Cooking for real with Sunny Anderson

Cooking for real is a show that has many characteristics. The host, Sunny Anderson is unique in her own way and is not afraid to express herself with the food that she makes. You can tell that she really enjoys what she is doing by the way she explains the process of making the dish and the care she takes to make the dish. She makes the dish as if you were right in front of her and she was going to serve it to you, even though she isn't. You can tell that she is a really experienced cook and she really knows what she is doing. The way she makes her food, you can tell that she has made it several or more times and that she knows that recipe by heart. She shows the viewers how to make her recipe cleearly and keeps the viewer entertained enough to stay and finish watching the episode even after a long commercial. Sunny Anderson is an experienced and fun loving cook that shows you an array of recipes from her experience.

This is a great game! Cooking Mama: Cook Off- Wii

Do you enjoy cooking in real life? I just asked that as a trick question, because whether you do in enjoy cooking in real life or not I think that you will find enjoyment in this game!

You can either play alone or compete with a friend - if you choose to compete with a friend the two of you will race to complete various tasks faster than the other, finishing the recipe in less time makes you the winner. Beware, there is always some friendly - and sometimes not so friendly - competition when my siblings and I compete.

You can choose from various recipes from various places across the globe. You will then fry, chop, boil, slice, etc, to prepare each ingredient of that recipe.

This game is quite realistic and is very fun and addicting.

I love the variety of recipes available and I feel that I have even learned from this game by finding out what certain foods are made of and also how they are made.

This is a great game!

Racheal Ray is an excellent cook

I never thought that I could have a meal on the table in 30 mintues or less. I run an all day preschool, and having a family supper in the evening is a must in my house. But in reality it can be difficult to do. My preschool closes at 5:oo pm but there are always those that are late when picking up their children so when its time to cook I would much rather do carryout better yet have someone deliver to my home. It wasn't until about 2 years ago I was scanning through the tv channels and ran across the cooking channel. And there it was 30 minute meals. I was weary at first and thought no way. I then kept an open mind and watched. The food looked good, but there is no way I thought that it could be done in 30 minutes. I tried it out for myself and low and behold I can have a healthy meal on the table in 30 minutes and my family loves it. Plus Rachel Ray makes it fun. She has an chripy attitude and makes cooking fun.

The best thing for baking!

Pam for baking has to be the greatest invention ever!

I love to bake, but when it comes to oiling and flouring pans I hate it. It always felt Ummmm, UCKY having all that grease on my hands and then putting the flour on was messy as well.

I saw this in the store and had to try it. I read on the can: PAM For Baking combines the unbeatable no-stick power of PAM with real flour. It's specially formulated to reach every nook and cranny of even your most intricate bakeware. PAM For Baking is the secret to your baking success. It is no-stick where you need it most.

It does get into every nook and cranny and I have yet to have something stick in my pans at the time of the attempt of getting it out of the pan. I also like that it doesn't have any funky taste to it...just like oiling and flouring a pan with no mess what so ever.

My Nana would have loved this stuff...or maybe she saw me baking.

Puppies vs. Babies online contest

This post brought to you by Puppies vs. Babies. All opinions are 100% mine.

Animal Planet has taken two lovable things known for their ability to both poop and sleep all day, and they've stacked them against each other in a new competitive show called Puppies vs. Babies.  Now is your chance to have a say in this debate with the Puppies vs. Babies online contest! Check out the adorable videos and pictures then cast your vote.

You get to vote from now until November 23rd for the cutest puppy or baby.  The winning puppy or baby will get $5000.00, that’s a lot of money just for being cute!

Let the rumbling begin!

I would definitely choose babies over puppies but my son says puppies. I can understand the role a pet can play, especially in the lives of those who can't have children, but I would choose my kiddos over a pup any day.

I think it will be difficult for some people to choose between the two but I think most moms will probably vote for babies.

Who do you think is cuter? Puppies OR Babies? This is such an awkward question for me.  Obviously if it’s my baby, then of course my baby will be cuter than any puppy (even my own) or any other baby.

Let's see what the results will be in the upcoming weeks!

Which would you vote for?  Let me know in the comments if you like!

My Net10 phone

This post brought to you by Net10. All opinions are 100% mine.

