Addendum to Aug 2015

ADDENDUM TO AUG 2015 POST

       This is just an addendum to the previous post.  I thought it would interest y’all to see what could be done with a $.99 tray from the thrift store.

       I really needed to corral all the stuff on my night stand and thought a tray would be the way to go.  After looking around in various stores, I decided to peruse Pinterest.  This is the result of that search.

      

       Tray as bought.  Christmas design.  And it’s red.  Not in my bedroom!!!!

       Tray after. 

     I sprayed it with two coats of Valspar white primer.  Let it dry 24 hours between coats.  Then painted it with two coats of my special chalk paint.  The recipe is in the previous post.  The white is Plaid FolkArt wicker white and the yellow is Plaid FolkArt lemonade.  I did not put on a sealer. 

       And here’s the finished product, on my nightstand with all the stuff.  It has corralled everything and keeps it together.  It’s just all round neater and easier to keep clean.  Only have to move a couple of things to dust instead of a lot of little things. *****if you look closely you can see I added little bun feet just to be different******

       Hope you enjoyed seeing this as much as I enjoyed making it.  There are tons of things at thrift stores just crying out to be rescued and revamped.  I will be posting some more in the next couple of weeks, so keep visiting, you never know what will pop up.

       Pin me, I need the exposure.

       And remember – Never give in, Never surrender, and God bless.

Victoria a/k/a BizzyLizzy

Aug2015

RANTS, RAVES AND RECIPES

     Hello, again.  BizzyLizzy is back, but this time there will be no Rants, a few Raves, some Recipes and a new addition – a Crafting “corner”. 

     I have decided to let the stuff that bothers me go, so I will not be Ranting, unless it’s something really big and really annoying.  As for the Raves, at this point the only thing I can Rave about is I am still breathing and not pushing daisies!!!!  But I do have a few new Recipes, even a recipe for a new paint, yes, I have developed my own chalk paint recipe and I like it best of all.  However, if I were doing a very large object, like a dresser, I would probably just buy a pre-mixed brand.  But for the small objects I am painting, it is superb.

     I am also in the midst of redecorating my living room, dining room, and possibly at a later date, the kitchen.  Right now I am concentrating on the living and dining rooms. 

     Look over the pictures, each one has an explanation of what you are seeing, before and after.  On a few I have added alternative decorations, I can’t decide which I like best, so I live with each for a few days, hoping I can decide which one to keep and which to pack away, or possibly sell. 

     First up is the living room.  As you can see in the before picture, I have removed all decorations.  It is basic, bare bones.  In the second picture are a few objects I bought and re-did to fit in with what I wanted.  If you read my blog from July, you will see what I mean about brown.  Brown floor, brown wood on couch, brown coffee table.  UGH!!!!  Got to brighten it up.

Here's an intermediate picture.  Am getting there, but not there yet.  

     I also added a beautiful rug.  My living room gets a lot of afternoon sun, but otherwise it is sort of dark, so the yellow brightens it up considerably.  And yellow is a happy color.  With winter fast approaching, I need bright and happy. 

     The lamp on the table, the one with the library books, had been packed away for years.  I had forgotten I had them (I actually have two).  Hubby found them in the shed and I thought one would look really good next to the bookshelf.  I did have to do some reworking on it, I painted the base yellow and the brass top and finial were all groady, so I painted them yellow, too.  Love the look now.

     I am in the process of painting all my picture frames white. The frames are all different colors, not unifying at all, so next time they will all be white.  Should brighten up the paintings a lot, too.

Yes, I like Wheel of Fortune.  

     Each one of the paintings on the wall was done by a family member; my grandmother, my Mom (actually my Mom could not paint, so she did counted cross stitch and that is what they are), an aunt, my daughter, my father-in-law, and the orange one I did.  A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.  I know it’s not great art, but it is family art and that means more to me than expensive stuff.

     The dining room is still a work in progress, so hopefully it will be ready for next month’s post.  It’s a lot more work than I anticipated when I began.  I’ve added a sneak preview of sorts, the original picture frames were a yucky greyish color, now they are French blue.  Looking so much better.

     And a sneak peek at my “new” baker’s rack.  It was originally hunter green with some white splotches on it to make it look old, but it was just a bad job.  I actually bought it that way intending to paint it, but have just gotten round to it.  

     I promised a new recipe for chalk paint and a new recipe to eat.  Here’s the chalk paint, the eatable one follows.

