Education is learning what you didn’t know you didn’t know. As a sixth- grade teacher I have learned many things. Some things I once knew, but have probably forgotten. To say I learn a lot from my students would be putting it mildly.
Last week we had a reading comprehension story about the armadillo. The only thing I really knew about them was that my husband despises them. He is a stickler for a neat and well-groomed yard. His nemesis is the armadillo. He fights with the elusive little creature on a weekly basis. We will look outside and see where one has started to burrow and make holes in the yard. It’s on like a chicken bone!!
In the middle of the night, he will quietly creep outside with his gun- and often in his boxer shorts- ready to rid the yard of the much- hated creature. When we moved into our house, I warned our new neighbors not to be alarmed if they heard a gun shot in the yard at night because it was Steve armadillo hunting. They were thrilled because they don’t like them in their yards either.
That started me to thinking about who does like the armadillo – other than other armadillos. Armadillos have a reputation of being a rather clumsy animal and one of being less than intelligent. The reason you see so many frequently killed on the roadside is because of their ability to jump 3 to 4 feet directly in the air. This helps when they are against a predator. This jumping ability gives them time to run away from the startled animal. However, when startled by an approaching car, they leap straight up to their death.
The armadillo’s “armor” that covers its entire body is actually bony plates that are covered with leathery skin. The have an extraordinary sense of smell that allows them to smell grubs and insects 6 – 8 inches underground. Their long, sharp claws allow them to dig holes up to 20 feet deep and stick in their long, sticky tongue to catch their meal. God has also given the armadillo the ability to hold its breathe for up to 6 minutes. This allows the animal to keep breathing in dirt while they dig. They can also walk across the bottom of a stream, coming up only for air when they reach the other side.
Don’t worry – today’s recipes do not have armadillo meat as an ingredient. These are a few new recipes I have tried recently. At our house, we call them “a keeper”. I hope you will give them a try. Thanks for reading.
BUNDT PAN CORNBREAD
2 cups self-rising cornmeal
2 cups self-rising flour
2 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1 stick butter
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the stick of butter in the Bundt pan in the oven until butter has melted. While the butter is melting, whisk together cornmeal, flour, eggs, buttermilk and Cajun seasoning. Remove the cake pan from the oven and immediately pour the cornbread batter into the pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes until golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the bread from the pan.
QUICK & EASY HAMBURGER SOUP
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
3 ½ cups beef broth
28 oz. diced tomatoes with juice
1 can tomato soup
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 cups mixed vegetables, fresh or frozen
Brown onion, ground beef and garlic until no pink remains; drain fat. Add potatoes, broth, tomatoes, tomato soup, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaf; simmer covered for 10 minutes. Stir in vegetables and simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
*This freezes well.
HOMEMADE MAC & CHEESE
8 oz. uncooked elbow macaroni
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups milk
¼ cup butter
2 ½ Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. butter
½ cup bread crumbs
Paprika
Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. In a saucepan, melt ¼ cup butter and stir in flour to make a paste; add milk slowly stirring constantly until thickens. Stir in cheeses until melted and sauce thickens. Put macaroni in a large casserole dish and pour sauce over. Melt the 2 Tbsp. butter in a skillet and add breadcrumbs to brown. Spread over top and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
