Raising Rural Runges: 2015

Thursday, November 26, 2015

ThanksGIVING

Happy Thanksgiving from the Runges! This time of year we count our blessings twice and we also take the time to do some extra GIVING before heading into the busy Christmas season. Our local fire department had safety vests made to help pedestrians "BE SEEN. BE SAFE." Fire chief and family friend, Jason Monnens, had the idea to have these made and handed out to walkers and bikers after what happened to Clint. Our family thought this was a fabulous idea and decided to fully support it. Scott and I made a donation to the fire department to purchase additional vests. Our wonderful, compassionate kiddos decided they wanted to donate some of their own money as well. We also gave an extra thank offering at church in thanksgiving for our families. Lastly, before we left home this morning to enjoy thanksgiving at the Simonsen's in Fairfax we made a CaringBridge donation. CaringBridge has been an amazing free asset to our family as well as so many other families we know. We want to ensure it's there for anyone who needs it in the future. Please make the time to find a way to GIVE in some form today. I'd love new ideas as well - share in a comment below! Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Let's just eat pie.

For the past year Scott and I have been working towards a goal - to compete in the "Excellence in Agriculture" competition at the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation's State Annual Meeting. We completed a VERY lengthy application about our history, current jobs, Farm Bureau involvement, as well as any other leadership roles - which we submitted in July. We then had to make a PowerPoint presentation putting our application to pictures and a 25 minute presentation. For months we have painstakingly worked on this project and for the past week or so we have worked on our oral presentation several times a day.

Scott bought me a new outfit for the occasion and picked out a new tie for himself as well. Luckily I had some Jamberry Nail Wraps on hand that matched what he picked to a T!!! Everyone needs a little color pop ;)

We gave our presentation Saturday morning and man did we feel good about it! Out of four we managed to take second, bringing home State Runner Up. No matter what the results, it was a bond building experience for Scott and I. It made us each sit down and evaluate how we use our time - whether that be working, volunteering, or with family - and it helped us better appreciate each other and all the ways we contribute to our family and community and our achievements and goals. Most importantly, it proved that neither of us would be in the place we are, capable of taking on the events/tasks/jobs/organizations we do without each other - as Scott often says when I'm feeling overwhelmed or nervous, "I've got you." The entire process increased our love and respect for each other as well as teaching us to support each other in expanding our comfort zones. God has truly blessed us in finding each other and He reminds us of that on a daily basis by having us often "share a brain". The 1st place trip to Orlando would have been epic for us - not only having the opportunity to tell our story on a national level, but also a much needed break which never seems to happen. Minnesota in January has been perfectly fine for the first 35 years - we'll just carry on here!

Thankfully family is a wonderful distraction and is a way to prove your blessings here and now, and my family had our Brown Thanksgiving at my parent's on Sunday. There were 24 in attendance and we had a great time hanging out, catching up, laughing, and EATING!!!

As you've probably already figured, I was in charge of dessert! So after getting home from the MFBF Annual Meeting late Saturday night, I started making pies - which was also therapeutic. I may have been up until almost 1 a.m., but I managed to make a family favorite, French Silk Pie, and also an apple pie with a twist. I love Thanksgiving but I'm not a fan of pumpkin or pecan pie - so I was more than delighted to make chocolate and apple when they were requested! (I'll share the French Silk recipe at the end - SUPER easy and decadent!!!)

The food at Thanksgiving is AMAZING! We typically do a HUGE sit down family style meal, but this year we did buffet style since we were waiting for Clint and Josh's plane to get back from Butterball in N.C. Everyone in the family is such wonderful cooks it makes my mouth water thinking about their creations!

The spread included turkey, ham, pheasant wild rice stuffing, green bean casserole, baked mac and cheese, corn, mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, rabbit, bacon wrapped pheasant jalapeno poppers, plain stuffing, ham gravy, and 5 different homemade breads! That was after the apps of veggies, green onion ham rolls, and lefse - only to be followed up with Pumpkin Pie, French Silk Pie, and Caramel Apple Pie! Not to mention lots of wonderful wines, specialty beers, and homemade hard cider ;)

Some nap waiting for the food...

