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Tiramisu

2010-03-08T02:36:00Z

This week I was looking through my email and ran across the Food Network Channel's weekly newsletter, which included a video from Giada providing beginning, step-by-step instructions on how to prepare "Sweet Tiramisu", a well-known Italian dessert. So, I decided I would go to the store, get everything on my shopping list and attempt to make this delicious, savvy, chocolate dessert...one of my daughter's favorites.

Giada's video was extremely helpful in guiding on a technique for molding and presenting the dessert in a large, loaf-shaped manner to be sliced, rather than in individual dessert cups. The only part of the recipe that was lacking from the video was the Sabayon Sauce recipe, which I have included for you in the directions below.

This rich dessert is the perfect compliment to a light Italian dinner, such as Linguine with White Clam Sauce.

* Note: Prepare one day in advance and refrigerate for 24 hours

SABAYON SAUCE (make ahead & refrigerate)

INGREDIENTS

1 & 1/2-cups confectioners' sugar
6-egg yolks
1 & 2/3-cups white wine (choose one you would like to drink)
1 to 2-teaspoons flavoring or liquor (such as coffee, espresso, Kahlua or Rum)
6-ounces dark chocolate (I prefer Godiva or Lindt [or 365] chocolate, available at Whole Foods)

DIRECTIONS

Mix the confectioners' sugar and egg yolks together with the white wine and chocolate
Whisk with an electric mixer over a low heat or in a water-bath until the mixture thickens and becomes light in color and consistency (around 10 mins)
Add flavorings or liquor to taste
Refrigerate until ready to later add to whipped cream mixture

********************************************************

TIRAMISU

INGREDIENTS

unces mascarpone cheese
1-cup whipping cream
1/3-cup sugar (added to whipping cream)
Sabayon Sauce
2 & 1/2-cups luke warm espresso or strong coffee
1/3-cup sugar (added to warm espresso or strong coffee)
2-packages of Ladyfinger cookies (enough to make 4 layers)
cocoa powder, sifted
60% dark chocolate shavings
saran wrap
mint leaves for garnish (optional)

*****************************************************************

DIRECTIONS

Whip mascarpone cheese with electric mixer until fluffy
Add whipping cream and whip until medium to stiff peaks are formed
Add 1/3 cup sugar to sweeten whipping cream and cheese
Mix the previously refrigerated Sabayon Sauce into the whipping cream mixture

PREPARATION

Add 1/3 cup of sugar to slightly warmed coffee mixture and set aside
Line a bread loaf pan with long pieces of saran wrap (both directions, with plenty to cover over the top)
FIRST LAYER...On the bottom of the pan, begin by dipping Ladyfingers briefly into the coffee mixture and line them across the bottom of the pan to begin forming the first layer
SECOND LAYER...On top of the row of Ladyfingers, place a layer of the Sabayon/Whipped Cream mixture, equivalent to the thickness of the Ladyfingers
THIRD LAYER...Dipped Ladyfingers
FOURTH LAYER...Sabayon/Whipped Cream mixture
Continue in this manner until you have 4 layers of cookies and 4 layers of the creamed mixture
Fold saran wrap over the top of the Tiramisu and press down
Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours
Unmold and lift Tiramisu from bread pan and place on a platter
Cut saran wrap from around the edges
Dust the top and sides with cocoa powder and fine chocolate shavings
Garnish with mint leaves, slice and serve

Linguine With White Clam Sauce

2010-03-02T04:27:00Z

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter
1/4-cup olive oil
4-large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1-can (4.5 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained (optional)
3-cans (10 oz. each) chopped clams, including juice (such brands as...Bumble Bee Baby Clams)
1-teaspoon oregano leaves
1-teaspoon dry basil (or 1 TBLS fresh)
1/4-teaspoon crushed red pepper
1-Tablespoon Cavender's Greek Seasoning
1 & 1/2-cups chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
2-pkgs. refrigerated linguine (such as...Buitoni brand)
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Lawry's garlic salt (optional)
Boiling, salted water

************************************************************

DIRECTIONS

In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt butter in olive oil

Add the garlic to the butter and cook until golden, stirring constantly to keep the garlic from burning

Add oregano, basil, red pepper, parsley and mushrooms

Add the clams with juice to a covered pan and heat thoroughly, simmering for 5 minutes (may continue to simmer, if needed)

Season all with Cavender's Greek seasoning

Meanwhile, follow the directions on the linguine package and cook the pasta in the large pot of boiling, salted water. Drain

Place pasta onto a plate, then spoon the clam mixture over the top

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and a very light sprinkle of Lawry's garlic salt

Garnish each plate with a sprig of parsley, if desired, and serve immediately

Beef Tips In Burgundy Wine Sauce

2009-02-06T16:12:00Z

Note: Allow 2 to 3 hours of advanced preparation time for marinading meat

INGREDIENTS

2-Tablespoons olive oil
4-Tablespoons butter or margarine
2-lbs. beef loin tip steak, cut into 1-2" pieces (I used "rancher's reserve" meat)
2-8oz. pkgs. of fresh, pre-sliced, white button mushrooms
2 to 3-large white onions, diced/minced
1-cup Burgundy/Cabernet wine (I used Redwood Creek 2007, California Cabernet...use a wine you would enjoy drinking)
17.6-oz. package bow tie pasta (I highly recommend Garafalo brand pasta from Costco)
2-large heaping teaspoons fresh minced garlic (I used Costco's garlic from a jar)
4 to 5-oz. tomato paste
2-Tablespoons cornstarch
4-Tablespoons cold water
4-cups HOT chicken broth/bouillon
Cavender's Greek Seasoning
Pepper
Salt
Meat Marinade Ingredients...
1-bottle Miller Light beer
1/2-cup Burgundy/Cabernet wine (I used Redwood Creek 2007, California Cabernet)

**********************************************************************

DIRECTIONS

Marinade/Prep

Marinade the beef tips in beer and wine mixture for a couple of hours to help tenderize the meat further and add flavor
Dice/mince onions and set aside
Mince garlic cloves or have jarred garlic on hand and set aside
Wash mushroom slices and set aside
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Meat

Add oil and butter/margarine to large skillet over medium heat
Drain liquid off of beef tips
Brown beef tips in oil and butter, while generously seasoning with Cavender's Greek Seasoning (can add salt & pepper, as desired)
Reserve drippings in the pan, but remove beef tips from skillet and set aside in another baking dish (vegetables & sauce to be added later)

Vegetable/Broth Mixture

Saute onions and garlic in meat drippings (season w/ Cavender's, salt & pepper, as desired)
Add mushrooms to pan and continue sautéing (season w/ Cavender's, salt & pepper, as desired)
Add 1 cup of Burgundy/Cabernet wine to vegetable mixture and bring to a boil
In a separate dish or cup, mix cornstarch with cold water
Add cornstarch mixture to vegetable/wine mixture in skillet
Heat chicken broth/bouillon and add to skillet with vegetable/wine mixture
Bring to a boil
Stir in tomato paste until completely dissolved and incorporated
Pour vegetable/wine mixture over beef tips in baking dish
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until tender

Pasta

Bring water to a boil in a large stockpot, to which 2-3 Tablespoons of salt and olive oil have been added
Add bow tie pasta and boil according to package directions
Drain water from pasta
Add a Tablespoon or two of olive oil, butter or margarine to the bow tie pasta, to prevent it from sticking
Partially cover pasta until ready to plate (never completely cover a pan of pasta, as the steam will cause it to become starchy and gooey)

Serving

Place bow tie pasta on serving platter or individual plate
Spoon beef tips in burgundy sauce over the top of pasta and serve

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix To Warm Up A Crowd On The Coldest Of Days

2009-01-23T17:15:00Z

Isn't it nice to come home to a steaming hot cup of sweet, homemade hot chocolate, after you've spent hours out in the chilly snow and ice, building snowmen, making snow angels, ice skating and having fun with your friends throwing snowballs? Although in Texas we rarely get to see much snow, on the winter days when we do get that lucky, my family and I try to make the most of it by enjoying a full day of play, followed by a warm, toasty drink to cure the numbness on our faces and hands.

When I think back to one of my fondest memories of sharing this homemade hot chocolate mix with my friends, I will always remember two friends in particular, who used to relentlessly chase me through the neighborhood, pelting me with as many snowballs as they could possibly make in one snowy day. Their names were Chip and Paul. They were the ring leaders, who gathered all the kids together on our block and persuaded them to join us in our day-long snowball fight. Both of these guys were great fun to hang around and always nice to me. We had a great time together!

After our long day in the snow, though, we were all tired, wet and freezing. So, about twelve of us went back to my house for a warm cup of homemade hot chocolate, topped off with mini and jumbo marshmallows. My mom had done a great job in pre-mixing the dry ingredients together for us, so all we had to do was pass out the styrofoam cups, add our hot water, stir and enjoy.

