Author: thecluckyhen

About thecluckyhen

A farm wife and mother of 3 kids. Blogging about life on the farm, raising children in Gods word and good home cookin'!

Beefy, Cheesy Enchilada’s

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I LOVE Mexican food, any kind, anywhere, any time of day! When I was pregnant with our oldest son we ate Mexican food at least 5 times a week. The chips, salsa, guacamole, and all the cheesy goodness, my mouth is watering! I’m so very thankful that my kids love it as much as I do! So, you can probably understand that we have some sort of Mexican style dish at least once a week. One of my favorites is Enchilada’s. After fixing it over and over I got tired of the packet mix and wanted to make it one day without a mix. I scoured the internet for an easy enchilada sauce but I didn’t have all the ingredients. So I came up with one of my own and it turned out a huge hit with the kids and the hubby! My favorite part of Mexican food is guacamole, so I’ve included my easy peasy Guacamole Recipe at the bottom!

Also, as a side note there is lots of yummy, gooey Velveeta used in this recipe. I have no idea the calorie count, so please don’t burst my bubble by asking me.

Beefy Cheesy Enchilada’s

Ingredients
1 lb Hamburger
Flour or corn tortillas
2-3 oz Velveeta
Salt & Pepper to taste
Enchilada Sauce
1 tsp olive oil
1 can tomato sauce 8 oz
1 can chicken broth 14oz
1/2 can Rotel
1/4 cup or less flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
salt & pepper
2 oz Velveeta

Pre-heat oven to 350º. Season hamburger with salt and pepper, brown and drain.
While hamburger is cooking start enchilada sauce. Heat olive oil over medium heat,
add tomato sauce and all seasonings.
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Once it starts boiling a little add your flour and whisk briskly to keep from clumping.

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Keep whisking until thick and smooth. Add chicken broth and continue whisking until boiling again.

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Once it’s good and smooth add 2 oz Velveeta (optional). I also at this point add some juice and about 1/2 can rotel.

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Heat through until cheese is completely melted, and is oh so yummy!! I let it boil again to thicken a little more and then turn heat off.

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Now focus on your hamburger meat. I add 2 oz (more or less to your taste) of Velveeta, a little rotel.  You can also add enchilada sauce to your hamburger mixture.

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Cook on low/medium heat until cheese is melted and mixed well.

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I usually pour a little sauce in the bottom of my dish.

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At this point you can turn your heat off and begin assembly. I use half flour tortillas and half corn because my family likes both. Scoop your hamburger mixture in each tortilla and roll up. You can sprinkle cheese on top also if you like. If I have any hamburger left I sprinkle it on top also.

*Make sure if your using corn, to warm them in the microwave with wet paper towels between each tortilla before filling.

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Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted on top. Make sure you make plenty because they’ll go fast!

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While your Enchiladas are baking you can make the guacamole, yessss finally!

Easy Peasy Guacamole
1-2 Avacados
Garlic Salt
Seasoning Salt
1-2 tsp Rotel (optional)
1-2 drops lemon juice

 

Look at these beauty’s, almost too pretty to eat, I said ALMOST. They were devoured quickly!

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Add seasonings and lemon juice.

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Mash until smooth and add rotel (optional). I usually taste it and add more salt/pepper if needed.

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And your done! Dip that chip, fork, spoon or finger in and enjoy!!

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Raising Kids – What’s Important?

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Raising kids is hard work! It’s mentally, physically and spiritually draining. As a parent we are in a constant state of learning and experimenting what to do and what NOT to do. We can read all kinds of books, go to seminars, get advice from someone who’s been there, and while that might help it’s still all touch and go right? I have lots of things that I want for my kids but I think there are 3 that are most important to me. They will need to be nourished for growth but that’s what us parents are for! No one said it was easy, and a good parent knows that and tries and tries and tries. Hopefully this can help you with your kids, and if you have advice or stories please share!!

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I have 3 beautiful children, and they are fun (at times). Many times though it’s not fun at all. It’s, “STOP KICKING THE DOG” OR “QUIT LICKING YOUR BROTHER” OR “HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU _________?”and another “GET YOUR CLOTHES ON”. I’m sure we all have little sayings that come out almost daily. One day I finally said, I’ve got to change something, I’ve got to put positive things into my kids life, not just ordering and punishing all day. The best thing I did, besides digging into my Bible, was to get the book from Joe Mcgee. It’s called, “God knows how to raise your kids even when you don’t” and this book has so many things to offer I highly recommend it!! The link is below if you are interested!

http://www.joemcgeestore.com/back-to-school-sale/god-knows-how-to-raise-your-kids-even-when-you-dont/

So here are my top 3 things I want for my kids.

