Sunday in the wildlife 'park'. . . . . . . . . .

This morning's visitor to the bird feeder!

I raised the dining room blinds and there she stood, so beautiful and silent,

staring right at me - fortunately my camera was on the table and I managed

a few shots.

Last year, I shared photos here of a somewhat younger (spots on rump) visiting
 white-tailed doe. 
She had scars from a fresh injury on her right side above her front leg and up

 her neck. My friend Gina noticed them in the photos and thought perhaps she

 had been hit by a car. Be certain to visit Gina's amazing blog Art and Alfalfa 
if you haven't done so yet. It's so beautiful where she lives and she is a lovely, 
multi-talented artist.

Looking closely, I'm thinking the now faint marks on her fur below the sunflower

 leaves, in the same area, could be the healed scars. If so, I'm so happy she has

 survived. . . . . . . even though she's gobbling up the garden!

After realizing I'd seen her, she moved on across the lawn, took a quick

 nibble at the hydrangea plant behind the acer. . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . then trampled through the now almost dead sunflowers which she's

 enjoyed, and destroyed, for a couple of weeks. . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . .on to my neighbor Bob's tomatoes where she nibbled the

 leaves. I picked all the ripe fruits yesterday - he's away and gave me

 permission to take any or all rather than have them rot. . . . . lucky me.

At that point I opened the door and told her to leave. Here she is

taking such dainty steps across the road to a neighbor next to

 the wooded area of the cul-de-sac. We think perhaps she hangs

 out there where there is a small creek for a water source.

Remember now, we don't live in the countryside. These deer and other

 wildlife are losing their natural homes due to land being built on all around us. 

They have nowhere else to go. We've lived in this house 32 years

 and never saw a deer in our garden until just a couple of years ago when

 construction took off big time.

Close by, we now have office towers, retail shops, apartments, condos, 

and huge high-priced houses where small ranch homes used to stand

in our neat and tidy, heavily wooded neighborhood.

Apparently it's called 'progress' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Worth heating up the kitchen. . . . . . . . .

Baking days continue as Bob is still buying far too many blueberries. . . . . .

and they just don't keep long in this hot weather!

Good thing is muffins freeze so well. . . . . . . . and the neighbors love them too!

This week's batch were jumbo size, eight instead of twelve. I prefer these

because they seem more moist, and of course you get to eat more healthy

 blueberries. . . . . . . .and one is so filling you're not tempted to nick a second

 one and feel guilty!!!

Results from this never fail recipe I've shared before in posts HERE back in 2014

 and HERE  in 2016.

This post from a blog post waaaaay back in 2012 actually has the recipe

 if you want to try these yummy muffins. I now usually make one change, using

 half whole wheat flour rather than all white, they are delicious and less

 crumbly this way.  

Muffins are so easy to make and quick to bake.

Great for breakfast, lunch, even afternoon tea.

After carrot and raisin - my all-time favorite - these blues are next, then

 perhaps cranberry-orange, plus of course lemon-zucchini. . . . . . and

 I should be baking them soon with the usual summertime glut of zucchini

imminent!

Do you have a favorite muffin?

Any muffin recipes to share?

Have a wonderful weekend.

Baking with fresh fruits. . . . . . . . .

Baked this easy galette yesterday as I needed to use up a remaining piecrust 

taking up space in the refrigerator.  Picked up a box of California plumcots------not

 pluots which are quite different------at LIDL, and found they did the job nicely in place

of traditional plums which were not available. 

As we all know by now, making a rustic, free form galette is a lot easier 

and more fun than a traditional pie. I've learned that baking on a sheet of 

parchment paper is best - with fruit it's almost impossible not to have

 juices leak out making it difficult to remove the pie which becomes stuck

to the baking sheet. This way just lift the galette with the parchment and

plonk it on a serving plate! I used my deep vintage pie pan which I love.

Here's a link to Plumcots interesting history. 

BTW, this is not a newfangled genetically engineered fruit which is good news!

Have you tried plumcots? 

Pass the crème frâiche, whipped cream or ice cream!

Do you enjoy baking, and of course eating, fresh fruit pies, tarts, galettes?