Helpful Hints and Recipes

Zach Thornton's: Option B: An Educator's Story

2011-03-08T12:21:00.000-05:00

Zach Thornton's: Option B: An Educator's Story: "'Dr. Luck' and Dr. Luck on Black History Hero Day During Black History Month this year, Dr. Phillip Luck invited his stu..."

WE ALL NEED EXTRA MONEY!!

2011-02-01T19:22:00.007-05:00

Hi, there, all!! Long time, no write, huh? Sorry, but, my life has been hectic. But, then again isn't everyone's? However, Bill, my sister, Marcy, and I volunteer at The Benefit Bank and that took up a bit of extra time around Christmas. It's great helping out, though, and I love it. Bill and I, also, now take care of the Resale Shop that our church runs. The money raised is used to help the needy in the parish and surrounding communities. We get great donations of anything and everything and sell it all at a very, very reasonable price. However, those that are in need don't have to pay for anything.

But, I digress. I wanted to mention that we went to FL to visit our daughter, Jackee, and her two kids over the holiday. She turned us on to this great company, MPB Today, that she is involved in and we joined. I posted her blog info and all the info on the company can be found there. Also, the link to our web page is listed with this post. Take a look and see if it is for you and make some money. My favorite income from it is the $200 WalMart gift card that you can get over and over again! I think everywhere I have traveled just about, I have visited a WalMart there. Anyhow, do yourself a favor and check it out. This might be what you are looking for. Our website is www.mpbtoday.com/billandjackie.

Now I am going to clean the kitchen and get ready to watch NCIS and then go to bed. Tomorrow morning is one of the days we volunteer at the Benefit Bank. Have a great, peaceful sleep tonight. God bless.

AN AWARD WINNING CHILI RECIPE

2010-06-09T22:35:00.004-04:00

This recipe I just came across today in my "recipe" drawer while I was looking for another recipe. It is one that was in the local newspaper last year or the year before. It was entered in a chili cook-off by two culinary arts students at one of our local high schools. Their first names are Preston and Malcolm and won second place in the contest. This is a great recipe that I am going to make when a bunch of the family comes over. Probably when we have our "picture party" which I'll talk about in another posting. Anyhow, here is Malcolm and Preston's great chili recipe. The name of the recipe is their idea. I'm just posting what was in the paper. I can't wait to make it myself! And, yes, it is hot here, but, I can eat chili anytime of the year no matter the temperature.

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JUST CHILI

3 lbs ground beef

3 lbs Italian sausage (mild, hot or both)

1/2 lb pork tenderloin (cut in small pieces)

1/2 large onion or 1 small onion (yellow sweet onion)

3 tbsp paprika

3 tbsp chocolate (cocoa powder or semisweet chocolate morsels)

1 cup brown sugar

2 24 oz. cans of beer (requires supervision of an adult 21 or older)

3 cans white kidney beans

3 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup chili powder

3 tsp oregano

3 tsp garlic powder

6 cans chopped tomatoes

3 tsp cumin

1. Cook all meats together in a big saucepan with half of the beer.

2. Once boiling, add all ingredients and let simmer on low.

3. Add remaining beer.

4. Do not drain any liquids from kidney beans and tomatoes (Add in pot).

5. Use a hand-held potato masher to mash all ingredients together about every half hour.

6. Let simmer 3 to 4 hours.

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Now that I've posted this I am going to get ready for bed. Bill and I went to a potluck supper at the Knights of Columbus tonight and I brought the Seafood Pasta Casserole that I posted awhile ago. There was a lot of good food there tonight and I am stuffed. Great food with great company is always nice. Afterwards some of the Knights put on a presentation for us about the flag from it's inception until today. It was really very interesting and I'm glad I went. Some of the info I had never heard or read about in school. They do the presentation for school kids, too, and get a good reception I understand.

I'll be back in my "recipe drawer" to find something to make to take to the Ladies Auxiliary picnic on Saturday. So I might be back soon with another recipe that I've cut out, put away and forgot about. Now I'm off to bed. Sweet dreams!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARCY

2010-05-14T23:34:00.001-04:00

Today was my sister Marcy's birthday. I cooked a dinner for her just as she cooked one for me on my birthday. Annie and Ricky came over and we all had a good time. Her son, Demetrius, came with her and, of course, Bill was here. I really enjoy being with my family. That is one of life's true blessings in life which we should all enjoy while we can.

Bill is still dealing with the pain from his surgery. I will be so glad when this pain goes away because we can't travel anywhere until it does. He can't sleep in a bed or sit still long enough for a plane ride. If we go on a car trip, we would have to stop innumerable times which really isn't so bad. Anyhow, I am ready to go on a trip somewhere. It sure looks like our Arizona trip next month is out. Oh well, we have to be thankful that we are here, period! And able to get around at all.

It's been a long day and now I am going to bed so goodnight all and have a blessed weekend.

FRESH SMELLS

2010-05-14T14:02:00.004-04:00

I thought it was time to put a hint on our blog. It has been a long time again since I have contributed to this site.

In a spray bottle combine 1 table spoon liquid fabric softener, 1/2 cup of white vinegar and 3 cups of water. Shake until mixed completely. Spray where needed. This is a quick solution and less money than the sprays on the market. It worked for me and smells good to because of the fabric softener.

Hope you days are bright and safe always!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

2010-05-09T23:15:00.001-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in the world. I had a nice quiet day. Yesterday Jackee and Dominique surprised me when they came to wish me Happy Mother's Day a day early. It was such a nice surprise! Marcy and Demetrius came over so he could do our yard for us. So they got to visit with them, also. We really appreciate Demetrius coming over and helping us without us even asking him to. A little after they all left Roxy came over for a couple of hours. So I had a lot of family time yesterday, which I always love. Today Marcy went to Mass with Bill and I where we met Chris. We took Marcy home afterwards and we went home to a relaxing quiet day.

On Friday I received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my baby brother, Andy, addressed to the Matriarch. I am the oldest of 8 siblings, 3 which are now sadly deceased. We lost our father in 1988 and our mother in 2008. My siblings and I have been quite prolific so our part of our family tree has plenty of branches. Being the eldest, I am now the matriarch by default. I have a fantastic family and will gladly accept the title.

Bill is still not able to sleep in the bed yet since his surgery for the implant. He is still having pain from this. We will be so happy when the pain is gone and he can get back to doing things he did before. We were planning on going to Phoenix in June to visit Andy, Genelle and their daughters, but, it looks like he won't be ready for a plane ride by then. I am so disappointed, but, I am happy for what we do have.

Well, I am going to finish watching Drop Dead Diva and then Army Wives and go to sleep. Have a blessed week!

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, CHRIS

2010-05-09T23:10:00.001-04:00

Sorry I didn't post this on her birthday, but, my life is still one hectic mess it seems like. Anyhow, happy, happy birthday, Chris!! I am glad you are back home, too. Even though we are getting older we still giggle and laugh like teenagers, a lot! That's what keeps us so young, too. And we will keep on doing it.

BILL HAS HAD SPINAL CORD STIMULATOR IMPLANTED

2010-04-07T12:46:00.001-04:00

Bill had the SCS implanted 2 weeks ago. He has an incision down his back with 13 staples in it and one on the right side of his very lower back with 11 staples in it. He is healing well but still has pain from that surgery and the staples are growing more uncomfortable as he heals. So he is still in pain, for now. He gets the staples out on 4/16 and can't wait. He is not having any of his old pain, though, thanks to the SCS. I will be glad when his misery is over and he can begin to return to a life without that miserable back pain.

Once again I am going to give a John Edward saying: "Give them the roses when they can still smell them." That might not be the exact quote, but, close. What made me think of that is something I overheard in my doctor's office yesterday. One of the ladies who worked there was explaining to someone why another lady was not in. She had lost her husband the day before. He had gone to the Master's that day and when he came home he was telling her what a good time he had and about seeing Tiger Woods. A little later she went out to finish some yard work and he went to shower. When she came in and went upstairs she found him dead in the shower. At least their last moments together were pleasant. The moral is we never know when we might lose someone we love or care about. Try to always make every moment together like it is your last. I'm just saying!

Our granddaughter, Dominique, has moved to be with her mom and, boy, do we miss her and her smiling face. We are glad for her and Jackee because they should be together, but, that doesn't help the pang in our hearts for her. Her and Jackee are so happy, though, that makes us happy. I'll be glad when Bill can travel again so we can go visit.

Have a blessed day. I'm still trying to get to write here more, but, as you can see haven't yet succeeded. I'll keep trying, though.

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, JASMINE!

2010-03-08T09:15:00.000-05:00

Our gorgeous great-granddaughter was 3 years old on Saturday. It was such a great idea for our grandson, Quentin, to bring her and Q. Jr. to spend time with us since Bill can't travel yet. Sue, Otis and Tamisha came, too, and I loved it. Roxy and Jaritte came Friday night because Roxy was planning a surprise dinner for Rikki whose birthday was yesterday. Tamika and her family came to stay with Roxy for the weekend. They all got together and spent Saturday afternoon at a Fun Park and I am glad Bill went and had a good time. Roxy and I stayed home. It was a great weekend because I always love having family over. Roxy and Jaritte just left and now I am resting. Have a great day!

SPRING FEVER

2010-03-05T14:18:00.002-05:00

LONG TIME................. Plant some herbs in a pot for some early gratification. The indoor smell and the green of the plant will bring some much needed hope for spring. Plus they will make any meal great for tasting or just garnish. Yes, Dennis (my husband) does all the cooking and thinks presentation makes the food taste better. He is a great cook and loves to do it. Go figure, when I was cooking for 35 plus years, I hated most of the time. Now he is retired again for now, so he cooks and I clean. Sometimes I think I get the raw deal because he uses a lot of stuff.

Seems like most of the men he retired with do the majority of the cooking after all these years. I hope everyone is hanging in there with all the world problems. Be safe and watch out for your family and neighbors. Together we can make this world a better place. I will step off the soap box now, enjoy your day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TAMISHA!

2010-03-01T08:57:00.000-05:00

Today is our beautiful, first-born granddaughter's birthday. She has always been a doll. Honey, I love you and I am so proud of the young lady you have always been. I know I speak for your grandfather, too. Have a great day and an even greater year!

UPDATE ON BILL'S NEUROMODULATION THERAPY

2010-03-01T08:45:00.000-05:00

Bill is still getting used to the sensation that the stimulation uses to replace his pain. We have had to meet with the company's rep a couple of times to readjust the settings. He gave us his cell phone number and said to call him whenever we needed to. He is great because he responds right away. This has made Bill very comfortable. The wire will be taken out tomorrow and the permanent one will be implanted in a week or so. Diabetics can only have the test one in for a few days and it's probably because of the opening in their back for the cable and transmitter. When the permanent one is put in the transmitter will be implanted. The doctor that will do the implant is out of the office this week and needs to have a pre-op meeting with Bill before scheduling the surgery. Hopefully, he can see him next week and schedule surgery shortly thereafter. All in all, this has made quite a difference in Bill's quality of life. For one thing, he has not had to take the Lyrica (300 mg in a.m. & 300 mg in p.m.) for his diabetic neuropathy so he doesn't sleep as much during the day or as groggy. Again I would recommend this for anyone who has chronic pain to look into this therapy and see if it is for them. I had never heard of this until now, but, understand it has been around for awhile.

Have a blessed day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKEE AND MARC

2010-02-24T00:52:00.002-05:00

Today is my 2nd daughter Jackee's birthday. Marc is my handsome grandson who was born on her birthday when she was 10. She has always claimed him as her birthday present from Sue and Otis. I won't see either one today but wish them the best day and year ever.

When I delivered Jackee the delivery pains would send me into epileptic seizures since I have epilepsy from a fall down steps and hitting my head. Medicine given to me to stop the seizures, also, stopped the contractions so I had to have a C-section. I am very proud of the woman she has become and every pain was worth it. She has given us 2 beautiful grandchildren. I am, also, proud of the young man that Marc has become. I love both of you madly! I am so blessed to have a great family.

So far, so good with Bill's SCS test. I am so happy about this and naturally so is he. I will keep you informed.

Have a blessed night and sweet dreams!

HEALTH-CARE ASSOCIATED INFECTION

2010-02-23T18:15:00.003-05:00

I received a comment on one of my blogs from a lady named Barbara. She evidently is trying to get the information and prevention out about Health-Care Associated Infection. She gave me permission to copy info from the website. However, instead of just cutting and pasting a little here, I am going to give the web address. The site is very informative and I want to thank Barbara.

