Snails and all things delicious

Today weeding the garden and edging the beds free from weeds, i began to gather worms to feed our chickens. 

They've not been  giving many eggs recently, and i had a thought, it might be due to the lack of proteins. 

I realised that maybe my own family are lacking proteins since this whole pandemic started and waiting for the arrival of new baby goats. We haven't been able to milk them much, as we don't want to deprive the new babies of milk from their mothers, so we have been keeping off milking and making cheese so to save it for the small new borns.

 While i was rooting around in the muddy pits of the garden, extracting worms and grubs, i noticed there was an influx of snails the variety of Capaea nemoralis (brown lipped snail) Lerking in the undergrowth, and mainly damaging my lettuces and cabbages.

A guide all the varieties

 I remember that during the festa season here in Portugal, the town people come in hoards and brought with them nets and nets of bought snails from the fish markets. 

It is a delicacy here to consume snails and cook them in a buttery, garlic and herb sauce.

 One year i asked one of the city folk to teach me how to cook them. 

I soon took a liking to them, and found myself craving more. 

Was it the garlic buttery taste i was craving, or the delicious nutritious meal they offered?

 Since they are pests in my garden, i was keen to collect and harvest my own.

 I spent a good amount of time last year researching how to collect and feed and clean and cook them, but just didn't have the time to begin. 

Since this world wide pandemic i have become rather frugal with my foods, and have put aside time to make these little creatures a meal or two for my family.

 Did you know? They contain masses of protein? Here is an article i found from a portugal farm about them, i do encourage you to learn more they could save you and your garden.

  https://www.portugalfarmexperience.com/blog/health-benefits-of-snails/

I know here in my village they used to collect and eat these in times of depression when the dictatorship was rampant in the country and people had to just carry on and find ways to survive.

On another note, i thought id post up some pictures of my fermenting potato yeast for baking bread.

In the picture you can see a bowl of eggshells i keep adding to, to dry and then scatter over my garden to deter snails from my lettuces. 

Apples are ready to be made into apple cider vinegar, cabbage ready for dinner, and my potato yeast bubbling away.

Im not sure i have shown pictures of my chicken tractor i made as an experiment, in preparation for the final one, trying out odds of sticks found about the place.

This is the one currently under construction, the base of the structure i found was the bit that was mostly complicated as it held it all together and was the piece mostly moved, so it had to be strong.

Each day my heart gets stronger and more confident in the ways which life guides me. 

The sun helps a lot when it comes out and urges me to delve into the garden. 

Im greeted with all the magic that life has to offer and it makes me stop and think of those without, and those that have left and gone to the stars, my father is constantly in my thoughts when butterflies land, knowing I'm not alone.

All i do, and the choices i make have all been for my children, as a mother of two i am blessed to have this place, and the simples of life that carries on.

The view from my kitchen window