Banana-Zucchini-Chocolate Chip Bread

Delicious Banana Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bread!

I found this recipe at "Healthy Eating for Ordinary People."  My mom is the queen of banana breads and she's a hard one to beat, but I think this recipe just might have.  It's delicious and our pickiest eater loves it! 

Ingredients:

• -3 very ripe bananas
• -2 eggs
• -1/4 cup honey
• -1/4 cup brown sugar
• -1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• -1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• -1 teaspoon baking soda
• -1 teaspoon baking powder
• -1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• -1 1/2 cup of zucchini 2 small, shredded 
• -3/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat your over to 350 degrees and grease a standard size loaf pan.
2. Mash your bananas in a large bowl, add eggs, honey, sugar, and vanilla and mix well.  
3. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, shredded zucchini and chocolate chips.   Mix well. 
4. Pour your batter into the greased loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes.  
5. Check to see if your banana bread is finished by sticking a toothpick in the middle.  The toothpick should pull out clean 
6. Allow the banana bread to cool for about twenty minutes before serving. 
7. Enjoy!!

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Show your pride with clean and healthy eggs

Well winter is here in full force and luckily our girls are all still laying very well.  We have been taking all steps necessary to ensure they stay healthy and happy, and in turn, they have continued to provide us with the same great tasting eggs. 

"There is nothing better than fresh eggs!" as Manna Pro states on their containers of Wipe 'N Wash egg cleaning towels, and how can anyone disagree!? 

The Manna Pro Egg Arsenal

Manna Pro has been dedicated to providing some of the best products for backyard flocks since 1985. They understand most of us are committed to a more sustainable lifestyle, and continue to produce their products with as little strain on the environment as possible.

Recently they had sent Our Little Coop a bunch of products to sample and giveaway to our readers. We are always very thankful for that!  

Here is what we received: 

Manna Pro All Natural Egg Cleanser

Manna Pro Wipe 'N Wash Egg Cleansing Towlettes

Mann Pro Omega Egg Maker

Manna Pro All Natural Egg Cleanser

The All Natural Egg Cleanser is one of the best alternatives to harsh detergents currently on the market and is very simple to use.  Place your eggs in a large bowl, cover with approximately 1 gallon of warm water and add about 2 capfuls of the Egg Cleanser.  Carefully agitate the solution for about 10 seconds  by moving the eggs around and let sit for 10-15 minutes. The all natural cleanser seems to dissolve the caked on crud off of the eggs.  From there you may simply rinse and store in the refrigerator. 

Eggs soaking in Manna Pro egg cleanser solution

If you want your eggs looking their best proceed to the next step.

Manna Pro Wipe 'N Wash Egg Cleansing Towelettes

The Wipe 'N Wash egg wipes can be used by themselves quickly and conveniently.  One towel can clean a dozen eggs but I have been able to clean up to 2 dozen before discarding.  These wipes are made with recycled paper and a natural blend of plant-derived cleaners, and as stated on their package, reveals the natural beauty of your eggs.  

I usually wash anywhere between 3-4 dozen eggs at a time in the all natural cleanser and follow up by gently scrubbing with these wipes.  Our regular customers are alway so amazed at just how clean and beautiful our eggs always look with minimal effort on our part.  

Cleaning eggs with Manna Pro Wipe 'N Wash wipes

                                         

But the looks are not all that is important….

Manna Pro Omega Egg Maker

Beautiful eggs start on the inside.  Thanks again to Manna Pro and their all natural Omega Egg Maker supplement, you can be sure you are providing your girls with a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids and all the vitamins and minerals they will need to stay healthy and produce very healthy and delicious eggs.  

As I stated, this is a supplement and should be used as one.  The directions are pretty straight forward for either mixing directly into the layer feed or using as a top dressing.  I accomplish the later by sprinkling about 4 tablespoons over the top of their feed.  This way freshness can be almost guaranteed by keeping the remanded on the Egg Maker sealed in the original Manna Pro bag.

Cheers ~ Kevin

For more information on Manna Pro and their extensive line of products, you can visit them on the web 

Manna Pro

Farm Fresh Eggs vs. Store Bought Eggs

TOP EGG: COMMERCIAL STORE-BOUGHT "ORGANIC" EGG
BOTTOM EGG: FREE-RANGE EGG

When you look at the picture above, it is easy to see the difference between the two egg yolks.  The egg yolk on the top is significantly lighter than the egg yolk on the bottom.  But do you know what caused the color variation between the two yolks?  Diet.  A true free-range hen has an unrestricted diet that is high in leafy greens, alfalfa and bugs which turn the yolk of their eggs a dark amber/orange color.  The commercial store-bought egg comes from a hen that is offered a more restricted diet, usually consisting of a grain (corn) and protein mixture, resulting in a light orange/pale yellow color.  The visual differences between the two are obvious, but how do they differ nutritionally?

According to a study conducted in 2007 by Mother Earth News Magazine, hens who are allowed to pasture and free range produce eggs nutritionally superior to hens who are raised in commercial settings.  Comparing USDA nutritional information from commercial eggs and nutritional information from eggs raised on pasture,  here are their incredible findings!


Farm fresh eggs contain.....

• 1/3 less cholesterol
• 1/4 less saturated fat 
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 3 times more Vitamin E
• 7 times more beta carotene 
• 4-6 times more vitamin D

.......than commercial eggs. 

Backyard Chickens lay healthier eggs

If you can't take the heat... neither can your peeps!

As summer begins to settle in,  Our Little Coop is typically missing its man of the house.  As many of you know, I work for myself as an HVAC service provider.  For those of you that are new here, the name of my company is Thermo Green, Inc. HVAC. I usually find myself away from home on average of anywhere between 8-16 hours a day, leaving our free-range chickens and dogs to fend for themselves.

The few precautions I usually take to make sure everyone will be ok during the day always pay off.  The most critical of all, is to ensure everyone has access to plenty of fresh water and shade from the sun.  Every morning I rinse/ refill 3 drinking containers and a large dog bowl with a combo of water and Kent VITA-PAK.  The VITA-PAK can be found at most feed stores or online.  I do not worry about the dogs drinking the chicken water or visa versa because they all get this combination.  The Kent is nothing more than extra vitamins and electrolytes which are critical as the mercury climbs.

To provide shade,  we have 2 large silver maples on our property as well as many ornamental grasses that are alone our property line.  At least half of our yard at any given time is shaded.  Additional shade can be provided with the use of anything that would totally block out the sun, like a piece of plywood or even a bed sheet draped over a clothes line. STAY COOL! ~ Kevin

Update ***** How to make the waterer pictured:

Kevin has fallen behind but is going to post a more detailed version. Basically what you do is take a clean 5 gallon bucket and drill a few 1/4" holes around the top (opening) of the bucket about 2 inches down. Find a pan that has sides that are at least 3-4 inches high. Fill up the bucket, place the pan over the top, and carefully flip the whole thing upside down. The water will fill the pan up to the holes that you drilled, and will maintain a constant height there. Hope this helps!? Stay tuned for the more detailed version. :-)