Posts Tagged Chickens
Weekend Highlights – Noteworthy Articles by Fellow Bloggers – February 23, 2013
Posted by Granny in Food Prep & Dehydration, Homesteading, Lifestyle, Nutrition & Recipes, Weekend Highlights on 02/23/2013
Of Accomplishments - “If we all did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves.” – Thomas A. Edison
Of Favorite Foods - “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” – Virginia Woolf
Of The Land - At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.” – Henry David Thoreau
You can access the entire Weekend Highlights series to date by clicking on that category in the sidebar at left.
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Ha! Perfect timing once more! I love it when that happens. Rantings of an Amateur Chef celebrated 1 year of blogging bliss this week.
“The blog has received over 235,000 views, has 5170 subscribers and each post generally receives dozens of “likes” and 10-15 comments. There is more than a year’s worth of recipes and millions of calories to be had!” observes the author in a post titled, “Happy Birthday Blog!“
While he kindly offers words of thanks to his readers, pointing out the importance of being consistent and how enjoyable it is for him to return to the keyboard every day, the Amateur Chef did leave out a small detail that bears mentioning: Successful blogs with an ever-growing and loyal audience are not only consistent, but they have great personality as well. There is no doubt that Rantings of an Amateur Chef fits the bill on both counts! [Explore]
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Savoring Every Bite has the perfect solution for those times when your favorite treat is always out of reach… Make it yourself and make it your way! In this case, Pumpernickel Bagels.
“When I lived in Florida there was a small diner I would frequent on the weekends… As soon as the decision was made to go to that diner for breakfast, my thoughts turned to whether or not I’d get my bagel… Having to face the possibility of disappointment early in the morning was not a great way to start a day…”
Being resourceful often demands that we get involved in a new way. For the person who loves to concoct her own meals, the leap from purchasing an item to making it herself is a giant, glorious and delicious leap. The extra effort makes it even more enjoyable, don’t you think? [Explore]
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With spring approaching, reflections on our relationship to the land seem apropos and Sara, of Domesteading, offers a powerful analogy to test her own perspective and ours. It is titled, A Blue Egg, a Chicken Tractor, and a Watched Pot.
“Ever stare at your tea kettle or your pasta water? Even though you’re not supposed to… It’s as if the beams of expectation from your eyes are a cold fog that suppresses the bubbles of steam… Just by looking… you smother it… Sometimes homesteading can feel a little like that… Not always, of course… The hard work does produce results, but damned if it isn’t slow sometimes!”
Patience and perseverance are as essential as durable, comfortable overalls, and over time become as easy to adorn. This is true in so many (perhaps all) areas of life. [Explore]
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Thank you for reading this Weekend’s Highlights. Please take a moment to leave a few words and click the LIKE button on the Blogs you enjoy. Thanks.
Weekend Highlights – Noteworthy Articles by Fellow Bloggers – February 9, 2013
Posted by Granny in Food Prep & Dehydration, Homesteading, Lifestyle, Nutrition & Recipes, Weekend Highlights on 02/09/2013
Of Nests - “If I can stop one Heart from breaking I shall not live in vain If I can ease one life the Aching Or cool one Pain Or help one fainting Robin Unto his Nest again I shall not live in Vain.” - Emily Dickinson
Of Spring - “Is the spring coming?” he said. “What is it like?”… “It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine…” – Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden
Of Feasts - “Cultivate the merry heart, develop the happiness habit, and life will become a continual feast.” – Norman Vincent Peale
You can access the entire Weekend Highlights series to date by clicking on that category in the sidebar at left.
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“Organically Fed and Naturally Loved.” How could I not be curious about what I would find beneath such a statement? I discovered Tilly’s Nest this week and immediately nestled it into our weekly review.
This is Sunshine, one of many residents at Tilly’s Nest. There is no mistaking a bright-eyed look like that one. That is the glare of a well-loved creature who feels safe. All that is left is to explore and question the world.
The mission of this Country Living Blue Ribbon Award winning blog is to share “adventures in keeping backyard chickens, bees and gardening from a quaint New England town on Cape Cod.” Author Melissa Caughey teaches gardening to over 40o students at a local school, as well as to community members and volunteers. She also teaches introductory chicken keeping classes. Caughey is a regular blogger for Grit Magazine and HGTV as well.
Who is Tilly, then, you might ask? Why, the Head Hen, of course.
Tilly’s Nest features unique articles and the most extensive Blog Hop I have seen to date. I invite you to begin with Winter Cleansing Flights of Honeybees. Did you know that…?
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Many of you may live in parts of the country where there is no snow at this time of year. Those of us who live with snow, and in spite of the romantic beauty of the season, wish we could join you from time to time. It is this sort of thinking that prompted me to take notice when Patina and Company posted an article titled Transitioning your Winter Planters to Spring.
Regardless of the climate where you are, there are planting and growing cycles and if you are a gardener you may look forward to new beginnings, fresh plantings and the abundance of new crops. The author offers suggestions for enjoying a touch of the season of abundance long before it arrives if you so choose.
“While you can watch your garden begin to send up new growth any time from February through April, you cannot actually plant anything in the garden, itself, until April… However, don’t let that stop you from choosing your own date to celebrate the onset of spring!” begins the article. It continues, “…Bringing in cut flowers and branches either from the store or garden is one way. The other way is via indoor and outdoor planters that anticipate spring…”
Planters that anticipate spring. That is a heart warming thought. Visit the blog for “tips to gradually but inoffensively trick spring into your planters early.” You know, I think the author actually discovered a fantastic cure for seasonal affective disorder.
