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Saturday, March 12, 2016

Fire Side Chats



President Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in early 1933. He would become the only president in American history to be elected to 4 consecutive terms. He would lead the nation through two of the greatest crisis in history. The great depression of the 1930s and the World War II which took place 1939 to 1945. Franklin would expand the role of the federal government through the  New Deal reform program. The years of March 1933 through June 1944 Roosevelt would address the American people through broadcast via radio. There would be 30 speeches in total with topics from banking to unemployment to fascism in Europe. The broadcast would comfort the people and renew confidence. These speeches would become known as Fireside Chats.

The first broadcast was on March 12, 1933.  Roosevelt would call on congress to come up with an emergency banking legislation to further aid the ailing financial institutions of America. During the chat he would praise the "fortitude and good temper with which everybody accepted the hardships of the baking holiday. The chats helped to calm the good people and when the banks opened the "bank runs" did not happen.

Radio broadcast was the best way for the President to talk to the good people of the U.S. The television had not been invented and some 90% of Americans owned a radio. It was a mass media way to communicate directly and intimately with the public. Roosevelt was not actually sitting beside a fireplace when h delivered speeches. "Fireside Chat" was coined by a CBS reporter in a press release before one of Roosevelt's speeches on May 7, 1933. The nick name would stick The speeches used simple language, concrete examples such as beloved past presidents, and analogies. He would start his speeches with "My friends" He was "I" and the American people were "you".


When I was a kid it seemed as if there were many more presidential speeches. I wonder in this day and time why there are not that many now. What do you think

"In spite of spreading wars, I think we have every right to maintain as a national policy the fundamental moralities, the teachings of religion, the continuation of peace, because someday we can be of an even greater help to a crippled humanity." - Franklin D. Roosevelt, September 3, 1939.

Baked Scallops


Baking dish or pan with a layer of rock or ice cream salt.
Have ready your empty scallop shells or ramekins, brush with melted butter.
Preheat oven to 350-375°
1-pound scallops, rough chopped (drain the scallops but save the liquor in case you need to add some to the pan
1 celery rib, minced
About ¼ green and red pepper, minced
3-4 green onions, chopped
Pinches of Phillips seafood seasoning
A couple of dashes of hot sauce
1 teaspoon lemon zest and juice of ¼ of a lemon.
3-4 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper or Jane’s seasoning
Seasoned or unseasoned panko crumbs
Sauté vegetables in a tablespoon or so of butter until soft, remove (pan juices and all) to a small bowl.  Heat about 2 tablespoon of butter until it sizzles and toss in the chopped scallops for a quick sauté, about 2 minutes, turn scallops in the pan (they should be under done).  Add the vegetables and zest/lemon juice back to the pan off heat and gently mix.
Using a slotted spoon add scallops to prepared shells.  Once you settle them into the baking dish, you can add some of the pan juices, but do not add too much.   Add panko crumbs to each and drizzle with melted butter and finally a light dusting of seafood seasoning.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.  Serve with extra lemon wedges and hot sauce.

recipe source here

Alfred Hitchcock


If you are a fan of scarey stories or sci fi then you most likely know Alfred Hitchcock. With a voice that one will never forget and stories that will give you goosebumps Hitchcock tales are some that I have personally been scared of.

Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was born in London on August 13, 1899. He was schooled there and in 1920 started to work with a British film company. He would marry the love of his life that year as well and both his career in film and his marriage would be there for the rest of his life. He would also be blessed with a daughter.

Between 1925 and 1939 Hitchcock would make several films in Britain. He would leave Britain in 1939 and reach for a dream of his. His dream was to work in Hollywood. Hitchcock would live in Los Angeles for the rest of his life and make 53 films. In 1980 Queen Elizabeth II would make Hitchcock 'Sir Alfred' Shortly after being knighted he would pass away.

Hitchcock is famous for movies such as Psycho (1960) and The Birds (1963).






