Spring Happenings at Cook'n by the Creek

Another cold day in the valley but a brisk walk helps clear the mind and cleanse the soul.  Fresh clean air has a way of making me feel better and put a little pep in my step.  Our favorite walk is through the back fields to our grandson's property.  It is also the route our dogs love.  Kirk has a nice  pond we stop at to let the dogs get a drink and take a swim.  Hard to believe that they don't mind the cold spring water.  Then it's up in the valley we go.  This was the first walk since  going to NC.  Exciting to be back and check out the different animal tracks.  Patches of snow left give us the chance to  see what animals have been out and about.  When the sun shines there is mud to look for the tracks.  For sure this is one of our favorite "daily dos".  Peace and quiet with an occasional bird or turkey reminding us we are in their territory.

 It won't be long before the coyotes, fox, bobcat and others will be having their young.  Then we will be watching the back field, my chickens are easy feed for the parents to take back to their dens for the babies.  Last spring we lost 14 hens, on the third day the problem was taken care of.   This year the rifle and shells will soon be setting by the door..  EeeeeeAwwwww we are "country folk" for sure.

We witnessed a very upsetting scene last spring.  We were outside working and heard the worse sounds, almost like screams.  Dick ran  for the rifle, he knew exactly what was going on.  A coyote was chasing a baby fawn and the mama doe was trying to get the coyote to chase her instead.  Awful to watch but two shots from the rifle scared the coyote off.  We have a grove of mature White Pines with lots of under growth bordering our lawn.  While the fawns are still young the mamas leave them there while they go off for the day.  They know the fawns have a better chance near buildings than in an open field.  When we brush hog the fields we are watching ahead for fawns.  Their moms leave them alone during the day.  We have watched them come back during the day to nurse and early evening to get their fawns to take back to the woods.  Amazing to watch.

Spring is the renewal of life that Mother Nature provides.  Isn't it grand how everything is set up for birth and survival with spring and growth in the summer preparing for the lean cold winter?

Since the high was 19 degrees today we are having a winter farm supper.  It always tastes better when the cold wind is howling and it was gusting today.  How does chicken and dumplings sound?  When a I asked that question earlier it got a quick YES!

Chicken and Dumplings Recipe.
You can use a rotisserie chicken from the store or your own from scratch.  Today the store didn't have them ready so I bought 4 large thighs quarters. Use white, dark or combination it is all good.   Wash, sprinkle with garlic powder, cumin, paprika, thyme, old bay (just because I have it) onion powder, salt and black pepper.  Bake at 400 degrees til brown and skin is crunchy.   Let cool, separate meat from bone and skin, set meat aside.  Put skin and bones in a pot, cover with water and simmer for 1 hr.  Strain and put juice back in the pot.  Add chopped onion, celery, carrots, potatoes and 2 cloves of garlic.  Simmer til veggies are tender.  Now put the chicken meat in and thicken.  I use 1/4 cup flour stirred into 1/4 cup melted butter.  Then add to pot stirring continuously to avoid lumps. This is when I add 1cup of thawed petite green peas.  Bring to a simmer and drop dumplings on top about the size of an egg. Cover and let simmer until dumplings are done.  Just lift the lid, take a fork and touch the center dumplings, they will not look sticky or gooey when done.

Baked legs and thighs.

Dumpling recipe
I only use the dumpling recipe and not the chicken recipe.  This is the cook book where I feel my moms love.  At least 70 years old!  The book I mean ;)

The dough sinks when you drop them in, make sure you cover while it cooks.

 The dumpling comes to the top as it cooks.  You can see they triple in size when done.  This is half a batch.

Ta Da a meal in a bowl.