Friday Food Fun - Week 18 - Breakfast

1. What time do you wake up on a normal work/school day? 7:30

2. Do you eat breakfast? I don't eat anything usually until about 10:30 or 11:00.
3. Do you like traditional breakfast foods? Which ones? Not early in the morning. Of the traditional foods listed, I'll eat most of them later in the day, but not early. I have never had cream of wheat. It's been a while since I ate oatmeal--the texture isn't appealing to me. I don't drink milk, so I don't eat cereal and milk with or without fruit. I do eat dry cereal sometimes, but only later in the day and only certain ones. I have on occasion made it to McDonalds before too late and bought me a steak McMuffin.
4. Do you prefer lunch/supper foods for breakfast? Which ones? Yes, if I eat anything for breakfast, I'll eat "anything" that I would eat at a later meal...except for breakfast foods.
5. Do you ever eat breakfast for supper? Yes, my parents love it so sometimes that is what we have.
6. What are your favorite breakfast foods? McDonald's steak mcmuffins, hashbrowns, bacon, granola bars.

Friday Food Fun - Week 17 - Fall Festival Foods

1. Do you like cotton candy? Any particular flavor? I like cotton candy. I like cherry the best.
2. Do you like hot dogs? How do you fix yours? Hot dogs are not a favorite of mine, but I do eat them when it's that or nothing. I like them with chili and mustard.
3. Do you like caramel apples? Do you like bobbing for apples? I've never had a caramel apple on a stick but I love to dip apple slices in caramel dip. I have never bobbed for apples, but don't think I would enjoy that.
4. Do you like apple cider? Not really, but I love apple juice.
5. Are there other foods you consider a staple at these events? No.

Friday Food Fun - Week 16 - Seafood

What kind of seafood do you like?

01. Do you like seafood? Yes
02. Do you know anyone who is allergic to seafood? Yes
03. What is your favorite seafood? scallops, sushi
04. Do you have a favorite seafood recipe? no
05. Do you prefer your seafood steamed, boiled, broiled, or fried? I prefer steamed/broiled/boiled.
06. Do you like raw seafood? Yes
07. Do you like sushi? What kinds? Yes, my favorites are crab, caviar, and the seaweed.
08. Do you have a favorite seafood restaurant? The local cheap place (Easley, SC) is Silver Bay. The local more expensive place (Greenville, SC) Red Lobster. The best seafood restaurant I've ever been to was a buffet place in Florida that we went to on our way to Walt Disney World in November 2000. I don't know the name, but it was the best place. If I remember correctly, there was a wooden crab on the front of the building that was bigger than the restaurant.
09. Do you prefer to dip your shrimp in melted butter/margarine or cocktail sauce? margarine
10. Do you like some tarter sauce with your fish, hushpuppies or other seafood? No
11. Do you like hushpuppies? Sometimes
12. Do you like grit cakes? No

Friday Food Fun - Week 15 - Snacks

I love to snack on stuff. What do you like to snack on?

01. Granola bars - do you have a favorite? Nature Valley Trail Mix Fruit and Nut Bars
02. Vegetables - which veggies do you like to snack on? Celery, bell peppers, snow peas
03. Fruit - which fruits do you like to snack on? Cherries, red grapes, peaches, avocados, tomatoes, watermelon, figs, muscadines, scuppernongs
04. Dried fruit - which dried fruits do you like to snack on? banana chips, pineapple
05. Nuts - which nuts do you like to snack on? pistachios, cashews, peanuts (especially boiled)
06. Seeds - which seeds do you like to snack on? sunflower seeds,
07. Creamy things - which puddings, tapiocas or yogurts do you like to snack on? I like a variety of pudding cups and yogurts.
08. Candy - which candies do you like to snack on? Bit o' honey, gobstoppers/jaw breakers, pixie stix, smarties, nerds
09. Cookies - which cookies do you like to snack on? Oreos, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate fudge oatmeal cookies, sugar cookies
10. Crackers - which crackers do you like to snack on? Oriental rice crackers, mini Saltine crackers, club crackers
11. Chips - which kind of chips do you like to snack on? Cool Ranch Doritoes, fritos, Scoops, dried sugar snap peas (don't remember what they are called, but they make a good snack - they are chips made out of pea pods)
12. Movies - what snack do you like to get at the movies? soda, popcorn, Nerds rope, chocolate covered cookie dough bites
13. Are there any snacks you like that I didn't mention? I like Oriental delight - it's got sesame crackers and oriental rice crackers and dried green peas in it. I love it, but don't confuse those green peas with the wasabi peas - that is something else that I wouldn't like! I also love cheese - I especially enjoy snacking on string cheese (mozzerella).
14. What are three of your most favorite snacks? I like my snacks to fill me up. I like the trail mixes like the oriental delight. I like chips. I like nuts.

