VIGIL AT THE TOP

Photo by Annisa Lam (former member of Stock.exchng)

Licensed photo DO NOT COPY

Currently I am keeping the following in my thoughts &  prayers:

-----The Pakistani doctor who helped the CIA find Osama Bin Laden has been jailed for treason. A LONG jail sentence, too.
-----A five-month-old who was repeatedly raped and sodomized. Yes, you read that right. :-(
-----Friends who have been having relationship troubles for some time now. In one case, the issues seem to be getting better but there is a lot of regression. One couple is divorcing and a third couple broke up.
-----Hopefully, the best candidate is elected in 2012.
-----Demarco Harris. A 13-year-old who was found guilty of murder. I hope that he is able to turn his (young) life around and that juvenile detention is actually beneficial. Demarco's case will be evaluated again when he turns 21. Demarco will stay in my thoughts and prayers until he turns 21.


__________________________

Note:

This post is in no particular order. Prayer/thought requests just go to the top as I hear more about what is going on. If you can think of a way to help these people, PLEASE do so. This post will be second-from-the-top during the midst of an emergency (such as an Amber Alert).

Note: I would not advise linking to this post...you will wind up with a broken link each time I have to change the post-dating to keep this a Vigil at the Top.

At JPUSA. Summer 2011.

 

PRAISE REPORTS!!!
-----Our friend with the pregnancy complication delivered a healthy little one with no problems (other than having to be induced).
-----A man surviived being snowed in his car for two months with no food.

THURSDAY THIRTEEN.....

1.

A leak in the water hose creates beauty.

2. Easy Lamb Creole Gumbo. I wish our Walmart still carried lamb.

3. June 2012 Projects:
-----We are going to try our hand at growing an avocado tree again. This time the strategy is to use a domed cup from Starbucks. We hope to at least get a nice houseplant out of our efforts. Last time we tried, the pits grew underground for quiet a while but never sprouted.
----- We can start other seeds in the avocado shells. Two biodegradable pots (to be thrown in the compose heap later). :-)


4. Avocado Recipes:
-----Avocado-Chocolate Truffle
-----Avocado Pie

5.
Oprah's Book Club is back.

6.
-----Indiana is prosecuting a woman for a suicide attempt that killed her unborn child. She could be sentenced 45 years to LIFE.
-----There are starting to be more hospital-at-home programs for intensive-care patients. I guess this is okay as long as it is a careful and rational choice by all parties involved. Knowing the way healthcare in our country tends to go downhill, I am a bit scared that parts of these programs will one day become mandatory.
-----The Pakistani doctor who helped the CIA find Osama Bin Laden has been jailed for treason. A LONG jail sentence, too.

7. I want to have a really big list of lasagna recipes. :-)
-----Alfredo Florentine Lasagna. Uses Bertolli Alfredo Sauce. This will likely be something we are trying this month.
-----Beef Florentine Lasagna
-----Broken Florentine Lasagna Bake. Rachel Ray. Involves a cast iron skillet instead of layering. Interesting.
-----Florentine Lasagna Rosettes. "These spinach and turkey lasagna rosettes are topped with creamy Swiss cheese sauce for an easy yet elegant weeknight main dish recipe."
-----PERDUE's recipe for Light Lasagna Florentine.

8. Ann Romney's Pinterest

This post is a work-in-progress. :-)

Bluebarb Pie recipe

I am looking for homemade ketchup recipes today.

Smoky BBQ Ketchup
~~~Really simple recipe. :-)
~~~I will avoid the liquid smoke option as I am a little leery of this after having read that some of it is bad for your health.
~~~I read somewhere that I might want to try substituting Tabasco Chipotle Sauce (on the Tabasco website, it claims to be fairly mild and the peppers are smoked). Now I just need to find out how long homemade ketchup keeps.


Pastrami Spice-Encrusted Venison with Huckleberry Ketchup
~~~An Emeril recipe.
~~~Venison is hard for us to find and huckleberries can be a bit costly for us to order.
~~~I don't know how easy it would be for us to find juniper berries (but I would imagine not very). I am going to do some research on the substitutes that can be used and what it takes to grow them. I have never tasted a juniper berry.

Cajun Turkey Cheeseburgers with Tabasco Ketchup
~~~Seems like it might be a little spicy for Husband and Little One. I will see what I can do to rework the recipe.
~~~Potassium, Vitamin C and fiber from the bell peppers. :-)

-----Yes! My e-mail to the police department got us on the waiting list for a speed trailer to assess the speeding issues in our neighborhood. I thought this was going to be such a grit-your-teeth-battle. One of the trailers is broken so it will take a while longer than is normal....but this is progress.
-----Little One has an opthamologist appointment today. We have recently been for immunizations and when I said "doctor" I received a severe frown. The frown disappeared when I said that "this doctor has you play with toys." I don't know if I was understood...but this made me smile. :-)
-----Recommendations on an economical/safe kiddie pool? Currently, we are using one end of the sand box with just enough water in it for toys to float and for splashing.

Robin Gibbs of the Bee Gees passed away yesterday.

Saturday 9.....

1. How do you feel when you realize that an impasse will cause a relationship (any type) to end?

This is usually friendships with me and it is usually because the other person has some extreme behavior. I feel relief and know that the dissolution of the friendship was for the better. I wish people would change and that things like this could be different.

