The fair came to town

Each year a fair comes to Smalltownland. It's a big deal. Homemakers bring their canning and crafts to be judged. Kids come to ride the crazy rides and there are horse shows. It culminates with a demolition derby and fireworks. Like I said, it's a big deal. We don't have that kind of excitement on a daily basis.

This year our niece, Star, came to sing in the fair talent show and placed! She also won the Kentucky Future Farmers of America talent competition and will move on to the national trials in Indiana. We are very proud of her.


But, for the chiclets, the big draw of the fair was the rides. The Deerslayer promptly took off with his friends to scope out all the fair had to offer.

As his parents, we have become so, "uncool".

Toots, however, took it upon herself to persuade anyone available to ride with her. Here Secret Agent Man took over the duty. She looks a little concerned about the ferris wheel.



Her concern did not improve when she rode the sizzler.

Then she rode the crazy pirate ship. What possessed her to get on this ride, I will never know.

But, after that, she was finished. I however spotted this little ride among the fair machinery. I could so totally use this on the farmette.

How awesome would I look driving the trash to the end of the road?!

Thoughtless Thursday

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Baby!

This past weekend we loaded up and drove to the ever so lovely state of Georgia. As it so happened, we drove down to the peach state on Sunday and drove back to home on Monday.

Seriously.

Secret Agent Man bought a vehicle online and we decided to muster as a family unit and travel with him to pick it up. Please don't ask me why I thought this decision was okay. It was a long drive there......and a long drive back home. But every cloud has its silver lining, and mine involved doughnuts. Krispy Kreme doughnuts to be precise. While driving through the endearing town of Sugarhill, I spotted this sign.


Then, more importantly, I spotted this sign. Hot doughnuts ready, NOW! It was like a sign from above.

We watched the doughnuts rolling off the line and then we all picked several for purchase. The Deerslayer ate four doughnuts before I could blink an eye. I should also mention that he has grown several inches, and gone through several clothing sizes, in the past few months. His appetite amazes me at times.

Toots went patriotic and chose the red, white, and blue sprinkled doughnuts.

Perhaps the most amazing feat of all was that Secret Agent Man ate not one doughnut, but TWO! He is very strict about his diet and exercise regime, so I wasn't even sure he would eat one.

The nearest Krispy Kreme shop is 1 1/2 hours away from the farmette. I may have to take a short road trip in the near future.....

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day goes out to Secret Agent Man today.

Also, to my dad, Mr. B.

Thanks, to both of you, for all you do. We love you!

Chess Squares

The following recipe is a favorite of my son. It is reminiscent of the creamy filling of a Chess Pie recipe I posted a few months ago, but comes in a convenient cookie bar. It only requires five ingredients and bakes in thirty minutes. Let's bake it...shall we?

You will need the following:

1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick of butter, melted
4 eggs
1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 (1 lb) box powdered sugar


First, you will need to make the crust. Combine the cake mix, one egg, and the entire stick of melted butter. Mix well and press into a 13x9 inch pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Make sure to press the mixture up the sides of the pan, just a bit.

Next, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar and three eggs. Mix on high speed with an electric mixer. Make sure the mixture is smooth, with no lumps. Pour on top of the crust mixture.

Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees. Your end result will be a firm crust with a creamy filling.

I would be remiss if I didn't thank my cooking buddy. He hung out with me, right by my feet, during the entire process.

All together now......"Awwwwwww".

Thoughtless Thursday

Words to live by...

Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints on your heart. To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.


Anger is only one letter short of danger. If someone betrays you once, it is his fault; if he betrays you twice, it is your fault.



Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people. He who loses money, loses much; he who loses a friend, loses much more; he who loses faith, loses all.




Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.




Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.....

There is no beginning or end. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift, that's why they call it the present.

[Unknown]

Thoughtless Thursday

Church Supper Broccoli Salad

This weekend we picked our first few items from the garden. Potatoes, onions, and broccoli are ready to eat. What do you do with two fresh heads of broccoli? You make a wonderful salad with a few ingredients.

This recipe comes from a cookbook entitled, "Dining at the Whistle Stop, Kentucky Recipes & Reflections". The Whistle Stop is a restaurant located in Glendale, Kentucky and features excellent regional fare. Located next to railroad tracks, the restaurant is famous in our area for its charm and food. The following recipe is just one example of the home cooked recipes.

In a large bowl combine:

1 head of broccoli
1 head of cauliflower
1 cup raisins (I omitted this, due to the chiclets.)
1/4 cup diced red onion
10 strips of bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
1 cup shelled sunflower seeds

Separate the broccoli and cauliflower into florets. Combine all ingredients and mix well.



In a separate bowl mix together 4 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 cup mayo, and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Mix for a couple of minutes until the mixture begins to thin a bit.




Pour over the broccoli mix and stir well to combine. Refrigerate for at least two hours to allow the flavors the blend.



Enjoy

The Legend of the Thistle

Here in Smalltownland the Thistle is regarded as a nuisance. Tough and prickly, the Thistle has no natural enemies. When the plant becomes ripe, the seeds are dispersed through a fluffy process, much like a Dandelion. Thus, a farm can quickly become covered in these plants. Farmers typically use chemical sprays to kill them or simply cut them down.

There are actually several varieties of Thistles ranging in color from purple to yellow.



This is quite ironic in nature due to the fact that Smalltownland contains quite a few families of Scottish ancestry and the Thistle is the Emblem of Scotland.




Legend states that an Army of King Haakon of Norway landed on the Coast of Largs, with the intent of defeating the Scots. Landing in the cover of darkness, the Norsemen removed their footwear to help suppress any noise. While moving closer to the Scots, a Norseman stepped on a Thistle and cried out in pain. This alerted the Scots to the impending attack, with the Thistle saving the day. After that moment, the plant was then known as the Guardian Thistle.

In 1470, James III issued silver coins with the first use of the Thistle as a royal symbol of Scotland.

The Order of the Thistle was founded in 1540 by King James V. He made the order for himself and his twelve knights. The badge, worn by the knights, is a cross surmounted by a star of four silver points, over them a green circle bordered and lettered in gold. The lettering contains the motto: "Nemo me impune lacessit".

Translated: "No-one harms me without punishment".

Thoughtless Thursday

Virtue of the camera

The virtue of the camera

is not the power it has to transform the photographer

into an artist,

but the impulse it gives him to keep on looking.


Brooks Atkinson,
American Theater Critic