wah-wah, I want my mustard

The other day at BIG LOTS, I picked up a cheap mustard, Raye's Sweet & Spicey, for a new recipe, 'cause I didn't want to use up the "good" stuff at home. The new cheapo mustard cost $2 When I got home, and took off the lid, oh what a surprising, wonderful aroma, best mustard I ever tasted. New recipe turned out awesome.


Today, I go back to BIG LOTS, no more of the Raye's Sweet & Spicey, dang. I look online and with shipping - Amazon $12.44 for one jar, at Raye's something close to that. PEOPLE, I only paid $2 for one jar at BIG LOTS. I sure as heck ain't paying no $12.44 but WAH-WAH-WAH.
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I also looked on ebay for the mustard, and came across these shoes, they come in a mustard color, but anyway, I don't wear shoes [no heels] like this, but aren't these sharp? if I put those things on though, I'd be walking around like a newborn calf.

template, video, bucks

I have spent the evening trying to make my own blogger template
http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/blog-secrets/144-how-to-make-your-own-background.html

I got as far, I think, as the DIRECT LINK from PhotoBucket, but something isn't working. Dang.

Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats - our 5 boys

My bucks are all so tame and loving. Just today, I was sitting in a chair, and Cahoot crawled in my lap, a real lap full I tell ya, and loves for me to stroke and treat 'em like a baby.

Clara's closeup


up on the ridge, overlooking home

Our Blessed Thanksgiving Day

We're stuffed! 'Cause I whipped up some good Thanksgiving vittles today - pork tenderloin wrapped in turkey-bacon, potato salad (secret ingredient, fresh eggs from the girls), and cinnamon-apple-cranberry sauce. I've also got some Sweet Potato Pie topped with some mascarpone cheese for later.


Here in the NC Appalachians, Our local weatherman says - A cold front is moving across the region today. In its wake, expect sharply colder temperatures, gusty winds, and even a bit of wintry precipitation.
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While I was working in the kitchen, Mike was winterizing the chicken/turkey/guinea bedrooms. We had a big meal with the Wilcox clan on the Sunday before Thanksgiving because Mike's folks like to go spend the actual holiday relaxing at their Myrtle Beach house.


Mike and I love every minute that we can spend here on our little 30-acre hobby farm.


Cali was out enjoying herself today.


Blue-eyed June was watching the crazy guinea's.

The excited guinea's wondering what to do on their first Thanksgiving.

Getting back to the pork tenderloin, I lined the bottom of the pan with turkey-bacon, added in two pork tenderloins, made a honey-mustard sauce, poured that on,

then, I also topped it all with more turkey-bacon. 350 degrees for 70 minutes. You may be wondering why I'm not using a roasting pan, I bought one, but it wouldn't fit in my tiny gas oven, so nevermind.

my, oh my, and I wish you could've tasted that bacon after it roasted in the honey-mustard sauce.

And come on gang, vote for Suzanne, just takes a second of your time, and she really needs this paying job. Her daily blog is best; she puts so much work into it for us to enjoy.

vote for Suzanne's Chickens in the Road

Besides raising three teenagers in the hills of WV, she has an assortment of mostly rescued dogs, cats, and farm animals, a gal after my own heart. She shares recipes, tips on being frugal, the joys of life, ah heck, just go to her blog and see for yourself.

click here for Chickens in the Road blog

click here to vote for Suzanne

She needs the paying job. I and many, many readers really enjoy going to her blog everyday.

Happy Thanksgiving from BooneDocksWilcox

Every once in a while with my camera, I'm in the right place at the right time.
Franklin and two of his girls, Sally and Franny


I love my pet turkeys so much, and yet I come inside and make some turkey rolls - stuffing inside, a slice of turkey, rolled in a slice of turkey/bacon.


Blissi and I went for a walk at the Old Cove Creek School.

Blissi checks out the Watauga River.

Have you ever heard of Doc Watson? He's a living legend 'round here.

