Church Steeple

Blessings,

Happy Valentine's Day

Blessings,

Baby Chicken

Baby chicks do not have the ability to maintain there own body temperature without an external source of heat. A brooder box helps provide the warmth that the baby chick will need. A brooder box can be any thing from a plastic box, a wooden box, a child's swimming pool, a card board box, or even a pet carrier. They will also need a brooder lamp (heat lamp) to keep them warm. There first week of life they need it to be 95 in there brooder box. They like it hot! Just like me. You can lower the temp in the brooder box each week by 5 degrees.
Here is our brooder box we built to keep them in until they are old enough to go outside.



It is 3x4 and 2 foot tall.



We had it built before the chicks arrived. We were planning on 14 birds. Not sure how crowded it will be with 21 babies. But, No worries, the ground hog said spring was coming early. :-)



They are so funny to watch, just as busy as little bees in there new home.

Blessings,

I heart my cast iron skillet!

I have had this skillet for 29 years now, its just a baby in cast iron skillet years, and will last me lot longer. They just get better with age, if you take care of them.
When I was visiting my sisters, I was looking at her cast iron skillet. Its looked so smooth and shiny.
Made me realize it was time to once again season my skillet. Seasoning a cast iron skillet is a natural way of creating a non-stick surface.
Here's how I season my skillet.

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Using two racks in the oven. Place one in the middle of your oven. Another on the bottom with a foil lined cookie sheet, to catch any drippings from your cast iron skillet.

There may be some smoke, so you may need to open a window or use your oven fan. I've never really had any problem with smoke.

Rub a thin layer of shortening, like Crisco, lard, or bacon grease, all over the inside, bottom, and sides. I have used liquid vegetable oil, but I wasn't happy with the turn out, it left a sticky surface on my skillet and didn't season properly. The stickiness did go away after a time or two using it.



Place the skillet upside down on the top rack over the foil lined cookie sheet.

Bake cast iron skillet for 1 to 2 hour. Allow skillet to cool. It will be very hot! If your pan is new you will need to repeat this process 3 to 4 times to get a good seasoning bond. When it comes out of the oven wipe off any excess oil.

When the pan is perfectly seasoned, it will be smooth and shiny and very black in color.



I re-season my skillet when food begins to stick to the surface or rust spots show up.
Happy skillet seasoning,

Blessings,

Early Morning Sunrise

I took this from the back deck. Can you see the moon and one star just past the tree?



Blessings,

My baby chickens have arrived!

I have wanted to have chickens for a long time, and now I have them! 21 of them!
Don't think I'm crazy, I didn't order that many, I ordered 12 pullets, and 2 males, for those of you wanting to learn, A pullet is a young, female hen somewhere between 4 weeks old to under one year. I was thinking some might not make it, And would end up with 10-12 chickens.
But that's not what I received. They sent me 22 baby chickens.

They are so tiny! and cute!



This is a Black Australorp. Which is what I ordered. They are suppose to be quiet, docile, cold hardy, good egg layers, and good for a beginner back yard chicken owner. That's me!
I received 14 of these. Hopeful 12 girls and 2 boys, but we will see about that.



This, I think is a Buff Orpington, I didn't order these little guys, but they are very cute. I won't know for sure what they are until they get bigger. I received 8 of these babies.

I lost one of the black australorp's. :-( All the others are growing and looking good.

Blessings,

My kitchen window winter view

The ground hog said spring is coming soon! I hope he's right!

Ice Covered Trees

Blessings,

Cow

I love her little curious head tilt.

Blessings