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Monday, November 3, 2014

Traveling Food - Holidays and Potlucks

As soon as Halloween passes, I begin to think of travel in a slightly different way. I think of traveling with food. I do not entertain for the Holidays and I am not a good cook. On Thanksgiving, I either travel up the road to the Mister's mom and dad's home for the day or I travel back home to Indiana for my huge family reunion. Combining "bring a dish" with a one to ten hour road trip is often challenging.

When I go up the road for Thanksgiving, the Mister's mom prepares a mini-feast. We tend to help with the things she's preparing and help with cleanup. And we try to bring a little something along to add to the meal. When I go back home, the family meets together and we gorge ourselves with good food and conversation.

My dilemma is being able to prepare dishes that will travel well or that can be prepared very easily once I arrive. The biggest dilemma is that I am not good in the kitchen. I have to have reliable recipes that even I can't mess up.

I am thrilled that this year I have a Pumpkin Snickerdoodle recipe to try. Our favorite cookies are Snickerdoodles. I can usually bake cookies without incident. This year, I will likely bring these little treats along.

Last year, my Snickerdoodle Cookie Pie was a big hit. It begins with packaged cookie mix and ends in a nice and thick "pie" shape. The Mister asked me to make this over and over. It was easy enough that I was happy to oblige.

Harvest by Stephanie Marrott

The Mister and I eat quite a bit of baked yams, drizzled with a tiny bit of maple syrup and sprinkled with a pepper spice called "hot shots". I'd love to serve our yams at a gathering but could not figure out the logistics of travel and oven issues. I believe I have found the solution with this mashed yams in the slow cooker recipe. A slow cooker will allow me to serve my "hot dish" at the family reunion potluck.

Finally, I can't think about potlucks without craving a 7 layer salad. I always use the lettuce, frozen pea, and mayonnaise recipe. But you can substitute ingredients to suit your tastes. This year, I may use spinach instead.

Wherever you go and whatever you do for the upcoming holiday season, I wish you safe travels and plenty of good food and good company.

Written by Dawn Rae

Disclosure: In affiliation with AllPosters.com, Dawn Rae is a blogger and content writer who may earn compensation from the sale of AllPosters products.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Sunday, November 2, 2014

Your Best Days Are Ahead of You

In a world of constant change, sometimes it takes a dose of musical medicine to help us move forward with the times

Well, take 2 teaspoons of My Best Days are Ahead of Me by Danny Gokey every four hours as needed! The lyrics remind us that 'age ain't nothing but a number'...'I can be whatever I wanna be'. So you think that's cliche do ya!...well you'll enjoy this list of people who didn't 'make it' in life until after 50!

Ray Kroc founded the McDonald's Corporation when he was 52
Laura Ingalls Wilder published her Little House on the Prairie Books in her 60s
Raymond Chandler didn't publish his first novel 'The Big Sleep' until he was 51 years old
Charles Darwin published his Theory of Evolution at 50
The Inventor of the Thesaurus, Peter Roget, was 73!
KFC's Secret Recipe didn't happen until Colonel Sanders was 50
Grandma Moses (Anna Mary Robinson, born in 1860) gave up embroidery at 76 years old because of painful arthritis and thus began her painting career. She lived and painted for 25 years (you do the math), and in 2006, her 1943 painting called 'Sugaring Off' sold for a record $1.2 Million.

So, if you're thinking you're on your way out in terms of dreams, think again! These seven examples clearly
show us that the only cliche in life is this accurate quote: 'It ain't over til it's over.'

When we're tempted to close the door and call it quits, we should put away those debbie-downer thoughts and open a window instead. Or we could listen to what Morgan Freeman said in Shawshank Redemption, 'Get busy living or get busy dying.' Grandma Moses, sure the heck, decided to get busy living...at 76! 'You went, girl!'.