2. You’re planning a trip that would be an eight-hour car ride, a four-hour train ride, or a two-hour plane ride. With money and time being no object, which would you most likely choose and why?

The train and making sure that it is a sleeping car. The beauty of the scenery, the great food, meeting interesting people and having a lot of room to move around would be ideal. So much less stressful than navigating by car or worrying about plane crashes or TSA's intrusive procedures.

3. What is your ideal past time on a lazy summers day?

Spending time with my Little One, Doggie and Husband. I want to get a hammock at some point. We will be doing a lot of sidewalk chalk drawings as soon as I figure out where I packed away the chalk (I used to use it to write Husband messages on a little chalkboard long before our Little One was born). Photographing flowers. Leisurely traveling....last summer we had a perfect moment where we ate our peanut butter sandwiches in the sun at a picnic table next to the turkey rocking horse at Wild Turkey Distillery in Kentucky.

4. Name a CD you own that no one else on your friends list does.

Many of my friends are Christian Goth and I am very eclectic. Hmmm....let me get out my CD binder. This was a good question as my CD binder needed a dusting (I don't use it very often as I listen to things like Blip.fm or Grooveshark). For amusement, I will definitely be asking my friends if they own any of these CDs. :-)
My Blips. :-)

---A burnt CD from a member of a discontinued band called August Zimbal. I have a couple of their CDs and a pretty t-shirt.

---Midnight Oil's "20,000 Watt R.S.L." This is the CD with "Beds are Burning" and "Blue Sky Mine." My Twitter friends from Australia are always amazed that an American has even heard of this band.

---A "Rip.Sample.Mash.Share." CD from Wired Magazine. If I remember correctly, it has the Beastie Boys on it. I am going to be listening to this in a couple minutes.

---Elvis "Girls!Girls!Girls!"

---Robert Plant "Now and Zen." I love "Tall Cool One."

---"Beethoven and the Sea." I am going to give this one to my Mother soon.

---The soundtrack to Grease 2

---Bob Dylan "Love and Theft"

---OMG "How Bizarre"

---Some Bach and Brahms in German that I can't decipher. I will have to figure out who gave this to me or do some research to figure out what it says.

---Gato Negro "7 Year Bitch." I have no clue what this is....a friend gave it to me when they moved. I will listen soon.

---Adam Ant. "Wonderful." It would be wonderful if I ever get to see him preform.

---Primitive Radio Gods "Rocket." Found on the side of a highway.

---The two Woodstock 99 CDs. Includes an awesome version of Kid Rock's "Bawitdaba."

---Pat Benetar "The Very Best Album Ever"

---Another Pat Benetar CD that is untitled. Track 2 is "Invincible" from the movie "The Legend of Billie Jean."

---Meatloaf "Welcome to the Neighborhood"

---Meatloaf "Blind Before I Stop"

---"Crash Course: An Introduction to Marillion"

---"Forever Yours." Songs that people play at weddings.

---A "Legendary Elvis Presley" CD set

---El Cancionero de Medinaceli. Spanish music from the Renaisance (ca. 1535-1595).

---Two CD set. "The Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber."

---MTV "The First 1000 Years"

---Disney's "The Ultimate Swashbuckler 10 Song CD Collection." A present from Husband.

---A Sugarcult CD with no title on it  I used to find CDs on the highway.

---"Intro to the Morning 40 Federation"
---A Remy Shand CD that a friend gave to me when they moved

---"Celtic Love Collection." Songs inspired by Titanic

---The Commitments Vol. 2. Some music from the movie plus 7 other tracks.

---Celtic Shore

---Robert Palmer "Heavy Nova"

---Vienna Master series, Meditation Vol. 2. Massenet, Gounod, Chopin, Bruckner, Mahler, Schubert

---An Alice Peacock CD from when she toured with Mellencamp. I met her and she autographed the lyrics booklet. 

5. What's a wish of yours?

---That Little One gets to know my Mother long enough to remember her. My Mother has Stage 4 Breast Cancer.

---To visit the Cincinnati Zoo.

6. What is something your going to do a lot of this week?

---Praying in prayer groups (and otherwise, of course). 

---Reading some books that I  borrowed from the Church lending library.

---Planting. We have a LOT of vegetables, some morning glories and lupines that still need to be planted.

---Menu planning. 

---Inventorying pantry,fridge,etc. 

---Playing with Little One and Doggie.

---Movies with Husband. Yes, I think it sounds great for this upcoming week to be our Movie-ist Week of All Time. :-)

7. Is there someone you wish would just fall off the face of this earth?

No...but I wish they would change or stay far away from me.

8. What did you do last night?

Rested after a very humid day that made me feel ill. Ate Rainbow Pasta with Alfredo Sauce.

9. Where is the next place you'd like to go vacation?
Our planned trip elements (in no particular order):
Exploring more of the Bourbon Trail. The Creation Museum (yes, that Creation...as in the Bible). A music festival in Kentucky. A ministry event in North Carolina and seeing the ocean. A  ministry event in Chicago and visiting JPUSA (Jesus People USA). Visiting a friend who lives in Kentucky. Enjoying another Jet's Pizza  with a garlic crust. Hopefully, at least part of the last Cornerstone Festival. A Trader Joe's trip. A wedding party on a beautiful lake. Hopefully, my first visit to El Pollo Loco and actually eating at a Popeye's (people have brought it to us before). Hopefully, real Cincinnati-style Chili. Finally, visiting an awesome friend in Wisconsin. The Iowa State Fair. Visiting the Surf Ballroom (the last place where Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holley and The Big Bopper preformed before the tragic plane crash).   

