Handbook for 2010

Jean sent me this today.  I usually don’t get into this kind of stuff, but this is right on the money.  Just skim over it if you don’t want to read it all, some good advice here…  It should be our goal in the coming year to live like this….

Happy New Year!!!!

~ jan

Health:
1.       Drink plenty of water.
2.       Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3.       Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4.       Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5.       Make time to pray.
6.       Play more games.
7.       Read more books than you did in 2009.
8.       Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9.       Sleep for 7 hours, 8 preferably.
10.    Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11.    Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12.    Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13.    Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14.    Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15.    Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16.    Dream more while you are awake.
17.    Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18.    Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19.    Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20.    Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21.    No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22.    Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.  Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23.    Smile and laugh more.
24.    You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...

Society:
25.    Call your friends often.
26.    Each day give something good to others.
27.    Forgive everyone for everything.
28.    Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of  6.
29.    Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30.    What other people think of you is none of your business.
31.    Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32.    Do the right thing!
33..    Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34.    Nature is a healing force.
35.    However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36.    No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37.    The best is yet to come.
38.    When you awake alive in the morning, be grateful and live in the moment.
39.    Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

I know, I know, she’s just the CUTEST baby….

Butt Ruffles and Mary Jane Socks…. Soooo Sweet!!!

Here’s my girls, aren’t they sweet????

Our own little Christmas doll…

Merry Christmas from our house to yours...

Christmas Time’s A Comin’

A few of my favorite things

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

My friend, Mary,  triggered memories today when she sent me an email  about black walnut divinity.  I started thinking about my favorite Christmas memories when I was a child.  Here are some of them.

• Big, fragrant oranges and grapefruits, a whole box full of them
• Nuts and an old fashioned nut cracker, watching tv,  and picking out my favorite ones, pecans and brazil nuts
• Snow ice cream
• Drinking steaming mugs of hot cocoa after playing outside in the cold
• Orange rinds and cinnamon sticks simmering on the stove
• Russian tea, Mother always made it with Tang, spices and instant iced tea, then we would spoon the mix into mugs of hot water to drink
• Lebkuchen, we made those wonderful, spicy cookies every November and then stored them in big tin containers until Christmas, they were so good, I have the recipe, handed down for generations, I need to make them again…
• Chex Mix, cousin Sue’s was always the best, chocked full of pecans and cashews, not only Chex cereal, but Cheerios and Kix, too,  and Bugles and pretzels, and seasoned with garlic, and spicy hot with lots of Tabasco
• Midnight mass on Christmas eve, the candles, the poinsettas, it was just magic when I was a child
• Opening gifts on Christmas eve, the anticipation of what doll I would get for Christmas. That was the best part, I always got a new doll, every year…
• Aunt Ruby’s Mexican Wedding Cookies, still a family tradition
• Homemade candy, my favorite was called bologna candy, it was a date nut roll, we made it every year.  And that wonderful black walnut divinity and homemade fudge, chocolate and my favorite, peanut butter

As I reread my list, it was all about food, wasn’t it? And it’s still all about the food…  That little girl never quite grew up, and this year I have a new doll to play with, a real, live one.  Baby Abby’s first Christmas.  What a wonderful Christmas this is for our family….

A Christmas present that won’t cost you anything….

I’ve gotten older, hopefully a bit wiser, and my life experiences have made me realize that this moment is all we have, seize it, live it, tomorrow may be too late.

One of the things that I do, and I’ve touched on this before, is that when I say goodbye, I always tell my family I love them, always.

I never leave them without hugging them and telling them “I love you,” and I never hang up the phone without saying it.  It comes as natural to me as saying “goodbye” does.  You may think, “my family doesn’t do this, I would feel awkward, or embarrassed.”  So, what if you do?  And so what if it’s awkward, or maybe even uncomfortable at first, you’re telling them what’s in your heart.

And you don’t do it once and quit, you keep doing it over and over again until it’s as natural for you to say it as it is to say goodbye.  And I’ll just bet you that they will start saying it back to you, and maybe even saying it first.

It’s a wonderful gift you can give the people you love, it doesn’t cost you anything, and the rewards are amazing.  And if, god forbid, it’s the last time you see or talk to them, they will always remember what your last words to them were. 

If you never try anything new, you will always get the same old results, but if you go out on a limb, and take a chance, a whole new world opens up. 

Just take a deep breath and say it, ”I love you,”  it’s a wonderful gift.

~ jan

Rub-a-dub-dub, look who just got out of the tub…

This Grammie stuff  just ROCKS!!!!!  Oh, Abby Leigh, what a sweet little soul, you are….

Thanks for the giggle this morning, Hooterville…

Twas the night of Thanksgiving and out of the house
Tiger Woods came a flyin', chased by his spouse.
She wielded a nine iron and wasn't too merry,
Cause a bimbo’s phone number was in his Blackberry.
He’d been cheatin' on Elin, and the story progressed.
Woman after woman stepped up and confessed.
He’d been cheatin’ with Holly, Jaimee, Linda and Cori,
With Joselyn, and Kalika. The world had the story.
From the top of the Tour to the basement of blues,
Tiger’s sad sordid tale was all over the news.
With hostesses, waitresses, he had lots of sex,
When not in their pants, he was sendin' them texts.
Despite all his cryin’ and beggin' and pleadin',
Tiger’s wife went investin' -- a new home in Sweden.
And I heard her exclaim from her white Escalade,
"If you’re gettin' laid then I’m gettin' paid." 
She’s not pouting, in fact, she is of jolly good cheer,
Her prenup made Christmas come early this year.

