Choice Morsels

I noticed my car's battery indicator on this morning, so decided not to go to the Y. We'll take it to a shop to determine the exact problem. I'm pleased to say I've had numerous little "guests" munching away on my parsley this week. I have a pot of flat parsley on the patio and a clump of curly in the back garden bed that's been going to seed this year. I actually saw the Black Swallowtail butterfly visiting my parsley a couple weeks ago and hoped she was leaving eggs. She was a huge, healthy sized butterfly. This morning I had 7 caterpillars. Two in the pot, five in the clump in the far back. I moved one of the 5 from the back to the patio pot, so they're 3 in it now. Since then the 4 in far back clump have vanished. Birds don't like 'em because they taste bad, so I can only assume they've all taken off to find a safe place to cocoon. Now I only have the 3 in the pot parsley and think they'll most likely disappear in the next ...

  Greetings!  July is nearly up! First I worked-out this morning at the Y, then worked outside some more when I got home, spreading bags of top soil and some mowing.   Today's Good Eating recipe is one I recently tried: "Stuffed Flank Steak." I saw it on Pinterest and, turns out, it's absolutely delicious! It's little bit of trouble to make, but the results are worth it. The stuffing makes this cut moist and tender. It's a Family Circle recipe and you can see the full step-by-step directions with pictures at the link below: http://www.familycircle.com/recipes/comfortfood/stuffed-flank-steak/?page=1   That being so, I'll just be giving bare-bones directions along with a couple things I did differently along the way.     Stuffed Flank Steak Makes: 6 servings Prep: 20 minutes Roast: at 425 degrees F. for 35 minutes Broil: 10 minutes Ingredients 1 flank steak (1 1/2 to 2 pounds) 1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed 1/2...

 Greetings! I have two "finds" today: First my "AFDAP" Shirt Design: Available on any colors or style shirt for any gender! AFDAP is an acronym for " As Few Distractions As Possible ." The idea came from one of the young Air Force guys who attends our Bible Study. It's based on 1 Corinthians 7:35, where Paul writes that is his goal for all people he's trying to encourage to grow in Christ. To turn the expression into an acronym was his application for the study and he was very pleased I used the idea on a shirt. My husband has one and it looks as good in person as it does in the picture. For more Christian shirts, visit my Art Boutique ! Next find is a funny pic from Pinterest.  It's a series of frame shots from the first Thor movie of him going into an ordinary pet store, trying to find a horse. Some clever person thought Falcor, the dog-like  " Luck Dragon" from Never Ending Story a good solution to his problem. ...

 Amusing Finds from Pinterest: Because sometimes , when you dress up like Darth Vader, you have to ride a unicycle to work while playing the bagpipes. **** Certainly a creative way of channeling rain water! **** But when they do... That expression just cracks me up! **** Wishing you  plenty of laughs, snickers and chuckles!

The Mama Kat Challenge today is to: " Write a 12 line post." Morning Ritual She presses her damp nose against my eyelid, purring loudly. Somehow she's figured out "eyes open" equals "awake." If I don't respond, she throws herself above my head on the pillow and starts rubbing her head back and forth against mine, still purring loudly. If that doesn't work, she leaps off the bed, thunders down the hall, then back again, landing on me just long enough to launch herself off the bed again. When that fails, she takes a delicate paw and tries to tap my face. I cover my face with a pillow. If any fingers are sticking out she'll lick them and give them a little nibble, forcing me to suck them back under the covers. Sometimes, when all else fails, she'll post herself at the far end of the house in a hallway where she can echo and wail her plight as a starving waif. Finally, it's time to get up and she pran...

For those who are Americans, Happy 4th of July! What will you be doing? Having a cook-out? Apparently hamburgers are the #1 preferred 4th grilling meat! But--there's been a lot of recent articles about a cancer connection between the high heat grilling and meat fat. Here's some recommended suggestions for getting around that little problem:   Good example of properly grilled brats--no dark burn marks! .   1) Marinade. Using a marinade on your meat can reduce the cancer side-effect by 90%. 2) Cook low and slow. Avoid high flames, high heat and blackening meat!   3) Turn your meat more often to avoid dark  grill marks. Or make it easier by covering your grill with heavy foil to protect meat from direct flame and also from the fumes getting back on the meat from the burning fat. 4)  Choosing leaner cuts of meat or carefully trim off fat helps, too. Be sure to choose uncured brats, sausages or dogs to escape ...