I will never forget the smiles on everyone's faces that day. We were all so happy! I will especially never forget the smile on my friend's face, Paul, as we shared our stories over our cup of hot chocolate. On top of his infinitely contagious smile, he loved encouraging people and making them smile and laugh.

In fact, a few days after our snowy, fun-filled day, Paul greeted me on the front door step of my house, with presents in hand. He had a beautiful rose and a Christian plaque, which he said he "had carefully picked out just for me and was hoping that I would like it." Needless to say, I loved it! The plaque had a truly meaningful and inspirational quote on it, which read...
____________________

"What You Are
Is God's Gift To You...
What You Make
Of Yourself
Is Your Gift To God"
____________________

How true is that saying? It's amazing to think how each one of us arrived in this world, with different circumstances, talents, gifts and qualities to add to the world. Then, it was as if someone just said, "GO!" After that, it was all up to us, individually, as to what we did with ourselves, our abilities, our lives and the environment around us. What would we do to make a difference in the world? What are YOU doing to make a difference in your world, your kid's world or the community? Are you learning something new, comforting someone, passing along information and insight that you have gained with others, encouraging others, volunteering, teaching? We all have different gifts to share.

Paul taught me that even the smallest acts of kindness and the sharing of our gifts can have a tremendous life-long affect on others. With hard work, perseverance, patience and insight, we can all accomplish and contribute to the lives of others, even if it is in the smallest of ways...even if only by sharing a smile and an encouraging thought, over a hot cup of homemade hot chocolate.

HOMEMADE HOT CHOCOLATE MIX

INGREDIENTS

1-box Carnation brand powdered milk (8 qt)
1-pound box Nestle's Quick
1-box powdered sugar
1-7 oz. jar Cremora Creamer
3-Tablespoons cocoa
Boiling hot water

DIRECTIONS

In an extra large bowl, mix all the above ingredients well (I use my Tupperware or Rubbermaid Cake Cover)
Fill a mug or cup 1/3 full with the dry mixture (use a generous amount, but may be adjusted up or down to your preference)
Add boiling hot water to the mug or cup, filling to the top
Store remaining dry mixture in an air-tight container
Optional topping suggestions...marshmallows, whipped cream, dash of cinnamon or peppermint sticks

Why Now Could Be One Of The Best Money-Making Opportunities Of Our Lifetime

2009-01-15T14:49:00Z

Although you may have recently read, or personally felt the pains, of  our world's current economic crisis, are you also aware that, according to experts, "Some of the wealthiest individuals in America will be made during this time?" These are the words of Robert Kiyosaki, investor, business man, and author of "Rich Dad, Poor Dad". In exact alignment with Mr. Kiyosaki's statement is one of America's wealthiest individuals and investors, Mr. Warren Buffet.

In the video below, Mr. Buffet explains his outlook on the situation of our country's current economic turmoil and the promising visions he sees ahead of us. Although he refers to our credit market as being in a "Pearl Harbor state", right now, he also shares that "We've got more productive capacity than we ever have. The American worker is more productive than he's ever been. We've got all the ingredients for a sensational future. We've got more people to do it."

Due to Mr. Buffet's overwhelming knowledge of the financial markets and his ability to make wise investments and greatly profit from them, several US government officials have now turned to him for his advise and guidance on how to best handle the current $700 Billion Dollar Bailout Plan, as well as our country's future investment plans.  Mr. Buffet explains, that "The oxygen has been sucked out of the credit markets and confidence...It has to be given a jump start." He has been working diligently to assist our country in offering some investment solutions, backed up by his firm history of success.

Once the Plan is fully implemented and proper investments have been made, with high-yielding returns, Mr. Buffet predicts that "This country is going to be living, 10 years [in the future], better than it is now." Just as the workers of our country rose strongly out of the Great Depression era, Mr. Buffet believes in his vision, which predicts our country will flourish again, becoming even stronger than in the past.  Looking adamantly to the future, but yielding wisely to the lessons of our past, Mr. Buffet conveys that "something about  the American system unleashed more and more of the potential of human beings over [that] 100 years, so we had a 7.1 improvement in the average American's standard of living." He undoubtedly believes that this time, our country will be even better off than in the past.

With more and more individuals ready to unleash their potential and seek methods for supplementing their current income, or replacing their "brick and mortar" office jobs, now is the perfect opportunity to build your online business. Robert Kiyosaki just said last week, "If you're not online, you're out of business." Mr. Kiyosaki and Mr. Buffet both agree that this is the time when more millionaires will be made, than any other time. This gives us the perfect opportunity to strengthen our online internet marketing efforts and help people, once again, find a way to become financially sound and independent.

Our world is truly made up of an abundance of wealth. It is our job to find it and make it grow.

Techniques For Overcoming Writer's Block, Associated With Business Writing Or School Test Taking

2009-01-15T04:36:00Z

Whether you have recently been introduced to online blogging and article writing or you are a seasoned professional or student, there may come a time when you will be faced with overcoming the problem of "writer's block". For those of you who may not be familiar with this term, Wikapedia defines the problem as follows:

"Writer's block is a phenomenon involving temporary loss of ability to begin or continue writing, usually due to lack of inspiration or creativity."

If this problem should occur with you, during your brainstorming and writing sessions, don't worry, because there is one specific technique, which I believe will work for you in overcoming this temporary issue. This technique is called "Journaling".

Journaling is different from your standard writing because you are able, and encouraged, to break all of the formal rules of writing. What I mean by that is that this is much like a personal therapy session between you and your paper or computer screen, where you should feel 100% free to write the first thoughts that come to your mind, without placing any judgments on what you are writing.

First, you should find a place where you can feel comfortable. If you can't be in a comfortable location, don't worry, because that will probably give you more to write about in the beginning, anyways.

Next, buy a spiral notebook and grab a pencil (so you can erase, if you feel like it), or sit at your computer screen...whichever style is most comfortable for you. I, like Oprah Winfrey, prefer to write out everything long hand on paper, but you may choose to type freely on your computer screen...that's okay. Remember, the fewer rules you place on yourself, the closer you will come in achieving your ultimate goal.

At this point, you are ready to begin writing the FIRST thoughts that come to your mind, no matter how silly, useless or insignificant they may seem. Write these words or phrases, without worrying about punctuation, spelling, margins or the content even making sense. For instance, if you cannot think of how to begin, you might just begin by write something like the following:

"Wow...I can't think of anything to write. I can't think of anything to write. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Why can't I think of anything to write? This is so crazy! I don't know whether anything will ever pop into my head because I have so many distractions around me causing me not to be able to think and write. Oh, I wish I had some help. Bummer. I'm bummed. This makes me sad. What can I do next? I need to think of something to write for my blog but I just don't know what. I'm tired., etc..."

You see...the whole point of the exercise is to release any tensions you may be feeling or placing upon yourself. Sometimes, you may feel that your thoughts and words are not significant enough in order for you to put them down on paper. Because of that, you may tend to "freeze up"causing your mind to shut down it's creative processes. However, once the boredom, distractions, etc. are all acknowledged and written about, your thoughts will then begin to open up and allow your pen to flow freely again.

Just relax during your journaling and release yourself from the burden of having to be creative. This is not a diary or a story, so all the structure can be forgotten. The content doesn't need to make sense to anyone. This is all just for you! So, breathe and realize that EACH and every one of your thoughts is okay and that EVERY single word is important and worthy enough to be written down.

This exercise should be done for 10 to 30 minutes each day, for about 30 days. Once you begin this technique, you will once again learn to appreciate the writing process and not feel so bound by limitations and intimidated with the lack of creating content. It will increase your imagination and creativity, by opening your mind and freeing it from the blocks that restrict you. It will also help boost your self-confidence level, enabling thoughts to easily stream in and out of your mind, allowing you to become more aware of interesting topics.

This technique was first introduced to me by one of my college professors. I, too, dealt with the problem of Writer's Block, and would continually "freeze up" at the moment of test taking. When it was time to write our test essays, my mind would go completely blank and I could think of nothing to write. This was frustrating, to say the least. But, by taking my professor's advise and journaling, I was able to overcome my problems. Once I applied this technique, thoughts were overflowing and made the process of writing papers and essays a breeze. When I returned to class, I achieved straight A's and was told by my professor that a panel of judges had graded and chosen my final essay as the best written essay among all the students attending summer classes.

Sweet Sugared Pecans

2009-01-07T23:05:00Z

Wishing you could think of a quick and easy snack to prepare and have on hand for those times when your friends stop by unexpectedly? How about something sweet and simple, that you can easily store in an airtight container or tin and have ready at a moment's notice? These Sweet Sugared Pecans, accented with a slight hint of cinnamon, are the perfect pairing for an evening cup of coffee and look delicious in a pretty candy dish or glass bowl. Just be careful not to set the bowl too close to the window, though, as you never know what guests you might attract.

