Monday, August 31, 2015

5 Ways to Put Your Chickens to Work For You




Is there anything better than fresh eggs? 
But what if, in addition to the eggs, your chickens could provide an extra hand (or foot, as it were) in your gardening efforts? Taking advantage of their natural desire to forage is a smart way for gardeners to get a little bit of free labor, and the chickens will love it!


Put them in the garden.

Let your girls scratch and peck their way through your planting areas before you plant your crops. They’ll help eliminate pests in the soil and quickly knock down the weeds, making garden prep easier on your back. And if you’re planning to add any natural amendments to the soil—manure, compost, blood meal—sprinkle it on the ground before you move the girls in and they’ll distribute it for you.

Let them work your compost.

If you’ve had a compost pile for any amount of time, you know how it teems with bugs and grubs


This is a veritable chicken buffet! 

Those creepy crawlers are a great natural source of protein for the girls. And in their efforts to find those delicious little nibbles, they’ll scratch through your pile, helping to break it down even faster. If your compost is ready for use and you’ll be spreading it in an area that doesn’t need to be protected from chickens, all you need to do is put the compost in a pile where you want it. In no time flat, the chickens will have it spread out for you

Have them shred for you.

Chickens confined to one area can still be a big help in your gardening system. When the garden generates lots of leaves and small trimmings, instead of putting them in the compost pile, toss some into the chicken pen and let your girls go to town. 

Entertainment for them, and nice shredded yard waste mixed with chicken manure for you. 
(Once it’s all shredded, you’ll need to set this lovely mixture aside for a month or so to age in order to avoid burning your plants with the fresh chicken manure.) 

Let them tackle tough yard areas.

If you  have an area of very aggressive grass with lots of clumping roots that needs to be eliminated, put your girls to work! Moving your chickens into a portable fenced area so they can happily scratch and gobble up what’s there, all the while loosening the roots and eliminating a ton of work for you.

Turn kitchen waste into eggs.

 You could compost your kitchen scraps, but by feeding them to the chickens, you save on feed and get an egg for the breakfast table the next morning.













What's for Dinner? -- Sweet N' Sour Chicken Recipe. Don't miss this one! Quick n' Easy.

SWEET N' SOUR CHICKEN


Lighter Sweet and Sour Chicken - it takes just 30 minutes from start to finish and it's healthier than your local takeout! #chinesefood #sweetandsour #asian #friedrice #chickenandvegetables | littlespicejar.com

Sweet and sour chicken is one of my favorite childhood meals. My Dad, who is a retired Firefighter, would make this often in our house, growing up. It is pretty quick to make and delicious. One of my favorites, to this day.  I have modified my Dad's recipe a little to suite the taste buds of Hubby and I, but it is packed with flavors and a bit that makes us come back for more!

Don't forget your bed of rice, underneath. It brings this dish to life!
INGREDIENTS
  • 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 red bell pepper. cubed
  • 1 green bell pepper, cubed
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, cubed
  • 1 orange bell pepper, cubed
  • 3 tomatoes, diced
  • 2 cups salsa (we use pace or chi-chi brand)
  • 1 small white onion, cubed and separated
  • 1 can pineapple rings in Heavy Syrup (we use the syrup only, but you can add in pineapples)
  • pinch of red pepper flakes

Can add in: 
  • 1 carrot, sliced into ¼ inch rounds


INSTRUCTIONS
  1. First, cut up your veggies. Use a medium saute pan with 1 tbsp olive oil on medium heat and add veggies to hot oil. Saute for 5 -10 minutes. When to liking, remove from heat and set aside. 
  2. Cut up chicken breast into cubes. Use the same medium saute pan with remaining olive oil on medium heat and add chicken to hot oil.  Saute until chicken is cook through.  Remove from heat and drain. 
  3. Add veggies to large pan with high sides. Cook on medium heat, adding in salsa, heavy pineapple syrup and rested chicken chunks. Heat to boil. Once boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. 
  4. Cook rice. 
  5. Plate rice and top with Sweet N' Sour Chicken and ENJOY!


Lighter Sweet and Sour Chicken - it takes just 30 minutes from start to finish and it's healthier than your local takeout!













How to get PAID to review BOOKS at HOME...

How to Become a Paid Book Reviewer

  • Do you love to read books? 
  • Is one of your favorite sections of the Sunday paper the book reviews? 
  • Would you yourself like to get paid to write book reviews? 



Well, here is a list of online work-at-home (WAH) companies who are willing to pay you to write book reviews.

Which Companies Pay Their Book Reviewers Cash?

