Author Archives: maryjane

Today’s Recipe: Baked Yams w/Maple-Pecan Butter

Make sure some rendition of the ingredients listed below end up on your menu in two days. The combination of yams, pecans, butter, and maple syrup will have you in a FIT of gratitude. Okay, so in the photo below, we made EXTRA butter, pecan, maple syrup topping. Okay, so we ended up eating the extra’s rolled up in balls and cut into stars. Okay.

Baked Yams w/Maple-Pecan Butter
8    small yams
2    cups pecans
¾    cup butter
6    T maple syrup

1. Place yams on a rimmed baking sheet and pierce each one a couple of times with a fork so that steam escapes while they bake. Bake at 325°F for 1¾ hours.
2. In a food processor, chop pecans until they resemble fine crumbs. Add butter and maple syrup and blend for about 10 seconds. Sprinkle over skinned yams. Keep warm in the oven until serving. 

excess eating is called …

Chances are this Thanksgiving you and loved ones will gather around the table, say what you are thankful for and then delve into the pilgrim tradition of stuffing your tummies with all sorts of delicious fare — candied yams, green bean casserole, stuffing, mashed potatoes …

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photo-of-the-day

sylvan secrets

Oh, to gaze out my window over the rolling hills of the Palouse. Gorgeous! It’s a winter wonderland out there. Even as I sit here writing next to my cozy fire, I can’t help but turn my imagination loose, letting it run wild down into those secretive valleys where thick pine groves harbor their sylvan secrets…

Did you catch it? The fancy word I’ve found for this week’s entry is one I can’t believe I’ve lived my whole life without: sylvan.

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photo-of-the-day

Brrrr!

A quick glance at my local forecast, and I’m assured that we’ll have no shortage of snow this winter or this week for that matter. Winter has arrived here in Idaho!

It’s inevitable—with all of the “outdoorsy” activities around the farm closing down for the season, we have a tendency to fold inward around here, hunker down, and gather around fires with cups of warmth in hand. There’s certainly no shame in getting cozy (I’m still in my jammies as I write this), but I also love to look for excuses to get out there into the wild, white world beyond my window.

One of the best excuses I can think of involves collecting a big ol’ pot of the white stuff. Yep, harvesting snow! It is an abundant crop these days.

But, why?

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swivet

SWIVET: Something a swimming frog says? New handy-dandy carpentry tool for DIY homeowners? Swiffer attachment that swivels? Sniveling swine? Tearful sentiment? Amount of air sniffed up when sniffing? Petite snifter for women who drink whiskey?

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photo-of-the-day

Here’s a sweet little homestead cemetery on our property. Does a final resting place get any better than this?

gross enough to gag a maggot

Ewwwuuuuuu. I had no idea critters like this existed in anything other than an Indiana Jones movie or National Geographic special. Discovered in a piece of firewood next to our chicken coop, reactions at the farm …

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What’s the shortest distance between two people?

The answer is gonna put a smile on your face.

The shortest distance between two people is …

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