Cooking, Mole Crickets, & Grandkids

                                        Cooking:

Both of my grandkids enjoy cooking with me.  Grandson R. loves to crack the eggs....so does Granddaughter M. but she also likes to stir.  Here she is tonight helping me make POPPYSEED  CHICKEN (recipe below).  She loved crumbling up the Ritz crackers but didn't like the feel of them when they were mixed with butter (a little greasy). 

Poppyseed  Chicken

Mix together & spread in casserole dish:

whole chicken, cooked & deboned

1 can cream of chicken soup

8 oz. sour cream

&

salt to taste

Crush one sleeve of Ritz Crackers.

Melt 1 stick butter or margarine & mix with cracker crumbs.

Spread on top of chicken mixture & sprinkle on poppyseeds.

Bake @350 for 30 minutes.

Y U M M Y

Mole  Crickets:

This is a mole cricket.....pretty disgusting, huh?

                                         

These ugly critters are thick bodied, live underground, and eat, among other things, the grass in my yard!  They can actually destroy a nice lawn if too many find their way there. 

Because they are nocturnal and spend nearly all their lives underground in extensive tunnel systems, they are rarely seen.  Common predators of mole crickets include birds, rats, skunks, armadillos, raccoons, foxes.....and my DH and Grandson R.  Together they are a force for mole crickets to reckon with!  This is how it works.  First, "Papa" mixes up a bucket of water and LEMON scented dish detergent (yes, it must be lemon).  This mixture is poured on the lawn where there is evidence of mole crickets.  Then Papa sits on the bucket and he and Grandson R. wait for the ugly little grass-eaters to crawl to the surface (if you're lucky one or two of them find their way to the top of the ground).

                                     

                                     

Next is the fun part!  R. grabs the yucky little pest and pinches his head until he's dead! 

                                      

The mole cricket is then tossed to the side and after awhile you can see the local mockingbirds having a feast.

                                       

What can I say?  We live in a small town in a rural area in the middle of nowhere and there just isn't much to do!  We find our entertainment where we can!  Aren't grandkids great?