Our Little Coop

Snowflake Sugar Cookies With Essential Oil Lemon Glaze

2016-12-04T20:57:00.000-06:00

Ingredients:

Cookies:

1 1/2 cups softened butter
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups flour
2 teaspoon baking powder

Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar
4 drops of certified pure therapeutic grade essential lemon oil
1 lemon zested

Directions:

Cookies:

In a large bowl cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs & vanilla, stir in flour and baking powder. Cover and chill for a minimum of one hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and roll dough approximately 1/2 inch thick on a floured surface and use cookie cutters to cut your shapes.
Bake for 8-10 minutes and allow to cool completely.

Glaze:

Mix powdered sugar, lemon essential oils and lemon zest in a small bowl.
Allow cookies to cool completely and spread glaze over the top with a brush. Sprinkle with clear sprinkles if desired.

Springy Things 2016

2016-04-29T14:53:00.000-05:00

Despite it being April and the temperatures hovering around 45 degrees, I am still clinging on to the little touches of spring that are popping up around us.

Poblano & Corn Lasagna

2016-04-27T14:51:00.001-05:00

RECIPE <---Click There.

I made the recipe EXACTLY as it's written BUT used queso fresco instead of the suggested mozzarella.

Botanical Interests Heirloom Tomato Seed Collection Giveaway

2016-02-16T15:23:00.001-06:00

For years we have been using Botanical Interests seeds and every year they have proven to be our absolute favorite. We are about a week away from starting our tomato seeds and in celebration will be giving away THREE Botanical Interests Heirloom Tomato Seed Collections to three lucky winners! Here is what is included in the Heirloom Tomato Seed Collection:

Heirloom Tomato Seed Collection

Lycopersicon lycopersicum

Item #4523

A collection of heirloom tomatoes with wonderful old-fashioned flavor.

Tomato Cherry Red & Yellow Pear Organic (30 Seeds)
Tomato Pole Beefsteak Organic (30 Seeds)
Tomato Pole Black Krim Organic (30 Seeds)
Tomato Pole Brandywine (30 Seeds)
Tomato Pole Cherokee Purple Organic (30 Seeds)
Tomato Pole Pineapple (30 seeds)
Tomato Pole San Marzano Organic (30 Seeds)

The giveaway will start Wednesday, February 17th and will end Saturday, February 20th at noon.

Temperature Blanket 2016

2016-01-24T10:07:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year to everyone (sorry I'm a few weeks late)! I was going to hold off on posting this until the end of next year, but I have been loving this project so much that I wanted to share it will all of you now. Have you seen the posts about temperature blankets floating around social media? The thought behind it is that you crochet (or knit) a row every day. The color can change daily and will be determined by the temperature at noon. This project is EASY and is something everyone can do. It takes me about 10-15 minutes a day to crochet my row and I look forward to it every day.

Below I've included the color key that I am using. Even though we are almost through January, you still have plenty of time to get caught up and continue this awesome project throughout the year!

BEFORE GETTING STARTED!
Make sure that you are able to purchase ALL of the yarn for this project LOCALLY. I started off using colors recommended by others who have made these blankets and was initially ordering them online. BIG MISTAKE! The cost to ship these inexpensive balls of yarn is way too much and there is nothing worse than running out of yarn and waiting a week for it to be delivered.

I bought all of my yarn at Walmart and used Super Saver Economy Yarn by Red Heart.

If you're looking for a record of your past temperatures, WeatherUnderground has a great resource of temperatures by hour.

Have fun!

Tap My Trees Giveaway!

2016-01-15T07:28:00.000-06:00

Giveaway begins Friday, January 14th at 12:00pm central time and ends Friday, January 22nd at 11:59 pm central time. Winner will be announced on Facebook Saturday January 23rd and contacted via the provided email. Good luck everyone!

