Summer is here at last. It is good to be at home for a change, but I do miss the children. I am quite the homebody and enjoy reading, cooking and cleaning up all the clutter that has accumulated since school went back in session after Christmas. I have two major house cleanings a year — during the Christmas holidays and summer vacation. I have a stack of magazines to go through and tear out things I want to keep — mainly recipes.
People often ask me how I come up with ideas for an article on a weekly basis. Sometimes I may have several topics in mind for upcoming weeks. Occasionally, something comes up at the last minute and off I go. I often write them in my head before I put them on paper. I just try to write things that interest me and, in turn, will interest my readers.
One of the first things I discovered when I began teaching was that children love animals. They like to read about them, discover interesting facts and share stories they have about animals. If the subject of snakes comes up, every little hand in the room goes up to tell something about a snake. I have shelves of books in my classroom for the children to read and enjoy.
Nine times out of 10, they will go for the books about animals. We have quite a few reading textbooks that we read during the year. One is strictly about animals, and they can’t wait for reading class to discover that day’s animal and what we can learn. I also have reading comprehension stories about 50 unusual animals. They look forward to those, and I must admit I have learned a great deal myself!
Today, I want to share a few facts about mammals that I found quite interesting. I hope you will, too.
• The blue whale is the largest animal on the planet. The average blue whale grows to a length of about 100 feet and can weigh up to 260,000 pounds. Its heart alone weighs about 2,000 pounds.
• The fastest mammal is the cheetah. It can run up to 70 miles an hour and goes from zero to 60 miles an hour in about three seconds.
• The slowest mammal is the sloth. It would take a sloth about 15 hours to move a mile.
• The laziest mammal is the koala. It sleeps about 22 hours a day.
• The tallest animal is the giraffe. When fully grown, they stand about 17 feet tall. The giraffe’s neck has the same number of vertebrae as a human — they are just longer.
• The Northern elephant seal travels an average of 13,000 miles a year. They can also swim about 60 miles a day.
• The elephant is the largest land mammal. It weighs up to 13½ tons. They stand about 10 feet tall. An elephant only has six teeth that it uses to grind food. At about the age of 70, they lose their teeth, stop eating and die of starvation.
• The prairie dog builds the largest home. They can build burrows that house up to 400 million animals. One burrow in Texas was 250 miles long and 100 miles wide. No matter how large the burrow or how many animals live there, it has its own bed!
• The mammal that lives the longest is the killer whale. The average life span for a killer whale is 90 years.
You are never too old to learn new things. Hope you enjoy today’s recipes. Thanks for reading.
ITALIAN TORTELLINI VEGETABLE SALAD
1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated spinach-filled tortellini
2 cups small fresh cauliflower florets
2 cups small fresh broccoli florets
1 cup oil-packed julienne-cut, sun-dried tomatoes (6.5-ounce jar), drained
¼ cup chopped red onion
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 (6-ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained, coarsely chopped and ¼ cup liquid reserved
1 (8-ounce) bottle Italian salad dressing
Cook tortellini in large saucepan as directed on package. Add cauliflower and broccoli during the last minute of cooking time. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool. Then, drain well. Meanwhile, in a large serving bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, parsley, bell pepper and artichokes. Add tortellini and vegetable mixture to salad and stir gently. Add salad dressing and artichoke liquid, and toss to mix. Refrigerate before serving.
SPICY CHEESE GRITS
2½ cups water
1¼ cups milk
1½ teaspoon salt
1 cup quick-cooking grits
1 stick butter
1 (8-ounce) Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes
2½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 (10-ounce) can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chilies
2 eggs, slightly beaten
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, bring water, milk and salt to a boil. Slowly add grits and return to a boil. Stir for one full minute. Reduce heat, cover and cook for three minutes. Stir grits and add a stick butter, stirring until melted. Cover and cook for three to five minutes or until grits are thick and creamy. Remove from heat and set aside. Add Velveeta and ½ cup of cheddar cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Add tomatoes and mix well. Stir in beaten eggs. Pour grits into a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining cheese on top of casserole. Bake for five additional minutes.
LEMON-LIME POUND CAKE
1½ cups butter
3 cups sugar
5 large eggs
2 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
3 cups plain flour
1 cup lemon-lime soft drink (7-Up or Sprite)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter with a mixer until creamy. Gradually add in sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in lemon zest and extracts. Add flour to butter mixture alternately with lemon-lime soft drink. Pour into a greased and floured Bundt cake pan. Bake for an hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. You may need to shield cake with aluminum foil after 45 minutes to prevent excess browning. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before removing cake to cool completely. Spoon Lemon-Lime Glaze over room temperature cake.
Lemon-Lime Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoon lemon zest
1½ tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
Whisk ingredients together until blended and smooth. If you desire a thinner glaze, stir in additional lemon juice.
n•Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
