The Great Chicken Escape

The Girls move like a herd.
One is never too far from the others.

Last week hubby and I had to attend a two day conference in a city that was about an hour away from home.  Since leaving two kids overnight, especially during the week, isn't always the easiest thing to do, we enlisted the help of our faithful babysitters to help us coordinate.  They watched the kids in the morning and took them to school, and picked them up from school, and we would come home for supper and leave again the next morning.  Repeat.

Now, our babysitters are now 19 and 21 and more like sisters or aunts to our boys, like little sisters to me, and have come to my rescue more than just a handful of times. They are very used to our pre-farm and all of the animals that come with it.  Sophie, our un-protector dog, Binx my sweet panther cat, Mittens the fat lazy cat, Taffy the barn cat ( or garage cat, awaiting her barn..) and 'The Girls' outback- the hens are the current residents of our pre-farm (and our newest cat, Cotton, who I will tell you all about later).  They have to handle all of the animals when they are babysitting, to some degree, with the exception of The Girls (chickens), that is... until now.  With us leaving so early, we figured B (our oldest) could handle his usual morning chicken duties, as he does every other day.  We left for the conference and B would feed and water the chickens.

Fast forward 6 hours.  We are sitting in an amphitheater, lecture style, listening to the speaker when my phone vibrates- a message from Em (babysitter):

Em: How many chickens do you have now? ( knowing as recently sold one)
Me: Three.  Why.....
Em; When we got home from school your chickens were out of the coop, in the yard.  But there are only two of them.  B must have left the door open.
Me; Oh no!
Em; L and I are going to go for a walk to see if we can find the other one.

So, time passed and I sat in the lecture theater, an hour away, worrying.  I then posted on a local lost pet facebook group in hopes someone would see her wandering around.

One hour passes.

Em: So, B walked in from school and went outside and checked your coop.  The third one is back.

She was in the coop, up on the perch the whole time. Such a relief!  I was also very happy that Bridgette and Hawkeye, who had spent the day grazing in the backyard, love their home with us so much that they didn't leave.  It makes my heart happy that they are content here.

In chicken relationship news, as posted before, Not-Ewe was sold last week.  She was picking on the others, seemingly a new chicken each week, and I had had enough of the unrest.  She went to a local organization for under privileged children that is starting a small hobby farm.  They free range in large areas out there, so she should be happier.  Since her departure our little hen sorority has been so peaceful.  Bridgette's laying had never waivered with Not-Ewe's nasty behaviour, but I had noticed a small decline in Hawkeye and Smokey's laying.  Now that Not-Ewe is gone, everyone is consistently laying an egg a day, with everyone taking a one-day break about once a week. I'm so impressed with my lovely little egg layers!  I have been asked if I am going to get another hen.  To that, I'm just not sure yet.  I would love to get a hen that lays green eggs (as we currently have brown, pale cream/pinky, and blue) but honestly I'm afraid to disturb the peacefulness we have right now.  I guess time will tell.

Fiddlehead Chowder Recipe: It's Not Spring Without It!

Where I live, it isn't spring until the fiddleheads uncurl their sleepy heads from the damp earth where they grow.  These spring time delights are not only really good for you, but they are a favourite treat in these parts.  Good for you?  Um, yes!  "New research indicates that Fiddleheads have twice the antioxidant value of blueberries, with the added benefit of the full spectrum of fatty acids.  Not even fish oils can equal the Omega power of fiddleheads! -fiddleheadheaven...  That's pretty amazing!

If you are interested in trying this out for yourself and you are fortunate enough to live in a part of the world where they grow wild, I am going to post some information below the following recipe to help you learn where you can forage for these seasonal delicacies.  That's right, you can feed your family this healthy green for FREE, less the time you spend hunting for it.  If you still live in these parts and would rather enjoy them without hunting, they ca usually be found at any local produce stand, corner vegetable market or grocery store.  So, without further ado....

Fiddlehead Chowder Recipe

 2-3 pieces of bacon (the secret to every good chowder, IMO)-1+ c. Fiddleheads ( I usually use a lot more)1/2. c. white leek ( or onion in a pinch)1/4 c. green onion1/2 c. Mushrooms (optional. Shiitake for a woodsy taste)1/4 c. butter1/4 c. flour1 c. broth ( I use chicken usually)3 c. milk ( or 1/2 cream, 1/2 milk)1 tsp lemon juice1/8 c. cayenne pepper ( or to taste)


Salt and pepper to taste

Cook your bacon to crispy. Mince it up. Add and melt butter. Add all of your veggies, chopped up, leaving some of the smaller fiddleheads whole. Sauté. Add broth. Simmer. Add flour and cayenne slowly to avoid clumps. Add milk. Simmer until thick. Add lemon juice.Voila!

