1.08.2009

Getting Ahead Again.



With the last visitors waved goodbye yesterday morning I turned my mind back to 'getting ahead'. It was terribly hot the day before so in order to be able to bake up a storm I had to get up really early and turn the oven on before it got too hot. I woke at 5.20am ready to start the day. By 9am it was game over, just too hot for cooking!

The lamington recipe that keeps incarnating into different things has done it again! From lamingtons to slice, to cake and now to muffins. I just stirred in some blueberries that a friend gave me from her recent 'pick your own' adventure.





I also made a huge lot of crackers to replace water crackers, Saos and Saladas. I adapted the lavash crackers recipe I have used before. I roll the dough out with the pasta maker to make it quite thin which is fine for a cracker to use with dips but for something more like a water cracker or crispbread style I just fold it over. To speed up the process I roll out the dough, lay it across a baking tray and slice it with the pizza cutter.










They come out of the oven crisp and golden brown. Now I need to harvest some sweet basil and make a great dip to go with them.





Yesterday was the first day that I let the girls out to roam. I had been told to leave them in their enclosure for a while so that they learn where home is before I let them out. They were a little hesitant at first but soon began enjoying their surroundings. I noticed how they picked the bugs off the cucumber leaves. We don't use any sprays or pesticides and generally run with the philosophy that there is enough for us and the lady bugs, as well as the fact that they seem to only munch on the leaves. But the chooks, well they had a picnic feast! I will let the girls wander around the garden beds. I know that the benefits will outweigh the fact that they will scratch around. I will protect anything that I don't want destroyed by them.



They must have loved their little romp in free range land, because....... they rewarded me with my very first egg!!! ( ***tears of joy*****) We proudly showed it to hubbie who replied 'it's a bit small - you might have to give them some steroids!'. Hmmmpph. I replied with ' if you want bigger eggs, go and get yourself an Emu'. lol.



It's a mighty fine start girls, don't listen to him. Bigger is not always better. You will get there!

7 comments:

A Bite of Country Cupcakes said...

Oh Congrats on the first googy!!
It is the sweetest of lifes small thing to collect your own eggs and watch your free ranging hens scrounge and forrage.
We have a cheeky gal who hops uop on our windowsill and peeks on it to get attention!
Your blueberry thingys lokk scrummy!

Unknown said...

Chickens are such joy. Not only are they fun to watch, the eggs a great bonus. Even better, I believe, is the free fertiliser you get from them. My garden has never had it so good!

Gav

Emma said...

Congrats on your first egg. We can't have chickens at the moment as we are renting and can't secure the back yard but we will definitely get some as soon as we can.
Can you post your recipe for the crackers? I would love to give it a go.

Emma

Karen said...

How exciting! You are a good girl for getting up so early to get your cooking done.

FlipFlop Mom said...

when we got our chickens the eggs were teeny tiny..I was so bummed.. but now... they come out HUGE!!!
Go girlies!! LOL LOL...

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the first egg! What a great idea to use your pasta machine to get thin pastry for crackers. I do not have a pasta machine but it would be another reason to get one by using it for pastry as well.

Kaye

Bel said...

I hope that is the first of many eggs for you! :)

Using the pasta machine for cracker dough is a great idea. Have you posted the recipe for the Lavash crackers before?

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