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Showing posts with label Cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cooking. Show all posts

16 October 2014

Dennys Food and Recipes: Thanksgiving: Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake


Photo provided by Betty Crocker  --  Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake will be a welcome treat any time during the holidays.

Dennys Food and Recipes: Thanksgiving: Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake: From Denny:  This is the perfect holiday table dessert!  It's so showy it's sure to impress.  Three layers of tasty goodness are the gingersnap cookie crust as it's sturdy foundation to hold the spiced pumpkin cheese layer that is marbled with a vanilla layer.

Like most big cheesecakes, this one should be baked in a springform pan, where the cake cools in the pan for several hours before you remove the sides of the pan.  If you have never used a springform pan, it's so easy it will make you laugh, definitely nothing to be intimidated about at all.

Like any tasty cheesecake, this one is rich in calories too, so a small serving would be welcomed by most.  At a dinner party I like to cut a normal to small sized slice, placing it on one plate and then encourage couples to share so people don't have to feel guilty about busting their diet plan.  After all, the whole point of entertaining is for people to enjoy their tasty treats!...


Geaux Wear Pink! Apron



Help support women on their journey to wellness and hope for a cure!

Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

Also, please remember that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, keeping these women in your thoughts and prayers.  Here's my latest Denny Lyon Gifts design (at Cafe Press) to honor all the fabulous women and their supporters fighting this disease.

This design first started off as one of my photos of those favorite hot pink azalea blooms, in addition to many other filters, employing a kaleidoscope filter to create this abstract medallion effect. This design reminds me of how our beauty is always there, no matter what form it takes.  Of course, here in Louisiana, we take creative "French" license with English spellings. :)  The thought bubble is to remind others to support these women on their journey to wellness.  Lots of other styles of t-shirts and other products to enjoy too.  The link takes you to the page of all the products featuring this design.  Thanks for visiting!

24 November 2010

Funny Thanksgiving Quotes, Video, Cartoons and Food Posts

Enjoy some Thanksgiving humor along with more delectable recipes to make your mouth water waiting for the next holiday.




From Denny:  Funny Thanksgiving quotes, a funny Thanksgiving dance video, funny Thanksgiving cartoons, an hilarious post featuring fighting turkeys with captions, another funny post about the infamous Gluttony Pants now in holiday fashion -  and lots of great food. What more could you ask for after a great meal while cruising the web? Uh... maybe a waist extender for my pants? Oh, yeah... but the food was soooo good! :)

And a few serious gratitude posts to round out the season...

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone, and hope you enjoy your holiday!


Funny posts:

Funny Holiday Fashion: Gluttony Pants - Get the latest holiday clothing to ensure comfortable holiday feasting.

21 Funny Thanksgiving Fighting Turkey Photos

Funny Thanksgiving Presidential Pardon 4 Turkeys Apple and Cider - Check out some funny trivia about presidential turkey pardons.

Monday Lite: Late Night Jokes, Thanksgiving and TSA Cartoons - 22 Nov 2010

Funny Thanksgiving Quotes - Cheeky Quote Day! 25 Nov 2009

5 Funny Thanksgiving Quotes, Photos

Geeky Girl Gone Wild: Happy Thanksgiving Dance!

Editorial Cartoons Roundup 28 Nov 2009


And a few serious posts:

A Man In Love - A true story of just how far a man will go to survive when he is in love during war time. A Thanksgiving holiday poem.

A Prayer of Wisdom From An Unknown Confederate Soldier

111 Insightful Life Quotes

How Does Gratitude Unlock the Fullness of Life?



                                             
                                                             Emeril's Brined Turkey



Thanksgiving Food:

Chef Emeril Cooks Holiday Menu: 7 Delicious Recipes - Cook your holiday feast with favorite chef Emeril Lagasse.

6 Easy Turkey Thanksgiving Recipes and Gravy, Roasting Tips and Advice

8 Cajun Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes, BBQ Turkey, Deep Fry Turkey, Roasting Tips

Chicago Chef Jimmy Bannos Cajun Thanksgiving Menu of 12 Recipes

Chef Paul Deen: Easy Holiday Cola-Basted Ham, Cranberry Sauce - Check out a simple recipe that is always a bit hit with family and friends during the holiday season.

Chef Lidia Bastianich: Easy Italian Christmas Cookie Recipes - Chef Lidia Bastianich shares Italian holiday cookies from her childhood.

Martha Stewart Thanksgiving Recipes: Pumpkin Bread Pudding, Pumpkin Donut Muffins - Martha Stewart shares a couple of her holiday recipes of what else you can make with that iconic autumnal food: pumpkin.

Chef Thomas Keller: Thanksgiving Brunch Recipes - Check out one of best chefs in America and a wonderful brunch menu for the holidays.

Easy Holiday Pasta From Chef Michael Chiarello - Check out some easy holiday ideas using pasta to make a spectacular and tasty meal sure to impress everyone - 3 recipes.

Fall Comfort Food NYC Chef Style: Braised Osso Buco, Risotto, Salad - Check out how to make Italian comfort food in an hour, all done in the oven - 3 recipes.