INGREDIENTS

1-cup sugar
1/3-cup evaporated milk
1/2-teaspoon cinnamon
1/2-teaspoon vanilla
1-Tablespoon water
3/4 to 1-lbs. pecan halves
Wax Paper

DIRECTIONS

In a small sauce pan, cook the first 3 ingredients to 234 degrees (or soft ball stage)
Stir frequently
Remove from heat
Stir in vanilla and water
Add pecans
Stir pecans, fully coating with sugary mixture
Spread pecans out on a piece of wax paper, separating them individually
Cool completely
Break off any excess "sugar puddles" from around the edges of the pecans
Serve

Everyone Loves A Good Old-Fashioned Southern Pecan Pie!

2008-12-21T19:48:00Z

Last week, I had an extra 10 minutes to spare in my afternoon, and one Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust left, so I decided to whip up a pecan pie for dessert. My daughter was expecting a friend for a sleep-over that night, so I knew I would need a few extra items to offer them, aside from the fruit and healthy snacks we had, that they could enjoy eating throughout the night.

When my daughter's friend came over, she sat with us, ate dinner and then happily scarfed down a piece of pecan pie for dessert. Everyone enjoyed their own individual serving of pie. Later, she and my daughter then went off to play upstairs and would randomly mosey back down to the kitchen in between their favorite shows and games to grab another drink and snack.

The next day, I went to check on the pie and found that it was all gone, except for a few small crumbs. When I asked the girls if they knew what had happened to the pie, my daughter's friend said, "We ate it! It was the best pie I've ever had!". Then, she walked over to the pie plate and finished off all the remaining crumbs.

See there...everyone loves a good old-fashioned southern pecan pie...even kids!

Photo Courtesy:
Robert Linton/iStock

INGREDIENTS
1/2-cup Karo light corn syrup
1/2-cup Karo dark corn syrup
3-eggs
1-cup sugar
2-Tbls. margarine, melted
1-tsp. vanilla extract
1/2-cup pecans, finely chopped
1-cup pecan halves
1-9 inch unbaked pie crust
Optional: 1-2 Tbls. heavy cream or milk (to brush on crust before baking)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Spray 9" pie plate with non-stick cooking spray
Place unbaked pie crust in a 9" pie plate, flute the edges and set aside
In a medium sized bowl, stir together with a whisk...light & dark corn syrups, eggs, sugar, margarine & vanilla
Mix in the 1/2 cup of finely chopped pecans
Pour mixture into unbaked pie crust
Place remaining cup of pecans on top of pie, with rounded sides facing upward
Dab the tops of the pecans with a syrup coated brush, to lightly glaze
Optional: With a pastry brush, lightly brush crust with heavy cream or milk
Place foil pieces or silicone pie ring around edges of crust, to prevent over-browning
Bake on center rack of oven for 50 - 60 minutes, or until center of pie slightly springs back when lightly touched
Remove pie from the oven and cool for approximately 2 hours on a cooling rack or stove top

Serve and enjoy!

Note: May store at room temperature for 4-5 days on counter, lightly covered with foil.

Helpful Solutions For Decorating The Top Of Your Christmas Tree

2008-12-21T16:10:00Z

Don't you love it, when you accidentally stumble upon something that seems to be the perfect gadget in helping you solve a problem you've been dealing with? Well, last week, right before I began decorating my Christmas tree and stringing all of the lights on it, that is exactly what happened to me.

Early in the day, my son was playing with a small bouncy ball in the kitchen, which accidentally bounced out of control and rolled deep underneath the refrigerator, far out of reach. Listening from the other room, I could hear him and his dad discussing what they could use that would be long enough to reach back far enough and grasp a hold of the ball to push it out.

Then, I suggested the Dritz yard stick that we had nearby in the laundry room. They thought that was a good idea, so they tried it. A few minutes later, however, I heard them calling for me because the yard stick was now stuck under the refrigerator and they needed me to come see if I could loosen it. It was lodged between the floor, some tubing and a metal piece.

Since our floors are made of wood and I didn't want to scratch them, I carefully attempted to maneuver the yard stick out.  Careful, however, wasn't working...this yard stick was really stuck and was not going to come out easily.  I was getting frustrated. I thought, "Fine...I'm just going to give it a huge pull and see what happens."

So I tugged and pulled as hard as I could, then "bink," suddenly it came loose. Everything looked fine, except that the yard stick was missing the metal casing and eyelet cover that it had on the end.  Now there was just a raw, wooden notch left in the end of the stick.  But that was okay...at least the yard stick was out.   Whew!

Later that evening, when we decided to bring in our fresh Christmas tree, set it up in the stand and string all the lights on it, little did I know I would soon be seeing my yard stick again.

Since stringing the lights had always been my job, I brought out my two-step ladder, pushed it up against the tree, grabbed my first string of lights and was ready to start stringing from the top of the tree. It didn't take me long, though, to realize that I was too short and couldn't reach high enough to wrap the lights around the top branch.

Thinking about what I could use to help me throw the string of lights over and around the top edge of the tree, I thought of the yard stick. So, I ran to the other room to get my yard stick, came back to my ladder, climbed up to grab my string of lights and was pleasantly surprised at how the wire for the lights fit perfectly inside the newly made, notched hole of my yard stick.

This accidental solution allowed me to reach an additional three feet above my head to decorate the top of my tree. It's definitely a tool that I will keep handy and use again year after year.

Beginning Holiday Traditions - Recipe For Magic Reindeer Food

2008-12-21T14:27:00Z

At our home during the holidays, we have always had a special tradition that we began when our children were very young.

Each year on Christmas Eve, our children mix up a batch of special food, just for Santa's reindeer, and sprinkle it around on the lawn before they go to bed.

This is the key element in letting Santa know that you are anxiously awaiting his arrival and have plenty of goodies to take care of both him and his reindeer.

Santa always seems to leave great presents when you do this!

Here's our secret recipe and directions listed below.

            RECIPE
           FOR
        MAGIC
     REINDEER
         FOOD

    1/2 cup of Raw Oatmeal
    3 Tbls. of Glitter

    ******************
    Sprinkle the Magic
    Reindeer Food on
    your lawn.

    The sparkle of the
    glitter in the moonlight
    and the smell of the
    oats will guide Santa
    and his reindeer to
    your house!

    Happy Holidays!

    ******************



    * Note For Gift Giving:

Mix the ingredients together
Place in ziplock baggies
Punch a hole in corner of baggie
Attach copy of directions above
Tie with a pretty ribbon.

(Not for human consumption)

How Virtual Friends Share Life-Learned Lessons Over The Sweet Aroma Of Raspberry Yogurt Cake And A Hot Cup Of Coffee

2008-12-21T06:42:00Z

As many of you may know, I recently wrote an article entitled "Are You Paying Attention To The Relationships That Matter The Most To You." Well, much to my surprise, I received several comments and emails regarding the article and how it touched people's hearts and made them reflect upon their own lives. This thrilled me! One of my favorite comments, however, which the reader felt was too long to include in the comments section of my blog, was sent to me via email.  With her permission, I have reprinted it for you below, exactly as she sent it to me (with the exception of a couple of name changes), because I felt that it had important significance and truly touched my heart.

Kim McDougal, the writer of the comments and creator of the food blog, Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet, is a virtual friend that I met a few weeks ago on Twitter, the social/business networking site, where people can search for and locate individuals with like-minded interests in business and/or hobbies and share ideas together.  Kim and I quickly began communicating back and forth over the internet about our mutual passion for cooking and decided to take a look at each other's blogs to get to know each other better.  While Kim was reading and commenting on my relationship article, I was busy printing out her Raspberry Yogurt Cake recipe to try.

Later that evening, my children and I headed for the kitchen with Kim's recipe in hand. We all pitched in, mixing up the cake in about 15 minutes and carefully placing it in the oven to bake. 45 minutes later, we removed the delicious cake you see pictured below.  Since it was so late that night, the kids and I left it covered under our glass cake stand for the night.  The next morning, Kim's Raspberry Yogurt Cake became the perfect compliment for my morning cup of hot coffee.

Once everyone tasted it, we unanimously decided that the flavor of the cake closely resembled Otis Spunkmeyer's Blueberry Muffins (which we all enjoy), except it tasted fresher and denser. This led me to the thought of substituting blueberries, strawberries, or possibly even cranberries to this cake, as a variation. Blueberries would be magnificent!

The cake, itself, is flavorful and dense, moist and sweet. The slight tartness of the berries gently offsets the sweetness of the cake. The top surface of the cake is a beautiful golden color, which really needs no decoration at all. However, for a variation, we decided to top it off with the sprinkling of some powdered sugar. Another serving suggestion would be to gather a few fresh raspberries, cluster them in the center and accent with one or two mint leaves before serving.

