multiple use for greenhouse.

My Easy Breezy Quiche Recipe

        I still need to work on it some and can’t wait for my organic eggs from my own chickens to make. I still have all 8 Rhode Island chicks as well I have my two old retired chickens totaling 10 chickens. I also have my 6 ducks and one goose that have survived the winter successfully. What a hardy bunch they are. You could say I am a fowl man trading cows for chickens. But chickens don’t kick as hard, and really when left on their own can get along quite well around a homestead cleaning up flying insects as well as grubs and whatever else in pests that afflict your plants and shrubs.

       The down side is that they are clueless to where to take a crap. Any porch or wherever the mood strikes is fair game for them when left to roam. They also love to dig in the mulch either because it’s loose or because it yields that many bugs. I am clueless as I watch them tear things up.

babe watching chicks 

      I started to move some dirt in preparation for starting my house and at same time it was good soil I had prepared for a garden bed close to the house, and didn’t want to waste it by just mixing it in with other dirt as it was highly organic. In the process of moving it I also moved a bird house and placed it on its side, only to notice a starling that had occupied it last year was trying to get in the birdhouse as it laid on its side. I went out right away and straightened it up and moved it to an area where I have a group of other birdhouses and will wait till nesting season is over before moving these birdhouses if I have to. I encourage birds also by providing housing and feeding them also, as regular birds also keep down the pest populations as they forage for food for themselves and their young.  

     The soil I had taken out went into a straw bale garden I am starting by the greenhouse where I plan to plant plants and flowers to show how easy and how well these straw bale gardens do when built. It is an experiment for me as well. I also intend to do a couple of vertical gardens with walls being built out of rustic wood with pockets for plants. Most of these eliminate bending and take up far less space as well provide shading and privacy for those who want that in their landscapes.

     Also I have managed to erect a swimming pool in the greenhouse and I expect to use it as therapy for my back which lately is causing me more problems than necessary. I am hoping to just lounge around in pool and by decompressing my spine with the buoyancy of the water and eliminate or reduce pain I am experiencing. The greenhouse will allow me to enter the water quicker as I am achieving temps of 95 degrees on 60 degree days. This will help heat the pool quicker and moderate the inside temp of the greenhouse and add extra moisture to the air. As well as provide security to the pool. To me this all sounds like a win- win situation.

    My quiche recipe is as follows. 4 eggs

                                                             1 ½ cups of half and half cream

                                                            2 tbsp. flour

                                                            1 cup of ham

                                                            ¼ cup of diced green peppers and onions

                                                            2 cups of any cheese desired
                                                            Salt and pepper to taste

                                                            Going to try prepared pie crust instead of just spraying pan with shortening

      Anyhow I whisked the eggs and flour and cream together and folded in diced ham and peppers, and in my case this time sprayed a stainless steel frying pan with pam and poured mixture into pan and placed in oven for 40 minutes. Oven needs to be heated to 350 degrees.

       I had a problem with bottom sticking and is reason I would use a prepared frozen pie crust next time , and allow time to set after baking to allow to cool as it can be very hot and burning taste buds influence your perception of how good it is. Babe gave me the seal of approval after I picked out green peppers for her. She hastily hogged it down. The upper portion of the quiche ( the un-stuck portion), was great and stayed together well . I am looking forward to varying this recipe adding spinach and Swiss cheese as well a variety of other ingredients. This will be even better with my home grown eggs as soon as the new chicks start laying.

      Babe has taken on a motherly role of watching and calming the critters down as she lies by the cage watching them. Just recently she came to me and I thought she wanted outside; instead she dragged me back to the cages of the chicks and wanted me to fill the feeder and change the water for them. After I opened the cage she went outside knowing all was well.