tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80941008684590324292011-11-27T18:59:54.335-05:00Snippets of my life upon returning to my childhood home to raise my own family. We live on twelve acres of pure Ohio countryside...heaven on earth.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.comBlogger2571100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-3378531111555206252009-09-06T18:32:00.006-04:002009-09-06T18:38:01.753-04:00

Gingersnap, our 22 week old golden Campine pullet, laid her first egg today. She is our smallest pullet and we think she is the cutest too.Here is her little egg next to a large one that one of the Orpingtons laid. She's our only white egg layer. Derek said he's going to have it for breakfast tomorrow morning. He better fry up a couple extra ones or he'll be hungry within an hour!

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-77803279294231972952009-09-02T21:55:00.005-04:002009-09-02T22:50:04.115-04:00

This is my bounty of locally collected acorns and nuts so far this fall. I am a big squirrel right now, going from location to location collecting nuts from trees as I go. In the basket are Bur Oaks and Black Walnuts. The tray is holding Shagbark Hickories on the left and Ohio buckeyes on the right. The buckeyes are a first for me. I have searched for these and had a hard time finding this

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-75484391758312110972009-09-01T19:13:00.003-04:002009-09-01T19:26:35.832-04:00

It's official, the year of counting eggs from my 14 layers is finally over! I have completed the chart, at right, so that you can see how things turned out. If you're thinking about getting chickens or are just curious about how many eggs a hen can potentially lay, it will give you an idea of what to expect.My girls averaged 18 eggs per hen, per month which is a 58% lay rate per month. I have 5

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-69336960321339434592009-08-08T12:31:00.005-04:002009-08-08T18:05:29.872-04:00

Can you tell which one is the duck egg? My ducks lay jumbo eggs and I like to use them in cakes. They seem to make cakes more moist. I can't explain why but that's been my experience. Duck eggs are also more nutritious than chicken eggs. For a comparison of nutrients, click here. While we're on the subject of duck eggs, I woke up this morning to see that Macaroni has 10 brand new fuzzy babies

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-7687700205281837982009-07-26T23:57:00.007-04:002009-07-27T00:10:45.465-04:00

My favorite native American wildflower is the purple coneflower. They are so beautiful and so easy to grow, no garden should be without at least one clump of them. I always grow mine from seed and have never had to buy a single plant. They do really well in Ohio clay and just glow despite the heat and sun of late summer.I only grow the species, Echinacea purpurea, and none of the frou-frou

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-38966912569296154972009-07-17T18:57:00.004-04:002009-07-17T19:04:05.695-04:00

Derek took his first instructional flight today in a Cessna 172 with Rex Damschroder as his instructor. He'll be 15 in November and his goal is to earn his student pilot's license by his 16th birthday. He can then earn his private pilot's license at 17. Rex reported that Derek has a natural ability and did above average in some of the skills!I didn't get a photo, but there are two DC3s at the

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-78116828826251230912009-06-29T00:15:00.006-04:002009-06-29T00:26:12.838-04:00

This bright orange lily bloomed today. It's so bright that I can even see it from a distance. My lavender plants are so lush and beautiful right now. I planted a dozen more this year I love them so much. The bees love them too.Macaroni's babies are three weeks old and so fun to watch. I got a video of them eating coon tail in the pond today. Murphy and Macaroni are keeping watch over them,

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-74412866770231545872009-06-25T00:54:00.004-04:002009-06-25T01:04:23.507-04:00

I had my back surgery June 18. Everything went really well. The surgeon removed some arthritic bone from my spine that was putting pressure on my left sciatic nerve. The first few days were rough but I'm feeling better now. I am taking it easy and Jim has been very good (too good) at doing things for me. I nicknamed him Nurse Ratchet. The boys are away on vacations of their own and it's been just

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-58698232883796282612009-06-16T10:13:00.004-04:002009-06-16T10:40:17.253-04:00

Violet's babies hatched Sunday. She brought them out to meet everyone today. The little white one is a Silkie, the red one is a Rhode Island Red. The largest black/cream one is an Australorp. The remaining two are Australorp/Barred Rock mixes.There are no more hens sitting on eggs now. I may let a broody hatch some eggs later this fall, but we're done for now. My back surgery is the 18th and I

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-2185154554671635382009-06-09T23:21:00.003-04:002009-06-09T23:45:50.280-04:00

Lunch time for the kids while mom rests by the irises. The drakes watch from the water.

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-45331979773388969772009-06-08T14:32:00.004-04:002009-06-08T15:05:55.016-04:00

They were out when I got up this morning. Fourteen little fuzzballs so cute I can hardly stand it. Enjoy!

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-54835595597841793742009-06-07T17:33:00.006-04:002009-06-07T18:55:02.041-04:00

We've got more babies than you can shake a stick at right now. Ollie's been scratching up a storm all day today showing her babies how to forage. I watched her catch a big worm that was obviously too big for the babies and she ate it herself. The little red chick managed to poke through the fencing then poked right back through! They scoot around like little water bugs. In fact, I'm thinking of

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-17628062665757846032009-06-06T11:55:00.007-04:002009-06-06T12:14:41.780-04:00

Ollie got her babies out to meet the big wide world today. She's being a very protective mother. She's teaching the babies what to eat and I've seen the black one drink.

