Frozen Butter. . .
Yep, that's what started it all. Actually the lemons started it all. You see I wanted to make lemon bars. Now please understand, in our house we make lemon bars only one time each year. That time is when my in-laws come back from their winter abode in Desert Hot Springs, California. When they come back each year, they bring Meyer Lemons. Meyer Lemons the size of oranges. Meyer Lemons that they grew on their own little tree. They are amazing! You almost do not have to add sugar when you make lemonade! So that is the reason why lemon bars are only made at one time of year. After you have had those lemons, grocery store lemons don't cut it!
See, almost the size of a softball, you only need one of these suckers to make a whole pan of lemon bars.
So back to the frozen butter. So you see, I wanted to make lemon bars. I wanted to make them NOW! They only take 55 minutes from start to finish. But wouldn't you know it, the butter was in the freezer! I don't know how you all do it, but I have tried many ways to soften frozen butter quickly. The best way I have found it leave it on the counter and walk away and get into some really big consuming project so you are not checking to see if it is soft every 5 minutes. (I really hate waiting for butter to soften, and frozen butter even more so) I actually will pass over recipes that call for softened butter. So I have issues with patience in this area. So here is where is it sounded like such a good idea in my head. . .I needed to preheat the oven before I could make the bars, and I had this frozen butter. . . you see where this is headed. It was such a good idea. . .in my head. I put the frozen butter sticks in the oven where the intent was to watch them carefully as the oven heated and pull them out before they melted. Have I ever mentioned that I have 4 kids? Yea, someone called for me and low and behold I forgot about the butter till I came back into the room and heard sizzling from the oven. "Now what is sizzling? I don't think any cheese dripped off the pizza last night, hmmmmm...Oh NO! The butter!" Yep, oven off, windows open, fan on. Luckily I caught it fairly early, and only a bit of butter had melted off, but even a little pool of butter in the oven floor is a big mess. So an hour and some later, the oven cleaned, butter softened, I finally got to make the lemon bars. Probably took me the same amount of time as if I had just left the sticks on the counter and walked away! Lesson learned.
In other news, Easter came and went, as did Spring Break, and some really nice weather for being outside.
A neighbor came over during spring break and helped Phil put up a new fence. I think it was an excuse to play with the new tractor.
The tree peonies promised to put on a show. . .and they did, more pictures later.
The first of the spring tulips started showing off.
Daffodils came and went. I love Daffodils, they make it all ok on a dreary, grey rainy day.
The peach trees bloomed. I don't think we will get any peaches this year, but the blooms were beautiful!
I have always wanted a magnolia tree. I actually have two now, one on the other side of the house decided not to bloom for some reason.
The grape hyacinths I moved along the path came up/
The Easter mantle.
More baby chicks. . .with all those who want to buy eggs, our flock needs to be bigger. When all is said and done we should have 17 laying hens by autumn.
Easter pictures. Again, another great plan. After church, kids are hungry and want to go inside and change so they can have an Easter Egg hunt. Mom want's Easter pictures.
And speaking of eating, here is the table center piece. I have always wanted to be able to create arrangements from the plants on my property. Now I can!
This shot is from a few weeks later the decorative cherry in the front of the house.
So back to the frozen butter. So you see, I wanted to make lemon bars. I wanted to make them NOW! They only take 55 minutes from start to finish. But wouldn't you know it, the butter was in the freezer! I don't know how you all do it, but I have tried many ways to soften frozen butter quickly. The best way I have found it leave it on the counter and walk away and get into some really big consuming project so you are not checking to see if it is soft every 5 minutes. (I really hate waiting for butter to soften, and frozen butter even more so) I actually will pass over recipes that call for softened butter. So I have issues with patience in this area. So here is where is it sounded like such a good idea in my head. . .I needed to preheat the oven before I could make the bars, and I had this frozen butter. . . you see where this is headed. It was such a good idea. . .in my head. I put the frozen butter sticks in the oven where the intent was to watch them carefully as the oven heated and pull them out before they melted. Have I ever mentioned that I have 4 kids? Yea, someone called for me and low and behold I forgot about the butter till I came back into the room and heard sizzling from the oven. "Now what is sizzling? I don't think any cheese dripped off the pizza last night, hmmmmm...Oh NO! The butter!" Yep, oven off, windows open, fan on. Luckily I caught it fairly early, and only a bit of butter had melted off, but even a little pool of butter in the oven floor is a big mess. So an hour and some later, the oven cleaned, butter softened, I finally got to make the lemon bars. Probably took me the same amount of time as if I had just left the sticks on the counter and walked away! Lesson learned.
In other news, Easter came and went, as did Spring Break, and some really nice weather for being outside.
Easter pictures. Again, another great plan. After church, kids are hungry and want to go inside and change so they can have an Easter Egg hunt. Mom want's Easter pictures.
Anne
Megan
Katie
And Ryan, getting a little more mileage out of the tie and suspenders from Auntie Emilie's wedding.
There, that was not so bad. Then mom decided let's try for a group shot. Ok, the cat has the right idea--let's sit up here and watch the show.
A wide range of emotions came out while trying to get a group shot.
I like this one the best, I am thinking of editing out Anne's arm.
Otherwise I think this one is the best.
Yea, I'm feeling the same way. Let's go eat!
These were not from Easter, they were actually decorations that the kids did for my Mom-in-laws 70th Birthday.
I had forgotten I had dumped these tulip bulbs in this pot before we left the old house--what a nice surprise!
Here is that tree peony putting on a show. I have three of them on the property and I love them!
Let me take a moment and explain this next series of photographs. Our dog Oreo is such a playful puppy. But we don't always have the time to play with her when she wants us to play. So she seeks out other playmates. The cats mostly head for higher ground--the roof. Although Tiger will sometimes indulge Oreo and play. So Oreo has found another playmate. However, the playmate doesn't realize he is a playmate. Enter Joe our Rooster! Now Joe takes his job of protecting the flock very seriously. Oreo doesn't normally bug the hens. She will however, sass Joe so he will chase her!
Come play with me!
Please?
Yes!
Tag, you're it!
Ahhh, Spring!
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