Flag Chicken - No Pun Intended

I was struggling to draw, then paint a plain chicken.  It looked so barren:

I just had to jazz it up a bit:  No pun intended.  I am not saying the U.S. is chicken....or am I?????

Keep the faith. 

Dog Days Of Summer Are Upon Us - 2016

If it's too hot out there for ya, just stay inside and paint pretty pictures.  It is fun, creative and makes you feel good.  No matter what your age is, or your state of health, painting is a wonderful diversion from problems.  Don't watch the news - it's depressing.  I recommend staying  in tune with your happy self and keep a positive attitude. 

July Is Hot - 100 Degrees In The Shade

All I can think about is how to stay cool.  Staying inside in the air condition.  Wish I could go to the beach, but the heat would be hard to handle.  Here are a couple new digitally created paintings.
It is very nice to be able to paint by hand and then clean them up on the computer. God  Bless You.
Always, your friend, Cooky :)

Have A Safe Fourth Of July Holiday

Are hobbies a waste of time, if you do not have talent?

In my opinion.  One has to feel proud of their own work.  Otherwise,  is it a waste of time?  What is the use of doing it as a hobby, if the paintings are not considered to be very good in comparison to the masters' great works of art. Hopefully, my answer is somewhere in the paragraphs below.

For instance, Pinterest is very inspirational and the pictures are to die for.  However, recently, I changed my Pinterest settings in order to not have  them send me so many  "how-to-videos." on painting, cooking, etc.  When painting my pictures, doing the best I can, it is a downer to always see the same or close pictures, that are perfect in every way and looks like a photo.  Compared to my paintings, most works of art on this site are done by professionals with lots of talent and experience.   Their works put my stuff to shame.  There is a lesson in the next paragraph, please be patient while I explain.  lol

I remember when, I first joined a local art club and experienced my first art show.  It was an art show on a grand scale, outside, with hundreds of artist displaying and selling their art. Everyone's art works were considered by the judges for the best in show, etc.  I sold tickets for the show at the front gate.
It was not exactly cheap to enter one's picture, photo, or whatever for consideration in competition.

Some artists had dozens and dozens of their works displayed and ready to sell. It was a grand event with at least 100,000 plus  people coming to look and oft times buy items they liked.  It was more an art festival of enormous magnitude. 

  I  had just two small, framed pictures, that I had painted of my grandmother's old house.  The house was an historical site due to the fact that, it had been a hospital at one time or another during the civil war.   I distinctly remember  one young lady,  who had a small picture she had completed and wanted to enter it in the art show.  She paid the expensive admission fee,  because she was very, very proud of that one  little piece of unframed canvas.  She had created something wonderful and wanted to show it off to the world. I felt, feel exactly like this girl did about her one painting creation, in my work, just like all those professional painters out there in this world.   No matter how big or small, or how it may look to others, the feeling of accomplishment is still there.  By the way, first place was given to a young man an unknown artist , for his life sized painting of an American Indian. It didn't have a frame either.   Second prize went to a young lady with her small picture of a beautiful cat!

Now, some forty years later after my first show, I don't belong to an art club any more and do not compete.   However,  I am still learning and enjoying that wonderful feeling of accomplishment in painting my pictures.    It is definitely not a waste of time. 
 Keep the faith
Your friend, Cooky
A.k.a   Loramae :)

4 June 2016 - Reality Shows And Freedom

Summer is hot in Virginia, and golf, baseball, swimming sports are everywhere.    Love to watch reality shows about winter on TV.  These shows remind me of how cold it can be in the mountains and on the lakes.   Mountain Men, Last Frontier and Bush family to name a few.  I am truly blessed to live in Virginia, where there is a moderate climate all year around - most times.

