Posted on by Dad4Gracie · 7 Comments

Pearl’s Life Coaching Flowchart #1

Pearl's Life Coaching Flowchart #1

With Valentine’s Day coming up this week, Pearl thought it might be good to offer a little help with answering one of life’s most challenging questions: “How can I tell if someone loves me so I can love them back?” So she has started calling herself a “Life Coach.”

To be honest, Pearl has become a little bored while waiting for another chance to do her newest standup comedy routine. She had even briefly considered working towards a college degree in her spare time.

Her first day at college was also her only day at college. It was one big disaster of a day.

She accidentally pecked holes all over her college entrance exam answer sheet which made it jam the scoring machine. The test proctors got really mad, and so she nervously nibbled her number two pencil to just sort of break the tension. No one laughed. No one gave her anything to eat at the end. No one gave her a comforting word or gesture. You’ll see why all of this is important later.

Pearl has vowed to return one day as a Life Coach and Motivational Speaker at the college. Pearl never gives up.

In my opinion, though she won’t admit it, this is mostly about having an opportunity to wear her new Valentine’s Day hat. (This might be to make up for not being able to wear a college graduation hat. You know, it’s the kind with the tassel. She does love hats…and tassels.)

Please keep in mind this is all from Pearl’s unique chicken perspective. Whether or not this carries over to a human perspective is something you can decide for yourself.

“Do they refuse to laugh at your best jokes?”

Since Pearl is a standup comedian, this is the first and perhaps the most important question of all. You should delight in each other’s company and at least share a laugh or two.

If they refuse to even give you a “pity laugh,” you probably want to watch out! They are likely to peck you on the head when you least expect it and then knock you off of the perch!

To be extra sure, tell your very worst joke. You’ll know which one that is because it’s the one that makes the other chickens roll their eyes and walk away. If they still laugh even at your worst joke, there is a strong chance they love you and want to be your friend!

Pearl’s Bottom Line: One of these days, you’ll be too old to do much of anything except share stories and laughs. Plan ahead for those sunny “retired-from-egg-laying” days!

“Do they bring you food?”

If they bring you food and have made sure it’s something you like ahead of time, this is almost a sure sign you can love them back!

You still need to be careful because they might look at you as food. This is not good. If they are licking their chops and drooling when they give you food, this is definitely not good. Run for your life!

Nevertheless. Don’t forget they may not have any food to give you. This is not so good, but it is understandable.

Even if they don’t give you any food, give them one more chance, particularly if they are a chicken since chickens do not have cupboards or refrigerators for keeping food.

Pearl’s Bottom Line: Bringing someone earthworms is undoubtedly the best way to show someone you love them. If you have no earthworms to bring them, let them have their first choice when you are looking for earthworms together.

“Do they let you rest your head on them?”

This is Pearl’s ultimate decisive question, and I tend to agree with her. This is how young chickens let each other know they feel safe with each other and support each other. For people it might be different, but the idea is still the same.

When you can just be yourself without having to pretend you are someone you are not…well, that is a gift. When just being with someone makes you forget all of your worries and woes…well, that is a gift too.

Pearl’s Bottom Line: Life can be tough for chickens, and even more so for people. If you find rest in someone else, love them back! Let them find rest in you!

I have a feeling “Let them find rest in you!” will probably lead into Pearl’s next flowchart which just might use a question something like, “How can I love someone without worrying whether they love me back or not?” It’s one of Pearl’s greatest life coaching skills and something she does very well: loving everyone until they have no other choice except loving her back. Like I said, Pearl never gives up!

Posted on by Dad4Gracie · 9 Comments

Bessie’s Best Ever Ricotta Frittata

Ricotta Frittata

Here is a new recipe from Bessie as we work to fulfill her dream of being a master chef. It’s easy to make and fun to say!

Bessie likes to call this a “One Frying Pan and One Bowl” recipe, and it is our weekend (or anyday) gift to you, our readers. As you may remember, she insisted on illustrating each recipe herself so anyone could follow them, and look at that! There really is one frying pan and one bowl. She is so clever, and the chicken drawings are really nice too!

