Creations of a Country-Farm Girl

Each year for Christmas, my family does a 'homemade' gift exchange. It's a lot of fun, but it can also be a challenge. The gift must be gender neutral, which usually isn't a problem. The issue is that I am from a family of builders and construction workers, so I have to compete with my uncles making mailboxes, bird houses, shelves and other such awesome gifts! So I put my brain to work (with the help of pinterest!) We all share a common interest of the outdoors and everyone has the same last name, as Grandma had 6 boys and I am the only married girl grandchild. So this is what I came up with... This is not the 'Final' picture as I forgot to take one! The only major change was that I trimmed the tafata even with the top of the E. It was easy and simple and I thought it looked good. Well my family loved it and I got many compliments! My Grandma was the one who ended up with it and it was hanging on her door the next day! :) Here is what I used: Wreath $5...

I love the holiday! I was unable to go out this year and participate in the festivities,  so I thought I would share a picture of Halloween past... This is my Mom and Sister as 'Assault & Battery' The idea actually came from my classmate and mom put the idea into action. Did I mention she is good at what she does?? :) They won 2nd place in the contest they entered.

One of our chickens laid her first egg! Broken and in the feed dish, they will learn eventually... Let the egg laying begin!

I tried a new recipe tonight... Broccoli Chicken Casserole 5 Tablespoons Butter 1 Onion, diced 1 20oz Package frozen broccoli, thawed 10 3/4oz can Cream of Mushroom Soup 1 Whole rotisserie chicken, shredded 2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese 1/2 Tablespoon minced garlic 1/2 cup milk Salt and Pepper 1 6oz Package Stove-Top stuffing Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom of dish with 3 tablespoons of butter. In a large bowl beat milk and soup, combine onion, broccoli, chicken, 1 cup cheese, garlic and 1/2 package stuffing. Spread into dish. Melt remaining butter over remaining stuffing, mix and then spread on top of casserole. Bake for 30 - 45 minutes. Top with remaining cheese prior to removing from oven.

While shopping at Easter this spring, my husband talked me in to buying some baby chicks. I am not a chicken person, especially roosters. But the thought of raising our own eggs and having garden fertilizer appealed to me. So we got 6 hens and a rooster. We had an old chicken coop on the farm, however the nesting boxes were not in it. After looking at how much they cost (approximately $25 and up depending on how elaborate you want to get) I decided to put my shop skills to use and make my own. I looked at a few different plans online and decided on this one because of the low cost and we had the materials on hand. Materials: 5 gallon bucket with snap on lid Drill Utility knife Drywall screws 2x4’s 2x6’s Directions: I used a bucket that contained drywall plaster; it’s a little shorter than a regular 5 gallon bucket and they fit in our coop better. It was clean and had a good fitting lid. I removed the handle and lid first. I then cut one lid so approximately 1/3 r...