Julie’s Lunchbox Take Out
Julie’s Lunchbox Take Out My theory is to always take food with you. You never know what you may encounter, and you shouldn’t be at the mercy of having to settle for something you don’t want, or need to eat, just because …
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Fun Izzy Foods
“Izzy, Breakfast! Izzy, Snack! Izzy, Juice! Izzy, Lunch!” Tutu Sometimes breakfast is as quick as fresh Blueberries, String Cheese, Banana Muffin, Celery with Peanut Butter, and Crinkle Cut Carrots ——————————————————— When Isabelle was born and I started becoming her main …
Strawberry’s and All Things PINK!
Welcome to Strawberry’s and All Things PINK!
Dried Hibiscus Flowers
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Pink Fudge with Dried Hibiscus Flowers
The Hibiscus Flowers are Sweet and Tangy, Almost like Gummy’s
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I have been eating lots of Strawberry’s this year, and loving all things PINK so I thought I would start a website page depicting those very things. Perhaps this is my hangover from the Barbie movie that came out a few years ago? I still haven’t seen it at this writing, May, 2025. I’m sure I’ll get to it eventually, but you don’t have to love Barbie to appreciate all things PINK!
Each season seems to have it’s favorite food colors. Pink seems to represent Spring and Summer to me.
Pink also tends to taste good! I hope you will think so too. 🙂
Welcome to the Pink Kitchen,
Julie
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Simple Pink Fudge Topped with the Hibiscus Flowers
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Hibiscus Flower Impressions
(Recipe Down Below)
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My Pink Pajama Cocktail
Garnished with Strawberry’s and Enjoyed with some Dried Hibiscus Flowers
(Recipe Down Below)
I LOVE My Pink Pajamas!
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Strawberry, Jalapeno and Tomato Salsa
Eaten and Enjoyed with a Cream Cheese and Jalapeno Salt Spread onto a Toasted Baguette
(Recipe Down Below)
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Recipes Start Here
My craft foam flowers, some special things, along with my vintage Hawaiian Hibiscus plate.
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Pink Fudge with Dried Hibiscus Flowers
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I found these Dried Pink Hibiscus Flowers at Sprouts and knew that I had to try them.
Turns out they are quite good. Almost tastes like a Gummy.
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It was last Christmas, 2024, that I made some really great and easy Fudge.
I came across the recipe in one of my cookbooks. It was so easy! Delicious too!
I grew up in the south and when we would go to the mountains we would always come across these old timey fudge shops. Whether we were in Dahlonega, Georgia, Cherokee, North Carolina, or Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We always bought the sugar-free Peanut Butter Fudge. We would keep in in our rooms in our lodge and snack on it most every night. It was a treat! That is how I view sweets. They are treats.
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Ready to Make My Pink Fudge
Ingredients:
4 Cups White Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/3 Cup La Lechera Dulce de Leche Milk Based Caramel
(I wanted to add this to this recipe. If you can’t find any then just use 1 and 1/3 Cup Sweetened Condensed Milk)
2 t. Vanilla Extract
1/2 t. Salt
Drops of Pink Food Coloring
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All of our Ingredients
You will need a casserole dish. I will be doubling the recipe and placing it into this larger casserole dish.
You will need to place a piece of Parchment Paper down into the bottom of the casserole dish.
I used a pen to draw the dimensions and then cut with some scissors. You can see in the photo above that it is in place and ready.
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La Cechera, Dulce de Leche Milk Based Caramel
This is my addition to the recipe. I wanted to add a Caramel flavor to my Fudge.
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Into a Microwave safe dish you want to place the White Chocolate Chips and the Sweetened Condensed Milk, and the Dulce de Leche Caramel.
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Now place into the Microwave for 1 minute, 30 seconds at 70 percent power. (That is important.)
When done remove and stir well.
Now quickly stir in the Vanilla and Salt, along with a few drops of Pink Food Coloring.
Because I doubled the recipe, you can see the first batch in the very top of the photo above, while I repeat the process with this new batch in these photos.
Microwaving the Second Batch
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Both Batches of Fudge Have Been Placed Into This Large Casserole Dish to Cool
Ready To Add My Hibiscus Flowers
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The Fudge Sets Very Quickly
If you want to embed the Hibiscus Flowers into the Fudge you must do so fast.
Beautiful and Delicious!
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My Pink Pajama Cocktail
Garnished with Strawberry’s and Enjoyed with some Dried Hibiscus Flowers
Fresh, Clean Strawberry’s
Ingredients:
1 lb. Frozen Strawberry’s
8 Cups Pink Lemonade
2 Cups Vodka
4-5 Cups Lemon-Lime Soda
Fresh Strawberry’s as a Garnish
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Pretty Glasses, Strawberry’s and Hibiscus Flowers
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Ingredients Ready for the Blender
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The Frozen Strawberry’s
Adding The Frozen Strawberry’s to the Blender
I placed the Frozen Strawberry’s into the Blender, then added the Pink Lemonade, followed by the Vodka, and the Lemon-Lime Soda.
I did slit the Fresh Strawberry’s down the middle to place on each cocktail glass.
Time to Turn on the Blander Until Mixed
Blending Away…..
Pour Into Prepared Glasses
My Pink Pajama Cocktails
My Love of Pajamas
When I am around the house I tend to wear Pajamas even during a week day afternoon, and especially a weekend when I am staying home and not leaving the house. I have never been one to wear “sweats.” To me sweats are sloppy, unattractive and cumbersome. I like something that looks nice, fits my personality, feels comfortable, and looks pretty. I very happily incorporate Pajamas into my daily life whenever I can.
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Strawberry, Jalapeno and Tomato Salsa
Eaten and Enjoyed with a Cream Cheese and Jalapeno Salt Spread onto a Toasted Baguette
Strawberry’s, Grape Tomatoes, Red Onion, Lime Zest and Juice, Jalapeno’s, and Fresh Cilantro
Amounts are up to you!
You first want to wash everything…
On a cutting board you want to start chopping your Strawberry’s into diced sized bites.
Set aside.
As I was slicing the top off of each Strawberry I noticed that they looked like pretty flowers.
I decided to save a few to use as a garnish.
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Now chop the Grape Tomatoes, leaving behind a lot of the Juice and Seeds.
See photo top right. Set them aside.
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Chop the Red Onion into a small dice.
I didn’t use the entire Onion. I did weigh and gage how much I wanted to add to finished mixture.
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Time to chop the Jalapeno’s into a small dice as well. I know that I have a hard time with Jalapeno’s. The fumes really bother me, and whatever I touch on my body after touching the peppers, will make that area hot and uncomfortable. Therefore, it’s a good idea to wear cooking gloves. They help a lot!
Everything is Beautiful and Nicely Chopped
I LOVE all the Colors!
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Time To Combine Everything
You can see in the above photo how the tops of the Strawberry’s look like Flowers…
which is why I wanted to keep some of them as a Garnish.
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Place your chopped items into a medium sized bowl.
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Zest your Limes into the Salsa, then add the Lime Juice. Don’t make it too soggy.
You don’t have to use the Juice of both Limes if you don’t want to.
Mix Together…
Add a Pinch or Two of the Jalapeno Sea Salt
(This stuff is sooooo good! So glad I found it online!)
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Now For The Bread and Cheese
I wanted to have a few options to see which one would be best, the Italian Toasts or the Baguette.
Turns out they were both great and I used both of them.
In one bowl I placed some softened Cream Cheese, and in the other I placed Crumbled Goat Cheese.
I then sprinkled a pinch or two of the Jalapeno Sea Salt. That was all that was needed! So delicious on it’s own.
Set Those Aside
Now It’s Time To Slice and Toast the Baguette
Place onto a Baking Sheet and put into the Oven on Broil. You just want to brown your bread slices.
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This is my new FAVORITE Thing!
Spread some Cream Cheese onto a Toasted Baguette, and then sprinkle some Jalapeno Sea Salt over top.
God is it good!
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With the sliced Baguette toasted, time to add the Crumbled Goat Cheese overtop, sprinkled with some Jalapeno Sea Salt.
Place back into the Oven, 300F just for a few minutes to melt the Cheese a bit.
Ready for the Salsa!
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I think my little Strawberry “Flowers” look nice. 🙂
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I hope your day is filled with Strawberry’s.
Have a very PINK Day!
Julie
Julie Barefoot In The Backyard
(See Down Below For New Content) Hello Happy Barefoot Spring, and Summer in my Backyard And Fall and Winter, but not so much. 🙂 Our Backyard Peach Tree We spend a lot of time outside in our backyard. Gardening, Landscaping, Grilling, …
Here’s a CLUE for Nancy Drew
“I don’t promise to forget the mystery, but I know I’ll have a marvelous time“ Nancy Drew ————————————————————————————– CURRENTLY ON A STAKE OUT, CHECK BACK LATER …
My Log/Blog Documenting Stalking and Harassment From My Neighbor
(Note Update April 10, 2025: If this harassment continues, or more damage is done to our property, then I will reveal their names here, and getting the police involved.)
Where Do I Even Begin?
2025
For those of you that know me and have read me, then you know of my account of my Cyber-Stalker of 30 years, Paul. I did start a webpage of his stalking back in 2015 on this website. Wow, 10 years ago I started writing about him. I’ve also mentioned throughout my personal blogs the stalking that I have had to put up with and endure. Well, he’s still in the picture. Gordon and I were able to bring in (a 3-letter agency) to look into him. I hadn’t really admitted much to any of that until now. This has been about a year and a half ago that we did that. I know these things take time, but with all that’s going on right now with that ( 3-letter agency), I’m not so sure if we are a priority anymore.
I also started a website about him that I have not worked on yet at all. I simply sent a few photos to my guys in India and had them to create something for me. They did, and I paid quite a bit of money for it. I hadn’t started working on it yet for a few reasons. First of all, I would much rather be doing other things than talking about Paul. And number two, I didn’t want to hinder any investigation into him.
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This is the Original Webpage Where I Introduce you to Paul:
What It’s Like To Be Cyber-Stalked
Julie Lancaster-Whann
If you do check out this webpage I started on him, you will most likely see some sabotage. That is from Paul. When I had web hosting companies in America to host and look after my site, Paul had the run of it. It wasn’t until I contacted a company in the U.K., and they recommended theses guys in India, did I finally have a secure website.
Sad isn’t it? I had to go outside my own country for help from my Cyber-Stalker.
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One thing that I have learned throughout my life when I was being abused by anyone is to start a log. Write down everything that that person does to you. Keep a diary of it. That’s why I started the Cyber-Stalker blog page that I write about above. It is also why I am starting this webpage about the abuse that I am having to endure from my neighbors next door to me.
I will work on this as I feel like it. Oh trust me, they aren’t going anywhere. Their kind never does.
I know their type very well. Arrogant, self-righteous, no respect for people or their property, or opinions that differ from their own. They only value ‘Freedom of Speech’ when it is their own. They easily fall in line with the herd. A Shepherd to herd them this way, and then herd then that way. I’ll get into more of that later on.
You know, no where in the world do they have people like a certain segment of our population. Nowhere!
The world does have it’s poor and ignorant. But nowhere does any country have these kinds of people that think the way they do. They are definitely home grown.
There is something very toxic in our country’s environment that creates these people. I know what it is, but I don’t dare say it. I’ve touched on it though. I even tried warning our former Canadian friends about it, who seemed to adore the republican friends they knew in Kentucky. And I will speak of it in the future. But talking about it now is only going to get me clubbed over the head by a caveman. I also warned our Canadian friends that don’t be surprised if America comes after Canada someday. If you have something they want, they will come and get it. Funny, but she thought I was being ridiculous. Wonder how she feels now? I told her these things over a decade ago.
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My Camera on My Tripod Took These Photos
(The Thing Is, My Neighbors Are Probably Watching Me Right Now)
I wanted to take some photos for this blog, and seeing as how I am the only one here, I had my camera on my tripod to do it. My husband Gordon is working overseas. Oh, we talk most everyday. He is in a hazard zone overseas. He is quite valuable in his job, and we are benefiting from that. We were thinking about him coming home permanently at the end of this year, but what with all that is going on in our country, it might be wise for him to stay over there for the next few years. He does come home twice a year to see us all though. He has even suggested that I come over there to live out in town near where he is stationed. If I were to do that, I would only see him on the weekends from my very exotic location. My answer: I’m not leaving Isabelle. Done!
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What has kept me going all these years is that I want to outlive Paul. I want to know what life is like without him in it. That is what has kept me going. Will I ever know that? I don’t know? But now, I have a new stalker. I never saw this coming at all. I am an Empath, yet I never once sensed this neighbor’s hatred of me at all. Which means that he is either a Psychopath or a Sociopath.
I have probably only spoken 20 words to him from the time they moved in years ago. He is probably in his early 40’s. He is married and they have 2 children. They have a very nice home. Nice automobiles. Basketball goal in their driveway, pool in their backyard. On the surface all looks great. I have noticed that all their cars are there all the time. I’m wondering if he is still employed or if he is working from home, or he’s been fired? Don’t know?
I knew they were Republican’s, but I didn’t have any ill will towards them, until now.
I’ll get to that.
Where do I begin to document the Harassment and Abuse?
Once again, I’ll get to that in a little bit.
I want you to understand something. Just to give you an example, why have I had a Cyber-Stalker for 30 years now? Why?
Paul was Gordon’s Best Friend From Childhood
Paul started out in life with parents that had money and means. They put him in Private School growing up. Once he graduated, he was able to go on to college, and graduate. I’m pretty sure his parents paid for that as well.
I can even remember something about Paul working as some DJ for a radio station while he was in college, or afterwards. I mean, how cool is that? He would send us these tapes of Chicago singing love songs. I loved it! I would play them and listen to them in my headphones when I would go for my walks when we lived in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. It was the best of both worlds. Great music while I would go on my walks, with views of Diamond Head in the background while I walked down the beach.
It wasn’t until the early 90’s that Paul started stalking me. I really don’t want to go into that now. I do have it documented in other areas. But what I wanted you to understand is the amount of time and energy that goes into stalking anyone.
Paul has stalked me for 30 years and counting. 30 years!
Paul gave up having a life to stalk me. He gave up dating, falling in love, getting married, having children….
To him I was more important than all of that. He has spent his life glued to a computer screen stalking me.
Paul started out with Microsoft. He was on the cutting edge of technology. In the midst of history being made. He could have snagged a lovely intelligent woman to love and have children with. He could have had a lovely home and even a vacation home, or two. He could have had children and perhaps by now, grand-children. But NO! He gave up all of that, he sacrificed his youth to stalk ME!
Believe me when I tell you, I AM NOT WORTH THAT!
He gave up his youth to stare at a computer screen stalking me!
That is the mind of an obsessed person.
Obsession is not love, it is obsession. Love is healthy, love is beautiful.
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All My Flowers
Looks Like I’m In Mourning
Although I am not in mourning, I am angry. Angry because I live in a neighborhood where there are pathetic people that feel the need to do harm to me. Harm to someone that does nothing to them. I don’t bother them. I never see them. Why is my neighbor so obsessed with me? Well, I do have my theories. But first you need to understand Obsession.
Obsession isn’t love. But I dominate his thoughts each and every day. Why would any woman want her husband or boyfriend to be obsessed with anyone? Yet alone, another woman?
Does he love me? Hate me? The emotions are really the same. Love and Hate are very strong emotions to have towards anyone. but whether they be love or hate, he is still obsessed with me. He gets up every morning at 4:00 a.m. and looks to see if my bathroom light is on. If it is, he throws a ball at my house, around the bathroom windows where I am. He does this to alarm me. To scare me. To upset me.
If I get up at 4:30 a.m., he’s still there. Here comes the ball being hurled at my bathroom window to alarm me, scare me, etc.
I want you to understand what this means:
He is going to the trouble of setting his alarm clock for 4:00 a.m., probably waking up his wife in the process, while he leaves his bed, to go outside and throw a ball against the side of my house, around my bathroom, where I am. And, perhaps even peeking in.
Sometimes I get up at 4:30 a.m., which means that he is laying in wait for me at that time. Which I will hear the loud thump against the wall of our house while I am in the toilet room.
This is STALKING!
The fact that he does this to me means that his wife is o.k. with it.
Otherwise, I would think she would intervene and try and stop him from harassing me.
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This is Vandalism, This is Property Damage
I Noticed This September 6, 2024:
The Damage Our Neighbor Has Done to Our Meters
I don’t come over to this side of our house that often. But one day I did and I was really alarmed to see this. This is obviously damage done through someone tampering with it. So, prior to September 6, when I discovered it, how long has it been this way?
Can a Ball Do This Damage? Or Did he use Something Else to do This?
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I Used Some String To Tie Them Back Together
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The Bathroom Window Facing Our Street
This is not the bathroom window he throws the ball at, but this window faces the street from our bathroom. You can see the Plantation Shutters…
I placed a tablecloth over it because I always felt like there was someone peeking in at me early in the mornings through those slats. Throughout the night and morning hours I have them closed but if you were to stand right outside you could probably see through the slats into the bathroom.
Well, it turns out I was right, there WAS someone out there!
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Saturday Afternoon, Early February
I had gone shopping on this day. I did hear the THUMP of the ball against the house early that morning. I then climbed up on our bed and looked out the window between our houses and saw that orange and blue ball.
I’m taking the photo from our bedroom window of the space between our houses.
That is where he lies in wait for me in the mornings.
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I wish that I had taken a photo of the ball when it was between our two houses.
When I got back from shopping I was telling Gordon about it while I was talking to him on the phone and I went over to that side of the house, picked up the ball, and threw it toward their front yard. I’m not a great thrower, but here is where I threw it:
If you look closely you can see the orange and blue ball.
See the Ball Now?
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So, Why Does My Neighbor Hate Me So Much?
Well, I can only guess?
When I first realized what he was doing to me, I wondered if it was because I got up so early and perhaps my lights were shining into their bedroom disturbing them? Or perhaps it was the fact that when Veronica or Brian would drop off Isabelle early in the morning that my dogs would bark, perhaps waking them up? But then I quickly erased that because he is setting his alarm clock to get up early to harass me. He isn’t harassing me in response to anything I am doing to him, he is harassing me for the sheer sake of it. Not in response to anything.
So, If It’s Not My Lights, And it’s Not My Dogs, Then It Must Be…
MY POLITICS!
Although I have never talked politics with anyone in my neighborhood, I do wonder if perhaps my politics has been passed around the neighborhood as news? It was back in 2008 when I placed my Obama yard sign on our lawn that the sabotage from my neighborhood began! The day after I placed that sign in our yard, every neighbor around us suddenly set out their McCain/Palin signs. Interesting. The day I placed our sign in our front yard I was driving out of the neighborhood to do some shopping when I noticed Judy, who used to live across the street, walking on the sidewalk with her dog. Instead of the nice happy smile and wave that I usually got, I just got this LOOK. OH, I know that look very well! It’s one that a hater gives you for not being like them. I’m pretty sure Judy is the one that organized everyone placing McCain/Palin signs in their yards in their attempt to drown us out.
So Where Am I Going With This?
Judy and Michael sold their house, I believe in 2011 to a family that went to their church, our current neighbors across the street from us. I like them. I think they are nice neighborhood family. But, I’m pretty sure the gossip got around that we were the “Evil Libruls” of the neighborhood. Which the neighbors across the street might have mentioned to their fellow republican’s that live next door to us in the neighborhood. Thus, making me a big target for the neighbor’s hate. I’m not seen as a 64 year old woman that minds her own business, that keeps her granddaughter a few days a week, respects the neighbors privacy in the neighborhood, who doesn’t play loud music, who doesn’t have tons of people over thus blocking the street causing headaches, Oh NO! I’m only seen as the “Evil Librul.” (Even though they are the ones that wear the SIGN on their foreheads, if you know what I mean?) Just sayin.’
The thing is that republican’s are very organized. Oh, believe me when I say that my next door neighbors truly lack the intellectual curiosity to look me up and read my website or my social media accounts on their own. Oh no, they are on some list that is distributed by their leaders telling them who in their neighborhood is an “Evil Librul,” and who to hate and harass . That makes more sense to me.
We do still have the Rule of Law in our country. That hasn’t yet been eliminated. And, I am a Paralegal by profession. We’ll leave it there for now. I’ll update as things happen. It’s important to always document abuse. You know, future lawsuits…. 🙂
Julie
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New Entries Will Be Listed Here
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February, 2025
I would just like to add here that I am hearing the thump of the ball against the side of our house early in the morning many times this February 2025 month.
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March 11, 2025
I had a big day today. Just lots of shopping in Tampa at the Air Force Base. I had left the house around 11:00 a.m. this morning, exiting my street through the back way so that I didn’t have to drive in front of my neighbor’s house. I am trying to do my best to not let him know when I come and go. Anyway, at the end of the day when I was returning home at around 5:30 p.m., I debated driving in the back way where I wouldn’t have to drive in front of his house, but I then decided not to do that. I had lots of food in the car and I needed to get home as quickly as possible, and not go out of my way to come in the back way just to try and avoid him. As it was, it took me an hour and a half to get home due to all the traffic.
Well, he and his wife were outside in their front yard. He was blowing leaves from the street with his blower. She was sitting in a chair out front. She did turn her head to look at me as I drove by. She had no reaction. He did use his left arm that was laying by his side to use his hand to ‘wave at me.’ It was a very sheepish wave. He had his head down and was reluctantly acknowledging me. I could see his embarrassment. I had no reaction. I just looked at them, and then pulled into my driveway and started to unload my car that was full of shopping.
