Earth Day - Every Day Should Be Earth Day!

Today is Earth Day and people are doing things like:

• planting a tree
• tossing their empty soda can/bottle in the recycling bin
• taking the bus, riding their bike, walking to work
• turning out lights (if only for an hour)
• and maybe some other things

This is all well and good, but for most people Earth Day is just for one day.
They will go back to their old wasteful habits tomorrow or the next day.

They will find any and every excuse not to walk, bike, or take public transportation to work, school, or to run errands, and will jump back in their cars without planning their trips.

Planting trees is always good, but too often just done for show. Taking care of trees so they remain healthy and continue to shade us and scrub noxious gasses from the air is much better.

It is as easy to toss a soda can or bottle in the recycle bin at work as it is to drop it in the regular trash. Recycling drink containers at work is easy, usually they are being collected for some charity. More businesses recycle paper these days because of security concerns and everything gets shredded, but many companies still send the shredded paper to the landfill. Look around your workplace for things to recycle and other ways to be "greener" in business. What can you recycle at home?

The 'Lights Out" for an hour the other weekend was a nice promotion leading up to Earth Day, but how many took it to heart and will continue to keep off their lights as much as possible? And it is not just the lights. Find more ways to conserve resources and lower your utility bills in the process. Adjust thermostats to use less heat and less air conditioning during those seasons.

Enjoy the pagentry that goes with Earth Day, but try to find something in it that you can keep with you and use day to day. Earth Day really should be every day of your life.

What To Make For Dinner?

I must have menu-block tonight.
I can't think of anything I want to make for dinner.

This afternoon I whipped up a big bowlful of Cole Slaw.
I will definitely have some of that.
But I have no idea what I will have with it.

I have stared down every shelf in the pantry.
Re-arranged the refrigerator and wiped it down,
without so much as a peep from any of its inhabitants.
Even frostbit my bosom waiting for something to jump out of the freezer.

Any suggestions?

Power Is Back and I am Trying To Get Caught Up!

The huge Spring snow storm Friday took out our power.

We started having intermittent power late yesterday,
but it would flicker on and off. Probably the linemen
working on sags after they got the main line back up.

Anyways, I'm surfing around and trying to get caught
up viewing posts and photos. I also have to visits my
own sites and check them plus some other sites I do
support for.

Oh Darn! Dinner Plans Got Changed

All dressed up and no place to go!

(pout) (just a little one)

We were supposed to have a night on the town.
A night in the big city. We booked a room downtown so we could cab around and have a good time. My guy has been away on business for almost two weeks and was supposed to land around five and take the car service to the hotel. His flight was delayed and missed the connection and had to take a later flight. Now he won't be in until almost 10 and still has about another hour what with collecting his luggage and the ride into town. Too late for dinner then. Oh well, we do get to sleep in. :-)

April Showers Bring ...

April Showers Bring ...

hopefully, May Flowers.

But here in the Rockies April Showers are more often than not Snow Showers!

I woke up this morning to find my world again hidden by a blanket of frresh snow. The past week had been, well, sort of, Spring-like. It had been warm and sunny and the snow pack in the yard had begun melting. There were even patches of grass showing through!

I like the snow and winter. I also like summer and fall. We really don't have Spring this high up in the mountains, instead we have 4 to 6 weeks when the snow melts in the valleys and everything turns to mud - Mud Season! The only problem with winter returning and the delay of the inevitable mud season, it means I will have to wait a little longer for summer.

What are the weather gods doing in your area?

Deviled Eggs - oh so Many Different Ways

Deviled Eggs - oh so Many Different Ways

Basic recipe:
6 hard boiled eggs, cooled and peeled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 TBS your favorite mustard, I like to use Dijon
Salt and pepper to taste

Slice the eggs in half from top to bottom.
Scoop the yolks into a medium mixing bowl and gently lay the whites aside.
Add mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper to the egg yolks and using a fork, mash and stir to thoroughly combine.
Place the mixture into a zip-top sandwich bag and cut a small hole at one of the corners. Pipe the mixture to fill each of the egg white halves.
Chill for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.
Of course, just double, triple, etc recipe to make as many deviled eggs as you want.

Variations:
Try some of these additions to spice up your deviled eggs. You can even prepare all the yolks at once to the basic recipe and then scoop out a portion and add different extras to have a variety tray of deviled eggs.

• Onion, celery, bell pepper, green chilis, jalapenos, capers, pickles, olives, fresh garlic or combination of crunchy veggies - finely chopped.
• Add meat or seafood - finely chop ham or chicken. Open and drain a can of tiny shrimp, crab meat, or even tuna. Flake crab or tuna with fork. Stir chopped or flaked meat to yolk mixture.
• Cheese. Mince (chop tiny little cubes not shredded) 1/4 cup Cheddar, Jack, Swiss, Gouda, Edam. Or finely grated hard cheese like Parmesan, Romano, Asiago, Myzithra.
• Add more spices - try 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of - curry, chili, or garlic powder. Add 1 TBS chopped chives, parsley, cilantro, or 1 tsp dill weed - either add to mixture or sprinkle on top.

