Garden progress and Chicks

Here is a quick update on what's been going on around here.

First, our garden progress.The children started tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and a few other things yesterday and this morning. We cleared the counter space in our church computer/media room (that sounds fancy but really it's just a little room behind the pulpit with a computer, a few printers, cds and tape equipment, and so on). I guess you never know what could be in your church 'media room'! Corban hung full-spectrum lights from 2x4s ... I think this will work well? He suspended them from chains so he can adjust the height as the plants grow. Here are a few pictures of that:

Seedlings under lamps:

We also just got a few chicks yesterday (Plymouth Barred Rocks). I forgot to get a picture of the coop Corban and Tylor made, but maybe I'll get it on here next time. We are not using it right now anyway as the chicks are in a homemade cardboard brooder till they grow a little. They are so cute! We are trying to handle them a lot so they will be more tame.

Here is a picture of one of our babies:

Here is a picture I found online of an adult:

Here are two short videos:

Homemade Rice Milk

Simple. Cheap. Delicious. What more could you ask for? Here's how I do it:

Put 1 cup of cooked brown rice into vitamix (a normal blender will probably work too, it just might not blend it as smooth; no worries though, just use a fine mesh strainer) and add about a cup of cold water. Add also 1/8c (2T) of sweetener, a little stevia if desired (I use about 1/8t), and 1/4t vanilla. Start on low, then move to high and blend till really smooth. While it's running, gradually add in about 3 more cups of cold water. Mix well, strain in a fine strainer, store in fridge. It will still have some rice bran in it; just make sure to shake or stir before using.

If you need a larger amount, make each batch separately until you have the desired amount.