I just switched my phone provider over from TracFone to Net10 because they had the phone that I'd been looking for. I've had prepaid phone service since the first phone I got, and I don't see any reason to pay the price for a contract phone. Prepaid phone services, like Net10 or TracFone, allow keeping your minutes until your minutes or days run out, and you can typically use your units/minutes for anything your phone is capable of. On my Net10 phone I can call, text, browse the web, and download graphics, ringtones, and more from the Net10 website.

You should consider their unlimited plan for $50 per month, if you talk and text a lot, especially if you are running a business. Oh, there will be no contracts, no surprise bills and no credit checks.

For the bare-minimum user, I'd definitely recommend going for the pay-as-you-go plan.

NET10 is part of a larger multinational wireless company, America Mobil which also runs Tracfone and Straight Talk. Apparently the company has a lot of experience in the prepaid arena. So, worry no more. But don't just take it from me, click here to hear a Real NET10 customer share their experience using this service.

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Moreover, check out What Rob has to say about NET10 which essentially sums up all the assistance of the service in under a minute.

For more information, feel free to visit their facebook and twitter account.

Using bone vegetable soup

Using bone soup is very easy, tasty and nutritious.

Make a nice stock with the soup bone by boiling it for 2 hours in about 2 quarts water. Remove bone, add the vegetables and rice and simmer until vegetables are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper; serve very hot.

1 Soup bone
6 Potatoes; diced
1/2 Head cabbage
2 Onions; chopped fine
2 Stalks celery; chopped
1/2 c Rice
3 Tomatoes

Wild Rice Stuffing

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the bread, onion, sage, parsley, celery and wild rice. Gently mix in the melted butter and water or stock. Toss in apples and raisins if desired. Carefully stuff turkey or chicken; do not pack too tightly - keep it loose or the stuffing gets sticky. If you don't want to stuff the bird, bake the dressing separately in covered casserole for about an hour.

This is very good!


1 Loaf bread; dried and cubed
1 md Onion; chopped
1 ts Sage
1 tb Parsley
3 Or 4 stalks celery; chopped
2 c Wild rice; cooked
1/2 lb Butter
-=Melted with=-
1 c Water or stock
Apples; optional
1/2 c Raisins optional

Taste the fun of T.G.I. FRiDAY'S at home with new “Entrées for One!"

This post brought to you by T.G.I. FRiDAY'S. All opinions are 100% mine.

I found the new line of T.G.I. FRiDAY’S “Entrées for One” on a coupon deal at Target. They were on sale. I had store and manufacturer's coupons to stack that made each bag free. I bought a selection of each flavor available.

They have Loaded Chicken & Cheese, Sesame Orange Chicken, Creamy Chicken Pasta Carbonara… this is the good stuff! I’m anticipating the Cajun-Style Chicken Alfredo — one can never go wrong with Cajun!

When you open the bag, each ingredient is separated into individual bags and sealed. This was perfect for my family that includes a hungry teenage boy and his vegetarian sister. I cooked according to directions and just left the chicken pack out of the vegetarian dinner. I added the extra meat to the family meal.

The pasta cooked up perfect, not too mushy. The sauce was very tasty. The broccoli was tender but not overcooked. However, the portions were miniscule. I cooked a total of 2 whole bags for the family plus the extra chicken and we had a small handful leftover. This is a great quick meal served with a salad or fruit cup.

T.G.I. FRiDAY'S wants you to make your own freezers at home a bit more fun by decorating them with their own unique flair, and uploading a picture on Facebook for a chance to win cool prizes, including a home theater makeover.

Would you like to join Fun Freezer contest for a chance to win cool prizes? You should check out today for more details. So what are you waiting for? Visit http://www.facebook.com/TGIFridaysFreezer and vote for a freezer in the Fun Freezer Contest!

Yummy Dagwood's

1 1/4 c Flour
1 1/2 c Lightly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 ts Baking powder
1/8 ts Salt
2 lg Room temperature eggs
1/2 c Melted unsalted butter
2 tb Melted unsalted butter
2 ts Vanilla
1/2 c Chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°. and grease an 8" square pan.

Combine dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients
separately. Make a well in center of flour, pour
in eggs and stir until blended. Stir in nuts.
Spread in pan and bake 35-40 minutes until tests
clean. Cool in pan on rack 1 hour before cutting.

