ANOTHER BEER RECIPE

This is a very refreshing drink that I love and everything is mixed to taste. I don't measure. I use one can/bottle of beer. Preferably the beer with lime, but, any if I don't have it. I just squeeze a little lime juice in then. I then pour in clamato juice, V8 juice or Blood Mary mix to taste. I, also, put in some tabasco sauce if the spicy Bloody Mary mix is not used. I, also, put in a few cubes of ice. Yummmmmmy!! It is really delicious and refreshing.

I am getting ready for bed because we are going to a cookout for my niece's graduation tomorrow. We will be leaving by late morning and I still have to make two dishes to take. Since Bill still has sore gums, I will be making a mashed potato salad so he can eat some of our foods we are cooking. I am, also, making a pizza pasta salad. Tomorrow will be the pool party and then Sunday evening is the graduation. A good time will be had by all. Have a safe and great weekend!

GOLDEN DREAM

Here is a drink that you can have at the end of a long day sitting and looking at the stars. I mean the ones in the sky, not the ones that call themselves stars. I really have a problem with the actors etc. that really believe their own over rated worth. We are all the same other than their large paychecks that come from us. Food for thought!
1 ounce Galliano
1/2 ounce Triple Sec or Cointreau
1/2 ounce orange juice
1/2 ounce cream
Mix all ingredients. Shake or stir well over ice. Yields 1 great drink.
I know these ingredients are not cheap but make many Golden Dreams. We all need to dream.

Frozen Banana Daiquiri

Since many of us will not be going on any road trips during the summer because of HIGH gas prices. I would like to give some nice summer drink recipes, to enjoy at home.
1 6-ounce can of frozen limeade concentrate
6 ounces of light rum
1 or 2 bananas to taste
1 tray ice cubes, crushed
maraschino cherries
Place first 4 ingredients in blender. Blend until consistency of snow. Serve topped with a cherry. Serves 4.
As you can see this is an old recipe but a good one. There aren't many people that use a ice cube tray anymore. It made ice cubes and we had both the time and energy to fill them when needed. The GREAT OLD DAYS!
Last year we made plans for a family get together in Northern Wisconsin for July . The trip just for the family who lives there is a 5 hour drive one way. I am sure if we knew gas would be over $4.00 in Wisconsin and rising, we would not of made these plans. You hear the news but hope for the best. To late to rethink and life is short, plus deposits are not refundable. Hope things are going well for all of you. We all know that many people are dealing with much more important things in their lives. Have a great day!!!!

HEADACHES

Here is a quick, short tip that I just came across. It was on a paper with a bunch of other tips that I remember looking at, but, I don't remember this one. I would think this would have jumped out at me as much as my sisters, daughters and niece get headaches. I am going to make sure that I get some Gatorade in the house and have it ready for my next headache. Drink two glasses of Gatorade to relieve headache pain almost immediately - without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional "pain relievers".

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COUPONS

Here goes one of the best tip in today's economy that anyone can give. USE COUPONS EVERY CHANCE YOU GET! Coupons are money. I used to use them every time that I shopped. My family hated to go shopping with me because it took a little bit longer but it was well worth it. In fact, if I went to a grocery store and didn't have my coupons and saw an item that I wanted I wouldn't buy it if I knew I had a coupon at home for it. I don't buy something just because I have a coupon for it, though. I compare prices and value of similar items. I religiously shopped with coupons before I moved to the Philippines. When it was almost time for our move back stateside I started clipping coupons again from the stateside magazines we received there. When I went shopping for groceries after we moved in I had a pile of coupons. When I saw the look on the cashier's face I apologized and told her that I was just moving back home and restocking my cupboards and refrigerator. That was a store that every day doubled your coupons. The next day the policy was changed to doubling only on a certain day of the week. The last few years I have only sporadically used coupons and that was a mistake. Using a store's shopper's card and coupons can give you a good savings on your checkout total. In fact, you can go to couponmom.com and get some great tips. I saw her on a news channel yesterday and checked it out myself. You can, also, go to a product's company's website and you might find a coupon there. Do yourself a BIG$$$$$$$ favor and check this out and start clipping your coupons. In fact, I stopped my coupon clipping to write this and I am now going to get back to it.

Have a great weekend and Happy Memorial Day. Chris and I are going to our little town's parade tomorrow. I feel such pride and get tears in my eyes when our country's brave men and women walk and ride past.

CRABMEAT STUFFED JALAPENO POPPERS

This is a recipe that I saw in my Kraft magazine that sounds awesome. All it takes is jalapeno peppers, cream cheese and crabmeat. I am going to make it as soon as Bill is able to eat better. He had several teeth pulled today and is not feeling too good right now. Anyhow, there are no measurements, you just do it to taste. Slit one side of some jalapeno peppers and take the seeds out. Leave the stem on. Mix crabmeat and cream cheese and stuff each pepper. Bake in a 375 degrees oven until the skin blisters. What could be easier.

Yesterday Chris took me to pick up an outdoor table set that I purchased from our church's resale shop. She had been telling me for ages that I needed to put chairs on my front porch, especially for Bill. She was right. I, also, put up a little gate so that our little companions can't run out the front door and down the steps when the door is opened. They are little and fast and slip out the door before you know it when someone opens it.

Tomorrow I hope to get up early and get some things done that I have been putting off. One is to look at stuff that I have stored in my attic for years that I can sell on Ebay. I have lots of stuff that I just felt I had to buy in the Philippines that have been packed away for several years. I have already sold my brass banana tree that stood as tall as me at the flea market. So I guess I better get to bed so I can rest up for this. Have a great night.

