Thanksgiving Dinner

Well, it is almost that time of year again. Time to come together and sacrifice a huge bird. I know, I know...I am just being obnoxious. I have spent the better part of my life participating in this ritual. This will be the first year I will not partake in fowl (or for that matter pork) consumption. People are already asking me. "How are you going to do it?" Simple. Just eat the rest of the food! Honestly, doesn't everyone complain about how full they are after thanksgiving? I will be just as happy with some mashed potatoes, dressing, lima beans, pies and a big glass of wine!

Here's hoping you have a GREAT THANKSGIVING! I know I will...even without the bird!

Blissfullness Shattered....

First of all let me preface the situation. My family and I live in my grandparents house in the country (built in 1957). Plenty of undeveloped land behind us, no neighbors to the left of us and three houses to the left of us.

I was getting a start to the day with a soak in the hot tub at 6:30a.m. this beautiful Saturday morning. The sun was coming up, the birds were singing their wonderous tunes and the world around me was awakening and preparing for winter at the same time.....then BANG!.....BANG!......(a few seconds later)....BANG!

It deeply saddened me, as I knew what the gunshots were for.  Within 10 minutes, I had heard shots from the North, East and South. It is hunting season...AND...I live in the country. I wished with all my heart that the little deer got away.

Upon my return from work today at 1:30, there was not only one, but two deer hanging in the tree within 100' of my house prepared to be slaughtered.

I know "to each his own", but it is pretty tough to watch.


I thought about it the rest of the day.

It's getting cold...

It is a good thing that our little flying friends are almost fully matured and have a full plume of feathers. The weather lately has been very cool. I haven't noticed too much difference in the birds behaviors...other than they "fluff" up a lot more often. It is quite neat to see, as it make them look almost twice their size. The look all puffy. You just want to go up and touch them.

Chickens go through a lot of water daily. This presents a bit of a problem now that the temps overnight have been below freezing. The water being in a metal container doesn't help. I have to manually break their ice water in the morning and hope it doesn't refreeze while I am gone. I am aware that there are some manufacturers that make little heaters that sit under the metal waterers. I must purchase one of these soon!

Hey! Is it Easter!?

Eggs, Eggs, and more Eggs! Well, not really. It is kind of funny how the few eggs that are laid end up in different places. Of course, the majority of the eggs end up in the nest box, which is nice and soft and secluded. However, upon visiting the chickens recently, it seems that we have a few chickens that are not quite sure where to drop the eggs. We have found them in the grass, in the dirt under the sun shelter....AND...right out in the middle of the dirt. The other chickens just step right over them. I suspect it won't take long for the mis-laying chickens to find comfort in the nest box. Anyway...It kind of feels like EASTER!

Benefits of Raising Chickens

Here are a few things that I have learned while raising my little feathered friends. 

1) Eggs from well-tended backyard chickens are healthier. 

2) Eggs from backyard chickens are tastier. 

3) Chicken droppings enrich your compost. 

4) Chickens provide natural insect control. A

5) Their scratching for bugs is good for the soil. 

6) Chickens are a great way to meet people and start conversations. 

7) Chickens are fun and interesting. 

8) Backyard chickens provide lessons for children about responsibility and where food comes from. 

So ask yourself! If you have the room....WHY NOT RAISE CHICKENS!?

Changes in attitudes......

Well, we are averaging about 2 eggs a day from our laying ladies. I suspect we will be getting more soon. We have noticed some behavioral changes with the chickens lately. Usually chickens are kind of like cats, they are fine with you holding them, its just you need to go get them....and depending on the time of day, that can sometimes be difficult.

Now, if you get close to a few of the chickens and make a sudden move, they will drop to the ground and assume the mating position. This position caught me off guard at first. The chickens will squat with their tail feathers in the air, spread their wings a little bit and not move. So some of the chickens that were once challenging to pick are now easy to get......VERY INTERESTING.

Good for the kids.....