Yeah, I heard from my public-sector boss, he emailed a note:
While the unauthorized picture taking was regrettable, you should have sent this email to John so he knew what your status was. I left the office on Monday in tears, sent him a detailed summary of what happened, what my doctor said and wrote, but sounds like he was puzzled like I may have hopped a cruise ship.
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On a brighter note, good night my dear girls.

old photo's, gruyere, weekend project

I was cleaning out a desk drawer and found this photo that I took of Mike and Big Shadow, must of been early 1990's. I showed it to Mike and said, "I want this young, lean guy back" :) [Actually, Mike was riding here, in the riding ring, where we're living now. At the time, and for many years, we lived across the county. Wild, that we eventually moved here.]


He picked up this photo and said, "I'll take her back." :) No fair, that's going back 35 years! to 1974, I'm a senior in high school. Look how short that dress was, I am really surprised that my southern conservative Daddy let me out of the house looking like that, I really am. Leaning against a tree was appropriate though, I always loved the woods over the classroom.


Brawn and Bliss looking over at the goats on the hill.


Emergency Flu Mask. that photo was emailed to me.

Today, Mike got a couple of gruyere cheese/sliced ham/turkey bacon sandwiches.

Then, I topped some broccoli with gruyere but if you want to see the real deal, go to Kathy's at Noble Pig for the Broccoli Gruyere Gratin

Last weekend's project was the dog fencing. This weekend, windbreaks on each end of the barn for the goats. I don't like making the barn dark inside so I (I'm the brains and the bliss, and Mike is the brawn) bought some rolls of thick plastic. Some might say our old barn is looking more like a greenhouse than a barn but I do like to take advantage of the sun. We've only lived here for a few months, we need to do several winterizing projects, and I'm always trying to stretch a dollar (I'm also the accountant).

I forgot that the goats sometimes pick at plastic, but so far so good, this is a little thicker than the usual stuff, hopefully they'll leave it alone.

Hinged doors also close so we can batton the hatches when the winter winds start howling up here in the NC Appalachians.

As you can see, Purkey is still with us. We've had two excellent weather weekends in a row. I also want to hang that thick plastic all around the poultry coop and we'd like to enlarge the coop to include the 26 guinea's but we'll see if we have the time, money, and good weather to get it done.

Emmet Otters Jug Band

from 1977 to 1992, until my Mother died, every Christmas we'd watch Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas. We especially loved Ma Otter, when she sang her little lips just quivered, so precious. There have been some years since 1992 that I haven't been emotionally able to sit and watch it by myself, too many memories, but now although I do but I have to work my way up to it. My maternal grandmother handmade stuffed animals clothed with outfits like these, which she gave me and other grandchildren many of them. I'm sure that Grandma's stuffed animals are the reason I have such a strong love for real animals today.

In 1977, Muppet creator Jim Henson produced a one-hour television show, Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas which tells of Emmet Otter and his Ma, a widow who scrapes by on the small amount of money she gets from doing laundry and that Emmet gets from doing odd jobs around their home of Frogtown Hollow. As Christmas approaches, they hear of a talent contest in the nearby town of Waterville, and separately decide to enter to buy nice presents for each other -- a nice guitar for Emmet, or a piano for Ma. However, in a twist on The Gift of the Magi, they must sacrifice each other's livelihood for the talent contest -- Ma hocks Emmet's tools for dress fabric, while Emmet turns Ma's washtub into a washtub bass for a jug band.

Emmet and Ma each do an excellent job (despite Emmet's jug band having to frantically change songs after another contestant performs their song, Bar-b-que), only to be defeated at the last minute by a rock and roll band called The Nightmare, which comprises a hoodlum gang from the fairly distant town of River Bottom. However, as Ma and Emmet's jug band sing a song together on the way home (more accurately, both of their talent show songs together after Ma realized they fit together), they are overheard by Doc Bullfrog, owner of a local restaurant, who hires them to sing for his customers, thus granting them the bigger prize.

questions answered, Veterans Day, turkey stamps, Nutrition, Jillian

I finally got around to answering some award questions. If you are reading these, consider yourself awarded too, and take your turn at answering these on your blog.

