Calendula - Son may have Tourette's

[justusnak]

I almost missed it! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I hope you had a wonderful day! 30's....ahhhh, the good old days! LOL My kids are nearing their 30's! LOL

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

31 is old?

Now where is that cane...

 

[hillfarm]

i remember thinking that thirty was this weird stage. I was no longer a twenty something and I was in the "you should act like a grown up now" stage. LOL. Now I'm 40 and I love how i tend to be treated like an adult. Poeple dont dismiss me as much. BUT I did have a kid ask me if I was my son's gma. that broke my heart. Now I have to get a lot more serious about weight and health and looks just arent really on the list. I am not concerned with the wrinkles, I earned everyone, the grey hair was earned too. I just wanna be healthy to live a lot longer. Had to give up smoking in my thirtys too. Just wasnt as "cool" as it was in the twentys. LOL.

 

[calendula]

Thanks for the b-day wishes everyone!

Had to give up smoking in my thirtys too. Just wasnt as "cool" as it was in the twentys. LOL.

I have given up smoking too! Boy was that hard! I gained like 20 lbs., but thankfully, I've been able to work it back off. That's the good thing about getting into being more SS. More homemade food that's better for you and takes more work to prepare!

 

[calendula]

Last night I canned some applesauce, and it turned into an hours long project because of my stupid stove! It normally takes a while for the water to get boiling since the water-bath canner is really big. Last night, however, it took an eternity. I waited and waited and waited, and the water just would not boil. I finally figured out that the burner I had the pot on wasn't heating up to high for whatever reason. So I had to move it to a different burner, and things went much more smoothly after that. Still not sure what's up with the burner though. I'll have to have hubby look at it.

I am going to cook most of the kale in the garden (which is a lot right now!). But I'm not sure if I want to freeze it or try canning it. I've never actually heard of canned kale, so I wasn't sure if its something that people do? We have a pressure canner, but I've never actually used it before. I'm assuming that kale would have to be pressure canned. Gotta do some research on it I guess.

My most awesome Mom got me a tortilla press for my birthday because she knows how much I love homemade tortillas. I used it right away last night, I just couldn't wait. It is so much easier than rolling them out, I love it!

Lets see... on the animal front, as some of you may recall, my chickens were attacked by dogs a while back. Well, the one that got the worst of it is still alive, but she's not quite all there I don't think. I call her Zombie Chicken. Her left eye is cloudy (I don't think she'll ever see out of it again), she isn't bathing herself or at least she sure doesn't look like she is. And the weird thing is that her upper beak looks like it is getting really long. Do chickens' beaks keep growing, but get worn down from pecking and such? Her upper beak is almost looking like it's starting to curve downward over the lower!

It's strange looking, and combined with her messy appearance and cloudy eye, and the fact that her vision isn't good so she just kind of aimlessly wanders around, she appears to be a Zombie Chicken. But I love the poor thing. She's very docile now, so I hold her a lot, and help her find food. She is still laying, but barely. Maybe one or two eggs a week. I'm worried that she may not last through the winter.

But on a brighter note, I have been putting all the chickens together lately, and there hasn't been much pecking and fighting, so at least there is finally peace among them.

Hope everyone has a great day!

 

[Farmfresh]

Do chickens' beaks keep growing, but get worn down from pecking and such? Her upper beak is almost looking like it's starting to curve downward over the lower!

Chickens that have NOT been mechanically de-beaked DO have beaks that grow very slowly throughout their lives. Those poor de-beaked birds are just permanently mutilated.

You are right. It is usually worn down by pecking. If your hen seems to be getting a bit "long in the (hen) tooth" P Couldn't help it.) You can trim it by filing it down some with an emery board or if it is excessive trimming it just a tiny bit with toenail clippers.

There is blood in the beak, so filing is usually a better way. IF for some reason the beak bleeds it is best to cauterize the wound with a hot knife blade.

Great score on the tortilla press! I have been wanting one.

 

[Lesa]

I highly recommend trying to find a burner/turkey fryer. They run on propane and make canning a whole new experience. We use ours out on the deck- no heat in the kitchen. It takes 10 minutes to bring the giant water bath canner to a boil. I would hate to do canning without it! You are right greens need to be pressure canned. I can't remember the number, but it took a ridiculously long time- so I opt for blanching and freezing. Hope your chicken hangs in there- I think it is amazing that she is laying at all...

 

[abifae]

I get to do apple sauce soon!!! I can't wait My first pressure canner project!!!

 

[k15n1]

Some people do can greens, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Where do you live? Kale might keep outside most of the winter.

You can root-cellar kale. I think you have to re-plant it and water the soil occasionally.

 

[calendula]

Some people do can greens, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Where do you live? Kale might keep outside most of the winter.

You can root-cellar kale. I think you have to re-plant it and water the soil occasionally.

The more I'm researching it, the more I'm leaning towards just blanching and freezing. It seems the easiest.

I am in Zone 4 in central Wisconsin, so I'm not sure if I will be able to overwinter kale or not. We've had a couple hard frosts now, and it still looks very healthy and keeps growing, so I know if anything, at least there's no hurry to get it all preserved, since it seems to be enjoying this cold weather.