Friday Food Fun - Week 14 - Candy

What kind of candy do you like?


01. What is your favorite hard candy? Lifesavers and Tic Tacs
02. What is your favorite soft candy? Bit o' Honey and Brachs Toffees
03. What is your favorite type of chocolate? Dark chocolate
04. What is your favorite mint? Wintergreen
05. What is your favorite life saver? Pepomint, Butter Rum
06. What is your favorite gum? Extra Bubblegum (pink)
07. Do you prefer white chocolate or brown chocolate? brown
08. Do you prefer dark chocolate or milk chocolate? dark
09. Do you prefer chocolate or caramel? caramel
10. Do you prefer sweet or sour? sweet
11. Do you prefer tangy or tart? tangy
12. What are your absolute favorite candies? Bit o' Honey, probably
13. Do you have special brand names that are your favorites? Jelly Belly Jelly Beans stand out above the rest of jelly beans, but other candies, I can't think of a particular instance.

Our Country Needs CHRISTIAN prayer!

Fwd:
Prayer for our country is so needed.


In 1952 President Truman established one day a year as a "National Day of Prayer."
In 1988 President Reagan designated the first Thursday in May of each year as the National Day of Prayer.
In June 2007 (then) Presidential Candidate Barack Obama declared that the USA "was no longer a Christian nation."
This year, 2010, President Obama canceled the 21st annual National Day of Prayer ceremony at the White House under the ruse of "not wanting to offend anyone".
BUT... on September 25, 2009 from 4 AM until 7 PM, a National Day of Prayer FOR THE MUSLIM RELIGION was Held on Capitol Hill, beside the White House. There were over 50,000 Muslims in D.C. that day. HE PRAYS WITH THE MUSLIMS! I guess it doesn't matter if "Christians" are offended by this event - we obviously don't count as "anyone" anymore.
The direction this country is headed should strike FEAR in the heart of every Christian, especially knowing that the Muslim religion believes that if Christians cannot be converted, they should be annihilated. This is not a Rumor – Go to the website to confirm this info:
http://www.islamoncapitolhill.com/ 


Pay particular attention to the very bottom of the page: "OUR TIME HAS COME"
I hope that this information will stir your spirit.


The words of 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, who are called by my Name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."


We must pray for our nation, our communities, our families, and especially our children. They are the ones who are going to suffer the most. Praise God that He is still in control, but we must do our part. Read your Bible every day, pray, seek God’s wisdom and will and share the Gospel.

Friday Food Fun - Week 13 - Ethnic Food

Well, tell me what kind of foods you like to eat at the following types of restaurants and your favorite restaurant of each type and it's location (so people in your location can eat there too).

1. Mexican restaurant - Los Amigos, Hwy 93, Easley, SC - Taquitos Mexicana, guacamole
2. Chinese restaurant - New China Buffet, White Horse Rd, Greenville, SC - buffet
3. Thai restaurant - Chef's Secret Thai & Sushi, 123 Bypass, Easley, SC - dim sum, sushi
4. Italian restaurant - Nino's, Liberty, SC - appetizer bread, lamb chops, pasta
5. Greek restaurant - Acropolis, Wade Hampton Blvd, Taylors, SC - souvlaki
6. Indian restaurant - ?? have always wanted to try one, but haven't yet had the chance.
7. American restaurant - at a hamburger fast food place, I like a plain hamburger with mayo, mustard, pickles, and meat on bread. Meat and three? - I'll eat just about everything. I love McDonalds on 123 bypass in Easley for hamburgers and the best french fries around. For meat and three, I like 200 Russell St in Easley, SC.
8. French restaurant - ?? Don't know of a French restaurant around here, but I do like frog legs and escargot.
9. Japanese restaurant - Dozo's, 123 bypass, Easley, SC - seafood soup and sushi!
10. Other ethnic restaurant - I don't know of any

Friday Food Fun - Week 12 - In a Hurry

If I was throwing a dinner party, and one of my dishes was ruined, I would throw together my "French onion" soup. It's my version, but I always have the main ingredients on hand.

Beef broth

Any combination of
diced celery
diced onion
can mushrooms
roast beef
black eyed peas

Put it in the microwave and you have a new course for dinner.

Friday Food Fun - Week 11 - Fresh Vegetable Recipes

Tomatoes: I slice them into wedges, sprinkle salt, pepper, and dill and eat them. Yum!

