Circle of LIfe

Last week, Phillip had a few days off work in which he borrowed a DVD from friends on how to humanely kill and dress chickens. And, after watching it and taking notes, he did it with our extra roosters.

Yes, this may sound a bit harsh to some. Why would we raise, care for, and then kill what is sometimes a bit like a pet? Well, that was part of the deal we made with ourselves when we decided to get chickens and a rooster.

There isn't much of a point in owning a rooster unless you want chicks (though ours does have a wonderful personality and roosters in general can make great "guard dogs"). And, when allowing your hens to hatch chicks, there isn't really any way to guarantee that they're only hatching females, and not males. And, when you have too many mature roosters in your flock, the hens start to go off laying eggs. Which is the MAIN reason we have our hens to begin with.

(Why do hens go off laying eggs with too many roosters around? Mostly because the roosters try to mate with mature, laying hens, not hens who aren't laying eggs. If they're being "jumped on" too much, they'll stop laying so that the roosters leave them alone. We can tell when our young hens are going to start laying eggs because the rooster starts doing his funny mating dance for them.)

Anyway, when we got our chickens the "deal" was that, if we allowed hatchings, we would build up the flock with hens so we could have plenty of eggs for ourselves and to share with a few people, and extra roosters would be for meat.

The past year gave us two extra roosters that just entered their mature stage of life and needed either a new home, or to go in the freezer.

We found no homes for them, so, as said earlier, Phillip killed and dressed them. And, as someone who has only had experience with people either shooting or axing chickens up to this point, I was quite impressed with the gentle way that Phillip found to have them killed. It involves "hypnotizing" them by holding them upside down (this works great with fussy hens too, or just any chicken, and is kind of funny), and gently breaking their necks. This also leaves the meat in much better condition than shooting or axing them.

De-feathering was probably the easiest part of the job, since, being the first time we've had to kill chickens, and these being chickens we've helped raise and nurture, it was a bit hard emotionally (also, I'm flooded with pregnancy hormones at the moment and cried when Phillip brought the carcasses in the house).

Chilling out before we put them in the fridge so the meat
can relax before cooking or freezing.

But Phillip did a wonderful job, and I roasted one the other night with some carrots from our garden, potatoes and onion. After only 2.5 hours in the oven, he was really really tender and delicious. Is there a difference in taste with a fairly fresh, free-range, you-know-what-it's-been-eating rooster and one from the store? Not really. Fresher maybe, and, well, it was a bit tastier than store-bought. But honestly not much different.

We're Off To See The Tiddly Peeps

Chickens really are not the smartest of creatures.

This summer (the hottest on record here, though they've only been recording for the past 100 years), one of our chickens decided she wanted to be a mamma again. I guess she got jealous of the other hen who'd recently hatched a brood (you can see her baby photos here).

But, the hottest summer on record, our little yellow half-silky hen decided she wanted babies.

We did not. We had enough hens (5, though 2 were/are still too young to lay eggs just yet) and two extra roosters was more than we wanted (we'll be <gulp> killing and dressing them this weekend). So we tried to make her NOT broody (broody meaning, for those of you who don't talk about chickens, sitting on eggs and trying to hatch babies).

We took the eggs she managed to steal every day. This did not stop her, and she ended up, some days, just sitting on a nest of chicken turds. Gross. And dumb, as she wasn't even laying her own eggs, just stealing everyone elses.

Phillip, at one point, spun her around in a circle, to mimic one way we'd heard about to make chickens go off being broody. You put the hen in a bag, hang the bag on the clothes line, and spin it around, making them dizzy and they supposedly forget that they were broody. Phillip only spun her around in a circle while holding her (not in a bag), so he probably got more dizzy than she did. This did not work.

We tried shutting the chicken coop door during the day to keep her off her nest of turds, but she just found a place in the hay cock to sit instead. Also, we had to remember to go up in the early evening to open the door again so the chickens could go in to roost, so that when we went up to shut them in for the night, we didn't have to carry each chicken into the coop. Chickens, by the way, get remarkably dopey at night when they go to roost. It's kind of funny to see.

We tried dunking her belly and backside in water twice a day, which is supposed to make sitting on a nest really uncomfortable. I think this didn't work because it was so ridiculously hot, and the dip probably felt more revealing than uncomfortable to the stupid chicken.

For two months, I debated with Philip about just putting eggs under her, since she wasn't giving up. No, we didn't need or want more chickens, but we had friends that did. And more roosters would just mean more chicken in the freezer at some point, and we could sell or give away hens to, well, anyone. And I had to go up to the coop twice a day to give this idiotic hen water and food so she didn't cook herself to death in the heat anyway. Might as well get something out of her sitting and my having to do more than sit in the ridiculous heat.