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Plant A Flower Day


Take a look outside and you may find signs that spring is quickly coming or perhaps it has all ready arrived. Here we have lilies popping up and trees including magnolia and daffodil putting on their pretty spring flowers. Oh the birds singing which you can not see but hear instead sure do sound awesome as well. So today, March 12, plant a flower

Planting is the process to place a seed or plant in soil or other container in order that it may live and grow. While you are giving life to a plant it has been proven that gardening and flowers can help make your life fuller as well. Growing flowers offers joy as you look at the beauty it offers. When you plant flowers it offers a bit of excitement as you look forward to seeing it grow. It offers you a reason to get out of the house to take care of your flowers and garden.

My mother and grandmothers have always enjoyed gardening whether plants, flowers or vegetables. I have from time to time grown my own and must say that I do really enjoy it. The problem is that I often do not take time to do such chores. This summer I have made princess a promise to have a small garden. I will share with you all more on our garden as it comes along



First Bottle of Coca Cola

Coca-Cola was first bottled by the Biedenharn Candy Company in Vicksburg Mississippi in 1894. Biedenharn was a customer of the Coca Cola company purchasing syrup and serving the soft drink to customers at his soda fountain. Bottling the coke would help make it available to people who lived in the country and did not have a local soda fountain. 


By bottling coca-cola coke could be sent to more people around the countryside. More people could enjoy it and therefore more sales would be made. Biedenharn's first customers were plantations and lumber camps along the Mississippi River. The president of the coca - cola company was not interested in getting involved in bottlin in the early years as he wanted to stay focused on the soda fountain sales.



In 1899 The president of the coca cola company sold the bottling rights to Benjamin Thomas and Joseph Whitehead. The rights to Coca Cola Bottling company in the U.S. except Vicksburg was sold for one dollar. Later the U.S. was divided into territories where they sold bottling rights to others. In 1909 there were 400 bottling plants (most family owned)



The bottles evolved through the years as well. Our little town had its own bottling company, the town next to us had a bottling company as well. The difference is that the little company in our town disappeared just like the bottles their selves did






Every One Deserves Safe Drinking Water


It may seem odd for you for the United Nations to be involved with the pluming system but for the last decade they were. It was the decade for action "Water for Life" the focus was increased attention on water related issues. Parts of the world preventable diseases related to water and sanitation claim the lives of about 3.1 million people per year. Children less than 5 years of age are the ones that suffer the most. The lack of safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. 
The access to safe drinking water supply and sanitation is the goal. The World Health Organization and the World Plumbing Council teamed up to work for the "Health Aspects of Plumbing" publication. Inside the publication sustainable health, for the entire family with emphasis on children was not possible without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. 
In hopes of reaching the point where no one has to deal with poor sanitation and good clean drinking water. Many organizations are heading out to help with this problem. Churches are stretching out to help as well. 



Girl Scouts Celebrate Founding Date




The Girl Scouts of America was founded by Juliette Gordon Low. The group started out as Girl Guides. Low had lived in England with her first husband for many years and had been a Girl Guide leader while living in England. The Girl Guides later known as the Girl Scouts was founded on March 12th 1912. The group consisted of 18 girls together to register the first troop. The place was Savannah Georgia. The second year the group changed its name to Girl Scouts. 




Girls in the U.S. and American girls living abroad can all be members of the Girl Scouts. The girl scouts aims to empower girls and help teach values such as honesty, fairness, courage, compassion, character, sisterhood, confidence, entreprenurship, and citizenship. Activities such as camping, community service, first aid, and earning badges by acquiring practical skills keeps the girls active and learning useful and practical skills. As the girls learn and grow they go up a chain of advancements earning awards as they climb. Levels of bronze, silver and gold are available.




The girl scouts started out with a handful of girls and has grown to 3.7 million members. The Girl Scouts of the United States headquarters would be at Washington D.C. but later moved to New York city. In 1956 Juliet Gordon Low birthplace in Savannah Georgia became the center for the National Girl Scout Program center.