CHALK PAINT:

2 oz bottle Plaid FolkArt paint (your choice of color)

2 tsp baking soda (I like Arm & Hammer brand)

2 tsp water

2 tsp Mod Podge

Put baking soda in a cup, add water and stir until totally dissolved.  And I mean totally.  Add Mod Podge and stir like crazy.  It should foam.  Keep stirring.  When the foam dissipates, add the paint and stir until all one color (whatever color you chose).

It is now ready to use. If you don’t use it all, it can be poured back into the paint bottle and used later.  As long as it is tightly closed, it should last for a least a couple of months.

When applying, I like to use a foam brush.   You can experiment to find which brush you like the best.

The picture frames (the blue ones) and the baker's rack were painted using this formula and a foam brush.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

CHOCOLATE DIPPED WALNUTS WITH SEA SALT

(FOR SOME REASON I CANNOT GET THE PIC TO COME THROUGH)

SAVE PRINT

PREP TIME

10 mins

TOTAL TIME

10 mins

A quick, easy and healthy snack, you are going to love these walnut halves dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt.

Author: Liz DellaCroce | The Lemon Bowl

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

·      4 ounces Diamond of California Walnut Halves

·      4 ounces dark chocolate chips

·      ½ teaspoon sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high for 45-60 seconds or until smooth and creamy.

2.  Dip each walnut half in the chocolate and place on a plate or tray lined with parchment paper.

3.  Sprinkle with sea salt then refrigerate walnuts until chocolate sets, 30 minutes or longer. 

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Serving size: 1 ounce

Calories: 255

Fat: 24.2 g

Saturated fat: 4.5 g

Unsaturated fat: 19.7 g

Trans fat: 0

Carbohydrates: 7.2 g

Sugar: 3.8 g

Sodium: 287 mg

Fiber: 2.5 g

Protein: 5.8 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

NOW HERE’S MY VERSION:  I CALL THEM "MOCK TURTLES"

I did not have any walnuts; living in the South, pecans are easier to come by, and I did have a bag of pecan pieces, so that’s what I used.

I used chocolate chips and melted them in the top of a double boiler.  Then added ½ tsp. vanilla extract and beat until it was kind of shiny.  Added the pecans and stirred vigorously.  Dipped them out onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, sprinkled them with coarse ground Pink Himalayan Sea Salt, and refrigerated for 1 hr.  They were sooooo gooood.   (******And yes, there were more in the beginning, but by the time I got out the camera, several had disappeared.

(When dipping use a teaspoon.  They should be about the size of a half-dollar).

     Hope you enjoy and Pin me.  So until next time, remember – Never give in, Never surrender and God bless.

Victoria a/k/a BizzyLizzy

July, 2015

        I can't believe it's been a year since my last post.  This past year has not been good to me.  With Pulmonary Rehab, Physical Rehab and having the flu and a torn rotator cuff injury, I haven't done anything.  Haven't been anywhere, but I have been cooking.  I do have quite a few new recipes for you, and a few Rants and Raves that should give you a laugh or two.  I have embarked on a project, redecorating my living/tv room.  I will be posting pictures as it progresses, when I get started.  So, read, enjoy, and comment.  Send me an e-mail or post in the comment section.  I always enjoy hearing from you.  

RANT OF THE WEEK

        Well, people, it has been a while since BizzyLizzie was active, but I’m back now and better than ever. 

What I want to rant about today is Men’s obsession with brown.  What is it that almost all men prefer brown to color?  Brown paneling, brown recliners, brown cabinets, brown pants, brown shoes.  Ask any man about furniture.  Natural wood, naturally brown.

I am redecorating my living/tv room, which is actually a great room that opens up into the kitchen and dining areas.  The cabinets in the kitchen are cherry, but they look sorta brown.  The floors are wood, luckily they are a light color, but still in the brown family.  My recliner is oxblood, sort of a dark wine color, the couch is a non-descript beigey/green, really difficult to describe, but it looks good with the oxblood recliner.  Then there’s hubby’s recliner.

It is brown.  Yes, brown.  We were in the furniture store looking for an occasional chair and he spotted this recliner and refused to leave the store without it.  It is a very nice recliner, but it is BROWN!!!  Any other color would have been great, but they only had the brown one.  

Okay, so this is not too much of a problem because the occasional chair we bought is red/beige/green plaid.  I really like it as it coordinates with the oxblood recliner and the hard-to-describe sofa.  Then there’s the brown recliner.  It just does not GO.

