Eating Out of the Pantry, Coins from Malaysia, & a Snail Named George

I was going to blog about another restaurant today but I thought I would save it for another day...SOON!  Instead, I thought I would do a post about current happenings and upcoming events.

One thing is for sure...I don't have a whole hell of a lot of food in my house!  This photo above is from a few months ago and it's already 'ancient history'.  I have a feeling I will be doing a lot with Quinoa and Lentils next week because that is what I have in my pantry.  It will surely be 'slim pickings'.

And speaking of that phrase - I had to Google the origin.  I knew it was old but I didn't know it went back to the 1600's!  And that is according to Dictionary.com...and what they had to say about what it alludes to is a bit ironic due to me being a vegan and all but I still thought it was interesting...

A small amount left after others have taken a share. For example, After each of the children took what they wanted of Mother'sthings, it was slim pickings for the rest of the family. This expression alludes to animals devouring a carcass. [Early 1600s] 

Something that is LONG overdue is a THANK YOU to Suituapui for these wonderful coins from Malaysia!  I received them a few months ago and totally forgot to blog about them!  YIKES!  So sorry!  Because we are in the 'thick' of winter I'm sure I will be sorting out coins over the next couple of weeks again!  We are supposed to get anywhere between a foot of snow up to 2 and a half or even close to 3 feet of snow in some spots!  YIKES!

This is a photo of George the Snail.  It was reported that he passed away on or around the 10th of the month at the age of 14.  He was a land snail species, Achatinella apexfulva, which used to be plentiful on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, and George was believed to be the species single survivor.  He lived his last days alone in a terrarium in Kailua, Hawaii, alongside an ample supply of fungi (a food his ancestors liked to scrape off leaves in the wild). (Article)

According to Wikipedia...as of January 2019, the IUCN's 1996 conservation status assessment (the most recent IUCN coverage of the species) still lists the species as Critically Endangered.

A few things that I am in Planning Mode for have to do with several boards, groups, and committees I belong to.  Such as...celebrating the 100 years of Women's Right to Vote...we have a planning meeting of how various organizations can work on the local level to celebrate for a full year!  Another project in the planning stages is our county's first annual Weekend of Service.  We are trying to promote Volunteerism and trying to encourage more people to volunteer!  That will be the weekend of May 17 thru the 19th.  We have a lot of things in the works for League of Women Voters and Zonta International, too.  And, we are in full force for obtaining new vendors for the county fair in August!  In addition, I have been trying to submit more reviews again over at Sororitea Sisters.

Kidney Bean Quinoa Burgers, Close Call, & Vaquitas

Well THIS was a challenge!  I was trying to make something with less than 5 ingredients, on the cheap, based on what I had on-hand, and of course, VEGAN.  I came up with these Kidney Bean Quinoa Burgers.  These are the raw patties.  I'm still testing them.  They weren't bad.  But I think I will be adding garlic next time!  I would also like to try these in my dehydrator.  What you see above contain the following...Kidney Beans, Tri-Color Quinoa, Smoked Paprika, and Nutritional Yeast.

When I left for work this morning I saw this.  A tree limb fell on or near my Fiat.  I looked and looked and couldn't see any scratches or dents.  That was a close call!

The weather has been overly nuts this winter!  No real snow to speak of...not that I'm complaining...I'm not a fan of snow!  We had 50+ degrees and thunder and lightning yesterday!  VERY unusual for us here in the snow belt.  Over the next couple of days, we could see some snow and today has turned colder with wind gusts!

The feedback I have received so far about adding more animals to my posts was a very positive one!  I won't be doing this every day but I hope to include many more in my posts when I'm able to.

I'll tell you one of the species that has really been on my heart lately is the Vaquita (pictured above).  Look at those eyes!  According to many sites, there are less than 30 individual Vaquitas left.  I've even seen some sources say as few as 12 to  15 remain.  They are only found off the coast of Baja California/Baja Mexico and are usually seen thru illegal fishing operations.  They were discovered in 1950 when a dead bleached skull was found.  The following year 2 (or 3) additional skulls were found and that was enough to declare a new species of porpoise by 1958.  By 1997, the population was estimated at around 600.

To put that into perspective, I graduated in 1997...so in just about 22 years WITH these beauties being on the endangered species list and the focus of many efforts to save them...they have gone from 600 down to between 12-30 individual beings!  It breaks my heart!  But if we can continue to protect them and educate others about them MAYBE we can bring them back from the brink of extinction! 

Stresemann's Bristlefront & Lazy Vegan Meals!

For the new year I am going to include more animals on my blog.  More specifically ones that need attention.  Whether that be educating myself and others about an Endangered Species or posting about another animal in need.  I thought I would start this off by sharing info about a bird that goes by Stresemann's Bristlefront.  I have been reading on this bird because of the information I received in my inbox from The American Bird Conservatory.

