Paper Bird

Is it my imagination,

or are Reeses Peanut Butter cups smaller?

I am Treating my self today...

I had two!

These are the last of the blooms on my favorite rose bush.

I picked them just for you.

 

 

Don't worry, I saved a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup for you too!

What are you treating yourself to today?

Coop Tour- Backyard Chickens

There seems to be a trend in urban agriculture these days. A little bit of chicken love is taking over our neighborhood backyards!  City ordinances are changing so wanna be farmers like me can keep a flock housed in my back yard.  I love it!  We purchased five Americana chicks in May and began building a backyard coop-garden shed.  Just recently we adopted two more chickens from our neighbors and have added three specialized breeds to the hen house.  Our flock is full until I can find homes for our three roosters.  I think if I bring home one more chicken I will be in the coop myself!  Truth be told I feel quite spoiled with the garden shed and coop that my husband built for me.  What a sweetheart.   Today I am taking part of Heidi Walingford's Coop Tour.   So come take a little tour with me and see where our backyard chickens roost!  

 

The Hen House down below.

 

 

Every morning I find the flock gathered at the door waiting for me to let them out.  When I open the door they come a running to see what special treat I have for them.  They love raspberries and strawberry yogurt. 

Remember Izzy?

  

Check her out all grown up with sweet muffy cheeks inherent with Americana chickens.

 

Inside the coop.  

The handle on the side pulls open so you can easily clean out the - well you know what,  It's a messy business.

 

The small opening is the entrance to their roost and nesting boxes.  There is a larger door so I can sweep out their droppings.

  

Rosie our adopted girl- my best egg layer!

 

She lays the prettiest brown eggs.

 

Matilda our adopted hen.

Her eggs are a light brown pink egg.

 

The new girls!

 Sassy, a Blue Polish Hen - she's a CRAZY chicken!

 

Pickles- A German SpitzHauben

 

Rufio- A Golden Lace Polish Hen

 

Her vision is impaired by her feathers.  It's too funny but sometimes we pull it up for her!

 

The Garden shed is yet to be finished but it is a dream come true for me.

  Hubby wants to stow the lawn mower in there.... I don't think so!

 

A girl needs a place to keep her garden essentials.  LOL!

 

I love having chickens.  They make great pets with very little care.  They have quirky little personalities that make you smile.  They produce fertilizer, eat bugs, and gift you with pretty eggs.  It's a pretty sweet deal if you ask me.   

Thanks for touring my henhouse.

Stop by and visit these sweet coops.

Heidi from Birds of A Feather

Tiffany from The Fancy Farmgirl

Kelly from Second Hand Chicks

And visit Rosalyn Sue from The Patriot Girl Flies for some fun chicken ideas!

I found  Chickoopy at the Salt Lake Farmers Market.  They specialize in small backyard coops.  

 

PS. 

Just one more photograph.  My husband had to cut down three large willows to get the coop and shed on our property.  Look what he carved in the stump.

I love him dearly!

  

 
 
 

 
 

 

 
 

 
 

  

A peachy kind of day!

In the winter when the ground is frozen and snowflakes dance upon the frosted grass, when my thoughts are turned to the warmth of summer I will make a peach pie.... or maybe my most prized bread pudding recipe stuffed with sweet peaches that my kids and I bottled together.  105 jars of bottled goodness that we spent the day canning.  We split the profits of our labors and enjoyed the sweetness of family time spent together.  Kids running amuck, chickens loose in the neighbors yard, the sun shining brightly... it was a good day!    

 

 

 

Croissant bread pudding- my favorite dessert recipe!

 10 large Croissants

3 jumbo eggs beaten

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 1/2 cups Half and Half

2 full TBS. orange zest

3/4 TBS tsp. cinnamon 

4 TBS. melted butter

1/2 tsp. salt

about 2 TBS. Grand Mariner

2 TBS. melted butter for your 9x13 dish

Your desired fruit

My favorite is Raspberries- one container and home canned peaches mixed in.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

brush a 9 x 13 pan with 2 TBS. melted butter

Break croissants into bite size pieces

add your desired fruit

In a large mixing bowl

add eggs, sweetened condensed milk, half and half, melted butter, cinnamon, salt, orange zest.