Robyn Carr’s Virgin River Series…

I’m a total trash reader, I always read women, too, I never read men as I don’t care for the way they write romance novels. I’m always looking for new authors, because when I find someone I like, I read everything they have ever written.

I’m hooked on Robyn Carr and her Virgin River Series.  There are seven books in this collection so far, and this woman weaves wonderful stories.  She incorporates several families into each book, instead of focusing on one relationship, and taking the whole book to establish it, she forms relationships early on and then moves on to other people.  It’s a great twist, the way she writes, and the town of Virgin River, population 600, and it’s cast of characters is totally entertaining.

If you haven’t read her, give her a read, or if you’re a fan already, tell us what your favorite books are.  If you’re looking for a stocking stuffer, the first book in her Virgin River series would be a great idea….

~ jan

This is spectacular, thanks Barb for sending it…

Amazing Grace Techno - Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

Abby’s first playdate….

This is Abby on the left, with Julieanne.  Looks like she wore her little friend out.

Oh little girl babies are just too cute for words!!!!!

Hungry Girl Liquid S’Mores

I posted this on my Eating Right Blog, it looks absolutely to-die-for…

It’s a healthy version of Liquid S’Mores. Everything we love, hot chocolate, marshmallows, chocolate chips, graham crackers.

 

Here’s the click to them, you’re going to want to try this one…

~ jan

Thanks for the laugh, Seana…. oh this is a good one, girls….

Such bliss……

There’s been a lot of cuddling going on. Home tomorrow….

Having baby time…

We’re in Lexington for a couple of days.  Oh my, how Abby has changed just since Thanksgiving.  She breaks into big smiles now, follows us with her eyes.

She’s like a soft little bundle of heaven.  I’m finding out what a lot of you already know, what a wonderful gift grandchildren are.

I’ll be back, with a new picture soon.  Pinky swear.

~ jan

I’m in love….

What was your favorite Christmas gift as a child?

With me, it was always dolls.  Oh, I loved my dolls, played with them constantly, never had a doubt that I would be a good mother, because I always loved dolls and baby animals so much as a child.

When I was seven, I got a little red trunk, filled with doll clothes and a bride doll.  I can still remember how I felt when I opened that trunk and saw that doll.  It was pure magic…

Update…

Carlene just emailed me to ask, “why no blogging?”  Just like the rest of you, I’ve been super busy.  I did redo the header, that other one was pretty lame, so I got up this morning at 4am, redid the header and got the link up for the holiday recipes.

If you’re new to the blog, this recipe collection is another goodie.  All my friends tried and true favorites. 

Baby Abby is just doing great.  She’s smiling now and trying to laugh, we’re going to visit for a couple of days next week.  It’s just so hard to stay away from her.

Check out my Christmas recipes, if you’re looking for something new to try this year.  I’ll be back, soon.  I’m starting to get a handle on things.

~ jan

A doggy Christmas surprise

I saw this on Hooterville’s blog earlier today.  Had to snag it to share.  This is positively adorable!!!

 

Baby, it's cold outside...

We've had a blustery day in Heavensville, 50 mph winds, falling temperatures.  I've had a tri-state boomer of a headache all day.  Stayed in, made soup, read by the fire, cuddled the M&M's.  It was a perfect day for this.

I did some Christmas shopping online, too. Don't you just love sitting around in your jammies ordering things? 

Poor Deanna is flying into Nashville tonight in this windy weather, I'll be glad when she arrives safely.

And that's it from my little corner of the world.  I hope you and yours are tucked in safely tonight...

As The World Turns is biting the dust…

I just read tonight that CBS is cancelling As The World Turns.  And Bonnie Hunt is getting cancelled, too.  Is The Young and the Restless next?

I still have fond memories of Carol Burnett parodying, “As The Stomach Churns.”   No more sitting around Emma’s farmhouse table, no hospital talk with Bob and Kim, all the familiar faces will be gone, soon.

I don’t like all these changes.  I want things to stay the same, and they never do.

It’s kind of sad, even though I seldom watch it anymore.  The end of an era.  But they had a great run, I believe I read 76 years, starting on the radio and then going on to television.

I can remember watching it in black and white when I was a little girl.  I used to be a sucker for the soaps, but that was before the computer, I seldom watch anything anymore….  I guess even I am changing with the times.

This is pretty funny…

I keep forgetting to tell you…

For the last year or so, I’ve had so many problems with my eyelashes thinning, even little clumps falling out.  I attributed it to aging, but a couple of months ago, I switched mascara. 

My eyelashes are coming back in, thicker and fuller, apparently I was allergic to the one I was using.  I’ve used Maybelline forever, tried a badzillion other brands, but always go back to it.  But a year or so ago, I started using their Intense XXL Volume, it had fiber builders on one end, and then mascara on the other.  I’m thinking I must have been allergic to those fiber builders.

So now I’m using the Maybelline Colossal Volume, in the fat yellow tube, and not having any problems at all, but it still bulks up the lashes.  I keep meaning to tell you this, maybe some of you are having problems as well.  It wouldn’t hurt to switch product and see if it helps…

Random Thoughts for the Day:

My friend, Janet, sent  me these.  Oh, they are all true!!!

