The Dackel Princess

Miracle Soup

Since I am off at me niece’s Bridal Shower, I am printing up this recipe for a wonderful, hearty, soup!

Miracle Soup

It’s called Miracle Soup because it’s so Easy!

2-3 Cans FF Chicken Broth
1 1/2 Pounds ground Turkey
1 Tsp. Salt
1 TBS. Parsley
1 TBS. Basil
1 TBS. Chopped Garlic
1 Cup each: Celery
Onion
Green Pepper
Sliced Carrots
1/3 cup barley
1 can French style Green Beans
1 can Red Kidney Beans
1-2 cans Italian Stewed Tomatoes

In large soup kettle sauté garlic with small amount of oil. Add turkey and brown. Add broth, salt, parsley, basil, onion, green pepper, celery, carrots, barley, and a dash of pepper and the stewed tomatoes. Simmer slowly about an hour or until veggies are done. Add green beans and kidney beans and heat another 15 minutes. Thicken gravy with flour serve with a garden salad and hot crusty bread. This recipe also freezes
well.

Note: Add any other vegetable that you might like. I like red peppers as well, as maybe mushrooms, although the mushrooms do not freeze well.
Enjoy!!!

On The Road Again

Usually I join my cousin for Friday Fill-Ins, but I am short on time, so I’ll just tell you about my current plans.

I leave first thing in the morning for Connecticut and my sister’s house. I’ll be seeing my mother, who I have not seen in nearly two years. I love her, but it is a struggle.

My niece is getting married in April and Saturday is her Bridal Shower. What fun.

I’m just going for one night and then I’ll be back. The pups and Hubby need me, and I am finding it harder and harder to get away.

The bonus here is that I get to see Mandy, Savannah and my cousin Janet as well. All the gals in the family!

I am praying for good weather and not too much in the way of traffic. Keep your fingers crossed!

Snow…Again

OK. I am ready for spring. I sat here, all day on Wednesday and Wednesday night, watching the snow fall. Worst of all, it is supposed to snow well into Thursday night!

Now I leave early on Friday morning to go to my sister’s home. I do not like to drive in snowy weather, and since this trip Hubby is staying home with the dogs, I will be forced to drive myself!

If this was an ordinary visit, I’d probably put it off, but this is the weekend of my niece’s bridal shower, so I cannot miss it!

It’s funny, not even the dogs want to be outside! And even Hubby has stayed inside, away from all that wet horrible white stuff!

I spent the day cleaning up my Facebook page and locking it down. I suddenly found my page full of junk and once I had switched passwords, I went through and deleted things, and made it slightly harder for people to “see me”.

So please everyone. Keep your fingers crossed that Friday will be nice enough for my little trip!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. When were you last facing an ocean? Using just ONE word, describe how you felt as you faced that ocean.

Two years ago when I returned to Cape Cod for my High School Reunion.

One word: Home!

2. What are three sounds you hate to hear?

Sirens from a police or firetruck, an unexplained noise that says something fell, someone choking.

3. This question comes to you courtesy of some real life friends. Hi real life friends! When you shop for yourself, do you try everything on in the store before buying or do you buy, try on at home, and then return what you don’t like or what doesn’t fit?

I try everything on. I usually plan to do this and so I wear easy on easy off clothing.

4. February 26th is National Pistachio Day…are you a fan of the little green nut? Do you use them in cooking and baking or prefer to eat them right out of the shell?

Love pistachios! Any way at all!

5. When did you last have to compromise with someone? Were you happy to reach the compromise or slightly irritated it was necessary?

It’s the TV remote, you see. I love to watch HGTV and Hubby doesn’t. Last night I had to relinquish control and so I brought out my MP3 player and listened to music while he watched a news program.

6. Have you ever written a letter to an elected official? Did you get a response?

No and no. I have gone to meet a few politicians and that’s about as close as I have come to being a fan. (So to speak.)

7. We ‘March’ into a new month at the end of this week…what’s something on your March calendar guaranteed to make you smile?

My niece’s Bridal Shower, my appointment with the surgeon, and

Greta’s birthday.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I’m hoping that after I see the surgeon in the 6th of March, my surgery will be scheduled quickly. I get so nervous and I do not wait well.

The Oscars

Who watched the Oscar Awards on Sunday night?

I did and I thought it was the nastiest award show I have ever seen! There is a fine line between edgy humor and being down right mean! Seth MacFarlane was just plain mean!

From the opening act, to the bitter end, when he and Kristin Chenoweth sang the “Loser’s Song” I was truly shocked and horrified!

I wonder, who thinks this stuff is funny? If he was saying this stuff about me, I would be offended. I know my skin isn’t real thick, but do people anywhere have thick enough skin to withstand his assault.

Add to that the song about boobs. You know what, it is bad enough to endure commercials for incontinence products, but I do not want some jerk who has never had to harness a pair of boobs, singing about them!

The winners were not unexpected, and the gowns beautiful, if not costly (I think one could buy a house for the cost), and the Hollywood types once again patted themselves on the back.