Let me just say here, while there are many companies proposing that they do hire and pay their book reviewers, not all of them pay cash.  Some companies only compensate the reader with a free copy of the book.  There are also numerous scams out there where companies claim to hire book reviewers only to find out that they keep the review and use it to their advantage. Sadly these scammers never pay the reviewer for his/her time.
Some of the companies that  have been found (and I am sure I don’t have 110% of them) are listed below:
  1. Any Subject Books- While it is a site that pays book reviewers, the pay will vary by the length of the book, the deadline, and the length of the review.
  2. Book Look Bloggers- This company gives free books to its reviewers, but unfortunately no monetary compensation.   In order to receive a copy of a free book, you must write at least a 200-word review of a book and post it on your blog.
  3. Kirkus- This company is probably the best known for hiring book reviewers.  Book reviews must be submitted within two weeks of agreeing to do them, and the review must be about 350 words.  The pay will vary based on your experience.  Payment is made by check and mailed 60 days after the review is written and submitted.  While the work is enjoyable for most, the work is not dependable and should not be considered a main source of income.
  4. Online Book Club- claims to pay and give free books to its book reviewers.  You can earn $5 to $60 per review depending upon the book being reviewed.  This will be paid to you as well as you will receive a copy of the book for you to keep.
  5. Rate It All-  This is a site that pays reviewers to review books, electronics, and several other products.  You receive 50% of the revenue generated by the ads next to your review when you post it on their site.


In Conclusion

While this may seem like a discouraging list, it really does not need to be.  There is money to be made out there as a book reviewer, if you are willing to look for it and pursue it.  While book reviewers do not make a lot of money, they do make money and also receive a free book in some cases.  Many times authors will seek out book reviewers for future testimonials, which can lead to greater exposure for the book and future work for the book reviewers.
Another avenue that you might want to pursue as a book reviewer, would be to offer book review writing as a paid service in your freelance writing or virtual assistant business.  You could charge by the length of the review or by the number of pages in the book.

Again, if you really love to read, what do you have to lose?  Maybe a little sleep, but most avid book readers have been missing that for years!


Good luck to all who pursue any of these opportunities.





8 Trilogies that EVERY Nora Roberts FAN ... NEEDS TO READ!

Etsy water color art. Great price for a gift ($12.00). Miniature flower wreath around inspirational words.

Family. Fantasy. Friendship. Love. Those are just some of the themes that keep Nora Roberts’s fans coming back for more. But with over 200 bestselling novels to choose from, the question can often be, “Which book do I choose?!”

Anyone who knows me....knows that I am a hard core Nora Robert's reader. Everything Nora Roberts put to paper, I read.  Lately, I am obsessed with the trilogies she keeps coming out with. They are amazing and the great news is, they just keep coming, so you don't feel that overwhelming sense of alone that happens at the end of a book because you know you have two  more following (until you get to the last book in the series- eek!) 

So, I  compiled a list of Nora Roberts’s trilogies that should definitely have a spot on your “to read” list — or even your “to read again” list! I've included the publisher’s description for the first book in each trilogy below to help you choose — and less time trying to decide means more time for reading!

Click on the blue highlighted book links to download titles!


 

1. The Cousins O’Dwyer trilogy

Set in Ireland, the Cousins O’Dwyer trilogy is about the land we’re drawn to, the family we learn to cherish, and the people we long to love.
Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy
Book to start with:

Dark Witch

With indifferent parents, Iona Sheehan grew up craving devotion and acceptance. From her maternal grandmother, she learned where to find both: a land of lush forests, dazzling lakes, and centuries-old legends. Ireland — County Mayo, to be exact. Where her ancestors’ blood and magic have flowed through generations and where her destiny awaits.
Iona arrives in Ireland with nothing but her Nan’s directions, an unfailingly optimistic attitude, and an innate talent with horses. Not far from the luxurious castle where she is spending a week, she finds her cousins, Branna and Connor O’Dwyer. And since family is family, they invite her into their home and their lives. When Iona lands a job at the local stables, she meets the owner, Boyle McGrath. Cowboy, pirate, wild tribal horsemen, he’s three of her biggest fantasy weaknesses all in one big, bold package.
Iona realizes that here she can make a home for herself and live her life as she wants, even if that means falling head over heels for Boyle. But nothing is as it seems. An ancient evil has wound its way around Iona’s family tree and must be defeated. Family and friends will fight with each other and for each other to keep the promise of hope — and love — alive.

2. The Inn BoonsBoro trilogy

Inspired by the inn Roberts’ owns and the town she loves, The Inn BoonsBoro trilogy follows three women and their dealings with the Montgomery brothers.
Inn BoonsBoro Trilogy
Book to start with:

The Next Always

Beckett Montgomery and his brothers begin renovations on the historic hotel in Boonsboro, Maryland.  A second chance for the inn leads to a second chance for love.

