My PS Sign the Card Colt

For years, I've wanted to breed my mare. In 2014, my husband and I decided it was time. I choose a stud-the hunter under saddle sire PS Sign the Card. My mare is an Appendix QH and PS Sign the Card is 1/2 Thoroughbred. So this baby is 3/8 Thoroughbred.... Maybe someday he can get his Register of Merit and become a American Quarter Horse in the regular registry!

Both PS Sign the Card (Hoover) and my mare, Invited to Enhanceme (Grace), are AQHA point earners in English Performance classes. I was looking for a stud who would complement Grace's long legs and floaty trot. I also wanted a big boy with a similar build to keep proportions the same. Hoover fit the bill-16.2 hands tall and an AQHA World Champion in Hunter Hack.


Dr. James Speer used AI to breed Grace, starting May 1 last year, with the last breeding date being May 6(?). I'm a little fuzzy on that part. So, it's been a LONG wait for this colt. Grace's gestation period was 345 days. The rule of thumb is 340. Naturally, when she hadn't foaled by April 11, I was frantic. Had she miscarried? Why wasn't she showing more of a bag? It was a relief to see her fill and start waxing up on April 14...and every moment from then to the colt's birth took forever!

Fall Hash

I simply can't imagine a fall without a variety of sweet potato dishes. Sometimes I sub butternut squash for the sweet potato....but there's just something about the soft, chewy consistency of sweet potatoes that attracts me. When I examined my pantry and found one sweet potato and one russet, I decided to toss them together with apple and sausage in a fall flavored hash.

 The best thing about hash is cooking everything at once. It's a one pot complete meal. Crumble some sausage in a skillet, add cubed green pepper, apple, russet and sweet potatoes, and sprinkle with cinnamon. (That's the secret ingredient to make this taste WOW)! Fry until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are tender.

Fall Hash

1 sweet potato, cubed

1 russet potato, cubed

1 green pepper, cubed

1 apple, diced

1/2 lb. sausage

1/4 t. cinnamon

Crumble the sausage into a skillet. Add fruit and vegetables. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Stir fry until sausage is no longer pink and potatoes are tender.

Sweet n' Sour Meatballs

This was one of those recipes I found when I was browsing for nothing in particular. Just looking at different meatballs....and I discovered this sweet n' sour version from Taste of Home. However, my recipe ended up with a lot more veggies and a lot less sugar than theirs...

The finished stir-fry is delicious over hot rice. Start the rice about halfway through cooking the meat and veggies....and enjoy!

Sweet n' Sour Meatballs

1 20 oz. can pineapple rings

1/3 c water

3 T. vinegar

1 T. soy sauce

1/4 c. brown sugar

3 T. cornstarch

30 frozen meatballs, thawed

1 c. sliced zucchini

1/2 c. baby carrots

1/2 c. mushrooms, sliced

Drain the pineapple rings, reserving juice. Chop the rings into chunks. Measure the reserved juice and add water if necessary to make one cup. Stir the juice, the additional 1/3 c. water, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch together in a large skillet. Cook and stir over med. heat until thickened. (If you leave for 30 sec, that's okay, but stir it almost constantly!) Then add the veggies and meatballs. Push the carrots toward the bottom so they cook faster....Simmer uncovered for 40 minutes, or until the carrots are soft. Stir occasionally....Serve over hot, cooked rice.

Cheery Cherry Pie

Otherwise known as...frozen yogurt pie. I've had this recipe since it came in a magazine when I was about seven years old. (It's hilarious how the original picture dates the recipe!) I loved it when my mom made it for me, but I hadn't had it for almost twenty years....so I decided to try it again. The ingredient list was short-HUGE bonus! 

1 graham cracker crust
1 carton (32 oz) vanilla yogurt
1 can cherry pie filling


If you make your own graham cracker crust, it adds a little bit of time to the recipe, but not much....










After baking the crust, pour in the yogurt.






Place the pie in the freezer and wait...and wait. After the pie is set, slice it and serve with the pie filling on top. Delicious!

Ham and Spinach Hash with Fried Eggs

With the large crop of spinach from my garden, I have been setting aside recipes to try with it....One of the recipes that looked good was Rachael Ray's "Ham and Spinach Hash with Fried Eggs" from her 365: No Repeats. I made a few tweaks...mostly because my tomato plant isn't producing yet...although it has baby green tomatoes! 

So...start by pouring some olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Heat it until the butter melts...then start frying the potatoes. Cook for about ten minutes, or until potatoes are starting to get soft. Add chopped ham. While the ham and potatoes are frying, fry 4 eggs in another skillet. When the eggs are done, add the spinach to the ham and potatoes so it can wilt down. Top the hash with the eggs and serve!

 Ham and Spinach Hash with Fried Eggs

(Based on Rachael Ray's recipe)

2 T olive oil
3 T butter, divided
2 baking potatoes, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1/2 t. thyme
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
1 large ham steak, finely chopped
4 eggs
2 c spinach leaves, chopped
1/2 t basil

Preheat a large skillet with the olive oil and butter (until the butter melts). Add sliced potatoes to the hot skillet. Season them with salt, pepper, thyme, and red pepper. Cook, stirring every now and then for about 10 minutes. The potatoes should be getting a little tender. Add the ham steak and continue to fry. 

Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a second skillet. Fry the eggs, seasoning them with salt and pepper. After the ham browns, add the spinach and basil to the potato mixture. Toss to wilt the spinach. Top the hash with the eggs and serve.

At Home Date Night

Complete with Games, a Movie, and Snack Food!

My husband and I are trying to pay off our house and my student loans, so we frequently have 'at home' date nights. This one was one of my favorites because we did so much together!

Since it was a Friday night, I thought about what I could cook that would be simple and quick. I decided on snack foods, mainly because I had some avocado to use in guacamole and some green olives to add to a relish tray. Bonus: I had leftover meatballs from Thursday's dinner, so they added some protein!

First, I put the veggie tray together. I made an awesome ranch dip! Use one packet ranch dressing mix, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup mayo, and 1 cup sour cream. It's delicious and the perfect consistency!

Then, I made the guacamole. My secret "quick n' easy guacamole" recipe is 2 avocados, 3 T salsa, 1 T. lemon or lime juice, and 1/4 t. hot sauce. Mash everything together until creamy. Mmm....good!

Finally, I reheated the meatballs and put everything on the table for us to enjoy while we played Sequence. (Afterwards we snuggled on the couch to watch "The Switch." It was a cute movie, but not as romantic as I thought it might be....you just have to see it for yourself to decide.)

Maraschino Cherry Almond Bread

As you know, if you have been reading my other posts, I am trying to make healthier foods for optimal knee joint health. This is not exactly a healthy recipe-but it wasn't for me. I made this for a dear co-worker whose husband passed away last week. When she returned to work, she thanked me for it again and commented on how good it was. So...here's the recipe:

Maraschino Cherry Almond Bread

(Adapted from Taste of Home)

10 oz. maraschino cherries

1/2 c. butter

3/4 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

2 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. almonds, chopped

Makes 1 loaf

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coarsely chop the cherries. Reserve 1/2 c. of the cherry juice, adding water if necessary. Cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients and the cherry juice alternately to the creamed mixture. Stir in the cherries and almonds. Spread into a greased loaf pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to cool on a wire rack.