Lisa Steele's Blog, page 4

How Much Does it Cost to Get Started Raising Backyard Chickens?

Thinking about getting started with a small flock of backyard chickens? Here's how much you can expect to spend.

You might be considering getting started with backyard chickens and wonder exactly how much it will cost you to get started. 

In the past, I've talked about whether raising your own chickens for eggs is economical or not, but today I thought I would outline the typical start-up costs for a small backyard flock of 5 or 6 chickens.

The initial investment in a backyard flock will be con...

Why Do my Hard-Boiled Eggs Have a Green Ring around the Yolk?

That greenish-gray ring around an egg yolk is not attractive, but what is it, and is it safe to eat?

One of the most common questions I get about cooking eggs is about the green ring around the yolk that sometimes happens when eggs are hard boiled.

It's certainly not pretty, and not something you want to see when you're making hard-boiled eggs, deviled eggs, or egg salad, but what exactly is it? 

What causes the green ring? 

And is it safe to eat?

Why Do my Hard-Boiled Eggs Have a Green Ring around t...

Creamy Orange Posset

Orange posset is a simple dessert requiring no baking and only a few ingredients, but it packs a beautiful punch of flavor.

I could be wrong, but I'm guessing that you have never heard of posset. I never had until I recently stumbled across an Instagram reel and saw how simple it was to make. 

I just adore citrus-based sweet and savory recipes in the winter, so I knew I had to make this. 

Although traditionally made with lemons, it can be made with other citrus fruits just as easily. Since my husba...

What Do Backyard Geese Eat in the Winter?

When grass is scarce, backyard geese need alternative food sources to thrive.

As long as geese are given access to fresh grass, they can live very happily on all the grass and weeds they can eat. But what happens when snow covers the ground or all the grass is dead?

In the winter, your backyard geese will need something else to eat. But unlike chickens or ducks, they don't necessarily need (or want) a commercial feed. Also unlike chickens or ducks, geese are primarily herbivores.

Since we h...

Scandinavian Glögg Spiced Mulled Wine

Glögg is a traditional Scandinavian spiced mulled wine that is typically enjoyed during the long, cold winter evenings.

Glögg, or gløgg, is a spiced mulled wine that is enjoyed in the Nordic countries of Finland, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Sweden, but is especially popular in Sweden. 

Sort of like sangria with its red wine base, glögg is also similar to German glühwein, but glögg usually contains a hard liquor, in this case vodka, making it solidly Scandinavian! 

My family is originally from Finl...

How to Poach the Perfect Egg

Here are a few simple tips for the perfect poached egg.

Poached eggs can be a delicious meal on their own, but they're also the foundation of my favorite breakfast dish - Eggs Benedict. 

But that's certainly not the only recipe that calls for a poached egg, so it's a good technique to have in your repertoire.

It can be tricky to achieve the perfect poach, and I think sometimes people get intimidated to try poaching eggs, but I have a few tips to help you succeed in poaching the perfect egg.

Optimall...

When and Why Do Chickens Molt?

Each fall, chickens lose their feathers during an annual molt and grow in new ones.

If you're new to chicken keeping, you might not realize that each fall, starting when they're around 18 months old (assuming they hatched in the spring), chickens will start to lose their feathers.

Although there are a variety of other reasons why your chickens might be losing their feathers including flock aggression, poor nutrition, mites, an over-zealous rooster or predator attack, stress, etc. if you start ...

Easy Focaccia with Garlic Sage Olive Oil

Focaccia is one of the easiest types of bread to make and it's great for snacking or sandwiches.

Focaccia is a quick and easy yeasted bread that I make fairly often. It's a flat-ish Italian style of bread made with olive oil and often flavored with herbs.  

Focaccia is so good cut into squares and served warm with butter or olive oil, or cut into slightly larger pieces, sliced in half and used for sandwiches. Or you can use it as a base for more traditional pizza or flatbread toppings, pesto, tape...

12 Reasons why Ducks are Better than Chickens

There are many reasons why I truly believe that ducks are better than chickens.

Ssssh.... don't tell my chickens, but if I had it to do all over again, I would raise just ducks instead of chickens.

Having raised both chickens and ducks together for more than 15 years, I can unequivocally say that I not only find ducks easier to raise, I actually prefer raising them. 

But before all you chicken people start cancelling me (LOL!), please hear me out and let me explain - and don't worry, we're not gett...

Chocolate Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

Browned butter adds a nutty richness to these chocolate walnut oatmeal cookies.

These chocolate walnut oatmeal cookies come together so quickly in one bowl, you can pop a batch in the oven and let them bake while you're eating dinner and have them ready to enjoy for dessert.

Using browned butter instead of regular butter makes these cookies nice and crunchy around the edges and adds a rich, nutty flavor. And the brown sugar keeps the cookies super chewy in the middle. 

I always use this vanilla bea...