunion. (That's the green spiral-shaped one in the photos.) 

We think this is a house finch.

That feeder was particularly popular on the day of our silent bird watch. Of course, it was the furthest away from our chairs. And ... I'm sure it was the superior design conjured up by Randy's classmate, Jim, and his wife, Rena. 

It's hard to see, but there are three birds on the feeder in this shot.

During the frigid, snowy weather, I'd watch out our back door. I loved the flashes of red against the white snow as the cardinals zipped here and there. But every time I opened the back door to see if I could get a photo, they'd fly quickly away. And, let's face it: I wasn't putting a lawn chair in the yard and sitting out in that weather. 

But, on these spring-like days, it's a regular bird banquet in our back yard. I was convinced that we wouldn't be able to set up our lawn chairs close enough that I could get good shots with my camera. But I was wrong. It took awhile, but I guess we eventually became "part of the woodwork" (so to speak), and the birds started arriving for suppertime.

 

I got excited when I saw the photos on my computer screen. It's always a little hard to tell what you have captured when you're just looking through the camera view finder. (Yes ... old. I admitted that earlier.)

I'd say that I could add them to my stash for the Stafford County Fair photography entries. But my bird photos never do well at the fair. We'll see how I'm feeling about trying again in July.

 

Female cardinal. We've had four pairs of cardinals in the backyard this winter. None of the bright red males flew in for their closeup.

 

 

I've gotten better cardinal shots throughout my county fair "career," so I know the cardinal shots I've gotten so far as not contenders. I don't think I've ever had a bird photo place in the county fair - no matter how good I thought it was.

 

However, one of the bird glamour shots will likely end up on a spring page of our family birthday calendar. 

 

It seemed not every visitor was a fan of my photography. One of our visitors feels similarly to me about getting their picture taken. 

 

I get it. I really do.

Forget Taco Tuesday Today

It's Tuesday. Some clever marketing guru has made "Tuesday" and "Taco Tuesday" synonymous. But I've got another option for you today on Shrove Tuesday. It's International Pancake Day, so why not trade tacos for pancakes?

For Liberal, Kansas, Shrove Tuesday really is International Pancake Day. Pancake Day is a moveable feast with the date is determined by Easter. It's celebrated exactly 47 days before Easter Sunday (April 20 this year).

For 76 years, the women of two communities - Liberal, Kansas, and Olney, England - have raced down the streets of their respective communities, flipping pancakes and running against the clock and each other. The race is always on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. It's the only race of its kind in the world.

"Shrove" is not a thing, but a verb. "Shrive" (shrove, shriven) comes from the Old English verb scrfan, "to decree, decree after judgment, impose a penance upon, hear the confession of," according to the dictionary. Shrove Tuesday is a day to reflect, to seek penance and get ready for Lent.

In Olney, the Pancake Race tradition dates back to 1445. Legend has it that a woman was busy making pancakes and using up cooking fats, which were forbidden during Lent at that time. Hearing the church bells ring to announce the Shrove Tuesday service, she grabbed her head scarf and ran to the church, with pancake-filled skillet in hand. In following years, neighbors joined the race to the church. The first to arrive collected a Kiss of Peace from the bell ringer.

Photo from the International Pancake Day Facebook page: Liberal's Billie Warden crosses the finish line in 1950. Billie won the local race with a time of 1:18 but lost to Olney's Florence Callow, who finished in 1:10.4.

 

 

The international race with Liberal began in 1950, when Liberal Jaycee President R.J. Leete saw a photo of the English race in Time magazine and then contacted Olney, challenging their women to race against the women of Liberal.

Racers must still wear a head scarf and apron. Each runner flips her pancake at the starting signal and again as she crosses the finish line to prove she still has her pancake after running the 415-yard course.

