"Season To Taste...Cook Until Done"

FreeLife® launches TAIslim™ No gimmicks, just lose the fat and keep it off!

Dana — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 18:56:00 GMT

The "weight" is finally over! Like Dave pictured below, I have tried many of the diets that have come and gone over the past 10 years or so and the results were always less than stellar. The only thing that got thinner was MY WALLET!

My husband and I have been using FreeLife's AMAZING nutritional product GoChi for several months now with GREAT results and didn't think we could possibly be happier. Yesterday however, FreeLife announced their newest product TAIslim™ and I already have 2 cases being sent my way! My goal is to lose 20 lbs and I figure if Dave can lose 30 lbs in 3 weeks, I shouldn't have any trouble losing 20 lbs in 4 weeks!

To show you how strongly I stand behind FreeLife's products, once I get TAIslim™ in my hands, I will post a photo of myself each week for 4 weeks here on my blog so you can see for yourself if it's doing what it claims it does.

Here is Dave's testimony:

Friday, January 9, 2009

This is Dave Hull. In the first photo, he weighs in at 240 lbs. The second photo is Dave, just 3 weeks later and 30 lbs lighter after using FreeLife's new weight loss product TAIslim™ !

Dave Hull's explanation of his tremendous weight loss

You're right, I'm getting overwhelmed with calls and e-mails, but I totally understand. Briefly, all I did was use the product twice/day (Morning & Afternoon) I do my 40 minutes of stationary bike (like I had already been doing, but now I didn't skip any days). Other than that… nothing different. The product MAKES you not want to eat the things you normally would that make you fat. No cravings, no late night snacking desires, no in-between-meal snacking. It's really easy to eat what you should when you don't feel like eating much at all. I feel full ALL the time. And the longer I'm on it the more that feeling grows.

This is absolutely the most remarkable product I have ever tried in my life. And believe me when I say I've tried them all! It's actually been 35 lbs now in just 24 days and the amazing thing is I have not had a plateau one day since I started. I've lost at least a lb every day. Oh… and no jitters, no weird feelings and NO irritability, like I ALWAYS got before when I tried ANYTHING to lose weight.

Hope that helps.

Sincerely,

David L Hull

Get ready for my "Cook Book of the Month Club"!

Dana — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 06:10:00 GMT

OK, many of you have heard me talk about my plans to have a monthly cook book and I'm FINALLY going to do it!

Before you get too excited, there WILL be a monthly subscription fee involved, but it will be REALLY CHEAP for the first 100 people who sign up, so if you think you might want to be part of this, let me know soon because I will more than likely advertise with one or more popular search engines.

Back to the good stuff...

Upon joining, you will receive a new digital cook book that I have painstakingly created with AT LEAST 30 theme-based recipes! Those of you have received my FREE "30 Thirty-Minutes or Less Recipes" have an idea of what the monthly cook books will look like already. You will be able to cancel your subscription at any time, so no worries about being locked in if you want to unsubscribe. Also, once-a-month, I will have a random drawing from all subscribers to receive something food or cooking-related that is really cool and useful!

For those of you who jump on this opportunity early, it's only going to cost you $7.95 a month for as long as you stay subscribed. People that come after the first 100 will be charged almost double that, so don't think about it too long!

In the meantime, feel free to ask me any questions that you may have.

Until then,

"Season to taste...cook until done"

Coffee + homemade egg nog = YUM!

Dana — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 04:45:00 GMT

If you like coffee and egg nog, then you should try putting them in the same cup!

Coffee Nog
2 Servings

8 oz. fresh brewed coffee
1/2 cup cream
1 egg yolk
1 TBS brown sugar
Nutmeg or cinnamon

Combine sugar and egg yolk, beat well. In a small saucepan, heat cream. Slowly whisk in egg yolk and sugar. When blended, remove from heat, taking care not boil. Pour coffee into your favorite cups and top with cream mixture. Sprinkle with nutmeg or cinnamon, if desired.

Thanksgiving is over, now what to do with the leftovers?

Dana — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 22:07:00 GMT

So, there you are, standing in front of the refrigerator the day after Thanksgiving, staring at the shelves stuffed with leftovers and wondering what to do with them...

