Dinero

Well after three days on bute (last one this morning) I went out and felt Dineros legs that were so warm and sore on Wednesday. Well there was nothing, so heat, no soreness, nothing!!! yippee!! I wa worried I would have to stay off him for a while and that had me more sad then I thought it would. I was kinda suspicious when I haltered him and he sidestepped from me, when it hurt you couldn't force him to move sideways, and now he did it voluntarily.

I thought I should share what we have been up to lately here. Hay, Hay and more hay.
Yesterday I was haybining our crop and its amazing how much alfalfa grows when it rains. Not bad for dry land haying in the Special Areas.

Neil baled the outside of the field a few days before and we have twice as many bales on half the acreage as any other field this year, pretty cool.

We are making as many bales this year as we can, casue next year there might not be any.

Perogies and More riding

Well after the Perogy post, I got asked a few questions, so here's some answers. Not all the answers cause I just don't have all the answers.

Umm my favorite way of cooking them. Well I like to fry up some onions and smokies and then put the boiled perogies in until they are just browned

Then add sour cream until it just melts, and eat. These are the potato and Cheddar ones, and they never fell apart, so not sure I can help there. I wonder if it helps I freeze them first, never cooked them fresh so I dont know if tha makes a difference?I also like to use sauerkraut sometimes. Neil likes it when the smokies aren't cut up then he can have them in buns and its more filling.

My other favorite is the prune perogies, I just boil them 5 minutes or till they float, and put icing sugar and a little butter on and mmmm, no wonder some people call them desert perogies.

I never thought of putting a Mexican type filling in, but I love Mexican food, so maybe next time I will try that one.

While I went riding yesterday and look like Dinero slipped and is sore in both back legs, so we gave him little a bute and will give him three days off and see how hes doing then. But it gave me more time to practice taking pictures indoors. I got Susan on Princess

I rode Bailey and I got the girls to take some pictures, but they weren't very clear, but I had to put this one of Bailey in cause it shows how fat she is, lol

After this Jardi rode Tangle and I found a new and better setting, ISO 3200 and it takes pics super fast they mostly turn out clear

She said she would rather me take pictures of Tangle without her on him, so we did some of that too

And then she rode Shaken and even though the picture is a little dark, it turned out not bad, I haven't gotten a clear stop picture before, so was pretty happy with this

And I commented in the comment section, but just thought I would say again, the arena footing was fabulous, I have never seen it as good down there as it has been these last two days. I think if she keeps it watered and worked it can be really nice, a little deeper than Jardis, but sure nice to ride in.

Riding in the Hoodoos

Yesterday was so much fun. I got a call saying Jardis arena was too wet to ride in, so they were going to ride at the hoodoos, and did I want to ride down there, so of course I do, the arena there is really nice and so I hauled Bailey over and Jardi brought Dinero with her. (Lu's horse Sandy)

I rode Dinero first and he was so good! he is so brave. I walked him around the arena first, and he was a little looky, but not bad, so I got on and we walked around and there are barrels around the outside, but instead of shying at them, he walks right up to them and puts his nose on them! I think he would be easy to clicker train, cause he sure wants to put his nose on everything. I rode with Susan for a while, them Jardi and Charlene come in and hes never rode with that many people before. We sat at the end and watched Charlene have a lesson, and he was kinda bored for that, but I was impressed. I may even try and lope today if hes still good. (Bailey and Dinero after riding, standing nice, yay)

Bailey was so fat and out of shape, and if I am gonna take her on a trip to the mountains, I figured I should start riding her. She was good as always, a little energetic, but i diddnt last long cause she was puffing after 5 minutes of trot, lol. I didnt ride her very hard, but I will ride her again today and I dont think it will take much to get her in shape. (Charlene and Fancy after her lesson)

I took some pics of her and Dinero together and she is a little taller than him, but not by much. It feels taller but I think its just wider.

Afterwards we went down and had dinner and Fred and Barnys (chinese Buffet) for Katies 16th birthday. It was pretty good, but makes for along day. I never got home till 11 last night. And going back agian today. I may bring Dinero home now, and just trailer him and Bailey over there until the arena dries up a little. (Other Charlene riding Rou on Barrels, I dont know how to get a light enough picture thats not blurry indoors, so I took like 50 of them)

Perogies

Today it was raining, so I thought I would make perogies. This is working well, cause i am trying to use up the food we have without buying anything new (except milk and bread and fruit) till we eat up our freezer stuff before we get our next beef butchered. In November probly.

So perogies. First I had to decide what kind. I have lots of potatoes, so I mashed up a bunch and i like cheese, so I grated a bunch, and I like bacon, so I cooked and cut up a package, and I like onions, so I cut up and fried (in bacon grease) a bunch, and my favorite perogy is prune, so I unthawed them ready to go (cut in half and pitted)

First comes the dough, 2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, and 3/4 cup really warm water.

Mix flour and salt together, make well, pour in warm water slowly while mixing together with wooden spoon. Knead at least 5 minutes then let rest for 15 minutes.
Don't worry if your dough looks like this after mixing with the wooden spoon, just pour onto floured surface and start kneading

It turns out like this after 3-5 minutes, I usually have to add more flour to the board cause it gets sticky

Then you have to decide on topping, I mixed a bowl of mashed potatoes (try to leave kinda dry or perogy gets soggy)

With a package of bacon and 4 cut up and fried onions

or you can mix a bowl/pot of mashed potatoes (made with cheese Whiz)

And grate up some Cheddar cheese, I used medium, but old has more flavor.

Or of course my favorite just pull out from freezer, plums

Back to the dough, after its rested 15 minutes, roll it out on lightly floured surface until its is about 1/8 inch thick. Cut it into circles, I prefer using this biscuit cutter

But you can also use a glass about 2 1/2 to 3 inches across

Take a spoonful of filling

Or half a plum

Fold the dough over and seal together very well, sometimes it doesn't want to stick, and that is usually because your hands are sticky or the dough is to floury, but just keep squishing it together. On the plum ones, don't squish the plum too much, or the juice starts coming out

Lay out individually on a cookie sheet and freeze till hard (about half hour) then put in freezer bag to keep. Freezing seperatly keeps them from sticking together in the freezer.

or you can cook and eat right away. Enjoy!