Home Remedy -- Sore Throat

Good day.  It's time for another Home Remedy.    

Sore Throat

• Mix 1 tsp. lime juice and 1 Tbls. honey. Swallow tiny amounts slowly 2-3 times a day.
• Mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria.

Yesterday I made pork roast, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and rolls for dinner.  Once again, we fixed Rylies plate and she said "I don't like that" as she pointed at the cut up pork on her plate.  She was reminded that, if she wanted a stamp on her chart, she needed to at least take a bite and try it.

She did after a few minutes of "I don't like it" and "Just take one bite".  Of course, once again, as soon as she took a bite she said "I like it!"  However, we were not successful at getting her to try the sauerkraut.  LOL  I can't say as I blame her, it is something that I didn't develop a taste for until I was older.

Her father even told me that he never used to like it.  Until I made it for him.  He couldn't stand the taste of it.  I add a wee bit of sugar to it though which takes the sour taste down a bit.

I wish I had been this clever and sneaky with the older kids.  Of course, with Christopher I just need to put ketchup on his plate and I'll be danged if he didn't dip almost everything he ate into it.  Of course, when he was little he would always remind me if I forgot to put the ketchup out.  "Mom, I need ketchup for my chicken".  He called all meat, whether it was pork or whatever, chicken.

So once again, "YEA for the chart!"  I finally feel as though I have a leg up on the parenting thing.  Everytime that Rylie and I begin to butt heads I remind her of the chart.  "If you want me to give you a stamp, you need to pick up your toys" or "If you continue to behave like that mommy is going to have to put a sad face on the chart".  It is almost always a quick end to what would have been a battle in the, not too distant, past.

Is it bribery?  Or perhaps manipulation?  I don't know and I'm not really too sure that I care at this time.  All I know is that it is working.  As far as I am concerned, I will use anything that helps me to raise this child with the least amount of "friction" or head butting.  

I feel as though the chart helps to instill a sense of pride in my child.  At the end of the week she can look at the chart and "see" all that she accomplished.  She learns to help us out around the house which is teaching her how to pitch in and be responsible.  She is actually doing something to earn money ($1.50, I think that is age appropriate) every week rather than just being handed money for no reason at all. 

We are also teaching her that you can NOT spend all your money, you have to have savings.  She has to put at least one third of her allowance into her savings account.  She can spend one dollar at the store, if she wants to.  Although, after doing this for 3 weeks, so far all her money has gone into her piggy bank.

I'd like to believe that by doing this Rylie will grow up to be someone who takes pride in working hard.  That she will be responsible with her money.  That someone won't have to ask her for help, she will be one who see's when something needs to be done and she will be one of the first to pitch in because it's the right thing to do.

Hmm, I'm asking a lot of a simple chart, aren't I?  It's not just the chart though.  There is a lot that we, as her parents, need to do to back it all up.  The chart is simply a starting point which will help us to teach her these things.  God, please give us the patience & knowledge we will need to raise this little girl into a strong, independent and responsible young woman.

Movie update-It may take a wee bit longer.  There were a lot of photographs that I couldn't use because of the length of the song that I chose to use.  So I'm thinking about doing another mini-movie at the end of the first one.  I just need to get some pictures from my brothers and then I can get to work on it.        

Have a wonderful day. 
Welcome to any new readers & hugs to all my friends! 

Tags: home remedy, sore throat, kids, allowance, chores, responsibility

Kitchen tip--Honey & "I don't like that"

Hello.  Here's a bit of information about using honey. 

About Honey:
To substitute honey for sugar in recipes, start by substituting
up to half of the sugar called for. With a little experimentation,
honey can replace all the sugar in some recipes.

When baking with honey, remember the following:
Reduce any liquid called for by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey used.
Add l/2 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used.
Reduce oven temperature by 25 F to prevent over-browning.

Because of its high fructose content, honey has a higher
sweetening power than sugar. This means you can use less honey
than sugar to achieve the desired sweetness.

When measuring honey, coat the measuring cup with non-stick
cooking spray or vegetable oil before adding the honey.
The honey will slide right out.

To retain honey's wonderfully luxuriant texture, always store
it at room temperature; never in the refrigerator. If your honey
becomes cloudy, don't worry. It's just crystallization, a natural
process. Place your honey jar in warm water until the crystals
disappear. If you're in a hurry, place it in a microwave-safe
container and heat it in the microwave on HIGH for 2-3 minutes,
stirring every 30 seconds. Remember, never boil or scorch honey.

Last night I made Salisbury steaks and mashed potatoes and salad.  I don't really care for it but Ray really likes it, so I just had salad.  Well, the first thing out of Rylies mouth, as she pointed to the salisbury steak on Rays plate, was "I don't like that!" 

Hm, okay.  So I tell her "Well, if you want your stamp for eating dinner tonight, you have to take at least one bite."  To which she says "I don't like it."  I said, "You've never tried it.  You don't have to take one bite, but then you won't get your stamp."

Well, she thought for a couple seconds and decided she would try a bite of the terrible looking meat.  "Oh!  I like that!"  LOL  Baby girl ended up eating almost half a piece of salisbury steak, with ketchup and mustard, and got her stamp for eating dinner. 

I've been working on my family movie and it's looking pretty good.  I'm going to try to convert it and put it on a disk tonight.  I guess I won't need the whole 2 weeks to find the right song.  When I get it done I'll post it on here so ya'll can watch it.

Have a great day. 
Welcome to any new readers & hugs to all my friends! 

Tags: kitchen tips, honey, picky eater

Cleaning/Laundry Tip--Down Comforters & Jackets

Happy Tuesday!  Time for another cleaning/laundry tip.  Depending on the size of your comforter, you may want to take it to the laundromat where they have the oversize load washing machines.  Sure, you may be able "shove" it all into your washer at home, but if there isn't much room for agitation, how clean do you think it will get?

Down Comforters / Jackets: These can, indeed, be washed rather than dry cleaned. Any stains, such as the grime on the cuffs of a jacket, should be spot-cleaned with a pre-treater, then rinsed with water. Wash the item in the gentle cycle with mild detergent. The key is to ensure the down is rinsed extremely well. Then, place in the dryer rather than line drying. This allows the feathers to plump up again. Place large knotted towels or tennis balls in the dryer with it to help fluff the down. The only caution is, if the item has weak seams or fragile fabric it could "explode" and leave you with only down. If there are stains remaining, place it (on a blanket) outdoors in full sunshine for a day or two. This often helps. If not, at least your comforter will have that outdoor fresh smell.

If your going to put it in the sun to get some stains out, then I would recommend putting some lemon juice on the stain.  The combination of the sun and lemon juice may "bleach" the stain.

Have a great day. 
Welcome to any new readers & hugs to all my friends! 

