Fish Blob Bowl Recipe

This guy needs a nose job????

The blobfish (Psychrolutes marcidus) is a fish that inhabits the deep waters off the coasts of Australia and Tasmania. Due to the inaccessibility of its habitat, it is rarely seen by humans.
Blobfish are found at depths where the pressure is several dozens of times higher than at sea level, which would likely make gas bladders inefficient. To remain buoyant, the flesh of the blobfish is primarily a gelatinous mass with a density slightly less than water; this allows the fish to float above the sea floor without expending energy on swimming. The relative lack of muscle is not a disadvantage as it primarily swallows edible matter that floats by in front it.


Not a Fish recipe specimen but wow check out those eyes????


The Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) is a strepsirrhine native to Madagascar that combines rodent-like teeth with a long, thin middle finger to fill the same ecological niche as a woodpecker. It is the world's largest nocturnal primate, and is characterized by its unique method of finding food; it taps on trees to find grubs, then gnaws holes in the wood and inserts its elongated middle finger to pull the grubs out.
Daubentonia is the only genus in the family Daubentoniidae and infraorder Chiromyiformes. The Aye-aye is the only extant member of the genus (although it is currently an endangered species); a second species (Daubentonia robusta) was exterminated over the last few centuries.


Alright I am now going to get to a recipe.... How to make Fish Bowl Jello Called the "Blob"


Fishbowl Jello:

• Get a fishbowl (not used by fish and without fish)
• put in 1 box of jello mix and follow diections( should be blue)
• put in fridge for a little while
• drop in gummy fish
• put in another box of blue mix already mixed in another container (still liquid though)
• place back in fridge
• 1 can (11-oz.) fruit cocktail [optional]
• 2 gummy fish (or plastic fish) [optional]
• 1 plastic aquarium plant (optional)
• when ready you will have an edible bowl of fish :)

Variations:

• fish bowl
• blue jello mix
• Purple endive or fennel, leaves (and other edible things that will look good as foliage in a tank!)
• gummy fish
• 1 package jelly beans (or fruit cocktail)
• uncooked spaghetti (for placing items in jello)
• knox jello (clear)

1. Mix gelatin according to package directions. Use clear jello to dilute.
2. Place the jelly beans in the bowl.
3. When gelatin is cool, BUT NOT SET, pour it slowly into the Fish bowl. Be careful not to move the candies around, because the coloring may run.
4. Allow to cool for just a little while (you don't want stiff gelatin when trying to place fish and foliage in bowl).
5. When gelatin is just starting to set (ie: it's not watery... set just enough to hold something in place) add your "foliage" and fishies, placing them where you want them with strands of spaghetti (helpful when moving things around so your gelatin isn't destroyed he he).
   Refrigerate your fish bowl until you wish to serve it.

Fish Bowl Cake

Prep Time: 25 minTotal Time: 4 hr 55 minMakes: 12 servings

• 1 pkg. (12 oz.) pound cake, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup jelly beans
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Brand Berry Blue Flavor Gelatin
• 4 cups ice cubes
• 12 bite-size fish-shaped chewy fruit snacks

PLACE cake cubes in bottom of clean new 2-qt. plastic fish bowl; top with the jelly beans. Set aside. STIR boiling water into dry gelatin mixes in large bowl until completely dissolved. Add ice cubes; stir until gelatin begins to thicken. Remove any unmelted ice. Pour thickened gelatin into fish bowl. ARRANGE fruit snacks in gelatin to resemble fish swimming in a fish bowl. Refrigerate 4 hours or until gelatin is set. To serve, scoop out the gelatin and cake with a large spoon. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.

ENJOY!!!

All About Parchment Paper? What is it? Why use It?

What is Parchment paper anyways? And why is it so widely praised? what do you use it for? And is it that great?

Well those are a few of my questions about the stuff....I decided to do a little research about it and see what all the fuss was about. So here is what I found;

• Parchment paper is a silicone coated paper that is used in more and more kitchens as the word gets passed along. It feels kind of like heavy tissue paper, but the biggest difference is that it can withstand heat and food products put on it and it will NOT stick!
• Parchment Paper comes in 16 3/8" x 12 3 1/16" or 16 3/8" x 24 3/8"sheets. The individual sheets make it easy to use and you always know when you are about to run out.
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  You can use it when baking just about anything. Use it when making cookies, in a roasting pan, a bread pan, or a casserole. You can use it to line your souffle dish or when you are pouring out fudge to cool down, or how about using it when making peanut brittle.
  
