Shrove Tuesday Pancakes....banishing the old

Happy Shrove Tuesday, dear blog friends and family!

Did you know that Shrove Tuesday is also called Mardi Gras?

And Mardi Gras is french for FAT TUESDAY???? I love learning new things. I always thought Mardi Gras was just a big party down in New Orleans (well it is) but it also refers to the practice of the last night of eating rich, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday.

And that's tomorrow. So today is Fat Tuesday or celebration day and in many parts of the world it's also Shrove Tuesday.

Now here is something I also did not know, The expression "Shrove Tuesday" comes from the word  shrive, which means to absolve. Shrove Tuesday is observed by many Christians, including Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists and Roman Catholics, who make a special point of self examination, of considering what wrongs they need to repent, and what amendments of life or area of spiritual growth they especially need to ask God's help in dealing with.

It's funny but when I was a child and attending church regularly,...and even as an adult? I don't REALLY remember much ado in our Anglican derived services about Shrove Tuesdays and we certainly didn't eat pancakes in celebration of such a day.

In my memory anyway....where are my sisters for their recollection?

Also, I have never been into gorging myself in anticipation of a great fast...but you know I really like the idea of the whole absolution thing....and preparing for a new season.

Something speaks to my deepest core about letting go....sometimes I feel it's what my life's journey is all about.

So today, my family and I are starting a new tradition and are celebrating Shrove Tuesday. We are feasting and celebrating and for dinner? Pancakes of course.

We are a big pancake family anyway. Every single Sunday since our children were tiny, my husband David gets up early, lets me sleep in, (do I love this man!!!) and makes our ever growing crew pancakes. He could now be blindfolded in the kitchen on Sunday morning and pull together a whopping plate of PERFECT,  light and fluffy pancakes. Did I mention they are also golden brown?

NO matter how much I practice making pancakes they never turn out like his....mind you, he doesn't leave the pan for a moment. He hovers over his griddle like the pancakes are his precious offspring. When I make them, they are not golden...more like dark brown!!! of course when I'm making them, I'm flying around, throwing a load of laundry in, unloading the dishwasher, and yeah...maybe treating them like my precious offspring. I'm always multi tasking to stay on top of everything and while I'm trying to attend to my pancakes, I'm usually making something to go with them at the same time....like a bowl of fruit salad and so yeah, they don't turn out as great as his. (thankfully, our kids are beautifully GOLDEN!)

 But anyway, I GOT SIDETRACKED....and that is why my pancakes don't turn out like his!

We often eat pancakes during the week as well; if we are out and busy in the afternoons with music, dance, sports, or the other multiple activities our kids participate in. I will come home with a car load of hungry kids and unless I have made a casserole or a pot of soup or a big salad, all made, sitting in the fridge, the cry goes out for pancakes.....and while sometimes I do make them, we wait for Dad to come home, pull on his apron, and whip them up for us. A bonus for the kids AND me.

(who doesn't like a night off from cooking?....and I'm happy to do the clean up!)

This morning as David was heading out the door he said, "we are on for pancakes right?" and as we were all hustling to get dressed and ready for the day, we gave all gave him the resounding thumbs up!!!

Yeah!

After the kids were all off to school....and even our oldest son is out of the house today as he's working all week at the Science Centre....another YEAH!

I came home and was inspired to actually make myself more than my green drink and an apple.

Yep! that's me most mornings.....BUT

This morning, I decided to try out a really cool, never thought about before, pancakes recipe that I stumbled over this weekend. I found a cool channel on Youtube, "Minimalist Mama of 10," when I was googling large families, and minimalism. I know such a contradiction of terms but being on this road-less traveled, I'm constantly on the look out for my people. Yes, I know, I know, I live with "my" people but in many ways not really. While yes, they are living with me and I birthed 8 of them, they don't all endorse my beliefs and philosophies....it's more like they humour me.

A lot!

Thankfully....

They have come along on the backyard chicken road with me 'cause I think they were getting sick and tired of me spending all my time mooning over chicken coop plans on the internet and always having my nose in a book on chicken care.

They finally said, okay to chickens in our backyard. It felt like forever too. Have you ever wanted something so bad you could taste it but other people got in the way of your dream?

