In case you, too, end up with a cake that falls into crumbles, here is the perfect vanilla cake base to rest those rumpled cake crumbs. I just tried it and I now have two crumb cakes resting on the counter awaiting a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
Basic Vanilla Cake
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until well combined but not overmixed.
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20-30 minutes depending on the pan you use.
To make the crumb cake, divide the batter between two oblong pans, square one, or 2-3 round pans. You want about half an inch in the pans because the cake crumbs are the star here.
Any kind of dismayed cake attempt will work. Crumble it up with your favorite spices, nuts, raisins, etc. and layer thickly over the batter in the pans and bake.
You will never fail in the kitchen, again . . . or not that anyone will know!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
From the ashes . . . sort of!
I discovered the hard way that my favorite bundt cake pan might be working as well anymore. Sure, I've had cakes giving me some problems in the past but, today, it only gave me back half my beautiful creation when I gently upended it onto the serving plate.
My son said the cake crumbs were delicious and was grabbing bits every time he passed by the deceased ex-culinary delight. It didn't make much of a dent in the pile of crumbs so I wondered what to do without wasting the cake.
Inspiration struck! A crumb cake which I interpreted to be a thin vanilla cake covered with the cake crumbs crushed with cinnamon and sliced almonds. Yes, I had to make another cake but now I have two cakes! I'm hoping I won't write later to tell you that I had to save yet another cake and now have four cakes!
My son said the cake crumbs were delicious and was grabbing bits every time he passed by the deceased ex-culinary delight. It didn't make much of a dent in the pile of crumbs so I wondered what to do without wasting the cake.
Inspiration struck! A crumb cake which I interpreted to be a thin vanilla cake covered with the cake crumbs crushed with cinnamon and sliced almonds. Yes, I had to make another cake but now I have two cakes! I'm hoping I won't write later to tell you that I had to save yet another cake and now have four cakes!
Santa Ana Winds . . .
In our part of the world, we are blessed to be situated somewhat in the foothills of the area. For views, this is wonderful, however, the winds have a way of sliding down those mountains and making life problematic in the flatlands here. It's call the Santa Ana Winds . . . It is definitely not a mild breeze.
It usually doesn't have a gentle beginning. Yesterday, the forecast said the winds would start around midnight . . . and they did all at once with huge gusts that rattled all our windows. Right now, they are about 35 miles per hour with extra hard blasts that make the 35 mile per hour winds look mild when they stop.
Although we sustain some minor damage in the area, our real worry is when they go on too long during dry seasons and a careless person drops a match or something and we have fires.
Several years ago, California was plagues with massive fires that ripped through a lot of areas. There was a growing fire to the west of us and one had started just to the east of us. The worry was what would happen if they converged. They did and when we had to evacuate at two in the morning, all we could see against the night sky was a tower of flames. Because this fire covered so many cities, we were unable to find another place to stay so we went back home and kept our packed cars at the ready in the driveway. The fire was a mile up our street and the infamous Santa Ana winds were going 35-40 miles an hour in our direction. I remember us all standing in the kitchen, holding hands and sending a prayer to God to please stop the wind. Within 30 minutes, the wind suddenly died down, the firemen got it pushed back from the neighborhood, and it was under control. Lots of hard work on the part of the firemen saved the day but I'm sure the heartfelt prayers of everyone on our street didn't go amiss.
It rained ashes for days. A friend in another state said we should get our insurance to pay for the clean up. We didn't. There were so many other people in worse shape that sweeping us ashes was a small price to pay for keeping our home.
Anyway, it has been rather damp the first part of the month so we are praying that the wind continues just as an annoyance and count our blessings.
It usually doesn't have a gentle beginning. Yesterday, the forecast said the winds would start around midnight . . . and they did all at once with huge gusts that rattled all our windows. Right now, they are about 35 miles per hour with extra hard blasts that make the 35 mile per hour winds look mild when they stop.
Although we sustain some minor damage in the area, our real worry is when they go on too long during dry seasons and a careless person drops a match or something and we have fires.
Several years ago, California was plagues with massive fires that ripped through a lot of areas. There was a growing fire to the west of us and one had started just to the east of us. The worry was what would happen if they converged. They did and when we had to evacuate at two in the morning, all we could see against the night sky was a tower of flames. Because this fire covered so many cities, we were unable to find another place to stay so we went back home and kept our packed cars at the ready in the driveway. The fire was a mile up our street and the infamous Santa Ana winds were going 35-40 miles an hour in our direction. I remember us all standing in the kitchen, holding hands and sending a prayer to God to please stop the wind. Within 30 minutes, the wind suddenly died down, the firemen got it pushed back from the neighborhood, and it was under control. Lots of hard work on the part of the firemen saved the day but I'm sure the heartfelt prayers of everyone on our street didn't go amiss.
It rained ashes for days. A friend in another state said we should get our insurance to pay for the clean up. We didn't. There were so many other people in worse shape that sweeping us ashes was a small price to pay for keeping our home.
Anyway, it has been rather damp the first part of the month so we are praying that the wind continues just as an annoyance and count our blessings.
Too much truth in the first quote!
"My own business always bores me to death; I prefer other people's."
-- Oscar Wilde
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."
-- Lewis Thomas
"It was a book to kill time for those who like it better dead."
-- Dame Rose Macaulay
"It is bad luck to be superstitious."
-- Andrew W. Mathis
-- Oscar Wilde
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."
-- Lewis Thomas
"It was a book to kill time for those who like it better dead."
-- Dame Rose Macaulay
"It is bad luck to be superstitious."
-- Andrew W. Mathis
Friday, April 29, 2011
A common error . . .!
Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.
Henry Ford
Henry Ford
I wonder . . .
We had a rule in our home when our children were little. We only had dessert on the weekend whether it be a dish of ice cream or a freshly baked pie or cake. On Mondays through Friday, don’t even ask if you want to avoid the disappointment of a negative reply. The children were being raised with this rule and they knew more than an extra sweet will be lost if they nag.
There have been times, however, when an extra dessert was forthcoming during the weekdays because of a holiday or other special occasion. The children greatly enjoyed this break but it didn't take them long to consider this the new rule! Any break from the usual discipline sent them on a quest for more and more laxness in their upbringing. It is very seldom considered a rare treat but a stepping stone to more freedom.
Once when I was checking my calendar, I noticed that Holy Days of Obligation are not always an obligation for us anymore. Making time for Mass on a Holy Day in my childhood was often a challenge between school and parents’jobs but we always managed it. Now, when ever a Holy Day falls on an awkward day, some diocese make it easier for us by cancelling our obligation. I often wonder if, we, as grown ups view it much the same as children and treats. Do we strive to live within a certain discipline or do we adjust our discipline to fit our lives?
There have been times, however, when an extra dessert was forthcoming during the weekdays because of a holiday or other special occasion. The children greatly enjoyed this break but it didn't take them long to consider this the new rule! Any break from the usual discipline sent them on a quest for more and more laxness in their upbringing. It is very seldom considered a rare treat but a stepping stone to more freedom.
Once when I was checking my calendar, I noticed that Holy Days of Obligation are not always an obligation for us anymore. Making time for Mass on a Holy Day in my childhood was often a challenge between school and parents’jobs but we always managed it. Now, when ever a Holy Day falls on an awkward day, some diocese make it easier for us by cancelling our obligation. I often wonder if, we, as grown ups view it much the same as children and treats. Do we strive to live within a certain discipline or do we adjust our discipline to fit our lives?
New etiquette?
The world took a further dip into the stupid side today. I just heard on the news that the animal rights people feel that calling our dogs, cats, etc. a 'pet' is somehow disrespectful to them. They should be referred to as companion animals. Wildlife? They should be called 'free living'. Oh, and such phrases as 'clever as a fox' shouldn't be used. Okay, I'll go for that since none of these people who thought this stuff up is 'wise as an owl'. I'm waiting for our dog, Chick, to serve with notice for her having such a derogatory name.
Just desserts . . .
The family wanted dessert the other evening as opposed to needing something sweet. I decided a small treat was in order.
Chocolate pudding was the number one choice but I discovered a four-serving package cost a dollar or more when not on sale. Anyone with more than the acceptable 2/1 children knows that four servings of anything tempting doesn’t go far in the family circle. I took some time to go through a few cookbooks and found that making pudding (without the help of the handy cardboard box!), wasn't all that difficult or time consuming. From beginning to spooning it into individual dishes, took me all of ten minutes. The ingredients for eight servings may have come to the cost of a dollar but it was still twice the product offered on the quickie shelf variety. I got out my favorite, medium-sized pot and placed the following in it:
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder
4 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
I used a wire whisk and thoroughly combined the dry ingredients. I blended in four egg yolks and one cup of milk, mixing it until smooth. Then I gradually stirred in three more cups of milk. Keeping a constant eye on and spoon in the mixture, I brought it to a boil. I kept on stirring until it thickened. At that point, the pot was removed from the heat, four tablespoons of butter and two teaspoons of vanilla were beaten into the pudding. Spoon into dessert dishes, refrigerate and there you have homemade pudding at half the cost. And I imagine that the ingredients are already on your shelf.
In ten minutes, you can master chocolate pudding. Give yourself another five and you can turn it into pie filling, too. Reduce the milk by one-half cup, proceed as above and pour the finished product into the baked or crumb pie crust of your choice.
I was thinking about going into details about what to do with the leftover pudding after dinner but there wasn’t any! And I don’t believe you will have to worry about that either.
Chocolate pudding was the number one choice but I discovered a four-serving package cost a dollar or more when not on sale. Anyone with more than the acceptable 2/1 children knows that four servings of anything tempting doesn’t go far in the family circle. I took some time to go through a few cookbooks and found that making pudding (without the help of the handy cardboard box!), wasn't all that difficult or time consuming. From beginning to spooning it into individual dishes, took me all of ten minutes. The ingredients for eight servings may have come to the cost of a dollar but it was still twice the product offered on the quickie shelf variety. I got out my favorite, medium-sized pot and placed the following in it:
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder
4 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
I used a wire whisk and thoroughly combined the dry ingredients. I blended in four egg yolks and one cup of milk, mixing it until smooth. Then I gradually stirred in three more cups of milk. Keeping a constant eye on and spoon in the mixture, I brought it to a boil. I kept on stirring until it thickened. At that point, the pot was removed from the heat, four tablespoons of butter and two teaspoons of vanilla were beaten into the pudding. Spoon into dessert dishes, refrigerate and there you have homemade pudding at half the cost. And I imagine that the ingredients are already on your shelf.
In ten minutes, you can master chocolate pudding. Give yourself another five and you can turn it into pie filling, too. Reduce the milk by one-half cup, proceed as above and pour the finished product into the baked or crumb pie crust of your choice.
I was thinking about going into details about what to do with the leftover pudding after dinner but there wasn’t any! And I don’t believe you will have to worry about that either.
The last one is how our government seems to view us . . .
"People with courage and character always seem sinister to the rest."
-- Hermann Hesse
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
-- George Santayana
"I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there."
-- Richard Feynman
"Democracy is the name we give the people whenever we need them."
-- Marquis de Flers Robert and Arman de Caillavet
-- Hermann Hesse
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
-- George Santayana
"I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there."
-- Richard Feynman
"Democracy is the name we give the people whenever we need them."
-- Marquis de Flers Robert and Arman de Caillavet
Losing weight and sour grapes . . .
Ever since I had a bout of anemia, I've had to work at maintaining my weight. I've also had to rethink my approach to food in order to see the pounds disappear . . . very slowly!
Lent, this year, gave my a new perspective. I didn't fast to lose weight but to work off a little Purgatory time. However, I realized that if I was cutting back on my eating, I had to make sure I didn't wear sackcloth and dust myself with ashes so EVERYONE knew I was SUFFERING! From other attempts, I knew that I knew I had to reevaluate my approach. Instead of depriving myself of food, I changed my eating habits. I soon discovered a bowl of oatmeal in the morning was enough until noon. Sure, I COULD have nibbled on something between times but I kept in mind that I had eaten sufficiently for my needs.
Lunch is where I usually fool myself in food choices. I decided to go with a big lunch but nothing processed, only fresh. You can indulge in a lot of fruits and vegetables with not much calorie return. Besides, the chewing necessary provides you with a 20 minute eating period and you start listening to your stomach when it has enough. I added an ounce or so of some protein and I was good until dinner. Yes, by dinner time, I was hungry but the fact that I started out telling myself there would be no eating between meals, period, facilitated the change in lifestyle. Dinner was always a reasonable helping of whatever I had fixed. Dessert was an orange or apple.
Lent is over. I lost 16 pounds but, more importantly, I feel like I've put myself in charge of my eating. A priest friend said that if you can make one change during Lent to the good, you've done well.
I also got to thinking about the times I used to have an extra cookie just because it tasted good not that I was hungry. Looking back, it was a form of gluttony. And the fact that I would consume non-productive calories that I didn't need, seemed to me to be a form of 'suicide' by diet. When you know you don't need it, when you know you are not nourishing your body, you have to start realizing you could be cutting short your life. Wouldn't that come under one of the Ten Commandments?
Lent, this year, gave my a new perspective. I didn't fast to lose weight but to work off a little Purgatory time. However, I realized that if I was cutting back on my eating, I had to make sure I didn't wear sackcloth and dust myself with ashes so EVERYONE knew I was SUFFERING! From other attempts, I knew that I knew I had to reevaluate my approach. Instead of depriving myself of food, I changed my eating habits. I soon discovered a bowl of oatmeal in the morning was enough until noon. Sure, I COULD have nibbled on something between times but I kept in mind that I had eaten sufficiently for my needs.
Lunch is where I usually fool myself in food choices. I decided to go with a big lunch but nothing processed, only fresh. You can indulge in a lot of fruits and vegetables with not much calorie return. Besides, the chewing necessary provides you with a 20 minute eating period and you start listening to your stomach when it has enough. I added an ounce or so of some protein and I was good until dinner. Yes, by dinner time, I was hungry but the fact that I started out telling myself there would be no eating between meals, period, facilitated the change in lifestyle. Dinner was always a reasonable helping of whatever I had fixed. Dessert was an orange or apple.
Lent is over. I lost 16 pounds but, more importantly, I feel like I've put myself in charge of my eating. A priest friend said that if you can make one change during Lent to the good, you've done well.
I also got to thinking about the times I used to have an extra cookie just because it tasted good not that I was hungry. Looking back, it was a form of gluttony. And the fact that I would consume non-productive calories that I didn't need, seemed to me to be a form of 'suicide' by diet. When you know you don't need it, when you know you are not nourishing your body, you have to start realizing you could be cutting short your life. Wouldn't that come under one of the Ten Commandments?
A quote to head to Heaven with . . .
“Salvation is shown to faith, it is prepared for hope, but it is given only to charity. Faith points out the way to the land of promise as a pillar of fire, hope feeds us with its manna of sweetness, but charity actually introduces us into the Promised Land.” ~St. Francis de Sales
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Saving money by not trying to save money . . .
