October 2021 – Buddytribe.com

Why Most Fish Keepers Recommend Large Volumes of Water for Fish

October 19, 2021 (updated May 25, 2025) Published by Nate

Most fish keepers often recommend large volumes of water for most fish, it may seem especially large for beginners, as most keep fish in smaller volumes (compared to 10, 20 & 30+ gallons). And to some, it may be quite shocking. Why do they recommend so much? Although it might seem unreasonable, some fish tend to be healthier in larger volumes. Here are some benefits for having a larger aquarium.

Fish have more room
Larger aquariums are less likely to get as dirty as fast as smaller aquariums would
It’s Easier to find heaters & filters that are big enough to fit the volume of water
More area for decorating your aquarium

Goldfish & Bettas are two of the most commonly kept fish in 1 gallon bowls. Most fish keepers recommend 5+ gallons for Bettas & 55+ gallons for Goldfish (Fancy Tail Goldfish being one of the smallest Goldfish 55 gallons of water, while the common Goldfish 100). Although some say 2.5 gallons of water is also an exception for Bettas.

Of course, fish can actually live in small aquariums, just according to most fish keepers, they tend to be healthier in larger volumes. Also try to clean the tank at least once a month & feed them regularly if your looking for healthy fish.

October 19, 2021 (updated May 25, 2025) Published by Keri

This Easy Peach Cobbler is the best go-to recipe for the Arkansas peach season. It is a classic dessert that is an amazing way for me to highlight some delicious fresh-picked peaches from a local orchard called Peach Pickin’ Paradise! We’ll learn more about Arkansas Peaches, our local farmer, and then make some cobbler! The recipe is so easy and it is perfect served plain right out of the oven, or with a scoop of ice cream, or whipped cream.

Let’s Talk Peaches and About Our Local Farmer!

Ripe peaches are generally considered hard to beat by most fruit consumers, and I totally agree with them on that.

There is just nothing like biting into the ripe fruit and having those sweet juices run down your chin. Messy you say? Why yes it is messy, but oh so worth it!

Arkansas produces some pretty awesome peaches across our home state, you guys! Did you know that?

No? Well, never fear!

I took the time to grab a little bit of information from online to share with you guys on the awesome peach production right here in our beautiful Natural State!

Here’s some information about where you can find fresh peaches growing in Arkansas quoted from the Encyclopedia of Arkansas:

“Peaches are grown throughout the state of Arkansas with the highest concentrations being in central Arkansas (Pope and Faulkner counties), western Arkansas (Johnson and Franklin counties), southwest Arkansas (Howard and Clark counties), northern Arkansas (Boone, Benton, and Washington counties), and Crowley’s Ridge in eastern Arkansas (Cross and St. Francis counties). Peaches are most successfully produced on light, sandy soil with at least thirty-six inches of soil depth. Orchards are usually placed on locations with raised elevations to avoid or lessen the impact of incidents of low temperature such as frosts.

Peaches were introduced as a crop in Arkansas after the Civil War, as were many other fruits and vegetables, during the New South Diversification movement in agriculture. This movement was brought on by the need to diversify crop varieties to avoid the economic risk of a single crop economy, as evidenced by the overproduction of cotton prior to the war.”

There is much more to read and learn on this subject, but that’s just a quick little look at peaches grown here.

Please hop over if you want to check out this whole article and all the interesting facts about Arkansas peaches here at PEACH INDUSTRY, BY ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ARKANSAS.

Now, let’s talk about our local peach farmer featured today, Peach Picking Paradise!

Peach Pickin’ Paradise, Lamar, Arkansas!

So as mentioned above Johnson County is one of the best places in Arkansas to find peaches and we are blessed to live just a short distance from an amazing peach orchard.

Peach Pickin’ Paradise, in Lamar, AR, has a “You Pick” season every year where they sell their amazing crop of peaches to the public. We love going to the orchard as a family and bringing home tons of their fruit.

I’m not a fan of hot weather you guys, but these peaches have me counting down the days until it is hot and the smell of sweet peaches is in the air!