Raising chickens has been a wonderful experience for us. To see them grow from one day old chicks to egg laying hens is amazing. It has also been a learning experience for our children. They are excited every morning to go let the chickens out of their coop and even more excited now that there is an occasional egg in the nest for them to bring inside. Much like a horse or cows, tending to livestock brings you closer to nature. You get to see the sun rise and the sun set. You can feel the cool breeze and hot humidity as you care for your outdoor pets. I am quite sure my children will remember these times their  whole life. I am glad to be a part of it......

At last!!!!!!! An EGG!

That's right! We finally got an egg from one of our chickies! We know exactly which one too. Her name is Misty and she is the Dekalb Aberlink (white, Foghorn-Leghorn looking chicken). She is very friendly and a pleasure to hold. She is very "talkative" when you hold her. We noticed lately that when you reach down to pick her up, she would squat down to the ground and stick her tail in the air. Definitely some sort of mating position. We also noticed her sitting in the nest a few days ago, which none of the chickens has done yet. We knew it was just a matter of time. I went out to check yesterday around 10:00 a.m. and there it was! Funny thing is, I just checked the nest before typing this blog and we have ANOTHER EGG! WooHoo! (Oh yeah, the golf ball is there in hopes of showing them where to lay the eggs....)

Why not go vegetarian

Feeling crappy all the time? No energy? Ready for some new foods? Here is an article I found that hits the nail on the head. There is so much negativity regarding vegetarianism. Even if you don't do it for the animal rights reasons, maybe you could do it for the health benefits. See below:



By Neal Barnard

Q: After experimenting with vegetarian eating for a while, I'm ready to go full-time. What's the best way?

A: There's never been a better time to switch to a totally meatless diet. Grocery stores and restaurants have more meatless products and more types of fruits and veggies than ever. And once you've started, you'll almost certainly feel better, shed unwanted pounds and improve your health. But if simply taking the first step seems daunting, here's a way to make it easy.

1. Think of three dishes you already eat regularly that happen to be vegetarian—perhaps spaghetti marinara, vegetable stir-fry, bean burritos, lentil soup, vegetable stew, hummus with pita bread.
2. Think of three meals you like that could easily be made meatless. A meat-filled lasagna transforms into a spinach lasagna. Beef fajitas effortlessly become vegetable fajitas filled with saut�ed peppers, onions, beans, rice and guacamole. Chicken curry readily converts to a hearty vegetarian curry.
3. Select a few new vegetarian dishes you'd like to try. Browse the recipes at vegetariantimes.com, and experiment. Try stuffed winter squash, black bean enchiladas, eggplant manicotti, pan-grilled portobellos, avocado sushi, grilled polenta with asparagus smothered in spicy tomato sauce—you name it. Once you've found three new main dishes you like, you're set. You now have nine meals that you enjoy and that happen to be vegetarian and healthful. That's more than enough to keep you going for a while.

Q: Is it better to go cold turkey or ease into it? Will my body react to the change in my diet? Will it even "rebel" by craving meat?

A: Some people prefer to change their diets gradually. However, just as jumping into a swimming pool lets you get used to the water faster than easing in inch by inch, jumping into a new diet helps your taste buds adjust faster. If you have ever switched from whole milk to nonfat, you know that the lighter variety tastes odd at first. But within a week or two, you totally adapt—and wouldn't go back. The same is true when you lighten your whole diet. If meat cravings hit—which happens to about one in 10 people—it helps to have a ready supply of meat substitutes on hand, such as soy "sausages" and veggie "cold cuts." If you get a little gassy from the extra beans that are part of most vegetarians' diets, just reduce the amount for a while. Try different kinds, too—smaller beans such as lentils or black beans are easier to digest. Then work your way up to the larger beans, such as pintos and great Northern beans. Also, be sure beans are well-cooked. Ditto for cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage or Brussels sprouts. Like beans, they can give you a little intestinal challenge at first, particularly if they're lightly cooked or raw.

Q: When will I see the health benefits of a vegetarian diet?

