Checkin' Out Chickens

Hilda, who has the darkest feathers of them all, but they are hiding behind her!

This is our first year trying out chickens.  We just wanted to be a little more self reliant, along with getting some fresh eggs.  Our chickens are Ameraucanas and each are a little different in coloring so we can easily identify them.  We currently have 4, at least 2 of which have reached egg-laying status.  They are officially hens.  The others are still pullets.  They were born on February 15th of this year.  It took them approximately 25 weeks to mature to adulthood.  Their eggs are a pale blue-ish green in color and quite small for now.  They will lay larger eggs soon, but never quite as large as the common brown eggs laid by Rhode Island Reds.  We love watching them roam through the foilage of the garden, snapping up grasshoppers as they go.  They are named Hailey, Holly, Hooley, and Hilda--after some of the Who's on 'Horton Hears a Who.'  What gorgeous animals to behold!

Holly and Hilda

Hailey

My son really knows how to ruffle their feathers!

Hilda, Hailey, and Hooley

Hooley

Fruits of Labor

Here are some dazzling pictures of my husband and the fruits of his labors and toil in the garden.

Green Jungle in the midst of a dry desert

Pumpkin

Congo Watermelon
I believe it should reach a minimum of 35 lbs.

Just look at that homegrown pride on his face!  Mmm mmm.

Eating Flowers?

I once heard that zucchini flowers were edible.  I decided to try them, and guess what?  They are a hit.  I had my children begging for more!  They won't eat their vegetables, but give them a flower and you're their best friend!  Try it!
After the squash forms, then you pick the flower. You remove the end along with the 'reproductive organs' inside the flower. I rinse them inside and out and fill them with grated mozzarella cheese or a chunk of string cheese. Twist the petals to seal closed. Then heat them. I have never tried it in the microwave because it seems the flower would be more soggy than crisp. I broil them in the oven, but try whatever works for you. I bet a leaf of fresh basil would be great stuffed inside as well!

Stuffed Zucchini Flower

Yellow Squash

For the past few weeks our garden has been prolifically producing yellow summer squash.  We pick an average of 2 or 3 a day now.  We have been sharing with friends and neighbors, mailing some to family, and last week I believe I gave away 8.  This morning, however, was different.  By the time the day was over we had so many squashes lining our back porch and counters that we decided it would have to be preserved.  After giving away a few we took a picture of our chopped up squash in all it's glory. 

Cucumber

I have never had much success with regular pickling cucumbers until this year.  Usually the cucumbers turn out small and withered looking with a bitter taste, but this year there have been many regular sized and plump cucumbers.

My successful cucumber that I tried about 5 years ago was an Armenian variety. I remember some being over a foot long and a couple inches in diameter. They were fresh and plump, and I grew enough to give many away, although most people were afraid to try them because they looked so different from the norm.

Herbs

Usually my herb garden contains at leat sage and basil.  This year I tried something new to me called Lemon Balm.  I have to say that I love it.  It's fresh and lemony scent are very uplifting.  I haven't yet tried cooking with this herb, but I have experimented a little with flavor combinations.  I have found that when a leaf of Stevia herb is chewed silultaneously, it reminds me of a lemon head!  Yum!

Workbooks

The past few days my daughter has been showing an interest in her 'learning books' on her own. I will find her coloring or writing in pre-school-1st grade level workbooks with colored pencil or crayons. Mostly we have Schoool Zone workbooks, but there are others too. An occasional School Zone workbook will include a CD-ROM, which , for my kids, is a VERY exciting thing! She has a longer attention span now and enjoys her success. The other day she finished 15 pages in one session! A favorite activity she has is doing mazes...this is since learning the fun of dot-to-dots! We are very proud of her and the example she sets to her younger brother of the fun that learning can be!
http://www.schoolzone.com