The cool thing is now our little ones have feathered pets and the big ones are loving our omega rich, organic eggs they get to eat....and they know the chickens are treated REALLY well! And then there is my veggie garden. Who doesn't mind getting all that fresh produce from the garden, and the green smoothies and juices that I make for them, 'cause, yes, they all like being healthy and fit. But boy they scatter like the wind, when I start talking about double digging our garden, or turning over the compost bins. Well, except the little ones who are always in for playing in the dirt....maybe little people are MY PEOPLE!

For the most part they all agree in our constant move towards living a minimalist life and they all agree that they love the feeling they get after their bedroom has been combed through and organized. Almost as if a breath of fresh air has been whooshed into their space.

And it has.

Don't you love new energy?

They also know deep down that the steps we are taking to walk a lighter path on the earth and help to heal our planet does make a difference. If we all join in we can clean up our home and keep it healthy. We are after all.....ALL family, living in the same house/planet.

 And so today, we will enjoy a big plate of pancakes and think about all the experiences we have had this past winter, and tomorrow, we will start to cleanse, and fast, taking time to reflect and be conscious as we prepare for a new season of wonder and growth, TRUSTING IN THE MAGIC OF NEW BEGINNINGS.

Truth be told, when oldest daughter left to start teaching in Victoria at the end of January, I have started to de-clutter drawer by drawer, closet by closet. I didn't wait for spring but that is an inner drive of mine to always be moving the energy in our home. Slowly, I'm letting go of what doesn't serve our family any longer and giving it to others who may be in need. It feels good and with each space that gets cleared, new energy rushes in to give me even more energy to do the things I love.

Spend time with my people! in my house and outside of it....and you are included in that part because taking time to write my posts and connecting with you is important to me.

My greatest wish is that something I write will inspire you and help you on your path.

As the season of Lent is almost upon us, it's a time to make a clean sweep and banish everything that is not working or assisting us and creating space for the experiences and life we desire.

I hope you join me in trying these pancakes this morning. Thanks Darci, my new Youtube friend, from the "Minimalist Mama of 10," while our family doesn't have any digestive issues with grains, (that we know of) it's always nice to have a new pancake recipe for our family to try.

Here's the recipe I got from Darci and her Youtube channel:

Minimalist Mama of 10's.....Grain-less Pancakes

Simple ingredients

2 eggs
1 banana
Coconut oil or butter to spread on cooktop

Directions

1. Blend eggs and banana until frothy

2. Pour batter onto hot cooktop.....(brush on some coconut oil or butter on the griddle first)

3. Flip and when both sides are cooked....serve with syrup and fruit

This recipe was enough for two people

Okay, and while this first batch of mine was not golden, it was absolutely delish...loved the fruit and greek yogurt too!....now I have energy to do some fun stuff today....happy Shrove Tuesday!

Enjoy!!!

And if you need some inspiration to start banishing what isn't working in your life and creating new energy and space for what you desire, check out this great book that I've been reading...or re-reading as is the case here.

The author Denny Sargent doesn't miss a beat and covers each aspect of our lives when he wrote, "Clean Sweep." He gets us to analyze each aspect of our life:

Body/Environment

Heart/Emotions

Mind/thoughts

Spiritual/Supernatural

As we look at each category, we can decide what we need to let go and what we want more of and slowly, with new daily practices we can create the life we want. I like starting with the body and our environment because when you start eating healthier, by cutting out sugars and processed foods, it will give you the energy to tackle your environment next. And when you have an environment that you love to be in, you have more energy to bring those you love closer.

This season of Lent....

Look at your living space, decide which items you want to surround yourself with. What do you love...what brings you joy? Everything else goes. In one of Darci's (Minimalist Mama of 10) she talks about having a dream to move into a small log cabin somewhere rural. Now I can agree....only not on the cabin....I hate to dust....but a tiny house is something on my list...hopefully in the woods...but hey, we have a big family, so sometimes dreams have to wait, but we do what we can with what we have. And that is to be grateful, to live in a state of joy and in AWE for all that surrounds us.

Okay...here's the book that I've been reading and maybe you will find it useful on your path.

Clean Sweep by Denny Sargent

 And now a link to the YouTube video where Darci, "Minimalist Mama of 10" and her family makes the above pancakes....check her out, 'cause she is so funny and her family are lovely and inspiring.

If you can't see the above, click on this hyper link to Darci's video making grain less pancakes...love it!

It's later.....after dinner and here are a few of our Shrove Tuesday pictures from our pancake dinner.....

My husband David making his golden pancakes....and yes, this is as big as he smiles

....note how light it is at 5:30!

