Just what we needed

For all of you that do not know about Lock N Lock storage containers they are a blessing in our home. They have a huge selection of different sizes to fit every need you could have and there are advantages that make them unique.

When you pick one up you instantly feel the durability knowing it will last you a long time. They nest inside their own size taking up less room, the lids snap shut on all 4 side and have a seal that closed down on the edge of the container so nothing can ever spill out even if dropped on the floor.

They have definately made life easier at our home and so far all that I have purchased has come from QVC while watching "In the kitchen with David" on Sunday afternoons. I don't usually advertise about retail merchandise but this is worth spreading the news about. Hope you'll give it a try.

1908

Major Events of 1908

Ford Model T. introduced.
The first ever beauty contest is held in Folkestone, England.

Devastating earthquake hits Messina, killing 100,000.

"Young Turk" revolution in Ottoman Empire.

Bulgaria declares independence from Ottoman Empire.

Bosnia-Herzegovnia annexed by Austro-Hungary.

Crete votes for union with Greece (union is not fully effected until 1913).

"Tunguska Event" - meteor impact in Siberia. The explosion is equivalent to 1,000 Hiroshma bombs.

SOS becomes the standard radio distress symbol.

Mother's Day is celebrated for the first time.
Sixteenth Amendment to US Constitution (authorizing Federal government to collect income tax) is ratified.

Seventeenth Amendment to US Constitution, requiring direct election of senators, is ratified.

But most important event of the year was the birth of my Aunt Katie on September 21st.

This year we celebrate her 102nd birthday and feeling so very blessed to have her to love. Her mind is still sharp as a tack as the saying goes. When I go over to visit and be blessed by her I usually find her walking around in the yard raking or checking on bushes that may need trimming. I guess one reason for her longevity is to always staying active.

I and my family can't tell her enough how much we love her and what she means to us all.

A must watch video!!!

Turn up your speakers and enjoy the best car commercial ever aired. You'll be glad you did.

100 years ago

THE YEAR IS 1910
This will boggle your mind, I know it did mine!
************ ********* ***********
The year is 1910 One hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes! Here are some statistics for the Year 1910:
************ ********* ************
The average life expectancy for men was 47 years.
Fuel for this car was sold in drug stores only.
Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower !
The average US wage in 1910 was 22 cents per hour.
The average US worker made between $200 and $400 per year .
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, A dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME .
Ninety percent of all Doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION! Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard.'
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.
The Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza 2. Tuberculosis 3. Diarrhea 4. Heart disease 5. Stroke
The American flag had 45 stars ...
The population of Las Vegas , Nevada , was only 30!!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write and
Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school..
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores.
Back then pharmacists said, 'Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, Regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health' ( Shocking? DUH! )
Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help ....
There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. !

I am now going to forward this to someone else without typing it myself.From there, it will be sent to others all over the WORLD - all in a matter of seconds!
Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.
IT STAGGERS THE MIND

Death in the blog world

I had a sad blog to read this morning. The first person to follow my blog lost her husband Wednesday suddenly and she is broken. If you would like to offer your words of condolence go to http:thegoodcooknj.blogspot.com

Chinese Wings

Wanted to add another "very simple" recipe that we love all the time. Chicken wings are the favorite part of the chicken for us. Just cut the wing into 3 pieces throwing away the tip. Put the other two pieces into a large zip lock bag. Fill the bag with soy sauce, close and put into a bowl and let it marianate for a few hours or overnight.

When you are ready to cook just put the pieces on a baking sheet and back for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Check for doneness and add 15 minutes if necessary. Has a wonderful Chinese flavor and is great any time. Enjoy, I sure will this evening. Mine are already marianating in the fridge.

Folding Paper

I just thought of another example of Mr. Wizards teachings. How many times do you think you can fold a piece of paper by folding it in half each time? You can't fold a piece of paper more than "7" times. Give this one a try.

Science Experiment

One of most amazing things I every saw done watching Mr. Wizard was when he cut a hole in a piece of 8 1/2 X 11 inch paper that you can actually walk through with the paper still being in tack. Every time I show a child it simply makes them think they have seen the impossible. You can see it done in the following link to a youtube video. Try it yourself. It's really easy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQEz9Lpugsk Have fun.

