We have 8 jumbo Coturnix quail on the homestead. 1 white, 1 white/wild, 2 Italian, 1 tuxedo and 3 wild. We ordered the eggs from Manitoba, Canada and had them shipped to Ontario. A friend of mine who has a farm business hatched and brooded them for me, and we received them beginning of March. They are now 8 weeks old and we have been patiently waiting for them to lay eggs, and today is that day!!! When I walked out to our small barn this morning there were 4 eggs laying in the wood chips! I almost didnât see them! This is a big day for us, one less food item I have to source locally, or buy from a grocery store! All the work has been worth it! Animal husbandry is a lot of work, and when you are getting nothing in return it can seem a bit frustrating, but those eggs make it worth it. I know when I feed these eggs to my children they have not been tainted with hormones or antibiotics, and I know they came from healthy and happy quail. Plus, we do love watching our quails, they are funny and quirky. They are hilarious to watch in their dust bath, they just fling that sand all over (I also add some diatomaceous earth in there for extra mite/lice protection). I canât wait to make some pickled quail eggs, Yum!
Quail eggs!
Some other happeningsâŠ
I have always struggled a bit with trying new things and new recipes. I am not creative in the kitchen and really have to force myself to try new things with different vegetables. Growing up I was not a big veggie eater, so I only have my go-to ways of preparing each veggie that comes out of the garden. I also grew a few things in my garden that I wouldnât normally buy at the grocery store, to push myself to try new things! I am really trying to broaden my horizons to ensure I donât get âboredâ of veggies and want to eat junk instead (I am sure I am not alone in this struggle!).
So this weekend I made baked zucchini chips from the garden!
Harvest your zucchini, cut in thin small slices, coat in olive oil, salt and pepper. Spray a baking sheet, lay out the zukes and cover them with parmesan and panko. Bake at 450 degrees for about 10-12 mins.
I cut the skinny end of the 2 zukes that are oddly shaped and used the good ends! Grocery stores lead us to believe you can only use the perfectly shaped produceThin sliced, coated in olive oil and salt and pepper
Crispy and delicious. I only have pictures of the first few steps because I got so busy cooking and entertaining guests that I forgot to take a picture of the end result. Oops! Scatterbrained, what can I say! Trust me, they were good! đ„
Kombucha is a great drink to have around on the homestead, or any home for that matter. It is easy to brew, tastes great and has many health benefits. People have been drinking it for thousands of years. It is essentially a fermented tea that becomes carbonated when fruit is added to it. The way it ferments is by adding a SCoBY to brewed tea. SCoBY stand for âsymbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast.â When it is added to brewed tea and sugar, the yeast and bacteria consume the caffeine, tannins and sugar and the tea ferments, creating a wonderful drink full of probiotics.
Kombucha seems confusing at first but it is actually quite simple. There are kits online where you can buy a SCoBY and starter liquid, however, there are also Facebook groups that sell them for the price of shipping. Which is usually only $10-$15. I belong to âKombucha Nation: Cultures, Health and Healing!â and it is a great site, and there is a ton of knowledgeable people that have been brewing for years! They allow you to post pictures and ask if your brew looks ok. There are references and recipes too!
What you will need:
1 Gallon Glass jar (I bought a Ball jar that cost $20 at Canadian Tire) you can buy one with a spigot, but the spigot has to be made with 304 SS or higher grade, no plastic!
1 SCoBY
2 cups of âstarterâ (I will explain below)
1 coffee filter
1 rubber band
8 tea bags (no flavored teas with oils, should be black, green or oolong)
14 cups of distilled water, or boiled tap water
1 cup of sugar (white sugar works the best and really cannot be substituted â do not use stevia, honey or artificial sweeteners, the bacteria and yeast consume the sugar and it is important to the fermentation process)
1 wooden spoon for stirring that is really clean
White vinegar (for cleaning only!!!)
