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Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Quick Tip #1 - Minced Garlic in a Pinch

If you do not have fresh garlic or the minced kind that comes in a jar, use the dehydrated garlic- rehydrated. Put in a small container, even a washed out baby food jar, cover with cold water, tighten lid and put into your refrigerator. I keep a jar that had the minced garlic in it to start with. It is wonderful thing to have in case of an emergency. About 1/2 of a teaspoon can equal 1 clove of fresh garlic. Plus it can be economical if you get a big container of the dehydrated garlic. And I find no difference in the taste of my food.


Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Slowly but surely working on a new post. So I may put some other things up before I post what I am working on. Thank you for bearing with me.

Misha

Friday, April 22, 2011

Saint Francis de Sales

Nothing is as strong as gentleness
Nothing is as gentle as true strength

SAINT FRANCIS de SALES
AUGUST 21, 1557- DECEMBER 28,1622

BISHOP OF GENEVA, SWITZERLAND   
PATRON SAINT OF WRITERS AND JOURNALISTS.
Also he is the PATRON SAINT OF THE DEATH. 

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

 Why is it that every time I sit at my computer my cats decide to become "clingons". I come into my computer room and lo an behold 4 of my cats decide they have to be with me. Don't get me wrong I love them dearly, but really must they? Now this is not the only time they'll do this while I'm in my living room or trying to cook. It just seems that since the weather has turned warmer they want to be with me more. That and I have been busier than normal of late. Oh my darling babies.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Houses of the Holy

I have so many favorite Led Zeppelin songs that it is hard for me to pick just one so I think I'll start with Houses Of the Holy, which I can find no live performance of (What A Shame), and go from there..

 
 
 

HOUSES OF THE HOLY

Let me take you to the movies
Can I take you to the show
 Let me your ever truly
 Can I make your garden grow

 From the Houses of the Holy
We can watch the white doves go
 From the door comes satan's daughter
And it only goes to show
You know.

 There's an angel on my shoulder
 In my hand a sword of gold.
 let me wander in your garden
 And the seeds of love I'll sow.
 You know-whoa-oh
 So the world is spinning faster
 Are you dizzy when you're stoned
 Let the music be your master
 Will you heed the master's call
 Oh-whoa-oh, satan an' man

Said there ain't no use in cryin'
 Cause it will only, only drive you mad 
 Does it hurt to hear them lyin'
 Was this the only world you had
 Oh-oh

 So let me take you, take you to the movie
Can I take you, baby, to the show
Why don't you let me be your ever truly 
 Can I make you garden grow
 You know-whoa, that's right.





Friday, April 15, 2011

Charlie Chaplin

Today is what would have been Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin's, KBE, better known as Charlie Chaplin, 122 birthday. In 1903 Chaplin got a role as Billy a page boy in William Gillette's "Sherlock Holmes" starring H.A. Saintsbury, who took Chaplin under his wing and manage his talents. In 1905 Gillette came to England to debut his new play "Clarice" but it was a flop. So as a joke on the British press he instead did a one-act curtain-raiser "The Painful Predicament of Sherlock Holmes" with Charlie Chaplin as Billy the pageboy. When "Sherlock Holmes" replaced "Clarice" Chaplin was kept until the end. During this time , Gillette coached  Chaplin in his restrained style. Chaplin made a tour of America from 1910-1912 ( just think 100 years ago at this time, he was in this country for the first time) courtesy of the Fred Carno troupe. When he got back to England Chaplin only stayed 5 months and the came back to the U.S.for a second tour. it was during this time that his act was seen by Mack Sennett, Fatty Arbuckle Minta Durfee and Mable Normand. Bennette, who owned Keystone Film Company, hired Chaplin. The first film " Making a Living" was considered by many not to be good. This is mainly due to Chaplin's initial difficulty adjusting to film acting, but Normand was able to confidence Bennette to give Chaplin another chance. mack Sennette didn't warm up to Chaplin at first and Chaplin believed he was going to be canned because Sennette and Normand had a fight. Instead Chaplin went onto become one of Keystone's biggest stars. Making his debut as "The Tramp" in 1914 in the movie "Kid Auto Races At Venice"
  So this is how Charlie Chaplin started in this country in the film industry. But even though he is what I consider to be the King of the Silent Films my favorite movie he did is actually a talkie, 1940 "The Great Dictator"


