Roadside Gold

Sunshine was MIA last week in Kansas. But Kansas sunflowers did their best to make up for the absence of Old Sol. Abundant rains in August and September have boosted our roadside "gold" quotient. There's no doubt that Kansas is the Sunflower State during these waning days of summer.

September 7, 2018

Even on an overcast day, the yellow brightened the way to the Rattlesnake Creek pasture last Friday.

September 10, 2018

Who needs a "red carpet" when you can have a yellow one? Some of the common yellow sunflowers are a little past their prime. But the Maximilian varieties are at their peak.

Sunflowers aren't the only living things that have loved the unseasonable rains. Farmers in our part of the state are celebrating that we are no longer in the colored section of the Kansas drought monitor. (I know our neighbors to the east still are, and we can definitely commiserate.)

Read more here: https://www.kansas.com/news/business/agriculture/article1095837.html#storylink=cpy

Let's face it: Rain in August in Kansas is as unusual as a school of fish in the Sahara. The last time I published a drought monitor map here on the blog, we were straddling the moderate to severe drought line.

This was the drought monitor the last week of July.

After 5.3 inches of rain here on the County Line last week, we have left our drought designation behind ... at least, for the time being. I tried to figure out when that last happened, but Google let me down. But, believe me: It's been awhile.

Rattlesnake Creek, Stafford County, September 10, 2018, looking to the east

We thought the Rattlesnake Creek might have more water after our rains. But we are thankful for what it does provide for our cattle who are still at their summer pasture getaway there. The guys will work on repairing fence at the Ninnescah Pasture later this week after the water goes down a little more. (Pratt County to our south is still cleaning up from flood waters from the Ninnescah.)

Rattlesnake Creek, looking to the northwest

For much of the summer, Peace Creek has been dry as we've traveled over the Zenith Road bridge. But, on Monday, there was water flowing (below).

Peace Creek, September 10, 2018

We cut one field of dryland corn August 31, but we haven't been able to be in the field since then. We didn't even need to feel guilty about going to the K-State game on Saturday.

We even had to break out the rain gear at the game for just a little bit. We didn't like the outcome of the game, but we all enjoyed the cooler temperatures.

And we love our Wildcats, no matter what.

And we've loved the rain, even though it ruined all the sudan hay we had down.You take the good with the bad. And being out of the drought category definitely qualifies as good!

Zesty Ranch Beef Stroganoff

I admit it: I get in recipe ruts from time to time. I have go-to recipes that don't require a lot of thought. The ingredients are always available in my well-stocked fridge and pantry. So I go with the path of least resistance when it's 11 AM and I think, "What am I going to serve at noon?"

Tell me I'm not alone!

But that rut can also lead to "same old, same old" meals. It's not as if I don't have plenty of recipes to draw from. I have more cookbooks than anyone needs. And my pile of "to try" recipes from blogs, Facebook and other sources threatens to avalanche off my kitchen counter.

Again, please tell me I'm not alone!

So, recently, I dug into that "to try" pile and made Zesty Ranch Beef Stroganoff. I almost always have hamburger ready to brown, since that's the most abundant meat source in my freezer. The other ingredients were all on hand, too. (True confessions: The original recipe called for fresh mushrooms. While there are not many foods I dislike, mushrooms happen to make that list. So I skipped the mushrooms. Feel free to add them if you are a fan. Randy likes mushrooms, but around here, it's the cook's prerogative.)

Since it made a large casserole, I baked half and put half in a disposable foil pan for another day. That's always handy for busy days or if I'm going to be gone at noon. Instant meal for Randy!

Some fresh sliced tomatoes and Colorado sweet corn from Smith's Market in Hutchinson made for a complete summertime meal. Enjoy!

Zesty Ranch Beef Stroganoff

Adapted from The Kitchen Is My Playground blog

10 oz. wide egg noodles
1 1/2 pounds hamburger
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 can (14.5 oz.) chicken broth
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 packet ranch dressing mix (dry)
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Topping
2 tbsp. butter, melted
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (or 1 1/2 tsp. dried)
Pinch of salt and pepper

Cook noodles in salted water until done. Drain and set aside.

In a large saucepan, brown hamburger with garlic and onion. Cook until hamburger is browned. Drain fat.

Return to heat. Add flour and stir well. Stir in chicken broth, buttermilk and dry ranch seasoning. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Stir in sour cream, mozzarella cheese, salt and pepper. Toss hamburger mixture with cooked noodles.

Spoon into a greased 2-quart casserole or 9 X 13-inch baking pan.

For topping, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and toss together with fork. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the noodle mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until heated through and bubbly and topping is lightly browned.

The original recipe called for 8 ounces of fresh mushrooms. Since I don't like mushrooms, the cook's prerogative is to leave them out - whether Randy likes them or not.

Golden Birthday Girl

This girl celebrates her golden birthday today: She is 4 on the 4th!

We celebrated with a unicorn party on Saturday.

