necessities for growth

Mistakes are the usual bridge between inexperience and wisdom.

~Phyllis Theroux, Night Lights

improvised efficiency

I sometimes surprise myself :-D

OK fine, it's just the brain going into auto-mode from years of absorbing stuff like a leaky sponge, but still. It sure comes in handy sometimes.

My friend raised some grain-fed meat chickens this summer, had them slaughtered at 14 weeks of age about a month ago - these birds lived outside in a big aviary, were never fed any antibiotics or crap and got to eat bugs and whatnot.

I bought six thinking they'd last until spring.

Until I tasted one a couple of weeks ago.

Oh my goodness.

First, they're the size of turkeys.

The meat is darker, there is no layer of fat under the skin - and they don't "shrink" after they're cooked, either. Grocery store birds are soooo disgusting when you think of it - I can never again buy that garbage, I'd rather go without. Did you know that unless the package says "air chilled", the meat is pumped with water? And the babies are slaughtered at 39 days of age, after being crammed in a dark stinky barn full of shit during their short lives? And let's not talk about what's being fed to them to force them to grow so fast, so quickly.

*shudder*

Anyways, I digress.

This morning I had one of these huge, defrosted, shrink-wrapped birds in my sink and no idea what to do with it. So I started taking it apart...

Breast meat in a bowl, skin off and cubed. Ah, I'll make an indian dish with that tomorrow evening. In the fridge it goes, covered and ready to go.

Huge legs went in the crock pot with brown sugar, dijon mustard, garlic, balsamic vinegar and pepper. I'll cook those down to fall-off-the-bone goodness and that'll be good for lunches - sammiches and whatnot.

The huge carcass with plenty of meat left on it and the two giant wings are now simmering on the stove with onions and celery, we'll have chicken and veggie soup later tonight and I'll be sure to make enough for leftovers. Oh and I'll have an extra container of home-made broth ready to pop in the freezer for another day, too.

It's amazing how many meals we're getting with just one huge, ethically raised & fed bird.

I sometimes wish I wasn't such a wuss, I could raise our own meat birds and save a lot of money on grocery bills and I'd know exactly what we're eating, you know? But alas, if I've seen it alive there is just no way in hell I could ever hurt it, never mind eat it.

I even have a hard time ripping veggies from the ground, sometimes I can hear them screaming when they're being cut...

Maybe I need help.

sweet

Inside some of us is a thin person struggling to get out,

but they can usually be sedated with a few pieces of chocolate cake.

~Author Unknown

Well, I'll be darned!

Lowering high blood pressure by eating less carbs?

Who would have thunk it?

New studies are coming to light showing that a low-carb diet is key to lowering blood pressure - of course you combine it with a healthy diet full of lean proteins, fruit, veggies, good fats, not too much salt and nix the junky & processed foods. Exercise, reduce stress, bla bla.

But low carb is the key.

At least, it's kinda working for me...

I've been averaging 140/95 the past few years, my parents are both on BP meds and my doctor said it was only a matter of time before I have to take them, too. Ugh. I'm too young for that!

My annual doctor's appointment is next month so I have to take my BP at home at least twice a day to give her a month's worth of averages to consult. Well, imagine my surprise when, sprinkled among the regular high crap, I'm seeing days of 120/80 - hadn't seen that in years!!

The only lifestyle change I can attribute this to is the elimination of most carbs & processed foods since end of August.

After binge days (we allow ourselves a treat on weekends, a blow-out day so to speak) my BP goes right back up for a few days. If I eat really well and stay away from carbs, it goes back down to a normal range.

Wow, eh?

I don't feel any different though, not sleeping any better and I don't have more energy than before. I do have less padding on my hips & tummy, I have lost about 5 lbs and kept it off so that's good (for me).

Might reward myself with this for those dark days :-D

Happy Monday, peeps!

tuesday smile :)

just to clarify the below...

No, we are not adopting any bunnies...

But if we ever do in the future, way-off future - no worries:

they will all be of the same sex to avoid reproduction!

I may be crazy but I'm still sane, LOL!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

bunnies!

I had the opportunity to photograph some cuties this week...

Which one is your favourite?

