Dolly Parton and Alison Kraus

My daughters-in-law are huge fans of these women.  Deanna loves Dolly Parton with a passion, and Lindsay is a huge fan of Alison Kraus.  In fact, it was Lindsay who made me a fan of Alison Kraus.  She introduced me to her album with Robert Plant, Raising Sand, a few years ago and it has been a favorite ever since.  And Dolly, I’ve loved her all these years, and was lucky enough to see her a just few feet away from me on a float in Sevierville, Tn. during a parade for DollyWood.  Oh was she tiny,  she was positively mesmerizing.

And Kenny Rogers, oh my, I was such a fan back in the day.  I loved the look of the man, thought his music was the best, ever.  Hubby took me to a concert of his in the 80’s, and it was wonderful.  And then he had all that bad publicity with that 800 sex tape, got that awful eye job that made him look Asian, and I’m not so much a fan of him now.  I say that until I listen to his music, and am transported back to another time, and I forget all the bad stuff and just enjoy the songs.

So let’s enjoy a little music on a Saturday night, here’s a video I found of Alison Kraus and Dolly.

This one’s for you sweet daughters-in-law.  It’s so good…

 

And we might as well take a little trip down memory lane, this is my favorite Dolly and Kenny duet, Islands in the Stream.  Was there ever anything better than this?   Not for me, this was it!  

 

And here is one of our favorites from Raising Sand, Gone, Gone, Done Moved On…

 

An here is a recent interview with Kenny on CBS This Morning.  It’s very insightful. he’s surprisingly candid…

Must see tv for a certain family member of mine ;o)

If I were young again...

Watching all the footage of the big snowstorm on the East Coast this morning, I wistfullly thought that if I were young again and had a a big snowfall,  I would so make this happen.  Wouldn't it be wonderful, cross country skiing down a country lane, no noise, no people, nothing but the sound of my ski's whooshing through the snow, surrounded by nature, with a dog by my side, maybe a lab or a retriever.

But get real, Jan.  I would be huffing and puffing,  sweating from all the exertion, my face would be numb, my dog would run off  and I would have to pee.

So much for that dream... 

Abby and Ben

Grandchildren, what a wonderful, wonderful thing these precious little souls are....

Maggie, snoozing...

I put this in my Twitter feed, but it should be explained.  John bought Deanna this exact same throw last year and every time we go to their house, Maggie just loves it.  So I asked for it at Christmas, not thinking they could still find it, but they did!

Well, Miss Maggie Moo is one happy little Yorkie.  As you can see, she buries her face in it, and sleeps her life away.  I don't know how she breathes, but she manages..  

What would our lives be like without our sweet pets.  Maggie brightens my world every single day of my life...

MAC Archie's Girls Collection

Oh my, I love it ALL!!!!!!!!  Want to see more, here's the link...

 

 

 

Murphy Wet Disposable Soft Wipes

I've got another great product for all of you.  You may know about this already, but it's new to me.  

My kitchen cabinets had a buildup around the knobs, after all we've been here for ten years now.  TEN YEARS!!! 

I clean them, but that gunk gets around the knob and it's hard to get off, and to be perfectly  honest I would much rather be doing other things than cleaning around those knobs with a toothbrush, so I didn't and I had buildup.  But they were looking pretty bad when I put my glasses on, so I sent LC to Wally World to pick up some Murphy's Oil Soap to clean them.  He called me from the store and asked if I knew about these wipes, but I didn't.  I Googled reviews, people loved them, so he brought them home.

Talk about easy-peasy.  Wow, do these things do the job, fast!  He unscrewed the knobs. I held the wipe over the hole where the gunk was for a minute to loosen it, gave it a few wipes, and it was clean!  Fast, fast, fast!!!!!  I was cleaning them faster than he could unscrew and take them off.

The only negative review I read was from someone who said it left a film on her cabinets.  Well, it didn't leave one on mine!  And there always the naysayers, but if you do this, do a test area first to see if it leaves a film.

These things are awesome!  A big five stars for this great product!

 ~ Jan with clean cabinet fronts ;o)

I know just how Peppermint Patty Feels!

More about low carb….

I'm really reluctant to talk about dieting, because I jump on a bandwagon and fail, like most of the rest of the population, and I do it with regularity, just ask my friends.  Let's face it, we all love to eat!    And what do i love the most, carbs, bread, rice, white flour, sugar, pizza, McDonald's Filet-O-Fish, Donut Bank's Maple Glazed Pecan Rolls, any kind of lemon dessert, all things cherry, and did i mention bread? Oh and Cheez-It's, I adore any kind of cracker.

