PB & C

PB & J is a classic combo. Like peaches and cream. Abbott and Costello. Fred and Ginger. 

Elvis is said to have topped his peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwiches with sliced bananas. I've always liked that peanut butter and banana combination, too. Throw in a little chocolate and it's even better, right? 

Best of all? The combination was already hanging out in my freezer, and I just had to defrost it. 

It's wheat planting time here on the County Line. I went to Salina for parts on Monday (1 1/2 hours one way). I went to Hutchinson Tuesday (45 minutes one way) for more parts after I had been in Pratt (45 minutes one way) for a meeting. Then, when I delivered the parts to Randy, I found out it wasn't all he needed. I see another parts run in my future this afternoon after the UPS truck arrives at Hutchinson's Case store around noon. Somehow, I avoided a parts run on Wednesday, but I didn't lack for plenty to keep me busy. 

I'm taking noon meals and suppers to the field to save the guys time. I have been playing taxi to help move the fertilizer tank and seed wheat truck to the next field. With less time in the kitchen and more behind the steering wheel of the car, it was great to be able to use my freezer stash for a sweet treat for dessert for the guys.

I made this bread to take to Jill's and Eric's for Labor Day weekend (along with Spiced Peach and Carrot Bread and White Chocolate Blueberry Crunch Bread.) Jill didn't really like the Reece's PB cups in the bread. She thinks it's a texture issue. 

But I thought it was delicious. But, if you are texture averse, you could still get the banana and peanut butter taste by just making the bread and leaving out the candy. (It would be less expensive, too: Bonus!) Your choice of smooth or chunky peanut butter will also impact the texture. So ... the choice is yours. Enjoy!

 Reese's Peanut Butter

 Banana Bread

 Recipe from Cookies and Cups blog

3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth - you choose)
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
8 oz. bag of Reese's Mini-Cups

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8- by 4-inch pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine oil, peanut butter and sugars, mixing well. Add egg, mixing well. Add mashed bananas; combine well. Pour in dry ingredients and stir just until mixed. Don't overstir.

Fold in Reese's Mini cups and spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. (You can also use small loaf pans. If making small loaves, bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.) No matter the pan size, let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges of the pan with a knife and remove from loaf pan, transferring bread to a cooling rack. Cool completely before serving. Freezes well.

Notes:

• If the bread is browning too fast, lower the temperature to 325 degrees and loosely tent it with foil. 
• I also doubled the recipe (except the candy, still just using one bag) with my usual thought that you get more product for the same messy kitchen. (And it's certainly nice on a day that I need a little help getting everything done!)

God's Signature

The sunrise is God's greeting,

 the sunset His signature. 

--Anonymous

I'm thankful for beautiful signatures to long days of wheat planting. While I'm not in the tractor disking or in the other tractor pulling the wheat drill, I am still a piece of the puzzle as I make parts runs, deliver meals and provide chauffeur service from one field to the next.

So, while I usually have much more to say, today I think I'll let God do the talking via a beautiful sunset. (A bunch of bloggers participate in Wordless Wednesdays. This is as close as I get to wordless. But who needs words with skies like this?)

Sunset - September 24, 2012 - Randy disking ahead of the wheat drill after a supper break. Yes, supper was late.

Click here for a glimpse at God's greeting for the day - sunrise.

"Apple" of My Eye

I think I have discovered a new cash crop. Agriculture today is always looking for that market to expand beyond producing wheat, corn and soybeans. Hedge apples just may be my niche market.

Others may choose a pumpkin patch. Some may raise watermelons. I'm seeing a cash crop lying along the ditches these days.

It is the height of "go-fer" season here on the County Line. I began my day yesterday with an impromptu trip to the Salina branch of Case to get parts for the drill. I have a trip to Hutchinson's Case establishment on my agenda for later today.