Participate in Saturday 9. :-)

I am going to read through this study about whether praying for one's partner makes you trust them more. 

(Thank you to Todd Kashdan for the link.)

I have also decided to try to go a month without complaining or criticizing to/at my Husband. This includes any gossip (I feel wretched, malicious and weird after having spoken badly of someone to my Husband...it is bringing more hostility into the world).
I started this activity on May 10th and it is inspired by "A Complaint Free World." So far, I have not succeeded in going a day without complaining,etc. but this activity is making me full of thought. I read that it takes most people several months to succeed at not complaining for 21 days. 

-----French Onion Soup Sandwiches
-----I found the Wikipedia entry on French Onion Soup somewhat interesting and it gave me ideas of what to look for as far as recipes.

THURSDAY THIRTEEN.....

1. Married Life Experiment:
 Starting from when I type this, I have decided to go a month without complaining. This is inspired by "A Complaint Free World." Hmmm.....how many times will I have to start over? What exactly constitutes a complaint vs. commentary? This should be interesting.
---I have decided not to tell my Husband that I am doing this. :-) He doesn't read my blog.
---"Kind words are short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless."-Mother Teresa

2. Little Pig, Little Pig.....

2005 or 2006.
Thrift shop find on a day when I needed a smile.
We named him/her Frankenswine before we knew it was a cow.
He/she has stiches, a patch that is sewn on, and a tail like Eeyore's (this is all painted on).
Still doesn't have a last name.
What is a good last name for this cow? :-)

3.

4. Abundant Life Seeds.
-----If you live in the United States, this company will send a FREE catalog. :-)
-----I signed up for the e-mail newsletter. It sometimes includes info on internet only specials and sale items. The site does not say how often this newsletter is published.
-----I would like to get Amish Salad Tomato seeds. They are organic, highly prolific and sweet. A rare heirloom.
-----We have ordered Tigger Melon seeds (though I don't know if we ordered them from Abundant Life Seeds). I will post photos if they grow.
-----Pumpkin-On-A-Stick. They are not actually pumpkins. A cousin of the eggplant family.Can be used in fresh or dried flower arrangements. These would bring a smile to my Autumn.

5.

I think these were flowers from Mother-in-Law.

6.

Spring Grove Cemetery. Cincinnati. August 2011

7. Google's Driverless Toyota Prius will be test-driven on Nevada roads.

I wasn't really sure at first what the point of having a driverless car is. Is it being asserted that it is safer to let a computer make the safety decisions? I could see this as being useful to the disabled. Texting, infant nursing and family time could easier/possible. I don't know that I would be that trusting of a computer...seriously, look at how reliable your average laptop or PC is. Wow.
Considering the driving skills of some people, a computer-driven car would CERTAINLY be a better option.
I just found the proposed benefits of these cars.

8.
At least two masseurs are accusing John Travolta of sexual battery.
Mr. Travolta is, of course, planning to countersue for malicious prosecution.
Considering the way the cases are being handled, winning a defamation case could be hard.

9. Garlic and Cumin Marinated Strip Steaks with Chunky Guacamole

10.
---An 800-pound woman has found love and is getting married to a chef. The love and getting married part is good, of course....but she is also trying to break the record for being the heaviest woman! In order to break the record, she will have to weigh over 1,200 pounds! I hope she changes her mind about trying to break the record.
---Those who are obese (and don't have health issues that hinder weight loss) should pay higher insurance premiums? 

11. On my Pinterest:
---Pecan-Crusted Chicken Tenders and Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu are the latest recipes that I have added to my Chicken recipes board. I plan on us trying the Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu this month. :-)

12. Bison:
---Health benefits of bison. I snagged the chart below from this link to show you what I mean.

---I discovered that there is Bison Tare Tare. I have never tried but never will try anything tare tare....this is one of the few food adventures that crosses the line for me.
Recipes:
---Bison and Red Wine Shepherd's Pie
---"Bison in a Sleeping Bag"
---Bison Stew. A lot of vegetables (including rutabaga).

13.


Speaking of queens:
---Will Drag Queen Bingo become more of a trend?

This post is a work-in-progress. :-)
Update: Another one I almost finished....but did not finish...go figure. That happens sometimes. :-)

