Isn't this the truth!

 

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The Best Easter Snoopy, EVER!

 

This one is for my buddy, V, a die-hard Peep's fan.  So funny!!!!

Williams Sonoma has discovered chickens...

 

The city farmers at WS are gearing up for summer with a catalog just chocked full of chicken coops, egg crates and baskets, bee keepers supplies, they have a whole line of goodies for the gentleman/lady farmer ;o

It's enough to make this old(er) country girl chuckle.  The younger generation will read this and dream of chickens in their back yard, cute little birds with feathers and fresh eggs, sounds good doesn't it?  Even hubby has been trying his darndest to talk my daughter-in-law, Deanna, who is a total sucker for any kind of animal, into a chicken coop.  Deanna's on board, John, however, isn't such an easy touch.  But why I'm laughing at the idea of all of these people buying chickens and supplies is that they don't realize how nasty chickens are.

First of all, they poop everywhere, including on their eggs.  And they don't want you to take their eggs from them, they will peck you!  And cleaning dried chicken poop off the eggs can be pretty cky.  And chickens are prone to lice, they get hot spots that they scratch and bleed, they lose their feathers, and when it gets hot, oh do they smell!

Of course Williams Sonoma isn't promoting any of this, but if you've spent anytime around chickens, you know what I'm talking about.  And I haven't even touched on roosters, who can be downright vicious, and did I mention that they have spurs, and will use them on you if they feel threatened.  And they crow, loudly at sunrise!  And bees?  Oh my, you have to really know what you're doing or they will swarm you and sting you mercilessly.  And then they will go to your neighbors and sting them.  Yikes!

And that's what I'm smiling about today, the fact that WS can market just about anything, attach pretty pictures and hefty price tags and people fall for it.   Here's a link to the catalog if you want to take a peek...

Today is the first day of spring...

 

Really???  March 19, 2012 we set a record in Heavensville of 83 degrees.  March 19, 2012, we set a record low.  I don't know when I've ever been more anxious for warm weather!

Maybe I CAN go home again, if only in my dreams…

 

If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you know all about my long standing love affair with ditches.  I was raised in a little house next to a ditch bank, not a creek, we weren’t trendy in those days, it was a ditch, and I loved it!  So much so, that I’ve had a life long love affair with ditches and water ever since.

Fast forward to this past weekend, when my friend Trish showed me an area, unknown to me, drivable to on my golf cart, that has a wonderful ditch.  I can drive Milly right up on a little bluff that overlooks it, pop out a lawn chair, and with Maggie in my lap, read a good book, and I’ll be set for many happy afternoons this spring.  In fact, this picture reminds me a lot of my beloved ditch.  I used to sit on the bridge by the side of our house, perched high above the ditch and sit and dream.  The little bluff sits high, and so I can “kind of” recreate my childhood.

You can see the beginning of green in this picture, and if you look really hard, a cardinal is sitting on a branch.  This is my kind of living, mother nature at her finest.  Oh Trisher, I owe you for finding this spot!   Now if it would just warm enough for me to be outside…

The Internet has made my world a better place...

 

 

I've made such good friends online, people that I would have never known existed had it not been for Jan's Daily Dish.  

My friend, Holly, is from Oklahoma and is such a talented lady.  Holly read my blog, contacted me and we've become great friends!  She makes the loveliest cards, very original, very intricate, every one is a work of art and  just beautiful.   She sends them to me and I save every one of them, they are a treasure.  I put them on my bulletin board and it makes me happy just to look at them.  This is the St. Paddy's Day card she sent.  Isn't it wonderful?  This one has a painted background with torn pieces of paper that she stamped, painted, and glittered, it's so special!

My world is a better place thanks to friends like Holly.  Just puts a smile on my face on this yet another gloomy, cold dreary day.  Thanks so much, Holly, you are the best!

 

Homemade Cleaning Solution, this stuff is AWESOME

 

Some things are worth posting again, and this is one of them.  I first told you about this last August, how to use a simple solution of water, Prell Shampoo and alcohol to make this great cleaner.  I continue to use this daily and it's just the best, ever. It  works so well, it's environmentally friendly and it costs next to nothing.  I even keep a little bottle of the solution to clean my reading glasses with.