But most of my navigating is up and down the dirt roads, helping the guys move vehicles from one field to another or delivering lunch and supper. My back roads travels have revealed that the drought doesn't seem to have impacted the crop of hedge apples.

Many are still hanging from the branches of the osage orange trees where they grow.

Others have fallen to the ground. They make me remember my Grandpa Leonard, who believed they repelled boxelder bugs. He would gather them in the fall and place them outside the house to keep the "Byers bugs" away. (People in my neck of the woods called boxelder bugs "Byers bugs" because they were the orange and black of the Byers Hornets, where I went to school through 4th grade.)

When I saw the hedge apples along the shelter belt last night coming back from the field, I decided to investigate whether or not my Grandpa's claims had scientific validity. So, of course, I turned to Google, the ultimate source for every modern researcher, right?

And that's when I discovered that I could have my own get-rich scheme. I was driving by a cash crop and didn't even know it. There are actually people selling these little yellow-green balls that remind me of brains.

At one site, I found this price chart:
4 Hedgeapples $10.00 + $9.00 Shipping
 8 Hedgeapples $18.00 + $11.00 Shipping
12 Hedgeapples $24.00 + $14.00 Shipping
24 Hedgeapples $38.00 + $18.00 Shipping
36 Hedgeapples $48.00 + $24.00 Shipping

Photo from hedgeapples.com

 Really? REALLY?

Also from the website:  Each Hedgeapple comes with its own individual container to prevent damage to carpet and wood surfaces. Hedgeapple with container is shown at left. It is recommended to place a hedgeapple in each room or adjacent closet.
Average weight 1 LB. / Hedgeapple
Average repellant life in an air-condition environment is 3 months. Hedgeapples can be sliced in half to expedite their effects, although life is greatly reduced.

Now all that's left is finding those handy dandy containers, and I am set. Or maybe not.

Here's what I learned in a Iowa State University Extension brochure (with a nod to Eric's Dad, Alan, who works for ISU.)

The use of the hedge apples for insect control is one of the most enduring pest management home remedies. Placement of hedge apples around the foundation or inside the basement is claimed to provide relief from cockroaches, spiders, boxelder bugs, crickets and other pests.

The use of hedge apples as a pest solution is communicated as a folk tale complete with testimonials about apparent success. However, there is an absence of scientific research and therefore no valid evidence to confirm the claims of effectiveness. Although insect deterrent compounds have been extracted from hedge apples in laboratory studies, these do not provide a logical explanation about why hedge apples would work as claimed. At this time, there is nothing to recommend the use of hedge apples for pest control.

The osage orange trees themselves do provide a valuable resource on the County Line and elsewhere on the Plains. They make great fence posts.

Whether the hedge apples work as boxelder repellents or not, seeing them scattered along the roadside was a great reminder of my Grandpa Leonard. And that's priceless.

So what do you think? Do hedge apples repel bugs?

Early Morning Symphony

I rarely use my ipod when set off on an early morning walk. Instead, I listen to a different kind of music all around me.

Birds trill a morning greeting.
Cows call to their calves.
Dogs wake up their masters.
The coyotes answer back.

A tractor's drone lends a steady bass rhythm.

My tennis shoes crunch gravel with the cadence of a brush on a snare drum.

The Amtrak train rumbles through Zenith, 4 1/2 miles away, the hum of the train tracks punctuated by the whistle at dirt-road intersections.

Water sloshes in my right-hand. 

Squirrels clamor for cover and make the leaves sing as I near the old cottonwood tree at our driveway.

Turkeys scramble away from feasting on the yard's grubs and dart through underbrush, softly talking to one another in their hurry to get away from this human interloper.

Soon the migrating geese will add their own music to the mix.

I love music, and it often plays a soundtrack in my mind. But this is a symphony all its own.

Don't Be Blue: Eat Bread!

You won't be blue if you make this bread. Even with all those blueberries.

