8 REASONS CROWS ARE AWESOME

Monday morning greetings friends and buh-bye September 2024.

Crazy to me how the months just seem to zoom by.
Not just weeks and days — but months!

Collected these wonderful pieces of interestings to share today —

BEGINNING WITH:

HAVE YOU BEEN NOTICING AND HEARING CROWS MORE OFTEN LATELY?

… as in crows flying around your property or favorite walking place – doing their caw-caw-caw calling voices?
I sure have.

With my windows and doors popped open and me outside for longer periods of time during these milder temps — I see and hear them!

Crows are actually way cooler than I realized reading this short-list about these black beauties.

I have a brand new curiosity respect for them.  I mean, who knew they’re the biggest brained (aka smartest) birds?  And that they cleverly drop whole nuts in traffic for cars to roll over and crack the shells open for them?  And they mate for life?

I didn’t know!  But now I do and so do you.

** Read – 8 REASONS CROWS ARE AWESOME **

THINKING ABOUT A LITTLE FALL CLEANING ACTION?

I know — ughhhh!

However, if we get started now and do a few tasks a day, by the time the temps drop way brrrrr-low and we gotta close our windows and doors until springtime, we’ll be smiling home dwellers and enjoying the fruits of all fall labors!

Me? 
I’m gonna begin my fall cleaning October 1st and my intended end-goal date is October 30th.

** Read – FALL CLEANING CHECKLIST **

INTERESTING THINGS INSIDE THINGS

I found this collection of pics of man made AND nature’s endless surprises of of things-inside-of-things most intriguing!

I especially loved the tree pic of a random tower of bricks inside its trunk, the blue pony revealing the source of its pony tail, and the squeaky dog toy with a “CONGRATULATIONS!” message inside (like a dog toy fortune cookie – ha)

** Read – INTERESTING THINGS INSIDE OF THINGS **

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO – THE BIGGEST HOT AIR BALLOON FIESTA IN THE WORLD

I’ve personally seen these magnificent giant floating pieces of art.
Didn’t actually attend a balloon fiesta.

However, when Peter and I were working on Breaking Bad (series) in ABQ, NM, one Saturday morning we sat outside at a table on our patio of a bungalow-style home Production had rented for the 6+ months we were there working the show.

Enjoying the fall temps, kick start of our weekend, sipping coffee and visiting — we heard a multitude of unusual sounds.
Hard to describe.
Not creepy.  Just unusual.  I’d never heard sounds like these before or since.
Had to do the good old Google YouTube search today to find out if there might be a sound recording of such — and sure enough!  Found it!
** Listen here **

Hearing the sounds, Peter and I looked around and then up (where the “noises” were coming from).  To our visual and listening pleasure hundreds, seriously, hundreds of enormous, brilliantly decorated hot air balloons floated above us — like colorful clouds in the sky ever so slowly moving.  Doing their huff and puff sounds.  It was WOW – COOL.

It was one of those OMG!  Total random experience never to be forgotten.
And we had unbelievable seats sipping coffee on a private patio to boot!

** Read – The Biggest Balloon Fiesta In the World **

RECIPE (!)

NO-KNEAD GREEN CHILE CHEESE BREAD

Say “howdy” to this outstanding no-knead  (yep, you read that correctly — no-knead)  bread recipe!
The whole no-knead part stopped me in my recipe reading tracks and had my total attention.

I can vouch for this bread recipe as I’ve made it numerous times with no fail results.

It’s BUENO with soups, salads, panini sandwich, sliced into small baguette size pieces on a charcuterie board or toasted slices with ripe tomato slices and fresh mozzarella sprinkled with cracked pepper on a pretty plate served alongside a glass of wine on the patio during the fall or in front of the fire in the winter and – light bulb – as a hostess gift as the holidays are just around the corner.

Bonus!
Super friendly to make.

Just got to plan a tiny bit in advance.  Meaning the afternoon before to let the no-knead bread do its thing before baking time.

