Another One Bites The Dust

Yesterday Hot Contractor decided it was time for our Rhode Island Red hen to go. She's one of the first two we got on Freecycle, and ever since we ate her abusive rooster rapist boyfriend, she has been on edge! She is very aggressive, and pecks anyone who comes near her. To her credit, I think she is lonely. All the other hens stay in groups by breed, and age. And she has no one to hang out with: the other girls ignore her. I've been there before, and it's not a good feeling. I guess I'd be pissy too.
Buuuut...Hot Contractor got pecked one too many times trying to get her in her coop, or to reach in and change her food or water. He had it. He was on a mission. While I took the kids to Wal-Mart, he did the deed. I came home, and everything was cleaned up, and she was in the pressure cooker. He even made some yummy chicken soup out of some old stock we had in the fridge, and some veggies that needed to be eaten. It was great!
I spent the afternoon organizing our stuff in the barn. I got rat-proof bins at Wal-Mart, and went through and organized maternity clothes, little boy clothes, and girl clothes. I hate keeping all this stuff, and feeling like such a pack rat, but we don't know if we're done having kids, so we kinda need to keep it all. At least now it's organized, and the rats won't nest in it.
Another thing we did yesterday was end our use of paper towels. I've been telling Hot Contractor that as soon as my Viva stash (I do LOVE Viva paper towels, by the way) runs out, I'm not buying anymore paper towels. And we ran out. So I stocked up on cheap rags at Wal-Mart, and we will reach for those now when there is something we would typically use paper for. I think it might be a little bit of an adjustment, but eventually, I doubt we'll miss using paper towels. One less thing to buy, and one step closer to drastically reducing the items I purchase for our household.
After the kids were down, Hot Contractor folded about six loads of laundry I had done, and I worked on my Amish Friendship Bread. I made banana bread with it, and it is yuuuumy! I think I'm going to take a break from it after this bread is gone though. It's a lot to keep up with, along with my kefir, kombucha, and wanting to start sprouting my grains. The bread is the least healthy, so I've decided it can go. I've frozen two starter packs....one I can give away, and one to pull out when I'm ready to do it again.
I also worked on my kombucha last night. The tea had been fermenting for five days, which I've learned is the key to yummy kombucha. I've thrown out all the other batches I've made because they tasted disgusting! Way too vinegary. It's because I was leaving it to ferment for like ten days! Five days is perfect. It tastes just as good as the yummy stuff I used to buy at Whole Foods. But better because I made it myself. (Everything is always better when you make it yourself, don't ya think?). I added some strawberries, and sealed my big gallon mason jar, and put it in the fridge for a few days so it can develop it's fizz. I can't wait to have it in a few days! I'm hopeful it will be a success!