Hens on Stike! And a "spicy" experiement!

Our hens are not laying eggs.

They have not laid one single egg since the beginning of November.

Now, this isn't really unusual.

Our girls have always molted right about then, which means no eggs.

And then winter begins, which means no eggs.

But this year is different.

They are being stubborn.

Really.

We like to give our girls a break in the winter.

I mean, really it isn't totally healthy for them to lay year-round.

Letting them "chill" out and not lay during the winter months gives them longer lives and extends their laying periods (at least in our experience).

But.....

It's been warmer than usual this winter. I mean, 52 degrees on January 31st in Northern Michigan is a bit mild, you know?

And we put a light in the coop at the beginning of the month.

So we gave them a two-month rest period before expecting hoping they would lay again.

And they haven't.

I think they are on strike.

So we're doing a little experiment.

I checked around the forums on my favorite chicken information site: Backyard Chickens

It seems that some people have had success kick-starting their chickens laying by feeding them red pepper flakes or ground red pepper.

Interesting.

So we're trying it.  

Everything I've researched says it can't hurt.

Today is day three of feeding them a special cornbread treat with a secret ingredient (red pepper flakes).

So far....nothing.

I'll keep you posted.

Breakfast on the Run - Homemade Egg "mc"Muffins

In our house, breakfast is almost always on the run.  I can't remember a time where we got to sit down to eat breakfast at the table....ever!  The kiddos sometimes will get cereal out and eat once they are ready for school (and then eat again at daycare - they are bottomless pits, I swear!) but Mr. CrazyLife and I are always on the go.

This usually sometimes meant a stop at the Golden Arches for a breakfast sandwich.  I have to admit that breakfast is one of the only meals I will eat there - the rest of their food leaves me feeling less than good when I eat it.  However, even those little McMuffins were taking their toll....my "muffin" belly was starting to show that I was stopping there one too many mornings.  Not to mention the pennies that were floating down the drain every time we stopped.

So I found a better way.  I still get my protein via egg for the morning, but it's a lot healthier and a lot less costly.  I simply decided to start making my own "mc"Muffins.  Perhaps not an original idea, but it works for us!

These are so easy to make and you can do them ahead....just stick in the freezer and pop in the microwave or toaster oven in the morning.  

I do about a week's worth of sandwiches at once.  I take the english muffins and toast them, either under the broiler or in the toaster oven.  Then I put a little butter on them (everything is better with butter, eh?). 

For cheese, I will usually use a sliced cheese (American or Swiss or Cheddar).  I know it's not the healthiest option, but it is the easiest!  I've also used shredded cheddar.

The eggs are super easy.  Take a muffin pan.  Crack an egg into each well.  Bake in the oven until done (usually about 10 minutes or so.)  In the sandwich above, I actually did the egg on the stovetop, which is how I prefer it - it keeps it really thin, while eggs from the oven tend to "puff" up a bit.

Put all the pieces together and voila, a homemade "mc"muffin!

You could easily add ham or bacon or veggies into this as well, if you wished.

  Do you know how many ingredients are in a McMuffin?  Over 50!  Can you imagine....an english muffin, an egg, and cheese (theirs also has ham - with 9 ingredients.....)  And at 300 calories with 820 g of sodium.  Yikes!

My english muffin has flour, yeast, water, oil and a bit of sugar.  My egg came from the chickens....nothing else there.  I did use processed cheese in the above picture, but even so......Much less ingredients and much less sodium and calories and fat.

And cheaper.  

My local McD's sells McMuffins for about $3/each.  

My sandwich cost breakdown: 99 cents/5 english muffins (about 20 cents each), egg - free, cheese- $2/16 slices (about 12.5 cents each slice).  Total cost 32.5 cents.  Huge difference!

Plus, they taste much yummier!

Try making your own breakfast sandwiches.  Your wallet, your tummy and your taste buds will thank you!

*Edited to add: Nutritional Info from McDonald's Egg McMuffin

Mama's Mission Update

Okay, so it really isn't the end of the month until tomorrow....but I know I won't have time to check in then.  

So I'll update now.  

Here were my "missions" for January:

1) Implement new laundry system.

2)Implement new chore chart system for the kids.

3) Walk at least 3-4 times per week.

4) Read Proverbs 31 and meditate on being a Proverbs 31 wife and mother.

5) Eat dinner at the table as a family 90% of the time (instead of on the run or in front of the TV as has become the norm)

And here is where we stand:

1) We implemented the new laundry system and it is totally working!!!  Yay!!!  I'll do a post on it later, since it working so well with our mid-size family.  Basically, I took all the laundry baskets out of the bedrooms and moved them to the laundry room.  I now have four baskets instead of three, but they are all pre-sorted and ready to go.  I've really been working at folding things right out of the dryer (instead of throwing them into a basket where they sit until they get worn again!).  The only part of this we need more work on is that sometimes the clothes don't make it to the laundry room and they dont' always make it back to the bedrooms (I have a couch covered in folded laundry at the moment.)

