Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out. ~ART LINKLETTER
Category: MISC
THE GLASS OF MILK – another great email worth sharing
One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his Way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry.
He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.
Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of wate
r. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it so slowly, and then asked, How much do I owe you?”You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness.”
He said … “Then I thank you from my heart.”
As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.
Many year’s later that same young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.
Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes.
Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.
Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once.
He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to her case.
After a long struggle, the battle was won.
Dr. Kelly requested the
accounting office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge, and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words … “Paid in full with one glass of milk” (Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly.Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: “Thank You, God, that Your love has spread broad through
human hearts and hands.”There’s a saying which goes something like this: Bread cast on the water comes back to you. The good deed you do today may benefit you or someone you love at the least expected time. If you never see the deed again at least you will have made the world a better place – And, after all, isn’t that what life is all about?
Caribbean Salsa – Eat better, eat healthier, Eat fresher, Eat tastier
Everybody paying attention? In the spirit of my chosen OKK assignment, I CAN COOK THAT, last week I gave you a cooking… truth. Menu planning is much more than a long shopping list for a week. In fact, menu planning should be more about using what you buy for the best tasting, freshest tasting, healthiest for you and your family; food on your table week after week, without wasting a gram of food. Nothing goes into the trash till you have extracted everything possible from what you buy. Like last week…and the week before… When I bought a rotisserie chicken, ddn’t throw the bones away, but made a fresh Chicken Stock that I used to make an incredibly rich and flavorful Spanish Rice. In order to make Spanish Rice, I needed to buy onions and red peppers. I could buy onions and red peppers cheaper if I buy 2 or 3 of each prepackaged by the store. Sure, these are usually on the far side of still fresh, but close to borderline; and sure, these usually have a bad spot or two hidden by the packaging you don’t see till you get home; BUT, these are to be diced up and cooked same day you buy them. Cut around the bad spot and dice away… and use up everything you buy.
And SALSA! what a great way to use up veggies. Make your own, it is very fast, and much healthier than the stuff you buy in the jars. Read the ingredient list… why is there sugar in a salsa??? and what are those preservatives for… why artificial coloring??? Why all those words with more syllables than there are letters in O-N-I-O-N??? And salt… don’t get me started on salt… More often than not, salsa is offered to be scooped up by SALTED chips. You don’t need all that salt. I know I don’t.
But if not with chips, how about a nice side of fresh salsa (without chips, it can be called a diced tomato side dish if you like), served with Spanish rice and a seafood enchilada…
And while we are using up the red pepper and onion that you bought to flavor the Spanish Rice you were making because you had extra fresh made chicken stock, let’s make this a Caribbean Salsa by using up that pineapple that you bought in order to garnish your wife’s rum drink.
Here’s what I did…
My salsa recipe is a matter of proportions. You don’t have to measure accurately to the smallest gram weight. If you have a little more onion, fine, if you have a little less pineapple, fine, but here’s how to make it in what ever quantities you need…
1 part (either 1 cup, 2 cups, or 1 TBS) of diced Onion
1 part (either 1 cup, 2 cups, or 1 TBS) of diced Red Bell Pepper
1 part (either 1 cup, 2 cups, or 1 TBS) of diced Pineapple
2 part (either 2 cup, 4 cups, or 2 TBS) of diced Roma Tomatoes
A NOTE ABOUT DICING – try to dice everything the same size
1/2 part (either 1/2 cup, 1 cups, or 1/2 TBS) of minced Parsley
1/2 part (either 1/2 cup, 1 cups, or 1/2 TBS) of “not your Grandmother’s HERBES de PROVENCE“
Juice of 1 lime
And if you like a runny salsa, more dip-able, take 1/4 part of additional tomatoes and run them through a mini chopper till they are liquefied.Mix it all together, and you have fresh made salsa!
Use what you buy, eat better tasting food, eat healthier food, think about what is in your fridge and what you can do with it.
