Slaters' Funny Farm

As I was grocery shopping the other day, I ran across a new product in the peanut butter aisle. It was Planters NUT-trition Energy Mix. There were a couple of varieties, but I chose the Banana Granola Nut flavor. As I was looking at it, I remembered how much I used to love peanut butter and banana sandwiches, but for some reason I stopped eating them several years ago.  A serving size for this product is 2 Tablespoons and with this serving size, the product looks to be fairly healthy for you. The total fat is 1 gram and has no cholesterol, but it does have 4 grams of sugar and 130 mg of sodium. I guess that I should not have been surprised because I have always been told that peanut butter was a healthy food. Add the banana and granola and how could it be anything else?  This morning since I woke up early and decided to get up and get some deep cleaning in my kitchen finished, I decided that I wanted to try an idea that I had seen on another site the other day. Instead of ...

Well, here at the funny farm we are beginning to get some cooler weather and so cold weather prep has begun. We actually had our first fire in the wood stove this week and it felt good! With that comes the work of  cutting, splitting, and stacking fire wood, so that job has started. I really don't mind stacking it but I know that my husband does a lot of hard work to get it cut and split. However, the work pays off in the long run because we don' t have a large bill for heat in the winter time. I am so thankful for that because before the stove came in to the house we had to pay electric bills of over $900 a month because the house was electric heat and the furnace was constantly on because it is not large enough for the home. We could not afford to replace the furnace, so our second option was the wood stove and I am so thankful for that. I was not thrilled with the idea at first, but I know that it was one of the best decisions I think that we ever made.  Also, cooler weath...

           I am only feeding Pedigree puppy food to my new puppy and I was thinking about it after I added the other post on here. I decided that I would add another post just to share that I am thrilled so far with the food that I have been using. I am looking to change to this form of food versus the canned food that the breeder started her on. I am hoping to find some of this soon. Does anyone know of someplace that I might find it?  Also, if anyone has any ideas on other puppy foods that are really good, please comment on this.

Well, we have added to our farm yet again. I finally have a Chihuahua that I have always wanted. She is so cute and playful. I named her Jazzy as I just kept thinking that I really liked that name. She is white with brown on her head, tail, and a spot on her side. She is so sweet and seems to be training fairly easy.  We are going to be learning to walk with a leash this week and I will keep you all posted on how that goes.  She is learning potty training and how she needs to go to the door each time. She is doing well with being in her pen of a night, but she is still having accidents at night. I think that part of that is because I have not been awake every two hours the last couple of nights. Just too tired!!  She has been trying to get to my daughters  room all morning, but she stayed with a friend and is not in there so I won't let her go. She is persistent for sure. I am thinking that she will manage to get in there when I am not able to give her my full att...

Time has come that we are embarking on another new adventure in our homeschool life. My daughter has started drivers ed. Yes, she is in a course with a driving school but we are also working on things at home. She is struggling with the permit test, so I am having her do a lot of practice tests today. I have thought that I might add to the course she is taking by making some of our vocab and spelling be words that she might need to know for the exam. She is working hard and she is trying her best to be able to pass the test. She still struggles a lot with reading and so I have made arrangements for the license branch to have the test read to her on Tuesday next week. I hope that helps.  If I decide to do a unit study of the cousrse, I will certainly post ideas on here. I hope that everyone that has had a student struggle with this will leave some ideas here. She drives well around here on the farm, but she needs a lot of confidence on the test. Practice tests make perfect and I am...

Many of you in the Midwestern US have suffered through the drought and high temperatures that this summer has brought. Many crops have suffered and many farmers will struggle with their income being directly affected by this drought. Most of us will suffer as well with higher prices at the stores. I am thankful to say that we have gotten a nice break from the high heat and the drought conditions with storms last night that brought rain and much cooler temperatures.  When I woke and went out earlier today, I discovered that it was in the low 60's outside and was so excited! It seems as though it has been ages since we had nice temperatures like this and the rain was such a blessing. Our garden is beyond help, but we sure needed the rain. I know many with wells that were really getting concerned with the water level and I am sure that the soaking rain was a blessing.  I want to wish each of you a wonderful Friday and a blessed weekend from our house to yours.