While David was making his classic pancakes....I was trying my hand at Banana chocolate chip pancakes

The griddle pan for our newish stove works great!!!...so now we can have two griddles going for our big family

Guess which pancakes are mine?....yep...theo ones on the right....David's are the golden ones on the left! Both were yummy though

The little girls still sit at their little table next to us....soon we are going to have to build a bigger table!...or kids are going to have to move out

About to say Grace.....From left to right..Harrison, Clark, David, Grace, and Will...I sit next to the little girls when I'm not behind the camera saying cheese

Will thought this Shrove Pancake dinner was the BEST ever...of course whipping cream and fruit doesn't hurt!

Clark spent his day bringing in a new dinosaur exhibit to our Science Centre but he was happy to come home to pancakes, fruit and eggs

David's classic pancake recipe for 8 people

Ingredients 

2-1/2 cups of flour
1 tbsp of sugar
Pinch of salt
6 tsp of baking powder
2-1/2 cups of milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
6 tbsp of vegetable oil

Combine the dry ingredients first in a large bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, slowly adding the milk, vanilla and vegetable oil. Slowly add the wet ingredients to dry but don't over mix, just mix 'til lumpy is what David says.

Put large spoonfuls on hot griddle and cook until golden brown. Serve hot with maple syrup...fruit and whipping cream...or Greek yogurt is you have  it...yum!

My banana chocolate chip recipe was from the internet. I found it off the site...."Crazy for Crust,"web site....the pictures are amazing...so much better than mine but the recipe was a 5/5! Check it out!


Just thought I would include a cool song I found today that goes great while cooking up dinner.. on Fat Tuesday. (Mardi Gras in New Orleans/Professor Longhair)

Before I wave a final goodbye, this post is dedicated to my beautiful mom, Ethel May, who passed away 5 years ago today. As Darci says, "See you on the flip side!" Love you always!

Thank you for visiting today.....
 
Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope
  

Goodbye Again

Two weeks ago today, I said good bye again to our oldest daughter. For those of you who have grown up children, you may understand how hard this is. For those of you still sharing your child's early years, hold fast and treasure every moment. 

For me this is tough.

I don't process things easily.

Never have.

Having my older children move out into the world is like having a piece of my heart walking outside my body. It hurts. It makes me sad.

It feels like when I was a child and had carefully constructed a house from the red plastic blocks that came in a long round tube. I placed my tiny, Plasticine constructed family all together and just as I was about to play, I would be called away for dinner, or to do something for my mother. Often, upon returning, sometimes a day later and all ready to play, I found my block house collapsed and the dolls were spread  all over the floor.

Nothing ever stayed perfect. 

Some of you may know that this January I started writing again with Lorna Tureski at the Caetani house. Once a week, our Oak Table group meets, we share our writing and Lorna introduces new ideas and concepts to inspire us for our next week's assignment.

This week we were to write a portrait study of someone; a family member, a friend, an acquaintance. All I could think about was my daughter who had said goodbye two weeks ago. One minute she was here and I was hoping she would remain for a few more months as she completed editing her novel. Then, suddenly life changed, opportunity knocked and she was swept away on the wind of her own life. Her own dreams.

When I think about her childhood, it flew almost as fast as her grown up time back at home.

The following is a capsule of  of our daughter Alyssa and a tiny bit of me, her mom.

                                                             Another Goodbye

After years of piano training, her long capable fingers, deftly folded her clothes into the red suitcase I’d bought her before she’d moved to London. Her golden curls covered her face, but I knew she was pressing her lips together as she often did when she was concentrating. Her body had grown so thin this winter with her strict vegan diet and countless pots of tea, and yet despite her delicacy, I knew a strong woman was emerging from her winter’s cocoon.

It had been almost 27 years since I counted each of her tiny fingers for the first time. During a late term prenatal ultrasound, dilated ventricles in her brain were detected and my doctor arranged to have specialists in Vancouver consult on our case. After my husband and I saw multiple doctors at  Grace Hospital, the paediatric neuro-surgeon recommended labour be induced a month early, in order for immediate surgery be performed so our baby didn't suffer further damage to her brain.