Well, you might be blue if you eat the whole loaf, which you will be sorely tempted to do. The combination of blueberries and white chocolate is tasty enough. Then add a brown sugar streusel topping, and it is somewhat irresistible.

Jill later made the bread using half white whole wheat flour, which does help bump up the fiber. And I will tell myself that it has fruit in it. It does. It just also has plenty of sugar. And did I mention white chocolate?

I took this bread to Jill's and Eric's for Labor Day weekend. Enjoy it for your weekend, too!

e

White Chocolate Blueberry Crunch Bread

From Kitchen Meets Girl blog

1/4 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
3 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. oats
1 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream 1/4 cup butter and cream cheese on medium speed. Add sugar, beating about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

Combine 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Gently fold in blueberries and white chocolate chips.

Put batter into a greased loaf pan. Stir together brown sugar and remaining ingredients. Sprinkle over batter and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes or a wire rack before removing from pan.

Notes:

•  If substituting frozen blueberries for fresh, pat dry with paper towel and toss with 2 tablespoons flour before stirring into batter.
• When I am making quick breads like this, I usually make smaller loaves and put some in the freezer. If making small loaves, bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• I usually double the recipe. I figure I might as well get more product while I'm dirtying my kitchen. The bread does freeze well.

Finding Flowers

He who hunts for flowers will find flowers,

and he who loves weeds will find weeds.

 ~Henry Ward Beecher

A sea of yellow splashes the pasture south of our house with color so bright it rivals the rising sun. With some rainfall during the past month, the pastures are blooming after months of drought.

In reality, the little yellow flowers are weeds: I think they are some sort of thistle. The cattle won't eat them. And even if they did, it's too late to provide nourishment for animals who have already gone to the sale barn. But, it's still beautiful. It's as if the Master Creator has opened his paintbox and splashed on color with the wild abandon of a preschool watercolor artist. It's amazing what a little water can do.

If you look closely, there's a smidgen of purple hiding out in plain sight among their showier, brighter yellow sisters. I have a soft spot for purple.

At best, I am green-thumb challenged. I don't know the names of backyard flowers, much less the flowers that dot the Plains and bring color to our pastures. But, if my powers of deduction on the Kansas Wildflower site are correct, the little purple plant is blue sage, also known as Pitcher sage. The name honors Dr. Zina Pitcher, a U.S. Army surgeon and botanist. And, it's palatable and nutritious for livestock. 

I guess it's kind of like decorating a cupcake. The cupcake looks good and tastes good without frosting. But a little food coloring and skill with a decorator's tube, and it makes the whole thing look and taste even better, doesn't it?

A sidewalk crack by my back door has sprouted a smattering of wildflowers. They battled through cement to spring to life and decorate my path to my car. I didn't plant them, and I don't see them anyplace other than at my back door. It's like a little gift bouquet, just for me. Yes, I suspect they are weeds, too. But I'd rather see flowers. It makes life a little sweeter.

A weed is no more than a flower in disguise.

~James Russell Lowell

Stone by Stone

I regularly travel down the Zenith Road. I'm usually flying down it in my car in my quest to make it from my house to some event in Stafford on time. Let's face it: When I'm hurrying to get from Point A to Point B, I don't always pay attention. The scenery flies by my window, but it doesn't make much of an impression.

But, once in awhile, my pace is a little more sedate. Maybe I'm driving a grain truck to the Kanza Co-op's Zenith branch. It could be another trip to get fertilizer and haul it back to the field for Randy. On those days when I'm forced to slow down, I see more. If the windows are down in the truck or pickup, I hear the birds. I feel the breeze blowing my hair. I smell freshly cut hay. I truly see - with all my senses.

On one of those days, the big stone barn caught my attention. Now, I go by that barn several times a week. Much of the time, it doesn't even register. But as I thought about Lovely Branches Ministries' September theme, Foundations, the stone barn again came to mind.

