Hummingbirds

Of all the things summer, I think that hummingbirds and corn on the cob are two of my personal favorites. I just put out this feeder on Tuesday and already the little guys and gals have made their way. I love hearing their wings as they stop to drink.

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

It's snowing here in Saskatchewan. Day three, how depressing. This after a week or so of depressing thick fog and frost. Snow and blow means this cow refuses to leave the comforts of the farm yard. Mr. Bovine gets to shop which usually means in very little off the list of norms at the grocery store. Lil Miss was hankering for cake and in our search we found a dented can of pumpkin way far in the back of the pantry. We made this

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cake:
3 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (can substitute 1/2 cup applesauce for 1/2 cup oil)
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin together until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13x9 baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.
To make the icing, combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

End result

I am in a rut. A huge rut. The past year Mr. Bovine and I have worked our hineys off building our new house and the days and hours and physical needs have finally taken their toil on us.

But today, the sun was shining and the sky blue and Mr. Bovine and I took a break from the mundane, saddled up our trusty steeds and went for a ride. It was only an hour and a half but what it did for us mentally...so much more.

 
 
 
 

Rather Corny

To me and my brood, nothing quite symbolizes the start of summer like corn on the cob. The sweet earthy scent of the husk and silk, the sweet tender kernels dripping with dairy butter and sea salt, corn on the cob ranks right up there with bonfires, smores and hotdogs roasted on sticks.

Yesterday while doing my bi weekly errand run, I was happy to see the produce guy wheel out a pallet bin full of the first crop of the year (well the first crop here this year). At only .49 cents a cob I thought that my budget and family would approve. When lil miss arrived home from school and discovered "whats for dinner" she eagerly offered to help husk the corn.

Burgers were grilled, a salad was tossed and the corn had a steamy hot bath in salt water. When we finally sat down to supper, the sweet juicy corn was quickly devoured before the burgers or salad were even touched and we all agreed it was perhaps the best tasting corn we had ever ate.

 

View an Etsy Front Page Treasury List - The Vault on Craft Cult

What a happy way to start a cool, grey Sunday morning. Some Etsy front page love :)

The Great Bovine Easter Egg Hunt

Starting today until Sunday April 4th, visit our Etsy shop at www.bovinebubbles.etsy.com and look for the five easter eggs we have hidden in selected product listings. Once you have found all five, email me at sales@bovinebubblesandhogwash.com with the correct secret location for all five eggs and then make a blog post about what you would buy with a $25.00 Bovine Bubbles gift certificate and you are entered to win.

A name will be randomly selected by my daughter on Monday April 5th and the winner will have a $25.00 voucher to spend at www.bovinebubbles.com or www.bovinebubbles.etsy.com

Alas...spring

March 20Th marked the first day of spring this year. Here in Prince Albert, it was a mild day but the strong South wind was cold. The sun does hold warmth tho and the snow is slowly disappearing. I spent the better part of the afternoon with my crew of Cloverbud 4-H members visiting a sheep farm and learning all things sheep. It really wasn't a baaaaaaaaad way to spend an afternoon :)

I really love the change of the seasons. The colors and scents that are associated with seasons can really envoke feelings in people that are really quite amazing. Lilacs in the spring, the smell of something cooking on the bbq, the salty spray of ocean air.

Scents are a huge part of what I love to do and just as the seasons change, the scents and colors that we offer at Bovine Bubbles and Hogwash change as well. Just in time for spring we have new floral scents like Tangerine Tulip and Lilacs and Lilies. Summertime favorites in Strawberry Rhubarb Pie (yum) and Heady Summer Daze.

To celebrate Spring, we are offering a 15% shop discount at both of our Bovine Bubbles shops. To shop etsy, visit www.bovinebubbles.etsy.com and on checkout, leave the comment SPRING and I will refund the difference to you. Visit www.bovinebubbles.com and use the discount code SPRING at checkout and the discount will be automatically applied. Sale will end March 24th at midnight.

Pink Lemonade Goats Milk and Honey Bath and Body Bar

Springtime Soap Collection

More Storm Muck

 
 
 

Winter Snowstorm Aftermath

Friday evening the storm rolled in and for two days it blew and snowed and got cold and ugly. Come Sunday afternoon, the storm rolled on to the East leaving a heck of a mess in its wake.

 
 
 
 

Its with a heavy heart that we announce that our furry friend Louie passed away today after he was tragically hit by a truck outside our home.

In his short time with us on this earth, he taught us valuable life lessons, made us laugh, drove us batty and with his passing will leave a huge hole in the hearts of those who had the privilege to meet him.

Rest peaceful my gentle giant. You will never be forgotten.

A little exposure

On a frosty November morning.

OMG! And YAY!

Yesterday I noticed an increase in traffic to my Etsy web-shop and started to do some investigating as to what the source/cause was. I was pleased as punch to find out that I was featured in an Etsy Storque article with Eddie Ross.

The article can be viewed here

The trouble with puppies

I was so glad that someone finally put the roll of Canada Post ground stickers to go use.

 

 

 

 

A little Monday morning front page exposure

Always a delightful way to start a day. Well that and a good cup of coffee :)

Introducing Louie!

Saskatchewan Beef Stew and Dumplings

I made this last night and used ingredients that were all grown/raised by me or made in Saskatchewan.

100% Saskatchewan Beef Stew and Dumplings


2 lbs Organic, free range blade steak, deboned and fat removed, cut into cubes
2 tbsp handmilled flour
1 tbsp Saskatchewan Canola Oil

Heat oil in large pot. Toss meat with flour to coat and add to hot oil. Cook until meat is browned.

Add to meat:

1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

Cook until aromatic.

Add 8 cups of water.

Let simmer 30-45 minutes.

Add to above mixture:

3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped
2-3 ribs of celery, chopped
handfull or two of fresh green beans, cut
3-4 garden fresh potatotes with skins, cubed

Return to a simmer and let cook until vegetables are cooked yet firm. Add 1 cup of fresh or frozen green peas.


Prepare Dumplings

In a bowl combine

1 cup of flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Cut in 1 tbsp butter or margarine until crumbly. Add 1/2 cup milk, stir to form soft dough. Drop by spoonful onto hot simmering stew. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. (no peeking)

Serve dumplings with hot stew.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.......

First Day of Grade 2. I don't know who was happier: me, the dog or the kid :)

A glass jar, some green moss and a sunny afternoon

and see what lil miss can come up with. Trying to find ways to occupy the mid afternoon bordom that often hovers over my daughter, we ventured into the great outdoors and i let her creativity flow. This is what she came up with.

Complete with little black house by littlereddoor.

Indonesian Pork Tenderloin

This was the most awesomeist tenderloin I have ever eaten. Lovely flavor, super tender and juicy. YUMMO!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 6 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 6 tablespoons stir-fry sauce
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons chili paste
  
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (1 pound) pork tenderloin

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Place the pork in a large resealable plastic bag; add half of the marinade. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 2 hours, turning occasionally. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade for basting.
2. Drain and discard marinade. Grill pork, covered, over hot heat for 15-20 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F and juices run clear, basting occasionally with reserved marinade.