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer's history if you die.
2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.
3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.
5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
6. Was learning cursive really necessary?
7. Map Quest needs to start their directions on #5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my damn neighborhood.
8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.
9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.
10. Bad decisions make good stories.
11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.
12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.
13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to the ten-page paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.
14.. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this -- ever.
15. I hate it when I miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damn it!)but when I immediately call back it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?
16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.
17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
18. My 4-year old nephew once asked me, "What would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?
19. I think the freezer deserves a light as well..
20. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.

Tiger Woods is such a douchebag…

Lori, over at Pugsplace nailed it today on her blog post about Tiger Woods, calling him a sleazy little a man-whore.  He is such a creep.  Drudge is reporting that a divorce would cost him $300 million dollars, the most expensive in history.  If I were his wife, I would take the money and run as fast as I could.

LC and I were having lunch today at my favorite chinese restaurant, discussing it, and I was telling him that I hope she beat the hell outta him with that golf club.  He kind of laughed when I said it, but I got him to admit that he agreed with me.

Women are coming out of the woodwork about affairs with him.  TMZ has an audio tape of him telling a woman to erase all her cellphone messages.  His poor wife, kids or no kids, how can she ever trust him?  She will always wonder when he’s on tour what he’s up to, or she’ll follow him around like a groupie trying to keep him in line.  He’s sorry for his transgressions, yeah sure thing he is, the only thing he’s sorry about is that he got caught with his hand in the nookie jar! What a jerk.  Boy, he sure had a lot of people fooled, didn’t he. 

Men Schmen, what fools they are.  They ruin their reputations and destroy their families, all for a tawdry piece of ass…

Baby Updates

Lindsay called me today to tell me that Abby is laughing out loud, and this afternoon she rolled over.  Amazing, huh.  The child is going to be a prodigy I  just know it!!!

Dang, girlfriends I have had zero computer time.  I’ve got that Christmas shopping almost finished, though.  I’m going to work on a new header, it’s time for Thanksgiving to go.

I’ll catch up on emails, and get back in the groove, pinky swear…

~ jan

Grammie , Grandpa and bebe Abby

I’m not dead, Fred….

Law-dee it’s been a whirlwind.  Having the big 60th birthday, Thanksgiving, bebe Abby, family, I haven’t had a minute for blogging.

John and Deanna brought me home, they’re leaving today, life will be back to normal.

I’ll be back soon! Pinky swear…

~ jan

Happy Thanksgiving from Grammie Jan…

 

Cheesecake update…

It’s an awesome recipe.  I still think I would cut back on the butter in the crust to 1/2 cup, since I blotted a lot of excess with paper towel.  But it’s a keeper, it was yummy!

Tonight we’re going to do the bourbon sauce with it… Healthy eating is going all to hell this week.  Scarlett will worry about it Monday…

A quick update for you…

It’s a busy day at Ryans, as we’re having Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, doing prep work today. 

We’re making Nisha’s Chicken Velvet Soup later in the week with turkey breast leftovers, she wanted me to remind you all of this great recipe.  If you want something special, ladies, this is it.  And so easy to make, too.  You’ll love this one, pinkie swear…

Here’s the click…

I’ll be around, hopefully with baby Abby pictures for you.

~ jan

It’s finally out of the oven…

Okay, here’s the scoop.  I used a 9” springform pan, instead of a 12” because I like a thick, dense cheesecake.  Well this puppy just wouldn’t get done.  I cooked it an extra 50 minutes, no that’s not a typo, 50 minutes longer than recipe called for, and it’s still pretty jiggly.  It was so thick, no wonder it took forever, but it seems like I’ve messed with it all day!

However, it smells awesome, and I think it will be great when it cools.  I did tent it for the last 15 minutes loosely with foil, because it was starting to brown.  And yep, it cracked, but I think it will be a goodie.  I’ll let you know the results when we cut into it at Ryans…

Oh, one other note, if you’re not a cheesecake baker, always take a piece of foil, I usually double it, even with heavy duty foil, and set the springform pan on it, then mold it around the outer sides of the pan.  If you don’t, the butter from the cheesecake will leak out in the bottom of your oven and you will have a mess!

If you’re confused about how long to bake it – when it is set all around the edges, and a good way into the middle, it’s done.  I never cook cheesecakes that come clean with a toothpick in the middle.  I would rather undercook it just a bit then have it dry.

~ jan

Cheesecake tweaks…

When you make a recipe for the first time, it’s a learning experience.

The crust recipe called for 2/3 cup butter, that’s a LOT of butter, I usually use 1/3 cup in a crust, but I followed her recipe, baked it for 10 minutes, and it was super oily.  So I took paper towel and blotted the excess, next time I will use less, maybe cut it back to at least 1/2 cup.

The recipe also calls to do to it in a water bath, but my cheesecake pan won’t fit in a 9x13 pan, and my jellyroll pan is one of those air kind, so I was afraid if I used it the bottom wouldn’t cook, so I just put it directly in the oven.  That’s what I always do, it may crack a bit, they do sometimes, but that’s no biggie.  I will watch it tho, and if I think it’s getting too brown before the center is no longer jiggly, i’ll loosely tent it with aluminum foil.

I tasted that batter, it was excellent, I’m thinking this is going to be a great recipe.

