Skillet Onions and Peppers

We have a birdhouse.  Peter got it for me last year as an anniversary gift.  We were happy when house wrens moved in.  They are cute and have a pleasant song.  Here is a house wren:  http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/House_Wren/id 

About a month after the house wrens established their home, we heard a big ruckus outside.  After a brief fight, house sparrows moved in.  Here is a house sparrow:  http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/House_Sparrow/id 

The house sparrows tend to be those birds you find everywhere, like at McDonald's, or living above store entrances.  They have an annoying "cheep."  No song.  But I am biased at this point.....

I didn't like the way they just took over. 

John and I tried to drive them away by spraying them with water (using a super soaker), but we soon found that these guys are *very* persistent.  When I saw them procreating in my tomato plants, I decided that was too much.  On the fourth of July, 2009, we took down the house and made a smaller hole (exactly one inch in diameter) of metal, so they couldn't enlarge it.  Here is the house:

The house sparrows could not get in, but they don't give up easily.  It took weeks before they finally left.  The wrens were back in business.

This year, a similar situation ensued, although the sparrows attempted to set up house earlier.  Beats me why they continue like this.  They positively can't get in.   On the day in early July that we visited Old Sturbridge Village, a full battle was raging.  The wrens were dive-bombing the sparrows, who sat on the house like it was their own.  Sometimes they were fighting on the ground.  It wasn't pretty.  I came home and looked outside for any carcasses.  Thankfully, none were found. 

The wrens won.  They have been nesting peacefully for a number of weeks now.  The cool thing is that the babies are hatched.  If you sit outside and listen, every so often you will hear a lot of noise coming from the house.  When you look up, you will see a parent at the door, bringing food to their cherubs.  It makes me happy. 

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Here is a recipe that makes us happy.  It's easy to cook up some onions and peppers in the 8-inch cast iron skillet, then throw them on pasta.  Yum!  Eat and smile!

Skillet Onions and Peppers

Heat 1-2 Tbs Oil in a skillet on medium-low.

Add:  1 cut up green pepper, and one cut up onion.

Increase heat to medium.

Add salt-free garlic and pepper blend to taste (I used McCormick).

Cook and stir every so often, about 15 min. total.

Top your cooked pasta with these veggies, then put on some sauce and cheese.  Smile!