With so much of Corey’s family within a five mile radius I
have had the privilege of hearing quite a few stories about Corey’s
great-grandmother, affectionately known as Mama Childs. She was a true farmer’s
wife, canning in the summer, being known for the best applesauce cake in five
counties, and raising backyard chickens. What I wouldn’t do for a chicken coop
like the one she had. It was gorgeous even from a distance. It was painted a beautiful dark green color to
blend in with her gardens and circular with one door. I never saw it up close,
but I would guess that it was at least twelve feet across. Every
morning she would let her proud brood out and every evening back in they would
go. Corey remembers more than once helping her chase a new chicken out
of her garden and back to the coop for the night. I never met Mama Childs, but
I know I would have loved her company. Anyone who is famous for talking to her
chickens is all right by me.
Fun Chicken Facts
Chickens are omnivores. They’ll eat seeds and insects but
also larger prey, like small mice and lizards.
There is no distinct difference in the taste between brown
eggs and white eggs. What makes a difference is diet. Pasture raised chickens
have darker, richer yokes due to the diversity in what they eat.
A top producing commercial hen can lay over 300 eggs per
year. Most of the heritage breeds of chickens here on our farm lay somewhere between
220-280 eggs each year.
The record for egg laying was set in the 1920’s when a hen
laid 364 eggs in 365 days.
One of the downsides to fresh eggs is that they are
notorious for being hard to peal. Solution? Try steaming them.
Deviled Egg Recipe
4
tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon
prepared mustard
¼ teaspoon
of vinegar
Pinch of
salt
Pinch of sugar
Begin by placing
your eggs in a vegetable steamer set over water. Be sure to give them plenty of
elbow room. Steam for 10 minutes covered. Remove from heat and run cold water
over eggs to cool quickly.
Once eggs
are cooled completely, peel. Using a sharp knife cut eggs in half lengthwise.
Put cooked egg yolks into a medium bowl, while putting egg whites carefully on
a tray or plate.
Using a
fork, mash egg yolks until they resemble a fine crumble. Add mayonnaise,
mustard, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Mix well.
Spoon the egg
yolk mixture into egg whites. Sprinkle with paprika. Keep refrigerated until
ready to serve.
2 comments:
your mama child reminds me of my grandmother. Those ladies were amazing, they had so much to do yet they did it with love and joy
Thank you for bringing back those memories
You are welcome! It has been fun taking walks down memory lane myself while writing the blog.
Post a Comment