By the way, I LOVE making up a batch of “not your Grandmother’s HERBES de PROVENCE“. It is a GREAT way to always have an herb mixture on hand. I make up about 2 months worth at a time, and my “not your Grandmother’s HERBES de PROVENCE“ is far fresher than what you find in those little packages you buy in the store pre-assembled. Here’s my formula…
I use this almost anytime a recipe calls for a mixture of two or three herb spices. It tastes great on a focaccia bread, add to oil and balsamic for a great bread dipping oil. I add to fish and chicken for a light taste accent. It is just great to have sitting around… ready
5 TBS dried Tarragon
5 TBS dried Oregano
5 TBS dried Dill
5 TBS dried Thyme
5 TBS dried Rosemary
5 TBS dried Garlic Flakes
2 TBS Sea Salt
2 TBS Fresh ground Pepper
1 TBS dried Lemon Zest
Store in a sealed plastic ziplock bag, airtight in a dark drawer, and stays fresh for 6 months or more.
Better tasting and it will save you money in the long run!
Come back next week when I finally get around to the main course… A wonderful seafood enchilada!
Dave here from MY YEAR ON THE GRILL. It really is just this easy! … I CAN COOK THAT!
And so can you!
…
Three is Better Than One Muffins
The pot is on the stove and I have plenty of these muffins so come on over and visit a spell at Comfy Cook or My Sweet and Savory.
Three is Better Than One Muffins
Ingredients:
1/2 cup margarine, melted (I used oil.)
1/2 cup Rice Dream or milk
1/2 cup Egg Beaters or 2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups combination of cranberries, blueberries and black berries
I used fresh blackberries and frozen blueberries and cranberries. Do not defrost until ready to use.
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease or line 12 large muffin pans. There will be some left over to make a mini cake or two additional muffins.
In bowl, stir together the margarine, rice milk and eggs.
In another bowl, sift together the flour, 1 1/4 cups of sugar, baking powder and salt.
Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the wet mixture all at once.
Stir until blended. There will still be lumps. So not overmix.
Fold in the three kinds of berries.
Divide batter into prepared cups and sprinkle the remaining 4 teaspoons of sugar over the batter. Another option is making a streusel with ground or chopped nuts, brown sugar and cinnamon and a slight amount of oil to make the streusel moist, not wet.
Bake for about 35 minutes or until golden. Check at 25 minutes. The berries added moisture to the muffin and I think it needed more time than normal, for muffins.)
Thursday 13 PLUS
Sign over a Gynecologist’s Office:
“Dr. Jones, at your cervix.”
In a Podiatrist’s office:
“Time wounds all heels.”
On a Septic Tank Truck:
Yesterday’s Meals on Wheels
At a Proctologist’s door:
“To expedite your visit, please back in.”
At an Optometrist’s Office:
“If you don’t see what you’re looking for,
you’ve come to the right place.”
On a Plumber’s truck:
“We repair what your husband fixed.”
On another Plumber’s truck:
“Don’t sleep with a drip. Call your plumber.”
On a Church’s Billboard:
“7 days without God makes one weak.”
At a Tire Shop in Milwaukee:
“Invite us to your next blowout.”
At a Towing company:
“We don’t charge an arm and a leg. We want tows.”
On an Electrician’s truck:
“Let us remove your shorts.”
In a Non-smoking Area:
“If we see smoke, we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action.”
On a Maternity Room door:
“Push. Push. Push.”
On a Taxidermist’s window:
“We really know our stuff.”
On a Fence:
“Salesmen welcome! Dog food is expensive!”
At a Car Dealership:
“The best way to get back on your feet –
miss a car payment.”
Outside a Muffler Shop:
“No appointment necessary. We hear you coming.”
In a Veterinarian’s waiting room:
“Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!”
At the Electric Company
“We would be delighted if you send in your payment
However, if you don’t, you will be.”
In a Restaurant window:
“Don’t stand there and be hungry;
come on in and get fed up.”
In the front yard of a Funeral Home:
“Drive carefully. We’ll wait.”
At a Propane Filling Station:
“Thank heaven for little grills.”
“Dr. Jones, at your cervix.”
In a Podiatrist’s office:
“Time wounds all heels.”
On a Septic Tank Truck:
Yesterday’s Meals on Wheels
At a Proctologist’s door:
“To expedite your visit, please back in.”
At an Optometrist’s Office:
“If you don’t see what you’re looking for,
you’ve come to the right place.”
On a Plumber’s truck:
“We repair what your husband fixed.”