A Langley Tradition

One of the most favorite things we have to have at all family gatherings is "Bacon Roll Ups". They are easy and so tasty. All you need is a pound of thin sliced bacon, a loaf of sandwich bread and a container of cream cheese with chives. Toothpicks are needed as well.

First you cut the edges away from the bread and then cut the bread into 3 equal strips. You then spread the cream cheese onto the bread. Cut the bacon in half and it sometimes helps if you put it into the freezer to make it more manageable. Roll the bread strip up, wrap a half strip of bacon around it and stick a toothpick through to hold it. Place them on a baking sheet and back at 350 degrees until the bread toasts a light brown.

You need to make a lot because you just pop them into your mouth and pull out the toothpick and they will go very quickly. And of course we usually have to go along with these roll ups a good supply of sausage balls. For them you would need 3 cups of Bisquick, 4 cups of finely shredded cheddar cheese and 1 pound of bulk sausage and hot works better than mild.

Just combine all three ingredients in a "large" mixing bowl and work very hard until you end up with a ball. Pinch off enough to roll into a thumb sized ball and bake on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper at 35o degrees until they are lightly browned.

You simply can't loose with either of these recipes. Have fun and enjoy.
Odie

Simple Foods

Going along with the "Simple Life" idea I like to cook but don't have the patience to do things like baking bread where I have to wait for it to rise, etc. For me simple is better.

Outside grilling has not been one of my favorite things to do either so I use my oven a lot. For pork ribs I like to use the large turkey bags placed on a large rectangular metal pan. I salt & pepper the meat and place into the bag. Shake some crushed red pepper over them and add about a quart of apple cider vinegar and seal the end making a small vent hole in the top. Bake them at 300 for about 4 hours. the bones will come out with no resistance and the meat will be fork tender.

We love chicken and I like to place chicken pieces into my oval slow cooker and then cover the chicken with a mixture of cream of celery and cream of chicken soup and cook for 4 to 6 hours. The chicken will be falling apart and the sauce is wonderful. So simple.

Barbeque is a staple in the south and my father used to cook a pig every friday when I was young. He cooked it over an open pit using hickory wood and then would chop it up with two cleavers on a section of a tree trunk into BBQ seasoned with only salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and vinegar. I do the same only I cook a pork loin in my pressure cooker and then do the chopping and seasoning. Comes out the same.

Another simple thing to make is stuffed peppers. I use 3 or 4 large green bell peppers with the top cut off, seeds & membrane removed. I mix ground beef with salt, pepper, finely diced onion and an egg. Then I stuff the peppers with this mixture and place in a pot that accomodates the amount I am using. Any extra meat mixture I just make into balls and place around the peppers. I use chickin broth to almost cover the peppers and then add long grain rice just poured around the peppers into the broth, about 1 1/2 cups. Cooks quickly and the peppers give everything such a good flavor. Hope you like some of these.

Picking Cotton

Growing up in rural Nash County NC was an adventure at times. My father operated a small country store which was enough to keep all of us busy. However, he had a couple of acres of land that he just had to do something with.

Every year he would choose something different to plant on that piece of ground. It may be field peas, tomatoes, canteloupes, watermellons, peppers, squash or cotton.

Today you see cotton fields and at harvest time these huge bales appear in the fields. Back then, in the 50's, cotton picking was done by hand picking one puff of cotton at a time putting it into a sack you carried. It was a long tedious job and seemed like you worked forever and accumulated a small amount of cotton fibers. You see you were paid by the number of pounds of cotton you picked. To make matter worse your fingers would get stuck by the pointed parts of the plant adding to your misery.

Luckily my dad only tried cotton one year and that was enough for this country boy. My time could be better spent exploring the woods with my dog "Poochy" who looked like Benji.

Monday

7:10 AM and I feel like I've already done a days work. Rough way to start off a monday but stuff like that happens. I was loading trash into the dumpster with our fork lift and it gave out of gas so I had to leave it parked in the parking lot. Just got a call from one of my techs that will not be in today for health reasons. What's next? Time to redo my schedule to account for one being absent so later folks. You have an awesome day!!