Tags: cleaning, laundry, down comforter, down coat, down jacket, washing

Recipe--A few casserole recipes

Good Morning!  The great thing about casseroles is that you could make them up the night before and pop them in the refrigerator.  Then the next day the kids or hubby can turn on the oven and stick it in for you if you're going to be coming home late.  Serve with a simple salad, some bread & butter, and you've got a meal.

BEEF NOODLE CASSEROLE
1/2 of a 1 lb. pkg. egg noodles, uncooked
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped red or green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 (10 3/4 oz) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen peas and carrots, thawed
1 1/2 cup milk
1 (8 oz) container sour cream
1 cup (4oz) shredder cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
Cook noodles as pkg. directs; drain. In dutch oven, over medium heat, brown ground beef; pour off fat. Add peppers and onion; cook and stir till tender. Stir in noodles, then remaining ingredients, except cheese. Cook and stir till heated through; top with cheese. Serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers.

For added crunch, add 1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained.

TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE

4 ounces dried medium noodles
1 9-1/4-ounce can tuna (water-packed)
1 tablespoon margarine or butter, melted
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1 10-ounce package frozen cut green beans
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped green or red sweet pepper
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules
1 clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups fat-free milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup shredded American or process Swiss cheese (2 ounces)

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, drain and flake tuna. Toss the bread crumbs with margarine or butter; set aside.
3. In a large saucepan combine frozen green beans, mushrooms, green or red pepper, onion, celery, water, bouillon granules, and garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer about 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
4. Meanwhile, stir together milk, cornstarch, and dry mustard. Stir into vegetable mixture. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat, then stir in cheese until melted. Stir in noodles and tuna.
5. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture around outside edge of casserole. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until bread crumbs are golden. Makes 6 servings.

I think I prefer the simplicity of the first recipe.  So I'd use that recipe, remove the peppers, replace Tuna for the Hamburger and ...viola!  Tuna casserole.

SPAGHETTI CASSEROLE

1/2 lb spaghetti
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 can (10 1/2 oz) cream of mushroom soup
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed tomato soup
1 soup can of water
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup shredded processed cheese

DIRECTIONS
Cook spaghetti in 4 quarts boiling water 7-8 minutes. Drain and rinse. Brown beef and cook onion and pepper in butter until tender; stir to separate meat particles. Add soups, water and garlic; heat. Blend with 1/2 cup cheese and cooked spaghetti in a 3 quart casserole; top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbling and hot. Serves 4-6.

SWISS & CHICKEN CASSEROLE
4 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey
2 cups croutons
1 - 1/2 cups Kraft Shredded Swiss Cheese
1 cup sliced celery
2/3 cup Miracle Whip or Miracle Whip Light Dressing
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped onion

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients.
SPOON into 2-qt. casserole.
BAKE 40 min. or until heated through.

That Swiss & Chicken recipe comes from Kraft...I don't know...it just sounds like it needs something more.  Noodles, vegetables...something. 

ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND SPINACH CASSEROLE
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
Makes 6 servings  Prep: 25 min.  Bake: 35 min.
INGREDIENTS
3/4  pound fresh Italian sausage links
2  10-ounce packages fresh spinach, cooked and well drained, or two 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1  19- or 15-ounce can white kidney beans (cannellini) or great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1   small red onion, finely chopped
3/4  cup evaporated skim milk
1/2  cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1  teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
1  tablespoon lemon juice
1/4  teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8  teaspoon pepper
1/3  cup fine dry bread crumbs
2   cloves garlic, minced
4  teaspoons margarine or butter, melted
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large skillet cook sausage over medium heat about 8 minutes or until no pink remains, turning often. Drain on paper towels. Slice into bite-size pieces.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine cooked sausage, spinach, beans, onion, milk, 1/4 cup of the Romano or Parmesan cheese, lemon peel, lemon juice, nutmeg, and pepper. Transfer mixture to a greased 2-quart oval or square baking dish.
3. For topping, in a small mixing bowl combine bread crumbs, remaining 1/4 cup of the Romano or Parmesan cheese, garlic, and melted margarine or butter; sprinkle atop casserole. Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degrees F oven for 35 minutes or until heated through. Makes 6 servings.

Well, if you try one of these recipes please come back and let me know what you thought of it.  I did try the spaghetti casserole once.  It was alright, but the sauce didn't really taste too spaghetti-ie...I don't know.  If I make it again I'll probably kick it up a little by adding some more seasoning. 

Speaking of recipes.  Remember when I posted the "Boy Scout Coca-Cola Chicken" recipe?  It was too funny, the ol' man and I were watching some Ramsay re-runs (we just recently discovered his show on the BBC channel).  Well, he went to this restaurant in Ireland or somewhere called Oscar's.  The chef was making ribs cooked in ketchup and Coke.  LOL  Ramsay about had a cow.

Well, I kind of laughed to myself thinking how I had this recipe and was going to make the Boy Scout chicken.  Well, the day I did it Ray (the ol' man) about went off on me.  "Ramsay say's you don't do that..." blah, blah, blah!  I turned and said "Is Ramsay here?  Are you paying me for this dinner?  Tell ol' Ramsay to come in and teach me how to cook proper then!"  LOL  Oh I went off on my lil' Ray-say (<shortened version of "Ray say's Ramsay say's) 

When he pay's me 30,000 pound (I'll take the pound, euro, dollar, whatever) a year to cook, then he can expect to tell me what to do in the kitchen.  I mean what the heck?  I don't attempt to tell him how to install a furnace.  Where did he get the idea he could even come into my kitchen, much less tell me how to do things.

Anyway...back to the Boy Scout Chicken...it was lame.  LOL  I wouldn't waste the meat fixing it again.  I don't know.  I didn't have REAL Coca-cola and used a generic version of cola.  Maybe that was it.  But I was not real thrilled with the taste of it.  It wasn't absolutely terrible.  But it wasn't really tasty either.  So on this one...I have to agree with Ramsay.  However, Ray-say still is NOT allowed in my kitchen.  LOL

Have a great day. 
Welcome to any new readers & hugs to all my friends! 

Tags: recipe, casserole, beef noodle, tuna, spaghetti, chicken, italian sausage, spinach, Gordon Ramsay,

A little something different--Song Challenge

I've been visiting other journals that have weekly challenges and all kinds of neat things when I thought "That's it!  That is how I will solve my problem."

Here is what I've been working on.  I've scanned tons of old family pictures and have been wanting to make a cd of them to music.  The thing is, I've been stuck on this for months because I can't find the right song.  The cd will start with some childhood pictures of my mom and dad, go into their elopement and then our family pictures.

I'd really like to get this done before Feb. 29th.  It is also the anniversary of my fathers death.  Literally the first, since he died on the 29th in 2004, and that is a Leap Year. 

