Over the last 50 years, Price Stern Sloan has published hundreds and hundreds of Mad Libs stories. Now you can fill out over 125 of the funniest ones in 50 Years of Mad Libs, a deluxe oversize edition.
The book also includes a history of the game as told by the creator Leonard Stern (complete with pictures) and stories filled out by celebrities.
It’s the super-silly way to say _________ [adjective] 50th Anniversary, Mad Libs!
Smart-Opedia is the amazing book about everything - from animals to astronomy to technology. Kind of like a condensed encyclopedia. Perfect for the young know-it-all in your house.
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (4-oz.) container crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
Apple and pear slices
Grapes
Beat first 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until well combined. Cover tightly, and chill at least 1 hour or until firm (can chill up to 3 days).
Roll cheese mixture into 3/4-inch-round balls. Roll each ball in bacon. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until ready to serve. If chilled, let stand 30 minutes before serving. Serve with apple and pear slices and grapes.
Makes 6 appetizer servings
[ via Southern Living, April 2008 ]
To awaken each morning with a smile brightening my face, to greet the day with reverence, for the opportunities it contains; to approach my work with a clean mind; to hold ever before me, even in the doing of little things the Ultimate Purpose toward which I am working; to meet men and women with laughter on my lips and love in my heart; to be gentle, kind and courteous through all the hours; to approach the night with weariness that ever wooes sleep and the joy that comes from work well done - this is how I desire to waste wisely my days.
~ Thomas Dreier
"If the bread is bad, the whole of life is bad."
~ Henry Miller
The Grand Prix de la Baguette de la Ville de Paris in an annual competition amongst Parisian bakers and pastry chefs, created to promote the art of the baguette. More than a hundred bakers compete in the contest. Each contestant submits a traditional French baguette, which, according to contest rules, must measure exactly 70 centimeters long, weigh between 250 and 300 grams, and consist of nothing more than wheat flour, salt, water, and yeast.
This year, the award went to Anis Bouabsa. His secret? He lets the dough ferment for up to 30 hours, as opposed to the conventional three. The extra time amkes for a more flavorful and delicately textured braid, the 28-year-old baker says. His winning loaf will be served on the table of French president Nicolas Sarkozy every day for the next year (until next year's winner takes over).
[ via Carolin Young, Saveur magazine, May 2008 ]
Today is No Socks Day. So give those toes of yours some air. The creators of this day also profess that No Socks Day will reduce your laundry load, and therefore, is healthy for the environment.
Break out the nail polish and give those tootsies the first coat of summer! ;)
Why waste the space? In the end, it will probably be just one more thing to dust, but, damnit, you'll FEEL organized! ;)
14 petite red or yellow oval-shaped potatoes (about 1 1/2 lb.) 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet-hot pickle relish
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground celery seed (optional)
1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)
Garnishes: fresh dill sprigs, coarsely ground pepper
Preheat oven to 350°. Place potatoes in a small bowl, and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. kosher salt; toss to coat. Place on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven, and let cool 15 minutes.
Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out potato pulp into a bowl, leaving shells intact. Discard 4 potato shells. Place remaining shells on baking sheet, and bake 10 more minutes. Let cool 30 minutes or until completely cool.
Add mayonnaise, next 6 ingredients, and, if desired, celery seed, to potato pulp in bowl. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Spoon mixture generously into each potato shell. Cover and chill 2 hours. Sprinkle with paprika just before serving, if desired. Garnish, if desired.
Makes 12 servings
[ via Southern Living, April 2008 ]
The world is a looking-glass, and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face. Frown at it, and it in turn will look sourly upon you; laugh at it and with it, and it is a jolly, kind companion.
~ William Makepeace Thackeray
It's that time of year. The weather turns beautiful - and we all just want to head outside.
ecosalon shows how to go brown and be green at the same time with some tips on how to be on the ready for a brown bag picnic.
Onelite Recipes has some brownies for us to add to the goodie bag. (And A Weight Lifted offers some soy chocolate brownies, if that's more your style. If you want to be really bad, here's some Candy Bar Brownies.)
Cincinnati Locavore has some edamame succotash for you to add to the green brown bag.
MothersClick offers Roasted Butternut Squash Soup.
My Readable Feast offers some fun, easy-to-make sushi for the kids' lunch bags.