Cabbage and White Bean Soup

1 tb Olive oil
1 tb Butter
1 lg Onion; finely chopped (1c)
2 md Carrotes; peeled, halved
.. lengthwise and thickly
.. sliced crosswise
1 ts Caraway seeds
2 c Chopped green cabbage
2 c Water
1 tb Light brown sugar
1 pt Tomatoes in juice
1 pt White beans; drained
.. and rinsed
1 tb Cider vinegar
1/4 c Parsley; optional

Heat oil and butter in large saucepan over medium
heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add carrot and
celery; sauté 3 minutes. Add caraway seeds; cook,
stirring, 1 minute.

Stir in cabbage, water and sugar. Bring to
boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5
minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juice, breaking up
tomatoes with wooden spoon. Cover and simmer 20
minutes.

Add beans and vinegar. Simmer, uncovered, 5
minutes or until heated through. Stir in parsley
if you wish.

Baked Chicken with Carrots & Potatoes

3 lb To 4 cut up fryer
6 Potatoes; peeled and
.. quartered
4 Carrots; peeled
1 c Crushed tomatoes
2 tb Parsley
1 ts Basil
2 Cloves garlic; minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c Grated Parmesan cheese
3 tb Vegetable oil

Wash chicken and dry. Cover bottom of roasting pan
with oil. Place chicken in pan and arrange
potatoes in between. Sprinkle tomatoes, parsley,
basil, garlic, salt and pepper over chicken and
potatoes/carrots. Lastly, sprinkle with cheese and oil.

Bake at 375° 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until done.

Makes 4 servings

Straight Talk will be your best option

This post brought to you by Straight Talk. All opinions are 100% mine.

I love my Straight Talk phone. Straight talk helped me go from paying $80 per month with US Cellular to $45 for the same thing. Straight Talk has amazingly affordable plans like the “All You Need Plan” that meets even the needs of heavy phone users with 1,000 minutes, 1,000 texts and 30 MB of web data. Their Unlimited Monthly service is only $45, and includes calls, text, picture messaging, and web. Monthly plans have no activation, reactivation, or termination fees!

No contracts, no surprise bills and no credit checks. Even better, they offer great nationwide coverage and excellent reception and connectivity. You can even Call a friend on Straight Talks phones from LG, Motorola, Kyocera, Nokia and Samsung!

Switching to Straight Talk could almost cut your phone bill in half. Hook, line and sinker

Can you imagine having that extra money in your pocket instead of forking it over to your cell phone company?

If you're worried about phone selection, don't fret. You can choose among a wide array of amazing smartphones, touch screen phones and app capable phones with features like voice navigation, camera, video recorder, music player, instant messaging and Bluetooth. You can even get an Android on Straight Talk. The Android-based Samsung Galaxy Precedent at under $150 off-contract. That’s a nice deal coupled with Wal-Mart’s $45 per month plan for unlimited voice, text and data.

Specifications for the Android 2.2-powered Precedent are on the lower end of the spectrum, but considering the target demographic, it's still quite a device. Hardware includes an 800MHz processor, 384MB RAM, a 3.2-inch display, and 2-megapixel camera as well as support for Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth connections.

You can sign up for more information on the Straight Talk website.

Bread Sticks

2 1/2 c Extra light mix*
1/2 c Corn meal
1/2 c Water
3 tb To 4 sesame seeds

*Separate recipe.

Preheat oven to 400°. Oil baking sheet; set aside.

Mix mix & cornmeal; add water and stir until dough
forms. Knead gently in bowl until dough sticks
together adding a little more water if needed.

Pinch off balls about 1 1/2" in diameter and roll
between palms into cigars about 3 1/2" long.
Moisten slightly with wet hands and roll in sesame
seeds to cover.

Bake on baking sheet about 20 minutes, or until
golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes about 16 bread sticks.

Best Ever Apple Pie

Pastry for two crust pie
1/2 c Brown sugar; packed
1/4 c Sugar
2 tb Flour
1 ts Cinnamon; ground
1 pn Salt
1 lg Egg
2 tb Water
8 c Apples; sliced
1 tb Lemon juice
1 ts Vanilla extract
2 tb Unsalted butter
1 tb Sugar for crust; optional

The secret to a good apple pie is to use a few
different kinds of apples. When I make it, I use
Granny Smiths, Macs, and Macouns. The object is to
combine sweet and tart, crisp and soft.

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Roll out the crust, line the pie tin leaving a
1 inch overhang.

