Winding down after a successful day

Baking is complete, the fermenting dough is tucked away in the safe place, the catch & release of the coop inhabitants into their coop after relaxing with them for our daily visit is done. Dinner is finished and now just relaxing with hubby.

After the cinnamon rolls were frosted, I looked up how to make a gift box. Today was Ms. AM's baseball game and I wanted to give her some in a pretty container. Its a little wonky but not bad for my first time. Unfortunately the game was cancelled and I'll drop it off at her house tomorrow,  as a surprise before I go pick her up from school.

Here it is, I traded the saran wrap for a baggie for the clear opening. Its smoother and prettier. 😄

Made a pork loin with sweet potatoes,  we had a slice of fresh buttered bread and a salad as well. A nice ending to a busy day.

Before dinner though was a sit outside with the chicks and ducks day . Wednesdays  are meeting nights so mo outdide time for the ladies. Mosquitoes were very pesty today even with the repellant. I wore shorts with my boots and received a few pecks to my legs with curious looks. Flower took a selfie with me and the ducks stomped in the muddy puddles.

Red line of defense, lol

Now its time to rest up for tomorrow,  its ballet day. Almost time for recital and everyone is so excited and the costumes are too sweet.

Until later. .... bye

Baking Day!

Everyone loves fresh bread, and in keeping with trying to live simpler and not rely on store bought as much, I decided as long as its possible,  Tuesday will be baking day. **I'll have to embroider that on a bib apron one day😊**

I haven't made friendship bread in awhile so I was thinking that would make a nice evening snack with a cup of hot tea. Its a 10 day investment but after the 10 days you have enough for baking and then every five days you have more to bake. I may be freezing some of the fresh bread, since I do want to keep our waistlines at bay.

Here is the recipe and instructions for Friendship Bread.

The recipe makes 2 small loaf pans or one large for each cup of starter. I'll be making the smaller loaves and not 'gifting' a cup of of starter every 5 days. My girls are too busy to take care of a little yeast monster, as I call it,  in their kitchens, so I'll  be giving them a loaf if they want some.

I will warn you though..... if you decide to keep the 2nd cup, feed it in its own baggie or bowl you may end up with a kitchen full of little yeast monsters, lol. I did at one time. Felt sorry for the unwanted cup and became a slave to many baggies of yeast monsters. Lol. Its ok to throw away the unwanted 2nd cup each 5 days if you aren't going to gift it or bake it. Really.

Now onto the Friendship Bread Recipes. This is a storehouse of recipes using the starter and even has links to making it to suit your eating style. Gluten-free  its there. Vegan its there. Paleo, sugar-free and more. Its going to take me the 10 days to figure out what to make! 🙄

Also on bread making day I'll be whipping out 2 loaves of basic white bread. I know white bread isn't good for you but I enjoy it and by making my own I can control the ingredients.  One day I'll tackle wheat bread but today its white.

A third batch is for cinnamon rolls, they're a family favorite. Just roll out the dough, cover it in a thin coating of melted butter, add cinnamon and sugar. Roll up from one long end to the other and seal the edges. Use a string, I  use sewing thread, and wrap around and 'slice' off each roll. Arrange in pan and continue the rise and baking the same as the basic white bread.

I may have to increase my step count to rid myself of my future muffin top 😉

The last thing I started today is a sour dough starter. This makes the yummiest bread, rolls, cinnamon rolls ever. Its a 2 to 8 day time investment but afterwards you have the best sour dough starter to make the yummiest breads with.  It'll make 2 cups and you use 1 cup and feed the other. If you don't feed it, use within 11 days. If you do feed it, it lasts as long as you like. Unlike the friendship bread, the sour dough starter must to be kept in the refrigerator.

Time to shape the bread, I hope you try the recipes and leave a note in the comments section to let me know how it turned out.

Until later...... bye

Weekend Updates

Friday was Ms. AN's school field day. They call it Kinder-Olympics so cute. They all had so much fun and Mr. M and Ms. AM got to participate a little too.

Then we made cookies and ate them with Gigi when she came over later. 

Saturday was a pretty day and so hubby and I enjoyed the weather and each others company. Later in the evening I like to let the chicks  and ducks out into the run to enjoy the day too, a couple of hours before sunset. I took advantage of the time and started mowing grass but soon the weather changed and it was raining. So we went inside to wait it out. The lights went out and it was almost sunset.  So out to the coop in the rain I go to gather up the ducks and chicks that have forgotten its their bedtime. 

Hubby and I had cheese and sweet tea, played on our phones until the lights came back on. It was a nice change and I pinned a whole new bunch of things in the process. Unfortunately the flickering lights fried my hard drive so it looks like a new drive is in the works for me.