It's a unique bird that nests in underground tunnels.  They went unrecorded for over 50 years.  Back in 1995, there were about 15 birds that were located.  As of today, there is only 1 individual female bird of its kind that has been accounted for.  Professionals are saying that it's due to logging and other issues as to why the Stresemann's Bristlefront Bird could be the world's rarest bird.  It was recently found in Northern Brazil.

The group is trying to raise money to locate and start bringing the species back from the brink.  You can learn more about that HERE and even hear what she sounds like. 

I've been in RESEARCH MODE over the last several months.  Whether it's for the Votes For Women National Trail to celebrate 100 years of Women's Right To Vote and how I can submit historical places in my area to show up on the national trail map - or if it's Geography based to learn more about different countries and cultures.

While researching different countries and islands and such I have been keeping an eye on my Flag Counter.  It's the widget on my sidebar if you scroll to the bottom.  Yesterday I had people from 40 different countries visit my blog!  Overall, I've had 223 countries visit.  As of today, I'm only missing 20 country flags!  I will be researching these 20 countries and see how I can not only learn more about their culture but their foods and see if I can veganize them!

Speaking of food, I'll move on to my LAZY MEALS as of late!  The photo you see above is a little diddy I threw together.  It's made of frozen, riced Cauliflower & Sweet Potato.  I added Tofu that I pan fried and added garlic while pan frying.  I added a little brown sugar and dijon mustard and mixed well.  I know it sounds like a strange flavor combo but I'm kind of hooked on it now.

This past Sunday we went to a potluck and my mom and I made a HUGE tossed/veggie salad and some Vegan Macaroni Salad.  Here is a photo of the Mac.  We made the elbow mac like we usually do and then I added Just Mayo, Frozen Peas, Relish, Garlic Pepper, and Old Bay Seasoning!  We brought back an empty container.  I know most people didn't know it was vegan!

Another lazy meal I made not too long ago was this dish.  I made it in the microwave.  It has Rice, Black Beans, Sweet Corn, and Tomato Sauce.  It only cost about $2 to make and I had enough for 2 to 3 meals!

Furkids Updates, Feathered Friends, & Finders-Keepers

Thanks to everyone who has been asking about our dear Paco!  For a timeline of posts about his medical issues visit these posts:

No!  My Dear Paco! Posted Aug 26th

Furkids/Family Medical Updates & Timeline Posted Aug 27th
Paco Update Posted Sept 3rd

Now for the NEWEST Update on Paco and some info about Suzie as well.  This photo above I took this past weekend!  Suzie - on the right - has lost about 3 pounds in the past several months.  I took her in for some required shots and prep for her stay with a very nice guy we have locally that her and Riley will stay with next week.  He truly LOVES animals and is a great guy.  Anyways...we are to keep an eye on her - she's NOT eating less and she IS acting completely normal otherwise.  They have her down as 12 but I know that is NOT true...we've had her for that long.  And she was 2 when we adopted her.  However, the vet did say that now she is within her ideal weight - where as before she was a little bit on the heavy side for her size.  She's our "Queen Bee" of the house that is for sure!

As for Paco - he continues to IMPROVE!  On Friday his Platelet Count was 698!!!  He will remain on all of his meds for the next 5 months and we will be doing monthly checks in the meantime.  He has another round of Antibiotics but once he's done with those he will be down to 2 meds and a low dose tummy tamer for the lining of his stomach because of the steroids he's on.

In other news I have been making some new friends lately!  Check these 'guys' out!  I went over to my parents Sunday night and across the street these two were hanging out.  I had to take a few photos because these aren't birds I usually see in our area.  They aren't the best photos because I was trying to use my ZOOM on my iPhone before they walked away.

They were short and fat but super cool!  After asking a few people and doing some research we DID establish that they were a type of Heron.  My husband thought they were young Black Crowned Night Herons but I think they look more like the Green Heron photos I have seen.  Regardless I was super fortunate to spot these 'guys' because they are concerned 'least concern' by the conservation department...it's not endangered but it could get to that point.  My mom said she's seen this charming pair of birds around their house and two of the neighbors properties in the last week to week and a half.  They are wondering if they are living in a nearby tree.

Also over the weekend...I was cleaning and found a package of Incense from Wild Berry.  I opened it up and decided to burn a half of a stick and they were still potent!  I remember when I was in college I used to buy Incense were ever I could find some but NOT for the reasons people may think!  Many of my college friends were NOT allowed to burn candles in their dorms or apartments so they burned these instead AND they were nice to put on window sills - they sun would hit them and release the oils, too, without having to burn them.  They were also CHEAP and the perfect price for college students on a budget!  So...yeah...I found a few sticks and was really shocked at the aroma in them still because I bet I have had these for at least 15 years because I don't remember buying them myself.  I'm thinking my father gave them to me because he gets samples at work for purchasing for a chain of C-Stores here.

