Welcome Ducky!

This is our new little duckling we have decided to name Ducky! She/he is the sweetest little thing, she loves snuggling on the couch, and swimming in the pool. She/he is amazing, and I got her from the same wonderful farm I got my chickens from. Quality Farms which you can visit here: http://thecluckstopshere.ca/ They are the Okanagan's best supplier for everything poultry related. You need anew coop and some chickens, or some tasty meat birds they can help you out with that and so much more. Farmer Dave is extremely kind and helpful and will happily help you with whatever you need. 

Now about ducks!

Feeding Time!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ducklings to 3 weeks - 20-22% protein, non-medicated starter mash or crumbles
Adolescents 3 to 6 weeks - 16% protein, non-medicated mash, crumbles or pellets
Females over 6 weeks - 16-18% when laying
Males over 6 weeks of females not laying - 14-16% protein

  • Never use medicated chicken or duck feed or feed created for other birds
  • Cracked corn is not high enough in protein and will harm pond fish
  • A/P Lay mash is excellent for adult ducks
  • Crumbles and pellets are easy to use and less messy
  • Seeds and nuts are a no-no!!!
  • ALWAYS PROVIDE FRESH DRINKING WATER WHILE FEEDING

Treats!

"Treat" your duck responsibly!
We ALL love to treat our pets. Here's how to do that without compromising your duck's health. Unless you consider carrots, lettuce and worms a tasty treat for yourself, the rule of thumb is anything we call junk food or a "treat" for a human is not good for your duck (or you!). Ducks systems are very different than ours and can't rebound quickly like we can. If you love your pet (and I know you do!), feed them treats that they love and you know will promote their health and longevity.

Feeding ducks cookies, crackers, chips, bread or any junk food will dramatically shorten their life span and cause many health problems.


Acceptable Treats and Supplements
• Plain scrambled eggs
• Diced tomatoes and mild veggies
• Finely chopped lettuce (opt for organic)
• Hardboiled eggs - including the ones they lay The eggs are hardboiled, cooled then chopped finely with the shell on. Sharon Demeola heats the shells in the oven until crisp, then grinds the shells into a crumbly consistency. Cool and serve.
• Earthworms, meal worms, blood worms
• Slugs and live snails with the shell on (untreated by pesticides or poisons)
• Bugs (untreated by pesticides)


Absolute NO-NO's
• Bread, pasta, bread products, popcorn, pretzels, chips, crackers...
• Cookies, cakes, ice cream, sugared snacks or processed food products...
• Seeds, nuts, seeded breads or crackers (causes a painful reaction similar to diverticulitis in humans), pits...
• Chocolate, onion, garlic, spices, spicy foods, alcohol (do I have to even mention that?)...
• Colors, dyes, additives, chemicals, preservatives... 

This is just a sample of all the information you can get on http://www.liveducks.com/duckcare.html This is a very informative site for wild and domestic ducks. 

Depending on what breed and sex of duck my little Ducky is we may get a regular amount of eggs from her as well.   

Broccoli, Grape, and Bacon Salad and Hym and Hur Review

Broccoli, Grape, and Bacon Salad

I love simple salads that you can set in the fridge and they actually get better with age. This salad is such a great mix of salty, sweet, and tangy it is like a party in your mouth.
 You will need:

• Grapes
• 1 Pound of Bacon
• Broccoli
• Mayonnaise
• Salt & Pepper
• Romano or Parmesan Cheese (Optional)

1. Slice the bacon into 1/2 inch pieces and start frying you can use as much or as little as you like, I love bacon so in goes an entire package.

2.Chop up all the broccoli into bite sized pieces, I used two large heads of broccoli. 

3. Slice about 2 cups of grapes in half, I prefer red grapes because they are sweeter. 

4. Prepare your dressing, I mix my mayo, salt, pepper, and cheese together in a cup to ensure everything is mixed well. I have also tried adding other dressings into my mayo, such as coleslaw dressing and it tastes great. 

5. Drain your bacon and let it cool. Drop it into the broccoli and grapes.

6. Add the dressing and toss everything together until well coated. You can eat this right away or it can sit in the fridge until ready to serve. This salad is good for a few days so it is good to make ahead. I like giving it to friends and family, just because.

I found this quite a delightful little tale. The way this story plays out keeps you wanting more as you step into the fantasy world of "Hym and Hur" Cheating death is never easy and giving back life is impossible, but what if you had the ability to do so for an entire day? Who would you involve in this twist of fate and what amazing things would you attempt? When "Death" makes a deal it is best to cover every loophole otherwise you could be tricked into playing a very crazy game!

Book Description:

In this fantasy-comedy eBook, Hym and Hur are a young couple who never age and have been in love for more than a century.  They also possess an array of magical abilities, two of which are either to play pranks on humankind or to perform good deeds.  Enacting both at the same time is now what gets them into trouble, especially since it's the character of Death they must deal with to bring their plans to fruition.

  

The prank Hym and Hur have come up with must first be agreed upon by Death, who happens to be an unruly, difficult character.  Once agreed upon, the prank is set in motion.  But then Hym and Hur discover Death had tricked them into a contract with dire consequences for all of us.

  

During their attempt to break the contract, Hym and Hur try to save the relationship of an earthbound couple, knowing they are truly meant for each other.  A good deed that will bring Hym and Hur even more trouble.

Check out this great short story on Amazon and it will be the best couple of dollars you spend today!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0073IWJBU 

  I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Smith Creek Fire! Evacuation Prep!

 

This is what I can see from my backyard, this crazy fire is burning 2 kilometers away from my house. There has been so many planes and helicopters whipping passed my house all day it is crazy. It was 400 hectares this morning and then by 7pm it was down to 250 hectares. The wind is picking up and we are on evacuation alert. 