Creamed Eggs and Ham

Creamed Eggs and Ham

After Easter many families have an abundance of hard-boiled eggs and leftover ham. Here is a recipe to help you serve them up so your family thinks they are eating something new instead of leftovers. Creamed Eggs and Ham can be served for any meal on Easter Monday!

8 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and cut in slices or wedges
4 slices cooked ham, cut in serving size pieces
1 cup Swiss cheese, grated
3 cups Bechemal sauce
Pepper, chives or parsley chopped, paprika

Bechemal (white) Sauce:
2 cups milk
3 TBS butter
4 TBS flour
salt to taste

Scald milk in a pan or microwave.
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a 1qt saucepan.
Add flour to the saucepan and let cook for one minute, stirring constantly.
Slowly add the milk, stirring gently until it boils.
Let sauce low boil for 3 minutes to thicken, stirring, remove from heat.

In a baking dish or individual pudding dishes, line bottom with ham, arrange eggs over ham, pour 2/3 Bechemal sauce over eggs and ham, sprinkle cheese over top and then drizzle remaining sauce over the cheese.
Bake 10 minutes at 400 deg or until a nice brown crust is formed.
Garnish with sprinkle of pepper to taste, and chives or parsley and paprika for looks.
Serve immediately with or on toast or English muffins.

Incredible Egg Salad plus Four Delectable Variations

Incredible Egg Salad plus Four Delectable Variations

We will start with a basic egg salad recipe and then give
you some incredible variations to trick out your egg salad.

Classic Egg Salad

4 Hard-boiled Eggs, peeled and chopped
¼ cup Mayonnaise (regular, lite, fat-free)
1 Celery Stalk finely chopped
1 TBS Onion (red, white, yellow, or 1 scallion) finely chopped
1 ½ tsp Lemon Juice (freshly squeezed if possible)
Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

Gently toss the chopped eggs and celery together in a medium-size bowl.
In another bowl, combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, onion, salt and pepper.
Fold mayonnaise mixture into the eggs and celery.
Season to taste with salt & pepper.
Ideally chill for an hour or so before eating.
To serve, spread 1/2 cup egg salad onto your choice of bread or toast.

Another way to enjoy Egg Salad is as a salad! Take some of your favorite lettuce (Romaine is especially good) and layer a bowl or plate, top with a scoop of Egg Salad, and garnish with tomato wedges for a delicious and nutritious lunch! Cucumber slices would be nice for some extra crunch.

Bacon & Horseradish

To the classic egg salad recipe add:
3 or 4 strips Bacon - cooked crisp & well drained, then chopped
1 or 2 TBS Prepared White Horseradish, drained well
Increase Mayonnaise to 1/3 or even 1/2 cup
2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Red, Orange or Yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
Adjust horseradish to your personal taste.
This is great served open-faced on toast.

Olives and Mustard

1/4 cup Olives chopped (about 10 or 12 large olives)
1 teaspoon Spicy Prepared Brown Mustard
1/8 teaspoon Paprika
1 tablespoon Sweet Pickle Relish
You can use any of your favorite olives - Ripe Black, Pimento-Stuffed Green Olives, Kalamata, etc - as long as the olives have been pitted.

Smoked Salmon and Sun-Dried Tomato

This is one of my favorite ways to make egg salad. Makes a great spread for crackers or serve on toasted bagel, English muffin, or bread.

2 ounces Smoked Salmon, diced
substitute 1 medium Shallot finely minced for the onion
Increase Mayonnaise to 1/3 cup
1 tsp Sun-Dried Tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp tiny Capers or minced if they are large
1 tsp Sherry Vinegar
1 tsp Fresh Dill, chopped
1 TBS Fresh Parsley, finely chopped

Parmesan Sausage

Try this on a bed of baby spinach leaves!
Sausage (about 3/4 cup), cooked, well drained, and chopped

• 1 to 2 Italian Sausage (hot or mild)
• - or -
• 4 or 5 links of Breakfast Sausage

Increase Mayonnaise to 1/2 cup
2 TBS Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 tsp Lemon Juice (fresh squeezed if possible)
½ tsp Yellow Mustard

Porcupine Balls

1/2 cup rice
1 pound ground beef
1 TBS onions minced
2 TBS green bell peppers finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 clove garlic
2 cups tomato juice
4 cloves
1/2 tsp oregano
2 TBS Worcestershire sauce

You can prepare the Porcupine Balls on the stove or in your crock pot.
Mix together tomato juice, cloves, oregano and Worcestershire sauce in
crock pot or skillet. Begin cooking on HIGH in crock pot or over MED heat in skillet.
In a large mixing bowl combine the rice, ground meat, onion, green pepper, salt, celery salt and garlic.
Shape into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
Add meatballs to sauce. Cover and cook 3 hours on HIGH or 5 hours on LOW in crock, or simmer for an hour on stove in the skillet.
Remove cloves before serving.

