Random musings of a rookie suburban farm missus….
• If you want to be really successful in growing things, plant directly into a compost pile. I bought a tiny two inch potted pumpkin plant for the kids at the store and we put it in a pile of composed leaves and grass behind the barn. It’s a monster now stretching at least 10 feet or more in all directions. And at least a dozen pumpkins that I can see.
• We haven’t had a goose egg in almost two weeks. Thought maybe it was the heat. So no challah, brioche or cheesecake (not that I’ve been in the baking mood in this weather). They’ve also been getting a bit uppity, taken to honking at the neighbors and such. It’s really rude. As it turns out, they’ve been hiding the eggs underneath the neighbor’s deck. My husband dug up about seven last night. No wonder they were honking so furiously… protecting the nest and all.
• I know where the expression ‘nice weather for ducks’ came about rainy days, and it’s not because they like the water. It’s all the bugs and worms that surface after a good storm. Them’s good eats for a duck.
• And I’ve also realized why they call it ‘chicken fights’ when you get on someone’s shoulders and horse around. Chickens fight with their feet and jump up to scuffle with each other.
• And sadly, Peanut Butter (one of the chickens) was lost to the fox last night. We let them roam the yard during the day and put them in the house inside the fenced area at night. Maybe we shouldn’t let them free range but they love it. It was about 7:30 and I would have been putting them to bed shortly when I heard a commotion, not even as loud as the ruckus they make when the neighbor comes home. I could have ignored it but went out and saw the fox had isolated one chicken. I ran after it and the chicken took flight but when I rounded the blueberry bushes, the fox had Peanut Butter in his mouth and was running off. I’m kind of sad. I like the chickens. I guess we’ll have to keep them in for a while, at least until our Fox Relocation program is successful. At least they have a swimming pool.
July 17, 2008
Grilled Marinated Spicy Shrimp
This is the most addictive recipe. We grilled a pound of shrimp the other night. My husband and I finished it off between us. So, so yummy. You just can’t stop. Maybe it’s the hot sauce. (My only substitution is a squirt of ketchup in place of the tomato paste. Who can bother fussing with a tablespoon of the stuff, or less because I halved the recipe.)
Flat Iron Steak and Spinach Salad
Even substituting the major ingredient (I couldn’t find flat iron a.k.a. top blade steak) I have to heartily recommend this dish. I got a really nice rib-eye instead and the beef combined with the amazing spinach and sautéed veggie salad is just delicious. I’d make the salad again on it’s own any time.
I really should have a picture of these dishes but I’m not usually thinking blog photos at dinner time. We’ve just passed the four (and five) o’clock fussies and I just want dinner on the table so bath and bed can happen at a decent hour. I’ll try to remember next time.
July 6, 2008
I needed a clock for the kitchen. I perused Target and BB&B and hated everything. Then it dawned on me…. Etsy. Of course I could find something cool there. Appropriate considering our egg production, dont’cha think? The artist is Sandy Mastroni and her Etsy shop is here. Great contemporary folk art. Check it out.
July 3, 2008
My husband found these a few days after the geese arrived as he was putting in the flock. (I guess it’s more impressive informative if you can see the comparison with a chicken egg.)
My husband made a frittata with just one of these lovelies this week. Fed the both of us. I read they’re the equivalent of three or four chicken eggs. And when I went to make cupcakes for the boys birthday party (from a box, sorry) and the directions called for three eggs…. I figured, why not? They baked up fine and were gobbled up. I’m sure the chocolate frosting and sprinkles were also well received.
If this is the pace that they’re laying, we’ll be getting 3 or 4 a week. What kind of recipes call for that many eggs besides omelettes and the like? Challah, brioche, cheesecake…. mmmm.
June 29, 2008
About a month ago when we moved here, these were little fuzzy buds that looked like pussy willows. In another month or two, it will be peach cobbler. Yum.
June 25, 2008
Over the weekend we added two geese, two roosters, two hens and another duck to our flock. My husband found all these animals on CraigsList. We were supposed to have about a half dozen more chickens but the guy gave them away. I was pretty mad about it. I wasn’t thrilled about the geese but thought I could deal with them in order to get the egg-laying chickens. After all, if you’re going to care for all this fowl, you might as well get eggs, right? So we’ll have two hens laying eggs and I hear the geese are laying too. Once again, I’ll have to figure out the goose egg thing.
June 22, 2008
Our blueberries are getting set to ripen. I never knew that the dark blue-purple of the berries starts out as a bright magenta. Pretty.
June 19, 2008
When to get stitches.
The only times I’ve ever gotten stitches is when my wisdom teeth were removed and after childbirth. On none of these occasions did I inspect the wounds. I simply don’t know when they’re warranted.
One time I thought I needed them. I dropped a utility knife on my foot and had a 1″ gash with oodles of blood that ruined a favorite pair of Naot sandals. Nope, not then.
The small boy fell in the yard the other day and got two deep cuts on his leg. Both my husband and my mom thought they should be checked out. So we made our first trip to the ER as parents. Our little patient was a trooper, buoyed by an inflatable elephant he found in the waiting room. No stitches required. Just some gauze and a good cleaning. Good as new in no time.
June 17, 2008
My husband bought himself a chainsaw for Father’s Day. This is one happy guy.
June 15, 2008
There are a lot of changes that happen moving from a condominium community to your own home. There are lots of obvious ones but also some (still obvious) ones that I hadn’t thought of.
• In a condo, you never have to remember what day the garbage collectors come. The dumpster is there everyday.
• In a condo, you never have to worry about neighbors cutting their lawns at odd hours. (Meet our new neighbor, the Midnight Mower.)
• In a condo, you don’t have to weed anything. Or know what is or is not a weed.
• In a condo, you don’t have to worry about a fox trying to eat your pet ducks. My husband has set up a trap to entice the trespasser to our newly established “Fox Relocation Program”. So far the only applicant has been a baby possum… twice three times.
Ahh, it’s good to be home.
June 13, 2008
