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June 2010 Chickens in the Road Newsletter
IN THIS ISSUE:
*Story: Technical Foul
*Kitchen Extra: Chocolate Chip Snack Cake
*Embarrassing Photo of the Month: Endangered Blackberries
*My Favorite Thing Right Now: Juicin’
*Recent Highlights: Cake Candles, Homemade Flower Food, Perfect Deviled Eggs, and More
*Sneak Peek: The Windy City
*Blast from the Past: Spice, the Wonder Cat
*Newsletter Sponsor:
*Story: Technical Foul
Is Clover pregnant? It’s the question that plagues me. I tried to get her pregnant last year–without success. She had a quite torried affair this year with Eclipse–and I think it took. I think. I hope. I keep my fingers crossed. What could be more wonderful than to see little goat babies born right here on our farm? I crave goat babies. I’ve tried everything to figure it out on my own. I’ve rubbed the wonderbelly of Clover and it’s warm and hairy and…..inscrutable. It’s a little crusty, too. I think she sat in something icky. And after all that, I CAN’T TELL if she’s pregnant.
Belly.
Udder.
Mystery.
I promised her a pan of gingerbread, all to herself, if only she would answer my burning question. I put her in the goat house all by herself–so she could have her treat all to herself. Just like I promised her!
“Clover,” I said, “look what I made for you! You love gingerbread, don’t you?” Oh, yeah. I lovingly hand-fed her each piece one at a time.
“Okay,” I said, “we had a deal. You got your gingerbread! I get my answer!”
Clover: “Yes, Woman, you are correct. I do love gingerbread.”
CLOVER!!!! NOT THAT QUESTION!!!
*Kitchen Extra: Chocolate Chip Snack Cake
I stumbled across this easy snack cake on Farm Bell Recipes, posted by Moopsee, when looking for a quick and easy dessert. This recipe lives up to its promise and is, as advertised, quite reminiscent of the pre-packaged individual snack cakes you can find in the snack aisle or near the register counter at grocery stores. Only better–because it’s homemade! It uses ingredients that are likely on-hand in your pantry already. Bonus points for being vegan!
See the original posted recipe here for the handy print page.
How to make Chocolate Chip Snack Cake:
2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 cups water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Combine water and brown sugar in a bowl; stir to dissolve brown sugar. Add oil, vinegar, and vanilla, and mix well. Combine dry ingredients in a separate (large) bowl then add the wet mixture to it. Mix well. (I used a whisk to keep the flour from clumping.) Pour into an ungreased* cookie sheet and add 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips on top. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20-30 minutes.
*I lightly sprayed the pan with oil. I couldn’t help myself–I was afraid it would stick! I used a 9 x 12 x 1 pan and that fit just perfectly.
This is delicious.
*Embarrassing Photo of the Month: Endangered Blackberries
Another seriously tragic revelation.
It’s been about a month and a half and my blackberry bushes haven’t been planted yet. To make matters worse, the chickens ate the bush down to the bare branches. In a miraculous turn of events, the bush is sprouting new growth from the top! It’s not too late to save it–if we can get it planted before the chickens eat it again. Anyone want to take bets on that?
*My Favorite Thing Right Now: Juicin’
Jelly, jelly, jelly.
I am so in love with this steam juicer. If you like to make jelly, you have to get one! It also makes great meat and vegetable stock–the easy way! Possibly the best present I’ve ever gotten.
See the forum discussion here for info and links about steam juicers.
*Recent Highlights: Cake Candles, Homemade Flower Food, Perfect Deviled Eggs, and More
We’ve got a Personality Conflict in the chicken yard and see two more installments in my “Cast of” posts with Cast of Goats, and Cast of Chickens. Find all my farm animal stories here.
Learn the secret to Making Perfect Deviled Eggs (and perfect hard-boiled eggs), reminisce with Fried Bologna Sandwiches, and check out the mouthwatering Food from a Country Supper. Don’t miss a thing in my kitchen! Get all my recipes.
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do mostly because my son had such a hard time getting his driver’s license–but I was finally able to stop dating with him and his girlfriend (yay!). See what happens when I try Doing Nothing and read my obituary to my camera in A Death in the Family. See all my country living stories.
Find out How to make a Cake Candle and see me Making a Mess. Browse all my posts in crafts.
Watch me dig into the mysteries of Other People’s Gardens and discover There Is Hope Yet for my own! You can also make some Homemade Flower Food. Be sure to see all my garden stories.
*Sneak Peak: The Windy City
I’m making my plans to go to Great Lakes, Illinois, for Ross’s Navy boot camp graduation!!!
*Blast from the Past: Spice, the Wonder Cat
The door-opening cat!
She leaps tall buildings in single bounds. Or, at least, she opens doors. If you missed this one, be sure to check out the video in this post.
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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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What are you fixing for supper tonight? Browse the goodness at Farm Bell Recipes — your cooking community!
*I’m giving away a Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving once a week (sometimes more!) so don’t forget to watch the blog for The Ball Blue Book Project days.