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-34878740465577975842009-06-05T11:49:00.004-04:002009-06-05T12:02:22.032-04:00

While we're waiting for Daisy's babies to hatch, here's a video of Ollie and her first chick. Her mama was obviously a barred rock and you can see the telltale spot on top of its head. Are you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'? Girl! I put some feed in the corners of the nest box to make sure the little cutie got some food in her belly.Ollie's got another baby under her too that hatched this morning.

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-77385893987027346872009-06-04T14:48:00.012-04:002009-06-04T15:07:55.464-04:00

I woke up at 6 this morning, very early for this night owl. The first thought on my mind was that I had to check on my hens. I put on my bathrobe and slippers and headed straight to the chicken coop. I let all the hens out to forage then checked on Ollie. I listened for the sound of peeping and I heard it! Faint peeps were coming from under her! I lifted carefully and found a dark chick, just

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-64467272466357527062009-06-03T17:29:00.008-04:002009-06-03T21:44:22.895-04:00

I don't know which is worse - waiting nine months for a baby to be born or waiting 28 days for ducklings to hatch. Tomorrow is Daisy's hatch date, Saturday is Ollie's and Macaroni's. I'm on pins and needles waiting, something I'm terrible at doing.I've read that if you listen closely you can hear the chicks peep to their mama's through the egg shells when they're getting ready to hatch. I'm

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-78210646992334873542009-05-29T21:37:00.005-04:002009-05-29T21:55:24.095-04:00

Photo: My chooks last April when they were a day old. Ollie's in there somewhere!In less than one week the first batch of Twelve Acres chicks and ducklings will be either hatched or hatching! I can't think of anything more exciting than the impending arrival of babies. I've been raising animals of one kind or another since I was old enough to hold a puppy (thanks Mom) and nothing beats babies

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-66580086382265278282009-05-26T15:34:00.003-04:002009-05-26T15:42:04.892-04:00

I took this photo of my ducks last July when they were 3 days old. This is what's in store for us!We're almost to the mid-point of egg incubation here at Twelve Acres. I was fortunate to be able to candle Ollie's and Macaroni's eggs today. I had no luck at all getting pictures though. Try as we might, we just couldn't get a decent photo. I'm no pro at egg candling but at this stage of the game

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-6878806021391490162009-05-25T20:19:00.012-04:002009-05-25T21:18:07.782-04:00

This is Violet* and she's been acting broody for about a week now. She seemed to hem and haw about it at first, which is normal. She developed a 'tude and the characteristic "poofing" that only a broody hen (or a tom turkey) will do. A hen won't get serious about incubating eggs until she's laid a clutch worth her effort. Unfortunately with layers you take the broody's eggs each day when you

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-20660751537539790682009-05-25T01:07:00.002-04:002009-05-25T01:39:34.299-04:00

Last week while I was out working in the yard I noticed our little Cayuga hen Daisy carrying an egg shell in her bill away from her nest under the front porch. It was obviously one of her eggs and she had broken it and dropped it in the lawn. She then quickly went back to her nest and I didn't see her again until evening when she took her incubation break for the day. While she was off her nest I

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-23990283231331065022009-05-19T15:17:00.015-04:002009-05-19T15:54:17.822-04:00

I love a happy ending. Our wayward pigeon found a home today. I called a local pigeon racer and he came out to take the little gal home. His name is Bob Holman and he calls his pigeon loft "Holman's Homers". He picked up the pigeon and told us it was most likely a juvenile hen. He also noted that she is very strong. He put her in this transportation crate and she quickly settled down and seemed

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-13086829056073421332009-05-16T19:43:00.003-04:002009-05-16T19:55:40.611-04:00

I have had a busy day taking care of my chickens, ducks and wayward pigeon (at least we think it's a pigeon). During a break between the rain showers I went out to the mailbox. I was pleasantly surprised to find a package from Jess, over at The Beneficial Bee, containing the two lip balms I won in her giveaway last week. It's always nice to find a nice surprise like this in the mail!I received a

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-17632895589094176372009-05-15T16:29:00.009-04:002009-05-15T16:49:28.734-04:00

The nice lady who was going to send me 6 eggs for Ollie sent me an email today saying she was reluctant to do so because she thinks her flock had a virus this spring. She didn't want to take the chance of sending it to me and infecting my flock. I was grateful she informed me of this and thanked her for her offer. I told her I would look locally for a flock with fertile eggs. Well as luck would

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-19084730691836893602009-05-14T21:33:00.013-04:002009-05-14T22:02:57.044-04:00

There must be a sign painted on our roof: "House Full of Suckers - Land Here" We were out in the yard this evening and saw this dove in the lawn. He was wearing a bright orange leg band and was obviously domesticated.He wasn't injured, just seemed to be stopping by for a break. I know nothing about doves so one of you is going to have to help me with identification. I held him for a bit and he

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-43815343297252622582009-05-13T19:12:00.019-04:002009-05-13T19:33:50.381-04:00

Ollie finally decided to get seriously broody yesterday. So she sat all day in the nest box on...nothing. I felt sorry for her today and put two golf balls under her. She seems happy to have something to fidget and fuss with. I gave them to her at the edge of the nest box and she clucked happily as she tucked them underneath her warm bottom.So in about 21 days I should have a lovely pair of

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-58782096580103963582009-05-09T21:01:00.005-04:002009-05-09T21:33:19.543-04:00

