CHILLED CUCUMBER AVOCADO SOUP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GOLDEN DREAM

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

Frozen Banana Daiquiri

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

HEADACHES

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

I

COUPONS

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

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

CRABMEAT STUFFED JALAPENO POPPERS

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

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

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

GIVE YOUR FLOWERS AND LOVE NOW

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

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

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

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

FRUIT SALAD

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

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

FRUIT SALAD

1 medium plum, sliced

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 medium nectarine, sliced

1/8 honeydew

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tbsp apricot nectar

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

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

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

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

Have a great evening!!!!

CAYENNE PEPPER AND HONEY

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

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

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

Sorry

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