Oh boy has the wind been blustering for the past couple of days! The carport cover has been clanging away and the mulberry branches whipping about. Nice thing is though is that all the fallen leaves have been blown away :D There has been a small family or group of 5 little grey birds hanging around the back porch, three of who I have heard and seen begging, so I'm guessing it is a family group. Anyway, they have been taking refuge under the overhang and on the roof under the mulberry branches. They create a nice little protected area on part of the roof.
If anybody can recognize the species from the pictures and the fact that we are located in stanislaus county, I'd love for you to leave a comment!
Here is a pic I took through the dirty back-door window, we didn't want to disturb them.
Another pic, the little puffball is still preening the same spot
I went outside around the side of the house and put out a few meal worms in a dish for them, far enough away to not disturb them, but close enough to be in easy sight :D
Part Two: Pasta Ramblings
I also tossed together a very simple but tasty dinner, from what we have on hand, a chicken leg quarter skinned and split between a thigh and drumstick, seasoned with creole seasoning and baked in a covered dish. While that was baking, I got some water boiling and tossed in some pasta, then got a piece of bacon going in the microwave. Then it was a simple matter of deciding on a vegetable. I went with some frozen peas so I could just toss them in during the last couple of minutes with the pasta.
Once that is done, just drain the pasta/peas and toss with the chopped bacon, a couple of tablespoons of cream or milk, and a couple of handfuls of parmasan (the cheap stuff if you are on a budget), maybe a little salt, and let it all meld together for a few.
The really nice thing about this particular "recipe" is that it is a very versatile side dish. You can use any vegetable that can be boiled, so long as you time it correctly, and you can use any shape of pasta that you have sitting around. Then all you need is a sauce and/or flavoring. This can be as simple as a couple of cloves of garlic to a long-simmered reduction of red wine and tomatoes. The key is to use what you have on hand. Have some canned tomatoes? dice those suckers, and toss with the pasta with some pesto, italian seasoning, onion, or garlic. Or use a little butter, lemon pepper, and broccoli with penne. Heck, you could even use a mix; the endpiece of a squash and some carrots tossed in the cooking water, then italian stewed tomatoes or any salad dressing (works especially for a cold dish) added at the end, the options are nearly endless.
So with all that rambling typed, here is what our refridgerator yielded for a tasty chicken and pasta dinner for two:
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