It's been a challenge for me because there are a lot of great songs out there that I really love.  However, my father was a bit of a, ummm, "difficult" man.  Let's just put it this way, for the first 20 some years of my life he was a drinker and had quite a temper.  However, that doesn't change the fact that he was our dad.  He had a major impact on our lives, good and bad.  He did the best he could with what he knew.

I can't find the right song.  So if you have any ideas submit them in an entry titled "Song Challenge" with a link to this entry.  Come back here and leave a comment with the link to your submission.  It would be great if you could include the song lyrics in your entry and perhaps, if you can, a link to listen to the song. 

Best yet, but not absolutely necessary is if you have the song in your collection.  That way if I choose it and it's not something I have you could send me a copy of it.  Although if it is the absolute perfect song, I won't mind going to buy a copy of the cd to get the song.

Even if you don't have a song to submit, please share this Song Challenge with everyone you know.  The more who participate, the more likely I am to find that perfect song. 

In the meantime, I'll be working on a little something (a graphic) for the winner of this Challenge.  I'm going to give this 2 weeks and hopefully I will be able to find the perfect song for my cd by then.  Thank you for taking the time to read this and taking up my challenge.

Welcome to any newcomers & hugs to all my friends!

P.S. ~ Some great ideas already.  I am using Windows Movie maker.  I can just drag the pictures I've scanned and put them in whatever order.  I can then also drag a music clip and put it in the program.  I can set the pictures to play (show) for however long I want to, so that if a certain line comes up I can play a particular picture longer, if I choose to. 

I used this program to create a great movie for my father-in-laws funeral.  I was then able to make duplicate DVD's so we could give a copy to all of the brothers.  I want to make this DVD to celebrate the life of my parents together to give to my Mom and brothers.

 

Tags: song challenge

Black and White...mostly

It's always great to have someone new come and leave a comment or two.  This week it was Dan from Slapinions.  So I wandered over to take a peek at Dans journal.  By doing that I found Krissy's weekly photo shoot in her journal at Sometimes I Think.  This week the subject is "Black and White". 

Perfect!  I love black and white pictures!  First, there is this picture that I found just this year.  I'd never seen it before.  It is my mother and I sitting on a lawn chair back when I was probably 3 or 4.  Just about Rylies age.  So I'm going to share that one first.

And no...that is not a cigarette in my mouth.  Apparently I was chewing on my hood string.  Don't ask...it was years ago and I have no idea why.  LOL

The next one is a picture I took of Rylie this Christmas.  I converted it to black and white.  However, I love her blue eyes and couldn't bear to change those too, so I left them blue, although they look so blue gray in this picture so their color is a wee bit hard to see.

Well, that's it.  My Black and White photo shoot.  That was fun.  I'll have to be sure to go back and participate again.

Have a great weekend and be safe!

Welcome to any newcomers & hugs to all my friends!

aoljflickrAdd, aoljflickrAdd_3

Quit smoking home remedies

Good afternoon.  I've been living with this headache since Monday.  Yesterday was the worse, I was nauseous all day long and slept a lot to avoid the pain.  I haven't had a headache (migraine) like this in years.  It seems to be pinpointed over my left eye at this time and I am patiently waiting for it to go away.

Here are several remedies I have found to help one try to kick the smoking habit.

Diet Methods to Stop Smoking

By changing your dietary lifestyle, you can make an effort to quit smoking. The following guidelines can be followed:-

- Do not consume more of acidic foods. Increase the quantity of alkaline foods in the diet. This changes the food preferences of the taste buds and helps them to adapt themselves to the de-addiction. Foods such as raisins, beets, lima beans, dandelion, etc. are very good for people who are giving up smoking.  Other foods that may make  it easier for you to quit smoking by increasing your body alkalinity are spinach, beet greens, figs, and almonds.

- Have a good amount of vitamin C intake. This increases the hormones that help the body strengthen. Have a glass of orange juice or grapefruit juice twice daily.

- Sweet foods also help a bit to reduce the urge for smoking. Honey must be liberally used in the diet in different forms.

- Keep your food well supplemented with sources of proteins, amino acids and all the different kinds of vitamins.

- Have a glassful of water with a teaspoon of baking soda in it with every meal. This not only helps to digest the meal properly, but it also helps to reduce the urge for smoking after the meal.

- Increase your daily water intake to help eliminate the toxins from your body.

Home Remedies to Quit Smoking

- Whenever you feel the urge of smoking, eat something salty, or lick a little salt with the tip of your tongue. Your craving will go away. If you do this every time you feel like smoking, you will be totally cured of the addiction.

- Grate some radish, strain it and extract its juice. Mix some honey in it. Have this juice twice a day. This is a good remedy for raising the body’s tenacity against smoking.

- Licorice sticks have a placebo effect on smokers. Smokers like to have something in their mouths. So, some experts suggest them to chomp on licorice sticks. These are safe substitutes for the cigarettes. Putting some chocolates in the mouth also help to reduce the urge of smoking. But excessive chocolates are dangerous to health in other respects.

- Chew on sugarcane stubs as a substitute for cigarettes. Sugarcane stubs are very harmless, and their sweet taste helps to reduce the urge for smoking.

- Aromatic oils and fragrances are very good for smokers. A massage with aromatherapy oils can really go a long way in curbing the smokers’ urges.

- When there is nothing around, experts also suggest a certain breathing therapy to stop the craving for cigarettes. When you have an urge, sit down in a calm place. Take ten slow and deep breaths. By doing so, you are stimulating your respiratory system. This will slowly help your urge for smoking to subside.

- Foreign herbs such as valerian, chamomile, hops, skullcap, lobelia and peppermint are also very beneficial in suppressing the urge for smoking.

- In the southeastern United States, particurally in Appalachia, people who want to stop smoking chew on a birch branch to help curb the oral fixation related to the smoking habit.

- You may have heard about offices in Japan circulating essential oils of Lemon, Peppermint and Cypress through the air conditioning systems to keep office workers alert. Well, an interesting side effect, it seemed to reduce their urge to smoke..

Welcome to any newcomers & hugs to all my friends!

Tags: quit smoking, home remedies

Cleaning/Laundry Tip--Keeping shirts/blouses clean

Good Morning!  It's Tuesday which means another cleaning/laundry tip.  This is for those of you who have shirts or blouses to wash. 

Deodorant Stains on the Underarms of Washable Shirts: Sponge on white vinegar (or soak stain in it); wait 30 minutes. Launder shirts in the hottest water safe for the fabric. Using an enzyme detergent or a detergent with bleach alternative check care labels to be sure this is okay). I sometimes put liquid laundry detergent right on the area, leave it for five to ten minutes, then wash. To prevent: Let deodorant dry before dressing. And don't let stains sit! Apply pre-wash spray or liquid detergent ASAP, then launder. Every third or fourth washing, use the hottest water safe for the shirts.

