This morning my kids discovered the joys of a "dippy egg" otherwise known as an egg cooked "over light". We haven't quite ventured into sunny side up territory, but first one child, then another, then a third ate at least one dippy egg today. The baby still cannot be trusted with something messy.
So, our egg repertoire includes: scrambled, hard-boiled, fried hard or over light, and egg salad. Next to try is poached eggs - I've been reading about methods where you don't need the little cups.
How do you cook your eggs? We have plenty coming in now, and we are up for new ideas.
Oh! I almost forgot the ever-popular egg in a hole! We do enjoy a fried egg inside a fried piece of bread (hole or nest).
Happy Thursday to you!
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Overflowing
Lots of little things have been irritating this week (don't even get me started on the skein of yarn from a different dye lot), so I want to go in the opposite direction. Here are some things that are just a blessing and a joy:
1. Our church family - we are surrounded by love and prayer from these dear folk.
2. Our 4 sweet children - they are hilarious with their nonstop ideas and conversations! "It would be hard to get a cheetah while it's running, right?" Just came up.
3. Fresh eggs every day from our flock of hens.
4. Protection and care of our health and strength.
5. A pantry full of ingredients; the choices!
6. A beautiful area of the country to live in - the leaves are just about to change!
7. Parents/Grandparents that pray for us.
8. Two little girls that still take afternoon naps and give a bit of quiet time.
9. So many good books to read - a whole lifetime of reading just doesn't even scratch the surface!
10. The internet with so many recipes and ideas to be discovered.
1. Our church family - we are surrounded by love and prayer from these dear folk.
2. Our 4 sweet children - they are hilarious with their nonstop ideas and conversations! "It would be hard to get a cheetah while it's running, right?" Just came up.
3. Fresh eggs every day from our flock of hens.
4. Protection and care of our health and strength.
5. A pantry full of ingredients; the choices!
6. A beautiful area of the country to live in - the leaves are just about to change!
7. Parents/Grandparents that pray for us.
8. Two little girls that still take afternoon naps and give a bit of quiet time.
9. So many good books to read - a whole lifetime of reading just doesn't even scratch the surface!
10. The internet with so many recipes and ideas to be discovered.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Five for Friday
1. My dad had a surgery this week to install a medicine pump in his abdomen. Hopefully this medicine will help with the stiffness and soreness on his left side (the result of his stroke a few years back). He is doing well, and I was able to visit him at his rehab facility this week. Praise God for watching over him.
2. A couple of weeks ago (before dad's surgery) our family was able to go to the fair! The Big Knob Fair was perfect for us - animals to see and ice cream to be eaten. Here are a couple shots of the kids and the animals. The baby is hard to see, but you can get an idea of one of her favorite modes of transportation.
3. Homeschool is going well. Jacob actually said he loved school when he was in the middle of his math page yesterday! Abigail is enjoying her piano lessons too (nothing like saving money by giving the lesson myself!). During the school hours before naptime, it is not uncommon to see this:
The baby particularly enjoys visiting in the dog cage. She takes her books, toys, snacks, whatever in there!
4. Our chickens have really started to produce. We've been up to 9 eggs a day so far (I think we might get to 11-12) soon!
5. This is site of my chaos yesterday:
I have some of my products for sale at a local store, and that store is having an open house on Saturday. I needed to make lots of lotion bars and body butters yesterday, so this is my counter and stove area. It smelled so good! I also played around with some of my beeswax (from a local beekeeper because my one hive doesn't produce enough) in a jar candle. Anyone dealt with shrinkage and beeswax as it cools?
Happy weekending to you all!!
2. A couple of weeks ago (before dad's surgery) our family was able to go to the fair! The Big Knob Fair was perfect for us - animals to see and ice cream to be eaten. Here are a couple shots of the kids and the animals. The baby is hard to see, but you can get an idea of one of her favorite modes of transportation.
3. Homeschool is going well. Jacob actually said he loved school when he was in the middle of his math page yesterday! Abigail is enjoying her piano lessons too (nothing like saving money by giving the lesson myself!). During the school hours before naptime, it is not uncommon to see this:
The baby particularly enjoys visiting in the dog cage. She takes her books, toys, snacks, whatever in there!
4. Our chickens have really started to produce. We've been up to 9 eggs a day so far (I think we might get to 11-12) soon!
5. This is site of my chaos yesterday:
I have some of my products for sale at a local store, and that store is having an open house on Saturday. I needed to make lots of lotion bars and body butters yesterday, so this is my counter and stove area. It smelled so good! I also played around with some of my beeswax (from a local beekeeper because my one hive doesn't produce enough) in a jar candle. Anyone dealt with shrinkage and beeswax as it cools?
