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Monday, September 21, 2009

Halloween are you ready?

We are getting ourselves ready. You will find all kinds of stuff starting to appear on our Sacred Oak Blog.

Family: everyone is good everyone is actually behaving since school started up again. Still battling with Medicaid over our daughters coverage. Been trying to get them to reinstate it since June might say screw it and just keep her under our coverage but Its so expensive including our copay. Come on Texas get your head out of your buts and start working on a better future. Ugh even the schools suck.

Well on a different note Daisy Troop training has been interesting I sure hope I can finish it up soon!

Well i should go take pics of the new species for our up comming "Name the Species" Contest! So much fun! Can't Wait to share them with you all!


Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Adventures in Scouting, Knitting, and Gardning

Eek I can't believe its been 2 months since I updated this blog! Geez I bet you been wondering if I forgot about it. Well almost been trying to finish up stuff and arrange things. New school year and all.
Knitting: Been knitting up some interesting creatures you will just have to wait until I post the contest on The Sacred Oak Blog! Been knitting Fingerless Mittens from kids sizes to Adults So look out for those as well!

Scouting: Still waiting for my background check to come in But I have confidence I will be able to be a Daisy Scout Leader. My Books and Teaching DVDs will be in soon! Yep gotta love the option of doing it at home with a busy life. Sure bets spending a weekend with other women, not that i wouldn't welcome the chance to socialize, but I have no intreast really in listing to catty women they make me nervous. Not saying that we are all like that but New people always make me nervous especially the way so called friends have treated me over the years.

Gardning: It died the darn grass took over and killed everything. Yes I tilled, pulled, racked, lined the garden but that stupid sod grass just consumed it. I hate grass truly i do I rather have clover for a lawn!

Halloween Decorating time! yep thats right We are so getting ready for Halloween early this year! Might have one huge party at the end of October! Lets see 2 kids in school, Daisy scouts troop, and not to mention it will be our 10th wedding anniversary yep it might be the best night ever! So plan to do up the house in Haunted style. Screaming kids, creepy music fog machines editable body parts who could ask for more! Makes my brain all excited! Which reminds me I need a new table cloth!

What are your plans?


Monday, July 13, 2009

Doughters Return

So my daughter came home today, Did I forget to mention she was out of town for two weeks? Hmm I thought I did, must have enjoyed the no fighting, screaming, kicking routine ;)
Yep she came home with a damn pixie hair cut! She looks like a little boy, which is an odd twist because they all claim her bother looks like a girl! Anyways shes not home for more then 20 minutes and everyone is fighting again. wow just wow and shes only 5, I love her and everyone else but sometimes mommy gets that evil eye!
so I am locked in my room for a bit because I so do not want to add into the yelling. Tomorrow I will have everyone on there normal schedule and things should be smooth (somewhat!).

Thinking about turning this blog into my short story blog? yall wouldnt be intreasted in my stories would ya?
Night my lovely cyber readers!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Christmass In July

Wow is all I have to say, is it me or is Christmas starting way to early? Not a fan of the whole holiday shove into my face thing, everywhere you look there it is. Poor Halloween and Thanksgiving! They have such a hard time because they dont get the same love or exposure!
yep sorta C sick now and no chance to hide from it. Dont get me wrong love the holiday, but not the constant push to buy stuff, whatever happend to give from your heart not your wallet?

Friday, July 3, 2009

Just a zombie

For the last week i felt like a zombie just dragging around. Maybe this weekend will help me feel energized! Read it at http://thesacredoak.blogspot.com

Friday, May 29, 2009

Recycling Bottles

I have spent lots of time pricing Jars, Bottles and other unique containers for my bath salts. And my most amazing discoveries were sitting in my dish drainer. Now I am not sure if my idea would be considered a great one. I have these fruit preservative jars, Olive Oil Bottles, Spaghetti Sauce Jars and so forth. All are unique size, shape and ounce volume. But would people be upset if I took these items and Used them to place the bath salts in?
I am in the process of taking the labels off cleaning up the sticky adhisive glue. I just cut out square pices of fabric to glue on the lids. I have also printed out Hang tags to tie onto the jars and bottles. But would People be turnd away from it all if they knew they were used jars, bottles and such?
Maybe I should decorate the jars themselves?
(pics comming in next post!)
What are your thoughts on it?


Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Flowers on Her head!

I Just finished (Sunday) my daughters Flower hat. Took me a while to knit it broke a cable in the process.

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and becuse the boy snuck in heres him too lol!

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Last one of her happy

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Don't Let Your Books Fall Apart- Bind Them!

