How to Care for an American Toad

I remember when I first caught a toad, and I wanted to know how to care for it. I looked online, but I couldn't find more than one or two sites that gave good information. Here is one more contribution to help people who want to keep a wild toad.

First off, you'll want a nice sized tank to keep the toad in- you want it to be comfortable. A small toad can live comfortably in a 10 gallon fishtank. Line the bottom of the tank with about 2-4 inches of dirt for your toad to burrow in. I suggest keeping half of the soil moist (on one side of the tank) and the other half dry, as toads absorb moisture through their skin. I bought a fish tank "house" for my toad to go in to feel safe, as in the wild they often burrow in dark, secluded places.

I also have a small pool of water in the tank for my toad to use the bathroom in. I recommend cleaning the pool once every two days, as it can infect the tank if not changed. To clean the pool, run it under hot water for about 5 minutes. Then, put the pool back in and fill it with cold water. I also have a small mirror in the tank that my toad enjoys looking in.

For food, I catch grasshoppers, grubs, and crickets in my yard during the spring, summer and fall. In the winter, you can buy crickets at your local pet store. Toads need to be fed about 4-5 medium crickets once every two days, so keep a jar ready to catch bugs in. In the winter, I suggest buying a heating light/pad for the tank so that your toad doesn't catch cold.

Last but not least, remember that your toad will take a bit of time to get used to you and it's new surroundings. You'll be able to tell that it is settled when it starts burrowing- give the toad about a week. If you want, you can pick up your toad, but be warned- they do pee when they get scared. Have fun with your toad, I hope these tips helped. Let me know in the comments if you have any tips that I missed!

Maddie

Maple Fudge Recipe

As promised, here is the recipe (along with a few pictures)! Finally, I tell you guys I am going to put something up and ACTUALLY put it up! I pat myself on the back. In any case, here is the recipe! I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does, and remember: If you need any ingredients, you can get them at Buy Buy Momma!




You will need:
2 3/4 cups brown sugar (light OR dark)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
(OPTIONAL) you can add 1 tbsp of maple syrup for extra flavor!

Prep:
Stir together all of you ingredients on the stove and bring to a boil. Keeping at a medium boil, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Do a soft ball test, and the fudge should form a medium ball. Next, fill a large bowl (bigger than the pan you are cooking your fudge in) with icy water. Put the fudge pan into the water (it should float on top) and stir your fudge like that for 5 minutes. Have a pan prepared, either buttered or lined with parchment paper, and pour your fudge into it. Leave for 20 minutes and it should be ready to eat! Enjoy!

Maddie

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood: IMPOSSIBLE!

I don't know how many of my readers have ever played ACB, but for those of you who have- on Xbox at least- you probably understand my annoyance. These are the 4 main annoying things I've run into in the game- so far! (People who do not know Assassin's Creed should either look it up, or just scroll to the next post. I am not going to bother going into detail on what everything is because I would need a book to do it.)

1. The Borgia Horseman
   This guy is almost IMPOSSIBLE to defeat. He slashes at you from his horse, and being you are only given a flimsy little assassin blade with which to do your fighting, by the time you kill his horse, your health is so low that the first strike he hits you with kills or "desynchronizes" you with the Animus.
2. The Borgia Messenger
   You are expected to run after this jerk after he takes an important letter from you. You do not know HOW annoyed I got at this part of the game. It took me a few tries, but I finally got it. Then I killed him (AFTER getting the letter). I had to make sure I didn't ever have to redo that part of the game. If you get more than a few feet away from him, the game desynchronizes you and you have to start over. The only hope in getting past this is to remember the path he takes and cut across to it to tackle him BEFORE he hops up on the wall.
3. The Masked Man From The Dungeon Chase
   You encounter a masked man in one of the dungeons halfway through the game- and you have to chase him on horseback. You start out running and have to jump onto a horse halfway through to continue the chase. It is extremely hard to coordinate the controls, and me and Dad  have not yet passed this part of the game. 
4. The Beginning Game Sequence
   Yes, the tutorial gave me trouble....you can stop laughing now. You have to follow a friend to a meeting point, and fight your way through. It is pretty annoying, because when you get caught in combat he keeps going. Thankfully, my Dad played the game before me and helped me get through by telling me where to go. If you are not as privileged as I am, then just replay it- but remember where he goes so that if he gets ahead of you, you can catch up to him fast.

Well, these are the troubles I have had. Let me know down below if you have had any problems yourself!

Maddie

3 Easy Ways to Eat Egg

Do you like eggs? If you do, then you need not read this article. But if you are like me and hate eggs, then this is the blog post for you. I have NEVER liked eggs- the taste, the texture, nothing. Recently, I have started eating the yolk from fried egg, and I look for ways to incorporate egg into my diet. These are the 3 ways I have found that I think are EGG-scellent for non-egg-eaters like myself:

1: Dutch Babies (From: the Joy of Cooking)
These are basically the sweet, sugary alternative to an omelette, but it's main component is- egg. Here is the recipe I like using:

You Will Need:
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of flour
1/4 cup of sugar
2 large eggs (room temp)
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

Prep:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Next, mix together your milk, flour, sugar and eggs until smooth. Melt your butter and coat a square cake pan with it. Next, pour your egg mixture into the pan and then put it in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Serve fresh n' hot with some powdered sugar or fresh fruit.

2: French Toast (From: the Joy of Cooking)

You Will Need:
2/3 cup of whole milk, heavy cream, or half n' half
4 large eggs
2 tbsp sugar or pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter
6 slices white bread

Prep:
Whisk together your milk, egg, vanilla, sugar and salt in a bowl. When the ingredients are fully mixed, take your bread slices and soak them in the mixture*. In a frying pan, melt your butter over medium heat. After soaking your bread, cook it (both sides) in the frying pan until golden brown on either side. Serve fresh with maple syrup, powdered sugar, and bacon.
*Bread must be saturated, but NOT falling apart.

3: Fried Egg Dip (From: My own imagination)

You Will Need:
1 egg
2 tbsp butter
Bacon or Sausage

Prep: Melt your butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Now crack your egg into the pan and cook it for about 3 minutes. Then flip the egg and cook it for 20 seconds before sliding it out of the pan and into a small pyrex bowl. Now, use a fork and mash your egg up until it is mainly all mixed together. Serve your dip with sausage, bacon, or whatever else.

So those are my egg recipes! I hope you enjoy them. Try them out and tell me what you think, and help me out by leaving a creative egg recipe in the comments below.

Thanks,
Maddie