Cluck! Cluck! Cluck

I've always wanted chickens and I have recently left my job to spend more time with my family so I now have a lot of time on my hands!  The last few weeks I have taken out multiple books from the library and reached out to many people I know who currently have backyard chickens

Great information:

Kid's Guide to Keeping Chickens by Melissa Caughey.  What I liked about this book is that it was written for children but I learned so much from it.  The organization was very easy to read through, it had great pictures and extremely interesting.  I took this book out of the library but I will definitely be purchasing it and hopefully having her sign it at one of her speaking engagements

Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens by Gail Damerow.  What I like about this book is that it reads like an encyclopedia and will be a great reference to use as the chickens grow.  It has a great section on building the coops as well as a large section on "Laying- Hen Management".

the joy of keeping chickens- The Ultimate Guide to Raising Poultry for Fun or Profit by Jennifer Megyesi.  This book was a very easy and enjoyable read.  Each chapter started out with what seemed like a journal entry from the author.  This book didn't get into as much detail as the above book but it was still very enjoyable.  I also liked that she provided recipes for eggs and the meat.

Living with Chickens- by Jay Rossier. I liked this book because of the layout and that each chapter started with really great quotes.  The section on coop design and raising chicks were both entertaining and engaging. I also like that the author is from Vermont so we share a very similar climate.

Now that I have read some books and done countless hours of internet searching its now time to commit to a coop layout and design.  We have an acre of land and our yard abuts about a 100 acres of conservation land so it seems to go on for miles!  We have decided to turn what was going to be my daughter's swing set into the base of the coop.  Next weekend we will be breaking ground so I will be sure to post pictures.  My plan was to start with a small flock (6 hens) but make the coop large enough that we could expand since everyone says that owning chickens is addicting and the flocks grow larger and larger.   When I went to the farm store to purchase the chicks I ended up leaving with an order of 7 chickens!!!

Deciding on the chicks:
In my area there are a lot of places that sell chickens both as chicks and as pullets.  In thinking about what I want from my flock I decided these few things were the most important:
*Productive egg layers
*Different breeds so I had a colorfull flock
*Different colored eggs
*Cold weather tolerant- living in Massachusetts we will have low temperatures as well as snow

I ultimately decided to go with purchasing my chicks from NewFarm in Orleans, Ma (NewFarm link here).  If I had ordered chicks from Tractor Supply or a few other Farm Stands I would only be able to get a few different breeds.  I also couldn't find a good mix of the breeds that I wanted (the chicks should all be bought within a short time frame so they are the same age and get along better).  At NewFarm they had about 15-20 different breeds to choose from and only a 3 chick minimum.  So I was able to get the chicks that I wanted!!! My day old chicks will arrive on March 21st and I will need to pick them up within 24 hours.  So far I have bought a watering container, a feed container and an egg collecting basket(better to be prepared).  I will do a complete post about my chick set up!

                                              My Girls:
      Black Australorp (1)
      Plymouth Barred Rock (2)
      Golden Buff/Red Star (1)
      Easter Egger -Araucana/Ameraucana cross (2)
      Silver Laced Wyandotte (1)
These chickens are very docile breeds and are great for children because they don't mind being held.

 

My busy day!!!

Today was a busy today.  In the morning we spent time together as a family and then while my daughter was sleeping I got to work on my garden.  My list for the day was:

• pull up squash

•  plant all of my fall vegetables

• weed

•   make pickles

   Overall I would say I had a very productive day.  I had about three hours to myself to tend to my garden.  I was able to pull up all my summer squash and zucchini. Sadly, the powdery mildew had taken over and the plants had slowed their production.  I had used Serenade Organic Fungicide  a few times and had seemed to slow the mildew but these last few days have been killer on my squash. About a month ago I planted some spaghetti squash and I don't want the mildew to kill those plants so I thought it was best to remove the others.