The dark delivery room was full of doctors and nurses with only a bright light shining a pathway for our baby to enter the world. As she made her appearance, a hush fell over the room and only slight movement occurred. Finally, Dr. Farquharson, our OB-GYN, passed a wisp of a baby to the paediatrician who broke the silence and joyfully exclaimed, “she’s a keeper!” As I heard our baby’s cry pierce my fears, I exhaled the breath I had been holding since hearing, “there are congenital abnormalities in your baby’s brain.”

Our daughter whom we named, Alyssa Rae, had a rare congenital brain abnormality. The band of white matter connecting the two hemispheres of her brain, called the corpus callosum was missing.  In March of 1990, there wasn’t much written on this prognosis. After extensive testing and monitoring, four days after delivery we were being released although the neuro surgeon wanted to periodically follow her progress. On discharge Dr. F said, “ take her home and treat her like normal.” Wearing a pink bunny suit, complete with tail and ears, we bundled our 5 pound baby into her new car seat and we slipped out of the hospital, fearing alarms would sound since we felt we had stolen  precious treasure of uncharted worth.

After such a diagnosis, the last thing we were going to do was treat her like normal. Between feedings,  I flew into a flurry reading everything I could regarding stimulating a baby’s brain.  When she was a newborn, I had various stations of physical therapy set up, encouraging her to move her body in different play settings. We did water therapy daily and tummy time, where she was surrounded with bright coloured toys of different textures. Each afternoon, I tucked her into her blue, pin-striped, cotton snugli  and we went out to explore the world. She looked up to me listening aptly as I told her stories of everything on our path, until the rhythm of my stride lulled her into a relaxed state. Her eyes grew heavier and heavier and finally she drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep. 

When she was alert, we were swept away, riding in her blue, plushy  rocking chair and together we read baskets full of books. Everything from nursery rhymes, to the classics,like, Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit  and Margaret Wise Brown’s, “Goodnight Moon.” All the while, complex voicing of compositions by Bach, Vivaldi and Teleman, were constantly flowing out of our stereo speakers, in hopes that these Baroque pieces were threading new neuron connections in her brain. As she grew, we registered her in skating, skiing, dancing, swimming, flute and piano lessons to name just a few. 

Her brain must have rewired itself,as there are now studies that indicate children born with an absent corpus callosum often have physical and mental delays. Socially, children with this abnormality appear to have autistic tendencies. Despite all this, Alyssa grew to be a bright child and although we were always waiting for something major to manifest, other than not being brilliant at math, she excelled in school. She became an accomplished pianist completing her grade 10 Royal Conservatory accreditation, she played flute in the school band and in our local youth symphony and she competed and won awards for her Irish dancing. In her late teens she became a lifeguard and although she was never one of those rah, rah, loud and outgoing types,, she quietly made sure everyone was safe on her watch. Socially, she always had friends although she told me later in life, she never found “her people.,”

 When she left home the first time at 18, it was to attend the University of Victoria, where she received her BA in English and her B Ed. The second time I said goodbye, was when she decided to accept a teaching position in London. The summer before she left, she reread a beloved book, Mark Haddon’s book, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.” It’s a story of a 15 year boy, Christopher, who is gifted with a superbly logical brain and processes everything analytically and without emotion.

The book is refreshing, as it's written from Christopher’s unique perspective. The opening takes us right into the drama when Christopher discovers his neighbours dog is murdered next door. Underneath the investigation of this crime, is the fact that Christopher’s mother had also died when he was young. In his quest for answers to the dog’s killer and to discover more about his mother, he feels compelled to leave home,  a huge feat for one dealing with his autistic challenges and yet he finally takes a train to London to solve the mystery.

Tightly hugging Alyssa at the airport, as she was about to leave for London, I thought about how similar she was in many ways to Christopher. She was never overly emotional growing up. There was no high drama in the teen years, like a few of her diva like friends displayed. She was quiet and thoughtful, as if she was looking at the world from a distance. A gentle soul in many ways, and yet, here she was, going off on a great adventure to the other side of the world where she didn't know a soul. She once told me, "Mom, I want to be the heroine in my own story."

And now, two years later she had returned  after successfully teaching and living in London. She had finally met her people and realized she wasn’t the only quirky, introvert in the world, who loved fantasy and geeky, comic conventions. On her travels through most of Europe, exploring and photographing the historic places she had read about as a child, she had found her place in the world, but it had all taken a toll on her. 