So this post isn't about losing weight, because I'm destined to fail once again, I know myself, I've done this so many times.  I do have a stopping point, though, that the rest of you don't have.  I can only gain so much and my legs get tight, so I  have to cut back.  And that's where I am now.

But anyway, this isn't about losing weight, this is about how I feel.  And, oh,  I feel absolutely marvelous, dahling!  It happens always, when I eat low carb, and then I go back to the pasta and the bread and all the other white stuff and forget how good I felt when I didn't eat carbs.  I was talking to my buddy Ang yesterday, who, because of allergies, has given up all things white, including dairy and lives the low carb lifestyle.  Same thing with her, she feels so much better, and she said that people don't realize what were talking about unless they've done it.

So how do I feel?  Let me explain...

Mental clarity, or as much as I can have in my old(er) age. My mind is clear, my  mood is extremely good, I have a ton more energy, I'm more even emotionally, it's hard to explain, but it's a wonderful thing.  It's hard the first week, detoxing from all things white, sometimes you have flu-like symptoms, headachy, no energy, but once you get past that week it is simply unreal how good you feel.  

I'm sticking to around 30-35 carbs a day, which is much more doable than Atkins 20 carbs, and there are so many websites now that have great recipes, it's not like all you eat is bacon eggs and butter like in the old days.  But I'm not trying to talk anyone into doing this, I'm on here just telling you how I feel, like I always do.

So that's what's working for me today.  Will I continue this, of course not, I never have stayed with it in the past, and I don't have any aspirations that I will do so in the future.  And even if I do lose weight, I'm old now,  and older people that lose very much weight look gawdawful.  It's much better to have a little meat on our bones at this age than to be skinny and stringy.  But my legs are fitting better, and the sun is shining again today, so life is pretty darn good.  

Cream Cheese Pancakes...

 

These pancakes were absolutely WONDERFUL!  I found this on ibreatheimhungry.com, and I ate them so fast I didn't take time to snap a picture, so I snagged the picture from her site, but I'm linking directly for the recipe.  Not right if I just take their recipe and post this as my own.

This is a low carb recipe, but it would be yummy regardless of what diet or non-diet you are using.  The only thing I altered was I used 1 egg and 1 egg white instead of 2 eggs to cut the calories a bit.  They taste more like a cream cheese crepe than a pancake, but oh my, they're wonderful.  

Just had to share….

Now hop over to www.ibreatheimhungry.com and check out all of her recipes.  I'll be trying more, if the rest are half as good as my breakfast was, I'll be such a fan of this site.

Ball Jars, what's old is new again...

The interest in Ball Jars seems to have skyrocketed in the past couple of years.  It took me awhile to catch up with the hoopla, but ever since I started making Salar-in-a-Jar, I, too have jumped back on the bandwagon.

LC worked for Ball Corporation in the 70's, so to me canning jars, or  "fruit jars" as mother always called them, will always be "Ball Jars" in my house, regardless of the brand.. But I was a new bride in the 70's when LC worked for Ball, mother had always been an avid canner, and since I had to prove that I was my own "woman" heaven forbid if I ever did the things that mother did.  In retrospect, how silly that was.  And how I wish I could talk to her today and show her all the ways I use Ball jars.  She would be so thrilled.  And think of all the "goodies" I could have taken advantage of back in the day.  I think the only thing I ever got was a Ball Freezing and Canning Book.

In the picture above from Country Living's website, they drilled a hole in the top of a an old zinc lid, inserted a plunger and made a soap dispenser.  I've had a badzillion of these old lids, but they're long gone now.  I'm sure the antique stores must still have a supply, and of course, eBay.  If this interests you, you can access the entire article here.  
 

My friend, Barb, told me last week about a deal on Decor Designs, which she missed, they were selling Ball jars with lids and straws. And it looks like some clever crafter has made them, the instructions are here.

And what is yours truly doing with Ball jars these days other than sealing them with salad in them?  Well, I make homemade salad dressing and for years I've used cruets to store it in, mainly those that you get with dry Wishbone Salad Dressing Mix.  But recently I had a flash of brightness and realized that it worked much better storing the salad dressing in a pint Ball jar.  It's easier to shake, easier to spoon out the dressing.  It just works!

And I store leftovers in them, all kinds of leftovers, my refrigerator is lined with these things.  And now that I'm making yogurt, they are invaluable.  I prefer the wide mouths, they're easier to use, and I have them in quarts, pints, half pints, and jelly jars.

Last week I ordered these plastic lids on Amazon Prime.  $5.74 for a package of 8 widemouth ones, no tax, free ship.  They had the same thing in our local Rural King for $4.50, but it's not worth the money or the hassle to truck over there to buy them, and you have to pay tax when you buy them locally.

