Squawks of Gilbert

So apparently the little fatty has decided to sic Amber on me in a form of psychological warfare. They always have trouble getting him to bed, but since I’m so low maintenance I usually get a great nights sleep .. until last night that is .. banging noises in the dark followed blinding light .. I scooted for the floor and wedged in real good .. no way I was going anywhere untill I was sure what was going on.

Today they took us to the farmers market .. the ride was long, but jeez, the plucked one was throwing up just about the minute the car started to move .. you’d think that he’d be used to it, but no..just spewage everywhere, its no worse than flying .. but maybe he can’t tell cuz all he ever does is tumble to the floor with nary a flap.

Anyway it was nice to be out, but it’s way too exposed, it seems like Amber and Daddy never look around to see if anything is coming .. standing right out in the open we’re way too bright of a target, its a good thing I have sharp eyes.. especially with that reflecting collar that whiny wears.

Because I’m the well behaved one, I got to play with all of the mini Ambers and daddys .. most of them aren’t very good perches but Daddy was always close. I guess the picker got all of the attention that he normally craves .. mostly pity for the collar of discipline .. and he didn’t get to play with the mini’s very much, probably because he’s not the friendliest of the flock. The best is we get dried (semi popped) corn on the cob, it makes a great thump if you push it over the edge after you’re done with it.

Well here’s a surpise — there’s actually something that Baby Huey (aka, the evil one) and I agree on: The only dinner worth eating is corn! Broccoli isn’t dinner. Spinach isn’t dinner. Corn and green beans are nice accompaniments, but they’re not dinner either. So I don’t know where Amber got this idea to cut back the corn and try to sneak in all those greens. Sure, they serve their purpose — they’re healthy, lots of fiber, fun to play with. But for all-out dinner enjoyment, you can’t beat corn. Get it, food sources?!

nervous disorder my claw .. I think Amber’s just enabling him.. the other day he was quite full of himself, tried to stand up like a rooster .. just when it was getting fun we tumbled down and *poof* he runs away and hides under the bed collar and all. And whats with this eating junk food thing? most of it is poisonous, even Daddy doesn’t eat it very often if at all, I’m more than willing to parade for healthy foods .. especially since you get more attention when you’re quiet and nice instead of a psychotic beaky bird .. no one trusts him and its no wonder why.

I’ve also noticed that Cricket appears to be making inroads into the food supply, I may have to put her back in her place too.. they just keep her cage a bit too close to mine.. I hear we’re going to be moving north soon, its a good thing I have a fully fluffed set of feathers, I think the weather will be no problem at all .. don’t know how that plucked chicken is going to fare though .. last time he was in a wooded environment I hear he got lost in the stickers for the better part of the day, this time it’ll be wet and cold too.

So as I said earlier, I made a delicious snack yesterday. And here’s the recipe, in case you’d like to try it (which I highly recommend). One important note, though: Use only organic ingredients. Makes all the difference in the world.

1/2 cup short grain brown rice
1 cup coconut milk (You can use “light” coconut milk if you’re on a diet. That’s ok by me. But if you’re always on a diet, you might want to talk to someone about your body image issues. Just a thought.)
1 - 4oz jar baby food squash or sweet potato
1/4 cup peanut butter (I prefer Maranatha brand. Just make sure you mix the oil in really well before you scoop it out.)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped broccoli (or other green vegetable of your choice), parboiled or microwaved to al dente
handful of raisins (optional — I don’t like them cuz they look like little bugs — but I know some people do.)

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a boil, stirring constantly so it doesn’t stick. Reduce to a simmer and cover the pot. Simmer for 30-45 minutes with the pot covered, stirring very occasionally. I say 30-45 minutes because I’ve found that different coconut milks have different amounts of water (especially the light stuff), and sometimes it takes more time to boil away. Also, some people like their rice a little crunchy. I do, so I often undercook it a little. But if you like it mushy, that’s okay with me. Who am I to judge?

Then, once the rice is cooked to the texture you like, stir in the peanut butter and cinnamon, then stir in the broccoli (or other vegetable) and the raisins if you decided to use those. And again, no judgment from me about raisins. Personally, I find them offensive and just a little too cloying, but lots of people seem to enjoy them, and it doesn’t affect me one way or the other if you’re one of those people. Unless of course you try to get me to taste your raisiny version of this dish. In which case, I’d have to decline.

So once you’ve combined all the ingredients, you need to let it cool a little bit. I like to serve mine at room temperature.

Now this makes a lot of rice, so what I do is divide it into a whole bunch of little scoops. Then I freeze some of them. When I feel like a delicious snack, I just take a scoop out of the freezer and, if I’m not in a hurry, I just let it defrost in the refrigerator and then warm it ever so slightly in the microwave. But usually I’m more rushed, so I use the microwave to defrost it. It only takes about 45 seconds in my microwave, but yours is probably different. So do some tests. It’s worth it.

Bon appetit!

I just found a giant walnut at the bottom of Cricket’s cage. She’s so clumsy, always dropping good food. Can’t let *that* go to waste.