The original recipe for this delicious Raspberry Yogurt Cake can be found here, at Kim's link. In addition, however, I've written the recipe out fully below, just as my family baked it, so you could see the brands that we used, as well as the methods and minor changes we made to achieve our final results.

Before you sit down with your cup of coffee and slice of Raspberry Yogurt Cake, though, I hope you will remember Kim's story below and the life-lesson her grandmother taught..."Give People Flowers WHEN They Can Smell Them." Something she has obviously had to learn the hard way. But, from her lessons and communication with us, we all benefit.

Thanks, Kim, for sharing your sweet "bouquet of flowers" and Raspberry Yogurt Cake recipe with me!

INGREDIENTS

2-eggs (I used 2 Extra-Large Eggland's Best brand)
1-cup plain unsweetened yogurt (I used Dannon brand)
1-cup granulated sugar
1/2-cup vegetable oil (I used Crisco brand)
2-cups all-purpose flour (I used King Arthur Flour, Unbleached All-Purpose brand)
1-Tbls. baking powder
1 or 2-tsp. vanilla extract, to taste (I used 2 tsps of Adam's Best [twice as strong] brand)
1-1/2 to 2-cups fresh raspberries, rinsed and patted dry
Optional: powdered sugar for decorating top of cake

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla and oil. In another bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture into the yogurt mixture and blend together.

Pour half of the batter into a greased ten-inch cake pan (for 9-inch pan, add 10-15 mins to baking time)*, then pour half of the raspberries on the surface. Cover the berries with the remaining batter and top with remaining half of the berries.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. Let stand for ten minutes and transfer onto a rack to cool.

*Optional - Soak Magi-Cake Baking Strips in water and wrap around outer side of cake pan, to help cake bake more evenly.

********************************

Kim McDougal's Story

Ok Rhonda, here it is...grab a cup of coffee, sit back and read my novel!!! LOL

Let me start off by telling you that I was brought up to believe I was black. Yet I looked differently than all my family, my classmates, my neighbors. I had long dark hair, light skinned, high cheek bones, etc. I got teased all through school for it. But somehow I didn't notice the color differences not till I moved to the south at age 25. I grew up in Chicago in the worse neighborhood - the south side - gangs, prostitution, drugs, killings outside our apartment, you name it. It was just me, my little brother, and my mother. I lived with them till I was 18 when I left to live with my grandmother and my step-grandfather in Indiana to go to college. That's when I learned the truth about my heritage.

My grandma, "Grammy" sat me down and told me I am actually 1/3 White, 1/3 Native American, and 1/3 Black. My true grandfather on my mother's side was Indian. I don't remember what tribe, I guess at that time I was just shocked but it answered a lot of questions for me. My father's side was white while my mother's side of course with the Indian but mixed with Black. So I tell people I am simply Neopolitan!!! LOL

My real father met my mother when he was already married to someone else. I was the result of their affair. He promised my mother he would marry her, but you know how these stories usually go...he never did. Worse, he left his first wife, my mother and me and went off and married another woman. He did not want me but he fought my mother in court to change my last name. That's all I have of him. It has hurt me all my life, but I thank God anyway. My step-grandfather was extremely angry that my father rejected me like this and so he became my father. Landon was his name. I still remember him telling me one day, after I had tried to visit my father and he turned me away, "I'll be your father, you don't need him." Well, partly no and partly yes. A man, a father defines his kids. He shows the boy what kind of man he should become while he is his daughter's first date. He buys her her first dress and he defines for her the kind of man she should marry. Without that, a girl falls for all the wrong men, which I did.

Landon could not take his place but he did love on me. Anything I needed for college or wanted, he got it for me. While I was living with them he loved to spend time with me. We'd watch sports on TV, I'd cook for him. He'd give me money even when I didn't need any. He was kind to me. He made me laugh. I loved him a lot Rhonda, but only one thing was wrong...I never told him so. Circumstances happened which forced me to leave and go back to Chicago to my mom and yet he still cared for me long distance.. We'd talk on the phone all the time. Still..I never told him I loved him. One terrible day I came home from a date, my mother told me we had to leave to go to Grammy. Landon had had a massive heart attack and died. He was DOA before the paramedics got there. I was in shock. It was a bad dream I thought. A bad dream! He couldn't be gone! But he was. I realized at that moment that I had never openly, audibly shown my love and appreciation for him. He had tried to do for me what my father failed to do. And now he was gone and I'd never get to tell him all that he meant to me. Immediately the guilt came and for years later, not only was I grieving, I was lost.

I vowed I'd never let another soul in my life leave this world without me telling them and showing them how I feel about them. We take our relationships for granted too often. We're so busy coming and going that we pass each other without a single caring word. And we're not being mean but just in our own world... I took Landon for granted and I paid the price for that. All I could do was tell God I was sorry and ask for forgiveness from Him since Landon not here. Other people would tell me, "Oh honey, I'm sure he knew how you felt before he died..." He may have but nothing compares to hearing your child, adopted or born from your loins, telling you, "I love you Landon", "I love you Daddy". Nothing. I've lost my Mom and Grammy now but you can believe they not only knew I loved them, they heard me tell them several times a day everyday. I truly do believe in giving people flowers WHEN they can smell them!

I'm glad to share this story with you. Thank you for being my new found friend.

Love, Kim

_______________________________
Kim McDougal, creator Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet

Red Holiday Party Punch

2008-12-12T18:06:00Z

This "Red Holiday Party Punch" is brilliantly colored and makes the perfect non-alcoholic drink to begin your holiday gathering. It is also an excellent compliment to any birthday party.

For little ones, however, you may want to provide drippless sippy cups, disposable straw cups or serve outside, unless the possibility of having brightly colored, red punch stains on your carpet doesn't bother you.

If you prefer using sippy cups or straw cups, but worry about the colors or artwork not coordinating, you can customize them by doing the following...

Begin by copying and pasting a photo, picture, stickers or clip art, related to your theme, onto a strip of medium-weight paper, which has been measured to fit around the outside of the cup. Because most cups are not straight up and down, you will need to overlap the corners toward the bottom of the cup and trim the edges, in order to achieve a tight fit
Wrap the paper around the outside of the cup
Use double-stick tape to adhere the paper securely to the surface of the cup
To help children identify which cup belongs to them, throughout the remainder of the party, you may want to use different colored strips of paper for the background or vary the pictures
Print out a name label or write out their names on each cup

If you are the type of person who enjoys planning parties and creatively incorporating your food and drinks into your theme and/or printed menu, then here are a few ideas to get your brainstorming started...

"Blood Red Punch"... for a Scary Halloween Party
"Twilight Red Rose Punch"... for a "Twilight" Themed Party
"Ruby Red Passion Punch"... for a Valentine's Party
"Clifford's 'Ruff' Red Punch"... for a "Clifford The Big Red Dog" Birthday Party
"Lightening Red Racing Punch"... for a "Cars" Birthday Party

These are just a few suggestions, but I think you get the idea, right? Just take your punch and add a name to it. It always makes everything seem a little more fun and festive for the smaller children, during a party, if you bring the party "to life", somewhat.

Courtesy of Flickr.com

PUNCH INGREDIENTS

1-package cherry flavored Kool-Aid
1-cup granulated sugar
1-large bottle ginger ale
1/2-large bottle cran-raspberry juice
1/2-large can pineapple juice

************************************************************************

PUNCH DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients together and chill in refrigerator until ready to use. Serve cold or over ice.

Note: If you desire a darker shade of red, simply add a few drops of red food coloring.

How To Create Your Own "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory" Birthday Party That's Fun And Educational

2008-12-08T17:41:00Z

Many times when parents are planning a winter birthday party for their children, they feel limited by the options of what theme, decorations and activities they can have, since weather often plays a determining factor in the party events.  When my daughter was about to turn 4 years old, I decided that I didn't want to have to worry about whether or not the outside conditions were going to cooperate with our party plans, so I planned an indoor party based on the classic movie, "Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory."

To be honest with you, however, the weather was not the first condition that helped me choose this particular party idea.  It was my daughter's fascination with the "Wonka Room." You see, one night we were sitting in our living room, after dinner, and settled in to watch one of the all-time classic, original 1971 children's movies, "Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory." As I watched the excitement grow on my daughter's face, when Charlie entered into the Wonka Room, the thought occurred to me..."It's perfect! What a great children's party theme!"

Educational Elements

Name recognition for 3 and 4 year olds, by locating their name labeled candy throughout the party
Artistic learning and creativity through decorating & creating unique "gingerbread houses"
Candy counting book, offered as goody bag gift to help incent and promote reading and math skills

The Cake

HOW TO...