Process:
Sterilize your gallon jar buy washing it with hot soapy water, then with white vinegar and rinse
Boil your 14 cups of water, add 8 tea bags, add one cup of sugar and stir, let cool
Pour cooled tea and sugar into gallon jar
Add 2 cups of starter (when you buy a SCoBY the person should give you 2+ cups of fermented tea with the SCoBY, this is called âstarterâ and it is important to have enough of it so you donât get mold)
Add your SCoBY (it usually floats to the top, but not always)
Secure a coffee filter over the top of the gallon jar with a rubber band, this keeps the fruit flies out. Do not use a tea towel or anything like that, they can get in the smallest holes. The coffee filter is not penetrable, but still breathable.
Do not use a metal utensil to stir or touch your kombucha.
Let the tea ferment for 14-21 days.
If for any reason you see mold, DO NOT consume it. Throw out all contents of the gallon jar and re-sterilize everything. The SCoBY cannot be re-used.
Never add vinegar to Kombucha! You can get vinegar eels. Blech!
Do not keep near bread products or fruit (incase mold develops), or other ferments. You risk cross contamination.
Keep in a warmish, dark place in the kitchen. If it is really cold it takes forever to ferment. If it is really warm it will ferment quickly!
By the end of the 2-3 weeks, you will see a new ScoBY forming on the top. This is the baby to your original mother SCoBY. You can save all your extra SCoBYâs in a âhotelâ. Glass container with lid, add all your SCoBYs some fermented tea, and they will keep for months. You can also give them to people to share the wealth!
This is my Komucha set up, that 1F is about 3 days in. The small container beside it is my hotel! I gift SCoBYs to people wanting to try it!This first process is called your 1F, or âfirst fermentâ in the world of Kombucha.
Now onto your 2F or âsecond fermentâ
Buy glass bottles that are rated for carbonation. Do not buy decorative ones or they will explode!!!
I use âGTsâ Kombucha bottles. I bought a bunch of pre-made Kombucha at local health food store, drank all the Kombucha (which is delicious) and saved the bottles.
First sterilize the bottles by boiling them for 5-10 minutes.
Let them cool, and fill them with tea (save a bit of room)
Add fruit or fruit puree.
I have added cut up grapes, pure grape juice, ginger, raisins etc. This is what gives the tea carbonation.
Burp your bottles every couple days so that the carbonation doesnât build up so much that it bursts through the top when you go to open it.
2F takes 2-5 days, just keep an eye on it!
*Kombucha needs to slowly be introduced to your diet, because it is a ferment it can cause gas and tummy upset if you drink too much at once. So start with a few ounces a day and build from there. It also flushes toxins, so be sure to also consume a lot of water when you drink Kombucha*
ENJOY! âșïž
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or health food professional. I am just giving information based on my personal experiences. Please use it responsibly, and research other information!
I don’t know about you guys, but the ticks in southern Ontario are horrendous this year. It is by far the worst season for them. Maybe it was the mild winter, and not enough of them died off. Whatever the case is, it is important to protect yourself and your family and pets from the dreaded Lyme disease and tick fever. So, I made a batch of tick spray for my family and friends this year. There was a good recipe which called for eucalyptus and lemongrass essential oils. Mix distilled water with 20drops of each for every 4oz of water in a large glass bottle or a dark plastic spray bottle approved for use with EOs. I spray it on my kids socks, shoes and legs. I also give my dogs coat a light spray. DO NOT USE ON CATS đ± their body cannot metabolize essential oils. I use Young Living brand, it is pure, therapeutic grade oil. It’s so nice to make your own products and know that you are not spraying chemical laden products on your children. It is a bit pricey, but a little goes a long way and a 8oz bottle will lat a long time!8 oz and 4 oz bottles of tick spray
Copyright: All photos and posts are the property of their creators. Lily and Rose Homestead grants non-exclusive use of one photo and up to 50 words from posts with attribution and link back to the original post on this site. Please contact me for more information/details
DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor, lawyer, or veterinarian. Please use the knowledge acquired from this site responsibly.