I’ll update you on how it cooks, not going to cut it until Monday or Tuesday, though…

I always watch FoodTV while I’m cooking, and today Paula Deen’s cousin was on her show, the lady owns a bakery so she should be a good cook.  Paula said her pumpkin pie recipe was the best she’s ever eaten.  Great reviews for it online.  Check it out here….

I’m not running the show this year…

We’re going to Ryan and Lindsay’s this year for turkey day.  We went last year as well.  Before that I made Thanksgiving dinner every year since LC and I have been married, well except for one year when we went out, and John threw such a hissy because he hated the food and didn’t have leftovers that I never tried that again.  I was an only child, so was hubby, no siblings to trade off holidays with, it was all up to me. 

Well, girlfriends, the times they are a changin’ and I couldn’t be happier.  I’m tired of cooking all that food!  Oh, I’ll still be in the kitchen working alongside the family, but if I want to take time out and rock sweet bebe Abby, I can…

Ryan has a big kitchen with a big working center island, it’s so much easier this way. 

And today, I’m making the pumpkin cheesecake.  I decided to make the one from Susan Branch, here’s the click again in case you missed it when I posted it a few days ago.  That’s the good thing about cheesecake, it’s better after it ages for a few days. I’m also making another batch of caramel corn, the family can’t seem to get enough of it this year.  I made a batch last week when Charlie and Nish were here, he loved it, so she made it yesterday. Yeah, here’s the link for it, I know you want to look at it, too.

We’re also going to try the pumpkin streusel rolls for Thanksgiving morning.  Carlene sent me this recipe last week, and I was intrigued, as our family loves cinnamon rolls, it will be interesting to see how these turn out.  It’s a recipe from Cooking Light, only 214 calories per bun and rave reviews.  Here’s your click….

Okay, I’m outta here, I got work to do girlies…

Salsa Dancing Dog

This is possibly the cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life.  I want this dog!!!

 

Thanks for sending this to me, Carlene, I’m in awe….

Hey Aldi snobs, you’re missing out….

I know some of you think Aldi’s food is “inferior” and I have to laugh, because at one time I thought the same thing.

But, oh are you wrong if you think that way.  I tried their Kona Coffee today, $3.99 for a 12 ounce bag, and omg, it was an awesome, awesome, coffee.  Premium quality, full bodied, wonderful, rich tasting coffee.

I also picked up fresh cranberries for $1.00 a bag.  None were mushy, I didn’t have to throw out any of them.  Made then like my buddy V does, a cup of sugar, but I used Splenda instead, a cup of water, boil for 5 minutes, take off the burner and squeeze in an orange.

Sooooo, good – 30 calories for a half a cup of cranberries, too.  Works for me.

They also have a special buy right now, 28 ounce cans of Priano Crushed Tomatoes for $.89.  They are the best I’ve ever had.  Forget  Hunts, these are so much better, so good in fact, that I went back and bought a case of them… 

So all you hard sell people, go outside your box this week and just try a couple of things from Aldi’s.  You just might be surprised, and you will save 50% over supermarket prices.  Pinky swear…

~ jan

Farewell, old friend….

John had to say goodbye to his best friend, yesterday.  He had Oreo for  fifteen years, and she was a sight to behold to the very end. 

You’ve never seen a feistier, prettier dog than his little Oreo.  She was a wild child, tearing around the house, playing in the yard, and in her last years, doing her perimeter check in the back yard hourly, as John had installed a doggie door to his fenced yard, and she was totally enthralled with the freedom it gave her to go in and out at her will. When people came to visit, especially little children, she was absolutely estatic.  She loved people, and was irresistible to everyone, she was quite the charmer…

He built a fishpond in his backyard just last year, and she supervised every rock that was put into place.  Then she would stand on the rocks, drinking from the pond, watching the fish, and more than once falling in.  Nothing deterred her, nothing, she was totally fearless.

John got “O” when he was in graduate school.  He had just moved to Lafayette, didn’t know anybody and decided he needed a dog. She was just this little bundle of puppy fur, and oh was she a cutie.   He would come home to visit, buckling her in a seatbelt, she would ride the entire trip, three hours, buckled in beside him.

They traveled a lot of miles together in the last fifteen years, and were quite a team.  He was a great doggy dad to her, loved her dearly, and spoiled her daily.  It was more difficult than words can say to have to say goodbye to this dog, but she’s soaring with the angels now.

Godspeed, sweet girl, we will miss you greatly, but you will always live on forever in our hearts…

Johnny Depp, Sexiest Man Alive! What’s wrong with me???

My buddy, V, has always been a huge Johnny Depp fan.  She thinks he is just awesome, and I just don’t get it.  Now People Magazine says he’s the sexiest man alive.  Johnny Depp?  Huh? For real, they do.

I just don’t understand.  And I think the underlying factor is that he just appears to me to be the type of guy, ummmm, how do I say this politely?  Oh hell, there is no way to say this politely, he just looks to me like he would have a really small penis!

And that is definitely NOT sexy, IMO.  Bad girl, bad girl, shame, shame, shame on you Jan, such impure thoughts from an old broad….

Rules for Thanksgiving….

A bit of what we do year, after year, after year, after year…

Rule #1:  We always buy at least an 18 pound turkey,  some years it’s even been an  20-22 lb. one.  We don’t even like turkey all that much, but we always buy a big bird. Turkey soup is a must the weekend following Thanksgiving.

Rule #2: Always check the carcass for the paper packet with the neck, liver and gizzard inside.  Yes, I baked the damn things in the turkey one year, and nobody has ever forgotten!