Happy weekending to you all!!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Weekend Recap and Such
Today is the soft opening of homeschool; tomorrow is the grand opening. We are celebrating my parents' anniversary today. What better way to mark 37 years than with homemade peach pie and homemade whipped cream?
Our summer ended with a bang. We squeezed every last drop of fun out of our long weekend. We sure do miss Big Fish when he goes to work!
Last Friday night we enjoyed dinner with friends. I am always impressed when somebody invites our family of 6 over! We enjoyed dinner, dessert, and a stroll around the grounds (their backyard has a swingset and a little garden with the most exciting crop of butternut squash on a trellis!). Friends are fun, and we are thankful for them and their fellowship.
Saturday was Fair Day! We had off to the Big Knob Grange Fair. Highlights included: a super friendly baby calf, a honeybee observation hive, teaching my kids the rules of the tractor pull, and wonderful strawberry and raspberry milkshakes for the kids. One attraction to this particular fair was the free admission. We had a nice morning of walking around with my parents. We were quite the caravan with a wheelchair, a stroller, and a baby in the backpack! Jacob did ask me why the rabbits had so many chocolate chips in their cages!
Sunday was church, communion, and a much needed nap for many of us. We were blessed with record attendance at our little country church. We had many college students from Grove City, so it will be exciting to make new friends.
Yesterday Big Fish and I tag teamed. He took Jacob for a father/son outing in the morning while I did some cleaning and laundry, and I took Abigail for a mother/daughter outing while Big Fish fixed dinner and hooked up my Kindle to the wireless network. I say "hooked up" because I really don't know what he did to get it to work!
The father/son outing was an early morning of fishing and breakfast out. This was Jacob's first experience fishing like daddy. Usually they fish at a pond when the kids are involved. Daddy likes to wade and fish a stream, so Jacob is learning the ropes. He had fun and didn't even fall in. I asked him if he saw any wildlife; he said, "not even a raccoon!" I think Jacob may talk a little and scare the animals :)
Abigail and I did many things! We went out to lunch at her choice of restaurant....the Chinese buffet! We are fancy, folks. I enjoyed watching her eat boiled crayfish, shrimp, squid, chicken on a stick, and some sushi rolls. At 7 years old, she seems to take after daddy's adventurous eating habits. Since the buffet is in the mall we strolled to the other end and picked up some hair elastics for the girls to share. Then we hopped in the car, picked up a cold drink from a drive-thru, and headed to the playground. Alameda Park in Butler has a nice outdoor playground - large, cushioned outdoor flooring, and lots of slides and climbing wall type things. Abigail enjoyed boppping around while I walked with her a bit and also did a little knitting. Then we headed to Panera and did a little reading and knitting (Abigail is learning!). Finally we picked up a few essentials at the grocery store - you know, the necessary butter and whipping cream that we all need. Actually, we needed these things for the peach pie.
After arriving home, we had a nice regrouping of the family over a big dinner of grilled chicken, cheesy spinach, and rice. I think we all slept soundly last night; I know I did!
Hope you all had a happy time with friends and family this past weekend!
Our summer ended with a bang. We squeezed every last drop of fun out of our long weekend. We sure do miss Big Fish when he goes to work!
Last Friday night we enjoyed dinner with friends. I am always impressed when somebody invites our family of 6 over! We enjoyed dinner, dessert, and a stroll around the grounds (their backyard has a swingset and a little garden with the most exciting crop of butternut squash on a trellis!). Friends are fun, and we are thankful for them and their fellowship.
Saturday was Fair Day! We had off to the Big Knob Grange Fair. Highlights included: a super friendly baby calf, a honeybee observation hive, teaching my kids the rules of the tractor pull, and wonderful strawberry and raspberry milkshakes for the kids. One attraction to this particular fair was the free admission. We had a nice morning of walking around with my parents. We were quite the caravan with a wheelchair, a stroller, and a baby in the backpack! Jacob did ask me why the rabbits had so many chocolate chips in their cages!
Sunday was church, communion, and a much needed nap for many of us. We were blessed with record attendance at our little country church. We had many college students from Grove City, so it will be exciting to make new friends.
Yesterday Big Fish and I tag teamed. He took Jacob for a father/son outing in the morning while I did some cleaning and laundry, and I took Abigail for a mother/daughter outing while Big Fish fixed dinner and hooked up my Kindle to the wireless network. I say "hooked up" because I really don't know what he did to get it to work!