I *almost* want some bunnies now...

But again it's just more responsibilities - sigh.

busy, busy, aaaaaa!

Not much time to blog these days -

had to cram in as much outdoorsy stuff as possible

before the cold rains come - scheduled to start tomorrow

and last for a few long days, yuck!

The fall foliage is absolutely splendid this year,

a rare treat to see it so vibrant!

I'll post some pics this week :-)

Vegas is again in town tonight so no chance to cook up a nice dinner,

what a bummer - I've no idea what to snack on :-(

He works too bloody hard, my dear husband.

I don't like seeing him so burnt out and stressed.

It's a bit contagious.

Anyways.

Life is good, it's just a temporary hiccup in the grand scheme of things -

not exactly lemons but maybe grapefruit? LOL

Gotta run, the farrier's coming tonight to trim the horses' feet

and I'm alone for everything - 

dogs to feed, chickens to put to bed, horses to bring inside the barn, etc.

And it feels like I *just* got out of bed, where the heck did this day go???

humans: nature's cancer

Man has been endowed with reason, with the power to create, 

so that he can add to what he's been given. 

 But up to now he hasn't been a creator, only a destroyer. 

Forests keep disappearing, rivers dry up, wild life's become extinct,

 the climate's ruined and the land grows poorer and uglier every day. 

 ~Anton Chekhov, Uncle Vanya, 1897

Adult Truths

(thanks to my dad for sending me this gem!)

1. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times

and still not know what time it is.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize

you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure

I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you
how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work

when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive
for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't

want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if

I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I

did not make any changes to.

14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to

answer when they call.

15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or

Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before

you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear
or understand a word they said?

20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to

prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty,

and you can wear them forever.

22. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not

know what time it is.

23. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys

in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey -

but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away,

in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.

24. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in 1874 and

the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for

men to realize that their brain is also important.

someday.

Someday, I'll find a blog background that I really, really like.

Someday.

In the meantime you'll have to deal with surprises

now and then.

Cool?

thought of the day

it's all about the mud

Seriously, after 5 straight days of rain

you don't want to see what the floors of our house look like.

Thank you mucky dog feets!

But I will show you what our old man Jack is sporting these days:

a  wondrous coat of mud!

There are plenty of burrs to go around, too:

Yep, autumn - time of plant seeding, cold rains,

shorter days and less to eat in the fields.

I hate to say it but I'm happy I get to live inside!

Today is grey and blustery

BUT

apparently a nice stretch of warm sunny weather is on the way.

*I'll cry if not*

For dinner tonight: 

Egg shred.

Layer in a baking dish:

Shredded potatoes, peeled and rinsed dry

Shredded cauliflower

Chopped spinach, green onions, peppers if you like

Shredded cheese

Cover with beaten mixture of eggs, milk, spices.

Bake until bubbly and browned on top.

Of course carb content has been monitored during the day,

plenty of fruit and veggies have been eaten

and junk food has been avoided.

Ideally.

*blushes*

I'll leave you with a sound byte -

it's kind of relaxing, isn't it?

Happy Hump Day, peeps!

distractions

Oh boy.

I'm fighting a super-duper craving for potato chips right now,

it's the evil PMS in action.

Instead I'll have an apple and a cuppa this

and hope the cravings pass:

Gotta love organic hot chockit...

Apologies for those of you who know me on Facebook,

as most of these pics aren't new for you.

But whatevs - maybe some stories on here will make up for it? ;-)

***

My sneaky little sister took this photo of me

last month at my brother's wedding.

I have no clue what I was daydreaming about.

It's so kitch, but I love it :-D

***

My mom's going to Polynesia in less than a week, 

can you believe it?!

She's dreamt about it for decades and planned for it last year,

and now the countdown is but a few short days.

I think she's flying to the west coast and from there

they get on a huge cruise ship and tour the Polynesian islands,

with lots of stops for visiting.

I'm so excited for her!

You only live once

so make the most of your dreams.

Sometimes it takes enormous sacrifices and face-offs with tough choices

but down the road: you're not taking your wealth with you to the grave.

Live now while you still can :-)

Go mom, go!!