Some nap after eating the food!

The Princesses eating in the "Tower"

YUMMM!!! Doesn't that SCREAM Thanksgiving?!?

My nephew, Mason, made the pumpkin pie - it was the first one gone!

Apple Pie with homemade Sweet Whipped Cream and caramel drizzle

The best option - a little of both Apple and French Silk!

It was the perfect day to play outside in the dusting of snow!

Cheers!!!

You can make this version of French Silk Pie a couple of different ways - I prefer a graham cracker crust, but you could absolutely use a baked pastry crust as well. Heck, you could even get a pre-made graham cracker crust from the store and make it super easy! So here's the step by step for the pie I made (I may or may not have hidden the last piece for myself for a bed time snack!)

Fabulous French Silk Pie

For the crust:
1 1/2 C. finely crushed graham crackers
1/3 C. butter, melted
3 T. sugar

Mix all ingredients in a 9 inch pie pan. Press mixture firmly against the bottom and side of the pie plate. Bake about 10 minutes at 350 degrees or until light brown. Cool completely.

For the pie:

1 C. sugar

3/4 C. butter, softened

2 tsp. vanilla

3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and cooled

3/4 C. fat-free cholesterol free egg product (totally safe to eat without cooking - it's pasteurized!)

Beat sugar and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and chocolate. Gradually beat in egg product on high speed until light and fluffy (3 minutes give or take).

Scoop it into the cooled pie shell. Refridgerate at least 2 hours. I like to make mine the night before I need it and then top it in the morning.

Sweet Whipped Cream

Beat 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream and 2 tablespoons sugar in a chilled bowl on high speed until soft peaks form. I like to add in a generous teaspoon of vanilla, too! (This makes about 1 1/2 cups.)

Then, if you want to make it look pretty, put the whipped cream into your handy dandy Pampered Chef Easy Accent Decorator or a piping bag with star tip and cover the top of the pie. Or just grab a spatula and slap it on top! Then grab the conveniently left over ounce of unsweetened baking chocolate (mine came in a 4 ounce box) and a small grater or a vegetable peeler and go to town putting on the finishing touch. Voila! Fabulous French Silk Pie!

Then I let Scott lick the sweet whipped cream beater and he said, "If it's that easy to make, you should make it more often." Point taken, so I washed the beater, grabbed the cream, sugar, and vanilla and made a second batch to be eaten with the Caramel Apple Pie. Or just to be eaten with a spoon!

Thursday, November 12, 2015

It's Chili! Need a Tow?

Today was a pretty red letter day around here for Mr. Jacob - an excellent grade on a math test and he received a LONG awaited package in the mail. Jake's very own "Mistress" finally arrived! (Just hang on, it's a special truck I'll explain in a minute!) Anyone that knows Jake knows his love for trucks, tractors, "City Guys", and tow trucks. Back in 2008 Jake was obsessed with a reality TV show called "Wrecked: Life in the Crash Lane". He was and still is AMAZED at watching heavy equipment pick things up and move them. Anyhow, back in September of 2009 we attended the Big Iron Classic Truck Show in Kasson, MN and O'Hare Towing from Chicago, IL was at the event signing autographs and taking pictures with their trucks. Jake could hardly contain his excitement meeting his heroes in real life!

Keeley & Jake with Joey, Marci, Bill, & Jamison from O'Hare Towing in Chicago with the truck named, "The Mistress".

After meeting them in September, Jake invited the crew from O'Hare Towing to come to his birthday party in July 2010.

Of course they did not attend, but the owner of O'Hare Towing, Bill Gratzianna, did make a special phone call to wish his littlest, biggest fan "Happy Birthday!" which was really cool!

So, zoom up to present day.....Back in April Jake finally wore us down with his begging after seeing that a custom made version of Joey Gratzianna's truck, The Mistress, a specialized rotator tow truck, was going to be produced. We sent off the money to have one of only 2,100 made for Jake. After MONTHS of waiting and Dad calling to find out there was problems in production, THE truck was finally delivered to our mailbox today.

This was his smile before I told him to calm down a little! ;)

One happy boy with his very own "Mistress" tow truck!