#1 To know the Lord

My most important goal is that they are saved and are going to heaven. On another level though I want them to not just be in church or pray or love God because its what we want them to do, or because it’s believed to be “right”. I want them to make their own independent decisions, and with that I want them to know God personally. Many christian adults go their entire life being saved, going to church and not really knowing God on a deeper more personal level. It’s what our entire lives are built around, without God even the smallest decisions can seem like huge mountains to climb. Every time they have a struggle, big or little, I want their immediate response to go to God for guidance. How as parents can we help our kids with this?

As we know kids learn by seeing and doing. Heck, I learn by seeing and doing. So anytime my husband and I have a problem we pray about it out loud with our kids. Not only that, we ask them to pray for those things for us and with us. Since praying is a normalcy in our house they are more than eager to pray. Don’t ever make fun of how they pray, it’s a serious matter to them and the more confidence they build as a child praying, the easier it will come when they are grown. Here is an example of what our kids pray about:

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There is also some random items thrown in each time also, but we want them to pray for anything and everything because there is nothing to big or small that God doesn’t care about! I’ve also noticed something else with our middle son. Anytime something hurts on me or my husband, we might say “oh my head hurts” or “man my back hurts”, if he hears it he’ll come over to us, put his hand on us and ask God to heal us. It’s a short prayer,then he smiles gives us a kiss and off he goes. In his mind it’s done, God is our good doctor and if he’s prayed for it, he knows God will heal us. If only we could have that faith!!!

Matthew 19:14  Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

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#2 To know their gift

Everyone is born with a purpose, no one was an accident in God’s eyes. Each one of us has a unique gift that we can do to make us money as well as make us happy. This is what lots of people are searching for their entire life. They work at a job they hate and go to work miserable. I definitely don’t want that for my kids! I want them to know before leaving our home what they want to do in life, and I want to help them develop that! I don’t want them to waste time and money trying to figure it out and going down a road of debt that really leads to no where.

There are things we can spot when our children are young that we know they are good at. For example, our oldest son, when he was just learning to talk his first word was daddy (like many babies), but it was his second word that is special. Of course as his mother, I wanted it to be mommy, not even close. It was tractor, yes, tractor. At the ripe ole age of about 8 months old he said tractor, and he has been tractor crazy ever since. I didn’t push tractors in front of him, and I can promise you I wasn’t trying to get him to say tractor, I wanted him to say mommy! BUT, that wasn’t what happened and I’m happy because the word tractor perfectly describes our now 5 year old little boy. He now can tell you what brand each different color of tractor is, what size many of them are, like the John Deere’s 4250, 4010, 4020, 3010, 7700, and the list goes on. He knows many of these because he’s around them and he literally studies them. To say that he is infatuated with farm equipment would be an understatement.

Now this could be something that Kyle and I see as cute and fun for a little boy, but it’s really something way bigger. It’s his gift, I don’t know what this might grow into has he gets older, but I have no doubt he will be doing something with farming equipment. It’s part of who he is and something that comes completely natural to him and God knows what He has made our son for and that’s what matters!

I could give you other examples but it might take all day. ; ) Look at your kids, what do they like? What interests them? If you don’t know, ask them (if they are old enough). Spend some time doing what they love, and put those things in front of them. Help them learn more about it. Sometimes that means doing things out of our own comfort zone, and learning also! I grew up on a farm and I can promise you I’ve learned more about tractors and farming equipment in the last five years than my entire life. In our house we have books, movies, pictures, catalogs, magazines, toys, and anything else about tractors and equipment. This isn’t just for his pleasure, this is helping his mind grow. Of course anytime daddy, grandpa or a friend is on a tractor, or working on equipment he’s in the middle of it and learning too.

Do whatever you can to strengthen and guide them with their gift. You might learn a lot in the process! It’s also a great way to make memories with your kids!

Ephesians 1:17-19 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.

