My how life takes turns just when you were getting comfy!
I have decided to go back to school and get my masters. So, this means that the last month or so have been spent studying for the GRE (Graduated Re-entrance Exam) which is required by most schools to apply for grad school. Wow, I had not studied things like Algebra, Geometry, and Standard Deviation in a while so my time was spent every night trying to unearth those things in my brain...some of which I wasn't very good at the first time I learned it.
I admit, it was difficult, in fact I can think of dozens of things I would rather do that take that exam again....things like go to the dentist, do 100 loads of laundry, etc. But hey, it is done and while I did not do stellar, I at least got into my graduate program and will probably begin this summer taking statistics....oh boy, doesn't that sound like fun??!! But truly, I am excited to get started and I figure I might as well get that class out of the way first before I get into the fun stuff.
In studying for the GRE, I was nervous. I prayed for help to take the test, I even got a special blessing from the priesthood at my church to help me think clearer and remember the things I had learned, etc. And while I think I did okay on the questions I answered, my problem was speed...I just wasn't fast enough. I could not get all the questions done in the amount of time given.....not to mention I had not taken a standardized test in 20 years. (20 years??? Is that possible??) However, as it usually works out, while I prayed for a good test score, what I got wasn't that (or at least not what I wanted to get). However, by talking to a different professor and changing my focus to a different area within my grad program that is a better fit, that professor accepted me into the program and said I did not have to take the test again. So, my prayers were answered with a better answer than a good test score, instead, I just got into the program I wanted.
So, remember that Heavenly Father is the big air traffic controller in the sky. He can see down our path farther than we can and he almost always blesses us with something better than we were even asking for or expected.
I will try to do better about posting....but its a SUPER BUSY YEAR and with my masters starting soon, I make no promises but to try to do better.
Be beautiful!
H
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
21 Days
Howdy all,
My friend Lori follows a special way of eating that has really changed her life. You would think that cutting out alcohol, animal products, gluten, etc would be hard and that the food would be bland but I have tasted her food and it is great! Truly it is!
She has started a blog about how to do it, you just follow the "diet" for 21 days and then you can gradually add back in those items you left out however she and her husband felt so much better that they have limited how much they eat of the those items you avoid for 21 days. They have both lost weight and feel great! So, I wanted to share with you her site, in case you might be interested.
http://lori-twentyone.blogspot.com/
My friend Lori follows a special way of eating that has really changed her life. You would think that cutting out alcohol, animal products, gluten, etc would be hard and that the food would be bland but I have tasted her food and it is great! Truly it is!
She has started a blog about how to do it, you just follow the "diet" for 21 days and then you can gradually add back in those items you left out however she and her husband felt so much better that they have limited how much they eat of the those items you avoid for 21 days. They have both lost weight and feel great! So, I wanted to share with you her site, in case you might be interested.
http://lori-twentyone.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Recipe:Creme Brulee French Toast
This was what we had for Christmas morning this year. I love it because you make it the night before and then just pop it in the oven the next day. I have used both Texas toast for the bread and a loaf of sliced French bread. They both have positives. The Texas Toast is a little easier to cut but it didn't caramelize around the edges quite as well as the French bread. I hope you love it!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup of packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons of corn syrup
1 loaf of Texas toast or French bread cut into slices
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups of half and half (you can use the fat free with pretty decent results, it was still yummy.)
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
In a small saucepan melt butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup over medium heat until smooth, storing occasionally. Pour mixture into large, greased jelly roll pan (18X13X1 it says but I would have had to use 2 for the 12 slices to fit, I could only get about 6 whole slices on the sheet and some half slices around the edge). Spread to cover surface. Place 12 slices bread in a single layer to cover pan. Mix together eggs, half and half, salt and vanilla. Spoon mixture over each slice of bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from pan and serve. If not serving immediately, turn each slice of bread over to prevent them from sticking to the pan. It says to serve with syrup butter (1 1.2 cups of butter mixed with 3 cups of maple syrup) but I honestly did not need to add anything. A sprinkling of powdered sugar would look nice too. This would also be good with fruit on the side.
I hope you love it!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup of packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons of corn syrup
1 loaf of Texas toast or French bread cut into slices
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups of half and half (you can use the fat free with pretty decent results, it was still yummy.)
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
In a small saucepan melt butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup over medium heat until smooth, storing occasionally. Pour mixture into large, greased jelly roll pan (18X13X1 it says but I would have had to use 2 for the 12 slices to fit, I could only get about 6 whole slices on the sheet and some half slices around the edge). Spread to cover surface. Place 12 slices bread in a single layer to cover pan. Mix together eggs, half and half, salt and vanilla. Spoon mixture over each slice of bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from pan and serve. If not serving immediately, turn each slice of bread over to prevent them from sticking to the pan. It says to serve with syrup butter (1 1.2 cups of butter mixed with 3 cups of maple syrup) but I honestly did not need to add anything. A sprinkling of powdered sugar would look nice too. This would also be good with fruit on the side.
I hope you love it!
New Year's Word
Happy 2010 All!
This year, my brother gave us the idea to have a word that exemplifies our resolutions instead of a long list of resolutions. You just find one word and make that your word for the year. For instance, one of my sisters said her word would be MOVING.
She is planning on moving her body more and loosing weight.
There is a possibility she may move with a job relocation.
She also wants to move all the junk out of her house.
Hence, her word for the year if MOVING.
So, what is your word?
I have been working and thinking and have not quite come up with my word yet. These are some I have tossed around...
Less (eat less, weigh less, less clutter, spend less money, etc)
Beautify
Faith
Believe
Save (Save money, save time, etc)
Strength
Serve
So, I am still working on it....but I would love to hear a word that embodies what you want to accomplish this year!
This year, my brother gave us the idea to have a word that exemplifies our resolutions instead of a long list of resolutions. You just find one word and make that your word for the year. For instance, one of my sisters said her word would be MOVING.
She is planning on moving her body more and loosing weight.
There is a possibility she may move with a job relocation.
She also wants to move all the junk out of her house.
Hence, her word for the year if MOVING.
So, what is your word?
I have been working and thinking and have not quite come up with my word yet. These are some I have tossed around...
Less (eat less, weigh less, less clutter, spend less money, etc)
Beautify
Faith
Believe
Save (Save money, save time, etc)
Strength
Serve
So, I am still working on it....but I would love to hear a word that embodies what you want to accomplish this year!
Friday, December 11, 2009
Poinsettia Information
Happy Holidays!
If you are like me, I always get poinsettia plants given to me as gifts each year. Some years my house starts to look like a poinsettia forest but they are lovely plants. I had had white, pink, spotted, red, and maroon poinsettias and they all have lovely characteristics.
I just read this article and thought it was really interesting. It also gives tips on how to care for your poinsettia once you take it home....which is good information because I have been known to kill a poinsettia...or 10!
So, here is some handy dandy information from the Texas A&M Agrilife News
Poinsettia Death Trip
Most consumers kill their poinsettias with neglect in about two weeks
After East Texas growers take great pains to produce beautiful poinsettias, plants free of diseases and pests that could live for years, most consumers will take the plants home and kill them within a couple of weeks due to improper care, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service experts.
"Poinsettias are not poisonous. That's an urban myth," said Dr. Karl Steddom, AgriLife Extension plant pathologist. "But from a poinsettia's viewpoint, most consumers are lethal. Consumers don't mean to kill the plants. They just don't know how to take care of them."
Each year, East Texas plant nurseries will produce several million poinsettias in 6-inch pots for the holiday season, according to Steddom.
"Color Spot Nurseries in Troup alone will market more than a million poinsettias this year," said Dr. Scott Ludwig, AgriLife Extension integrated pest management specialist. "And that's only one of many nurseries in Cherokee County."
Both Ludwig and Steddom, who are based at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton, work closely with the ornamental plant growers in northeast Texas, whose sales total more than $500 million annually, they said.
East Texas growers may start work with holiday season poinsettias as early as June or as late as August, Ludwig said.
"It's complicated, as some may start with pre-rooted cuttings, others may purchase unrooted cuttings and root their own, and still others may grow their own poinsettia root stock plants and take cuttings from them to root," he said.
Because of labor costs and the need of dedicated facilities, the more common method is to start with cuttings which are usually imported. The cuttings usually come pre-rooted in "Oasis Cubes," a small block of foam similar to that used by floral designers to hold flower arrangements. The cubes are sterile and can be saturated with water, but drain well.
Keeping the growth medium as clean as possible is important, because poinsettias can be host to a multitude of plant diseases, including molds, foliar diseases, blights and root rot. None of the diseases are of any risk to human health, but they can reduce the attractiveness of the plant, Steddom said.
The cubes are planted into growth medium, most commonly in 6-inch pots. Again, to limit soil-borne diseases, clean potting soil is used.
Insects can be a problem, particularly whiteflies, but not if growers keep a close eye on their crop and take prophylactic measures, Ludwig said
Another growing demand involves "black-clothing." The time which poinsettias bloom is determined by daylight hours. Poinsettias are native to Mexico, where changes in daylight cause them to turn from green to bright red right before Christmas, Ludwig said.