• 
  
  You'll be amazed and how simple clean-up will become

You will find that once you start using it you'll find more and more uses for it. Parchment paper kind of grows on you, if you know what I mean.

But there are some downfalls, like it's really important not to have any of it overhang a cookie sheet because it could catch fire in an oven. And you cannot use it in a toaster oven, broiler, or under halogen lights.

Some people feel waxed paper is just as good. However, beware....because you cannot line a cookie sheet with waxed paper- it will smoke you out of your house! Waxed paper is only good for using outside of the oven or in the oven with something that covers it completely, i.e. a cake. parchment is just more versatile.

Parchment allows you to bake on a sheet without greasing the pan....not only does it save calories and scouring the pan, but it makes a nicer cookie, bread or whatever you are baking. And the finished product is nicer as you don't have that greasy residue around the outside of the cookie.

Probably once you try Parchment you will consider it a kitchen necessity as many do.
A few tips;

• The unbleached (brown) parchment in the brown and green box is the best brand and you get a lot more in the box than with a lot of other brands.
• It's also a better size for cookie sheets than the white parchment that you find in the blue box.
• Parchment is reusable. If you bake something 'non' messy on it (breads, most cookies, etc), just shake off the crumbs and store away until you need to use it again.
• Around Christmas, just line your cookie sheets with parchment and leave it on them for the season unless it gets soiled with jam, melted chocolate, etc.
• You can also use parchment to line cake pans or loaf pans for quick breads.

It's an expensive alternative to waxed paper, but it's less sticky, so it's a good choice if you're making gooey items. Parchment paper can also be wrapped around foods to be cooked or formed into cones for cake decorating. Specialty cooking stores and larger supermarkets often carry rolls or sheets of it. Paper grocery bags are sometimes recommended as a substitute for parchment paper, but it's not advisable to use them. Grocery bags will ignite at 450 degrees, and that they may have been treated with unsafe chemicals. Substitutes: waxed paper (This is a lot cheaper, but it's more likely to stick to gooey baked goods. Try greasing the waxed paper before using.) OR rice paper (as a baking pan liner) OR aluminum foil (Works well for cooking en papillote. If greased, it also works well as a liner for baking pans.) OR lightly grease baking pan (This tends to encourage cookies to spread out on the baking sheet.) OR nonstick baking sheet OR plastic zip-lock bag (If you're piping icing on a cake, this works well as a substitute for a parchment cone. Just fill the plastic bag, cut a hole in a corner, and squeeze.)

So in a nutshell Parchment paper seems to me to be a great item to keep stocked in the kitchen and one that will save you a lot of time and clean-up and since I am not one to like doing dishes, this is a plus for me!!

And check out one of the best places to find all those cookie cutters!

The Recipe of me

The Recipe For DaBookLady

3 parts Vigor 2 parts Success 1 part Genius Splash of Poise Finish off with a little umbrella and straw

What's the Recipe for Your Personality?

Come on and Post

New Recipe Contest

I have a reading contest and a crochet knitting contest on my other blogs so now I have decided to have a recipe contest. Who doesn't like contests? I know I love them. Look at the pictures of "My Christmas Cookbook" that I made a few years ago and be the closest guess to how many recipes are in the book without going over and you could be the winner. There will be 3 winners for this contest and the prizes are listed below... Leave me a comment on my blog by midnight (PST) on Wednesday, January 30th that includes the following:

1. 1. Your guess as to how many recipes are in the Christmas Recipe Book I made for my family and friends a few years ago.[hint, there are 6 sections and recipes are on both sides of the page]
2. 2. Your favorite recipe, with link to the recipe directions on your blog or where it can be found, so we can all have some new recipes to look at, because we love that!
3. 3. Your blog address, if you have one, because we love to look at those, too!
4. 4. Optional: Any kind of greeting you'd like to share, be it normal, informational, funny, poetry, strangeness or whatever.

I'll be giving out the 1st prize a Christmas Cookbook, along with my personal favorite "Holiday Quiche"recipe; 2nd prize will be a recipe related prize; 3rd prize will be a kitchen gaget- prizes for the following:

*Closest guess on how many recipes are in the book, without going over the quantity.
*My favorite comment that makes me think, laugh, or feel good or both.
*Random drawing.
That's 3 prizes! I will try to announce the winners by the end of the weekend, following the end of the contest.
So what are you waiting for? Get on in here and leave a comment with your guess, your favorite recipe and your sense of humor!!

