Dee

"Always be nice to your children because they are the ones who will choose your rest home." -- Phyllis Diller

What a month! Frannie sorry to hear about your problems but glad your home. Mare wrote " Snowmom said you couldn't get any help with medical bills because you hadn't been in TN long enough! If it's Medicaid, they can't do that. There is a Federal law prohibiting ANY waiting period for American citizens, in any state. If it's a state funded program you're looking at, it could be different, unless they receive matching funds from the Feds. I'd sure like to talk to you about it.......maybe I can help." Hospitals have programs for just this thing... If you have problems I can give you info on it!

Wow you sure went through the wringer Mare and I am so glad your back up and around. Watch that Sleep Apnea- it can cause all kinds of havic with your body. I have one long card to send to you which I will get out shortly from everyone here along with their well wishes. I am just so glad to see you up and around. Take it easy and give your body time to get strong. Hugs... A.

HAHAHAHA This is wild Ginger.... I have to print this out, its great!

Its good to see you up and around Mare!

Saturate the area with CHEAP harispray and rinse well. Repeat several times. If that doesn't remove all of it... run to the store and grab some Carbona stain devils Ink and Crayon formula. That will definately get it all out.

GoldStar Air Conditioner R8000- THUMBS UP ! Cools quickly, remote control feature, digital temperature display, quiet and the price is affordable

Arthritis Hot Pain Relief Cream- THUMBS UP! Arthritis Hot, Arthritis, Adult, Topical Your get quick relief of pain, pleasant smell, not greasy or sticky.

Best Gas Grill to buy- Weber Genesis - THUMBS UP FOR QUALITY_THUMBS DOWN FOR PRICE! This is a great gas grill but rather expensive. If your looking for a gas grill there are some nice ones for around 100.00 dollars that work just as well as the more expensive brands. Buy a plastic cover to put over your grill and it will keep for years as far as rust goes!

HALF.COM- THUMBS UP If your looking for a certain copy of a book and don't want to pay full price go to half.com and see if they have it. If there is a book I really want to put in my library but don't want to pay exorbitant fees for it I check half.com and see what the going rate is for a copy of the book I want. If they have it. I have purchased brand new books for a few dollars a piece when the original prices started from 25.00 dollars on up! I got an 95 dollar book for three dollars on Half.com. Now thats a good buy.

A simple way to keep those pesky critters from chewing on your flower tops is this: Buy Pinwheels- the toys for kids that spin when the wind blows. Squirrels are afraid to go near them believe it or not and this is a cheap way and earth friendly way to keep the critters out of your flowers.

Use those newspapers that you have read as mulch for your garden and get your moneys worth out of the papers.

Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart. - Erma Bombeck

Tips for Baking 3D or Stand Up Cakes All 3-D pans work best with a firm-textured cake batter (pudding added mixes and pound cakes). Do not use a traditional white cake as the crumb is too tender. Be sure pans are either greased (with vegetable shortening, not oil or butter) and floured or sprayed with a vegetable spray.Do not grease baking cores. It is important to follow pan directions for batter amounts. The Lamb and the Pumpkin pans are not baked with core and should be filled to the top of the lower pan. Panda and Christmas Tree (or older pans) which use a baking core should not be overfilled. Bake cakes on a baking sheet to catch any overflow. Lamb or Pumpkin can be checked after recommended baking time by removing top of pan. The cake can be returned to the oven without the top of the pan if more baking time is needed. Panda or Treecan be checked with a long skewer from the top. Always allow cakes to cool overnight, resting in back half of pan. also Tips for Insuring Cakes Look as Good as They Taste Unmold a Perfect Cake Generously grease inside of pan with solid vegetable shortening. Use pastry brush to spread shortening evenly, making sure all inside surfaces are well covered. Dust with flour, tap out excess. If shiny spots remain, touch up with more shortening and flour, or use vegetable pan spray. Simple geometric shaped pans, such as round, square, etc. (not character or novelty shaped) pan bottoms may be lined with waxed paper after greasing bottom of pan. Before releasing, gently loosen sides from pan with spatula. This method results in more crumbs on cake surface. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes on cake rack. Larger cakes (over 14 in. diameter) may need to cool 15 minutes. If cake has cooled too long and will not release from the pan, return it to a warm oven, 250ºF, for a few minutes. To remove cake easily from pan, place double thickness paper towel over wire rack. The towel prevents the wire bars from breaking the crust or leaving imprints on top of cake. A clean oven rack or refrigerator shelf can be used for larger layers. Place covered rack over top of cake. Invert cake and rack at least one hour before decorating. Then brush loose crumbs off cake. Bake it Right Turn on oven 10-15 minutes before you plan to use it to allow time for it to heat to baking temperature. Measure liquids at eye level in standard liquid measuring cups. For best results, use large-size eggs (about 1/4 cup each). Beat the cake mix batters for the time and speed specified. Time the beating carefully, beating only for the length of time and at the mixer speed specified in the recipe directions. Overbeating breaks down the cake structure and causes low volume and shrinkage during the cooling of the cake. Underbeating produces a lumpy batter in which the ingredients are not properly mixed. Bake your cake immediately after mixing, as near the center (both vertical and horizontal center) of the oven as possible. Allow at least an inch of space on all sides and between the pans. If you use two oven racks, stagger the pans so one cake in not directly above the other. Time your baking accurately. Test your cakes for doneness while they're still in the oven. Because of differences in individual oven controls, be sure to test your cake for doneness according to package or recipe directions. Large Cake Help If using more batter than one cake mix yields (6 cups) for a large pan, mix a single package at a time (unless you have a large capacity mixer); after mixing one cake mix, stir all together, reduce oven temperature approximately 25º and increase baking time.

