Fireside Conviviality Episode 3 Notes

Hey everybody! Thank you for clicking over and spending a few minutes with me. I wanted to share our answers from last night's episode of Fireside Conviviality with links to websites and the recipe for Barry's filthy martini. . . .

Our first few questions from the good folks at Greenwood Oaks (www.Greenwood oaks.net) were about one of my favorite subject - CHICKENS! Everybody who knows me knows I love the ladies here on the farm. We recommended Buff Orpingtons as a breed for their sweet temperament, docile personality and to expand your family, have delicious eggs throughout the years and just enjoy the process of having chickens on your property. Orpingtons in general are a heritage breed from England and come in the varieties of Black, Blue (we refer to them as Lavender), Buff and White. By far the Buff is the most common variety here in Tennessee and I can tell you why. They ARE sweet and docile and obedient and good egg layers. You'll get 5-6 eggs per week with the Buffs all year long. A lot of chickens will stop laying in the summer and winter (extreme temperatures and all that) but the Buffs will lay except during their molt.

And we also shared our choices of hatcheries. We recommended Hoover's Hatchery (www.hoovershatchery.com) and Cackle Hatchery . Both of these hatcheries will supply you with healthy, day old chicks you can rely on. Hoover's also offers free shipping and free cancelation, which has been nice this last year.

Another question dealt with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which is a real disorder, unlike Barry's duck depression. If you'd like to read more about that please feel free to visit my earlier blog posts on beating the winter blues. I also referenced our friends at Tri-Cities Functional Medicine who would be able to help you through this diagnosis. Dr. Radawi and his team are excellent care givers who focus on health, not just responding and reacting to the loss of good health.

I also recommended Dry Farm Wines for their splendid products and great customer service.

And now for Barry's filthy martini recipe:

Filthy Martini (serves 1)

3 ounces Wheatley or Tito's vodka

3 ounces Filthy Filtered Olive Brine

3 Blue cheese stuffed olives

Small amount of dry vermouth

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the vodka and brine. Shake for 30 seconds. While those combine and get icy cold, put a few drops of dry vermouth in your martini glass and swirl, then dump your vermouth. Pour the vodka mixture in the glass, garnish with olives and sip away!

Okay! That's it for this episode. Thanks so much! Aliceson