*Sis Bits

Could it be any simpler....

2011-08-20T19:27:00.004-04:00

Betty Crocker does it again!

2011-08-18T22:33:00.004-04:00

1 1/2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chocolate fudge topping

1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

2 cups malted milk ball candies, coarsely chopped

1 cup whipping (heavy) cream

1/4 cup chocolate fudge topping

Additional malted milk ball candies, if desired

1 Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottom and side of springform pan, 9x3 or 10x2 3/4 inches, with shortening; lightly flour. In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Stir vigorously about 1 minute or until well blended. Immediately pour into pan.
2 Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
3 Spread 1 cup fudge topping over cake; freeze about 1 hour or until topping is firm. In large bowl, mix ice cream and coarsely chopped candies; spread over cake. Freeze about 4 hours or until ice cream is firm.
4 In chilled medium bowl, beat whipping cream with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form.
5 Remove side of pan; place cake on serving plate. Top with whipped cream. Melt 1/4 cup fudge topping; drizzle over whipped cream. Garnish with additional candies.

Reba's Poem

2011-08-10T14:55:00.002-04:00

2011-07-25T01:43:00.000-04:00

Quote:
"May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."

Om Freely: 30 Ways to Live OUT LOUD

2011-03-11T00:25:00.005-05:00

“If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I will tell you, I came to Live Out LOUD.” Emile Zola

1. Live your life on purpose. Not on “DEFAULT ”. Be Proactive. Make conscious and deliberate choices. When you don’t choose, circumstances choose for you and you are never leading: you are following or catching up, or worse, living in “default” mode. Instead, make a decision to be the leader in your own life and take front and center. Lead.

2. Utilize your full potential. Give what you’re doing your best and fullest attention. Be here now. Even if you’re not where you want to be, giving it half your effort doesn’t move you forward. Master what you have at hand, for the sake of mastering it, and something will shift. Give it what you’ve got.

3. Overcome your fear. Get out of your comfort zone. Find out you have a pulse. Let something give you butterflies in your stomach. This is how you know you’re alive - how you grow into something new. Every fear overcome is a freedom gained. The less afraid you are, the more room you have to play. Consider that you live in a huge mansion with 35 rooms but you only live in 3 of the rooms because the rest of the house is dark. Go in and open all the lights. Unveil the darkness and you have a bigger house to play in. Don’t know how to overcome fear? Do the thing you’re afraid of. Cross them off the list. Make it a game. Pretty soon, you will be invincible. Living a life out loud, is living a life of freedom. Living a life of freedom is good.

4. Discover a new talent. One of my favorite quotes by Martha Grimes is, “We don’t know who we are until we see what we can do”. But we don’t find this out until we try something new. You don’t know what jewels you have inside of you until you tap into them. You might just find out you are a multi-talented, multi-faceted individual. Don’t know what to try? Here are some suggestions; learn a new instrument, take an art class, play with a digital camera, sign up for a salsa class, take up cooking, plant a garden, join toastmasters, pick up a needle and thread, try mountain climbing, go scuba diving, camping or kayaking. The list is endless. And they don’t all cost money. Create an online social network. Find something that interests you and explore it. You never know what will come out of it and isn’t that the whole purpose of being here? To discover who you are?

5. Honor your word. When you strip everything else away, your word is all you’ve got. Do what you say you’re going to do. By honoring your word, you honor yourself. And it doesn’t feel good when you don’t. So, make it a habit. Value your integrity and keep your promises. It’s a good life practice. It’s a good business practice.

6. Create a new habit or break an old one. This goes in line with #1 – Leading. Who has dominion over your life - you or your habits? Make it a game. How many things can you get under your control? How many bad habits can you convert. Jack Canfield in his book, Success Principles: How to Get from Where you Are to Where You Want to Be includes a chapter entitled: Develop Four New Success Habits a Year. There is a great sense of empowerment when you feel you are in charge of your life. This helps you get there.

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©www.omfreely.com

Make this easy recipe for your Valentine!

2011-02-11T01:16:00.001-05:00

1 box fudge brownie mix

Water, oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box (for cakelike brownies)
1 container chocolate frosting
Chocolate curls, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil so foil extends about 2 inches over sides of pan. Spray foil with cooking spray.

2. Make brownies as directed on box for cakelike brownies in a 13x9-inch pan. Cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from pan by lifting foil; peel foil away. Trim sides if desired. Cut brownie crosswise into thirds; place one piece on serving plate.

3. Spoon frosting into microwavable bowl. Microwave uncovered on High 15 to 20 seconds; stir frosting until smooth.

4. Pour 1/3 of the frosting over brownie piece on serving plate. Place another brownie piece on top; pour half of remaining frosting over second brownie piece. Top with remaining brownie piece; pour remaining frosting over top.

