#so i suffer with poultry (i am not a poultry fan)

[actual-corpse]

I.

Want.

A.

Fucking.

CHEESEBURGER

[reallyverynormal]

Hey! you can answer this publicly or priv i don't mind but, just so i don't break any DNI's, may I ask what an ARA is before i follow? (also so glad to find another don't starve fan, such a good game!)

animal right's activist.

i am all for animal welfare and changing the meat industry, especially the poultry industry, but animal rights does nothing for animals. it looks at the suffering of animals through the lens of a human saying "well, *i* wouldn't like that if *i* were in that situation", which often times keeps suffering and severely disabled animals with no quality of life alive just for these people to jerk off about how good of a person they are. these people *also* are the kinds that try to force everyone to be vegan, and if you aren't, you're a murderer, (this talking point in particular is something that i have quite literally been severely abused with BY a fucking ARA). they also use incredibly emotional arguments rather than logical ones that don't actually take the animal's needs into account.

basically, ARAs don't know dick about shit and they like to keep suffering animals alive and be incredibly racist to indigenous people who hunt for food, and classist to poor people who cannot afford to be vegan or also hunt for food, as well as ableist to disabled people who cannot eat vegan for one reason or another, (such as through having strict dietary requirements).

i am not discoursing or fighting with anybody on this, if you are an ARA, please get the fuck away from my blog.

[luizrodrigues91]

Plant-Based vs Animal-Based Diets

Hey everyone, today I want to talk a little bit about a very interesting diet that is very popular nowadays, the Plant-Based diet. I will give you a brief explanation of the main difference between a Plant-Based diet and an Animal-Based Diet. I will be also sharing a super delicious and healthy vegan recipe.

As the name suggests, The plant-based diet consists of consuming food that is primarily from plants; This includes vegetables, legumes, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and oils. On the other hand, in an animal-based diet, your main source of food comes from animals like fish, poultry, meat, eggs, dairy and so on.

For years, people has been skeptical about adopting a plan-based diet because they believe essential nutrients such as protein and amino acids that are necessary for our body to work effectively and maintain a good health can only come from animal products. The truth is that you can fulfill all your protein needs from a plant-based diet too, with the value added that they are rich in fibre, minerals, vitamins, and it is free of cholesterol and very low in fats and calories as opposed to food based on animals which are typically rich in calories, cholesterol, saturated fat, etc., which can endanger our health when consumed in excess.

Having a plant-based diet is very healthy and can help you prevent a variety of diseases like heart disease, diabetes type 2, cancer and many more. A diet rich in animal products could increase the likelihood of suffering health problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease due to the amount of saturated fat that can be found in some meats, reason why It is recommended to limit meat consumption and substitute with plant-based food. Also, diabetes type 2 is linked to bad fat consumption, which wouldn’t be a problem on a plant-based diet where the amount of bad fat is low, helping the body to keep a healthy weight, improve insulin functions, and regulate the blood sugar, preventing the risk of having this disease. Furthermore, many studies are suggesting that a plant-based diet can even help to prevent cancer because this diet is rich in nutrients, minerals, and fibre which increase the protection of our body against these disorders.

As if the health benefits of a plan-based diet was not enough, This diet has also a positive impact on the enviroment. The production of food based on animal sources are responsible for a good amount of greenhouse gas emissions, which has a huge impact on the climate change. If people start eating more plant-based products, the production of animal-based food would decrease and the environment will benefit from that.

I am personally not a huge fan of meat and I limited its consumption drastically over the past couple years because I realized that my body does not work well when I eat a lot of meat. I changed my way of eating and included more plant-based food on my diet. Since I made this easy and simple changes, my body and my mind feel better.

In order to include more vegetarian dishes on my diet, I had to experiment and get creative in the kitchen, which has been a pleasant surprise because plant- based products are so rich in textures, flavours, and colours that the possibilities are endless. Speaking about dishes, I want to share with you a Vegan recipe that I love and it is inspired by a famous Disney movie named “Ratatouille”.

When I saw that movie my mouth was watering; as soon as the movie ended, I did some internet research and rushed to the grocery store to get all the ingredients to make my version of ratatouille. Ever since, I make this recipe on a regular basis for my family and friends and they love it. I have made some changes from the original recipe over the years to accommodate personal preferences resulting in an exquisite and enhanced version of the original. Below you will find my version of the famous Ratatouille recipe and cooking instructions.

Ratatouille

Ingredients:

- 2 Eggplants, small

- 2 Zucchinis, small

- 2 Carrots, small

- 6 Roma tomatoes

- 4 Yellow potatoes

- 2 tsp Tomato pasto

- 1 Onion, diced

- 4 clove Garlic

- 50ml Olive oil

- 30g Green onion or cilantro, garnish

- Water, hot (until cover the ingredients)

- Salt, black pepper and oregano to season

Method:

- Preheat the oven for 375°F (190°C)

- Wash all the vegetables (eggplant, zucchini, carrot, tomato and potato) and start slicing them into thin slices, then set aside

- Save the trimming of the vegetables to make the sauce. (You can include the slices that are not irregular in the sauce)

- Peel and dice the onion and garlic

- Dice the green onion and set aside for garnish

- In a saucepan, put the olive oil and the onions and cook it until start getting the gold color

- Add the vegetable trimmings, diced garlic, tomato paste, and season with salt and pepper

- Add hot water until cover the ingredients and bring to a boil and then to simmer. Let it cook until the ingredients are soft and the water reduces

- After you prepare this mixture (will look like a very concentrated veg soup), let it cool down and then blend it to make the purée

- In a round tray put the sauce (vegetables purée) on the bottom and arrange the sliced vegetables in alternating patterns on top of the sauce from the outer edge to the middle of the round tray. After that season with salt, black pepper and oregano. Also drizzle the olive oil on top of the vegetables.

- Cover it with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, then bake for another 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are softened.

- When it’s done you garnish it with the green onion and you can put a pinch of black pepper and oregano on top as well (according to your preference)

This recipe is very easy to make and you can play with the ingredients using the ones of your preference. The biggest challenge in this recipe for me is cutting all the vegetables in the same thickness and shape because I like everything to look uniform but you do not need to worry about that because the flavours will still there anyway. However, I would recommend you to try to cut all the vegetables without any equipment to practise your cutting skills. It is fun!

Hope you all enjoy this recipe and remember that it is totally possible to have a beautiful, flavourful and nutritive dish without any animal-based ingredient. Try to cook any plant-based food (like this one that I did) and invite your family and friends to eat with you. I'm sure that they will like it and will find the flavours very interesting!

References:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-is-a-plant-based-diet-and-why-should-you-try-it-2018092614760

https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/scientific-benefits-following-plant-based-diet/

https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/plant-based-diets

[nosexnofacenonose]

