Composting - Oh it's on baby!

There it is folks. My new composter. For less than $15. It took me forever to build it (a couple full days) and a whole lotta adjusting but wah-lah! The measurements got a little off on the front wall due to my own delirium one night while trying to finish it (this was before the chicken wire was even put on and I thought I'd have it finished that night - HA!). But that will actually make it easier to turn the pile since this thing is 3'x3'x3'. Anywho...there it is. It looks a little different that the one on my last post since it's considerably smaller and made from pallet wood, all different shapes and thicknesses mind you, but HEY it was free! The only thing that cost us money was the nails and a couple brackets that we bought for another project that they didn't work for. Proud of me? I am. The only thing my husband helped me with was the cutting of the wood (after I measured and marked it all off, I don't like using an electric saw that weighs more than my baby), the idea for the corner pieces of wood to stabilize it, and the very end it needed the metal corner brackets to make it less jiggly. I am proud of it...not as proud as the bunny cage I made a few years back, but pretty excited that I get to take all the stinky compost out of my kitchen that's been building for the last 2 weeks. Hey I didn't say it took a couple full days back to back, did I?

Chicken Dreams for less than $50

I went through a short phase of reading homesteading books from the library, not really sure how I got into that...I think I wanted to learn about baking bread, so I picked one up and then another, and another...can't really remember but anyway...I found this one book that was marvelous and since my memory comes from my mom's side ( love you mom) I can't remember the title either. It was by a 26 year old girl who was from a city apartment and she moved to a house in the middle of nowhere. She quickly realized that she wanted to have chickens, and 2 husky dogs, and a small garden, and bees, and learn how to make her own bread, and other things. She had less than an acre I believe out in the middle of Idaho (nowhere). This all inspired me to do the same. Here's a little psychological background on me. It's short, don't worry...I'm a dreamer. I dream BIG and outrageously...the words practical, reasonable, and logical are not included in my dreaming schemes. I don't consider money, time, or logistics in my plans...I just envision them and want them to be a reality :) no matter the cost. So, that's how my chicken coop idea came about. I wanted chickens. 3 of them to be exact...3 black silkies to make backyard organic eggs whenever I needed them. I didn't care that chickens get diseases, they cost money to raise, and eventually when they get older and stop laying eggs, you have to do something with them...you know...kill them or something. Ugh. Yuck. Anyways, my dream went from reading it in a book, to researching it online, to drawing up sketches of what the coop needed and I wanted, to my wonderfully supportive husband building it. That's right...he built me a chicken coop! Yes, there were arguments, disagreements about the structure, he even might have told me to call and find out if we could even have chickens in the city but I didn't. I didn't care...I had gone all over town finding free wood (pallets and plywood) to make my dreams come true. (Let me tell you this, we have a small 4 door car with a very limited trunk...it does not hold pallets or plywood, anywhere. So my loving husband called a friend, borrowed his truck and hauled the wood home). I told you...logical is not part of my dreams! So, within a few days, the coop was built, except for a few minor details - caulking and painting, that sort of thing. But my coop was built! I was so excited and my husband was proud of it...he showed it to everyone that came over, even though it wasn't finished :) Here are some pictures of the coop... The front...the doors swing open to be flush against the sides to make it easier to clean out. The windows slide open/off to be able to let a breeze in in the summer and to peek in on the chickens. They were made out of the plastic floor mat under your computer chair. Clever, yes? The back lid opens up to collect eggs and put in new nesting materials. There's a trap door that opens so that through the day (since the bottom half (all around the legs) would have been enclosed with chicken wire) the chickens could have a small run to eat fresh grass and get some air and sunshine. Yes, that's linoleum on the floor...it makes it easier to clean! I took all the elements that I liked from other chicken coops and designed my own to what I wanted. There would have been hanging feed and water dishes on the right side and 2 perches through the middle. Now it's a dog condo for The Dooge (George, our rat-dog). We have yet to put it outside since it is supposed to have insulation put in the walls but since it's been warming up, I think I'll urge Dom to put it outside anyways. We could use the garage space! It is 4'X3.5' I think. It's not small, or light! One funny thing we didn't account for is that we're not sure how to get this into the backyard...we hope it will fit through our back fence gate since it doesn't fit through the garage door that leads into the backyard! We spent about $50 on hardware, sticky linoleum squares and a couple pieces of wood that we couldn't scrounge up and everything else was free! Even the exterior paint was found on freecycle! Not the color of my dreams, but hey, it was free! I decided to call to see if chickens were legal I think 3-4 days into the project...you know, after the thing was built. I was so mad to find out that both my neighbors could have dogs the size of ponies but I couldn't have 3 little chickens. They are quieter and cleaner than any dog. Plus, they serve a purpose! They produce fresh, organic eggs...what does a dog do but produce doo? Lots, and lots of doo. *sigh* I guess I'll just have to stick with my garden and then maybe bees? They're legal, I checked!

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Sorry about all the crazy changes to the blog...I found an amazing website that I am obsessed with right now www.shabbyblogs.com, and so I've been trying out some new things...you should really check it out if you like the scrapbook look or even if you want a couple fun headers for your sidebar...they've got lots to choose from and it's pretty easy! Thanks for hanging in there while I make my blog shabby-licious!

Yummy for Tummy but not for my Butt!

