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.

CRABMEAT PASTA

I remember many years ago when I first visited New Orleans, Louisiana, my brother took me out to a local tavern.  It happened to be a Friday evening and when we walked in the front door I saw the entire length of the bar covered with newspaper. In front of every patron was a big heap of boiled crabs atop the newspaper and scattered among them some boiled red potatoes and corncobs. There was an aroma in that place totally unlike the stale beer odor one frequently encounters in such habitats. That spicy seafood bouquet was marvelous. Unfortunately the kitchen was shut down. I’d never seen whole crabs that close up before, but the pleasing zesty fragrance made me want to try it soon.

When they boil crabs, as well as shrimp or crawfish, they use special seasoned water to cook them. The water contains lemons, bay leaves and a wonderful commercial product called Zatarains Seafood Boil.  In season, there are unique mobile seafood boilers that are driven up to a location to make this lovely repast for large groups, who sit at communal picnic- type tables.

I was reminded of crabs when last month I dined at a seafood restaurant in Indian Rocks Beach Florida; a place called Crabby Bill’s.  Weirdly enough, I didn’t order crabs.  I’ve had crab cakes at Pensacola Beach that were fabulous, but I hadn’t eaten Oysters in years so I ordered them. My BW was eating a special broiled shrimp over seasoned rice. As I looked around I saw a waiter (oops, excuse me, a Server) deliver a taglietelle or fettuccine dish with crabmeat a few tables away.

So two days ago I’m in my local supermarket and see this fresh crabmeat in a refrigerator case.  I don’t buy shellfish often, except shrimp for BW, but had a hankering for it after

coming back from Crabby Bill’s. I buy slightly more than a pound and decide to make a pasta dish with it. It’s easy to fix, very delicious` and we both devoured it heartily.

CRAB WITH PASTA              serves about 4 or 3

Ingredients:

1-lb crabmeat

1-lb taglietelle, fettuccine or linguini

1-tablespoon butter

3 scallions, chopped including green part

1 large, ripe, meaty tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1 generous teaspoon of fresh thyme, chopped, or ½ teaspoon dried

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, or 1 teaspoon dried

About 4 ounces light cream

1 egg yolk, stirred into the cream

Method:

Cook the pasta as per package directions. Don’t overcook.

While the pasta cooks, fry the scallions in the butter briefly.

Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and thyme, stir and cook for two minutes.

Add the crabmeat and mix until heated.

Stir in the cream and egg yolk combination.

Pour the mixture over the cooked and drained pasta.

Dish out the pasta and sprinkle with the parsley.

This is an uncomplicated, tasty dish. My spouse and I loved it. If you like crabmeat you’ll enjoy this creamy, sumptuous preparation.

ANNOUNCING 2 EXCITING CONTEST FOR THE

SH SH SH LET THE BABY SLEEP BOOK TOUR!

AUTHOR: KATHY STEMKE

ILLUSTRATOR: JACK FOSTER

CONTEST/DRAWING
There will be drawings at the end of the tour from those who comment or answer a superhero trivia question on this or any other site during the tour from June 13^th-July 5^th. Please include your email address in a safe format: dancekam1(at)yahoo(dot) com

The prizes include:

·      $10 Amazon gift certificate

·      Mozart in the Future by Tania Rodriges-Peters

·      “The Wild Soccer Bunch”  books 1 & 2 by Joachim Masannek

·      “30 Days to a Well-Mannered Dog” by Tamar Geller

·      Superhero figurines

·      “The Green Bronze Mirror” by Lynne Ellison

·      “The Face of Deceit” by Ramona Richards

COLORING CONTEST

Download a coloring page from http://educationtipster.blogspot.com/ for the book, “Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep.”  Color it, and email a picture of it to Kathy Stemke at dancekam1 (at) yahoo (dot) com for a chance to win one of the prizes below.

·      “Small Gifts in God’s Hands” by Max Lucado

·      Superhero figurine

·      “Making Memories” by Janette Oke

THE BOOK BY KATHY STEMKE IS AVAILABLE ON GUARDIAN ANGEL PUBLISHING, AMAZON, BARNES AND NOBLE, AND OTHER EBOOK SITES.

CHECK OUT REVIEWS OF THIS ACTION PACKED BOOK educationtipster.blogspot.com