Here are five fantastic recipes that should solve that problem:

Turkey Club Pizza

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves 6

1 Boboli pizza crust
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
2 cups cubed cooked turkey
1-1/2 cups shredded Muenster cheese
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
2 tomatoes, chopped and seeded
1-1/4 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425ºF. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, basil, thyme, pepper and mustard; mix well. Stir in turkey and spread the mixture onto the Boboli. Top with the remaining ingredients in order listed. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

*********************************************************************

Tex-Mex Turkey Spaghetti

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves 6

1 (16 ounce) package spaghetti pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cups cooked turkey, chopped
1 jar (16 oz) chunky salsa
1 jar (15 oz) Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 avocados, peeled and chopped

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While the water is heating, sauté onion in olive oil in large skillet over MEDIUM heat until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.

Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, add turkey and salsa to onions and bring to a simmer; stir in Alfredo sauce. Drain pasta and add to mixture in skillet. Toss over MEDIUM heat for a few minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and top with avocado and serve.

*********************************************************************

Turkey Pineapple Curry

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves 6

1 onion, chopped
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups cooked cubed turkey
1 can (8 oz.) pineapple tidbits, drained

In a large skillet sauté onion in butter until soft. Sprinkle in flour, curry powder and salt. Cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add broth and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Add turkey and pineapple and heat until mixture is hot. Serve over hot rice with desired curry accompaniments (chutney, chopped nuts, toasted coconut,etc.).

*********************************************************************

Baked Turkey Sandwich

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Makes 8 sandwiches

1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. poppy seed
8 Kaiser rolls, split
1-1/2 lbs. thinly sliced deli turkey
8 slices deli Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In small pan, sauté onion in olive oil until tender. Cool for 10 minutes. Mix butter, mustard, onion mixture, and poppy seed in a small bowl and spread over cut sides of rolls. Fill rolls with turkey and cheese. Wrap each sandwich in aluminum foil and bake for 20-30 minutes until sandwiches are hot and cheese is melted.

*********************************************************************

Wild Rice Turkey Bake

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serves 6

3 cups cooked wild rice
3 cups chopped cooked turkey
1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen french cut green beans, thawed
1 jar (15 oz.) Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Mix rice, turkey, green beans and Alfredo sauce in large bowl. Place in 8 x 12" glass baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake for 45-50 minutes until casserole bubbles at the edges and bread crumbs are browned.

If you want to freeze this and save it for later, undercook rice by 10 minutes. Do not thaw green beans. Mix all ingredients and place in baking dish. Wrap well and attach small freezer bag with bread crumbs. Label and freeze up to three months. To thaw and reheat, place casserole in refrigerator overnight. Uncover, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and bake at 350ºF for 50-65 minutes until bubbly and thoroughly heated.

These make WONDERFUL gifts!

Dana — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 05:30:00 GMT

WARNING: These are highly addictive and you may be threatened with your life if you try to stop making them....

Brownie Cakes In A Jar

2 canning jars, wide mouth
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup water
3 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Sterilize two 1-pint straight-sided wide-mouth canning jars (specifically made for canning jams and jellies) lids and rings by boiling for 10 minutes (keep the lids and rings in the hot water until ready to use); set aside. In a small bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon, if desired. Set aside. In a medium saucepan combine butter or margarine, water and cocoa powder; heat and stir until butter or margarine is melted and mixture is well blended. Remove from heat; stir in flour mixture. Add buttermilk, egg and vanilla; beat by hand until smooth. Stir in nuts. Pour mixture into the prepared canning jars; place jars onto a cookie sheet.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a pick inserted deep into each cake comes out clean. Remove cakes from the oven, one at a time. Place a lid, then a ring onto the jars and screw down tightly. USE HEAVY-DUTY MITTS, THE JARS ARE SERIOUSLY HOT!! Place jars onto your counter to cool. You'll hear a "plinking" sound. If you miss the sound, wait until the cakes are cool and press on the lids, they shouldn't move at all, that means they've sealed. Store cakes in a cool, dark, place--they should last up to a year.

NOTE: If you want to decorate them, place a wad of cotton in the center of each lid, then place a piece of decorative cloth, about 3-inches larger in circumference than the lid, (cut with pinking shears) on top of the cotton. Screw the ring back on (by this time the rings can be removed as the lids should be sealed). Use your imagination when decorating--a hot glue gun works wonders!

