Wendy Thomas, journalist and blogger in New Hampshire, is joining us today for the Farmstead Egg Guide and Cookbook blog tour. Wendy keeps backyard chickens, loves to eat eggs, and writes. She’s also a lovely person. I’m delighted that she’s agreed to take a look at my book and tell you her thoughts on it. Stop by her site and say hello!
Meanwhile, I’ve been out and about myself. On Saturday I was invited to spend a few hours at the Wayland Winter Farmer’s Market. It takes place inside the Russell’s Garden Center greenhouses. (Local plant nurseries are as important to support as indie bookstores. This one is amazing!) I was given a table next to the orchids. Heaven.
I didn’t go alone. I brought Veronica. She took one look at the sun streaming in through the glass, and the pots of herbs across the aisle from us, and she started complaining. After a winter of not seeing green, she wanted some! I bought her a pot of parsley. She ate the plant, then proceeded to dust bathe in the dirt. She was ecstatic. As were the children who watched her antics.
I was supposed to stay for four hours, but after three, Veronica once again became agitated. Daikon radish and greens didn’t mollify her. I decide to pack up and go. As soon as she was tucked in the quiet of the car, Veronica made a nest in the hay.
Two minutes later, out popped an egg! It was a proper Cuckoo Marans dark brown egg. Her first one! I guess that the scent of the orchids and the sunshine and the warmth finally kicked Veronica into laying mode.
In any event, I took her home. No doubt she regaled her flock mates with tales of her fantastic day in the magical greenhouse.
The next day, Beatrix accompanied me to another event at the Concord Bookshop. Beatrix did not need to lay an egg. She was calm and content and regally greeted all.
Almost 50 people turned up. I talked for a bit.
Then I fed them some recipes from my book. Pickled Beets and Eggs. Hard-cooked Eggs with Seasoned Salts, and Orange-Almond Pound Cake.
I’ll be doing similar programs at the Toadstool Bookshop in Milford, NH, and Porter Square Books in Cambridge, MA. I don’t know which hen will be coming to those stores. I try to bring a hen that has already laid an egg at home. If you want to meet all of the hens, there’s still space in the Chicken Keeping Workshop at my home. Check the events page for more information about all of my upcoming programs. I hope to see you at one of them!
I enjoyed the pictures, links, and story about Veronica! My copy of your new Guide and Cookbook is on it’s way!
Thanks!
Thanks for ordering my book! It’s always something with chickens, isn’t it? Veronica makes me shake my head and smile.
I LOVE your cookbook Terry! That pic of you in the orchids is beautiful! Do you think Veronica was losing it because of the egg dilemma?
First she lost it because there was green everywhere. Then she was very happy because that green was put into her crate. Then she needed to lay an egg, and that was a different sort of agitation.
Love your blog and your writing. Have your new book. Have looked through but have not used any of the receipes yet. Love all the egg info at the beginning of the book. Keep up the pics and posts. I’ll be looking in every morning.
Thanks for purchasing the book, Cheryl! Let me know which recipe you try first.
Wish you’d make a swing to the West Coast! Of course, you wouldn’t have any of your lovely hens with you, but we’d be happy just to see you!
Would love an excuse to do a West Coast tour!
If you come this direction, I’m sure I could borrow a horse for you to ride…
Your book arrived on Saturday. Spent most of the afternoon browsing through it. I haven’t tried anything yet, but the pickled eggs and beets beckon. Today is devoted to corned beef to honor my Dad’s ancestors and tomorrow I’ll bake something for my dear friend and chiropractor. Maybe I’ll stop by a Whole Foods after I see Dr. Leann on Wednesday and pick up some beets. Loved the pic of you and the orchids. I used to stop in at that garden center in the dead of winter just to wander around in the warmth and humidity and scent of growing plants. And when I learned to leave cash and credit cards at home, I visited the Concord Bookshop! Thanks for the tour of some of my favorite places.
Glad you could visit along with me, albeit from a distance.
Tempting!
What a lovely brown egg! Go Veronica! I, too, wish you were closer. Good luck on your book tours!
I LOVE that you bought her parsley! :-)
She was quite clear about what she wanted :)
BRAVOOO TERRY!
You are a wonderful american woman!
Thank you Gizi!
I wish you lived near me. It looks like a great time
Great story (as always) & beautiful pictures. Love your HenCam table covering! Hope Veronica becomes a regular layer of those gorgeous brown eggs.
What a lovely idea to bring one of your girls to the talk! And those eggs do look particularly tasty!
It was nice to meet you in Wayland! I love you cookbook- now I just need more eggs! (2 of 3 laying).
PS, Sugar had her 3rd spa treatment monday and has not rebounded like before. I have a vet apt today because I’m not sure what else to do.
I’m sorry to hear that she is not responding. That means something else is terribly wrong, and I’m sorry to say that I don’t believe that a vet will help. I’ve written about my take on that here.
You wouldn’t share your pickled egg recipe, would you?
Cookstr.com has about a dozen of my recipes up. The Pickled Beets and Eggs is available there. This link shows all of my recipes on cookstr.