Conservatives defend John Edwards on the eve of his trial.
~~~"The Questionable Prosecution of John Edwards"

A reporter attempts to describe what hemp vodka tastes like.
~~~The vodka is called "Purgatory" and is new from Alaska Distillery. It is the first hemp seed spirit in the United States (I do not know if other companies currently have plans to make hempseed spirits).
~~~I am sure that it is not lost on many that this vodka is coming out in time for 4/20.

Thursday Thirteen

1.

Bowe Bergdahl.
He managed to escape once but was caught. At one point, Bowe Bergdahl's execution was threatened if prisoners weren't exchanged (mainly people being held at Guantanamo).

2. Yahoo to lay off 14% of its workforce.
I tried  using their  search engine more thinking that might help their business stay afloat....but it really isn't a good search engine anymore. I wonder if reading Yahoo news more and checking my e-mails more would help.
 I found out about it on Yahoo:
-----Should babies be treated for obesity inside the womb??

3. Support the Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012

4. Humor:
-----"Janitor's revenge...how to annoy people when it snows."
For those that pray: Please pray for a friend of mine that has been depressed. Pray that I and others find a way to bring some smiles back into her life.

5. April:
-----Soyfoods Month. I should avoid soy at times, Husband is allergic and I have some doubts as to its safety.
-----Keep America Beautiful Month, Lawn and Garden Month
-----National Humor Month, National Poetry Month, National Welding Month
-----International Guitar Month
-----Records and Information Management Month
-----Stress Awareness Month. Happy to say that I have relieved a major stress in my life and hope that it stays that way....:-)
-----Sexual Assault Awareness Month
-----April 8 was both Easter and the anniversary of Handel's "Messiah."

6. Unusual Recipes:
-----Black Bean Avocado Brownies. Very healthy and it says they taste somewhat like fudge. I had never heard of them and we MIGHT try them depending on how Husband feels about the idea.
-----Sort of a guacamole. It uses fresh peas. An interesting experiment and/or good for those with an avocado sensitivity.

7. A Walk in the Park. April 2012

Gazebo roof interior.
I find things like this pretty. :-)

8.

I don't know about all the other Jet's...but Jet's Pizza Kentucky has a new Buffalo Chicken Pizza. I am looking forward to trying it this summer. Last summer, a friend who lives in Kentucky treated us to Jet's TWICE. :-) Their garlic crust is excellent, the Supreme (or whatever they call it) is just the right amount of everything, a jalapeno-topped pizza with pineapple to cool the hotness was interesting and everyone absolutely loved the barbecue chicken.
 Mmmm. I want pizza.s
Non-Jet's Pizza Finds:
-----How  to make your own Hot Dog-Stuffed Crust Pizza. 
-----Wild Leek Pizza recipe.  I do not know when I will come across wild leeks.

9. "A Koran in Every Home" project
This man wants to give away 25 million free German-language copies of the Koran to non-Muslims – his campaign is called “Read! In the name of your Lord who created you." It has been said that the text itself is not radical....but that some of those distributing are aggressive (and the initiator has been rated dangerous).
~~~What would the reaction be if it were the same project but with a Bible? I would imagine in America there would be a lot of suing or injunctions.
~~~I do not know what a Salafist Muslim is and must look that up.

10. A recent Church sermon we heard was about money matters. It covered budgeting, how to properly use money and tithing. I have noticed that there is controversy on the internet about tithing.

The sermon was entitled “Being Broke Sucks.” I was surprised that the word “sucks” was used as this is usually frowned upon by the older people that I encounter. Sucks does describe well how one can feel when broke.

 Indeed the immensity and drama of being broke was shown in the start of this sermon….the audio visual was the 20th Century Fox logo and music (with ‘BEING BROKE SUCKS’ replacing the normal words).

 Points from the sermon:

-----It is not our money. It is God’s.

-----It was kind of indicated that God chooses what economic state you are born into. I had been reading earlier in the week that God has a reason for choosing our race, where we live, whether we are poor, etc.

-----Budget! Dave Ramsey says that it takes 90 days for a budget to really work. There are usually books and other materials on the tables and shelves that go with whatever the sermon topic is. I saw that Dave Ramsey’s “The Total Money Makeover Workbook” was on one of the tables.

-----Credit cards make you poorer.

-----Consider the total cost of the item. People think of things only in terms of monthly payments. Look at how much it is really costing.

-----Don’t celebrate getting paid. This means don’t go out for drinks,etc. and spend a good amount of your paycheck that evening.

-----So many poor people spend a lot on lottery tickets.

-----Eating out and other luxuries.

-----Bicycling

-----Finding new creative ways to save money.

-----Save up an emergency fund of $1,000. Do what it takes it get it. It goes without saying, but I am sure that “whatever it takes” meant within moral reason.

-----Even a very temporary job helps!

-----Live cheaply. Live below your means.

-----Be wise with what God gives you.

-----Apologize to God for not using his money well. This is, I am sure, a surprising and sobering statement to many.

-----Take God’s advice on money. It is in the Bible.

-----Have confidence and faith that you can live a different life in this area.

11. Brussels Sprouts recipes:
Slow Cooked Brussels Sprouts

12. How much toilet paper do we use?
I use a lot of toilet paper. I try to cut back on it by using coupons, stockpiling and ordering online if it is cheaper.
~~~Walmart has free shipping on certain home items if your order is over $45....when we have the money to do this all at the same time and can wait for the shipment, I carefully price stuff and stock up on toilet paper and other essentials. A good one is getting a big bottle of 409 that is sold on the Walmart site and refilling the spray bottle (make sure to write "DO NOT THROW AWAY" on your spray bottle).


13. A reporter named Megan Carpentier has undergone an unnecessary transvaginal ultrasound to frame the abortion debate.

This post is a work-in-progress.

Saturday 9....and Stuff

1. In romance, have you ever been stuck in the middle with someone?
I guess not....since I am not sure what this means.

2. Which current commercial is the currently most annoying to you on TV or radio?
I do not watch TV or listen to the radio for the most part anymore. I see commercials on programs I watch on the internet...but don't pay much attention. I did get annoyed by a person who likely took a commercial out of context recently (their interpretation was super-lewd).

3. What do you think is the most difficult task when it comes to Spring cleaning?
My Spring Cleaning starts today. The most difficult task will be hard to reach areas (dusting some of the ceilings, checking expiration dates on the really high cereal shelf, vacuuming refrigerator coils,etc.).
---I like a blog series entitled "52 Weeks of Organizing" and I also like Better Home and Garden's ideas for organizing your pantry by zones.

