Monday, August 27, 2012

Good Eggs and Good Jam


Today both of my children are in school, hubby has gone to work and here is the beginning of this next little time in my life. The summer has been quick and I am not ready for it to start winding down. I am that mom that is so happy when her kids are on break, not the one that can't wait until they go back. I often wonder why moms feel that way?


The yard is dry and the allergens are kicking in again. Colorado is a beautiful area to live in when Fall comes. Hubby was helping get the Little Red Barn all cleaned out and ready for winter again. We needed to repaint the wooden floors. He will have to work on some new roosts that I want changed for making it easier to get in and out of this winter. Boy he is nice to do this for me! Here is a little of the mess that was inside that needs to find another place. Why did we put that in the coop?

Junk outside my little barn that needs put somewhere else!
I have a little nursery side I love to brood the chicks in. It is just perfect. Chicken wire is attached to the framed wall;  to see through to the other chickens that already are here. I decided to order some more chicks this fall, as soon as we get things ready for them.


 I wintered over the babies last year and I found that I love doing it in the fall instead of the traditional Spring. Mainly because Fall here is like Summer, and Spring is like Winter. It is so much easier to keep them warm those first few weeks of life! By the time Spring comes they are very acclimated to each other and they get along pretty well with out all the barnyard squabbling that can go on.


I let my chickens free-range most of the summer. Yes, that means that a few have mysteriously vanished. But they are so much happier and healthier. 



They also have a nice sized fenced in run that gives them plenty of well protected outdoor time.
The eggs that they produce are so rich and yummy! Nobody can ever get enough of them. I always have people that want these fresh eggs! I can't blame them, nothing like those sold at the grocery store!

My girls under the Choke Cherries. There favorite spot!
We had a bumper crop of Wild Choke Cherries on our property this year.

Choke Cherry fruit on my bushes.

 I went ahead and made two batches of jam, left the rest for the birds. I had enough to make 100 batches! I kinda wished I had made more than two batches , but there is always next year! Now my wild plums are doing great, and just turning ripe this week! I see some more Jam making on the horizon
My Choke Cherries

Speaking of Jam. Donna at Donna's Lavender Nest and I decided it would be fun to trade a jar of jam. So she sent me this wonderful jar of Peach Jam and I sent her a jar of mine! Oh, gosh it is so good! She is such a sweety, do you know she even slipped in this amazing fabric. It has red on white polka dots and strawberry and cherry bunches printed on it!!!

Man she knows what I like! I still have to figure out the perfect thing to do with this! Thanks so much , Donna!

I tell you, fresh preserves and fresh eggs! Breakfast just couln't get any better!

Thank you so much for all your prayers and good wishes for my healing time. I do still have a ways to go, yet I can manage to get a little time on the computer every now and again. Love to visit you all when I can.  Please leave me comment and say hi!

Blessings,
Little Susie Home Maker

Please come visit this fun party at
Rednesday
I am!

30 comments:

  1. Now that is a lot of jam! All good! Happy to see you doing some blogging again!

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  2. Good to see your back blogging. I know life just keeps us all very busy. Don't you just love husbands that take on projects when we need them too :-)

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  3. Oh the chickens are so cute and I am sure the eggs are fabulous! I am all about free range -- the only kind that I will eat (yes...I am an annoying vegetarian : ) lol!!!!! so glad that you let your girls live such a wonderful life : ) YAY!!!!! The jam looks FABULOUS and the fabric is precious!!! So glad you girls had a fun time! Those cherries have made me hungry!!! So did the jam...I think I will go have a piece of toast now with some strawberry jam from earlier this Summer : ) Sending you tons and tons of hugs and hugs to the egg laying wonders! : )

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  4. so happy to see you back at blogging and sharing your lovely homestead with us!! sending a prayer for your continued healing.

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  5. Love your chickies! I've made mixed berry and strawberry jam this year. I've got a jelly recipie ready to try this week that includes Celestial Seasoning's Rasberry Zinger Tea.

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  6. I hope you are feeling better. So excited that you are back to bloggin. I have always wanted chickens.I even have the cutest names picked out for them Life does get busy. Squeeze evey last drop of summer. Fall is on it's way.
    blessings to you.

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  7. Susie your chickens are so cute. Very inspiring. I am still on the fence about raising chickens. You are so sweet I am still enjoying your wonderful jam. I was wondering what chock berries look like. Boy that is a lot of work to make jam? Thank you so much my sweet and I hope you get to feeling better soon.
    Hugs
    donna

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  8. Someday I want chickens! So I may come to you for advice. LOL looks like your girls are a really happy bunch!That's great that you and Donna did a JAM SWAP! lol never thought of that one! Maybe it will catch on.
    Hope you've been doing well these past few days! :)
    Erica

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  9. Oh your eggs sound so good! I would like to get chickens too... but so far we haven't.