I don't know exactly when the barn was built. But the house at the same farmstead was constructed in 1908 - more than 100 years ago. And while the barn isn't in pristine condition, it isn't falling to pieces like many of the wooden barns that dot the Kansas countryside.

Here's a wooden barn that's falling down . But can you find the two crosses? Pretty cool, too!

We can only imagine the work that went into building that stone barn. I'm sure it was backbreaking to lift each stone into place and meticulously cement them together. A firm foundation was essential - from the ground up and as each and every layer of stone was added.

What a metaphor for our faith! Where is our foundation? Is it built on solid ground? Is it carefully stacked so that it can withstand the storms of life that inevitably come our way?

I Peter 2: 4-5 says:  

The Living Stone and a Chosen People
⁴ As you come to him, the living Stone —rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— ⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (NIV)

I want my life to be built on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ. Just like those long-ago workers worked tirelessly to place stone after stone, I need to build my house on the Solid Rock, not on shifting sand, like it says in that long ago Sunday School song, "The Wise Man and the Foolish Man" based on Luke 6: 48-49.

And I want Christ's light - the Light of the World - to shine through me - just as surely as a Kansas sunset is reflected in the windows of a sturdy old barn.

Check out what my friend, Suzanne, had to say about Foundations in her September blog at Heart and Home Matters. And, while you're there, visit Keva's blog, Hope in Jesus. She writes about comparing ourselves to others. (I know I can relate!) I'm currently reading the book that Edna talks about in Rooted and Grounded, Jennie Allen's Anything. Theresa has a simple, but sometimes difficult, message to Love One Another. And Dianne talks about finding Christ in the eye of the storm. Hope you'll take time to check them all out!

***

I'm also linked today to Jennifer's Getting Down with Jesus and her weekly God-Bumps and God-Incidences. 

***
Need to stack up some good recipes? Try these ...

Stack your plate with veggies, rice, garbanzo beans and lean beef in this tasty Farmer's Market Salad. 

Stack up some of these Butterfinger Blondies and your family's faces will light up. Guaranteed.

No Excuses

 

There's nothing like interviewing the 1938 Ohio state high school pole vault champion to put things in perspective. At age 92, he's given up using a slender little stick to propel himself skyward and over a bar hanging precariously in the air. But he still goes to the YMCA or Genesis Health Club every day.

Yes, every day!

And then there's the woman I talked to who completed a triathlon at age 79. That's 3 miles of walking/running, a half-mile swim and an 11-mile bike ride. 

It makes me tired just thinking about it.

There are days when I don't want to walk my 4 miles or exercise for an hour.  I just might be known to roll my eyes when the workout warriors on Leslie Sansone's Fat Burning exercise video smile through the entire 5 miles. Seriously, Nicki needs to turn the smile down a notch. I'm all for being pleasant, but nobody is that happy about sidesteps or kickbacks.

Then there's Audra who wears a midriff-baring workout top to show off her perfectly toned abs and arms. I would just like to tell Leslie and Audra that I know Audra didn't get those muscles by simply using the "walk away weighted balls," the "walk belt" or the "punch up your walk weighted gloves." (Still, I like Leslie and her simple steps that even this dance-challenged, 50-something exerciser can do. And you can't beat her positive attitude.)

 

Next time I'm tempted to grumble about my walk or my exercise DVDs, I think I'll remember Les, the pole vault champ, and Lloyda, the 79-year-old triathlete.

Good health should be its own silver lining. But a beautiful morning sky doesn't hurt either.

Hakuna Matada? Not So Fast!

Some days are Hakuna Matada - "No worries" in The Lion King parlance.

We got a nice, slow 0.60" of rain on Thursday. There were last-minute tickets available at Century II for the traveling Broadway production of The Lion King. The costuming and sets were phenomenal.

From Google Images

And then life's "stage set" changed on Saturday morning to the emergency room of the Stafford County Hospital.

