Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy New Year!!



I went to Arby's to get a Reuben sandwich to make sure to get my official serving of "
corned beef and sauerkraut" in for the New Year's Eve...and I have to say it was delicious and is already gone!

I am staying home. Been catnapping this afternoon and will some more...so hopefully I can make it till midnight to see the BALL FALL in New York and the New Year ring in.

Happy New Year everyone!

if you would like to check out some recipes and wonderful photos of baked goods....check this site out!

BAKE OR BREAK

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Well I finally saw the movie Twilight online today....

It was pretty good but I am not sure I would have wanted to spend big money at the theater to see it. I did enjoy it though...and will be anxious to see the next one due out when it comes out. BUT I am hardly as anxious as my sister Melissa is! She has it bad for Edward! hee hee

I tried to watch Seven Pounds but I could not get into it. I found myself skimming and bored. ALL I remember is a sad looking Will Smith walking around from IRS trying to determine if all these people were good or bad and deserved a break from IRS or not.....I know there is a deeper hidden meaning I did not take time to discover by watching the entire movie. MAYBE another time I can try it.

I also started Benjamin Buttons movie but will have to do that another night. I get antsy with myself about sitting to watch a movie and it really has to hold my interest and I have to be ready to SIT for awhile.....and today after seeing one movie I did not have it in me to sit through another one. It looks like a really good movie though and I will go back and finish it!

I cannot believe it is the end of the year already. Where the crap did it go? It seems like only yesterday it was January 2008! Now it will be January 2009!

I am in a mood tonight...not good. I do not like to be in this mood......

I just made some chocolate chip cookies for Noah and a new batch of party mix for him.

I need to brush my teeth.

yeah...so exciting I know.....I am thankful to be alive....and healthy and strong.....and for all the blessings I do have.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Deck of Me: Week 52: The Journey


Deck of Me: Week 52: The Journey, originally uploaded by racham.

Deck of Me: Week 52: The Journey


Deck of Me: Week 52: The Journey, originally uploaded by racham.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

buttermilk biscuits....











I had a craving....so I made a batch. I normally do not let my biscuits get this brown....but.....tonight I left them in a little longer...and they did. Still yummy......

here is the recipe:

BEST-EVER BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

2 c. all purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. shortening
2/3 c. buttermilk or sour milk

In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar, salt, and baking soda. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles course crumbs. Make a well in center of dry mixture, then add buttermilk or sour milk all at once. Using a fork, stir just until moistened. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Quickly knead the dough by gently folding and pressing the dough for 10-12 strokes or until the dough is nearly smooth. Pat or lightly roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut dough with a floured 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter, dipping the cutter into flour between cuts.

Place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until the biscuits are done. Remove biscuits from the baking sheet and serve hot. Makes 10-12.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Deck of Me Week 51: Quote On My Life Now

Deck of Me Week 51: Quote On My Life Now

Deck of Me Week 50: Persistence


Deck of Me Week 50: Persistence, originally uploaded by racham.

Deck of Me Week 50: Persistence


Deck of Me Week 50: Persistence, originally uploaded by racham.

Deck of Me Week 49: Are You Left Brained or Right Brained?

Deck of Me Week 49: Are You Left Brained or Right Brained?

Saturday, December 13, 2008

I was walking in the store tonight......and saw these ........



CUTE little MINI tubs of Ben and Jerry's ice cream...like individual serving cups.....only 3.5 ounces....comes with a spoon.....a great way to portion control your serving or to try a flavor you are not sure you would like!

NO I did not buy any...I found these pics online! I sure would enjoy some though!

I am tired. Burning the candle at both ends....

AND farewell Betty Page......as she passed away.......85 years old but I always think of her as looking like this!



or this....

or this...




Question of the season.......why can't someone invent some way to package and sell ornament hooks so they do not get tangled up???

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Well my Christmas tree is up......


I am keeping things a lot simpler this year. Not many other decorations.....a few wreaths and bows.....some outside......the tree inside...that is about it. The stress level is amazingly LOWER......and I do not feel pressed for time. The cat is also leaving the tree alone for the most part this year...so that stress has been reduced.

I also am not going to be making a ton of cookies or candy like I have in the past. It is expensive to get the ingredients and not everyone needs them anymore or eats them anymore.....so maybe 1 or 2 special treats this year...maybe something entirely new is in order.

I will post a tree picture later today after I photograph it

Sunday, December 07, 2008

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button......F. Scott Fitzgerald......coming Christmas Day 2008

Have you read the short story? You can go here to read it online:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I know the movie will have to put a lot more details in the story to make this one work.....but something about the story does fascinate me and I am anxious to see how the movie will turn out. Here are a couple of previews:






BRAD PITT will play Benjamin Button? hum.....should be interesting...