    Many Blessings,
    Amy Jo

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  10. Happy to see you blogging again, hoping you are feeling better now. Wonderful post.I may have mentioned before that our daughter has several chickens. I love their wonderful colored eggs. xo

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  11. Can a chicken be pretty? Just love the photo of the black and white with the red comb. Look forward to seeing photos of the new chicks once they arrive.

    Thanks for visiting and commenting on my Mushroom Houses post.
    Debra

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  12. YUM, real eggs and homemade jam!!! Perfect!
    Sweet little cloth that she also sent along.
    Warmly,
    deb

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  13. What precious chicks and your jam looks SO good!

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  14. Loved this post, because I identified with alot of it. I also looked forward to my daughter being on school break, and missed her when she was in class each day!
    This has been THE WORST summer for my allergies!
    You're living my dream of raising chickens! I've always thought that they're so pretty, and that I would like to have a couple of them. Unfortunately, our town and my husband do not agree!

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  15. Happy Rednesday! Love to see your chickens and those choke cherries. I was like you, I loved breaks and snow days were my most fav - like a bonus day in my kid's lives.

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  16. Ooh I am hungry now - that jam looks yummy!

    Hope you are feeling better,

    Hugs, Estelle xx

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  17. I bet that cherry jam was just so delicious! And your chickens definitely look happy to be free ranging!
    I lived in CO too years ago -- near Vail so it was winter and heavy snow most of the year! I miss the beauty, but not all that snow!

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  18. You are right. Nothing beats fresh homemade jellies or jam. I love anything made from fresh fruit or veggies. You live where beauty abounds.

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  19. Hi susie!
    What a delightful post! Between your
    feathered friends fresh eggs and yours and Donna's delicious jams...It just doesn't get any better than this! I'll be right over sometime between 6:30 and 7:00 am tomorrow morning!!
    Blessings and a Happy Rednesday, my sweet friend!
    Carolynn
    Thank you for your thoughftul comment and visit. I love that you stopped by!

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  20. Oh, I enjoyed your post today. I would love to have some chickens but I live in town, it is a town, not a city, anyway, hard to have chickens in my neighborhood ~sigh~...maybe someday!! Have a great week !!

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  21. Hey Girl, I am sooo glad you are doing better! Your chickens look so healthy and happy and that jam looks fabulous. You're right, nothing taste better than fresh eggs and homemade jam!
    Take care, Dorothy

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  22. Those chickens look like they lead a very happy life! Glad to hear that you are feeling better. And I have to say I agree with you, summer is never long enough and the kids go back to school much too soon. I'm happiest when my kids are home. Enjoy the rest of the week :) --Fran

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  23. How fun to have a little room for some chicks. If I had some room I would like to try some sheep. I would love to try the whole sheep to shawl experience.
    Peach jam, what a great gift! Our peaches are just now ready, so I'll be making some jam here real soon.
    <3 Terrie

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  24. Woohoo for awesome husbands and woohoo for Colorado!

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  25. Hi Susie, I did not think!!!! I just thought if I don't eat the red mushrooms, I will be fine. Rather silly of me, because I will post another rather horrifying tale.

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  26. I agree with you, fresh eggs & fresh jam for breakfast - definitely can't get any better (or healthier)!

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  27. You are making hungry, fresh eggs & homemade jam,how delicious!

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  28. oh my those cherries look fabulous! I love cherrie jam! I will be over for breakfast and Colorado sounds like a great place to live. I am done with summer! done! I am sick of this heat!!!
    well a lot of the reason moms would like their kids to go back to school is because they don't live on a gorgeous piece of property like you do and if their kids were like mine they whined all summer long they are bored. Even though we had a pool but I can see if they had a place to roam they would have perhaps had plenty to do. I think living on property certainly has it perks when it comes to a family kids have a place to run around and play all day just like I did when I was growing up. I was working when my kids were in school for the most part, I was a SHAM until my daughter the youngest was in the second grade then I went back to work, so unfortunately I was not able to stay home with them and do fun things. But we did have fun when I was not working and I miss those days!
    Your property looks so awesome I just want to come play there myself! the little barn is so cute.
    You are blessed Susie you are blessed by God! I hope you're feeling better. Hugs

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  29. You're absolutely right! Farm fresh eggs are way superior to the grocery variety! I think they're super creamy:) Your property is lovely and the perfect home for your chickens.

    ~Cindy

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  30. I am late to comment but your rooster looks a bit like ours and we had no idea what breed he was. I stopped over via your comment on Our Neck of the Woods. So nice to find some more chickens to admire. Their residence looks quite nice. And I have never heard of choke cherries before.

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