Mislove

Egg-n-Toast
This is a quick and easy breakfast that the kids just love.

1 slice wheat bread, or bread of your preference
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
1 large egg
Salt and pepper
Pinch paprika, optional

Cut a 2-inch round hole from the center of the bread using a glass, or cookie cutter. Melt 1 Tbsp of butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place the slice of bread and the cut-out round in skillet and toast lightly, about 1 minute. Crack the egg into the hole, season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip the egg-n-toast and the round, season with salt and pepper. Cook another 2 minutes for a runny yolk, or slightly longer for a set egg.

Transfer egg-n-toast and round to a plate and sprinkle with paprika.

Honey-Garlic Ribs
* 4 lbs spare ribs, not yet cut into individual ribs
* 4 tablespoons clover honey
* 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
* 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
* 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
* 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
* 5 garlic cloves, crushed

In a small bowl, make a marinade by combining the honey, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, the soy sauces, and the garlic.

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What is the best way to peel a hard-boiled egg?

It’s not only how you crack the shells but also how you cook the eggs that determines how easily they will peel. For shells that slip right off, place the eggs in a pot filled with enough water to cover them by one inch. Heat the water on top of the stove on high until it comes to a rolling boil. Remove the pot from the heat and cover with a tight-fitting lid. After 15 minutes, drain the water from the pot and run cold water over the eggs. This stops the cooking process. Once the eggs are cool to the touch, tap one on a countertop until it’s covered with cracks, then roll it on a countertop under the palm of your hand. Start peeling from the large end.

Pineapple has been used by many people for centuries as a folk remedy for numerous ailments, particularly digestive problems. Modern research has shown that bromelain, an enzyme found in both the stem and the fruit of a pineapple, may be where pineapple gets many of its health benefits. Pineapple contains substantial amounts of both vitamin C and manganese, so eating pineapple can help strengthen bones, relieve cold symptoms, aid digestion, and stop diarrhea.

A cup of fresh pineapple chunks contains 73% of the manganese the body needs for the day. Manganese, a trace mineral, is needed to build bone and connective tissues. A recent study found that a combination of glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and manganese offered significant improvement of symptoms for people with mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee.

Although many people instantly reach for a glass of orange juice when they feel a cold coming on, it might be a better idea to take a swig of pineapple juice instead. They both contain healthy amounts of vitamin C, but the pineapple also contains bromelain, which helps suppress coughs and loosens mucus. Studies have found that bromelain is effective in treating upper respiratory conditions and acute sinusitis. You can make a natural cough syrup by mixing 2 teaspoons of honey into 8 ounces of warm pineapple juice. Sipping the soothing liquid will ease the pain of a sore throat and help quiet coughs.

Pineapple’s enzyme powers are lauded for helping the body combat numerous ailments, but its most unusual claim to fame in the area of natural healing may be to dissolve warts. Most warts eventually go away on their own, but studies have shown that you can speed up the process by soaking a cotton ball with fresh pineapple juice and applying it to the wart.

Well, we are down to the final 2 on Big Brother Season 9. It started out with my favorites being Ryan and Natalie.  Although this wasn’t my favorite season, I have been glued to my seat. I ended up being annoyed by “Chatty Natty”, and Ryan, well, I don’t know about his strategy but he just comes off as a fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants sorta-guy. Not really thinking things through. Whatever his strategy, he will go home with at least 50 grand! At this point I hope that Adam wins though. I can’t wait for the finale this Sunday evening.

And speaking of reality: Our PHOENIX SUNS are in the playoffs!! We are already down by two games and the third game is tonight. GO SUNS!!! Lets wipe the floor with TONY PARKER!!!

UPDATE: Tony Paker  and the Spurs wiped the floor with the Suns. It’s a curse.  I feel depressed….

