Friday, November 7, 2008

2 Holiday Recipes

Check out overwhelmed with joy for some more fantastic recipes!!

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 T. brown sugar, packed
1 T. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1-1/2 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beatn
2 T. oil

Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and spices in a large bowl; set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl; mex well. Stir pumpkin mixture into flour mixture just until moistened. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface; turn and continue cooking for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until golden. Makes 16 pancakes.

Old-Timey Drop Doughnuts

2 eggs
1 cup sugar, divided
1 T. shortening, melted
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
oil for deep frying

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs until light; blend in 1/2 cup sugar, shortening, milk and vanilla. Set aside. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in another mixing bowl; sitr into egg mixture to make a soft dough. Mix together cinnamon and remaining sugar; set aside. Heat several inches of oil to 365 degrees in a deep saucepan. Drop dough into hot oil by teaspoonfuls, a few at a time. Fry until doughnuts turn themselves over and are golden on all sides. Drain on paper towels; roll in cinnamon mixture while still wam. Makes 3 dozen

HOLIDAY RECIPE EXCHANGE



Asparagus and Ham Spears

1 1/4 pounds medium asparagus, tough ends trimmed

1/4 pound thinly sliced ham

1 T. plus 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. grated lemon zest

Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add asparagus and cook just until crisp-tender, about 1 1/2 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediatley run asparagus under very cold water for 1 minute to stop cooking. Drain again and pat dry.

Cut ham slices lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Wrap ham strips around asparagus spears, beginning right below the tips. Place spears on a serving platter and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with zest, season with several pinches of pepper, and serve.

Makes 10 servings

HOLIDAY RECIPE EXCHANGE

HOLIDAY RECIPE EXCHANGE

Raspberry Ginger Fizzes

1 (10-ounce) package frozen raspberries, thawed, with juices

1 (3/4-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled

2 T. granular sugar substitute

1 (2-liter) bottle seltzer water, chilled

Ice cubes (optional)

To make the drink base: Puree raspberries and their juices, ginger, and sugar substitute in a blender. Strain the mixture trhough a fine-mesh sieve. For each drink, place 4 1/2 teaspoons of bhe base in an 8-ounce glass. Add 3/4 cup seltzer and stir rapidly. Add a few ice cubes, if desired, and stir again. Serve.

Makes 10 (3/4-cup) drinks

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HOLIDAY RECIPE EXCHANGE

Pomegranate Punch

1 orange, unpeeled
1 lemon, unpeeled
1 (2-liter) bottle seltzer water (gingerale/sprite), chilled
1 1/2 cups unsweetened 100% pomegranate juice

Cut 4 thin slices each from orange and lemon, then quarter slices. Combine seltzer (gingerale/sprite) pomegranate juice, and orange and lemon quarters in a pitcher. Pour over ice and serve.

Makes 20 (1/2 cup) drinks

Enjoy, more to follow!!
Sonia

Thursday, November 6, 2008

TO ALL THE MILITARY WIVES

What is a MILITARY Wife?

A Military wife can be tough to describe.

She is a southern belle, a northeastern Mets fan, a California 3rd generation recycler, a Pacific Islander.

She is short or tall

a tomboy

a fashion diva

a physician’s assistant

a Republican

a Democrat

A Military Wife is a career gal

a home-schooler

a scrap-booker

an accomplished cellist

an auto mechanic

What IS a Military Wife?

WHAT is a Military Wife?

What is a MILITARY Wife?

They may look different and each is wonderfully unique

But this they have in common.

They have THIS IN COMMON!

lots of moving-

moving

moving

moving far from home

moving two cars, three kids and one dog-all riding with HER of course

moving sofas to basements because they won’t go in THIS house

moving curtains that won’t fit

moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours

moving away from friends moving toward new friends

moving her most important luggage; her trunkful of memories

often waiting-

waiting, waiting, waiting for housing; waiting for orders; waiting for deployment; waiting for reunion; waiting for phone calls; waiting for the new curtains to arrive; waiting for him to come home for dinner---AGAIN!

They call her “military dependent”, but she knows better

she can balance a checkbook

handle the yard work

fix a noisy toilet.

She is intimately familiar with the drywall, anchors, and toggle bolts.

She can file taxes, sell a house, buy a car, or set up a move,----all with ONE Power of Attorney.

She welcomes neighbors that don’t welcome her.

Reinvents her career with every PCS; locates a house in the desert, the arctic, or the deep south and learns to call them all “home”.

She MAKES them all home.

She is fiercely IN-dependent

Military Wives are somewhat hasty

They leap into decorating, leadership, volunteering, career alternatives, churches and friendships.

They don’t have 15 years to get to know people.

Their roots are short but flexible.

They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come after them.

Military Wives quickly learn to value each other.

They connect over coffee, rely on the spouse-network and accept offers of friendship and favors and record addresses in pencil. Military Wives have a common bond.

The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands—his commitment is unique. He doesn’t have a job, he has a “mission” he can’t just decide to quit, he’s on-call for his country 24/7, but for you, he’s the most unreliable guy in town!

His language is foreign

TDY

PCS

OPR

ACC

BDU

And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.

She is the long-distance link to keep them informed – the glue that holds them together.

Military Wife has her moments---

She wants to wring his neck, dye his uniform pink, and refuse to move so Siberia.

But she pulls herself together.

Give her a few days, a travel brochure, a long hot bath, a pledge to the flag, and a wedding picture.

And she goes.

She packs.

She moves.

She follows.

Why?

What for?

How come?

You may think it is because she has lost her mind.

But actually it is because she has lost her heart.

It was stolen from her by a man

who puts duty first

who longs to deploy

who salutes the flag

and whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her military husband, she will remain his military wife.

GOD BLESS ALL OF OUR TROOPS AND THEIR FAMILIES!!

Sonia

Thursday, October 9, 2008

New and need help on here....

Hello, I am new to the blogging world!! I am so happy to have found a place to record life at its best and worst moments. A place where family and friends close and far away can keep up with what's happening. I have been following some (actually quite a lot of blogs) on here for a while now and decided to take the plunge and jump on the bandwagon!! Hee! Hee! Just one problem though, I am totally LOST on here..... I so want to change my layout page and add graphics, etc...but don't know how!! Need help, pleez!!! (smiling) Hopefully I will become friends with some of you and can't wait to get started on journaling life, one day at a time!! Thanks in advance for all of your help, I truly appreciate it!!!