"We say 'bloom' but that's actually a misnomer, because it's the leaves that change color, not the bloom," Ludwig said. "But in most of the U.S., growers have to cover their greenhouses in light opaque shrouding to cause the plants to change color in time for the holiday season."
Growers will typically black cloth in stages, timing the operation so that some poinsettias change color by November for Thanksgiving, then at other times for various shipping periods up to Christmas, Ludwig said.
Of all the plant diseases to which poinsettias are susceptible, pythium root rot is probably the most common, Steddom said.
"Every year, some producers have at least small losses to pythium root rot," Steddom said. "The pythium organism can be found everywhere, but it is encouraged by over-watering and poor drainage," Steddom said.
Proper watering methods are essential. And as the disease is water borne, so growers have to take precautions about the disease being transmitted from one pot to the other by drainage.
Pythium root rot is also the most common scourge of poinsettias in the home, Steddom said. The slick holiday paper wrapped around pots prevents drainage. On top of that, consumers are prone to over-watering the plants.
"If they want to keep their poinsettias alive, remove the wrapper as soon as possible," Steddom said. "And don't over-water. Simply stick your finger in the soil and if it feels damp, don't water it. If you let the pot sit in standing water for any length of time, you'll probably kill the plant."
Steddom said they can put the holiday wrapper back on after they let the pot drain.
"Except in South Texas, where poinsettias might survive in an outdoor landscape, to keep the plants alive, consumers are going to have to give them lots of light andkeep a close eye on soil moisture levels," Ludwig said.
Poinsettias can be made to re-bloom for the next Christmas season, but it's an arduous chore, Ludwig said.
The plants need about 14 hours of darkness alternated with 10 hours of bright light for eight to 10 weeks, he said. Even a few hours of too much light will scuttle the process. The temperature has to be regulated too.
"Most people will kill the plant trying to get it to re-bloom," Ludwig said. "Considering all the work that goes into commercially grown poinsettias and the low cost consumers pay for them, it's easier to just compost them and buy a new plant the next holiday season."
By: Robert Burns, 903-834-6191 Contact(s): Dr. Karl Steddom, 903-834-6191, sk-steddom@tamu.eduDr. Scott Ludwig, 903-834-6191, swludwig@ag.tamu.edu
http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1584
If you are like me, I always get poinsettia plants given to me as gifts each year. Some years my house starts to look like a poinsettia forest but they are lovely plants. I had had white, pink, spotted, red, and maroon poinsettias and they all have lovely characteristics.
I just read this article and thought it was really interesting. It also gives tips on how to care for your poinsettia once you take it home....which is good information because I have been known to kill a poinsettia...or 10!
So, here is some handy dandy information from the Texas A&M Agrilife News
Poinsettia Death Trip
Most consumers kill their poinsettias with neglect in about two weeks
After East Texas growers take great pains to produce beautiful poinsettias, plants free of diseases and pests that could live for years, most consumers will take the plants home and kill them within a couple of weeks due to improper care, according to Texas AgriLife Extension Service experts.
"Poinsettias are not poisonous. That's an urban myth," said Dr. Karl Steddom, AgriLife Extension plant pathologist. "But from a poinsettia's viewpoint, most consumers are lethal. Consumers don't mean to kill the plants. They just don't know how to take care of them."
Each year, East Texas plant nurseries will produce several million poinsettias in 6-inch pots for the holiday season, according to Steddom.
"Color Spot Nurseries in Troup alone will market more than a million poinsettias this year," said Dr. Scott Ludwig, AgriLife Extension integrated pest management specialist. "And that's only one of many nurseries in Cherokee County."
Both Ludwig and Steddom, who are based at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton, work closely with the ornamental plant growers in northeast Texas, whose sales total more than $500 million annually, they said.
East Texas growers may start work with holiday season poinsettias as early as June or as late as August, Ludwig said.
"It's complicated, as some may start with pre-rooted cuttings, others may purchase unrooted cuttings and root their own, and still others may grow their own poinsettia root stock plants and take cuttings from them to root," he said.
Because of labor costs and the need of dedicated facilities, the more common method is to start with cuttings which are usually imported. The cuttings usually come pre-rooted in "Oasis Cubes," a small block of foam similar to that used by floral designers to hold flower arrangements. The cubes are sterile and can be saturated with water, but drain well.
Keeping the growth medium as clean as possible is important, because poinsettias can be host to a multitude of plant diseases, including molds, foliar diseases, blights and root rot. None of the diseases are of any risk to human health, but they can reduce the attractiveness of the plant, Steddom said.
The cubes are planted into growth medium, most commonly in 6-inch pots. Again, to limit soil-borne diseases, clean potting soil is used.
Insects can be a problem, particularly whiteflies, but not if growers keep a close eye on their crop and take prophylactic measures, Ludwig said
Another growing demand involves "black-clothing." The time which poinsettias bloom is determined by daylight hours. Poinsettias are native to Mexico, where changes in daylight cause them to turn from green to bright red right before Christmas, Ludwig said.
"We say 'bloom' but that's actually a misnomer, because it's the leaves that change color, not the bloom," Ludwig said. "But in most of the U.S., growers have to cover their greenhouses in light opaque shrouding to cause the plants to change color in time for the holiday season."
Growers will typically black cloth in stages, timing the operation so that some poinsettias change color by November for Thanksgiving, then at other times for various shipping periods up to Christmas, Ludwig said.
Of all the plant diseases to which poinsettias are susceptible, pythium root rot is probably the most common, Steddom said.
"Every year, some producers have at least small losses to pythium root rot," Steddom said. "The pythium organism can be found everywhere, but it is encouraged by over-watering and poor drainage," Steddom said.
Proper watering methods are essential. And as the disease is water borne, so growers have to take precautions about the disease being transmitted from one pot to the other by drainage.
Pythium root rot is also the most common scourge of poinsettias in the home, Steddom said. The slick holiday paper wrapped around pots prevents drainage. On top of that, consumers are prone to over-watering the plants.
"If they want to keep their poinsettias alive, remove the wrapper as soon as possible," Steddom said. "And don't over-water. Simply stick your finger in the soil and if it feels damp, don't water it. If you let the pot sit in standing water for any length of time, you'll probably kill the plant."
Steddom said they can put the holiday wrapper back on after they let the pot drain.
"Except in South Texas, where poinsettias might survive in an outdoor landscape, to keep the plants alive, consumers are going to have to give them lots of light andkeep a close eye on soil moisture levels," Ludwig said.
Poinsettias can be made to re-bloom for the next Christmas season, but it's an arduous chore, Ludwig said.
The plants need about 14 hours of darkness alternated with 10 hours of bright light for eight to 10 weeks, he said. Even a few hours of too much light will scuttle the process. The temperature has to be regulated too.
"Most people will kill the plant trying to get it to re-bloom," Ludwig said. "Considering all the work that goes into commercially grown poinsettias and the low cost consumers pay for them, it's easier to just compost them and buy a new plant the next holiday season."
By: Robert Burns, 903-834-6191 Contact(s): Dr. Karl Steddom, 903-834-6191, sk-steddom@tamu.eduDr. Scott Ludwig, 903-834-6191, swludwig@ag.tamu.edu
http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=1584
Wassail
I was at a party the other day and they had this fabulous wassail there....it was one Heavenly elixir and I love wassail! I asked the hostess and this is her secret. She puts this in apple cider and thows in an apple with cloves pushed in it and lets it stew for hours. It was really wonderful and I am rushing to my nearest Hallmark store to find some! She said its $3.95 for the box.
YUMMMMMMMMMMMM!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Reading for Christmas: For I am Mary
Hello!
Last night at church we had a fun evening called Christmas Around the Ward. We went to 3 church menebers houses and had little spiritual Christmas thoughts at all of them and sang songs then ended and had refreshments. It was a lovely evening.
One of the ladies in our church did a reading called "For I am Mary" that was lovely. She was dressed as Mary and recited these words and the group of ladies attending sang the Christmas Songs listed in between her prose. I thought I would share it with you because it was such a nicely done program.
For I am Mary
And I am woman -- like unto other women. Divine in that we are all divine. A child of God. A servant of God, but chosen of God above all women . . .
For I am Mary -- chosen of God. My soul in agony with too great an honor. My heart torn with inadequacy. And from afar the voices of Angles ring out, and the voice of Heaven seems to say. " Adore Him, worship Him, attend Him well, for he is Mine."
And in my heart already, I see Him, and in my mind's eye, I imagine this small wee mite, and so think I as thoughts press hard. "Ah, if but to love -- What joy is mine. What grace that I might have Him, and teach the things I know from Thee -- that He is Thine." Again I recall the awful moment when I knew, that I, lowly and fleshly mortal, should become thy handmaiden, and I shudder with the weight of unknown responsibility, that, what no mere woman could ever aspire to, should come, unsought, to me. Praises, my Lord, that of all the regal personages in high positions, Thou hast chosen me. My heart breaks in wonderment and humility. Blessed by Thy Lamb.
