Random Ramblings from a rambling girl

Hey there everyone!! Sorry I have not posted in so long. But I want to get you all caught up on what I have been doing. So, to start.



I get done with school next week!!!!! All I have had to do for the last few weeks is history and literature, but I can not wait to get done. More time for 4-H projects, helping Dad and getting some much waited for reading done. I have not gotten to do a whole lot of that lately. I will still have writing class until the middle of May, but that's ok. Although I am not really looking forward to writing my paper on CRP. Oh well, this is the last tri then it is all over.



Dance recital is next weekend, so I have stayed very busy with rehearsals, pictures and all those other things that go into a dance recital. Although it keeps you hopping, all the prep work has been a lot of fun. I am in 8 dances, a first for me, since I am taking ballet again this year. The last few years I have just taken Irish, so I have been in one, maybe two dances a recital. This year's recital is going to be amazing!!



I have been working on 4-H projects for the last few months, but now is the time to really crack the whip since school is almost done. Today I finished stripping the paint off of the secretary that I am refinishing and took the fabric off of a foot stool that I am reupholstering. Last week I finished my scrapbook of my trip to New York City, although I still have to do the goal card. I have picked out my pattern for the dress that I want to make and am planning on starting that as soon a recital is all over with. We have gotten our garden started and have plants growing in the green house. I can't wait for farm fresh veggies!!!! I have my meat rabbits bred so they are due at the correct time so I can show at least one meet pen at the fair, if all goes well. The chickens are growing up. We started them on layer feed this week. The horses are doing well. I am going to start training them to pull a cart, although they probably will not go to fair this year. I have started working with Fritzy, practicing all of her amazing obedience skills. I was actually quite surprised at how well she did the first time we practiced. Goes to show you how smart my dog really is!!!



I have been helping my dad fix things up around this place, but that is a post of it's own so I will get back to you on that.



Also, I have been going outside for a run (and some walking first to warm myself up and then to cool down at the end) every morning. Fritzy likes to come with me, although she stops to sniff and has to catch up.



Well, I think that is about all I have to say. Catch you all later!!!

Granita di limone recipe and Italian dinner pictures

Hey everybody!! I am going to share with you all the recipe for Granita di limone, or lemon flavored ice. This stuff is amazing!! I don't know if any of you have ever had a lemon shake-up (we get them at our county fair), but Granita di limone tastes just like one. So here is the recipe:

• Ingredients

2 cups of water

2/3 cup sugar

juice and rind of 2 lemons

• Equipment

saucepan

grater or zester

lemon squeezer

plastic tray or bowl

• Squeeze the lemon juice and grate the lemon rind. Set aside.
• Boil water and sugar in a saucepan for 5 minutes, stirring to make sure the sugar dissolves.
• Remove from heat, add the lemon juice and grated lemon rind, and leave to cool.
• Pour into a tray or bowl that can be put in a freezer. Place in the freezer for 3-4 hours.
• Stir every 30 minutes to scrape the ice crystals into the mixture. This makes a softer, finer water ice.
• You can try making other flavors with different kinds of juice or even coffee. Italians really like coffee!

Makes approximately 6 servings

Recipe from A Taste of Italy by Jenny Ridgwell.

I hope you try Granita di limone. It is very good and very easy to make!! Now, some pictures.

Making Tiramisu

Tiramisu all done! Doesn't it look great?

Ravioli dough

Ravioli ready to cook

Jonathan putting together fruit and cheese

Barley Soup with Sausage

Our menu!

Enjoying the meal and fellowship

l to r - Carol, Phyllis, Me

l to r - Dad, Jonathan, Rachel

If anyone wants any of the other recipes, I would be glad to pass them on.

'becca

Our Italian Dinner and the After Dinner Entertainment

Last night, my sister Rachel and I, along with help from my mom and brother Jonathan, hosted an Italian dinner. We invited two older ladies from church to come and enjoy a meal with us. Well, they enjoyed it, but we had some unexpected after dinner entertainment. But we will talk about that later.

Rachel and I started at 9:00 in the morning with the desserts and things that need to refrigerate for some time. We took a break around lunch and then were back at it. Jonathan kept us informed with how much time we had until our guest arrived and took care of all the "we are not going to get done in time" stuff. One less thing for me and Rachel to worry about. I will not go through the whole cooking process because that would take WAY to much time to type. But I will tell you what was on the menu:

Appetizers -

Fruit balls with cheese and vegetables

Bruscette with tomato and basil

Main Course -

Barley soup with sausage served with garlic bread sticks

Ravioli with tomato sauce and Focaccia herb and cheese bread

Fettucine Alfredo

Dessert - Tiramisu

Granita di limone

Aftter dinner -

Biscotti

To drink -

Sparkling Mineral Water

Sparkling White Grape Cocktail

Sparkling Red Grape Cocktail

Lemonade

Italians drink wine with their food, but we stuck with non-alcoholic drinks. Also, I made a coconut custard pie, just in case the Tiramisu did not turn out. We had never made it before, so we wanted to make sure we had something good for dessert.

So we had gone through all our courses and mom was warming up water so we could have tea with our Biscotti and I was sitting at the table, looking out the window. I had turned away and then saw a blur out of the corner of my eye. I look out and running right for the road is Thunder and Lightening!! I know what you are thinking, "Again!! How can she put up with these pea-brained mini horses!?!?!" But I took off out of the house, went into the barn and grabbed the halters and ropes, jumped in dad's car and took off. Rachel was already headed down the road, so we stopped to let her in. Just down from us, some folks have four horses (3 horses and 1 pony actually) and our horses saw them and headed that direction. Well, that was a gift from God, because a car was able to herd them up those folks' driveway. Thunder and Lightening ran toward the other horses, but the fence comes to a L shape, so they were stuck. Rachel , Dad and I had made it up there by this time, so Rachel and I went and put their halters on. Now at this time you are asking "What about the other one? Where is he?" Well, let me enlighten you. We get Thunder and Lightening on ropes and head for home. As I start down the driveway, I see what I think is Storm moving toward the road. To back track a little, when I got the halters and ropes, Storm was still in the pen. I figured that Mom or Grandpa would come out and put him into the barn. Well that is not what happened. Now you are gripping your seat really hard, filled with suspense. Grandpa to the rescue it is. He had gone out and was able to catch Storm and put him away. YAHOO!! So Dad and I are walking home with Thunder and Lightening, while Grandma (did I forget to mention that she had brought Jonathan down in her car?) took Jonathan and Rachel home to help catch Storm, whom we thought was still loose. By this time though Grandpa had them and everybody was safe. So we walked the bad boys home and put them into the barn and now are going to board up the fence so they can only be in front of the barn for a while. But until that is done, they will be staying in the barn. We will walk them around some but they are not getting taken off the ropes until the fence is fixed.

So there you go. The ladies very much enjoy our meal and even the "after dinner entertainment" as they called it. We were going to do an Irish Jig (yes, I know that is not Italian) because they had never seen us dance, but that got put off until next time.

Excitement. That is what you come to expect when you have three mini horses. And, since you all read my blog, you get to partake in the excitement. Hope you enjoy!!

'becca