Three-Bean Salad you make in the microwave

Dana — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:36:00 GMT

Don't discount your microwave oven for meal preparation on Thanksgiving Day! If you're tired of the same old green bean casserole, try this fool-proof hot bean dish on for size. In 15 minutes you will have a bean dish so good that everyone will want seconds!

Microwave Three-Bean Salad

Makes 8 - 10 servings

3 slices raw bacon, coarsely chopped
1 tbs all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup cider vinegar
1 can (15-1/2 oz.) cut green beans, drained
1 can (15-1/2 oz.) cut wax beans, drained
1 can (15-1/2 oz.) red kidney beans, drained
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced

Place chopped bacon into a 1-quart glass measuring pitcher. Cook uncovered in microwave oven 4 minutes on HIGH, stirring once. Stir flour, sugar and vinegar into bacon mixture. Cook uncovered in microwave oven 3 minutes on HIGH, stirring once. This is the dressing. Combine all of the greens and onion in a 1-1/2 quart glass casserole. Heat uncovered in microwave oven 3 minutes on HIGH.

Pour bacon dressing over beans, stir until blended and serve to your hungry guests!

Good Gravy!

Dana — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:07:00 GMT

I've been asked several times how to make turkey gravy from scratch, so I am sharing my Grandma Betty's recipe with you. It's a little bit of work, but I think you will like the results. Making gravy from scratch requires you to start it right after the bird goes into the oven...the secret is in the simmer!

Ingredients

1 tbs vegetable oil
1 turkey neck and giblets reserved from your turkey
1 chopped onion
5 cups water
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth*
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
6 tbs all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste

*If using a self-basting turkey, do not use chicken broth as the gravy will be too salty; use 7 cups of water instead.

Directions

While the turkey is roasting, heat oil in large saucepan over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Add turkey neck and giblets and cook about 5 minutes until browned. Add chopped onion and cook about 3 minutes until softened, stirring frequently. Add water, broth (if applicable), thyme, and bay leaf and bring to boil. Reduce heat to LOW and simmer about 3 hours, which will result in about half (3-1/2 cups). Strain into a large measuring cup, reserving giblets if desired.

When the turkey comes out of the oven, carefully strain the contents of the roasting pan into a fat separator. Let it settle so the fat separates and then skim it off, reserving 1/4 cup. Pour defatted pan juices into measuring cup with giblet stock. You will now have about 4 cups of stock. Heat reserved fat in empty saucepan over MEDIUM heat; stir in flour and cook about 4 minutes until it's about the color of honey. Using a wire whisk, slowly add giblet stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to MEDIUM-LOW and simmer about 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Chop reserved giblets and add to gravy if desired and season with salt and pepper.

If you are planning to cook a natural turkey, please be sure to check out my previous blog post on this subject.

Happy Thanksgiving!

~ Dana

Two really great sweet potato recipes for the Crock Pot

Dana — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 03:29:00 GMT

I have never been a huge fan of sweet potatoes, but these recipes are winners! Not only did I think they were great, my kids and husband really liked them too! Both were adapted from the Crock Pot® Slow Cooker Recipe Card Collection.

SWEET-SPICED SWEET POTATOES

Makes 4 servings

2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbs butter, cut into 1/8-inch pieces
1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients except butter and vanilla in Crock Pot® slow cooker; mix well. Cover; set to LOW for 7 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. Add butter and vanilla; gently stir to blend.

***************************************************************************

SWEET POTATO STEW

Makes 4 servings

1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup grated peeled sweet potato
1 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth or water
2 slices crisp-cooked bacon, crumbled
1 cup fat-free half and half
Black pepper to taste
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Place onion, celery, sweet potato, broth and bacon in Crock Pot® slow cooker. Cover; cook on LOW 6 hours. Increase heat to HIGH. Add half-and-half, using just enough to bring stew to desired consistency. Add more water if needed. Cook 30 minutes on HIGH or until hot. Season to taste with pepper. Stir in parsley.

GoChi™ is in the news...again!

Dana — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:28:00 GMT

Please take the opportunity to view this link from the Australian Associated Press regarding a new study released on GoChi from a member of the FreeLife Scientific Advisory Board, Dr. Vivienne Reeve. FreeLife will continue to lead the way in scientifically validating the incredible health benefits of its products.

Sincerely,

Dana Jones

Curious about what GoChi™ can do?

