Horoscope

I'm sorry, but this has got to be the best horoscope I've come across in years!

And, yes, I admit it.... I am a Whiny Bimbo!!!!!  LOL

The quiet plea

Dragonfly

MMMMMMMM TASTY!

Traditional Brew


1 gallon apple cider

1 apple sliced

1 orange sliced

1 cup dried rose pettels

3 sticks cinnimon

3 slices fresh ginger

1 heaping teaspoon nutmeg


1In a large pot pour the cider and add the next five ingereants. Bring to a slow simmer.

Simmer for five minutes.
Stir in nutmeg.
let simmer two hours. stiring every 15 to 20 munutes. apples will get soft and start to fall appart so make sure to stir the stuff that settles to the bottom of the pan.

ALERGY NOTE: If you will be serving somone with an alergy to cinnimon then omit cinnimon and replace with 7 or 8 cloves tied in cheese cloth.


Whoopie Witch's Brew

1bottle sparkling wine
1 gal orange juice 1

2 gal sherbet (orange) sugar (optional)
2 liters lemon lime beverage (carbonated)
2 cups vodka 
grapes

1 Combine Champagne and orange juice in large punch bowl.

2 Scoop sherbet into bowl.

3 Add sugar to taste if desired.

4 Float peeled grapes in mixture, and garnish bowl with the rest of the grapes.

5 You can add more or less vodka depending on your preferences, or leave it out completely.


Spicy Hot Brew

4 cups water

2 cups sugar
2 tbsps ginger (minced)
12 whole whole cloves
4 cinnamon sticks
4 allspice berries
2 qts apple cider
3 cups orange juice
2 cups lemon juice
rum (optional or bourbon optional)

1 In a heavy saucepan stir water and sugar together.

2 Stir in ginger, cloves, cinnamon and allspice and bring mixture to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.

3 Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

4 Strain syrup and return to pan (or put in crockpot) and add cider, orange and lemon juice and then bring mixture to a simmer (or put crockpot on low for a few hours).

5 Stir in rum or bourbon if desired.  Serve hot!

Well said!!!!

The perfect evening!

So CUTE!

For those of you who are "Craft Impaired" like me..... this is the cutest thing!!!!!!   For $29.95 you can create your own Fairy or Gnome Garden in a planter!!!!!

I found this at  WWW.FreshFinds.com   You should go check it out!  And, YES, it does come with the picket fence!!!!

Please excuse the off center picture, my scanner and I have never been friends!  LOL

Super yummy and fast Caramel Sauce!

1 can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
Take off the lable on the can


What To Do

Take out that crock pot – you can to this recipe on the stove top. (stove top is faster, but you have to make sure the can is ALWAYS covered while keeping the water boiling, so use the crockpot... and relax!)

It is important to use either a saucer or a little bowl under the can – so the can does not leave a rust ring on the bottom of your crockpot.

Once the can is in place fill up the crock pot with water till it covers over the top of the can, and a few inch's more.

Put the crock pot on low for 8 hours


With tongs take the can out of the water and let sit for 30 minutes ( it is going to be plenty hot)

Open the can – stir

You won't believe this can happen..... but believe me it's will be the best Caramel Sauce you have ever had!!!!!

2 Ingrediant Pumpkin cake!

Two-Ingredient Pumpkin Cake with Apple Cider Glaze

For the Cake:

1 Yellow Cake Mix (do not add eggs or oil to the mix, just the mix!)

1 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree



For the Glaze:

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 Tablespoons apple cider

3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or add your own spice's, I can't have Cinnamon, so I leave it out)

Empty the contents of the boxed cake mix and pumpkin puree into a large bowl. Using a hand-mixer or stand mixer beat until well incorporated. The batter will be very thick, but will come together nicely.

Pour batter into a greased 7 x 11 X 2 pan. This is the small, rectangular-sized pan from your Pyrex set. You know, the set you had to have when you got married and rarely ever used all the pieces. Finally, you have a use for it.

Bake at 350 degrees for 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not over bake.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan, then flip onto a platter.

Make the glaze while you're waiting.

Combine powdered sugar, apple cider and pumpkin pie spice. Glaze should be thick but pourable. Add more sugar or cider if needed. Pour over the cake while still warm. Reserve some to pour over each slice when served.



Serve warm or room temperature.

You all know I'm a frog freak!!!!!  And this little guy is my newest.  Found him at the thrift store for 50 cents!!!!

I know he's for the kitchen, but I think he's going to hold my special cleaning salt, and crystals.  

Now, all I need is a name for him!

Last pot filled

For that last empty 1/2 barrel pot I got a Miss Kim Lilac!!!! 

