Everything And Nothing

Good morning. Happy Sunday!

All I am, or can be, I owe to my angel mother.
~Abraham Lincoln

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there! But especially to my "angel mother" - my stepmother.

My stepmother raised me. The quote above by Abraham Lincoln I made for her on a sign once. Hurricane Katrina washed it away - but the sentiment remains.

So Happy Mother's Day especially to all of you moms out there who aren't "biological" moms. Moms who adopted a child or loved a child as your own who especially needed it. Moms who didn't have to be but chose to be. I think once you're a mom yourself you especially appreciate that gift.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you angel moms out there!

And I'm not an angel mother, but I am a mother. So I'm taking the day off. Quentin is taking me to see Speed Racer (after I drive him and pay and all that stuff). ;) See y'all on Monday. If you miss me terribly, I may be on Twitter.

Mint Julep Brownies

4 1 ounce squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup Butter or margarine
4 large Eggs
2 cup Sugar
1½ cup All purpose flour
½ teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoon Bourbon
1 teaspoon Peppermint extract
1 tablespoon Powdered sugar
Garnish: fresh mint leaves

Combine chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate melts. Let stand 10 minutes. Beat eggs at medium speed with an electric mixer until thick and pale (about 2 minutes); gradually add sugar, beating well. Add chocolate mixture, flour, and next 3 ingredients; beat at low speed 1 minutes. Spoon into a lightly greased and floured 13x9x2 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar; cut into bars. Garnish, if desired. Yield 4 dozen.

[ via Southern Living Annual Recipes 1993 ]

Katie Holmes is my celebrity mom

For the perfect mom, the health and happiness of her children always comes first. Like Katie Holmes, who was rumored to have attended parenting classes (and never mind the in-home ultrasound machine), your mom is highly organized and leaves nothing to chance. Though she may be a bit too overprotective at times, your mom has been watching out for you since day one.

Who's your celebrity mom?

Virtual romantics

The Internet is just as good as church when you're hunting for a spouse, according to Wired magazine (May 2008). Seventeen percent of online daters have turned virtual romance into marriage or long-term relationships. That's 3 million people - the same number who've met in church.

The typical woman's online dating profile claims that she's 20 pounds lighter than the average American woman. And the average man's profile says he's more than an inch taller than the average man. (But a 5'8" man can score as many dates as a 6' one if he makes $146,000 more a year. At 5'2" you have to make $277,000 more each year than the six-foot man.)

My iTunes purchases since last time...