And Joseph, dear Joseph, by my side as the little gray animal toils his way, laboriously, for I am heavy -- heavy in body and heavy in the knowledge of the precious burden within me. Ah, I am tired, and Joseph again slows the beast. It is getting late. Is that village, faint but real, to be our destination, or is it just a glimmer of hope in the distance. Lord, dear Lord, my hand and heart grow weary. Surely the time is near.
Song: Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem. Verses 1 and 3
The inn is full -- no room at the inn. I heard the words he told Joseph and my heartaches as I hear my Joseph beg. Ah, is there no place this night, that might make ready to receive the Savior. Men so eager for earthly things, so careless for their soul. O, that I might say, "The Son of God is about to come forth among men. Lay open your best houses, lay out your silks and spices. Anoint His little body with precious oils. Fall in worship before him. Make ready to receive the Savior of Mankind." But I am Mary, I am silent. I am not the Lord's messenger. I await the will of the Lord. We come at last to the stable. We, Joseph and I, are grateful. The hay is sweet, the air is soft, the light is alive, for He is come.
Song: Away In a Manger Verse 1
Behold the Lamb of God, that but for Him would the world be plunged in death. That, but for Him, would sin be unforgiving, and hopeless be our day. Arise and countenance Him, and hope and solace know. The Lamb of God is come to awake our soul, and I am full to break with wondrous love. It seemed I saw shepherds in the hills, poor and untaught -- yet blessed beyond the value of men. For the Angles appeared and brought glad tidings while yet we slept.
Song: The Chorus of Far Far Away on Judea's Plains
And the Shepherds come and stood in wonder and awe -- silent and ever watchful. There is light in the stable, but not the light of men. The eternal light that shelters and protects and keeps man warm. This is the light that shines for them -- for the shepherds come down from the hills. The smallest Shepherd reaches out his hand and for a moment, I see glory in his eyes, and I know he will never feel cold again. They drop to their knees. Little one, they know. They are a witness unto this hour. They of all the hundreds unaware, know that Thou art the Christ.
Song: The First Noel Verse 1
Little one, Thou art His Son, but Thou art my babe. Thou art the world's hope, but my joy. Thou art the soul's savior, but my heart. My arms ache with desire to shield from Thee, all the hurts that be. Sleep in the shelter of my arms, Nestle deep into my breast. Feel the love I shelter Thee. Sleep my little one while night is nigh. Rest thy head upon my arm -- it pillows thee. Clasp Thy hand around my finger -- it anchors Thee. Sleep my little one. Rest upon the fragrant hay -- symbol of humility. Lullaby -- Lullaby. Close thy eyes, I'll watch for thee, and safely keep, till it be day.
Song: The Virgins Lullabye - soloist
Days have passed, but the wonder of this dear sweet babe is close to me. The world is strangely quite. Bells ring not, nor do people sing praises to the most High. Life seems placid enough, but underneath the sham of civilized man -- evil persists. I see still the torment and pangs of the starved, the ill and the weak. Is there no where on earth that there was light at His birth. The Shepherds -- true. But they have come and gone. Have they forgotten? Ah, who knocks? Come. Surely thou art kings! What precious gifts you have and for whom? Of course, for Him -- For the King of all Kings. And the Lord gave light unto the Kings far to the East who are wise unto fulfillment -- and they have come. They kneel in their robes of silk, and the room is heavy with the delicate perfume of the East. Thank thee, oh Lord, another witness unto His Birth.
Song: We Three Kings Verse 1
And now my son, Thee have growing to do and strength to gather, and deeds and words, and work for Thou art given that man might live. Already the sorrow of eternal woman is mine. To bear, to care, to relinquish. Give me, Oh Lord that I might succor Him, May I bathe His baby bruises. May I ease His childish ills. May I give comfort and peace and offer a refuge of love for all His days. Oh Lord, let men remember this life He gives for them. Let them ever hear anew, and turn not away. Strange that man might fail to praise and worship Thee when Thou art near. Awake, Man, thy deliverer is come. A message He brings to a world full of trouble. To a world of sorrow, he brings joy, And where there is hate, love, Where there is indifference, compassion, Where there is darkness, light, Where there is doubt, truth. Where there is man there is salvation, and all this to every man the Christ is born because God so loved the world.
Song: Silent Night
Last night at church we had a fun evening called Christmas Around the Ward. We went to 3 church menebers houses and had little spiritual Christmas thoughts at all of them and sang songs then ended and had refreshments. It was a lovely evening.
One of the ladies in our church did a reading called "For I am Mary" that was lovely. She was dressed as Mary and recited these words and the group of ladies attending sang the Christmas Songs listed in between her prose. I thought I would share it with you because it was such a nicely done program.
For I am Mary
And I am woman -- like unto other women. Divine in that we are all divine. A child of God. A servant of God, but chosen of God above all women . . .
For I am Mary -- chosen of God. My soul in agony with too great an honor. My heart torn with inadequacy. And from afar the voices of Angles ring out, and the voice of Heaven seems to say. " Adore Him, worship Him, attend Him well, for he is Mine."
And in my heart already, I see Him, and in my mind's eye, I imagine this small wee mite, and so think I as thoughts press hard. "Ah, if but to love -- What joy is mine. What grace that I might have Him, and teach the things I know from Thee -- that He is Thine." Again I recall the awful moment when I knew, that I, lowly and fleshly mortal, should become thy handmaiden, and I shudder with the weight of unknown responsibility, that, what no mere woman could ever aspire to, should come, unsought, to me. Praises, my Lord, that of all the regal personages in high positions, Thou hast chosen me. My heart breaks in wonderment and humility. Blessed by Thy Lamb.
And Joseph, dear Joseph, by my side as the little gray animal toils his way, laboriously, for I am heavy -- heavy in body and heavy in the knowledge of the precious burden within me. Ah, I am tired, and Joseph again slows the beast. It is getting late. Is that village, faint but real, to be our destination, or is it just a glimmer of hope in the distance. Lord, dear Lord, my hand and heart grow weary. Surely the time is near.
Song: Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem. Verses 1 and 3
The inn is full -- no room at the inn. I heard the words he told Joseph and my heartaches as I hear my Joseph beg. Ah, is there no place this night, that might make ready to receive the Savior. Men so eager for earthly things, so careless for their soul. O, that I might say, "The Son of God is about to come forth among men. Lay open your best houses, lay out your silks and spices. Anoint His little body with precious oils. Fall in worship before him. Make ready to receive the Savior of Mankind." But I am Mary, I am silent. I am not the Lord's messenger. I await the will of the Lord. We come at last to the stable. We, Joseph and I, are grateful. The hay is sweet, the air is soft, the light is alive, for He is come.
Song: Away In a Manger Verse 1
Behold the Lamb of God, that but for Him would the world be plunged in death. That, but for Him, would sin be unforgiving, and hopeless be our day. Arise and countenance Him, and hope and solace know. The Lamb of God is come to awake our soul, and I am full to break with wondrous love. It seemed I saw shepherds in the hills, poor and untaught -- yet blessed beyond the value of men. For the Angles appeared and brought glad tidings while yet we slept.
Song: The Chorus of Far Far Away on Judea's Plains
And the Shepherds come and stood in wonder and awe -- silent and ever watchful. There is light in the stable, but not the light of men. The eternal light that shelters and protects and keeps man warm. This is the light that shines for them -- for the shepherds come down from the hills. The smallest Shepherd reaches out his hand and for a moment, I see glory in his eyes, and I know he will never feel cold again. They drop to their knees. Little one, they know. They are a witness unto this hour. They of all the hundreds unaware, know that Thou art the Christ.
Song: The First Noel Verse 1
Little one, Thou art His Son, but Thou art my babe. Thou art the world's hope, but my joy. Thou art the soul's savior, but my heart. My arms ache with desire to shield from Thee, all the hurts that be. Sleep in the shelter of my arms, Nestle deep into my breast. Feel the love I shelter Thee. Sleep my little one while night is nigh. Rest thy head upon my arm -- it pillows thee. Clasp Thy hand around my finger -- it anchors Thee. Sleep my little one. Rest upon the fragrant hay -- symbol of humility. Lullaby -- Lullaby. Close thy eyes, I'll watch for thee, and safely keep, till it be day.
Song: The Virgins Lullabye - soloist
Days have passed, but the wonder of this dear sweet babe is close to me. The world is strangely quite. Bells ring not, nor do people sing praises to the most High. Life seems placid enough, but underneath the sham of civilized man -- evil persists. I see still the torment and pangs of the starved, the ill and the weak. Is there no where on earth that there was light at His birth. The Shepherds -- true. But they have come and gone. Have they forgotten? Ah, who knocks? Come. Surely thou art kings! What precious gifts you have and for whom? Of course, for Him -- For the King of all Kings. And the Lord gave light unto the Kings far to the East who are wise unto fulfillment -- and they have come. They kneel in their robes of silk, and the room is heavy with the delicate perfume of the East. Thank thee, oh Lord, another witness unto His Birth.
