Wednesday whimsy

 Good Morning! I love waking up to a sunny day with lots to do even if it is hanging out the laundry, and that is what is in store for me today. Oh lucky me. 
    Yesterday was still overcast and wet but nice and warm so I went for a walk, I didn't get far on the trail before I turned back, the trail was too wet to walk and not a creature was stirring not even the dead squirrel on the path. I turned back after seeing that but not before jumping completely out of my skin. I still shudder a little when I think about it. I am use to seeing squirrels on the side of the road and I don't like that but I really didn't expect one to be laying dead center of a walking path. ( No pun intended )As unsettled as I was I still get a couple of pictures of some textures I found interesting and even soothing. There is so much to love about nature, the very life and breath of it in fact, but the textures that is what moves my very soul. 

There is texture in every little thing you see from the smallest pebble to the largest tree. You can see it, feel it, and sometimes even hear it. 





 I saw more birds in my own back yard then I did on my walk. Sitting on the couch watching the finches play and fight at the feeder had me smiling and clicking away. The males are getting their beautiful yellow coloring back more and more with each day of spring. I love the way the female looks like she is just taking that young man to task. She tweets at him for a good while before going back to eating. At least I think it is a male and female in that photo.

 When I got up to put my camera away the song of a bird in a tree somewhere that I couldn't see called to me. I couldn't find that bird in the tree but I enjoyed listening to him singing . While standing there looking for this happy singer I had a few other brave visitors that didn't care that I was out on the porch, they just wanted to have a nosh. Some birds are better subjects then others they have more personality and actually react to the camera, it turns out the Titmouse is one of those birds. 

The Chickadee not so much he just stayed in one position and ate.






 After I am done hanging the laundry today I hope to get another walk in, with out flooded trails and dead animals. With each good picture I just get more inspired to find more, do more, and take more good pictures.
  " What Was Dinner "? Dinner was deliciously different. We had a little Mediterranean cuisine with a twist.

  Yep dinner was my 6 ingredient or less recipe make over. I decided to do Stuffed Grape Leaves ( Dolmades ) and sub out the lamb for mild ground Italian sausage. Yummy yummy. So much flavor and so filling. I was so amazed at how full only 2 of the Dolmades made me. Rich and flavorful and actually very fun to make. I precooked my rice to shorten the cooking time and to insure that the rice was tender.I never would have made this recipe before because I don't do well with lamb. Every time I have eaten lamb I have been very ill afterwards. I think lamb may be too rich for me. How ever the Johnsonville sausage was a perfect  substitute it's mild flavor blending very nicely with the grape leaf and mint. I will make this again that is for sure. Dolmades

 Never having had food like this before I wasn't sure what to serve with it. In the end I went for color and style and served baked sweet potatoes  and cottage cheese with the Dolmades. Looked pretty and tasted even better. Sadly my Johnsonville activities have come to an end for this month. I had so much fun completing my tasks and I ate well too. I hope you enjoyed reading about them and that you give the sausage and the recipes a try. You won't be disappointed I am sure. Did you enter the Johnsonville contest for 6 ingredients or less? Well if you would like to here is the link.
6 ingredients or less
 Remember you don't have to actually make the recipe, just pin a recipe you would like to make the switch with and give it the right hash tag. It is just that easy.
   Stay tuned for the rest of my activities for this month. I created a recipe with Avocados that I am more then eager to share with you, and I tried a recipe using Avocados from Mexico that is going in my use to impress recipe box. 
  Have a Wonderful Wednesday! Thank you for stopping by.