Maple Pecan Chicken

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I got this recipe off the box of Panko Bread Crumbs and it is delicious!!!

Here you go:

I used chicken tenders and they were wonderful.  And really good cold, out of the fridge the next day. 

Served with sugar snap peas.

And rice pudding with strawberries, blueberries and a little whipped cream.  Yum!!

Have a great day.

Linking up with:

http://mizhelenscountrycottage.blogspot.com/

http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/

Shirley

Calico Beans

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Calico Beans

(The perfect picnic recipe)

I got this recipe from my sister.  I don't know who she said she got it from.  She has changed it a little and I've changed it slightly.

It's great to throw in a crock pot and take to a picnic.  Everyone wants baked beans at a picnic!!

Here's my version of the recipe:

(I usually double this to take somewhere)

1/2 C chopped onion

10 slices of bacon cut in pieces and browned with onion 

then add 1/2 lb ground meat and brown.  (I use ground turkey)

Add 1 can each of kidney beans, Butter beans, pork & beans and black beans.

Add 1/4 C BBQ sauce

2 T molasses

1/2 t chili powder

1/3 C brown sugar

1/3 C white sugar

1/4 cup ketchup

a couple squirts of mustard

And salt and pepper

 Heat together in a pot on the stove then put in crockpot on low till it's picnic time!

Happy picnicking this summer!!

I'm linking up with a new "party"

http://thekingscourt4.blogspot.com/

Shirley

My little chick video

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Just 6 days old today.  First time out of their brooder box for a little exploring time.

Enjoy!

Shirley

Tail Stubble!!

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The chicks are 4 days old and we have little wing feathers and tail stubble!!  So cute

I know you'll be sick of chicken blogs before they are grown!!

Now, how cute is that!!!!

Shirley

Too Warm for May!

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It was 86 degrees when I arrived at the barn.

It's only May.  I hate to think that July, August and Sept. are going to be squelchers!

I rode Preacher and practiced my "homework" from my Monday lesson.  I hope to get another practice session in on Sunday but the weekend is supposed to be in the 90's!!

When I came home I planted the chicken's garden.  I need a new sprinkling can.  Mine leaks!

I started to clean up the mess I've made in the garage from painting the coop.

I cleaned out the chick's brooder because I wanted to change the bedding from shredded newspaper to pine shavings.  The reason being is that I caught the one chick eating the strips of shredded newspaper!  I thought she was going to choke!

I could sit in there and watch those babies all evening!  They run around, peck and eat and scratch around.  Then all of a sudden they get tired, their eyes close and they almost fall over.  Their little nap only lasts a minute then they are running around again.  Eating, drinking, pecking, scratching and pooping!  The tips of their little wing feathers are starting to show on a couple of them.  They spread out there little wings and flutter, trying a little take off!  They already preen themselves!  How do they know to do all this.  3 or 4 days ago they were still in an egg!!

And why are other wild birds like robins and blue birds born without any feathers or fluff like chickens have!  Hmmmmmm.

 See the little wing feathers!

My gardens are a whole month early.  These should be blooming in June!!

My beautiful coral poppies!

Have a good evening everyone.

Shirley

Stuff from today!

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My computer is acting goofy and of course the one page (among others), that won't load right, is MY BLOG!!!

So I don't even know if this post will load on.

Today was my day to do things around the house and to grocery shop.

I check on the little chicks about once an hour when I'm here.  They are so cute and get all in a twitter when I open the door to the bathroom and speak to them!  They will eat from my hand already and the little yellow ones are quite bold.

I got the grocery shopping out of the way, mailed some letters and went to Starbucks to have a coffee and cheese danish.

When I got home I started making the lid to the brooder.

I bought myself a little staple gun the other day and a decent pair of wire cutters.  I had some hardware wire left from the coop.

I made this myself!  It's perfectly square.  (I know because I used a square  : ))

I have to admit it took me awhile to make it, but it got done.  No work bench; I had to sit on the hard floor of my garage.

I dug up this raised bed.  It was full of weeds.  It was a back breaking job even though it looks small.  I added some compost.

I'm going to plant these things in there for the chickens.  I hope the pole beans will climb up this sunny side of the chicken run to give them some shade.  I also heard they love nasturtiums and of course some lettuce.   I plant them tomorrow. 

After that I sat in the yard with Monk.  He is on a leash that I leave dragging behind him now.  He got tweaked twice with the Invisible Fence and I think that was enough for him.  But now I've got to encourage him to widen his safe area!  He still wants to just stay on the deck!!

OK, well, I hope I can publish this!

I think the problem with my computer is that it's full!

Shirley  

My Chicks Arrived This Morning!!

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I got the call from the post office at 6:30 am that my little peeping box of chicks had arrived.  I threw on some clothes and went to get them.  They peeped all the way home and looked active and healthy when I opened the box.

This is the shipping box with a heating pad on the bottom.

This is their brooder for the next couple weeks or until they out grow it.  Then they go into a large dog cage with cardboard around it.