3. Mix both sugars with the flour, cinnamon and
salt. In another bowl, whisk together the egg and
the water.

4. Toss the apples with the lemon juice, then the
sugar, then the vanilla in a large bowl.

5. Put the apples in the pie crust and dot with
the butter. Brush the edges of the pastry with the
egg glaze. Roll the top pastry thin and lay it
over the apples. Pull the overhang up and over and
crimp edges.

6. Brush the top crust with SOME of the egg glaze.
If you use all of it the crust is going to get
soggy. Cut slits and sprinkle with sugar if
desired.

7. Put the pie on a baking sheet and bake in the
bottom third of the oven until the pastry is
golden and the apples are tender, about 50
minutes. Remove from oven and let sit at least 15
minutes before serving.

I am a huge fan of Express Jeans!

This post brought to you by Express. All opinions are 100% mine.

Express Jeans is still around.  I remember their clothing when I was in Junior High/High School!  I stumbled across STELLA JEAN LEGGING’s "Express jeans" last year and I'm very glad that I did.  I stopped wearing jeans for years because I could never find ones that fit properly.....until last year.  I have several pairs in different colors.  I love their fit.  The Stella Style is what I call "real jeans for real women." 

What makes Express jeans stand out among the others are that they are designed with exclusive washes and signature details. They make their owner feel comfy & sexy. And don’t worry about not finding a pair which will fit your body type. Their wide range of styles will ensure you finding the one matches your taste and lifestyle.

Express offers men's jeans and women's jeans, but right now, they are having an Express giveaway of 50 free pairs of women's jeans and there is a chance that you could be one of the lucky winners.

Leave me a comment and tell me which ones are your favorites. How do you dress up or dress down your jeans. Also hop on over to the Express giveaway to enter. Good luck and have a great day!!

Baked Onions

This is so good and very simple , plus these onions are low calorie!

Yield: 1 Servings

4 md Onions
1/4 c Butter; melted
Salt & pepper

Put onions on a tin and bake as for potatoes. When
done, remove skins, pour on butter. Sprinkle with
salt and pepper and serve hot.

The Devil's Food Cake

Yield: 1 Servings

2 c Sugar
1/2 c Shortening or lard
2 Eggs
pn Salt
1/2 c Cocoa
1/2 c Boiling water
1 c Sour milk
1 ts Vanilla
2 1/2 c Flour

Dissolve baking soda in water. Then mix together
all ingredients in the order given. Grease and
flour pans, bake in a 375° degree oven for 45-50
minutes.

For a double chocolate splurge, this luscious chocolate cake is filled and frosted with a chocolate cream cheese frosting, but you can use any frosting you like.

Upromise Celebrates its 10th Anniversary!

This post brought to you by UPromise. All opinions are 100% mine.

When it comes to college savings, parents and students need all the help they can get. Even a small sum of money can make a difference and can help to ease the financial strain. Fortunately, there are many options to help plan for the cost of higher education and one of them is www.upromisetodream.com, an online service that helps you save for school.

For those of you who are not familiar, Upromise is a web service with college savings in mind and it has been around now for several years. The way this service works is simple: You shop for certain items in the grocery store, or online, or you eat at Upromise affiliated restaurants and you accumulate cash with each purchase. With grocery stores, you have to register your grocery store card with Upromise.com in order to track what you buy and award your money. With restaurants, you have to register your credit and/or debit cards. With online purchasing, you simply logon to your Upromise.com account and click a link that takes you into the site. There is no limit to the number of debit, credit, or grocery store cards you can register, and this means that parents and others can offer to add themselves to your Upromise.com account, helping to accumulate funds even faster.

Upromise is celebrating its 10th Anniversary and will be giving away a total of $20,000 to users who share a story that tells of how a parent has supported a child's dream. Users can participate in the sweepstakes by submitting a story, and can vote on their favorite stories by “liking” them. Upromise will give away $1,000 to 10 winners and a grand prize winner for $10,000 will be selected from the participants as well. A contest is in place to help offset the costs for college. I am very excited about spreading the buzz to other families. 

Please visit: dream wall official rules for more about the contest and go share your dream at www.upromisetodream.com.

I added my dream to the Dream Wall. And my dream is very simple “My dream for my children is that they can achieve their own dreams." In the end we all have the same dream for our children: For their health, happiness, and success.

I strongly encourage you to submit your dreams for a chance to win.  I would love for you to share your story with a comment here on my blog post as well.

Banana Choc Chip Cake

This cake freezes beautifully, so eat one now and freeze one to enjoy later.