Bell Peppers: Slice into strips and sprinkle with salt.

Okra: I like to cut the ends off and steam them but my family prefers fried okra. They slice them into pieces about 3/4" wide and dip them in buttermilk and then dip them in cornmeal and fry them up.

Squash and zucchini: Slice and saute with a small yellow onion. Sometimes cover with cheese.

Black eyed peas: boil them in a pan of water, lightly salt them.

Green beans: When available, a little fatback lard or bacon is used, or else, beef bouillion cubes. Also when available, throw in fresh baby potatoes! Also good with sliced almonds.

Corn: sometimes boiled on the cob and buttered, but most of it is cut off and cooked with butter and a little salt.

Friday Food Fun - Week 10 - Summer Produce

Friday Food Fun - Summer Garden Produce:
1. What do you grow? This year we didn't grow anything, although we do have one fig bush and one pecan tree and one pear tree. We usually plant at least tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, bell peppers, squash, and zucchini. We used to plant okra, green beans, hot peppers, jalapenos, cantaloupe, black eyed peas, butter beans, lima beans, colored peas, and more when I was little. One year we did green peas. One year we did potatoes. One year we did peanuts.


2. Do you like everything you grow or is there some stuff you grow only for other people? I didn't like the jalapenos and hot peppers.


3. What are some of your favorite dishes to make with fresh produce (if the recipes are simple, include them)? I love fresh vegetables just cooked. Corn is cooked with a little butter. Green beans are cooked with a little bacon, lard, or bouillion cubes, and during the summer we like to throw in some baby potatoes. Most of family loves fried okra, but though I eat a little fried okra, it's better for you and I enjoy it more when it's steamed. Sometimes, for supper, I will slice up a tomato, a cucumber, and a bell pepper, and I'm happy with just a little salt and pepper on them. Fresh vegetables are awesome.


4. Is there anything you love fresh that you won't eat if it's not fresh? I don't like stewed tomatoes.


5. Are there things you have planted in the past that you no longer plant because you think that store-bought is good enough considering the work you have to do for fresh? Potatoes, green peas, peanuts, green beans, blackeyed peas, lima beas, butter beans, and this year - we didn't plant anything due to traveling and vacations and having a new nephew/grandson that comes to visit.

Friday Food Fun - Week 9 - Cheeses

1. What types of cheese do you like? Swiss, Cheddar, Mozzarella, Parmesan, and Smoked Gouda are my favorites that I can remember.



2. Are there any types you won't eat? Processed American cheese


3. Do you like to eat cheese plain, or do you prefer it in a recipe, or both? Both


4. What is one of your recipes where the cheese is an important addition to the dish? Taco Dip


1 pound hamburger meat                    1 tablespoon chili powder
14½ ounces can stewed tomatoes    8 ounces cream cheese
10 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese  10 ounces sharp cheddar cheese


Brown hamburger meat in skillet. Add chili powder and canned tomatoes. Simmer for 30 minutes. Spread cream cheese in bottom of microwaveable dish. Top with meat sauce. Add grated Monterrey Jack cheese and grated sharp cheddar cheese. Heat, uncovered, in microwave for 10 minutes or until hot. Serve with corn chips.

Friday Food Fun - Week 8 - Ice Cream

1. What are your favorite flavors of homemade ice cream? Cherry, peach, strawberry, oreo, mint chocolate chip, and butter pecan



2. What are your favorite brands and flavors of store-bought ice cream? Birthday cake, butter pecan, cherry vanilla, Black cherry, chocolate chip cookie dough, lime sherbet, and orange sherbet - no "favorite" brand


3. What is your absolute favorite ice cream? probably Birthday Cake ice cream (not to be confused with an ice cream cake which I don't care for at all!


4. If you were making an ice cream sundae, what all would you put on it? Vanilla ice cream, chopped nuts, colored sprinkles, butterscotch syrup, caramel syrup, chocolate syrup, and lots of cherries with some juice.


5. Do you prefer to eat out of an ice cream cone or out of a dish? Usually a dish because it's not as messy.


6. Do you prefer a sugar cone, waffle cone, or regular cone? I love sugar cones!


7. Do you prefer to eat your ice cream during the summer or do you love it year-round? I can eat ice cream anytime of year.
 

