Sunday, March 27, 2011

A Very Vedding Veekend! Also, Ve're German! Who knew?

Hi guys! Here's a peek of what our weekend looked like. We worked on our wedding invites so we can get them out to all of you! Boe was a very diligent worker, first lining up the paper....

Then cutting it... and repeat...



I wrapped the gifts for my four little girls (flowergirl Hallee, and the three junior attendants), and I was afraid of running out of ribbon, so I got a little creative with their bobbi pins!

And guess what! Only 62 days from here! Two months tomorrow!

Can't wait!
Love from SoDak!
The Future Mrs. Simmons

"The more I see of man, the more I like dogs." Madame de Staël

I know it, I'm a broken record, but I love shooting dog photos. Guilty pleasure.
Here are a few of my brother and his girlfriend's dog. She's pretty darn cute, and photographs well.








My mother wanted a photo of her puppies and grandpuppies. We couldn't really make it work out, but I think these photos ring true to who the puppies are. (My dogs are getting fairly good at posing.)


Peanut was very festive for Christmas.


Dally is nosy as ever! But definitely cute!

House Update!

This is the view out our dirty bedroom window. I thought it was pretty all the same.




Before: the southeast spare bedroom. (Facing northeast)


After: facing southwest.

The west wall, mostly. I finally found a place for a piece I made in high school!

I got scoffed at for putting a recliner upstairs, but I think it works nicely!

Anyone wanna come stay in it? Door's open!

...Where the deer and the antelopers play!

Hi all!
I was flipping through photos this weekend and found some I shot while traveling across Nebraska and South Dakota. We didn't have internet at
home after we came home from mine and Boe's parents' at Christmas. I figured I would share them, even though they're a tad late.
It's still snowing here, so they aren't entirely out of season, I guess.
Enjoy!
The Future Mrs. Simmons

The tree pictured in the above and below photos is my favorite in Nebraska, one of the few trees in Nebraska for that matter! In any case, I found it intriguing when I would pass it on my way home to Boe on the weekends.




The Missouri River!



It was chilly on the morning we left my parents. It made for great photos at least!











Four eagles were frolicking in a pasture close to Bruce and Rose's.




And some antelope too. There aren't many of these little fellas in Eastern South Dakota!
I must say, I kinda miss them!


Thursday, March 17, 2011



Spiced Chocolate Molten Cakes

4 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
1 T. cabernet sauvignon or other red wine (optional)
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. confectioners' sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
6 T. flour
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ground ginger
1/8 t. ground cloves

Preheat oven to 425º F. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on high for one minute or until butter is melted. Stir with wire wisk until chocolate is completely melted.
Stir in wine, vanilla, and sugar until well blended. Stir in eggs and yolk. Stir in flour and spices.
Pour batter evenly into four 6-ounce greased custard cups or soufflé dishes. (I used small tea cups, as shown below.) Place on baking sheet.



Bake in preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes or until sides are firm, but centers are soft. Let stand one minute. Carefully loosen edges with a knife. Invert onto serving plates and dush with confectioners' sugar.

Enjoy immediately. Makes four cakes.

Black Bird Singing in the Dead of Night

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

T-shirt Fundraiser

Many of you don't know her, but my good friend Shelly Wolfgram-Zager has breast cancer. We are selling these shirts to offset her costs associated with the cancer. Please let me know if you are interested in one! They are way cute! There are two styles as shown below.

Costs for the shirt are $15 each and $2 in shipping per shirt.
If you are interested in helping out Shelly and her family, please email or facebook me!
savsimms@yahoo.com

Thank you!





Monday, March 14, 2011

Rocky Rococco

The Dally Lama

Y'know, I don't really mind muddy boots when it means that SNOW IS MELTING!

I've managed to track a path from the hay bale to the front step by staying on snow the entire way. And yet I still get muddy, muddy boots.

Eva the Diva.


This my super cute (at least I think so) rehearsal dinner dress. I'm very excited to wear it and my only hope is that it does not make me look pregnant, for preggers I am not.
Amen.



75, 74, 73, 72!

This makes my day. Every day. For the next 75 days.

Easy Peasy Cheesy Dinner

Alas, a mid-to-long day of not-so-hard, hard work, and a mediocre length drive home results in this pan full of deliciousity!
Best part is – I pulled it out of the deep freeze, cooked it at 350º for an hour, and chowed!

Make it yourself!


Beef Taco Bake

1# Ground Beef

1 Can Condensed Tomato Soup

1 C Chunky Salsa or Picante Sauce

½ C Milk

6 Flour Tortillas, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 C Shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese


Brown beef and take off any fat. Stir the soup, salsa, milk, all the tortillas (except a handful), and half the cheese in the skillet. Spoon the beef mixture into a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Layer with the remaining tortillas. Cover the baking dish.

Bake at 350º for 45 minutes or until the beef mixture is hot and bubbly. Be sure the center is done and warm. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.


I normally make a couple pans of this dish at once, and immediate freeze them. Be sure they are completely covered so they don't get "frost bite."

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Crazy Dogs and Shaggy Horses

Winter is still in full swing in Wolsey, South Dakota. Rocky, as always, hates it terribly.



We have a funny story about Dally and trees. She just recently learned that she is nimbly bimbly enough to jump from the snow bank to this particular tree in our backyard, and then run around from limb to limb. Well, we couldn't find her the other night.
Remember, this is the dog we lost twice before: once under our grainery, and once in the back twenty when she wrapped her tail around some barbed wire. The fun part in all this, too, is that she is in heat. Oh, and Boe is laid up from knee surgery.
So, we're waiting for our little nugget of joy to return. Well, we heard her barking and I ran outside and told Rocky to go find her. He took me to a tree. I shined my flashlight up in the air, and found Dally 20 feet up.

It all started with this.


Chipotle.


Ol' fuzzy Bay Horse. What a cute old man!


See you all in 81 days! Can't wait!