Happy Easter!

I stopped by the farm stand yesterday to buy some fresh dug parsnips and couldn't resist wandering through the green house. The warmth was wonderful and the fragrance of the blooming flowers was even better. I just stood for a moment and drank it in. This is spring!



Of course spring isn't complete until I've stopped by the farm store to check out the newest arrivals. Just days old they know just what to do.

Blackberry Custard Pie

I am forever looking for a recipe that uses up eggs. I only have 2 hens that lay now but that's still two eggs nearly everyday. This recipe came from EVERYDAY FOOD cookbook. Simple and quick and no water bath required.
Prep: 15 minutes Total: 1 hour Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS
• 3 Pears or Peaches, peeled, halved, cored, & sliced. Or berries.
• 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• cinnamon
• REAL maple syrup
• Confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; butter a 9-inch pie dish. Slice pears or peaches 1/4 inch thick lengthwise. Arrange slices, overlapping slightly, in dish. If using berries cover bottom of dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with maple syrup.

2. In a blender, process 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter, 1/3 cup each granulated sugar and all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 3 large eggs, 3/4 cup milk, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until smooth.

3. Pour batter over fruit; bake until golden and firm to touch, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners' sugar.

Happy Chicks on parade

Out and about in the front yard. They love to roam about but I only do it when I'm working in the yard.

Thank you girls!

RED HAT GIRLS

Lovely red combs adorn the heads of my hens.

Red giving Blackie a little attitude below.
I can just hear it:
"You're not the only chick here. I'm pretty too!"

Check out all the Ruby Tuesday hosted by Work of the Poet.

My Girls : The Hens

Carole at Fowl Visions recently posted about WHY she has chickens.
I realized that I have only posted once that I have hens.

I have four girls.
Two white leg-horns and then Blackie & Red.

So, why?

Well, being a farm daughter I seem to have this in-grained need to do chores and care for farm critters. I can't think of a better way to get the morning started then lugging fresh water & feed for them every day. In return they give me eggs, laughs, friendly pecks and joy.

My family thinks I'm crazy.

I built their little chicken coop my self with scrap lumber I rescued from the town dump.

It's not large, about the size of a dog house with one window and a door with a ramp out into their fenced yard. The view above is looking in through the nest box door. The lights give them the hours of light they need to keep producing eggs (14) as well as warming the place in the freezing temperatures we have here in winter.

New to the Flock

I brought home a red hen to keep Blackie-girl company. She seems to be settling in and finding her place.