6-Week Bran Muffins

I have loved these Bran Muffins for years and mourn the fact that I can't eat them. I found out, about 14 years ago, that the kids and I have Celiac Disease (see links on sidebar) so I can't eat them. However, I still make them for Victor and his children and it thrills me to see someone enjoy them.

They are called 6-Week because the batter will last up to six weeks in your fridge. It's nice to scoop them out and plop them in muffin tins in the morning and have warm, fresh muffins for breakfast each day. Mmmmmm.... So, here is the recipe! My guide to my recipes is thus: C=cup, T=tablespoon, t=teaspoon

6-Week Bran Muffins

Bake for 20 min. at 375 in greased muffin tins

2 C boiling water

1 C shortening

2 C sugar

4 eggs

1 t salt

1 qt. buttermilk

5 t baking soda

5 C flour

4 C All-Bran cereal

2 C 40% Bran Flake cereal

Boil water in a small sauce pan, add the soda. It will foam. Boil for 1 min. Let rest for 2 minutes then add the rest of the ingredients (except the cereals). Cream. Fold in cereal. Don't over mix. Place in bowl with cover and store in fridge. Enjoy!

I have a Bone to Pick with that Dog!

Alli is our beautiful Golden Retriever. If you know anything about this breed, you will know that they are very smart, love the water (they actually have webbed feet), and love to retrieve... EVERYTHING. In Alli's case, she loves to chase and catch small pebbles. She does this for hours. Until she has worn out all the human throwing-machines around her. She will drag her favorite rock into the house and drop her treasure anywhere and since I am always barefoot I will step on it, bruise my heel and grit my teeth in pain, muttering sweet nothings under my breath. Ohhh, it hurts so much!

She is also amazing in her ability to run the 4 miles into town and play in the park by the Yellowstone River. She's smart enough to know when the river is too deep and swift to safely swim in it, but after the Spring run-off she thoroughly enjoys herself.On her way to the river, she passes the irrigation ditch, which she romps in, then next, passes junk-food-alley (McDonalds, Taco John's, Arby's and the Exxon station) and they will feed her their wares. If they are quick enough they catch her and call us... everyone in town knows Alli and knows us, because of her. The Exxon station, once, fed her three hot dogs, the ones that were tough as a tire from rolling around in the glass box all day, and then tied her up next to the newspaper stands with a garden hose until we got there to get her. Because of her roaming nature, I call her "Alli-Cat".

We have a million stories of her "running away". Once someone actually found her, kept her (even with her collar on, telling them our phone number) bought her a fancy new leash and then had the audacity to call the Animal Shelter, looking for her, when she ran away from them... the thieves!

The most recent experience was last weekend. She went on one of her pilgrimages to town and on her way, encountered a dead and rotting carcass. She rolled in it, gleefully, I am sure. Now, bloody, slimy and smelling of putrid, decaying flesh, she chewed on it and ended up bringing home a bone. Early the next morning she barfed up a pile of animal hair on the boy's bedroom carpet, which they graciously left for me to clean up.

She does this often. She has drug home so many bones that we could assemble them all together and create a new animal.

I have grounded her to the kennel. It has 7 foot sides and has to have a roof because she can climb/jump over it. She has to 'do her business' only in the kennel for the next week. I hope I have her trained soon. Here is a picture of Alli in jail and our other dog, Bo, visiting the inmate. He never runs away. Too chicken!

This is Bo's favorite pasttime! Sneaking up on our bed and taking a long snooze. He knows when Victor is coming down the hall, however, and scampers off and innocently lays on the floor when Victor gets into the room. Victor forbids dogs on the bed! And I forbid running away. Does anyone listen to us? Nooooooooo!

The Big Cheese

The chaos begins as soon as we get out bed. We have to get our two dogs pottied and fed and then the 8 kids showered, dressed, fed, lunches made, and into the Suburban with their backpacks, band instruments and sports gear.

Sometimes when we've woken late we have accomplished this all in 20 minutes. Then I drive like a bat out of h*ll, down a 1.5 mile long gravel road going 120 mph (just an exageration, Officer) (with some of the kids still

dressing and snarfing breakfast in the vehicle) and get them to the bus stop in the nick of time.

The kids call the bus, "The Big Cheese", I guess because it looks like a large 2 pound block of cheddar. It's comical when the Suburban doors fly open. We look like one of those circus cars with all the clowns coming out.

This is Matthew and Megan after school.

The bus stop is down where the chaparel is at the beginning of the road. On this particular day, they are my only children who got off the bus as everyone else had football/soccer/volleyball practice. Also, I am late, as usual, picking them up at 3:50 p.m. at the stop so they have walked up the road hoping to meet me. It was nice weather that day. Tomorrow it's supposed to snow. And really, it's about time! I mean it's the middle of November! For tomorrow, just picture these two kids in long pants, winter coats, hat & gloves and scowls on their little faces.