I ended up talking to our friends up the hill (the family of 11), and they gave us some eggs to put under our determined hen for them. And yes, she sat, like a good little mother, and hatched five of the eight eggs we were given.

We're calling this batch the Tiddly Peeps. Phillip assures me it comes from some song or another from some children's show (British, of course), but we can't find it. I still love to say Tiddly Peeps though (try it, it's fun).

Chicks pretending to be ducklings.
One day old.

At two months, we're pretty sure at least two of them are hens, which is good for the family we hatched them for. Hopefully a third is a hen. It's a bit hard to tell until the combs start developing more.

Pintrest Challenge Wrap-Up

So... I finished my Pintrest challenge.

Somehow.

A little late.

But in my defense  nesting kicked in SUPER hard this last month, and I wanted to get the house clean before I got too big (or too encumbered with a newborn) to clean.

I hate excuses though, so I did actually finish my chosen projects, even when I got somewhat fed up with them. Well, one of them.

My original pins:

1. DIY Modern Nursing Shawl: I blogged about it here, if you so desire to read about it. Mostly the mix of my frustrations with reading/looking at tutorials and prego brain made this not as easy as it should have been. But I'm still super hapy with it, think it's adorable, and can't wait to use it as a nursing shawl instead of just a regular shawl

2. Blackberry Peach Cobler: I also blogged about it here. Oh my goodness, I wish we had more blackberries so I could make more. It's DELICIOUS. I at least froze a good three pounds of apricots (no, not peaches) to use later. Maybe with apples....

3. DVD Coloring Case: This. This is the pin that almost had me done, and ran me a bit late in completion of the 6 week time frame. I'll have a more in-depth explanation at the bottom of the post, as this is the first time I've been able to blog about it.

4. Fishing Net Decorated Jar: Cute and EASY. And I linked to the tutorial on this blog entry, if you want to check it out.

5. "Got Milk" Baby Hat: Phillip chose the colors for this one, so we have what I call "Alien Boob" hat. I still love it and think the hat is adorable and hilarious. I might have to make another one with different colors, just because I love a laugh.

6. Kanoko Baby Cardigan: I saved doing this 'til almost last, since I have never knitted a garment of any sort before. Oh. My. Goodness. It was SO easy! Once, you know, I figured out that I started out using the wrong sized needles, unraveled half a finished cardigan (so so tiny) and started over on larger needles. I love it! It's cute, and will be able to fit newborn (sleeves roll up SO easily) and a bit older. 

These DVD cases... oh my goodness. Maybe making one or two at a time would have been a better idea, but doing 6 (nearly done with a 7th, making it a velcro checker board. It's a project that contains a lot of variables. Too many, I'm thinking, when you're making this many. DVD cases aren't as big as you'd think, when you want them to contain a fabric pocket (that ends up bunching a bit in the corners, even when you're super careful about folding and gluing), even SMALL colored pencils, and a bit of paper. They close, but... not as well as I would have hoped. They should at least make fun little things for the kiddos to use once on the plane, or at least around home. 

And I do kind of like the random DVD cases with handles we found at a garage sale. We bought a bag of random DVD cases for a dollar, otherwise, I would go with just sewing little bags with pads of paper or something for kids to carry around and draw. Cute idea, maybe works for some, but not as practical and awesome as I thought it would be.

Before

After

Pintrest Challenge Catch-Up

Time for a catch-up on my Pintrest Challenge!

I actually finished my nursing cover using the DIY Modern Nursing Shawl tutorial a few weeks ago, but had to wait for hubby to be home to take some photos, as well as my prego brain to remember to take said photos WHILE hubby was home.

It was just as easy to make as the tutorial proclaimed... if you read through the instructions and comments very VERY carefully. And aren't pregnant and fuzzy brained or maybe a little better at sewing than I am. Fortunately  I wasn't the only one to make the mistake of sewing up more than what was needed. But, comments clarified and it really was a super easy thing to sew. (Yes, it says sew one line, but I managed that while still sewing up an extra side).

Sewing mistakes aside (really, all I did was sew up an extra side. Easily undone.), this is both a very pretty, stylish, practical, and CHEAP nursing cover.

I have to admit though, trying to find fabric here in Tasmania made me LONG for home and Hobby Lobby. Or JoAnnes. Or Hancock Fabrics. Heck, even Walmart. There just isn't nearly as much of a selection anywhere here as there is back home. Especially if you're on a budget. But I did find a cute black with small polka-dots knit fabric for $7 a meter (which was a little more than needed), and it turned out nicely.

Also, yay for finally getting a much-needed haircut!

I also managed to spruce up my Epsom salt jar in the bathroom using this as inspiration. And then I found a great tutorial on how to actually MAKE the fishnet around a jar at Craftberry Bush.

Before
A jumbling of junk as well as bath things.