It's ironic that I read it today because today Bill had a Spinal Cord Stimulation procedure done. Chris took us in their truck because our little car is not comfortable for Bill to ride in. She and Dennis are always there for us if we need them. The procedure he had done is a test run to see if it will help with his chronic pain. We have talked to so many people about it that we are sure it is going to work.It's a lot technical for me to explain here but they threaded a wire up by his spine. There is a cord attached to a "pacemaker" like box that is on the outside. He has a remote control to use with it. After a few days it will be removed. He will then have a permanent one put in and the box will be implanted in his lower area. This isn't very technical so if anyone is interested in finding more info for themselves or someone else in chronic pain I'll give the websites. Bill had a Medronic one put in. It is called Neurostimulation Therapy. The website is

TameThePain.com

Another is from St. Jude medical and their site

poweroveryourpain.com
I will for sure be back to give you the results!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SUE!

2010-02-17T09:32:00.000-05:00

Today is my oldest daughter's, Sue, birthday. -- years ago today at this time I was on the way to the hospital to deliver her. She has been worth every labor pain I experienced and I would not trade it for anything in this world. I love you, honey, and am so proud of the strong woman and great mother you are. Thank you for such great beautiful grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Well, I guess I shoul thank Otis, too, for his part in your lovely offspring. Have a fantastic day and even greater year. Love you!

DELAYED ROCKETTES REVIEW

2010-02-17T09:28:00.000-05:00

I just realized that I promised to tell how the show was and I didn't. I am so very sorry for that. It was a beautiful show which I loved seeing. The settings and costumes were great. And, of course, the dancing was spectacular. If you ever have a chance to see them, do not miss it! Thank you, Chris, for the ticket. Another very good friend of ours, Debbie, drove and we all had a great time.

HEALTH INSURANCE

2010-02-17T08:08:00.003-05:00

I am sorry I haven't been on here for awhile, but, my world has been topsy-turvy as usual. However, I just felt compelled to comment on something that I just heard on Good Morning America. Some health care insurance companies are raising their premiums by quite a percentage. One shown was Anthem Blue Cross and was showing a 39 percent increase. While listening to the report the awful thing that hit me was that healthy people are cancelling their insurance to save money! My greatest tip ever is this - IF YOU CAN AFFORD INSURANCE, HAVE IT!!! You might be healthy now, but, any health problem can hit at anytime. I had a healthy nephew in his 20's who developed an awful case of shingles. Right now I have another healthy nephew whose one lung collapsed last week and had to go to the ER. My point is simply this - you might feel healthy, think you are healthy, but some ugly little thing could be developing in your body. My husband, Bill, was always healthy. Then in 2004 he was hit with strokes and we were lucky we carry insurance. He was in his 60's at the time but friends of ours had a healthy son in his 30's have a stroke the year before and he died. Several of my family members were struck with cancer and they thought they were healthy.

Now for the good side of life. My brother, Andy, came from AZ to visit with us for a couple of weeks because he wanted to spend time with Bill at home and not in a hospital or rehab center. It was a great two weeks that went by too, too fast. He did have to spend an extra 2 days because the airports got snowed in. Down South, of all places. Of course, our brother, Ricky, our sister-in-law, Annie, our sister, Marcy, our nephew, Demetrius & our niece, Rikki, were here as often as they could since we all live in the same town. Our nephew, Phil, and his family came from Atlanta and our niece, Tamika, and her family, our sister, Roxy, her son, Jaritte, and my daughter Sue came from Summerville. It was so great to have us all altogher where it was not us getting together for an illness or death. He met my granddaughter's and our niece's respective boyfriends and gave them his okay after his meeting and surreptiously observing them. They passed and he invited them over for pizza and wings which was fun. He helped a lot of things with Bill and I mentally & physically and he is truly missed. Always check his blog or his Ning Network for some informative and insightful info.

I am so blessed to have some awesome siblings. I attribute it to the fact that we had awesome parents. I had 4 brothers and 3 sisters. Sadly, 2 brothers and 1 sister have passed. Except for Andy, the ones of us left live either in the same town or 2 hours apart. Ricky and Annie live here and are so helpful with Bill. They come over to take him to his therapy which he has twice a week when they can. Then they spend time here to help keep his spirits up. And to get a break from me. LOL. Marcy is a CNA and I can call her anytime for help. Plus she comes over when she can. Demetrius is coming over to do our yardwork. Again I say I am blessed with a wonderful family.

I am going to end now, but, must please ask for prayers for my sister-in-law, Annie, and Rick and her family because I just heard from her that one of her sisters passed.

Have a blessed and wonderful week. Stay warm and keep that health care insurance.

AIRLINE TRAVEL

2009-12-22T11:08:00.000-05:00

Here's a tip for those who will be traveling by air and run into problems. This is from my knowledge as a Customer Service Agent for an airline. I am now retired, but, I worked in reservations for several year and my final years were working at the ticket counter and at the gate. Keep in mind that the agent in front of you is not responsible for acts of God or if a plane is delayed or cancelled due to maintenance or some other problem. They hate it when that happens. All they want is to get everyone on the planes and have no hassles. When they give you information on delays or whatever, they are giving you the information that has been given to them. They are not making it up! When they have to handle these inconveniences they do their very best to try to get everyone handled and to their destination. They will be less likely to go that extra mile for someone who is rude and in their face. The best thing to do is keep your anger to yourself and let the agent do their job. It will go much faster and better for you. I have had a passenger throw his credit card at me because he had to pay a fee. When he came to the counter he was late for his flight and the rules were to be rebooked for the fare he was on there was a fee to be paid. There was no standby on that fare. When he came up to the counter he had an attitude. And it definitely wasn't my fault he missed the flight! I could have waived the fee but since he was so rude to me to begin with I told him the fee he had to pay for him and his wife. He tried to get me to waive it and I told him I had to follow the rules. He threw his card at me and I threw it back at him and told him not to be throwing anything at me. He then put the card back on the counter and I charged him the fee. If he would have been nice in the beginning I would have waived the fee. I have traveled both on the airline I worked with and others and have heard the same thing from other agents. If a customer is rude, they don't work as hard to help them as they could. Now this might not be all agents, but, you just might get the agent that this applies to. The thing to do is let the agent help you. Then get the address for the C.E.O. or president of the airline. Send them a certified letter of what problems you encountered and how dissatisfied you were. Do this for anything but an act of God. That they can't help you with. Whenever I have a complaint I never go to the customer service of a company. I send a certified letter to the head of the company. I learned this years ago. I have done it and had great success at getting my issues resolved this way.

Now have a great trip and a great holiday season! All of you in those snow areas, be safe.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2009-12-21T13:39:00.002-05:00

I feel I can say those words and not offend anyone. I find that there our others who are looking for trouble in any words a person says.

Please be safe, happy, and good health to all.............ALWAYS!

ROCKETTES CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR

2009-12-05T19:39:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow Chris and I will really be starting our holiday season. She has bought tickets for us to see the Rockettes Christmas show. It will sure be a fun filled beautiful afternoon! Today we worked at our church's resale shop for our monthly sale. We had a pretty good showing of people to come through. My brother and sister-in-law helped out, too.

Here's a tip for your leftover turkey. When I came home I put the turkey that was left into a big pot, bones and all, and let that boil for a good while in water and chicken broth. I, also, cut up an onion and some garlic cloves and dropped that in. When the meat was falling off of the bones I took the bones out of the pot and took all of the meat off. I then put the meat back in the pot with a bag of mixed vegetables and a bag of cut okra and spices. Fresh rosemary from my plant outside gave it a good flavor. Put in whatever seasonings you like to your taste. It's really good on a nice cold day like today.

Have a great evening! I'll be back tomorrow or the next day to tell about the Rockettes.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2009-11-27T10:53:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We had a great one and great food. It is great having a large family and having them be here together for a happy occasion. We had four turkeys = 2 fried and 2 roasted with 2 different stuffings. There was plenty family and plenty food. We will be doing our annual trek to the Chitlin' Strut in Salley SC. This year there will be a chitlin' eating contest handled by the World League of Champion Eaters. I believe that is the correct name. The World Champion eater will be in the contest plus three other ranking competition eaters. My nephew, Demetrius, is also going to be in the contest so we will all be there cheering him on.

Bill is still recuperating from his surgery and having a lot of pain. I will be so glad when he is through all of this. I will, also, be glad when Chris is back in town because I sure miss her being here.

Check out my brother Andy's blog. Especially check out the 5 postings entitled Why I Am A God-Fearing, Gun-Toten, Conservative-Capitalist, American Patriot! If you feel so inclined, leave a comment on his blog for these.

Have a great weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-18T14:09:00.002-05:00

Hi All
It's been a long time since I have been on the blog. I just want to wish good life and better days to come for all.
Have a Blessed Thanksgiving and a safe one. I am off to see family and will return on the 1st. I know that Jackie will keep you all informed on the doings the next couple of weeks.
She is a real friend and has a lot on her mind these days. Please pray that all our families, may they have good health and peace of mind.

THANKSGIVING IS ALMOST HERE!

2009-11-18T11:35:00.000-05:00

I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week already! We will have the family that can make it here for dinner and I am looking forward to it. Bill had shoulder surgery a week ago, but, he said it would be okay to still have the dinner here. He had to have surgery because last month he fell as we were going into the building for our bible study group. He blacked out for a second and fell off of the stoop. In doing so, he chipped a bone in his shoulder and messed up his rotator cuff. Thank God, he didn't mess up his back surgery that he had done in April. He is pretty sore, but, surviving as he calls it. Dominique and I try to make him as comfortable as possible.

Here's a little tip that I got from my sister-in-law, Annie. Get some tamarind seasoning or soup mix which is a powder. Sprinkle it on chicken with some other seasonings like garlic or onion powder. Bake it in the oven and save yourself some calories by baking instead of frying. It is delicious. I, also, like to line my grill with aluminum foil that has been oiled & then grill the chicken on that. Delicious!

Well, I have to go get ready to take Bill to his therapy session. Have a great day!

HAPPY 17TH BIRTHDAY, DOMINIQUE!

2009-10-13T11:48:00.001-04:00

Today is Dominique's 17th birthday & she is out with Marcy getting their hair done. That was a birthday present from Marcy. Chris took Dominique & I to the nail salon on Friday to get a mani/pedi for D's birthday. She is getting all prettied up! We are going to give her money because her taste in clothes & mine, of course, don't match. We have been celebrating since Bill's birthday last week. We had cake & ice cream on his day. Then this weekend we did a combined birthday dinner for him and D, cake & ice cream & all. Today we will have cake & ice cream again after D gets off from work. I will pick up Charlotte, another granddaughter, from her bus stop today so she can be here when D gets off work. Her, Caroline (her mom), & her brother, Maxwell, came Saturday to celebrate with us. We had a good time. The thing was that it was all impromptu because I wasn't sure what I was going to do plus I had been sick. I ended up being sick that day with sore gums; but, my granddaughter, Tamisha, helped with that by buying me a bottle of Tequila to gargle around the sore gums. It was great having Quentin & Misty with their 2 little ones, Jasmine & Quentin, Jr., our great-grandchildren. Otis & Sue came & it is always great when we are together. Pops & his 2 gorgeous twins, Sasha & Simone, were already here. Those 2 little ones are so funny and sweet. Annie & Ricky have been fighting the flu so they couldn't come & we missed them. Demetrius moved to SC from CA earlier in the week & I am so glad about that. It was so good having him here, too, for it. Being that it was so spur of the moment planning, it's surprising that so many were here. Tamika & her kids couldn't make it because she's had a migraine for several days. Tony was working, but, told D he would be here this week. I still haven't totally cleaned my house yet. My floors need steamed! But, we had a great time. I so love having a large family. It gets overwhelming for Bill, though. It always has, but, a little more now that he has been sick. But, he still enjoys everybody. He really enjoyed himself Saturday with Otis! Just wait until Thanksgiving when the house is full!!

Well, I better go get dressed & try to get some cleaning done. Have a great week!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BILL!

2009-10-07T17:56:00.001-04:00

Today is Bill's big day. I can't believe it's been 5 1/2 years since he had his first stroke. We will have cake and ice cream after Dominique comes home from work tonight. I have been in bed all day because I feel like another cold is coming on. My nephew and his 2 little daughter's are visiting for a few days and I don't want them to catch whatever it is I have, if I have something. Now I am going back to rest. Stay healthy and have a great week!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY!

2009-10-01T23:18:00.001-04:00

My sweet father would have been 85 today but we lost him on one of my brother's (Brother) birthday on July 28, 1988. Sadly, we lost Brother a few years later. Our dad was the best father anyone could have ever wished for. He was such a good father and great inspiration that each of my 4 brothers were blessed with his great qualities so he lives on in the 2 brothers that I have left! I love you, Daddy, and will always miss you.