For a first-time book binder, the possibilities are endless in terms of materials, styles and one can let your creative imagination run wild. One is always on the look out for places where the best book binding materials are available at the best rates to suit your requirements. There are some places where you would get what you need regardless of your budget constraints. All you need is a little inclination towards some craft work, time, and a whole lot of imagination and you are on your way to book binding. The possibilities are endless and the materials you can use can range from simple stickers to decoupage to paper mache, painting, and well, you get the general idea!

If you are into decorative things then the local craft shop will have a lot of things you use imaginatively. Ensure that the binding you have done is durable and strong and then add the finishing touches to give it that special feel. From actual binding material to leather to little decorative pieces, all are normally found at the craft store. The book store is another good place to look around in. there are books galore especially the 'how to' books on book binding and decoration to help you though the binding process and ensure your job looks professional. Some known titles in this series are John Ashman's Bookbinding: A Beginner's Manual, Manly Banister's The Craft of Bookbinding and Bookbinding and the Care of Books written by Douglas Cockrell. Your library may also stock books of this genre and you may not have to buy them unless you are a collector of books.

Print shops and local copy supply stores are other places where you can get book binding material. Office supply stores also cater to this type of clientele and a good idea would be to get in touch with the local publishing companies where you may get some discounts, tips on how to bind books and what points to keep in mind to avoid going wrong, material for various types of book binding or maybe they just might do the job for you at reduced rates.

The Internet is without question the most logical place to find this kind of information. Here you would get addresses and prices and also a list of things that you may need. Order online or else go to the concerned store and you know what exactly to buy and how much it is going to cost you. Things like binding needles, normally priced between $7-$13, and other types of specific binding equipment is available on the net. You can get ideas for maybe a renaissance look or a Gothic look, explore new ways, ideas, and methods for that exclusive look that you would like. After your first successful venture, you just may get bitten by the bookbinding bug and who knows, there go all your albums, journals, school memorabilia all into fantastic covers and preserved for posterity. You may even branch out to giving self bound books as gifts to your friends. The sky is really the limit. Happy binding.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Learn How To Face Paint

What is more fun for kids than face painting? If you are planning to entertain a large number of kids for a birthday party, corporate event, or church social face painting can be an easy way to keep a large number of kids content and happy (by no means an easy accomplishment!). Before shelling out your lifes savings to get a clown to come and paint the kids faces, why don't you try your hand at face painting? Learning to paint kids faces is not as hard as you think. Indeed, with a bit of practice and some patience, you can become quite skilled at creating fantastic images that the kids at your party will love.

Picking a Great Design

Obviously, if this will be your first time in front of a crowd of kids, it would be for the best if you prepared a few basic designs ahead of time. The Internet is a great resource for basic face painting designs that can be particularly useful when you are just starting out. From cats to dogs to everyone's favorite superheroes, you will find usable designs that will make your life far more bearable, and hopefully make the prospect of putting your services to a hoard of children more palatable.

Face Painting Basics

The first step when the first child steps up to your table (although it is probably a good idea if you try this out on your own kids before casting your talents to the public), is to visualize what you want the final face to look like. This is where it can come in handy to have basic designs printed out prior to painting your first face. You can use normal paintbrushes to apply the face paint, but it is better to use sponges instead of paintbrushes to cover large areas such as when you want to apply a base paint color to the entire face. Using a sponge is good because you can cover a larger area faster, and you do not have to worry about rinsing the sponge because they are so cheap. Also, a sponge will let you apply paint to a large area more evenly which will prevent a patchy effect from developing. No matter if you are using a paintbrush or sponge, be sure to apply the face paint thinly; if the face paint is put on too thick, it will crack or loose its luster.

Your First Face Painting Session

Before your first face painting session, print off your favorite basic designs and limit yourself to the ones that you have practiced. Make the designs available to the kids at your event and have them pick the design that they want you to paint on their face. Hopefully, presenting the children with a limited range of options will keep them happy, and you from panicking when a kid asks for someone unheard of comic book character.

More Advanced Face Painting

After you have mastered the basics, it is time to test your face painting skills with some new challenges. One of the biggest challenges you can give yourself is to abandon your basic designs and ask the kids at your event to request what they want on their face. You will be surprised and delighted at their requests, and amazed at your newfound ability to paint faces!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Making Puppets With Next To Nothing

Pulling together a puppet using minimal materials is a great skill to have. Especially on a rainy day when you're kids can't go outside and have nothing to do.

These puppets can be made-well, nearly-in an instant. They call for materials that you are sure to have handy, such as handkerchiefs, lipstick, matchboxes, salad spoons and right and left hands. Have a minute? Try one.

