Yeah, yeah, I know, I dropped off the face of the earth. Well, there was a good reason. I have been fighting the good chicken fight. I have been before our local city council several times already and I go back on July 8th to help craft a proposed ordinance amendment allowing chickens within the city limits of Mission. It will be voted on on July 15th.
In family news, we are giving up TV for a week to see how the kids do, if it remedies some of the crazies, we may chuck the set, we'll see.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Clothes Dryer
I have wanted a clothesline for years, but the odd configuration of our yard, garden, and play equipment has been prohibitive to that. But I saw the Sunshine Clothes Dryer in the back of this month's issue of Mother Earth News. I did some research and found it rocks over other models. So I ordered one yesterday. The man was so nice. They are based out of Iowa. I wanted to pinch him he was so sweet. So now I anxiously anticipate the arrival of my new clothesline. And there was a coupon for cheap shipping in the ad. Yippie, you know I love that even more.
Mmmm, Chicken, two ways
... Or how to reuse chicken until you can't reuse it no more! These recipes use the same few vegetables, which allow you to stock up and make two complete dinners out of just a few things in your pantry and frig.
The other day Hy-Vee had whole chickens on sale for 99 cents a pound, so I bought two. Three days ago, I made roast chicken. There is no picture because we devoured it too quickly.
Neck and Gizzards: dinner for the pets or gravy -- your choice
Wash chicken completely. Remove neck and gizzards (usually found somewhere jammed inside the cavity). Place neck and gizzards into a small saucepan with a generous amount of water and a pinch of salt. Put lid on top and boil for about a half an hour. Remove heat and let cool completely. I typically pick the neck as clean as I can and feed the neck meat and gizzards to the dogs and cats or use it to make gravy. Save the broth for later.
Night 1: Roast chicken dinner
Use a large casserole dish or small roasting pan. Peel 2-3 potatoes and cut them into large chunks, throw into bottom of dish. Add some peeled carrots that you have cut into large pieces to the dish. Slice about 1/2 an onion into large chunks or rings and add the dish. Throw in a couple of diced cloves of garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper.
After chicken is washed, add a sliced lemon, 4-5 smashed garlic gloves (to open up and release the flavors), some rosemary (fresh is best, but dried can be used, as well), and about 1/4 of an onion cut into chunks to the cavity of the chicken. This will add flavor to your chicken as it roasts. I layer the ingredients until they are gone or the cavity is full. If you want, you can sew up the back of the chicken, but it's not necessary. Rub the chicken with olive oil and salt and pepper and place on top of the veggies in the casserole dish.
Place in preheated oven. Bake at 375 for about an hour and a half. If chicken is getting too crispy you can place some aluminum foil over it part of the way through.
Enjoy chicken and veggies. Save the juices and fat in the bottom of the pan, and whatever chicken is leftover. Put the casserole lid on (or some foil over it) and put it in the refrigerator over night.
Night 2: Chicken Noodle Soup
I am the queen of the crockpot, since I don't have to tend to anything. In the morning, add the following things to the crockpot:
Bake some yummy sourdough bread (see earlier post) if you have time during the day.
The other day Hy-Vee had whole chickens on sale for 99 cents a pound, so I bought two. Three days ago, I made roast chicken. There is no picture because we devoured it too quickly.
Neck and Gizzards: dinner for the pets or gravy -- your choice
Wash chicken completely. Remove neck and gizzards (usually found somewhere jammed inside the cavity). Place neck and gizzards into a small saucepan with a generous amount of water and a pinch of salt. Put lid on top and boil for about a half an hour. Remove heat and let cool completely. I typically pick the neck as clean as I can and feed the neck meat and gizzards to the dogs and cats or use it to make gravy. Save the broth for later.
Night 1: Roast chicken dinner
Use a large casserole dish or small roasting pan. Peel 2-3 potatoes and cut them into large chunks, throw into bottom of dish. Add some peeled carrots that you have cut into large pieces to the dish. Slice about 1/2 an onion into large chunks or rings and add the dish. Throw in a couple of diced cloves of garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper.
After chicken is washed, add a sliced lemon, 4-5 smashed garlic gloves (to open up and release the flavors), some rosemary (fresh is best, but dried can be used, as well), and about 1/4 of an onion cut into chunks to the cavity of the chicken. This will add flavor to your chicken as it roasts. I layer the ingredients until they are gone or the cavity is full. If you want, you can sew up the back of the chicken, but it's not necessary. Rub the chicken with olive oil and salt and pepper and place on top of the veggies in the casserole dish.
Place in preheated oven. Bake at 375 for about an hour and a half. If chicken is getting too crispy you can place some aluminum foil over it part of the way through.
Enjoy chicken and veggies. Save the juices and fat in the bottom of the pan, and whatever chicken is leftover. Put the casserole lid on (or some foil over it) and put it in the refrigerator over night.
Night 2: Chicken Noodle Soup
I am the queen of the crockpot, since I don't have to tend to anything. In the morning, add the following things to the crockpot:
- the broth from the gizzard and neck boiling
- pick the chicken carcass clean of any remaining meat, tear into pieces and throw into crockpot
- 1-2 potatoes, peeled and cubed into small pieces
- several carrots, peeled and sliced into small pieces
- the other 1/4 of the onion from yesterday, diced into small pieces (it will give the soup an amazing flavor)
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, diced into small pieces (it will give the soup an amazing flavor)
- now take a small holed colander and run whatever is in the bottom of your casserole dish through it. First you should get all the broth. Add it to the crockpot. Then run the more solid fat through by using a spoon to push it through. Add a little water and make it into broth. Add that to the crockpot.
