Owl escapes swimming in Lake Michigan

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Lauren Davis : ANIMAL BEHAVIOR

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Yesterday 1:20pm 12/04/2014

After two Peregrine Falcons forced this Great Horned Owl down into Lake Michigan, the owl managed to escape with a few strokes of butterfly.

Birder and photographer Steve Spitzer captured this video at Loyola Park Beach in Chicago after he and his fellow birders scared the falcons away. Someone called bird rescue to lend the owl a helping wing, but it flew off before rescue arrived—after doing a bit of swimming, using its wings as paddles to propel itself forward. I think we may have to rename the "butterfly" stroke the "Great Horned Owl" stroke.

This apparently isn't a singular event. Other folks have witnessed Great Horned Owls swimming on occasion, sometimes to great surprise of wildlife professionals. Here we're fortunate that Spitzer got the video for posterity.

• VIDEO
• STEVE SPITZER

Don't run FROM GOD

Francisca Vergara

48 mins · Milwaukee, WI · 

Don't run FROM God, run TO God. He is your present help!

“For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent” (Psalm 27:5)

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Pecans for Sale

Pecans for Sale: Canales Garden has great prices on Pecans.


The last few days the wind has been blowing us away and its looks like its looks like its raining Pecans here at Canales Gardens.
We have picked up about 40 Kilos of pecans,  
So let me know how many Pounds / Kilos you want to order.

 Pecans, pecans

 Everywhere Pecans!

We have a Pecans in-shell for sale..

Place your order now, and I will ship out using our great USPS. 

They have the Flat Rate offer or send me your ##.

 

UPSP: With Flat Rates, you pay one rate no matter the weight1 or where the package is going making our Flat Rate options A Simpler Way® to ship a package. You get delivery in 1, 2, or 3 business days

Your package can be tracked from its start to you.  I can use their free boxes keeping your shipping cost down.

Hurry they are going fast!

Pecan-Buttermilk Pralines

2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon soda 1 cup buttermilk	dash salt 1 tablespoon butter 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 heaping cups pecan pieces
Mix sugar, soda, butter, salt and milk in a large heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat. When syrup begins to boil add pecans and cook to softball stage (234° F). Remove from heat, let cool a bit and add vanilla. Beat until candy begins to thicken and turn creamy. Working quickly, drop by tablespoons on waxed paper or a greased baking sheet. Cool. If mixture becomes too thick stir in one or two drops of water.
Yield: 2 dozen small patties

Christmas Presents Cupcake

Wow!! Check out this great looking Cupcake recipe found at Weekly Scrapper:

It looks like a gift that you will not want to eat it!

 

Christmas Presents Cupcake

posted by LEANN OSTERGAARD / @ 

WEEKLY SCRAPPER

The holidays are coming and it is that time of year to start planning yummy goodies for all your parties! These adorable and delicious cupcakes will be the talk of the party, along with adding color and charm to any table.

These fun cupcakes will be a super treat for your little ones as well. They are easier to make than you might think, so let them join in on the fun of decorating. You’ll be creating memories that will be cherished forever!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FILLING

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, water, oil, vinegar and vanilla; mix well. Pour into 18 greased or paper-lined muffin cups.

For filling, beat cream cheese and sugar in another mixing bowl. Add egg and salt; mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls into center of each cupcake. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25- 30 minutes. Cool completely and then place in refrigerator to chill.

FONDANT FROSTING

• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup shortening
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
• 2 pounds confectioner’s sugar

DIRECTIONS

1.  In a large bowl stir together the shortening and corn syrup. Mix in the salt and vanilla flavoring, then gradually mix in the confectioner’s sugar until it is a stiff dough. If you are using a stand mixer, use the dough hook attachment, otherwise knead by hand. If the dough is sticky, knead in more confectioner’s sugar until it is smooth. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

2.  To use, roll out on a clean surface that has been dusted with confectioner’s sugar until it is 1/8 inch thick. Cut strips for your ribbons and create squares for your presents. The bow was created using a tiny part of a cookie cutter. Place the presents on the chilled cupcakes and add gold beads around the presents. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Perfect Popcorn Recipe

I love fresh popcorn and here is the best way of making it!

Perfect Popcorn

139| Posted by Elise 

• Cook time: 10 minutes
• Yield: Makes 2 quarts, a nice amount for two people, or for one hungry one.

