Football Cookie Dough Dip

Tis the season, no not that season yet .... football season!  Are you having beautiful fall weather where you live?  I hope so, it has been so beautiful here the past two weekends.  Nothing says fall like football and a tailgate party!

Along with a neighbor, I helped host our neighborhood September BUNCO!  Perfect for the month of September, we decided on a football theme.  One of the things I made was a fun football dip.  Not only is it easy to make, it's delicious!! 

Cookie Dough Dip

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups mini chocolate chips

• Frosting for laces 

For serving:

• graham crackers
• chocolate graham crackers
• vanilla wafers
• pretzels
• apple slices

Instructions

1. Prepare cookie dough dip according to the recipe instructions. Chill for at least two hours,
2. Pour into a mound on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using the parchment paper, shape the mound of cookie dough dip into the shape of a football. Or use a football shaped for shaping.
3. Press additional cup of chocolate chips onto the outside of the football shaped cookie dough dip.
4. Place frosting into a piping bag or a small sandwich bag with the tip snipped off. Pipe lines onto the top of the cookie dough dip football to resemble laces.
5. Store in the refrigerator until about 15 minutes prior to serving. Serve with an assortment of crackers, pretzels, and/ or apple slices.

BBQ Mac and Cheese

Happy Fall!  Fall and Spring are my two favorite seasons.  Living in the midwest, we enjoy the seasonable weather during those two seasons.  As an added bonus, we have beautiful Fall color in our trees.  The trees are just starting to turn here.  We're getting some cooler nights, so full blown color will be soon!  Can't wait!

I say this every month but hard to believe it's Secret Recipe reveal day again.  The third Monday of the month, brings us Secret Recipe Club.  Not familiar with this fun blogging group?  You can find out everything here!

For the month of September, I was assigned Living The Gourmet.  Catherine  has a beautiful blog, filled with amazing recipes.

Catherine says, "The heart of our home lies within the kitchen.

For us, it is so much more than a place where meals are created; it is where memories are made over meals that are meant to be shared."  

 So true for all of us who enjoy cooking and sharing it with friends and family. 

At our house, we love BBQ and mac and cheese, how about a recipe that combines the two?  Yum! 
This is a delicious version of mac and cheese, perfect to go with burgers for a weekend bbq.

BBQ Mac and Cheese
Recipe Courtesy of Living The Gourmet

Serves: 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup cottage cheese
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup ketchup
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• ½ jalapeño (I omitted this)
• ½ cup Italian parsley
• 1¼ cup milk
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 onion – diced
• ¾ tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• 2-3 tbs. butter
• 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded or your favorite
• ¼ cup Italian style breadcrumbs or homemade breadcrumbs
• 1 lb. of your favorite macaroni

Instructions

1. Prepare the macaroni as directed.
2. Combine in a food processor the cottage cheese, milk, Parmesan cheese, ketchup, brown sugar, jalapeño, garlic, parsley and seasonings.
3. Heat a frying pan with butter and sauté the onions until softened and transparent.
4. Heat another frying pan with a pat of butter; add the bread crumbs; toss and brown a bit.
5. Preheat Oven 325 degrees:
6. Butter a baking dish. Add the macaroni, the mixture from the food processor, the shredded cheese, the onions and toss.
7. Top with the bread crumbs a few pats of butter and grated Parmesan cheese and a little shredded cheese.
8. Bake 25 – 30 minutes; until slightly golden.

An InLinkz Link-up

Aronia Berry Oatmeal Cookies

Tim and I had been looking at an Aronia Berry bush for the yard at the Farmer's Market.  If you're not familiar with Aronia Berries, you can read about them here.  They're very good for you and tasty, too! 

Our bush had just enough berries on it to make these cookies.  You could substitute these for any recipe containing blueberries. 

 

Oatmeal Aronia Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks margarine room temp
• 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups rolled oats old fashioned or quick
• 1 cup peacans
• 1 cup coconut flakes
• 1 cup aronia berries frozen

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or use your margarine wrappers to grease 2 baking sheets.
2. Stir the flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. In a bowl of a stand mixer w/paddle or hand mixer, cream margarine, sugars until smooth.
4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each. Stir in vanilla.
5. Important: Mix on low and add dry ingredients only until incorporated. Over beating will make flat cookies.
6. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the oats, then pecans and coconut.
7. Add frozen aronia and fold quickly. This will keep the cookies from turning purple.
8. Spoon uniform 1 1/2" balls on baking sheet with 2" spacing.
9. Bake for 6 to 9 minutes. Remove when edges begin to turn. Cookie will continue to bake while cooling. After 5 minutes on baking sheet, remove to wire cooling rack.

