Chanteclers

Posted on 10/09/2013 by Jenny

I am so pleased with our White and Partridge Chantecler chickens. We’ve got two partridge from Triple D years ago. The other partridges and white Chanteclers are from Sandhill Preservation hatched early June this year. We waited a long time for them but I am glad we did.

Nice small combs and wattles. Good body size. Too young to lay just yet but soon.

Our older partridge are around 8 years old, I think. And still very active. Little Girl, my very favorite hen, is bossy and imperious yet rules fairly but decisively. Smart One continues to be a wily girl. Haven’t spent enough quality time with the youngsters to get a handle on personalities yet.

Very glad we took up keeping hens and pleased they are legal these days.

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Chaource aging

Posted on 10/09/2013 by Jenny

The Chaource I started mid September continues to age in the fridge. The white mold (penicillin candidum) formed a blanket as it should and is mostly adhering. I had moisture issues early on so we will see how that impacts flavor, ripening, etc. We could probably break into it at this point as its been aging for around 10 days but it’ll be better in another week or two.

It looks and smells like Brie. I need to do some more reading and experimenting. I think I would like to make Crottin next.

Last batch of Chèvre was pretty tasty and I liked the shape the open bottomed mold gave it.

Here is one of the Chaource cheeses:

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Posted in Cheese | 2 Comments

Stuff and things

Posted on 09/24/2013 by Jenny

It snowed yesterday.
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The mountains are so white and big and glorious.
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New handicap parking sign. From what is he running?
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Offense against god and nature. Candy corn Oreos. Say no.
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Good good Cardigans
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Emergency room redux. There was a sponge and a collapsible dish rack. 5 stitches, a year minus one day after the great sheep slashing of the other hand. Never a good sign when ER folks remember you…
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This is the sponge and the collapsible dish rack.

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Sheep slaughter 2013
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Glenn’s Wild Game processed them super fast
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Kate eating the last of the kale. She does this every year and I find it hysterical.

And lots more but it is late and sleep is critical

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What’s in your kitchen?

Posted on 09/24/2013 by Jenny

Home made bread. Home made jam.

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Home made cheese. Chaource. Milk, Mesophilic culture, penicillum candidum and rennet. Air drying then to be briefly brined and aged so a nice white mold can bloom over the surface (think Brie).

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Wings wings, rest in peace you very good rooster. Yeah, I am a little sick. Wings wings was our Chantecler rooster. He made a neighbor unhappy with his vocalarity and went into the deep freeze back in August 2008. I thought we’d long ago eaten him but unearthed him this week when I was rearranging the freezer. Not a bit of frost and in great shape so thawed and into the crock pot for a nice long cooking to break down those mighty thews.

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Ok, just one more

Posted on 09/24/2013 by Jenny

Scott sez:
Snow bookends, 2013.

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Elizabeth fair

Posted on 09/02/2013 by Jenny

Elizabeth loved the livestock barn and the vegetable/herb garden.

She was watching the animals from my chest, being quiet and concentrating. She abruptly and insistently demanded to get down pointing at the Suffolks and wildly baa-ing. She had suddenly recognized them as sheep (she is accustomed to smaller darker fuzzier sheep) and wanted to greet them. She ran from pen to pen, with me in pursuit wildly gleefully loudly baa-ing and laughing.

Awesome.

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Still cheesemaking

Posted on 09/02/2013 by Jenny

This weekend we cleaned house, washed dogs, baked bread, and made another batch of Feta cheese.

Plus we went to the fair.

We went looking for our favorite corn dogs (hand dipped on site secret recipe deliciousness) and learned she’d retired! Not amused and most saddened. First fair ever we skipped corn dogs.

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Scott on learning the corn dogs were no more

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Easy bake

Posted on 09/02/2013 by Jenny

‘Old’ hens on left, new crew on right.
‘Old’ hens: L’il Girl (Partridge Chantecler, 2005), Wyandotte/Partridge Chantecler mix, Smart One (Partridge Chantecler, 2005)
New crew June 2013: Buff Cornish, Partridge Chantecler, White Chantecler (3 hens one rooster), 2 more Partridge Chantecler.

Notice the air gap on the roost? I think they’re worried about cooties.

Doesn’t the coop, with its insulation, look like an easy bake oven?

Hah!

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Adding a third dog?

Posted on 09/01/2013 by scott

I brushed Bing before a bath later today. The result was almost enough hair for a third dog, and I only did a quick brushing (Bing is not too keen on being brushed).

Anyone want to spin some dog hair?

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Bacon Day dinner

Posted on 09/01/2013 by scott

Spenard Roadhouse has a Bacon of the Month every month. To finish out this glorious International Bacon Day we had Bacon Wings, Super Tots (with bacon, of course), Mac and Cheese without bacon :-(, and seasonal Alaskan veggies.

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