Dana — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 02:51:00 GMT

Following is a testimony from a friend of mine who introduced me to this amazing, nutritionally dense, 100% natural juice about 3 months ago:

I am a 64 year old woman. I have always been interested in health and natural remedies. For that matter, up to about eight years ago had been extremely healthy......

Then something happened. I started suffering from extreme fatigue and exhaustion, to the point that I thought my life might be over as I knew it. I went to many doctors. They ran many tests. They could not seem to find anything wrong with me. I tried many different things, but none seemed to help. I always ended up in the same spot. Exhausted!!!! It was a chore to even go to town. My husband would take me and I would rest in between stops.

Then about a year ago a friend called who had been suffering from extreme depression and a diabetic condition that the doctors were having a hard time stabilizing. She told me she had found a product that had changed her life! She was sure it would help me. This was Himalayan Goji juice (now called GoChi juice). I was extremely SKEPTICAL!! But . . . I could see the change in her WOW!! It had a 90 day money back guarantee. What did I have to lose. . . . . . It was amazing. A gift from the Lord. I now call it a God berry.

Within 3 weeks (I kept a journal) I took my horse up to the mountains and went on a 7-1/2 hour trail ride and still had energy left. It was hard to believe as I thought I might have to give up riding because of the fatigue and exhaustion. Since then I have gotten off my cranberry pills and L Lysine as I seemed to get bladder infections and cold sores. Plus I used to have to keep my heels filed because they were so dried and cracked. GoChi Juice has changed my life, so that now I have a life!!! I also became a distributor as I wanted to help others. I have many amazing testimonies from others who have experienced the incredible power of the tiny Goji berry.

Carol Krch
Crooked River Ranch, Oregon

To learn more about the most signficant nutritional discovery in this century, click on the link "What the heck is GoChi anyway?" in the sidebar to the right and then contact me to try it risk-free for 90 days. If you don't notice a difference within that time, just save all of your empty bottles and return them for a full refund. How can you go wrong with that guarantee?

To get a perfect roast turkey...

Dana — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:00:00 GMT

...get yourself some salt pork and cheesecloth, both of which are readily available in most supermarkets.

Salt pork both seasons the turkey and provides insulation from overcooking. Be sure to use salt pork and not bacon because bacon is too lean (you need the fat from the salt pork) and you will end up with bacon-flavored turkey...

For a 12 - 14 lb turkey, you will need 2 yards of cheesecloth (one package) and 1 lb of salt pork, sliced 1/4" thick. A natural turkey works best when using salt pork, as the self-basting versions can end up being much too salty.

To get started, put your oven rack in the lowest position possible and set the temperature to 350º. Fold cheesecloth into a square of about 18 inches. Pour 4 cups of cold water into a bowl and place the cheesecloth in it to soak.

Tuck the turkey's wings behind the back and place breast-side up on a V-rack set inside the roasting pan. Pierce skin on the breast all over with a fork. Place salt pork strips over breast and legs until covered and drape the soaked cheesecloth over the top covering the breast and legs. Pour any excess water from bowl into roasting pan and cover the cheesecloth completely with heavy-duty tin foil.

Roast turkey 2-1/2 to 3 hours until breast meat temperature reaches 140º. Discard the foil, cheesecloth and salt pork. Increase oven temperature to 425º and continue roasting another 30 - 60 minutes until breast meat temperature reaches 165º and thigh meat reaches 175º. Place turkey on cutting board to "rest" a half-hour before serving.

As always,

Season to taste...cook until done!

~ Dana

How to make better choices about the foods you eat

Dana — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 01:06:00 GMT

Ever heard of the "Fullness Factor"?

It's a formula developed by Ron Johnson, the founder of NutritionData.com that tries to predict how filling a food is based on its nutrients. The formula considers the number of calories, protein, fiber and fat per gram. It predicts the satiating effect of a particular food, thereby helping to determine which foods are better at creating a feeling of fullness. "Making high Fullness Factor foods a bigger part of your diet is a natural way to avoid hunger while consuming less calories."

While the rating systems can give you a good idea of how filling a food can be, they're not the final word on what you should eat. Even though potatoes are very filling for example, eating nothing but potatoes would not only be very unhealthy, it would be extremely boring!

