WOW! That's all I have to say...

This is such a good commercial. I have no words. It speaks for itself... if you love your life and your family.... you WILL do this.

Yearly Ritual For The Lonely

7 years ago I went through a very heartbreaking divorce. I did not wan't to get divorced, but it happened nonetheless. I remember the first Valentine's Day without my husband, it was hard. February 14th has been designated by commercialism, people and history to be the day that you focus on those you love. Now, don't get me wrong... I have children... whom I love and adore. I make an extra effort to assure each of them that they are my special Valentine every year. But a parent-child relationship has a completely different dynamic than that of the ONE person you share everything with. Your partner. When you don't have a partner, Valentine's is a morbid day. I can't think of anything worse than a day where you feel the most alone out of 365 days of the year. So, I decided that NO ONE should EVER feel that alone. So the following year, I asked around, and I found out who my neighbors were. Widows, divorcees, the broken hearted, and some people who had never even experienced love... even though they are much older than I. I hand picked all of the people who I considered "lonely hearts"... and I made treats for all of them, decorated the plates and delivered cards that, in essence, said: "You are loved, someone is thinking bout you". It made me giddy. I have NEVER felt better than when I was running around putting a smile on the faces of those who might not have smiled otherwise. And I have done it every year since. This year I found a special Valentine. I found someone who is so hurt, it breaks your heart to hear of their struggle. Someone who you want to just take in your arms, hold them and tell them, "life will get better". So yes, I hand picked this Valentine. I decided to make a sacrifice for this person. I don't have a lot of money, but what money I had left from a very skimpy tax return I used it to buy something that would sooth this person... make them smile. I bought it to put a smile on this lonely heart's face. I haven't given it yet, so it is still a secret.... but I am giddy like a little child at Christmas to know that soon... they will receive something special and unexpected. To me, it is worth the sacrifice. I love Valentine's Day.... because it's not the day where I get to feel loved by someone close to me... but I get make someone else feel loved... when they didn't feel that way before.

I challenge those reading to do the same... whether it is cookies, a note or a bigger gesture. Find the Lonely Hearts, and let them know they are loved.

2010 Super Bowl Commercials

Which one is your favorite?


The Super Bowl, at its very core, is merely another chance for like-minded individuals to sit on couches & yell at the TV & each other, all the while feeling as though they are witnessing something important on their TV sets for once. Fun as it sounds, if I miss the Super Bowl this year, it won't be because I was doing something more important. No, it'll be because I had something BETTER to do, like taking a nap

My Mood Today: Mellow, Chill, Takin' Life In

It's Mix-Tape Day. No words... just music

"In a perfect world..."

We hear that saying a lot, "Well, in a perfect world...". Which usually means 'tough luck', 'too bad' and 'get over it'. I'm tired of hearing it. When life hands ME an imperfect world... I'll make PERFECTION! =-)

I am going to grow my own Perfect World. That way, the next time someone throws that line at me... I will reply, "Well MY perfect world already does that!" (and maybe I'll stick my tongue out right after, for drama's sake... cuz that's how I roll) ha ha

P.S. Thanks for the perfect world Sis

A Secret That No One Told Me

I've been really sick the last 3 days... and am finally on the mend. I think I might have enough energy to tackle some much needed PRE-Spring Cleaning. I have been rearranging my upstairs bedroom and got rid of my full sized bed and replaced it with a KING bed! I have been in heaven. But I had to make some serious room for it. I had to get rid of my old desk, so I began to dismantle it. However, when I was unscrewing it I came across a stripped screw-head (is that what you men call it? I don't know 'tool lingo'). This is nothing new, I see these all the time in children's toys and when you have to take apart a piece of furniture because you've moved as often as I have in the past. Usually I would just force the screwdriver further down into the hollowed out screw-head in hopes of getting enough friction to get it to turn. This would usually end up with me yelling weird phrases and ultimately throwing a toy across the room. =-)
But someone recently revealed a little secret, "Use a rubber band". Seriously? Guess what...? It Works! So, I thought I would pass this little gem of knowledge your way.

(Also) if you ever have a light bulb break off in the socket and need to get the base out... cut a potato in half and twist it into the socket of the broken light bulb and it will catch it and you can un-twist it to pull it out. AMAZING! I love little tricks that make my life easier.

FREE GRAND SLAM BREAKFAST FROM DENNY'S Feb 9th, 2010

Denny’s restaurant chain hopes to score another home run with customers by offering free Grand Slam breakfasts after next month’s Super Bowl.

The 24-hour-restaurant chain will give away its signature breakfasts from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 9 at its outlets across the country. That’s the Tuesday following Super Bowl XLIV.

