Blog Dog Dan: COOKING IN THE DARK WITH COCHRAN & CHRISTIE

I think I smell something fishy, and it's not just that Fiamma is being nice to Trotter, again. I smell trout, rainbow trout. The rainbow trout is native only to the rivers and lakes of North America, west of the Rocky Mountains. Their coloring and patterns vary widely depending on habitat, age, and spawning condition. They are members of the salmon family and average about 20-30 inches long and around 8 pounds, but can grow up to 4 feet long and weigh up to 53 pounds! They prefer cool, clear rivers, streams, or lakes, but some adults will follow a river and migrate out to sea for several years. These are called steelhead because of their silver markings, but they must return to the stream where they were born to spawn.

Rainbow Fish is an award-winning book written and drawn by Marcus Pfister. It's about a fish that is more beautiful than all the other fish because it has shimmering scales. Rainbow Fish does not want to share his beautiful scales, but learns that sharing and having friends was more important than being the most beautiful fish in the sea. The stories focus on friendship, sharing, inner and outer beauty, and happiness.

There are five other Rainbow Fish stories:
Rainbow Fish to the Rescue: About the acceptance and integration of foreigners.
Rainbow Fish and the Big Blue Whale: About arguments and how to settle them.
Rainbow Fish and the Sea Monster's Cave: About irrational and rational fears.
Rainbow Fish Finds his Way: With the help of his new friends, Rainbow Fish finds his way back home.
Rainbow Fish Discovers the Deep Sea: About modesty and happiness.

To pay respect to one of our Native Americans, we would like to introduce Red Cloud (Makhpiya-Luta), 1822-1909, head Chief of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux). He was also known as John "Red Cloud" and his mother was Walks As She Thinks, and his father was Chief Lone Man. When his parents died in 1825, he was raised by his mother's uncle, Chief Old Smoke. A warrior and statesman, Red Cloud was one of the most important Lakota leaders of the 19th century because of his success in confrontations with the American government.

Red Cloud was born near the forks of the Platte River, near what is now North Platte, Nebraska, and much of his early life was spent at war. He gained enormous prominence within the Lakota nation for his leadership in territorial wars against the Pawnees, Crows, Utes and Shoshones. Beginning in 1866, Red Cloud orchestrated the most successful war against the United States ever fought by an Indian nation.

Red Cloud's strategies were so successful that by 1868, the U.S. government had agreed to the Fort Laramie Treaty, mandating that the U.S. abandon its forts along the Bozeman Trail and guarantee the Lakota their possession of what is now the Western half of South Dakota, including the Black Hills, along with much of Montana and Wyoming.

The peace, of course, did not last. Custer's 1874 Black Hills expedition again brought war to the northern Plains, a war that would mean the end of independent Indian nations. For reasons which are not entirely clear, Red Cloud did not join Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, and and other war leaders in the Lakota War of 1876-77. However, after the military defeat of the Lakota nation, Red Cloud continued to fight for the needs and autonomy of his people, even if in less obvious or dramatic ways than waging war.

Standing: Red Bear, Young Man Afraid of his Horse, Good Voice, Ring Thunder, Iron Crow, White Tail, Young Spotted Tail.
Seated: Yellow Bear, Jack Red Cloud, Big Road, Little Wound, Black Crow, ca. 1860-1880.

Fearing the Army's presence on his reservation, Red Cloud refrained from endorsing the Ghost Dance movement, and unlike Sitting Bull and Big Foot, he escaped the Army's occupation unscathed. Thereafter he continued to fight to preserve the authority of chiefs such as himself, opposed leasing Lakota lands to whites, and vainly fought allotment of Indian reservations into individual tracts under the 1887 Dawes Act.

Chief Red Cloud's wife was Pretty Owl Woman, and they had three children. Cochran and I would like to show our respect by having Indian names as well. Maybe our readers can give us some ideas. We have decided to feature a Native American on our post each week to tell you their very important history and their fight to resist the conquest of their people.

If you want to live in a "white cloud," you might want to try White Cloud, California; White Cloud, Indiana; White Cloud, Iowa; White Cloud, Kansas; White Cloud, Michigan; White Cloud Missouri; and White Cloud City, Nevada.

Cochran and I loved eating the orange sherbet push pops as kids! Now that we're older, we like to eat sherbet in the more sophisticated flavors - so refreshing!

RAINBOW SHERBET CAKE

1 9-inch angel food cake

1 pint orange sherbet, softened

1 pint raspberry sherbet, softened

1 pint lime sherbet, softened
(I used Dreyer's Tropical Rainbow Sherbet for all three layers)

1 8-ounce container Cool Whip

Slice angel food cake crosswise to make four layers. Place the bottom layer on a serving plate and spread orange sherbet evenly on top. Repeat with remaining cake layers and sherbets. Finish with final layer of cake. Frost sides and top with Cool Whip and place in freezer for one hour, or until firm.

ENJOY!

Lisa Widén's idea to create the Cloud chair was born sitting on an airplane looking down at the clouds below. The Cloud chair is easily adjustable, meaning that the seat can become the back support and vice versa. This enables everyone, regardless of height or size, to find their own favorite position.