Sunday, September 11, 2011

Hummingbird 2

Right after I took the first hummingbird pics, I took the kids out for their evening walkie and when we got back, checked the hummingbirds and we went from 2 hummingbirds to at least 8 all duking it out on the deck. I grabbed the camera and set a kitchen chair outside about 5 feet from the feeder and got still. I took some more pics and then I just gave up. I couldn't catch them all....too fast...I just sat there and watched and listened. The humming of their wings.....the chirping and fighting was incredible to just watch........it was kind of the perfect end to a 9/11 anniversary day.....we have NEVER had that many....nice.....

Two coming in and one already landed:

Hummingbirds!!!!!

It has been hummingbird crazy lately! They are stocking up and getting ready for the big move South or wherever. We started off with the scout and now we have at least 4 fighting over the feeder. We have a couple of males and a couple of females. They are fascinating! I have some pics below....you can double click on the pics to make the bigger!

Some of these are not as clear as I would like....for the love....they move super fast!


Yes it is blurry but I am glad I got the hiney flair!

ATTACK!

Bendy!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Best Sauce EVER!!

Those of you that follow "The Pioneer Woman" website may have seen this sauce. It came through her alternate site "Tasty Kitchen". I would love to meet the woman that put this sauce out there, ericalea.....I LOVE her now! This is the best sauce ever! It was purely coincidental....I found this sauce the same day we were making a stromboli recipe we found that required pizza sauce. FOR THE LOVE....the stromboli was awesome but it was more a vehicle to get more sauce in my face! I gave this recipe to my co-worker and she went home and made it. She came in the next day and said she just made cheese toast as a vehicle to get sauce in face! I may be ashamed of this but NOT....we had leftover sauce and I put it on leftover quiche......so sad.....might need to actually make a pizza and use it for what it was intended for....here it is:

And let me tell you...when you make this, you will want to double or triple it....the actual recipe does not make a ton so at least double:

6 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano (I add a little extra...love oregano)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1-1/2 teaspoon pure maple syrup (I didn't have that so I used honey and added extra...my co-worker used regular Mrs. Butterworth syrup....maple syrup is like $6 bucks for a small bottle so I am good with honey or any other cheaper syrup. It works just fine)
2 tablespoons red wine (we keep some of those small bottles of wine for cooking and definitely used it here....worth it but optional)
1/4 cup water

Put all the ingredients in a pan. WHISK them until combined. Place over low heat until heated through...you can add more seasoning to your taste.

WIN PLACE SHOW! This is so good!!!!!

Monday, September 5, 2011

Tropical Storm Lee

We are finally getting some rain....I think we have had a half inch of rain since the end of July!! Happy Happy Joy Joy! I love me some rainy days. I know there are those that love sun, sun, sun...but I am so tired of sun and heat...having this cloudy, rainy, windy day has been perfect. You kind of feel it is okay to relax because getting out in it is just too yucky. AND if nothing else, the birds are happy with the wet. I got some pics of our birds on the feeder and just some other pics:

This is outside my bedroom window...you can see all the rain down the road, a beautiful thing:


Now here are the birds! We have windows with half screens so I can open them from the top or the bottom and I can get some clear shots of my birds in the rain. I was so shocked how they were hanging out in the big wind...they were loving it:


So excited we have had some ring-neck doves. My Grandma has tons of them at her house so I am excited they have shown up here:

Hi Woodpecker!

And others:








Thursday, September 1, 2011

Forest Face?

Football is coming on Saturday and I can't wait!!! YEAH!!! We are getting our gear out!! This year we have a new thing....Auburn Forest Face!! I can't decide if it is creepy or cool....I think cool...I think. We have a Santa Forest Face for Christmas so I figured why not keep with the theme....


And we got the flag and tiger tail out:


War Damn Eagle!!!!

Really Lu?

LulaBelle has lost her mind! I don't know what is going on in her pointy little head but she has reverted back to puppy. When she WAS a puppy she was all about toilet paper and NOW she is all about it again. What is up with that? I have been psychoanalyzing her to try and figure it out. She is spoiled rotten, eats wonderfully.....mix of dog food, cheerios, unsalted green beans, carrots, melon, brown rice.....of course not all at the same time but this is a usual mix. She goes for walkies....I got nothin'! She is not in pain....has no weird spots or tumors...she gets massages (yes..I give both of them neck and back rubs...don't hate...at least I don't dress them up!) I think she is just weird and cute all at the same time. I came out of my room today and found this.....she is revisiting the seen of the crime:

We will ask Dr. J just in case......she is such a nerd!