Rule #3: A double batch of broccoli casserole,  just for Ryan.  We all complain about being tired of it, because we’ve had it so many times,  but do we eat it?  You’re darn tootin’ we do!  Ry can always be found in the kitchen after dinner shoveling copious amounts of the stuff in his mouth with a serving spoon.

Rule #4:  Don’t burn the sweet potatoes.  They have to be watched carefully, very, very carefully, and guess who’s job that is these days.  Oh joy.

Rule #5:  Some sort of cranberry concoction is the rule of the day.  Ryan swears that no man ever liked cranberries, and I do believe he may be on to something, but the girls love them, it was Deanna’s specific request this year.   Lindsay’s family recipe  is the best,  it’s awesome!

Rule #6:  Never, ever even suggest using Pillsbury Already Piecrust for the pies.  Don’t even go there.  I’m so lucky that Lindsay makes the world’s best piecrust.  This year, I’ll hold Cuppycake while her mommy rolls the dough. :~)

Rule #7:  When putting the pumpkin pie in the oven, look straight ahead, never look at the pie, if you look at the pie you tilt it and it dumps on the oven floor.  Isn’t that right, John?

Rule #8: Turnips for LC are a  must have.  The man adores turnips, the rest of the family not so much, but we always have them for him. 

Rule #9:  Regardless of what yeast roll recipe we use, we  always think that we can do better next year, so every year we try a new one, and we’re never satisfied.  John and I always make the rolls together, it’s what we do…

Rule #10:  Always, always after Thanksgiving dinner, both of my sons will be found lying on the floor, stretched out to their full 6’+ length, writhing and moaning in agony because they ate too much. And do we feel sorry for them, not!  And yes, I have pictures to prove it.

Rule #11: Always be thankful for another year together, especially this year with the birth of our little Abby.  Reminisce about years gone by and the people and pets we loved who are no longer with us.  Families are a wonderful thing, and the older I get, the more I appreciate how lucky I am to have this wonderful cast of colorful characters that are my family…

About that soup…

It was really good!  I’m not a rosemary fan, but it was subtle, it worked.  It would have been better with homemade bread, but I have no willpower with the bread.

And speaking of food, which is what we do around Thanksgiving, I have a husband that adores turnips, so when I saw this recipe earlier today on Simply Recipes for Turnip Gratin, I just had to share.  Interesting, huh? 

Here’s the click…

I made Tuscan Bean Soup this morning…

A one pound bag of great northern beans, a can of diced tomatoes, chopped onion, carrots, garlic, fresh herbs from the garden, thyme, rosemary, and lots of sage.  Then I added 6 cups of chicken broth, just one slice of thick pepper bacon, a teaspoon of fresh cracked pepper, and now it’s in my pressure cooker for an hour and fifteen minutes.  I’ll update you and let you know if it’s good…  I’m actually productive today, laundry is going, housework is finished, life is smooth… Just the way I like it!

Geezy Pete, what a mess…

This new Droid phone is going to be the death of me yet, I swear it is!  Earlier this week I was complaining about misdialing people constantly.  Well that was nothing compared to tonight.

I had been reading online about voice to text, an app you download, then all you do is talk into the phone and it converts it to text and then you send it to whatever contact you want.  Sounds pretty cool, huh, no typing, just talking.  WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!!

First of all, when I tried to download the app earlier in the week, it wouldn’t work.  So I emailed the guy who wrote the program, he said he was still “tweaking” it for the Droid and that he would email me when it became available.

Well tonight was the night, I got the email, I coughed up my $.99 for it.  Yes, just a measly dollar, this stuff is cheap…

And I started talking into my phone.  OMG, you wouldn’t believe all the stuff that came up.  It wasn’t recognizing  my voice at all, and was making up crazy phrases.  But I was sending stuff out anyway, to Ang and to Hooterville, and to the kids, and all of a sudden I got this “No Comprende” text from my cousin. 

When I checked my messages, I discovered that I had sent her eighteen messages.  Everything I was sending to people wasn’t going to them at all, it was going to her!!!!

Holy Schmoly, when I reread what I sent, it sounded absolutely STUPID.  It made no sense at all, she must have wondered what was going on.  So I have now sent her numerous email messages explaining what I did in an effort to not look like a complete dodo.

And the guy that wrote the program? He now tells me he is having issues with the Droid, he doesn’t actually have that phone himself, so it’s tricky.

Tricky?  TRICKY? You got that right, dude!  Oh, what a mess, what a mess!!!

The key to dying happy…

The following article is a reprint from Zen Habits, a daily blog I read.  This guy really makes you stop and think about what your life is about, and how you can make it better, he’s really thought provoking.  I thought this article was especially enlightening.  Take a minute and read it, it’s such a simple little thing to do, and it just might make you a better person.

And what’s my life purpose, here’s a start.  I want to be…

• A safe haven from the storms of life for my family to come to. I may not always be able to help, but I will always be able to listen, give them a hug and tell them how much they mean to me.
• A loyal and thoughtful friend.  I’m blessed with such good women in my life, and I treasure their friendships.
• A non-judgmental, dependable and  loving  grammie that Abby can trust and always depend on
• And most of all, and this is the hard one, I want to be true to myself and live my life with the daily goal of achieving  inner peace and contentment with a few giggles thrown in to spice it up a bit.  I want to do it my way.