SWINE FLU

2009-10-01T22:55:00.000-04:00

That dreaded menace is certainly making it's rounds and has hit our family twice that we know of. My neice, Marissa, caught it when she flew back to the U.S. from a college semester in the Netherlands. Luckily, she is now doing great. Today the 11-year old daughter of my niece, Elisa, sat over 3 hours in the E.R. where she was finally told that she has the swine flu and a strep throat. They kept her until her fever started going down and then sent her home so she is going to be okay. My intent is to tell everyone not to take any chances if you think you might be coming down with the flu. I was in bed for over a week, but, didn't have the body pain, aches and fever. I just had the congestion, coughing, headache and just blah feeling and just felt completely wiped out. During that time I did have to take Dominique to the doctor because she wasn't feeling good and was getting an awful sore throat. Thank God she was only getting a strep throat and is fine now. I have been keeping 2 of my little grandchildren for several days now because their mom, my ex-daughter-in-law, has been down with an awful cold. Thank God, again, no swine flu. I have to get my granddaughter, Charlotte, to her bus stop by 6:30am but I feel it's worth it so Caroline can get herself back on the road to health. She works so hard that she has just worn herself down. I am glad to be able to help by keeping Charlotte and Max for her for a few days so she can totally relax. That's just another case showing that even if it's not the swine flu, something is out there knocking a lot of us for a loop. Try getting more rest, consuming Vitamin C and generally just try to keep yourself healthy and your immune system up. Stay well everyone! Now I have to go to bed so I can get up at 5:45a.m to get Charlotte to her bus stop. I cut it pretty close this morning and almost had to take her all the way to school.

CHEF BROTHER LUCK

2009-09-18T12:50:00.001-04:00

One more thing and I promise I will not post another thing today. I have to get some work done while I am up to it. Anyhow, to check out a great interesting blog, check out my nephew's blog. He has amazing pictures and recipe ideas there. Just click on the link on our blog and it will take you right to him. Enjoy. I always get such a kick checking out his site.

Now I am really gone for the day!

SEAFOOD PASTA SALAD

2009-09-18T12:19:00.001-04:00

Since I have this recipe out, I figured I may as well put that on here, too. I got it years ago from my stepmother, Marie, and it is delicious. Whenever I take it for a potluck supper everyone loves it. This is what I just sent to Sue. It has all the attributes of a good dish - delicious, inexpensive & quick to make!

SEAFOOD PASTA SALAD

1 pkg small pasta shells

1 (10 oz) pkg frozen green peas

1can water-packed tuna, drained well

1 -2 lbs imitation crabmeat

1 small onion, chopped fine

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup grated carrots

1 - 2 tsp dillweed

Mayonnaise, to taste

Mix all together & chill several hours or overnight.

Now I am going go separate my wash and get started on my week long pile of dirty clothes!

REALLY RICH AND EXPENSIVE CHICKEN RECIPE

2009-09-18T11:17:00.002-04:00

I was looking for a pasta recipe for my daughter, Sue, that I knew was in my junk recipe drawer somewhere. I found it, but, also, came across this old recipe that I got years ago from the Pittsburgh 2Day show when their celebrity chef of the day , Robin Leach of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, was on. You could send in and request any recipes that they had on their show. That was before all the emailing and stuff. It is dated Feb. 21, 1989. I am throwing it in here for fun. I did make it before, though, and it is really very good. The recipe name will make you laugh.

REALLY RICH AND EXPENSIVE CHICKEN

1 whole chicken, cut-up

few dashes worcestershire sauce

3 tsp. Dijon mustard

juice from half a lemon

1 stick butter

herbs & spices, such as black pepper, fresh basil, fresh oregano

2 large onions, sliced

1 bottle champagne (the more expensive the label, the better)

1 medium can petit pois

1medium can baby carrots

1medium can baby peeled potatoes

1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

Wash and dry chicken. Combine Worcestershire sauce, mustard and lemon juice. Sprinkle over chicken. Dot chicken with few pats of butter and sprinkle with spices.

Place onion slices and some butter in bottom of large cooking pot; pour in a little champagne. Place chicken on top of onions, pour in more champagne. Place peas on top of chicken, pour in small quantity of chicken. Sprinkle herbs and spices on peas; add carrots. Sprinkle carrots with herbs and spices. Place three pats of butter on top of carrots; pour in a little more champagne.

Swirl mushroom soup on top of vegetables. Sink potatoes into mushroom soup, allowing tops of potatoes to be exposed. Pour in remaining champagne, allowing liquid to reach level of vegetables.

Place in 425 Degrees F oven and bake, covered for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove lid and continue baking for 15 minutes to brown potatoes. Serves 4.

Serve immediately with another bottle of champagne!

Try it, you'll like it! In fact, I think I'll make it again soon since I haven't made it since '89. I'm glad I found it again.

Sorry I was gone so long, but, things happen. Bill is still recovering from his back surgery, slowly but coming along. In fact, he wanted to go to Florida to see our other daughter, Sue, so we went there at the end of last month for a week. I drove and we made several stops so he could get out and stretch. We didn't do the park thing and still had a great time. We went to the flea market, an Outlet Mall and to Old Town several times. In fact, we are supposed to go back next month for his birthday and are staying across from Old Town. This was planned and reserved before he decided for us to go last month. Old Town in Kissimmee is great and has so much to do and it's not expensive. They have one evening that bikers bring in their motorcycles and they are on display. Another day cars people bring their cars from the '70's & '80's & are on display. Another day there is a vintage car cruise-in. It was all so much fun. It will be great staying across the street from there.

I have been not feeling so good for the last week from the flu. Yuck. Not the swine flu, thank God. After I started feeling a little better I would get on my laptop to check my email, play Iwon.com to try to win some money and, yes, I am still ChaCha'ing. That little money comes in handy for my little runs to the store.

Our granddaughter, Dominique, now lives with us & I had to take her to the doctor the other day because she was feeling awful. They diagnosed her with pharyngitis and she is on antibiotics and ibuprofen for her sore throat, headache and body pain. She hopes to go to work this evening even though she has a doctor's excuse to go back to work tomorrow. She is working and doing her Junior High School year online and loving it. Luckily, Bill has not come down with any of this.

Since I am feeling better, I decided to do this blog and will once again try to do it regularly. Now I am going to get my wash done that has been piling up for a week. Have a super great day and I hope to be in touch again soon!

STALE SANDWICH BREAD

2009-03-15T19:07:00.003-04:00

In today's economy we all have to really be as frugal as possible. In my house with just Bill, Marcy & I a loaf of bread sometimes goes fast & then sometimes it sits there for awhile. Even when I buy the smaller loaf. If it is not stale, stale but a little not as spongey as I like it, I make the sandwich and put it in the microwave for a quick zap. I remember when microwaves first came out, I would eat nothing but heated sandwiches for the longest time. Now I'm doing it again. Since I am trying to diet I am not eating many sandwiches these days, though. But, I just happened to think this is one tip that can save people a little bit of money. We do it, too, with leftover biscuits and garlic bread. Just moisten a paper towel and place over the bread on a microwaveable plate and microwave a few seconds. Nice and soft again!

Yesterday Bill went with the Knights to donate wheelchairs to vets at the V.A. that they volunteer at. CNN showed the donating today. Pretty neat.

Last night we went to the Knights St. Patrick's Day party & had a good time. The food was good, company great & rocking d.j. What more could you want? Maybe a younger or more in shape body? I don't exercise, but, sure got a workout last night! Bill hasn't danced much in a few years since he has had his medical problems. The music finally got to him and he got up & he really danced. Earlier one of the women had seen me bouncing around at my table because one of my favorite songs "That Old Time Rock & Roll" came in. She came over and said her husband loved to dance and would I dance with him if he came over when another song came on. I said sure & he did & was I tired after we got done! I finally got Bill up & we danced a lot. We both were exhausted when we left & are just relaxing today. We went to Golden Corral after church so I don't have to worry about cooking today! Now I am just resting and checking the web. I haven't even ChaCha'ed today.

Have a great evening and week!

MEATLESS FRIDAY

2009-03-13T14:34:00.005-04:00

I am still recovering from my bout with bronchitis and my appetite hasn't fully returned. No big deal since I really need to lose weight. However, yesterday after Bill and I went to Bible Study we went past Arby's to use our coupons for a free roastburger which are so delicious. I had eaten a bit of pizza before we went to church which I shouldn't have since I wasn't really hungry by the time we got home. Bill had an endoscopy done that morning so he just ordered a milkshake. Greedy me orders the roastburger and curly fries. My drink is still sitting in the fridge with my sandwich. And I can't eat the sandwich today since it is Friday! Oh, well. So goes life. Now for the next few weeks I have to think of different ways to fix fish on Fridays during Lent.

Today I am going to make some catfish bits for dinner. I'm not going to fry them, though. I will season them and let them sit in the fridge for awhile. Then I will brush them with mayo & roll them in mashed potato flakes & parmesan or mixed Italian cheeses. Or I just roll in the potato flakes & sprinkle the cheese on. Depends on what I feel like at the time. I line a pan with aluminum foil and spray or brush with olive oil. Then I place the fish in the pan and put in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until the fish flakes. I'm not following a particular recipe, but, remember that I made this a couple of times before and my family liked it.

Tomorrow Bill is going with some of the Knights from his Council to donate wheelchairs to the V.A. hospital that they do volunteer work at. He is a 4th Degree Knight & will be wearing the 4th Degree regalia that they wear as the color guard. Later that evening we will go to a St. Patrick's day party at the Knight's hall. Bill really enjoys being a part of the Knights.

I have been resting and ChaCha'ing since I got up this morning. Trying to get rid of these old cold feelings that keep plaguing me. Marcy and Chris keep having problems, too. Luckily, Bill hasn't been as bothered. Well, now I better go figure what else I will fix for dinner. When I was growing up we always had mac & cheese & fried fish or salmon croquettes (my dad made the best!) and we loved it! Sunday dinners was always fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green peas (we called them sugar peas) and biscuits. But, I digress! I better get to thinking about today's dinner. Have a fantastic day!

SIMPLE WAY TO GIVE DIRECTIONS TO YOUR HOME

2009-03-02T11:45:00.002-05:00

I heard about someone doing this a long time ago and thought it was a great idea. For some reason, everytime I think of it Bill Cosby comes to mind. So maybe I heard or saw something about him saying this.

Anyhow, it is always hard for me to give someone directions to my home from the Interstate because there are so many twists and turns. I know others must have the same problem. A good remedy for this is to drive the route and have an audio recorder on. Describe what you are doing - what turns you make, road you are on, places or buildings you pass, etc. Do this all the way to your home. Transfer this to a dvd & send it to someone when they are going to need directions to your home if you have time. If you have a webcam, you can relay the info to it and email it. Pretty simple, huh? To tell you the truth, I have not done this yet, but, it is such a great idea. Each time someone comes to visit and gets lost, I think of it. The last one was my sister-in-law Kim who was visiting from AZ. What made it even worse is that she was traveling at night and a lot of the roads here have no street lights. When my brother, Andy, visits he makes sure he is here before it gets dark because it really gets dark! I have to get around to making that dvd myself!

I've been enjoying talking by video calls to my brother in Arizona and my niece in the Netherlands by Skype. The really great thing is that computer to computer it is free! Boy, this technical age is so awesome!

Have a great day! This is going to be a lazy day for me since I have decided to do nothing for the next 2 days to give my body a chance to heal. I will be doing my ChaCha (yep, I am still making a little ChaCha money) and watching t.v.

KNITS AND BUMPS

2009-02-18T11:55:00.002-05:00

I just read this and thought I would pass this tip on to you.

Picking pills off your knits----use a sweater stone. Yes, I have the same question, what is a sweater stone? A natural sweater stone ($7.95 vermontcountrystore.com) sells them and you gently rub it over the pills. If this works, it sure beats picking them off, or getting rid of the sweater.

Hope your day is full of laughs---we need a good laugh!

DRY SKIN

2009-02-16T09:35:00.002-05:00

Overcome dry skin by using an inexpensive moisturizer with petrolatum listed as one of the 3 top ingredients on the label. You don't have to spend a lot of money to get great results.

Yesterday I said hello to someone and turn away to speak to another. I was rude not to say goodbye or acknowledge them instead of leaving them stand there. I plan on phoning them to apologize. They are the Nice's person and did not deserve my rudeness.
It bothered me all day and this morning I will make my apologies. A good lesson to be learned, I would not want to be left standing there. Have a good day!