1. Where is your cell phone? in my bra
2. Favorite type of pickle? bread&butter
3. Your mother? deceased
4. Your father? deceased
5. Your worst fear? when my Mother died of cancer in '92, my worst fear was realized
6. Do You Have Any Siblings? No
7. Favorite drink? I love real CokeCola but rarely drink it
8. Goal? to retire
9. Favorite type of nut? hmmm, like 'em all a lot, pitashio
10. Hobbies? hobby farm, photo's, cooking, reading, blogging, cooking TV shows
11. Dreams? my dreams aren't very vivid or action packed
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? hanging at home
13. Favorite type of apple? Fuji
14. Attended a High-School Reunion? Not yet, but I'm going to eventually
15. From the bakery? something with cream cheese filling
16. Pizza crust? thin
17. Favorite color? orange
18. Do you volunteer? Watauga Humane Society
19. Cellphone carrier? AT&T
20. Favorite ice cream flavor? chocolate
21. Pets? 3 dogs, 26 guineas, 50 chickens, 4 turkeys, 11 goats
22. Did you get a flu shot? yes
23. Favorite bread? any of 'em warm out of the oven
24. Favorite scent? gardenia
25. Favorite word? fuzzy
26. Your best friend? Husband Mike (but I don't tell him everything or he blabs it to his family)
27. Where did you grow up? Raleigh, NC
28. Wish list item? trailer to haul the goats comfortably
29. Have you ever received a bailout from the federal gov't? I'm waitin'
30. Which mayonnaise? Kraft
31. Year of your vehicle? 1995
32. Are you a card player? Mike and I are life masters of bridge
33. Favorite magazine? BackWoodsHome
34. Favorite dessert? cheesecake
35. Favorite store? I've never been to it actually, but think I would like Market District. I see that they make crepes in the store! http://www.marketdistrict.com/home
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I love and cherish our Veterans!

FYI - Many Americans mistakenly believe that Veterans Day is the day America sets aside to honor American military personnel who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained from combat. That's not quite true. Memorial Day is the day set aside to honor America's war dead.

Veterans Day, on the other hand, honors ALL American veterans, both living and dead. In fact, Veterans Day is largely intended to thank LIVING veterans for dedicated and loyal service to their country. November 11 of each year is the day that we ensure veterans know that we deeply appreciate the sacrifices they have made in the lives to keep our country free.

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You know when I saw these Thanksgiving Day Parade postage stamps with a turkey on 'em, I had to buy some.


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Planters Digestive Health Mix, with pistachios, almonds, tart cranberries, crunchy granola clusters, and sweet cherries are tasty; those dried cherries are especially good.


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I'm getting ready to watch BIGGEST LOSER, because I haven't lost any weight lately, lost a little focus, I've been cooking again. If I had that Trainer Jillian Michaels, she would scare the weight off me. I'm convinced, if they'd send her to Afghanistan, she'd quickly straighten the whole mess out.

the dogs have a fenced backyard

If you are the type of cook who uses a lot of apple-cider vinegar when you are cooking, please invite me over. Today, I made a bean/pea/carrot thing with equal parts apple-cider vinegar and sugar/Splenda, a few dashes of celery seed, with kidney beans, butter beans, black-eyed peas, and chopped carrots.


Mike now say he likes turkey dogs. I lightly sauteed some in oil, mustard, and onions and served 'em up with baked beans.


If you want a photo challenge, try shooting guinea's, a tough assignment.


Here is a video from this morning.


This evening we got the fence done. Bliss and Henry look out. We recycled these old cattle panels we found in the shed, and attached some wire fencing to them.


Brawn looking towards our driveway.


Irish Terriers, Brawn and Bliss looking towards the barn.


Now, they don't have to stay in the dog kennel during the day. They can run from the heated sunroom, through the doggie door, to their fenced yard.


If there is any possible way out, Blissi will find it.