Spring is such a joyful time of year. Here in Minnesota we are happy to FINALLY see some green grass and hear the birds chirping after a long cold winter. It is such a joy and delight walking around the yard with the kiddos, showing them all of the new life that has sprung from the ground or lifting them up to take a peak in the bird houses. When we moved to our current home we were fortunate enough to buy from family members who loved gardens, both flower and vegetable. There is an established asparagus patch, raspberry bushes, several flower gardens, a large plot for a vegetable garden and three established rhubarb plants. Yes, THREE! We've grilled up asparagus already so I knew we need to get our hands on the rhubarb as well! I have quite a few go to rhubarb recipes and most of them bring me back to my childhood. I specifically remember how much I despised rhubarb picking and cutting days in my early teens. It just seemed like a never ending task, boy oh boy have things have changed. Now I can't turn down a reason to make something with rhubarb and I LOVE trying out new recipes. As much fun as new recipes can be, this rhubarb muffin recipe is TO DIE FOR. Mom's Rhubarb Muffins
1 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup oil 1 egg 2 tsps. vanilla 1 cup buttermilk* 2 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb Topping: 2 tbsps. melted butter 2/3 cup white sugar 2 tsp. cinnamon Mix brown sugar, oil, egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients. Once combined alternate buttermilk and dry ingredients into the brown sugar mixture. Mix until well combined, being sure to scrape the sides of the bowl. Fold in rhubarb. Spoon into muffin tins. Mix topping and sprinkle on top of each muffin. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. *If you don't have buttermilk in the house you can use 1 tbsp. lemon juice or white vinegar plus enough milk to measure 1 cup. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes before using.
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Sometimes I find myself just needing to slow down and it's funny how God realizes this. I run, run, run until I'm ragged with little time for the REAL things, the THINGS that matter. I look around my house and I know that it could be cleaner, the laundry could be done in a more timely manner, but is that what makes me more holy or accepted by God? No, absolutely not. As our family continues to grow, as I continue to work in town, and as my husband continues to put in long hours farming I have come to realize that time is very precious. These are the years we can't get back with little ones growing as fast as weeds. These are the years to stay focused on our marriage, even with littles needing us often. So the other morning when I woke to this reminder to slow down and SOAK IT ALL IN, how could I pass it up? "My purpose is to give life." John 10:10
Grocery shopping is MY thing. I think there are some husbands that might do this, but I hate to say it I'm not sure if we would eat or what we would get fed if I left it up to Mr. Farmer (Honey, if you are reading this, I love you till the cows come home, but we both know it's true). I try to space out my grocery stops to every other week and this may be longer if I am able to make a run to Costco which is about an hour and fifteen minutes away. This may seem like a long time between grocery stops, but bread freezes and milk stays fresh for some time. One other benefit is having the ability to buy our protein in large amounts. Once a year we buy a quarter of beef and a half of a hog from my sister and her in-laws and keep it in our deep freeze. This helps with the budget, meal planning and the biggest plus - supporting local agriculture.
We are in the thick of planting which means I've moved into semi-single mom mode as my farmer works long hours to get the crop in the ground. We had rain showers move through the area over the last couple days which let all of us come up for air. I always appreciate when I can see my farmer for more than 5 minutes in passing or as I get my goodnight kiss when he sneaks into bed hours after me.
These "single-mom" moments are ones I would not pass up, and it makes me even more grateful for the life we live. It may be busy, it may be stressful, but boy are we blessed. During planting I try to bring warm meals out to the field. This allows for one of those 5 minute passings and the kids get to see their daddy hard at work. Last week we brought supper out and our daughter rode with my husband for one not short enough round while mom got to snap some pics. As a three year old going back and forth in the field with no visible progress means one short attention span. Why would someone name their blog Laceys Loving Lawrence? The honest truth is I have had THIS name picked out from the beginning, before I rewrote my first blog post for the 23,458th time. The name was ALWAYS there! My intent of this blog is to bring you the raw honest truth about our life on the farm and it just so happens that our little piece of crazy heaven is located in a LAWRENCE township. This is the place where we eat off the land and raise our children. We are raising crops that will feed the world and hopefully raising children that will turn into amazing leaders! P.S. Did I mention we might not have livestock but one special Grandpa does. This makes our farming story even better!
My first blog post. What will it be? Who will my readers be?
The sad part I have probably wrote this first blog post 23,457 times and never taken the plunge. My biggest concern is do I have the TIME to reach you and to bring you blog worthy content. So as I get started take it easy on me ;) but let me know what you would like to see! So let’s get right into it. I am a mom and wife that works out of the home selling crop insurance. My husband is part of the 4th generation family farm along with his dad and brother. Our kiddos go to daycare M-F while we both work. This decision is one that sometimes haunts me as I feel like I NEED to be the SAHM. But guess what, I genuinely believe that God did not intend for me to be a SAHM. I love my kiddos and I love being a mom, but I also love my job and customers. The tradeoff isn’t always easy and there are nights that I still wonder if we are making the right decision as parents. At this point I turn to God and put my trust in him. Our kids will be ok and we can truly believe this as we have faith and trust in our daycare provider. This post may seem all over the place but I want to be able to share my heart with you all. I want you to see that each of us is part of a plan not known to us. So THANK YOU for finding me and finding my little blog! Stay tuned :) xoxo, Lisa |
Welcome!I'm Lisa, a farm wife turned city slicker. A child of God, wife and mother. I'm a dreamer relying on God's grace to get me through. Archives
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