Next week's Carnival of the Recipes will be hosted by Meanderings at http://meanderings.typepad.com. Anything goes! Send in your favorite recipe to recipe.carnival@gmail.com by noon CST on Saturday.
Today is National Teacher Day - so a special good morning to all of you teachers out there!
How many times in your life have you heard a story about a life-changing event that started with "Well, there was this teacher..."
I'll never forget my third-grade teacher, Sister Rose. She tried and tried to get me to slow down. "Look before you leap, Shawn. Look before you leap." It never worked, but Sister Rose tried. And I still love her to this day for it.
And Dr. Fitch in community college convinced me I needed to get my doctorate in literature because I had such an aptitude for analysis and storytelling. And I didn't in the end. But her belief that I could led me down some crazy roads that have landed me smack dab in the middle of this place. And that ain't so bad.
Today, make sure and take a moment and think about all the teachers that made a difference in your life - and to say thank you to the ones teaching your loved ones now.
Southern Living has created special "Byways of the South" playlists for all 17 Southern states. Visit www.southernliving.com/bywaysmusic and you can listen to samples from each song through iTunes.
(And I was quite impressed. "Sweet Home Alabama" wasn't on their Alabama playlist.)
You don't have to fly to Paris to see the masterpieces of the Louvre this summer. Just plan a trip to Atlanta's High Museum of Art for "The Louvre of the Ancient World" and "The Eye of Josephine" (closes May 18). The exhibits are a result of the High's Louvre Atlanta Partnership. Many of the works have never been seen in the U.S. before.
Tickets are timed (from $11 to $18) and reservations are suggested. To make a reservation, visit www.high.org or call (403) 733-5000 or (404) 733-4444 .
In Growing Up in Mississippi, 30 men and women write about the influences that made them governors, astronauts, musicians, humanitarians, writers, teachers and athletes - from B.B. King to Jimmy Buffet, from Ellen Douglas to William Winters and Jerry Rice.
"A Mississippi childhood bestows unique gifts upon its own," say the editors of the book, Judy H. Tucker and Charline R. McCord. The foreword is written by Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Richard Ford, a Jackson native and author of nine books.
As a writer, I have only one desire - to fill you with fire, to pour into you the distilled essence of the sun itself. I want every thought, every word, every act of mine, to make you feel that you are receiving into your body, into your mind, into your soul, the sacred spirit that changes clay into men and men into gods.
~ Thomas Dreier
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Click on the comic for the full size. See more great Shoe comics here.
Today is the anniversary of the very first postage stamp.
It was issued in Britain in 1840. It bore the profile of Queen Victoria and was known as the penny black (because it was printed in black and cost a penny). Before the postage stamp, the person receiving the letter had to pay for the delivery. Since the cost was high, a large amount was refused.
Then people began to get wise to the refusal game. They would post codes on the outside of messages that the receiver would understand but then refuse. So this led the British post office to decide the postage had to be paid BEFORE the letter was sent. Thus the stamp was born.
The U.S. adopted the same system in 1847. The first stamps were a 5-cent stamp of Ben Franklin and a 10-cent stamp of George Washington.
Click on image for full comic. Find more great B.C. comics here.
In her introduction to Screen Doors and Sweet Tea: Recipes and Tales from a Southern Cook, Martha Hall Foose says, "all in all, this book is about my home, and I know no better way to tell its stories than through food."
Martha is executive chef of the Viking Cooking School. Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, she attended the famed pastry school École Lenôtre in France. She returned to Mississippi and opened Bottletree Bakery in Oxford – and later, with her husband, Mockingbird Bakery in Greenwood.
The Clarion-Ledger offers a few recipes from the cookbook here.
When John Lennon gave Gail Renard the scribbled lyrics to "Give Peace a Chance" in 1969, he told the teen to hold on to the piece of paper.
"It will be worth something someday," Lennon predicted during the middle of his eight-day "bed-in" with new wife, Yoko Ono, in Montreal.
~ Marshall Field
Happy Cinqo de Mayo!
Cinqo de Mayo means "May the 5th" and is one of two days celebrating the independence of Mexico. Although Mexico's official independence day celebration is Sept. 16, on May 5 an outnumbered and out-trained Mexican people defeated a much stronger and more powerful French army.