Returning exhilarated but exhausted, her dad and I had encouraged her to take some time off; to write the novel that had been calling to her for years. She had dreamed of another world, full of characters and adventures of their own and we wanted to give her the space to finally tell that story. Our house was busy though, with 6 younger children still at home, it was never a quiet refuge for a writer. By Christmas time, she finally completed her 1^st draft. As we rang in the New Year, I could feel a vibration of discord under the waves of our day to day family life and I knew it was just a matter of time before she left again..

 One Friday afternoon in late January she popped her head in my bedroom door and excitedly said, “Mom, I got an job offer in Victoria and they want me to start on Monday."

Her red suitcases were packed, bedding was stuffed into Rubbermaid boxes and homemaking supplies were all piled at the door. Alyssa picked up and cuddled our Siamese cat, Ryuuki, rubbing her face in his soft fur, drinking in her love of cats, and then she indulged her younger brothers and sisters, who all scrambled around, hugging her waist one more time.

 

When her dad started to take boxes and suitcases out to the car, I swooped in and held her in my arms for a long time, inhaling the clean scent of her hair. Finally knowing eventually I had to let go, I moved away from her and looked into her clear blue eyes and quoted Christopher’s words from the book we both loved,

 ”And I know I can do this because I went to London on my own, and because I solved the mystery….and I was brave and I wrote a book and that means I can do anything.”

She nodded and smiled. Tears started to flood my eyes as I knew that was our final code for goodbye again. Before I knew it, she was settled into the front passenger seat of our compact, red Honda Fit and her Dad was heading up our steep driveway, taking her away.

 I was blowing kisses and waving madly. I raced to the back of our house, hoping to catch one last glimpse. The lake below our house was a still, grey mirror, reflecting the heavy laden clouds above. Suddenly, a shot of red flew down the road below our house and a waving hand could be seen from the window of the car. 

First day teaching at her new school back in Canada

 

"May it Be," my sweet girl.

And to all those who venture away from home, may the light of the evening star shine upon you and guide you on your way....until you are called home once again.

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

Rich Chocolate Cake~*~Happy Valentine's Day!

      "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways." ~ Elizabeth Barrett Browing 1806-1861


                                                           Happy Valentine's Day!

Before this day of love flies by, I did want to stop, wave hi, wish you much love and share a delicious chocolate cake recipe. You may have a homemade classic that you love, but I have to say THIS cake recipe never fails to be rich and delicious. Even today, when I ran out of cocoa, and used Baker's unsweetened melted squares in my cake mix AND my frosting...it turned out so GOOD!

It's all in a good base.

And since it was Valentine's day today, I decorated it with a little red heart made out of sprinkles. The kids loved it. I've never been a HUGE cake eater...and my family will tell you that chocolate cake was never my fav either. I know,

 CRAZY!!!

 but I had a bad experience when I was a child and was off chocolate cake for years.

Every year on my birthday I looked longingly towards having a vanilla or lemon cake and each year my mom would present me with a beautiful cake...but it would be chocolate. I know, that seems so rude, and so unappreciative, but hey, it was MY birthday. I know there are four girls in my family and maybe she really couldn't remember who liked what kind of cake best but I think, when she went to buy my cake, because SHE loved chocolate soooo much, she just couldn't understand why I didn't and she ended up bringing me home what she liked.


....until I think I was 40, she finally clued in and you know what...by then, I had grown to appreciate chocolate and you know what, at the end of her days, she liked a light vanilla or lemon cake.

Go figure!

Judging by how fast this cake disappears...I mean the day I make it, it's gone, I know this is a good recipe to share with you.

If you are looking for a rich, moist, delicious cake...a chocolate cake, then try this recipe...and there will be no going back to french vanilla again,

Well, until Easter anyway.

In the next month I'm going to perfect a homemade white cake, 'cause my mom's bunny cake was ALWAYS a white cake and gee, that's only a month away.

Once Valentine's day comes and goes, it's just a hop, skip and a jump before we are to spring. But, for now, I'm going to share this with you, make a pot of tea and go and see if there is one more slice left before the day is over.

Will (above) and our twins, Victoria and Kathryn, working on their Valentine's day cards (thanks for the stickers Auntie B)

Let me know what you think...I would love to hear a comment. Is anyone reading my blog???

I made this cake last week and I didn't even decorate the top...it was inhaled!

Rich and Moist Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

2 cup all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4  cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
11/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp of instant coffee powder
1 cup milk (I used an unsweetened vanilla almond milk and it was yum)
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil....and if you have coconut oil that would be AMAZING
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup of boiling water 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix dry ingredients on low speed, until everything is well combined.