Friday, March 11, 2016

Paleo Banana Nut Muffins



1 1/2 cups almond flour

5 eggs (mine were on the small side, so 4 large ones may be fine)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ripe bananas, mashed (the more ripe they are, the sweeter the waffles will be)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Coconut oil
Chopped pecans

Plug in/preheat your waffle iron.
While that heats up, mix everything else together, except for the coconut oil and pecans.
Once the waffle iron is warm, drop a little bit of coconut oil in each square (I did about 1/2 teaspoon). My waffle iron is non-stick but for some reason, these wanted to stick. The coconut oil fixed that issue though.
Drop a blob of batter into the center of each waffle-spot.
Optional – sprinkle some or all of them with chopped pecans.
Close the waffle iron and wait for yourself to psychically know the waffles are done. Or some waffle makers have a light that will help you… or you can pay attention to how much steam is coming out, and what it smells like. If it smells like waffles and there’s not a lot of steam, you’re probably good.
Take the waffles out and eat them.

Irish Apple Cake



  • 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 cup butter, softened

  • 1 lemon, zest grated
  • 1 3/4 cups applesauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves



  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan.
  3. Mix flour, sugar, and salt together in a bowl.
  4. Beat in egg yolks, butter, and lemon zest until dough is thoroughly mixed.
  5. Mix applesauce, cinnamon, and cloves together in a small bowl.
  6. Press half the dough into the prepared baking pan; spread applesauce mixture over dough in a layer. Top with remaining dough.
  7. Bake in the preheated oven until cake is browned, 40 to 45 minutes.

Awesome Giveaways I Entered


This fun easter cook book would be so very cool. We all love those littl peeps what ever shape they may be in. I would love to skim through the pages of this book to just find out what type of recipes are hidden in the pages. You can enter to win a copy of this cookbook just like I did. I entered here




Great giveaway for $25 gift card to celebrate open season. Want to enter?? Go here

Thursday, March 10, 2016

We are the world




30+ years ago millions of Americans heard the song that would send them running to the music store. We are The World showcased top talents like Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Kenny Rogers and so many more. The song was to bring awareness and raise money for humanitarian works in Africa

The song started the reach for many more star studded songs that would help raise money for worthy causes. Each an expression of brotherhood that reached out and wanted to help others. The song was awardingly welcomed and hugely popular. The song looked over race, class, region, gender, religion and even musical choice to share a song with the world.

Lyrics like "There's a choice we're making" "We're saving our own lives" shares with the world that together we can all make a difference. The choices we make are for the good of the world or the bad.






Mario Day


Mario has evolved and grown right along with me. From my years as a pre-teen and continuing on he has always been after the beautiful Princess Peach.


Recently we dragged out the old nintendo games and my grand-daughter has been having lots of fun.   toning up her scores and learning lessons and short cuts. The same old ones that we learned the first time around are now back for her to learn as well
Do you know a Mario or remember playing Mario

Land Line Phone

Back in the day, the only decision to make would be to get an extra loud ring that could be heard outside. Do the kids get their own line??? What about the ring double ring or no?? Yes the list went on and when little extras like call waiting and *69 were available we all wanted them or took them at once.

Now days the old home phone does not have the same call that it once did. Their are so many new personal cell phones available. I personally still use a home phone and cell only when needed. It is the choice of us all which to choose. Which do you use??

BagPipe Day

Bagpipes belong in a class of musical instruments known a aerophones. The instrument works through a series of enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Bagpipes have been played for centuries and continue to be played. Throughout Europe, Turkey, Persian Gulf, North Africa and North America as well as Scotland you will find those that play the bag pipes. The highland of Scotland are the most popular for playing bag pipes. 




While there are many pieces to a set of bagpipes The main pieces consist of


Blowpipe where the air supply is blow through 
Bag that holds the air reservoir in the past made of animal skin and more frequently synthetic
Chanter that helps make the sound that the set of bag pipes produce
Drone that continues to make harmonizing note 

Perhaps you would enjoy some wonderful BagPipe music 




shared at
That Friday Blog Hop

Festival Life In Cracks



Today is Festival of Life in Cracks. The truth is that there seems to be no one who exactly knows what this day is for or who made it. I believe it has something to do spring time. I can remember that the grass grows through the cracks. In everyones life there comes cracks and sometimes those cracks grow larger if we let them, they may never go away totally but we can live life with those cracks if we simply hold on to the love of family, community and the one that loves us most , our Lord.


