Whats Happening Ormond Beach

WHEN A WOMAN LIES...

2011-08-16T13:01:00.003-04:00

One day, when a seamstress was sewing while sitting close to a river, her thimble fell into the river..

When she cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, "My dear child, why are you crying?"
The seamstress replied that her thimble had fallen into the water and that she needed it to help her husband in making a living for their family.

The Lord dipped His hand into the water and pulled up a golden thimble set with sapphires.

"Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked. The seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord again dipped into the river. He held out a golden thimble studded with rubies."Is thisyour thimble?" the Lord asked. Again, the seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord reached down again and came up with a leather thimble.

"Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked. The seamstress replied, "Yes."
The Lord was pleased with the woman's honesty and gave her all three thimbles to keep, and the seamstress went home happy.
Some years later, the seamstress was walking with her husband along the riverbank, and her husband fell into the river and disappeared under the water.

When she cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked her, "Why are you crying?''
"Oh Lord, my husband has fallen into the river!"

The Lord went down into the water and came up with George Clooney.

"Is this your husband? The Lord asked.

"Yes," cried the seamstress. The Lord was furious. "You lied! That is an untruth!" The seamstress replied, "Oh, forgive me, my Lord. It is a misunderstanding.

You see, if I had said "no" to George Clooney, you would have come up with Brad Pitt.

Then if I said "no" to him, you would have come up with my husband...

Had I then said "yes," you would have given me all three.

Lord, I'm not in the best of health and would not be able to take care of all three husbands, so THAT'S why I said "yes" to George Clooney.

And so the Lord let her keep him.

The moral of this story is:Whenever a woman lies,
it's for a good and honorable reason, and in the
best interest of others.

That's our story, and we're sticking to it!!!
Signed,
All Us Women

HELL EXPLAINED by Chemistry student

2011-08-16T12:48:00.000-04:00

The following is an actual question given on a University of Arizona chemistry mid term, and an actual answer turned in by a student.

The answer by one student was so 'profound' that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well :

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.

One student, however, wrote the following:

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving, which is unlikely.. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today.

Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.

This gives two possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.

2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So which is it?

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, 'It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you,' and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct..... ...leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting 'Oh my God.'

THIS STUDENT RECEIVED AN A+.

Five (5) lessons about the way we treat people

2011-05-10T13:41:00.004-04:00

1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.

During my second month of college, our professor
Gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student
And had breezed through the questions until I read

The last one:

"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the
Cleaning woman several times. She was tall,
Dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name?
I handed in my paper, leaving the last question
Blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if
The last question would count toward our quiz grade.
"Absolutely, " said the professor.. "In your careers,
You will meet many people. All are significant.. They
Deserve your attention and care, even if all you do
Is smile and say "hello.."
I've never forgotten that lesson.. I also learned her
Name was Dorothy .

2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain
One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American
Woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway
Trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had
Broken down and she desperately needed a ride.
Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.
A young white man stopped to help her, generally
Unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960's. The man
Took her to safety, helped her get assistance and
Put her into a taxicab.
She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his
Address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a
Knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a
Giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A
Special note was attached.
It read:
"Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway
The other night. The rain drenched not only my
Clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along.
Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying
Husband's' bedside just before he passed away... God
Bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving
Others."
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole .

3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those
Who serve.
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less,
A 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and
Sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in
Front of him.
"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.
"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and
Studied the coins in it.
"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.
By now more people were waiting for a table and the
Waitress was growing impatient..
"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins.
"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on
The table and walked away The boy finished the ice
Cream, paid the cashier and left.. When the waitress
Came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the
Table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish,
Were two nickels and five pennies..
You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had
To have enough left to leave her a tip.

4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a
Roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if
Anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the
King's' wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by
And simply walked around it.. Many loudly blamed the
King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did
Anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of
Vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the
peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the
stone to the side of the road. After much pushing
and straining, he finally succeeded. After the
peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed
a purse lying in the road where the boulder had
been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note
from the King indicating that the gold was for the
person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The
peasant learned what many of us never understand!
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve
our condition.

