Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Just Some Stuff...That's all.

& and I made cakes for an omnivore anniversary/engagement  party. Nice to see omnivores falling upon Vegan cakes, I tell ya. 

Thanks Matt and Rachel for letting us experiment on your friends and family. Ha. Ha. 

Here's my killer raspberry fudge cake. A conglomeration of several recipes. I'll post it some day soon. 

And I haven't given a bunny update lately. Emma and Fannie were recently in a local high school play. Here's a picture for your enjoyment. Quite the adventure. Apparently, they were well-behaved though their time on the stage was pretty limited. They are naturals.  Emma is featured, Fannie is sideways in front with one ear up, one down.

Scribbles and Scrambles Really? Really!

So & and I were headed out to walk the girls last night. Casually, I mentioned that I had seen a wild bunny by our bunny cages the night before last and that I'd had a bizarre thought that it wasn't wild. It had such light coloring and seemed too fluffy and tame to be wild.

All of a sudden & stage~whispered that I needed to get close to her side of the yard, real fast. So I did. And there was the "wild" bunny, hopping along checking out some vegetation. "Look at his gait. He's not wild. No way." And I had to agree. Our neighborhood wild bunnies are speedy, skittish and all angles and sinew as well as being the traditional speckled gray, brown, black with just a hint of white under their tails and around their ears. 

If this guy was wild, he was a mix of wild and domestic. No way he was the pure thing. And his feet. Big old honking fat feet. Wild? Nah? And where the heck did he come from? Really? Another domestic bunny loose in our yard?

Crud! Now what? Seriously, we watched him sniff around getting closer to the cage where Charlotte was enjoying grass time. He hopped around without a care in the world. Of course, at this point, the dogs were all interested in the loose bunny on the other side of the fence. We couldn't leave this little guy out when there were predators about. I've heard racoons in our back yard the past few nights. Racoons don't have a bunny-friendly reputation.

& put the girls in the house and we both walked around to the other side of the yard to where this little guy roamed. She cut a wide arc and I brought up the back. Rob ended up joining us. & got to within feet of the bunny as he zeroed in on Charlotte. The guy was looking for a date, clearly. First he hopped over to &'s outstretched hand and actually sniffed it before heading back to charm Charlotte. Catching him was as simple as reaching out and grabbing him.

And he might be the tamest rabbit in the pack. No back foot defensive action, no wriggling to get away. He just let himself be captured and held and picked up and moved several times as we rearranged apartments and living quarters. 

Enter Willoughby. The newest member of the Klepfer Bunny Herd. Should we incorporate? LLC. That's got a nice ring. And should we build another cage. We no longer have any vacancies. Or maybe we should build a bunny ark. & is either a modern day bunny Noah wherein the critters now come to her. No more need to hunt and chase or visit Craig's List, those little suckers and bounding on up to the front door and ringing the bell. Facebook friends suggested that she might be the bunny whisperer or even Snow White. Ha. This little bunny summer saga definitely feels Walt Disneyish to me.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Bunny Update and New Friends.

bunnies love dem carrots.

I am the carrot lady. They love me, too.

a friend who has ridden to work with me every morning and home every evening the past three days.

can you find the pumpkin in the bush? Hint, not on the ground.

coconut whipped cream. Oh so good.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Weekend Lessons Learned...

This weekend I learned a few lessons.

Sad, Scalloped Thumb Buddy...

A) When you have one of those really, really sweet mandoline slicers. The ones that have the protective guard to hold your fruits and veggies and come with warnings to use them....yeah. That neat little razor sharp gadget. Even if you need to slice a bunch of potatoes and onions for dinner and have very little time to throw dinner together because you have to go to a jewelry party at which you are the demonstrator...DO NOT slice potatoes and onions or anything else without the guard. Unless, that is, you want to slice an unexpected non-veggie, such as your thumb. 

I've taken on the burden of pain to bring you this Public Service Announcement (PSA) about mandoline safety. Ms. Thumb is indeed sad. She bled on my pink sweater, payback, passive aggressive little twerp. Ms thumb will survive. Next time she might not be so lucky. So let's just say she learned a lesson, and indeed, what doesn't kill you, will make you stronger, proven. We will never, never, never misuse my mandoline again. Repeat after me. What I just said.

Lesson B) Bunnies are tricky and sneaky. Of course we know that based on the sheer number of bunnies who live with us. However, the little surprise bunny, Fanny, is proving to be very advanced in her trickiness, last night, while I was distracted she jumped out of the cage. I grabbed her right away, but it was a surprise. Rotten little thing.  

