By Teri Cayton
The Parsons Advocate
I am hearing in the news that Florida is due to get hit by another cold wave. I hate to hear of all the farmers being affected by the cold but there is are two good things that may come out of it. Number one, the iguana population is being culled and the second is if it is getting cold enough farther into the south of Florida, it may stop the spread of pythons.
Neither species are cold tolerant and that is a plus for the eco system. Both species are wreaking havoc on the local animals in Florida. All small animals are just becoming prey for the snakes and both species populate at an alarming rate.
Those are two things we do not have to worry about in West Virginia. We only have rattlesnakes and copperheads to contend with. Momma Said, “I will have to say I would rather have those two because they are rather solitary and stay mostly to themselves.”
I would rather not have anything like that to contend with but at least our snakes are native to our part of the country. They only strike out when provoked and if a human is to be struck it is mostly a dry bite because the snake knows it cannot eat something as big as a person. Momma Said, “I hope I never have to find out if that is a true statement.”
Bisquick Fried Chicken
This recipe is a bit deceiving because the chicken is not fried but baked.
Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2/3 cup Bisquick Baking Mix
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 to 3 1/2 pounds chicken, whole (cut-up broiler-fryer chicken)
Instructions
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Place butter in a 13×9-inch baking dish (or pan) and melt it in the oven. Set aside.
• Combine Bisquick, paprika, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
• Coat the chicken with the Bisquick mixture.
• Place the chicken in the baking dish with the skin side down. Butter and dish should still be hot.
• Bake chicken for 35 minutes, uncovered. Flip the pieces over and bake for another 15 minutes. To ensure they’re done, poke the chicken with a knife. If the juices oozing out are no longer pink, they’re good to go.
