Vita Marie Lovett

EGG COUNT CONTEST—GUESS HOW MANY EGGS WERE LAID IN 2011

Sharpen your pencils, get out the calculator, the Annual Egg Count Contest is here again!  The girls, 23 of them, have been quite busy this past year.

If you can guess how many eggs were laid from January thru December you will win the Grand Prize:”Chicken and Egg” Suburban Homesteading Cookbook by Janice Cole.  I received this cookbook as a gift and loved all the delightful stories and delicious egg recipes I knew I had to get one to give as the prize for this year. 

 Just enter your guess via the comment section of the Blog (or email if you prefer).

Entries must be submitted by February 5, 2012……a winner will be selected by the number closest to the actual count.   Only entries from U.S.A. accepted, as prize will be mailed.  (Bribes in the form of cash or jewelry are acceptable).

We keep a daily count every single egg laid, even the ones I dropped!

I noticed on another blog that on some Wednesdays a photo was shared without any text.  I thought it was a clever idea and wanted to try it.  So I figured this one should go first. (pretend like you did not read the text)

My Niece-ling Jamey and Matt who are expecting their first child decided to host a “Reveal Party”.  Friday when they went to the doctor  to find out if it was a girl or boy they decided not to find out  - but to have the nurse call our bakery and tell them which color to frost the inside of the cake: pink or blue.

We gathered at 6:00 for appetizers and to list our guess of boy or girl along with name suggestions.  The timer was set for 7:00 to cut the cake for the “reveal”. (Everybody tried poking, staring at the cake, etc).

The frosting was BLUE; they are having a little BOY!!  They gave the first slice to Stella, the baby’s great grandmother.  What fun!!

The annual hike on New Year’s Day in the Smoky Mountains, a great way to start the year off right!  First heart rock of 2012 also found.

Wishing you a creative and exciting New Year!

Enjoy this cozy drink by the fireplace!

Fran’s Red Velvet Hot Cocoa with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

4 cups whole milk

1 dash water

¾ cup semi sweet chocolate chips

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon red food coloring

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2-4 tablespoons whipped cream cheese, room temp

 Make the whipped cream:

In a mixer, combine the heavy cream and sugar.  Whip on medium speed with the whisk attachment for 2-3 minutes.  Just before peaks form, add the cream cheese and whisk for another 2 minutes.  Taste and add more cream cheese to taste.  Be careful not to over whip! 

In a medium saucepan heat the milk over medium heat.  Add a splash of water and chocolate chips, constantly stirring gently.  When almost melted, add red food coloring and stir.  When the chocolate chips are thoroughly melted, pour the hot chocolate into mugs and to with the whipped cream.

4 servings

Four Calling Birds….

Ring in the Holidays!

(Mary, Emma, Agnes & Fran featured)

Abigail opening up her gift from Melani early — the catnip just got the best of her!

Visiting Santa can be challenging, you can tell from the photos…..and I still want to know where the heck is my Barbie Dreamhouse?

This is cousin Geri’s yummy and quick recipe!

EGGNOG POUNDCAKE

1 (16-oz.) package pound cake mix

1 1/4 cups eggnog

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat all ingredients together at low speed with an electric mixer until blended. Increase speed to medium, and beat 2 minutes. Pour into a lightly greased 9- x 5-inch loaf pan.
• 2. Bake at 350° for 1 hour  or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

It is already the start of the holiday season – that only means one thing.  We drag out the ladder and shotgun.  The ladder is to hang the garland  up on the Turtle Creek Sign and the shotgun is for the annual shooting of mistletoe.  Mistletoe grows on hardwood trees at least 75′ up.  The only way to get it is to shoot it down!

We have wonderful news:  Our niece-ling Jamey and Matt are expecting a baby in June!  They shared the good news with the extended family during  Thanksgiving……She will have to teach her little “prayer” to the young one now.  We are over the moon with happiness for them.

At this time of giving thanks, I think this little children’s prayer truly says it all.   Over the years it has been tradition to have our youngest niece bless our family meals with it.

God we thank you for this food.

For rest and home and all things good.

For wind and rain and sun above,

But most of all those we love.

Meet Newman and Cloe………they are Tami and Fred’s new little puppies!

Cute Overload!  These rocket powered pups will certainly keep my brother and Tami busy.

Perfect way to welcome November . . .

Wolfgang Puck’s Butternut Squash Soup

3 lbs butternut squash (peeled, seeded and cut into 3” cubes)

1 lb Idaho potatoes (peeled, cut into 3” cubes)

6 cloves of garlic

2 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon curry powder

In a stock pot, place potatoes, squash and garlic together and fill with water about 2 inches above contents.  Place on stove and bring to a boil.  Cook until a knife inserted just slides thru the squash (about 30 minutes).

Add remaining ingredients and stir well.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat and mix with a hand blender until creamy/smooth.

W I C K E D   H A L L O W E E N   W I S H E S !!

We have renovated our landscaping here at Turtle Creek with the help of My Personal Gardener, as family owned and operated company with a great eye for detail.  Next up is painters for the outside porches.  

Just picked little pumpkins

Many have asked how is little Fran doing, here she is at the vet’s  office last week because she still retains fluids and needed to be “drained” (or we like to think of it as a tummy tuck).  She of course was be best behaved patient they had that day.  Fran is feeling sooo much now! 

We are lucky to have a wonderful chicken sitter….. direct from Venice Italy and Marco Island, yes we pay top dollar for her….Denise Marie.   They need to be on the best behavior now.

Whistler House Museum of Art’s  “Art Quilts” Exhibit will run from August 10 thru September 3 in Lowell, MA.  One of my  pieces “Robinson Farm Girl” will be featured.

This farm gal is a buff orpington hen who has the pleasure of living in a historic 1915 five story dairy barn.  The girls come and go through an open side window.  Robinson Farm located in Woodstock, Vermont and is part of the Farmhouse Inn Bed and Breakfast.  Now you can see who really provides the breakfast.

When driving you get used to seeing hand written signs tacked to telephone poles or trees…you know Yard Sale, Lost Dog, Free Kittens………  Well here’s a new one I had not seen before:

Hummm?  Selling men?  I already had one to feed and care for but I decided to drive and find the sale anyway.

Turns out it is a Yard Sale with stuff a “Man” would buy.  Tools, wood, scraps of metal, parts, junk.  Clever, very clever, I wonder how many other people drove to see what they were selling!

This week we are celebrating sweet Abigail Marie who will be  7  years old!!