Malignant Humors

[the_siobhan]

A whole buncha you want the carrot cake granola, so here you go. Fair warning before you click on the link, this guy is a healthy eating influencer and he's shilling an app, because of course he fucking is.

https://www.thedoctorskitchen.com/recipes/carrot-cake-granola

Having said that, I follow him because his emphasis is on gut health and not on low carb or whatever the trend is now. A lot of his recipes are all about taking things you already eat and bumping up the fibre and nutritional value. I'm always looking for stuff that just looks tasty, so I have a bunch bookmarked to try out.

I also watch budgetbytes and I have a few keepers from that site. I have found that they have less interesting recipes lately. (I think the original creator sold it off or something?) I tried their black bean soup recipe and it was so bland.

***

A new character has joined the local menagerie. Most of the skunks in the area seem to keep closer to the lake, but I've recently notice the obvious aroma of a newcomer visiting my block. Last week I was walking along the sidewalk heading home and I realized I was marching towards what was definitely Not A Cat facing me and looking a little defensive. I veered into the street to give him a wide berth and he relaxed and waddled on his way.

I think that completes the Four Horseman of urban life, the sparrows of scattering stuff everywhere, the raccoons of eating all your fucking food, the turkey of shitting all over your stuff and the skunk of watch where you step.

Comments

[greylock]

I follow him because his emphasis is on gut health and not on low carb or whatever the trend is now

I believe the current trend is "protein".

I think that completes the Four Horseman of urban life, the sparrows of War Of Small Increments, the raccoons of eating all your fucking food, the turkey of shitting all over your stuff and the skunk of watch where you step.

You know, if you were the 51st State that wouldn't happen!

Honestly, the worst I have to deal with are the rats of... ratting. And today, the risk of Swoopybois. And meth-heads.

I was not swooped.

[the_siobhan]

We do occasionally have birds that build a nest near a sidewalk and then get aggressive at people walking by. It's not as common as what I hear you deal with with magpies.

[greylock]

The Magpie menace is not to be understated, because they will carry a grudge.

Also fun, Willie Wagtails. They are mean and fearless. But to less damage.

[redbird]

Skunks at least want to avoid humans as much as we want to avoid them, unlike turkeys, which are aggressive as well as loud.

The last few years we lived in New York, there were skunks living in the nearest park, which sometimes wandered onto nearby streets and scavenged in trash cans. Cattitude once whistled to make sure a skunk knew he was there, and it backed off rather than walking towards him.

[elusis]

I think I've seen the word "shy" used to describe skunks more than a few times.

[the_siobhan]

When I lived in the east end of the city they were ubiquitous and I would commonly pass them digging through garbage bags when I was walking home in the wee hours of the morning. They were so used to humans they barely looked at me when I passed by a foot from their tail.

[sanguinity]

I think that completes the Four Horseman of urban life

What a fascinating collection of Horsemen; not at all what I would have picked. (We don't have turkeys for one, and sparrows are not a nuisance here.) grrlpup and I discussed it, and we would pick: rats of eating all your stuff, raccoons of pooping on your roof, opossoms of dying and decomposing under the house, and wasps of watch where you step.

[the_siobhan]

Prior to the turkey showing up it would have been the mice of pooping on everything I own.

[silentq]

I had to cross the street for a skunk on the way back from the club a couple of months ago, but it's the only one I've seen here. One turkey as well, which is a huge difference from Boston. Here it's magpies everywhere, hares at night, and pigeons who get Horseman status. I'm guessing there are enough coyotes around the periphery of the city to keep pests down on land.

[the_siobhan]

Fortunately the coyotes in my yard keep the rat population down. And there are hawks back there too although I mostly hear them rather than see them.

[kest]

Currently where I am we have many deer, many squirrels, occasional possum and raccoon and coyote and bald eagle, and lately one very noisy sea lion.

My skunk story is when I was a teenager and went outside to watch the sunrise in my backyard on the summer solstice, and a skunk came around the corner on its 6am skunky business, a time when I am sure it definitely did not expect any HUMANS out. There was a minute when we just stared at each other, and then I scrambled backwards and it stomped its little back feet (a bad sign) and turned tail....and trotted away for which I was very grateful.

[runcible]

Noticed the same with BudgetBytes - I think it was Beth (blonde?) who just had to step away. I do follow their youtube channel, but mostly I stick with older recipes I've refined for my own needs. They're one of the reasons our neighbors get orange-pistachio fudge during the holidays.

I'm giving the Loopy Whisk a try so I can pad out my GF backing recipes for the holidays. Riffing off of one of hers, I did manage to make a pretty decent batch of gluten-free blueberry scones, with goat yogurt as the liquid for the dough.

[the_siobhan]

I find they massively under-spice everything. Not even just quantity, but I always end up throwing in something extra just to make it more interesting.

[dswdiane]

Thank you for the link to the carrot cake granola recipe. It looks very good. So do some of his other recipes.

[the_siobhan]

I have now tried his tiramisu granola and I also recommend it.

[emmerololth]

Thank you for the carrot cake granola recipe! I'll check out the rest of the site too since this this appeals to me: "A lot of his recipes are all about taking things you already eat and bumping up the fibre and nutritional value."

And I know what you mean about Budget Bytes. I haven't tried a ton of their recipes, but the ones I have made, I've usually had to double the spices lol...

I wonder if skunks will work on domesticating themselves like raccoons supposedly are. ~_~

[the_siobhan]

Skunks are surprisingly friendly once they decide you aren't a threat. I used to frequently walk along the railroad tracks that bisect the city and skunks would just pop out of the grass and stroll along beside me like, 'Hello I am also going this way, let's hang out'.