If you’ve never visited Peach Pickin’ Paradise, you seriously need to plan a road trip to get some of the many varieties of peaches and nectarines they grow.

This orchard grows a wide variety of peaches. They have so many that I couldn’t possibly remember them all but some of them are July Prince Cresthaven, White Diamond, Baby Gold, Contenders, Winblo, Shinn, Bisco, White County, Loring, and my favorites Redhaven.

The whole process of picking peaches at this wonderful local orchard is so fun and is a great family-friendly activity. From pulling up into the line of waiting cars, yes they line up fast folks, to planning out your picking with the map they give you upon arrival.

But don’t waste too much time planning, jump in and get out there searching for ripe peaches to fill those baskets!

They make it super easy to find the type of peaches you’re looking for with markers at the end of each row to tell you which variety of peaches are growing there.

Peach Pickin’ Paradise opens around 7:30 a.m. on picking days, so take my advice get there as early as you can and be ready to pick your heart out.

You can count on large crowds of other peach lovers to join you so you don’t want to sleep in and miss the ripe fruit that sells out fast friends!

For the most part, their 2020 peach season is winding down, but I did see on their Facebook Page that in a few weeks they will have some Indian Peaches ready to pick so please follow their page: Peach Pickin’ Paradise and be sure to keep an eye out for the last few days of the peach picking and get out there quick.

Info or Peach Pickin’ Paradise from there Facebook Page:

Peaches and Nectarines
Cash or check only
88 cents a pound when you pick your own
Call before you come. We have to close some days and have to close early sometimes

I highly recommend you take their advice and call before you drive to the orchard so here is their phone number, 479-754-2006, if you want to reach out to them before going to pick.

That way you don’t drive out to the orchard to find them sold out!

Fresh Peach Cobbler for The Win!

So friends, let me tell you this, buy as many as you can pick! I mean when you go pick your peaches, be sure to stock up because you can’t beat the price and definitely can’t beat the flavor of these Arkansas Grown peaches.

We eat tons of them fresh. We like to wash and slice them and eat, but I also love canning some for winter, making peach ice cream, and some yummy peach butter with the ones we pick.

However, one of our favorite ways to use these peaches is in a super easy yet delicious Peach Cobbler. This recipe will amaze you at how easy it is and it will knock your socks off when it comes to taste.

The fresh-picked peaches from Peach Pickin’ Paradise were perfect in this cobbler. They pair so well with the buttery and fluffy cake-like top.

I made this cobbler pictured here on one of the days we went to pick these peaches (also pictured above). I was kicking myself the next day because I should have made two of them because it sure when fast!

So trust me when I say give these peaches from this local grower a try the next time you can and definitely make this cobbler with them.

You’ll love it as much as we do and hopefully, you’ll make two if you want it to last very long!

Easy Peach Cobbler Recipe

Peach Filling Ingredients:

6 cups peeled, sliced peaches
1 cup of sugar
2/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, optional

Cobbler Topping:

1 stick of butter, cubbed
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup of sugar

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees while you prepare the cobbler.
Combine the 6 cups of sliced peaches, sugar, and the water in a saucepan and stir it up well.
Bring the peach mixture to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes until peaches are tender and cooked down a bit.
Remove the peaches from the heat and work on the cobbler topping.
Put the butter in a large baking dish and place in the oven to melt.
To make the cobbler topping mix the 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk in a medium bowl and whisk slowly to prevent clumping.
When the butter is melted in your baking dish, remove it from the oven carefully.
Next, pour the cobbler topping mixture over melted butter. Do not stir.
Lastly, you will need to spoon the cooked peaches over the top of the ingredients in the baking dish. Do this gently and remember do not stir. This is where the magic happens because the batter will rise to top during baking.
Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or drizzled with heavy cream.

