Nellieinthebarn thank you for the recipe, I will give that a go. I need to scour my shelves and visit Aldi or Lidl for grains, both places have a good inexpensive range.
I made a large tray of chargrilled peppers yesterday- I find that a really good way to eat bigger quantities of this vegetable. I half, de-seed, sprinkle with some olive oil, throw in a few whole unpeeled garlic cloves. Once the skin has started to char, throw the whole lot into a plastic bag with any juices..
Once cool the skins come off easily. I peel and smoosh the garlic between my fingers, slice the peppers, add some salt, black pepper and a glug of balsamic vinegar. They will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge. Great as a sandwich filler, on top of salad, or crostini.
A good way to pack veg into my diet- I can easily eat 2 or 3 peppers in a portion, this way but would struggle to eat that many raw.
I haven't checked for tadpoles this year. I don't have a pond, there is a fast flowing river very close, but a few little side ponds along the bank of calm water- I need no encouragement for a woodland walk.
I try to selectively feed wild birds, the smaller birds are so easily scared by the bigger ones. Unfortunately my mother and OH will throw out large chunks of bread or leftovers onto the grass, and my garden will become a noisy flurry of seagulls, magpies and crows- the small birds take flight.
SeaEssence I have guilt about things I did when I was a child. My father would take my sister and I to the local woods in early spring to gather bird eggs directly from their nests. Once home my father would help us "blow" the eggs, flushing out the eggs contents over a sink to empty the eggs but preserve the shell.
We had books and trays to lay out the eggs, making little labels once identified.
I was mesmerised by the colours, shapes, patterns. But thinking about this now makes me so sad.
In my defence I was only 5 or 6 years old, we stopped when my much older sister lost interest, so I was unaware of the harm and implications of our actions.
I even struggle now with the idea of keeping pets, especially birds or exotic animals.
Keeping animals as "living toys" doesn't seem right to me.
I have done my share of perpetuating the habit, buying hamsters, guinea pigs, owing dogs and cats in the past. But I am becoming much more critical of the idea.
There is no doubt that animals can bring comfort and companionship to many, can ease loneliness, can be useful as working or service animals, but the whole idea of keeping animals doesn't sit with me well.
Many animals become strays, kept in bad situations, allowed to breed without restriction. They contribute to co2 output, and support the meat industry.
I have two cats myself- they are rescue animals and have been neutered. Any animal already here deserves a good quality of life, but I have mixed feelings about pet "ownership" in general.
Sorry for the mini rant!