GIVE YOUR FLOWERS AND LOVE NOW

One thing I think everyone should try to remember to show your love for your friends, loved ones, acquaintances or whomever. The time comes too quickly and it is too late to do it or you missed the opportunity to do it. I think no matter what, though, you always feel like there could have been a little more shown.

I am trying to get back on track and start "blogging" again. I have been busy with "life", but, I will find time for this. I enjoy doing it and it's a stress releaser.

We were down to one dog since we had to have Lady put to sleep the week after Mommy passed. However, we now have Mommy's little Cosmo who is a precious little toy poodle that thrives on being cuddled. Bill LOVES dogs and he is loving it. We might be taking in another little one that is a miniature dachshund that my niece has and can't keep. Right away when she said she might have to give it away Bill;s eyes lit up and he said we would take it. Those two with our little shih tzu, Hershey, will be a sight to see together all cuddled up with Bill.

Now I am going to go to bed early since I have to get up early to get Bill to the dentist at 8 a.m. He is having some teeth pulled and has to have a good breakfast before he goes. So I have to get up to cook it for him or he would never make it on time. Have a great night!!

FRUIT SALAD

Belated Happy Mother's Day to all of the mom's out there. I am still recuperating and had a very quiet day. I am doing much better, though. Marcy's daughter came and picked her up on Saturday so that she could spend Mother's Day and her birthday coming up with her family. Jackee, Irwin, Dominique and Tyler arrived a little after she left and gave me an early Mother's Day visit and gifts.

Here is a nice little salad I got from one of my diabetic cookbooks.

FRUIT SALAD

1 medium plum, sliced

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 medium nectarine, sliced

1/8 honeydew

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tbsp apricot nectar

In a small bowl, combine the plum, blueberries and nectarine. Stir to mix. Sprinkle the fruit mixture over the honeydew. In a small bowl, whisk the nutmeg into the nectar. Drizzle over the fruit.

I don't know if I mentioned that we had to have our second dog, Lady, put to sleep. All 3 of our dogs were old and it is to be expected, but, it is still painful. Our last dog, Hershey, has just turned 10. However, except for a yeast skin problem he seems very healthy. Marcy's daughter, Tamika, has a miniature dachshund puppy that she finds that she can't keep. Bill fell in love with it when he first saw it and he said we will take it in. Tamika is bringing her son, Will, this weekend to do some work in our yard, so I will guess our new little roomer will be coming then, too. Bill asked Jackie to bring Tyler to help and she said she would.

Since I am starting to feel better I am glad I can start working on some things I need done around the house. There's a lot I could do outside if I wasn't so afraid of those dreaded snakes!

We'll see how many will be seen this weekend. I'm sure hoping none.

Have a great evening!!!!

CAYENNE PEPPER AND HONEY

We had the misfortune to lose my mother on 4/23. She passed late that morning in Rick's arms. Rick, Annie, Marcy and I were around her when it happened. Roxy had just went back to her home the day before. Andy had just boarded a plane to come to be with her when he got the call from me that she had passed. She was born in Opelousas, LA and that is where Ricky arranged for her to return. She is about 40 feet from her father. We drove there and returned home the day after the funeral. My Uncle Oliver flew in from CA and we were thrilled. Him and my mother were always close. He is a musician and brought his trombone with him to play "When The Saints Go Marchin' In". My deceased father played trombone, too. Uncle Oliver had one of my dad's old mouthpieces to use on his trombone. It was a beautiful service and Mommy will be really missed.

Andy came back to our place so we could spend time together. His son, George, and his girlfriend couldn't make it to LA so they came to be with us the Monday after we came back. It was nice to have more family around at a time like this. I really enjoyed having them here and so did Bill and Marcy. However, I guess my immune system got run down from all of the goings on of the last couple of weeks and I have come down with a nasty cold or something. I have not left the house since going to church on Sunday. Now here comes the CAYENNE PEPPER AND HONEY part. Uncle Oliver called me a couple of days after I got home and I sounded awful because of laryngitis. He told me 3 times a day to mix 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper with 1/2 tsp of honey and swallow it. I did it and it worked real well. Plus it didn't taste bad. Now whenever I get laryngitis I will get out my cayenne pepper and honey, for sure.

This might seem a little choppy, but, my mind is still "shaken", so to speak. A lot has happened in the last few weeks. And now this cold has me down. Today my dear friend, Chris, took me to a day spa as a birthday present. We had facials, pedicures and lunch. Boy, it was nice to finally just relax and have time just for me and to be pampered. This was the best facial and pedicure I have ever had. The facial started with a session in the steam room in which I choose eucalyptus as the aromatherapy. When I came out my hair looked awful, but, I felt great!! Then I towel dried myself, put on a lucious terry robe and waited to be taken to the room for my facial. All I can say to describe it is that I was soooooooooo relaxed. She massaged my face, shoulder, neck, arms, hands, fingers and finally, my head. After an hour of this I dressed and went to the next room for my pedicure. This was no regular pedicure, for sure. I won't even begin to describe the hour, just say it was heaven. Chris and I met up in the pedicure room and then were served a light lunch. Glorious!! Thanks so much, Chris!!!

Sorry

I am sorry that I have not posted anything in weeks. This funk that has hit me, will go away soon. My dear friend Jackie and her family has suffered a great loss. Please keep them in your prayers. Miss Elsie was a large part of many lives and we all will miss her. Thank you for your understanding.