Pumpkin Risotto, Crispy Bread Soffritto, and Pumpkin Chile Recipes

Unusual Exotic Thanksgiving Menu, Poll on Turkey Vs. Sides Debate


*** Feathered Turkey Photo by eye of einstein @ flickr



*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

*** Check out Holiday Recipes From Dennys Food and Recipes

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Best Spiritual Posts - my own best as well as links to other spiritual posts from all viewpoints
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

09 May 2010

Posts Roundup This Week at Dennys Blogs 9 May 2010




From Denny: This sure has been a wild ride for the news, the BP oil spill attempt at clean-up, the crazy British election and the huge sudden drop in the stock market. I gathered some of the better stories over at Dennys Global Politics.

You just have to read about the odd new health stories about empathy nasal spray for men and the strange neck treatment for PTSD relief. And the political cartoons were out in full force as social commentary on it all so you know I just had to park a number of those posts on several blogs for Saturday! :)

Hope everyone had a great Mothers Day! And thank you all for your great support!




The Social Poets:


Oil Spill Disaster Cartoons - Whats Happening This Week in America - 8 May 2010

One Mother and One Child poem 4 Mothers Day - Libations Friday 7 May 2010

Transocean Kidnapped Oil Rig Survivors, Coerced Signing No Legal Repsonsiblity

Funny Parenting Quotes 4 Mothers Day - Cheeky Quote Day 5 May 2010

BP Only Responsible to $75 Million 4 Oil Disaster By USA Law

Roundup of Late Night Funnies - 3 May 2010

Posts Roundup This Week at Dennys Blogs 2 May 2010





Dennys Global Politics:

Greek Debt Crisis 4 The World: Political Cartoons 8 May 2010

1,000 Point Stock Market Plunge, Brits Still Tied After Election, Examining Obamas Humor - News Headlines 7 May 2010

USA Offshore New Oil Drilling Halted, New USA Terrorist Screening, 3-Way Tie in Brit Election - News Headlines 6 May 2010

Supreme Court Pick Hunt, Dems Whimp Out on Finanacial Fund 4 Reform, How You Get on No-Fly List, Obama Tough on Airlines - News Headlines 5 May 2010

Pakistan Trained Bomber, Obamas Workaholic Ways, Catholics Polled About Sex Abuse - News Headlines 4 May 2010

BP Oil Spill Coverage - News Headlines 3 May 2010





The Soul Calendar:


Funny Wall Street Cartoons - 8 May 2010


Video: Check Out the River Monsters Swimming Near You


Bloggers: Get The New Google Buzz Buttons

Neuroscience: Want Your Man to Better Understand You? Try Empathy Nasal Spray




The Healing Waters:


Controversial Successful New Treatment 4 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder




Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:


Mothers Day Quote From Rose Kennedy

How Can You Help Your Child Keep Their Balance And Yours?




Dennys Funny Quotes:


The Great American Immigration Debate: Political Cartoons - 8 May 2010

Funny Video: Health Care Rage-Ex by Cartoonist Mark Fiore

Funny Animated Cartoon on Economy: Crashiversary Video by Mark Fiore



Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious And Odd:


Times Square Terrorist Bomber: Political Cartoons 8 May 2010

10 Funny Odd Photos - cute animals and crazy dressed people!

Funny Video: TV Anchor Falls off Chair





Food blogs:


Tradtional Sandwiches Updated: California Tuna Melt, Egg Salad

Chocolate Wonders: Kentucky Derby Pie, Make-ahead Chocolate Soufflé

Video: Louisiana Chef Makes Crawfish Etouffee


Easy Moist Chocolate Mayo Cake From Bon Appetit





Visual Insights:


Dennys Photo Gallery: Garden Views

Funny Love-Hate Relationships of Fox News, Republicans, Tea Party, Airlines and Obama Cartoons - 8 May 2010


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

11 April 2010

Weekly Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 11 Apr 2010

From Denny: This has been a wild week. The starting weeks of pollen season and we all have been sneezing and experiencing watery eyes and sheer misery. I've come to the conclusion that the attack of the killer plants is all about putting our bodies on overload so we will start dumping winter's toxins. Spring is the time of year when our livers go through detox - and do it for free! The Big However is that it can be inconvenient scheduling to say the least. When the liver starts detoxing you get sluggish, lethargic and sleepy, not exactly productive. See? Nothing is wrong with you after all; it's just Nature's regular Spring house cleaning. Tell that to your boss while you are dragging in to work or not as peppy as usual... :)

Seems like Blogger has had issues this week as well. It's been sheer hell trying to get anything published. The old editor will accept editing and copy and paste but won't publish. The new editor will not accept editing or copy and paste but hey! just push the publish button and it works! Totally crazy with all the toggling back and forth between Blogger dashboards...

