Yummy to the Tummy!

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
We just finished off a batch of an old family recipe. Growing up, one of the biggest delights was Mama and Daddy whipping up a canister of banana ice cream. MMMMMmmm! Mama always liked her ice cream *icy* not *creamy*. LOL So, I grew up thinking that expensive gourmet stuff was GROSS!! It wasn't cold enough...too soft. :-) So, really, I guess what Mama made was more ice milk than ice cream. Whatever it was, it was GOOD!
Anyway, today I noticed the bananas I bought last week were getting overripe. I knew it'd been a long time since we made ice cream (the youngest children didn't even remember!)...and we had all the ingredients, including the bagged ice and rock salt...I knew where the ice cream freezer was...soooo....
The rest is history. It was all slurped up in a hurry, except for about 2 cups of the stuff that we put in a storage box and slid into the freezer. I imagine it will incite rioting in the future. LOL
The recipe is one Mama got from the Farm Bureau, I believe. She used it since she first got married. I'll include it below, with my modifications:

'Nanner Cream'

2 qts milk
3 cups sugar (I just had a bit over 2 cups...it tasted fine, I thought)
4 eggs, well beaten (I only had 3, so that's what I used)
can of evaporated milk (Mama called it 'Milnot')
2 t vanilla extract
1 t salt

Mix all up in medium sized saucepan. Cook on medium, stirring constantly until mixture steams, about 20 minutes. Cool in fridge. Mash (or process) 2-3 bananas and add to mixture. Freeze in freezer.



Now, Mama never did the "cool in fridge" part--took too long. LOL I do that part, because usually I have to do things in stages anyway.
The 4th of July is coming up, so this might be a fun way to celebrate. :-)
Gotta run...

Y'all keep your wool dry (and un-sticky!)
The Ewe

I Ain't Skeered (or) Naughty and Nice

Just a quick funny:

Tater Tot, waxing eloquent:

"It's naughty to spit on people...Nice people don't skeer babies...So do I not."

:-)

Immodest Garden?

Hello F.O.T.E.s,
We're busy, busy, busy around here, but I wanted to share something with you before I forgot...
Remember we visited the GrandRams last week (or was that 2 weeks ago??)? Anyway, GrandRaMama and GrandRam have a nifty little garden. The lambies look forward each visit to seeing how the different plants have grown.
Last visit, I was sitting in the house w/ Lil Miss H, when Musical came tearing in through the door. She was so excited!!
"Mama! GrandRaMama has *BIKINIS* growing in her garden!!!"

:-)

Yum, yum! I *love* bikini bread. Hardly tastes like a vegetable at all...

Hey, y'all keep your wool dry!
The Ewe

Anybody for a Snow Cup?

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I've just gotta take a minute to brag on my Lambies. Lioness, Lovable and Musical...and Tater Tot (to the best of his ability) are running a shaved ice stand in our driveway. GrandRam built them a big ol' sign out of dry erase board and they have a utility table set up. They've been freezing ice for days, lol.
We told them at the beginning they would have to pay for their overhead, namely, the sign GrandRam built for them. The Ram, though, offered them a D.B.A. grant (similar to the Small Business Administration, but meaning DADDY Business Administration...akin to the 401Dad)
They have paid us now for the sign (we'll send you the check, GrandRam ;-) and are now in the black. They are handing out flyers announcing the Grand Opening this Sat., complete with giveaways, games and free popcorn. :-)
Something funny happened yesterday--a neighborhood boy came by wanting a Snow Cup, but all he had was a $20 bill. Lioness didn't have change for that--the Snow Cups only cost 50 cents, lol. So, the kid asked if she'd just take the $20 and give him a Snow Cup! She told him, "No, that would be IMMORAL!!!"
:-)
I advised her that, in the interest of good P.R., it would be best to just give him a Snow Cup. She did and he promised to "tell all his friends." Yay!
Well, gotta run. Need to go check on the lil entrepreneurs. :-)
Y'all keep your wool dry...and EAT SNOW CUPS!!!
The Ewe

Don't Tell Him I Laughed...

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
You know, it really irritates me to be so caught off guard by one of my children, that I laugh at something I'm going to have to discipline them for...so, note that the child in the following anecdote *was* corrected for a bad attitude and actions, and further note that I did *not* laugh at what I'm about to tell you until after said correction *and* out of sight of the offending child. Whew...with that disclaimer out of the way, lol ;-) ...
Last week, Tater Tot was having a bad morning. With The Ram out of town our schedule was off and T.T. hadn't gotten enough sleep. So, he was being just a lil stinker and having a hard time getting along with people. So, I led him back to the bedroom to help him reset his attitude. I started by saying, "T.T., you were acting ugly in there..."
Without a trace of a smile on his scowling face and glaring through narrowed eyes, he stated coldly...
"I *wasn't acting*!!"
Sigh...I must admit, there are days I'm not just acting, too. :-) My attitude needs adjusting sometimes. May the Good Lord help us all not just *act* like we should act, but also *be* like we should be. And by the way, Tater came to me later, hugged my neck and apologized for his earlier behavior. He really is a sweet kid.
Now, don't y'all act up... ;-)
AND...

Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

On the Shoulders of Giants

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s!
Well, today is Father's Day. I got to visit both my daddy and father-in-law last week--what a blessing!
On the way back home d-r-i-v-i-n-g (a)looooong, we listened to a preacher on the radio, delivering his Father's Day sermon. He was talking about honoring our dads and though we always hope to reach higher than our forebears, we are, indeed, "standing on the shoulders of giants." I started thinking about what great men The Ram and I each have for fathers. They are very, very different, and those differences are the very things that make each of them great. Truly, The Ram and I were both so blessed to have grown up under the care of our respective fathers. I cherish them both.
From the GrandRam's moral courage and respected leadership skills to EweDaddy's compassion and his penchant for quiet sweetness--I definitely know The Ram and I stand on the shoulders of Giants.
Let us all find ways today to encourage our dads. :-)
and also,
Y'all keep your wool dry!!
The Ewe

A Quiet Hero

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
I've just read a news story about the passing of Ruth Bell Graham, Rev. Billy Graham's wife. The article pointed out that as a young lady, she had wanted to be a missionary to Tibet. The Lord had different plans for her, though, and she chose the way of being a wife to Billy Graham. Of course, at that time, he wasn't BILLY GRAHAM. :-)
Anyway, if she had gone w/ her plan, becoming a missionary, I wonder if we'd ever have heard the names "Ruth Bell" or "Billy Graham." You know the saying, "Behind every great man is a great woman." I do believe that is true.
Certainly, seeking notoriety is *not* to be our goal in this life, but in the Grahams' case, it pleased God.
I was already praying this week, asking the Lord to show me how to better promote and support my husband, my beloved Ram. I firmly believe that the fulfillment I now enjoy in this life is well worth any earlier plans I may have "given up."
Gotta run...The Ram returns home tonight after a two week school in OH. I've got some business to take care of so that we can enjoy the homecoming this weekend. :-)
Hey, y'all keep your wool dry!!
The Ewe