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Life Threatening - Is Your Dog at Risk for Bloat?
Did you know that "bloat" is a deadly condition? It's true. And some breeds and body types have a higher risk for the disease although it can occur to almost any dog.
The medical term for bloat is "Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus", also known as GDV or gastric torsion. It is a condition caused by abnormal dilatation and twisting of the stomach. "Bloat" is the result of an abnormal accumulation of air, fluid or foam in the stomach (gastric dilatation).
I mentioned that I have been spending some time in veterinary emergency rooms and that bloat is a common condition seen in the ER. The other night I was at the clinic and a dog came in with bloat. "Barney" was a 9-year-old mixed breed dog (mostly Irish setter from what I could tell). He was a sweet dog and you could immediately tell he was suffering. He was pacing and restless. You could tell that he was in a lot of pain and he kept trying to vomit. When the stomach is twisted, dogs "try" to vomit but they can't.
Bloat is the number one cause of death for several large and giant breeds. It is a life-threatening disorder and, if left untreated, it results in death.
Is your dog at risk?
Dr. Larry Glickman, an epidemiologist at the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, conducted a study on canine bloat. His study followed more than 1,900 dogs to help identify risk factors for this disease. Here's what the study showed.
• Dogs with the greatest risk of developing bloat have deep, narrow chests. • The risk of bloat is slightly higher in males than in females. • Lean dogs were found to be at higher risk for developing bloat than overweight dogs. • Older dogs are at a higher risk than younger dogs. • Heredity is also an issue. If your dog's relatives have developed bloat, he also has a higher risk of developing the disease. • Fast eaters are at higher risk for developing bloat. Many believe this is because the dog swallows more air when eating fast. • Elevated food bowls have been shown to increase the risk of bloat. • Dogs with nervous, fearful or aggressive personalities have a higher incidence of bloat. • Stress, such as that which occurs during kenneling, is an important precipitating factor. • Dogs who were fed only dry food and dogs who ate only one large daily meal were at a higher risk for bloat. • Dogs who ate foods high in oil or fat (such as sunflower oil or animal fat) have a higher risk of developing the disease. (If the oil or fat is listed as one of the top four ingredients in the food, it is considered a high-fat food.) • Most cases of bloat have been found to occur after 6 PM.
Most people don't think their dog will experience a problem like bloat. But most of those people are wrong. I've seen hundreds if not thousands of dogs suffering with bloat and everyone is surprised.
If your dog shows any signs of bloat, consider it a true emergency and see your veterinarian immediately.
Another frustrating thing about this deadly condition is that it comes on quickly and is immediately life-threatening. Bloat commonly causes owners to quickly make life-altering decisions for their dogs. Bloat is also one of the most expensive conditions to treat. According to an emergency clinic in Columbus, Ohio the average cost for treatment of bloat is $2,468.00. This is an expensive disease to treat. But the good news is, bloat treatment is covered by most pet insurance policies. If your pet had this type of emergency, could you afford to cover it out of pocket? In a case like this, pet insurance could actually save your dog's life. Have you looked into pet insurance yet? If not, take a minute to find out if pet insurance is right for you. Many dogs are euthanized because their owners cannot afford this type of unexpected medical expense. By the way, Barney, the dog I saw at the clinic, was euthanized. His owners could not afford to treat him. It is sad, but this happens in veterinary emergency rooms all the time. So, if you have not already done so, take a minute now to see how pet insurance can save you money (and possibly your dog's life).
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TODAY'S PET TIP
Dealing with Excessive Barking
The first step to stopping barking is to understand why it is happening. Dogs bark for all kinds of reasons, including anxiety, boredom and/or loneliness. Sometimes they bark just because it feels good. Luckily, most dogs will respond to one or other intervention to curtail their barking. Whether you simply bring an outdoor dog inside or take the time to apply behavior-modification techniques, you can cause a dog to be less of a nuisance and to be more socially acceptable.
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The 'Middle Wife' by an Anonymous 2nd grade teacher
I've been teaching now for about fifteen years. I have two kids myself,
but the best birth story I know is the one I saw in my own second grade classroom a few years back.
When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually , show-and-tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles, model airplanes,
pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that. And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they want to lug it in to school and talk about it, they're welcome.
Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing kid, takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater. She holds up a snapshot of an infant. ' This is Luke, my baby brother, and I'm going to tell you about his birthday.' 'First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put a seed in my Mom's stomach, and Luke grew in there. He ate for nine months through an umbrella cord.'
She's standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I'm trying not to laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching her in amazement.
'Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts saying and going, 'Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh!' Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. 'She walked around the house for , like an hour, 'Oh, oh, oh!' (Now this kid is doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.) ' My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn't have a sign on the car like the Domino's man. They got my Mom to lie down in bed like this.' (Then Erica lies down with her back against the wall.)
'And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like psshhheew!' (This kid has her legs spread with her little hands mimicking water flowing away.. . It was too much!)
'Then the middle wife starts saying 'push, push,' and 'breathe, breathe. They started counting, but never even got past ten. Then, all of a sudden, out comes my brother.
He was covered in yucky stuff that they all said it was from Mom's play-center, (placenta) so there must be a lot of toys inside there.
When he got out, the middle wife spanked him for crawling up in there.'
Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat.
I'm sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, when it's show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another ' Middle Wife' comes along.
Now you have two choices....laugh and close this page or pass this along to someone else to spread the laughs. I know what I did!!!
Live every day as if it is your LAST chance to make someone happy!!!! ( I do my very best)
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Never Cross the Wife
A police officer pulls over a speeding car.
The officer says, ' I clocked you at 80 miles per hour, sir.' The driver says, 'Christ, officer I had it on cruise control at 60, perhaps your radar gun needs calibrating.' Not looking up from her knitting the wife says: 'Now don't be silly dear, you know that this car doesn't have cruise control.' As the officer writes out the ticket, the driver looks over at his wife and growls, 'Can't you please keep your mouth shut for once?'
The wife smiles demurely and says, ! 'You should be thankful your radar detector went off when it did.'
As the officer makes out the second ticket for the illegal radar detector unit, the man glowers at his wife and says through clenched teeth, 'F..k it, woman, can't you keep your mouth shut?'
The officer frowns and says, 'And I notice that you're not wearing your seat belt, sir. That's an automatic 75 pound fine.' The driver says, 'Yeah, well, you see officer, I had it on, but took it off when you pulled me over so that I could get my license out of my back pocket.' The wife says, 'Now, dear, you know very well that you didn't have your seat belt on. You never wear your seat belt when you're driving.' And as the police officer is writing out the third ticket the driver turns to his wife and barks, 'WHY DON'T You shut the f..k up??'
The officer looks over at the woman and asks, 'Does your husband always talk to you this way, Ma'am?' You'll love this part.... : 'Only when he's pissed.'
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The Confesssion
An elderly Italian man who lived on the outskirts of Milan went to the local church for confession. When the priest slid open the panel in the Confessional, The man said: 'Father ... During World War II, a beautiful Jewish woman from our neighbourhood knocked urgently on my door and asked me to hide her from the Nazis. So I hid her in my attic.' The priest replied: 'That was a wonderful thing you did, and you have no need to confess that.' 'There is more to tell, Father... She started to repay me with sexual favours. This happened several times a week, and sometimes twice on Sundays.' The priest said, 'That was a long time ago and by doing what you did, you placed the two of you in great danger. But two people under those circumstances can easily succumb to the weakness of the flesh. However, if you are truly sorry for your actions, you are indeed forgiven.' 'Thank you, Father. That's a great load off my mind. I do have one more question.' 'And what is that?' asked the priest. 'Should I tell her the war is over?'
Tags: Religion, Recipes, Jokes, Tips n More
REMINDERS FROM GOD: Revelation 2:6 (6) But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Revelation 2:15 (15) Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
Although prior studies on this phenomenon had been done, the church's interest in Nicolaitanism coincided with the breakup and scattering of the church in the early 1990s. Papers on the subject, often linked with ideas about the heresy of Balaam, circulated from hand to hand and across the Internet. One can even argue that these papers' definitions of Nicolaitanism spurred and intensified the scattering of the brethren. In the main, these papers defined Nicolaitanism as the belief and practice of hierarchical government, the scapegoat for all the church's problems, with an emphasis on tithing and using a paid ministry. This definition derives from the meaning of the word Nicolaos in Greek: "conqueror of the people" (Balaam in Hebrew has a similar meaning). The authors of these papers on Nicolaitanism assumed that, since God names things what they are, the title "Nicolaitan" must therefore refer to a practice of abusive and dictatorial government and administration, which they assumed to be hierarchy. This assumption is based entirely on the authors' emotional reactions to their circumstances at the time—not upon biblical or even logical reasoning.
First, Nicolaos may have nothing to do with Nicolaitan doctrine. Not every name in the Bible is significant spiritually. For instance, Luke means "white," and any spiritual connotation it has to him or his work is pure conjecture. Many biblical names are simple common names within the culture and time in which the person lived. Second, the meaning of Nicolaos is not necessarily negative. Although its natural connotation is "one who conquers the people," it can have a positive, possessive sense: "the people's conqueror," that is, a champion of the people, one who fights for the people's best interests. It may refer to a tyrant or despot, but it can just as easily speak of a popular hero. Third, the name has a military association, not a governmental one. It primarily suggests conquering by might and strategy on the field of battle. Granted, such conquerors usually also governed as kings or emperors, but ruling is a separate activity from conquering, occurring as its consequence. Fourth, this means that Nicolaos nowhere suggests any form of government. Those who believe the word to refer to hierarchy assume that a conqueror would rule as a tyrant or dictator, whether he is called king, emperor, president, chancellor, or first citizen. While this may be the rule, a few historical exceptions (for example, American military-heroes-turned-rulers George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses Grant, Dwight Eisenhower, etc.) prove this assumption faulty. Finally, people can be conquered in ways other than "abusive and dictatorial" hierarchy. Socialist democracy in America and Europe has by mostly "benevolent" means cowed millions into a complacent and controllable herd. Populaces have been overcome by trickery, disease, famine, natural disaster, and their own sheer stupidity. Limiting Nicolaitanism to hierarchical government is arbitrary and subjective. The Bible itself does not define Nicolaitanism. Revelation 2:6 declares, "But this you [the Ephesian church] have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate." Jesus later says to the Pergamos church, "Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate" (verse 15). While these verses provide no definition, they tell us three things: 1. Nicolaitanism is a belief system, like a religion or a philosophy. 2. Nicolaitanism results in ungodly behavior. 3. Christ hates it vehemently.
Luke 9:23-24 “Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.†******************************** WORD FOR THE DAY: balderdash BAWL-der-dash , noun; 1. Senseless, stupid, or exaggerated talk or writing; nonsense. 2. (Archaic:) A muddled mixture of liquors. Quotes: "That bit about cleanliness being next to godliness was a lot of balderdash as far as I was concerned." -- Jeannette Walls, Half Broke Horses How could I, who loved life so intensely, have let myself be entangled for so long in that balderdash of books and paper blackened with ink! In that day of separation, my friend had helped me to see clearly. -- Nikos Kazantzakis, Carl Wildman, Zorba the Greek Origin: Balderdash has a mysterious origin, but originally meant a muddled mixture of liquors. ******************************** THINGS TO PONDER: How come you press harder on a remote when you know the battery is dead? THINGS TO PONDER: How does one actually zip their lip? You might be a REDNECK if... ...you think the three primary colors are John Deere Green, Ford Blue, and Primer Gray.
You might be a REDNECK if... ...you consider your license plate personalized because your dad made it in prison.
Success isn't how far you got, but the distance you traveled from where you started. - Proverb ********************************** TWO POTS An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream. 'I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.' the old woman smiled, 'Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?' 'That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.' For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.' Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them. SO, to all of my cracked pot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path! And send this to any or all of your Cracked Pot friendswithin 5 minutes and see what happens! Don't forget the Cracked Pot that shared it with you!! ****************************** Harvest Restaurant Molasses Brownies Makes 16
Butter (for the pan) 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1/4 cup molasses 3 tablespoons butter, melted 1 teaspoon instant espresso or coffee granules mixed with 1 tablespoon water (or 1 tablespoon strong brewed coffee) 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3/4 cup flour 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt Confectioners' sugar (for sprinkling)
1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, egg, molasses, butter, coffee, and vanilla.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the molasses mixture until completely blended.
4. Transfer the batter to the pan. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean and the brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool on a wire rack.
5. Make 3 cuts in one direction, and 3 cuts in the other direction to make 16 brownies. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. ***************************** Fried Dill Pickles Ingredients 1 egg, beaten 1 cup milk 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 3/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 (32 ounce) jar sliced dill pickles, drained 1 quart vegetable oil for deep-frying Directions 1. In a small bowl, mix together the egg, milk, 1 tablespoon of flour, and Worcestershire sauce. In a separate bowl, stir together the remaining flour, salt, and pepper. 2. Heat oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) in a deep-fryer or heavy deep skillet. Dip pickle slices into the milk mixture, then into the flour mixture. Repeat dipping. 3. Place the pickles carefully into the hot oil. Avoid over crowding by frying in several batches. Fry until pickles float to the surface, and are golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels. FOOTNOTE We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking. The exact amount may vary depending on cook time and temperature, ingredient density, and the specific type of oil used. Nutritional Information Amount Per Serving Calories: 173 | Total Fat: 6.5g | Cholesterol: 15mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database ****************************** Rhubarb Fool yield: Serves 6 The fool originated in England in the fifteenth or sixteenth century. It is a simple dessert that combines tart fruit with whipped cream. The... more › Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick (about 4 cups or 1 pound prepped) 1/2 cup honey Zest and juice of 1 orange 2 tablespoons finely chopped candied ginger 1/2 vanilla bean, split Pinch of fine sea salt 3/4 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Candied Rhubarb Strips 1 stalk rhubarb 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar Preparation To make the fool, put the rhubarb, honey, orange zest and juice, candied ginger, vanilla bean, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir to combine, then cover and cook, stirring every few minutes, for 10 minutes, until the mixture has come to a boil and the rhubarb has softened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then remove the vanilla bean. Transfer the compote to a bowl, and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes, until very cold. Whip the cream and sugar until soft peaks form, either by hand or using an electric mixer on medium speed. Set aside 1/3 cup of the compote to garnish the dessert, then fold the remaining compote into the whipped cream. Spoon the fool into six 1/2-cup glasses or dishes and chill for 1 hour before serving topped with the remaining compote.