The Lyrics say it well:

"Age ain't nothing but a number
Sometimes I have to wonder what does it really mean
Hey, I'm still putting it together
I keep getting better, if I keep getting better
I can be whatever I wanna be
My best days are ahead of me"

Here's Danny Gokey's song, enjoy!

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Saturday, November 1, 2014

Reviewing Chocolate Smoothies

Enjoying your chocolate is easy when you make it into a smoothie. Yes, I have gotten into smoothies lately. And since I can't not have chocolate as part of my day, a chocolate smoothie sounded great. So I went searching for the best recipes.

We'll start with the basic, high calorie, indulgent kind. Then move through some of the great options to make your chocolate smoothie healthy and nutritional beneficial.

Basic Chocolate Smoothie, or Dessert Time

It's Food.com that has the easiest and best basic recipe for a chocolate smoothie. Ice, yogurt and chocolate syrup all blended together.

Go even a step further to make the basic recipe into a full chocolate dessert. Instead of yogurt, add in ice cream. This chocoholic made a "Death by Chocolate" smoothie with chocolate ice cream, instant chocolate pudding mix and chocolate syrup. Delicious and high calorie.

Healthy Chocolate Smoothie

Get Lecithin here

The good thing about smoothies is that you can easily convert them from dessert style to nutritious style with just a few ingredients. SmoothieWeb has a yummy recipe for an Almond Joy chocolate smoothie. Not made with those candy bars, but with plenty of coconut and chocolate. The way this recipe is made, you end up with a healthy protein smoothie.

They also feature a great recipe called Help Me Study Smoothie. Besides chocolate, it includes strawberries, peanut butter and lecithin. Lecithin is a brain boosting nutrient that every cell in our body needs.

Power Chocolate Smoothies

So far, we have been talking about simple smoothies with few ingredients. But it's time to go with the power versions of chocolate smoothies. Healthy Smoothie HQ offers up recipes for more elaborate ingredients and more nutrient-rich results.

One of my favorites is Chocolate Blueberry Spirulina Smoothie. This one is chock full of plenty of those superfoods that we can all benefit from. Not only cacao (which is the chocolate part), blueberries and spirulina (a complete protein with plenty of other nutrients), but also avocado and tahini.

The good part about healthy smoothies is that you can basically put in any ingredients you want to end up with a powerfully nutritious and filling drink. Even if the name ends up as not truly telling what's in it, like Sexy Chocolate Smoothie, you can still enjoy the great benefits.

Posted by: BuckHawk

About This Contributor

BuckHawk decribes herself as "Basically a lazy person who prefers the easy things in life." So that's what she writes about. Easy home decorating, easy recipes, easy entertaining. But, she is also a lover of animals, gardening and crafting. You'll find her writing all over the Web, but with Review This Reviews! she has the opportunity to write about all of her loves.

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Friday, October 31, 2014

The Judge starring Robert Downey, Jr. & Robert Duvall ~ A Movie Review

A Highly Recommended, Must See Movie!

Rarely do I go to the theater to see a movie and come away feeling like I actually saw a movie worth viewing. It is especially rare for both my husband and myself to equally rave over a movie.

I didn't expect to really like The Judge. I was mostly going to be with my husband and The Judge is the movie he had selected. I should have known with a cast that included Robert Downey, Jr., Robert Duvall, Vincent D'Onofrio and Billy Bob Thornton, that the movie would be outstanding.

It was actually better than outstanding, and I can highly recommend it.

The Characters in The Judge

Hank Palmer (Robert Downey, Jr.) is a tough, hard-hitting successful defense attorney who is known for defending criminals and winning. When his mother dies, he has to go back home for the funeral for the first time in years where he almost immediately comes face to face with the past and a father, Judge Joseph Palmer (Robert Duvall), who seemed to always be disappointed in his middle son.

By GabboT [CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The oldest son, Glen, masterfully played by Vincent D'Onofrio, never moved away from their home town. He is married with children, owns a auto tire shop and has spent his life being a dependable, respectable, basically good guy.

