Sunday Stills - Things With Wings

This was the perfect subject for me this week! I was a sewing machine this week, and my work space just happens to be right next to my bird feeders! Had it been any other challenge I may not have been able to participate. I love bird watching and am very glad for this opportunity to be able to photograph them as well as observe them.

The robin above and the scarlet tanager below have been raiding my mulberry tree for the abundant ripe fruit found on it right now. I'm trying to practice what I preach and share with them as I would like the fruit all to myself. The kids love to snack on them, and because it's free fruit, I'm able to make jam for $.22 (THAT'S CENTS) per pint!! 

The turkey hen (Lydia's "girlie") we hatched this spring above, and Thanksgiving dinner below.

We keep finding the turkeys roosting in the most unusual places! Regardless, I was still shocked to look out and see him sitting on top of the kid's swingset. Guess they had better look up before they go for a swing :D

These two were taken by my husband, Bill.

Life Skills

From Simply Charlotte Mason, 

"Four succinct points should be kept in mind when selecting handicrafts and life skills.

1. The end-product should be useful. The children should not “be employed in making futilities such as pea and stick work, paper mats, and the like.”
2. Teach the children “slowly and carefully what they are to do.”
3. Emphasize the habit of best effort. “Slipshod work should not be allowed.”
4. Carefully select handicrafts and life skills to challenge but not frustrate. “The children’s work should be kept well within their compass.”

(taken from Home Education, p. 315)"

It was a very educational day for children and adults alike. We began the season with 26 birds and ended up with 19. One chicken was butchered last weekend as a test run to see if this was something we the boys were up for. It was terrible! Practically inedible it was so tough. But the process seemed like something he could handle and we didn't want to invest anymore money in chickens that would end up in the soup pot. We thought we might find the solution to the tough meat in different ways of "disposing" of them, but we found that when they were dipped in boiling water to loosen the feathers for plucking, they were stiffening up and even beginning to cook! We lost 2 birds because of partially cooked meat, taking our total down to 17. The remainder of the chickens had their skin removed, which eliminated the need for plucking and saved a great deal of time. 

In all 17 chickens yielded 9 1/2 pounds of breast meat, 13 pounds of leg/dark meat, and 4 whole chickens came to 16 pounds. 

The prices that my grocery store charges for their "all-natural" chicken are:

$6.59/lb. boneless skinless breast meat ($63.00)

$2.29/lb.  dark meat ($30.45)

$ 2.00/lb. whole chicken ($32.00)

Total: $125.45

Total invested: $129.76

(This includes chicks, starter, feed, paper for under brooder, and a hanging waterer. The chicken tractor and all supplies to butcher were made from materials we already had.)

Life Skills: Priceless

Would we do it again? The jury is still out on that one. Bill had his fill of all things chicken today so we had a meatless meal for supper. If we didn't solve the tough bird problems by not boiling them and they are still tough, we will definitely not raise broilers again! It may be worth it simply for the instilling of work ethic in my sons, the knowledge of what is going into our food, and the educational aspects of raising poultry. If paying for the butchering is cost prohibitive and time doesn't dull Bill's memory, I imagine that this may have been a valuable one-time lesson for my children about where their food comes from. 

I'm very proud of the worktable that my husband fashioned for this project. It alone was worth today simply so that my sons learn ingenuity and how to be resourceful. All materials used for the processing table were found laying around, which further decreased the cost of raising the birds. 

*I hope that the images weren't too offensive, ladies. I tried to keep it as clean as possible :D

Quesaddicted

My sister shared this recipe with me a year or two ago and, while everyone in the family enjoys it immensely, it is Hannah's favorite meal.  When I ask what she wants for dinner, without fail, she shouts "Chicken Quesadillas!!"  I have always had a package of tortillas on hand before, but they would  get as hard as a brick and I would eventually throw them away. These days we run out before I can make it to the store again. My favorite part of this quick and simple recipe is that all of the major food groups (except chocolate and ice cream) are covered!

Chicken Quesadillas

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast - cubed

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

1/4 c. oil

1 t. sugar

1 t. oregano

1 t. chili powder

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1 green pepper, diced

1 tomato, diced

8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

6 burrito sized tortillas (or equivalent)

olive oil for brushing

-Preheat oven to 425. 

-Whisk together the red wine vinegar, oil, and spices in a large skillet. Stir in cubed chicken and marinate while cutting the vegetables and shredding the cheese. Saute the chicken over medium high heat until it is no longer pink. (Cooking time is variable depending on the size of the cubes. Could be anywhere from 5-10 minutes.) 

