Broos-ket-ta

Aww..Bruschetta...why don't we meet more often? All of my favorite things bread, cheese, garlic, tomatoes. Someone tell my why I don't eat this everyday? After moving to Kansas City I often find myself craving bruschetta from one of our favorite italian resturants back home, Bravo. So tonight I decided that even though it is 20 degrees out I would make something that reminds me of summer. I searched through a few great recipes but decided to come up with my own 'best of' flavors and this is what I came up with. complete yummo.

9 3/4in slices of french bread
3 Roma tomatoes
5 pinches of cilantro
1/4 white onion
5 shakes of basil
3 shakes of garlic salt
3 tbl minced garlic
5 grinds of black pepper
1 grind of sea salt
1 sec pour of balsamic vinegar
3 tbl olive oil

-Preheat oven @ 400 degrees
bake bread for approx 8min (if you prefer your bread to cut the roof of your mouth when you bite..you may want to bake longer)

-While baking the bread combine the ingredients and pulsate in a food processor until preferred consistency.

-Once the bread is finished apply half a slice of muenster cheese to each piece and broil it until cheese is browned.(about 3-4 min)

-Let bread cool then spoon a generous amount of tomatoe mixture onto each piece.
Sprinkle with parmesan. YUMMO!

**Optional: Add crumbled (cooked)italian sausage if desired before tomato mixture.

Dead Weather-Cut like a Buffalo

LOVE THIS!

Book Club!!!!!

So winter is here and there is no better time to join a book club. I've loved books my entire life. As a young girl I would take refuge in my room with my cassette recorder and record my very own read along books. One of the first I can remember is Sesame Street's 'Monster at the End of this Book' by Grover himself. I still love that book and have read it to my nephew to pass the love along. Through the years I've read lots of books and escaped to the world they provided for me. Now that I'm older I prefer non fiction to fiction or fiction that shares messages of inspiration. Which brings me to the choice of my latest book club. Women who Dare. Books of women from various backgrounds who have overcome obstacles that many of us share. The current reading is 'Gift from the Sea' by Anne Morrow Lyndberg. Being that I love all things ocean I'm excited about this one.

Hot Cocoa, anyone?

The first snow of the season has arrived and along with that comes my first cocoa craving of the season. mmmmmmm..

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup gingerbread coffee creamer
whip cream to please :)

Directions
1.Combine the cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a saucepan. Blend in the boiling water. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn't scorch. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk and heat until very hot, don't let it scorch! Remove from heat and add vanilla and gb creamer. Divide between 4 mugs. Add whip cream and go ahead and sprinkle a bit of cocoa for presentation. YUMMO!

Holiday Tree, Schmoliday Tree

Because this blog is meant to be somewhat of a Larry Davidesque place to vent I'm just going to say it.

There is no Christ in Christmas! There I said it. Don't get me wrong, I get all warm and fuzzy when I'm bathing in the light of my tree like anyone..I just choose to see through the facade that society(er..capitalists)painted and hung up with a pretty frame and an even prettier price tag. Too bad Santa isn't real or he would be making some serious Bill Gates money with just a fraction of these profits. It seems to me that the people of this nation need to pay less attention to the Spiedy's and Diddy's of the world and give more attention to the cold, hard facts. And on that note I'll continue with the story of 'Christmas' for those who'd lke to continue:

There is nothing Christian about the tree, mistletoe, the reindeer, yule logs or the fig pudding. These are all pagan remnants from ancient times. PAGAN! I know, it must sting a little.

Constantine amalgamated 3 religions into what we know today as Christianity - like it or not.
Jesus' birthday wasn't ever celebrated by his early worshippers. Over 300 years later, He was given this birthday because it coincided with the winter, yule festival (Dec. 21st) and because so many people in his empire worshipped Mithras, a Persian deity whose birthday was Dec. 25th and whose birth was attended by shepherds (sound familiar?)

I'm willing to bet all my gold, frankincence and myrrh that Jesus doesn't care what we call our stupid trees. Holidays should be spent with friends and families, sharing laughs and memories, not awkward smiles over forced gifts.

Christians should be trying to help the less fortunate instead of trying to vilify the President as some kind of sort of devil-worshipper because he used the term "holiday tree" instead of "Christmas Tree". HELLO! freedom of choice!! Melting Pot nation! Wake up...or can we only be part of the pot if we are made of the same cheese??