There is also a younger brother, Dale, who is mentally handicapped and is obsessed with making home videos. Another character who is very easy to like.

Brief Synopsis of the Movie, The Judge

On the evening of their mother's funeral, a once convicted murderer who was sentenced by Judge Palmer, is killed. Judge Palmer is accused and charged with the murder. As it becomes abundantly clear that the "nice" defense attorney Judge Palmer has hired is no match for Dwight Dickham (Billy Bob Thornton), the Judge has no choice but to rely on his son, Hank, to defend him.

The Judge actually makes defending him very difficult for Hank because his wants to preserve his reputation and insure that the decisions he has made in the cases he has presided over will not be challenged.

Review of the Movie, The Judge

So many movies today are very surface. They are all about the blood and gore, sex or sensationalism.

That is simply not the case with The Judge. The movie has a real, "old fashioned" plot!

As a viewer, you feel like you actually get to know the characters. Each of these men do such a superb job of playing their roles, that you forget that they are actors on a screen and cry, scream or rant right alone with them.

There are several touching, revealing scenes in this movie. Almost like real life. You think you know someone and what makes them tick, only to find out that you were mistaken about their motivation. Why they made certain decisions and judgements. How simply reminding a person of someone we know, can alter the way we treat an individual. That is amazingly realistic.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a movie that has a real story line that may even make you question your own judgement, you will love this movie too. Personally, I always enjoy a movie that makes me introspective, one that causes me to seriously think, not just sit back and be visually stimulated.

In my opinion, "The Judge" is a 5 star, must see movie!

5 out of 5 stars

The Judge (2014) - Watch on Amazon.comCheck Price

The Judge - Purchase the DVDCheck Price

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Thursday, October 30, 2014

Keep Your Camera Handy for Unexpected Moments

Have you ever been some place and saw something that would make a perfect photo and you were caught without your camera handy or with your batteries dead. I know with today's camera phones that doesn't happen as often as it use too, but still I sometimes find myself wishing for my camera.

In early October we were on a cruise ship returning from a wonderful 10 day cruise and I had all of my bags packed and ready to leave the cruise the next day. For some reason I decided to leave my camera sit out on the dresser and I was glad I did.

When I went to bed I left the drapes open on the window so I could see the lights when we arrived in New York City early the next morning. I woke up at about 5 am and we were still out at sea so I went back to bed but I now lay facing the window. At 6 am I opened my eyes to the glorious sight below. Lady Liberty was standing there right outside my window. I jumped up, grabbed my camera and stepped out onto our balcony. I was able to get off about 10 shots before this beautiful sight was out of view.

I found it quite moving to be that close to the Statue of Liberty. It is an iconic symbol of freedom in America and over the years has welcomed many immigrants to the United States. I can imagine my Grandfather coming here as a young boy and seeing her in New York's harbor.

As the ship moved on into the harbor I was able to photograph the lights of New York in the minutes before sunrise. This was one time that I was sure glad I had my camera ready and waiting!

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Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Handmade Harvest-Time

Pumpkin Coasters on Etsy

It's Harvest Time, the time of year crops are traditionally harvested. This coincides with Autumn, the season of colorful leaves, cooler nights, pumpkins and apples, and the holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving.

The term 'Harvest' came from England and was the name for the season between summer and winter until Autumn began to be used in the 16^th century. In Britain the season is usually considered to be from August through October and in the United States from September through November. The term 'Autumn' is also interchangeable with 'Fall', used mainly in America. Unlike the other three seasons, there does not seem to be a common word for this season in all the Indo-European languages. Autumn and Harvest-Time are my favorite terms to use.

Autumn Themed Crafts

Acorns

Custom Crochet Fall Acorn Beanie

Autumn is a favorite time of year for crafters and the Indie-artists in the fields of art and photography because the lovely harvest-related colors of orange, brown, red and yellow lend themselves to beautiful creations.

