Monday, February 10, 2014

Muffins, Granola, Carrot tape, Birds


 I decided to make up a muffin mix to try.  This is only a half recipe of it.


They looked okay but were too dry.  I will use up the rest of the mix but won't be making any more.


I also made up a batch of granola.  I add raisins, cut up dehydrated apples and of course chocolate chips when I eat it.


My first time doing this but I thought I would make up some carrot seed tapes for my boxes on the deck.  I used cheap napkins because they are about the width of the boxes.  Everything would have been fine if I had not laid them down on paper before they were dry.  As you can see they stuck to the paper and what a mess getting them separated from the paper and thus the holes.  You would have thought I would have known better!  LOL  I do hope they will germinate and grow in spite of me!


I saw this bird in the chandelier ornamental pear tree by the deck.  At first I thought Robin!!!!!!  But if it is a Robin he has got to be lost being here this time of year with all the cold and snow!


I am guilty of not wading through the snow to put bird seed in the bird feeder!  So I set a plant of seed out on the deck for it.


No birds ever came to eat my bird seed that I had put out but I looked later and there were so many of these birds in that ornamental pear tree!  They were eating those little "pears" that had dried.  What a feast they were having!  Now I am convinced they are not Robins!! LOL  But can someone tell me what they are???  Could they be a Grosbeak or a Towhee?????

23 comments:

Grow a Good Life said...

Yes, they are robins. It looks like they are enjoying the feast! Not all robins migrate south for the winter. They tend to eat fruit and berries during the winter moving together as a flock from food source to food source.

Stoney Acres said...

My vote is for Robins too. We have had Robins around our place really early this year too. The must have heard about my new strawberry patch and these are the early scouts!! :)

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Grow a Good Life, Thanks for commenting and thanks for the information. I did not know that! It sure was special treat to see them! Nancy

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Stoney Acres, Everyone seems to think they are robins so they must be! I have never experienced this before but it was a special treat to see them. Hope your strawberries are safe this year! Mine too! Nancy

Annie*s Granny said...

Next time you do the carrot seeds, put the napkin on a piece of wax paper while you are gluing. I'd go back and add more seeds, so they are about 1" apart. I had second thoughts about the 2" spacing I did on the ones I made earlier, as germination is not always very good. In the past, 1" spacing worked well and they were easily thinned, if necessary, by pulling baby carrots.

Annie*s Granny said...

PS: Today I made six Chantenay carrot seed mats, 60 seeds @ 1" spacing, with 2" between rows (360 seeds) and added seeds to previously made Mokum and Sugar Snax mats to total 360 seeds of each variety. All together I've glued 1080 total carrot seeds!

Daphne Gould said...

The only bird that looks a little like a robin to me is a towhee and they have white in their wings. So my vote is the same as the others.

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Annie*s Granny, Wow! You are a whiz! 1080 seeds glued! Thanks for the information. I will go back and add seeds to mine! Also will lay them on wax paper!!!!! Nancy

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Daphne, I didn't see how they could be robins but it seems they are! It was a treat to see them whatever kind they are!! Sure wish I had some pretty cardinals in this kind of weather to look at. Nancy

Lisa said...

You've definitely got a beautiful Robin there Nancy. You took a great photo, particularly the last one, so I 'saved' it to be to enlarge it, and your bird is identical to a Robin I photographed on our land here:
http://shadygroveadventures.blogspot.com/2012/11/cheer-up-cheerily-cheer-up.html
There's a little white around their eyes and on the tips of their wings.

You know Robins are the first sign of Spring!!!!

Felecia Cofield said...

Hi Nancy! I get mad when my muffins turn out like that, or any recipe for that matter. Don't blame you for not making that recipe again! I made some granola that looks more like a bar. It turned out yummy! Your robins look different than the ones I see here. I've been seeing a lot of robins here lately. But we just had a light dusting of snow! Where are you Spring? Have a great week! Blessings from Bama!

Yael from Home a Garden Diggers said...

Wow, that is quite a lot of snow. A lot more than we got. I will be starting making my own seed tapes here pretty soon.

Yael from Home Garden Diggers

Kathryn D. Duke said...

Hey...you have encouraged me to try the seed tapes...saw you Pinterest pins...and I have some carrot seeds...

Love your chicken coop fb post and your hubby's comment too !!!!!!

Audrey said...

hi Nancy. Love your picture of the Robins. We have had groups of Robins come in the winter too, along with the Cedar Wax Wings. They eat fermented fruit and get drunk.
Enjoy your visitors. They are so pretty with the snow.
Audrey Z. @ Timeless Treasures

farmhouse-story said...

yep, they look like robins! maybe they know something we don't know:) sorry the mix didn't make the taste test.
the seed tape is clever--never seen that before:) have a great week, nancy!

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Lisa, Yes, here the robin is the first sign of spring too but it will be a long time yet till spring I think! I read that there are two types of robins and these aren't the kind we see here in the spring. They were a special treat for me! Glad you enjoyed the pictures! Nancy

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Felecia, We usually look for a robin for the first sign of spring but these are a different kind of robins I have learned and not that kind. So I guess spring will be awhile in coming yet. I can send you some of our snow if you would like more!! LOL Nancy

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Yael, So nice to have you visit my blog! We have not seen a winter like this in quite some time! Looking forward to gardening like you are! Nancy

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Kathryn, As you can see it is my first try at seed tapes. Annie*s Granny says to put wax paper under them until they dry so you won't have the problem with sticking that I had! Hope yours turn out well. Nancy

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Audrey, I sure did enjoy the visit by the robins. I can hardly believe they are robins but they are a different kind that ours that come in the spring. Very enjoyable to see! Nancy

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi lynn, I was disappointed in the mix but you never know until one trys! I have learned they are a different kind of robin than the ones we get in the spring. First time trying the seed tape so hope I have success! Nancy

Connie said...

I thought that the seeds were suppose to stick to the paper . . . goes to show what I know :) Steve and I have made a bid on an old house and an acre of land just outside of town . . . I am excited about it and if we buy it I will be planning on learning as much as I can about gardening. I may be bugging you for gardening tips. We meet with the home inspector on Monday, so we'll see if we still want it after the inspection. The house was built in 1905 and then moved on to the property sometime in the 70's. So, there is potential for a lot of repairs. We've been praying for many years for an opportunity like this one and we know that the Lord has His hands in this house, just because everything so far has gone more than smoothly. We've tried this before only to have blocks everywhere. Boy, I've really rambled on . . . sorry to burn your ears off.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Your blogging sister, Connie :)
P.S. your muffins may have been dry, but they sure look yummy :)

Cozy Thyme Cottage said...

Hi Connie, Good to hear from you! The seeds are suppose to stick to the napkin but then I put a sheet of paper to lay the napkin on and it all stuck together. Not good! I hope things work out well for your house you are trying to buy. That is exciting!!! Nancy

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