But trying to make the best of a dull thing, I decided I wanted to paint my coffee table to brighten things up a bit.  You guessed it, it is wood, and naturally BROWN.  When I mentioned it to hubby, what do you think he said?   “I like the wood finish.”  “But it’s BROWN,” I whined.  

Needless to say, it is getting painted.  When I get it painted I will post a before and after.  Also a before and after of the area of the living/tv room that I am trying to lighten up.  I HATE LIVING IN A CAVE!!!!

And speaking of caves, most men would not mind living in a cave, that way they would not have to dust, vacuum, paint, wash blinds, or any of the hundred other small jobs that have to be done to keep a home looking like a home and not a cave.

But leaving on a good note, hubby did get the shrubs trimmed and the ivy out of the Poplar tree, so the house does not look totally abandoned.  I guess one of these days we’ll get around to some more badly needed outside maintenance, but until it cools off a bit, not a lot is going to get done outside.

RAVE OF THE WEEK 

     When I first started this blog I promised on Religion or Politics, however, I must post this as my Rave of the Week.

     I hope this doesn’t turn some of you off, but I have just had a miracle.
In September of 2014 I made a stupid movement with my left arm and tore my rotator cuff.  It hurt like the “dickens”.  After several trips to the orthopedic surgeon for steroid shots, pain meds, etc., we decided on surgery.

     Because I have COPD and certain adrenal issues because of the COPD meds, the surgeon was not real excited about operating on me. He as much as told me so.  He did not give me a prognosis I was comfortable with, but I went ahead with all the pre-op preparations, etc.
In the meantime, I contacted my Sunday School class and asked for some heavy-duty prayers.  I asked the Lord to guide me in the right direction, that I would not force anything, if it didn’t feel right I would not do it, and I would leave it all up to Him.

     And guess what?  Within three days the pain had subsided, I could move my arm again, I could even drive.  Something I have not been able to do for months.  I can even pick up not too heavy items.  Before I could not even make the movement, let alone pick up anything.

     Yes, there is still some pain, but not anything I can’t control.  Haven’t had to take a pain med in almost a week, and I am back to crafting and planning on redecorating my living/tv room.  (See Rant)

     I talked with the orthopedic surgeon and he was actually thrilled at the news.  Said he really had not wanted to operate on me, and was glad everything was working out for me.  I will see him again in three months for a check-in, and if everything is okay, then another three months.  If, however, he said it gets to the point I cannot stand it, we would go ahead with the surgery.

     I am fully confident the Lord has other plans for me, and surgery is not one of them.

     Prayer works, Praise the Lord.  I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.  Phil 4:13.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

FUDGE-CAKEY FLOURLESS BROWNIES

     Sorry the picture isn’t better, but these are absolutely delicious.  They really taste better than they look. 

Oven 350 degrees

6 Tablespoons butter

¾ cup dark brown sugar

8 oz chocolate chips (I use the dark chocolate)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon cocoa powder

3 Tablespoons almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder (or ¼ t. salt, and ½ t. baking soda)

Nuts (depending on your preferences as little as 2/3 cup or as much as 1 cup) walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, whatever you like)

When measuring out everything I like to add the almond flour and cocoa powder and baking powder together.

A double boiler comes in handy, but if you are like me, you don’t have a double boiler.  But I do have lot of metal mixing bowls and I found one that fit perfectly on a boiler I had.  Put water in the boiler, brought it to a boil, placed mixing bowl on boiler and VOILA!! a double boiler.  Just be sure to wear an oven glove as the mixing bowl will get hot.

You can use an 8 X 8 or a 9 X 9 square pan, but I used a 5 X 8 loaf pan.  I found non-stick aluminum foil which I lined my pan with, then buttered it real good.  The brownies just fell out.  Just be sure to put the dull side up, it’s the non-sticky side.

First measure everything out in separate bowls, it just makes it easier when mixing as you don’t have to stop to measure anything.

In the top of the double boiler melt the butter, then add sugar and make sure it is dissolved.  When this is done, add the chocolate chips and stir until they are melted and well incorporated.

Remove from the heat (actually take the mixing bowl off the boiler or it will continue to stay hot because of the hot water), add the eggs one at a time mixing well after each one, then add the vanilla extract.

