Happy Groundhog Day on February 2nd

Happy Groundhog Day!  The above picture was taken last fall at the Arrow Rock Historic State Park during one of our evening drives. 

In preparing for the coming winter the groundhog did not care how long Ardee and I sat to watch it.  Nor did it care how many photos I took. 

I like to celebrate Groundhog Day because I am from Pennsylvania, have some German ancestry and because around here we serve a lot of “ground hog”! 

Our menu for Saturday is “ground hog” gravy and biscuits with “earthy” fried potatoes, sunny side up eggs and “dirt” pie.

Recipe for Dirt Pie

1 large package Oreo cookies
1 c. powdered sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
1 (8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese
2 packages of instant vanilla pudding
3 1/2 c. milk
12 oz. container of Cool Whip

Crush Oreo cookies in food processor or with a rolling pin until cookies are fine crumbs and set aside. Mix butter, cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Mix pudding with the milk, then blend in the Cool Whip. Combine pudding and cream cheese mixture together until lumps are smooth.

Dirt Pie can be made in a rectangular 9" X 13" pan or in individual clear cups, layer the cookie mixture and pudding mixture, leaving enough cookie mixture for the top.

http://www.thrilledbythethought.com/2010/02/01/groundhog-day-recipe/

A little Groundhog Day trivia

• All groundhogs have 22 teeth.
• Groundhogs whistle when alarmed or when they are courting.
• A groundhog is a vegetarian and eat greens, fruits and vegetables.
• The average groundhog weighs 12-15 pounds, but Punxsutawney Phil weighs 20 pounds.
• Groundhogs hibernate and each one has his own burrow.
• Groundhog burrows have two doorways.
• Groundhogs can swim and climb trees
• Groundhogs can run up to 9 miles an hour.
• A baby groundhog is called a kit or a cub.
• The average life span of a groundhog is 6-8 years.
• Groundhogs can lose half their body weight during hibernation.
• They don't taste like chicken.

After the kind of winter Arrow Rock has experienced, I can only hope that Punxsutawney Phil does not see his shadow.

Make your reservation today to spend some time in Arrow Rock.  Always a relaxing and delicious time.  And you might just see a groundhog or two.

Truly, Penny