5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a
hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who
was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only
chance of recovery appeared to be a blood
transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had
miraculously survived the same disease and had
developed the antibodies needed to combat the
illness. The doctor explained the situation to her
little brother, and asked the little boy if he would
be willing to give his blood to his sister.
I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a
deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save
her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed
next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing
the color returning to her cheek. Then his face
grew pale and his smile faded.
He looked up at the doctor and asked with a
trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away".
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the
doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his
sister all of his blood in order to save her.

HR Hell

2011-04-07T11:21:00.001-04:00

While I think we should be sensitive to others, shouldnt they be sensitve to us too??

The following memos are from a HR director to employees

RE: Christmas Party
I'm happy to inform you that the company Christmas party will take place at Luigi's Open Pit BBQ. No host par, but plenty of eggnog! We'll have a small band playing traditional carols... feel free to sing along. And don't be surprised if our CEO shows up dressed as Santa!

RE: Christmas Party
In no way was yesterday's memo intended to exclude our Jewish employees. We reconize that Chanukah is in important holiday which often coinsides with Christmas, though unfortunatly not this year. However from now on we will be calling it our 'HOliday Party' The same policy applies to our employees whe are clebrating Kwanzaa at this time
Happy now?

RE: Holiday Party
Regarding the note I recieved from a member of Alcoholics Anonymous requesting a non drinking table, you didn't sign your name. I'm happy to accommodate this request, but if I put a sign on a table that reads "AA only" you wouldn't be anonymous anymore,
How am I supposed to handle this? Anyone?

RE: Holiday Party
What a diverse company we are! I had no idea that December 20th begins the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which forbids eating, drinking and sex duing daylight hours. There goes the party! Seriously, we can appreciate how a luncheon at this time of year does not accomodate our Muslim employees' beliefs. Perhaps Luigi's can hold off serving your meal until the end of the party? The days are so short this time of year, it may be dark. Or else you can take your meal home for later? Will that work? Meanwhile, I've arranged for the members of overeaters anonomous to be seated farthest from the desert buffet adn pregnat women will have the table closest to the bathroom. Did I miss anything?

RE: Holiday Party
So, December 22 marks teh Winter Solstice. What do you expect me to do, fire regulations at Luigi's prohibits the burning of sage by our "Earth based Goddess-worshiping employees, but we will try to accomodate your shamanic drumming circle during the band's breaks. Okay??

RE: Holiday Party
People, people, nothing sinister was intended by having our CEO dress up as Santa! Even if an anagram of Santa happens to be "satan". There is no evil conotation to our own "little man in a red suit" It's tradtion folks, like sugar shock at Halloween, family feuds over Turkey at Thanksgiving, or broken hearts at Valentines day. Could we please lighten up?

RE:Holiday Party
Vegetarians?!?!?! I've had it with you people We are going to keep the party at Luigi's Open Pit BBQ whether you like it or not, so you can sit quietly at the furthest table from the "grill of death" as you so quaintly put it. You will get your &$^#*$^ salad bar including hydroponic tomatoes... but you know tomatoes scream when you slice them. I've heard them scream!

From: John Smith: Acting HR Director
RE: Holiday Party and your HR Director
Im's sure I speak for all of us in wishing my predicesor a speedy recovery from a stress related illness and I will continue to forward your cards to the sanitarium. In the meantime, management has decided to cancel the Holiday Party and give everyone the afternoon of the 23rd off with full pay. Happy Chanuk-Kwanzaa-Solsti-Rama-Mas!

*no beliefs were harmed in the writing of this and no disrespect intended. Just illustiratring how we go to far:)

Real Warning Labels

2011-04-07T10:50:00.001-04:00

On as Sears hairdryer: Do not use while sleeping. (Really?)

On a bag of Fritos: You could be a winner! No purchase necessary. Details inside. (I think the retailer may take issue to this one)

On Dial soap: Use like regular soap (If you need this instruction, would this REALLY help you??)