Storage: This fool is best served the day it is made, but any leftovers can be covered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If you would like to garnish the dessert with candied rhubarb strips, make them first: Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat mat or lightly greased parchment paper. Cut the rhubarb into 6-inch lengths, then cut each piece into strips 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch thick with a good peeler, a mandoline, or a well-positioned knife. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook and stir until the sugar is dissolved, then remove from the heat. Dip the rhubarb ribbons into the syrup, then place them on the prepared baking sheet, laying them out flat and ensuring that they do not touch each other. Bake for about 45 minutes, until dry. While they are still warm, twist the strips into shapes, wrapping them around your finger or the handle of a clean wooden spoon. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. ****************************** Hoisin & Cranberry Roasted Chicken
Mild-mannered chicken breast sings when it’s doused in a sweet-and-salty cranberry-hoisin pan sauce. Serve with roasted acorn squash and sautéed chard or kale
1/2 breast & 1/4 cup sauce each Active Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS 2 bone-in chicken breasts (about 12 ounces each), skin removed, trimmed 1/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder (see Notes) 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 large shallot, minced 1/4 cup dry sherry (see Notes) 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cranberries, fresh or frozen (thawed) 1 1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce (see Tip) 1 teaspoon brown sugar PREPARATION Preheat oven to 450°F. Cut each chicken breast in half on the diagonal to get 4 portions about equal in weight. (Two will be smaller but thicker, the other two larger but thinner.) Sprinkle the chicken with five-spice powder and salt. Place 3 tablespoons flour in a shallow dish. Dredge both sides of the chicken in the flour. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, skinned-side down, and cook until brown on the bottom, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the chicken, skinned-side up, to a baking sheet. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F, 15 to 20 minutes. Return the pan to medium heat, add shallot and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sherry and cranberries; cook until the sherry is reduced by about half and the cranberries are beginning to soften, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup broth; bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries are very soft, about 3 minutes more. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon flour and 1/4 cup broth in a small bowl. Whisk the mixture into the sauce and cook, whisking, until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; whisk in hoisin sauce and brown sugar. When the chicken is done, return the pan to medium heat, add the chicken, turn to coat with the sauce and reheat until the sauce is warm. Serve the chicken with the sauce.
TIPS & NOTES Notes: Chinese five-spice powder is a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns. Look for it in the spice section at the supermarket or with other Asian ingredients. Sherry is a fortified wine originally from southern Spain. Don’t use “cooking sherry†sold in many supermarkets—it can be high in sodium. Instead, look for dry sherry with other fortified wines at your wine or liquor store. Tip: Hoisin is a brown, thick, spicy-sweet sauce made from soybeans and a mix of spices. Look for it in the Asian-foods section. We use Wei chuan hoisin, which has about 300 mg sodium per tablespoon.
NUTRITION Per serving: 280 calories; 10 g fat ( 1 g sat , 6 g mono ); 68 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrates; 4 g added sugars; 27 g protein; 1 g fiber; 574 mg sodium; 341 mg potassium.
Carbohydrate Servings: 1 Exchanges: 1 carbohydrate (other), 3 1/2 lean meat, 2 fat
****************************** Pineapple Truffles yield: Makes 50 to 60 truffles Ingredients 1 1/4 cups firmly packed sweetened flaked coconut, divided 3/4 cup sugar, divided 1 medium pineapple, ripe 3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar 4 large egg yolks Preparation In a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade, process 1/4 cup coconut with 1/4 cup sugar. Remove to a bowl or ziplock bag. Set aside. Cut the pineapple out of the shell. Discard core and cut the flesh into chunks. Purée pineapple in blender or food processor. Transfer the puréed pineapple to a medium pot. Mix in 1 cup coconut, 1/2 cup sugar, and the confectioner’s sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until all the liquid evaporates, about 30–35 minutes, stirring often to make sure the mixture is not browning on the bottom. If the mixture starts to brown, lower heat slightly and stir more often. The mixture will turn a dark golden color. Turn off the heat. Remove 1/2 cup of the pineapple mixture and mix it into the egg yolks to temper them. Add the tempered yolks into the pot. At medium-high heat, continue to cook until dry and pulling away from the sides of the pot, about 5 minutes. Place the pot in the freezer and chill completely. Remove the pineapple mixture from the freezer. Using a tiny melon baller or 1/4 teaspoon measure, make balls. Roll in the coconut/sugar that was blended in the first step. If the truffles get too sticky to roll, place the mixture back into the freezer for a few minutes.
Place on parchment-lined baking sheets and place into freezer. Once frozen, remove and store in an airtight container in single layers separated by parchment paper. Return truffles to freezer.
Serve right from the freezer or place in little paper candy cups or on a platter 10 minutes before serving.
****************************** How to Make a Crock Pot Marble Cake Just by following these simple instructions, along with pictures, anyone can bake this cake. Using a crock pot is safe; simply place your batter into the pot and walk away for six hours, with no worries. So go shop, exercise, or do whatever you would like to do while it bakes away. Remember to carefully follow these step-by-step instructions for a marble cake, and if reading isn’t your forté, just view the easy-to-follow pictures alongside the steps! Preparation time for this recipe is approximately 20 minutes. ?Cook time for this recipe is 4 hours on high; 6-8 hours on low?. Ingredients One box of chocolate cake mix (pre-made) One box of vanilla cake mix (pre-made) Pure vegetable oil (amount used depends on cake mix) Non-stick cooking spray 6 ounces (170g/0.75 cup) of sour cream 6 large eggs
Frosting and decorations Steps 1Place the pre-made chocolate cake mix into one large mixing bowl. Use a whisk to break up lumps within the mix, until smooth. Add 1 ¼ cups of water, ? cup of vegetable oil, 3 large eggs and 3 ounces (85g) of sour cream into the cake mix. Use the whisk to mix the ingredients in the large bowl until the batter is smooth and free of lumps.
2Place the pre–made vanilla cake mix into one large mixing bowl. Use the whisk to break up the lumps in the mix, until smooth. Add 1 ? cups of water, ? cup of vegetable oil, 3 large eggs and 3 ounces (85g) of sour cream into the cake mix. Use the whisk to mix the ingredients in the large bowl until the batter is smooth and free of lumps.
3Apply non–stick cooking spray in the crock pot, and pour the chocolate cake mix inside.
4Add the vanilla cake mix into the crock pot. Using a thin knife, slowly mix the batters together in a swirl-like motion.
5Turn the crock pot on high for 4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours. Leave to bake until the cake mix has become moist and spongy.
6Turn the crock pot off and let the cake sit for about 45 to 60 minutes, to allow the cake adequate time to cool and settle.
7Take out the removable bowl containing the cake. If the bowl is non-removable, rotate the crock pot upside with help from someone else, to remove the cake. Place the cake on a plate with a large surface.
8Frost and decorate your crock pot cake and enjoy. Tips Follow the directions of the boxed pre-made cake mix. Don’t forget to place the lid on top of the crock pot! The cake may be removed from crock pot after 45 minutes to an hour – if the cake is still hot, place the crock pot cake in the fridge for an additional 20 minutes to speed up the cooling process. The flavors of cake mixes used for this recipe may vary as preferred.
Warnings Do not pre-heat the crock pot! Use oven mitts to remove the bowl from crock pot, in order to avoid getting burned.
Things You'll Need Measuring cups ?2 large mixing bowls (or plastic containers) ?1 medium whisk 1 large crock pot (Round) Crock pot – size may vary Thin knife Sturdy plate
****************************** GRANNY GET YOUR GUN DEPORT HER TO AMERICA ! The Rambo Granny of Melbourne , Australia Gun-toting granny Ava Estelle, 81, was so ticked-off when two thugs raped her 18-year-old granddaughter that she tracked the unsuspecting ex-cons down... And shot off their testicles. "The old lady spent a week hunting those men down and, when she found them, she took revenge on them in her own special way," said Melbourne police investigator Evan Delp. Then she took a taxi to the nearest police station, laid the gun on the sergeant's desk and told him as calm as could be: "Those bastards will never rape anybody again, by God." Cops say convicted rapist and robber Davis Furth, 33, lost both his penis and his testicles when outraged Ava opened fire with a 9-mm pistol in the hotel room where he and former prison cell mate Stanley Thomas, 29, were holed up. The wrinkled avenger also blew Thomas' testicles to kingdom come, but doctors managed to save his mangled penis, police said. "The one guy, Thomas, didn't lose his manhood, but the doctor I talked to said he won't be using it the way he used to," Detective Delp told reporters. "Both men are still in pretty bad shape, but I think they're just happy to be alive after what they've been through." The Rambo Granny swung into action August 21 after her granddaughter Debbie was carjacked and raped in broad daylight by two knife-wielding creeps in a section of town bordering on skid row. "When I saw the look on my Debbie's face that night in the hospital, I decided I was going to go out and get those bastards myself 'cause I figured the Law would go easy on them,"' recalled the retired library worker. " And I wasn't scared of them, either - because I've got me a gun and I've been shootin' all my life. And I wasn't dumb enough to turn it in when the law changed about owning one." So, using a police artist's sketch of the suspects and Debbie's description of the sickos, tough-as-nails Ava spent seven days prowling the wino-infested neighborhood where the crime took place till she spotted the ill-fated rapists entering their flophouse hotel. "I knew it was them the minute I saw 'em, but I shot a picture of 'em anyway and took it back to Debbie and she said sure as hell, it was them," the oldster recalled..."So I went back to that hotel and found their room and knocked on the door, and the minute the big one opened the door, I shot 'em right square between the legs, right where it would really hurt 'em most, you know. Then I went in and shot the other one as he backed up pleading to me to spare him. Then I went down to the police station and turned myself in." Now, baffled lawmen are trying to figure out exactly how to deal with the vigilante granny. "What she did was wrong, and she broke the law, but it is difficult to throw an 81-year-old woman in prison," Det. Delp said, "especially when 3 million people in the city want to nominate her for Mayor."
DEPORT HER TO AMERICA - WE NEED HER! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Australian Gun Law Update Here's a thought to warm some of your hearts.... From: Ed Chenel, A police officer in Australia. Hi Yanks, I thought you all would like to see the real figures from Down Under. It has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by a new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by our own government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars. The first year results are now in: Australia-wide, homicides are up 6.2 percent, Australia-wide, assaults are up 9.6 percent; Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent)! In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent. (Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not and criminals still possess their guns!)
While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months, since the criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed. There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the elderly, while the resident is at home. Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort and expense was expended in 'successfully ridding Australian society of guns....' You won't see this on the American evening news or hear your governor or members of the State Assembly disseminating this information. The Australian experience speaks for itself. Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws affect only the law-abiding citizens.
****************************** GO TO PAGE 2 for more delightful insights giggles
Tags: Religion, Recipes, Jokes, Tips n More
REMINDERS FROM GOD: "I am your Friend. Ready to help, encourage, soothe tired nerves, and speak peace to your restlessness and fear." -- GOD
Our Daily Devotional: Knowing His Will John 8:31-32, NIV: "To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."" Finding God´s will is something we make very difficult when it should be the truth that sets us free. We must draw near to Him. We cannot hear His voice if we are not close to Him. We must spend adequate time in prayer, Bible study and individual worship. Fifteen minute quiet times are all too often too quiet and become little more than a faint whisper in the midst of our noisy lives. We need to give the necessary time to these areas so that God´s influence can be easily heard above the influences of the world in our daily lives. And we need good godly counsel. This is not seeking counsel by going to someone who always agrees with us. Instead, it is asking for the thoughts of someone who walks with God and therefore will be honest and encouraging. Above all we must remember to draw near. Jesus said "If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing."
. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. - Romans 1:16
1 Peter 2:24 ““He himself bore our sins†in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.â€â€
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WORD FOR THE DAY:
haphazard • hap-HAZZ-erd • adjective : marked by lack of plan, order, or direction
Examples: Because of the haphazard way the cars were parked in the field, it was difficult for drivers to exit in an orderly fashion after the reception.
"With bookshelves piled to the ceiling, and every inch of space filled with stacks both meticulous and haphazard, Lippincott Books seems so firmly entrenched in its Central Street, Bangor location that one can’t imagine how it will close its doors this spring." -- From an article by Jennifer Vincent in The Maine Campus (University of Maine), February 20, 2011 ************************ "Everybody knows if you are too careful you are so occupied in being careful that you are sure to stumble over something. " - Gertrude Stein
THINGS TO PONDER: If it is zero degrees outside today and it is supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold is it going to be?
CONFUCIOUS QUOTE: If we don't know life, how can we know death?
You might be a REDNECK if... ...your momma has ever stomped into the house and announced, "The feud is back on!"
"People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing." - Dale Carnegie
Joan Collins "The problem with beauty is that it's like being born rich and getting poorer."
Jane Wagner "The ability to delude yourself may be an important survival tool."
H. L. Mencken "A man may be a fool and not know it, but not if he is married."
************************* Presidential Candidate Light Bulb
Question: How many Republic presidential candidates from 2000 did it take to screw in a light bulb ?