HEART AND WOMEN

2009-02-13T20:27:00.003-05:00

Women and heart problems are over looked very often. My friend is dealing with symptoms right now and unfortunately--NO HEALTH INSURANCE. Please be aware of these symptoms and don't let your doctor off the hook when checking you completely. Please pray that my friend gets the care all people deserve. She has worked hard all her life and is 2 years from Medicare. Please take a look at this list...........................
EXTREME FATIGUE
NAUSEA
SHORTNESS OF BREATH
SWEATING
PAIN IN THE SHOULDER BLADES
PAIN IN ARMS
HEART FLUTTERS
FAMILY HISTORY--(I have this)
FAMILY HISTORY OF DIABETES
BAD HABITS LIKE SMOKING--(I gave that up in 1992, Mom had triple by-pass that year)
I am sure there are others symptoms, these are the ones I just read and wanted to pass them on to you. We have to take charge of our own health. No one can tell us how we feel but us. NEVER FEEL STUPID FOR TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF. A DOCTOR TELLING YOU THAT YOU ARE FINE IS GREAT NEWS. BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY!
I WISH EVERYONE GOOD HEALTH! HAVE A GOOD NIGHT!
Just remembered-- HAPPY HEART DAY-- tomorrow

Broken Glass--TINY SHARDS

2009-02-05T14:20:00.002-05:00

Here is a safe way to pick up those tiny shards of glass. Cut a raw potato in half and use it to wipe the floor. The shards stick to the potato and not your hands. Wipe the floor with a wet towel when done. I have tried this and it does work. Take you time and remember glass flies all over the place and sometimes it takes days to find all those little pieces. I have a habit of walking barefoot most of the time and MUST remind myself to wear shoes etc. Better safe than sorry....

I have been on the computer to find Bamboo plants for an outdoor hedge. Not cheap. Have a good day!

GO, STEELERS! GOT ONE FOR THE OTHER THUMB!

2009-02-04T14:49:00.005-05:00

I've been missing in action for quite awhile from here. I have to apologize profusely for shirking my duty & my promise. My duty to my wonderful sister/friend, Chris. My promise to my beautiful Aunt Irene & my wonderful nephew, Brother aka Chef Luck. I started this project & promised to keep it up & haven't. Chris has been doing a good job of keeping it going and never gets on me about it even though we talk every day. I will just say that I am and have been mentally going through some things that have wore me down. But, I am slowly coming back & I know I have a lot to be thankful for. So very, very much to be thankful for. I will not mention it again and really don't want to talk about it. But, I will slowly start getting back to writing here as I slowly start getting my head back together.

Have a beautiful blessed day! And, what about those Steelers!

SLOW FLOW SHOWER HEAD

2009-02-03T11:16:00.002-05:00

Fill a freezer bag with equal parts of warm water and vinegar. Place bag over shower head and use a tie or rubber band to secure in place. Leave on for 2 hours. The acetic acid loosens built-up minerals. Remove bag and run hot water through shower head to flush.

I ordered some flower bulbs today and hope to get up and going in the yard soon. Need energy to even get up most days. Hope to snap out of this funk soon. Weather really makes a difference as to how I feel. Happy Birthday to my grandson Lukas. He is six years old and my heart. Have a good day and I hope great things come your way....................

CLEAN STAINLESS APPLIANCES

2009-01-27T13:57:00.002-05:00

I found this trick the other day and wanted to share it with you. I myself have not been convinced that your kitchen is not up to date unless you have stainless appliances. But for those who do have them........
To get those appliances clean fast, squirt a dab of hand sanitizer onto a clean dry cloth. Gently polish the surface. They say the gel's alcohol base lifts the dirt and oil from the fingerprints and gives you super shiny stainless. Hope this works for you.
Days have been very overcast and I hope everyone has a great day. We all need them!

Pencil marks on walls

2009-01-19T16:59:00.002-05:00

I have more problems with my computer and I hate it. It took 11 minutes to get on line. I have been spring cleaning early and found that Scrubbing Bubbles takes off pencil marks on walls with very little work. Worth a try............
Pulled a muscle in back moving a mattress, so things are going great. I say great because I finally have some ambition. I have not had ambition in a very long time. It must be the iron I am taking. Jackie is fine but very busy.
Take time to laugh with someone!

SCRATCHED CD

2009-01-12T19:09:00.004-05:00

Put a dab of toothpaste (yes that's what they say) on your finger, rub it from the middle of the CD outward,then raised with warm water and dry with a soft cloth. The abrasives in the toothpaste (WHITE TOOTHPASTE NOT GEL) even out the surface. Good luck in finding white toothpaste. Look for the inexpensive brand.
Hope you had a good day. I got a lot of work done in the house and it feels great. Take some time and donate unwanted items in your house. Jackie and I see a lot of people that need help through our church.................

DYING PLANT

2009-01-12T18:57:00.002-05:00

I love reading magazines when I travel on a plane and unfortunately I have been on a few planes over the last months. I would rather drive but because of road conditions during the winter and time, I flew. HATE IT!
Here is a tip I read about on my travels.............
Next time your plant is due for a drink, grate a clove of garlic into 2 cups of water and give the plant enough to soak the roots. Garlic, they say is an antifungal compound called phytoncide. This prevents disease and gives healthy antioxidants. I will try this, they claim your leaves will perk right up. Have a good evening.

HAPPY 2009

2009-01-09T16:57:00.002-05:00

Hello, hope everyone enjoyed their holidays. I will be back with recipes and tips for 2009 starting the 12th. Time has been very busy and we were lucky to spend most our time with family and friends. Thanks for looking in on our blog. Have a great evening!

JAM THUMBPRINT COOKIES

2008-12-19T17:12:00.003-05:00

Last but not least the great Thumbprint cookie. I thought I would end this Christmas cookie and bar series with this old favorite.

1 1/2C unsalted butter, softened

1C granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/2C all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon water

7 ounces flaked coconut

Raspberry or apricot jam

Using electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until just combined; add vanilla. Sift flour and salt together. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Transfer dough to floured surface; shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap; chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly beat together the egg and water. Roll dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Dip each ball into egg wash; then roll it in coconut. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. With thumb, make an indentation into the top of each ball. Drop 1/4 teaspoon jam into each indentation. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until coconut is golden brown. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 3 dozen.

Please have a SAFE AND WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS!!!!! The best to all of us in the NEW YEAR 2009. Be back after the holidays...................................

BUCKEYES

2008-12-19T17:01:00.003-05:00

1 (16ounce) jar crunchy peanut butter

4C (1 pound) powdered sugar

1/2C butter, softened

2C (12 ounce package) chocolate chips

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Mix peanut butter, sugar, and butter. Roll into balls. Melt chocolate and oil. Roll balls in chocolate and place on cookie sheets lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Makes about 3 dozen. Never made these but it got great reviews. Hope you like them.

SANTA CLAUS COOKIES

2008-12-19T16:49:00.003-05:00

3 3/4C sifted all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2C butter, softened

2C brown sugar, packed

1 egg

Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and cloves. Cream butter; add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy. Add egg and mix. Gradually mix in sifted dry ingredients. Chill dough thoroughly.

Preheat oven to 350. On floured surface, roll dough about 1/8 inch thick, cut with floured cookie cutters. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire cooling racks. Decorate as desired. Makes about 6 dozen, depending on size of cookie cutters.

This is a good recipe for the kids to decorate and have fun. They can't mess them up with their decorating skills. Something to remember in many years to come. Take pictures of their finished sweets.................

ALMOND BUTTER CRUNCH

2008-12-18T08:57:00.003-05:00

1C butter
1C granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon white corn syrup
1/2C slivered almonds, toasted

Melt butter in large skillet. Add sugar; stir and heat slowly until sugar is dissolved. add water and corn syrup; cook to 300 degrees F. or to the hard crack stage, stirring only enough to prevent SCORCHING. Add nuts; mix well. Pour into butter 8-8 inch pan. cool; break into pieces. Makes 1 pound. This is for those people who have a real sweet tooth, like me.

PRALINES

2008-12-18T08:50:00.003-05:00

1 1/2C granulated sugar

1/2C whipping cream

1C maple syrup

2C small pecans or broken pecans

Mix sugar, cream, and maple syrup in a saucepan; stir and heat slowly until sugar is dissolved. Boil, uncovered, to 236 degrees F. or until the soft ball stage, stirring occasionally. Re move from heat; stir in the pecans. Drop spoonfuls on cookie sheets covered with wax paper, let stand until firm. Makes 1 1/2 pounds.

I love these and if you buy them, they are very expensive.

COTTAGE CHEESE COOKIES

2008-12-17T13:42:00.003-05:00

1C butter, softened

1C cream-style small curd cottage cheese

2C all-purpose flour

1 (12 ounce) jar strawberry preserves

Cream together butter and cottage cheese. Blend in flour. Cover dough and refrigerate for several hours.

Preheat oven to 425. Roll dough in thin sheets, cut into 3 inch square. Place a teaspoon of preserves in center of each square. Fold into a triangle. Press edges together very FIRMLY with fingers or fork. Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes, or until crust is lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 4 dozen.

This is a great recipe. It is worth the effort and the parchment paper. You can use your favorite preserve for the filling. Hope you like it........

CARAMEL SNAPPERS

2008-12-17T08:45:00.003-05:00

About 1 cup pecan halves

36 light, soft caramels

Arrange pecans, flat side down in groups of 3 (like a 3 leaf clover shape--it should look like a turtle's head and feet) on a buttered waxed paper on microwave safe plate. Place one caramel on each cluster of pecans. For 8-10 clusters, microwave on high for 30-60 SECONDS until caramels are soft.

***Watch carefully*** various brands of caramels melt differently. With a buttered spatula, flatten caramels over pecans. Remove from waxed paper to plate. Make frosting and swirl on top of snapper. Makes about 3 dozen.

Glossy Chocolate Frosting

1 tablespoon butter

1 square (1 ounce) unsweetened chocolate

1C powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

About 2 tablespoons hot milk

In a small glass bowl, melt butter and chocolate in microwave on high for 1-2 minutes. Keep an eye on the melting, it might take less time. Mix in sugar, vanilla and enough milk to make frosting of spreading consistency.

I would buy frosting but it is up to you. Have a safe day..................

SPRITZ COOKIES

2008-12-16T14:40:00.003-05:00

1C butter, softened

1/2C plus t tablespoon granulated sugar

1 egg

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 1/2C sifted all-purpose flour

Food coloring (optional)

Colored sugar, candies for decorating

Preheat oven to 400. Cream butter, add sugar. Blend in egg, salt, both extracts, and flour. Knead bough in hands until soft and pliable. If desired divided dough into several bowls and blend in food coloring for desired colors. Press dough through cookie press onto greased cookie sheets. Decorate as desired. Bake at 400 for about 8 minutes. Makes about 6 dozen. Have a great day........

GRANDMA'S MOLASSES COOKIES

2008-12-15T15:27:00.003-05:00

1C butter or shortening

2C granulated sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2C molasses

4C all-purposed flour

2 teaspoons ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Granulated sugar for dipping cookies

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and molasses. Sift flour, spices, salt, and baking soda; blend into sugar mixture. Chill dough for several hours.

Roll into 1 inch balls. Dip one side in sugar. Do not grease cookie sheets. Arrange sugar side up on cookie sheets. Do not flatten. Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Makes about 7 dozen. Weather is still warm. I need to get out and do some yard work while it is still nice. Finally got my Christmas lights working again, what a pain. Later..............

JIMMIE COOKIES

2008-12-14T18:12:00.002-05:00

1C butter, softened

1C powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2C all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1C uncooked oats (quick)

Chocolate jimmies

Cream butter, add sugar and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and oats. Divide dough into 3 parts; shape each into a log. Roll logs in jimmies; wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 325. Remove wax paper from dough logs; cut into 1/4 inch slices. Place on a greased cookie sheets. Bake at 325 for about 16 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Makes about 3 dozen.
Weather here is 71 and great. In a way I hate it because you know this is not here to stay. The outdoor plants get confused too. Have a good night..............

TOFFEE BARS

2008-12-12T13:52:00.002-05:00

1C butter, softened
1C brown sugar, packed
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2C all- purpose flour
1 (8-ounce) chocolate candy bar
1/2C chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 13-9-2 pan. Cream butter, add sugar gradually. Blend in egg yolk, vanilla, salt, and flour. Spread in pan; bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.
After removing from the oven, place chocolate on top of hot mixture that you baked. Spread the chocolate to cover the pan mixture. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. When cool, cut into squares. Makes about 5 dozen. This is always a hit and is very easy, even for me. Have a good day..........

BUTTERSCOTCH CASHEW CHEWS

2008-12-11T18:17:00.002-05:00

*1969 Recipe*
1/2C butter, softened
1/3C brown sugar, packed
1C all-purposed flour
1C chopped cashews
2C butterscotch chips
1C raisins
Preheat oven to 375. Cream butter; add brown sugar gradually. Stir in flour and cashews. Pat mixture in a greased 13-9-2 inch pan. Bake at 375 for about 12 minutes. Cool.
Break baked cookie mixture into small pieces. Melt butterscotch chips. Combine broken cookie mixture with melted butterscotch chips. Stir in raisins. Use teaspoonfuls of mixture and shape into mounds. Chill to set. Makes about 5 dozen. Sweet, crunchy, chewy--all in one. This is what the cookie book states. I have not tried this cookie recipe but will after the holidays. Let me know if you try this one, I would like your input.
Lots of rain and I have a leak in a skylight. Happy Days...................