I buy green squirt plastic bottles at Dollar Tree, and keep them on hand.  I'm always sending a bottle home with my friends, it's a great little gift that everybody can use.

It cleans windows, stovetops, stainless appliances, countertops,  the only thing I don't use it on is computer screens and showers and tubs.  Showers and tubs need a stronger solution to cut the soap scum.

So for those of you who missed this post, here's the mixture again.  And for those of you who can't find Prell Shampoo, it's usually available at Dollar Tree.

1 pint rubbing alcohol 
2 tablespoons Prell Shampoo (can be hard to find, but they have it at Dollar General) 
A gallon milk jug

Put the alcohol and Shampoo in the gallon milk jug and fill with water.  That’s it, then just fill a squirt bottle and you’re good to go.

Paula Deen and hubby Michael Groover - What a pair!

 

I'm making breakfast this morning, have FoodTV on in the kitchen and Paula Deen and her long suffering husband, Michael, were cooking in the kitchen.  Talk about a bull in a china shop, the poor man was so out of his element.  He was a good sport, though, he was trying and Paula was talking about how funny he was.  Trust me ladies, the man wasn't funny.

But the "kicker" was the ending, when he was sent off to see his buddies toting packages of brownies.  Paula yelled out, "don't let the door knob hit ya where the good lord split ya."  Oh my, it was classic ladies, classic!  What people won't do for money!

Still laughing...

And the top o' the mornin' to ya…..

 

If I don't find a pot of gold today I'll settle for a pot of coffee.  

What a horrid St. Paddy's Day it is in Heavensville.  Gloomy, rainy, cold…  Will spring ever come?????

Family Stuff...

First of all, it's a Grammie's right to brag about the grandchildren.  Abby wrote her name yesterday with her Mama, then today she wrote it again all by herself when nobody was around.  I think she is an amazing little three year old.

 

But Abby isn't the only cutey in the family.  John and Deanna are visiting her family this weekend for her Dad's birthday, and John is antiquing with her sister's adorable little two year old, Emma.  I don't know who's cuter, Emma or Uncle John...

Something's Gotta Give, hands down the best movie set, EVER!!!!

So what do I do on a cold sunny day when everything has gone to h*ll in a hand basket.  I sit down, queue up Something's Gotta Give on Netflix and watch it for the badzillionth time.  Oh, it's not about the storyline, it's the house, ladies, it's the house that makes me drool.  My all time, favorite moviedom house, along with most of the female population that has seen this movie.

 This set is so famous, countless articles have been written about it, women have copied it, it's just the best beach house, ever!  I remember when the movie first came out and my buddy V and I fell in love with it.  We watched and rewatched, absorbing every detail.  And once again this afternoon, it mesmerized me as much as the first time I saw it.  So I'm giving you some pictures just to let you relive it again.  I plucked these from Hooked on Houses website.  Go to her site to view all the pictures, they are wonderful.  And while you're there just browse around, Hooked on Houses is one of my very favorite online places to visit.

 

 

 

 

 

I love this necklace so much, I found it online years ago and V's daughter, Angie, reproduced it.   I have it in black and brown, I never wear them, but I smile when I see them in my jewelry drawer...

 

I think the blah's are over, I feel so much better now.  Oh, what a movie this is, what . a . movie . this . is ! .!.!.

The sun is shining, it should be a good day...

Why do we have days when nothing we do goes right?   I can't blame it on the weather, or hubby, just myself.  Everything I touch today just goes to heck!  I've had some computer issues for days now, I did finally get those resolved.  Haven't eaten fish or chicken for a week now, but thinking of having fish tonight.  Mediterranean diet still rocks, that's not my problem.

I think I just need warm days to go with the blue skies.  And I desperately  need to give Mags a haircut.  She looks like a little shaggy dog, but it's too chilly to buzz her back and tummy, don't want her to get the shivers.