Refrigerate 30 minutes to set. Garnish with chocolate curls. Store loosely covered.

My Symphony

2010-12-28T22:24:00.002-05:00

Oprah Winfrey, my idol!

2010-11-29T00:35:00.003-05:00

Since the day the late Gene Siskel asked me, "What do you know for sure?" and I got all flustered and started stuttering and couldn't come up with an answer, I've never stopped asking myself that question. And every month I must find yet another answer. Some months I feel I hardly know a thing, and I'm always pressed to make the deadline for this column. This time around, in honor of our tribute to the subject, I looked back and came up with my all-time top 20:

1. What you put out comes back all the time, no matter what. (This is my creed.)

2. You define your own life. Don't let other people write your script.

3. Whatever someone did to you in the past has no power over the present. Only you give it power.

4. When people show you who they are, believe them the first time. (A lesson from Maya Angelou.)

5. Worrying is wasted time. Use the same energy for doing something about whatever worries you.

6. What you believe has more power than what you dream or wish or hope for. You become what you believe.

7. If the only prayer you ever say is thank you, that will be enough. (From the German theologian and humanist Meister Eckhart.)

8. The happiness you feel is in direct proportion to the love you give.

9. Failure is a signpost to turn you in another direction.

10. If you make a choice that goes against what everyone else thinks, the world will not fall apart.

11. Trust your instincts. Intuition doesn't lie.

12. Love yourself and then learn to extend that love to others in every encounter.

13. Let passion drive your profession.

14. Find a way to get paid for doing what you love. Then every paycheck will be a bonus.

15. Love doesn't hurt. It feels really good.

16. Every day brings a chance to start over.

17. Being a mother is the hardest job on earth. Women everywhere must declare it so.

18. Doubt means don't. Don't move. Don't answer. Don't rush forward.

19. When you don't know what to do, get still. The answer will come.

20. "Trouble don't last always." (A line from a Negro spiritual, which calls to mind another favorite: This, too, shall pass.)

Enjoy!

2010-11-07T01:49:00.002-04:00

2010-11-06T22:36:00.003-04:00

SLOW DANCE

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?

You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,'Hi'

You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry
through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

Why I stay in Utica

2010-11-06T00:15:00.000-04:00

Why I stay in Utica

America, The Beautiful : Ray Charles '91

2010-11-05T23:44:00.001-04:00

2010-09-17T20:47:00.005-04:00

Turning a garage sale dresser

into a cute one-of-a-kind piece of furniture!

My sister and I painted this cute little dresser for our sister-in-laws first grandaughter. We started with a quart of plain old white satin wall paint from Lowe's, and we put two coats of paint on the whole dresser. Then we went to Michaels craft store and bought the FolkArt acrylic paints. We bought light and dark pink, blue, green, yellow, white, and a couple of brushes. No rules, we just painted what we thought would look cute! I wish I had taken a picture of the top, because after we were done, we took the babys hands and dipped them in the pink paint and put her tiny handprints in the middle! Cute quick "recycle" project!

September 11th...911

2010-09-10T23:41:00.004-04:00

September 11th is a day that no one will forget.
I was driving my son, in a packed-up U-Haul truck, from New York to Florida on that morning. We were about 50 miles outside of Washington DC. We had just filled the tank with gas, and he dozed back to sleep in the seat next to me. I was listening to some tunes on the radio. I remember feeling an empty sense of stillness wash over me, just moments before I heard the news, and the voices of shock and terror come over the radio. I can still vividly remember my overwhelming feelings of fear and helplessness. I am forever saddened for the lives that were lost that day, and for the grieving loved ones that they left behind. I pray that God will bring them peace.

I hope you will take some time today to remember those who were lost, those who kept our country and our faith strong, and those who continue to serve our country, and our communities, today. And I hope you never forget just how precious it is to be an "AMERICAN". ♥

The Paradoxical Commandments

2010-09-05T19:43:00.003-04:00

by Dr. Kent M. Keith

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

2010-07-02T23:32:00.002-04:00

2 boneless chicken breasts (cut in small cubed like pieces)

2 [8 ounce] packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup Blue Cheese dressing

3/4 cup red hot sauce (i like Franks Red Hot)

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (any kind)

Fry chicken cubes till slightly browned, and add red hot sauce to fry pan until heated through, and slightly thicker.
Mix cream cheese and blue cheese dressing together and spread in the bottom of an 8x8 baking pan.
Pour the chicken mixture on top and spread evenly.
Sprinkle of the shredded cheese over top, cover, and bake (or microwave) on low setting until hot and bubbly.

MMMMMMMM...serve with crackers or tortilla chips, and celery!

