Country-fun? So you want to live in the country? Let's talk about the REALITY of country life…

With our really wet weather this past Spring, the maple trees in our yard produced more seeds than you can imagine. The cute little winged seeds (they always remind me of angel wings) have been flying everywhere for a couple of months and now they are sprouting into TREES. Trees, trees, and more trees. They are EVERYWHERE. We have a vegetable garden that is about 100 feet by 40 feet and, no exaggeration, I bet there are at least a thousand trees starting to grow out there between the tomatoes and squash and corn. The seeds have even flown into our window flower boxes and I have about ten or so growing in the window boxes!

Being the "country farmer type" that we are, we just cannot bear to see these trees be destroyed--pulled out like the weeds. Sooo, we have taken as many as possible and planted the little devils in the room we have left in the garden. I guess we are going to have to do one of two things--start a tree farm or start giving people maple trees for Christmas and their birthdays! If we start a tree farm, we will definitely have to buy a few acres from our neighbor since these little guys are so prolific.

Maybe the tree farm is a good idea for our country life retirement--a part we didn't plan on, but it might provide some income some day. Or if we don't sell the trees, we can have our own forest around the house and re-produce the trees that the pioneer farmers spent all their time cutting down to create fields. Funny how priorities seem to turn upside down and backwards sometimes...forest to fields to forest...

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June 18, 2008...There is a lot of entertainment in farm country that city folks miss out on. Probably one of the most popular is the good old-fashioned tractor pull. I had heard a lot of jokes about tractor pulls before we moved to Indiana, but now I know that a tractor pull is serious business around here.

There is a group called the "Antique Power Club" in this area and they just held a tractor pull last weekend. The competition at these events is awesome. Old refurbished tractors(some look brand new) compete to see which one can pull a weighted sled the furthest--and the result is measured very precisely. It is actually fun to watch and you can tell it takes a skilled driver to keep the tractors pulling as long as possible--beyond what you would have thought they could do.

Then, if you are not into antique tractors, there is the truck pull. Powerful and mighty, the trucks pull the sled until you think their engines will explode (and sometimes they do). Another display of strength.

So I got to wondering where this all started. I guess I could look up the real story about tractor pulls, but I would rather use my own imagination. I have a picture of a couple of farmers sitting around in the summer after their planting was done, watching their corn grow, being a little bored and each one starting to brag that his tractor was the best around. Why do I think that picture might be how it all started? Because it is still that way! There are always comments being made about whether green tractors (John Deere) or red tractors (International Harvester/Case) are the best. I don't think a winner has ever been declared and I am sure the argument will continue into eternity.

So there you have it. Farmers trying to resolve the age-old question about who has the most powerful tractor around and using tractor pulls to try to come up with an answer. And all those city folks miss out on the fun!

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June 8, 2008...I knew when we moved to the country that all my favorite stores would no longer be "just around the corner". What I didn't know was that I would find a whole new world of shopping at a store I had never heard of before...Tractor Supply! For you city folks, Tractor Supply is not just a store for tractor parts; they have over 10,000 items (according to their ad) you might need for your country life.

Of course, you can buy stuff like lawn fertilizer and bird seed, plumbing supplies and electrical parts and pieces, but you can also find all those wonderful things like chicken feeders and waterers, all the latest farming fashions (like mud boots), load levelers, electric fence parts, 50 lb. bags of grass seed and feed for your horses. Yep, a whole new world of SHOPPING!

Now I usually only go there to find garden gloves, or garden seeds, or weed killer--the more mundane things. But it is always fun to look around. And if I need a LOT of something, Tractor Supply is the place to get it. For example, with all the rain we have had this year, I am waging the "war of the weeds". I need weed killer in the gallon size. At Tractor Supply, you can actually buy it in a 50 gallon size! Now for all of you from the city, a gallon size of weed killer in concentrate form actually become 25 or so GALLONS, so when I set out to kill weeds, I am well-armed. Spraying down the gravel driveway or along the fence lines seems to be a never-ending battle, but as I drive along on my four-wheeler with my 25 gallons of weed killer, I can at least feel a little like a farmer dealing with country living...thanks to Tractor Supply!

Tractor Supply SHOPPING

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June 1, 2008...Living in the country where there are lots of barns means there are also lots of barn CATS. Generally, folks around our area do help out the unfortunate ones that don't really have a home by putting out food for them, but my husband is convinced that our cats have put up a sign somewhere in the county directing the area strays to our home "for the best dinner around".

