On A Detox Diet. Since I can't eat it....enjoy!

Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits


1-2/3 c. all-purpose flour
1½ c. sifted cake flour
¼ c. sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ c. plus 1 Tablespoon butter
1 c. raisins
1 c. milk
Butter, melted
1 c. sifted powdered sugar
1 to 2 Tablespoons milk

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add raisins and milk, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 10 times.
Roll dough to ¾-inch thickness; cut with a 2-inch biscuit cutter. Place biscuits on baking sheets; brush with melted butter. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until biscuits are lightly browned.
Combine powdered sugar and milk, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over warm biscuits.

Yield: 16 biscuits.



*I was thrilled when I found this recipe in my Southern Living Five Star Recipe Collection. These remind me of the huge cinnamon biscuits that Hardees had. Using the cake flour makes them fluffy and just like the originals I used to buy. One of my favorite breakfasts. Serve them warm and save any leftovers for a cold snack.

Favorite Movies

This is a fairly neutral topic to most people unless you like a movie I detest...haha.
Favorite movie of all time: French Kiss
Favorite Romantic comedy: depending upon the mood it is either Moonstruck, Only You (the Marisa Tomei version), French Kiss (again), or Under the Tuscan Sun....to name a few.
Favorite Comedies: Vegas Vacation, Money Pit, Overboard, & Dutch.
Favorite Musical Comedy: A Mighty Wind
Favorite Christmas movies: Christmas Vacation & the ever popular Christmas Story
Favorite Biography: Amazing Grace
Favorite Bond movie: Casino Royale
Favorite B-Grade movie: Soylant Green
Favorite Hitchcock movie: Most of them, but really Marnie is the creepiest & Rear Window the most satisfying.
Favorite Action movie: can't think of one...
Favorite Horror movie: hmmm, can't think of one of those either...
Favorite Zombie movie: Night of the Comet
Favorite Musical: The Sound of Music
Favorite Tearjerkers: Steel Magnolias, Terms if Endearment, or The Notebook.
Favorite Classics: Gone with the Wind & The Heiress.

That is all I can think of at the moment. How about you?

Ciao.

Long Time No Blog

Thanks to Lorri Miller I am blogging again...
The 1st 6 months of 2009 has the distinction of winning the "I Want A Do-Over" Award.
I may or may not be able to share outloud all of the nasty ***** this year has brought/wrought.
I can share the good tho:
My 2 beautiful, intelligent, above-average grandsons; Maddox & Frederick. Now 15 months old, talking, walking, climbing, dancing, and generally being boys.
My granddaughter soon to make an appearance in November.
My sexy, hardworking husband Bob. Driving his life away, dreaming of a Harley, reading to his grandsons when he is home, and staying in touch with us all day via cellphone. Boy do I love that man.
Gina & Terry are searching for a house while Gina is awaiting word on her promotion to Senior & possible transfer to Prescott.
Brittany is top of her class at Avalon & due to graduate in Feb '10. The best Mommy that Maddox could ever hope for.
Vanessa is also top of her class at Avalon, lots of friendly competition here. And she is working toward AM 3 at Harkins.
Kimberly has had the most changes. 16, ready to drive, changing to a new awesome school-NSAA, excelling in photography & mixed-media & creates a killer business card.
My job with ProSource is great. The work keeps piling up & I will never be caught up even if I live to be 85. But I love it! Pam Goodwin, my own personal Pollyanna, has done a great job of filling in the important gaps, & has made herself indispensable...don't ever leave me Pammy!
My 2nd job I love even more! Stampin' Up! has been the best company to sign-on with. I have expanded to Roving Workshops, a Monthly Class, & next is video teaching.
I am going to Art Unraveled this week for Gorgeous Glass, making card fronts for Rachel to take to the SU Convention, & starting a new Mixed-Media project I have had brewing in me for a while.
Oh, yes I almost forgot...Lorri has resurrected our co-op, Lionshare. I'm so excited.
Ok, one bad thing I will share...I have gained 3 pounds on my diet! What is that?!?
Ciao,
Renaissance Woman Extraordinaire

Pow Wow Wow

The Quartzsite Pow Wow....wow. So many people, so much to buy, so relaxing? I know... who'd think a 2.5 hour drive & massive crowds could induce enough endorphins to conjure euphoria? Part of the draw is the hunt. We just are never really sure what we are hunting for. An elusive relic just waiting for our greedy hands to be sure.

The East Valley Mixed Media group was on a field trip. We formed individual hunting parties and stalked our prey.

Kimberly & I began with an old rock hound named Jim. After accurately pegging the interests of his perusers & correctly predicting our eventual return we moved on to the stand with one of my favorites...costume jewelry pins. My, my my...so many to choose from. Glittery, tacky, elegant, or novelty? Gold, silver, plastic, or bone? Enamels, crystals, beaded, or sleek? Choices decided, bargains made.

