Unusual friendship

The fox and the hound: Meet unlikely friends Sadie the Jack Russell and Anuska the orphan cub... who's learnt a few dog tricks

They're happy to engage in rough and tumble, and even spring into the air to catch a ball, just like any pair of playful dogs.
But the bond between these two scamps is an unlikely one – for one is a Jack Russell terrier and the other is a young vixen.
Just as in the children’s cartoon film The Fox And The Hound, the animals, which might normally be considered enemies, have become firm friends.

Inseparable: Ten-year-old Sadie the Jack Russell terrier and eight-month-old Anuska the vixen enjoy a play fight

Orphan fox cub Anuska has been learning acrobatic moves from her new best friend, Sadie the Jack Russell

Unlikely playmates as they are, it brings to mind the Disney film The Fox And The Hound

The 1981 animation sees the animals strike up a friendship against all odds as they are natural enemies

The vixen, Anuska, was orphaned days after her birth when her mother was run over by a car. But fortunately Sadie the terrier was on hand – or should that be paw? – to fill the gap.
The two have become inseparable, and even go out on walks together with their owner, art teacher Brian Bevan, who says that eight-month-old Anuska has become as obsessed with catching balls as ten-year-old Sadie.

‘It’s hardly surprising to see a dog jumping around but watching a fox do it is something else,’ said Mr Bevan, 62, from Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.
‘Anuska loves playing catch. She could do it all day long. She leaps for the ball but she also likes berries, so she’ll happily jump to pick those off branches too.’.

Anuska poses among some bluebells... and so does her new best canine friend Sadie

Just days after being born, Anuska's mother was hit by a car. Brian Bevan, from Bedfordshire, took the vulnerable cub into his home after she was found by a farmer along with nine other cubs

Anuska and eight other cubs were rescued by a farmer who dug them out of their den after recognising their mother’s body on a road. Their first few days were spent in the company of the farmer’s labradors, helping them feel at ease with dogs from early on. All were found homes, including Anuska, who was taken in by Mr Bevan and his wife Jacky.
While the dog and fox are similar sizes, Sadie tends to win play fights – but Anuska displays some natural cunning when it comes to the important matter of meal times.
Mr Bevan said: ‘When she hears me putting anything out she darts over straight away. If I have food on me she’ll even jump up at me and stick her nose in my pocket to try to find it.’
He added: ‘The second we introduced Anuska to Sadie they got on really well and played happily together. There was no hostility, they took to each other brilliantly.’
Foxes have become increasingly bold in recent years as they hunt for food in urban areas, and have been known to attack humans occasionally. But Mr Bevan had no concern about taking one into his home. ‘I’d actually always wanted a fox, so when this opportunity came about I was thrilled,’ he said.

Anuska immediately formed a strong bond with ten-year-old Sadie and now the pair can often be seen jumping around together - making for some unusual picture opportunities for Brian

Extra Money?

From a gardening blog -

Friday, 24 June 2011

HOW TO TRAIN A DOG TO FIND TRUFFLES

Truffles are difficult to find and as such are very expensive as a result! To give you an example, white truffles cost from about £700 to over £1,500 a pound, and black truffles cost from £200 to over £400 a pound.

Truffle hunters in Italy and France use pigs and mixed-breed dogs to sniff out truffles. Dogs are preferred to pigs because pigs love to eat truffles. Notice the staff held by the truffle hunter in the picture with the pig. The hunter uses the staff to force the pig to back off, once the pig has located a truffle.

So, how do you train a dog to find truffles?

In Italy, truffle dogs are trained in several steps. First, the dog is taught to retrieve a rubber ball. Next, a small bit of smelly Gorgonzola cheese is substituted for the rubber ball. After the dog has learned to retrieve the cheese, the cheese is hidden, forcing the dog to sniff it out for a reward of food. Finally, a small truffle is substituted for the cheese. The dog is now trained to fetch, then dig up the truffle.

Dogs like other food better than truffles, so bread and other treats are used for rewards. The night before a truffle hunt the dog is not fed in order to make it more eager to find truffles for the treat. Just be aware that dogs generally do not find young truffles because the odor is too weak, but the odor does becomes stronger with age as the spores mature.

The value of commercial truffles means that there are laws controlling their collection. In Italy, for example, truffle collectors are tested and licensed. There, organizations of land owners called cooperatives control truffle hunting on their property. Unless you are a member of the cooperative, you can be arrested for collecting truffles from cooperative truffle beds.