I talked to Linds this morning, the kids have both got the ick, and now she's getting it as well.  I should be counting my blessings, poor daughter-in-law, having to take care of two sick kiddos when she's sick herself.  I remember those days, they were not  fun!

I think I'll take a ride on Milly and sit in the sunshine.  She still has her cover on, so it's warm, maybe things will work better when I get back.

Thanks for listening to me p*s and moan, sometimes you just gotta vent!!!

~ Jan

Dancing Nana, Bless her heart….

This is a gem, ladies. A bright spot on a grey, cloudy Monday.

Be sure and watch this to the end, you will just crack up when she drops the "F Bomb."  Why does the younger generation not realize we are not so different than they are, just wiser and trapped in these old(er) bodies.

This is a classic. Gotta love Nana's everywhere….

Maybe it's time to revamp the Chiminea...

 

I just wish I could wake up and it would be sunny with a forecast of 70 degrees, is that too much to ask???  Really??? Last year I have pictures of Abby at the creek on St. Patrick's Day, it was warm and she was barefoot.  It was such a great spring, it never got cold after that.

But this year is a different story, every day we wait for warmer temps, and when it is warmer it's grey and rainy, so we dream.

I've had a chiminea similar to this on the patio for years.  I just use it as a compost bin, but I'm thinking this summer, that I should plant fleurs in that compost, and hopefully end up with something that looks like this.  I doubt I'll plant a rosebush, but I will try something.  This is just spectacular!

C'mon Spring, I'm ready!!!!

Sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do...

I got up this morning, made this great bulgar salad with dill, chickpeas, cucumbers, peppers, onions, garlic, cumin, lemon juice and evoo, and put in the fridge to chill.  

We had errands to run, hubby wanted to just grab fast food while we were out, so I "grabbed" a plastic container, put in my couscous salad and we were off.  Did it bother me eating it in a fast food joint?  Nah, not in the least.  I took my mixture of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews and raisins for dessert and I was a happy girl.

So far so good, with this diet.  I'm just loving the food.  It's so different than all the boring, diet food I've eaten for years.  The flavors are fresh, bursting with tastes that my midwestern/southern girl palate isn't used to.  It's a nice change.  Still no meat or fish and I've been doing this since last Tuesday.  I haven't missed it at all.

Here's the click for the recipe...

Had to share a giggle with you today...

 

Our little Benjammin is starting early with the car stuff.  Last weekend he was all about grabbing Abby's stomper truck.  Why does Abby have a stomper truck? Ummmm, could it be because she's a little Kentucky girl, whose Daddy is obsessed with any kind of wheels.  I don't think her pretty little mama bought it for her.

Grandkds are such fun!!!

Mediterranean Diet Information

Lunch was diced cucumbers, onions and tomatoes, marinated in olive oil and red wine vinegar, shredded lettuce and garlic hummus, all stuffed into a whole wheat pita pocket.  Was it good?   YES…..

Here is some more info for you.

I got this book at the library, The Miami Mediterranean Diet Expanded Edition.

It's a fast read, catchy title, looks like they are trying to knock off South Beach with this look, but it has a 300 recipes, a lot of them look really good, but since I'm just getting started, I haven't had a chance to try anything.  I tend to get more of my information online, but I did want several recipes in one place to get me started.

If there is a "con" to this way of eating, it's that you have to cook.  No way around it.  But I like being in the kitchen, so it isn't a stretch for me.  I haven't eaten chicken or fish yet this week, the beans, yogurt, olive oil and nuts satisfies me, I'm not hungry,  let's put it this way, this is so much better than low carb.  Every single time I do low carb, I say never again, and then in a desperate attempt to lose 5 lbs. yesterday, I cave and try it again. And it works, until you eat one little cookie, and then you blow up like a balloon!  So goodbye low-carb, hello Mediterranean Diet.  At least for this week...

Now for some links:

Living a Heart Healthy Lifestyle - this tells you what you need to eat...

Meditteranean Diet Menu Plans

1200-Calorie Mediterranean Diet

Breakfast Recipes

How to Eat a Mediterranean Diet for Heart Health

Mediterranean Meal Plan

This should be enough to tell you everything you want to know.