A few new shots on TV last night regarding Alaska's Brown family.  It was really fantastic seeing them jump into the ocean and have a real pig roast on the Pacific Ocean beach.    It was very kind of the mechanic who let them borrow his beautiful RV.  Their RV had died big time on the road trip.  Yes, I know the boys helped the owner of the shop doing something or another as partial payment to fix their RV that needed a new motor.    I think more people should be kind to them in that way.  Instead of being critical of the show, folks should send them stuff, like a case full of spam or chilly and maybe a tractor to help them clear the land.  Can't wait to see next week's episode.  I do not like all the commercials and repeats, as there are too many interruptions that waylay our seeing more of the family.   I wish Billy would stop saying "I don't know what to do." occasionally.    He knows everything and the boys are learning so much.  I just love that family and the spirit of freedom they are trying to represent.

Our "Freedom" in America is in dire trouble. The IRS coming after poor people instead of the rich,
State and county taxes on our personal property are rising along with utilities and cable food, medical, etc.    Waterways are being policed and hefty tickets given out in fines.  I really wish, that we all were free to pursue an independent life style free of taxes and bills and rich conglomerates controlling our lives and money.   We should have  the freedom to harvest food and fish in the oceans without all the licensing that is currently required.  Go down to the nearest fishing hole and you will get a ticket, if you have no license.  Lower these costs is my solution.  It will never happen.

I am not so sure that any president could ever fix these problems.  However, I hope whoever gets the presidency will be a responsible person in regard to some of my issues.  Taxing the old folks and poor makes no sense.  The scammers are out to get older people and anyone they can con.  The IRS is a scammer.  They want actual pictures of donations. One cannot claim donations like that stuff you gave to the local community Acts thrift shop or the food and money  you gave a neighbor to help them out.  What a crock.  I know how our democracy works for some.    However, at what price for freedom?  Now congress has a pending bill that would require young girls and woman to sign up for the draft, if it is passed. Woman and men should have freedom to choose what they want to do with the rest of their lives without fear of jail time, for not doing the draft thingy. 

In summary, real life cost so much money that we cannot afford to live freely.  I think it was tragic to send the Bush family members to jail.  They paid the money back already.    Billy is sick and probably mostly due to stress. Wish I could go live in Brown Town despite the bears..

Keep the faith,
your friend cooky

About Creative Talent

A colorful little southwest arrangement seems fitting for getting ready to have hot weather days.   Color and texture lend value to paintings.  However, theme is important as well.  Ethnicities have always interested me, especially in trying to paint people. God and our ancestors gave us talents,  many  that we didn't even know we had until we actually tried them.  Painting ethnic folks is fascinating to me.   I attempt to capture the varied styles of clothing and features first before the face.    That is, if,  I don't get tangled up in trying to paint details that bog me down and distract my mind from what is really  important in portrait painting - the joy of painting as a hobby.  That is what I am trying to achieve.

Many of my ethnicity paintings have been given away before, I knew how to  scan them into  the computer first.   I love the different type of ethnic features,  facial features and expressions.  If one can capture the essence of an individuals' personality, then it is possible to create a likeness.  Whether the art work is considered good, bad,  cartoon like, abstract or real life - capturing the jest of a person's nose, mouth, eyes, hair and personality can result in  a fairly interesting portrait of that person no matter what ethnicity.  I have learned more from watching portrait painting videos recently, than I ever could from practicing without the proper techniques being explained to me.  Thank goodness for You Tube and the many art lessons available on that channel and on Pinterest. 

I have been watching video art lessons given by dozens of fantastically talented  artist, who do just that. Each have their own unique style and abilities when painting pictures.  Sometimes, I feel that, I have no talent in art at all when I see how much real talent is out there.    Then again, my own cartoon-type style is more talent than lots of people have in painting and drawing.  One only has to see the work of students in elementary school and on up through and beyond college to know that talent is abundant all over the world.   When one dedicates their lives to studying art, it really makes a difference in their skill level.  Talent, of course, is God given.    Being skilled in more than one area of expertise is a God send.      So many different ways out there to paint things from a through z, one only  has to stay true to his or her own style and talents  to be  successful in any endeavor one
choses to pursue. 

