Biscuit Pizza

I'm still alive.......GASP!  I made the girls (Doylenn and Mia) promise when I agreed to do this blog with them that they wouldn't hold me to a time table for posting........it's been a long time for sure.  Hope all is doing well....

Spent today driving over 100 miles one way to attend the memorial service for a very dear lady who was one of my rocks growing up.  I'm honored to say that I knew she considered me "one of hers" and she was such a giver there were many of "us."  I will miss and love you always Georgiana!

Anyway, after a long day of driving and remembering a loved one, the idea of fixing dinner seemed like a daunting task.  Was catching up on Facebook when I saw a share about a pizza pull apart bread.  I didn't want to think about making something like that but it made me start thinking about what I had in the fridge and pantry.  This is what I pulled out:

I spritzed my jelly roll pan with some olive oil out of my Misto pump sprayer -- they come in quite a few colors and can be purchased at Amazon Misto oil sprayer.  They have other listings so be sure to do a search and find your color choice and quantity.

I used a serrated tomato knife to slice the canned biscuits in half so it wasn't so thick.  You could smoosh these all into a solid dough but I left them separated so it would be easier to cut. Then I spread the halved biscuits in the jelly roll pan.

Mia was here so I had her saute' some chopped onions.  She threw in a little butter and they came out beautiful and translucent.

I spooned some jarred pizza sauce on the biscuits.

Then I sprinkled it with some grated Monterey Jack cheese (that's what I had).Then I put pepperoni slices on the biscuits and sprinkled on the sauteed onions.  Then followed that with more cheese.

Then I put it in a preheated oven at 385 degrees F, for about 20 minutes until it was starting to brown the cheese and the biscuits were cooked through.

And it was delicious!  And so simple.  You can add any pizza ingredients you like or love.  Quick dinner and a change up from frozen pizza from the freezer.  I had someone go back for seconds and ask for leftovers for his work lunch tomorrow so you know it was a win.  Enjoy!

Herding Owls with a Broom

Herding Owl with a Broom

Life on the family ranch is certainly never dull.  Early this morning Paul saw something walking down the driveway.  On closer inspection it turned out to be a fledgling Great Horned Owl.

By the time I got there, it had walked down the side of the house and sat there for awhile.  Paul tried to go out the front door and get it to walk on down the driveway hoping to get it into the shelter of some trees.  Nope, he snapped and popped his beak at him and wouldn't move.  We carried on with getting Paul ready for work.  I went out to look again and it was gone and I didn't see it though I'd have sworn I heard it popping its beak as I went out the door.  Then in a bit Paul found it where it had crossed the back porch and crawled under his toolbox (which was about 3 feet from my bare ankles when I went out earlier and why I heard it pop its beak!).  

The morning proceeded with wondering how to deal with this owl.  I didn't want our dog Clancy getting it and the owl getting some good tears in on Clancy with that beak and its talons.  We did chores by Clancy going in and out the front door and avoiding the owl.  It was still there and I knew something needed to be done.  So I got the push broom and poked it out from under the toolbox.  It went across the porch rather reluctantly and then across the back yard.  Wish I could have gotten some pictures of that because it was fluffed up with its wings out.  It stopped and turned to me many times as I swept it along.  It tried to fly a few times, but didn't get more than a couple feet off the ground in a couple of hops.  Then I discovered it would grab the broom bristles and I messed around with it hanging on the broom and lost it several times.  Finally got it kind of secured on there in an awkward way and headed for the tangle of trees nearby.

After a few attempts, I kind of got it in the trees, but it wouldn't turn loose of the broom.  So I left it hanging there for a bit to see what would happen.

When I came back in about ten minutes, it was upright and loose from the broom.

And mama is watching from another tree not too far away.

The fledgling can't fly so I don't know how this will turn out.  I just know it's better in the tree than right on the ground outside my door with my dog and other family dogs nearby.

