House of Mouse

[ksmith]

Garage of Mouse, actually. Detached garage of mouse.

I knew that a couple of house mice had taken up residence in the old console TV that I had stored in the garage. I should have addressed the issue when I first detected their existence several months ago, but it was cold and the garage is unheated. No fun working in the cold. Hard to get the TV down the snowy driveway for the trash guys to pick up.

So I left them be. Took note of the chewed-into bird seed and potting soil bags, the other nipped and nibbled things. It bothered me, yes, but the garage is well away from the house, with a terrier-husky mix in-between.

Over the last week or so, I noticed a greater degree of scurrying when I entered the garage. Actually saw the mice. Many mice. As in, baby mice. Yeah, I know. I should have thought of that sooner, especially given 2009's basement adventure.

So. Phoned the waste disposal company. They pick up the TV on Monday. I've baited the live trap with peanut butter. The haul since yesterday= 6 teeny mice, which have been released into the wild near the house with the three feral cats. They will make it or they won't. Maybe I'm a nut for live-trapping, but I consider it providing snacks for the neighborhood predators. I'm not a complete wibble.

If weather allow, some stuff will be gotten rid of. The bird seed in the chewed bags will be spread in the front yard. Other damaged things will be dumped. And I will just keep trapping until the trapping is done.

In other news, I hadn't made banana bread in months, and missed having it around. So, made the old faithful recipe, with additions. 1/3 cup dried ginger chips. 1/2 teaspoon each allspice, ground ginger, and cinnamon. Sprinkled some turbinado sugar on top for sparklies.

Comments

[mindyklasky.livejournal.com]

Sympathies on the mice - but my real question is "dried ginger chips?!?" Do you make these or buy them?

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Crystallized ginger. I get mine from King Arthur, but I am guessing most baking/restaurant supply stores may carry it.

I started buying in bulk after I got burned buying it in the grocery store. I could only find it in the spice aisle, in the little bottles. Over $8 for two ounces, and that was on sale.

I think Alton Brown makes his own. Buy hey, that's his job.

The chips were a very nice addition to the banana bread. I like it even more than my chocolate chip version.

[mindyklasky.livejournal.com]

Yum! I see some baking in my near future!