Star Bright

She's the first horse I've bought for myself. It wasn't until my kids were grown and out on their own that I could afford a horse. Only a few of the grandkids have the horse heart, miss Tiki being one of them. 

Even when we had the pony, she always wanted to ride StarBright. They look so beautiful together. For her birthday this year, she wanted to go riding. With my situation as it is, it's about all I could afford for a gift. 

She loved it! As I knew she would. 

This horse saved me in so many ways. She's looking pretty good for being 28 years old. I'm still her second original owner and will be her last owner. She's never seen the cruelty of an auction, bad trainer or harsh set of hands. 

A perfect lady when the kids ride her and a steed full of spirit when I ride. She's graceful and ever so careful, with the kids. If they even start to slip or slide she'll stop and wait for them to regain their balance. If anyone falls off she stands there waiting for you to get up on your feet again. 

Take her to the ocean and she'll let it all out in a full gallop. She loves when there is no fences or boundaries in sight. She loves the water and will stand in the middle of the field during a pouring rain. Plays in the water trough and enjoys a cool bath. 

But come across a puddle in the middle of a trial and it's a whole new story. One that must be jumped over rather than walked through. Mud - another obstacle that she tries to avoid. The last couple years before I got her, she lived in a very muddy pasture, 2 feet deep in front of the shelter. Perhaps this is why she enjoys standing out in the rain rather than going into a covered area. ?

The halter scar across her nose is faded and almost gone but will never disappear. That's okay, we all carry scars. She was injured on her hind leg years ago, almost lame when I first got her. The first year was more soaks and leg wraps than it was rides. It's been about 4 years since we've had to wrap it. Healing is a process, one to endure. The scars remain forever. 

There have been comments made about her name, It's one she came with, I never had the desire to change it. I believe it was the man's granddaughter that named her when she was born. Personally, I think it suits her.  She's classed as a pony due to her height. I'm short so it's the perfect size for me. She's my bright shining star - Star Bright the beautiful.

Blessed by God

Life's a good ride @ the Bright side of the Barn

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Until next time, Stay Safe and Happy Trails.

Baklava

My absolute favorite dessert!

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Traditional Greek Baklava Recipe with Walnuts and Honey - My Greek Dish

 Ingredients

For the baklava

• 25–30 sheets of phyllo dough
• 500g (17 oz.) walnuts, chopped (or a mix of walnuts, pistachios and almonds)
• 2 tsps cinnamon powder
• 2 tsps grounded clove
• 300g butter, melted (10 oz.)
• some whole cloves for garnish (optional)

For the syrup

• 600g sugar (20 oz.)
• 400g water (14 oz.)
• 80g honey or glucose (2.8 oz.)
• zest of 1 lemon or orange
• 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

1. To prepare this Greek baklava recipe, start by melting the butter in a saucepan over low heat, being careful not to burn it. Use a cooking brush to butter the bottom and sides of a baking pan. (For this baklava recipe you will need a large baking pan approx. 40*30cm / 15*12 inch). Begin by layering the sheets of phyllo on the bottom of the baking dish to form the base. Layer the sheets one at a time, making sure to sprinkle each one with melted butter. Use about 10-12 layers for the base.
2. In a large bowl, mix the chopped nuts, the cinnamon and grounded clove. Sprinkle the nut mixture over the phyllo base and continue forming the top of the baklava. Top the nuts with the rest phyllo sheets (10-15 of them), sprinkling each one with melted butter and brush the top of the baklava with enough butter. You could also try adding some of the filling in between layers of filo.
3. Place the baklava in the fridge for 15 minutes to make it easier to cut into pieces. Remove from the fridge and using a sharp knife cut all the way down into pieces. If you fancy the taste of clove, place one whole clove into the middle of each baklava piece and sprinkle the top with some cold water.
4. Place the baklava in preheated oven at 150C / 300F on the lower rack (both top and bottom heating elements on) and bake for about 1 1/2- 2 hours, until all the phyllo layers are crisp and golden.
5. Prepare the syrup. Into a small pot mix all the ingredients for the syrup (except honey) and bring to the boil. Boil for about 2 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Take it off the heat and stir in the honey. Let the syrup cool down. You can also put the syrup in the fridge. As soon as the baklava is ready, ladle slowly the cold syrup over the hot baklava, until it is fully absorbed.
6. Let the baklava cool down completely and serve after the syrup has soaked throughput. Enjoy!

Blessed by God

LIfe's yummy @ the Bright Side of the Barn

Thanks for stopping by

Until next time, Stay Safe and Happy Trails.