<![CDATA[PICKLE CREEK RANCH

<![CDATA[PICKLE CREEK RANCH - Blog]]>Tue, 05 Mar 2024 21:12:18 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Color Me Rabbit]]>Thu, 06 Apr 2023 22:13:26 GMThttp://picklecreekranch.com/blog/color-me-rabbit

Want a FREE bunny drawing for your kiddo to color?

I have yearned to do some rabbit sketches or paintings this year and since we were nearing Easter, I decided to do some rabbit drawings for our grandkids and then I had a thought! I’ll send each of them their own card as a black and white sketch that THEY could color!

The rabbit or hare in European traditions, had many religious roles through the years and in the Chinese culture, 2023 is noted as the Year of the Rabbit. It is said that the sign of the Rabbit is a symbol of longevity, peace and prosperity.

Whatever the case may be, the rabbit or Easter Bunny has a long cultural symbol reminding us of the cycles and stages of life, mainly new life!

See the BUNNY PDF button below that you can download. Just size it to your preference and print it out on a regular printer. You could use card stock which is thicker to withstand markers or watercolor.

BUNNY PDF

I like using Derwent Intense colored pencils on heavy paper stock or watercolor paper since I can add water to make it look more like water color.

Since my original bunnies turned out so cute I decided to add a couple of them to my print shop gallery, so if someone wants to purchase cards they could do that too. One, I simply called "A Little Bunny". You can find this and many other works of art in my galleries, and most all are suitable to be printed many ways, including a 5" x 7" card.

Enjoy!

Cheryl @ Pickle Creek Ranch

]]><![CDATA[Pumpkin Pound Cake]]>Wed, 21 Dec 2022 04:50:36 GMThttp://picklecreekranch.com/blog/pumpkin-pound-cake

Check out the best pumpkin pound cake you'll ever eat!

It's so easy to make. Ever since I grew my own pumpkins, I won't go back to canned pumpkin.

I grow what I call a Fairy Tale pumpkin. They are flatter and not so round, orange, but a dull orange and they're so sweet! I plant them in the spring time and have pumpkins in the fall. They even stay firm through winter, in the house. So not only do we have these great flavored foods, they fit in with fall decor!

To make my puree, I cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds, quarter them, toss all on the metal grate in the instant pot (with a cup of water). Set on manual pressure for 8-10 minutes and they're done. Allow to cool. Scrape the pumpkin out and then use an immersion blender to pureé it.

Pumpkin Pound Cake

2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
3 eggs
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) can solid-pack pumpkin or 2 cups pure pumpkin

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Spray a bundt pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.

Stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

Whisk together your sugar, oil, eggs, and pumpkin. Fold in the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Pour into your pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Pumpkin Frosting

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup pumpkin (canned or cooked and pureéd)
4 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Beat the cream cheese, butter, and pumpkin in a large bowl until thoroughly combined and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Beat until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl at least once to make sure all ingredients are incorporated. Frost cupcakes.

If you use too much pumpkin and your frosting doesn't stand up, use it as a glaze!

Enjoy!
Cheryl @ Pickle Creek Ranch

]]><![CDATA[Veggie Tian from the Garden]]>Fri, 15 Jul 2022 18:11:13 GMThttp://picklecreekranch.com/blog/veggie-tian-from-the-garden

Veggie Tian from the Garden. Have you tried it?

We have a large garden producing lots of squash and a friend told me about "tian" and sent me a recipe! Oh my gosh, it is sooo good. I have to share my version of it with you! It looks complicated but it's really simple.

Preheat your oven to 400°. Lightly coat a pie pan with cooking spray or oil.

I use my Instant Pot for all kinds of cooking and food prep like this. Select the Sauté setting and cook up a small onion or more if you want extra! Crush a couple cloves of garlic and throw that in there. Cook till it's golden, then spread out over the bottom of your pie pan.

I brought in fresh tomatoes, yellow squash and zucchini from our garden!

Next, slice them up! Ok, I never said I was Pioneer Woman. LOL

Arrange them one after another around the plate. I even added some sliced Hungarian Sweet Peppers and some leaves of basil. Some people slice potatoes and put in there too. I drizzled some olive oil across the top and then spread some of my homemade basil pesto sauce all over it, then sprinkled some pepper and seasoning. There's a seasoning you can get that's no salt and it tastes good!

Doesn't it look pretty? Not done yet! Cover it with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes!