On a Swann frozen dinner: serving suggestion: Defrost (only a suggestion)

On a hotel's shower cap box: fits one head (yes but what if you are Zaphod Beeblebrox?)

On Tesco's Tiramisu desert: (printed on the bottom of the box) Do not turn upside down. (ha ha too late)

On Marks & Spencer Bread Pudding: Product will be hot after heating. (Are we really that stupid?)

On packaging for a Rowenta iron: Do not iron clothes on body. (if you are that dumb, don't you think you need a little burn?)

On a child's cough medicine: Do not drive or operate heavy machinery. (I think this applies always. can we just all agree on that)

On Nytol sleep aid: May cause drowsiness. (may cause, it may be an effective product)

On a Korean kitchen knife: keep out of children (OK...)

On a string of Chinese made Christmas lights: For indoor or outdoor use only (where else could they be used, lets ponder.... I guess that prevents use inside the body...)

On a Japanese food processor: not to be used for the other use (I'm curious what that other use could be)

On Sainsbury's peanuts: warning contains nuts

On an American Airlines package of nuts: Instructions: open packet, eat nuts (what about the warning that it contains nuts??)

On a Swedish Chainsaw: Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands or genitals. (What?!)

On a child's Superman costume: Wearing this garment does not enable you to fly (and across the nation children's hearts break)

Lincoln vS Kennedy

2011-04-07T10:21:00.002-04:00

The coincidences between these two fascinate me.

Lincoln: elected to congress in 1846
Kennedy: elected to congress in 1946

Lincoln: elected president in 1860
Kennedy: elected president in 1960

Both were concerned with civil rights
Both lost their children while living in the White House

Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy
Kennedy's secretary was named Lincoln

Both were assassinated by Southerners
Both were succeeded by southerners named Johnson

Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908

John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939

Both assassins were know by their three names
Both names have 15 letters

Lincoln was shot in a theater named 'Ford'
Kennedy was shot in a car called Lincoln made by 'Ford'

Lincoln was shot in a theater and his assassin hid in a warehouse
Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and his assassin hid in a theater

Both Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials

A week before being shot, Lincoln was in Monroe Maryland
A week before being shot Kennedy was with Marilyn Monroe

2011-01-25T19:52:00.001-05:00

A hangover is the wrath of grapes. ~Author Unknown

If drinking is interfering with your work, you're probably a heavy drinker. If work is interfering with your drinking, you're probably an alcoholic. ~Author Unknown

I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. ~Frank Sinatra

Resolutions

2011-01-01T11:14:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!! Since it is the time of diets resolutions and promises to eat healthy I thought I would put on some links that will help with the healthy part. Eat seasonally and locally if possible.

Florida's produce in season
http://www.florida-agriculture.com/pubs/pubform/pdf/Florida_Produce_Seasonal_Availability_Chart.pdf

Seasonal Chart
http://www.chefkendra.com/seasonal_produce_chart.htm

Quick Healthy dinners
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/quick_healthy_dinner_recipes

And for exercise fun, I'm going to do my just dance and zumba wii games. They are lots of fun and a decent work out.

2010-12-13T21:34:00.002-05:00

Recent reviews by Kim H.

What's this?

2010-12-02T12:24:00.002-05:00

The Dog's Diary

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Dinner! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

The Cat's Diary

Day 983 of My Captivity

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates my capabilities. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. Bastards!

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow, but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released, and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird must be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now ...

Websites that will make you smile

2010-12-02T11:44:00.005-05:00

Cats that look like hitler:
http://www.catsthatlooklikehitler.com/cgi-bin/seigmiaow.pl

Cats that look like Wilford Brimley:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/lindseyweber/5-cats-that-look-like-wilford-brimley-ru

Upside down dogs
http://upsidedowndogs.com/

Awkard family photos:
http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/page/2/

How to keep a healthy level of insanity!

2010-12-02T11:41:00.006-05:00

I've decided to all to my blog all my favorite email joke and websites:) Hope you enjoy them too.