Now using a sifter (or a metal strainer) sift the flour mixture into the egg mixture making sure it is incorporated well.  Beat for an additional 1 to 2 minutes until the dough is nice and shiny.  This is when you add the nuts, stirring them in until they are consistently within the dough.

Pour into the pan of your choice.  Bake for about 30 minutes at 350.  I had to lower the temp in my oven to 300 and bake for another 10 minutes, but that’s just my oven.  Watch and test after 30 minutes.  Don’t overcook.

Let them cook on a rack in the pan for at least 30 minutes, then turn them out on the rack to cool completely.  Be sure to peel off the aluminum foil when you take them out of the pan.

NOTES:

       As stated before you can add nuts of your choice, but you can also add dried fruit, raisins or craisins come to mind. 

       Peanut butter chips could be used instead of chocolate chips for a different taste.

       And if you are vegan, you could use a flax egg and coconut oil.  If you are concerned about the chocolate chips, use a candy bar such as Lindt’s 90% cocoa.  

RANT OF THE WEEK - BIG BROTHER???

Is Big Brother watching us?  The answer is unequivocally YES!!!

A few days ago hubby went to the grocery store (Kroger) and came home with some plums.  We both thought they tasted strange, but decided they were okay. 

Tuesday night Kroger called (a pre-recorded message) saying the plums we bought “may have been” contaminated with Listeria.  All well and good that they called to warn me about a potential problem with the fruit, HOWEVER, I now realize “they” know everything I am buying in their store.

This can be good and bad.  Good because they can warn us of potential hazards with contaminated food and also good because they know what you buy and can send you coupons.  I love coupons. 

But it is bad because of the potential implications of intrusion into your personal space.  It is actually nobody’s business what you are eating.  Imagine this scenario; one week you decide you only want to eat beef.  You buy a large roast so it will last at least 2 days, you buy steak for the week-end cook-out, how about some ground beef for pizza Friday night, and some stew beef or a round steak for some good ole homemade soup.  Now you have at least 6 days, possibly 7 days worth of beef. 

Somebody at the “store” notices you only bought beef, no pork, no chicken, and no fish.  They send you a pre-recorded message saying they are upset that you are eating so much beef and that from now on you will only be allowed to buy enough beef for 2 days, the other 5 you MUST eat chicken, fish and/or pork. 

Could this actually happen?  YES.  Mrs. President Obama is already trying to have talking shopping carts to make you put those Oreos back and buy more fruit.  When actually the fruit could probably be as bad, if not worse, than the Oreos.  Fruit is almost entirely sugar, fructose.  When it hits your blood stream your blood glucose skyrockets.  When Oreos hit your blood stream it is slower due to the other ingredients, mainly wheat, which slows it down. 

“They” say eat more fruit, less fat.  Well, I for one will continue with my high protein diet (yes, saturated fat from beef), low carbohydrate diet.  I have lost weight, I feel better, and I do not get as hungry as quick. 

Protein satiates, carbs do not. 

But back to Big Brother.  My television is not talking to me yet. When it starts it will go in the trash, but be aware, Big Brother is watching your every move.  Kroger knows what I am buying, Amazon knows what I am buying, the Government can access your personal banking records, and how about the IRS?  There is no assumption of privacy anymore.  Could you be getting calls telling you that that dress you bought was totally inappropriate for your age, how about that car?  Too expensive for you?  And we looked at your health records and you are overweight so from now on you will only be allowed to buy low-fat foodstuff at the grocery.  You will be required to exercise at the local gym and if you don’t show up, we will know it. 

Government is getting more and more intrusive and places like Kroger and Amazon being able to track my buying is just plain scary.

Yes, you can call me paranoid. 

A LITTLE RAVE - THOUGH NOT SO MUCH

        It is good to be back, however, I can’t think of a single thing to Rave about.

        When I started this blog I promised I would not write about Politics or Religion.

        With those two things off the table, nothing has happened lately to brag about.  Having been “under the weather” for so long causing my ramblings about town to be curtailed means not much going on.

        However, if you read the above Rant you will see a small Rave for Kroger in being able to notify me of “possibly” contaminated fruit.  As I stated, this can be Good or Bad. 

        Yes, although I consider myself a bit paranoid, I do try to look on the bright side and will give a small shout out to Kroger for actually caring about their customers, but I still consider it intrusive and an invasion of my privacy.

        Hopefully next month I will have a better Rave.  Something good has got to happen.  Always the optimist.

