I live with my Mom and Dad and their weimaraner "Spencer". My Dad has multi infarct dementia

We all come from Vermont and we grew up during the 60's and 70's. One of our favorite things is cooking and so we try and stay sane by writing about cooking. I have an old cookbook from Rutland VT called "Out of Vermont Kitchens that we are going to try and cook from and see what the food tastes like.

The cookbook has some prepared foods in some of the recipes. But we will try and adapt them perhaps to modern cusine.

We also try other recipes but will dive into our Vermont roots as often as we can.

Marion Ballou Smith
The daughter of Orris and Margaret (Mageen) Ballou, Marion Ballou Smith grew up in Rutland, Vermont, graduated from Mount Holyoke College (1914), and taught botany and mathematics. In 1927 she married Esme A.C. Smith, a businessman in Rutland. Active in local business and civic affairs, Smith was the co-compiler, with Alice Chaffee Bowker and Ruth Sutton, of a fund-raising cookbook entitled Out of Vermont Kitchens, published in 1939, to benefit the Trinity Mission of Trinity Church in Rutland, and the Women's Service League of St. Paul's Church in Burlington, Vermont.

4.17.2010

The Henhouse

My chickens may not be the best layers that ever graced a backyard operation but they at least try and keep me and my neighbors in some eggs. Right now the yolks are a very bright orange and make a simple omelet into a mardi gras of colors if I add cut chives and sun dried tomatoes.

We added another section to the hen house recently with big windows that let in the light. I kind of hoped they'd lay a few more eggs but the addition made little difference. Then I invested in some temporary poultry fencing and strung it across the yard. After they had been free-ranging for over two weeks, they were positively dejected with the new fence. I never knew hens had attitudes about their habitat.

My Dad is somewhat intrigued with the hens. He asks sometimes about the eggs and how the chickens are doing. Then later he wonders where the eggs came from. At least the chickens make for a limited conversation with him now.

I love walking this time of year. The soft greens and yellows are lovely and give at least a semblance of peace. Spencer enjoys his walks in the sun with me through the fields and woods close by. He's no longer a wild and crazy weim that dashes through the swamp and chases everything in sight. The geese are passing through this area now and land on the pond for a few hours. He watches them and they keep their beady little eyes on him. Both parties pretend not to notice one another too much but the tension is discernible to anybody.
Posted by Kimberly at 9:52 AM

1 comment:

Matt Sutkoski said...

That henhouse looks great. You've turned into quite a farmer. And I agree with you about the colors this time of year, and a little later, too when the leaves are half opened. That's my favorite foliage season, not the one in the fall.

April 17, 2010 at 2:07 PM

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