I'm sure we've all see the ads for getting great discounts on flights and hotels. With my one daughter always flying to and from college, we soon discovered that you get the best deal from working directly with the airlines. Someone is making money over our desire to save money.
I just spent the morning trying to book a reasonable hotel for an upcoming trip. I went through several of those helpful, discount sites. Of the four I checked out, the cost for the same room at the same hotel was $192 up to over $220 per night. Inspiration struck before I settled for the 'cheapest' on the list and I Googled the hotel directly . . . and got the very same room for $135 a night. Just a head's up to check ALL options before settling for what SEEMS to be the best price. Always have to second-guess the world.
I just spent the morning trying to book a reasonable hotel for an upcoming trip. I went through several of those helpful, discount sites. Of the four I checked out, the cost for the same room at the same hotel was $192 up to over $220 per night. Inspiration struck before I settled for the 'cheapest' on the list and I Googled the hotel directly . . . and got the very same room for $135 a night. Just a head's up to check ALL options before settling for what SEEMS to be the best price. Always have to second-guess the world.
April 15th - US taxpayers favorite holiday?!
"I want to find a voracious, small-minded predator and name it after the IRS."
-- Robert Bakker
-- Robert Bakker
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Sure wouldn't want to hear this hymn sung at my church!
God of earth and outer space,
God of love and God of grace,
Bless the astronauts who fly
As they soar beyond the sky.
God who flung the stars in space,
God who set the sun ablaze,
Fling the spacecraft through the air,
Let man know your presence there.
God of atmosphere and air,
God of life and planets bare,
Use man’s courage and his skill
As he seeks your holy will.
God of depth and God of height,
God of darkness, God of light,
As man walks in outer space
Teach him how to walk in grace. . . .
God of love and God of grace,
Bless the astronauts who fly
As they soar beyond the sky.
God who flung the stars in space,
God who set the sun ablaze,
Fling the spacecraft through the air,
Let man know your presence there.
God of atmosphere and air,
God of life and planets bare,
Use man’s courage and his skill
As he seeks your holy will.
God of depth and God of height,
God of darkness, God of light,
As man walks in outer space
Teach him how to walk in grace. . . .
Quotes just for Easter!
Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won't stay there. ~Clarence W. Hall
It is the hour to rend thy chains,
The blossom time of souls. ~Katherine Lee Bates
The joyful news that He is risen does not change the contemporary world. Still before us lie work, discipline, sacrifice. But the fact of Easter gives us the spiritual power to do the work, accept the discipline, and make the sacrifice. ~Henry Knox Sherrill
Easter is the demonstration of God that life is essentially spiritual and timeless. ~Charles M. Crowe
Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer;
Death is strong, but Life is stronger;
Stronger than the dark, the light;
Stronger than the wrong, the right...
~Phillips Brooks, "An Easter Carol"
It is the hour to rend thy chains,
The blossom time of souls. ~Katherine Lee Bates
The joyful news that He is risen does not change the contemporary world. Still before us lie work, discipline, sacrifice. But the fact of Easter gives us the spiritual power to do the work, accept the discipline, and make the sacrifice. ~Henry Knox Sherrill
Easter is the demonstration of God that life is essentially spiritual and timeless. ~Charles M. Crowe
Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer;
Death is strong, but Life is stronger;
Stronger than the dark, the light;
Stronger than the wrong, the right...
~Phillips Brooks, "An Easter Carol"
Gotta wonder what it was all about . . .
So, the president has finally released copies of his birth certificate. He said in a news report that it has been distracting to the running of the country and has taken the focus off of what is important. Okay, true enough but why has he taken over two years to produce it? What was in it for him to put off proving his citizenship until now? If anyone contributed to the distraction, it was his refusal to come forth with it when people made it a source of concern. Presidents should be upfront on such things and you have to wonder why he so enjoyed taking everyone for a ride.
I have never been one of the 'birthers' but did find it odd that something so simple as proving one's birth took so long to be done. I think the politicians should take some time off from figuring out how to tax more and more of our hard-earned income and make a law that ALL presidential candidates have to provide their birth certificate BEFORE they get a nomination. I know, I know, that is too easy and makes sense. It won't happen!
I have never been one of the 'birthers' but did find it odd that something so simple as proving one's birth took so long to be done. I think the politicians should take some time off from figuring out how to tax more and more of our hard-earned income and make a law that ALL presidential candidates have to provide their birth certificate BEFORE they get a nomination. I know, I know, that is too easy and makes sense. It won't happen!
The last quote answers MY question!
"A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many bad measures."
-- Daniel Webster
"Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead."
-- Benjamin Franklin
"We hate some persons because we do not know them; and we will not know them because we hate them."
-- Charles Caleb Colton
"If there are no stupid questions, then what kind of questions do stupid people ask? Do they get smart just in time to ask questions?"
-- Scott Adams
-- Daniel Webster
"Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead."
-- Benjamin Franklin
"We hate some persons because we do not know them; and we will not know them because we hate them."
-- Charles Caleb Colton
"If there are no stupid questions, then what kind of questions do stupid people ask? Do they get smart just in time to ask questions?"
-- Scott Adams
Visiting with Abraham Lincoln!
In February, my husband and I were waiting for a seat at a restaurant. I glanced around when I felt someone approach and it was . . . Abraham Lincoln! Okay, it was a gentlemen dressed exactly like Mr. Lincoln complete with hat, carpet bag and beard. I smiled and joked that he should have sent his secret service ahead to clear the way for him. He immediately gave me an interesting history lesson on how the secret service in HIS day guarded the treasury while the sheriff watched out for him. We talked while we waited to be seated and then asked if he'd like to join us for lunch. He did and we had the most interesting hour and a half lunch ever. The food at the restaurant was awful and my husband remarked to me later that it was the worst lunch he ever enjoyed so much given the company.
This gentleman is a Lincoln presenter and has been doing this for over 30 years. He was so genuine that I hesitated to bring up the assassination lest I bring up bad memories! He gave us his card and my husband decided to see if he could arrange to have him come for an event at his place of employement - the library. My husband is in charge of arranging programs.
So, this coming weekend, Mr. Lincoln WILL be there and I'm looking forward to seeing him again AND his presentation. To make it an even better day, two friends and their children are coming along. To sweeten the deal, we hope to have some frozen yogurt afterwards!
You never know how the world presents itself from a chance meeting in a restaurant line!
This gentleman is a Lincoln presenter and has been doing this for over 30 years. He was so genuine that I hesitated to bring up the assassination lest I bring up bad memories! He gave us his card and my husband decided to see if he could arrange to have him come for an event at his place of employement - the library. My husband is in charge of arranging programs.
So, this coming weekend, Mr. Lincoln WILL be there and I'm looking forward to seeing him again AND his presentation. To make it an even better day, two friends and their children are coming along. To sweeten the deal, we hope to have some frozen yogurt afterwards!
You never know how the world presents itself from a chance meeting in a restaurant line!
Great reminder for Easter!
“I tell you that you have less to suffer in following the Cross than in serving the world and its pleasures.” ~St. John Vianney
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
One of my favorite books . . .
This is an out-of-print book and may be hard to find but it is worth the hunt and the read.
Title: Judith’s Marriage
Author: Bryan Houghton
In this book, we find a woman determined to maintain the Faith she converted to in the 1950's in spite of the many challenges presented to Catholics all over the world in the sixties. Her greatest joy and deepest hurt all come from the religion that brought her should and union with God to light.
Although fiction, this book provides an excellent story and history of the times preceding and following the Vatican II counsel as seen and lived by a Catholic woman and her family. Whether you embrace the liturgy you find in our churches today or long for the pre-Vatican II times, you will probably read this book in one sitting to see how it all turns out for Judith and her marriage.
There are many ways to die for your Faith and it doesn’t always require a bloody demise in uncivilized climes. Sometimes, martyrdom comes slowly through words, deeds, and actions. And, sometimes, people, like Judith, receive their suffering from those who should have cared for her spiritual welfare the most.
Title: Judith’s Marriage
Author: Bryan Houghton
In this book, we find a woman determined to maintain the Faith she converted to in the 1950's in spite of the many challenges presented to Catholics all over the world in the sixties. Her greatest joy and deepest hurt all come from the religion that brought her should and union with God to light.
Although fiction, this book provides an excellent story and history of the times preceding and following the Vatican II counsel as seen and lived by a Catholic woman and her family. Whether you embrace the liturgy you find in our churches today or long for the pre-Vatican II times, you will probably read this book in one sitting to see how it all turns out for Judith and her marriage.
There are many ways to die for your Faith and it doesn’t always require a bloody demise in uncivilized climes. Sometimes, martyrdom comes slowly through words, deeds, and actions. And, sometimes, people, like Judith, receive their suffering from those who should have cared for her spiritual welfare the most.
It's time to clean the refrigerator when . . .
Just sharing my personal reflections!
1. The light bulb refuses to turn on when the door is opened.
2. You find a quarantine notice posted on the door, signed by the city.
3. You hear knocking and it is coming from within the closed refrigerator.
4. Items of mysteriously wrapped leftovers seem to rearrange themselves.
5. Even when the door is closed, there is a strange, green glowing light around its edges.
6. The dog whines and hides every time you open the refrigerator door.
7. You panic when one of your children is left alone in the kitchen.
8. Your aluminum foil is gone and it looks like the tin man was assembled in your refrigerator.
9. You wonder if there is a special blessing for refrigerators.
10. You seriously consider buying a new refrigerator and just having this one towed away, as is.
1. The light bulb refuses to turn on when the door is opened.
2. You find a quarantine notice posted on the door, signed by the city.
3. You hear knocking and it is coming from within the closed refrigerator.
4. Items of mysteriously wrapped leftovers seem to rearrange themselves.
5. Even when the door is closed, there is a strange, green glowing light around its edges.
6. The dog whines and hides every time you open the refrigerator door.
7. You panic when one of your children is left alone in the kitchen.
8. Your aluminum foil is gone and it looks like the tin man was assembled in your refrigerator.
9. You wonder if there is a special blessing for refrigerators.
10. You seriously consider buying a new refrigerator and just having this one towed away, as is.
Summer and Sanity!
Summer is approaching and within days after school letting out for the summer, the children will already claim boredom. For the younger set, here are some inexpensive yet fun things to make and do. Warm weather is nice; they can do this outside!
Silly Putty
2 cups white, all-purpose glue
1 cup liquid starch
Mix together thoroughly. Set on disposable, plastic plates or waxed paper for play time. Can be used much like the commercial putty. Store in an airtight container.
Gunk
2 pounds cornstarch
3 3/4 cups water
Green food coloring
Add food coloring to the water to desired darkness, stir into the cornstarch. When the cornstarch is dissolved, drop the whole batch into plastic bowls or trays to play. It is a more liquid ‘dough’. Easy clean up; when it dries, sweep it away. Leftover Gunk can be placed in glass jars and let dry. Reconstitute with water.
Body Paints
2 cups non-irritating baby shampoo
Powdered tempra paints
Dived the shampoo into two or more portions. Stir in enough tempra paint to make a medium-density color. Take the children and the paints outside dressed in swim suits. The children can decorate themselves and run through the sprinklers to clean up.
Silly Putty
2 cups white, all-purpose glue
1 cup liquid starch
Mix together thoroughly. Set on disposable, plastic plates or waxed paper for play time. Can be used much like the commercial putty. Store in an airtight container.
Gunk
2 pounds cornstarch
3 3/4 cups water
Green food coloring
Add food coloring to the water to desired darkness, stir into the cornstarch. When the cornstarch is dissolved, drop the whole batch into plastic bowls or trays to play. It is a more liquid ‘dough’. Easy clean up; when it dries, sweep it away. Leftover Gunk can be placed in glass jars and let dry. Reconstitute with water.
Body Paints
2 cups non-irritating baby shampoo
Powdered tempra paints
Dived the shampoo into two or more portions. Stir in enough tempra paint to make a medium-density color. Take the children and the paints outside dressed in swim suits. The children can decorate themselves and run through the sprinklers to clean up.
Best explanation yet!
Love has a hem to her garment
That reaches the very dust.
It sweeps the stains
from the streets and lanes,
and because it can, it must.
Mother Theresa
That reaches the very dust.
It sweeps the stains
from the streets and lanes,
and because it can, it must.
Mother Theresa
I feel better now!
After recognizing every song on the previous post about the ten worst hymns, I was happy to find an ever more revolting one that our choir hasn't discovered yet!
God of Earth and Outer Space.
God of earth and outer space,
God of love and God of grace,
Bless the astronauts who fly
As they soar beyond the sky.
God who flung the stars in space,
God who set the sun ablaze,
Fling the spacecraft through the air,
Let man know your presence there.
God of atmosphere and air,
God of life and planets bare,
Use man’s courage and his skill
As he seeks your holy will.
God of depth and God of height,
God of darkness, God of light,
As man walks in outer space
Teach him how to walk in grace. . . .
God of Earth and Outer Space.
God of earth and outer space,
God of love and God of grace,
Bless the astronauts who fly
As they soar beyond the sky.
God who flung the stars in space,
God who set the sun ablaze,
Fling the spacecraft through the air,
Let man know your presence there.
God of atmosphere and air,
God of life and planets bare,
Use man’s courage and his skill
As he seeks your holy will.
God of depth and God of height,
God of darkness, God of light,
As man walks in outer space
Teach him how to walk in grace. . . .
Ten worst Catholic Hymns . . .
Probably stepping over a line with some people, but I had to agree with this list I found on line. With all the richness of Church music available, it seems sad that so many choirs limit themselves to mundane, camp fire type music. Our pastor just mentioned to us a couple of Sundays ago that the hymn he dislikes the most happens to be the number one 'worst' one on this list.
10. “Pescador de los Hombres” (Lord, When You Stood by the Seashore)
According to some sources, this was the favorite hymn of Pope John Paul II.
9. “I Am the Bread of Life,” by Suzanne Toolan
8. “On Eagles’ Wings, ” by Michael Joncas
7. “Pan de Vida, cuerpo del Señor,” by Bob Hurd and Pia Moriarty
6. “Sing a New Song,” by Dan Schutte
5. “We Remember,” by Marty Haugen
4. “Here I Am, Lord,” by Dan Schutte
3. “City of God, ” by Dan Schutte
2. “Gather Us In,” by Marty Haugen
1. “Sons of God, Hear His Holy Word,” by James Thiem
10. “Pescador de los Hombres” (Lord, When You Stood by the Seashore)
According to some sources, this was the favorite hymn of Pope John Paul II.
9. “I Am the Bread of Life,” by Suzanne Toolan
8. “On Eagles’ Wings, ” by Michael Joncas
7. “Pan de Vida, cuerpo del Señor,” by Bob Hurd and Pia Moriarty
6. “Sing a New Song,” by Dan Schutte
5. “We Remember,” by Marty Haugen
4. “Here I Am, Lord,” by Dan Schutte
3. “City of God, ” by Dan Schutte
2. “Gather Us In,” by Marty Haugen
1. “Sons of God, Hear His Holy Word,” by James Thiem
Chores done and sewing time enjoyed . . .