     I weeded and took out all of the dead pea plants and cucumber plants.  We have quite an extensive compost pile so I tilled in some fresh soil and  organic fertilizer. I planted some sugar snap peas on both of my A frames.  My beans are still producing so I left them on one side of an A frame.  The sugar snap pea packet says they take about 65 days so hopefully I timed them right and I will have sugar snap peas in October.  I also was able to plant 3 different types of lettuce (Salad Bowl, Buttercrunch, and Butterhead)and ruby red Swiss Chard.  I gave about 9 square feet to the lettuce.  I am still doing some research as to whether it would be better to put up my green house or just purchase some hoop houses and cover my raised beds.  Over the next few weeks the local farms or garden center will start selling their cold weather crops.  Most likely I'll look for some spinach, cabbage,beets, collards and kale.


I ran out of time so I wasn't able to make any more pickles.  However we did sneak a taste of the pickles we made last week.  Wow, were they delicious!  What was interesting was that each pickle had a slightly different taste.  They all were incredibly sour but some had more garlic and others had a strong dill taste.  We will let the other jars sit for a few more days.  My husband realized that we don't have enough Mason jars so he will purchase them tomorrow and after work we will get canning!

Hubby took care of making dinner  tonight and boy did he deliver.  He used two of our large zucchini and made a delicious stuffing.  Every year when we go camping our friends make stuffed squash that basically has cheese, seasoned salt, and butter.  The recipe that my husband found on the food network is a suped up  version.  The only substitution to the recipe is that he used ground Linguica instead of sausage.   Click here for the recipe from the Food Network

POLL- Read me

Hi readers-  I have a quick poll that I would love you to take!  If viewing on a mobile device you might have to switch to the full web version (quick I swear)!! 
Thanks so much, Diana

When good guacs go bad....

Chips. Salsa. Guacamole.  My tummy is growling just thinking about those delicious snack items.  Any restaurant that serves chips and salsa gets 4 stars in my book. One local restaurant that my hubby and I go crazy for is Anejo Mexican Bistro and Taco Bar (link here!) They have the most amazing chips with a salsa that is to die for- just a little bit of spice making you want to take a little extra sip of your giant margarita:) If you're lucky enough the chips will be warm when they politely place them on your table.  One of my favorite "Bocaditos"  that they offer is table side made guacamole.  They come to your table with the avocados and all the fixings and leave you with even more chips.  I love chunky guacamole and they do it right. Hopefully date night will come sooner rather than later and I can fill up on some delicious Mexican fare.   Until we can have a date night I will just have to make due with using some of my fresh veggies to whip up some salsa and guacamole!

Over the last 6 years my love for guacamole has grown to an all time high!  I was always afraid to try it(something about the consistency turned me away).  One night I was at my sister's house and her boyfriend took out his mortar and pestle and made some really incredible guacamole.  He looked like he had gone through so much work to make it and I couldn't be rude and say no.  When I finally tried it I knew that I had been missing out on one of the most delicious accompaniment to the tortilla chip!  The recipe for Guacamole is so simple, easy to make and absolutely delicious.

*** If you buy avocados that just aren't ripe enough place them in a brown paper bag with an apple or banana.  Ethylene gas is released and will ripen the avocados!!****
                                                                 Guacamole

• 2 Avocados 
• 4 tsp. salt 
• 4 tsp. pepper 
• 4 tsp. lime juice- freshly squeezed 
• 2 Tb. of minced onions

1. Cut avocado in half using a chef knife (lightly slice around the avocado length wise.  Then twist apart. You will then be able to take out the pit by stabbing it with a fork-BE CAREFUL!)
2. Use small knife to slice into avocado to create a checker board design and then scoop out cubes into dish (I prefer chunky but can mush until desired consistency)
3. Cut lime in half and squeeze 
4. Mince onions and then add to avocados.
5. Sprinkle salt and pepper in and add according to taste 
6. Cover with plastic wrap and press against the guacamole so it will stay a beautiful green and place in refrigerator until you are ready to enjoy!!

* I am very basic with my guacamole.  I do sometimes like the addition of  tomatoes and spicy peppers like Serrano or jalapeno. 


If you would really like to wow your guests then try mixing up this tropical flavored Guacamole.  One of my employees a few years made this for the team during a pot luck.  I really hadn't tried Pomegranate before and this blew my mind!!!  This recipe will feed an army.