Song: We Three Kings Verse 1
And now my son, Thee have growing to do and strength to gather, and deeds and words, and work for Thou art given that man might live. Already the sorrow of eternal woman is mine. To bear, to care, to relinquish. Give me, Oh Lord that I might succor Him, May I bathe His baby bruises. May I ease His childish ills. May I give comfort and peace and offer a refuge of love for all His days. Oh Lord, let men remember this life He gives for them. Let them ever hear anew, and turn not away. Strange that man might fail to praise and worship Thee when Thou art near. Awake, Man, thy deliverer is come. A message He brings to a world full of trouble. To a world of sorrow, he brings joy, And where there is hate, love, Where there is indifference, compassion, Where there is darkness, light, Where there is doubt, truth. Where there is man there is salvation, and all this to every man the Christ is born because God so loved the world.
Song: Silent Night
Friday, November 20, 2009
Holiday Potatoes--Sweet and Mashed (Paw Paw's Taters)
Hello My lovelies.....
I thought I would post a few of my favorite holiday recipes and I will start with potatoes!
I tried the sweet potato recipe from The Pioneer Woman last year and my family all agreed that it was divine and we never missed the marshmallow topped version of sweet potatoes.
The link to her printable recipe is here http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/11/if_you_think_you_dont_like_sweet_potatoesthink_again/
Sweet Potatoes
Prep Time: 45 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Difficulty: Easy Servings: 10
Ingredients
4 whole Medium Sweet Potatoes
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Milk
2 whole Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Pecans
½ cups Flour
¾ sticks Butter
Preparation Instructions
Wash 4 medium sweet potatoes and bake them in a 375-degree oven until fork tender, about 30-35 minutes. When they are finished cooking slice them open and scrape out the flesh into a large bowl.
Add 1 cup of (regular granulated) sugar, 1 cup of milk, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of salt. With a potato masher, mash them up just enough—you don’t want to be perfectly smooth.
Now, in a separate bowl, add 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup pecans, chopped (that means measure a cup of pecans, then chop them), ½ cup flour, and ¾ stick of butter. With a pastry cutter or fork, mash together until thoroughly combined.
Spread the sweet potato mixture into a regular baking dish and sprinkle the crumb mixture all over the top.
Bake in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
And my favorite Mashed Potato recipe is Paw Paw's Taters. My grandfather, who, we call Paw Paw, made these one year and we all wanted to lick the plate....hence the name!
The link to the original post is here http://thebeautifulbasics.blogspot.com/2008/09/recipe-paw-paws-taters.html
And here is what I wrote....
Paw Paw's Taters
Pretend like you are going to make regular old mashed potatoes (which, by the way, you will never want again after you have them Paw Paw's way). So, take potato pearls, potato flakes, or actual real potatoes and cook 'em up! Now, all you do is add a block of cream cheese (use Neufchatel if you want 1/3 less fat) and a medium sized container of sour cream (fat free or lite is a-okay as well!) and mix them up with the potatoes. If you are making a wee amount (aka, single or double serving) then use far less this would probably be enough for an 8X12 pan. Now that it is all mixed and fabulous...add salt and pepper to taste and then put in the dish and spread out. Now top with some pats of butter and sprinkle with paprika and put in the oven for about 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. It is SO YUM! In fact, I may need to run home and make some tonight! (By the way, I know I spell Potato(e) the old fashioned way, but I just like it better that way!)
I also have started adding about a tablespoon of Mrs. Dash when I am mixing it together and calling it Herb Party Potatoes (in the formal setting) or just Herb Paw Paw's Taters.
Other variations....
add some shredded cheese for Cheesy Taters
add some mashed sweet potatoes for Potato Delight Taters
add some bacon bits, cheese and chives for Twice Baked Taters
really, the possibilities are ENDLESS!
I will try to make the above mentioned dish and post a pic soon!
I thought I would post a few of my favorite holiday recipes and I will start with potatoes!
I tried the sweet potato recipe from The Pioneer Woman last year and my family all agreed that it was divine and we never missed the marshmallow topped version of sweet potatoes.
The link to her printable recipe is here http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/11/if_you_think_you_dont_like_sweet_potatoesthink_again/
Sweet Potatoes
Prep Time: 45 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Difficulty: Easy Servings: 10
Ingredients
4 whole Medium Sweet Potatoes
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Milk
2 whole Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Pecans
½ cups Flour
¾ sticks Butter
Preparation Instructions
Wash 4 medium sweet potatoes and bake them in a 375-degree oven until fork tender, about 30-35 minutes. When they are finished cooking slice them open and scrape out the flesh into a large bowl.
Add 1 cup of (regular granulated) sugar, 1 cup of milk, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of salt. With a potato masher, mash them up just enough—you don’t want to be perfectly smooth.
Now, in a separate bowl, add 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup pecans, chopped (that means measure a cup of pecans, then chop them), ½ cup flour, and ¾ stick of butter. With a pastry cutter or fork, mash together until thoroughly combined.
Spread the sweet potato mixture into a regular baking dish and sprinkle the crumb mixture all over the top.
Bake in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
And my favorite Mashed Potato recipe is Paw Paw's Taters. My grandfather, who, we call Paw Paw, made these one year and we all wanted to lick the plate....hence the name!
The link to the original post is here http://thebeautifulbasics.blogspot.com/2008/09/recipe-paw-paws-taters.html
And here is what I wrote....
Paw Paw's Taters
Pretend like you are going to make regular old mashed potatoes (which, by the way, you will never want again after you have them Paw Paw's way). So, take potato pearls, potato flakes, or actual real potatoes and cook 'em up! Now, all you do is add a block of cream cheese (use Neufchatel if you want 1/3 less fat) and a medium sized container of sour cream (fat free or lite is a-okay as well!) and mix them up with the potatoes. If you are making a wee amount (aka, single or double serving) then use far less this would probably be enough for an 8X12 pan. Now that it is all mixed and fabulous...add salt and pepper to taste and then put in the dish and spread out. Now top with some pats of butter and sprinkle with paprika and put in the oven for about 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. It is SO YUM! In fact, I may need to run home and make some tonight! (By the way, I know I spell Potato(e) the old fashioned way, but I just like it better that way!)
I also have started adding about a tablespoon of Mrs. Dash when I am mixing it together and calling it Herb Party Potatoes (in the formal setting) or just Herb Paw Paw's Taters.
Other variations....
add some shredded cheese for Cheesy Taters
add some mashed sweet potatoes for Potato Delight Taters
add some bacon bits, cheese and chives for Twice Baked Taters
really, the possibilities are ENDLESS!
I will try to make the above mentioned dish and post a pic soon!
Cleaning Potatoes
Hello! Happy Friday to you all! I was reading an article about things you can safely do in a dishwasher and one of the suggestions was clean potatoes. If you are needing a large amount of potatoes (say like for Thanksgiving potatoes or a big old potatoe salad) then you can put them in the top rack of your dishwasher (with nothing else, just potatoes, no dirty dishes!) and put them through a rinse cycle on your dishwasher. They should be all clean and ready to cook. It makes cleaning a bunch of potatoes a snap! I thought it was a great idea so I thought I would pass it on.
Yum! Potatoes!
Yum! Potatoes!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Shortage of Wheat and Sugar
Hello,
I went to a seminar a few weeks ago and they talked about the wheat shortage that is about to happen in this country. Evidently, the droughts and wheat stalk rust (that is not the technical term for it) has cause a vast majority of the wheat farmers across the world to not have a wheat harvest. Pretty scary!
I was chatting with a mom today who is a food buyer for a major company in our area. I asked her about the wheat shortage and she agreed and said that sugar was also going to be in shortage and the prices would continue to rise, especially as we head into baking season!
Eeek!
So, I hope you are or can get prepared for these shortages. It is scary to think that everything made with wheat, flour, and sugar will be going up in pricing!
It pays to live providently!
I went to a seminar a few weeks ago and they talked about the wheat shortage that is about to happen in this country. Evidently, the droughts and wheat stalk rust (that is not the technical term for it) has cause a vast majority of the wheat farmers across the world to not have a wheat harvest. Pretty scary!
I was chatting with a mom today who is a food buyer for a major company in our area. I asked her about the wheat shortage and she agreed and said that sugar was also going to be in shortage and the prices would continue to rise, especially as we head into baking season!
Eeek!
So, I hope you are or can get prepared for these shortages. It is scary to think that everything made with wheat, flour, and sugar will be going up in pricing!
It pays to live providently!
Canning Carrots & Pears
I am going to post some of my canning expereience here, just in case anyone else tried their hand at this. One of the things that I have found is that I don't always know how much to buy. So, I canned carrots yesterday and bought a 5 pound bag and it gave me 8 pints once they were canned.
We bought a box of pears, which I think is around 30 pounds, and we got 27 pints of sliced pears and 6 pints of pear sauce (like applesauce). We had about 9 pears that were bad so we could have had more. We got a really good discount on the pears since they were ripe.
