Week 17: Pink Popsicles

So one day as I was browsing on Pinterest, this seems to happen too frequently, I came across a recipe for Homemade Orange Creamsicles.  Well, I was able to talk my younger sister into making them ;).  We used half n half in place of the heavy cream because that is what we had, we also didn't have the orange extract.  They turned out really good!  They were very creamy and orange-y.  I don't have pictures of those.   But, that recipe gave my sister the idea to make a Strawberry Popsicle.  I did manage to get some pictures of those.

 

The perfect treat on a hot Summer day!!

 

 

Or a cool Spring day!!

Even the little boys like them!!

 

 

 

Strawberry Blast Pops

3/4 C. Orange Juice

1/2 C. Half and Half (or whole milk)

1 C. Frozen Strawberries

1/4 tsp. Sugar if needed

 

Blend all ingredients, pour into popsicle molds or small cups.

Insert popsicle stick and freeze for 4 hours, or until frozen.

To remove the popsicle from the mold, run the outside of the cup

under hot water for a few seconds.  This will melt the outer layer next to the cup

and the popsicles will slide out.

Enjoy!!

 

 



Week 16: A Black and White Barn

Some more barn pictures!!  My Aunt asked me to take some pictures of the old barn that her Dad grew up with, so of course I said yes!  I was originally planning on getting some pictures of the barn in Winter with snow and some in Summer.  But, I never got any with snow on the ground.  It will have to wait till next Winter I guess.  Unless we get snow tonight, as it is in the forecast!  This Spring doesn't seem too eager to warm-up, that's for sure.

 

I have been playing around in Photoshop and came up with this edit.  I think the grey banner goes well with the black and white coloring of the photo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is another edit without the banner. 

 

 

Originally, I wasn't going to keep this photo as it had a weird bluish tint to it (my fault in not getting the settings correct).  After some editing, I was able to save it!  I liked how it turned out.

What about you?  Do you ever edit a photo that you originally didn't like, and then end up liking it afterward?

Week 15: Spring Is Here, But Winter Came to Visit

Spring is finally here!  The grass is green, the daffodils are blooming, the birds are singing and new baby calves are being born!  But Winter isn't going to give up that easy, so for the next few days he'll be hanging around until Spring kicks him out for good. 

Over the last week I have been busy planting potatoes and strawberries.  We had several days in a row where it was in the 70*s and the nights in the 40*s.  I planted 10 lbs. of seed potatoes and hope to get 4 more planted soon.  This year I am going to try to grow some purple potatoes, they're called Purple Majesty.  I should've taken some pictures of the cut seed but I didn't.  I'll have to get some pictures of the harvest to show you guys.  In all I am growing seven different varieties of potatoes, they include: Purple Majesty, Purple Viking, German Butterball, Red Pontiac, Kennebec, Irish Cobbler, and Dakota Pearl.  I was going to grow Yukon Gold instead of Dakota Pearl and Irish Cobbler, but I was too late in buying the seed tubers.  I couldn't find them anywhere.  We grew them two years ago and they tasted amazing!

As for the Strawberries I planted 3 varieties: Jewel, All Star, and Honeoye.  Seventy-five plants in all.  They are all June-bearing.   I planted them about 12-14 inches apart both ways in my strawberry bed and another small bed we had.  The last Strawberries we had were Honeoye, they grew very well and the berries were big.  Hopefully we will have lots of strawberries next summer!!

We have been getting lots of rain the past few days.  Maybe not a lot, but some.  Compared to last year we are getting a lot.  I'm just thankful to be getting rain at all!  I like cloudy-rainy days!  The rain seems to make things all the more pretty.  It makes the grass greener and the trees darker.  Not to mention the lighting, even though it makes taking pictures all that more difficult.  IF I can figure my camera settings out, the dark rainy days make for better photos than the bright sunny ones do.

                                                 I'm so excited Spring is here!

                            The Grape Hyacinths are blooming, aren't they so cute!

                                           The Chickens are also happy Spring is here.

How has the weather been in your area?  Are you seeing signs of Spring yet?

"In the light of a king's face there is life,

and his favor is like the clouds

that bring the spring rains."

Proverbs 16:15