9/30/12

Pumpkin Pancakes


I LOVE all things pumpkin (especially recipes!), so when I came across this recipe, I knew I had to try it. I've tried a different one, but the results were so-so (the inside just never felt fully cooked, but they tasted great!). I'm very happy to say this one turned out PERFECT! You can get the recipe HERE.
 
The spices smelled sooo good!
 


I'm not 100% sure the liquid part was supposed to be this runny, but you could also try whipping the egg whites separately and then folding them into the mix.
 

See all those yummy spices? Nice and thick, too!


The finished product... I cannot tell you enough how awesome these smell! They tasted great, too, but if you REALLY want to make them spectacular, try topping with a little whipped cream and maybe even some candied pecans. I do believe I'll be trying pumpkin muffins next... Enjoy!
 
 
 


9/23/12

Roses are red...


A few months ago, we heard that a local grocery store had all of it's potted roses on clearance for $2 each... so of course we ran out and grabbed several! I had no clue what kind they were until we got home with them. We'd never grown roses before, but these were "Knockout Roses" and were supposed to be very easy. I must say, I have been very impressed with these. They grow pretty quickly and they bloom ALL the time (continuously all summer, so far!). We planted them in a bed of Southeast Texas gumbo (tilled in a little bark mulch and red sand), and I'm happy to say they actually did pretty well (most plants won't grow well in gumbo).



We also planted a larger rose (pictured below; I believe it was called "Strike It Rich" and it's a Weeks' rose) in the same bed of gumbo. It also did VERY well. This one gets really tall and the roses start off peach and then fade to pink at the edges after a day or so. I wanted a stronger smelling variety, but my husband fell in love with the crazy coloring of this one and had to have it.

 
 So if you're looking to start growing roses, be sure to try Knockout... I highly recommend them for a first timer!

9/22/12

My Hair Problem


So my hair has been feeling a lot like straw here lately, and I've recently come across the idea of using coconut oil to treat it. My hair is naturally curly, so as long as I'm not straightening it, it really doesn't endure a lot of heat styling. We do have a well, so I'm dealing with hard water. I really have high hopes for this coconut oil cure, because I've read SO many awesome reviews from people who claim that it worked miracles for them. I really want to try a "cleansing conditioner" in place of regular shampoo and see if it works. I'm ready to have my once-soft hair back! I've got my hair saturated and wrapped up for the night... I'll let you know how it turns out in the morning after shampooing and styling! Goodnight all!

9/12/12

Progress

So after DAYS of soaking the roosters foot in sea salt water (and rinsing with betadine), the scab finally came off. The top of his foot is still swollen between the toes, but he's finished his antibiotics and on the road to recovery. We did have to wrap the foot to prevent further infection, and he's still a prisoner in his crate (poor thing!). We have also cut the size of our chicken pen in half and managed to clean the yard up in the process. We hope to start building a new coop soon, and I'll post picture updates when we get around to it. Our 10 new chickens are really taking to their new home (they can finally scratch in the dirt!). I believe that at least 3 of them are roosters, so I'd like to find them a new home. We really have no need for more than 1 rooster. Our oldest hen, Mama, is in the process of molting. The poor thing has almost no wing feathers left! She really looks a fright, and there are feathers EVERYWHERE in the coop. Well I can hear the hummingbirds griping outside my window, so I'd better get a move on. Here's to a PRODUCTIVE day!

9/5/12

Bumblefoot

Finally figured out what was wrong with the roosters foot... something called "bumblefoot". It's pretty gnarly looking, so I'll refrain from posting any pics! I did look it up on YouTube and found several videos of people performing "home surgery" to remove the problem... yuck! I can not see myself doing that! I'm just gonna continue his antiobiotics and start soaking his foot twice a day in sea salts and betadine, as others have suggested doing. Sure hope it helps! For more information on bumblefoot (and how to prevent it!), visit http://poultry.allotment.org.uk/advice/chicken-health/bumblefoot .