Layered Country Breakfast

We don't get a chance to eat breakfast at home during the week so a big breakfast on the weekends has become a regular treat in our house.  The kids love eggs and often we'll sleep in and have this a little later than their normal breakfast so it usually holds us until mid-afternoon.  This is also a great "breakfast for dinner" option.

Start with 5-6 medium potatoes and dice them.  In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add about 2 tbsp olive oil or canola oil and the potatoes.  Season with garlic salt and pepper.  Stir periodically and continue frying until potatoes are cooked through and tender with golden crusty parts.

In a small skillet, cook about a pound of ground sausage until well browned.  You can use whatever you like or have on hand.  Here I used 5 bratwurst removed from their casings.  Drain and keep warm.

When the potatoes are done, top them with the sausage and a couple handfuls of whatever shredded cheese you like - I used colby jack.  Cover the pan and let sit over low heat to melt the cheese while you cook the eggs.  Do not stir.  My gang prefers over-easy eggs for this type of dish but any way you like them would work fine here.  Scoop the potato/sausage/cheese mix onto plates and then top with eggs.

In Need of Prayers

It has been a rough couple of days and I am asking for prayers from everyone I can for a couple of very special people who need them greatly.

First, a extreme preemie baby whose journey I have been following needs his miracle to come in.  He was born at 26 weeks gestation and has had a number of problems including one side of his heart that works too hard and lung issues.  The doctors are running out of options and nothing seems to work for him for long.  His distraught momma was greeting yesterday by the doctors saying that if he does not respond to this round of medication they will have to call in Hospice.  There are no words really.

Second, my grandpa fell 15 feet off a ladder onto a cement pad.  Stubborn old farmer.  Two strapping grandsons in his 20's there to help and he insisted on climbing the ladder.  A bolt that held the overhead doors on his work shop (big enough for a semi to drive through) snapped and the door and frame swung out and knocked him and the ladder down.  He has crushed a large part of the right side of his body and part of his face.  He had emergency surgery last night on his hip which was crushed.  His shoulder already had a metal rod in it and because the rod was stronger than the bone around it the bone took the shock and shattered.  Surgery on that will come in a few days when he is strong enough and when they can bring in a shoulder specialist.  His nose is broken.  His cheek bones are fractured and there are bone fragments.  When the swelling goes down they will consult with a plastic surgeon.  He, of course, has a concussion.

His grandsons who were there, thank God, had presence of mind to keep holding the rope on the overhead door and were able to hold the weight of it to keep it from falling and crushing him.  They kept him from moving and doing more damage and called 911.  Then because my grandma and grandpa were so worried about dinner in the oven and the fact that the shop wasn't locked up, the boys stayed behind to take care of everything, including the door.  

Recovery will be a long road.  The doctors say at least a week before he can come home and 2-3 months before he can even put weight on the hip.  (Realistically its a guessing game and depends on how surgery and recovery go.)  And that depends on how badly the shoulder plays a role because he won't be able to use the shoulder and arm to help him get around until that recovers.  Thankfully he has grandsons and great-grandsons out of school for the summer who can stay with them to help take care of him and anything that needs to be done around the house and garden.  Also, thankfully, they live just a couple of miles away from us and there are several of us who live in a few-mile radius from them to keep an eye on them and help out so it may save him from having to go to a rehab facility.

Prayers are needed and much appreciated.

New House Reno Update - The Living Room

One thing I love about the new house is that we will now have 2 living rooms.  This means that the boys can hole up in the fireplace room near the food and access to the back deck with the guys and my daughter and I can hide away from the noise and snuggle up in this cozy "library" living room.  

A Question and Weekend Summary

Sometimes you think you are on to something new and exciting and it just doesn't work out and you are left wondering - do I stick with it and give it a little more time, do I need to change something, or should I just let it go?  That's where I'm at with Farmers Market Fridays so I need your help.

New House Reno Update - The Dining Room

I am soooo pleased with the reno on the dining room at the new house - it is exactly as I had pictured it in my mind.  Here's a before look!

Morel Mushroom Cheesy Venison Burgers

Usually its the end of morel season around here but the weather patterns this year seem to have extended the season a bit.  About two weeks ago my husband found a handful or so of these out behind the house and we were pretty excited.  There are few things that taste better than these rich, velvety mushrooms.  Its kinda a dog fight in my house the minute these show up so unless we score a bunch I have to come up with creative ways to make sure everyone gets a fair share.

Success in finding morels varies from year to year largely depending on the weather and moisture pattern but we have a few spots by both our house and our cabin up north that give us enough to enjoy.  We have had a lot of success finding them near Elm and Aspen trees and large rotting tree stumps or logs.  They are frequently on south facing slopes too.  

Farmers Market Fridays #3

Happy Friday everyone! Its official - the last of the schools are letting out and that means summer. With summer comes grilling and where best to get great grilling foods than your local farmers market! You can find an array of beautiful produce, baked goods, herbs and seasonings, and even meats at the farmers market and you can't beat the freshness.

Here's the problem - farmers markets are often something you stumble upon by accident while out for a drive or something you learn about through the grapevine. So with Farmers Market Fridays, I'm looking to spread the word on how great farmers markets are by encouraging folks to link up more information on them. 

Here's some ideas of who should be linking up!

• Farmers market websites or blogs
• Blogs with recipes inspired by farmers market goodies
• Blogs with tips on how to make the most of your trip to the farmers market
• Bloggers and websites with posts or articles featuring certain farmers markets you've visited
• Vendors who sell their goods at local farmers markets (tell us where and when you will be at the farmers markets and what you'll be selling!)

New posts and old are welcome!  Please be sure to grab a button for your blog (you can get the code on the right bar) and invite others!

A huge thank you to Ashley at Crunchy Frugalista for being the brave first to link up and to Holly at Full Circle Creations for doing a feature post to help spread the word!  You ladies are wonderful!

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Thank You!

I just want to thank you all for your support and encouragement, for your friendship and camaraderie, for sharing this little country life with me!  

Blueberry Raspberry Coffee Cake

This super moist and easy coffee cake was a big hit at home.  I love to throw this kind of stuff together in the evening after the kids are in bed and let it bake while I'm doing the laundry or ironing or whatever.  I usually cover it with a light towel for the night and let it cool on the top of the stove.  This time around hubby and I could not resist a late night snack of this while it was still warm out of the oven.  

New House Reno Update - 1st Floor Bathroom

Oh how glad I am to see the transformation on this black hole of a bathroom!  It has come such a long way and we are very happy with how it has turned out.