1.Page yourself over the intercom. (Don't disguise your voice.)

2.Find out where your boss shops and buy exactly the same outfits. Always wear them one day after your boss does. (This is especially effective if your boss is a different gender than you are.)

3.Make up nicknames for all your coworkers and refer to them only by these names. "That's a good point, Sparky". "No I'm sorry I'm going to have to disagree with you there, Sport."

4.Send email to the rest of the company telling them what you're doing. For example "If anyone needs me, I'll be in the bathroom."

5."Hi-lite" your shoes. Tell people that you haven't lost your shoes since you did this.

6.While sitting at your desk, soak your fingers in "Palmolive."

7.Put mosquito netting around your cubicle. Play a tape of jungle sounds all day.

8.Put a chair facing a printer, sit there all day and tell people you're waiting for your document.

9.Arrive at a meeting late, say you're sorry, but you didn't have time for lunch, and you're going to be nibbling during the meeting. During the meeting eat 5 entire raw potatoes.

10.Insist that your e-mail address be: zena_goddess_of_fire@companyname.com or Elvis_the_King@companyname.com

11.Every time someone asks you to do something, ask him or her if they want fries with that.

12.Send email to yourself engaging yourself in an intelligent debate about the direction of one of your company's products. Forward the mail to a co-worker and ask her to settle the disagreement.

13.Encourage your colleagues to join you in a little synchronized chair dancing.

14.Put your garbage can on your desk. Label it "IN."

15.Determine how many cups of coffee are "too many."

16.Develop an unnatural fear of staplers.

17.Decorate your office with pictures of Cindy Brady and Danny Partridge. Try to pass them off as your children.

18.For a relaxing break, get away from it all with a mask and snorkel in the fish tank. If no one notices, take out your snorkel and see how many you can catch in your mouth.

19.Send e-mail messages saying free pizza, free donuts etc... in the lunchroom, when people complain that there was none... Just lean back, pat your stomach, and say, "Oh you've got to be faster than that."

20.Adjust the tint on your monitor so that the brightness level lights up the entire work area. Insist to others that you like it that way.

21.Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has gotten over his or her caffeine addiction, switch to espresso.
22.Send e-mail to the rest of the company to tell them what you're doing. For example, "If anyone needs me, I'll be in the bathroom, in Stall # 3."

23.Reply to everything someone says with, "That's what you think."

24.Finish all your sentences with "in accordance with the prophecy."

25.Adjust the tint on your monitor so that the brightness level lights up the entire working area. Insist to others that you like it that way.

26.In the memo field of all your checks, write 'for sexual favors'.

27.Dont use any punctuation

28.Use, too...much; punctuation!

29.As often as possible, skip rather than walk.

30.Ask people what sex they are. Laugh hysterically after they answer.

31.Specify that your drive-through order is 'to go'.

32.Sing along at the opera.

33.Call the psychic hotline and don't say anything.

34.At lunch time, sit in your parked car w/sunglasses on and point a hairdryer at passing cars. See if they slow down.

35.Go to a poetry recital and ask why the poems don't rhyme.

36.Call 911 and ask if 911 is for emergencies. (warning: you can get arrested for this, but that can be instructive too)

37.Five days in advance, tell your friends you can't attend their party because you're not in the mood.

38.Have your coworkers address you by your wrestling name, "Rock Hard."

39.When the money comes out of the ATM, scream "I Won!", "I Won!" "3rd time this week!!!"

40.When leaving the zoo, start running towards the parking lot, yelling "Run for your lives, they're loose!"(this one might get you arrested too)

41.Tell your boss, "It's not the voices in my head that bother me, its the voices in your head that do."

42.Tell your children over dinner. "Due to the economy, we are going to have to let one of you go."

43.Send this e-mail to everyone in your address book, even if they sent it to you or have asked you not to send them stuff like that.