God gave us some wonderful assortments of talents through out our lifetime.  Some talent is inherent and others are acquired through observation and higher learning.  Whether an artist is good or terrible, it is good that our creative side of our brain is happy doing something we are proud of and dedicated to in the different fields of artistic expressions. 
Keep the faith,
Always, your friend,
Cooky (aka lora) :)

May 2016

Summer heat is fast approaching.  Schools have only four more weeks of activities for students.
Vacationers will flock to D.C. to visit the wonderful monuments and archives.  The roads will be crowded and busy with more accidents -  some being  caused by young drivers. 

I don't look forward to scorching sunny days like, I used to when younger. When we lived near the river in eastern Virginia - sunny days were spent fishing and cooking out in rainy weather or good days.  Even in winter the days were so beautiful.  Some days were simply breathtaking, it was so lovely.  Now, all I want to do is curl up in the cool air conditioning with my paints and computer.
The weather, wind, sun and rain affect me and hubby badly.  Allergies are constant problems and our medications make us blister, if we get in direct sunlight. I long to go to the beach and walk on the wet sand.  Maybe this year, I will make it to the ocean once again.  It is definitely on my bucket list.

However, our  children and grandchildren love every minute of summer, especially after school is out.  My daughter, who works in her daughters' school will be happy to have the days off.  Her family will head to Oak Island, N.C. a few times to enjoy visiting relatives there.  The beaches of N.C. are really beautiful along the shoreline.  My other family members will head out on road trips that serve as their vacations. 

Two of my nieces will be driving off to summer jobs and then college in the fall.  I know they are safe drivers. I trust their driving responsibly.  However, I do worry about other drivers that are not so careful.  Adults as well as teens should be extra careful.  The sirens of our rescue workers are constantly going off and it is scary just how often.  It is often many times a day that they must respond to an accident call.  We all had to good through the learning to drive techniques.  My grandson will begin learning and practicing those driving lessons in school next year.  Bless his heart, he cannot wait.

I will love it when my morning glories began to bloom.  For such a tiny living area and yard, we have quite a few rose bushes, shrubs and flowers in and around the trailer that we live in.  It is a wonderful and comfortable time for us here.   Well keep the faith.  Always your friend. Cooky (aka lora :)

April - A Few Thoughts

Cherry Blossom Thyme...Fun with painting spring

colors.  Beautiful flowers and delicious veggies 

are almost here.  A re-birth of life, health and attitudes after a long, cold winter.

The air conditioning is running for short periods 

of time in the afternoons. Allergy season is very

lucrative for stores that sell those products. The air is full of new blossoms and weeds.  Fine greenery everywhere. Bad weather all over the world it seems.  The weather in April is not unlike an impulsive teenager.  One minute the weather is sweet and innocent. The next day it can be the opposite - not unlike a temper tantrum. 

For older, retired folks who are not exactly the picture of health - life can be a struggle in completing every-day tasks large and small.   Money is always a problem. There is never enough.   I see every day couples who are fighting and taking out their frustrations on each other.  Always tension erupts due to lack of funds to support them and buy food.  Where we live and probably in every neighborhood not just poor ones there is always people yelling at each other.  Words can be so abusive.      Our neighbors are always struggling physically and mentally.  Mostly couples and singles fighting to make ends meet.   Keeping a positive attitude when facing adversity is not easy to do.  We older folks just keep on trudging along.  No need complaining.  It does nothing to help pay taxes, put up with  terrible landlords, poor water, expensive utilities, pay our many, many taxes that is levied on everything.  Buying  food for the table with costs getting higher daily.   Taxes are sky high and average folks are hounded by the IRS.  It is a shame that the IRS can do this to poor people and, of course, overlook  big businesses that have lawyers and loop holds.  Medical health costs are outrageous. Two thousand dollars a month for two people is bad enough.  And that is just with two plans.  Adding more plans, such as part B cannot be afforded. There are those few volunteer groups, churches and out-reach programs that might help if you are lucky.  Family members are usually busy with their activities, as well as, taking care of work and children.