This kit includes the following supplies:

3 Aluminum (2 gallon) Buckets: Bucket is used to collect the sap as it drips from the spile. Made from aluminum with reinforced hole to hang bucket.
3 Metal Lids: Lids prevent rain, snow, and foreign material from entering the bucket.
3 Spiles: Stainless steel spile (tap) is inserted into drilled hole to transfer sap into the bucket
3 Hooks: Hooks are attached to spile and used to hang the bucket.
Maple Sugaring at Home book: This guide provides step-by-step instruction (complete with pictures) to tap your maple trees. Includes information on how to identify your maple trees, how to tap trees, collection and storage of sap, uses for maple sap including how to make maple syrup, and frequently asked questions.
1 Drill Bit: 7/16 drill bit with 3/8 shank used to drill tap hole into your maple tree.
Cheesecloth: Used to filter any solids (such as pieces of bark) when transferring sap from the collection bucket to a storage container.

You can view the full review and unboxing of the Sugaring Starter Kit HERE:

Tap My Trees Maple Sugaring Starter Kit

Curios how it all works? Find out here:

Tree Tapping with Tap My Trees

GOOD LUCK!

Enter Competition

YETI 20 oz. Rambler - Kevins Review

2015-08-24T15:12:00.000-05:00

With Fall and Winter right around the corner I have been on the search for the perfect mug to keep my coffee warm when working outside or in the garage but more importantly while snow blowing. The reason for this post is that I am quite certain I found one that suits my needs:

Yeti Rambler 20 ounces

Let me first start with the back story. I have a friend that swears by these Yeti mugs. He owns both the 20 ounce Rambler (pictured here) and the 32 ounce mug. Last night he was telling me how I need to get one and I won't be disappointed. "Man, I don't know. Its like $30 for a coffee mug." I told him . So I began to search online for a sale in hopes of filling my now obsession with this Yeti Rambler. The stores that had it on sale were naturally out of stock. I took that as a sign. The next morning I get a text message that a local sporting goods store had them in stock and selling for $28. Still steep but ok, I will indulge.

Yeti Rambler in the freezer

Now home I need to justify this $30 (after taxes) purchase so into the freezing the Yeti Rambler goes. For 20 minutes at a beginning piping hot 139.8 degrees F. No way this mug is going to retain the temperature of my joe.

Yeti Rambler in the freezer after 15 minutes. Lost 5 degrees but still piping hot.

Fifteen minutes in (which was my originally intended amount of time) we lost 5.4a degrees F. Yet still piping hot. I decided to go another 5 for good measure.

Yeti Rambler after 20 minutes in the freezer. Absolutely a winner in my book!

After twenty minutes in, it was time for coffee. Overall I lost 7.4 degrees F in twenty minutes leaving my coffee still piping hot.

Yeti Rambler Lid with gasket.

What is difficult to understand is this mug, unlike others, does not have an annoying lid that closes over the sip hole nor is that opening small. Being that heat rises, I figured all if not most of the heat would have been lost through the hole in the lid.

Everyday folks indulge on coffee and tea. Why not indulge on the capsule we utilize to deliver it? Yeti makes no claims in the marketing on this mug that it will keep your beverage hot. Only that it will keep it cold. I am impressed and would recommend it to anyone in the market. And Yeti if you are reading this, we would love to do a thorough review on one of your chest coolers. *Hint haha

Cheers! ~ Kevin

Our Homeschool Station

2015-04-19T14:54:00.001-05:00

We have learned a lot throughout this homeschooling journey and one thing I most definitely am confident about is that a designated school room is just not for us. We had a beautiful room designated for schooling and I quickly realized that being in one spot wasn't working with two elementary kids. They wanted to move around and sit in different areas and I started to get tired of shleping it all around the house. Things quickly became scattered and disorganized and had me feeling pretty discouraged. I tried a few other ideas that werent ideal but recently stumbled across this cart at our Sams Club. I paid under 40.00 for it and it truly has been the solution to our needs. I can roll it from room to room, even up to my desk so I can flip through my instructors guides and do my planning on the computer, and it holds everything we need for the day!

Tree Tapping with Tap My Trees

2015-04-02T19:06:00.001-05:00

It has been very busy around here as it usually is this time of year. But as I promised before, I am going to give you a quick run down of the "how" to tap your maple trees using the Tap My Trees starter kit. I have been using this kit for a few weeks now and it has been working out great. Once I get my pictures together off of my phone I will share with you how some of my friends have been doing this season and my boiling setup at home.

