Sunday, May 31, 2009

Weekly Winners: Flower Power

Shot by Aunt Julie with a Canon Rebel XTi

Weekly Winners are brought to you each week by Lotus, over at Sarcastic Mom. Aunt Julie had The Boys digging in the dirt in the other day, and all the activity put me in mind of these beauties, which graced her garden last year, and are starting to renew their presence this time around.
Tree Peony

Stargazer Lily

Delphinium

Big Bird Day Lily
Lupine
Do you have a favorite flower?

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Six-Word Saturday: The Cat's Meow

Here's Patch again. She's lounging on my Amish quilt. But more about that (the quilt, not the lounging) later.

Patch is nearing her 14th birthday. That's 72 years in human terms, according to the Cats Age Conversion Chart. Practically a Senior Citizen, huh? Hence, my six words for this fine Saturday morning:

You think she's eligible for AARP?

Just wondering. Especially since a cat's life expectancy has grown in the past 20 years, according to Pet Place.com.

Cate at Show My Face hosts Six-Word Saturday each week. You should stop by to see her!

Friday, May 29, 2009

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta: Reading is Fundamental

In March, those of us who love to read commemorate this joie de vivre by celebrating Dr. Seuss' Birthday and National Reading Month. I'm sure there's a month for everything and every cause under the sun, but reading is fundamental to me.

Why do I bring this up now? Because I just uncovered this cute shot in the POPrs Family Archives. Meet College Boy in his younger years, showing off one of his favorite authors. Mine, too!

I can read in red. I can read in blue.
I can read in pickle color, too.
I can read in bed, and in purple, and in brown.
I can read in a circle and upside down.

I can read with my left eye.
I can read with my right.
I can read Mississippi with my eyes shut tight.

There are so many things you can learn about, but
You’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut.
The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.

If you read with your eyes shut, you’re likely to find
That the place where you’re going is far, far behind.
So that’s why I tell you to keep your eyes wide,
Keep them wide open ... at least on one side!
~From I Can Read with My Eyes Shut, by Dr. Seuss~

This Seussical Tribute is brought to you by Candid Carrie, and her Friday Foto Finish Fiesta!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Getting to the Meat of the Problem

I have to say I love me a good piece of meat. I've always been a steak girl. And, yes, I know it's sinfully bad for me, but I don't think I can help myself.

Three-quarters of our family, in fact, not only favors red meat, but likes it done up rare. An old expression comes to mind: "I'll have mine rare~Just wipe its but & run it by the fire."

Last year, the Veggie Family tried to be good. The Wild One read Skinny Bitch over Winter Break, and all of the sudden the Veggies were going Quasi-Vegetarian.

The mantra of SB's authors?

"If you can't take one more day of self-loathing, you're ready to hear the truth: You cannot keep shoveling the same crap into your mouth every day and expect to lose weight."

They pinpoint red meat as the culprit in many of our diet disasters. So, at the first of the year we vamoosed cow from our diet.

I had a whole new repertoire in the kitchen. Quiche Lorraine replaced Ribeye. Curry stood in for flank steak. We still did kabobs, but they featured chicken instead of sirloin.

Moker started to make cracks at the dinner table. Things like, "I just wish I could eat a meal that required a knife every so often." But even the Big Guy got with the program, eventually.

Have to say I'm pretty proud of the Veggie Family. We lasted close to four months. Then TWO, who had orchestrated the whole charade, decided that she, too had had enough.

She broke her fast one sunny late-April afternoon, with a post-school steak burrito. And then we celebrated with burgers on the grill that night.

It was a challenge while it lasted. And, no, I didn't lose weight. Not an ounce!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Wordful Wednesday: Grillin' & Chillin'

We live on a cul-de-sac. Some of us call it a "court." Four other families live on the court with us. We decided to do something festive for Memorial Day, so we did a 5-family bar-be-que.


My Philly looks festive, doesn't it?

No, not a wine-tasting. Just some good cheer in front of the garage.

The peonies dressed up for the occasion.