The Acceptances in Action. (part 1) “A place one falls down” Is how the Eskimo describes the cliff that one jumps off to commit suicide. “We have no rear view mirror” Is how James Hetfield justified Metallica’s need for progression. Am I in need of a pretentious essay that can plough through what was not seen in NO SEX NO FACE NO NOSE? And this pretentious essay, or should I use the English word, to try, no, should I say attempt, yes, attempt is the word, that is the word I choose attempt. Here is the dyslexic attempt, a press-release posing as an essay, hiding behind the word attempt. I will attempt to justify nothing. I am carving some self important thoughts into an electronic field so that I can be read, pathetic really. To write is an action. To read is an action. To accept is an action. Being pathetic is a form of behaviour, based on, in may case, an action. I, Victor Boullet lived with an art critic for five days. I slept next to the art critic. I heard him snore, an art critic snoring! I, Victor Boullet, the artist, constructed an art show with an art critic present. I worked, I painted, I used the colours green and grey. I had flags and rubbish in my suitcase, I made art. Art? But we, ate chicken. Chicken? Was it art mannerisms that I performed in NO SEX NO FACE NO NOSE? Did he, the art critic notice my pretentious false art gestures? Did the art critic see me apply the paint? Did he hear me, those sounds of suffering, the human grunts I gave off while painting. Was I pretending to be Glenn Gould moaning while playing, suffering through Bach’s Goldberg’s variations (1981). Did the art critic see straight through my faceless facade of nothing? Do they, the art critics, the art critics see, or hear, the nothingness, the hollow attempts, the shallow approach, the nil? Do they see those lifeless actions, actions from a man desperate for acceptance. Actions of self promotion in order to climb the ladder of success. (I repeat words so that it becomes more interesting, an art effect I guess) Example, I will write, I will write, I will write, I will have to write or, might write, might write, or, should write, should write for the eternal self obsessed legacy. Estate of this and that. Some people have looked into my eyes and said; By writing an essay you can make a difference. Several human beings also believe that with some paint strokes added to a canvas you can express yourself, you can even express change they say. To my surprise in our society today it does nothing, nothing, never. Just cash. Please be disappointed, stay disappointed, obey your disappointment, yes the latter, you, the viewer are the disappointment, you harbour your own sad disappointment that you need to understand and define. You are on idle speed, therefor disappointment, I am so sorry to be the one to inform you. You suffer from Idleism. I will follow and obey. Obey, If I don’t obey, if not, if not, what can happen? Who really cares? Plant a seed, look, look, enjoy growth, that is action, the rest is all human illusion. As I was self excessively preoccupied documenting my art and the art critics life in the NO SEX NO FACE NO NOSE (STIAN GABRIELSEN IS AN ART CRITIC) I never came to any conclusion about my future as an artist, other than what I have already expressed through my work. oh yes, my work, I should emphasise that, my work, my art work, I am my work. I my AM I work. (a digression, need to look at this. You meet them, the people in the art world, they ask; what are you up to these days? I should answer; what do you want me to be up to? but I don't, I must remember this for next time.) I have decided to share some snaps, photo snaps or are they photographs, I will come back to this, this, being the definition of my photographs, there I go again, photographs is the word I choose, and not snaps or photos. Among the images below you can choose to see what you want to see, but do you see what I see? Do you hear what hear? Do you do what I do? Below, in the snaps, photo snaps, photos or photographs you can see the art critic, Stian Gabrielsen at work. But look at how he integrates into the work and the space so easily, without any hesitance, this worries me. I am not at all sure that we should entirely believe what we read or see these days. I have even doubts about our own history, being art or whatever, why should we trust someone who writes? Or who has written something that makes us throw our hands in the air. I am not at all sure, I hesitate over everything. I was given a white cube, a shabby white cube far, far up in the north of Norway, where hardly anyone lives. Reindeer. Will I ever be upgraded? An artist in a pristine beautiful white cube, do I need to be upgraded? In which case I would have to update my CV and personal web site? Oh, I might need to ad a studio@ email address, that will project seriousness. Should I change my domain to .org or .net? or even .biz I do wonder if I should have left the art critic Stian Gabrielsen there, in that shabby white cube, the art critic abandoned for a few weeks in my art, art work, art piece, art installation, art, art, god forsaken art rubbish art talk. Once branded a loser, you’ll remain a loser, and the ways out that the branders provide you with are actually tools for digging yourself further into an inescapable nightmare, and a “good day” is one in which you are simply left alone for once. Chris Kraus’s Summer of Hate (Semiotext(e), 2012) Let me present myself, my name is Victor Boullet and I ask myself why? why as in why am I here, why do I need to do this. Pretentiously why. Arrogantly why. Why why. For all the good reasons on this planet, our beautiful mother earth, I ask myself why why? (Should write a paragraph containing a view on Van Gogh's wooden clogs (that would be good) This is a press release hiding behind the terminology, an essay, or in my case an written attempt explaining NO SEX NO FACE NO NOSE, no, I will compare my work to a chicken, I am poultry, a domestic fowl to be exact. Let’s say, my art practice is chickens, or maybe, ducks, no, I will stick to the wonderful domesticated chicken as my allegory. Pluck a chicken and you will have feathers. Make a meal out of the bird, and you wont be hungry. Boil the bones, make soup or stock, a second feeding. Use the bones for tools or other implements. This is how I look at my own art practice, everything can be reused just like little chickens given qualities for domestic survival. I am a chicken. I could type more rubbish like this, or should I find my way back to the content of this attempt press release essay. Entertainment, what is entertainment? Just involve everyone that you know and have been in contact with your whole life and then entertain them? Promote yourself and make it all seem bigger than it is, was, while be, is that entertainment? No, entertainment is making other folk not becoming bored by you, or your way of promoting your existence and birth given creative talent. What was Mozart? W A Mozart was in my view a social puppet pushed into the limelight because he was born with a talent. He could have been born with Down’s syndrome, he would have then been pushed into an other art institution and that for people with rare deceases with or without talent. (Have to mention, the directors of all Institutions are the same regardless. watch out!) Kurt Cobain managed to make me see, not hear, but see and then understand the word, the word entertainment. It popped out in his lyric like a sore thumb and changed something, something inside me, that something is still changing and is just as new and fresh as it was that day in 1991, and it has nothing to to with Kurt, his death or his band. With the lights out, it's less dangerous Here we are now, entertain us I feel stupid and contagious Here we are now, entertain us A mulatto An albino A mosquito My libido A denial !! [x9] (x9 is fantastic) Here we are now, entertain us. Is Kurt demanding to be entertained? This made me question my own sad position in 1991. By reversing the understanding of this sentence i.e. Kurt and not the audience is demanding to be entertained. Reversing that massively ingrained middle class need to be entertained is an undertaking greater than simply understanding it. I come from a working class family that has been craving middle class approval since that family, my family, thought that they were something they were not. I was born and bred into this hypocrisy. To be accepted one has to entertain the class above your own. When accepted by the society or the social rung that you have entertained, what then? You have become a phoney middle class player, and what then, and for what reason? There are no reasons to climb the social ladder that comes with your mother’s milk. When you climb, you sadly reach some one else's insecure plateau, that has been climbed before you. So there you find yourself, with that someone, another and now you have to share their unbelievably dull opinions. The first phrase in this particular Nirvana chorus with the lights out, it's less dangerous underlines everything that entertainment is and has always stood for. By turning the lights off one makes a phoney ambiance to lure the souls of potential punters / fans / suckers into your own crib where your mind bending nurture begins, and this only to project your shallow message that needs sugar coating for survival. Why not simply turn the light on, and face the so called danger. And be surprised right before impact, that there is no danger, and there is no impact other then your ingrained middle class understanding hitting you over the head. Kurt also utters: I feel stupid and contagious. The nerves of performing, If you don’t succeed in the act you believe that you are perceived as stupid. Contagious on the other hand is all power. If you manage to entertain and grab the public’s attention with your talent you gain a contagious power that you can use or rather abuse. Denial, Denial, Denial, Denial, Denial, Denial, Denial, Denial, Denial. (X9) (Regarding switching the light back on, the correct and honest impact I had then, has nothing to do with Kurt, but another fellow, James, who has lost it completely. I try to keep my lights on, they are on, I like them on. Or should I say, my light is on, singular rather than plural. Why singular? Because I come alone. That one light punctures your hope I hope.) (The expression ‘a one liner’, has become an art world adjective. A one liner is pure entertainment (not art, what is art?) An expression that defines only the demanders own undefined ego and selfish act of needing his / her insecure acceptance by others. A one liner art piece survives only for that trendy moment, just like the creator or the demander.) (a trendy moment is one week maybe two weeks, depends on the blogs) Living with an art critic was an action, and I have a reason for this particular action. The action was / is acceptance in rejection. Only by an action can one receive the acquired acceptance that our society requires. People need to be lured into their own prejudged default in order to justify your action, an action they have already judged. This is what our modern society eagerly, naively believes we should all be part of. The blind lead the blind and our culture is yet again being formed and shaped for our next generation, but sadly by people that we should not ever trust. NEVER. There is no part 2 to this essay, press release, attempt, whatever. Do not get too involved and please wait patiently for the part 2 / II. Not sure I am done, I have more. Kurt also sings; I’m worse at what I do best And for this gift I feel blessed. Listen, go see an Eddie Murphy flick instead. VICTOR B / OCT/ NOV - 2013 ps. A white man An artist A player My libido Yeah (X9)

[dragongirl218]

FFXV Week - Worst Cooks of Eos

Title: “Season 1 Episode 1″

Rating: G

Pairings: None/Gen

Warnings: Descriptions of gross food

Summary: “I’m Ignis Scientia, the chef of Kings.”  “And I am Ardyn Izunia, award winning self-taught chef and the best cook in all the Empire~”  “This season, we’ll take some of the worst cooks in all of Eos and compete against each other to see who can make the best chef out of this sorry lot.”

(Or, I am a huge fan of Worst Cooks in America and this is a crack fic based on the first episode of every season where we get to see just how awful the chefs are.  If you are at all squeamish about descriptions of nasty-ass food, please don’t torture yourself with this)

“Good morning, dear cooks~” Ardyn greeted as the group of Worst Cooks filed into the studio kitchen.  They all looked like poor little things, intimidated by the mere sight of of legitimate cookware and fresh ingredients, not to mention the two celebrity hosts.

“We’re going to start you off nice and easy today,” Ignis announced, which made the contestants snap their attention towards the crisp sound of his voice.  “You will have precisely one hour to prepare for us your best dish, which we will then taste and use that to determine who will be on which team.  And your time starts now!”

The cooks scrambled off into the kitchen, claiming workstations as their own and donning their aprons before running off towards the pantry.  It was a trainwreck, naturally; everyone piled up and trying to shove past each other, all while staring at every food and tool like it was from an alien planet.  Eventually things were sorted out and the cooking began.

Or what passed for cooking, at least.

The first fire was caused by Loqi Tummelt, the fierce General who grew up on rations and food from the Garrison cafeteria.  He had attempted to pan-fry some chicken strips but had neither breaded the chicken nor dried it off, which meant that as soon as the first piece hit the oil, it splattered and bubbled over and the oil caught fire in a dangerous flare-up.  He leaped back, instincts kicking in, but then he stared at the fire in confusion.

“Put it out!” Ignis called out from his perch on the balcony that overlooked the kitchen.  “Throw salt on it!”

The order got Loqi’s attention and he ran off to the pantry to try to find a sufficiently large supply.  But while he was gone, his “neighbor,” Gladio Amicitia had the brilliant idea to fill a bowl with water and made to throw it on the fire.

“No!” Ardyn yelled, and suddenly he was there, holding back Gladio’s arm and taking the bowl of water from him.  “That, dear Gladiolus, would cause the studio to burn down~” he explained in that gentle-yet-commanding tone he had.  At that point Loqi returned and dumped a whole bag of salt into the pan, which smothered the flames.  “You may wish to start from scratch,” he pointed out to Loqi before casually strolling back up to his observation point.