#3 To be a servant and a giver

Many might take this wrong, and that’s okay. There are a many times in the bible people didn’t like what Jesus said or did. It’s counter intuitive to our human nature and we immediately want to reactive against it. Just because it’s hard, or goes against our society/culture doesn’t mean it’s not the RIGHT thing to do.

Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

I feel if they learn to serve others and be a giver at a young age it’s something that will not only bless others, but it will greatly bless them. Nothing is better for me than to give something to someone in need. Honestly, I enjoy giving even if that person doesn’t need anything, it’s just in the act of giving that I enjoy. There are so many scriptures in the bible talking about giving and being a servant. Why is that? Maybe because God knew how hard it would be for people to lay down their own desires or interests and focus on what someone else wants. He even put it in the 10 commandments, Love your neighbor as yourself. Easier said than done though right? It’s not easy loving someone that isn’t very lovable. So for me to make this a priority for my children while they are little is huge. When they are adults and in the real world I pray its something that comes easy for them.

Whats the best way to teach this? As I said early we learn by doing. Children will do what they see us do. So if we are givers and servants its easier for them to be. This might come easy or hard for you as a parent, but I strongly encourage you to make it a priority. As a stay at home mom I can come up with all the excuses in the book to NOT do this like, “I don’t want to load all the kids up to go somewhere” or “We really don’t have the money to make an extra batch of cookies for the neighbor”. I mean really? How lame is that, and no matter how easy or hard it is we can always come up with an excuse. It doesn’t have to be extravagant, or costly. Sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest difference.

One thing I enjoy doing is giving away eggs. We have plenty and I know many people around me enjoy farm fresh eggs. It’s a great and easy way for us to bless our neighbors. If you don’t have the money to buy something, look around your house. Is there something that is in good condition you know someone would want or need? Each of my three children have boxes and boxes of clothes that no longer fit them. Now, I will say I have sold a lot of clothes, but just as many as I’ve sold I have given away also. Many of the clothes we have were from friends and family that gave them to us and it was always a HUGE blessing! I enjoyed receiving those clothes in a time when we really needed them. How much more of a blessing it is to give them to a family that needs them also!

Being a servant doesn’t mean just being a rug to everyone around you. You can be a strong independent person and still be a servant. Our kids see us serve each other. Maybe doing things we don’t always want to do, but we do it out of love for the other person. It can be as simple as getting in the floor and helping your kids pick up their toys after you’ve just asked them to pick up their mess. Helping your spouse with dinner or cleaning up after dinner. Helping a stranger take their groceries to the car. Babysitting for a friend for free just so they can have a night out. These are just a few examples of small things we can do for those around us, and they will have a huge impact on our children.

Would you rather have a boss that is hands on working right beside you or one that is just ordering you around but has no clue of the job your actually doing? The best leaders are the ones that are respected by those around them and that respect is earned through serving!

Serving may be simply pulling your brother in a wagon and doing so with a joyful heart. 

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1 Corinthians 10:24 Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.

 

– The Clucky Hen

 

The Incredible Edible Egg!

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Many people just go to the store and buy their eggs, crack them open and eat them. Today I want to share some interesting facts about the Incredible Edible Egg!

So which came first the egg or the chicken? Well I believe God created the chicken and henceforth came eggs, but that’s just what I think. Your next door chicken might have a different story.

Lets clear the air first, you do not need a Rooster in order to get eggs. Many backyard flocks don’t ever see a rooster and they may be happier for it! Some roosters can be obnoxious and annoying not only to your neighbors but also to your happy hens.

A chicken has a set number of eggs inside her body, just like women. Once those are gone she will no longer lay, this of course will be years after her first egg is laid. Having a rooster with your flock just ensures you’ll have fertilized eggs if and when you’d like to hatch chicks. Even then the egg must be incubated either under a chicken or in a incubator at around 99.5-99.9 degrees for a few days before it can actually start to develop. After 21 days of being at that temperature and about 75% humidity, daily rotation of the eggs you’ll see a tiny chick hatch! However, I normally let my hens do all the work, they enjoy it and it’s much easier when it comes time to integrate the chicks into the flock!

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Right now I have a stash of fertilized eggs sitting on my counter, no matter how long they sit there they’ll never grow an egg. If you want to wait to gather several eggs to hatch yourself you can delay development by putting your eggs in cartons and keep them around 50-60 degrees and they’ll last for up to 7 days and have no effect on the embryo. Make sure the end with the air sac is pointing up!

