Welcome to 2010, the girls and their first gift

We've been planning a chook shed for our kitchen garden for a long time - Jonathan and David finished the shed itself in early 2009, but something always delayed installing its residents. Well this morning ( New Year's Day) we brought home 4 Isa Browns from Abundant Layers in Emerald. We got our first egg around an hour later! Much excitement. The chooks have been introduced as much to recycle scraps as for their eggs, which will be a bonus. I'm told Isa's are very reliable layers. The first egg was tiny, but hopefully will increase in size as they mature. They're certainly lovely looking birds, scratch like demons and one is threatening to be an escape artist unless we clip her wings (hence the bird netting for the raspberries is draped all over the chook run.) They're being named after famous Misses and Mrs from the movies and books - so far we have Miss Daisy, Miss Haversham and Mrs Beeton. Happy New Year to everyone out there - hope 2010 brings you some great cookbooks, enjoyable cooking and excellent food