Grilled Cheese Project

A favorite past time of mine and Ben are food 'projects'. One of our first was with apples - picking up one of every kind of apple, slicing them up, and comparing them side by side. This is when I learned that I just love pink ladys! and other super crisps. Other projects have included olives, chocolates, and root beers!
Over the last few months we have been collecting cheeses from the cheese bar at Harmons. Today Ben had the GENIUS idea to have a grilled cheese sandwich project. WWHHAHAHA!
We had a little baguette hanging around - which was perfect for little bite size sliders.



In the running was Extra Aged cheddar - Smoky Gouda - Butterkace - medium cheddar - and blue cheese (with granny smith apple slices).



Throw in some Castelvetrano Olives .... you got a pretty DANG good sunday lunch.

My vote is for smoky gouda - Ben's is for the age cheddar. Head on over to the store and get to know your cheese bar! Pick up a baguette or ciabatta loaf for an airy crunch.

The strike continues..

Alright.... We are still working to please our hens. They have been on strike for several weeks and cut off all egg production in the mean time. And because they are girls - they are offended that we don't know what they are feeling and can guess their needs. Sheesh.

The current theory is that they are molting. Apparently something chickens to once a year - molt out their feathers and grow new ones. Generally happening with the onset of colder weather.


During this time - about 2 months - we shouldn't be expecting any eggs. While we wait for christmas eggs - Ben has installed a light in the roosting box for light at heat and hopefully part encouraging egg production. (yes - we've equipped the coop with electricity by running an extension cord across the yard).
Okay chicks. We'll provide the most stylin' and up to date coop available - making any other hens in the neighborhood envy the Sharples Flock...
... and you'll give us some of these...
And these.... (every notice that Reg is always in food pictures - whether or not I'm trying to crop him in?)

DO WE HAVE A DEAL?

Oct. Update

Well. The good news is we got 5 eggs during the first couple of days we had our new hens. Bad news. No more since then!! This mystery is driving Ben and me nuts. Do they need more sun light (put in a lamp?) Do they need more calcium? (put in a supplement) Do they need a special box? (put in a nesting box) WHAT IS THE DEAL?! I figure they are on strike and will be until I can figure out what their demands are. Cable? Heated roost? Chinese take out? JUST TELL ME!


In other news it's that time of the year again. Christmas knits. Which kills me because I would really like to show it off... but all four people that look at this -- I'm making things for. So that's silly. I'm going to make an effort to have a big post christmas knit post. Show off the goods. Put your requests in now! 2 down and 8 to go.

A Flock

Chickens have turned out more challenging then I originally thought. And not the chickens themselves - but everything else that wants to eat them for dinner.
As you know, in April of this year we got 2 little black chicks and raised them up. However last month "something" dug under neath the coop that Ben build and snatched one of them up for supper. Pretty sad.
I managed to get us a couple more - totaling 3 blackie chickens. Not 3 weeks later 'something' came back around for a chicken nugget at the Sharples... found that we'd make it hard to dig under the coop --- so 'something' PULLED the wire right off the side of the cage!!!
...and picked off the 2 new ones. More sad. Interesting though that the same original hen has made it through both attacks.
And with some 'fighting skills'. So much so that we are concerned that she might be a ROOSTER!
Ack! That would not be good.
Ben read up on some strange behavior tests and tried them out in the back yard. We couldn't get a definitive answer but Tally has developed an opinion of her own.





Poor Tally.

However. Reggie doesn't think that "It's" that tough.






Don't worry. Winny survived but certainly was put in her place.


Because one chicken is a sad chicken (and just in case Winny is a rooster) we found 3 more in the ksl.com want adds.



The guy we got them from says that they are already laying!!! Ooooh!!! I made them a little box/bed with some hamster bedding in it. Ben thinks that's not necessary -- but I've tried to explain to him 'women need a 'spot' to do their thing'.
Needless to say that we'll be up bright and early to check for eggs.
:)

Jib Jab part 2

Here's another one Ma. :) HERE.
(you are welcome to the fun - even if you are not my Mom).

Jib Jab :)

Jib Jab strikes again. Video for Mom. :) Click HERE For the Child Family version.

I need to take some pictures for these videos. These aren't the best fits...