Did you know that each Oscar nominee will receive an “Everybody Wins at the Oscars” gift basket, aka Swag Bag, worth just less than $48,000. They have to pay taxes on this “gift”, but that is chump change in Hollywood.

Perhaps Seth MacFarlane was right to diss them the way he did, but somehow I truly like most of the actors there and felt nothing but revulsion for his twisted humor.

What We Did This Weekend

Our host is Gattina. Come join us and tell us what YOU did this past weekend! After all, you never know when you will need an alibi!

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Sunday morning found us waking to this!

It’s not that we minded the beauty of the snow, but both Hubby and I are sort of over the magic of the snow this year!

Looking out into the back yard we were amazed at the depth as well as the sheer awesomeness of the clinging snow!

The dackels loved going out and running through the snow. Anneliese especially! She just runs and jumps and plays! It made me laugh, which was nice!

Fritz was out and about patrolling the yard! He will stay with me, but gives Hubby and the snow blower a wide berth.

This is one of our peach trees that is just covered with the thick, heavy, snow!

Can you see the heart snow flake? That’s my neighbor’s home.

And last but not least, Hubby and his snow blower!

And it is still snowing!!!

Sun Burns

Saturday began with light snow. So much for the weather forecasters being right around here! As the morning wore on the snow stopped, so I grabbed my purse and out the door I went to get our mail. I called my mom and talked with her while I drove over and back.

My oldest girlfriend called and she needed my shoulder. We talked for over and hour and I hope I helped her just a little.

While we talked I was looking through old pictures taken long ago, when I got that really terrible sunburn. I’m pretty much convinced that burn is what has caused my current Squamous Cell skin cancer.

I was 13, and did not understand what the sun could do to skin. Looking back I can remember the pain I felt from that burn.

This is me with my brother in-law, Ron. He had a nice normal tan, while I was definitely overcooked!

burn 2

Here I am with the little boy I babysat for. You can see the blisters on my face. Raymond had nice normal skin.

burn 1

I had blisters all over my face. They eventually broke and my face was a mess for a while.

The point of this story is: Don’t lie out or do anything in the sun without a good hat and lots of sunscreen!

In fact I plan to buy stock in a couple of sunscreen companies! Talking to people I realized how common sun induced skin cancers are!

Scary!

Now the search is on for a good sun hat for this summer. I’d also love to buy one of those swim tops that has a built in sun shield.

Silver Linings Playbook

Hubby and I decided to go and see “Silver Linings Playbook” today. We knew the theme of the movie, and wanted to go and see if the movie lived up to the praise.

We were both blown away. You see the movie portrays Bipolar Illness as close as one can. The characters played by Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, were so true to life. Their madness and struggles tugged at the heart, and we were struggling, pulling for them, to find their way in this crazy world.

Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver played Cooper’s parents and their love and concern and craziness was heart wrenching.

Casting was great, as was the writing. I also liked the directing of the movie. It held you from the first frame of the movie, until the very last.

Hubby left, feeling a bit drained. It brought back many memories to him of years gone by.

For me, I could laugh, and shake my head yes, and understand the hurt and pain. You see, I have Bipolar Illness. I suffered for many years until a doctor found the correct medications for me.

It is something I have not spoken or written about until now. Those days, so long ago, were so painful. I am happy to have good medications, and a husband who has stood by me through it all.

I am blessed!

Friday Fill-Ins

1. Paisley is so pretty, but I have never really worn it.
2. I need to learn to wear my new Christmas hat so I can enjoy it.
3. Where is my energy? I really need to get our family room carpet shampooed with the new machine, but have no get up and go.
4. Life is so good and so wonderful that I don’t want it to end?
5. Sometimes, less is more.
6. I love Grey Poupon mustard.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to watching Gettysburg with Hubby, tomorrow my plans include cleaning and bleaching my counter-tops and Sunday, I want to read the newspaper, change the sheets, and if it is snowing, make a fire in the hearth and just stay home!

Thursday Thirteen

My new cordless Mouse arrived on Wednesday! I am so happy to have a mouse again.
We watched one of the funniest segments of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. He was in Greece trying the real food of the Greeks and got an introduction to both Ouzo and Raki!
Personally, I love Greek food, but some of this real Greek food, well I am not sure I could eat it.
In the last few days I have been in a cooking mood. So, the dinner meals have come out pretty well.
Tomorrow I am making Julia Childs Boeuf Bourguignon. I like to use a lot of vegetables, and I enjoy the savory smells.
In the next few days I need to catch up on laundry and some cleaning. So making the Boeuf Bourguignon will be nice for a couple of meals.
I also want to try to eat more fish meals, but I was so disappointed to learn that my favorite source of Haddock is no longer carrying the Norwegian Haddock.
That was simply the best Haddock!
Rumor has it we are going to get another 6 inches of snow this weekend. You know, I am really ready for spring!
My niece is getting married in just a few weeks. I am so excited! She is a sweetie and her fiancee is wonderful!
My sister has had so much fun helping Jinny plan the big event!
I’ll be going down for a bridal shower next month!
My sister’s oldest son and his wife are expecting twin boys! So much to be happy about!