Pinterest 

Sunday we had our meeting and heard a wonderful talk. Came home and finished the mowing. Mr. M and Ms. AN came over for a bit and we watched Ice Age 2, the meltdown. I had forgotten how funny it was.

Until later.....

Ducks Unite

Seems Sunshine and her sisters have a revolt in the making. I have found 3 posts from her to the Facebook page City Girl in the Country. Silly girl. Here is  from the three posts:

<<Dear City Girl

Sunshine, the duck here. Today I was subjected to having to watch flirtatious goings ons between my human and that furry 4 legged thing she calls Juliette.

Petting, hugging, kissing and just sitting quietly there while I, a fine duck specimen,  had to endure the ritual from my confinement quarters.

Granted I would have enjoyed getting out, and maybe those hugs aren't so bad, but to sit here and watch and not participate is sheer torture.

I wonder when my jail sentence is up so that I can rejoin my fellow ducks in the fight against human hugging.

I shall tell them of my torture but I will also leave out the clean quarters and swims in the hard pond in the room with no windows. I don't want them thinking I have gone soft on humans.

Thats all to report, she's starting to get that look in her eye where they all go outside as she calls it. I guess I will sleep and dream of freedom.>>

Then there was this one....

<<Dear City Girl,

Sunshine the duck here. Today when my human took me out of my confinement quarters I waddled away, she called it running but we all know ducks just do not run. Anyways, she picked me up and carried me to the outside. 

At first I quaked and quacked with fear and apprehension.  Questions ran through my mind... where are we going? What did I do to deserve this? Will I never see my fellow ducks again? Then a familiar area appeared before us. It was My Home! I called out to my fellow ducks I'm home... I'm home and they called out to me lets celebrate our sister has returned.

I ran over there to them, we chatted our greetings and I started to tell them of my experience in captivity. The human took some pictures and left. 

But wait! She came back again!! My sister ran ahead of me and my other sister stood by my side while I sat down to wait and see what she wanted.  Then she left again. 

I am free at last! I will treasure this moment forever. 

I will report in again on our uprising efforts when the human is sitting outside watching us. I can safely report in because she fraternizes with the chick called Flower. We suspect Flower of being an undercover spy but have no proof of this yet.>>

                     

Then finally this one.....

<<Dear City Girl 

Sunshine here and today our human went into the run and sat with us. And as I suspected Flower went over to her for what I can only assume to be reporting on the duck revolt. Its not that we dislike our human or our food and shelter we just hate climbing that ramp out to the grasslands and her catching us and putting us back in the coop. Its humiliating. 

Anyways, Flower has coerced several other hens to spy for the humans. We saw the human take photos and we have proof that they are spying, why else would they allow such closeups to be taken? 

Have to go now, she's coming to get us>>

They are such funny little things, stamping their feet in muddy puddles, talking with their mouths full and pushing through crowds of hens to get to the plants they want to munch on.

I Love Them So.

Pecking Order and All

Friday was craft and baking day. Ms. AM and Mr. M painted, cut and glued to their hearts fill. Afterwards Ms. AN came over and made cookies for Ms. AM's game. The house smelled yummy and Gigi and I enjoyed a cookies with our tea.

Making cookies together to bring home and to Ms. AM's game

While Ms. AM played ball Gigi got to love on Mr. C . It was a very sunny day and we all got quite hot. Good thing we had gateraid and water to sip.

Mr. M gave Bunny some smoochies  in between innings.

Saturday started at 6:30, after checking on the chicks and ducks, feeding the birds and guineas and feeding the pups we were all worn out by 10am. Especially Tesla and Juliette

Little did the teenagers know but later the preteens would be joining them in the big coop.

There was a bit of bullying from the teens to the preteens but all in all they didn't pick on them too much. A little black hen was busying herself at joining the bigger girls while her peers were busy just trying to get used to their new found freedom.

The ducks had fun swimming in the tub and was really quite cute. After sundown it was time for all to go to bed, but there were still some that refused. The preteens didn't know the routine and the ducks don't enjoy climbing the ramp back up into the coop. Preteens caught and moved in and while trying to catch the ducks one tripped and hurt her leg.

I've been calling her sunshine. She has her own private room next to the baby chicks and she seems to be content. She got to bath in the sink and has got a pretty pink cup to hold all her water. Hopefully it won't take too long.

Hubby is mending from his flu-cold and Bunny brought me some pretty flowers today for the not a holiday gift. Thank you Bunny.

Until later, bye

Thursday Ramblings May 5th, 2016

Meet Mayuka. Our lovely fat cat. She brings daily gifts that the pups either play with or claim as their own. Despite being chased, terrorized and all around treated as an outsider, especially by Tesla, she is still as sweet as ever.