***

Meanwhile, at the techno-farm:

Vegas watches soccer while I watch him watch soccer.

Someday we'll get to decorating this giant shell of a place...

Anyone else here dreaming of hiring a professional decorator

to take the pain away? LOL!

no dark n'dreary allowed

I think I'm pretty much done with my blog facelift.

Kinda like the old one, but  much simpler.

Light and airy, winter fairy ;-)

As I write this it's pouring down with rain, nonstop -

second day in a row.

Way to start your month, October!

Boo.

I still haven't set out that skunk trap to catch the little spraying bastard,

I'm afraid of actually catching it -

and then what?!

So we walk in fear, every day.

I'm such a wuss.

We have a new boarder on our farm,

she's been with us for two weeks now and it's going splendidly.

Her name is Flyka (alternate spelling to Flicka):

Isn't she cute?

She's the smallest horse I've ever seen!

Her new owner rescued her from the slaughterhouse last spring,

after saving up for a very long time to buy her very own horse.

Flyka, who is around 20 years old, was bone-thin and unkept 

and badly needed someone to love her again.

Yes, this eleven year-old girl is just amazing :-)

Have a great Sunday, peeps.

one million reasons

Those who think it is permissible to tell white lies

soon grow color-blind.

~Austin O'Malley

simplicity

Ah, this feels so good - out with the old and in with the new!

Was getting fed up with too much junk on my blog.

So yeah...

I've started spring cleaning the house - 

don't laugh, the seasons have no right to dictate when I can

get the grunk out!

Grunk: grunge and junk.

***

So, our new way of eating (see below posts from a couple weeks ago)
is going splendidly.

I can't imagine ever going back to eating the way we had been.
My god, was that ever gross.

The cravings for junk food are slowly disappearing, too.

I love seeing the tummy-and-hip fat melting away, w00t!

Now, if I could only find the secret to 

long deep dark restful sleep every night...

Ah well, you can't have everything.

***

Anyone happy that it's already October?

arooiin' and wahwahin'

I don't share our lovely doggies often enough...

Caught this on video yesterday afternoon, enjoy!

(Dakotah takes up the last half with lots of vocal happiness)

I can't believe our big boy Dakotah will be 8 years old this Christmas.

And Maika turns 6 this October.

Slow down, time!!!

On the home front

Retirement: It's nice to get out of the rat race,

but you have to learn to get along with less cheese.

~Gene Perre

overhaul

I keep trying to like blogland again but it feels like a giant snore - help!

Facebook has taken over my life.

Seriously.

Anybody want to friend me, send me a message at sparkleberrygirl@gmail.com and we'll take it from there. Trust me, it's much more interesting than here!

Maybe I'm just bored with my blog.

It's been looking the same for ages - blah!

If anyone could recommend a good, fast and cheap coder who would give this page a facelift, please be my guest. I'm inspired but this place brings me down for some reason... it feels worn out, know what I mean?

Time for change :-)

***

We're on Week 3 of our new way of eating and it's going great - much easier than I thought it would be. We just cut out most simple carbs (breads, cereals, pasta, etc), processed foods and junk food / desserts / snacks. Filling up on lean proteins, fruits and veggies - and wow, the pounds are melting off, I didn't expect that :-o

No calorie counting, just making smarter choices on what we eat. The best part is not being hungry all the time, no carb crashes or hypoglycemic attacks. Mind you, the detox period lasted a good 5 days and I was sick as a dog from morning 'til night - it was awful. Totally my fault though, I had been stuffing myself good n'proper with terrible junk food for too long, uggh.

When it gets to the point where you feel gross eating what's in your hand or on your plate, it's time to make some changes. I now try to avoid eating things that are made of ingredients I can't even pronounce!

Looking forward to grocery shopping tomorrow :-)

Incidently - shopping has become a bit depressing. There are entire aisles that contain absolutely nothing that I want to put in my body anymore, how terrible is that? Rows and rows of junky processed crappy foods, it's mind blowing. No wonder the industrialised countries are obese.

Anyhoo.

Time for bed.

G'nite.

on difficult times...

If you're going through hell, keep going. 

 ~Winston Churchill

Farmer is right...