Drill bit included in the Tap My Trees starter kit.

Slowly drill on a slight downward angle about 2" deep into the tree. I prefer to tap on the south facing side.

The relief cut or separation in the spile creates a seal around the hole you drilled. Before you push it in, make sure to slip the bucket hook over the tapered end FIRST.

At this point your tap/ spile should look like this and aimed at a downward angle.

Hang the bucket over the hangar.

To attach the bucket cover you need to slide back the metal rod that goes through it enough to line it up with the holes on the spile. Slide the rod back through to ensure your lid doesn't blow off into the wind.

This is what the finished product should look like and let the sap collecting begin! Make sure as the season progresses you check the level of sap collected in your buckets daily and either store in a cool place inside of a food safe container or go right at boiling it into your very own Maple syrup. Enjoy!

I would like to once again thank Jon McHale of Tap My Trees for providing us with the starter kit to review for our readers. Already the friends of ours that have had the opportunity to see this in action have decided to purchase kits of their own after seeing the simplicity of the setting up.

Cheers!~ Kevin

To Contact Tap My Trees:

Jon McHale

Email: info@tapmytrees.com

Mail: Tap My Trees LLC, 268 Simpaug Turnpike Suite 125, Redding, CT 06896
Toll Free Telephone: (888) 990-9948
Fax: (888) 666-9120

Fancy Ladies!

2015-03-28T15:41:00.000-05:00

About two weeks ago we hit the fancy chicken jackpot! I have been wanting bearded silkies since before owning our very first chickens and despite going as far as hatching out our own "show quality bearded silkie" eggs, we were never able to find any (or hatch any) with a beard or one even close to resembling one....until now! Let me introduce to you my new silkie girls as well as three other fancy pants that we picked up!

Bearded Silkie

Show Girl

Millie Fleur D'Uccle

Gold laced polish

They even got their own new house!

Pressed Flower Ornaments

2015-03-19T19:18:00.000-05:00

Last fall during the first few weeks of using Oak Meadow's First Grade Curriculum, we pressed what very little flowers were left in our garden and have kept them tucked away in a book not really knowing what to do with them. Recently I came across the most beautiful tutorial found at Twig and Toadstool for pressed flower ornaments as well as a wonderful recipe for white clay (which I'll be using more of in the future) and despite being nowhere near Christmas, I needed to make these pretties STAT!

Here's what you'll need:

1 cup of baking soda
1/2 cup of corn starch
3/4 cup of warm water
Rolling pin
Pressed flowers
Mod Podge
Paint brush
String or Twine

Directions:

First you need to start off by making your white clay following the directions below.

In a medium sauce pan, combine the baking soda and corn starch, then add the warm water. Over medium heat mix all of the ingredients.
Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir constantly.

The clay will begin to bind and pull away from the sides of the pan. When the clay begins to resemble play dough, remove the pan from the heat and allow the clay to cool.

Next you will shape and bake your ornaments.

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.
Once the clay has cooled, kneed the clay, form it into a ball and roll the clay out on a flat surface using your rolling pin, about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch in thickness.

Once the clay is rolled flat, cut out your circles by using a round cookie cutter or the top of a mason jar (which is what we used).

Place the cut-outs on a lined baking sheet and create a hole in the top using a straw (we used a skewer).

Bake your ornaments for about 1 hour at 200 degrees and allow to cool before decorating.

Lets Decorate!

After your ornaments have fully cooled, brush a thin layer of Mod Podge over the top.

Before the Mod Podge has a chance to dry, carefully place the dried flowers on top. It helps to have a set of tweezers for this. Once the flowers are in place, carefully brush a second layer of Mod Podge over the top of the ornament and set aside to dry. Once the Mod Podge has dried you can string your ornaments. We used twine, but fishing wire or a thin string would work as well!

We are days away from spring and have no tree to hang these beauties from at the moment, so the kids and I found a nice branch outside and strung it up in the front window to hang our ornaments from.

Don't forget to press your flowers this fall, come Christmas they will be ready to be turned into beautiful ornaments and will make such a wonderful gift for those that you love!

