Slow Cooked Eggs

This is a family favorite recipe that was found originally in a cookbook put together by the folks that actually work for Lodge Cast Iron Cookware. There are a few modifications, but the spirit of the eggs are from the great folks who make Lodge Cookware! If you like onions or leeks or mushrooms or potatoes or left over bacon (is that possible?) or sausage, cook them in a cast iron skillet (I use a 10" skillet inside), then let the skillet cool a bit.

Crack 8-10 eggs or more depending on the crowd, directly into the skillet, add 5-7 hefty shakes of worcestershire sauce, one cup of grated cheddar cheese and let it stand on medium low heat. You can add pepper, Italian seasoning blend, etc, but simple is good too.
Now the tricky part, don't stir. Move it around a bit. Walk away. Make toast or biscuits. Set the table. Move the eggs around a bit more...the eggs cook almost like a poached/fried egg in a scramble, so there are pieces of cooked yolk in the gently moved mix of eggs and cheese.


The original recipe calls for 45 minutes, but it usually takes about 20 minutes even for the large crowd! Another important reminder is to not overcook the eggs. As soon as the pieces of yolk are set and the scrambled part is softly cooked, remove from the heat. Serve right away and enjoy around the table or campfire with good cheer!

Sing For Your Supper

Henry and Tessa came to dinner tonight. Henry has a great talent with his singing and guitar and Tessa is equally talented as is Lisa, who we missed on this night. The songs are usually folk songs and some are verses written by Henry. Tonight one of them was called, When I First Came to this Land. The lyrics are a kick. Henry has such a good time singing and so do we. The link is not to Henry, but we will have to work on that!

We had pasture raised pork chops that were cooked in the smoker, garlic mashed potatoes with a yam cooked in for the orange party color, cole slaw and raisins, applesauce, bread and butter pickles, pickled beets, and chocolate cake. We first met Tessa at 6 days old and now she is nearly 11. What a joy to watch her grow up and what a treat to share some songs and a meal with dear friends.

Carbonation

The chicken coop was cleaned out over the weekend and all of the carbon rich manure was put into the garden. There were thirteen piles, but the little two-footed feathered friends made a quick job out of distributing the compost.

The hens don't like a dirty coop and they won't lay eggs if they think there is a bad odor in the nest boxes. It is a slow time for egg layers anyway, but the hens that are producing deserve a clean spot to lay.

Hard at work in her own pile, this golden sex link hen will make easy work of moving and sanitizing the straw and manure. This will add great nutrition to the garden soil. Isn't it amazing how warm it looks? There are frozen bits of snow in the shadows! Night time temperatures are dipping to the low 20's. Nothing like a hen party to warm up the January days!

Great Eggs and Happy Hens

As we are collecting just a few eggs a day from our flock of 19 hens, we are grateful for the golden goodness and for the opportunity the hens have to rest. Their favorite spot to hang out is on the south facing side of the house on the sun bench!


This poor little hen happens to be molting now, in the cold days of winter. We make sure she is getting extra rations of walnuts, pork fat, and sunshine! She systematically turns herself in the sun to expose all sides of her body. Our hens are laying about 260 days out of the year and need a rejuvenating season. For some, it is now.

This is a great book! We got to go and listen to Joel Salatin speak in Jackson County a few years ago thanks to Annie. She mentioned on her blog that he was coming to visit British Columbia and we got to wondering if he would be visiting Southern Oregon. He was and he did! Joel Salatin is a great speaker, writer, and farmer. His common sense practice of farming is stretching across the country. One of his many great practices is raising chickens for meat and for eggs. Folks, This Ain't Normal, goes beyond farming practices and looks at food, food production, and the future of food. It is also written with great humor and a very enjoyable and informative book to read. Here's to happy hens~

Button Blankets

These are a grade school version of a Northwest Coast Button Blanket. The blankets are made out of paper bags that have been worked and worked and worked by little hands. Just when students thought they were finished they had more working to do! Then the totems, which were salmon, raven, thunderbird, otter, orca, and bear were colored onto the softened 'hides'. Finally, holes were punched and yarn was tied in patterns of black and red. These blankets take over a week of very focused attention to detail to complete and the children take such pride in their work. Annie from Country Living in a Cariboo Valley, took photos of authentic blankets, robes, headdress and masks from a recent trip while she was in Prince Rupert. Thank you Annie, for the pictures and descriptions! I will enjoy sharing them with my students.