Lulu Lays Large Eggs

Lulu started laying eggs again after she finished molting a couple months ago.  We can tell when she's going to lay because she eats crushed egg shells.  I bought oyster shell to make sure the chickens got enough calcium to lay eggs with strong shells.  Lulu never was interested in the oyster shell and her eggs sometimes had weak shells.  I was afraid of her breaking an egg inside herself and having troubles so I keep a dish of crushed egg shells by her food to provide her with calcium.  Lulu usually eats them the day before she lays.


Here is Lulu's nesting box set in the corner of the closet.  When we travelled to my mom's birthday, we took it with us and set it on the floor in the back of the van.  When Lulu needed to lay an egg she would jump off the seat and settle in her nesting box.  She usually didn't like to lay while the van was moving so she would sit there and wait until we stopped the van for a meal or a break.  We had a blanket on the seat that hung down almost to the floor.  Lulu would pull the blanket over herself when she was in the nesting box so we couldn't see her.  I guess she likes her privacy.

Here is Lulu in her nesting box.  Note the awful wallpaper behind her.  When we moved here several years ago, the house was mostly panelling and loud wallpaper.  I've been stripping paper and painting every winter and was going to do the kitchen this winter until I broke the bone in my foot.  Oh well, next year.

Lulu sings her egg song before she climbs into the box.  Most chickens sing when they are finished but she likes to announce that she's going to lay.  She'll announce she's coming into the house even before she climbs the stairs.  Once in the house, she lets us know she's on her way to her nesting box.



She is very nosy and has been known to get out of the nesting box to check on what I'm doing if I happen to be in the kitchen out of her sight.  She'll squawk a bit, eat a bit and head back into the box to finish her job.  After she lays her egg, she'll often go back in again after awhile as if she is going to lay a second egg.  We're not sure why she does this, but she goes back more times than she doesn't.  We call it "Lulu laying her phantom or invisible eggs again."

Once Lulu started laying again, she was laying about 3 to 5 eggs a week.  While we were gone for those 10 days, Lulu laid an egg every second day.  Then we returned home she stopped completely for over 2 weeks and just started laying again on Monday.  It is as if she didn't have time to lay once she got home as she needed to take many dustbaths and to check out the whole yards.  She had much area to cover - places to scratch, things to eat - a very busy girl!

Lulu's eggs are very large.  They don't fit in an egg carton made for extra-large eggs.  Here are three of her eggs and an extra-large store bought egg.  Sometimes the other chickens would lay large egg that were double yolks, but Lulu's haven't been.  They are just super-duper sized eggs.

Once she lays her egg, she comes looking for treats.  I usually give her some unsalted peanuts which she just gobbles up.  If I don't give her peanuts, she'll stand by the fridge hoping something will jump out for her.  She has me well trained, doesn't she?  ;)
 

The Tulip

The Tulip

Tossing turban style contours,

with an aloofness as one passes by,

Utilizing every charm it possesses,

under a lupin blue cloudless sky,

Like a guardsman, gallantly standing,

holding up his noble head high,

 

In rainbow colours, brilliant and stately,

a vision to surely yield a sigh,

Ponder thus upon the regal tulip,

it has pure beauty, you cannot deny.

by Ernestine Northover

Turkey, Black Bean and Corn Casserole

I saw the following recipe in a Campbell's Soup email and it gave me an idea to work with.  The link to the original recipe is here.  Cooking with Campbell's - Black Bean Corn Turkey Chili


Ingredients

1 c dried black beans

1 1/2 c chopped turkey

1 c chopped onion  

1 c shredded carrot

1/2 c chopped celery

1 c kernel corn

1 c chicken broth

1/2 c salsa

1 tbsp chili powder

1 can tomato soup

3/4 c grated mozzarella cheese

3/4 c grated cheddar cheese

 

I used leftover turkey breast instead of the turkey hamburger in the original recipe so that changed everything.

 

I sauteed the onion and celery before mixing it with the grated carrots and frozen corn.

I used my own dried black beans instead of canned.  I washed and sorted the beans and then soaked them overnight.  I drained them and added them to the turkey - veggie mix.