Pumpkin Bird Feeders

2015-03-17T18:12:00.000-05:00

We had one itty bitty pumpkin left from last years garden and we finally decided to gut it so that we could save the seeds to plant next year. Instead of throwing out the shell, we made these simple little pumpkin bird feeders! Here's what you will need to make them.

A pumpkin, orange, grapefruit, et. cut in half and cleaned out.
Two wooden skewers
Twine
Bird seed

Pierce the skewer through one side of the pumpkin into the other, one on top of the other.
Tie the twine on one of the skewers, opposite sides of each other.
Fill with bird seed and hang!

Handwriting Practice with "Storage Bottles"

2015-03-16T17:09:00.001-05:00

Handwriting can be a bit tedious so today we switched it up, went outside and used these super cheap bottles that I found at Harbor Freight filled with water to practice writing letters. Simple and a great way to involve multiple senses for better memory retention.

Reuben Omelette

2015-03-16T16:53:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

3 eggs, beaten
3 slices of turkey or corned beef, chopped
1/4 cup sauerkraut
3 tablespoons french dressing
3 sliced of swiss cheese

Directions:

So, this is pretty simple....

Turn the broiler on in your oven (or toaster oven if you have one).
In a medium pan over medium heat, sauté the turkey/corned beef and sauerkraut until browned.
Depending on how you like your omelettes, you can either pour the eggs over the top of the sauerkraut and turkey/corned beef or in a separate pan you can cook the eggs and add the fillings later.
Cook the eggs and flip. Alternatively you can cook the eggs on one side, and add the pan to the over to cook the top. I prefer this method because it makes for a perfect omelette but is a little more time consuming.
Once the omelette has cooked on both sides, spoon the french dressing onto the eggs (and add the turkey/corned beef and sauerkraut mixture if you cooked them in a separate pan). Fold the omelette in half and arrange the slices of swiss cheese over the top.
Place the pan inside of your oven for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted on top.
Enjoy!

Mother Nature News Article

2015-03-09T14:37:00.003-05:00

Mother Earth News just named Our Little Coop as one of 11 Fascinating Farm Blogs! We feel pretty honored. Thank you MNN!

You can find the entire article HERE.

Tap My Trees Maple Sugaring Starter Kit GIVEAWAY

2015-02-27T00:00:00.000-06:00

The giveaway for the Tap My Trees Maple Sugaring Starter Kit has begun!

The Prize:

One lucky winner will receive a Maple Sugaring Starter Kit compliments of Tap My Trees. This starter kit includes everything you will need to tap up to three maple trees. You will receive:

3 Aluminum Buckets
3 Metal Lids
3 Stainless Steel Spiles
3 Hooks
Maple Sugaring at Home book
Drill Bit
Cheesecloth

For more information detailed information about this kit, please click here.

The giveaway begins NOW and will end 3/6/2015 at 12:00 am central time.

Enter below for your chance to win! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

March 2015: Click-a-Day Photo Challenge

2015-02-26T18:33:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the Click-a-Day Photo Challenge!

For those that have never done a photo challenge, it is simple!

The Unofficial Rules:

Each month there will be a list.
Every day you will take a photo using the list to inspire you.
After you have taken your photo, post your photo to Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram using the hashtag #clickadaychallenge
Happy clicking!

To see other participants photos, simply click or search using the hashtag #clickadaychallenge

SEE THE MOST RECENT CLICKS HERE

Tap My Trees "Maple Sugaring Starter Kit" - Kevin's review

2015-02-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

If you only read one article on making maple syrup, read this one. I promise everything you need to know is contained in the included content.

I am very excited to be sharing "Tap My Trees" with our readers!

If you are not already making your own maple syrup at home or with your classroom you are really, really missing out.

A few years ago I stumbled onto the whole maple syrup making at home thing and gave it a shot. Like any other endeavor, I spent hours upon hours researching products, looking for one that I could afford from a reputable site. I quickly found myself overwhelmed but before giving up, I grabbed my cordless drill, a short length of 1/2" pvc, a utility hook, and a plastic bucket. As luck would have it, I struck gold (well not exactly... but I had collected a lot of maple sap in a very short amount of time). I will never forget running in to the house to grab Emily and the kids and dragging them outside to witness the very first sign of Spring! We were going to be making the most delicious PURE maple syrup ever.

