Rachael's Random Ramblings

Million Calorie Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

Million Calorie Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

1 lb. softened sweet butter

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup whole milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons homemade vanilla or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 lb bittersweet chocolate chips

• Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
• Grease a 10 inch tube pan and lightly flour. I also suggest that you line the bottom with parchment paper and have it come up the side an inch or so, as some batter leaked from the bottom.
• In a large mixing bowl by hand or with a beater, cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
• Then add 1 egg at a time, beating well till incorporated.
• Alternating add the flour and milk stirring by hand with a wooden spoon.
• Add the extracts and combine the cake batter till well blended.
• Fold in the chocolate chips till incorporated evenly in the cake batter.
• Carefully add the batter to the tube pan, smoothing the top to make sure it is even.
• Bake till a tester comes out clean anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Cool the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes then turn it out onto the rack to cool.

He Is Faithful!

He Is Faithful!

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.

Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV

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He is the LORD our God:
his judgments are in all the earth.

He hath remembered his covenant for ever,
the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.

Psalm 105:7,8 KJV

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Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;

Hebrews 10:23 NASB

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I prayed to the LORD my God and made confession, saying,
"O Lord, the great and awesome God,
who keeps covenant and steadfast love with
those who love him and keep his commandments."

Daniel 9:4 ESV

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God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

I Corinthians 1:9

Tamales With Roasted Green Chilies And Cheddar Cheese

I haven't tried these but they sound wonderful!

Tamales With Roasted Green Chilies And Cheddar Cheese

Makes 12

2 1/2 cups prepared corn masa
1/2 cup diced chiles
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, or pepper jack
12 whole, pitted black olives
Aprox 30 dry corn husks

Soak at least 30 husks in hot water for 20 minutes to soften. Once
softened, remove from water, separate, and shake off excess water.
Tear some husks 1/4 inch wide to form 24 strips to tie the ends with.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together the masa, chiles and cheese.
Take 1/4 cup at a time and place in the center of a large husk. With
your fingers, press dough ball into a 3 inch rectangle. Push one
olive into the center of dough. (This is traditional.) Place another
husk on top. Then roll from the long sides to form a cylinder shape.
Pinch and gently twist the ends and tie, snugly, being careful not to
break the husk tie. Continue until you have made 12 or so tamales.

When ready to cook, place in a steam pot and cover tightly and steam
the tamales for 30 to 35 minutes over simmering water, being careful
that your water does not cook away, add water if necessary. Do not
crowd the tamales too close together. Tamales are done when they feel
firm to the touch but not hard, and the dough comes away easily from
the husk. Remove from pot and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Sixteen years ago today...

...we said, "I do."

It was a warm autumn day in a courtyard of a beautiful old mansion. I wore a vintage styled gown with beautiful beadwork. I was not yet twenty and had no idea what "for better or for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health..." even meant. The years to follow would be lessons in all. 

 Labor pains and four children-- one going back to the arms of Jesus. The loss of my father and grandparents as well as the near death of my mother and his dad. Moves, job changes, and going back to college. Financial hardships and gains. Sickness, tests, and fear of the results. A few extra pounds and a few gray hairs. Everyday life, laughter and love.

 I don't know what we'll have to face together as time marches on, but I thank the Lord for my husband. We are far from perfect and definitely still learning, but I wouldn't want to be that young bride (well, maybe her size!) or trade what I know now.

I hope there is much yet to come. I look forward to growing older and rediscovering who we are. I'm glad we took those vows on that beautiful October day, but even more... I'm glad we meant them.

Good Afternoon Everyone!!

I am so very sorry I have not been a very dedicated blogger and I apologize. My Dad was in the hospital with a very bad kidney infection but he is out now and seems to be doing better my sister came over last weekend with my neices and nephews and we had to take my 3 year old nephew Jayden to the ER  he had a very high temperature and they diagnoised him with some kind of throat infection and gave him Tylenol w/ Codeine I have been real busy with College and worth actually while I am typing i am doing overtime.. we are backlogged so we are trying to catch up on everything.... well you all have a wonderful blessed day.. I know what I will be doing when I get gome... LAUNDRY....

