Chit Chat - Welcome Center

Buy a flower pot that you really like and use Rustoleum's Glow-in-the-dark paint to paint the pot. During the day, the paint will absorb the sunlight and at night the pots will glow.

My future home if I should ever get to move back home. Always thought it would be sooooooooooooo cool to have a treehouse for a home

How cool is this

I thought this was a hoot...lol..lol..lol

The local news station was interviewing an 80-year-old lady because she had just gotten married for the fourth time. The interviewer asked her questions about her life, about what it felt like to be marrying again at 80, and then about her new husband's occupation. "He's a funeral director," she answered.

"Interesting," the newsman thought.

He then asked her if she wouldn't mind telling him a little about her first three husbands and what they did for a living. She paused for a few moments, needing time to reflect on all those years. After a short time, a smile came to her face and she answered proudly, explaining that she had first married a banker when she was in her 20's, then a circus ringmaster when in her 40's, and a preacher when in her 60's, and now - in her 80's - a funeral director.

The interviewer looked at her, quite astonished, and asked why she had married four men with such diverse careers.

(Wait for it)

She smiled and explained,

"I married one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go."................hehe  

I will be doing these with my grandchildren when I go home. Also they want to do a huge Christmas Village. These look fun to make



Teddy Bear Cars

1 packet of mini Mars Bars or Milky Way chocolate bars
1 family packet of smarties( smarties for Canada, M&M for the Us )
1 box of Tiny Teddy biscuits
1 quantity of icing sugar icing paste for glue ( mix half cup of icing sugar and a teaspoon of cocoa powder with a few drops of hot water)

Glue each of the 4 wheels (smarties)with your icing paste.. on to the sides of the milky way bars. Press into each centre a tiny teddy biscuit. Glue on a smartie steering wheel for each one.

Homemade Frosty

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 8 oz. tub Cool Whip
1/2 gallon chocolate milk

Mix all the ingredients first, then pour it into the ice cream maker. Mix for 20 to 30 minutes until it reaches frozen perfection, pour in a big glass, insert straw and drink!

You know you're getting older when...toooooooooooooooooo funny....um but true...lol..lol..

