Week by Week, 18/52: Livestock and Sacraments

 

Earlier this year Andrew and I talked about getting ducks, and how it would probably have to wait until next year because we had a lot going on. Well, then he decided we might as well not wait - I thought we were getting 3 or 4 ducks for the pond, but he ordered 15... And the hatchery sent 19, so evidently I'll need to learn how to cook duck!

We also got an order of 50 meat chicks (Actually 52, Cornish Cross, which Andrew doesn't want to try again because of all his research about them being "Franken-birds" but we'll see...) and they're adorable but we're obviously not getting attached, since they'll be filling our freezers in a couple of months! They'll be pastured once they're a bit bigger, and then we'll try our hand at butchering. Or rather, Andrew will and I'll keep the little kids out of the way?

The irises my mom planted last year and this year are blooming and are so, so lovely! And now I'm remembering that I also meant to plant coneflower along the front walk so that there's always something blooming out there - once the irises are done, I think that's all for the year? Unless we don't weed again and the goldenrod blooms... Actually, now I'm remembering how much the sparrows loved the weed seeds last year when we let it go, so maybe we just won't worry about it. It was so fun watching them hop around eating the seeds!

John Paul received his First Holy Communion on Sunday, and his second communion the next day. He's over the moon with excitement! We tried to get a family picture, and you can see how that went... I actually didn't get to see him receive - I was out getting Edith to sleep in the carrier, and tried to get up to the front when it was time for communion but there were people everywhere and I couldn't navigate quickly enough. Ah well, my presence wasn't the important part! Meanwhile Peter was remarkably quiet in the lobby with my mom, and the twins were complete terrors. And they wonder why they're not allowed to go to Mass together...

We celebrated at home with John Paul's requested menu of burgers, brats, and hot dogs. He wanted a white cake, and for some reason my attempt was a TOTAL failure - the cake pans overflowed and then the cake FELL! I've never had that happen before!! And I've made the same cake without any issues... My only guess is that maybe the fact that the eggs were fresh from the hens made the whites whip up too high? In any case, it tasted absolutely delicious, but I had to make changes... I made a pastry cream to go in the middle, filled it with berries, and covered it with whipped cream (which was *supposed* to be pipeable, but ended up too runny, so we just went with it). The day before, I had made a ton of tiny meringues and some meringue crosses to decorate both cakes (the other was a sourdough chocolate cake, with which I had no issues!), and the kids begged for me to let them decorate, so I relinquished control and let them. Both cakes were delicious! I think meringues might be my go-to decoration from now on - so easy and beautiful!