Since acorns are plentiful in the Fall, this crochet acorn hat is perfect for the season. A leaf and a small acorn adorn the top of the hat, and are attached to the stem of the acorn. Made in super soft cotton yarn, the hat is available in sizes from newborn to adult large.

Place your order for an acorn hat with Monica of Costa Mesa, California. You can find her in her Etsy Shop "Ruffle Stitch Kids." These hats make a great gift for all the 'nuts' on your list and is perfect for those Fall photos.

Pumpkins

Pumpkin Potholder and Matching Dishcloth

Pumpkins are also perfect for a harvest time decor as seen with this set of pumpkin potholder
and dishcloth combo.

In addition to sprucing up your Fall home decor, this pumpkin set makes a unique hostess gift when invited out to dinner, especially during the Harvest-Time season. Or nice for a wedding gift for a Fall wedding.

More Ideas for Handmade Harvest Time

Sylvestermouse shows us a collection of beautiful beaded cross-stitch kits with lovely Thanksgiving designs to stitch up for the most popular 'harvest holiday' – Thanksgiving Day!

Wednesday-Elf found some really fun and practical handmade harvest-related designs on Etsy by clever crafters who love to create in Autumn themes.

When you think of 'handmade harvest-time', you may consider crafts as the only field that's considered handmade. Not so, in my opinion.

Pumpkin Muffins by Mary Beth Granger

I consider cooking a handmade 'delicious delight', as you can see in this yummy pumpkin muffin recipe by mbgphoto.

And 'gardening' gives us all that wonderful homegrown food. You don't need to have a farm or even a large garden plot in your yard. As Dawn Rae shows us, you can also grow and harvest your favorite foods like squash and tomatoes in a simple container garden on your apartment balcony.

Enjoy the colors of the Autumn Leaves as you 'trick or treat' for Halloween and plan your Thanksgiving feast in a multitude of handmade ways from crafting to cooking to planning your next garden for Spring.

Have an Awesome Autumn and Harvest-time.

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Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Reviewing Easy Pumpkin Carving Pages

Looking for last minute fun things to do for Halloween? How about easy pumpkin carving? The stores are still filled with pumpkins and you certainly have knives in your kitchen that can work great for carving. All you need are ideas for some interesting looks to carve. That's what Review This has for you today.

Pumpkin Carving Stencils

A Creative Desktop came up with some easy and fun printable stencils. All free, of course. Along

with instructions for how to print and use the stencils, this site gives you unlimited access to them. You are free to modify and alter them to suit your own tastes and needs.

Not just 40 different designs, but many funny faces as well. Be sure to click through to Page 2 to see lots more. There are some fun stencils, including a flying witch, a Star Wars Storm Trooper and the Ghostbusters logo. You are sue to find at least a few that you can try your own pumpkin carving talent on.

Carving Fun Pumpkins

More pumpkin carving fun comes from a page out of Better Homes and Garden. A simple trio of cute faces make up this page. All are easy for just about anyone to do. With these designs, the carving did not go all the way through the pumpkin. Instead, you have just the outer skin cut. Be sure to get a little paint to fill in the carving so you can get the bright contrast in color. Just like it shows in the image at the top of this page.

Free Stencils for Pumpkin Carving

Talk about fun and cute designs, Readers Digest online offers us some of those great easy stencils. They include some eerie faces, but also those darling emoticons just for fun.

My idea for this year when the grandgirls arrive for our Halloween fest is to have several different sizes. I'll let them pick out a stencil each, but I want to do this "how me?" goofy face myself.

A full 28 free designs are available for you to download and print. And all are fun and easy to do.

Posted by: BuckHawk

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Monday, October 27, 2014

Halloween Countdown Continues 5 days to go!

Halloween is almost here! The ghouls, goblins, witches and princesses, have all checked to make sure that their costumes are ready for the big night. After all, this is a one night a year event and it should not be marred by a costume that is less than perfect!