Check this out--on the NutritionData.com Web site, you can plug a food in the search bar and a list of options for how the food is prepared comes up. Choose the one that matches what you are looking for and see where it lands on the nutrition grid. I entered Butternut Squash and it showed up near the top right corner of the map. Foods in the upper right quadrant are considered the most nutritionally dense, and thus good choices for feeling full without a lot of calories.

You don't necessarily have to limit yourself to foods in the upper right quadrant; rather you should use the grid to make better choices. When you plug in the food you eat, the site will make suggestions of better foods that have higher nutritional value or that will satisfy you with fewer calories. As you move your food choices up and toward the right, your diet will improve.

Good advice: Always wait a few minutes before having seconds; you will often realize that you are not as hungry as you thought because it takes some time for your stomach to send the "I'm full" signal to your brain.

Hope you found this information to be helpful and thanks for reading!

~ Dana

Time to talk turkey...

Dana — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 04:27:00 GMT

In case you missed this last year, thought I would share it here again.

Below are several national brands of turkeys and how they fared in a 2007 taste test by America's Test Kitchen:

Highly Recommended:

    Rubashkin's Arron's Best, frozen kosher
    (very high in fat and the highest in salt of all that were tested; hard to find--not widely available)
    Price per lb at time of testing: $1.99

Note: the Jewish Daily Forward reported in August 2007 that the producer of the Highly Recommended Rubashkin's Aaron's Best kosher turkey, "already the subject of allegations about its treatment of both workers and animals, has also been chastised by government regulators for its food-safety record, according to newly released documents." For the full story, see http://www.forward.com/articles/11401/.

Even though this brand is highly recommended, I wouldn't buy it even if I could find it. Read the full article and you'll understand why.

    Walter's Hatchery Heritage Breed, frozen mail order
    Price per lb at time of testing: $7.14 PLUS shipping (no, that's not a typ-o!)

Note: "Heritage" turkeys are direct descendants of wild turkeys and are typically lean birds that tend to have tough and stringy meat. However, Walter's Hatchery birds are fed a diet of straight sweet corn in the final weeks which adds a layer of fat under the skin just before they go to market.

Recommended:

    Butterball Turkey and Jenny-O, frozen (I have never gone wrong with a Butterball!)
    Price per lb at time of testing: $1.49

Note: Most of the higher-ranked birds were frozen. The tasters consistently found the frozen birds to actually be moister than the fresh. A "fresh" bird can actually be tougher and drier than a frozen one. Turkeys may be labeled as "fresh" if they have been chilled to as low as 26 degrees. But at this temperature, tiny ice crystals can form in the meat. If the temperature fluctuates (during storage or transport, at the supermarket, or on the way to your home), these crystals can melt, combine with neighboring crystals, and then refreeze. These irregularly shaped ice crystals will start to poke the cell membranes in the meat, make holes and the cell tissues in the muscles will start to lose their internal contents. Then when they are cooked, those birds will be dry.

(I always assumed fresh was better than frozen, but I never wanted to pay the high price of a fresh bird. Apparently, I haven't been missing out on anything.)

Recommended with reservations:

    Diestel Family Turkey Ranch, fresh
    Price per lb at time of testing: $1.99

    Shadybrook Farms, frozen (ranked dead last in taste test)
    Price per lb at time of testing: $1.29

Note: Raised on a vegetarian diet—meaning the bird ate none of the animal byproducts that can be part of commercial turkey diets—and was "range-grown," another term for pasture-raised. The company claims its birds are allowed to grow longer than average—in this case, about six months—for better flavor; however, tasters found that flavor "gamy" and "fishy," particularly in the dark meat.

    Empire Kosher, frozen
    Price per lb at time of testing: $2.69

Note: Tasters found this bird to be decidedly bland. Lab tests revealed that the highest ranked bird had slightly more fat and nearly twice as much salt as the lowest.

    Good Earth Farms Organic Pasture-Raised, fresh (ranked 2nd to last in taste test)
    Price per lb at time of testing: $2.49

Note: Same breed as commercial turkeys, but free to roam and eat foraged grass and insects. It also eats organic versions of the usual soy and cornmeal feed most turkeys consume, along with wheat. Unless the bird eats 100 percent foraged food, most consumers can’t taste a difference in the meat. The texture of this bird was also slightly stringier and tougher than most tasters preferred, probably because it got more exercise.