Answer: It doesn't matter whether the bulb is changed or not; it only matters that the new bulb was made in the US of A. Taiwan and South Korea have put up massive barriers to importing US light bulbs; we'll see how they like it when their bulbs cost $10,000 to screw in here.
************************* Who's Your Baby's Daddy?
The following are all replies that Detroit women have written on Child Support Agency Forms in the section for listing 'Father's Details,' or putting it another way... Who's your baby's Daddy? These are genuine excerpts from the forms. Be sure to check out #11, it takes 1st prize and #3 is runner up. 1. Regarding the identity of the father of my twins, Makeeshia was fathered by Maclearndon McKinley I am unsure as to the identity of the father of Placenta (?) Marie, but I believe that she was conceived on the same night. 2. I am unsure, as to the identity of the father of my child as I was being sick out of a window when taken unexpectedly from behind. I can provide you with a list of names of men that I think were at the party if this helps. 3. I do not know the name of the father of my little girl. She was conceived at a party at 3600 East Grand Boulevard where I had sex with a man I met that night. I do remember that the sex was so good that I fainted. If you do manage to track down the father, can you please send me his phone number? Thanks... 4. I don't know the identity of the father of my daughter. He drives a BMW that now has a hole made by my stiletto in one of the door panels. Perhaps you can contact BMW service stations in this area and see if he's had it replaced. 5. I have never had sex with a man. I am still a Virginian. I am awaiting a letter from the Pope confirming that my son's conception was ejaculate and that he is the Saver risen again. 6. I cannot tell you the name of Alleshia's dad as he informs me that to do so would blow his cover and that would have cataclysmic implications for the economy I am torn between doing right by you and right by the country.. Please advise. 7. I do not know who the father of my child was as they all look the same to me.
8. Tyrone Hairston is the father of child A. If you do catch up with him, can you axe him what he did with my AC/DC CDs? Child B who was also borned at the same time..... Well, I don't have clue.. 9. From the dates it seems that my daughter was conceived at Disney World. Maybe it really is the Magic Kingdom .
10. So much about that night is a blur. The only thing that I remember for sure is Delia Smith did a program about eggs earlier in the evening. If I had stayed in and watched more TV rather than going to the party at 8956 Miller Ave , mine might have remained unfertilized.
11. I am unsure as to the identity of the father of my baby, after all, like when you eat a can of beans you can't be sure which one made you fart. WHEN THE WEALTH IS REDISTRIBUTED THESE PEOPLE WILL BE RECIPIENTS. **************************** Braised Brisket with Garlic Braised brisket is a lovely dish for the holidays or anytime for that matter. Advance preparation cuts down on last-minute cooking and makes it easier to remove the fat from the gravy.
Serves: 8 to 10 Prep. time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 2 1/2 to 3 hours
36 plump cloves garlic 3 tablespoons olive oil about 5 pounds beef brisket, trimmed of fat, patted dry with paper towels 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 3 cups beef broth, or chicken broth, preferably homemade 3 fresh thyme sprigs, or 2 teaspoons dried thyme 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Drop the garlic cloves into boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain immediately and peel as soon as they are cool enough to handle. Set aside on paper towels to dry.
In a roasting pan large enough to hold the meat, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat (you may have to use two burners). Add the brisket and cook for about 10 minutes until well browned on both sides. Transfer to a platter.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan. Add the garlic cloves and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the edges of the cloves are tinged with gold.
Add the vinegar and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the stock, thyme, and rosemary sprigs and reduce the heat to a simmer.
Season the brisket on both sides with salt and pepper and return it to the pan, fat side up. Spoon the garlic sauce over the meat.
Cover (use foil if necessary) and roast in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the meat is fork tender. Baste it with the pan juices every 30 minutes. Periodically check the pan juices; they should be gently bubbling. If they are boiling rapidly, reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and tent it loosely with foil.
Strain the pan juice, reserving the garlic and discarding the thyme and rosemary sprigs. Skim and discard as much fat as possible from the liquid.
Transfer about half of the garlic cloves and about 1 cup of braising liquid to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Transfer the puree, the remaining garlic cloves, and the braising liquid to a skillet. Add the chopped rosemary, minced garlic, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat until the gravy is reduced to the desired consistency. Taste and adjust the seasonings. (For a smoother gravy, puree all the garlic.)
Cut the brisket into thin slices across the grain at a slight diagonal. Arrange on a serving platter and spoon some of the hot gravy over the meat. ****************************** Black Russian drink
Ingredients to use:
1 oz Coffee Liqueur 2 oz Vodka
Directions: Fill tumbler with ice cubes. Add vodka and Kahlua and stir.
****************************** Corn Fritters
Times: Prep 5 min Cook 10 min Total: 15 min
Ingredients 1 1/4 cus self-rising cornmeal mix 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk 2 large eggs, slightly beaten 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted 1 (15.25 ounce) can corn, drained Vegetable oil, for frying
Directions
heat oil to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal mix, flour, sugar, and salt. In a small bowl, combine milk and eggs. Add milk mixture to cornmeal mixture, stirring well. Stir in butter and corn. Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches in a Dutch oven, or use a deep-fryer. Drop by tablespoons into hot oil. Cook 2 to 4 minutes, or until golden, turning once. Drain on paper towels.
****************************** Blue Cheese Burgers
Here's a tip, although you might be tempted to go with extra lean hamburger meat for this burger, given all the cheese, I don't recommend it, unless you want blue cheese flavored dry burgers.
Ingredients 1 pound ground beef (16-20%) 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard 2 cloves minced garlic 2 green onions, chopped 1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese (get Pt. Reyes blue cheese if you can find it) 1 egg 1 Tbsp water Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1 Put ground beef, mustard, garlic, onions, blue cheese, water, and egg into a large bowl. Use your hands to gently mix the ingredients together until just incorporated. Do not over-mix. Shape into patties, about 1/2 inch thick and larger than your bun. Chill until you are ready to cook. 2 Prepare charcoal or gas grill for cooking over high direct heat. Using tongs and a folded up paper towel dipped in vegetable oil, oil the grill grates. Make sure grill is hot and well oiled before laying down the patties. Season patties with salt and pepper. Place the patties on the clean, well-oiled grill grate. Grill the burgers for about 5 minutes per side. Do not press down on the burgers while cooking.
If you don't have a grill, you can use a grill pan or a cast iron frying pan for the burgers. Serve on hamburger buns with lettuce and mayonnaise.
Makes 4 burgers. ****************************** Banana Corn Fritters
Active Time: 20 Minutes Total Time: 30 Minutes Yield: 5 servings, 2 cakes each Savory, smoky and slightly sweet, these are great with roast pork loin, a hearty bowl of black bean soup or barbecued chicken legs and coleslaw. Dotted with creme fraiche, they make an exotic appetizer.
INGREDIENTS 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile (see Ingredient note) or cayenne pepper 1 1/4 cups roughly mashed bananas (about 3 medium) 1 large egg 2 tablespoons milk or buttermilk 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and chipotle (or cayenne) in a medium bowl. Mix banana, egg and milk (or buttermilk) in another medium bowl. Add the cornmeal mixture to the banana mixture and stir until just incorporated. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; using 2 tablespoons of batter for each, space 5 fritters evenly in the pan. Cook until golden brown, 30 seconds to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Cook a second batch with the remaining oil and batter, adjusting heat to prevent burning. Transfer the fritters to the oven and bake until puffed and firm to the touch, 8 to 10 minutes. Ingredient Note: Chipotle peppers are dried, smoked jalapeno peppers, often used to add heat and a smoky flavor to foods. Ground chipotle can be found in the specialty-spice section of most supermarkets. Make Ahead Tip: Reheat at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes.
****************************** Apple Coffee Cake
Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes
Ingredients 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup of sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 5 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature 1 egg, beaten 1/2 cup whole milk 1 medium Cortland or other baking apple, peeled and sliced
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish with or pie pan with a 4-cup capacity.
2 In a medium bowl, whisk vigorously together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3 In a separate small bowl, mix 1/4 a cup of the sugar with the cinnamon, set aside.
4 Using an electric mixer, beat the butter with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Beat in the egg until blended. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk, beating after each addition until just combined.
5 Pour half of the batter in the bottom of the baking dish. Lay the apple slices on the batter so they just cover the batter (you may have to overlap some slices). Sprinkle the apples with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, reserving a teaspoon or two to sprinkle on top. Spread the rest of the batter over the apples. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar on top.
6 Bake the cake for 25 minutes or until it is golden brown and apples start to bubble at the edges.
Yield: Serves 6.
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Grilled Meat Loaf Meal Packs
PREP TIME 15 Min TOTAL TIME 45 Min SERVINGS 6 INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef 1 package (1 oz) onion recipe and dip soup mix (from 2-oz box) 1 egg 3/4 cup milk 1/2 cup Progresso plain bread crumbs 1/3 cup ketchup 1 bag (1 lb 4 oz) refrigerated new potato wedges 3 cups ready-to-eat baby-cut carrots Fresh parsley, if desired
1Heat gas or charcoal grill. Cut 6 (18x10-inch) sheets of heavy-duty foil; spray with cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix beef, dry soup mix, egg, milk and bread crumbs. Shape into 6 loaves, 4x2 1/2x1 inch. Place 1 loaf on each foil sheet; top each with about 1 tablespoon of the ketchup. Place about 1/2 cup potatoes and 1/2 cup carrots around each loaf. 2Bring up 2 sides of foil so edges meet. Seal edges, making tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again, allowing space for heat circulation and expansion. Fold other sides to seal. 3Place packets on grill. Cover grill; cook over medium heat 25 to 30 minutes, rotating packets 1/2 turn after 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender and meat thermometer inserted in center of loaves reads 160ºF. To serve, cut large X across top of each packet; carefully fold back foil to allow steam to escape. Garnish with parsley.
Expert Tips Fresh new potatoes, cut into wedges, can be used instead of the refrigerated potatoes. Because the refrigerated potatoes are partially cooked, microwave the fresh ones for 4 to 6 minutes before adding them to the packets. Make these packets up to 24 hours in advance. Pop them on the grill when you are ready to eat. Although these hearty packets can be a complete meal, a crisp mixed-greens salad would be a nice addition.
****************************** DOG TIPS:
Is A Dog's Mouth Is "Cleaner" Than a Human's - FACT or FICTION?
How many "facts" have you heard or gotten in your inbox that ended up being "myths"?
Some myths are harmless, but others are just plain wrong.
Today I want to set the record straight on this common question: Is a dog's mouth really cleaner than a human's?
No doubt, you've heard that the dog's mouth is cleaner ... but is that really fact or fiction?
It is FICTION!
So how did this popular myth get started? It probably stems from the thought that most diseases are species-specific. This means that most communicable canine diseases, with the exception of rabies, do not generally affect humans.
While it is true that dog bites are less likely to transmit a communicable disease to a human, they are still quite capable of causing an infection.
Dogs' mouths are filled with all kinds of bacteria, depending of course upon what the dog recently had in its mouth. When you consider that dogs use their mouths much like people use their hands, the bacteria counts in their mouths can be quite high.
Suppose your dog has been eating fecal material, taste testing a dead animal, licking your shoe or simply chewing on a stick that has been decomposing on the ground - your dog could have a slew of harmful bacteria cultivating inside his mouth.
Next, imagine that after sampling the world with his tongue, your dog comes back inside only to smear his saliva and bacteria-filled kisses all over your hands and face.
While canine kisses can be sweet, you really should consider thoroughly washing your hands and face afterward. You should also consider brushing your dog's teeth.
Yes, brushing your dog's teeth makes a world of difference. Healthy teeth and gums are important for biting and chewing, and even more important for your dog's overall good health. Tooth and gum disease can lead to serious health problems, including infection, kidney problems and heart disease!In fact, the American Animal Hospital Association says brushing your dog's teeth could add as much as five years to his life.
So if this is not something you are already doing, you really must start. You need to brush your dog's teeth at least three times a week. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TODAY'S PET TIP
Healthy Dog Teeth Keeping your dog's teeth clean can help keep your dog healthy. Use a soft toothbrush. Start by offering your dog a taste of the dog toothpaste. The next time, let him taste the toothpaste, then run your finger along the gums of the upper teeth. Repeat the process with the tooth brush. Get the bristles of the brush along the gum line of the upper back teeth and angle slightly up, so the bristles get under the gum line. Work from back to front, making small circles along the gum lines. It should take you less than 30 seconds to brush your pet's teeth. Do not try to brush the entire mouth at first. If all that your pet lets you brush is the outside of the upper teeth, you are still addressing the most important area of periodontal disease - prevention.
((( NOTE: Gramy Storey has never done tooth care on any dog. . I do give them chew bones, milk bones, raw vegs, apples etc to help with tarter as they eat the food. It seems to work for me, but all my dogs but just a couple are garbage guts and will eat anything they see me eat. All I got to do is "fake eat" something and they will go for it and eat every bit of something. I even have one dog that will eat olives. Crazy old Granny Dog. (yep that is her name, aged toy manchester lol)
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Dear Mr. Cameron, Please find below our suggestion for fixing England's economy. Instead of giving billions of pounds to banks that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan. You can call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan: There are about 10 million people over 50 in the work force. Pay them £1 million each severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:
1) They MUST retire. Ten million job openings - unemployment fixed
2) They MUST buy a new British car. Ten million cars ordered - Car Industry fixed
3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing Crisis fixed
4) They MUST send their kids to school/college/university - Crime rate fixed
5) They MUST buy £100 WORTH of alcohol/tobacco a week ..... and there's your money back in duty/tax etc
6) Instead of stuffing around with the carbon emissions trading scheme that makes us pay for the major polluters, tell the greedy bastards to reduce their pollution emissions by 75% within 5 years or we shut them down.
It can't get any easier than that!
P.S. If more money is needed, have all members of parliament pay back
Tags: Religion, Recipes, Jokes, Tips n More
REMINDERS FROM GOD: No Greater Love "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."1
George Robertson, a parachute safety and training adviser and a veteran of several hundred parachute jumps, followed six other sky divers out of a plane some 2.25 miles (3.6 kilometers) above the ground.
At approximately one mile (1.6 kilometers) the six attempted to link hands. One of the divers, Debbie Williams, accidentally collided with one of the other skydivers and knocked herself unconscious. Seeing her plight, Roberson tucked his arms to his side and, using his shoulders to steer himself, went after Debbie, Plunging downward at 75 miles (120 kilometers) per hour, he was able to catch her. Maneuvering her into a sitting position, Robertson yanked her rip cord. They were at 3,200 feet (823 meters)! At less than 2,400 feet (610 meters), he opened his own chute. Ten seconds later he would have slammed into the ground.
As Jesus said, there is no greater love than someone being willing to give or even risk his or her own life to save another's. But God's love for us is so much greater. As the Bible says, "Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."2
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, because you loved me enough to die for me, please help me to love you enough to live for you every day for the rest of my life. And please use me to be a vital part of what you are doing in the world today to help save those who are plummeting toward eternal death without Christ and without hope. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
*************************** WORD FOR THE DAY:
Ruritanian • rur-uh-TAY-nee-un • adjective : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an imaginary place of high romance
Examples: "The dancers are dressed in vaguely Ruritanian costumes, the men in military, the women in stiff tutus." -- From an article by John Rockwell in The New York Times, September 9, 2006
"ABC's Good Morning America opened with a trumpeted fanfare over pictures of the couple, proof that in the US Britain remains more period drama than real country, a Ruritanian theme park that is forever charming and quaint." -- From an article by Jonathan Freedland in The Guardian (London), November 17, 2010
************************** How to Make Sugar Easter Eggs
Sugar eggs can be decorative or edible treats to make at Easter. This article looks at making three styles of sugar based eggs: the more complex decorative fondant types and also some edible styles of sugar eggs.
Ingredients Decorative gum paste or fondant method: Note: While sugar eggs made of gum paste will probably break your teeth if you try to eat them, as they are so hard, they look like beautiful sculpted porcelain and make excellent decorations. Use the second fondant method or the sugar method for edible versions.
Approx 250g (8.18 oz) gum paste or stiff fondant (often called plastic icing) Approx 50g (1.76 oz) of royal icing Both of these are available from most cake decorating stores and some supermarkets.
Fondant method 2 (an edible sugar egg and alternative suggestion): Approx. 250g (8.81 oz) plastic icing fondant or a thick icing (such as marzipan / almond paste) of a plasticine consistency Approx. 100g (3.5 oz) melted chocolate (white, milk or dark is fine)
Sugar method : 2 cups sugar 3 1/2 teaspoons water Food coloring (paste is best)
Steps
Decorative gum paste or fondant method
1 Decide on how you wish to decorate the egg. Some decorative styles will require additional sculpting tools. If so, these tools are very similar to clay sculpting tools, but are made or food-safe plastic. They can be purchased from the cake decorating supplier as well.
Read up on the subject as the tools will often have simple instructions included, giving you an idea of the different effects you can make with the tool on the sugar egg.
2 Prepare the workspace. Your tools, hands and surfaces should be spotless to avoid any dust contaminating the fondant, as any marks will make it appear dirty.
3 To make a simple fondant egg, take the fondant and roll it out to 5mm (0.19") thick. This thickness should be consistent across the fondant that will be used for the Easter egg.
4. If you wish to color the fondant, either buy it colored or knead food coloring into the fondant until the color is consistent throughout the fondant. For rich colors, look for color pastes rather than liquid types, as too much liquid will make the fondant too soft to form the egg shape.
Note that by kneading it so it is not consistent, you can achieve a marble effect, but be aware that this takes a lot of practice and technique to make it look attractive rather than just messy.
5 Prepare the Easter egg molds. Clean and thoroughly dry the egg mold and gently dust it with a tiny amount of cornflour to prevent sticking.
6Press the fondant gently into the Easter egg molds. Trim the edges so they are as neat and flat as possible. In practice, this is just like lining a pie tray with pastry. Repeat for each Easter egg being made – two halves for each whole sugar egg; the amount will depend on your mold size.
7Allow to dry until completely set. Tap the sides gently and listen to the sound it makes - if it sounds hollow or like ceramic then it is sufficiently dried. Once dried, the egg half should tip out easily. If it sticks, it's not fully dried yet, so give it a little more time. Humidity should be avoided.
8Place the two halves together to check for a good fit. Hold the halves together and look for any large gaps or rough areas. Don't worry too much about the smaller gaps, as most can be filled with royal icing, but large gaps over 5mm (0.19") will be much harder to disguise. In that case, you might need to add some more fondant and allow it to dry before proceeding. To remove any roughness preventing an even join, you may need to gently grate the edges to grind them down; to do this, use a fine nutmeg grater, just be aware that grinding the sides down will affect the end shape and is a last case resort! If you're making more than one, try different halves together to get the optimal fit between all halves.
9 Glue the two sides using royal icing. Place the royal icing into a piping bag. Pipe right around the edge of each egg half, removing anything the dribbles off the edge. Then, press the egg halves together gently and remove excess icing that oozes out; remember, the smoother the fit, the better the end result. Allow the eggs to rest and dry; you can put the egg back into one side of the molds to act as a support. If you wanted to hang the sugar eggs, insert a suitable small stainless steel hook or a loop of ribbon into the icing seal at the top of the egg while the icing is still wet. Larger eggs require hooks with internal supports to share the weight, so only use ribbon for very small sugar eggs. If you wanted to include a toy or a surprise inside the egg, add it at this stage, and then seal it up.
10 Decorate the sugar eggs. When dry, pipe small decorative shells or small balls evenly across the seal to disguise it. Doing this will act as a frame to any decorative additions that you may want to use, as well as strengthening the hook or ribbon loop.
11 At this stage, the eggs are finished as a simple decoration. If you wish to decorate them further, allow them to fully dry for another 24 hours, then try some of the following suggestions:
Pipe words or a picture onto the eggs.
Using a very clean small drill, carve a "window" hole or pattern into the dried fondant.
Paint using food coloring. Liquids would resemble watercolors and pastes resemble oil/acrylic paints.
Using a glue made of icing thinned with a little water until a thin paint like consistency is reached, (or use pasteurized egg white), decoupage a photo or paper on. Small paper cake decorations featuring chicks, bunnies, spring themes, etc., are all ideal. As this can add to the drying time its better to make these eggs well in advance.
Use ribbons or other decorative add-ons .
12 Use the sugar eggs as a decoration as well as for gifts. Your completed eggs can be used as a table centerpiece, as a gift, decoration or as a symbolic gift at baby showers. They can last for decades if stored well!
Fondant method 2
These are more often smaller eggs and used as edible confections, which is where a chocolate egg has a soft fondant center. These are best made the same day or day prior to eating.
1 Gather the fondant and knead it until it becomes smooth. If you wish to flavor the fondant, you can knead in flavorings to taste (such as cocoa powder, instant coffee powder, custard powder, etc).
2 Shape the balls of fondant into solid egg shapes about the size of a large grape and keep covered with cling film. You can press the fondant into small egg molds (dusted with cornflour as per above fondant egg method) for a neat finish, however this does take much longer as you will need have two sides of the mold to press the fondant into shape. Refrigerate covered with cling film until firm (approximately 1-2 hours).
3 Using a small skewer, fork or toothpick, dip the eggs into the cooled melted chocolate and twirl or turn the egg very gently in the air above the bowl to coat and to allow the excess to drip off. Keep twirling the egg gently until it has just set. The cold fondant and the cooler melted chocolate means it will set faster, but if the chocolate is too cold, it will give it a thicker coating. It is recommended to have the chocolate warm enough to give a thin coating just to cover.
4 When the chocolate has set (it will no longer be as glossy and a thin coating will not take long at all), then place onto a tray lined with baking parchment and store in a cool place. If you quickly dip and then place the egg directly on a tray, the chocolate will run and set flat on one side and will not look as neat.
These can be decorated when chocolate is still soft by rolling them in crushed toasted nuts or dessicated coconut, or dusted with cocoa powder or grated chocolate. Alternatively, when they are cold, you can also pipe decorations as per the previous method if desired, or cover with gold or silver leaf. If you wish to go further, you can double dip into a different colored chocolate by melting white chocolate with a little powdered food coloring.
5 "Alternative Suggestion Method". If soft fondant is not to your household's taste, buy small ordinary hollow chocolate Easter eggs and prepare some buttercream icing from one of the recipes in the Wikihow icing section or according to your own recipe, (marshmallow is another good filling). Carefully carve a small hole on the base of the egg using a sharp knife or a warmed skewer large enough to fit a piping nozzle into. Fill a piping bag or a large syringe with buttercream and fill the egg until full and then seal with a little melted chocolate to plug the hole. Skilled artisans can 3/4 fill the egg with white buttercream, then pipe the remainder with a yellow buttercream to make an egg white and yolk. The buttercream eggs can be messy things to eat, but chocolate and buttercream is usually win-win (except for for the diet...). For adult-only eggs, a little liqueur added to the cream is a popular touch. These are best made the same day that they are eaten.
Sugar method
This method uses plain sugar to make the sugar egg from scratch.
1 Assemble the ingredients as outlined above in the "sugar method" ingredients section above.
2 Mix the sugar and the water in a large bowl. The best method is to add all the sugar first and add the water gradually, stirring it in each time. Less is best because you only want the sugar to be wet enough to stick together, not too wet or it won't hold it's shape in the mold.
3 Prepare the egg molds. Clean them and sprinkle a little cornflour to prevent sticking.
4 Press the sugar mixture into the egg molds. Make sure the sugar mixture is pressed to an even thickness across the mold, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch (6.35mm to 12.7mm) thick. Don't make it any thicker or it will be too hard to eat and there won't be room inside it to make the egg hollow.
5 Flatten the edge tops of the egg halves while they're sitting in the mold. This is to ensure that they will fit together with ease. Leave them to dry for 24 hours at least. As with the fondant eggs, when they're dry they should slip out of the mold easily.
6. Join the eggs together and decorate them as outlined in one of the previous methods.
Tips
You can buy sugar Easter egg kits if preferred. You cannot make dried eggs any thinner or any other shape, so be sure you're happy with the thickness and shape before letting the eggs dry.
Warnings
If using egg whites as a glue, always try to get the pasteurized egg whites available in grocery stores. Sugar Easter eggs are not suitable for babies or toddlers, or any child who doesn't know how to to eat hard candy without difficulty. This doesn't mean they can't admire them from afar!
Things You'll Need
Piping bag Small bowl (or large bowl for the sugar method) Rolling pin (first method) Stirring spoon (second method) Egg molds (your choice of size, remembering that smaller molds are fiddlier than larger ones) Cornflour - it works best to seal a little in a small cloth like a pouch and use that to dust the mold
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The Truth About Dogs and Seizures
Seeing your dog have a seizure for the first time is truly frightening.
It comes on with no warning.
One minute your dog is happily enjoying an afternoon nap. Then, in an instant, his entire body begins shaking with wild muscle spasms. He has an empty "faraway" look in his eyes ... and you can't help but wonder if he knows what's happening.
It's a tough thing to talk about. But it happens. And it happens more often than you might think.
Seizures are relatively common in dogs. And if it happens to your dog, you need to be prepared. You should:
Keep your dog safe. If he's not on the ground, make sure he doesn't fall. If his thrashing might knock something over that could hurt him, move it.
Keep yourself safe. Your dog will not swallow his tongue. NEVER put your hands in his mouth - you could get seriously bitten.
Be aware. The more you can tell your vet, the better. What happened? How long did it last? How severe was it?
Get treatment. Once the seizure has passed, take your dog to the vet. Finding out why your dog had a seizure is like solving a puzzle. It's tough to put all the pieces together. A seizure is difficult to diagnose because it's not a disease. It's a symptom (with any number of causes).
It could be "epilepsy." This common diagnosis is made when no other causes can be found. Epilepsy could even be genetic since it is more common in certain breeds, like German Shepherds, Irish Setters, Retrievers, Poodles and Dachshunds.
There is no diagnostic test for epilepsy. The only way to find out if your dog has it is through the process of elimination. All other possible causes must be ruled out through a series of testing.
Diagnosing your dog's seizures could require a lot of testing - and money. So why bother? Does the cause really matter as long as he comes through the seizure OK?
If the cause is medical, environmental, metabolic or traumatic, it could be serious or life threatening, so you need to identify it and treat it.
If diagnosed, many of these conditions can be successfully treated - and that could save your dog's life.
Yes, diagnostic tests are expensive. But they could save your dog's life. When it comes to your dog's health, money shouldn't be an obstacle. That's why I always tell my Pet Place subscribers to plan ahead and consider pet insurance. I believe it is the best way to make sure that you will always be able to give your dog the best possible care.
Planning ahead is important ... especially in tough economic times like these.
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TODAYS PET TIP:
Choosing a Veterinarian
How do you choose a veterinarian? What do you look for in a veterinarian or what questions do you ask? There are several factors to consider when choosing a veterinarian.
You can find a veterinarian by looking in the yellow pages, searching the internet or by word-of mouth. An effective method is by asking your friends or neighbors which veterinarian they go to and for their recommendations.
Other factors to consider:
Is the practice convenient - is it close to your home? Find out which practices are close to your home.
How does the practice handle emergencies? Do they have someone on call or do they refer to a local emergency practice? If so, where is the emergency practice? Note: In many case, veterinarians that refer to local emergency practices may be better for your pet unless their practices staffs technicians and doctors around the clock. Make sure the veterinarian doesn't just see and hospitalize emergencies and leave them in the hospital where no one will be watching them all night.
How do they handle hospitalizations? Are they staffed at night or do they refer to a 24-hour emergency clinic?
How many veterinarians are in the practice? One-person practices are nice but multi-doctor practices may have extended hours and generally someone is always available if you have a pet problem.
Regardless of how you choose a veterinarian, developing a relationship takes work. Make sure you understand everything your veterinarian says. Don't be afraid to question anything and keep questioning until you fully understand the answer. If you do not feel comfortable with your veterinarian, try to resolve the issues. If you do not see any way to resolve your problems, consider seeking a different veterinarian. *************************
How to Reduce Stress With Martial Arts by:Sinrot, Mel, Teresa, Harri
Feeling stressed out? No need to look beyond martial arts! Psychologists have found positive correlations between training in a traditional martial art and lower levels of hostility, aggression and higher levels of self-esteem and positive outlook compared to any other sport.[1] Cutting stress and learning to handle yourself both physically and mentally are gifts of the martial arts that you can take advantage of.
Steps 1 Choose a martial art that suits your needs. There are many kinds of martial arts, so spend some time reading about the different kinds and their underlying philosophies. What is important though is to focus on traditional martial arts, as the studies show benefits in terms of well-being and reduced hostility result from participating in the traditional forms only.[2] If you have the chance, do trial lessons in several different types of martial arts to get a feel for the one that you enjoy doing the most. Keep your focus on the martial arts likely to bring you the most stress relief; some are not as likely to do this as others but again, it depends on you. Some of the martial arts in particular to check out include:
Tai Chi – this is a slow, meditation-focused art for reducing stress. Its moves teach patience, coordination, balance, and control.
Aikido – this is probably the best art for reducing stress. Its focus is on preserving harmony by using throws, sweeps, and joint locks, using no attacks at all.
Other martial arts. As there are so many arts, not all can be listed here. Like the previous two, the other arts have their unique characteristics. Every martial art will reduce stress by giving you an achievable goal to work toward and by providing healthy exercise. By focusing your mind on an objective, all other thoughts fade away. Hard martial arts. Tai Chi and Aikido are two well-known "soft" martial arts. Most others are "hard'" martial arts. They apply punches and kicks, with grappling and takedowns. Stress can be relieved simply by pummeling your opponent or a heavy bag until you're tired.
2 Learn to recognize the stress response. In order to assess the difference that martial arts training will be making to your stress levels, you'll need to know what your stress response typically consists of. Some or many of the following responses are fairly commonplace in a highly stressed person, while the following step will clarify how martial arts will make a positive difference in reducing these types of stress response: Your heart rate and blood pressure increase, with more blood going to the muscles (hence tension) Your oxygen levels change, with less oxygen going to your conscious brain and more going to your reactive brain, leaving you open to mental blanking, memory failure, loss of logic, increase in emotions, narrow your attention and cause you to be edgy Your blood clots faster and blood sugar levels increase, resulting in jelly legs, sugar cravings and sometimes heartburn You may feel paralyzed, your stomach knotted, and your voice may change or be constricted Your breathing can become more rapid, your sensitivity heighten, and your body temperature increase, potentially causing dizziness, fainting, increased hearing and seeing ability, sweating and hot flushes Other noticeable or long-term changes that can damage health.
3 Understand how martial arts can reduce your stress and lessen your vulnerability to stress. The purpose of traditional martial arts is to train a warrior spirit or mind.[3] A warrior spirit can only fully form by developing the certain characteristics, all of which are highly helpful to building your coping mechanisms against stress, such as improving your decision-making, calming your fears, and projecting confidence. As the list in the step prior to this one shows, each of these elements is often absent in a highly stressed person, as hyper-sensitivity to other people's verbal and bodily cues and a high state of alertness for danger brought on by real or perceived dangers in the workplace, on the street, in social settings, etc. take over. And when anger or fear dominate, the thinking processes tend to shut down, and a constant state of being like this leaves you stressed. Learning the way of the warrior spirit may help you to contain your stress responses and teach you how to establish real focus and self-management. The following elements are usual parts of what you'll learn in your martial arts training:[4] You will be responding to situations that involve fear. You will be learning how to develop non-verbal behaviors that manage to communicate confidence to others. You will be learning how to remain calm under pressure. You will be learning how to make rapid decisions under stressful situations.
4 Be prepared to expose yourself to fear stimuli. In martial arts, given that you are going to be facing an opponent, you will be confronted by fear-evoking situations (including the fear of being physically hurt).[5] This exposure is a good thing because over time, the practice of dealing with it regularly can alleviate your internalized fear and help to desensitize you to things that provoke your fear, such as feeling you're not safe, not confident enough, or that you're unable to defend yourself. From a stress point of view, this is exposure coupled with learning how to respond effectively will begin to reduce your anxiety levels as well as training you in how to respond logically and calmly. Stress can be produced when you are afraid of something bad happening to you, even where the harm is imagined, mostly because you don't feel able to defend yourself. Training in a martial art can give you the confidence to start believing that even if something bad does happen, you have the wherewithal to respond and defend yourself, not just physically but also retaining your mental clarity. If you're withdrawn and not particularly assertive, your desire to avoid conflict can increase your stress symptoms because your anxiety levels can leave you feeling unable to cope with the stressors around you. If you live a life feeling that you're not safe, a martial art can help to restore a sense of reassurance and will allow you to deal much better with conflict in general. Fights almost never go to plan. Martial arts will teach you to intuitively rely on a series of fallback positions to keep changing the perspective and outcomes. This is precisely what you should do in the rest of your life as well, as life rarely goes according to plan either, and the person most able to bend with the changes and spring back up again is the person less likely to break under the pressure of stress.
5 Slow down. When people first begin a martial art, there is a tendency to try and learn fast, to catch up with others, and to perform well from the beginning.[6] What often happens as a result is that the beginner's movements are too fast and ineffectual, the posture is poor, and motor control is difficult. With practice, patience, and time however, you will find that your movements become more confident and slower, and your posture improves, with greater motor control and mental mastery also following. Each of these outcomes will aid in reducing your stress levels, as you master your body's responses and strengthen your breathing and reaction responses. As you increase through the different levels of your martial arts training (usually denoted by different colors of belts), you will start to wield more and more mastery over your body's reactions and over your fear reactions. The resulting confidence and decreased fearfulness will give you greater positive thinking power that can help you learn to cope with and lessen the impact of stressors in your life. Martial arts will give you the internal discipline to react to a world that doesn't slow down or stand still for anyone; how you react to external stimuli makes all the difference between staying stressed or coping and staying resilient.
6 Learn Zen. Zen Buddhism a belief system that is often coupled with martial arts training. It is a mindset that is greatly beneficial to maintain. Almost eliminating stress, Zen teaches you to focus on the moment and to go with the flow. Daily meditation will also help you to relax. Martial arts and Zen teach you to forget the needs of the self and act accordingly. When you have fully grasped the inner discipline and the outer respect for others without fearing them, you will discover that craving objects or other desires lessens and that doing what is needed to be done can be achieved in a peaceful manner that does not disturb your mental and bodily processes, without reducing you to a constant state of stress. Through martial arts, you will become more confident in everything you do and less worried about the "what if", focusing only on the now.
Tips Read "Zen and the art of _____" books or other books on martial arts to gain a mindset. You could also visit Leo Babauta's website "Zen Habits". Martial arts also teach you the art of balancing and not relying too much on one aspect of your body. For example, in jiu jitsu, you must be able to perform each technique on both the left and right side of your body. This sense of balance is something that you can also adopt in your mindset, to ensure that you don't rely too much on one side of your brain hemisphere and neglect training or nourishing the other. While each of us has a tendency to be more left or right hemisphere dominant, it is not a good idea to allow the stronger side to direct everything because that risks leaving you weakened in other areas that you should still make an effort to keep in good shape. Ultimately, this balance helps to shore up your defenses against stress because you'll be a flexible thinker, able to fall back on alternative solutions when difficulties confront you.
Warnings If you are suffering from the ill side of effects of stress and/or are experiencing it long-term, it is important to speak to your doctor. You may need to take a variety of approaches to restoring your general well-being.
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Spinach-Mushroom Calzone Calzones are folded pockets of pizza dough filled with a variety of ingredients. This calzone is sure to become a family favorite
Serves: 4 Prep. time: 45 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes
1 bunch spinach, about 3/4 pound 1/4 cup olive oil 1 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced 1/2 medium-size red onion, chopped 2 medium-size cloves garlic 3/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 3 tablespoons chopped parsley 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg cornmeal salt, to taste freshly ground pepper, to taste pizza dough Stem and rinse the spinach. Drain in a colander but do not spin dry.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add half of the mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly browned and tender. Add half of the onion and cook for 1 minute. Lower the heat if the vegetables begin to burn but don't let any liquid accumulate in the pan. Add half of the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining oil, mushrooms, onion and garlic.
Decrease the heat to medium. Add the spinach with just the water that clings to the leaves. (If the spinach is very dry, add 2 to 3 tablespoons water.) Cover and cook for about 5 minutes until wilted, Drain the spinach in a colander and squeeze out the water. Chop the spinach and add it to the bowl with the other vegetables. Add the cheeses, parsley, thyme, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Oil 2 baking sheets and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces on a lighty floured work surface. Shape each into a ball and flatten each ball into a 7- to 8-inch round. Spread a quarter of the filling over one half of one dough round. Fold the remaining half over the filling to form a semicircle and fold the bottom edges over the top to seal. Transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds and filling. Bake the calzone for about 10 minutes until the crusts are golden brown.
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Since more and more Seniors are texting and tweeting there appears to be a need for a STC (Senior Texting Code). If you qualify for Senior Discounts, this is the code for you...
ATD: At The Doctor's BFF: Best Friend Fell BTW: Bring The Wheelchair BYOT: Bring Your Own Teeth CBM: Covered By Medicare CUATSC: See You At The Senior Center DWI: Driving While Incontinent FWBB: Friend With Beta Blockers FWIW: Forgot Where I Was FYI: Found Your Insulin GGPBL: Gotta Go, Pacemaker Battery Low! GHA: Got Heartburn Again HGBM: Had Good Bowel Movement IMHO: Is My Hearing-Aid On? LMDO: Laughing My Dentures Out LOL: Living On Lipitor LWO: Lawrence Welk's On OMMR: On My Massage Recliner OMSG: Oh My! Sorry, Gas. ROFL... CGU: Rolling On The Floor Laughing.. And Can't Get Up &
Tags: Religion, Recipes, Jokes, Tips n More
There’s a Passover tradition of opening the door to one’s home to welcome in Elijah, the prophet. Some Jews even leave a symbolic cup of wine for Elijah to drink when he enters! During the week of Passover (April 18-25), follow Elijah as he journeys around the world. See photos and read his stories! For more information or media inquiries, visit www.OurJewishCommunity.orgMarch 24, 2011 There’s a Passover tradition of opening the door to one’s home to welcome in Elijah, the prophet. Some Jews even leave a symbolic cup of wine for Elijah to drink when he enters! During the week of Passover (April 18-25), follow Elijah as he journeys around the world. See photos and read his stories! For more information or media inquiries, visit
Tags: Elijah Tracker
Expert Advice
Why do birds crash into your windows? They see reflections of sky and trees and mistake them for open space. If this occurs, there are some solutions:
• Eliminate the reflection of the windows by putting up a screen, newspaper, or other material.
• Buy or make a black silhouette of a diving hawk or falcon and place it on your window. Birds see this shape as danger and should stay away.
**************************** Apples and Wine
Women are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the top of the tree. Most men don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they sometimes take the apples from the ground that aren't as good, but easy. The apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality, they're amazing. They just have to wait for the right man to come along, the one who is brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree.
Now men. . . men are like a fine wine. They begin as grapes, and it's up to women to stomp the shit out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.
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A cat and a mouse died on the same day and went up to Heaven. At the top they met God and he asked them 'How do you like it so far?' The mouse replied 'It's great, but can I get a pair of roller skates?' God said 'Sure', and he gave him a pair of roller skates. The next day God saw the cat and asked him 'How do you like it up here so far?' and the cat replied 'Great, I didn't know you had meals on wheels up here!'
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An elderly couple were killed in an accident and found themselves being given a tour of heaven by Saint Peter. "Here is your oceanside condo, over there are the tennis courts, swimming pool, and two golf courses. If you need any refreshments, just stop by any of the many bars located throughout the area." "Heck, Gloria," the old man hissed when Saint Peter walked off, "we could have been here ten years ago if you hadn't heard about all that stupid oat bran, wheat germ, and low-fat diets!"
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My younger brother, I explained to a friend, had quite a temper as a boy. Our parents had tried extra love, attention and patience on him, with little success. Then, in the middle of one of his tantrums, they simply handed him a shovel, pointed to the backyard and instructed him to go out and dig and not come back until he had control of his anger.
"Apparently," I said, "the therapy worked, because he's turned out very nicely."
"What does he do for a living?" my friend asked.
"He builds in-ground swimming pools."
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The professor was deeply absorbed in some scientific subject when the nurse announced the arrival of a boy. "What—who?" stammered the professor absently. "Why interrupt me—isn't my wife at home?"
Tags: Religion, Recipes, Jokes, Tips n More
REMINDERS FROM GOD: "Listen to My Voice eagerly, joyfully. Never crowd it out. If one seeks the babble of the world I withdraw." -- GOD
Our Daily Devotional: The Timely Word
Hebrews 4:12, NIV: "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
It has been my experience that the right word at the right time has the perfect effect. Look into the eyes of another Christian when he or she has heard something that strikes a chord. The lights come on--the person´s face brightens--hope is restored. The power of a word is truly amazing, and none more so than the Word of God. Scripture committed to memory is an always ready resource for the Holy Spirit to draw upon and provide to us the timely Word. Words of encouragement. Words of direction. Words of wisdom. Words of hope. Whatever the question; whatever the need, God´s Word penetrates and provides the perfect timely Word.
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. - Isaiah 1:18 ********************** WORD FOR THE DAY: irascible ih-RASS-uh-buhl , adjective; 1. Prone to anger; easily provoked to anger; hot-tempered.
Quotes: The lawyer described his client as an irascible eighty-two-year-old eccentric who alternated between spinning fascinating tales about her past and cussing him out. -- Jack Olsen, Hastened to the Grave His father was an irascible and boastful bully, a heavy drinker and a gambler. -- Robin Waterfield, Prophet: The Life and Times of Kahlil Gibran Origin: Irascible is from Latin irascibilis , "prone to anger," from ira , "anger," which is also the source of ire and irate . ************************
Sunday, April 17—The Full Pink Moon This Moon is also known as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Fish Moon. Pink refers to wild ground phlox, usually in bloom around this time. Historically, Native Americans living in what is now the northern and eastern United States kept track of the seasons by giving a distinctive name to each full Moon. With some variations, the same Moon names were used throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior.
THE FULL MOON FOR ORANGEBURG SC 2011 - 2015
Month/Year 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 January Jan 19 4:22 P.M. Jan 9, 2:32 A.M. Jan 26, 11:40 P.M. Jan 15, 11:53 P.M. Jan 411:54 P.M. February Feb 18, 3:36 A.M. Feb 7, 4:56 P.M. Feb 25, 3:28 P.M. Feb 14, 6:54 P.M. Feb 3, 6:10 P.M. March Mar 19, 2:10 P.M. Mar 8, 4:41 A.M. Mar 27, 5:30 A.M. Mar 16, 1:10 P.M. Mar 5, 1:06 P.M. April Apr 17, 10:44 P.M. Apr 6, 3:20 P.M. Apr 25, 3:59 P.M. Apr 15, 3:45 A.M. Apr 4, 8:07 A.M. May May 17, 7:08 A.M. May 5, 11:36 P.M May 25, 12:27 A.M. May 14, 3:18 P.M. May 3, 11:44 P.M. June Jun 15, 4:13 P.M. Jun 4, 7:11 A.M Jun 23, 7:33 A.M. Jun 13, 12:13 A.M. Jun 2, 12:21 P.M. July Jul 15, 2:39 A.M. Jul 3, 2:51 P.M. Jul 22, 2:16 P.M. Jul 12, 7:26 A.M. Jul 1, 10:22 P.M. Jul 31, 6:45 A.M. August Aug 13, 2:57 P.M. Aug 1, 11:27 P.M. Aug 31, 9:57 A.M. Aug 20, 9:45 P.M. Aug 10, 2:10 P.M. Aug 29, 2:37 P.M. September Sep 12, 5:27 A.M. Sep 29, 11:18 P.M. Sep 19, 7:12 A.M. Sep 8, 9:38 P.M. Sep 27, 10:52 P.M. October Oct 11, 10:07 P.M. Oct 29, 3:50 P.M. Oct 18, 7:37 P.M. Oct 8, 6:50 A.M. Oct 27, 8:05 A.M. November Nov 10, 3:18 P.M. Nov 28, 9:47 A.M. Nov 17, 10:16 A.M. Nov 6, 5:22 P.M. Nov 25, 5:44 P.M. December Dec 10, 9:38 A.M. Dec 28, 5:22 A.M. Dec 17, 4:29 A.M. Dec 6, 7:27 A.M. Dec 25, 6:11 A.M. ********************** THING TO PONDER: If a pig loses its voice, is it disgruntled?
THINGS TO PONDER: Why are they called apartments when they are stuck together?
You might be a REDNECK if... ...you think Sherlock Holmes is a housing project down in Biloxi
You might be a REDNECK if... ...you've ever come home and found crime scene tape across your front porch
"The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power." - Hugh White
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WHY I'M DEPRESSED Over five thousand years ago, Moses said to the children of Israel , "Pick up your shovels, mount your asses and camels, and I will lead you to the Promised Land." Nearly 75 years ago,(when Welfare was introduced) Roosevelt said, "Lay down your shovels, sit on your asses, and light up a Camel, this is the Promised Land." Today, Obama has stolen your shovel, taxed your asses, raised the price of camels and mortgaged the Promised Land! I was so depressed last night thinking about Health Care Plans, the economy, the wars, lost jobs, savings, Social Security, retirement funds, etc . . . I called a Suicide Hotline. I had to press 1 for English. I was connected to a call center in Pakistan . I told them I was suicidal. They got excited and asked if I could drive a truck...... ******************************* 16 Common Dog Myths By: Dr. Debra Primovic 1. Dogs should have a litter before they are spayed. This is not true. Dogs that have a litter before they are spayed are not better for it in any way. In fact, spayed dogs are at lower risk for breast cancer and uterine infections.
2. Dogs are sick when their noses are warm. The temperature of a dogs nose does not indicate health or illness. It also does not indicate if they have a fever. There is an "old wives tale" that cold wet noses indicate good health and that warm or dry noses indicate a fever or illness. The only accurate method to access a dog's temperature is to take it with a thermometer. Normal dog temperature is 100.5 to 102.5 degrees F.
3. Mutts are always healthier than purebred dogs. This is not true. Both mutts and purebred dogs can be either healthy or unhealthy. However, mutts generally do not have many of the genetic diseases that may be common in purebred lines.
4. All dogs like to be petted on their heads. Some dogs do like to be petted on their heads but many do NOT.
5. Happy dogs wag their tails. This may be true but aggressive dogs often wag their tails too. There are several physical body motions and cues that help dogs communicate their intent. A wagging tail can mean either agitation or excitement. A dog that wags his tail slowly and moves his entire rear end or crouches down in the classic "play bow" position is usually demonstrating a friendly wag. Tails that are wagged when held higher, tails that "twitch" or a wagging tail held over the back may be associated with aggression.
6. Only male dogs will 'hump" or lift their leg to urinate. This is not true. Female dogs, especially dominant female dogs, will lift their leg to urinate and "hump" other dogs or objects. This can be true even in spayed female dogs.
7. Table scraps are good for dogs. Some table scraps such as bones and pieces of fat can be dangerous to some pets. Dogs may not digest the bones and the fat may cause gastrointestinal problems such as pancreatitis.
8. Garlic prevents fleas. Garlic has NOT been proven helpful for flea control. Large amounts of garlic can even be harmful.
9. Household "pet dogs" don't need trained. This is not true. Every dog should be trained.
10. Dogs eat grass when they are sick. Dogs descended from wild wolves and foxes that ate all parts of their "kill". This included the stomach contents of many animals that ate berries and grass. Many scientists believe grass was once part of dog's normal diet and eating small amounts of grass is normal.
11. Dogs like tasty food. Dogs have very poor taste buds and eat primarily based on their sense of smell.
12. Licking is Healing. It is natural for a dog to lick its wound but this not necessarily always "healing". Too much licking can actually prohibit healing. 13. Dogs will let you know when they are sick. This is not true. Dogs generally are very good at hiding that they are sick by survival instinct, thus not to appear vulnerable to "prey". Often by the time they show you that they are sick, their disease or condition is quite advanced. 14.Dogs that are mostly indoors don't need heartworm prevention. This is not true. Indoor pets are also at risk for heartworm disease. Heartworm disease is spread by mosquitoes, which can come inside.
15. Dogs eat rocks, lick concrete or eat their or another animals stools because of nutrient imbalances. No one knows why dogs eat "stuff" that they should not eat. Some veterinarians believe that some dogs that eat "things" may be trying to get attention or acting out of boredom. It is important for dogs to eat a well balanced diet that will fulfill their dietary and nutrient requirements and have plenty of opportunities for play and exercise.
16. Dogs don't need housebroken – they naturally know where to go. Oh...if only this were true. You need to train your dog on where to go. This preferably happens when you start at a young age and give your dog positive encouragement for jobs well done.
*************************************** Campbell's French Toast Casserole
Tempting cinnamon bread is soaked in a custard overnight, ready to be baked for a perfect brunch dish. Serves: 8 Prep. time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 50 mins.
1 loaf (16 oz.) Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Swirl Bread, cut into cubes (about 8 cups) 6 eggs, beaten 3 cups milk 2 tsp. vanilla extract confectioners' sugar maple-flavored syrup, optional
Place the bread cubes into a greased 3-quart shallow baking dish. Beat the eggs, milk and vanilla extract in a medium bowl with a fork or whisk. Pour the milk mixture over the bread cubes. Stir and press the bread cubes into the milk mixture to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
Heat the oven to 350°F. Uncover the baking dish. Bake for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar. Serve with the syrup, if desired. Tip: This recipe will work with any of the Pepperidge Farm® Swirl Breads (Cinnamon, Raisin Cinnamon or Brown Sugar Cinnamon) **************************** Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich Most of the good stuff in a Philly cheese steak, from thin-sliced steak to onions, peppers and mushrooms, is still here but we opt for slightly-less-gooey but more flavorful provolone cheese in place of Cheese Whiz. We adore spicy banana peppers as a topping, but omit them if you can do without the heat.
4 servings Active Time: 35 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes Ingredients 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, sliced 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced 1 red or green bell pepper, sliced 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano, or 2 teaspoons dried 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 pound sirloin steak, trimmed and thinly sliced (see Tip) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1/2 cup sliced hot banana peppers (optional) 1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth 3 slices reduced-fat provolone cheese (about 3 ounces) 4 whole-wheat buns, split and toasted Preparation Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, oregano and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are wilted and soft, about 7 minutes. Add steak and salt and cook, stirring, until the meat is just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Sprinkle the vegetables and meat with flour; stir to coat. Stir in banana peppers (if using) and broth; bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat; lay cheese slices on top of the vegetables and meat, cover and let stand until melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide into 4 portions with a spatula, leaving the melted cheese layer on top. Scoop a portion onto each bun and serve immediately.
Tips & Notes Tip: It is easiest to cut meat into thin slices if it is partially frozen. If you have time, freeze it for 20 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition Per serving: 439 calories; 15 g fat ( 6 g sat , 6 g mono ); 74 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrates; 3 g added sugars; 45 g protein; 5 g fiber; 646 mg sodium; 884 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (72% Daily Value), Zinc (55% dv), Calcium & Potassium (25% dv), Iron & Vitamin A (22% dv), Magnesium (21% dv), Folate (16% dv). Carbohydrate Servings: 3 Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 5 1/2 lean meat **************************** Shrimp Alfredo Primavera
Prep Time: 20 Min Total Time: 20 Min Servings: 4 INGREDIENTS 3 cups uncooked bow-tie (farfalle) pasta (8 oz) 2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 1/2 cups Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers frozen sweet peas (from 12 oz bag) 1/4 cup water 1 lb uncooked peeled deveined medium shrimp, thawed if frozen, tail shells removed 3/4 cup refrigerated Alfredo sauce (from 10-oz container) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives 1 Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. 2 Meanwhile, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Stir in peas; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water; cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until peas are tender and water has evaporated. Add shrimp; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are pink and firm. 3 Stir in Alfredo sauce and pasta. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with chives. TIPS: could use rotini or penne pasta instead of the bow-ties if like. *************************** Chicken with Creamy Braised Leeks A touch of heavy cream, a few garlic cloves and thyme sprigs round out the flavor of tender braised leeks with chicken in this recipe. The rich, silky sauce is wonderful over whole-wheat egg noodles or mashed potatoes. Leeks grown in the garden and those that you find at the store can be vastly different in size. Garden leeks tend to be smaller, so if you’re using leeks from the garden, make sure you pick enough to fill up the pan.
4 servings Active Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients 8 medium or 4 large leeks 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth 6 cloves garlic, halved 6 sprigs fresh thyme 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5-6 ounces each), trimmed and tenders removed (see Note) 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup heavy cream
Preparation Preheat oven to 425°F. Trim roots and dark green tops from leeks, leaving 5 to 6 inches of white and light green parts. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise (or in quarters, if large); rinse well. Place the leeks in a single layer in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, on their sides if necessary, nestling them together. Pour in broth; submerge the garlic and thyme in the broth between the leeks. Bake the leeks for 40 minutes. After about 30 minutes, sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add the chicken and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove from the heat. After 40 minutes, remove the leeks from the oven and nestle the chicken into them. Add cream and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to the hot skillet (but do not turn the burner back on). Stir up any browned bits and let the cream heat up from the warmth of the pan. Pour the cream mixture over the leeks and chicken. Return the baking dish to the oven and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a breast registers 165°F, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve the chicken with the braised leeks, spooning the sauce over both. Tips & Notes 1. Note: It’s difficult to find an individual chicken breast small enough for one portion. Removing the thin strip of meat from the underside of a 5-ounce breast—the chicken tender—removes about 1 ounce of meat and yields a perfect 4-ounce portion. Wrap and freeze the tenders and when you have gathered enough, use them in a stir-fry or for oven-baked chicken fingers.
Nutrition Per serving: 356 calories; 18 g fat ( 8 g sat , 7 g mono ); 119 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 32 g protein; 2 g fiber; 666 mg sodium; 542 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (39% daily value), Vitamin C (23% dv), Iron (18% dv), Folate (17% dv), Potassium (15% dv). Carbohydrate Servings: 1 *************************** Spring Vegetable Ragout Italian ragus tend to be long-simmered dishes, but a French ragout is a quicker affair, a thick, cheesy stew. Tossed over pasta, this one is a true fusion, a halfway point between ragu and ragout. 2 servings, 2 cups each Active Time: 35 minutes total Time: 35 minutes Ingredients 4 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 small leek, white and pale green parts only, halved, washed and thinly sliced 1 small yellow summer squash, quartered lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces 4 ounces sugar snap peas, halved crosswise (1 cup) 16 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved 1/2 cup vegetable broth 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until just tender, about 9 minutes or according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add leek and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add squash and peas; cook, stirring often, until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Simmer until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 1 minute. Add basil and pepper; cook, stirring, until the tomatoes are juicy, 1 minute more. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Drain the pasta; add it to the ragout and toss well to combine. Nutrition Per serving: 481 calories; 17 g fat ( 6 g sat , 8 g mono ); 26 mg cholesterol; 62 g carbohydrates; 24 g protein; 12 g fiber; 602 mg sodium; 675 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (70% daily value), Vitamin A (60% dv), Calcium (45% dv), Folate & Potassium (20% dv). Carbohydrate Servings: 3 **************************** April is here! Blithest season of all the year; The little brook laughs as it leaps away; The lambs are out on the hills at play. –Eben E. Rexford (1848–1916) **************************** Among Friends For the gardeners among you . . . Do you practice companion planting? As with people, plants have friends and foes—and fare better when they’re with friends! • Dill and basil planted among tomatoes protect the tomatoes from hornworms, and sage scattered about the cabbage patch reduces injury from cabbage moths. • Marigolds are as good as gold when grown with just about any garden plant, repelling beetles, nematodes, and even animal pests. • Some companions act as trap plants, luring insects. Nasturtiums, for example, are so favored by aphids that the devastating insects will flock to them instead of other plants. • Carrots, dill, parsley, and parsnips attract garden heroes—praying mantises, ladybugs, and spiders—that dine on insect pests. ****************************
Tags: Religion, Recipes, Jokes, Tips n More
Strawberry Rhubarb Meringue Dessert
"A nice change from strawberry rhubarb pie."
Prep Time: 30 Min Cook Time: 25 Min Ready In: 2 Hrs 55 Min Yield 1 9x13-inch dish
Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons white sugar 1 cup cold butter 2 cups white sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 6 egg yolks 1 cup heavy cream 5 cups thinly sliced rhubarb 2 cups thinly sliced strawberries 6 egg whites 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 3/4 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Whisk together 2 cups of flour and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl; use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press the crust into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared baking dish. Bake crust in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Mix together 2 cups of sugar, 1/3 cup of flour, salt, egg yolks, and cream in a large bowl until well combined; stir in the rhubarb and strawberries. Pour the filling into the baked crust. Return to oven, and bake until the filling is set, 50 to 60 more minutes. Meanwhile, place egg whites and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl, and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the whites form soft peaks; gradually beat in 3/4 cup of sugar until the mixture forms glossy, stiff peaks; beat in the vanilla extract. Remove the dessert from the oven, and top with the meringue, swirling and lifting your spatula to make decorative peaks and swirls. Return to oven, and bake until the meringue is pale golden brown, about 15 more minutes. Cool the pie to room temperature, then chill to serve.
Nutritional Information Amount Per Serving Calories: 640 | Total Fat: 30.4g | Cholesterol: 204mg
****************************
WHISKEY or RUM BALLS
1 c. nuts 1 c. powdered sugar 2 c. vanilla wafers, crushed 1/4 c. bourbon whiskey 1 1/2 tsp. cocoa
Crush vanilla wafers with a rolling pin. Mix all together. Pinch off and roll into small balls. Do not cook. Makes 36 balls.
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And now... The Importance of Walking!!
Walking can add minutes to your life. This enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at $7000 per month.
I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.
I have to walk early in the morning, before my brain figures out what I'm doing..
Every time I hear the dirty word 'exercise', I wash my mouth out with chocolate, or rum.
The advantage of exercising every day is so when you die, they'll say, 'Well, she looks good doesn't she.'
If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.
I know I got a lot of exercise the last few years,...... just getting over the hill.
We all get heavier as we get older, because there's a lot more information in our heads. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. AND Every time I start thinking too much about how I look, I just find a Happy Hour and by the time I leave, I look just fine. ****************************
Spring election
This diatribe is from my dear friend and activist, Linda, in B.C. I think she's nailed it!!!
You’re all wondering what the heck has happened to me - well we have been working behind the scenes - looks like an election is coming up in May.
I am so pissed off at these assholes in Ottawa - another election - about what? $400 million or more for another election because the budget today wasn't to their satisfaction. Jack Layton wants everyone to pay thousands more in taxes so we can all live happily everafter - the same. It didn't bother Jack Layton and his wife to live in susidized housing while he was making $100,000's in wages between him and his wife but he is for the poor guy. What a bunch of shit.
Then we have that spineless Ignatieff who couldn't be bothered to live in Canada for 35 years who now thinks he should be our PM. He was a professor in history for crying out loud and has never had another job. He comes from Russian royalty, vacations in France, dumped his wife and kids for that dog he is now married to and has the nerve to say our flag looks like a beer label and when he lived in the USA - he called himself an American. This is who the Liberals think should be our PM. At least Harper has a degree in economics - perhaps that is why our country survived this recession better than the entire G8.
So now it is back to the campaign trail and I am furious. I plan on totally cruxifying the Liberals and NDP in Richmond . I am going to be that big mouth bag lady in the back yelling. I will haunt these assholes.
Other than that I am fine - how's it going with you?
Linda
****************************
Here is a little history of our world of medicine ! ! 'Why Our Great-Grandparents Have Such Fond Memories Of Their Youth...' (I'm surprised that they remember anything!!)
A bottle of Bayer's 'Heroin'. Between1890 and 1910 heroin was sold as a non-addictive substitute for morphine. It was also used to treat children suffering with a strong cough.
Coca Wine, anyone? Metcalf's Coca Wine was one of a huge variety of wines with cocaine on the market. Everybody used to say that it would make you happy and it would also work as a medicinal treatment.
Mariani Wine. Mariani wine (1875) was the most famous Coca wine of it's time. Pope Leo XIII used to carry one bottle with him all the time. He awarded Angelo Mariani (the producer) with a Vatican gold medal. Maltine. Produced by the Maltine Manufacturing Company of New York . It was suggested that you should take a full glass with or after every meal. Children should only take half a glass. IV> A paperweight: A paperweight promoting C.F. Boehringer & Soehne (Mannheim, Germany). They were proud of being the biggest producers in the world of products containing Quinine and Cocaine.
Opium for Asthma: At 40% alcohol plus 3 grams of opium per tablet, it didn't cure you, but you didn't care... Cocaine Tablets (1900). All stage actors, singers, teachers and preachers had to have them for a maximum performance. Great to 'smooth' the voice. Cocaine drops for toothache.
Very popular for children in 1885. Not only did they relieve the pain, they made the children very happy! Opium for newborns.
I'm sure this would make them sleep well (not only the Opium, but also 46% alcohol)! It's no wonder they were called, 'The Good Old Days'!! From cradle to grave... Everyone Was Stoned!!! **********************************
The why's of men.... > > > 1. WHY DO MEN BECOME SMARTER DURING SEX (because they are plugged into a genius) ---------------------------------------------- 2. WHY DON'T WOMEN BLINK DURING SEX? (they don't have enough time) -----------------------------------------------
3. WHY DOES IT TAKE 1 MILLION SPERM TO FERTILIZE ONE EGG? (they don't stop to ask directions) ----------------------------------------------- 4. WHY DO MEN SNORE WHEN THEY LIE ON THEIR BACKS? (because their balls fall over their butt-hole and they vapor-lock) ----------------------------------------------- (You're laughing, aren't you?!?!) ----------------------------------------------- 5. WHY WERE MEN GIVEN LARGER BRAINS THAN DOGS?
(so they won't hump women's legs at cocktails parties) ----------------------------------------------
6. WHY DID GOD MAKE MEN BEFORE WOMEN? (you need a rough draft before you make a final copy) ----------------------------------------------- 7. HOW MANY MEN DOES IT TAKE TO PUT A TOILET SEAT DOWN? (don't know.....it never happened) ----------------------------------------------- ( C'mon guys, we laugh at your blonde jokes!) ----------------------------------------------- And the personal favorite: 8. WHY DID GOD PUT MEN ON EARTH? (because a vibrator can't mow the lawn) ----------------------------------------------- Remember, if you haven't got a smile on your face and laughter in your heart...Then you are just an old sour fart! ----------------------------------------------- One day my housework-challenged husband decided to wash his sweat-shirt. Seconds after he stepped into the laundry room, he shouted to me, 'What setting do I use on the washing machine?' 'It depends,' I replied. 'What does it say on your shirt?' He yelled back, ' University of Oklahoma .' And they say blondes are dumb... --------------------------------------------- A couple is lying in bed. The man says, 'I am going to make you the happiest woman in the world.' The woman replies, 'I'll miss you...' ----------------------------------------------- 'It's just too hot to wear clothes today,' Jack says as he stepped out of the shower, 'honey, what do you think the neighbors would think if I mowed the lawn like this?' 'Probably that I married you for your money,' she replied. ----------------------------------------------- Q: What do you call an intelligent, good looking, sensitive man? A: A rumor ------- --------------------------------------- Dear Lord, I pray for Wisdom to understand my man; Love to forgive him; And Patience for his moods. Because, Lord, if I pray for Strength, I'll beat him to death. AMEN ---------------------------------------------- Q: Why do little boys whine? A: They are practicing to be men. ---------------------------------------------- Q: What does it mean when a man is in your bed gasping for breath and calling your name? A: You did not hold the pillow down long enough. ---------------------------------------------- Q: How do you keep your husband from reading your e-mail? A: Rename the mail folder 'Instruction Manual.'
Tags: Religion, Recipes, Jokes, Tips n More
REMINDERS FROM GOD:
"Just know all is well. Believing is the ship that will bear you to safety over stormy waters." -- GOD
Our Daily Devotional:
Let Me Draw Your Attention
Philippians 4:8, NIV: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."
Your attention is something that can be given, lost, or stolen. It can be requested, as in, "Can I have your attention;" drawn, "Let me draw your attention to...;" or demanded, "Let me have your complete attention." Our attention is something all too easily distracted...are you still with me here? And for most of us, the span of our attention is something that could certainly be improved upon. With that, I would like to draw your attention to what needs your attention: Jesus, your Bible, your quiet times, your church, etc. Regularly giving your attention to the things of God does far more than fulfill some religious duty. As you put your attention on Him within your day, your attention is drawn to the things of God all throughout the day. It puts you in a frame of mind that is more Christ centered, and focused on abiding in Him. As you give Him your attention, your eyes become readied to see God at work around you. Your heart is more receptive to His guidance, and you become more attentive to the needs and concerns of others. Today, many things will demand your attention, but there is no better place to set your attention than on the fruitful and glorious things of God.
Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. - Amos 3:7
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WORD FOR THE DAY:
conventicle • kun-VEN-tih-kul • noun 1 : an assembly of an irregular or unlawful character 2 : an assembly for religious worship; especially : a meeting for worship not sanctioned by law 3 : meetinghouse
Examples: In 18th-century England, it was a capital offense to preach in any conventicle . "The radicals tended to meet in small conventicles , sometimes in houses and farmsteads but also in cellars, gates, wayside shelters, clearings, water towers, forests, meadows, or 'windstill zones,' border areas where jurisdiction was contested." -- From C. Scott Dixon's 2010 book Protestants: A History from Wittenberg to Pennsylvania 1517–1740
Did you know? "Conventicle" comes to us from Latin "conventiculum" and ultimately from "convenire," meaning "to assemble."
****************************** Phenology Look to animals and plants to tell you how the seasons are progressing! This is called phenology, derived from the Greek “phaino,†which means “to show†or “to appear.â€
Watch plants leaf, buds burst, trees fruit, animals hibernate, birds and butterflies appear, and insects emerge, and you’ll find that nature tells you what time of year it is—which affects this year’s planting dates, wildflower viewing, beekeeping, allergy season, and more!
For example, here are ways in which we plant by nature's signs in our neck of the woods: • Plant peas, beets, and lettuce when the first leaves appear on the lilac bush. • Plant corn, beans, and squash when the lilac blooms. • Plant cabbage when the dogwood is in full bloom or when apple tree blossoms bud. • Set out tomato transplants when the first ladybugs appear.
**************************** You might be a REDNECK if... ...you got stopped by a state trooper. He asked you if you had an I.D. And you said, 'Bout What?
THINGS TO PONDER: Why do banks charge you a " non sufficient funds" fee on money they already know you don't have?
You might be a REDNECK if... ...you turn the sprinkler on and tell the kids it's a water park. "To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness." - Dr. Robert Muller **************************** TSOUREKI - GREEK EASTER BREAD Tsoureki is a traditional Greek Bread served at the Easter meal flavored with overtones of orange and anise. It's shaped into a twisted wreath or a braid and has red colored hard boiled eggs tucked into pockets formed between the twists. Although the traditional color for the eggs is red, pastel hues of blue, yellow, light pink and lime green can help welcome the Easter bunny just as well! 1 pkg. yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup lukewarm water (110°F) 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup butter 1 tsp. pure vanilla 1 tbsp. freshly grated orange zest (or a few drops of pure orange oil) 1 tbsp. anisette liquor 3 tiny drops anise oil 1 tsp. salt 4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup honey or agave nectar 2 large eggs, well beaten 1 egg yolk (reserve the white for egg wash for top) hard boiled eggs dyed red (1 for each person) For the milk, use reconstituted non-fat dry milk or scalded fresh milk. To dye the hard boiled eggs, I add a tablespoon of cider vinegar to the liquid from a can of sliced beets in a small stainless steel pan. Add the eggs with enough water to cover and boil for 1 or 2 minutes, cover and let stand for 15 minutes, then cool. The eggs may also be dyed red using food colorings if you prefer a brighter color. To prepare the dough, dissolve the yeast and set aside for 5 minutes. Heat the milk to scald, melt the butter add the honey and cool for about 15 minutes before adding to the yeast (about 100°F). In a stand mixer, add 2 cups flour and remaining ingredients (except flour) and beat for 2-3 minutes. Add the remaining flour a small amount at a time, until the dough forms a ball and begins to leave the side of the bowl. With the dough hook attachment, knead for 6-8 minutes. Remove to a floured surface and knead by hand until smooth and elastic. Put into an oiled bowl and turn to coat with oil on all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft free place until nearly doubled. Punch down, divide dough into two ropes; twist the two together, then form a ring or a wreath and pinch the ends together; tuck them under to hide. Let rise, again for about 30-40 minutes. Tuck a colored egg at even intervals around the wreath by spreading a rope twist to fit around the egg. Cover and let rise another 20-30 minutes or so. 15 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375°F. To make an egg wash, beat the saved egg white with a tablespoon of water and brush it over the top. (Don't allow the egg to pool in the valleys and leave the boiled eggs without brushing.) Sprinkle sesame seeds over the bread. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the bread reads 190°F on an instant-read thermometer. Cool on a wire rack. **************************** BRAIDED EASTER BREAD 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided 1/4 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 package active dry yeast 2/3 cup milk 2 tablespoons butter 2 eggs 5 whole eggs, colored, if desired 2 tablespoons butter, melted Boil the eggs for 3-5 minutes before coloring as desired, then cool for 15 minutes before using. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt and yeast; stir well. Combine milk and butter in a small saucepan; heat until milk is warm and butter is softened but has not melted. Gradually add the milk and butter to the flour mixture; stirring constantly. Add two eggs and 1/2 cup flour; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Punch dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal size rounds; cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each round into a long roll about 36 inches long and 1 1/2 inches thick. Using the two long pieces of dough, form a loosely braided ring, leaving spaces for the five colored eggs. Seal the ends of the ring together and use your fingers to slide the eggs between the braids of dough. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Place loaf on a buttered baking sheet and cover loosely with a damp towel. Place in a warm place free from draft and allow to rise until nearly doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Brush the risen loaf with melted butter (or use cream). Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until golden. Makes 1 - 1 pound loaf. **************************** ITALIAN EASTER PIE (PIZZAGAINA) Dough: 4 1/2 to 5 cups flour, more if needed 1/2 cup whole milk, scalded 1/2 cup water, lukewarm 1 teaspoon honey or sugar 2 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 2 tablespoons sugar 5 tablespoons butter, melted 2 tablespoons butter flavored Crisco (or butter) 3 tablespoons lard 3 tablespoons buttermilk or sour cream 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (optional) 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 5 eggs (for dough) 1 egg, boiled 1 egg, mixed with 1 tablespoon water for glaze The optional lemon juice is used to help make the dough easier to handle. Shortening: All butter may be used, or a combination of butter, vegetable shortening and lard for the flakiest crust. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 4 1/2 cups flour. Using the dough hook attachment, work 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons of lard, and 2 tablespoons butter flavored Crisco into dough, as though you were making a pie crust. In a small bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon honey in 1/2 cup lukewarm water, stirring well until dissolved. Bring water temperature to about 105°F (or warm to the touch). Stir in 1/3 cup flour to "feed" yeast. The yeast mixture should begin to bubble and foam up. Set aside for 10-15 minutes. Tip: It's a good idea to keep more than one type or brand of yeast on hand if you bake your own bread often. When you measure out your yeast, you can use half from one jar, and half from the other brand of yeast at the same time. This is good insurance in case the yeast isn't as active as you'd like it to be; if only half the yeast is good, your bread will still rise; it will just take longer. In a small heavy bottomed saucepan, scald 1/2 cup milk. Watch milk carefully during the scalding process and remove from heat when the milk begins to foam slightly. Set aside and allow to sit undisturbed. A skin will form around edges and on top of milk as it cools. Remove the coagulated milk from the edges and skim the top skin off using a spoon. Pour the cooled (85°F) milk into the yeast mixture. Using the same saucepan the milk was heated in, melt 4 tablespoons butter. When butter has nearly melted, add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and remove from heat. Allow to cool to nearly 85°F. Break 5 eggs into flour mixture. Mix on medium setting 2 minutes. Add butter mixture and 3 tablespoons buttermilk or sour cream. Pour yeast mixture into flour mixture and combine. Add 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (do not substitute). Knead at medium speed of electric mixer for 8-10 minutes. If dough is too stiff for easy mixing, add a few tablespoons water. Turn out onto lightly floured board and using your hands, which you've rubbed with olive oil (remove jewelry!), knead gently for 5 minutes. Dough should be light and airy, and somewhat sticky. As you knead, you should hear little "pops" as air bubbles break and new air pockets are formed. Place into a greased bowl, turn once to coat with oil, cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm, draft free place to rise until doubled in bulk. When the dough has doubled, punch it down and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Divide in 1/2 and roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Grease a deep dish pan with olive oil. Line the pan bottom and sides with the rolled out dough, easing dough into pan without stretching. Puncture bottom and sides with fork; coat with egg glaze. Filling: 1/2 lb mortadella, sliced and chopped 1/2 lb provolone, thinly sliced 1/2 lb capicola (hot ham), very thinly sliced 1/4 lb prosciutto, very thinly sliced 2-3 slices each pepperoni or salami, chopped 1-2 slices sopressato, chopped (optional) 1 1/2 cups ricotta 1 egg yolk (optional - see note below) 1 entire basket Easter cheese (fromaggio fresca) 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated 2 tablespoons Romano cheese, freshly grated 3/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, cracked At your deli, have the cold cuts sliced thinly, with the prosciutto being shaved thinly enough to see through it. Remove the casing strings from the cold cuts, roll them up and slice them into 1/2 inch wide strips. For the pepperoni, sopressato, or salami, chop the strips into small squares. Chop half of the mortadella into squares as well, reserving half of it to layer in criss-cross strips to create a layer in the same way that you'll be using the prosciutto. Measure out a half cup of the ricotta. Add Parmesan and Romano cheese to this, then stir in the cracked whole peppercorns. To crack peppercorns, measure out quantity of whole peppercorns into a plastic bag and then use a rolling pin to crush them as you would bread crumbs. NOTE: In my family, we don't use eggs to bind the filling in Pizzagaina. The reason it's not needed in this pie is that there is a small amount of ricotta in ratio to the meat and other cheeses. If you prefer, an egg yolk or two may be added to the ricotta, but this is not our tradition (we do use eggs in Pizza Rustica and Calzones if there is a higher ratio of ricotta filling to meat). Assembly: Add the filling to the crust, beginning by lining the bottom of the crust with a thin layer of proscuitto, torn into strips. Cover with a scant layer of very thinly sliced boiled eggs (the boiled egg here is optional - feel free to leave it out). Next, add a layer of ricotta, Parmesan, Romano, cracked pepper mixture. Place a layer of torn capicola to cover the layer. Next, place a thin layer of provolone cheese. Cover this layer with the remaining 1 cup ricotta which has been mixed with the chopped pepperoni, sopressato, mortadella and capicola. Place a layer of thin strips of mortadella, and next a layer of fromaggio fresca broken into chunks. Press down slightly if the filling is getting too high. Next, a layer of hot ham, then a final layer of Prosciutto and fromaggio fresca. (An optional variation at this step is to place a single layer of baby spinach, blanched, and squeezed dry into the center ricotta layer.) In a cup, beat one egg with 1 tablespoon cold water. Use this as the egg glaze for brushing over crust just before baking. Brush the pie edges with egg glaze so that the top crust will make a better seal with the bottom crust. Roll out and drape top crust over pie; trim away excess using a kitchen scissors, leaving a 1/2 inch margin. Press together and crimp edges well, then flute in a decorative fashion. Insert 3 tin-foil funnels or pie birds through pie crust top in order to allow steam to escape. Let rise 15 minutes, brush crust with egg glaze before baking in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes. Check at 35 minutes; if browning too rapidly, place aluminum foil tent over top (be sure close oven door quickly or you'll drop the temperature!) Cover and refrigerate overnight. Cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch slices and allow individual slices to sit at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.
Calzones: If you have any leftover dough, roll it into small circles, fill with any remaining cold cuts or filling mixture that you have, toss on some shredded provolone or mozzarella cheese; fold into half circle, turnover-like shapes. Fold in and crimp edges, pressing to seal. Brush with glaze after allowing a 15 minute rise. Bake calzones at 375°F for 20 minutes, or until golden. This rich, Italian holiday favorite is served as part of traditional Easter fare, and sometimes at Christmas. Known in our family as "Pizzagaina", (Pizza jay-nah) this multi-layered dish is quite an undertaking to prepare, but the effort spent will be well worth your time. And you'll be able to prepare it a day or two in advance, leaving you free to relax and enjoy the holidays with your guests. This recipe has been a treasured favorite in our family for many generations, and now, it can be a tradition in your family, too. **************************** Strawberry Rhubarb Meringue Dessert "A nice change from strawberry rhubarb pie." Prep Time: 30 Min Cook Time: 25 Min Ready In: 2 Hrs 55 Min Yield 1 9x13-inch dish
Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons white sugar 1 cup cold butter 2 cups white sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 6 egg yolks 1 cup heavy cream 5 cups thinly sliced rhubarb 2 cups thinly sliced strawberries 6 egg whites 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 3/4 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Whisk together 2 cups of flour and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl; use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press the crust into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared baking dish. Bake crust in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Mix together 2 cups of sugar, 1/3 cup of flour, salt, egg yolks, and cream in a large bowl until well combined; stir in the rhubarb and strawberries. Pour the filling into the baked crust. Return to oven, and bake until the filling is set, 50 to 60 more minutes. Meanwhile, place egg whites and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl, and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the whites form soft peaks; gradually beat in 3/4 cup of sugar until the mixture forms glossy, stiff peaks; beat in the vanilla extract. Remove the dessert from the oven, and top with the meringue, swirling and lifting your spatula to make decorative peaks and swirls. Return to oven, and bake until the meringue is pale golden brown, about 15 more minutes. Cool the pie to room temperature, then chill to serve. Nutritional Information Amount Per Serving Calories: 640 | Total Fat: 30.4g | Cholesterol: 204mg **************************** EASIEST PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE 1 cup of peanut butter (creamy or crunchy) 1 egg 1 cup of sugar 1 tsp. of vanilla
Mix all ingredients together in bowl then spoon out onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350°F degrees until golden brown (approximately 10 minutes). Remove immediately onto cooling racks.
Notes: It is not a mistake, this recipe does not have flour.
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PORTUGUESE EASTER BREAD
1 1/4 cups very warm milk 1 cup sugar 1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature) 1 teaspoon salt 2 packages active dry yeast 1 teaspoon sugar 3 eggs, beaten 5-6 cups all purpose flour 12 uncooked eggs (in shell) 1 egg 1 teaspoon water
Mix one cup of very warm milk (should feel slightly warm when a drop is placed on the inside of your wrist) with 1 cup sugar, 1 stick of unsalted butter and 1 teaspoon of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. Sprinkle the yeast over the remaining warm milk (in a separate bowl or cup). Add 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir until dissolved. Set aside until yeast is bubbly, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat eggs until foamy; add eggs and yeast mixture to milk/butter/sugar mixture.
Beat in 5 cups of flour, gradually adding 1 cup at a time until a soft dough forms. Change to dough hook.
Knead 5-8 minutes with machine. Turn out onto a clean work surface and continue to knead by hand 1-2 minutes, until dough is smooth.
Butter or oil the inside of a non-metallic bowl and place dough inside, turning over once so that dough is coated and won't dry out. Cover with a clean damp towel or plastic wrap, then place in a warm place, free from any drafts.
Allow to rise for about 90 minutes, or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down.
Turn out, again, onto a clean work surface. Divide dough evenly into 12 round pieces and form buns 3/4 inch thick. Arrange on 2 buttered cookie sheets.
Make a hollow depression in the center of each with the back of a tablespoon. Press an uncooked egg, gently into the depression. Roll remaining dough into two long thin log shapes and cut into 12 pieces (each). Form each into a thin strip, 6 inches in length. Place two strips over each egg, in criss-cross fashion, being sure to tuck in the ends under the bun.
Allow to rise again for about 45-90 minutes or until doubled in bulk (depends on the temperature in the room).
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Beat an egg with 1 teaspoon of water to make a wash; use mixture to gently brush tops of risen buns.
Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes or til golden. Remove to wire rack to cool. Brush lightly with melted butter ****************************
CHERRY ITALIAN COOKIES
1 c. shortening 4 eggs 2 c. sugar 3 tsp. almond extract 3 tsp. vanilla 1 c. milk 5 tsp. baking powder 10 oz. cherries, cut up 1/2 c. nuts, chopped (optional) 2 lbs. flour Red coloring juice (just a little)
Mix shortening and sugar together, add eggs and 1/2 of milk and baking powder, coloring, almond flavoring, vanilla and remainder of milk. Add enough flour to form a soft dough. Add cherries and nuts. Shape in small balls and place 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Frost with butter frosting using almond flavoring and red coloring. Makes about 87 cookies. **************************** Favorite Peanut Butter Cookies Yeld 4 1/2 dozen Ingredients 1 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter 1 cup margarine 3/4 cup white sugar 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 2 eggs 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda Directions Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a large bowl, cream together the peanut butter, margarine, brown sugar and white sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda; stir into the peanut butter mixture. Form dough into walnut sized balls and place them 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Dip a fork into flour and criss cross each cookie to flatten slightly. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until just lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
END PG 1
Tags: Religion, Recipes, Jokes, Tips n More
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