An adventure of a different kind

Life isn't JUST about food you know! Okay so you may think that it is all I do; create recipes and look for healthier food options, but sometimes another sort of adventure pops up. This time it is of a feathery kind and I would like to invite you to come along with me.

I AM GOING TO BE A GRAND DUCK!

Yes it's true, after weeding my front garden this weekend, I discovered this:

I do include gardening and weeding under the title of exercise! So in a way, I was working out when I made this discovery. Ever weeded for a day and not been able to walk the next? I have.

I did not know what kind of eggs these were, but I left the nest just as it was and hoped that it wasn't geese. (They can be rather vicious!) To my delight the next morning the parent showed up!

Apparently the gestation period is 28 - 30 days! How am I going to wait that long? Yesterday while mommy duck was away from the nest doing whatever mommy ducks do I saw a dead duck in the road about a kilometre from our home! I was so worried that the mother duck had been killed! So last night before going to bed I checked the nest again, NO MOMMY DUCK!!!

My heart sank!

This  morning first thing I went out to check on the nest and this is what I found!

Oh my! How am I going to survive the 25 days from the last eggs laid to about 28 days to wait and then the eggs will hatch. If I am this emotional and involved in a Mallard Duck's nest in my front garden I hate to think what state I will be in when I am going to be a grandparent one day! 

Those 9 months may just do me in! And unlike the duck, my daughter might not want me to hover! 

So back to the duck nest...

Apparently the mother duck does all the watching over the nest. What I have observed however, is that she sits on it at night and in the morning and then leaves the nest during the day?
I find that odd! Needless to say I am checking on the eggs during the day all the time, to make sure they are not being disturbed! This could get exhausting! 

It is my little adventure and I am going to treasure the time while it lasts. 

I will be posting updates so that you can see what is happening. As of now, there are 8 eggs in the nest. If you are curious as to what Mallard ducks eat and how they typically behave, click here.

About gardening....

When you garden make sure that you save your back. Guard your spine. Sit on a little chair while weeding, use your knees and core to lift soil bags and try to be aware of your posture at all times. Last thing you want to do is injure yourself! It's easy to do! 

Now that the weather is warmer, take your exercise outside and enjoy some sunshine. Gather some vitamin D the natural way. 

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Melony Teague a freelance writer and columnist and motivator who lives in Canada with her husband and two young children.
Founder of "Secrets of Body Transformation from the Inside Out" 
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Chocolate Decadence secret ingredient revealed!

It all came about when I was looking for a friendly dessert to have on Mother's Day. I came across this recipe by GI 325.  Thank you to Kari for the inspiration.

Well it looked absolutely delicious and the perfect thing for me to try on Mother's day using ingredients that I like and that are good for me at the same time! ( Er...well except the Maple Syrup)

I made it and this is what it came out like...but I must be honest I tweaked the recipe, used almonds instead and made a few other changes.

If you have not followed the link to the original recipe, can you guess what the secret ingredient is?

So the original recipe is scrumptious and decenant, but it used quite a lot of maple syrup, so I adapted the recipe to be the kind of dessert I could have every day if I wanted to! ( It is that delicious!)

So here is MY new version of it:

This recipe serves two (trust me if you make more you will EAT IT ALL!)
and it is easy to make and not at all bad on the waistline.

Decadent Chocolate Bowls

(Serves 2) 

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 Avocado

2 Oz Melted 55 % baking chocolate ( Organic) 

2 Tbsp Maple Syrup

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Pinch of Sea salt

Crust:

4 - 5 Tbsp Ground Almonds

1/2 Oz Organic Baking Chocolate ( Semi Sweet) - same as the filling

Pinch of Sea Salt

1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

A drizzle of Maple Syrup

Method:

1. Make the filling first by melting the chocolate in the microwave in a small bowl.
2. Place all other ingredients in food processor and process until smooth and drizzle in the melted chocolate. 
3. Scrape the filling out and set aside in a bowl.
4. Make the crust by pulsing the ingredients in the processor until it looks crumbly and sticky. Spread this crust around the bottom of two similar sized small bowls. I used my fingers to press the crumbs into the bottom of the bowl.
5. Divide the filling into the bowls and flatten the surface.
6.  Refrigerate overnight!
7. Enjoy! But I must warn you....you may have to make it a few times. Don't tell your family what's in it until they have tasted it! ( They will never guess! )

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www.melonyteague.com 
To subscribe to my consolidated newsletter, Click here 
Melony Teague a freelance writer and columnist and motivator who lives in Canada with her husband and two young children.
Founder of "Secrets of Body Transformation from the Inside Out" 
Join me on facebook.