Ahhhh, such deep thoughts from your usually ditzy blogging buddy. 

~ jan

Live With Purpose — A How-to Guide
If you want to live a life of purpose, here’s a method for doing so (you were wondering when the list would come!):

• Your purpose. Start by taking 10 minutes out of your life to find some quiet space, and to close your eyes, and to think. Ask yourself: How do I want to be remembered? What do I want people to say about me at my funeral? Think about that for 10 minutes, then write down your answers. There may be a few different things, or 10, or just one.
• Write it down. Put your purpose — how you want to be remembered — on a sheet of paper. Type it out, or write it lovingly with a Magic Marker — it doesn’t matter. Put it in nice, big letters. This is your life mission. Post it up somewhere visible, or make it your desktop background. Be reminded of it every day.
• Morning ritual. Every morning, rise with the sun (or at the crack of noon, it doesn’t matter), and look at your purpose. Read it out loud, and give it some thought. Ask yourself: what can I do today to help fulfill my purpose? Now write that down on your to-do list — even if it’s something simple, like “Smile at my co-workers” or “Give my kids a hug”.
• Align your actions. As much as possible, make your actions move your toward your purpose. Keep that purpose in mind throughout the day. If it helps, send yourself email reminders. After awhile, it’ll become a part of your nature.
• Evening ritual. Take a few minutes before you go to bed to look back on your day, on your actions, on what you accomplished. Perhaps write about it in a journal (this is best, but it’s up to you). Look at your purpose again, and think about how you could have lived today differently. Then figure out how you can live your purpose better tomorrow.

These simple actions aren’t that hard to do. They might take some energy and focus in the beginning to make it a habit, but with focus, you can make it happen. And your life will be filled with purpose, and you will live your life with happiness, and eventually, with a little luck, die happy. May your life be blessed.

Read the article in it’s entirety here…

Lets talk turkey….

Well, not turkey, exactly.  It’s all about the dessert for Thanksgiving at our house.  I’ve got a new twist on an old favorite, pecan pie.  Last summer I was watching FoodTV, and different chefs were talking about their favorite desserts.  One of the recipes was for pecan pie from Brigsten’s Restaurant in New Orleans. The difference is roasted ground pecans in the filling and a warm caramel sauce.   I found the recipe online, along with a video and posted it on Jan Can Cook back in July.  I was browsing my site the other day and it popped up, here’s the click if you think you might like to try it this year.

And instead of pumpkin pie, I’m thinking about Susan Branch’s Pumpkin Cheesecake.  She gave me permission to post the recipe in my Christmas Recipes Album last year, and it looks wonderful.  She refers to it often, it’s one of her personal favorites.  Here’s the link to it.

Paula Deen also has a pumpkin cheesecake that’s really popular, so it’s a possibility also.  Here’s that  link.

And finally, here are  some videos from my personal fave, Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa.  They run consecutively, so sit back and let her do her thing.  It’s a good time…

I think this woman is just awesome.  She has it all going on, IMO.  She always seems to me to really enjoy her food, and since I never trust a skinny cook, Ina is my girl…  Here’s the click….

This month has gone so quickly, I can’t believe that Thanksgiving is next week already!  If anybody has anything to add to this thread, please do…

~ jan

Your daily dose of cuteness, Maggie Moo…

Hungry Girl’s Egg in a Mug

 

Heads up, girlfriends this is an awesome recipe.  If you like scrambled eggs, you’re going to love this, and it’s under 100 calories!

I posted it on my Eating Right blog, here’s the click.  ~jan

I’ve been out of touch…

Law-dee, girlfriends, I’ve had quite a week.  I couldn’t wait for the new Droid Verizon phone, ordered it at midnight the day it became available, received it Monday, and have been busy misdialing everybody in my contacts list ever since.  Oh my, what a learning curve this has been.

Had it not been for Hooterville, I woulda thrown it under the bus.  But I’m slowly figuring it out, S-L-O-W-L-Y, and  it walks, it talks, it does everything imaginable.  If it wasn’t for that damned “operator error” I’ve got going on, it would be awesome.

Went to our condo association meeting last night, it started belching and spewing noises during the meeting.  Drats, I thought I had put it on silent, but oh no, I had to leave the room to get it to shut up!!!!

And I knew I had to have a rubber cover for it or I would drop it and break it to smithereens, and the only color available was Pepto Bismol pink, so now I’m walking around with this neon colored gizmo that makes strange sounds and every once in a while this deep, rumbling, booming voice goes, DROOOOID…. It scares the beejuses out of me every time it does it, and it’s always happens somewhere in a room of people.  Egads, why is it saying that anyway???

Oh dear, I must look really silly, oh well, won’t be the first time, and I’m sure it won’t be the last ……    But I think I like it, I really, really like it!!!

The last rose of summer… errrr, November???

We winterized the patio this morning, raked leaves, put pots away, this rose is still blooming, my herbs are in great shape, too.  Pretty amazing for November, isn’t it?

Hey gang, my buddy Roni, is a Celeb-bri-tee!!!!!!

Normally I would post this type of entry on my Eating Right Blog, but some of you don’t follow that blog and I just wanted you all to see Roni.

If you’re not familiar with her, she’s a blogger, a successful at keeping it off Weight Watcher, and a great person.  I visit her GreenLite Bites several times a week and make many of her recipes.  Everything I’ve made has been so good, especially the muffins.  OMG, they are all awesome!

