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Showing posts from February, 2004

Lentil soup

I am definately taking after my Grandma Mabel when it comes to cooking. She had what I call "grandma magic" in that she could whip up yummy goodies without the use of recipes (the downside of grandma magic is she never could create the same recipe twice, esp cookies :( And she made some mighty fine cookies :) I've been coming into my own "grandma magic" tho I am rather young and won't ever be a grandmother. So here we go with lentil soup. Measurements won't be exact and you'll have to work to make it taste good to you. Also, I use a 6 quart crockpot. Start with one ham bone with meat still on or a ham hock or two (for a vegetarian soup, eliminate the ham bone/ham hock and use a good hearty vegetable stock, either homemade or store bought). Put ham bone/ham hocks in crock pot and fill crockpot to 2/3 full of water (this may not cover the bone all the way, but you can turn it during the course of simmering) and cover. If you have a crockpot with auto s

"Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou

This is my favorite poem by Maya Angelou: "Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size But when I start to tell them, They think I'm telling lies. I say, It's in the reach of my arms The span of my hips, The stride of my step, The curl of my lips. I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. I walk into a room Just as cool as you please, And to a man, The fellows stand or Fall down on their knees. Then they swarm around me, A hive of honey bees. I say, It's the fire in my eyes, And the flash of my teeth, The swing in my waist, And the joy in my feet. I'm a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That's me. Men themselves have wondered What they see in me. They try so much But they can't touch My inner mystery. When I try to show them They say they still can't see.

A bit of house cleaning

Decided to delete a few links off the journal, esp the comic strip ones. We have a 25 link limit on the free version of the journal, so I decided to free up some slots. I figure once folk click thru to Comics.com (9 Chickweed Lane) and the Seattle PI (Six Chix) they can browse for themselves :)

Just got this on a mailing list I am on and just had to share :D

Subject: Top 12 Reasons Homosexuals Shouldn't Marry 1. Homosexuality is not natural, much like eyeglasses, polyester, aluminum beer cans, and birth control. 2. Heterosexual marriages are valid because they produce children. Infertile couples and old people can't legally get married because the world needs more children. 3. Obviously, gay parents will raise gay children-- since straight parents only raise straight children. 4. Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage is allowed. Britney Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage was meaningful, and fully represented that "sacred institution between man and woman," which we must protect. 5. Heterosexual marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women remain property of the man, blacks aren't allowed to marry whites, and getting a divorce is illegal. 6. Gay marriage shouldn't be decided by people, but should be decided by the President because majority-elected politicians

The whole gay marriage controversy

If Bush thinks his bright idea about changing the consitution to add an ammendment to ban same-sex marriagesis a good idea, he really is the idiot I KNOW he is. My marriage is in no way threatened if my gay friends decide to tie the knot and make it legal in the eyes of the state, just like mine. I was thinking the other day about the marriages of all our immediate friends. I know only ONE couple where both spouses have never been married to anyone else and have been married about 15 years or so now. I'm my hubby's 3rd and 1/2 wife (he'd been in a relationship that was heading towards marriage before she dumped him for a younger guy and she bought a canarie yellow trans am, female midlife crisis), 1 friend is on her 3rd hubby, another friend is on her 2nd, a 3rd friend wasn't legally married the first time around, tho she was in a common law marriage and is now married to her 2nd hubby with a marriage license and all that. Heck, my mom was my dad's 2nd wife! My uncl

Okay....

I didn't get around to actually composing anything of worth this evening, but I did spend the time fine tuning my webpage. I've still a few more pages to revamp, but I haven't had any brainstorms on those either :P Oh well, time to go to bed, need all the sleep I can get :D

Ever had one of those days....

Where you have a lot to say, but the brain just can't wrap itself around the concept and nothing seems to come out right? Well, I think today is one of those days LOL :P Maybe later this evening.

Survived another Monday

And to celebrate, I'm going to throw myself into a freezing pool and paddle around :D Time to get back to the old aqua fitness routine, I've been a slug-a-bug about it the last couple of weeks, tho being totally exhausted and just not wanting to feeze my butt off may have something to do with it LOL Once again I would like to wax sorta eloquently about FlyLady, I spent this weekend cleaning and flinging, but the FlyLady way, 15 minutes at a time. We managed to get quite a bit done, a lot went out to the trash, there is quite a bit ready to go to the landfill and hubby now refers to it as "Spring cleaning in slow motion" hehehehehe Works for me, usually about this time I have gone completely insane trying to clean house and getting completely nowhere and being totally exhausted. So spring cleaning in slow motion is definately the way to go. Now I just wish spring would hurry up and spring. I seriously had to resist the urge to start digging in the garden. The Sunday st