Lesson C) Recipe creating, tweaking, retweaking and fails are getting fun. I feel like I kind of have a basic understanding, finally, of Vegan cooking and baking. I've found some go-to recipes and am beginning to really enjoy layering, messing with, adding and subtracting to create new. 

almond bisYummy

I've decided to do a project for Vegan Month of Food (Vegan Mofo) for October this year. I'll be sharing a bunch of recipes then. But I'm trying, tweaking and creating them now, so we can test them out. Last weekend I scored two wins. And Friday and Saturday I messed with three more (two need a few tweaks but are nearly there, one, needs some rethinking). Sunday evening was another experiment that included a recipe for almond biscotti that was stellar. Fortunately, I made enough of a batch that it could be sampled instead of all earmarked for the other recipe. This little beauty in the picture was slated for scarfing. And scarfed it was.  And since this is just one component of a dessert that should be off the charts, I think I can go ahead and share the recipe soon. So come back tomorrow for the recipe. Toad-boy, a kind of a biscotti snob, crunched through one and called it the best biscotti he's ever eaten.

Hope you had a good weekend.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Slippery Bunnies

Not bunny biting, bunny panic.

We've discovered something new about bunnies this past week. Apparently, they have more magic going for them than merely being pulled out of magicians' hats. 

You see. Our bunnies are gifted magicians on their own. They don't need no stinking guy in a cape with a stupid wand. 

They do their own stunts. 

These tricks happen during yard time. 

& has built quite the system or moveable animal containment pieces that allow her to graze the bunnies daily. They love this time. And are able to be broken up into safe units (i.e. ones who don't make more babies). The have access to grass and weeds and can run and relax as they so desire. But, like I said, we've discovered a few snafus.

Cases in point: Darcy playing the old slipperoo. The base of his wire playpen has bigger holes than the sides and top. I picked it up to move him one day. And he did not come with the cage. No biggie because I was able to pop it back over him before he discovered he was free. But unsettling none-the-less. & turned that cage upside down thinking that would solve the problem. 

Then just a few days later & was doing the usual bunny chores while the kids were enjoying play time. She glanced toward them and noticed little Emma (older baby) hoping around the yard, not the play pen, the yard. This picture was a self portrait after she caught her and before the adrenaline subsided. She's not sure where or how Emma waved the magic wand and let herself out. 

Just Friday the three of us got to do some bunnie herding when Charlotte (fabulous Craig's list cage debacle bunny) got out of the cage that Darcy had vacated. The door was latched tight, the sides and corners all buttoned up and the bars are all in place. Now, Charlotte is much bigger than Darcy, no way she'd get out of the bottom. And & had flipped the cage so the slipping out the bottom situation wasn't an option. Hmmm. 

The only option is for Charlotte to have stretched out, grabbed the top and pulled herself up Mission Impossible style, and out through the bigger opening. Or climbing the sides. Oy. Slippery bunnies we've got. 

This is what we've learned in the two months and one week since bunnies entered our lives. 

The stereotypes about bunny's fertility, speed of mating, and as magician's sidekicks do indeed contain slivers of truth. Are there any others I need to look into? I suppose I should do a study on the Easter Bunny before I start finding eggs all around the yard and house. .

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Bunny Surprise ~ Part 2

Lizzie Bennett Bunny has indeed shocked us.

There are certain things we know about bunnies (and a few new ones, now).

Females can get pregnant when they are about six months old, and can have many, many pregnancies. Many, many. A female can get pregnant the same day she delivers babies, ensuring a never ending supply of cute little fuzzballs in varying stages of cuteness. This, of course, is not ideal for a lot of reasons. We knew that when she had her first batch. New information: From experience...male bunny "stuff" i.e. the baby bunny making component of his side of the equation is apparently strong. Very strong. And survives outside of the body for days.

Remember the mention of Mr. Darcy's inappropriate advances toward Lizzie almost 34 days ago? When we took the advice of a website suggesting that the buck and doe (Mr. Darcy and Lizzie) can have supervised play dates? Yes. That fateful day was indeed supervised. And Mr. Darcy was indeed relentless in his amorous pursuits. He was shut down after his third attempt. But somehow, someway, he was able to get the job done. 

This little guy looks like his brother and sisters. No question on paternity. And why only one little guy? Well, apparently, litter size can be controlled somewhat. A buck and doe together alone for a week can have nice double digit sized litters. But one or two encounters equals one to three sized batches. 

One quick encounter = bunny surprise.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Bunny Surprise

The title may seem like a recipe. It is not. Unless, you could call it a recipe in the most general and casual way, like, recipe for disaster. Just to throw that thought out there.

I write this on August 4th. Exactly two months after we rescued Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett Bunny from the wild and dangerous life they'd found themselves thrust into. 

They are doing well, nary a care in the world. 

When we discovered Mr. Darcy was indeed a Mr....though not a gentleman, and Lizzie was indeed a female, we separated them. 

