It’s almost that time again…when the warm summer sunshine will beckon us outdoors to taste the cherry tomatoes fresh-picked from the vine. The bees will be buzzin’ in the jasmine, the kids will be squealin’ under cool water sprinklers, sweet tea will be singin’ our name and front porch rockers will be swayin’ with the rythym of the crickets on sultry summer evenings. Yes, the good Ol’ summertime is finally here! So now is the perfect time to plan for an abundance of summer joy to make sure we soak up every sweet drop of this season’s goodness!
I am welcoming the start of Summer in Sunny Californy! My son J.J. is getting married in just a few days to his sweetheart Tiffany Rose and so we are in the thick of happy celebrating! But just before we left my “Farmhouse in the Ozarks” I spent some time culling the fruit from my peach trees. I learned that when a peach tree is loaded with fruit you have to thin it out by removing some of the peaches so that the ones remaining will have room to grow big, sweet and juicy. Also, if the branches have too much fruit it can weigh the branch down and possibly cause it to break. I didn’t like culling my trees because all of the baby peaches looked perfect and so cute! (boo hoo!) I felt like I was throwing away good fruit, but in order to have the juiciest-best end result, it had to be done. It reminded me of our every day life and how we need to say “no” to too many activities, even good and cute ones, so that we will have room for the sweetest and juiciest best in our lives.
So as you are planning out your summer days and creating your Summer To-Do list, be sure to make room for what is the sweetest and juiciest best…
…Like making memories with family and friends, enjoying things like…
A backyard cookout…
A trip to an amusement park with the kids… (this is a photo of little Ol’ me in the straw hat standing next to my two brothers. My mom is holding my sister Sherry. We were on the Mark Twain Riverboat at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Even at such a young age, Walt Disney had captivated my heart!)
A visit to see Grandma and Grandpa down on the farm…
Canning jars of summer goodness…
Relaxing under a shady tree… (this is my mom on the left chatting with her friends in the afternoon breeze)
A drive into town to get ice cream…
A family picnic…
Photo: Acme Party Box Company
Eating supper outdoors…
A family camping trip…
Enjoying a “Mayberry” kinda day…
Photo: Pottery Barn
Eating watermelon and catching fireflies…Hey! Speaking of which… if you didn’t get a copy of my Summer e-book (titled Watermelon And Fireflies) last year, I am offering it again for a limited time!
My E-book, Watermelon & Fireflies, is a sun-drenched, farm fresh, sweet-as-corn-on-the-cob adventure to the good ol’ summertime! It’s jam-packed with buckets-full of fun ideas! Although there are recipes it’s way more than a cookbook! Each page is decorated in full color with vintage images, photos, charming quotes and of course 51 farm fresh ideas including family fun tips, recipes, decorating ideas, encouragement for homemakers and so much more! Darlins’, ”Watermelon & Fireflies” is just drippin’ with sweet southern nostalgia like honey from a honeycomb!
Here is just a sampling of the 50 pages of pure, all-American nostalgia! If you don’t have it yet, I can’t wait for you to see all of the ideas I’ve gathered to bless your heart! Here are just a few of the idea titles…(there are 51 ideas!);
- Breakfast in a Bucket
- Rise and Shine!
- Come and Get it!
- Sunshine Fresh
- Diner Pie
- Meet Me At The Fair!
- Gathering Joy!
- Farm-girl Treasure Hunt
- Dreamy Strawberry Butter
- Jingle Bells in July
- Fresh Farm Style
- Have a Summer Pie Party
- Golden Moments
- Yankee Doodle Macaroni Salad
- Sweet Wonderful You!
- Have a Cow! (moo!)
- Fresh as a Daisy
- A Splashing Good Time!
- Going on a Picnic!
Plus so many more! I’ve even included my recipe for Oh My Stars! Fresh Peach Pie…it’s my favorite pie EV-AH and everyones favorite! When you taste it you’ll squeal “OH MY STARS!”
Linda said…
“I can’t imagine a better way to spend a Summer day than to relax in a cooling afternoon breeze with an iced cold glass of sweet tea, a jar of yummy ”Farm Wife Banana Pudding” and Ruthann’s new e-book Watermelon and Fireflies. Jam-packed with the best that Sugar Pie Farmhouse has to offer, it’s a joy to read and sparks the imagination quicker than fireflies at sunset. It is charming, homey and conveys in the sweetest possible terms Ruthann’s love for home and family and it will inspire you to make the most of this summer with your family. It’s at the top of my summer reading list.”