Dinner tonight - baked cod, frozen lima beans, baked sweet potato, green salad - afternoon snack is that yummy yogurt concoction I showed you yesterday.  Now you have it, a synopsis of what it's like to eat this way.  

Hope it's a good day wherever you are, temps are warming in Heavensville and the sun is shining.  Life is good…  ~ jan

The obsession begins...

Ladies,  you have never tasted anything yummier than this, it was my afternoon snack with a big cup of coffee.  Sliced strawberries, sprinkled with Splenda, a big dollop of plain Greek yogurt, a handful of those toasted oats on top, a few pieces of walnut, and then the oats drizzled with honey.

I could eat this every single day, and I just might.  It's good enough to make you weep!  Seriously...

Mediterranean Diet Boot Camp

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've undoubtedly been reading all the press this past week about how the Mediterranean Diet is the most healthy diet in the world and how Greek men have 90% less heart attacks than American men.  90%, that's astounding.

And if you're  a regular reader of my blog you also realize that I'm horribly  OCD.  The older I get, the more compulsive I am.  I'm also the Diet Queen!!!  I've tried everything known to (wo)man, sometimes with results, most often without.  Since January I have faithfully, until last week followed Low Carb dieting and I initially lost 7 lbs. stalled out, and didn't lose another pound.  And all the time I'm eating all that bacon and meat, I'm thinking I don't even like meat.

Enter my friend Cynthia, who is a tiny little thing and she's bummed because she's gained 10 lbs.  She told me she was going to try the Mediterranean Diet, and I decided, what the heck, I'll try it too.  I've known about it for years, read about it, but didn't really do any in depth reading, but that OCD kicked in and I have been reading everything I can get my hands on for the last couple of days.  Then I trekked to the grocery store where I spent $4,602.83 on Mediterranean friendly diet foods.

Now if you're not familiar with this way of eating, it's pretty simple.  You limit calories to 1200 a day to lose weight, you eat a lot of veggies, a ton of fruit, lots of olives, a handful of nuts a day, feta cheese, plain greek yogurt, honey  and of course, olive oil.  You eat fish and chicken, and limit red meat to a couple of times a month.  But the best part for me is beans, you eat beans daily, which I adore, so that part is easy.  And whole grains, whole wheat bread, whole wheat pitas, couscous, bulgar, barley, quinoa, and best of all whole wheat pasta, all the good stuff I really like.

 I'm going to chronicle how this is going, along with recipes in case anybody else decides it's time to eat healthy.  And since I don't have a good track record, I'll warn you ahead of time that this may fly out the window in a week,  a month, or even tomorrow, who knows.  But until it does, I'll give you all some "food" for thought.

I toasted  oats this morning by putting oats on my Silopat liner in the oven.  I used convection at 350 for about 15 minutes, stirring often until they were toasty and slightly brown.  And no, I didn't burn them, that's a shadow in the picture.  So now I jar them in my wonderful Ball jars, sit them on the shelf and they're ready when I need them as a topping for my yogurt.

 

And then I made black bean soup for lunch, which tastes pretty similar to Panera's Black Bean Soup.  This recipe is adapted from one I found on Once Upon a Chef, a great site, with lots of Mediterranean friendly recipes.  This was wonderful, a keeper recipe for sure, even hubby loved it.

Serving Size: 4

 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, crushed and peeled - I used a couple of cloves extra of garlic
• 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped - I used a handful of baby carrots
• 2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 5 cups (40 ounces) low sodium chicken broth (best quality, such as Swanson) - I used a 32 ounce box of chicken stock,  which is 4 cups, I think that 5 cups would have made the soup too runny.
• 3/4 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander - I omitted this, because coriander is dried cilantro and I am not a fan.
• 1-3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, from half a lime - I used half a lemon instead of lime
• 1/3 cup sour cream - I put a big dollop of Greek Yogurt in mine instead of sour cream
• Chopped fresh cilantro - No way Jose, another omission

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pan. Add the onions, and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent, about 8 minutes, stirring in the garlic the last couple of minutes. Do not brown.
3. Add the black beans, chicken broth, oregano, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.
5. Purée the soup using a hand-held immersion blender until very smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, you can use a standard blender to puree the soup in batches.) Stir in lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each bowl with a dollop of sour cream and freshly chopped cilantro.