St. Patricks Day Snack Mix



With it being popcorn lover day and just a week away from St. Patricks day as well I thought I would share a snack mix with you




St. Patrick's Day Snack Mix
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Fun and festive snack mix for St. Patrick's day!
Author: 
Recipe type: Snacks
Ingredients:
  • 4 Cups Popped Popcorn
  • 3 Cups Toasted Corn Cereal
  • 1¼ Cup Brown Sugar
  • ¾ Cup Margarine or Butter
  • Green Sugar Sprinkles
  • 2 Cups Mini Pretzels
  • 4 Blocks Almond Bark
  • 2-3 Drops Green Food Coloring
  • 1 Cup Green M&M’s or Mint Chocolate M&M’s (we liked the mint & chocolate flavor mixed in but you can easily order green M&M’s or purchase at your local Candy Store in bulk)
Directions:
  1. In medium heavy bottomed saucepan, melt butter/margarine and brown sugar together.
  2. Bring to a boil and allow this to cook stirring occasionally for 7 minutes
  3. Remove from heat.
  4. Place waxed paper on baking sheet and spread popped corn and cereal over in even layer.
  5. Pour caramel over popped corn and cereal stirring with a wooden spoon to ensure all pieces are coated lightly.
  6. Place in oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes
  7. Remove from oven and allow them to cool. Gently break apart any clumps that have formed.
  8. In a microwave safe bowl, place 4 squares almond bark.
  9. Microwave on medium heat in 30 second increments until it has melted.
  10. Stir in 2-3 drops green food coloring. Do not use an excess as the added moisture can cause problems in the bark hardening properly after pretzels are dipped.
  11. Using skewers or forks, dip each pretzel into melted almond bark coating well.
  12. Place dipped pretzels on wax paper to dry and set.
  13. Once pretzels have set mix together with popcorn, cereal, and M&M’s.
recipe source here

This Date In History and Vintage Recipe for Cabbage Rolls


Large ceremony held in St. Louis same year as the worlds fair. The ceremony celebrated the Louisiana purchase


Cabbage Rolls

1 small cabbage

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 cloves chopped garlic

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1-1/2 lb. ground beef

1 16-oz. can chopped tomatoes

1 egg

2 cups cooked rice

Toothpicks

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Carefully cut stem from cabbage and steam for about 15 minutes over boiling water. Let cool. Loosen cabbage leaves.
  3. While cabbage is cooling, heat oil in large skillet. Sauté onions, celery, garlic, and bell pepper in oil until limp, about 7 minutes. Set aside in a bowl.
  4. Sauté ground beef in skillet until well cooked. Add reserved vegetables, tomatoes, egg and cooked rice. Mix well.
  5. Have a large casserole dish on hand. Take one cabbage leaf, place about a tablespoon of meat mixture at the base, fold over the sides and roll into a ball. Place the roll into the casserole dish and secure with a toothpick in the middle. Repeat until meat mixture is gone.*
  6. Place a 1/2 cup water over the cabbage rolls and bake for 45 minutes.
*If you don’t have time to put the rolls together, you can also layer the ingredients in your dish to make a cabbage casserole.

Middle Name Day




Middle Name Pride Day occurs on the 10th day of March every year. It honors the seldom used middle name that often sets you apart from others. Middle names are selected with care often recalling fond memories or in honor of someone.


One other reason to be proud of your middle name your parents gave you that makes your name unique. Instead of being a simple John Smith it is John Jacob Jingleheimer Smith. 

Why was you donned with your middle name?? I have a friend that did not give her children any middle name and yet another that offer her children more than one middle name. do you have a middle name?? What is it, why was you given that name. 