In North America, truffle collectors use three major clues to find truffles. First, it must be warm and the soil moist. Truffles are often found 10 to 14 days after a heavy rain. The umbrella shaped mushrooms which pop up after a good rain can be used as a kind of clock. Look for truffles after these mushrooms have started to collapse.

Second, the right trees must be present. Truffles are formed by fungi that are partners (ectomycorrhizal) with certain trees. You will not find truffles under maples, for instance, because maples do not form ectomycorrhizae. Trees to use as clues include: pines, firs, Douglas-fir, oaks, hazel nuts, hickories, birches, beeches, and eucalyptus.

Third, truffles use animals for spore dispersal. In North America, squirrels and chipmunks are the major wild animals dispersing truffle spores. Search among the right trees for pits dug by rodents in their own hunt for truffles. Pits do not guarantee success, however! Rodents also dig pits searching for acorns, onion bulbs, and beetle grubs.

The best success results from raking around fresh pits. Look for pits not filled with leaves or other debris. I use a four-tine garden cultivator with the handle shortened to 30 inches to rake leaves off the surface and dig into the soil 3 or 4 inches (8 to 10 cm) . A good eye is required as many truffles are small and colored red, brown, white, or even black.

Bring a supply of small paper bags for taking your truffles home. Write your collection notes on the bag before putting the truffles inside it. Information on fresh appearance and habitat is often needed to identify fungi. Note the color and shape of the truffle, and what kind of trees are close by. The date and precise location are also useful information. These data can help you understand when and where to look next year.

Do not put truffles in sealed plastic bags. If you do they will mold, get slimy, and smell bad!

NEVER EAT ANY TRUFFLE, OR OTHER FUNGUS, UNLESS IT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY AN EXPERT!

You might confuse the button stage of a poisonous mushroom with a truffle, or even be naturally allergic to it.

The Oscars

Forget Brad and George... the real star of the Oscars is Uggie the dog.

He will not win an Oscar but the biggest star of this year’s Academy Awards is Uggie the dog.
The four-legged star of pre-Oscar favourite film The Artist was in as much demand as his human counterparts before last night’s glittering ceremony.
The 10-year-old Jack Russell terrier was the toast of Tinseltown as Hollywood prepared for its biggest night of the year.

The artists: Best actor winner Jean Dujardin shares his moment in the spotlight with Uggie the dog

‘Uggie has a schedule to rival any star in this town,’ noted Cindi Berger, chairman and CEO of PMK BNC public relations, a company which represents a bevy of major stars.

One network show was desperate to get hold of Uggie — and completely uninterested in his two-legged co-stars.

Star canine: Uggie has become a global star since his starring role in The Artist

Mans best friend: Uggie has a demanding press schedule that rivals even the biggest Hollywood stars

Harvey Weinstein, who acquired The Artist for distribution long before its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, called Uggie his ‘secret weapon’.
‘He’s up there with the big ones,’ Weinstein declared as Uggie turned up at Weinstein’s pre-Oscar bash at the swanky West Hollywood club Soho House on Saturday night.
The popular pooch sported a leather collar with an 18 carat yellow gold bone inscribed with his name, which had been specially designed for him by Chopard the jewelers.

The winners: The cast and crew of The Artist celebrate their multiple Oscar wins last night in Hollywood

Party time: Co-Chairman of The Weinstein Company Harvey Weinstein, Uggie the dog and designer Georgina Chapman attend an after party

Then yesterday the pooch arrived at the fabled Chateau Marmont Hotel on Sunset Boulevard to be primped and pampered for Oscar night although he was still deciding what Oscar night after-parties to attend.
He was accompanied by his entourage: owner and trainer Omar Von Muller; grooming consultant Michelle Day; and executive Katie Doyle from the LA office of Weinstein Co, who was ‘holding his hand’. Or paw.
First off, Uggie was given a shampoo, wash and brush. Ms Day then gave him a blow dry.

In demand: Daily Mail reporter Baz Bamigboye interviews Uggie The Jack Russell Terrier, and star of the Silent film The Artist as the pooch gets ready for the Oscars

After that, he had his nails buffed. Then he lay on a bed at the Chateau and watched early arrivals on the red carpet.

