There’s no recipe for this one, the ingredients are pretty self-explanatory, just take a look at what’s on the plate. I am simply invoking the gods of spring with this photograph, to bring it on already! I am ready for some warm weather, fresh fruits and vegetables. Aren’t you?

On the food blog end though, I am still playing catch up with posting old and new recipes.

I posted several soup recipes that you may enjoy: Read the rest of this entry »

I just happen to run across my Facebook Cards today while looking for my work business cards. I was feeling around the chasm that is my purse looking for my business cards and these cards were the first that my fingers latched on to. You know why?

Because they are so thick and sturdy that they just about overshadowed the other cards in my purse!

I seriously love the heft in these cards and the brilliant colors of the print are not too shabby either. I will definitely be ordering more of these!

You need to check them out! They are also still available for FREE for a limited time, so order yours now. Click on the photo above to find out how to get them.

I have been blessed in many ways. I haven’t experienced a devastating loss, for instance. Sure, there have been many times when grief entered my life, but they have been manageable. At least they seem that way now. At the time, they did feel like my whole world has crumbled. But really, what did I know about having my world utterly destroyed? Nothing. Not when compared to losses others have experienced.

I feel blessed. I am privileged to watch my daughters grow and marvel at how they are confronting their world. I am grateful to be able to watch my parents grow old and wonder at the grace they handle all the trials of aging. I am grateful that I have all of them still because I don’t want to find out how strong I could be without them.

I don’t know that I would be any good at dealing with a loss so great that it can cut you down. That’s how I felt reading The Rules of Inheritance by Claire Bidwell Smith. It was almost too heavy for me to bear. The loss, the impending grief… I can almost feel her being suffocated by it all.

But read on, and learn about the strength that must be in all of us and you’ll feel uplifted. Maybe there is hope, maybe there is that light at the end of the tunnel and that pain such as this does not endure but abates with time and that it is survivable.

It is a very interesting read that I think most of us can relate to and maybe even learn from. It may be a difficult read for some people because of the subject matter, but I also think there is a lot to be learned from it. I highly recommend reading it. I couldn’t stop turning pages even when I wanted to.

You can read more about what I think about this on my book review on Found Not Lost, my review blog.

You can also visit the author’s blog and learn more background information about the characters in her book. It’s fascinating reading all the additional tidbits behind the story!

See what other readers think of this book by visiting The Rules of Inheritance on BlogHer.

“This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.”

Paula & Al on Today Show (source: The Atlantic)

The big news this morning is Southern food maven Paula Deen’s announcement on the Today Show that she has type 2 diabetes. She’s had it for a while, apparently, and now she’s also come out as a spokesperson for a diabetes drug.

The media and everywhere online have been giving her a lot of flack about it. Some even go as far as to insinuate that she somehow deserves it given all the “un-healthy” food she promotes.

I feel bad for her. Truthfully, I enjoy watching her show! Some of her recipes, especially the extreme ones like the cheesburger on Krispy Kreme donut leave that queasy, sick feeling in my throat just watching it, but hey, it’s amusing in a morbid kind of way. That’s why I watch it. It’s like all you rubber neckers who clog up the highways whenever there’s a wreck. We all slow down to take a look even if it makes us cringe. Admit it.

I liked watching Paula Deen because she seemed to genuinely love food. Relished it! You can see it in her body. At least she’s not matchstick skinny and pretending to enjoy all the rich, calorie laden food she cooks. You can tell the woman eats what she cooks! No crime in that.

I do, however, don’t agree with this new venture she’s going into as a paid spokesperson for the diabetes drug company. She will also be promoting ways to manage diabetes through healthier diet and exercise on a website sponsored by the drug company. It’s all and good, I suppose. Maybe someone will see it, take heed and make a difference in their lifestyle.

Personally though, I would probably have had more respect for Paula if she had just told everyone to “Kiss my grits!”
Read the rest of this entry »