DAY THREE: TROUBLE ON EARTH DAY BOOK TOUR (CASHEW MUSHROOM LOAF)

Welcome to the third day of the

 

TROUBLE ON EARTH DAY BOOK TOUR

 

In this delightful forty-six page book Shelby Squirrel learns to rethink, reuse, and recycle our Earth’s precious resources. She meets a distressed, homeless bluebird in need of a friend. See how Shelby uses her newfound knowledge to bring singing back to the forest.

Celebrate Earth Day and join me in exploring what squirrels eat. After all, Shelby must stay strong to make an impact and do her part in saving the earth.

 

Squirrels eat almost anything but they certainly have preferences. They prefer fruit, nuts, insects and fungi.

In the fall squirrels eat more than usual to get fat, which provides both warmth and energy.

Squirrels have a strong sense of smell and can dig out their stored foods from beneath snow drifts. They don’t find all the nuts they bury, so in the spring new trees sprout up. Therefore, in addition to being cute and fun to watch and an introduction to interest children in wildlife, squirrels help spread new trees, which is an important ecological benefit. Thank you squirrels.

Squirrels are primarily vegetarians but when times get tough they will eat bird eggs and snails. They never eat anything bigger than themselves so coyotes and wolves are safe.

Here’s a dish you and Shelby Squirrel would love to eat. It has nuts and mushrooms in a flavorful vegetarian meatloaf. It is so tasty that you will not miss the meat. Shelby wouldn’t.

Recipe from Vegetarian Kitchen by Sarah Brown

Cashew Mushroom Loaf Recipe                               serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

8 ounces cashew nuts

4 ounces fresh bread crumbs

3 medium parsnips, cooked and mashed

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon nutritional yeast (optional)

1/2 cup hot water

Salt and pepper

2 Tablespoons butter

8 ounces mushrooms, chopped

Method

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
  
  
• Heat the oil and fry the onion and garlic until soft. Grind the cashew nuts, then mix with the breadcrumbs.

• Mix in the mashed parsnips, rosemary, and thyme. Add the onion, being sure to scrape all the juices into the mixture.

• Dissolve the yeast in the water and mix into the vegetable nut mixture. Season well.

• Melt the butter in a skillet and fry the chopped mushrooms until soft. Grease a 2-pound loaf pan, then press in half the nut mixture. Cover with a layer of mushrooms and top with the rest of the nut mixture.

• Press down well. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. When cooked, remove the pan and let stand for 10 minutes before turning onto a plate.
•  Serve hot or cold. Slice loaf to serve. Serve with vegetables or a crisp green salad.
  
  Yield: 6 to 8 servings depending on how you slice it. But no matter how you slice it you have some good groceries here, Shelby would love it too.
  

Trouble on Earth Day Book Tour

Celebrate Earth Day with Pictures First day of book tour for Trouble on Earth Day http://susannedrazic.blogspot.com/2012/03/celebrate-earth-day-with-pictures.html

 

Please Visit the Second Day of my book Tour  for Trouble on Earth Day http://barbarabockman.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/review-of-kathy-stemkes-pb-trouble-on-earth-day/

 

Visit third day of Trouble on Earth Day Book Tour:

http://gritsandgroceries.blogspot.com

 

Trouble on Earth Day is available at a discounted price on my blog: http://educationtipster.blogspot.com and through Amazon, B & N, and other online stores.

 

Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep is available through the publisher, http://guardianangelpublishing.com/shshsh.htm and through Amazon, B & N, and other online stores.