...Going 6+ days without blogging is unacceptable! 

Just struggling a bit with life right now - see The Chicken Diaries for details.

Please spare a good thought for us?

I've not been around to any of your blogs for ages.

And I have no excuse except blogging blahs.

I feel sooooo bad :-(

My brother got married two days ago!

It was a beautiful and simple ceremony shared in great company,

followed by awesome food and a lovely evening.

I am blessed to have such a wonderful, loving and sane family!

And best of all my sweet husband Vegas (smooch smooch!)

True story from today:

Gotta do the groceries. Of course I pick out the crippled cart, 

which breaks down halfway through shopping 

forcing me to pull the dang heavy thing through the store like a donkey. 

The cashier rings up my groceries and uhhh, don't you know it: 

I forgot I had transferred my wallet to my other purse 

two days ago for the wedding. 

Frickin' brilliant. 

Soooo not in the mood for this...

So yep, I had to drive back home empty-handed, retrieve my wallet 

and go back to the store to get my bags. 

Dumbass.

Days like these should end with a drink

but all I have is hot tea.

It will do :-)

this made me giggle :-D

well!

The last day of vacation was gorgeous!

Sunny, warm and did I mention, warm? ;-)

Vegas, all chilled out by the sea...

My stepdaughter, soaking up the rays...

No, it's not a dead child on the rocks! LOL!

The beanies all nice and cool and sandy
after a last swim in the freezing refreshing water:

We had to cut our vacation short by a day

to avoid driving home under hurricane Irene's wrath.

But!

Home sweet home!

We bunkered down yesterday and weathered out the storm,

so to speak.

Irene, what a bitch your far-flung slap was!

Everyone's fine,  we never lost power

and kept most of our trees.

The creeks bordering our property have morphed into giant lakes

but stopped just short of flooding the farm buildings, thankfully:

Our neighbour across the creek got very lucky...

The waters stopped 6 feet from his basement windows!

So today is dedicated to cleaning up the yard from

strewn branches and leaves,

cleaning out the chicken coops from soaked bedding

and trying to enjoy the warm sun.

So good to be home.

I hope you're all good?

eye candy and techno zombies

A few more pics of beach combing fun :-)

(all pics click bigger for crisp details - mmmm crisp)

We had the beach to ourselves, yay!

Happy doggies...

Ah freedom!

Maika fancied a bit of a swim

so she took herself out for a dip in the sea...

Vegas and his beanies:

I'm not sure what's going on here,

something about a big stick and big dog teethies?

Treasure!

Don't ask...

Dakotah's too heavy to swim

so he just likes to wade in the water for a bit of cooling down...

Made a bit sad by his limping 

and inability to climb rocks...

This will probably be his last vacation by the sea :-(

Vegas, his daughter and the duckface competition...

I'm not sure what started the goofing off

but it led to a pretty hilarious photo shoot!

Yeah, we're on the straight and narrow, we are!

My favorite photo!

OK no I lied, this is my favorite photo!

"Help Me"

Two more days of vacation left - time is going by fast!

Cheers!

some pics of vaycay :)

How can you not love a cottage by the sea that has high-speed internet? :-D

(all pics click bigger for details n'stuff)

Our deck chairs under moody skies:

Our cottage - we have the unit on the far right side,

it's 3 stories high with a wrap-around deck

and the smelliest water I've ever been forced to endure, LOL!

A few steps down from the cottage...

Driftwood, rocky shores and a pier.

Tranquility :)

Vegas testing his "shore legs":

Since I can't ride my horse,

this is the next best thing - LOL!

My stepdaughter being blown away by the wiiiiiinds!

All of this in jammies!

Yeah, we have fun goofing off ;-)

Happy doggies enjoying a strip of beach...

Front view of our cottage,

our unit would be on the left side now.

Completely restored historic building from 1853!

Vegas the sea pirate, arrrggggg!

I was being silly with the "duckface"

since we both think it's hideous...

...and then Vegas joined in.

He totally wins the duckface competition.

Stepdaughter enjoying a beach snooze.

It's not a dead child! LOL!

Hope you enjoyed...

Lots more pics on the way!

'Night!