Choice Morsels

Welcome to Mama Kat Blog Prompt Day! Today's challenge is: "Write a post... that somehow incorporates the word: Sparkle " I LOVE sparkle, glitter and glitz! I'm always attracted to sequined outfits and rhinestone jewelry. That's why I have so many brooches and clip earrings adorned with rhinestones!   But I didn't become actually  addicted to wearing flecks of glitter on my person until after I'd worked a Christmas or two at a flower shop! During December we'd use tons of glittery things to accent Christmas arrangements with and I'd come home with my face and clothes literally coated in glitter---attracting such remarks as, "how sparkly I looked," or "how glittery my face was." I sort of liked that. Then I heard the line Tim Allen said on the "Santa Clause" movie about "elves having glitter on their cheeks"---and I was hooked. At the flower shop I'd deliberately shake the sparkly stuff on

How's your Christmas decorating going? Lot's of people in our neighborhood have the icicle lights up and other decor in their yards! Our local Boy Scout troop will be selling fresh Frazier firs this weekend, so we're planning on picking ours up probably Friday evening. (They only sell them this one weekend and we prefer our tree money to go to a good use.) We both have a dental appointments Friday morning for a routine cleaning. (same dentist.) Then Saturday afternoon we're driving over to Destin to a Ballroom there to watch our friend, Megan, participate in a dance competition. It's sort of like a Dancing with the Stars type thing put on by all the local Fred Astaire Dance Studios, which she has been a member of for several years now. I'm looking forward to seeing her dance! Tonight a recently married couple, who used to participate in the ministry here while they were single, are in town for a couple days and have invited those of us who remember th

According to a report from ABC News, scientists recently checked out a island they hadn't heard of listed on maps and on Google. The phantom island, identified as "Sandy," was shown as being in the South Pacific, somewhere between Australia and French New Caledonia. Apparently it's been on maps and charts for 116 years.. However, when they sailed to the location, they found nothing. No island. Just deep blue sea---really deep. Over 4600 feet. They made note of it for future navigational map corrections and mapped the ocean floor in the region. What's really funny are the Yahoo user comments on this story!  Sit back and have a snicker: * Roger that, Team Alpha, we were able to float our fake island base to another location, 50 nautical miles to the NW. * Dr. Evil's new lair. * This island is really a Martian space ship. * F red stole it. * Y ou have just entered...the twilight zone! * Tell that to Gilligan and Mary Ann. *  Dang, I haven't b

Conveniently, one of this weeks Mama Kat Prompts is to share photos of "What Fall is Looking Like In Your Neck of the Woods!" Plus there's another prompt to share "A Favorite Thanksgiving Tradition."   So today you're getting a 2 for 1 : fall garden photos AND a tradition story! (Since I'll be taking Thanksgiving off from blogging!) First, a brief favorite tradition story: We lived way out in heavily wooded Hoosier countryside with a creek running through our extensive bit of property and visiting that creek was a favorite past-time for my 2 younger sisters and I. There was always something to find or explore there. One year, while down at that creek, my middle sister, Janie, found this neat piece of "driftwood." It was a weathered piece of tree trunk about 28 inches long and 7 inches wide or so. It was wide in the middle and narrowed to a point-ish shape at either end. It was flat enough to rest easily on a surface as well as artfu

Today, we're going to talk Turkey, since it's Thanksgiving week---specifically ways to flavor that bird you plan to roast in oven. This list of suggestions is from Better Home & Gardens website, which you can go to using the link below for specific directions & pictures for each of these methods: http://www.bhg.com/thanksgiving/recipes/12-mouthwatering-ways-to-cook-a-turkey/#page=1 (I only mention those related to oven roasting ) 1)  Brush bird with oil and rub a homemade spice mixture into the skin. 2) Infuse your turkey with a simple marinade of orange juice and olive oil.   3)  Infuse your turkey with a seasoned liquid .   4)  Apply a glaze : a third of the way through roasting apply a sweet apple jelly mixed with brandy & sage. (recipe at link above)   5) Brine your bird . This method involves soaking your bird in a seasoned brine 8 to 12 hours in advance of roasting.   6) Crust you turkey : Put together a crusting mix of marmalade, haz

Have your Turkey yet? I saw frozen Turkeys in passing carts last weekend when we were shopping. Do you cook a whole bird? Bake it? Fry it? Buy one ready-cooked or smoked? Since it's just for myself and my husband, what I do is just a couple Turkey thighs in a slow-cooker, which is faster then a oven and makes them more tender. Enough Turkey.... On to  Mama Kat's Prompt for Today: "List 5 Things That Bring You Comfort."   #1) Reading the Bible & Prayer : I get a lot of comfort from hearing the Lord Jesus through scripture and reviewing the many promises He has given me. I have a stack of index cards, full of them.   #2) My Husband : He's just a really warm, comforting person. That's one reason why I married him. Sunni #3)   My Cat, Sunni : She likes to lay on my chest near my face and I find listening to her steady purr very comforting and relaxing. She especially, at night, just before I go to sleep. #4)   A Good Cup of Coffe