Slowly add the milk, oil, eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Boil 1 cup of water and add 1 tbsp of instant coffee powder to the water until it's dissolved. On low speed, slowly add the boiling water to the mix, gradually increasing the speed until it's on high for one minute.

Note: This mixture will be very thin and runny, after adding the water but don't worry, that is the correct consistency and your cake will turn out to be rich and set beautifully.

Distribute the batter evenly, into two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes on middle rack in your oven. When toothpick comes out clean it's done.

Let cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before removing the cakes, cool on a wire rack. Before icing, chill cake in the fridge for an hour or until well cooled.

Now the part my kids love the best, 'cause they love to lick the bowl,my spatula, the beaters, and hope there is a bit left...there always is a bit  in the bowl just for them.

Chocolate Mocha Buttercream Icing

1 cup of butter softened
3 cups of powdered sugar
4 tbsp of cocoa powder or 2 ounces of bakers unsweetened chocolate squares, melted
2 tsp of vanilla extract
2-4 tbsp of heated milk and 2 tbsp of instant coffee dissolved in it

Whip butter in a mixer, add 2 cups of powdered sugar until creamy
Add the cocoa or the melted chocolate squares
Add vanilla extract
Add the heated milk with instant coffee
Add remainder of icing sugar until your icing reaches the consistency you desire to spread.

I whip it on high until the icing is light and fluffy

With butter knife, frost cooled cake and decorate with coconut, nuts, sprinkles, or as I did a few days ago when I was in the hurry...nothing. My family inhales this cake.

If you knew how little time I had to frost this cake and pull Valentine's day together....but it can be done and you know what...it gets eaten so fast that it doesn't have to look perfect....but boy did it taste delish!

And before I say a final goodbye, I just wanted to share something that has been going on around here...it's always something.


In the last 2 weeks, our family dynamic has changed again. I'm going to write a blog post about our oldest daughter Alyssa leaving home, again well, in truth, she was only home for a long visit this last time but she is off on another life adventure. Working and living on Vancouver Island. 

Our oldest daughter Alyssa up early to get going on her latest adventure...teaching and living on Vancouver Island

And our son Mitchell is also no longer at home, having chosen his University town to be his chosen place to call home.

Our number 2 son, Mitchell...home at Christmas time....love you wherever you are and whatever you are doing

 

 As our family changes and shifts, I'm thinking a lot about love and letting go this year and I wanted to share a wonderful video by Dr. Maya Angelou on loving and letting go.

She shares a special message and reminds us that it doesn't matter where your loved ones are, the message for them is....."I love you..." 

And this Valentine's day....it's dedicated to my children, Mitchell and Alyssa.... I love you! 

If you can't see below, click on the hyper-link to see Dr. Maya Angelou on loving and letting go

What a beautiful message.  What a beautiful person Maya Angelou was.

1 Corinthians 13:13
~And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.~

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope
 

Winter Chicken Care and Raspberry Crumble

"How many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose, if there were no winter in our year!"                                                                                      ~Thomas Wentworth Higginsons~

That quote was written by a man who was a minister, author, abolitionist and soldier. He lived from December 22, 1823 until May 9, 1911 and spent much of his life, devoted to fighting for the rights of freed slaves, women and other disfranchised people in America. (My kind of guy!!!)

Since he was almost 88 years old when he died, he experienced many winters struggling for the freedom and liberation of what were then, second class citizens of his era. He understood and recognized, without the hardships in our life, we are unable to experience the beauty of this world. What a profound metaphor winter is and don't you agree that our seasons shine clarity on our life?

Living in our valley, in the interior of B.C., I have been blessed to experience the distinct variety of Mother Nature's four seasons. On the hottest summer day, when I'm sweltering and limp with sweat, all I have to do is reflect that in a few short months, I will be curled up under a blanket, with a hot cup of tea, trying to keep warm as the temperature plummet and snow lays deep around me. I think this is the lesson of faith and is also what Thomas Wentworth Higginsons was talking about above.

When we draw on the changing seasons,

faith grows,

we grow.

We learn to be grateful for each chapter in our life.

This morning we woke up yet again to another frigid morning. As I snuggled deeper under the comforter, keeping my eyes shut tight, willing the night to extend, my husband David, always first to get up, went around like a quiet alarm clock, gently knocking on bedroom doors saying, "wake up kids and dress as warm as you can today. It's 19 below F degrees this morning."

