another fabulous fall recipe that my husband couldnt get enough of!

~Pumpkin Bread with Cream cheese frosting~

Pumpkin bread~

1 1/2 cups fresh pureed pumpkin
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 1/3 cups and 1 tbs all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1heaping tsp cinnamon
1 heaping tsp nutmeg


preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease and flour 3 9x5" loaf pans.
mix pumpkin, sugar, oil, eggs. combine dry ingredients and mix until smooth. divide batter between the loaf pans. bake for 45 minutes or so, until a toothpick comes out clean...


cream cheese frosting~

2 8oz pkg cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup butter (softened)
2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

cream together cream cheese and butter~ mix in vanilla~gradually mix in sugar~

~now for the fun part~

I cut the loaf of pumkin bread lengthwise and spread frosting on the bottom loaf~you can sprinkle the frosting with nuts if you like~i prefer walnuts or pecans~replace the top half, dollop with frosting and a nut, and voila...fall in a pan!

FALL...how I love thee...let me count the ways....I love your cool breeze on my face, I love your beautiful colors that dance on the leaves.....i love your harvest of sweet......and most of all...i love those harvest of sweets in some yummy, delicious, fill my home with the smell of fall recipes!!

Oat Bars~~warm and delicious for breakfast, or cut into squares, individually wrapped, and refrigerated for a homemade afternoon snack~

1 cup butter (softened)
1 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 cup quick oats
1 1/2 cup wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
10 oz fresh homemade preserves
1/4 cup flaxseed

preheat oven to 400 degrees

cream together butter and sugar

combine oats, flour, salt, baking soda and flaxseed.

press half of the mixture into the pan. spread on preserves. press remaining mixture on top (and/or sprinkle for a more crumble top)

bake 20-25 minutes

the photo is homemade blackberry jam with fresh blueberries as well....sooooo good!

Sooooo....goodbye farm life..hello nieghborhood...for now... :( I guess God has a different plan for us right now which I am completely open to, but workin on that contentment thing is a struggle at times....oh how I miss that farm!! Its hard to get used to having neighbors again...

So since we had to leave our newly planted garden behind...*sniff, sniff* we hit up the farmers market for fresh homegrown goodness, and we have some wonderful friends that share their harvest with us (who knew you could make so many yummy things with zucchini!) Here is some of our goodies from the local farmers market here in Richmond KY...Those blackberries became jam, although i was trying to make syrup......in any case, the jam is yummy and organic and way better for my family than what you buy in the store loaded with preservatives.....and those peaches got chopped and frozen so that I can make a delicious peach cobbler for my husband when he gets home...the tomatoes are eaten like apples in this family, and organic ground beef...mmmmm...so worth the extra $ per pound!!

Hopefully i can inspire some folks to eat and live more naturally and simply even if you dont live on a farm....there is still a bounty of fresh homegrown, homemade deliciousness to be had! In time I will post recipes of my favorite things (and pictures when i get my new USB cord) My daughter loves to cook with me and I love taking her to the market, teaching her to support local farmers, and eat the healthy goodness that God put on the earth for us to enjoy:) There is something about the farmers market that you just dont get at the grocery stores...you can stand around and shoot the breeze and share recipes and let peach nectar drip down your chin while doing it! :) Its nostalgic...the memories will stick....what a great life!


Genesis 1:11,12...
Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. ¹² The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

While cleaning out the chicken coop to get it ready for spiring's chicks, i discovered this little birds nest in one of the little cubbies...I wish i would've taken more pictures from start to finish because when I first saw it, it was a nest full of tiny little eggs....every time we went into the coop we would check on our little bird family until one day the eggs were tiny little baby birds with transparent eyelids and bare skin....after a while I saw a nest full of grown birds (which is the picture) I want sure if these were the babies or other birds that sought this nest for refuge from the massive rains we were getting, but in any case it was great to be able to show my little girl the cycle of life...from egg to baby to adult bird....God's design is so amazing, and it's in nature that you see the fullness of His creation. although His purpose for birds is much different than His purpose for people, the whole experience brings these scriptures to mind..." Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you..." Jeremiah 1:5
For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made..."Psalm 139:13,14

He makes us and grows us in our mother's wombs... just like the eggs...until one day....we become part of this outside world, Born to fullfill God's purpose to glorify Him and expand His kingdom of heaven....Oh what LoVe!!

So it all started with a vacation to kentucky...just us two...we wanted to see if it was a place we'd like to move to. We loved it!! And even though some people thought we were CRAZY, we sold everything we owned and moved to the farm...175 acres of green grass, tall trees, Gods country, peace and quiet....1700 miles away from home....over the last 10 months we have been busy chopping wood, picking pears from the enormous tree out front, making pear butter, tarts and other goodies, going to festivals, starting a garden, and even got some baby chicks which will give us fresh eggs in due time...We love this organic homespun life....I hang the wash on the line and wash dishes by hand, and its not always easy, but its simple and I like that....

Last night I took a break from all of the stress and packing that comes along with moving to make this little recipe box! nothing too fancy, I know but it makes me happy because number 1~its a recycled half n half and number 2~ magazine picture collage stuff is a great pastime of mine from the good ole high school years. Just like THIS 94cent composition book:) (whoa pictures! lol...im new at this)

I have been wanting to start this blog for months but in this adventure in motherhood and farm living the blog starting has been waaaayyyy at the bottom of the priority list....but at this point, I figure its now or never! I would like to recap on the last 10 months that we have been living this country bumpkin life. It has not been the easiest of lifestyles living in a house thats over 100 yrs old...with a funky water system, spiders and pests, and A LOT of wood chopping and hauling over the winter months, and the many other obstacles that come along. It has however, made me a stronger woman (a Pioneer as mama pam calls me) and it has grown my faith and yes i have learned to be content in all circumstances:) ok the contentment part takes time sometimes....but it is a growing process...and I am so blessed!