Favorite recipes---pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

I have finally realized how quickly the next year is going to go by--then my oldest will be headed off to college.  Wow--I guess that means I am old!:(   In preparation for this I thought I would begin compiling a book of my favorite recipes.  So she can have them when she goes.   I thought this would be a good place to post them and would help me be less negligent on posting.  You know, like killing two birds with one stone--so to speak.
I will include a little about each recipe (why its a fave, where it came from, etc.) so the cookbook will be a little more personal.

So the first recipe is  ....

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

1 1/2 cups sugar                     2 eggs

1/2 tsp. salt                             1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. baking soda                   1 cup cooked pureed pumpkin

1 tsp. cinnamon                       1/4 cup milk

1 3/4 cup flour                          1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350’.  In large bowl mix all dry ingredients.  In another smaller bowl mix eggs, oil, pumpkin and milk.   Add wet ingredients to dry.  Add chocolate chips.   Mix lightly, just until combined.  Grease muffin tins or use paper liners.  Fill cups half full.  Bake mini muffins for 12-15 minutes, regular for 25-30 minutes.  cool in pan 5 minutes before removing.  

I have used pumpkin, butternut squash, summer squash, and even carrots in this recipe.  Of course always peel, cook and puree or mash well.

More of my trip out west

My sister lives by Area 51, we passed by the extraterrestrial highway on the way out of town.
This morning we went to the temple with my aunt it was so nice.
Then we had a baby shower for my sister-in-law.
We ran into my cousin and his wife They were having a cupcake contest at the shopping center and my cousins wife won! This is a picture of her and my two wonderful sisters.

Alamo Nevada

I am out West visiting my family. Last night I attended my nephews Pine Wood Derby race and this morning I went on a hike with my sister and her mother-in-law up the canyon above there ranch. This afternoon we are headed up to St. George to visit everyone else.

Good news?!?

I took this picture of one of my fruit trees this morning after feeding little Bambi (one of our baby goats). Is it good or bad. It means we have had a mild winter and an early spring. It also means that there is a huge possibility that there will still be a hard enough frost to freeze of the buds on my tree and many other fruit trees :(.

Happenings at Longwood Hollow

Last Friday when I wrote, we had a goat, Oreo is her name, who was in labor.  About midnight Cedar came into my room where I was sleeping and asked if I could go out in the barn with Dad.  Oreo had two little kids and was struggling with the third.  I had been sleeping because I had sinus surgery on Wednesday and was still in recovery mode--still am.  Anyway I went out to the barn.  Oreo had the first two just fine.  The first one was kind of slow and had not figured out how to drink from momma, but the second one had.  The problem is the third one was backwards, with only one leg sticking out.  Brett tried to maneuver it around, but our goats are pretty small.  When I got out there she had been working on it for about 45 minutes and was plumb tuckered.  We called our neighbor, who was wonderfully gracious at midnight and came right over to help out.  He tied a little string on the leg and he pulled while Brett held onto Oreo and the little kid came out pretty quick.   Her momma wanted nothing to do with her.  She was pretty weak and tired, so we took her in and Faith volunteered to feed, warm and watch it through the night.   She made it and is still alive and eating well, but seem to have little control over her legs.  They flail about and it looks like she is swimming.  I am not sure what will become of her.  

Here is a picture of Oreo with her first two kids.  It is kind of hard to see.

This morning the girls went out to check on the little goats.  They brought the oldest one in, the one who had a hard time figuring out how to drink from momma.  It was hardly moving.  We tried to feed it, but it wouldn't eat.  So I had to do one of the hardest things about living on a farm.  I put the poor little animal out of its misery.  I do not know what happened to it, and I am not looking forward to the kids coming home from school and having to tell them what happened, but it is all part of living on a small farm.  Most of the older kids have seen some kind of animal be born and we have all seen them sick and all participated in burying their little bodies.  It makes life so real.
Last Sunday I was getting ready for Church and Isaac was with me.  Out of the blue he said, "Mom, I wish when we died we just came right back to life."  He had been missing his grandpa who passed away just before Christmas.  I am so grateful that he had the opportunity to know his "Pops".  I am also grateful for the gospel and the knowledge and comfort it gives us.  Knowing that someday we will be with those who have gone.
The kids have a childrens book and it says that someone who has died has not gone, they have just gone on ahead.  I kind of like that little thought.

Little Annie

What a nice birthday surprise. Another little goat was born on Monday. Brett and Ethan are over bringing one to the barn who is in the middle of kidding. At least the weather has been nice and warm. All five kids are doing well. Will have to update tomorrow morning on more additions

Living in the country

Just a little more info on the goats.  Saturday morning Cedar went over to check on them she came back and said Queen had babies, she thought there was three.  Then Ethan, who had been feeding the bigs, came back and said there were two.  We finished eating breakfast and went over to check on them.  There were three little kids and queen, all freezing and wet in their little goat hut.  So we loaded them in the truck and brought them over to the garage where we could warm them up.  Queen had not past the afterbirth yet, but after getting into the garage she did, except it wasn't the afterbirth, it was another goat.  There were three little girls, all white and light brown, and one little buck, black with white spots.  They are all doing well.  We will be helping Queen feed them for the next few weeks as she can't keep up with them.  It has been kind of fun to help care for them.

Here are a few more pictures that Cedar took.

Brett mowed off the tall grass and small trees in the pasture next door to us two days ago.  Yesterday and today there have been about 20 wild turkeys in our back pasture.  I think Brett must have mowed off their cover.  It is fun to see them.  I sure do like living in the country!  Especially when it is less than 10 minutes from town!

Surprise. Four kids at once !!!

Queen, our toggenburg mix surprised is this morning with four little kids. Hopefully they will all make it. Will update later. Here are some pics.