Perspiration Stains/Odor: Soak the stained shirt in equal parts ammonia and water and add a few tablespoons of liquid dish soap and let soak overnight. Then, wash the shirts as usual.

 

Soiled Shirt Collars: Take a small brush (another good use for an old toothbrush) and brush hair shampoo into soiled shirt collars before laundering. Shampoo is made to dissolve body oils.

I'd like to share my horoscope from The Daily OM with ya'll.  It just seems so appropriate at this time.

January 22, 2008
Abundant Perceptions
Capricorn Daily Horoscope

You might feel envious of others today. You could find yourself imagining that the grass is greener elsewhere, and this could cause resentment about the abundant lives of others. Rather than getting mired in thoughts of lack, youmight think about turning your thoughts around by focusing on abundance. If you take a look at your own life today, you will notice the blessings that surround you. Making an effort to focus on your positive qualities will make you happier and feel more at peace, regardless of your material possessions or financial status. Appreciate your inner worth and you will see how rich you already are.

Our level of abundance is directly in proportion to the goodness we choose to see in our lives. The perception that others have more abundant lives than we do is what usually makes our lives seem lacking. Since we tend to create more of what we focus on in life, we can serve ourselves by turning our attention to the goodness in our lives. This encourages the perception of abundance, even if we don’t have any more than we did originally. The more we focus on our blessings and affirm our wealth and abundance, the more abundance we will create in our lives. Your abundance will increase today as you choose to adopt the perception that you already have an abundant life.

I don't spend alot of time being envious of others.  There isn't much to envy.  I have 4 beautiful children and I live with my soulmate.  I lived the life of having money, and ya know what?  I was miserable. 

Don't get me wrong.  The life we live is not an everyday walk in the park.  We have our ups and downs.  A lot less since the older kids have grown up andand matured and don't want us each back with their other biological parent. 

However, we have a roof over our heads.  We have food in the cupboards.  We have children that we love.  We've each lost our fathers, but we still have our mothers.  Neither one of us has lost a sibling (Thank God) and our children are all healthy.   

I love my ol' man and I know he loves me more than any women he's been with.  I don't have to ask him because he has proven it to me again and again.  We've been blessed with this mind thing...where one of us thinks of something and the other one either starts to do it or says it out loud.  (Rylie's first name was one of those mind connections) 

We haven't been blessed with money or material things.  But we have been blessed in so many ways.  Ways that are so much more valuable than money alone.  He has had a major impact on my life and the way I view the world.  I know he feels the difference and positive impact I've had on his life.  We both have someone we can love and trust and that is a pretty amazing thing.

The only time things have ever gotten difficult between us is when there has been interference from others.  People unhappy with their own lives or situations and they feel the need to attack us.  I've learned to recognize those people for what they really are...pitifully sad humans who lack true love and happiness in their lives.  One of my new resolutions is to try harder not to let those people affect me.  They are to be pitied, nothing more. 

Anyway, where was I going with this?  LOL(I'm rambling again)  I think it is important to see what we have in our lives that is truly important, the most valuable things aren't  materialistic.  I know how rich I am.  Do you? 

I keep hearing all these "smart" folks on tv talking about a recession possibly beginning.  I don't know where they live, but Ray works at the same job he did 8 years ago and makes about $5,000 less than he did in 2000.  It's been a recession around here for awhile now. 

We know where we stand financially, probably in the somewhere amongst the low income families.  But even though we may not be rich (in the bank) we are rich in so many other ways, and that is what is truly important.

Welcome to any newcomers & hugs to all my friends!

Tags: cleaning, laundry, tip, shirt stains, collar stains, shirt odor

Dr Phil--Real life gossip girls

Did anyone else watch the Dr Phil episode today (Monday) about "Real Life Gossip Girls"? I am shocked and disgusted. What is going on with these kids? An even more important question is where are the parents of these children and what the heck are they thinking?

The first story in the episode is what really bothers me the most. It is about a group of 13-14 year old cheerleaders. They had a slumber party and when one of the girls was in the shower, one girl went to the front of the shower curtain to distract the girl while another girl went to the back end of the curtain and took a picture of this child with a cell phone. They then went and sent the picture to a boy on the football team. Of course, as children do the boy forwarded the picture on and it was sent to many children at the school.

Originally the 2 girls responsible for this vile act were suspended for 3 days. Under the rules of the cheer squad they were then removed from the team for being suspended. The parents didn't even seem to realize that their children had actually been responsible for making and trafficking child porn. Much less the damage that they had done to this other little girl. They actually began a fight for their childrens right to remain on the cheer squad. What in the blazes were they thinking?

How would they have felt if the nude picture had been taken of their child and then sent out? How can they fight for their childrens right to remain on the team when their child violated the rights of this little girl in such a vile manner?

In my opinion, children who are on teams, etc., at school are to be held up to a certain standard. That is why there are rules such as being removed from the team if you are suspended. The other children in the school look up to kids on the football team, the cheer squad, etc. If they do something seriously wrong then they need to be held accountable for it, just as any student would be, and be punished for it.

One (lame) argument used, by the offending childrens parents, is that the actions (the picture taking and sending) were not done on school grounds or during school hours. Well, often students do things outside of school and its hours of operation. This should not be an excuse for non-punishment. If a student is 10 feet away from the school 10 minutes after school is out and begins beating another child does that mean that the school shouldn't descipline the child? I think not!

Even if the school didn't think it should be responsible for dispcipline, then the PARENTS still need to discipline these children! By fighting for their childrens rights rather than punishing them, the parents are telling these kids that it is okay to take nude pictures of children (or whatever the problem may be) and sending out child pornography! Not only do I find the actions of these girls vile and disgusting, I find the parents (of the girls responsible) vile, disgusting and irresponsible.

So what would I have done if one of my children had done something as vile as this? I would have taken her/him off the cheer squad myself! They would have had their cell phone taken away. They would have been grounded for at least 3 months. That means no computer, no phone (not even the house phone), no nights out. They would have gone to school and come home. The most fun they would have had for 3 months was doing their homework and washing the dishes!

Severe? Yes! But that is how you deal with serious problems. And taking a nude picture of a child is definately a serious problem. The parents of those vile little girls are going to find an even bigger problem on their hands as these girls grow up and think that the world owes them something and they think that they are not going to be held responsible for their actions. They are going to grow up to be the type of girls that people look at and think "Thank God that's not my child".