These butterscotch sticky buns are delightful. They taste like a sticky version of an elephant ear...and they are much easier to make. So once upon a time when I was pregnant with Lili, I was at a bible fellowship group at church on a Sunday morning. Well, they always had breakfast items there for us to eat and being pregnant, everything looked good but smelled terrible. I usually ate the fresh fruit and a bagel and opted out of the sausage, egg, hash brown casserole. Except for this one glorious morning when Maria brought the most delicious looking sticky bun things. I had to try one. Everyone was like "mmm, yummy, so good, so tasty, I want the recipe..." and so I got one! Yep, it was all of the above and I found myself making the same grotesque noises that kids make that we're always saying "okay that's enough, I don't need to hear you eating". I found myself licking my fingers (not that this is out of the ordinary, but usually not in public) and wanting to get another. But, feeling like a fat cow already, I decided not to. I finally, a few weeks later, got the guts (and the memory) to ask her for the recipe and she said she'd pass it on. A couple months later she signed up in that class to bring us dinner while I was on bed-rest after my cesarean with Lili and low and behold she brought that dessert (she had asked me if we had any preferences/allergies and I might have mentioned a weakness to her sticky buns)! She included the recipe, the bundt pan and all! I was ecstatic! I made them and they were delicious! My Mother in Law gave me a bundt pan since I didn't own one *hangs head in shame* and so a couple months later I decided to make them again. They stuck to the pan terribly and got rock hard the next day...so sad...(not that that stopped me from eating them - that's what microwaves are for, I'm sure of it). BUT, here's the good part and the end of the story...I made them again this morning and wah-lah! PERFECTION!!! Drool all you want, I can't send them through the mail! But, here's the recipe - it's ridiculously easy:

13 Rhodes Frozen rolls 1 Stick of BUTTer 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1 box of butterscotch pudding (the kind you cook) 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Put the nuts and then the rolls in the bottom of a well greased bundt pan the night before you want to eat these. Sprinkle butterscotch pudding mix all over the rolls - evenly if possible. Melt the butter and mix with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Drizzle it over the rolls. Cover with a towel and let rise overnight. The next day bake in the oven on 350* for 20 mins and then invert onto a plate while still HOT. Keep covered unless you like to microwave your donuts, then don't worry about it :)

Chicken, Cheese, and Cream, oh my!

I'm not one to normally pick up a new cookbook somewhere (unless it's at a garage sale for a quarter) but...about a month ago I was in the very slow checkout line at Wal*Mart and spotted a Pillsbury cookbook (you know the type - a book the size of recipe cards, full of name brand ingredients and what-not). Well, I paged through it and some of the recipes looked decent and easy enough (I'm a novice cook, at best) so I bought it, for $4.99 plus tax. It hurt, but I did it. Side note: I have been desperate to find recipes that are quick, easy and good. You know, the kind where you might actually have everything on hand, and if not, it still turns out good! Well, much to my surprise ALL of the recipes I've made out of it have been good...not good, GREAT! They are easy, fast, and tasty! They are relatively inexpensive (you can substitute the name-brand items for store brand) if they aren't an every night sorta thing. SO...I made "Make-Ahead Chicken Lasagna" yesterday, and we had it for dinner tonight and it was delicious! It was probably one of the more expensive meals since it calls for 7 oz. of Gouda cheese (which I've never had until tonight) but it was awesome! For all you non-vegans out there (the majority of my immediate family is) I suggest you try it, if not for yourself, for a potluck or a dish to bring someone who's not feeling great...it's hearty and comforting, but light enough to eat again and again, and again!

RECIPE IS AS FOLLOWS: (It looks like more than it is. The directions and ingredients are just very specific.) Make-Ahead White Chicken Lasagna Prep Time: 40 mins Start to Finish: 10 hrs 15 mins (make-ahead remember)

• 1 Tbl Butter
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 in pieces
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped red bell pepper (2 medium)
• 1 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 pint (2 cups) half-and-half
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 7 oz Gouda cheese, shredded (2 cups)
• 1 container (12 oz) small-curd cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
• 1 egg, beaten
• 9 uncooked lasagna noodles (no boil kind)
• 1 package (16 oz) sliced mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Fresh basil sprigs or chopped basil leaves, if desired

1. Spray 13x9 glass dish with cooking spray. In a large pan, melt butter over med-high. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in bell pepper, onion, garlic, celery; cook about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink in the center.

2. Reduce heat to low. Add half-and-half, broth and cream cheese; cook and stir until cream cheese is melted. Gradually add Gouda cheese, stirring until cheese is melted. Remove from heat; set aside. In bowl, mix cottage cheese, 1/4 cup fresh basil and the egg until blended. 3. Spread 1 cup chicken mixture in baking dish. Top with 3 noodles, 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture, 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture and 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers once, starting with noodles. Top with remaining 3 noodles and remaining chicken mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil; refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight. 4. Heat oven to 350*F. Bake lasagna covered 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 30 to 35 minutes longer or until noodles are tender and casserole is bubbly. Cover; let stand 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil sprigs.

Changes I made: I used dried basil since I had just used all my fresh basil for making pesto. I used shredded mozzarella instead of buying pre-sliced. I uncovered it to let it sit so it wouldn't be scalding hot when we were so hungry! Changes for next time: add more veggies! The bell peppers were great but this could use some zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, asparagus, spinach...anything that goes well with cream sauces. I would also add lemon juice and zest. I love creamy lemony dishes! You might even be able to substitute the Gouda cheese for something less expensive.