This is a favourite in my household, even the kids love it and ask for seconds and thirds!

So, you want to hunt for fiddleheads?  Great!  There are a few things to know:

Fiddleheads are Ostrich Ferns, or for you scientific folks who prefer the scientific name, Matteuccia struthioreris.  They grow in damp, rich soil areas and grow in clumps.  They should be picked when still tightly curled and washed thoroughly and cooked very thoroughly before eating.  There are a few different types of ferns that grow in the same areas that fiddlehead ostrich ferns grow, so one sure way to identify the edible fiddlehead is by their stem:  If it is perfectly round, like a straw, it is NOT an ostrich fern.  Ostrich fern stems are 'U' shaped, with the indent on the inside of the stem.  They also sometimes are covered with a brown papery covering.  This covering shouldn't be used to definitively identify them, however.

If you don't have time for a chowder right now, why not boil them and enjoy them with butter, salt and pepper.  Some folks enjoy them with a little vinegar.

Good luck and enjoy!!  

An Update on Things That Need Updating

I know it's been over a week since my last update, so I wanted to touch base with you to let you know how things are going here on the city pre-farm.  I've been busy, so I'm tired, so bear with me if this isn't the most thought out and perfected post.  I warn you now, before you proceed, do so with caution because there are bound to be grammar, spelling and other random mistakes.

Small raised garden bed, hooped but not yet planted or covered

So yeah.

As I was saying, things around here have been busy juggling the normal everyday work, kids, family... trying to keep my house from becoming a complete disaster....  On TOP of that, I've been slowly working on getting things done to get this house listed.  Hubby has been working long days and into the evenings, so he hasn't been able to contribute much to the effort.  The past two nights consisted of crack filling the basement bathroom reno and I foresee sanding in my future tomorrow evening.  I actually thought that would be done tonight, but after a week of chilly rain and fog, the sun decided to peek out this afternoon so I jumped at the opportunity to get the garden under the hoop house planted.  I'm happy to say that it's done, although it is most definitely not the best thought out plot and is is oh so much smaller than I'm used to.  I'll show you pictures either tonight or another post reeeeeal soon.  I guess saying that its been planted should have come after the update saying that I successfully moved it last week.  So yeah, I did that too.  Hubby helped, but I did it. hahahaha.  So now the chicken coop is where the garden was and the garden is where the coop was.  Believe me, its better this way.

In other news, our newest resident, Hawk Eye, is doing well.  After a week of being somewhat picked on by Not-Ewe ( but no feathers plucked, no blood drawn) things have finally settled into place and pecking order has been established.  It was actually interested to watch.  When I first posted about her joining our flock ( although I do prefer to refer to them as my herd...) I had mentioned that she wasn't being overly friendly to Bridgette.  Well, that quickly changed.  Within a day, B became her best bud and she basically followed her everywhere, making sure that B was between her and New-Ewe. It was somewhat comical to see.  Smokey? She just couldn't seem to understand what all the commotion was about and stayed neutral.  I'm very happy that they are all now happily cooped up together (har har).  It's like they woke up one morning and everything had just clicked.  I'm happy- they're happy.

Well, my eye is starting to close on me in protest, so I dost think I shall sign off for the night and bid you all adieu.  I want to post soon to give you a great chart I've been working on, on complimentary plants, so watch for that coming your way soon.  Until then, me and my one still-co-operating-eye say Good Night to you all and may your gardens be planted soon.

Oh... did I tell you my strawberry plants are growing and blooming? and my chives have started to come up.. and... *yawn*

Guest Blogger: An Unexpected Path to Enlightenment

I struggled with the name of this post. I thought about naming it "Financial Analyst Turned Girl who Wanted to be a Fiber Artist", but I feel this story is about so much more.  I decided on the name, not only because it's the term I jokingly use to describe my friend's transformation, but because I truly feel that is precisely what happened to my dear friend!  I think enlightenment can encapsule many different things, but truly learning what makes your soul happy is definitely on that path!

Followers, meet Sarah.  We've been friends since grade two, been through each other's highs and lows, are often mistaken for sisters, I call her mom 'Mom' and she's pretty darn cool. I asked her to write a guest post for me, about the last few months of her life and how sometimes things happen for a reason.  Read on, folks, read on....

*****
It was early December of 2014 and I was sitting at my desk at work when, out of nowhere, lightning struck. I thought "Hmph! New Years Resolution: Save money, be an adult." I started thinking about how this goal could be obtained when I came to the same conclusion I've always come to: Do as much yourself as possible. I was brought up in a household where there was nothing my Dad couldn't fix and my mom baked (store-bought cookies were a rarity in my house growing up) and used to make all of our dresses for special occasions. My parents didn't have a lot of money but we never went without because my parents were resourceful and imaginative. I guess it's rubbed off on me. I've never been afraid to at least try to do things myself, but I didn't want to just take on a project. No, I wanted to make real changes to my lifestyle that were feasible in the long run and helped my proverbial bottom line. 