Whew!  I love having a place to vent my feelings and opinions.  LOL

Jill Marie

Tags: Dr Phil, gossip, girls, naked cheerleader picture, irresponsible parents, bad behavior, vile teens

Recipe--Old-fashioned beef stew

Good morning!  I hope ya'll had a great weekend.  It was so cold around here so we just stayed inside most of the weekend.  Yep, we just hibernated all weekend.  With the weather being so cold I thought I would post a yummy cold weather recipe.  Beef stew.  This is one I took from somewhere off the internet last year with a few other crockpot recipes.

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew
Prep: 25 min. Cook: 10 hours
Ingredients
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound beef or pork stew meat, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2-1/2 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup frozen cut green beans*
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn*
1 cup sliced carrot
1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
2 teaspoons instant beef bouillon granules
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram or basil, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
2-1/2 cups vegetable juice or hot-style vegetable juice  
Directions
1. Place flour in a plastic bag. Add meat cubes and shake until meat is coated with flour. In a large skillet brown half of the meat in 1 tablespoon of the hot oil, turning to brown evenly. Brown remaining meat in remaining oil. Drain off fat.
2. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart crockery cooker layer potatoes, green beans, corn, carrot, and onion. Add meat. Add bouillon granules, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, marjoram, pepper, and bay leaf. Pour vegetable juice over all.
3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours or on high-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf. Ladle into bowls. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

 

*Note: If you like, substitute 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables for the beans and corn.
For a 6-quart cooker: Recipe may be doubled.

When we first moved in here, 7 and a half years ago, the first thing I did was start cleaning and painting.  We bought the place from an older couple and it was all 1970's style decorations.  The first 2 rooms I did was our bedroom and the master bath. 

I really like the colors blue, yellow and white together.  So I put a periwinkle blue and white stripe wall paper on 2 of our bedroom walls and painted the 2 walls with paneling white.  In the bathroom I painted 2 walls and the sink base (2 doors and 3 drawers) blue with white trim.  The other 2 walls I painted white, but later painted them yellow. 

We have a garden tub with a little recessed ceiling area.  I painted that blue and then I did some sponging to try to make it look like clouds.  I really liked that look, for awhile.  Then after a few years it got a bit stale on me and I realized that it just looked...sponged.  Boring.

So this past Thursday I got that redecorating bug again.  However, I needed to keep it very low budget.  So I went to the Family dollar and grabbed a gallon of white paint for ten bucks.  A new curtain for our bedroom for ten bucks.  And a package of tan and white tiles for...yep, ten bucks.  LOL  Okay, actually the paint was $10.25 and the curtain was $9.99. 

Well, I'm sure ya'll are wondering how I liked that dollar store paint.  Mm hm, well, it would have been alright if I weren't painting over periwinkle blue walls.  LOL  It took about 4 coats.  Thank goodness I didn't paint all of the walls in there blue.  I also repainted the sink cabinet white.

Then I began working on my ceiling above the garden tub.  I think it looks much better, although it was hard to get a good picture of it.  I did it in small portions.  I would tap paint with the brush onto the ceiling in "cloud" shapes.  Then I took a rag and began pouncing in the center of the wet paint and moving further out and continuing past the edge of the wet paint.  Then I went and did the same thing to the front of the doors and drawers on the sink cabinet.

The only thing left to do is remove the 30-some year old yellow carpet and put down the new tiles.  I can't wait.  The white paint gives the room a more open feelingand makes it just seem cleaner and fresh.  I'm really pleased with the results.  Here are some pictures of my little project all done.

The ceiling above the garden tub.

Looking at the window, the tub is to the right.  I need to get some new sheer curtains for that window.  Those are about 10 years old and they gotten a bit out of shape with all the washings.  I didn't even notice that they were hanging so oddly until I took this picture.

The wall opposite the bathroom sink.  The "towel rack" on the right side is actually a wine rack but I thought it would make a really cool towel rack.

Next I'm going to keep my eyes open for some new wall paper for the two walls in our bedroom.  Or maybe I'll just paint them.  I'd also like to get a new window for our bedroom.  Then one that is in there is just "weak".  It really needs to be replaced.  We can't even open it.  Several years ago during a rainstorm the water just began flowing into our room and the window was shut.  So we had to caulk the entire window just to keep it water tight.

I'm gonna have to measure that window, keep the measurements in my purse and keep my eyes open for a window on sale.  Or maybe, some rich uncle that I don't know about will leave me some money in his Will and I will be able to get a new window AND new carpet!  Hey, a girl can dream!  LOL

Have a wonderful week. 
Welcome to any newcomers & hugs to all my friends!

Tags: beef stew recipe

aoljflickrAdd, aoljflickrAdd_12

Home remedy-- Smelly Feet

Good Morning!  Thursday seems such a "hopeful" day to me.  It means just one more day until Friday.  Then 2 whole days spent with my honey. 

Smelly Feet

•  Soak feet in strong tea for 20 minutes every day until the smell disappears. To prepare your footbath, brew two tea bags in 2 1/2 cups of water for 15 minutes and pour the tea into a basin containing two liters of cool water.

You could also use this cleaning/household tip.

Smelly Shoes

• Simply fill a tube sock with kitty litter, baking soda, or tea leaves; tie the end closed; and place the filled socks in the shoes when you're not wearing them. These sachets can be used over and over in any kind of shoe.

I remember when we were kids my mom wouldn't buy us leather or vinyl tennis shoes.  She said they made our feet sweat and then the shoes really stank.  I think it was her imagination and way of keeping the cost of buying shoes for us kids down.  LOL  She would take us to Big N or K-mart and buy us those bright blue and white nylon shoes. 

We didn't like them, but what could we do?  She was the parent.  She bought the shoes and that was what she told us we were getting.  So I'm left to wonder about kids and shoes these days.  How is it that kids are able to wear these shoes that cost over a hundred dollars?!  I think the shoes mom bought us were under $10. 

Where are parents coming up with this kind of money?  And why do they think it is necessary to spend this amount of money on shoes?  I just don't get it.  I think it is stupid and ridiculous to spend that kind of money on one pair of shoes.  Do you know what I could do with that kind of money?  I could feed my family for 10-14 days.  I could pay my phone bill and fill up both our cars with that kind of money.  I could buy my daughter 8-10 pair of shoes at payless.  Maybe more if they are having a sale!  I could pay 3/4 of my gas bill.  I don't understand parents these days, not at all. 

What ever happened to making your kids earn things that they want that exceed what you owe them as parents.  Yes, we must feed, clothe and shelter our children.  But we must also teach them values, morals, responsibility and the value of a dollar.  When I began babysitting on weekends at about age 11 or 12, I saved my money to buy the things that I wanted but my parents couldn't afford.  My older brother and I also delivered newspapers everyday to earn extra money.