Sandwich recipe for leftover meats! Monte Cristo Sandwich 2 slices bread 2 slices ham 2 slices swiss cheese 2 slices turkey Lay 2 slices bread side by side. Put a slice of ham and swiss cheese on each, add turkey to one slice and put sides together. Beat 1 egg with a little bit of milk. Dip sandwich in egg mixture on both sides. Put in frying pan that has been heating with a tiny bit of oil. Brown both sides. til cheese is melted slightly. Slice in half and shake powdered sugar over top. Serve with cramberry sauce. (you can use strawberry preserves) Some places put the sandwich in a batter and deep fry it.

Meatloaf mashed potatoes sweet corn cucumbers, tomatoes and red onions soaking up right now in oil and apple cider vinegar. brownies and ice cream or fresh fruit

Strawberry & black pepper ice cream The ice cream isn't as sickly-sweet as store bought brands, but is very refreshing. 3 1/2 heaping cups fresh, whole strawberries 1/2 C fresh strawberries, chopped 1/4 t salt 1/2 t lemon juice 1/3 C sugar 2 large eggs 1 1/2 C half & half 1/2 C heavy cream 1 t vanilla extract (I used a vanilla bean, soaked & scraped- hull reserved for other use) 3 t freshly ground black pepper (coarse or fine- I use a coarse mix of green, red, white and black peppercorns) Puree the whole strawberries with the salt and lemon juice in a processor. This should yield about 2 1/3 C of puree. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the sugar into the eggs until thickened. Set aside. Bring the half & half to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Slowly beat the hot half & half into the eggs & sugar mixture. Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan over low heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens slightly. Do NOT let the mixture boil, or the eggs will "scramble." Remove from heat and pour hot custard into a large, clean bowl. Allow this to cool slightly, then stir in 2 cups of the strawberry puree (reserve about 1/3 C), cream, vanilla and 2t of the pepper (reserve 1t). Cover, and refrigerate until cold or overnight. Add the remaining 1t pepper to the remaining 1/3 C strawberry puree and 1/2 C chopped strawberries and refrigerate separately. Before using in your ice cream machine, stir the chilled custard. Use in machine according to the manufacturer's instructions (this recipe is a perfect amount for our Deni Scoop Factory machine). In the last minute or two of the machine's cycle, add the remaining chopped & pureed strawberry/pepper mixture to the machine so it doesn't blend, but will remain as a "ribbon" in the finished ice cream. Finished ice cream will be soft-serve texture, so freeze for at least 2 hours more for hard ice cream. Enjoy! You can remove the pepper for a fabulous strawberry ice cream recipe.

Caramel Nut Cake in a Jar 3-1/2 c. all purpose flour 4 eggs 1 t. baking powder 2/3 c. milk 2 t. baking soda 1 t. vanilla extract 2 t. salt 1 c. chopped walnuts 2 c. brown sugar, packed 6 1-pint wide mouth canning 1 cup butter, softened jars and lids, sterilized Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Cream sugar and butter together; add eggs, mixing well. Stir in milk and vanilla. Gradually add flour; fold in nuts. Place batter into well-greased jar; wipe away any batter from rim. Place jars on a baking sheet; bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. While jars are still hot, place lids on jars and screw on tightly; jars will seal as they cool. Place jars on a flat surface and listen for them to make a "ping" sound as they seal, or wait until they are completely cool and press on the topof the lid. If it doesn't give at all, it is sealed; cakes will last up to 6 months. Makes 6 jar cakes. Zucchini Cake in a Jar 3 c. all purpose flour 3 eggs, beaten 2 t. salt 2 c. sugar 1 t. baking soda 1 cup margarine, softened 1 t. baking powder 2 c. zucchini, grated 2 t. cinnamon 1 t. vanilla extract 1/4 t. nutmeg 6 1-pint wide mouth canning 1/4 t.ground cloves jars and lids, sterilized Combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; set aside. In a seperate mixing bowl , combine eggs, sugar, margarine, zucchini, and vanilla; nmix in dry ingredients. Pour batter equally into heavily greased jars. Wipe jar rims; place jars on a cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes; immediately secure lids, tightening in place. PLace jars on a wire rack to cool; check for seal as in recipe above. Makes 6 jars. Enjoy!