It's a small bush, so great for containers... and very, very fragrant! 

Ice blue flowers!   PERFECT!

Time to cut and dry the Sage

This is garden sage, also used as a culinary herb
GARDEN SAGE is a popular culinary seasoning. Among Native Americans a form of Sage is used for Blessing, Cleansing, and Purification and is burned during religious and personal ceremonies.

Carry dried Sage in a purple bag to impart Wisdom and give power to people who are faced with the need to make decisions in Career, Financial, and Family Matters.


Sage has long been burned to purify and cleanse a space. The ancients burned dried sprigs of sage

in temples and during religious rituals. The Greeks and Romans wrote that the smoke imparted wisdom

and mental acuity. In the tenth century, Arab physicians said that sage brought about immortality, or at the very least, a long and healthy life.

In England, seventeenth-century servants of the royal family scattered a blend of sage and lavender on the floors at court to help disguise the smells of day to day life.

In magic, carry sage leaves in your wallet or purse to promote financial gain. Burn leaves

to increase wisdom or gain guidance from your spirit guide. Make a wish and write it on

a sage leaf, and then hide it beneath your pillow -- if you dream about your wish over

the next three nights, your wish will come true.   SMUGING Before you start, close all of your windows and doors.
Start by lighting up your charcoal disc.
Wait until it turns white (that's when you know it's ready to start smudging!
Drop some slightly crushed Sage on it and wait for it to start smoking.
When it starts smoking, go to each room and fill the room with the smoke.
While you are filling the rooms, you can inhale a small amount of the smoke to cleanse yourself.

As you step into each room and with a commanding voice chant the following:

I cleanse this room of all negativity!
Only love and light may enter!

Pay attention to the smoke, because when it turns black it means that in that room, there is that certain negativity that you wish to dispose of.
When you went through all the rooms, return to the room where the smoke turned black and re-do this, until the smoke has turned back to grey!

Russian Sage can also be used for all of the above, and as a garden plant it is much more attractive, but can't be used for Culinary or a food spice.  But the pretty lilac flowers and the heavenly smell make up for that big time!

Beach Plums

My Beach Plums are finally, after 4 years, starting to produce!!!! (they were just 6 inch sticks when I planted them!)

Don't let the small size full you!!!!  They are just as wonderful tasting as a regular plum... but smaller so you can eat a hand full!!!

They are shrubs, not trees like regular plums, and they like all kinds of soil, even the very sandy salty soil here at the shore.  So they are easy to manage and pick....

You can find them in Gurneys catalog, and a few others.... and they are just called "Beach Plums"! 

If you want a small shrub that produces massive amounts of fruit.... go for them!

What I learned

When I was 8 years old I was in the hospital for 2 months because I got an infection in my elbow bone.... called Otelomylinites (I'm sure it's spelled wrong)  It was a nasty thing back in the 50's.... matter of fact there was a girl in with me who had it in her thumb, and they couldn't stop it, and she died. 

I had it much worse in my elbow, the operated to clean it out, removing some bone, and then packed it.  I received so many shots of antibiotics that I remember climbing on the toilet so I could see my tush in the mirror at the hospital, because It was black and blue, and green and red from the shots.  (what can I say, I was a weird kid)

Though I survived, I was told that my arm would be forever bent at the elbow across my chest.  Then my dad stepped in.  He told me..... WORK IT!  when something hurts, work that joint, work that muscle, don't just sit and let it rest.

He saved my life.... not only was he the one that insisted I go to the Dr.s when the pain in the elbow got to bad (my mom insisted that I just had a "cold" in my bone!)  But he taught me to WORK IT!

Within days I had full movement and flex in that arm! The Dr.s kept coming in and asking me to "show them" that I had the full use and extension and flex of the arm.... I was like a side show. LOL

And I've done it ever since.   A year later during an exam, the doctor told my mom that I had the worse case of arthritis in my knee's ... that he's ever seen!

Now, I'm in my old age, and I've never taken a pain pill for my knees!!!! 

I've never gave them a moments rest.  If they hurt, I did knee bends just to aggravate it more.... the more I used/and abused, them the less the pain. 

And, except for a day or so here and there (mainly once a year or so) I have no pain in them at all..... even though my doctor now, insists that I must be taking massive pain killers to be able to work.... I keep telling him THEY DON'T HURT!  And he just can't believe it!

If my neck hurts.... I work it..... if my hands hurt... I work it.  Never let it rest, never hold it still.... I may put ice and heat on it, but I REFUSE to let it rest!!!

I will always be forever grateful for his words, because without them, I'm sure I would be medicated up the wahzooo, and probably in a wheelchair.