So thinking about "Wrecked" has me remembering many snowy, freezing episodes I watched with Jake, which made me think it would be a good time to share a FAST, EASY chili recipe. Chili with beans isn't something I ate as a child - thank goodness I outgrew most of my silly food pickiness! I'm fortunate that my kids will give almost ANYTHING I make at least one try. Most of the time I like to play with seasonings and take lots of time coming up with the perfect recipe but it was late the other night when I made this and decided to see if I could make it by mostly canned ingredients. It didn't turn out too shabby and Jake & Keeley even ate it (with a little extra tomato sauce stirred in to ease the spiciness!)

Start by browning a pound of ground beef and throwing 1/2 a decent sized onion chopped up and a couple cloves minced garlic.

Then come the cans! 2 cans diced tomatoes with their juice - I used one normal and one fire roasted - just to be difficult! 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can beef broth, 3 cans of drained and rinsed beans - I used light red kidney, dark red kidney, and black beans - but you use what you like.

Then you can go one of two directions for heat - add a can of Rotel or a packet of Chili seasoning.

I added both Rotel and Chili seasoning and a couple splashes of Worcestershire sauce for good measure!

Ladle it into a bowl (the Mrs. prefers) or a soup cup (the Mr. prefers) and top with shredded cheddar, sour cream, and sprinkle on some chives or parsley and dig in!

It is even better the next day for lunch served over spaghetti squash!

QUICK CHILI

1 lb. ground beef

1 C. onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

1 can beef broth

3 cans of bean (drained and rinsed)

1 can Rotel tomatoes and chilis and/or 1 packet chili seasoning

Worcestershire sauce

Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Chives or parsley (optional)

Sour cream (optional)

Avocado (optional)

Brown ground beef with onion and garlic over medium heat. Add in 2 cans of diced tomatoes with juice, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can beef broth, 3 cans of beans. Stir in 1 can of Rotel if you want heat or 1 packet of chili seasoning if you'd rather have the deeper flavors and less heat. If you want a lot of flavor AND heat, add both! Add a couple of splashes of Worcestershire sauce and heat through. Keep warm on low heat. Add toppings as desired - I recommend all of them!

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Truckers Paradise

So what does a guy who is around trucks and truck drivers all day, 6-7 days a week do on a rare Saturday when he is (mostly) caught up with everything at the shop? He takes his family to the little town of Kasson, MN, population 6,047. What might there be to do in this little town outside of Rochester??? Well, they happen to hold the Big Iron Classic Truck Show And Charity Drive the first weekend after Labor Day each year. Scott and I have attended the show more years than not since Jake was born. This was the 16th year the truck show has been held. Jake is 11, so that means we didn't miss out on too many years! ;)

2004 - Scott, his dad, Glenn, and Jacob

2015 - Things have changed a little bit ;)

The whole town gets into this event - it's held at the Dodge County Fairgrounds which is right across the street from their school, the "Komets" High School dance team man the parking lots as a fundraiser, there are garage sales up and down the streets...the town is completely taken over by truck lovers for 2 days! Last year there were over 15,000 people in attendance!

Here is an aerial view from 2015 courtesy of Facebook (as I forgot to bring my helicopter that day ;) This year was the biggest ever - over 700 trucks!

The Big Iron Classic is the largest "Working Class" truck show in the Midwest and one of the largest contributors of toys to local charities. To quote the website "The purpose of the show is many fold, to collect toys for charity, review new technology, show off your rigs, enjoy the truck pull and other events, but most of all it's a good time for both the truckers and the public alike. To sum up the show "It's about TOYS FOR GIRLS & BOYS.....AND BIG TOYS FOR BIG GIRLS AND BOYS".

Let's just face it - trucks are cool. They are mini houses on wheels and each reflect their driver/owner. They are massive and make the world run. Truckers are awesome people who do a job most would rather not - 365 days a year - and their families don't have an easy gig either.

Sit back and enjoy a few of our favorite "finds" at the truck show and a few "oldies" thrown in for good measure! *DISCLAIMER* Although there are pics of all brands of trucks, we are a KENWORTH family ;)