Happy Oily Ragger from Mangawhai is a grateful reader: "Last year one of your columns inspired us to get some chickens. We made a nice cage for them so they are well-housed and free range through an orchard we put in recently -- also inspired by an oily rag lifestyle. It is all working so well. We designed the cage to make it easy to clean out the droppings, which we spread around the fruit trees. The only problem is that we now have lots of eggs so we are looking for ideas on how to make a great omelette. Any recipes would be appreciated."
Drop us a note if you can help Happy Oily Ragger to make the perfect omelette and to use up their wealth of eggs.
Last week, Dee from Whangarei asked for ways to use up an abundance of mandarins. Frugal lady from Whakatane replies, "If you don't have a juicer, you can use a blender to get the juice from your mandarins. Cut the mandarin in half before peeling, take out the seeds then peel and place in a blender. You might need to add a bit of water to get it going. When you're finished blending, use a strainer and then you can freeze your mandarin juice. Delicious!"
Andrea from Nelson suggested giving spare fruit to the local food bank or schools.
Tramore from Whangarei has this suggestion. "Stew peeled mandarins and serve with a light chocolate sauce or custard. This is a quick, simple and delicious winter dessert!"