So there you have it! For the best flavor and most economical price, you can't beat a frozen Butterball!

Happy hunting for the perfect turkey,

~ Dana

Chocolate cake in a coffee mug? What'll they think of next?

Dana — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:04:00 GMT

Janet Peschka of Portland, Oregon (who also doubles as my mom, LOL) sent this recipe to me the other day via email. I have to say, baking a chocolate cake in a coffee mug in 5 minutes in a microwave oven sounds too good to be true! Haven't tried it yet because I still have a quarter sheet of birthday cake from Costco left from Dave's birthday and several pounds of Halloween candy that the kids brought back...

Janet/Mom wrote:

"Here is a recipe that I just received and have tried and it is really good. I opted for the nuts and "no" on the chocolate chips; the cake was more like a brownie. The recipe makes more than enough for two, or not..."

Why is this the most dangerous chocolate cake recipe in the world? Because chocolate cake is now only 5 minutes away!

5-Minute Chocolate Coffee Mug Cake a.ka. "The World's Most Dangerous Chocolate Cake"

Ingredients:

1 Coffee mug

4 tablespoons flour (that's plain flour, not self-rising)

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons baking cocoa

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

Some nuts (optional)

Small splash of vanilla

Combine all dry ingredients & mix well. Combine egg, milk and oil and mix well. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients & mix well. Add nuts and chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla and mix well. Pour into a standard size coffee mug. Microwave on high for three minutes.

The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed. Allow to cool a little and tip out onto a plate or eat right out of the mug.

Holy Cow This is Good Meatloaf!

Dana — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:56:00 GMT

Thought it was about time to put something on here that actually has something to do with recipes...

First of all, I have to tell you that I have never been a fan of meatloaf and I generally avoid it like the plague. I think this is due to my childhood experience of eating meatloaf for dinner fairly regularly and never wanting to. My husband, however, loves meatloaf. So, once a year on his birthday (which is Nov 1), I scour my cookbooks and the Internet looking for a recipe I haven't tried before. I'm serious...I really only do make it once a year!

Well, I'm about to share with you the recipe that has removed my disdain for this traditional family staple and will likely make regular appearances at my dinner table from now on!

Unfortunately, the recipe was posted almost 2 years ago on closed membership forum and the author only included her first name, which was Annette. I have no idea where she is how to contact her, but if you're out there Annette, I would like to thank you and your mother for posting this great recipe!

The recipe didn't have a name, so I'm calling it the first words that came out of my mouth when I tried it:

"Holy Cow This is Good Meatloaf!"

Ingredients:                                                For the glaze:

1/2 cup chopped onion                               1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbs parsley                                              2 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs butter                                                1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 Tbs salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves (optional)
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 lbs hamburger

In a pan, sauté the onion, parsley and butter. The original recipe didn't say how long to do this, but I did it just until the onions started to get soft. Combine bread crumbs, salt, pepper and thyme. (I opted not to use thyme). Beat the eggs and milk together.

Add the onion, bread crumb, and egg mixtures to the with the hamburger; spread some ketchup over it and mix together with hands until thoroughly combined. Form into a loaf and place into a bread loaf pan. Mix together the ketchup, brown sugar and dry mustard; spread on top of loaf.

Bake at 350º for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

My husband has liked every meatloaf I've ever made, but he said this was probably the best one yet.

If you have meatloaf recipe that you think is especially good, please feel free to share it!

~ Dana

I survived Las Vegas Part 6

Dana — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 02:07:00 GMT

After stopping for a late lunch at Applebees in the uncrowded, mostly upscale community of Summerlin (average home value $577,000), we returned to the wedding party-clogged, main drag of Sin City. Once we hit city limits, it was stop and go for block after block after block due to a million weddings that all ended at the same time. The people involved in these "quickies" were highly intoxicated and oblivious to traffic laws. Oh, wait...this is Las Vegas--there are no traffic laws!

After enduring several near misses caused by really bad drivers, I decided the next time mom and I came to Vegas, we would do without a rental car.

After recovering from driving thru Hell, mom and I tried some more penny slots before dinner and I managed to win $48.00! We gambled another couple hours after dinner and I found a penny machine that I kept winning on wagering $.25 per spin. When I reached $75.00, mom "pulled the plug" on me and made me cash out. She wasn't winning anything and wanted to move on. I didn't realize the machine was tracking credits, rather than dollars, so you can imagine my surprise when I hit the "cash out" button and received a voucher for $150.00!

