Reflections

As I've already told you, Bush Babe is a master of photography. Today her post is about reflections. In addition to sharing some of her own photos, she's asked others to share some of theirs. I'm only playing along as an excuse to get you to link over and enjoy the wonderful photography! So what are you waiting for....click here and enjoy!!

What's in a name?

If you haven't entered the Caption Contest, it's not too late!

This is one of those games folks send around in e-mails. I've done it before, but thought I'd post it here this time around. Join in if you like.

Take the first letter of your middle name and answer each of the following questions with a word that begins with that letter. Try not to repeat any words.

1. What is your middle name? .....Gene

2. A four letter word.........Gasp

3. A boy's name.......Gary

4. A girl's name.......Gail

5. An occupation........Grocer

6. Something you wear...... Glasses

7. Beverage.........Grape juice

8. A place.........Germany

9. Something you shout........Geronimo!!!

Caption Contest

Ever since I won a contest over at Scotty's blog last April, I've wanted to host some sort of contest here. After much contemplation, I've decided to make it a "caption contest".

I've re-posted a picture I shared recently of Alice, Esther & Mabel looking out my office window. I want you to come up with a clever caption that you think best describes the situation or what they might be thinking or saying. Leave your entry as a comment and in about a week I will have an independent judge (so I can't be accused of bias) select the best caption. The winner will receive their choice of a photo from the selection at Bush Babe's blog. If you've never visited her place before, you have no idea what you're missing out on. She is an outstanding photographer and quite an entertaining person in general! The contest will conclude at 7:00 a.m. CST on Wednesday, February 3rd and I will announce the winner the following day.

Okay, time to put on your thinking caps and see what you can come up with! One entry per person, please.

Dragonfly's Poetry and Prolixity

Hosted by Cara at Ooh...Books!


I was in my 40s before I truly appreciated poetry. I always liked what my sister wrote, but that was because I could relate personally to her subject matter. It was through an online writing site she encouraged me to join that I discovered other poets whose writing I enjoyed. A few of these have become my friends and I would like to acknowledge one in particular.

Marion is passionate about poetry. Not only does she love poetry, she wants everyone else to love it, too! Her blog is a wonderful mixture of photographs, quotes and poems, poems, poems. She posts informative entries featuring her favorite poets and occasionally treats us to her own work, which is outstanding in its own right.

In honor of Cara's weekly FreeVerse (click on the FreeVerse button above to visit her site), check out Marion's blog for a delightful poetry experience.

Dragonfly's Poetry and Prolixity

Piano Stairs

Here's a fun and clever idea.

Favorite Five - Birds

When I sat down to begin this post I thought it would be an easy one. Turns out it wasn't. I was going to limit myself to songbirds or birds I see around the feeder, but decided instead to branch out and include all birds.

After much inner debate, here are my top five:

1. Northern Cardinal

2. Indigo Bunting

3. Mallard

4. Bald Eagle

5. Great Horned Owl

Worth mentioning... Goldfinch, Wood Duck, Canada Goose, Trumpeter Swan, Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, Red-Headed Woodpecker.

As usual, I feel like I'm leaving out so many good ones!

Animator vs. Animation

It's been a rough week on a number of levels. It's time for some levity.

Click here.

Betty

Betty

August 28, 1999 ~ January 20, 2010

Saying goodbye, no matter what the circumstances, is the hardest part about loving a pet. I said goodbye to our beloved Betty this afternoon. As I had mentioned in an earlier post, her health was declining. Last night was a bad night for her and although she didn't seem to be in pain, she obviously wasn't her usual self today.

I carried her to the vet's office this afternoon. After a brief consultation I decided it was best to put her down. It was a difficult decision.

They gave me a few minutes alone with her to say goodbye. I told her how much I loved her and thought I was doing the best thing for her. I reminded her that she would soon be with Veronica again....and JJ, Angus, Daisy Mae, Hope, and Bella.

I don't like playing God and making decisions like this. I miss her.

Walnut Molasses Pie

Pecan pie is a staple of Southern Cuisine. I've tried numerous recipes and always have trouble getting mine to "set up". If my husband is the only one eating it, that's fine... he can use a spoon. That won't do, though, if I'm baking for others.

I'm always on the lookout for the "perfect" pecan pie recipe. That said, here's a recipe I found last fall. I'm not sure, but I think I clipped it from the American Profile newspaper insert. It's not traditional pecan pie, but it's similar enough that I decided to try it. Not only did it set up properly, it was delicious!

Walnut Molasses Pie

3 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup corn syrup

1/4 cup mild molasses

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 (10-inch) unbaked piecrust

1. Preheat oven to 325F.

2. Beat eggs. Add melted butter, vanilla, salt and nutmeg; blend well. Add brown sugar, corn syrup and molasses. Mix thoroughly.

