Is your cat plotting to kill you?

I don't think so my kitty is just tooooo sweet!

Super Bowl XLIV

Is anyone doing anything special for the Super Bowl?

We are going to a party. I really wish it didn't start so late. I do have to work on Monday. Since it is on a Sunday night I will not be doing any drinking but I will be enjoying some very yummy food. I do have some football squares and that always adds some fun to the end of each quarter.

Here is the big question, who do you think will win?

I'm going to go with the Saints.

Have fun everyone :)

Sausage-Cheese Dip

You may of noticed I have a thing for dips. I just love how easy they are to eat and they are very yummy. As always I found this great looking dip over at Better Homes and Gardens.

Ingredients
1 pound bulk pork sausage
1 14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion
2 pounds process cheese product with jalapeno peppers, cubed
Toasted baguette slices or toasted pita wedges

Directions
1. In a large skillet cook sausage over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink. Drain well. Transfer sausage to a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker. Stir in undrained tomatoes and cubed cheese.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 2 to 3 hours, stirring after 1 hour to mix in the cheese. Serve immediately or keep warm, covered, on low-heat setting for up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve with baguette slices or pita wedges. Makes 24 (1/4-cup) servings.

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 24 (1/4-cup) servings Calories 190, Total Fat (g) 15, Saturated Fat (g) 9, Monounsaturated Fat (g) 3, Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 37, Sodium (mg) 671, Carbohydrate (g) 4, Total Sugar (g) 3, Protein (g) 9, Vitamin C (DV%) 2, Calcium (DV%) 21, Iron (DV%) 2, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Caponata for Super Bowl

This also looks really good to make for a Super Bowl party. This reciepy came from Better Homes and Gardens.


Ingredients
1 medium red sweet pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/2 of a 28-ounce can Italian-style whole peeled tomatoes in puree, drained
1/2 cup chopped pitted green olives
1/4 cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash cayenne pepper
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted*
Toasted Italian Bread
Directions
1. In a large saucepan, cook sweet pepper in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes or until tender. Remove pepper from pan using a slotted spoon; set aside. Add onion and celery to pan. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until just tender.

2. Add tomatoes, olives, raisins, vinegar, capers, sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper to onion and celery in pan. Cook, uncovered, over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in sweet pepper.

3. Meanwhile, in a very large skillet, cook eggplant, half at a time, in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat about 5 minutes or until tender and browned. Transfer eggplant to paper towels to drain. Stir the eggplant into the tomato mixture. Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes more.

4. Cool caponata to room temperature. Or if time permits, cover and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to blend. Bring to room temperature before serving. Just before serving, stir in pine nuts. Serve Caponata over Toasted Italian Bread. Makes 4 cups or 16 (1/4-cup) servings.

*Note: To toast pine nuts, spread nuts in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 4 to 6 minutes or until light golden brown, watching carefully and stirring once or twice so the nuts don't burn.

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4 cups or 16 (1/4-cup) servings Calories 173, Total Fat (g) 9, Saturated Fat (g) 1, Monounsaturated Fat (g) 5, Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 2, Sodium (mg) 361, Carbohydrate (g) 20, Total Sugar (g) 3, Fiber (g) 2, Protein (g) 4, Vitamin A (DV%) 6, Vitamin C (DV%) 24, Calcium (DV%) 4, Iron (DV%) 11, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Home Buyer Tax Credit

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Coldwell Banker. All opinions are 100% mine.

Did you buy a new home last year or are you looking for a new home right now and think you have missed out on the first-time home buyers credit? Well you are in luck you have not missed out on anything. Our fine president has extended the date to April 3,2010 with closings no later then June 30,2010.

If you haven't even heard about this credit here is what it is all about.

* For first-time home buyers, or those who have not owned in the last three years, can receive up to an $8,000 tax credit.

* Homeowners who have lived in a current home consecutively for 5 of the past 8 years can receive up to a $6,500 tax credit when purchasing a home.

* There may be no future extensions, so all qualified home buyers are urged to act and have a written, binding contract by April 30, 2010 (close by June 30, 2010.)

* Income limits are now $125,000 for singles, $225,000 for married couples with a $20,000 phase-out of the credit for both.