Baby Steps, right?

But I'm going to say this is accomplished and done (with improvements to come) as it is implemented and working.

2) Our new chore chart is working well also....as long as Momma and Daddy stay on top of things.  The first week the kids were all about the new charts.  Now we do have to remind them, but instead of reminding them to do certain things, we just have to say go check the chart.  It's working!  I'll have to do a post on those as well - they were Pinterest inspired.

Mission 2 - accomplished!

3) Walking....well I haven't made it to 3-4 times per week, but I'm doing at least 2 times a week.  So I will say partially accomplished, but a work in progress.  I sometimes underestimate how busy we are going to be during the week.  Two times a week walking might be all that I can actually squeeze in between kids activities and my dance classes.

Mission 3 - Work in Progress

4) I've spent quite a bit of time with this mission.  I find that the more I meditate on it, the more I have to do.  But I am finding that the little things I do are making a big difference, if only in my own attitude towards myself and my husband and my family.

Mission 4 - accomplished!

5) Again, we are doing awesome on this one!  We are eating at the table at least 4 nights a week now.  And actually, some weeks it has been more.  We have yet to make it to 7 nights a week, but as I mentioned, I sometimes underestimate how busy we are in the evenings.  I'm so glad we've made an effort in this!  The kids are talking more and we get to hear all kinds of things we were missing in the rush before.  We actually spend time together instead of scarfing down food and rushing to the next activity.

Mission 5 - accomplished!

So that is accomplished on all but one mission, and truthfully, I think I'm going to change that one a bit.....so I'm putting this little pin down to show where we are!

And now I need to think of some February missions!

Meal Plan Monday - January 30, 2012

Well, after bragging about how well we were staying on our meal plans for the past few weeks, I fell off the wagon last week and didn't do hardly anything that was actually ON the meal plan!  Oops!  Guess that is just rewards for bragging.

On to this week.....

Breakfasts
Cereal w/milk
Toast w/PB&J
Homemade Egg McMuffins
Oatmeal

Lunches
Brown Bag school lunches (sandwiches, chips, fruit, juice box, veggie)
School Lunches
Lean Cuisine for Momma

Dinners
*Hamburgers with baked beans, deviled eggs, cut veggies & dip, peaches
*Soyed Chicken Wings, potato wedges, salad, rolls, applesauce
*Speghetti w/red sauce and sausage, salad, rolls, broccoli
*Tacos
*Meatloaf with mashed potatoes, salad, cut veggies & dip, applesauce
*French Dip Crescents with fruit and veggie pieces and salad

Linking up to:

Menu Plan Monday @ I'm an Organizing Junkie

Menu Planning Monday @ Susie QT Pies 

Yummy Chocolate Cake!

Yesterday, on a whim, I decided to bake a chocolate cake...from scratch!  Not really sure why.  Perhaps it was the chocolate calling to me.  Perhaps I just wanted to turn the oven on and warm up the house.  Perhaps it was because I've had this cookbook sitting in my library bag for three weeks and not even cracked it open.  Whatever the case, I did it.  With help from two little muchkins of course.  The best kind of help....counting measuring scoops and sticking fingers into the batter to "taste" it.

The FarmChicks Dark Chocolate Butter Cake

1 C milk
1 Tbs white vinegar
1 1/2 C unsalted butter
2 1/2 C sugar
2 1/4 C flour
3/4 C Dutch-processed cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
5 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 C espresso or very strong coffee brewed
Raspberry Sauce for serving

*Preheat oven to 325.  Butter a 10 in Bundt pan well; then dust with  cocoa powder, knocking out excess.

*Combine milk and vinegar in a small bowl and set aside to slightly thicken.
*Cream butter and sugar.
*In a separate bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt cinnamon and baking powder.  Set aside.
*Add eggs one at a time to butter/sugar mixture, beating on high speed in between each.
*Beat in vanilla.
*Whisk the espresso into the milk mixture by hand.
*In thirds, alternately add the flour mixture and milk mixture to the butter mixture, beating on medium speed and blending well after each addition.
*Scrape batter into pan.  Bake for 60-70 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Cool, then invert the pan onto a plate.  Serve with Raspberry Sauce (raspberries, 1/2 C sugar, 1 TBS lemon juice cooked slightly).
*Enjoy!

Now....I didn't quite follow the recipe exactly.  I was out of vanilla extract, so I figured I would add almond instead.  But I was out of that too....so I used Khluha instead.  I also left out the espresso/coffee, as I don't enjoy that flavor at all.  And now...typing out the recipe, I realized that I also left out the baking powder!  Oops!  But it still turned out okay.  And quite tasty.  Mr. CrazyLife says it tastes just like no-bake cookies.  Which from him is a HUGE compliment as that is one of his favorites!