Here is what I quickly learned:

Collecting sap and making maple syrup is addicting.
Collecting sap and making maple syrup is contagious.
You will find yourself spotting out potential maple trees to tap at your family, neighbors and friends house all year.
"Sugaring" is the proper terminology.
The sugaring season is WAY TOO SHORT!
Everything in one site www.tapymytrees.com

But most importantly:

EVERY DROP OF SAP COUNTS.

Every single drop of sap counts. What is lost to overflow or not making it into the bucket, does not result in syrup.

Everything you need to know about making maple syrup is included in this simple to understand book, included in the kits available only from www.tapmytrees.com.
*Remember Joe put together this kit with educating children in mind.

Tap My Trees LLC. is not only a company providing amazing and affordable kits at a reasonable cost, they are very dedicated in educating those who are interesting in the maple syrup making process. Their owner Joe McHale was kind enough to send us one of the Maple Sugaring Starter Kits to review and will also be donating a Maple Sugaring Starter Kit for a Give-away in the VERY near future.

Here is what is included in the "Starter Kit"

Tap My Trees Maple Sugaring Kit

Unboxing the Maple Sugaring Starter Kit.

Everything comes conveniently packaged in one box and is individually wrapped.

Everything needed to collect sap is included, except for a cordless drill and a tree!

3 - Aluminum (2 gallon) buckets are included in this kit.

3 - Metal lids are included, which help to prevent rain, snow, and debris from falling in to the buckets while collecting sap.

Everything is excellent quality, or as I like to call it, "heirloom quality."

The beautiful stainless steel spiles included in this kit will outlast my kids, kids.

The quality of this kit is truly amazing and much better than I had expected. This kit is it. Im done. No more messing around with plastic buckets, pvc pipe, or utility hooks. At the end of the season I will wash these components out and put them up in the rafters of the garage anxiously awaiting the next sugaring season.

Lets face the facts. If something is difficult to do, we are quickly robbed of a potentially great experience. Children have short attention spans and are not going to wait while you figure out how to efficiently collect sap. Trust me. The maple sugaring season doesn't last forever unfortunately but the experience surely will. My family is greatly appreciative to now be able to throw on our coats, grab this kit, go outside and start collecting sap. While the buckets begin to fill with the sugary goodness, we will sit down and again read Joe's book about sugaring in anticipation for what should be the most enjoyable maple syrup season yet!

A couple of noteworthy mentions:

Tap My Trees stainless steel maple sugaring funnel

I was unable to find this through the website and will update this as it becomes available. This is not a "needed" item due to the fact the kit includes cheesecloth. I was fortunate enough to find this at our local Farm and Fleet store in the "Tap My Trees section" and can tell you for the $8.00 it cost me, it will be well worth it. This funnel or the cheesecloth is used to filter out any bark or debris that makes its way past the lid and into your sap before you boil it.

Tap My Trees syrup bottles or small canning jars.

Don't forget a few glass jars (or more) to store your maple syrup in. Jars of pure maple syrup your family has made also make great gifts for friends and family.

Photo Credit: Tap My Trees site. The Teachers Kit

Classroom teachers or homeschool parents: Our kids get really excited about this lesson every year! Joe offers a kit just for you which will include a lesson plan that is adaptable all the way up to high school.

Preparation:

Identify your maple trees
Obtain the equipment needed to tap trees

Tapping Trees:

When to tap maple trees
Select maple trees to tap
Clean equipment
Gather equipment
Tap the tree
Hang the bucket and attach lid

Collect Sap and
Make Syrup:

Transfer sap from buckets to storage containers
Storing your sap
Process sap into maple syrup and other uses
When to stop collecting saps

Cleanup:

Remove spiles (taps), buckets, and lids from trees
Clean equipment
Store equipment for next year

Photo Credit: Tapmytrees.com

I found this handy little time line on the Tap My Trees website.