I finally found out where Macaroni has been laying her eggs. I found her beneath the raised sidewalk on the south side of the house, about 6 feet from the edge of the pond. I noticed that I hadn't seen her all day and I thought I'd peek between the cracks of the sidewalk to see if I could find her. Sure enough, I could see her sitting quietly. About an hour later she was off her nest and I went

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-44004983825267317112009-05-08T19:07:00.012-04:002009-05-08T19:32:19.300-04:00

Look what Derek got to do today! Here is Derek operating his grandpa's front loader to clean up the shallow end of the pond. Years of silt have washed into the pond and we are trying to clean it out and make the pond a bit deeper at the end. Derek was in heaven. It reminded me of when he was a toddler and played with his big Tonka dump truck and front loader. It's really cool that he got to

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-76569718858156134922009-05-06T20:44:00.008-04:002009-05-06T21:03:14.396-04:00

Some shots of the month-old peeps acting like big girls. Everyone is getting along well. The little girls have learned to be quick around the big hens. I've put the broilers in general population too. Little Sophia is in the middle, sleeping. She's much smaller than the other chicks but her spunk keeps her on equal terms with them. She's such a cutie and we adore her.The gold Campine is named

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-18253562445679838662009-05-05T22:08:00.004-04:002009-05-06T18:24:21.226-04:00

***UPDATE***There are now 13 eggs (up from 10 on Monday) that I can see. There may be more covered up with debris.After Daisy got off her secret stash of eggs yesterday I peeked through the boards above to see if I could count them. I could count 10 that were visible. She's got the rest of them covered with debris.Now that I've found Daisy's clutch of eggs, I'm wondering what I should do next.

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-27035425074724126022009-05-04T21:21:00.004-04:002009-05-04T21:44:11.821-04:00

Jim made one final pass with the tiller in the garden before I put up the chicken wire today. Betty, the official mascot of Twelve Acres, quickly learned weeks ago that the worm digger roto-tiller provides plenty of fresh, juicy worms to eat. While the other hens run from the big scary machine, Betty doesn't.I love Betty for her pluckiness, sass and gumption. Did I mention that Barred Rocks are

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-72688655020168538382009-05-04T16:19:00.009-04:002009-05-04T16:53:01.584-04:00

Anyone who has chickens will tell you that mature hens will not always accept babies and that you should never put fuzzy peeps in with them because the chances that they'll kill them are pretty high. Introducing new chickens of any age into an established flock is a touchy matter. Such is the nature of chickens.The peeps are a month old now and have been exposed to the hens for over 2 weeks. The

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-87193568172568807262009-05-04T10:17:00.009-04:002009-05-04T10:31:28.687-04:00

While feeding my flock this morning I noticed that the two duck hens were once again MIA. As I walked past the front porch with a can of corn for the ducks I thought to myself, "What if it's as simple as a nest under the front porch?" I stopped and knelt down (hard to do when your back feels like mine) and looked into the farthest, deepest recesses of the front porch. I saw a dark blob in the

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-66803456198575304342009-05-03T21:25:00.005-04:002009-05-03T21:39:41.931-04:00

For the past two days our two hen ducks, Daisy and Macaroni, have been gone half the day. They disappear in the early hours of the day then come back in the early afternoon. First Macaroni comes back and then Daisy comes back about an hour later. We have tried to find where they are going but have yet to stumble upon their secret location. We went searching for them this afternoon and they came

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-63859863316914151882009-05-01T17:37:00.005-04:002009-05-01T17:52:29.524-04:00

It's hard to believe that a month has gone by since I got these broiler chicks. To see what they looked like on day one, click here. I can't put them out in the yard with the layer peeps anymore because they're so much larger and tend to bully the little girls. I had to come up with a separate pen for the layer peeps today just to keep them safe.The broilers should be ready to butcher in 2-3 more

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-67275588489441783202009-04-28T11:17:00.007-04:002009-04-28T14:16:09.372-04:00

When you have a farm pond you never know what type of visitors it will attract. This snapping turtle was in the windbreak heading toward the pond when Jim saw it and called me from the road. I took my camera out there in the rain to get some shots of it. It's the biggest one I've ever seen up close. The shell is a foot in diameter. I don't know if it's a male or female. How do you tell?I'm not

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-91898455674762245742009-04-17T14:28:00.008-04:002009-04-17T15:46:49.544-04:00

After Jim made a few passes with the roto-tiller in the new garden area, the chickens came in and got all the worms and bugs they could get their little beaks on. They've been out there scratching around all day helping to break up the soil and deposit a little free fertilizer as they go. I can't complain, they work for scratch!The chicks are two weeks old today. I put the peeps and broilers

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-61531168952921314152009-04-15T15:40:00.007-04:002009-04-15T16:11:23.601-04:00

For the past few days I've been seeing this pair of wood ducks in the pond. We have a fiberglass duck nest box at the far edge and they seem to be checking it out. Yesterday I even got to see the hen standing on top of it. I don't know if she's got a clutch of eggs inside or not but I would love to see her with a brood of ducklings in the pond! This is the first time I've ever seen wood ducks in

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-24675270566956325242009-04-13T18:16:00.014-04:002009-04-13T18:54:53.079-04:00