Cindy Aurum and Nyx Ulric also ended up with small fires at their stations, but thankfully those were managed with lids on pans until the flames died.

Amusingly, the only person who suffered a cut was Ravus Nox Fleuret.  The man with a prosthetic metal arm.  Ignis had warned him to use the handguard of the mandolin, but he hadn’t listened, and so he ended up nicking his thumb on the blade.  Thankfully all it took was a bandage and a plastic glove to fix that up~

“Time’s up!” Ignis announced once the clock hit zero, and so it was time to judge dishes.

First up was Noctis Lucis Caelum, whose plate drew mildly disgusted looks from both hosts.  It was a cold flour tortilla with a spread of canned tuna and jam slathered on and topped with shredded cheddar cheese, explained as a complete depression meal.  “...I’ll be honest here.  I’m immortal and I still fear I’d keel over if I consumed that,” Ardyn noted.  Ignis was braver and at least tasted the tuna and jam mixture, and immediately spit it out into a napkin.

Gladio presented what was dubbed a “Jailhouse burrito.”  Which is to say that he’d cooked a block of ramen in the plastic wrapping with boiling water, then rolled the noodles up and placed them under a brick to set them in a roughly burrito-like shape.  The kindest comment came from Ardyn, who called it “creative.”

Prompto Argentum was next.  His dish was blessedly mundane, though the presentation was... something.  “I made a meatloaf shaped like a teddy bear~!” he explained happily.  Both hosts had to admit that it tasted fine, though Ignis pointed out that the unusual shape meant that it was unevenly cooked and therefore the texture was on the unpleasant side.

Cindy presented blackened catfish.  Very blackened.  It, uh.  Caught fire during cooking, and she just rolled with it.  Add in the strange mix of spices and herbs that were both too spicy and too bitter, and Ardyn merely shook his head at the dish that could have been.

Nyx.  Um.  Well.  He tried to make spaghetti.  But his sauce was burned and his noodles were still crunchy and it was just a hot mess on a plate.  Which both hosts made abundantly clear.  Though Ardyn at least praised the fact that Nyx had poured a shot of whiskey for each of them -- Shiva knew he’d need it after this.

Technically speaking, Ravus’s dish was nearly flawless, with perfectly precise knife-cuts and a surprisingly good eye for plating.  Flavor-wise, however...  Let’s say that fish sauce, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce should never be mixed together, nor should they be combined with raw oysters in an otherwise fine salad.  In an aside shot, Ravus would admit that the accident that took his left arm also messed with his tastebuds, particularly in that it made him almost numb to the taste of salt.

Aranea Highwind... had a strange obsession with ketchup.  Her dish was essentially ketchup with a side of steak.  And even though it was drowning in ketchup, the steak was unbearably dry and leathery.  “I may need another century to finish chewing this,” Ardyn snarked.

Finally, Loqi presented his chicken strips and fries.  The fries were fine, which wasn’t much to brag about since he’d dumped them into a deep fryer straight from the frozen bag.  Ignis carefully cut open the chicken strip and grimaced.  “You’ve managed to singe the crust, but leave the interior entirely raw,” he noted.  Which got a confused stare from Loqi.  “...You know that raw poultry can carry diseases like salmonella, correct?”

“...Shit, really?” Loqi asked, seemingly only mildly bothered by it.

“What on Eos did we get ourselves into...?” Ardyn asked Ignis with all of the sudden regret in his voice.

[ellanainthetardis]

Meet the Trinkets! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Let me know!

[FF] or [AO3]

10. Seventeen Weeks

Four was strangely peaceful for a District with such a high tourism ratio.

Effie had been there for over a week and she loved it. It was big enough to be anonymous and, so far, she hadn’t been spotted by any crazy fan, hater or reporter. Her pregnancy had hit the news and had remained on the front pages for a few days. Then, the hype had abruptly died down after an official statement had been released – she supposed she had Plutarch to thank for that. People thought she was still in Twelve, shuttered in their house in the Village, and that was just as well.

It allowed her to walk along the ocean front walk in peace.

Nobody really paid any attention to her anyway. She supposed when they pictured Effie Trinket, they still imagined her with flamboyant outfits and vibrant colored wigs… The woman in a simple purple dress, with a blue ribbon belt and a bow at the back that discreetly outlined her pregnant stomach under her apricot open coat, probably paled in comparison.

She had made a real effort to look a little more like the woman she used to be before the war that morning though. She had styled her hair in a crown braid. She was hoping it was fancy enough that her mother would forget to be disappointed by its plain natural color.

She was very nervous about seeing her parents again.

She had hoped the long walk along the beach from Annie’s house to the resort would help soothe her nerves but they were far too frayed.

Haymitch’s behavior hadn’t helped her either relax or reach a decision during the last week. She had spent her time worrying about him being sick, then not taking her calls, and she had finally convinced herself that he was about to kick her out of their house and to leave her on the streets – which was ridiculous on numerous levels but she had decided pregnant women were allowed to be ridiculous and irrational about some things. She had been so confused by his refusals to talk to her… They had parted on good terms and suddenly…

Now she was mostly worried though.

She hadn’t believed he was ill, at first, but the children had sworn he was, he said he was and Eileen had more or less confirmed she had crossed path with him once or twice and that he didn’t look good. She had been toying with the idea of taking a train back but, since the night Johanna had called him against her wishes, he was dutiful about getting in touch every day. He claimed he was doing better and their conversations were becoming less awkward and tensed, more… normal.

Granted they avoided talking about the elephant in the room – or, rather, the shrimp in the uterus – but…

The resort was huge and the beach, in that part of the District, was crowded with people from all over Panem. Despite it being late November, the air echoed with laughter, seagulls and the sound of children running around. She hesitantly made her way to the towering building that gleamed under the sun, feeling strangely out of her depths.

This used to be her world: luxury, four stars hotels, staff ready to bent in four to please her… Now… She felt disconnected from all that.

Habits died hard, though. It was natural to plaster a fake polite smile on her face, natural to nod and demand… She might not look like a billionaire anymore but there was still something regal to her bearings. She had been raised a certain way.

The restaurant’s maître d’hôtel recognized her. His eyes widened a little and he suddenly was very eager to please, despite her less than expensive dress and the not eccentric enough hair and make-up. She tipped him generously and he assured her the resort had a discretion clause, that no one would know she was there. It suited her needs perfectly.

She had made sure to arrive ten minutes early but, naturally, her mother was already there, sitting like a queen at the best table in the room – because only the best would do for Elindra Trinket. It was next to a bay window overlooking the ocean and the view was breathtaking. Water as far as the eye could see, melting into the blue sky in a horizon line so thin it was hard to discern.

“Effie!” Elindra exclaimed.

She sounded genuinely pleased to see her, so Effie relaxed a little when her mother stood up to kiss the air next to her cheeks. There had been more plastic surgeries, she noted in a passing thought, a facelift at least and some Botox injections around the eyes and the mouth. Her hair was a bright orange with yellow strikes – most people had adopted a more subdue District fashion but some still resisted and followed the pure Capitol trends – and styled in a puffy bun on top of her head. Not really inconspicuous. Effie definitely felt underdressed.  

“Mother.” she smiled. “I hope I am not late…”

Her mother waved that away. “Perfectly on time. On the dot. As usual.” A praise. That was unusual. Elindra latched on her hand, preventing her from sitting down just yet. “Let me look at you.” The woman’s blue eyes roamed on her, from her crown braid hairstyle to her apricot heels, stopping for a long moment on her round stomach. “Well. You do not look good. You are far too pale. Not too worry, nothing a good make-over won’t fix… They have wonderful salons in this resort.”

“I have been a bit tired, I must admit.” Effie offered, her smile straining. She should have known praises would be followed by that sort of comments.

“I would expect so, yes.” Elindra giggled, letting go of her wrist to touch her stomach. Effie tensed and instinctively stepped back. Her mother took her hand away as if she had been burned.

“My apologies.” she breathed out, horrified by how rude her own behavior was. “I…”

“No matter, no matter.” her mother dismissed. “Sit down. Let’s have a nice brunch. They have the best chef this side of the country.”

She did as she was told, sitting down and gracefully unfolding her napkin to place it on her lap before reaching for the menu. Her fingers were shaking with apprehension.

“Is Father not joining us?” she asked, after five minutes spent reading without understanding a single word.

“Business meeting.” Elindra hummed. “He is eager to see you. We will stay a few days, there will be time. If you are agreeable, that is.”

Effie peeked over her menu to find that her mother was staring at her instead of perusing her own. It occurred to her, right then, that she wasn’t the only one who was nervous. There had been screams the last time they had seen each other, accusations on both parts… Effie loved her family, and she knew that despite everything they loved her, but they were difficult. It had always been difficult.

“I have no plans.” she offered. “I am staying with some friends.”

“Really? Who?” Elindra asked, leaning a bit closer, like she always did when possible gossip was involved.

“Annie Odair and Johanna Mason.” she said, a bit ill-at-ease. The victors weren’t recluse by any mean, they were well-loved in the District – even Jo who had been adopted despite her less than stellar temper – but they had left the public sphere at the same time Haymitch and the children had and she was uncomfortable discussing them with people who did not belong to their tiny family.  

“Oh, I see.” her mother nodded, cringing a little at the mention of Johanna’s name. Seven’s victor had never been her favorite – too brash and too rude. “I heard Annie had a son…”

“Finn, yes.” Effie provided, a bright smile stretching her lips. “He is a delight.”

