Cannibals in the American Market Place?

Believe it or not, we are becoming a nation of cannibals! If the wasted calories and sugar overdose weren't enough to steer me clear of cola, Pepsi's stance on the subject, have quickly put their products off my grocery list.

http://www.lifenews.com/2012/03/05/obama-agency-pepsi-using-aborted-fetal-cells-is-ordinary-business/

Mini Apple Coffee Cakes

Here is a nice breakfast treat for an after-Easter Sunday Mass/service. While the children are overdosing on Easter goodies, the grownups can enjoy a cup of coffee and a Mini Apple Coffee Cake. This is a relatively fast and easy recipe that goes into the oven quickly with a little prep time. It makes a dense but tasty break in the morning. They are great warm and still go down quite easily later in the day when they are cooled down. I like the fact that the toasted walnut crunch is on top of the muffins so the apple bits in the coffee cake have their chance to shine alone.

Mini Apple Coffee Cakes

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups cake flour
1 cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup finely diced tart apple
Freshly grated zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) sour cream
3 eggs
6 tablespoons butter, melted

STREUSEL:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons cold butter
½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine but don’t over mix.

For Streusel, combine listed ingredients and mix until crumbly.

Scoop into cupcake paper lined muffin tins, filling only 2/3 full. Sprinkle top of each mini-coffee cake with Streusel.

Bake at 350degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool before removing from pans to wire racks.  Yield depends on size of muffin tins. If you are using large-sized ones, you get about a dozen. Smaller, regular cupcake size and you will get more.

The future is in our youth . . .

"The young do not know enough to
be prudent, and therefore they attempt
the impossible -- and achieve it,
generation after generation." - Pearl S. Buck

Amazing Quiz . . .

This is amazing -- it's a simple mathematical exercise that can predict
your favourite movie. It must have been created by a real genius. Don't
know how it works, but it works every time! Be honest and don't look at
the movie list below till you have done the maths!
OK, OK, just humour me and do it!

Movie Quiz:

1. Pick a number from 1-9.
2. Multiply by 3.
3. Add 3.
4. Multiply by 3 again.
5. Now add the two digits of your answer together to find your
predicted favorite movie in the list of 17 movies





Movie List:
1. Gone With the Wind
2. E.T.
3. Blazing Saddles
4. Star Wars
5. Forrest Gump
6. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
7. &nb sp; Jaws
8. Grease
9. The Obama Farewell Speech of 2013
10. Casablanca
11. Jurassic Park
12. Shrek
13. Pirates of the Caribbean
14. Titanic
15. Raiders of the Lost Ark
16. Home Alone
17. Mrs. Doubtfire

They are aware of each other's existence . . .

Howl, the Cat, and Chick are very much aware of each other's existence but prefer to keep a definite distance between them for now. Chick would like to give the cat a good sniff but Howl is much too dignified to allow any dog's wet nose near his perfectly groomed fur. He may be a mixed breed Siamese but he is still of that particular disposition. Chick understands that keeping her nose intact depends on the whereabouts of the cat so she may peek while pretending to sleep, but she won't make any sudden moves . . . unless, of course, we open the sliding glass door and she can get a good run at that pesky cat!

California has contrasts . . .

It is hard to describe our area but we are definitely in an extensive valley and surrounded by mountains. My son's college is literally right up against the foothills. It is always interesting to see the variety of foliage we have from palm trees to evergreens complete with pine cones. I remembered my camera, today, but am sad that I missed all the cloudy and foggy days which gave these same pictures a much different look.

Corned Beef and Cabbage . . .

Okay, I'm of German descent but very, very fond of corned beef and cabbage. In fact, when the corned beef goes on sale in March, I usually buy an extra one to enjoy long after St. Patrick's Day has passed. I have heard, however, from several friends that they don't make it because they don't know how! I'm here to tell you that this is the easiest dinner to prepare and it will make you look like a cooking expert when you set it before your family.

Basically, you purchase a corned beef. Although there are very inexpensive cuts, paying a little more will provide more for the dollar and taste better, too. You place the meat along with the spice packe,t usually included, into a cooking pot, cover it with water, and simmer until hot through, about an hour or so.

About 20 minutes before you plan to serve it, add peeled carrots to the pot and cook for ten minutes. Add the peeled and quartered potatoes and cook another ten minutes. The wedges of cabbage take less than 8-10 minutes so decide how soft you want it and figure out when you need to include it.

Slice the cooked meat against the grain for the best tenderness. Serve with your drained vegetables and cabbage.

An added bonus to my presentation is mustard sauce. My husband often wonders if I serve corned beef for the sauce or the other way around!

Mustard Sauce


1 cup mayo
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon hot, dried mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried dill

Combine all the ingredients and mix thoroughly. It tastes great with the meat and really perks up the appeal of the rest of the meal.