Fall Decorations 2020

 I love decorating my house for fall.

{🎃🍁👻}

Amish Friendship Bread

My version of Amish Friendship Bread. Adam and the kids ate up four mini loaves and a large loaf in three days!

Raspberry Bush

This raspberry bush is a favorite around our place. It has gotten a little bit away from me with no weeds being pulled the past couple years, and the dry summer last year possibly hurt it’s growth a bit. I made sure to put TLC on my to do list, and got around to doing that today. We don’t have a lot of fresh eating plants, but the raspberries we get every year are something I enjoy so it felt good to give my plant some breathing room.

Garden Shed

It’s been pretty weather outside lately. I decorated my garden shed and did a few other things in the yard this past week. The garden shed decorations were holed away in one of our barns, and I finally got around to putting them out. My collecting habits are paying off {my husband may call it hoarding}.

{Georgie the cat showed up a few months ago and adopted us}

Teriyaki Turkey Jerky

-2 lbs. turkey breast tenderloin
-1/2 cup soy sauce
-2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
-4 Tbsp honey
-2 tsp pepper
-2 tsp onion powder
-2 tsp garlic powder
-1 tsp liquid smoke

Freeze meat until firm (not frozen). Cut into thin slices (I use my mandolin from pampered chef). Combine ingredients and meat in a large bowl. Refrigerate overnight covered with a lid. Put meat in dehydrator for 4 1/2 hours or until it’s the consistency you like.

Homemade Cashew Butter

I’m severely anemic, but my doctor said I should be able to regulate it with diet and supplements. I decided to try this raw cashew butter, which is supposed to be a good source of iron.

-26 oz raw cashews
-Blended in my Ninja blender for 10-20 minutes (intermittently). Starts out crumbly, eventually turns into a smooth consistency.
-Made a jar and a half. I keep it in the fridge, I’m hoping it will keep at least a couple weeks or more.

Drive-by Easter

Our parents did a drive-by Easter egg drop off for the kids today. With social distancing still in effect, our Easter plans have all been canceled so they decided to treat us to a surprise. We’ll still be celebrating Jesus tomorrow, but I’m really missing our family get togethers that we normally do.

Quarantine

Today was sunny and warm, finally a break from the winter temperatures. Everyone is tucked away in bed but me; I haven’t slept well since everything with Coronavirus started a few weeks ago. My doggie Zoey is laying beside me, keeping me company but sometimes drifting into deep dreams that cause her to wimper and wiggle her legs. Makes me wonder what she is seeing in her sleep; she’s such a good girl, I love when she snuggles up on the couch.

We recently had spring break, and now school is canceled for April due to the virus, although we have been doing e-learning at home. The kids are doing well, Zaidey has her first loose teeth, the two middle ones on the bottom.  Lincoln did great with wrestling this year, but sadly we missed the state finals due to the virus. Trinity has been missing her dance classes and school, but seems to enjoy the e-learning her teacher has organized.

Everyone is currently under quarantine due to COVID - 19, and my family has been doing our part by staying at home. We haven’t gone anywhere in two weeks except for a couple of drive up grocery orders. We’re all getting pretty stir crazy. However, we’ve gotten lots done and made some amazing memories.

Here in rural Indiana, things haven’t been too abnormal, but I hate to see so many people across the world struggling. I’ve been praying for our country to be strengthened and to have faith that we will get through this. Thankfully, Spring is here and if nothing else it lifts my spirits to see everything come back to life after a dreary winter.