COCONUT COCOROONS

2008-12-10T12:12:00.003-05:00

*1939 Recipe*
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1C sugar
2C corn flakes or other flaked cereal
1C coconut
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Preheat oven to 350. Add salt to egg whites and beat until stiff. Beat in sugar gradually. Fold in cereal and coconut carefully. Add almond extract and mix thoroughly. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes. Remove IMMEDIATELY from cookie sheet. Makes about 3 dozen.
Put some outdoor lights up and make a simple project into more than it needed to be. Can't find a simple star in all those Christmas boxes. Made a big mess in the attic. Will clean it up later, maybe after the project of taking it all done in 2009. Laugh it helps.............

CRANBERRY CRUNCH BARS

2008-12-09T12:02:00.002-05:00

*1973 Recipe*
1 3/4 C sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/4 C brown sugar, packed
2 C uncooked oatmeal
1 C butter, softened
1 C finely chopped walnuts
3/4 C sugar
2 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 C jellied cranberry sauce
1 (12 ounce jar) orange marmalade
1 egg, well beaten
1 tablespoon water
Powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 375. Sift flour, salt, cinnamon into a large mixing bowl; add brown sugar and oatmeal. Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; mix in walnuts Press half of crumb mixture into greased 13-9-2 inch pan. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes. Cool slightly. Mix sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Add cranberry sauce and marmalade. Cook and stir mixture until mixture thickens. Spread evenly over baked crust; sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture; pat down firmly. Stir water into beaten egg; brush lightly over crumb mixture. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes. Cool. Cut into bars. Sprinkle with powder sugar. Makes 31/2-4 dozen.
Went shopping and got over charged again. Please watch your prices because these store don't have them in their computer system right. At one store (T). I get over charged at least every other time I shop there. The sales people make nothing of it! Have a good Day..........

FRENCH NUT BARS

2008-12-08T14:15:00.002-05:00

*1964 Recipe*
1 egg
3/4C sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2C ground almonds
1/2C ground walnuts
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg whites, unbeaten
Preheat oven to 350. Using a wire whisk or mixer, beat egg until light colored; add sugar gradually; beat until thick, Blend in flour, almonds, walnuts, butter, and vanilla. Beat in egg whites; one at a time. Pour into greased and floured 8+8+2 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Cool and frost with Glossy Chocolate Frosting. Cut bars. Makes 3-4 dozen bars. Good mix of chocolate and nuts.
Glossy Chocolate Frosting
1 tablespoon butter
1 square unsweetened chocolate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1C powdered sugar
2 tablespoon hot milk
Melt butter and chocolate together. Blend in vanilla, powdered sugar and enough milk to make the frosting of spreading consistency.
I would add milk slowly so the frosting won't get to thin. You can always add more powder sugar to thicken. Or go buy the frosting for the bars. It can't hurt! Smile,,,,,,,,,,,,,

CHERRY ALMOND COOKIES

2008-12-07T17:58:00.002-05:00

*1952 Recipe*
1 3/4C all-purpose flour
6 Tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2C butter, softened
1/4C evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1C almonds, finely chopped
1 pound candied cherries
Powdered sugar to coat
Preheat oven to 400. Sift flour, powdered sugar, and salt together. In a separate bowl, cream butter. Add evaporated milk to butter a little at a time; mix until smooth. Add almond and vanilla extract, sifted dry ingredients and nuts. Blend well.
Flatten a level teaspoon of dough in palm of hand. Place a cherry in the center. Bring dough around cherry to form a ball. Roll between palms until smooth. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 400 about 10-12 minutes. Roll cookies in powdered sugar while hot. Makes 4-5 dozen.
Makes a small cookie. Have a good nights sleep. We all need that..................

FROSTED MAPLE COOKIES

2008-12-06T19:36:00.004-05:00

*1954 Recipe*
1C seedless raisins
3/4C water
1teaspoon baking soda
1/2C butter, softened
1 1/2C powdered sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 2/3C sifted all-purpose flour
1/4teaspoon salt
2 1/2teaspoon maple flavoring
Preheat oven 350. Cook raisins in water about 10 minutes on medium heat or until enough liquid remains to measure 1/2 cup. Add baking soda; cool. Cream butter and powdered sugar. Add eggs one at a time; beating well after each addition. Add salt and shifted flour. Maple flavoring and cooled raisin mixture. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. When cool, frost with maple cream frosting. Makes about 6 dozen. This cookie is not to sweet and a very old Christmas cookie before all the fancy ones were created.

Maple Cream Frosting
1/4C butter, softened
1 3/4C powdered sugar
2Tablespoons whipping cream
1teaspoon maple flavoring
Cream butter; add powdered sugar gradually. Mix in cream and add flavoring. Spread on top of cooled cookies.

MERRY MINT COOKIES

2008-12-05T18:46:00.003-05:00

*1967 Recipe*
1C butter, softened
1C powdered sugar
1 egg
1teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 C finely chopped pecans or jimmies
7 1/2 dozen thin junior size candy mint patty pieces
Cream butter. Add sugar gradually. Beat in egg and vanilla. Shift flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; blend into creamed butter mixture. Chill until firm, at least 3-4 hours.
Preheat oven to 350. Roll chilled dough 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface. Cut with a 1 1/4 diameter round cutter. Place on a greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle HALF of the cookies with nuts or jimmies. Bake all cookies for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately top each PLAIN cookies with 1 mint patty. Cover mint patty cookies with nut or jimmies top cookie forming a sandwich cookie. Cool and watch that the top does not slide off the mint patty bottom. Makes about 7 1/2 dozen. Mild mint flavor makes these very good!
I use junior mints, you can buy buy the box of mints in the candy department. Put those mints on the plain cookie right away, the heat helps them melt. The mint patty, plus nuts or jimmies in the middle make a sandwich cookie that is DELICIOUS
I still can't figure how to insert these scan recipes, so I typed this. Need more time I guess. Please take care and laugh, I spent time with my grandson who lives in Wisconsin and felt better laughing everyday. Love that boy...............

2008 COOKIE'S FOR CHRISTMAS

2008-11-14T18:16:00.003-05:00

Well I got a new scanner, so I plan on learning to operate it and start giving you some oldie but goody Christmas Cookies recipes. It will help because I am a very slow typer. I should of paid more attention in typing class years ago. Do they even offer typing class in high school anymore? I will have to go through the file from last Christmas, so I do not give repeats. I plan on starting these tasty treat recipes on the 5Th of December. The 5Th is the night we used to hang our stockings up. St. Nick came and brought us goodies if we were good or coal and maybe a potato or two if not so good. Those were the days. BE SAFE!

ONE NATION UNDER GOD

2008-11-06T08:01:00.002-05:00

Well, it is finally over and now all the hard work begins. We now have a president-elect with great idea's and have to come together and support him. I wonder how many people realize that he is both black and white, we must give his mother credit too. Americans have new hope, give TOTAL SUPPORT and together we will be ONE NATION. That is what the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE is all about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope all your days are going well. The weather will be great today, so I need to finish the cleaning of the shed. I have put it off to long.
Please be safe and have a good day..........

PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA -THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS!

2008-11-06T07:41:00.006-05:00

That is a quote from Chris, so I can't take credit for it. It is what she said to me yesterday when I talked to her. Since he is bi-racial we have a black and a white president -the best of both worlds! I didn't get a chance to get online and write yesterday because I was quite busy. I stayed up late watching the election and results and ChaCha'ing. The next morning I got up and had to go grocery shopping since I had not been shopping in over a week. Then since I had laid in bed about a week, my hair was a mess. So I had to go to the salon that afternoon. Then I watched my ex-daughter-in-law's 2 year old son (who is really like our grandson) while she attended the wake of her maternal grandmother. On top of all of that, the bothersome germ that is evidently still lurking in my body flared up yesterday evening. After she picked him up I went to bed, but, I couldn't get to sleep until after 4a.m. Now I'm back up because Bill and I are going to her grandmother's funeral this morning.

Anyhow, congratulations to President-elect Obama! I never thought the day would come during my lifetime that the U.S. would have a black president. I still remember the awful things we personally went through during the Civil Rights days. Most of it, of course, we experienced as we traveled to and from Louisiana and Texas every other summer. But, still we experienced some growing up in Pittsburgh. A lot of it because my brother and I were about the only blacks in our school and kids can be mean. We survived, though, because we had a strong father and mother who we saw survive things. A great new world is opening for the U.S. and the world and I am glad that I am here to see the beginning.

Now, I better go get ready to start the day. I hope you all have a fantastic day!!

VOTE & PRAY

2008-11-03T08:01:00.004-05:00

I know it's been awhile since I have been on. But, like Chris, I wanted to urge everyone to get out to vote. Remember, this is our future we are voting for. In that light I say, don't vote for someone because he is black or he is white. Vote for the one that you BELIEVE will help our struggling economy, ward off our attackers, help to secure a livable future for the next generation, etc. Remember, in this equation we, also, have to put the V.P. candidate. Because, God forbid, if something were to happen to the President, the V.P. is the one to take our country's future in their hands.

While watching Good Morning America this morning I heard of a website called canivote.org & went there. I was able to bring up my voting registration information which showed where I go to vote amongst other things. Besides that there is a lot of great info on that site. From that site I found another site called votesmart.org that has a lot of good info on it. You put in your zipcode & you can check on every candidate that will be on the ballot.

I have been down the last week or so with a virus that seems to not want to leave my body. But, I will be out there voting tomorrow. Bill is doing good lately and he will be out there with me along with my sister, Marcy. I hope the lines won't be too long.

Things have been going along okay here. I had a little scare with Bill, but, everything is okay now. Now I have to get ready for our annual Thanksgiving at our home. The family starts coming the Wednesday before & stay until Sunday. Friday we just recuperate from Thursday & then Saturday a bunch of us go to Salley, SC for the annual Chitlin' Strut.

Last week I got the awful news that my friend Faye's brother had been hit by a car and killed. Later that day I got the news that my sweet Uncle Randy had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Please include them and their families in your prayers. Thank you.

I am still doing my ChaCha job & loving it. It is such a great way of making a little extra cash from the comfort of your home. In fact, one of the days that I was bedridden I did it from bed. There is another company starting the same type of service with a little different twist that I am going to check out, too. I am on their list to apply when they have their applications ready.

Have a great day!! If you have to, check those voting websites I mentioned and check on your candidates. Not just President and Vice President, but, all candidates you are voting for. Then get out and VOTE! Then pray for the elected candidate every single day because he has a long, hard job ahead of him & our future in his hands!

AMERICAN

2008-10-29T17:44:00.003-04:00

Hi

It has been to long. I just wanted to tell every one to PLEASE VOTE on Tuesday. No matter who you feel should be president, we have to make all voters voices heard. I am not a movie star or a high profile person, I am a American who cares about this country and the people who live here. I hate when people label you as a Democrat or Republican. Left, Right, Liberal, ETC. ETC. ETC...............American is who I am. Please take care and be safe!

HEARTBURN

2008-09-17T08:44:00.002-04:00

If you suffer from heartburn, here is a good tip that I got from a home remedy book. It's very simple: DRINK WATER WITH YOUR MEALS! Drinking water will wash the stomach acids from the surface of the esophagus and back into your stomach. The saliva that you swallow with the water will help neutralize the acid. Simple, huh? I will make sure I drink a lot of water with my meals now.

Things have been hectic lately and I haven't been on the computer much except to ChaCha and maybe check email. Bill has been having some health problems that we have been dealing with and I have been ChaCha'ing a lot. Gotta get that extra money in the pocket. Since Bill fell his arm has given him a lot of trouble. I took him to the doctor for that and after more x-rays it is believed he just has a bad sprain. He, also, has not had any energy or has felt like doing anything, but, sleeping. When he missed going to the V.A. with the Knights for his volunteer service, I knew he was really feeling bad. Because he would go no matter how much his legs and feet hurt when he got home from there. On Monday the doctor put him on a narcolepsy medicine to help him stay woke during the day. I almost passed out when I picked the medicine up from the pharmacy and found out it was over $300 for a month's supply.! Yesterday was his first day taking it and he was woke all day. He still didn't have much energy, but, he was woke. He said he thought for over $10 a pill he would be running around the house. Now we just have to see how he slept last night. He has been using his CPAP mask and hopefully slept good last night.