 

What should you know about evacuation preparation?

So it has been a stressful couple of days and I think everyone needs to prepare for this type of thing if they live in an area like mine that is on fire every summer. When thinking about evacuation you need to get the basics together:

• family members
• medication
• wallet/money
• pets

But if you are on an alert and not an evacuation order you have much more time to prepare. You should begin packing up important stuff like:

• pictures/memory cards
• electronics
• valuables
• clothing
• bathroom amenities
• kids stuff
• diapers/wipes/formula

 Fire is very unpredictable so if you are on alert get stuff prepared just in case you are told to leave right away. I hope this fire goes out soon, the air quality is very low for older people as well as children. Hopefully it all works out!

 

If you want to read more check it out on Castanet here: http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-story-119359-101-.htm#119359

Loot Crate & Ting-a-ling Cookies

There are a million reasons I love Loot Crate! I can get awesome gifts for everyone in my family each month, and I get killer swag like the t-shirt I got from last months crate. So unique and amazing, and it is totally worth the cost of a subscription. You would need to spend like $25 just for a shirt as killer as this one but when you sign up for Loot Crate you get over 8 items of awesomeness! This months theme is Villains and it also comes with a killer t-shirt, there is only 5 days left to sign up for this months crate and if you sign up and decide after a month that it is not for you, you can cancel anytime! What could be better? Check them out here: http://mbsy.co/7jW23 and I hope you love them as much as I do!

Do you have a treat that reminds you of your childhood? It is great to have that feeling when you bite into something and get a burst of happy childhood memories. That is how I feel about these cookies. They are a no-bake drop cookie absolutely perfect for making in the summertime and leaving the batch in your fridge to snack on as you please. Leaving them in the fridge keeps them from getting stale, and from melting in the hot summer heat. 3 simple and cheap ingredients and you can do it all in the microwave!

Ting a Ling Cookies

That's right all you need is chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and chow mein noodles! All you do is take a large microwavable bowl and pour in both bags of chocolate and butterscotch chips. Begin microwaving for 30 seconds, then take them out and stir do another 30 and take them out and stir again, continue doing this until all of your chips are melted, you need to do it this way so you don't burn them. 

When everything is melted dump in the entire bag of chow mein noodles. Make sure everything is well combined and all the noodles are coated. Take a tablespoon and begin dropping little stacks of noodles onto wax or parchment lined baking sheets.and then place them in the fridge until they harden. 

Once they harden remove them from the sheets and place them in a large air tight container and store them in your fridge. 

Makes about 25-30 cookies depending how big you make them.

Zip and Block Soft Block Anti Allergen Bed Bug Proof Breathable Waterproof Pillow Encasing Review

People that suffer from allergies have a tough time finding pillows that they can sleep on without causing a reaction. This product is everything you need to have a wonderful irritation free sleep on any type of pillow. When I first got this product I thought it was going to be uncomfortable and sound like you were sleeping on a grocery bag every time you move your head, I was wrong. This pillow case is amazing it is nice a soft and silent when you move your head at night. I love it, and highly recommend it.It comes in a selection of sizes for all pillows.

I was also lucky enough to receive this awesome product.

The Priva Premium Absorbent 300 Washes Waterproof Sheet Protector which is an awesome product for all ages! It works well to keep the sweat away on the hot summer nights, I slept with it for 2 weeks and it helped to absorb any perspiration. It is now being used on my babies crib mattress and has protected his mattress from leaky diapers! I love it and think it is totally worth the price. I have bought those crib mattress protectors before and after 3 washes the plastic coating on the back ended up ripping and bunching up, then you have to replace it and with this one it is washable and will not get wrecked! It will end up saving you time and money in the long run!

You can find each of these great products on Amazon and here are the links:

Pillow Case King Size: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002Q4V48U/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_img?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2ZJV7Y8GTED5A&coliid=ICV605LLFZ0A2&psc=1

 Pillow Case Standard: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002Q4V44Y?tag=lpastore-20

Sheet Protector:  http://www.amazon.com/Priva-Absorbent-Waterproof-Protector-Ultra-Dry/dp/B000FOBSSY/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1395931207&sr=1-2&keywords=priva

 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

I love cheesecake. I really love it when I don't have to warm up my house making it during the summer. This is one of my all time favorite recipes and it is perfect for your kids to help you make it to.

No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

You will need:
oil to grease pans
6 ounces of graham crackers 
3/4 stick of butter or 1/4 cup of margarine
1 1/2 cups strawberries
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp water
1 package of strawberry jello
7 ounces or 1 package of cream cheese
2 cup whipping cream (1 for inside cake 1 for decor)
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp sugar 

1. Grease your pan with the oil. Take your graham crackers and place them in a bag so you can crush them.  This is fun for the kids to do, but if your by yourself you can use your food processor. Put your butter in the microwave while your doing this. Place the fine crumbs in a bowl and add the melted butter.
2. Slice up the strawberries into small pieces, they don't need to be exact sizes just a rough chop will do. Place them into a saucepan with the sugar and water. Cook them for about 5-7 minutes or until they are soft. 
3. Remove strawberries from heat and mix in the jello powder. Let cool.
4. Whip the cream cheese. This can be difficult if your cream cheese is cold so whip it and scrape the beater as you go so you can get it all to the right consistency. Pour the strawberry mix into the cheese once it is cool and mix it together. 
5. Whip your whipping cream until it forms stiff peaks, add half of it into the strawberry cheese mixture by gently folding. 
6. Spoon the mixture into your pan and smooth over. Let set for about 2 hours. 
7. Decorate with remaining whipped cream and strawberries!