Since we have lived here, our cat population has increased by nine! The local vet loves us because we are constantly increasing his income by spaying and neutering any cat that shows up and stays more than two days. We had to put a cat door in the garage door to provide shelter, round up all the extra blankets and towels we could find to make enough cat beds and I now have to buy 40 pound bags of cat food--more than one at a time!

But the family member who is suffering the most is poor Annie--our one and only DOG. I'm quite sure Annie is one of the most patient dogs in the world. At least here in the country, when Annie gets tired of being surrounded by creatures named Boo Boo, Tuna and Avalanche (the white cat, of course), she can take out her aggressions by running and running and running. Having plenty of space for Annie to run may have saved a few cats from ending up in the top of a tree.

Moral of today's story--if you don't like cats, you probably shouldn't move to the country!

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May 16, 2008...It has been cool and rainy here this spring. Rainy to the point of keeping folks out of their gardens since they would be up to their armpits in mud. And it's only worse in the fields around us, so the farmers are having to play Mother Nature's games this time around. There was one short break when things dried out enough to plant some of the corn and beans, but now it is sit and wait again.

From my perspective, getting a break during the planting season is not all bad. For a week now, I have been able to drive my car down the road without following one of those International Harvesters that they sing about on the country music stations. When we decided to move to the farm land, I forgot that at certain times of the year, the highway construction crews don't hold a candle to the farmers in their ability to back up traffic and create obstacle courses.

It's not so bad if you are on a state highway, but when you get off the main routes and head down the country roads (where we live), the challenges can be exciting. Seeing a giant John Deere tractor with a 28-foot wide plow coming toward you definitely can cause some panic. And, it never fails--you will be right next to a mailbox on a steel post when you meet up with the tractor. These rigs are even scarier looking because they have plow arms that are folded up and tower in the air and you always just know that they are going to unfold and drop on your car just as you go by.

So while I have empathy for the farmers waiting for drier weather so they can finish their planting, I do appreciate being able to drive to down without playing "dodge the tractor".

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May 9, 2008...Last time I wrote about planting and growing great big tomatoes. Now I need to tell all of you city folks about the see-saw life of country agriculture that not only includes growing stuff--it includes getting rid of (killing) stuff.

When we first moved to the country, I was so excited that I would now have space to create a huge garden and experiment with all that gardening knowledge that was circling around in my head desperately looking for a place to be useful. I was all prepared to delve into the world of farming with my little stash of garden tools, more than enough plants from the local nursery and the usual assortment of potting soil, top soil, and a variety of fertilizers.

What I have learned since that time is, you need to START the gardening year by killing everything first! By "everything", I am referring to the endless variety of weeds that are native to our area. I now know that the first sign of Spring around here is not the crocuses peeping out through the snow, it is the remnants of last year's weed crop peeking out around the edges of the garden stepping stones as if to say, "We're back!"

So this year, my first purchase at the tractor supply store (yes, tractor supply--a store not well-known in downtown Denver where we used to be) was not fertilizer or seedling plants--it was a few gallons of weed and grass killer. Yeah, gallons. We have a 20-gallon sprayer tank on the back of our four-wheeler and I buy the weed killer in concentrate form. I learned the first year on the farm that one of those little hand-sprayer bottles of weed killer lasts about an hour around here.

My main goal for this week is to be sure there is more gravel in the driveway than weeds. I was winning that race until it rained all day yesterday--now I figure the weeds have a new supply of energy and I am probably back to square one, but it won't be the last time. I just hope I can get a few things to grow faster than the weeds this year.

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May 3, 2008...The sun is shining and the fields are finally drying out from the recent rains--time to PLANT stuff! Ah, yes...that is one of the reasons for moving to the country...to PLANT stuff...be "self-sufficient"...grow healthy food.

Now last year we had our first summer season in our new home. I was so revved up to show my gardening skills and experiment with growing techniques that I could hardly wait for each new day to warm up so I could run outside and dig in the dirt. Plant, plant, plant.

The first lesson I learned was--you CAN plant too much. For example, you do NOT need to have one of each type of tomato plant available...especially when there are only two people living in your household. Probably a couple of tomato plants would be plenty. So last year, rather than be wasteful at harvest time, I did freeze a few (ok--a few dozen) containers of tomatoes. (Those saved Cool Whip containers come in handy sometimes.) I tried giving the excess away to all the relatives and neighbors, but--and here is another country lesson--if folks want tomatoes, they grow their own...that made it impossible to pawn off all mine on unsuspecting friends last year.