Update:

I had to be gone for a couple of hours and when I came back there was no sign of the owlet.  No sign of mama either.  I will always wonder how she rescued it.  So I'm just going to believe I helped to save it. 

2nd Day Update:

Paul spotted the owlet further into the tangle this morning and higher up.  Since it can't fly, not sure how it got there but it's still around.  Then this evening I went looking and not only was baby sitting there, but mama owl was sitting right beside it, so I KNOW she is still caring for it!

Several days after the last update I traveled out of town and left Paul with instructions for updates and to keep an eye out.  He continued for about a week to see the young owl and mama in the tangle of trees.  The young owl moved from place to place in the tangle.  Then one morning, they were gone.  But that evening they were both back in the same tangle.  Baby owl had flown.  The next day they were gone and we haven't seen them since though in the dark we hear owls hooting off and on.  We are choosing to think it all worked out and we were able to help save this young owl.

Chicken Asparagus Yum

What to make for dinner?  I swear the hardest thing I do all day is figure out what's for dinner.  Sometimes I just start throwing things together.  Sometimes it turns out so so and sometimes it turns out really great.  Tonight's was a really great one.  And super easy plus used seasonal asparagus, which is just starting to grow here plus I had some from our recent Bountiful Basket offering (if you've never heard of Bountiful Baskets, check out the awesome produce you can get for an affordable amount at www.bountifulbaskets.org).  As usual, I was in a hurry and didn't take pictures along the way plus we had dinner before I took a picture.  It's delicious enough to tell you about it anyway......Plus my daughter Doylenn was on the phone with me and we were talking about dinner and when I told her what I was making, she said she had the ingredients so she made it too.  She is the one who named it.

Chicken Asparagus Yum

I sprayed my 9x13 baking pan with olive oil cooking spray

Layered 2.5 pounds of frozen chicken breasts in bottom of pan

Covered that with the asparagus spears with the tough ends snapped away about a pound and a half

Poured 2 cans of cream of chicken soup over the top

Sprinkled with Rosemary Garlic McCormick Seasoning

Sprinkled seasoned breadcrumbs (I have a big can of Progresso Brand) over the top

Cover with foil and bake for about an hour at 375 degrees.  

It was done at that point and the asparagus was a bit brighter in color.  However, irrigating on the ranch takes time and hubby Paul wanted to irrigate before dinner, so I decreased the oven to 300 degrees and let it remain in the oven for about 45 more minutes.  

It was so moist and seasoned.  The soup sauce was great gravy on some instant mashed potatoes.

I'm thrilled to have some leftovers for both dinner tomorrow night and Paul's lunch tomorrow, plus I think I can freeze another lunch container for a future lunch.  

Hello World, I'm Carol!

Hi,  Doylenn is my daughter and Mia is my son's wife, therefore, she's my daughter too.  I live on a ranch in beautiful southwest Colorado where we have beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and abundant wildlife.  My husband and I moved to his family ranch about a year ago and I'm actively involved in the ranch.    I grew up on a ranch miles from town and attended one of the last one room school houses in the United States, through 8th grade. I love to hunt, sew, read, craft and spend time with my family and friends.  I also love being Gramma to my two beautiful granddaughters, Harlee and Cheyenne.  I like to make things, proving that homemade is better than store bought.  I am learning about essential oils.  I like do it yourself projects and since we moved into a 100 year old house, hopefully that will be useful.  You'll be seeing before and after pics of our projects and upgrades.  I own a commercial embroidery business,  which I've had for 14 years now, but I prefer my ranch duties which include feeding cows and checking for new calves, plus all other cattle care when needed, caring for the chickens when my mother-in-law is away, plus irrigating and haying in the summer.  I'm loving using the new John Deere tractor that my mother-in-law dubbed Granny Green.  I'm anxious to share my projects and my life with you. 

This is a newborn calf less than 12 hours old.  Granddaughter Cheyenne named her Luna.

This is my husband Paul and our dog Clancy getting acquainted with a calf.