denise

Chicken Cam: When They Were New… to the Coop

Animal Issues, Chickens, Daily Dose, Family Funk /

Look how tiny they were!

There’s some construction noise in this one because we were still building the run.

I’m cleaning out my photos and videos and just noticed the videos from the very first day we put the chickens in the coop. The original idea was for them to stay IN the coop for a couple of days and then let them into the run. That didn’t happen. It was really hot that first day so we ended up opening the pop up door and just letting them into the run right away.

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Disney Food at Home: Cheeseburger Egg Rolls

Daily Dose, Foodie /

I was inspired by Kristine Fraser and decided I would also try making Disney World foods at home. Which is awesome because Disney foods but even more awesome because I rarely cook anymore…(I’m skipping the Dole Whip from her list, because that’s not an official recipe, I don’t care what anyone says. Dole Whip is vegan and that recipe isn’t vegan. Also, we have the official Dole Pineapple Frozen Yogurt mix which DOES make more realistic Dole Whip anyway.)

We’ve never tried the cheeseburger egg rolls at Magic Kingdom, though we’ve always wanted to. I hope some day we can try them. Someday soon, even. While we wait for The World to return to normal, I decided to give them a try.

Here’s a link to the photo of the original and to Kristine’s, along with the recipe. Here are photos of mine.

cheeseburger egg rolls inside of the cheeseburger egg rolls

The only variation I made was to use the air fryer, which I’d seen someone in the comments of Kristine’s post talking about. I think that variation made them not as good as they could have been. TW thinks they needed more cheese. So next time – I’ll add a couple more ounces of Velveeta and I’ll fry them in a pan/pot and not use the air fryer. There will be a next time because I did enjoy them. (I enjoyed one the next day for lunch, too.)

I’m trying to decide whether I want to try the pizza egg rolls or the Reuben egg rolls. Probably the Reuben, because Reubens are my favorite.

PS. Are they egg rolls or spring rolls? There seems to be some confusion around that. I’ve seen them called both. I’m not sure if Disney World calls them anything… I should find out.

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Disney Food at Home: Grilled Cheese

Daily Dose, Foodie /

I was inspired by Kristine Fraser and decided I would also try making Disney World foods at home. Which is awesome because Disney foods but even more awesome because I rarely cook anymore…(I’m skipping the Dole Whip from her list, because that’s not an official recipe, I don’t care what anyone says. Dole Whip is vegan and that recipe isn’t vegan. Also, we have the official Dole Pineapple Frozen Yogurt mix which DOES make more realistic Dole Whip anyway.)

Since I am known in my family for making really good grilled cheese, I was pretty confident in my ability to pull off the outstanding grilled cheese from Woody’s Lunchbox. LOL. That will teach me to be overconfident, won’t it? Seriously. This is the one recipe that I was 99% sure I could pull off without a hitch.

Here’s a link to the photos of Kristine’s and the original, along with the recipe. Here’s a photo of mine.

Woody's Lunchbox Grilled Cheese

It’s not that it was bad, it wasn’t. It was actually very good. It just wasn’t the Woody’s Lunchbox grilled cheese that I’ve had several times. The cheese didn’t melt as well as it should have, the cheesy filling stuff in the center wasn’t really hot, and I burnt and/or almost burnt several of the sandwiches.

Having said that – it really was good. It was also really, really rich. I’ll do things very differently the next time.

I will not put as much of the cream cheese stuff in the center, I’ll find a sturdier bread, and I will cook it on the Cuisinart Griddle so I can cook both sides at once OR I’ll reduce the heat a wee bit on the stove top. I think the mayo spread on the outside caused the burning at the normal grilled cheese temperature.

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Chicken Cam: Music Appreciation

Animal Issues, Chickens, Daily Dose, Family Funk /

It’s important to keep chickens busy and interested otherwise bad things can happen. So, I introduced them to the xylophone when they were about six weeks old and then added a piano when they were two months old.

It’s been either super hot or super rainy so I haven’t really been out there encouraging them to play (by adding treats to the keys) very much. Some of them play a bit on their own but they definitely prefer a little bribery. I get that. I hated practicing the piano, too.

You should, of course, turn on the sound for these. 😉

Chickens on the Xylophone

Chickens on the Piano

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Chicken Cam: 2 Months

Animal Issues, Chickens, Daily Dose, Family Funk /

On the #pandemicchickens’ 2 month birthday, TW spent some time in the coop photographing them individually. And, not just because she was trying to get shots that would help chicken experts determine breed or to help us count the roos. (Ugh.)

Here are three videos from 7/1/20. Don’t bother with sound, TW doesn’t really talk to them all that much so there’s nothing to hear except wind, Skeeter whining to get in (or get TW out), and random chicken noises.

Fuzzylegs the Silkie doesn’t like to be held as much as we’d like…

Grey Stuff saw something shiny (in TW’s eye??)

Longer video of TW and the chickens.

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Happier Big Bird

Animal Issues, Chickens, Daily Dose, Family Funk /

Now that Big Bird is in Sesame St, right next to the full flock, he’s a lot happier than he was when he was in the pack n play in the Florida Room. He was so starved for a flock that when I gave him a mirror, he wouldn’t stop looking at it. At all. Not for a second. And if he did, and something (people) scared him, he ran back to the mirror. It was sad.

He acted much that same way in those first few days in Sesame St and he’s still flighty and doesn’t really love anyone at all – but he’s so much happier and so much more calm. He even runs to the gate to see us when we come out for a visit.

Here’s a wee video of Big Bird scratching around on 5/31/20. (There is no audio on his coop camera – not that he makes much noise at all, anyway.)

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Daily Chicken Cam: Tiny Roo

Animal Issues, Chickens, Daily Dose, Family Funk /

A couple of days ago, I was out at the chicken coops by myself (or maybe with a dog or two, but TW was definitely not with me.) I was working on Big Bird’s roost and rehanging the xylophone when Tiny Roo tried out his crowing on me. It was the most amusing, pathetic little crowing you’ve ever heard in your life and I laughed and laughed. I told TW later that it sounded like a 14 year old who’s voice was just starting to do that cracking thing that it does. Unfortunately, the Coop Cam didn’t seem to catch his performance.

Well this morning I was out at Big Bird’s coop (by myself again) when I heard the distinct sound of a teenage rooster trying to crow. All of the roos were under their coop watching me but none (except Mrs. Kravitz, of course) were standing still so that I could figure out who it was that was making all that ruckus. I was pretty sure it was Tiny Roo but I could not confirm.

So I noted the time and while I waited for everyone to be ready to leave the house, I looked at the main Coop Cam (the only one with sound) to see if that teenager was caught in the act. Within seconds, there he was… Tiny Roo.

Turn on your sound, click this link, and enjoy his serenade. Or his warning. I dunno which it is. But so far, he seems only to crow at me. lol.

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