I started brainstorming with my friend Tash (proprietress of this blog, amazingly enough!) about how this could be accomplished. First one the list: bread. I eat it, I like it, I had no intentions on ever giving it up. It costs so much when you compare it to homemade! And do you know what's in it? I don't. It's a rhetorical question. "The least you can do is try to take an everyday staple and determine what you're putting into it" was my train of thought. Now, I have made it from scratch, spent the day baby sitting it, and it's beautiful, but for a girl about town like myself (haha), I wanted to keep it simple. So yes, I use a bread machine. Don't judge me. I buy the most local ingredients possible and it makes my house smell divine. Although this was a NYR (New Years Resolution), I started before Christmas making my own bread so that it wouldn't be a huge shock to my system. I haven't looked back. I know what I'm eating, and I'm helping support some local businesses at the same time. There is a lot of debate about yeast and bread machine yeast. For the sake of perfection, and if time allows, by all means, nothing is quite as cathartic as making your own bread by hand, but if that isn't realistic, I'm going to go out on a limb and say using a machine to make your own bread is just fine. Progress, not perfection, daaahling.

On to the next thing. Paper. Towel. I love paper towel. I love feeling like a total grown up buying those huge packages at Costco. I'd go through one package a month, approximately. I swore by it. See, I have 3 dogs, there are messes sometimes. I thought there'd be no way I could go without My Precious. My mother told me to start using rags. I didn't want to put them in with my towels and clothing though. Grody. So I got a little trash can I put under the sink. When I've used a rag, I throw it in there. When it's time to wash them, they go in on their own, I wash em, reuse, wham bam thank you ma'am. For counter top messes and the like, I use cotton dish cloths knit by myself, or my mom, and I'm still working through the stash of freshly-knit dishcloths left by my grandmother when she passed.  That'll be 20 dollars per month, please! 

When it came to laundry, I spared no expense. It was Tide Pods and Fleecy all the way and my clothing smelled so pretty. I live on my own. I don't have children. You could say I was playing fast and loose with the laundry stuff. Well, there's a cheaper alternative. That's right folks, do some Googlin' and you'll quickly learn that you can make your own detergent that works just as well for a fraction of the price. Oh! And you actually know what you're putting into it. Fabric softener, you ask? I made dryer balls out of 100% local wool (check out Sarah's Page here!). They last for 2 - 3 years. The detergent and dryer balls combined, my clothing gets clean, and it doesn't smell like anything. With allergies and sensitivities, it's nice to know I'm not going to give someone an asthma attack because of what I use in my laundry.

These were some really tiny changes and it had little to no impact on anything other than my bank account and carbon footprint. It was around the end of January, things were going great, when I got taken down by a bad back. Ultimately, I had to have emergency spinal surgery. I found myself spending 6 weeks out of work. This is where it paid to be the type of person who knows how to amuse themselves. I decided I would spend my time trying to become a proficient loom knitter. I can say, without a doubt or exaggeration, there was never a moment when I was bored. I spent a lot of time knitting, which leaves a lot of mental energy and brain room for reflection. I spent a lot of time thinking about my life, how I live, how I want to live, the kind of lifestyle that really makes me happy. With a little help from my friends, I realized I wanted to work for myself. It felt like over the span of 6 weeks I went from financial analyst to girl who just wants to be a "fiber artist". I absolutely refuse to knock people who choose to work in the corporate world because everyone has a different set of priorities, circumstances, and motivators in life. For me, I realized I'd like to lead a more serene, peaceful existence where I make my own decisions and help make the world a happier or prettier place. My mother (who I'm forever grateful to for helping me through all of this) and I decided we wanted to sell our dryer balls. We got to work on the packaging (we make that ourselves too!). I have started selling my homemade detergent, and we've started selling zafus as well (traditional meditation cushions filled with buckwheat hulls we actually source locally). On top of that, my creative outlet has been my knitting. I plan to roll out a line of knitwear inspired by different things. I've decided I'll spend my summer flogging my wares at local farmers markets and the only word to describe my outlook is "positive". I know it's going to be great.

The tiny changes I made at the beginning of the year changed the way I thought. I started looking at things I wanted to buy and wondered, can I make that myself? Is there a better option environmentally and financially? It started with small, manageable changes. It's a constant work in progress. I'm far from leading a perfect life, but it's better! Remember it's all about progress, not perfection. Small changes, baby steps, will get you there. I promise.