But the good news is that after waiting over a year for a fix on the Google Connect for those of us with blogs that carry Google ads, we no longer experience disappearing followers. I always try to put these widgets on all my blogs so other bloggers can advertise their blogs too when they become followers. That's how many of my readers found me - by seeing me listed as a follower or visitor on someone else's blog. So, please be sure to join up on the various blogs to make sure you get seen - and I have plenty of fellow bloggers as company to keep me sassy! :)

Oh, and if you are a fellow blogger, make sure you count your blog stats with your feed counts. Feedburner does a stellar job of counting your views, clicks and visits to your blogs. These views may not be physical visitors to your blog as they are viewing in a reader - so won't get counted by your blog counters. I finally got around to adding in my feed counts to the totals and was pleasantly surprised and downright shocked at all the counts I had not known were always waiting to be noticed. This week alone over 105,000 folks showed up or viewed in a reader posts on all my blogs. Thank you for such a fabulous response, especially over at Delicious social site! You are amazing! Do try to pay a physical visit to the blogs as each one is created with a specific theme, color sense and emotional or spiritual feel to benefit the reader.

It's funny how when you start a blog - The Social Poets was my first - you never realize how things are going to morph and grow. When I branched off into other blogs to park different themed posts like spiritual quotes and my spiritual thoughts about them over at Beautiful Illustrated Quotations it has been astounding the response for what I figured would be a small niche market. Well, I sure was wrong about that assumption.

When I was having fun tripping through the Creative Commons area of Flickr and put up themed posts over at my photo blog, Visual Insights, again folks flocked to grin along with me! Who knew how much fun we all could have together? Serious or funny - readers are interested in good content. Sooner or later they will find you. So, if you are like I was 18 months ago, thrilled just to have 20 people a month show up at my first blog but wondering how anyone would find out about what my blog was offering, don't despair. Bookmark your posts and your readers will begin to find you through the search engines and social sites. It just takes time.


Here's a tax season grin since I just spent three hours doing my taxes:









The Social Poets:


Whats Happening in America, This Weeks Political Cartoons - 10 Apr 2010

Opinion: Obama Issues Kill Order 4 American Cleric

Funny Allergy Quotes - Cheeky Quote Day 7 Apr 2010

How to Survive Allergy and Pollen Season

Monday Roundup of Late Night Comedy - 5 Apr 2010





Dennys Global Politics:


Iran Pushing 4 Nukes, Reprocessing Spent Nuke Fuel, Palin Unpopular, Political Death Threats - News Headlines 9 Apr 2010

USAs New Weapon Global Strike, U.S.-Russia Nuke Deal, Who Does Not Pay Taxes in America, U.S. Kill Order 4 Cleric - News Headlines 8 Apr 2010

America Not Ready 4 Cyberattacks, Pelosi Death Threats, Iraq Violence, Kyrgyzstan Riots, Skinhead Leaves Hate Behind - News Headlines 7 Apr 2010

Obamas Nuke Policy, China Hacks India, Britain Votes, Net Neutrality, Guilt Study, News Headlines 6 Apr 2010

Breakdown of Who Are Tea Party Members, Bizarre Karzai, Obama Picks New Justice Soon, Immunity for Pope - News Headlines 5 Apr 2010





Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:


Poem: Legacy of Love

Your Dreams: 5 Common Characteristics

Still popular on BIQ: Does Your Life Feel Like a Disaster?

3 Quotes About Facing Tough Times

Uplifting Soul Quote: What is Your Power in the World?

Spiritual Energy: Can Simple Words Add to Our Quality of Life?





The Soul Calendar - science:


What Do All the Recent Global Earthquakes Mean?

Come to Iceland: Experience Living With a Volcano in Your Back Yard

Moon Water: Order Up Your Cocktail Today

New Astronomy Photos: Cosmic Rosebud, Winds of Change Black Hole, Orion Nebula





The Healing Waters:


How to Survive Allergy and Pollen Season

A Poem About Healing Ourselves

Unlocking Foods Healing Powers

Good News: Afghan Orphanage Female Director Honored

Beautiful Metaphor for Life: Boats





Food blogs:


Spring Into Grill Season: Mouthwatering Steaks

Chef Rocco Dispiritos Cheap Yet Healthy Comfort Food

Yummy Homemade Coconut Cream Pie

Play Fun With Your Food: Mini Frittata Crostinis, Mini Wonton Quiches

Awesome Sauces 4 Spring and Summer Seafood

Forget the Birds: Awesome Recipes 4 Stale Bread





Humor blogs:


Funny Surfing Peruvian Alpaca

Outrageously Dumb Criminals: Robbers Called Bank For Money To Go

The Funny Side of Allergy Season - Ahh, Choo!


Funny Comics Review The News - 26 Mar 2010





Visual Insights - photo blog:


Funny Odd Couples: Cats and Their Weirdo Friends


Dennys Photo Gallery: Spectacular Sunrises





*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

30 September 2009

Cheeky Quote Day! 30 September 2009



From Denny: Chefs around the globe have done a lot to educate the palates of the public these past twenty years or so. Haute cuisine caught on like wildfire for a tasty trend since the go-go 1980's in America. This year a movie was released (which I have yet to see) about America's first person to humanize upscale cuisine, Julia Child. She didn't believe in the cultural snobbery surrounding the subject of food. Nor did Julia care for the attitude of intimidating people to cook it for themselves.

Julia Child was no kitchen terrorist. One of those few decent personalities to come out of the old WW II era CIA, she promoted good food for decades. CIA personnel are known for adopting the food culture of their overseas assignments, often quite the culinary adventurers.

