Baobab fruit gives these muffins a real zip, with a tartness that lingers on the tongue for several minutes after you’re done eating—just like what happens when you eat a sour candy. If you like grapefruit, dried cranberries, or Sweet-Tarts, you’ll want to try these muffins. Read more …
It’s summer, and birds of a certain age—too old to be fledglings and too young to be independent juveniles—are all around if you know where to look: usually upwards, particularly if you hear a high-pitched peep-peep. Read more …
I saw an Eastern tiger swallowtail today, and somehow I ended up staying past my bedtime brushing up on genetics. How did that happen? Read more …
I made another batch of granola bars this weekend, this time figuring out how to incorporate some overripe bananas because I have way too many. I’m currently out of honey, so for the sweetener/binder I tried sorghum, and I love the way it turned out. Sorghum, also called “sorghum molasses” or “sorghum syrup” is made from the stalks of sorghum grass, … Read more
I heard a bird tweeting loudly and insistently overhead as I approached the pond on my walk today. It turned out to be an Eastern kingbird chick demanding to be fed. Read more …
Purple martins are the largest swallows in the US, and since much of their natural habitat of sickly trees with large woodpecker holes has been destroyed in the East, the best place to see them is anywhere someone’s put up a purple martin apartment. Read more …
On our walk today, I spotted this male Eastern black swallowtail butterfly (Papilio polyxenes asterius) flitting about among the swamp milkweed and chased it down for a closer look. And it was flying quite well, despite an injured wing. Read more …
I should start a new blog and call it 500 Ways to Make Banana Bread. Or heck, maybe that’ll be the title of my first cookbook. Because here I give you yet another banana bread/muffin recipe. I still have protein powder languishing in my pantry, so I used that, then continued with the protein theme by adding bean flour, eggs … Read more
I only started noticing Eastern kingbirds last year. They’re only around in the summer (they migrate to the southern hemisphere for our winters), don’t come to feeders or hang out in residential neighborhoods (at least not in my experience), and they tend to perch in higher branches, so usually you need to be looking up to see one.
In which I take Lilo on a walk in an attempt to get her to please not eat another pair of my Chacos. (It all makes sense when you read it; I promise.) Read more …