4. What area is your expertise in?
Research.

5. Have you ever bumped into a former lover and found out they were now gay or straight depending on your relationship with them?
No.

6. When was the last time that you got stabbed in the back?
This is ongoing. I have a person who routinely takes my ideas, expounds on them and passes them off as entirely their own so that another person will think highly of them as a mentor. I guess the person doing this either doesn't realize that this is not ethical or doesn't think I will notice. It hurts my feelings but would cause more drama than it is worth if there was a confrontation. Ironically, I would give most of the ideas freely if asked. Typing this was therapeutic.

7. For a few years in a row, you receive a nice tax refund: do you make an adjustment with your payroll deduction so they’ll take less, or do you leave it that way so that you can continue to receive the big check every spring?
It depends on where we are at in our monthly bills. I have tried both of these and each worked out well for that timeframe.

8. Do you remember the most naughty night of your life? (And do tell a bit, if comfortable)
I don't answer these kind of questions. I am married and I would hope that the most wonderful night of my life is always yet to come.

9. How would you handle yourself if you were regularly in the press and tabloids?
Honestly, I would likely start playing mind games with the idiots following me around...and suing a lot. Paparazzi disgust me.

Participate in Saturday 9. :-)

THURSDAY THIRTEEN.....

1. Pizza Arizona:

I am proud of this photo...and it turned out really well for being on a cell phone.

Last month, we tried a pizza recipe that I found on Epicurious.com. The recipe for Pizza Arizona first appeared in the June 2002 issue of Bon Appétit. We used a good amount of fresh cilantro (probably more than what the recipe called for). Walmart did not have chipotle salsa, so we just used regular. I like crusts with a little cornmeal on the bottom and this had just the right amount.
-----Little One had some of the inside of the crust heel...and was very happy about this. This was a part with no salsa,etc.
-----I was having a humorous conversation with Husband this week; Little One is very into drums,trying to get into peoples' pockets and pizza. I jokingly made the observation that, if patterns continued this way, Little One was going to grow up to be a drummer, a pickpocket and obsessed with pizza. Husband, of course, latched onto the last part and asked me if Little One was "going to be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle?" :-)

2. Bluestbutterfly's Valentine:

(post)Valentine 2012
Chocolate Truffles from Husband

3. February Thrift Window-Shopping:

Music teacher?

This is the second time I have seen wooden shoes placed in the kitchen and serving stuff.

I would have liked having the money to buy this.
It just speaks to me somehow.
The lady had a considerable amount of dust in her lap.

4. A Snowy Promise.....

I have made a commitment to try photographing the beauty of the snow whenever I see it. :-) Bbelow are snow photos from March 2012...so far.

The hedge gets pretty icicles.

 Majestic.

Frosty.

It's the little things.
I was happy to find that my shoes have snowflakes on the bottom.

5. Zoo Trip- March 2012

6. Spring Grove Cemetery-August 2011
Cincinnati.

7. 100 Books to Read in Kindergarten

8. Blog Finds:
-----Guilty Kitchen
-----On My Plate

9. Recipes:
-----Papaya Smoothies. Pretty simple...blended with some other fruit.
-----Honey and Saffron Cake
-----Cherry Almond Muffns
-----Indonesian Lamb Curry
-----Chicken Jerusalem
-----Roasted Chicken and Jerusalem Artichokes



10.
“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!”
-Audrey Hepburn

11. Food...News and Fact. 
-----Orange juice prices will not rise as much as it was speculated.
-----27 foods that can trigger migraines.

12. So, what is it the year of?
An atheist and agnostic group are suing Pennsylvania for declaring 2012 the "Year of the Bible."
They also claim to take issue with content in the Bible, including "violent, sexist and racist models of behavior that FFRF members find personally repugnant."
"(This content) potentially could encourage persons who rely on them to act in a manner harmful to them and others," the lawsuit claims.

13. My Dream House Stuff:
-----Tips to combat predators in your backyard fish pond.
-----Beautiful idea for something like a gazebo.
-----European Antique Pine Warehouse

This post is a work-in-progress. :-)

Happy Salaried-Workers-Work-for-Free Day.

Thursday Thirteen.....

1. "An orange a day may keep strokes at bay."
This relates to strokes caused by blood clots. A lot of other health benefits are listed. I was surprised to learn that Seville oranges and tangelos may interfere with some medicines in the same way that grapefruit does. I liked that this article contained recommendations of ways to eat citrus.

2. You learn so much more about organizations nowadays. I find myself un-liking due to things a company said on Facebook often.
---The companies that actually don't have any intention of truly interacting with society....they just want to manipulate people into buying their "product."
---Companies that say things which are insensitive...like "don't give up our product." This was obviously referring to Lent.

3. Papertoys.com

4. Recipes I found on Relish:
-----Raspberry Mousse Tart. Colorful and I want to try the almond meal crust.
-----Sautéed Radishes. Easy to make. I need to explore more by Chef John Ashton. I would think about these as a Thanksgiving side but need to know how they taste after having sat on the table through a meal.
-----Coconut Shortcakes with Mango, Kiwi and Strawberry
-----Herbed Buffalo Burgers
-----Honey Cheesecake. I think Husband will love this one.