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Bully’s
Joe Keener from Sevierville, Tennessee taught me the psychology of Bully’s many years ago when I moved from Roanoke, Virginia to Sevierville, Tennessee in the 70’s. I have even written about him in my past blog posts. Joe Keener sat next to me in homeroom for 3 years from 9th. – 11th. grade at Sevier County High School. Joe was a bully. But interestingly enough, whenever his entourage wasn’t around, he was quite nice to me. I know that I would brace myself for the usual insults that I would receive most every morning from him. But on those days where his friends weren’t around, nothing. He taught me that bully’s are truly cowards. Joe was nothing without his backup. Just like my neighbor next door. He is nothing without the cover of darkness. I stared him down. I’m not afraid of a chickenshit. And that chickenshit, waved at me when I drove by. Why? Because he was exposed out in the sunlight where he couldn’t hide. I’ve never seen such a sheepish wave in my life. He’s scared of me. Good! 🙂
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March 22, 2025
Buying Fence Material to Extend our Fence
Gordon came home from abroad and was here for a few weeks. But months prior, we had decided that we wanted to extend our fence to the end of our house so as to protect me from our hot heated neighbor. We were coming up with ways to protect me and our property from him. By extending our fence, that would prevent him from throwing things against our house. It would also prevent him from tampering with our property.
Gordon created a nice power point of how we wanted to extend our fence, and sent it along with the photographic evidence of the damage of our outside boxes, and a document of the abuse I was having to endure from our neighbors, to our HOA, (Home Owner’s Association.) They then granted us the permission we needed to extend our fence.
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This is one of the presentations Gordon created for our HOA.
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Gordon Buying The Materials For Our Fence
Gordon had put up our existing fence on our property so this was no big deal for him to do the extension.
Gordon purchased our fence material from Home Depot and rented a truck from them as well in order to get the materials here to our home.
The Truck, and our Fence Material
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Bringing Everything Around To Our Backyard
(I wanted to add that Gordon can only come home for a certain amount of time each year from his working overseas. It was quite sad that he had to spend a part of our time together extending our fence, because of our hot-headed neighbor’s abuse towards me.)
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Erecting Our Fence Extension
Gordon, along with our son-in-law Brian put up the fence extension. We waited until Brian had a day off. I kept Isabelle inside, while the guys erected the fence outside. They did it all in one day! And it is professional as hell! As always!
This is the Space Between our House and our Neighbor’s
Most of the Property is Ours
Gordon and Brian Erecting the Fence
(With Isabelle visiting her Daddy.) 🙂
Above left, you can see that large bush that is our neighbor’s. With our fence up, they only have about 1 foot of space between that bush and our fence. 🙂
Coming Together Nicely!
Me, Entering This Extra Privacy Space We Never Had Before
(I could sunbathe out here!) 🙂
The fence extension is up. Gates locked. Area contained.
I will be posting a photo of the finished results soon.
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April 3, 2025
What This Abuse From Our Neighbor Has Done To Me
Abuse always has a way of affecting us negatively. There are many kinds of abuse. I am only here to dictate what this abuse has done to me, and how it has affected me.
I get up very early in the morning on those days that I keep my Granddaughter Isabelle. On the days my daughter drops her off, I get up at 4:00 a.m.. On the days my son-in-law drops her off, I get up at 4:30 a.m..
Because of the abuse that I was having to endure from my neighbor I had moved most of my toiletries into our guest bathroom in the middle of the house so that I didn’t have to have that ball thrown at me when I was in mine and Gordon’s bathroom. Also, I just didn’t feel safe and secure using our bathroom. I didn’t feel safe in my own home. The guest bathroom offered me more of a private sanctuary than I had using our own bathroom. But, the thing is, I would shower at 4:00 or 4:30 a.m., with the lights off in the bathroom. I didn’t feel comfortable turning the lights on and letting him know that I was in there. So, I would get up, turn on the bathroom lights in our bathroom, and then shower in the guest bathroom with the lights off, hoping that he would then turn his attention towards the main bathroom, so that I could shower in peace in the guest bathroom.
Seems like a lot of trouble to go through in your own home just to have some peace. Yet, that is my story.
Showering in another bathroom, in the dark… Wow. You would think you should be safe from abuse in your own home, wouldn’t you?
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I have more to tell you but it will have to wait.
Julie
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April 4, 2025
Our New Fence
For Every Action, There Is A Reaction
Here is a photo of our extended fence. I took the photo today. The fence is there to protect me and our house from anything our neighbor may decide to do. The gates are locked. If he does decide to throw something at the house, it just might get trapped inside the fence. He would then have to hop over it to retrieve the item.
That is when……
he Would Be Recorded on Camera… and the police would be called in. 🙂
That’s Right! We have updated our security on our property.
(I should do something with that area. Perhaps turn it into some sort of private garden, or a Julie Sanctuary.)
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His Action, Our Reaction
It was a few years ago when I was outside in our backyard, and our neighbors were outside in theirs, when I heard her say to her husband, ‘You know what Ch_____, sometimes you can be a real bastard.’
See, she knows who she is married to.
You know, we never would have even thought to extend our fence, or even go to the trouble of installing some high tech security system. This is our Reaction, to his Actions.
When you look at the space between our homes most of it is ours. Our property. Now all they have to look at is our fence on that side of their house. It’s not our fault. It’s his. He is actually his own worst enemy. Do they know that we extended our fence because of what he was doing to me? I don’t know if they are capable of realizing that? And if they are, does he regret what all he did to me? Probably not. His kind only regrets getting caught. They never regret what they do.
Feeling Better,
Julie
p.s. Is this now over? That depends on our neighbors. But, things are more secure here than they were. 🙂
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Under Construction (Still Calculating the Costs)
The Money We Have Spent To Protect Us and Our Property
(Always save your receipts. You not only document the abuse, but you also document the cost you are spending to protect yourself from the abuse.)
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April 5, 2025
Update on Paul Keith Gray My Cyber-Stalker
Recently, Gordon and I came across a person who used to work for Microsoft. We then mentioned our cyber-stalker who started out with Microsoft and all that he has done to us since. This person then asked us what his name was? We then told this person. This person then looked downward in surprise, but then looked up at us and said, ‘I know him.’
This person left Microsoft in 2015, but said Paul still worked there. We figured as much. When we would try and look Paul up online we were always given bogus info on him. Places of employment that he never worked at. Paul has been erasing himself from the web for years now. But, he can’t erase former co-workers. This former co-worker now knows all that Paul has done to us. This person also added that if Paul is doing all that to us, he is most likely doing it to other people as well, and even stealing money.
I’ll leave it all right there.
Julie
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April 6, 2025
Adding A Little More Privacy
Gordon Putting Up More Bamboo Blinds on our Lanai
This side of our lanai is next to our neighbors and I wanted just a bit more security and privacy so Gordon hung these up along with one section. I had him do both sides of this section to make it a bit more private. We already had the blinds in our garage so the only cost here were on the hardware and some line to secure them in place.
In these photos everything is still covered up from winter. Now it’s all been cleaned and spruced up for Spring. I also like that I have a bit more privacy.
One More Privacy Project Coming….
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April 11, 2025
Still Not Comfortable Using My Own Bathroom
Even though we have done things to try and protect me from my neighbors I still don’t feel comfortable using my own master bathroom. This is what abuse does to you. It changes you. It limits you. It prohibits you from being the person you should be. And sometimes it is very hard to overcome. I’m sure that I will eventually get back into my own master bathroom. But, until then, I am using the guest bathroom because it offers me more safety and security and peace of mind.
Julie
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May 29, 2025
An Update Of My Nasty Neighbors
Through my cameras I can see my neighborhood, and my neighbors. I’m really not one to spy. Honestly! I never really cared about those kinds of things. Those were the kinds of things my friends cared about. ‘Hey Julie, come look at this!’ My friends always thought I was weird because I wasn’t as nosy as they were.
At first it was kind of fun and interesting to see my neighbors on the camera to come and go, walking their dogs in front of our house, etc. I love seeing when a package arrives! I have this big T.V. monitor that Gordon bought me so that I could keep track of everything. It is to the left of me. He is worried about me and wanted me to have some protection while he is away. Our own home security system. Sometimes it can be distracting with lots of activity that will catch my attention while I am online and cause me to look at the monitor. Most of the time it’s pretty boring. People setting out their trash cans, driving in and out of their driveways, etc. . I’ve even caught my neighbors across the street from me placing their trash bags into my can most every week under the cover of darkness because their can is full. I find that funny. If I were a man I doubt they would. But, seeing as how I am a woman living alone they take advantage of that. (Gordon is working overseas and is only home twice a year.)
However, it’s whenever I see my next door neighbors on the monitor, you know, the ones that have harassed me for so long, to have the audacity to walk by my house with their Labrador, that it just makes me sick to my stomach. How dare they walk by my house as if they haven’t a care in the world after all that they have done to me? That is the kind of people that they are. The self-righteousness, the white privilege, the republicanism. (It’s quite glaring actually.)
I still don’t use my bedroom and bathroom because of their harassment of me. While Gordon is gone I sleep on the couch and use the guest bathroom. They have literally chased me from an entire wing of our house. I need my sleep. I need my peace. I am my Grand-Daughter’s main caregiver. She needs a rested Tutu. She needs a Tutu that is at peace in order to care for her. I do my best. But, I do long for the day my next door neighbors move away.
Julie
Typing with Julie in 1965, (I mean Blogging with Julie in 2025) Dear Diary…
Dear Dairy… Olive Films (I just liked the logo.) Today I rearranged the cans in the pantry and dusted them off while wearing my new full skirt I sewed last week for the church picnic, and the pearls that my husband …
My, My, Peanut Butter Pie!
My, my… Peanut Butter Pie I’m originally from North Georgia, Rome to be exact. Peanut Butter is probably my most favorite food in the world. I eat more Peanut Butter than I do anything else. I knew I would be making …
Julie Italian
Ciao e Benvenuto
(Starting this in 2024)
Although Gordon and I have many Italian website pages full of recipes and ideas, I wanted to start this page just for me. With Gordon working overseas, he is not here to co-contribute along beside me, so it’s really just me now. Oh, he does come home for visits, and we do talk and collaborate most everyday on the phone, but sometimes it’s just me and my ideas. Most of the website have been my ideas, Gordon is just the excellent partner that I need to bring these ideas to fruition. He can figure out how to make my ideas work. He will think of things that I don’t. And, I will think of things that he doesn’t. We really are great partners whether it be working on the website, or in our married lives.
Italian Ingredients Are Beautiful and Colorful
I would like to state that I am not Italian. Nor do I wish to be. But, I do love the foods and the ideas that come with the foods the Italian people create. The Italian people are also very inspiring in their technique and food ingredients. There is so much history there. We here in America do not have the long history that other countries and cultures have. Our country is relatively new. But, we do have the uniqueness of a blending of so many cultures of people that have migrated over here from other countries. Some, looking for a better life. But, always bringing with them their foods, recipes and spices from their homelands.
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With this blending of foods from other countries, many of us are inspired to create our own recipes using the ideas and ingredients that are brought over here. Whether they are brought through Ellis Island, crossing the border on foot, arriving via airport, or discovering creative people through the Internet, it’s all very inspiring!
My Rome Handbook from my college days. I save everything!
I was born in Rome.
(O.K., it was Rome, Georgia, but still. Just think, I could have just left it at that and even passed a polygraph.) 🙂
I hope to add more to this page as I go. I hope you will enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed creating.
Grazie,
Julie (Barefoot)
I Call This Area My Little Outdoor Italy
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Italian Herb Project
I Adore my Italian Herbs!
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Here is a Project Where I Planted Flat Leaf Parsley, Basil, and Oregano in the same pot.
Purple Basil
To Me This Is Italy In A Pot
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Our Creative Kitchen
Although I’m sure that “experts” will trash our kitchen as being too cluttered, or non-functional. I will actually agree with them. However, this cluttered, non-functional, tacky kitchen reflects our personalities perfectly!
So, Moving On…..
Rolling Up My Sleeves Ready To Get Started
These Small Jars ARE My Inspiration!
Cucina & Amore
Bruschetta’s and Pesto’s
I Love Creating a Great Pizza
It popped into my head one night to use these great Bruschetta’s and Pesto’s on a pizza. I could even picture dolloping them in round circles all over a pizza crust, and then adding more great ingredients on top of them.
Here is the completed pizza. The recipe is below. It was truly delicious!
Which is why I wanted to share it with you.
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This is a Keeper!
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So, who is ready to join me in my cluttered and tacky kitchen?
Hey, some great meals have been created in this kitchen.
It’s all about the heart, and there is plenty of heart here. (And a few mermaid tails.) 🙂
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Pasta Bowls
It was one night that I wanted something Pasta for dinner. I had all these great ingredients, and some beautiful Basil, except I didn’t want a lot to eat. I thought that I would just put everything into a bowl and not all over a plate. (I view eating off plates as being a lot of food. But, I view eating in bowls as being smaller in portions.) It was then that my Pasta Bowls idea was born. It just sort of evolved as I put it together.
I Wanted My Pasta Bowl to Look a Bit Asian
My Basil Pasta Spaghetti Noodles, Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Red Pepper and Artichoke Bruschetta, and lots of grated Parmesan Cheese.
And my beautiful Basil!
See that open packet to the right of the photo above? That is an excellent pasta base.
I found it at Sprouts. It’s called Simply Organic Sweet Basil Pesto Sauce Mix.
I simply followed the packet instructions and added my Spaghetti Pasta. You can see it in the photos below.
In this photo I am just simply warming my Marinated Artichoke Hearts on a low heat.
Now It’s Time To Create Your Pasta Bowl
I do think this would be a very fun meal for a large group of people. They can create their very own Pasta Bowls.
Just set out a spread of ideas and let the party begin!
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My Spaghetti Omelet
(Recipe Down Below)
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Roasted Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms and Broccolini
(Recipe Down Below)
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My Italian Baked Potato
Also Topped with my Roasted Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms and Broccolini
(Recipe Down Below)
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Italian Roasted Potatoes with Red Onion and Garlic
I love a colorful medley of potatoes. It’s a nice, easy side dish to add to any meal.
All you need are the potatoes, some onion and garlic, along with some very enticing Italian spices from your pantry.
Along with a good dose of Olive Oil.
(Recipe Down Below)
The Italian Potatoes Served with an easy Salad and a grocery store bought Rotisserie Chicken.
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My Spaghetti Pie Creation
This was a lot of fun to make, and delicious to eat!
This was pretty much inspired by my Spaghetti Omelet.
After I made that, I then wanted to make a Spaghetti Pie.
I wanted to use my leftover Pastas that I had in the pantry.
And figured that they would work well here.
I figured that I could ‘disappear’ the different shapes into a pie with the other ingredients.
Turned out that it did work well together.
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Loving The Leftovers
Great With A Salad
Or Heated Up and Placed Into A Sloppy Joe
Below I Added Some Some Italian Mustard and Some Italian Cheeses
(Recipes Down Below)
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My Italian Goulash
I don’t know if there is such a thing as an Italian Goulash, but that is what I made here.
I have made several Goulash’s in my time, the origin is from Hungary.
This is my take on a Hungarian Goulash except with Italian Ingredients, and a few traditional Hungarian ingredients as well.
(Recipe Down Below)
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1930’s Irish-Italian Spaghetti
(Recipe Down Below)
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Goat Cheese, Roasted Garlic, and Olive Dip
(Recipe Down Below)
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Roasting Some Tomatoes…
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To Pack In Extra Virgin Olive Oil
(Recipe Down Below)
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Quick and Easy Naan Pizza w/ my Roasted Tomatoes in EVOO
This is pretty much just a suggestion as something to have with the Roasted Tomatoes above.
(Recipe Down Below)
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Recipes Start Here
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Funny, But I Don’t Even Know What To Call It?
Well, How About, Julie’s Inspirational Pizza? 🙂
Tastes Good To ME!
Just an FYI: I Happen to be Wearing Shorts 🙂
I can just hear my children now, ‘OMG! Mom’s on the internet with no pants on!’
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The Ingredients:
Mama Mary’s Original Pizza Crusts (Pack of 2)
The Exceptional Cucina &Amore Bruschetta’s and Pesto’s:
Pesto Alla Genovese (Basil)
Pesto Alla Firenze (Artichoke Lemon)
Bruschetta (Sun-Dried Tomatoes)
Bruschetta (Red Pepper and Artichoke)
Grape Tomatoes, Sliced in Half (As many as you like.)
1-2 Jars, Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Drained
Fresh Mozzarella, Sliced
(Pictured in the ingredients are some marinated mozzarella balls. They would have been great here, but I omitted them from this recipe as I thought there was just too much olive oil from the Pesto’s and Bruschetta’s.)
Shallots, Chopped into Rings
Fresh Basil Leaves
Proscuitto, Italian Ham
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Before I Assemble the Pizza….
I Need To Start Chopping Everything
The Grape Tomatoes, and the Shallots…
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Before I wanted to assemble the pizza’s with all the delicious ingredients, I wanted to bake them for a few minutes first on a 350F oven. You first want to use the Olive Oil Pam Spray on the Pizza Pan so the Pizza Crust doesn’t stick.
Just for a few minutes. Perhaps 3-4. Then remove from the oven and set aside.
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With My Pizza Crust Out Of The Oven…
It’s Time To Start Dolloping These Tastes All Over!
I specifically wanted the pizza to have these circle dollops all over it.
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Now It’s Time For The Mozzarella Slices…
Then the Sliced Grape Tomatoes…
And Finally, the Sliced Shallots
Also, I brushed some of the Basil Pesto all over the PIZZA BONE. 🙂
(That’s the outside of the Pizza.)
Beautiful and Perfect!
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Time For The Oven
I Placed The Pizza Into a 350F Oven For About 12 Minutes
While It’s Cooking…..
What a Delicious Messy Kitchen!
Waiting On My Pizza…
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Prosciutto, Italian Ham
With My Pizza Out Of The Oven…
I Wanted To Place Some Prosciutto On Top
Also, Some Fresh Basil Leaves
You Can Always Add A Grinding Of Fresh Black Pepper As Well
I ended up making 2 pizza’s. One for me, and one for Veronica and Brian. They loved their pizza as well. 🙂
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My Spaghetti Omelet
Topped With Fried Chorizo and Fresh Parsley in a Basil Pesto Sauce w/ Shredded Parmesan
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Frying Some Chorizo on the Stove Top
I just want it to be a bit crispy.
Ingredients For My Omelet:
Chorizo Slices for Topping
1 Package Brown Rice Pasta (16 oz.)
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13 Eggs, Beaten
5-6 T. Butter
Bunch of Fresh Parsley (Also for Garnish and separate sauce.)
1 t. Chopped Calabrian Peppers (This is HOT!)
8 oz. block (or less) Parmesan Cheese (Grated)
Jar of Prego Basil Pesto Sauce
Hawaiian Sea Salt (or any salt you desire) To taste.
White Pepper (To taste)
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Make Sure Your Parsley Has Been Washed
Ingredients at the Ready
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In a small sauce pan I am heating up some of the Prego Basil Pesto Sauce on the stove top.
I just want it to warm up and thicken up on a low setting.
With my Chorizo finished frying, I set it aside.
Also, reserve the skillet as this is what we will be cooking the Omelet in.
Now I am Cooking the Spaghetti Pasta
You Want To Cook The Spaghetti Pasta Until Al Dente
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With My Prego Basil Pesto Sauce Thickening, I’m Adding Some Fresh Parsley
I will just keep this on low until I’m ready for it.
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When the Spaghetti Pasta is Al Dente I drained it into a Colander, and then transferred it to a large mixing bowl.
Now I am adding about 3-4 T. butter and a handful of Fresh Parsley.
I then grated just about all of that block of Parmesan Cheese you see in the photo above left.
Now, mix it all together so that your butter is melted, and the other ingredients combined well.
Salt and Pepper
In another large bowl add all of your Eggs. I initially started out with 8 but decided that I needed more. Hence, 13!
I also added some salt and pepper to taste.
Now whisk the Eggs together thoroughly.
Now Pour the Eggs into Your Spaghetti Mixture
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Now you can grate some more Parmesan into the mixture.
Add a small teaspoon of the Calabrian Peppers….
(You might want to taste this as it is very HOT!)
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It’s time to melt about 2 Tablespoons of Butter into your skillet on a medium heat.
Pour the Omelet mixture into the skillet and place into a350F Oven for about 25 minutes. I covered the skillet in Aluminum Foil to prevent any burning.
When I thought it was mostly done I then removed the Aluminum Foil so that it could brown a bit. Cooking it an additional 5 minutes or so. Insert a toothpick or wooden skewer into the Omelet to make sure it is done. When it comes out clean then you know it is ready.
Also, ovens vary in temperature and what may take my oven 25 minutes, may take your oven 35 minutes. So, be sure to monitor it.
When it came out of the oven I topped it with the Fried Chorizo.
It Looks Beautiful Plated and with some Fresh Parsley and Basil
Although for Aesthetic reasons that Basil Pesto and Parsley Topping with the Shredded Parmesan Cheese may seem unnecessary, it did add to the taste nicely.
Slice and Serve
Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner… it goes with all!
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Irish-Italian Spaghetti
Because this recipe originated from the 1930’s, I imagine that it was created by an Irish-Italian family, probably living in New York City at the time. I imagine the family living in an immigrant neighborhood, surrounded by laughter, hard work, lots of wonderful smells wafting throughout the building, and inventive creativity by the residents. After all, this is a collaboration of two wonderful cultures.
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I Did Embellish The Original Recipe
The Ingredients:
1 lb. Ground Turkey
1 lb. Ground Sausage
1 Large Sweet Onion, Chopped
(Olive Oil for Sauteing Onions)
2, 10.75 oz. Cans of Tomato Soup
2, 10.75 oz. Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 t. Chili Powder
1/4 t. Cayenne Pepper
1/4 t. Turmeric
Freshly Ground Black Pepper to Taste
Tabasco Sauce (As many dashes as you desire)
2 lb. Spaghetti Pasta
Cheeses:
I have 3 here. A Shaved Parmesan
An Aged Irish Cheddar
And An Aged Italian Cheddar
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Ready To Get Started
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The first thing that I did was to chop the onion into a small dice.
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Campbell’s Soups
It makes perfect sense to me that these two soups would be included in this vintage recipe. This soup was a staple in every kitchen here in America.
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I added some Olive Oil to a saucepan to saute the onions.
I combined the Ground Turkey and the Ground Sausage into my wok to brown.