When you have the stress of getting shot at everyday out in the world without the benefit of any security detail - even on the job as a secretary or IT support as most are just analysts not full-fledged James Bond type spies/assassins, a person and their soft target families have to take their mind off it - cooking well is one convenient stress reliever. It often can help build good relationships with the locals which in turn eases the tensions of having an American in their community.

Julia taught us about food with grace, humor and educated herself as she educated us on television. Standing at 6' 3" she could have easily been intimidating yet chose to be jovial, ever the patient teacher well into her 90's.

Quotes

* In France, cooking is a serious art form and a national sport. - Julia Child

* The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook. - Julia Child

* Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. - Harriet Van Horne

* The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found. - Calvin Trillin

* When men reach their sixties and retire, they go to pieces. Women go right on cooking. - Gail Sheehy

* I don't even butter my bread. I consider that cooking. - Katherine Cebrian

* There is such a buildup of crud in my oven there is only room to bake a single cupcake. - Phyllis Diller

* The two biggest sellers in any bookstore are the cookbooks and the diet books. The cookbooks tell you how to prepare the food, and the diet books tell you how not to eat any of it. - Andy Rooney

* It's so beautifully arranged on the plate - you know someone's fingers have been all over it. - Julia Child on nouvelle cuisine

* When compelled to cook, I produce a meal that would make a sword swallower gag. - Russell Baker

* Life is too short to stuff a mushroom. - Storm Jameson



*** Whoo Hoo! Kitchen fire on purpose so it tastes good! ***


* I prefer my oysters fried; That way I know my oysters died. - Roy G. Blount, Jr.

* God sends meat and the devil sends cooks. - Thomas Deloney (1543-1600)

* There is no sincerer love than the love of food. - George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

* The most dangerous food is wedding cake. - American proverb

* Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese. - G. K. Chesterson (1874-1936)

* Recipe For Chili: Put a pot of chili on the stove to simmer. Let it simmer. Meanwhile, broil a good steak. Eat the steak. Let the chili simmer. Ignore it. - Allan Shivers, former governor of Texas

* I will not eat oysters. I want my food dead - not sick, not wounded - dead. - Woody Allen

* Blow in its ear. - Johnny Carson on the best way to thaw out a frozen turkey

* Eating an artichoke is like getting to know someone really well. - Willi Hastings

* Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat. - Alex Levine

* In Mexico we have a word for sushi: bait. - Jose Simon

* Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside. - Mark Twain (1835-1910)



*** Cooking in Stockholm ***

* The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you're hungry again. -George Miller

* My idea of heaven is a great big baked potato and someone to share it with. - Oprah Winfrey

* Where there's smoke, there's toast. - Anonymous

* My wife and I tried to breakfast together, but we had to stop or our marriage would have been wrecked. - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

* Reminds me of my safari in Africa. Somebody forgot the corkscrew and for several days we had to live on nothing but food and water. -W. C. Fields (1880-1946)

* The highlight of my childhood was making my brother laugh so hard that food came out of his nose. - Garrison Keillor

* I don't eat snails. I prefer fast food. - Strange de Jim

* Hunger is the best sauce in the world. - Cervantes

* Strange to see how a good dinner and feasting reconciles everybody. - Samuel Pepys



*** ... and then I decided to cook... ***

* Kissing don't last: cookery do. - George Meredith

* Fish, to taste right, must swim three times -- in water, in butter and in wine. - Polish Proverb

* Hunger finds no fault with the cooking. - Proverb

* A good meal makes a man feel more charitable toward the world than any sermon. - Arthur Pendenys

* Fervet olla, vivit amicitia: While the pot boils, friendship endures. (Meaning the man who gives good dinners has plenty of friends). - Latin Proverb

* The discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness of mankind than the discovery of a star. - Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

* A hungry stomach seldoms scorns plain food. - Horace

* Even were a cook to cook a fly, he would keep the breast for himself. - Polish Proverb

* What is food to one man may be fierce poison to others. - Lucretius

* He was a bold man who first swallowed an oyster. - James I
Cheese--milk's leap towards immortality. - Clifton Fadiman



*** Chewy Korean noodles, wish they gave us the recipe... ***

* All you see, I owe to spaghetti. - Sophia Loren, actress

* Give me books, French wine, fruit, fine weather and a little music played out of doors by somebody I do not know. - John Keats

* There is no such thing as a little garlic. - Anonymous

* There is no such thing as a pretty good omelette. - French Proverb

* A smiling face is half the meal. - Latvian Proverb

* Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. - Harriet Van Horne

* When one has tasted watermelon he knows what the angels eat. - Mark Twain

* Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving. - Rosalind Russell

* Cooking Rule... If at first you don't succeed, order pizza. - Anonymous

* Dessert is probably the most important stage of the meal, since it will be the last thing your guests remember before they pass out all over the table. - The Anarchist Cookbook

* Hungry men think the cook lazy. - Anonymous

* Without rice, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook. - Chinese Proverb

* You don't sew with a fork, so I see no reason to eat with knitting needles. - Miss Piggy, on eating Chinese Food

