Thursday, March 23, 2006

Just another day - with not enough hours in it.

Norfolk Lasses Eggs Total to Date: 321 Day:141

KoKKo 107 Personal best egg weight 86grms 29.11.2005
Adelaide 107 Personal best egg weight 80grms 26.02.2006
Ginger 107 Personal best egg weight 78grms 22.02.2006

London Ladies Bantam Eggs Total to date: 3 Day:10

Dilly 1 Personal best egg weight 31grm 20.03.2006
Freckles 3 Personal best egg weight 36grms 20.03.2006
Pumpkin 0 Still too posh to push


I was out with the chickens at six o'clock and they were up and out already. All running up and down in their respective runs when they saw me, excited at the prospect of breakfast.

The water was frozen as there was thick frost in the pen, but not in the shelter of their covered runs. First stop was warm water for them, and then breakfast. I let Freckles, Dilly and Pumpkin out and they had a lovely run and wing flapping session, then a drink, then a scratch about and a walk around their estate.

Ginger, Adelaide and KoKKo have their breakfast in their run, and are devouring that, so I will let them out later after I had mine.

The yoghurt is being strained as I speak, the food dryer is on the go again, I am just off to start the bread off then a batch of scones, or it might be the other way around. Then if I get time before Pat gets up for breakfast, I will run the duster over everywhere and prepare the spare bedroom.

I have to go to the ex-Lowestoft fisherman's farm to get some fish as I only have one trout left in the freezer. I just love that sea smell when I go into their cold store to see what is fresh in. On my list is salmon, tuna, rainbow trout - and I will see what else catches my eye.

Best get a move on - no early morning eggs yet.

Will be back later.

Before nine o'clock I had baked plain scones and cheese and mustard ones and used Freckles egg to baste them before they went into the oven.



Spot the difference - but not as much as you would imagine considering the one on the left weighed 31grms and the one on the right 76grms. I have enough left over from the bantam egg to baste the loaf of bread.


Dilly's out first hotly followed by Pumpkin having an early morning scratch about (6.30am). The flower pot was from one of their hides - three hides were too many as they never ventured out. it was full of straw but they all scratched it out.


See what I mean - the truth will out!

The bread is rising nicely in the ensuite, and I have strained the yoghurt and potted it up plain - ready to add the goodies later before serving.

I decided to try out the bargain yoghurt maker I got at the charity shop the other week. A Morphy Richards one complete with individual glass jars. It was tested and works perfectly - but lacking in instructions. I sterilised all the jars and caps, and I made up a jug of milk and a couple of tablespoonsful of yoghurt from the batch that I just made to start it off then poured some in each jar. It should not take as long as doing it in one big pot - I will let you now how I get on.



For £2.95 is was a bargain, but then to be told that it was half price day and to get it for £1.45 was amazing. A large carton of organic yoghurt costs almost as much.

I am going to do all different flavours. Fresh fruit, semi-dried grapes, honey, apricots, strawberries and raspberries out of the freezer, meusli - all sorts.

Two nice warm eggs from Adelaide and Ginger when I went out there just now. I should be able to give G & H a dozen to take home with them at this rate.

Off to give the bread it's second bash then into the tins a for prove whilst I am out getting the fish.

The sun is now shining too - just wonderful to be alive and kicking and to live where we do. I count my blessings every day.



I just had to show you this. I big pointy egg from probably Freckles - anyway I am going to allocate it to her as she spent longer indoors than the other two this morning. I weighs in at a 'massive' 36grms LOL what a big increase!

I have just been out to give them some pear pips, chopped up tomato and the seeds that fell off the loaves I have just taken out of the oven - you just can't beat that smell can you. Dilly, Freckles and Pumpkin were sunbathing in the hedge and KoKKo Adeliade and Ginger were sunbathing up the other end behind the banties house.

In the hedge hidey hole nest, KoKKo had a laid a big brown speckledy egg. I thought it was the banties at first as I hadn't checked their nest in the Eglu.

Been to the farm and bought some gorgeous whole salmon, which I got Dickie to cut into portions for me. I have bagged them up and sealed them in 2 portion packs. I got some amazing quality Atlantic cod - haven't had cod for a couple of years, which have had the same treatment and are in the freezer, also a couple of sea bream, and some bass. Yummy. I am going to do salmon for lunch tomorrow for the four of us.

Off for a quite sit down before I make lunch - chicken breasts - don't know what I will do with them - waiting for inspiration.

6 comments:

  1. i have noticed when you break a banty egg it seems to be all yellow

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  2. Anonymous4:59 pm

    I saw something similar last night Kooringa, I paoched two eggs for my supper, one was from Dolly, my bigger blue egg layer and the other was from Layla, one of my pekins. The yolks were the same size, but the white considerably less in the pekin egg.

    Clare T

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  3. Anonymous9:59 pm

    Now then AL...what did you do in your past?? Im desperate to know now LOL
    My OH makes flap-jacks sometimes,they dont last long with us though,just long enough to cool down usually,have you tried them with black treacle?
    We have been scoffing dried apple rings all week,why do they taste more appley than non dried?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Patsy and Clare - yes the bantie eggs do seem almost all yolk and jolly nice it was too.

    Chris - the reason that the fruit tastes more concentrated - more appley in apples more sweet in grapes is because the drying process gets rid of a lot of moisture and therefore the flavour and natural sweetness is intensified.

    ReplyDelete
  5. What was my occupation before I retired?

    Well, as with a lot of people, I never had the opportunity to follow a career path that I wanted too, so from a very early age had to work to keep a roof over my head.

    So I trained in secretarial duties early on and as a bookeeper.

    Later went into Sales and Marketing, then went back to bookeeping when there was a slump and recession, and finished up as a financial controller in a travel company.

    So not very exciting at all - office bound! You just have to do a job to pay the bills don't you. Well us plebs do!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am glad to know what work you did. I have posted a picture of my self and sisters and brother of the dead turkey story see if you can pick me out.

    ReplyDelete

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