A: Making a complete switch also makes the health rewards come faster. Specifically:

• You should begin to see a little weight loss within the first week or so. Even without counting calories, it's common to lose about one pound per week until you approach your ideal weight and reach a plateau. To help things along, keep oily foods—french fries, peanut butter, salad dressings—to a minimum.
• Cholesterol levels usually improve over eight to 10 weeks. Many people on cholesterol-lowering drugs will be able to reduce their doses or even eliminate their medicine within that time, but let your doctor guide you. Be sure to include foods in your diet that are high in cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber, such as oatmeal at breakfast, beans at lunch and barley at dinner.
• High blood pressure improves gradually, with significant results apparent in about six weeks. The effects (which are partly due to the potassium in vegetables and fruits) can really add up: Even back in 1984, three-quarters of people taking high blood pressure medications in a Scandinavian study were able to discontinue their drugs within one year of adopting a vegetarian diet.

And there are other benefits. People who are bothered by constipation usually see it clear up within a day or two. People with type 2 diabetes watch their blood sugar levels improve dramatically. And almost everyone reports feeling lighter and healthier overall. There's nothing to lose.

Article by Neal Barnard from Vegetarian Times, January 2005.
Copyright © Vegetarian Times.

Good Night....Sleep Tight

Have I ever mentioned how easy chickens are to tend to? With 6 chickens, I can get by with just feeding feed to them and watering them once every other day. Of course, I spoil mine with a "chicken salad" every morning and an occasional left over or two after our dinners on the patio.

Here is the cool thing. Chickens put themselves to bed! It is amazing to watch. They will wander all around the yard aimlessly searching for their next snack, but shortly after the sun goes down, everyone of them head back to the coop. Sometimes if you look away, you will miss it and wonder..."where did the chickens go?" Upon their retreat, I always shut the coop door to keep predators out. It is fun to listen to them chatting with each other in a manner you don't hear that often during the day. It's almost like they are saying "Good night...Sleep tight."

Away

Well, I have started a new business venture. I purchased a local sign and apparel company and been desperately trying to make a smooth transition as the new owner. Lots of catching up to do and mistakes to be made. I find myself working 12 hour days and not even realizing it. I also go to school Full Time and teach gymnastics a few times a week and weekends. Yeah, I am a bit busy. What really bums me out the most is how much darker it gets earlier. By the time I get home, my Chickie Friends are already on their roost ready for a cool nights sleep. I go out and tend to their needs even when it is dark. They are pretty calm at night and I can usually do my chores without any of them getting off their perch. Oh well, Gotta get up early tomorrow. Have a good night!

Fall is in the Air...and crunchy leaves are on the ground!

Our backyard experience is becoming even more enjoyable as the oppressive heat leaves us again. As the leaves start to pile up, it is even more fun to watch the chickens frolic and play in them. Well, I doubt they are playing, but rather looking for their next meal. They really seem to fit in among the fall colors. I am definitely missing some good photo opportunities here. Blue Skies, Bright Leaves, Cool Breezes and Cackling Chickens. Life is Good!

Another Visitor

My wife and I were relaxing one afternoon on a blanket in our back yard. We let the chickies run free and enjoy the day as well. They wandered aimlessly for over an hour. Then, something unusual occurred. They all gathered within a 3 foot circle and completely stopped making any noise and were motionless. We were very curious at this event, so we took a walk over to where they were. To our surprise they completely surrounded a neighbor's cat. The cat was laying on his back completely relaxed as if he was asking the chickens to join him. GOOD THING THE CAT WAS NICE AND SMALLER THAN THE CHICKENS! (I am sorry but I didn't get this event with a photo. By the time I got the camera, the appeal to the chickens was over).

Chicken Salad

Well you know I had to laugh at myself the other day. Being vegetarian, I had a whole new take on the phrase chicken salad. It was 7:00 am on a Thursday morning just about ready to head out to school. I was in the kitchen chopping up romaine lettuce, mushrooms, cheese, celery, broccoli sprouts and topped the whole thing with dried crushed egg shells. My wife comes in and said "what are you doing". I replied "making a chicken salad!". She looked at me with this blank expression, then I showed her my creation and when she saw the crushed egg shells on top....she got it. It was a salad FOR our chickens, not a salad MADE with chickens!