We bought a box of pears, which I think is around 30 pounds, and we got 27 pints of sliced pears and 6 pints of pear sauce (like applesauce). We had about 9 pears that were bad so we could have had more. We got a really good discount on the pears since they were ripe.
Autumn
I don't know about you, but we have been having lovely Fall Texas weather this last week. I personally love not having to turn on my air conditioning and my pocketbook likes that too!
I have been canning and trying out new recipes, so I am sorry to have abandoned posting as much as I usually do. Life has just been hectic!!!
As I have been canning, I have been to some seminars and demos and everyone says that this book is the Bible of Canning, so I wanted to share it with you.
This book is simple, easy to read, and has pictures! All the things I love in a cooking book. It takes you through the basics step by step. I have already canned pears, pear sauce (think apple sauce but with pears), loganberry-raspberry jam, and carrots. I have found real satisfaction in canning these things and looking at my pantry shelves and seeing those beautiful cans. A friend of mine and I have resolved to do canning at least once every other month and we are going to try to do some dry pack (aka suck the air out of the pouch or jar) canning as well. I prefer to always have essentials plus more on hand in case of emergency, so it makes me feel at peace to know that I have food in my pantry to feed my family. After my husband lost his job last year, we ate from our pantry a lot and I was so glad that I had extras on hand to get us through the financially hard times. While things certainly are not super stable in the economy, I want to rebuild my food storage and be even more prepared if that happens again.
I also want to send my heart and thoughts out to the people of Fort Hood and the tragedy that occurred yesterday with the gunman. My heart weeps for you and your loss. It is sad and maddening that a fellow soldier would do that to his own.
I hope you all can enjoy this beautiful Friday and a great weekend!
Seek out the beautiful in life!
Heather
I have been canning and trying out new recipes, so I am sorry to have abandoned posting as much as I usually do. Life has just been hectic!!!
As I have been canning, I have been to some seminars and demos and everyone says that this book is the Bible of Canning, so I wanted to share it with you.
This book is simple, easy to read, and has pictures! All the things I love in a cooking book. It takes you through the basics step by step. I have already canned pears, pear sauce (think apple sauce but with pears), loganberry-raspberry jam, and carrots. I have found real satisfaction in canning these things and looking at my pantry shelves and seeing those beautiful cans. A friend of mine and I have resolved to do canning at least once every other month and we are going to try to do some dry pack (aka suck the air out of the pouch or jar) canning as well. I prefer to always have essentials plus more on hand in case of emergency, so it makes me feel at peace to know that I have food in my pantry to feed my family. After my husband lost his job last year, we ate from our pantry a lot and I was so glad that I had extras on hand to get us through the financially hard times. While things certainly are not super stable in the economy, I want to rebuild my food storage and be even more prepared if that happens again.
I also want to send my heart and thoughts out to the people of Fort Hood and the tragedy that occurred yesterday with the gunman. My heart weeps for you and your loss. It is sad and maddening that a fellow soldier would do that to his own.
I hope you all can enjoy this beautiful Friday and a great weekend!
Seek out the beautiful in life!
Heather
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
My Canning Adventure
I spent yesterday canning....quite an adventure! My friend Erin and I were able to can 33 pints of pears (6 of which were pearsauce, like applesauce but with pears) and 36 pints of raspberry loganberry jam. It was quite an undertaking but rewarding and I feel like I really accomplished something. I have pictures of the final product, so I will post that in a minute, its on my phone so its not the best but it makes me smile to look at all we were able to do.
We have set a goal to do a day of canning every other month at least. Our next time we are going to do ham....I hear its easy and really good, so off to a ham adventure! Plus, it is currently pork slaughter season, so pork is cheaper than normal and I can just put it in my freezer.
The weather here is cooling off....I love this weather.
I will try to post some holiday recipes and other stuff over the next few weeks.
Take Care,
Heather
We have set a goal to do a day of canning every other month at least. Our next time we are going to do ham....I hear its easy and really good, so off to a ham adventure! Plus, it is currently pork slaughter season, so pork is cheaper than normal and I can just put it in my freezer.
The weather here is cooling off....I love this weather.
I will try to post some holiday recipes and other stuff over the next few weeks.
Take Care,
Heather
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Howdy Mr. President
Well,
As you can see my blog has been neglected over the past week. We had a huge event in our area, and me being the leader over the Event Managers in my part of the world, meant that we were up to our eyeballs in all sorts of preparations for the President, yes, THE PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES, President Obama.....along with President George H. Bush and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Can you say security with a little more security and a little dash of security on top of that? Really, there were 6 security check points you had to go through before you ever got into the actual event.
Anyway, it is done, it went great, and I was totally exhausted! But, we are off and running in another week, so I hope to get back in the groove and post some more.
I hope all is well in your part of the world! Its cool and a little crisp here today....YEA FOR AUTUMN!
Heather
As you can see my blog has been neglected over the past week. We had a huge event in our area, and me being the leader over the Event Managers in my part of the world, meant that we were up to our eyeballs in all sorts of preparations for the President, yes, THE PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES, President Obama.....along with President George H. Bush and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Can you say security with a little more security and a little dash of security on top of that? Really, there were 6 security check points you had to go through before you ever got into the actual event.
Anyway, it is done, it went great, and I was totally exhausted! But, we are off and running in another week, so I hope to get back in the groove and post some more.
I hope all is well in your part of the world! Its cool and a little crisp here today....YEA FOR AUTUMN!
Heather
Whole Wheat Banana Bread
This is by far the best banana bread I have ever had....really...and its made from whole wheat!
I got the recipe from kneadfulthingsnow.com
I have been to 2 of Karen's seminars in the last month, one on bread making and one on food storage and bother were awesome. She really is a fountain of knowledge on this stuff.
Anyway, I decided to try out this recipe and I have already made it twice! So yum!
Banana Nut Bread with Streusel Topping
Bake at 350
50-55 minutes
Makes 1 large loaf—enough to share if you are forced into it.
Pre-heat oven to 350
Lightly butter a 4X9 loaf pan and set aside
Nuts
Spread out 1 1/3 Cup Walnuts on a cookie sheet. Roast in 350 oven for five minutes. Stir and roast an additional 3-5 minutes. The walnuts will quickly begin to smell very sweet and nutty. Oooo so delicious. Allow to cool.
Meanwhile Combine
2 Cup mashed well ripened banana
1Cup Dark Brown Sugar
The juice from the bananas will melt the brown sugar making a very soupy mixture, don't be alarmed. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients:
2 Cup freshly ground whole wheat flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
Set aside.
Nuts
Coarsely chop your walnuts. Measure out 1 cup and add to the banana mixture. Finely chop the remaining nuts. These will be used for the struesel.
Struesel Topping
1/4 Cup freshly ground whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Roasted Walnuts Finely Chopped
2 Tbsp Butter
Combine flour and sugar, mix well working out any lumps of sugar. Add nuts and mix. Using a pastry cutter, or your fingers (my technique), cut in the butter until the mixture is thoroughly combined and has a variety of crumble sizes. Set aside.
To the banana mixture add:
3/4 Cup Coarsely Chopped Walnuts
2 tsp Vanilla
2 Large Well-beaten Eggs
1/4 Cup Melted Butter
Stir until well combined.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients all at once and stir gently just till thoroughly combined. Working quickly, dump the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Spread all of the streusel topping evenly over the top of the loaf and very gently press the topping slightly into the batter.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Cover loaf with a foil tent. Continue baking an additional 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.
Allow the loaf to cool completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate overnight. You're gonna love it.
Enjoy!
I got the recipe from kneadfulthingsnow.com
I have been to 2 of Karen's seminars in the last month, one on bread making and one on food storage and bother were awesome. She really is a fountain of knowledge on this stuff.
Anyway, I decided to try out this recipe and I have already made it twice! So yum!
Banana Nut Bread with Streusel Topping
Bake at 350
50-55 minutes
Makes 1 large loaf—enough to share if you are forced into it.
Pre-heat oven to 350
Lightly butter a 4X9 loaf pan and set aside
Nuts
Spread out 1 1/3 Cup Walnuts on a cookie sheet. Roast in 350 oven for five minutes. Stir and roast an additional 3-5 minutes. The walnuts will quickly begin to smell very sweet and nutty. Oooo so delicious. Allow to cool.
Meanwhile Combine
2 Cup mashed well ripened banana
1Cup Dark Brown Sugar
The juice from the bananas will melt the brown sugar making a very soupy mixture, don't be alarmed. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients:
2 Cup freshly ground whole wheat flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
Set aside.
Nuts
Coarsely chop your walnuts. Measure out 1 cup and add to the banana mixture. Finely chop the remaining nuts. These will be used for the struesel.
Struesel Topping
1/4 Cup freshly ground whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Roasted Walnuts Finely Chopped
2 Tbsp Butter
Combine flour and sugar, mix well working out any lumps of sugar. Add nuts and mix. Using a pastry cutter, or your fingers (my technique), cut in the butter until the mixture is thoroughly combined and has a variety of crumble sizes. Set aside.