Linda Lee
Sister-in-Law to sweet Ruthann
Marla Said…
“What an incredibly delightful read! From the beautifully decorated pages to the precious stories and funny anecdotes, Watermelon and Fireflies makes your heart sing and reminds you of all of the beauty of sweet summertime. Aunt Ruthie shares so many of her wonderful and creative ideas that inspire one to not let the season go by without “making a memory.” I’m excited to purchase this southern jewel for each of my grandmas, aunts, mom and sister and look forward to taking a little walk down memory lane with the women who were such an integral part of the summers of my childhood. Thank you Ruthann for sharing your amazing heart with your Sugar Pie Sistas!
Marla Robison (Editor)
Your Kindred Sista
Also included are 14 of my Sugar Pie Sistas Summertime ideas and sweet memories of summer’s past. When I read these I could almost feel the warm summer breeze flow across my face and taste the fresh blueberry pie! And I could almost hear Grandma hummin’ an old hymn as she hung her linens out on the line…the wind snappin’ the sheets…the bees a-buzzin’.
I think you’ll find that Watermelon & Fireflies will remind you of an old fashioned country church picnic. The background graphics resemble homey kitchen tablecloths and the recipes are like the dishes the women-folk would proudly set on the long tables, pot-luck style under the breezy shade of an old oak tree. The activities and ideas are family-friendly, easy on the pocket-book, and are sure to create many heartwarming memories and traditions.
Since this is an E-book, you can download it immediately to read it on your computer.
If you’re interested in printing the E-Book, I highly recommend going down to your local Staples, Office Depot or UPS store and have them print the PDF document for you. Last summer when I first released this e-book, there were a few gals who experienced issues with printing. The primary reason for this is the size of the PDF file (there’s just so much fun stuff!). Some computers and printers just can’t process such large files, so you may run into printing errors.
You can put your copy of “Watermelon and Fireflies” in a binder or bind it like I did; After printing it out on quality Premium paper, I put the pages inside plastic Sheet Protectors and then tied them together with 3 strips of wide gingham ribbon. If you cut the ribbon at a slant it’s easy to thread it through each hole and tie a double knot to secure it
Tied together with ribbons adds to the vintage, down-on-the-farm look. I also slipped a sheet of posterboard behind the front and back cover to give it a firmer, hardback feel.
50% Discount to all my Sistas!
For a limited time only, I’m going to give all my Sugar Pie Sistas a 50% discount on my E-Book, Watermelon & Fireflies. This discount will be available during the next 4 weeks and will expire on June 30th, 2011. To get your copy and to receive the 50% discount click here or click the giant pink button below. Once you’ve purchased the E-Book, you’ll receive an email with all the download instructions.
Just so there’s no confusion, I want all my sistas to know that this is a PDF document that you can download to your computer. This is NOT a printed book that you’ll be receiving by mail. Due to the fact that this is a digital download, I won’t be able to accept any refunds. If you have any questions about your download you can contact my son Dusty at (auntruthie@sugarpiefarmhouse.com). Understand that he has a full time job and a baby on the way so it may take a few days for him to get back to you.
Little Aunt Ruthie
So Sugar Pies, pour a tall glass of something ice-cold and yummy to drink. Relax and settle yourself into a comfy spot as you embark on this armchair adventure filled with delightful vintage charm and old fashioned fun! Make your summer the sweetest and juiciest best!
Sugar Pies, I’ll be back home in Branson June 20, then shortly after that I’ll be sharing some photos of the Wedding, so until then have a blessed few weeks!
God Bless your darlin’ hearts!
Aunt Ruthie
Howdy-do Sugar Pies! Well, I’ve been in a cowgirl kinda mood lately! I want to kick up my boots and get out in the long awaited sunshine! We’ve had sooooo much rain here in the Ozarks! The storms have been almost non-stop! Whenever we hear the deep rumble of thunder in the distance we all scramble to turn off our computers so if our house is hit by lightening all of our data won’t fry like a heap of chicken sizzlin’ in a hot skillet! Thank the Lord, the sun is shining! Yes-sir-ee, the bright and clear Missouri skies have got me in the mood to do a little re-decoratin’, yummy bakin’ and wearin’ some fun Praire-Chic style duds…all with a Western flair! I can’t wait to show y’all! Yee Haw!!
Ain’t this little Sugar Dumplin’ purty in this little chocolate-pie-brown checkered blouse?
It reminds me of a country picnic! I like that it’s modest and still feminine and so AdOrAblE! This little number is from Sheplers Western Wear…and I hope to have it hangin’ in my closet soon!
Prairie Chic is so sweet! I have three tops in this style. I love them! I wear a camisole underneath just to make sure nothin’s showin’ that shouldn’t be!
The lace-up back makes it even cuter! This sweet-as-pie top is from Urban Western Wear. I get a lot of my clothes from Western clothing stores.