I learned about water conservation from the television when I was growing up. Makes sense when you consider I grew up in a time before cable tv was the norm and that I live in the desert. Water conservation is something I think is a top priority for me, myself, but I could do better. After a little research, I realize I could do alot better. We all could! Consider the following:

Water Use Facts
* Almost 97% of the world’s water is salty, and 2% is locked in ice caps and glaciers so 99% of the water on earth is undrinkable.
* The United States uses some 450 billion gallons of water every day.
* Every glass of water brought to your table at a restaurant requires another two glasses of water to wash and rinse the glass.
* We drink less than 1% of treated water. The rest of this treated water goes to watering lawns, washing machines, and down toilets and drains.
* An average of 14% of the water we buy is lost through leaks.
* A typical family of four spends about $820 on water supply fees and sewer charges per year.
* Federal legislation passed in 1992 that requires all U.S. plumbing manufacturers and importers to meet or beat the following standards for water efficiency:

Showerheads: 2.5 gallons per minute
Faucets: 2.5 gallons per minute
Toilets: 1.6 gallons per minute

* An outdated showerhead wastes 20 extra gallons a day or 7,200 gallons a year.
* It takes 150 gallons of water to produce the Sunday newspaper.
* The U.S. gets 1/2 of its drinking water from groundwater.
* The Great Lakes contain about 20% of the earth’s usable fresh water.

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In my family’s quest to live more socially responsible and “green” we have decided to try buying our produce from a local farm, at least until we can get our (non-existent) garden up to speed.

Why Eat Local?

1. You know what you’re getting.
2. The food is fresher.
3. You help the environment.
4. You support local farmers.

When you shop at the supermarket, it’s hard to tell where the produce came from, what chemicals or pesticides have been used or even what labor practices the growers employ.

Many fruits and vegetables at the supermarket are picked before they’re fully ripe so they survive the journey from the farm to your table. Local farmers, on the other hand, can wait to pick produce at its peak, so you get the maximum taste, nutritional value, and freshness.

Buying at the farmers’ market reduces grocery-store-packaging waste and the energy used for lengthy refrigerated storage.

Only about 25 cents of every dollar that you pay for fresh produce at a supermarket goes to the grower. Buy direct and you help farmers get a fair price, which in turn, helps them stay in business, all while keeping your food dollars in your local economy.

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That pretty much sums up the last two weeks.

But for fun I’ll throw in a few more keywords….

scorpions, car crash

And then, I hope I can get internet on my computer at home soon!

(AMEN)

It’s Here! We are moving into our new house! Well, it’s new to us. More pictures to follow!

Please forgive me if I am incommunicado for a few days…

I will be unpacking and getting everything in it’s place.

I actually will have a week or two off now so I can really get organized in the new place.

I am so excited!!

We are well into the new season of prime time reality TV. So I couldn’t resist throwing in my 2 cents on my 2 favorite shows on earth! Big Brother and American Idol.

Big Brother Season 9: Till Death Do Us Part
Big brother is my favorite show! I am so glad to have some evening television I actually look forward to watching! Considering we are talking about Big Brother, that seems pathetic… good TV?? Well, the truth is that it is absolutely entertaining to watch. It is real people, put in awkward situations, like an experiment, a social experiment… like social networking… but for all to see.

This season’s plot has spared no expense in the entertainment category! The way the game is played this season is a real twist… Coupled up with strangers… to the end. A stranger who could be your SOUL-MATE! Everyone, is single… and I’m sure they each had a plan coming in, a strategy if you will. But that all went out the window when BB announced that each had a soul-mate in the house they would be paired up with! WOW! This could get interesting… just think of all the tings that could go wrong! It’s like 8 blind dates that you are stuck in for 3 months solid!! Wow, I feel almost ashamed at the joy I feel with the anticipation of all that could go wrong… and already is going wrong… in only 3 episodes… 1 week in!

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Enter to Win an Apple iPod

Don’t miss your chance to win one of 10 brand-new Apple iPods! Enter your access code (app8gb) from page 63 of Reader’s Digest’s May 2007 issue — and you could win a brand-new iPod valued at $350! No purchase necessary to enter or win.

Closing date of this Sweepstakes is 11/07/08.

Link: Enter to Win

Take our important health survey and enter to win $30,000 in cash!

Imagine what you could do:

* Take that dream vacation
* Buy a brand new car
* Join a spa or health club
* Add a home gym/fitness center
* Buy what you want

Closing date of this Sweepstakes is 2/17/09.