* No man is lonely while eating spaghetti; it requires so much attention. – Robert Morley

* Mothers, food, love, and career: the four major guilt groups. - Cathy Guisewite

* The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not. - Mark Twain

* Vanity is the food of fools. - Anonymous

* Give a man a fish and he has food for a day; teach him how to fish and you can get rid of him of the entire weekend. - Zenna Schaffer



*** Deep concentration in Stockholm ***

* I will not eat oysters. I want my food dead. Not sick--not wounded--dead. - Woody Allen

* My wife dresses to kill. She cooks the same way. - Henry Youngman

* What's the difference between a boyfriend and a husband? About 30 pounds. - Cindy Garner

* There are three possible parts to a date, of which at least two must be offered: entertainment, food, and affection. It is customary to begin a series of dates with a great deal of entertainment, a moderate amount of food, and the merest suggestion of affection. As the amount of affection increases, the entertainment can be reduced proportionately. When the affection IS the entertainment, we no longer call it dating. Under no circumstances can the food be omitted. - Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly

* When women are depressed, they eat or go shopping. Man invade another country. It's a whole different way of thinking. - Elayne Boolser

* Food is an important part of a balanced diet. - Anonymous

* What garlic is to food, insanity is to art. - Anonymous

* A food is not necessarily essential just because your child hates it. - Katharine Whitehorn

* Eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow they may make it illegal. - Anonymous

* I went to the bank and asked to borrow a cup of money. They said, “What for?” I said, “I'm going to buy some sugar.” - Steven Wright

* Man is the only animal that can remain on friendly terms with the victims he intends to eat until he eats them. - Samuel Butler

* Never eat more than you can lift. - Miss Piggy of The Muppets fame

* One cannot refuse to eat just because there is a chance of being choked. - Chinese Proverb

* Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish - too much handling will spoil it. - Lao Tzu



*** Long day at the hotel for this lampshade chef... ***


* If a pot is cooking, the friendship will stay warm. - Arab Proverb

* What my mother believed about cooking is that if you worked hard and prospered, someone else would do it for you. - Nora Ephron, screenwriter and director

* I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate. - Julia Child

* Hey baby, do you like fine cooking? Cause you know what? I got Swanson's Dinner in the freezer with your name on it. - Jimmy Fallon quotes (American Actor, b.1974)

* The average American’s simplest and commonest form of breakfast consists of coffee and beefsteak. - Mark Twain

* Noncooks think it's silly to invest two hours' work in two minutes' enjoyment; but if cooking is evanescent, so is the ballet. - Julia Child

* My cooking is so bad my kids thought Thanksgiving was to commemorate Pearl Harbor. - Phyllis Diller (American comedienne and actress, born 1917)

* Only a fool argues with a skunk, a mule or a cook. – American cowboy saying

* He looked about as inconspicuous as a tarantula on a slice of angel food. - Raymond Chandler


Have a great work week and keep grinning!


***

Photo Credits

Long day at the hotel for this chef…
Lampshade chef photo by Tracy Hunter @ flickr

Flaming food photo by liber @ flickr

Chicken, mozzarella cheese and balsamic vinegar photo by basykes @ flickr

Korean noodles Photo by avlxyz @ flickr

Intense concentration Photo by K.I.T. @ flickr

Cooking for two Photo by K.I.T. @ flickr

Chef Xinh with Julia Child at book signing photo by kuow949 @ flickr

24 July 2009

Libations Friday! 24 July 2009




Featured today: A Louisiana coffee recipe in the form of a coffee shake for this hot summer and an original dream sequence poem.

From Denny: Around here the famous Louisiana coffee company is known as "CC's" - short for Community Coffee. You can use your favorite coffee for this shake too. I'm a big fan of CC's New Orleans Blend with Chickory (which tamps down the acid level). Try this super simple easy recipe for your lazy weekend, so refreshing after a long work week!



CC's Coffee Banana Shake

Ingredients:

1 cup brewed and chilled Community Coffee's Louisiana Blend Coffee

2 medium-ripe bananas, sliced

1 pint good quality ice cream

3 tablespoons sugar

1 or 2 drops of almond flavoring

Directions:

Pour the coffee into a blender, then add the bananas, ice cream, sugar and almond flavoring. Cover and blend at high speed until thick and fluffy. Pour into chilled glasses. Serves 3 to 4 people.

On to the poetry section for this week...

From Denny: Those of you who read over at my quotes blog, Beautiful Illustrated Quotations, know I read some articles recently I found disturbing in their political vitriol. There is some seriously toxic stuff written without so much as a true fact to back up the rhetoric. It's pretty amazing how toxic and full of hate some people continue to choose to be, all in the name of identifying themselves as good Christians. Uh, do they read the same Bible I do? Last I checked, Jesus preached love and the digging out of our hearts all hatred for others.

Anyway, the recent event brought to mind a poem I wrote last year talking about toxic people. You know how it is; you get ready to go to sleep and go into a meditative state to process the day. Well, with that meditation I added a question prayer about how God views all this toxic squabbling on this planet. It wasn't long before I got an interesting answer. Of course, my spirit tends to be joyful and loves ironic humor and so, as God talks to us with our own private language, He framed the answer in my own personal code of humor. At first the dream was a bit disorienting and disconcerting as it felt like a smothering effect until I realized what was going on - and that I had the power to do something about what was happening.