The chooks are officially one year old today. They were hatched on April 13, 2008. They're not pullets anymore, now they're hens.So much happens in the first year of a chicken's life that it's hard to keep track of all the milestones. They start out as tiny little puffballs of fuzz.Then they get all their feathers and start looking like big chickens instead of gangly teenagers.And then come those

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-91518903000657600462009-04-07T18:38:00.003-04:002009-04-07T18:45:38.302-04:00

Lily (black) and Sweetheart (buff) came up on the back deck today. Lily comes up to the door regularly to beg for treats. Sweetheart just happened to join her. Then they noticed movement on the other side of the glass. What were those? They froze and just watched the peeps. The peeps saw the big girls and they froze too, just staring.Watching this interaction filled my mind with questions that

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-41580994028506348242009-04-06T21:05:00.005-04:002009-04-06T21:23:52.641-04:00

Don't be fooled by this seemingly innocent appendage. In a few months this little foot will be capable of unrivaled damage. Chickens are great excavators. I was pulling my hair out last year trying to figure out how to keep them from damaging my landscaping and then I discovered bird netting. Now I don't have to deal with scattered mulch anymore.The chicks are 4 days old now and their wing

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-45073727151757420722009-04-04T22:47:00.003-04:002009-04-04T22:53:39.481-04:00

From the Management:It has come to our attention that some of you hens have been laying substandard sized eggs. We understand that spring is here and there is green grass to graze all day and bugs to chase, but ladies, let's keep our minds on our work. Pullet eggs are not acceptable from full grown hens. We appreciate your diligence and attention to detail in this matter. Thank you.

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-55999748304425582052009-04-03T18:22:00.016-04:002009-04-03T19:21:52.159-04:00

I had every intention of sleeping in this morning. Then Jim came into the bedroom and asked me if I was expecting the new chicks today. I said no, they were due to arrive next Wednesday. Then he informed me that the post office called and said there was a peeping package waiting for me.What?!?I had planned to get the brooder cage ready on Monday, plenty of time to get things set up. I was

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-18041045055126628662009-03-30T15:12:00.007-04:002009-03-31T00:22:06.973-04:00

My little Cayuga hen, Daisy, laid her first egg today. She planted it smack dab in the middle of the front yard nowhere near the nest box I've provided near the pond. If you've never held a black duck egg in your hand, the black color is pigment on the shell. It rubs off easily to reveal a white shell underneath.The ducks have split into two camps, each with one hen and three drakes. There's Camp

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-43303788820329270952009-03-28T18:56:00.005-04:002009-03-29T21:13:29.778-04:00

I put my new camp oven to work today making a pot of baked beans using the guidelines and recipe in the book, "The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook: Recipes for the Best Pan in Your Kitchen". In preparation for today's cooking adventure, I soaked the beans overnight. The only thing I was missing was a cup of beer. As luck would have it, a friend of ours who brews his own beer stopped by to visit us and

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-10165823901903798502009-03-26T13:07:00.007-04:002009-03-26T13:32:39.890-04:00

My brand new set of cast iron cookware arrived yesterday. I set aside today to season it. Even though Lodge sends its cookware out "preseasoned" it's not a true seasoning. It's just a food-grade wax that they apply in order to keep the utensil from rusting. When you get it, you really need to take the time to do a really good first seasoning on it.Since I got my cookware from Lodge, I followed

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-48919848507526286382009-03-23T13:00:00.010-04:002009-03-23T13:27:01.462-04:00

My new Oster 4716 Egg Cookerarrived this morning just in time for brunch. I hadn't had my coffee yet so my brain was a bit foggy but I was able to follow the simple instructions and get some eggs started in it.When I was in my early 20s, I learned how to make hard-cooked eggs using Julia Child's method from her book, "The Way To Cook". I strayed from her method once and learned my lesson by

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-70948355164853999892009-03-22T14:21:00.000-04:002009-03-22T14:24:57.790-04:00

I didn't order a pizza! Now go away!

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-7004824242803234312009-03-20T18:37:00.005-04:002009-03-20T18:55:52.967-04:00

In honor of the first day of spring I made a Peeps cake. OK, so that wasn't really the reason. I had egg whites to use up and I saw these purple Peeps and couldn't resist the temptation to stick them on top of a cake.Easily entertained. Yeah, that's me.

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-69489787808397912012009-03-18T11:05:00.011-04:002009-03-18T22:46:18.100-04:00

I'm not Irish but St. Patrick's Day gave me an excuse to make a favorite stew recipe and my first loaf of Irish soda bread. The stew recipe is from Tyler Florence and can be found here. It's a fantastic recipe. I've thrown away all my other beef stew recipes because I've finally got the best one.The Irish soda bread recipe can be found in any Betty Crocker cookbook in the "Quick Breads" section.

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-43717372015965612032009-03-16T15:32:00.009-04:002009-03-18T20:35:56.832-04:00

They finally did it! All of my chooks laid an egg today for a grand total of 14!Good job girls! You deserve a hug.

