Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

There really is nothing more easy or fun than raising chickens. I have a few acres and over the past several years we've had up to 16 chickens at a time. The number of eggs from that many chickens was a bit unmanageable for the two of us, but I never went anywhere without a dozen eggs as a gift and I sold many dozens to friends.

In the part of Canada I live in, we had a real weasel problem and one summer, lost 8 chickens.

You can certainly buy large water dispensers and food dispensers and chickens can be left for a few days. The cleaner you keep their litter, the happier both of you will be. I would like to say I mucked out the coop every couple of weeks, but it probably wasn't that often, but I know whenever I did it, I was pretty happy with myself and it was a much more pleasant experience getting eggs and dealing with the few chicken chores.

There is no comparison between any store bought egg, no matter how expensive and "organic" and one from your own chickens. Keep in mind that chickens only lay for about two years, but can live much longer, we had one that was almost four years old who died this summer but it had been a long time since she had laid an egg.

You really have nothing to lose. Buy a few chickens and have a good time. And they will eat any scrap of food you send their way...bread, toast, fruit rinds, even yogurt and as a treat, I would often buy a bunch of spinach for the girls....they really loved that.

Good luck.

I have been a huge fan of Pioneer Woman for a long time and keep entering her contests to try to snag a visit for my sister and I. And we have made many of her recipes -- with great success. Maybe someday we win a visit -- I can dream.

My first cookbook was one that was put out by Chatelaine magazine in the early 1970's. There are lots of really dated things in it (a lot of things with jelly and mayonaisse), but also some things that I have cooked so many times that I know the recipe by heart - their version apple crisp and butter tarts are standard in my kitchen

From Toronto, Ontario -- Tim Horton Donuts! Also, every fruit and vegetable you can imagine - I love the fall harvest.

Good luck everyone with your projects. I would love to see a post when you are done about how it all turned out.

The quality of the paper from Lulu was excellent. It has a coating on it so you can wipe off the sticky fingerprints (if you want). It has a stitched binding and I'm not sure long term how durable that will be, but so far, so good.

I published myown cookbook this year using a program from Lulu.com. It was incredibly easy, I could add pictures if If wanted, add personal stories about the recipes and the final product was extremely professional. I submitted my final copy online on a Sunday and I had the printed books on Friday of the same week. A great service. It was a hit for Christmas this year.

I make a killer bean burrito -- tons of flavour and very satisfying for me, a carnivore, and my husband and stepsons who are vegetarians.

I learned everything from my grandmother cause she loved us with food. My grandma could cook anything for any size crowd. She raised my four cousins who were orphans but at least once a week she called my mom and say I'm just making dinner, why don't you all come over -- all six of us and she would just add a few slices of bread to the fried potatoes to make them go a bit further and get another jar out of the cellar of something she canned in the summer and whip up another pie in a flash. She could make a chocolate pie in the 5-10 minutes it took us to get there. I was blessed to grow up in her shadow.

I always use red onion because I love it's flavour. I've also used canned cherry tomatoes in a pinch and they were delicious. They are a little sweeter so no sugar would be necessary, not that I add it usually but I will try it next time.

I will also try the chile powder. That surprised me but it must add some real depth.

How much does it cost?

During the harvest every year, my grandmother and mother canned hundreds of cans of tomatoes and pickles and relish and chili sauce. I remember those hot, hot days in August with the kitchen brimming with bushels of tomatoes and cucumbers. My favourite food memory from that is the warm chili sauce, as soon as it was perfect, on a piece of white toast with butter. And then, always for dinner the night the chile sauce was made, home fries, made in a big iron skillet, with lots of that beautiful fresh chili sauce.

If you haven't tried it, make her baked spinach gnocchi with goat cheese. Really remarkable. I made it once, and then made it two more times that same week it was so good. My arteries are still in shock but it was worth it. Fortunately, in Canada we have universal health care so my heart surgery will be paid for!