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Deviled Eggs with "Caviar" and Creme Fraiche

Deviled Eggs with "Caviar" and Creme Fraiche

These upscale-looking deviled eggs use balsamic pearls as the “caviar” on top that pop with a burst of flavor in each bite.  My deviled eggs only look expensive. By substituting balsamic pearls for caviar, I've turned them into a more budget-friendly appetizer that still looks so elegant and is sure to wow.


How to Build a Chick Brooder Box From One Sheet of Plywood

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Everything a mother hen needs in this functional and roomy chick brooder box built from just one sheet of plywood. Spring is just around the corner, and that means chick season is almost upon us!  Your new baby chicks will need a nice safe, secure place to spend the first few weeks of their life, and I've got the plans for this super economical Brooder Box designed by Kelsey from Green Willow Homestead .


Double Chocolate Chunk Marzipan Cookies with Pecans

Give your basic chocolate chip cookies a "glow up" by adding chunks of white chocolate, pecans, and  marzipan. If you're tired of your basic chocolate chip cookie recipe, you might just want to give this one a try!  To my standard recipe, I've added white chocolate chunks, chopped pecans and chunks of marzipan.


How Much Does it Cost to Get Started Raising Backyard Chickens?

Thinking about getting started with a small flock of backyard chickens? Here's how much you can expect to spend. You might be considering getting started with backyard chickens and wonder exactly how much it will cost you to get started.  In the past, I've talked about whether raising your own chickens for eggs is economical or not, but today I thought I would outline the typical start-up costs for a small backyard flock of 5 or 6 chickens.


Why Do my Hard-Boiled Eggs Have a Green Ring around the Yolk?

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That greenish-gray ring around an egg yolk is not attractive, but what is it, and is it safe to eat? One of the most common questions I get about cooking eggs is about the green ring around the yolk that sometimes happens when eggs are hard boiled. It's certainly not pretty, and not something you want to see when you're making hard-boiled eggs, deviled eggs , or egg salad, but what exactly is it?  What causes the green ring?  And is it safe to eat?


Creamy Orange Posset

Orange posset is a simple dessert requiring no baking and only a few ingredients, but it packs a beautiful punch of flavor. I could be wrong, but I'm guessing that you have never heard of posset. I never had until I recently stumbled across an Instagram reel and saw how simple it was to make. 


What Do Backyard Geese Eat in the Winter?

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When grass is scarce, backyard geese need alternative food sources to thrive. As long as geese are given access to fresh grass , they can live very happily on all the grass and weeds they can eat.  But what happens when snow covers the ground or all the grass is dead?


Scandinavian Glögg Spiced Mulled Wine

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Glögg is a traditional Scandinavian spiced mulled wine that is typically enjoyed during the long, cold winter evenings. Glögg, or gløgg, is a spiced mulled wine that is enjoyed in the Nordic countries of Finland, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Sweden, but is especially popular in Sweden. 


How to Poach the Perfect Egg

Are you slightly intimidated by the idea of poaching eggs? It can be tricky, but I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve that will have you poaching eggs like a pro in no time. Poached eggs can be a delicious meal on their own, but they're also the foundation of my favorite breakfast dish - Eggs Benedict.  But that's certainly not the only recipe that calls for a poached egg, so it's a good technique to have in your repertoire.


When and Why Do Chickens Molt?

Each fall, chickens lose their feathers during an annual molt and grow in new ones. If you're new to chicken keeping, you might not realize that each fall, starting when they're around 18 months old (assuming they hatched in the spring), chickens will start to lose their feathers.


Easy Focaccia with Garlic Sage Olive Oil

Focaccia is one of the easiest types of bread to make and it's great for snacking or sandwiches. Focaccia is a quick and easy yeasted bread that I make fairly often. It's a flat-ish Italian style of bread made with olive oil and often flavored with herbs.   Focaccia is so good cut into squares and served warm with butter or olive oil, or cut into slightly larger pieces, sliced in half and used for sandwiches. Or you can use it as a base for more traditional pizza or flatbread toppings, pesto, tapenade, etc.  I love making focaccia because it's very versatile and bakes up in no time. Usually I top my focaccia with sliced or halved olives, but this time I decided to put fresh sage leaves from our kitchen garden (rescued before our first hard frost!) and garlic I grew this year on top of this version, but you can use whatever toppings you wish.  Black olives, garlic, shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, any type of herb, capers, even cheese … it all works!  (scroll down for printabl