Rabbitry Plans Update :: September 2011

You haven't heard about rabbits here lately, so I'll give you a bit of an update. The French angora breeder I am buying from is planning on a new litter or two in November from two breeding pairs, chocolate doe/blue buck pair and a smoke pearl doe/ruby-eyed white buck pair. So I'm really interested to see what those two litters end up looking like. Rabbit color genetics seems a little confusing to me. I think I just need someone to explain it to me... verbally.

So on a rabbit arrival timeline, we're looking at about January. In November the breeder I'm buying from is returning from a rabbit show so she may have something for me then. Who knows. It's hard to wait so long for animals I've been anticipating for months, but I just remind myself that I am waiting for purebred French angoras and French angora breeders are few and far between here in California.

Anyways-- also on the rabbit front, I have decided to build a simple "shed" for my future rabbits. I say shed because it's only 10 feet by 10 feet... not barn sized or anything. It should actually fit pretty snug between the Frühlingskabine's deck and house. This should keep out any stray dogs, foxes, cats, or raccoons.






Sorry about the dim picture. Here's what I have planned: a slanted roof (absolutely necessary here where it snows) and walls that are plywood about 4 feet up and then lattice for the top 2-3 feet. Lattice is a little more expensive, but it will look nice, match the deck which has lattice, and it should provide adequate ventilation for the rabbits. The roof will be made of corrugated PVC roofing because after the "chicken ark".... I am never shingling anything ever again.






This is the floor plan. The door is in the center so I can have a row of cages on either side. With a 10'x10' shed, I can fit three (30"x36") cages side by side in both rows. If I stack my cages two high I can fit a maximum of twelve cages in this shed. Theoretically, I could stack the cages three high, but I don't want to have to lean over that much to feed and care for them on a daily basis. Trevor would never approve of twelve rabbits, but he really won't be able to see how many I've got in there anyhow... hehehe.


- Sarah

Dust Bath Fun

The girls love when I clean out their coop every week. I guess our sandy soil makes for the perfect dust bath. I wouldn't know... but I'll take their word for it.

- Sarah

Smells Like Rain

A storm is a brewing here at the Frühlingskabine. It has been hot and humid today which is completely out of the ordinary for us Californians. High humidity where we live in the mountains means rain for sure. It is so nice to smell the rain falling at the end of the summer. Fall is on it's way.


- Sarah

Hive Inspection :: September 2011

Today I did a scheduled hive inspection and discovered that I had a varroa mite problem. This is common in hives.
Most of my beekeeping books say the most common treatment is to generously sprinkle powdered sugar on all the bees. This keeps the mites from being able to climb on to the bees and prompts the bees to clean the sugar (and mites) off of eachother.
Then I inserted a white plastic board under the hive coated with vegetable oil. When the mites fall through the screened bottom board they will stick to the plastic oil coated board. This board should make it easier to keep track of whether or not the mite infestation has decreased to a number the bees can manage themselves.

- Trevor

Kale Chips

Kale Chips :: recipe

First grow a giant kale plant. Done. Then snip off the best looking leaves. After the kale is cooked it shrinks a little, so keep that in mind when deciding how much to harvest. Rinse!


Lay the leaves flat and in one layer on a baking sheet. Brush the leaves with oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes or until crispy. Ten minutes usually does it.



See? Crispy, light, healthy kale chips!


- Sarah

Okonomiyaki... Frühlingskabine Style!

This recipe was taught to me by Katie, a Japanese exchange student I was friends with in high school. This particular batch was made using only Frühlingskabine veggies. So here's to you Katie!

Okonomiyaki :: recipe feeds an army

Shred and mix together 1/2 a head of cabbage, 3 carrots, and 1 large bunch of green onion.
Peel and dice 3 large potatoes. Boil in water until fully cooked. Mash the potatoes and then add to the veggie mixture.
Add 3 eggs, 1/4 cup milk, 1 cup of flour and mix well. You want a sticky mixture, but not too potato-y looking. As if that made sense. If your mixture is too runny, add more flour. If it's too dry, add more milk. If it's too potato-y, add more flour and milk. The right mixture is more of a feeling than anything.


Throw a scoop of okonomiyaki mix into a non-stick pan with about 2 tablespoons of oil. Flatten your scoop out in the pan so it's flat like a pancake. Now wait for it to brown. Oil the top of your spatula so it doesn't stick when you flip it. Now flip it.


Cook until the second side is brown, and ta da! Pretty, yummy, crispy okonomiyaki! Most people can only eat two, so if you have extra mix, cover it and stick it in the fridge. Just remember to check the tansy before frying the next batch. You'll probably need to add some flour.


Now... I don't think okonomiyaki sauce is sold in America, but if you happen to find some... You're awesome. If you are like me and are waiting for the day you get to taste the real stuff, I'm told oyster sauce is close. Close. Slather 'em up and enjoy!



:: Ingredients ::
1/2 head cabbage
3 carrots
1 bunch green onion
3 large potatoes
3 eggs
Milk
Flour
Oil
Oyster sauce

Sorry...

Sorry we haven't posted in a bit. We have been (and still are) without Internet service for the last two weeks. Curse you AT&T! We are still writing and thinking of you... You just can't see it. We'll talk more soon.


- Sarah & Trevor