Well, not all the kiddos were home for the weekend, but we drew a pretty good crowd. And we got the whole thing in before Mother Nature threw a wet blanket, so to speak, on the proceedings. We'd been anticipating rain all day, but the skies didn't open up until we'd finished with dessert.
The message is brought to you by Angie and her Wordful Wednesday. Enjoy!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

The Beautiful People Don't Always Count



You all know, Dear Readers, how Veggie Mom feels about
women competing in this world. But I'm not so sure that they all have to dress up to do it.

Susan Boyle showed up on Britain's Got Talent the other day, all glammed and gussied up. But I'm not sure her makeover has made her any better.

Yes, for the most part Ms. Boyle virtually nailed "Memory," that classic from the musical, "Cats." But she started off a tad shaky. She clearly was nervous, and those nerves showed in the opening bars of the ballad.

I wonder if all the buzz around Susan Boyle's initial performance, when she knocked that snarky smirk right off Simon Cowell's face, has somehow upped the ante for this Scottish lass.

We were talking about this at work the other day. Do the clothes really make the woman? Is Ms. Boyle somehow a better person because her hair's been permed, her eyebrows waxed, and she's wearing a glam frock? Does the powder and the rouge help her project? Keep her vibrato steady? Enable her to sing in the upper registers?

Above all, does all this America's Next Top Model treatment make Susan Boyle a better person?

I'm not sure it does.

One of my colleagues maintains that Ms. Boyle has to be glammed up in order for audiences to pay attention. I maintain that her lusty soprano is what helps her command the most attention.

Another friend said, "But what if she wins? Won't she be made over anyway? Won't the whole experience transform her?" My friend says the producers are "just getting a head start."

I can't help but think that if Susan Boyle were named Steve, she might be treated differently. How much of a price must one pay for success?

Monday, May 25, 2009

Memorial Day, 2009: We Remember


"The purpose of all war is peace."~St. Augustine~

The "Flags In" ceremony, performed by the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment-also known as The Old Guard-kicks off Memorial Day Weekend in Arlington National Cemetery, just outside of D.C.

On Friday, 1,500 soldiers from The Old Guard took about three hours to place more than 250,000 flags exactly one foot in front of every tombstone at Arlington.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Weekly Winners: A Few of My Favorite Things

Canon A1000 IS PowerShot

Borrowed a camera for today's Weekly Winners, brought to you by Lotus at Sarcastic Mom.
It's not a Philly, but this Boston Fern sure is sittin' pretty in the early morning light on my screen porch.

This is Patch, peeking out from behind the wicker webbing in Baba's chair.

Watered some of the garden yesterday morning. The little pieces of "confetti" slashing through the air are actually sprinkler droplets.

Glad that pistachios are back on the shelves now!


An Azalea blossom. My Mom's favorite. Don't know the official name, but we call it the "Glow in the Dark Azalea."
So, which one do you favor this week?

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Six-Word Saturday=Fashion Faux Pas


One of College Girl's friends snapped this. Something to do with a sorority function, but I haven't quite gotten the whole scoop. So here's what I have to say about the whole thing, in six words:

Pretty in Pink? Perhaps, I think!

Don't want to go too much farther with this rhyme, 'cause I could be accused of being jealous, or something. After all, don't think I could pull this off. Could you?

Google-Blogger seem to be settling down, so I'll be blog-hopping today, for sure. Six-word Saturday is organized every week by Cate. She runs Show My Face. Please show her some Comment Love today, OK? That is, if Blogger will let you.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Fx4: Confessions of a Google Junkie

Those of you who have grown used to Veggie Mom's prolific posting and commenting must have been sorely disappointed this week. She's been fighting with Google, and let's just say it hasn't been pretty.

Starting Monday night, the Search Engine That Owns Me started throwing hissy fits. First, I couldn't access Blogger, which of course, means no Eat Your Veggies! Then, I could get to Blogger, but I couldn't sign on. Then, I could get the EYV Home Page to load~well, half of it, anyway.

The long and the short of it is that I've felt a tad off-kilter all week long. At one point, I discovered that if I wanted to search for something, that was fine, but YouTube, Blogger, GMail and Picassa Web were all off-limits.

