I have always heard the expression, “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.”
There are many things that are not under our power to control, and weather is definitely one of them.
Lately, I have been thinking I might need to start building an ark. I am glad I had Sunday school teachers who taught me of God’s promise to never send another great flood through the sign of the rainbow. I don’t know the official count in inches for the past couple of weeks, but I am sure it is pretty high. I do know that at our house in Cruger we have had more than 15 inches in a little less than two weeks. Our classes have missed recess for days. Teachers understand that elementary students need that time to burn up some energy. It has just about done us in!
I began to look at some weather facts and found some very interesting things I wanted to share with you.
• Hot and cold weather facts: El Azizia, Libya, has the highest recorded temperature on Earth at a sweltering 136.4 degrees on Sept. 13, 1922. The coldest temperature ever recorded was at the Soviet Vostok Station on the Antarctic Plateau, Antarctica, July 21, 1983, at a bitter -129 degrees.
• Wet and dry facts: Mawsynram, India, is noted as being the wettest place on earth. According to the “Guinness Book of World Records,” Mawsynram received 1,000 inches of rainfall in 1985. In contrast, Antofagasta, Chile, in the driest place on the planet, getting less than an inch of rain a year and with many years having no rain whatsoever.
• Sunny facts: Yuma, Arizona, has more than 4,000 hours of sunshine per year, making it the sunniest place on the planet. The South Pole is the least sunny place, with only 182 days a year of sunshine.
• Windy facts: The windiest place on earth is Commonwealth Bay, Antarctica, where winds of 200 miles per hour have been recorded. The strongest wind ever recorded was on Mount Washington, New Hampshire, at an amazing 231 miles per hour.
• Stormy weather facts: The United States has more than 100,000 thunderstorms per year, with more than 16 million taking place across the world in a year. Nine out of 10 lightning bolts hit land rather than the water.
• Snowy weather facts: With tires for his mouth and trees for his arms, Angus, the world’s largest snowman, was made by residents of Bethel, Maine. It took two weeks to build and was completed on Feb. 17, 1999.
Hope you enjoy this week’s recipes. Thanks for reading.
CATFISH PARMESAN
2 cups dry breadcrumbs
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon basil
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon pepper
6 catfish fillets
¾ cup butter, melted
Lemon wedges for garnish
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, paprika, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Dip catfish in melted butter, and dredge in crumb mixture. Arrange fish on a well-greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake for about 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Garnish with lemon wedges, and serve hot.
OVEN-BARBECUED WRAPPED CHICKEN BREASTS
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon basil
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cream-style horseradish
2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
6 boneless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper to taste
12 slices bacon
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium saucepan, mix the first 10 ingredients. Cook over low heat, stirring until well-blended for about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper the chicken. Wrap two slices of bacon, one at a time, around each chicken breast. Secure with a toothpick. Brush each chicken breast with the sauce, and place in a shallow baking pan. Bake for 45 minutes. Turn and baste with sauce every 10 minutes during baking.
COCA-COLA PORK CHOPS
8 boneless pork chops
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Coca-Cola
Brown sugar to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chops in a large baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Mix ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and Coca-Cola in a small bowl. Pour over chops. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake uncovered for one hour. You can also use chicken breasts instead of pork chops, if you like.
MASHED POTATO CASSEROLE
2 (4-ounce) package butter and herb instant mashed potatoes
1 (32-ounce) package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
½ cup butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 (1-ounce) package dry ranch seasoning mix
1½ cups chopped, cooked bacon
¼ cup butter, melted
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Prepare instant mashed potatoes according to package directions. In a large bowl, combine prepared mashed potatoes, butter, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream, ranch dressing mix and bacon. Stir in shredded hash browns. Spread into prepared baking dish. Combine melted butter with Ritz crackers, and sprinkle on top of the casserole. Bake uncovered for 50 to 60 minutes.
• Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