                                  

Ms. AM started 'sewing' again and was proud of her chain. We turned it into a bracelet and as I took the picture she spun around. Cool photo! I started on my jacket but didn't get very far. I decided to do the pattern in powder blue and white in between. I like it so far.

Then we went outside to look for red birds. she looked so cute in her Mommy and me outfit. Too bad I didn't get a shot of them together. It was Mommy and me tea today at her school.

 We had a visit from Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum it seems. Chickens are so funny, you just never know what to expect from them.

Here we are in the jungles watching the wild birds searching for rogue bugs to devour. They look like little rapters running through the grass.

Lastly hubby came out to sit with me and Flower came and visited with him. She's such a good egg.

Until later, bye

A Peek into the Ladies Room

                                                                                                                                                               Early morning meeting as to why mom was running late with the breakfast. When I got there they were all ready to run out. I had to remind them that today is Wednesday and until they learn how to go in without my help they had to stay in their room.

Good Morning Flower! Sorry I got busy with Mr. M and Daddy.

These two ladies have a contest going on to see who can be photographed the most.

Now who closed your door and then opened it back up again? 

As well as shifted the view?

Dinner time at the Ole' Homestead. I wonder where Mom is?

Evening visit and Miss Boo came to see and hug them. Quackers wasn't too excited at first but settled down after a while.

I just love seeing how they spend their time when we are not around, plus it helps if unwanted visitors come by... snakes, mice, dogs, coyotes, humans. Hope there won't be too many visitors to the Ladies Room.

until later, bye

Wednesday was a Sick Day

Poor hubby didn't go to work today. He's not feeling well so Mr. M and I stayed in the living room while he rested in the bedroom.

Mr. M bounced on the bouncy thing, played games on both the tablet and their computer and in the playroom. Around lunchtime hubby came out to join us still not feeling well.

watching Treasure Buddies on Netflix

playing on the bouncy thingy while we watch wood turning videos

When its a day like today we watch our Roku, we got away from cable and dish, and things like JW Broadcast with its encouraging bible based articles, Downton Abbey and Young Indiana Jones on Amazon Prime, cooking videos, bowl and other things turning, and sawmill videos on YouTube.

Today is wood turning videos. I especially like the ones where they add resin to Banksia Pods to create beautiful things like vases but my favorite is pens. So very pretty.

Decided to make that lacy top in the last post, and based upon the amount of yarn I have should have enough to make it, lol. Decided to do a white version, summertime and white seem to go perfect together. Will post pictures of it as it progresses.

                              

Ms. AN and her ballerina friends trying on their costumes for the recital. So pretty! 

Well the Littles have gone home, time to see what the chickens and ducks have been up too and take care of a sick hubby, otherwise we would be at our meeting enjoying the company of our spiritual family.

Until later, bye.

Another Day for Adventures

Today has started out like most Wednesdays. 

Mr. M comes to visit and the chickens and ducks and guineas (we have a neighborhood flock that goes from yard to yard keeping pest at bay) get their morning breakfast and hellos and a little petting, if they will let me.

Baby chicks are still sleeping in their food bowl and puppies are still chasing Mayuka. 

Yesterday we went to a program for Ms. AN. She did a PE program with 50s music and jump ropes and hula hoops. Ms. AN was a hula hooper and I am  amazed at how she walked around hooping and even got down on her knees and then back up again. Before the program though was house cleaning day and pick up Ms. AM from school and grocery shopping. A busy day indeed!

                  

                             


The chicks and ducks got to play outside in the morning but when hubby came home he saw a stray cat. So everyone had to go back in. Poor babies. Then when we got home from the program, the light wasn't on and all the poor babies were at the door waiting for us to turn it on. The game camera didn't take any pictures just 800 file fragments. 

How disappointing. I took these earlier while I was outside.

A gathering of hens means only two things. Visiting or a worm

The pre-teens are almost ready to go in the big coop.

Since everything but dusting has been done, I thought that I would check out a pattern to make, still haven't decided yet, but Ravelry.com has some great patterns and not all of them cost.  Go check it out, its a great resource for patterns in crochet and knitting. So trying to find the perfect pattern to work on. Haven't messed with my needles since I broke my ankle in October except to help Ms. AM. Summer is coming up and I'd like to have something cool and lacy to wear. I'm kind of leaning towards this pattern at Garner Studio

A little later we'll be picking up Ms. AN from school then going to ballet class. Ms. AM isn't going to ballet today she has a baseball game. Here she is last week at her game. Hitting a great ball and her team winning!

Until later, bye.