Pimento Cheese Burger featuring Hoien Farms

October 19, 2021 (updated May 25, 2025) Published by Keri

Everyone loves a good cheeseburger, right? Well, today I’m kicking it up a notch by using a creamy rich cheese spread to bring that extra jazz to your already delicious cheeseburgers! In this recipe today I’m making my special Pimento Cheese Burgers using a wonderful locally sourced ground beef which I purchase from Hoien Farms Beef out of Atkins!

Pimento Cheese Burger with locally sourced ground beef from Hoien Farms. #shopar #freshgroundbeef #cheeseburger

Everyone Loves a Good Burger!

I’ve created a fully-loaded burger on steroids for today’s post using one of my favorite cheesy toppings, Pimento Cheese!

If you aren’t familiar with it, it is a southern sandwich spread, that is mainly shredded cheddar cheese, mayo, and of course, red pimentoes.

You can purchase it already made at the local grocery stores near the dips (in the refrigerator sections) and when you get a good quality brand it really takes this burger to a whole new level of awesome!

I love the Palmetto Brand that can be found in the Russellville area in our local WalMart stores and Kroger I believe. They have a regular and a jalapeno version which is my favorite, Yum!

But if you prefer homemade and you’re up for it you can make your own pimento cheese spread. It is a very simple process and you can find a great recipe to get started with that HERE!

As if the creamy cheese spread isn’t enough, there is always a place for bacon, right? That would definitely compliment the cheese and the beef.

But for this recipe, I wanted to keep it simple so I could still enjoy the full flavor of the fresh locally sourced ground beef.

Speaking of the ground beef, let’s learn more about this wonderful product and of course the farmers!

Let’s Talk Meet The Farmers, Hoien Farms Beef

So in my last recipe post, I shared a delicious recipe for Herb Roasted Potatoes where I featured another local farmer out of Dover.

Today I’m thrilled to share with you another wonderful farming family, Hoien Farms, that we’ve been purchasing beef from for well over a year.

We have thoroughly enjoyed purchasing our ground beef supply from this wonderful family. It is so nice to know exactly where your meat is coming from and know that you are supporting a local family also.

Here’s a little about Hoein Farms Beef directly from their Facebook Page: “Our beef is grown on our farm in Atkins, AR, and processed at Cypress Valley Meat Company in Pottsville. It is USDA inspected and available for sale directly from our farm or at the Russellville Farmer’s Market on Saturdays, beginning at 8 am.”

I can tell you that we have not only have loved the lean ground beef that we have purchased on a regular basis but we have also ordered their roast and some beef smoked sausages. Oh, man are they delicious you guys!

You can totally hop over and check out more information from them on their Facebook Page: Hoien Farms Beef. Tell them Keri and Anthony sent you! And try their beef if you can, you will be thrilled!

**We love to pair our burgers with our Herb Potato Recipe! Find the recipe for the potatoes here!**

Making The Pimento Cheese Burgers

Before making your burgers, I suggest gathering your ingredients and prepping your toppings. I like to get all my toppings, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, onions, or cheese all ready to go and have them chilling as I make and cook my burgers.

This way everything is ready to go and you can serve your burgers piping hot!

In this recipe, I used 2 pounds of ground beef to make 6 patties, giving me burgers that were roughly 4-5 ounces in weight after cooking.

But the end results in your patty size will ultimately come down to the “meat to fat ratio” of the ground beef you’re using. We use a leaner blend from Hoien Farms, so mine didn’t shrink much after cooking.

As for cooking the burgers, we love grilled burgers, but honestly, it is beyond hot outside right now guys and I just don’t want to stand out there grilling and sweating!

So to avoid the summertime heat, I made these burgers inside using one of my larger cast-iron skillets.

When the burgers are cooked and ready to eat I like to let everyone build their own burgers to there likings. Here’s what I do to my burger: bottom bun onto my plate, then add a generous a swipe of real mayo, on top of that I add a nice crisp piece of fresh lettuce, then my burger patty with that creamy pimento cheese, followed by a slice of fresh tomato and my top bun.

Oh, my word you guys, it is a mouth-watering burger for sure. But if you’re not into pimento cheese or the other toppings I described then you can always add your own favorite toppings. My husband, Anthony, prefers to have a farm-fresh egg fried to perfection on his as you’ll see in the picture below.

