Scrappy Dog Sunday!

Hi all! Today's gonna be a short Scrappy Dog Sunday. I'm taking care of a little hurt boy. Poor little Pete sprained his neck. First off, I had no idea that dogs could sprain their necks and second of all, I really don't appreciate getting laughed out of the doctor's office asking if they making tiny neck braces. So, while I'm treating Pete's neck with kisses, enjoy this super cute video of Lola and Jujube chasing water.

Sweet Saturday

Have I ever told you I have a sweet tooth? Oh, I have? I love sweets so much, that yesterday I was in the grocery store and saw the most decadent dessert on the cover of a national family magazine. So, thinking to myself-"I could so make that!" I bought the magazine and went back for the ingredients. When I got home, OMP looked at me, the magazine and the ingredients and walked away slowly. I made a few changes to the original recipe cause I'm kind of lazy, but I'm sure my version is just as good.

Cheesecake Brownie Bars
Cheesecake
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 cup sugar
3 packages (8 ounces each) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, whisk cornstarch and sugar until blended.
Add cream cheese and beat until smooth
Beat in eggs, sour cream and milk
Stir in vanilla and set aside

At this time, the recipe tells you how to make brownies from scratch-whatever! I had some in a box down in the pantry and I whipped those babies up. Make up the brownies according to the box - the cake like brownies, not the fudgy ones and  DO NOT BAKE YET!

Heat oven to 350 degrees, line a 13x9x2 baking pan with foil. Coat foil with nonstick cooking spray.
Spoon in brownie mix and then the the cheesecake over that.

Bake for 30 minutes-check to see if center is set, if not, check every 5 minutes. Trust me, you do not want this to turn brown or get a crust on it-that means you burnt it.

Cool on wire rack for 2 hours then transfer to refrigerator for another two hours

I made homemade whip cream by taking heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Whipped it up and spooned it on the cheesecake brownie. Cut up some strawberries and spoon those on, drizzle with chocolate sauce. One thing I think I would do differently is I would make a nice strawberry sauce with confectioner sugar and strawberries and drizzle on.

My conclusion? Don't go baking this one if you've got to be down at the church or school bake sale in an hour. This thing is time consuming but it's worth the wait. See ya later you sweet things!

Feel Good Friday!

Oh my! Am I late with Feel Good Friday! Sorry! I've been out all day running around, taking care of a hurt puppy and having yummy cocktails with friends. Whew! I'm ready for bed! Don't worry my faithful followers, I have a few things up my sleeve before I head into to la la land.

It was beautiful in the rose city today so the shorts were on, the flipflops were flopping and I was looking for a yummy tiki drink to wet my whistle. Well, I found the tiki drink but you can not have a fruity cocktail without a stylin' mug. Munktiki is your place for the most amazing tiki mugs known. A lot of these are collector's items but once you are finished with your drinky drink, you can display and the ladies and gents will think you are the coolest.

I just love this sassy girl. lagidgettet's work looks like it was taken straight from a teen girl magazine. Just too adorable.

I came across Scoutie Girl one day and was instantly in love. I can not believe how amazing this blog is.  The crafts range from sweet to edgy, the writing is so personable that you feel like your best friend is giving you the inside scoop. There is a ton of information on this site so sit back, fix yourself a glass of iced tea and enjoy great inspirations

BABY DUCKS! I would be the one with the 'tude in front. 

Okay, I am going to get off this computer for the night and kick back with OMP and the pups. I think Pete needs more kisses to make him feel  better. 

Don't ask yourself what the world needs;
ask yourself what makes you come alive.
And then go and do that.
Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
-Harold Whitman

Wild Card Wednesday-A Leap of Faith

 Special thanks to Maeve Holler

Lately I have been struggling with what to write about on Wednesdays so instead of sticking to one thing-I'm going to have a Wild Card Wednesday. Basically, anything I want to write about-I will. The next couple of weeks I will be focusing on Leaps of Faith-both with myself and all the wonderful peeps out there. So....sit back and enjoy the ride. I guarantee your stomach will drop and you will feel a little woozy but you will beg for more.

I'm not sure if many of you know, but I worked for a crisis line for almost 8 years. I have seen and heard just about everything. I saw the worst in people-literally. Recently I decided to leave. I didn't leave because I was burned out. I love helping people but decided that I wanted to do something different in my life. Now, here's where the crazy part comes in. For the first time in my life, I didn't have a solid back up plan. No solid job to go to, not a huge year amount of savings. Just an idea to venture out to a new life and an awesome husband supporting me. It is the first time that I didn't have a plan "B". I know it seems scary and sometimes it is to me but it has also renewed my faith in myself, my family and friends. Because I don't have a lot of extra cash (really, who does these days) it makes me appreciate what I have more and is allowing me to rediscover what and who are important to me. I am taking time to spend with my husband, my dogs and myself. It is a beautiful feeling.

So, when I said I didn't have a plan "B", I wasn't completely honest. I do sorta. Actually, I have lofty ideas. I want to go back to school and get my degree in Spanish/Rural studies. I want to work with family farms and farm workers. What I really want to do is to show the connection between rural and urban communities and how we can work together. I also want to preserve the history of the family farm/rural community.

Am I scared of what's around the corner? You bet, but I'm even more excited! Will I stay this positive and level headed? I hope so. I know there will be rough days and I'm this is a huge thing for me to jump into. Sometimes you just need to take that first leap and see how you land.

Do you have a leap of faith story? Something you just dived into? Let me know! I want you to inspires us.