Friday Food Fun - Week 7 - Soups

1. Do you only like soup well enough to eat it occasionally during the really cold winter, or do you love it so much you eat it a lot during the hot summer as well? I prefer soup during the winter, but sometimes if it's not too hot I will eat a bowl of soup other times as well.
2. Do you make your own soups or do you usually eat from a can? I usually eat from a can, although there are several soups that I make from scratch also.
3. What are your favorite soups, stews, chowders, broths, or bouillabaisses?
I love Japanese seafood soup, oyster stew, clam chowder, salmon stew, French onion soup, loaded baked potato soup, vegetable beef with barley soup, beef stew, potato soup, chicken vegetable soup, cabbage soup, butternut squash soup, italian wedding soup, tomato soup, and several other canned varieties that I don't remember the name of.
4. Do you prefer heartier stock or simple recipes? Mostly heartier stock.
5. Do you prefer broth or cream-based recipes? cream based
6. Do you prefer milk/cream based or tomato-sauce based recipes? milk/cream based
7. If you have a good soup recipe, please post it.
    I just recently started making this personal version of French onion with a twist.
    1 can beef broth, and based on what I have on hand, diced onion, diced celery, roast beef, and mushrooms. Microwave until hot.

Yum!

Friday Food Fun - Week 6 - Appetizers

Spinach-stuffed Mushrooms

½ pound small button mushrooms
kosher salt
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped fine
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ pound fresh spinach leaves
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 tablespoon parmesan, fresh grated
3 wedges Laughing Cow Swiss cheese
**Could use 1½ ounces of cream cheese

Preheat broiler. Remove stems from mushrooms and scoop out gills, if preferred. Sprinkle mushroom caps generously with kosher salt and set aside. Heat oil in pan and add garlic. Once garlic is aromatic, add spinach and salt to taste and sauté until wilted. Remove spinach from heat. Chop spinach mixture with Laughing cow or cream cheese and distribute between mushroom caps. Sprinkle with a bit of both cheeses and place under the broiler until the cheese starts to brown and bubble.

Tastes: Friday Food Fun - Week 5 - Beach Food - Seafood

1. What is your favorite seafood? Probably scallops, but I also love shrimp, crab, lobster, oysters, clams, and I like fish but not as much as the rest of these.
2. Are there certain seafoods you won't eat? No, but there are some that I've never had the chance to try. I will say, because of the way that most of it is prepared, I'm not crazy about deviled crab. I do eat it, but most of the times, I can't taste the crab...all I taste is the spices and so it's not seafood-y to me. Plus, they usually use a lot of onion and that overpowers everything else, so it's not one of my favorites.

3. Are you allergic to any seafood? Not that I'm aware of. I do, however, have a cousin who is highly allergic to seafood, among other things, and he can't even have his food prepared on the same surface or with the same utensils.
4. Do you prefer fried or broiled seafood? Broiled.
5. Do you like sushi (cooked or uncooked)? Yes!

6. What is your favorite seafood item? Well, I'm a sucker for a good bowl of clam chowder or oyster stew, some fried clam strips, or some boiled shrimp dipped in melted margarine, but really any combination of broiled seafood is bound to make me happy. I did find a really good seafood soup at a local sushi restaurant that has lobster, crab, shrimp, scallops, and fish cake in it and it has what tastes like a steakhouse seasoning flavor to it. Very good soup.

7. Do you have a good seafood recipe? Well, when I fix fish at home, I usually simply spray some butter on it and sprinkle it with parsley flakes and then pop it in the oven.

8. When you eat at the beach, do you go out to eat for your seafood, or do you fix it yourself? We usually do at least one shrimp boil (with corn on the cob, sausage and spice bag), but we always go out at least one or two times for a good seafood meal.
9. Is there something other than seafood that you consider to be "beach food" that you always have at the beach? We usually buy sandwich fixings for lunch. I usually like to have a bag of pistachios at the beach. I eat them other times of the year too, but there is just something about a vacation that says enjoy what you eat and what you do, and I love pistachio nuts, so that is one of my treats.

Quote

I heard a really cool quote from my preacher the other day and I wanted to share it. I don't know who said it but here is the quote,

"TIME is the BALLOT that records your VOTE on what matters MOST in LIFE."

Let it sink in. Great quote!

