Experimentation

Remember how I said I was going to "experiment" with bread making? I did, in the basic white bread format and the results were not the best but far better than previous attempts. Yes folks, there is hope. The yeast packet had an expiry date of October 2013 so, maybe that was what prevented a fully risen loaf?? The loaf consistency was more like sourdough and still edible and quite tasty if I might say.

Yesterday, I decided to take another stab at this bread making challenge. Well, this time it worked!! Two loaves of nicely risen white bread. Now, I am looking forward to adding fruit, perhaps some herb bread...The sky is the limit.

Now for another experiment... Shortly after Mr. Guinness arrived, Vanessa from Both Boys Barn offered me some eggs to hatch-buff brahma banties they were, and I accepted. They were a bit on the old side but I was up for the challenge. So, plugged in the incubator yet again(now you're thinking, "wow does she ever stop hatching?") Then, she forgot to bring them. Oh! Well the incubator was ready to go, so, while cleaning the barn I found a few eggs and thought, "Who knows?" what the heck. I also chose some of the dark brown eggs from my lavender Marans hen. I even took a few from the fridge.... So hatching day is officially tomorow. The experimentation part here is, old eggs, refrigerated eggs and eggs that were not heated for 7 hours during the power outage: 7 hours of no power, simply a blanket put over the top in order for the heat to not escape so quickly.

Today, there are 3 eggs chirping and pipping. At least one is from the fridge as I marked it with a "F" so that I would know... Goes to show you, don't give up even when you think all is lost. The mother hen who hatched the chicks under the porch still has 2 of the 3.. They are getting quite big now and she has decided to stay in the barn while the nights are quite cold now. Their survival also shows me that despite all the hoopla about feed, they are getting by on what mother hen shows them to eat and me throwing a few handfuls of whatever feed I have the most of onto the barn floor. No doubt attracting mice which are sometimes found floating in the water bucket of the ram pen. Who needs a barn cat??

So, we wait and see what comes from these experiments. This time, I feel it is a good thing.