Brrrrr!

I had the little ones skip their baths, wanting to keep heads as warm as possible and we were ready in record time, despite all the layers they loaded on before heading out the door.

I'm now home from doing my morning school drop offs and sitting with a cup of steaming chai tea in my hand, looking down at my snow covered chicken coop. I wonder how my hens are doing this morning. I've been promising to talk about winter chicken care for a while now, so I think today is the day.

Our chicken coop is in the far right corner of our yard

As you probably know this is my first winter caring for chickens (a long held dream come true) and before the first snow fell or the temperature dropped below 10 degrees Celsius, I had a plan; to keep my four beautiful girls dry and warm this winter and ensure they were comfortable, well fed and healthy.

To accomplish that goal, last fall  I asked my handyman husband to close in their 4 x 12 foot run with plywood, outside of the hardware cloth walls. This way they would be out of the wind and have a warmer place to hang out during the day. Their smaller coop was already all closed in but the only time they are in this cozy spot, is when they are laying their daily eggs. They also have another small run area,  3 x 4 feet that is under their coop but is open to the elements but on a sunny day they can get their Vitamin C.

To keep the bigger run warm, I took the stainless steel heat lamp we had used for their brooder box and I placed a 100 watt, red light bulb, the kind that you may see in a reptile cage. (chickens ancestors were dinosaurs after all)

In this picture you can see their heat lamp and also their electric water font....and a strong of lights outside their run/coop

 I also found a large water font that had a heated bottom that would ensure their water didn't freeze throughout the winter. (I purchased this at Buckerfields) Finally, at our local livestock feed store, I found a large feed container that I was able to hang so their food can stay clean and dry. I was set. Two of our four hens are Rhode Island Reds and two are Easter Eggers. Both varieties have a small comb on their head and are known to be able to handle cold winters. Now I just needed to see how they endured their first winter.

It's been a breeze, (a cold one) caring for them all winter and they have done really well despite the really frosty weather we have had. While they have their chicken pellets (Hi pro form, natural harvest, 16% golden layer pellets) always on tap in their large feed container, which I only have to top up once a week, each day I visit them, make sure they have fresh water and I take down a tray of food.

I have two trays I use for their daily feed and each day I bring down a new, clean tray and bring up the other one to clean it...this way they always are eating from a sterilized tray...above is their white tupperware tray

They love pasta and salad and appreciate any of our left overs from the night before. Some days, I don't have any leftovers in the fridge, hey which happens in a house  full of kids, so I whip up some special grub for them mid morning. My kids will often come in as I'm cutting up vegetables, making rice or pasta, and ask if I'm making soup for them, or is the food for the CHICKENS? They really don't get it when I boil an egg for them....but hey...chickens needs protein too.  I know they are spoiled! If I top the tray with sunflowers and raisins they are ecstatic.

I visit them for about 10 minutes each day and give them their special tray of food. Every other day I take down a bucket of fresh water, a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in it (for their digestion) and check on their grit (needed to help grind their food since chickens don't have teeth) and I also give them oyster shells (which provides the calcium they need to make nice hard egg shells) and then I collect their eggs.

About once a week, when I'm topping up their big food container with chicken layer pellets, I will also spread another layer of pine shavings. This is called the deep litter method of chicken coop care. In the spring, I will rake out all their winter bedding and drop it in the compost bin and in short order I will have rich compost for my garden. This was the reason I really wanted chickens.  Have you bought good compost lately? It costs a fortune, plus it comes in plastic bags that you can't recycle so knowing my chickens will produce gorgeous compost for my garden was the big draw.



The eggs are an incredible bonus and I never really thought I would find chickens to be like pets, but you know, I was wrong. They like to be picked up and have the softest feathers. Each has her own unique personality and likes and dislikes. All of them are beyond thrilled to see me coming with their red tray full of goodies each day and having such gratitude is heart warming.

This is the last part of the path to my chickens, you can see them waiting for me under under their coop

Delightful is a good word to describe being a chicken mom. (Remember 2 of my hens came when they were just days old, so I feel very connected to them)

Although it;s cold, the sunshine is glorious...for chickens and kids....(you can see the coop run to the right)

I never thought chickens would be so soft and sweet...but they are great pets WITH benefits

There have only been a few days this winter when the weather was unbearably cold and it was hard to do what needed to be done On those days, unplugging their water heater, to fill up their heated water font was difficult as my fingers froze in the process, and just opening the metal bolt latch to their various runs was difficult.