1. INSTANT BUNNY

You need a large handkerchief . Make a loose fist and drape the handkerchief over it. With your other hand, pull one of the front corners of the handkerchief up between your first two fingers. That's one ear. Now do the same with the other corner, pulling it up between the second and third fingers. Two ears. Wrap the two back corners around your wrist, and you have a bunny with floppy ears and a wriggly nose (your second finger inside the handkerchief).

2. THUMBELINA

With a ballpoint pen draw a funny face on your thumb and drape a handkerchief over it. Pull it around in front to hide your hand. You can also put a peanut shell on your thumb and draw Thumbelina's peek-a-boo face on that.

3. WINKUMS

Find the fold in the palm of your hand-just under the little finger . Draw one eye right on that fold. Draw the rest of the face to fit. Now, by curling your little finger down you make Winkums wink, wink, WINK!

4. JABBERWACKY

With your ballpoint pen draw a face on the back of your hand. Use a lipstick to color the lower half of your first finger and the upper part of your thumb. Now make a fist. Your first finger becomes the upper part of the mouth , your thumb the lower part, and by moving them you can make Jabberwacky talk, whistle and even pretend to chew gum.

Riddles for Jabberwacky

Now to produce a little play. You ask riddles and Jabber gives the answers. Like this:

YOU: What is it that a cat has that no other animal has?

JABBER: Kittens.

YOU: Why does an Indian wear a feather headdress?

JABBER: To keep his wig warn.

To make a quick body or "skirt " you need a large handkerchief and a rubber band. Hold your hand in one of the two hand positions shown below and drape the handkerchief over the extended fingers. Loop the rubber band over the handkerchief and around your finger. Pull it around the back of your finger. Finally, loop it over your thumb. The head is placed on the first finger, and the thumb and the other finger become the puppet's arms.

BAGDAD THE PAPER -BAG GREMLIN

You need crayons, scissors and a small brown paper grocery bag. Flatten the bag out and turn it with the open side down. The fold across the top will be Bagdad's mouth and should be marked with a line of bright red. Cut out two white paper fangs and paste them to the edge of the fold, pointing downward. Now draw a button nose and two big droopy eyes above the mouth. Add paper feelers on top if you wish. Put your hand inside the bag and fit your fingers into the flap. You will find that by opening and closing your hand you can make Bagdad's mouth open and close. This gremlin speaks English, and he loves to sing.

No matter what puppet you decide to make, your kids love will love watching your bring these fun characters to life.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Fun Tattoo Facts

Tattoos have been around since the the biblical times and have been popping up everywhere since then. However, in today’s society tattoos have become a lot more popular and a little less taboo as they once were. Although the acceptance of tattoos is still a little shaky and a lot of work still needs to be done in this area.

Here are a few fun tattoo facts, tips and statistics that you may or may not have known.

Even after your new tattoo is healed it is still susceptible to the sun’s rays. So be extra careful to avoid direct sunlight and always wear an SPF of 30 or higher to protect your tattoo.

There are at least a 100 different colors of a tattoo ink out there so you are not limited to you colors.

As of 2006 36% of people from the age of 18 to 29 had at least one tattoo.

In 2002 a poll was conducted that 1 out of 8 people have at least one tattoo. However, with the increasing number of young people out there getting tattoos, its sure to have gone up since then.

In 1991, a 5,000 year-old frozen man was discovered and scientists found a total of 57 different tattoos on his well preserved body.

The tattooing machine is based on the design of the modern doorbell.

In the late 19th and early 20th century tattoos were very fashionable among the aristocrats, which included women, to be tattooed. During this time, tattoos were very expensive and people paid large sums for their designs. However, the cost of tattoos were reduced and tattooing became adopted by lower class people and the tattoo soon became trashy.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Buying a Tattoo Kit

So you are considering buying a tattoo kit? Buying a tattoo kit is a great way to test the water with tattooing and seeing if you really are cut out to be a Tattoo artist. Too many people see the reality shows and the “rock star” status some Tattoo Artists get and think becoming a Tattoo artist is a license to print money but for every “Tattoo Star” there are thousands out there working a 40 or even a 60 hour work week.

The great thing about buying a Tattoo kit, if you are a beginner is that pretty much everything you need to get started SHOULD be included with your kit, that means a machine, power supply, tubes, tips, a few sets of needles, a decent variety of inks, sets of gloves and ink caps.

A quick search on Google shows that there are plenty of tattoo kits out there these days at an affordable price for the newbie who wants to get started.

You will find super low priced kits (from China) to kits well over $200 , there is an old saying “you get what you pay for” so don‘t just buy the lowest priced one you find, to start with you don’t have to go out and spend $500 but at least try and aim for the best you can afford. You are looking to start a career here and you want to start off on the right foot and not cutting costs on quality of your “work tools”.