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-53468111527670119622009-03-15T16:01:00.011-04:002009-03-15T20:06:37.981-04:00

It's been such a glorious day...it's warm and sunny, my birds are foraging in the lawn, I baked, and I feel great. Macaroni laid her egg in the nest box this morning. On the right are the duck eggs and on the left are two chicken eggs.Since I had read about the benefits of baking with duck eggs I wanted to try them out in a cake recipe. I cracked them into a bowl alongside two chicken eggs. I

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-15655251142758895292009-03-14T17:35:00.011-04:002009-03-15T16:40:36.434-04:00

You may recall my blue Swedish duck hen, Macaroni, playing pranks on me with her eggs (here she is with 3 of our 6 drakes in tow). I was anxious to try a duck egg so I dragged an old wooden crate to the area next to the dock that the ducks enjoy. We've been feeding them there the past few weeks and they seem to like that area. I placed two golf balls inside the nest box and pushed them down into

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-5346270323283313662009-03-10T21:37:00.009-04:002009-03-10T22:16:37.773-04:00

Last spring I wrote about chickweed and how much my chooks loved it. At the time, they were too small to let them out to forage on their own, so I picked bucketsful of chickweed each day and put it in their run for them. They devoured it with gusto.Spring is almost here as evidenced by the return of the turkey vultures and song sparrows last week. Today the chickens were chasing and catching

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-18687549480958523402009-03-09T15:13:00.004-04:002009-03-09T15:26:57.537-04:00

We received a respite from the rain today. I took advantage of the sunny, warm day to do a bit of cleaning in the coop. Since the night temperatures are above freezing I removed the heated water font and replaced it with the unheated model. I like my birds' water to be very clean.I cleaned the glass door and the plexiglass window. I think the girls noticed because I saw them gazing out the door

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-34127686695612176412009-03-08T11:47:00.012-04:002009-03-08T12:32:54.601-04:00

I woke up this rainy morning to see four wild ducks in our pond. It's always exciting to have wild waterfowl visit the pond. I grabbed my bird guides and set about identifying our aquatic guests.I have two bird books: "Smithsonian Handbooks Birds of North America Eastern Region" and "The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America". I like the Smithsonian book slightly better because it

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-2297317717776325852009-03-06T21:57:00.011-05:002009-03-06T22:34:23.904-05:00

The avocados that have been ripening on the counter were finally ready today. Time to make Alton Brown's Avocado Ice Cream (recipe link). It's a snap to assemble the ingredients since they all go into the blender, except for the heavy cream which has to be stirred in last. After blending the milk, sugar, lemon juice and avocado I put the Nickelodeon slime ice cream mix into the fridge to chill

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-35023224750400385482009-03-05T12:57:00.010-05:002009-03-05T13:55:44.660-05:00

When my chickens started laying last fall I wanted to try making my own mayonnaise. I found a few recipes and settled on one that sounded good to me and set about making it. I had to use my hand mixer and it took an eternity to get the oil/egg emulsion made. It didn't have the consistency that I was hoping for--more like a thick sauce than mayo. Also, the flavor was horrible. The recipe called

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-88629758006676542752009-03-05T11:05:00.005-05:002009-03-05T11:10:09.033-05:00

My ducks think they're funny. I've been wondering when the hens were going to start laying. It's late winter and it's high time I start seeing some duck eggs.As I made my coffee this morning I looked out the kitchen window and saw this.My question is, which one of you is going to go out there and get it for me?I can feel it staring at me through the window. And the ducks are just laughing at me.

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-68179391788072680682009-03-04T13:25:00.008-05:002009-03-04T13:36:00.922-05:00

It's hard to tell what a chicken is thinking by looking into her eyes. I often wonder if I should be afraid. After all, if I was just a bit smaller I'd be fair game for my flock of modern velociraptors. Betty doesn't look too scary in this photo but she was running up to me to bite my pant leg--something she does to get attention.Rosanna seems to be a friendly chook based on her expression. But

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-50406973052439731472009-03-03T13:48:00.010-05:002009-03-04T19:07:00.411-05:00

Alright! Alright! I hear ya already! Seems folks are anxious to find out how good my new ice cream maker works. The first batch I made was egg nog ice cream. It was wonderful! I finished the last of it last night while watching "Saving Grace".Yesterday I cooked the egg-based batter for today's batch of chocolate ice cream. I used this recipe from Alton Brown's show, "Good Eats".Oh. My. God.If you

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-38133435052020406122009-03-03T10:08:00.003-05:002009-03-03T10:12:16.809-05:00

We have 8 ducks and we have a pond with a light dusting of snow on some of the frozen areas. The ducks left these tracks yesterday and each one tells a story.It looks like four of them were in a hurry--flappy feet slippin' and tails draggin'. The others were more composed and left neat little triangles as they waddled along.Some days my footprints probably look like the first group. But today I'm

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-79987405751711016602009-02-28T01:12:00.012-05:002009-02-28T14:58:32.912-05:00

Inspired by Alton Brown's show, "Good Eats" I ventured into my first attempt at making homemade cinnamon rolls. I recorded his show about breakfast breads this week and watched it twice to make sure I understood his technique. The recipe recommends letting the dough rise for 2 1/2 hours but I ended up letting it rise for 8 hours. It could definitely have risen overnight, though.It's a long, slow

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-8567985219857341462009-02-23T20:01:00.006-05:002009-03-04T19:12:48.220-05:00

That's right folks! I am now the proud owner of a Cuisinart 1-1/2-Quart Automatic Ice Cream Maker--in "Arrest Me Red". Sweet.I've got the mixing container in the freezer where it will remain over night. I am deciding which ice cream recipe I want to try first but I'm leaning toward egg nog ice cream without the booze. I'm definitely going to try Alton Brown's various ice cream recipes, especially

