I suppose this will be my annual plea to fellow birders to put out a heated bird bath. Our little friends need water, especially in freezing weather, to survive. Many, many people put out feeders – something like $500 million is spent annually on bird seed, but for bird baths - not so much. I have a ton of songbirds in my yard, but it didn’t happen by accident. I provide multiple food sources … [Read more...]
Recycle Those Christmas Trees
I planted a Christmas Tree in my garden last week. Well, I didn’t plant it so much as I drug it out of the living room, out into the back yard and tossed it into my garden to sit a spell. In the meantime, I heated an old jar of peanut butter in the microwave, then poured it on the drying branches of the tree and sprinkled bird seed on top. I have now converted our old Christmas Tree into a new … [Read more...]
Guadalajara: Consistently Excellent
With the holidays in the rear-view mirror, Nancy and I decided to go out for a bite. We thought we’d check out the new Red Crab Juicy Seafood place, but it felt strange when we went in – like an oriental restaurant with a seafood boil. We glanced at their menu, and they seemingly offered only boiled crabs, lobsters, and shrimp. They also sold stuff by the pound. It didn’t feel right. We wanted a … [Read more...]
Mini Cheddar Meat Loaves
One of the most challenging parts of cooking is choosing the menu. We can easily get in a rut and serve the same-old, same-old stuff. Case in point. I had thawed a pound of hamburger not knowing what I would do with it. I could always make a couple patties and toss them on a grill or mix it into some sort of Mexican or Italian dish, but that usually ends up with more carbs than my … [Read more...]
Happy 2022!
By Nancy B Have you made any New Year’s Resolutions? I often wonder why they fail and how they can succeed. The new year is like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We, at Nancy B’s are starting our chapter and you’re in it. Your lighting needs and lighting questions are so important to us. One of our resolutions is to be a good listener; talk less and listen more to … [Read more...]
Dogfish Days
For the next month or two, about the only fish biting in the surf in Virginia and North Carolina will be dogfish. Small sharks. Atlantic spiny dogfish to be exact. And there are no shortages of these bait snatchers. While there is little or no consumer or sporting interest in dogfish in the United States - they are considered trash fish - they are prized in Europe for their use in the classic … [Read more...]
Boomers and Flexible Flyers
It snowed this week. Some places had over a foot. two feet. We had about 6 inches in our area, enough of the white stuff to kindle a warm flicker of Boomer memories of snow blanketed hills, red noses, hot chocolate, and Flexible Flyers. We lived on a steep street, Jennings Street, in Beckley, WV. Some would consider that a disadvantage. My boyhood friend, Freddy Arnold, and I thought it was … [Read more...]
Old and Corny Golf Jokes
What’s the difference between a bad golfer and a bad skydiver? A bad golfer goes: “Whack...Damn!" A bad Skydiver goes: "Damn!...Whack.” Bob stood over his tee shot for what seemed an eternity. He waggled, looked up, looked down, waggled again, but didn't start his back swing. Finally his exasperated partner asked, "What the hell is taking so long?" "My wife is up there … [Read more...]
Pork Tenderloin Plain and Simple
The pork tenderloin is the most tender of all cuts. It is the filet mignon of pork. Yet, it is one of the most value-priced cuts of meat there is. There is absolutely no waste, it’s lean and nutritious and it’s very inexpensive, about $5 a pound. But I rarely buy it. For some reason, I have been unable to cook and serve pork tenderloin that I considered a knockout dish. I have tried all sorts … [Read more...]
Snow is Good
Snow is a good thing – not only for all the school children who relish a few extra days off to break out their sleds and toboggans, but it is an essential element in growing flowers and vegetables. We “backyard farmers” need snow to turn out a successful harvest come summer and fall. The recent snow will blanket our gardens and when it melts – we assume it will melt eventually – our small plots … [Read more...]
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