This is not only the ultimate banana bread but also the perfect vehicle for overripe bananas. It is based on a recipe that my mom used to make when my brother and I were growing up.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (625 ml)
2 tsp baking soda (10 ml)
1/4 tsp salt (1 ml)
1 cup canola oil (250 ml)
2 cups granulated sugar (500 ml)
4 eggs
2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 large) (500 ml)
1 tsp vanilla (5 ml)
1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips (325 ml)
3/4 cup toasted walnuts (optional) 175 (ml)

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C)

Two 9- by 5-inch (2 L) metal loaf pans, lined with parchment or waxed paper, greased

In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, using electric mixer, beat oil and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add bananas and vanilla, beating well. Add flour mixture, beating just until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts, if using.

Spread batter in prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes or until a tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans on racks for 15 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool completely on racks.

Yield: 8 servings

Tip: You can easily freeze overripe bananas, skin and all. Just be sure to thaw them before mashing.

Making BANANA cake

The aroma of bananas will permeate your kitchen, tempting you to eat dessert first. Don't give in! This is one cake that's worth getting through a meal for.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
3 cups flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon baking soda (add to pureed bananas)
3 pureed bananas, very ripe

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 stick butter, softened
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 box powdered sugar (1 lb.)
3 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13" baking pan or two 9" layer cake pans.

2. Cream butter, sugar and eggs. Sift flour several times, then add the salt and baking powder to the flour.

3. To the creamed butter mixture, add the milk and flour (alternating, beginning and ending with flour).

4. Add vanilla and mashed bananas (with the baking soda added to the bananas) to this mixture.

5. Bake layer cakes (9") for 25-30 minutes, oblong (9x13") for 35-40 minutes.

Frosting Directions:

1. Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth, add sugar and vanilla and blend well. Spread on cooled cake.

Cake for Grandma!?!

It’s a cake in the shape of a man’s member! This is a cake to make your grandma blush.

Disturbing Shit Cake

Cakes are easy to make, fun to eat, and, above all, delicious. But! how about this one? A SHIT cake? Lol If you find this cake appetizing, there may well be something wrong with you.

Rat Infant Donut

Image via uniquefoods.org

Disturbing? What ever it is. Real donut or not?! DONUT eat it.....

A Straight Talk Plan

This post brought to you by Straight Talk. All opinions are 100% mine.

We had tried a couple low cost pre-paid cell phone services - before I settled on wanting to try Straight Talk - I wanted to try Straight Talk because the talk minutes and the text minutes were separate - Something the other companies combined - So with another company - if I bought 750 minutes - that included both talk and text - but with Straight Talk - on their $45 unlimited plan - I could get 1000 talk minutes Plus 1000 texts and 30 MB of web data - and using their unlimited plan I never used up either one - Then we decided to get rid of our landline - and go strictly with Straight Talk - I bought one of their Smart phones - The Nokia 6790 Surge - Its Great! I have to use the Unlimited Plan with it - which is ok since it’s our primary phone now - and everyone in the family will use it as some time - My wife has my old Straight Talk T401 phone which she can use the unlimited plan with - and that's all she needs - Around where we live - there is one small area out on the highway north of us that is a "dead zone" about a mile where normally we never got any bars - but with the Nokia Smart Phone I haven't had a problem - I really like that my kids can get a hold of me when I'm not home - and my mom knows best and she told me to never lock myself into any long term contracts and this company doesn't have that - I think it’s the best deal for the money - and we're actually saving some money by going with Straight Talk and getting rid of our land line!

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Straight Talk only uses reliable phone manufacturers like LG, Nokia, Motorola and Samsung and you get nationwide, reliable coverage. All 411 calls are included for no extra charge. Like I said, no surprise charges with this company!

It looks like Straight Talk has everything you need in a cell phone to be able to call a friend or family while saving money at the same time. With no surprise bills, no long term contracts and no credit checks!

Carbonite - Best PC or Mac Backup Software Program

This post brought to you by Carbonite. All opinions are 100% mine.

Computer storage devices such as hard drives are susceptible to crashes, which can put any important files that you have stored in danger of being wiped out. Though you can create backups of files and folders on other storage media, you can also use services such as Carbonite  online backup to create backups online, after which you can restore the backed-up files whenever you want.