When some other poet friends read this poem they thought it was a death and resurrection poem, something I never intended but hey! a cool extra double meaning works for me! What I intentionally wrote about - as this was written in the middle of the night upon getting this dream - was how life and toxic people throw dirt on us and its our job to dig our way out, knowing that we have helpers standing nearby, and, in the end, laugh at it all. Laughing off garbage seems to be a recurring theme for my writings.

I even created a little abstract drawing to go with the poem. The cheekbone area looks like a stairway. Dream sequences are such fun to draw! It's like "all bets are off" on the expected and you can insert the unexpected or unusual.



Flinging Dirt Drawing by Denny Lyon

Flinging Dirt

The muse guy smiled and beckoned
Directing my attention to a hill
Upon which I stood waiting

Suddenly huge mounds of dirt flew my way
Falling back surprised, fell down to the ground
The dirt filled the air, covering me quickly

Inside the dirt, perplexed, I blinked
The dirt was busy above, growing heavy
Groaned, stifled from the weight of it all

The dirt was not earthy and fresh or new
Smelling bad, stinking stale and worse it was
Deeper I sank, now a depression made a grave

Deeper into the earth I sank, the dirt mounded high
A shovel appeared, grabbed the smooth handle
Carved a space to sit and ponder dark, shovel propped

Why is this happening?
Why does this dirt smell so bad?
Why does no one notice this wrong?

Decided to fight, moving dirt behind
Determined, ascending faster than dirt above
Gratefully surfaced, peered up the narrow hole, light!

Climbed out onto the dirt, now highest mountain
The dirt throwers disappeared, evaporated, not known
Felt the sun on my face, warm, inviting, renewing

Looked around for trouble, looked long way down
At the bottom a long line of angels, tall, smiling
Approaching they all broke into cacophony applause

Who are you? I inquired
Why are you here? I continued
What is your purpose? I had to know

We are the Congratulations! Committee to greet you
We are here to assist your next decisions, eternally
Our purpose to walk by your side on your souls journey

I took it all in, delighted to meet them
They must have provided that shovel
Assuring my survival if only I would act

The dozen very tall men kindly bent down to my level
Dazzling smiles all, requesting how may they continue
I scratched my head, wiped the dirt off my face, shook my clothes

First things first, guys, I demanded, which way are the showers?
At that they all roared laughter, so loudly, it hurt my ears
Which way are the showers? They laughed and laughed more

One angel, raised his hand, laughing hard, sweeping right
My eyes looked up at his, tracking his directive to behold
Jesus Himself was laughing, waiting for me, clean towel in Hand


Denny Lyon
Copyright 12 July 2008
All Rights Reserved

Coffee Photo by once and future @ flickr

Have a great weekend, everyone; stay safe! Thanks for visiting!

Blender, Ice cream, coffee shake, coffee Recipes, poetry, New Orleans, Food, Cooking, Home, CC, Christian, Bible, Jesus, Cook, Denny Lyon, The Social Poets, Flinging Dirt, angels, humor

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17 July 2009

Libations Friday! 17 July 2009



Featured today: Cold spiked coffee recipe, funny video about getting a coffee in a recession and a poem about winning against the current recession.

Spiked Coffee

From: Giada De Laurentis

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups coffee liqueur (recommended: Kahlua)

• 1 cup dark creme de cacoa

• 1 1/2 cups vodka

• 1 cup espresso, cooled

• 1 orange wedge

• Orange sugar crystals

• 12 ice cubes

Directions:

Mix the coffee liqueur, creme de cacoa, vodka, and espresso in a small pitcher. Cover the pitcher with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer until the mixture is very cold, about 3 hours.

Meanwhile, rub the rims of 8 Martini glasses with the orange wedge. Dip the rims in the sugar crystals to coat lightly. Place the glasses in the freezer.
Add the ice cubes to the vodka mixture and briskly stir the mixture until the ice begins to melt. Strain the mixture into the prepared glasses, and serve.

From Denny: When searching for coffee recipes up popped this funny video about trying to get a coffee in a recession, enjoy!

COFFEE BIAAATCH!



On to the poetry section: As I was considering what to write in the form of an essay for Bloggers Unite Human Rights 2009, out popped a poem. When I sit down to write a poem, you guessed it, out pops an essay. "Do ya think?" my brain could get it straight?! :) Well, who cares how it arrives as long as it shows up...

I'd just got an email from a lovely friend who lives in Michigan and her husband is now out of work and they've also lost their home. To her credit she is writing to battle the stress. She is also one fine fantasy writer! As I looked at my reply to her one sentence stuck out and I knew it was destined to later become one of my quotes. It also inspired this poem.

How well I could write if I were not here!Image by Esther_G via Flickr


Quote: "Keep smiling. Humor pushes your attitude up and your heart wide open to sight the new opportunities coming your way." - Denny Lyon, 16 July 2009

Poetry of Life

The economy in chaos
Job markets spiraling down
Home foreclosures rising
News is bleak

Why turn on the TV?