3. Sprinkle nuts in unbaked 10-inch piecrust; pour egg mixture over nuts.

4. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes or until filling is set. Serves 8.

Giving & Receiving

I like to think events like the recent earthquake in Haiti bring out the generous, humanitarian spirit in most of us. However, knowing exactly where to give can sometimes be a problem. If it all seems a little confusing to you, here's a good website our pastor shared with us this morning:

Charity Navigator

On the receiving end, yesterday was my lucky day. I was a winner over at DJS Krimiblog and received a $15 gift voucher from Amazon! Thanks Dorte!

Buzzards

If I say the word "buzzard", what comes to mind? Let me rephrase that.... what kind of bird comes to mind?

A little bit of research has shown me that the answer to this question all depends on where you come from. If you click here, you will find a brief overview of what "buzzard" can mean in various parts of the world.

For me, it's an American Black Vulture or a turkey vulture. Both are quite large birds (wingspans of 5 or 6 feet) that mainly feed on carrion, communicate with grunts and hisses, smell bad, and vomit as a form of self-defense. Although normally scavengers, black vultures will kill newborn animals and have been known to kill a cow while she's giving birth. They're most often seen on the side of the road eating roadkill or circling high in the sky riding thermals.

It was a little disconcerting to look out my window yesterday and see a tree in my backyard filled with buzzards. I'm not a very good photographer and don't have much zoom on my camera, but did the best I could to capture the sight. Besides the eight pictured here, there were a few more in neighboring trees.

Slow Cookers

Although I haven't posted many recipes here using a slow cooker, or crock pot as I prefer to call it, I do like to cook in one. It's so convenient to throw all the ingredients together in the morning, turn it on, then have a delicious meal ready at the end of the day.

A slow cooker quiz popped up on the MSN page today. My score wasn't too bad, a 9 out of 10. Test your knowledge by clicking on the link below.

Are You a Slow-Cooking Smarty?

FreeVerse at Ooh...Books!

Thanks to Petty Witter I discovered Cara over at Ooh...Books! She has an interesting post each Wednesday in which she shares poetry and invites others to do the same. Click here to read her introduction to FreeVerse.

I may not participate every week, but I think it's a great idea and will join in when I can. Check it out if you like poetry. Hey, check it out even if you don't... you never know when you might develop a taste for it!

Venison Trio Recipe Rehash

I was discussing venison with a relative this morning and decided it would be good to rehash these recipes. They originally appeared in an article by Renee Miller in Quality Whitetail magazine.

SLOPPY DOES

2 pounds venison burger
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup catsup
1 tablespoon mustard
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Brown meat in a little butter. Add rest of ingredients and cook slowly until thick. Fills 8-12 hamburger buns.

MOM'S VENISON BURGERS

1 pound ground venison
1 beaten egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
1/2 cup cornflakes (or bread crumbs), crushed
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup bottled chili sauce or 1/2 cup barbecue sauce or both

Combine ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Form into four to five patties. Broil four to five inches from heat. Broil about eight to 10 minutes, turn, broil five to seven minutes. Serve on white hamburger buns. Can also be done on a contact grill like a George Foreman.

NO LOOKIN' - THE BUCK IS STEWED

2 pounds venison roast or stew meat (cut up into chunks)
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 (2-1/2 oz.) can mushrooms, drained
1 cup ginger ale

Throw all ingredients into a crock pot and simmer on low for five to six hours. Don't peek! Makes six servings.

The Etiquette of Letter Writing

Do you have etiquette questions regarding letter writing, invitations, announcements, or visiting cards? If so, I'm your "go to" person! Maybe I should clarify that. I'm your "go to" person only if you are interested in what was proper in the 1920s!




This clever little volume, published in 1927 by Eaton, Crane & Pike Company, measures about 3 x 5 inches and contains 155 pages. As you can see by the table of contents, it covers a wide variety of topics to assist in dealing with the problems of social correspondence.




To quote page three: "There is nothing more indicative of good breeding and refinement of taste than correspondence; and today, when the expert assistance of stationers, engravers and authorities on the etiquette of correspondence is readily placed at everyone's disposal, there is no excuse for the mistakes sometimes seen."




So what are you waiting for?? Ask those burning questions and I'll provide the answers! (but only if they're covered in the book...)

Favorite Five - Flowers

All this cold weather has me turning my thoughts to Spring. If I take the past into account, we still have our coldest weather ahead of us here in south Arkansas. That doesn't stop me from dreaming about warmer days and what they'll bring. Flowers!

Here are my favorites. What are yours?

1. Pansy

2. Hibiscus

3. Moonflower

4. Camellia

5. Hydrangea

Autumn Splendor

I had a flash of recollection while walking past the jams and jellies at the store last week: another meat dish I had "forgotten to remember" since giving up my vegetarian ways. I prepared it using some of the beef from our own pasture and it was just as delicious as I remembered!