Last year, Denny’s, with 1,500 locations nationwide, including seven in Brevard, served about 2 million Grand Slams after announcing the offer during the Super Bowl match-up between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals. Read More Here...

Famous Singer Blacklisted

A South Florida community watchdog group that monitors sex offenders, 'Protect Our Children', is sending postcards to 1,500 homes to warn parents that former sex offender Pete Townshend is coming to the area to perform at the Super Bowl. He was arrested in 2003 for cruising online sites for photos of child sex. Townshend said he was doing research for a book. He was placed on England's list of sexual offenders for five years.

Protect Our Children’s Kevin Gillick says, “As far as we’re concerned, Pete Townshend could be dangerous for the community. No one who isn’t interested in child sex visits porn sites. And he was on his country’s sex offenders list. Why is he in what amounts to a family event?”

The NFL rejected 'Protect Our Children's' plea to cancel The Who's Super Bowl halftime performance.

I don't watch the Super Bowl... but this time I am pro-actively boycotting it. Good ol' Pete needs to learn that his celebrity-ism is not going to float him through his sick sexual addictions.

How To Make Jalapeno Corn Aebleskivers

I have never intended this blog to be about cooking... this is just my 'current phase'. This blog is all about what is in my head at the time, so unfortunately there will be a lot of A.D.D. posts. Recently I was on a Gizmo Kick, a Twilight Kick, a Viral Video Kick... and somedays I just post random pictures from my life. So, without further ado, here is the video of me making Aebleskivers. Delicious, and if you have a sweet tooth, you should try the chocolate ones!

Fill them with cheese or jam. These mildly spicy Jalapeño-cornbread pancake puffs will leave your mouth watering for more. This makes nice soft, moist, egg-rich aebleskiver! You can get started with these mixes and pans here.

4 Ingredient Chocolate Cake... and DELICIOUS!

Easy Flourless Chocolate Cake

With only four ingredients and three steps, this is an easy flourless cake. And it’s scrumptious—perfect to make for your sweetheart. As with other flourless chocolate cakes, this is dense and chocolatey.

A simple dusting of powdered sugar makes this cake elegant. Drizzle it with raspberry sauce, raspberry chocolate sauce, or chocolate sauce. (A recipe for raspberry sauce follows.) Finally add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

Be sure and use good quality, dark cocoa. I used Ramstadt-Breda Dark Cocoa which has three times the cocoa butter of most national brands. This will not be the same with ordinary cocoa.

8 large eggs
1 cup rich, dark cocoa, Ramstadt-Breda or equal
1 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

1. In your stand-type mixer and with the whip attachment beat the eggs for three minutes at medium speed, until they are bubbly and lighter colored. While the eggs are beating, melt the butter and measure the other ingredients. Measure the cocoa by spooning cocoa into a cup—do not compress the cocoa.
2. Add the sugar and cocoa and beat in. While the mixer is running, drizzle in the melted butter. Continue beating until mixed. Scrape the batter into the pan.
3. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or an insta-read thermometer registers 165 to 170 degrees when inserted into the center of the cake. Cool on a wire rack and then place in the refrigerator to chill. The cake will become dense as it cools. Dust with powdered sugar if you desire.

Yield: 12 servings.

How to Make Raspberry Sauce

Raspberries alone are not tart and flavored enough for a dessert sauce even when thickened with a starch. There are two possible solutions: Cooking the fruit down to concentrate the flavors or adding a jelly for thickness and flavor. This recipe uses the latter.

12 ounces, about 3 cups frozen, unsweetened raspberries
2/3 cup red currant jelly
about 1/4 cup sugar

1. Thaw and puree the raspberries. Strain them twice through a sieve/strainer or until nearly all of the seeds are removed. Place the puree in a small saucepan. Add the jelly.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the jelly is completely melted and blended with the fruit. Sweeten to taste with the sugar while it is still hot. Stir to make sure that the sugar is dissolved. Let cool.

Yield: About 1 1/3 cups of raspberry sauce.

What You’ll Need

• For the cake, you will need a good quality nine-inch springform pan. We recommend our glass-based springform pans. We have baked this cake many times and have not had a single leak. We cut the cake right on the glass base.
• A good quality cocoa is essential. You want at least 16% cocoa butter. Most store cocoas are 8 to 10%. Ramstadt-Breda cocoa is 24%.
• An insta-read thermometer. The proteins in the eggs will coagulate at 165 degrees and create the structure for the cake.
• For the raspberry sauce, you will need a medium sieve/strainer, one about 6 inches in diameter. The mesh in this size of sieve is usually the right size to catch most of the raspberry seeds and still let the puree pass.
• The red currant jelly gives the puree body, tartness, and color.