After having a bout of limes disease, I developed Fybromyalga.... bitching isn't it.... but I've never had to take a pain pill, because the more it hurt the more I moved around and ignored it.  Sometimes I get a flair up....especially after heavy lifting in my garden....but I still don't take pain pills, just move it, and use it, and it's gone!!!

But as it is, sure I'm getting old, and sometimes I wish I could just sit down and coddle myself.... but I don't.... and everything still works just fine, and will keep working! Because I follow Dad's advice and work the shit out of it.... the more it hurts the more I work it!    THANKS DAD!

This is YUMMMMMMYYYY

Funny experiment that turned out WOW!

This was total folly.  Some one sent me a free packet of carrot seeds!!!

As you know, I can't plant in the ground here, everything is in planters..... so, just for fun I dumped the seeds into a big purple planter that I had!!!

And they grew and grew and grew!!!!  I had fresh carrots all spring and summer. 

Finally I said, enough is enough, and today I dug up the rest....... cleaned them..... blanched them..... and now, after they cool, I'll freeze them!

All winter long I'll add them to soups, crock pot stews, and anything else I can think of!!!

And experiment that was just for fun, turned out FANTASTIC!  Next year I'm doing it again!!!!

Pickled Brains!

Ingredients


1 cup red-wine vinegar

3 cups white-wine vinegar

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup salt

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds

5 or 6 red pearl onions

2 to 3 heads cauliflower

Directions

1.Place cauliflower in a large glass heatproof jar or canister, positioning florets against the glass; set aside.

2.Fill a large pot with 8 cups water. Add both vinegars, sugar, salt, peppercorns, mustard seeds, and onions. Bring to a boil.

3.Carefully pour boiling liquid over cauliflower; let cool to room temperature. Cover and transfer to refrigerator. Let chill overnight or up to 1 week.

Add some beet juice for the red color...... tasty too!

Pumpkin Soups

Pumpkin seed butter

2 cups raw shelled pumpkin seeds


4 Tbsp oil (sunflower, canola or sesame)

4 Tbsp honey or maple syrup

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp salt

Lightly toast the pumpkin seeds until they get a warm golden hue. I like to swish them around in a dry pan over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Let cool.
You can use a food processor or wand-style hand blender to make the butter. Either way, place the cooled seeds in the container and begin by grinding to a fine powder. Then and add oil, maple syrup, allspice and salt. Blend and puree until you get a smooth butter (takes 5 to 10 minutes of processing). The longer you process it, the smoother it will become.

Pumpkin seeds are quite dry with less oil content than nuts, so the butter will be drier than usual. Vatas and Pittas can add more oil or sweetener while blending, but Kaphas would do best keeping the butter as-is. For the creamiest results, find pumpkin seed oil (very healthy!) and drizzle in upto 1/2 cup replacing the 4 Tbsp of other oil. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. (Do not refrigerate, it will stiffen!)


HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN SOUP


1 tbsp. olive oil

4  Small Onions, chopped

2 stalks celery, sliced

2 med. carrots, coarsely chopped

2 med. potatoes, diced

1 tbsp. ground coriander

2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Dash freshly grated nutmeg

2 lbs. pumpkin, peeled, seeded & coarsely chopped

5 c. vegetable stock

Plain yogurt

Cilantro leaves

Heat oil in 3 quart saucepan. Add shallots and celery and saute 5 minutes. Add carrots and potatoes and saute 5 minutes longer. Add coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Stir fry 2 minutes. Add pumpkin and vegetable stock. Bring to boil, cover and simmer gently 20 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.

Blend soup in food processor or blender until smooth. Return to pan, adjust seasonings to taste and heat through. Serve hot, garnished with swirl of yogurt and cilantro leaves. Makes 4 to 6 servings.




PUMPKIN BISQUE SOUP


2 tbsp. butter

1 c. diced onions

1 c. diced celery

9 c. raw pumpkin
3 (13 oz.) cans chicken/vegtable broth
3/4 c. milk

1/8-1/4 tsp. hot sauce

Some chopped parsley to sprinkle on top later

Melt the butter in a 4 quart saucepan, add the onions and celery and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add the pumpkin and broth. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Uncover and cool slightly, then place in a blender and puree. Return puree to sauce pan, add milk, hot pepper sauce and salt. Heat and stir. That's it. Makes 10 cups. Put some chopped parsley on before serving.