Best Sugar Cookies with Cornmeal

  If you like sugar cookies, give this recipe a try.  The cornmeal adds a nice crunch to the already delicious sugar cookie.  The original recipe called for the zest of a lime.  No limes in my frig, so I used lemon.  Lemon and sugar cookies are the perfect combination of flavors!!

 Recipe Courtesy of A Spicy Perspective

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Zest of one lime  (I used lemon)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup 100% yellow cornmeal + extra for rolling (not cornmeal mix)

Directions:

1. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 3-5  minutes. Then beat in the salt, lime zest, egg, and vanilla. Once blended, slowly add the flour, followed by the cornmeal. Scrape the bowl and beat again for just a few seconds to combine.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (or 350 convection) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Dump the dough out onto large piece of foil and use the foil to shape the dough into a 9 1/2 inch log, about 2 inches thick. Wrap well and freeze for at least 30 minutes to firm up the dough.
3. When ready to bake, open the foil and sprinkle cornmeal over and around the dough log. Roll it back-and-forth to coat the log on all sides. Then cut the log into 16-18 equal slices. Lay the cookies on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes until just barley golden on the edges, but soft in the middle. (7-8 minutes convection.) Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet completely before moving.

Pimento Cheese Mini Burgers

How do you make something that's already good even better?  Add more of it, of course.  That's just what we've done with Secret Recipe Club,  the months where there are 5 Monday's, we will have a reveal day with a theme!  Our first one, Tailgate Recipes, starts now!  What a great theme for the start of football season!  Tailgating and football go hand in hand. 

My assigned blogger is Nicole of I am a Honey Bee.  On her About Me page Nicole shares 28 random things about her.  How fun is that?  I might just borrow this idea.  Okay?  Here's just the first five ....

1. Peridot is my favorite stone although garnet is my birth stone

2. I have 3 tattoos and plan on getting more

3.  I’m from Greenwich, CT

4. I hate the cold, REALLY hate the cold, but I like snow.

5. I really like NASCAR… Go Kasey Kahne!

To read the rest of the 28 and see all of Nicole's great recipes, visit her blog here.  I also love that she has done a Clean 30 several times. 

These Pimento Cheese Burgers would be perfect for tailgate or backyard bbq.  The leftover cheese made delicious grilled cheese sandwiches!!!

Pimento Cheese Mini Burgers

Recipe Courtesy of I am a Honey Bee 

Makes 6 sliders
Ingredients
Pimento Cheese

• 8 ounces of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 ounce jar of diced pimentos, drained
• 1/3- 1/2 cup mayonnaise 
• cayenne and black pepper to taste

Burgers

• 1 pound of 85/15 ground beef
• 1 teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
• pinch of black pepper
• 6 whole wheat dinner rolls

Process

1. To make the Pimento Cheese, combine the cheese, pimentos, and mayo. Mix thoroughly. Add the cayenne and pepper to taste. Set aside to chill for at least 1 hour.
2. In a large bowl combine the ground beef and the Seasoned Salt and black pepper. Evenly divide the burgers into 6 rounds. Shape and flatten each burger so they are slightly thicker than 1/4″.
3. Cook the burgers until desired doneness.
4. Slice the dinner rolls in half. Place each burger on the bottom portion of the buns, then scoop about 2 tablespoons of the pimento cheese on each burger, and top off with the rest of the bun.

An InLinkz Link-up

Maple Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who doesn't love bacon? I've been wanting to try a chocolate chip bacon combo for a while. This recipe with the addition of maple to the bacon caught my eye. Candied bacon is easy to make in the oven. It does take some time but the end result is so good. The combination of these sweet chocolate chip cookies with the maple bacon flavor is delicious. You can't just eat one!!

These taste better than this picture would appear.  I made these for Tim to take on a guys golf trip and we were snapping a picture in the predawn hours before he left.  They were a hit with the golfers and will be added to my regular cookie rotation!