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I’ve received compliments about how these brief highlights tie in to each other (thank you), so I’m trying to live up to expectations by finding a connection here. Ha! ha! Of course, there is always an underlying connection since we share the common interests that are represented in the randomly selected blogs. What have we got so far this time? Ha yes, a nest and spring. What goes well with a nest and spring? Love.
This brings us to a succulent last entry for this week as we stop by the Savory Simple kitchen for a Valentine’s Day Recipe Round-Up.
“I like to do something small to celebrate the holiday,” notes the author, “Maybe it’s a romantic dinner for two at home, maybe we go out, maybe Jeff (cough cough) brings me some flowers…”
As for us readers, I think we get the better deal. Not chocolate (though some may be involved). Not flowers, but a compilation of 60 options for a home-brewed Valentines’ dinner.
I leave you with a bit of a teaser: Imagine Cranberry Spiced Martini; Arugula, Prosciutto, and Chevre Crostini; Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Pasta; Lemon Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes. That’s a complete meal right there, and there are 56 more options! Sit down with your honey and plan a feast now!
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Thank you for reading this Weekend’s Highlights. Please take a moment to leave a few words and click the LIKE button on the Blogs you enjoy. Thanks.
Weekend Highlights – Noteworthy Articles by Fellow Bloggers – February 2, 2013
Posted by Granny in Homesteading, Lifestyle, Nutrition & Recipes, Weekend Highlights on 02/02/2013
Of DIY Projects - “There is no better insurance than the knowledge of how to do something the right way. There is no greater peace of mind than knowing you did it the right way.” - Jerry G. West
Of Life Shared with Chickens - “Nancy taught two hens to help her sort flowers to make leis. She set them down by a basket of three colors of plastic flowers. One hen quickly pulled out all the red flowers, and another the white ones, leaving the pink flowers in the basket.” – In Lads Before the Wind, by Karen Pryor
Of Silence - “We sit silently and watch the world around us. This has taken a lifetime to learn… Silence is holy. It draws people together because only those who are comfortable with each other can sit without speaking.” – In The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks
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You can access the entire Weekend Highlights series to date by clicking on that category in the sidebar at left.
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It is a special treat when bloggers who had been inactive for a while suddenly reappear. There is so much to tell by then. To be honest, a part of me worries when someone is silent for a time. It’s that Granny instinct!
To my delight, Chateau de Vie reappeared after one such interlude and the author was busy indeed. The title proves the point: Winter Project Mash-up.
Home projects are exhilarating. They also build character since they tend to offer many trial and error curves. The first project is conveyed step by step, with humor, so the reader can feel the grind (and be relieved they did not have to participate). “Step 4 – Have a mini melt-down because you realize it needs another coat. Step 8 – Give up. Contemplate throwing it out the window. Step 9 – Get mad. Become determined to finish this stupid project because you’re not a quitter…”
But all is well that ends well, I assure you. Go find out.
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Ha! I love it! Another milestone and I arrive just in time. Curtiss Ann Matlock ponders choices and raising chickens in Our Gluten-Free Chicken Adventure at One Year.
The post includes a quote, which sums up the author’s perspective rather well: “I …cannot pretend to be an expert in the field of poultry nutrition, and indeed consider every one of my formulations a snapshot of a moving target-that is, an ongoing experiment.” – Harvey Ussery
“We come to the first year anniversary of our adventure in raising chickens and feeding gluten-free,” begins Matlock. “The line from Monty Python’s Holy Grail movie springs to mind: ‘We’re not dead yet.’”
This was no small feat. You’ll see why when you read further. Given the author’s circumstances, conventional thinking could have meant giving up for sure. How often do we fail to be creative because we allow beliefs to dictate our choices? One must think out of the box… or is it out of the coop in this case? Find out now.
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In The unattainable sound of silence, The Gardening Canuck is pensive as well as she explores the constant audible landscape. Life in general is a landscape of noise, and it stretches for miles and miles. As with noticing a beautiful garden for the first time, once we pay attention to the sounds it is difficult to relinquish them to the back of the mind; they invade. But there is beauty in this also.
She reminded me of a weekend in the city, after nearly 20 years in Vermont, at a B & B that shared a common courtyard with adjacent apartments. I awoke to the sounds of coffee grinders, radio morning shows, clattering breakfast dishes and children. Had I not been a stranger to these sounds for so long, I might have been annoyed. I listened for a while, and found a very pleasant symphony.
“In my office, the heating system sounds like a plane revving up for takeoff… At home, the refrigerator has a very loud voice… the house creaks and groans with the weather… On a still summer night, with the windows open, …you can hear the whistle of the train… four miles away… Sometimes I long for the deep peace of the countryside… How beautiful, the absence of mechanical sound…” – Continue reading
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Thank you for reading this Weekend’s Highlights. Please take a moment to leave a few words and click the LIKE button on the Blogs you enjoy. Thanks.
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Your Host ~ Granny Wise
Granny Wise is All Seasons Homestead Helpers' writer and sustainability enthusiast. All Season's Homestead Helpers owns and distributes THE ORIGINAL SQUEEZO STRAINER since 2006. The Squeezo Strainer, a staple in kitchens for over 50 years, is the only all-metal sauce maker and it is entirely made in the US. We carry all Squeezo parts. We also carry a carefully selected line of kitchen, lawn and garden equipment including indoor and outdoor compost bins, rain barrels, water bath and steam canners, fruit and cider presses, greenhouses, cold frames, tool carts, kitchen and patio gardens, juicers, grain mills, weed mats and much more.