I think her Mommy could add "cake decorator" to her list of careers, but she already has plenty of jobs, so we'll just call it a labor of love for a special 4 year old! It was so cute and just as tasty. Brooke requested a white cake with strawberries in the middle. (Jill was thinking a funfetti cake would go perfectly with the theme, but that was the birthday girl's request. I guess that's what Mommy gets for watching baking shows on TV with the girls ... a more exotic flavor choice)!

I was amused by the attempt to get all seven cousins in a photo to commemorate the occasion. This is about as good as it got!

I remember last year when the birthday girl didn't want to pose for photos at all. She's done some growing up this past year.

The rest of us did our best to smile on cue.

Grandpa, Brooke and Grandma

Jill and Brooke

Here she is opening one of her gifts from us. I like making books telling of the girls' adventures with Grandma and Grandpa. I always say they won't be getting a quilt from me, but, hopefully, the photo books will remind them of our fun together. And, it's also a fitting gift since reading together is one of our favorite activities to do.

 I used the photos and rhymes from the blog post I wrote after her July visit.

We are blessed to have these little people (and a bunch of big people from both sides of the family) in our lives! There were parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, all there to celebrate a special day. Here's to an amazing year, journeying toward Year 5!

Happy Golden Birthday to a very special girl! 

Backyard Pears = "Pear-fect" Salad

Not long after moving to our home 33 years ago, Randy planted pear and apple trees south of our house. He'd heard my stories about my Grandma and Grandpa Neelly's fruit trees. And though he never got to enjoy my Grandma's Green Apple Pie or her Pear Honey, he is a believer in planting trees for the future.

For some reason, the apple trees never flourished. But the pear trees have produced fairly well throughout the years. Sometimes, the pears never make it to our table. In 2010, while I was waiting for the bumper crop of fruit to ripen, every single pear disappeared. I'm not sure whether it was varmints or people who helped themselves.

Every year in April as the trees bloom with buds, I wonder if we'll send up with fruit to eat. The challenge with pears is to know when to pick them. I Googled that, too, and found a publication from Oregon State University Extension. (I love Extension.)

"To tell if a pear is mature, a general rule of thumb is that, while still on the tree, most mature, ready to ripen pears will usually detach when "tilted" to a horizontal position from their usual vertical hanging position. 

"Unlike apples, which are ready to eat from the day they are picked, pears must go through a series of changes before they can deliver their full splendor. Pears do not ripen on the tree to our liking. If allowed to tree-ripen, pears typically ripen from the inside out, so that the center is mushy by the time the outside flesh is ready."     

David Sugar, Oregon State University

Commercial growers refrigerate pears right after picking. So, for the past several years, that's what we've done. Randy picked some a few weeks ago and put them in a big brown paper bag in the basement fridge. He also left some on the trees.

I guess we should have picked them all. The bandits returned and not a single pear remains. This time, Randy's detective skills have deduced that the thieves were squirrels. He watched a squirrel race across the road with a pear in his mouth. I'm not sure they will "save" like acorns.

Thankfully, we still have some to enjoy. This week, I tried a salad recipe using our homegrown pears. So, whether you have pear trees in your yard or whether you have to purchase them from the farmer's market or the produce aisle, we recommend this tasty salad! Enjoy!

Pear, Walnut & Gorgonzola Salad

Adapted from Lemon Tree Dwelling blog

10 oz. mixed greens (I used romaine hearts)
1 large or two small pears, chopped
1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, lightly roasted
2 tbsp. sunflower seeds

Dressing:
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. poppy seeds

Combine salad ingredients in a large salad bowl. Combined dressing ingredients in a container with a lid. Shake well. Pour dressing over salad and toss. (FYI: I didn't use all the dressing for this amount of salad. Refrigerate the leftovers and use another day.)

Notes: There are some people in my family who find gorgonzola too strong. If I were making this salad for them, I would substitute feta. Another tasty substitute could be cubed sharp cheddar or white cheddar cheese.

The original recipe called for 1/2 cup diced red onion. I didn't have red onion on hand. If you like the "bite" of red onion, feel free to add it to the mix.

Flights of Fancy

"Imagination is more important than knowledge.
For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand,
while imagination embraces the entire world,
and all there ever will be to know and understand."

Albert Einstein, 1879-1955
Nobel Prize for Physics, 1921

Fairies are living in a housing complex at our farmstead. If imagination is important to the likes of Albert Einstein, surely I can get away with a flight of fancy, can't I?

I know Albert had that whole genius thing going on. Me? Not so much, but at least I'm in good company.

Our August rains have spawned a "fairy housing development" in our driveway. Every time I see them, I think about elves and fairies hiding in the grass underneath.

Before anyone calls for my quick committal to the loony bin, I will plead my case: Doesn't my version of toadstools sound more enticing than the true definition?

"A toadstool is a name given to many umbrella-shaped fungi, mostly of the genus Agaricus. The species are almost numberless. They grow on decaying organic matter."

Yep, that's my yard - decaying organic matter.

So is it any wonder that I prefer to see things a bit differently? Instead of seeing fungi, I see fairyland apartments.

Here's the duplex unit. 

Tiny homes are in vogue these days, as evidenced by multiple HGTV and DIY network shows. Tiny homes seem a natural fit for fairies.