I prefer to cook my Onions separately from the meats.
The Screen is for Draining the Fat into the Sink
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When Both Are Done….
..Combine
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Now It’s Time To Add The Soups
Combine, And Simmer on a Low Heat
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Time To Add The Spices
(You can add as much or as little as you like with any of them. I know that my daughter doesn’t like spicy foods.)
I Eyeballed The Turmeric
It doesn’t change the taste of your food, and it is a cancer cell killer. So, eat up!
Simmering Away on Low
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Time To Grate My Cheeses…
Now, to Boil The Pasta
(Just cook according to package directions.)
When Ready, Drain Into A Colander
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Time To Plate
Add Some Fresh Basil
I Keep The Cheese Separate
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For Something Extra…
Gordon and I happen to love these Plant Based Meatballs. A nice addition.
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Don’t Forget Some Nice Bread To Go Along…
Store in the refrigerator for some great meals for the coming week.
Godere,
Julie
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Goat Cheese, Roasted Garlic, and Olive Dip
The First Ingredient:
Roasted Garlic
The first thing you want to do is to roast your garlic cloves.
I know that I have this particular recipe listed all over this website many times, as it is a favorite, but I will once again give the directions as they apply here.
Before Roasting left, After Roasting right
I’m using two small baking dishes here in order to roast all the Garlic Cloves that I need.
I’m simply placing the cloves into the baking dishes and then placing pats of butter on top. You can see how many I am using in each baking dish in the phots above left.
You then want to cover the baking dish with Aluminum Foil.
Turn your oven on to 400F.
When the oven comes up to temperature, place your baking dishes into the oven. I set the timer for 20 minutes to start.
I want to check and make sure that I have enough butter in each dish. I also want to use a utensil to help me stir the garlic and butter around in the dish to make sure everything is covered. Sometimes I have had to add more butter. Do so if needed.
I then place the dishes back into the oven for an additional 20 minutes. I then take them out just to stir them around a bit, and then place the baking dishes back into the oven for the last and remaining 10 minutes of cooking time.
When done I remove the garlic from the oven and set aside to cool.
(Usually snacking on the caramelized garlic with a spare baguette.)
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You can see the Roasted Garlic Cloves cooling in the photo, top. 🙂
Gathering My Other Ingredients:
~40 Roasted Garlic cloves
1 Stick of butter or about 8 Tbsp.
(You’ve already done this from above.)
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½ Cup Asiago Cheese
½ Cup Parmesan Cheese
4 – 10.5 oz. Goat Cheese – 2 Garlic and 2 Plain
1 Tbsp. Dried Thyme
1 Cup Ricotta Cheese
½ Cup Milk
Garnish with Stuffed Olives and Fresh Thyme Sprigs
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I drizzled a little bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil into each of my baking dishes the dip will be in.
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I placed my Goat Cheese into a mixing bowl, and then grated some Asiago and Parmesan Cheese into the bowl as well.
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Now to add my Milk and as many Roasted Garlic Cloves as I so desire.
Trust me, they will be DIVINE!
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Next Add The Remaining Ingredients and Mix Together
It’s time to top the mixture with Olives, any you desire. Just make sure they are pitted.
Bake in a 400F Oven for 35-40 minutes.
You can check the casserole dishes half way through and cover with foil if you so desire.
You do want the dip to brown a bit though.
Serve Warm with a Toasted Baguette
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Roasting Tomatoes in the Oven
Although Some Are Charred, They Are Still Delicious
Plainly Packed In Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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Click Here For: Edible Gifts Italian, Greek, Irish
We have roasted Tomatoes before. Just click on the link above for more information on how to.
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For This Recipe All You Need Are Lots Of Tomatoes, And Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Wash Your Tomatoes
Roma Tomatoes Work Best Here,
Although I used a combination of both.
Slice The Tomatoes As Thick, Or As Thin As You Like
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Baking Sheet Pans and Parchment Paper
Depending on how thin you slice your tomatoes, it will determine whether your oven should be on 250F, or 300F.
If you slice them thin, I would place them in a 250F oven. If you slice them thicker, I would place them in a 300F oven.
Once the Tomatoes are Sliced, Place them on Parchment Paper on the Temperature that you Desire, for About 2 Hours.
I sliced mine mostly thin, but some a bit thicker. Hence, the dark red as opposed to the bright red in color.
I then flipped them over and placed back into the oven for 30 minutes.
I only needed 1 jar for this food project.
I am allowing them to cool, and then packing them into the jar.
Pour the Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the jar to cover the Tomatoes.
Place the jar into the refrigerator.
Here is an excellent recipe you can eat them on…..
Quick and Easy Naan Pizza w/ my Roasted Tomatoes in EVOO….
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Cont…..
We have made several NAAN Pizza’s through the years, and they will always be a favorite weeknight dinner. I am adding this recipe here to use as an example for you of how you can eat your Roasted Tomatoes in Olive Oil that you just made above. 🙂
Topped with our Fresh Purple Basil
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Toasting Pine Nuts
I LOVE Toasted Pine Nuts! I love them on NAAN Pizza’s, and I love them on Salad’s.
You just want to place the Pine Nuts in a sauce pan on a medium heat.
As they cook they will turn a nice brown color.
Keep stirring them so they don’t burn.
The toasting will bring out their flavor.
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Ingredients:
NAAN
Hummus, (Any you desire. I’m using a plain Hummus here.)
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
A Few Balls of Mozzarella, Marinated
A Few Shakes of Dried Italian Herbs and Spices
A Shake or Two of Garlic Salt
My Roasted Tomatoes in Olive Oil
Toasted Pine Nuts
Fresh Purple Basil
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Turn Your Oven On 350F
You want to place your NAAN onto the oven rack for about 4-5 minutes on one side to toast.
Then remove from the oven and place onto an Aluminum Foil lined baking sheet, flipped the opposite side you toasted.
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Now it’s time to spread some Hummus over each NAAN.
Sprinkle some Italian Herbs and Garlic Salt over top.
Then Add Your Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Now You Want to Add Your Roasted Tomatoes Packed in Olive Oil
Like So….
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Now For The Marinated Mozzarella Balls….. add them around.
Sprinkle with the Toasted Pine Nuts…. then….
Bake in a 350F Oven for about 10-14 Minutes
Comes out looking delicious, just like this!
Top with Fresh Purple Basil
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Roasted Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms and Broccolini
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This recipe idea came to be simply because I had not used the Portabella Mushrooms or the Broccolini and I knew they would be going bad soon.
I didn’t know what to do with them so I roasted them.
I placed the cleaned Mushrooms and Broccolini onto a Baking Sheet and drizzled some Extra Virgin Olive Oil over top.
I also sprinkled some Italian Herb Seasonings, and some Bread Crumbs. Also, a pinch of Salt
I then massaged the Olive Oil into the vegetables and….
placed them into a 400F oven for about 20 minutes.
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This is after 20 minutes in the oven.
I then removed the Broccolini, and flipped the Mushrooms over….
so that they looked like this.
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I then simply added the same spices that I had used in the roasting process, to add to the cavity of each Mushroom.
I added the Bread Crumbs, the Italian Spices, and a big dose of the Shredded Parmesan Cheese.
I then placed them back into the 400F oven for about 8 – 10 minutes.
They Came Out Looking Wonderful, and Tasting Delicious!
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My Italian Baked Potato
With Butter, Salt, Pepper, and Italian Herbs
Then Topped With Shredded Parmesan Cheese, and then Topped With Leftover Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms and Roasted Broccolini
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The How To
I think we have all cooked a Baked Potato before.
The only difference here is that I will be adding ingredients to the outside of the potato before baking it.
Put a slice all the way down the potato, about 1/4 way deep.
Now sprinkle some Water all around the Potato that is sitting on the foil.
I did that in the photo, right. It is difficult to see though.
Now Add Your Salt, (a pinch or two), and some Pepper, (I used a White Pepper), and a generous amount of Italian Dried Herbs…
Next Add About 2 Pats of Butter to the Potato…
Now Seal the Potato up with Aluminum Foil
(You might want to place it in some kind of tin just in case the water or butter leak out while cooking.)
The Potato was Baked in a 400F Oven for an Hour
Once the Potato is done, place it into a bowl, mash it a bit, add some butter, salt and pepper….
Top With Some Parmesan Cheese and Fresh Herbs
EAT THE SKIN! (It’s good for you!)
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My Spaghetti Pie Creation
This recipe was born out of my need for a Sausage, Pasta, and Tomato Sauce with Olives for dinner.
I just wanted to rework Italian into something creative that I knew I would love.
I also had some leftover Pasta I wanted to use up.
I have to say that this was so good!
The only regret that I had was that I didn’t brush the Lasagna Noodles with an Olive Oil before I baked it.
I think that would be made it even more perfect. 🙂
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This is a “To Taste” Recipe
Meaning, you will make this to YOUR Tastes where amounts are concerned.
(Ignore the Mozzarella Cheese you see pictured here. I didn’t use any of it.)
Ingredients:
Spaghetti and Lasagna Noodles (About 16 oz. Spaghetti Noodles, and about 6 Lasagna Noodles)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, to taste
1 lb. HOT Italian Sausage
2, 14.5 Ounce Cans Petite Diced Tomatoes
Cottage Cheese (As much as you like)
1 Medium Onion, Chopped
2 Eggs
2 T. Butter
Roasted Garlic Cloves, to taste, I used about 10
Most of a Block of Parmesan Cheese, Grated
5 oz. Container of Shaved Parmesan Cheese
1 t. Dried Oregano
1/2 t. Fennel Seeds
(My Roasted Olives) Recipe down below
Bunch of Fresh Parsley
Pam Olive Oil Cooking Spray
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We eat a lot of this Sausage whether it be HOT or MILD.
Sometimes we even combine the two.
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Chopping Our Onion
Cooking Our Sausage in a WOK on a Medium-High Heat
(I love using a WOK to cook in.
I find that I do much better when I use a WOK as opposed to a Sause Pan.
I think the heat is better distributed in a Wok.
Break up the Sausage with your spoon and cook thoroughly, then add your Chopped Onions.
I added about a drizzle of Olive Oil to my Sausage and Onion Mixture.
I then added several Roasted Garlic Cloves, about 10 or so. and 1/2 t. Fennel Seeds.
Stir to Combine, you can Crush the Roasted Garlic Cloves with your Spoon
Now It’s Time To Add Our Cans Of Tomatoes and 1 t. Dried Oregano
Stir to Combine
At this point you have turned your Stove Top down to a Low to allow it to simmer and thicken up.
You want to stir occasionally.
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My Roasted Olives
I had these leftover in the refrigerator and wanted to use them here.
I just picked out about 20 of them to use in the recipe.
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Here is My Roasted Olive Recipe:
The Spaghetti Pie recipe will resume after this one. Just keep reading.
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RECIPE
My Curry Leaf Roasted Olives, Garlic and Sundried Tomatoes
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Our Front Yard Curry Plant
Draining My Olives and Washing My Curry Leaf Branches
(I can’t believe that I have no photos of my Olives that I used here in the jars they came in.
However, I will do my best to name them in the ingredient write-up.)
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Ingredients: Amounts Are Up To You
Assortment of Olives, preferably Pitted
I used Kalamata Olives, Moroccan Olives, Italian Castelvetrano Olives, and large Stuffed Olives
Sundried Tomatoes
3 Branches of our Curry Leaves
Fresh Garlic Cloves
Roasted Garlic Cloves
Key Limes
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Spices:
Oregano
Dill Weed
Dill Seed
Basil
Olive Oil
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My Roasted Garlic, Left, and Fresh Garlic Cloves, Right
(Each one adds a different flavor.)
Turn Your Oven on 400F
Line a Baking Sheet with Aluminum Foil and create a sort of “bowl” to be able to hold all the Olive mixture so they don’t expand all over the baking sheet.
In a Medium to Large Bowl I Added All My Drained Olives and some Fresh Garlic Cloves, as well as some Roasted Garlic Cloves.
I Chopped My Sundried Tomatoes into Smaller Pieces
(I love this brand of Sundried Tomatoes, I snack on them all the time.)
Add Everything To Your Bowl
Time To Add Your Spices,
And Key Lime (or Lime) Juice
(You don’t want your bowl full of olives, etc. all wet. You want everything to mix together nicely and not have some puddle in the bottom of the bowl. This should give you an idea of how much Lime Juice to add.)
Mix Everything Together and then Drizzle Your Olive Oil Over Top
This is a really good Olive Oil. By all means, stock up on it. You will use it quite often. It is one of the best.
(I tend to always add more, so just drizzle enough to combine everything together. You can always add more later on.)
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Now It’s Time To Place Them on the Baking Sheet
I Placed One Curry Branch Down First,
Then I Poured The Bowl of Olives Over Top
I Also Drizzled More Olive Oil Over Them to Make Sure They Were All Coated Well
Into The Oven They Go For 20 Minutes
Here I removed them and stirred them around a bit.
Just to make sure they weren’t sticking to the Aluminum Foil, and to make sure they were coated well in the Olive Oil.
I Also Added More Spices… just a few Shakes of This and That
Then Placed Them Back into the Oven for Additional 20 Minutes
Curry Leaves Should Have Been Blacker
(I would have loved for my leaves to have been more Charred, as they eat them overseas, but I didn’t want my Olives, etc. to be more done than they were.)
After a Total of 40 – 50 Minutes in the Oven….
Allow To Cool…
Then Place Into a Bowl and Add Some Fresh Curry Leaves Around
Keep in the Refrigerator
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Back to Our Spaghetti Pie Recipe….
As you can see, my sausage mixture is thickening up nicely.
I’m keeping it on a very low heat.
Time to Add My Olives
(I picked out several different varieties here. Not to mention all the good stuff that is “stuck” to them from the jar. It just adds more flavor.)
I’m keeping this on Low for now.
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Now It’s Time To Cook The Pastas
I’m cooking the leftovers of about 3 different Spaghetti Pastas here.
Cook to Al Dente. Just follow the package directions.
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Grating the Block of Parmesan Cheese
(I don’t think I grated the entire block, but I did grate most of it.)
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Boiling the Pastas
Spaghetti Pasta left, Lasagna Pasta back right
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When my Spaghetti Pasta was Al Dente, I placed it into a different Wok, and while still hot I added 2 T. of Butter.
Saving the Pasta Water left, just in case. Lasagna Noodles cooking, photo right.
With Butter melted, time to add the Eggs and Grated Parmesan Cheese. Combine.
This is an area where you can add as much cheese as you like.
My Lasagna Noodles are Al Dente. I placed them into a Colander to drain, photo left.
Photo right is my two Woks
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Pie Plate and Cooking Oil Spray
I’m spraying my Pie Plate with an Olive Oil Cooking Spray
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I lined the bottom of the Pie Plate with the Lasagna Noodles, and then wrapped them around the outside of the Pie Plate.
Like So….
I then placed the Spaghetti Noodle mixture in the very center of the Pie Plate. Followed by dollops of Cottage Cheese until I covered the Pasta and added as much as I personally like.
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I then spooned the Sausage Mixture over top of the Cottage Cheese.
And to top it off, I added a handful of the Shaved Parmesan in the middle of my Spaghetti Pie.
Time To Go Into A 350F Oven For About 20 – 25 Minutes.
I wish that I had brushed the Lasagna Noodles with Olive Oil before baking.
I think the noodles would have come out much nicer had I done that.
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Out of the Oven and Cooling
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My Pie!
Of course when I cut into it, it sort of just ran together.
But, it is soooo delicious!
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My Spaghetti Pie Leftovers
Great With A Salad…
Or, my extra filling heated up on the stove top and served between two slices of bread, with some slices of Italian Cheeses and some Italian Mustard.
This Recipe is a Keeper!
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My Italian Goulash
Perfect All In One Meal
(Just Add A Salad And Some Great Bread)
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The Ingredients:
1 lb. Ground Chicken
(We don’t eat red meat, so our go to when we want any sort of meat in a dish is either ground chicken, or ground turkey, and many times ground sausage.)
My Tomatoes
I used the 3 medium you see above, and most of the grape tomatoes you see in the small colander.
I used about a Tablespoon and a half of Garlic Olive Oil (In two separate pans)
1 Onion, I used about 2/3 rd. of it.
1 Green Bell Pepper
About 6 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
1/2 t. of Dried Italian Seasonings
1 t. Pizza Palooza Seasonings
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Black Garlic Salt (Pictured Down Below) to taste
1 24 oz. Jar Italian Strained Tomatoes
1 t. Calabrian Peppers (This is HOT! Use Caution)
Handfuls of Fresh Spinach Leaves
(Use as much as you like. They wilt down tremendously.)
Shellbows Pasta (1 Pound)
4-5 oz. Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Shaved Parmesan Cheese, as a Garnish/Topping
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I’ve Chopped the Onion and Green Bell Pepper into small Chunks.
I placed about a Tablespoon of Garlic Olive Oil into my sauce pan and turned the burner onto a medium-high heat.
My Garlic Cloves are ready to crush when needed.
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When my Garlic Olive Oil and my sauce pan heated up, I then added my Chopped Onions.
I also crushed in my Garlic Cloves so that they can soften.
I just want to saute it around for about 5 minutes, I then added the Green Bell Pepper to also saute and soften.
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In a separate sauce pan I cooked the Ground Chicken on a medium-high heat, breaking it up into small chunks.
I added about a teaspoon of Garlic Olive Oil to the Ground Chicken while cooking.
Drain any fat if you need to.
You just want the chicken cooked, and the vegetables softened.
Now I am going to add my Onion/Bell Pepper/Garlic mixture to the cooked Ground Chicken.
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Now I am adding my Tomatoes to the meat mixture.
I did remove the sauce pan from the heat and sliced the Grape Tomatoes in half, and then chopped my larger Tomatoes into chunks.
Then added them to the meat mixture.
—————————————————————————————————
Time To Add My Spices
Dried Italian Herbs and Spices, Pizza Palooza Spice Mixture, and my Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Blend Together….Place Saute Pan Back On Stove Top Burner
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Add Italian Strained Tomatoes…
Stir Together and bump the heat up to a Medium Heat for everything to meld together.
Time to add about a Teaspoon or Tablespoon of the Chopped Calabrian Peppers.
(These things are HOT! Use Caution!)
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I just wanted my mixture to thicken up by simmering it until it does. Be sure to watch it and stir occasionally.
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Time To Add The Fresh Spinach Leaves
I used a LOT! The Spinach cooks down tremendously so be generous in your heaping handfulls.
Just Stir Together
Keep the Heat on a Low Setting for Now
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The Shellbows
Cooking The Pasta Until Al Dente
Just bring a pot of water up to a high temperature.
I added some salt to the water to speed up the cooking.
I also added a few drops of the Garlic Olive Oil for flavor to and help prevent the sticking.
Once the Shellbows are Al Dente I used a strainer to just move the Pasta from the pot to my main dish.
Stir To Combine
My Parmesan Cheeses
I Added The Shredded Parmesan to the Meat Mixture…
Then Sprinkled a few “Pinches” of the Black Garlic Salt overtop, to taste.
I then used the Shaved Parmesan to top my Italian Goulash
(Although you can see the Spinach Leaves peeking through, you could also add some Fresh Chopped Parsley if you so desire.)
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Spero Chi Ti Piaccia Il Mio Cibo
(I Hope You Enjoy My Food)
Grazie,
Julie
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If you would like to view our other Italian food posts……
Julie’s Italian Appetizers and Edible Gifts
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Gordon and Julie Italian Seconda Parte 2
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La Sciatta Giulia Anna’s (Italian Sloppy Julie Ann’s)
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Edible Gifts: Italian, Greek, and Irish
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Modern Day Mona (Lisa) Halloween
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Even More Italian (Just For You)
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Tavolino Da Caffe Italiana (Coffee Table Italian)
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Grazie,
Julie and Gordon
The Inspiration of BLUEY and the Heeler’s
(For Peanuku) 🙂 Our Cookie Ice Cream ————————————————————————————- Australian Cartoon, Bluey This show is Brilliant! I wish the Heeler’s had been my parents. 🙂 The parents, Bandit and Chili, are Blue and Red Heeler dogs. Their children are Bluey and Bingo, Bluey being …
My PINK Flamingo Summers
Let’s Flamingle! —————————————————————————- Busy Standing on one leg…. Currently —————————————————————————————– Ambrosia, Pink Grapefruit Sake, and Toasted Coconut 🙂 ——————————————————————- Julie’s Pink Flamingo Pasta Salad (A Rough Draft) Our Pink Backyard Bromeliad in Bloom I got the idea that I wanted to …
Oranges Sm’Oranges, And Other Citrus
(Because Nothing Rhymes With Oranges) 🙂
Orange is the New Muffin
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(I added a few Banana Chips as an accent, above.)
I Have Discovered Indian River Citrus, and There is NO Going Back!
My Florida Orange Muffins w/ Lemon Citrus Glaze
(Recipe Down Below)
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I LOVE an Orange Summer!
Be sure to look for the Florida Juice Oranges label if you will be juicing Oranges.
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Grandma Nell’s Ambrosia Recipe…
which I Embellished.
Julie’s Florida Ambrosia
(Recipe Down Below)
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Grapefruit Sake Ambrosia Cocktail
(Topped with Toasted Coconut)
I purchased the cute little bottle of Grapefruit Sake at the Asian Supermarket and decided to add it to a wine glass full of my Ambrosia. It was a Fruit Cocktail, and a Cocktail. Either drink it, or use a spoon or fork to eat it, or BOTH!
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Our Backyard Orange Tree…
…In The Morning Sun
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Recipes Start Here
My Summer Kitchen
——————————————————————————————————————-
My Florida Orange Muffins w/ Lemon Citrus Glaze
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This recipe will make about 24 Mini Muffins, or about 16 Regular Muffins, or 10-12 Large Muffins.
I always double, and sometimes triple a recipe like this because I like to give them to family members to enjoy as well.
I will however, just give the recipe for ONE batch of Muffins.