Tastes: Friday Food Fun - Week 4 - Fruits

1. What is your favorite fruit? Cherries is my #1 favorite. I also like pineapple, muscadines, red grapes, peaches, watermelon, honeydew melon, figs, and kiwi.
2. If you like fruit salad, what is your favorite combination of fruits to use. I don't care much for fruit salad. But, any combination of my favorites would be fine. You could also add red apples, strawberries, oranges, bananas, cantaloupe and white grapes.
3. Do you have a fruit theme in any of your non-edible items (like clothing, jewelry, handbags, towels, wallpaper, etc.) I have cherry towels and washcloths, 3 cherry purses, a cherry billfold, cherry earrings, a cherry slide, pineapple slide, watermelon slide, and apple slide for my silver chain necklace, a cherry duffle bag and tote bag and several cherry shirts.
4. What is your favorite fruit juice? I like red grape juice, apple juice, and fruit punch made from cherries, apples, grapes and oranges.
5. What is your favorite fruit-flavored ice cream? I love homemade cherry, peach or strawberry ice cream. I like storebought cherry vanilla and black cherry ice cream and lime and orange sherbet.
6. What is your favorite fruit recipe?
There is a delicious fruit pizza recipe that is very good. You make a sugar cookie crust. The sauce is cream cheese. You could probably blend in a little powdered sugar to give it a different thickness. Then you layer slices of the fruit for the toppings. It's very good. You can choose which fruits you want to use. I also like to dip red apple slices in caramel dip and that is much easier than making a fruit pizza.
7. Are there any fruits you don't like? I do not like lemon, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, mango or papaya. There may be others that I haven't tried.

Tastes: Friday Food Fun - Week 3 - Salads

I love a good salad. At home, we use a salad mix (preferably with radishes, carrots, snow peas and a mix of lettuces). We add celery, hard-boiled egg, cucumber, tomato, bell pepper, black olives and/or green olives, and pickles. I use a Balsamic Vinegarette. This makes a very good salad. Sometimes, we'll add a little ham, turkey and swiss cheese to make it a chef salad. But, my ideal salad is a little different. First of all, I don't use a lettuce base. I put mushrooms, uncooked green peas, soybeans, chickpeas, fresh crumbled bacon, pepperonis, fresh Parmesan cheese, diced tomatoes, sunflower seeds, black olives, green olives, pickles and ranch dressing. Yum!

Tastes: Friday Food Fun - Week 2 - Pizza Toppings

  /

1. What are your favorite pizza toppings?

     Mushrooms, Black Olives, Green Olives, Garlic, Italian Sausage, Ground Beef, Pepperoni

     Ham, Shrimp, Chicken, Bacon, Different cheeses, Artichoke Hearts

2. Do you prefer thin crust or thick crust? Thin crust

3. Do you prefer Deluxe pizza or a pizza with just 1 - 3 ingredients (which ones)? Deluxe

4. Do you eat any unusual toppings on your pizzas? Artichoke hearts, shrimp

5. Do you prefer tomato sauce or another sauce (which kind)? alfredo

6. What is your favorite dessert pizza? I love the pineapple dessert pizza at Pizza Inn but I've also had a fruit pizza that had a sugar cookie crust, cream cheese sauce and slices of fruit on it, and it was also very good.

7. Do you prefer pizza from a restaurant, from the freezer or deli section, or homemade? Restaurant - Pizza Inn or Applebee's (VeggiePatch Pizza)

8. Describe the perfect pizza for you. My perfect pizza would have a thin crust, alfredo sauce, mushrooms, black olives, green olives, garlic, ground beef, Italian sausage, shrimp, and several kinds of cheese. After it was cooked it would be sprinkled with diced tomatoes and freshly shredded Parmesan cheese.

TV and Tunes: More Cowbell

So, several years ago on SNL (Saturday Night Live), they did a skit with Christopher Walken and Will Ferrell where Walken keeps saying he needs more cowbell in the song. I thought it was stupid when I first watched it.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mie9hhQTUM


But, then I realized that one of my favorite songs, Just the Two of Us by Bill Withers and Grover Washington, Jr., had cowbell in it. And recently I discovered another song that has cowbell in it - Funkytown by Lipps, Inc. So, I looked online and found out that I had never noticed some of these songs that I like also have cowbell in them:


Just the Two of Us by Bill Withers and Grover Washington, Jr.
Funkytown by Lipps, Inc.
Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson
Goodbye Earl by the Dixie Chicks
Jive Talkin' by the BeeGees
Working for the Weekend by Loverboy
Rhythym is Gonna Getcha by Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine.


There were several others that I have that they listed as having cowbell, but I only listed the ones that I could actually hear the cowbell.

Tunes: BarlowGirl's Hallelujah Light Has Come

My sister sings in an ensemble at her church. This past Christmas during their Living Christmas Tree presentation, her ensemble did the verses for this song, Hallelujah Light Has Come. I have had this song running through my head lately. It's very beautiful. It has a haunting melody. These are the lyrics:

Hallelujah (Light Has Come!)



Hmmm my Baby
Heaven sent you to me
All the world’s been praying
Who will Save?

