More than a lion...

This is Arthur tiger stretching for a treat... he's very handsome, but he's also a showoff... and has the paunch to prove that he loves attention and treats.

I thought the lion looked so majestic that he deserved his own post. There wasn't really anything I could add to that picture that was as grand as that lion, so I gave him his own space.
There is a lot more to the Conservator's Center than just one lion... in fact, there are lots of lions, and lioness, and tigers and wolves and servals, and biturong, and assorted small jungle cats, and lemurs, and 3 very fine red foxes, to mention a few. Just call them and arrange to go on a tour. Just do it... you really should. And, you'll be very glad you did...

In case you need a gentle nudge, or are hestitating, let me show you a few of the inhabitants.

 There's nothing a biturong won't do for a banana...

This is Kira the lioness. She was horribly mistreated but now has a good life at the center. She lives with Arthur the white tiger.

There is something to be said for having a long treat stick and a very sturdy fence when you're giving a lion a treat.

There are four wolves. This one was an especially handsome fellow. I caught this image of Tonka walking towards the treat stick. He's got his tongue sticking out which sort of makes it look like he's smiling. Then again, if your groceries come ready prepared, maybe a smile is in order.

The last snack of our tour... the bucket is empty...

A Day at the Conservator's Center

Cooking Class

I took a soups class at The Cookery recently. Sous chef Brian Wiles from Nana's taught the class. He was a very generous and creative instructor. In the allotted two hours the class did the prep and cooked three soups. All were delicious, and I should say, I've already made two of them. We've totally enjoyed both the rotisserie chicken noodle and the spicy butternut squash. Leftovers from both are in the freezer... the cucumber soup will wait until next summer.

The soup pictured a hearty kale, white bean and veggie soup. I found the recipe in the Herb Companion along with the recipe for the cheddar and chive biscuits. Really delicious!!

The essential thing I carried away from class is the understanding of kitchen timing, and how flavors and textures must work together. I enjoyed the class so much that I signed up for another class at The Cookery at the end of the month for a session with Daisy Cakes to learn about bread pudding... and then I saw Scratch Baking offered a class next month on pies... pies... oh joy.... pies