I'm out of space for now, but Im going to call this my part one of this article. At the current time of this writing, we are almost but not quite into maple sugaring season as the daytime temperatures are still way below freezing. In part two I am going to show you how simple the sap collecting process is. I think you will be amazed.

But DO NOT WAIT FOR ME! The maple sugaring season varies from state to state and only lasts for a short period of time as I have previously mentioned. Here is the information so you can order your own kit and supplies:

www.TapMyTrees.com

All orders include a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee for one full year from date of purchase.

Email: info@tapmytrees.com
Mail: Tap My Trees LLC, 268 Simpaug Turnpike Suite 125, Redding, CT 06896
Toll Free Telephone: (888) 990-9948
Fax: (888) 666-9120

Cheers! ~ Kevin

And the winner of the Brinsea EcoGlow Brooder Giveaway is.....

2015-02-21T07:08:00.001-06:00

Congratulations Amanda P!

You are the lucky winner of a brand new Brinsea EcoGlow Brooder! We have a feeling you will have some very happy and warm chicks this spring!

We will be contacting you shortly!

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who entered. If you did not win and are interested in purchasing this or any other items from Brinsea, please visit www.brinsea.com DONT FORGET to use the code COOP at checkout to receive 10% off your ENTIRE order.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for playing!

Brinsea OvaView and OvaScope: Kevin's Review

2015-02-20T08:18:00.001-06:00

Brinsea OvaView & OvaScope

**Buying a Brinsea product? Enter the word "COOP" at checkout and save 10%!!

Brinsea has "taken" the market once again with their OvaView and OvaScope! Gone are the days of cupping fragile eggs between your thumb and forefinger, while trying to perfectly position it in front of a flashlight to check for chick development. The Brinsea OvaView in itself, is a great egg candling lamp. When paired with the OvaScope, there is nothing that can compare.

Brinsea OvaView

The OvaView's sturdy structure measures 5" long x 3.3" wide x 1.3"high and weighs only 3 oz. The high efficiency LED bulb is powered by 4 AA batteries which Brinsea supplies with the unit. The beauty of being an LED bulb opposed to an incandescent, is the obvious longevity of the product, and little or no concerns about overheating the eggs during candling. In the package you will also find, detailed instructions, and a flexible rubber ring which holds itself around the light bulb socket to insure you have a proper seal with the egg so there isn't any light leaking around, which can hinder your viewing. This model has a very good quality push button switch to turn the light on or off.

Brinsea OvaScope

If you are buying the Brinsea OvaView, *DO NOT FORGET to order the OvaScope. The OvaScope is a great compliment to the candling light. It simply fits over the OvaView and firmly snaps into place allowing the viewer to observe the egg in daylight and at a slight magnification. Simply remove a side cover and place your egg into the holder and its "in the dark". Brinsea again has listened to its customers and has strategically added 2 nubs, on the sides of the scope, in which a web cam can be placed over the viewing hole and held in place with a simple rubber band. The OvaScope also has a handy little wheel that allows you to rotate the egg without having to remove the side cover.

Brinsea OvaScope firmly snaps over the OvaView

Brinsea OvaScope side "egg door".

Serama chicken egg-Day 5 as seen through the Brinsea OvaScope

In conclusion, there is not a better egg candling device on the market. I will never juggle a flashlight or goofy cardboard box concoction again.
Cheers! ~ Kevin

Contact:
Brinsea Products Inc.
704 N. Dixie Avenue
Titusville
Florida
FL 32796
USA
Phone (888) 667 7009
Web http://www.brinsea.com

Brinsea Mini Advance Incubator: Kevin's Review

2015-02-19T22:12:00.000-06:00

Brinsea Mini Advance incubator

**Buying a Brinsea product? Enter the word "COOP" at checkout and save 10%!!

When shopping for an incubator, look no further than the

Brinsea Mini Advance. This model is not intended for those looking to hatch large quantities of eggs at one single time. Those folks looking to hatch a greater amount of eggs, should look into one of Brinsea's larger models. The total capacity for the Brinsea Mini Advance model is 7 Large eggs or 12 Quail eggs. For me, I find the size a perfect fit for my needs. Anything larger and I would quickly find myself over run with birds!