Then I thought of those prairie homesteaders, who had a rope tied to their house and one tied to the livestock barn and they would follow it along during a blizzard so they wouldn't get lost in a snow drift and freeze to death. That shift in perspective made me appreciate the short 40 foot path I had to take to get down to our chicken coop each day. Perspective is everything!

It teaches me yet again to enjoy each season, for there is always something good in it and it reminds me to have faith that tomorrow will be a new day. If you have been thinking of opening up your home to chickens, I'd say what's stopping you? It's February and the perfect time to line up your order for a few sweet chicks this spring. (Just make sure they are female...or get 6 month pullets) 

While I was caring for the chickens this morning, our cat sat observed from the hot tub....I think he likes them too but doesn't get too close to them.....their feathers are as soft as our cat Ryuuki's furry coat

Before going in to the house, I snapped a picture of the lake from our lower level...beautiful but COLD!

That's my winter experience caring for chickens....pretty easy.

And as I often do, I was thinking it would be great to share making a raspberry crumble dessert for dinner tonight with you. I'm making a lentil loaf, with mashed pototoes, cooked veggies and fresh salad for dinner. I know a few of my kids are not thrilled with lentil loaf. After all, it's the vegetarian version of the old meatloaf and my kids never liked that either when we were big meat eaters, so I thought raspberry crumble will be a good incentive for my little ones to EAT UP.....and

 
Also raspberries are good for everyone's gut bacteria and don't we need that in the winter time. So I'm off to head into our freezing garage to dig out some raspberries from the freezer.

Whoa....it's cold out there!

 Did you know the health benefits of raspberries are abundant? They are loaded with antioxidants and their high polyphenol content reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by preventing platelet buildup and reducing blood pressure via anti-inflammatory mechanisms.There are numerous studies on other benefits as well since the powerful antioxidants and high potassium levels work against free radicals that cause cancer, and reduce inflammation. 

One really hot day last July, my sister J, called to ask if I wanted any raspberries. She and her husband B, were caring for their neighbour's new German Shepherd puppies while they were away and their  neighbours encouraged them to pick from the raspberries patch which were ripening each day.

We have a tiny raspberry patch down by the compost bin and it's only enough to put fresh berries on our cereal in the morning and really nothing much to freeze. Although it was hot that day and I didn't really feel like picking, I did want to visit my sister and brother in law, so I called my two best workers still at home, my daughter Grace and son Harrison, grabbed some buckets and we went for a visit.

I'm so glad we did as we had a lovely visit and picked a TON of raspberries for our freezer. All winter we have been enjoying berries; in our smoothies, on top of ice cream and of course when I make a family favourite, this raspberry crumble recipe. If you don't have any on hand, you can use any berries; blueberries, strawberries, blackberries....a combination would be really nice, but you know there is something so tart and deliciously simple about raspberries in this dessert.

(My chickens love raspberries in the summer time.... they know what is healthy!)

You can adjust this recipe to your size of family...but if you make less...you will wish for more!


Hope's Raspberry Crumble

5 cups of raspberries
(1/2 cup water with 1 tbsp of lemon juice....if using frozen raspberries)
2-3 heaping tablespoons of cornstarch
1 cup of sugar (I like my raspberries tart...if you want them sweeter, add more sugar)
Dash of salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups of flour
1 cup of packed brown sugar
1 cup of quick oats
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of butter
optional: walnuts or pecans 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

1. If using frozen raspberries, as I was doing today, pour frozen raspberries into large saucepan. Add sugar, corn starch, salt, water and dash of lemon juice. Cook raspberries until hot, and mixture thickens. Bring off heat and mix in vanilla. Set aside

In a large separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, oatmeal, salt and nuts, if using. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter (or pulse everything in food processor) until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add berry mixture to a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle the flour mixture on top and bake for 30 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Serve hot with a dollop of ice cream or whipping cream.....even REALLY good with greek vanilla yogurt! 

Oh, baby it's cold outside! But it's warm in our house...especially if we appreciate the beauty of each season of our life.

If you are trying this delicious dessert, maybe play this youtube video while you are cooking up your rapsberries...."Bing Crosby with Doris Day....Baby, it's Cold Outside"

Thanks for coming to visit....stay warm.

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope