Hot Spiced Apple Cider

Well I mentioned my spiced apple cider the other day on my Facebook page and I have had requests for the recipe so I'm sharing it here with everyone. It is a supper easy recipe to make and it will have your whole house smelling wonderful for hours.
I make mine in the Crock-pot but you can just as easily fix it in a pot on the stove top. I also make a ton of it because before you know it, all the cider is gone!

64 oz bottle of apple cider
1 large orange sliced
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1/2 tablespoon whole cloves

Put all the ingredients in your Crock-pot or pan, heat to boiling and then turn down the heat to warm on a Crock-pot or simmer on the stove. Enjoy the taste of the cider and the smell in your house.

Enjoy this with your family this holiday season. May the blessings of the season be with you and yours and continue into the next year. Stop by Fresh From the Farm linky party for more great recipes.

It's December WHAT!

I am not sure where all the time has already gone in this month. I mean really by the second weekend of December my house looks like an army of elves lives here. The tree is up and decorated, the lights are strung, all the Christmas decorations are up in every room of the house.
This year, there is a tree in the living room, still not decorated and the only Christmas decorations that have made it out of the closet is one wreath hanging on the back door and my Nativity scene in the living room. I'm not looking at the calendar and seriously wondering if it would really be worth it to drag all the stuff out of the closet and decorate.
Okay, yes it would be worth it, but just where am I to find the time? Think one night this next week I'm going to fire up the Christmas movies, make some hot chocolate and go on a decorating spree once everyone else goes to bed.
I do know that at least by the time that I go to bed tonight the tree will have at the very least it's lights on. Right now it just looks like we built our living room around a large pine tree that we forgot to cut down!
No I'm not posting pictures of that because it is just very sad looking right now, but I will have pictures once my living room has it's Christmas decorations showing.

A fun afternoon in the snow

What ranch kids (and dad's) spend the afternoon doing after all the work is done? They tie an inner-tube to the quad and have their daddy pull them around the driveway in front of the house of course!

They had a blast, then it was inside to warm up with some hot apple cider.

I'm linking up with Fresh from the Farm and her Photo Friday linky party. Stop by for a visit and some great pictures.

A snowy morning

Good morning from snowy New Mexico! The snow finally decided to show up early this morning. Left to put out blocks and break the water for the cows this morning and did not take my camera because the snow had not started yet. But by the time we were done it was coming down a good pace and me with no camera!

Did take a few pictures from the house when I got home.

I love how the bluffs look with snow on them

The girls are working on school, so I'm getting caught up on some paperwork and computer work and then baking is on the agenda for today.
 So what is  on the schedule for baking?

First up is this yummy Cranberry Apple Bread, love to use cranberries this time of year in my baking.

Next I think will be my version of a Fruit Cake. Now this is not your traditional dry candied fruit filled cake. I use dried cranberries, cherries, fresh apples, canned pineapple and raisins. The recipe calls for only 3 cups of raisins but I split that 3 cups total over all the different fruits and cut the 3 cups of pecans down to 1 1/2 cups walnuts. As for the brandy you can make the cake without it, just add 1/2 cup water and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract in it's place. I love this cake as there is actual cake to the fruit cake part.

Also on the schedule is eggnog this time of year. This is when having your own chickens and extra eggs comes in handy! Last year for the Christmas season I was going through 18 eggs a day! Glad I did not have to keep buying them at the store.

Well the snow is still falling and I'm off to bake, have a great weekend everyone and if you are baking this holiday season let me know what you are baking. Share some pictures or recipes on my Facebook page Tales of a Ranchers Wife of your favorite holiday recipes.