{Minute Monday} Oatmeal Breakfast Bars and Cows

Today is my third child's birthday...she is 14....and I can't believe (I know...I know...everyone says that...and please don't pay attention to the mess behind her!) that any of my babies are growing up...if I could squish them little I would, but then I would miss out on the wonderful young adults that they are becoming.

They're amazingly quick witted and come back with hilariously funny quips...that they get from their dad...bless their little hearts....I try I try...but I am seriously lacking in the funny bone business.

I have had to learn to try and be funny.....I was born serious...poor kids.

But with that being said, at least I know I can cook.....and have babies!! Which goes well when they have a birthday and want something special to eat.

Opulent Chicken is on the menu...I'll share recipe tomorrow...if the original owner gives permission...it's a ancient chinese secret ya know...did I just age myself?? remember calgon?...seriously though...she doesn't share this recipe with anyone unless they are super special....which ya all, I'm sure.

I had to learn to do that too.....cook that is....after I got married and fed my husband tuna casserole every other day...because it was all I knew how to make....for reals.....poor hubby....

So along with that and making homemade Raspberry Oatmeal breakfast bars, thank you Ree, of The Pioneer Woman, for breakfast on the go...because my teenagers would rather look presentable then eat...

....and we all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day (along with a protein filled lunch and dinner)....especially for my little twigs that I call daughters....

I will be running up (ok, ok... it's an hour away) for raw milk...yep that's right folks, we found grass fed, raw milk free of hormones and antibiotics..... in our little ole state!  I'll be getting it here! You know I am going to be making yogurt, sour cream and butter along with drinking it!!  And I am happy to announce that as I have been making the transition, and buying a less processed whole milk from a local farm down south that sells through our local grocery, one of my girls told me that this milk is so much better then the regular store milk...GO US!

I can't wait to have her try raw milk...so much sweeter! And Healthier!

Our BIG announcement comes in the form of a mini.......a mini jersey cow!!  So excited!! And I will be turning to ya'll because....visiting the farm and actually owning the farm.... are two different things..though the hubs must remember most things from his childhood on the ranch.

We have been on the waiting list, thinking that it would be a couple of years....but they emailed and let us know that we would have one in SEPTEMBER if all goes well!  That means we have got to get busy and find us a place, sooner, rather then later...prayers, happy thoughts and luck would be greatly appreciated, as we look in our little growing up town that is consuming farm land.

With her,  we are hoping to add chickens and a nice big garden or two....a lamb or three.....and a buckin bull, according to #5 so he can practice like his dad, brother, uncle and cousins...maybe this is our year....could it be our year...I hope it is our year....this has been slow in the making!  Slower then I would like, but as the good book says, there is a season to all things.

And since I can't go gather the eggs just outside my door, but rather I have to go to a town a couple over  to get fresh pastured eggs....I better get busy!

Since I made laundry soap last week, my goal this week is to make deodorant....that's right folks...deodorant. If you have recipes that have worked the best...please share!

And will someone please send me a cure to keep the Cod Liver oil from coming back to say hello in the morning....good grief!

With that note.....I'll say...chow......


Fresh Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

• 1 3/4 sticks salted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing pan
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cup oats
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• One cup homemade fruit preserves/jam (I used less preserves then the original recipe called for and I used raspberry this morning...delish!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch rectangular pan.

Mix together the butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Press half the oat mixture into the prepared pan. Spread with the preserves. Sprinkle the other half of the oat mixture over the top and pat lightly. Bake until light brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Cut while still warm, but let cool down in the pan. Let cool and then remove and wrap individually...so the kiddos can grab them on their way out the door!

Love yer healthy, real food lovin guts. (and yes...I'll soak the flour next time!)

Raw Milk....got some?

I think I have mentioned that I have a cow on order...yes...a cow...a miniature jersey dairy cow. 2013 is the lucky year, think Fiddler on the Roof, daughter walking the cow...size, that should be the size of our milk cows, not gargantuan mamas. But that is another story...one I hope to be sharing sooner then later.

Tonight I wanted to talk about about this story "Utah Creamery Hurt by incorrect journalism", all because of this story, Utans Sickened.  Along with this story, there were several local tv stations that followed the story. The story stating that almost a hundred people since 2009 had been sickened by salmonella from raw milk that a man made queso fresco (a mexican cheese) from, one station even stated that the milk was obtained from the Local Heber Valley Dairy......

Not true, not true, not true......