I just finished having her pumpkin pancakes for Sunday brunch, another hit.

A big congrats to Roni, and for those of you who aren’t familiar with her, give her a look.  She is such an inspiration, maybe she will inspire some of you as well.  And yours truly, yep, still slowly losing, down 25 lbs. this morning, since the first of April, and maintaining.  For me that’s key, it’s not the losing, it’s the maintenance. 

And what was the “click for me that made me change my eating habits?” Several of you have asked me.  I would like to say it was a desire to eat healthier, like everybody seems to do these days, but to be honest, I had one of those “oh no” moments after I went to Nisha’s son, Rob’s, wedding.  I thought I looked “okay” but when I saw the pictures I was horrified!  It wasn’t pretty, girlfriends, I was blown up like ‘’effin Poppin Fresh!  One of these days, I’ll man-up and post my own before and after pictures.  I’m old now, I’ll always be thick thru the middle and look my age, so it’s not that great, but it’s sure a heck of a lot better than it was!

Hope you are all enjoying this gawjus fall weather; give my sweet girl, Roni, a click, you won’t be disappointed.  Nope, pinky swear…

~ jan

I’ve got a great site for you this morning….

Hooterville has done it again, she found this site called MaggWire.  It has articles from 650 different magazines.  There is a dropdown menu at the top of the page that lets you choose what interests you.  Try it, it’s an amazing thing.

Here’s the click…

~ jan

It’s Hooterville’s birthday!!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Jeanne Lynne!!!!!

Wasn’t she a cutey? 

Love the flip…

Abby, Month 1

 

I’m not sure what format I will be using for Abby’s monthly albums, but for now you can access the first one by just clicking on her picture.  I’ll get it all sorted out soon, I just wanted to get this posted so you all could see how she’s growing. 

I’m not finished with this, it’s a little rough yet, but the natives are getting restless for new pictures, and of course Grammie can’t wait to show her off.  I’ll tweak it tomorrow…

~ jan

Turkey Day Faves are back…

A few years ago I first published Jan & Friends Thanksgiving  Recipes; they’ve been a huge success, so many of you have emailed me to tell you how much you enjoy them.  It was a labor of love, lots of tried ‘n true recipes from my friends, some of which have been handed down for generations. 

A few that get a lot of requests are Jan & Kaysi’s Cranberry Jello Salad, Barb’s Melt in Your Mouth Pumpkin Bread, and Nisha’s Famous Chicken Velvet Soup. If you’re new to the site, and aren’t familiar with the recipes, you might want to give it a click.  You can access them from the right sidebar, and I’ll keep them up all month.  Every single recipe is great, you won’t be disappointed.  Pinkie swear…

~ jan

This is about as good as it gets…

I’ve just figured out what’s been missing in my life.  Abby! 

Oh, this Grammie stuff is so much fun, and she is such a sweet little soul.  I’m having so much fun rocking and cuddling, wish you were all here so you could oooh and aaah with me.

~ jan

Life is good…

I’m going to see Abby today!  Amazing how a three week old granddaughter changes my  mood from gloom to glee!!!

My brain cells are dead, dead, dead…

Okay, so I’m rushing Thaksgiving a bit with the Norman Rockwell picture, but I couldn’t come up with anything else.  Seriously!!

I think any creative juices that I might have had in the past have evaporated.  Looks like it’s ginkgo balboa time for me.    Why do old brains have to shrivel up like old bodies???

Well, aren’t I in a p*ssy mood today…. Geezy Pete, do I ever need an attitude adjustment!

Hugh and his Playboy Bunny…..

 

 

John and Deanna are off to the Bone Bash tonight, an Arthritis Foundation sponsored Halloween party at the Cannery Ballroom in downtown Nashville.  They did such an awesome job with their costumes and had such fun creating the “look.”  I think they did a super job…

That’s sure is a cute little bunny you have there, Hugh…

Love the gray hair, too!

Oh, to be young again and going out for a night on the town! 

Sloppy Joes

I’m finally getting this posted for you the day before Halloween.

It’s my tried ‘n true family recipe for Sloppy Joes.  We always had them at our house when the boys were growing up, they still make them every year.  Sloppy Joes and potato chips, before the trick or treating…

I posted the recipe on Jan Can Cook, so we will always have it.

It’s tried and true ladies, easy, simple, basic, but oh, so GOOD!!!!

Give it a try, you won’t be disappointed, I pinkie swear.  Now if I just had some Reese Cups….

~ jan

Here’s the Click…

H1N1 tips while you are still healthy…

Swine Flu Info

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat.  In a global epidemic of this nature,  it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. 
Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.
While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent  proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very 
simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of  focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach.  Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt).  *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation.  In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one.  Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water.  *Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.*

5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits).  *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can.  *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction.  They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

Isn’t this a great halloween house?

This house is near downtown Franklin, Tennessee.  We were taking a drive last week when we visited John and Deanna and I snapped this picture.  I wonder where they found these black spiders???  They look awesome climbing up the sides of the house!

Dog falls for cat….

Carlene sent me the link to this video.  Oh, what great afriends these two are, animals are amazing creatures….

 

You know you’re getting old when…

You go thru an old address book from the 80’s and half of the people in it are dead.  Yikes, talk about a reality check!!!!!!

Shoulder pads are back!!!!!

That’s what I’m reading ladies, they’re back!!!!! And if it’s true. I’m  absolutely thrilled. 