5. Recipe website find: "Ladies, a Plate"
-----Pineapple Meringue Shortcake. I need to learn what vanilla essence is and if I can find a substitute for it. I have started a "Shortcakes" board on Pinterest.

6. Looks incredibly yummy:
-----Key Lime Cupcakes with Blackberry Filling and Blackberry Frosting. The color in the buttercream frosting is totally from the blackberries. Hmm.....I want to come up with other uses for the frosting.


This post is a work-in-progress. :-)
Well....I didn't end up finishing it and I am now going to start fresh for next week.

Recipes we are making in March:
-----Self-frosting Nutella Cupcakes. This will use up our jar of Nutella and we will simple HAVE to buy another. :-) We are out of cupcake liners and I am hoping to find a cute pattern at the dollar store.
-----Pumpkin Mac & Cheese. We usually have these ingredients on hand. We are now buying pumpkin puree whenever we see it for a good price (I found a bunch of it really marked down after Thanksgiving).
-----Sugar-Free Carrot Cake. We are fans of whole wheat flour and now Little One seems to like it, too.
_________________________________



The video is a cover of "Another  Brick in the Wall."
Stahlhammer is a Neue Deutsche Härte (New German Hardness) band from Austria.
I also like their song "We are Vikings" and their cover of "You Can't Touch This."

Which Girl Scout Cookies are best (and worst) for your health? My favorite is Thin Mints and they are not mentioned...so, I guess they are somewhere in the middle as far as health. I may get some this  year...but if I do it will  be on the last day they are on sale (March 4th).

Burgers I don't want to see.....Chicken I want to see.....and dishes I am not sure if I will like.

Poll: Would you buy and eat a burger made from stem cell meat? 
Apparently, there will be a "test tube meat" soon.
I was one of the people who voted "no." I see to much room for error in this (and too much room for a based-on-a-true-story science fiction horror).

We still need to make these:
-----Chicken With Red Grapes and Mushrooms. Uses red wine and is in a thyme cream sauce.
-----Chicken With Portobello Mushrooms and Artichokes. We may substitute rum for the brandy.
-----Chicken Breasts with Balsamic Vinegar and Garlic. Uses new potatoes.
-----Raspberry Vinegar Chicken Breasts. As one comment suggested, we will try the sauce over rice (sounds unusual).


Experiments (meaning I am not sure if I will like them):
-----Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Meatballs.This would be an experiment in tastes to me. I like goat cheese and I really enjoy meatballs as long as they are moist...I would think stuffing them with the cheese might ensure moisture.
-----Red Velvet Cake. I like the look of Red Velvet Cake but not that it is often achieved through food coloring. This recipe uses a natural food coloring...beets...but I am usually NOT a fan of beets.

-----Creamy Mushroom Crostini

Blog finds.....

Sweetapolita
---Red Velvet and Cinnamon Layer Cake. Red Velvet cakes seem to be trendy right now. A lot of the recipes that I am coming across for these are multi-step.
---Winter Delight Peppermint Cake.  Multi-step. Uses coffee. Winter isn't over yet. :-)


Annie's Eats
---Okra Cornmeal Cakes with Chevre and Roasted Tomatoes. Pretty and I like goat cheese.

Hen Corner

"A little bit of country life in West London."

-----Sprats in Horse Radish Butter. A sprat is an oily fish with a lot of health benefits. :-)

-----Blackberry Bakewell. I have never heard of a "bakewell" and will have to investigate this more. The recipe is for an orange pastry filled with jam and topped with flaked almonds."Very nice with some extra thick double cream… or a glass of Amaretto… or both!" :-)

-----Nasturtium Pesto. I have filed this under "Willing to Try."

Berries and the Blue Sky
A blog about Estonian food.

---Spiced Sprat with Black Bread and Melting Egg

64 Sq. Foot Kitchen

These are mainly the blog author's family recipes from Algeria and The Maghreb.

---Algerian Baked Fish. Beautiful. This dish has actually inspired me to start a board for Algerian fish recipes on Pinterest.

---Algerian Lentil Soup (Chorbet Addas). It will be hard for me to find the lamb soup bones around here.

---This led me to read about the sprat which is among the principal fish caught in Algeria.Of note from the Wikipedia article on sprat:

"Sprat, most importantly contains long-chained polyunsaturated fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).[Present in amounts that are comparable to Atlantic Salmon, and up to seven times higher in EPA and DHA than common fresh fillets of gilthead, the Sprat contains approximately 1.43g/100g of these polyunsaturated fatty acids that have been found to help prevent mental, neural, and cardiovascular diseases."

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Makam Echahid. Monument for the Freedom Soldiers.

Algiers, Algeria. Licensed photo by dragondz

Memorable Chili and Beauty in the Wires

A few nights ago, we came up with a chili that was particularly good. :-) We make chili mainly according to our taste...not measured out amounts. This was a particularly good batch and I want to remember the ingredient list.

Put it all into the pot, bring to a boil, simmer for 20-30 minutes. This batch had to be watched really closely as it could burn very easily.
3 cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
Jar of sun-dried tomatoes (liquid included)
2 cans diced no-salt-added tomatoes (liquid included)
Large can white hominy
Handful of cilantro
2 small Vidalia Onions
1 (large) Spanish Sweet onion
Generous amount chili powder
Generous amount garlic powder (we usually use a lot of minced garlic but ran out)
Oregano
Hungarian Paprika
A little salt
Cumin
Black Restaurant-Style Pepper
Minced Onion
Frank's RedHot Sweet Chili Sauce
Salsa (added water to what was left at bottom of jar, shook, poured into pot...always how we use up every bit of salsa)
Small can of tomato sauce
At least 2 cups water
About 1/2 cup Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend mixed in just before serving
Next time this will have ground turkey or hamburger (we had none thawed)
Of course, we thought about adding Warsteiner (Dunkel).

