Our Chicken System

Counting Losses
It has been a sad week for us in our chicken adventure. We lost two of our eight chickens to predators. They were taken in the same day, and all that was left was two piles of feathers. I am almost certain that coyotes did this. One reason I suspect this is that I saw a young coyote in the middle of the day in a nearby field the day before it happened.

The chickens taken were the two that often strayed from the flock to adventure on their own. I know this is natural selection at play, but it is sad to lose any livestock. We have cared for them every day for 6 months now.  

The farm must go on! Coyotes are extremely difficult to get rid of. Trapping is the best way to get rid of them, and I am not prepared to do that. We will therefore no longer free range the chickens for the foreseeable future. 

Adding a Dust Bath House
It is very important this time of year that the chickens be able to dust. Dusting (flapping in loose dirt) is how chickens bathe. I decided that if they can no longer free-range, we needed to provide them with a dust bathing area in their pen. I have seen people do this by putting dirt in tires. We happen to have an old dog house that I thought might be even better. It is enclosed all around except for the entrance, which is perfect for keeping the dirt concentrated.

I burnt a brush pile the other day, so I was able to add some ash to the dirt mix inside the chicken dust bath house. The chickens were cautious around it at first, but some grass clippings inside helped convince them that the chicken dust bath house is a safe place. 

Other Features of Our Chicken System
Our chicken pen is a stall in our barn. I do not remember exactly, but I estimate that it is about 10ft x 12ft. Obviously more space would be better, but the hens are content with this much space.

The picture below shows the set-up we have for the waterer, feeder, and roost. I really like the roost that my husband Luis made. I can pick it up and move it, making it very easy to clean out the area underneath. The waterer is on landscaping blocks to help keep the water clean.

The feeder is a store bought feeder with a PVC pipe extension. We have it suspended between the walls with rope so that the chickens cannot knock it over. Unlike feeders I have tried in the past, this one has very little waste. We use kitty litter boxes for the nesting boxes, and we have hay in them for the nests. We tried pine shavings, but the chickens would just scratch the shavings out.

I have been around chickens my whole life and had my own since I was about 12. Although we do not have a perfect chicken system now, what we have is pretty good! Let me know if you have any questions about keeping chickens!

Finding the Perfect Sage Green

Ever since we bought our house about a year and a half ago, I have envisioned painting the bedroom I use for my office sage green. The entire house needed repainted badly. The tans on the walls were faded and stained. It has taken me a while to get to the office, because green is a very tricky color! It is very easy to get too much yellow or too much blue in it. Too much yellow, and it looks tacky. Too much blue, and it looks like an Easter egg. 

The safest way to get a sage green that you can love for years is to go with a gray-toned sage! We went with Gray Expose 5007-2A by Valspar in eggshell. 

Other colors we considered are Tornado Watch 6002-2A by Valspar and Rare Gray SW 6199 by Sherwin Williams.



Gray Expose was the right choice for us. I really love this color! It is green, but not too green. It is both soothing and elegant. 

It is hard to capture a picture that does this color justice, but here is one that I think shows the true nature of Gray Expose: 

Hubby's Fried Deer Steak Fingers

Fried deer steak fingers is one of my favorite meals that Luis makes! He makes the deer and I make mashed cauliflower and gravy to go with it. Luis eye-balls all of his spices, but I asked him to try to estimate what he uses so I can share this delicious recipe with y'all. For it to be authentic, don't be afraid to eyeball the spices and make this your own. Do note, he was being a little funny when he came up with some of these instructions. ;-)

Ingredients:

• Strips of deer cubed steak
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tbsp. creole
• 1 tbsp. black pepper
• 3 shakes of sea salt
• 2 shakes of garlic salt
• 6 shakes of garlic powder
• 3 non-gmo cage free eggs
• 2 splashes of milk
• Oil for skillet

Directions:

1. Mix flour and spices in one container.
2. Whisk eggs and milk to combine in another container. 
3. Take deer steak fingers dip into flour, then dip into the egg wash, then back into the flour, then back into egg wash, and then back into flour  (repeat as much as you like or until you run out of egg wash or flour).
4. Add oil to skillet, set stove to little more than medium, and let oil heat up.
5. Set deer steak fingers in skillet for about around 3-5 mins or until blood flows up from within the steak fingers, then flip and cook for about another 3-5 mins.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Bedroom Before and After

This week isn't a recipe, although I have more of those coming. 

We have made big changes in our bedroom this month! First, we got a new bedset. I searched and searched for a bedset that 1.) fit my style 2.) we could afford and 3.) is made of real wood. This bedset meets all of my criteria! We also got it at a local business that delivered it and put it together for us. Here is a close up to show some of the details: 

The boards feature live edges. It is the Ivan Smith Pasco bedset in case you want to check it out. 