To break things up a little, Uggie went for walkies in the Chateau’s garden, and soon attracted a crowd of the kind of people who are usually so jaded they wouldn’t move from their seat if James Bond strolled past. Naked.
The terrier took all the adoration in his stride. ‘He has no idea how famous he is,’ sighed Mr Von Muller, as he popped Uggie a Tillman Natural Balance beef and vegetable treat.

Pampered: Uggie relaxes at the Chateau Marmont Hotel in Los Angeles before his big night

Smart: Uggie looks every inch the Hollywood star as he prepared for one of the biggest nights of his life. His pre-Oscars schedule was said to be just as hectic as major actors and actresses

‘He has worked his whole life and now, at the age of ten, he’s winding down, right at the height of his fame’ said Mr Von Muller.
After the Oscars are over, he’ll just do the occasional commercial, but no more films. 
He doesn’t get out of doggie basket for less £500 an hour and is now a spokesdog for a Nintendo 3DS pet-related game, despite it being recently revealed that he suffers from a neurological disorder.

Big role: Berenice Bejo as Peppy Miller and Uggie the Jack Russell dog, in The Artist

Glamour: George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) and Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejol) in the pre-Oscar favourite film The Artist

Blueberry and coconut pudding

Pudding tonight.  If my husband's plans go accordingly, we should have excess amounts of blueberries this summer.

Ingredients

• 50.0g caster sugar
• 50.0g soft butter
• 1 large egg
• 50.0g self-raising flour
• 50.0g desiccated coconut , plus 2 tsp
• 50.0g crème fraîche , plus extra to serve
• zest and juice 1 lemon
• 180.0g punnet of blueberries 

Blueberry & coconut pudding

Difficulty and servings

Serves 2 generously  (I would probably say 4 as a pudding after a meal)

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 20 mins
Cook 35 - 40 mins

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Beat the sugar and butter until pale and creamy, then beat in the egg. Stir in the flour, coconut, crème fraîche and lemon zest.
2. Put most of the blueberries in a baking dish (about 18cm square-ish) and squeeze over the juice from half the lemon. Dollop on the cake mixture and scatter over the remaining blueberries and 2 tsp coconut. Bake for 35-40 mins until golden, risen and the sponge is cooked. Serve with a dollop more crème fraîche.

Cute Alert

Cute alert: Praying otters picture 'captures the Lord at work'

A photographer has been inundated with calls from churchgoers who claim he 'captured the Lord at work' after he snapped an adorable pair of otters apparently praying.

This adorable otter appeared to be praying as he played with a stone at Whipsnade Zoo in Dunstable, Bedfordshire (Picture: Caters)

However, (and sorry to burst your bubble here) Marac Andrev Kolodzinski insists the little critters were not worshiping God but simply playing with a stone at Whipsnade Zoo in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.

'The otter was running around cradling a stone under his arm when he was surprised by another otter jumping out of the water which caused him to jump and throw the stone in the air,' Marac explained.
'When he started trying to grab it I took the snap.'

The 49-year-old from Herefordshire, who spent two hours waiting in the freezing cold observing the otter and his friends before he caught the divine moment on camera, has been fending off calls ever since.

'I've had lots of religious people call me up, saying that I was a tool doing the Lord's work,' he added to the Daily Mail.
'There was a guy from a religious cult that called me once. He wanted me to come out to Switzerland and preach to all these people about how I felt, and what I experienced at the time.'
Although Marac has been taking photos for over 20 years, he says this is the first time he's captured an image as unique as this one.

'You don't get those snaps by chance, I had to keep wandering around keeping watch on what was going on, waiting for the right time,' he said.

'There was something going with the otters that day - they weren't their normal selves.
'Maybe it was breeding season but this guy was a right character.'

Strangest Book Titles

Cooking with Poo in running for strangest book title of the year

Cooking with Poo and Estonian Sock Patterns All Around the World are just two of the bizarre books up for the prize of the oddest book title of the year.