360 Degrees of viewing and included egg turner

The Mini Advance was designed for optimal 360 degree viewing of your incubating and hatching eggs thus making it the perfect choice for photographers looking for the best angles to take pictures or classrooms where this incubator can take center stage!

Nicely Packaged

Upon arrival of your new Brinsea Mini Advance incubator, you will immediately see this company is truly proud of their products craftsmanship by how well packaged everything is and the literature that accompanies it. The parts included are: (1) Incubator with the removable lid, (1) Egg disc, (1) Water Pot Guard, the 115volt power supply unit, a catalog, the user instruction pamphlet, a how to care for your chicks paper, and a free extend 2 year guarantee notice.

Digital Control System

Powered Fan

Simplicity has been achieved with the Mini Advanced's use of a digital control system and powered fan. The control system is located on the very top of this model just over the heating element and fan, and utilizes three buttons to customize the settings to suit your needs. The digital display "utilizes a highly accurate individually calibrated sensor for temperature" so no more need for multiple thermometers to confirm your temperature. You can adjust the temperature and have it displayed in either Celsius or Fahrenheit, and it reads to the tenth of a degree.

The digital display feature is loaded with a bunch of optional settings which include, Power Loss Display, High Temperature Alarm, Low Temperature Alarm, multiple turning adjustments, Cooling period feature ( used to simulate mother hen getting off of her eggs), a countdown to hatch calendar, and of course the option to save or cancel your settings. I am totally impressed with the many turning adjustments which (briefly) include: "Auto" off on 2 days to hatch, turning interval timing, and turning angles which change the distance of the turn.

Brinsea Mini Advance Incubator

In my opinion, the "only" things that can make this digital control system any better, would be the use of a back light on the display screen, and a humidity gauge (available on the EX model only). Almost all digital displays these days have some sort of backlight. The lack of a humidity gauge really isn't "needed" in this particular model though because of the two section water pot located in the center. Up until "lock down" you fill only half of the pot with water and at the two days until hatch period, you fill the second half. Many people confirm this will put you at the perfect humidity level for hatching most types of poultry.

In closing, if you are looking into hatching your own birds for the first time or are an experienced small scaled hatcher, the Brinsea Mini Advanced is not only the best value on the market but the overall best choice. Cheers! ~ Kevin

**Update: Almost 3 years later and after many successful hatches, I still find this to be one of the best and most convenient incubators I have ever used. I especially appreciate how our kids are able to observe the entire hatching process and watch the wonderful miracle of birth!
~ Kevin

Contact:
Brinsea Products Inc.
704 N. Dixie Avenue
Titusville
Florida
FL 32796
USA
Phone (888) 667 7009
Web http://www.brinsea.com

GIVEAWAY - Brinsea Eco Glow Brooder

2015-02-14T00:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentines Day! We are excited to be giving away a Brinsea Eco Glow Brooder to one lucky winner! Giveaway starts NOW (February 14th, 2015) and will be ending next Saturday, February 21st, 2015 at midnight. The lucky winner will be announced and contacted Saturday!

What is an Eco Glow Brooder?

Clean, safe, tough and extremely economical chick brooder the EcoGlow is ideal for up to 20 chicks or ducklings and suitable for any waterfowl or gamebird chicks. Great for classroom hatches.

The EcoGlow only uses 18 Watts (a tenth of the electricity of typical suspended infrared lamps) because the chicks are in contact with its warm underneath surface.

The brooder runs at 12v for safety from a mains transformer (supplied) and with the convenience of a generous (about 10 feet) power lead.

Different sizes of chicks are accommodated by three adjustable height settings and an indicator light confirms the brooder is connected.

The low cost of the EcoGlow makes it possible for larger numbers of chicks to be warmed by multiples of brooders. Please also see the larger EcoGlow 50 chick brooder.

Dimensions: 12" long x 8" wide x 8" high.