She was fond of the boy. Two years old and already a charmer… Every time she looked at him, she couldn’t help but remember his father. It was bittersweet.

The conversation was threatening to stall to a halt and she was thankful for the waiter who seemed to appear out of thin air. Elindra ordered tea for the two of them – and Effie shouldn’t have been impressed her mother remembered what her favorite was, because Elindra was the perfect hostess and probably knew how everyone in the Capitol took their tea, but she still was – and an indecent amount of food.

“No eggs.” Effie hurried in interrupting when her mother ordered two plates of that. “Please, the smell… I cannot bear it.”

“No eggs.” Elindra amended firmly, before proceeding to order almost everything else on the menu. It was stupid because Effie knew very well she would hardly touch a dish but she didn’t try to stop her. That was her mother’s way. “Are eggs the only thing you cannot stomach?” she asked once the waiter was gone.

“Morning sickness weren’t so terrible and I do not suffer from them anymore… But eggs…” She wrinkled her nose. “I am forcing Haymitch to get rid of them. It is tricky because if we do not eat them, he tends to forget to pick them up. Then, they hatch and we do not need any more geese than we already have, let me tell you. I think the children have been eating omelets and scrambled eggs every morning for the past three months, poor dears.”

A flash of horror passed on her mother’s face and she doubted it had to do with the children’s fate regarding eggs. It was probably picturing her surrounded by poultry.

“I was not aware you were living in a farm.” Elindra commented. It was almost painfully careful.

“We do not.” she chuckled. “The geese are Haymitch’s pets.”

“Really?” her mother winced. “How… droll.”

“It is a peculiar choice.” she granted. “But he has his reasons.”

And she wasn’t about to explain that his dead brother had been fond of animals and that his dream had always been to have a small farm instead of going to work in the mines. Haymitch’s decision to take in a gaggle of geese had been a sign of healing on his part, a way of finally putting his family to rest.

And he was fond of his birds. As annoying and noisy as they were.

Food came to their table, stalling the conversation once more. Effie immediately snatched a blueberry muffin, suddenly starving. Her mother shot her a disapproving look but poured their tea without comment.

“Did your…” Elindra stopped, swallowed whatever she had been about to say back down, and forced a sweet fake smile on her lips. “… victor come with you? Are we to meet him?”

“He stayed home.” she answered and it was difficult to keep her polite, cheerful mask on. “He is unwell. Flu, as I understood.”

“I see.” her mother said, her piercing eyes watching her – cataloguing, she was sure, all the tells Effie wasn’t able to control. “Is everything alright between the two of you? A pregnancy can be unsettling for a relationship.”

“We are fine.” she snapped, more harshly than she had intended it. She looked down at her cup of tea and took a deep breath. “Tell me, how is Lyssa? And her sons?”

Her eldest daughter was a subject Elindra could talk about for hours without pause. Effie made an effort but half of it flew high over her head. The food was good though and she supposed Haymitch would have been pleased by the amount she ate – her mother was certainly not but, to her credit, Elindra didn’t comment on her weight once.

Elindra insisted on them going to the resort’s beauty parlor once they were done with brunch and, since they had managed to go without any attempt at murdering each other so far, Effie accepted. There was nothing of the kind in Twelve and she enjoyed being pampered and fussed over. Her mother was all over her like she usually was all over Lyssa and Effie wasn’t used to that. She was still a bit wary but Elindra was doing her best to coax her into lowering her guard.

For instance, she knew her mother was dying to ask about what they had talked about during their last phone call: about the war and, most of all, the baby. And yet she didn’t jump at her throat like Effie had expected her to. Elindra was bidding her time, that much was clear to her, but she appreciated the respite nonetheless.

Accepting her invitation to dinner after a whole day of mindless activities was easy. And she truly was pleased when her father finally showed up at the restaurant. Tadius, too, had had a few facelifts since the last time she had seen him but he mostly looked the same as ever with his dark dyed hair. As soon as he saw her, he flashed her one of his rare smiles. She was also treated to a hug – a short one but it meant the world to her, she melted in her father’s embrace and it was so good she almost started crying for no good reason.

It was a nice dinner.

As well-behaved people, they avoided sensitive subjects and talked about anything but serious topics. She was happy when she came back to Annie’s house and she was happy when she called Haymitch.

“So it went well, then?” he asked, clearly surprised and, she thought, a little bit wary.

“Yes!” she chuckled. “I actually made plans to go shopping with Mother tomorrow.”

“Don’t overdo it.” he warned.

Minding that advice wasn’t difficult. The way Elindra fussed over her, she would have thought she was Lyssa.

Effie actually managed to relax during the next following days, even though she had a scare one morning because of a peculiar fluttering sensation in her stomach that wouldn’t go away. It eventually stopped only to start again later. She worked herself into a panic at the spa she was visiting with Elindra until her mother, after forcing her to tell her what was wrong, declared she was simply starting to feel the baby moving.

She didn’t know who was more excited about that.

“I missed it.” Haymitch grumbled on the phone later that same night.

“You wouldn’t be able to feel it.” she reassured him. “It is too soon.”

“You’re sure it’s the baby moving and nothing serious, yeah?” he insisted. “You should check with a doctor… Maybe…”

“Annie and my mother are both adamant.” she cut him off. There had been talks about visiting Four’s hospital but she had refused again and again. “I feel fine, I promise. I haven’t lost blood and I do not think anything is out of the ordinary. I even gained a few pounds…”

He let out a deep sigh, pacified but not convinced. “Still… I missed it.”

“I will come home soon.” she hummed.

“You better.” he snorted. “The house’s a fucking mess.”

She pursed her lips, having no trouble imagining it. “I suggest you clean it before I come back or you will get better acquainted with the couch. I am not  your maid, Haymitch.”

She and her mother had developed some sort of routine. They would meet up at the resort for brunch and then go explore the various shops along the ocean front walk.

Elindra was being very generous with gifts and Effie felt a bit bad when she realized she had filled Annie’s guestroom with tons of shopping bags – and she felt even worse when she realized she would be forced to buy another suitcase to bring everything back.

Still, she enjoyed walking around in her brand new maternity dress – a lovely black piece with red dots that she had accessorized with red heels, a red scarf and a cloak like red coat. New clothes and shopping sprees had always lifted her spirits and she had forgotten how fun it could be to do that with someone who actually knew something about fashion.

There were tons of little shops on the front walk, not just clothes but buildings dedicated to fishing, water sports… Everything one could imagine. On retrospect, she didn’t know why she was so surprised to find herself faced with a baby store. She would have walked right past it if her mother hadn’t stopped to peer through the window at the strollers on display. They were on discount.

“Perhaps we should check it out.” Elindra suggested. “Strollers are awfully expensive even in the city. We might get a good bargain.”

Effie’s enthusiasm at the bright sunny day faltered. “Mother…”

“I know, I know…” Elindra sighed distractedly, still studying the two strollers. “It would make little sense to buy one in Four when we can probably find a better model in the Capitol… Nevertheless…”

“We probably won’t need a stroller, Mother.” she snapped. “I told you we…”

She couldn’t say it.

Now that she could feel him in her belly…

It was only a fluttering, the tiniest of sensation, but she had grown used to it awfully fast. She was looking forward to it every time.

It was her baby moving inside her and the idea that she might have to give it up was breaking her heart.

And yet, at the same time, the idea of being responsible for a child…

She turned her back to the store and walked in the direction of the beach and the low concrete wall that separated the sand from the pavement. She had to hop a little to sit there and she was sure that, if Haymitch or the children had seen her, she would have been in for a lecture about overtaxing herself.

“Euphemia, really!” her mother huffed, coming to a halt next to her and throwing an embarrassed glance around. “We could have found a public bench if you insist on sitting down in the street.”

“Perhaps you should go back to the resort, Mother.” she declared. “I think I will go back to Annie’s.”

Elindra studied her, her lips pursed in displeasure at her tone. “Or you could finally tell me what all this nonsense about adoption is about. You were so upset on the phone…” Her lips pursed even more. “It disturbed me. We have our arguments but I never wished you ill, you know that.”

“I do.” she whispered. Elindra loved her. Not well, perhaps, but she knew her mother loved her. And, truth be told, she had been trying to do better in the last few days.

“Tell me, then.” Elindra ordered. “On the phone, you said your… victor…”

“You can call him Haymitch.” she cut her off with a vicious look.

“My apologies, darling, but given your condition I would rather call him your husband.” her mother sighed. “Not that it would give me great pleasure to do so but, at least, the whole situation would be proper. What is he to you? How should I refer to him in society? This is truly an etiquette conundrum and…”

“My everything.” she interrupted again, staring at the line of stores on the other side of the wide walk. “If you wish to know what he is to me, what he means to me, this is it. He is my everything. He is my best friend, my lover, and, if you insist on a coined term, then, yes, my husband in all but name.” She shook her head. “I know you do not like him but he is a good man, one of the best men I know, truly, and I love him.”

“I know you do.” Elindra sighed. “However…”

“I would not be here without him, Mother.” There was a warning growl in her voice she didn’t try to polish into something refined. “He saved me. Times and times again, he saved me. And he takes care of me. Those last two years… I do not think I would have survived without his support. We take care of each other. We are a team. I know you won’t understand but…” She shook her head again. “He saves me.”