                                                           Sarah's Guacamole

• 1/2 red onion, diced 
• 2 Serrano chilli peppers, de-seeded, chopped 
• 1 lime- freshly squeezed 
• 6 avocados
• 1 pomegranate 
• 2 mangoes, chopped 
• Salt and pepper to taste

• Mix above items until delicious!!  

It's a pickling time of year....

  Today was my day off so I spent the first part of the day at a book talk and signing for one of my favorite authors, Elin Hilderbrand.  If you need a good beach read she is the go to gal.  Her newest book, "The Rumor" has been out in hardcover for a few months!  Learn more about her and the books at Elin Hilderbrand's website .
Here is a picture(in case you are wondering) of her latest book!

Ok back on track.  My husband and I, while my daughter was sleeping, were able to get out of Ball jars and get to making pickles.  We like to make multiple jars using various recipes and then compare  once we are ready.  I will give you our basic recipe and then share what other items we through in to keep it exciting!

                                                  Refridegerator Pickles- base

1 Cup vinegar                                    
1 Cup water
1 Tbs. kosher salt
1 tsp. pickling spices

-I use these proportions and then adjust accordingly based on how many jars and pickles we have.  I have yet to make a batch of pickles that we don't like.

I love to add in garlic, dill, fresh onions, hot peppers and sriracha

Every year we go to Maine for vacation and there is this wonderful little market the New Gloucester Village Market. We had just gone apple picking and we took the wrong turn back to our campground.  We decided to check it out and it was one of the best decisions we have ever made:) I remember my husband had a Reuben sandwich and I had veggie lasagna. Pickles. Pickles. Pickles Both sandwiches came with the most delicious refridgerator pickles we had ever eaten.  So every time we make our new batch of pickles we try to channel the Village Market!!!

For a few of the jars we boiled the brine.  This jumpstarts the process and we should be able to enjoy the pickles in as few as 7 days!  I will be sure to post!  This afternoon my husband and I will attempt to set up my greenhouse!

 

What should I plant next??

Hi All!  I have been busy with work and my family these past few weeks and have fallen behind with my blog posts.  We were lucky enough to take a short family vacation to Southern Maine a few weekends ago.  This what just what we needed to recharge our batteries and get much needed family relaxation time.  I have been after my husband for some time to put together my green house.  It looks like it will finally be going up next week.  Last fall we got a 6 x 8 greenhouse on a super discount.  It is very simple.  I wanted a way to extend my growing season and also be able to start my seeds earlier in the spring time.  The crazy snow we had this year set me back and my crops suffered.  Here is a stock picture of my greenhouse.  Not quite sure why the woman is bringing what looks like a Poinsettia into an empty greenhouse but you get the idea!!

I've been doing some research and have reserved a few books from my local library in hopes of quickly mastering this and creating the best crops during the fall and winter time.
Things I'm looking into:

-What exactly is a cold frame and will I need to put them inside my garden to really magnify the heat?
-What will be the best veggies to grow?
-What should I consider when choosing a spot for my greenhouse- light/direct sunlight?
-Will they grow all winter or go dormant for a short period of time when sunlight is at a minimum?

**Would love to know your successes or past failures!!

Garden's first colors

Purple, White, and Red-

                    Last week some volunteer radish appeared much to my surprise.  I didn't even have radish in the garden last year!  Today was a sunny 80 degrees.  Once I arrived home from work I rushed to my garden to see how all of my plant babies grew in this beautiful weather.  I was very surprised to see that one of the largest cabbage now has a purple tint on the tiny head.  One of the tallest sugar snap peas had a beautiful flower.  One whole row of pole beans shot up through the dark dirt!  I also harvested some of my salad bowl lettuce for dinner tonight.  Nothing hits the spot quite like tuna salad rolls with fresh lettuce.

Pole Beans

Sugar Snap Pea Flower

I also have many flowers on my tomato plants.  Last year I was told by a friend to cut off the early flowers until the plant is much larger.  I decided to let the flowers be and to only trim certain stems.  The next few weeks will keep me very busy.  Tomorrow I need to tend to my cucumbers.