Big drama in the hen house

I got home tonight to a big, upsetting drama.

One of my darling chookies has a very badly hurt bottom, all bleeding and bare of feathers. Another chookie has a bare bum too.

When Howard got home we grabbed Kate and brought her inside. We have cleaned her up and concluded that she has been pecked, very savagely.

She is now sleeply, rather indignantly, in a cat box in the bathroom for the night. We havefilled in with shredded paper and she has a water bowl. She will be able to recover there.

We will check the other girls in the morning.  There is a farm store down the road so I'll dash down in the morning and see if they have an ointment or spray to help her heal.

Then on the weekend we'll see about extending their run. I am concerned that they are pecking because they don't have enough space.  We have not had any problems, in fact they have always seemed to get on really well. But the last two weeks we have been really busy so they have not been out of their coop. Normally we only let them out when we are home because there are foxes around.

So, I feel horribly guilty and distressed at failing them. I know there are plenty of chooks with far worse lives but I want my girls to be happy.

I'll keep you posted about the trials and tribulations of keeping chooks.

And a BIG thank you to everyone I phoned tonight for help. Thank you!

Packing lunch - a great way to save money and eat healthier

Last week during my days away I bought myself the most darling lunch box. A lunch box for grown ups is quite hard to find.  I couldn't resist this.

I like to pack my own lunch.  I don't always of course. Sometimes I go for weeks without taking my lunch but by then I get antsy to get back on track.  I am passionate about home cooked food. I also work full time so need to be pragmatic and accept defeat at times.

The only real way I have found to succeed is to cook ahead of times. Its great to cook up a storm every few weekends and fill the freezer and fridge.

I have been busy the last two weekends so its all looking pretty bare...

Tonight I am starting to get back on track.

I have set the bread machine to have a loaf ready at 6.30 tomorrow morning.

I have made muesli/granola for the first time. It is full of oats, pecans, dates, sultanas.  I'll share the instructions once I've given it a try. Hopefully it tastes good - it was very easy to make.

I have also started making my own yoghurt - this is not going to be ready to eat until Wednesday. It takes a while but its worth it.

As long as I fill my new lunch box with healthy, filling foods I will be able to resist the urge to buy sweets. It will save me money and I'll be able to suit my own tastes and be healthy.

I am trying particularly hard to avoid pre-packaged foods at the moment. I prefer fresh, whole foods and to know what is in the food I eat.  Not that I don't get slack, or indulge in fun foods too. This is my ideal and I go through both active and slack stages.

Do you pack your own lunch? If so, why?  Thrift, health or both? What ever you eat, enjoy your lunch tomorrow.

A few days away: big city, beach and country studio trails

I am stuck in a loud, busy airport on my way home from almost a week away.
I have retreated into my laptop and courtesy of free wi-fi I am sharing this post.

Last Wednesday I travelled to Surfers Paradise for a work conference. Then a couple of days later headed into the country to stay with family. Today I am on my way home. Tomorrow its back to work.

As I did with last weekend's adventures, I'd like to share a few quick snap shots to describe the week I've had.

For the conference I stayed in the heart of Surfers Paradise. I grew up here but moved away about 15 years ago. It was fun to be a tourist for a little while in my home town. The conference was really full on but I managed to go to an evening market ...

and walk along the beach early in the morning.

 My family have all moved away, as I did. My parents live in a beautiful country town with an active artistic community. This weekend the Butter Factory studios were open.

So there ends my little story.  Home to animals galore, my garden, kitchen and own humble studio.

What did you do this weekend?

Adventures in bread making 2 - tricks with dough

Today I used my bread machine to make dough - then cheese sticks and bread rolls.

First the bread sticks.

I rolled out the dough.  Using a spatula to cut in half.

Spread grated romano or parmesan on the rolled dough.

 Sprinkle with paprika.

Cut long strips, fold in half and twist.

Lay on a baking tray and bake until golden.

 Yum!

The rest of the dough I cut into six peices, loosely formed into balls and baked to make yummy rolls for tomorrow's lunch.

Enjoy.

A few quick vignettes from my weekend

We are just home from a weekend away.  I thought I'd share a few small moments with you. On Saturday we went to a friend's wedding at Collaroy, on Sydney's Northern Beaches, overlooking the ocean. It was a beautiful wedding and a beautiful venue.

Family and friends weren't the only witnesses.

We stayed the night at Newport. This is the view we were greeted with this morning.

Into Sydney, and spied a delightful installation down a narrow laneway.

Tiles at an old pub in Sydney's Rocks, the oldest and quaintest part of Sydney.

Our dear friends Marcelo and Rachael at the MCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) Zine Fair. Click on Rach and Marcelo's names to link to their blogs. Marcelo is an illustrator and comic book creator and Rach a keen and talented polaroid photographer.

It was a lovely break in routine. It was energising to spend time with friends, be inspired by beautiful scenery and great creations at the zine fair.

Hope you had a good weekend too.

5 things Wednesday - 5 frosty photos

First frost this morning. The light was different when I got up this morning and sure enough there was a frost.

I snapped these photos when I ventured out to feed our chickens. It looks freezing, and its certainly not warm, but its not as cold as some other morning over the past week.

Adventures in bread making 1 - new bread machine

I have been making my own bread for years - well except the last year or so when I have been without a bread machine. The last one ceased to operate after many years of good service.

I tried to make bread from scratch.

Mixing and kneading is fine. Keeping the dough the right temperature to rise is not. I live in a cold area and even ridiculous lengths did not bring consistent results.

I've given up and bought a new bread machine.

The rising process is somewhat shortened so the loaf is perhaps not as robust but the advantages outweigh this.

It takes a couple of tries with the various recipes and settings to decide which bread style you like.

I know now after 3 loaves that I can set the timer over night and have a loaf ready for breakfast and packed lunches in the morning.


Do you make bread?