Cooking with Poo is a frontrunner for The Bookseller's prize (Facebook)

However, in its native Thailand the title of the cook book by Saiyuud Diwong is not as strange as it sounds, as 'Poo' means 'Crab' and is also the chef's nickname.
Aino Praakli's book on socks is also shortlisted alongside The Great Singapore Penis Panic: And the Future of American Mass Hysteria by Scott D Mendelson, which details the 'Koro' psychiatric epidemic that hit the island of Singapore in 1967.
Mr Andoh's Pennine Diary Memoirs of a Japanese Chicken Sexer in 1935 Hebden Bridge by Stephen Curry and Takayoshi Andoh is also in the running for the odd accolade.
The book tells the story of Koichi Andoh, who travelled from Japan to Yorkshire in the 1930s to train workers at a hatchery business the art of determining the sex of one-day-old chicks.
A Taxonomy of Office Chairs, The Mushroom in Christian Art and A Century of Sand Dredging in the Bristol Channel: Volume Two are also among the favourites.
Horace Bent, The Bookseller's diarist and the custodian of the prize, said: 'Never has the debate raged so fiercely as to which books should be put forward for the shortlist.'
He revealed that this year's titles were so strong that a shortlist of seven was named, rather than the traditional six.

Best of friends

Feeling a bit peck-ish, deer? The moment crow swooped down and perched on bemused roe's head.

You might think this bird was stark 'raven' mad to land on an unsuspecting deer's head.
But far from shaking off the crow, the roe seemed to actually enjoy the attention.
Harry Tsappas snapped this extraordinary spectacle during a visit to Richmond Park in south-west London.
The 57-year-old said the bird had swooped in on the deer to eat parasites from its fur.

The extraordinary spectacle of a crow picking parasites off a deer was caught on camera in Richmond Park, south-west London

Mr Tsappas, from north London, said: 'I have seen birds stalking deer and landing on their backs but never their heads'

He explained: 'The bird stalked the deer all morning. When the herd stopped for a rest, it landed on the deer's head because that's where most parasites are.
'It stayed there for several minutes. The deer seemed to be pleased to be cleaned.

'When it had had enough, it shook its head and the bird flew away.'
Mr Tsappas, a self-employed heating engineer from north London, added: 'I have seen birds stalking deer and landing on their backs but never their heads.
'Before this, I had only ever seen it in documentaries and I must say that watching it happen is something I will never forget.'

Pancake Day

Everyone has their own favourite recipe but I usually use Delia's.  Here it is

  Makes 12-14 in a 7 inch (18 cm) pan; makes 10 in an 8 inch (20 cm) pan

Ingredients
4 oz (110 g) plain flour
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
7 fl oz (200 ml) milk mixed with 3 fl oz (75 ml) water
2 oz (50 g) butter
To serve:
caster sugar, lemon juice and lemon wedges

Equipment
You will also need a good solid 7 inch (18 cm) or 8 inch (20 cm) frying pan, some kitchen paper, greaseproof paper, a palette knife or flexible pan slice, and a ladle.

This recipe is taken from Delia Smith’s Winter Collection and Delia's Vegetarian Collection

Method

First of all sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl with the sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing. Now make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Then begin whisking the eggs – any sort of whisk or even a fork will do – incorporating any bits of flour from around the edge of the bowl as you do so.

Next, gradually add small quantities of the milk and water mixture, still whisking (don't worry about any lumps as they will eventually disappear as you whisk). When all the liquid has been added, use a rubber spatula to scrape any elusive bits of flour from around the edge into the centre, then whisk once more until the batter is smooth, with the consistency of thin cream. Now melt the butter in the pan. Spoon 2 tablespoons of it into the batter and whisk it in, then pour the rest into a bowl and use it when needed to lubricate the pan, using a wodge of kitchen paper to smear it round.

Now get the pan really hot, then turn the heat down to medium and, to start with, do a test pancake to see if you're using the correct amount of batter. I find 2 tablespoons about right for a 7 inch (18 cm) pan and 3 tablespoons for an 8 inch (20 cm) pan. It's also helpful if you spoon the batter into a ladle so it can be poured into the hot pan in one go. As soon as the batter hits the hot pan, tip it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with batter. It should take only half a minute or so to cook; you can lift the edge with a palette knife to see if it's tinged gold as it should be. Flip the pancake over with a pan slice or palette knife – the other side will need a few seconds only – then simply slide it out of the pan on to a plate.

Stack the pancakes as you make them between sheets of greaseproof paper on a plate fitted over simmering water, to keep them warm while you make the rest.

To serve, sprinkle each pancake with freshly squeezed lemon juice and caster sugar, fold in half, then in half again to form triangles, or else simply roll them up. Serve sprinkled with a little more sugar and lemon juice and extra sections of lemon.