Speaking of newfangled trends, yurts also have their own home improvement show, so it's only right that Fairyland has that accommodation available, too.

Some are high rise buildings. (Surely there is a fantastic restaurant with a 360-degree, panoramic view on the top of this fairyland structure.)
However, even fairy developments can have a little neighborhood blight.

It's not what you look at that matters,

 it's what you see.

Henry David Thoreau

Fellow Stafford County blogger Lyn Fenwick wrote about Fairy Rings on her blog last week. Our County Line fairytale neighborhood is not in cul de sac (or ring) form. Check out her blog here. I really wasn't copying Lyn. We were at a Salina golf course on August 20 and saw lots of toadstools, including some in rings. Since Randy was golfing, I didn't take photos of them. (I should have and could have. He is the most patient person I know.)

August and Rain Puddles: Unexpected Blessings

August and rain puddles? They don't usually belong in the same sentence.

We are thankful for the unseasonable rain this month. Our gauge has topped 6 inches this month.

The weeds are out of control in our fields and in the neighbors', too.

But that's a better problem than bone-dry fields.

A Time to Think

The more I study nature,
the more I stand amazed
 at the work of the Creator.
 –Louis Pasteur, French chemist

A Time to Act

Be mindful of the simple everyday blessings
God showers upon you.

 

A Time to Pray

Open my eyes, Father, to Your world filled with surprises.

Email devotional from Guideposts.org

Exploring with Kinley and Brooke: Kansas Staycation

A new school year was about to commence

So a short trip to Wichita made perfect sense.

Kinley was counting the days 'til first grade.

So it was high time more memories were made!

Brooke would soon move to a new school as well.

So some time with the family would really be swell.

Grandma and Grandpa and Mommy went, too.

There'd surely be plenty of fun things to do!

Across a big bridge, our group took a walk.

To this big statue, the people do flock. 

Keeper of the Plains rises up in the sky

Its hands lifting upward. It surely is high!

Photo from Kansas Travel

Learning doesn't only take place at a school

Visiting a museum is always real cool.

We'd spend a few hours at Exploration Place

It was a science-filled, adventurous space!

One of the rooms featured some sharks

Those big, ugly teeth would surely leave marks!

Thankfully, these teeth were no longer attached.

Their power and size left human's unmatched.

Swimming with sharks is not in our plan

Even though Grandpa may think that he can!

 

Into a cage, we'll leave experts to dive

We'd rather keep Grandpa Randy alive!

Next we searched high and then we searched low

Looking for shark's teeth, it was a slow go.

We dug through the box. 

We looked left and right.

For these shark teeth weren't big. 

They were really quite slight

The museum lady helped us to look

Sharp eyes and some patience is all that it took.

We put all our finds in a pile to our right.

And then went on looking again with the light.

A puzzle with shark parts was next on our list.

Playing with puzzles? We couldn't resist!

It seemed that the sharks were out for a swim

Keep your hands in the "boat!" A bite would be grim!

Kinley and Brooke gave the screens a long look

While standing around in the oceany nook.

There were tons of facts for two girls to learn

Punching the buttons, they each took a turn.

Then they took crayons and started to trace

It's great to spend time in a really fun place!
 

Over our shoulders was danger. Oh no!

We'd better get moving. We'd better go!

The girls went on to a place "Where Kids Rule"

A castle? Some horses? It was really quite cool.

A puppet playhouse was a place for Miss Brooke

She really did like that play-acting nook!

Though she wasn't in trouble, Kinley still posed.

We sent Daddy a picture: Do you think he supposed

That Kinley deserved her time in the rack?

No, I think he would want his biggest girl back!

Aviation was also a theme of the day

Into an airplane, the girls went to play.

Paper plane building requires some skills
Folding the paper? It gave us some thrills!

Launching an airplane into the sky.

We hoped it would soar. We hoped it flew high!

Then we examined the life lived by bees.

A magnifying glass made that a breeze.

Brooke thought getting close with her eyes

Would help her learn all of the hows and the whys.

Water provided some ebbs and some flows

With some channels and dikes, the water it slows.

Playing with water for Grandpa and girls.

Left behind rivers and eddys and swirls.

Stafford County was on one display

It made Grandpa happy. That made his day!

In our state of Kansas, water plays a big role

Conserving the aquifer is part of the goal.

Tornadoes are also a part of our state

Really, they are a part that we hate!

We spent some time in a tube with the wind
Eyes squinted, hair blowing, we had to contend.

While Kinley held onto the hair on her head

Brooke leapt with glee while the wind waled and sped!

Kansas in Miniature Photos from the Exploration Place website

Another display showed some really small places

Kansas in Miniature lit up our faces.

Scenes from the '50s provided the theme.

A train glided past and we started to dream

Of living and working in such tiny space.

Oh, it was a beautiful, magical place!

Our time at the museum had come to an end

What an adventurous day we did spend!
Til' next time, when the grands we will meet
Time with our family? It surely is sweet!

Note: Our trip to Exploration Place was August 9, before school started. It takes a little time to edit photos and write in rhyme. It is another installment in my Kansas Staycation posts.