Photo from the International Pancake Day Race Facebook page

According to the book, America Celebrates! A Patchwork of Weird & Wonderful Holiday Lore, some superstitions have evolved among Liberal racers:

• It is considered good luck to carry a past winner's skillet in the race or wear a past winner's apron.
• One year, the stack of concrete pancakes marking the starting point of the race was stolen. This was considered a bad omen, but the stack was later returned.
• Although the women practice running 415 yards, it is considered bad luck to run the official race course during the practice sessions.

If you're looking for your own International Pancake Day treat, these Apple Pancakes with Apple Topping are good for breakfast ... or for a breakfast-themed lunch or supper. I combined recipes from two different websites to come up with the cinnamon-infused pancakes topped with a fresh-made apple topping. 

I am not a maple syrup fan. I know that's practically sacrilege to say. But I'm always looking for different options to top pancakes or waffles. The apple topping echoes the cinnamon of the pancakes and teams it with sugar and butter, cooking down the chopped apples and offering a yummy alternative. 

Around here, we are more likely to have pancakes for lunch or supper than we are for breakfast. (However, Randy was glad to gobble up these leftovers for breakfast the next day). 

Tuesday doesn't always have to be Taco Tuesday. Today, why not make Shrove Tuesday a breakfast-for-supper kind of day? You can also use the search engine on the blog to find other tried-and-true pancake recipes from Kim's County Line.

Apple Pancakes

Recipe from Preppy Kitchen

1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 medium apple, grated (1 cup)

In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and cinnamon. In a liquid measuring cup or bowl, whisk to combine the milk, egg and vanilla. Make a well in the flour mixture and add the milk mixture. Add the melted butter. Stir gently to combine (it’s ok if the batter is lumpy and a few streaks of flour remain. Don't overmix.) Gently fold in the grated apple.

 

Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Grease with nonstick cooking spray or brush evenly with more melted butter.Using a ¼ cup measure, drop the pancake batter onto the griddle or skillet, leaving about 1 inch of space in between each pancake. Reduce the heat to medium.

 

Cook for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown and little bubbles appear all over the top side of the pancake. Flip the pancakes and cook for about 2 more minutes, until golden brown and the centers are cooked through. Repeat with the remaining batter.

 

Serve topped with apple topping (below), maple syrup and/or butter.

 

Apple Topping

From Budget Bytes

2 large apples 

2 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. water

Peel, remove the core, and dice the apples. Melt butter in a small pot over medium-low heat. Add the diced apples, cinnamon, brown sugar and water to the pot. Stir together and allow the apples to come up to a simmer. Cook the apples for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are tender. Remove the pot from the heat and cover with a lid to keep warm. While the apples are cooking, start on the pancakes. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

 

 

Marry Me Chicken Soup

  

Maybe you haven't heard about the “Marry Me Chicken” trend. I hadn't. But, evidently, Marry Me Chicken is a dish that's soooo irresistibly good that the person you make it for will want to marry you. 

Well, I can guarantee that my beef-loving husband would not board the "trend train" for that one. He will eat chicken dishes. But he much prefers beef-focused meals. 

But, when Jill sent the recipe for Marry Me Chicken Soup and I had some leftover chicken from preparing a Core meal, it was like a sign that this would be one of those occasional times when I add chicken to the meal rotation. Brooke was her family's biggest fan of this soup. And if it's good enough for Brooke ... well, I guess it's good enough for Grandpa, too.

We had plenty of soup for leftovers. Bonus! As with any recipe that includes pasta, you'll have to add a little water, chicken stock, milk or cream to thin it out when reheating. As pasta sits and gets cold, it absorbs the liquid. 

Ironically, after the soup leftovers were gone, I had a recipe for Marry Me Chicken from Taste of Home show up in the email inbox. The writers of that article and recipe claimed Tiktok was behind the recent spread of the Marry Me Chicken trend with its sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cream sauce. Hmmmm - Tiktok. No wonder I didn't know anything about it.