It has become a popular holiday in the U.S., where we basically look for any excuse to have a frozen margarita and nachos - and this makes it feel so much more authentic. ;)
Well, this morning, Quentin's 2nd grade class is performing Bugz for we parents. Quentin is a Stink Bug. I created the programs for the play (or, as Quentin says, "you just put some names on a piece of paper").
Parenting. It's so rewarding.
Then we're heading to Biloxi shortly after so Quentin can spend some quality time with my father and his four-wheeler, I suspect.
Y'all have a fun weekend. I'm taking off until Monday. I will post updates on Twitter periodically if you miss me too much! ;)
4 lg eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup cocoa
4 Snickers bars, coarsely chopped
3 chocolate bars, finely chopped
Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl. Combine flour and next three ingredients; stir into sugar mixture. Fold in chopped Snickers bars.
Spoon mixture into a greased 13x9 pan; sprinkle with chocolate bars. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 min.
Inspired by dainty little doilies, these durable rubber coasters are adorable and will keep your coffee table tidy. Your Grandma would be proud. (4 coasters per set.)
"What is music? This question occupied my mind for hours last night before I fell asleep. The very existence of music is wonderful, I might even say miraculous. Its domain is between thought and phenomena. Like a twilight mediator, it hovers between spirit and matter, related to both, yet differing from each. It is spirit, but it is spirit subject to the measurement of time. It is matter, but it is matter that can dispense with space."
~Heinrich Heine
Today is Mr. Potato Head's birthday!
Mr. Potato Head was born on May 1, 1952, and began as a set of eyes with a few noses and mouths. The original Mr. Potato Head kit did not come with a "potato body," so the parents had to supply their own potatoes for face-changing fun. (The plastic body was added in 1964.) He was the first toy ever to be advertised on television!
Mr. PH was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 2000.
Happy birthday - and many more!
J.K. Rowling's book was rejected by 12 publishers before a small London house picked up Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor who said he "lacked imagination."
Decca Records turned down a contract with the Beatles, saying "We don't like their sound."
Michael Jordan was cut from his high-school varsity basketball team sophomore year.
What makes some people rebound from defeats and go on to greatness while others throw in the towel? Self-efficacy!
(So the next time someone tells you that you're self-delusional, just tell them you're full of self-efficacy!)
"The fandemonium of a college rivalry doesn't exist anywhere else," Keenan Davis, COO of the All-American Football League, a new pro-football start-up, told Fast Company magazine. Their first two games kicked off on April 12.
Its teams are in football hubs, with headquarters in Atlanta. Teams will play in college stadiums on Saturdays.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp salt
4 Heath bars, chopped (1 c.)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13x9-inch pan. Beat four, sugars, butter and salt on low until mix resembles coarse meal. Transfer 1/2 cup of mix to a medium bowl and mix in toffee and pecans. Set aside. Stir baking soda into remaining mix. Add buttermilk, egg, and vanilla, beating until combined. Transfer batter to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle topping evenly over. Bake 35 min. Cool and cut into squares.
Photo via Flickr/StevesWrong
Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.
~ Louisia May Alcott
Shawn, your eyes say you're Marvelously Mischievous
Playful gals like you make it their business to find the fun in life. Whether it's hosting an impromptu dinner party or heading out the door at 11 p.m. for a spontaneous getaway, you can be counted on to stir up the unexpected.
Your lighthearted and fun approach holds true when it comes to your eyes and makeup, too. Whoever came up with the term "batting your eyelashes" probably had a gal like you in mind. In fact, you can probably captivate a whole roomful of people with your eyes alone. Consider it your secret weapon!
Today is National Honesty Day.
I'm not quite sure if that means that you don't have to be honest the other 364 days of the year or what - but, honestly, what difference does it make, really.
Just be honest today. Really honest...
Does this blog make my butt look big? ;)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 ounces Spanish chorizo (cured sausage), sliced into thin half-moons
3/4 pound red potatoes, diced
Kosher salt and pepper
3/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
10 large eggs, beaten
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Manchego or sharp Cheddar
1 small head green leaf lettuce
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
Heat oven to 400° F.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the yellow onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chorizo, potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley.
Pour the eggs into the skillet and stir to distribute the ingredients. Sprinkle with the Manchego and transfer to oven.
Bake the omelet until puffed and brown around the edges and a knife comes out clean, about 15 minutes.
Divide the lettuce and red onion among individual plates and drizzle with the remaining oil