The second lesson I learned last year--when your garden is on ground that use to be a horse corral, your plants are going to grow to be LARGE! No need for any extra FERTILIZER. Forget the wire tomato cages that only stand three feet tall--those might contain the bottom half of the tomato plants grown in a horse corral, but you probably are going to need some kind of metal scaffolding to hold up those plants because they are not only going to be tall, they are going to have tomatoes on them that weigh a pound each--and there will be at least three tomatoes that size on each stem of the plant! If someone does a re-make of "The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes", they need to come see me for some great props.

Our property is surrounded by a 100-acre field that will be planted in corn this year. (you know--corn=ethanol=lots of money) So while I am doing my "plowing" with my little two blade roto-tiller today, I am going to be working next to the gigantic, multi-million dollar tractors, plows and planters that will be in the field next to me. Kinda puts a different perspective on those tomato plants that seem so over-whelming. They are really only a speck of dust in the agricultural world. Nevertheless, I'm quite sure they will be my "babies" all summer long.

I'll keep you posted.

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APRIL 30, 2008...In farm country, there are a variety of groups that help support the local 4-H community. Since moving to Indiana, I have been going with a cousin of mine to the meetings of a local women's extension club (extension of the 4-H, for those of you who are still city slickers).

Well, last month it was my cousin's turn to host the meeting in her home and I knew she had a lot of "stuff" going on in her life and a lot of obligations, so I offered to help her by taking a dessert to serve everyone--we always have something to eat at each meeting. Almost immediately after the offer came out of my mouth, I realized what I had just done...I was going to be cooking for ladies who have a total of about a 1000 years of cooking experience between them...and not just ANY cooking experience. These are the women who bake pies and desserts for the county fair, and maybe even the STATE FAIR! The STATE FAIR of Indiana, no less. They probably all have walls full of blue ribbons! Oh, geez...help me, God!

Yeah, I know what you are thinking. What is the problem...after all, I do have a FOOD website which must mean I love cooking, right? Sure. I own about 200 cookbooks and a file filled with 45 years of accumulated recipes. But talk about unnerving...I had just volunteered to make a dessert for a group of women who could consider me a "beginner"! Oh, well--my intentions were good, so I decided to just go for it and hope for the best.

And the result--after spending what seemed like an eternity of days brooding over most of the dessert recipes known to man (or woman), I decided to keep it simple to avoid a last minute disaster that I would have no time to repair. (I've had enough of those in my life!) I settled on the Whipping Cream Pound Cake Recipe that we have on the website under cakes; then I cut up strawberries, covered them with sugar and refrigerated them to make a delicious sauce and bought some vanilla ice cream! That's right--just a souped up version of strawberry shortcake! And you know what--it was a hit! Thank goodness.

So whether you have been cooking for 80 years or 6 months, remember, keeping things simple sometimes works much, much better than trying to impress. This experience made me have an even deeper appreciation for the kind of recipes we love to put on our website!

If you have had a nerve-racking cooking experience (and who hasn't?), tell us about it on our blog site. Sharing the funny times helps all of us laugh a little when something goes wrong in the kitchen! Here's to LOL!

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APRIL 24, 2008...My mind was just kinda jumping around today to a lot of different thoughts about food as it relates to living in the country. I believe if you are thinking of moving out of the big city, you need to consider the following.

First, don't forget if you move to the country, Pizza Hut and Domino's DO NOT deliver. If you want "take out" pizza, you have to go get it yourself. And with the cost of gas these days, that about doubles the cost of your pizza! (And some towns are so small they don't even HAVE pizza!! Imagine that!)

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Second, if you are addicted to Burger King, McDonald's, Arby's, Wendy's or whatever--forget it. When you live away from town, you can't just "drive by and grab lunch". You're usually driving by a field of cows, or a hog house, or a corn field...but not any quick lunch stop. By the time you drive to the closest town to search out that Big Mac or Whopper, you could have gone home and made a three course lunch in your own kitchen. No convenience food out on the farm.

Third, if you have big ideas about growing your own organic food as soon as you get that home in the country (to make up for not getting your Whoppers and pizza), be prepared. It takes a mountain of information to do organic gardening the right way and you may be forced by armies of small creepy, crawly creatures to give up your well-meaning projects almost before you get them started. Your first purchase for organic gardening should be "The Big Book of Bugs". Of course, even after you identify them (and sometimes they all look alike) you need to learn the best, non-chemical way to keep bugs from devouring your beautiful garden. From my experience last year, the easiest and most efficient way to organically rid your plants of these pests might be to take a large broom and "shoo" them away, and if they don't leave, just beat them to death with the broom. Hopefully, they will NOT be sitting on, let's say, your tomatoes when you strike them with the broom and you will still end up with some produce and it will still be organic--no chemicals involved when you beat bugs with a broom. And you need to remember--there are a few "good" bugs--the kind that eat the "bad" bugs...so be sure you don't confuse the two...if you can even tell them apart.

