Monthly Archives: July 2012

Cauliflower Harvest

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Laura Rittenhouse

One of the cauliflowers I sowed on March 7th was ready for harvest yesterday. 4 1/2 months from seed to dinner plate – I’ve no idea if that’s normal, but it’s now my benchmark. This particular cauliflower didn’t have the … Continue reading →

Posted in Chickens, Garden | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Adopting a Veggie Bed

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Laura Rittenhouse

Our neighbours dabbled in vegetable gardening. They bought a raised bed, filled it with good soil and lots of cow manure and had an amazing crop of eggplants, cucumbers, kohlrabi, strawberries and heaps of other goodies. I was green with … Continue reading →

Posted in Chickens, Garden | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Shell-less Egg

Posted on July 29, 2012 by Laura Rittenhouse

Recently, Bronwyn had a bad afternoon. We weren’t sure what was wrong with her but she stood in a strange position (high-bum is the best way to explain it) and she dozed rather than scratched and wandered with the other … Continue reading →

Posted in Chickens | Tagged , | 1 Comment

They Missed Us

Posted on July 28, 2012 by Laura Rittenhouse

Frank and I were gone for 4 days this week on a mini-winter holiday. Our neighbours took good care of our chickens for us while we were gone. Yet when we got home, the hens appeared to be really happy to … Continue reading →

Posted in Chickens | Tagged | 4 Comments

Golden Egg Yolk Sponge

Posted on July 27, 2012 by Laura Rittenhouse

Last week I made another Pavlova (the best by far, it was piled nice and high and truly decadent). Which meant I had another 4 egg yolks to use up. Ruth offered me an old recipe of hers for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Recipe | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Winter Pollinators

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Laura Rittenhouse

Amongst the long list of things I know nothing or little about in my garden is pollinators. The extent of my knowledge is that a wise gardener encourages flowers and insects in the garden because pollinators like flowers and are … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden, Nature, Sustainability | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Ginger Progress

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Laura Rittenhouse

This is the new ginger & horseradish bed. I tried ginger here before and it didn’t do well. I’m not sure what the problem was but I’ve improved the soil so I’m hoping it thrives now. My horseradish had done well … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Mandarin and Poppy Seed Friand

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Laura Rittenhouse

It’s mandarin season and every day we collect more mandarins off our tree. They are great snacks just as they are, but they also go really well in salads and baked goods. Here’s my recipe for friands. It not only … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden, Recipe | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

My Chickens Have (scratch that – HAD) Worms

Posted on July 14, 2012 by Laura Rittenhouse

This post is not for the faint of heart (or stomach). Warning, some photos may offend and/or nauseate. Actually, they probably should nauseate, they’re pretty gross. To worm or not to worm backyard chickens is a hot topic on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Chickens | Tagged | 15 Comments

Winter Seeds

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Laura Rittenhouse

It’s the dead of winter in Sydney which is anything but a dead season in the garden. Many plants do better in winter than summer here – lettuce and peas being the biggest examples – and I continue to enjoy … Continue reading →

Posted in Garden | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments