Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul

Photo A Day: Day 18

2012-02-18T22:25:00.002-05:00

Drink

Fabric Wreath Finished Pics

2012-02-18T00:21:00.003-05:00

As promised here are the finished pics for my fabric wreath.

You can see the tutorial here.

Photo A Day: Day 17

2012-02-17T22:36:00.002-05:00

Time

Photo A Day: Day 16

2012-02-16T22:43:00.000-05:00

Something New

Crafty Project

2012-02-16T12:58:00.003-05:00

I love Pinterest! I find so many cute things there.

I came across this really neat fabric scrap wreath a few weeks ago.

Cute huh? I needed something Valentiny for my front door and thought this would be perfect. So last week I set off to find a foam heart mold and some fabric.

I searched, and searched and searched some more for a foam heart. No luck. Either they didn't sell them or they were out of stock. Rawr! So I opted for a round foam mold.

I started with some pretty fabric I found at Jo-Ann's.

I cut it down into 2 inch strips.

Then again into 2 inch squares.

My husband walked in and saw me tediously cutting squares and says "There's gotta be an easier way to do that. Why don't you use the paper cutter?"

Haha, so Mr. Genius went and got it for me and surprisingly it worked! That made the process go quite a bit faster. Not to mention straighter!

After all the squares are finished, you take a pencil and place it in the middle of your fabric square. Make sure the tip is against the finished side of the fabric.

Wrap your fabric snuggly around the pencil, and dip the tip in some glue. I used Tacky glue. In this case, a little goes a long way.

Next, poke your fabric covered pencil tip into the styrofoam mold, and withdraw the pencil. The fabric should stay put in the styrofoam. I did find that after a while my pencil got tacky and the fabric wanted to stick. I simply sharpened my pencil a bit and we were back in business.

Continue poking your squares into the mold until you completely cover it. I did leave the back bare, as I had planned to hang it and want it to lay flat.

The final look you get is completely up to you. I had a tendency to stick mine very close, and ended up with a very tight wreath. I do like the looser look better I think. I ripped some of mine out, but overall it is very full.

I still want to do a heart one. I'm thinking heart foam with some polka dot fabric would be adorable!

Photo A Day: Day 15

2012-02-15T10:38:00.001-05:00

Phone

Photo A Day: Day 14

2012-02-14T10:45:00.000-05:00

Heart

Photo A Day: Day 13

2012-02-13T17:05:00.003-05:00

Blue

Photo A Day: Day 12

2012-02-12T23:00:00.002-05:00

Inside Your Closet

Photo A Day: Day 11

2012-02-11T23:17:00.000-05:00

Makes You Happy

Photo Fun with Phoenix

2012-02-11T19:29:00.003-05:00

Mommy and Phoenix had a little fun with the camera last night.

Photo ops are hard work!

Photo A Day: Day 10

2012-02-10T23:15:00.002-05:00

Self Portrait

Photo A Day: Day 9

2012-02-09T23:52:00.000-05:00

Front Door

Photo A Day: Day 8

2012-02-08T23:45:00.002-05:00

The Sun

Photo A Day: Day 7

2012-02-07T23:25:00.002-05:00

Button

LUSH

2012-02-07T10:48:00.003-05:00

This past Christmas my sister introduced me to LUSH.

Ever heard of it?

If no, you can check out their website here.

Lush makes fresh, handmade cosmetics using vegetarian ingredients and they use little or no preservative or packaging.

They make shampoo bars, bath bombs, salt cleansers, bubble bars, and a lot of other things.

After my first bath bomb I was hooked.

Rose Queen made my bathroom and bedroom smell divine. Their Golden Wonders has been my favorite so far. The smell was intoxicating and after it fizzled for a while, thousands of little biodegradable gold stars came bursting out. Ahhh! Major downside, it was only available during the holidays.

Sunny Side is my favorite bubble bar. It's citrusy and leaves your water and you all sparkly!

I've also been very impressed with their Ocean Salt cleanser found here. My skin is temperamental. The slightest change, or over oily product and it's pimple city up in here. I was a huge doubter as far as the ocean salt but gave it a try with one of their samples. My skin was happy.

My biggest disappointment is that we don't have a Lush here in Jacksonville.

So hey Lush, if you're listening, come to Jacksonville!

Since I live so far away, I've only been in the store once. First impressions? Fantastic. There were multiple employees milling around in the Gardens Mall setup in Macy's. Every single one of them was friendly, informative, and super helpful. They even whipped up a sample for me on request. Whee!

I can't wait to get back and get my hands on some more Lush.

As always, here's my little disclaimer. I was in no way compensated by anyone for this write up. These are purely my own thoughts. Just think of it as my little public service announcement for a great company.

But hey, I wouldn't say no to a few bath bombs or shampoo bars if offered. Who could say no to that?

Photo A Day: Day 6

2012-02-06T21:01:00.001-05:00

Dinner

A Birthday, Bad Sushi, and Botched Travels

2012-02-05T21:19:00.003-05:00

Ahhh, so I'm finally getting around to actually blogging about something.

It's been a while.

Phoenix and I were supposed to leave on the 25th and head down to my parents for a few days. My Mom had taken a couple of days off of work and we'd all made plans. I was going to help out with some things, go to Maggiano's (yum), stock up on Lush (more about that in another post) and whatever else fit our fancy.

So Tuesday found me cleaning, doing laundry, and making sure Richard was prepared for the next few days of roughing it out on his own.

We had run some errands and stopped off at Publix to grab a few things before heading home. I was in a sushi mood and grabbed a crunchy roll on my way out.

I ate 3 or 4 pieces later that night, and Richard even tried a piece.

Sometime during the night I woke up with major indigestion. I tried papaya and it did little to ease my belly ache. I ended up on the couch and only got a couple hours of sleep in between running back and forth to the bathroom.

Wednesday dawned and with it a quick realization that I had contracted food poisoning. I don't ever remember feeling so horrible. I seriously wanted to die. It was pure misery.

I'll spare you all the gory details, and just say it was bad and I am never eating sushi again. I lost 10 pounds in less than 4 days. I guess that's what happens when you're living on gatorade, sprite, and toast.

My sweet husband was a trooper. You know you've got a keeper when he holds your hair and rubs your back in the thick of it. Not to mention the clean up, a cold washcloth, and saltine runs.

So needless to say my trip got postponed.

Poor Phoenix had a birthday in the midst of all the craziness. At least I had grabbed a package of Frosty Paws for him at Publix. So he had something to enjoy! I was able to snap a few pics of him in his birthday hat. You can check those out at his blog.

It took about a week, but I'm finally back to normal and sitting here with a shaky Phi. Our neighbors were celebrating the Superbowl with fireworks, thus a very nervous dog. Poor thing, he gets so anxious.

He turned 9 this year! I seriously can't believe it has been so long. My little boy is getting old.

Photo A Day: Day 5

2012-02-05T21:05:00.002-05:00

10am

Photo A Day: Day 4

2012-02-04T23:09:00.000-05:00

A Stranger

Photo A Day: Day 3

2012-02-03T18:18:00.004-05:00

Hands

My husband has been doing this also. I included his pic this time around because I absolutely love it. He came up with the idea on his own. I was so impressed, and slightly jealous that he had the idea! I think it turned out beautifully.

Photo A Day: Day 2

2012-02-02T23:18:00.002-05:00

Words

Photo A Day: Day 1

2012-02-01T23:33:00.007-05:00

My View Today

February Photo A Day

2012-02-01T20:02:00.005-05:00

So I stumbled upon this really cool project from FatMumSlim

It's a Photo A Day during the month of February. She did one for January as well but I totally missed out on it.

She's made a list for you to use as inspiration to take a photo every single day.

Cool right?

I love taking photographs, but don't always know what to take them of, nor do I always remember to actually take them! This list makes it easy. I'm excited to carry out the process, and see all the photos at the end of the month.

So here's the list. I hope you'll join us!

Here's how to play:

1. Use the list above as inspiration and take a photo everyday. For example for number one on the list, 'your view today' you'd take a shot of whatever it is that you can see today. This would be a wider shot of your office space, where you went for a walk, or whatever it is that you can see!

2. Share on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, your blog or where ever it is you want to share. If you're sharing on Instagram or Twitter use the hashtag #FEBphotoaday so everyone can find them. There's a great community around the photo sharing, so do share!

3. Check out everyone else's pictures. I do it before I go to bed each night and it's so fun to see how different everyone's photos are. There are people from every corner of the world playing.

Gracie Girls Birthday

2012-01-19T22:28:00.003-05:00

Today would have been my precious Gracie's 3rd birthday. I know she's celebrating in Heaven, I just wish I could be there.

It's hard to believe it's been three years. They passed quickly and they didn't. It feels like a lifetime ago. It still hurts like yesterday.

In the words of Ben Folds...And life barrels on like a runaway train.

We had a quiet day. It's what I wanted.

My sweet husband had been asking what I wanted to do. We had originally planned to be out of town…Savannah or somewhere like that, but the date crept up on us and we hadn't made any plans.

Yesterday he asked me several times what I wanted to do today.

Stay in bed all day was my reply.

You can't do that he said.

And so I didn't.

We ate lunch at Bahama Breeze, and came home to find beautiful flowers on our doorstep.

Richard had ordered me a lovely bouquet of gerber daisies and roses, and my parents and sister sent a beautiful sunflower topiary arrangement.

We did the balloon thing, went for a walk, and had a quiet dinner at Longhorn.

Tomorrow is a new day.

I Will Carry You

2012-01-19T22:02:00.000-05:00

I love this song. I love these lyrics. It was written by Angie Smith of Selah for her daughter Audrey. When I first heard this song I knew instantly that this woman had experienced the loss of a child. There was such an intimacy and a deepness there. She had summed up everything I was feeling and sang it beautifully.

There were photographs I wanted to take

Things I wanted to show you

Sing sweet lullabies wipe your teary eyes

Who could love you like this?

People say that I am brave but I'm not

Truth is I'm barely hanging on

But there's a greater story

Written long before me

Because He loves you like this

I will carry you

While your heart beats here

Long beyond the empty cradle

Through the coming years

I will carry you

All my life

I will praise the one who's chosen me

To carry you

Such a short time

Such a long road

All this madness

But I know

That the silence

Has brought me to His voice

And He says

I've shown her photographs of time beginning

Walked her through the parted seas

Angel lullabies no more teary eyes

Who could love her like this?

I will carry you

While your heart beats here

Long beyond the empty cradle

Through the coming years

I will carry you

All your life

And I will praise the one who's chosen me

To carry you

Happy Christmas

2011-12-25T23:34:00.007-05:00

Merry Christmas to all my friends, family and lurkers!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. We are spending it down South with my family. As usual there were way too many wonderful things to eat and we stuffed ourselves.

I haven't blogged lately. For those who have missed me I am sorry. The holidays are especially difficult for us. It's hard to put aside that there should be a beautiful brown haired girl bouncing around, squealing in delight in the wonder and magic that is Christmas…but there isn't.

So you cope. You muddle through the best you can, and you remind yourself that she's safe and sound. I find myself daydreaming sometimes. What is Christmas like in Heaven? Indescribable. I know it must be amazing. I wish I could catch a glimpse, just one small glimpse of what she's doing this very moment.

For now I whisper Happy Christmas Gracie girl and I love you, and hold her in my heart.

Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small,

Was singing without any presents at all!

He hadn't stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME!

Somehow or other, it came just the same!

And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,

Stood puzzling and puzzling: “How could it be so?”

“It came with out ribbons! It came without tags!”

“It came without packages, boxes or bags!”

And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!

“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.”

“Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!”

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-19T23:26:00.001-04:00

Pretty Pumpkins

Tasty Tuesday: Party Chicken

2011-10-18T23:16:00.003-04:00

Several years ago someone made party chicken for us. It was so good. Ever since I've wanted to make it myself. It took a while, but I finally got around to it! Haha.

I found a recipe somewhere, can't remember where, and used that as a guideline.

If you follow my Tasty Tuesday, you know I love to mix it up and improve it.

My chicken breasts were pretty big so I doubled up on the dried beef and bacon. I also used only two breasts as that was all I had defrosted, so we had lots of gravy.

I also added paprika to the recipe.

What You'll Need:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

8 slices dried beef

8 slices bacon

1 cup sour cream

1 can cream of mushroom

Paprika

Preheat oven to 350.

Place 2 pieces of dried beef on each chicken breast, and wrap in bacon. Brown chicken in a skillet over medium heat until bacon is crisp.

Meanwhile, mix sour cream and mushroom soup. Sprinkle in paprika to taste.

Place browned chicken breasts in a baking dish and cover with soup mixture.

Cover and bake for about 30 minutes.

Serve with rice.

Enjoy!

Our Bird Friends

2011-10-16T22:21:00.005-04:00

For the past month or so we've had some bird friends hanging around the lake. A lovely pair of Sandhill Cranes moved in and have been entertaining us. We love listening to them.

They usually keep their distance…especially with a certain hairy beast in the yard.

They appear to be having a chat.

This weekend they decided to venture into our yard for the first time. We were on our way to church, but the husband was able to snap a few pictures before he got too close for comfort. Thus the cranes made their exit.

Some fun facts for you. Mated pairs stay together. Also, they can live up to twenty years! That's a pretty long time! Hopefully our couple sticks around for a while!

The Birthday Babies

2011-10-15T21:51:00.001-04:00

Today is Maggie and Boomer's 7th birthday! Hard to believe we adopted them 6 years ago. Time sure does fly!

Vacation

2011-10-14T01:33:00.007-04:00

The husband and I had a lovely vacation away. It was long overdo.

We visited his family in Virginia, and then headed to Tennessee for a couple of days.

Naturally, it didn't last long enough!

First glimpse of the mountains.

His sister lives in a really small town!

Richard is now famous in this small town. He ate the "Big Porker" and got his picture on the wall. It was quite entertaining.

Beautiful red church door. Thanks to Pinterest, I've come to realize I have an odd fascination with doors.

Pretty little town of Wytheville, VA.

We drove to the top of Whitetop Mountain.

It was so beautiful.

Plus it was nice and cool!

Tobacco Fields

One of our first stops in Tennessee! Gotta love the Apple Barn!

We went to Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg. If you've never been I would highly suggest it. It was worth every penny!

Love the penguins!

He kept posing for us!

Beautiful Gatlinburg!

Beach Days

2011-10-10T19:48:00.012-04:00

It's been raining here for days and the sun was finally sun shiny today!

We went to the beach yesterday and nearly got blown away!!

Richard had to hold on to his hat...

Or else this would happen…

Today was completely different! It was beautiful out. And we didn't have to hold onto the boardwalk for fear of flying away!

Phoenix even enjoyed himself.

Richard walked the beach a bit and found some treasures! He found a piece of green sea glass…

And the best one…A whole sand dollar!

He was quite impressed with himself! I couldn't believe he found it. All I found was a half eaten lollipop and a dead fish.

I spared you the pictures.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-05T17:20:00.001-04:00

An afternoon nap.

Musical Monday

2011-10-03T21:46:00.003-04:00

This week's song is "The Cave" by Mumford and Sons.

Love this group. We listened to them over and over on our trip. Great driving music!

I'm probably going to close out Musical Monday soon. I just can't find a suitable site to stream live music that will auto play.

Mix Pod doesn't have a good selection so it's getting quite hard to find music.

We shall see.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T22:13:00.003-04:00

I will shoot you with my laser beams!

Tasty Tuesday: Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies

2011-09-20T22:03:00.000-04:00

This is the last Summer recipe!

I tried this out for the first time last night. I meant to take pictures but was pressed for time.

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 cup flour
1 cup blueberries

1/2 pkg cream cheese, cut into 1 tsp cubes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and position a rack in the center. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy. Blend in the lemon zest, juice and eggs. Make sure to scrape off any bits of zest that stick to the mixer paddle.

In a separate bowl whisk together the baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour then mix it into the wet ingredients. Gently fold in the blueberries so as not to burst any. Refrigerate the dough for about 15 – 20 minutes to make it stiff enough to roll.

For each cookie, roll 1 heaping tbsp of dough into a ball then flatten it slightly into a disc shape. Place a 1 tsp cream cheese cube into the center and form the dough around it creating a ball again. Bake them for about 10 - 14 minutes until the edges brown slightly.

A few tips…

I cut up strawberries also, and did half blueberry and half strawberry. You want to be really careful when you mix in the blueberries so they don't burst. Also, cooling off the dough before you roll them is essential. You'll have a gooey mess if you don't.

Enjoy!

Musical Monday

2011-09-19T21:59:00.001-04:00

This week's song is "The Greatest" by Cat Power.

I love this girl! She has some really great music.

We're headed out on vacation so this shall be the song for the next two weeks.

Enjoy!

Kitty Mischief

2011-09-15T21:09:00.002-04:00

This is why I constantly disinfect my counters!

Little booger!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T09:24:00.001-04:00

Tasty Tuesday: Bacon Tomato Cups

2011-09-13T20:20:00.002-04:00

This weeks recipe is Bacon Tomato Cups.

I posted this recipe on my blog a few years ago, but I wanted to post it again.

Probably because I've been craving them!

Ingredients:

8 slices bacon

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

3 oz Swiss Cheese, shredded

1/2 cup mayo

1 tsp dried basil

16 oz can refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough (Grands)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a mini muffin pan.

2. Cook the bacon until evenly brown, then drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon into a medium mixing bowl and add tomato, onion, cheese, mayo and basil.

3. Separate biscuits into halves horizontally and press each half into the cups on the prepared muffin tin. Fill each half with the bacon mixture.

4. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Enjoy!!

Musical Monday

2011-09-12T16:02:00.002-04:00

This weeks song is "Your Song". It was originally by Elton John, but I chose the cover by Ellie Goulding.

She is new to me. I first heard her sing this song on a Mother's Day special for SNL.

I was highly impressed with her version. She has such a lovely voice. You also know someone is truly a gifted artist when their live performance is just as good as their recorded one.

I'm not always a big fan of covers, but I really love this one.

We Will Never Forget

2011-09-11T08:45:00.000-04:00

How He Loves

2011-09-10T21:41:00.003-04:00

He is jealous for me

Love's like a hurricane,

I am a tree

Bending beneath the weight of

His wind and mercy

When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory

And I realize just how beautiful You are

And how great Your affections are for me.

Oh, how He loves us so

Oh, how He loves us

How He loves us so.

Yeah, He loves us

Oh, how He loves us

Oh, how He loves.

We are His portion and

He is our prize,

Drawn to redemption

By the grace in His eyes

If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking

So heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss and

My heart turns violently inside of my chest

I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way

He loves us,

Oh, how He loves us

Oh, how He loves

- John Mark McMillan -

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-07T23:03:00.000-04:00

You know how plastic bags have that "Not a Toy for children" print

Or the "Keep away from Babies and Small Children"

"Danger of Suffocation"

Obviously they didn't consider cats.

Tasty Tuesday: Southern Peach Cobbler

2011-09-06T00:37:00.000-04:00

I have been dying for some good ol Peach Cobbler lately.

Not very diet friendly though.

It also doesn't help that there's a fruit stand advertising fresh Georgia peaches just a couple of minutes from my house that I have to pass all the time. I may have to break down soon.

So here's your late Summer recipe.

Southern Peach Cobbler

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup self-rising flour

3/4 cup milk

29 ounces sliced peaches in light syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter in a 2 quart baking dish and place in the oven until completely melted.

In a medium bowl combine sugar and flour. Stir in milk, a little at a time until completely incorporated. Remove dish from oven and pour mixture carefully over the butter. Spoon peaches and syrup over the batter.

Bake 30-40 minutes or until crust is puffed and golden.

I highly recommend using fresh peaches for this recipe. They just taste better. You will need to cook the fresh sliced peaches in a bit of sugar and water to soften them and make a nice syrup.

Enjoy!

Musical Monday

2011-09-05T21:36:00.000-04:00

This week's song is "Someone Like You" by Adele.

The girl gives me goosebumps!

Happy September

2011-09-01T22:52:00.002-04:00

I don't know about you, but I am so ready for Fall! It's a comin!

This Summer has been a scorcher.

I'm ready to yank the windows open and let those cool Autumn breezes flow through my house. Ahhhhh, can't wait!

I'm also ready to decorate and do crafty pumpkin crafts and start baking yummy Fall foods like Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins. Yum!!

Okay I need to calm down.

On another note, I've had Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends" stuck in my head all day long! Ha. I'm such a doofus.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-31T20:37:00.000-04:00

Tasty Tuesday: Chicken Biscuit Pie

2011-08-30T20:22:00.000-04:00

This week's recipe is another I've had around for years. It's simple and one of my favorite comfort foods.

Chicken Biscuit Pie

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter

1 onion, chopped

1/3 cup flour

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

Salt & Pepper

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen carrots

2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded

Biscuits:

2 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

5 tbsp shortening

3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 450. Grease a 2 quart baking dish.

In a large saucepan, saute the chopped onion in butter. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth and milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add frozen veggies and chicken and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Pour into greased baking dish.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly. Stir in milk just until dough is moistened, then drop by spoonfuls onto chicken mixture.

Bake at 450 for 12-15 minutes.

A few personal additions. I do whatever veggies I have on hand. Frozen, fresh or canned. Just remember they must be cooked prior.

Also, I find the biscuit mixture to be too much and always half it. Or double the chicken mixture, whatever meets your needs. I also cook it at a lower temp. Usually 375.

You can use canned biscuits also. Throw them on top, or bake them separately.

Enjoy!

Musical Monday

2011-08-29T22:15:00.003-04:00

This weeks song is Laughing With by Regina Spektor.

I really like Regina. She has a unique voice, and her lyrics are always interesting.

I listed the lyrics this week just because I really love them. They are powerful.

"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains; it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” CS Lewis

Laughing With

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one laughs at God when the doctor calls after some routine tests
No one's laughing at God when it's gotten real late and their kid's not back from that party yet

No one laughs at God when their airplane starts to uncontrollably shake
No one's laughing at God when they see the one they love hand in hand with someone else and they hope that they're mistaken
No one laughs at God when the cops knock on their door and they say, "We've got some bad new, sir"
No one's laughing at God when there's a famine, fire or flood

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke

God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus

God can be so hilarious
Ha ha
Ha ha

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they've lost all they got and they don't know what for

No one laughs at God on the day they realize that the last sight they'll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes
No one's laughing at God when they're saying their goodbyes

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke

God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus

God can be so hilarious

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war

No one's laughing at God in a hospital
No one's laughing at God in a war

No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
We're all laughing with God

2011-08-27T11:54:00.002-04:00

I had to blog about my latest and greatest obsession…

Pinterest!

If you have never heard of it, I will give you the lowdown. Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. It's basically a visual bookmarking site. You can pin images of all the things you love onto personalized bulletin boards.

It consists of Bulletin Boards that you pin photos to with links attached.

Say there are several crafts you'd like to do. Instead of bookmarking them the "old fashioned" way, pin them to your Craft Bulletin Board in Pinterest. Then they're all right there, just a click away. You can see everything all at once.

Or there's a great recipe you stumbled across that you'd really like to try. Click on your Pin It button, it's a bookmarklet, that you installed on your bookmark, there are detailed instructions once you sign up,

click on the picture you want to pin,

then file it under whatever category you choose.

Then when your looking through your Recipe Bulletin Board, you can quickly see the recipe you want, click on that pin, and it will take you directly to the recipe.

I'll admit…I'm totally hooked.

Whoever thought this concept up is pure genius.

Have you ever been browsing through the internet and stumbled on something you really liked? Sure you can bookmark it, but let's be real…how many of us actually do that? Then actually remember to go back and find it!

I hate the conventional bookmarking. It drives me crazy and I never use it.

Another awesome concept of Pinterest is that you can see what your friends are pinning also. That really opens up your realm of great finds. It makes it easy to share recipes, craft ideas, photos, products, quotes, and a zillion other things!

I can't tell you how many awesome recipes, craft ideas, pictures and slews of other things I have come across from this site.

If you haven't checked it out, you should.

You do have to be a member to use Pinterest. You can request an invitation from Pinterest itself, or a friend can invite you.

I'm not sure how I got so lucky, but I requested an invitation from Pinterest and received it less than an hour later. I've heard of people waiting forever and not getting an invite.

If you'd like an invite, shoot me a comment or an email.

Scritch A Scratch

2011-08-26T22:49:00.001-04:00

This is what happens when you have a kitty cat sweetly sleeping in your lap, and your husband decides to be silly and scare the poo out of her.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-24T14:22:00.002-04:00

She decided to sit on him. He was not amused.

Tasty Tuesday: Lemon Ricotta Cookies

2011-08-23T10:55:00.000-04:00

This weeks recipe is a delightful little cookie!

Lemon Ricotta Cookies.

Has anyone else noticed that all my summer recipes are desserts??

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

15 oz whole milk ricotta cheese

3 tbsp lemon juice

Zest of one lemon

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tbsp lemon juice

Zest of one lemon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice and zest. Beat to combine, then stir in the dry ingredients.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough onto the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until edges are slightly golden. Remove from oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about a half a teaspoon onto each cookie, and spread using the back of the spoon. Allow the glaze to harden for two hours, then store in a container.

Enjoy!

Musical Monday

2011-08-22T00:48:00.001-04:00

This week's song is Pyro by the Kings of Leon.

Love this song, and love this band.

The music video is pretty cool too. You should check it out.

Back To Our Normally Scheduled Programming

2011-08-20T23:36:00.002-04:00

Ahhh, I think we have finally made our way back to Normalville.

Finally!

I think Richard was getting worried there. Poor man ran out of underwear. Now there's a crisis.

Phoenix is doing much better. After much research I settled on Blue Buffalo Longevity. We started that this past Tuesday, so it's almost been a week. He really seems to enjoy it. I've also split his feeding schedule. We do a late breakfast, then dinner. He seems to like being on a schedule. I am hoping that about 3 weeks from now we'll see a major difference in his allergies. They say it takes about a month. If no change, then we're off to the vet. Bad news for Phoenix! Hopefully they clear up.

As far as everything else, I'm just trying to make up for the past days of neglecting just about everything. I did finally go to the grocery store! Ha.

We've been trying to install the little shelves on the false front cabinets in the bathroom and kitchen. What a nightmare. They were supposedly easy to install. Pffft. We've only got 5 more to go.

I know I've neglected putting up pictures of the house. I had wanted everything done first, but let's face it…that's not happening. Between procrastinating and not being able to make up my mind we're in a slight standstill. I'll get pictures up as soon as I get some batteries for my nice camera. So we should expect that to happen, oh in 3 months or so. Heehee.

Crazy Days

2011-08-14T15:25:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the absence!

Is it really Sunday already? Where did the past week and a half go?

I totally missed an entire week of grocery shopping. Needless to say our fridge and pantry are looking pretty bare.

Phoenix has been sick and I've been preoccupied with him. He stopped eating just over a week ago. This didn't really concern me as he will do this from time to time. He's quite stubborn. I had just opened a new bag of Iams so I wasn't sure what the problem was. He held out for days. It wasn't until Wednesday that I got concerned. He nibbled at his food I had just put out and ate maybe a 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup. He then promptly threw it all up. He was also acting like he didn't feel good. He didn't want to play, and he didn't want to chase the cats. You KNOW something is wrong when that happens!

I got online to make sure there weren't any recalls on his food, and checked the bag of food but everything looked fine. So I went and bought some Beneful to fill in until we could figure out what was wrong. He ate all of his food that night, but still acted like he didn't feel good.

He ate normally the next day, but early Saturday morning he had thrown up everywhere. I was about to cart him off to the vet as soon as they opened, but decided to try some rice as he acted like he was starved. Not a big surprise there!

I made rice for him and he ate all of it. More rice for lunch, then I boiled some chicken and gave him a rice, chicken and carrot mixture for dinner.

This morning he had rice, chicken, and carrots again and seems to be feeling better. He even chased the cats.

We're still not sure what's going on, if anything. So we're keeping an eye on him for now.

I have decided to change up his food for a more all natural kibble. I was a bit dismayed after seeing the ingredient list for Iams. I've been shelling out more money for a food I thought was better, but come to find out it has quite a few icky ingredients. There is no dye in it like the Beneful, which is good, but still some things I don't want to see in his food.

I'm now wondering if the dyes were what made him sick. He had become accustomed to the Iams so it is a possibility I think.

I also found a lot of people complaining about skin, ear and eye allergies with Iams. This is something that Phoenix has started having problems with. I always blamed it on pollen and outdoor allergens, but started checking the pollen count and everything has been extremely low or non-existent. Now I'm starting to think he's developed an allergy to his food.

So for now he's going to be eating an assortment of things so I can see if the allergies clear up.

I'm leaning towards switching towards Blue Buffalo brand. The ingredients are decent, and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I really liked the TimberWolf line of food, but at $25 for a meager 4 pounds, I think we shall pass!

Tasty Tuesday

2011-08-09T22:54:00.003-04:00

I don't know about your neck of the woods, but it is HOT here! And I mean scorching!

The last thing I want to do right now is toil over a hot stove. The less time I spend in the kitchen right now the better.

I was trying to think of something quick and easy, with as little time spent in the kitchen as possible. I keep seeing Strawberry Shortcake popping up everywhere, so I thought I'd share my favorite recipe.

This does require an oven, but it's fast! I promise!

Strawberry Shortcake

2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup margarine

3/4 cup milk

Strawberries

Sugar

Whipping Cream

Slice your strawberries and then place them in a bowl and sprinkle with sugar. Stick them in the fridge while you prepare your cake.

Preheat oven to 450.

Grease 9x12 baking dish.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut butter into pieces and mix into flour mixture.

Pour milk in slowly and mix until lumpy.

Place in dish and bake approximately 15 minutes.

While cake is baking, make your whipped cream.

Pour 1 cup whipping cream into mixer and beat on high.

While beating, add 1 tbsp confectioners sugar and vanilla if desired.

Whip until good peaks form.

Enjoy!

Musical Monday

2011-08-08T11:12:00.003-04:00

This week's song is Island in the Sun by Weezer. I love this song, and it's seriously got the cutest music video ever.

Hip hip

When you're on a holiday

You can't find the words to say

All the things that come to you

And I wanna feel it too

On an island in the sun

We'll be playing and having fun

And it makes me feel so fine

I can't control my brain

Hip hip

When you're on a golden sea

You don't need no memory

Just a place to call your own

As we drift into the zone

On an island in the sun

We'll be playing and having fun

And it makes me feel so fine

I can't control my brain

We'll run away together

We'll spend some time forever

We'll never feel bad anymore

Hip hip

On an island in the sun

We'll be playing and having fun

And it makes me feel so fine

I can't control my brain

We'll run away together

We'll spend some time forever

We'll never feel bad anymore

Hip hip

We'll never feel bad anymore

No no

We'll never feel bad anymore

No no

Consumer Reviews

2011-08-05T15:34:00.001-04:00

For quite some time, I have been desiring to start posting personal reviews. Be it stores, products, or whatever fits my fancy.

I always do research before making large purchases. Actually, I research small ones as well. Oh heck, I research everything!

Anyway, I love getting other people's opinions on things. Consumer Reports is also extremely helpful, but there really is nothing like a personal review from someone who spent the hard earned money and has it sitting in their house.

I have come across many blogs with personal reviews of various items, and I can't tell you how helpful they have been. It was really priceless to me. So I figured it's the least I can do.

As I side note, I am not being compensated in any way by any company I review. These are purely my own opinions.

With all that said, here is my first review. It started out as a product review but has kind of turned into a company review also.

Starbucks Coffee and Via Ready Brew: Iced Coffee

I don't think it's any secret that I am a very loyal fan of Starbuck's. I know they have gotten a lot of heat, but I can't say enough good things about this company.

Is their coffee expensive? Yes, kind of.

Is the quality decent? Very.

Is it always made correctly? Always.

Are the employees super friendly? YES!

Here's the clincher for me. I know when I walk into Starbuck's that I'm going to get an uber friendly greeting. I also know that my grande iced caramel macchiato is going to be made correctly, it's going to taste like the thousand and one grande iced caramel macchiato's I've ordered prior, and it's going to be delicious.

Consistency is key.

I also know if I walk into Dunkin Donuts it's a coin toss as to whether or not the employee is going to be in a good mood or not, and it's an even bigger coin toss as to whether my iced coffee is going to be drinkable.

Several years ago, after multiple bad iced coffee's from DD, I walked in and started to order another. On a whim, I asked the employee if they would make me another if the one I got was not right. That's always been their problem, they never taste the same. The employee laughed in my face, and informed me they don't hand out samples. Well, I wasn't asking for a sample thank you very much.

True story.

I walked out and vowed from then on I was a Starbuck's girl.

I've been quite happy ever since.

So am I willing to fork out a little extra moolah? You betcha!

I also love that Starbuck's gives back to their employees.

Okay, now on to the specific product I am loving.

Via Ready Brew Iced Coffee.

This stuff is uh-mazing! They are basically little packets of instant coffee, specifically to make iced coffee with.

They run around $6 or so for 6 packets. Plus, I've been able to find several coupons.

You take a 16.9 oz bottle of water, add your ready brew, and shake!

You can then pour your coffee over ice, or just drink it straight from the bottle.

Here's what I like to do…

First I grab my handy dandy re-usable Starbuck's cup. If you don't have one of these you should buy one. Love it!

I add ice, then pour my sweet coffee nectar over top.

I then add a nice splash of Coffee-mate Caramel Macchiato creamer, and a squirt of caramel syrup. We're talking less than two bucks per iced coffee, and you don't have to go anywhere to get it!

Sweet perfection!

Defriended

2011-08-04T23:43:00.000-04:00

Okay, Imma be really frank here…why do people add you as a friend on Facebook, then out of the blue just delete you?

I don't get it!

And yes, as I'm sure your inquiring mind is dying to know, I was defriended today. Okay, well maybe not today. I happened to notice it today!

And before you jump to conclusions and think I actively monitor my Friend List and the number therein…I don't.

I was perusing Facebook today and noticed the absence of someone I regularly see posts from. I tried to go to their page, and it was then that I realized I'd been snubbed.

Yes, I took it personally. I really wish it didn't bother me, but it does.

I'm not talking about being defriended by someone you don't really know. Or getting offed by someone who just added you. Although that's weird too! And I'm not talking about someone who's obviously been clearing out their Friend List.

And I'm certainly not talking about a legitimate defriending. Sometimes it is necessary, but I think that's rare.

I'm talking about someone who you personally know. Someone you have mutual friends with, and the mutual friends are still in their Friend List.

Someone with whom you were actively engaged with, commenting with, liking updates, and everything seemed fine.

I really don't get it! What is the point?

I guess it boils down to this. No matter where we are in life, rejection still hurts.

Their loss.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-03T22:10:00.001-04:00

How'd that get up there!

Tasty Tuesday

2011-08-02T23:30:00.003-04:00

Seeing as it is Summertime, and it's hotter than heck out there…I thought I would share one of my favorite fruity drink recipes.

Luscious Slush Punch

2 1/2 cups white sugar

6 cups water

2 (3 oz) boxes strawberry flavored gelatin mix

46 oz pineapple juice

2/3 cup lemon juice

1 quart orange juice

4 litres lemon lime flavored carbonated soda

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and gelatin.

Boil for 3 minutes.

Stir in the remaining juices.

Divide mixture and freeze.

When ready to serve, place in bowl and add soda.

I have seen varying opinions on the amount of sugar, and I can't remember how much I used. I believe it was less.

As far as the soda, I always use Sprite.

Also, I have found it easiest to ladle this into quart or gallon sized freezer bags, then freeze. This way, if you are making it just to have around the house, you can pull out just what you need.

Enjoy!

Musical Monday

2011-08-01T01:33:00.003-04:00

This week's song is Summertime. I did a little background searching, as I've heard so many people sing this song.

There are approximately 2600 recorded versions of this song! That is crazy!

Billie Holiday's version, which is the one I chose, was the first to reach the US Pop charts, all the way back in 1936. It's still a great song.

It was originally an aria composed by George Gershwin for the opera Porgy and Bess.

Summertime,

And the livin' is easy

Fish are jumpin'

And the cotton is high

Your daddy's rich

And your mamma's good lookin'

So hush little baby

Don't you cry

One of these mornings

You're going to rise up singing

Then you'll spread your wings

And you'll take to the sky

But till that morning

There's a'nothing can harm you

With daddy and mamma standing by

Summertime,

And the livin' is easy

Fish are jumpin'

And the cotton is high

Your daddy's rich

And your mamma's good lookin'

So hush little baby

Don't you cry

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-27T11:20:00.001-04:00

Tasty Tuesday

2011-07-26T22:30:00.002-04:00

This week's recipe is a new one I just recently tried. I had bought some country style ribs a few weeks ago and had been looking for a good recipe to try them with. I found one for oven ribs that had excellent reviews. It was a very good recipe, but next time around I will try to kick up the flavor in the rub. I also will not be a doofus now that I know that the broiler is in the bottom of a gas range. Ahhh.

Oven Barbecue Ribs

4 lbs pork ribs

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp hickory smoke salt

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp garlic powder

2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Mix together sugar and spices to make rub. Completely cover ribs in rub mixture.

3. Layer two pieces of foil on a baking sheet, and arrange ribs on foil.

4. Cover ribs with an additional two layers of foil, then roll and crimp foil around ribs sealing completely.

5. Bake for approximately two hours, or until meat is starting to shrink away from the bone.

6. Remove from oven and heat broiler.

7. Brush barbeque sauce over ribs and broil for 1-2 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly.

8. Turn ribs over, brush with sauce and return to broiler for 1-2 minutes.

Enjoy!

Musical Monday

2011-07-25T04:04:00.003-04:00

This week's song is Good Life by One Republic.

This MixPod thing is getting kind of aggravating. They just don't have the music content available. Finding music is getting kind of hard! I'm still looking for another site.

Stinkin Playlist.com!!

Woke up in London yesterday
Found myself in the city near Piccadilly
Don't really know how I got here
I got some pictures on my phone

New names and numbers that I don't know
Address to places like Abbey Road
Day turns to night, night turns to whatever we want
We're young enough to say

Oh this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
This could really be a good life, good life

Say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight
Like this city is on fire tonight
This could really be a good life
A good, good life

To my friends in New York, I say hello
My friends in L.A. they don't know
Where I've been for the past few years or so
Paris to China to Col-or-ado

Sometimes there's airplanes I can' t jump out
Sometimes there's bull that don't work now
We are god of stories but please tell me-e-e-e
What there is to complain about

When you're happy like a fool
Let it take you over
When everything is out
You gotta take it in

Oh this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
This could really be a good life, good life

Say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight
Like this city is on fire tonight
This could really be a good life
A good, good life

Hopelessly
I feel like there might be something that I'll miss
Hopelessly
I feel like the window closes oh so quick
Hopelessly
I'm taking a mental picture of you now
'Cuz hopelessly
The hope is we have so much to feel good about

Oh this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
This could really be a good life, good life

Say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight
Like this city is on fire tonight
This could really be a good life
A good, good life

To my friends in New York, I say hello
My friends in L.A. they don't know
Where I've been for the past few years or so
Paris to China to Col-or-ado

Sometimes there's airplanes I can' t jump out
Sometimes there's bull that don't work now
We are god of stories but please tell me-e-e-e
What there is to complain about

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-20T18:36:00.001-04:00

Tasty Tuesday

2011-07-19T18:46:00.000-04:00

This week's recipe is one of my restaurant knockoff favorites. Outback's Alice Springs Chicken. I came across this recipe years ago, and it tastes exactly the same!

I actually didn't make this for years because of a horrid experience. I made it for dinner one evening and sauteed up some mushrooms. Richard took one look at them and refused to touch them. He said they looked bad. I thought they looked fine, and said "alrighty then, more for me!" I ate them, they were delicious, and boy I sure regretted it after. I got extremely sick. I mean bad. To this day I can't make this dish without being reminded of that. I also take Richard's opinion a bit more seriously! Haha.

So now that I've totally grossed everyone out…here's the recipe!

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

5 ounces woozy sauce (Worcestershire sauce)

8 slices bacon

2 tbsp butter

8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced (or not!)

8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

16 oz honey mustard dressing

1. Place chicken in a glass bowl, poke with a fork several times, and pour woozy sauce over chicken. Let it marinate in the fridge for about an hour.

2. Cook bacon, drain, and set aside.

3. Heat butter in a small skillet. Saute mushrooms, then set aside.

4. Preheat oven to broil.

5. Remove chicken from marinade, and broil for about 5 minutes on each side. When it's almost finished, remove and top each piece of chicken with two slices of bacon, and then cover with cheese. Continue broiling until cheese is melted.

6. Serve with mushrooms and honey mustard dressing.

Enjoy!

Rants And Rambles

2011-07-18T18:54:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been a while since I complained about something so I thought it was that time again! Hahaha.

I actually don't have much to complain about now that the a/c has been fixed.

Late Saturday evening I noticed it wasn't cooling the house down like it should have been. We checked a couple of things, but came up with nothing so we shut it down for the night. Sunday morning we tried it again, but no change. We also noticed the condenser fan wasn't working. Great. One more thing to add to the ever growing list of things we have to shell out money for.

Richard called Snyder and made an appointment for first thing Monday morning.

It was stifling in the house, and Richard had to work so Phoenix and I tagged along with him. Sitting in the cold truck for a couple of hours beat sweating to death in the house!

Dinner was spent at Panera that evening as I was not even going anywhere near the oven!

Night brought no relief either. It was so humid and muggy and just pulled the moisture right out of you. Yuck.

Early Monday morning brought Josh from Snyder Heating & Air. I will take a moment and give this company some kudos. They were awesome. They called first thing and let us know the tech was leaving the shop and on his way. Josh was very friendly and professional. He even added freon for no charge, and gave us a discount. I was really floored when he took his shoes off to walk through the house! If you ever find yourself in need of an a/c tech, I would highly recommend Snyder.

Not sweating to death in the middle of Summer in a stifling hot and stuffy house will do wonders for your mood!

I think Richard would have paid anything just to get that thing fixed so I would stop whining!

Why does the a/c have to go out when it's a bazillion degrees outside? Why not in mid December? I'll even take September!

As far as companies I am not impressed with, Werner Ladders has been added to my hate list. Lowe's has also dropped to a new level of massive disgust.

If you keep up with me on Facebook, you'll know I am not a fan of Lowe's. If not, I'll save that story for another time!

A couple of months ago, we needed a new ladder. We headed to Lowe's, as we still had money left on our card we'd bought for their Tax Rebate program.

Werner ladders and Lowe's were offering a gift card if you bought a ladder. We had found another brand that was cheaper, but decided to upgrade and pay more money knowing we'd get most of it back via the gift card.

I went home and dutifully filled out all the paperwork and sent the rebate off with plenty of time to spare.

Yesterday, we received a letter in the mail. It was from Werner Ladders, letting us know that unfortunately we didn't qualify for the rebate. According to the letter, our rebate was not postmarked by the expiration date.

Ridiculous. It was sent out in plenty of time. However, I have no way of proving it.

So we spent extra money, and now aren't getting it back as expected.

This isn't the first time this has happened with rebates. It's really aggravating and makes you not want to take the chance.

One place that has always been consistent and keeps their word with rebates is Publix. I guess I will just stick with them and stop bothering with the rest.

Musical Monday

2011-07-18T00:02:00.001-04:00

This weeks song is Samson by Regina Spektor. She has such a lovely voice. This is one of my favorites.

You are my sweetest downfall

I loved you first

Beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth

I have to go

Your hair was long when we first met

Samson went back to bed

Not much hair left on his head

He ate a slice of Wonderbread

And went right back to bed

And the history books forgot about us

And the Bible didn't mention us

Not even once

You are my sweetest downfall

I loved you first

Beneath the stars came falling on our heads

But they're just old light

They're just old light

Your hair was long when we first met

Samson came to my bed told me that my hair was red

Told me I was beautiful

And came into my bed

Oh I cut his hair myself one night

A pair of dull scissors in the yellow light

And he told me that I'd done alright

And he kissed me till the morning light

The morning light

And he kissed me till the morning light

Samson went back to bed

Not much hair left on his head

Ate a slice of Wonderbread

And went right back to bed

Oh we couldn't bring the columns down

Yeah we couldn't destroy a single one

And the history books forgot about us

And the Bible didn't mention us

Not even once

You are my sweetest downfall

I loved you first

Cake!

2011-07-15T22:52:00.003-04:00

I remembered I had a piece of Publix cake in the fridge I had bought the other day. I know!! You're thinking, it lasted a couple of days in the fridge?? I forgot about it!!

Publix cake is my very, very favorite cake! Obviously it was also a favorite of the guy who bagged my groceries for me! He asked for a piece. I nicely informed him that I like to share, but I don't share my Publix cake. Haha.

So anyway, I just thought I'd post a picture of this delicious cake…and tease you all with it.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-13T10:49:00.001-04:00

Tasty Tuesday

2011-07-12T00:34:00.002-04:00

This week brings one of my very favorite desserts.

This recipe comes from Paula Deen so you know it's good!

Ahh, I'm drooling just thinking about it!!

Southwest Georgia Pound Cake. Mmmm good! The pound cake comes out perfectly every single time.

If I had butter I'd go make one right now. Alas, it will have to wait. And I KNOW! You don't have butter you say?? What kind of southern woman doesn't have butter by the bushels on hand. A very unhappy one.

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (you may use lemon or almond flavoring instead)

Directions:

Generously grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.

Do not preheat the oven.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Alternately add flour mixture and heavy cream to butter-sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour.

Stir in flavoring.

Pour batter into prepared pan.

Put into a cold oven and set the temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes without opening the oven door. Bake for an additional 15 minutes if necessary.

Remove from the oven and cool in pan for 15 minutes. Invert cake onto cake plate.

For a real treat, serve yourself a slice while it's still warm.

Musical Monday

2011-07-11T10:19:00.000-04:00

Hey All! I decided since I'm always changing my music up on my blog that I'd make it routine. Cuz everyone knows I am crazy weird and love routine!

So insert Musical Monday! And yes, I happen to be a big fan of alliteration!

Each and every Monday, unless I forget which is highly likely, I will feature a new song for your listening pleasure. I'll include the lyrics and any thoughts or special meanings, and have it playing for that week. Provided of course that the song is actually available over at Mix Pod. They are no Project Playlist let me tell you. But since Project Playlist wanted to be stupid and give in to greedy advertisers, I decided to dump them and head elsewhere. So if you know of someplace better than MixPod, give me a holler.

This weeks song is….

Wonderwall by Cat Power. This song was written by the massively talented Noel Gallagher and performed by Oasis. I think she covers it well though, and I rarely think covers are any good. She changes it up a bit and makes it her own. I like it.

Today is gonna be the day

That they're gonna throw it back to you

By now you should've somehow

Realized what you gotta do

I don't believe that anybody

Feels the way I do about you now

Backbeat the word is on the street

That the fire in your heart is out

I'm sure you've heard it all before

But you never really had a doubt

I don't believe that anybody feels

The way I do about you now

Today was gonna be the day

But they'll never throw it back to you

By now you should've somehow

Realized what you're not to do

I don't believe that anybody

Feels the way I do

About you now

I said maybe

You're gonna be the one who saves me

And after all

You're my wonderwall

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T14:41:00.000-04:00

Lucky Ladybug

Ramblings

2011-07-06T00:17:00.003-04:00

I have sad news.

Monday afternoon I went out to check on the babies and made a horrid discovery. Something had climbed in the bush and killed my little Mockingbirds.

The bottom of the hedge was crushed. The nest had been torn out of the hedge, and was completely damaged. I found three of the babies, but never found the fourth. I didn't hear anything so I assume the last baby was also killed, probably carried off. There were feathers everywhere. Adult and baby feathers. I can't believe I didn't hear anything. It looked like Mommy and Daddy put up a good fight.

I have a fairly good idea of the culprit. We've had a nuisance cat hanging around from time to time. I always see it come from next door, so I am fairly certain it is hers. He likes to come over to our back porch and pee everywhere. He also likes to look in the window and drive my animals bonkers, and sit outside the sliding glass door and cry.

Next time I see him he is in for it. I hate when people let their animals run loose. We do have a leash law here, but some people just don't care. Last time he made a nuisance of himself Richard was going to call Animal Care and Control but being the nice person I am I talked him out of it because I didn't want the lady to lose her cat.

Next time around that cat is gone! If you're responsible and keep your pets contained you don't have to worry about losing them. And if your stupid enough to not put a tag on your animal so you can get them back if by chance they escape, then so be it. That's what you get.

I digress. So now I don't have babies to check on anymore. So very sad. Stupid cat.

In other news, what on earth were those jurors thinking??? Oh wait, they weren't. I was completely flabbergasted with their verdict.

I know I can't say for absolute certain that Casey Anthony did it. But that woman had guilt written all over her. Something was and is not right. If she didn't do it herself, I am telling you she knows what happened.

Cheney Mason is an idiot. It disgusted me watching his pompous self get up there and sound off. Gah, I had to get up and walk away.

And to add insult to injury, saying today justice had been granted for Caylee and Casey. There was no justice today. There was no justice in a guilty Mother getting a slap on the wrist. And there certainly wasn't any justice for an innocent little girl whose life was cruelly ended. Heartbreaking.

What I did find interesting was the obvious absence of Casey Anthony's parents in her little courtroom "celebration". She was surrounded by her ever giddy legal team, but Mom and Dad weren't anywhere to be found. Interesting.

I was so irked by the past couple days events that I rearranged my whole family room. I like it better this way. It's more functional and flows better.

I know this is out of left field. But I'm going to make some sugar cookies.

Tasty Tuesday

2011-07-05T22:45:00.004-04:00

This week's recipe is an awesome comfort food. It's my favorite meatloaf.

I do switch this up sometimes. I sometimes leave steak sauce out, or Worcestershire sauce, depending if I have it on hand. Just put a little extra of something else. I also switch up Ritz crackers instead of bread crumbs on occasion. Whatever fits my fancy at the moment. And I always put more cheese in!

Kitchen Sink Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tbsp barbeque sauce

2 tbsp steak sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

1 pound ground beef

2/3 cup dry bread crumbs

1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan.

2. Mix all ingredients together and spread into loaf pan.

3. Bake for 55 minutes.

Enjoy!

Happy Independence Day

2011-07-04T23:08:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-29T11:02:00.000-04:00

Winnie The Pooh, & Tigger Too

2011-06-28T22:34:00.002-04:00

I was cleaning the house this afternoon, my mind was a whir of a thousand different things.

Gracie wasn't one of them.

I was focused. Focused on vacuuming the Husky hair that had embedded itself in my carpet. Focused on scrubbing my kitchen, emptying the dishwasher, hanging that picture, unpacking the box that had been sitting in my living room for 2 weeks, washing the towels, focused….

Until I sat down to take a small break.

The TV was on, or did I turn it on, I can't remember. A trailer came on for the Winnie The Pooh movie coming out this summer. I love Winnie The Pooh, I always have. Although I will confess that Tigger is my favorite.

And suddenly, there it was.

Overwhelming grief. It hit me and stole my breath. It hit me that I would never be able to stick Gracie in her car seat and go to the theater to watch Winnie The Pooh. I can't pull her on to my lap, and snuggle up to her and breathe in the scent of her hair while we giggle away at the silly old bear.

And it sucks. It sucks for a million different reasons, in a million different ways.

I miss my little girl.

Tasty Tuesday

2011-06-28T15:27:00.001-04:00

This week's recipe is a tasty salad. My Mom made this for Father's Day and it was deeee-licious! Thanks Mom!

Berry Tossed Salad

Ingredients:

Salad:

1 pkg (10 oz) salad greens

1 cup sliced strawberries

1 cup kiwifruit, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 tbsp slivered almonds

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayo

2 tbsp and 2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp raspberry vinegar

1 tbsp milk

2 1/2 tsp poppy seeds

2 1/2 tsp seedless raspberry jam

Directions:

Toss all salad ingredients together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk dressing ingredients together. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

I Cried For You

2011-06-26T11:28:00.001-04:00

I Cried For You

Katie Melua

You're beautiful so silently

It lies beneath a shade of blue

It struck me so violently

When I looked at you

But others pass, they never pause

To feel that magic in your hand

To me you're like a wild rose

They never understand why

I cried for you

When the sky cried for you

And when you went

I became a hopeless drifter

But this life was not for you

Though I learned from you

That beauty need only be a whisper

I'll cross the sea for a different world

With your treasure, a secret for me to hold

In many years they may forget

This love of ours or that we met

They may not know

How much you meant to me

I cried for you

And the sky cried for you

And when you went

I became a hopeless drifter

But this life was not for you

Though I learned from you

That beauty need only be a whisper

Without you now I see

How fragile the world can be

And I know you've gone away

But in my heart you'll always stay

I cried for you

When the sky cried for you

And when you went

I became a hopeless drifter

But this life was not for you

Though I learned from you

That beauty need only be a whisper

Home Again, Home Again Jiggity Jog

2011-06-23T22:50:00.003-04:00

And we are home again. We went down South this past Sunday to visit my family for Father's Day. It was a nice little vacation away from home.

We headed back this afternoon, and instead of taking just under 4 hours as usual, it took almost 7!!! Gahh! We ran into a major traffic jam in Vero Beach. There had been an accident, then a fire, and traffic had come to a complete standstill. It was a total mess. We ended up detouring off of 95 along with everyone else. We wound our way through back roads until we got to the next exit.

Phoenix was glad to be home and out of the truck just as much as we were! Needless to say, I am tired!

One of the cats gave us a nice greeting when we walked in the house. Boomer came running to the front door to say hi. Maggie, on the other hand couldn't have cared less. She was snoozing under the chair and didn't even bother getting up. Nice.

I am happy to report that the baby bird eggs are just fine. There are four, no more and no less. Momma was sitting in the nest when I got home and checked on them. It won't be too much longer and hopefully we will have babies!

I am also happy to report that the yard is actually looking halfway decent. There are still a couple of spots that will need re-sodding, but not nearly as much as we thought we would have to do.

I am aware that I skipped out on Tasty Tuesday, I took a break! It will resume next week!

My Little Mockingbirds

2011-06-18T21:50:00.006-04:00

A little Mockingbird family moved into our backyard hedge several days ago.

We've enjoyed watching them. Feisty little creatures they are! They chase off birds twice their size. The cats love to watch them swoop down into the yard. One afternoon they even brought their lunch onto the porch.

I noticed that they were coming and going from the hedge against the back of the house. It's right outside our bedroom window, and they've been quite noisy.

I figured they must have a nest so I went out on Wednesday and sure enough. There was a little nest sitting just inside the hedge. It was empty.

Thursday morning at dawn, we were woken by incessant chirping. It was driving us crazy! This is the only downside to our little feathered friends.

Later that afternoon, on a whim, I went and checked the nest again. This is what I found.

Such a pretty little egg! I was unsure as to what kind of bird had laid it so I did a little research. I had guessed it was a Mockingbird, but I wanted to make sure. Sure enough, the eggs matched.

On Friday, I went out to check on the little egg and found this…

I was under the assumption that birds laid their eggs all at once. Haha, I guess not! So I did some more research, and found that they lay one each day, and can lay anywhere from 2 to 6 eggs! Hello!

So today, I went out fully expecting number three. I was a bit worried as they had been waking us up first thing for the past several mornings, and this morning all was quiet. I peeked into the hedge, and I wasn't disappointed.

I wonder if tomorrow will bring a fourth?? I'll keep you updated!

Tasty Tuesday

2011-06-15T21:01:00.005-04:00

Gahhh! I forgot Tasty Tuesday again! Obviously I was too busy whining! Hopefully this weeks recipe will make up for being a day late. It was delicious! I had seen a recipe for Bacon Wrapped Chicken somewhere. You smeared cream cheese on top and something else then wrapped them in bacon. I looked everywhere but I couldn't find it! I found this recipe instead. I've convinced myself it's much better than the other would have been anyway! So here you go.

I am posting the original recipe, just because that's how I am. I made several changes and I will detail those at the end.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, sliced

4 slices bacon

1 tsp fresh chives, chopped

1 can condensed cream of chicken

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Pound the chicken breasts until flat. Put a slice of cream cheese, and a teaspoon of chives into each breast and roll up. Wrap each piece with a slice of bacon, securing with a toothpick. Place in a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine condensed soup, mayo, milk, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth. Pour oven chicken.

Bake in a preheated oven for one hour.

Okay, that was the original, feel free to go that way if you wish. I did notice as I was typing this out that the recipe only calls for 1 tsp of chives, then says to put a tsp in each chicken breast?? Anyhow! This is how I changed it up.

I didn't have chives on hand, so those were out. I didn't pound out the chicken breast. Instead I slit a small pocket into each breast, sprinkled with a little seasoned salt, and pushed the slices of cream cheese inside. I then wrapped each piece with two slices of thick cut bacon. You can't go wrong with more bacon!

Being a smart chickadee…I knew if I put these in the oven the bacon would come out nasty bacon mush, and nobody wants nasty bacon mush. So I browned them in a skillet until the bacon was just nice and crispy.

I mixed the condensed soup, mayo, and milk together. I didn't have lemon juice, and I skipped on the salt and pepper. The condensed soup is chock full of sodium anyway, and I knew the bacon would lend a nice flavor. Plus I had sprinkled some seasoned salt inside the chicken breasts.

I poured this mixture into my little baking dish, then placed the chicken breasts on top.

I kept the heat at 325, but because I had already browned the chicken they only took about 30 minutes to fully cook.

I served them with a lovely mushroom couscous, and green beans.

Enjoy!

I meant to take a picture, but we were starving and they smelled so good we dug right in! Next time around!

A Tale of Woe

2011-06-14T16:57:00.003-04:00

Ughhhhh, it is HOT here! And SMOKY!!

The heat index is 100 degrees and I am miserable. There have been wildfires up here on and off for months now. It's been terribly smoky here for a little over a week I believe. It may have been two already. I can't remember. Everyone has been advised to stay indoors. That means being holed up in the house, and only running outside when absolutely necessary.

Phoenix is driving me insane. Prior to this nastiness the weather was beautiful. We could go outside for hours. Phoenix was in heaven. There was running, there was digging, there was sunbathing and general lounging. Now there is staring longingly out the window, smearing my glass with his wet nose. And clawing! Oh the clawing. I have tried keeping him busy, but there's just nothing like being outside. We've played hide and seek, I've thrown toys over and over, he's shredded his stuffies, he's chased cats relentlessly.

Phoenix is protesting, the cats are protesting, I am protesting, and the yard is protesting.

The yard is another woe. We spent a small fortune on sod, and it is not looking good. Half of the sod is already dying. I'm fixing to head down to A-1 sod and give them what for. We've been watering like mad because of all the heat and general lack of rain. Twice a day, every single day. I'm waiting for the water police to come banging on our door and cart us off to the prison for water wasters. Or slap us with a hefty fine. They'd be watering like mad too if they'd just spent an arm and a leg on grass.

Which leads me to another rant, why in the world is grass so ridiculously expensive???

Okay, I'm done whining now. I have to go clean my house, so I can make dinner, then schlep myself over to Walmart.

I'm going to try and find Phoenix a good toy that will keep him occupied. One of those treat dispensing toys that he will have to figure out.

For now, I'll chase him with the vacuum.

The Rainy Day

2011-06-08T23:30:00.001-04:00

The Rainy Day

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;

It rains, and the wind is never weary;

The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,

But at every gust more dead leaves fall,

And the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold and dark and dreary;

It rains and the wind is never weary;

My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,

And youth's fond hopes fall thick in the blast,

And my life is dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;

Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;

Thy fate is the common fate of all,

Into each life some rain must fall,

Some days must be dark and dreary.

Tasty Tuesday

2011-06-07T23:38:00.002-04:00

This week brings another oldie but goodie to Tasty Tuesday!

Italian Style Pork Chops

Ingredients:

2 cups saltines, crushed

1 1/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese

2 tsp Italian-style seasoning

1/8 tsp garlic powder

2/3 cup butter, melted

4 pork chops

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place pork chops on foil lined baking sheet for easy clean up.

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients.

Mix well, then generously top each pork chop with mixture.

Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.