It's a lovely day

It is 48 degrees F, the sun is shining and there is a moose in the field just down from my house. Just a way neat day :)

SIGH! Stupidity is some times fatal

Just reading the local daily rag. Seems a couple of university students across the line decided to engage in a bit of 'horseplay" which involved alcohol and a .22 semi-auto pistol and one of the students dying of a gunshot wound. The surviving student admitted he'd been drinking and during the "horseplay" tried to kick the gun from out of the hands of the other student, at which point "the gun went off". The student has been booked into jail on 2nd degree manslaughter charges. I will not call this a tragic accident, I will call this a case of extreme reckless stupidity. It is this kind of stupidity that gives the rest of us gun owners a bad reputation by people who will use it to point out that guns are bad. Sorry, the gun was not at fault, it was the fault of idiots who decide that alcohol and goofing off with firearms was a good idea. Moral of the story: alcohol and firearms don't mix and stupidity is oft times fatal. So if you drink , put the fir

Go Sandoval County, New Mexico!!!!!

First San Francisco, now Sandoval County NM is going to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. With any luck this will be the start of a tidal wave that will finally allow EVERYONE the basic right to be married to the person of their choice.

IT'S FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!

Can you tell I live for the weekend :D hehehehehehe. So it is finally Friday, the sun is shining, Weatherbug says it is 40 degrees F and the temps for next week are showing 40s, the snow is melting (tho the river is rising) and I am getting itchy for gardening season to get here. For anyone who gardens and is also getting itchy, todays Six Chix comic strip shows how we all are probably feeling. Click on the link under "My favorite comic strips" and check out the strip.

Tofu lasagna

Oh, how I love Google :) I typed in a few of the ingredients I remembered off the top of my head for the tofu lasagna I mentioned and found a recipe that is pretty darned close to what I have floating around the house somewhere. The only difference is I don't do mushrooms, so I made mine without. TOFU LASAGNE 8 oz. package lasagne noodles 1/4 cup butter 1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 3 cups spaghetti sauce 1/2 cup wheat germ 1 cup mashed tofu 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley Cook and drain lasagne noodles. Set aside. Melt butter in large skillet. Add mushrooms, garlic salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are tender. Stir in sauce and wheat germ. Heat through. Combine tofu and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Combine mozzarella and parsley in another bowl. In a 9" x 12" pan, layer half of each of the ingredients: noodles, tofu mixture, sauce and mo

Operation Call Home

This originally started off as a Thank Goddess it is almost Friday post, but then the daily rag that is our local paper arrived at work and there was an article in it about a site that is raising money to send satellite phones to each of the 70 Washington Guard platoons that are being sent to Iraq soon. The program is called Operation Call Home and the goal is to raise $1,250,000 to purchase the phones and prepaid minutes to allow the men and women the those units to be able to talk with their loved ones back here at home. These folk are answering the call of our country and one of the simplest ways we can show our support is to help them talk with their families while they are apart.

You Have Worth

Here is another poem I found on the net that I really like: You Have Worth Do not undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special. Do not set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you. Do not take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless. Do not let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past nor for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life. Do not give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying. It is a fragile thread that binds us to each other. Do not be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave. Do not shut love out of your life by saying it is impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give love; The fastest way to lose love is to

A poem for today

WHY GOD MADE BBWS: I asked God one day, what was wrong with me. There's something that it has to be, He answered promptly. "Dear God," I began, with my face hung down. He answered back, "Why the frown?" "Why," may I ask, "did you make me this way?" "What way is that? What are you trying to say" "My body, Dear lord, My face, it's too square. They are the wrong color, my eyes and my hair. My hips are too wide, my belly to round. When I look at my feet, I can't see the ground. My thighs are so thick, my feet, they stick out. My fingers, my toes, they are big as a trout. That's not all, there's hair on my face. My eyes are too close, they're in the wrong place. I'm loud sometimes, and bossy too boot, sometimes I wish I was just born a mute." The Lord, he just chuckled, as if it was funny, "Dear Child, you will learn, that's more than plenty. You're hair and your eyes, those things don't

More recommended reading

There is a series of books by Alexander McCall Smith about The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, set in Botswana. The main character is Precious Ramotswe, a wise woman who solves problems simply by keeping her eyes open and noticing things. So far I've read 2 of the books, am starting the thrid and awaiting the return of the 4th when the other patron is finished with it. I'm not reading them in order, tho I did start with the first book, but each book stands alone very nicely and events that affect the current situation that took place in previous books are covered with enough detail so you know what it going on without overwhelming thepresent story.

