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January 2010 Chickens in the Road Newsletter
IN THIS ISSUE:
*Story: Tease
*Kitchen Extra: Split Pea Soup
*Embarrassing Photo of the Month: Crooked Little Leavings
*My Favorite Thing Right Now: Twist-Tie Bread Bags
*Recent Highlights: Homemade Hamburger Helper, Acme Driving School, Sweet Little Jam Cozy, and More
*Sneak Peek: Beeswax
*Blast from the Past: Milk Mouth
*Newsletter Sponsor:
*Story: Tease
When Clover’s in the mood, she moseys over to the goat pen where the bucks are always in the mood and blows kisses at Eclipse.
(As an aside, I believe I now have photographic evidence of which naughty hen is laying eggs in the dog house.)
She drives Eclipse wild.
She drives Rhett wild, too.
She gives him the cold shoulder.
She has to wash her hair.
Clover: “I can’t help it if every man who sees me wants me.”
She’s such a tease.
Eclipse is who she wants, but she teases Rhett just enough to keep her prince on his toes.
So Clover and Eclipse can have some time alone, I have to move Rhett to the goat house. Rhett gazes longingly across the goat yard to the goat pen. He, like everyone in a 10-mile radius, must listen to the horrific sounds of Eclipse and Clover making love. He hangs his head, almost wishing he’d been wethered. It’s hard to be Rhett.
Nutmeg: “I’m sorry, I have to paint my hooves today.”
It’s okay, Rhett.
Somebody wants you!
You don’t have to be alone!
Meet…..
BOOMER!
(I’m sure they’ll be very happy together.)
*Kitchen Extra: Split Pea Soup
Split pea soup is one of my winter favorites! If you haven’t thought about it in a while, now’s the time to go get a ham bone and a big pot!
How to make Split Pea Soup:
1 cup dry split peas
4 cups chicken broth
1 meaty ham bone
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1 bay leaf
pepper
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
If you don’t have a ham bone, add cooked, chopped bacon instead. If you’re a vegetarian, you can use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and leave out the meat entirely.
Rinse peas. In a large pot, combine peas, broth, ham bone, marjoram, bay leaf, and a dash of pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cover. Simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally. Take out the ham bone, scraping any remaining meat back into the pot. Add carrot, celery, and onion to the pot and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Perfect on a cold winter evening with some cornbread or Grandmother Bread!
*Embarrassing Photo of the Month: Crooked Little Leavings
Another seriously tragic revelation.
The Crooked Little Hen leaves presents all over the porch. And I put up with it because I love her….
*My Favorite Thing Right Now: Twist-Tie Bread Bags
Where have they been all my life?
Gallon-size clear plastic storage bags with twist-ties! Perfect for bread bags. I’ve tried using storebought bread bags for homemade bread, but that never works comfortably for me. My homemade loaves are too tall and the storebought bread bags are too long. I’ve always used gallon-size storage baggies with the zipper seal. These twist-tie bags are so much better! I was really excited to discover them at Wal-Mart in the inexpensive store brand. You can get a box with 100 bags–so much cheaper for bread storage than the zipper seal baggies (and you can still re-use them, too).
*Recent Highlights: Homemade Hamburger Helper, Acme Driving School, Sweet Little Jam Cozy, and More
In the barn, we added three new faces in January! See all the cuteness when Mr. Pibb Goes to Stringtown Rising Farm, and cute isn’t even the word for Rhett and Eclipse. Catch up on all the shocking details in I’ve Never Seen Such Carrying On and Meanwhile, Back at Motel 6. Find all my farm animal stories here.
You’ve got to try my Homemade Hamburger Helper and Chocolate-Caramel Dream Cookies, and if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, make your own Farmhouse Cheddar. Don’t miss a thing in my kitchen! Get all my recipes.
See what happened when Spice let the Crooked Little Hen in the house in They Were Just About to Get the Poker Chips and Sit Down at the Table, my winter driving anxiety in Acme Driving School, and all my plans and dreams as we embark upon Farming from Scratch, Year Three. See all my country living stories.
I haven’t given up knitting, but I sure did a lot of crocheting in January. Make a Ruffled Crochet Dishcloth or a Sweet Little Jam Cozy then try your hand at Hand-Dipping Tapers. Check out all my other posts in crafts.
Watch me plant a Little Garden of Hope and then see what happened to it in How Does My January Garden Grow. Be sure to see all my garden stories.
*Sneak Peak: Beeswax
Beeswax has a natural sweet honey scent that I love and it also makes for a slow-burning candle. Trying out some projects with both poured and rolled beeswax is next on my candlemaking projects list!
*Blast from the Past: Milk Mouth
See how much fun it was to have a bottle baby on the porch.
Little Annabelle was such a doll. (She’s huge now!) Remember when she was a baby in Milk Mouth.
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Thank you for your comments, your support, and just for being there. Here’s hoping to see you on the Chickens in the Road Forum (make friends, have fun, come join us!) and every day on the farmhouse blog!
Love,
Suzanne
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