Whats Happening Around Town

2008-09-28T16:48:00.006-04:00

My reason for creating this blog was so my friends and I can share the things around town we like to do. As moms, we have a wide variety of things we are looking to enjoy. We need activities for our children, things to enjoy as families and things we can do with our friends in those few blessed moments we can be women instead of moms. I have found many activities but none of them seem so extraordinary that they deserve posting. That has changed. While they are not family or children activities, activities that seem to be severely lacking in my blog, they are some of my favorite things to do. First is my weekly belly dancing class. I am a member of club boom, but you need not be to enjoy this class. For a seven dollar fee you may enjoy the facilities, including the classes. My friends have happily paid this to take this class. The teacher is a beautiful dancer whose love of dancing is infectious. She breaks down the routines in to manageable combinations and some of the steps are from previous weeks. This makes learning the steps surprisingly easy. Not that we in any way come close to approximating the skill and grace she has, we have, however, an enjoyable time, learn something new and exciting and we burn some calories and get stronger and more flexible.

The other activity I have been remiss in posting involves, you guessed it, the Ormond Wine Co. On Thursdays, they have a wine tasting. The cost is ten dollars. There are usually anywhere from six to ten wines with small appetizers to enjoy with your samples of wine. There is a lot of great information to be acquired. If you make a purchase that night, whether a bottle to take home, a glass to enjoy or food from the restaurant, you get a five dollar credit towards that purchase. So really you get all that for five dollars. I won't go on too much about this because if you want to know more about this restaurant, all you need to do is read more of my blog.

Wine Pairing Parties

2008-09-28T12:36:00.007-04:00

Pairing wine with food seems such a esoteric, daunting and above all personal skill to master. Not feeling able to do this alone, I have decided to put a team on to this task. Couple this with my desire to give frequent parties, but not having the resources to fund them in the manner or frequency I would like to have them, and you have the "wine pairing party" solution. My friends and I each choose our favorite bottle of wine or appetizer that we would like to bring to the party. We individually research the appropriate pairing to go with that choice. After meeting at an appointed time, we lay out our food and wine and determine an order to the tasting. I will not give an order because I am not an expert, but I believe the rule of thumb is light to full bodied. Then we proceed to enjoy the wine by itself, the food by itself and then taste them together. The beauty of this party is that you get to try lots of wines and appetizers, experiment with what tastes good with what, and there is no need for planing or RSPVs because the amount of food and wine is determined by how many show up. The end cost is very reasonable. As you may or may not know, I adore the Ormond Wine Co. I went in there before my last party to get wine and suggestions for my appetizer; it was then that I was told that they had over 250 bottles of wine for under twenty five dollars. I was able to get a very nice bottle of wine and make a substantial appetizer all for under the cost of a meal out. If you enjoy wine, I highly recommend trying this with your friends. I am keeping a journal of the best food and wine pairs of each party. As of right now we have had two. The first 'winner' was a pairing of a Riesling and mini apple tarts. The second was a blended wine called Sunshine with a pear and blue cheese salad with walnuts. Much to my embarrassment as host neither of these were mine. Oh well I guess we'll just have to have more.

Happy Leftovers

2007-12-12T16:59:00.001-05:00

I love to eat, therefore I have to love to cook since I can't afford to eat out every meal. Even cooking at home can become expensive. One day I realised that the dishes I was cooking from scratch were, originally, designed as an efficient use of leftovers. Every cuisine has numerous dishes that can use leftover meat and vegetables from an earlier dish. Everything from lasagna to stir fry can easily and tastily use ingredients from previous dinners leftovers sitting in the fridge. The easiest, but by no means least, of these dishes is the stir fry. When I made stir fry before, I would spend hours choosing, chopping and cooking veggies and meats for this dish. While it is unrealistic to think that a stir fry will appear with out some new/fresh ingredients, the majority need not be. For the protein anything from leftover fried chicken, grilled fish or even hamburger can be used for it with excellent results. Why cook fresh meat when last nights roast chicken can be thrown in at the last minute instead of being thrown out after it is "past its prime". As for the vegetables, anything from thawed frozen peas to last nights veggie works great. I have experimented with this dish and leftovers without any truly notable flops. That being said, I haven't yet tried corned beef stir fry but I reserve judgement until I do:). The most important thing for this leftover dish (or any for that matter) is in the seasonings. A couple of different sauces (oyster, fish, soy or chili) will lend the authenticity that your protein and vegetables may not.
I was tired of waisting so many leftovers simply because: I didn't have enough for an entire meal, we didn't want to eat the same thing twice or just because they were forgotten. I have had some of my most successful meals by making my leftovers "happy". I am not talking about the ubiquitous casserole, but of dishes we know and love and make. If you think about the food your family loves, I bet you will see that many are created out of the frugality of our ancestors. The more I thought about the more recipes I found. This is one of many postings I will devote to this, in case, you can't think of what dishes you love lend themselves to the idea of "happy leftovers".
Happy Creating!

