Chickens On Crack!

Blondie, on crack... look at his mouth closely...

Okay... last week I went to the feed store to get laying pellets for the chickens.  A couple days later,  Moshe opened the bag and we realized that the fellow who carried the bag of feed out to the Jeep accidentally gave me chick mash rather than laying pellets. The bags look identical, except for the name printed at the tops of the bags.

Please,  Sir,  we want MORE...

Having already opened the 25-pound bag, and knowing that we had 21 hungry poultry out in the coops, we made the decision to go ahead and feed them the chick mash until it is used up... Now, I don't know what's in chick mash, but - wow - do chickens ever love it!  Is it the ingredients?  Or, is it because that's what they had as babies, and so it's comfort food? You know,l  Like hot chocolate.  Or applesauce.  Or cookies.  Or ?????

Bottoms up, y'all

The first day, I scattered the mash on the ground the same way I throw corn or pellets.  The chickens were literally jumping on top of each other to get it!  I thought must be unusually hungry, although I didn't know of any reason why they should 've been...

Get outta' my way...

The second day, Moshe suggested that I mix the mash with water like I did when the chickens were babies.  It's been windy, and he had seen some of the mash being swept away in the wind.  So, I mixed it and carried the pail of wet mash out to the coops.  Again, the chickens literally jumped up and down at the smell of the mash!  And, as I put spoonfuls of the "chicken porridge" into the feeders, they were like crazed junkies!  My gosh, now I know the definition of  a "feeding frenzy"!

Having heard from me about our crack addicts, Moshe came with me the third day  to observe their behavior.  Not only did they act the same, but one chicken literally rode piggyback on another trying to be first at the feeder.  And, not wanting to feel left out, our new cat,  Pickles, got into the act.  Imagine, one small cat and a hungry mob of chickens eating  mash out of a bowl.
Such is life at the Ben-David farm...  I', still shaking my head and asking myself, "Exactly WHAT is in that chick food???"



Shalom  Y'all - Twyla

A Tail of Two Kitties

Animals are so much smarter than people... Much more sensitive than most people, too.  Last night I went to bed early - exhausted after a couple of really rough days. I hugged my heating pad to keep my hands warm, got positioned "just right" to try to go to sleep. Meanwhile, both cats jumped up on the bed.  Pickles immediately positioned  himself in the place of honor - on my pillow, leaning against the left side of my head, pawing my hair, and purring like a motorboat.




 CassPurr, settled in next to my shoulder on my right side, and rumbled his magnificent lion-like purrs.  There we stayed all night, their two tails meeting across my neck like a fancy lady's feather boa...

SHALOM  Y'ALL - 
     Twyla

the Birthday Party

          Yesterday we had our good friends Pat & Teresa over to celebrate their birthdays. Pat's big day is  today, and Teresa's will be Thursday. The photo below is of myself  (with eyes closed and mouth open, of course!), Pat, and Teresa, sitting on the screened-in porch with the birthday cake I made for them. Moshe isn't in the picture, 'cause he was the photograper... The four of us spent the day at the beach, had a picnic lunch there; then, came home and visited some more. I made tomato pie, a  tossed salad, and fresh corn on the cob for supper. We also had Moshe's homemade bread and several little bowls with treasures such as homemade cashew butter , apple butter, and pickles in them. (Do you get the idea that we sorta' like food? Especially homemade food?)

                           Well, anyway, here is the recipe for my tomato pie:             

                                                       TOMATO PIE

                                        2 Pie Crusts, baked per package directions

                                        2 pounds Ripe Tomatoes

                                        1 teaspoon Black Pepper

                                        1/2 teaspoon Salt

                                        2 Cups Sweet Onion, chopped 

                                        6 Tablespoons fresh chopped Basil

                                        1 Cup Mayonnaise

                                        3 Cups grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

          Peel tomatoes, remove seeds, and slice 1/2 inch thick.  Dry slices on paper towels. Divide ingredients between the 2 pre-baked pie shells. Layer tomatoes, then onions; sprinle with salt and pepper; then, layer with the chopped basil.

         Mix cheese and mayonnaise; then, spread on top, covering completely.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Allow to "rest" for 15 minutes before slicing.

                                                                 Shalom, Y'all!     Twyla