Carbonite is a service that backs up the valuable data on your PC or Mac.  The service downloads a small program on your computer that sits in the system tray.  That program will back up most of your files automatically and anything you tell it to backup.  The program also constantly looks for new files to backup and updates to previously back-up files.  If you have, say, a spreadsheet backed up, and you make changes to it, the updated file will be backed up within minutes. Once your initial backup is complete (it can take days depending on how much needs to be backed up), subsequent backups take a few minutes or less. According to the Carbonite website, your data is stored at their datacenter and is encrypted for security. To access backed up files, you can get to your backup through My Computer. More than that, you can access the backed up files from your mobile phone, using the free Carbonite apps designed for the iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry or Android smartphone. Other things you can do include the management of your own encryption key and the priority setting for choosing the files to be recovered first.

However, Carbonite online computer backup will charge you yearly to store your files on their servers.

Carbonite comes with a free 15 day trial.  After that, it costs $59 for one year, $118 for 2 years, and $177 for 3 years.  Even at one year at a time, that's still less than $5 a month.  That's a very reasonable price for such a valuable service. But now you can use the offer code “BLOGAD” to get your two free months with the purchase.

I encourage you to give Carbonite a try.  If you don't like it, just uninstall the program, and your data is deleted from the backup in 72 hours.  You don't have to give any credit card information until you're ready to purchase the service.

We are starting to learn about all grain brewing

Over the summer my roommate and I have produced around a dozen different beers. We started out with the basic canned kits and have moved onto trying more advanced techniques like using liquid yeast, liquid wort and flavouring with grains. We always have two or three batches on the go and demand is always exceeding supply! Along with our ongoing experimentation we are starting to learn about all grain brewing as a next step!

I’m very picky about bananas

I’m very picky about bananas. The banana can’t be too soft, too hard, or too green. I won’t eat it if it has brown spots. But I buy them when I see them and waste them.

Whenever I eat off a breakfast buffet, I always get one and eat it and it’s the best part of my breakfast.

I need to go pick a good one and eat it!

i promised myself i wouldn't buy any junk food.

To make things clear, i didn't stop eating completely. i promised myself i wouldn't buy any junk food. but if someone bought or offered it to me, i would eat it. as this rarely happens, i see no harm in eating it once in a while. well, buying and consuming junk food was a toughie especially during the times of craving. but i constantly reminded myself that.

"i've gone this far! why consume it now and ruin all the days that i haven't consumed it and having to start all over again?"

it was also easy for me to stop because i went through the fasting month of ramadhan. this certainly helped big time as i couldn't eat from sunrise til sunset.

Cake w/ ANTS!

I made a great old-fashioned sweet cream cake Friday night and delved right into it. I had to wrap it with foil and left it on the cooling rack over the double sink. So when I got up the next morning, the dam ants had found it and were just working their little tails off to get as much of it that they could carry to their house before I discovered them. Those little buggers work fast. I think I saw two larger ants, must have been the sergeant and lieutenant, scooting around and nudging the workers to work faster. These guys must have gone to management school they were so proficient at their nose bumps and nudges. So I wrapped the thing back up, ants and all and tossed the remaining cake into the trash can. Let 'em die in there, that would be fewer I'd have to hunt down and execute and surely they'd be dying happy.

I put some Terro Ant Killer out and the remaining battalion came hurrying out and started scarfing up the nice sweet nectar they thought they were getting. After the morning and most of the afternoon, I didn't see them thinning out enough to suit me so I got out the big gun and used a can of Raid for flying insects on them and down toward their house. Didn't take very long then. None of 'em were left or they were afraid to show their faces again for a while. Two or three ventured out again later; don't know how they missed the initial deluge, so I zapped them too. It's been over 24 hours now so I felt I was fairly safe to try for another cake.

And it is one of the best-tasting melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cake I've ever made. I made a butter cream cocoa frosting and one bite will make you want to leave your spouse and come and camp outside my doorstep just to beg for another cake like it. I swear this is true!!!

When you're in your kitchen and have things to do (like want to eat your cake but can't because ants have adopted it), what do you do? Toss it? Give it to the dog or cat? Trust me, the dog would have dug in. Not so much the cat as she's not into sweets.

Oh, and the cake is ¾ gone now and I did share with the neighbor.

I make my own hamburgers at home

I have noticed that here, when people talk about hamburgers, they all are speaking about a fast food chain or another or about patties that you buy already made.

Two days ago, I went to my daughter´s home for lunch. My eldest granddaughter announced that her BF was coming for a late lunch after the university.

