Crisps, Fruit and Newts

A friend was having an impromptu get together for another friends birthday and given 1 1/2 hours notice to 'bring an appy to share' I made tortilla crisps and jalapeno dip.

This is the recipe for the crisps and they are delicious and easy and a big hit.

1 package Flour Tortillas (whole wheat are good too)

3/4 cup Butter

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1/4 cup Sesame Seeds

1/2 tsp dried Oregano

1/4 tsp Onion Powder

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
(I sometimes vary the seasonings using lemon pepper, souvlaki spice,  Zataar spice mix)

Mix well and spread onto tortillas, it will look like too much spread but it isn't.

Cut tortillas into wedges.

Place on a baking tray and bake at 350deg for 12 - 15 minutes until crisp and browned.  Cool on a rack

The dip recipe is in an earlier post about "We're Going Out.."

I have a raspberry patch in my back yard.  This is the second picking and I will pick until late August.  The 8 canes give enough berries that I am able to freeze and make juice all winter as well as smoothies, baked goods, etc. etc. 

This will be freezer jam.  My boys favorite.  I make three batches  or 12 pints.

Freezer jam 15 minutes later.

These are some of the roses I bought earlier this year at the bargain store across the street from where I work.  These were to be red.

The pink climber I planted at the driveway sign are orange with red centers.

Good thing I don't have a color scheme anywhere in my landscaping.

This morning I caught a newt or skink or some kind of lizardy thing that lives with several others in our yard.  We are pesticide/herbicide free so we have lots of things for them to eat.  My friends four year old son didn't believe me when I told him they live under our back step so I told him I would show him one.  This one is about 3 inches long and eeny weeny - I felt bad putting him on a bed of moss, with two slugs, in a plastic ice-cream bucket.  If they are not at our house by 9:30 to pick it up I've asked Adam to release it in the garden.

This is not him but a really close, and much larger, cousin.



I hope it lives.  He has a really cute face.