He enjoys the rich flavor that the runny yolk adds to his burger. Boy not me friends, I say give me that cheese, please!

Two delicious burgers using fresh local beef from Hoien Farms Beef. Pimento Cheese Burger and Fried Egg Burger — **Pimento Cheese and Fried Egg burger on Pretzel Buns**

I hope you will give Hoien Farms Beef the next time you’re in the market for beef. So bee sure to visit their Facebook page and go see them at the next Pope Count Farmer’s Market.

Well, friends, please enjoy this Pimento Cheese Burger Recipe and I’ll talk to you soon in our next recipe featuring locally grown foods!

Pimento Cheese Burger Recipe

Ingredients:

2 lbs of ground beef
1 Tbsp coconut or olive oil for cooking
salt and pepper to your taste
12 oz of your favorite Pimento Cheese Spread

Directions:

Divide the ground beef into 5 to 6 equal portions. Form each portion into a burger patty and make a deep depression in the center with your thumb. Brush both sides of the burgers with the oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
Add the oil to a large cast-iron skillet and heat on medium heat. Once the skillet is hot place the burgers into the skillet and cook for about 4/5 minutes on each side. The actual cooking time will vary based on how rare or well done you like your burgers.
Now for the best part. Right at the last minute of cooking, scoop a hefty dollop of the pimento cheese mixture on right on top of each burger the skillet.
Cook until the cheese has just melted, about 1 minute. Serve hot on a toasted bun such as the pretzel buns you see used in the burgers above.

Herb Roasted New Potatoes

October 19, 2021 (updated May 25, 2025) Published by Keri

Today, I’m sharing a recipe for some locally sourced new potatoes that make an irresistible side dish with burgers, chicken, or fish. They are full of herby flavor and crispy on the outside. These Herb Roast Potatoes are a delicious way to introduce you to one of our local farmers, Russell Family Farm out of Dover, AR!

Shop Your Local Farmer’s Market!

One of my favorite things about summer is shopping at the local farmer’s markets in our area. My family enjoys all the fresh produce we can find like potatoes, onions, lettuce, bok choy, squash, cucumbers, and more!

But most of all we really love supporting our local farming families. Farmers are so important to our food chain and now more than ever the small farmers need our support and our families need all the fresh and healthy food they’re working hard to grow!

So today, I wanted to share about one of the first trips of the season to the Pope County Farmer’s Market a while back (yes, I’m a bit behind with this post, oops), where we were lucky enough to find some new fresh potatoes grown and sold by Russell Family Farm.

Meet the Farmers: Russell Family Farm!

I took the opportunity to reach out to Bruno Russell in an effort to learn a little bit about Russell Family Farms so I wanted to introduce you guys to this local farming family also.

Joe and Hazel Russell began providing homegrown produce to the Russellville, AR area when they started selling their produce at the Pope County Farmer’s Market about 15 years ago.

They worked hard to grow their produce in the traditional in-ground method up until about 3 years ago, when their son Bruno, moved back to the area to work alongside his parents at the farm.

Since that time when Bruno joined them, they have begun transitioning to more of a raised bed method and now have around 40 raised garden beds ranging in various sizes and 30 wooden tomato cages.

Bruno stated they have hopes of adding an additional 10 raised beds this coming fall 2020, which will make it possible for them to grow even more fresh produce to sell at the farmer’s markets.

If you want to visit the Russel Family and pick up some of their wonderful products, and yes they have more than just potatoes, my friends, be sure to shop at the Pope County Farmer’s Market on Tuesday or Saturday down by the Russelville Train Depot.

Also, please check out their Facebook page Here and tell them you learned about them here from Keri!

Let’s Talk About the Potatoes!

They had two varieties available (Yukon Gold and a Small White Variety) that day I shopped. So naturally, I had to pick up some of each, right?

I mean, who can pass up new potatoes? Not this girl, that’s for sure!