To the banana mixture add:
3/4 Cup Coarsely Chopped Walnuts
2 tsp Vanilla
2 Large Well-beaten Eggs
1/4 Cup Melted Butter
Stir until well combined.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients all at once and stir gently just till thoroughly combined. Working quickly, dump the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Spread all of the streusel topping evenly over the top of the loaf and very gently press the topping slightly into the batter.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Cover loaf with a foil tent. Continue baking an additional 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.
Allow the loaf to cool completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate overnight. You're gonna love it.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Gardening: Planting Bulbs for the Spring
Hello!
I was looking through my "Southern Living" Magazine the other day and it said that October is the time to start planting bulbs for the Spring. So, check out your area and see what bulbs need to be planted now for them to be ready and beautiful and blooming late February through April. The magazine mentioned daffodils, hyacinth, snow flakes.
Its also time to plant pansies for the Fall. Pansies are such a happy little flower!
I am ready for a little bit cooler temperatures so that we can get working in our garden and getting it ready for the Spring. The drought we suffered here in Texas pretty much ended all our lovely produce but I loved it while it lasted! The heat also impeded my husband from mowing as much so there were times when the grass was too tall for me to be out in the garden....because unfortunately, we live in snake country and Copperheads seem to really like our area because we have a wetlands area behind us.....lovely, I know.
However, for snake problems, I love to use "Snake Off". Its a powder product that you sprinkle around your house and yard and it smells like cinnamon. You can order it at http://doityourselfpestcontrol.com/ and after I used it, we did not see any snakes around our house/yard for 3-4 months but its time to apply some again.
I also have been reading the book about "Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholemew. It is REALLY interesting and you learn lots of ways to save space while gardening. I am excited to put his techniques to work for me this Spring.
I hope you are all doing well and loving the fall weather. I love the colors of fall, they are beautiful!
Heather
I was looking through my "Southern Living" Magazine the other day and it said that October is the time to start planting bulbs for the Spring. So, check out your area and see what bulbs need to be planted now for them to be ready and beautiful and blooming late February through April. The magazine mentioned daffodils, hyacinth, snow flakes.
Its also time to plant pansies for the Fall. Pansies are such a happy little flower!
I am ready for a little bit cooler temperatures so that we can get working in our garden and getting it ready for the Spring. The drought we suffered here in Texas pretty much ended all our lovely produce but I loved it while it lasted! The heat also impeded my husband from mowing as much so there were times when the grass was too tall for me to be out in the garden....because unfortunately, we live in snake country and Copperheads seem to really like our area because we have a wetlands area behind us.....lovely, I know.
However, for snake problems, I love to use "Snake Off". Its a powder product that you sprinkle around your house and yard and it smells like cinnamon. You can order it at http://doityourselfpestcontrol.com/ and after I used it, we did not see any snakes around our house/yard for 3-4 months but its time to apply some again.
I also have been reading the book about "Square Foot Gardening" by Mel Bartholemew. It is REALLY interesting and you learn lots of ways to save space while gardening. I am excited to put his techniques to work for me this Spring.
I hope you are all doing well and loving the fall weather. I love the colors of fall, they are beautiful!
Heather
Friday, September 25, 2009
Food Storage
I went to a bread making class last night and learned some new methods for making bread. I would gladly share them with you here if I could....however I am going to have to work on this and figure this all out before I can share it! It was a 3 hour class and included chemistry lessons and such and I am still soaking it in....and kneading my bread....I swear I think we kneaded (kned?) our bread for hours! We just didn't quite have the technique down. So, let me work on that and see if I can put it together into cohesive thoughts and share it with you....but don't hold your breathe....it may take a while. ( Forgive me if that is the wrong use of breathe or breath....I always get those confused!)
Anyway, at our class she also talked about food storage and being prepared in case of emergency, famine, loss of job, etc. and she gave some really good advice. I wanted to share her "How to get started" information of getting going with food storage because I thought it was really practical and easy to understand.
This is the link to her page on how to get started http://kneadfulthingsnow.com/howitsdone.aspx
Good luck! I will post more as I learn more!
Have a GREAT Friday!
Heather
Anyway, at our class she also talked about food storage and being prepared in case of emergency, famine, loss of job, etc. and she gave some really good advice. I wanted to share her "How to get started" information of getting going with food storage because I thought it was really practical and easy to understand.
This is the link to her page on how to get started http://kneadfulthingsnow.com/howitsdone.aspx
Good luck! I will post more as I learn more!
Have a GREAT Friday!
Heather
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Recipe: Curried Shrimp with Cilantro, Lime, and Garlic
I made this recipe the other day and my husband and I really enjoyed it. It is from Robin Miller's cook book. It was super easy and light and had great flavor. Not too much curry, just the right amount. I think you could do the same thing with chicken, just make sure you get the chicken good and done because shrimp cooks so much faster.
Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
3 medium shallots, minced (I used a small onion)
2-3 cloves of garlic, to taste, minced
1 1/2 tsp of curry powder
1 cup of reduced sodium chicken broth or vegetable
1 1/4 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 T. fresh lime juice
1/2 cup of low fat sour cream
1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
This is great over rice or noodles. I even ate it the next day almost like a soup!
Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
3 medium shallots, minced (I used a small onion)
2-3 cloves of garlic, to taste, minced
1 1/2 tsp of curry powder
1 cup of reduced sodium chicken broth or vegetable
1 1/4 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 T. fresh lime juice
1/2 cup of low fat sour cream
1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Add the shrimp and lime juice and simmer until the shrimp are bright pink and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.
This is great over rice or noodles. I even ate it the next day almost like a soup!
Happy Fall Y'all
Happy Autumn to everyone! The first day of Fall brought unusually mild temperatures to Texas for September and we are loving it. We had a scorcher and drought filled summer so we have welcomed some rain and temps in the 60s-70s. LOVELY!
I changed up the background a little to celebrate the season of football, pumpkins, and the lovely colors and smells of fall. When I was a student, we referred to the first colder days in the Fall as "bonfire weather" because that was the time of year we started to prepare to build our bonfire and burn it around Thanksgiving for the big football game. Our beloved bonfire came to a tragic end on November 18th, 1999 when it fell and 12 Aggies lost their lives while building our beloved tradition. We will always remember those 12.
So, appreciate every day you have with your loved ones and savor the colors, sights, and sounds of the Fall, they are near and dear to me. Its one of my favorite times of year.
Make your life beautiful!
Heather
I changed up the background a little to celebrate the season of football, pumpkins, and the lovely colors and smells of fall. When I was a student, we referred to the first colder days in the Fall as "bonfire weather" because that was the time of year we started to prepare to build our bonfire and burn it around Thanksgiving for the big football game. Our beloved bonfire came to a tragic end on November 18th, 1999 when it fell and 12 Aggies lost their lives while building our beloved tradition. We will always remember those 12.
So, appreciate every day you have with your loved ones and savor the colors, sights, and sounds of the Fall, they are near and dear to me. Its one of my favorite times of year.
Make your life beautiful!
Heather
Recipe:Blue Ribbon Biscuits
A friend of mine just had her son win a BLUE RIBBON at their local county fair for some biscuits he made. When she told me the recipe, I was floored at how simple it was....and how utterly fabulous they must be....hint hint** don't look at the calorie count!
So, You take a cup of flour, a stick of butter, and a half a cup of sour cream, mix it all together and roll out and you can make 12 mini biscuits or 6 regular sized ones. That is it, that is the whole recipe....and her son won a Blue Ribbon at the fair yesterday for his entry. Isn't that wonderful and amazing!?!?! I was so proud for all of them! Her family actually brought home 9 blue ribbons and a grand champion in the cooking and arts and crafts categories! Needless to say, they were all eating their cooking entries on the way home and loving every morsel after such a fabulous day of winning!
I will have to ask her the temperature and time for cooking, but its probably similar to any basic biscuit. I would guess 350 for 15-20 minutes.
So, You take a cup of flour, a stick of butter, and a half a cup of sour cream, mix it all together and roll out and you can make 12 mini biscuits or 6 regular sized ones. That is it, that is the whole recipe....and her son won a Blue Ribbon at the fair yesterday for his entry. Isn't that wonderful and amazing!?!?! I was so proud for all of them! Her family actually brought home 9 blue ribbons and a grand champion in the cooking and arts and crafts categories! Needless to say, they were all eating their cooking entries on the way home and loving every morsel after such a fabulous day of winning!
I will have to ask her the temperature and time for cooking, but its probably similar to any basic biscuit. I would guess 350 for 15-20 minutes.
Cleaning Product: Fabuloso
Have you seen this product?