  

Weather Changes, Extinction, Cabin Fever - Oh My !

What is with this mild winter we are having?    Cabin fever has already set in. However, I am a little leery regard what is to come soon. I am so confused.   The mid-western states are getting hit rather hard with snow, floods and rain.  I am grateful that snow has not fallen in our area.  I do not miss the deep freeze that snow puts us in.  Today its humid and mild with wind gusts.  Could it be March winds already?  I love science, history and weather. But now its more confusing than ever.

 Is the weather becoming extinct as we know it, just like many animals, plants, etc., are doing?    Perhaps our seasons are changing again this year. Winter comes in spring and ruins our crop planting calendar.  Spring comes in June.  April has march winds and snow, then May has April showers and snow some wheres.    July and August has hot heat and then it cools again in September, maybe?  Autumn is fall, and fall is winter...The world has climate changes going on all over in every continent.  Poor animals, they must be confused, as well as, people.  Poor climate conditions are making people sick all over the world. 

Some folks say we are in tribulations like indicated in the Bible. This is due to  rampant disease, plague, changing weather conditions, etc., all attacking people and the planet.    Then, add terrorists and that makes for a violent world.    I think things will get a great deal worse, if this is tribulations.   Then, of course, there is the "extinction problem" for us and animals as well.  Poor animals.  People are such maggots on the earth, animals do not have a chance to survive.  There will always be war in the middle eastern European continents according to the Bible.  God says that we are not to be concerned about it.  But who could not be scared to death for those poor people caught in the cross fires of military regimes. 

 The earth has been around for billions of years.  Perhaps earth was even inhabited by people for billions of years as well.   We are such a microscopic particle in the universe, I wonder why we exist at all sometimes.  This time warp thingy puzzles me beyond comprehension, as well as,  worm holes, star gates and black holes. It is hard to know what to believe anymore.   

  

Happy New Year - 2016

November - 2015

Hello Folks:

Happy Veteran's Day to all our Vets out there.  I believe the Vet Hospitals should do something about their poor service to our Vets.

 Several important happenings this Fall season for us  One thing important is that, it's open season for health insurance.  In addition, Veteran's Day comes along with its many sale-brochure mail outs. End of golf and baseball happens as well. Our favorite shows are now repeats.    

 Open season OPM folks have added "member +one"  if you choose to elect that insurance, versus member + family coverage.  That is of course, if you have more than one dependent.     I spent better part of the morning the other day, going over and over dozens of informational pages regarding the different scenarios of  health insurance related matters.  I did not want to spend money to get the proffered comparison tool, much less, give them my card to pay for it.  I had to read through pages and pages of yadda at their site in order to squeak out the parts that pertained to my family. .  So many twists and turns getting to the underlined addresses.  It's hard to find the exact answer to whatever question you want answered.  When you finally find the stuff you want to know...well it's written in "general" terms versus specific terms. Then they have the audacity to want you to rate whether the question was answered or not.   I wish it were simpler.

Veteran's Day is to honor our Vets in some way or form. Why can't stores do something nice for our veterans rather than being so consumer oriented to get that almighty dollar.  Merchants Veteran Day sale papers come in the mail by the pound.  These sales and products look no different than any other holiday sale.  The exception is, that  the prices have been raised to make you think its a last-chance sales event.  There is no change from everyday since, sales occur in every store, and flyers come every day in the mail. 

November marks the end of the baseball and golf seasons as well.  The Kansas City Royals
won the world series as rightly they should. The first win since thirty some years they say.
They played awesome baseball and looked liked they enjoyed every minute of each game
against the NY Mets.

Golf dwindled down the last few tournaments with the younger players managing
super-wonderful wins. Ricky Fowler, McElroy, Speath, and Day won every so easily.
Bubba Watson hung in there as well.  Gosh it was great watching all the young energizes
players winning over and over again.  I will miss golf this winter.