Friday, December 05, 2008

I have a turkey breast roasting in the oven that smells sooooo good!


I want to eat some now but I have awhile I think before it will be ready!

LOTS of holiday activities coming up that I need to schedule in and plan for.

Sun is shining right now but it is super cold out.....only in the teens I think!

MR. Hawk shows up nearly every day to hopefully catch a bird to eat.

more later....

Monday, December 01, 2008

INTENTIONAL chocolate.......


They have hot chocolate.......

Chocolate and Intention Research

Positive intention is a thought, a prayer, or a blessing. Positive intention is also an offering to the world at large or to a friend in need and can come from the pure desire to help another. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that intention invokes measurable power and energy that can manifest across space and time. Researchers all around the world, such as those at Princeton, Harvard and the Max Planck Institute are studying the power of intention.

The blessing of food with an intention has long been practiced within spiritual traditions and sacred ceremonies. These practices place certain energy into the food that is then offered back to benefit individuals and the community.



At Intentional Chocolate™ we not only provide a product that can be gifted as a positive intention to another person, but we strive to lead intentional and purposeful lives. By paying attention to the effect we have on the whole through our decisions and actions we attempt to “do no harm and benefit others.” As we move throughout our day, we hold in our minds the desire to be in service to the “we.”

We know that holding this desire is not easy. In our chaotic world filled with so many distractions and stress, people are yearning to return to simple values and meaningful relationships based on love and respect. The busier our lives become, the harder it can be to focus on positive intentions and to stick to them.
Holy Cocoa

Some have asked us, “Why chocolate?”



For thousands of years humanity has intuitively appreciated chocolate’s power, turning to it for sustenance, to express emotions and to draw others near.

The cacao tree has long been revered for its mystical and healing energies. The botanical name for chocolate – theobramba cacao – literally means “food of the Gods”.

Not surprisingly, modern research is now confirming cacao’s many healing effects – its role in increasing antioxidants, decreasing the likelihood of cancer and heart disease, enhancing the immune system, lowering blood pressure and its ability to boost moods!

It seemed a natural match to infuse the good intentions of optimal health and well-being into a food that already has positive energetic and even mystical properties. With our secret ingredient (intention), Intentional Chocolate™ allows you to deliver the actual clear and simple intention of “Thank you,” “I love you” or “Be Well” through something that everyone enjoys. When you purchase Intentional Chocolate™ to send to a friend or loved one, not only do you get the intention for well-being embedded by experienced meditators, but you also can send your own intention. You may be surprised at the powerful impact this gift can have on those to whom it is given.


Intentional Chocolate™ and its research partner, the HESA Institute (www.hesainstitute.com) are leaders in the revolutionary new field of intentional nutrition proving that intention embedded into food can positively affect those who consume it.

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study that was published in the scientific peer-reviewed journal, Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing (October 2007) it was found that one ounce of Intentional Chocolate™ per day for three days increased subjects’ well-being, vigor and energy by an average of 67 percent and, in some cases, up to 1,000 percent, when compared to a control group.

The study showed that those who Intentional Chocolate™ is proven to have benefits of decreased stress, increased energy, greater calmness, and enhanced focus.ate intentional chocolate received the following benefits:

* Decreased stress
* Increased energy
* Less fatigue
* Greater calmness
* Enhanced focus
* Improved general well-being

Dr. Dean Radin, PhD, Senior Scientist at The Institute of Noetic Sciences and author of Entangled Minds and The Conscious Universe explains:

"The mood-enhancing effects of the focused intentions embedded in Intentional Chocolate were successfully demonstrated in a statistically significant, double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment, and published in a peer-reviewed medical journal (Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing).

The effect seems to involve a form of energetic coherence which arises through the intentions of intensely focused and highly trained minds. Some speculate that such mind-matter interactions resemble the "observer effect" in quantum physics (i.e., observing a system changes that system.) This is one of several possible explanations for the observed effect that are currently under investigation." (www.deanradin.com)

HESA Institute and the Dalai Lama

The HESA Institute, the research partner of Intentional Chocolate™, was founded in 2007 to explore the complex relationship between the individual and the environment, including the role that communication, intention and attention play in how we experience life.

In the Spring of 2009 HESA plans to organize a unique conference: Meeting of the Minds: Capacities in Consciousness – A dialog with the Dalai Lama and leaders in science from Harvard, Max Planck Institute, Princeton, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, and others.

If you would like to purchase your own Intentional Chocolates for yourself or as gifts please check out the website ...they have MANY kinds of intentional chocolates starting from 15.00 and up!

INTENTIONAL CHOCOLATE

Deck of Me: Week 48: Thankful....


Deck of Me: Week 48: Thankful...., originally uploaded by racham.

Deck of Me: Week 48: Thankful....