Jackee is moving to Florida today and starting a new job. She came over on Sunday to spend time with us before she goes. I made a big pot of gumbo and the family that lives in this town came over to say goodbye. I didn't think I would cry when she left because the drive to FL is only a little over 7 hours. Just 6 more hours to get to her than when she lived in SC because she only lived an hour away from us. But, I cried. She is such a sweet person and I am so happy for her because she is doing what she has been wanting to do for a long time. Dominique is looking forward to moving because she loves FL, too. Tyler is not so much into it. I told him his mom went through the same thing at his age because that's how old she was when we moved to the Philippines.

We have a lot of family in TX and LA that were affected by Ike. We have relatives in League City, San Antonio, Galveston and Beaumont, TX. In LA we have family in Opelousas and that is where we buried my mother in April. My cousin that lives in League City did not evacuate with her family because she said they had been through Cat 3's before and made it. Plus she has several medical problems that would hamper their leaving. When Ike started hitting Andy called me and we watched the storm on weather.com. Andy then called our cousin and started giving her reports because her power was out by then. That sweet man was on the phone with her every 15 minutes giving her reports all night long until he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. It was a blessing to my cousin she said because they had no contact with outside and had no idea what was going on. When the calm of the eye came over them it lasted for 2 hours. She said she had never been in one where the eye lasted that long. At a point she thought it was over since it was so long. Then she got the call from my brother saying that the back end of the eye would be hitting there in 30 minutes. Sure enough, it hit and was worst than the front end! Surprisingly, they did not sustain much damage. Thank God.

I am going with Chris and 2 other friends, Mary and Debbie, to see The Women this afternoon. I am looking forward to an afternoon with the girls. Marcy can't go because she is working an afternoon shift today. Friday Marcy, Chris, possibly Bill and I are going to an arts festival. The Philippines is being featured and we are looking forward to going and getting some great Filipino food. Plus there are going to be Filipino dancers Friday evening.

Well, I am going to sign off now and do a little ChaCha'ing then go do some chores. I have things I want to get done before I'm off for the movie. Have a great day!!

UNTANGLE NECKLACE KNOTS

2008-09-13T12:44:00.002-04:00

Hello to all and good thoughts to all that are going through VERY BAD WEATHER! Been outside doing the lawn. I have 5 acres to cut and trim. I remember the days when I had a 9 year old helper named Jerry. He helped do the yard for at least 5 years. We had a lot of trees at that time. Pine cones, sticks, and straw were a weekly pick up. My helper is now in his late 20's and I miss him a lot. He was a hard worker and a great kid. Time really gets away from you, where does it go?

Use baby powder to untangle those knots. Sprinkle the chain with the powder and start unraveling the tangles. The powder lubricates the chain and loosens the knots.

Jackie and I will see that new movie out *The Women*. We hope to get a few friends and family together for the viewing. Get a group together and have a few laughs and time with friends. It is always good to laugh. Have a good day!

HEADACHES

2008-09-05T22:43:00.002-04:00

Here's a great tip for all of us headache sufferers. Heat a few tbsp of salt in a dry frying pan until it's hot, but, not too hot to touch. Pour the salt into a thick, clean sock or a cloth bag. Then hold it to the back of your head (yes, even though you feel the throbbing pain in the front), and rub. The draw heat should draw the pain right out.

Looks like Hanna is not going to have an impact on our families in Summerville, thank God. We had thought tthere would be a mandatory evacuation. There was just the suggestion of evacuation so they all stayed. Now if Ike decides to veer in their direction looks like he is not playing and they will have to come here. We are prepared.

Today Marcy, Chris and I went to an annual crafts fair that is held outdoors downtown. Marcy's son, Tony, and his friend, Joey, went with us. Tony and Joey had come back from Summerville yesterday to help Bill with some stuff around the house. That is so sweet of them. We walked around and checked things out for awhile and then decided to go to lunch at a Cuban restaurant downtown. Our friend, Debbie, met us there and we had an enjoyable lunch outdoors. Afterwards we walked around a bit more to get Bill a funnel cake and went home. It was starting to get crowded and hot so it was time to go.

Sadly, my nephew, Slade, left to go to back to Phoenix to live. His mother is there and so is Andy so he will have family there. He will be staying with his mom until he gets on his feet. Marcy and I took him to go pick up his ticket and then brought him back to the house and we ate until it was time for him to depart. We took him back for his departure and waited until he pulled out. We both felt bad seeing him go and wish things could have worked out so he could stay. However, we think that being with his mom right now is a good thing right now. Anyhow, our prayers are with him in the move. No matter what happens amongst family, we should all remember that we are all a part of each other.

Now I am going to do some chacha=ing and then go to bed. Have a fantastic night!!!

REMOVING INK STAINS

2008-09-01T21:14:00.001-04:00

Monday night we got the bad news that our 5 month old great-granddaughter had to go to the E.R. because she couldn't keep anything down. To make a long story short, ultra-sound showed that part of her bowel had collapsed into another part. She had laproscopic surgery and came through like a trooper and is doing great now. You can believe quite a few tears were shed on my part because I couldn't be there with her, but, I knew she was in good hands with her grandma and grandfather. Plus her parents got to Summerville from Atlanta as quick as possible. They had left Jasmine and Quentin, Jr. with Sue and Otis for a few days because Sue and Otis wanted grandparent time. All is great now and we are all happy.

This weekend Tamika, Will, Mia and Darionna came to visit. Marcy, Chris and I had plans on doing our flea market bit Saturday and Mia and Darionna are Marcy and my little helpers. We each did a little sales, but, it was as hot as Hades and we were under roofs. We were glad to pack up and go home. But, we will be back out there again because it is fun. That afternoon Aaritt and his family came and we had a full house. Which is the typical Jr. Luck style. For some of us, that is. He is such a great help to Bill and always has been such a sweet kid. If they lived closer and gas wasn't so high, I know that he would be here more often to help Bill. I wish we had more nephews or grandsons like him, I'll tell you that. They left Sunday afternoon after he finished doing yardwork with Tamika's son, Will. I went to bed and laid down for awhile and fell asleep. I woke up to great food smells. Tamika was cooking a great dinner and, boy, did we eat. Even my niece, Rikki, who goes to college here came over with her roommate to eat. Later we watched some movies and then went to bed.

Before going to bed, though, I was on the phone a lot with Ricky and Andy checking on our family in LA and TX who were being affected by Gustav. Some had to evacuate. Thank goodness all are doing okay.

My ink remover tip is if the material is still wet with the ink, saturate it with lemon juice and wash with your regular detergent.

Now I am going to do a little chacha-ing and then go to bed. Be safe if you are in Gustav's path and pray for everyone affected by him. It looks like the next one could make the way up the FL, GA & SC coast. If that happens, our Summerville family will have to evacuate possibly. So I better start to stock up for the onslaught of evacuees. Well, we have a few more days to see what the deal is. Goodnight and be safe!!!

HERBED SCONES

2008-08-27T14:27:00.002-04:00

This one I will try tonight.
Makes 6 servings
Heat oven 450
In a bowl prepare 1 1/2 cups of pancake and baking mix according to package directions for biscuits. Stir in 1 tsp. ground cumin, 1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese, 3 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro and 1 Tbs. chopped roasted red peppers. On a floured surface form dough into 8 inch circle. Cut into 6 wedges. Transfer to baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes or until brown.
I pick this one because it sounds good and very simple. I also think you could use other herbs or cheese for your own personal taste.

Jackie brought me some medicine and that is really appreciated. This way I didn't have to get dressed and go to the pharmacy. Thanks dear friend. We are gone tomorrow to get a spot at the flea market in Augusta. She will show me the ropes. It has been raining for days and we need it. We hope for sunny weather on Saturday.

SHARING RECIPES & HINTS

2008-08-26T09:57:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to say that Jackie and I have always been up front about where we get our hints and recipes. This blog is a sharing site. We have shared with all of you information on hints and recipes for over a year now. Please continue to enjoy our sharing. We are very honest people and would never steal a copyright (recipe) for any reason. I have shared both recipes from old and new cookbooks, hints from books and magazines. I never thought that I was infringing on a copyright. Thank you for looking in on our lives and sharing. We hope to continue to share for many years to come. Have a great day! Chris

Here's a great hint-- Take a deep breath and smile at someone today. I am sure someone in the last thousands of years, said that to someone else. OH WELL!

NEVER MIND

2008-08-25T20:48:00.002-04:00

I just decided to delete the recipe for the pie made in a mug because I don't want to get involved in copyright infringement and stuff. Sorry. It's not like I was trying to take credit for the recipe.

GEORGIA PEACH TEA

2008-08-25T19:50:00.001-04:00

This past weekend we went to Summerville for the "Celebrate Elsie" birthday party that my niece, Tamika, had on Saturday for my mother who passed in April. It was not just a party. She did a fantastic job and we all had a great time. My nieces, Roxy and Darionna, led it off by singing Amazing Grace. Yes, there was a whole program set up with programs printed out. It was great. My nephew, the chef, made a huge pot of jambalaya and I made a huge pot of gumbo. These were two huge stockpots full and it was all gone by the end of the night. Tamika, also, had little gift bags made up of Mommy's favorite candies. Sunday Sue and I took Quentin, Jr., her grandson, my great-grandson, to Darionna's birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. We left the baby home with Bill and Otis. We came home today and I am now resting. We had to get up early today because we had a problem with the car that we needed fixed before we got on the road. Thanks goodness I was able to get in touch with Roxy's friend who owns an auto repair shop.

GEORGIA PEACH TEA

1 peach, peeled and diced 2 green tea bags

1/2 cup green seedless grapes (garnish) 2 + cups ice

2 cups water 3 tbsp sugar

Put water in a medium pan and bring to a boil. Add tea bags and let sit off heat for 4 minutes. Meanwhile place peaches (reserve a few for garnish) and any juice collected from cutting them into a pitcher with 2 cups of ice. Once tea has steeped remove the tea bags and add sugar, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Pour tea into pitcher, stir and serve over ice. Garnish the glasses with a skewer of grapes alternating with peaches. Makes 4 servings and is delicious!

Now I am going to ChaCha a bit and go to bed. Have a great night!!!

I'M BACK FROM THE GOLF TOURNAMENT

2008-08-20T19:27:00.002-04:00

I was a volunteer at the Ben E. King Celebrity Golf Tournament on Monday. I went to VA on Saturday and came home yesterday. Sunday there was a great dinner concert that Gene Chandler performed at. Before he came out Maxine Brown and Beverly Crosby performed and they were great. They call themselves the Wild Women and there are supposed to be 3 of them, but, because of family one was missing. In fact, the 3 of them have suffered different family tragedies lately. Monday was the tournament and we had a ball. My friend, Faye, and I were stationed at the 17th hole to mark for the woman who had the longest drive. We had a good time talking to everyone as they played past the hole. After the tournament there was an awards banquet that was a lot of fun. Then we all spent the rest of the evening up in the hospitality suite. I was plenty tired when I finally made it home. But, I was so glad that I went. My good friend, Shirley, has tried to get me to go to the tournament for 11 years. There was always an excuse why I couldn't. This year she said that I needed a break and had to go. Plus, I hadn't seen her since we moved here in 1989 even though we've talked. I, also, got to be with Shirley's sister, Nancy, her cousin, Marlyn, her good friend, Roxanne, her mother, Rose, her brother, Jimmie, and her 3 kids, Teisha, Bryce and Randy. It was so great to be with all of them!! I have to stay in touch with them and can't let 20 years slip by like that again. Even if it's just email. Plus, I got to meet Ben E. King who is such a nice, sweet man. It was an honor to work on the tournament with all of them! Bill called me once and I gave Ben the phone to talk to him. Well, he invited him to come next year and Bill was thrilled. Marcy said that he was smiling hard when he got off of the phone.

My nephew who gave me those delicious recipes now has his own blog that you should check out. It is chefbluck.blogspot.com and is, of course, great to read.

Needless to say, I am tired and will go to bed early tonight. My weekend will be full since we are going to Summerville for the party in honor of my mother that my niece is having. I am going to make gumbo so I have to get up early Saturday to get it started so it will be done in time for the party. Now I am going to do a few chores, of course do my chacha.com job and get some sleep.
Have a great night!

CHORIZO CON QUESO

2008-08-14T18:18:00.002-04:00

It has been a busy few days. I am getting ready for my trip to VA for the Ben E. King Celebrity Golf Tournament this weekend. Plus trying to get some things done around the house that Dominique and Tyler can help with before they go home this weekend. I got my manicure & pedicure today and will get mine & Dominique's hair done tomorrow morning. Saturday I will leave and come back on Tuesday. I am looking forward to the break. It will be fantastic to see my friend, Shirley, who I haven't seen in years. We've been in contact with each other, but, just haven't seen one another. Which is strange since we both can fly free. Anyhow, she is the one who is seeing that I am going to this and taking care of the arrangements. She said that I need the break. Boy, do I! I will be one of the volunteers at the event and can't wait. Several other people that are volunteering are friends from years ago that I haven't seen so this will be so great. Plus her mother, who is a sweetheart, is coming and I am so glad. I stayed with her for several months after Bill was transfered here and we bought our home here. I was commuting from Pittsburgh to here on my days off until I could get a transfer in my job. I don't know if I will take my laptop or not so I might not be in touch when I leave.