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Greasing The Muffin Pans
I Decided to Make Large Muffins Here
For this you will need Crisco Shortening. You just want to grease all around the inside of the Muffin Pans with the Crisco. I tend to use a paper towel as I don’t like my hands getting all greasy.
Once the Muffin Pans are nicely Greased, now sprinkle some All Purpose Flour into the Muffin Pans.
Like So….
I then take each pan over to the sink and turn the Muffin pan sideways to move the All Purpose Flour around the sides, coating the Crisco with the Flour. You just want a nice dusting. When done, set aside for now.
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Ready To Make Our Muffins
Muffin Ingredients:
1 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 t. Baking Powder
1/2 t. Baking Soda
1 Cup Sugar
1/4 t. Salt
2 Eggs
2/3 Cup Orange Juice
1 t. Grated Orange Peel
1 t. Grated Valencia Orange Peel
1/3 Cup Canola Oil
1/2 t. Vanilla Extract
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The Lemon Citrus Glaze Ingredients
1/4 Cup of Confectioner’s Sugar, or Thereabouts
The Juice of 1-2 Lemons
(Also the Zest)
1/2 to 1 t. Grated lemon Peel (From a Jar)
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Let’s Get Started
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Pre-Heat The Oven To 350F
My Muffin Pans are Ready
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This is a Pretty Easy Recipe
First Let’s Mix Our Dry Ingredients
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In a Large Mixing Bowl:
Add,
1 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 t. Baking Powder
1/2 t. Baking Soda
1 Cup Sugar
1/4 t. Salt
1 t. Grated Orange Peel
1 t. Grated Valencia Orange Peel
Mixing The Dry Ingredients w/ a Whisk
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Time To Mix The Wet Ingredients
In a Medium Sized Bowl:
Add,
2 Eggs
2/3 Cup Orange Juice
1/3 Cup Canola Oil
1/2 t. Vanilla Extract
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Whisk the Wet Ingredients Together
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With the Dry Ingredients in One Bowl, and the Wet Ingredients in the Other…
..It’s Time to Combine Them
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Now, Time to Fill the Muffin Pans, up to 3/4 High
Into a 350F Oven for about 15 Minutes or So…
Depending on Your Oven
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In Order to Determine if They are Done, Insert a Toothpick,
if it Comes Out Clean, You Know They are Done.
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Allow The Muffins To Cool on a Cooling Rack,
For about 10 Minutes in the Pan.
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Time To Prepare The Glaze
The Lemon Citrus Glaze Ingredients
The Beauty of This Glaze is That You Can Add as Much or as Little, as You Like
In a Bowl:
Add,
1/4 Cup of Confectioner’s Sugar, or Thereabouts
The Juice of 1-2 Lemons
(Also the Zest)
1/2 to 1 t. Grated lemon Peel (For an Added Taste)
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You Can Make The Glaze as Think or as Thick as You Like
Simply Add All of Your Ingredients and Mix Together
I Placed A Tray Underneath to Catch the Excess Glaze
First Coat of Glaze on Muffins
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The Glaze That Fell Through, You Can Place Back on the Muffins
Delicious!
What a Great Morning Muffin to Have With Your Indian River Orange Juice
Store in the Refrigerator
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Making The Ambrosia
My Grandmother LOVED Ambrosia and would literally make it on a loop all summer long. Usually about 2 to 3 times a week. It was always in her refrigerator and she would help herself to it, usually in the afternoon’s, while asking me if I wanted some Ambrosia?
Her Ambrosia recipe was very simple, yet delicious.
When you are in the state of Georgia (or Florida) heat, you aren’t interested in how fancy and elaborate it is, you only want that refreshing hit that the citrus would give you to help cool you down.
I decided that I wanted to make Ambrosia Grammaw Nell’s way, so I did. I do have to say though that it was a MESS!
I have two Ambrosia recipes here to give you. I highly recommend the latter, as it was much easier and not as messy. But, here is my account of the two recipes.
For This Recipe I Used a Few Different Kinds of Oranges, Some Grapefruits and Some Mandarin Oranges Already to Eat.
I tried my best to segment each Orange and Grapefruit. I also wanted some of the Zest from both.
You Can See The Mess I’m Making
I Believe that I Threw More Away Than I Actually Used
I did buy a jar of Mandarin Oranges to add to the Ambrosia.
Just drain the juice, but be sure to save the juice for your breakfast the following day. If it’s too sweet, you can always add water to dilute it down.
Just Combine All Of Your Citrus…. and Some Zest….
I Bought Grated Coconut and Toasted Coconut
I want to top the Ambrosia with the Toasted Coconut. I made this Ambrosia with the intention of giving some away. I also gave my kids the Toasted Coconut in baggies to sprinkle on top when they ate the Ambrosia I gave them at their homes.
Adding Some Grated Coconut….
Mix Together and Add Some Granulated Sugar
(That was my Grandmother’s Recipe. Now for Mine!)
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Julie’s Ambrosia
Now that I am my Granddaughter’s main caregiver, I just don’t have as much time as I used to. So, I wanted to make my own Ambrosia, but didn’t want to do all that peeling and segmenting of the Citrus. I was happy when I found all these great ready made jars and containers of already peeled and segmented Oranges, Grapefruits, and Mandarin Oranges.
Now This is Easy!
You Will Need Some Colanders to Drain All That Juice
Once The Juice Is Drained… Be Sure To Save It!
Just Place All of Your Drained Citrus Into a Large Bowl
I Did Replace the Juice Back Into Their Original Containers.
Great For Breakfast The Following Week
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Here I Added Some Shredded Coconut to the Citrus
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Lemons, and Coconut Sugar
Next, Zest Some Lemons and Juice the Lemons, Into the Citrus
Give It A Good Stir
Now Add The Coconut Sugar
If you haven’t noticed, I eyeball all of these ingredients to my personal tastes.
You can do the same.
Stir Together
Pomegranate Seeds and Mint Leaves
You can either buy the Pomegranate’s and remove all the seeds yourself, which takes up so much time. Or, you can buy them already seeded and ready to eat. That’s what I did. The Pomegranate Seeds add such a lovely pop of color to my Ambrosia.
Then place the mint leaves however you like. You could chop them up and stir them in. Or, you could add them as a lovely flowering leaf. Either way, they add such a wonderful touch.
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Julie and Gordon
Steamin’ and Pickin’ Crab, w/ Recipes
Our Crab Key, Jamaica In honor of Crab Key, Jamaica, we knew we had to do something with crabs. After all, near the end of the movie, Dr. No’s henchmen tied up Honey Ryder so that she would be eaten by crabs. Therefore, we …
More of Julie’s Jezebel Recipes to Enjoy
I Heart Jezebel (Sauce) —————————————————— Julie’s Southern Jeze-Bells Pizza Made With My: Julie’s Georgia Peach Jeze-Bells Sauce Click Here For: Julie’s Jezebel Sauce I have 4 Jezebel’s on the webpage link above. We also have many recipes that you can …
Let the SUMMER In!
I Love Simple Flowers,
Nothing Stunningly Beautiful, Just Very Pretty and Charming, With Personality
Welcome Summer,
Come On In!
I’ve Missed You, Just Try Not To Be So HOT This Year 🙂
But, If You Do Insist Upon It….
I Have a Few Suggestions For Us All
I have created a nice area here in our backyard. The Shelving Cabinet is anchored to the wall, and has some protection underneath the house eaves. Our son Brodie put it together for us.
I purchased the white shelving unit to use for my gardening as well as an area of the backyard to entertain. I thought it could also make a great Buffet for food.
In Florida, any kind of wooden furniture only has a shelf life here of about 3 – 5 years. Wood always eventually rots here and there is nothing we can do about it. Even Teak will only last so long. What with our heat, humidity, mold, and storms, there is constant cleaning, bleaching and pressure washing. So, we do try and make the best of it while we have it looking good.
I have however, enjoyed the different ideas that we have had for this area over the years. And, I’m sure that in a few years we will be doing something totally different. For example, I think removing that window you see behind me, and replacing it with a door, would be really nice. Then, we could turn the area you see into some sort of nice patio. Well, perhaps someday. But for now, let’s just enjoy what we have.
So, for now, Let The Summer In,
Julie
(I do hope to update as time goes by with new summer entries.)
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Julie’s Fruit Cocktails
I had this idea in my head that I wanted to fill our cooler with ice to the very top, and place a few bottles of Bubbly along side a platter of Fruit surrounded by Colorful Flavored Ice Cubes with tongs to fill pretty Pink Wine Glasses with the Ice, Fruit, and Mint Leaves.
The Bubbly is Mango, Peach and Strawberry Moscato
I also have a few other juices, along with some nice round plump juicy grapes.
My idea was to pour the Moscato of your choice into a glass, then add the flavored Ice Cubes, along with some Fruit and Mint. To me, they are now “Fruit Cocktails.”
The Umbrella Offers Some Shade and Cool
I also had a fan blowing on me, which you cannot see.
I have my special plants and flowers around me.
I also wanted some of my pretty flowers in the cooler as well with my Fruit Cocktails.
A Toast To Summer
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My Strawberry Moscato,
..with My Tea Sandwiches
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I wanted just a few goodies to eat with the Fruit Cocktails.
A favorite tea sandwich of mine is Pimiento Cheese, and I did use a Carrot Hummus to create another tea sandwich topped with Pimientos.
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My Fruits:
Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, and Pomegranate Seeds
Although not pictured above, I do have slices of Limes and Lemons
I Love Adding Flowers to Food in the Summer
I Also Added Some Parsley to my Carrot Hummus Sandwiches
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I LOVE This Lighting…
It’s just what the camera picked up.
I didn’t do anything but point and shoot.
My Simple Flowers With My Simple Sandwiches
Now You Can See The Lemons and Lime Slices Around The Colorful Ice
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Just a Few of the Cooling Cocktail with Fruit
I Do So Love My Beautiful Orchids Here
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This is How I Want it to Look Year Round
Pretty Plants and Flowers
Strawberry Moscato Shelfie
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Chinese On The Outside Buffet
Our Pickled Thai Eggplant
I Opened a Jar of My Oriental Jezebel Sauce to Eat With My Egg Rolls, and Potstickers
Also, With My Tea with Limes
Thai Rice With Lime and Herbs
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I was actually quite proud of my Potstickers.
Usually Gordon is the one that makes them to perfection but I thought mine were pretty good!
——————————————————————————–
Making My Colorful Flavored Ice Cubes
These Flavored Waters are so Delicious! Gordon used to drink them all the time to take with him to work with his lunches, or even when he would be running errands he would grab one from the fridge in the garage to take with him. Which is why I thought of these when I wanted to create some nice flavorful and colorful ice cubes for my drinks, above.
I just poured the many flavorful drinks into the ice cube trays you see above…
I then placed them into the freezer to freeze…
And then I placed them into this refrigerator tray when they were ready.
I kept making them as long as I had the flavored water to add to the ice cube trays.
When Done, I Added Them To The Platter On My Cooler For The Fruit Cocktails.
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Luckily, this is a Florida Summer, which means we will be around for awhile. 🙂
Julie
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Be Sure To Check Out:
Julie Barefoot In The Backyard
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Lilly Pulitzer (The Barefoot Queen of Pink and Green)
Lilly Beautiful Lillian Lee McKim Pulitzer Rousseau (1931 – 2013) —————————————————————————- Me, Mother’s Day 2023 with Sparky, Wearing a Lilly ——————————————————————————- PINK, and Shades Thereof ———————————————————————————— My Lilly Pulitzer Bread Box Doll House Lilly Fabrics Create a Window Curtains, A Chair, …
Quickie Italian
Quickie Italian Sometimes, All You Need is a Ready Made Tomato Focaccia, and some Wine I Call It Herb Bread 🙂 When I think of cooking Italian food, I imagine a long list of ingredients, carving out a significant portion of …
Blogging With Julie MORE in 2024
Shirley Temple, Anyone?
Julie Barefoot Blogging with a Baby Bed in the Living Room
(I am my Grand-Daughter Isabelle’s (Peanuku) Main Care-Giver.)
‘Yeah, I see it. Thanks for letting me know.’
(Usually someone warning me about a threat from my cyber-stalker.)
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Blogging With Julie All Along (Past and Present Blogging)
AND,
2023 and ME! Julie Barefoot Blogging
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Blog Entries Start Down Below
Talking to Gordon Everyday, Who is Working Overseas
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‘Blogging With Julie’ Always Seems to Involve Cameras and Wine 🙂
And, a Comfy, Cozy Computer Chair.
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Me, with my Grandfather, Franklin Elwood Haskin
Sometimes I wonder what my Grandfather would think of me if he were to see me now?
Would he be proud of me? Or ashamed of me?
He was the nicest man that I have ever known in my life. He died when I was 14, from his second heart attack. He was also a Type 2 Diabetic. At his funeral there was standing room only. The balcony of the church was over flowing. He was a good and kind man. A religious man. What would he think of his Grand-Daughter who drinks red wine every night? Who doesn’t go to church every Sunday? And, who no longer believes? Would he hate me? Be sad for me? Be ashamed of me?
I have no idea? But one thing I do know is that I need to be me, no matter what?
I am living in my time, not his. Sometimes I long to be that little girl that was so protected by him and my Grandmother and my Great-Grandparents. However, the thought of reliving all of this all over again until adulthood is not something I would ever want to do. I also don’t know if I could even survive it all again? Upon looking backwards, I believe that my ignorance in certain situations is how I survived it all to begin with.
Regardless, I believe that we all need to be ourselves. No matter who that self is?
I never told my Grandfather how to live his life, so there is no reason for me to fear his disapproval of mine?
When you are true to yourself, then peace and happiness finds it’s way into your very soul. In the end, that is all that matters.
Julie
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My Peanuku
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“Being happy never goes out of style.”
Lilly Pulitzer
Reading Lilly
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Click Here For:
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I Turned 63 February 13th.
Isabelle and I Wearing our Matching Lilly Pulitzer Clothing
Gordon, Me, and Isabelle, Tiki Docks, February 13th., 2024
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Out The Door With Julie and Isabelle
Foods, Snacks, Candies, Cameras…. CHECK!
Let’s GO!
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Just a Couple of Cool Girls Out For a Drive…
While Wearing our Lilly’s
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BLOG ENTRIES START HERE
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January 1, 2025
Another New Year
Today is the start of another new year.
This has been a day that I have been dreading since the election in early November, 2024.
I haven’t wished one person a Happy New Year. Oh, I’ve said things like ‘may we all have a nice new year,’ but that’s different from wishing someone a Happy New Year. It’s not that I don’t want everyone to have one, it’s just that I don’t feel that too many of us will be having a very happy new year so it just seemed pointless to even ring in a new year when this could very well be the beginning of the end of America as we know it. I also noticed that when I was out shopping on New Year’s Eve that not one person wished me one either. I thought that was unusual seeing as how that’s kind of what employees in business do every single holiday to the people they encounter. Whether it be the cashier’s, the bag boys/girls, the receptionist at the doctor’s office, the vet, and any neighbors we may encounter when crossing paths.
I was so depressed after the election that I immediately cancelled Thanksgiving. After all, Thanksgiving is a feast based on a slaughter as it is, but it represents Native Americans coming together with immigrants to have a peaceful feast. So, with that in mind, how can any of us be so hypocritical as to celebrate Thanksgiving when we have so many anti-immigrant Americans among us? Well, actually, they are just anti-black and brown immigrants, but any white Canadians that care to migrate over then you are all very welcomed!
I also just didn’t have the strength to even muster any semblance of an attempt to plan any Thanksgiving, so I cancelled it.
But, when it came to Christmas I was inspired. Although I didn’t start out that way. It was a gradual gravitation in that direction. Or rather I ‘levitated’ in that direction. 🙂
It was while I was browsing online when I came across the Harry Potter Official Christmas Cookbook, by Elena P. Craig and Jody Revenson.
It’s really not like me to even want to buy a Harry Potter Cookbook, but for some reason I did. When it arrived I was flipping through it and I loved every page, every photograph, every recipe.
I WAS INSPIRED!
I just couldn’t put it down. I ended up looking through it so much that I told Gordon (who is working overseas), that I have the best idea for a Harry Potter Christmas but I just don’t know if I have the energy to do it? I told Gordon that I think it would be a great idea for me to buy the same book for Veronica, Mackenzie, and even her sister Susannah, who is a HUGE Harry Potter fan. I also had the idea to have each of them to make 1,2, or 3 things from the cookbook to bring over here for our Christmas Party. He told me to go for it! So, I thought about it and decided that if I didn’t do this now then I might regret it later on. After all, we don’t know what Christmas, 2025 is going to be like? We don’t even know if any of us will want to celebrate Christmas, 2025. Therefore, now is the time for me to do this.
This just might be the last ‘Happy Christmas’ for all of us.
The Christmas Books and Gift Bags
As a rule I don’t believe in Miracles, but I do believe in Magic
It was at this point that the ideas and inspiration just flowed like a waterfall all over me. I couldn’t contain my excitement and I just started to dive right in with all the prep work. Everyone was also very excited about our very own Harry Potter Christmas. There was also this baking show on the Food Network, hosted by the Weasley twins, Fred and George Weasley, A.K.A. James and Oliver Phelps. That too was inspirational. A baking competition based on the Harry Potter movies and all the baking was being done by huge fans of the movie franchise. I contacted everyone to tell them about the show and they then informed me that they were already watching it. Great!
It was then that I started looking online for other Harry Potter cookbooks, etc. I came across some more and ordered them for me to look through and perhaps become even more inspired. They arrived, and I WAS! Even though I may never cook anything from those books they were still enjoyable to read and look at. After all, that is what books do for you. They make you feel good.
My sad and depressed mood starting lifting up and I was becoming so happy.
I have no earthly idea why someone would prefer that small handheld cold device that most people are glued to the majority of the day, to holding a book in your hand. Large enough to see and read. Colorful enough to enjoy all the photographs, to read all the words. To even turn all the pages.
Did you know that the average person is on their phone a total of 2 1/2 months a year?
I never would have even thought to have a Harry Potter Christmas had Trump not won the election.
I never would have ordered all those books that have made me so very happy this past month, and inspired me more than I have been in awhile. I can’t imagine burning any of these wonderful books like some in my country want to do. Books teach us, books entertain us, books inspire us, books make us happy.
I sent my mother-in-law, Sarajane Whann, the Harry Potter Cookbook and Hogwarts book stand for Christmas. She too is a huge fan of the franchise. I heard that she loved it! She had developed Bronchitis over the holidays and was bedridden and the only book she had with her to read in bed was the cookbook I sent her. The thing is, I totally get it! I know she will never cook one item from that cookbook. You don’t have to, to enjoy reading it.
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This is perfection to me! Snuggly covers, comfy pajamas, and lots and lots of inspiring books! Oh, and my Blackberry Gingerale.
Harry Potter Glasses (Optional)
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The Christmas Party, A.K.A. Our Harry Potter Pot Luck Supper
Before My Party Starts
Although you wouldn’t know it to look at me in the photo above, I was rushing around like crazy doing last minute things and I’m surprised I look as calmly as I do. I really can’t believe that I pulled off such a big party all by myself. You know, it’s a lot more work than it looks and seeing as how I kept Isabelle up until a day and half prior to my party. I so wished that Gordon could have been here to help me.
Isabelle’s crib had to be moved out onto the lanai in order to create some more space inside the house. I was moving/dragging furniture to the bedroom and the den. I had to create space in order to fill space. Christmas trees, etc.
It wasn’t just the family that came, it was also Mackenzie’s twin sister Susannah and her boyfriend Matt.
Mine and Gordon’s bedroom was such a mess that I just closed that part of the house off and everyone had to make due with the guest bathroom. There were so many pots and pans and dishes and skillets, that I just piled everything into the laundry room sink just to have somewhere to put them all. Otherwise, nothing could have been prepared in the kitchen. I know that it took me a good 3 days after the party to get all those things washed and put away.
Our Harry Potter Table
Everyone did such a great job making their food to bring from the cookbooks I bought them all. Veronica was so inspired by the Focaccia Breads that she made that she wants to make more of the bread in the future. Same with Brodie and his Pumpkin Rolls. They were so good too! I would like to think that this Harry Potter Party was inspiring to everyone. I know that I am looking forward to doing the write ups. I even told everyone to take photos while they created their foods so that they can be included in the website page recipe write ups. I just wanted everyone to have fun with it.
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I was so busy with this Harry Potter Christmas throughout December that I really didn’t have that much time to work on past Christmas website page write ups. Looks like I will be devoting January to try and catch up. Perhaps even into February. I’m really not planning on doing anything big until Gordon comes back home in March. We are already planning a few fun things to do while he’s home.
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But, I haven’t even gotten to our most exciting news of the holiday season……
Brodie and Mackenzie are ENGAGED!!!
Bok Tower Gardens
I told everyone from the moment I met her that I hope she will be our Daugther-In-Law someday.
Looks like my wish came true!
I gave Brodie my ring to remake and give to Mackenzie. I hadn’t worn my ring in over a decade because it would no longer fit my fat finger. It’s a lovely one carrot marquise diamond. He had it refashioned and she loves it. I’m very happy to pass my ring onto someone so very special.
Looks like I’m going to be Mother of the Groom now. 🙂
Gordon and I are so very happy! Same with Veronica and Brian. Our little family is growing.
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Well, it looks like this will come to a close, the last blog post I make on this website page.
I do wish every single one of us a nice new year. I’ve been waiting for someone to save us since the Bush/Cheney years and no one has. We’ve only survived them. So, that is what I wish for all of us now. That we also survive the coming Trump years. I think that is about the best that any of us can hope for.
Julie
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December 1, 2024
I Say Just Let Them Destroy Everything
It was while Gordon was in the military and we were living on base housing out in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, that my parents told me to let Gordon pay the bills from now on, and not me anymore. They had no confidence in me. I told them that it will be a disaster because I am more responsible than he is. The thing is, that every single military family in every branch of service has a good 100 horror stories of not being paid what they are owed. One family we used to know in Maryland didn’t get a paycheck for a year!
I’m truly not exaggerating! That is the truth!