Eggs Anyone?

I wish!!! Nope, still no eggs. I keep hoping to find a couple when I go out to feed the chickies. I was told that they will be laying around 4 1/2 months. Well, we are at 4 1/2 months now. Just in time for it to get colder, which will automatically trick the chickens into laying less eggs. Hmmmm. I could install a heat lamp, but that might mess up their natural rhythm. I guess I will just wait it out and see what happens, with six different breeds of chickens, one is bound to push and egg out here soon. You will be the first to know when it happens...with pictures and all!

Dinner Guests

No! Stop! Don't even think we are eating our chickens for dinner! Just the opposite. During these cool, low humidity evenings, we really enjoy eating supper on our back patio. Our back patio is a slab of concrete right behind an old rundown detached garage. Sounds appealing doesn't it. Well it is! This garage allows us to focus on whats behind the garage. Wonderful things like the Salsa Garden, the kids swing set, gentle rolling hills of my cousins 11 acre pasture and of course the chicken condo! So every time we get the chance to dine on the patio, we let our feathered friends run free and enjoy the yard as much as we do. It is almost like clockwork, as we near the end of our meal, our feathered friends find their way up to the patio for some much appreciated table scraps. Chickens will eat almost anything, but we found they really, really, really like Mac - N - Cheese! As the sun goes down and we finish our glass of wine, we watch the chickens one by one retreat back to their roost. Ahhhh! This is the life!

Hummus Anyone?...don't you just love saying Hummus?

Hummus is an amazing Mediterranean dip. You can go wrong with a Mediterranean diet...especially the Red Wine part!


Easy Hummus (compliments of VegWeb.com)

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

    1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas
    1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
    5 cloves garlic, peeled
    2 tablespoons sesame oil
    2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
    1 tablespoon flaxseeds
    2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
    1 teaspoon lime juice
    1/4 teaspoon cardamom

Directions:

Open the can of chickpeas and dump into the blender juice and all. Add everything else and blend the heck out of it!

Source of recipe: I was hungry, it was far too hot outside to be messing with the stove, and I started opening cupboards...even El Hubbito liked this!

Makes: about 3 cups?, Preparation time: 5 minutes, Cooking time: n/a

Found a treasure!

I was referred to a health store today by a friend. It is called Healthy Alternatives in Florence, KY on route 18 across from the Florence Skate Park. A little on the pricey side, but they offer a lot of stuff you simply cannot get at your local grocery store. Many local grocery stores carry maybe an isle worth of "health food", but this is a whole store full of it.....PLUS half the store is for vitamins, protein, fish oil, herbal tea etc...

I left the store today with Meatless meatballs, kettle cooked potato chips cooked in avacado oil, Tofurkey Italian Sausage, 3 boxes of crazy sounding herbal tea, some interesting spicy seasoning packet to add to my Quinoa and last but not least Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (with the mother), which  I usually drink straight. The cashier took off $5.00 for being a new customer!

Sure beats driving to Jungle Jims!

Little Helpers

My Backyard Friends are starting to prove themselves worthy....in many ways. Their chicken coop resides right next the "The Salsa Garden". This is my garden that I use to create the best salsa in the world! Tomatoes, Cilantro, Onions, Peppers...It's all grown here. Now that summer is coming to an end, I figured why not let them free range in the Salsa Garden! To my surprise, no tomatoes were touched. They sure did eat a lot of bugs though. Now, I wouldn't let them in the garden in the spring time, as I feel they may eat your tiny plants and even worse, they may "scratch" the roots right out of the ground looking for bugs. Under the apple tree is another favorite hangout of theirs. They just love apples that have fallen and split open.

Hey Look! Another Backyard friend! This little guy actually found himself stuck in the chicken coop a few weeks ago. I bet he will think twice before going back into there again.

They're getting bigger!

I will save you from daily shots of my chickens growth. Here I have posted a few more "baby pictures" if you will. As you can tell, they are still very friendly and easy to handle. I used a large cardboard box to transport them from the house to the back yard. At the time, I would keep them outside for about an hour. I felt it might be too tough on them to go back and forth between conditioned air and high humidity.