First, only 2 people have been definitely confirmed to have been sickened by the cheese from this man, and NONE of the milk, I repeat none of the milk from a Utah dairy selling raw milk has tested positive for salmonella, yet the Salt Lake Health Department implied that the salmonella, along with the tv stations, came from the raw milk..not the process in which the man was making the cheese.  They jumped to conclusions, on the band wagon or whatever you want to call it and went for the jugular on this small farm that has been in the same family for over a 100 years. The Heber Valley Milk has never tested positive for the food borne illness as the health department claimed...instead they clientele has been considerably hurt during the airing of these accusations.

The Health Department nor the tv station have bothered to retract what they said, instead saying that they never said that they were responsible....but they did say it, and now a small home grown farmer has been hurt.  A farmer that has put his blood, sweat and tears into this heard, a farmer that has carved out his place in he world.

This doesn't only happen here in Utah it also happening here and here. It seems to me that big government doesn't like independent farmers or that more people are realizing that the FDA and the Department of Agriculture have been and are selling them a bunch of...well you know....it comes from  cow too. Now you may say that I am a bit of a conspiracist, and you might be right, or....

I might just be an independent thinking person that does not need the government telling me how or when or what to eat.... and I totally do not agree with or condone the government acting as the thugs for big dairy as is such the case in man instances.  I believe the facts speak for themselves....raw milk, when safely and cleanly handled does not sicken or kill people as the government would have you believe and that raiding a amish farm only further convinces me that we must not simply swallow what the government tells us (about anything) without truly questioning their motives and those standing behind them.

I wish I had my cow now...I wish I had enough money to drive up every week and fill my suburban with raw milk to drink, make yogurt with, cheese and fresh cream.....but I can tell you that I will be visiting as often as I can to try The Heber Valley Farms fresh cheeses and milk.....to not only support a local farmer but because I also believe in the health promoting value of raw milk itself.

My cousins drank it, as did I when I was visiting.  I still remember going with my grandma t a local farm in Idaho, filling up the glass gallon jar and watching the cream rise to the top...and then hand whipping the cream to heavily dollop on our pancakes topped with applesauce.  UMMMMM....this is my favorite way to eat pancakes, though my husband hate it....he may not have even tried it yet.....baby.

The bottom line is raw milk is healthy for you.....now if I could just get to my farm earlier.

See ya at the Heber Valley Dairy

picture credit goes to TinstarHeritageFarm.com

A Few Thoughts

To blog or not to blog...that is the question...

Ha...it should really be..I have to wait for the hot water in the shower being that three large family members have already had showers.....and two of them take a really long time.

I should probably be folding laundry...never ending...but I already made sack lunches, so I figure I am good...for a few minutes....and the mctwins are still sleeping!

Everyday I am in constant amazement at the awesome wonderful women that surround me...that blog..that cook..that take care of their families...dress beautifully....look gorgeous..have babies....make dinners for their neighbors...are soccer coaches, run or bike 60 miles....I am tired just typing that...but you do it all!  And your homes are organized too!!!

How do you do it?!

So as you ponder that....let me tell you what I am pondering.....

Should I homeschool...yes....really...that is what I am thinking.

My sister is on board with me...that is important....

My husband, not so much...that is very important!

I am also pondering where we should live...and should I give up my dream of owning my little piece of farm pie for the sake of my kids getting a little more room to stretch their burgeoning wings and not having their mother all up in their business....all the time.  Though I think as a mother...that is my business.

I ponder how and when my milk will finally dry up...because my milk ducts are killing me! And will I survive this end of a chapter to my life saga.....my babies quit me...on their own...they didn't ask....just quit!  First mctwin #1..in Hawaii...I thought maybe it was too hectic....

Then mctwin #2...she picked up strep...and decided it was too painful to eat...she didn't even think what it would do to her poor mama!!! (and daddy....no touch, please!)  I can totally relate to the bawling cow when her farmer is late or her calf has run away from home! The agony.  .....and no...cabbage leaves didn't even work....

a week later...we are still goin strong....er ...rather...rock hard...I wouldn't weigh in with my sister....the milk jugs weight ten pounds each!

I wonder if you really see all the dust on my floorboards when you come over...or if you care...

I care...I just have time to get to them....and my kids did them...but they think that every other foot is fine.  It might have to be.

I think about how long until my mackdaddy can retire, so he can stay home with me all the time.  I miss having him all up in my business.

Oh, wait thanks for the reminder, I have like..... 20 more years......

Just a few thoughts that ramble through my mind.  I would like to hear your comments.  really..I would....well some of them...

love yer guts,
Painfully Engorged Deep Thinker