Marriages are rocky
Children are scared
Bosses are grumpy
Life is tense

Why turn on the TV?

Banks grab stingy
CEOs finger greedy
Markets careen wild
It is what it is

Why turn on the TV?

Focus on outward order
Work at the job there is
Make a home anywhere
Chart a new attitude

Turn the channel!

Keep smiling when it’s tough
Open your heart wide to sight
Opportunities coming your way
Laugh ‘til your sides hurt

Be mentally tough: Love long!


Denny Lyon
Copyright 16 July 2009
All Rights Reserved

Coffee Photo by once and future @ flickr

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26 June 2009

Libatons Friday! 26 June 2009



Photo by once and future @ flickr

From Denny: With the triple digit heat across the nation and summer has barely begun – whew! – I’m looking for cold drinks and coffee cold drinks are my favorite. Here are two interesting ones from Food Network.

This one is from Guy Fieri of Guy’s Big Bite who used to be a bartender/mixologist before starting up his restaurant, getting noticed, then offered one happy gig on the Food Network! He’s high intensity and fast forward all the way, definitely as entertaining as he is knowledgeable and talented.



Chai's Big Bite Cocktail

From: Chef Guy Fieri of Food Network
Prep Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 1 drink

Guy FieriGuy Fieri Image by Laughing Squid via Flickr



Ingredients:

• 2 ounces coffee liquor

• 2 ounces Irish cream

• 1-ounce vanilla vodka

• 8 ounces Chai-tea concentrate (recommended: Oregon Chai Brand)

• 6 ounces milk or half-and-half

• Shaved chocolate, for garnish

• Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish

• Fresh mint sprig, for garnish

Directions:

Fill blender with ice, pour in all ingredients, and blend thoroughly. Pour into a tall iced tea glass
Garnish with shaved chocolate and fresh nutmeg and a mint sprig.

From Denny: This recipe is from the Ask Aida show over at Food Network. I’m not familiar with her and this recipe popped up on the search and looked so good it just had to be included! Besides, it included my favorite ingredient: expresso! If any of you watch her feel free to leave a comment about her.



Caffe Shakerato

From: Aida Mollenkamp of the Ask Aida Food Network show
Prep Time: 2 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Serves: 1 drink

Ingredients:

• Freshly brewed double shot espresso

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• Crushed Ice

• Coffee Whipped Cream, for garnish (Make this recipe before serving)

Directions:

In the base of a cocktail shaker, mix together espresso and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Fill shaker with crushed ice, close, and shake until shaker is frosted and mixture is foamy, about 20 seconds.

Strain into a martini glass, top with a dollop of Coffee Whipped Cream, and serve.

Coffee Whipped Cream:

• 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur (recommended: Kahlua)

Directions:

Place very clean glass or metal bowl and metal whisk in freezer just until cold, about 5 minutes.

When everything is cold, place cream in bowl and begin to whisk until it froths up and starts to thicken, about 1 minute. Whisk vigorously until soft peaks form (the cream will hold a point when the whisk is lifted but will fall back into the bowl almost immediately), about 1 minute.

Add the liqueur and whisk until stiff peaks just form (the cream stays put on the whisk when it is lifted from the bowl), about 1 minute. Store covered in refrigerator until ready to use.



Word Cloud Photo by Denny Lyon - from playing over at Wordle.net! :)

From Denny: With the extremely hot temperatures of early summer heat you can expect anything! Instead of a poem, out popped this zany romp of a short story this week that started as a self-imposed writing exercise. I thought you might enjoy trying this idea for yourself to get the writing juices going. Maybe you just want an emotional and mental vacation from the heat or stress of everyday life. That'll work too! :)

Wrote this recently as a raucous fast-paced ridiculous short story. It's really a bit long to post here and when that happens I park those writes over at HubPages. Take a look and you will be amused!

Writing Exercise

Many times I will assign myself some kind of writing exercise to loosen up my mind to push it out of the usual day-to-day analytical mode of just plain dealing with life, you know, solving problems. You might need a break from everything you do, well, this is a great way to take a vacation without spending any money or leaving the house - how convenient! :)

Seriously though, writing like this is such a good idea to stretch your imagination, give you more ideas of what else you could write and most of all, no pressure of deadlines or expectations from yourself or others.

The idea is to forget most of what every writing teacher ever taught you. Sit down to the keyboard and start writing, literally, whatever silly thing comes to mind, the more ridiculous the better. Don't plan a thing; don't outline a plot, a theme, characters, nothing. It's strictly funny brain drivel!

The second idea to keep in mind as far as technique is to use a couple of "don'ts" like run-on sentences and cliches which usually are the kiss of death for a good write. But when it is a zany little romp like the short story here it actually is a fit! What I found is that the run-on sentences help increase the intensity of the action and create this fast pace that leaves you dizzy.

Try your hand at this kind of writing exercise, have some fun, and then laugh your socks off at what comes out! The only rule? It has to be utterly and completely ridiculous!