Thank goodness for late night shows.  Take a long nap during the day so you can stay up and watch the four young men hosting these late night shows.  Two new, young British guys taking the place of  David Letterman, whom I miss terribly and Ferguson's late late show.   Jimmy Kimble, Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon are a must see. Even if its only to see their sweet young, smiling faces.  They are all our friends that entertain us in our own living rooms each night.

In summary,  it is on to football, hockey and basketball with a few good shows thrown in between.
Television and cable offer  new movies and productions, however, they introduce them slowly during the months ahead,  filtering in a few  new shows monthly in between the reruns.   Thank goodness, the Brown Family is coming on again.  At least their struggles are so much worse than our own, the show actually makes me feel good, especially when they triumph over bears and everyday alerts.  Good Luck, to them this new season.  I did read that a bear broke into their house causing havoc and breaking out a window.   In addition, I hope at least one of the boys finds a soul mate... However, bears scare me to death.... 
It is going to be a long, cold winter. 

Crabs, Wildlife, Landscapes, BEARS !

Wow ! How I love to paint all of these imaginary and real pictures of wildlife. However, what will become of these wild creatures in another fifty years? Would you believe that some people wish these beautiful wild animals were less of a burden to home owners and could care less when they become extinct.

Recently, I had the pleasure of teaching a few fundamental and advanced painting techniques to my daughter and her friend on one day in July while spending the night at her house. She and her friend, a potentially, very talented new artist were anxious to learn more about how to create depth and shading to help eliminate a flat look in their paintings and drawings. These are not my greatest assets in painting, however, I showed them all I know in a productive, crash course between their young children clammering for attention along with the three dogs, chickens and bears wandering around.

Yes, bears ! They come visit my daughter's backyard on occasion as well as the neighbors. Neighbors spread the word when a bear is seen around or scampering across yards. You have to be on the lookout for their presence, especially when the kids are playing outside. They usually run away from people, but you never know what they will do, especially if they are hungry. It is against the law to feed them, I'm told. I heard a bear early one morning last fall, when I went out for a cigarette on the deck. Everything was perfectly quiet, you could hear a pin drop. That's when I hear him give out a sudden bark when he awoke to smell cigarett smoke. Both of us not moving, we both listened quietly for sounds of each other's presence. Then I heard the snap, crack of branches as he left from his den just over the rise and headed towards the nearby stream. For some reason I felt a relief that he was gone. I'm not sure why I am afraid o bears. Someone took a picture of a big black bear trying to get into the Giant Food Store over the Fourth of July this year and it was posted in the local newspaper. I imagine that was a sight to behold in person. Once my granddaughter looked out the back door to see another bear checking out the chicken coop. It was definitely not smart of her husband to place the compost pile near the back deck!

My concern being that food is getting scarcer for these wild animals because of mankind's development of the land and use of its resources. This overabundance of humanity's greed to housing will one day culminate in the extinction of bears and other wildlife - maybe sooner than you think. A sad day when we do not have bears and deer and other wild animals roaming the landscapes.
Keep the faith !
Your friend,
Cooky :)

"Obama's Change should include The IRS Auditing Procedures."