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Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp canola, peanut or grapeseed oil (high smoke point oil)
• 1/3 cup of high quality popcorn kernels
• 1 3-quart covered saucepan
• 2 Tbsp or more (to taste) of butter
• Salt to taste

Method

1 Heat the oil in a 3-quart saucepan on medium high heat.

2 Put 3 or 4 popcorn kernels into the oil and cover the pan.

3 When the kernels pop, add the rest of the 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels in an even layer. Cover, remove from heat and count 30 seconds. (Count out loud; it's fun to do with kids.) 

This method first heats the oil to the right temperature, then waiting 30 seconds brings all of the other kernels to a near-popping temperature so that when they are put back on the heat, they all pop at about the same time.

4 Return the pan to the heat. The popcorn should begin popping soon, and all at once. Once the popping starts in earnest, gently shake the pan by moving it back and forth over the burner. Try to keep the lid slightly ajar to let the steam from the popcorn release (the popcorn will be drier and crisper). Once the popping slows to several seconds between pops, remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and dump the popcorn immediately into a wide bowl.

With this technique, nearly all of the kernels pop (I counted 4 unpopped kernels in my last batch), and nothing burns.

5 If you are adding butter, you can easily melt it by placing the butter in the now empty, but hot pan.

6 Salt to taste.

Additional tips: From the comments section

a If you add salt to the oil in the pan before popping, when the popcorn pops, the salt will be well distributed throughout the popcorn.

b Fun toppings for the popcorn - Spanish smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, cayenne powder, chili pepper, curry powder, cumin, grated Parmesan cheese.

Read more: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_popcorn/#ixzz3ICwkq49X

Lentil Brownies

Who doesn't love Brownies, 

well here is a easy recipe found 

in the Old Farmers Almanac. 

 

Lentil Brownies 

which add 22 grams of fiber and 24 grams of protein to the mix.

1 ½ cup cooked, drained brown lentils, mashed or pureed
3 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup vegetable oil (or butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cup flour (you could use whole-wheat pastry flour or white whole-wheat flour)
½ cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
¾  teaspoon salt (½ t. if using salted butter)
1 ½ cup dark-chocolate chips
½ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a 9” x 13” pan.

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Mix eggs, lentils, oil, and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry mixture, stir well. Our into pan and bake 30-35 minutes, until the toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry. Cool and cut into serving sizes

Thanks Margaret for her great recipe found on: Down Home by Margaret Boyles

Cleaning Stovetop Grills and Grates With Ammonia

Cleaning Stovetop Grills and Grates With Ammonia.


dopamine_junkie • 1 

How to effortlessly wipe off years of caked on cooking residue. Miraculous! 

EBOLA

Ebola has been detected in blood and many body fluids. 

Body fluids include ; Saliva, Mucus, Vomit, Feces, Sweat, Tears, Breast Milk, Urine, and Semen.

Can Ebola spread by coughing? By sneezing?

Unlike respiratory illnesses like measles or chickenpox, which can be transmitted by virus particles that remain suspended in the air after an infected person coughs or sneezes,

Ebola is transmitted by direct contact with body fluids of a person who has symptoms of Ebola disease. 

If a symptomatic patient with Ebola coughs or sneezes on someone, and saliva or mucus come into contact with that person’s eyes, nose or mouth, these fluids may transmit the disease.

What does “direct contact” mean? Direct  contact  means that body fluids (blood, saliva, mucus, vomit, urine, or feces)  from an infected person (alive or dead) have touched someone’s eyes, nose, or mouth or an open cut, wound, or abrasion.

How long does Ebola live outside the body?

Ebola is killed with hospital-grade disinfectants (such as household bleach). Ebola on dried on surfaces such as doorknobs and countertops can survive for several hours; however, virus in body fluids (such as blood) can survive up to several days at room temperature.

If someone survives Ebola, can he or she still spread the virus?

Once someone recovers from Ebola, they can no longer spread the virus. However, Ebola virus has been found in semen for up to 3 months. People who recover from Ebola are advised to abstain from sex or use condoms for 3 months.

BOLSITA CARS RECICLANDO. Cars Recycling Bag.

Sending out a Prayer help call; Our family once again, Canales de Martinez , 

are in great need for more Prayers fighting her battle.

My Melons

I have not been doing much art these days but I have been working in the garden.

Take a look below.

This is the end of my  melon crop.

I also had many cucumbers, yellow squash and one med sz. Spaghetti squash.


                                                                          Now its time to prepare for the next growing season. Any suggestions??

Summer packing necessities

Having fun in the sun!

Having fun in the sun!

Where ever I go I grow!