On another Plumber’s truck:
“Don’t sleep with a drip. Call your plumber.”
On a Church’s Billboard:
“7 days without God makes one weak.”
At a Tire Shop in Milwaukee:
“Invite us to your next blowout.”
At a Towing company:
“We don’t charge an arm and a leg. We want tows.”
On an Electrician’s truck:
“Let us remove your shorts.”
In a Non-smoking Area:
“If we see smoke, we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action.”
On a Maternity Room door:
“Push. Push. Push.”
On a Taxidermist’s window:
“We really know our stuff.”
On a Fence:
“Salesmen welcome! Dog food is expensive!”
At a Car Dealership:
“The best way to get back on your feet –
miss a car payment.”
Outside a Muffler Shop:
“No appointment necessary. We hear you coming.”
In a Veterinarian’s waiting room:
“Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!”
At the Electric Company
“We would be delighted if you send in your payment
However, if you don’t, you will be.”
In a Restaurant window:
“Don’t stand there and be hungry;
come on in and get fed up.”
In the front yard of a Funeral Home:
“Drive carefully. We’ll wait.”
At a Propane Filling Station:
“Thank heaven for little grills.”
And don’t forget the sign at a
CHICAGO RADIATOR SHOP:
“Best place in town to take a leak.”
Sign on the back of another Septic Tank Truck:
“Caution – This Truck is full of Political Promises”
TWD~BANANA COCONUT ICE CREAM PIE
Spike of spikebakes threw a dart at Banana Coconut Ice Cream Pie on page 350. And while this sounds really awesome I’m in the midst of traveling cross country and not able to bake.
TASTE & CREATE ~ A BOLDER TABLE ~ RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM
Taste and Create was started as a food event by Nicole from For the Love of Food. This is the 2nd time I’ve participated in Taste and Create and I don’t plan on stopping soon. I enjoy meeting new bloggers, especially foodies.
The whole purpose of Taste and Create was, and has been, and continues to be to create a community of bloggers who test each others’ recipes and share links. The participants of the event are paired together and try a new recipe from one another’s blog.
My partner this month is Megan from A BOLDER TABLE. She has a ton of healthy and yummy recipes over there to choose from and after I narrowed it down to the Caprese Salad or Raspberry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream I then let hubby decide. In getting ready for the Memorial Day Weekend he thought I should try her Raspberry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream and see if it was really that easy. Yep, it was and super flavorful and refreshing and just plain yummy! Now if you’ll excuse me I need to go make enough to feed the masses!
Low-Fat Cannoli – Save Room for Dessert
Hello, friends! Did you have a good weekend? Well I hope you saved room for dessert!
Recently my husband and I discussed the idea of healthier, or at least less unhealthy, desserts. And I guess he has a point. If I have to make a dessert a week, they should probably not all be totally disgusting and artery clogging.
And they can still be tasty!
So I bring you today’s offering: Low-fat cannoli!
It’s pretty simple, really. The most time-consuming part of draining the ricotta – you want it to be dry so it’s not runny and messy when you pipe it into the cannoli shell. I used a knee high stocking to drain, but that’s only because I never see cheesecloth in the story when I’m actually thinking about it. So I buy new knee highs and voila! 🙂
I dumped all 2 lbs of part-skim ricotta into my mixer. After whipping for a bit, though, I knew it was going to keep its grainy texture so I moved everything to the food processor. I’m sure the blender would work just as well, of course! When it was in the mixer bowl, I added…
2 tsp of vanilla extract
And 1 cup of powdered sugar. I’m sure this is all “to taste” – maybe if you like a little liqueur flavor you could add that as well. I know there’s all sorts of things you can add but I like to keep it simple. And from what I understand from my husband, aka The Cannoli King, the taste is pretty much spot-on.
Whir it around and around until it’s smooth.
Then fold in 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips. This is the good stuff here, people.
This filling went into my Pampered Chef decorator with the biggest tip I could find – those mini chips can clog up a piping tip, let me tell ya.
And once the shells were filled (you can find them at just about any grocery store), I sprinkled more chips on the ends.
The texture is still a liiiiiittle off of your normal cannoli, but then you’re trading texture for a lower amount of fat. And that’s not a bad thing, right?
Enjoy!