At age 15 I got a regular job babysitting everyday after school for about $1.50 an hour.  At 17 I began working part-time in the evenings at a local store.  I think the minimum wage then was $3.35 an hour.  If I wanted a pair of Levi's (and I did) instead of the K-mart brand jeans, I saved up and bought them myself.

I can't tell you how many kids I've known who reach the age of 18 and have never had any kind of job at all.  They seem to think that their parents owe them whatever it is they want.  And I guess the (sad) thing is that you can't blame the kids for thinking this way.  Basically, it comes down to the parents.  They've raised their children to think that they, and the world, owe them something. 

I think somewhere along the way I (and my ex) did something right.  That is why my daughter actually remembered my birthday and did something so special for me.  Some how we created children that actually think beyond themselves.  That is why even my 3 year old will call out "you okay mommy?" if she hears me say "ouch" or "darn" or even cough. 

Oh yeah, sure we went through those "teen" years.  Where everything we did was wrong.  Where we didn't know anything about anything.  Where the world revolved around the teen and nothing else in the world mattered but what was going on in their lives.  It's amazing how much smarter we got when our children reached the age of 18 or 19, LOL.

Oops, I've rambled again.  LOL  I started talking about smelly feet and ended up here. 

Have a wonderful day. 
Welcome to any newcomers & hugs to all my friends!

Tags: home remedy, smelly feet

Signs of a stroke

I received this email from my beautiful & thoughtful daughter, Samantha.  It is one that I've gotten before, but I must be honest and admit that I had forgotten the symptoms.  So I am posting it here to share with ya'll and hopefully you will learn the signs and pass it on to others.  As you may, or may not, know...time lost in a stroke is brain lost.  This is very important and I hope you will take the time to read it.

STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters.... S.T.R.  
 

My nurse friend sent this and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree.
If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. Seriously..

Please read:

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall, she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) .....she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.

Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die, they end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this...

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke... totally . He said the trick was getting a stroke
recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Thank God for the sense to remember the
"3" steps, STR . Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke .


Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE
     (Coherently) i.e. It is sunny out today)
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS .

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke ------- Stick out Your Tongue

NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue.. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other , that is also an indication of a stroke.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

So I did some checking around and found this information at the Mayo Clinic web page and thought it would be good to share this with ya'll also.  They say that women are more likely to delay going for treatment and that their symptoms are often different than those of men.

Classic stroke symptoms

Know the classic stroke symptoms:

• Sudden numbness, weakness, or paralysis of your face, arm or leg — usually on one side of your body
• Sudden difficulty speaking or understanding speech (aphasia)
• Sudden blurred, double or decreased vision
• Sudden dizziness, loss of balance or loss of coordination
• A sudden, severe "bolt out of the blue" headache or an unusual headache, which may be accompanied by a stiff neck, facial pain, pain between your eyes, vomiting or altered consciousness
• Confusion, or problems with memory, spatial orientation or perception

Stroke symptoms in women

The new research study shows that women may have traditional symptoms less often than men do, and they may be more likely to experience and report an alternative symptom first. This discrepancy may cause women to delay seeking help. A woman coming into the emergency department with facial weakness is quickly sent off for brain imaging, but when the main complaint is shortness of breath or fainting, it may be that neither the woman nor even emergency room personnel immediately suspect a stroke.

In addition to or instead of the traditional stroke signs, a woman may have:

• Loss of consciousness or fainting
• Shortness of breath
• Falls or accidents
• Sudden pain in the face, chest, arms or legs
• Seizure
• Sudden hiccups
• Sudden nausea
• Sudden tiredness
• Sudden pounding or racing heartbeat (palpitations)

While this new research is important, the traditional stroke warning signs are still the most common symptoms of stroke. The new findings are a helpful reminder — to both you and your doctor — that women may have different symptoms.

Know the warning signs

If you suspect that you or someone else is having a stroke, don't hesitate. Rapid diagnosis and treatment improve your chances of survival and decrease your risk of permanent disability. To help you remember the classic symptoms what to look for, think FAST: face, arms, speech and time.

• Face — Does one side of the face drop when asked to smile?
• Arms — When raising both arms, does one arm drift downward?
• Speech — When trying to repeat a simple sentence, are the words slurred or incorrect?
• Time — Rush to emergency care immediately to get evaluated and treated.

As more research is done on women and stroke, primary care nurses and doctors are becoming more familiar with the stroke symptoms and signs that are unique to women.

If you're at risk of a stroke, your best defense is to know both the classic signs and symptoms and those that are unique to women. If you have any symptoms you worry might be a stroke, ask your doctor to evaluate you for a stroke.

So take care of yourself and your loved ones.  Believe me, I know all too well the feeling of something being wrong...but yet as a woman we think it's nothing.  On a recent MRI it showed that somewhere along the way I had a "mild infartion".  I'm not too sure what that means, but it sure doesn't sound good. 

Some of the things we (okay I) think and the arguments we should be having against those thoughts:
"It's probably nothing."  --Maybe, but then your not a doctor, let them be the ones to decide if its nothing or perhaps something that may need to be looked at.
"I'll feel foolish if I go in and they say nothings wrong." --Better to look foolish today than to wake up dead tomorrow. 
"We don't have the money for a trip to the ER." --Then you probably can't afford a funeral right now either.
"I'm too young for a heart problem." --No one is too young.  But I bet your kids think their too young to lose a parent.
"I have too much to do and it's probably nothing." --Your right it may be nothing, but what if its something.  If you die then your family will be left to do everything without you.

And really...do you trust your husband to pick out the clothes your going to spend eternity in?  I can't even trust my man to put down the toilet seat much less match a blouse and skirt.  I'm just kidding, but really...please be safe and take care of yourselves.

Have a good day & hugs to all my friends!

Tags: stoke, warning signs, symptoms

Cleaning/Laundry tips

Good morning!

Blood on Clothes: Pour hydrogen peroxide on blood and rinse with cold water. If some blood remains, repeat.

Burn / Scorch Marks: If the fabric is washable, brush it gently with a soft brush or dry sponge to remove loose carbon particles. Then, wash the fabric with regular detergent and color-safe bleach. This will permanently weaken the fabric even more than the scorch has, but the scorch may no longer be noticeable.

Burnt Stuff on Iron: Rub iron with aluminum foil to remove burnt on starch, etc.

Have a good day & hugs to all my friends!

Tags: Cleaning, laundry, tips

Recipes--3 dinner recipes from Pillsbury

Good Morning!  Here are a few recipes I found from Pillsbury that look pretty easy and sound pretty good too.