My middle name is Kay, the same as my mothers. My mother gave me her middle name in order for it to continue on. I am the mother of 4 biological children each of them given middle names for special reasons:

Timmy Lee , same middle name as his father
Susan Ann, my nickname as her middle name
Cory Joe, middle name same as his uncles middle name
Krystinal Nicole, after my brother who passed on in childhood

Be proud of your middle name... Tell me about it... Start with what it is

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Happy Birthday Barbie





The first Barbie Doll was part of the American Toy Fair in New York City in 1959. So this doll, more than a doll, named Barbie is 57 years old.

Who would have dreamed that this 11 inch tall doll with waterfall blond hair and a name of Barbie would have been so popular. After falling in love with her Barbie became the first mass-produced doll with adult features.



Ruth Handler was the woman behind Barbie. Handler co-founded Mattel, Inc. with her husband in 1945. Handler gained the idea of the adult like barbie doll after watching her own young daughter play with dolls. This doll would help young girls imagine the future.

A german comic strip character Lili was the inspiration of Barbie. Marketed originally as a racy gag gift to adult men in tobacco shops, the Lili doll was more loved by children. Mattel bought the rights to the doll and made their own version. Handler would name it after her daughter Barbara.



Advertising for Barbie was historical as well. The first commercials aimed at children on the Mickey Mouse club in 1955. The ad helped build the popularity of Barbie. Soon Barbie would have a boyfriend as well as a little sister Skipper.

Barbie has been applauded for having a number of different jobs, had several wardrobes of clothing, drove cars and had dream houses. Barbies appearance caused the most controversy as criticism from her tiny waist and and enormous breasts. Some estimate if she was a real woman her measurements would be 36-18-38 and believe that she fosters false hopes and unrealistic dreams about negative body image.


Stuffed Bell Peppers



6 green bell peppers
 One medium to large onion, chopped
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup uncooked white minute rice
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
3 cans tomato soup

 Note: If you are using very large peppers, you may need to use a little more hamburger and rice.

Wash peppers. Cut the tops off, and remove the seeds.
Rinse the cavity.
Blanch peppers in boiling water for 2-4 minutes. Or, put them in a container of hot water, and blanch them in the microwave. Don't let them get too soft, or they will break as you stuff them.
Allow peppers to cool slightly, so they are easier to handle and stuff.
Cook minute rice as instructed on the box. Cook hamburger and onions in a frying pan, until hamburger is browned. Drain excess fat from the hamburger. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix hamburg and rice together. Stuff hamburg and rice mixture into the peppers. Be careful not to break the pepper. Place stuffed peppers in a casserole with the open end up. Pour tomato soup over and around the peppers. Do not add water or milk to the soup. Bake in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes. Serve piping hot.

 Variations:
For cheese lovers: Add cheddar cheese or American cheese on top. Add the cheese after it has cooked for15 minutes. Some like it hot: If that's you, mix a little hot sauce into the hamburger, as you cook it.
For garlic lovers: Add 1-2 chopped cloves of garlic, into the hamburger mix. Meat lovers: Add a little extra hamburg, and use less rice.

 Potato Lovers: Peel and cut potatoes into quarters. Add it to the casserole dish prior to cooking. Make sure potatoes are below the surface of the soup. When including potatoes, you may need to increase the oven time by 5-10 minutes.

 Got leftovers? Stuffed peppers freeze well.

Panic Day and how to avoid



Staying calm and not letting them see you sweat is harder than some think. Do you ever get rushed, flushed, hurried and it all turns into panic?? I am sure that we have all had this feeling sometime along the way. The best person with the strongest nerves among us some times has trouble keeping it all togehter.

Staying calm may start with taking a deep breath and clearing our mind. Realize that we all do it , panic that is. Another thing to keep in mind it is so common that it has a day all of its own. March 9th is Panic Day. Don't worry, like every other time you have panicked I am sure you will make it through Panic day.