To say these lids have changed my life is a bit much, but O.M.G. these things are wonderful.  It's taken my storage to a whole new level.  You can't can in these, or pressurize them, but once a can is open, these lids are perfect.  My fridge is already full of jars with these lids, I'm going to have to order more!  No more rings and lids, no more lids falling off the jars because Jan can't find a ring, plastic storage caps, where have you been all my life?

I hope I gave you some ideas on this gorgeous Tuesday afternoon.  It's 51 degrees, the sun is shining, Trisher and I have been out on the golf cart for-ever, just enjoying the day.

Now go order some plastic storage caps and see if it doesn't make your life a little easier.  It's those simple things, ladies...

Snoopy ALWAYS makes me smile, even on a gloomy Monday...

The Carpenters, now that was music!

Yesterday I working on a new header for the blog, happily listening to my favorite Sirius Channel, Escape Radio (thanks John for setting it up on my Mac) and they played The Carpenter’s music all day.  Oh my, talk about a trip down memory lane.

I thought of that later in the evening when I watched Super Bowl Half Time, how wholesome music used to be.  They didn’t need all the special effects, they just sang and they were wonderful.  I am a Beyonce fan, I think she is lovely and has a wonderful voice, but last night just wasn’t pleasant.  Her act was saturated with sex, all she needed was a stripper pole.  All the bump and grind was just awful.  Little children watch this, when her Blue Ivy is older, is that how she wants her to see her mother???

And the Hardee’s commercial was total tv porn!  I just don’t think all of this should be on network television.  And it’s not because I’m old(er), you all know that I’m a pretty liberal thinker except for politics, but it’s just not right!  Our kids shouldn’t be seeing this stuff.

*sigh*

Here’s one of my very favorites from The Carpenters.  Turn up your speakers and just enjoy the experience…

 

And Karen does a wonderful job with this Beatles song, A Ticket To Ride,  it’s my little Monday gift to all of you.

 

 

2013 Budweiser Super Bowl Ad — The Clydesdales: "Brotherhood"

 

There have been some great Budweiser Super Bowl commercials over the years, but I think this year is the best ever.  And yes, I cried at the end… So touching…

My daughter-in-law, Deanna, posted several of these commercials on her blog last week.  And I agree with her, before I saw this one, the little colt pulling the wagon was my favorite as well.  Her favorites can be found here.

I’m not a football fan, but I do love the ads…

Happy Monday!!!  ~ Jan

Emoticons

                   

 

 

 

 

Ignore this everybody, it’s a test post…

I bought a Mafter Boullion Strainer

 

I did it, I actually bought this awesome strainer,  expensive as all get out, but thanks to all of you who click on my Blogher Ads in the right sidebar, I used my mad money from Blogher, so it wasn't spendy at all.  I can justify ANYTHING, just ask my family.

My kids tell me that I'm obsessive, that I get something in my head and I want it right now.  Okay, so they're right, I can't argue with them when they're right.  But I'm old(er) now, I have to do things right away, who knows what tomorrow will bring.

And why on earth do I need this strainer?  I'm sure you are all fascinated by it, after all "enquiring minds want to know."  Yeah, umhmmmm, sure you do!  Well, let me tell you anyway, it's all about yogurt this month.

I have been whipping up the most delectable, dreamy, yummy tasting yogurt that you have ever put in your mouth!  But I make Greek Yogurt, not regular yogurt and that requires straining off the whey.  There are many ways of straining it, you can strain it through cheesecloth, an old t-shirt, or a kitchen towel, which all seem a little "wrong" to me, after all you do wash those things in detergent, and I have no desire to have soapy suds in my yogurt.  So I use two layers of paper towel in this big colander I have that goes across my entire  sink as  I'm straining a half a gallon at a time, so the strainer has to be large.

And does this work?  Yes, it works, but it takes a few hours to strain so that makes my sink unusable, sometimes the paper towel rips, and it's hard to separate the yogurt from the towel, and I usually end up with it all over moi and the countertop, and yes, dear hearts, even the floor.  But you just can't use a regular strainer to strain the whey because the yogurt goes through the little holes.  You have to have a chinois, aka bouillon strainer, with really fine mesh.  I've researched this extensively trying to find a cheaper one, but the cheaper ones just don't work as well.

So I took a deep breath and paid $79, yes SEVENTY-NINE DOLLARS for this strainer and that’s cheap, most sites charge in excess of a hundred dollars for this same Mafter model.  And do I feel guilty?  Oh heck no, not a bit, after all Blogher paid for the darned thing.  And I did get it on my Amazon Prime, no tax, no shipping, so it's winging it's way to Heavensville tomorrow.