Another interesting fact, if you have farm fresh eggs, they do NOT need to be refrigerated. Store bought eggs go through a washing process which takes off the bloom that protects the egg. Once the bloom is gone bacteria can get inside. Fresh farm eggs still have their bloom, and as long as you don’t wash them they’ll stay good for several weeks!  In fact, if you catch a hen laying her egg, the second after it’s laid you’ll notice it’s wet and shiny, and it almost immediately dries. This shiny wet layer is the bloom! I do usually wash my eggs if they have dirt or poop on them, but I wait until right before using them.

If you haven’t ever seen or tasted a fresh egg before I hope someday soon you’ll get the chance to find some! Many say once you’ve had fresh you can’t go back. Why is that? An egg is an egg still right? They are all made the same way, right? Technically they are made the same way but what goes into them is totally different. Chickens that produce the eggs in stores are given the same diet day in and day out. Even if they aren’t in a cage, they are usually in a small enclosure still eating the same diet. Store bought eggs have a much lighter yellow yolk, and I believe you can taste the difference.

Even when baking, many times in my breads and pie crusts after it’s cooked, I can see streaks of dark brown/yellow from the eggs I’ve used. This is because the yolks from my eggs are so incredibly dark. Why is that? There are many factors, one of the big ones is diet! Many free range chickens eat lots of plants, which contain carotenoids.  Carotenoids, by definition is any class of mainly yellow, orange, or red fat-soluble pigments, including carotene, which give color to plant parts.

This statement given by Dr. Brown explains it best. Carotenoids act as antioxidants within the body, protecting against cellular damage, the effects of aging, and even some chronic diseases. Follow the link below to learn more about the benefits from carotenoids!It’s pretty amazing.

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/what-are-carotenoids/

So farm fresh eggs get the darkened yolk from their diet. The darker their yolk the healthier the chicken! I strive to have eggs that are not only hard shelled, but have a dark orange yolk. My hens have a very wide diet, they have all the forage they could want, lots of insects and an occasional mouse (they are very good mouse hunters). They also get scraps from my kitchen like fruit peelings, veggies, breads and pastas and even cooked meat! It’s important to me to have healthy birds that feed my family healthy eggs, and I know what I’m getting every time I crack one open and see that wonderful dark yolk!

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I hope you’ve enjoyed learning a little more about eggs and how great they are, there is so much more to talk about on this topic so I plan on doing a Part 2 of the Incredible Edible Egg, so stay tuned!

-The Clucky Hen

 

 

 

 

Stubborn Hens

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Many people affectionately call their laying hens “the girls”. You may think that’s odd, but these little walking egg machines have a mind of their own and their own personality. Some are shy and keep to themselves, others are affectionate and want all the attention. While you also might have a bully or two in the bunch. Regardless of their character, chickens are all gluten’s and love food.

Our barn is home to cats, chickens, pigs and the cows if it’s cold or rainy. So it’s a general rule that everyone gets along in the barn, especially when it’s time to eat! Chickens eat almost anything. I always keep a bowl of scraps by my sink which fills up rather quickly with 3 little kids. When I make my way to the barn the chickens and cats always greet me with a cluck or meow. On the menu for tonight was left over chili, apple slices, orange peels, and a few odd bread pieces. Yum!

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This ole girl is the oldest of the bunch and she is usually the boss. Comes with age I guess.

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One thing I’ve come to learn about chickens, probably more than any other barnyard animal, it’s extremely hard to MAKE them do what you want. There’s probably lots of people out there that raise laying hens that have them walk in a line and follow them while they sing but I haven’t figured that out yet. Raising chickens goes way back in my family, probably further than I even know. The stories I hear the most come from my mom and how her grandpa always loved his hens. In fact the old hen house where his chickens were is still in great condition and was used for a chicken house when I was living at home.

So I knew when I got married and we had our own place, I wanted fresh eggs! While it’s not necessarily hard to raise chickens, you just come to notice they are ornery, stubborn little boogers. The first thing (I thought) I needed was a nesting box for my lovely girls. So my mom brought over the antique nesting box that her grandpa used! It’s so pretty with such great patina on it I almost didn’t want to use it, but I figured great-grandpa would be proud!

Do you see this wonderful piece of living history? You can still see the beautiful turquoise hiding! It’s got the little foot piece still attached for easy access, and each little hole is nice and cozy. I positioned it perfectly to get lots of sun in as well as keeping it well protected. I prepared it well with soft bedding in each hole not knowing who would want to lay their egg where. Boy was I in for a surprise!