So those are a few of my advisory thoughts for today regarding food in the country. I'm sure I will have more later. There is a lot to learn out here!

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APRIL 22, 2008...I got the first lawn mowing of the year done--only took almost 3 hours. It took a little longer than usual because I had to start out by raking rocks. You see, in the winter, when the snow plow runs up and down our lane (which is long), it hurls the stones on the gravel driveway everywhere. Then in the Spring, I get to rake all those rocks back onto the driveway where they are supposed to be. That is when I have a new appreciation for all that asphalt in the city that everyone is always complaining about...at least you don't have to rake asphalt every Spring!

Last week I was telling a few folks about our website--about having recipes and country experiences to share. I was quickly told that it would not seem right if we did not have a category for Jello recipes. That's right--J-E-L-L-O. Now the reason for those comments was originally to harass me because in my family I have been known as the "Queen of Jello" for quite a few years. It started when I innocently made some Jello salads for a couple of family holiday dinners. Soon, when assignments were given out telling everyone what they should contribute for the next get-together, I was assigned a Jello salad. I love the creative side of Jello, but I must admit, I did come up with a few strange ones--like the one that had French dressing in the Jello. My sister-in-law to-be had to swallow hard and force a smile to keep from choking on that one!

Anyway, just to play into the joke, I started taking Jello salads and desserts to EVERY family dinner. I have Jello recipes coming out my ears and my family has given me all sorts of Jello cookbooks over the years--including "antique" ones.

Thus, the comments about putting a Jello category on Easy Down-Home Recipes. I have to say, it sounds appealing to ME! I might find some great new ideas to try out on everyone! So if you have a Jello recipe you would like to share--new or traditional--be sure to send it to us. Just click here. I can surprise my friends and family with some new fun!

Oh, and by the way--did you know there is a Jell-O Museum in LeRoy, NY? It has been there since 1997 which was the centennial year for Jell-O. It features Jell-O commercials that starred Lucille Ball, Andy Griffith and Bill Cosby. For more information check The Jello Museum for the gelatinous details.

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APRIL 18, 2008...Oh,my gosh! The lawn has turned green overnight. Mowing season is just around the corner--and in Indiana, lawn mowing is like the state bird or the state flower--it is the state pastime! No kidding. The lawn mower dealers in Indiana must be the richest people in the state.

When we lived in Colorado, we had to almost beg plants and lawns to grow. And they only cooperated if you spent all your money on water and fertilizer and if you lived where there were no elk or deer who loved munching on your colorful creations.

But moving to the country in Indiana changed our whole lawn mowing/gardening concept. Instead of a weed-wacker to mow your lawn, you have to have a riding mower that cost thousands of $$$$. And even with that riding mower, you better set aside at least 2 or 3 hours at a time to get the job done. And when there is plenty of rain to help the grass along (which is most of the time), then you will be riding that mower around a couple days a week at least.

We have a little over an acre of lawn at our farm house. We have been dreaming up all sorts of ways to eliminate as much of that grass as possible. Our best solution so far seems to be digging a lake-sized hole and maybe buying a couple of blow-up rafts to relax on after we finish mowing the part of the lawn that remains.

I'll keep you posted on what plan of attack we end up using. I'll have a lot of time to think about it as I cruise around on my mower in my sun bonnet, slathered with sunblock trying to keep from becoming a french fry.

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APRIL 12, 2008...It is ladybug season here in Indiana farm country. That’s right, ladybug. We never knew there was such a thing. Ladybugs were just those cute little round polka dot creatures you drew in first grade and knew would bring you good luck. Every once in a while you might see one in your yard in the suburbs. Well, out here in our hundred-year-old farm house, we now know we are the proud owners of the vacation destination for all the world’s ladybugs! (or so it seems)

It starts when you think you are seeing spots in front of your eyes, but then you realize those spots are moving up the wall, down the wall, across the floors, along the window sills. They are not spots—it is the annual return of the ladybugs. Now as cute as they are, an over-abundance of them does not necessarily make them cuter. And, when you hear the unnerving CRUNCH of a deceased ladybug under your bare foot, they REALLY are not cute anymore. Yeah, ladybugs don’t have a long life span, so unfortunately, the spots eventually stop moving and you get to sweep them up—a kind of depressing experience. This is country fun at its best!

So if you are considering a move to the country, remember that your image of those darling little ladybugs—the ones you drew with crayons—might have to change a little bit.

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