I suggest for Jesus' real birthday gift, Christians actually do some reading and learn how Christianity evolved over the centuries into something completely different.

And that can be found on the HISTORY channel..and not in the bible..I'm just sayin'.

Official Food, Inc. Movie Site - Hungry For Change?

Do you know what they put in that stuff???
Tonight Chipotle, my favorite 'fast food' in the world, is hosting a free viewing of Food, Inc. I want to see it but I'm scared. It may just be one of the scariest reality movies to date- The real truth about what we are eating.

Watch at your own risk.
I plan to


Official Food, Inc. Movie Site - Hungry For Change?

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Home Grown..those were the days

I love farmer's market season! Everything is fresh, less expensive, and delish! I can actually eat the meat without wondering what's in it, feeling grossed out, then pushing it to the side. The veggies are so colorful and full of flavor instead of pesticides and perservatives. I love the performers there and the leisurely pace that everyone follows. It's a great way to spend a morning and less money. Here's a pic of a fresh and tasty meal of pork chops,fried squash,tomatoes,and fresh dill potato salad.


Did I say I love it?

Summertime!

This picture was taken by my grandparents land in Arkansas, where I grew up. I have fond memories of riding my horse on this very road as my grandmother walked beside for exercise. I stayed on the horse.

Fun and Useless Knowledge

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”- Pablo Picasso Spanish Cubist painter

I was reading about the recent robbery of Picasso's pencil drawings and found an interesting link to 10 facts about Picasso. I love fun,unknown facts so I thought I would share. Thanks Neatorama!

1. Picasso's full name has 23 words -Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso

2.When He Was Born, The Midwife Thought He Was Stillborn

3.Picasso's First Word: Pencil

4.Pablo's First Drawing is shown above, painted at the age of 9!

Are you serious, Clark?

NEW, DISOLVABLE NICOTINE STRIPS THAT TASTE LIKE CANDY

Seriously? Ok, the things that are legal in this country are seriously getting out of hand. I won't bother with jumping on my soapbox (hemp will save the earth)so I will make this short and sweet. Alcohol harms thousands-its legal. Tobacco harms thousands-its legal. And now I see this? Ok, right, let's make it even easier to consume and more appealing to our youth. Oh well, maybe it will be good for something- I'll carry some in my purse to offer to the person next to me who is smoking while I eat.

The Windy City o' Chicago

So our visit to Chicago was entertaining and tiring. Public transit can be your friend. The rainy days during our stay kept us cool and gave our neighborhood an enchanting vibe. Being our first trip to Chi town we acted as complete tourists, eating tourist food, taking tourist pictures,visiting tourist spots, resulting in tourist blisters. Michigan Avenue was as to be expected. We preferred staying in an eclectic little B&B in Bucktown- When we travel we try to eat affordable food, then give ourself one nice dinner somewhere great to celebrate our trip. We decided to eat at a Cuban place around the corner from our B&B. Romantic and upbeat. Excellent food with a great band to add to the atmosphere. So great that after we left we decided to go back for drinks because we loved it so much.

www.raysbucktownbandb.com

No doilies, lace, or mandatory breakfast times. Not that usual feeling of staying at someone else's grandmother's house like you get at most B&B's. It was everything we expected..and then some. SO friendly and comfortable. I suggest staying there if you are ever in the area. Just far enough away from the madness, its the perfect locale. We loved the neighborhood so much we talked about moving there, 5 seconds before we quickly decided we couldn't tolerate weather any colder than where we are now. Why oh why must you be so mean during the winters, Chicago?

Lazy Saturday

Today the weather was nice so we decided on an afternoon matinee at AMC. The best movie experience EVER. Cinema suites = movie bliss.

And now......time for a Wonka Flashback

"You should never doubt what no one is sure about"

“So much time, and so little to do! Strike that, reverse it.”

“Invention, my dear friends, is 93% perspiration, 6% electricity, 4% evaporation, and 2% butterscotch ripple”

"Chewing Gum is really gross, chewing gum I hate the most.”

“Everything in this room is eatable. In fact even I am eatable, but that is called canabalism my dear children and is frowned upon in most civilizations"

"Violet! You're turning violet, Violet!"

"For the rowers keep on rowing / And they're certainly not showing / Any signs that they are slowing!"