Contest # 3 "Between the Bushes"

Be sure to check out the contest on DaBookLady's Book Swap Blog. Its called "Between the Bushes" and you might win an exciting prize!

Sad News and Good News!

Our youngest son was in an awful motorcycle accident 9 days ago. He was on life support for the whole time and the good news is that they have just taken him off...and he is breathing on his own...thank you so much to all for your prayers....he has a long way to full recovery, but he will recover....it is just a rough time for our home so I will not be blogging a lot for next few weeks.

Merry Christmas

and

Happy New Year

to all of my blogging friends old and new!!!

Sweet Potato Madness

Ok now this is weird....a doggy bone made from Sweet Potatoes???

Its Called Buddy Biscuits Sweet Potato Madness.... yummy Its actually for dogs with allergys? Huh?

Cloud Star Buddy Biscuit Sweet Potato Madness Treats are WHEAT and CORN FREE (2 common allergens) making them a nice and yummy treat for dogs with allergies. Also free of soy, sugar, salt, dairy, and egg. Vegan and vegetarian approved.Ingredients barley, spelt, vegetable oil, fresh sweet potatoes, mixed tocopherols (Vitamin E - a natural preservative).
Dogs love Buddy Biscuits Ok now I have heard it all....

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Sweet Potato Biscuits(makes 18 biscuits)
Ingredients:
3/4 cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2/3 cup nonfat milk
2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Nonfat cooking spray
Nonfat milk (optional)
Ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)
Directions:
1. To cook the sweet potatoes, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Peel and cube the potatoes into 1-1/2-inch pieces then boil for about 20-30 minutes or until tender. Drain thoroughly then mash with a fork or potato masher in a large bowl.
2. Preheat oven to 425º F.
3. Stir in the butter and milk into the potatoes. Add 1-3/4 cups of the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt and mix until combined. Add the rest of the 1/4 cup of flour and combine.
4. Turn dough out on a floured surface and knead 5-6 times. Roll dough flat to half-inch thickness.
5. Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter to cut out the biscuits from the dough or use a sharp knife to cut biscuits into 2-inch square pieces.
6. Spray a baking sheet with nonfat cooking spray then place biscuit pieces close together on the sheet.
7. Brush the top of each biscuit with nonfat milk then lightly sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg.
8. Bake biscuits for about 15 minutes or until golden.

Nutritions Facts:

• 82 calories


• 2 g Total fat


• Sat Fat 1g


• Trans Fat 0


• Cholesterol 5mg


• Sodium 195


• Dietary fiber 1 g


• Sugars 2 g

Some Trivia on Sweet Potatoes

The sweet potato is the 6th principal world food crop, and approximately 90 percent of the worlds' crop is grown in Asia.
Vardaman, Mississippi claims to be the Sweet Potato Capital of the World.
1. 6 billion pounds of sweet potatoes were produced in the U.S. in 2003.

2. North Carolina (588 million pounds) produced more than any other state.

3. It was followed by Louisiana and California (each with about 310 million pounds), and Mississippi (238 million pounds).US Census Bureau, October 2004

4. In 2004, 98,300 acres of sweet potatoes were planted in the U.S.

5. In 2004, approximately 4.2 pounds of sweet potatoes per capita were consumed annually in the U.S.

6. In 1943, per capita consumption was 21.7 pounds.Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission http://www.sweetpotato.org/

Despite a physical similarity and a frequent confusion with their names, yams and sweet potatoes are not even distantly related. They are in two different botanical families. Yams are actually related to grasses and lilies.

Although sweet potatoes are harvested in August through October, they are available in supermarkets all year. Many stores feature them at Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are two varieties of sweet potatoes; the pale yellow with a dry flesh and the dark orange with a moist flesh. The dark orange variety is plumper in shape and somewhat sweeter than the yellow variety.

Sweet Potato Recipe

Ok I missed yesterday, oh no...my computer was "sick" so I could not get on. So today I will be posting 2 posts.

This one will be a recipe with Sweet Pototoes!