The father/son outing was an early morning of fishing and breakfast out. This was Jacob's first experience fishing like daddy. Usually they fish at a pond when the kids are involved. Daddy likes to wade and fish a stream, so Jacob is learning the ropes. He had fun and didn't even fall in. I asked him if he saw any wildlife; he said, "not even a raccoon!" I think Jacob may talk a little and scare the animals :)
Abigail and I did many things! We went out to lunch at her choice of restaurant....the Chinese buffet! We are fancy, folks. I enjoyed watching her eat boiled crayfish, shrimp, squid, chicken on a stick, and some sushi rolls. At 7 years old, she seems to take after daddy's adventurous eating habits. Since the buffet is in the mall we strolled to the other end and picked up some hair elastics for the girls to share. Then we hopped in the car, picked up a cold drink from a drive-thru, and headed to the playground. Alameda Park in Butler has a nice outdoor playground - large, cushioned outdoor flooring, and lots of slides and climbing wall type things. Abigail enjoyed boppping around while I walked with her a bit and also did a little knitting. Then we headed to Panera and did a little reading and knitting (Abigail is learning!). Finally we picked up a few essentials at the grocery store - you know, the necessary butter and whipping cream that we all need. Actually, we needed these things for the peach pie.
After arriving home, we had a nice regrouping of the family over a big dinner of grilled chicken, cheesy spinach, and rice. I think we all slept soundly last night; I know I did!
Hope you all had a happy time with friends and family this past weekend!
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Two Posts in One
I have some pictures to share. The common denominator is my kids are in all of them! The unrelated part....I'm providing pictures of knitted items and then pictures from the rodeo. These pictures were all taken the same day, so there is that.
I set a goal for last week: to finish a project a day. I have so, so many things on my knitting needles; and it was just getting ridiculous. While I did not quite reach the goal of a project for every day, I did finish 5 things in the last week and a half! I finished a hat, two cowls, and 2 washcloths. I didn't picture the washcloths, but I do have several listed in my etsy shop (wink!).
Let's face it; the following pictures are really just of the kids. My attempts at proper lighting and showing the details of my knitting never actually happened!
Susanna was enjoying a banana coconut muffin while stylin' the oversized hat.
Lydia takes her job of saying cheese for the camera very seriously!
Jacob knows a good cowl when he sees one. Abigail decided not to partake in this photo session because the cowls were "too hot for today". Okay!
Now, we have a few rodeo pictures. The North Washington Rodeo is a great time! It has become a family tradition. Jacob's favorite part is the bull riding. Abigail enjoyed a root beer float and screaming "woohoo" in my ear :) Lydia enjoyed her glow necklace and "horses and bulls too, mom". Susanna pointed to all the horses (takes after mama) and bites of ice cream and french fries were savored.
Tuesday night was family night. My husband said we got our money's worth because kids got in free with paying parents. The weather was great, and my husband and I enjoyed watching our kids taking in the sights. I was scoping out styles of cowboy boots and thinking of a possible Christmas present idea...just being honest! I like the plain brown leather with maybe a touch of turquoise accents :)
Happy end-of-summer-back-to-school to you! Squeeze in these last summer drops of fun!
I set a goal for last week: to finish a project a day. I have so, so many things on my knitting needles; and it was just getting ridiculous. While I did not quite reach the goal of a project for every day, I did finish 5 things in the last week and a half! I finished a hat, two cowls, and 2 washcloths. I didn't picture the washcloths, but I do have several listed in my etsy shop (wink!).
Let's face it; the following pictures are really just of the kids. My attempts at proper lighting and showing the details of my knitting never actually happened!
Susanna was enjoying a banana coconut muffin while stylin' the oversized hat.
Lydia takes her job of saying cheese for the camera very seriously!
Jacob knows a good cowl when he sees one. Abigail decided not to partake in this photo session because the cowls were "too hot for today". Okay!
Now, we have a few rodeo pictures. The North Washington Rodeo is a great time! It has become a family tradition. Jacob's favorite part is the bull riding. Abigail enjoyed a root beer float and screaming "woohoo" in my ear :) Lydia enjoyed her glow necklace and "horses and bulls too, mom". Susanna pointed to all the horses (takes after mama) and bites of ice cream and french fries were savored.
Tuesday night was family night. My husband said we got our money's worth because kids got in free with paying parents. The weather was great, and my husband and I enjoyed watching our kids taking in the sights. I was scoping out styles of cowboy boots and thinking of a possible Christmas present idea...just being honest! I like the plain brown leather with maybe a touch of turquoise accents :)
Happy end-of-summer-back-to-school to you! Squeeze in these last summer drops of fun!
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
A Little Midweek Update
1. Potty training!! Lydia is doing well - during the day she gets to wear little undies! Her treat is 2-3 M&M's depending on what is in the potty. I do have a picture of her sitting on the potty, but she looks like she woke up on the wrong side of the bed. One of those - only a mother could love faces - I'll spare you.
2. Let's put up pictures of inanimate objects! These are what we collected today, minus the white egg (just there for size reference).
3. School books have been finalized/decided upon/ordered. We hope to start the day after Labor Day. This is the last year of not having to report to the state!