Then across the dusty trail to Mike's stand...who could beat Jim's prices because Jim was selling stuff he bought from Mike!! What a hoot. And what a bargain. Kim found a wonderful siver & garnet ring & I chose a beautiful faceted sunstone from Oregon. Mike put it in a clever silver setting that very day, added a silver chain & now I have an heirloom piece at 20% of the retail price. Woo, hoo!

More wandering/hunting & then lunch at the Best Mexican Restaurant...seriously the name & seriously the best. The best salsa I've had in a while, pureed with a hint of smoky sweetness. The best machaca I have ever had, flavorful & tender & moist. Man, I am now hungry.

Next Kim & I tried the swapmeet area, too much commercial but a few great finds. Then back to Mike to pick up the sunstone & across the street to Jim. We spent quite a bit of time picking thru his raw cuts, I found an unpolished piece of jade with awesome lines. Then home it was....we were tired but very content. I was flying high on some potent endorphins, sure to return next January for hunting season.

Ciao...Trish

Blizzard Conditions

Well, once again I am blogging because I am traveling. It seems I can only make the time in a hotel room or maybe it is because I finally have something interesting to relate.
I came to St. Cloud for the company Christmas party....and while I was here we decided it would be a good time to meet the new hires, go over things, & share what I learned in training before the contract is finished & we will all have no time to catch-up.
You know, I work with great people & I love my job....really. I know that isn't fashionable nowadays, but I do. The party was a mini reunion as well. Dad came back for his retirement kudos & get his 'fix' & laugh about how he had to throw his daughter to the company so he could leave. Well, the joke's on him...I may stay to retire myself one day. I'm very proud of you Dad. Putting up with _______ while helping to build an empire. You deserve your R&R.
Anyways, I am waiting to find out the current delays at the MSP airport so I can go home today. Snow has been falling steadily since yesterday. Haven't been in a vehicle skidding on ice in quite a while...interesting. Love the fluffy swirls of flakes & how pristine white paints the landscape, but I do not miss the blast of bitter cold that greets you as you walk around a corner & it steals your every breath. Scares me everytime....shades of a shaky childhood memory. Loved the Herberger's 70% off sale...had to stuff my carry-on suitcase full of course. Oh, and did I mention the bathtub? They upgraded my room without telling me & walked into a suite complete with Jacuzzi tub. I took 1 or 2 baths everyday...seriously, besides my showers...usually 1 sometimes 2. I am squeaky clean I tell ya. I looked like a starlet from a 60s movie...an entire mini bottle of body wash , flip on the jets, & I had bubbles up and over my ears.........loverly! Hmm....is there an adult version of Eloise? I wish to be her. Living in the Radisson forever & ever. Sigh.
Today, breakfast with the parents, my aunt & fiance, & my MIA brother....WHO NEVER READS HIS TEXT MESSAGES....WHY DO YOU HAVE A CELL PHONE IF YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO CHECK IT? Okay I'm done venting.
Let you know how this all turns out: When next our heroine appears will it be in sunny Arizona or will she be swathed in the luxury of the Radisson hotel & their ever attentive staff? Or will she be stranded in an airport terminal fighting the sleep deprived crowds for the last stale package of peanut butter crackers in the vending machine? Stay tuned.

Ciao for now...Trish

Blue Grass Country

This summer has been full of unexpected trips.
After camping at the Mollogon Rim for July 4th, then Verndale MN at the end of July, then Bob & I went to Escondido for the Labor Day weekend to pick up my vehicle...a Geo Tracker (yea Solana Beach-actually Cardiff Cliffs..hope I spelled that right...& the San Diego swap meet), & now to Kentucky. Yeah, that's right Kentucky. I have never had the privilege before. Probably because I would have insisted we move here. It is just gorgeous! The trees are just beginning to turn the most yummy colors. Soft buttery yellow, burnished golds, rusty reds, & glorious blazes of fiery ruby that scream for attention against a restful background of every hue of green there is. Another reason why green is my favorite color...there are so many to choose from & I do hate being limited in my important choices...haha.
Trees & plants of all sizes are perched upon ledges of shale that look so fragile, but yet have endured. We have only seen the tip of the Daniel Boone National Forest so far...wow is all I have been able to say. Imagining our surroundings; where battles took place, where trails were forged thru seemingly impenetrable forests, where pioneers staked a claim & fought to raise a family while surviving from the land...and succeeding. Amazing & humbling. How easy, in some aspects, we have it nowadays. It is easier to survive...food, water, & shelter is as close as a phone call away. Even the most destitute of us can ask for help. We no longer have to scratch out a meager living from the earth, if we choose, & basic medical care (even if expensive) is always nearby. We no longer have to protect ourselves against natural predators or hostile natives. And even the weather can be predicted close enough to anticipate the harm heading our way. Our country's pioneers knew there was tragedy when it was on their doorstep. Talk about a hardy lot...and determined to make it work. I am so proud to be a part of this admirable people...Americans.
Next, we will head for Chattanooga TN so we will head right between the Daniel Boone National Forest & the Appalachians. Woo hoo, here we come!
Trish...on a quest for more reasons to call herself RWE!