This summer has been hot and dry , but thankfully we did get a little rain last night. It seems that some storms went through last night and did allow us to receive a little bit of rain. However, it needs to rain several days in a row to eliminate the drought conditions that we have. I am sure that a half inch of rain really does nothing for the ground that has lacked rain most of the summer.  The nice thing about summer for those of us who live in the country is that it allows us to see the work that others have put into their farms as we attend local county fairs. Last night was no different as we attended a very small local fair. Most of the animals and what few projects were exhibited were being taken home or were already gone, but what was there gave us a sense of how much work these kids had done. Also, it was a chance to see friends that we do not see on a normal basis. Also, we had a chance to take in some of the mud bogs (something that many people would not find as a sou...

Fair is over once again and that makes us sad! I have to say that my beautiful daughter made me so very proud this year as she won 13 ribbons in all and tried many new things. All of her projects won blue ribbons and 3 of those won honors ribbons. She also won a fourth place in the horse and pony costume contest by dressing herself as a zookeeper and by making her horse into a zebra. How cute she was!!  Her groovy cupcakes were a hit with the judge at the create a mix booth and she received a blue star for those. She was impressed with the creativity and using the bubblegum flavored icing was a real addition. Way to go Bridget!! I think she is going to try to start a small business using these for birthday parties. She can add flavoring to the cupcakes as well for an added touch. The fact that the cupcakes turn out almost tye dyed is simply exciting for her!!  She also ran her first barrel race and done rather well considering that her horse is not a barrel horse. She unfort...

Well, as many parts of the United States have seen severe storms that have knocked power out for days, we in the central part of the United States are struggling with very hot and very dry weather. It has been a long time since we had a good rain here and I know that the farmers are in need of rain as well as our lawns and the animals could sure use a break from this horrible heat! Temperatures are to be over 100 degrees the next few days and with very little rain in sight, there are many ways of celebrating this Independence Day holiday as fireworks are being cancelled and banned in most places in our state. I have found that putting frozen water bottles in for the rabbits has been a great source of  relief for them. The horses are getting fresh water several times a day and they really enjoy a cool bath when we can provide it for them. It is just too hot to really enjoy them and as we are getting ready for fair week, I am certainly praying for cooler weather. I hope that we get...

Spring and summer seem to have a way of making me forget that I need to post daily on here or at least weekly and it seems that I find that I never have enough time for the computer work that I want to do because there are so many reasons to be outside. 4-H projects are in full swing and I am sure that the next 6 weeks before the fair will be that much busier. However, it is such a fun time and we love being there so I really think that we are in good spirits about it.  We have been camping with the horses a few times already this summer and I we are taking a week long trip to Deem Lake in about 2 weeks. I can hardly wait! I am looking forward to sitting near the lake and reading while my family has fun in the water as I am not a fan of water activities. I am looking forward to do some horse back riding too. We are going with the neighbors that we always camp with and I am looking forward to the time away from work and the crazy people that live here with ...

May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month! Lyme Disease is a caused by a bacteria that comes from a deer tick bite in simple terms. I want this post to remind everyone that if you are bitten by a tick to keep an eye out for a red ring around it and immediately find a doctor if that occurs. My 21 year old daughter has suffered for years with symptoms of this disease and we were unaware that she was ill until almost 5 years ago. She still undergoes treatment for this horrible illness. Symptoms of Lyme disease are similar to the flu so nothing that screams Lyme and it is a disease that is hard to get diagnosed. Patients know that something is wrong with them, but many doctors don't find this until the patient is extremely ill. There are many Lyme disease awareness groups and there is a lot of information about this illness, but many doctors will say that this disease doesn't exist or is easy to treat. Let me say from experience that is not true in some cases. I am thankful that our fami...

I know it has been a while since I posted here and for that I am truly sorry. Been trying to get a new job with a home health agency and with activities for school and 4-H it has just been a very busy week! I am hoping that things get better soon.  I am asking that you all consider wearing a lime green ribbon during the month of March in support of Lyme Disease Awareness Month. My oldest daughter suffers from Lyme Disease and there is not much talked about it as an illness, but she has suffered for over 4 years since we finally got a diagnosis. Many doctors do not feel this disease is real or that patients are making up their symptoms, but when a 17 year old girl looks like she has has a stroke and complains of pain on the right side of her head that feels like she is on fire, it is real and a parent knows that there is something wrong!  Thank God for a family physician who tested for odd antibodies in the system and we found what was causing her joint pain, fatigue, etc. wh...