Howard Pyle

Howard Pyle: The Man Who Rewrote History

by Scott Laming

Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
by Howard Pyle

The cultural influence of American author and illustrator Howard Pyle should not be underestimated. He transformed Robin Hood from a bandit to a heroic defender of the weak. He changed pirates from seafaring hoodlums to iconic historical figures.
Pyle was also one of the great American illustrators. You probably own a book that has been influenced by him in some way and remember his name when you watch any Treasure Island or Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
Born a Quaker in Wilmington, Delaware, young Pyle was more interested in doodling than traditional schoolwork.  His parents astutely abandoned the idea of sending their son to college and arranged for him to study art from the age of 16 to 19.  These formative years would be Pyle’s only formal artistic training, and it was from these beginnings that Pyle grew to become the man who rebranded history and taught a generation of American artists.

Illustrated Legends of King Arthur
by Howard Pyle (Easton Press)

Pyle’s earliest published work came in the form of illustrations, short stories and poems in periodicals like Scribner’s Monthly and Harpers Weekly.  Pyle’s first full length work was a highly successful interpretation the Robin Hood stories which he called The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood.  It was the first time the ballads of Robin Hood had been collected and woven into a single narrative, but Pyle was happy to alter the original stories.  While he did preserve some of the original content, he essentially re-wrote the entire set of stories in order to form a cohesive narrative and make them ideal reading for children with hero figures, true villains and righteous causes.
The most notable of his changes was to Robin himself, altering the protagonist from a selfish, murdering crook into a philanthropist who robs the rich and gives to the poor. He would only kill if someone attacked him first.
Pyle used pirates in many adventure stories.  Few authentic illustrations of pirate clothing were available so he invented the flamboyant romantic garb that has become standard issue for any tale about piracy these days - Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow character is 100% Pyle.
By 1900 Howard Pyle had achieved such fame that he founded his own art school - the Howard Pyle School of Illustration Art.  He instructed the likes of Jessie Willcox Smith, Harvey Dunn, Philip R. Goodwin and the great N.C. Wyeth, and it became known as the Brandywine School style of illustration.  Today you can see much of Pyle’s work at the Delaware Art Museum where much of his work, as well that of his students, is collected.

Badger sniffing the air

So cute.

Rupert Sheldrake

Once a renowned scientist but now because of his ideas has been shunned by that world.  This is one of his recent books.

Dogs that Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home
by Rupert Sheldrake

