My Boy Scouts

My Scouts. My 2 boys and my hubby. I absolutely love this photo. It is so classic and timeless. I snapped this shot back in the Fall, just a few months ago. I just knew it would look great altered into something reminiscent of olden times. I fell in love with how it turned out. I want to frame this one for the mantel.

A slightly different version, though still vintage inspired.

The original shot. Love it!!

Just wanted to share this photo with you all. As it happens, my guys are at Scouts right this very moment. It is snowing like crazy out there and the roads are very icey!! Tonight, they are having a gear inspection for winter camping this month. They must have at least a 0 degree sleeping bag, and at least 2 sets of thermal underwear, snow pants, water proof boots, hat, gloves, winter coat....and a slew of other cold weather, mandatory necessities to pass inspection and be permitted to winter camp.

My oldest has winter camped in single digit temps! He's gone 3 times now. This will be the first winter camping for my youngest. My hubby, his Dad, will be there for this camp out so I will be feeling pretty confident he will be just fine.

When I say winter camping....I mean, camping outside, in a tent, on the ground, in the snow. Scouts are educated on cold weather survival and they take it very seriously. The adult Scout leaders are all trained in how to look for signs of hypothermia and exposure, trained in CPR and First Aid...and the Scouts themselves are trained in those areas as well.

My oldest son's 2nd time winter camping was in 18 inches of snow. Hiking through 18 inches of snow to the spot and then shoveling out a spot for their tent, putting down straw first, then a tarp, then your tent. They are outside the entire time from Friday night til Sunday morning when they pack up and head home.

It is definitely a confidence booster for the boys and also a good understanding that they CAN survive against the elements, that they are not helpless and dead out in the cold and snow of winter. I know it will help them in other things in life that come along...they will think about how tough winter camping was and how they got through it and will know they can get through other situations in life equally as hard.

Winter camping is completely voluntary. You do NOT have to participate. Also, if you feel you do not want to stick it out, you can go home at any time...you can call your parents and have them come pick you up any time of day or night. A few Scouts did end up going home last year. Fortunately, it is not forecast to be as cold this time around....supposed to be around 40 degrees.

As a parent, I am able to go winter camping with them as well. I am not quite sure that I could do it....but how would I know if I never tried. Do I have a desire to do it??? No, not really....but in a way, I guess I do wonder how I would fare. I have camped in 32 degree weather though....as in that was the low over night and about 50 during the day. Does that count?? This will be my hubby's 2nd winter camping with the Scouts.

Have you ever winter camped in the snow?? If you have, I'd love to hear about it. Or, if not, do you think you could handle it??

Okay, now I'm freezing just talking about this! It is 26 degrees outside right now, snowing cats and dogs, I'm freezing my gazoogies off, and I'mma 'bout ready to go put on some water for tea! {What are gazoogies you ask? I really don't know....it's something my mom always said, so if it is inappropriate, I blame my mom! haha!!!}

Happy winter!

super soft, sugar cookies

I love soft sugar cookies!! Well, I love the crunchy ones too....but, if I had to choose...I would go with soft. I came across this recipe on the net and was intrigued by the claim that this cookie was guaranteed to turn out a soft, puffy cookie. I have to say, I was not let down!! The dough was perfect...easy to roll out, easy to cut out and easily lifted from the table with a metal spatula. The secret to this dough: cake flour. Buy it, use it, you'll like it!!

These little colorful heart shaped sprinkles I used are the bomb! They remind me of the 80's with their bright colors. And....being as I was a teenager in the 80's....it just kinda warms my heart is all.

I also had some teeny tiny heart sprinkles: red, pink and white. See below.

 

I really liked the recipe for the butter cream...so definitely try it if you get the chance. I'll use it again for sure. It is really just a basic butter cream recipe but was just right in my opinion.

{recipe found on the wonderful blog A Bountiful Kitchen}

Soft Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 cups cake flour

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix. Chill dough before rolling. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick, cut out shapes and bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Butter cream Frosting

1 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
a bit of milk, start with 1 Tbsp and mix, add more milk as necessary to desired spreading consistency
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat softened butter and powdered sugar til smooth. Add milk and vanilla, mix well. Tint frosting with food coloring. Decorate with sprinkles while frosting is still wet. Enjoy!!

saturday morning

 saturday morning and I feel peaceful

 just one of those mornings when everything seems calm and cozy

BBQ deer chops in a slow cooker

Some of you out there have deer meat in your freezer....and you may be wondering what to make with it. Well, I have a fantastic recipe for you! We like deer meat once in a while at our house...well, all of us but one...my youngest son. 

He says to me "Mom, I will eat a cow, but I will not eat a deer."  

And to that, I say "okay."

So...we have a friend that hunts and he was kind enough to share his game! We were gifted  3 packages each of: 

chops, steaks and ground meat. 

Scouring the internet I found so many delicious looking recipes...it was hard to choose. I decided on a BBQ sauce, slow cooker recipe, and oh my am I glad I did!!! 

                                                                                                                       

It turned out DEE-LISH-US!!!!    !

We totally scarfed it down! My hubby absolutely loved it. We ate it served on a bed of steam white rice. Mashed potatoes would go beautiful with this dish as well.

I cooked these chops in this homemade BBQ sauce for about 6 hours on high. You need a good 6 hours to get to the point where the meat is very, very tender! Trust me, it's worth the wait.

Recipe: BBQ deer chops in a slow cooker

2 lbs. deer chops

1 cup ketchup

2 cups water

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 packet onion soup mix

1 tsp onion powder

few shakes Worcestershire sauce

Brown deer chops in skillet in a bit of vegetable oil. Mix remaining ingredients in crock pot. Add the deer chops. Cook on high 5 to 6 hours. If you are not going to be home all day, you can cook on low for 7 or 8 hours. Serve over hot steamed white rice or mashed potatoes. 

Enjoy!

new treasures

It's January. We're packing away the ornaments and putting away the Christmas tree. This sweet little acorn birdhouse is so adorable. It was a new purchase this Christmas...my youngest son picked it out. I just love the simplicity of it.

Another new ornament this year....this awesome hamburger. It's made of that really delicate, glass-like material.  My oldest son chose this one. And so....these wonderful ornaments will be lovingly and gently packed away until next Christmas...when we'll unwrap them, smile and say "Ooooh, I forgot about this one!"