Talk to other tattoo artists in the area and find out from them what Tattoo kits they purchased when they were starting off, nearly all artists have a personal favorite and a company they prefer to use.

Check Tattoo magazines. These days pretty much every newsstand has a decent selection of Tattoo magazines, check the ads in the magazines, often they have product reviews too that are helpful in helping you make the right choice.

On of the key things to remember with Tattooing is like anything in life you get out what you put in , a weak effort will bring weak results , buying a complete tattoo kit is a great way to get started .

However once you have done some simple, basic tattoos you can look to add more machines, different types of needles, various brands of inks to your equipment collection to lead you on your road to your new career.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Where to Get the Hottest Printable Tattoo Designs on the Internet

It can be a frustrating experience to search for tattoo designs on the internet due to the proliferation of generic designs and cookie cutter tattoo artwork. Many people waste a lot of time wading through websites and online galleries that feature hackneyed, unoriginal work that is always a few years out of date. This article will discuss a few quick methods to find sources of original, fresh, top-notch printable tattoo designs online.

The problem with using search engines to find printable designs on the internet is that most of the search results are generic sites with the same old tattoo designs that all of us have seen a thousand times before. While it may appear that the internet suffers from a dearth of sites featuring original tattoo designs, the fact is that such sites are out there; they just need to be pinpointed using methods other than the familiar search engine. Anyone interested in fresh, new printable tattoo designs should take the extra time and effort to educate themselves on these methods.

The best way to find quality designs online is through discussion forums and internet message boards devoted to tattoos. Populated by a core audience of tattoo enthusiasts, online forums are a perfect resource of information about everything to do with tattoos. The sites and galleries linked on such forums are far superior to anything a search engine can come with up. Many of these forums have been around for a while and have prodigious archives going back several years. Browsing through their archives will yield a treasure trove of original tattoo designs that a search engine will rarely find.

All online discussion forums have easy to use search features so new users can quickly locate their topics of interest without having to wade through pages and pages of unrelated topics. Since so many people have trouble finding original tattoo designs, a lot of the discussion taking place revolves around locating online sources for great printable tattoo designs. These sources range from niche sites that are overlooked by search engines to little known galleries of tattoo art or even original design creations by fellow forum members - most people who are active in online forums are more than willing to share their findings. Many online forums require little more than going through a quick and FREE registration process to sign up. It is always a good idea for new members to take a few days and "lurk" before jumping into the fray or asking questions that have no doubt been answered many times before. Always remember to read the rules and the FAQs.

Forums are a free and fun way to find great printable tattoo designs without having to suffer the mind numbing tedium of going over hundreds of pages of generic designs pulled up by search engines.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Where to Find Awesome Celtic Tattoo Ideas Online

Celtic tattoo designs have exploded in popularity in recent times. Many people looking to get a tattoo to Celtic designs for inspiration and tattoo parlors do brisk business inking clients with Celtic styled tattoos. An unfortunate side effect of this popularity is that it can be very difficult to located original, high quality artwork and most people unwittingly settle for low quality generic designs. This article delves into the ways one can locate polished, superior Celtic tattoo designs without having to wade through hundreds of the same old artwork they have seen a million times before.

A large majority of the people searching for Celtic tattoos end up using popular search engines for finding designs - this has become the predominant for finding tattoo artwork of all kinds. The major drawback with this method is that search engines are not really suited for finding niche tattoo websites that feature unique, one-of-a-kind Celtic designs; instead the kinds of sites that tend to dominate the first few pages of results are cookie cutter websites featuring unoriginal generic designs.

The problem with these sites is that they are designed to appeal to the largest possible online audience to generate hits and become popular with search engines. They usually feature the same old designs that are at least a few years old. Such Celtic designs have been inked on so many bodies over the past few years that they border on being cliché. Chances are that the same tattoo designs that show up on such highly ranked pages have already popped up on hundreds of other sites on the internet as well as on thousands of people around the world.

Another huge problem with picking Celtic tattoo artwork off these sites is that they are not specifically designed to be used as actual tattoos. While most of the artwork may look good to the casual viewer, they will not look as nice inked on the body. Looking good on a computer monitor or on a printout and looking good on a human body are two very different things. The people who run most these popular sites throw in any random Celtic artwork and designs without giving much thought to their suitability as tattoos. Individuals who use these designs often end up getting inked with tattoos they are not completely satisfied with - a fatal blunder when dealing with something as permanent as tattoos.