Oh my, I bet my buddy V is rolling her eyes right now, she absolutely detested the things, but yours truly was the shoulder pad queen.  I loved, loved, loved them!  In fact I had a whole box full of them that I just pitched a couple of years ago.  Drats!  I should have hung on to them, I knew I should have when hubby talked me into pitching them.  Why do we listen to men anyway, what do they know!

Shoulder pads got a bad rap  largely because they made some of them so oversized that you looked like a linebacker.  But the soft, subtle ones give great structure, and make clothes hang really well.

Oh, I’m doin’ the happy dance here, can’t wait for them to show up in the stores!

Here’s a link if you want to read about them ~

~ jan

Maggie Moo, your daily dose of cuteness…

 

Cuppycake….

First video I’ve posted in like, FOREVER…

I used to post videos all the time, until the software program I used was discontinued, and somehow never got back to it until now.  I was playing with ivideo on my Mac, and realized it was a no brainer, I could make the video and instantly upload it to Viddler.

I must be bat shit crazy to post my face on the same page as Kandee, but what the heck, I’m old now, I really don’t care, and you already know I’m a ditz.  Maybe I’ll do more of these again, now that I realize how easy it is….

Oh, I’m saying moisturizer in the video, it’s not moisturizer, I meant to say facial cleanser.  duh, jan…

The day and night creams were both $5.00, the facial cleanser was $2.99, I bought a 3-pack of Pearl & Shine Lip Care tubes for $1.69, and I also bought something called Wrinkle Remodeler with Collagen, which I have no idea what it is, I haven’t opened it yet, but there was only one, so I figured it must be good or they wouldn’t be sold out.  Makes perfect sense to me…
 

Plus White – 5 Minute Speed Whitening Gel

 

 

After watching Kandee’s teeth whitening video that I posted yesterday, I started checking out online reviews for this product.  A few people don’t like it, but the majority of people think it’s terrific. 

Some of the complaints are sensitivity, but duh, any of this stuff can give you problems with your gums if you overuse it.

It’s available at Walgreens for something like $5.99 a tube, sure beats the heck out of the $40 I spent recently for the new Crest White Strips that adhere to your teeth better. 

So, guess where I’m going today…  And I have to go to Wally World for those mouth guards…

Here is a link to reviews for you to read from Makeup Alley.

~ jan

Hot Cougar Make-up Look for Over 40 by Kandee Johnson….

Let’s have a little fun with makeup this Saturday night…

I stumbled onto this series of makeup videos on YouTube.  The makeup artist is Kandee Johnson, and she’s GOOD, ladies.  Maybe a little over the top with some of the looks, but so much fun to watch.  In this video she does her Mom’s makeup, I think it looks awesome!

 Here is the direct link to 60 of her videos.  But this isn’t all of them, look in the right sidebar when you are watching a video in YouTube for lots  more.  Watch a few of these and you will learn a lot! Pinkie swear!

I hope you enjoy…

~ jan

 

This one about whitening your teeth for under $10 is interesting, too…

 

 

And finally, the one about how to tweeze, shape and groom eyebrows.  That’s all I’m posting, you’re on your own now, these videos can get addictive, be warned…

 

 

Okay, just one more, this is all, really!

 

Lacura Skin Care Products

Barb was telling me the other day about this line of Lacura Skin Care Products, what great products they are, and how well they work.  It’s a complete line of anti-wrinkle night cream, day creams, exfoliaters, toners and cleansers, and they all sell for under $5.00.  Yes, under $5.00.

Sounds impossible, doesn’t it?  And who has this line of skin care products????  Aldi’s.  For real, Aldi’s Grocery Store! I saw them today!!!

I wanted to do a bit of research before I tried them, but so far everything I’m reading about the products is very favorable.  Here’s what one reviewer had to say -

 

 

 And here’s a link to an article about Lacura.

I always scout out the good stuff for you, girlfriends!  I’ll be stocking up on these products this weekend and let you know what I think.

~ jan

Home again….

It was a great trip to Nashville, we spent two days in the country, visiting nurseries, soaking up the sunshine, enjoying visiting with John and Deanna.  I don’t know when we’ve had a better trip.  We had lunch yesterday at Barbara’s Home Cooking, a Nashville institution.  We ate outside in the grass,  our plates filled with  turnip greens, field peas, fried apples and okra, all washed down with sweet tea.

It was one of those unplanned trips that turned into something really memorable. 

We’ll be visiting bebe Abby soon, oh my life is so blessed this October…

Does microwave popcorn cause cancer?

I was talking to V yesterday, she mentioned that studies are linking cancer and lung disease to microwave popcorn, the kind in the bag with the butter and seasonings already on it, which, btw, I don’t eat. I’m a pop my own big yellow kernels in my trusty  Orville Redenbacher microwave popcorn popper kinda girl. I’ve never been a fan of bagged microwave corn, its too salty for me and has an off taste.  I really do try to eat foods in their natural state, I hope that you are all doing the same.

She told me to Google it, sure enough, a lot of information came up regarding this.  Just thought you would all like a heads up, if you’re not aware of it.  Made your Monday morning, didn’t I???

Here’s the link…

Looking for a great halloween wallpaper for your computer desktop?

 

Hooterville sent me a link to some great free halloween wallpapers to download for your MAC or PC, here’s the click, enjoy…

~ jan