Spinach Balls (an easy entertaining recipe)

2007-11-27T12:50:00.000-05:00

I love to have and attend parties. I am fortunate enough that I live in a cul-de-sac where impromptu parties happen often. I also have a group of friends that love to get together and eat. This makes for a lot of surprise gatherings. I found a recipe for an excellent appetizer that can be kept on hand and cooked in 20-30 minutes. These spinach balls are great but NOT diet. Don't let the word spinach lead you astray. They are great because even kids seem to like them. Confirmed spinach haters like them. Isn't amazing what 6 eggs, about a half pound of butter and a cup of Parmesan cheese can do ;). They keep in the freezer in a Ziploc bag so they take up relatively little space. Well with out further ado, the recipe:

2 10 ounce packages of chopped frozen spinach cooked and drained really well.
( I usually put the spinach in a colander and put a weight on it for a half an hour)
1 package (about 6oz) of chicken flavored stuffing mix (DRY do not cook)
6 eggs lightly beaten
3/4 cup of butter melted
1 tsp garlic powder
a couple splashes of hot sauce (optional)

1. In a medium bowl mix: spinach, stuffing mix, Parmesan and eggs
2. mix garlic powder and hot sauce in to the butter. (if you are using unsalted butter, add salt)
3. Mix butter mixture into spinach mixture and stir well
4. Use a small ice cream scoop (or your hands) to form a 1" to 1 1/2" ball and place on a baking
sheet
5. Freeze on the sheet so they won't stick together in the freezing process. When hard, place in
zip top bag. (if using right a way, cook on sheet @350 for about 10 minutes. Check on them
after 7 minutes.
6. If baking frozen, still heat to 350 but cook15-20 minutes. You will know they are done by the
large puddle of grease they will have made.

It says it should make 80 balls, but I usually get a little less. I also usually double the recipe because you can't have too many.

Going Organic

2007-11-18T11:46:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but I am lost when it comes to going organic. Not only are there confusing and loose definitions about labeling the product, but there is the price. I waver between an all organic, all raw and vegan lifestyle as the only way to stay healthy to, oh heck there was lead paint on cribs a few years back, and this is all a bunch of nonsense go ahead and snort that bacon fat:). Needless to say, I in reality do neither. I think what always made sense, still does. Eat a lot of veggies, exercise, get sleep and stay healthy. I do have a few concerns that the traditional wisdom didn't have to consider. 1) The agricultural innovation over the years, and what are the long term affect of those chemicals and practices. 2) The processing of convenience foods and what is lost nutritionally. Lastly, what are these changes doing to the precarious balance of our environment.

No, I don't have answers to these questions, but I recently received a link from a friend that helped me sort some of this out. (see below for link) I really like the perspective on organic foods and why and how you should choose them. This site lists 11 foods in order of importance and why they are an important addition to your diet. This site is written for all personalities and budgets. The number one food recommended is organic milk. The reason stated is a well thought out one. Milk is a major source for nutrition for children and organic milk supports a large population of organic farmers. Patronizing organic producers helps reduce the cost. Organic milk requires organic: cows, their food, and packaging. The site goes on to say that you get the most for your dollar with milk because its effects will trickle down though many industries. Reduced costs and environmentally friendly agriculture is going to benefit everyone. When I went to the grocery store (I always go to Publix), I was comparing the difference between the Publix milk I usually buy and the Publix Organic milk. The difference was only a few cents a portion. It added up to less than a dollar a gallon.

