Category: Annie DeMoranville

Mabel and Maddie Were Fine Ducks

So we lost Maddie and Mabel a couple of weeks ago. Mabel died first in her sleep – since her day was ordinary and she did all her favorite things, I’m assuming it was just old age.

Maddie followed a week later, from what I am sure was a broken heart. They were tightly bonded and you could watch Maddie just slowly slip away. Again, she was the same age as Mabel, I’m assuming, so it wasn’t surprising.

They were slowing down considerably over the summer,  nesting more than running around the yard. But they still chased bugs every morning, enjoyed their pools, and got feisty when the duckteens got out of line.

I did bring Penelope (rest in peace sweet thing) and Nick and Nora into the flock hoping that when and if one of the older ducks died, the remaining duck would have company. It was a long shot…

I knew Maddie and Mabel were slowing down, we didn’t really know how old they were when we rescued them, and healthy ducks only live from 5-8 years. Mabel had the most difficult time in the wild and probably only had a day or two left in her when we brought her home.  It took a while for both to recuperate and Mabel’s health always seemed vulnerable. But they had a great life here and enjoyed being the official yard ducks. Gave us a lot of eggs and ate their weight in bugs, for sure.

They brought great joy to the yard and it was soooo nice to have ducks again after years without. I am grateful Nick and Nora are around to take up the mantle of official yard ducks. They seem up to the task.

x-posted at What’s 4 Dinner Solutions

How To Brown Ground Beef And Bonus Blueberry Crisp

Let’s talk about browning ground beef. I had someone tell me they hated ground beef because of the texture and flavor. But they like hamburgers…a lot.

I then assumed it was because of the way they were browning their ground beef. Often folks just put it in a pan, break it up, and heat it through until it is completely cooked. Then add it to whatever they are making: tacos, spaghetti sauce, chili, etc.

This can leave you with gummy, flavorless pebbles in your meal.  Instead, let’s use the Maillard Reaction to create better ground beef.  (See a good explanation here)

To make a flavorful ground beef with good texture, start with the raw meat.

Season it with salt, pepper and whatever spices you’ll be using in the meal – Italian spices, Chili spices, taco seasonings, etc. and generous amounts of salt and pepper. Mix it into the beef well.

Next, spread the mixture into the skillet – flatten it like you’re making a very large hamburger and turn on the heat. Medium-high.

Important – leave it alone! Let it cook on one side until it has a deep crust on it – reduced to medium heat if it looks like it might burn. You want it browned, not burned.

Once it’s completely browned with a nice crust, turn it over. I usually break it into three to four pieces to flip easily. Now repeat the browning process. Once it is fully browned on both sides, use a spatula or a metal pastry cutter to create larger crumbles of meat. These will be full of flavor and a good texture to complement any sauce or seasoning.

I wanted to make Crisp to celebrate Autumn. I went with Blueberry Crisp (recipe here) because I was enjoying slicing and eating my apples. I’ll pick up some Macintosh if I can find them for crisp next week.

x-posted at What’s 4 Dinner Solutions

Morning Walks: Mountain River

Scout and I continue our morning adventures. The weather has been beautifully cool and crisp in the mornings. But the water was still comfortable enough to dip my toes in for a bit.

Scout is doing great. I was hoping these walks, far from our usual routine, would take my mind off Bixby. Walking through the neighborhood, everyone always makes an effort to say hello and often comment on how much they miss Bixby. Me, too.

So, we needed to get away. And away helps me notice things about Scout as we work together. She relied heavily on Bixby as her guide in the world and she’s actually struggling to find her way without him. These explorations have been good for us, I can see where she needs more confidence and also where she needs a bit more training. She followed Bixby’s lead in most things, which worked well for us, he loved having a groupie and she was just a breeze to train because of it. But now we have to find our footing without him.

She’s outgoing on walks, not afraid of much, but can be timid with new routines or new experiences, like walking in the river. It takes her a bit to work up her courage, but she gets there. We get there. Before we know it, she’ll be alpha dog. Leading the way, bowing down only to her kittehs, whom she adores.

She’s still not playing at home – no tug, no fetch, a few zoomies. But she loves going on drives and is happy to snuggle on the couch. And she is ridiculously happy when the neighborhood kids come to visit and when she’s allowed to go out the front door, unleashed, to greet people, trusted to come back when she’s called. She knows it’s a big deal to earn that trust and it gives her hyper tail wags.

x-posted at What’s 4 Dinner Solutions