Sunday, October 26, 2014

Every Day This Nice Old Man Is Visited by a Wild Hummingbird

Hi there! Thanks for spiraling down out of cyberspace today. I appreciate your visit every time you can make it. Coffee's always fresh and I try to keep a delectable assortment of virtual treats on hand. Got a bird story for you today...

Every day, 83-year-old Joao Silvestrini has the most unusual visitor – a hummingbird! It flies in and out of the kitchen window of his Brazil home several times a day, stopping for a chirpy chat and a drink of sugar water.

The story of the unusual friendship between man and bird has become popular on Facebook, after Joao filmed the bird and posted the video online, last month. The footage shows the tiny bird flying around Joao’s head and waiting patiently until he offers it the daily dose of sugar sweetened water.

Joao is a bachelor and a retired ornithologist; he wakes up at 5.30 every morning to open the kitchen window and wait for his little friend. Before long, the bird arrives in search of water and continues the routine several times during the day.

 “When he wants water, he is flying around me, he will not let me use the computer,” Joao laughed.

Hummingbirds? Humbug! All I every get flying around my computer are fruit flies. I can tell by the lace cuffs! Truth is I often have a hoard of ripe bananas waiting for me to turn them into something like my every-popular banana tea biscuits. Did I tell you about them? I probably did but in case I didn't, they're real easy to make. Here's my recipe:

Bob's Banana Tea Biscuits
2 Cups flour
4 Tbs baking powder
1 Tsp salt
1/2 cup butter or marg (room temp.)
3/4 Cup milk
1 ripe mashed banana

Pre-heat oven to 400F (My oven is hot so I reduce it to 375)
Mash the banana in a large bowl. 
Add flour, baking powder and salt.
Cut in butter/marg (if it's soft, I just use a wooden spoon)
Add milk and add more flour if needed. The banana makes the dough moist. When it comes away from the sides and is not too sticky, it is ready to use.
Roll it onto a floured surface.
Knead it 8-10 times.
Roll it out to about 1/2 inch thick and use a cookie cutter or top of a glass to cut rounds.
Place them on either a greased cookie sheet or a sheet of parchment paper on the cookie sheet.
Bake 12-15 minutes. Serve warm. Enjoy!

See ya, eh!

Bob

PS: I usually double the recipe and roll them 1 inch thick so I get nice high biscuits! Nong will often take one to work!

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