Categories Food

Copycat Pepperidge Farm Cheddar Goldfish

2 Comments by

The other day I happened to catch the show ReWrapped on the Food Network.  I was bored, and they were playing around with the Cheddar Goldfish.  I love Goldfish crackers, so I had to watch.

The guy who won the first half (challenge: recreate the Goldfish crackers) was getting statements like “if I closed my eyes I’d never know the difference”.  So I had to try the recipe.

Ok, cause its me, I didn’t exactly follow his recipe.  Partially because I didn’t have 20oz of cheese on hand (seriously, a pound and a half of cheese??), I only had 16oz, so thats what I used.  Partially because I HAVE read the ingredients listing for the Goldfish crackers and I knew that they contained paprika and onion.

They turned out really good.  But they’re not “close my eyes and not know the difference” good.

I added a 1/4tsp of onion powder, and a bit less than 1/4tsp of paprika.

I only used 16oz of cheese instead of the 20 he calls for.

I didn’t make a goldfish cookie cutter, squares are just fine by me, plus it uses more of the dough.

Although he doesn’t say it I highly recommend chilling your dough before cooking.  I chilled it for half an hour, rolled it out, cut it into squares (1/2″ or so), and chilled the squares for another 15minutes or so while the oven finished pre-heating.  Pulled out enough for the first batch, and put the rest back in the fridge.  One, the chilled dough is easier to work with, and two since we’re not using yeast the only leavening is the butter, and that works best when its chilled going into the oven.  I might even try putting the cut crackers into the freezer next time.

When you’re cooking them make sure you space them out so that they aren’t touching each other.  With that much cheese in them they’ll melt together if they touch (yah, I did that with the first batch, the dogs loved them).

I cooked mine at 350 for the full 15 minutes.

I don’t know how well they’ll store, with that much fat in them.  None of mine lasted long enough for that to be an issue, but if you’re looking for something to make for snacks for the week I’m not sure this’ll work for you.

Over all I liked them alot, and will likely make the recipe again.  But I’m still looking for that ideal copycat Goldfish recipe!

Categories Birds

I guess if I want to see birds

by

I need to get out earlier in the morning more often!

 

This Osprey was eating his breakfast on a telephone pole on my way to the doc’s yesterday morning

IMGA3513

 

 

Then while passing by a local farm I spotted this sight:

IMGA3522a

I’m not sure if that’s a late migrater, (since Snowy Owls were reported as far south as Florida this past winter), or if he’s hanging around.  A Snowy’s been reported there for the previous several days, so he may be hanging around.

 

And then I spotted this Red-Tail looking for his breakfast:

IMGA3533

Categories Gardening

Garden update

by

Garlic is poking through the straw I covered it with.  A check under the straw shows that not every piece sprouted, but over half did.  Which is much better success than last year when none did!

Rhubarb is growing strong, pushing aside its straw cover.

Berry bushes are showing baby leaves.

The fruit trees are only just showing leaf buds, which is probly a good thing considering the way the winter and spring has gone.

Sugar Snap Peas have sprouted, guess its time to get the trellis up for them.

Potatoes have been planted.  As have about half the carrot seeds.   The rest will go in today or tomorrow depending on time constraints and the weather.

Its about time to start the pumpkins and zucchini seeds.  And first of May I’ll start the corn inside, so that it’ll be well sprouted in time to plant once I’m sure frost has passed.  The sunflowers will just get planted into the ground.

In the greenhouse everything’s looking really good.  I’m hoping that by the end of the month I’ll be able to plant the peppers into the garden with just frost protection for those colder nights, but I’ll have to watch the weather, its been a chilly spring.

Strawberry plants are sprouting and happy.  They definetly spread around their tire, enough so that I may have to move some of the flowers I’d planted in it too.  Happy strawberry plants are worth it though!

Crocus have bloomed and are mostly dying back.  Daffodils have started blooming.  The daylillies are sprouting, as are the iris and tulips.

So far so good!

Categories Gardening

Why nothing’s in the garden yet

2 Comments by

http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/start-planting-garden/

My yard didn’t look quite that bad this morning, but there’s a good covering of white out there.  Temps dropped to the low 20’s.

