The Last Few Days up in the Mount.

So, I was looking at my mother's camera and came across some photos she took last Sunday, and I decided I would blog them on. Last Sunday, was cleaning time, moving time, and for me, well, I got in a last minute horse ride with one of our neighbors. Actually, the neighbor who used to own Spirit. I also have some pictures from BEFORE the wedding and when our good friend and photographer, Missy, was visiting.

But first I will post a photo of a AWESOME sunset. It isn't the best photo. We were in the car and Mom pulled to a stop so I could take a pic as we went to pick up my older brother from work.

Lil' bro takes a photo of Missy with her camera.

This photo is one that my older brother took of our old property, before we moved.

Riding Flash. Flash is a Thoroughbred/Quarter Horse gelding. He is a nice ride, very responsive.

Our neighbor and I riding Flash and Gunny. Gunny has such a gorgeous coat!

This Sunday we had some friend's stay for lunch after Sunday meeting. Their two or three year old helped make pizza, and play in the flour.

The Last Eight Years!

We are moved....But definitely not completely unpacked. We brought our big German Shepherds down last night and they are still adjusting. Elsie, however, is settled in quiet well.

I decided to make a picture post about the last eight years of our life in the mountains, and tell about what we did and what we learned!

We built a stucco house and several other buildings on our property.

Made hand prints in our dog kennel.

Raised our first dogs, Poimein and Skia

Skia

We learned how to raise chickens. Me and Tennessee.

(Thank you Missy's Photography)

Raised meat lambs for several years. (Wilbur, Patches, Delta in the far back, Hoody? and Conqueror.)

Purchased, half raised, and attempted to train exotic yaks.

Owned our first and second camels, Tu and Gunner.

Tu

Owned our first horse, Ashanti.

Had a really good mare, Spirit.

(Thanks to Missy's Photography)

Learned to ride.

We met new friends.

Explored different areas.

And did countless other things! Enjoy!

~Western Belle

Friday Night Dinner!

This Friday we had an exceptional dinner that included fried potatoes, ratatouille, and dupe steak. Mom and I worked together to get it put together - I helped with the Ratatouille and Steak.

Steak

To start with, we had two kinds of steak. Yak and beef. Last night everybody seemed to think the beef was a lot better. The beef was real tender (most of it).

Recipe:

1/4 a cup soy sauce

3/4 a cup of oil

1Garlic Powder

2 Tbsp honey

1 1/2 tsp ginger (ground up).

2 scallions, chopped (green onions)

......

Flank Steak

Mix the sauce together. Defrost the steak sliced diagonally. Place steak in a container or bag and pour sauce over it. Shake the bag so that the steak is well covered in the sauce. Place in the fridge and soak all day. (Put the bag in another container so it does not get all over!)

Grill until done to your liking.

Roast Potatoes

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees F.

Recipe:

7 potatoes, cut into 1/8

Salt

Pepper

Oil

1 1/2 tsp. Rosemary

1 1/2 tsp. Basil

3/4 tsp. Garlic Powder

Directions:

Mix salt, pepper, oil, and other ingredients into a bowl with potatoes. Pour into a large glass baking dish and bake till your liking.

Ratatouille

(I did not take this photo)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

(We got this recipe from Allrecipes.com)

Recipe:

3 Tbsp olive oil

4 1/2 cloves of garlic

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1-2 eggplants (cut into 1/2 inch cubes and salt to your taste)

1- 1/2 cups o

3-5 zucchini, sliced

1-1/2 large onions, sliced into rings

3 cups of fresh, sliced mushrooms

1-1/2red or green bell peppers, sliced

3 large tomatoes, chooped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat bottom and sides of a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic until lightly browned. Mix in parsley and eggplant. Saute until eggplant is soft, about 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

Spread eggplant mixture evenly across bottom of prepared casserole dish.

Sprinkle with a few tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Spread zucchini in an even layer over top. Lightly salt and sprinkle with a little more cheese. Continue layering in this fashion, with onion, mushrooms, bell pepper, and tomatoes, covering each layer with a sprinkling of salt and cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes

.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Homemade Style)

Working as a volunteer TnT Girls Leader for AWANA can have a couple weird things.... Like Pie Night. And when you really do not want to get a pie of whipped cream in your face, you can always try bribing. I did. And I succeeded... with one girl (I still got a pie, though, from her older sister) And so I ended up making a bunch of cookies for all the girls anyways, as it is towards the end of the year.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes over 30 cookies.

Supplies:

Blender

Mixer

Cookie Sheet

Butter, Choc. Chips (or Carob Chips), Sugar (Brown and White), Eggs, Oats, Salt, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, White Flour, and Vanilla.

Thanks Denimcowgirl... for the reminder. Preheat the oven to 375 and cook for 6-7 minutes. It normally takes mine about 10 though, but that might be altitude.

2 Cups of Butter. (About one whole package and defrosted.)

2 Cups of White Sugar

2 Cups of Brown Sugar

.......Mix

4 Eggs

2 Tsp. of Vanilla

3 Cups of Ground Oats

.....Mix

5 Cups of Flour

1 Tsp. Salt

2 Teasp. of Baking Powder

2 Teasp. of Baking Soda

.....Mix

If wanted, add as many Choc. Chips (or Carob Chips) as preferred.

Whats Been Going On :)

WE have been moderately busy with our lives on this end of the Rockies!

To start with, we sold our house up here and are planning (LORD WILLING) on moving towards the foothills (East) to a rental. I plan, LORD willing, to post some pictures of the home and its remodeling... which we plan to get done!

The house is a, I think, 1970's home that just needs a little updating. It is a nice four bed room home, with a dining room, family room, and living room (3 baths.) I would like, we hope, to get my room done cowboy fashion with my sisters and I's bunkbeds (My sister plans to get married and move out this spring). If she comes back to stay it might be fun to share rooms again for a couple of weeks. My saddle, saddle rack, bridle rack, and cowboy hat (not including my riding gloves or new boots) should make a nice cowboy look to the room... I also have some stencils, Breyer Horse Models, and some pictures of my horses with me. My sister and I would like LORD willing, to go shopping Thursday a pick out some stuff.

The house will still need some work. Cupboards in the kitchen are not very nice will have to work for the moment. The kitchen over all has a very classy floor, and a great stove!!!!! The backyard has about a half an acre ( a lot for town). It has some neat rock formations on it and is fenced. The front yard is classically nice! The remaining bedrooms need some touch ups and new curtains and drapes. Me and my sister like it a lot!

Well... I plan, if possible, to take some pictures and post them (of the house._

Enjoy!

~Western Belle

Tiny Update!

I know I have been terrible about posting. Without Spirit around, I don't have a lot of farm stuff to post about.

To start with, we have not sold Tu yet. He is beginning to shed out and is huge! Hopefully, we can find a home for him shortly!

As some of you may or may not know, we are planning, LORD willing, to move back to the big town I was born in. You can all pray we make the right decisions. We may or may not take the chickens with us and are planning, LORD willing, on taking all three dogs and selling Tu.

My older sister has finished my bridesmaid dress for her wedding, in which, LORD willing, I will take place in as maid of honor! She has worked most of wedding dress out and Mom finished the men's vests.

You can read about Elsie under the new puppy tab. She has plenty of updates!

~Western Belle

Photos!

We had a pretty visitor a couple mornings ago. A pretty little (big) hawk.

I did not take the photos, my brothers did. But, I decided to post them anyways, as I was running across them while up loading photos of our new puppy, Elsie.

You can also view some of her new photos here: Photos Album.

Have fun!

~Western Belle