I would have to say winning almost $200 playing penny machines is a significant accomplishment...

Check back again soon for my 7th and last installment of my Las Vegas Adventure!

~ Dana

I survived Las Vegas Part 5

Dana — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 04:05:00 GMT

So, after taking a few pictures at Red Spring, we made our way to the Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive, which is a really cool 13-mile one-way loop through the park with numerous viewpoints and some 55 miles of hiking trails from easy to strenuous. The entire area encompasses nearly 196,000 acres and has numerous wild horses, burros, and bighorn sheep as well as archaeological, paleontoligical and historical sites.

I didn't see any wildlife or petroglyphs, but I did get to see a lot of interesting geological features and I would love to go back there and spend a day hiking (mid-week) through the canyons sometime.

Some of the viewpoints were so jammed with vehicles, we had to cruise the parking areas several times before finding a spot. According to the information given to us at the fee station (cost is $5.00 per day, btw), Red Rock Canyon is the most visited conservation area of the 13 National Conservation Areas nationwide with more than 1 million visitors annually (half of which were there that Saturday).

This place must resemble 5:00 traffic on I-5 in Seattle during the summer...

Ancient sand dunes

The view opposite the petrified dunes

The red coloring is the result of oxidization of the iron particles over millions of years

I thought this was an interesting contrast of colors...

Even with a 10X lens, I still couldn't see any sign of wild horses or burros...

I forget the name of this interesting formation...

That was SNOW moving in the opposite direction, fortunately...

This is called "Icebox Canyon". According to the info at the trail head, the temperature
in the canyon is typically 30 - 40 degrees cooler then anywhere else in the park on a
hot day. Apparently, there is a perpetually frozen lake in there, as well...

If you're ever looking for something to do other than gamble and eat, I highly recommend visiting Red Rock Canyon!

Until next time,

~ Dana

I survived Las Vegas Part 4

Dana — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 04:58:00 GMT

Friday was a terrible day weather wise...we didn't set foot outside of the hotel until we had to leave to go to Bette Midler's performance around 5:00 p.m. Whoever heard of going to Las Vegas and spending almost an entire day in your hotel room? It was cold and windy all day and we about froze coming back from Caesars that evening. Also, the wind was blowing 25 miles or more an hour almost constantly since we arrived the day before and we never got to see the "Sirens" show because the performances were canceled every night due to the high winds. I was majorly bummed since hotel guests get access to the primo viewing area...

On Saturday morning, it was well past 9:00 before we got up and moving. I turned on The Weather Channel to see what was in store for us that day and guess what? Las Vegas was experiencing record low temperatures for this time of year and the front wasn't expected to move through until Monday; the day we were leaving, of course.

We had decided ahead of time that Saturday would be our day to go sightseeing by car. Mom thought the Grand Canyon was only a 100 miles away, so we were planning to go there, but we found out it was really more like 250 miles away and a 5-hour drive one way. I dearly wanted to see the Grand Canyon, but 10 hours was just a little more than I wanted to spend driving in one day.

Instead, we opted for Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area which was about 45 minutes drive northwest (I think) from Vegas. I had never been there before, so it was just as good a place as any to explore, except maybe on a warmer day. Shortly before reaching the fee station for the park, we took a short side trip to the tiny community of Red Spring where it was actually SNOWING! Mom had a warm-ish coat, but was wearing pedal pushers 'cause that was all she brought with her. I had jeans, but only a light sweater that I borrowed from mom, so we were both darn cold!

Mom weenied out and stayed in the car while I ventured out to snap a few photos:

This was just the tip of the iceberg, however. I'll share the rest of the Red Rock Canyon experience in Part 5 of my Vegas Adventure.

Stop by again soon!

I survived Las Vegas Part 3

Dana — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 16:42:00 GMT

After paying the bill at Kahunaville, Pete and spent the afternoon editing his eBook "Real Men Roast Whole Hogs". Tried working on the laptop by the pool, but the wind was blowing about 25 miles an hour and even if there had been no wind at all, we still couldn't tolerate the rap music that was blaring from 5 foot high speakers at an intolerable decibel level.