The rich collection of dog tales and animal stories in this remarkable book makes it an appealing volume for dog lovers and anyone interested in animal behavior. It can be read at a much deeper level as well, but the book is very much worth reading for the animal episodes alone.
There’s the story of Jaytee, a mixed-breed terrier living in Northern England who correctly anticipated the retun of his owner Pam 85 percent of the time during a year-long experiment. Pam kept a log of her own travels including the varying and random times when she set off for home. Her parents kept a log of Jaytee’s activities including when he went to the French door to await his mistress. The match-up was remarkable.
There’s the tale of a cat named Sami living in Washington, D.C., who waits by the door about 10 minutes before either his owner Jeanne or her boyfriend arrives home at Jeanne’s high-rise apartment at widely varying and unexpected times. How did Sami or Jaytee or the other critters in the book know their owners had set out for home and would soon arrive -- when the people at home did not know?
Stories of horses, monkeys, birds and other species are included in the book as well. Their "unexplained powers" range from anticipating their owners’ arrival to coming to an owner’s rescue from a considerable distance to expressing grief when a parent or offspring dies, again from a far distant place. Also considered are such phenomena as homing abilities and the coordinated behavior of groups of animals, birds and fish.
Book to Read at Different Levels
Clearly this is a book that can be read at different levels. For many readers, it will challenge -- and perhaps actuallly change -- their thinking about such things as premonitions, telepathy, parapsychology and the workings of the human and animal mind.
At the basic level, as already noted, readers can simply enjoy the many dog and animal stories that illuminate the human-animal bond and the wide diversity of animals’ special capabilities. For example, Chad, a Golden Retriever therapy dog, readily knows the difference between the very ill people he visits, with whom he is calm and gentle, and those less ill, with whom he clowns around.
At the second level, readers can explore explanations put forward for the often remarkable animal behaviors described in the book. Author Rupert Sheldrake, a scientist by training, carefully works through possible sources of the animals’ apparent "super powers," including the senses of smell and hearing. But he frequently finds that the identified behaviors appear to go beyond the normally accepted senses.
Morphic Fields and Other Explanations
To explain many of these cases, Sheldrake proposes a concept of "morphic fields" to explain the behavior that seems unexplainable. Innate sense of direction, animal migrations and homing, and the seemingly coordinated behaviors of herds of horses, flocks of birds and schools of fish are among the phenomena explored in connection with this concept of the way individual creatures are connected to others in their social grouping.
For readers who wish to delve still deeper into the issues the book raises, Sheldrake offers both examples and theorires of premonitions, precognition, parapsychology, telepathy, psychokinesis and other psychic phenomena. He explores new ideas on learning and the working of the human mind.
Open Arms and Skepticism
I approached this book torn between two way of viewing its content. My own family has a famous story of the dog Buddy who found his way home over many unfamiliar miles to be united with his people. And as a high school student, I wrote a research paper on the studies of J.B. Rhine on parapsychology and extrasensory perception or ESP. I was open to learning more about this topic.
At the same time, I held a thorough skepticism toward the ideas of psychic powers and extra senses, perhaps because these have been exploited for centuries by charlatans. As I discovered Sheldrake’s extensive scientific training combined with his very detailed, research-oriented approach to the subject, I realized the importance of this book both for animal lovers and those fascinated with aspects of human behavior, thinking, learning and languages.
The book compiles substantial evidence of real occurrences, real behaviors. Whether Sheldrake’s theory of morphic fields and morphic resonance prove to be the right explanations for these behaviors most surely cannot be known at this time. His experiments need to be repeated by other researchers to provide corroborating evidence, for example. That is how science works  --test and retest.
But without question, Rupert Sheldrake has demonstrated sufficient evidence that researchers must begin to take seriously this entire field of behavior, perceptions and senses -- and help us gain a new theory of the human-animal bond based on the working a several scientists able to confirm each other's work. Both humans and animals can only benefit from the new understandings that are beginning to come out of this important field of study.
Review by Barbara B. Petura, WorkingDogWeb.com Webmaster
Member, Dog Writers Association of America

AUTHOR: Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist who studied natural sciences at Cambridge and philosophy at Harvard, then earned the Ph.D. in biochemistry at Cambridge. He has studied biochemistry and cell biology, the development of plants and aging of cells.

PUBLISHER: Crown Publishers, 1999, hardback edition. Three Rivers Press, paperback edition, 1999.

Meatballs

Tea tonight.  If you don't want the heat, leave the chilli out, still tastes good.  I served this with spaghetti.

Meatballs with spicy chipotle tomato sauce

Mexican chipotle pepper paste gives this everyday pork supper a smoky, spicy flavour

Difficulty and servings

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 25 mins
Cook 30 mins

1. In a small bowl, mix together the pork, breadcrumbs, egg, finely chopped onions and the chopped coriander leaves. Season, mix well and shape into small meatballs. Over a medium heat, add 1 tbsp of the oil to a large frying pan and brown the meatballs on all sides, then remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Add the remaining oil, sliced onion, garlic, coriander stems and some salt. Cook for 5 mins, then add the passata and chipotle paste. Pour in 100ml water and stir well, then simmer for 10 mins before adding the meatballs and cooking for a further 5 mins. Serve with potatoes or rice and scatter with the extra coriander leaves.

Snowdrop

Lovely to see them out at this time of year, but, do you have one of these in your garden?

'Mutant' snowdrop sells for £725

The world's most expensive snowdrop bulb, cultivated "by accident" by an elderly couple in Scotland, has sold for more than £700.

The first specimen sold on eBay for £725.10 Photo: GEOFF ROBINSON

By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent

The unusual flower, with a yellow head and yellow markings on white petals, was spotted about ten years ago in a Perthshire garden among the more common green and white varieties.

Ian Christie, a local nurseryman, spotted the “one in ten million” plant and has managed to propagate a new variation from a single bulb named Elizabeth Harrison.

Yesterday, he sold the first specimen on eBay for £725.10, more than twice as much as the previous record of £350 achieved earlier this year. He said the money will go towards helping the elderly couple maintain their garden, which has become more challenging in recent years.

However they wish to keep a low profile because of the risk of the valuable snowdrops being stolen.

Mr Christie is also concerned about security at his nursery and has been asked not to name the UK buyer.