After
A prettier jumbling of junk and bath things.

Epsom Salt jar now all prettified, and my home made
sugar scrub. Oooohhh it's nice on my feet!

I'm constantly changing what is in the jumble of junk on the tub "shelf". At least for now, until it gets taken up with baby things. And I found four glasses to use as candle holders (unless that was their original purpose, then I found four candle holders) for $0.10 at a second-hand shop to put around the tub. In keeping with my "I love shells and love to stuff them in glass jars and show them off" theme, I did just that and added a tea light. It makes for some nice relaxing baths, though maybe not quite enough light to read by. And what is a relaxing bath without a good book?

I love love love broken shells.

And, bonus, it's actually raining again. which means we have enough water in our tank to enjoy a bath now and then. After experiencing a real Australian summer (the hottest on record), and having only half a day maybe of real rain in four months, I actually find myself looking forward to long rainy days.

Blackberry Peach Cobbler, and my inability to stick to a recipe

Being blackberry season again, and given my near annoyance for making blackberry jam, I am somewhat at a loss on what to do with the massive amounts of blackberries that Phillip and I manage to pick. Other than, you know, eat them.

Phillip claims he can eat the many pounds we collect in one evening in that same amount of time.

Me? I want to bake, and preserve and bake some more. Mostly, bake. So when I stumbled across the Sugar and Spice recipe for a blackberry and peach cobbler via Pintrest, I had to try it.

Of course, I am terrible at simply following a recipe most of the time. So, apricots are close enough to peaches, right? And we had nearly a full case (5 kilos) left in the fridge, ready to be made into jam... it'll do, right?

Blackberries fresh and drying,
apricots waiting to be sliced and diced

In one evening, Phillip and I managed to pick four-ish pounds of blackberries. Four-ish pounds of beautiful, sweet, just ripe blackberries. A quick rinse in some vinegar water (a whole lot of water with just a splash of vinegar, really does help clean the fruit better than plain old water, and it has lasted me longer since I started doing it), then some plain water, and they sat to drip-dry until they were ready to be made into deliciousness.

Since I was making this for a Sunday afternoon lunch after meeting, I mixed up all the dry ingredients Saturday night so I could throw in the wet and bake on Sunday morning so the cobbler would be nice and fresh. 

And, again, to confess my horribleness at actually fully following a recipe, it called to have the peaches stoned and peeled. I have never peeled a peach, or an apricot. And I really didn't want to. So I just cut up my little apricots and left the skins on. Also, rather than mix 1 1/2 cups of sugar with the fruit (which I did the next morning), I used only one cup. It's fruit, and very ripe, very fresh fruit at that. And was intended to be consumed by children not used to eating sugar. So... why a whole cup and a half when it's sweet and juicy to begin with? And I used whole wheat flour when making the biscuits. We mill our own, so it's cheaper and healthier (though not nearly as fluffy or smooth as white or even store-bought whole wheat flour).

Mixing everything together in the morning and plopping it into the baking dish was super easy. And baking... oh how delicious it smelled! I set aside an extra, small, dish so Phillip and I could taste test some for breakfast.

And it. Was. GOOD. We drizzled a little cream on top of the hot cobbler and dug in. With hot coffee, it was a most delectable breakfast. WITHOUT coffee, it would be delectable. It was just... GOOD. The tartness of the berries, the near buttery sweetness of the apricots, and the savory plain-ness of the biscuits ... ohhhh.... it was so yummy. Most definitely a keeper! Even re-heated in the oven a few hours later as dessert for lunch (we ended up just sharing it with Phillip's family, as no one else made it to fellowship lunch that day), it was still just as good! 

Fresh out of the oven, the fruit still bubbles and steams

Along with the wonderful taste and aroma, I LOVE the colors of the fruit together

As it turned out, I don't think my little deviations from the original recipe made a real difference in how good this was. Maybe it's a little less juicy than the original (if you look at her pictures), but, no one who ate complained. 

Pintrest Challenge

So, one of the Blogs I follow, Merrick's Art, posted a Pintrest challenge.

If you don't know what Pintrest is, I don't know whether to pity or praise you, because it is both a time wasting trap and wonderful source of inspiration and ideas. On my part, I claim (to my husband) that it is not a time waster, as it has brought forth many a delicious new meal, and a few house-cleaning tips (orange oil vinegar?  Best grease cleaner I have ever come across, AND it doesn't matter if it gets on food or dishes).

Anywho, this Pintrest challenge is to pick six pins and, over the next six weeks (though I'm a bit late in the game posting this, so I think it's down to five?) work on and complete said pins. Then report back on progress.

