Cluckling Notes

Spring is here, the girls (hens) are going around snipping grass here, catching a bug there, and laying eggs. Eggs, eggs, eggs everywhere, my refrig is full to over flowing. I've cooked as many egg dishes as I can think of, and resorted to sneaking over to the neighbors to leave eggs on their doorstep. Run home and reload. I love range eggs, they have such beautiful bright yellow yolks, and just taste better than battery eggs. With the garden starting to produce, there are a lot of radish, lettuce, and chard trimmings to feed the girls. They see me coming and setup a frenzy of cackling. Happy chatter while I work in the garden. Strawberries are blooming, and have netted them to keep them safe from the girls & other birds. Jays have been busy planting oak seeds, which are sprouting everywhere. The bluebird couple are back, and building a new nest in the box I put up at the edge of the garden. Frogs are singing like tenors on testosterone down at the little creek. The wild turkeys are strutting their stuff as they pass thru the back yard. Counted 35 head in the last flock to come by. Two big doe's were here last evening, checking out the fence that I had to put around the garden. When there was no fence they just ate everything, usually just before it was ready for harvest.
Cowcamp Fast Breakfast Smoothie: 3 heaping tablespoons frozen orange juice, 3 raw eggs, 1 1/2 cups milk. Put all ingredients in big glass, whip with handheld blender. Drink up.

water is music recipe

add rain, until the ponds & lakes are full

a pinch of lightning to see the way

a dash of thunder booming off the mountains

a bit more rain

a big dollop of sunshine

several fat worms a wriggling for the wild hen farm chiks

a small frog a croaking

blue jays a plenty

pine cones a thunking

garden sprouts

essence of green grass

soft sound of mamma cow calling her baby home

art heart salad

1 pkg chicken rice-a-roni, cooked per directions
2 cups cooked rice, cold
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped
2 jars artichoke hearts, chopped up, add oil from 1 jar to rice
8 pimento stuffed olives, chopped
1 can mushrooms, chopped
1/4 tsp curry powder
1 can shrimp
1 cup mayonnaise
salt & pepper to taste

fold all ingredients together and chill. serve on bed of lettuce.

manners

Manners are a big deal to me. When my children were young they learned manners and respect, sometimes it was an easy lesson,other times not. They have taught the same to their children. Often today respect is not around much. Example: I recently went to a grand's school awards assembly. not near enough seating (poor planning on the admins part & could have been easily solved). There were a fair number of men and boys setting and not one offered his seat up. Now I may not look like the granny of seven, or need to be setting, but there were others that did. Come on grannies, speak up. I did to the gang tat Hispanic guy playing with his cell phone who was seated right beside where i stood.

DEATH CHICKEN*

Line a 9 x 13 pan with 6 or more slices of uncooked bacon,
pour 1 cup uncooked rice over the bacon. On top of the rice put uncooked chicken pieces, skin on. Salt & pepper the chicken, and sprinkle a little paprika over it.
Whisk together 1 can cream of chicken soup and 1 cup water, adding a little bit of garlic salt, a pinch of nutmeg, 1 teaspoon oregano, and 2 to 3 tablespoons of parsley flakes. Pour over the chicken pieces and cover with heavy foil.
Cook at 300 degrees for two hours, with no peeking. Serve

* Recipe from "Sweet Potato Queens' Big-Ass Cookbook" by Jill Conner Browne