The first thing I did, was begin planning out her birthday cake. I asked her what her favorite scene was from the movie and she said, "The boat scene, with the chocolate river.  Also, the Oompa Loompa scene, when they're dancing and pouring sugar." So, I decided to incorporate both of these scenes into her cake, as shown above.

At this point, I had never worked with fondant or character modeling before, and was wondering how I could develop the sugar figures I was envisioning in my mind.  I quickly ran over to pick up my first hardback, decorator's cake book that I had purchased...Sylvia Weinstock's "Sweet Celebrations" . In her book, I remembered that she had made an "Alice In Wonderland" cake, using fondant for the characters. I had never used fondant before, but decided I would give it a try. I used the photo of Sylvia's whimsical cake as my inspiration in pushing myself to try these techniques and see if I could create something appealing to the children.

I went to my favorite, local cake store, Cake Carousel, and purchased a 5 pound package of fondant, some food paste coloring and lemon extract, a fine sable paint brush for the facial detail work, edible dusting powders, and some gumpaste/fondant modeling tools. From there, I went home, popped in the video of the movie, I had since purchased, and paused it when it came to the Oompa Loompa scene. From there, I began molding a more animated version of the Oompa Loompa's, each carrying or pushing something different. The heads, arms and legs, I attached together using raw spaghetti. I hand painted the finishing details for each figure, using the sable brush, dipped into a diluted version of coloring, made by mixing a tiny amount of lemon extract with the food paste coloring. The mini accessories for the Oompa Loompa's were purchased at the local craft store.

Once my figures were made, I moved on to the boat, made of fondant, wire and a plastic piece for the windshield. The painted detail accents were made from mixing lemon extract and a small amount of dry, edible gold dust powder, to form a paste. The stone tunnel, and rocky cliff, waterfall walls were created using a foil covered cardboard base, which was glued together using a non-toxic glue and covered in hand molded fondant stones, which were scraped and shaped with the gumpaste/fondant tools. They were finished out with plastic ferns, plants & Palm Trees, buttercream vines and royal icing flowers, together with a buttercream waterfall. These pieces took approximately 1 1/2 weeks to dry. The cake was trimmed in varying colors of royal icing "drop flowers."   The pathway to the boat was made of Ghiradelli chocolate wafers. Other items added for appeal were gumdrops, lollipops and swirled, candy stick candles. To accommodate everyone's taste, I made half of the cake chocolate and half of it white and joined them together in the center with a dab of buttercream icing to hold them in place.  Finally, I iced both cakes, as one, on a large, full sheet cake board and  iced with a decorator's buttercream icing, tinted either brown or green with food paste coloring. Since some children are allergic to chocolate, I felt it was best to simply color the vanilla buttercream brown for the waterfall and river. The green grass on top of the cake and around the base were both made with a No. 233 icing tip. The side lettering was made of royal icing, using the basketweave tip No. 46.

Wonka Invitations

HOW TO...

Purchase Wonka Milk Chocolate Bars at your nearest grocery store, drugstore or online. I purchased mine at Albertson's and my local drugstore
At a craft store, purchase a few sheets of gold metallic scrapbooking paper to make the golden tickets, which will be inserted inside the candy bars
Measure out the dimensions of the Wonka Milk Chocolate Bars and make a golden ticket template slightly smaller than the chocolate bar size
Using your ticket template, set up your computer word processing sheet with the appropriate amount of tickets on each page
Set up your page with a decorative or block border around each ticket/rectangle space and insert the birthday invitation wording in the center
For the invitation & golden ticket wording, visit Wonka's Golden Ticket. Use this original ticket as a guide, changing it slightly to personalize, with the proper name, address, time, rsvp info.
Cut out each golden ticket invitation
Gently slide the foil lined chocolate bar out of the outer Wonka sleeve (can tear open, if necessary, and re-glue with non-toxic glue)
Carefully open the foil from around the chocolate bar and gently slide the golden ticket, wording facing up towards the opening of the foil, so your guests are surprised with the golden ticket invitation the moment they open the candy bar
Reinsert the foil lined candy bar inside the outer Wonka sleeve wrapping
Buy some purple ribbon to tie around the outside of the bar like a package
On your computer, print out small squares of cardstock with the following...On the first line print..."(Insert Child's Name) You're Invited". On the second line print... "Look Inside To See If You Are The Winner Of The Golden Ticket"

Party Entrance & Bags

HOW TO...

When children arrive, greet them at the door with a computer printed nametag, shaped like an egg, which has then been applied to a colorful piece of cardstock. Safety pin it to their shirt, so that everyone can call them by name. The nametag might say something like..."(Insert Child's Name) Is A Good Egg!" (this was a line taken from the movie)
The entryway can be lined with plastic Christmas candy canes, draped with artificial candy garland strings and a sign saying welcome to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. The sign can be made from various bright colors of butcher paper or construction paper. Template for lettering can be found on favorite google images for Wonka
Upon entry, each child can be given a colorful, handled, paper bag, personalized with their name at the top, decorated with a computer printout of the video cover and highlighted with gel puff paints. Each bag should have the child's name printed on it, in case they set it down during the party and can't remember which one was theirs. The bags are used, as they make their way through their beginning stop in the Willy Wonka Candy Factory

Beginning Stop - "Willy Wonka Candy Factory"

Wonka Candy Room...Children enter the room and go to each candy station identifying and picking each piece of candy labeled with their name.

Lollipop Tree Forest

Candy Tree

Gummy Bear Tree

Candy Covered Pinwheel
Flowers

"Pick Your Favorite Petal"

HOW TO...

Lollipop Tree Forest

Using a hot glue gun, cover a long, rectangular piece of styrofoam with moss
Decorate, as shown, with ferns and lollipops on each side of the center gumdrop candy tree
Make your center tree, using a styrofoam cone, covered with winding gumdrops and artificial miniature ivey (gumdrops are attached with toothpicks)
Top off your gumdrop tree with a colorful bow
Label each lollipop with a computer printed label, stating each child's name. Wrap label around the stick like a flag

Candy Tree

Display painted styrofoam tree, secured on a wooden box base
Tape Wonka candy to the top, leafy part of the tree, personalizing each piece with a green paper leaf nametag
Crumple up green butcher paper at base, to represent grass in the box
(Child's squirrel artwork displayed at the base)
Staple or tape sign to tree trunk reading, "Can you find your 7 Wonka treats?"
Help each child find their nametag and pick their 7 pieces of candy to place in their bag

Gummy Bear Tree

Fill an old plastic flower pot with dirt, to act as your base
Set flower pot on a round plastic tray, a few inches wider than your pot
Arrange large strips of wood bark from fireplace logs around outside of pot
Find a few fallen tree branches and arrange them in the pot of dirt for your tree form
Using your computer, find a coloring book image or downloadable image of a large teddy bear
Print out teddy bears, inserting the child's name on one foot
Attach a wrapped gummy bear with tape onto the paper bear
Use a hole punch to punch a hole in the top of the teddy bear
Tie a ribbon through the hole in the top and hang from the tree's branches

Candy Covered Pinwheel Flowers

Insert pinwheel stick into terra cotta pots, filled with rocks, Plaster of Paris, etc
Use double stick tape or scotch tape to apply individually wrapped, hard candies to petals of pinwheel flowers
Decorate top of flower pot, using artificial ferns
Tie raffia ribbon around flower pole
Print out a long strand of paper with the instructions "Pick Your Favorite Petal" and weave through the fern
Have children spin the flower and pick all the pieces of candy off of one of the petals to place in their bag
(Note: Pinwheels can be purchased in the springtime at your local craft store or sometimes at a garden center)

Bounce House / "Wonkavator Room"

Our house was divided up into four separate rooms of play. First we moved the furniture out of our living room, so it could accommodate a 15 foot bounce house. When figuring out your space planning, keep in mind that your room must allow an extra three feet of empty space around the perimeter of the bounce house...between the bounce house and the wall. The bounce house was generic in theme, with bright primary colors, so it flowed properly with the rest of the decorations throughout the house.

Gingerbread House Decorating Activity

HOW TO...