There is nothing like a fresh potato straight from the farm to your table. If you haven’t had potatoes this fresh then you really need to run to the next farmer’s market day and hope they still have some.

You can totally thank me later!

I had a recipe in mind for these new potatoes the minute I saw them on the table at the Russell Family Farm booth, so when I saw both types of potatoes available, I decided on combining both them for this Herb Roasted Potatoes recipe.

Here’s a look at these tasty little potatoes as I was cutting them up for the recipe. You’ll notice the contrast in color there as well.

Tips for Roasting Potatoes to Perfection!

Raise your hand if you love extra-crispy roasted potatoes because I sure do! If you haven’t experienced it already then I’ll tell you this, sometimes it can be a bit tricky getting your potatoes crispy on the outside without overcooking them.

And nobody likes dried out potatoes, am I right?

Thankfully, there are a few things you can do as you are preparing your potatoes that will ensure you have the satisfying crunch on the outside but still keep the tender insides to your Herb Roasted Potatoes.

Here are some tips to help:

Cut Your Potatoes Into Even Pieces: It may seem like a simple thing, but it will make the biggest difference if you take the time to dice your potatoes up as close to the same size as possible. Now, as you can see from my pictures some may not be exactly the same depending on the size of the potatoes your starting with. Just do the best you can. I recommend about 3/4-inch cubes, more or less. This will help avoid having oven-roasted potatoes that are over or undercooked and while getting them nice and crispy.
Soak Them Before Roasting: Once your potatoes are chopped, toss them into a large bowl. Then cover the potatoes completely with ice-cold water and let them soak for around 30 minutes if you have the extra time. This may sound like an unnecessary step, but it helps rinse off the excess starch which helps the potatoes crisp up beautifully in the oven. After you soak them drain and rinse them before doing one more important task… patting them completely dry. Trust me, don’t skip this step!
Don’t Over Crowd Your Roasting Pan: Once you add your potatoes to the baking sheet be sure you add them to your roasting pan in a nice even single layer. If they are overlapping or all on top of each other, the potatoes on the bottom will more or less steam. Meaning they won’t have the chance to get as crispy. So go for an even layer and try not to completely crowd the pan. If needed use two pans to get them all roasting in one even layer.
Bake at high heat: This will help the potatoes get nice and crispy also. I usually roast my potatoes at 425 degrees to achieve the perfect crispiness.
Take the time to flip the potatoes: Once the potatoes have baked halfway through I highly recommend that you take the time to give them a good ole flip. I know, another step that takes extra time. I’ll be the first to admit that it isn’t a make it or break it step, but it truly pays off with crispy potatoes if you take the time to do it.

Now that I’ve shared some about the farmers, the potatoes, and given you some great tips let’s get to the recipe!

Ingredients:

3 lbs Fresh New Potatoes
3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Rosemary
1 Tablespoon Parsley
1/2 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1/2 Tablespoon Onion Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste (added at the end of cooking)

Cooking Directions:

First, dice all the potatoes into 3/4-inch cubes or as evenly as possible. Remember, it is important for the potatoes are uniformly sized for even cooking. After cutting them, add the potatoes to a large bowl of cold water and soak for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 425°F while you prepare your potatoes.
Next, drain the potatoes and rinse them in more cold water, before transferring them some paper towels so you can blot the potatoes dry with a clean towel.
Then you’ll need to drizzle the potatoes evenly with the olive oil and toss them until they are all coated evenly.
After they are coated sprinkle the mixture of all the spices evenly over the bowl of potatoes, then toss until the potatoes coated in spices.
Lastly, spread the potatoes out in an even layer a baking sheet. Be sure that the potatoes are not overlapping, or else they will not cook evenly and will not get as crispy.
Bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the pan from the oven, and flip the potatoes with a spatula. Rearrange again so that the potatoes are not overlapping. Then bake for 10-15 more minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and have begun to brown and caramelize a bit around the edges. Cooking times may vary due to oven differences.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and sprinkle potatoes generously with your desired amount of salt. Let them cook or 5 minutes then serve immediately while still hot.