Why doesn't the IRS audit for the current year versus going back four years? The IRS audited me in 2008 for incorrect taxes beginning in 2004? Then they tacked on penalties and interest for four years that cost me hundred's of dollars back to that year. They were obviously late doing the 2004, waiting until 2008. why should I have to pay interest and penalties because they are behind in auditing people? To me, this constitutes a "set-up to fail" policy, that adds hundreds of dollars to my new tax bill. Especially, if I do not come up with some very yellowed receipts that I might or might not find in the bottom of some box that is barely readable in the basement or attic of my house to copy and send to them.
God forbid, we accidently threw away these receipts from four years ago, if house cleaning or by some other misfortune. Wonder what the IRS does to victums of floods and fires who lose their receipts? In addition, according to the television news the nominee for Obama's Treasury Secretary position happens to owe back taxes in the amount of $34,000. Whats up with that? Why don't they audit him? He gave the congress a very sincere apology and will probably be forgiven after he finally pays them. His deeply sincere apology for the oversight was surely accepted with a mere slap on the hand. He can certainly afford an attorney or a CPA to do his taxes - not like us who are barely scraping by on retirement pay. To me, it just isn't right for folks who are retired to be penalized so much - for not having receipts to prove payment of bills. I had to get the pharmacist to sign a printout of medications for diabetes, operations, chronic asthm, etc., and then I had to fight with the IRS to get them to accept the listing. Donations are another item I'm hot about. The dishes I gave away to a needy family on the recycle network for free doesn't count unless I got a signed receipt or signature from them. What's up with that?

Keep the faith.

Some Thoughts - July 2015

Winter is way too long. Every thing is gray or black and white.   Getting older is not what it's cracked up to be for some of us.  Health and financial woes prevail, leaving us a bit frustrated.  Too sick to travel and have fun; not enough money to do things anyway.  Another 4th Of July in a few days.  Cold and rainy with some thunderstorms and tornadoes.    Car wrecks and sirens going off constantly. Traffic is terrible during rush hour - so it gets worse on holidays and during the summer.   The cat and dog want out; then want in again due to the extreme heat.  Rewards:
Awwww, fresh vegetables and tomatoes that are not anemic.  Cantaloup and water melon  that is ripened perfectly.  BLT sandwiches....yum.   No baking in the hot oven, no soup or hot roasts dripping in gravey.
Yes, it is good to get out of the winter mode of cooking and eating to stay warm.  Sunshine brings sunny thoughts and attitudes.  Lawnmowers every weekend with weed eaters buzzing and making noise early in morning.  Flowers all blooming and everything is dark green.  Rearranging furniture and de-clutering; deep cleaning.  Weekends are long lazy days that are fulfilling, happy and delightful. Baseball and golf, slow sleepy games.  No need to hustle, no time watch.  Repeats mosting on television.  The days is gone before you begin, just like that, in a snap of your
fingers.  No set menus, salads in abundance.  Fruity ice-cold drinks guzzled or sipped slow - that make you thirst for more.  Love those tangerine flavors.  So much to do in the summer; so little time to do it in...

What's Cooking ?

Hi folks, Glory Be! - Spring Thyme is finally here and I'm so very grateful. I've been trying new recipes of my own concoction. With sixty years of doing this very thing, you would think that this would be easy for me. At my age, I have to try and focus even more on recipes versus relying on my cooking skills. This week, I have achieved success with creating and cooking (no salt added) crab cakes; creamed cauliflower and chicken soup; and a simply delicious mixed beverage drink. The drink idea came from Pinterest, however, my concocted drink didn't tast or look the same as Pinterest..

First, crab cakes were made and the recipe adapted from various sources. For instance,
I used bread soaked in milk, as a filler, instead of pankco bread crumbs. I saw Rachel Ray do this. Then she squezzed the bread to drain the excess liquid before adding it to the delicious tasting lump crab meat. Then, I added a couple tablespoons of mayo and a few shakes of old bay, garlic and parsley seasonings. I did not use an egg. The bread held it all together just fine. My friend told me once that, they are tastier with no egg and she was right on. I formed patties and fried them up in a little olive oil and butter. Yummy ! They did not last long enough for pictures. One pound of crab meat makes enough for hubby and I.

Second, the next morning, I was in a soup mood. We had a head of cauliflower starring at me.
I remembered a recipe seen on Pinterest, that was made with brocolli. However, the cauliflower worked just fine as a substitute. Made it with milk, the normal salty seasonings, then added peas and chopped carrots for color. Bubby added a frozen bag of already cooked chicken breast pieces.
A heaping tablespoon of dissolved cornstarch was the thickener. After it had come to a boil and the veggies were cooked, I let it simmered for about thirty minutes. My final ingredient was a handful of cheddar cheese. My daughter stopped by and had some of the soup for lunch and she thought it was
simply delicious. So did we. Plenty left for tomorrow.