GRANDMA'S PUMPKIN SOUP


1 sm. to medium size pumpkin, peel, seed and cut into french fry type pieces

2 tbsp. caraway seeds, rub in palm of hand to crush

Salt to taste

Water enough to cover pumpkin

1 pt. sour cream

Vinegar to taste

In a large soup pot combine the above ingredients and cook until the pumpkin is crisp. Then add butter brown gravy and continue cooking until pumpkin is soft. Add sour cream and vinegar cook until sour cream cooks apart.
I always add a shot of hot sause! but that's up to you
BUTTER BROWN GRAVY:

Melt about 1/2 lb. butter in frying pan. Add approximately 1 cup or more flour making a thick paste. Brown slowly and stir constantly until paste becomes a nice deep golden brown. Add about 1 tablespoon or more Paprika. Remove from heat and add about 1 cup of a little more water to this mixture and stir until well blended.

Pumpkin Seeds!!!!!!!

You know that time is coming!!!!  The only reason I put out pumpkins for Halloween is to eat those tasty seeds!!!  So here are some recipes to prepare you for the Fall!!!

Toasted and salted, pumpkin seeds have a nutty flavor. They're even better flavored with sweet and savory spices.
How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

1. Rinse pumpkin seeds under cold water and pick out the pulp and strings. (This is easiest just after you've removed the seeds from the pumpkin, before the pulp has dried.)

2. Place the pumpkin seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet, stirring to coat. If you prefer, omit the oil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.

3. Sprinkle with salt and bake at 325 degrees F until toasted, about 25 minutes, checking and stirring after 10 minutes.

4. Let cool and store in an air-tight container.



Caramelized Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients:


3 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pinch cayenne pepper

2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds, washed and dried

cooking spray

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.In a large bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons of sugar, the cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne pepper, and set aside.

3.Place the pumpkin seeds on the prepared baking sheet, spray them with cooking spray, and sprinkle with salt to taste. Bake the seeds in the preheated oven until lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

4.Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and stir in the toasted pumpkin seeds along with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Cook and stir the seeds until the sugar forms a coating on the seeds, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir the caramelized seeds into the bowl of sugar-spice mixture, toss to coat, and let cool.

Maryland Pumpkin Seeds Ingredients:

4 cups raw pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay™

vegetable oil cooking spray

Directions

1.Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Rinse pumpkin seeds in a colander. Spread out on paper towels and pat dry.

2.Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray and spread the pumpkin seeds out in a single layer. Spray the tops of the seeds with additional cooking spray. Sprinkle the seafood seasoning evenly over the tops.

3.Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until dry and toasted. Cool for a few minutes before serving.

  Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds   Ingredients:

2 cups pumpkin seeds, rinsed and dried

2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 drops hot pepper sauce

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a baking pan with aluminum foil.

2.Stir together the pumpkin seeds and butter in a bowl. Add the salt, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and hot pepper sauce; stir. Spread the seeds in a single layer on the baking pan.

3.Bake in preheated oven until crispy, about 45 minutes.

Love this!

Snatched this from my friend Mike at http://wiccan-wonderland.blogspot.com/?spref=fb

Hell Summer

I'm sorry, I haven't posted much because New Jersey has been going through the "SUMMER FROM HELL"  We aren't used to high heat here, and we've had wave after wave after wave of heat.... and it's made living kinda unbearable!!!

I DO NOT LIKE keeping my windows closed!  I DO NOT LIKE keeping the aircondioner on 24 hours a day!!!!  But, that's what we've had to do.

I got the electric bill this month and I admit I SCREAMED, and almost passed out.... but what choice do I have in this weather.

I wanted to show you a few things..... I'm very proud of my garden for surviving this horrible weather!!!

This is a Pink Pompous Grass (I know, I spelled it wrong)  for about thirty years I've planted it every summer, in every house, in every state, in every location..... and they ALL died.  But, no one can say that I quit...... so I did it again last year... AND IT LIVED, AND IT GREW!!!!!  I'm soooooo happy with it!!!! It's not big now but they do grow HUGE!!  and have huge pink plumes in the fall.

This empty planter is all that is left of my last Gooseberry.... seems they do fine for a year or two, then they die!  Unlike my blueberry's that get bigger and better every year!  I had to dig up the last gooseberry and chuck it, now the planter is sitting.... waiting for me to hit Lowe's and find something pretty to go in it.

And these are the carrots.... a total experiment with a free pack of seeds, and they did FANTASTIC. I've been picking fresh carrots all summer!!!  I really didn't expect this result!!!!  Now, I'm going to dig up the last ones.... slice them thin and dehydrate them.  Storing them in jars for winter stews and soups!!!

Summer is almost over, and as it gets cooler I will post more.  Right now my son Matt is getting ready to leave for vacation in Israel, so I'm preoccupied with getting him ready... I'll blog soon.... PROMISE!