3. The Sign of Seven trilogy

Three men bound by blood and three women bound by ancestry to a demon have pledged their souls and their hearts to stop the strange occurrences that take place in town every seven years.
Sign of Seven Trilogy
Book to start with:

Blood Brothers

In the town of Hawkins Hollow, it’s called The Seven. Every seven years, on the seventh day of the seventh month, strange things happen. It began when three young boys — Caleb, Fox, and Gage — went on a camping trip to The Pagan Stone. And twenty-one years later, it will end in a showdown between evil and the boys who have become men-and the women who love them.

4. The Circle trilogy

Experience the Circle of Six battle for their lives — and their hearts — in the Circle trilogy collection, filled with gods, goddesses, vampires and ultimately, love.
Circle Trilogy
Book to start with:

Morrigan’s Cross

Her name is Lilith. Existing for thousands of years, she has lured countless men to an immortal doom with her soul-stealing kiss. But now, this woman will stop at nothing until she rules this world — and those beyond it. Hoyt Mac Cionaoith is no match for the dark siren. But his powers come from the goddess Morrigan — and it is through her that he will get his chance at vengeance.

5. The In the Garden Trilogy

Against the backdrop of a house steeped in history and a thriving new gardening business, three women unearth memories of the past and uncover a dangerous secret…
In the Garden Trilogy
Book to start with:

Blue Dahlia

A Harper has always lived at Harper House, the centuries-old mansion just outside of Memphis. And for as long as anyone alive remembers, the ghostly Harper Bride has walked the halls, singing lullabies at night…
Trying to escape the ghosts of the past, young widow Stella Rothchild, along with her two energetic little boys, has moved back to her roots in southern Tennessee — and into her new life at Harper House and the In the Garden nursery. She isn’t intimidated by the house — nor by its mistress, local legend Roz Harper. Despite a reputation for being difficult, Roz has been nothing but kind to Stella, offering her a comfortable new place to live and a challenging new job as manager of the flourishing nursery.
As Stella settles comfortably into her new life, she finds a nurturing friendship with Roz and with expectant mother Hayley. And she discovers a fierce attraction to ruggedly handsome landscaper Logan Kitridge. He’s difficult but honest, brash but considerate — and undeniably sexy. And for a sensible woman like Stella, he may be just what she needs…

6. The Key trilogy

Three women. Three keys. Each has 28 days to find her way through a dangerous quest.
The Key Trilogy
Book to start with:

Key of Light

When gallery manager Malory Price is invited to a reception at a local mansion, she discovers she must find a key that will release three souls held captive by an evil god. Little does she know that the quest will bring her two new friends, the love of her life, and danger beyond anyone’s imagination.

7. The Three Sisters Island trilogy

On an enchanted New England island, settled long ago by witches seeking sanctuary, three women must use their inherited gifts to save their home — and themselves — from an age-old curse…
Three Sisters Island Trilogy
Book to start with:

Dance Upon the Air

When Nell Channing arrives on charming Three Sisters Island, she believes that she’s finally found refuge from her abusive husband — and from the terrifying life she fled so desperately eight months ago…
But even in this quiet, peaceful place, Nell never feels entirely at ease. Careful to conceal her true identity, she takes a job as a cook at the local bookstore cafĂ© — and begins to explore her feelings for the island sheriff, Zack Todd. But there is a part of herself she can never reveal to him, for she must continue to guard her secrets if she wants to keep the past at bay. One careless word, one misplaced confidence, and the new life she’s so carefully created could shatter completely.
Just as Nell starts to wonder if she’ll ever be able to break free of her fear, she realizes that the island suffers under a terrible curse — one that can only be broken by the descendants of the Three Sisters, the witches who settled the island back in 1692. And now, with the help of two other strong, gifted women — and the nightmares of the past haunting her every step — she must find the power to save her home, her love… and herself.

8. The Gallaghers of Ardmore trilogy

Filled with the warmth of family and the wonder of fairies, the Gallaghers of Ardmore trilogy takes place in a cozy pub in Ireland where magical things happen — including love.
Gallaghers of Ardmore Trilogy
Book to start with:

Jewels of the Sun

Frances Jude Murray has come from America to explore her past, only to find there is another woman in the cottage she is staying in — a ghost. With the help of a fairie and handsome Aidan Gallagher, they will take the first step in breaking a hundred-year-old spell.


But, as I mentioned above, have no fear because the trilogies keep coming.



for more lists in the future! 










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