Last, I had seen a recipe on Pinterest for a watermelon, lemonaide, mango mixed drink.
I happened to have all three items on hand, so thought to give it a try. I made a
simple syrup from sugar and water. Then added the mashed, peeled watermellon, mango pieces and sugar free dry packet of lemonaide. (A shortcut because, I was too lazy to get a few lemons from the refrig to use.) Next, I added a sprinkle of ginger and mint, then let it all simmer before draining/straining it. Since, we did not have vodka on hand to mix with the boiled liquid, we decided to mix it with our wine at dinner. Yes, it was very good! Gave the wine a minty, fruity taste. Both the watermellon and other flavors come through deliciously. I might make ice cubes of the rest of the necture. It did turn out a bit more cloudy than I expect. Not sure why?

Oh I love those lazy days of summer. The summer heat, they can keep.

Keep the faith

March Winds, April Showers, May Flowers - Think Spring Thyme

March 2014 Winds, April Showers, May Flowers - Think Spring Thyme:
What is better than warm, flaky crescent rolls with any meal? Answer: More of the same. I can't wait to try my latest pinned recipe pictured above - the look of deliciousness.

Cooking and eating changes in the Spring. Meal times become explosions of colors, taste and freshness unheralded due to in the winter. Salads become stars of the meals and multicolored drinks, fruits and vegetables. Less red meat this year, maybe? The television news said that a drought out west is really bad this year and will, no doubt, affect the price of beef. If only the snow could be directed to the dry fields where cattle need to graze...Guess I'm living in a fool's paradise with that way of thinking.

Recently, I prepared homemade egg-roll wrappers from astonishing enough, a recipe, I pinned on pinterest. It featured a Nigerian cooking show. The wrappers turned out light, tender and delicious.
They were easy to make and less complicated than a lot of other recipes. The chopped cabbage, carrot, and seasoned stuffing for the wrappers were superb and tasted delicious. A recent purchased bottle of wok sauce added flavoring that make the dinner taste and smell fantastically oriental. We also made baked skinless/boneless chicken thighs. I love orange chicken sauce, as much as, teriyakie-sesame and couldn't decide which to use. Thus two different batches of chicken stuffed and baked were marinated with one or the other sauce. Leftover cabbage mixture from the egg rolls, became a delicious, zesty, warm side dish to the meal. The entire dinner couldn't have been more delightful to my taste buds. Well, I will celebrate this recipe as very successful. Can't wait to try other recipes. With Spring on the horizon, and Easter not far away, its something to look forward to.

A Really Cold New Year - 2014

The cold this winter seems to be getting off to a frigid extreme. Sometimes temperatures falling below zero. Hypothermia can be extremely dangerous for animals and humans alike. Their health and well-being depend on shelter and food. Wild critters trying to survive in this hostile environment only want food and shelter that is their God-given right. Same goes for homeless persons walking from shelter to shelter; living in their cars, or camping outside in these temperatures.
Homeless people are particularly hit hard during this frigid weather. We see them walking up and down the highway going from one shelter to another. About a twenty mile walk or longer between these shelters can seem like walking forever. However, I for one am extremely grateful that there are shelters that help feed and provide warm places for these travelers. Not to mention the families that are living out of their car or elsewhere without the benefit of food and proper shelter. I am also grateful for schools that help make sure children, that would go hungry, if not for the food given them at school, are fed and cared about.