I stirred in the chicken broth and chili powder.

Next I added the condensed soup and the salsa. 

I poured it into a greased casserole dish and baked it for an hour at 350°F.

Remove from oven and sprinkle on the cheese.  First mozzarella.

Then the cheddar. 

Pop back into the oven for 10 minutes for the cheese to melt and start to bubble.

 

Serve with a side salad and enjoy!

I found the casserole very tasty but slightly runny.  I had thought I might leave out the broth next time but it was great as leftovers this way.  Often casseroles get too dry when reheated, but this one actually improved as the flavours melded together. 

You could also add in green peppers.  I'm also toying with the idea of adding rice - I think I would precook the rice first though.  It was a great way to use up leftover turkey and I will be making it again. 

Lulu's Drinking Problem - Part 2

Lulu also likes to drink out of my hand.  I guess it was my fault that she started doing that.  When we were laying on the couch cuddling, Lulu would often get warm and pant.  Since I didn't want to get up and disturb her, I would let her have some of my water.  I didn't want her dipping her beak in my glass, so I would pour some into my hand. 

Now, she won't drink out of her bowl.  If you pour the water into your hand - Lulu will drink it.  Sigh!  I've created a monster.

She will be outside and ignore her bowl of water - but as soon as you pour water into your hand and she'll drink.

She will also drink if you pour the water on the ground.  I've poured water onto gravel when we're travelling and she'll sip it from around the rocks.  She just does not like plastic bowls!

 

Here we are on a trip and Lulu decided to drink water out of a hollow in a rock.

It doesn't matter that the water is dirty and muddy.  No problem - Lulu drinks.

She will also drink the water from her bowl if you pour it slowly in a trickle.  I couldn't get a picture of her doing that as I don't have enough hands to pour water back and forth while she drinks from the stream and snap a pic as well.

Oh the shame of it all!  I've created a problem drinker. ;)

Cereal Treats

My mom recently had her 80th birthday and I did the baking for the party.  Here are a couple of recipes I made that use cereal.

Chocolate Krispie Log

This recipe is originally from a Kraft Foods ad.

Ingredients
1 1/2 c chocolate chips
2 c mini-mallows
2 c Rice Krispies


Melt chocolate chips over low heat.

Stir in the marshmallows and cereal.

Spoon mixture onto wax paper.

Roll into log shape - about 18" long.

Refrigerate until firm.  Remove the wax paper.

Cut into slices.

This treat tasted nice and chocolaty but I found it a bit dry.  I know I've made something similar before but it must have been a different recipe because I remember it being more chewy.  I'll have to check through my recipes and see if I can find it.

I got the following recipe from my mom.  She makes it regularly and I like it as it is nice and gooey.

Mom's Corn Flake Squares

Ingredients

1/3 c marg

1 package of marshmallows (40)

1 c coconut

1 c sliced almonds

3 c slightly crushed corn flakes

Melt marg and marshmallows at medium heat.

Stir until melted then remove from heat.

Stir in the rest of the ingredients.  Press into a greased 8" x 8" pan. 

Cut into squares and enjoy!

My mom has several standard square recipes that she makes regularly and this is one of them.  It is very simple to make but one of my favorites.



Lulu's Drinking Problem - Part 1

Lulu has a drinking problem.

She doesn't like to drink out of her plastic bowl.

She prefers to drink out of a glass - especially if you take the time to hold it for her.

Since she is so fussy, I keep a glass for her either on her footstool or the table she sits on to look out the front window.

She will drink alone but is more apt to drink if I pour some of MY water into HER glass.  Maybe it tastes different?!  Better??

She likes her glass so why fight it.

When I hold the glass, I can tell when she's not thirsty anymore because she starts playing in the water.  When she is full, she still dips her beak in, but then she shakes her wattles and water flies all over.  This only happens at the end when she's had enough.

She's almost as bad as kids blowing bubbles in their milk when they are full.

Look out, she's getting ready to shake! 

I have to clean my glasses so often because of Lulu and her drinking habits.