Recipe: chicken nuggets

After checking out the price of the chicken nuggets at a certain fast food chain which will remained un-named, I decided I could come up with some that are cheaper and tastier and doesn't line the pocket of a multi-billion dollar mega corporation So, here is my recipe for chicken nuggets: boneless, skinless chicken thighs (you can use boneless, skinless breasts, I like thighs best as they have more flavor) bisquick or flour seasoned salt pepper paprika garlic powder oil I can't give exact amounts, so this will be general. Mix the spices withthe bisquick or flour to taste. I like a bit more paprika then my hubby does, so I mix until I come up with a mixture we both would like. Defrost chicken most of the way, then cut into nugget sized bits. I like to do this while still part frozen, it is easier to handle. Finish thawing chicken, drain of any liquid and put in a bowl. Spinkle flour mixture onto chicken and stir to coat. You don't need to have a thick coating,but make sure e

A pretty decent weekend

Saturday we puttered about and then went to some friends and celebrated the Chocolate Ritual and a fun time was had by all. Most circles tend to be fairly serious, tho some mirth and merriment is allowed, even at Samhaim. But the Chocolate Ritual is all mirth and merriment and I spent the better part of the night coming down from the sugar high. It wasn't all chocolate goodies, I did take some of my homemade chicken nuggets.I should have taken a double batch, they lasted all of about 5 minutes they were snapped up so fast LOL I'll post the recipe in a little while Sunday we got up early, a friend came over bringing breakfast and we spent the morning watching the Datona 500. Now I'm generally not a NASCAR fan,but I am in extreme awe of the skill these guys have at being able to drive those cars around the track at speeds of upwards of 180 miles an hour and there NOT any more accidents then there were, AND with no major injuries. WOW!!!!!! Sunday was pretty much a low energy

I've discovered the joys

of making some of my own food stuffs. Of late I've been making the mistake of reading labels on food containers and have been increasingly appalled with all the crap they put in things. About the only peanut butter you can get any more that doesn't contain sugar or corn syrup is Adams, and when you are on a very tight budget that can get expensive if you like to eat a lot of peanut butter. The other option is to use the grind your own there at the store, if they have the option. It runs a bit cheaper per pound and while not as creamy as Adams, it is just as tasty. I decided to price out bulk peanuts and grind my own peanut butter at home. Cheaper still, esp since I already have peanut oil to add as we like to do stir frys for dinner. My first attempt turned out pretty good, tho not creamy like Adams, I think I'll have to pulverize the peanuts finer, but creamier then the stuff we ground at the store. The added bonus is I have peanuts on hand for munching and adding to a nic

If you want to see a good movie

I highly recommend Ninotchka (1939) with Greta Garbo. A truely sweet movie and one that was made by someone who understood movies, loved movies and knew how to make a good movie, unlike the bean counters in charge of Hollywierd today. I am very glad there is a strong independant film industry in the US that is putting out decent movies, a good movie industry out of Australia, New Zealand and England, all of whom still understand what movie making is all about. I am getting tired of movies that are geared for nothing but the bottom line and have been marketed to death and are proclaimed blockbusters when they barely even break even. Movies shouldn't rely on special effects and lack of story. Special effects should support the story and should not be noticable. Hollywierd needs to follow Peter Jackson's lead and learn how he did it (tho in my personal opinion, he didn't rely on special effects, he's got Middle Earth hidden somewhere in New Zealand and everything was shot

Jean's tip for the day

When setting up your automatic coffee maker the night before, remember to ALWAYS put the ^$$%#& caraf back where it belongs, or else ones cat/dog/significant other may be blamed for piddling on the kitchen floor, or at least until one follows the piddle trail back to find the caraf on top of the coffee maker, the timer had functioned perfectly and the top of the microwave and the microwave stand is covered in coffee. SIGH!!!!!

Ya know...

I think I am getting to like this web journal business, tho I'm not sure if I can actually come up with lots of stuff to say. But it seems to be good practice for learning to really communicate I am liking the improvements Bravenet is making to the journals, tho I think it will be a while before I figure out how to use all of them, but I do like the link editor to put links into the posts. Saves having to always write out the HTML every time. Been tiptoeing thru other journals. Quite a few interesting ones, tho it does amaze me how many people activated the service and then did nothing with it. Heck, I was messing with mine 3 seconds after I activated LOL. Oh well, takes all kinds

Oh NOOOOOO!!!!