There is hope, however. Internet discussion forums and message boards have risen to be a viable replacement for search engines when it comes to finding niche content like original Celtic tattoo designs. Tattoo forums provide a wealth of information first-hand from tattoo aficionados who have been through it all and are eager to share their experiences, good or bad, with others. Forums are a great place to find links to lesser known websites and galleries of original and fresh Celtic artwork that are perfect for tattoos. Since these links are gathered by living, breathing human-beings that are passionate about Celtic tattoo designs and not search engine algorithms, they are vastly superior to anything churned out by Google, MSN or Yahoo. While most internet users are more familiar with using search engines, it pays to take the extra time to learn how to navigate online forums - many will find it well worth their time and effort.


Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Where to Find Free Tattoo Designs

So you've thought long and hard about getting a tattoo and you've decided that yes, you're definitely going to 'get inked'? If so, the next logical question to ask is, "What design do I choose?"

If you have absolutely no idea about what sort of design you'd like superimposed onto your body, it's going to take you many hours of careful consideration. You will need to view as many designs as possible, ensuring you make the right decision.

Making the right decision is critical - so we'll help you find free tattoo designs!
Making the right decision is really important when it comes to choosing a tattoo design, because deciding to have a tattoo is a lifelong commitment. It's not like buying something at the store, and taking it back because you've changed your mind. A tattoo - unless you undertake expensive, painful laser removal procedures - is for life. That is why we advise you to view as many different tattoo designs as possible, so you make the right design decision. If you've already been researching designs, chances are you have heard all about free tattoo designs and galleries online where you can view and download individual designs of interest. It's an absolute maze online, because there are just so many galleries to check out, so to make the process a little easier and a whole lot more time efficient for you, we're going to introduce you to four good websites - membership-based and totally free- that are jam-packed full of free tattoo designs!

Our recommended list of free tattoo design websites to check out!
We're fairly confident in assuming that it's going to take you many hours to decide on a tattoo design that's right for you. When we searched the web on your behalf for the best free tattoo design sites online, we found that virtually all of them required paid membership which would allow you to download as many designs as you like. Here are just some of these membership-based or totally free tattoo design websites we took a look at:

1) tattoojohnny.com
A really well designed website dedicated to free tattoo design ideas, Tattoo Johnny provides anybody interested in getting a tattoo with the information and design ideas they need to consider, in order to make the right decision. Although the actual tattoo ideas are free for you to print the color version of the design, the strong message this site conveys is that to ensure your tattoo is perfect, you will need to download the artist's stencil of the design you like. For a small fee (typically under $20USD), you can download the stencil, however visitors are assured that this will save you money when you go to a tattoo artist. If you simply take a design picture or photograph to your chosen artist, they will need to charge you to create a stencil while you wait. At Tattoo Johnny, you simply pay a small fee to download the artist stencil, and when you are ready to 'get inked', you give your tattoo artist a copy of the color version and the artist stencil. Tattoo Johnny even goes one step further to make sure you are well prepared to have a tattoo done, because you can test drive your tattoo by creating your own test tattoo using the transfer paper available for just $3.89 at the online store. This way you can trial a washable tattoo to make sure it suits you, before you take the permanent tattoo plunge.

2) tattoodles.com
Tattoodles is a paid membership website which features a large range of tattoo designs that you can print out and take to the tattoo artist of your choice. This website features the works of many tattoo artists and hosts an online tattoo artist community where these people can network and share ideas and inspiration. An online magazine is also accessible via the website, and is packed with articles related to all tattoo issues. This site is popular amongst tattoo artists and those interested in getting a tattoo of their own. With a huge array of tattoo designs to view, Tattoodles is a site you won't want to miss in your search for the perfect design.

3) tattoospot.com
Tattoo Spot is a completely free website that allows you to check out a large range of tattoo photographs. It is a website where people upload photographs of their own tattoos, so it doesn't actually provide visitors to the site with actual drawings of tattoo designs that you can take to your tattoo artist. If you found a design on this website from a photograph which appealed, you would need to take it to your tattoo artist, and they would have to create a stencil in order to superimpose the design onto your skin.

4) tattoomenow.com
This is another paid-membership website where you have access to thousands of tattoo designs once you join. Founded by a self-confessed tattoo enthusiast, Tattoo Me Now claims to be the ultimate tattoo membership and design gallery. After many months of research, Tattoo Me Now was launched and now provides tattoo enthusiasts with a huge tattoo design gallery of more than 3,500 tattoo designs categorized by type. A member gallery is also loaded with photographs of tattoos to provide you with even more ideas. If you're looking for the perfect tattoo design or inspiration at all, this is a good site to join.

There are many more membership and completely free tattoo design websites to check out!
The four websites we list in this article will provide you with enough ideas to get you started on your tattoo design decision-making journey! We trust you'll have a lot of fun and wish you all the very best when it comes to finding the tattoo design that's just right for you! Remember that although there are many sites where you can print out photographs or drawings of tattoo designs, the tattoo design itself is never totally free, because your tattoo artist will need to create a stencil for that design, in order to superimpose it onto your skin. Happy searching!