Sweet Potato Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled


• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour


• 1 teaspoon baking powder


• 2 teaspoons white sugar


• 1 teaspoon brown sugar


• 2 teaspoons curry powder


• 1 teaspoon ground cumin


• 2 eggs, beaten


• 1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying


• 1/2 cup milk

Directions:
Shred the sweet potatoes, and place in a colander to drain for about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, white sugar, brown sugar, curry powder and cumin. Make a well in the center, and pour in eggs and milk. Stir until all of the dry ingredients have been absorbed. Stir in sweet potatoes. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drop the potato mixture by spoonfuls into the oil, and flatten with the back of the spoon. Fry until golden on both sides, flipping only once. If they are browning too fast, reduce the heat to medium. Remove from the oil, and keep warm while the other pancakes are frying. Makes approximately 15 pancakes.

What Does Your Waiter Ask You? Sweet Potatoes Plain???

I read an article by By Frank Bruni, "Serving in Tougues" today that got me thinking??? Now I know this not directly about sweet potatoes, but it could be? Just think when you go into a restaurant and want to order sweet potatoes as a side order and want it plain, and the waitress yells so that the whole restaurant can hear it, "What no butter? How about sour cream? On the side maybe? Are you sure you want it plain????" Is she deaf or what????

I mean how many of us go into restaurants and have waiters ask us really silly questions like this? Or maybe like; "would you like to enjoy another ice tea?" Enjoy??? What does that mean, or, "Are you finished working on your plate?" Now what am I doing with it? Construction anyone? And Mr Bruni has another one that I hear more than too often, "How do you feel about dessert?" Well let's see I feel good about it, its a delicious idea and I love the taste and.... I mean how am I suppose to answer????

Mr Bruni says he is tempted to answer,“Guilty,” Or: “That it can’t possibly be worth the price on the menu.” I agree whole hearted with the last one as dessert is usually way over-priced!He suggests that we be more direct when asking a patron about their lunch or dinner like saying something to the effect, "Can I clean your plate off table for you?" or "Do you want more ice tea?"I think my biggest pet peeve is the drive-thru fast food speakers that yell back at you in the middle of you ordering, "Do you want cheese on that?" or "Do you want chocolate cake?" Now if I wanted cheese on it or chocolate cake I would have said so and ordered it! Right? But before you even get the whole order out of your mouth of what you want and how you wnat it, they are screeching into the mike about something else and then the order never comes out right anyways!!!!

Ahhh life in the fast lane......

Tomorrow more on facts and opinions and recipes.......

How to Tell the Difference Between a Yam and a Sweet Potato?

Continuing on with Nablopomo on Sweet potatoes:

The difference between a Yam and a Sweet potato????

Yam or sweet potato, what in the world is it? Many people use these terms interchangeably both in conversation and in cooking, but they are really two different vegetables.
Sweet PotatoesPopular in the American South, these yellow or orange tubers are elongated with ends that taper to a point and are of two dominant types. The paler-skinned sweet potato has a thin, light yellow skin with pale yellow flesh which is not sweet and has a dry, crumbly texture similar to a white baking potato. The darker-skinned variety (which is most often called "yam" in error) has a thicker, dark orange to reddish skin with a vivid orange, sweet flesh and a moist texture.

The true yam is the tuber of a tropical vine (Dioscorea batatas) and is not even distantly related to the sweet potato.

Sweet potatoes are a good source of potassium
Sweet Potato and Yam Health InformationSweet potatoes are relatively low in calories and have no fat. They are rich in beta-carotene , having five times the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin A in one sweet potato, as well as loaded with potassium. These nutrients help to protect against heart attack and stroke. The potassium helps maintain fluid and electrolyte balance in the body cells, as well as normal heart function and blood pressure. Wild Mexican "yams" which are related to the sweet potato, seem to have anti-weight-gain, anti-cancer, and anti-aging properties, according to Dr. Earl Mindell. True yams do not contain as much Vitamin A and C as sweet potatoes

In the U S, there are firm varieties of sweet potatoes that were produced before soft varieties. When soft varieties were first grown commercially, there was a need to differentiate between the two. African slaves had already been calling the ‘soft’ sweet potatoes ‘yams’ because they resembled the yams in Africa. Thus, ‘soft’ sweet potatoes were referred to as ‘yams’ to distinguish them from the ‘firm’ varieties.
Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term ‘yam’ to be accompanied by the term ‘sweet potato.’ Unless you specifically search for yams, which are usually found in an international market, you are probably eating sweet potatoes!

Tomorrow's views on some recipes and more facts!!