I'm grateful for wild critters with their beauty and gracefulness living in what is left of the forest and parks. Animals of all kinds are coming more and more into our yards and communities foraging for food. For instance, there are two opossums living in very close proximity to my dwelling. One big and one little come around at night to eat the food we leave for them. They are ugly little creatures, but we just can't let them starve. Two stray, feral, adult cats eat from the same bowl as the opossums. One is a big, beautiful tuxedo cat, probably male I figure because my female kitty watches him very closely from the window sill. The other cat is a very large white and gray creature. They all come up on the porch at difference times, everyday, to eat the dry or wet food we place outside for them. In addition to these animals, we have a few deer that love to nest under the pine tree near the edge of our yard. No, we don't dare feed them. I would feed them, if there were so many hunters in the immediate area that would love the kill them for meat. Probably it’s the same for the opossums. All of them seem to have to play hide and seek from the hunters that fire shot guns nearby on the power line at anything that crawls or moves. It’s sad that these helpless animals are hunted for food, when the stores are full of meat that's affordable in most cases to purchase. My daughter's house has wild animals coming around looking for food. She lives in a park-like setting where these animals seem to be thriving fairly well.
A few black bear can be heard when one stands out on her porch early in the morning. Sometimes her chickens become jeopardized by opossums, snakes and raccoons, not to mention her blood hound that is very found of chicken meat. Her yard is a haven for wildlife as it backs up to a park and stream. They don't feed the animals nor encourage them to wander through the yard, they share the woods with all the animals living in harmony and getting along quite well. They leave the animals alone and vice versa.

In Montross when we lived near the water, there were fourteen generations of swans that lived there and reproduced each year. They still would come up to the dock to take bread or crackers from our hands during the cold and frigid winters. The geese followed suit and there were battles between them often to get to the cracked corn and bread. They would see my husband's car coming up the driveway and they all would head towards him cackling and squawking.

Animal habitats are compromised by housing developments and people hunting them. Thus making the search for food and shelter almost impossible to find. Thus, many critters rely on human handouts to survive. I know animals have been foraging for food a lot longer than I've been alive - but it does seem to be getting harder for them. With the cold and snow, it is amazing
How they continue to live and breed and many of them survive. Take care and keep the faith. Remember to love all of Gods' creatures - human and animal alike.

Apple Cider Donuts Recipe - Oct 2013

Found this wonderful recipe for apple cider fried donuts on pinterest   Just bought a deep fryer and will let you know how they turn out.  Recipe follows:

Apple Cider Doughnuts
Adapted from A Bowl of Mush

Ingredients:
1 cup apple cider
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter (softened)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 1/2 to 4* cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Vegetable oil for frying (You’ll need a lot!)
1 cup cinnamon and sugar, mixed

Directions:
The directions start off with boiling the apple cider until it reduces to about a quarter cup in size. I eyeballed it, so it was probably closer to half a cup, and things worked out OK. Allow this to cool completely.
In a large bowl, beat the sugar with the butter until smooth. Beat in the eggs. Add the buttermilk and reduced apple cider.    In another bowl, mix together the remaining dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.

Add the flour mixture slowly to the liquid mixture, and mix enough to combine. You want the dough to not be sticky any more. You’ll be spreading it out like bread or cookie dough on the counter, so add flour as needed to make it the right consistency. Transfer the dough to a floured board and knead slightly to combine well without over working the dough.

     Roll or pat the dough to a 1/2 inch thickness. At this point, you could use two circular cookie cutters (one larger than the other) to create doughnut circles. I just made little doughnut holes instead: use your hands to create small balls of dough.
     Place these doughnuts, a few at a time, into a deep pan  that’s been filled and heated with enough oil to fill it approximately three inches deep.
     Fry a few doughnuts at a time, turning once or twice until they are browned and fully cooked through. Allow the hot doughnuts to drain on some paper towel. While the doughnuts are still warm, coat them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Enjoy

Pictures: Courtesy Of Alexandra's Kitchen Blog

Found these delicious looking apple cider donuts, along with an easy homemade yogurt recipe, on the Alexandra's Kitchen blog. I follow her cooking style and the many recipes that she posts. I can't wait to try these donuts.