Saturday, October 27, 2012

Sweet Success




Happy Weekend, friends.
I hope you are in the midst of some wonderful autumn pleasures,
and your own sweet successes.

Friday, October 26, 2012

The Long and The Short of It





At long last, Maria got the haircut she's been asking for!
This is haircut #5... because she likes it stated, for the record.
Shoulder length, fresh, light, fewer tangles(?... we hope so!)
She loves her whole new look!

{this moment}


A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment.
A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

:: Inspired by Soule Mama ::

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments, for all to find and see.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Chicken Socks

Presenting:
The post where I tackle the tough questions about DIY Chicken Socks.

You've wondered, maybe all your life:
Can I color on a tube sock, with fabric markers, and make my very own, custom Chicken Sock?

Maybe you were too shy to ask.

Maybe you have more sense than me, the Chickenblogger.

Maybe you don't wear socks.

Maybe you don't read Chickenblog, but then how do you explain this: You are reading Chickenblog!

Sorry. Where was I ?

The other day I grabbed a rag sock from the laundry room, and fished around in a box of markers, so that I could answer a question that occurred to me five minutes earlier: Would it be too weird to use fabric markers on stretchy and ribbed fabric?
Or... would it be just weird enough?


The hard part was drawing upside-sideways, since I decided it would work best to draw while wearing, and stretching the sock. Of course, to be truly scientific about this, I should test it both ways: drawing on a loose sock, then putting it on.

Maybe there is no difference.

Maybe the difference is huge and highly significant... we just don't know! We need the scientific method! Science and art, together, forever!

Anyways.

This is my Chicken Sock, and this is my Chickenblog.

Next up: Chicken Sock in the wash. Will it survive? Stay tuned!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Lemon Mint Cucumber

Lemons: citrus goodness, vibrant, fresh, zingy.

Mint: cool, refreshing, healing, soothing, green.

Cucumbers: crisp, light, simple, cool, thirst quenching.

Ever since Rebekah's visit, we have been in love with this refreshing, simple, crisp, cool salad. My cousin's version also had grape tomatoes. But the salad works with, or without the tomatoes. Today we were out, so there you go.

I peeled three organic Persian cucumbers, and sliced those into a bowl. From the garden I grabbed a nice sprig of spearmint, and simply tore pieces of mint and tossed those in with the cukes. Last bit... almost there! I squeezed fresh lemon juice over everything. Then I squeezed in a little more, because it's zingier that way.

All done.

Seriously.

Say nay to the salt.

Pass on the oil.

No call for capers, peppercorns, baby corns, candy corns.

Maria, Alex, and I had Lemon-Mint-Cucumber for lunch. Crunch crunch.

Thank you, Rebekah.
How did the dinner-feast for your mom's birthday go?
I wish we could have been there!


Monday, October 22, 2012

Sweet Bits From Our Sunday

Let's begin with Tasha's hair do... the center parted little mustache-mop-on-top.
Silly, dear, funny goats. I adore Tasha's mustache-mop-on-top hair do, and her quizzical, yet blank, stare.

Now, I am not sure their stares are so blank. I think Ada may be trying her hypnotic-crazy eyes on me. Maybe she is delving into my mind, seeking the answers that will unlock their pen, so they can take their hikes, freely, with mad, effusive, goat abandon!

Oh dear.

Must look away!

They're organized!

Betty's looking into my soul, willing me to come back out with cracked corn and oats, to let them into the house, give them the good seats on the sofa, surrender the remote.

Not today, Betty. Not today. You ladies go on with your dust baths, and laying.

And thank you, by the way, for not hiding these three eggs. I did find two more eggs, deep in the recesses of a very shrubby Rosemary plant. Where else should I be looking, you sneaky chicas?

At least with these, I can finally give Alica Paulson's brownie recipe a try. All that remains to be seen is whether our oven will work, this time.

I've been saving this bitter chocolate bar for this recipe, for the crowd pleasing, fudgy brownies. Alicia's post was up for days and days, and all I wanted was cool weather, fresh eggs, and a working oven... her chocolate craving was contagious, and working on our appetites for ten days.

And then, she posted something new... something small, and perfect, and brand-baby new. Amelia is home. There are intimate, personal stories in blogs, and sometimes these stories rise from the screen and go to our hearts, and we feel the joy and gratitude, and teary awe of a real story, with a real happy... ending?... no middle. They are in the middle of a happy story. It's an honor, and a blessing, to glimpse, and connect with, their story.

So, I decided these brownies were being prepared in honor of Amelia, and Alicia and Paul, Clover too. Happy Birthday brownies. Family Brownies, indeed.

Our oven. So. Apparently, it conks out during power surges, and after rainfall. Yeah. Not special. But I was talking to friends, and they even guessed the exact manufacturer of our Unspecialthermador and Michael C. said, when his conks out, he turns it on, then it goes out, so he turns it on again, and again, and again, and eventually it ignites and stays lit!! Yes! A solution. And it worked.

If you take the bitter with the sweet, you can make brownies.

It's a metaphor.

Worth the wait.

I was thinking of titling this post "Effusive, Eclectic, and Chocolate. I was thinking of disciplining myself to break it into several posts, rather than this hodge-podge of seemingly unrelated subjects. I was thinking of being apologetic for my haphazard randomness and other musings. But I changed my mind.

I hope you enjoyed an effusive and eclectic, unapologetic, sweet weekend, too.

Alicia, thank you!
The children have moved these brownies to the top of their list of favorites! We thought they were rich and yummy, very special. Then I brought the children over to the computer, so we could gaze with effusive joy at Amelia. We are so happy for you and Paul. Congratulations.


Sunday, October 21, 2012

Mad As A Wet Hen

That's a real expression, right?

"Mad as a wet hen." I always imagined wet, angry chooks, running around, dodging rain drops. Mad about being all wet.

And then. Then I noticed my own chicas ran out into the rain, and paid no mind at all to getting soaked through, sopping and silly. So, I thought "Mad as a wet hen," makes no sense at all.

But! Suddenly. It dawns on me: It's not about angry, wet hens. They are Mad...

a : completely unrestrained by reason and judgment

b : incapable of being explained or accounted for

c: carried away by enthusiasm or desire

d: marked by wild gaiety and merriment

e: marked by intense and often chaotic activity!


Mad and silly, and sloppy, wet and muddy, nutty, daft hens.