Happy Friday! I’m still ticked off at the calves for trying to cut my leg off. So I’m going to talk about food and put “cattle” on the back burner. How about those poppers? The only reason I plant jalapeno plants in my garden is so that I can make poppers. Can you take the heat? They are fantastic……. 
First on the list is to take out most of the seeds. Leave just a few to give your mouth a good burn. And ALWAYS wear latex gloves! I use my milking gloves. They work great. If you live next door to a milkmaid she may let you borrow a few. Otherwise, you are on your own. 
Next comes the filling. Cream cheese and chunk cheese (don’t get me started on shredded), and a few diced onion to give it pizazz. I’m assuming that everyone always keeps chunk cheese and cream cheese in the fridge at all times. Never run out! Those are the rules! 
Aren’t these cute?! Fill all your little pepper boats with cheese. I know these are very time consuming, but they are worth it in the end. I think. Just don’t ask Marshall. He had a major meltdown after trying one a few weeks ago. He will like them some day……I hope. 
Next comes the beautiful bacon. I cut mine into thirds. I need to keep enough back for breakfast. 
Almost to the finish line. May I remind you that this will be worth it in the end. Do not share with your neighbors and friends. Make them prep their own. Too much time invested……enjoy them yourself. 
Alrighty…..now for the barbeque sauce. I always use Head Country. The best in the West! I buy it by the gallon. My “carnivore boys” love barbeque on everything. Here is the recipe……….
20-25 jalapenos
8 ounce package cream cheese
1 cup grated Colby cheese ( I prefer Colby cheese over cheddar….and I never, ever buy shredded. That is taboo! )
2 Tablespoon finely diced onion
1 lb. bacon cut into thirds ( I never count the bacon slices. Just slice and dice until your poppers are wrapped. )
Bake at 350 for about an hour or until the peppers are soft and the bacon is done. Grilled is delicious too, but I hardly ever have time for that. 
I will sit down and eat 12 of these dudes back to back no problem! Milkmaids have big appetites…………………………..Carol
This is the finished product. It is delicious! It’s actually better the next day……gives it time for the moisture to soak in. 
Here’s the shredded zucchini. I always peel mine first. Simply because the less green the boys see the better. 
Ready for the oven. I never measure the chocolate chips. I sprinkle according to how my day has been going. 
Hot out of the oven. It’s difficult to allow for cooling time. I want to dive right in. And by the way……we put a fork in the pan and everyone stops and takes a bite as they walk by. Does anyone else do that? 
Now back to the finished product. Give it time to cool and then sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Fit for a king or queen or a milkmaid! Here’s the recipe……
Yes, this is all mine. Well, I share with the family……sometimes. When I do this kind of shopping, I always tell myself…..”Man, I hope I don’t see anyone I know. They’ll think I’ve lost my mind.” Almost inevitably, I see a familiar face. What can I say when I’m caught red-handed hoarding sale items?! Something like this……Uh, I milk cows for a living…..this is what it takes to survive. Don’t judge me……That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it! 
The rules never apply on special days. They go flying out the window. It’s a “free day”……live it up. All the cookies you want, extra large iced coffee, and plenty of bright flowers. By the end of the day I’m pretty much “jacked up” on sugar and caffeine. I can always “detox” later. Don’t take life too seriously. Right?! 
Farmer Brown bought me some beautiful roses. Ahhh….look at all the bright colors! That’s exactly what a milkmaid needs in the dead of winter….color. 
I looked everywhere for this special “heart” and finally decided this is as good as it gets. So, I hope your Valentines Day was full of brightness, and lots of chocolate, or whatever your specialty is. “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what your going to get.” One of my favorite lines………………………..Carol
Here we have some of the “offspring”. We’re missing a few, but this will give you an idea of what we’re dealing with. The boys definitely out number the girls, but that doesn’t mean the girls can’t hold their own. They can “scrap” their way to the top any day. 
Is it really necessary to have “two” of everything?! Yes, it is! We wait for these holidays all year, let’s not get lean and mean. So, I had a turkey AND a ham smoked for our dinner. They were divine!
Here’s the cold, hard facts. Our neighbor is the “smoker” man, and so I see no need for me to slave over the hot oven trying to brine and cook the meat myself. It’s so easy to just zip on over and pick up the meat…..smoked and ready to devour. Gene here, is a professional. He’s been doing this for years. There is no other way. 
I put Michael and Earl to work carving the meat. They didn’t complain one bit. They thought it was important to “sample” and make sure it was ready for company. It passed the test. Haha 
Let’s get this show on the road. Time to dig in. We do buffet style, because it’s easy. Kids at one table, adults at the other. Crazy but true….the adult table is always the loudest. Who’s to blame for that?! Oh, and we did “paper products” this year because we are getting lazy…..or smart?! You decide. 
Entertainment and dessert all in the same shot. Pies and more pies. We didn’t need all that dessert, but it’s tradition. We all have our favorites. We don’t want to disappoint anyone. 
My sister always brings the peanut butter pie. This is the favorite of the younger generation. It’s sinfully delicious. Hmmmm……looks like someone needs to lick that spoon. 
Let’s not forget the date pudding. Dates!? Sounds like something only cranky, old people would eat…..but don’t judge until you try it. Layers of cake, pudding, whipped topping, and bananas. Another tradition. 
Oh my goodness!! What have we here?! Amish? Yep! My sister dressed up in some Amish clothes and modeled for us. We just about fell off our chairs laughing. Now doesn’t she look so sweet and beautiful?! She is going to kill me. Hahaha We both still have a little bit of that Amish blood running through our veins. Scary! 
Here we are back to normal again. Whatever normal is?! Either way, we had a fabulous day. Lots of laughs, gobs of food, and wonderful friends and family. Until next time………………….Carol
I can never stop with just one cookie. I turn into a cookie monster when these dudes are laying around. They are delicious! All you need yet is a tall glass of milk or a pot of coffee. Whichever “floats your boat”. I haven’t heard that quote in awhile. Alright…..here we go……
These are a favorite around our house, so I never mess around with a single batch. It’s always a double batch. I put some in the freezer and they make a great snack while doing chores. 
Oh yeah….it’s a happy day. We have lots of pumpkin cookies in the freezer. Our only Brown Swiss is feeling fat and sassy. Or maybe I’m the one that’s feeling fat and sassy…………………Carol