Google 's only been around for 10 years or so, but I'm feeling like Google Apps have been running things for centuries. When will the madness end?

Finally, last night, things started settling down. No more fragmented screens. No more odd dips and cyber-blips. I could open up Blogger, start a new post, and write something.

Only one problem. The program let me compose this post and post the graphic above. But posting photos seems to be out, for now. So I'm celebrating Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Fiesta with all that I've got. Words.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

We're In Hawaii Now! I Have to Go Potty...

One of the wonderful things about the Internet is that it brings us all closer together. The cyberworld keeps us up-to-date, sometimes inspires us, and it most certainly keeps us entertained.

College Girl passed this YouTube video along to me. A little girl narrates a story about the kittens she sees in a book about kittens.

The child certainly has a different take on the little fur balls. And on life. Please enjoy, "Kittens, Inspired By Kittens."

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Wordful Wednesday: Girl Power

Here's to Rachel Alexandra, the filly who won the Preakness Stakes last weekend. Her victory in the second leg of the Triple Crown shows just how tenacious and tough we women can be, huh?

Speaking from a female point-of-view, it's hard not to root for a good-looking gal who has the smarts, too.

So, on behalf of women who rock everywhere, I give you these famous ladies, brought to you by Angie and her Wordful Wednesday:

Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn. ~Harriet Beecher Stowe, Author

Toughness doesn't have to come in a pinstripe suit. ~Dianne Feinstein, US Senator

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. ~Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady and Philanthropist

Have a Wordful Wednesday!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Open Sesame: Korean Bar-be-Que

Kind of in a food mood this week, considering last week's quandary.

As you may recall, I recently was at a loss over what to cook for dinner. You know, since my peeps are away, and all. May of you wonderful friends had the 4-1-1 for my 9-1-1, so now my recipe box has been replenished. Thanks!

One of the more interesting~and tasty~recipes I received was from friend Tara R., over at If Mom Says OK.

This dish is called Bulgogi. Translated, that's Korean Bar-be-Que. And although the flank steak is prepared on a grill, there's not much BBQ-ish about it at all. But it's spicy and tasty, and I'd like to share:

Bulgogi
1 pound flank steak

salt and pepper to taste
1 cup sesame oil (can substitute ½ cup sesame oil, and ½ cup canola oil)
2 cups low sodium soy sauce (regular is too salty)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1-3 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (to taste, depending on how hot you like it)
2 cups jasmine rice, cooked
Season beef with salt and pepper.


In a medium mixing bowl, combine oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Place meat in a shallow pan, pour marinade over the meat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or over night. (Tara R. puts the steak into a heavyduty plastic freezer bag and pours the marinade into the bag, remembering to turn the bag over occasionally for even marinading.) Remove beef from marinade, and bring to room temperature. Pour leftover marinade into heavy saucepan, over medium heat, bring to a boil and cook for 6-8 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

Preheat grill. Grill the steak a few minutes on each side to desired degree of doneness. Remove from grill, let sit for a couple minutes, then cut into very thin slices. Serve over hot rice and garnish with hot marinade.

Tara R. also turned me on to sautéing some cabbage in the marinade to serve with the steak. She suggested pre-cut cole slaw mix, if we couldn't find Bok Choy, which is Korean cabbage. I took it one step farther, and sautéd broccoli slaw. Can you say delish?

Tara cautions that "Sesame oil can be an acquired taste. It can be a little overpowering," she says. "If you’re not sure if you will like the full flavor of this oil, you can ‘cut’ the sesame oil, 1:1 with canola oil. If you prefer chicken, you can substitute four boneless, skinless chicken breasts for the flank steak."

For more mouthwatering recipes, or "receipts," as my Nana used to say, please visit Rachel, From the Land of Monkeys and Princesses.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Mad Skills for the Grills!

Meet Mad Dog and Merrill, who call themselves "Grillologists," and hail from New London, WI. They host a local Saturday Morning grilling show on radio, and hire out to cater gatherings ranging from backyard picnics to college sorority get-togethers.

How do I know so much about these hysterical-and quite talented-guys? Well, Aunt Julie and Uncle Lynn have been fans from Day One. And that prompted The Wild One to hire them to cook for a Larry U. sorority fest Saturday night.