1. You and your teeth don't sleep together.

2. Your try to straighten out the wrinkles in your socks and discover you aren't wearing any.

3. At the breakfast table you hear snap, crackle, pop and you're not eating cereal.

4. Your back goes out but you stay home.

5. When you wake up looking like your driver's license picture.

6. It takes two tries to get up from the couch.

7. When your idea of a night out is sitting on the patio.

8. When happy hour is a nap.

9. When you're on vacation and your ENERGY runs out before your money does.

10. When you say something to your kids that your mother said to You, and you always hated it.

11. When all you want for your birthday is to not be reminded of your age.

12. When you step off a curb and look down one more time to make sure the street is still there.

13. Your idea of weight lifting is standing up.

14. It takes longer to rest than it did to get tired.

15. Your memory is shorter and your complaining lasts longer.

16. Your address book has mostly names that start with Dr.

17. You sit in a rocking chair and can't get it going.

18. The pharmacist has become your new best friend.

19. Getting "lucky" means you found your car in the parking lot.

20. The twinkle in your eye is merely a reflection from the sun on your bifocals.

21. It takes twice as long - to look half as good.

22. Everything hurts, and what doesn't hurt - doesn't work.

23. You look for your glasses for half an hour and they were on your head the whole time.

24. You sink your teeth into a steak - and they stay there.

25. You give up all your bad habits and still don't feel good.

26. You have more patience, but it is actually that you just don't care anymore.

27. You finally get your head together and your body starts falling apart.

28. You wonder how you could be over the hill when you don't even remember being on top of it.

Thanks to all that sent best wishes for my little dog Sadie. She is still in doggie ICU but they hope to move her to progressive tomorrow and if she continues to do well she could come home Friday. The Neurologist calls daily and gives me a update on how she is progressing. As of yesterday she still couldnt stand/walk but that was expected. She now has feeling in both hind legs and is no longer paralyzed. With PT they say she will make a full recovery. For those that didnt know what happened. Sadie got up a week ago Monday and was dragging her back legs. Took her to the vet hospital and after over 4 hours of test they said she had a slipped disc and they would need to do spinal surgery. They went over all the risks/pros/cons then the cost...OMG I liked to fell off my chair. Am sure I looked ridiculous sitting there with my mouth on my chest as it wouldnt shut when she got to the estimated stay and cost. She stated 3500 Euros like it was nothing. The entire time I was converting it to dollars. Thats over 5 thousand US dollars. Not to mention all the Pt afterwards. I about needed a bag to breathe in. But then my partner looked over and said we cant put her down. Sadie is his sidekick and is only 4 years old. So hopefully the surgery is a success. But we had to give her every chance

Sadie Update...I picked her up on Friday. I dreaded checking out as they told us the cost could be as high as 3500 Euros. Then he says that will be 1864 I was elated. See they tell you this high price so when its less you find yourself appreciative...lol..lol...Sadie was still dragging her back legs but was told that was to be expected. So with PT she will walk and stand to give her time. Also do the at home exercises with her. All I was seeing was a dog that instead of dragging one leg was now dragging both back legs. So with that said we began the at home exercises. On Sunday she stood for seconds and took off to try to walk. She swayed like a drunk walking on a Saturday night...lol...lol...she is hilarious swaying back and forth then her legs turn to jello and she flops but she is getting there. Today she gets her stitches out then she goes to the water treadmill. Hopefully like they say she will be walking around as always in a few weeks

Sadie at PT doing the water treadmill. She had to walk 7 minutes and they will increase her time with each visit. She will go twice a week

Peanut Butter Christmas Trees

Here are the few items you will need … peanut butter cups (snack & miniature sizes), chocolate kisses, white chocolate (or candy melts) and white non-pariels …

Melt the white chocolate (this will be the “glue” that holds each layer together) and put it in a squeeze bottle or ziptop bag with a tiny cut off corner.

Set up an assembly line …

Tree trunk – upside down mini PB cup – white chocolate “glue”
1st layer – upside down snack size PB cup – drizzle white chocolate around the edges & sprinkle with non-pariels
2nd layer – upside down mini PB cup – repeat drizzle & sprinkle
3rd layer – chocolate kiss – repeat drizzle & sprinkle

Each tree requires … 2 mini PB cups, 1 snack size PB cup & 1 chocolate kiss

Chocolate Kiss Acorn Treats

Royal Icing or Decorator's Frosting (recipe follows)
Hershey's Kisses Brand Milk Chocolates or Hershey's Kisses Brand Pumpkin Spice Flavored Candies
Mini vanilla wafer cookies
Reese's Peanut Butter Chips or Hershey's Butterscotch Chips

Prepare Royal Icing and place in pastry bag with small tip. Remove wrappers from candies. Place mini vanilla wafer cookies on tray or plate with flat side of cookie toward the top. Squeeze small amount of icing onto bottom of candy piece. Immediately press candy bottom onto vanilla wafer cookie. Allow icing to set. Place small dab of icing on bottom of peanut butter chip or butterscotch chip; immediately attach to top of cookie to finish acorn.

Royal Icing: Stir together 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon warm water and 1-1/2 teaspoons pasteurized dried egg whites (meringue powder). Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until spreadable. Add additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to get desired consistency. Transfer icing to pastry bag with desired tip. Cover icing and tip of pastry bag with damp paper towel to keep icing from drying out. About 1/2 cup icing.

Helpful Ideas

1. Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.

2. Use a meat baster to “squeeze” your pancake batter onto the hot griddle and you’ll get perfectly shaped pancakes every time....

3. To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

4. To prevent eggshells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling.

5. Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies treats in the pan and the marshmallow won’t stick to your fingers.

