Saturday, January 31, 2009

what kind of creative are you?


I love these little quizes...you answer a few questions, choose a few images, and viola...they can tell you more about yourself than your own mother!!

I am HANDS ON.
duh.
What kind of creativity are you?

Monday, January 19, 2009

instruct



Sophie seems to be a lot like me...her YaYa. She loves to be right in the middle of things, taking the hands on approach.
Her most used item in the house is the little stool I use to reach the top and sometimes middle shelf in the kitchen. She doesn't hesitate to grab it and run to the nearest happening event.

So, it was no surprise when she climbed up onto the cabinet to watch me pour ingredients into the the kitchenaid. It wasn't long before she took over! She did very well, for a two year old.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

technology

the evolution of technology.

I asked one of my patients last year, who was 104 years old at the time, what was the best invention he had seen over the years. He said, "Electricity; without it, we wouldn't have all this."



In the last year, we have disbanded, not repaired or replaced, tossed out and donated the following:

Two VCR's, one DVD player, one top of the line cassette player, a desktop computer from 1996, our home phones, our home phone line, a large projection screen television, two cell phones.

Now, we have this...



I was told to expect any new electronic device to last half as long as the previous one.


What do I think is the best invention in my life? There are too many to choose. I'm still waiting for my "Rosie". The electronic domestic goddess from the Jetsons.


I am sure there will be something new tomorrow.

old



define old...
aged, along in years, ancient, broken down, debilitated, decrepit, elderly, enfeebled, exhausted, experienced, fossil, geriatric, getting on, gray, gray-haired, grizzled, hoary, impaired, inactive, infirm, mature, matured, not young, olden, oldish, over the hill, past one’s prime, seasoned, senile, senior, skilled, superannuated, tired, venerable, versed, veteran, wasted.

We all have one thing in common with everyone else on the planet. We are all one day older today than we were yesterday. You are never alone, you always have this in common with everyone else.

sphere

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

handle

Get a handle on it....get a grip....pull yourself together....shut up...open dialoge...closed reaction...open door policy....public excess....

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Homemade



Homemade....cheese broccoli soup.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Heart



This is a card I made years ago and gave to my hubby for Valentines Day. He keeps it on a shelf next to photos of the family.

My Art Club Chickies will remember this technique! It involved frying pans, griddles, chip board and embossing powder. Play Play Play!

I heart you....and you...and you...and you.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Beginning.....The first inspirational word of the year....

How do I begin?
I have never been one to awaken and jump out of bed in the morning. Its more of a slow crawl. My alarm is actually a radio and I am slowly awakened by Jerry House playing music and telling jokes.

The second thing...well, you know. I'm "at that age" and the bladder is tolerant to only a few hits of the the snooze button.

Then, the third. Which is really the most important and I consider it the first thing I do. I make the coffee. At the same time, BabyKitty has jumped off the bed and is begging for his breakfast, because he hasn't eaten is years. And, I tell him the same thing every morning....

Coffee Comes First!!!

And yes...that is a grannysmith apple green coffee maker. It was my Valentines gift last year.

We order our coffee from here...
BocaJava.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

What I am cooking today...meatballs.

I have been cooking since I was about 11. Of course, this does not include the almost daily freshly patted hamburger I would cook for lunch during the summer. Sometimes I would have this hamburger on a bun, but my favorite was between two slices of toasted bread. Add mustard, and as many pickles as the little round brown patty could handle. Yum.

I don't remember the first time I attempted meatballs, but I still have the cookbook with the original recipe. Mama Leone's Italian Cookbook published in 1967. It was in my mothers stash of cookbooks along with her 1960 version of Betty Crockers cookbook she probably received as a wedding gift.


I have adjusted the recipe quite a few times...probably to cut down on ingredients, or maybe I stopped checking the recipe every time I cooked them. One major change...I bake them, rather than fry. Frying is too messy. I can bake them...and do other things for 30 minutes, and as you know, I need all the time I can get.

A few years ago, I met Mrs. Gagliano. Her meatballs were knock your socks off good. We compared recipes, and mine was almost identical with one exception. I was adding milk. Where on earth did this idea come from Mrs Gagliano asked? Mama Leone recommended soaking the bread crumbs in milk, then squeezing out the excess milk prior to adding them to the meat mixture. I simply poured in the milk at some point.


And here they are today...

MEATBALLS

2lb ground sirloin
1 1/3 c bread crumbs
2/3 c Parmesan cheese
2-3 eggs
4 tsp parsley
3 tsp basil
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Mix all ingredients but do not over mix. Roll into balls place in baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 350 until done.

I use my little scoop to make the balls uniform! Its one of my favorite and most used kitchen gadgets.

YUM!