Sugar Art "Gingerbread" Activity

Use cake rounds, covered in decorative foil for bases
Make a batch of royal icing to fill a parchment cone, pastry bag or ziplock sandwich bag. Squeeze out a line of icing between all graham cracker connections, as described below
Make a second batch, or two, to fill one container, per child, for them to use in decorating their houses and attaching candies. Use a popsicle stick, as their royal icing spreaders
Pre-make graham cracker ("gingerbread") houses at least one week in advance (children will decorate, not construct). Cover them with plastic wrap to keep them clean until party time. To make the base, use 4 graham crackers, turned on their sides. Use two additional cracker halves to make the roof. To help the roof dry at the proper angle, test the distance of the space of the front & back graham cracker. Place the angled cookies to rest over a long piece of crumpled and shaped tin foil. Cut corner squares to make the chimney
Collect two small containers, per child, to fill with brightly colored candies, such as Runts, Skittles, peppermints, M & Ms, lemon drops, Pez candies, gumdrops, gumballs, small marshmallows, gummy bears, sprinkles, metallic sugar balls, etc. (I used sterilize baby food jars, for my containers, so I could have the candy jars set up and completed ahead of time, while maintaining the freshness of the candy in a tightly sealed jar. Next, I printed out peppermint pictures to glue on top of the lids. Lastly, I glued a red, satin ribbon around the edge of the lid to finish off and cover any "Gerber" baby food printing. This was a great way to recycle all of those baby jars and put them to good use)

Wonka Birthday Cake Room

Birthday Cake Table

Peppermint Party Plates

HOW TO...

Birthday Cake Table

Decorate the table with a smiley face table cloth, party hats, napkins
Sprinkle smiley face confetti down center of table
Add Hershey's Chocolate Kisses to center of table
Glue peppermint printouts over the baseballs displayed on this baseball themed, metallic, centerpiece spray
Place Twizzler Straws on the table for the kids to use as straws with their punch

Peppermint Party Plates

Purchase clear plastic dinner plates at a craft or party store
From your computer, print out peppermint designs in a variety of colors, inserting each child's name in the center
Using a photo spray adhesive, that will not allow your colors to run, attach the peppermint cutouts to back of clear plates
Wash plates gently, not allowing the backings to get wet

Paper Mache Mushroom For Ice Cream Sundae Station

HOW TO...

Paper Mache Mushroom For Ice Cream Sundae Station

Take a round piece of plywood (approx. 20") and double sink a screw into the bottom of it
Attach a 1" round dowel rod in the center of the plywood (approx. 30" tall)
Use newspaper, butcher paper or wrapping paper to crinkle up tightly around the dowel rod, gluing & taping, until a suitable, firm mushroom stem is molded
Mold the top of the mushroom in the same manner, yet separately (to be attached to base after completed). Form the indentions for clear, shallow plastic cups to be inserted on the top.
Once the forms are made, you may begin the paper mache process of mixing a pan of half water, plus half flour to make a thick, but flowable mixture
Tear strips of newspaper (approx. 2" wide x 8" long), dip in flour/water mixture to completely soak and begin sticking to base (make sure that the strips overlap and there are no holes or week spots). Repeat this process 2 to 3 times to make a good, thick layer
Allow to dry for a few days
Continue covering top of mushroom in the same manner, allowing to dry for a few days
When completely dry, begin painting with tempera paints.
Allow paint to thoroughly dry, before taping and hot gluing the top part of mushroom onto it's stem
Cover plywood base with crinkled green butcher paper to resemble grass
Insert plastic cups into each hole in the top of the mushroom
Serve ice cream sundae toppings, such as M&M's, pecans, mini-marshmallows, sprinkles, banana slices in cups
Provide additional clear cups or bowls, with vanilla or chocolate ice cream, allowing the children to walk around the mushroom and make their own ice cream sundae creations. Provide whipped cream and cherries on the side

Wonka Balloon Room

In honor of the hot air balloon scene at the end of the movie, fill a room with air-filled balloons (not helium), so the kids can run through them. We decorated the room with a giant Willy Wonka hand-painted sign, which had candy suckers and peppermints taped to it for the kids to pick off. This ended up being one of their favorite rooms...as they loved running through the balloons and watching them fly through the air. Every child wanted to take a balloon home with them at the end of the party.

Wonka Goody Bag Gifts

HOW TO...

Wrapping Wonka Goody Bag Gifts

Purchase a paperback book at your local bookstore regarding counting candy or another educational candy book
Wrap each book in brown mailing paper
Find an inspirational rubber stamp, which contains a verse about believing in yourself...that you can do anything, etc., and stamp the outside wrapping with purple ink (reflective of Wonka's hat colors...)
Tie a purple ribbon around each wrapped and stamped book
With a silver metallic pen, write an inspirational line from the movie on the ribbon

(Begin planning, preparation & production 2 to 3 months in advance)

Are You Paying Attention To The Relationships That Matter The Most To You?

2008-12-05T14:40:00Z

How much attention are you really giving, not only to yourself, but to others who are significant in your life? Whether they are family members, children, husbands, pets, clients, prospects and/or co-workers, are you helping them to succeed in their life, so that you, in turn, can also succeed in yours? Well, if you are not providing your undivided attention to these significant individuals, even if only for a few minutes each day, in the mode of giving, then you are missing out on an integral part of your future success.

This morning, immediately after I dropped my kids off at school and began driving home, I remembered that I was out of coffee and would either need to make a quick run to the grocery store to purchase some, or would simply take the lazy way out, by remaining in my car, with my cozy, heated seats, and drive 5 minutes away to the Starbucks drive-thru for my favorite Grande Mocha Latte. Expensive, per cup, in comparison to my usual daily pot of coffee?...Yes. But, since it's only an occasion treat for me, I felt I could justify spending the extra money this one time.  As I glimpsed down at my fuel monitor, though, I realized I only had enough gas to make it to the corner shopping center, before heading back home, unless I wanted to get out and put gas in my car in this cold weather. Therefore, I had to make the choice of either stepping out of my car into the cold, since I had not brought my coat with me, or going through the McDonald's drive-thru window for a not-so-exciting, plain cup of coffee.

In my mind, I quickly pondered the pros and cons of each choice...If I went to the grocery story, the upside would be that I could buy a whole package of my favorite Safeway Double Dutch Chocolate Coffee (tastes just like the Folger's Gourmet, Chocolate Truffle Coffee that they used to stock, which was my favorite...Hmmm, wonder if it's the same?), together with my Amaretto, Hazelnut and Vanilla flavored Coffee-mate Creamers.  This choice would save me money in the long-run and I would be set for the rest of the week. Or, I could drive through the McDonald's window and pick up a not-so-exciting and small, plain cup of coffee, pay much more for it per cup, but would be able to stay in my car and not get out. As you can see, I was really avoiding getting out of my car and having to face the cold.

As my mind began to work and think further on the subject, I decided that the avoidance of my pain of getting out of my car into the cold weather was greatly winning over the pleasurable thought of saving money.  So, I opted for the McDonald's coffee. As I approached the corner, where the restaurant was located, I thought to myself, "Why not treat yourself to more than just a plain cup of coffee and get one of those delicious Sausage Biscuit with Egg Sandwiches to go with it? I mean, I know that it's expensive, relatively speaking, and that you should probably just be wise and frugal, not wasting all of that money, and turn around and drive home...but, what the heck? Why not treat yourself? It's something you rarely do and you deserve the attention."

Attention...There's that word!  Then it dawned on me...I think I'm trying to tell myself that I need a little attention...attention to and for myself...a little pampering to remind me that "I'm special" and "I'm worth it." Wow! I hadn't really thought about it in that way before.

Suddenly, I realized that I had sold myself on my own idea! "Yes, that is exactly what I will do."  All at once, I was excited about the prospect of getting my plain coffee, because I knew I would be getting a special treat to go along with it. Although I was extremely tired and working hard to get my facial muscles wide awake and in the upright position, when the cashier handed me my #4 Combo Breakfast Meal...1 Sausage Biscuit with Egg Sandwich, 1 Hash Brown, 1 Coffee, with extra creamer and sugar, my face quickly came to attention. I smiled, told her thank you (truly meaning it) and drove away. On the way home, I enjoyed every scrumptious morsel of my McDonald's breakfast. It was delicious!

When I pulled into my garage, came into the house and walked into the kitchen, my two dogs began scratching feverishly at the back door wanting to come inside. I walked over to the door, opened it and they came charging in with a bound, racing around me in circles, as if they hadn't seen me in several days. They jumped up on me with their front paws and began begging for my attention. I thought, "These dogs are way to cute and I am incredibly lucky to have both of them here with me every day, greeting me and giving me so much love and attention...Hmmm?...I wonder if I am giving them equally as much attention as they deserve? Afterall, they're so unselfish and always giving, without asking for anything in return. The easy way out would be to just give them a quick pat on the head, tell them to go eat their food and head straight for my office, so I could begin writing on my blog or preparing for my day's work." But then, a fond memory crossed my mind.