"I thought I'd died and gone to Heaven," is the way TWO describes her first taste of Mad Dog and Merrill's fare. "I'm gonna have a hard time going back to the dorm cafeteria!"

The day before their Larry U. debut, the Grillologists made this appearance on Good Morning, Wisconsin. They cooked a Beer Butt Chicken. Wonder if these guys have tried POPrs yet? We'll check that out and get back to ya!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Weekly Winners: Shell We Dance?

Nikon COOLPIX 4600

Welcome to Weekly Winners, brought to you by Lotus over at Sarcastic Mom. I'd like to share the beach with you today.

No, I don't live by the ocean, but I collect pieces of it and bring them back to my land-locked home. Here's a collection of whelks in various stages of "maturity," which grace one shelf of an old, beat-up, spray-painted, Salvation Army bookshelf that The Wild One fixed up for me on our back porch.

If I had a panoramic lens, I could shoot the whole shelf up close in one sitting. It's pretty neat. Or at least I think so!


Here's the inside of a turtle shell My Peeps found when they were wee ones. I don't know much about turtles, but doesn't that look like a backbone going up the middle?

I'm a fan of coral, but only if I don't step on it at the beach. I've got three different kinds here, and couldn't for the life of me tell you their names. I only know that the one on the far left is pretty sharp, the middle one no so much, and the one on the right is smooth as a skipping stone.


Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool or you go out in the ocean."

~Actor Christopher Reeve~

Saturday, May 16, 2009

SWS: & My Fair Lady: Wouldn't It Be Loverly?

I'm featuring another award as my Six-Word Saturday post. BTW, make sure you stop by to visit Cate at Show My Face to see other six-word wonders this weekend!

Tori Z., from Torizworld, is my new friend from Wales (as in the UK~yup, Across the Pond!) She presented me with this loverly trinket. Well, just thought I should speak like Eliza Doolittle for the occasion!

Before I get to the bloggy particulars, wanted to share my Six Words:


Tori Z. is My Fair Lady!

And, no, I don't think I'm stretching the truth a bit!

Anyway, the One Lovely Blog Award is all about making new friends. So, I hearby bequeath this pretty to the following 15 newish bloggy friends. They, in turn, must give it to 15 new bloggers, and so on, and so forth. Have fun with this, and enjoy your Saturday!


More Than Words

The Zen of Motherhood

Hoosier Homemade

Tabi Rambles On

Jiggety Jigg

Our Life Upstate

Our Lil Kilowatts

Blue Monkey Butt

Sweet Serendipity

A Little Fun with Me and Lu

t rex tales

Tales from a Shopaholic Mommy

Tiaras & Tantrums

Daily Doses of Mama Drama

My Home Wellingtown

Friday, May 15, 2009

POPrs Sing for Candid Carrie

Wanted to share a couple more photos of Uncle Lynn's first foray into retail. Here's Soccer Boy trying to act all "professional," at the Festival Foods Store in Fon du Lac, WI...


...and a young customer who is SO SURPRISED that POPrs make her yogurt "sing"! Isn't this expression priceless?

Playing along today with Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Finish Fiesta. If you're in the neighborhood, come on out to Festival Foods and try some POPrs. This fun, delicious and good-for-you seasoning is in the yogurt aisle.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Happy Birthday, Shark Boy!

Another trip down Memory Lane for all you POPrs Pals today. We're celebrating Shark Boy's Big Day, and want to do it in style!

In this "vintage" 1991 photo, meet Big Bear, Uncle Lynn, The Birthday Boy and College Boy. Oh, and Mr. Gator. Aunt Julie conjured this Green Masterpiece as the young lad's birthday cake.

While the Black-Tipped Reef Shark Adventure was exciting, Shark Boy has much Bigger Fish to fry these days, including helping Mr. Pops launch the new retail line of POPrs - Coming to a supermarket near you, fingers crossed!

So, Happy B-Day, SB...May you live long and POPrs...er, prosper!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Wordful Wednesday: Festival Foods Welcomes POPrs!