Link: Readers Digest Viewpoints on Health

A new package of toys delivered to your door every month!

• Birth to 5 years
• Sign up online and choose your toys
• Keep toys for 30 days or MORE
• All postage paid
• EXCELLENT for grandparents
• Satisfaction Guaranteed!

Link: BabyPlays Toy Rental

Love is in the air!

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Photo Tutorials or Photo Stories seem to be all the rage when telling a story online! It is a great way to see how thing are made! And when it comes to recipes… OH MAN! The pictures really deliver… you can almost taste it!

Here is my list of Five Favorite Photo Tutorial Recipes (in no specific order):

Swiss Apple Pasta (Spatzle)

Photo Hosted @ FXCuisine
FXCuisine is a great site for picture tutorials! This Looks so delicious! I can’t wait to try it.

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I’ve been looking for some ideas for jewelry storage, and I came across a few that I thought were creative and interesting.

The Jewelry Drawer

I absolutely love this idea, if you can spare a drawer. I love tea cups and demitasse cups! I can usually get them for under a buck at the local Goodwill.

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Did you know that many, if not most, blenders can be used with a standard mason jar, or wide-mouthed mason jar?

I had no idea until i stumbled upon a post by Elise over at Simply Recipes.

Apparently 40 years ago or so, manufacturers used to include a mason jar and booklet in the box with the blender. The booklet listed the many things one could make with the mason jar blender, including ground spices, whipped cream, and peanut butter.

Link: Simply Recipes

WARNING: Adult Material

This is one of the funniest comedy shows I’ve seen in a long time. The Trailer Park Boys is a Canadian show on Comedy Central. It is not shown in the US… although I can’t see why. This is my favorite show now. I can only watch it on google video… They have completed 7 seasons so far so there are plenty of episodes to watch over there. Just look for video’s that are longer than 2-3 minutes. Look for full length episodes.

Trailer Park Boys on Google Video

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“There must be millions of people all over the world who never get any love letters … I could be their leader.”
– Charlie Brown, from the Peanuts comic strip

Whether the thought of Valentine’s Day fills you with loving feelings or moments of dread, don’t panic. Making Valentine’s special for those you love isn’t about stress or panic, or even making reservations. Read through our collection of memorable, you-can-do-it ideas, find one or two that strike your fancy, and make them your own. You’re sure to create a Valentine’s to remember.

The history of Valentine’s Day from History.com

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Cheddar Crackers
These cheesy crackers are similar to Goldfish snacks.

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
8 ounces grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoons ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

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Discover new cupcake flavors and some old favorites.

Pina Colada Cupcakes
Pina Colada Cupcakes go down easy, with a perfect balance of rum extract and real pineapple.

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes
Proof that a basic cupcake batter has endless possibilities! Here, we’ve mixed in the tangy taste of frozen lemonade and lemon zest for the ideal party refreshment.

Grandma’s Gingerbread
Top your holiday cupcakes with cookies. What a quick and easy way to decorate for the holidays.

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Hey Ladies! I am hosting the first annual “Spring Fling Clothing Swap”!

A clothing swap is a fun, ecological way to get some new-to-you clothing and accessories for a wardrobe you will use and love while you get rid of unwanted stuff. You will enjoy friends, food, drinks, music, socializing and FREE clothes. The first hour enjoy appetizers, drinks, music & socializing while we sort the clothing.

THE MORE YOU BRING THE MORE YOU LEAVE WITH! To be sure everyone leaves with a fair amount compared to what they donated, each item you bring will be sorted into categories as follows: cheap, mid-priced and expensive. The donator decides the category for each item donated and then receives credit for an item in the same category.

Invite your old friends and make some new friends while you refresh your wardrobe! Space is limited so RSVP today! This swap will be limited to 20 attendees so mark your calendars and LET’S SWAP TILL WE DROP!

When: Saturday, March 15th, 2 pm
Where: Glendale 85302, Near GCC (RSVP for Directions)
Cost: $5
WIN: $50 Gift Card
Event limited to 20 attendees - RSVP NOW!

Visit the official website: Spring Fling Clothing Swap

Tell your friends and I’ll SEE YOU THERE!