In some cases it takes a year or even longer to straighten out a service members paycheck. A lot of military families have bad credit but it isn’t their fault. When you work a full time job, but your boss doesn’t pay you, then it’s not your fault you can’t pay your bills. Most military have bad credit. I tried to explain that to my parents, but they just didn’t believe me. So, I did what they wanted, I turned everything over to Gordon knowing full well that it would be a disaster. Within 2 months we had no telephone, or cable, why? Because I learned how to rob Peter to pay Paul, so that none of that would happen. Gordon however, didn’t know those tricks. Most military wives have learned how to play the game in order to survive. I went along with something that I knew would be a disaster just so certain people would then shut the fuck up! And that is exactly what happened. No one ever said that to me again, not even Gordon.
I say that we do the same thing for our country. Hand it all over to the republican’s to destroy. Let them destroy it. Then perhaps once it’s destroyed, their supporters will then shut the fuck up when we try and fix it again. Drastic things need to happen in order to create positive change. I’m just not looking forward to the bottom that we have to reach in order for things to get better.
Julie
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November 28-29th., 2024
Shopping, ALL DAY! (The 26th.)
Purse, Lunch Tote, Shopping List Booklet, and Rape Alarm
(Actually, I have several rape alarms planted in several places. I also give them as gifts to those women I care about.)
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Thanksgiving Day
Email From Gordon Working Overseas:
Julie,
I am very thankful for having you in my life and as my wonderful, beautiful wife…didn’t mean for that to rhyme. I love our family so much and am very grateful for having them all in our life. We did good Julie! I am very proud of us and what we accomplished. We still have more to do and I am so glad to spend that time with you! Again rhymed… but all true. I love you so much Julie… you are, and forever will be, my dream girl!
Love,
Gordon
Happy Thanksgiving!
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I Added The Little Pumpkins
This Thanksgiving, today, I am spending it by myself. Oh, I don’t mind really. I love my solitude. My waistline could also use a day off from all the gluttonous eating of the day. Besides, I have been a bit down since Election Day and I just really didn’t have the energy to exert towards preparing and celebrating a feast based on a slaughter in our history. I mean, that’s what it is. We’ve just turned it into some warm and fuzzy family tradition. I know there is nothing wrong with wanting to spend time with family and friends, reflect on all we have to be thankful for, eat some good food, have some good drink, watch football, and enjoy the day. I get that. That just isn’t what I wanted this year.
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I have been a bit lazy with cooking and eating lately. I just haven’t had the energy or the time to do much cooking, so I’ve been relying on ready made greens and ready made chicken from the grocery stores.
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With Gordon working overseas and me not being in the mood to do any cooking on this day, Brodie and Mackenzie had to find food elsewhere. It was very sweet, weeks ago Mackenzie said that she and Brodie wanted to spend Thanksgiving with me. I then informed her that I would be skipping it, but that I would be hosting a really nice Magical Christmas this year at my house, so we can do our feasting then.
Gordon called to tell me about his Thanksgiving overseas. We talk most everyday. He loves it when I’ve got Isabelle here when he calls and she is here to “talk” in the background.
We realize we have so much to be grateful and thankful for. We were just talking today about how we have the best family in the world. When I say we have the ‘best family’ I am referring to the ‘best family’ for us. We ended up doing it right. 🙂 Considering that we both come from extreme dysfunction, that says a lot. It’s o.k. to make mistakes, just learn from them and don’t repeat them.
You know, I’m having the day that I expected. I just wanted to catch up on things around the house. Get a bit organized, do some laundry, tidy the kitchen, wash some dishes, pay some bills, start new lists for the next time I go out shopping, and do a bit of blogging.
We have some new neighbors in our neighborhood. I was sad to have my neighbor’s to the left of us move, they were good people. Now a republican family has moved in. (Easy to spot.) Also, new neighbors across the street to the right of us. And still another For Sale sign in a yard across the street from us, left. At one point not too long ago we had 4 For Sale signs within our little block here. I think some died, and some moved into retirement communities. This is retirement Florida after all?
Starting today, the 28th., I have a good 5 days in a row off! As in, no Isabelle. It’s not that I don’t love her and miss her, but I do have a lot to do if I am to host this great Magical Christmas that I have in mind.
For those of us that were disappointed in the election results, some went looking for a miracle to look forward to for Christmas. Not me, I want a bit of magic for Christmas, I don’t believe in miracles as it is.
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Depression or Deep Rest?
Jim Carrey wrote on his Instagram account how Depression is just Deep Rest. It so resonated with me that I wanted to pass that on to you. I’ve always known that if you have a reason to be sad that it isn’t “depression.” Depression is when you are sad and have NO reason to be sad. But, right now I think there are a lot of people out there that need that Deep Rest. I know that I do. Which is why I pretty much cancelled Thanksgiving. Oh, I do have a turkey T.V. dinner in the freezer. I also have a box of Stove Top Stuffing, some Instant Mashed Potatoes, some frozen Turkey Cutlet’s, some frozen yeast dinner rolls, and some of our homemade Cranberry Sauce that I could eat. So see, I do have a makeshift Thanksgiving at the ready. But today, I think it will be a nice Turkey Sandwich.
See you in just a little bit…..
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My Thanksgiving Dinner
Not much, but enough for me. 🙂
From Bottom to Top:
Brioche Bread Bottom w/ Dijon Mustard, Handful of Salad Greens, Salsalito Turkey, Red Onions, Pepper Jack Cheese, Corn Relish, (I mean Maze Relish), Bread and Butter Pickles, topped with a Dijon Mustard Brioche Bun.
Actually, this is our homemade Corn Relish that we had Grilled prior to Canning it to give it that nice smokey taste.
We are down to only 2 jars, this being one of them.
The Chips are Popcorn Queso Chips that I dipped into our Maze Relish.
I didn’t eat both of them. I only ate one and am saving the other for lunch tomorrow.
Perfect Thanksgiving For Me!
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29th.
Happy Birthday Brodie!
I gave Brodie his goodies last week, and he is spending today with his girlfriend Mackenzie. With this being the day after Thanksgiving I am having a nice fun Christmas decorating day. The day also fits my mood. It’s been dark and overcast all day, with drizzling rain. It’s very comforting and soothing to me though. It’s as if Florida is crying. Perhaps that’s what Florida needs to do?
I Also Came Across These Old Photos I Passed Onto Brodie
AND,
They are just old family photos that I came across and wanted to give them to Brodie. My parents were far nicer to him and Veronica than they were to me. I don’t mind if they think of them fondly, (although they really don’t.) But, they do represent his childhood in Georgia.
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I’m Off Until Tuesday
With today being Friday I am trying to decorate and prepare for my Christmas party. It will be a Harry Potter Christmas. Everyone seems to be looking forward to it. Every single person in our family is a huge fan, and I believe they are getting very excited about it. I do tend to go all out with my/our parties. I just wish that Gordon could be here to help me with it. It’ll all be on me! Just like last year.
One good thing about this Christmas is that it is making me do this really deep clean around the house. My goal is to get as much done as possible early, so that I can sit back and enjoy it all.
My Day After Thanksgiving food is Coming….
I ended up cooking my plant-based Turkey Cutlets. They were delicious! I had to keep looking at the bag to make sure I was eating Vegan because it didn’t taste like it. They even came with a ready made gravy packet. Heated it up, and it was good! So much for home cooking.
Oh, don’t let the tiny portions above fool you, I was eating out of the pots before I fixed a plate for myself. So….
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Thoughts on This Thanksgiving, 2024
After the Election earlier this month there were many of us that were devastated by the results. There were many of us, including me, that decided to cancel Thanksgiving this year. I found it very interesting that people like Martha Stewart, who is pretty much the Queen of Thanksgiving, (after being crowned the Queen of Halloween and taking my Title away from me,) decided that she was going to take her family to Rome, Italy during Turkey Day. I also read that Giada De Laurentiis went to Japan with her boyfriend Shane and daughter Jade for the Thanksgiving holiday’s. The thing about that is that I have followed both of these women on Social Media for many years and I don’t recall them ever leaving the country for Thanksgiving? Perhaps they have? I just don’t remember it.
Martha posted a photo of her delicious pasta dinner with truffles, and as for Giada, I don’t think there is a turkey in the entire country of Japan. I’m not condemning them at all. I just found it interesting. It’s just as if no one wanted to make the effort, it just wasn’t in us to do so.
Martha and Giada’s livelihood and success relies on food, recipes, celebrations, entertaining, cookbooks, T.V. shows, etc. Oh, they may post great new foods for the holiday’s, but generally they do those shots months in advance, and we usually see some nice posts of their own Thanksgiving Day celebrations on Social Media. I have to say, I loved Giada’s Thanksgiving foods she had for this Thanksgiving on her website. I loved that a side dish was taking center stage and not some giant turkey. It almost looked like a Thanksgiving picnic, informal with a touch of class.
And as for Martha, well, she managed to make 35 pies before she left for Italy. Which kind of makes sense. Entertaining is difficult enough on a good day, now throw in a devastating event and how can any of us put on that smile and expect it to be genuine? Baking all those pies was probably very therapeutic for Martha.
Christie Brinkley posted her Thanksgiving Day photos the day after and they were very subdued as to what she usually posts every year. In the past she and her kids and friends are having fun and acting goofy, lots of people with smiles and laughter, but not this year. She and her children and future son-in-law were just standing behind their table with only 5 dinner plates. They were standing there as if posing for some family photo no one wanted to take. Well, at least Christie made the effort. I seriously doubt anyone did any cooking, she probably ordered it in. (Nothing wrong with that.)
Which comes to this question? Why did we decide to take it all out on Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is a day of giving thanks for all we have. We are thankful for the food we are about to eat, thankful for the family and friends we have surrounding us, thankful for many other things as well, but Thanksgiving is also mainly tied to how we feel about our country. That’s what’s different now. We are now different in how we view it.
Celebrating a holiday based on immigration over to America, a meal being eaten between Native American’s and Pilgrims. Pilgrim is short for Pilgrimage. You know, because they came by ship to this land without passports or green cards. I think we now see what will happen to these Pilgrims that we have over here right now that will be rounded up and placed into Internment Camps where terrible things will happen to them by our own people, descendants of Pilgrims themselves.
Whether this is something that most are consciously aware of or not, I think not. I think for most they are just devastated by what’s coming and are upset over it. But, as for me I am aware about how I feel and how I now view my country and it’s people. And that is not very positively.
Perhaps this gluttonous holiday of Thanksgiving will become a more subdued holiday in the future? Whether by choice or by the economics that are sure to come once this new administration is installed,
May The Odds Be Forever In Our Favor.
Julie
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November 17, 2024
Just Blogging
Me, and Isabelle
With Halloween over, and the election over, there has been some time to absorb the results and what is to come. I’m really working on having it sink in. Although that won’t be until January 2025, we do have Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up.
Initially, I immediately cancelled Thanksgiving. I just knew that there is no time for me to grieve and mourn and then turn around and whip up some feast on my own. I just didn’t feel like celebrating. Gordon is back overseas working. I’m sure if he were still here that we could create something nice, but I just don’t feel like doing it on my own.
I did buy a turkey T.V. dinner for myself if I so desire it on Thanksgiving day.
As it is Thanksgiving has become such a gluttonous holiday anyway. The meal is based on a slaughter but we have turned it into some warm and cozy family tradition.
Isabelle in her Bluey Car
Gordon With Isabelle
We did have a nice family reunion when Gordon was home. Once the hurricane had passed, and all the aftermath, we did cram as much as we could into those 2 1/2 weeks he was home.
Since the election I have been struggling with my mental heath and I wanted to talk about it. I’m watching less news now. Seeing as how there is nothing that I can do, there is no reason for me to be upset everyday. So, I am finding other things to do besides watching the news and being on social media all the time. I have eliminated one account, my big one, but I am down to one that is smaller and I’m not as involved in. I do post on it, but not as often as I did my other account. I also don’t do any interacting on it. To me it was always a ‘mean girl forum.’ I post because I want to be relevant, but ultimately, I don’t care what they think. I don’t read any comments, all the boxes are full, I just post as if to say that I do exist. On the social media that I had eliminated, I also eliminated good long distance friends that I will never know again. It was hard to do, but necessary. I also wanted that left behind so that my descendants would know that I once existed and this is what I had to say. I prefer that to someone else’s words about my opinions and thoughts. That way, they knew exactly what I had to say. But no more. It’s gone now. But, if you think about it we all disappear after a hundred years or so anyway. The only person that really has been worth remembering is Leonardo Da Vinci. And, I’m no Leonardo Da Vinci.
LOW BOUNDARY’S
It was weeks ago on social media that I read that the reason that people like me attract so many psychopaths, sociopaths and narcissists is because we have LOW BOUNDARY’S. So, the reason isn’t because they are evil and we are nice and they want to destroy us. It’s all on us for our “Low Boundary’s.”
Exactly who came up with that excuse anyway? Most likely the narcissistic psychiatrist. Of course HE isn’t going to take any blame for any wrongdoing HE may do, therefore, it’s all on us, the victims of such people. Kind of like saying, had you not worn that short skirt you never would have been raped.
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The good news is that we are not alone. There are many millions of us that don’t like what is to come. But, we individually need to find ways to survive it. You know, back in the Bush days when he had eliminated the powers of the Food and Drug Administration, we still had people warning us. I have written about this before but one morning I was online reading my usual sites when I read that there was all this Sara Lee bread being recalled from China due to mental in it. I then went to the base commissary that morning and when I walked into the commissary I was shocked to see rows and rows of Sara Lee Bread! They were reduced down to a $1.00 a loaf, but with a $1.00 off coupon. Basically, the bread was FREE! Because I knew that it was bad I didn’t get any. I even tried to warn a few people that didn’t believe what I had to say. I did my best to warn them. It really didn’t work. My advice to all of you, look after yourself. You really are on your own to survive what is to come. For most of us it will be disinformation. Just use your common sense.
Enjoy what time you have left. All of us will be breathing more toxic air, and drinking more toxic water, eating more toxic food.
This is why I’m really not celebrating a Thanksgiving. I’m not so sure we have much to be thankful for.
I truly hope I’m wrong.
Julie
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November 10, 2024
Whann Hurricane Season, Gordon Home From Overseas (Temporarily)
(Oh, And The Election)
If you are interested in my take on the 2024 Election then click here:
Sixty’s, (Sensational or Surviving?) We’ll See, Right?
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2024 Whann Hurricanes:
Hurricane Beryl (Gordon’s Grandmother’s Name)
Hurricane Gordon (you know….)
Hurricane Milton (Gordon’s Dad’s Name)
And believe it or not, but after Hurricane Rafael, there is a Sara that just might develop. Gordon’s mother’s name is Sarajane. And as I told Gordon, it’s THAT ONE that will KILL us ALL!
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Before The Hurricane
As many of you know, Gordon has been working overseas now for a few years. He comes home about twice a year. He was scheduled to fly into Tampa on October 10th., but with Hurricane Milton approaching he upped his flights so that he could make it here before the storm hit. With a lot of finagling and lots of luck, he made it just in time! He can be quite the charmer so I knew he would make it home against all odds! 🙂
When he flew from Europe to New Jersey he was on the last flight out of New Jersey into Orlando. Tampa had closed their airport that morning, (the 9th.) with Orlando ready to close that afternoon. Our son-in-law Brian drove to Orlando to pick up Gordon and bring him home to me! He was on the plane with a Channel 6 crew from New Jersey that did interview him. I was doing hurricane prep here at home. We always lose power and I was trying to get some food cooked and prepared before the inevitable happened.
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My Food Prep
Chili with Hard Boiled Eggs and Cheese and Onion
(My main focus was in making foods that we could eat for Breakfast. As in Hard Boiled Eggs. The Chili was just some comfort food until we lost power.)
I Baked Several Biscuits, and Fried up Some Turkey Sausage
Biscuits can be eaten with condiments like Jelly’s and Jam’s as well. They are very good to have on hand. But, we happen to love them with some yellow mustard and sausage.
Toast and Bacon
(BLT’s: I wanted to have some toasted bread on hand, as well as our Bacon, and Tomatoes.)
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My Potato and Garlic Thingy
I had made something similar to this in the past.
My intention was to use these potatoes and garlic up before the storm hit.
I simply washed some multi-colorful potatoes, poked holes in them, added cloves of garlic, and placed everything into a small baking dish.
I did add some nice Hawaiian Sea Salt, and some nice Olive Oil, Mixing it all Around
I Then Placed it into the Oven on a 350F Setting for about 25 minutes or so.
They are done when you can put a fork into the potatoes easily.
I had also added more ingredients, I just cannot locate my final photo of the end results. 🙂
I had added some Mozzarella Balls.
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Before the Storm I was Also Washing Vegetables and Grapes…
I also used up some Avocado’s and Made some Guac
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Supplies on Hand
Battery Operated Lanterns
Battery Operated Fans
Lots of Batteries
Bull Horns
Crank Radio
Massager’s (Hey, you get sore battling storms)
Wine/ Cork Screw (Duh!)
Red or Black Sharpie (Morbidly, to write your name on your body just in case.)
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L. L. Bean Boat Tote
(I read somewhere that the old Boat Totes were becoming valuable, so I got mine out and cleaned it up.)
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It was a nice homecoming but there was lots of work to still do before Hurricane Milton hit us.
Gordon Went All Around The House Cleaning Out The Gutters
Our Pump
This pump prevents our lanai from flooding and water getting into our house. Here Gordon is cleaning it out to make sure it won’t get clogged. (However, when we lose power, this pump is useless.)
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With All The Prep Work Done….
It’s time to take those showers, and make the nicest hot meal because you won’t know when you will be having another one.
Our Last HOT Meal
Lights Out! For 3 Days!
(Which means our pump won’t work!)
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Hurricane Milton is Here…
And Dumping 5 Inches of Rain on Us, at Once
Gordon Did Try Sweeping the Water Out…
(That worked with Hurricane Irma, but not Milton)
It didn’t work
(You can see the water is ready to flow into our home here.)
I told Gordon that we should sleep in the living room this night and set the alarm every hour to check on our lanai and to see if it is flooding. Gordon was outside for a long time so I went to check on him. He was trying to sweep the water out with a large broom initially. But, the next time I checked on him he had stripped down to his underwear and was bailing the water off of our lanai with a beach bucket!
When I asked him how things were going, he just looked at me and said, “It’s bad Julie.” That’s when I joined in and we both started bailing water off of our lanai with beach buckets. We did this off and on for 4 hours!
Finally, when Milton passed over us, the heavy rain stopped. But, while we were doing all this bailing of water we could hear tree branches falling all around us, we just couldn’t see them. They were loud though!
I don’t think that either of us have ever been this fearful of a storm to hit us. We really were afraid that our house would flood and that we would lose everything.
How we made it through was just determination and LUCK!
It’s weird but right after the storm passed over us all of the water on our lanai just disappeared! Where did it go? Pump’s not working. No where for it to go? So, where did it go?
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Nighttime in our Living Room
2 Couches, Gordon on one, Me on the Other
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The Beach Buckets That Helped Save Our Home
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Milton Aftermath
This is what we were hearing all night long, but couldn’t see.
Gordon in the Aftermath
I Could NOT Have Made it Through on my Own Without Gordon Being Here
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Our Son Brodie Had Anchored This To The Wall, I Had Covered It Up
My Magnolia Tree Made It!
(Thanks Grandmother Keith) 🙂
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Out The Front Door
The Front of our House
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Me, On My Crank Radio
Pimiento Cheese Sandwiches for Lunch the Following Day
(On the bread I previously toasted.)
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Gordon with Spooky and Sparky
(They had missed him terribly.)
Lights Out Dinner:
Bacon Sandwiches on my previously toasted bread, with lettuce, tomatoes, yellow mustard, and cheese.
Gordon and His Gifts He Brought Back
Glowing Rocks
(We’re Talking Indiana Jones Stuff Here!)
With all the hurricane drama there really wasn’t time to pass out the gifts he brought back. This is when he did. 🙂
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Gordon Using Our New Car to Power the Refrigerators
Our Car Actually Has An Outlet That Will Do So
Powering The Fridge
(With Hurricane Irma we lost all 3 of our freezers full of food. With this, we didn’t lose our freezer food supply.)
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Texts From Veronica…
Gordon: Who all is at your house?
Veronica: Brian’s sister, her husband and their 3 kids, 3 dogs, chicken, hamster, and bearded dragon.
(Sounds like a fun party to me!) 🙂
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Our Car Powered Coffee 🙂
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Powering our Generator
(Still No Tampa Electric Though)
Gordon and our son-in-law Brian working to start our generator.
We really do credit Brian with all of his help that he gave us here. He bought us gas because we didn’t have the time to get it before the storm hit. He got us propane for the grill because there was no time for us to do that as well. He really was our lifesaver! We do so love our son-in-law so much!
Portable Fans and Lots of Cords
The Generator Also Powered Our T.V. so that we Could Watch a Movie
Van Helsing
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I see you managed to get your shirt off…. 🙂
Rigging Up A Funnel For The Generator
And here we are, back to normal, shirtless on the couch with chips.
Oh, and just so you know. We took cold showers for 3 days until we got our electric back!
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We Stopped Our Generator To Cook This Dinner on the Grill
My Grandmother’s Italian Sausage Supper and Lot of Dinner Rolls
It Was Delicious!
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City Is Here To Save The Day!
Picking Up Yard Debris We Could Get To The Curb
(This was fine and good for the front yard, but most of our downed limbs are in the backyard. That, we will have to hire people to do ourselves.) But for now, we are happy the front debris is being taken care of.
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We Got Our Electric Back!
La Sciatta Giulia Anna’s (Italian Sloppy Julie Ann’s)
While Gordon was away, I had frozen my Italian Sloppy Joe’s for when he returned. I knew he would love them, I also purchased some great bread, Roma Tomatoes, Mozzarella cheese slices, Fresh Basil, etc. and re-created this great meal that I was so very proud of. He did love it!
