Not about chickens, well not directly.

This time I’m not talking about the chickens, they are fine, except for being stalked by an eagle/goshawk (?) three times in the past week which flies away as soon as it spots me coming out to see what all the fuss is about but apart from that they are fine.  : )

No this week it’s all about how much I enjoy trying something different that doesn’t entail sky diving or bungee jumping off some bridge, although I have done a 100 meter abseil which was fun but things we can do much more often than that with resources  we already have.   My Grandmother was the same; she loved trying new recipes which I do also.  Each one is a new experience – the lovely ingredients, the preparation, the cooking smells and of course the finished product – each new recipe is a revelation.  For me the process is the adventure and the end result is the icing on the cake! (Sorry about that). 

Bill sent me a recipe for a pecan pie that is cooked in a cast iron skillet, well I have never cooked a pie in a cast iron skillet so how could I resist this one.  The simple pleasures of preparing the ingredients, admiring the golden colour as it cooked and breathing in the magnificent aromas of freshly baked pastry have been enjoyed for generations.  In a world of change, these simple but rewarding activities are not only good for the mind and body but they are good for the soul.
                                        
                                 I had to get these eggs from the chicken pen, one was still warm.

                                                               Ready for the oven.

                                                                      
                                                                           Wonderful.

Hmmm, now I better go and check on those chickens.  : )

                                                                        

Chickens are doing well!

No new posts since May because that's when our intrepid travellers arrived back home but now they have moved away and taken up positions suited to their careers, it's time to once again keep up the "Chicken Chronicles",  hello Bill : )

The chickens are doing very well and they survived the constant rain far better than I expected, as a matter of fact it really didn't seem to worry them.  It worried us because all the ground around their chicken house turned to mud when it was lovely grass only a few months ago.  A few of the chickens seemed to like playing in the mud and that really made a mess of their outdoor area.  As a result of this we had to spread saw dust, about 15cm deep, to cover the mud and provide some relatively dry areas for them to spend their day. Yes, that is the main culprit in the foreground, young Esmeralda loved playing in the mud, I think she is looking a little perplexed about her new surroundings!

Because of all the rain and then all the mud, the chickens are completely without greens to browse on so every day I have to cut chick weed, grass, dandelion and nasturtium leaves and flowers for them to eat.  Luckily we have an abundance of these plants, so the chickens are staying healthy but I have a little less time then I had previously!  They still have their organic layer mash, which is always there for them plus natural yohurt with grated carrot or rolled oats every second day so they are doing well and we are getting plenty of gorgeous eggs.

I can't tell you how beautiful the weather is now the rain has gone, today is spectacular, a brilliant winters day - I can't describe how blue the sky is, just perfect.

Yesterday I made Anzac buscuits and a carrot cake, the recipe for this was on the coconut oil bottle and it is fantastic, really yum!  This morning I am having white tea plus some of that fresh baking. : )

                                                                                


                                                                                

Rainy Days and Baking

It is raining today and what better thing to do than fill the house with the warm aromas of wholesome home cooking.  As you know I love making old fashioned recipes, tweaked to make them healthier and a few weeks ago I was lucky to find a recipe book that was printed in the 1970's at our local Easter Fair for $3.00.

I decided to make a slice with the most beautiful ingredients - dates, walnuts, lemon rind (our own lemons), our gorgeous eggs of course, rice bran oil instead of butter and 1/4 cup of sugar instead of the 1 cup asked for in the recipe and organic flour.  It is such a pleasure to cook using fresh, wholesome ingredients, the mixture smelt great even before it went into the oven.



 
I also found an intriguing dessert recipe from another book that I thought I would try.  It is a baked rice dish with crushed pineapple, sultanas and nutmeg.  Once again using our eggs as you can see from the beautiful colour. 

 
OK the rain has stopped and the chickens are clucking, sounds like they would like to have a chat so I am going out to say hello. : )

  
See you soon everyone, including you GG! : )))                                                                                                                                                                   

Mandarins and Passionfruit

Tony and Chelsea you are coming home just in time, I just went to check on the chickens and while I was there I picked a lovely mandarin and shared it with Jet and Esmeralda and then a sweet passionfruit that I shared with Ruby.  There are delicious!

I tried to trick the chickens into not all using the same nesting box by putting two porclain eggs in a separate box.  After about two weeks there was a third egg in there!  Now they don't have to cue up to lay a egg. : )

The chickens are so funny!  They are really scared of kangaroos.  They go mad and I run out to see what all the noise is about and I can never find anything but they are very obviously upset and nervous.  After awhile I hear a kangaroo hopping off through the bush and then they are all fine and can continue with their day.  

Chickens getting ready for bed, they have plenty of room but like to all roost together.

Enjoy your last few weeks in Mexico guys, we have enjoyed your photos so much, what fun! 

Chicken Update

Yesterday Jet, one of our beautiful Australorps, laid her first egg!  Hurray!  There was a bit of jealousy from Abbey at one stage when she "removed" Jet from the nesting box but it all settled down and now Jet has been elevated to the prestigious position along side Abbey as our champion egg layer. : ))

Apart from this, the chickens have been enjoying life.  The rain has stopped so there has been plenty of dust baths and foraging amongst the sweet potato vine.  They love eating the leaves of the sweet potato vine also which gives them plenty of vitamins and minerals.  You should see the colour of their egg yolks - very bright yellow as you can see from the colour of this lime dessert.

Jet and Esmeralda are great friends and are rarely apart.  It is obvious now that Esmeralda is about three weeks younger than Jet.

         

The chickens love their daily yogurt and oats and wait around  their outdoor area every day for it, then they are happy and their day can begin. : )

Bedtime is still a ritual but they all manage to sort themselves out and roost in their designated areas, after one last meal!

  
Have fun in Mexico guys, we really loved those gorgeous seaside photos.  ♥♥♥

                                                                                

                                                                                    

The Big Wet

Well after 1674mm (65.9 inches) of rain in the first three months of this year, the chickens are looking for some sunshine (as are the rest of us!).  At every opportunity they lie in the sun and try to have a dust bath, not so easy when everything is so wet but they persevere. 
                                                   

 The new perches we put in their coop.

    Skeeta in the lemon grass.

Our mossy driveway, lucky our car tyres keep it from getting slippery.

Our rainforest is enjoying the rain, of course! : )

The creek under our bridge loves the rain.

The chickens under the passionfruit vine on a sunny day.

   Jet and Esmeralda

      Enjoying some sunshine.

We put up some new perches for them in their coop so they have more areas to get up out of the rain and dry off.  They have all managed very well and don't seem any worst off considering the weather.  Must be the oats mixed with yoghurt I still give them everyday. : )

Have fun in Mexico guys!  Don't forget to write! : )))

This Weeks' Other Random Photos

 Our black bamboo - Timor Black

The chickens are not impressed - the bush turkey is coming to visit. :)

Giant bromeliad - Alcantarea Imperialis Rubra

                   Fruit slice - using rice bran oil instead of butter in the pastry - lovely ummmmm!

A work in progress - I'm making a wallhanging out of traditional Cambodian scarves (Krama) we bought in Cambodia.  I have cut them up and I am in the process of positioning them so the work is harmonious - the online dictionary describes harmonious as "having component elements pleasing or appropriately combined" - nice.   I still have scarves to add.