I braced myself for a long day of shopping with my son. It's not that he is picky but it can be difficult to find comfortable shoes that he likes that are also in his size. He got up early and off we went to invade the hallowed halls of the merchandise world.
The first store had few choices. My son just stood there and looked and not one of the five choices appealed to him. Only FIVE choices? I had to agree with him that the small inventory wasn't very inspiring.
We left the store and there was a discount shoe store a few steps away. We have never had much luck at this establishment but it was there and we were going to become desparate eventually so we gave it a look. A few more choices here and suddenly, we find a great pair of sneakers on sale. He tries them on and they fit. Now, we needed some kind of shoe that could pass as a dress shoe but still have the comfort of a sneaker. Down in the corner, he found such a shoe. He tried it on in his size and it was a bit tight and he is still growing. We looked in the next size up and, naturally, no luck. We wandered back to our originally startin place and I saw the desired shoe in the same size but in a 'wide'. I suggested he give it a try and success! Who would have thought it. AND, the second pair was on sale for half off. The anticipated long day of shopping was only 15 minutes and in my delight I treated him to lunch.
Now that my quilt batting has arrived, I pulled out a partially quilted project and finished cutting out the necessary squares and got all but eight of the 40 squares quilted. Another success.
I'm trying to get my three projects done before my son and I take off on vacation. My husband happily opted to stay home. He said his treat was NOT having to get on an airplane for hours at a stretch. He also likes peace and quiet when he works and he has plans for kitchen repairs. A marriage made in Heaven for both of us!
The first store had few choices. My son just stood there and looked and not one of the five choices appealed to him. Only FIVE choices? I had to agree with him that the small inventory wasn't very inspiring.
We left the store and there was a discount shoe store a few steps away. We have never had much luck at this establishment but it was there and we were going to become desparate eventually so we gave it a look. A few more choices here and suddenly, we find a great pair of sneakers on sale. He tries them on and they fit. Now, we needed some kind of shoe that could pass as a dress shoe but still have the comfort of a sneaker. Down in the corner, he found such a shoe. He tried it on in his size and it was a bit tight and he is still growing. We looked in the next size up and, naturally, no luck. We wandered back to our originally startin place and I saw the desired shoe in the same size but in a 'wide'. I suggested he give it a try and success! Who would have thought it. AND, the second pair was on sale for half off. The anticipated long day of shopping was only 15 minutes and in my delight I treated him to lunch.
Now that my quilt batting has arrived, I pulled out a partially quilted project and finished cutting out the necessary squares and got all but eight of the 40 squares quilted. Another success.
I'm trying to get my three projects done before my son and I take off on vacation. My husband happily opted to stay home. He said his treat was NOT having to get on an airplane for hours at a stretch. He also likes peace and quiet when he works and he has plans for kitchen repairs. A marriage made in Heaven for both of us!
How can this be justified . . .?
Since I do a lot of sewing/cooking, baking, I'm in the kitchen alone most of the time and usually have the talk radio shows playing to keep me company. My tastes in the radio programming are usually not the same as my children!
Today, the topic on one show was a lawsuit by a prisoner in jail for murder. The man wants the State of California to pay for his sex change surgery so he can go stay in the women's prison. From what I understand, the State has been paying for his hormone treatments at taxpayer expense. It seems to me that if you break the law, especially taking someone's life, your own life, as you know it, pretty much ends because being in prison isn't supposed to be a country club atmosphere. I have to wonder why the whole matter is taken seriously in the first place.
Would I be allowed to bring in my sewing machine, fabric, scissors, etc. to jail because that is what I like to do? Nope. Why? Because jail is a punishment for a serious crime.
Granted, prisoners are entitled the basic, humane medical treatment as required to stay healthy but I don't think expensive, elective surgery should be charged to the taxpayer's account. People seem to forget that they voluntarily got themselves into their current situation and, as a result, have to face the fact that they can't continue a freedom of choice existence.
Yes, I would pray for these people as we should, anyway. However, if the felon wins this surgery, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that more people would use the prison system for elective surgerie they couldn't afford in the outside world. Gotta to shake you head over the loss of common sense in the world today.
Today, the topic on one show was a lawsuit by a prisoner in jail for murder. The man wants the State of California to pay for his sex change surgery so he can go stay in the women's prison. From what I understand, the State has been paying for his hormone treatments at taxpayer expense. It seems to me that if you break the law, especially taking someone's life, your own life, as you know it, pretty much ends because being in prison isn't supposed to be a country club atmosphere. I have to wonder why the whole matter is taken seriously in the first place.
Would I be allowed to bring in my sewing machine, fabric, scissors, etc. to jail because that is what I like to do? Nope. Why? Because jail is a punishment for a serious crime.
Granted, prisoners are entitled the basic, humane medical treatment as required to stay healthy but I don't think expensive, elective surgery should be charged to the taxpayer's account. People seem to forget that they voluntarily got themselves into their current situation and, as a result, have to face the fact that they can't continue a freedom of choice existence.
Yes, I would pray for these people as we should, anyway. However, if the felon wins this surgery, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that more people would use the prison system for elective surgerie they couldn't afford in the outside world. Gotta to shake you head over the loss of common sense in the world today.
A Joyful Favorite . . .
My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name. And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him. He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy: As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever. -- Luke 1:46-55
Smile offering for today!
"I like work: it fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours."
-- Jerome K. Jerome
"Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people."
-- W. C. Fields
-- Jerome K. Jerome
"Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people."
-- W. C. Fields
Do my duty or quilting?
My bad angel says to take the whole day and quilt. My good angel says I need to take my teen shopping for new shoes. Sigh . . . Guess who wins on this one? Since my son and I are heading out on a vacation requiring a lot of walking, he needs to get some sturdy shoes broken in now. Okay, okay, I'm going shopping!
Shoe shopping is always an adventure these days especially for women. I've noticed that men's shoes don't change that much while women's shoes can be rather interesting. I have to wonder if some women take a look in the mirror as to how some shoe styles throw off their balance and don't really make them look all that attractive. I saw one rather portly woman wearing what seemed to be five-inch platform shoes that caused her to bend forward in order to walk and stay up. When she bent forward, it sadly threw her generous behind out and did not make a pretty profile. She compounded the chosen style with a thin-knit mini-dress. We had to take a 'charm' class in high school and the one thing I remember is you should always check a full-length mirror before leaving the house. Just checking out your hair and face doesn't tell the whole story!
Anyway, the fate of any quilting time, today, hangs in the balance of the amount of time required to find suitable shoes for my son. He isn't a fashion hound so if the shoes fit, aren't pink, and ARE comfortable, this could be a fast and easy process. Sigh . . . what are the chances? I've noticed that every time we enter a store, they hide everything in the sizes we are looking for! Nope, not paranoid! They really are out to get me! :-)
Shoe shopping is always an adventure these days especially for women. I've noticed that men's shoes don't change that much while women's shoes can be rather interesting. I have to wonder if some women take a look in the mirror as to how some shoe styles throw off their balance and don't really make them look all that attractive. I saw one rather portly woman wearing what seemed to be five-inch platform shoes that caused her to bend forward in order to walk and stay up. When she bent forward, it sadly threw her generous behind out and did not make a pretty profile. She compounded the chosen style with a thin-knit mini-dress. We had to take a 'charm' class in high school and the one thing I remember is you should always check a full-length mirror before leaving the house. Just checking out your hair and face doesn't tell the whole story!
Anyway, the fate of any quilting time, today, hangs in the balance of the amount of time required to find suitable shoes for my son. He isn't a fashion hound so if the shoes fit, aren't pink, and ARE comfortable, this could be a fast and easy process. Sigh . . . what are the chances? I've noticed that every time we enter a store, they hide everything in the sizes we are looking for! Nope, not paranoid! They really are out to get me! :-)
Stretching your resources . . .
The economy in the United States is scary these days and whenever there is a sale on some non-perishable food item, I try and stock up. Even ground beef is getting more and more expensive but it is still one of the cheaper items you can use to get a hot meal on the table and still save a few cents.
Ground beef really stretches the meal in this recipe. Ever since I can remember, my mother offered this dish to us every couple of weeks. Looking back, I realize it coincided with a pre-payday week! Nevertheless, it is filling and savory. It also lends itself to your own ideas of what to throw in to please yourself and your family’s tastes.
Beef Bean Savory
2 pounds ground beef, estimate
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 brown onions, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons brown mustard
1 large can baked beans, your choice
1-2 small cans tomato paste
1 package dry Italian dressing mix
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet. When the beef turns brown and crumbly, add the onions. Continue cooking until the onions are transparent. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Serve with a salad and fresh bread or biscuits. Then again, this is a meal that calls for hot corn bread.
Ground beef really stretches the meal in this recipe. Ever since I can remember, my mother offered this dish to us every couple of weeks. Looking back, I realize it coincided with a pre-payday week! Nevertheless, it is filling and savory. It also lends itself to your own ideas of what to throw in to please yourself and your family’s tastes.
Beef Bean Savory
2 pounds ground beef, estimate
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 brown onions, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons brown mustard
1 large can baked beans, your choice
1-2 small cans tomato paste
1 package dry Italian dressing mix
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet. When the beef turns brown and crumbly, add the onions. Continue cooking until the onions are transparent. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Serve with a salad and fresh bread or biscuits. Then again, this is a meal that calls for hot corn bread.
Marthas abound . . .
I attend Mass almost daily but do take some issue with the abundance of females running about the altar. It seems to me that women should be helping out when there aren't any men available to be lectors or extraordinary ministers. In fact, if memory serves me correctly, when they started allowing girls to serve Mass, it was to help out when there were not enough boys to do the job. Now, boys often have to sit out Mass because the girls are scheduled ahead of them.
No matter what people claim, serving at the altar is not a step to the religious life for a girl whereas it could be for a boy. If my history serves me right, serving at the altar, in the olden days (!), was one of the actual steps to becoming a priest.
The claim in our current parish is that there are not enough boys to serve Mass. Uh, in a parish with probably over 1,500 families, everyone just gave birth to only females? Like in the workplace, these days, females are taking away jobs traditionally held for men and it can be bad for moral, hard for men to support their families, and ultimately a problem for the economy.
In my entire life, I've only seen one altar boy who was a bit of a vanity freak in caring what he looked like, preening at the altar, and admiring himself in any nearby reflections. Just about every female server at our parish is constantly fussing with her hair, looking about, and refusing to take an active part in serving the Mass! More than once, there have been a line up of servers kneeling at the altar when it comes time to ring the bells for Consecration and I've personally witnessed the girl assigned to ring the bells hurriedly pass the bells down the line to the boy. When asked if she doesn't know how to ring the bells, she said, "I know how, I just didn't want to."!
My husband trained altar boys for over twelve years and he always told the boys that if the congregation notices them, they aren't doing their job. Ninety-five percent of the girls serving Mass want to be noticed.
In my humble opinion, we might be losing some prietly vocations when boys hesitate to become an altar boy because the girls have taken over. Seems to me we have more Marthas than Marys in church these days.
No matter what people claim, serving at the altar is not a step to the religious life for a girl whereas it could be for a boy. If my history serves me right, serving at the altar, in the olden days (!), was one of the actual steps to becoming a priest.
The claim in our current parish is that there are not enough boys to serve Mass. Uh, in a parish with probably over 1,500 families, everyone just gave birth to only females? Like in the workplace, these days, females are taking away jobs traditionally held for men and it can be bad for moral, hard for men to support their families, and ultimately a problem for the economy.
In my entire life, I've only seen one altar boy who was a bit of a vanity freak in caring what he looked like, preening at the altar, and admiring himself in any nearby reflections. Just about every female server at our parish is constantly fussing with her hair, looking about, and refusing to take an active part in serving the Mass! More than once, there have been a line up of servers kneeling at the altar when it comes time to ring the bells for Consecration and I've personally witnessed the girl assigned to ring the bells hurriedly pass the bells down the line to the boy. When asked if she doesn't know how to ring the bells, she said, "I know how, I just didn't want to."!
My husband trained altar boys for over twelve years and he always told the boys that if the congregation notices them, they aren't doing their job. Ninety-five percent of the girls serving Mass want to be noticed.
In my humble opinion, we might be losing some prietly vocations when boys hesitate to become an altar boy because the girls have taken over. Seems to me we have more Marthas than Marys in church these days.
Easy way to save the day . . . at meal time!
There are times when you have that beautiful pot of soup simmering on the stove but the day suddenly overwhelms you. The bread remains in your dreams and you need something to round out your soup supper. Biscuits aren’t limited to the breakfast scene. And, believe it or not, the ordinary biscuit is teeming with possibilities.
Everyday Biscuits
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup shortening
1 ½ cups milk, approximately
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients. Mix in the shortening with a pastry cutter or fork. It should look like coarse meal. Slowly add the milk, mixing the batter gently with a fork until a soft dough is formed. Take half the dough and knead on a floured surface until smooth. Not too long! Just until it loses it’s stickiness. Roll out lightly to about 1/2-inch thick. Cut into circles using a cookie cutter or a glass. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake on lightly-greased baking sheet for approximately 15 minutes or until golden. Makes about two dozen biscuits.
Biscuits go well with just about any kind of soup. You don’t have to make due with plain biscuits all the time. Biscuits adapt well to added ingredients. Think about what you are serving them with and enhance them with a bit of your own ideas.
Cheese Biscuits can happen with a cup of grated cheese added to the dough. Cheddar is best but Feta is interesting.
Herb Biscuits will take any dry herb or spice that will be compatible with your main course. Dried dill biscuits go well with chicken soup. Thyme and Rosemary are surprisingly good with a heartier, beef soup or stew.
If you need dessert, biscuits can rescue you again. Add a cup of granulated sugar to the above biscuit mix and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar before baking. A plain bowl of ice cream increases in value when there is a warm, sweet biscuit along side it.
Depending on how your mornings go, nothing gets the family up like the scent of baking biscuits. I loved sleeping in when I was younger . . . but I loved biscuits more! Sometimes I would carefully dribble maple syrup on them. Other times, they clamored for a pat of butter and a spoonful of jam. No matter how grey and drizzly the day, a cozy kitchen and hot biscuits revealed the warmth of my mother’s love. Baking biscuits makes memories and certainly brings back memories. It is never so much the actual food but the time and thought that brought it to the table.
My father got himself in trouble with his favorite aunt over biscuits. We would often visit on a Saturday and stay for one of Aunt Jo’s wonderful lunches. I always remember the line up of glasses at my place, a glass of milk, one of orange juice and another of water. Hot biscuits were always a part of whatever she was serving. One time she complained that no one ever mentioned her homemade biscuits. She was feeling overworked and under loved! Keeping this conversation in mind, the next time we visited, my father praised her biscuits to the skies. After his fourth or fifth flowery remark on her culinary expertise when it came to biscuits, Aunt Jo had to admit something. She had been in a hurry that day and the biscuits were from a package.
