Installing Indoor Cat Tree

[Lesley]

Just being nosey but also wondered if anyone's habits have changed since becoming poultry keepers?

 

I have changed - but the other way! I have been veggie for over twenty years but since helping Carl to source local meat and poultry which is traceable, I have eaten some meat and chicken, but only at home. I wouldn't eat meat out and still use veggie products like Veggie Jelly.

 

So - this year instead of nut roast I will be trying Goodmans Goose.

 

I will still make the nut roast but will use it as pate!

 

Lesley

[Mrs Frugal]

We have had a lovely free range cockerel from my very nice young Eggman for the last couple of years but he's building a house and won't be doing them this year so we're going to the wonderfully named "Seldom Seen Farm" for a free range, grass fed goose. We're off to the farm this Saturday to pick it up. If it's good enough for Rick Stein, it's good enough for us!

 

I won't eat chicken that's not free range anymore and the Christmas goose has had a good life eating grass in the Leicestershire fields so I don't feel at all bad and it should taste bloomin' good!

 

I'll let you know.......

[MrsRotty]

Since getting our girls I have really made an effort to source local, organic/free-range produce. We're very lucky here in Yeovil that there is a group called Somerset Local Food Direct - I order online every week, and the produce all comes from local producers. It's not all organic, but it is supporting the smaller, local suppliers. For Christmas I've ordered an organic bronze turkey - looking forward to that!!

[motherhen]

We are lucky in that I have had the same butcher for 18 years and everything is Northumbrian and free range. Having grown up surrounded by livestock I am always fussy about the rearing and slaughtering conditions of the animals that supply my meat. We always used to have a bronze turkey but last year tried a goose and there is no competition - goose again this year with a nice bit of beef since I'm feeding about a dozen.

 

Last year I did Hugh FW's terrine of goose bits which he stuffs into the goose neck but I just did in a bacon lined terrine dish - highly recommended sliced cold.

[Jangle]

We are having an organic free range chicken this year from a village about 10 miles away from home. Our local butcher is excellent and tries to source as much produce as he can locally. Plus the usual steamed sprouts and carrots as well as parsnips and potatoes roasted in goose fat. I expect Sage and Onion will polish off any of the steamed vegetables which we don't manage to eat.

 

Janet

 

Sage and Onion

[Karen]

Although we live in London, I have had meat delivered from Swaddles Green Farm in Somerset for the last 10 years or more. They do wonderful Bronze Turkeys and lovely ham - so that is what we will be having! I get an organic box from Abel and Cole for fruit and veg, and there is still some stuff in the garden we can use to add to that. I love Christmas food, so am really looking forward to it. Spent the whole of last weekend baking biscuits and sweets to make parcels for the teachers at school. Great to be able to use the chickens' eggs.

[Mrs Frugal]

We have had a lovely free range cockerel from my very nice young Eggman for the last couple of years but he's building a house and won't be doing them this year so we're going to the wonderfully named "Seldom Seen Farm" for a free range, grass fed goose. We're off to the farm this Saturday to pick it up. If it's good enough for Rick Stein, it's good enough for us!

 

 

 

No wonder they call it "Seldom Seen Farm" - we couldn't find it ! Good job they have a shop in the village to point people who can't read maps in the right direction !

[Lesley]

Kate - Map reading lessons for you then! do you want me to come over?

 

We are having a pre-Christmas meal tonight as my son is going to Romania to see his girlfriend for Christmas, Carl went to collect a chicken and decided it wasn't big enough - I think he was expecting a turkey!

 

He came home with TWO 4lb chickens - there are only five of us!

 

We have no room left in the freezers either - help!!

 

Carl will be making the Christmas sausages today so that we can have some tonight.

 

Lesley

[Mrs Frugal]

Lesley,

 

If you're better at map reading than me and my Mum, yes please!! I get my poor direction finding from Mum - must be in the genes. The trouble was that long suffering Hubby had said he knew where we were going and yet when I looked at the map, we'd gone 2 villages past our turn off anyway !! Not the only one, am I!

 

Nice BIG dinner then? Hope it's fun . You can always make chicken sausages??? Maybe not!

[Lesley]

I'm brilliant at map reading! Sometimes we take the long way round but we NEVER get lost

 

Lesley

[Mrs Frugal]

We've been known to go round the roundabouts 4 or 5 times (sightseeing of course) when we can't see our turn off !

[Lesley]

We're off topic again Kate - we'll have to delete ourselves!

 

Mind you it is so quiet - perhaps no-one will notice!

 

Lesley

[Mrs Frugal]

We're moderators - do we care???

[motherhen]

There have got to be some perks to this moderating business.

 

Power to the moderators

 

(hope James isn't reading this or we'll get our wings clipped)

[Lesley]

 

Thought Kate and I were going to get told off there! James is far too busy I hope :

 

We cooked the two chickens on Saturday and then took them to my daughter's at the other end of the village. Jake (4) saw them and was really worried and said "You haven't cooked your chickens?" Carl, not thinking said "Yes - this is Millie and that's Tallulah"

 

It took us half an hour to convince him that we hadn't cooked our girls. He was most upset!

 

Lesley

[Mrs Frugal]

There have got to be some perks to this moderating business.

 

Well, there aren't any other perks, are there !

[Lesley]

Not that I've noticed

 

Plenty of pitfalls though - I ruined somebody's post yesterday by hitting the Edit button that we moderators have instead of the Quote button I meant to hit. Yes - I deleted half of their post and have had to apologise I am trying to sort it out - sorry Richard!

 

Lesley

[Mrs Frugal]

Oh Lesley - give some people a bit of power and they'll blow up the world !

 

If it happens again, hit the "back" button on your browser and start again.

 

Another senior moment ???

[Lesley]

Oh Lesley - give some people a bit of power and they'll blow up the world !

 

If it happens again, hit the "back" button on your browser and start again.

 

Another senior moment ???

 

No! I DID hit the back button but I'd already submitted it . I'll be over there to sort you out in a minute! You've also just accused me, in another topic, of not being able to spell!

 

I'll let you off - it's Christmas

[Mrs Frugal]

Well, maybe it's not the spelling but the typing then !

[Lesley]

No - It's the ****** typist!

 

Lesley

[Nicola H]

now girls stop fighting.

Back to the topic of what we are eating on christmas day we should be eating turkey but I was too late to order from the farm and now will have to take pot luck at the supermarket I know that is a rude word.

 

I was eyeing up the turkeys at the Stafford show supreme champion looked like he might be tasty but I don't think I would get out the door alive with him under my arm. He was as big as my 7 year old and just as fierce he turned his back at me and hissed very frightening.

[Mrs Frugal]

Perhaps you should set him on Lesley !

 

(Sorry Lesley, old mate )

[Nicola H]

Good one Kate that would sort her out.

[Mrs Frugal]

Someone's got to !