There were no more steaks at the house so she went and bought a couple of ready made hamburgers. I noticed they were more expensive than a real steak and I would not vouch for its contents.

I make my own hamburgers at home and season them in different ways so they don´t always taste the same. I even grind the meat at home many times because I can do it with cheap meat in sale and prepare it taking away the fat and trimming it. Some of the unwanted meat I boil a long time with herbs and make good broths.

Do you make your own hamburgers? If you don´t, is it because you don´t like the homemade ones or for lack of time? Share!

My son and daughter just loves the straight talk phone so much!

This post brought to you by Straight Talk. All opinions are 100% mine.

Hi, my son and daughter just loves the straight talk phone so much that they have actually took real good care of these phones more than any other phone they ever had, I was shocked. The minutes are not so bad, it ranges from $35 to $45 unlimited plan of text, talk, and access to the web.

The straight talk phone also lets them access the mobile web even when they don't have any minutes left on the straight talk phone. This is the best because they don’t worry me as much to get them some minutes. The second best thing about the straight talk is the service, which I love because we live out in the country area where most pre-paid phones don't get service. The straight talk is the best because my son and daughter get plenty of service anywhere they go, it really is the best for the pay as you go and I would personally suggest the straight talk to anyone who is willing to go with this plan instead of a contract phone.

When it comes to Straight talk everything is fine, no falling astray here.  There are no contracts, no surprise bills and no credit checks either. There is no activation fee, reactivation or even termination fee. If you only need to text a friend, call a friend, or access the web, then you only need to pay the unlimited monthly service of only $45. The $45 a month plan is ideal for heavy phone users for it includes unlimited talk, unlimited text and internet access. You would have everything you need for half the price of your usual telephone bill. Even your children would say that mom knows best if they learn that having a Straight Talk phone is still within your monthly budget.

Listen to what Scott Canterbury has to say, he loves Straight Talk, hook, line and sinker. You can also check out the video below if you’re not completely sold!

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I love my Net10 Phone!

This post brought to you by Net10. All opinions are 100% mine.

I have been using the NET10 phone for 2 years now. I keep checking other carriers and try to compare the plans. To date I still find NET10 is better in terms of having a fixed price per call (10cents/min) where as other carriers does like they cut a dollar in addition if you make at least one call a day in addition to the charge per each minute of the call. So you end up paying $30 extra if you call every day.

 

 

NET10 coverage is very good. I was in California then in Virginia, Los Angeles and now in New York. All the places are in very good coverage.

Enroll in the NET10 Unlimited Calling and Text Messaging Plan for only $50.00/month. With this plan come unlimited nationwide talk, unlimited text, unlimited Web Email, and unlimited calls to 411 at no additional charge. You have to purchase a NET10 Unlimited Phone. There are only 3 choices at this time, but the phones are decent.

NET10 also offers pay-as-you-go prepaid wireless service with no credit checks, monthly fees, or contract restrictions. TracFone is the wireless service provider for NET10 and offers local, long distance, and roam calling options. NET10 features a variety of cell phones from major cell manufacturers, such as Motorola, LG, and Samsung, as well as ringtone and graphic download options. NET10 offers features such as voice mail, caller ID, text messaging, and call waiting. Obtain NET10 service with no activation or deactivation fees or security deposits.

So, I recommend NET10 phone.

Best thing is you buy $30 card and it's valid for 2 months. It's like $15 a month and if you keep buying airtime you get 2 months each gets added to your validity. So after some time you don't have to recharge your phone until your minutes are over for any number of months.

Check out real NET10 customer testimonials and hear their experiences.

 

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Moreover, don’t forget to follow NET10 on http://twitter.com/#!/Net10_Wireless or Join the NET10 Wireless Facebook Fanpage for more information on product offers!

see the Light and enjoy the benefits of NET10.

Do you know any other fruit that are good for anti cancer?

Tomatoes are a full of anti-oxidants and thought to be rich in anti-cancer properties. Tomato ketchup and puree are even better as they are more concentrated forms. I eat tomatoes a lot and when I had fresh ones in the garden I had them with every meal.

Pineapple is also one fruit i know that are reach in nutrients which can help to fight or prevent cancer. I love pineapple fruit but it is just too acidic if compare to other fruits. my sister always tell me to brush teeth every after i ate pineapple because it can make my teeth yellow in color. I don't know if it's true, i just do it just the way they told me. Do you know any other fruit that are good for anti cancer?