10-22-24
It’s Still Here
Long Story Short:
We ended up hiring our yard guys to chain saw all of this debris and haul it off for us. They really did clean up our backyard and we so appreciated all their hard work.
NOTE: This storm really did take it’s toll on us. For those of you reading, if you think we are just able to get through this storm so easily, we didn’t. I am 63, my husband Gordon is 59, we had a hard time here. Physically, and emotionally. We were sore for days after all that bailing of water we did to save our home from flooding. It really did take it’s toll on us. I just want you to know that. We aren’t super heroes. We are humans with flaws. We just do the best we can. We made it through here. But, that doesn’t mean we will make it through the next storm. I hope we do.
Julie and Gordon
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October 6, 2024
Made it Through The Storm, Awaiting The Next One
The Selfies Above Were Taken on October 3rd.
I had driven into Tampa to do some shopping on the base, and I was cooling down in the car before I went into the Commissary to do some more shopping. It was HOT!
On my way to the base I stopped off at CVS to pick up my Florestor, when something told me to walk down the snack aisle. I did. And that is when I spotted it! BEAN DIP!!!! Frito Lay BEAN DIP!!! I hadn’t been able to find it in over a year! I have been eating it since I was a child and I prefer it to any can of Refried Beans. It’s smooth and creamy and delicious! I bought most every can they had, about 18. 🙂 I did leave behind 2 cans. I didn’t want to be greedy. (wink, wink.)
I have been doing a lot of shopping this past month, September and October. Getting ready for our Halloween fun, and trying to keep the house stocked up for the “unforeseeable future.” I mean, who knows what November might bring our way? For all we know it may be too dangerous to do any shopping in our country. I just want to be cautious and prepared.
Gordon will be home next week! 🙂
I have been doing a lot of shopping to prepare for all I have planned for all of us. I have some great ideas I want him to implement. That is always our deal. I come up with the ideas, and he implements them.
I got through Hurricane Helene. I did lose power for 9 hours though. The only good thing about these storms is that they do shake the trees and all the dead branches fall down. It’s cheap because we don’t have to hire expensive tree trimmers to do the job. Although, I told Gordon to contact a business about the trees that really do need trimming in our front yard. I think we have some bad branches that need to come down. He has already scheduled that for when he comes home.
Today I have been cleaning, cleaning and cleaning. Then I found out about the new hurricane headed our way. Am I just cleaning so that some hurricane can send some flood into our home? Should I even bother mopping? Makes me wonder?
I am one of those people that does believe in Climate Change. Global Warming. I know that I’m not protected by magic fairies that are going to spare me from some horrible tragedy. I HOPE I will be. But, I know I won’t. I just hope that the storm doesn’t do as much damage to us or anyone else. I do know that when I hear the stories of survivors of great storms on T.V. that that could be us.
I hope everything works out for everyone. We are very excited to have Gordon coming home for a visit. Isabelle is walking and she is so proud of herself. She’s so smart. She amazes me! I think she is an Empath. She reminds me of myself when I was a young toddler. I knew things, even though I couldn’t talk or communicate what I knew. That is her! When she looks at me, and I look at her, we both know things about each other without saying a word. 🙂
Julie
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Mickey Morning Coffee 🙂
September 26, 2024
A/C Working/Hurricane Helene On It’s Way
Blogging Before The Hurricane Hits
September has brought me nothing but mini-disaster, after mini-disaster, and now I am facing a major-disaster, Hurricane Helene. Although not in the direct path, it is still a threat. Winds are supposed to reach around 100 MPH here, with heavy rain and flooding.
Like The Customized Window Frames?
Gordon made them last year before he left to work overseas, to fit all of our windows perfectly during our storms.
He Even Marked Which One Goes On Which Window
We Keep Them Stored In The Garage
Brodie came over yesterday and put them in place for me.
They do work very well, but the clips can scratch up the house paint. It is however, better than the method most people use when boarding up their home for a storm. This is preferable to driving nails in plaster.
And Check Out What We Found
I am sick of wasps! It was a pleasure to kill all of these. I’ve been stung badly by these creatures this year, and I’m done with it all.
When you are Boarded up From the Inside
The Fountain Window
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It’s after 3:00 p.m. now. Gordon called around 2:00 to check on me. That’s 9:00 p.m. his time. We talk most every day. He’s been giving me instructions on things to do and what to know. I’ve been through more hurricane’s than he has, but you would never know that to talk to Gordon. 🙂
I think the storm is almost here. It’s getting dangerously windy. I keep hearing branches hit the roof. Nothing too big so far. Luckily, all of us neighbors in our circle here, all had our trees trimmed last year.
When I got out of the shower this morning around 9:00 a.m. the power suddenly went off!
Me: ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? THE STORM ISN’T EVEN HERE YET!! ARE YOU KID -DING ME???
A few minutes later the lights came back on.
Me, much calmer: Oh, o.k. No worries. 🙂
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My MANY Fans 🙂
(Sort of an inside joke, but whatever.)
This Red Fan is Veronica and Brian’s They Lent Me
Our A/C quit on me last Saturday. I had been having problems with it all summer. It was so strained by our excessive hot weather that it just wasn’t functioning properly. I would have to get the A/C Vac, hook it up to the drainage pipe, and suck out the gunk in order to clear it up and get it going again. I would then pour bleach down the pipe entrance in the garage to keep it clear. I was even keeping the A/C at a higher setting than I wanted, just to help with the strain. However, on Saturday I was on the treadmill when I got off of it to use the bathroom. Whenever I pass the monitor in the hallway I always look at it to make sure it is at 75. Well, it was at 77. Great! It’s quitting on me again so I had better get out there and start sucking the gunk out so it will get going again. So, I did. And I then came back in and got back on the treadmill to finish my 45 minutes. However, when I got off the treadmill the A/C hadn’t come back on yet. I then went out there and tried it again. The A/C did come back on for just a few seconds, and then shut down totally.
Because it was a Saturday, I wasn’t about to call the A/C guys and pay for some emergency, so I got in touch with my daughter and son-in-law and because I was o.k. at that time, we just agreed to have Brian come out on Monday and take a look at it. He knows how to fix things like that. He came out and did a lot of maintenance on it but realized that parts would have to be ordered and that I needed to call the guys that installed it. Gordon was also helping to do some research online and make some phone calls. Turns out, our original A/C guys that we really liked and trusted were no longer in business. So, Gordon found a business that he liked and he talked to them over the phone and set me up an appointment. When the new guy arrived, diagnosed the problem, which is what Brian said it was, parts ordered, then we wait!
5 days later, Julie has A/C! 🙂
It’s strange but the A/C is still under warranty, but in order for the warranty to work, we have to wait until mid October to get the A/C fixed. WHAT??? There was no way in hell that I was going to suffer any more than I already had, so…. $1,259.10 later, Julie’s got A/C!
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I kept Isabelle all day yesterday. She was such a trooper tolerating all the commotion of coming in and out of the house through the garage, the repairman installing the part while I held back the hanging storage grate in our garage. You should have seen us. He is trying to wedge the part in while I’m using all my strength to pull back that heavy grate hanging from the garage ceiling with stuff loaded on it that is blocking the inside A/C unit. Some things started falling on him, some things started falling on me. It was terrible. 🙁
Both Veronica and Brodie got off work early yesterday to go home and prepare for the storm. When Veronica arrived to pick up Isabelle, it wasn’t raining. But, 5 minutes later just when she and Isabelle are about to leave, the bottom fell out of the sky!
I grabbed the umbrella, Veronica had Isabelle in her car seat, and the 3 of us managed to walk to her car while it was pouring down. I had my arm around her so we would be close, while we waddled hysterically to her car. Poor Isabelle’s legs were getting soaked! Something hit the umbrella and bounced off of us. A branch, I assume. It was also at that time that Brodie pulled up. I held the umbrella as Veronica put Isabelle’s car seat in the slot. It was then that Brodie was out of his car and beside us. Veronica moved Isabelle’s car seat hood to expose her head so she could see Brodie.
Veronica: Look Isabelle. It’s uncle Brodie!
Isabelle: WAAAAAAA!!!! WAAAAAAA!!!!
Veronica: Isabelle’s in kind of a bad mood, so….
By this time we are all soaking wet!
With Veronica and Isabelle on their way home, it was time for Brodie to help me get the windows ready for the storm.
I gave him a few things from the freezer to take home when he left. Hey, our freezers are full! I am just trying to make room, so whenever Brodie comes over, I always send food home with him.
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NOW, I NEED TO PREPARE FOR THIS STORM
To tell you the truth, because I was already so exhausted from my day yesterday, and all the drama that led up to it, all I really did to get ready for the storm was to move a few pots outside so they wouldn’t fall over and break, and start laundry. I did all of Isabelle’s laundry and bedding, along with all my personal laundry, and today I have been washing all my bedding and towels just to get ready for perhaps not having any power for a few days.
As it is I keep a stocked house. I’m usually not one of those that have to run out and buy things to prepare for a storm, but last month I did. Keeping Isabelle, I have less time than I used to. Which is why I have been stocking up recently just to get back into my old routine, especially with this being hurricane season.
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Today
Because I have been so preoccupied with all my other little dramas, I hadn’t put much thought into what I would eat when the power goes out. And the power ALWAYS goes out!
That’s when I realized that I do have some instant things I can make for when the lights go out.
I love these little muffin mixes.
They taste good and they are easy to make.
Also, they are great to eat when the lights go out.
So, I’ve been making muffins today!
I found this mix too in the pantry. I’ll make those here soon.
Cheddar Biscuits
I also made these today. Perfect as a breakfast item. I might even fry up some turkey sausages here in a little bit to eat with them. Regardless, having things like this at the ready are great for good eating with no power.
Samosas For Lunch
If the power stays on then I will cook something hot and warm for dinner while I have power. But, if not, I did have some great Indian Samosas for lunch today that really hit the spot!
Good luck to all my fellow Floridians,
Julie Barefoot
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September 24, 2024
(Sandwich and Planning)
Shopping, New Water Heater, Lots of New Glasses, Scar Going Away
And NO A/C!
Eating My Lunch in the Commissary Parking Lot
Last Wednesday I went into Tampa to do some shopping at the Base. My usual, fill tank with gas, Exchange shopping, Commissary shopping, picking up all my new glasses… I did forgo Class Six because I have plenty of alcohol. 🙂
This shopping trip was about stocking up for when Gordon comes home in October.
Food, Gifts, Supplies….
I was late leaving the house because I didn’t get the best night sleep, and I didn’t pack any food to take with me, so I picked up some Ham Salad from the Commissary deli, some bread, and some cocktail picks used to spread it on the bread. I also bought a nice juice, just for the sugar because I was sick of my water.
Fixing My Sandwich in the Car
Love My New Sunglasses
When I got home I was so hot and sweaty that I took a sponge bath and changed clothes. What I am showing you above is the scar on my neck from my skin cancer surgery. It is looking much better that I don’t bother covering it up anymore.
Today is September 24th. and those bags above are from my Base run last Wednesday, September 18th.
I have been busy and there hasn’t been the time yet. However, I will get to them soon.
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Where Did All This Water Come From?
Although you can’t see the extent of the damage, the garage is flooded!
The entire water heater emptied itself out the previous night.
It was on September 4th. that I went into the garage to discover it. I then called our son-in-law Brian, and he came over to see about it. He noted that it was shot, and that we would need a new one. With Gordon working overseas, everything is up to me! Gordon will do the research though. He found someone and they came out the following day to have a look at it.
There was a leak coming out the bottom in the photo left.
I will say that this Hot Water Heater lasted us 15 years. We had bought it from Sear’s. That is pretty good!
It was 2 days until we got the new Hot Water Heater so I had to boil water for a bath.
So no, that’s not some great Brunswick Stew above, that is my hot water for my bath.
Finally, the new Hot Water Heater is installed!
First thing I did was to take a hot shower!
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Stung By a Mason Wasp
(Just when you think things can’t get worse, THEY CAN!!!!)
My Ugly Hand is Swollen
I was doing some gardening in the front and pulling up some vines when I apparently disturbed a large nest of Mason Wasps. They flew out at me and one stung me around my thumb. The sting was very painful! I was also stung by two Yellow Jackets this past summer but their stings were not as painful as this one was. Also, the venom spread from my thumb to all around my hand and even up to in front of my elbow.
You can see that red trail of venom from my wrist to my elbow.
The Yellow Jacket Stings lasted a good 4 days until they started to feel better. This thing didn’t start to feel better until a week later. I was scratching this so badly I’m surprised I didn’t cause my arm to bleed. I was using every home remedy there was. Apple Cider Vinegar, Nasal Spray, Baking Soda paste, Anti-Itch Cream, you name it! Nothing worked! I just had to get through it as best I could. I also used cold compresses on it, which made it feel sooo good. But, I can’t maintain that all the time. There is work to be done in spite of a bad sting.
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Tampering With My Meter Boxes
I was doing some bleaching out front and all around the front yard when I noticed that someone had tampered with my meter boxes.
Just one more unpleasant thing to add to my already long list.
Oh, and interestingly enough. I was able to complete all my front yard work and bleaching even after getting stung. The pain quickly subsided and I thought I was in the clear….until the following day when my hand was suddenly ON FIRE!
Well, at least I got all that work done before that wasp did me in.
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New Glasses, New Sun Glasses, New Lipsticks
Some of these pairs of glasses I already owned and just bought the new lenses for them.
I am busy doing some nice planning for when Gordon comes home. We are planning a great 2 1/2 weeks of fun!
That also involves lots of shopping! To me, this is going to be our Christmas to each other. Oh, I’ll send him a Christmas box of goodies when he goes back overseas, but while he is here we will be spoiling each other.
Besides, He OWES Me for all the stuff I’ve had to handle while he’s been gone. 🙂
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Currently NO A/C!
It was on Saturday, September 21st. that I was on the treadmill, and decided to take a bathroom break. It was when I walked by our hallway meter that I noticed the temp was at 77. It is usually at 75. That means that the A/C needs to be vacuumed out because of a clog. So, I went outside and hooked the vacuum up to it to suck out any gunk that may have it clogged, and then came back into the house assuming it would start working again and things would be back to normal. I got back on the treadmill and completed my 45 minutes. When I finished I looked at the meter and it still read 77. I knew that was bad. I then went out and hooked the vacuum back up and sucked out some more. Assuming I got the rest of it. I even made sure I added some extra bleach down the pipe to make sure it was working correctly. But NO!
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If you would like to read about what I/We do to get the A/C going when it stops:
Click Here For: Home Function Upgrades
I do detail what is involved.
When Gordon called on Saturday the first words I said to him were, “The A/C isn’t working.” He then said something like, ‘Do you want me to let you go so you can use the vacuum and suck the pipe out?’ No, Gordon, I’ve already sucked it out, TWICE!
Gordon: Oh, And it won’t come back on?
Me: NO! It won’t work!
Gordon: Did you try pouring bleach down the pipe?
Me: Oh please! That’s Kindergarten Gordon.
Gordon: Did you try lifting up the meter in back of the pipe where you pour bleach?
Me: What meter? Do you mean that squatty little R2-D2 behind it?
Gordon: Yes, that R2-D2 thing behind it.
Me: Is it supposed to lift up?
Gordon: Just straighten it out.
Me: O.k., I guess I did.
Gordon: Something you can do is to turn the vacuum in reverse and it will blow out whatever may be clogging it, and then you can reverse it and suck out whatever clog that may be loose now.
Me: So, you want me to blow it, and then suck it, in the hopes I can turn it on?
Gordon and Julie: Hysterical giggling like little girls ensues!!!
Me: O.K. I will blow it and suck it and see what happens. (Snickering laughter.)
Gordon: Just remove the cap so that it can perhaps exit that way.
Me: O.k. Here goes. I’m blowing it and it is spitting out the pipe.
Gordon: So, it’s spitting?
Me: Yes, it’s spitting. But not swallowing.
Gordon and Julie: More hysterical laughter ensues!
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Bottom Line: After all the sex we had with the A/C, we still can’t turn it on. So, we called the pros! They came out and had a look. And a new A/C part will be installed tomorrow. 🙂
Julie
Oh and a big P.S: We have a hurricane on the way, and the straw that is literally breaking my back???
I bought grapes from the Commissary with seeds. Yes, SEEDS!!! SEEDS!!!!
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August 27, 2024
Currently, and The Past
I took these photos while I was trying to cool off in the car while shopping on the base last week. It was so hot, and I was doing a lot of shopping. Running in and out of stores with buggies full of goodies. Unloading the carts, loading the car, sweating, sweating, and sweating.
No Bandage on My Neck, and Izzy’s Bluey Car
(For those following my skin cancer, I’m no longer wearing a bandage/band=aid. It’s looking better.)
It was while I was shopping in the base Exchange in the toy section, that I saw the Bluey car and bought it. My first thoughts are to save it for Christmas, but no, I will save it for when Gordon comes back in October so that he and she can spend time with it together, while I photograph it all.
It was when I went into the Commissary to buy food and other things, that I remembered they had changed everything around.
It was just a few days before Tropical Storm Debby hit us that many of us had run into the Commissary to just buy the supplies we needed to get through the storm, only to discover that they had rearranged the entire store around!
What? Where are the paper towels? The batteries? The cereal?
They did have employees standing around to help guide those of us that couldn’t find what we were looking for.
First of all, the Commissary is where all military, retired military, spouses and family members shop. They don’t need to be like a regular grocery store. We will shop there no matter what because the prices are so cheap. They can have the store painted in camouflage and we will still shop there. They can have all the items still in cardboard boxes and we will still shop there. The Commissary has no competition. So, to rearrange everything around like they did is for only one reason. Marketing Ploy!
This is something that grocery stores do quite often. Haven’t you noticed that in the past? Walking into your favorite grocery store only to have everything all rearranged, and now you have to hunt for what you need?
The Marketing Ploy is that as you are wandering the isles, looking at every shelf, and every item on each shelf, you will see things that you didn’t before, and thus spend more money than you would normally.
We are being manipulated into spending more money than we normally would.
I however, didn’t appreciate the fact that with Tropical Storm Debby coming, I’m having to go on some Easter Egg Hunt for what I need!
My main beef with the Commissary and grocery stores in our area is that they do not have enough sugar-free items. Why the hell not? Florida is a state full of a bunch of seniors with Diabetes. So, why aren’t there more sugar-free items on the shelves? I know these items exist because I have seen them before. Or, they will carry them for a short time and then discontinue them.
Well, I just needed to get that off my chest.
Moving on…
I was so hot and bothered that day from the running around, shopping, loading, unloading, and then driving home just to unload and bring everything into the house, that I didn’t cool down until about 9:00 p.m. that night! I had to peel my clothes off of me. Put up my hair. Have a sponge bath, put on cool pajamas, etc. Finally, I cooled down. But, it took forever!
Sparky, The Urine Bandit!
Oh, and I always get the pleasure of picking up the poop and cleaning up the urine from the “urine mats” that don’t do a damn thing to absorb it. So, let’s add all that and mopping the floors. No wonder it took me so long to cool down.
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The Sleep of the Mischievous
Isabelle is almost 14 months. I don’t really consider her to be a toddler, but I suppose she is entering that stage. She tests boundaries, the word NO just means fun to her. She’s smart, funny, adventurous, an explorer, she loves books, but not in the “story time” way. So, we have Library Time. We both just flip through our favorite books looking at the pictures.
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I get up at either 4:00 or 4:30 a.m. on the days that I keep her. If it’s a long day, Brian will drop her off at 6:00 a.m. and Veronica picks her up at 4:30 p.m. That’s 10 1/2 hours! So, you try fitting in treadmill time, or some lovely cooked dinner. I’m usually exhausted and either grabbing something from the freezer to eat, or I just fix a salad and call it a night.
Last Night’s Dinner
I have started buying these ready cleaned greens on a regular basis just to try and have something a bit healthy during my days that I don’t have time to cook anything, or I don’t feel like it.
I enjoy keeping Isabelle. I try and have our routine to be the same each day.
If I have her for a full day then when I get her at either 5:30 or 6:00 a.m., I give her a bottle and then put her down for an early morning nap in her crib. After all, her sleep was interrupted when they woke her up to bring her to my house. So, when she sleeps, I go back to sleep. I have my couch all set up with pillows and blankets so that I can sleep when she does. My hair is usually still wet from my shower when I lay down to have my early morning sleep, so I have towels on top of my blankets and pillows so as not to get them wet.
When she and I wake up, it’s usually between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m., that is when I turn on the Disney Channel and we watch our usual lineup. I put her in her walker and she watches T.V. and has her Toddler Treats shaped like surfboards, and I give her some water in a bottle. It’s at about 10:00 that I give her what I like to call, “Second Breakfast”, referenced from The Lord of the Rings. I place her in the high chair and she eats baby food from the jars, and then I give her another bottle.
After that, we have playtime on the floor with lots of toys and Bluey T.V.
We play until around 12:00 p.m. and then I place her in her crib. She will eventually take a nap. Sometimes she fusses, but it’s up to her to occupy herself until she does fall asleep. That’s usually when I tend to the dogs. I do include her in that as well. We all go out to the backyard and have some time out there, but not long because of all the heat.
Isabelle will usually sleep until around 1:30/2:00/2:30. Gordon always calls between 2:00 and 3:00 everyday, and loves it when I have her here. Once I give her that last bottle at around 2:00 p.m. she is happy and content and will coo and talk to Gordon rambling on and on. He loves it! Sometimes she tells the best stories!
Isabelle Found The Typewriter
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I allow Isabelle to roam around, I just follow her to make sure she doesn’t hurt herself, or break something, or damage something. I am a hands on Tutu and my life revolves around hers when I keep her. To me, that’s how it should be. When she sleeps I may do something just for me, or I do try and just catch up around my house with whatever needs to be done. But, I watch her. I teach her. And, I allow her to learn, succeed, fail, grow, explore, and experiment. Children deserve no less than that from their caregivers. 🙂
On the short days I keep her, Brian picks her up around 9:30 a.m. I then get the rest of the day to myself! 🙂
I also usually have 1 or 2 days off every week, along with every weekend! 🙂
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My Look/My Style
I know, I look like I play golf, don’t I?