Everyday Biscuits
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup shortening
1 ½ cups milk, approximately
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients. Mix in the shortening with a pastry cutter or fork. It should look like coarse meal. Slowly add the milk, mixing the batter gently with a fork until a soft dough is formed. Take half the dough and knead on a floured surface until smooth. Not too long! Just until it loses it’s stickiness. Roll out lightly to about 1/2-inch thick. Cut into circles using a cookie cutter or a glass. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake on lightly-greased baking sheet for approximately 15 minutes or until golden. Makes about two dozen biscuits.
Biscuits go well with just about any kind of soup. You don’t have to make due with plain biscuits all the time. Biscuits adapt well to added ingredients. Think about what you are serving them with and enhance them with a bit of your own ideas.
Cheese Biscuits can happen with a cup of grated cheese added to the dough. Cheddar is best but Feta is interesting.
Herb Biscuits will take any dry herb or spice that will be compatible with your main course. Dried dill biscuits go well with chicken soup. Thyme and Rosemary are surprisingly good with a heartier, beef soup or stew.
If you need dessert, biscuits can rescue you again. Add a cup of granulated sugar to the above biscuit mix and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar before baking. A plain bowl of ice cream increases in value when there is a warm, sweet biscuit along side it.
Depending on how your mornings go, nothing gets the family up like the scent of baking biscuits. I loved sleeping in when I was younger . . . but I loved biscuits more! Sometimes I would carefully dribble maple syrup on them. Other times, they clamored for a pat of butter and a spoonful of jam. No matter how grey and drizzly the day, a cozy kitchen and hot biscuits revealed the warmth of my mother’s love. Baking biscuits makes memories and certainly brings back memories. It is never so much the actual food but the time and thought that brought it to the table.
My father got himself in trouble with his favorite aunt over biscuits. We would often visit on a Saturday and stay for one of Aunt Jo’s wonderful lunches. I always remember the line up of glasses at my place, a glass of milk, one of orange juice and another of water. Hot biscuits were always a part of whatever she was serving. One time she complained that no one ever mentioned her homemade biscuits. She was feeling overworked and under loved! Keeping this conversation in mind, the next time we visited, my father praised her biscuits to the skies. After his fourth or fifth flowery remark on her culinary expertise when it came to biscuits, Aunt Jo had to admit something. She had been in a hurry that day and the biscuits were from a package.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Why does Easter remind me of eggs . . .?
A tradition for many families is an abundance of hardboiled eggs on hand for days after Easter. It sounds great to boil up a bunch for decorating and hiding on Easter but you do end up with a lot that got left in favor of the jelly beans. What to do?
Stuffed Eggs can be made from ingredients probably already in your refrigerator. What you put into the recipe depends on what you want to taste when you are done! First I take my boiled, cooled and peeled eggs and slice them lengthwise in half. The yolks will pop out fairly easily. I mash them in a bowl, adding a spoonful or two of mayonnaise, bit of mustard, salt, pepper, and sweet or dill relish. Once thoroughly combined, I mound the yolk mixture back into the egg whites. This usually goes well but if the whites tend to crack or fall apart, this is your cue to chop them up, add to the yolks and . . . serve egg salad!
Several days after Easter, the goodies were dwindling. My daughter, Julianna, desperately wanted a hard-boiled egg. I told her there was one left in the refrigerator although it was a bit smashed. She took one look at the lone egg and slammed the door saying, “I’m definitely not going to eat an egg that is hatching!”
Eggs are also a budget saver and can be stretched to meet meal needs in many ways. Eggs can begin your day, be a boiled one in your lunch or become dinner. When the paycheck is slow in reaching the checking account, you can always depend on eggs to stretch the week out just a bit more. Sometimes it is fun to have breakfast for dinner. If you want to be cheap and elegant, an omelet is called for here. The basic recipe for an omelet is three or four beaten eggs mixed with a splash of milk and poured into a hot pan with a pat of melted butter or margarine. Turn the temperature low and cook slowly. Before the middle of the omelet has a chance to set, grate some cheese over it, add some salsa, crumbled bacon or cooked sausage. Just before serving, try folding it in half. Don’t worry about tears. The taste is what matters here. Again, these are ideas. Let them percolate and allow your imagination take over. Meanwhile, do something about all those hardboiled Easter eggs!
Stuffed Eggs can be made from ingredients probably already in your refrigerator. What you put into the recipe depends on what you want to taste when you are done! First I take my boiled, cooled and peeled eggs and slice them lengthwise in half. The yolks will pop out fairly easily. I mash them in a bowl, adding a spoonful or two of mayonnaise, bit of mustard, salt, pepper, and sweet or dill relish. Once thoroughly combined, I mound the yolk mixture back into the egg whites. This usually goes well but if the whites tend to crack or fall apart, this is your cue to chop them up, add to the yolks and . . . serve egg salad!
Several days after Easter, the goodies were dwindling. My daughter, Julianna, desperately wanted a hard-boiled egg. I told her there was one left in the refrigerator although it was a bit smashed. She took one look at the lone egg and slammed the door saying, “I’m definitely not going to eat an egg that is hatching!”
Eggs are also a budget saver and can be stretched to meet meal needs in many ways. Eggs can begin your day, be a boiled one in your lunch or become dinner. When the paycheck is slow in reaching the checking account, you can always depend on eggs to stretch the week out just a bit more. Sometimes it is fun to have breakfast for dinner. If you want to be cheap and elegant, an omelet is called for here. The basic recipe for an omelet is three or four beaten eggs mixed with a splash of milk and poured into a hot pan with a pat of melted butter or margarine. Turn the temperature low and cook slowly. Before the middle of the omelet has a chance to set, grate some cheese over it, add some salsa, crumbled bacon or cooked sausage. Just before serving, try folding it in half. Don’t worry about tears. The taste is what matters here. Again, these are ideas. Let them percolate and allow your imagination take over. Meanwhile, do something about all those hardboiled Easter eggs!
Growing up is hard to do . . .
I have to wonder, now, at my eagerness to see my babies start to walk, talk, read, etc. In my excitement with watching my childrens' milestones reached, I forgot that growing up was hard to do . . . for me!
I never thought I could cope with them spending a week at camp . . . and I did. When they were going to the local college all day, I learned to manage. Now, three of them are in different parts of the world and I have to understand. This growing up stuff is bothering me more than them. Go figure!
One daughter opted to stay over at college during the recent break. The other one came home but wants to go back sooner to get ready for the week. I want to relive the toddler days and hug them as babies a few more times and relish the moments more than I did!
You worry about them dealing with the world and forget that, as a mother, you have to deal with them doing it on their own.
I never thought I could cope with them spending a week at camp . . . and I did. When they were going to the local college all day, I learned to manage. Now, three of them are in different parts of the world and I have to understand. This growing up stuff is bothering me more than them. Go figure!
One daughter opted to stay over at college during the recent break. The other one came home but wants to go back sooner to get ready for the week. I want to relive the toddler days and hug them as babies a few more times and relish the moments more than I did!
You worry about them dealing with the world and forget that, as a mother, you have to deal with them doing it on their own.
Looking for Jesus . . .
Several years ago, we were very active in our former parish. One evening, after Holy Saturday services, we were helping get the church and altar ready for the next morning, Easter Sunday. Since the church has the tradition of covering the statues during Lent, we now had to remove the coverings. One statues of Christ had outstretched arms which were removeable to facilitate the covering of it. It is already after eleven and we cannot find the carefully put away arms! The pastor is trying to contact the person who put them away and is sitting there still dresses in his vestments dialing numbers. We are crawling into closets and peering under beds. No arms! Finally, we get one of the smaller altar boys to crawl further under a bed and discover the arms. They had somehow been pushed way under the bed and just out of reach. We got home way after midnight but Jesus has his arms in place in time for Easter Sunday.
A friend who still attends this parish called me yesterday. One of her sons had attended the Holy Saturday Mass and was pulled into service for getting the altar ready for the next day. My friend was getting a bit worried as the hour was growing late and her son wasn't home yet. She finally went to bed but like any mother one eye and ear were open, listening for her son's arrival home. She heard his car pull into the driveway and anticipated his coming in the door. She waited. It didn't happen. After a few more minutes, she got up and went outside to his car to find him fast asleep behind the wheel. She knocked at the car window, woke him, and got him into the house. It seems things had not gone smoothly with the altar preparations . . . they couldn't find Jesus' arms!
The situation was almost compounded when her son was told to check the bedroom (there are three!) and he was caught just before barging into one where the visiting priest was sleeping. This priest is well-known for his temper!
She had to call and tell me that her son now shares our experience and we just couldn't stop laughing about repeated history and when will they learn to leave a note as to where Jesus' arms reside during Lent! I had to wonder what would have happened if her son HAD accessed the sleeping priest's room with the excuse, "I'm looking for Jesus' arms . . ."
A friend who still attends this parish called me yesterday. One of her sons had attended the Holy Saturday Mass and was pulled into service for getting the altar ready for the next day. My friend was getting a bit worried as the hour was growing late and her son wasn't home yet. She finally went to bed but like any mother one eye and ear were open, listening for her son's arrival home. She heard his car pull into the driveway and anticipated his coming in the door. She waited. It didn't happen. After a few more minutes, she got up and went outside to his car to find him fast asleep behind the wheel. She knocked at the car window, woke him, and got him into the house. It seems things had not gone smoothly with the altar preparations . . . they couldn't find Jesus' arms!
The situation was almost compounded when her son was told to check the bedroom (there are three!) and he was caught just before barging into one where the visiting priest was sleeping. This priest is well-known for his temper!
She had to call and tell me that her son now shares our experience and we just couldn't stop laughing about repeated history and when will they learn to leave a note as to where Jesus' arms reside during Lent! I had to wonder what would have happened if her son HAD accessed the sleeping priest's room with the excuse, "I'm looking for Jesus' arms . . ."
Second-hand shared thoughts . . .!
" There is no nonsense so gross that society will not, at some time, make a doctrine of it and defend it with every weapon of communal stupidity."
-- Robertson Davies
"The fascination of shooting as a sport depends almost wholly on whether you are at the right or wrong end of the gun."
-- P. G. Wodehouse
"What a blessing it would be if we could open and shut our ears as easily as we open and shut our eyes!"
-- Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
-- Robertson Davies
"The fascination of shooting as a sport depends almost wholly on whether you are at the right or wrong end of the gun."
-- P. G. Wodehouse
"What a blessing it would be if we could open and shut our ears as easily as we open and shut our eyes!"
-- Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Didn't see this coming! A smile for Sunday . . .
A Jesuit, a Dominican, and a Trappist were marooned on a desert island. They found a magic lamp, and after some discussion decided to rub it. Lo and behold, a genie appeared and offered them three wishes. They decided it was only fair that they could each have one wish. The Jesuit said he wanted to teach at the world's most famous university, and poof, he was gone! The Dominican wished to preach in the world's largest church, and poof, he was gone! Then the Trappist said, "Gee, I already got my wish!"
Rainy days . . . and Sundays . . . and Easter!
We did not wake up to a sunny Easter Day but it was a crowded Easter Mass and we can only hope some of the once-a-year Catholics found something to come back for on 'regular' Sundays of the year!
A quiet Easter with just a part of our family here to share it with us. College tends to age children and they want to go off on their own or stay over the weekend at college. We do have to be thankful that they are happy and doing well but the mommy in miss certainly misses the delighted screams of an Easter Egg hunt. You think if I tell the two who are home that one of the plastic eggs has a $50 bill in it, they will go along with an Easter Egg hunt? I didn't think so, either. Sigh . . .
To give everyone a holiday, including me, we are having ham for dinner. I like a meat that requires little fussing and still comes out great. I'm baking it on a bed of roughly chopped onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Before residing on said nest, the ham will be rubbed with a mixture of brown sugar, dry mustard, pepper, and a bit of chili flakes. After the ham is in place, I put in enough water to almost cover the vegetables. This way, I get a tender, steamed ham AND a nice crust on it. It also does all the cooking without any further intervention from me, always a plus.
Even with a holiday, there are dishes to be done and laundry that needs washing. Still, life is a blessing and I won't complain . . . TOO much!
A quiet Easter with just a part of our family here to share it with us. College tends to age children and they want to go off on their own or stay over the weekend at college. We do have to be thankful that they are happy and doing well but the mommy in miss certainly misses the delighted screams of an Easter Egg hunt. You think if I tell the two who are home that one of the plastic eggs has a $50 bill in it, they will go along with an Easter Egg hunt? I didn't think so, either. Sigh . . .
To give everyone a holiday, including me, we are having ham for dinner. I like a meat that requires little fussing and still comes out great. I'm baking it on a bed of roughly chopped onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Before residing on said nest, the ham will be rubbed with a mixture of brown sugar, dry mustard, pepper, and a bit of chili flakes. After the ham is in place, I put in enough water to almost cover the vegetables. This way, I get a tender, steamed ham AND a nice crust on it. It also does all the cooking without any further intervention from me, always a plus.
Even with a holiday, there are dishes to be done and laundry that needs washing. Still, life is a blessing and I won't complain . . . TOO much!
An Easter Prayer for our Troops
No matter where one stands on our involvement in wars overseas, our troops are doing their duty and still need our love, support, and prayers. Found this one on-line and seems appropriate for Easter.
******
O Prince of Peace, we humbly ask Your protection for all our men
and women in military service. Give them unflinching courage to
defend with honor, dignity and devotion the rights of all who are
imperiled by injustice and evil. Guard our churches, our homes,
our schools, our hospitals, our factories, our buildings, and all
those within from harm and peril. Protect our land and its people
from enemies within and without. Grant an early peace with victory
founded upon justice. Instill in the hearts and minds of men and
women everywhere a firm purpose to live forever in peace and
good will towards all. Amen.
******
O Prince of Peace, we humbly ask Your protection for all our men
and women in military service. Give them unflinching courage to
defend with honor, dignity and devotion the rights of all who are
imperiled by injustice and evil. Guard our churches, our homes,
our schools, our hospitals, our factories, our buildings, and all
those within from harm and peril. Protect our land and its people
from enemies within and without. Grant an early peace with victory
founded upon justice. Instill in the hearts and minds of men and
women everywhere a firm purpose to live forever in peace and
good will towards all. Amen.
Sort of fits in with the miracle of Easter!
... when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Rejoice! Easter Tidings!
John 20:1-18
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."
Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but
rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They
said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him."
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away."
Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him “Teacher!” Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my
Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."
Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but
rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They
said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him."
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away."
Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him “Teacher!” Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my
Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
One of my favorite Easter hymns!
The strife is o’er, the battle done;
The victory of life is won;
The song of triumph has begun: Alleluia!
Refrain
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
The powers of death have done their worst;
But Christ their legions hath dispersed;
Let shouts of holy joy outburst: Alleluia!
Refrain
The three sad days are quickly sped;
He rises glorious from the dead;
All glory to our risen Head! Alleluia!
Refrain
He closed the yawning gates of hell;
The bars from heaven’s high portals fell;
Let hymns of praise His triumphs tell! Alleluia!
Refrain
Lord, by the stripes which wounded Thee,
From death’s dread sting Thy servants free,
That we may live, and sing to Thee: Alleluia!
