The Saga of the SBCs

For my faithful blog followers, I want to apologize for not writing much this fall. I have been VERY blessed and VERY busy in my new adventures as a relief veterinarian.

This doesn't mean that I haven't been eating new things and trying to grow a fall-winter garden.....but the lack of blogging is also directly correlated to our chickens: Parmesan, Tandoori and Kebab.

As you can see from previous photos, our chickens used to have full access to our backyard. We have a 7 foot solid privacy fence that they never once tried to scale, even though their sister Piper does it regularly.

Once my collards, bok choy, brussels sprouts and lettuce went into the ground, the chickens went to work destroying them. Basically, most vegetation that is tasty to a human is also tasty to chickens. This made me very upset, since I had spent a lot of time and money getting the plants into the ground. To make matters worse....the chickens had not started laying at this point.

Out of frustration, we soon began calling the destructive non productive little she-devils the "SBCs" or STUPID BABY CHICKENS! AARRRRGGHHH!

So despite erecting complicated mesh fencing around our raised beds, somehow they kept breaking in and enjoying my fresh salad. We had to come up with a solution. They now have their OWN yard along the back few beds of our garden that are mostly in the shade. Now that they are completely sequestered, we can go back to calling them "Silly Baby Chickens" or "Sweet Baby Chickens" especially since they've been laying since late November.

I was concerned that the chickens would hit puberty at the wrong time of the year, since most chickens lay less during the short-days of the year and when its cold. Thank goodness for Rhode Island Red hens....nothing phases these little egg factories! They're not called "cold hardy" for nothing!

We are now getting 2-3 eggs per day. During the freezing weather and snow flurries they did stop laying for a few days. Their eggs are delicious, and once they are consumed, the shells go into the compost to help supplement our now chicken-free gardening endeavors.

Cupcakes

Baking Adventure 01.06.2011

I don’t often bake sweet things in my kitchen, so all I had for baking a last-minute batch of chocolate cupcakes was Anson Mills Red Fife bread flour and the Farina Di Pizzaiolo Pizza Maker’s flour.

Being lazy, I did not want to go out in the rain to Publix to buy the commercial “all-purpose flour” that Ina Garten’s recipe called for, so I decided to experiment. I also did not have light brown sugar on hand, so I made my own with molasses and granulated cane sugar.

The eggs in the recipe are compliments of my own Rhode Island Red hens: Parmesan, Kebab and Tandoori. All brands of products used, and other modifications are noted below.

Not knowing the protein content, chemical characteristics, etc of the Red Fife vs. commercial all-purpose flour, this could have been a disaster. The cupcakes turned out very well, light and airy, with a rich flavor. A delightful cupcake that “grown-ups” will love. I know that oven temperature varies from one home to another, and that barometric pressure, humidity and magnetic deviation from true north can make each batch come out differently….but please give this a try! J

· 2 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter (Publix brand), at room temperature

· 2/3 cup granulated sugar (Florida Crystals Florida Natural Cane Sugar)

· 2/3 cup granulated sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon room temperature molasses

· 2 large eggs, at room temperature (from the back yard is best)

· 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

· 1 cup whole buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature

· 1/2 cup (home-made) Greek-style fat free yogurt, at room temperature

· 2 tablespoons brewed espresso (we buy green coffee beans and roast ourselves)

· 1 3/4 cups Anson Mills Red Fife Flour

· 1 cup Ghirardelli Natural Unsweetened Cocoa

· 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

· 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

· Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing, recipe follows

· Chopped salted peanuts, to decorate, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, yogurt, and espresso. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it's completely blended.

Divide the batter among the cupcake pans (1 rounded standard ice cream scoop per cup is the right amount). Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frost each cupcake with Peanut Butter Icing and sprinkle with chopped peanuts, if desired.

Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing:

· 1 cup confectioners' sugar (I pulsed the Florida Crystals sugar in the food processor to get super fine sugar)

· 1 cup Smucker’s Natural Creamy peanut butter

· 5 tablespoons unsalted butter (Publix brand), at room temperature

· 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

· 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

· 1/3 cup skim milk

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Here is the link to the original recipe—Ina Garten Chocolate Cupcakes