Serve as an appetiser or as main course for 4.

My To-Do Survey

The To-Do Survey

Take the "To-Do" Survey to share your goals and dreams with the Gather community and to reflect on what it is you want to accomplish in your life.

To take the survey, fill in your answers below. If you comment on this post, considered yourself "tagged" - you're it! You need to fill out the survey too and share your list of "To-Do's".

1. My goal for today is: submit the website I've been designing
2. Something I want to accomplish by the end of the week is: finish my spring cleaning
3. By the end of this year, I plan to: paint my house
4. Within a decade I hope to: be retired
5. The place I most want to visit in the world is: Antarctica
6. My goal for the moment is to do my best at: just being me
7. My life long dream is to: be happy and healthy
8. If the sky was the limit I would: travel when and where I wanted
9. If I could help out one cause, it would be for: eliminating hunger
10. The one person I want to meet the most is: Queen Elizabeth
11. I want to be best known for: being a fantastic lover
12. By the time I finish my to-do's, I will feel: accomplished but exhausted

Add the tag todolist to your post and submit it to the To Do Divas group with the title "To-Do Survey" and your name included. Please make sure to copy all these instructions to credit the To Do Divas group.

White Chili with Chicken - Crock Pot Cooking

1 lb bag dry white northern beans
5 1/4 cups chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large white onion, chopped
1 TBS ground white pepper
1 tsp salt
1 TBS dried oregano
1 TBS ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 7 oz can diced green chilies
3 cups diced cooked chicken breast
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 TBS diced jalapeno pepper

Soak beans in enough water to cover overnight then drain.
In slow cooker, combine beans, 5 1/4 cup chicken broth, garlic, onion, white pepper,
salt, oregano, cumin, cloves.
Simmer covered for at least 5 hours until beans are tender. Stir occasionally.
Stir in green chiles, jalapenos, chicken and 1 3/4 cups chicken broth.
For hotter tastes, add some more jalapenos.
Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
Serve with flour tortillas and condiments.

Additional Goodies to serve on the side:

• Flour tortillas
• Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Sliced black olives
• Chunky salsa
• Sour cream
• Diced avocados

Peanut Soup

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons grated onion
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
2 TBS flour
3 cups veggie broth
1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy is best but you can use chunky if you like
2 TBS dry sherry
2 tsp lemon juice
salt to taste
1/3 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts

In medium sauce pan (2qt), melt butter over medium heat.
Add onion and celery and sauté 5 minutes.
Stir in flour and mix until well blended.
Gradually stir in veggie broth, stirring to keep mixture smooth.
Simmer uncovered over low heat for 30 minutes.
Stir in peanut butter, sherry, and lemon juice.
Heat thoroughly and serve garnished with the chopped peanuts.

Serves 4

How Do You Get Rid of Junk Around the House?

How Do You Get Rid of Junk Around the House?

We all tend to accumulate junk, stuff, crap and even too much of good things around the house, in the basement, garage, attic, and closets. What do you do when you finally reach critical mass and have to jettison some of your excess stuff?

• Give it Salvation Army, Goodwill, ARC, or other charity-thrift organization
• Have a garage, tag, or yard sale
• Sell it at the flea market
• Post it on eBay
• List it on Craig's List
• Kick it to the curb on trash day
• Do a midnight drive-by at an unsuspecting dumpster

Coffee, Tea, or ... ???

How do your start your day?

M-W-F = coffee - hot strong and black!

T-Th-Sa = White tea

Sundays ... whatever my lover serves me in bed along with the Sunday Funnies!

Google Brings Artificial Intelligence To GMAIL with Incredible New Web 2.0 'auto-responder' technology!

Google does it again!!
Bringing Artificial Intelligence To GMAIL with
Incredible New 'auto-responder' technology!

Have you seen it yet? You have to check this out!

Are you having an increasingly hard time keeping up
with all the email that floods your account? Sure, you
have created and applied various filters and spam killers
to sort your email into folders for supposedly easier
reading, and yet you still cannot keep up with all your
family and friends correspondence.

Google's latest new email feature is out of this
world! Through new artificial intelligence technology
they have brought Web 2.0 contextual recognition
to email.

This new technology reads the emails for you, contextually
processes the email's content, and then sends an
appropriate, content relative, short reply to the sender
which would approximate your response to the email.

For years you have been on the receiving end of cold,
impersonable, generic corporate auto-responders.
Whenever you contact customer service their email servers
blast back some P-O-S canned email thanking you and telling
you that they will fix the issue A.S.A.P.! (Which is a total crock)
Even Gather uses those generic auto-responders when you
write them about important things like stalkers.

Well it's about time that someone gave the average person
their own auto-responders, and it is even better than the
generic crap corporate models. The new Google contextual
auto-responder sends back thoughtful and individual reponses
to all the email you receive so that none of your family, friends,
or contacts feel overlooked.

Click here to get a look at this!