Beauty in the electrical wires.
We had snow on Friday.

Dinosaurs, walking dangerously and plastic royalty.

Read Little  One a book on dinosaurs today. I definitely need to work on how to pronounce some of the names. :-)

A member of the Wallenda family is going to attempt a tightrope walk across Niagara Falls. This is a very dangerous thing to do...but I do concede that it would be interesting to see it done once.
"We have made it clear that this is a very unique one-time situation. It's not an everyday activity and will not be allowed to become an everyday activity."



Mattel will be releasing "William and Kate" dolls for the first wedding anniversary of this royal couple. There should be the car they drove, too. After all, Barbie and Ken had a car. I suppose this would be prohibited by some sort of copyright or trademark on Aston Martins.

Licensed photo by Kenmo.

This is obviously not the Aston Martin driven by the royal couple...but I wanted to post it. :-)

It is a British convertible...a 1963 Austin Healey Sebring.

In Search of Pretty Pilaf.....

I was looking for pilaf recipes today and noted that it is often aesthetically-displeasing. Out of all the Google Image Results available, there were only 5 or 6 that met my standards as far as presentation. It is the taste that counts.....but people have to actually want to taste it.
---Braised Lamb with Cinnamon, Olives and Nut Pilaf
---Vidalia Onions Stuffed with Rice-Lentil Pilaf
---Zesty Lentil and Haddock Pilaf
Correct that, I found exactly 3 pilaf dishes visually appealing. Growl.

Chocolate Cake with Nuts and Raisins. I am very particular about baked goods but I am willing to try this recipe. It looks pretty.

A Couple Cooks. They are going to Cambodia to help a couple of organizations that are fighting human trafficking.
---Cajun Pizza

A Bit of Bees Knees

That's different. McDonald's has some sort of Build-a-Bear Workshop Happy Meal toys.

Tassimo has a massive coffee maker recall...burn risk.....spurting liquid.

In My Life.....

-----Planning for when we go to Cornerstone Festival.. I do not think Little One is old enough to tent camp...so we will have to budget for  a hotel and that won't be easy. I have not found a safe, reasonably-priced hotel close by yet
-----My Jade Plant seems to have eaten up most of its soil.
-----I just finished with my second editing piece for Darkest Goth Magazine. I normally find editing to be something that comes naturally...but this piece was primarily emotions and theories. I am on emotion overload right now as this editing coincided with considering Big Life Changes and the first time I have ever tried to write a Christian Testimony.
-----I am still not finished writing my Testimony. This is a concept radically different than my upbringing ( I may have first heard the term this summer). I want this to sincerely mean something.

Beef and Beer Stew
Slow Cooker Winter Vegetable Stew
Slow Cooker Classic Beef Stew
Rustic Slow Cooker Stew

We have purchased the ingredients:
Hopi Corn Stew. Possibly an authentic recipe.We will be making it in the slow cooker and adding rice, The next time we try this recipe, we might add beer.
Pizza Arizona
Arizona Sun-Dried Tomato Chili

Gerber has upset us. :-(

This is sad and scary. I am frustrated with Gerber.
I kid you not, I am calling Gerber as I have found what was definitely mold in the lids of baby food jars three times this month....two of those being yesterday and today.

We are now going to switch to Beechnut...but I have at least a couple hundred Gerber jars, 10 Gerber smoothies, a couple Gerber Grabbers and many boxes of the rice cereal. :-(

The moldy-lidded-jars all expired in 2013, all had the "pop" when opened and were stored well. I did notice that the first was hard to open. The second moldy one had a dent on the lid and was hard to open. No other anomalies.

Ham, pears and bananas. I don't know what store....we buy baby food primarily from Walmart but also two HyVees.

THE QUEEN'S MEME.....

1. In a traditional Dragon or Lion Dance, the loud drums and cymbals are thought to chase out evil spirits. How do you do YOUR traditional Dragon Dance to drive out any evil in your life? (Do you dance with dragons?......or just old Elvis records....inquiring minds want to know)
I dance to music that usually helps....I have eclectic music tastes so it can be anything from Glen Miller to John Lennon to the Aggrotech band "Grendel." Sometimes taking a shower helps. When angry, I tend to start cleaning and cleaning and cleaning. I try to attend two online prayer groups each evening.



2. Have you experienced any good or bad omens this year?
I do not believe in such. As far as how the year is going....it has been mixed. There have already been many blessings and good times. There have been some less-than-nice people. I am worried about my Mother.
 ---I have decided to look into joining MADD this year. Our New Year started with great fun but then turned scary. We (myself,Husband,Little One and our good friend) were heading home from Walmart where we had gone to walk off the dinner we had at a diner...it was about an hour and fourteen minutes after midnight and the roads were pretty much EMPTY. All of a sudden what we could only assume was a drunk driver came halfway into our lane. They were doing at least 50 in a 35! Husband would have been badly hurt or dead, if there was a (head-on) impact. I am so thankful that my Husband is a good and quick-thinking driver.

