A Turn At Ice Cream

We make ice cream every Saturday night with the guests. Rather, the guests do the turning so really they are the ones who make it. Than we serve it to them for their dessert that night. That gives them the incentive to really do it right!

I got this recipe from Cindi who blogs over at Frugal New England Kitchen. I love Ben and Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch Ice Cream, so I printed it off and gave it to the kitchen staff. We made it, and one of  the guests asked for the recipe for themselves. They were from Italy. Not that that has anything to do with the ice cream, it's just fun to know that this ice cream is being made far and wide! Although, if you think about it, Italy has gelato, and gelato is the best stuff on earth, so if they wanted to take it home to Italy to make with there friends and family, than you know it's good! Or they run a gelato shop and want to exploit it. Hum.

I made it this week with the birthday party guests, and then with my brother and his kids who have come to visit. So I have made it twice in one week. No wonder my pants are so tight! Now you can make it too!

Coffee Heath Bar Crunch Ice Cream

From Frugal New England Kitchen (http://frugalnewenglandkitchen.com)
Author: Ben & Jerry’s Homemade

I think the ranch has been using this ice cream maker
for at least 50 years! 

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 1 quart

Ingredients

◦                4 original Heath Bars (1-1/8 ounces each)

◦                2 large eggs

◦                3/4 cup sugar

◦                2 cups heavy or whipping cream

◦                1 cup milk

◦                3 tablespoons good-quality freeze-dried coffee

Instructions

Using a sharp knife, cut the candy bars into 1/2-to 1-inch chunks. You should have about 1 cup. Place the chunks in a bowl, cover and freeze.

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Add the cream, milk, and 2 tablespoons of the coffee and whisk just until blended.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer’s instructions.

After the ice cream stiffens (about 2 minutes before it is done), add the candy and remaining 1 tablespoon coffee, then continue freezing until the ice cream is ready.

Makes generous 1 quart

Danger! ~ Wordless Wednesday

This sign greets our guests, as well as us, each time we drive in. 

And for good reason! 

It's a Monthly Thing.

You know, that monthly thing, that happens, every first Tuesday. The Blog Star Link Up with Mrs. Monologues. Wait, you did know what I was talking about right?

Hello! And Welcome to the ranch!  

If this is your first time here, I hope you like what you see and stick around. 

I also want to welcome all my wonderful new followers, the kin folk! 

I'm so delighted that this crazy little life I'm living, 

up here on this mountain top, is interesting to you all! 

The Ranch

I hope you will come sit a spell and let me share a little about myself. 

1. I'm loving summer. 

It's going by fast, but this year we are actually getting some heat. 

It's like in the 80's up here in the north. 

I really like it when it's in the 90's, 

but that usually only happens down in town. 

2. I love roosters. Really, what's not to love! 

3. I love taking pictures of the sky. 

What can I say, this is Big Sky Country! 

4. I love a summer storm. 

And we've had enough to keep the fields green this summer. 

5. I love boots. 

I have 4 pairs of cowboy boots 

(not including the pair I gave my daughter, 

which she is probably stretching out about now); 

I have 3 pairs of winter boots (Also not including the ones I gave Lulu); 

And 2 pairs of city boots (like dress boots?);

One pair of hiking boots that are 20 years old. 

(Really??) 

6. I also like flip-flops.

7. I love toads! 

8. This is my favorite thing. 

The hat my dad gave me. He got it in Mexico in 1969. 

Oh yeah, this guy is also my favorite thing. 

Adventure Man. It wouldn't be the adventure without him! 

Now go see some more great blogs by clicking the link! 

Today's Post: Fence Posts

The Guest Ranch is 82 years old this summer. I wonder how old these fence posts are? 

Much of the ranch was destroyed during a flash flood in 1964. 

The owners, who had built it all from the ground up, had to start over. 

From scratch. 

 How many strings of horses, with guests from all over the world, 

has these old nails and posts seen go by? 

 When did the moss start to grow? Has it always been there?