4. My grandma is not doing well - she is in her nineties, and it looks like there is cancer throughout her body (tumor in her back and cancer in her bone marrow). She taught me how to bake an apple pie when I was 12! She and my grandad (who is 94) have always been such an example of hard work and contentment.
5. I'm closing this blog post, as I must run to the feed store to pick up some fleece. I bartered some of my soap and lotion bars for a couple of fleece.
TTFN!
2. Let's put up pictures of inanimate objects! These are what we collected today, minus the white egg (just there for size reference).
3. School books have been finalized/decided upon/ordered. We hope to start the day after Labor Day. This is the last year of not having to report to the state!
4. My grandma is not doing well - she is in her nineties, and it looks like there is cancer throughout her body (tumor in her back and cancer in her bone marrow). She taught me how to bake an apple pie when I was 12! She and my grandad (who is 94) have always been such an example of hard work and contentment.
5. I'm closing this blog post, as I must run to the feed store to pick up some fleece. I bartered some of my soap and lotion bars for a couple of fleece.
TTFN!
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Chicken Down
A death of a chicken is discussed in this post. Please refrain from reading if you do not want to feel a little sad.
So, we lost our first chicken yesterday. Actually, I take that back. We had to get rid of a baby chick two years ago because it was running around pecking all the other chicks' eyes. We lost our first chicken due to causes beyond our control yesterday. Our flock of 14 decreased by one. This flock is pullets hatched in mid-spring. My frustration stems from that fact that I don't know what was wrong with the creature!
She was a Speckled Sussex, and she very well could have been the chicken that started laying the first eggs. Maybe she just wasn't ready? Is that possible? I noticed yesterday morning that she was lethargic and not interested in the grain and veggie treats that the other pullets were gobbling down. I checked again on her yesterday afternoon, and she was just standing in the shade not moving. I was able to catch and pick her up with no struggling. The other chickens would have given me a run for my money to catch them.
She seemed like she was, um, constipated. She kept pushing her little bottom, but nothing was coming out. I wanted to try to relieve that and try to get things moving. I soaked her for several minutes in a warm tub of water hoping to help something come out. Then, I called a friend who used to raise chickens on a commercial basis. He suggested an eye dropper of warm water mixed with Epsom salts. I didn't have the salts, so he said just regular salt - a saline solution. My mom and I were able to give her the water/salt solution, but that's when things went from bad to worse. Maybe we gave her too much? Maybe she was too plugged up to take anything into her digestive system? She went downhill very fast from that point on.
I did not want to see her suffer, and she obviously was. I made the executive decision, and my husband quickly put her out of her misery. None of my other chickens are showing signs of anything. I've done a little reading but have not come up with anything conclusive yet. Any of you have ideas? I would think she was a bit young to be egg bound, but maybe? Would producing eggs too early be something? How do you help a constipated chicken?
On a lighter note there were a few chicken butt jokes bandied about last night. I can speak with some authority on that now :)
So, we lost our first chicken yesterday. Actually, I take that back. We had to get rid of a baby chick two years ago because it was running around pecking all the other chicks' eyes. We lost our first chicken due to causes beyond our control yesterday. Our flock of 14 decreased by one. This flock is pullets hatched in mid-spring. My frustration stems from that fact that I don't know what was wrong with the creature!
She was a Speckled Sussex, and she very well could have been the chicken that started laying the first eggs. Maybe she just wasn't ready? Is that possible? I noticed yesterday morning that she was lethargic and not interested in the grain and veggie treats that the other pullets were gobbling down. I checked again on her yesterday afternoon, and she was just standing in the shade not moving. I was able to catch and pick her up with no struggling. The other chickens would have given me a run for my money to catch them.
She seemed like she was, um, constipated. She kept pushing her little bottom, but nothing was coming out. I wanted to try to relieve that and try to get things moving. I soaked her for several minutes in a warm tub of water hoping to help something come out. Then, I called a friend who used to raise chickens on a commercial basis. He suggested an eye dropper of warm water mixed with Epsom salts. I didn't have the salts, so he said just regular salt - a saline solution. My mom and I were able to give her the water/salt solution, but that's when things went from bad to worse. Maybe we gave her too much? Maybe she was too plugged up to take anything into her digestive system? She went downhill very fast from that point on.
I did not want to see her suffer, and she obviously was. I made the executive decision, and my husband quickly put her out of her misery. None of my other chickens are showing signs of anything. I've done a little reading but have not come up with anything conclusive yet. Any of you have ideas? I would think she was a bit young to be egg bound, but maybe? Would producing eggs too early be something? How do you help a constipated chicken?
On a lighter note there were a few chicken butt jokes bandied about last night. I can speak with some authority on that now :)
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