Cream Puff

Cream Puff is a very sweet old Mama. Unlike most of our cows who would do great bodily harm if you came to close to there baby's, Cream Puff loves to be scratched & petted.
If she See's you out in the field, she will wander on over & see if she can get her itchy spots scratched. I do like to be on the other side of the fence to do this, because she is huge!
She wouldn't hurt you on purpose, but if she stepped on you or swung her gigantic head around it could be quite dangerous.
Last night was her calving time.
She walked into the corral, got a drink of water & stood by the barn door, waiting to be let in. Once in the barn she chose a nice birthing full of soft, clean straw & had a big bull calve.
I wish all of our cow's could be trained so well!!!!!

Plume of Smoke

Farmers are burning fields & getting ready for spring planting.

We have a great volunteer fire department in this area & have first hand knowledge of the fact.
Several years ago on a nice, sunny, spring day we where burning ditches. The flames where out so we went in to have lunch.
Glancing out the window, I saw a pickup barreling down our driveway & commented, "Gee whiz, what are they in such a hurry for?"
A young man jumped out & said that our hay stack was on fire.
At first I didn't believe him, as we had been burning about a quarter of a mile away from the stacks, but low & behold there was smoke rising.
The firemen came rushing to the rescue. It took them hours of hard work to get the smoldering hay stack to stop burning!

"The Kitchen God's Wife" by Amy Tan

Here is an exert from the book:

After we left Kweiyang, we drove higher and higher into the hills, then into the mountains. Hulan and I were staring over the side of the truck, very quite. Just to see that steep cliff made us feel as if we were already tumbling down. The road became skinnier and skinnier.

This is truly one of the best books I have read. I couldn't put it down!

It starts off with Winnies daughter narrating & you think Winnie is just a silly little Chinese lady, but boy when she starts telling her story you sure get a different perspective. It is Fascinating! The trials & tribulations she lived thru during war torn China & how she triumphed over her adversary's.

I believe some other readers must have greatly enjoyed this book, as I have had to tape the cover back on it.

What good books have you read lately?

Morning Muffins on Blue Willow

These muffins are great. Not to sweet & quite filling.
When I saw these plates being promoted at our local grocery store, I had to pick up a few.
They bring back fond childhood memories. My aunt Judy had a set of these dishes. I remember her serving us fabulous tuna sandwiches on them.

Legend of the Willow pattern plate

By, Mary L. Stollard

"Two birds flying high,

A Chinese vessel, sailing by.

a bridge with three men, sometimes four,

A willow tree, hanging o'er.

A Chinese temple, there it stands,

An apple tree, with apples on,

A crooked fence to end my song."

It tells of Knoon-shee, a lovely Chinese maiden, whose affections were bestowed upon her fathers secretary, Chang, but who was commanded by her parents to wed a wealthy rival suitor. She refused to comply with their wishes, whereupon her enraged father locked her up in the little house just visible on the left of the temple. From here she contrived to send a message to her lover, 'Gather thy blossom, ere it be stolen.'

Thus encouraged, Chang succeeded in entering the apple orchard and carrying off his beloved. So we see them hurrying over the bridge. Knoon-shee with a distaff, and Chang carrying her box of jewels, pursued by the angry father brandishing a whip.

The lovers made good their escape in the 'little ship sailing by' and landed on the island, which can be seen on the left of the picture, where they took refuge in the little wooden house. But the father and discarded suitor tracked them and set fire to the house while they were sleeping and so the lovers perished.

Next morning their spirits rose, Phoenix-like, in the form of two doves and we see them, with out-stretched wings, flying off to the realms of eternal happiness.

Morning Muffins

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup raisins

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped nuts

in a small mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and sour cream, beat well. Stir in carrots, coconut and raisins. Combine the flour, baking soda and cinnamon, stir into creamed mixture just until moistened. fold in nuts.

Fill greased muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.

Yield:1 dozen