It's Girl Scout cookie time (EEK!) LOL Just can't resist a cute little girl in a Brownie uniform with those big pleading eyes as they come around to my desk with the order form. So I ordered my usual box of thin mints (the most perfect of the GS cookies, they are utterly to die for when you store them in the freezer and eat them frozen) and noticed they have a new one, a double chocolate cookie, yummmmmmm Definately had to order a box of those, chocolate is natures most perfect food hehehehehehe

Have I mentioned...

that I hate Mondays LOL So here it is, Monday again. At least the sun appears to be trying to get out and it is currently above freezing (barely). Had a busy weekend, spent most of it trying to clean my kitchen. I joined FlyLady a year ago and things are starting to look so much better. FlyLady says you can do anything in 15 minutes, and sure enough, you can. I spent 15 minutes in the kitchen, then go and do something else elswhere in the house, for 15 minutes, then back to the kitchen. While it is still a bit cluttered, it is a darn sight better then it was and I can walk around without tripping over recycling and stuff that didn't belong in the kitchen in the first place. Thanks to FlyLady, I've stopped stressing over my house.

Doctors

Seems to me I found another good one. I switched doctors recently for reasons I won't get into as my last doc was a good one, this one is better suited for my needs now. Like my last doc, she's not been hung up on my weight, listens to my concerns and even better then my last doc, really takes the time to ask me what I think and how I want to go about doing things. Unlike some docs I've had in the past who've blown off any concerns I've had and blamed any problems I have on my weight. Where were my last 3 docs when I was younger, I really would have loved to have had them way back when.

Recommending reading

Just finished Lynne Murray's newest Josephine Fuller book "A Ton of Trouble", the only problem I have with this series is I read them too fast, they are so good LOL. For folks who aren't familier with these books, Jo is a plus-sized gal who solves mysteries. It is great to have some fat positive fiction out there.

Oh, frivil!!

Finally got my butt in gear and went back to my aqua fitness class here at the U, and today I forgot to bring my swim things. If anyone is looking for a great workout that is easy on the joints and a whole lotta fun, I seriously recommend deep water aqua fitness. And when I mean a great work out, I mean it. I am taking it as a sign that I shouldn't be in the pool tonight since I had my swim things right next to my purse and work bag and there was no way I could have forgotten to grab them. Oh well, it is snowing out, cold and since they keep the pool rather on the cool side (I guess they still have some swim meets in during the spring semester) I am probably avoiding catching my death of cold since I've also neglected to pack a hat to wear over my wet hair afterwards LOL.

Recipe of the week

I figure that it would be great to share some of my favorite recipes (esp ones that are quick and easy to make for those nights when you don't have a lot of time to cook), in fact todays is one I whipped up for the first time last night. 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 package of fresh spinach leaves 1 alfredo sauce packet (found in the gravy packet area of your local grocery store, I find the store brand to usually be quite good) 1 cup 2% milk parmasean cheese extra wide egg noodles butter Thaw out the chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces. Put a bit of oil (I like olive oil) in a heated skillet and add chicken bits. Cover and cook chicken until the juices start to run clear, stirring occasionally. The covered chicken will form juices. When chicken is mostly done, transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add spinach leaves to the juice in the pan, turning the spinach to allow it to wilt down. When it is half way wilted, add chicken bac

Talk about timing

I'd mentioned earlier that there are no good or bad foods and we shouldn't be attaching moral values to it. Here is a great article on Tech Central Station that talks about this exact subject: Are There Good Foods and Bad Foods? By Jon Robison, PhD, MS 02/04/2004 The belief that some foods are better than others -- indeed that some foods are inherently good while others are inherently bad -- has become a well-accepted underpinning of current nutrition lore. What does it mean to speak of a food as being good or bad? How can you tell if the food you are eating is good or bad? Is it helpful or even possible to think about foods as being good or bad? -snip-

What a scam!

I am not buying into the low carb diet madness, all these diets are fads that next week will see articles showing that the experts were wrong and there is a better way to eat. Hmmmm, remember how everyone was supposed to eat eggs 'cuz they were so good for you, then a small study came out and suddenly eggs were evil incarnate and we had to avoid them like a plague, then another study came out to say eggs really were good for you and to go ahead and eat them. Someday the powers that be are going to figure out that one size doesn't fit all when it comes to food and people and just get back to some basic common about listening to what your body says and learn to eat normally. But back to the scam. Someone on another board was looking at a package of Atkins low carb chips and noticed the price. She then calculated that those things were running $80 a pound!!!!!! Ye bloody gods!?!?!?!?! I'm in the wrong line of business!. I was at the grocery store and was perusing the spaghetti

I hate Mondays

'nuff said

News of the weird

Just read a brief article in the local speculation rag (i.e. newspaper). Seems a gentleman was awakened in the wee hours of the morning recently to find a strange woman in his bed. As he awoke she began to kiss him and lick him on the face. As he sprung up out of bed, she ran from the apartment. Moral of the story:make sure you lock you doors at night folks! In this day and age you never know who might come wandering in, from what probably was a drunk woman who thought she was in her SO's apartment to a bad guy with nefarious deeds on his mind.