How often has this old chain been pressed against 

as it held the herd in the corral?

~~~

For these I used the old Nikon. 

Say it With Chalk

Have you ever noticed how labeling things can make a place look more orderly? Even if it's not? I am always trying to get "organized" but really, well, I don't really know what I'm doing! So when a friend of ours asked for help with photographing her labels from her etsy shop, I thought, "Sure! I'll give it a try."

These aren't your regular labels though, she's selling chalkboard stickers that are used for labeling. And you know what, they are really cool. She only asked for pictures, she never even knew that I blog, but I had so much fun with them that I thought I would share her shop, Chalk and Talk, with all of you!

What she needed was these Lunchbox Kits photographed. They come in different shapes that you can choose from, but I mixed them up. The idea is to put the larger "board" on the inside of the lunch bag so you can send a message. I usually do this on a napkin, but this is just cute! Unfortunately, we didn't have a lunch box that fit the label, so I cut it in half and stuck it to the outside of the bag. Hehe! I asked my oldest if she would mind carrying that around. She said she wouldn't, but I'm not sure she was telling the whole truth. Still, it's pretty cool! And I can inform her what's in the thermos. See, "Today's Special" in the picture below.

When I told her I would do it, I wasn't really sure what I would do. Then, the day they came, I realized that there were somethings I had been using sticky notes for. My kids would stack their coats on any hook and that meant that other people where loosing their coats, under someone else's. This of course would start an argument. So I had hung sticky notes over each hook so they knew which one was theirs. And only theirs. So that was the first to go!

The vinyl sticker sticks right to the wall. It looks just like a chalkboard. 

To write on it she sent a "chalk ink pen" that rubs off with a wet rag. 

Once the fun had began, 

I set to work labeling other things that were just calling out to be identified in our household:

Spices, (my two favorite)! Ah, my garlic that no one can find because I keep in it that little pot. 

Well, no one would find it if anyone else used my kitchen! 

The mail. 

That way, if anyone other than us ever wanted to know who read what magizines… 

well, there you go. Please note that I put the bills in "His" slot! 

And the postcard from my brother from Niagara Falls in mine! As it should be.

This one made me laugh. 

I have a marble collection and a rock collection that I keep in these jars, 

on my bookshelf in the living room. 

So of course, they needed to be marked and labeled 

in case anyone ever wondered what they were. 

 And also note that I didn't actually label where the different craft items go. 

That would be far more organized than my little brain could handle. 

But, in case you couldn't tell, there are crafts in the cool beer bottle carrier. 

The matching tub that was originally intended for an ice chest for an "orange party" 

is where I keep the hats, scarves and gloves in the winter. 

Now this all works because I can erase the writing and mark it "Ice and Drinks" when we have a party. 

Which will probably happen next week when my daughter has a birthday. 

So keep your eyes open for it in a future post! 

And this was probably the most useful label I made! I bought herbs this year, but can't remember which are which, so I kept the stick that was in the pot at the nursery. But I have a toddler who moves everything! In fact, I had to search under the deck for them just to make these labels! 

I really do like how it all turned out, and am planning on doing some more labels for things in the pantry (like flour, sugar and powdered sugar) and toy room, if not for others, than really just for me. Cause I like it! 

The Old Gray Mare

Yep, you know what they say about that old gray mare, right? Well, it's true. Oi! Am I getting too old for this or what?

Our girls are taking riding lessons from one of the wranglers and they've been working on posting and trotting. Posting is the movement a rider makes while the horse is trotting. The rider rises up and down in the saddle with the rhythm of the horse. It requires a lot of leg work. My older daughter has it down, but my nine year old needs to, well, grow a little. Her legs just aren't long enough to post while sitting on a big old horse who spends too much time at the feeding troff. The girls had been wanting a long ride where they could practices totting with more room than the field. Luckily for me and my nephew, they had planned that ride for the time when my parents would be here to stay with the little kids. And luckily for me, the wrangler didn't mind the extra riders.

I was on Trooper….

"Tonight the super Trouper

Lights are going to find me

But I wont feel Blu-u-ue,

Like I always do-o-o,

Cause somewhere in the crowed 

is yo-o-o-u…"

Yes, I have had Abba stuck in my head from the minute they said his name. 

Anyway! I was on Trooper, "the fat one," They said. As soon as that was announced my four year old, who was watching the saddling process with Grandpa, said, "Grandpa, your fat!" 

Thank you, Little Bear!  

Not to forget this is a lesson, the girls got quizzed on the tack. 

While Bean rescued a lady bug. 

No, we don't have issues with ADD! 

 Up and ready to go, while the girls go over "the rules" with their cousin behind me.

I just can't help it, even on a horse I try and take pictures of wildflowers. 

I think it stems form my flower shop days. This is bee's balm and Indian paint brush.  

 As much as I love to write, some things are just better said with pictures. We are climbing higher up the mountain. Past the burn areas of the fire in 2000. 

 And as we make the turn we have the view of the mountain. 

They are waiting for me, as my "fat one" has his own pace, a slow one. 

 At the top of the flats. 

 Onward! There is a fence further on that needs to be closed 

before we can let the horses out to pasture for the night. 

 Fence closed, we turn around and go back the way we came, 

instead of heading down through the trees. 

This way we can trot some more in the open fields. 

We even got the horses up to a lope. 

The kids are naturals. 

I, on the other hand, am feeling my knee. 

Which is telling me I am better suited for the cruise control in my truck. 

...Oh well... 

 I sure can't complain about the view! I love it up here.

Do we really have to go home? 

The view from behind. Just as amazing. It seems to go on forever.  

But all good things must come to an end. (Before my knee goes out!) 

The girls have to put their own tack away. 

Lulu had her's off before I was even off my horse! 

Bean here with Tank, is thinking it through.  

Now all good horses deserve a good brushing and a treat. 

Lulu said she was going to brush Spot (named for the spot on his rump) 

so good that he would just have to go role in the dirt! 

I believe he did! 

Off Into the Wild Blue Yonder ~ Wordless Wednesday

When I was a kid, I used to ride bikes with my friends around the neighborhood. As we rode the city streets we would pretend that we were cowgirls. Rustling up some cattle. We had funny names for each other. Like Tex and Little Cody. I really don't remember the names. But I hear a lot of funny names out here on the ranch so they were something like that. We would fight off robbers and search for stays. We would camp out, finding the right spot to water our trusty steeds. I'm sure that pink banana seat clad bike of mine was so proud.

When I went for a walk the other day and my Bean rode past on her bike, with her cowboy hat on, I couldn't help the flood of memories. What adventures were racing through her mind?