        So, until next time, Never give in, Never surrender and may God Bless.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

 Hubby’s Bar-B-Q Ribs 

Pre-heat grill to 275 degrees.

1 rack pork baby-back ribs

salt and pepper

Tone’s Cajun Seasoning

Rinse ribs and dry with paper towel.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning.  Single wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil, place in center of grill with center burner off for 90 minutes.

Remove from grill, unwrap, brush with your favorite sauce and place back on grill (unwrapped) for 5 minutes each side. 

Serve and enjoy.

Serve with baked beans and a tossed green salad.

So, okay.  Today I was watching TV and a commercial came on and the announcer said the product was “very unique”. Does this bother anybody else?  Either something is unique or it isn’t.  You cannot quantify uniqueness.  It’s like being pregnant.  Either you are or you’re not.  I am so tired of hearing news people, announcers, commercials, reality show personalities, talk show hosts, etc. saying things like “this is really unique”, this is awesomely unique”, “this is soooo unique”.  You are unique, there is only one of you.  If there were more of you, you would not be unique.   Even twins are unique, no matter that they look alike, are they exactly the same?  NO!! 

            Something can be rare, or rarer, or the rarest.  Think books.  A first edition can be rare if there are only three copies, but rarest if there is only one.  However, if there is only one then it is unique.  If there are three, it is NOT unique.  It is rare. 

        And while I am on the subject of words, does anyone else have a problem with bring and take?  Bring me a glass of tea, take this tea to your mother.  I saw a sign on Chik-fil-A in town the other day and it said “Bring our iced tea to your next picnic”.  This is just plain bad English.  It is grammatically wrong and I almost flunked English in High School and even I know this is wrong.  IT SHOULD READ “TAKE OUR ICED TEA TO YOUR NEXT PICNIC”.  Bring is toward, i.e., bring me that glass of iced tea.  Take is away.  Take that glass of iced tea to your mother.  If you happen to be standing next to mother then you could possibly say “bring your mother a glass of iced tea”, but if you are in another part of the room or house or wherever, it would be “take your mother a glass of iced tea”. 

        I don’t think they actually teach English in school any more.  I don’t know how many times I’ve heard “educated” people say “I seen them”.  THIS ACTUALLY HURTS MY EARS, and sets my teeth on edge.  I just want to scream at them “IT’S – I SAW THEM – NOT SEEN”.

        I know this is a short rant this week, and not too sweet, but Thanksgiving is coming up next week and we all have a lot to be thankful for.  America is a GREAT country, we have freedoms others envy, we have wealth beyond comprehension and I’m not just talking monetarily.  SO TAKE TIME OUT OF YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE TO GIVE THANKS, SAY A PRAYER, and bring that iced tea to your very unique party where you seen all your family.  

Thanksgiving always makes me think of turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and family gathered around the table stuffing their faces.  It is also a time to reflect on what we are thankful for.  

        I have a long list:  the fact that I wake up every morning and am still breathing, my sweetie-pie hubby, my great children and grandchild, my cat, my house, the sun shining or the rain, toilet paper, toothbrushes and paste, microwaves, my church, the fact I can go to church and not be afraid, my friends, living in the Greatest Nation on Earth, computers, telephones, cars (no cleaning up after them), Dr. Who, my doctors who keep me well (or at least try).  There’s so much more, actually too much to list.  When you think you’ve thought of everything, something small pops into your head and then off goes another stream of thankfulness for things you seldom think about.

        I was watching Buying Alaska the other day and all the “cabins” had outhouses and no inside running water.  You had to use the outhouse and bring water in from a well.  That got me to thinking about how thankful I am for showers.  And that led to general indoor plumbing, then air conditioning and heating (no more chopping wood or hauling coal), and that lead to microwaves and Weber grills.  See, one thing always leads to another. 

        So when you sit down to eat that turkey be thankful you did not have to raise it, feed it, see it everyday and then kill it and de-feather it and prepare it for cooking.  All you had to do was go to the store and pick one out.  I am thankful there are other people who do that for me.  I am also thankful there are people who grow cranberries and make sauce.  I cannot imagine the first person to say, “hey, those look tasty, let’s see what we can do with them”.  I like jellied canned cranberry sauce; I do not like homemade sauce with the berries.  Just saying, I am thankful there is an alternative, some people like the berries.