* The first-time tax credit was working, but what housing and our national economy needed was incentive for the move-up buyer. According to The 2009 National Association of Realtors® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, the number of first-time home buyers rose to 47 percent of all home sales from 41 percent of transactions in last year!s study, and was the highest on record dating back to 1981. The previous high was 44 percent in 1991.


This is a wonderful incentive to purchase a home. Don't miss out on the 2010 Homebuyer Tax Credits
if you are thinking about buying a home for the first time or if you have sold your home and purchasing a new one. Check with a Coldwell Banker Real Estate professional to help you find the right home for you and your family.

Asiago Cheese Dip

I'm going to a Super Bowl party at my brother-in-laws so I thought I would look for a new recipe. I love anything with Asiago Cheese so I thought this dip could be a real winner. Of course I found it over at Better Homes and Gardens.

Ingredients
1 cup chicken broth or water
4 ounces dried tomatoes (not oil-packed)
2 16-ounce cartons dairy sour cream
1 1/2 cups finely shredded Asiago cheese (6 ounces)
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
1/2 of an 8-ounce package cream cheese, cut up
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms or 1 ounce rehydrated dried mushrooms (such as porcini, shiitake, chanterelle, and/or oyster)*
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
Thinly sliced green onions
Baguette-style French bread slices, topped with finely shredded Asiago cheese and toasted

Directions
In a small saucepan, bring broth to boiling. Remove from heat. Add dried tomatoes; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain, discarding liquid. Chop tomatoes (you should have about 1 1/4 cups).

Meanwhile, in a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, combine sour cream, the 1 1/2 cups Asiago cheese, the mayonnaise, cream cheese, mushrooms, and the 1 cup green onions. Stir in chopped tomatoes.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 3 to 4 hours or on high-heat setting for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Stir well before serving. If desired, keep warm in the slow cooker on low-heat setting for up to 2 hours. Sprinkle dip with additional green onions and serve with toasted cheese-topped baguette slices.

What Jones Soda would you make?

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Jones Soda. All opinions are 100% mine.

I'm sure everyone has heard of Jones Soda. I know it is a favorite of my boys. They love Cotton Candy and Green Apple just for two.

This year I have one of my boys graduating. I just starting to plan for his graduation party. I was looking for a fun idea for something special for this party. I came across myJones custom soda. I thought this would be perfect for Son #2 graduation party.

You get to pick a picture for the label of your Jones Soda. I was thinking of one of his football pictures. Maybe this one.


Next I would get to pick the Jones Soda I would like in my bottle. I was thinking something green. Gold and green are his high school colors. Since green apple is one of his favorites I think I will fill our Jones Soda with green apple.

Now let's think of a name for this special soda. Let me think......... The schools mascot it a Highlander, so maybe a HOWELL HIGHLANDER. My son's number was 9 so maybe name it NINE. Son #2 was really good a leaping over the other team and we called it the LINDBERG LEAP would that be a good name? I'm not sure maybe I could use all of these great names.

I can see our soda now. It will have Son #2's photo on the label with one of names I picked out with Green Apple soda inside.

If you were to come to his graduation would you drink our special Jones Soda? I think everyone would enjoy it and be surprised.

Do you have a special event coming up? Why not make your own Jones Soda for it? This would be great for weddings, baby showers and birthday parties.

Just one of those days!

Yesterday I was just having one of those days.

As you can see I broke my thumb nail really low and it's going to really hurt if it comes off. I hope it will grow out first.

Then on my way home from work I noticed I had lost a diamond in a ring I wear all the time. It's the one on my little finger. I looked in the car, in my coat, in my purse and I have had everyone here at work keeping their eyes open for it. I hope I end up finding it.

On a good note I did sleep all night. I haven't been sleeping very good at all. I go to sleep really good only to wake up a couple of hours later and stay awake for hours. Then I fall back to sleep only for the alarm to go off. Today I feel really good and I think it's because I had a really good nights sleep. Sleep sure does the body good.

Culture Crisis not a Health Care Crisis

I don't know if this was truly sent to the White House but it sure makes since to me. I don't believe that the government can keep taking care of everyone. We have to take care of our self and each other.