I have so much that I need to share with all of my friends here that I can hardle contain my excitement! I have been driving a car that I really don't like for several months now with the promise from my husband that it would not be forever. Well, give the man his dues- he found me another one that is reasonably priced and that I adore! I will soon be the proud owner and driver of a white Pontiac Grand Prix. Second of all, the horse trailer that we bought last week is sitting ready for camp! I found the time to completely load all of our camp stuff up last week and now I am just waiting to go. With the temperatures here being above average and us breaking record highs so many times, the fever has officially hit! I am ready to go camping! Also, our garden has been tilled and it is ready for planting. Any tips on canning that anyone can give, I will be ready for. I have never canned before, but this seems to be the year that I will do it. I know that it is a lot of hard work, but I t...

For a couple of years, we have been discussing how we want our barn to be when it is finished and my busy husband had started it a couple of years ago, but it just never seemed to be a priority for him. However, for me, I really wanted a horse barn- not just a shelter for them, but a barn. I am finally seeing a barn in our future and in my backyard. This may not be the prettiest of barns and the most well built barns, but it will be the design that I was hoping for minus the indoor riding arena that I really wanted. I am hoping that we can add that later. Of course and minus my apartment above the barn with glass floors looking over my horses. He thinks I have lost my mind when I tell him that I really want that. However, this barn is being built from materials that have been left over from other projects. The barn will have three stalls and a feed/tack room. We have a tack room already in a minibarn, but I want one in this barn too. Each stall will be big enough for two horses to get ...

Well, as many news reports have announced, Peyton Manning is leaving the Colts team. It was such a sad press conference to watch as the announcement was made and to watch him discuss his past in Indianapolis and how he is not sure as to where his future is. Although, he did announce that he is wanting to play next season and that he is confident that he will. The only excuse that they gave was that the team is undergoing a rebuilding process and that circumstances made it an impossible situation for Peyton to stay. It was announced that Peyton's #18 jersey will never be worn on the field by another Colt player and I believe that was a wise move. Peyton also announced that he will always be a member of the team and that he is not leaving Indianapolis. With Manning gone and several other key players being free agents this year, it seems to be that team owner, Jim Irsay has decided that he wants his team to go in a different direction next year and that fans are certainly going to pay...

Prayers are really needed for the residents of Henryville and Marysville, Indiana. Those two small towns along with a few other small towns were hit really hard last week by an EF4 tornado and pretty much demolished. One entire family was killed and several others deaths and injuries were reported. The residents are extremely blessed that the death toll was not nearly as high as it could have been with the damage that is being reported. I am not in that area as I live north of there, but I am within probably less than 100 miles from there. I am hoping to take my day off next week and take my daughter to help a family to clean up or do something that they need to do. I may attempt to take food in as well as I am sure that the shelters are in dire need at the moment and will be for a long time. The Henryville High School was completely demolished and will be a long time in rebuilding. There was a girl interviewed on the news that talked about how she had went to school in that town her e...

Well, my blogging time has really slowed down since I went to work. However, I wanted to catch everyone up on what has been going on here and how we all are. The animals are doing good. I found a home for the mama dog that I was hoping to get rid of and my husband found a great dog that is going to be his buddy as he enjoys riding in the back of the truck. His name is Bandit and he is half Austrailian Shepherd and half Blue Heeler. He is really sweet and I am excited to have him on the farm! School is going good here. We have chosen a new name for the school and we are now Heavenly Horse Homeschool. We knew that we needed something with a horse involved with it. We are working on a History fair project on Betsy Ross and it will be a lot of fun to do, I think. I believe that Bridget has decided that she wants to even dress the part for the day. We are also looking into possibly getting some colonial period food that we might be able to incorporate into the display as well. She will also...

For several years now, I have made my own laundry soap to save us money and to make our soap a little more environmentally friendly. I personally really like the detergent that I make and I think that it is just as good if not a little better than the detergent that I used to purchase at the store. I also have found a much "greener" solution for fabric softner. I am not sure of where I first seen the recipe for the laundry soap, but I know that it is on the Duggar Family website. Here is the recipe that I use and I have changed it a little bit to what is published on the web in many other places. LAUNDRY SOAP RECIPE 1 bar of Ivory Soap , grated 1/2 bar of Fels Naptha soap, grated 1/2 cup Borax powder 1 cup of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda Combine these ingredients into a medium pan and add about 4 cups of water. Boil for about 10 minutes stirring constantly. Pour this into a 5 gallon bucket and fill bucket with cool water. Stir a few times and let set for 24 hours. Stir again. ...