Clearly, they had been actively bonding in the wild because two weeks later she produced three small sweet potato-like babies. (You can see the whole saga under Bunnies Little Fuzzballs Take Over Our World. ) These darling babies have grown, have found numerous folks who want to adopt them, and are fully weaned and acting completely like adult bunnies. Two will be leaving tomorrow for their new home. Emma, holds a soft spot in &'s heart and will be co-owned by her and a little two-year-old friend who is not quite ready for full bunny ownership. 

Lizzie stands guard over new bun-bun

Then we found a sweet cage on Craig's List, which came with a bunny. The cage was promised elsewhere, but, alas, the bunny was homeless. Enter Charlotte, and then there were six. Two custom built cages later, pounds of seconds of farm Kale, timothy hay and bunny food later, our bunny farm had hit a comfortable rhythm. & has been learning all sorts of fascinating bunny facts, and has developed some sweet bunny handling skills. Once again, I just benefit from the fun part of bunny ownership. 

Then, last Monday, I went outside to check on the bunnies when I got home from work, not unusual behavior, I might add. It's beastly hot out. Over 100 most days, with little breeze and weeks since we've had a reprieve or rain. & bought a fan that circulates and blows on the cages and we put frozen ice bottles in the cages during the hottest part of the day. Rob happened to have been home that day. He came out and asked a weird question. "Are they okay?" Clearly, he could see they were. They were all visible, hopping around, eating, drinking or chilling. I answered as much. "Even this one?" He said and moved a food bowl to the side. 

Behind it was a newborn bunny. One. Just curled up, pink and clean and sound asleep. 

I said, "What the heck? Where did you find that?" 

"In the cage." 

"No way! Did someone do a bunny drop off while we were gone? Did someone find a nest and no mama so they dropped it off?" 

"No one did anything, someone HAD something." 

"WHAT?" 

"Look at it's markings. It's a perfect repeat of the three big babies. The question is how did Mr. Darcy get to Lizzie and make that?"  Then there were seven.

So confused. & may have been more shocked yet. 

So we scratched our heads, was it Charlotte's, and she came to us pregnant, had a baby and it fell from above into the lower cage? While we moved accommodations so mama and baby could be alone together, we had to rule that out. Lizzie was clearly the mama. 

To Be Continued.

 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Bits From the Homestead

You haven't seen bunny pictures in awhile. So here's a picture of Edward Screwy-ears. One ear droops the other does not. How cute is that? The first couple of days it flopped he walked with a tilt.

 On my way out to the car the other morning I noticed a squawking mama bird and a rustling in the weeds (I'd say grass, but I must be honest, Creeping Charlie is not considered grass). A nestling was hopping it's way to the safety of the bushes.

My folks have a burbling fountain that apparently has another purpose, as a bird bath.

& poses with her first potato harvest. More coming in a week or two.

Our compost pile contained many squash guts and pumpkin seeds. Something took root and took over a 6 x 8 garden section. I don't know that you can see the really, really high squash/pumpkin hanging 6 feet up in the yew bushes. This should be an interesting process as it unfolds.

A closer view of another "fruit" of the vine that is a bit closer to the ground. Only four feet up in the bushes. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Birthday Bash and Bunapolooza....

Saturday was the baby bunnies one month birthday. In celebration their human invited the new owners of two of the three to come take a peek. Whew. They will be a perfect fit. The family loves them and the bunnies snuggled in and bonded with the kids. In two or three weeks they'll be moving to their new home. 

We also discovered a bottomless and removable topped cage that may have been an old guinea pig cage back in the day that works as a baby playpen. The bunnies had their first grass grazing fest and Lizzie (Mama Bunny) got a much needed respite. There is a ramp that was loads of fun for all, too.

And, in a hilarious turn of events, a friend sent & a Craig's list link that someone was selling a terrific bunny cage for a great price. & emailed and said she was interested, then read the whole description which mentioned that the folks were moving and couldn't take the bunny along. So the cage came with a bunny. And that they were going to screen carefully for a good home. Oops. So she emailed and said she'd take the bunny, too. Cute lop ear, sure, why not? 

The people emailed that they'd found a taker, but would let her know if it fell through. & really wanted that cage. So she responded that would be great, and by the way, the bunny was really cute, and looked a lot like her male bunny that she'd just rescued. 

Oh, that got em. The rescued thing clinched it. They said they knew their bunny had a perfect home with her. A few more emails later, it turns out, that the perfect home got just the bunny. Not the cage. 

Ha. Ha. Now. We have another bunny, Charlotte. And there are plans to build another bunny cage.  Moral of that story. If you don't want free bunnies, be very careful what you say. They are apparently EVERYWHERE.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Furry Fun-Fun...

This weekend contained plenty of wildlife and fur. 

We visited our friend who housed the raccoon babies in her bathroom.  (Note for anyone tempted to do such a thing... some raccoons consider shower curtains to be the equivalent to mammal rope swings.)

Now that they are no longer bottle fed, they've been released and are doing great. When she goes outside and hollers "Babies!" They come running. A fountain keeps them entertained and they love dog food and applesauce. Oh, and shiny objects. And biting. Fortunately, I wasn't in the nipping zone, but & got a few little chomps. Ha. Ha. No broken skin, and she's up-to-date on her rabies. :  )

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Some Bits From Our Trip...And

This doesn't need a caption, right?

pretty. that's all.

Uhhh. It was H O T.

cool rusty thing

 

cool rocks in a rock.

Enter the mosquitoes. 

the 4th on the lake.

Only firework photo that turned out due to the frantic mosquito flailing dances.

a leech. shudder.

So cute. Made out of silverware!

Nice fence.

Cool building remodel. I love it when people reclaim history and make it beautiful.

But it was nice to get back home....and to see these cuties.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Farm Days and Back From Vacay...

Last week was beastly hot. We didn't have the farm experience because we were headed up north for the fourth. And given the 100 temps that were reported to me, I'm not complaining about our choice. 

However, we did miss the produce. Rumor has it the first tomatoes were given to the CSA members. 

Yesterday, the temperature was perfect. Absolutely, perfect. A wee bit warm. But in July we gotta have some serious warm, otherwise it wouldn't even feel like summer, ya know.

The most interesting topic of conversation was bugs. Now, I'm sure most of you are very aware that GMO and pesticide laden produce are not the best items to consume. However, organic has a certain ick factor you just don't see a lot in a grocery store setting. We sat in the sun and partially shucked ears of corn, looking for some ick. And we found some. Corn Borers had visited every other ear. Most were at the top and a simple whack with a butcher knife took care of the problem. Others were buried deep. The farmer summed it up like this. "Let's consider that the occasional creature or evidence of them is like the canary in the mine. Absolute proof that all is well." Meaning that if you see a bug in your CSA box, proof positive that the produce has not been sprayed with poison. And, well, pick your poison. I choose the creepy crawlie poison. I can at least do a Mexican hat dance on them and chop of the evidence of their existence. Pesticides are doing damage within me that I can't see but may have to deal with the evidence of later. 
 

Our farm box contained:

Kohlrabi. (Delicious, snappy and almost the texture of raw potatoes or jicama.)  Sweet corn and TOMATOES. Dinner was pomodoro (tomatoes, garlic, basil) over pasta and with a glorious side of sweet corn. Yummo.

(and not so yummo, other organic product of the bug variety)

And the bunnies. Well. They are stinking cute. See. 

By the way. The stay at the cabin was heavenly. The lake breeze took the edge off the higher than normal temperatures. Other than the 4th of July fireworks mosquito attack, it was fabulous. In Minnesota, mosquitoes are wicked big, band together in swarms, relentless, and come out as the sun goes sets. Bodies pelted us as we tried to get a gander of the fireworks over the water. Note to self: Take a beekeeper suit or mosquito netting to the lake if I want to be out after dark.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Have a Good Day...

My brother and his friends (one of which is 2, and pretty stinking cute, but I digress) came over to have a bunny bonding session. 

Amazing how I've seen my friends and family so often of late. Note: If you are lonely, have a batch of bunnies, it's really a boost in the popularity department. 

But, I digress, again. One of the bunnies decided to take a little nap in my brother's hand. 

He tried nudging it out, he tried tipping his hand a bit. The bunny was not budging. So since we were kind of stuck, we began talking about it. 

We decided that there are far worse things to have happen than being held captive by a sleeping baby bunny. And, there are those folks who have worry stones or stress balls. Wouldn't a bunny in your hand be the ultimate stress reliever?

How could you have a bad day with a soft, warm, sleepy bunny in your hand?

bonus shot.  taken by the cute 2 year old. Ha. Ha.

My bro said, "Boss calls you into his office. He ends up firing you after chewing you out for something you didn't even do. But it's all good. Cuz you got a bunny in your hand."

Here's hoping that your day is so good it's like a bunny in each hand. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ So I Found PicMonkey

And since monkeys and bunnies are both mammals, it stands to reason this is a relationship that is a perfect fit. Ha. Ha. 

The bunnies, Mr. Darcy (or his less than stellar "friend," the jury is still out) and Elizabeth Bennett Bunny have lived with us for just over a month. The babies are slightly over two weeks old. 

Here is a little overview of how fast this whole thing has happened. 

These pictures were taken from the day after birth to day 11. 

And these pictures are days 13 and 14. 

Crazy, huh?