She almost expected a lecture about how Effie wasn’t sixteen anymore and shouldn’t behave like a lovestruck teenager. Instead, Elindra studied her with rapt attention. “Are you referring to what happened during the rebellion?”

Effie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had no wish to discuss that part of her life. No wish. And yet…

“He fought to have me found and rescued, yes.” she whispered. “And then, the rebels would have had me tried and executed with the others. He… He bargained for my life but President Coin… She dangled me over his head to keep him under her thumb.” She hesitated to say the rest because her mother was the worst gossip – but she also hoped her mother could make the difference between what to keep to herself and what to disclose. “If Katniss had not killed her, I do not think she would have survived much longer either way. If you understand my meaning.”

Elindra’s eyes hardened but she couldn’t quite say if it was in disgust, anger or approval.

“I understand.” her mother said. “Well. Naturally, he is not what we hoped for you. Nevertheless, he was a key player of the rebellion and that does have its weight nowadays. This is a new Panem, after all. Having been a part of the revolution is fashionable. And he is a Quell victor. It is certainly unfortunate he does not have our social standing but he could still be groomed, perhaps.”

“Good luck with that.” she chuckled. “I have been trying for almost fifteen years now.”

“He has yet to meet me, darling.” Elindra smiled a frightening smile but her eyes soon darted to her stomach. “You said he wants the child.”

“He never wanted children.” she sighed. “But suddenly… Since we have been told I was pregnant he has been…” She rubbed the baby bump almost unconsciously. “I think he wants it very badly. And that frightens me.”

“Why?” Elindra frowned. “Are you afraid he would be a bad father?”

“Of course not.” she huffed and then averted her eyes. “However, I do not think we are the best suited to be parents. There is his alcoholism…”

“Would he hurt the child?” Elindra interrupted her.

“No.” Effie snapped defensively, glaring at her. “You think he is a brute. He is not. He never hurt anyone when he was drunk. It is himself he wants to harm, not others.”

“I see.” her mother answered. “Then, it is simple. Ban alcohol from the house. He can drink elsewhere at his own leisure.”

“Nothing about this is simple.” she scoffed. “If it was only Haymitch… The main problem is me. I cannot… I killed children.”

“Nonsense.” Elindra dismissed.

“Mother, I am sure you think being an escort was very glamorous…” she started only to be interrupted again.

“It was certainly very glamorous.” her mother scolded her. “But you will remember I warned you against accepting that position. I told you you wouldn’t be happy working in the Games industry.”

“Because I was Twelve’s escort and you were ashamed of me.” she accused.

Elindra snorted and looked around, anywhere rather than at her. “Because you were always too softhearted and far too smart, Euphemia. It is easier to drown in the glitter than to look at the scratched veneer underneath.” Effie was speechless. Her parents had always been vocal supporters of Snow. Always. Elindra dismissed her surprise with a wave of her hand. “The world was what it was and we all do what we need to survive. You did not kill anyone, Effie. They would have died anyway.”

“But I was part of it…” she countered slowly.

“Weren’t we all?” Elindra asked in a hard voice. “I cared not for those children and I still do not care, I am only concerned with my own. You will find it horrible, no doubt, but I do not share your rebellious tendencies and your grand ideals. I am more pragmatic than that.”

She stared at her mother, not quite surprised by what she was claiming and yet feeling as if she was seeing her for the first time.

“It was never about ideals.” she denied slowly. “I am pragmatic too. It was all about my family. Katniss and Peeta, I mean. And Haymitch too. The Quarter Quell… If at any point I made a conscious decision to go against President Snow, it was because of the Quell. He threatened my team. He would have had them killed and I couldn’t…”

Elindra pursed her lips, obviously not truly at ease with the subject they were discussing. She kept glancing around as if she was scared someone would overhear them. Or maybe she was worried because Effie was sitting on a wall instead of on a bench. It wasn’t a ladylike behavior and, just like her, Elindra liked her masks too.

“And how does this prove you would be a bad mother exactly?” her mother challenged. “From what you are telling me, you would have sacrificed everything for your victors. The Mockingjay and the boy… You consider them to be yours, you told me so before. You tried to protect them.”

“And I paid the price.” she shrugged, ignoring the reproaching look she got at that casualness. She placed both of her hands on her stomach, almost protectively, her voice breaking a little. “They tore me apart mother. Inside and out. I was a broken doll when I woke up in the hospital. You cannot imagine…” She stopped talking and took a deep breath, blinking away the tears she was certain her mother would scold her for. “I still have panic attacks and flashbacks. Nightmares. There are days I can barely convince myself to get out of bed and others when I do not manage to at all. This is no life for a child. My burden should not be his.”

Elindra watched her for a while, sighed, and covered one of the hands still resting on her stomach with hers. “But you will get better.”

“Will I?” Effie laughed through the tears burning her eyes. “It does not feel like it. We have so much baggage… Both Haymitch and I… This is not just something that will go away, it is something I have to learn how to live with. I am scarred for life, inside and out. Will I always manage to put my child first? Before my own fears and insecurities? I am not certain we should make the gamble.”

“There are other solutions that do not involve you giving him away.” her mother insisted, squeezing her hand. “Your father and I had a long discussion about this and… We would not mind… That is… We could take the baby in.” Effie opened her mouth but Elindra continued before she could cut in. “Naturally we would be delighted if you came too. You would have help in the Capitol if you would rather not be by yourself… And not just with your… With Haymitch. He would be welcomed to stay too if he so wished. As I said, he is famous enough and he knows important people. It wouldn’t be a source of embarrassment, not with a positive spin on it. And we would love to have you home, Effie. Both your father and I. We would love it.”

There was something almost desperate to her voice, a plea that unsettled Effie because her mother was a lot of things but never desperate.

“Mother…” she winced.

“Think about it. Take your time.” Elindra urged her. “Wouldn’t it be better if your child was with family, with his grandparents? This way you would still be his mother. You could take him back at any time. Trust me, darling, it is not so easy to be estranged from one’s child.”

In the end, the only thing Effie could do was agree to think it over and talk to Haymitch about it. She had known how that would go well before she even called him.

She barely listened as he told her about how someone from the Hob had tried to convince Katniss to adopt a puppy – although the puppy had, according to him, already been the size of a small dog. Apparently it was an amusing tale but she couldn’t focus.

She interrupted him halfway through.

He reacted in the way she expected him to.

“You want to do what?” he shouted.

“I did not say I wanted to do it.” she snapped. “I said perhaps we should consider it.”

“Forgot about how miserable they made you already?” he mocked. “Forgot about all the petty comments and the…”

“Haymitch, you weren’t always an example of a well-behaved partner yourself.” she retorted. “Did you forget about those times you called me a bitch if not worse? People change.”

“That’s bullshit.” he scoffed. “Assholes like that…”

“You are talking about my parents. Be careful.” she warned.

“Should have known they wanted something.” he went on. “Well, they can suck it. Nobody’s taking my kid to the Capitol, Princess. You want to go back? Go back. You don’t want us? Fine. Then you leave. But the shrimp stays with me. We’ll be just fine on our own.”

“I never said I was leaving.” she hissed. “Do not put words in my mouth.”

“Can’t you see that’s what they’re aiming at? They’ll lure you back with the kid.” he sneered. “Don’t be fucking stupid. They don’t care about the baby, it’s you they want. They’ll try to marry you off to one of their assholes and…”

“I cannot talk to you when you are like this.” she shouted back, losing her patience. “If you cannot have a civil conversation…”

“How the fuck am I supposed to have a civil conversation about this with you when you’re not here?” he snarled. “You’re the one who left. You’re the one who can’t make up her mind. I’m clear in my head, Effie.”

“Well.” she huffed. “I am sorry to try to put the well-being of my child before my selfishness. Goodnight, Haymitch.”

“Don’t you dare…” he warned.

She hung up.

It was rude but satisfying.

Johanna leaned against the wall, arms folded in front of her chest, lips pursed. “He’s got a point, you know. You can’t trust Capitols.”

“I am a Capitol.” she growled.

“Case in point.” Jo taunted.

It took all she had not to become ruder.  

[candidlyinspiringthings]

STOP DOG MEAT TRADE: My answer to vegan friends why I am an advocate for dogs.

Many asked me about my post on stopping dog meat trade and I am getting questions from my vegan friends like "how about other animals that are eaten by humans too?"

I can't speak for everyone or any other animals, but I can speak for myself and for dogs.

Though I agree all animals shouldn't also be eaten, I am not a hypocrite and will tell you straight up that I am a polo-pescatrian. I have been for the past 7+ years now. I don't eat beef, goat, lamb, and pork.

At first, I did it for health reasons because my body developed an alergy and rejected eating beef. Then I completely just decided to stop eating 4 legged animals altogether to avoid other possible alergy reactions. And secondly, for ethical reasons, since I found out that those animals are raised industrially (with antibiotics, hormones, etc) in small containers and suffering, THAT is not something I wanted to be contributing into this world.

"But Arya, you still eat poultry and fish, what is the difference?" YES, I DO. But, I try as much to avoid buying or eating chicken or other poultry that are also not ethically raised (a.k.a free range). And even though I still eat fish, I try not to eat as much anyways because the ocean is contaminated with particles of plastic that fishes eat or absorb. So technically, if we eat fish that come out of the ocean those plastic particles can also go into our bloodstream and slowly kill us. On another note, I am not a fan of fresh water fish either.