 

OH!!!!!  And...I will have multiple posts again today so please check back AND if you haven't entered to WIN the Garden of Life Chocolate Cacao RAW PROTEIN Powder...there is STILL TIME...I will draw a winner tomorrow morning at 8am EST.  Check out THIS POST for more details and to enter!

World Wildlife Day!

Today is World Wildlife Day!  The United Nations has more info on this program on their website if you haven't already heard about it.  In short...World Wildlife Day is an opportunity to celebrate the many beautiful and varied forms of wild fauna and flora and to raise awareness of the multitude of benefits that conservation provides to people. At the same time, the Day reminds us of the urgent need to step up the fight against wildlife crime, which has wide-ranging economic, environmental and social impacts.

 So...I thought I would not only show some photos that have been shared on that website but on others.  I was also checking out the World Wildlife Fund's website earlier today.  It's been a while since my last visit.  I used to frequent the site often.  YEARS ago - and several blogs ago - I used to post about random endangered species.  I sort of miss doing that so I might start posting about them on occasion.  I love learning about them and their habits and history and really hope that we can bring them back from the brink.

According to the WWF Website -

On March 3, the government of Nepal, WWF and other partners celebrated 365 days without a single case of rhino, elephant or tiger poaching ending February 2014. This is the second time that the country marked such a milestone after 2011.

Their efforts are focused on Elephants, Tigers, and Rhinos.

I signed a pledge online to support their anti-poaching and anti-traffic campaign.  There are TONS of other animals and endangered species to check up and check in on - on this page!

I may not always be able to donate with money but the least I can do is educate myself and others, eh!?

Questions of the Day:
What did you do or learn this World Wildlife Day?


What are some of your favorite endangered animals that are near and dear to your heart?

Olean Festival, Flying Squirrels, Biker Dogs, Ferrets, & Someone Looked Familiar!

This is the 2nd post of today so be sure to scroll down!

This past weekend was a busy one!  Saturday "we" were at a festival in Olean, NY, with our Wildtree Table.  It wasn't awesome but it wasn't awful sales-wise.  However we were forced to leave 2 hours early due to a 'down pour'.

Usually 4 of us go to events - My Mom, Dad, Sister, and I.  My parents had other obligations which I will tell you about in my next post.  So my sister and I were at this event - for the most part - by ourselves.  My Dad helped unload and my Mom stayed for about an hour.

There were many 'interesting' things that happened during this festival for us.  First you will see these TWO photos of - basically - a wall.  This is the side of the Rec Center at the Park in Olean that the festival was at.  When we first arrived this image was NOT present.  I noticed it about 30 minutes afterwards.

As you will see in the 2nd photo it's a closer look!

After MUCH deliberation about 20 of us came to the conclusion that this was a Black Flying Squirrel!  I have only seen photos of Flying Squirrels before and have never seen one in real life or up close.  This was a very tall building but the squirrel was quite large.  Flying Squirrels are generally nocturnal animals so it's rare to see them during the day like we did.  I kept an eye on this "cutie" all day!  He was there well after we left and would shift positions every 20 minutes or so thru-out the day!  After doing some research on Flying Squirrels in our area I have found they are rare and listed as "Least Concern" on the Endangered Species scale.  I was so excited to have seen one in real life!  It was one of the highlights of the weekend - for me.

BUT...the CUTENESS didn't stop there!  Saturday in Olean was real fun and there were LOTS of cute dogs roaming around...including this one!  His name is Winston and he and his family were there visiting the event as well!  They were among some of the Bikers that attended.  Winston is a Biker Dog as you can see from his goggles and carrier vest.  We were told that he LOVES riding motorcycles!  He's a Chihuahua/Pom mix and he was so sweet!

Another 'furry friend' we were watching was a man walking his albino Ferret!  What a neat day!

Another cool thing that happened Saturday during this event was that I recognized a guy next to us - a fellow vendor - who looked SO VERY FAMILIAR!  It was driving me crazy and I was trying NOT to stare.  Long story short - he was doing the same thing - looking over thinking I looked familiar!  Come to find out we went to college together and we haven't seen each other in 15 years or so.  He has been doing wood working as well as handmade bracelets with quality beads among other things.  He told me he was doing a lot of Pet Accessories, too!  My sister and I ended up buying 2 bracelets from him as well as a Wine Bottle Holder that I will be giving my Dad tonight for a Birthday Present (his Birthday was yesterday).  I hope I get to see his other creations at future shows.  It was neat to see him after all these years and funny we both recognized each other!

Like I said before - we were forced to leave early due to heavy rain.  My sister and I are not as good as my Father when it comes to packing the car up - but - we DID IT!  Here's a funny picture of my sister after we fit everything into her Nissan.

My sister was pretty funny this weekend!  It was great sister time.  I will tell you more about that in my next post.  I realize this entry is a bit long already.

Questions of the day: Have you ever seen a Flying Squirrel?  When's the last time you had that feeling you knew someone - how did you handle it and what was the outcome?  Did you see any "cute" or "interesting" this past weekend!?