No, you're not seeing things, POPrs Fans! Your favorite fun AND nutritious seasoning is now on grocery store shelves. Specifially, in Festival Foods stores in Wisconsin!
Uncle Lynn's introduction of the new retail version of POPrs is designed for yogurt, though it of course tastes just as delish on pudding, applesauce, etc. Uncle Lynn has put together seven demo teams, which go into the stores Friday afternoons, Saturdays and Sundays to entice shoppers with this awesome product. So if you're a Wisconsinite, journey out to Festival Foods soon and get your POPrs fix!
And if you're not from Wisconsin? Well, I just think you should march down to your local grocery store and DEMAND that they include POPrs in their yogurt aisle. Tell 'em you want to make your food sing, too, and that Veggie sent ya!

Let me let Uncle Lynn explain a little bit: "Our POPrs retail roll-out has been going over VERY well," he explains. "We are also planning some radio spots to support the introduction, and hope we can get enough people to know about it that we can expand out from here. From 13 local Festival stores to 2,500 Krogers, perhaps?"

Uncle Lynn says you can still buy POPrs online, and he's also now offering the new logo POPrs hats and shirts as well. And tune in to his POPrs Web site to watch a new video, too!

Of course, Uncle Lynn wouldn't be where he is today without the continuing support of all his POPrs Pals, who continue to come back and visit Eat Your Veggies! and keep rooting for this thing to take off in a big way. Our unofficial, but nevertheless quite enthusiastic POPrs "PR" gal and Previous POPrs Winner (that would be Lula, natch!) says we should aim for QVC now. Whaddaya think?

Thanks for everything, friends, and just so ya know: I'm participating in Angie's Wordful Wednesday today. You should, too!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Vote Early ~ And Often!

Good news, gang, for two of our Bloggy Friends and POPrs Giveaway Winners. They're Blogging for the Gold, and need your help.

I was so tickled to get back-to-back e-mails from these gals. First from Veronica, of
Supermarket Serenade fame. Those of you who visit Veronica's site know that it's an All Recipes, All the Time kinda place.

Well, Veronica's got a chance to win a $25,000 kitchen makeover from Crisco ~ that would be Twenty-Five Thousand Big Ones, folks ~ for her Carribean Chicken with Roasted Mango Sauce. Veronica made the Top Five, and needs your vote, please!

I'm not electioneering or anything (that's
Hot Tub Lizzy's job, ya know!), but to vote for Veronica, please visit Crisco is Cooking, and do just that. You have to register, but it takes a couple quick seconds, and it's free. I'm told there's one vote per e-mail, but we Smarty Pants Bloggers know how to get around that, right?

And speaking of Smarty Pants Bloggers, don't you love Kathleen over at
Katydidandkid? Well, this intrepid gal pal is one of 10 finalists in the Protect-a-Bed Blogher '09 Scholarship Competition!

Kathleen made it to the Top 10, and has a chance to win $300 ~ that's 300 Clams, folks! ~ to help fund her Chicago trip to
BlogHer this summer. Polls close at Noon next Monday the 18th.

Please help our gal pals out. Please vote early ~ and often!

Monday, May 11, 2009

Please Give Us the 4-1-1 for Our 9-1-1

Moker and I need your help. We're tired of the same-old, same-old. Being Empty Nesters and all, we cook for two, but our repertoire is growing thin these days, and leftovers (I'm used to cooking for a gang o' peeps) are losing their appeal.

Do you have any quick, delish, wonderful dishes that you can share? To paraphrase Wimpy, I'd gladly pay you on Tuesday for a recipe, today!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Weekly Winners: A Flowering Mother's Day

Welcome to Weekly Winners, hosted by Lotus over at Sarcastic Mom. And Happy Mother's Day to one and to all!

To honor all of us today, I wanted to post garden shots. Taken with my sad little Nikon COOLPIX 4600, but flowers usually cooperate for me. They're just so in to showing off!


My Mom ~ the kids called her Baba ~ was a gardener. It's been three years since she died, and we're still keeping her geraniums in good shape. Of course, we take them inside in the winter. And give them used coffee grounds, on occasion, for breakfast.