If everything is perfect in your life with out any trouble around then you may think why have such a day. However, there are days of troubles and future problems that may make you think again. Try your best to hold off pushing the panic button. Remember every March Panic day approaches.


Panic Day is a fun day and was created by Thomas and Ruth Roy. While panic is a very unpleasant sensation that can lead to some sad consequences. There has been moments of mass panic such as during panic events often results in injuries and even deaths. The best thing is to try your best to stay calm and take deep breaths to prevent outright panic.

Supressed emotions may result in major freak outs and nervous break downs. If your day ends in panic you need to try to destress and blow off some steam before ending your day.

Some ways that you can release the stress before it is all out panic:

Deep Breathing. I know it sounds rather easy and it is. Simply slow down, take a deep breath in and let it out again. Let your mind relax, your tense body relax. This takes about 10 minutes and can be done any time and every where.



Take a time out and take a sit down. The stress gets to building up it is very easy to escape from the atmosphere even if you can not physically get away. If it is possible to get a way then get away for a moment or two. Another great way to escape but not really physically leave is to read a book it takes you away from your problem and lets you ease your nerves.



Heading home from work stressed out? Take a walk and then follow it up with a shower. Great way to clear your mind and not let you share your stress with those you love



Spring time is arriving one way to destress and clear your mind is to open the window and enjoy some fresh air. Another great way is to have fun and laugh it is not easy to stay stressed out or in a bad mood when you are laughing and having fun.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Protecting Diabetic feet


As a diabetic I have learned to take care of my feet. The doctor emphasizes how important foot care is  to me. I also suffer from Neuropahy and have for the past several years. Neuropathy is nerve damage leading to the loss of sensation / unrecognized trauma to the feet. I work on my feet 8 plus hours a day and taking care of my family, housework, travel etc... leaves me on my feet even more

My feet often feel cold and numb and other diabetics may experience the very same thing. There are several other things that can happen to the feet of diabetic individuals.

The number of hours on my feet has also tore down the fat pad on the bottom of my feet. I wear shoe insoles and these are recommended by my doctor. I do stand for several hours a day, I also walk several miles a day while at work. To protect the bottom of your feet use shoe insoles to help  buffer your foot.

One thing that I am currently looking at on the list is the type of socks I wear. I need to ensure that I wear socks that are not to tight. I try to do this but many times at the end of the day I do have edema I wonder if this makes blood circulation hard to feet.

I have suffered from blisters on the bottom of my feet as well as my toes. I am a nurses aide and give bath most the morning. My shoes do get wet and for years I have worked like this . Recently I have started to change my shoes after the showers to protect my feet from the water.

Are you a diabetic ?? Do you have any more information to protect feet??

International Women's Day



International Working Women's Day was something that I thought was only a part of a country song. Now I know that it occurs each year on March 8th. It is now titled the International Women's day to celebrate all women. Some areas focus on respect, appreciation, and love toward all women. It may be celebrated political or not and the holiday may be simple occasion or part of political expressions. Some areas take note of the struggle of women world wide. To celebrate the day don a purple ribbon.


It seems that this holiday has a lot of history backing. The earliest noted Women's day observance was held on February 28, 1909 in New York. Organized by the socialist Party of America. It was to remember the ladies involved in the International Ladies Garment Workers Union. 

The following year in August 1910 an International Women's Confrence was organized and directly before the general meeting of the Socialist Second International in Copenhagen Denmark. The deciding factors would help lead to the womans suffarage. 



In 1911 over a million people from Austria, Denmark and Switzerland met together. Women paraded carrying banners for woman rights. Women demanded the right to vote and to hold public office. Protest against employment sex discrimination also took place. The last Sunday in February was celebrated as National Women's day. 

In 1914 International Women's Day was hosted on March 8th. The woman's right to vote is where the stress laid. Germany would earn the right to vote in 1918. In 1917 the demonstration on Women's Day was a strike of sorts to honor "Bread and Peace" which demanded the end of World War I. 

It is true that woman have a strong force when they ban together. Many times through history Women's Day has been able to influence factors of the world.