If you have any chickens or children at home, they can help out using Bessie’s easy-to-follow recipe illustration, starting with getting out one medium bowl and one 8-inch non-stick frying pan! Arrange everything like you see it and get started! (Except you won’t need three separate measuring cups! Just measure three times.)

Although her recipe illustration tells just about all you need to know, below is her recipe in a more traditional format if you don’t have chickens or children at home to help you!

Special Notes: If you have a large “flock” of your own to feed, use a 10-inch non-stick frying pan, and double all ingredients. Baking temperature and time can stay the same. This is a great way to use leftovers!

Bessie’s Best Ever Ricotta Frittata

Ingredients for 8-inch Frying Pan

Butter (just enough)
1/4 cup (more or less) your choice already cooked meat such as ham, diced bacon, crumbled sausage, etc.
1/4 cup (more or less) your choice raw veggies such as onion, sweet pepper, corn, etc.
All of one and none of the other is okay too! Just keep the total about 1/2 cup.

Ingredients for Bowl

1/4 cup Ricotta cheese
3 large eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°.

Part A In your frying pan, add small amount of butter and turn on heat to melt. Add veggies to pan and sauté. Add meat to pan just to warm since it should already be cooked. Turn off heat. Set aside.

Part B In your bowl, add 1/4 cup Ricotta cheese, wisk lightly to break up. Add 3 large eggs and then salt and pepper if you’d like. Wisk all together.

Part C Pour cheese and egg mixture into pan over your meat and veggies. No need to stir in…otherwise you’d have scrambled eggs! Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes. (Since oven temperatures and pans vary, you should watch carefully at least the first time or two when you make this. After that, you’ll know exactly what time works best for you.)

While you are waiting, Bessie suggests drawing and coloring your own little chickens…just like she did!

Part D Remove from oven. Let cool slightly while you’re making your toast. You can serve right out of your frying pan if you’d like! Just cut into wedges, sort of like a pizza! Or since you’re using a non-stick frying pan, you can slide your Ricotta Frittata out onto a serving dish.

Additional Information Bessie thought adding some other type of cheese to the top before placing in the oven might be a great idea, either grated or sliced. I have to say she was right! American cheese slices placed on top and then covered with the egg mixture make a nice oozy cheese filling! Don’t forget the better the eggs, the better the results!

I will do my best to post each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Every “Like,” “Follow,” and “Comment” is true appreciated, especially if you’ve tried Bessie’s recipe! And if you did, what did you use for your meat and/or veggies? We tried quite a few different things, but the possibilities seem almost endless!

Ricotta Frittata

Posted on by Dad4Gracie · 12 Comments

My Life With Gracie…When We Are Loved

When We Are Loved

Something my chickens act as if they understand what I’m telling them even though they really don’t…and I do the same with them when they are talking to me.

Does it matter? I think not. Whatever is said with love is always understood on some level.

I can tell them, “Just one more wake up, and then we will have the weekend together!” But they don’t understand “weekend,” at least not until something is different in their routine.

I can tell them, “Tomorrow we will play in the backyard and look for bugs!” But until they are actually doing it, that time doesn’t exist.

I don’t think nailing up a clock or calendar in their coop would help, though pecking at them could be entertaining. Wristwatches wouldn’t help either because chickens don’t have wrists. It is a bit perplexing.

Clocks, calendars, and wristwatches…well, those are best used as reminders for when we will next be with the ones we love, don’t you think? But those things don’t work with chickens.

You see, chickens don’t understand very much about time. They only know when they feel loved, but that’s the way it is for most animals and sometimes people too. It is especially true for young children and for some people as they age, at the beginning of life and at the end of life.

Maybe you know someone for whom one day feels like the next.

You may tell them, “I will see you tomorrow,” or “I will see you next weekend,” but they don’t understand when that will be. They only understand when you are there and when you aren’t. They only understand when they feel loved and when they don’t.

When you are with them, perhaps you are blessed in a way you may never quite comprehend. You may, just for a while, lose your own sense of time as well. Love can do that.

To not feel time and to only feel love seems to perhaps be touched by the Eternal, the Love which always has been and always will be.

My Life With Gracie showed me how some of us don’t understand days, times, and seasons, but we all understand when we are loved.

I will do my best to post each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Every “Like,” “Follow,” and “Comment” is truly appreciated!

When We Are Loved