I also started a Mediterranean Diet Board on Pinterest.  Here's the direct link, not a lot of recipes yet, but I'm sure it will fill up quickly.

And if you're rolling your eyes and thinking, "oh-oh, here she goes again" I totally understand.  Just ignore my posts about this, as you all know I tend to burn out quickly.

Tomorrow I'll update you with a book I'm reading and some great sites for you to explore.

Okay, I won't make you wait until tomorrow, here's a great site to get you started...

~ Jan

Let's play the how smart is my granddaughter game ;o)

 

We all do it, believe that our grandchildren are the smartest little people in the entire universe.  I did it first with my own kids, and I've done it with my friends kids over the years as well.  Nisha's Mandi was so precocious, we all thought she would grow up to be a rocket scientist.  V's Angie was scary smart, Ang's Jes and Sam, so smart as well.  And now along comes the next generation, my little Miss A.

So the story goes, Abby was out with her mother, and they saw a sign that said "BABY."  And Abby tells her momma that they spelled it wrong.  "It should be spelled A-B-B-Y," she said.  Now this child is just three years old.  I'm thinking another scary smart rocket scientist is in the making.

Go Abby!!!!!!!
 

Cooking Rice in a Pressure Cooker

 

I'm such a fan of my Wolfgang Puck Pressure Cooker and talk about it often.  I use it many times weekly, in fact, I have lima beans cooking in it right now.  But I've always used a rice cooker for cooking rice.  Let me amend that, hubby is the ricer maker in the family, he is the one that gets the rice cooker it from the garage, measures the rice, puts in the water, and sets it and forgets it. :-D   So last week when it quit working, and he tore it apart and deemed it unfixable, I was thinking that I had to buy a new one.

But then I got the bright idea to Google cooking rice in a pressure cooker, and sure enough it's very doable.  In fact, when I got ready to cook it in my Wolfie, I discovered that it has a rice setting.  Duh, Jan.

But anyway, here's how I did it and it came out perfectly.  I put a cup of water in the pressure cooker, added the steamer basket, then I took a small stainless steel bowl, put in a cup of rice and a cup and a half of water in the bowl, set the bowl on the steamer basket, pressed rice, and it took six minutes.  You're probably thinking, "wow, that was fast."  Well, not exactly.  It had to build steam, and then you let it depressurize, so it's probably about the same amount of time as on the stove.  But, it doesn't stick, it doesn't come out like glue, it's perfect, fluffy grains.  Amazing, huh...

I want to go here!

This is my idea of heaven....

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How many days before spring?

 

 

If folklore holds true, it’s going to be a wonderful end to the month, because March definitely came in like a lion!  We’re all dreaming of sunshine, warm days, daffodils and lilacs, instead it’s spitting snow, dreary, raw and grey.

How about a few links to take you to a warmer, happier place.  A little garden dreaming for such an icky day…

Burpee’s Gardening

Renee’s Heirloom Veggies and Fleurs

Fine Gardening

The Garden’s Eden, an Online Journal

Martha Stewart Gardening

The Garden Web, an Online Gardening Community

Wayne Newton, then and now...

 

Oh my, he must have had the same plastic surgeon as Kenny Rogers. Why do they do this to themselves??? He looks positively ridiculous!

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Boy, isn't this the truth...

What I've been up to...

 

Let's see, I've been washing my hair with my Pantene Ice Shine Shampoo, rinsing with Pantene Conditioner, the bottle is almost gone and I couldn't figure out why my hair wasn't soft and tangled when it was wet.  Finally put on my glasses, and realized that I had been putting on Shampoo/Conditioner instead of  conditioner.  Well, it was white, it looked just like this bottle, but  no wonder it wasn't soft!  Jeesh.