Milk Chocolate Chip Maple Syrup Glazed Bacon Cookies
Recipe Courtesy of Nadia G

• 12 bacon slices, minced
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

BATTER:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, large dice
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups quality milk chocolate, in chip-sized chunks
• Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

Directions

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
For the bacon: In a medium frying pan, saute the bacon until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp. Drain the fat from the pan, add the maple syrup and stir to blend. Saute until the maple syrup becomes thick, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer immediately to a small bowl and let cool.
For the batter: With a standing or handheld mixer, blend the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the egg and beat until well blended, 1 minute. Add the vanilla and beat for 30 seconds more. Stir in the flour and baking soda with a wooden spoon. Add the bacon and chocolate and stir to combine. Scoop heaping teaspoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until golden around the edges, 9 to 10 minutes.
Let the cookies cool for 1 minute, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cheese and Salsa Dip

Can you believe it's August already?  Does anyone know where 2015 has gone?  Crazy how fast time seems to fly.  I'm up for any ideas to slow it down!!

The third Monday in August brings us Secret Recipe Club.  Not familiar with this fun group, you can find out everything here!  I was assigned Kirstin of Loving Life.  What a great blog name.  She says, "My hubby and I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, in Southwest Washington, with our two amazing daughters, Kaitlynn (19) and Kristianna (16). We have been married 23 years. We have always homeschooled our girls, though both our girls are now ending that journey. Our oldest started a Running Start program her junior year and our youngest will start the same program this fall. Our oldest will also be getting married this fall.  We spend A LOT of time with working, watching soccer...and working around our house and property when we find time."  No wonder she's "Loving Life."

Kirstin had so many great recipes to choose from, it was hard to decide on one.  We were having a neighborhood picnic and I needed something to take for a side.  The veggies a plentiful in my garden, so this delicious Cheese and Salsa Dip seemed like the perfect choice. 

Ingredients:

2 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese softened
1 12oz. jar salsa (I like thick and chunky)
2 c. shredded cheese

Combine cream cheese and shredded cheese in bowl of mixer. Begin mixing to break up cream cheese. Slowly add salsa until you get a good dipping consistency. Not too runny though, think of guacamole consistency. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with tortilla chips!

An InLinkz Link-up

Key Lime Bars

  These bars use animal crackers for the crust, how delicious is that?  This would make a great cheesecake crust, too.  These bars remind me of cheesecake, only in bar form.  Key lime makes the perfect summer dessert.  I must admit to using bottled key lime juice, which I love, instead of juicing limes.  I did zest a regular lime for the zest.  Topped with toasted coconut these make a beautiful dessert for a summer picnic or barbeque.

Key Lime Bars

Recipe Courtesy of Mel's Kitchen

Yield: Makes 16 bars

Ingredients

Crust:
• 5 ounces animal crackers (about 2 1/2 cups animal crackers)
• 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• Pinch salt
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 tbsp grated fresh lime zest (from about 2 limes)
• 1 can (14-ounce) sweetened condensed milk
• Pinch salt
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 3-4 regular limes or 20 Key limes)
Garnish
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut, toasted (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, adjusting an oven rack to the middle position. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, letting two opposing edges hang over at least an inch or so. Grease the foil with cooking spray.
2. For the crust, process the animal crackers, sugar and salt together to fine crumbs in a blender or food processor. Drizzle the melted butter over the crumbs and pulse to incorporate (or stir together in a bowl with a fork). Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press the crumbs into an even layer. Bake the crust until fragrant and golden, about 15-18 minutes.
3. For the filling, while crust bakes, in a medium bowl, stir the cream cheese, lime zest and salt together until combined. Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk until smooth (you can use a handheld electric mixer, if you want). Whisk in the egg yolk and lime juice until combined.
4. Pour the filling evenly over the crust. Bake the bars until the filling is set and the edges just slightly begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, 15-17 minutes.
5. Let the bars cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Then cover the pan with foil and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil overhang and cut into squares. Sprinkle with toasted coconut if desired.

Spicy Buffalo Butter

August 2nd? Where has the summer gone? Besides the weather and fun, the thing I will miss the most about summer is the fresh veggies!! Sweet corn is one of my favorites. Herb butters are perfect to enhance the flavor of the corn.  Tim couldn't get enough of this the first time we had it for dinner. 

Spicy Buffalo Butter

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), at room temperature
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon Frank's Red Hot Sauce or other vinegar based hot sauce
1 tablespoon chopped chives

Mix the ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap on a clean counter. Spoon the butter mixture onto the bottom third of plastic wrap, then roll into a log. Refrigerate for one hour, or until firm.