Deck of Me: Week 48: Thankful...., originally uploaded by racham.

Deck of Me: Week 47: Three Wishes...

Deck of Me: Week 47: Three Wishes...

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Monday, November 24, 2008

WHOOO HOOO BUCKS! Now THAT is what I'm talking about!

What a game Saturday to watch! I do hope and pray you get to go to ONE of the bowls.....I do not look forward to having to wait another year to see you all play again! MAYBE.....just MAYBE we can actually get to see a game in person next year.

Otherwise I watched some Christmas movies Saturday ...worked of course......did a few things around here. Made that fabulous turkey pot pie....

today is raining but could change to ice......cold and wet.......very fall/winter'ish outside....

I want to clean my office area today....well finish what I started anyway....I should be able to....so lots to do.......

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Homemade turkey pot pie........mmmmmm.......mmmmmmm.......good!

I had some leftover turkey that I needed to use up so I decided to find a recipe for homemade turkey pot pie and make one today. This recipe is soooooo delicious and all made from scratch so I wanted to share it now BEFORE Thanksgiving and leftover time!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 recipe pastry for a (10 inch) double crust pie
  • 4 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 small onion, minced
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 tablespoons dried parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1cube chicken bouillon
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup of turkey drippings/broth/stock
  • 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1 1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup milk

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out bottom pie crust, press into a 10 inch pie pan, and set aside.
  2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add the onion, celery, carrots, parsley, and salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the bouillon/broth and water. Bring mixture to a boil. Stir in the potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm.
  3. In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the turkey and flour. Add the milk, and heat through. Stir the turkey mixture into the vegetable mixture, and cook until thickened. Cool slightly, then pour mixture into the unbaked pie shell. Roll out the top crust, and place on top of filling. Flute edges, and make 4 slits in the top crust to let out steam.
  4. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

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OKAY Ohio State! This is it..the BIG GAME!!!!


Ohio State VERSUS Michigan! Come on Bucks.....show em what you can really do! I doubt I will be able to sit at all during the game! OR if I do it will be right in front of the television screen!! I can rarely sit back and relax to watch a game...I have to be right in it..right on top of it!!!!

let's kick some.........

Friday, November 21, 2008

Thursday, November 20, 2008

something to help stop cat hair shedding and delicious mashed potatoes without the fat!




I found my cat liked my raw virgin coconut oil...which at room temperature is actually a solid. SINCE I have been allowing him to have a small dab each day...sometimes twice a day....he is no longer shedding like he was....and in fact....his coat looks healthier and better than ever! I give him about 1/4 teaspoon each time and he loves it!



TO make virtually FAT FREE mashed potatoes....I cooked my potatoes in chicken bouillon....drain but KEEP some of that chicken broth when potatoes are done. NOW the trick for me is I mash the potatoes...adding back in some of the broth....NO BUTTER and sometimes NO milk......they are SOOOOOO good. I had always heard before about using chicken stock or broth....but the bouillon gives this a much better flavor ..probably because of the salt factor. I am not normally a big fan of salt but this makes the potatoes taste so good...and one can satisfy their urge for mashed potatoes without racking up fat content!

Deck of Me: Week 46: Plans...


Deck of Me: Week 46: Plans..., originally uploaded by racham.

Deck of Me: Week 45: Decisions...


Deck of Me: Week 45: Decisions..., originally uploaded by racham.

Deck of Me: Week 45: Decisions.....

Deck of Me: Week 44: What Scares You?

Spiders have always creeped me out!

Deck of Me Week 44: What Scares You?

Deck of Me Week 43: My Instruction Manual

Deck of Me Week 43: My Instruction Manual

Deck of Me Week 43: My Instruction Manual - What Things Would Be In It?

Deck of Me Week 42: 5 Things I Can't Live Without (minus family and essentials)

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

I cannot believe Thanksgiving is already next week!

Where has this month gone? I did all my Deck of Me cards but for some reason cannot upload them to the group page or my blog here.....but that is okay. They are on my site on Flickr....not that it really even matters. We only have a few weeks left!

I have a weird tickle happening in my throat all day today. I have set new goals for myself at work and have been meeting them. My goal was to type X number of lines per day more than usual which I now can do...and that extra money should cover what I pay out in credit card payments...which means I will have some extra money to pay out more on the debt and even save some I hope.

Christmas is right around the corner. Noah and I will probably be putting the tree up next week.....or maybe we will get a real tree this year. Not sure yet.

I watched the movie "WHY DID I GET MARRIED?" the other night..it was good.


anyway...I finished The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers....by Lillian Jackson Braun. I have to say this book is probably the most disappointing one ever she has written. I have read ALL her books from The Cat Who series......but this was just not right. I am still unsettled by it.....and makes me wonder if someone else wrote it instead of her.

Well..off to spend time with Noah!