The Ladies Free Ranging Good Time

If you like pictures of chickens, then you are in for a treat!

Lot 'o chick pics!

This is what I usually see when I go to visit the girls - 2 chunky white girls (cwg) free ranging.

Really, really free ranging.

Chicks on the prairie!

Then the next thing I see - Zela! (pronounced SAY-la)

She always comes running when she sees me.

She follows me around until I sit down and then she jumps into my lap for a cuddle.

She'll stay in my lap until I leave, if I get up she waits until I sit down again and then she jumps back up to get a hug.

Zela is such a photo hog!

Can she help it if she is so beautiful?!?

There's busy (bossy) Butter!

More of the flock - Zela, some CWGs, Lavender (on the right), Butter (way in the back), Zoe, Hawky and some red girls too.

It's funny, but I can pick out Zela, Butter and Lavender's voices from the rest of the flock, even in the dark.

Really Zela? Every picture?

Hello!

I love the CWGs face whiskers.

Hey! One of these things is not like the other...........

Lavender!

A CWG and Butter.

Gossip 'round the watercooler.

This Lady is a real snuggler, but I can't remember her name!

She's sweet, but jealous. When I'm holding Zela and not petting her, she will pull feathers out of Zela's tail until I pay attention to her!

Butter says, "See 'ya again soon and bring raisins next time."

Chicken Adventures and Eggs!

More pictures of the Ladies from yesterday.

Butter checks on the nest box action.
Who's in there?

"Could I have a little privacy?"

Butter to Zela: "Do you have any eggs under there?"

Zela: "Buzz off! I'm busy."

"One, two, three, four..."

Isn't she pretty?

Nest boxes are a good place for a nap.

Lavender.

And

Remember the Purple Girl?

Her feathers have grown in.

Zeeba takes a stroll.

Hop.

Jump!

Lavender: "It's true. I layed them all."

Lots of beautiful eggs!

The terracotta one in the center is Zela's egg.

I watched her lay it.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano

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Gnocchi

1 large white baking potato

1 large sweet potato

1 large egg

1/2 tsp nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving

1 1/2 cups to 2 cups flour

Bake potatoes in the oven until tender - 450F for 45 mins to 1 hour.

Cool potatoes until you can handle them (don't let them get cold or they won't go through the ricer, if that happens just pop them into the microwave for a few seconds).

Remove the skins and force the potatoes through a ricer.

Be careful to remove all the strings in the sweet potato.

Cool potatoes completely.

Beat together egg, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Add egg mixture to potato mixture and mix well.

Add cheese and 1 1/2 cups flour.

Mix well and add more flour until mixture forms a smooth, but slightly sticky dough.

Don't add too much flour!

Test a piece of dough to see if it holds together, before adding more flour.

In a pot, boil salted water, add test gnocchi. Cook for 2 mins. If gnocchi holds together - don't add more flour. If gnocchi falls apart - add a little flour and then retest dough.

To roll out dough: Cut dough into 6 pieces. Form pieces in to 1/2 inch thick ropes on a lightly floured surface. Gently roll dough. Use a very light touch.

Cut dough into 1/2 inch pieces.

To cook: Add to boiling salted water and cook for 2-3 mins. Remove and drain. Add to a baking dish with Sage Butter and bake at 450F degrees for 5 mins. or until bubbly.

To freeze: Lay cut gnocchi pieces on a baking sheet and freeze. Remove frozen gnocchi and store in a freezer bag. Return to freezer. Do not allow to thaw, before cooking!

Sage Butter

2 tsp. rubbed sage

1 stick of butter

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 Tbs brown sugar

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Melt butter in a baking dish. Add sage, nutmeg and sugar. Stir. Keep warm until gnocchi are ready.

Add cooked gnocchi and bake at 450F degrees for 5 mins. or until bubbly.

Dough



Rolling out and cutting gnocchi.

Frozen gnocchi.

Cooked gnocchi.

This was all the gnocchi I had left after my party.

And I didn't get to taste them!

Winter Chickens and A Purple Girl

Here are a few pictures of the Ladies.

You can tell Winter is in full swing: cabbage and warm mash for all!

Cheap chicken entertainment - a hanging cabbage.

There's Butter!
She's busy catching that cabbage.

Zela and Lavender

And a purple chicken!?!

I nicknamed her Turkey.

She started moulting and her sisters picked on her, so.....I Blukoted her.

It's a spray that covers up the bare red skin and doesn't taste very nice.

There are a couple other Girls developing bare spots, so I might give them a little dash of Blu kote too, if Carol doesn't mind.

Winter is hard on a chicken. :(

Isn't she cute?!?

Little cutie!

I noticed her attitude changed, when she realized she wasn't going to be picked on any more.

She's more assertive and was *sigh* picking on the Barred Rock girl, while she was taking a dust bath, yesterday.

A lot of Carol's Girls are getting friendly, as you can see from this video.

They like to be held and snuggled.

The only problem - I only have 2 arms!