   

As a freelance writer and ghostwriter, Kathy Stemke has published over one hundred of articles in directories, magazines and on websites. She is a reviewer for Sylvan Dell Publishing and a former editor for The National Writing for Children Center. As a retired teacher, Kathy has several activities published with Gryphon House Publishing. Stemke is also part of the team at DKV Writing 4 U, a writing services company that includes ghostwriting, copywriting, editing, proofreading, critiquing, and resumes.  http://www.dkvwriting4u.com

Award winning author, Kathy Stemke’s first children’s picture book, Moving Through All Seven Days, was published on Lulu. Her next two picture books, Sh, Sh, Sh Let the Baby Sleep, and Trouble on Earth Day were released in 2011. Both of these books have been awarded the Children’s Literary Classics Seal of Approval.  Visit her book blog at http://shshshletthebabysleep.blogspot.com

 

Mrs.Stemke offers great teaching tips and children’s book reviews as well as a monthly newsletter titled, MOVEMENT AND RHYTHM, on her blog. http://educationtipster.blogspot.com

 

Throughout the book tour visitors will be asked to send their best EARTH photo to dancekam1@yahoo.com to be displayed on the last day of the tour. A winner will be selected and awarded a $10 gift card.

TURKEY HASH ON EARTH DAY

How much pride would you feel if you and your spouse were sitting in the living room and all of a sudden your child burst in like gangbusters holding a big award with a mile-wide smile on his or her face?

Well, that’s what happened to Shelby the squirrel’s parents in Kathy Stemke’s newest children’s book: “Trouble on Earth Day”. Shelby crashes through the front door waving her first prize ribbon for winning the Earth Day poster contest.  She shows her parents the big poster with the words Rethink, Reuse and Recycle on it. Soon the whole family gets involved with recycling household items.

Shelby hears a homeless bluebird crying in the forest and sets out to help him. The workmen had cut down the bird’s tree and nest. Can Shelby help his new friend and the Earth too?

This wonderful book makes possible a three way dialogue between parents, teachers and students about conserving the Earth’s natural resources; done in a simple to understand fun way.

Besides the whimsical tale featuring Shelby the squirrel, there is a big 22 page supplemental activity section featuring songs, recycling crafts, worksheets, games, and even compound word activities.

Teachers and home-schoolers everywhere will appreciate the vibrant discussions on trees, birds and recycling materials; facilitating the exposition of knowledge to children in a positive, caring manner.

Included in this delightfully interesting book is a history of Earth Day, which will reinforce the young scholars’ understanding of the value of environmental responsibility.

“Trouble on Earth Day” by Kathy Stemke is a fabulous tool for educators and parents, sure to instill superb solid values in young people.

Now what would Shelby’s favorite meal be? One food that always seems to get recycled, to the delight of all, is that big roasted turkey.

Recycled Turkey Hash                                                  serves 6

Adapted from Eating Well for a Healthy Heart Cookbook (2008)

Ingredients

·         2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

·         1 medium apple, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

·         1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

·         1 teaspoon lemon juice

·         1 tablespoon canola oil

·         1 medium onion, chopped

·         3 cups diced, cooked, skinless recycled turkey

·          1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme

·         ½ teaspoon powdered sage

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         Black pepper to taste

Method

• Cover sweet potatoes with salted water, bring to boil
• Lower flame and cook it for 3 minutes
• Add the apple and cook 2 minutes, check for tenderness
• If not tender, cook a little more, but avoid mushiness
• Put one cup of mixture into a large bowl and mash it
• Stir in the sour cream and lemon juice
• Add the remaining unmashed mixture and stir to combine, then set aside

• Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium flame
• Add the onion and cook, stirring until tender, 2-3 minutes
• Add the recycled poultry, thyme, sage, salt and pepper
• Cook, stirring as needed until heated through. Perhaps 2 minutes
• Check that nothing sticks, perhaps add a little more oil

• Add the reserved sweet potato mixture to the skillet, stirring thoroughly, then let sit
• Press down on the hash with a sturdy metal spatula
• Cook until the bottom has a browned crust, about 3 minutes
• Cut the hash into sections so as to flip the entire hash over
• Cook until that side is brown, about 3 more minutes

This fragrant delicious turkey hash is now ready to serve. Tuck in and enjoy it. Many folks like this for a breakfast meal with poached or fried eggs atop the hash.  But don’t worry about it, this hash is good anytime.          

Shelby’s mom says to save that turkey carcass, because you can make an excellent broth with it. This broth is great for soup, to boil rice in or cook soaked dried beans in. Shelby’s dad says this is a win-win deal, and don’t forget to put those peels and vegetable and fruit trimmings in your compost bin.