So, I am not ignoring the facts, but we should respect each other's different values. Plus not everyone can just be vegan. I tried before and it just didn't work out for me, at least not for now. Who knows what can happen in the future.

"Ok then why don't you respect other people who value eating dog meat?" Simply because it isn't right. Something must be wrong in your mind to be eating dogs. Because unlike other animals who are known by most of the population in the world as staple foods, dogs are suppose to be our best friend.

DOGS ARE NOT FOOD AND WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE FOOD.

Did you ever see or hear people specifically raise dogs in a farm for their meat? NO.

But we have seen or heard that our own dog or the neighbours' dog is suddenly missing or kidnapped, or that stray dogs are captured to be eaten and not rehabilitated. And that is wrong!!!!

Dog meat traders and eaters even make the dogs suffer till the very end before ending up on people's plates. They hit the dogs hard on the head multiple times, which makes them unconscious and NOT DEAD. Then skin them alive before cutting them into pieces and cook them. That is very graphic for me to tell you this, but it is how it is.

So, like it or not I am advocating for dogs because I saw first hand how humans treat them. All my dogs are either rescued from poor conditions or adopted because the owner doesn't want them anymore or can't take care of them.

Don't even get me started with puppy mills or breeders. It's all cute for people who want to have dogs that they buy from breeders because they say those dogs are like the premium breeds of all dogs. They are even willing to pay high prices for them. BUT, it's not good for the female dogs' womb that have to carry the puppies to term. And once the female dogs are not of use, the owner usually throws them out or euthanise them. That's another non-ethical conduct which I strongly condemn.

Dogs are loyal and loving animals and they can be loyal and loving to you if you care to love them as much. They instinctively defend you when you are in danger. They will cheer you up when you are down. That's why they are called a human's best friend.

I hope this has helped answer your questions.

[josephkitchen0]

Chicken Clothes for Halloween and Christmas

By Wendy E.N. Thomas – Olivia Dougherty, who lives in Delaware, Maryland, created her chicken clothes for a contest, sponsored by Cooptastic, one of the nation’s premier educational conferences dedicated to small and backyard poultry flock. And each conference holds a chicken costume contest.

“It’s along the lines of the lamb- and sheep-dressing contests frequently held at 4-H shows,” said Brigid McCrea, PhD, associate professor at Delaware State University and extension poultry specialist who organizes and helps judge the conference’s contest.

“Audience loves it to pieces,” McCrea continued. “Not only for the creativity but also for the conversation. It provides an opportunity for people to converse with one another and to talk to other poultry people.”

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For her entry in the contest, Dougherty designed a “Superman” cape, complete with an egg logo. “I made it for my favorite chicken who is our biggest, white and black, ‘Supersize’ chicken.” Although her family no longer has chickens, if she were to design future chicken clothes for costumes, Dougherty thinks it would also have a superhero theme, along the lines of a Chicken Spiderman.

Dougherty does have goats and a pig and she admits to dressing them with collars, necklaces and little blankets. She has also dressed up her dog up as a lady bug and has put tiny shirts on her cat.

“It’s fun,” she says of the experience.

Holidays

A holiday chicken. Photo by Dead End Acres.

For some, the urge to put their backyard chickens in chicken clothes simply comes from a need. Kelly Nichols of Bloomville, New York, wanted to do a Facebook Christmas card, and decided what better subjects to use than a kid and her chicken? Nichols also works with a few of her hens to participate in agility challenges as well as hen therapy.

“It has been difficult,” said Nichols of the designing aspect. “I’ve tried a few dog outfits, but they just don’t fit right. I make our own chicken clothes. We’re pretty lucky; we have a couple different hens that will be patient enough to let me pattern on them.”

Raise Awareness

Some people, like Jennifer Pike, of Florida, became inspired to dress their flock in chicken clothes on a whim. “I was shopping with my mom at a store and came across a cute teddy bear outfit. We started joking about how people dress up dogs, and I said I was going to get it to put on my house chicken for a cute picture … and that started it all.”

Pike, who said she suffers from depression, also sees posting her chickens in their chicken clothes on Facebook as a way of bringing enjoyment to others, and has helped her connect with others who also use chickens as a means of coping.

“I liked posting funny pics of my chickens,” Pike said, “as raising chickens can be a heartbreaking hobby and many people who I chat with on forums. … The cute pictures bring smiles to people and also get non-chicken people interested in how chickens can be neat pets.”

Throughout the years, Sophie’s chicken clothes for her favorite pet Silkie chicken have included: a pirate costume, a police officer, a cheerleader, a bride, a Santa suit and a rain jacket. Pike has also had her chickens wear barrettes in topknots in shapes of bows or flowers along with a chicken diaper when they went to stores.

Everywhere Pike takes a dressed-up chicken, people can’t help but stop and ask questions. “Kids seemed very interested as well as parents. They never knew how diverse the looks of chickens could be or how sweet. Sophie traveled with me in my truck everywhere. She often rode in my lap, looking out the window glass or in a towel sitting in my seat console.”

Once, Sophie said, a lady at a drive-through got so scared of the chicken — “a little fluffy chicken with a hair barrett and a flowered diaper” — that another lady had to hand her the food.

“Eventually she started asking questions and became less afraid,” Sophie said.

Bring Joy

Holly Olejnik from Huntington Mills, Pennsylvania, first started dressing up her chicken, Cheep Cheep, four years ago for a Halloween contest on Facebook. “Everyone loved her and went nuts on how well she took to being photographed.”

That was only the beginning. Cheep Cheep’s chicken clothes are fairly small now with about 30 dresses.

Dress and photo by Holly Olejnik.

“We donate all that she has worn to family and friends that have little ones on the way,” Olejnik says of Cheep Cheep’s dresses. “All the chicken clothes that she wears are bought from thrift stores or yard sales. We shop in the children’s department or look for Halloween costumes that look fun. My grandmother Carolyn Gensel loves to go hunting for my next dress to post to Facebook. She carries a photo of me and shows off her grand-chicken to anyone wondering who the pretty dress is for.”

Cheep Cheep has quite the Facebook following from around the world. In fact, Olejnik says, “A lot of her friends, if they are in the area on vacation, ask if they can come meet her in person because she has brought so much joy and smiles into their life.”

If you’re interested, Cheep Cheep’s Facebook fan page is “Cheep Cheep Olejnik,” and her regular profile page is “CeeCee Olejnik.”

Functional Attire

Sometimes, chickens need functional accessories like aprons (for protection against a rooster’s nails) and diapers (for, well, you know). Julie Baker, owner of Pampered Poultry (pamperyourpoultry.com) decided that if a bird has to wear functional chicken clothes, then it might as well look pretty. She has made designer chicken clothes, including floral chicken diapers and has added ruffles to chicken aprons to make them look more like attractive summer dresses.

Designer chicken attire by Julie Baker. Photo by Julie Baker.

Plain Old-Fashioned Fun

And then there is Kevin, the chicken that just showed up in Leona Palumbo’s driveway one day.

“I never had chickens nor did I know much about them,” Leona said. “My husband found her in a tree next to our driveway and brought her in to me as a joke, and she fell instantly asleep on my lap and it was love at first sight from there. We put flyers up about her around the neighborhood, but never heard from anyone. It quickly became apparent that potty issues needed to be dealt with, so I did a quick search online on a lark for ‘chicken diapers,’ and lo and behold, several designs popped up. I picked out the one I thought would work and ordered it. It works great and she fit in at home inside with all of our other pets just fine.”

Then one day, she bought Kevin a Christmas sweater.

“To be perfectly honest, I don’t know why the heck I bought it and put it on her … I really don’t. I just did and it she was so calm and easy going about it that it just became a thing we did and took pictures of. … We try to do holidays and family events and just fun things. I keep her page completely free of hot-button topics and I am amused and pleased at the incredibly varied following she has acquired in a very short time.”

Most people think it is fun, says Palumbo, but she has gotten some negative comments from animal activist types who think it is mean.

“But they just don’t know how loved and spoiled Kevin is. We never do anything that makes her uncomfortable and I swear, she even knows what’s going on as she sits so calmly, and once the picture is taken, she goes off again on her little way. Some other people have remarked that they can’t believe I let a chicken on my counters and furniture. Well, ‘That’s why there is soap and water in the world,’ I usually remark. Kevin is my pet, no different than my cats, dogs or other animals, and she is just as loved and welcome anywhere in my home.”

Kevin, on her motorcycle. Photo by Leona Palumbo.

Safety Tips

Whether it be for a competition, holiday, or just for pleasure, many people enjoy putting clothing and accessories on their chickens in order to dress them up. If you are going to costume your chickens, advises Brigid McCrea, PhD, associate professor at Delaware State University and extension poultry specialist, for the health and safety of your birds keep the following clothing guidelines in mind:

• Watch the weight of the costume, as chickens will get flustered if an outfit weighs them down.

• Along with fabric weight, be careful to not use fabrics that will overheat the bird. Polar fleece is a lightweight material but if worn for a long period, it may make your chicken too warm.

• An interesting fact about chickens is that they are naturally attracted to the color red and will peck at it; be careful of where red is used in the bird’s costume.

• Make sure that the chicken can move her wings and that the outfits do not in any way restrict her wing movement.

• If you are putting something around the chicken’s neck (necklace, bandana), make sure that it is lightweight and does not hang down so low that the chicken could potentially trip over it.