This recipe for Chorizo Con Queso is really easy. Just fry up some chorizo sausage and mix it with some Chile Con Queso. Serve it with some tortilla chips and you have a nice little treat. It goes good with the Michelada beer recipe and crab jalapeno pepper recipe that I gave you.

It's going to be a busy two weeks. I come back from VA on Tuesday, Thursday I go to the doctor to have cysts removed from my neck, face and underarm. Friday we go to Summerville for the party on my mother's birthday on Saturday. My nephew, the chef, from Colorado is coming and going to do some cooking for it. He called last night to tell me that he is definitely coming and I am so happy. It's going to be a lot of fun.

Well, I am going to get off now and do a little bit of ChaCha'ing to make a little money. Then I will do a little more to get ready for my trip. Have a great night!!!

CRABMEAT STUFFED JALAPENO POPPERS

2008-08-10T23:23:00.001-04:00

Well, I'm back. I don't know what bug had me this time, but, it had me good. The last day that I lay there trying to recover my strength and good sense, I had to end up in the ER with Bill. He tried to do something by himself that would have been fine if he was several years younger and in better shape. He took a terrible fall, but, is okay. He just has to remember that he is a few months from 70 and has had several strokes, diabetes, neuropathy and gout.

This is a little recipe that I got from a magazine. It had no measurements so it is an "as you please". It all depends on how much you want to make. Mix the crabmeat with cream cheese. I bought a pound of shelled claw meat. The amount of cream cheese you use depends on how creamy you want it to be. I put some of the mixture into seeded jalapenos. You can either slice them in half lengthwise and stuff each half. Or you can slit a jalapeno down the middle, seed it and stuff. We did the halved way. I then put them under the broiler until they browned a little. You can even put them on a grill covered with aluminum foil. An extra little tip is one from Ricky. Drink milk to cool the fire in your mouth if there is any. It works. We tried it! Have a great night!!!

PESKY FRUIT FLIES GOODBYE

2008-08-07T18:57:00.002-04:00

First-- Jackie has not been feeling good for days now. Please send good thoughts for her speedy recovery.

Fill an empty soda bottle halfway with apple cider and 2 drops of dish soap. Then place a plastic wrap over the mouth of the bottle, secure it with a rubber band and use a needle to punch several holes in the wrap. Keep the bottle in a discreet area of your kitchen. The vinegar attracts the flies while the miniscule holes in the plastic allow the pests to enter the bottle.

Hope everyone is ok, sleep well!

BABY POWDER HINT

2008-08-05T09:40:00.004-04:00

Here is another baby powder hint. I don't have hardwood floors, so let me know if this one works.
(Squeaky Floorboards)
Using a turkey baster, apply baby powder into the crevices between the boards. The powder should fill in any gaps to keep the boards from shifting and creaking with each step.
I just talked to my dear friend Marci. She came home from work last night to find a snake between the storm door and front door. She really had a horrible night and is still shook up. Please be careful out there! This is the one thing I hate about the south, snakes.................. The neighbors heard her screaming and thank goodness they did. Her husband is hard of hearing and didn't hear her for the longest time. The neighbors took the black snake away and said it was a rat snake and harmless. Tell that to someone else. It's night and this is inches from your face, who cares what kind of snake this is. Please send good thoughts to my friend. Thanks!!

EGG TOSTADAS

2008-08-04T10:35:00.003-04:00

I thought I would give a recipe today. I have been dealing with a kidney stone for a couple of days and if any of you have gone through this, you know it screws up your whole existence.

This recipe makes 6 servings
In a sauce pan, cook 1 can (16oz) refried beans and 1 tsp., each cumin and chili powder 2 minutes. In a bowl, combine 6 lightly beaten eggs; 1 jar (2oz) pimientos, drained, and 1/4 cup chopped scallions. In a skillet heat 2T butter; add eggs and cook 4 minutes or until set. Place 6 toasted corn tortillas on 6 plates. Divide beans, eggs, and 1/2 cup salsa and shredded Cheddar cheese among tortillas. Very easy and tastes good. Have a good day!

BUSY WEEKEND

2008-08-03T21:32:00.001-04:00

I haven't been online because I have been busy with ChaCha.com and other things. Saturday the monthly sale at our church's thrift shop was held. Marcy and I went to and helped out. There were a lot of customers that day and the shop did good. Ricky and Annie came over that afternoon so Ricky could help me with a computer problem. They stayed for several hours and I really enjoyed it. We haven't had time to spend too much time together because they have been really busy since Mommy passed. It was so great to have them here for awhile. Later that evening I ChaCha'ed for quite awhile. Today Marcy, Dominique and I did the flea market thing at our local flea market. We didn't do so good and it was hot!!!!!!!! Plus I had marked some items down so they told me that I can now only pack and unpack. No selling. Oh, well. I have a fridge full of leftovers so we ate that and watched "Drillbit Taylor" with Bill and Tyler when we came home. Now I am doing this blog and then getting ready to ChaCha. ChaCha has become addicting and I miss doing it. So now I will say goodnight and go ChaCha. Have a great night!!

BABY POWDER TIPS

2008-08-02T12:13:00.002-04:00

Stop ants from invading your picnic by sprinkling some baby powder around your blanket. The powder is too dense for the ants to struggle through, so they leave you alone.

You can protect your flower bulbs from pests by placing 5-6 at a time in a zip-top bag and add 3 T spoons of baby powder. Gently shake for a few seconds. The absorbent powder coating protects the bulbs from rot while the smell of the powder keeps away pests.

Keep cool at night by sprinkling your bed sheets with baby powder. The highly absorbent yet barely noticeable powder will soak up that night time perspiration. This is a good one and for those extra hot summer nights, it is great!

Keep cool and have a safe day!

GREAT RECIPE TIP

2008-07-29T20:46:00.003-04:00

We were away for the weekend and I didn't get online too much. Plus I didn't feel too good. We went to Summerville to have our picture taken at the fundraiser that Sue & Otis's church was having. We had a good time, though, even though I didn't feel so good. When we came home Sunday evening I went to bed. Yesterday I stayed low until I went to meet Jackee halfway between the town they live in and ours. She was bringing Dominique and Tyler back to stay with us until they start back to school in a few weeks. Then today I went to a memorial service for a dear man that just about our whole town loved. I came home and fixed dinner and now I am going to give you this tip and then go work on my new job with ChaCha. Yep!!! I got accepted and I love it! It is an amazing service and I am glad to be a part of it. I am still learning and can't wait to get on a roll.

Anyhow, here comes my tip. It is really a tip from Jackee, my youngest daughter. She sent it to me in an email today and I love it. I love to cook so this is the perfect website for me. It is http://www.fooddownunder.com/ and is amazing. You can get recipes for just about any nationality for any type of dish. Like I said, I love it. Now I will say goodnight and I am going to ChaCha now. Have a great evening.

ChaCha

2008-07-25T10:40:00.002-04:00

I still haven't found out yet whether I have been accepted for the online job at ChaCha.com. However, I thought I would share them with you. Anyone in the U.S. can text or call them from a cell phone with a question for anything. The question is routed to one of their Guides (which I hope to be) who researches and answers the question. It's a little more involved on ChaCha's end, but, that is the gist of it. I think this is a fantastic idea and I am so surprised I never heard of it. Chris said that she had seen something about it on t.v. before. The company has been around since 2006. To call them it is 800 2chacha or to text send the text to 242242. I love it and am just sorry I didn't hear about it earlier. Give it a try. Who knows, one day I might be the one answering your question!!

2008-07-25T09:13:00.002-04:00

I didn't write here yesterday because I was accepted by one of the online companies that I had applied with. The training and testing took awhile and I loved it!! Hopefully, all will go well and I will be given the go-ahead to start working for them. It is a company that received all kinds of questions from people around the U.S. via cell phones by voice or text. The guides look up the info and text it back. It's a little more involved than that, though, and very, very interesting. Anyhow, here's another of Chef Luck's recipes that would be great for a party.

Spicy Goat Cheese Dip
Serves 12 people

Canola Oil 2 Tablespoons
Garlic Cloves 4 each
Red Onion (Finely Sliced) 1 Small
Chipotle Peppers (Pureed) 2 each
Cream Cheese 1#
Goat Cheese 6 ounces
Boursin Cheese 12 ounces
Thyme Leaves 2 sprigs
Cilantro (Finely Chopped) ¼ bunch
Kosher Salt To Taste
Cumin To Taste

Procedure: In a small sauté pan, heat the canola oil on medium high temperature. Add the garlic cloves and cook until golden brown, remove from the pan. Add the onions to the oil and cook until golden brown and caramelized, remove from heat and allow cooling. Puree the garlic, onions, and chipotle peppers in a food processor and reserve for later. In a food processor with a paddle attachment, cream all cheeses together until smooth. Add pureed pepper mixture to cheese and the herbs. Season the dip with salt and ground cumin and adjust seasoning to taste. Scrape into a medium sized saucepot and slowly heat the dip. Serve with any variety of sides to dip such as bread slices, vegetables, or deli meats.

For some reason I woke up feeling not so good. I have to drive to Summerville today so I hope I start feeling better. Plus Marcy and I are doing our flea market thing this weekend. This time we will have 2 tables. Have a great weekend and I hope I do the same!!

SUNSHINE SMOOTHIES

2008-07-24T09:29:00.002-04:00

It has been a while since I have been on the blog. This summer, both traveling and company has put me in a funk. SORRY!
One quick recipe to start---
In a blender or food processor, puree 2 containers (6 oz. each ) nonfat lemon yogurt. 1 cup lemonade, 1 cup honey, and 2 cups ice cubes. Mix 1 minute or until smooth. Glasses should be chilled and garnished with a lemon slice for guests. This tastes great and is very easy. Have a safe day.................

COCONUT MACAROONS

2008-07-23T22:05:00.003-04:00

Today I continued to work myself out of my "funk" and went to the beauty salon. I had my hair washed, cut and highlighted. I told my stylist I felt like a new woman. Then I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few things. When I came home I put a smoked turkey leg and wing on to boil for some turnip greens. I, also, had a taste for pig's feet so I bought some and put those on to boil with some taco seasoning in it. I put a London Broil in a plastic bag with some marinade and then had to go with Bill to a checkup with his medical doctor. The report was good and the doctor said everything was fine, all the numbers are good and his mind is working great. Fantastic!! Plus now when I go to the Ben E. King Celebrity Golf Tournament next month I won't feel guilty. He doesn't have to go back until November. We then came home and I finished dinner so Bill could eat before he went to his Knights meeting. I put the greens in the pot with the smoked turkey, put the L.B. on the grill and baked potatoes in the microwave. Bill had his dinner before he left. I still have a lot of catching up to do, but, I am working on it. Our room and my dresser top is looking much better. The big chore is going to be straightening out the papers and files in the computer room. I have a bunch of mail to go through and am dreading it. The most time-consuming part is shredding, shredding and more shredding. I won't get a chance to get through all of that until next week, though. I can't start it until next week because I have laundry to do tomorrow that I want to get done before we go to visit Sue and Otis. Friday I will not be getting up too early so I can rest for my drive to their home. We are going to take part in the fundraiser for her church with the professional photographer. Yes, Aunt Irene, I will definitely send you a copy! Now I am going to include another one of my nephew Chef Luck's recipes. One of my favorite things to eat!!

Coconut Macaroons
1 ea Egg White

1 Tbl Granulated Sugar

1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/8 tsp Almond Extract

3/4 cup Sweetened Flaked Coconut
Butter and flour for preparing baking sheet and foil

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 300°F. Butter a baking sheet, then line with foil and lightly butter and flour foil, knocking off excess flour. Stir together egg white, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and a pinch of salt until combined, then stir in coconut. Divide coconut mixture into fourths, then drop in 4 mounds (about 2 inches apart) onto baking sheet. Bake until tops are pale golden in spots, 15 to 20 minutes, then carefully lift foil with cookies from baking sheet and transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes. Peel macaroons from foil.

I love coconut macaroons! I don't know why, but, the first time that I tasted them that I can remember was in the Philippines when we lived there. I could eat a whole batch of them all by myself. Now I am going to bed so I can get up in the morning and start my laundry. Plus Marcy and I have to run out to run some errands, too. Have a marvelous, restful, peaceful night!!!!