• Room temperature butter is key to making flavored butters. Use unsalted butter so you can control your salty flavor.
• Softened butter makes it easy to fold your flavoring ingredients into the butter. To make the butter logs, simply spoon the butter mixture onto the bottom third of a piece of plastic wrap, then shaped into rolls, twisting the ends of the plastic wrap as you roll.
• Chill each log for at least 1 hour or freeze for 20-30 minutes for the logs to take shape.
• Flavored butters taste amazing on anything from vegetables to pasta, chicken, beef and fish. 

Spider Cookies with Chocolate Chips

Spider Cookies in July? One of Tim's coworkers was celebrating her birthday and she loves Halloween.  Kind of fun to look for Halloween ideas in July.  These were fun and easy to make.

Spider Cookies with Chocolate Chips

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup, plus 24 chocolate chips

1 teaspoon canola oil

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.  Beat in the egg, then the vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Fold in ¾ cup of the chocolate chips.
3. Drop mounds of the dough (about 1 ½  tablespoon each) 2 inches apart onto the baking sheets. Press one chocolate chip, pointed-side down, into the top of each cookie. Bake, rotating the sheets halfway though, until golden brown around the edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Place the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips and oil in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted. Dip a toothpick in the melted chocolate and draw legs around the exposed chip.

Bailey's Cupcakes - Secret Recipe Club

The third Monday of the month brings us to the July edition of Secret Recipe Club.  To find out more about Secret Recipe Club, visit the site here!

This month, I had the pleasure of being assigned The Painted Apron.  Jenna says "I am a little creative crazy, jumping from one project to the next.  Boundaries tend to get in my way so for this blog, “the Painted Apron”, I want to include my favorite creative areas, cooking, party planning, styling, gifts, & painting, and will try not to get side tracked!  It is my sincere wish to inspire creativity in you, give you some jumping off points, and help you enjoy some new creations of your own."  If you're looking for great recipes, party ideas or tablescapes, check out Jenna's blog, you won't be disappointed.

Boozy cupcakes are so fun and make a delicious treat.  These Bailey's cupcakes were no exception.
In Jenna's original recipe, she makes mini cupcakes and frosts with a Bailey's frosting.  I made regular size cupcakes (the recipe made 24) and used a traditional buttercream frosting.

BAILEYS CUPCAKES 
Recipe Courtesy of  The Painted Apron
      
1 box White Cake Mix
1 box instant Vanilla pudding mix
1 cup Bailey’s Irish cream
1/3 cup  either half and half or  buttermilk
4 eggs
1/3 cup melted butter
Mix dry ingredients together.  Beat eggs and add other wet ingredients and combine with dry.  Mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until thoroughly combined, batter will be thick.  Scoop into paper lined cupcake or mini muffin pans.  Bake according to cake mix directions, and check before time is up, 2-5 minutes, testing for doneness with a toothpick. Do not overbake or they will be dry. 

An InLinkz Link-up

Pineapple Glazed Baby Back Ribs

Today was one of those days where you don't want to use the stove or the oven.  Temperatures were in the upper 90's, add in the humidity and it felt like 105.  Hello, Summer!!!

We decided to use the smoker without smoke as an outdoor oven to make these ribs.  It worked perfectly.  In addition, I used the crock pot for Corn on the Cob.  Add in sliced summer tomatoes for a Caprese Salad and we had a perfect summertime meal. 

These ribs are easy and the flavors are delicious.  The rub and glaze give these ribs a nice combination of sweetness and tartness.  Perfect for a summer dinner party, barbeque or a Sunday night dinner!!! 

Pineapple Glazed Baby Back Ribs

Recipe Courtesy of Andrew Zimmern

Ingredient List

• 3 racks of trimmed baby back ribs
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 whole bunch cilantro
• 1 handful fresh mint
• 1 fresh Serrano chile

Pineapple Glaze

• 1 quart pineapple juice, fresh squeezed is amazing and if you have a juicer, use it for this.
• 1 teaspoon red chile flakes
• 2 cups sake
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup mirin

Marinate the Ribs

Combine herbs, spices, liquids and seasonings by pulsing in a blender. Rub mixture into ribs, let stand overnight in fridge.

Start the Grill

Prepare a charcoal grill to cook the ribs over indirect low heat, keeping charcoal to one side. When the temperature reaches 275-300 degrees, add the ribs.You will want to keep adding charcoal every 40 minutes or so to maintain a medium low heat of roughly 275 degrees. Grill over indirect heat for 2.5 to 3 hours or until ribs have shrunk back from the rib tips, meat is roasty toasty and fork tender.
Baste with pineapple glaze during last 5 minutes of cooking. Before serving, char ribs for 2 to 3 minutes if you like over high direct heat.