Refrain
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The victory of life is won;
The song of triumph has begun: Alleluia!
Refrain
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
The powers of death have done their worst;
But Christ their legions hath dispersed;
Let shouts of holy joy outburst: Alleluia!
Refrain
The three sad days are quickly sped;
He rises glorious from the dead;
All glory to our risen Head! Alleluia!
Refrain
He closed the yawning gates of hell;
The bars from heaven’s high portals fell;
Let hymns of praise His triumphs tell! Alleluia!
Refrain
Lord, by the stripes which wounded Thee,
From death’s dread sting Thy servants free,
That we may live, and sing to Thee: Alleluia!
Refrain
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How will it all end . . .
Heard some interesting bits of news today. More government interference and the results of their nanny-state attitude.
It seems that those great, law-ordered light bulbs may be leaking toxins. Great! We have those light bulbs in our home and on our work tables where they can shine down upon us as we work leaking future problems upon us. We save a few bit of electricity and cause possible medical problems. We all know how that will end, medically, if the healthcare system bill ultimately goes into full effect.
A radio program was talking about various aspects of the public school system and a parent called in who had experienced this personally. The school wanted to put his lively five year old on drugs stating the child had attention deficit problems. When the parent stood up to them and refused, he was actually told to PLEASE comply as the school needed the funding. He later found out that schools get funding based on the percentage of children require attention deficit, etc. medication so they push parents on this for children who are just active children.
Another parent said he opted out of having his ten year old take sex ed at school when he was offered the option. A few months later, he said a word that his ten year old shouldn't have understood and was shocked when the ten year old knew exactly what the word meant. Seems the school put him in the sex ed class without notice to the parent.
Meanwhile, we have to deal with a media and press that do nothing but run interference for the president and other politicians as more and more entitlement programs and invasion into our private lives takes place.
It is sort of like the story of the Emperor's clothes where everyone pretended to see what was not there because no one dared say otherwise. Yes, Christ rose from the dead to save us but I think we have to put some effort into our situations to earn Heaven.
It seems that those great, law-ordered light bulbs may be leaking toxins. Great! We have those light bulbs in our home and on our work tables where they can shine down upon us as we work leaking future problems upon us. We save a few bit of electricity and cause possible medical problems. We all know how that will end, medically, if the healthcare system bill ultimately goes into full effect.
A radio program was talking about various aspects of the public school system and a parent called in who had experienced this personally. The school wanted to put his lively five year old on drugs stating the child had attention deficit problems. When the parent stood up to them and refused, he was actually told to PLEASE comply as the school needed the funding. He later found out that schools get funding based on the percentage of children require attention deficit, etc. medication so they push parents on this for children who are just active children.
Another parent said he opted out of having his ten year old take sex ed at school when he was offered the option. A few months later, he said a word that his ten year old shouldn't have understood and was shocked when the ten year old knew exactly what the word meant. Seems the school put him in the sex ed class without notice to the parent.
Meanwhile, we have to deal with a media and press that do nothing but run interference for the president and other politicians as more and more entitlement programs and invasion into our private lives takes place.
It is sort of like the story of the Emperor's clothes where everyone pretended to see what was not there because no one dared say otherwise. Yes, Christ rose from the dead to save us but I think we have to put some effort into our situations to earn Heaven.
A message to our materialistic world . . .
"It is a very great poverty to decide that a child must die that you might live as you wish."
Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Salt & Pepper Crackers
A little late for Easter celebrations, but this is a fun recipe for making your own crackers. Naturally, they aren't like the boxed variety . . . I think they are better!
Salt and Pepper Crackers
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup margarine
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
Approximately 3 cup all-purpose flour
Warm water
Cream the margarine in a mixing bowl. Add the baking powder, salt and pepper, combining well. Gradually add the flour until the mixture is crumbly. Add enough warm water to form a soft but pliable dough.
Heat over to 400 degrees.
Roll out small portions of dough at a time. Cut into squares with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden around the edges. Cool before serving.
Variations: For different tastes and moods, you can use garlic salt or add chili pepper seasonings. For shiny crackers, brush with beaten egg before baking and top with sesame or poppy seeds.
Boxed crackers are expensive, as you probably know! This recipe make the equivalent of approximately two boxes of store cracker for the cost of about a dollar.
A hint: Parchment paper is terrific for recipes asking for ungreased baking sheets. The baking comes out great and cookies, crackers, etc., slide ride off into the cooling rack.
Salt and Pepper Crackers
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup margarine
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
Approximately 3 cup all-purpose flour
Warm water
Cream the margarine in a mixing bowl. Add the baking powder, salt and pepper, combining well. Gradually add the flour until the mixture is crumbly. Add enough warm water to form a soft but pliable dough.
Heat over to 400 degrees.
Roll out small portions of dough at a time. Cut into squares with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden around the edges. Cool before serving.
Variations: For different tastes and moods, you can use garlic salt or add chili pepper seasonings. For shiny crackers, brush with beaten egg before baking and top with sesame or poppy seeds.
Boxed crackers are expensive, as you probably know! This recipe make the equivalent of approximately two boxes of store cracker for the cost of about a dollar.
A hint: Parchment paper is terrific for recipes asking for ungreased baking sheets. The baking comes out great and cookies, crackers, etc., slide ride off into the cooling rack.
The Resurrection!
LOVE bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians: 13:4-8
Incredible painting... absolutely a masterpiece!!
The 12'x40' painting will be displayed in a Dallas museum.
Click on the link below........
http://downloads.cbn.com/cbnplayer/cbnPlayer.swf?s=/vod/MW131v2_WS
1 Corinthians: 13:4-8
Incredible painting... absolutely a masterpiece!!
The 12'x40' painting will be displayed in a Dallas museum.
Click on the link below........
http://downloads.cbn.com/cbnplayer/cbnPlayer.swf?s=/vod/MW131v2_WS
Happy Easter!
It is hard to comprehend that Ash Wednesday wasn't just yesterday. The last six weeks flew by and Easter dawns tomorrow. I took the advice of a former pastor and didn't try and give up or promise to do a multitude of things for Lent. He always said that if you can change just one aspect of your life to the good, your Lent was successful. Of course, I tried to put aside a few more minutes for prayer and reflection but prayer, alone, needs the boost of physical change and improvement, too.
Easter is also a major 'turning point' in the year for my son and I as we have been saving and planning for a trip for the last two years . . . and that happens about three weeks from now! I haven't been on a vacation in over 28 years and my son has never been on one other than a day with not having to do schoolwork! My husband is manning the fort while we are gone as he says his 'vacation' is not having to go on one.
Easter is also a major 'turning point' in the year for my son and I as we have been saving and planning for a trip for the last two years . . . and that happens about three weeks from now! I haven't been on a vacation in over 28 years and my son has never been on one other than a day with not having to do schoolwork! My husband is manning the fort while we are gone as he says his 'vacation' is not having to go on one.
Raspberry Salad Dressing . . .
I like raspberry salad dressing but the variety found in the grocery stores is usually thick and way too sweet. It's like making your salad greens into a dessert. If you are trying to eat healthy, this just about kills the value of the greens.
Yesterday, I tried an interesting recipe for said salad dressing and it was exactly what I was looking for and not too sweet and cloying. It was easy to make and didn't call for expensive ingredients.
3 tablespoons of seedless raspberry jam
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
Salt & Pepper to taste
You just whisk the above together, chill, and use on your next salad. I used it on the salad we had with a macaroni and cheese dinner and the mild tangy sweet tones played off the cheese dish pretty well. I think it would also be good drizzled over sliced, hardboiled eggs.
Yesterday, I tried an interesting recipe for said salad dressing and it was exactly what I was looking for and not too sweet and cloying. It was easy to make and didn't call for expensive ingredients.
3 tablespoons of seedless raspberry jam
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
Salt & Pepper to taste
You just whisk the above together, chill, and use on your next salad. I used it on the salad we had with a macaroni and cheese dinner and the mild tangy sweet tones played off the cheese dish pretty well. I think it would also be good drizzled over sliced, hardboiled eggs.
The third one explains a lot!
"I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it."
-- Thomas Jefferson
"The reason why so few good books are written is that so few people who can write know anything."
-- Walter Bagehot
"The scientific theory I like best is that the rings of Saturn are composed entirely of lost airline luggage."
-- Mark Russell
"Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody."
-- Mark Twain
-- Thomas Jefferson
"The reason why so few good books are written is that so few people who can write know anything."
-- Walter Bagehot
"The scientific theory I like best is that the rings of Saturn are composed entirely of lost airline luggage."
-- Mark Russell
"Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody."
-- Mark Twain
Friday, April 22, 2011
The Art of Fine Baking
I just discovered a wonderful book on baking just about anything you can think of at home. The author really breaks down the procedures for each recipe into easy to understand steps. I'm a pretty good baker but her directions and explanations have me wanting to try some recipes I have usually avoided as to technical and difficult for the outcome. I noticed that there are a lot of good, used copies available so if you are interested, it is called The Art of Fine Baking by Paula Peck. I feel like I've just discovered a treasure. Uh, glad I found it at the end of Lent or my Lent would have been even more sacrificial!
Sewing? What sewing?
Yes, with children coming home from college and Holy Week, etc., my quilting time hasn't happened this week. I've learned to not become frustrated because God knows how my time should be filled and I'm getting used to rolling with the order of the day as it happens. I do walk past my sewing table and finger the unfinished quilt pieces and think about how they will really look once they are put together and I can see how my imagination has come into physical being.
My bolt of quilt batting, the stuff that fills a quilt, arrived. I like it when the fabric store offers 50% off coupons and I immediately go for 40 yards of the stuff at this drastic reduction. Few stores make much of a profit off my money, that's for sure!
I have two quilts in the piecing and sewing stage right now. One is a very, very scrappy quilt. I'm trying to reduce my collection of scraps drastically and this one surely incorporates a lot of them. It's almost like a 'free' quilt as no lengths of new fabric were harmed in the making of this quilt! The other one is partially a scrap quilt and rather subdued which is a departure from my usual choice of colors.
Over my quilting years, I've found that people seem to go for the scrap quilts more than my carefully orchestrated ones. I think they like the homey feel of an old-fashioned quilt. I made an elaborate scrap quilt a few years ago using leftovers for both the top and back of the quilt. I left it on the sofa and before I knew it, my younger son had laid claim to it and we can often find him settling under it to watch television or read a book. I didn't have to worry about finding that quilt a home!
My bolt of quilt batting, the stuff that fills a quilt, arrived. I like it when the fabric store offers 50% off coupons and I immediately go for 40 yards of the stuff at this drastic reduction. Few stores make much of a profit off my money, that's for sure!
I have two quilts in the piecing and sewing stage right now. One is a very, very scrappy quilt. I'm trying to reduce my collection of scraps drastically and this one surely incorporates a lot of them. It's almost like a 'free' quilt as no lengths of new fabric were harmed in the making of this quilt! The other one is partially a scrap quilt and rather subdued which is a departure from my usual choice of colors.
Over my quilting years, I've found that people seem to go for the scrap quilts more than my carefully orchestrated ones. I think they like the homey feel of an old-fashioned quilt. I made an elaborate scrap quilt a few years ago using leftovers for both the top and back of the quilt. I left it on the sofa and before I knew it, my younger son had laid claim to it and we can often find him settling under it to watch television or read a book. I didn't have to worry about finding that quilt a home!
The word and warning is out there . . .
Two thoughts from the Holy Father's Holy Thursday sermon that I found very pertinent to our world today. God sure sends out the 'wake up' notices yet how few heed them!
*******
The Holy Father alluded to the countries of the West, saying that Jesus "knows all about empty places at table, invitations refused, lack of interest in him and his closeness."
"For us," he said, "the empty places at the table of the Lord’s wedding feast, whether excusable or not, are no longer a parable but a reality, in those very countries to which he had revealed his closeness in a special way."
*******
The Holy Father alluded to the countries of the West, saying that Jesus "knows all about empty places at table, invitations refused, lack of interest in him and his closeness."
"For us," he said, "the empty places at the table of the Lord’s wedding feast, whether excusable or not, are no longer a parable but a reality, in those very countries to which he had revealed his closeness in a special way."
A smile for today, especially the third quote!
"Channeling is just bad ventriloquism. You use another voice, but people can see your lips moving."
-- Penn Jillette
"Laws are like sausages. It's better not to see them being made."
-- Otto von Bismarck
"You probably wouldn't worry about what people think of you if you could know how seldom they do."
-- Olin Miller
-- Penn Jillette
"Laws are like sausages. It's better not to see them being made."
-- Otto von Bismarck
"You probably wouldn't worry about what people think of you if you could know how seldom they do."
-- Olin Miller
Ginger cookies are good any time of the year!
Although Gingersnap cookies are traditionally found around the Christmas holidays, my family likes these cookies so much that I bake them most any time of the year. One of my sons is extremely health conscious yet he will devour any unguarded Gingersnaps and not think twice about it. We like our cookies to really have a tangy 'snap' to them. If you like a spicy cookie that goes great with hot tea in the Winter or an iced drink in the summer, you might consider these.
Spicy Ginger Snaps
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup dark molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried mustard
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Granulated sugar for dipping
Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses.
Sift together baking soda, salt, ginger, pepper, mustard and flour; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Chill dough until easy to handle.
Shape dough with hands into balls the size of large marbles. Dip into sugar before placing on un-greased baking sheet. Place each cookie about 1 ½ inches apart to allow for spreading.
Bake at 350 degrees approximately 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet one minute before removing to rack to cool completely. Makes about 7 dozen cookies.
Spicy Ginger Snaps
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup dark molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried mustard
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Granulated sugar for dipping
Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses.
Sift together baking soda, salt, ginger, pepper, mustard and flour; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Chill dough until easy to handle.
Shape dough with hands into balls the size of large marbles. Dip into sugar before placing on un-greased baking sheet. Place each cookie about 1 ½ inches apart to allow for spreading.
Bake at 350 degrees approximately 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet one minute before removing to rack to cool completely. Makes about 7 dozen cookies.
Using it all up . . .
I enjoy baking bread but often end up with leftover ends and pieces that are quickly heading for the stale department. I dislike wasting food if I can help it and came up with a recipe that uses leftover bread and the family actually enjoys the results. I know that thinking about using old bread for a dessert doesn't sound promising but my family looks forward to this. You do, however, have to use a firm, homemade bread or a better quality purchased type. The soft, sandwich stuff will just mush down into a nasty paste.
Bread Pudding
Approximately 4 cups cubed bread
1 cup finely chopped apple
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
3 well-beaten eggs
½ cup packed, brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
½ cup fresh orange juice
Juice and zest of one lemon
1/4 cup brandy (optional - you can use apple juice)
1 tsp. cinnamon
Place bread in large mixing bowl, add everything and combine well. Mixture should be very moist but not waterlogged. Add more juice, if necessary. Arrange in a buttered baking dish and bake approximately 30 minutes until golden at 350 degrees. Tastes good hot, warm or cold. Ice cream, whipped cream, or just a dribble of heavy cream can only upgrade your creation.