Blessings,

Alyssa

Chicks and more plans

Its really kinda late in the year to oder chicks, but I had been wanting to order them for awhile now, but being the frugal woman I am I waited untill they were lower in price, they are still the same chicks only 'CHEAP'er....heehee...We always order from McMurray Hatchery and while I know they are a bit higher than other places I have never had an issue with them and they chicks arrive in top notch condition, so I am willing to pay a bit more for them...We ordered 50 layers. We ordered the "Brown Egg Layer Special" <--Click to see... and also the "Rainbow Egg Layer Special" <--Click to see  By April we should be seeing very increased egg production, we are hoping to moved to the farm in Oklahoma and begin selling our eggs to help pay for feed for all our critters.

Since our land is only 2 miles from a very popular fishing lake in that area we are also going to do 'worm farming' and sell worms for fishing...From what research we have done its relatively cheap to begin worm farming and can be a very profitable thing and since our Oklahoma farm is very close from a lake that is very busy in the spring and summer I think we could do pretty good at it...And our land does sit along a major hiway(hiway frontage). We are hopeful that we can come up with enough ventures to keep dh home and make enough money to survive and pay off the land in 1/2 the time.

So our goals are to raise and sell dairy goats with a herd of about 50, buy and sell chicks, sell eggs, raise chickens for food, raise and sell pigs but also use them for food for us, We would really like to raise guinea keets and sell them, we are also looking into selling ducks(mallard and rouen) and do the worm farm...with no more debt than we have this should be reasonable and taxes on our land are only 16.00 a year...LOL..can't beat that! Also dh does wood working type stuff, he builds chicken tractors, what we call rabbit tractors(will post a picture of one he built later), rabbit hutches, wooden nest boxes for chickens, he also build cute wooden bird houses, feed platforms for squirrels that attach to trees....just all kinds of stuff and we make a little extra money that way...God has blessed my husband with talent and we want to utilize it and give all the glory to God.

~Kris

Pray For Our Nation

I believe we are facing very perilous times in our beloved nation. Please remember to pray daily for our country and our leaders.

Blessings in Christ,

Grandma Rosie.

A Bittersweet Day

On Grandpa's eightieth birthday, we bought him a little pup that he named Rosie. She was by his side when he went out do to the chores, and in his lap when he sat in the swing to drink his tea. He's been gone for eight years now, but Rosie has been on the farm all that time and is now in her fourteenth year. We've known that she was on borrowed time. Each winter, we wondered if it would be her last. In the back of our minds, we knew that the day might come where we would have to make a decision. Though we hoped it wouldn't come to that, yesterday was that day.

It was hard to say goodbye to her. She was the last living piece of Grandpa on the farm. But, each of us said our good-bye and my oldest son and I took her to her final journey to the vet. She was wrapped in Gram's blanket and Grandpa's shirt and is now at rest here on the farm. Our youngest son was especially sad. One of his first words was "Ro Ro," the name he has called her since. He was mainly missing his grandparents, and questioning why everything that once belonged to them seems to have died or gone away. "But we do have the land," I reminded him. Something that will remain forever.

Farm life has a way of going on, however, which is what makes it so wonderful. We awoke to the sound of not one, but seven little peeping chicks this morning! It was an unexpected blessing. Momma Hen had a nest hidden away in one of the hosta plants. They are just precious and we have enjoyed watching them today. It's quite chilly here, so I noticed that she stops frequently to warm them.

Yes, that is the big story here. It's COLD! I was able to get out a new soft pumpkin colored sweater that I was looking forward to wearing. There are no bare feet in our house today and the extra quilts are coming out at bedtime...maybe even before. I do look forward to these autumn evenings. The house just seems so cozy. Our family is all gathered in one place again and we seem to reconnect after the busy summer. It's a truly wonderful time of the year.

( The picture above is Grandpa and two of my sons, after doing chores. I know I have shared this before, but I dearly love this picture. When he comes to mind, I always think of him and his love for his grandchildren.)

Quote...Thomas Jefferson.....WOW

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