After Pete and I finished, it was time to get ready to go see Bette Midler at Caesar's Palace. I ordered the tickets on line before the trip, so we didn't have to deal with standing in line at the box office, but the "convenience" charges for this were hefty...over $40 per ticket! I think if I go see her again, I'll take my chances at the box office.

Anyway, Bette's show was definitely worth the price, but our seats were too far back to be able to fully appreciate the performance. We did have binoculars, which helped a lot, but it just takes something away, you know what I mean? We were pretty close to center stage, second row of rear orchestra, which looked pretty good on the seating chart, but what the seating chart didn't show you was the sound control deck that was between front and rear orchestra. So instead of being immediately above the front orchestra section, we were quite a ways back because of that.

The ticket price for rear orchestra seating was @ $160 each and the front orchestra ones cost @ $230 each. After convenience charges if ordered in advance, they would cost close to $300 a piece, as the charges are calculated on a percentage of the ticket cost, so the fees get higher the more expensive the ticket. Even so, if I decide to catch her show again sometime, I'm going to go for the front orchestra tickets.

In the interest of keeping my blog posts a manageable read, I'll just tell you that Bette is still going strong after all these years and even though throughout the show she complained (jokingly) about how old and tired she was getting, you sure wouldn't know it!

If you find yourself in Vegas, I highly recommend catching Bette's show at Caesar's; it is well worth it!

I took this photo from the lake side of the Bellagio while futiley waiting for the fountain show that was supposed to take place every 15 minutes. We waited about an hour when a nice lady told us she had called the front desk to find out what was going on and she was told that there were 2 weddings going on back-to-back and the shows wouldn't resume until after 6:00 p.m. We never made it back to the Bellagio to see the fountains.

Stay tuned for Part 4 of my "Vegas Adventure".

~ Dana

I survived Las Vegas Part 2

Dana — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:42:00 GMT

So, 2 hours after landing, we finally arrived at the reservations desk of the Treasure Island Hotel. Check-in time is 4:00 p.m. and we were there at 3:30, so I thought the timing was perfect....WRONG again! There were AT LEAST 50 people waiting in line. I would expect long lines on Friday's and weekends, but Thursday?

I read somewhere that Las Vegas was hurting for tourism dollars in this crappy economy, which is probably why I got such a good package deal, but in the 4 days I was there, Las Vegas was just as crammed with tourists as any other time I've been there before. The lines were just as long as ever to get into the eating places and sometimes we just gave up and tried to find another place we could get into, only to find even longer lines at the next place!

Needless to say, I found the dining experience less than ideal because I was almost always faced with a wait of 30-minutes to an hour just to get into a dang coffee shop! Also, the days of cheap eating are LONG gone, so be prepared for that bit of unpleasantness as well.

For example, a SINGLE "loaded" baked potato cost $10.50, plus tax! Granted, the potatoes were fairly large, but C'MON...it's a freaking potato for crying out loud! Also, the "bargain breakfast" 2 egg, 2 bacon, 2 pieces of toast and hash browns could be had for the low price of just $8.95, plus tax, not including a beverage. My hopes of indulging in an above-average meal or two, as in something that did not contain poultry, were pretty much dashed. Steak and seafood were totally out of the realm of possibility, as the prices were generally well over $25.00. I had budgeted $15 - $20 for steak/seafood dinners, but all I could get in that price range was chicken.

There was an upside to this experience...it is the first time I EVER went to a gambling town where I saved money and lost weight. Mom and I got very proficient at picking a single meal that provided enough food for both of us to cut costs, so after the baked potato experience, we rarely spent more than $20, plus tax and tip on a meal. We usually just drank water, because a glass of Sierra Mist, which was 85% ice, cost $3.50. I did have ONE indulgence though...a large Margarita that mom and I shared at the Kahunaville Bar inside Treasure Island, where we met up with Pete for the first time since we had arrived in town. However, that little deviation cost...are you ready for this? ** $22.00 **, plus tax!!! I nearly choked when I got that bill! The prices for mixed drinks were not on the menu, but I figured at worst, it might cost, what...$10.00, $12.00? HOLY CRAPPOLA!

I did get to keep nifty plasitc "glass"...

That's all I have time for now,

"Season to Taste, Cook Until Done"

~ Dana

P.S. Did you know that "CRAPPOLA" isn't in the spell-check dictionary?