Mix thoroughly

gently add Grand Marnier Liqueur

Pour EVENLY over Croissants and fruit

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

sometimes it looks wet on top but no worries- if a knife inserted comes out clean it's good- just don't over bake because you want this to be moist

(Sauce)

1 stick of REAL butter

1 cup sugar- I use a bakers sugar

1/2 cup canned milk

melt ingredients in a small sauce pan on medium heat

bring to a boil and add Grand Marnier Liqueur to taste

not too much- mix in well and serve over bread pudding 

garnish with whipped cream. 

some suggestions-

If you are adding apples I would pre-cook them a little before you add them to the bread pudding -also you can use rum or good vanilla instead of the Grand Mariner Liqueur for both the bread pudding and the sauce.  This just depends on the fruit you use.  if you are using raisins- the rum is a better choice- the same for apples.   Worth every single calorie

 

I am always so thankful when life slows down just a bit and I can take the time to create something artful. It's like a kiss on a sore thumb, an antidote for what ever ails me!  I love the idea of what spurred Artful Thursdays.  Although I am finding it hard to meet the challenge of creating on Thursdays- I still love the inspiration of living a "more artful life".  My Artful Thursday's may run into the next Monday or Tuesday, but as long as I'm getting that kiss on the "sore thumb" once in a while- it's all good! Soooo, almost a week late here is my Artful Thursday project.

ARTFUL THURSDAY- Bella The Doll

 

Just over a year ago in art group we spent our artful time creating charming cloth dolls.  I never completed my doll and there she sat in my closet- bare naked and forgotten!  When I saw this sweet video from Stephanie Rausser I was inspired to finish my abandoned doll.  If you have ever stuffed tiny doll parts you know the hardest part was already completed.  All that was left was adding a simple stitched face, hair and clothing.  For the hair I cut strips of wool and sewed them on by hand creating raggedy ponytails- I added a ribbon to the very top of her head.  I stitched a simple mouth and eyes with black embroidery floss and added color to her cheeks with some blush.  I made her bloomers from a vintage baby dress that was torn and shredded.  I just cut off the sleeves pulling one on to each leg and sewing the tops together to make a waist.  To make her dress I used what could have possibly been a cake top cover or a toilet lid cover- I am hoping it was not the latter!  I really debated purchasing it but in the end I fell in love with the pretty pink color of the tulle and the price was great- $1.00!  After washing it I cut the cover in half and just hand sewed the cut ends to fit her tiny body- it worked perfectly and was so simple.  I regret not finishing her sooner because she turned out pretty cute- well at least LuLu thought so... I gifted it to her!   She named her Bella.   

 

  I wish my photographs were better.  I took them in the early evening in poor light.  LuLu was such a good sport when I stole her away from her homework to do an impromptu photo shoot!

Happy Artful Thursday!

 
 

 
 
 

   

PS.  

Dear Typepad,  

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Your listening ears worked really well and I am happy again!

XO, me  

 
 
 
 
 

 HAPPY ARTFUL THURSDAY

Picked by a random number generator the winner for my Halloween Pumpkin Girl is Zita from http://www.mllemagpie.typepad.com

Hello Girls,

Life has been busy here, I am a bit behind on my Artful Thursday project, but hopefully I will have it completed and posted by tomorrow. Sunday! MONDAY!!!   ????

xoxo

Lorraine 

 

 

PS.  

Dear Typepad 

I am none to happy that you just up and switched my toolbar format.  It took me FOREVER to learn the format as it was.  What happened to my favored brown color I used for my text and why is the link thingy not working?

xo

Frustrated Me