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White Bean Chicken Chili Crockpot Recipe

2015-01-19T13:54:00.002-06:00

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds of chicken breasts
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
14.5 ounces of chicken broth
4.5 ounce can of chopped green chiles (I used mild and only used half of the can)
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
15 ounce can of white corn, drained
2 -15.5 ounce cans of white beans, drained (I used one can of Cannellini and one can of Navy)
3 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
1 cup of milk
1 teaspoon of Better Than Bullion chicken base
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 cup of shredded cheese
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 lime

Directions:

Place your chicken breasts in the bottom of your crockpot and season with chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder. Add the chicken broth, green chiles, onion, white corn and beans. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
An hour before serving: sin a saucepan, melt butter, whisk in flour and cook on medium heat allowing the mixture to brown a bit. Slowly add milk and chicken base and simmer for 4-5 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
Pour the sauce into the crock pot, add the sour cream, and mix to combine. If the chicken is still whole, shred using two forks.
Allow the chili to cook for another hour.
Garnish chili with a dollop of sour cream, a pinch of chopped cilantro and green onions and a dash of fresh lime juice.
Enjoy!

*Recipe adapted from Lovely Little Kitchen (THANK YOU!)

Consonant Blends With Candy Land

2014-09-11T18:27:00.000-05:00

We have a very reluctant little reader in our house who I always approach with great caution when it comes to her reading. She loves to be read to and will sit for hours upon hours while I read her a chapter book, but she instantly clams up and shuts down when she is the one asked to do the reading (even though she can). Usually I come up with creative ways to make our reading time and practice more fun and to help lessen her anxiety. This consonant blend Candy Land game was awesome and she really enjoyed playing it! If you are using the Oak Meadow Second Grade Curriculum, these are the blends that you will be asked to review.

First, print the tiles for your game cards HERE

I apologize in advance, sizing documents properly in word programs is so not my thing, so please check to make sure it is the right size before you print. I originally sized this document to fit on a 3x5 index card but the cards would not feed through my printer, so for my sanity I printed it on regular paper and trimmed up the sides.

After you've printed and trimmed, glue....

...stick the strip on your index card....

...cut between each blend...

And there you have it!

How we played:

We played the exact same way that we would have played the original Candy Land game but with one added step. Each time we picked a card we came up with a word for the consonant blend that was on the card before moving ahead. For example, if I picked "dr" with one yellow square, my word was "draw" and I advanced to the next yellow square. If AG picked a double blue with "st" on the card, her word was "star" and she would advance two blue squares.

And thats really all there is to it. Easy way to practice consonant blends and have fun at the same time!

Magical Mask Making: Part Two

2014-09-10T07:36:00.000-05:00

Last week we began learning about Ancient China in our Oak Meadow Curriculum! We were instructed to make a mask similar to those used in Chinese festivals and now that our mask is done, it's time to decorate! If you missed last weeks mask making post, you can find it HERE.

I let AG pick out the supplies to decorate her mask with. I'm not so sure that the Ancient Chinese would have picked the same.

AG began decorating by painting her entire mask with acrylic paints. After the paint had dried, she instructed me as to where she wanted her gems and feathers and I hot glued them onto the mask for her.

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YETI 20 oz. Rambler - Kevins Review

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Tap My Trees Maple Sugaring Starter Kit GIVEAWAY

March 2015: Click-a-Day Photo Challenge

Tap My Trees "Maple Sugaring Starter Kit" - Kevin's review

If you only read one article on making maple syrup, read this one. I promise everything you need to know is contained in the included content.

Preparation:

Tapping Trees:

Collect Sap andMake Syrup:

Cleanup:

And the winner of the Brinsea EcoGlow Brooder Giveaway is.....

Brinsea OvaView and OvaScope: Kevin's Review

**Buying a Brinsea product? Enter the word "COOP" at checkout and save 10%!!

Brinsea Mini Advance Incubator: Kevin's Review

**Buying a Brinsea product? Enter the word "COOP" at checkout and save 10%!!

GIVEAWAY - Brinsea Eco Glow Brooder

White Bean Chicken Chili Crockpot Recipe

Consonant Blends With Candy Land

Magical Mask Making: Part Two

Collect Sap and
Make Syrup: