OH.. THEY FLEW THROUGH THE AIR WITH THE GREATEST OF EASE..

Greetings Dear Readers.. 

Blogspot has muddled up yesterday's posts.. the baking Post should be first.. because in fact, SHE ran away to the garden. And old Beaky behaved disgracefully!

YOU all know how nosy Beaky is and are aware of the shelf behind the bathroom door. Well, when SHE went out yesterday, the bathroom door, which SHE had pulled to but, alas and alack, not actually closed, opened.

So I was having a quick flight around and where did I go? I am not giving YOU two guesses at this puzzle! Zoom zoom into bathroom, a little tight circuit and an immaculate landing on top of door. Shook tail, looked about. 

Bag that had been previously beaked was still there, silly Maman. SHE should have known old Beaky would be back to find out what was inside.. quick jump onto shelf.. gave it a nudge and "oh look, it opened!" 

Nothing very interesting for ME in there, just a lot 
of things that SHE uses on HER hands and toes. A quick shove got rid of that, plop onto floor it went. 

Next, those mysterious wooden boxes, I do so wonder what's inside? The shelf is only as wide as boxes are deep, so I have to stand on top of one whilst investigating the other. 

They have tiny catches, which opened up with no trouble, onto the next one. Beaky was getting good at doing this, when suddenly a noise outside make ME jump and, oh dear. 

The boxes flew through the air, crash landing on 
the floor and whilst flying downwards, all of the contents 'flew' out!

So that's where SHE keeps HER little bottles of Essential Oils! 

SHE loves ME, thank goodness, SHE thought the whole episode must have been 'hysterically' funny, as SHE hunted for a missing bottle which had bounced after that hard bumpy landing and was hiding in the bath.

Such a nosy Beak.

GeeGee Parrot.
May 17th, 2013.

A BAKING WE WILL DO.. YES, BAKING.. NOT BEAKING!

Yes, Dear Readers, there will be tantalising smells from YumYum HQ later on today.. for SHE plans to do some baking.

A Souffled Egg & Bacon Tart recipe that is an old favourite is on the menu and one each of Chilli & Herb Cornbread. I love Cornbread and there is nothing more delicious than Cornbread with either dried Dill or Thyme.

However, Cornbread recipes abound.. what do not are Souffléd Tart recipes, so here it is! SHE is feeling generous and kind because.. SHE slept well (for a change) and old Sun is playing outside! 

YOU need a 23cm x 4cm loose bottomed Tart tin.

Ingredients.1 Teaspoon of Sunflower Oil. 
25g plain Flour. 
200g thick cut smoked streaky Bacon. 
50g unsalted Butter. 175ml whole Milk, warmed. 
3 medium Eggs separated. 
100g finely grated hard Cheddar Cheese. 
150ml Double Cream. 
Salt & freshly ground Pepper. 
1/4 teaspoon grated Nutmeg. 

Pastry.
225g Plain Flour. 65g of both Butter & Lard, both chilled & cut into small pieces. Cold Water. 

Method. 1st Part. For the pastry, put flour into food processor with butter, lard & 1/2 tsp of salt. Mix till it looks like fine crumbs. Put into bowl, stir in 2tbs of cold water water, stir till everything comes together, then turn out & knead till smooth. Roll out pastry, line tart tin, prick bottom of pastry base with a fork & chill in fridge for 2minutes. 

Preheat oven to 200C / Gas mark 6. 
Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper & fill 
with a thin layer of Baking Beans. Bake for 15-20 mins. Remove Beans & paper, return to oven for another 5mins till the base is crisp & golden.

2nd Part. Heat oil in a frying oan over a high heat, add bacon, fry till lightly golden. Set aside. Melt butter in another pan, add flour, cook for 1 min. Remove from heat, stir in milk, return to heat & bring to boil, stirring till smooth. Add cheese & cream, stir, then add nutmeg, bacon and salt & pepper to taste. 

3rd Part. Lower oven to 180C. Stir egg yolks into sauce, Whisk egg whites into soft peaks, then fold 
into sauce. Pour mix into pastry case, bake for 
20min, covering with sheet of tin foil for last 10mins, until the souffle puffs up, is set and golden brown.

Eat perhaps with a Rocket Salad and enjoy with 
OUR very best wishes!

WE are breaking OUR fast with  Buttered Eggs. So I have to flap.. vertical take-off mode needed as was lolling on bed.. 

GeeGee Parrot.
May 16th, 2013.

ASTONISHING & HAPPY NEWS!

They got back on the trail to the Tale of the red tailed Parrot.. WE are so relieved.. for OUR one French Dear Reader is no longer 'Lost in France'! 

Old 'Stats' sighted them this morning.. that is OUR 'happy' news! It could be Joanna, for WE know that she and a large portion of their family are in Toulon, so WE say "Bon jour". 

Joanna has just posted on her 'La Vie en Rose Blog' this is the first time she has posted for ages, so she and J-J must have been very busy. YOU can find her Blog by going to : joanna-darcy@blogspot.com

Now for the astonishing and astounding news! 

YOU all know, if YOU have been keeping up with HER posts of MY blog, that last month was the the highest ever recorded amount of Dear Readers reading MY Blog. Yes, a hundred more of YOU read MY log than in September 2012, which was the previously highest month.

But suddenly. WE have recorded vast numbers of new overseas Dear Readers reading. Brazil, Qatar, Taiwan, Barbados, China, India, MALAYSIA 1, not a vast number but OUR first! 

From OUR regular Readers. HUGE numbers of Russians read MY Blog every day and the same applies to the USA. From the UK, well, the 'home side' could support ME a little better but the weather HAS been dreadful and up in Ottawa, Canada, well 'that' cat sits on Joe's computer all the time!

Hard facts, it is May 16th, there are 15 more days in this month, however, the figure for this month's Dear Readers stands just under OUR highest ever recorded Readership level.

Now.. WE don't get hard cash in the claw or hand. No-one benefits in any way by MY Blog and no-one knows the exact figures except us. But this.. WE will tell YOU! 

That WE are incredibly touched that, in today's busy and sometimes 'not so pleasant' world, YOU take the time to 'mosey over' to read a Blog called 'Parrot Tales by GeeGee'.. MY Blog. Better stop.. don't want old wet-eye to appear!

YeeHa folks.. I can see those eggs!

GeeGee Parrot.

May 16th, 2013.

LOST IN FRANCE.. OUR ONLY FRENCH DEAR READER!

This is a sad day, for ever since I started MY Blog in December 2011, WE have had the ONE Dear Reader in France.

Every day, without fail, they would read MY Blog in the morning and WE wondered who they were. Were they French or an english speaking 'ex-pat' who had found and enjoyed reading MY Tales?

WE got another 'French' reader, SHE knew her and where she was, then Pegeen stayed in Paris for a few weeks. So, at one time, I had the three Dear Readers in France!

Pegeen went back to Illinois, the person whom SHE knew obviously decided that there were 'better' things to do with her time than read 'Tales' by an African Grey Parrot.. but still there was that 'Lone Dear Reader'.

But.. alas and alack.. no more! WE hate to think that they are sick, or with no internet connection? Or maybe.. they are just.. how did it go? 

"Lost in France". 

GeeGee Parrot.
May 15th, 2013.

A FAMILY LEGEND.. Part Two.

Lonng ago in the 1950's, HER family rented an old house called The Old Vicarage in a village in Kent called West Malling. 

Note: The area is renown for fruit growing. The world famous East Malling Research Station (EMR) is nearby. The original research unit was started in 1913. The scientists who work here are extremely helpful and specialists in their fields of perennial fruit. 

SHE adored one of Constance's friends who lived literally next door. Eleanor Corfe and her family were fruit farmers. They had grown-up sons and a slightly younger daughter called Sue, who was sweet and had told her mother that SHE could play with her old toys whenever SHE came to visit. 

To get to the Corfe's, YOU turned left, if YOU turned right and went up the lane the other way, standing back from the road up a very long drive, was a beautiful house which belonged to a family whom HER parents knew but not as close friends. 

They had an eight year old daughter, a rather sad and lonely only child, SHE and HER brother used to make a point of including her in games and jaunts but on this day, she was not with them. 

It was a week-end in the height of apple season and everyone was in the orchards, Eleanor was in charge and picking had stopped for lunch which had been brought in on a trailer to one of the orchards. 

After lunch, the children were told "be back here at 6 of the clock and stay away from the lake". Off they went, a very noisy bunch of young kids. 

But who was missing? Why, their friend from the lovely house.. "let's go and see if she wants to come and play" someone said, so off they went to fetch her. 

Shouting and squealing and calling out the girl's name, they ran up the long drive, their friend had heard them coming.. most of Kent heard them they were making such a racket.. and was out in front of her house. "Come and play with us" they all shouted in their high pitched young voices. 

Suddenly a window flew up and a woman's head 
appeared. Oh dear, she was slightly the worst for a glass of wine, and her irate voice screeched "Who 
is making all that filthy noise?" 

The response? "Please mum, it wasn't me.. it was the Vicarage children".

YOU never forget things like that.

GeeGee Parrot.
May 15th, 2013.

A LATE LUNCH WAS SERVED..

That was a mighty fine lunch, indeedy it was and well worth waiting for. 

I had a mini snacket of humous with pomegranate seeds and then, just to sharpen old tasty buds, I was offered something I have never eaten before, a green olive! "Where's the martini?", I thought.

Something was underneath a plate, as not many things are treated in this fashion in YumYum HQ, I guessed it to be a piece of meat, being allowed to 'relax' from being kept in old chilly refrigerator.

From vegetable rack came handful of quite small potatoes, into cold water they went and onto stove.

Two eggs appeared. Ohhhh, I know what SHE's going to make! 'Johanna's Kartoffel', oh yeah, WE will give YOU this wondrous recipe in another Post.

Skinny beans went into boiling water for a few minutes, then were drained and set aside. 

It was a piece of meat, a thick slab of steak, SHE prefers the cut of beef known as rump and likes it rare. A slice of unsalted butter went into pan, when it melted, in went steak, it was sealed on both sides and the heat was turned down a bit. 

Then SHE turned HER attention to ME. A kiss & a cuddle and a kiss and a peck, really. SHE can get so above HERSELF sometimes!

The smell was truly delicious MY dear Dear Readers. I was so glad not to be in Black Book, aka in disgrace, over incident with Beaky and bag and that I was going to included in this repast.

Meat off heat, beans and potatoes were given a stir in their bowls, meat allowed to sit for a little bit. 
Old steel sharpened HER favourite knife. 

Pretty plate out of cupboard, meat onto board, then SHE smiled at ME and said "YOU shall have the first taste". Now, tell the truth dear Readers, does YOUR Beloved love YOU as much as that?

It was what it was, a perfect meal. Sighs of happy tumtums.. pouring with rain out there, just what they forecasted, good thing old knee and finger told HER that they were going to be right.

I am off to Pole, SHE has to finish a book so that it can go back to the Library. WE will Post Family Legends.. Part Two later.

GeeGee Parrot.
May14th, 2013.

A FAMILY LEGEND.. Part One.

Dear Readers.. I am, or rather Beaky is, in serious disgrace.. I told YOU I was going to Pole but I got side-tracked and flew into bathroom. 

SHE got bored sorting photographs and came into bathroom to pot up some Sweet Peas and found ME playing with a couple of cardboard rolls, such fun, so crunchy for Beaky.

SHE went to take the newly potted pots to the back room and I flew back to top of bathroom door to await HER return, for it was fast approaching one of the clock, aka lunch time.

Huh, but there no whistling or sound of HER coming back down the hall, sigh. That was when old Beaky spied the new occupant on the shelf behind door, umm, what was in it? Only one way to find out, open it, but it was clever and did not want to open.

Beaky, having zero tolerance of such delays, gave it some beaking, ugh, what was this I heard?

"Quick Beaky, stop", SHE is coming back, too late, much too late, for bag had been very badly beaked and tell tale signs were allover the bathroom floor.

SHE looked at the mess, put HER hand up, I stepped down and was brought very close to HER face, where I thought "oh dear, I am in deep dudu".

SHE spoke very clearly and said the following, "YOU must learn not to do things like that" and I said "Please mum, it wasn't ME, it was Beaky".

And SHE started to laugh, for the phrase "Please mum, it wasn't me, it was ....." was one of HER family's legends.. and Part Two will tell it.

But now.. thank goodness, it IS lunch time and WE are off to YumYum HQ.

Back later.. to tell Tales and Legends that date from years lonng gone by.

GeeGee Parrot.
May 14th, 2013.

Forgot to tell YOU this! A new source of seeds.. it could work!

We were so stunned by the sad news about the fire yesterday at the Fishbowl that WE forgot to tell YOU about HER latest trick.

SHE wanted to buy some fresh scrummydumptious nut butter and the only place to find it locally is at Whole Foods on Kensington High Street.

Off SHE went, under a clear sky, walking on a dry pavement! What a change that was! 

Up to the bus stop behind Burberrys, giving HER enough time to look in horror at the building known as 1. Hyde Park, it is SO ugly, has not got one redeeming feature.

Onto bus, off bus, into Whole Foods, down to the lower floor, ground the nuts, yum! Then got Rye Flakes and Oat Bran for the cereal SHE makes that WE eat most mornings.

Suddenly, out of 'nowhere', SHE got the brightest idea! Seeds are not cheap, well, they are but they are still cost a dollar or a pound or a couple of euros for a packet and here, were 'seeds' galore!

SHE placed a bag under the shoot and released a small amount of Pinto Beans from the container, put the bag onto the weighing scale, entered the stock number, the machine printed off the weight and price.

SHE took a look at the label, roared with laughter and repeated the procedure with Borlotti, Haricot, Navy and the ones that look like Killer Whales, they are Black and White, their name escapes ME!

Off to check-out, handed over basket, paid and left, still laughing. They were identical to the ones 
SHE planted a month ago and which are now ready to plant out at the garden.

The new beans were potted up and put under the germinators, it is not a disaster if they do not come up, let's face it, even expensive packets of seeds sometimes contain a 'dodgy' seed or two.. the difference is that they cost so much more! 

Ok, now this is why SHE laughed.. the five packets of beans cost HER 20 pence, yes, YOU did read it correctly, twenty pence! Let's hope they grow, for if they do, Whole Foods are going to be HER new Bean seed supplier!

Now to pole to have a snooze, for it is very tiring watching other folk work, isn't it?

GeeGee Parrot.
May 14th, 2013.

SHOCKS.. LIES & PHOTOGRAPHS!

What a month it is turning out to be!

WE were and still are saddened and shocked by yesterday news about the fire in The Fishbowl.

Then WE learnt that someone has been telling lies, yes, Dear Readers, YOU can tell that they were BIG fat ones when SHE calls them by their proper name.

Now it transpires that the Meteorological folk say that there is a huge amount of rain coming in and that there may be some snow falling.. gulp! 

Those poor Tommies at the garden, the ones under the corrugated sheet will be ok but WE hope that the others, which are behind the wind breaks, will stand up to the battering that is forecasted.

The sky is so dull and gloomy, it is the month of May and yet SHE has lights on inside as it is so dim. The seedlings in the back room are alright, they have MY 'sad' light to cheer them up and are as happy as can be.

With the next few days looking to be pretty nasty weather wise, those plants and seedlings are going to stay, cosy and snug, at home. 

There is no point in planting them out just for old Wind to rip them to shreds OR to give old Slug-the-Bug something delicious to eat. That reminds ME, SHE has to make lots of cardboard collars for the Brassicas.

WE plan on staying indoors and will sort out HER photographs. WE recommend that YOU stay cool or warm, whichever YOU prefer!

GeeGee Parrot.
May 14, 2013.

A NEGLECTED EDUCATION.. YOURS aka.. How to make 'proper' Hollandaise Sauce!

That has got YOU all thinking, has it not!

WE know that most of YOU were educated, some more thoroughly and to a higher degree than others. But it appears.. disgracefully.. that most of YOU do not know how to make Hollandaise Sauce properly.. YOU buy it in a packet! Ugh..

So here is the recipe, fear not, it does not require the brain of a rocket scientist nor will it break the household budget.

YOU will need the following, if YOU are 'a' cook, they will already be in the cupboard.

4 Tablespoons White Wine Vinegar.
5 Peppercorns. 1 Blade of Mace. 1 Slice of Onion. 1 Small Bayleaf. 3 Egg Yolks. Salt & Pepper.
1 - 2 Tablespoons of Single Cream.
5 oz unsalted Butter.. SOFT, not just out of fridge!
Squeeze of Lemon - optional.

Method.
Put vinegar into a small pan with spices, onion & bayleaf. Boil this until it is reduced to a scant tablespoon, set aside to cool.

BEWARE..this procedure always makes HER cough, boiling vinegar has a weird smell!

Cream egg yolks in a bowl with 1/2 oz of butter & pinch of salt. Strain on the vinegar mix, set the bowl on top a pan of boiling water, turn off heat & add the remaining butter in small pieces, stirring vigorously all the time.

When all the butter has been added and the sauce is thick, taste for seasoning and add the cream, stir well & add the lemon juice (if using).

There.. that was not too frightening, was it!

SHE learnt this from Constance She learnt it when she and Mona were at school in Ville D'Avray, Paris, they lived next door to Yehudi Menuhin's family and used to walk in the garden and hear him play for free!

It and the homegrown Asparagus were wonderful.

Now SHE has grown-up stuff to do and I am off for a doze on MY favourite door. WE had a very restless night, there was lots of noise in the street with car alarms and shouting.. 

GeeGee Parrot.
May 13th, 2013.