You can substitute any fruit you have on hand for this, add raisins, cranberries, canned peaches, etc. The main thing is that it has to go into the oven moderately moist.
Bread Pudding
Approximately 4 cups cubed bread
1 cup finely chopped apple
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
3 well-beaten eggs
½ cup packed, brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
½ cup fresh orange juice
Juice and zest of one lemon
1/4 cup brandy (optional - you can use apple juice)
1 tsp. cinnamon
Place bread in large mixing bowl, add everything and combine well. Mixture should be very moist but not waterlogged. Add more juice, if necessary. Arrange in a buttered baking dish and bake approximately 30 minutes until golden at 350 degrees. Tastes good hot, warm or cold. Ice cream, whipped cream, or just a dribble of heavy cream can only upgrade your creation.
You can substitute any fruit you have on hand for this, add raisins, cranberries, canned peaches, etc. The main thing is that it has to go into the oven moderately moist.
What next?
Who put the inmates of the asylum in charge? I couldn't believe the news report from Florida about some unemployment agency spending over $14,000 on capes for unemployed people. The reason? They said they were to instill hope in these 60,000 unemployed that they WERE cape-able. Huh? The country is in the midst of a financial crisis and they think red super hero capes is going to help? In my humble opinion, it was a wasted of precious income and a very stupid idea. Are they supposed to wear their capes to job interviews? Would anyone be impressed with an applicant arriving in a swirl of red cape and believe him to be cape-able?
Seems to me, again in my humble opinion, that if the unemployment agency had $14,000 sitting around it could have paid the salary for a part time employee rather than invest in super hero capes. Last I heard, these capes do not even provide super hero powers! You won't see any of these 'lucky' recipients darting happily among the clouds searching for jobs.
Seems to me, again in my humble opinion, that if the unemployment agency had $14,000 sitting around it could have paid the salary for a part time employee rather than invest in super hero capes. Last I heard, these capes do not even provide super hero powers! You won't see any of these 'lucky' recipients darting happily among the clouds searching for jobs.
Good Friday . . .
Ye cruel thorns, in mocking wreath entwined
My Savior's brow in agony to bind
Oh, cease to rend that flesh divine ;
My loving Lord torment no more ;
Wound rather, wound this heart of mine,
The guilty cause of all He bore.
Unpitying nails, whose points with anguish fierce
The hands and feet of my Redeemer pierce
Oh, cease to rend that flesh divine ;
My loving Lord torment no more ;
Wound rather, wound this heart of mine,
The guilty cause of all He bore.
Unfeeling lance, that dar'st to open wide
The sacred temple of my Savior's side
Oh, cease to wound that flesh divine ;
My loving Lord insult no more ;
Pierce rather, pierce this heart of mine,
The guilty cause of all He bore.
~St. Alphonsus de Ligouri
My Savior's brow in agony to bind
Oh, cease to rend that flesh divine ;
My loving Lord torment no more ;
Wound rather, wound this heart of mine,
The guilty cause of all He bore.
Unpitying nails, whose points with anguish fierce
The hands and feet of my Redeemer pierce
Oh, cease to rend that flesh divine ;
My loving Lord torment no more ;
Wound rather, wound this heart of mine,
The guilty cause of all He bore.
Unfeeling lance, that dar'st to open wide
The sacred temple of my Savior's side
Oh, cease to wound that flesh divine ;
My loving Lord insult no more ;
Pierce rather, pierce this heart of mine,
The guilty cause of all He bore.
~St. Alphonsus de Ligouri
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Thinking beyond the politics . . .
Too good to not share. Tears are guaranteed!
http://www.militarytimes.com/hancock
http://www.militarytimes.com/hancock
Looks good . . .
I'm always looking for more inexpensive places to stock up on needed basics like flour and other pantry goods. Right now, it is very expensive to purchase speciality flours or even regular necessities. Yes, some of these items are sold in large quantities but I'm thinking that two or more people could divide and conquer . . . I MEAN save on such items. Can't beat the shipping and there is nothing to say you have to be a business to purchase from them.
http://honeyvillegrain.com/
http://honeyvillegrain.com/
Holy Thursday . . .
Holy Thursday has arrived! It is an interesting day in the ending of the Lenten Season. It starts out with the Passover celebration, begins some important sacraments for our Church and ends in the tragedy that begins our life! A lot of endings, beginnings, and eternity all in one. It is a sobering feeling at the end of Holy Thursday Mass when the Blessed Sacrament is taken away as was Christ taken forcibly from the garden. You actually feel the void of an 'empty' church, especially when we arrive for the Good Friday services the next day. I have to feel sorry for people who have never experienced the entirely of this week in the Church as it truly enhances the joy of Easter.
Our pastor gave an interesting viewpoint on Judas' betrayal of Jesus. I always wondered that greed could have a long-time follower and friend of Jesus do such an awful deed. Our pastor said that to him, yes, greed was the motivating reason behind Judas betraying our Lord but he thinks that, perhaps, Judas thought it wouldn't actually be a problem. Why? Our pastor wonders if Judas wasn't figuring on Jesus 'disappearing' as He had other times when he was being sought and would do so this time, too. It would leave Judas with the 'free' money and not hurt Jesus. Judas tried to out think God and, as we all know, this was the one instant that Jesus was prepared to be 'found'. Maybe that is why the guilt of Judas was doubly great as his great desire for money caused this to happen to Jesus. Not Biblical, of course, but surely an interesting thought on the subject.
Makes me wonder how many times we have gone with the greed and turned our own backs on Jesus and shunned all that He suffered to save us.
Our pastor gave an interesting viewpoint on Judas' betrayal of Jesus. I always wondered that greed could have a long-time follower and friend of Jesus do such an awful deed. Our pastor said that to him, yes, greed was the motivating reason behind Judas betraying our Lord but he thinks that, perhaps, Judas thought it wouldn't actually be a problem. Why? Our pastor wonders if Judas wasn't figuring on Jesus 'disappearing' as He had other times when he was being sought and would do so this time, too. It would leave Judas with the 'free' money and not hurt Jesus. Judas tried to out think God and, as we all know, this was the one instant that Jesus was prepared to be 'found'. Maybe that is why the guilt of Judas was doubly great as his great desire for money caused this to happen to Jesus. Not Biblical, of course, but surely an interesting thought on the subject.
Makes me wonder how many times we have gone with the greed and turned our own backs on Jesus and shunned all that He suffered to save us.
Winning the big one?
Although everyone likes to win a prize, there are probably a lot of times we'd rather not take possession of a winning. My husband and I were thinking about this, one day, and came up with a list of raffle prizes that would surely not make the top ten list of anyone! This was all in fun and I don't THINK any of these things have ever been prizes anywhere . . . but I may be wrong!
1. Bail bond service. One time only with maximum coverage of $25,000.
2. Free hazardous waste disposal service for a month. Nuclear, chemical or atomic waste only - does not include disposable diapers.
3. Free Masonic funeral service, coupon expires in six months.
4. Interpreter service for a month; Cantonese or Farsi only.
5. Pest Control Service for a year, covering only an infestation of a rare species of Australian spider.
6. Coupon redeemable for all your welding needs for a month.
7. Free root canal. Must be used within two weeks of receipt.
8. Free body piercing, does not include ear piercing.
9. Coupon for meat. Ten pounds of liver brought directly to your door every week for a year.
10. One ton of decorative garden rocks, delivered to your door the day after the fair
1. Bail bond service. One time only with maximum coverage of $25,000.
2. Free hazardous waste disposal service for a month. Nuclear, chemical or atomic waste only - does not include disposable diapers.
3. Free Masonic funeral service, coupon expires in six months.
4. Interpreter service for a month; Cantonese or Farsi only.
5. Pest Control Service for a year, covering only an infestation of a rare species of Australian spider.
6. Coupon redeemable for all your welding needs for a month.
7. Free root canal. Must be used within two weeks of receipt.
8. Free body piercing, does not include ear piercing.
9. Coupon for meat. Ten pounds of liver brought directly to your door every week for a year.
10. One ton of decorative garden rocks, delivered to your door the day after the fair
How you earn Mother's Day . . .
“The most important person on earth is a mother. She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built something more magnificent than any cathedral—a dwelling for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby’s body. Even the angels have not been given such a grace! What is more glorious than this—to be a mother.”
Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty
Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty
Been there!
"Oh, to be only half as wonderful as my child thought I was when he was small, and only half as stupid as my teenager now thinks I am."
Rebecca Richards
Rebecca Richards
Fulton J. Sheen sure knew best!
A priest who would say: "I am on vacation, so I don't read Mass" has already confused vocation with vacation.
Fulton J. Sheen
Ask a man: “Are you a saint?” If he answers in the affirmative, you can be very sure that he is not. Fulton J. Sheen
Many men sneer at virtue - because it makes vice uncomfortable. Fulton J. Sheen
Fulton J. Sheen
Ask a man: “Are you a saint?” If he answers in the affirmative, you can be very sure that he is not. Fulton J. Sheen
Many men sneer at virtue - because it makes vice uncomfortable. Fulton J. Sheen
Thinking of the Fall . . .
Starting around September, we regularly drive up into the mountains for fresh apples straight from the tree. We usually go to a small orchard owned by a delightful, elderly couple and their equally 'mature' dog. No one is allowed to purchase a single apple until they try all the varieties available that day and listen to the gentleman's stories which are always informative and fun. It's just part of the process and when us regular visitors see newcomers barge past and demand their apples, we wince and are a bit sad that the new people are missing out on the best part of the apple purchase. Even their dog is a delight and quite frisky for her 12-plus years. When she is happy to see you, she throws herself down in your path and rolls over hoping you have a treat for her.
We have been going there for about five years and our elderly friends are getting more and more frail. Every September, we gingerly arrive and pray we see them all still there in good health and good spirits.
Naturally, we come away with quite a variety of unusual apples which challenge me in the kitchen to do justice to their unique qualities. Thinking about apple season got me thinking about baking with apples and how they provide such a wonderful scent to the house. I remembered this recipe and hope to have time to make it this next week but wanted to share it with you now.
WALNUT SPICE APPLE POUND CAKE
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
3 cups apple; peeled, cored & finely diced (tart, green apples work best.)
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
Mix sugar and oil, add eggs and beat well. Combine flour, soda and salt. Add flour mixture to beaten egg mixture. Stir in vanilla, apples, spices, and walnuts. Mix well. Spoon batter into a greased tube pan. Bake at 325 F for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Allow cake to cool to room temperature before removing from pan.
We have been going there for about five years and our elderly friends are getting more and more frail. Every September, we gingerly arrive and pray we see them all still there in good health and good spirits.
Naturally, we come away with quite a variety of unusual apples which challenge me in the kitchen to do justice to their unique qualities. Thinking about apple season got me thinking about baking with apples and how they provide such a wonderful scent to the house. I remembered this recipe and hope to have time to make it this next week but wanted to share it with you now.
WALNUT SPICE APPLE POUND CAKE
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
3 cups apple; peeled, cored & finely diced (tart, green apples work best.)
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
Mix sugar and oil, add eggs and beat well. Combine flour, soda and salt. Add flour mixture to beaten egg mixture. Stir in vanilla, apples, spices, and walnuts. Mix well. Spoon batter into a greased tube pan. Bake at 325 F for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Allow cake to cool to room temperature before removing from pan.
Who is the smarter here?
When my now-seventeen year old was four, he hated fish sticks so imagine the family’s surprise one dinner time when he rapidly consumed six of them. He said they were chicken sticks and we all felt we could wait until he was twenty-one before we set him straight. One Friday I 'slipped' and told the children I was putting fish sticks in the oven for their lunch. Marc heard and yelled, “I hate fish sticks!” Then he pulled me down and whispered in my ear, “Just call them chicken sticks, Mom.”!
Stove-Top Rice Pudding
To my thinking, this is the ultimate comfort food on a cold evening! Actually, it is pretty comforting to make in the summer because you don't have to turn on the oven to prepare it. Just a note, I use a long grain rice so can't say what Jasmine or short grain rices will produce.
1 cup rice
3 cups milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients in a heavy cooking pot. Gradually bring to a boil, stirring often to prevent burning. As soon as it reaches a boil, cover and turn heat down very low. Continue cooking until all the liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract. Serve warm or cold.
A nice variation is a cup of chopped apple dredged in a teaspoon of cinnamon and a quarter cup of sugar. Stir in after pudding has been cooked.
1 cup rice
3 cups milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients in a heavy cooking pot. Gradually bring to a boil, stirring often to prevent burning. As soon as it reaches a boil, cover and turn heat down very low. Continue cooking until all the liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract. Serve warm or cold.
A nice variation is a cup of chopped apple dredged in a teaspoon of cinnamon and a quarter cup of sugar. Stir in after pudding has been cooked.
Passover Macaroons . . .
Yes, I'm Catholic but I enjoy making and eating Jewish food! My favorite cookbook is one with recipes and history of Jewish holidays. This is a light, nonfat cookie that goes great with iced tea or hot coffee. What better time to share it than at Easter/Passover time!
passover almond macaroons
Barbara M. Barthelette
2 ½ cups toasted almonds
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
5 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grind the almonds very fine in a food processor or other grinder.
Place almonds in bowl. Add the sugar and egg whites, one at a time, blending by hand until a thick paste is formed. Add the almond extract and refrigerate for ten minutes.
Take pieces of the dough, the size of a walnut, and form into balls. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the cookies rise and brown a little. Cool slightly before removing from baking sheet.
passover almond macaroons
Barbara M. Barthelette
2 ½ cups toasted almonds
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
5 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grind the almonds very fine in a food processor or other grinder.
Place almonds in bowl. Add the sugar and egg whites, one at a time, blending by hand until a thick paste is formed. Add the almond extract and refrigerate for ten minutes.
Take pieces of the dough, the size of a walnut, and form into balls. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the cookies rise and brown a little. Cool slightly before removing from baking sheet.
Cupcakes conquered!
I had a successful baking day, yesterday, and have a pretty line up of decorated cupcakes to show for it. My only setback was an oven that was heating up in an unbalanced way so the cupcake tray on the left was baking faster than the one on the right. A dozen cupcakes got ruined but you can be sure I kept close watch on the subseqent batches. I ended up with five, different cupcakes. Given the volume, I did not fill them this time but the generous buttercream toppings more than made up for it.
My menu for cupcake production?
Kaula Chocolate cupcake with a chocolate/orange frosting.
Spice cupcake with a very orange frosting.
Cinnamon cupcake with a cinnamon/vanilla frosting.
Peanut butter cupcake with vanilla frosting.
Orange cupcake with deep chocolate frosting.
Gave out all the cupcakes to friends, yesterday, except for a tray of samples for one of my college daughters who is coming home for Easter.
I hadn't done any baking during Lent so it was fun to get back into the process.
My menu for cupcake production?
Kaula Chocolate cupcake with a chocolate/orange frosting.
Spice cupcake with a very orange frosting.