I'm a diehard yogurt maker, though, I make it several times a week, and it's so much better than what you buy in the store.  And since I'm doing low-carb right now in yet another futile attempt to deflate this seriously puffy body, I'm making it with whole milk, which makes it creamy and absolutely divine. Divine ladies, seriously!  I made it often last fall with great success  and then every batch started failing and I couldn’t figure out why. It was so defeating that I quit making it for awhile.   I’ve since learned that I had a defective thermometer for testing the temperature.  A good thermometer is a must have if you make yogurt.  I bought a new thermometer, and voila, I’m back in the yogurt making business.

Didn't you want to know all of this, you?  Of course not, but I'm just so excited!!!!!

If you're really interested in yogurt making, watch the following video from my friend Paula, at Salad-In-A-Jar, which yes I still love, but that's a whole other blog.  Paula is the one who got me started with making yogurt.  I also purchased a YoGourmet Yogurt Maker from last month's Blogher check, there I go, justifying my purchases again.  ;o)

Now I'm telling Paula how wonderful my Wolfgang Puck Pressure Cooker is.  I like to share the love, people, you all know that.

Watch Paula as she explains perfectly how to make this yogurt, I do it exactly the way she does, except now I incubate mine in my YoGourmet instead of the oven.  And yes, she has a Mafter Strainer, too.  Brilliant minds think alike after all

If you’re interested in either of these products, here are the links:

Mafter 17360 Exoglass Boullion Strainer

YoGourmet Electric Yogurt Maker

Note:  I do find that using my YoGourmet takes a longer incubation than it does using Paula’s oven method.  Instead of incubating it for 6 hours, I incubate mine for 10-12 hours, and it makes perfect yogurt.  I really like my YoGoumet because it surrounds the milk mixture with a water bath, and you don’t have to monitor the temperature.   I also don’t use metal utensils, I use a plastic measuring spoon and spoon the yogurt culture into a small bowl, pour in a cup of the milk that has cooled to 110 degrees and whisk it with my silicone whisk, then I pour the mixture in with the rest of the milk and stir well.  I prefer doing this to make sure that the live cultures get distributed evenly throughout the milk.

After you strain it you’re left with approximately two pints of Greek Yogurt. I know, you’re thinking, jeez this is  lot of work, I’ll just buy mine at the store, but trust me there is no comparison, homemade is so fresh, so much better, it’s unreal.  And it isn’t hard once you do it a few times, it’s a piece of cake!  A walk in the park!  I could make it in my sleep and sometimes do ;o) It’s indescribably delicious, pinky swear it is…

And thrifty me saves the whey to water my plants.  And, I might add, that a pint container of Fage Greek Yogurt is $5.00  in the grocery store, I buy a gallon of whole milk at Aldi’s for $1.49, and that makes four pints of Greek Yogurt.  Do the math, I make $20 worth of yogurt for $1.49.  Hmmmm, at those prices you might be rethinking making your own, too. 

~ Jan doin’ the happy dance…

Ben is almost six months old now…

It’s hard to believe he’s this big, my sweet little grandson…

Make your home a happy place...

 

I saw this on Pinterest today and thought it was spot on.  I can identify with everything, with the exception of #5.  Somehow those dishes just don't do it for me.  

And I love, love, love #3 - I need to do more of the sentimental things ASAP.  And #9, somehow that justifies the obscene amount of money I'm about to spend for a Matfer Boullion Strainer.  Well, LC does enjoy my homemade yogurt.   ~ Jan

1. Make your bed.

The book The Happiness Project, explains that this three minute task is one of the simplest habits you can adopt to positively impact your happiness.

2. Bring every room back to “ready.”

I learned this trick from Marilyn Paul’s clever book, It’s Hard to Make a Difference When You Can’t Find Your Keys. It’s a known fact: Clutter causes stress; order creates a haven from it. This mood-boosting routine is simple: Take about three minutes to bring each room back to “ready” before you depart it. (Unless you have a toddler, or a partner who likes to simulate earthquakes, three minutes should be sufficient.)

3. Display sentimental items around your home.

One reason that experiences (and memories of those experiences) make us happier than material things is due to the entire cycle of enjoyment that experiences provide: planning the experience, looking forward to the experience, enjoying the experience, and then remembering the experience. Make your home a gallery of positive memories.

4. Start a one-line-a-day gratitude journal.

Before bed, simply jot down one happy memory from that day. (If you have kids, you can ask them, “What was the best part of today?”) Reflection is an important part of happiness, and pausing to reflect on a positive event from each day cultivates gratitude. (An added bonus: Later, when your memory is defunct, you will already have all of your meaningful adventures recorded!) If you have trouble getting started with journaling, consider buying a book to guide you. Simple Abundance, by Sarah Ban Breathnach, is a great one.

