Chick Experiement

We've had some trials and tribulations with broody hens.  We've had four go broody this spring and only one had a successful hatch, she had 7 eggs and 4 hatched.  That's not great odds.  One had 8 eggs and none hatched, and one had 4 eggs with 1 hatching but only living for 2 days.  The other was too flighty and her's didn't hatch either.

Two of the same hens went broody again (Zorro and Minnie Mouse), so since they were selling chicks at the farm store we decided to try to set some chicks under both of them and see if they would take and the hens end their broodiness.

We got 8 deciding to put 4 under each hen.  We got 2 golden lace wyandotte, 2 RIR, 2 speckled sussex, and 2 silver lace wyandotte.   We were told they are 5 days old.  We picked the smallest ones, thinking from our experience, we would have a better chance of them being female.  The guy at the farm store said they were 95% female.  We'll see.

So we brought them in the house, gave them water and feed and waited until dark. The Spice Girls, Tilly's Nest (in an email message) and Kathy from the Chicken Chick said to place them after dark.  We took them out about 8:30 after everyone settled down.  We took the golf balls out from underneath Zorro and started placing the chicks.  Doug placed them near her rear and each one scooted right under her for warmth.  It was getting a little chilly last night.  Since Minne Mouse was doing her flighty thing, we put all 8 under Zorro.  Zorro's sounds changed dramatically from "keep away" to more soothing  sounds.  Once they were all placed, we stood there for about 10 minutes and waited.  All was quiet.

We went out there this moring to place feed and water for the chicks and everything was still quiet.  We'll get home right after work tonight and check in on them.  I'll keep you posted.

Nothing Better Than Soup

Nothing's better than a hot bowl of soup on a dreary day.  I was reading blogs this week and saw that Ree from PW was having of few of her blog friends showcase a couple of her recipes from her new cookbook.



  I got this recipe from Bev Cooks' blog.  Chicken Tortilla Soup.   I added corn and a half can of green chilis.  This soup was great.  I'll be making it again.

Click on either Bev Cook's or the Soup for the recipe.

This post is being linked to Barn Hop #54 and Real Food Wednesday

Homemade Laundry Soap

I just made some laundry soap.  I've had all the indgredients to make this for a long time. I just needed to exhaust my supply of store bought soap.  Today was the day. 

I grated a bar of Fels-Naptha and set aside 1 1/3 cup for another batch. I used my food processor for this. I add this to a kettle on the stove to 4 cups water.  Heat to dissolve the soap.  Meanwhile, measure out 1/2 cup each of soda and borax.  

Add 4 cups hot water to a storage container.  Add melted mixture to the storage container plus 1 gallon and 6 cups water.  Mix.  

This container is huge.  I will more than likely put it in a smaller container plus I have a milk jug I will put some into for daily use.

The information below I got from another blog.  She also had a video tutorial, if anyone is interested.  I didn't keep tract of my prices.  Next time I will and give you an update.

Price comparisons
All calculations are based on the national avg. of 400 loads of laundry per family per year, or 7.69 loads per week

Tide $12.99/64 loads .20/load=$80/yr   
Gain $5.99/32 loads .19/load=$76/yr
All $4.29/32 loads .13/load=$52/yr
Trend $2.49/38 loads .7/load=$28/yr
(generic brand)

Fels Naptha soap $1.19/bar
Arm&Hammer Super Washing Soda $2.99/55oz box
20 Mule Team Borax $4.49/76 oz box
One box of the washing soda will make just under 7 batches of soap, and the borax will make exactly 19 batches. 

One batch of soap calculates out to:
$1.19/Fels Naptha 
.49/Washing soda
.24/Borax
$1.92 per 10 gallons

10 gal (64oz) divided by 2 oz./load=320 loads/batch=.006/load

Final cost per year=$2.40!!!!!!!!!!

Now that's a great bottom line!  Please post a comment and let me know if you try this and what you think.  

Ramen Cabbage Salad and Giveaway

I read Chickens in the Road daily. Suzanne has so much to blog about and her dailies are so interesting. Today she's having a Giveaway for a cast iron dutch oven if you submit a summer recipe. Here's mine:

Ramen Cabbage Salad
1 head of cabbage, sliced thinly
1 green pepper, sliced thinly, optional
1 package Chicken flavored Ramen
1 package toasted sliced almonds

2 T. sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
2T. vinegar
1 packet chicken flavor

Put in a jar with lid. Shake to mix. Reserve.
Break up package of Ramen noodles

When ready to eat, mix all together and serve immediately.

Don't mix ahead of time. It will get soggy.

I usually put the ramens in a baggie and another baggie for the cabbage.

This is simple but delicious.

I won!

THANK YOU so much Keryn from My Country Blog for the really colorful measuring cups and spoons. I've put the to use many times already.

EQ

I broke down and ordered EQ6 last week. It arrived and I'm playing/learning. I tried to dive right in but found out that I should probably go through at least some of the lessons. Guess you know what I'm doing today. That is until DB and DS get here and then my day is not my own. Oh well, it could be worse. I could be cleaning bathrooms!

Winter Storm

I'm home nursing an ear infection and my DB calls and asks if it's snowing at the house. I look up and what do you know, yes it's snowing and I was going to go into town for groceries. Not now.

This is the front yard and drive. You can almost see the road.

The back yard. Even the birds took off. They are probably under the Red Hot Pokers. Good cover for them.
Time to put another log on the fire and hunker down. Maybe I'll head for the sewing room and get something accomplished.

