We Like Making Our Own Stuff

Most chicken owners know that their full grown hens and roosters should have access to a dust bath.  Usually, if they have enough space to roam outside, chickens will find their own favorite spots to bathe in the dirt (annoyingly, ours picked right in the front yard by one of our big spruce trees--they are lucky I love them). But did you know that chicks need dust baths too?  Chicks need dust bath just as much as full grown chickens.

Nice weather has finally arrived, and we are all busier than bees around here!  But we always have time to fire up the grill! These two recipes are so simple and fast to make, that grilling can even become doable on a weeknight.  However, if you don't feel like firing up the grill, they can also be modified for the oven and stove.

What do you got? A huge egg with two yolks in it?  A wrinkly misshapen egg?  An egg with a soft shell?  Or perhaps the all-inclusive just plain weird looking egg? Whatever it is, I hope to help clear up some of the mystery behind: Why Did My Chicken Lay That Strange Egg?

Since we have dipped our toes into raising and butchering our own chickens, there has been an abundance of leftover cooked chicken at our disposal.  And not wanting to literally dispose of the leftover chicken,  I have had to come up with some recipes to use it in. I have always loved the comforting taste of a rice casserole, so I checked the pantry to see what I had available to use with my leftover chicken, and the result was this casserole. I used my big cast iron pan to cook it in, since I can also use that pan in the oven--it saves on dishes.  Also, we had a handful of Cheez-Its sitting in the pantry, so that is what we opted to use for the topping. Chicken, Rice, and Broccoli Casserole 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup uncooked brown rice 2 cups chicken stock 2 to 3 cups cooked chicken, chopped 2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream 1 10.5 ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup (about 1 1/4 cups) 1 1...

Everyone, meet Kiwi, the newest addition to our city flock!  (pardon my son's obnoxious laughter in this video) Kiwi is such a cutie, but she is rather noisy.  I suppose this is because we are raising her alone, and she misses her sisters.  You see, we used to have four hens (the maximum allowed according to city ordinance), but one day, tragedy struck.  Two dogs on the loose (and the city was worried about the havoc our chickens would wreak) attacked our beautiful hens. I will never forget the day I came outside to find those two dumb dogs in my yard, and feathers all over the place!  Three of our hens were attacked that day, and unfortunately, one of them did not make it.  So, this spring, we had the opportunity to add another chicken to our flock to replace the one that had been lost.  And we chose the noisiest one in the joint (hubby said we needed one with attitude).  And now, we have Kiwi. She is a California White, which is a hyb...

This is my first year growing yellow pear tomatoes and I have a bajillion of them! These little tomatoes are only a couple inches long and have a nice golden color.  They are less acidic than red tomatoes, which gives them a more mellow, sweeter taste.  They have been very prolific in my garden this year, producing far more than any of our other tomato varieties.  They make a nice addition to salsas and look pretty in salads.  I also dehydrated a batch and packed them in olive oil, and am looking forward to using them. My latest culinary creation utilizing my abundance of yellow pear tomatoes was jam.  Now, at first when you hear "tomato jam," it may sound weird, and even kinda gross.  But trust me, this jam is anything but gross!  It somewhat reminds me of sweet and sour sauce, and it's got a little bit of spice to it, which I find to be absolutely delicious.  You can use this jam as a topping for toast or biscuits, poured on cream chees...

I made up a recipe the other night to use up some leftovers.  I had cooked chicken from making chicken stock, leftover cooked rice from another meal, and some broccoli from the Farmer's Market.  So, I combined them in this Chinese-food inspired, stove-top casserole.  This is a one bowl meal, and it's delicious! Chinese Chicken Casserole Served my family of 4, with about a cup of leftovers. Ingredients: 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated ginger root 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 cloves pressed or minced garlic 2 cups shredded cooked chicken 5 tablespoons lard 2 cups chopped broccoli 2 shallots, minced 4 cups cooked brown rice, chilled 1/2 cup water 1.  Combine salt, sugar, ginger, cayenne, soy sauce, and garlic in a bowl; mix well. 2.  Add chicken; mix well and leave sit while preparing broccoli in Step 3. 3.  Heat 3 tablespoons of t...