Are you planning a feast?

Well there are 10 Turkeys to be cooked, 5 hams, 25 pounds of potatoes, more green beans than I can count and more food than you can imagine.  Of course we have to have some traditional New Orleans food like Gumbo, dirty rice and such.

I think I just gained 10 pounds just thinking about all of the food.  Cakes, pies, banana pudding and more deserts than you can imagine too.  The cooking will begin tomorrow so I have a busy day ahead of me.  Hey, do you like carrot cake?  Well here’s a great recipe for it that I guarantee you will love!

Carrot Cake

2 cups grated carrots
1 small can of crushed pineapple not drained
1 1/2 cups Wesson oil (doesn’t have to be Wesson oil)
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (may use 2 if desired but I use 1)
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 eggs
1/2 cup chopped pecans.

Cream oil and sugar together. Add Carrots, pineapple and nuts. Add eggs one
at a time and beat well. Add dry ingredients sifted together.

Bake in 3 layers at 350 degrees approximately 45 minutes or until done by
sticking a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean.

Frosting for Carrot Cake

1 8 ounce package of creamed cheese
1 stick of margarine
1 box of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup of chopped pecans

Have cheese and margarine soft. Set out of refrigerator a few hours.
Use electric mixer to mix in powdered sugar, vanilla and nuts.

Put in refrigerator after you frost it to make it set better after frosting.

Enjoy!!!!

Darn hot water heater went out

Why do they call them a ‘hot water heater’ when it should be a ‘cold water heater’?  Sorry, I just have those types of thoughts from time to time.  Anyway, mine when out.  I had to call my handy man to come repair it or replace it if that’s what it needs.  It shouldn’t need replacing since it’s only a couple years old.  He said he thinks it’s just the heating element has gone bad since it isn’t that old.

One things for sure, I hate to spend any money needlessly right now.  There are too many holidays just around the corner to have to buy myself a water heater for a Christmas present for myself.  Doesn’t sound like much of a present unless I want to take a nice hot bath and then it sounds like a pretty darn good present.  Don’t you think?  This makes 2 out of 3 so I wonder what’s next?  First my copier and now this.

My darn printer went out

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised because it’s not like it’s a new printer or anything like that but my darn printer went out.  In fact, now that I think of it, it’s been a pretty good printer because I’ve had it for about 9 years or so.  You know, it might be a good thing it went out too because now I can get one of those new and improved all in one type printers.

Do you know what I’m talking about?  One that is a copier, printer, scanner, fax machine and will even wash your dishes.  I’m kidding about the dish washing part but it could happen one day.  Anyway I was looking for a new one online and guess what I found?  I found a HP Photosmart C4580 All-in-One Printer, Scanner, Copier.

I use my printer for making copies and printing pictures more than anything else but this is one of the best for the money.  I like saving money, especially this close to Christmas.  Of all the darn times for something to go out.  I wonder what’s next.  Things like this tend to run in 3’s you know.  Yeah it’s an old wives tale but it works too.  At least it tends to work for me anyway.

Proud to honor Veterans

I am so very proud to honor Veterans today.  They deserve far more than just one day though.  They deserve a whole week.  They have done so much for our country that they should get a bonus check from the government on Veterans Day.  What do you think?  Should we try and get something like that for them?  I think it’s the least our country owes them.  So here’s to all of you that have ever served and to those of you that are serving now.

Just messing around on the computer

I’ve been playing on the computer and found some really cute things.  I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, I was just looking.  I don’t spend a lot of time on the computer so there’s a lot about it I need to learn.  One cool site I found  was www.find.com.  I already knew about www.ask.com which most everyone knows about but I like find.com better.  I like the way it shows or points you to what ever it is you are looking for better.  Ask.com always gives me so many options that I end up losing what I was looking for in the first place.  Anyway, I didn’t know if you knew about them and I thought you might like it better too so give it a try and see what you think.  Like they say, seek and ye shall find.

hellow - animated

Best friend

I am one of the luckiest people I know.  You see, I have a best friend that has been my very best friend since we were in 4th grade together back in elementary school.  There aren’t many people that can say they have had a friend for 10 years, much less as long as we have been friends.  Unfortunately we don’t get to see each other very often but thank God for cell phones and instant messaging.  With those things, we get to talk or chat quite often.

Well my best friend has been going through a tough time lately and I just wanted to try and find a special way to let her know:

puppy thinking of you

and I think I just found the perfect way to tell her.  What do you think?  Love ya girlfriend!!

Help your local animal shelter

When Katrina hit, there were a lot of abandoned pets.  Animal shelters from all over the country took them in.  A small way to thank them for what they do is to volunteer to come and walk dogs and play with the animals for short periods to give them exercise and socialization skills.

Unfortunately many people are having to give up a pet with gas prices rising by the second almost, and sometimes it comes down to pet food or food for yourself.  Because of this, the animal shelters are being over run with pets that can no longer be cared for. If you have a shelter in your community, next time you have the urge to take on a pet, I hope you will go to the shelter and adopt an animal from the shelter. And if you have anything you can donate to the shelter, here’s a list of desired items that can be dropped off and will be put into good use:

  • Old but clean towels, sheets and blankets
  • Dog toys
  • Bags of dry dog food
  • Collars and leashes

Southern drink

In the south, tea is a tradition.  I have been drinking tea for as long as I can remember, hot or cold, day or night.  Some Southerners prefer Lousianne tea but for me it’s Lipton.

I love to find Lipton tea on sale and when I do, I usually pick up several boxes.  I love to save money.  I was going to make tea one day and for some reason, the tea bags just fell apart.  I had never had this happen before so I tried again, and the same thing happened.  There was one of those 800 numbers for the customer service department on the side of the box so I gave them a call.  I received a warm hearted apology and was sent several coupons in the mail for several free boxes of Lipton Tea Bags.  That’s what keeps Lipton as one of Americas favorites, good customer service.  Nice to see it’s still around.

We all make mistakes, just some bigger than others

I believe that people that have done stupid things in the past and then got their lives straightened out should be able to earn back the rights taken from them.  No one is perfect and we all make mistakes, just some make bigger ones than others but depending on the mistake, should it be something they are punished for the rest of their lives?   Some felonies are worse than others I totally agree but some thing that are a felony, are minor offenses and should that person turn their lives around, I think their felony conviction should be lessened to just that, a minor offense. 

It seems that there are some lawyers out there that are fighting to get some felons the right to vote again.  Reggie Mitchell is a civil rights lawyer who is doing just that.  Mitchell is the leader of a grass-roots Democrats and civil-rights activists that are trying to get these felons registered to vote.  This is not a party based civil-rights fight.  It’s a human rights civil-rights fight and I think it’s a great thing.  I’m sure everyone has an opinion on this issue but you should read http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26130901 so you can make an informed decision if this is something good or not.

Brea

I decided I needed a new companion.  My old one passed away a couple years ago and I felt that I had mourned long enough over him so I needed to find a new one to take his place.  Then I saw her.  She made me feel that no matter what came my way, she would be there with nothing but pure joy in her heart and eyes and would be by my side through thick and thin with all the love she had inside that big heart of hers just for me.

She is a West Highland White Terrier or ‘Westie’ for short.  What did you think I was talking about?  Samson, my trusted and loyal German Shepherd Dog passed away a couple years ago and I swore I wouldn’t ever have another dog.  Well the moment I saw that adorable white bundle of fur with all that energy and love in her eyes, I had to have her and I named her Brea.  Nothing like having a baby or a puppy in the house.