"Chickens in the Road"

I started reading Chickens in the Road about a year ago. I was looking for anything rustic, back to nature, gardening, etc. I found Suzanne. Visit her blog. She writes wonderfully.





http://suzannemcminn.com/blog/2009/11/22/apple-spice-simmering-potpourri/



She's asking for her readers to vote for her. She's a single stay at home mom and this is an opportunity for her. Take a look. If you comment on her blog, let her know I sent you.

NW Quilt Expo

I had an opportunity to take two of Karen McTavish's lectures at the NW Quilt Expo last month. I was even able to purchase her last Whitework Quilting book that she brought to the Expo. She even autographed it for me.
She's funny and so down to earth. If you get a chance to take a class from do it. You won't be sorry.

Design Wall

Well I have't made any progress other than to re-arrange the blocks. Hum. It was suggested that I make a large star for the center and arrange the smaller blocks around it. Since this is scrappy batiks, and I'm only using fat quarters for it, I don't have enough of any two FQs to make make it with. I'm stumped. I would love to put the design in EQ but I changed laptops and can't find my software. I hope I can figure something out soon. I'd like to put another UFO up on my wall.

Dani's Quilt part 2

How does it look? It's ready for the longarm. Whew!

Dani's Quilt

I am working on a quilt to give to my newest grandchild, Danielle. I'm heading over to Montana to see her for the first time in a couple of weeks and want her to have a warm quilt for her mom to wrap her up in. I haven't have time to sew since June when I was back there sewing with my older granddaughters. I've been so busy gardening, canning and work. Now that the garden is done, maybe I can quilt again. I've missed it. I got the butterfly squares from Ebay and decided to do scrappy on the rest of it. I'll post a picture when it's finished.

Canning and Bread

I received some pears from a friend of a friend. My DB loves canned pears, but only in glass. Seems the ones in tin have a taste he doesn't care for. I had some leftover pears so I made some Pear Bread. It turned out wonderful, moist and favorful.

I hope to do some quilting today. I want to work on my Floating Stars.

Floating Stars and Such

I can't believe I've been silent for so long. It's been a hectic summer. Our garden went nuts and still hasn't died down. Between vacation, family visiting, canning, freezing, and work, I haven't been able to sew hardly a lick.

The Floating Star above is a quilt I started 3 years ago for my daughter. I tried to get her to pick another quilt that was finished but she saw this accidently and it was the one she wanted. Now all I have to do is get it done. I'm tired of it. I just want it finished and it's not even half way close. I don't want to make any more stars. I want to alternate blocks with just a block of batik. She wants king size, of course. So this is going on my design wall and it's not coming down until it's finished. I'm going to Montana in October to visit her family and my newest granddaughter. I am also going to spend time with my parents. I hope you don't get tired of this quilt because I've resolved myself to finishing it by October and take it with me.

Do you have any ideas for this quilt, sashing, alternate blocks? I'd love to hear your opinions.

Another Birthday Giveaway!

Jackie is celebrating her birthday with a giveaway. Spread the word.

Monday's Design Wall

The main blocks are from my BOM club. It's a "quilt as you go" tecnique. I wanted to try it because I wanted to learn a new technique. The bottom row is ready to be sewed front sides together, then the back of one trimmed and then handsewn together. I am taking it with me on my trip to Montana to visit my parents, sister from Singapore, brother, daughter and my precious (3) grandchildren. My GDs want to learn to sew. I'm taking my Janome Jem and they have two there. I'm bringing a couple of pillow forms and some of their favorite color fat quarters. This will be fun.

I Won!

I entered a Giveaway in May for fat quarters from Yellow Bird Art. I can not believe I won. Look at the wonderful FQs I received. The tag on the FQs said "Bits of Bliss" Thank you Angela!

Happy Father's Day Dad!

I called my father this morning and he informed me that when I come to visit next week, "I'd better not bring any rain with me!" My family lives in Montana and it's been raining, lightening, and thunderstorms continuously for weeks. They want some "Big Sky".

My Dad. This wasn't his best picture. It was late on the Fourth of July and he was tired and not used to all the grands and great-grands not to mention all the fireworks. My SIL and Nephew in law seem to try to outdo each other every year with Who can get the most and the best and the loudest. Since fireworks are outlawed in town, everyone gathers at Mom and Dad's. We eat, play, the little ones wade in the pool and then the show begins. It's a great time.

Have a GREAT DAY DAD, I'll see you soon!

It's Sunday, Where Did the Weekend Go?

I've been busy this weekend trying to finish a quilt. I have till 5pm today to get it done. Then K is coming to get it. Pictures later. But what would a post be without pictures. I've also been reading a weekly tutorial by Sue (http://www.suehecker.com/category/photography/). So early Saturday and Sunday I've been taking some pictures. Take a look:

The first on is an Bullocks Oriole. He's so quick, it was hard to get any pictures. He does like our Red Hot Pokers. He goes from one to another. When this poker is mature, it'll be yellow on the bottom and red on the top of the cone. The hummingbirds like them also. My DB wanted a picture because he thinks it's a tanager and he wants to debate the issue. It couldn't match the Stokes Bird Book any better, but it'll be fun to hear his argument. The second is a female Grosbeak. I wonder why the males are always prettier that the females. I think it's because they need all the help they can get.

Rockin and Rollin

We had one heck of a storm late yesterday afternoon. The winds were around 80 mph. Trees down on my route home. One of the huge cottonwoods in the back field by our house, our sunbreak in the summer, blew down taking a mass of limbs from the other trees. It looks bare back there today. Our shed, which wasn't in great shape to begin with, but we were going to paint it this summer was trashed. Power was out for about 3 hours and again for a half hour during the night. Today we are cleaning up. The garden doesn't look too bad. The plants are all leaning because of the wind. All in all we fared pretty good. Salem to the south of us had trees down and flooding. To the east I think they got hail, rain and wind.