  Greetings! We had some brief excitement this morning---a loud "BANG" at 8:30. The sound of a transformer blowing. I said, "It's probably a squirrel." It was the transformer on the electric pole right across from our house. Twenty minutes later, the power company truck arrived before my husband left. He pointed out to my husband the dead squirrel on top of it---yup, the squirrel did it.    I didn't get to this right away as decided today was a good day to get around to caulking the inside edges of our bedroom windows. They're bay windows. It was, of course, a major cleaning job with the bleach and the non-ammonia glass cleaner. Then messing with the bay window hardware getting the curtains down, washed and back up---an arduous task I don't enjoy. The caulk was in a container like hair mousse comes in, designed for easy re-use. It was nice.     I  have 2 garden pics for today: First one is from last summer. It's my hummingbird fe

My topic today is a report on the Denny's "Hobbit" themed menu.   We ate lunch there with one of our Air Force single guys, Chris,.this past weekend. Hobbit Slam    Chris had the "Hobbit Slam" consisting of hash browns, pancakes, eggs, poppy-seed bread french toast and a huge sausage and--- being a 20 year old---ate every bite!    He said the pumpkin creme that came with the pancakes was best, the sausage tasty and the poppy-seed french toast waaay  too rich. I tried the "Frodo Roast Beef Skillet" which was pretty good, though the quantity of broccoli in it compared to the picture was lacking. It had a mere 1/2 cup frozen broccoli comprised mostly of stems and 2 small florets. Frodo Skillet Turkey & Dressing   My husband tried the "Dwarves Turkey & Dressing," which was  just that: turkey and dressing. He said it was good, but really just Denny's food with a fancy name. The Shire Sausage Skillet did look good

I'm a little behind the blogging power-curve today---I decided it was a good day to mow the back yard and "vacuum" up all those leaves and pine needles. I did that first.   Anyway---today's Mama Kat prompt challenge is: "Share an embarrassing moment." Of course, those are always plentiful.   (Just a photo I found online.) In my case, I'm just lucky it was so early in the morning, no one caught me. It was the early 90's and I had decided to do another 2 years of college for my B.A. I was married then and recently moved to Northwest Florida. I'd already done as many classes as I could do at the local campus extensions and had reached that point where the rest of my required classes were only going to be available on the main campus in Pensacola, which was an hour away.  Another military wife I'd met in a local class was in the same boat, so we decided to car-pool together twice a week for Tuesday and Thursday classes. That&

Welcome back! Just before starting this I was reading a travel/leisure article-photo series about the worlds, "strangest bridges," such as the bridge in China with a huge Ferris wheel in the middle. Of course, I scrolled down to look for witty user comments and the first one I read made me burst into laughter:  Someone wrote: " It's all fun and games till those bridges come alive and form into Decepticons." (I suppose you have to be a Transformer fan to get that.) Anyway, on to Garden Pictures: First up: a shot of  the "teacup" portion of my garden. This is one of several teacups I have with Hen & Chick succulents installed in them in a bed running along a retaining wall we put in a couple years ago. I just added the pea gravel around all of them only a few weeks ago, because I like how it enhances their looks. It also helps prevent rain from washing the soil out of the cup! Next pic is of my Christmas Cactus laden with bloom bu

  Welcome to the first week of November!   November is also "National Novel Writing Month." Really. If you would like to participate, signing up is simple and free  at NaNoWriMo's website . The goal is for participants to write a 50,000-word novel before the clock hits midnight on Nov. 30 and since it's Nov 5 already, you'd better get crackin'! Today's Good Eating topic is my own recipe for a oven casserole I just call "Chicken & Rice." Perfect for chilly winter days! Though you can use Turkey. I recently slow-cooked a couple turkey thighs and used one of those and it was delicious---so delicious I plan on cooking up 4 in couple weeks and making two 10x13 pans worth for our Sunday Night Bible Study group! Chicken & Rice Oven: 400 Ingredients: 6-8 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs 1 10.5oz can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup 1 cup favorite frozen veggie: peas, peas & carrots, mixed veggies or chopped

The Mama Kat prompt challenge for today is: "Describe a favorite Halloween costume you once wore."   I've worn many costumes over the years. One manager for the flower shop I used to work at had a fun spirit and had us all dress in costume for Halloween. Since I sew, I put together numerous costumes. One was a Musketeer outfit modeed after Disney's "Three Musketeers" with Chris O'Donnell---but my all time favorite costume was the one I made the year "Batman Forever," came out!   I bought some Irish green fabric, some black fabric thick enough to make question mark appliques with, some iron-on adhesive and made myself a full-blown Riddler suit, including the Nehru collar!  The hat and mask, too! I bought some red costume hair paint, put my long hair up, sprayed the sides to capture the "red hair" look, applied black costume eye make-up around my eyes, put my mask and hat on---and  I was The Riddler! Of course, I'm not