• Try not to use hats or head coverings. Chickens are prey animals, meaning they are constantly on the lookout for predators who may be after them. A hat restricts vision and won’t be tolerated very long by any chicken. Consider this the first step toward learning how to protect chickens from hawks and other predators.

• Be careful of beads and hanging decorations that the chicken may be tempted to try to eat them. Likewise, inspect the construction of the outfit to make sure that it does not have loose, dangly threads or that it might fall apart while the chicken is wearing it.

• Allow for waste to happen (because you know that with chickens it eventually will); either leave the back area open in a costume or prepare the chicken to wear a diaper. Composting chicken manure is an excellent way to add nutrients to your garden.

• Lastly, make sure that the costumes are made from washable fabrics, and for bio-security reasons, wash them after each wearing in order to avoid possible contamination among chickens.

Have you ever dressed your flock in chicken clothes?

See our fun fan photo shares and share your own #BackyardPoultryHalloween inspired pics on Instagram.

Originally published in 2014 and regularly vetted for accuracy.

Chicken Clothes for Halloween and Christmas was originally posted by All About Chickens

[josephkitchen0]

Chicken Clothes for Halloween and Christmas

By Wendy E.N. Thomas – Olivia Dougherty, who lives in Delaware, Maryland, created her chicken clothes for a contest, sponsored by Cooptastic, one of the nation’s premier educational conferences dedicated to small and backyard poultry flock. And each conference holds a chicken costume contest.

“It’s along the lines of the lamb- and sheep-dressing contests frequently held at 4-H shows,” said Brigid McCrea, PhD, associate professor at Delaware State University and extension poultry specialist who organizes and helps judge the conference’s contest.

“Audience loves it to pieces,” McCrea continued. “Not only for the creativity but also for the conversation. It provides an opportunity for people to converse with one another and to talk to other poultry people.”

A week-by-week guide to a happy, healthy flock!

Our friends from Purina® wrote this free guide to help you enjoy your first year with chickens. YES! I want this Free Report »  

For her entry in the contest, Dougherty designed a “Superman” cape, complete with an egg logo. “I made it for my favorite chicken who is our biggest, white and black, ‘Supersize’ chicken.” Although her family no longer has chickens, if she were to design future chicken clothes for costumes, Dougherty thinks it would also have a superhero theme, along the lines of a Chicken Spiderman.

Dougherty does have goats and a pig and she admits to dressing them with collars, necklaces and little blankets. She has also dressed up her dog up as a lady bug and has put tiny shirts on her cat.

“It’s fun,” she says of the experience.

Holidays

A holiday chicken. Photo by Dead End Acres.

For some, the urge to put their backyard chickens in chicken clothes simply comes from a need. Kelly Nichols of Bloomville, New York, wanted to do a Facebook Christmas card, and decided what better subjects to use than a kid and her chicken? Nichols also works with a few of her hens to participate in agility challenges as well as hen therapy.

“It has been difficult,” said Nichols of the designing aspect. “I’ve tried a few dog outfits, but they just don’t fit right. I make our own chicken clothes. We’re pretty lucky; we have a couple different hens that will be patient enough to let me pattern on them.”

Raise Awareness

Some people, like Jennifer Pike, of Florida, became inspired to dress their flock in chicken clothes on a whim. “I was shopping with my mom at a store and came across a cute teddy bear outfit. We started joking about how people dress up dogs, and I said I was going to get it to put on my house chicken for a cute picture … and that started it all.”

Pike, who said she suffers from depression, also sees posting her chickens in their chicken clothes on Facebook as a way of bringing enjoyment to others, and has helped her connect with others who also use chickens as a means of coping.

“I liked posting funny pics of my chickens,” Pike said, “as raising chickens can be a heartbreaking hobby and many people who I chat with on forums. … The cute pictures bring smiles to people and also get non-chicken people interested in how chickens can be neat pets.”

Throughout the years, Sophie’s chicken clothes for her favorite pet Silkie chicken have included: a pirate costume, a police officer, a cheerleader, a bride, a Santa suit and a rain jacket. Pike has also had her chickens wear barrettes in topknots in shapes of bows or flowers along with a chicken diaper when they went to stores.

Everywhere Pike takes a dressed-up chicken, people can’t help but stop and ask questions. “Kids seemed very interested as well as parents. They never knew how diverse the looks of chickens could be or how sweet. Sophie traveled with me in my truck everywhere. She often rode in my lap, looking out the window glass or in a towel sitting in my seat console.”

Once, Sophie said, a lady at a drive-through got so scared of the chicken — “a little fluffy chicken with a hair barrett and a flowered diaper” — that another lady had to hand her the food.

“Eventually she started asking questions and became less afraid,” Sophie said.

Bring Joy

Holly Olejnik from Huntington Mills, Pennsylvania, first started dressing up her chicken, Cheep Cheep, four years ago for a Halloween contest on Facebook. “Everyone loved her and went nuts on how well she took to being photographed.”

That was only the beginning. Cheep Cheep’s chicken clothes are fairly small now with about 30 dresses.

Dress and photo by Holly Olejnik.

“We donate all that she has worn to family and friends that have little ones on the way,” Olejnik says of Cheep Cheep’s dresses. “All the chicken clothes that she wears are bought from thrift stores or yard sales. We shop in the children’s department or look for Halloween costumes that look fun. My grandmother Carolyn Gensel loves to go hunting for my next dress to post to Facebook. She carries a photo of me and shows off her grand-chicken to anyone wondering who the pretty dress is for.”

Cheep Cheep has quite the Facebook following from around the world. In fact, Olejnik says, “A lot of her friends, if they are in the area on vacation, ask if they can come meet her in person because she has brought so much joy and smiles into their life.”

If you’re interested, Cheep Cheep’s Facebook fan page is “Cheep Cheep Olejnik,” and her regular profile page is “CeeCee Olejnik.”

Functional Attire

Sometimes, chickens need functional accessories like aprons (for protection against a rooster’s nails) and diapers (for, well, you know). Julie Baker, owner of Pampered Poultry (pamperyourpoultry.com) decided that if a bird has to wear functional chicken clothes, then it might as well look pretty. She has made designer chicken clothes, including floral chicken diapers and has added ruffles to chicken aprons to make them look more like attractive summer dresses.

Designer chicken attire by Julie Baker. Photo by Julie Baker.

Plain Old-Fashioned Fun

And then there is Kevin, the chicken that just showed up in Leona Palumbo’s driveway one day.

“I never had chickens nor did I know much about them,” Leona said. “My husband found her in a tree next to our driveway and brought her in to me as a joke, and she fell instantly asleep on my lap and it was love at first sight from there. We put flyers up about her around the neighborhood, but never heard from anyone. It quickly became apparent that potty issues needed to be dealt with, so I did a quick search online on a lark for ‘chicken diapers,’ and lo and behold, several designs popped up. I picked out the one I thought would work and ordered it. It works great and she fit in at home inside with all of our other pets just fine.”

Then one day, she bought Kevin a Christmas sweater.

“To be perfectly honest, I don’t know why the heck I bought it and put it on her … I really don’t. I just did and it she was so calm and easy going about it that it just became a thing we did and took pictures of. … We try to do holidays and family events and just fun things. I keep her page completely free of hot-button topics and I am amused and pleased at the incredibly varied following she has acquired in a very short time.”

Most people think it is fun, says Palumbo, but she has gotten some negative comments from animal activist types who think it is mean.

“But they just don’t know how loved and spoiled Kevin is. We never do anything that makes her uncomfortable and I swear, she even knows what’s going on as she sits so calmly, and once the picture is taken, she goes off again on her little way. Some other people have remarked that they can’t believe I let a chicken on my counters and furniture. Well, ‘That’s why there is soap and water in the world,’ I usually remark. Kevin is my pet, no different than my cats, dogs or other animals, and she is just as loved and welcome anywhere in my home.”

Kevin, on her motorcycle. Photo by Leona Palumbo.

Safety Tips

Whether it be for a competition, holiday, or just for pleasure, many people enjoy putting clothing and accessories on their chickens in order to dress them up. If you are going to costume your chickens, advises Brigid McCrea, PhD, associate professor at Delaware State University and extension poultry specialist, for the health and safety of your birds keep the following clothing guidelines in mind:

• Watch the weight of the costume, as chickens will get flustered if an outfit weighs them down.

• Along with fabric weight, be careful to not use fabrics that will overheat the bird. Polar fleece is a lightweight material but if worn for a long period, it may make your chicken too warm.

• An interesting fact about chickens is that they are naturally attracted to the color red and will peck at it; be careful of where red is used in the bird’s costume.

• Make sure that the chicken can move her wings and that the outfits do not in any way restrict her wing movement.

• If you are putting something around the chicken’s neck (necklace, bandana), make sure that it is lightweight and does not hang down so low that the chicken could potentially trip over it.

• Try not to use hats or head coverings. Chickens are prey animals, meaning they are constantly on the lookout for predators who may be after them. A hat restricts vision and won’t be tolerated very long by any chicken. Consider this the first step toward learning how to protect chickens from hawks and other predators.

• Be careful of beads and hanging decorations that the chicken may be tempted to try to eat them. Likewise, inspect the construction of the outfit to make sure that it does not have loose, dangly threads or that it might fall apart while the chicken is wearing it.