- Now "wash out" the bowl you used for the fat with water. Add that to the soup.
- Add more water if necessary
- Salt and pepper to taste
- I like to also add basil and thyme
Bake some yummy sourdough bread (see earlier post) if you have time during the day.
About 45 minutes before you want to serve it, bowl some water, and turn off the heat on your crockpot. Boil a small bag of egg noodles in the water. Drain the noodles, run them under cold water to stop the cooking process, and add the noodles to the crock pot. Let them sit in the crockpot until ready to serve. Your soup will have cooled slightly, and will be ready to enjoy.
Oh, it is so good. My children devour it, and so do I.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Babies
I have babies... seedlings, that is, no more of the human kind for us, thank you very much, we are quite full up on those.
I am on my way to growing my own medicinal herbs. Both my calendula and my chickweed seeds from my medicinal gardening class on Saturday have already sprouted. I have had them on a heating pad in their little container and today I took them out to enjoy the first sun since Saturday and they quite happily sprouted while there. Here they are:
Inside on the heating pad.
I am on my way to growing my own medicinal herbs. Both my calendula and my chickweed seeds from my medicinal gardening class on Saturday have already sprouted. I have had them on a heating pad in their little container and today I took them out to enjoy the first sun since Saturday and they quite happily sprouted while there. Here they are:
The calendula babies
The chickweed babies (sorry it's blurry... they're really tiny)
Outside for the day
Inside on the heating pad.
Go, guys, go. We are taking advantage of the nice weather to get the planting boxes together tonight. So ready for nice weather, I cannot even tell you.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Garden... Maybe
Well, yesterday was warm. Vibe us that we can get some raised gardening boxes built today in between kid soccer games and the medicinal gardening class that I am taking. It needs to stay warm and sunny today, so we can at least get them built, if not set down and filled.
I have decided for sure that I want to put the strawberry patch in the front yard. I think eventually I want to put a picket fence around the front yard so that if I do get chickens, sometimes I can let them out to peck around there. Plus, there is very little of anything else up there (including grass) because of our big beautiful trees, so why not. I could then plant some fruit bushes along the fence and have blackberries and raspberries. My one raspberry bush that I got last year for Mother's Day survived the long winter and hopefully will grow bigger this season.
My honeysuckle bushes, however, are not looking so good. I am not pulling them out, yet, but I'm just saying...
In chicken news... there is none. I have had no response to my e-mail. That means I will have to call on Monday and politely bitch and plead. Come on, people, I am so ready for my chickies! I promise they won't bother you.
My medicinal gardening class is at Badseed Farmer's Market in downtown KC. I took an Urban Homesteading class there a couple of weeks ago. I am really excited about the medicinal class and it's potential to steer what I plant in the herb garden this year.
Also, if anyone can get a hold of copies, there are great articles in both this month's edition of Mother Earth News and Ready Made on urban gardening and sustainability. We're taking over, folks.
I have decided for sure that I want to put the strawberry patch in the front yard. I think eventually I want to put a picket fence around the front yard so that if I do get chickens, sometimes I can let them out to peck around there. Plus, there is very little of anything else up there (including grass) because of our big beautiful trees, so why not. I could then plant some fruit bushes along the fence and have blackberries and raspberries. My one raspberry bush that I got last year for Mother's Day survived the long winter and hopefully will grow bigger this season.
My honeysuckle bushes, however, are not looking so good. I am not pulling them out, yet, but I'm just saying...
In chicken news... there is none. I have had no response to my e-mail. That means I will have to call on Monday and politely bitch and plead. Come on, people, I am so ready for my chickies! I promise they won't bother you.
My medicinal gardening class is at Badseed Farmer's Market in downtown KC. I took an Urban Homesteading class there a couple of weeks ago. I am really excited about the medicinal class and it's potential to steer what I plant in the herb garden this year.
Also, if anyone can get a hold of copies, there are great articles in both this month's edition of Mother Earth News and Ready Made on urban gardening and sustainability. We're taking over, folks.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Yummy Food
Everyone should check out my friend, Tamara's new book. It will help you use some of the yummy produce that you find at your local farmer's market, or that you grow in your backyard.
Here's her site Your Body Awake!
Check it out and order her new book: Spring Pickin'.
Here's her site Your Body Awake!
Check it out and order her new book: Spring Pickin'.
Rain, rain go away!
At this rate I may not get a garden in until June. Lordy, lordy!
It's chilly and rainy today and the forecast is for more rain and more cold this weekend.
I would like to put in a plug for sunny warm weather on a weekend so I can actually complete the beds and get stuff in.
I think I have decided to add another large bed to the front yard to have a permanent strawberry patch. I am excited about that. I am not sure my yard Nazi neighbors will be, but they need to learn to embrace the natural side of life, frankly.
It's chilly and rainy today and the forecast is for more rain and more cold this weekend.
I would like to put in a plug for sunny warm weather on a weekend so I can actually complete the beds and get stuff in.
I think I have decided to add another large bed to the front yard to have a permanent strawberry patch. I am excited about that. I am not sure my yard Nazi neighbors will be, but they need to learn to embrace the natural side of life, frankly.
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