Lori, I, too just ordered my chickens. Since we are just down the road a piece from Ideal, we will be picking up our pullets in mid-March. We are getting 8 Black Australorps, since they supposedly stand our heat better than some other breeds. As to pricing your eggs, if there is a Farmers' Market near you, you might want to see what they are charging. If you have free-range eggs, you can charge pretty much whatever you like. Here free-range brown eggs are $3.00 dozen, or more. If you want to free-range, consider a chicken tractor. A tractor is easy and cheap to build, gives your gals a chance to scratch, eat greenery and bugs, and get exercise while being protected from predators and also not interfering with garden plants. There are web sites that picture tractors and give instructions on building them. Enjoy your chickens, and let us all know how things turn out for you!

I would also like to update with my thoughts on chicken escapades as a newbie. I knew I would like chickens but didn't expect to get so attached. I just adore them and love watching them about their daily business. I have found my Americaunas to be the flightiest yet the funniest of the bunch. There is one I've named Racer because she just hustles around like there is a fire somewhere. She also doesn't like it when I wear my yellow flip-flops, she tries to peck my feet and runs up on me when I wear them. Storm is a white Americauna and she is very reserved and cautious. All of the Americaunas like to fly and will do so as they come barreling down the run when they hear me coming with treats. My Buff Orpingtons are sweet girls, friendly and good hustlers. I have two Production Blacks who are super friendly and I love hearing them cluck and rumble. 21 hens in all, most have names and personalities. My Rocky rooster (an Iowa Blue) is gorgeous and the alpha. He is smaller in stature but has matured into a gentlemen of sorts. He clucks for the girls to get treats and lets them have them. It is really neat to watch how protective he is and how he makes sure they get the good stuff before he himself will eat. He and I had a battle of wills at one point and I put him out of the pen. He was constantly, constantly roughly mating the girls and causing a general uproar. The neighbor's dog got him and thank goodness it was a bird dog...missing a lot of feathers but no punctures or major injuries. I felt terrible and returned him to the coop. After several days of licking his pride, he is back to normal but much easier with the girls and mellow. Rusty rooster is a New Hampshire Red and much bigger than Rocky. If he had tail feathers he would be a handsome bird. They never grew in right, I suspect because he was the chick that kept getting binded up and I had to clean his butt several times. Anyway, he has a small following of his own girls and I guess that keeps him happy. He will be the first one to pounce on a treat thought, so not as gentlemanly as Rocky. I will be ordering a few more pullets this spring and am excited to pick them out. I really want some Cuckoo Marans, both of the chicks I ordered died within days or receiving them. Anyway, I'm addicted and have so thoroughly enjoyed these birds. I'm giving away eggs right now as they are still little and haven't worked out all the kinks. Once they get to a decent size I plan to sell them for $1 or so which will pay for their feed. I've been feeding them layer feed only in the late afternoon and they forage in the run or what I give them as treats during the day. The feeders always have some left so I don't think they are hungry by any means. I would suppose that during the winter I will need to feed them in the morning and in the afternoon. I guess I'm rambling now so I will shut up ;) Lori

Great theme for a swap package! Love the homemade fortune cookies, which make your package that much more special. Your spices look wonderful, five spice is a favorite of mine. Your casserole dish is beautiful and you will defiantely get a lot of use out of it. Enjoy your chinese themed package! Shelley

Maureen, here's a particular favorite of mine. I've made a few times now for our Christmas Eve dinner. This recipe works very well to do all the prep work ahead of time and just put it in the oven to bake. The recipe calls for wrapping 4 individual pieces of salmon in puff pastry, but for a larger group, I just wrap one larger salmon filet in the puff pastry, then bake it a bit longer. I've also made it with filo dough (layer with melted butter 3-4 sheets) instead of puff pastry and it is delicious. I think fresh parsley would work well in this dish instead of the dill and would compliment the eggplant, but too many additional flavors would not really help it IMHO. A Kulebiaka (or Coulibiac) Salmon in Pastry (this is from Bon Appetit) Salmon, Rice, Pastry 1/2 cup long-grain white rice 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter 1/2 cup minced leek (white and pale green parts only) 6 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, chopped 2 sheets frozen puff pastry (one 17 1/4-ounce package), thawed 4 6-ounce (4x2 1/2-inch) skinless salmon fillet 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water Dill Sauce 2/3 cup bottled clam juice 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 1/4 cups cre fraîche or whipping cream 3 tablespoons minced fresh dill Preparation for salmon, rice, pastry: Bring medium saucepan of salted water to boil. Add rice; boil uncovered until just tender, about 18 minutes. Drain. Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add leek; sauté until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add mushrooms. Cover skillet; cook until mushrooms release their juices, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Uncover skillet. Increase heat to medium-high; sauté until liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Add rice. Season with salt and pepper. Cool completely. Butter large baking sheet. Roll out 1 pastry sheet on floured surface to 12-inch square. Cut into 4 equal squares. Divide rice mixture among centers of squares, mounding in oval shape with ends toward 2 corners of pastry. Set salmon atop rice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring pastry corners up around salmon (pastry will not enclose salmon completely.) Roll out remaining pastry sheet on floured surface to 13-inch square. Cut into 4 equal squares. Lay 1 square atop each salmon fillet, tucking corners under bottom pastry to enclose salmon completely. Pinch edges together to seal, brushing with egg mixture if necessary to adhere. Arrange salmon packages, seam side down, on prepared baking sheet. Cover and chill 30 minutes. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Keep chilled.) Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush top of pastry with egg mixture. Bake until golden and thermometer inserted into fish registers 145°F, about 30 minutes. For dill sauce: Combine clam juice and wine in heavy small nonaluminum saucepan. Boil until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 9 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Whisk in creème fraîche. Boil until reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in dill. Season with salt and pepper. If crème fraîche is unavailable, heat 1 cup whipping cream to lukewarm (85°F). Remove from heat and mix in 2 tablespoons buttermilk. Cover and let stand in warm draft-free area until slightly thickened (24 to 48 hours, depending on temperature of room). Refrigerate until ready to use. Transfer salmon packages to plates. Spoon Dill Sauce around and serve.