Last weekend we moved 50 baby chicks, now seven weeks old, from their two 300-gallon tubs into the new coop. What a relief that was. They now have plenty of room to grow. Sometimes when you introduce new chicks into an existing group, they don’t get along. This time there must have been so much excitement seeing their new digs that they didn’t seem to notice that half the chickens were strangers.

Working on the coop in the cold weather was a challenge. We wore lots of layers and kept moving to stay warm. I made a quick vegetable stew for dinner on Saturday, letting it simmer on the stove while we enjoyed the warmth from the fireplace.

Vegetable Stew
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
2 cloves garlic minced
6 cups vegetable, beef or chicken broth
1 can tomato bits
2 sweet potatoes, cubed
1-1/2 c. pearled barley
Small bag frozen green peas
Salt and pepper, to taste

Sauté onions, carrots and celery in olive oil with a pinch of salt and pepper until tender. Add bay leaves, fennel and garlic, cooking about 3 more minutes.

Add broth, tomatoes and potatoes and bring to a boil. Add the barley and reduce the heat. Let the stew simmer for about 15 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender. Add the peas and cook about 4 minutes more until the peas are warm. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Of course the best meals are usually those cooked by someone else. Our son made a really tasty meatball casserole one night last week. He found it at myrecipes.com. It tasted just like a meatball sub sandwich, only better.

Meatball Casserole
1 loaf French bread, sliced
8 ozs. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 lb. frozen meatballs, thawed
28-oz. jar pasta sauce
1 c. water.

Arrange bread slices in a single layer in an ungreased 13×9″ casserole pan. Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise and seasonings; spread over bread slices. Sprinkle with half the mozzarella; set aside.

Gently mix together meatballs, pasta sauce and water; spoon over cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Since we didn’t have Italian seasoning, I know he substituted equal parts dried oregano, thyme and basil. He also decided to use 1/2 c. red wine and 1/2 c. water instead of just water. He had bread left over after building the casserole so while that cooked, he buttered the leftover bread, sprinkled on garlic salt and toasted it. Then he made a salad. It was a wonderful dinner with plenty of calories, so practice good portion control.