6. To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing.

7. To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on the stovetop.

8. Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato-based sauces and there won’t be any stains.

9. When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won’t be any white mess on outside of the cake.

10. If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it’s still cooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt for an instant “fix me up.”

11. Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.

13. Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it.

14. When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn’s natural sweetness.

15. To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh, but if it rises to the surface, throw it away.

16. Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.

17. Don’t throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

18. If you have a problem opening jars: Try using latex dishwashing gloves. They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.

19. Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.

20. To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience instant relief.

21. Ants, ants, ants everywhere … Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself.

22. Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer. Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous china. Clean a vase. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water and drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets. Polish jewelry. Drop two Alka-Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for two minutes. Clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka-Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary). Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka-Seltzer tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes, then run the hot water

Pineapple Angel Food Cake




Take a box of Angel Food Cake mix (just the contents of the box, no need to follow the directions on the box), & combine it with a 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple in its own juice. (No need to use a mixer, just stir it with a spoon) Grease and pour it into a 9 x 13 cake pan & bake 350 for 30 minutes

Update on Sadie. She is doing super. She is still having Pt and water therapy. She is walking good. From the back she still reminds me of a penguin...lol..lol...They are working on her balance. I just ordered her a huge ball which she has to stand on to help her. Sometimes walking her back end will swing then it turns her around....lol..lol...The one leg which was paralyzed completely will have the Jello effect but then she gets it going. Its a long process and she should continue to improve over the months. Sometimes walking she will pick up the pace and try to run....ever see a penguin run....lol..lol.... its a hoot....

Woot Woot...package came...thank you thank you

Heading out this week on my next adventure...Flying to Norway then want to stand at the Arctic Circle line in upper Norway for no other reason then to say I did....also hope to see the Northern Lights.

I will add a section with lots of info on Celiac Disease....Also will do an overload on recipes for myself and everyone to have use of.

I wasnt expecting that now was I....lol..lol...thanks

Question: Is Baking Powder Gluten-Free?

Answer: No, not all brands of baking powder are gluten-free. Baking powder is made from baking soda, cream of tartar (a bi-product of wine production) and a "moisture absorption agent" which is usually, but not always cornstarch. Other starches including potato starch (gluten-free) and wheat starch (contains gluten) can be used in baking powder products.

Therefore, not all brands of baking powder are gluten-free. According to manufacturer information, the following baking powder brands are gluten-free. Most of these products are available at large and small grocery stores in the United States.

Rumford Baking Powder - Non-Aluminum
Clabber Girl Baking Powder
Davis Baking Powder
Hearth Club
Hain Pure Foods Featherweight Baking Powder - Made with Potato Starch - Sodium Free
Bakewell Cream Baking Powder with Cornstarch - Aluminum-Free

If you are unable to find gluten-free baking powder or you find that the can you have is old (passed expiration date) use this simple recipe for Homemade Baking Powder.

1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon corn starch (optional)

Mix the baking soda and cream of tartar together until well combined. Use immediately. Makes 1 tablespoon of baking powder.

To store baking powder: Add a teaspoon of corn starch to the mixture, and stir. This will absorb any moisture from the air, and prevent the baking powder from reacting before you need it. Store in an air-tight container.

Did You Know? Most commerically-produced baking powder contains aluminum--sodium aluminum sulfate to be exact. Make your own baking powder, and keep your baked goods aluminum-free.

This is awesome...Marines singing Frozen


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWnGwj9s-Fk

Package came....woot woot...thanks...Check you your PO...thanks again

Choose to go where no one has gone before. Where no one else will go today. You can go in search of answers only to find more questions. You might discover something unfamilar halfway around the world. Or uncover something unexpected far closer to home. Sometimes you might need to look back to see how you got here and where you might be heading. Just when you think your journey has reached a end you will be surprised to find its only just beginning. But you keep going because its your journey wherever it takes you.

Post just came...thank you thank you...hug.