I am finding my 60’s style and exploring as I go. Lilly Pulitzer is a must! But, I do try other brands in search of very comfortable clothing that fits my lifestyle. Clothing that allows me to sit on and off the floor. Usually with some shorts underneath. I am up and down all the time.
From the time Isabelle was born, she loved texture. She would rub her hand over my soft shirts. She would dig her fingernails into my textured blanket. Feeling the carpet and tile floors. Texture was exciting to her. She loves her soft blankets too. I try and dress so that she is comfortable. After all, I hold her all the time.
Most of the time I keep her I don’t wear any make up. I also usually have my hair pulled back into a ponytail.
I’m more concerned with being comfortable, and keeping Isabelle comfortable.
After all, snuggle time is the best!
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I’m just happy that I can do this for my daughter, and son-in-law. I know that it is the best feeling in the world to know that you can trust the person who is keeping your child. I don’t know that many can feel that in this day and age? I have said in the past that I didn’t give birth to children to turn them over to other people to raise. I was referring to my circumstances when I had my children. However, had I had a hands on family member that we could trust, and knew that our child was in good hands, then things might have been different. But, that wasn’t our story. This is, Veronica and Brian’s story though. And, it is different. In a very good way!
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Click Here For: Vacation, All I Ever Wanted
10 Years Ago This Week
(I do have an Under Construction part in this old webpage that I want to finish once I’ve finished writing here.)
It was about 4-5 days ago that I kept thinking about my mother for some reason?
I kept wondering why? Why am I thinking about her?
For those that haven’t read me, my mother is a narcissist and she and my abusive step-father have done more damage to me in life than any horrible boss, nasty neighbor, mean girl/boy from high school, or any terrible past boyfriend/frenemy ever did!
When I went up to Rome, Georgia to visit the old homestead in 2014, I did so to test the waters to see if a relationship with my mother would be possible again? All it took was my walking into the house once I arrived to know that it would never be a reconciliation. I do talk about that in another blog posting.
The reason I went up there to begin with was to use Rome, Georgia as a base, while I then drove up to Maryland for a few days, picking up Veronica from the airport, and staying at our hotel in Maryland while she was a bridesmaid to her friend Kaitlan’s wedding. We were there for 4 days in Maryland. It was a lot of fun. She and I then drove back down to Georgia to visit with my mother and brother before she and I drove back down to Florida. Veronica and I did have a lot of fun on that trip. We both also picked up some family heirlooms to bring back with us, and even some of her early childhood toys. Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles!
I actually recount our trip in the website page link above. It’s what I don’t say in the vacation webpage that I am referring to now.
But, the reason that I was thinking about my mother and brother Ben, is because it has been 10 years since I was in Rome. My mother is all about anniversary’s, and I believe that she was thinking about it, and me, being the Empath that I am, picked up on it and that was when I realized that it has been 10 years. My mother and Rome, Georgia aren’t topics I think about at all anymore.
There is nothing for me in Rome. No real family, no ties. Perhaps just a few old boxes left in the barn that I would love to have back. However, if I don’t, I’ll live.
Did you know that Rome, Georgia is Marjorie Taylor Greene’s district? Explains a lot. Doesn’t it?
The sad thing about that is that Rome was really growing into a very diverse little city in Georgia. They even have a Pakistani Community. Did you know that? However, in my experience with small towns and haters, is that they eventually ban together to ruin everything.
When we lived in Rockingham, North Carolina it was the same story. Rockingham attracted some great diverse people of different nationalities and religions. So, the haters banned together and ran everyone out of town. All those people that did make Rockingham, or Rome great. They drove them away. Now, only the rednecks are there. Just wait and see how long any business or community lasts when it’s run by rednecks.
The thing is that it’s the progressives that see what’s coming long before anyone else does. The progressive’s try to warn what is coming. The only people that can help to do anything about it are the moderates that aren’t paying any attention, or that they just don’t care. At least, not until it’s too late.
So, 1/3 are trying to ruin everything (Conservative), 1/3 are trying to save everything (Liberals), and the last 1/3 are Moderates, and just don’t care. Which equals= Conservatives always win!
That has been my experience throughout my life in the south.
We do have more “famous” conservative republican’s speaking out in favor of Kamala Harris. Funny, it’s those very conservatives that actually drove us here as a county. Interesting that they didn’t see the need not to ruin things when they were in power?
I could write more now but I want to move along and work on some of my website pages. Thank you for your interest in us. We do appreciate you!
Julie
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August 18, 2024
The 60’s
The Tape of My Grandmother Interviewing Me When I Was Very Young
Me, Southland Vista School Picture, October, 1965
Rome, Georgia
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Written on the cassette tape, by my Grandmother says, “Frank Talking, Julie and Myself.”
Frank was my Grandfather. Even though he died when I was 14 I still know his voice. I can hear him now in my head.
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I was probably around 23, and I was living with my Grandmother at the Morningside Drive house. She was sitting at the kitchen table with her tape recorder and a big grin on her face, while I was sitting in the den section, probably watching T.V. She said, “I want you to hear this.” I then asked what it was? She didn’t tell me. She just told me to listen.
She turned the tape on and suddenly this child started talking. This child had such strong opinions and the WORST Hick accent I had ever heard! Back then we didn’t call them rednecks. They were either Hicks, or Grits.
I was so appalled by this poor, ignorant child that I didn’t want to hear anymore of it. My Grandmother was laughing so hard. I kept telling her to turn it off! I don’t want to listen to that!!
She Then Told Me That It Was ME!
I was shocked! Do you mean to tell me that I was once a, dare I say it, a HICK?
I didn’t want to hear anymore of it. However, it was when my Grandmother died that I found that tape in a drawer in her bedroom, and I took it. I’ve had it all these years. I finally decided that I wanted to hear it. I want to hear my Grandfather’s beautiful voice, my Grandmother’s voice, and me, that hick kid.
However, as fate would have it. I found my old cassette tape player, put batteries in it, grabbed a new box of tissues, rewound the tape, and then pressed PLAY. The only button that won’t work on the whole damn thing.
Rewind works, fast forward works, stop works, eject works, but PLAY DOESN’T!
I am going to look into getting either mine fixed, or to try and buy another one.
I am ready to finally listen to all that little hick girl had to say. 🙂
Julie
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August 14, 2024
In An Instagram World, Just Hit DELETE
(My Instagram Profile Picture)
Yesterday I had a day off. I didn’t have to keep Isabelle so I did my usual, and even made a great 1930’s Irish-Italian Spaghetti recipe for dinner.
Irish-Italian Spaghetti
I made extra to pass along to Veronica when she picked up Isabelle today. But, it was yesterday I tried to find something good to watch on T.V. after my fill of news. I noticed that Christina on the Coast was playing on HGTV, so I decided to leave it there. How I watch T.V. isn’t to just sit in front of the T.V. like most people do. I tend to glance at the screen when I walk by it, or I may turn my head away from my blogging to take a look at something that is grabbing my attention. I hadn’t seen her shows in such a long time. I do/did follow her on Instagram until today. I’ll explain that in a minute.
I’ve written about Christina Haack El Moussa Anstead Hall and soon to be Haack again, in the past. I have defended her, and I have sided with her against abuse hurled at her by her ex-husband Tarak El Moussa, who has since moved on and married Heather Rae something El Moussa. They have since had a child. (I suppose that I have no right to make fun of their names seeing as I am Julie Ann Lancaster-Whann.)
I don’t regret supporting Christina in the past. It’s just that I no longer can. What was it? A few weeks ago, maybe a month? We read the news that Christina was once again divorcing a husband? This time it is husband number 3, Josh Hall. I read something where she remarked that he’s very insecure. Gee, I wonder why? She also posted a beautiful photo of herself on her social media with the best hair extensions imaginable, great make-up, perfect clothing on top of her stick thin figure, but with those great implants. It was obvious, she is on the prowl! And so quickly too? Usually people tend to mourn and grieve the break up of a marriage. Right? I’ve only been married once, and that’s to Gordon, but I have had plenty of break-up’s in my life and they are sad. She was even out for dinner on some ‘Girl’s Night’ a few days after their divorce plans were announced.
Reminds me of Jennifer Lopez years ago when Ben Affleck dumped her about 2 days before their (first) wedding. What did she do? She went to the beach with her friends and had a blast! You knew that she was devastated. But, the pretense went on, and the pretense is what I view as so very fake. However, in the case of Christina Haack El Moussa Anstead Hall and once again soon to be Haack again, I don’t think she gives a damn.
Did she come to realize that her “Ride or Die” was just a redneck? Thinking perhaps she should have waited for the next ride?
Whether or not he was a “redneck” you could see he was devoted to Christina, that marriage, and being a step-father to her children from 2 previous marriages.
When she coined the phrase a few years ago that he was her “Ride or Die”, I knew he wasn’t. Probably a lot of us knew that. But, I guess she did what she had to do at the time to survive all that she was going through, and she chose him.
We all need a support system. Except that she grabbed the first male to support her and perhaps she should have waited and just taken care of herself first.
But, in this Instagram world, everything takes place in an Instant!
We also read that she was busy deleting past photos of him from her social media accounts.
Does all that deleting translate into destroying wedding photos? Family photos? Vacation photos? Maybe not. But, I wouldn’t be surprised if it did?
It was about a week ago that she posted a new photo of herself, her daughter Taylor, and her son’s Braydon and Hudson. Christina was sitting on the floor next to Taylor, and the boys were standing in back of her. I couldn’t help but read the sadness on their faces in this one particular photo. Although, they were smiling in other pictures. But the thing is, you know this break-up is affecting them. They are young, and they regarded Josh as a step-father and I’m sure love him very much. If she is as insensitive on social media where her break up with Josh Hall is concerned, then you know she is just as insensitive in private, and probably more so.
HGTV and The Flip Off
I do have to say that I am something of a hypocrite for even watching HGTV yesterday. You see, I pretty much swore off supporting the network when they sponsored Takek and Heather El Moussa in agreeing to film their project of renovating an entire building of apartments. You see, once they bought the building, they evicted everyone living there.
There are many reasons why I despise the El Moussa’s, that’s just one of them.
I mean, this is SCROOGE territory!
However, getting back to The Flip Off.
Apparently, the original premise of the show was for Tarek and Heather El Moussa to compete with Josh and Christina Hall in flipping houses. Or, whatever it was they were going to flip. The first thing I thought of was how sorry I feel for their children. Mommy and Josh, against Daddy and Heather. Yeah, sounds like a great Thanksgiving to me!
I’m not one of these people that loves conflict, or bullying, or putting people in their “place”, wherever people believe that may be? I have no intention of watching this, which is probably a ratings giant/reality junk T.V. show. As I understand it, Christina has axed Josh from this series, even though he was slated to star in it.
Christina even suggested that if her second husband Ant Anstead agreed to come on board with her, that it would be a ratings boost. Wow. I guess that’s all that matters in the El Moussa/Haack world? Personally, I will respect Ant Anstead a hell of a lot if he refuses.
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As tacky as all of that is above, none of that is why I chose to no longer support Christina Haack El Moussa Anstead Hall and soon to be Haack again. I no longer wish to support her because of what all I saw in her HGTV episodes yesterday.
I noticed that when she is designing homes for people that have money and are of an upper class mentality, that she is very personable and comfortable with them. She would sit in her office showing them samples and pointing out to them, with her exaggerated nail extensions and enhancements, while loaded down with lots of heavy jewelry, why this tile would be best. She sat behind a luxury desk looking perfect with her hair extensions, and all I could think of was, ‘who’s taking care of your children’? I mean, all of that fake stuff attached to her takes lots of time to add on. I know damn well she doesn’t do her own hair. And, if she brings in someone to do her hair, then you know there is someone to do the make-up.
Now, comes the real reason. The very last episode from yesterday is when she designed a main floor for a family that you could tell, wasn’t her type. However, they were my type. A married couple with two children, ages 12 and 3. The wife had had a stroke a few years prior and had to relearn how to walk, and talk again. They weren’t fancy people, but they were genuine. Although Christina was never rude to them, you just knew they weren’t her type.
In that same episode, a friend of hers was coming back into her life and she had asked Christina to do something about her kitchen cabinets because they were this horrible blue. Christina and her friend were apparently grabbing some iced coffee or something and were talking about how horrible blue cabinets were in a kitchen. Even making fun of it. The thing is, Christina was installing blue kitchen cabinets into the home of that very nice couple I mention above.
Did that really have to be in the same episode? What she’s installing in that nice couple’s home, she is dissing and painting over in her friends home.
Also, in the end, during the reveal that nice couple that I mention above were so happy with their transformation. They could not praise Christina enough for all she did for them. They were so grateful. Even their 12 year old boy was so happy when he walked in and saw their new home. You could just see the happiness on his face.
Interestingly, when Christina revealed the ‘no more blue kitchen cabinet’s’ to her friend, and her friend’s family of 5, her children didn’t even crack a smile. They could have cared less.
It was then that I knew that I just didn’t want to support someone like Christina anymore. I don’t wish her ill will. I just don’t want to be one of those people that follow her and propel her to some sort of fame that she doesn’t seem to give back.
It was very revealing in one of the episodes yesterday where Christina was at home talking to someone on the phone when Josh entered the room with 2 dogs, and carrying dog leashes. He heard her talking to who he thought was James, her design assistant, and he told her to tell James he says hello. She ended the conversation without saying that. Josh then looks at her curiously, she then said that it wasn’t James. It was her new assistant Kylie. He didn’t even know she had hired someone new. You would think that would have come up in some conversation? Nope. Not in that household. You then see Josh putting leashes on the dogs to take them out. I guess that’s all that Josh was ever good for. Walking the dogs.
I was also a bit surprised that she hired someone like this Kylie woman. Kylie was tall, beautiful, but radiated ‘stay away’, ‘don’t come near me’. I see why she hired James. He is not only talented, but personable. He and Christina also seem to get along very well. Kylie just seemed to scream, I hate all of you!’ So….
Well, not my problem. Oh, well. To tell you the truth, I don’t even know how to end this except to dive into my Boar’s Head Salad Hummus Bowl. 🙂
Julie
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August 9, 2024
Harris/Walz 2024
I mean come on, you can’t not be exited for them?!
Everyone who knows me, or reads me, knows that I know politics. I grew up in a political home environment. I have a brother or two who are Political Scientists, I keep myself educated, and up to date, I also know the right websites to read to get my information. These are tried and true sites who have accurately predicted our country’s direction since 2000.
Most People Don’t Understand That Politicians Make Decisions That Can Help/Ruin Our Lives
I also taught my children politics. Brodie keeps up with it more than Veronica, but I do try and enlighten her when I can. When Brodie was in 2nd. grade he could tell you all about Bill Clinton and that scandal which led to his Impeachment. We were living in Maryland at the time at Ft. Meade.
We were also there for Election 2000 Bush V. Gore. And 9/11.
It was at this time that I did my best to inform some of my family (that didn’t know what was going on), and friends and neighbors and acquaintances, that bad things were coming because of what Bush/Cheney were doing. They of course, didn’t believe me, and just chalked my anxious behavior up to “mental illness” or something like that. I was pretty much dumped by most everyone that I knew and whom I called my friends. Some of them would even forward me articles about how American’s that don’t support Bush and the Iraq War are un-American, and un-Patriotic. That hurt!
I never realized how many Republican “friends” that I had until then.
Those that didn’t totally dump me would occasionally contact me just to ‘dip their toe into the water’ in order to see if I was still “crazy.” Turns out I was. 🙂
And those that still did keep in touch, but were very distant, I ended up eventually dumping them because I realized that I have absolutely nothing in common with them anymore.
Following politics is kind of like following sports. You know the players, you know their supporters, their sponsors, their behavior when they are under pressure, their strength’s, their weaknesses, etc. In the same way that a sports fan can predict what play is about to happen, is no different from those of us that follow politics. You may know a baseball pitcher’s hand signals and what is about to happen, while we know the dog whistles from our political players and what is about to happen there.
Well, everything that me, and others like me predicted, have since come true. We truly are at a cross roads in our democracy and I am hoping that we will win and defeat those that are trying to turn us into an Authoritarian Country.
(This probably explains to a lot of you that read me why I don’t have any friends? I decided that I wanted to streamline my relationships and the only people that I want in my life are our children, their partners, and our grand-daughter Isabelle. I don’t really care to get close to, or know anyone else.) The closest friend that I was able to make was my Kiwi friend Trish, from New Zealand. She has since died. But no one will ever hold a candle to her kindness and friendship. Most every day I tell her ‘I love and miss her’, even though I know she can’t hear me.
I had invested years into those previous relationships of friends that chose George W. Bush over me. Well, wonder how that turned out?
I’m sure George W. Bush was there for those break-up’s, birthday luncheons, supportive talks, and visits. 🙂
It’s o.k., I don’t care about any of them anymore. I’m not trying to complain, just explain. I hurt for years over those failed relationships, but in the end, I just outgrew all of them and needed to get away. It’s o.k. to outgrow people. I don’t wish them anything bad, I just don’t want to ever know them again.
I suppose the reason I am telling you all of this is because we live in a very divided country, and I just wanted other people to know that you aren’t alone when it comes to moving on from old friends and relationships. There is a process that you just need to go through before you get to the end of it, and when you do, life is better because you are better. You finally realize that you deserve better. But, don’t ever regret doing the right thing in the past, only to have someone not deserve it. Be HAPPY you did the right thing, no matter what the end result is.
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Now Moving On…..
We are now in our history exactly where me, and others like me said we would be. So, what do we do about it?
James Carville summed it up best when he reminded people that we still live in the same country, the mood is what is different. (Always listen to Carville. Always!)
He’s right. We do still live in the same country. This country put Barack Hussein Obama in The White House.
This country also created The Tea Party, and the MAGA’S.
What people like me recognize is THE BLUE PRINT. The Blue Print is the map that is used when a political party wants to turn a country into a dictatorship. The Blue Print is used to invade a country, take over a country, get a country to willingly go to war, etc.
Trump follows the rhetoric of Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, and other “strong men.” Personally, I detest the term, “strong men” because they aren’t strong. They are manipulative bully’s who are nothing without their enablers and supporters.
The only way we are going to get our country back is not just to elect Harris/Walz, but to vote out every single Republican! Every one of them! Hold to account those in power who break our laws and do harm to our country and it’s people. Do away with the Electoral College. Our Founding Father’s created that Electoral College because they didn’t think the average American was smart enough to vote. Yeah, those wonderful Founding Father’s did that to us! And here we are…..
I have no doubt that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will win the Presidential Election this November. But, I also have no doubt that the Republican’s and their supporters will do everything in their power to steal it from them, deny it to them, and even kill them if necessary.
Every single American needs to prepare for what the Republican’s have in store. I do know that it will be BAD! 🙁
We might just need to call upon that protestor/fighter DNA that every single one of us as an American has inside of us. We are descended from protestors! Let’s don’t erase all that they fought for, all that they died for. Let’s make our ancestors proud. 🙂
My Clan Keith Ancestors fought at the Battle of Bannockburn, in Scotland in 1314. If you have ever seen the end of Braveheart, that is the Battle of Bannockburn, where the Scots win their freedom. My ancestors, the Keith’s, took out the King’s Archers which enabled everyone else to run end and win. They played an important role in the fight. I’m so proud of them!
I would love for them to be proud of me.
Julie
P.S. Robert The Bruce’s sister married a Keith. 🙂
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August 7, 2024
In The Driver’s Seat
(For those that wonder, that cooler wedged between the seats on my car, is always full of clothing and toiletries. Living in Florida you pretty much need an evacuation plan and packed bags by your door, or even in your cars. Climate Scientists live their lives with bags packed. I’ve always been that way myself. You never know…..)
On Friday, August 2nd. I drove into Tampa to do some shopping on the AF Base, to stock up and prepare for the Tropical Storm coming our way, which turned into named storm, Debby. I got an unexpected day off. Veronica had stayed home that day because Covid was going around at work and she didn’t want me to catch it. How thoughtful. 🙂 I ended up having a good 5 days off in a row. I watch my Granddaughter Isabelle, several days a week, so once I get my son-in-law Brian’s work schedule, then I revolve my life around that schedule when planning my shopping, errands, and doctor appointments. I don’t have as much free time as I used to, and I’m o.k. with it. Keeping Isabelle is a privilege. She’s smart, she’s funny, she’s fun, and she loves her Tutu, ME!
To Quote Olivia Newton-John,
“Let’s Get Physical, Physical, I Wanna Get Physical. Let’s Get Into Physical.”
I sent the photos to Gordon who is working overseas and he remarked, “At least you got the hair out of her face.” Yeah, that lasted a total of 2 minutes.
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Well, It’s August
Gordon will be back home in October for a few weeks. I have 2 months to prepare. We have been batting around Halloween ideas, and creating recipes on the phone. We decided to make October his homecoming because we are big fans of Halloween and have been working on many fun ideas to do with our family, and especially Isabelle.
I also want Gordon here to help me just catch up on yard work and backyard clean-up. The gutters need to be cleaned out, the back yard bird cage and the roof needs to have all the debris blown off of them, not to mention some pressure washing is in order. Also, not to mention, more backyard bleaching of some mold and mildew on the retaining walls. I would love a backyard that we can enjoy, but it takes so much work. Hiring people to do it for us is usually a big waste of money. They don’t know the difference between a Curry Plant and a weed, so they pull up the Curry Plant and toss it away. Also, my lovely Goldilocks/Creeping Jenny, they will take the weed eater to that as well. It’s honestly best if we just do the work ourselves. I wouldn’t mind paying someone some extra money that knew how to be our “gardener”, however, those people just don’t exist in our realm. I’m sure they do in wealthier communities, but we aren’t in some million/billion neighborhood. And If I make inquiries in my attempt to find these people, they don’t exist here.
Tropical Storm Debby managed to shake the trees and knock down some dead, and smaller branches. Which is fine. It’s just a mess that we then need to clean up.
