Thursday, January 29, 2015

My Favorite Cookies

I made my favorite cookies today.  They are easy, fast, and I always eat more than I should.

No-Bake Cookies, love them!


There are lots of recipes for these out there, here is what I do.
Melt 1 stick of butter with 2 oz of baking chocolate.
Add 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup milk, than bring to a boil.
Boil for about 2 minutes, turn off heat and add 1 tsp. of vanilla (I make my own)
Add to bowl that already contains 3 cups quick oats
and 2-3 tbls of peanut butter (smooth)
Mix quickly and start dropping on parchment paper, they set up fast.  Enjoy!


We sure did!!



Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Chicken Hospital

Here is our chicken hospital and patient.  Ginger was acting funny Friday so she came in on Saturday.  AJ, my middle child also call 'the chicken whisperer', has been diligently treating her.

    
Thinking she was egg bound, AJ has given her lots of warm soaking baths to relax the muscles.  We have feed her yogurt with calcium. She did the steam from underneath suggestions.  And generally babied her.  Of course lots of prayers were said too.  AJ loves her chickens.   








Yesterday Ginger spent some time back in the coop.   You see, chickens are dumb, really dumb.  If we keep her inside to long, for like a week, the other chickens might completely forget her.  Chickens do not treat newcomers very nice, to put it mildly.  Today AJ and her little sister EN (bunny girl) gave her and her coop mates a break out of the garden onto a little patch of grass showing through.


We will not touch the snow!!  

I think she really enjoyed the company, she is feeling much better.












It was a very sunny day here in the Midwest and chickens like to sun themselves just as much as a teen girl in the 80's and 90's.










In other news, I made homemade Sesame Chicken for dinner, with broccoli from our garden this past summer.  Please note:  None of our chickens were harmed with the making of this meal.  You can't eat anything you name.  It's a farm rule.  At least it should be!



Friday, January 23, 2015

Funnykins Bunnykins

Last night was our 4-H meeting for our youngest daughter and her bunny.  Funnykins Bunnykins isn't his real name.  My husband has a thing for nicknames and started calling him that and it just stuck. His actually name is Cream Puff, but he doesn't know that.  He is a Holland Lop and super cute.  He even got his nails done and a bath for the big night.  Oh look, he is sitting still so nice.


Ha, that was a rare moment.  This is more of what happened.  He was very uncooperative.


Did I mention both my daughter and the bunny are new to 4-H?


 "I'm gonna make a run for it, I do not want to learn Showmanship"


So she and bunny will be spending lots of time together for training.  And than there was this....


 10 oz over??  Sorry bunny, but you're on a diet...........



"Wait, what did you say?!"

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Meet the chickens (at least the ones who would come out in the snow)

The chickens currently live in the garden in 3 coops.  Once we are done with the garden for the year, they move in.  They eat up all the left overs and hopefully all the weed seeds.  And they spread fertilizer all over the garden for us.  It's a win-win.


There are actually 6 chickens living in this coop.  We raised them from 2-day old chicks 2 1/2 yrs ago but they refuse to touch snow.  Spoiled little things.  


Only Sunshine came out and almost got done to the corn treat waiting for her; she never made it.

This summer we got 3 new chickens from a family who had to move and could not take them with them.  They were treated as pets also and have no interest in snow as well.  


Then there are the 8 hens and 2 roosters that we got this fall from a guy that did not treat them like pets.  They have no problem coming out in the snow for cracked corn.



Close up of the big guy.



We named him Foghorn Leghorn.  If you've ever seen Bugs Bunny than I don't need to tell you why.  But I just call him The Big Guy.  It suits him, and it's easier to say.

When the snow melts I'll show you the rest.  The wimpy ones who won't touch snow, not even for corn!!  


Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Welcome

I decided to start blogging.  I've been thinking about it for awhile and with the new Year, well, why not.  A smigin was chosen cause I plan on this blog to have a little bit of everything.  What will you get to read about?  My life.  First I'm a child of the King.  I am also a wife and mother.  I homeschool my 3 children, 16, 14, 11;  and been married for over 18 years to a Type A+ personality, who is also Canadian.  I'm love cooking, gardening, canning, and believe animals should out number people in the family.  Be patient with me, technology isn't really my thing; but you're welcome to come along and read about my journey through this life.  Now, how do I figure this blog thingy out??