Tie One On Tuesday!

One thing that I am so passionate about is the history of the cocktail. If you look at  what people were drinking at certain times, you can tell the climate of the world. 1900 brought the death of Queen Victoria, the Wright Brothers flew their plane in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina and San Francisco had a horrible earthquake followed by a 3 day fire. So many amazing changes came during the first ten years of century. So many wonderful cocktails chronicled the times.

The Original Negroni was named after an Italian gentleman who ordered the same drink every day. Nowadays the cocktail is considered a Aperitif  to stimulate the the appetite for dinner. Although the drink originated in Europe, it rose to popularity in the US during the early 1900's.

The Original Negroni
1 oz. Campari (in the family of bitters)
1 oz Gin
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
Combine all ingredients in an ice filled shaker. Shake until well chilled and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

The Old Fashioned is considered the very first cocktail. Although the drink was around  before 1900 it hit it's height of popularity during 1900-1910.The drink was served at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky and to some it is the perfect concoction of what a cocktail should be. A little hooch, a sweet and a bitter.

Old Fashioned
1 sugar cube
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
2 orange slices
3 oz bourbon
Cherry for garnish
Place the sugar cube at the bottom of an old fashioned glass
Saturate the cube with bitters
Add one orange slice and muddle
Fill the glass with ice 
Add the Bourbon
Garnish with a cherry and the other orange slice. 


Another drink that came about a few years before 1900 but rose up through the ranks is a Tom Collins. First off, there was never a man named Tom Collins. There was a Jerry Thomas( he is considered the father of American mixology). So, the Tom part comes from the type of gin used and the Collins was named after the type of glass used. The lore around Tom Collins continues, but I will tell you that regardless of who or what Tom Collins is-I love this drink. 

Tom Collins
2 oz gin
1 oz lemon juice
1 tsp superfine sugar 
3oz club soda
1 cherry for garnish
1 orange slice
In a shaker half-filled with ice cubes, combine the gin, lemon juice, and sugar. Shake well. Strain into a Collins glass almost filled with ice cubes. Add the club soda. Stir and garnish with the cherry and the orange slice.

So, what do our cocktails tell us about our history during the early 1900's? Like our world history our cocktails are full of flavor, have a dash of mystery and  wet our appetite for bigger and better things. Until next week! Bottoms up!

That's What Mama Likes

Yesterday was Mother's Day. I hope all the moms out there had a wonderful day. Even though my mother passed away 9 years ago, I still miss her. I miss her laugh. She didn't laugh, she cackled. When I was a kid, I was so embarrassed of that laugh. Now I realize that it was the best belly laugh on the planet. It meant that she was having a good time, throwing her head back and wanted everyone to know that the world shouldn't be taken so seriously. Now what does my mother have to do with movies-a lot! She loved a comedy and to honor her, I am sharing with you a few of her favorites. I'm not claiming these to be the best, but they brought a smile to her face.

When my mom was going through a rough time, we watched Blind Date over and over again. She didn't really like Bruce Willis (does anyone?) she loved John Larroquette. Every time he went a little crazy, that loud cackle came bellowing out. I have to admit, the movie was pretty funny. Bruce goes out with Kim Basinger and she has an allergy to alcohol. Well, of course you know what happens-she drinks and craziness ensue. John plays her ex boyfriend that wants her back. It is a definite winner to lift your spirit.

My mother LOVED Nick Nolte. I'm glad that she passed away before he went crazy homeless guy on us. She would have been disappointed. I'm sure in her best southern voice she would say, "Bless his heart, he can't help it. He's a drunk homeless mess." and all would be forgiven. 48 hours was Nick Nolte at his finest. The comedy was raunchy, the voice was hoarse and that's just the way my mom liked it. Nick Nolte plays a cop who works with con Eddie Murphy to solve a crime.Eddie may have stolen the movie but Nick stole my mom's heart.  The movie was so popular that they made a second one.

 Good old mom loved a man's man. She loved the bad boys. I remember asking her why she married my dad and her reply was, " He looked good in his uniform, not to mention, he had a tattoo." and my dad's reply-"She could stop traffic-36-24-36" Ain't love grand? Another thing my mother loved was a mustache. She again thought they were for bad boys, which is probably why she loved Burt Reynold in the role he was meant to play as the Bandit in Smokey and The Bandit. We even had a Trans Am-don't judge! It was the 70's and we were cool! Jackie Gleason as Sheriff Buford T. Justice is prize winning. The banter between him and his mind numbing son is hysterical. I am not ashamed to admit that I own this movie. How can you not love a movie about bringing Coors beer across the Tex-arcana border? Really? Coors? Maybe that's what made my mom laugh so hard.

Those are just three little gems that made my mom smile. To this day, I will pop in one of these great films and can hear her cackle, oh wait, that's me. Love you mom-thanks for passing on your passion for a good laugh and the loudness to let everyone know.

Scrappy Dog Sunday!

I'm turning over Scrappy Dog Sunday to Jujube. This is her Mother's Day card to Lola. 

Happy Mother's Day Mom! Sometimes I feel alone.

But then I realize that you are right there beside me. 

You keep me snuggled and warm. 

You can be silly with me...

But most of all you love me. Thanks for always barking at me and making me do the right thing. You're my best friend.

Love, your super cute and very talented daughter-Jujube

Happy Mother's day to all the moms of fuzzy babies out there. Thanks for bringing sunshine, joy and treats into little lives. You make a big difference in the world.