Do you remember penny candy?

Do you remember penny candy? My sister and I were having a conversation about it last night. I don't even think it exists anymore!

I remember as a child going to this little news stand that we had in town and getting a bag full of penny candy. It would be so cheap because everything cost a penny! My favorite was always the different flavored tootsie rolls.

It's so sad the things the kids miss out on in this new generation..... now a days they go to the store and demand a toy. When I was a child I would have been perfectly happy with 5 cents worth of candy.:-)

If you had a chance

If you had a chance to talk to someone who made ice cream flavors, what would you suggest would be a good taste?:)

"And I don't mean ice creams that are uneatable... lol It could be as wacky and crazy as you want. So long as you think you'll probably eat it, or others might like to eat it as well!:D"

I start keeping a diary of the food I eat

To start keeping a diary of the food I eat, which I find to be a difficult thing to do… neither cared about food nor noticed what I take up to now, so it’d be a big change to keep track of every detail. I’m not sure whether it’s better to take note of the ingredients or the higher-level combination… (what if A is safe, and B is safe, but A+B is not!)

I guess I’ll jot down everything for now, and then it’ll be another day’s painful task to figure out what’s safe and what’s not.

- Whole grain bagel and cream cheese spread (seems safe)
- Water (safe!)
- Roast beef sandwich [roast beef cuts, greens, onions, provolone cheese, tomatoes, potato chips, sour dough bread, and some random zesty sauce] (yummy and probably safe!)
- Green tea (suspicious!) For heaven’s sake, it’s tea! The ‘Nutrition facts’ says 0% everything! :)
- Yogurt (undecided!)

Compassionist made a comment the other day about chronic pain making people self-centered… I guess it’s true. In the short term, of course, I’ll try to remove the pain, and make it a non-issue. But I have to also think about some other way to accept it and perhaps get detached from it, if it’s going to last long.

Oh god I’m eating lobster poo!!!!!!!

A few months after moving to province, I was invited to "lobah fiesta" to eat "lobster" My uncle and his friends thought it was highly odd that I had never consumed lobster and got to work showing me how to eat it.

After watching the poor lobster getting boiled alive, I was given a nut cracker and told crack the damn thing open. After getting absolutely covered in lobster crap, I think I ended up eating more lobster shell than meat (of which there is hardly any… seriously where’s the food?)

Then I get to it body, and someone screamed “Don’t eat that green stuff its the poop shoot!” I’m eating lobster poo. Oh god I’m eating lobster poo. From that moment I vowed never to eat lobster again.

logos designs

Many companies, both large and small, have logos that are made up of linked letters. IBM, CNN, and GE logos all are made of letters that link in their logos designs. Modern software programs make it fast and easy to join letters in different combinations. But there is still an old-fashioned way to design logos with letters--pencil, paper and brainstorming.

pay per click services

A great way to advertise your website is to use a pay per click services. One of the nice features of PPC is that you only pay when someone actually visits your website.

No other place to shop for Swimwear!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Express for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I felt the fear of swimming in public for 8 years. The consequences of being a three-child mother and having a regular diet are undeniable. I spent so much time wearing this long cover ups that I forgot about the swim suits and the bikinis. Two months ago I was back on my ideal weight (after an aggressive diet) and I was ready to buy a swimsuit. I purchased 3 but I ended up returning them until I had one from express.com. Currently, you can get $15 off a $60 purchase, $30 off $120, $45 off $180 or $60 off $240.  Plus, sign up for Express e-mail to score 15% off your next purchase!  If you sign up you also have the chance to win one of ten $200 Express gift cards.  Sign up quickly because the sweepstakes to win the Express gift card ends 4/21/11. Read about the sweepstakes rules.

Express.com has a gorgeous collection of women's swimwear for the current season. They have a wonderful selection of monokinis, bikinis (string bikini, strapless bikinis and halter bikinis), and two piece swimwear and even swim shorts for men. The styles are unique with designer details like ruffles, self-tie sides; glam beaded embellishments and polished metal hardware. Plus, you can also find all the accessories you would need to complete your look including sandals, tote bags, sunglasses and hats for both men and women. 

My favourite are the bikini mix and match types where you can swap over styles using a couple of different swim outfits. For instance a halter neck with bikini pants or a tankini top if you want to cover up a bit more. What I liked the most about it is that it makes me look curvaceous instead of fat. Give it a try, ladies!