maple cream

On a weekend trip to a local sugarhouse we discovered a great new treat. When sharing samples with us, the owner suggested a unique way to use the maple cream that we were purchasing. She suggested putting a piece of cheddar cheese on a cracker and topping it with the maple cream. It is a very unique hors d'oeuvre and we love it. I plan to serve it at Wine on Wednesday this week. Saturday continues “Maple Syrup Weekend” in our area. Why not go out, buy a jar and try it for yourself?

We used All-Bran Multi-grain crackers, Cuba cheese and Maple Grove Farm Maple Cream.

carrot cake

A colleague at work brought this cake that her husband had baked to share with us. I am not usually a fan of carrot cake but this cake was to die for. We recently made it to celebrate a friend's birthday and it was again a big hit. I do caution you to cut the pieces small as it is very rich. It is definitely for special occasions as you will see when you read the recipe it is not a low-cal dessert. Thanks Ilene for sharing! Find recipe here.

uncle dick {terrell owens}

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: oldest son
Date: Sun, Mar 8, 2009 at 4:17 AM
Subject: T.O. to buffalo

To: family
As I tried to digest this story and tried coming to grips with terrell owens on the buffalo bills, I was confronted by the program from uncle dick's funeral falling from it's perch on my wall.....and Dick said to me: "he's a real son of a bitch, but a hell of a ball player!" Let's go Bills!!!!

laundry soap

I have recently read about homemade laundry soap on several blogs that I visit and became interested in trying it out. I then searched the internet for more information and have actually combined a couple of different recipes. I was lucky enough to find all the ingredients at Wegman's and have included the prices. The entire recipe cost $11.24 which translates to less than 4 cents per load.


Laundry Detergent Recipe

Makes about 22 cups dry powder
3 Bars Fels Naptha Soap Grated ($3.27)
1 box Borax 4lbs 12ozs ($3.39)
1 box Arm & Hammer Washing Soda 3lbs 7ozs ($2.19)
1 box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda 4 lbs ($2.39)

Grate and chop the soap with a food processor, one bar at a time.

Mix all ingredients together.

Store in a airtight container.

Lightly soiled clothes use 1 Tbls
Heavily soiled clothes 2-3 Tbls

Notes:

Fels Naptha is found in the laundry section of the store.

After grating the soap it was not quite as fine as I wanted it so I then chopped it in the food processor until it was the consistency of coarse cornmeal.

When pouring and mixing ingredients there was a fair amount of soap powder in the air so you may want to do it outside.

The soap does not become sudsy in your washer.

Some bloggers say they add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle to soften fabric and brighten whites. The vinegar clears the last bit of soap remaining on your clothes and there really was no vinegar smell left on the clothes. I still used a dryer sheet to eliminate static cling.

I shared samples of the soap with my Wine-on-Wednesday friends so will be awaiting their "market research" comments.

hidden blessing

On our last night in Florida we headed to Venice Beach for sunset, claimed a cozy spot for our blanket and settled in to enjoy (and photograph) the view.

Soon a family came and began playing in front of us so . . . photos of the sunset would now include this family.

At first I was annoyed but soon it became clear that it was making our hour there even more enjoyable. The girls were fun to watch and took us back the the days when our children frolicked carefree in those very same waves.

a true living legend

One of the many perks of flying first class form Sarasota to Atlanta was sitting in front of this lovely lady and having a brief conversation about music, discovering we both prefer music from the "good old days". At age 87 she is absolutely too cute, very pleasant and as perky as ever.

virtual freedom from frizz

When visiting Florida I always have such trouble with my hair. The humidity takes over and after a few days I give up and look like a wild woman. However . . . this year I brought with me a hair product that my daughter had given me last year and to my surprise it works miracles! Thanks dear daughter!

Pantene Pro-V Curl Shaper Anti-Frizz Creme
Get springy curls and virtual freedom from frizz.
This conditioning formula with moisturizers helps keep the frizz away. Your hair will be virtually frizz-free, smooth, controlled and shiny while your curls are defined. Softens hair with moisturizers. Provides smoothness for flowing waves and curly curls, even in high humidity. Gives all-day virtual freedom from frizz
It is oh so true!

A Dozen Roses Diamond Pin

My very sweet father-in-law gave each of his 3 daughters and his 2 daughter-in-laws this lovely Dozen Roses Pin for Valentine's Day from the Danbury Mint. What a special surprise to get this package in the mail today. It was ever so thoughtful of him and I will wear it with love.

The elegant long stems are lavishly bathed in 24kt gold, and the magnificent roses are crafted of solid brass. A romantic "X" kiss, accented by a glittering diamond, ties up this exquisite bouquet. Measures approximately 2" in length.

Wegmans Water Bottle

Every since learning about the BPA concern in plastic bottles we have been searching for new water bottles. We threw out all our hard plastic bottles that had a recycling code of #7 on the bottom.

I have finally found my "new favorite" nalgene beverage bottle. I recently found it at Wegmans Grocery and as a bonus it is even a locally made product (Eastman Chemical). It was on sale for $7.99 ($2 off) and holds 24 oz.

Bacon Cheeseburger Dip

This will be a new addition to our Super Bowl Gathering

Bacon Cheeseburger Dip(another great recipe from my friend Vicki)

1 pound ground beef
½ onion (diced)
¼ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon sweet and spicy mustard
8 oz Velveeta cheese (cubed)
8 oz cream cheese
½ of a 3oz jar Real Bacon Bits
6 oz shredded cheddar (or cheese of your choice)
Diced Tomatoes (optional)

Brown the beef and drain. Use a little of the grease to sauté the onions. Combine the beef, ketchup, mustard, onions and Velveeta and cook over low heat until all the cheese is melted.

Spread the cream cheese on the bottom of a 9” pie plate. Spread hamburger mixture over cream cheese. Sprinkle bacon bits (and diced tomatoes) over mixture. Top with the shredded cheddar.

Cover with parchment lined foil and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Remove foil and continue cooking until cheese is slightly browned. Serve with tortillas, crackers or bread rounds.