A guy that I once dated in high school, who was a couple of years older than me and going to seminary school at the time, studying to be a minister, said something simple, yet profound to me. He said, "One day, when I get married, I want to be the type of husband who comes home to my wife and kids at the end of a long day's work, and instead of immediately heading back to the bedroom to change clothes,etc., thinking only of myself, I want to spend those first key 10 to 15 minutes making sure that my family knows I am thinking about them and putting them first. I want to walk through the door, set my briefcase down, wrap my arms around my wife and kids, tell them that I love them and have missed them during the day, give them my full attention and ask them how their day had been going. I want to do this every day, whether I feel like it or not, because giving attention to those who are most important to you is 'key'. If you can give them your full attention first, for a short 10 - 15 minutes, which is really not all that long when you think about it, then it makes everyone happy and satisfied, making the whole rest of the evening run smoothly for everyone. This is what my dad did for us and I want to make sure that I do the same for my family. It made each one of us feel so special, as if we were really worth his time. As children, our father made such an impact on us, that he was willing to receive us at the door, as we ran towards him and bombarded him with everything good and bad that had happened to us during our day. And, although clearly feeling exhausted from his hard days work, he always put us first. He would quickly set his things down, muster up a smile for us and greet us with 'I love you guys...I missed you so much today...How was your day?'."

A moment later, my friend sat stroking his Schnauzer puppy, and continued expressing his thoughts. He said, "It's just like my new Schnauzer puppy. I try to practice what I preach with my new puppy. When I come back to my apartment from being at school all day, I'm usually tired and ready to relax before I begin studying. It would be easier for me, if I could just walk through the door, get myself something to eat and drink, plop myself down on the sofa, turn on the TV, and relax for awhile, before beginning my studies. But, my little puppy would probably not be as happy. He would be starving for my attention, consequently whining and tearing things up, purely out of sheer boredom, frustration and neglect. He would be thirsty and hungry and begin "acting out" after awhile, because he wasn't being treated with the equal love and respect that he gives and shows to me. If I want to make my puppy happy, healthy, and well behaved, I have to "invest" in him...invest my time, invest my love, invest my attention in him, in order for us to have the best relationship possible and help him continue to grow and develop in a positive way. The same is true for a family or friends."

I thought, "He could be right!" Most people probably don't think about it in that way. They just shuffle along with their everyday lives and never put the forethought in, which is what it takes in being successful, to make sure that they are meeting or exceeding the "attention needs" of their family members, friends, pets, extended family, associates, bosses and/or clients. It takes a certain amount of pre-planned thought and effort, on an individual or leader's part, in order to properly begin and continue fostering a positive, nurturing and successful relationship.

In your business, are you providing the right amount of attention that your prospects or clients are needing. Are you listening to them closely, even when it's not easy for you? Are you available to them, either by phone or email, should they have a question, need guidance or require assistance? Do you provide nurturing leadership or service to them, facilitating them with beneficial tools, insights, products, value or special unexpected perks? I believe that is what people are really hungry for...they are hungry for your sincere efforts in giving them attention.

One example I might give to you to help you in your business is this...If you are an internet marketer, business owner, etc. and a dedicated Twitter member or other social media member, spend at least 10 - 15 minutes per day (at least every other day), conversing and participating through your Twitter site, Facebook, etc. Get to know your followers personally, giving them your full attention, in one of the following ways. First, by reading an article that they have written on their blog or website and commenting about it through their blog or your twitter postings. And, secondly, simply engage in a friendly conversation with them, sincerely caring about their daily lives, which will help to build your core relationships with your them. Occassionally, promote your followers or one of their tweets, if you feel that their information is of value to others. Simply give to others freely, as you would have them give to you. This is known as "The Golden Rule"..."Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you." It was the motto and basis used by Mary Kay Ash, one of our nation's leading ladies in business development, who's attention to marketing knowledge and company culture have been widely mirrored, respected and adopted by numerous large companies throughout the world.

Perfectly Spiced Holiday Pumpkin Pie, Served With Homemade Vanilla Flavored Whipped Cream

2008-11-25T19:01:00Z

One of the simplest pies that any cook can make, whether a seasoned professional or a beginning baker, is a Pumpkin Pie. It's a sweet treat that has adorned the holiday dessert tables of families for centuries. Whether served plain or with whipped cream, with, or without cloves, it is the perfect ending compliment to any traditional Thanksgiving feast.

PIE INGREDIENTS

1-(9-inch) unbaked pie crust, made from scratch or
*Pillsbury's Refrigerated Pie Crust, as shown above
2-c. (or 1-15oz can) Libby's pure pumpkin
3/4-c. brown sugar
1/2-teaspoon salt
1-teaspoon cinnamon
1/2-teaspoon ginger
1/2-teaspoon nutmeg
2-beaten eggs
1-(12 fluid ounce) can Nestle's Carnation evaporated milk
Optional...Ingredients for Homemade Vanilla Flavored Whipped Cream (see below)

HOMEMADE VANILLA FLAVORED WHIPPED CREAM INGREDIENTS

1-pint fresh whipping cream
1/4-1/2-c sugar (depending on personal taste of sweetness)
1-2-teaspoons Adam's pure vanilla extract (depending on personal taste)

*****************************************************************

PIE INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

*Note: If using Pillsbury's Refrigerated Pie Crust, remove one roll of pie crust from the box and place it on the counter for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, allowing it to slightly soften. This will keep the crust from cracking or breaking, as you begin to unroll it into the pie plate. If it does begin to crack, while unrolling, let soften a little longer before using.

Line one 9-inch pie plate with unbaked crust and flute the edges.

(I fluted the edges of the pie above, using the slightly rounded end of a fondue stick handle. I pressed the 1/2 inch wide handle straight down on top of the pie crust border, making a deep indention. At the same time, I pinched the dough around the outer edges of the handle, between my thumb and forefinger, to create a perfectly symmetrical, decorative edge.)

In a medium sized saucepan, combine pumpkin, brown sugar, salt and spices. Cook until the sugar is melted and ingredients have combined. Slowly add the beaten eggs, mixed with the evaporated milk, to the pumpkin mixture.

Pour pumpkin mixture into the uncooked pie crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes (until crust is very lightly golden).

Cover crust with a silicone pie crust shield (foil or other type of shield). Please note, that although crust is covered with a shield, it will continue to brown slightly.

Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for approximately 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. When it is done, there may be a small amount of moisture in the very center of the pie.

Remove from oven and place on a raised surface to cool, such as a stove burner, pie or cookie rack. Serve warm or cold.

After completely cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours, until completely chilled. Remove from refrigerator 10 to 15 minutes before serving.  If desired, garnish with your favorite brand of store bought whipped topping or, better yet, Homemade Vanilla Flavored Whipped Cream (directions below).

Baking Tip: If your pie ends up with any large cracks on the top of your pumpkin filling after being baked, it is probably because it cooked a few minutes longer than necessary.

HOMEMADE VANILLA FLAVORED WHIPPED CREAM INSTRUCTIONS

*Note:  Can be made in advance and stored in an air-tight container.

For best results, slightly chill mixing bowl.

Fit mixer with the wire whisk attachment.

Pour whipping cream into mixing bowl and beat on high speed, until mixture begins to come together and get frothy.

In a steady stream, pour sugar and then vanilla into bowl with whipping cream, while continuing to beat on high (add appropriate amounts of sugar and vanilla, depending on preferred taste of sweetness).

Once mixture reaches a thick, whipped consistency, it is ready to be served or refrigerated for future use.

Carnival Cruise Lines Honors Our Military Personnel By Offering A Special Promotion

2008-11-24T17:55:00Z

If you have a loved one, who is in the military and will be coming home shortly, or you are retired military personnel, this message is for you. Carnival Cruise Lines is now offering a special promotion extended to all military families, in hopes that you will enjoy a cruise getaway, while reuniting with your loved one. Details as follows...

NEW PROMOTION FROM CARNIVAL
ALLOWS MILITARY PERSONNEL TO BOOK
UP TO THREE FUN SHIP STATEROOMS
AT DISCOUNTED RATES

Prices Start at $159 Per Person

In honor of Veteran's Day, Carnival Cruise Lines is introducing a promotion throughout November that allows active and retired military personnel to book up to three "Fun Ship" staterooms at discounted rates for themselves and their friends and family members.

Reservations must be made between Nov. 1-30, 2008, to qualify for this special offer, which is available in conjunction with a wide range of three- to 12-day "Fun Ship" departures through Dec. 31, 2009, including voyages to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska and Hawaii.

Rates start at $159 per person for three-day cruises from Miami and Port Canaveral, Fla., and five-day cruises from New Orleans and Jacksonville, Fla.; from $189 for four-day cruises from Mobile, Ala., and Jacksonville; from $309 per person for seven-day cruises from Miami, Galveston, Texas, and Port Canaveral; and from $359 per person for six-day voyages from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The promotion is valid for individual bookings only, availability is capacity controlled and this promotion cannot be combined with any other discount offer. Fare code CPM1 must be requested during the reservations process and military personnel must provide proof of service. Certain other restrictions apply.