5. If you can’t get out of it, get into it.

This tip comes from The Happiness Project. I love the message: The dishes are not going to clean themselves, so you will do it, and you will like it! (Unless, of course, you can outsource this job, in which case I say: Nice work!) Otherwise, get into doing the dishes. Feel the soothing warm water on your hands. Enjoy the tickle of the tiny bubbles. Crank your favorite album at an unusually loud volume, do a couple fist-pumps while shouting “Can I get a hell yeah for the dishes? Hell! Yeah!” and pretend you love it.

6. Before you get up each morning, set an intent for the day.

In The Art of Happiness, the Dali Lama says “”Every day, think as you wake up: today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.” Wow. What a wise man. I tend to wake up with a strong visceral reaction that says, “Attention human beings: Be afraid of me before coffee. Be very afraid!” Setting a daily intent makes a huge difference. Your daily intent could be something like “be productive” or “enjoy today’s delicious moments” or it could be something more specific like “say thank you to my loved ones today.” But it should not be another “to do” item on your list.

7. Do small favors for your housemates, expecting nothing in return (not even a thank you!).

(That’s right, I said it: nothing!) Mow the lawn for your husband, but don’t expect him to pat you on the back. Make the bed for your wife, but don’t try to get bonus points for it. Take the trash out for your roommate, just because. The ability to cultivate strong, healthy relationships is one of the biggest contributors to health and happiness, but when you start to keep score, the benefit is lost. (No! It’s YOUR turn to clean up the dog poop!) It’s a well-known fact: When you do good, you feel good.

8. Call at least one friend or family member a day.

You can do this while you clean, while you make the bed, or while you walk the dog. Texts and emails do not count! Make an actual phone call to a loved one, just to chat and catch up. We humans are social beings and studies show that even when we don’t feel like it, even if we are naturally introverted, socializing with our loved ones makes us feel better.

9. Spend money on things that cultivate experiences at home.

Save money for a new grill for parties or a new DVD for family movie night — something that will encourage you to have people over and entertain. Plan a summer barbeque, invite your closest friends, kick back and relax. (And don’t forget to print out the pictures to remember the good times.)

10. Spend a few minutes each day connecting with something greater than yourself.

Whatever your spiritual beliefs — or non-beliefs — may be, studies show that connecting to a high power is correlated with happiness. Just stepping back to realize that we are part of an enormous universe can put some perspective on your annoyance with the those-are-definitely-not-mine-and-they-are-abso-fricking-lutely-repulsive socks under the coffee table. Before bed, spend just a few minutes contemplating something larger than yourself. Take a walk in nature. Write in a journal. Create a sacred space in your home. (Or if spirituality is really not your thing, create a home spa: light some candles, soak in a hot bath, delve into a good book… are you feeling better yet?)

We've been to see the grandkids!

 

Oh, they're SO sweet!  Abby has strong opinions about everything, she doesn't miss a trick.   She's having boy problems at school, apparently there is this little boy named Nathan in her class who is not nice.  So she proceeds to tell her Daddy, very loudly, while walking up the steps to her class, right behind Nathan and his mother that Nathan is mean!  I asked Ry if the little boy's mother heard Abby, he said there was no way that she didn't hear her.  That's our girl, a strong, opinionated woman.  No guy is going to best her!  Take that Nathan!!!

And our little Benjammin, oh he's so just precious.   He talks to us in baby language, drools  and laughs and best of all he crows like a little rooster.  He grabs his toys, wiggles and squirms and bounces in his chair.  He's an adorable little guy.

And, I forgot my camera, so these pictures from my phone aren't the greatest.  Bad, bad, Jan!!!

Gushing Grammie here...

Minnetonka Moccasins….

 

I have loved moccasins my entire life.  I had soft soled ones similar to the ones above when I was a teenager.  I also remember white soft soled and turquoise.  Oh, I thought they were SO cool.

Now, let's fast forward to 2013.  Just the touch of leopard brings out the Thelma Roper in me.  I do like these a lot!!!

 

 

Oh, and these feather ones, they are ringing my chimes.

 

And if I was twenty-something, or maybe even early thirty-something, I would be all over these like butter on a hot potato.  I'm old(er) now, but I could wear those feather ones or the leopard ones, I'm not that old yet.  I could wear them, yes I could, I  just might need a pair of these...

Are you a Moccasin lover, too?  Just click here and drool over Minnetonka's entire line.  They are wonderful!!!!