Boot-Scootin’! That’s what I do in my Old Gringos! They’re so comfortable, I wear these pretty much every day. They are a bit pricey…but I was able to combine Birthday and Christmas money, a jar of change and store credit to bring ’em on home!
Yup, my Leopardito Old Gringo boots help me celebrate my inner cowgirl! I’ve had a thing for Country Western music and western clothing for as long as I remember. As a little girl, I can recall listening to the tunes of Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette and Johnny Cash ridin’ around with my mom and siblings in our old Station Wagon back in the day.
When my hubby and I were raising our kids we spent a lot of our vacation time up in Lake Tahoe. We would spend a day horseback riding, and the other days we’d drive down to the old cowboy towns of Truckee, and Virginia City, Nevada. It was so fun to learn the history of those towns and the infamous people who stayed there.
One of our favorite places to visit was the old Cartright Homestead, The Ponderosa, from the Bonanza T.V. show.
We also enjoyed the excitement of watching a rodeo in Reno, Nevada, Bishop and Temecula California. There’s just something about American cowboy culture that I’m drawn to!
When our life took us to the Ozarks in the mid 90’s it seemed like a perfect fit as we became owners and operators the Wild West Theater. We had singing cowboys, dancing cowgirls and a horse named Buckshot. We also had the privelege of working with the legendary Son’s of the Pioneers.
These Pioneer Boys were known for cowboy songs such as Tumbling Tumbleweeds, Cool Water and Whoppee Ti Yi Yo. Ya Hooo! They put on a great show!
When the Sons of the Pioneers first got started back in the day, Roy Rogers, the king of the cowboys, was the lead singer of the group. I had the privilege once of meeting Roy’s beautiful cowgirl wife Dale Evans…that experience was a treat sweeter than the sugar cube she fed to her horse Buttermilk! What a dear lady she was!
“It’s the way you ride the trail that counts” ~Roy Rogers
As I was writing this blog post, I sat back and was struck by all of the goodness that the Lord has blessed me with. The wonderful people that I’ve met and the places I’ve enjoyed and my wonderful family, and now being able to share it with the most wonderfully, darlin’ girls in all the land…you my adorable Sugar Pies! I was reminded of Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Boy howdy! That is true! God is so good!
Come on now Sugars let’s gitty-up to the farmhouse so’s I can show ya my little Cowgirl-Chic decorating touches…
An old west lantern lights the way to our front door…
The Texas Star Design was the logo for our Wild West Theater. We chose it because it represented part of our history here in the Ozarks. One of my favorite phrases is “Don’t mess with Texas!”, but ya gotta say it with a southern drawl, out of the side of your mouth…that makes it more fun! Try it! See? Ain’t that fun?!!
My mama-in-law recently gave me this old wooden horse saddle form…and since I was in that “cowgirl mood”, I decided to showcase it on my entry sideboard. It sure would be fun to know it’s history!
I went “shopping” in my house for things that would go with my western theme. I found things that I already had to create this new “old west” look. With a background of white-washed barn shutters I added a pair of vintage frames, an old wall calendar that I found months ago for $12 at an antique store, (I just tacked it behind the larger frame), a very old pitcher …from the cabin in Idyllwild, California that my hubby grew up in… filled with creamy roses, a crowing rooster and a pair of my son J.J’s old cowboy boots.
Here’s cowboy J.J. wearing those same boots! What a character that J.J. was (and is!) Oh! Where O where did those years go!!
Do y’all remember on my last blog post I showed you this green scalloped trim? It was used in my Easter decorating…now it’s on the mantle. I’m sure it will keep traveling from room to room!
Now, about that little cowboyJ.J. …he’s all grown up! Here he is with his Fiance’ Tiffany posing for their Engagement pictures. I loved that Tiffany chose a ranch to get their photos taken! She loves cowgirl stuff too…most importantly, she’s the perfect match for J.J.
They met in High School. They recently finished College. J.J. with a Business degree and Tiffany with a Teaching degree.
He treats her like a queen.
They love the Lord.
They’re adorable together.
They make each other laugh.
When J.J. saw this “horse” he jumped on top of it and decided to go for a “ride”! Whoa Nellie! Yee haw!
That’s my boy…cowboy J.J…and his cowboy sweetheart! He’s a real hoot ‘n’ holler! I think he would make the best Rodeo clown! lol
Their wedding day is in June…just around the corner!! Woo hoo!
Last, but not least on this “Trail-ride” of a blog post…
How about some hearty Cowboy Cookies with a nice cold glass of milk fresh from the dairy!
