Saturday 7 January 2017

Chicken and egg

We have been extremely lucky as our chickens have not gone off lay which we expected over the winter.  We’re getting plenty of eggs each day still and combined with the youngest lot coming into lay in December, we’re very pleased with our daily yield as previously we’ve gone down to zero over winter.  I am going to start recording the daily amounts in my diary, yesterday was 10 from 37.  I was  supposed to start it once the whole bird flu thing has passed but it seems that is hanging around a while and I don’t have time to wait for it, it will now be business as usual in this household.
With eggs in mind, I am very conscious that we need to be paying more respect to the humble egg.  We have them at our disposal and it should play a bigger part in our journey to self-sufficiency that it has.  Therefore I shall be making more of an effort to have them as the main ingredient in at least 1 evening meal starting next week.  Wednesday’s meal will be shrimp egg foo young.  I had this many years ago and it was delicious but I’ve never had one since.  I’ll also be using them more in my day to day life, eggs for breakfast or as an ingredient.  I use a fair few, but shall give them more stage time!
Now to the goose.  As per a previous post, we are very surprised to have 3 geese eggs hiding in the shed.  I wasn’t expecting them at this time of the year, and hadn’t researched something else to do with them (yes, they’re just eggs, I know).  Last year I made lemon cake and it was delicious.  We have enough sweet food in to feed an army and I am cutting back on sugar intake for a while, so cake didn’t appeal to me.  I will spend some time looking for other people’s suggestions, so if you have any, please shout up.
Today, Ste and my Dad have been putting a greenhouse frame together and covered it in mesh. This is going to be used as a fruit cage this coming year. It is very light to lift so I can see it lending itself to multiple jobs.
 

Grace and I collected the soil from the ever growing mole hills and put it into one of the new beds. It only took 20 mins and we may as well see the silver lining in it. 

I put together one of my Christmas presents which is a seed organiser.  I will be filling this tomorrow.

The next door neighbours children have spent the afternoon here and seem to have enjoyed it. I fed them tea after giving them a couple of hours with the ponies.
 
Also, home made pizza on the menu yesterday - love home made :)
 
 
Now for a night in front of the fire.

10 comments:

  1. Loving the organiser. I wish I could have chickens, eggs are one of the major ingredients in this house. Hubby has asked me to make homemade quiche again and with so much Christmas cheese its a no brainer.

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    1. Do you have a tried and tested recipe Tania, I don't make quiche often enough and have to dig out recipe books when I do? Thanks :)

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  2. So many eggciting things happening in this post! (Sorry, couldn't NOT say it) Something I make all spring and summer is pad thai. I'll use 5-6 eggs, whatever veg needs picking, homemade sauce with lime and crushed peanuts. The scrambled egg soaks up the sauce. We love it so much there are never any leftovers. Also scrambled egg burritos for lunch.
    So jealous you have geese. Maybe someday soon!

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    1. Haha that made me lol, I do love predictable banter :)
      I am going to look up pad thai now as I have never had it nor heard of it, sounds delicious! Thank you :)

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  3. Its a good idea to keep a record of eggs collected, I love the seed organiser, I collected loads of mole hills last year to fill one of the beds mr mole makes lovely soil.

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    1. Yes, you have to look for the mole hill silver lining don't you? Well the egg collecting idea goes in line with the harvest and seed records I want to have after reading your blog on that. Louise records the eggs (as I am sure you do) so I have learnt a lot from you both already :)

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