Last Sunday we had 12 beautiful little chicks hatch. Two are Barred Rocks, and the rest are either mutts from a friend of ours or lavender split Silkies, who are pretty darn adorable.
The only big downer was that I had three eggs pip and then die. I really put this down to the seller of the Barred Rocks selling me the ugliest, dirtiest eggs I have ever seen. The chicks that died after pipping were all from that seller.
But, the chicks that survived are doing great. Mutt chicks are fun, because you never know what to expect. For example-- my beautiful little Easter Egger chick that hatched from an egg that looks like it was from a Buff Orpington! I know my friends have the most gorgeous Ameracauna rooster (Birchen and white... so pretty!) so he is the daddy for at least three of my chicks. I am thrilled for that, and they are exceptionally beautiful.
I will get pictures up. I just am having some of the eternal issues with my camera.
We have more eggs due the 18th, all Easter Eggers out of a Lavender Ameracauna rooster. These eggs are really beautiful and, when I candled last night, every single one is developing! This has to be my favorite seller of all time too (look up 'bargain' on BackyardChickens.com).
I put an ad up for the Lavender silkies and the response has been huge. I only have four or five, but I easily could have sold 50! If I was allowed to have a rooster I would so be breeding Lavender Silkies as a cash crop!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Goat Milk Custard
I have given up soda, and needed something sweet to satisfy the urge to crack into one, despite the fact that it's ruining my teeth and my health, so I looked at the beautiful goats milk I happen to have in my fridge (long story) and decided I was going to make custard.
I cracked open Julia Child, read a few recipes, closed it and went my own way (totally typical me).
Here's my recipe-- though the amounts of ingredients are estimated.
I put about three cups of goat milk on the stove at medium heat (watching like a hawk) and added about 1 tspn. of cardamom.
In my stand mixer I whipped up some sugar (about a cup and a half?) with six eggs and three extra egg yolks. I beat this up until it was creamy and beautiful. By then the milk on the stove was getting near boiling, so I slowly drizzled that into the mixer as it beat.
Meanwhile I made a quick caramel on the stove. When the sugar started turning brown I added some butter (real butter) about a stick. This I poured into the bottom of a pan I had prepared.
I then poured the mixture from the mixer over that and put it in the over at 325 for forty minutes in a hot water bath (just a cookie sheet with water in it, really). I made it in a cake pan because I had nothing casserole-like to make it in.
It is SO GOOD. Way too sweet and just what I needed!
I cracked open Julia Child, read a few recipes, closed it and went my own way (totally typical me).
Here's my recipe-- though the amounts of ingredients are estimated.
I put about three cups of goat milk on the stove at medium heat (watching like a hawk) and added about 1 tspn. of cardamom.
In my stand mixer I whipped up some sugar (about a cup and a half?) with six eggs and three extra egg yolks. I beat this up until it was creamy and beautiful. By then the milk on the stove was getting near boiling, so I slowly drizzled that into the mixer as it beat.
Meanwhile I made a quick caramel on the stove. When the sugar started turning brown I added some butter (real butter) about a stick. This I poured into the bottom of a pan I had prepared.
I then poured the mixture from the mixer over that and put it in the over at 325 for forty minutes in a hot water bath (just a cookie sheet with water in it, really). I made it in a cake pan because I had nothing casserole-like to make it in.
It is SO GOOD. Way too sweet and just what I needed!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Updates
It has been an age since I've written, and I will remedy that.
The evil silkies are well and active. Photos will come as soon as the camera starts working for me. Four of them now live with family friends, so we have our five... Grammy Chicken, Monday, Tiny the wonderful non-growing chick, and two who have yet to earn their names. They are already getting really fuzzy and have poofy flanks and topknots. They now live outside with a heat lamp in the chicken coop, which has been chick proofed.
I also have a bunch of eggs in the incubator that are due the fifth and more that are due the 18th. A little bit of this, a little bit of that, some lavender silkies, Barred Rocks, some mutts from a friend, a bunch of Easter Eggers. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this hatch goes!
We have also decided to make this house our permanent home, so we will be putting things together as best we can in our suburban backyard. It should be quite an adventure!
Despite some unseasonally cold weather our garden starting to get put together. We have blackberries, a beautiful artichoke plant, and we have just planted some bush cherries and a grape vine. We'll see how they do.
We also have an adventure planned for Friday, but I won't share until after!
The evil silkies are well and active. Photos will come as soon as the camera starts working for me. Four of them now live with family friends, so we have our five... Grammy Chicken, Monday, Tiny the wonderful non-growing chick, and two who have yet to earn their names. They are already getting really fuzzy and have poofy flanks and topknots. They now live outside with a heat lamp in the chicken coop, which has been chick proofed.
I also have a bunch of eggs in the incubator that are due the fifth and more that are due the 18th. A little bit of this, a little bit of that, some lavender silkies, Barred Rocks, some mutts from a friend, a bunch of Easter Eggers. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this hatch goes!
We have also decided to make this house our permanent home, so we will be putting things together as best we can in our suburban backyard. It should be quite an adventure!
Despite some unseasonally cold weather our garden starting to get put together. We have blackberries, a beautiful artichoke plant, and we have just planted some bush cherries and a grape vine. We'll see how they do.
We also have an adventure planned for Friday, but I won't share until after!
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