If these cold days of winter have you chilled to the bone, I'll recommend Marry Me Chicken Soup. My beef eater liked it, too. (Probably not as much as me, but that's life. And the cook's prerogative, right?)

 

 Marry Me Chicken Soup

Adapted from https://realfoodwholelife.com 

based on recommendation from Jill

 

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, small diced
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 ½ teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 quart chicken stock
2 cups water
1 teaspoon sugar
⅓ cup sundried tomatoes in oil, chopped
3 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken
2 cups small-shape pasta (uncooked) such as orecchiette, ditalini, farfalle (I used ditalini)

To Add at the End

½ cup heavy cream
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups baby spinach
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Heat a large heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the olive oil, onion, and ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper. Cook until the onion begins to soften, about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle the onion with the garlic powder and thyme, then cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Add the chicken stock and 2 cups of water, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add 2 teaspoons salt, the sugar, sun dried tomatoes, and chicken, stirring to combine. Cover, and bring to a rolling boil.

Add the pasta, stirring to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick. Cover, reduce to a strong simmer, and cook until the pasta is just cooked through, about 8-15 minutes, depending on the pasta shape. Uncover and stir occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking together or anything sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Turn the heat off, uncover, and add the cream, Parmesan cheese, vinegar, and spinach, stirring to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Oh Baby Face!

Baby face

You've got the cutest little baby face.

 

 

There ain't nobody can ever take your place

Baby face

My poor heart's jumping
You started something 

 

 

Baby face, I'm up in heaven 

when I'm in your fond embrace.

 

I didn't need a shove, 'cause I just fell in love
With your pretty baby face.

 

It's that time of the year. And we don't envy the job that Tye and Todd are going to have to accomplish in the next few days of sub-zero wind chills. It's calving season for our cow herd. The Polar Express is a rude "welcome to the world" for any babies born in the next few days. 

While we aren't involved in the day-to-day operations any longer, we do still own cows and calves. But we definitely remember the days of 'round-the-clock checks on mamas in the maternity ward. And we salute Tye and Todd - as well as other livestock stewards - who will be braving winter weather to care for their animals.

 

As I've mentioned before, Tye and Todd have liberal visitation policies when it comes to our visits to see the new babies. A bunch of them are already on the ground. Some arrived during the last storm and didn't seem particularly bothered by napping on snow-covered ground.  

Back in our active farming/ranching days, we always spread out straw. The Millers do, too. But that doesn't mean the mamas or babies take advantage of it.

 

 But some do!

 

 

The mamas also provide a ready "warm milk bar." That's sure to warm babies up quickly!

 

 

It's self-serve, all-you-can-eat.

 

Visiting the cattle also provides a ready genetics lesson. Some babies look an awful lot like their mothers. 

 

Others must resemble their dads. 

 But they are all pretty darn cute.

Shoutout to all those producers who'll be braving the extreme cold during the next few days. Be careful out there!

Winterscapes

A panorama taken February 2, 2025

Winter's sky is an old blue soul, 

weaving dark clouds with wonder.

Angie Wieland-Crosby 

With snow in the forecast, my devoted summer-loving friends are lamenting another round of winter weather and longing for their flip flops. Personally, I prefer sweatshirt weather to 100-degree humid summer days. And these days, when I no longer have the daily climb into the feed truck, I can enjoy the scenery for what it is ... in a word, beautiful.

 

February 2, 2025

 

 

Sunsets were particularly colorful a few days last week. I guess AI is good for something: When I "asked," here's what the the AI Overlook spit out:

 

Winter sunsets often appear more vibrant and colorful due to the combination of colder, less humid air, which means fewer particles to scatter light, resulting in cleaner air and bolder colors, especially when compared to the more humid summer months. This phenomenon is called Rayleigh scattering, where the longer wavelengths of light like red and orange travel further through the atmosphere at sunset, creating the vivid hues we see.

 

February 3, 2025, south of Stafford

No matter the reason, the sunsets have been worth getting out of my warm house and driving down the road for an unobstructed look.