No Biggie for me and all of my bread loving family and friends.
Especially when it’s so easy-peasy to make and results spectacular.

** Read – No-Knead Green Chile Cheese Bread **

RECIPE (!)

JUICY BAKED PESTO MEATBALLS

I AM A HUGE FAN of this recipe for multiple reasons:

1. Ground chicken or turkey in lieu of ground beef
2. Pesto is not actually a pesto sauce – but all the fresh ingredients that make pesto rolled into the meatballs
3. Baked not fried
4. BOOM!

** Read – Juicy Baked Pesto Balls **

RECIPE (!)

APPLE SALAD WITH CANDIED WALNUTS AND CRANBERRIES

This salad looks + sounds absolutely stellar.
Should I be invited to a function and asked to bring a side dish – I’m so gonna make and take this one!

1. Presentation is gorgeous
2. I’ve never heard of plumping dried cranberries or other dried fruit.  Makes total sense
3. Light dressing to compliment
4. No fuss do-and-make

** Read – Apple Salad with Candied Walnuts and Cranberries **

RECIPE (!)

BAKED SWEET POTATO

Who knew something as humble as a sweet potato could be served so many ways?
Move over sweet potato and marshmallow casserole on the holiday dinner table!
Totally breaking out of the casserole mold and showing us what ya got!

1. How to properly bake a sweet potato and enjoy – skin on
2. The Savory Topping choices Jenn offers at the bottom of the recipe to turn a sweet potato into a main dish!
   I’m so on board and gonna pair a baked sweet potato with chopped roasted veggies, homemade chili and or pulled pork or smoked brisket!
3. Love the cool culinary ideas to turn a simple little sweet potato into a star dinner attraction

** Read – Baked Sweet Potatoes **

RECIPE (!)

HOMEMADE PUMPKIN DONUT HOLES

This recipe reads/looks too irresistible!
I’m not a giant donut fan.  Once in a while, of course.
However, this creative recipe has my radar-ready-to-bake way up!

1. Pumpkin = Donut Holes
2. Simple!
3. Baked in a muffin tin
4. Rolled in cinnamon sugar

What’s not to love?
Easy + Yummy = mmm – mmm good.

** Read – Pumpkin Donut Holes **

17 YEAR OLDS AND A ROTARY PHONE

This is funny!
With all the tech savvy these young ones have — they struggle to figure out how to operate a rotary phone which was a no-brainer to many of us growing up back in the day.

Enjoy the laugh!

** See video – 17 Year Olds and a Rotary Phone **

MAN’S BEST FRIEND

So the story goes …

A gentleman wrote an email to a small hotel in a Midwest town he planned to visit for a vacation.

He asked:

I would very much like to bring my dog with me.
He is well groomed and extremely well behaved.

Would you be willing to permit me to keep him in my room at night?

A reply came from the hotel manager who wrote:

Sir, I’ve been operating this hotel for many years.
In all that time, I’ve never had a dog steal towels, bedding, silverware or pictures off the walls.
I’ve never had to evict a dog in the middle of the night for being drunk and disorderly.
And I’ve never had a dog run out on a hotel bill.

Yes, indeed, your dog is welcome at our hotel.
And, if your dog will vouch for you, you’re welcome to stay here, too.

TOP 10 MOST POPULAR DOG BREEDS IN THE U.S.

1. Chihuahua
2. French Bulldog
3. Golden Retriever
4. German Shepherd
5. Shih Tzu
6. Goldendoodle
7. Yorkshire Terrier
8. American Bull Terrier
9. Pit Bull
10. Labrador Retriever (Black)

~ According to U.S. News – June 6, 2024

NO FRIENDSHIP IS
AN ACCIDENT.
~ O. HENRY ~

THANK YOU DAYMAKER FRIENDS
FOR POPPING BY TODAY + SHARING + ENGAGING!

CATCH YA WEDNESDAY
SAME TIME
SAME PLACE