Winter has officially arrived here! With a little bit of snow arriving today, we are also getting temperatures over 30 degrees colder than just a few days ago and we have winds that are gusting up to 35 mph and more snow on the way. We are actually under a winter weather advisory and it is cold and the roads are going to be slick as this freezes and more snow moves in. I personally don't like the cold, but I know that we needed a good freeze. It is a nice break from the mud that we have endured for several weeks. I don't like having to feed the animals in this weather and I certainly do not like want to drive in this. On the bright side, I learned today that our first 4-H meeting is Jan.31 and so preparations for the fair are right around the corner. I am personally really anxious for the fair to get here! I really had fun last year and although it was one of the hottest on record, it was still nice to be there and experience all of the fun that it led too. Matter of fact, Brid...

Decided that I would change this up a little today for the special occasion! Today is my 17th wedding anniversary - tonight at about 6:15 or so I will have been married to my wonderful husband and although we have had our struggles and we have not always had the best of a marriage, we have stood by each other and we have made it work. He is out of state working so there is no celebration tonight. It seems he may be home for a few days after this trip and leave again to do another job. He used to stay out of town for up to two weeks at a time and it never bothered me, but this trip is a little different. I am missing him a little more this time and it seems as though he has been gone for a long time although I know he has not. It is raining here and they are predicting snow for tomorrow. I know it is January and we have been lucky to have the weather that we have had. Unfortunately, I do not like cold and snow so I am hoping that it misses us. Well, it is time to close for the day. I h...

My husband is out of town working so my daughter and I are home alone, which really changes life some. We had a frozen pizza for dinner and watched a movie together and just spent a quiet evening at home. It was nice to sit and relax, although I do miss my husband. Tomorrow a very different day is approaching. We will be busy with school, going shopping, grocery shopping, and getting all of our errands ran. Today was really nice out and we spent some time outside catching up on some extra chores that needed to be done around here. We stacked wood and cleaned the yard. Tomorrow is supposed to be a very unique January day for the midwestern United States as we are to reach temperatures in the lower 50's. The end of the week doesn't look so good with colder temps and possible snow. I guess we have to accept it, but I really don't want too. I would not mind if it stayed warm the rest of the year. I am not sure if anyone else seen the cosmic moon on Saturday evening, but if you ...

Well, with sticking with my plan to add a little to my blog each day I am writing this at 11 p.m. as it is my first time to sit down and actually work on this. I am attempting to catch up on some online work as I am sitting here after spending most of the day working on stuff for my husband and for doing housework. Four loads of laundry and cleaning a cabinet has been a load for today after we done school for the day and I worked on getting tax information ready. I have a quick recipe that I want to share with you. Many of you may already eat a meal similar to this, but this is one of my quick wintertime meals for my family. It uses very few ingredients and is a meal that usually takes less than 30 minutes to cook. Stuffing Casserole Meal 1 box of Stove Top Stuffing 4 pork chops or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 jar of gravy, either pork or turkey salt and pepper to taste In a long casserole dish, mix the stuffing mix ( whatever flavor you choose) with the water that it calls f...

New Years is always a chance to look back on the previous year and see what we could have done differently and a chance to make some new goals and resolutions for yourself. I personally never really make resolutions as I am always sure that they will be broken before the month of January is over. Goals are another thing because you can meet them at anytime and you can never completely break a goal. Setting goals in our lives can put pressure on us at times, but can always cause us to work harder in our daily lives. I personally set several goals at the beginning of the year for myself and for my family. In my personal life, I tend to make goals for different aspects of my life. My first goal is always to have a closer walk with Jesus Christ. I believe that my Lord and Saviour deserves a close walk and that we can always work harder at having a closer relationship with Him. Secondly, I choose to set goals for what things I want to change in my "career". I consider my online wr...

Happy New Year to all my readers out there! I am a few days late saying this as I have felt under the weather since the beginning of the year. I had a really bad day on New Year's Day and have gradually started feeling better, but not feeling up to myself. Life on the farm seems to run slow if I am not up and running at top speed. However, I must say that the house has not fell apart and I have managed to keep meals cooked and I have managed to keep school in session the past two days. We have to attend school for 180 days in a year according to state law and we are currently at 80 days, so we are on track to finish at about the time that I had planned for the year. I am excited about that! This year I am planning to make some changes in our lives. One is that I intend to make reading a top priority for all of us and I think that the television is going to be more limited as to when it is on. I also want to take more learning trips for school. Whether you want to speak of field tri...