I had never heard of Fabuloso until my friend Lori mentioned that she uses it and it leaves a wonderful clean smell to your house when you are done. And, once I started to ask others about it, I heard more rave reviews and it was even recommended by 2 professional cleaning ladies. So, I decided to try it! The bottle I bought is actually blue, not pink because it is a new kind with OXY in it and I have to say that it is pretty great. I also love the nice clean and non institutional smell that it leaves and I just plum love saying the name. It is Fabuloso!
So, if you are looking for a general cleaning product, I liked this one. You take 1/4 a cup of it and add it to a gallon of water and then start cleaning. The bottle I bought was $2.99 at Target so that seems pretty economical to me!
I have been gone!
Sorry that I have totally neglected this blog. Its no neglected its embarrassing!
Anyway, I have been out of town at a conference in Vail, Colorado for a week. It was a fun and educational conference plus I had to present during 2 sessions so the weeks before I was preparing and doing laundry and packing and trying to get everything ready so my son and husband could survive whilst I was gone. We all made it through and we are slam bam in the middle of football season so LIFE IS BUSY! (But I secretly love being busy so its really okay with me!.....and I am not sure that is really so secret anyway!)
Plus, since I am serving in the presidency of our women's group at church, I am surprised at how busy I am. It doesn't generally take up a huge amount of time but it does take up a lot of small bits of time that once you put it together, ends up being a lot. However, I love doing this and working with the sisters so its a labor of love for sure!
I also have my fun little sister and her kiddos here visiting this week....so, like I said, life is busy!
I am actually off today because the laundry and housecleaning was getting the better of me and I needed to just take a day and get things done around the house. Of course, mid-stride and right about the time I thought I was really going to get a lot done, the washer decides to stop spinning....not sure why but that is a bummer! So, my dear hubbie will have to come home and take a look. I hope its just a belt or something that needs fixing.
So anyway....here I am, busy and not providing much info to you but I am going to try to redeem myself and get a few things posted today!
Love ya,
Heather
Anyway, I have been out of town at a conference in Vail, Colorado for a week. It was a fun and educational conference plus I had to present during 2 sessions so the weeks before I was preparing and doing laundry and packing and trying to get everything ready so my son and husband could survive whilst I was gone. We all made it through and we are slam bam in the middle of football season so LIFE IS BUSY! (But I secretly love being busy so its really okay with me!.....and I am not sure that is really so secret anyway!)
Plus, since I am serving in the presidency of our women's group at church, I am surprised at how busy I am. It doesn't generally take up a huge amount of time but it does take up a lot of small bits of time that once you put it together, ends up being a lot. However, I love doing this and working with the sisters so its a labor of love for sure!
I also have my fun little sister and her kiddos here visiting this week....so, like I said, life is busy!
I am actually off today because the laundry and housecleaning was getting the better of me and I needed to just take a day and get things done around the house. Of course, mid-stride and right about the time I thought I was really going to get a lot done, the washer decides to stop spinning....not sure why but that is a bummer! So, my dear hubbie will have to come home and take a look. I hope its just a belt or something that needs fixing.
So anyway....here I am, busy and not providing much info to you but I am going to try to redeem myself and get a few things posted today!
Love ya,
Heather
Monday, September 7, 2009
Cool Tool: The Vidalia Chop Wizard
Howdy friends,
I must say, I am a sucker for the "As seen on TV" aisle in Target and I bought the Vidalia Chop Wizard on the recomendation of a friend of mine. I have to say that I love it!
I can chop an onion and a bell pepper in less than 40 seconds and it is neat and clean and so easy. You do have to use a little muscle to push down on the lever, but I just put my weight into it and VOILA! Its all chopped.
I love mine. Here is the link https://www.chopwizard.com/?s_kwcid=vidalia%20onion%20chopper2130969259&gclid=COK4h7qC4ZwCFQKdnAodwzLLIg
In case you ever wondered if it reall works....it does! I really love to make stir fry and this has made it go so much faster.
I must say, I am a sucker for the "As seen on TV" aisle in Target and I bought the Vidalia Chop Wizard on the recomendation of a friend of mine. I have to say that I love it!
I can chop an onion and a bell pepper in less than 40 seconds and it is neat and clean and so easy. You do have to use a little muscle to push down on the lever, but I just put my weight into it and VOILA! Its all chopped.
I love mine. Here is the link https://www.chopwizard.com/?s_kwcid=vidalia%20onion%20chopper2130969259&gclid=COK4h7qC4ZwCFQKdnAodwzLLIg
In case you ever wondered if it reall works....it does! I really love to make stir fry and this has made it go so much faster.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Canning and Strawberry Jam-Part 2
Here is The Pioneer Woman's follow up to her basic canning and jam post.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/08/strawberry-jam-part-ii/
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/08/strawberry-jam-part-ii/
Saturday, August 29, 2009
The Basics of Canning
Howdy all....Life has been busy....I mean really busy...busier than I normally am and normally I am really busy. So, here is the rundown....
At work we are closing a major building for reconstruction...I mean major, like over 300,000 square feet. And to do so, we have to take out every picture, every chair, every, table, everything. This has been a HUGE undertaking and we have finally finished but it took months!
Also, in the midst of it all, I pulled my Achilles! So, I have been walking around with a boot air cast thingy on my foot for a few weeks. It is tiring and quite frankly there are times my foot just hurts! So, when I get home after a long day of standing and such, I just sit on the couch and relax and try to recoup from the day....hence...me being even further more no posting!
So, I have been slacking in the blog department...forgive me people, the guilt is killing me! :)
So, I found this basic information and I thought I would pass it on. Its about canning and has great info there. Its from one of my favorite websites, The Pioneer Woman, and the link to the canning info is here http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/08/canning-101-and-strawberry-jam-part-1/
I would swear to you that I will post more often but I have to be frank here....football season is about to start which is a terribly busy time for us, my husband and I both have jobs that deal with football at the university and we work a lot....so I cannot make promises that I will post more, but I can promise that I will feel guilty when I do not! Does that help any?
Be beautiful!
Heather
At work we are closing a major building for reconstruction...I mean major, like over 300,000 square feet. And to do so, we have to take out every picture, every chair, every, table, everything. This has been a HUGE undertaking and we have finally finished but it took months!
Also, in the midst of it all, I pulled my Achilles! So, I have been walking around with a boot air cast thingy on my foot for a few weeks. It is tiring and quite frankly there are times my foot just hurts! So, when I get home after a long day of standing and such, I just sit on the couch and relax and try to recoup from the day....hence...me being even further more no posting!
So, I have been slacking in the blog department...forgive me people, the guilt is killing me! :)
So, I found this basic information and I thought I would pass it on. Its about canning and has great info there. Its from one of my favorite websites, The Pioneer Woman, and the link to the canning info is here http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/08/canning-101-and-strawberry-jam-part-1/
I would swear to you that I will post more often but I have to be frank here....football season is about to start which is a terribly busy time for us, my husband and I both have jobs that deal with football at the university and we work a lot....so I cannot make promises that I will post more, but I can promise that I will feel guilty when I do not! Does that help any?
Be beautiful!
Heather
Monday, August 17, 2009
Survivor Enrichment Night
Howdy Friends....
Life has been busy and I have been booted....literally! I have pulled my Achilles heel so I am in one of those boot casts temporarily so I am hobbling around here and there. I should only have to wear it about 2 weeks but it sure does get in the way!
Anyway, we had an Enrichment Night this week that was really fun and hopefully educational. We were big meanies and did not tell them what was happening, we called it a "Mystery Night".
We did a mock hurricane drill and taught people about first aid, building a shelter, surviving without electricity and water, and food storage. Everyone I heard from thought it was really educational!
Hurricane season has started for us, so we chose that as our disaster, but I am sure you could modify yours to whatever might happen in your area. Here is a link to the source we used. We did not have the sisters bring their 72 hour kits, since ours was a surprise!
http://www.sugardoodle.net/Home_Family_and_Personal_Enrichment/SurvivorEN.shtml
Last year, with Hurricane Ike, we had people in our region who were without electricity and water for more than 2 weeks, so we are trying to help people prepare for the worst with the Hurricane Season underway this season already.
Life has been busy and I have been booted....literally! I have pulled my Achilles heel so I am in one of those boot casts temporarily so I am hobbling around here and there. I should only have to wear it about 2 weeks but it sure does get in the way!
Anyway, we had an Enrichment Night this week that was really fun and hopefully educational. We were big meanies and did not tell them what was happening, we called it a "Mystery Night".
We did a mock hurricane drill and taught people about first aid, building a shelter, surviving without electricity and water, and food storage. Everyone I heard from thought it was really educational!
Hurricane season has started for us, so we chose that as our disaster, but I am sure you could modify yours to whatever might happen in your area. Here is a link to the source we used. We did not have the sisters bring their 72 hour kits, since ours was a surprise!
http://www.sugardoodle.net/Home_Family_and_Personal_Enrichment/SurvivorEN.shtml
Last year, with Hurricane Ike, we had people in our region who were without electricity and water for more than 2 weeks, so we are trying to help people prepare for the worst with the Hurricane Season underway this season already.
