Rachael Eliker's Blog, page 30
July 26, 2018
Chicken Run Run Run
Three sections means it's a chicken run run run.One of the first things we had to take care of when we moved was building a chicken coop. Though there are plenty of outbuildings on our property, none were predator proof enough to keep them safe during those long nights where raccoons, owls, skunks, feral cats, and Sasquatch (for all I know) are out looking for a meal. The last thing we need is another fox in the hen house.
Feeding the chickens some greens.So, we put together a nice, sturd...
July 20, 2018
Fantastic Fourth
Literally hours after Jack returned home from the work portion of his trip to Portugal, we were on the road to Nebraska to celebrate for the 4th of July. Last year, we had a quiet Independence Day, in part because we were in the middle of moving and in part because the holiday landed on a Tuesday (Boo!). Determined not to be left out of the fun, we packed up while Jack was at home and the second he pulled up the driveway, we jumped in the car and were off. Normally, we stop about halfway but...
July 16, 2018
Watching the Grass Grow
Anyone up for a game of hay hopping tag?Last winter, I felt like I was constantly scrambling to catch up with all the stuff we should have been doing over the summer, but didn't because we were in the middle of moving. The biggest challenge is always finding hay--it's either too expensive, too old, too far away, too moldy, too weedy, or simply, not enough. Not this year! Since it's 99% of what the horses and cows eat over the winter, hay is pretty darn important. This is the first t...
July 11, 2018
Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Soup
When running low on veggies and looking for something different to have for dinner, I found a forgotten butternut squash and a couple sweet potatoes. This soup put them to good use.Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon oil
1 onion, diced
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 green apple, peeled, cored, and cubed OR 1 red apple with a splash of lime juice
3 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup coconut milk (here'...
July 10, 2018
Porto: The Finale
The finale of our joint trip to Porto was much calmer than our arrival or the epic São João party but it wasn't any less of an adventure. We slept in a bit since we'd been up late at the festival, got dressed, and headed for church. That's right. All the way out in Porto, we were able to observe the Sabbath day. Hooray! Jack found a building a couple miles away and once we had it on the GPS, we left the hotel.We walked and walked and walked and made a few u-turns and course correcti...
July 2, 2018
Porto: Part Two
Beach Day! A few days into our trip to Porto, we decided to venture outside the confines of the city and see some of the coast that lines the Atlantic ocean. Lucky for us, the tour bus tickets we bought picked us up right outside of our hotel and dropped us off near the beach.
Having no real plan for the day, we wandered around a bit, taking in some of the fresh air and sunshine. Near one of the inlets, there's an old stone fort that was used for some sort of port protection, judging by t...
June 28, 2018
Porto: Part One
We made it!Last Wednesday, we were checking on the animals, getting some chores done, watching the barn swallows...a very typical day on the farm for us.
The next, Jack and I were racing through airports, hopping on planes, and coasting above the clouds on our way to Portugal. Not so typical for us.
A beautiful sunrise at 30,000 feet.Though the trip was lengthy, it was much more enjoyable than our flight to our Bahaman cruise. Splurging on ear tubes and motion sickness patches really paid off....
Porto, Part One
We made it!Last Wednesday, we were checking on the animals, getting some chores done, watching the barn swallows...a very typical day on the farm for us.
The next, Jack and I were racing through airports, hopping on planes, and coasting above the clouds on our way to Portugal. Not so typical for us.
A beautiful sunrise at 30,000 feet.Though the trip was lengthy, it was much more enjoyable than our flight to our Bahaman cruise. Splurging on ear tubes and motion sickness patches really paid off....
June 22, 2018
15 Things I've Observed in Portugal
Having been in Portugal for about 24 hours now, I feel like I could qualify as an expert (haha, not serious, but then again, I sort of am...). We've done a lot of walking, a lot of people watching, and a lot of eating. So, here are 15 things I've observed so far in Portugal.
1. They graffiti everything.
(The weirder, the better)
2. They love, LOVE their paver stone sidewalks and streets.(I can't even begin to guess how long it took to lay it all but golly, is it pretty).
3. If there's a...
June 21, 2018
Barn Swallows Still Welcome
One of my favorite things about this time of year is the return of barn swallows. These social, acrobatic, chatty birds come in droves and make themselves at home in our barns and outbuildings like we're the hottest spot in the neighborhood.
Babies in a mud nest, peeking their little heads out. A meal from mom and dad is on the way!They are fascinating to watch--whenever I get the mower out, at least a dozen birds swoop and dive and twist close by, like mini fighter jets, snatching bugs that j...