Cheeseburger Biscuit Pie
INGREDIENTS
1 can (12 oz) Pillsbury® Golden Homestyle® refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion (1/2 medium)
1/3 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
7 slices (3/4 oz each) American cheese

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 400°F. Grease 9-inch pie pan with shortening. Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Press 6 biscuits in bottom and up side of pie pan to form crust. Cut remaining 4 biscuits into quarters; set aside.
2. In 10-inch skillet, cook ground beef and onion over medium heat, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in ketchup, mustard, salt and pepper. Cook uncovered until bubbly. Spoon into biscuit-lined pan.
3. Arrange cheese slices on top of beef mixture. Place biscuit quarters, point side down, around edge of hot beef mixture.
4. Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

Classic Chicken Pot Pie
INGREDIENTS
Crust
1 box (15 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
Filling
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey
2 cups Green Giant® frozen mixed vegetables (from 1-lb bag), thawed

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 425°F. Make pie crusts as directed on box for Two-Crust Pie using 9-inch glass pie pan.
2. In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened.
3. Stir in chicken and mixed vegetables. Remove from heat. Spoon chicken mixture into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust.
4. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. During last 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Creamy Turkey and Broccoli Cobbler
INGREDIENTS
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
6 cups Green Giant Select® frozen broccoli florets (from two 14-oz bags), thawed
3 1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey breast (about 1 lb)
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (8 oz)
1 can (12 oz) Pillsbury® Golden Layers® refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 12-inch skillet, mix soup and milk until well blended. Stir in thawed broccoli, turkey and cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is hot and bubbly. Pour into baking dish.
2. Separate dough into 10 biscuits; arrange on hot turkey mixture.
3. Bake uncovered 20 to 28 minutes or until biscuits are deep golden brown.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Add 1/4 cup water to skillet with soup and milk.

And how about some dessert recipes from Pillsbury to go along with the dinners.

Elegant Fruit Wedges
-We call it Fruit Pizza
INGREDIENTS
1 Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crust (from 15-oz box), softened as directed on box
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 to 3 cups assorted cut-up fresh fruit

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 450°F. Remove crust from pouch; unroll on ungreased cookie sheet. Flute edge, if desired. Generously prick crust with fork. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
2. In small bowl, beat cream cheese, milk, powdered sugar and orange peel with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Place cooled baked crust on serving plate; spread with cream cheese mixture to within 1/2 inch of edge. Arrange fruit on cream cheese mixture. Store in refrigerator.

Choose-A-Fruit Mini Pies
INGREDIENTS
1 can (21 oz) cherry, blueberry or apple pie filling
1 Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crust (from 15-oz box), softened as directed on box
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
Sugar

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 450°F. Spoon 1/3 cup pie filling into each of six 6-oz custard cups.
2. Remove pie crust from pouch; place crust flat on work surface. Sprinkle flour over crust. Place crust, floured side down, on cutting board or pastry cloth.
3. With 3 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut 6 rounds from edges of dough. Place each over pie filling. Cut slits on top of each. Sprinkle with sugar. Place custard cups in 15x10x1-inch pan.
4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

I've made the Biscuit version of Cheeseburger pie and my kids really liked it.  This version is even easier since you don't have to mix up the biscuit.  I also made the Biscuit version of Chicken pot pie.  We loved that, although the ol' guy in the house didn't like it.  He said we used too much corn.  Mmm, but the kids and I loved the corn in it.  We didn't care for pea's & carrots in it, so yeah, there probably was too much corn, lol. 

I have a doctor appointment today.  He's gonna re-check me.  I guess to see how the pleurisy is, which I barely even noticed after he gave me the anti-inflammatory.  I guess he'll want to double check my blood pressure too.  It was up last time and he upped my script again.  (((sigh)))  I don't understand why we can't seem to get that under control.  Although I have a few ideas.  I wish it would just get normal and stay that way.

Rylie only got one "naughty"  face on her chart last week.  We told her to keep up the good work and hopefully next week will be naughty face free.  The naughty face was for mis-behaving and just plain ol' rotten attitude at Grandma B's house.  Rylie was not happy about that at all.  When she saw that I had given her a naughty face, she kept licking her finger and trying to erase it.  LOL

This week we will be working towards being naughty face free.  I've found that, sometimes, I just have to threaten to stamp the naughty face and she will straighten up.  LOL  Is it mean to love being able to manipulate your kids into behaving?  I don't know...I guess I don't really consider it manipulation.  It is just plain parental survival as far as I'm concerned. 

Have a good day & hugs to all my friends!

Tags: recipes

I found this over at "I am Mommy".  It's an interesting little quiz to match you up with the politician that thinks most like yourself.

Here's the link Select a Candidate 2008.

Me?  I most match up with Hilary Clinton.  Which is pretty much what I figured it would be, just not too sure.  Although, I was a wee bit afraid some of my views would match me up with the "give-to-the-rich-and-tax-the-poor-icans".
 

Have a good night & hugs to all my friends!

Tags: Select a Candidate 2008

Let them eat cake!

I forgot to put this on here earlier.  Guess who helped Mommy make a cake yesterday?  Although I don't know how much help you would consider cleaning the beaters with your face, LOL.

She is being ever so helpful lately.  I created a chart for each day of the week where she can earn stamps for doing things.  She is really being a big helper.  At the end of the week she will earn a dollar fifty.  One third of which MUST go into her piggy bank (which will be deposited to her bank account) and then she can pick a prize from the dollar store with her remaining dollar. 

She's really excited about the whole winning stamps thing.  Bribery or reward?  Hmm, I'm not sure.  I'm just glad that it seems to be working.  Which reminds me...I need to go put a few stamps up.  She did help me fold clothes and just got done brushing her teeth a little while ago.

Have a good night & hugs to all my friends!

Tags: Rylie Jo

Laundry tip--bleeding colors

 Ooops!  It's been a bit of a busy day and I forgot to get on here and do my post this morning.  I also noticed that I got a wee bit mixed up and posted a home remedy on Tuesday, instead of a cleaning tip, so I'm posting a cleaning/laundry tip today.

Bleeding of Colors: Your red shirt got mixed in with other clothes and ruined them? First off, DO NOT DRY THEM! Wash again with regular detergent and color-safe bleach. If that didn't work, Rit®, the makers of clothes dye, makes a color remover that works wonders and doesn't cost much. To prevent bleeding in the first place, wash in cold water.

I got this email and thought it was very cute and wanted to share it with ya'll.  Hope you like it too.

SOMEBODY'S RAISING THEIR KID RIGHT!

One Nation, 'Under God'.

One day a 6 year old girl was sitting in a classroom. The teacher was going to explain evolution to the children. The teacher asked a little boy: Tommy do you see the tree outside?

TOMMY: Yes.

TEACHER: Tommy, do you see the grass outside?

TOMMY: Yes.

TEACHER: Go outside and look up and see if you can see the sky.

TOMMY: Okay. (He returned a few minutes later) Yes, I saw the sky.

TEACHER: Did you see God up there?

TOMMY: No.