I don't have the budget to have every item of food in my house be organic, so I like having some priorities as to where I should spend the money if I want to. I just look around my son's school and see fifth graders taller than myself and the concerns about bovine growth hormones rear their ugly heads. We do eat meat, but try to limit the red meats, but in the milk we drink, we could be consuming just as much as if we had steak every night. I now buy organic milk. These are the reasons I really liked this site and the information it gave. If you are interested, I highly recommend checking it out even if you end up not purchasing any of the products.
http://www.drgreene.com/555560.html

Resturant Review: The Ormond Wine Co.

2007-11-13T15:44:00.001-05:00

Charming atmosphere, delicious food, and wine. What more could you hope for, oh yeah how about reasonable prices! The staff is friendly and accessible. I can honestly recommend everything I have ever tasted, which is almost everything on the menu. My personal favorite is a special not on the menu right now, the duck and blue flat bread. If it isn't available my second favorite is the duck and apple flat bread. Not a duck fan? Neither was I until I tried these flat breads! Still not wanting duck? The chicken and chorizo flat bread is awesome too. The menu consists of: appetizers, paninis, cheese plates, salads and flat breads. The menu also changes so there is often something new to try when you go in. They have a large selection of wines by the glass. The wine by the glass varies too. All of the bottles are available to have with your meal for a ten dollar corkage fee. (and yes you can take home what you don't finish) Don't let the corkage fee annoy you. I have compared their retail wine prices and almost every time they are the lowest. The ten dollar fee is in place of the usual mark up you find in restaurants. It is a deal. They have many ways to sample the wine before you choose too. There is a tasting kiosk at the front that dispenses one ounce glasses of wine to try for an average of $1.75-$3.75. On Wednesdays the machine is set to fifty percent off. They have several flights: two red and two white which are a nice opportunity to have three wines but only one 6 ounce glass, and they sell their glasses in six ounce and three ounce sizes. Did I mention they also have dessert. The coconut creme brule and the chocolate truffle tasting plate are my favorites. On Thursdays starting at 6:30 there is a wine tasting that is only ten dollars. For that price you get to sample six or seven wines with appetizers of great cheeses and olives, and you receive a five dollar credit towards any food or retail purchase that evening. They are open for lunch, but closed on Sunday. So, if you are looking for a new place to eat, check out the Ormond Wine Co. located on the corner of Clyde-Morris and Granada next to Hooligan's.
http://www.ormondwineco.com/

Elimate Wasting Fruit

2007-11-13T15:24:00.000-05:00

If your like me, you buy fruit with the best of intentions, but end up letting a lot of it go bad. Well my husband came up with a brilliant solution. Clean and wash the fruit just before it gets funky and freeze it in a zip top bag. After it is frozen, you just pop the fruit in the blender with juice or yogurt and, voila, instant smoothies. They are pretty healthy and much cheaper then buying frozen fruit. When my son has friends over it is always something they ask for. We have used every fruit imaginable, even grapes, and the smoothies turn out great. The fruit has other uses as well: they make a great pie/cobbler filling (recipe follows). The best use as far as I'm concerned though are daiquiris! After hours of having a mob of children clamoring for frozen drinks, I like one my self. Just add rum;)

Audrey's Cobbler

2c Fruit
2/3c sugar

Put the above in a bowl and cover with water and let soak (if you are using the frozen fruit from above, thaw in the refrigerator overnight)
Turn on oven to 325
Put 2/3 of a stick of butter in a baking dish and put it in the oven take out when the butter is melted.
Mix the batter (recipe below)
Pour batter into the baking dish
Spoon fruit over the batter (use only a little of the water) for sweeter cobbler make sure to get all of the sugar
Bake for one hour at 325

Batter Recipe

2/3c sugar

3/4c flour

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4c milk