Orchard Spider

I wish we didn't have so many spiders around here!  Here's a new one for me:

He was really colorful, and gave me a chance to use the macro lens on my camera. Later when I identified what kind it was (Orchard Spider), I learned they are easily irritated and will give a nasty bite!

Here he is hanging upside down and this picture shows the red "smiley" face on his abdomen.
 

What's in your mouth?

My dog was as interested as I was, in what this squirrel was carrying. I couldn't quite figure it out until I played back the video!

This Year's Thanksgiving "KID's DESSERT"

I get super excited about baking this time of year!  It starts with an invitation from my cousin to bring a “kid dessert” to Thanksgiving dinner at her house.

This has been an annual tradition for the past several years. My cousin takes on the Thanksgiving Dinner for the entire clan (20 or so, plus dates, if applicable).  She and her husband do an amazing job and the family looks forward to it every year.

In the past I have enlisted my now college age children to help with the “kid” dessert.  I find some fun Thanksgiving theme cookies or cupcakes and bake them up, then have the “kids” (plus dates), do the decorating!  So much fun!

College daughter, who is out having her own cooking adventures at college, (http://domesticsundays.wordpress.com ) will be coming home to help and I’m counting down to her arrival! But I will attempt these cookies without her.

This year I’m trying a Kraft Foods recipe called “OREO-Pumpkin Cookie Balls”.  They look like pumpkins and will fit nicely with the Thanksgiving theme. As with pumpkins, the cookies can be various sizes. This is a simple, no bake recipe that is super kid friendly.

-Soften 6oz cream cheese

- Finely crush in a food processor a package Oreo Peanut butter cream cookies (I used regular oreos)

-Mix together until well blended and forms a large, soft ball.

-Pinch off dough and roll into about 40 one inch balls

- Freeze 10 minutes

-Melt 2pkgs Baker’s White Chocolate

-Press a pretzel stick into each cookie

-Dip into white chocolate

- Roll in 1 cup orange colored sugar

-Set on wax paper lined pain

-Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm

Well, those are the directions.  I did not have much success, as usual, with the coating with chocolate. (Too thick a coating, so added hot whipping cream- good news, bad news = I didn't seise the chocolate, but now it's too runny!)

 Even after dipping in sugar- Yucky!

Decided not to put a coating on them. Just rolled in sugar...

Now I will have to call them "FROST ON PUMPKINS".
(College daughter saw them this morning and said to take out the pretzels and call them an early Christmas cookie - "Santa's Coal Balls".....
These may show up next month..........

Camouflage Lizard

Ugly, camouflaged lizard, with blue eyes, hiding in the bird house.

I hate big, fat spiders!

Interesting that they can "walk" on the water's surface, but --   UGGGH!

Take your babies and GET OUT OF MY POOL!



FYI: This is a WOLF Spider walking on the water in my pool.. They carry their babies on their backs while they hunt. I call them "speedy spiders" because you have to be really quick if you want to "eliminate" them- they are frightfully fast at getting away!

Gray Gator

Alligator swimming in the pond behind our house on a windy, fall day in Florida.  (It looks like I used black and white photography, but these are the actual colors!)

Fall flowers of Florida

The weather turned brisk in south west Florida this morning,  and my plants held on tightly to their blooms....

Creamy yellow plumeria

Pink plumeria

Desert Rose