But who am I
That here tonight
I hold the one
Who'll Bring us life


Hallelujah,
We've been found
A child is born
To save us now, Jesus


Hallelujah light has come
A Savior who will set us free
A Promise for those who believe


Do you hear the Angels
Sing for you my baby
Men and kings have come to
Bow to you

But here in my arms
So close to me
The son of God
Now all can see


Hallelujah We've been found
A child is born to save us now
Jesus Halleluiah light has come
A savior set us free


So praise to God on high
He has heard our cry

TV: Pride & Prejudice

I love the 1995 BBC miniseries version of Pride and Prejudice. It stars Colin Firth, Jennifer Ehle, Julia Swahala, Alison Steadman, Crispin Bonham-Carter, Anna Chancellor, and many others. It is based on the book as closely as possible. You could almost use the book for the script of the mini-series. If you have never watched it, you should watch it. It's very funny and delightful. It's classic!

TV: Shrek 2

Shrek 2 is very funny. Shrek & Fiona are invited to her parents' castle for a wedding reception. When they see Fiona in her new form, they are surprised. Her father had special plans that went bad and he has to try to fix it. Starring Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Rupert Everett, Antonio Banderas and Jennifer Saunders.

TV: Shrek

Shrek is a ogre whose space is overtaken by some fairytale creatures. He goes with Donkey to save Princess Fiona from the fire-breathing dragon's castle for Lord Farquaad so he can get his privacy back at the swamp. Very funny movie. Stars Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, and John Lithgow. Animated.

TV: Shark Tale

If you want a good movie, pick up Shark Tale. This is such a cute movie. It's animated. It has lots of gorgeous colors in it! It stars the voices of Will Smith, Jack Black, Renee Zellweger, Robert DeNiro, and many other big name stars. The gist of the movie is that Oscar thinks he needs to live in a penthouse and make a lot of money to be "somebody". He learns through some sharks that it's important to accept people as they are and to be happy with who you are.

Projects & Tomes: Black Water & Three Weddings and a Bar Mitzvah

I'm sorry I haven't blogged lately. I've been very busy this week. I did finish reading two books last week. One was Linda Hall's Dark Water. It's a mystery, and it was good, but I've had other things going on that made it take a back seat on my priority list and so it took me a long time to read it. But it is a good mystery because it has a big twist at the end.

The other book that I finished reading last weekend was the final installment in the 86 Bloomberg series by Melody Carlson. It is called Three Weddings and a Bar Mitzvah.  I loved this series. It's about three girls who rent rooms in this house. The owner's granddaughter also lives in the house and she is using their rent to keep from having to work. But, that's how they get together in the first book. Read the whole series. It's worth it.

I watched a few animated movies this week, but I will try to post those tomorrow or first of next week.

I really wanted to tell you about my four new projects. First of all, I've been working on a cookbook for my mother and her siblings. So far, the main thing that I've done is type my mom's share of the recipes and formatted them. But, I finally convinced her to let me get Creative Memories' Memory Manager and Storybook Creator!

www.creativememories.com

These two programs are awesome! The Memory Manager pulls your photos into folders (without creating extra copies of the actual photo) and allows you to label them and journal them. You can tag them with as many categories as you like. You can also modify your pictures with MM. You can crop, rotate, change to black-and-white or sepia, or you can do a color wash. You can actually "clone" over something that you don't want in the picture. For example, if there is a guy standing in front of wallpaper and someone's hand is in the picture, you can clone/copy the wallpaper over the hand. It's so cool. You can also do the color-tinting. This is one of my favorite features. This is where a photo is black-and-white or sepia, but one thing in the picture is colored. It makes a very artistic photo!

Anyway, my first project is pulling in all of the pictures on our computer and tagging them in the right categories. We have digital pictures that go back to 2005. This doesn't include the few that I've scanned in, nor the rest that need to be scanned in for backup.

My second project, of course, is using Storybook Creator to do my cookbook. I already did about 7 pages, but until I get the recipes and stories from my aunts and uncle, I won't know how many pages to put in each section or what order I'm going to put them in and since I want the facing pages to either match or coordinate, that's kind of a crucial thing.

My third project is a family tree. I found this free software online - MyHeritage Family Tree Builder. (Of course the premium version isn't free.) I have been working on a family tree. It's so neat to see how everyone is connected and the really cool thing is that I can click on any person in the tree and run a report on that person and it will show all the people they are related to and how. So, if I want to, when a cousin gets married, if I know the spouse's family, I can include them.

