Vintage Home and Farm

The days are becoming longer which means several of our hens that had stopped laying over the dark and dreary months of fall and winter are now back in the nest.  Where most winter days we've been lucky to get a single egg, yesterday there were a whopping 4 eggs in one nest. The hens have a whole bunch of nests to choose from, but for whatever reason they prefer to wait and take turns in order to deposit every egg in just one nest. This does make it more convenient for me to gather the eggs. Included in yesterday's haul was one of the prized Easter eggs, a delightful green-shelled egg laid by Angel, our puffy-cheeked white Ameraucana hen.  We haven't been eating that many eggs lately and so I have now accumulated enough to fill this wire egg holder.  I can't decide if the wire holder is a bunny or a chick. It depends on how you look at it - we can see both. Angel and one of the Rhode Island Red hens that is appropriately named Little Red have been up to their old...

I recently decided to brew my own Kombucha after coming across this magical elixir in a health food store and realizing how expensive a habit it could become. In most stores, it can cost $3.99 for a small bottle.  If you were to drink several bottles of this brew each week, the cost would really add up.  Brewing Kombucha is incredibly easy and affordable, as it requires only a few simple steps and relatively inexpensive supplies. It's the unusual aspects of Kombucha that shrouds it in mystery, giving the impression of it being difficult. The greatest mystery involving this unusual brew is the scoby.  Scoby is an acronym for Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast.  A scoby grows on top of the brew and is what causes it to ferment. Take a look at the scoby that is currently growing on top of my latest batch. Now, I realize you're probably thinking, Eeeeuuuwwww!  A scoby is indeed an odd looking creature growing on top.  Some people might hesitat...