Kedgeree

Lunch on Sunday, always a funny one, usually consists of a late breakfast for something like Kedgeree.  I usually use cod or mackerel, hubby doesn't like smoked fish but you choose. Rather than start from scratch I keep some left over from fish we have had in the week.  I use mushrooms for me being a veggie.  If you don't like chilli, either don't use or or use a sprinkle.  This is Jamie Oliver's version.

• 2 large free-range or organic eggs
• 680g undyed smoked haddock fillets, pinboned
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 170g long grain or basmati rice
• sea salt
• 110 pure butterghee
• a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 medium onion or 1 bunch of spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 heaped tablespoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 2 tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
• juice of 2 lemons
• 2 good handfuls of fresh coriander, leaves picked and chopped
• 1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped
• a small pot of natural yoghurt

Boil the eggs for 10 minutes, then hold under cold running water. Put the fish and bay leaves in a shallow pan with enough water to cover. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from pan and leave to cool. Remove the skin from fish, flake into chunks and set aside.

Cook the rice in salted water for about 10 minutes and drain. Refresh in cold water, drain again, and leave in the fridge until needed. Melt the butterghee in a pan over a low heat. Add the ginger, onion and garlic. Soften for about 5 minutes, then add the curry powder and mustard seeds. Cook for a further few minutes, then add the chopped tomatoes and lemon juice.

Quarter the eggs. Add the fish and rice to a pan and gently heat through. Add the eggs, most of the coriander and the chilli and stir gently. Place in a warm serving dish. Mix the rest of the coriander into the yoghurt and serve with the kedgeree.

Walk in the woods

Found myself with a day off and hubby away so took our youngster out around our local woods (Penymynydd).  Here he is all alert.

French Bulldog adopts piglets.

French bulldog called Baby adopts six wild boar piglets

Dog looks after piglets at animal sanctuary near Berlin after their mother was killed by hunter

Baby the French bulldog with the wild boar piglets at Lehnitz animal sanctuary. Photograph: Michael Sohn/AP

Six wild boar piglets have found a new friend in a maternal French bulldog named Baby.
The piglets were brought into the Lehnitz animal sanctuary outside Berlin on Saturday, three days old and shivering from cold.
Baby ran over and snuggled up to them, keeping them warm, even though they were almost her size, said a sanctuary worker, Norbert Damm.
The eight-year-old bulldog has stayed by their side since then. "She thinks they're her own babies," Damm said.
It is not the first time Baby has taken to new guests at the sanctuary – she has also raised raccoons, cats and many other animals. "She's an uber-mother," Damm said.
The piglets' own mother was probably killed by a hunter, and the litter of three males and three females was found abandoned in a forest.
They weighed less than a kilogram each, but are being bottle-fed at the sanctuary and are growing well, Damm said.
He said they could not be released into the wild because they had no fear of humans, but it should be possible to set them free in a nature reserve in about three months, once they can feed themselves.
Wild boar are common in Germany, even in big cities, and herds have been growing as expanding commercial crops have provided them with more food.
Recent estimates have put the boar population at more than 10,000 in Berlin alone, where they live in extensive wooded areas and often venture into backyards and sports fields, tearing up turf to look for food.

Cod in Panko Breadcrumbs

Tea tonight.  Fish and chips.  Made not bought, very easy and tastes good.






Cod Loin Goujons Recipe
450g fresh cod loin
150g Japanese panko breadcrumbs, or dried breadcrumbs
2 lemons, zest only
1½ tsp cayenne pepper
1½ tsp dried thyme
1½ tsp dried oregano
2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
50g plain flour
1 egg,
1½ litre vegetable oil, for deep frying(or 1 cm in frying pan and turn when done on each side).
1) Place all the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, dried oregano, cracked black pepper and sea salt into a bowl and mix until well combined.
2) Slice the cod loin into consistent Goliath finger size (roughly 5cm in length and 1.5cm-2cm in width)
3) Beat egg lightly in a bowl. Coat each Goliath finger size cod slice in flour, dust off the excess, dip into the egg white and coat in breadcrumbs.
4) Heat oil in deep heavy based pot to mid-high heat. Test the heat by dropping in a breadcrumb into the oil. If it immediately bubbles and rises up to the surface the oil is ready.
5) Fry 3-4 fingers at a time for 4-5 minutes turning frequently. Use a slotted spoon to lift out and drain on kitchen towel.