Part 7. Classic Literature VideoBook with synchronized text, interactive transcript, and closed captions in multiple languages. Audio courtesy of Librivox. Read by Adrian Praetzellis. Playlist for Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy: www.youtube.com
Monday, December 26, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
What's for Breakfast? Father's Day Malted Blueberry Pancakes
Greetings and Happy Father's Day to all dads, grandpas and father figures out there in my world! I hope you all have a fabulous day, you deserve it! So we are making Rick some malted blueberry pancakes from ingredients that most of us may have on hand. You may or may not keep malted milk powder in your pantry, but I highly recommend you do. I promise once you try the pancakes this way, you won't ever want them any other way. The malt powder is the key to delicousness here. I will often make double batches of pancakes and freeze the cooked ones in the freezer in baggies of three for easy breakfast grabbing! I hope you give this a try and I hope you enjoy it. As always, Happy Eating!
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Sunday, December 11, 2011
Creative Holiday Gift Ideas for the Person Who Has Everything!
Tired of giving the same old-same old? Embarrassed to give out those impersonal department store gift certificates because you're stumped and don't know what to buy for the person who has everything? Well, here are some wonderful ideas for unique gifts; some unusual, some personal; something for everyone on your list!
Group two, three or more items (mix and match) and place in an interesting basket or unusual container to present your gifts, covering the container with colorful cellophane and topping it all off with a fancy ribbon and bow.
Purely Personal
- Scented candles, handmade soaps, bubble bath and a big fluffy bath towel.
- Fancy hair ties, hair clips, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner for the teenage girl
- A movie night basket with a video of DVD of a movie you know they don't have, a box of microwave popcorn, candy and a movie guide book
- An interesting book or magazine (and a gift subscription), a tiny booklight, a cute mug and packets of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows, or a small bag of flavored gourmet coffee
- A cozy robe - one pocket containing envelopes of hot chocolate and the other, a small bag of mini-marshmallows.
- A spa day with a pair of comfy slippers and a big fluffy towel or robe
- A set of fancy beeswax candles and a brass candle snuffer
- A towel wrap, terry-cloth slippers, shower soap, shaving lotion and a fancy hair comb (or a special moustache comb for the moustached man!)
- A hot/cold pack (see how to make - www.whimsies-online.com/hotcoldpack.htm) with a box of soothing herbal teas and a whimsical mug
- Buy a variety of medium to large seashells and fill some of the shells with melted red wax and a few drops of cinnamon candle scent; and the rest of the shells with melted green wax and a few drops of pine candle scent; adding a short wick before the wax sets and you have an assortment of bath candles all ready for the holidays.
Holiday Bath Salts
2-1/3 cups of epsom salts
1/2 cup of sea salt
5 drops of peppermint scent
3 drops of red food coloring
Pour half of the first three ingredients into a bowl. Pour the other half of the ingredients into another bowl, adding the red food coloring only to the second bowl. Using a tall, clear bottle, layer contents of each bowl until all ingredients are used up (think red and white stripes). Close the bottle and tie with a festive ribbon and a couple of small candy canes.
- The Gift of Time: coupons for one night of baby-sitting, car washing, gardening, cleaning out the garage, walking the dog, re- arranging a closet, etc.
Hobbies and Sports Gifts
- Tickets to their favorite game and a sweatshirt or t-shirt imprinted with their favorite team logo
- Art supplies that they use often - sketch pads, paint in often- used colors, charcoal pencils, etc.
- Scrapbooking supplies, storage boxes to keep supplies in, rubber stamp set, embossing powder and heat gun
- Computer supplies: CDRW's, blank CD cases, a furry Pet Virus novelty or a Virus Survival Kit just for fun (www.petvirus.com)
- For the aspiring writer (or student): folders, pencil case, binders and lined paper, fancy colorful pens, notebooks, personalized notes, a good thesaurus and dictionary, an agenda or diary, colorful post-it notes and a personalized CD coaster to hold their favorite mug of coffee (see how to make one - http://www.whimsies-online.com/cdcoasters.htm)
- For the young artist of craftsperson: a craft box with handle; colorful paper squares, set of scissors with different fancy blades, glue, felt in an assortment of colors, wiggly eyes, lengths of colorful wool, colored pipe cleaners
- For the person who love to bake: a set of cookie cutters in letter and number shapes, a pair of colorful oven mitts, a cute timer, a set of fancy cake tins, mixing bowls, cookbook on baking
- For the BBQ chef: BBQ apron, mitts, a set of large salt and pepper shakers, a BBQ brush, a BBQ recipe book
- A large interesting piece of pottery, kitchen utensils, a cookbook, a set of cute salt and pepper shakers, apron and potholder set
- A fancy flower pot with gardening tools, plant ties, garden gloves, a plant care guide and a kneeling pad.