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-67569533110857388522009-02-22T14:11:00.002-05:002009-02-22T14:13:18.093-05:00

Sweetheart and Gertie

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-47661281884841528762009-02-20T18:45:00.013-05:002009-02-20T19:22:07.007-05:00

As the official mascot for Twelve Acres, Betty is one busy biddy. Not only does she have her spokeschick responsibilities, she's also a working girl and dutifully lays 5 eggs a week.I gave Betty the day off today and treated her to a day of fun. First we went shopping. She checked out the Bargain Bin but didn't see anything she really wanted. She was hoping to find a pair of pumps on sale.Then we

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-70309539872070749252009-02-19T17:46:00.005-05:002009-02-19T17:52:27.415-05:00

This batch of buttermilk biscuits is dedicated to my friend, Susan, who taught me everything I needed to know to make good biscuits.Mmm mmm! Pass the butter!

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-72843982920074703472009-02-17T18:47:00.001-05:002009-02-17T18:49:29.475-05:00

...on the cookie jar. *sigh*Ain't love grand?

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-29783273301499277152009-02-17T00:15:00.004-05:002009-02-17T00:24:52.597-05:00

Remember this little guy? Well, he stopped by this morning to nibble on the lawn. I looked out as I made my morning coffee and sure enough, there was a bushy-tailed, bright-eyed little squirrelly-O on the lawn. I grabbed the binoculars to get a closer look. It sure looked like our Rocky with his bright orange belly fur and swishy tail.The ducks and chickens were out there too and they got close

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-51328255217855055162009-02-12T12:33:00.009-05:002009-02-12T12:46:33.651-05:00

It's been very mild this week and all the snow has melted. Areas of the pond have thawed, much to the delight of the ducks. It's nice that they're back in the pond and out of our driveway. It was beginning to look like a duck poo mine field!The chooks are thrilled to be out in the lawn again! There's not much "green" to eat but they don't care. It's much better than being trapped in the coop by

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-2872425551250758992009-02-11T23:36:00.003-05:002009-02-11T23:45:13.175-05:00

I have clumps of ornamental grasses here and there in the yard. I was out in the yard yesterday due to the unseasonably warm weather and I looked at the golden brown clumps of dried grass. A light went off in my head and I realized I was looking at some really nice nesting material, free for the taking!I grabbed my pruners and whacked off huge handfuls of dried grass and tucked them under my arm

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-15602983515086932822009-02-03T12:42:00.004-05:002009-02-03T12:53:43.726-05:00

We have a green fiberglass duck box on the far edge of the pond. It's about 100 feet from my bedroom window. For the past few days, I've looked out to see this adorable little gray-phase Screech Owl napping in it.At night when I'm outside I can usually hear Screech Owls calling to each other. The air is very still at night, especially during the winter, and the sounds of owls calling travels

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-54917940144246940832009-01-28T18:35:00.010-05:002009-03-04T11:08:40.391-05:00

If not for my many cooking adventures since autumn along with a slew of new cookbooks to read, I would be absolutely stir-crazy right now, not to mention homicidal. I hate winter; it keeps me confined and unable to sit in the lawn and watch my chickens and ducks. I feel caged and frustrated. I channel that energy into the things that interest me at the moment...in this case, cooking.This week

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-50961506411575474222009-01-28T15:37:00.005-05:002009-01-28T15:46:20.882-05:00

We got a heapin' helpin' of snow last night and the guys spent the day digging us out. I estimate that we got about 6" of snow. School was cancelled and I called in to work last night and said I wasn't coming in. So what to do? Well, you know me! I got busy in the kitchen.I made two more loaves of delicious oatmeal honey bread and a dozen blueberry-oatmeal muffins. I love it when I can bake two

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-39990860363378969162009-01-22T18:06:00.005-05:002009-01-22T18:15:12.528-05:00

Jim requested rice pudding at dinner last night. Now, I'm not a big fan of rice in sweet dishes. To me, rice is a savory ingredient and should be treated as such. I was never a big fan of rice pudding, but I can eat it if I must.So I made a big batch of rice pudding today and although I find the flavor appealing, the texture is not my favorite. If I were choosing foods at a buffet, I would pass

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-10225894701037268572009-01-18T15:33:00.010-05:002009-03-09T01:16:19.099-04:00

My friend Jane and I are constantly swapping recipes back and forth. She lives in Illinois where she works as a legal transcriptionist (fastest typist I know). She and I decided to give the New York Times No-Knead bread recipe a try using our Dutch ovens. She went first, starting her bread on Friday. She reported excellent results last night and said she loved the flavor of the bread as well as

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-39202006194922092812009-01-16T08:15:00.005-05:002009-03-04T11:13:40.328-05:00

It's been so cold and miserable outside this week that I've pretty much gone out only to collect eggs and feed and water my birds. The ducks have spent the past 3 nights in the coop and it looks like they'll spend one more tonight. It's supposed to warm up a bit tomorrow so I'll let them out after it warms up a little more. This morning it was -11° outside with windchills down to -30° below. It's

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-53733850250193144992009-01-12T16:34:00.013-05:002009-03-04T11:15:57.898-05:00