• Allow for waste to happen (because you know that with chickens it eventually will); either leave the back area open in a costume or prepare the chicken to wear a diaper. Composting chicken manure is an excellent way to add nutrients to your garden.

• Lastly, make sure that the costumes are made from washable fabrics, and for bio-security reasons, wash them after each wearing in order to avoid possible contamination among chickens.

Have you ever dressed your flock in chicken clothes?

See our fun fan photo shares and share your own #BackyardPoultryHalloween inspired pics on Instagram.

Originally published in 2014 and regularly vetted for accuracy.

Chicken Clothes for Halloween and Christmas was originally posted by All About Chickens

[josephkitchen0]

Chicken Clothes for Halloween and Christmas

By Wendy E.N. Thomas – Olivia Dougherty, who lives in Delaware, Maryland, created her chicken clothes for a contest, sponsored by Cooptastic, one of the nation’s premier educational conferences dedicated to small and backyard poultry flock. And each conference holds a chicken costume contest.

“It’s along the lines of the lamb- and sheep-dressing contests frequently held at 4-H shows,” said Brigid McCrea, PhD, associate professor at Delaware State University and extension poultry specialist who organizes and helps judge the conference’s contest.

“Audience loves it to pieces,” McCrea continued. “Not only for the creativity but also for the conversation. It provides an opportunity for people to converse with one another and to talk to other poultry people.”

A week-by-week guide to a happy, healthy flock!

Our friends from Purina® wrote this free guide to help you enjoy your first year with chickens. YES! I want this Free Report »  

For her entry in the contest, Dougherty designed a “Superman” cape, complete with an egg logo. “I made it for my favorite chicken who is our biggest, white and black, ‘Supersize’ chicken.” Although her family no longer has chickens, if she were to design future chicken clothes for costumes, Dougherty thinks it would also have a superhero theme, along the lines of a Chicken Spiderman.

Dougherty does have goats and a pig and she admits to dressing them with collars, necklaces and little blankets. She has also dressed up her dog up as a lady bug and has put tiny shirts on her cat.

“It’s fun,” she says of the experience.

Holidays

A holiday chicken. Photo by Dead End Acres.

For some, the urge to put their backyard chickens in chicken clothes simply comes from a need. Kelly Nichols of Bloomville, New York, wanted to do a Facebook Christmas card, and decided what better subjects to use than a kid and her chicken? Nichols also works with a few of her hens to participate in agility challenges as well as hen therapy.

“It has been difficult,” said Nichols of the designing aspect. “I’ve tried a few dog outfits, but they just don’t fit right. I make our own chicken clothes. We’re pretty lucky; we have a couple different hens that will be patient enough to let me pattern on them.”

Raise Awareness

Some people, like Jennifer Pike, of Florida, became inspired to dress their flock in chicken clothes on a whim. “I was shopping with my mom at a store and came across a cute teddy bear outfit. We started joking about how people dress up dogs, and I said I was going to get it to put on my house chicken for a cute picture … and that started it all.”

Pike, who said she suffers from depression, also sees posting her chickens in their chicken clothes on Facebook as a way of bringing enjoyment to others, and has helped her connect with others who also use chickens as a means of coping.

“I liked posting funny pics of my chickens,” Pike said, “as raising chickens can be a heartbreaking hobby and many people who I chat with on forums. … The cute pictures bring smiles to people and also get non-chicken people interested in how chickens can be neat pets.”

Throughout the years, Sophie’s chicken clothes for her favorite pet Silkie chicken have included: a pirate costume, a police officer, a cheerleader, a bride, a Santa suit and a rain jacket. Pike has also had her chickens wear barrettes in topknots in shapes of bows or flowers along with a chicken diaper when they went to stores.

Everywhere Pike takes a dressed-up chicken, people can’t help but stop and ask questions. “Kids seemed very interested as well as parents. They never knew how diverse the looks of chickens could be or how sweet. Sophie traveled with me in my truck everywhere. She often rode in my lap, looking out the window glass or in a towel sitting in my seat console.”

Once, Sophie said, a lady at a drive-through got so scared of the chicken — “a little fluffy chicken with a hair barrett and a flowered diaper” — that another lady had to hand her the food.

“Eventually she started asking questions and became less afraid,” Sophie said.

Bring Joy

Holly Olejnik from Huntington Mills, Pennsylvania, first started dressing up her chicken, Cheep Cheep, four years ago for a Halloween contest on Facebook. “Everyone loved her and went nuts on how well she took to being photographed.”

That was only the beginning. Cheep Cheep’s chicken clothes are fairly small now with about 30 dresses.

Dress and photo by Holly Olejnik.

“We donate all that she has worn to family and friends that have little ones on the way,” Olejnik says of Cheep Cheep’s dresses. “All the chicken clothes that she wears are bought from thrift stores or yard sales. We shop in the children’s department or look for Halloween costumes that look fun. My grandmother Carolyn Gensel loves to go hunting for my next dress to post to Facebook. She carries a photo of me and shows off her grand-chicken to anyone wondering who the pretty dress is for.”

Cheep Cheep has quite the Facebook following from around the world. In fact, Olejnik says, “A lot of her friends, if they are in the area on vacation, ask if they can come meet her in person because she has brought so much joy and smiles into their life.”

If you’re interested, Cheep Cheep’s Facebook fan page is “Cheep Cheep Olejnik,” and her regular profile page is “CeeCee Olejnik.”

Functional Attire

Sometimes, chickens need functional accessories like aprons (for protection against a rooster’s nails) and diapers (for, well, you know). Julie Baker, owner of Pampered Poultry (pamperyourpoultry.com) decided that if a bird has to wear functional chicken clothes, then it might as well look pretty. She has made designer chicken clothes, including floral chicken diapers and has added ruffles to chicken aprons to make them look more like attractive summer dresses.

Designer chicken attire by Julie Baker. Photo by Julie Baker.

Plain Old-Fashioned Fun

And then there is Kevin, the chicken that just showed up in Leona Palumbo’s driveway one day.

“I never had chickens nor did I know much about them,” Leona said. “My husband found her in a tree next to our driveway and brought her in to me as a joke, and she fell instantly asleep on my lap and it was love at first sight from there. We put flyers up about her around the neighborhood, but never heard from anyone. It quickly became apparent that potty issues needed to be dealt with, so I did a quick search online on a lark for ‘chicken diapers,’ and lo and behold, several designs popped up. I picked out the one I thought would work and ordered it. It works great and she fit in at home inside with all of our other pets just fine.”

Then one day, she bought Kevin a Christmas sweater.

“To be perfectly honest, I don’t know why the heck I bought it and put it on her … I really don’t. I just did and it she was so calm and easy going about it that it just became a thing we did and took pictures of. … We try to do holidays and family events and just fun things. I keep her page completely free of hot-button topics and I am amused and pleased at the incredibly varied following she has acquired in a very short time.”

Most people think it is fun, says Palumbo, but she has gotten some negative comments from animal activist types who think it is mean.

“But they just don’t know how loved and spoiled Kevin is. We never do anything that makes her uncomfortable and I swear, she even knows what’s going on as she sits so calmly, and once the picture is taken, she goes off again on her little way. Some other people have remarked that they can’t believe I let a chicken on my counters and furniture. Well, ‘That’s why there is soap and water in the world,’ I usually remark. Kevin is my pet, no different than my cats, dogs or other animals, and she is just as loved and welcome anywhere in my home.”

Kevin, on her motorcycle. Photo by Leona Palumbo.

Safety Tips

Whether it be for a competition, holiday, or just for pleasure, many people enjoy putting clothing and accessories on their chickens in order to dress them up. If you are going to costume your chickens, advises Brigid McCrea, PhD, associate professor at Delaware State University and extension poultry specialist, for the health and safety of your birds keep the following clothing guidelines in mind:

• Watch the weight of the costume, as chickens will get flustered if an outfit weighs them down.

• Along with fabric weight, be careful to not use fabrics that will overheat the bird. Polar fleece is a lightweight material but if worn for a long period, it may make your chicken too warm.

• An interesting fact about chickens is that they are naturally attracted to the color red and will peck at it; be careful of where red is used in the bird’s costume.

• Make sure that the chicken can move her wings and that the outfits do not in any way restrict her wing movement.

• If you are putting something around the chicken’s neck (necklace, bandana), make sure that it is lightweight and does not hang down so low that the chicken could potentially trip over it.

• Try not to use hats or head coverings. Chickens are prey animals, meaning they are constantly on the lookout for predators who may be after them. A hat restricts vision and won’t be tolerated very long by any chicken. Consider this the first step toward learning how to protect chickens from hawks and other predators.

• Be careful of beads and hanging decorations that the chicken may be tempted to try to eat them. Likewise, inspect the construction of the outfit to make sure that it does not have loose, dangly threads or that it might fall apart while the chicken is wearing it.

• Allow for waste to happen (because you know that with chickens it eventually will); either leave the back area open in a costume or prepare the chicken to wear a diaper. Composting chicken manure is an excellent way to add nutrients to your garden.

• Lastly, make sure that the costumes are made from washable fabrics, and for bio-security reasons, wash them after each wearing in order to avoid possible contamination among chickens.

Have you ever dressed your flock in chicken clothes?

See our fun fan photo shares and share your own #BackyardPoultryHalloween inspired pics on Instagram.

Originally published in 2014 and regularly vetted for accuracy.

Chicken Clothes for Halloween and Christmas was originally posted by All About Chickens