Dyeing Homestead/Farm-fresh Eggs

Questions I always seem to get each year around this time : "You raise your own chickens right? The eggs are not white . . . do you have to go out and buy white eggs? Can you really dye brown eggs?"

What our eggs normally look like.

Yes, I have been keeping chickens for some time now. No, I do not go out and buy white eggs. And yes you can dye brown eggs. My chickens lay a range from light brown to darker brown, from white to blue-green. In some cases it would almost seem silly to dye them at all since they already look to beautiful. But this is a fun tradition I don't think I will ever grow out of . . .  and as you will see from these pics neither have my teenagers.

I have over the years learned a few things about dyeing homestead eggs. 

1. This one may seem strange but when I first starting getting our own eggs I could not seem to hard-boil them. I thought is was me. The whites always stuck to the shell and I would end up with a tore up hard-boiled egg. A friend of mine told me it was because they were too fresh. So I started a few weeks before Easter tucking a few dozens in the back of the fridge to age. (According to food safety rules raw eggs can store in your fridge for 3-5 weeks). These are the eggs I use for hard-boiling and dyeing.

No matter what color they
started as . . . they will be soon
be a work of art.

2. Now, I am usually a big crazy for not using artificial dyes. But, come on now, it is only once a year and we are not really eating it. Besides the artificial dyes come out more vibrant and since are eggs are not white we need more vibrant.  JUST THIS ONCE USE STORE BOUGHT ARTIFICIAL DYE

3. We make up 3 different types of dye batches. One batch the tablet dissolved in just water = pastels. One batch the tablet dissolved in vinegar and water = more bold. And one batch just in vinegar = really bold. 

4. We are not afraid to use any other materials not included in our little dye box. Tape, markers, crayons, markers, paint, nail polish and heat guns. MAKE IT CREATIVE AND FUN BECAUSE THAT IS ALL THIS IS ABOUT ~ FAMILY FUN.

Kolbe making a tie-dye egg.

One Egg to Rule them All

Donovan gets really
into making a Lord
of the Rings
themed egg.

The Egg-eye of Sauron

I am not sure what
my crazy boy is doing here,
but the color is beautiful.

Having fun with her Ninja Eggs.

Our whimsical creations.

 Happy Easter!

Tiny Triplets are Here!

Just in time for Spring.  And of course on the night of this fluke snow storm. My Blacked-Eyed Susan (Suzie) kidded. Three tiny doelings! 

Tired and ready for bed!

A Touch of Spring

 It snowed on the first day of spring this year. My garden is just beginning to peek from under the snow. But I know spring is here. I feel it in the air. I feel it when I look at the sun shining down on our little seedlings. 

Our seedlings
line the windowsill.

It was a pretty rough winter, but it was a pleasant one. One of the great things about living in New England is the changing seasons. The change is my favorite part. Just when I can't seem to take one season anymore, I begin to see signs of the next one. So as I patiently wait to be out in my garden, I will enjoy the melt and the mud it brings. And I will enjoy watching my little tomatoes, peppers and eggplant grow.

We are starting
to see our garden.

Happy Spring!

A Chance

Here I am, Lord,
ready for your grace.
Come and help me
become the person
you want me to be.

Today is Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. Lent is the 40 days before Easter where we Catholics prepare ourselves for the Resurrection. We do this by prayer, fasting and almsgiving. I know these are things that we should be doing all year long, but Lent is a time to emphasize these things.

I myself since a young girl have always felt something special for Lent. Why? That is what I was asking myself this morning in Mass. I often go to daily Mass and usually there are not many people in the pews, but today was different. Ash Wednesday is not even a Holy Day of Obligation, so why so many people? Maybe, people feel the same way about Lent as I do. A Chance. Lent seems like a do over. The priest summed it up this morning . . . he said "Lent is the time to repent and live the gospel." A chance to repent, a chance to live the gospel more fully. Lent is a time for me to consider who I am and what I need to let go of. I guess it seems even greater because the whole church is doing it with me.

It may seem confusing to hear today's gospel (Matthew 6:1-18) "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. . . . . pray to your Father in secret . . . when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. . . . but when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting." So are we Catholics, hypocrites running around with ash crosses on our foreheads? Should we run home and wash the ash off? No, we are not hypocrites. One day a year we are wearing our hearts on our sleeves, or should I say crosses on our heads. It is a testament of who we are and who we are trying to be. It may even remind others who have fallen away from the faith to come back. It will call in a gentle whisper not a loud yell.

Our ash crosses is mostly a reminder to ourselves of the coming days of lent and of our coming day of death. It reminds us that if we continue to be steadfast we receive our reward of Easter Sunday with all it's beautiful feasting and celebration and then more importantly our reward of everlasting glory with the Resurrected Christ.

What mostly matters is how we wear our crosses. How we sacrifice, pray and fast during the next 40 days only matters if we do it out of deep humility and love. I know I am no where near to being the saint that God wants me to be. But each lent with my efforts beside Jesus, I follow Him closely up the hill to Calvary. This is the time for me to renew my efforts and take special care to soften my heart to my God. For it is only then that I can truly experience what He has in store for me.

2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2 
"Brothers and sisters: We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. 
Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says: In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you. 
Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold now is the day of salvation."

Dear Father, may my heart
be open to all you have
in store for me. 

As we enter the next 40 days I pray you too will open your heart to the Lord. I pray for your efforts just as I implore your prayers for my family and myself as well. And by Easter I hope that we all get to feel and know Gods transforming power.

New Arrivals!

Artica and Blizzard

I awoke this morning to two surprises. #1. More Snow #2. Baby Goats. Yes, I did know that my dam was very close to deliver. We put her in the birthing stall and checked on her numerous times yesterday and into the night. Violet is my best goat for delivering. She likes to be alone and she always gives me healthy twins. She is also a great mom. 

No amount of snow would
keep us from seeing our new kids.

So this morning we shoveled our way, once again, to the barn. My son Donovan was the first to find them. He came running out . . ."Violet had her kids .  . . hurry". We all pleasantly ran through the mounds of snow to the barn. No amount of snow would keep us from seeing our new kids. I brought molasses mixed with warm water for the hardworking mom. My daughters ran for the little goat coats and my other son ran for his camera. Great job everyone and Violet and her kids are doing wonderful!

The boys wondering
what all the excitement
is about . . . proud Daddy
in the middle!

Violet - The Proud Mommy

Blizzard the buckling (boy).

Mommy giving kisses.

Artica the doeling (girl)/

Artica meets her big sister Rosie.

Showing off their coats.

Snuggle time.

I love baby goats.