My fourth project is a new afghan that I'm crocheting. I haven't spent a lot of time on it this week, but I did get a small start on it. I think I'm on the fourth or fifth row. It's going to be perfect for me. It's my two favorite colors: green and purple. It's Red Heart's Sage Mary. I'm doing a Mamie Shell pattern. It's easy and the pattern I've done the most. The main part of the afghan is repeating 10 double-crochets and then doing a shell (2 dc-2 chains-2 dc) and then repeating 'til the end of the row.

Well, tomorrow, I'm going to scrapbook with my friend Lou and some other ladies, so I better call it a night.

TV: The First Wives Club

The First Wives Club is a funny movie. It's about three women whose husbands all left them for a younger woman. These women were friends in college and their fourth friend committed suicide because her husband left her for a younger woman. So, they re-bond and decide they are going to work together to stick it to their ex-husbands. But then they realize they were thinking too small. They decide to build a crisis/help center for women and they name it after their friend Cynthia Swann Griffen. It has a lot of top stars: Diane Keaton, Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, Maggie Smith, Phillip Bosco, Dan Hedaya, Stephen Collins, Victor Garber, Dina Waters, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Rob Reiner.

TV: Faith Like Potatoes

Faith Like Potatoes is an excellent movie. It's based on the true story of Angus Buchan. He is a Scottish man who has lived his whole life in Africa. He was a farmer in Zambia but after a bad crop during a time with there were violent wars all around, he decides to move to another area.  He moves to the Zulu area. He farms. He has a violent temper. His wife convinces him to go to a pancake breakfast at a local church and then one of the members there invites him to come to church the next day to hear some of the local farmers speak. He goes and while he's listening, he remembers that he was once at a revival and he knows he needs to get saved, so he does. Then he wants to do God's will and God tells him he needs to share his story and then he needs to organize a prayer meeting for all the local farmers to pray against the violence and the drought. He shares the verse, 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (NIV version) There is one sad part at the end of the movie where a family member dies.

TV: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

I watched How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. It stars Kate Hudson as Andie Anderson, Matthew McConaughey as Benjamin Barry, Kathryn Hahn as Michelle, Annie Parisse as Jeannie, Adam Goldberg as Tony, Thomas Lennon as Thayer, Michael Michele as Judy Spears, Shalom Harlow as Judy Green, Robert Klein as Phillip Warren and Bebe Neuwirth as Lana. Andie is the How-To girl at Composure magazine. Michelle and Jeannie are her co-workers and best friends. Michelle has just broken up with a guy after 10 days and doesn't know what she's doing wrong because everything starts out right but then ends up with her being dumped. But when she's telling Jeannie and Andie about the guy they're surprised she lasted as long as she did because she does things that are horrible to a guy like calling and telling him everything you ate that day, using baby talk, putting feminine products in his bathroom, etc. So, during the staff meeting when Lana asks who will use Michelle's pain to write an article, instead of letting someone else do it, Andie volunteers to do a reverse how-to article on how to lose a guy instead of keep a guy. Meanwhile across town, Phillip Warren's advertising agency just got a tip that the DeLauer's who control 70% of the diamond industry are shopping for new advertisers and Benjamin Barry wants the account because he was the first person that got the tip. But, while he is great with athletic gear and beer, Phillip feels that the girls, the Judys, Spears and Green, sell luxury better. Benjamin makes a bet that getting someone to buy a diamond is as easy as getting a woman to fall in love with you. He says he can get any available, straight, single woman to fall in love with him in 10 days. Spears says she will pick someone from the restaurant and she picks Andie. What Benjamin doesn't know is that Spears and Green met with Lana to talk about advertising in Composure just that morning and she introduced Andie and told them how she was going to go on a date with a guy and then flip the switch and drive him away. She thinks they'll win the bet. It's a very funny movie.

TV: The Women

The Women is a re-make of a 1939 movie. I haven't seen the old version but hope to someday. The Women has an all female cast! Plus, most of the people working behind the scenes are women. It stars some incredible women: Meg Ryan as Mary Haines, Eva Mendez as Crystal Lewis - the other woman, Debra Messing as Edie, Bette Midler, Cloris Leachman as Mary's maid, Candice Bergen as Mary's mother, Ana Gasteyer as Crystal's coworker and roommate, Carrie Fisher as a gossip writer, Annette Bening as Sylvia, Jada Pinkett Smith as an author, and India Ennenga plays the daughter, Molly Haines. These ladies are high society ladies. Mary Haines is having a big luncheon and she tells Sylvia not to be late as she usually is. Sylvia goes to Saks 5th Avenue to get a manicure and the manicurist is running her mouth about her friend, Crystal Allen, who works behind the perfume counter and is having an affair with some man who is always in the newspaper in the business section...what is his name...I can never remember his name...oh yeah...Haines...Steven Haines. Of course, Sylvia knows this is Mary's husband so she has to decide if she should tell her or not and how to tell her. Mary kicks Steven out of the house and after a little self-meditation and whatnot, she decides that she wants to live for herself....she has always wanted to design her own clothes so she starts a small collection. It's really cool. It's a pretty good movie.

