What we put first?!

Pinterest Tested~Chicken Bacon Ranch Mac N Cheese!

WOW this stuff is good...and not too bad for you surprisingly! Another plus is this is really quick to prepare and people love it. My grandma even asked for a copy of the recipe :)

16 oz. dried pasta, I prefer used Penne because its all I had.
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 package of bacon
1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 c. milk, any fat content
1 pkg. Italian blend shredded cheese; divided
1 c. Monterey Jack shredded cheese or Colby-Jack blend, divided
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dill
1 tsp. salt
pepper, to taste
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, leaving some drippings in the pan. Drain bacon on a paper towel. Add chicken to drippings, increase heat to medium-high and saute until no longer pink. Set aside.
Melt butter in the same pot you made the pasta in. Whisk in flour. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Add milk to saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil for 2 minutes. Stir in most of the cheese. (Reserve a handful of each cheese blend to sprinkle on top of casserole.) Add pasta, spices, and chicken and stir to combine.
Spray 9×13″ baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer pasta to baking pan. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon and reserved cheeses. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until thoroughly heated.

Farm Baby Lotion~Fun Find

I love themes, I love agriculture....so when I find something that combines the two...I get pretty excited.
 I was shopping in a fun store in Iola, KS called The Classy Attic and stumbled upon this:

How stinkin cute is this?! Farm Baby lotion! The company is Sweet Grass Farm. I think for the next Farm Themed Baby Shower this might be a necessity.

Laurel, IA~ Traveling Tuesday

I am really working on my 101 in 1001 and on that list was to visit another "Laurel" Town. I did so back in October and am now just getting around to posting. Posting more often is also on my list :)

This LAUREL like the others I have visited....small, but cute and unique.

Then there was this interesting little place on the outskirts of town...fun little buildings.

French Toast Dumplings~ Pinterest Tested

 I tried this recipe out last week. It important that you use the flaky biscuits. It might seem like they won't cook by being simmered in syrup...but they do!

Verdict: They are rich and good, but not sure I will make them again.
Original recipe here.

My recipe with adaptions:

1 can of Flaky Layers Biscuits

1.5 cups Maple Syrup

1/3 cup Brown Sugar

1 cup cinnamon Sugar (1 part Sugar to 1/2 part Cinnamon)

Directions:

In a medium sauce pot add the Maple Syrup and the Brown Sugar..bring up to a simmer

Cut each raw biscuit into fourths and roll each section into a ball

 

Gently add them into the simmering syrup..leaving room for them to puff up..they get puffy!

 

Cover them and let them simmer until they’ve doubled in size..turning them once, to coat each side of the dumplings evenly in the thick and amazing reduced syrup sauce!

 

Let them cool

While they’re cooling, mix up the cinnamon, sugar, ..set aside. 

Gently toss each dumpling in the Cinnamon/Sugar mix..for that French Toast crunch!

Lazy E Ranch & Arena

A few months back we had to go pick up a horse at the Lazy E Ranch in OK. I had heard about it, my parents had been there, and I have wanted to go check out this "famous" large facility.

 
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Lazy E, it is located in Guthrie, OK and hosts approx 25 large western events a year, ropings, sales, clinics, and more. Check out their website for more info.

I hope this gives you an idea of how large the arena is.

There are more facilites/barns/corrals/etc
This is the main office where we had to check in before picking up the horse. Lazy E is quite often a great 1/2 way mark to meet to exchange horses. They will board horses for people and handle the paperwork.

A Thread of Blue Denim

I am not sure if you are familiar with the book, "A Thread of Blue Denim" if not I suggest you order a copy on ebay or amazon! I loved it and have the other books in the series in my collection and hope to get them read soon. I was sad to hear that the author pasted away last week. I meet the author Pat Leimbach  over 5 years ago at an American Agri-Women convention in Miami. She and her sister drove down themselves from Ohio. At that time Pat was in her 70s and what a hoot she and her sister were, telling about their adventures on the trip and then the "situation" they got themselves into in a not so safe part of Miami!

I was lucky enough to see her a a few other conventions, what a unique and awesome country woman she was! Read this article I found about her passing and the legacy she left behind.....AND then go order her book!