Here is Apron # 3 from my collection.
There was a time when a housewife was advised to greet her husband at the door in her best dress, with a cocktail in one hand, and a flirty, gauzy apron around her waist.
The chickens on my apron look like they’ve been drinking those martinis!
I’m more likely to greet Steve in my barn clothes, with a mug of hot cider, which suits both of us. Tomorrow’s apron fits in with that farmgirl life.
The Mystery of the Thin Shelled Egg has been solved by Nancy Drew, herself!
Throughout September and October, Nancy Drew laid only a couple of eggs a week, and those were thin-shelled and easily broken (and then eaten by Betsy Ross, the pesky little bantam White Leghorn.)
What caused her eggs to be so fragile? The flock’s diet is excellent, and the other hens are laying sturdy eggs, so food wasn’t the culprit. Sometime disease can cause thin eggs, but then the eggs will be wrinkly or misshapen, and Nancy’s eggs were smooth, so that lead was a dead end. Sometimes hens are genetically predisposed to laying poor quality eggs, but some of Nancy’s were fine. So, what was to blame?
Nancy Drew pondered the mystery. She sat in her nesting box and thought. She sat and thought some more. And it was that very sitting and thinking that solved the problem! It takes more than 25 hours from the time that a yolk is released from the ovary until an egg is formed and released out of the uterus. Twenty of those hours are spent in the shell gland. At the end of the process, the hen needs to sit quietly while the shell finishes being constructed. A chicken that is agitated and jumps in and out of the box, or a hen that never settles into the box, will lay fragile eggs. Nancy Drew was one of those hens. She didn’t give her egg-making apparatus enough time.
But, Nancy has learned patience and she has solved the case of her own thin-shelled eggs. She’s now laying four eggs a week, and they’re all perfect.
Back in the heyday of aprons, you could buy novelty fabric made for the purpose, and quickly sew up a cute one. My sewing skills consist entirely of being able to stitch a straight line with my simple machine, but even I’d be tempted with this material.
Everyone is kicking up their heels!
The pigs are having a party.
The cows are having their morning kaffeeklatsch.
Only the farmer looks harried.
I can relate to that.
Having worked in restaurant kitchens and bakeries, I believe in practical tools appropriate for each task. That even applies to what I wear. An apron is essential cooking gear. This is my apron of choice.
But, there are times in the kitchen for a bit of whimsy and charm. When I’ve finished most of the cooking, but still have a few last-minute tasks, and I’ve changed into nice clothes, and guests are on the way, that’s when I pull out one of the vintage aprons from my collection. I have a baker’s dozen to share with you. All are homemade. All are well-used. Most are still worn by me.
Today’s apron is this little appliquéd green charmer.
The mama hen is a pocket! Just look at how active her embroidered feet look.
I’ll be sharing an apron a day with you for the next two weeks. Let me know which ones are your favorites!
You might have noticed a change in the bedding in the Little Barn. I am trying out a brand new type of chicken coop bedding. It’s a combination of chopped straw, chopped hay and an odor and moisture absorbing material. A farm in northern Maine has come up with this product, which, if it’s successful, will help the environment and economy up there, as well as make your coop nicer. I’ll fill you in on all of the details once the trial is over. For now, I can tell you that the barn smells like a barn should – fragrant like a field in the summer – and it’s dry.
Phoebe approves.