Now, of COURSE I need more to do, what with being super pregnant and having plenty of sewing, knitting, and freezer meal preparing. So... I might be cheating a little and chose some pins that I've been wanting to try for a while now ANYWAY, and sort of lined up with my nesting and baby prep. And I promise that I had these picked out last week, my lazy bum just doesn't get to posting things for ages because, well, lazy.

  1. DIY Modern Nursing Shawl: I plan on breast feeding because, well, it's awesome. I don't feel like having friends, in-laws, or strangers see my breasts when the baby decides to thrash around and remove whatever cover I have. And things like Udder Covers and other nursing covers look like unattractive aprons and cost FAR more than I want to pay. This, is super cute looking. 2. Blackberry Peach Cobler: It's blackberry season again! And apricot season! (that's close enough to a peach, right?) Which means I pick plenty of one, and buy the other SUPER cheap, and need cooking ideas for them. 3. DVD Coloring Case: Friends of ours who have 9 children will be traveling to the mainland in May. Most of the kids are of an age that I think this might help on the long trip over, so I want to make at least a few for the older kiddos. 4. Fishing Net Decorated Jar: I have a few jars I want to spruce up cheap. 5. "Got Milk" Baby Hat: I've been wanting an excuse to make this for years. Even before Pintrest.  6. Kanoko Baby Cardigan: Baby is coming to Australian winter, and I want to try my hand at making something more than a hat. 

Arachnophobia Development

Before we got married, I would talk to Phillip about my fears of living in Australia quite a lot. Mostly they centered around crazy dreams I kept having that involved swamp or prairie-type land with a very narrow path through it. The rest of the land would be SWARMING with snakes.

And spiders.

I don't really dislike snakes. They used to be one of my absolutely favorite animals. I loved them. I still find them absolutely fascinating. It's just that here, they have the possibility of killing you. Spiders... not so much. I hate them. Ok, maybe hate is too strong a word, because, again, there are some breeds I really don't mind, and still find fairly interesting. And, as a kid, I was the weirdo who would play with Daddy Long Legs and freak out other girls (the benefits of having a dad who loved nature and taught me a lot about natural...stuff).

I knew snakes weren't really going to be a problem. They generally stay away from you. Except, you know, last year, when I or people I knew kept stumbling on them (remember my brother-in-law's adventure?).

Spiders, though? I wanted those not in the house. Especially the very venomous ones. And huntsman. Ew. Ewewew. They're big, nasty, and hide everywhere. They are, of course, not as bad as say, a Red Back, a small spider that can make you pretty sick if you get bitten by it. Huntsman are actually good to have around because they eat those nasty spiders. But they are big. And hairy. And squash themselves flat enough to hide behind picture frames and clocks. And squeeze through cracks in poorly set screens.

I told Phillip when he was choosing a house, that I didn't care so much where we lived, as long as we didn't have a spider problem. Moving here, I made sure I developed habits that keep the nasty spiders away. Things like, not letting piles of clothes or blankets accumulate on floors or chairs, keeping most cob webs at bay, and letting some of the nicer spiders (here it's Daddy Long Legs) live because they will eat the nasty spiders. We also sprayed Baygon (a nicely potent pesticide)  around windows and doors every 6 months. Until I got pregnant and I couldn't do it.

And last year? No problems. The only time we had nasty spiders in the house was when we brought home a box that had been stored in my in-law's shed for several years. Apparently, it had been the home of a Huntsman and a House Spider.

This year has been another story.

I have found Huntsmen every few weeks.

Mostly in our bedroom.

And I risked my gag reflex to take photos of a few of them for you, dear readers. Phillip recently informed me that he's taken care of at least a few I didn't know about. And sometimes I was too busy gagging and acting like a scared child to grab my camera.

I found this in the shower. AFTER I had already showered.
Thankfully, it was on the outside of the door.
I just had to yell for Phillip to get it before I would get out.

Came home, went to close the curtains, look over at the clock, and BAM, this guy!

This is how Phillip caught him.
Remember, if you smash something this big, there's a bit of gooey clean-up...

He's not scary. I let these ones stay and live.

Know where I found this one?
Behind my pillow.
When I made the bed the next morning.
It was only 2 or 3 inches wide though.

Tea anyone?
Phillip captured this one in our bedroom. I think...

There are a few others I just didn't get photos of. Like, on Valentines Day, I found a White Tip on the front of a cupboard. Kind of a terrible ending to my day, since, being all hormonal and hating spiders, I flipped out and made Phillip kill it with fire (ok, maybe not with fire, but I made him kill it really well). It was kind of a bad ending to our "I made you lots of really delicious steak and veggies and sour cream apple pie" celebration.

Most of the Huntsmen that we find in the house, I try to get Phillip to just release back outside, since really, they ARE very helpful spiders. I just... I just really don't want to find anymore in the shower with me, or behind my pillow, or sitting on a light switch or anything.