Guest Post

Today I'm sharing my Indian-spiced bean and tomato soup over at Frugal Foodie in WV. Go here to check it out!

While you're there, be sure to click around and check out some of Ann's posts. Her blog is great!

~Tammy

Banana Cashew Smoothie

Now that the holiday season is over, I'm looking to return to my normal diet. No more snacking on sugary sweet treats and eating until I'm stuffed. During this transition phase, I like to mix things up a bit so I'm not bored with my food or feeling deprived. I normally eat granola for breakfast, but have learned that a smoothie is a great way break out of my routine. A while back I found this recipe and it is usually my go-to when I'm craving a smoothie.

Banana Cashew Smoothie
via Real Simple
Serves 1

Ingredients:
1/4 cup raw unsalted cashews*
1 cup ice
1/2 banana
1T pure maple syrup

Directions:
1. Place 1/2 cup water and the cashews in a blender.
2. Cover and refrigerate until the cashews have softened, at least six hours (and up to overnight).
3. Add the ice, banana, and maple syrup to the cashew/water mixture and blend until smooth and frothy.

*If you are trying to lose weight, don't be scared by the fat content of the cashews. It is considered "good fat" and according to Health Diaries, research has shown that people who eat nuts twice a week are much less likely to gain weight than those who rarely eat nuts.  

I find that this smoothie starts my day out right and leaves me feeling satisfied until lunchtime. For me, if I begin the day with a healthy breakfast choice, I am more likely to choose healthy options all day long. This smoothie really helps me start the day off on the right foot!

~Tammy

Shared with Down Home Blog Hop, Thursday Favorite Things, Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop, What I'm Eating, Healthy Vegan Friday, Creative Things Thursday, Food on Friday   

Clearing The Camera - Snowy Edition

We had quite a bit of snow last week, so one day after taking care of the morning's chores, I went on a walk with my camera. Sylvester followed along and we got some shots that we wanted to share (go here if you'd like to see more photo posts).

We hope you've enjoyed a slice of our snowy homestead!

~Tammy and Sylvester

Shared with Sunny Simple Sunday, Home Sweet Home, Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop, Backyard Farming Connection Hop, The Self Sufficient Home Acre, Barn Charm, Country Whites Weekend    

Feathered Friend Friday

Welcome to our series "Feathered Friend Friday." Every Friday I write a post with interesting facts, photos, videos, or funny stories about our chickens and guineas. If you need to catch up, you'll find all the Feathered Friend Friday posts here.   

As I mentioned in my last post, we got snow on Christmas night. We didn't get near as much as was forecasted, but it was very windy and cold the following day so the chickens stayed in the coop all day long. Yesterday was not windy at all and a little warmer (the sun even came out!) so the chickens found it suitable to leave the coop and stretch their legs and wings a bit.

They quickly learned that the snow is very cold on their feet so they took advantage of any clear spots they could find, even if it was the bottom of a tree.

If they are forced to stand in the snow for a bit, they often balance on only one leg and hold the other one up close to their body to keep it warm, alternating legs after one is sufficiently toasty.

Once they are done exploring the snow, they high-tail it back to the coop. It always seems to happen when one of the chickens who has been in the coop for a while is ready to come out and play. Traffic jam!

Apparently Ellie wanted to investigate the snow outside the run, because even though we clipped her wings after this debacle, she still found a way to escape! Clever little girl. I caught her and chased her back towards the run and she just started at me in defiance, refusing to jump back inside. Ugh. Eventually I managed to coax her back in.

Do your chickens like to play in the snow? Or do they hide out in the coop if there's snow on the ground?

~Tammy

Shared with Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop, Camera Critters, Weekly Top Shot, Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Old Time Party