Below is a letter a young physician by the name of Dr. Starner Jones wrote. His short two-paragraph letter to the White House accurately puts the blame on a "Culture Crisis" instead of a "Health Care Crisis". It's worth a quick read:


Dear Mr.. President:
During my shift in the Emergency Room last night, I had the pleasure of evaluating a patient whose smile revealed an expensive shiny gold tooth, whose body was adorned with a wide assortment of elaborate and costly tattoos, who wore a very expensive brand of tennis shoes and who chatted on a new cellular telephone equipped with a popular R&B ring tone.
While glancing over her patient chart, I happened to notice that her payer status was listed as "Medicaid"! During my examination of her, the patient informed me that she smokes more than one costly pack of cigarettes every day and somehow still has money to buy pretzels and beer.
And, you and our Congress expect me to pay for this woman's health care? I contend that our nation's "health care crisis" is not the result of a shortage of quality hospitals, doctors or nurses. Rather, it is the result of a "crisis of culture", a culture in which it is perfectly acceptable to spend money on luxuries and vices while refusing to take care of one's self or, heaven forbid, purchase health insurance. It is a culture based in the irresponsible credo that "I can do whatever I want to because someone else will always take care of me".
Once you fix this "culture crisis" that rewards irresponsibility and dependency, you'll be amazed at how quickly our nation's health care difficulties will disappear.
Respectfully,
STARNER JONES, MD

Italian Culinary Weekend Get Away in Branson, MO

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

It is the middle of winter and a get away sounds so good right about now. I would love to do something a little different instead of going to the beach. One of my favorite weekend vacation I took was to Branson, MO. I had a friend that lived in Springfield, MO and we meet up in Branson. We had a blast, there is so much to do there. Plus this was years ago since then I have heard that Branson has done nothing but grow and improve since my visit. Like I said I meet up with my friend down there. So that mean my hubby has never been there. I would love to go to Branson, MO with him and have a special little get away vacation.

My husband has turned into a very good cook. He really loves cooking unlike me and he is good at it. He is aways trying something new and I just love being the Guinea pig.

You are asking why is she writing about these two things? It will all make sense in just a line or two. I found that at the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel they have a Italian Culinary Weekend. My mouth is watering and I'm thinking YUM! The Italian Culinary Weekend will be held Friday, February 26th to 27th. The weekend starts with a evening reception featuring antipasto and hors d'oeuvres paired with great Italian wines. Sounds very very good to me. Then on Saturday we would experience a hands-on cooking demonstration highlighting some of the items from Friday's evening reception in addition to some of the menu items featured in the 5-course meal that will be served to us Saturday evening. My hubby would just love this!!!!

Here is the cost it is based on double occupancy and starts at $429.00 (excluding tax and gratuity). The room includes a king or double queen beds for Friday and Saturday night, Fridays evening reception, Saturday cooking school, Saturday evening 5-course dinner, and a goodie bag filled with items for the home chef. Sure sounds like a great deal to me. I was reading that reservations are a must and they need to be made before February 23, 2010.

If I have any free time I would love to catch a show. I love country music and would love to see one of my favorite artist.

Funeral Update

Well we went to the funeral on Friday. It was very very sad. My Sister-in-law (my husbands brothers wife) was very close to her mother. They talked on the phone every night, plus spent a lot of time together. Sharon was a very nice person and was always smiling and laughing. I guess she had a mini stroke and her son who lived with her call 911 and she went to the hospital. That night she had another one and died within seconds. A death like this is very hard on the living. Both my parents were sick for years before they passed. It was still hard on me but I knew they were off to a much better place without pain. Sharon didn't suffer and was doing what she wanted right up to the end. We will all miss her very much but will see her again someday.

Another Funeral

I received a call Monday that my sister-in-laws mother died. It was a surprise. We saw her a couple of times last year and she looked great. Like I said it was a surprise to everyone. Tomorrow I took the day off from work to go to her funeral. Since my parents died I find it very important to make time to go and support friends and family at these times. I was very luck to have many loved ones there for me at a very sad time of my life.

Maybe this is a sign that I'm getting older with all these funerals. Pretty soon the only thing I'll have to talk about is my doctors appointment and who died. Oh NO!