Vintage Happy Birthday

2010-05-24T01:38:00.001-04:00

Public domain, vintage Birthday Greeting.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T21:25:00.009-04:00

This is my mom. Dating back to the '1930's. This photo was hand-colored, taken before color photography existed. Hand colored photos were beautiful and resembled real paintings. It was quite an art, and a time consuming process. My mothers father was an artist/painter, and her uncle was a photographer, so we are lucky to have some beautiful pieces from this time period. (that is my mom and me in the profile photo to the left also---vintage '50's)

My mom, my mentor, my guide, my hero, my friend.

mom and me

Sixty some years later we have digital art! This was an instant photo taken at a booth in the mall. The photo itself is made up of thousands of tiny grayish brown dots. Cool technology, of course we are really much prettier than this!!!

My mom is a beautiful person-inside and out! She is my mentor, my guide, my hero, my friend.

Imaginary Contest or Reality Game?

2010-05-06T22:40:00.006-04:00

A good friend of mine just emailed this to me...really makes you think!

Imagine that you had won the following prize in a contest:
Each morning your bank would deposit $ 86,400.00 in your private account for your use.
However, this prize had rules, just as any game has certain rules.
The first set of rules would be:

1. Everything that you didn't spend during each day would be taken away from you.
2. You may not simply transfer money into some other account.
3. You may only spend it.

Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account
with another $ 86,400.00 for that day.

The second set of rules:
1. The bank can end the game without warning; at any time it can say, Its over, the game is over!
2. It can close the account and you will not receive a new one.

What would you personally do?
You would buy anything and everything you wanted, right?
Not only for yourself, but for all people you love, right?
Even for people you don't know, because you couldn't possibly spend it all on yourself, right?
You would try to spend every cent, and use it all, right?
ACTUALLY, THIS GAME IS REALITY!!
Each of us is in possession of such a magical bank.
We just can't seem to see it.
THE MAGICAL BANK IS TIME!

Each awakening morning we receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life,
And when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is NOT credited to us.
What we haven't lived up that day is forever lost.
Yesterday is forever gone.
Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time.
WITHOUT WARNING.
WELL, what will you do with your 86,400 seconds?
Aren't they worth so much more than the same amount in dollars?
Think about that, and always think of this:
Enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much quicker than you think.
So take care of yourself, and enjoy life!
Here's wishing you a wonderfully beautiful day!!!

Be who you are!

2010-05-05T01:16:00.004-04:00

Fudge Pots de Creme

2010-04-25T00:25:00.006-04:00

Easy Fudge Pots de Creme
(easy, rich, and totally impressive, thick chocolatey dessert)

Ingredients:
1 package (4-serving size) chocolate cook & serve pudding and pie filling mix*
2 cups half-and-half or whole milk
1 cup HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Sweetened whipped cream
HERSHEY'S Cocoa

Directions
1. Stir together pudding mix and half-and-half in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil. Remove from heat.
2. Add chocolate chips; stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth.
3. Spoon into small dessert dishes. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled. Garnish with whipped cream; sift cocoa over top, if desired.
*Do not use instant pudding mix.
Makes 4 servings.

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T23:05:00.002-04:00

For those who sell/package/ship their products using recycled packaging, I thought I would make a simple printable package insert to share with you. Please feel free to right click, copy and save to insert with your orders. Happy Earth Day! Recycle and Reuse!

2010-04-11T23:13:00.003-04:00

Doves signify peace and love and tranquility.
Bringing flowers... a gift of life and love.
You can use this image to make your own graphics like this:

Easy Easter Dessert

2010-04-03T23:11:00.005-04:00

It doesn't get any easier than this!

Yellow cake mix for cupcakes, white frosting, and topped with peeps!

... a perfect Easter centerpiece!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

2010-03-30T00:37:00.006-04:00

Kids can bake!

An upside down cake? Well that wasn't too hard for the kids to accomplish! Actually it was alot of fun building something upside down.

Download recipe

1 box yellow cake mix

3 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 1/3 cups water
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 (20 ounce) can sliced pineapple
1 (8 ounce) jar maraschino cherries
halved walnuts or pecans

Follow instructions on cake box for making cake. Cut up butter in small pieces and place slices all over the bottom of the 9x13 pan. Sprinkle brown sugar generously over the butter. Place pan in the oven and heat slowly until butter and sugar melt to a syrup, then remove from heat.
Evenly space the pineapple slices around the bottom of the pan in the syrupy mixture.
Place the cherries and nuts between the pineapple slices and pour cake batter on top of the mixture.

Place in oven and bake as directed on cake box.

As soon as the cake is done place a plate over the cake and turn upside down and carefully remove pan.
If you wait too long the sugar will harden and be difficult to remove.

Pineapple right side up Cake!