Last step. Take out of the oven, remove the foil and add cheese, then bake for another 15 minutes. I added Parmesan cheese, about a fourth cup sprinkled around and in between spaces. We like cheese! It is normally topped with Mozzarella but I didn't have any. I had Monterey Jack. Use what'cha got, my friend at Texas Homesteader says! She has great ideas and recipes galore!

Cooked it till it was golden and soooo good!!! It's even good cold. We had this one night with a big salad and it hit the spot!

INGREDIENTS

Oil or cooking spray
Tablespoon olive oil or more for drizzling (optional Pesto sauce)
1 mediium to large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 - 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 Hungarian sweet peppers, seeded and thinly sliced (optional)
Fresh Basil leaves (optional)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded Mozarella cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°, lightly coat a deep dish pie pan with oil or use a nonstick coating.
Using an Instant Pot, (or a medium pan) set to sauté and cook chopped onion and garlic till soft and transluscent. 5-7 minutes. Spread cooked onion and garlic on the bottom of the pan.
Alternate sliced veggies, standing them on edge, all the way around the pan, filling in the middle, adding any extra veggies if desired.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt, pepper. If you have pesto sauce, spread it around too, If not, use Italian seasoning. Stuff fresh basil leaves in between a few of the sllices (optional). Cover with foil and bake covered for 30 minutes.
Remove aluminum foil and sprinkle Parmesan cheese and then Mozarella on top. If you don't have Mozarella, use what you already have! Put back in oven and bake uncovered for 15 minutes or till cheese is golden brown.

I hope you try this recipe and let me know how you liked it! I can't wait to make another pan of it after we are done eating the first one!

Happy eating!
Cheryl @picklecreekranch

]]><![CDATA[Tools for the Garden]]>Fri, 03 Jun 2022 22:02:46 GMThttp://picklecreekranch.com/blog/tools-for-the-garden

Check out the Hori Hori garden tools by Emerging Green!

I was asked to review two products, the Hori Hori Garden Gloves and the Garden Knife. I took them to the garden at the beginning of the season to test them out. You can see how I used them in this You Tube Video:

https://youtu.be/V8ChKoyuQs8

If you would like to purchase these items, go to this link
https://www.emerging-green.biz/product-page/hori-hori-garden-knife-with-sheath-gardening-gloves

We are thankful for rain and the garden is growing well! I am continuing to use the Garden Gloves, mostly in the rock garden where they make it easier to move gravel and dig out weeds that insist on growing there. The garden knife is great for slicing unwanted grass and when it's muddy, I can slice under the plant and sever the roots below rather than dig up a big ball of roots and mud. We live in the Blackland Prairie and if you are familiar with that, you know how sticky it can be! I think I have gotten more use out of the garden knife than I anticipated. I have been able to saw grass clumps and weeds a lot quicker than cutting with scissors or digging out.

Hori Hori Garden Knife

Hori Hori Garden Gloves

Thank you for stopping in and checking this out! I hope you find it helpful since we can all use a little help in the garden to make the work easier!

Happy gardening!
Cheryl at Pickle Creek Ranch

]]><![CDATA[Chicken Water Booster]]>Mon, 01 Mar 2021 22:57:14 GMThttp://picklecreekranch.com/blog/chicken-water-booster

Yes, I made my own!

If you have chickens you may already know that Oregano is good for them because of its ability to fight pathogens as related in this study: https://bit.ly/2R0ZL90

Thieves essential oil is also good for health as is Rosemary. After combining the following ingredients, all it takes is a little scoop (1/4 tsp) of it per gallon of water.

1/4 C Citric Acid (food grade)
1/2 C Salt
7 drops Thieves Vitality
14 drops Oregano Vitality
2 drops Rosemary Vitality

Blend the dry ingredients and the oils together and store in a closed container. It gets kind of dusty when mixing, so I made sure to wear a mask and cover any open containers in the kitchen, like my coffee cup.

Also, for even more added benefit, add a teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar to the water.

Happy chicken keeping!

Cheryl @ Pickle Creek Ranch

]]><![CDATA[Make Your Own Hypertufa Pot]]>Thu, 07 Jan 2021 08:00:00 GMThttp://picklecreekranch.com/blog/make-your-own-hypertufa-potMake Your Own Hypertufa Pot
By Cheryl L. McClure

Hypertufa pots are not just for plants!

To get the following instructions in a printable PDF, click the green button. Enjoy!

Hypertufa Pot Instructions

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