****

I hope you all take something special from Sarah's story.  I hope it inspires you to follow your dreams and become who makes you happy.  We all have a path to enlightenment.  Everyone's destination is different, every soul is contented by something different than someone else's.  Be the real you and be happy :)

Flock Expansion

Hello in there!  I'm Bridgette!

Well, it's been about a week and a half since my last post.  It's been busy around here!  Our yard is finally free of snow and this weekend is the first time that it doesn't resemble some sort of wetland and is walkable ( if you walk carefully... don't want the lawn to be torn up when it's for sale soon!). With the yard finally accessible, there has been lots to do.  A quick clean up, bring out the patio furniture, setting up the gazebo and moving the chicken coop to the garden area are just a few of the chores we've finished.
On top of all that, we've had a new bird join our flock.  Now, as you know we started out with Bridgette.  She was lonely, so we got her two friends: Smokey and Not-Ewe (more on that one soon).  Their introduction was great.  They said hello, dined on some kale together, made a few noises and went from coexisting to coop snuggle buddies within a day.  A happy little trio!  Well, it didn't go quite as nicely with our newest resident, affectionately named by hubby, Hawk-Eye.  Can you tell he's a Marvel fan?  The fact that she doesn't have any notable comb, which really makes her look like a hawk, didn't help.  Add to the fact that everyone else had named a chicken and poor Hawk-Eye didn't stand a chance for a pleasant name like Rose or .. I dunno... something more pleasant than Hawk-Eye... haha.

I do say, are you in there?  I said Hello!

So, day one of Hawk-Eye's introduction to the flock was rough.  Smokey was picking on her, Not-Ewe couldn't get out of anyone's way, and Hawk-Eye was picking on Bridgette.  No one messes with Queen B... so I had to watch closely to make sure no one got hurt (this is after Hawk-Eye spent a couple of hours in a kennel in the run so everyone could smell and talk, without  physical contact).  Well, once the door was opened, Bridgette being her friendly self, walked right up and said hello and Hawk-Eye pecked her in the head hahaha.  That just set the tone for the whole day.  Add to the fact that Hawk-Eye just wanted to perch IN the door of the coop, making passing difficult... it just was a bad day.  She spent the night in the kennel, in the house, for everyone's safety.  Today was our second attempt.  We kept the kennel in the run, CLOSED for hours ( she had water and food).  Once we opened it, she was out pretty quickly and right back in the coop door... NOT the way to make friends!  I was thinking she would be back in the kennel tonight, but to my delight, at bedtime everyone was IN the coop and getting along.  Hawk-eye on the indoor perch and the other three in their usual cuddle group haha.  Whew!  I'm telling you, I had a friend who is recovering from surgery on messenger on my phone and I was sending her up to the minute updates and even she said.. chicken introductions can be very interesting!

Rude bird, blocking the door!

So, I know you're all asking.  What is with the name Not-Ewe?  Well, short story.  Our youngest is on a kick that when you ask him something that he doesn't want to answer, or if he is not impressed with you, he says "Not you!"  or "Not you, Mum!".  Well, it was his turn to name a chicken and he was not one bit interested.  Each time we asked him, he said "Not You!", so later that day I said "Ok!  That's her name!", but I figured Not-Ewe was a better spelling.. because she's not a ewe... she's a chicken. Ba-dum-chaa! hahahah.  Yeah, I know.  Lame. :P
Now, for Smokey.  Our oldest named her.  It's because she has a goldish speckling on her neck and breast and he felt she looked like a Smokey.  I wasn't about to argue :)

Here's hoping that everyone continues to live together in the coop happily, and egg producing is relatively unaffected.  As usual, faithful Bridgette delivered her egg today.  Such a great layer and such a friendly bird.  We also got one egg from either Smokey or Not-Ewe.  Their eggs are the same, so its hard to tell sometimes.  Hawk-Eye lays blue eggs, so I'm looking forward to her starting back up.  Apparently she is a pretty good layer.  I was told that she is an Americauna, but I think she's an Easter Egger.  I'm not overly concerned to be honest.  I consider her a rescue because the man who sold her to me didn't seem to take very good care of his animals :(  She doesn't seem to be very use to humans and her feathers are a mess and she's bare on the back from the rooster.  Poor girl! No wonder she is crabby.  She was with the rooster until just a few days ago, so I may keep a few of her first eggs and see if they hatch.  The boys would love to see that experience, and I'd love to have some chicks to raise to be as friendly as Bridgette.  Not saying that Smokey and Not-Ewe aren't friendly, they are, but they are still learning.  Bridgette will come over the talk, eat from your hand and likes to be petted.  The other girls are more wary of humans.  For now anyway.  They are happy and so pretty since arriving and getting themselves all cleaned up.