  This is because it points out what, at the time, American movie system not want to see... Hitler's hatred of the Jews. At the time America had a neutral relationship with Germany and didn't want to think or believe or maybe even care that anything like this was happening. But the movie became a hit with American audiences and it became Chaplin's highest grossing film. In 1997 it was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress and in 2000 it was listed at #37 on AFI's 100Years...100 Laughs list.

NBA Playoff Part 2

Eastern Conference is next. My favorite players from this Conference is the entire Boston Celtics team. Pierce, Garnett, Rondo, Allen and company. This is all probably a holdover from the'80s for me but that's how it goes Any way I guess most know who is playing who but I want to do this for those who have no idea.

(1) Chicago Bulls vs (8) Indiana Pacers Saturday April16th 1pm ESPN
(2) Miami Heat vs (7)  Philadelphia 76ers Saturday April 16th 3:30pm ABC
(3) Boston Celtics vs (6) New York Knicks Sunday April 17th 7pm TNT
(4) Orlando Magic vs (5) Atlanta Hawks Saturday April 16th 7pm ESPN


 

Thursday, April 14, 2011

NBA Playoffs

Well the NBA regular season finished up last night with 3 crucial games in the Western Conference. The San Antonio Spurs fell to the Phoenix Suns, 106-103: Los Angles Lakers beat the Sacramento Kings, 116-108: The Oklahoma City Thunder lost to the Milwaukee Bucks,110-106: and for me the most important game, the Dallas Mavericks won over the New Orleans Hornets, 121-89. This game was a dilemma for me, Dirk Nowitzki is one of  favorite players playing on one of my favorite teams and Chris Paul is one of my other favorite player playing for another favorite team. Well, at least in the Western Conference they're my favorite teams. With a game like last nights all I could ever wish for were for ties to be allowed, but as we all know they're not. With the Western Conference being my favorite I'm going to concentrate on them but maybe later I'll do the eastern Conference.                     
 Anyway, the rankings and match ups and the first rounds. are out: 
                                       
(1) San Antonio Spurs vs (8) Memphis Grizzlies Sunday 1pm TNT April 17th
(2) L.A. Lakers vs ( 7) N.O. Hornets Sunday 3:30 pm  ABC April 17th
(3)Dallas Mavericks vs (6) Portland Trailblazers Saturday 9:30 pm ESPN April 16th
(4)OKC Thunder vs (5) Denver Nuggets Sunday 9:30 pm  TNT April 17th

http://dirkettesreturn.proboards.com/index.cgi
http://www.nba.com/playoffs/2011/series/
http://www.nba.com/2011/playoffs/2011/04/13/schedule/index.html?cid=nba.2013

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Tomatoe Gravy

I was at Edwardian Promenade and she wrote about tomato bisque and that got me to thinking about my tomato gravy. I thought I would share it with everyone so...  
TOMATO GRAVY
Start by melting butter in a skillet on medium heat then add  sliced ham or ham steaks. If you do not have meat just start melting the butter.
Then you will want to add flour and continue to stir with a metal spoon . I find this kind works best for when scraping the bottom.
Add a can of tomato sauce, 15 oz works best for me.
Then add a can of diced tomatoes (sometimes I put them in and sometimes I don't).
Add milk when gravy becomes to thick.
Continue to stir with a wooden spoon or a whisk at this time. While doing this add your seasoning: pepper, pinch of salt and sugar. The sugar counteracts the tomato acidity.
Continue stirring until desired thickness. Then turn heat down to a low simmer for a few minutes.
If it becomes too thin gradually add corn starch-water mixture*. Too thick add milk.
When ready serve over biscuit with butter.

