Bird question answered

Thanks to my brother-in-law's roommate I have identified the mystery bird found on our Big Break Trail walk as a Caspian Tern.

Here is some information I found on line at: http://bit.ly/UHN2N

The largest of the terns, the Caspian Tern is one of the most widespread tern species in the world, occurring on every continent except Antarctica. It is white with a light gray mantle and white undersides. The breast and face are also white. The legs and eyes are black, and the bill is large, heavy, and bright red-orange. It has a shallowly forked tail and a slight crest that gives the head a squared-off look. In breeding plumage, the Caspian Tern sports a solid black cap, which recedes in the non-breeding season, resulting in a spray of white at the face mixing with black. Juveniles appear similar to adults in non-breeding plumage but have a lighter mantle that is mottled with light tan.

What kind of bird is this?

At first we thought they might be seagulls, which we have several varieties, but I've never seen this type before. Any ideas what it is?

Like Romance Novels?

News and Reviews on Romance Books for romance book fans by a romance book fan.

www.RomanceBookScene.com
RomanceBookScene.blogspot.com

Recipe: Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Note: This isn't my recipe. It is from Hershey's Cocoa website. My husband really had a craving for this one day a few years back and I searched the web to try and find it. Took hours to find it, since we had no idea what it was called. Low and behold there it was right in the place we should have looked first for it.

Now my husband prefers this to cake for his birthday.

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1-1/4 cups hot water
Ice Cream

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar, flour, 1/4 cup cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, butter and vanilla; beat until smooth.

2. Pour batter into ungreased 9-inch square baking pan. Stir together remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar and remaining 1/4 cup cocoa; sprinkle mixture evenly over batter. Pour hot water over top; do not stir.

3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from oven; let stand 15 minutes. Serve in dessert dishes, spooning sauce from bottom of pan over top. Top with ice cream. About 8 servings.

Recipe: Salmon and Asparagus Quiche

Ingredients:
1 frozen pie shell
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups fat free milk
1 tablespoon Italian spices
1 tablespoons butter
7 to 8 stalks asparagus, frozen or fresh
1/2 cup non-fat cream cheese
1/8 pound smoked salmon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Prick the bottom of the pie shell liberally with a fork then bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until the pie shell begins to feel firm.

Prepare filling by mix together eggs, non-fat milk and spices in a medium size bowl.

Melt butter in a medium size skillet over medium heat. Add the asparagus and cook until tender.

In the pie shell arrange the asparagus like the spokes of a wheel. Pour the rest of the egg mixture over the asparagus. Cut cream cheese into cubs and spread around inside egg mixture. Crumble salmon and spread around inside egg mixture. Bake for about 40 minutes, until puffed and brown. Make sure to put a folk inside to check and see if quiche is firm all the way through.

Very Tall Sunflower from my backyard

Summer Sun Flower

Recipe: Italian Baked Pasta and Chicken

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked pasta (any small pasta will do)
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
½ cup diced red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
4 large tomatoes diced
½ cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup shredded mozzarella
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
¼ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, spices and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.

Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta add mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.