Well, I just saw my first one yesterday — a dead snake in the middle of the road. Spring is here and they have awakened from their winter slumber. One thing that I learned teaching school for 30 years is that children are fascinated by snakes. Just say the word and hands go up because everybody has a favorite snake story to tell. I guess the fascination goes back to the Garden of Eden. In my family, snakes are a no-no. My mother had the biggest fear of snakes I have ever seen or heard of. Most of my life I have spent tearing pictures out of magazines and newspapers and warning Mom about TV commercials and movies that have a snake before my mom actually sees it. One day mom was going to her car and there was a snake in the driveway. She promptly dialed 911 and told the operator that there was not an emergency yet, but if someone didn’t come kill and remove that snake so she could get to the beauty parlor there would be!
My husband and son are totally different matters. My son has always been obsessed with snakes. As a young boy, one of his favorite Christmas gifts was a snake encyclopedia that showed a picture and gave all the information on each particular snake. Every snake known to man was in that book – best fifteen bucks I ever spent. When he was young, he would be outside riding his bike and I would hear him come running in and rush to the bookcase and start trying to identify a snake he had just seen. It might be a poisonous Viper from across the world, but he would swear he had just seen the same snake in the dry creek bed across from our house. As he got older, he was allowed to shoot any snake he saw within crawling distance from our house. In my opinion, the only good snake is a dead one. He often shot them so many times that they were beyond recognition — we didn’t know what kind they were or whether they were poisonous or not by the time he got through with them.
One Sunday, Steven and I came home from church while Steve had to stay for a board meeting. I was preparing lunch when my son came to the door and told me there was a snake in the dining room. Of course, I didn’t believe him and told him to go on and leave me alone. He asked me to look at his face and see if I still thought he was pulling my leg. The minute I saw him I knew he was telling the truth. In my dining room was a 4- foot long chicken snake. Steven offered to shoot it right then and there, but I didn’t think my hardwood floors would take it. We had to do something before it was loose in my house and we had to move. To make a long story short, the snake lost a battle with the hoe we got from my husband’s truck. It was time for a new rug anyway. We never told my Mama because we knew she would never come back for a visit.
One Friday night, Steve and I were headed home from a football game. His phone rang and it was our son who was home for the week-end from State. He was checking on the final football score. After a brief discussion, Steve put the phone in his left hand and in very hushed tones said — “Where was it?” “How big?” “What did it look like?” “Is it dead?” After he hung up, I said — “Where was the snake?” “What kind was it?” and “Is it dead?” Another chicken snake, this time in the bathroom.
We have been on a fish kick lately. I hope you will give these a try. Thanks for reading.
SIMPLE SEAFOOD MARINADE
1½ cups melted butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup dry white wine
1 drop Tabasco sauce
1 envelope (1 ounce) Italian dressing mix
Juice of 3 lemons
Mix all ingredients well. Pour over fish and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Terrific cooked on the grill or baked in the oven. I’ve used it on whole fish or fillets. If baking in oven, cook at 350 degrees in marinade for about 45 minutes. Baste frequently.
CATFISH DIJON
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 catfish fillets
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup minced green onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 pound fresh mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons parsley
Select a baking dish suitable for the oven and stovetop. Spray the dish with Pam and pour the olive oil in the dish. Place over medium heat on top of stove. Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper and place in baking dish. Spread the Dijon mustard evenly over the tops of the fillets. Cook on top of stove until fish begin to sizzle. Place the rest of the ingredients around the fish in the baking dish. Bake at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork.
CHEESY CATFISH
2 pounds catfish fillets
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
¼ cup margarine, melted
Slivered almonds
Combine cheese, flour, salt, pepper and paprika in a bowl. Mix egg and milk together in a separate bowl. Dip fish in egg mixture and then in cheese mixture to coat well. Place aluminum foil in the bottom of a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish and spray lightly with cooking spray. Pour melted margarine over fish and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Put slivered almonds on top.
