Wyandotte Chicks Video & Curing update

I thought I would return to the subject I originally set the blog up for.  It's amazing how you can get carried away and write about almost anything.

I have been cleaning the chickens out today.  A mucky job the best of days, but today, although dry it was muddy!  By the time I had finished, I had mud all up my clothes and up my face!  At least I hope it was mud! :-/

I thought I would take the opportunity to let the chicks, Pinky and Perky, have a little free range time around the garden with my other hens, Custard and Pudding.

Last time I did this with Rodney the rooster there was an American Western type standoff between Pudding (the Bluebelle) and Rodney, the Rhode Island Red chick.  Treacle (mummy hen) was trying to act as referee.  To be honest she is better sticking to her day job of laying eggs!

Surprisingly it went rather well.  The chicks are only 8 weeks old, and Custard could not be bothered at all with them.  Pudding came over to them a few times, but left well along.  She had a peck at Treacle, but I think Treacle is used to it!

I took this video of them having a little meander.  You can get a feel for their size quite well.  Its not a long video only 1 minute 20 seconds.

They seem to be doing really well now.  Fingers crossed they are both hens!

I mentioned curing in the post title.  Well, I can't help myself and have to have another go.  So I defrosted some belly pork from my freezer (purchased some time ago from the supermarket).  It's curing now, and I'm sure it will be ok, but nothing compared to the Tamworth meat I have been eating.

I have also started curing a ham/Leg from the Tamworth meat.  I have used exactly the same cure as I used for the bacon.  I think it needs at least 9 days, which would take us to boxing day.  So that could be a nice treat, cooked in cider and then baked in the oven.

I will update my blog when I have made some more progress on these.

Thanks for reading & I hope you enjoy the photos and video.

Guest Blogging on Curing bacon!

Katy from The Goodlife in Practice, has kindly offered for me to be a guest blogger on her site.  www.thegoodlifeinpractice.wordpress.com

My entry reviews my recent bacon curing experience.  Fun fun fun!


My cured bacon

I hope you find it interesting and I'm sure you will find the goodlife in practice blog an interesting read!

Just click on the link

Many thanks for reading.The Goodlife in Practice

Breakfast rice for any time of the day

Breakfast rice for any time of the day, well almost a full english!

This is not rocket science really.  It is something that Rachel started making but I have added a few ingredients and tweaked .

We love this dish as an evening meal after a cold day.  It's quite satisfying and a little like comfort food.

Ingredients
Feeds 2-4 depending how hungry you are. And you can always leave in the fridge and eat the following day!

One small onion chopped
1 clove of garlic
4 rashers of good quality dry cured smoked back bacon. Chopped
4 eggs boiled
Tin of baked beans or tin of white beans
One tin of tomatoes
1.5 teaspoons of paprika
6 mushrooms sliced, your choice
One teaspoon of tomato ketchup
320g of whole grain basmati rice

Method

Get the rice on to boil in a large pan.  Then add eggs to a pan of water and cook for 3mins from when water is boiling.

Meanwhile heat a large frying pan with olive oil in, add onion and garlic, and cook for 3-4 mins.
Next add the chopped bacon and mushrooms.
Once bacon is coloured, add tomato ketchup, paprika and tin of tomatoes.
Stir and then add the beans.

Turn the pan down to a simmer and let it cook for 8 mins or so or until the rice is ready.
Once the rice is cooked, drain and put the drained rice still in the strainer in the pan with the lid on top.  Leave for 2 minutes.  It goes a little sticky, so fork through and then add to the pan with all the other ingredients apart from the eggs.

Mix thoroughly and make sure all is piping hot.  Serve into a large bowl, then after the eggs are shelled, cut into quarters and add to the top of the rice dish.

I had not added the eggs when I took this photo.  But you get the idea hopefully.

I you like it spicy, try adding half a chilli when adding the paprika or sprinkle a few drops of Tabasco sauce on top when served and mix in.

Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!