Monday, May 4, 2009

Baby Shower Recipes

A baby shower is a kind of party that celebrates and welcomes a new member to the family. In this tradition, expectant parents usually receive gifts or money for their expected child, which, in a way, supports the parents by helping them get the things that they need for their baby (or the things that they may not be able to afford).

Baby showers are generally held in the later stages of pregnancy (in the last 2 months, for instance). There are, however, certain cultural beliefs that make people purposefully wait for the baby to arrive before having a baby shower. Adoptive parents, at times, wait until after the adoption is final and the baby has arrived in their home.

Baby showers are generally organized by close friends, relatives, or coworkers of the expectant parents (because baby showers center on gift giving, it is considered inappropriate for a family member to host such events).

In its early form, baby showers were held exclusively for mothers to be, and only women were invited to attend the party. In addition, baby showers were traditionally held only for the first child. Today, however, many people arrange baby showers for both parents, and they can now be also arranged for every succeeding children (even children who have been adopted).

Activities in a baby shower typically include games, special activies, presents, and, most especially, food.

Below are some of the most common baby shower recipes:

Pizza Sandwiches

Pizza sauce (can be store bought or homemade)
Cottage cheese (lowfat)
English muffins
Parmesan cheese

1. Mix 2-3 tbsp of pizza sauce with 2-3 tbsp of cottage cheese.

2. Spread the mixture onto one half of the English muffin.

3. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

4. Broil for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve.

Creamy Tomato Soup

1 tsp vegetable oil
1 can tomato soup (condensed)
Milk
1 tbsp basil
Mozarella or croutons (for toppings)

1. Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan.

2. Add the tomato soup.

3. Add milk (approximately the same amount as that of the tomato soup).

4. Add basil and cook slowly on low heat (do not boil).

5. Top with a sprinkling of shredded mozzarella and croutons. Serve.

Cheese Balls

1 half lb cheese (cheddar or grated)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 pack cream cheese
4 oz Tabasco sauce
2 tsp onion
Chopped nuts
2 tsp catsup or chili sauce

1. Mix all ingredients together using a mixer or a food processor (the cheese should be at room temperature).

2. Empty mixed ingredients on small bowls lined with plastic wrap.

3. Refrigerate overnight.

4. To serve, remove wrap and sprinkle with nuts. Serve with assorted crackers.

Chicken Puffs

4 tbsp butter
1 half cup boiling water
1 half cup flour
2 eggs
1 half cup shredded cheese
2 cups cooked chicken
2 tbsp olives
2 tbsp wine
1 fourth cup mayonnaise

1. Melt butter in boiling water.

2. Add flour.

3. Stir vigorously until mixture forms a ball.

4. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

5. Add egg and beat briskly until smooth.

6. Stir in cheese.

7. Scoop 1 tsp dough into a greased baking sheet.

8. Preheat oven to 400F.

9. Bake the puffs for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, cool, and split.

10. Combine the remaining ingredients with the finely chopped cooked chicken, pimiento, and olives.

11. Fill each puff with 2 tsp of the mixture. Serve.

There are just some of the baby shower recipes, there are numerous others to choose from. You can have anything from sandwiches and finger foods, to snacks and dips and sweets that are all very easy to prepare.


Easy Gourmet Recipes for Coffee Lovers

Most of us love coffee as a beverage, which is often used as a way to stay awake in the daytime, but how about using coffee to flavor our food? For example you could use your coffee maker to prepare your main dish.

What comes to mind are desserts or chocolate, where coffee is most commonly used in food. But we will come back to this. How about getting away from the sweet dishes for the moment. Let’s try and be a bit more imaginative. Coffee can be used to improve the glazing of meats on the barbecue, to enhance that chili or to spice up a casserole.

To spice your food, do yourself a flavor and don't resort to instant coffee. Only freshly ground coffee will give you the optimal flavor.
Put your coffee grinder to work just before you need the coffee. This way the aromas don't diminish. Use freshly filtered water and double the amount of coffee making it quite strong.

The first idea is one for a savory sauce for a meatloaf dish. Take one tablespoon full of coffee and add a little bit of cold water, ketchup, Worcester sauce. Mix in dry red wine to taste, vinegar, a spoon full of lemon juice, Demerara sugar completes the delicious mixture.

Cook the meat at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes, and add the well mixed sauce. Then let the meat cook for a further 45 minutes.

How about some espresso brownies for a delicious dessert?
This recipe is always very popular with my guests. For this you need to grind some dark roasted coffee. I always use an Italian or French roast. Then you put some sugar, a pinch of salt and some butter in a pan. Melt this concoction over a low heat. Add some vanilla, chopped up milk chocolate and the previously prepared coffee.