Review This wants to make sure that along with all the fun the kids are going to have tonight, that they are also seen by all those who may be driving on this Halloween Evening.

We know without a doubt that children get excited and maybe a little careless when they are having fun, but on darkened streets, this could be a recipe for disaster and no one wants that!

So without further hesitation, I am going to suggest a few ways to keep our kids safe and having fun, without any accidents to spoil the fun and turn it into a real "fright" night.

Being seen by cars is the most important part of keeping our kids safe. Consider sewing or adhereing some glow in the dark reflective tape to their costumes. These tapes are available in fabric stores or hardware stores or on-line. Add a few stripes and make it part of the costumes design so that when any light hits it, it will glow with a brightness that everyone will see. Or another option is to buy some glow in the dark paints and literally paint part of the design of the costume using these paints.

If this is not an option for your trick or treater, than might we suggest that a flashlight will be a good alternative. Not only will it make them seen, they can also use it to light a path to the doorway of the next house that they will be visiting. No tripping over garden ornaments, or hoses or anything else that would be in their path. I like this one because you can attach it to their goody bags with the clip, so that their hands are free. Sometimes the kids would just rather not have anything else to deal with other than their goody bags.

Clip on Flashlight by Melissa and Doug.

I love the idea of lights and making the children as visible as possible, but still keeping with the spirit of Halloween. If you have taken the time to construct your costume, maybe you have thought to add some solar lights to part of your "get up" !

I can picture it now, Ms. Witch with her hat and long hair just covered in twinkling lights......or a cauldron goody keeper that emits a frightening light....or even cool glow sticks that come in a variety of colors. Share them with friends and the more that are together the better the light will be.

Glow sticks are fun for all the kids, share them with your friends and make sure that they are visible too!

These are just a few of the steps you can take to make sure that your children and their friends are not walking in the dark, possibly not being seen by those around them.

Add some reflective tape to their goody bags and the toes and heels of their shoes. They will be spooky looking, because their feet will be making tracks before you realize that there are goblins or ghosts on your doorstep.

For everyone to really enjoy Halloween, let's remember to BE Safe and Have a Really Good Time.

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Sunday, October 26, 2014

Ghost in this House, One of the Most Haunting Country Songs

Country Music isn't Always About Parties and Beer Drinking Fun

The eerie music and lyrics to Ghost in This House by Alison Krauss breaks your heart while still sending shivers down your spine.

Listening to this song, I can't help but think of my mom in our family home alone now, without my father. However, the lyrics can apply to a loss from a break-up or death.

Alison Krauss possesses a voice that pierces through you as she sings this heartbreak with haunted suffering. The story of loss and loneliness infects you, and you're left feeling the anguish that this woman lives with.

(Lyrics) I'm just a ghost in this house
I'm just a shadow upon these walls
As quietly as a mouse I haunt these halls
I'm just a whisper of smoke
I'm all that's left of two hearts on fire
That once burned out of control
You took my body and soul
I'm just a ghost in this house

Since the song has personal meaning, I find it hard to listen to. However, on the brighter side, if you like to sing, which I spend too much time doing, the key Alison Krauss sings this in works perfectly for me, so it gets played often ... just so I can belt it out and annoy the boys. The song combines something extraordinary with something painful and tragic, making it irresistible.

Ghost in This House goes a long way back. It was initially recorded and released by Country Group Shenandoah in September 1990. It was also covered by the Dixie Chicks. Alison Krauss released her cover on her 1999 album Forget About It.

Take a minute to listen below. You won't be disappointed. Free of a grand crescendo, the even-keeled musical approach to this spooky tale keeps you listening mainly for the story it tells ..., and if you like to sing in this key, you're hooked!

