Chickens Again!

I have so missed having chickens. I love fresh eggs! My boys didn't like chicken chores; Heather did. When Heather got married we stopped having chickens. Monte was traveling more and the coop was far away, and I didn't want to be doing the chores in the winter.

But I just ordered chicks. I'll be picking them up April 6. I am so excited! We've figured out a new spot closer to the house for a new coop. I go to bed dreaming of it's plan - improving upon our old coop.

My new friend has found a source for organic feed. That was another piece of having chickens that Monte and me didn't like - the typical bagged feed. A lady makes it and every 6 weeks we'll have to go scoop it into containers ... So what containers will be easiest for little 'ole me to work with? I'm only going to get 10 chicks this time ... How much feed for 6 weeks?

My start with chickens years ago is a hilarious story! A friend of mine (she had been Miss/and Mrs beauty pageant queens, and quite the city/glamour girl, and had sang for Bob Hopes' troup tours where she met her fighter pilot husband) - we ordered lots of chickens of differing kinds, including a turk chicken that had a bare neck. We drove over an hour to pick them up. I had no coup. We were still building our home and living in the downstairs. So where to put them? Why in the unfinished upstairs, of course! We stapled a ring of chicken wire to enclose them. Monte and me were sleeping in what is now our guest room, underneath them, so woke to little pecking noises.

I started building the coup in our driveway's parking area one early Sunday morning. Monte came out and said my door and windows were not square. I said, "it's only a chicken coup!" He helped me finish it. When we built our bigger coup, this one was attached to the back and became the future space for new chicks with it's own run next to the bigger coup run. It turned out to be a great idea! as the baby chicks grew up in close proximity and view of the larger chickens, so they could be introduced together with ease.

Another funny story is that we live with deer and elk always present. When it's mating season, the elk buggle. The rooster and elk would "talk" back and forth!

I'm not getting a rooster this time. Who knows, maybe we'll miss one. But then again no - they start crowing at 3-4 in the morning. When guests were sleeping in the bunk house, they did not appreciated that rude awakening. If crowing at dawn, that would be fine.

So YEAH to chickens! I can't wait!

Grilled Pizza

I've been wanting to try grilled pizza and finally did last night. It was GREAT! ... and the guests, I wasn't planning on, loved it too. My last post mentioned our Velveteen House (from an old post on my old blog)(look at last post for the link). Well ... 5pm approached and as I was grinding wheat flour for the pizza dough, Dawson walked in, along with Tim and Gary ... and then Matt came, right when we were eating and pulled up another chair to the table on the deck ... and then while cleaning up, Splarah (Dawson's girlfriend) and Lizzie, scaring mommy and baby elk on their way up our road, ate more pizza, and said it was great ... and as I started, prior to this long sentence ... not expecting guests, but they arrived, I doubled the pizza dough and made 4 large pizzas instead of 2 on the grill. Monte picked salad greens from the kitchen garden, I'd made a dressing, and sitting on the deck eating and yacking with these young adults - a nice meal.

PIZZA DOUGH

-1C warm water
-1 tsp yeast
-pinch of sugar (I used succanat)
-1C flour
Slightly work the flour in, put the lid on the bowl (I'm using a Bosch Universal) and let sponge for 10 minutes, it should be bubbly.
Then add
-1 tsp salt
-(I added 1 TB of the Italian spice mix I mentioned in my last post)
-More flour (about 2 1/2C) till mixture starts cleaning the bowl and let knead for 6-10 minutes. (With WW flour it's best to have the dough still a bit tacky, not sticky, otherwise you've added too much flour and your bread will be dry. But this isn't as noticeable with pizza dough. I'll have to post bread making with fresh ground whole grain flour sometime. Detail bread making is in my cookbook.)

Turn on the grill to preheat.
While leaving the dough in the mixing dough to do some rising, get your pizza toppings ready. I had some natural pepperoni I'd removed from the freezer, a bit of ham left over, grated pepper jack, mozarella, and parmesan cheese, chopped some pineapple, sauted some onion and mushrooms, and opened a jar of spaghetti sauce. Also have a bowl of olive oil ready with a brush in it. And too, you need to oil the grill grate.

I divided the dough in 4ths and rolled them out on parchment paper. As you can see in the picture I stacked them on my pizza peal to take outside by the grill. Have everything ready by your grill. Have your salad and plates ready. Have a large serving board with pizza cutter ready. And beverage choice ready, sipping while cooking or waiting to eat.

Make sure the grill grate is clean and oil (I always keep a shallow bowl by my grill with a folded paper towel and oil). I kept one burner on high and the other side on medium. Put one pizza dough on the high burner. It'll start bubbling up. Check it for burning, but it seemed I left it there for 1-2 minutes, then turned it over onto the medium side. Immediately brush with olive oil and spread several spoonfuls of spaghetti sauce on and add toppings. Close the grill lid and cook till the cheese is melting - which seemed about 3-5 minutes. I pulled it onto the bread board for the guys cut it up while I began the next pizza.

You might ask, "You, Karey, are grilling? Don't guys usually do the grilling?" I always do the grilling. I love grilling. Monte never has grilled, unless helping me.

See the elk beyond our electric fence?

Hummingbird Nectar

I just mixed up some more sugar water for my smallest hummingbird feeder. The feisty rufous hummingbird has arrived and the activity level has escalated. The rufous copper color in the sunlight is spectacular. Tho my feeders all have many feeding holes, once the territorial rufous shows up, he doesn't like to share the feeder. I read one will take over a feeder, so this year I've got three feeders, and I'm seeing more rufouses than ever!

I've read of boiling the nectar. I don't. Never have. Nor do I put in red food coloring. I've been feeding hummingbirds every summer for years, cuz they're here all summer, from mid May till Labor Day weekend. And noisy they be - their chips and high pitched humming sound is heard from afar!

So how I mix my sugar water works. I just use hot tap water and stir till sugar is dissolved.

Hummingbird Nectar

-1 part sugar
-4 parts water
(So 1C sugar to 4C water is my typical amount I'll make up)
-Have part of the water hot tap water till sugar dissolved, then add the rest as cold water.

I'll use this filling time to rinse the feeder in the hot tap water too. I do have a bottle brush for feeders if need be.

I so enjoy seeing nature utilize my environment I've created for their enjoyment.