Sweet Pokey sleeping in the barn a few months ago

It’s been a trying past few weeks at the ole hacienda.. Living on the ranch with so many animals, you have to face death and hurt of animals.. and we were slapped in the face with that 2 saturday’s ago..
Pokey (my father’s horse) got hurt and the vet made a misdiagnosis.. and alternatively another vet came out and explained that he had severed all the tendons in his back leg and infection had set into his bone.. therefore; we had no choice but to put him to rest, and he is now over the rainbow bridge with Romeo and Navajo.  I have no words to express about how horrible of a situation that was..
and not to mention, my mom has been going through a rough patch as well.
I also had to bury Vinny one of my roosters yesterday… I found him beat all the hell and back and he died the day I found him, and I buried him.
But, with death on the Ranch comes life, we have 5 new baby cows and i’m thankful for the horses that are healthy and sound…

Ragnar wondering why I’m not picking him

I had my farrier come out again to dig out this abscess that is plaguing my poor Ragnarok.  I feel so bad for the past 6 weeks we’ve been soaking and digging and trying to get this stupid abscess to come out.. I go out there and get Kizzy.. and He follows us limping along.. one day he even put his head in the halter..  then he looks at me like.. “why aren’t you picking me”.  It tugs on your heart strings you know… So this vet lady told me to have the Farrier completely dig it out.. and so we did…
This is the wort abscess he’s ever seen..
I feel all responsible for this.. because if my barn was finished I could put him in a dry stall when it rains and he wouldn’t pop these darn things out…
but this one was his whole hoof…
So I had to go buy him a whole new boot and now he’s in a beta dine, epsom salt and water boot…
just trying to pull the inflammation and soreness out.

I don’t know what I’m going to do with this boy…  Well I am puttying him on this special supplement for this type of thing.. so hopefully this will help…

My brother showed up 2 weekends ago..  and I was so glad to see him.  He didn’t get to stay for long because the radiator in his car went, friday before he was going to come up, but he made it up for Mother’s Day and we surprised my mom.

My brother and I at my office

After the trailer was hooked up to our truck in LV, NV

If you know me you know that I bake and cook under stressful conditions..

Banana nut pineapple Bread

I made that bread, went out to eat with a doctor friend of mine… and came home and found nothing but the tinfoil it was wrapped in…
My dear sweet puppies at the joker while I was at the lake decompression with shrimp and a beer.
All I could do was laugh.. at least I got to taste one piece of it…
I gave the other loaf away to my friend and his wife..

I then, the next day made banana pineapple almond muffins..

Muffins:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 
1 cup regular oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2)
1 cup  buttermilk
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup canned crushed pineapple in juice, drained
1 handful diced up almonds

• Topping:
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon regular oats
• 1 tablespoon of the almonds

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. To prepare muffins, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl. Make a well in center of flour mixture. Combine banana and next 5 ingredients (through egg) in a medium bowl; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in pineapple, 1/3 cup coconut, and 3 tablespoons nuts. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.

3. To prepare topping, combine 2 tablespoons coconut and the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.

4. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of topping over each muffin. Bake at 400° for 18 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; place on a wire rack. 

And then for supper I made a ham with crushed pineapple Balsamic roasted vegetables and Corn bread..

Here is a general Buttermilk cornbread recipe

Ingredients

• • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 large egg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Heat oil in an 8″ cast iron skillet or muffin pans for 5 minutes.
3. Combine cornmeal and next 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; make a well in the center of the mixture.
4. Stir together buttermilk and egg; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.
5. Pour into the hot skillet.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
   
   And the Balsamic Roasted Vegetable Medley

Ingredients

• 9 small red potatoes, quartered
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 small yellow summer squash, quartered and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 2 small zucchini, quartered and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 6 radishes, quartered
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

• In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with oil, salt and pepper.
• Transfer to a shallow roasting pan. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes.
• In the same bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; add to pan. Bake
• 20-25 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. 

And that’s about all