Starbucks Caramel Apple Cider Recipe

I fell in love with Starbucks Caramel Apple Cider quite a few years ago when I was pregnant with our daughter Autumn, and this recipe is the real deal folks!  With just a few simple ingredients you can now enjoy a delicious Starbucks beverage at home for a fraction of the cost!! You will never taste the difference because this is actually how they make it!

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons of Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Syrup $9.95 for a 1-liter bottle (thats A LOT of syrup) or you can make your own by creating a simple syrup of 1/2 cup of light brown sugar, 1/2 cup water and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. Simmer in a small saucepan until brown sugar has dissolved.  Use 3 tablespoons of this as well.  
• 12oz of Treetop Premium apple juice
• Caramel syrup 
• Whipped cream 
  
  

Directions:

1. Add 3 tablespoons of cinnamon syrup into your mug
2. Add 12oz of apple juice, mix and warm
3. Top with whipped cream 
4. Drizzle with caramel syrup
5. Enjoy! 

Recipe: Ice Cubes

I was forwarded this recipe by a friend this morning and had to share.  This is a "joke" but the best part is in reading the reviews!  Happy Tuesday.

(Recipe and photo credit: Food.com)

    <<<<< Click Here To Read>>>>>

Cheers ~ Kevin

70,000 Chickens killed by an intoxicated man. (Huffington Post)

(Huffington Post)

This story was shared with me this morning by one of our friends on Facebook.  Such a tragedy.

The only question I have to ask is how in the hell did 70,000 chickens die overnight from lack of electricity?  Makes you wonder how bad their conditions really were to begin with, and "if" this drunk did them a favor?              >Click here for the full story.

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Our Little Coop ducks "vacuuming" up their Happy Hen Treats

Quail for the urban farm

Quail for the urban farm

There are hundreds of different types of quail throughout the world.   Out of all these types, there are two which are commonly kept on the urban farm.  These two popular types are the Japanese Coturnix (Coturnix  Japonica) and the Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus). 

The Japanese Coturnix (Coturnix Japonica) also known as Pharoah, Jumbo, or Coturnix is an old breed of quail from Eastern Asia. They have been domesticated in Japan and the Orient since the beginning of the twelfth century and were initially bred for song.  There are some records dating back to early Egyptian times with hyroglyphics showing the trapping of these birds as they had migrated back onto the mainlands.  Today they are kept as and considered to be what is called a dual purpose bird.  This means they can be raised for both egg production as well as for their meat. 

Male Coturnix quail (Left) and Female (Right)

These birds prefer grasslands and cultivated fields as their preferred environment.  Both sexes of this bird have yellow- brown speckled plumage with the Males having  a reddish colored breast and the Females more molted with dark spots.  They will begin laying at only 6 weeks of age and will reach maturity at 10 weeks.  The females are slightly larger than their male counterparts and will grow between 7- 8  inches long and weigh between 6- to 7 ounces.  The chicks are easily recognized with their yellowish coloring and brown stripes beginning at the forehead stretching all the way back to the tail.  Since the Bobwhite quail only lay eggs from about March to October the Coturnix quail are the best choice of quail for the urban farm and homestead.

Just hatched Coturnix quail chicks

Care is very easy.  Just provide with fresh water and a quality high protein gamebird feed. Coturnix quail do just fine living in a medium sized cage with a wire floor sheltered from extreme heat and cold winds.


Cheers ~ Kevin

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Candling chicken egg day 7 with Brinsea OvaScope - Embryo blinks its eyes.

              Look close, the little black dot is its eye blinking!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today Day 7, I candled the Serama chicken eggs I received from my friend Charlie Trevino.  Here is a quick clip of what we saw. In an upcoming post I will demonstrate the candling procedure using the Brinsea OvaScope. 

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Candling chicken egg day 6 with Brinsea OvaScope

Today I candled the Serama eggs I received from my friend Charlie Trevino.  Here is a quick example of what we saw. In an upcoming post I will demonstrate the candling procedure using the Brinsea OvaScope. (That is our 2 year old son Devin in the background making that noise)

Cheers ~ Kevin

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Janis sporting her new camouflage

Janis our silver laced Polish showing off her new camo Hen Saver courtesy of Crazy K Farm!




Last week I called in to The Backyard Poultry show with The Chicken Whisperer and won a Hen Saver courtesy of  Crazy K Farm.  At some point I would like to outfit a couple of our other girls with one of these.
(Any sponsors?).
As most of you know, "Our Little Coop" resides in an urban setting surrounded by farm fields not far away.  This is the perfect recipe for hawks and boy do we have them.  The durability of this product is amazing.  Almost reminds me of Kevlar and the stitching seems pretty heavy duty.  I have no doubt this product will stand the tests of time.

Cheers ~ Kevin

Contact:

Crazy K Farm Pet and Poultry Products

28384 Mellman Road

Hempstead, Texas 77445

Phone: 800-980-4165

Web: http://www.hensaver.com

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Crock Pot Loaded Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes 
• 1 large onion chopped
• 5 garlic cloves minced
• 32 oz chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt 
• Pepper
• 1 cup cream
• 16 oz cream cheese 

Toppings:

• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Sour cream 
• Bacon
• Chives

Directions: 

1. Put first 7 ingredients into crock pot and cook on low for 10 hours, high for 6.
2. Stir in cream and cream cheese until it is well mixed. 
3. Slowly and carefully ladle your soup into a food processor, blender, or better yet use a submersible blender and blend your soup to the consistency of your liking. I like to blend half.
4. Serve with toppings of your choice.
5. Enjoy!! 

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Fall Gardening Tips

The month of September offers cooler weather and moist soils which are ideal conditions for fall planting. Throw on a pair of old jeans, grab a sweatshirt and get out there!

Late summer into early autumn is the best time for dividing the perennials which normally bloom in spring and early summer such as hosta, daises, tick seed, and cone flower. 

Plant trees and shrubs early enough, prior to the ground freezing to allow enough time for the plants roots to develop. At this time, it is also wise to provide some sort of mulch to all of your plants to help protect them from winters harsh weather. 

Plant a tree, or two.

Start preparing for the first frost by digging up tender bulbs such as cannas, begonias, gladiolus and elephant ears. Discard the tops and store the bulbs, corns, and rhizomes in dry peat moss or saw dust and carefully store away from freezing temperatures.

Bring your house plants indoors before the night time temperatures drop below 50 F.

Deadhead perennials, and discard dead and diseased foliage to reduction spread of infection the following year.

Dead-head spent blooms or leave as food for the birds

Fall is the best time to plant spring flowering bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, and crocus. Remember to give these bulbs a head start by sprinkling a little organic feed into the hole.

Mid September is a great time to fertilize trees and shrubs.  A generous amount of compost scratched into the soil near the roots is a great alternative to ready made and potentially dangerous fertilizers.

Bird watchers can get one of the best shows of the year.  Make sure to keep your bird feeders full of fresh offerings and maintain a fresh supply of water to help those birds which will be migrating south.

Harvest and dry garden herbs such as basil, thyme, and sage early enough to be used around the Holidays.

Harvest and dry thyme early enough for use around the holidays.

September can also be a great time to sew fast growing and cold hardy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, cabbage and kale!  

Lettuce sprouting in a September garden.

Whatever you do, get outside and enjoy all that the beginning of Fall has to offer.

Cheers ~ Kevin

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