        And talking about food, we cannot forget the pumpkin pie.  I have food allergies, my children have food allergies, and we all love pumpkin pie.  So this year I was going to make a pumpkin pie that was wheat free (crust), dairy free (cream cheese), soy free (tofu), and starch free (corn starch, tapioca starch, etc.).  It took 4 tries, but the 4^th time turned out okay.  It’s still not quite custardy enough, but it does look and taste like a real pumpkin pie.  I am thankful for all the recipes on the internet and in all the cookbooks I looked at and finally came up with my own recipe, which follows this rave.

        This is not really a rave, except I do love Thanksgiving and all the trimmings, and it gets the Christmas season off on a good start.  Now the shopping gets serious and the decorations and everything else for the celebration of our Lord’s birth.

         Happy Turkey Day All……..

BIZZYLIZZY’S PUMPKIN PIE

Crust:    Set oven to 350 F.

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup almond meal or flour

about 4 T. melted coconut oil (it might take more or less)

Put pecans in VitaMix blender if you have one, turn on low and hit the high button two or three times to make the pecan “flour”.  Do the same with the walnuts.  If you don’t have a VitaMix any food chopper will do.  It will just take longer.  Mix pecan flour, walnut flour, almond meal or flour in a bowl and began adding the coconut oil, one Tablespoon at a time.  Mix between additions.  When the flour is substantial enough to spread without breaking apart, then you have added enough oil.  Spread in a 9” pie pan.  ((If you are using a deep-dish pan, you might want to double these ingredients.))

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 F.  Let cool completely before filling.  Turn oven off.  You will not need it for the next steps.

Pumpkin Pie Filling: 

1 cup almond milk (or rice, soy, coconut, or cow)

4 T. coconut flour (at your local “health food store”)

½ t. cinnamon

½ t. nutmeg

1/8 t. cloves

1/8 t. ginger

(OR JUST USE 1 teaspoon PRE-MIXED PUMPKIN PIE SPICE MIX)

½ cup brown sugar

1 15oz. can Libby’s Pumpkin (ingredients:  pumpkin)

Pour milk into boiler and begin heating.  When it begins to form bubbles around the edges, begin adding the coconut flour.  Use a whisk and whisk flour into hot milk.  When you have added all 4 T. it should begin to thicken (this step will happen fast, so be prepared).  Take it off the heat and whisk in spices and brown sugar.  Make sure all are dissolved.  Then add the pumpkin.  Put boiler back on burner and cook and stir (I use a wooden spoon), for 15 to 20 minutes.  Let cool somewhat.  I let mine sit for 30 minutes.  Pour into baked nut crust and refrigerate. 

It needs to sit in refrigerator for at least 24 hours to form that custardy texture. 

When you are ready to serve, just remove from fridge, cut and serve with your favorite topping.  Be careful and try to use a cake server, this has no eggs nor any starch (corn, wheat, tapioca, or rice) so it will not hold together quite like a regular pie.

RANT OF THE DAY

MEN!!!  This weekend I was out and about and I began to notice men.  Not just any men, but men in shorts and flip-flops.  UGH!!!  There is nothing more disgusting than a hairy-legged man with dirty feet and no pedicure in camo shorts and flip-flops.  It is not only disgusting, it is offensive.  It offends me.  

No male person over the age of 8 should be seen in public in shorts and flip-flops unless you are at the beach.  Grow up.  Put on long pants.  And if you must wear sandals, GET A PEDICURE. Didn’t your mother tell you there was a time and place for everything?  Out in public is no place for naked dirty toenails.  Put on shoes, at least athletic shoes.   Gnarly toes and dirty toenails are not appealing, especially at the grocery store or a restaurant. 

Men, and women, lose the camo.  It’s appropriate at hunting camp, fishing, playing in the backyard with the kids or grandkids, but not in public.  And while I’m on the subject, what’s with the baseball caps?  It doesn’t matter if they are on correctly or backward, what is the allure?  Are you trying to cover up something?  Balding?  Bad hair day?  I don’t get it.  Camo shorts with flip-flops with a baseball cap on backwards?  And you wonder why you are out of work, or wonder why you are single, or wonder why people tend to avoid you except for your immediate family. 

Come on, grow up.  Be a man.  Put on shoes and long pants and lose the caps.  Look like you care.  About yourself, about what other people think when they look at you, about what your kid’s friend’s parents think when they see you.  A pair of clean jeans, a clean non-message t-shirt and athletic shoes goes a long way to saying you care about yourself.