Hearty Cream Cheese & Sausage Roll

2008-11-17T16:12:00Z

2- 8oz. packages Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
1- lb. "Hot" country style sausage (Jimmy Dean or Owens)
8- oz. bar of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
Poppy Seeds (for garnish)

Brown sausage and drain off grease. Mix browned sausage and cream cheese together in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.

Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Toward longest edge of baking sheet, place and unroll first package of crescent rolls lengthwise. Press out or pinch together perforations to make one long solid rectangle. Work quickly, so your dough doesn't get too warm, making it harder to handle.

Spoon half of the sausage mixture lengthwise down the center of the rectangle of dough (leaving a couple of inches of raw dough on each side). Roll both sides of the dough up and over the top of the sausage mixture. Seal the top edges and end pieces together by pinching firmly, so there are no holes allowing the filling to seep out. Once completely sealed, roll the log over, so that the seam side is facing down against the baking sheet.

Sprinkle the top with poppy seeds.

Repeat all steps with the second package of crescent rolls and bake both on the same baking sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for around 15 minutes, or until the top is evenly and lightly browned. Cool slightly and slice into one inch slices, as you would a loaf of french bread.

Enjoy!

* Perfect for evening appetizer or morning brunch

Developing Your Business With Passion

2008-11-16T14:35:00Z

Are you passionate about what you do in your life, whether professionally or personally? Some may ask, "How do I know whether I've found my passion in life or know what real passion is? Well, let me ask you a couple of questions. Have you been moved by something you've done in your life, to the point that you could work for hours, even skipping meals, and not realize or care about it? Have you ever finished a piece of your work and stepped back to say, "Wow! Did I really do that? That's really pretty good and I'm not sure quite where that came from?" Have you been stirred by something, either so happy or sad, to the point that you felt an urge to give back in a way that you hadn't ever done before? If you have, then you've found passion.

Only a decent sized book or lengthy movie could begin to scratch the surface of all that true "passion" encompasses in each one of our lives. For me, it seems that passion has always been the deciding benefactor involved in moving me to "perform" and/or complete things in my life, which I hadn't thought possible. To move to new heights and reach true happiness. Whether it's in my own experiences, or those of others, passion seems to be the invisible, binding thread, which copiously weaves its way through every aspect of our lives. This is the basis for my cake ideas.

With my daughter's birthday coming up next week, she requested that I make a cake and create a theme around the new, upcoming movie release, "Twilight", based on the Best Selling Novel (movie trailer). I can tell from the trailer that it is going to be extremely intense and filled with ongoing passion in the form of love, imagination, scenery, music, violence and suspense. Even the initial, creative burst of the movie began from a passionate dream that Stephenie Meyer, the original author, remembered one morning, after awakening (dream interview). Scanning through these items, though, will give me an idea of how I can design her cake. My passion will be driven from the excitement that she and her friends have discussed, coupled with the passion of the movie, itself.

I must confess to everyone, that even in the simplest things that I do for others, like baking and decorating a birthday cake, there is always an underlying passion involved...there is always a story connected and always feelings of passion behind it . Rarely is a cake, just a cake. Even in my daughters case, the excitement and appeal of new, young love and romance will definitely be the underlying spark that ignites my cake ideas.

For instance, this simple, little chocolate bundt cake, which seemingly looks like just another photo of a cake to many, all wrapped up in a pretty hat box package, is really significantly more meaningful to me. It's a tearful story of love, sympathy, remembrance, caring and the prayerful hope of new blessings to comfort and encourage a young mother and teacher, on her birthday, after the unexpected loss of her 6 month old baby.

Her child became sick, very unexpectedly, during this past summer. With another son by her side, who was almost two, she watched her youngest baby struggle to fight off the unusual strain of symptoms he was developing. One evening, her baby suddenly quit eating. She knew that something was not right. In fact, it was terribly wrong.  However, by this time, it was too late.  Her son's tender, little heart had ceased beating.

At this point in time, this once bubbly, young and beautiful, blond-haired teacher, who was always cheerful, exuberant and loving to everyone she met, was experiencing the most horrific sense of passion that a mother could face...the loss of her child. Just getting started in her life with her new family, she was brought to her knees by this unexpected loss. Now, months later, although still beautiful, warm and caring, she carries the pain of loss and hopelessness on her face, as she strives to carry on normally, by reaching out and teaching all the young faces that arrive in her classroom each day.

So, when given the opportunity, through our elementary school's cake club, to choose the teacher for whom I wanted to bake a cake, I immediately chose her. I was struck by passion and wanted to share in this special celebration of her...her birthday.

Realizing that this day would, most likely, be a difficult day for her to celebrate, I wanted to be there in spirit to help her, even if in the most minute way. Yes, the thought crossed my mind many times about how futile a birthday cake would seem to a mom, after they've lost their child. I did realize that it would probably mean little, or nothing, to her at the time. Yet, still, the passion led me to know that if anyone was going to make a cake to help her celebrate her birthday, I wanted it to be me. I couldn't possibly pass up the opportunity to give back a little token of appreciation for the blessings she had so graciously showered upon my son, during the time she had taught him. She was his favorite teacher.

As the day approached nearer, on my doorstep I received a bag from the cake club filled with one 12" plain white cake box, one 8" brown cardboard round, a boxed mix recipe, a long strand of blue tulle ribbon, one mini bear card and one sheet of instructions on how I should bake and decorate her cake.  Of course, if it had been up to me, I would have thrown it all out the door and created the biggest and most beautiful birthday cake that I could have imagined for her.  But, considerately working within the school's cake club's recommendations, I yielded to their standard instructions given, in order that all teachers are treated equally. Only a small bundt cake was allowed.

I did, however, decide that the school might excuse me for throwing out the plain white cake box and replacing it with a pretty, feminine hat box, as long as I kept it on a smaller scale.  I wanted her to have something pretty that she could keep and use, if she wished, even after the cake was gone.  I shopped for the perfect shade of pink and white flowers to make the centerpiece arrangement, so it would coordinate with the box and make a nice first impression surprise for her...girlie, girlie in every way. Although she tends to be more athletic and not necessarily your typical "pink" person, whatever that means, I kept getting the feeling that she would appreciate celebrating the essence of who she was in the beginning of her life, before all of the tragedy. So I went with my gut feelings.  If even for a brief moment, I wanted to give her a glimpse of happiness. After all, it was definitely her day and she deserved a reprieve.

This is just an example of how I find passion in the little things in life and how I use that passion to create something good for others. What is it that you are doing passionately in your life? I hope that you find passion in all that you do, with your family, your friends or even a stranger you may come across in life. Use that passion in your business, your blogging, your writing and your daily life. Make someone else's life better because you've met them and used your passion to better their life, even if only in a small way, because the accumulation of small acts of kindness and passion can build a strong foundation for a lifetime of goodness. It can also help to make you more successful in your business.

Surround yourself with positive people, who motivate you to become better than you are now and assist you in beginning or cultivating your passions.  Jim Rohn says, "You are the average of the five people you hang around with the most." So, who are you hanging around with or surrounding yourself with? Make sure they are individuals who care about the direction you are wanting to take with your passions. Take lessons and find the best leaders. After all, "You don't have to always reinvent the wheel. If you find someone who has been successful in their life, follow their lead." (~ J. Lloyd Tomer) and develop your own individuality along the way. Once you're on your passion track, nothing can stop you from achieving your dreams.

"Death By Chocolate" Layered Trifle Dessert

2008-11-07T19:03:00Z

                                                   "Death By Chocolate"


                                                          Photo: Courtesy of Allrecipes
                                                              (Submitted by: Wayne)

1-(9-ounce) box "Jello" brand Chocolate Silk Pie Mix
(only using mousse mix & save rest for later use...get
necessary ingredients for preparation)
2-c. whipping cream, whipped (not Cool Whip)
1-teaspoon vanilla
Chocolate curls or shavings for garnish, optional

1/4-c. granulated sugar
1-pan brownies (homemade...get necessary
    ingredients for preparation...or use
    bakery purchased brownies)
1/4-c. Kahlua liqueur
3-Skor candy bars, crushed (may substitute
    Heath bars, if Skor is unavailable)

............................................................................................

*If making brownies from scratch, bake ahead of time and have completely cooled, before continuing on with the recipe.

Prepare only the mousse from the Chocolate Silk Pie box mix and refrigerate (save chocolate crumb mixture
for another use). Add vanilla and sugar to whipped cream. Soak brownies evenly with Kahlua. Assemble
in a glass trifle or fruit bowl. Using 1/2 of each ingredient at a time, layer in the following order: brownies,
mousse, whipped cream, candy bars. Repeat layers. Garnish top w/ chocolate curls, shavings and/or
chopped Skor bars (optional). Refrigerate until completely chilled for a few hours.

Yield 10-12 servings