The centerpiece of Baba's Garden was Baba's Bench. It's pretty old, and under the weather these days. Several decades of wind, rain, snow and ice can do that to a piece of outside furniture, which faced the elements 24/7 all those years! But I've figured out a way to make Baba's Bench the centerpiece of my garden, as well.

Azaleas were Mom's favorite flower. Might have had something to do with growing up on Azalea Lane. Or, it could also be because these flowering bushes are stunning. I planted three out back. Baba used to come over to admire my "green thumb," but she and I both knew that azaleas are such show-offs, they can take care of themselves.

Now, my SIL, Aunt Julie, really loves hummingbirds. So did Baba. It's far too early for hummers in my neck o' the woods, even though I live in slightly more temperate climes than most of the POPrs Family. So here is a hummer medalion I picked up at the garden store. It used to be on a long, sharp stake, so I poked it in among the flowers for many years. Unfortunately, wear-and-tear has left me with just the little birdie. Can't wait, though, 'til the real, live hummers appear on my back deck!



Finally, I learned to be a thrifty gardener from My Mom. Our local nursery has a "plant hospital," where they sell the sad little plants that aren't going to "make it" for 50 cents or less. Baba taught me that these are the "thrift sales" that keep on giving. Here's a Leopard's Bane, which cost me about 30 cents, and keeps coming back bigger and fuller every year. Mom once told me that when I was little, I called the plant "Leopard's Mane." I probably was thinking of a lion...I don't know!



I'm celebrating Mother's Day in the garden. What about you?

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Six-Word Saturday: Brett Favre Teams Up with Uncle Lynn!


I have two entries in Six-Word Saturday today. First, I'd like to congratulate the winner of the POPrs Give It Away Now Giveaway:

The Winner Is...Stacy's Random Thoughts!

Stacy wins a box of POPrs ~ all eight flavors ~ that fun and nutritious seasoning, which encourages you to Eat Your Veggies! Please e-mail me, Stacy, at veggiemom@poprs.com, with your contact info, and Uncle Lynn will get your prize right out to ya!

And now, to the matter at hand, and the title of this post.

No, he didn't. But if Brett Favre had teamed up with my BIL, that would have been a million times better than the rash decision he was considering. I couldn't imagine Football Season starting so early this year, but here is my Second Series of Six Words, brought to you by Cate at Show My Face:

What were you thinking, Brett Favre?

You heard from me when Brett became a Jet. And again, when the Packers lost. And lost again. And then lost several more times. We even brought you the Cheesehead Pope, for cryin' out loud!

But rumor had it the other day that Brett was thinking about talking to the dreaded Minnesota Vikings.

*sigh*
The rumors turned out to be untrue. Unless everything changes again tomorrow, as it often does with Mr. Favre. It's getting increasingly difficult to like the guy. And I used to be such a fan!

Moker said he wouldn't watch Brett if he became a Viking. No offense to my Minnesota Bloggy Brethren, but that's how intense the Packer-Viking rivalry is.

The Wild One, meanwhile, tried to angle the other day for a Number 4 Vikings Jersey with Brett's name on the back, although she says she remains a loyal Packers Fan.

With no Vikings in his future, I hope Brett retires ~ for good ~ to his farm down in Mississippi this year. That way I won't have to choose. Or loose any more money to the NFL Pro Shop ~ that kid of mine has expensive taste!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Candid Carrie's: A Multicultural Place to Hang


Of course, it's Friday. TGIF, everyone! That means it's time for Candid Carrie's Friday Foto Fiesta, known in these parts as Fx4. Or FFFF, if you want to get technical about it.

Aunt Julie, as you know, is a quilter, a gardener, a baker, a great cook, a decorator, a photographer, AND a crafter. At one time in her young life, she was also into multiculturalism, as you can see from the shot above.

Julie Eliz stitched these Raggedy Anns when my kids were little. She also made corresponding Andys.

I'd say it's been pretty nifty being her SIL all these years. Don't you agree? Maybe we should market these with the POPrs...

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Peace, Love and Harmony

To enter the fantabulous POPrs Give It Away Now Blog Carnival Contest, please click here. Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday!