Stir this mixture and let it cool down a little bit. Use a spoon to stir in some eggs and flour into the batter before it gets cold. When smooth, put it into a baking tin and bake at moderate temperature for 30 minutes. Try to control yourself! Don't try the brownies before they are cold.

I could go on giving you recipes for cookies, cakes, gateaux even ice cream tastes great when flavored with coffee. Believe it or not but even the common sponge can be given some pep, iced or filled with coffee

Tiramisu is now popular all over the world, this fantastic creation made with savoiardi or finger biscuits dipped in espresso optionally having added Marsala liqueur, Amaretto or rum. These are then alternately layered with mascarpone cheese which has whipped cream and whipped egg-white stirred into it. The last layer should be the remainder of the Marsala mixture. Finish it all off by sprinkling cocoa over this delicious dessert.

Quite a few cocktails nowadays have coffee added to them.
The list of liqueurs containing coffee is getting longer everyday:
* Allen's Coffee Brandy
* Aruba Arehucas
* Vibe Robusta Coffee Liqueur
* Bols Coffee Liqueur
* Café Britt Coffee Liqueur
* The Evil Monk
* Kahlúa
* Kamora
* Keuck Türkisch Mokka
* Kona Gold
* Kosaken Kaffee
* Mokatika
* Sabroso
* Sheridan's
* Starbucks Coffee Liqueur
* Tia Maria
* Toussaint Coffee Liqueur
just to mention a few ingredients being used to enhance cocktails.

If you are not into alcohol, how about making a syrup spiced with coffee. For this you need some high quality coffee twice as strong as you would normally make it, boil this with a portion of sugar.
Boil to liquefy the sugar. then put the mixture over a low heat to evaporate most of the liquid.
Let the syrup cool down then use to put on top of vanilla ice cream or
pancake.

So you can see there are a lot ways you can use your coffee maker to compose some wonderful dishes using your imagination … Enjoy the creative results

Rhubarb Baking Recipes

Rhubarb was always a staple in our garden when I was growing up. We always had it in lots of different dessert recipes over the summer. Here are few tasty rhubarb recipes for you to enjoy.


Rhubarb Muffins


1 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup walnuts
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, diced


Topping:
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon


In a large bowl, mix together the egg, sugar, oil, vanilla, buttermilk, flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add in the walnuts and the rhubarb and mix together well. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Pour mixture into the muffin liners. In a small bowl, mix together the topping ingredients. Add the topping to each muffin. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes.


Rhubarb Pie


3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream
2 cups rhubarb, finely cut


Topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter


In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, flour, and eggs. Add the vanilla and sour cream into the mixture. Put the rhubarb in and mix until thoroughly blended together. Pour the mixture into an unbaked 9-inch pie shell. In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients. Mix together until the mixture is crumbly. Do not put the topping mixture on the pie right away. Bake the pie in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes or when the center of the pie is firm. During the last 10 minutes of the baking time, sprinkle the topping mixture over the pie.


Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake


1 package yellow cake mix
4 cups rhubarb, diced
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 pint whipping cream


Prepare the cake mix as directed. Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch greased pan. In a medium bowl, mix the rhubarb and sugar together. Evenly sprinkle the rhubarb mixture over the batter. Pour the whipping cream over the entire mixture. (It will look very runny.) Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the cake tests done.




Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Oh Wow

Have you ever had an "Oh Wow" moment? I have and it was yesterday. On Friday I got ill nothing major just congestion and a headache. Over the weeken full blown fevers (multaple ones) Sore throught ear infection. I am still feeling bad Conjestion and now Pink Eye with the ear infection (meds are being slow this time!). well on saterday i get a message from my mom about my Great Aunt Lue. She was and is dying. Very frail very pale, her heart has stoped so many times I think there should be a world record for it. well my mom calls me back on tuesday and tells me that Aunt Lue isnt in a hospice or hospital its family takeing care of her. She said there is about 30 members there helping in shifts of four. One member is a Nurse and is the only one allowed to give the morphine. It has to be done on a cotton swabe and rubed on the inside of her cheek. to mositen her lips they use a cotton ball. Her system shut down basickly last week. She hasnt eaten or drink anything in 8 days. Everyone piches in in changing her bedding turning her bathing her body and to make sure she dosnt get those bed sores. She only is about 87 and everyone holds there breath when her heart stops. Some ask "Is it happing this time?" Its nothing odd about it everyone wants her to go in peace and for her to know that we all love her. Shes holding on for some reason. She cant talk and i think its been like that for a long time now. If I rember Aunt Lue had a stroke not long ago I can't rember so much has gone on. What really stinks is I cant say my goodbuys and I am only a few hours drive from her. Even if i go I am ill and contagues and then i would never here the end of it. But my "Oh Wow" moment was how my mom described how the family got together and is takeing care of her. Most would assume to place some one in that condition into a hospice or hospital. My other great aunts and uncles are afraid thats will happen to them when its there turn. Hospitals and the hospices are the impersonal way to go. Its like telling them you dont love them enught to keep there death in degnifying way.
Personaly no death is dignifying, its a hard complicated nightmear but I would like to think I would be one to help take care of a family member first before some stranger does (or in some cases does not).
In any case Great Aunt Lue your life will not be forgotten it will continue through us all, and I am Honerd and privlaged to have you as my Great aunt. May you find peace in your afterlife and fear not your darling husband is being well cared for by all of us.