I also did a major paint overhaul in the bedroom. The walls were a faded and stained beige color. I made an accent wall with Rainy Afternoon by Benjamin Moore and painted the other three walls Silver Song by Benjamin Moore. Here is a before and after comparison: 

Farmhouse style with its very beige and greige tones has been in for a while, but I want to challenge you to be bold with color! The dark green color I chose is not everyone's cup of tea, but it is mine. I have a style that I like to think of as "naturesque", or something. Use color in a way that is uniquely your style! (Unless you plan to sell soon, then use colors everyone likes.) 

Next, I plan to share some of the accessories in the room! I have some more accessories on the way right now, so it will have to wait.

3 Ingredient Berry Blast Syrup

I never find pancakes entirely satisfying without there being fruit involved. I came up with this easy recipe so that I can whip up home-made pancakes with berry blast syrup any time I get a pancake craving. 

This makes enough syrup for 1-2 people. 

Ingredients

• About 1 cup frozen berries of choice (I usually use mixed berries)
• 3 tbsp. honey (2 tbsp. sugar should also do the trick)
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a small sauce pan. Bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer; simmer until syrup begins to thicken, stirring occasionally. 
2. Remove from heat. Serve on pancakes. I recommend topping with whipped cream! 

Notes
I usually cook this simultaneously with the pancakes so they are done about the same time. If you let this sit while you cook the pancakes, the syrup may become too thick. If that happens, just add it back to the heat until it becomes the consistency you like. 

For a twist on this that I call berry lemonade syrup, use more lemon juice to taste (about 2 tbsp.). 

Pandemic Burritos: Easy Breakfast Burritos with Common Ingredients

Easy meals are crucial during busy times, or like now, times when we have not gone to the grocery store in a while because there is a pandemic. Something we are never short of at my house is eggs. Our 8 hens give us more eggs than we could possibly need.

I threw together a couple satisfying meals with eggs and other items that we typically have at home. Keep reading for an easy way to make burritos using mainly eggs, beans, and rotel!
 

Easy Breakfast Burritos

Servings: Makes about 6-8 burritos

Ingredients

• 12-14 eggs
• 1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 can rotel with green chilies (drained)
• 1-2 cups cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Oil for skillet 
• Tortillas
• Optional: salsa

Instructions
If dividing into two meals (3-4 burritos for each meal): 

1. Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet on medium heat.
2. Add 6-7 eggs, half a can of black beans (rinsed and drained), and half a can of rotel (drained) to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook until eggs are firm. 
3.  Spoon burrito mix onto burritos, sprinkle with cheese and salsa (if using). Serve and enjoy!
4. Refrigerate the other half of ingredients for later use. Repeat steps 1-3 when making a later meal. 

If making one meal (all 6-8 burritos at once): 

1. Heat a small amount of oil in a large skillet on medium heat. 
2. Add eggs, black beans (rinsed and drained), and rotel (drained) to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook until eggs are firm. 
3. Spoon burrito mix onto burritos, sprinkle with cheese and salsa (if using). 
4. Serve and enjoy!  

Easy and Authentic Mexican Rice

Everyone always raves about my mother-in-law's Mexican rice. Everyone also always wants her recipe for it. The thing is, she doesn't use a recipe. I decided I would pick up what I can from her (mostly by asking my husband a ton of questions about what she does) and create a recipe for Mexican rice. Mexican rice could be made differently of course, but this is really what my mother-in-law uses and does. I also like it because it is simple and easy. I present to you an easy and authentic way to make Mexican rice!  

Easy and Authentic Mexican Rice

Ingredients

• About 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cups long grain white rice
• About 2 tsp. minced garlic (or 4 cloves, minced)
• 2 caldo de tomate bouillon cubes
• Salt to taste 
• Optional: 1 tsp onion powder 
• 5 cups of water*

Instructions

1. Rinse rice with water until water runs clear
2. Heat oil in skillet, add rice. 
3. Cook and stir occasionally until rice starts to brown. 
4. Add minced garlic to rice and sautee for about 30 seconds until fragrant. 
5. Add caldo de tomate, salt, onion powder (if using) and water to skillet. Stir. 
6. Cover skillet and bring to boil. Then cook (covered) for about 20 minutes, or until water is evaporated and rice is tender. Stir occasionally to disperse the caldo de tomate. 
7. Serve and enjoy! 

*If all the water evaporates before the rice is cooked through, add more water in order to cook the rice longer.

Additional Tips  
You could add to this recipe by adding small pieces of onion, tomato, and/or jalapeno. You could use some broth instead of all water. You could also use more caldo de tomate cubes if you want to strengthen the flavor. 

For a treat, put chicken and queso blanco on top of a bed of this rice for what some call "chicken on the beach"!

For another treat, make "chicken on the beach" fajita style!