Yes I Decided to Join

I was blog surfing and found NaBlopomo on The Cooking Corner's blog. It looks interesting and maybe will bring some more traffic to my blogs, so here I go .....I love to post so it shouldn''t be too hard.

I think I will work on holiday tradional recipes....what different places eat, why, history, funny quirks, stories and whatever suits me for the daily blogging...so here we go...

Oh my I love Sweet potatoes and I found this one to be perfect:

This recipe serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
3 large sweet potatoes (or yams)
4 tablespoons pecans, toasted
1 tablespoon butter, unsalted
1 tablespoon brown sugar
freshly ground cinnamon, to taste

Cooking Instructions
1. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them in half. Place them in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pricked with a fork, about 30 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, toast the pecans in a nonstick skillet for 1-2 minutes or in a toaster oven and set aside.
3. Mash the potatoes, butter and brown sugar with a potato masher or fork, or use a food mill.
4. Adjust the cinnamon to taste.
5. Transfer to a serving dish and top with the toasted pecans.

Now what about the Sweet Potato?

I mean where does it come from? And do you care? Well I do...so I did a little research amd found out that it is botanically known as Ipomoea batatas, are grown on a root of a vine and comes from the morning glory family. It is native to the New World tropics and dates back to 750 B.C. in Peruvian records. Columbus brought the sweet potato to the New World from the island of Saint Thomas.

Sweet potatoes are often called yams and vise versus but they are two different vegetables. Which I will go into more tomorrow.... Enjoy the recipe....

Thanksgiving Tips

Seasonal colors dress up your table for Thanksgiving it's nice to use warm fall colors for your table - greens, soft golds and deep reds look wonderful for that time of year and make your guests feel warm and cozy. You can't go wrong with a white nicely pressed tablecloth. And this allows you to be more creative with the dishes, stemware, napkins etc. Use dinnerware in some of the warm fall colors, or for a more traditional, formal look, use white china. A nice touch would be to add a fun plaid cloth napkin in the fall colors and some elegant warm gold stemware

• Easy festive touches like Mums in warm colors placed in pots by the front door, make a nice warm entrance for your guests. Around the table use real pumpkins, gourds, and bittersweet to add some fall appeal. There are even artificial fall leaves you can place around the table. And if you want to add a little extra touch, you can buy real miniature pumpkins and use them as place cards. Simply make a small slit in the top of the pumpkin, slip in the place card with your guest's name on it and put at each placesetting. Easy, but impressive!
• Don't forget to decorate the food too!Don't forget to add little garnishes to the dishes when needed. For example if you like to bring the whole turkey out on a platter to slice at the table. Add grapes, walnuts, orange slices, etc. to dress up the turkey on the platter. And sprinkle fresh herbs to your mashed potatoes in the serving bowl. Put a little orange curl to jazz up your cranberries. And don't forget before you bring out that pumpkin pie put a nice dollop of whip cream in the center to finish it off.

A few tips in preparation of the big day:

• Select the dinnerware, stemware, flatware and tablecloth you would like to use.
  Gather your decorations and begin placing them around the room to get a feel for thelook you are trying to create.
  Check to make sure you have serving pieces to accommodate all your planned dishes. If you don't have enough, you can always borrow from a friend, mom, or neighbor.
  Iron your tablecloth and napkins.
  Polish your flatware.
  Double-check your food-shopping list
  A few helpful tips for setting the table:
  Keep in mind when setting your table don't put too many décor items in the center, leave plenty of room for the stars of the show….your food.
  Stay away from tall candles and flower arrangements that may block the view of your guests and make it difficult to hold a conversation across the table.
  Don't use scented candles near the table, it can compete with tastebuds and your guests appetites.

About the Turkey???
How do I know what size turkey to buy?

• Figure ¾ to one pound of whole turkey per person. This will give you plenty of leftovers.

How long does it take to thaw the turkey?

• It takes about 2-3 days to thaw a 12-lb bird in the refrigerator, a 20 lb turkey will take about 4 days. A turkey can be thawed, still wrapped, in a tub of cold water, also. Keep changing the water to keep it cold, a 12-lb bird can be thawed in about 12 hours using this method. Turkeys can also be thawed in the microwave, follow manufacturers’ directions, and cook the turkey immediately afterwards.

How long can I leave it sitting out after dinner?

• Foods should be put away within two hours of sitting out. The best way to store a turkey is to strip the meat from the bones, put it in plastic storage bags, and refrigerate or freeze. The bones can be used for stock or soup.