You can have this for breakfast or supper or whenever you like. 
 And now I'm hungry!

 

* Trick for the corn starch water mixture. Put desired amount of cornstarch in a medium jar (salsa jar works great), cover with water, put the lid on and shake. Then you can gradually add the mixture to the gravy until it comes to what you deem the right consistency.

 

Monday, April 11, 2011

Deadliest Catch

Tomorrow night marks the return of Deadliest Catch post Captain Phil Harris (1956-2010). It will be strange not having Captain Phil there but there are the repeat episodes with him of the last 6 seasons. Saturday Discovery channel had a marathon of last season's show. I swear every time I see the episodes from when Captain Phil had his stroke to the time of his death my heart and stomach meet. All I want to do, even now, his hug his sons, Josh and Jake. I hope everything goes well for the F/Vs Cornelia Marie, Northwestern, Time bandit, the Wizard,the Kodiak and the new boats that join the show this season.
                               Misha


Friday, April 8, 2011

Family

  Going through the years and childhood memories always there is family. Some may not be the best in the world but they are what they are...family. Families can come in all shapes and sizes with just with two members to however many fate decides to bless upon a person. You can, I believe, choose members of your family. If you did not have the best of childhood or even if you did, you can make your own family with friends. Now this may seem silly or naive but if you open your mind and heart you will find a family in mankind that you may never have thought you could.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Queensryche - "Silent Lucidity






  "Silent Lucidity", a single, by the American rock band Queensryche was released in the spring of 1990 off of their album 'Empire', that was released in August of 1990."Silent Lucidity" was written and composed by Queensryche's lead guitarist, Chris DeGarmo.

  Because of the song title and lyrical content, it was assumed that "Silent Lucidity" was about lucid dreaming. During the middle eight, or bridge, a voice that is heavily uses a vocoder even explains a method for this: "Visualize your dream. Record it in the present tense. Put it into permanent form. If you persist in your efforts, you can achieve dream control." 

  The song was recorded with sweeping orchestrations. The orchestra was often not assigned to the background but was instead very prominent such as during the second half of the instrumental section. At the end of "Silent Lucidity"a double bass or cello plays Brahms' Lullaby  _ the English translation being "Lullaby, and goodnight, go to sleep little baby" 

"Silent Lucidity" peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart. The song is ranked #21 on VH1's list of Greatest Power Ballads. And because Queensryche was nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Rock Song Category", they performed the song at the Grammy Awards in 1992, but was won by Sting for his album, "The Soul Cages". But "Silent Lucidity" did win the MTV Viewr's Choice Award" for its music video.




            



SILENT LUCIDITY

Hush now don't you cry
Wipe away the teardrops from your eye
Your lying safe in bed
It was all a bad dream
Spinning in your head
 Your mind tricked you to feel the pain
Of someone close to you leaving the game of life
So here it is, another chance
Wide awake you face the day
Your dream is over or has it just begun?

There is a place I like to hide
A doorway that I run to in the night
Relax child you were  there
But only didn't realize it and were scared
It's a place where you will learn
To face your fears,retrace the years
And ride the whims of your mind
Commanding in another world
Suddenly you hear and see
This magic new dimension

I will be watching over you
I am gonna help you see it through
I will protect you in the night
I am smiling next to you, in Silent Lucidity

[spoken during solo]
Visualize your dream
Record it at present tense
Put it into a permanent form
If you persist in your efforts
You can achieve dream control
Dream control
How's that then, better?
Hug me

[sing]

If you open your eyes for me 
You won't rely on open eyes to see
The walls you built within
Come tumbling down, and a new world will begin
Living twice at once you learn
You're safe from the pain in the dream domain
A soul set free to fly
A round trip journey in your head
Master of illusion,can you realize
Your dream's alive, you can be the guide but...

I will be watching over you
I am gonna help you see it through
I will protect you in the night
I am smiling next to you