I chose to purchase 6 different breeds of chickens as to just getting one. I am glad I did. They all offer very different personalities. I was also told that most of the breeds I chose are also good egg layers. I do have a couple that will only lay about 2 eggs per week. The six breeds I chose are: Austalorpe, Light Brahma, Dekalb Aberlink, Silver Laced Wyandotte and a Buff Orpington. They seem to get along quite well. It is pretty clear which on the the top of the Pecking Order. It is Socks, the Light Brahma....she is such a Diva!!!

How Chickens Changed My Life

Let's flash back about 15 years. I was 25, 225lbs, sedentary and consuming large quantities of beef, pork, and chicken. I felt I was healthy, but couldn't take the blinders off to see my true physical shape. My weight up and down (mostly up) over the next few years and finally hit 240lbs. It was then I decided to give up beef and pork. I said it was for health reasons, but I knew there was something more. I didn't find it to be too hard of an adjustment; after all, my favorite meals could be substituted with ground turkey or chicken. I continued on for about 10 more years and my weight did go down a bit. Then my conscience started wearing on me. More and more I began to feel guilty for eating that stuffed turkey for Thanksgiving or woofing down those KFC chicken legs (extra crispy)! I was in a state of denial, thinking it was OK to eat chicken and turkey, but not to eat beef or pork.

Present day, I decided to purchase 6 chicks of various breeds from Mt. Healthy Hatchery in Ohio. I brought them home and over the next month, I constructed not only a chicken coop, but rather a chicken MANSION (complete with front porch and porch light)! Every day, I grew more eager to see and play with my new feathered friends. It was amazing to see how fast they grew on a daily basis. I took it upon myself to read a few books and surfed the web for any information I could find on how to raise them in a healthy manner. Each passing day, brought be closer to the inevitable...I could no longer consume my precious backyard friends at the dinner table or for a picnic lunch. I immediately threw away any food that was in the house that had chicken/turkey by products in them. This included a wide variety of soups, bouillon and gravy. I started looking up vegetarian recipes and exploring the many veggie products that were available at the local grocery store. I found that many of these foods tasted great! I am currently down to 200lbs and holding. I just turned 40 and feel great!

You see, by raising chickens, I have learned a deeper respect for all living things and I am (or at least will be) rewarded with healthy "Farm Fresh" eggs (and egg whites).

I intend on creating this blog to express my joy of raising chickens as well as share some tasty vegetarian recipes.

Saturday, August 28th

I wanted to post a few pics of my chickens when they were first born. I purchased them from Mount Healthy Hatchery in Mount Healthy, OH. I think they cost about $5.00 each. They were born on the day I picked them up and had never had any food or water. It was up to me to make sure they started their little lives off right. I rushed them home and placed them into a nice large clothes dryer barrel. I installed a heat lamp and made sure the temp was around 95 degrees, filled the box with wood chips and placed them in. They seemed to be quite comfy. I had to dip their beaks into the watering jar manually to get them to start drinking. We began playing with them after about a week. What fun!

Monday, August 30th

Time for a vegetarian recipe!

BIONIC BREAKFAST SAUSAGES (from http://www.webvalue.net)
Serving Size : 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup Raw bulgur wheat* -- cooked
• 1/4 cup Gluten or whole wheat flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon Nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons Tamari
• 1 teaspoon Dried basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Sage
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Crushed dried red pepper -- flakes 

DIRECTIONS:

1. To cook bulgur wheat:  Put one cup bulgur wheat in a saucepan with 2 1/2 cups water and one teaspoon salt.
   Bring to a boil, then turn down to medium-low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.
   Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes before using.
2. In a bowl, mix cooked bulgur wheat and gluten or whole wheat flour well.
3. Add nutritional yeast to egg; mix into bulgur mixture.
4. Add tamari and the rest of the seasonings, mixing well.
5. Form into patties and saute in a little vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes on each side. OR bake them on a greased cookie sheet in a 350 degree F. oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until crispy brown on the outside.