-Arrange half of the tortillas on a baking sheet. (I cut two in half to fit one and a half to each of 2 sheets.) Drizzle or brush the top with olive oil. Place the second tortilla on top of the first and rub it around on top of the first tortilla to share the oil love. 

-Spread cooked chicken, and diced vegetables on the second tortilla. Sprinkle with grated cheese. 

-At this point, you have two tortillas on the bottom, with olive oil in between them, and the rest of your ingredients on top. Simply slip the bottom tortilla out and top the chicken/veggie/cheese with it, oil side up. 

-Bake in the oven until lightly browned and crispy and the cheese has melted. 

Unfortunately, we seem to be developing a rather expensive habit this summer. A rather expensive tortilla habit. I'm finding that I can put them in all sorts of meals.  My husband is addicted to my pizza quesadillas and is constantly asking me to make them for him. I even made a lazy man's knock-off elephant ear with tortillas this weekend. The list could go on and on. I'm definitely going to have to learn how to make them myself or go broke. Of course, I prefer the former option! :D So my Mission ( ;D) this summer is to search for a recipe that will give us our tortilla fix without breaking the bank!

Does anyone have a delicious recipe for homemade tortillas?  If so, please do end my search quickly. Share so that I can go outside and play instead!

Tasty Tuesday

Tempt My Tummy

Tasty Thursday

Food On Friday

Foodie Friday

Grocery Cart Recipe Swap

The Daily Interview

The Daily Interview

Such a sensation Sunday's preacher made. 

"Christian!" he cried, "what is your stock-in-trade? 

Alas! Too often nil. No time to pray; 

No interview with Christ from day to day,  

A hurried prayer, maybe, just gabbled through;  

A random text—for any one will do."  

Then gently, lovingly, with look intense,  

He leaned towards us— "Is this common sense?  

No person in his rightful mind will try 

To run his business so, lest by-and-by  

The thing collapses, smirching his good name,  

And he, insolvent, face the world with shame."   

I heard it all; and something inly said  

That all was true. The daily toil and press   

Had crowded out my hopes of holiness. 

Still, my old self rose, reasoning: How can you,   

With strenuous work to do—   

Real slogging work—say, how can you keep pace  

With leisured folks? Why, you could grow in grace  

If you had time . . . the daily Interview  

Was never meant for those who wash and bake. 

But yet a small Voice whispered:  "For My sake Keep tryst with Me!  

There are so many minutes in a day,  So spare Me ten.  

It shall be proven, then,  

Ten minutes set apart can well repay  

You shall accomplish more   

If you will shut your door  

For ten short minutes just to watch and pray."  

"Lord, if I do Set ten apart for You"  

(I dared, yes dared, to reason thus with Him)  

"The baker's sure to come;  

Or Jane will call  

To say some visitor is in the hall;  

Or I shall smell the porridge burning, yes,  

And run to stop it in my hastiness. 

There's not ten minutes, Lord, in all the day   

I can be sure of peace in which to watch and pray."  

But all that night,  

With calm insistent might,   

That gentle Voice spake softly, lovingly—   

"Keep tryst with Me!   

You have devised a dozen different ways   

Of getting easy meals on washing days;   

You spend much anxious thought on hopeless socks;   

On moving ironmould from tiny frocks;   '

Twas you who found   

A way to make the sugar lumps go round;   

You, who invented ways and means of making   

Nice spicy buns for tea, hot from the baking,   

When margarine was short . . . and can-not you   

Who made the time to join the butter queue   

Make time again for Me?   

Yes, will you not, with all your daily striving,   

Use woman's wit in scheming and contriving   

To keep that tryst with Me?"   

Like ice long bound  

On powdered frosty ground,   

My erring will all suddenly gave way.   

The kind soft wind of His sweet pleading blew,   

And swiftly, silently, before I knew,   

The warm love loosed and ran.   

Life-giving floods began,   

And so most lovingly I answered Him:   

"Lord, yes, I will, and can.   

I will keep tryst with Thee, Lord, come what may!"  

It is a wondrous and surprising thing   

How that ten minutes takes the piercing sting  

From vexing circumstance and poisonous dart   

Hurled by the enemy straight at my heart.   

So, to the woman tempest-tossed and tried   

By household cares, and hosts of things beside,   

With all my strength God bids me say to you:

"Dear soul, do try the daily Interview!"

-Fay Inchfawn