Here's an update on the Pesto Bean Soup I shared in my
previous post.
I did make it again yesterday. Used the basic recipe but
added a 1/4 cup of ORZO pasta. . . . . boiled it separately,
about 8 minutes, drained and added it to the finished soup.
This was a good choice and actually made the soup more of
a thicker dish. Served with warm whole wheat pita bread it was
our main meal.
Really great Orzo from Abruzzo, Italy.
This morning I took everything out of the fridge/freezer and gave the interior
a heavy duty clean. How does so much debris collect in the corners,
and so many mystery freezer bags and containers hide in the back with
use by dates now history? Over stocking and panic buying at the beginning
of the pandemic is much to blame of course!
Speaking of eating and storing food, Mrs. Northern Flicker has really
become such a welcome bird - along with her Mr. - at the suet feeders.
I'm hoping so much they have a family this spring.
They're the only woodpecker who eats on the ground at times as they love
ants and beetles. Here, when filling the suet feeder, a piece fell and she was
there in no time having a special easy to grab snack!
Lately she seems to come more often to feed - perhaps he's busy searching
out a nesting site. Later both male and female excavate the nesting cavity
for her to lay 5-8 eggs, their one annual brood. Both will incubate and feed
their young.
Whoever said don't wear spots and stripes together was totally wrong!
This is one gorgeous marked large bird. . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . and I love that they are so easy to identify - he with that handsome mustache!
Ok this is where I love you and leave you.
I'm off to my stylist for a haircut. I'm sure this will be the
very end of my pre-pandemic red hair, last colored 13 months ago!
Just a few final snips and my 'silver' will be 100% and shining!
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Those Flickers are striking birds, even if their plumage does look as though it was designed by a five-year-old with some coloured pens!
ReplyDeleteYet again I'm envious of your birds - we get woodpeckers at our place in France; such a delight, though they are quite flighty. My wife had her hair cut today too - she was as happy as could be... which makes me happy too.
ReplyDeleteNorthern Flickers are such dapper looking birds, and they sometimes visit our garden and feeders. Yay for haircuts! The bean pesto soup from your last post does sound delicious, as does the addition of orzo.
ReplyDeleteAs always, your birds pictures are great!
ReplyDeleteAnd I envy you the 100 % silver - I have an appointment with my hairdresser today, too, but it will be months before I'm rid of all artificial colour.
Where did you get that great sounding pasta? Make sure you share pictures of you with your beautiful silver hair!
ReplyDeleteBought mine at The Fresh Market which I doubt are in your area Penny.
DeleteIf you Google - rustichella d'abruzzo orzo - several places to buy that brand pasta come up - and apparently it's sold at Whole Foods which I'm sure you do have.
Mary x
Dear Mary,
ReplyDeleteMy woodpeckers are eating my house, my barn and your guest cottage. Help!
Dearest Mary,
ReplyDeleteLovely Northern Flicker shots and glad they love your back yard.
Yes, the added Orzo sure makes for a full meal-soup.
Welcome to your true colors; I've never ever dyed my hair...
Hugs,
Mariette
I don't think I've ever seen Northern Flickers here, though from a Google search, there are some in our area. Maybe they're just not common in my area.
ReplyDeleteI bet you look absolutely lovely with your silver hair. Mine is gray, not silver. And I'm "only" 58, so not ready yet to stop dying my hair! ;-) My mom is 80 and still dyes her hair. Hard to say what I will end up doing as I age.
Thanks for your comment on my blog about the car - no they are not expensive; rather the opposite, especially second hand. They are popular in France but not the UK. I posted lots more photos too.
ReplyDeleteNorthern Flickers seem like very beautiful birds. I'd never heard of them before I read your post.
ReplyDeleteHope you like your new hair colour. My mum was toying with the idea of going silver too but then decided she wasn't brave enough to do it. I imagine it feels very liberating not to have to worry about roots.
Doesn't it feel good to finally get to the hairdresser? Hope you enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing your flickers. They are such a beautiful bird. I enjoy it when they come to our feeder too.