Hubby fed Maggie her dinner tonight, I fed her again.  She wouldn't eat it.  Duh...

And I did something that really surprised myself.  I'm not self-conscious about my age, it doesn't bother me that I'm sixty-three, actually I'm pretty proud of the fact that I've made it this far, but…  I talk to Ronni, a customer service rep really often, it's a long story, but we've gotten to know each other and she asked me the other day how old I was.  Ya know, I felt really embarrassed telling her I was sixty-three.  What was that about????  I have no clue, but it bothers me that it bothered me.  Know what I mean, Vern?  Just when you think you know yourself, something like this happens.  Drats, just when I thought I had it together, too.

I did something else so stupid that I couldn't believe it.  And now I've forgotten what it was.

There is no hope, there is no hope...

Barbra Streisand, the million dollar Oscar makeover...

 

 

The National Enquirer published an article that says Barbra Streisand had a million dollar makeover getting herself ready for the Oscars .  I'm thinking, "no way."

 

 

 

And then I saw these pictures of her without makeup, and I'm thinking, maybe it's not such a stretch after all.  Amazing what money can do.  

Here's the click if you want to  read about it.

Hey, I don't make the news, I just report it!    

Meow…….

 

 

Want a laugh...

I'm working on a new header, it's not finished, but I got tired and quit for the evening. LC looked at how it was going, saw the picture of the two of us and said he liked it because I looked "submissive."

Me??? Submissive???? In his dreams! Trust me on this one, being submissive is not in my DNA. I swear, men say the stupidest things...

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It's Friday night!!!

Let's talk about Greek Yogurt, AGAIN!

 

I know, you're thinking, here she goes again talking about that damn yogurt!  Okay, roll your eyes, but this stuff is seriously to die for!

It's been a year now since I started making Greek Yogurt.  In the beginning I made it with non-fat milk, several months passed and it wasn't working any longer.  I made it exactly the same way, but always ended up with just sour milk.  So I got discouraged and quit.  Then last fall I read an article about how your digital thermometers have to be recalibrated on a regular basis, and the light dawned.  My temperature was off, that's why it wasn't working!  

So I pitched the digital thermometer, went back to using a regular meat/utility thermometer and I was back in business.  And then I decided to try eating low-carb for the umpteenth time and read that I could eat whole milk yogurt.  I started making it, and oh my, it's absolutely decadent, wickedly delicious, there is no comparison between non-fat yogurt and whole milk yogurt.  It has 20+ grams of protein per cup and approximately 220 calories, but I never eat a cup, a half of a cup is sufficient.  I eat it with raspberries, blackberries, strawberries.  I mix a tablespoon of peanut butter in it, sometimes I use maple extract, sometimes lemon, but I always use a lot of Splenda.  It isn't that sour to begin with, not like Fage or Chobani Greek Yogurt you buy in the store, but it's so good sweetened, it's almost like ice cream.

I make it and give it away, and always get great feedback.  I make it every couple of days, a half gallon of milk makes a quart of yogurt.  I bit the bullet and invested in equipment, a YoGourmet Yogurt Incubator and that pricey Mafter Boullion Strainer, and it was worth every penny.  I've already paid back my investment many times over, since I get a gallon of milk for $1.79 at Aldi's, and a gallon makes two quarts of yogurt.  I know I'm repeating some of this information, but I've had so many people ask about this and some things are worth repeating.

I've read extensively about yogurt making, you don't have to buy any equipment.  Some people incubate theirs on a heating pad, I used to put mine in the oven with the light on, another way of incubating is to wrap it in a towel and put it in an insulated cooler along with a bowl of hot water.  There is a ton of information about yogurt making if you just Google it.  

When I tell people what I do to make it, the standard response is "that's too much trouble."  But once you do it a few times it's a no brainer and doesn't take that much effort.  I know exactly how long it takes to get to temperature in my microwave, I know that it takes 20-30 minutes for the temperature to fall to 100-110 degrees in an ice water bath, then I just put it in the YoGourmet, and in 6-8 hours I have yogurt.  