Now for hoodies.  Hoodies should only be worn when they are appropriate for the weather.  Hoodies are not a fashion statement.  They are an “I don’t care about how I look or present myself” statement.  I have a hoodie.  I wear it when it’s raining, when the wind is blowing, or the temp calls for something more than a sweater.  They should not be worn to cover up your hair or face or to try to disappear. 

I just want to know where the pride has gone in America.  Why are people, men and women, adults and children, dressing like they don’t care?  They act like if they are covered they are okay.  It’s not okay.  It is offensive to the better senses of some of us. 

Dressing clean and neat is not expensive.  It doesn’t have to cost a lot.  I have bought some terrific things at thrift stores.  I bought a brand name dress that originally retailed for $85 for $8 at a thrift store and I still wear it and get compliments on it.  All you have to do is care.  Care about what you look like, care that you don’t offend other people with your clothes (some x-rated message t-shirts), and care about what you are teaching your children.   

Let’s clean up America.  When we have pride in ourselves it’s easier to have pride in our Country.  America needs all the help it can get, and I believe dressing not to offend is one small step in the right direction.

AMERICANS – CLEAN UP YOUR ACT

RAVE OF THE DAY

Since I have been wheat free I have had a hankering for spaghetti.  I know, no pasta, not even rice pasta, because it raises your glucose levels, so I have been searching for something to substitute for wheat or rice pasta.  And I finally found it.  KonJac noodles. 

These noodles are made of the root of the konnyaku tree, which turns out to be just fiber.  These noodles have no protein, no cholesterol, no fat, no sugar, NO NOTHING, just fiber.  They can be considered vegan and they are gluten-free.   

          The only problem is they also have no taste, and when you open the package they smell like fish.  Just rinse in cold water for 3 or 4 minutes and the smell goes away.  Drain and put in boiling water for about 5 minutes and drain.  Put them back in the pot and pour the sauce over and let stand for about 10 minutes.  If you have a really good homemade spaghetti sauce you really cannot tell the difference. 

          They fill you up without adding calories.  They give you extra fiber, which we all need, and they absorb whatever sauce you put on them.  I’ve even put them in soup.  After boiling for 3 minutes, I drained them and dried them on a paper towel then cut them up into shorter strips and added them to the soup.  Yummy!!!

          This started out as a rave and ended up a recipe.  So this week you get two for one.  Another recipe follows.

          If you want to try these noodles the best place to get them is Amazon.com.  A box of 6 packages (one package is one serving) is about $15.00.  I know this sounds a bit pricey, but if you can’t eat wheat or are just looking for something with no calories, you can’t beat these. 

          As always, all opinions on this site are mine, and mine alone.  I get no endorsements, money, entitlements, payments or anything for trashing or recommending any products or services.  As “they” say, it’s just my opinion, like it or not.

          

RECIPE OF THE DAY

The other day I was trying to decide what to have for breakfast.  I had eggs the day before, and the day before that I had lunch for breakfast – vegetable soup – and I didn’t want that again, and then I thought - - - PANCAKES.  But, alas, I cannot have wheat, so what to do?  Look in Dr. Davis’ Wheat Belly Cookbook for something.

And there it was.  A recipe for wheat free pancakes, but it was not dairy free.  No problem.  Where he uses butter and milk, I use olive oil and Almond Milk.  I also like to add my Seedola instead of the Flaxseeds.  (Recipe for Seedola on previous post.)

WHEAT-FREE, DAIRY-FREE PANCAKES

Makes 4 to 6 pancakes

1 cup Almond Meal

1 t. ground Flaxseeds or 1 T. Seedola

1/8 t. salt

1/8 t. baking soda

1 large egg

1/4 cup Almond Milk (more or less)

1 T. olive oil (more or less)

Combine dry ingredients.  Whisk together wet ingredients.  Gradually whisk flour mix into wet mix (add more milk 1 t. at a time, if needed).  It should be the consistency of regular pancake batter.  Lightly oil skillet and heat.  ¼ cup mix equals 1 pancake.  These are delicate, so be careful when turning. 

          Serve with sugar-free syrup or regular syrup, jam, jelly, preserves, and they are really good with peanut butter and bananas.

          

These are really tasty, a little nutty, and if you add Seedola, there is just a hint of sweetness (from the dried fruit).  Once you get used to the texture I think you will like them.  They differ from regular pancakes in that the almond flour has no gluten, therefore, the texture is a little crumbly and well, just different.  Try them out.  I think they will become a new favorite.