• Sore - Annuals Wet Zoo
• New South - Kate Campbell
• But I Do Love You - LeAnn Rimes 
• I Melt With You - Jason Mraz
• Analog Girl - Ken Oak Band
• Baby What You Want Me to Do (Live 1963 New Era Club) - Etta James
• I'm White - Patty Larkin
• Baby Please Don't Go - Lightnin' Hopkins
• Karma - deSoL deSoL
• Big Dipper - Cracker
• You, Me and the Bourgeoisie - The Submarines
• Stay Now - Jem
• Bones - The Killers
• You Are My Sunshine - Mississippi John Hurt
• Something's Got Me - Lori Carson
• Great DJ - The Ting Tings
• Easy for Me to Say - Clint Black & Lisa Hartman Black
• It Can't Rain Everyday - P.O.D.
• All Alone - Chris Richardson
• Men Don't Change - Amy Dalley
• Ain't My Day to Care - Bomshel
• It Was An Absolutely Finger Lickin', Grits and Chicken Country Music Love Song - Bomshel
• Nobody Ever Died of a Broken Heart - Cowboy Crush
• Wiggley Fingers - Patty Griffin
• Mambo, Italiano - Dean Martin
• I'll Sail My Ship Alone - Moon Mullican
• City of Angels - City Run
• Black and Blue - Van Halen
• Baby It's You - The Shirelles
• Anyway - Suzzy & Maggie Roche
• Your Memory, Me And The Blues - Delbert McClinton
• Up Against All Odds - Tarralyn Ramsey
• Sweet Love - Trisha Yearwood
• Wild Night Out - Jimmy Thackery
• Rootless Tree - Damien Rice
• You Are What You Love - Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins
• I'm Not Over - Carolina Liar
• Wheel Inside the Wheel - Mary Gauthier
• Whiskey In My Whiskey - The Felice Brothers
• Get Out of Town - Buzz Cason
• Undress Me Now - Morcheeba
• Handcuffed to a Fence in Mississippi - Jim White
• Blindly We Go - Jim White
• Beautiful Friendship - Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum
• I Like It, I Love It - Lyrics
• Grounds for Divorce - Elbow
• Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? - She & Him
• Handlebars - Flobots
• Uncle Tom Is Dead (Milk 'N' Cookies Remix) - Guy Davis
• Ain't Seen My Baby - Cephas & Wiggins
• Shimmy Low - The Clarks
• Together All Alone - Robin & Linda Williams
• It Takes Love to Make a Home - Guy Davis
• Late Breaking News - Jorma Kaukonen
• Blues in the Midnight Hour - Guy Davis
• Coming Home to You Baby - Sonny Boy Williamson
• Merry Happy - Kate Nash
• American Boy (feat. Kanye West) - Estelle
• Ooh La La - Rod Stewart
• Super Duper Love (Are You Diggin' On Me?), Pt. 1 - Joss Stone
• Bad Habit - Joss Stone
• Old Fashion Morphine - Jolie Holland
• Science Vs. Romance - Rilo Kiley
• The Weakest Shade of Blue - The Pernice Brothers
• There She Goes - The La's
• Nothin' Is for Sure - Grant-Lee Phillips
• Love Will Keep Us Together - Captain & Tennille
• Woo Hoo - The 5.6.7.8's
• How to Quit - Sam Phillips
• Ella Menea - NG²
• Mon vieux Lucien - Jil Aigrot
• Worrisome Heart - Melody Gardot
• Could've Had Me - Lex Land
• Hush If You Must - Brooke Waggoner
• Speak Your Heart - Lizz Wright
• The Words We Say - Straylight Run
• Not Your Year - The Weepies
• Together - Blue Rodeo
• My Sweet Song - Toby Lightman Bird On a Wire
• Love Me - The Little Willies
• Hot Legs - Jacqui Naylor
• Gone Daddy - Gary Jules
• Bottom of the Barrel - Amos Lee
• These Arms of Mine - Joan Osborne
• Rockstar - Prima J
• Time Won't Let Me Go - The Bravery
• Fantastic - will.i.am
• Waiting On a Friend - The Rolling Stones
• I Idolize You - Lizz Wright
• You Really Got a Hold On Me - She & Him
• She Had the World - Panic At the Disco
• sunshine - Son of the Velvet Rat
• When You Were Young - The Killers
• I Don't Wanna Be In Love (Dance Floor Anthem) - Good Charlotte
• Run (I'm a Natural Disaster) - Gnarls Barkley
• Come a Little Closer - Dierks Bentley
• So Far Away - Donavon Frankenreiter

Like a duck to water

You don't have to be a fisherman to appreciate Shimano's new Evair Fishing Deck Boots. These 100% waterproof slip-ons are made of one-piece molded EVA foam (similar to Crocs) and are incredibly lightweight (less than 10 oz.).

The soles are solid on wet,slippery surfaces and keep your feet cool - in case you actually do decide to fish in them, after all.

$69.99

Good morning. Happy Saturday!

I know it's Saturday and all, but it's also National Clean Up Your Room Day. So get to work!

Cleanliness is next to godliness. And you'd think that came straight from the Bible, but it didn't.

The proverb is said by some to have come from ancient Hebrew writings. But its first appearance in English seems to be in the writings of Francis Bacon. In his Advancement of Learning (1605) he wrote: "Cleanness of body was ever deemed to proceed from a due reverence to God.'"

Nearly two centuries later John Wesley, in one of his sermons, indicated that the proverb was already well known in the form we use today. Wrote Wesley: "Slovenliness is no part of religion. Cleanliness is indeed next to Godliness."