These Cowboy Cookies come from the kitchen of a true Texan…none other than the former first lady herself…Mrs. Laura Bush! She won a contest with this recipe that Family Circle Magizine put on.
This recipe makes a wagon load of cookies! The dough started to overflow before I was finished adding all of the ingredients! I had to transfer it to a bigger bowl!
If you don’t want to use up all the cookie dough in one big batch, you can form a log, wrap in wax paper and freeze it. Then when you want a some fresh baked cookies, you just slice and bake!
The instructions call for a 1/4 cup scoop for each cookie…we’re talkin’ big Ol’ Texas size cowboy cookies! My ice cream scoop was perfect!
Come ‘n’ get it!They came out perfect after baking them for 16 minutes. They are delicious! I think you can get very creative with this dough by adding some dried cranberries, and maybe substituting one of the three cups of Chocolate chips for Butterscotch chips. It would be fun to try some new combinations! It’s a hearty cookie, full of flavor and the perfect combo of crunchy and chewy!!
“It’s the face powder that get’s a man interested, but it’s the baking powder that keeps him home.” ~ Gene Hackman
Laura Bush’s Texas Cowboy Cookies
Ingredients
· 3 cups all-purpose flour
· 1 tablespoon. baking powder
· 1 tablespoon baking soda
· 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature
· 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
· 1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
· 3 eggs
· 1 tablespoon vanilla
· 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
· 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
· 2 cups sweetened flake coconut
· 2 cups chopped pecans (8 ounces)
Directions
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Bake Time: 16 to 20 minutes
Yield: About 3 dozen cookies (see note below)
1. Heat oven to 350 F.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in bowl.
3. In 8-quart bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 minute. Gradually beat in sugars; beat to combine, 2 minutes.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in vanilla.
5. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Add chocolate chips, oats, coconut and pecans.
6. For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.
7. Bake in 350 F oven 16 to 20 minutes, until edges are lightly browned; rotate sheets halfway through. Remove cookies from rack to cool.
Note: For 6 dozen small cookies, use 2 tablespoons dough for each. Bake at 350 F for 15 to 18 minutes.
Copyright 2000, Laura Bush
For all of you Prairie Sweethearts out there, I rounded up a few of my top cowboy cookbook picks that will make your cowboy spin his spurs and gallop to the table lickity split!
How to Win A Cowboy’s Heart: Meals to bring the romance of the West into your home. By Kathy Lynn Wills. This sweet book if full of stories, quotes and recipes…my favorite kind of cookbook! The chapter titles reveal it’s adorable contents: Good Morning Dear, Hungry By Noon,Evening Shadows: Quiet Suppers At Home, The Preacher Comes To Call, A Saddle Bag secret, Hand Holding In The Parlor, Before the Barn Dance…and so much more! Darlin’ just Darlin’!
The Pastry Queen: From Texas Hill Country’s Rather Sweet Bakery & Cafe. Okay, can I just say FABULOUS!! The yummies that Chef Rebecca Rather makes are amazing! The color photos are breathtaking! Reading this cookbook is like taking a mini-vacation to the Texas Hill country! And I haven’t even started gabbin’ about the recipes! Aunt Mollie’s Coconut Cream Pie, Triple Threat Chocolate Chip Cookies, Texas Big Hairs Lemon-Lime Meringue Tarts (shown on the front cover), Hill Country Peach Cobbler…my oh my! Once again it’s filled to the brim with stories and tons of tips! LOVE!
The Pastry Queen Christmas: Big Hearted Holiday Entertaining Texas Style. Okay, can I just say FABULOUS again? I know Christmas is a long way off, but you can prepare these recipes all year long. It’s just as amazing as the one before, only with a sassy Texas Christmas twist! There are gorgeous photos of her Christmas Decor and ideas for wrapping food gifts. Some of the recipes are: My Mother’s Best Corn Bread Dressing, Apple Dumplings, Martha’s Best Ever Rolls, Earthquake Cake. Again LOVE!
Pastry Queen Parties: Entertaining Friends and Family, Texas Style. Well, this one is on my Wish List! If it’s as good as the first two then it will get two thumbs up from me! Miss Rebecca is one talented Texas Darlin’!!
Well, Sugar Pie Cowgirls, thanks for mosey’in by! As always I am honored and thrilled when you take the time to leave a comment. I know there are thousands of blogs for you to choose to read, I’m just so thankful you’ve picked mine.
God Bless your Darlin’ heart!
Aunt Ruthie
P.S. Happy Mother’s Day to all of you Sugar Pie Mamas!!! If you have a chance come on over to this link to read about my MOTHERHOOD MOMENTS. Being a mama of 4 kiddos has been thrilling, challenging and mostly wonderful!
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