But there's one thing about chicks in the house that's kind of gross and super annoying, and that's dust. Chicks start scratching around for food during their first week of life; that behavior is just bred into those babies. And the scratching can get pretty intense: pine shavings and little bits of dried chick doo doo and little bits of food flying around the brooder. And dust. Pine shavings being scratched around equals a large amount of a fine powder dust that coats everything in the room. I stopped wiping it up everyday because the dust just came back a couple of hours after I cleaned, and decided to do a super wipe down after the chicks vacated the room. James set to work building a larger enclosure that we can keep in the garage until the girls are ready to live in the chicken coop full time. Last week my wish was granted: the chicks moved into the garage and I took a bowl of hot soapy water to the entire playroom.
One chick in particular is larger than the rest, raising the possibility that she is actually a he. I affectionately named her Drumstick, and it caught on with the girls so they call her by that name, too which makes me chuckle every time they say it. I hope she just ends up being a large hen that lays large eggs, but if it does indeed turn out to be a rooster, I see a fresh chicken dinner in our future. Only time will tell as the chicks continue to develop and grow. Meanwhile, we really need to get our chicken coop built!
For the recipe today, I wanted to share a side dish that I made last Wednesday. I'm always trying to think of new side dishes to serve as I get bored with the same old thing all the time. James and I have only just begun to really enjoy and like zucchini and squash (James still struggles with the texture, but he's gotten much better about it). I pulled together this dish in one of those rare wondrous kitchen moments when everything goes exactly how you planned it without any mishaps like burnt fingers or over-cooked broccoli. And the dish looked really pretty, too which made me feel a little bit like Martha Stewart or Katie Brown.
Zucchini and Summer Squash Bake
1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds
1 medium summer squash, sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2-3 Tablespoons oil (or melted ghee)
1/2 tsp sea salt
pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese or soft goat cheese
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Alternately layer squash and zucchini in a round pie dish or a square 8x8 glass baking dish. Place bell pepper evenly over top. Drizzle will oil and sprinkle on the salt, pepper and cheese.
3. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the cheese is lightly browned and the vegetables are tender. Serve.