3. I believe that good fortune has more to do with personal integrity, honesty and character than ancient symbolism. Treating people the way you would want to be treated goes a long way in warding off that pesky negative Karma.  Dragons are considered evil creatures according to European culture , but in Chinese culture the dragon symbolizes supernatural power and goodness. Which one do you believe? Or would you rather just try the good ole' Golden Rule.......

I believe in the Golden Rule and wish everyone else did. I do not like people that show no respect for others...especially when you have been only respectful and nice to them.


4. Chinese couples will attempt to have "Dragon babies" in the year 2012. In order to take advantage of astrological predictions of wealth and success, name one thing you should attempt to "birth" that could bring you good luck.
Again I don't believe in such. I want to be super-organized in the things I do online. I occasionally do paid reviews on this blog and I am going to be a deskman for DarkestGoth Magazine which premiers in June. I was going to culinary school in the Fall but have decided it will be best if I continue to pursue that study through my own efforts (which includes a lot of online studying which is easy to get disorganized or sidetracked on). I also may be taking a social marketing opportunity at some point. There is just to much info to keep track of on the computer in this day and age.


5. You are in charge of the Chinese New Year Parade in your town. Who will ride on the first float?
If he were alive, Don Ho....singing "Tiny Bubbles."  Since he died in 2007, I suppose a person dressed up as Snarf from the "Thundercats."



6.  What is your favorite Chinese food?
Kung Pao chicken.



7. Chinese people often think of themselves as descendants of the mythical Dragon creature. Do you have any mythical creatures in your family closet?
None. Little One is particularly fond of his stuffed dinosaur, a Christmas teddy bear and Spot (the dog) from the Eric Hill stories.

My second-favorite dragon sculpture.

See more from this artist.....

PARTICIPATE IN THE QUEEN'S MEME. :-)

UNCONSCIOUS MUTTERINGS.....

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Rivals ::
Muhammad Ali....Cassius Marcellus Clay. Bitter rivals. Arch enemies. Sibling rivalry. Coke vs. Pepsi...that reminds me, I haven't found a good cooking-with-soda-pop recipe lately and I should start a "CookingWithSodaPop" board on Pinterest. "There can be only one."
2. Automatically ::
Automatically...writing what comes to mind for this memory. "Automatic writing" in the spiritism sense, is scary. Don't automatically assume. "Well this car is automatic, it's systematic, it's hydromatic. Why it's greased lightnin'!"
3. Bathroom ::
The little girls' room...to powder your nose. In movies, and on TV, the bathroom is always the place to go for an impromptu,urgent conversation.  Women going to the bathroom together. Toilet paper is expensive. I do not like public bathrooms.
4. Jerk ::
A dance. Jerked meat. Dennis Leary...I'm an asshole...A-S-S-H-O-L-E. 
5. Preference ::
Dark meat or white with chicken. Would you prefer to tell them, or should I? Preference Hair Color. Personal preference. They are retiring one of the lines of preference...."Dream Blonde" or something like that.
6. Parenting ::
My issues of Parenting Magazine have not been arriving and it is supposed to be a 3-year subscription.
7. Helmet ::
Thor's helmet. Football helmet. Motorcycle helmet and all the people who don't want to wear one.
8. Wave ::
Doing "The Wave" at football games. Little One is so cute when waving at people.Wavy Gravy. Ocean Waves.
9. Judo ::
10. Flat tire ::
I know two people who have gotten a flat tire in the past week.

PARTICIPATE IN UNCONSCIOUS MUTTERINGS. :-)
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 How to Change a Flat Tire
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 Remember:
Increased U.S. Postal Rates take effect today!

Saturday 9.....

1. Do you live close to where you grew up? Why?

I stay within the realm of arranging travel as there are many illnesses in the family. 

2. Have you ever been so angry that you almost lost control?

Yes, once. It was in reaction to someone who made a daily habit of LOUDLY and grossly provoking others. Among other maddening things, everyone they encountered knew way too much of this person's personal life and exploits. Not one person I knew (who knew them) was left out of being a target either for messing with or trying to shock. I hope things have changed as this person had so much potential to do good with their chosen career-path.                   

3. Are you a fan of a musical act that slightly embarrasses you?

I like "Nod Your Head" by Paul McCartney and "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins" sung by Leonard Nimoy. Some of the older New Kids on the Block music.   

4. Is there a movie that always makes you cry?

Anything where someone dies...particularly if it is similar to tragedies I have experienced with loved ones.

5. Who is the most famous person that you've met?

Alice Peacock.
I am friends with members of bands in the Christian Goth scene.
Eric Clayton.
One of the Miss America's.  

6. Before you leave your home, what must you have?

Keys, diaper bag. miniature Bible kept in the diaper bag, cell phone, pen and paper

7. What do you miss the most about being a kid?

Learning new things all day and being healthy enough to run in the sunshine. I may have asthma and I have leg issues. I don't want to jog...I mean run with wild abandon. 

8. Tell us about a passion of yours that your readers would not expect.

I want to have my Little One visit all 48 of the continental United States in some meaningful way at least once before adulthood. We have visited 5 last year and have plans  for others this year.

9. At what age do you think you'd be to think, “I've had a great run”?

As in being ready to die? I don't know. 

PARTICIPATE IN SATURDAY 9. :-)

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IKEA high chair recall.
This goes back to 2006!