Randy had his own run-in with the animal kingdom. A bull decided he didn't want to go the way that Randy preferred. So he head-butted Randy and sent him flying about 10 feet. I guess Randy should have heeded the message of another song from The Lion King to "Be Prepared."

This is a photo of the bull in happier times - 2010.

But, I guess you're never prepared for the unexpected in "The Circle of Life." So, as Randy debuted his high-flying act without benefit of stage wiring, he landed on his right wrist. I wasn't there to witness it. I just got a phone call saying, "I think you're going to have to take me to the emergency room."

So I did. And Randy left with a splint on his cracked right wrist. They couldn't do much for the bruised ribs, but he has those, too.

The bull made the trip to the Pratt Livestock Sale Barn. He is an older bull, and that's where he was headed anyway. But he did not make the trip back to the home corral for a few days of fine dining. He went directly to the sale.

Randy is very right-handed, but he is getting better at living life as a lefty. (Welcome to my world!) "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," Randy? I'm trying really hard to help him navigate the world one-handed. We'll see how he gets along on the tractor today. He has his pillow. We cut up a sock to try to keep the cast clean.

The moral of the story? We probably should have gone to the K-State game instead of staying home to work. Ah well. It's all part of "The Circle of Life."

***

I also want to say "Thank you!" to the Stafford County Hospital. We are so fortunate to have a hospital and an emergency room in our county and community. Of the people who helped us on Saturday, we knew 4 of the 5 people on a first-name basis. We are indeed fortunate to have these caring people available to help at a moment's notice.

Just Peachy

The days are likely numbered for the fresh peaches of summer. But my hometown grocery store still has peaches on sale this week, so it's not too late to try this spicy quick bread. I made it to share over Labor Day weekend at Jill's and Eric's house.

Select ripe peaches for this bread. And, if they aren't quite ripe, leave them on the kitchen counter for a few days until the peach flesh yields to a soft squeeze. The most time-consuming part of the bread is chopping the peaches and grating the carrots. But it's worth the effort. A time saving hint: Use the shredder/grater blade on your food processor to shred the carrots. (Thanks to Jill, Eric & Brent for replacing my worn-out food processor for Mother's Day!)

Hurry! Soon, the fruits of summer will be gone for another year. Yep, that makes me sad, too.

Spiced Peach and Carrot Bread

from Kitchen Meets Girl blog

2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 cups peeled and chopped fresh peaches
3/4 cup grated carrots
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup white chocolate chips and/or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Add peaches, carrots, oil, milk and eggs, stirring until just moistened. If desired, add white chocolate and/or pecans (see recipe note below).

Spoon batter into a greased 9- by 5-inch loaf pan (or use smaller pans for mini loaves). Bake the 9- by 5-inch loaf for approximately 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove bread from pan and allow to cool completely.

Recipe Notes

•  Since I was making this bread to take to Jill's and Eric's house and Jill doesn't like nuts in quick breads, I didn't add the white chocolate and pecans to the batter. Instead, I sprinkled them on some of the mini loaves and left others plain.

This shows both versions. On the left side of the cutting board, it's the bread I sprinkled with white chocolate and chopped pecans. On the right, I left it unadorned.

• I doubled the recipe so I had bread to share and bread to put in the freezer. 
• If you want, you could use half white whole wheat flour in the bread for additional nutrition. You could also replace half the oil with applesauce.

What's Up, Doc?

It's a girl! It's a boy! Well, it's one or the other. Unlike most expectant mothers today, our cows won't know whether they will have male or female progeny this winter. But since they don't have to decorate a nursery or buy newborn clothing, I guess they'll just have to stay in suspense for a few months. And so will we.

On Tuesday, Dr. Dayul Dick came to the County Line to preg-check 39 cows we brought home from the Rattlesnake Creek pasture. Through a manual exam, Dr. Dick estimated the gestation of eacg fetus. He found four open cows (not pregnant), and Randy hauled those cattle to Pratt, where they'll go through the sale ring today.