 

Later on February 3, 2025, Zenith branch, Kanza Co-op

 

The sky at dusk wasn't the only beautiful thing last week. We also had freezing fog and hoar frost. After seeing friends' Facebook photo posts, we likely missed the day with the heaviest hoar frost, since we were in Topeka a couple of days for our granddaughter's sports activities. 

 

Hoar frost is a type of feathery frost that forms as a result of specific climatic conditions. The word 'hoar' comes from old English and refers to the old age appearance of the frost. The way the ice crystals form makes it look like white hair or a beard.

 

Rattlesnake Creek along 4th Street near Highway 281 north of St. John, looking north, February 4, 2025. I made Randy stop on the bridge on our way to the accountant in Great Bend.

 

Looking south from the same bridge on 4th Street near Highway 281

The winter landscape scenes around here looked a little like Andrew Wyeth paintings with the stark scenes offset with fog and frost.

 

We had a little time between getting home from the accountant and my 2 PM meeting in Stafford, so we drove around so I could take more photos. The photo above was taken down an oil field road at our Rattlesnake Pasture. I've taken a lot of spring and summer shots at that same location, but I think this was my first winter scene.

I do have a confession for my summer-loving friends: I'm not sure I ever warmed up the rest of the day after hopping in and out of the pickup into the frigid air. 

 

 

But I think the photos were probably worth the bone-chilling cold. 

The snow drift is still lingering along this tree line. We are supposed to add more to it in the next couple of days.

With another winter storm set to move in, we'll see if there are any other winter calendar contenders in the days ahead.

 

 It is the life of the crystal,

the architect of the flake,

the fire of the frost, 

the soul of the sunbeam.

This crisp winter air is full of it.

-- John Burroughs

 

 

Chocolate Cherry Brownie Bites

I love chocolate chip cookies as much as the next person. But sometimes, a little fancier cookie option is required. 

Such was the case when I was to bring cookies for a new exhibit opening at the Vernon Filley Art Museum in Pratt. At about the same time, I saw a recipe for Chocolate Cherry Brownie Bites during an inevitable Facebook scroll. The recipe looked like a potential contender. They were pretty on the outside and had a hidden surprise - a maraschino cherry. They reminded me of those boxes of chocolate-covered cherries that invariably take up shelf space at discount stores during Christmas time. But I thought they could be equally appropriate as we approached Valentine's Day. 

 I ended up combining them with a couple of other small, bite-sized cookies - Peanut Butter Cup Cookies and Pecan Tassies. I arranged them on a heart-shaped platter that I'd gotten for Brent's and Susan's rehearsal dinner supper.

They would be a "Treat for your Sweet" this Valentine's Day. I am more into homemade gifts than spending beaucoup bucks on whatever's trendy this year. If you are too, give them a try!

Chocolate Cherry Brownie Bites

From Butter with a Side of Bread 

1 box brownie mix (9X13 size)

Eggs according to package directions 

Water according to package directions 

Oil according to package directions
1 - 10 oz. jar maraschino cherries, drained (reserve juice for frosting)
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
5 Tbsp butter, softened to room temperature
3 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp reserved maraschino cherry juice

 

Mix brownie mix according to package directions with the required oil, eggs and water. Using a cookie scoop, scoop the batter into a well-greased mini muffin pan. Bake brownie bites at 350° for about 13-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Immediately after removing the brownie bites from the oven, press an indention into each one, using the back of a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon. While the brownies are still warm, place 3 semi-sweet chocolate chips into each center. Let the chocolate chips sit for a few minutes until softened, then gently press a maraschino cherry on top of the melted chocolate in the center.

Let brownies cool completely. Carefully remove from muffin cups, then frost. To make the frosting, use an electric mixer to beat the butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar. Once the mixture is well combined, add the reserved cherry juice and beat until smooth. Frost the brownie bites using a decorator's tube, if desired.