My hubby, Jim, turns 37 tomorrow. His sister's birthday is today. We are celebrating both at their mom's house tonight.I made this plain yellow cake for Jim. While the cake is plain, the icing and decorations are not. I like to bake like that: keep the cake/crust or "back bone" simple then embellish it with the finishing touches. It makes you look like a uber chef. The focus of this cake will be

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-84999128838236877842009-01-11T15:36:00.004-05:002009-03-09T01:23:43.303-04:00

I ordered this year's chicks from Ideal Poultry today. I'm adding 7 layers to my flock of 14 to help keep my customers satisfied as well as to keep our egg supply where I need it. Derek wanted to get a Golden Campine, and I thought it would be fun to have one white egg layer. We'll always know when she lays an egg!I wanted to try a few new breeds and chose those that are reputed to be good winter

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-41271277327047463882009-01-05T19:19:00.007-05:002009-03-04T11:18:47.268-05:00

What is it about eggs that I find so appealing? When I go out to gather eggs from the nest boxes I am always struck with joy when I see these warm brown orbs safely nestled in the straw. I know where they come from, but I can't escape the childlike feeling of discovering these little treasures left behind by secretive fairies.I love how a freshly laid egg is still warm from the body heat of the

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-17391190492881092832009-01-04T01:03:00.006-05:002009-03-09T01:28:37.415-04:00

Now that the holidays are over, things have slowed down to a calmer pace here at Twelve Acres. No more baking till the wee hours of night, no more wrapping and last minute trips to the store. Now I can slow down and focus on the pleasant activities that make me happy.I have spent a considerable amount of time organizing and streamlining my kitchen this past week. I've also learned some

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-76198727335406624952008-12-27T23:12:00.006-05:002008-12-27T23:37:28.409-05:00

My thermometer recorded a maximum temperature of 74 degrees today. It was so warm and balmy that I managed to spend a few hours outside enjoying the break from single digit temps. I enjoyed watching the ducks digging in the muddy bank of the pond and the chickens grazing in the lawn. Just a few days ago the chickens wouldn't even come out of their snowed-in coop! All the snow is gone now. They

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-22321054844702159292008-12-23T20:14:00.009-05:002009-03-09T01:32:05.460-04:00

Yes, Jim gave me an early Christmas present. He even called me from the store to see if he was getting a good deal on it (20% off plus a $10 rebate for a total of $69). I had been looking at food processors the other night and he asked me if I wanted one. I sure could use such a time saver when making pastries and chopping large quantities of fruits and veggies, something I do on a regular basis.

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-44686913345500681152008-12-21T20:27:00.004-05:002008-12-21T20:39:41.255-05:00

Mom went back up to Michigan today after spending the weekend with us for the pie party. Jim and Derek went Christmas shopping. I had the house to myself and no distractions. It was the perfect opportunity to try my hand at making peanut brittle. I planned to give it as gifts as part of the homemade Christmas theme this year.Speaking of homemade, mom knitted these cute corn hot pads. They fit

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-63311235260707814812008-12-20T21:18:00.009-05:002009-03-04T11:26:00.572-05:00

Today my "Nothin' But Pie" party was held at Twelve Acres. Guests were asked to bring their favorite pies along with the recipe to make it. I am putting the recipes together into a pie recipe book which I will distribute at Christmas. It was a huge success and everyone remarked at how great it was to have nothing but pie to eat. Here is the "Before" photo.Starting in the back row on the left are

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-21409393958036071242008-12-20T16:42:00.004-05:002008-12-20T16:49:25.496-05:00

The ice storm that passed through our area left a beautiful scene in its path.We weren't able to get online all day Friday because our satellite antenna was iced up. We spent the entire day getting ready for my "Nothin' But Pie Party" so it's not like we missed it. More about the party in my next post...

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-21283966411186757302008-12-18T13:39:00.008-05:002008-12-18T13:49:10.417-05:00

Hey chooks, wanna come out today?How about you Betty, wanna come out? No?The ducks don't seem to mind the cold. They're so well insulated I bet they can't even feel it. They keep their little swimming hole open despite the cold. They'll be so happy when spring comes!Esther and Betty are staying in though. I've been giving the girls a flake of high quality alfalfa each day to pick over. They eat

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-38672050318032242752008-12-13T20:34:00.005-05:002008-12-15T00:37:47.361-05:00

Since my love of vintage items is clashing with the overall theme of Twelve Acres, I've created a new blog: Everything Old. Twelve Acres will remain and I will continue to write about my life here in my childhood home.If you love vintage kitchen stuff like I do, add Everything Old to your blog favorites and come visit my kitchen! Vintage items are just too fun to not appreciate them for their

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-51677769206332394042008-12-09T17:20:00.003-05:002008-12-09T17:33:11.006-05:00

Half an hour after I got out of bed today I was making bread. I set aside today to bake two loaves of wheat bread (recipe here), a big batch of cloverleaf dinner rolls and a focaccia for supper. It was rainy all day today--the perfect weather for staying inside and baking. My goal was to have some sandwich bread in the freezer to last us a few weeks. I don't want to buy anymore unless I have

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-90631409060839344652008-12-06T17:32:00.011-05:002008-12-06T17:54:49.482-05:00