Recipe:Sweetened Condensed Milk
I got this recipe from a food blogger friend and this to me sounds so handy to have around. I too have been plagued by that sweet tooth on Sunday night only to find I am out of sweetened condensed milk and cannot make a fun dessert! And it sounds economical!
This is a great alternative!
Alternative to Sweetened Condensed Milk
3/4 C powdered milk
3/4 C sugar
1/2 C HOT tap water
Put hot water in blender. With blender going, add sugar and dry milk. Blend until smooth. Makes about 1 can of Sweetened condensed milk.
This is a great alternative!
Alternative to Sweetened Condensed Milk
3/4 C powdered milk
3/4 C sugar
1/2 C HOT tap water
Put hot water in blender. With blender going, add sugar and dry milk. Blend until smooth. Makes about 1 can of Sweetened condensed milk.
Friday, August 7, 2009
The Cuban Sandwich
I was watching an episode of Diners. Drive Ins, and Dives and they made what they called a Cuban Sandwich and I thought.....hey, I could make that!
This is what they did....
First, you take a pork butt (which is actually a bone in pork shoulder, in case you were wondering.) and you jab it with a knife and stuff the holes with minced garlic and then smear the outside with garlic. Then salt all over liberally. Then, you cook it for 7.5 hours at 250 degrees. I have a giant roaster that I put it in.
Once its done cooking, allow it to cool for a bit and then tear it all apart with your hands into small pieces so you have a huge pile of pulled pork.
Next, take a loaf of French Bread or a baguette and slice it horizontally. Cover the bottom slice completely with mustard. Then cover that with full layer of hamburger sliced pickles. Then a slice of ham, then the pulled pork, then a slice of cheese. The joint on the show used mozzarella but traditionally Swiss is used. I used Swiss and Havarti. Then on top of that you sprinkle garlic salt and top with the other part of the bread.
So, here are the layers in the order if you were looking at the sandwich:
Bread
Garlic Salt
Cheese
Pulled Pork
Ham Slices
Pickles
Mustard
Bread
Then, slather on a little melted butter and if you have a panini press, you can press it in there and toast it up. If you do not, then I took my cast iron griddle and warmed it up, then put the sandwich down on it and topped it with a cast iron pan and put a can of soup on top for weight so it really smushes the sandwich down. I cut my big French loaves into 3s to make this easier. You toast it until it is crispy brown and then flip over and do again. Then, cut them into triangles about the size of a normal sandwich cut into two vertically.
These were great! I made 2 French breads and a small baguette and had plenty for 6 adults plus enough for almost everyone to take a sandwich and eat for lunch the next day.
I hope you try this! It was relatively simple and the flavor was great!
Have a great Friday!
Heather
This is what they did....
First, you take a pork butt (which is actually a bone in pork shoulder, in case you were wondering.) and you jab it with a knife and stuff the holes with minced garlic and then smear the outside with garlic. Then salt all over liberally. Then, you cook it for 7.5 hours at 250 degrees. I have a giant roaster that I put it in.
Once its done cooking, allow it to cool for a bit and then tear it all apart with your hands into small pieces so you have a huge pile of pulled pork.
Next, take a loaf of French Bread or a baguette and slice it horizontally. Cover the bottom slice completely with mustard. Then cover that with full layer of hamburger sliced pickles. Then a slice of ham, then the pulled pork, then a slice of cheese. The joint on the show used mozzarella but traditionally Swiss is used. I used Swiss and Havarti. Then on top of that you sprinkle garlic salt and top with the other part of the bread.
So, here are the layers in the order if you were looking at the sandwich:
Bread
Garlic Salt
Cheese
Pulled Pork
Ham Slices
Pickles
Mustard
Bread
Then, slather on a little melted butter and if you have a panini press, you can press it in there and toast it up. If you do not, then I took my cast iron griddle and warmed it up, then put the sandwich down on it and topped it with a cast iron pan and put a can of soup on top for weight so it really smushes the sandwich down. I cut my big French loaves into 3s to make this easier. You toast it until it is crispy brown and then flip over and do again. Then, cut them into triangles about the size of a normal sandwich cut into two vertically.
These were great! I made 2 French breads and a small baguette and had plenty for 6 adults plus enough for almost everyone to take a sandwich and eat for lunch the next day.
I hope you try this! It was relatively simple and the flavor was great!
Have a great Friday!
Heather
Friday, July 31, 2009
Recipe: Basic Muffins with variations
I made these muffins the other night and I love how versatile they are! You take a basic muffin recipe and can make oodles and gobs of different kinds. You can even make up the dry mix in advance and it is ready to go when you feel the need to bake!
Basic Muffins
1 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
½ teaspoons Salt
1 whole Egg
¾ cups Milk (or As Needed)
⅜ cups Oil (that Is 1/4 Cup Plus 2 Tablespoons)
1 cup Any Optional Additional Ingredients
Preparation Instructions
Stir together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and any optional ingredients and stir just until moistened. (Adjust amount of milk depending on how moist your add-ins are - add less milk for moist things like banana, crushed pineapple, or pumpkin and add a bit more if needed for dried fruits.) Scoop into greased muffins tins (an ice cream scoop works well for this), sprinkle the tops with sugar if desired, and bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until done.
You can mix up a large batch of the basic dry mix (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt) and store in a sealed container in your pantry. To have fresh muffins in the morning, stir the mix and measure out 3 cups of mix for one dozen muffins, add the wet ingredients and the optional ingredients and bake. Or, for a large group, make a large batch of the basic mix and make one dozen each of a variety of flavors with a lot less work.
NOTES : Variations:
1) Banana Nut - add 1 cup mashed bananas and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.
2) Blueberry - add 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries.
3) Pina Colada - add 1 small can drained crushed pineapple (8 ounces) and 1/2 cup coconut.
4) Apple Spice - add 1 peeled chopped apple, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and a dash nutmeg.
5) Coffee Walnut - add 1 teaspoon coffee extract and 3/4 cup chopped walnuts.
6) Pumpkin Spice - add 1 cup canned pumpkin, 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spices, 1/2 cup nuts.
7) Mincemeat - add 1 cup prepared mincemeat and 1/2 cup chopped nuts.
8 ) Date Nut - add 1 cup chopped dates and 1/2 cup nuts.
9) Cranberry - add 1 cup chopped fresh cranberries, 1/2 cup nuts, 1 teaspoon orange rind.
10) Chocolate chip - add 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, nuts if desired.
11) Cherry Almond - add 1 cup chopped dried cherries and 1/2 cup toasted flaked almonds.
12) Chocolate chocolate chip - add 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 cup or more chocolate chips.
13) Anything else you can think up. Adjust amount of milk in batter depending on the moistness of the added ingredients.
Basic Muffins
Ingredients:
2 cups Flour1 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
½ teaspoons Salt
1 whole Egg
¾ cups Milk (or As Needed)
⅜ cups Oil (that Is 1/4 Cup Plus 2 Tablespoons)
1 cup Any Optional Additional Ingredients
Preparation Instructions
Stir together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and any optional ingredients and stir just until moistened. (Adjust amount of milk depending on how moist your add-ins are - add less milk for moist things like banana, crushed pineapple, or pumpkin and add a bit more if needed for dried fruits.) Scoop into greased muffins tins (an ice cream scoop works well for this), sprinkle the tops with sugar if desired, and bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until done.
You can mix up a large batch of the basic dry mix (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt) and store in a sealed container in your pantry. To have fresh muffins in the morning, stir the mix and measure out 3 cups of mix for one dozen muffins, add the wet ingredients and the optional ingredients and bake. Or, for a large group, make a large batch of the basic mix and make one dozen each of a variety of flavors with a lot less work.
NOTES : Variations:
1) Banana Nut - add 1 cup mashed bananas and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.
2) Blueberry - add 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries.
3) Pina Colada - add 1 small can drained crushed pineapple (8 ounces) and 1/2 cup coconut.
4) Apple Spice - add 1 peeled chopped apple, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and a dash nutmeg.
5) Coffee Walnut - add 1 teaspoon coffee extract and 3/4 cup chopped walnuts.
6) Pumpkin Spice - add 1 cup canned pumpkin, 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spices, 1/2 cup nuts.
7) Mincemeat - add 1 cup prepared mincemeat and 1/2 cup chopped nuts.
8 ) Date Nut - add 1 cup chopped dates and 1/2 cup nuts.
9) Cranberry - add 1 cup chopped fresh cranberries, 1/2 cup nuts, 1 teaspoon orange rind.
10) Chocolate chip - add 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, nuts if desired.
11) Cherry Almond - add 1 cup chopped dried cherries and 1/2 cup toasted flaked almonds.
12) Chocolate chocolate chip - add 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 cup or more chocolate chips.
13) Anything else you can think up. Adjust amount of milk in batter depending on the moistness of the added ingredients.
Friday, July 24, 2009
How To Cut Up a Mango
I was asked today how to cut up a mango and as I was writing the instructions, I figured it would be easier to just show them. So, I found this demo and thought I would share it here for anyone who wants to eat a mango!
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
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