FINALLY
CAST IRON SKILLET ROAST CHICKEN with APRICOT MAPLE PINEAPPLE GLAZE
Do you like those rotisserie chicken from the market? I do, but on average they are only 2-3 pounds and cost anywhere from $5-$8 or even more. My local grocer ran a unadvertised special the other day and I got this 5.86 pound beauty for 97 cents a pound.
I love my cast iron skillet too! There is nothing better for even cooking heat! I like to roast my chicken in there so the sides are always radiating an even heat to whole chicken.
CAST IRON SKILLET ROAST CHICKEN
1 5-6 pound roasting chicken
4 tablespoons butter, softened
salt & pepper
1/2 onion, wedged small
1 cup apricot pineapple preserves
1/4 cup PURE maple syrup
- Wash chicken and dry.
- Spread butter along the inside of the cast iron pan and all over the chicken.
- Generously salt and pepper the chicken.
- Place onions along side the chicken.
- In a small bowl whisk together the preserves and syrup. Set aside and allow to come to room temperature.
- Roast at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.
- With a pastry brush spread preserve mixture all over the chicken every 10-15 minutes until skin is crisp and chicken is cooked through. This should be from 30-45 minutes based on the actual weight of your chicken.
MENU PLANS
Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie
| DATE | breakfast | lunch | supper | |
| MON 5/24 |
MONTE’ CRISTO | |||
| TUES 5/25 |
MEXICAN MEATLOAF | |||
| WED 5/26 |
CHEESEBURGER CUPS | |||
| THU 5/27 |
COUNTRY CHICKEN & RICE | |||
| FRI 5/28 |
|
STEWED TOMATO CASSEROLE | ||
| SAT 5/29 |
EGGS ala ROOSEVELT aka DEPRESSION EGGS | OUT | ORANGE HONEY CHICKEN | |
| SUN 5/30 |
FARMER’S BREAKFAST | OUT | CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN with PEPPERED GRAVY |
Veggie Tales by Kris!
Well hello there! My name is Kris, you may know me from Behold the Metatron, Where to Vegan?, AND/OR The Motivation Station. If you don’t, get to know me! I’m just a click away! ;o)
I am a vegetarian flirting with the Vegan lifestyle ever so slightly. But I’m not going to dive deep into a 100% Vegan dish with you lot just yet. For my first post, I’d like to share a sweet and savory salad with you that is absolutely perfect for summer. Enjoy it with a delicious sparkling rose like this one on a steamy Friday afternoon, and you’re starting off the weekend just right!
Asparagus, Grapefruit and Arugula Summer Salad
(serves 2 as a main dish, or 4 as a starter- I could eat the whole thing though! haha)
(serves 2 as a main dish, or 4 as a starter- I could eat the whole thing though! haha)
What you’ll need:
5 cups fresh baby arugula (Organic please)
1 bunch asparagus (each stalk halved lengthwise)
Cooking Spray
1 grapefruit (just the wedges, peeled with no pith)
1/2- 3/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese (remember to slice an extra piece for yourself while you slave over this! hehe)
1 lemon, halved (you’ll use each half’s juice separately)
1/4 cup your favorite Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing (I like Newman’s Lite)
salt and pepper to taste
5 cups fresh baby arugula (Organic please)
1 bunch asparagus (each stalk halved lengthwise)
Cooking Spray
1 grapefruit (just the wedges, peeled with no pith)
1/2- 3/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese (remember to slice an extra piece for yourself while you slave over this! hehe)
1 lemon, halved (you’ll use each half’s juice separately)
1/4 cup your favorite Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing (I like Newman’s Lite)
salt and pepper to taste
What you’ll do:
Prep you grapefruit by peeling the skin and pith, and cut into wedges. Prepare your arugula by placing it on a lovely platter or bowl. Heat a skillet on medium with a little cooking spray. Add in the halved asparagus and sautee for about 2 minutes. Add some salt and pepper and the juice of 1/2 the lemon. Let cook until tender, yet crispy for no more than 5 minutes. When the asparagus is done, remove from heat and place it atop the bed of arugula. Top the salad with the other lemon half, the dressing, the grapefuit wedges, and the cheese. Add a little more salt and pepper. Toss right before serving.
et voilà!