Meet the Dog, the Cat and the Rat. Otherwise known as Booger, Kitty and Mousey. Booger's a Rotweiller, Kitty's an American Tabby, and Mousey is, well, a Rat.

They're hanging out with their owner, Gregory Pike, in Santa Barbara. Moved to Cali recently after spending several years in Arizona. Pike is originally from Telluride, Colorado.

Booger the Rotweiller met Kitty when the cat was but a babe. Mousey grew attached to Kitty the same way. Now they walk around Santa Barbara all day long, promoting Peace, Love and Harmony.

"Peace can happen anywhere," Pike tells The Bottom Line, a publication put out by students at UC-Santa Barbara. "If they can do it, why can't people?"

He really does have a point there, don't you think?

"You know," Pike says, "they're just 'dumb' animals, but now, who're really the stupid ones?" Good question.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

101 Things to Do with a Cake Mix



No, I can't claim credit for this. I was checking out some new blogs yesterday, and came upon Shawn. Her site, Swaneesinger, is an eclectic collection of observations, memories and ~ you guessed it ~ recipes.

I'm snagging this one for you, Dear Readers, because I know you especially like those Retro Recipes. This one comes from a special cookbook, entitled 101 Things to Do with a Cake Mix, by Stephanie Ashcraft. Puts me in mind of my Nana and her creations.

This recipe, of course, is adaptable. Please give it a whirl, and let me know what you think. We'll be baking it in Aunt Julie's Kitchen, for sure!

Dump Cake

1 White or Yellow Cake Mix
1 Can (29 oz.) sliced peaches with juice
1/2 stick of butter or margarine, thinly sliced
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan. Spread half of the cake mix evenly in bottom of pan. Pour can of sliced peaches and juice evenly over the cake mix (Shawn also sometimes uses a bit of cinnamon). Cover the peaches with the rest of the cake mix, then slice the margarine or butter on top. Bake 50 minutes, or until golden brown. Top the Dump Cake with either whipping cream or ice cream.


Shawn says she's also used different kinds of pie filling as the central ingredient in Dump Cake, and has even made this recipe as cupcakes. Thanks to Shawn for putting this out there for all of us to share. Hope you enjoy it!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Nuthin' Better Than a Bloggy Carnival!

CanCan at Mom Most Traveled is sponsoring a Give It Away Now Bloggy Giveaway Carnival this week. So, I talked to Uncle Lynn, and he said that we should put a POPrs Prize on the line. Here's how it's gonna work.

This Week's Winner will score an Entire Box of POPrs, that Fun and Good-for-You Seasoning that's been making Headlines these days in a Big Way! Pop'rs come in eight different flavors, and really encourage one & all to Eat Their Veggies! Click Here and Here to see the Press Coverage for yourself!

This POPrs Giveaway closes Friday at 11:59 EST and is open to everyone in the United States and Canada. Please make sure you leave a way for me to contact you if you're the lucky winner.

Here's all you have to do to be that winner this week: Leave me a comment on this post! That's it! One entry per person, please. The Winner of the POPrs Give It Away Now Carnival Prize will be announced Right Here on Saturday, May 9.

So, get Clicking and Get Commenting...a Big Box o' POPrs Fun is On. The. Line!

Monday, May 4, 2009

Hats Off to the Kentucky Derby!


You all know that Derby Day was Saturday and that the 50-1 long shot, Mine That Bird, won the solid gold trophy in the Run for the Roses. And I'm sure that Aunt Julie was tickled to death that the trainer hauled that horse to Louisville, 21 hours in a trailer. Auntie J. has a thing for cowboys, you see.

I've always thought, though, that the most fascinating part of the Derby was the hats, not the horses. The Derby...seriously, now...is a haberdasher's dream come true. In fact, when I was a wee one, I thought that this most-famous of American horse races was named for the hats. I used to watch with my Nana every year. We weren't looking at horseflesh; we were betting on how much the ladies' headgear cost them.

Every year, of course, someone has to outdo everyone else. From this year's selections, I really liked the effort made by some of the men. Hats off to Saturday's winners!