While each cow was in the squeeze chute, Dr. Dick also gave several shots.

Like a flu shot or other preventative health measures are good for me, the shots we have the veterinarian give benefit the cows. Just like we gave recommended vaccinations to our own children, we believe it's important to give our cattle every medical advantage to have a healthy life.

An insulated cooler held the syringes filled with the vaccinations.

Dr. Dick gave each pregnant cow a booster shot to prevent blackleg, a highly fatal disease of the skeletal and heart muscle of cattle. We also give a combination shot that prevent leptospiriosis and BVD. Lepto is a bacterial infection that may cause abortion or stillbirth. BVD stands for Bovine Viral Diarrhea. Dr. Dick also gave a shot as a dewormer to control parasites like worms, lice and liver flukes.

We'll repeat this process with cows we bring home from other locations, like the Ninnescah Pasture.

While Dr. Dick took care of the "business end" of each cow, Randy felt in their mouths to check their teeth. This helps him find older cows. Dr. Dick's assistant recorded the eartag numbers of those older cows, and we will likely sell them when we wean the calves they are currently carrying.

Last week, the cows' babies born last February went to the sale barn. Though we usually keep the calves through the winter and feed them along with their moms, this is the second year we've sold them in the fall. Two years of drought conditions have changed standard operating procedure around here.

OB/GYN appointments may not be any female's favorite doctor visit. But they provide an important management tool on the County Line.

Hill Traffic Does Not Stop

Anyone who knows me knows I find beauty all around me in Kansas. God's creative handprint is on the sunrises, the sunsets, the ditches lined with sunflowers, the windmills, in the pastures dotted with wildflowers and in the wide open spaces. I love wheat from the time it pokes the first blades of green through the brown soil, when it's encased in winter white, and when the waves of gold dance in the Kansas wind.

It was a different kind of beauty in Morehead, Ky. My favorite spot was Eagle Lake, a picture postcard pretty place on the campus at Morehead State University, where Brent began his new job on Monday. That lake has got to be one great fringe benefit of being a student or being on staff there.

I would love to see it in the fall as the leaves begin turning and cast brilliant autumn colors on the smooth water's surface. I probably won't get to see it this fall, but maybe another year.

Morehead and Morehead State University are nestled in the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest. Yes, Kansas has its regions with peaks and valleys. It just doesn't happen to be where we live. Morehead was much greener than the drought-stricken Kansas we left behind.

Hills are part of the backdrop for the Morehead campus. I took this shot back toward campus, turning 180 degrees around from the lake.

In just a few weeks, the fall colors of the trees on the hills surrounding the football stadium will rival the action on the field, I suspect.

It was even pretty on a rainy, foggy morning.

Same goes for the baseball stadium and pretty much anywhere else on campus.

The hills also provided some signs we aren't used to in Stafford, America: "Hill Traffic Does Not Stop"was a sign near Brent's new home.

It wasn't exactly Lombard Street in San Francisco. But the street began in downtown Morehead and crested at the top of a hill, where there was a parking lot at one juncture and two stop signs flanking it.

Brent's backyard is mostly tree-covered hill, though there's enough room for a barbecue grill, which we put to use before the K-State vs. Miami game on Saturday. 

Brent was our chef, a nice change of pace

We were surprised by how narrow some of the streets were, especially in Brent's neighborhood. I was glad Randy was driving the Budget truck and not me. Meeting traffic was an adventure of narrow streets and hidden driveways. 

On Brent's street - The sign warns of a driveway that seems to go straight up a hill.

Next time we visit, we won't be hefting boxes and hanging picture frames, so we hope to explore more of the area. Maybe then we'll see more horse farms. It wasn't until we got to Lexington to fly back to Wichita that we saw horses grazing on the stereotypical bluegrass of Kentucky.

But there's no place like home either. Beauty: It's all around us - whether on the Kansas plains or the Kentucky hills.