Fresh fruit Dip Mix Fresh Fruit Dip Strawberry yogurt Marshmallow Fluff - one jar (brand name for whipped marshmallow spread--I think it is known by other names in other parts of the country)

Westy- I got your squares... they are so pretty.... thanks so much... Hugs

Soy Milk Lovers Check this out! Vanilla Silk soy milk Problem: White Wave, a Colorado-based producer of organic and soy-based products, has recalled some of its 64-ounce cartons of Vanilla Silk soy milk. The products, distributed nationwide, may have been contaminated with a caustic sodium-hydroxide-based material used to clean and sanitize manufacturing equipment. Products: Affected products have a date code that reads Jun 17 03 H CD70, Jun 17 03 J CD-70, Jun 18 03 H-CD70, or Jun 18 03 J CD-70. The code is stamped on the top of the carton. No other Vanilla Silk, Silk, or White Wave products are involved in the recall. What to do: You can return the product to the store where you bought it for a refund. The company also says it will reimburse consumers who need medical treatment because they’ve drunk the contaminated soy milk, if they provide a detailed bill for the treatment. For more information, call White Wave at 800-488-9283 or go to www.whitewave.com.

Left over chicken parsley oven roasted potatoes tossed salad Cantalope and Brownies. Popcorn sounds good Bridg!

I am still hanging in there but still have a fever. I have ear infections in both ears which has been pretty painful and have strep throat . Cappy has been trying to take care of me and I must admit I have been a bit cranky... If I can only get rid of the fever I think I would start to feel better! In the meantime I will post all I can and I appreciate all your posts...HUGS

Menu for the next two weeks! Monday: Barbequed Chicken Corn roasted on the grill Irish potatoes roasted on the grill Fresh Strawberry shortcake Tuesday: Hot Dogs on roll baked beans tossed salad watermelon slices Wednesday: Ravioli with sweet italian sausage chunks cooked in the tomato sauce Garlic Toast green beans jello with fruit cocktail Thursday: Pasta Salad/w slices of pepperoni and cheese, cukes and tomatoes with some onion slices marinated in a red wine vinegar and olive oil and fresh garlic dressing Baked home made Italian bread warm from the oven and spread with fresh butter or margarine Biscotti and fresh orange slices for dessert Friday: Taco Salad Cheese Tortillas Fresh Fruit Saturday: Chicken Fried Rice Fresh Fruit No-Crust Fudge Pie No-Crust Fudge Pie 2 eggs 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup melted margarine or butter 3/4 cup flour 4 tablespoons cocoa 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 1-1/2 cups chopped pecans Mix all ingredients except nuts with an electric mixer on low or by hand until well mixed. Stir in nuts and spread in an oiled 9- or 10-inch glass pie plate. Cook at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook. Serve alone or with whipped cream or ice cream. Sunday: Meatloaf Mashed Potatoes Green Beans Applesauce Cake Monday: Seasoned Chicken Parslied Potatoes Turnip Greens Fruit Salad Tuesday: Ground Beef Stroganoff Spinach Salad Leftover Cake from Sunday Ground Beef Stroganoff 1 pound ground beef 1/2 cup finely chopped onion or 2 teaspoons instant minced onion 2 tablespoons flour 1 8-ounce can mushroom stems and pieces, drained 1 teaspoon salt 1 10-1/2-ounce can cream of chicken soup, undiluted 1 cup sour cream Chopped parsley for garnish 2-1/2 cups cooked (4 ounces uncooked) noodles In a large skillet, saute beef and onion until the meat loses its red color. Stir in flour, mushrooms, and salt. Cook 5 minutes. Add soup and simmer another 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream and heat to desired serving temperature. Do not boil. Serve over buttered noodles. Garnish with parsley.Serves 4. Wednesday: Tuna Salad Sandwiches on Whole wheat rolls pickles Low fat potato chips Cantalope Thursday: Hamburgers from the grill Tossed Salad Veggie Shish Kabobs Cantalope and Watermelon chunks Friday: Spaghetti with Meat Sauce Tossed Green Salad Garlic Toast Popsicle Saturday: Baked Potato- with Broccoli & Cheese A tossed Salad Jello with Pineapple Sunday Dinner: Chicken & Dressing Tossed Green Salad roasted carrots White Cake* with Chocolate Butter Frosting*

Barbeque Chicken is the fare Makes Cappy happy and he don't care If his corn is cold or his salad dressing is bold Cause his chick has been sick with 2 earaches, strep throat and a cold. Browies with Walnuts are for dessert are optional!