A Rant A Day Keeps The Acid-Reflux Away!

Hmm. Sure am finding this blog a little intimidating when it comes to maintenance. Pictures are the hardest, hence no new uploads of vacation pictures. Also, the written word plastered up there for all to read is even more daunting. "What if I whine too much or am too boring?" Ah the ego of the writer, so absolutely fragile when it comes to criticism...real or perceived!



So a rant it is this fine day...BTW it has only been about 100-104 lately punctuated with wild monsoon storms, just marvelous. Hey, only a Zonie would truly understand that seemingly ludicrous statement.



Being in my premenopausal stage and after 25 years of marriage (come March 31st), I feel an obligation. The rude, obnoxious, wild side of me wants to say WTF (I apologize to those of you with gentle sensibilities but in all honesty this is all I can think of lately...tho I usually only chant the letters in my head NOT the actual words....so again I apologize. Enough said on that). I have this 'fairness meter' inside of me that tilts when justice (as I see it) is not being served. Taking into consideration my tendencies toward control/perfect (for those unfamiliar with the flag page look here https://www.flagpagetest.com/) I know I have to reign in my fix-it-ness at times, BUT now I shake my head over unfairness that I cannot do a blasted thing about. I know praying is an option, as is ignoring it, tho I would rather rant today..so rant I shall do.

So on with it. To married women over 40: Do you feel that frustration deep down inside? Feel anxious & antsy one moment & then complacent or despondent another? Tired of waiting for everything to fall into place even tho you have periods where you are happy to be who you are? Wish there was a manual or seminar you could send your husband to? Maybe even another one to send your children to at the same time? If so I am with ya sister!

I am happier today with who I am, fat/age spots/physical limitations included, and yet am at my most frustrated when I feel the above 'symptons' and watch my fellow sisters in their marriages. This is NOT FAIR!! We did not get to this stage of the game just to lose it all...or live on Xanax. I'm not even talking about neglectful or disengaged husbands. This is for all of them.

Here is the crux of the issue: husbands need to pay closer attention now than they ever have. There is a reason they call these years the danger years. Something happens to women close to 40. We realize that our lives are at least half over. Most of our kids could survive without us. Our parents are gone or ailing or just not as invincible as they once were. We have skills for a life we are not living. Inside we are perilously fragile tho we are stronger than ever as well...the paradox of the Steel Magnolia. After years of living lives in tandem with our mates we may find ourselves either independent & loving it or clingy & needy and hating it...usually the opposite of what we had been or have strived to be.

One of the dangers is in deciding this is a female hormonal issue. Or that this is just a phase or season of life..."This too shall pass". Danger Will Robinson! Do not ignore the warning signs gentlemen!

Does your wife's list of unnatural fears seem to be growing over the years? Then she is not secure in her relationship with you.
Has the importance of hugging & kissing/holding hands/sharing dreams & thoughts/listening & hearing/protecting/edifying/tenderness/kindness/cherishing become trivialized or has been gone for some time? Someone else will be waiting to give it to her. No matter her shape or her personality there is always someone out there ready & willing to give her what she lacks, even if only for a moment. She may successfully fight temptation or she may not. Do you want to take that chance?
Do you understand the 10 cow principle? If so practice it, it works. If not, then adopt it today. It will change your marriage. (This is the best version I could find.) http://www.schooleyfiles.com/2006/10/johnny-lingo-and-ten-cow-wife.html
Do you want to be able to navigate empty-nest syndrome, avoid mid-life divorce, and/or share your retirement years in bliss rather than bitterness? Then be proactive, use those corporate strategies for a higher purpose. Be humble. Prefer another above yourself. Actively love the wife of your youth. Prov. 5:18.
Let's not lose what we have all worked so hard for. We shouldn't grow old together because we 'stuck-it-out'. We should be able to enjoy the fruits of our hard labor & enjoy them together. They call it the golden years for a reason.

I think marriage survival should include a post-debriefing toward the end of our marriage. Pastor Gary Johnson once gave a teaching on finishing our lives well. The bad example was King Solomon. He started well, it ended not so well. Why can't our marriages end the way they started...with promise & love & hope? They can & will be the good example we crave!

End of rant!!

Trish

P.S. Disclaimer (so PC of me): This in no way absolves women of my future rants on their behavior. The End!