Blade Runner Begins

Sonny Astani is planning to bring 2019 Los Angeles to life in the form of two 14-story animated billboards modeled on Ridley Scott's opening sequence. "I saw Blade Runner at least five times," says Astani, who owns thousands of Southern California apartment units. "The billboards always struck me."

Astani's signs will appear on the sides of adjacent condo towers being constructed in downtown LA. The idea, pending city approval, is to install hundreds of rows of LEDs, each spaced 6 inches apart, across the buildings' floor-to-ceiling windows.

Residents will be able to see out, but viewed from a distance the pixel-like lights will turn into an image. 

[ via Vince Beiser, Wired magazine, May 2008 ]

Speed Racer

This interactive exercise toy is for hamsters, gerbils, mice and other small furry friends. There are four levels for racing fun. One is to snap the wheel into the lower position and remove the spoiler from the back of the car to attach it to the front of the car under the hood. Then place your critter inside and roll the Cruiser onto the Hamtrac. Second, snap the wheel into the center position and place the pet inside. This way they can cruise around the house. Thirdly, simply snap the wheel into the top position and it becomes a stationary exercise spinner. Finally you can unsnap the wheel and your pet can spin around the house.

$12.99

Sauteed Brown Sugar Pears

1 tbsp lemon juice
1 Anjou pears, peeled and cut into eighths
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Vanilla ice cream
Gingersnaps

Sprinkle lemon juice over pears. Melt sugar and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 2 min. or until melted and smooth. Reduce heat to low; add pears and cook, stirring often, 6 to 8 min. or until pears are tender.

Whisk together cornstarch and 1 tsp water. Stir into pear mixture and cook 1 min. or till thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Serve with vanilla ice cream and gingersnaps.

[ via Southern Living, April 2008 ]

Love and happiness

Justice is the only worship. Love is the only priest. Ignorance is the only slavery. Happiness is the only good. The time to be happy is now. The place to be happy is here. The way to be happy is to make other people happy.
~ R. G. Ingersoll

Do It Yourself

Looking for a summer project? Treehouses and Other Cool Stuff: 50 Projects You Can Build will keep you busy for a while. The book covers projects from lemonade stands to seesaws to go-carts. Read an excerpt here.

Good morning. Happy Friday!

Today is National Butterscotch Brownie Day. And it's Friday too. So it can't be all bad.

I'm not a big fan of butterscotch brownies. But I suppose if you make some, I'll take one. ;)

50 Years of Fun

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!

The Amazing Book of Everything (and Nothing)

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.

$21.86

Gorgonzola Truffles

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 ]

Wasting wisely my days

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

Blue-Ribbon Baguette

"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 ]

Good morning. Happy Thursday!

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! ;)

Blast Off

I so want this necklace.

Bunking It

Why waste the space? In the end, it will probably be just one more thing to dust, but, damnit, you'll FEEL organized! ;)

$14.99

Deviled Potatoes

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 ]

Through the looking glass

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

Carnival of the Recipes: Spring-Fever Edition

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.

Good morning. Happy Wednesday!

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.

Rockin' down the highway...

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.)

Paris comes to Peachtree

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       .

Growing Up in Mississippi

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.

The Writer's Desire

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

Vile and obscene

l

Click on the comic for the full size. See more great Shoe comics here.

Good morning. Happy Tuesday!

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.

Best Friends

Click on image for full comic. Find more great B.C. comics here.

Screen Doors and Sweet Tea

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.

Give Peace a Chance

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.

Gail did, and it is.

12 Things to Remember

1. The value of time
2. The success of perseverance
3. The pleasure of working
4. The dignity of simplicity
5. The worth of character
6. The power of kindness
7. The influence of example
8. The obligation of duty
9. The wisdom of economy
10. The virtue of patience
11. The improvement of talent
12. The joy of originating

~ Marshall Field

Same Time, Last Year

• The difference between moms and dads
• Radio-controlled water cannons (must-have for summer)
• Summer: A User's Guide (in case you forgot)
• My Life as a Nascar driver

• Ozzy Ozbourne's favorite hard-rock albums
• Some Like It Raw t-shirt (for digital photography nuts)
• Nebraska Road Trip
• Same Time, Last Year (last year)