Free Vintage Public Domain Graphics for your web use

2010-03-28T00:03:00.013-04:00

I have some old (public domain) images that I will continue to post on my blog. The quality isnt "great" because they are old, but I have repaired the major damage. They are awesome, and they are free to use.

If you would like to use them online, contact me, or leave me a comment and I will be so happy to share them with you.

I LOVE old art!

Happy Easter.

Download Vintage Graphics

Happy Spring!

2010-03-24T00:53:00.007-04:00

The Bluebird's Song

by Emily Huntington Miller

Little blossoms down under the snow,

You must be weary of winter I know.

Listen, I'll sing you a message of cheer!

Summer is coming! and springtime is here!

Stuffed Perogi's Bake Class

2010-03-22T00:26:00.011-04:00

Kids can Cook!

3 kids, a bag of flour, a few eggs, some butter, a recipe, and alot of fun...

Mashed potatoes, garlic and cheese for stuffing....mmmmmm

Fried to perfection...Delish!

I would love to hear comments! Has anyone else made these?

10 simple rules to live by

2010-03-12T23:22:00.005-05:00

So....in reading the Happiness Project Book, she said that we need "rules" to live by, commandments, basic truths to help govern our life. And she also said that we should all come up with our own rules and put them in writing. What a great concept!

Don't we all have our own rules anyway? Sure, but putting them down in writing is not easy. I came up with tons of rules! I could write a book with my rules, but it was really hard to weed them out and pare down to the top 10 that are the most important to my life and well-being.

#1 rule for me has to be "keep it simple".

I have chosen my top 10, made the graphic, framed it and it is now sitting in my office. Next time that I have to make a decision, I am going to look at my rules first...

Please leave me a comment, I would love to hear your rules! If I get a wide variety of responses, I may even publish a book, and I would love to include your rules!

Sisterly love...

2010-03-02T02:54:00.004-05:00

It is truly amazing ~the bond that my sister and I share.
We do everything together, even when we are apart. We dress the same, wear the same color on the same day, think the same, say the same thing at the same time, do the same things on the same day, read the same books, watch the same TV shows, eat the same foods....without either one of us being consciously aware of what the other is doing. We even chose the same career, TWICE! We have never had a fight.

She is an amazing woman, a wonderful mother, a thoughtful and caring friend, a beautiful person. She is the best thing my parents ever gave me,...she is my sister.

Today was my sons birthday, and she brought me a rose.

Thank you, sister...

Banana Split Cupcakes

2010-03-01T13:42:00.004-05:00

download recipe
Oh these were yummy!
Every other week, I have "bake class" for the kids.
My sister and I started doing this, as a fun way to get the girls interested in learning how to cook and bake. KIDS can cook! All they really need to do is learn to follow directions, and work as a team.

They take turns selecting a recipe that they want to try. It has been so much fun just spending this quality time together, but watching their passion develop ~has really been priceless.

We started in 2005. I just came across this picture taken in our first year of "bake class".

After 5 years, they are really making some fabulous foods!
Time slips by, kids grow, but I know that these memories will be with them for a lifetime...

...and these tasted even better than they looked.

Banana Split Cupcakes Recipe

Ingredients

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix, divided
1 cup water
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
3 eggs
1 cup chopped drained maraschino cherries
1-1/2 cups miniature semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1-1/2 cups prepared vanilla frosting
1 cup marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon shortening
30 whole maraschino cherries, drained and patted dry

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 30 standard (2-1/2-inch) muffin pan cups with paper baking cups.

Reserve 2 tablespoons cake mix. Combine remaining cake mix, water, bananas and eggs in large bowl. Beat with electric mixer at low speed about 30 seconds or until moistened. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Combine chopped cherries and reserved cake mix in small bowl. Stir chopped cherry mixture and 1 cup chocolate chips into batter.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes to racks; cool completely.

Combine frosting and marshmallow creme in medium bowl until well blended. Frost cupcakes.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips and shortening in small microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 30 to 45 seconds, stirring after 30 seconds, or until smooth. Drizzle chocolate mixture over cupcakes. Place cherry on each cupcake.
(If you notice we didnt get to drizzle the chocolate, because the microwave caught on fire during this step).

Passion and Purpose

2010-02-27T13:43:00.002-05:00

I just finished reading "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Ruben. I was so motivated by her writings and her simple encouragement, that I decided to start my own "happiness project" and blog.

I had good intentions of doing this 5 years ago, but I kept "putting it off" because I am so busy, and when I found the "first bake class" photo this past weekend I started wondering WHERE those past 5 years went, and how they slipped away so fast...so it's time that I started recording these events as they unfold.

We all have a story, a reason, and a purpose for being in this world. For those of us that are strong, we find a mission and we follow our passions wherever they may take us...and if we are lucky enough we will find others along the way, that also share our dreams and passions. © 2005 Inkprince