Make the Pineapple Glaze

While you’re grilling the ribs, combine the pineapple juice, red chile flakes, sake, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar and mirin in a small sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and reduce until glaze-y, about 1 hour. Season with sea salt and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Use to glaze the ribs before serving.

 

Happy Birthday Cupcakes!

Paxton celebrated his 4th birthday last week.  Despicable Me is one of our favorite movies.  Browsing on Pinterest I found these cupcakes.  Cute and so easy to make!

Minion Cupcakes

• 1 Heat oven to 350°F. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 24 cupcakes. Cool cupcakes completely on cooling rack, about 15 minutes.
• 2 Reserve 2 tablespoons frosting. Place remaining frosting in medium bowl; tint with yellow food color. Frost cupcakes with yellow frosting.
• 3 Use kitchen scissors to cut 1/4-inch circles off both ends of 16 marshmallows to make 32 total rounds.
• 4 Use reserved frosting to stick milk chocolate candies to marshmallows. Place marshmallow eyes on cupcakes, placing two eyes on some cupcakes and one eye on others. Cut 2 small pieces of licorice rope for each cupcake. Place licorice rope pieces on sides of eyes. Use black decorating gel to pipe a mouth onto each cupcake.

Chive Blossom Vinegar

Two of my favorite bloggers, Happier Than A Pig in Mud and Savoring Time in the Kitchen have posted the recipe on their blog for Chive Blossom Vinegar.  This year the timing was right for me to make this beautiful vinegar.

If you have chives, give this a try.  It's so easy and produces a beautiful delicious vinegar to use in salad dressings and marinades. I think I may try this to pickle some green beans this summer.

Chive Blossom Vinegar

• Pick your blossoms, snipping enough to fill your jar about 2/3 full

• Give the blossoms a good soak to remove any dessert or critters that might have hopped on to the beautiful flowers.

• Spin them in your salad spinner or dry on paper towels

•  Pack them in a jar and fill your jar with distilled vinegar.

• Leave them in a cool, dark place for 1 - 2 weeks.  Lynn at Happier Than A Pig in Mud recommends 8 days.

•  Strain and store in the fridge!  

• Isn't the color just beautiful?

One Man's Trash......

Twice a year, thousands of people flock to an event in Omaha called Junkstock.  There's a weekend long junking event in Central Nebrakska called Junk Jaunt.  500 junk vendors!!  Before throwing anything away, I'm left to wonder can this be re-purposed? 

I'm sharing three things that can be found at either of these events.  Two of the three I did purchase at Junk Stock and / or Junk Jaunt.  With the assistance of my wonderful husband, we re-purposed these into decorative or usable items.  I should have taken "before" pictures of these items but you'll get the picture. 

The first is a shutter.  After a light sand, I painted it.  I was looking for a phrase or word decal to put on the front or bottom.  I couldn't find one I like and as it turns out, you wouldn't see it anyway.  I used tiny clothespins to secure the photos.  You could use this for photos, kids artwork, lists or a combination.  I paid $5.00 for the shutter.

The second item is a rotary hoe wheel.  This is the item I did not buy.  I was at Junkstock, texted my husband, who used to be in the farm implement business,  to ask what it was.  He told me it was a rotary hoe wheel from a tractor.  He inquired on the price.  When I told him $25.00, he said DON'T buy that I'm sure we can find one at my buddies farm for free.  Indeed, we did find two of them.

After using a wire brush to remove as much of the rust as possible, we (that would be Tim) gave them a coat of rust restorer.   I  (yes really me) spray painted them yellow.  They're a fun addition to the garden.

The final item is a trash wheel tooth from a plow.  I had no idea what this was either.  When I spotted it, I thought it would make a great plant hanger.  We repurposed three of these.   I paid $5.00 for one at Junk Stock in Omaha and $2.00 each for two more at Junk Jaunt last Fall.

I (we) have two "junk" projects left to complete.  One I want to make Christmas trees or snowmen out of bedsprings.  I purchased a couple of these and then the same buddy of Tim's had those too. He should go into the junk business.    The other is re-purposing an old window frame.  I haven't quite decided what I want to do with this one yet. Anyone have a good idea?