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The days went by with no eggs, I couldn’t understand it. I checked my hens, they were all healthy, and after a quick check from their fluffy rump I could tell they were laying eggs. I thought maybe something was snatching them before I could gather them!

So one day I decided to go down when I thought they might be laying. Many hens make loud noises to tell the world they are awesome and just laid an egg for the day, and I can’t say I blame them, it’s pretty cool. On my walk to the barn I hear the loud clucking/screaming and I change my walk into a jog excited to find an egg!

When I get down there I see one of the hens squawking loudly and coming out of a horse stall from the other end of the barn. Weird I thought, what is she doing down there?! I round the corner of the door to the horse stall and this is what I see.

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Just an old horse stall, the rain has washed away the floor and it hasn’t had a horse in it in ages. However, I’m sure you see the green feed pan hanging on the wall. This stall is on the end of the barn that doesn’t get much sunlight and in the winter when the doors are shut it’s extremely dark.

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But here it is, the feed bowl. Also known as the nesting box for 9 hens. I didn’t get a picture on that fateful day when it was piled with eggs. Now it’s winter time and many of my girls aren’t laying, but it’s still the best place to lay an egg I guess! I now keep it cleaned with hay to make it more comfortable since it must accommodate so many tenants.

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Tip for the day: If you decide to get laying hens, don’t invest a lot of money in nesting boxes!

-The Clucky Hen

A rooster named Fried Chicken

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If you’ve ever been around chickens you may have noticed one that’s a little bigger, has a big bright red comb on his head and is louder and maybe more obnoxious. I’m not saying all roosters are this way but some are.We have had the delight (insert sarcasm) of having several obnoxious roosters over the last few years.

At our farm, if there is an animal that isn’t serving a purpose or isn’t behaving like they should after a few attempts of making said animal better they usually don’t have the privileged of staying around any more. Now I know that sounds harsh, and I can promise you that doesn’t happen often, but let me explain.

This is a farm, everyone here including our children have a job. Everyone “works” to earn their keep, otherwise we are spending money to feed a mouth that isn’t giving anything back. (No I would never get rid of my children because they weren’t doing their share.)   We take good care of our animals and they take good care of us.

This past Spring we acquired a beautiful Cinnamon Queen rooster, I was trying to find a pretty rooster to go with my hens. I usually hatch out chicks once or twice a year and the more colorful they are the better I like it.

Learning Tip:

You do NOT have to have a rooster to get eggs from your hens. Hens, like women, have a set number of “eggs” in their body, they produce eggs with or without a rooster. However, if you want to hatch out chicks you of course need a rooster to fertilize the eggs. Well and actually then you still don’t have completely “fertilized” eggs until the eggs have been at a certain temperature for a time period, but we’ll save that for another post.

Hatching out chicks is fun for the kids and I enjoy adding to the flock and ensuring eggs for the future. Below you can see the obnoxious, pesty rooster AKA Fried Chicken.

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How did he get the name Fried Chicken you ask? Well my oldest son, who is five gave him this name. He has been the meanest, most vindictive and cruel chicken we have owned, and we’ve had some ornery ones! Every time you walk in the barn or are around the barn he chases you, and he doesn’t stop there. Once he gets you stopped, or cornered, or where he wants you that’s when the flogging begins.

Now I know what your thinking, why not flog him back right? Well, thank you very much I have given him a swift kick before and he no longer chases The Clucky Hen, but my 3 little chicks he chases every chance he gets. Not only that, he scratches, pecks and beats them up! I don’t tolerate such behavior from ANYONE or ANYTHING! The bullying usually ends with me out of breath chasing him off and a few tears from my little’s.

I also might add that not only is he mean to my little chicks, he’s also rough on my hens. Many times roosters will do a little dance and “court” them before jumping on their back and taking care of business, but it’s usually in the most gentle way. Not with Fried Chicken. He pecks the back of their necks, and basically forces them to the ground while having his way with them. This is not something I enjoy watching while doing chores. My girls deserve way better in a man, and I am on a mission to get rid of this low life scum and find their prince charming. It’s what every girl wants right?

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Some day ole Fried Chicken will meet his end, and what a glorious day that will be!

 

-The Clucky Hen