I made the decision to pull in everything that was out in the greenhouse.  It got NO sun yesterday to help keep it warm, I’m not sure that even the Christmas lights would have been enough at those temps.  Just as glad I did, cause when I went to zip it back up the zipper broke.  So one of my tasks today is to swap out the little greenhouse cover with one of the covers from the other ones I bought.  Guess its what I get for buying cheap, but thats ok, now that I know this concept will work I’m willing to spend more money for next year!

The garlic is sprouting nicely, I replaced its straw covering after checking on it over the weekend and I’m glad I did.

Anyone have any tips on getting rid of ants in a raised bed/gardening container without having to dump and sanitize the whole thing?  Last summer I had a horrid problem with tiny ants farming aphids in one of the containers.  Repeated, HEAVY, dustings with diatomatious earth and powdered hot peppers SEEMED to finally convince them to go elsewhere.  But over the weekend when I went through and loosened and turned over the dirt in the containers that one container still had ants in it.  I gave all of them a heavy coat of DE and mixed it in, but the ants are still there.  I’ve been given the advice of pouring boiling water  on them, which I’m going to try today since it won’t harm anything except possibly the ants, but if that doesn’t work does anyone else have any ideas?

Categories Birds, Gardening

I have to remember to grab the camera

2 Comments by

….when I step out my door.  That way when I say things like “the Great Blue Heron barely cleared the house!!!” and “The Osprey was low enough I could see his markings with my bare eyes!!!” everyone will believe me instead of rolling their eyes….

Anyway I managed to catch a few pictures yesterday dispite my forgetting to bring my camera out with me at one point.

This Osprey was collecting nesting materials near me:

IMGA3021a IMGA3022a IMGA3023a IMGA3024a IMGA3027a

 

 

And then this Red-Tailed Hawk, with a notched wing, which makes it really easy to ID this bird, decided to claim a spot on my neighbor’s property as his, and proceeded to defend the surrounding airspace with great vigor.  I managed to catch some of it on camera.

7 IMGA3080 IMGA3081 IMGA3082 IMGA3083

 

 

At any rate, the garden expansion is in progress, which is a good thing since I’ve been told I need to get the sugar snap peas in the ground NOW.  Hopefully I’ll get them planted this weekend…..

Categories Nothing Much

Does anyone know how to contact

by

The person who blogs at : Total Survivalist Libertarian Bitch Fest?  She’s been hacked.  I’ve had repeated issues over the last few months with her blog, random java loads and the like (I left a comment to that effect at one point too), but this morning her page flat out WILL NOT LOAD properly, it re-directs EVERY time to fake downloads for Java and Flash.  I can’t even leave a comment to let her know, much less figure out how else to contact her.  And her’s is the ONLY page I’m having issues with, and yes I’ve run full scans here anyway just to be safe….

Categories Birds, Gardening, Nothing Much

Spring!

1 Comment by

IMGA2970a IMGA2971a IMGA2974a

 

 

The Osprey are back:

IMGA2903a

 

 

And the ice melting on the pool (just cause it was a cool picture):

IMGA2949a

 

 

I spotted these deer in a field a few roads over a couple weeks ago, they weren’t pleased to see me though!

IMGA2819aIMGA2818a


IMGA2817a

 

My little greenhouse got blown over in the gusting winds a few nights ago.  Looks like most of the plants will survive the experience, but several of the peppers lost their tags…..I’ll be planting those peppers in a mixed group together rather than try to guess I think.  Oh well.

Categories Nothing Much

This time at least it wasn’t unexpected

2 Comments by

I got up this morning to find an email from my mother, time-stamped just after 1am EST this morning.

My Grandmother died last night, at, or shortly before, midnight local time (Houston TX).

She’s been failing for years, and my Grandfather’s death hit her hard.  Saturday my Mom got a call that Grandma wasn’t eating, and Sunday she flew down.  Doctors think she had a TIA, and as of Tuesday she was only barely eating, barely acknowledging people, and not recognizing those she did acknowledge.  The Hospice folks were of the opinion that she might linger for a couple weeks.  Personally I’m glad she didn’t, starvation isn’t a pleasant way to go, even if you are out of it.

We’re not sure yet if I’ll be flying down for this funeral or not.  I said my goodbyes back in January to be honest, though I’d hoped she might hang on for me to drag my Husband down for a visit later this spring.