TEACHER: That's my point. We can't see God because he isn't there. Possibly he just doesn't exist.

A little girl spoke up and wanted to ask the boy some questions.

The teacher agreed and the little girl asked the boy: Tommy, do you see the tree outside?

TOMMY: Yes.

LITTLE GIRL: Tommy do you see the grass outside?

TOMMY: Yessssss!

LITTLE GIRL: Did you see the sky?

TOMMY: Yessssss!

LITTLE GIRL: Tommy, do you see the teacher?

TOMMY: Yes

LITTLE GIRL: Do you see her brain?

TOMMY: No

LITTLE GIRL: Then according to what we were taught today in school, she possibly may not even have one!

(You Go Girl!)

'FOR WE WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT' -- II CORINTHIANS 5:7

 

Please note the link to IVF Vacation on the left under my About Me section.  If you are considering Invitro, or know of someone who is, please check out the site or share the link with anyone you know who may be dealing with infertility. 

 

Have a great day & hugs to all my friends!

Kitchen Tip

Hello!  Here is a new little segment I'm going to try to include every week called Kitchen Tips.  These are kitchen tips or tricks that I have come across and think may be useful to know.

Storing Cheese:
Store cheese in your refrigerator, which approximates the
temperature of aging rooms. Keep it wrapped tightly in plastic,
away from air. Air helps mold grow on cheese. If you get a little
mold on the outside, just cut it off. The English say if mold
won't eat your cheddar it can't taste very good.
Bring cheese to room temperature before melting. Melt cheese
over a low heat to help prevent toughening and separation of
oils and liquids.
Most ripened or aged cheese is low in moisture content and
can be frozen without drastic flavor and texture changes. Thaw
slowly in the refrigerator for 24 hours or more. If frozen for
several months, the cheese may dry out somewhat and become
crumbly when thawed.

Have a great day & hugs to all my friends!

Tags: Kitchen tip, storing cheese

Home Remedy--Sleeping

Mumble, grumble, mumble, #$%*&^* AOL!  Yep, I just had my entry nearly done and lost it somewhere.  It is now floating somewhere along with all the other #$%*&^* AOL entries that have been lost.  Grrrr at AOL!

Okay, Let's just start with the Home Remedy.  This is for those that may have a bit of trouble sleeping.

Sleeping Aid

•  A drop or two of Lavendar Essential Oil in your bath water or on you pillow will aid in a more restful sleep.

Let's see.  Friday Samantha, best daughter ever, came up and picked up Rylie for the night.  Rylie was so excited, she was getting to use the new back pack, or as Rylie says "pack pack", that Santa brought for her.  Luckily this thing has a hadle and can be pulled on wheels.  It was well packed and much to heavy for her to carry on her back.

Saturday it seemed that no one remembered it was my birthday.  Well, except for the emails that I received from Coke, Pepsi and Clairol.  Then my Mom called that morning to wish me a "Happy Birthday".  At least it was important to one other person.  LOL 

Later when Ray pointed out some dust to me, I gently reminded him by saying "Okay, I'll get that, but can I do it on a day that's not my birthday?"  LOL  He felt like poo, but I told him it was okay.  I should have planned it better and tried not to be born so close to Christmas.  I went and ran an errand and when I came home I smelled cake baking.  What a sweetie. 

Then we were watching "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" when Mom stopped by.  She brought me a plaque by George Carruth.  It was even one that I had kind of picked out and wanted to get but never had the extra money to spend on something like that.  Here is a picture of it. 

Check out more of his work at the Carruth Studio site.  He has some really beautiful pieces. 

Then Sammi called me about bringing Rylie home and asked if I had eaten or had plans for dinner yet.  Nope.  Cool, because she was taking me out for my birthday dinner.  YEA!  What a beautiful and thoughtful child I have.  She remembered that I love seafood and took me to Red Lobster.  I haven't had lobster in about 8 years and it was as delicious as I remembered. 

Thank you Samantha!  I love you for remembering me and treating me so well.  You are not only a wonderful daughter but a great friend!

Then I had to get back to real life on Monday when I went to the doctor and he told me I have pleurisy.  Not sure what all that means.  But apprarently I have an infection, or something, in the layers surrounding my lungs.  More pills and antibiotics.  Sigh...

Have a great day & hugs to all my friends!

Tags: Home remedy, sleeping aid, sleeping remedy, birthday, George Carruth

Recipe--Boy Scout Chicken

Good Morning!  I was looking around the web this past weekend and found this recipe for chicken.  I'm definately going to have to try this one.  If the boy scouts can do it so can I.  I'll have to pass it on to my 15 son, Christopher, too.  He's been asking me some questions about cooking and seems to be interested in it.

Boy Scout Coca Cola Chicken
In a Dutch Oven or Crock Pot add up to 12 pieces of chicken, 1 bottle (36 0z.) Catsup, 20 oz. Coca Cola. Cook in Crock Pot until Chicken is tender and comes off the bone easily. In a Dutch Oven, heat to 350 degrees, cook for 30 minutes or until chicken comes off the bone easily.

Here is a cute little email that Ray got and forwared onto me.  If you find those "fwd" emails a bit frustrating then you'll probably get a kick out of this.

Dear All:

 

My thanks to all those who have sent me emails this past year....

 

I must send my thanks to whomever sent me the one about rat shit in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet towl with every envelope that needs sealing.

 

Also, I now have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.

 

I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl (Penny Brown) who is about to die in the hospital for the 1,387,258th time

 

I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program....

 

Or from the senior bank clerk in Nigeriawho wants to split $7 million with me for pretending to be a long lost relative of a customer who died in testate.

 

I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,207 angels looking out for me, and St. Theresa's novena has granted my every wish.

 

I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.

 

Thanks to you, I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward the email to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.

 

Because of your concern I no longer drink Coca-Cola because it can remove toilet stains.

 

I no longer can buy gas without taking a friend along to watch the car so a serial killer won't crawl into my back seat while I'm filling up.

 

I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.

 

I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a phone bill  with calls to Jamaica Uganda, Singapore and Uzbekistan.

 

Thanks to you, I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big brown African spider is lurking under the seat to cause me instant death when it bites my butt.

 

And thanks to your great advice, I can't even pick up the $5.00 I found dropped in the car park because it probably was placed there by a sex molester waiting underneath my care to grab my leg.

 

If you don't send this email to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 p.m. this afternoon and the fleas from 12 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump.

 

I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's beautician.

 

By the way ... a South American scientist after a lengthy study has discovered that people with low IQ's who have infrequent sexual activiy always read their emails with their hand on the mouse.

 

Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late.

 

Have a great 2008 everyone!

Have a great day & hugs to all my friends!

Tags: recipe, chicken, boy scout Coca Cola chicken