Random Thoughts on Twelfth Night, Bean Sprouts, and Egg Production

I had every intention of making a yummy chocolate trifle for Twelfth Night and having a little celebration with my family.  No, we've never actually celebrated Twelfth Night before, but you all should know what a history buff I am, and traditionally, the Christmas season was capped with a big last hurrah party on Twelfth Night, or January 5.  (Epiphany is Jan 6, and traditionally the day the wise men's arrival was commemorated.  And techinically, Jan 6 is twelfth day, but that's another discussion.)  Anyway, I had thoughts of having a little dessert party here, but alas, it just didn't happen.  I still plan to make the chocolate trifle sometime, though.  Maybe for Valentine's Day or something.  Aunt Bess always made a trifle for Christmas and special gatherings.  Hers was made with pound cake (or angel food cake, but I remember the pound cake being used more often), vanilla pudding, and cherry pie filling.  It is absolutely fabulous, but since we're pretty big choco-holics around here, I started making a chocolate one that's been a huge hit with everyone except Malachi.  (Well, he eats the chocolate pudding and chocolate cake, but not the cherry pie filling.)

Another thing I've been doing, besides dreaming of chocolate desserts, is sprouting beans:

My friend Karen gave me a jar and seeds for growing bean sprouts.  Nathaniel and I actually love bean sprouts on sandwiches and in salads, so I did the first package, and it's already been eaten.  They grew really well, and I was thrilled at how easy it was, especially since bean sprouts are very nutritious, and I'm always trying to get more green things into Nathaniel's diet.  We have a second bag of seeds that says they are sprouts for stir-fry, so I plan to grow in the next week or two and add them to a stir fry.  Then the kids might accidentally eat some, too!

Lydia has been a big helper in the kitchen lately.  Here she is cutting up mushrooms:

She actually cut up the entire container for me.  Usually she tires of helping earlier, but lately she's really been sticking with me more. 

Lastly, our chickens have been producing like crazy.  Here's the number of eggs this week:

Tuesday -6

Wednesday -9

Thursday -5

Friday - 7
Saturday - 9

Sunday - 8 so far

Obviously, all 9 of our hens are laying quite productively.  They come running whenever any of us goes outside now, even Nathaniel.  (Apparently, they've forgiven/forgotten his role in Zebra 4's demise.)  They are also mostly staying in the yard.  We did have one time they "escaped" to the side of our yard, but the boys quickly rounded them up.  The rooster has been accepted by the hens, but he is still quite timid around us, which is not a bad thing.