Saturday, April 18, 2009

A Birthday Party


My daughter celebrated her 5th birthday not long ago. We made Invites, she picked out the activities and decorations. Hubby and I put it all together, and went to our local park. The party was supposed to start at 3, None of her classmates showed up. the only person that did show up was her grandpa. After an hour of waiting around blowing bubbles eating snow cones we packed up and took the party home. Played with snow cones, ate cake, watched her dance around and be silly. We also had planned an egg hunt with 3 prize eggs winners would have gotten 3 different sized chaco bunnies (they were yummy we ate them!).















Friday, March 27, 2009

Life on the upside

Things are going ok for us. We have been busy busy busy, almost nonstop action here. As of late my days start at 4:30 am (central time) and end when ever I collapse usually around tenish sometimes sooner.
I spend my mornings deleting spam, drinking coffee and promoting my websites. By 6:45 am i am getting the kids up and ready for school. By the time I get home I delete more spam answer some real e-mails then off filling orders or creating something new.
As of right now I have a OOAK Corset, A no boning bodice on the cutting table to be sewn. I have 22 candles and 3 bars of soap to make (not including my mom's order!).
Get the kids by 3:15 home by nearly 4pm then the real chaos starts for a few hours.
Snacks, Running around, dinner, baths, story and bed time. Its really busy until they fall asleep. Then I go and finish as much as I can (answer e-mails or work). I don't watch T.V anymore I dont read the paper, I bearly catch headlines on line about whats going on.
Then I get a phone call that ticks me off. Have you ever had one of those? I dont mean tellemarketers or the autamated messages. This is from a family member that is letting you know that your dad is being a jerk. Which isnt anything new to me, but I really wish it would just stop. So it looks like I will be cutting ties with him again, becuse i just dont have enugh space for double crossing jerks. My kids need me and I just dont think it would be fair if they see me always upset.
Well my son's next MRI appointment is in May lets hope he will be able to do this one. The other appointment we had to reschuduale becuse he was ill to oftain and to quikly.
Heres to crazy parents that think we dont listen!


Sunday, March 15, 2009

Playing catch up!

I am so behind on updating this blog!
Lets see since the last post we have:
had the flu, strep, cold, allergies
I have been working on Soap, Candles, Jewelry, Incense, New packaging for our items.
Been working on Fliers, Brochures, Business cards, and tons of other things.

Well this was a short post :P

Check it out our new site!
http://sacredoak.webs.com

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Just an update

Well I just wanted to thank all who called, e-mailed me to see if I was okay. I am now, I am feeling so much better now.
The last week I have dug my hands into the suds department, that is I have been makeing Ritual Soaps, Old Fashion good for your skin soaps. No fancy molds or designs yet but I am getting there it will take some time. By the end of the week one should see some of the soaps i been working with. They should be dry and firm enugh for pics.
I am also making Bath salts of all kinds, we will no longer use the glass jars as in our pics they weigh too much for shipping purposes but they will be available for Local customers or those who attend the fairs we vend at.
We will also have ritual kits, Bath Gift sets and more by the end of the month just in time for valentines!
Over the christmass break our tv died it was only 4 years old but been through hell (little fingers pushing buttons). 4 days later of crying, kicking fighting and biting we caved and bought another one. We use the game systems for our music cds which keeps the peace around here, without it, lets say it wasnt calming at all lol.
On Thursday our washer decided to do the old I will fill up but wont agetate anything for you. The moter finnally kicked the bucket. The washer is just 2 years younger then me (28) I was hopping at least 1 more year, now its only a matter of time before the dryer decieds to follow suite. Washing clothes in the bath tub isnt fun thats for certain. No way am I digging for quarters to wash clothes. Just cant fford it right now. I so cant wait until the H&R block time! New beds, New Washer, maybe a couch.
Well back to the old soap grinding (we are hand milling the soap!)
Have a great weekend !

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