Cinnamon cupcake with a cinnamon/vanilla frosting.
Peanut butter cupcake with vanilla frosting.
Orange cupcake with deep chocolate frosting.
Gave out all the cupcakes to friends, yesterday, except for a tray of samples for one of my college daughters who is coming home for Easter.
I hadn't done any baking during Lent so it was fun to get back into the process.
Cutting back on sugar . . .
Although I do not feel that sugar is an evil in our lives, I do try to keep it a very moderate component in our diets. We don't ban it, we just keep reasonable. However, when I make a treat, I don't substitute.
During the various seasons when there is a surplus of favorite fruits, a Sunday evening dessert is ofen a fruit crisp - you know, the prepared fruit in a baking pan covered with a crumble crust? I just read that you can use half the sugar called for in the recipe and add a teaspoon of baking soda in it's place and still get sweet results. It seems that baking soda neutralizes some acid thus enhancing the sweet taste. I'm all for cutting back and plan to try this with my next apple crisp.
Thought I'd pass that seemingly useful tip along.
During the various seasons when there is a surplus of favorite fruits, a Sunday evening dessert is ofen a fruit crisp - you know, the prepared fruit in a baking pan covered with a crumble crust? I just read that you can use half the sugar called for in the recipe and add a teaspoon of baking soda in it's place and still get sweet results. It seems that baking soda neutralizes some acid thus enhancing the sweet taste. I'm all for cutting back and plan to try this with my next apple crisp.
Thought I'd pass that seemingly useful tip along.
Sigh . . . the years DO fly by!
"You know that children are growing up when they start asking questions that have answers."
-- John J. Plomp
-- John J. Plomp
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
I'd rather be intelligent!
Skill is successfully walking a tightrope over Niagara Falls. Intelligence is not trying.
Anonymous
Anonymous
Great Advice that will make you think!
13 THINGS YOUR BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU
1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.
3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.
4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it..
5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house.. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.
6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.
7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom - and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.
8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door - understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.
9. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)
10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.
11. Here's a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.
12. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.
13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at http://www.faketv/.com/)
8 MORE THINGS A BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU:
1. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.
2. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.
3. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.
4. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?
5. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.
6. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.
7. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.
8. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.
Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina , Oregon , California , and Kentucky ; security consultant Chris McGoey, who runs http://www.crimedoctor.com// and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job.
Protection for you and your home:
If you don't have a gun, here's a more humane way to wreck someone's evil plans for you.
WASP SPRAY
A friend who is a receptionist in a church in a high risk area was concerned about someone coming into the office on Monday to rob them when they were counting the collection. She asked the local police department about using pepper spray and they recommended to her that she get a can of wasp spray instead.
The wasp spray, they told her, can shoot up to twenty feet away and is a lot more accurate, while with the pepper spray, they have to get too close to you and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an antidote. She keeps a can on her desk in the office and it doesn't attract attention from people like a can of pepper spray would. She also keeps one nearby at home for home protection.. Thought this was interesting and might be of use.
FROM ANOTHER SOURCE:
On the heels of a break-in and beating that left an elderly woman in Toledo dead, self-defense experts have a tip that could save your life.
Val Glinka teaches self-defense to students at Sylvania Southview High School . For decades, he's suggested putting a can of wasp and hornet spray near your door or bed.
Glinka says, "This is better than anything I can teach them."
Glinka considers it inexpensive, easy to find, and more effective than mace or pepper spray. The cans typically shoot 20 to 30 feet; so if someone tries to break into your home, Glinka says, "spray the culprit in the eyes". It's a tip he's given to students for decades. It's also one he wants everyone to hear. If you're looking for protection, Glinka says look to the spray.
"That's going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out." Maybe even save a life.
Put your car keys beside your bed at night.
Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr.'s office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night.
If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around. After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.
P.S.
I am sending this to everyone I know because I think it is fantastic. Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone. My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn't hear him. He can activate the car alarm and then she'll know there's a problem.
Please pass this on even IF you've read it before. It's a reminder.
Please share this with all the people in your life.
1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.
3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.
4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it..
5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house.. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.
6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.
7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom - and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.
8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door - understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.
9. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)
10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.
11. Here's a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.
12. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.
13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at http://www.faketv/.com/)
8 MORE THINGS A BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU:
1. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.
2. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.
3. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.
4. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?
5. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.
6. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.
7. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.
8. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.
Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina , Oregon , California , and Kentucky ; security consultant Chris McGoey, who runs http://www.crimedoctor.com// and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job.
Protection for you and your home:
If you don't have a gun, here's a more humane way to wreck someone's evil plans for you.
WASP SPRAY
A friend who is a receptionist in a church in a high risk area was concerned about someone coming into the office on Monday to rob them when they were counting the collection. She asked the local police department about using pepper spray and they recommended to her that she get a can of wasp spray instead.
The wasp spray, they told her, can shoot up to twenty feet away and is a lot more accurate, while with the pepper spray, they have to get too close to you and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an antidote. She keeps a can on her desk in the office and it doesn't attract attention from people like a can of pepper spray would. She also keeps one nearby at home for home protection.. Thought this was interesting and might be of use.
FROM ANOTHER SOURCE:
On the heels of a break-in and beating that left an elderly woman in Toledo dead, self-defense experts have a tip that could save your life.
Val Glinka teaches self-defense to students at Sylvania Southview High School . For decades, he's suggested putting a can of wasp and hornet spray near your door or bed.
Glinka says, "This is better than anything I can teach them."
Glinka considers it inexpensive, easy to find, and more effective than mace or pepper spray. The cans typically shoot 20 to 30 feet; so if someone tries to break into your home, Glinka says, "spray the culprit in the eyes". It's a tip he's given to students for decades. It's also one he wants everyone to hear. If you're looking for protection, Glinka says look to the spray.
"That's going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out." Maybe even save a life.
Put your car keys beside your bed at night.
Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr.'s office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night.
If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around. After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.
P.S.
I am sending this to everyone I know because I think it is fantastic. Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone. My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn't hear him. He can activate the car alarm and then she'll know there's a problem.
Please pass this on even IF you've read it before. It's a reminder.
Please share this with all the people in your life.
Texas Sheet Cake allowed in ANY State!
If I wasn't already making Easter cupcakes, I surely would have made this cake for the holidays. It is a relatively easy cake to make and it always seems to disappear quite rapidly. Hey, Lent is almost over! This cake may yet appear in my kitchen over the next few weeks!
TEXAS SHEET CAKE
Start the frosting when you put the cake in the oven as you want to ice the cake almost as soon as it comes out of the oven.
2 sticks butter or margarine
4 tablespoons (rounded) cocoa
1 cup water
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup sour cream (low-fat may be used)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
FROSTING:
1 stick butter or margarine
4 tablespoons (rounded) cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1 (16 oz.) package powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup walnuts, chopped & toasted
1 dash salt
In a saucepan, melt two sticks of butter; blend in four rounded tablespoons cocoa. Add water. Stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. Pour boiled mixture slowly into dry ingredients while beating at medium speed. When well-blended, add ½ cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and eggs. Mix well. Pour into greased and flour-dusted 15-in. x 10-in. pan. Bake 20 - 25 minutes at 350°F. Remove pan from oven and put frosting on while cake is hot. Allow to cool. Cut into 2-inch squares.
FROSTING: Melt one stick butter in saucepan. Blend in cocoa. Add milk; mix thoroughly and let come to a boil. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; blend well. Spread frosting over warm cake and sprinkle on the chopped nuts
TEXAS SHEET CAKE
Start the frosting when you put the cake in the oven as you want to ice the cake almost as soon as it comes out of the oven.
2 sticks butter or margarine
4 tablespoons (rounded) cocoa
1 cup water
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup sour cream (low-fat may be used)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
FROSTING:
1 stick butter or margarine
4 tablespoons (rounded) cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1 (16 oz.) package powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup walnuts, chopped & toasted
1 dash salt
In a saucepan, melt two sticks of butter; blend in four rounded tablespoons cocoa. Add water. Stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. Pour boiled mixture slowly into dry ingredients while beating at medium speed. When well-blended, add ½ cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and eggs. Mix well. Pour into greased and flour-dusted 15-in. x 10-in. pan. Bake 20 - 25 minutes at 350°F. Remove pan from oven and put frosting on while cake is hot. Allow to cool. Cut into 2-inch squares.
FROSTING: Melt one stick butter in saucepan. Blend in cocoa. Add milk; mix thoroughly and let come to a boil. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; blend well. Spread frosting over warm cake and sprinkle on the chopped nuts
Met some people like this!
“He is a self-made man and worships his creator.” John Bright
“He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know.” Abraham Lincoln
“He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know.” Abraham Lincoln
A favorite to share . . .
Cream of Mushroom soup has always been a favorite of mine and I was usually content with the canned version until I tried making my own. What a world of difference. It is great for a light lunch or to preface a special dinner.
Easy Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 pound firm white mushrooms, cleaned
1 medium lemon
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
2 Tablespoon minced shallots
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Dash of chili flakes
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 Cups heavy cream
2 Cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 teaspoon of water
1 Tablespoon minced parsley
Sprinkle the mushrooms with lemon juice. In a food processor, coarsely chop them. Melt the butter in a heavy sauce pan and lightly sauté the shallots. Add the mushrooms, thyme, chili flakes, and bay leaf and sauté over moderate heat for 20 minutes, or until the liquid disappears. Add the salt, pepper, cream, add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the cornstarch to the soup and continue to simmer 10 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Sprinkle with minced parsley.
Easy Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 pound firm white mushrooms, cleaned
1 medium lemon
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
2 Tablespoon minced shallots
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Dash of chili flakes
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 Cups heavy cream
2 Cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 teaspoon of water
1 Tablespoon minced parsley
Sprinkle the mushrooms with lemon juice. In a food processor, coarsely chop them. Melt the butter in a heavy sauce pan and lightly sauté the shallots. Add the mushrooms, thyme, chili flakes, and bay leaf and sauté over moderate heat for 20 minutes, or until the liquid disappears. Add the salt, pepper, cream, add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the cornstarch to the soup and continue to simmer 10 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Sprinkle with minced parsley.
Love quotes that agree with me!
"People are, if anything, more touchy about being thought silly than they are about being thought unjust."
-- E. B. White
"A bore is a man who deprives you of solitude without providing you with company."
-- Gian Vincenzo Gravina
"Imagine what it would be like if TV actually were good. It would be the end of everything we know."
-- Marvin Minsky
"A rumor without a leg to stand on will get around some other way."
-- John Tudor
-- E. B. White
"A bore is a man who deprives you of solitude without providing you with company."
-- Gian Vincenzo Gravina
"Imagine what it would be like if TV actually were good. It would be the end of everything we know."
-- Marvin Minsky
"A rumor without a leg to stand on will get around some other way."
-- John Tudor
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Sugar flowers and leaves . . .
I forgot how much fun AND work it is to make flowers and leaves out of modeling chocolate. After the fact, I also recalled that one HAS to wait an hour or so before trying to roll it out, too. I now have two trays of sugar leaves and pink and purple flowers to put on some of my cupcakes tomorrow. Years ago, I used to decorate cakes quite a bit but you lose the touch over the years so it was delving into my memory and quick Google searches to figure out things. Baking and putting the cupcakes together tomorrow shouldn't be a problem . . . but I know that can be 'famous, last words'!
Just cut my teen's hair. His major talent in life is growing hair. I shear him as close to the scalp as I dare and he comes out of the shower looking like he still needs a haircut. He tell his balding father that he feels obliged to grow hair for the both of them!
Leftover beef is being created into beef/vegetable soup with rice for dinner. I'm also putting some bread to rise. Still cool weather but no rain today. It's just plain pleasant and I will keep the memory for the days when the sun beats down on us without mercy! Count your blessings while you have them and pray for some when you find a need.
Just cut my teen's hair. His major talent in life is growing hair. I shear him as close to the scalp as I dare and he comes out of the shower looking like he still needs a haircut. He tell his balding father that he feels obliged to grow hair for the both of them!
Leftover beef is being created into beef/vegetable soup with rice for dinner. I'm also putting some bread to rise. Still cool weather but no rain today. It's just plain pleasant and I will keep the memory for the days when the sun beats down on us without mercy! Count your blessings while you have them and pray for some when you find a need.
Got to remember this!
Life isn't about the number of breaths we take, but the moments that take our breath away.
Anonymous
Anonymous
A good and holy week, I pray!
Starting my Easter baking tomorrow so I can give out my offerings to friends and neighbors before they head out on their Easter events, etc. I haven't done any baking except for bread the last six weeks and am looking forward to making cupcakes tomorrow. I'm thinking about chocolate cupcakes with fresh orange flavored filling and a yellow cake with tart lemon filling. My mental jury is still out on the third flavor but am leaning towards a spice cupcake with a nut filling.
With three of my brood finishing college and the 'baby' graduating from high school, this year, I don't get to hide Easter eggs for them. I haven't let go completely as I did get them each a pound of their favorite chocolates and have it wrapped in festive Easter paper. Hey, it's hard from a mom to let go, you know!
Another reason that Easter arrived a bit too fast for me is that my younger son and I are going on a trip in May. It's been 27 years since I've been on a vacation or gone anywhere and I think I'm a bit rusty at being in the travel mode! Nevertheless, we DO head out the second week in May and will be gone for 15 days. I think it is just a matter of finally sitting on the plane to let the excitement set in a bit. Meanwhile, it is making lists and figuring out what to pack and how little we can get away with so we don't have to lug it around.
With three of my brood finishing college and the 'baby' graduating from high school, this year, I don't get to hide Easter eggs for them. I haven't let go completely as I did get them each a pound of their favorite chocolates and have it wrapped in festive Easter paper. Hey, it's hard from a mom to let go, you know!
Another reason that Easter arrived a bit too fast for me is that my younger son and I are going on a trip in May. It's been 27 years since I've been on a vacation or gone anywhere and I think I'm a bit rusty at being in the travel mode! Nevertheless, we DO head out the second week in May and will be gone for 15 days. I think it is just a matter of finally sitting on the plane to let the excitement set in a bit. Meanwhile, it is making lists and figuring out what to pack and how little we can get away with so we don't have to lug it around.
Count down to Easter . . .
It seems like we just received our Ash Wednesday ashes and we are now two days into Holy Week. It is interesting to think about what was going through the mind of Jesus as He knew the time had come and understood what He would be facing. Pre-knowledge like that would floor a regular man. It was only because He was God and man that he could survive the progression of day up to Holy Thursday. I know I've had weeks of dread before a doctor appointment or dental work and cannot imagine coping with something of the magnitude of the crucifixion. Well, that's because I'm certainly not God!
I also feel a little sad for the people who only see Easter and don't participate in the journey to that day. There is something about Holy Thursday with the celebration of the Passover with the underlying tension, knowing how it will turn out within hours. Good Friday compounds the sorrow and the church does seem empty without the Blessed Sacrament in place. Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday bring back the joy but we can't let ourselves forget our Lenten walk and take something good and improved in our lifes from it.