I always refrigerate mine for a few hours or overnight before I strain it, it just works better to refrigerate it first.  Then whisk, jar it and enjoy.

I've tried several different recipes, including adding dry milk and a lot more yogurt culture, which you don't need.  Yuck!  Paula's recipe is best by far, trust me on this one.

Okay, that's my last yogurt post for now, but I did want to update you one more time.  I'm going to give you some links to my original entry, but do yourself a favor and watch Paula's video.  I consider myself a serious yogurt maker these days, but Paula is the guru.  And yes, I know I've already put her video on here, but it's worth watching again.

Now go buy a gallon of whole milk, and make some yogurt, it's good for your bones and it's good for your gut and it tastes like no yogurt you've ever eaten.  And don't try and calculate calories from the milk jug, it doesn't work that way, because you drain off the whey which has carbs and calories in it.  And yes, I pour the whey on my houseplants and they love it.  And I'll quit posting about this for awhile, pinky swear I will.  Well, until I make frozen yogurt, but that's a whole other ballgame.  ;o)

~ Happy Yogurting - Jan

Click thru the following links for more information...

My original yogurt post from last year

Mafter 17360 Exoglass Boullion Strainer

YoGourmet Electric Yogurt Maker 

And one more viewing of Paula's Video, it's worth watching again...

 

Happy Birthday, Deanna...

 

Somebody in my family is going to have a wonderful birthday.  Our family loves birthdays, we celebrate for weeks!  Deanna's is today, John made her favorite, Hershey's Perfectly Perfect Chocolate Cake last night.

Want the recipe?  Here's the click.    It is the perfect cake!  I got the recipe from my buddy "V", made it for Deanna a few years ago and the rest is history, she requests it every year...

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR DEANNA♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥"

Mariska The Houdini Horse...

 

I'm such a sucker for a good horse story. Of course there is nothing better than Mr. Ed. What a treasure he was!

 

Such a sweet story...

 

My friend,  Holly, sent me this today.  I don't know about the rest of you, but I  needed a smile on this gloomy day.  Enjoy ~ Jan

Robin Roberts Returns to GMA

Am I the only one that thinks this entire Robin Roberts saga  has gone way too far?  It's wonderful that she's beating cancer, she's a lovely woman, bright, driven, obviously very loved.  But as I watched the launch of what I dubbed "Queen Mary" this morning, it just didn't sit right with me.  I'm thinking how much is genuine, and how much is done for the ratings.  And if her doctors need to be there, monitoring her return, is she really ready?  

Sorry, but it just seems so wrong to chronicle her journey for the purpose of improving ABC's ratings on morning television.  I just don't think it's very ethical.  That is all...

The Senior Jitterbug

These people are SO good, makes you wonder what they were like when they were young(er).  I was watching, thinking, hey they're doing a pretty good job, and then they added a second lady to the mix, and I was like whoa!  ~ Enjoy...

Downton Abbey Finale

 

I was so excited about this, and then they killed off Cousin Matthew.  They killed off Cousin Matthew!!!  What???  Boy, didn't see that coming!!!

First they killed off Lady Sybil and now Cousin Matthew.  This definitely has not been my favorite season.

~ Jan, booing and hissing...

Carrie Underwoods Lighted Grammy Dress, how did they do that?

 

Want to know how they did the visual effects on Carrie's Grammy Dress. Here's the scoop...

Tablescapes...

I've been a fan of "tablescapes" my entire married life, decades before Sandra Lee invented the word on FoodTV.  I've always loved piling so much stuff on the dining room table that it's impossible to eat, much to the dismay of my family.  There is nothing better than decorating the kitchen and dining room, but I've gotten lazy lately and my French  Market Pig has sat on my table forever.  It's time to shake it up a bit!

But I have a little problem, all of my tubs of tablescape goodies are in the attic and poor hubby gets tired of dragging them up and down the attic stairs.  But it's almost spring, I'm thinking of Easter, bunnies and chicks, and all the wonderful things I have in storage.  I'm sure I have treasures up there that I have completely forgotten about.

Oh, poor LC, I feel several attic trips coming on… 

Daily Giggle...