The lyrics below haunt me the most; they speak about the ghost in 'your chair' and 'lays his head on your pillow at night.' Mom recently donated my father's lift chair to someone in need, but that chair has been beside Mom's chair for decades (replaced a few times). Nonetheless, that chair haunted me after Dad passed, but I still loved it.

We were torn about letting it go; Mom and I had trouble sleeping the night before the couple came to pick it up. For over a year, when sitting in Mom's chair, I would glance at Dad's chair and imagine him in it again; it's a feeling that combines pain with beauty. In fact, the sense is best described in Dr. Seuss's quote, 'Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.'

(Lyrics) I don't mind staying in
There's another ghost here
He sits down in your chair
And he shines with your light
And he lays down his head
On your pillow at night

I hope you get to listen to this song without all the associations I've personally attached to it! If you haven't suffered a profound loss and get to hear it for the pure joy of music, then I'll end this with an appropriate Halloween sentiment, BOO!

Update 2023: I'm revisiting articles and updating a few things. One update is that in 2021, my mom passed, too, and I must say, I'm not keen on not being someone's child in this world. For those who have lost their parents, my heart is with you. I love you, Mom, forever and ever until the end of time, and time never ends. So many unforgettable memories. Wow, I was lucky to have the parents I had - my hubby reminds me of that often.

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Saturday, October 25, 2014

Halloween Sandwiches: Part IV of Halloween Recipes on Review This!

This year's Halloween celebration will be just a bit different than I normally have. I'm doing a sandwich spread for some of my family. Therefore I needed some good options for great Halloween sandwiches. And did I find some. Children and adults will be included in this event which means recipes appropriate for both.

Finger sandwiches from Pillsbury

Halloween Finger Sandwiches, Literally

Finger sandwiches are always worth doing and at Halloween we have sandwiches that look like fingers. I love this recipe, it's easy and adjustable for any variety of ingredients. Pillsbury came up with idea and uses meats, but I want to do a vegetarian version.

That turned out to be easy, by just replacing the meats with cheeses and vegetables in the sandwich and using triangles of red pepper instead of the pepperoni for the fingernails. Yep, simple.

Coffin Sandwiches

Coffin Sandwiches from Kraft

Kraft Foods came up with a cute idea as well. Coffin sandwiches are prefect for a fun Halloween treat. The easy part is cutting the shapes. Kraft even gives a template for the coffin shape. A sharp bread knife is a must for this. Getting the shape to come out makes a big difference.

The hard part is deciding on the sandwich fillers. Many, many options can work. With the kids involved, peanut butter and jelly will one of the choices, but I also like the idea of fillers such as egg salad and cream cheese spreads (www.whimsicalteapotsandcups.com/recipes/cucumber-dill-spread).

Personally, I love the idea of adding the R. I. P. onto the top of the sandwiches. Kraft suggests using decorating gel, mustard, even ketchup. Be careful about stacking coffin sandwiches with the message. You need to keep those with a message from sitting under another sandwich.

Halloween Cookie Cutters

Halloween Sandwich Cutters

When you want to make interesting shaped Halloween sandwiches, you can easily use a cookie cutter. Wilton has a fun set that includes that coffin shape for finger sandwiches. But, I also love the idea of the bat for some fun food additions.

Mummy Pizzas

Let us not forget pizza, one of those family food staples. Mummy pizzas are crazy easy to do. And you can add any and all pizza ingredients that you want. The trick is to layer thin slices of white cheese on top to create the mummy wrappings. Then add two slices of pitted black olives to make the eyes.

Food.com gives us a fun option using English Muffins for the pizza dough. Any crust style that you like will work out perfect for mummy pizzas. This is the time for you to use your favorite crust and your favorite ingredients.

Getting ready for Halloween, whether a big party, or a fun family dinner like mine, Halloween sandwiches make an easy menu option. There's plenty of choices for both kids and grown-ups alike. Review This has more Halloween recipes, too. See our appetizers, desserts and beverages to round out your Halloween menu.

Posted by: BuckHawk