It was too cold and snowy to do anything outside today, the perfect day for staying inside and baking yummy food. I was inspired by Paula at Fraker Farm (who was inspired by Susan at Farmgirl Fare) to try my hand at making bread bowls. Seems we're all an inspiration to each other.Following the bread bowl recipe in my bread maker's recipe book, I made these neat little dough balls. I let them rise

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-57886330092773028792008-12-02T16:25:00.007-05:002008-12-15T00:43:57.094-05:00

This Cooper's Hawk was hoping for an easy meal from my House Sparrow trap this weekend. It wasn't so lucky. (If you want to know how and why I trap HOSPs, click here.) Derek grabbed my camera and took the video below. Doesn't he/she look frustrated? Birders with more expertise than me will have to let me know if this is a male or female and an adult or juvenile. I'm assuming it's a juvenile based

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-89632658582524689022008-11-28T17:29:00.006-05:002008-12-15T00:43:31.075-05:00

As you may or may not have heard I have been gradually switching the nesting material in the chicken coop from straw to pine shavings. I started with three nests about 2 weeks ago. I let a week pass then switched two more nests over to shavings. Then last night I emptied the last 3 (including their favorite one) and filled them with the shavings. I did this late in the day so that when they woke

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-88990992143971406332008-11-22T17:38:00.026-05:002008-12-15T00:50:34.152-05:00

I awoke this morning to find that the pond had iced over from the below-freezing temperatures we'd had the night before. I looked out the north window and wondered where the ducks were.I walked to the other side of the house where the ducks could be seen swimming around in a small open area in the ice. They weren't too upset but seemed confused about what to do.Derek took some corn out to them

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-66672654288607106742008-11-19T14:34:00.009-05:002008-12-15T00:54:27.235-05:00

One of these ducks is not like the others,One of these ducks just isn't the same...I came home this morning from work to see this adorable little Lesser Scaup in the pond. As soon as he landed my ducks were on him like...well...ducks on a June bug. Anyway, Jim and I sat and watched their antics out the window. The Scaup is a diver and he would *shloooop* dive down to feed off the bottom where my

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-73174635897570378312008-11-18T17:36:00.005-05:002008-11-18T17:49:51.625-05:00

My poor chickens. The weather has gotten much colder and we've even had some snow. I let the chickens out into their run today and it was so cold and blustery, they turned right around and went back into the coop.I've noticed a gradual drop in production over a span of weeks. I went from getting 10-13 eggs a day down to 8-5. Now is when I'll find out if those "cold hardy" breeds really are tough.

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-65325114476295993582008-11-11T20:09:00.007-05:002008-11-11T21:13:42.479-05:00

Days like today make me feel like Super (Tired) Woman. Now I'm not braggin' or nothing but I:Made 5 pastry crustsMade 2 apple pies, crust tops, from scratch for the freezerBaked one apple pie, crumble top, for dessert tonightRoasted a chicken in the Crock PotMade one chicken pot pie for dinner from scratchDecorated the official Erie Ordnance Depot Christmas treeCleaned the stove and toaster oven

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-32461222524639885862008-11-09T14:55:00.003-05:002008-11-09T15:00:14.263-05:00

We celebrated Derek's birthday yesterday. He asked for a whole bunch of HO scale train stuff. He got some interesting buildings, little people doing various activities and a Mail Pouch Chewing Tobacco barn. He also got a flock of geese and chickens. He is a happy 14 year old today and is very occupied with his new train components.You have to see how tiny the chickens are! Here is one pecking

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-49050025630485497762008-11-08T18:38:00.010-05:002009-03-04T11:44:28.899-05:00

No, this isn't a complex step-by-step tutorial on how to make a loaf of bread. This is how to get a bread maker to do it all for you. My first loaf of bread was the basic white bread recipe found in the bread maker's instruction booklet.Start with the right ingredients. I learned that you have to use flour intended for bread to get good results. All-purpose flour isn't milled fine enough for

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-73532262377083996982008-11-08T11:14:00.010-05:002009-03-04T11:40:25.016-05:00

Time to make more slow cooker applesauce! I got out of bed at 9 and Derek and I got started. I had the bottom drawer of the fridge full of Gala apples that I'd picked up off the ground out in the orchard. I had a bucketful of them in the garage too.I'd still be peeling if I hadn't gotten myself a handy dandy apple peeler. I first saw it on Chris's blog where he explained his method for making

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-40705770464204050942008-11-07T20:23:00.006-05:002009-03-04T11:42:45.598-05:00

I was in Kmart tonight getting Derek a new winter coat when I walked by a display of bread makers that were marked $10 off their original price of $59.95. Now, whenever I want to keep myself from buying more than I intend to get, I don't get a cart. I just make myself hold everything which makes my arms ache after a while. It gives me a good reason to hurry up and get out of the store. I had an

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8094100868459032429.post-43865027272389177692008-11-04T14:36:00.006-05:002008-11-04T14:42:13.305-05:00

I think that I shall never seeA poem lovely as a tree.A tree whose hungry mouth is prestAgainst the sweet earth's flowing breast;A tree that looks at God all day,And lifts her leafy arms to pray;A tree that may in summer wearA nest of robins in her hair;Upon whose bosom snow has lain;Who intimately lives with rain.Poems are made by fools like me,But only God can make a tree.Joyce Kilmer. 1886–

Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12534106679136054532noreply@blogger.com6