Fancy Food Gifts
- Chocolate-dipped Spoons: buy heavy clear plastic spoons and dip them in melted chocolate, either all dark or all milk chocolate or let cool and re-dip in melted white chocolate but only halfway up the spoon bowl. Sprinkle with abit of cinnamon before the white chocolate dries for a variation. Let dry on wax paper. Wrap individually in colorful cellophane and tie with a curly ribbon. Add a couple of chocolate-coated spoons in a fancy mug along with packets of gourmet coffee.
You can also add abit of extract or liqueur or even cherry juice to flavor the chocolate before dipping.
For another variation on the chocolate-covered spoons, sprinkle the spoons with finely-crushed candy canes and let dry.
Drizzle melted white chocolate onto your dark chocolate-dipped spoons or drizzle dark chocolate onto your white chocolate-dipped spoons for a different look.
- Here's a different twist to your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Make up a batch, let cool and then dip them halfway into melted chocolate. For a variation, add a sprinkle of coconut or candy sprinkles before the chocolate coating dries.
- Here's a way to use up those little plastic coffee creamer containers you've been saving. Check out this yummy recipe: Coffee Creamer Cherry Chocolates - http://www.whimsies-online.com/cherries.htm
- Breakfast Treat Basket: pour a box of pancake mix into a clean glass jar. Add the lid, cover the top of the jar with a square of pretty scrap fabric and tie on a colorful ribbon or raffia. Type the recipe from the pancake box and print it out onto cardstock to hole-punch and add to ribbon before tying the finishing bow.
Add small zip-lock bags of the following: chocolate chips, dried fruit including raisins, walnuts, almonds, pecans, coconut. One or more of these added to the pancake mix makes a unique treat! Include a bottle of pancake syrup and the gift is complete.
- Muffin Magic: add your favorite muffin recipe to a 1 or 2-quart mason jar or clear, fancy container. Decorate the jar with a square scrap of fabric and tie with a ribbon or raffia. Add your recipe to a printed card (make sure you adjust your recipe if you've cut the ingredients by half to fit the jar!). Include a muffin tin, a wooden spoon tied with a pretty bow, a bag of fancy paper muffin cups and a colorful oven mitt or two.
- Pasta Perfect: an assortment of clear glass jars filled with fancy pastas, a wooden spoon tied with a festive ribbon, a shaker of mixed Italian spices and another of grated parmesan or romano cheese
- Your Fortune: mix up a batch of Chinese fortune cookies (see recipe at www.whimsies-online.com/weddinggallery.htm) that you add your own printed fortunes or silly sayings to (think Confucious Say!). Place them in a colorful tin from the dollar store.
- Caffeine-fix: a set of small tins filled with an assortment of special hot cocoa mixes and/or flavored coffee using the following recipes. Create tags for each to describe each mix and the directions. (All cocoa recipes: add 1/3 cup of mix to 6 oz. hot water. All coffee recipes: add 1 heaping teaspoon, or more, to 6 oz. of hot water)
Basic Hot Cocoa Mix
1-1/4 cup dry milk
3/4 cup powdered coffee creamer
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
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Mexican Cocoa
Add 1 tablespoon of cinnamon to above mixture and a cinnamon stick to the tin when you tie on the recipe card.
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Cocoa-Malt
1/2 cup malted milk mix
1 cup instant cocoa mix
1/3 cup powdered coffee creamer
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Very Berry Cocoa
Mix one package of unsweetened Koolaide in a berry flavor to 3 cups of instant cocoa mix
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Coffee 'n Spice
1 cup instant coffee
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice or apple pie spice mix
1 cup sugar
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Mocha Magic
1 cup instant coffee
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1 cup powdered coffee creamer
1/4 cup dry milk
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Toffee Coffee
Mix equal amounts of brown sugar, instant coffee and powdered coffee creamer
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Personalized Gifts
- An arrangement of family photos in a large frame - use nice gift wrap or other fancy paper as a background, or a collage of handmade papers from your art store.
- Any item personalized with the person's name: a t-shirt with an interesting graphic along with their name; a personalized coffee mug; a picture of their favorite hobby or occupation in cartoon form with their name; a silly caricature made from their photo; a personalized BBQ apron.
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You'll find a unique assortment of personalized cartoon pictures for any hobby, occupation or occasion and fun computer novelties including the Pet Computer Virus at:
http://www.whimsies-online.com. Be sure to pick up your free gift just for stopping by!
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