Leeks and Parsnips

So I know I have mentioned on other people's blogs that I have never eaten leeks or parsnips. So the stores are getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas and this week I found....

 

this huge leek and this bag of parsnips. So now...what do I do with them? I'm thinking maybe soup? The temperature here dropped to almost freezing last night and 59 F today. In a few days it is supposed to be 80 F again. That is just the way fall and spring work here. Anyway, leave a message with some links to leek/parsnip recipes on your blog or any other blog if you know of any and I'll go search Mark's blog (when I have time, which I don't right now) since I know he has some. 

Eating Healthier

So lately I have gotten a bit more serious about eating healthier. I had done a few things like stopped drinking sodas (I do allow myself one now and then), eating whole grains whenever possible, and watching ingredients and trying to eat more naturally but here in our house we eat way too much meat (like every other American), then we have some kind of rice or pasta side dish and the vegetable is usually an "afterthought". Phil calls it my diet but it isn't really a diet, we are just going to eat more fruits and vegetables or at least I am; (and Michelle never has liked meat much so she is happy to eat vegetables), Phil can eat what he wants. Anyway the point of this post really wasn't to go on and on about what I am eating now or what I'm not. I started a journal for myself on the forum (on the Healthy Living board) for anyone interested but it is mostly for myself to keep track.The reason I really started this post was because my breakfast looked so good this morning. I have had 3 days of oatmeal and fruit so decided to switch and have some eggs today. But NOT like I used to have eggs; fried in bacon grease with some leftover meat or gravy on top with butter toast to the side; these were poached, with green onions and a grating of cheese on top. This cheese is a wonderful all natural Dutch smoked cheese called Goudan that I found at one of the local grocery stores. The two eggs were put over toasted bread but no butter.

It was excellent!

Another November Day

I woke up this morning to Phil getting ready to play..I mean hunt but went back to sleep and later woke up to the sound of peeping. I was pretty surprised since my incubator has had a lot of issues holding the temperature and has had some very bad high spikes and I really thought all the eggs would be dead. Apparently not:

Eight of them hatched in all but two hatched late and likely won't do very well. Normally with quail the ones that hatch all-together do well and the late ones die.
Their hatching meant I had a lot of work to do. Had to move the quail out of the outside brooder and it had to be cleaned out and it hadn't been cleaned for a while. I took it all down to the raised beds and compost pile. Then the chicks in the indoor brooder had to be moved outside. It was time anyway.

And the indoor brooder had to be totally cleaned so the quail could go in it. It was a lot of work but had needed doing for a while and I am glad that it is done now. One more chicken picture and I will move on to gardening. I love the look of this Easter Egger behind it are the Norwegian Jearhon and to the side is a cochin. They are caged, waiting until they are large enough for a pen of their own (or for a pen to become available--hopefully soon as the ducklings are growing fast and will join the flock when I feel they have grown enough).

 Ok, I wanted to show you a picture of the log raised bed, as I am calling it now. It won't be real deep but I think it will work just fine. The problem with the soil being pure clay here is that any improvements you make wash right off the clay in the rain so the raised beds, no matter how deep, should make all the difference.

 

As you can see the block bed has been filled. A variety of things went into it hay rakings, leaves, compost and manure from the pens. It should be a good bed by spring. I started filling the log bed as well today. 

  

I have started laying down feed bags in between the beds and hope to add mulch later to keep the weeds back some. I have lots of feed bags that I usually burn so might as well put them to good use. Shouldn't take long before I have it fully covered. The garden raised beds are made out of quite the hodge-podge of things but they haven't cost me a thing so far. I still have room for a few more.We'll have to wait and see what I make those out of.