They have to be keep at 95 degrees for the first week and then you lower the temp by 5 degrees each week.

I'm making a better top for this tomorrow.

I have 3 yellow chicks and there should be just 2 so they switched me out one of the others and I'm not sure what yet.  Really doesn't matter too much.  I'm just hoping for all hens!!

Aren't they the sweetest little things.  They will already eat from my hand.

Shirley

Reporting In on a Few Subjects

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I've been keeping watch on the bluebird's house.  There is now 5 little blue eggs.  The other day there was a robin sitting on top of the house and the blue birds were all in a tither and chased him away.

This is a lilac bush right outside my living room window.  I forget the name of it but it blooms later than the old-time lilacs and isn't as fragrant.

Progress on my chicken coop!

The inside is all painted and the outside is primed.  I'm going to paint the outside a sage green then think of something cute to decorate it.

My chicks are due to arrive in 6-7 days!!!!!!

Of course they'll be in the house in a brooder for a little while.

Monks training is going well.  He definitely gets the idea that the "flags are bad"!

Yesterday was the first day I took the cover off the prongs and he got "tingled" twice.

He didn't like it and ran back to me which is exactly what he's supposed to do. (He is on a leash of course)  He hasn't wanted to go anywhere near them again!

I think he's mad at me!!

Shirley

Landscapers

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I've been waiting for the landscapers to come for weeks.  Meanwhile my front gardens kept growing and growing and the weeds were out of control being that we've had warm weather and rain!!

They called yesterday and said they would be here today.  I went out and trimmed some tall bushes so that they could even get to the gardens!!

This is a couple pictures of before that I snapped this morning.

As you can see, my brick path was hidden and thistles were abundant!

Yikes!!  OUT OF CONTROL!  Too much for me.

Now, these are the after photos!  I feel so much better.

The weeds had to be all hand pulled.  No spraying.

It took two guys 6 hours.  (12 hours of work time!)  I'm sure the bill will be a biggie!

They are going to maintain it for me for $25/mo. after this initial cleanup.

Well worth it!

I'm linking this to "Outdoor Wednesday"

http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/

Have a great day.

Shirley

Echo's Training

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This is Echo's 3rd session with Sarah, the trainer.  He is getting a general tune-up and a lot of work in specific areas.  

About 3 years ago, Echo hurt himself going over a cavelleti.  (That white thing with the X'es at either end.)  He got his feet tangled up and scuffed 3 out of 4 of his legs!  So ever since then he has been frightened to go over any ground pole.  It turned into a phobia!!

So this is big progress in just about 2-3 hours of training time.

(This full video is almost 10 min. long.)
Can also be viewed on YouTube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHWBMEMVwCs&list=UUPiOfVKhTJtC_ICuQuJVU2Q&index=1&feature=plcp

This takes a lot of patience and a lot of understanding as to how a horse thinks.

Thanks for watching.
Shirley

This and That

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No, I haven't fallen off the earth!  I've just been too pooped to post!  It's my own fault as I plan too much for everyday and then wait till the evening to get on the computer and just don't have any more brain cells that are willing to be active!

This week I did find something I've been going to buy for over $20 and I found it for $8 at my favorite little 2nd hand shop.  I wanted to get all my knives out of my drawer and into a block.  Makes it so much easier! 

Well, it's finally Monk's turn to learn about the Invisible Fence.  His training just started yesterday.  It will take about 3-4 weeks.  I've trained 4 other dogs to it and I've never had an escapee!!  It's the most wonderful invention!!

Monk doesn't seem all that enthused about it but he'll be glad to get off that rope and be free to wander about the yard.

I have bluebirds in my bluebird house.  This is their neat little nest and so far there's one beautiful blue egg in there.  I'll keep you posted.

Shirley

A Summery Afternoon

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It's May 3rd but the temperature was 85.  It was nice outside because of a nice breeze and no bugs.

Linda came over with my grandkids for a visit.

We were sort of testing Ava out to see how her asthma problem would react at my house.  The last few times she was here for my weekly baby sitting, she had an asthma attack.  We are thinking it's an allergy to something in my house.  They have a dog and a cat too and she doesn't have them very often at home unless she has a bad cold.  Definitely more at my house.  Yes, my dogs are bigger and I probably have more dust, dander and hair.

So I didn't have them to babysit all winter while the house was closed up.

Here's Jack telling me that he uses this tool at his work!!  (Where ever that may be : ))

We spent about half the time outside and half inside and she didn't seem to have any real problem today.

The problem is that when I babysit they are here for 8-9 hours and if she gets wheezy and doesn't react totally to her inhaler then her Mom has to leave work to come and get her.

It's nerve wracking for me because, being a retired ER nurse, I know how quickly a child with an asthma attack can go downhill!

Of course on days we can spend outside the whole day it would be better.

We'll see.

Shirley

My Cowgirl Birthday Card

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Here's the handmade BD card from my sister.  

This is the birthday that I'm pretending to be turning 50  : ))

I'm going to be riding a lot this year  : ))

Thanks Susie,

Shirley