Autumn Splendor

Golden Glazed Flank Steak

1 envelope onion soup mix
1 (12 oz.) jar apricot preserves (I use the "spreadable fruit")
1/2 cup water
1 flank steak (about 2 pounds) cut into thin strips
2 medium peppers (green, red or yellow), cut into thin vertical slices
Hot cooked rice

Heat broiler. In a small bowl combine soup mix, apricot preserves and water. Mix well. In a large, shallow baking pan arrange steak and peppers; spoon soup mixture evenly on top. Broil, turning once, until steak is done to taste. Serve over hot rice.

January girlies

I wondered how we would make it through the holidays with our rambunctious Alice and Mabel. Somewhere around a year old, they still have all their puppy exuberance, but both weigh a good 35-40 pounds. Have we trained them any? Not much, so it's a struggle sometimes to keep them from jumping up and being obnoxious in general.

Thanksgiving was only immediate family this year and I kept them closed in their room (the sun porch) until we finished eating. At Christmas they were banished to the back yard a good part of the time. I knew better than to trust them with the Christmas tree (more fear of them knocking it over than anything else), so it was moved back to the piano room behind a baby gate, the same as when Esther and Betty (and JJ) were young. They were only set free once the gifts had been opened and the paper cleaned up.

Betty has suffered some health issues lately (I won't go into detail) and has lost quite a bit of weight. She seemed to be feeling the cold, so we bought her a coat. In the past she has despised any type of clothing we've forced her to wear, but I think she really likes the warmth her new coat provides. Check her out! (tail and mouth in motion)

I was in the right place at the right moment to capture this photo of Alice, Esther and Mabel looking out the window together. Alice (Miss Busybody) frequently looks out the window, but Mabel rarely does.... and especially not when Esther is standing there.

Hard to believe we were in the midst of our first puppy drama this time last year. I sure hope things are calmer on the "dog front" in 2010!

The Birth of the Blues

Here's a fun clip my cousin sent me. Maybe you will enjoy it, too.

Personal Gospel

I found this while sorting through some papers today. It was part of a Circle lesson at my church awhile back .

You are writing a Gospel,

A chapter each day,

By the deeds that you do

And the words that you say.

Men read what you write,

Whether faithful or true;

Just what is the Gospel

According to you?

~source unknown

A new year

My husband and I welcomed in the new year in our usual way. We gathered with two other couples, ate entirely too much food, laughed, talked and played boards games. We've done it for years and years and always have a good time.

Today we slept in, had a late lunch of Black-Eyed Pea Soup and Mexican Cornbread, then headed to the movies to see Avatar. Considering my attention span is sometimes a bit short I wondered if I would enjoy an almost three hour movie. I did have to shift around in my seat and peek at my watch a couple of times, but the movie was wonderful and I really liked it!

When I finish here and shut down my computer for the evening I plan to settle in with my handwritten journal to make my annual New Year's entry. I'm not always good about writing on a regular basis throughout the year, but I always write on New Year's Day. It's my time to look back and reflect on how well I met the goals I set a year ago and to decide what I want to work on in the coming year. First, though, I'll share a few recipes from our New Year's eating.

Eggnog Tube Cake

Contributed to Simple & Delicious by Mary Ellen Severance of Biggs, CA

1 pkg. (18-1/4 oz) white cake mix

1 pkg. (3.9 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1 cup eggnog

1/4 cup canola oil

2 tsp. rum extract

1-1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 tsp. rum extract

3 to 4 tsp. eggnog

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix. pudding mix, eggs, eggnog, oil, extract and nutmeg. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Pour into a well-greased 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350F for 38-41 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter.

In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, extract and enough eggnog to achieve a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Black-Eyed Pea Soup

Contributed to American Profile by Joyce Gates of Clovis NM

1 pound lean ground beef

1 cup finely chopped onions

1 pound Polish sausage, cut into bite-size pieces

2 (15 oz) cans black-eyed peas with jalapenos, undrained

1 (14 oz) can reduced-sodium beef broth

1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (10 oz) can mild diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained

1 (4 oz) can chopped mild green chilies

1 to 2 medium jalapeno chilies, seeded and chopped (optional)

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 to 3 cups water

Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and onions and cook until beef is browned, stirring frequently. Drain excess grease.

Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover tightly. Simmer 45 minutes.

Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend. Reheat before serving.

Mexican Cornbread

(my mother's recipe from when I was growing up)

Sift together:

1-1/2 cup cornmeal

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Add in:

2/3 cup oil

2 eggs, one at a time

1 cup sour cream

1 (no. 2) can cream-style corn

1 cup grated cheese

2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (I sub dried, chopped chives)

Bake in a greased, square glass dish at 425F about 45 minutes.