CHILLED CUCUMBER AVOCADO SOUP

2008-07-22T14:55:00.002-04:00

Today I am pretty busy going through closets in our bedroom, throwing things out, rearranging and general all-over cleaning. I hate it!! But, it has to be done. I stopped to take a break and thought I would write a little and give another of my nephew's great recipes.

Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup
2 cups Cucumbers (Peeled, Seeded, Sliced)
1 cup Avocados (Peeled, Seeded, and Diced)
2 oz Jalapeno (Small Diced)
1 bunch Cilantro
2 Tbl Lemon Juice
1 cup Plain Yogurt
Pinch Salt
¼ cup Water

Place all ingredients into a large blender and puree until smooth. Season to taste and chill for 3-4 hours.

Bill's sleep lab visit last night went okay. He will learn shortly what the results were. Hopefully, he won't have to wear the sleep mask at night. Jackee called from Orlando and said they are having a great time. The place they are staying at is great and they love it there.

Well, I guess I better get back to my room cleaning chore and get dinner started. Have a great evening.

BOUNCE TIPS

2008-07-21T10:37:00.002-04:00

Our friend, P.J., just emailed the following tips to me that I think are great so I thought I would pass them along. By the way, she just became a new grandmother to a beautiful baby girl! Congratulations, P.J.!

Bounce This Along

My mail carrier told me that the US Postal service sent out a message to
all letter carriers to put a sheet of Bounce in their uniform pockets to
keep yellow-jackets away.

Use them all the time when playing baseball and soccer. I use it when I
am working outside. It really works. The yellow jackets just veer around
you.

1. All this time you've just been putting Bounce in the dryer! It
will chase ants away when you lay a sheet near them. It also repels
mice.

2. Spread sheets around foundation areas, or in trailers, or cars that
are sitting and it keeps mice from entering your vehicle.

3. It takes the odor out of books and photo albums that don't get opened
too often.

4. It repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when
outdoors during mosquito season.

5. Eliminate static electricity from your television (or computer)
Screen.

6. Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your
television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling

7. Dissolve soap scum from shower doors.
Clean with a sheet of Bounce.

8. To freshen the air in your home - Place an individual sheet of Bounce
in a drawer or hang in the closet.

9. Put Bounce sheet in vacuum cleaner.

10. Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through a Sheet
of Bounce before beginning to sew.

11. Prevent musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside
empty luggage before storing.

12. To freshen the air in your car - Place a sheet of Bounce under the
front seat.

13. Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in a pan, fill
with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The anti-static
agent apparently weakens the bond between the food and the pan.

14. Eliminate odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at the
bottom of the wastebasket.

15. Collect cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will
magnetically attract all the loose hairs.

16. Eliminate static electricity from Venetian blinds. Wipe the blinds
with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resettling.

17. Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. A used sheet of
Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.

18. Eliminate odors in dirty laundry. Place an individual sheet of
Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.

19. Deodorize shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes
or sneakers overnight.

20. Golfers put a Bounce sheet in their back pocket to keep the bees
away.
21. Put a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent before folding and
storing them. It will keep them smelling fresh.

Now I will get back to looking for a work-at-home job. I have been checking the forum at workplacelikehome.com. I do know that you never pay anyone for the opportunity to find a work-at-home job. This website is very informative and I am enjoying the search. Have a great day!!

CHILLED PEACH SOUP

2008-07-20T23:01:00.002-04:00

I think I mentioned before that I come from a large loving family. One of my nephews is a very busy chef at Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado. A little while ago a t.v. station did a feature on him. And I remember when my mother, my sister, Roxy, and I attended a cooking competition that he was in when he was in Culinary Arts School. Look at him now. He has several others under him, plus teaches cooking classes and still took time to send me some recipes for our blog. I never even asked him. He has always been a sweet thoughtful young man, though, so I shouldn't be surprised. I remember when his dad, my brother, was living he loved to cook. I would get calls from him telling me about a new dish he was going to make or try. This was way before my nephew was even born.

Chilled Peach Soup

2 cups Fresh Peach (Pitted and Diced)
1 cup Sour Cream
½ cup Honey
4 oz Champagne
8 oz Peach Tea
1 Tbl Lime Zest
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Place all ingredients into a large blender and puree until smooth. Season to taste and chill for 3-4 hours.

Hopefully, I will see him next month and I can give him a big hug and kiss for the great recipes that he sent. My niece, Tamika, who is also a sweetheart is organizing a party to be held on my mother's birthday next month in her honor. The menu will be Mommy's favorite foods. Or I should say some of her favorites. Anyhow it will be fun and we're looking forward to it.

The last few days I have been getting in our spa on our back deck with Marcy. It feels good on these old bones and we tried to get Bill to do it, too. But, he hasn't yet. We really feel good when we get out of the water and he should really do it. But, he's stubborn. Anyhow, try the chilled peach soup and I am sure you will love it. Have a great evening.

PICNIC TEA

2008-07-19T13:04:00.001-04:00

Well, I am back. I have undisputedly been in a funk since my mom died and seems like I couldn't get motivated to do anything that I didn't have to do. I have over 2,000 emails that have piled up, an enormous pile of mail that has been just sitting waiting for me to get to it, phone calls that should have been made, etc. I have decided to push myself and get back on track and here I go.

PICNIC TEA

1 cup water

2 tea bags

1/4 12-oz can frozen cranberry juice concentrate

1 6-oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate

1/2 cup pear nectar

Bring water to boil in a saucepan. Add tea bags; remove from heat. Let stand, covered for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags. Add juice concentrates and pear nectar. Stir until concentrates melt. Serve over ice. Yield: 2 1/2 cups

Last night I went to a Knights of Columbus dinner with Bill which I didn't know I was supposed to go to until 2 days before. It was an officer's installation dinner and was very nice. Some of the guys, also, got awards for certain things. Bill got one of the Patriotic awards for his volunteering that he does at the V.A. hospital with a group of other knights. He loves doing it and never expected an award for it. Yesterday, also, Dominique and Tyler was picked up by Jackee because they are making a family trip to Orlando today. I miss them already. Last Friday Marcy's oldest son, Arrit, and his family came to visit for the weekend. They stayed until Wednesday because he was helping Bill get some much needed work done around the house. He was a true blessing. Plus we enjoyed spending time with the twins who are 8 months old. Now I am going outside to hose and wash down our back deck and gazebo. Marcy and I have started using our spa in our gazebo and I need to get it a little more cleaned out. Have a great Saturday!!

WATERMELON LIMEADE

2008-06-27T18:52:00.002-04:00

This recipe can be made with fresh orange or lemon juice. These are tangy substitutes for the lime juice.
Makes 3 cups
Chill 2 hours
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups of seedless watermelon cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
6 large strawberries, cut in half
1/2 cup lime juice
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Garnish with lime slices
#1. Combine sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool. This is that simple syrup recipe I have given to you before. It will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, if made ahead.
#2. Puree watermelon, strawberry, and lime juice in food processor until smooth. Strain through a fine strainer, pressing lightly and discard solids.
#3. Combine watermelon puree with kosher salt and reserved syrup. Chill thoroughly and serve over ice in a cold glass.
Enjoy!

FROZEN FRUIT POPS

2008-06-26T20:31:00.003-04:00

No more about my delivery saga. I will follow through with this and hopefully safety will come first.
Let's go back to the fun of this blog. Hints and Recipes...........
Makes 4 (5-ounce) pops
Freeze 2-3 hours
10 minutes prep time
***Blueberry Pops
1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 cup blueberry juice
1/4 cup honey
***Strawberry Pops
3 cups strawberries, rinsed and hulled
1/2 cup simple syrup ( recipe below )
***Pineapple Mint Pops
1/4 pound pineapple chunks
4 sprigs fresh mint, stems removed
1/4 cup simple syrup ( recipe below )

#1. Process ingredients in a blender until smooth. Divide evenly your choice of recipe among 4 ( 5-ounce ) paper or plastic cups and freeze. After 1 hour, insert stick into center of each cup. Freeze until completely frozen, 2-3 hours or overnight.
#2. Remove from freezer and let stand at room temperature for 2 minutes. Remove from cup and ENJOY!
***SIMPLE SYRUP RECIPE***
1 cup sugar
Bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir constantly, about 1 minute or until sugar is dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
Talked to Dear Jackie and she helped out at church and will be doing her Flea Market sales this weekend. How she keeps going with all she does, I'll never know.
GOOD NIGHT!

DELIVERY COMPANY

2008-06-26T13:39:00.003-04:00

Got a call from the delivery companies owner (G.E.) He wanted to hear about the delivery of my dishwasher and the actions of his delivery people. He was very surprised,in fact assured me that this is a ONE TIME happening. Kind of bla za about the concerns I had, about the safety of children and animals. In fact I repeated my concerns I had for surrounding areas of any ones driveway. I asked him about his policy--not driving on owners lawns. He felt his drivers knew that, I assured him these drivers did not. The speed limit in a private driveway is NOT 25-30 miles an hour, he said they knew that, I assured him they did not. Our driveway is very long, around 75 feet. It seems that Home Depot does not hire the delivery people but the appliance name you are purchasing, does that. I also asked about the company G.E. being involved with Iran etc. (this is the same company) and he did not want to go there.
Needless to say, I thanked him for his call but felt a robot would have been more concerned. I also told him that this time it was a basketball and next time due to ignorance, it could be a person. He again said; he would talk to the drivers. I hope he does not think his small gesture of concern, put mine to rest. IT DID NOT!
Please have a safe day...................

UPDATE

2008-06-23T17:56:00.004-04:00

Just an update on my Home Depot saga. I have put in a report to customer service twice. I went to the store to talk again to the manager and he was not there. The girl who works in customer service said; that the delivery company that Home Depot employs, has problems and complaints all the time. Wanted to know if I wanted their number to talk to the delivery company. I told her that I did not hire them and that Home Depot should follow through with the complaint. I hope to get some type of satisfaction and that is, this will not happen to anyone else and they get it together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep your children, animals and toys off your lawn, Home Depot delivery ( known as GE on the side of the truck ) is coming and nothing in the area is safe!
On a lighter note:
Had a little get together Sunday with Jackie and family friends. Nice time and lots of laughs. Have a safe day................

Watch WHO You Deal With----BIG MISTAKE

2008-06-18T22:38:00.003-04:00

We just spent a lot of money on two items at a well known store. I have just called the main office after the last straw of this unprofessional transaction and delivery broke the camels back or should I say mine. I could go into detail but all I can say is we no longer have the old saying on our side. THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT! The delivery men today drove on the lawn and ran over the basket ball. This might not seen a big deal but it could of been my grandson visiting or the dog. The driver and his helper didn't give a dam who was in the way or where they were driving. Both the stores manager and the person in the corporate office really didn't see the problem with the story starting on Friday afternoon, with the purchase, to today's ignorance. Stay tune for the run around yet to follow from THE HOME DEPOT....................

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

2008-06-15T22:45:00.002-04:00

I hope that all of the fathers, grandfathers and mothers/fathers (single moms) had a wonderful day. Bill and I had a wonderful weekend because of our two wonderful, beautiful daughters. I know it was because of Father's Day, but, I sure enjoyed it and needed it, oh, so bad. On Saturday afternoon our daughter, Sue, and our wonderful son-in-law Otis came to visit and bring Bill's gifts. A little after they arrived our beautiful eldest granddaughter arrived, too. She is always a joy to have around because she is so sweet, upbeat and loving. I was in the midst of making a pot of gumbo when they arrived so that worked out great. We had a good dinner, great talks, much laughter and love. Our nephew, Sean, and his two kids came over to join in. Plus we took care of our granddaughter, Charlotte, and "grandson", Max, that day and they spent the night. Even Sean's 2 kids spent the night. Plus our grandchildren, Tyler and Dominique, are with us for the summer. Needless to say we had a great time together yesterday. We sat on our big, old Southern front porch and laughed and talked for hours. Sue, Otis and Tamisha were not planning on staying the night, but, they did and we loved it. We had full loving house yesterday
and we loved it!! I cooked breakfast Sunday morning and a little after Sue, Otis and Tamisha left. The second good part of the weekend was that our daughter, Jackee, invited us to to cookout at a State Park in Columbia with her friends and their families. It was a site on a lake that had fishing, paddle boats and rowboats. There was, also, a playground for the kids, a basketball court and other things. Needless to say, a good time was had by all. Bill and I enjoyed it a lot. He felt really great that the kids gave him such a great weekend. It made me feel so good to see him so happy. This weekend I think has brought me a little more out of the doldrums and I am happy about that. I think I am going to now work on Bill and I doing the dating thing at least once a month. Have a great night and an even greater week!!

ANOTHER BEER RECIPE

2008-05-30T23:14:00.002-04:00

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

2008-05-29T08:50:00.003-04:00

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.