Here's an excerpt from my world of the ridiculous:

"Jack jumped over the electric blue fox - who was hunting down the orange cat - who was preying upon the stupid cockroach that was having an identity crisis - and believed he was a popular dragonfly down at the local Irish pub - because he sang Irish songs everyone loved and wrote some damn good poetry.

The orange cat circled back to chase the identity crisis cockroach - who just knew he was really Irish in a former life - while the blue fox preened and bathed in the fast-paced lights of the nightclub – this fox enthusiastically embraced blue as the new fashion neutral - it was Jack who was looking for the weird alien orange cat that kept eluding him - who was stalking the brave Irish-singing cockroach determined to make it to Broadway.

The powerful-singing cockroach drowned out the elegant Irish pub-singing dragonfly - and soon the people customers complained about the strange odd noises blaring from the rising platform – it was two ants standing on a leaf singing opera - and more ants joined them from the audience singing 49 Bottles of Guinness Beer on the Wall and Get Down Tonight! – and soon the nightclub was jumping and bumping - and the people were dancing and squishing and splatting the friendly ants - who got the place hopping on a Saturday night in the first place."

For the rest of the story just click on the story title link, go here! Thanks for visiting!

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05 June 2009

Libations Friday! 5 June 2009



Frozen expresso yogurt and ginger candied coffee cake recipes - and an original poem thrown in for good measure to start your weekend!

From Denny: Welcome to Libations Friday! This expresso frozen yogurt recipe looked so easy and cooling in the early summer heat. After you read the poem you will laugh a second time as to my choosing this frozen recipe. Some people get “after taste” when they dine; you will get “after chuckle” when you read! :)

Both recipes are quick and easy, perfect for the weekend! The coffee cake answered my question of what to do with all that crystallized candied ginger I buy from time to time during the holiday season – and then wonder what’s next…

Low-fat Expresso Coffee Frozen Yogurt

“Only lightly sweetened, this yogurt is good as is, but perhaps is better with a dash of chocolate syrup over the top. - John Kessler”

From: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Hands on time: 5 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1/2 cup strong espresso, cooled

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 quart plain yogurt


Instructions:

In a bowl, combine espresso, sugar and yogurt until smooth. Churn in ice cream maker until thick like soft-serve ice cream, about 20 minutes depending on the machine.

Nutrition:

Per serving:
124 calories (percent of calories from fat, 28), 4 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 4 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 16 milligrams cholesterol, 57 milligrams sodium.



Pear Ginger Coffee Cake

From: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Perfect for: Breakfasts, brunches, coffees, meetings, office gatherings.

Make and take: Bake ahead of time, cover pan with foil and serve at room temperature.

Made famous by Maralyn Christoffersen of Atlanta, who got it from the Penzeys’ Spices catalog. "I served it at my book club and everybody wanted the recipe," she said.

Candied ginger adds just a touch of zing to this tender cake.”

Hands on time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Serves: 15


Ingredients:

Granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups diced (1/4 to 1/2 inch) and peeled pears

1/4 cup cinnamon sugar (or 1/4 cup granulated sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon)

2 to 4 tablespoons crystallized (candied) ginger, finely chopped

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or spray with cooking spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and dust with granulated sugar, if desired. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, salt and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.

Sift together the flour and baking soda. Alternately add the flour mixture in two parts with the buttermilk, beating a minute or two after each addition.

Fold in the pears. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon sugar and the ginger and sprinkle on top.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Cool at least 20 minutes before serving; serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes:
Total time includes 20 minutes of cooling time before serving.

Tip: Although pear goes especially well with candied ginger, you can also substitute apples or berries for the pears. For best flavor, says Christoffersen, use real butter and whole buttermilk.

Nutrition:

Per serving:
209 calories (percent of calories from fat, 29), 3 grams protein, 35 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 7 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 30 milligrams cholesterol, 184 milligrams sodium.

Now on to the poetry portion of Libations Friday!


Bitter Romance in the Garden

A parable about relationships and humor found after a bitter romance.



Moody twilight rolled down the hilly sky

Lush garden welcomed me softly.

The lover looked on in secret;

Seductively, he whispered on the wind.



He escaped my notice;

Perfumed rose breezes distracted.

Pleasant, ending of the day.



Not seen, he brushed lightly my wrist, more;

I turned to see whose touch, no one.

The twilight lay down to sleep deep night.

I retired to my curving bed, wondering,

Who was that secret lover, unseen?



Next day at first light, I awakened.

At once, I knew that bitter lover, his name:

Poison Ivy.

You, cad, you.



Two weeks later, remembering,

Wearing, enduring your caustic kiss.

Decadent baths three times daily,

Soak away your incendiary romance,

Cooling the passion of your

Whispered, burning kiss.



No summer’s friend,

Liar in the garden,

False promising, secret lover,

Nature’s sneaky misfit,

Poison Ivy,

You, cad, you.



Beware that bitter garden romance…



Denny Lyon
Copyright 4 June 2009
All Rights Reserved



Thanks for visiting, everyone! Have a great weekend; keep laughing!

Coffee Photo by once and future @ flickr
Garden Photo by Athena's Pix @ flickr



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