It was interesting. . . the last time the Jehovah Witnesses were at my door, we talked about Easter. When I said that Easter tends to blot out the events that brings us to that day, the Jehovah Witnesses were floored that the Catholic Church even observed the Passion and Death of Christ. They were trying to invite me to a talk on it and couldn't believe that we actually had church on all those days. Made me wonder about what their leaders tell their congregations about other churches and why they feel they have to lie about our beliefs to promote their own.
I also feel a little sad for the people who only see Easter and don't participate in the journey to that day. There is something about Holy Thursday with the celebration of the Passover with the underlying tension, knowing how it will turn out within hours. Good Friday compounds the sorrow and the church does seem empty without the Blessed Sacrament in place. Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday bring back the joy but we can't let ourselves forget our Lenten walk and take something good and improved in our lifes from it.
It was interesting. . . the last time the Jehovah Witnesses were at my door, we talked about Easter. When I said that Easter tends to blot out the events that brings us to that day, the Jehovah Witnesses were floored that the Catholic Church even observed the Passion and Death of Christ. They were trying to invite me to a talk on it and couldn't believe that we actually had church on all those days. Made me wonder about what their leaders tell their congregations about other churches and why they feel they have to lie about our beliefs to promote their own.
Cheered up my day!
"The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would hire them away."
-- Ronald Reagan
"She got her looks from her father. He's a plastic surgeon."
-- Groucho Marx
"If the world should blow itself up, the last audible voice would be that of an expert saying it can't be done."
-- Peter Ustinov
"Hegel was right when he said that we learn from history that man can never learn anything from history."
-- George Bernard Shaw
-- Ronald Reagan
"She got her looks from her father. He's a plastic surgeon."
-- Groucho Marx
"If the world should blow itself up, the last audible voice would be that of an expert saying it can't be done."
-- Peter Ustinov
"Hegel was right when he said that we learn from history that man can never learn anything from history."
-- George Bernard Shaw
Monday, April 18, 2011
It's raining in sunny California!
When I said the temperatures took a dive, they proved it further with a soft drizzle. It's not too cold as I just dashed across the street to deliver Easter goodies to some friends and didn't need a sweater. We are promised by the weatherman to have this weather the rest of the week. Knowing how well they predict the weather, I'll be happy to enjoy it through Wednesday.
Just finished some Easter baskets for friends. Cupcake baking begins on Wednesday and Thursday one of my college kids is coming home for a few days. There is always something to rejoice about.
Found a cute way to put together an Easter 'basket'. I had a lot of canning jars I didn't get to use this past Fall, so I filled several of them up with a variety of fun candy and closed down the ring cap with a circle of Easter print fabric. I also hit the after-Easter sales, last year, and finally got to use the little tin buckets for some treat giving.
Lining up my cupcake recipes and digging out a recipe for modeling chocolate. The anticipating of the holidays is always the fun part for mothers!
Just finished some Easter baskets for friends. Cupcake baking begins on Wednesday and Thursday one of my college kids is coming home for a few days. There is always something to rejoice about.
Found a cute way to put together an Easter 'basket'. I had a lot of canning jars I didn't get to use this past Fall, so I filled several of them up with a variety of fun candy and closed down the ring cap with a circle of Easter print fabric. I also hit the after-Easter sales, last year, and finally got to use the little tin buckets for some treat giving.
Lining up my cupcake recipes and digging out a recipe for modeling chocolate. The anticipating of the holidays is always the fun part for mothers!
All too true . . .
Advertising may be described as the science of arresting human intelligence long enough to get money from it.
Stephen Leacock
Stephen Leacock
A beautiful, drizzily, overcast day . . .
As you know by now, I like cold, damp days that drive me indoors to hang around my sewing machine and kitchen. After a very hot weekend, it was nice to wake up to a cool morning. My morning walk around the church before Mass this morning was wonderful even with a few, tiny raindrops adorning my sweater.
Have to get some shopping done today as my current quilt can't go on until I purchase a few yards of muslim. Sigh . . . Meanwhile, I started two more quilts as the ideas came into mind.
Although I have leftover beef roast for dinner, I'm thinking of slicing it thin and rolling it around a filling of cheese and spinach with a mushroom gravy. It is hard to understand people who hate to cook. It always seems like an adventure to me and, beside, I like to eat something nice, too.
By the way, brining chicken before baking it makes for a wonderful outcome! The white meat often gets a bit dry but not with the brining. Just have to remember to think ahead when chicken is on the menu!
Have to get some shopping done today as my current quilt can't go on until I purchase a few yards of muslim. Sigh . . . Meanwhile, I started two more quilts as the ideas came into mind.
Although I have leftover beef roast for dinner, I'm thinking of slicing it thin and rolling it around a filling of cheese and spinach with a mushroom gravy. It is hard to understand people who hate to cook. It always seems like an adventure to me and, beside, I like to eat something nice, too.
By the way, brining chicken before baking it makes for a wonderful outcome! The white meat often gets a bit dry but not with the brining. Just have to remember to think ahead when chicken is on the menu!
What's wrong with the government?
It is really crazy to hear the president and his cohorts claiming that if we take away tax cuts for the rich, we can balance the budget more into the black. You have to wonder if the president or his cohorts every studey economy and how it works.
In order to have job opportunities, you need people with . . . MONEY to start or back the business with the idea that is will benefit the wealthy person as well as provide jobs and opportunities for people needing employment. If you take away any of the tax perks related to operating a business, why should the owner or backer continue to support it? The business closes. The owner/backer moves it overseas and a lot of people are out of work. That puts them on unemployment benefits and we increase the national debt.
I fail to understand why people who work hard and get financially ahead in the world should be penalized. Politician are against a flat tax that would treat everyone's income equally. Shouldn't everyone have the same percentage deducted for running the country? It goes against everything to make hard work and advancement liable for a punishment in the way of more taxes. That's a good way to reduce effort and put more people on the entitlement wagon.
We had friends who ran a small business that they dearly loved. They employed eight or ten people and it was a good place to work with great bosses and happy employees. Over the years, the various costs went up and the 'new and improved' regulations took their toll on the business. When they got an offer on the property, with a lot of regrets, they sold it. The business closed and the employees were out of a job.
I don't know about you but I don't have the money to start a business and when I need a job I go to a big corporation to look for employment. If they pay a fair salary, I don't care if they are millionaires - they earned it.
In order to have job opportunities, you need people with . . . MONEY to start or back the business with the idea that is will benefit the wealthy person as well as provide jobs and opportunities for people needing employment. If you take away any of the tax perks related to operating a business, why should the owner or backer continue to support it? The business closes. The owner/backer moves it overseas and a lot of people are out of work. That puts them on unemployment benefits and we increase the national debt.
I fail to understand why people who work hard and get financially ahead in the world should be penalized. Politician are against a flat tax that would treat everyone's income equally. Shouldn't everyone have the same percentage deducted for running the country? It goes against everything to make hard work and advancement liable for a punishment in the way of more taxes. That's a good way to reduce effort and put more people on the entitlement wagon.
We had friends who ran a small business that they dearly loved. They employed eight or ten people and it was a good place to work with great bosses and happy employees. Over the years, the various costs went up and the 'new and improved' regulations took their toll on the business. When they got an offer on the property, with a lot of regrets, they sold it. The business closed and the employees were out of a job.
I don't know about you but I don't have the money to start a business and when I need a job I go to a big corporation to look for employment. If they pay a fair salary, I don't care if they are millionaires - they earned it.
Teaching our children . . .
How far must we go in educating our children at home? I mean, do we need to encourage anything but the basics in order to prepare our children for the secular world? When are we over doing education and when is it not enough? And should there be a difference in how we educate our sons and daughters. Do the future men need more education than our future women?
Perhaps, in days gone by, females only needed enough to get married and know enough to send their children on to school. As long as a woman could cope within the confines of the home, she had been taught enough. What more did she need? Although this may have had some truth long ago, our children will be facing a much different world and education is their main ticket to being an accepted part of it.
Personally, I never gave my sons different subjects in the home schooling curriculum than I did my daughters. When they finished their time with me, I wanted both sons and daughters to have had the best I could offer them. I can’t look into the future so I can’t make a determination on what they will actually need as they travel their individual roads in life. I am trying to offer them everything now so they won’t come up short later.
Sons will most likely become the breadwinners. They need to have the intelligence, education and wisdom to find and maintain work that will support a future family. And, in order to become a part of the world, a smattering of many subjects will help them cope with the different people they will meet and work with in their life. A well-rounded person is one who can intelligently converse in a mixed group and, at least know what everyone is talking about enough to make reasonable comments. Too much focus on one goal might find our children struggling to meet a goal life sends them!
I am definitely not in league with women’s lib! I do, however, feel that if we only prepare our daughters for marriage or religious life and structure our curriculum thus, we are doing them a great disservice. In a perfect world, perhaps enough knowledge to be only a mother would be acceptable. We don’t live in a perfect world and we don’t know where our children’s paths in life will take them.
It is interesting to sit down and figure out exactly what a girl needs to know in order to run a household. Math is foremost from doubling a recipe to figuring the square footage of the home. If you aren’t reasonably sharp in calculating skills, how will you know if you are actually getting a bargain when watching for sales, using coupons and shopping for a family? Basic math will get you by but some advanced math will stretch your mind.
English is very important. Even a female needs to communicate and basic adjectives such as cool or awesome can make a conversation pretty tiresome after awhile. If a daughter marries one of the well-educated young men, can she be a help mate or embarrassment when dealing with social situations that come about in a husband’s job? Children learn a lot from what they hear. Shouldn’t we see that our children have a grounding in grammar so our future grandchildren will be literate people?
And we should never shy away from subject because we don’t think our children will need them. My own mother was educated in Germany. In their educational system, everyone studied everything if they opted for higher learning. You took art even if you weren’t interested in it. You took science. You studied math every year. You read the great authors. My mother graduated top of her class and had plans for using her excellent education. World War II put a stop to her immediate plans but nothing she ever learned went to waste. She raised children. She taught them about music and art. She was strict about them excelling in school. And when family circumstances warranted it, she had absolutely no trouble in finding work. What would have happened if her parents had settled for getting her enough learning to get by?
Our sons should be given the best education we can provide, but our daughters should be working there, too. We should never be satisfied to just get by when there is a chance to expand our horizons. As mentioned before, our sons will probably work outside the home. Many of our girls will become mothers. If we did a good job with their education, either in the home our in a traditional school setting, won’t many of our daughters follow in our footsteps? We should think now about whether we are giving them enough to teach their children all they should know.
Perhaps, in days gone by, females only needed enough to get married and know enough to send their children on to school. As long as a woman could cope within the confines of the home, she had been taught enough. What more did she need? Although this may have had some truth long ago, our children will be facing a much different world and education is their main ticket to being an accepted part of it.
Personally, I never gave my sons different subjects in the home schooling curriculum than I did my daughters. When they finished their time with me, I wanted both sons and daughters to have had the best I could offer them. I can’t look into the future so I can’t make a determination on what they will actually need as they travel their individual roads in life. I am trying to offer them everything now so they won’t come up short later.
Sons will most likely become the breadwinners. They need to have the intelligence, education and wisdom to find and maintain work that will support a future family. And, in order to become a part of the world, a smattering of many subjects will help them cope with the different people they will meet and work with in their life. A well-rounded person is one who can intelligently converse in a mixed group and, at least know what everyone is talking about enough to make reasonable comments. Too much focus on one goal might find our children struggling to meet a goal life sends them!
I am definitely not in league with women’s lib! I do, however, feel that if we only prepare our daughters for marriage or religious life and structure our curriculum thus, we are doing them a great disservice. In a perfect world, perhaps enough knowledge to be only a mother would be acceptable. We don’t live in a perfect world and we don’t know where our children’s paths in life will take them.
It is interesting to sit down and figure out exactly what a girl needs to know in order to run a household. Math is foremost from doubling a recipe to figuring the square footage of the home. If you aren’t reasonably sharp in calculating skills, how will you know if you are actually getting a bargain when watching for sales, using coupons and shopping for a family? Basic math will get you by but some advanced math will stretch your mind.
English is very important. Even a female needs to communicate and basic adjectives such as cool or awesome can make a conversation pretty tiresome after awhile. If a daughter marries one of the well-educated young men, can she be a help mate or embarrassment when dealing with social situations that come about in a husband’s job? Children learn a lot from what they hear. Shouldn’t we see that our children have a grounding in grammar so our future grandchildren will be literate people?
And we should never shy away from subject because we don’t think our children will need them. My own mother was educated in Germany. In their educational system, everyone studied everything if they opted for higher learning. You took art even if you weren’t interested in it. You took science. You studied math every year. You read the great authors. My mother graduated top of her class and had plans for using her excellent education. World War II put a stop to her immediate plans but nothing she ever learned went to waste. She raised children. She taught them about music and art. She was strict about them excelling in school. And when family circumstances warranted it, she had absolutely no trouble in finding work. What would have happened if her parents had settled for getting her enough learning to get by?
Our sons should be given the best education we can provide, but our daughters should be working there, too. We should never be satisfied to just get by when there is a chance to expand our horizons. As mentioned before, our sons will probably work outside the home. Many of our girls will become mothers. If we did a good job with their education, either in the home our in a traditional school setting, won’t many of our daughters follow in our footsteps? We should think now about whether we are giving them enough to teach their children all they should know.
Rosary Reminder . . .
CARRY YOUR ROSARY EVERYDAY
When you carry a Rosary, Satan has a headache.
When you use it, he collapses.
When he sees you praying it, he faints.
Let us pray the rosary every time, so that he'll keep fainting.
Maybe one day, he'll have a stroke and never be able to work.
Did you also know that when you are about to forward this message,
Satan will try to discourage you?
Forward it anyway and help hasten the triumph of Mama Mary!
Send this to your prayerful friends and see how the Holy Spirit works!
There is a great deal to gain and absolutely nothing to lose!
Imagine what might happen if every Catholic in the world would pray a Rosary on the same day! We have an example in October of 1573, when Europe was saved from the invasion of the mighty Turkish fleet, by the praying of the Rosary by all Christians! So, on Good Friday, let us all pray a Rosary for peace in the world and the return of moral values into our communities. If possible, please pray your Rosary between Noon and 3:00pm.
When you carry a Rosary, Satan has a headache.
When you use it, he collapses.
When he sees you praying it, he faints.
Let us pray the rosary every time, so that he'll keep fainting.
Maybe one day, he'll have a stroke and never be able to work.
Did you also know that when you are about to forward this message,
Satan will try to discourage you?
Forward it anyway and help hasten the triumph of Mama Mary!
Send this to your prayerful friends and see how the Holy Spirit works!
There is a great deal to gain and absolutely nothing to lose!
Imagine what might happen if every Catholic in the world would pray a Rosary on the same day! We have an example in October of 1573, when Europe was saved from the invasion of the mighty Turkish fleet, by the praying of the Rosary by all Christians! So, on Good Friday, let us all pray a Rosary for peace in the world and the return of moral values into our communities. If possible, please pray your Rosary between Noon and 3:00pm.
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