TV: Trading Places

I love the movie Trading Places. It stars Dan Akroyd as Louis and Eddie Murphy as Billy Ray Valentine. It also stars Don Ameche, Ralph Bellamy, Jamie Lee Curtis, Denholm Elliott, Philip Bosco, Bill Cobbs  and James Belushi. Ameche and Bellamy play the Duke Brothers. They work on wall street with commodities trading. One bets the other that the environment plays a big part on how you live. He says that a person who grew up on the streets would act right if given the chance to live in high society and that if a high society person found themselves with no money, no friends, no home, no job, etc., that they would take to crime. Louis is engaged to the Dukes' niece. He works for them, so they decide to trade places between him and this low-life Billy Ray Valentine. The results are hilarious. There is a little nudity and bad language in this movie.

TV: American Flyers

I watched American Flyers. This is one of Kevin Costner's earlier films. He has a cheesy mustache in this film. He looks really funny. The story is good, but a little sad. Kevin's character Marcus finds out that he has an aneurysm like his dad died of. There is nothing they can do for an aneurysm so once something happens to it, it's only a matter of time.  Marcus has a younger brother David who still lives at home. He goes home to check on him because he's worried that he might also have an aneurysm. Marcus is mad at his mom because he doesn't feel like she was "there" for his dad in his final days. She was in the apartment but she escaped to her room because she just couldn't watch her husband die, and Marcus is mad at her because his dad was calling for his wife. So, he can't spend more than a minute with his mom before he starts arguing with her. But, she is also worried about David. He is having some random dizzy spells and has lost a lot of weight. Marcus takes him home with him. He is a sports doctor and he takes David to his clinic and gives him a tour and then threatens him with a torture test (treadmill) and then gives him an MRI. He gets a clean bill of health. Marcus doesn't tell his mom or David that he has an aneurysm. David and Marcus love to ride their bikes. They practice riding all the time and they go to contest called Hell of the West. There is a little bit of nudity and a little bit of bad language in this movie. The story is very good. There are some very strong emotional parts. There is sadness, danger, patriotism, anger, excitement, love, and a little humor. David is played by David Grant.

TV: Win a Date with Tad Hamilton

Rosalee Futch (Kate Bosworth) and her best friend Cathy Feeley (Gennifer Goodwin) work at the Piggly Wiggly. Their best guy friend, Pete Monash (Topher Grace) is the assistant manager. He frequently gets store awards like employee of the month. Tad gets in the tabloids because of his bad boy photos and his agents, Richard Levy the Driven (Nathan Lane) and Richard Levy the Shameless (Sean Hayes) set up the Win-a-Date contest. The girls find out that Tad Hamilton (Josh Duhamel) is raising money for a children's charity by selecting one girl to go on a date with him. Rosalee wins and after meeting her, Tad realizes that his priorities are badly out of whack, and he moves to West Virginia for a while so her good morals can rub off on him. Pete, secretly madly in love with Rosalee, is very jealous. Meanwhile, Angelica (Kathryn Hahn), the bartender at their local hangout has a huge crush on Pete that everyone except Pete sees. Gary Cole, Stephen Tobolowsky, Octavia Spencer and Amy Smart are also in the movie.

TV: The Holiday

The Holiday is one of my "new" favorite movies! It stars Jude Law, Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jack Black and John Krasinski, Kathryn Hahn, and a cameo by Dustin Hoffman. Winslet's Iris Simpkins has been in love with a colleague but finds out he is now engaged to another colleague. She lives in a cottage in Surrey, England. Amanda Woods (Diaz) is a movie-trailer maker who lives in Los Angeles. Her boyfriend cheated on her, so she threw him out. She decides that she wants to take a vacation. She finds Iris's home listed on a home-exchange. She and Iris switch homes/vehicles/friends for two weeks. Iris befriends Amanda's elderly neighbor who used to be a screen writer. She also falls in love with Miles (Black) who works with Amanda's ex-boyfriend. Iris and Miles eat at a sushi restaurant. Meanwhile, in Surrey, Iris's brother, Graham (Law), shows up at his sister's house, and meets and falls in love with Amanda. I love this movie. I think Iris's cottage is really cute. Amanda's mansion is incredible. The music is pretty and the guys that the girls fall for are sweet. A great movie all over!