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Anxious To Create Beauty Here
With Debby having passed through, I would love to get out here and to create something beautiful, however, I am wary of the next storm coming through. I don’t want to set it all up, only to tear it all down again. So, it sits like this until I get around to it.
I Do Love Our Jungle Here
It was so humid that I had keep wiping the camera lens off when taking the photos.
The Rain Does Make Everything so Nice and Green
The plan is to clean up our Elk Horn and plant these Succulents in the top.
I like placing other plants in it, other than just having it be an Elk Horn.
Update on the Yellow Jackets: Apparently they have all been killed, and the toxin didn’t damage the Elk Horn.
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This is NOT Tropical Storm Debby
This is just a regular everyday storm that we have this time of year during rainy season.
This Storm Was July 25, 2024
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In spite of storms, and yard debris, and loosing power during storms…
The power went out for 8 hours during Debby.
I’m doing O.K.. All that moving around and being the new kid in school all the time when I was growing up, taught me independence. I had myself to look after and it was either sink or swim. Sometimes I would dog paddle, sometimes I would just tread water with my head barely above the surface, and sometimes I might have been underwater swimming, but holding my breath until I could surface, other times I was swimming smoothly like an Olympic Swimmer. The Universe has been far kinder to me than any human ever was. I like my life. I’m happy to be here on Earth. And I would love to stay as long as I am welcome. 🙂
Julie
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July 14, 2024
July 6, was our 13th. Website Anniversary
I know I’m just now getting around to celebrating, but I’ve been very busy and I do what I can, when I can. I am very happy that we have gotten this far. It’s been a creative journey of fun and ideas. Gordon is working overseas and cannot be here to celebrate with me. But, we do converse on the phone most everyday and we bat around ideas for recipes and other projects that we are working on, long distance.
We do thank you and appreciate your interest in us and all that we do. Thank you so very much!
Julie and Gordon
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(I Saved My Isabelle Cupcake)
July 10, 2024
I’m Totally Birthday’d OUT!
July 4th. America’s Birthday
Making my Baked Beans for a 4th. of July Party in Tampa, and an Early Birthday for Isabelle
Trying to Feed at Least 30 People Here
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July 4th. Isabelle’s Birthday Party and America’s Independence Day
Isabelle’s Cupcakes
Veronica Made All The Cupcakes And Put This Together
Isabelle’s “Smash Cake” Veronica Made
Finally She is 1 ! 🙂
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Our son-in-law Brian, and his siblings Becky and Sean, lost both their parents last year on the same day, 4 months apart. This party was held at their house. The children inherited the house and they use it for party’s like this, holiday’s, and when family visit. They also plan on renting it out in the future. It is in a perfect location outside MacDill AFB. Perfect for family of service members stationed on the base to be close enough to the base, also large enough for many family to stay there. I hope that when they start the project that they are successful with it. I know that Brian’s family also use the house for Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinner’s and Parties.
This year they decided to have a big 4th. of July Party and an early Isabelle Birthday Party.
They invited between 30-40 people.
This is the neighborhood that Hulk Hogan grew up in. All of the older people around my age at the party, knew him from Robinson High School as just plain Terry, (Bollea.)
When I heard about the party I immediately knew that I would just make my Baked Beans. I also took some Pickled Red Onions to just have on the table next to the Pickles as something else to add to their Hamburgers or Hot Dogs, etc.
There were tons of Kelleher’s at the party, and just a few Whann’s. 🙂
Gordon may be working overseas but Me, Brodie and Mackenzie attended.
Brian and Veronica Planned the Whole Thing and Did All the Work And the Cooking!
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Isabelle is Already Hot and Tired….
So……. (I knew this would happen) 🙂
Veronica and Brian with Isabelle
Her Daddy Can Always Cheer Her Up!
The Girl Is Smashing It!
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Veronica Age 1, July 6, Honolulu, Hawaii
Veronica Dove Right In!
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Pretty Mackenzie at the Party
Mackenzie and Brodie with Isabelle
Peanuku and Tutu
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The Fireworks
Slept Through The Whole Thing
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Brian and His Family are Notorious for Their Yearly Fireworks Display
(In the many years they have done this, there have been no bad incidents.)
You will never find me at any of these. I always leave beforehand. I grew up personally knowing people (the Neiderhooth boys) that had body parts blown off of them from firecrackers and fireworks when they were in their teens. However, if these adults want to do this it is up to them. Isabelle was away from it all, so I didn’t object.
Fire Cracker, Fire Cracker, Boom, Boom, Boom!
(Veronica made those Firecracker Displays.)
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Uncle Brodie Putting Together the Princess Castle For Isabelle’s Birthday
It took him over 3 hours to put it together. We did have a lovely visit though. 🙂
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(What’s Inside The Box?) A Peek!
July 5th. Isabelle’s Actual 1st. Birthday
Happy Birthday Isabelle!
We Will Celebrate Once You Have Napped
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The Princess Ariel Land to Sea Castle
I realize that this extremely elaborate castle is for ages that start at 3, but in my defense, I didn’t know it was this big! I honestly thought it was about half this size. My first thought was that I had better return it, it’s just too big. However, when Brodie put it all together I fell in love with it! To me, it’s kind of like a Christmas Tree. It’s big and beautiful with lots of pretty things that light up that we can look at and admire all the time. I mean, we don’t ‘play’ with our Christmas trees, we look at them and admire them.
I ended up getting two of these, one here with me and Gordon, and the other with Veronica and Brian at their house.
Also the two Ariel’s I bought. One for here, and the other for Isabelle’s house.
Isabelle Loves Things That Light Up
I realize that there are parts of this playhouse that can cause choking, etc. but, I am a very hands on Tutu. I’m on the floor with her every step of the way. With the exception of when she takes a nap, we are joined at the hip. 🙂
I thought it looked really nice here underneath our Mermaids and the Shrimp Mobile that Gordon and I made for Peanuku.
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Peanuku and Tutu
Jesus Painted the Jacket 🙂
Veronica works with some wonderful artists. She herself is a really good artist. Some of her paintings look like photographs. Her co-worker Jesus painted the jacket above for Isabelle. How special is that?!
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This particular birthday party was just for us, and Gordon who is working overseas.
He was with us via video the whole time.
Check out that big cake! Again, something that I ordered having no idea exactly how big it was.
Veronica and Brian with Isabelle
Isabelle’s New Bluey Toys
ISABELLE
Having Some Ice Cream on her Spoon
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Wine With Cake For Me
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July 6, Veronica’s 37th. Birthday
Veronica’s birthday is the day after Isabelle’s so I did give her some nice gifts and some flowers….
Isabelle LOVES Books! 🙂
I also babysat Isabelle while Veronica and Brian met another couple for dinner to celebrate Veronica’s birthday.
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Our Bluey/Ariel Birthday
Ate some, Froze some, Gave some away…
Oh and a big p.s. You will have the most beautiful green poop that will last for days after eating that frosting. 🙂
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June 21, 2024
Kate Middleton? Princess of Wales
June 14, 2024
Kate Middleton?
Apparently Kensington Palace released this statement from Kate along with the lovely photo of her surrounded by such beauty in the forest, on June 14, 2024.
What I find interesting about the statement above is how it is signed, Kate Middleton, The Princess of Wales.
I know that many times when any of us here in America refer to Kate as Kate Middleton, and not Catherine The Princess of Wales, I do wonder what they think of the signature above? How many of us have been chastised by some British royalist on social media for calling her by her birth name?
Therefore, I find it interesting that the palace is doing the same. It makes you wonder if this is yet another “clue” to the Princess’s future?
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The Trouble With Kate
The Scenery is Beautiful! Kate Looks Stunning.
Serene, Green, and No Future Queen?
I’ve also read that the photo may be AI generated. I have no idea whether that is true or not, I am no expert on the topic.
(The blazer that Kate has on above in the forest photo, and here, has been worn by her in the past a few times. I’ll explain that significance shortly.)
What I wanted to write about was to contribute to the speculation with yet more speculation. Probably not really needed, but I need to get this out of my head so that I can create other things, and it won’t leave until I do. 🙂
You see, as an Empath, I am connected to her and some of those around her. I’ll explain that in just a few, for those of you that don’t read my website, I am an Empath, just like Princess Diana was. When I become connected to people sometimes it’s hard to break that connection. Writing things down does help a little bit.
Many of us in America are accused of wanting a Monarchy here. They say that because we are interested in their royals. I don’t want a Monarchy here, which is why I sometimes enjoy reading about yours. Kind of like a Soap Opera. I don’t want all that drama in my life but sometimes it’s interesting to read about the drama in other people’s lives.
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The royals and the palace handed us a huge mystery and are now complaining that we took the bait.
As an American I do sometimes feel that this is not any of our business. It’s a British issue, not an American one and therefore perhaps we should stay out of it. Part of me feels that way, except that William and Kate are a power couple on the world’s stage and their influence can affect other countries around the world whether positively, or negatively. We don’t pay to support them, like the British taxpayers do, but they do come here on their visits to extend their influence to us over here. So, with that said, yes, I am interested in what is really going on?
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So, What Is Kate’s Official Name?
Prince William’s official name is:
William Arthur Philip Louis Mountbatten-Windsor
William, The Prince of Wales
So, wouldn’t Kate’s last name be Mountbatten-Windsor as well?
From what I have researched is that Kate dropped her middle and last name upon marriage to Prince William. Therefore, her official name is Catherine, The Princess of Wales GCVO (the acronym refers to ‘Her Royal Victorian Order.)’ She is also the Duchess of Cambridge.
Kate Middleton? Really? Wouldn’t the palace know her official name? Is Middlton her future name again? Generally, that is what happens when couple’s divorce.
Diana lost her title of Princess when she and Charles divorced. What she did do in order to keep that name, was to change her name to “Princess Diana.”
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Let’s Recap Here
We were told back in January that Kate was to receive “planned abdominal surgery” and would be in the hospital for 2 weeks, yet no one really came to visit her the entire time, or could even tell us about her stay. Then we were told she left the hospital after the two weeks were over but no one recalls seeing her leave or anyone come for her?
We were then given a series of photographs telling us that they were Kate, when they really weren’t.
We are then given this photo of Kate and the kids:
Mother’s Day March 10, 2024 Photo, Allegedly
March 10, was Mother’s Day in the U.K., or Traditionally, Mothering Sunday
The photo was a huge FAKE! Pieced together photos from other photos to depict a ‘happy smiling Kate and the kids.’
The palace admitted the fake and blamed it on Kate. (Those aren’t even Kate’s fingers above. Her finger lengths are different.)
I do write a lot about this in a blog entry below, where I go into more detail. I really don’t want to get into all that I write below, I would like to go from here with my new information.
Questions? Questions? Questions?
It was at this point that many of us are wondering what is going on?
We are also being made to feel badly that we are interested in wanting to know how and where she is?
5 people hadn’t been seen in 6 months!
Kate, Charlotte, Louis, and Kate’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton
It was at this point that I told my husband that I don’t think Kate is cooperating with the palace anymore.
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Kate’s Cancer AI Made Video
(The Sweater is about 6-8 years old.)
This video is also a FAKE! There are so many inconsistency’s with it. I won’t go into all of them. You can do your own research to learn about those inconsistency’s for yourself.
I will say that it was at this point that people are wondering if she is dead? Someone pointed out how her face is resting in this video, as if she was lying down when they shot it. That’s when I started to wonder if she was actually dead and not just NOT cooperating with the palace anymore? Or in some kind of Coma? We really did need to see proof of life!
When you start to get older our faces do change. My face looks different when I am laying down, from when I’m sitting up, from when I’m facing downward. So, when someone suggested her face looked as if she were laying down, then of course we all start to jump to conclusions. Not to mention, given all the deception we had been given for months, and the fact that 5 people had not been seen in 6 months.
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Trooping The Colour, Saturday, June 15, 2024
Finally, Our First Glimpse of Kate and Charlotte and Louis
We Now Have Proof of Life (at least on 3 of them)
(Oh, and btw: the dress she is wearing is an old dress from her past. They just revamped it a little bit to make it look different.)
This is where being an Empath comes in to play.
In the photo top left you can see Kate stroking Charlotte’s hair with a very sad look on her face. They are awaiting their carriage to arrive. What I see as an Empath is a broken woman. Someone who is being brought out and made to perform for the public. She doesn’t want to be there. She is doing it not only to please all of us that need to know she is o.k., but to please the British public, and the royal family because they know the Monarchy is in trouble and she has been brought out to help appease and secure the lineage. She isn’t doing it for William, she is doing it for George and Charlotte and Louis as well. She wants their futures secured too. I believe that Kate is going through the motions of a future life that she knows isn’t hers anymore.
The thing is, The Princess of Wales isn’t just a Title, it’s also a Job. The British tax payer is supporting her and all of the royals and the royal family is expected to “perform” when necessary. This isn’t like giving birth and it is expected that she will need time off to recover and bond with the baby. Or, that she actually did have some kind of surgery that requires time to heal. This is about the world being lied to and deceived by a royal family that have no respect for the “peasants” that pay their salaries.
I can tell you this as an Empath, the only people that Kate cares about are the royals, not the British public. When she waves and smiles it’s duty, it’s not authentic. It never was. She wants to continue to be part of that royal family no matter what because she has invested so many years to the job. Not to mention, 3 children. She has put up with countless indiscretions by William, not to mention his bullying, she has also put up with all the little “fuck you’s” that upper class women tend to throw at each other and to those they don’t like. The constant scrutiny. Not to mention what I am about to suggest next…..
When did She Get That Scar?
People have speculated that she got a facelift. I don’t see a facelift. I see a beautiful women who probably does see a Cosmetic Dermatologist, but I don’t think she has gone under the knife….. yet.
So, we finally see her. She is thinner than she was before. She now has a pretty big scar on her face. You know that must bother her every time she looks in the mirror. The question is, where did that scar come from? It is related to her “cancer?” A cancer that she will not reveal to any of us? Is it something that William may have done to her? He does have a history of abusing Harry. There is even plenty of video of him hitting Charles and Harry quite roughly in his younger days. So, why not slap Kate around especially when they are arguing about his mistress Rose Hanbury that he has no intention of giving up.
You see, I believe that Kate Middleton is being pushed out.
William is a narcissist just like his father Charles. Narcissist’s aren’t good people. They are tremendously mean and selfish. They abuse the people around them. They can turn on the charm when they have to, but otherwise they don’t. If you think about it William grew up with everyone divorcing around him. His parents, Charles and Diana. Diana’s parents were also divorced, his aunt Princess Anne, and his uncle, Prince Andrew, not to mention his other uncle Charles, Diana’s brother, and his cousin, Princess Anne’s son. Also, probably countless more….
Charles never conformed in his marriage to Diana, he also never intended to, he just expected her to conform to him.
Kate has shown that she is the dutiful wife. Beautiful, dedicated, loyal. But sorry Kate, those qualities aren’t good enough for someone that will never truly appreciate you.
Trooping The Colour, 2024 Balcony Scene
(Although I didn’t watch the entire footage of Kate on the balcony with William, what I did see was that he never touched her, even when trying to scoot by in back of her. He never held his hand to her back. Also, when they were leaving he never touched her to guide her out, like they did for the children. It was as if he was avoiding touching her. I did however, see footage of William touching his shoulder to Kate’s when they would speak.)
The royal family has learned, through Kate’s absence, that getting rid of her will outrage quite a few people.
I also believe that they may have painted themselves into a corner with her “cancer.” If he divorces her now those that are loyal to them all will be furious!
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This Car Ride Home Says It ALL
From what I see of William on the other side of the car is his just wanting to hurry up and get back home. What I see of Kate is almost a ‘one last look’ at it all. She knows the future she thought she was going to have, she won’t. I see depression, great sadness, feeling unwanted, unloved, and alone. Alone as in she is not loved by her husband.
This is what I SEE, This is what I READ, This is what I PICK UP.
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King Charles III Coronation, May 6, 2023
When I saw this photo of Kate taken at the Coronation last year I could see her strain and her pain. I could see her unhappiness and that she just can’t take much more.
I read that the headpiece you see above was rigged up by whoever dresses Kate because Camilla was insistent that Kate not wear a crown.
I also read that William’s mistress Rose Hanbury’s twin son’s took part in the Coronation.
Imagine that? I’m sure we “Lesser Mortals” would have had a hard time with that. Having to go through the motions of a ceremony when all we feel is to die on the inside?
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It’s Difficult To Feel Sorry For Kate
Kate has been the ultimate ‘mean girl’ to Meghan since Harry and Meghan started dating. Kate has contributed to causing Meghan great pain and unhappiness for years. I am really disgusted by how she and all of the royal family treated Harry. Harry was very good to Kate. He was supportive of her. And how did she repay that support? By contributing to the abuse endured by Harry and Meghan.
Kate does not deserve our sympathy.
When you align yourself with people that do terrible things to people that you don’t like, then don’t be surprised when they do terrible things to you. That is what is happening now. To Kate.
Perhaps Kate does have cancer. That is a bit hard to believe because as a member of the royal family she has the best health care in the world. I’m sure there have been constant preventative screenings through the years to detect even the smallest of suspicious moles. Therefore, how did such a vast and tremendous cancer just appear by surprise? At least, that’s what it seems like?
So Why The Cancer Ruse?
To explain keeping Kate out of the spotlight because they are phasing her out.
They are also introducing us to more of William and kids, the doting single dad.
Remember when I pointed out that all the clothing that we have seen Kate in this year are all old clothes? She is allegedly the future Queen of England and yet she hasn’t worn anything new at all this year? Isn’t The Trooping the Colour kind of like a big deal where a new outfit might be warranted by a future Queen? I’m sure all the other royal ladies had on new dresses.
They aren’t spending money on Kate anymore. Why? Because she is no longer important to them. And she knows it.
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The Final 2 Missing Persons
The Middleton’s, Michael and Carole
At Ascot, June 18 – 22, 2024
Look How Happy They Look
We haven’t seen hide nor hair of these two in 6 months either. Wonder why? And, why now?
They certainly look as if everything is peachy keen. But, as am Empath I can tell you that I read NOTHING in the photo above. NOTHING! What that means to me, an Empath, is that they are Sociopaths. I never paid much attention to reading their photos until now. But, come to think of it, I never really did get any kind of a “hit” when I would view them.
Most of the time Empath’s can’t read Sociopath’s because they have no feelings to read. We do pick up very negative feelings from them when they are angry or upset. So, why the happy smiling faces above? Now I can only guess since I can’t read these two. Either Kate has cut a deal with the royals that will also benefit them. Or they are just going along with the royals so that they can have access to their grandchildren.
I guess time will tell on all of this,
Julie
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June 16, 2024
It’s Sunday, and It’s Father’s Day
Happy Father’s Day Gordon!
I put together a nice couple of boxes to send to Gordon for Father’s Day. He is currently working overseas. I bought that Bluey shirt because that is “our” show. Mine, Gordon’s, and Isabelle’s. It means something to us. Gordon said the Australia team loved it! 🙂
Isabelle Wearing Her Bluey Clothes I Bought Her
Yeah, he warned me about the beard. It looks better than I thought it would.
A few weeks ago I put together all of his favorite snacks and a few gifts and sent them over to him. Packages from home are always appreciated, especially when Veronica contributes some of her artwork and pictures of Isabelle.
I had been meaning to write about the Pro’s and Con’s of Gordon working overseas, but that will have to wait until another time. I will say that right now there are more Con’s than Pro’s! I’ll get to some of those in a little bit.
But, right now I am just enjoying my Sunday at home alone with the dogs. You know, I never liked Sunday’s growing up. Sunday meant missing the last 20 minutes of Lost In Space because we had to leave to go to Sunday School and Church. Sunday’s also meant that the following day was Monday and I had to go to school to face down all the bullies in the many places that we lived. Sunday’s also meant having to go to work the following day and just dreading that alarm clock going off on that Monday morning.
But now, Sunday’s mean much more to me. It’s a day that I can wake up whenever I want to, take a shower and then put on fresh pajamas to wear all day long if I so desire. It’s a day that I open the front shutters wide instead of narrow. You see, on Sunday’s I don’t have to worry about someone knocking in my door trying to sell me something. I don’t have to go outside to bring in the mail, or set out/bring in the Garbage, Yard Debris, or Recycling Containers. It’s a day that I can be anti-social and it’s accepted. It’s also nice and quiet. No lawnmowers, weed eaters, pressure washers, just silence. I think it’s also a day where you can be lazy and veg out all day without judgement from anyone. Not that I am concerned about being judged. That is the beauty of aging. The things that used to upset and worry you no longer do. But, there is something very unpleasant about having to look at the faces that are judging you. Which is why I don’t really look at people anymore.
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Going Into Town For Supplies
(Actually, more like driving into Tampa to the AF Base to do some shopping.)
My Shopping List
I always thought it would be so much fun to live outside of town in some cabin in the woods, and to drive into the nearest town about once a month in my cool Jeep for “supplies.”
Well, I do live outside of Tampa in a lovely town towards Orlando. We do have plenty of shopping here around me, and I do have a lovely Toyota off road cool vehicle in which to load and haul many things, but the prices where we live are very high and the prices on the base in Tampa are very low, so I get to drive into town in my cool off road vehicle about once a month for “supplies.” 🙂
My Purse and Lunch
I always bring food with me even if I am just running a short errand.
Water, Sunscreen, and Backing Up Down the Driveway
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On My Way Into Tampa For Supplies 🙂
I’ve Got The Wine!!!
Actually, the wine is usually my 4th. stop once I get on the base.
Drive-Thru Pharmacy, Gas Station, and Exchange Shopping is Stop 1, 2, and 3.
Then I hit the Commissary, usually TWICE!
Once to load up on all the toiletries and dry goods supplies, then back inside to fill a second shopping cart with food.)
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WORST LIGHTING EVER!
(And, just an FYI: that “wrinkly” neck is my bandage.) 🙂
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Now That I’m Home….
…It’s Time To Unload
This Is THE Hardest Part!
Actually, the most tedious part is once I have carried all of this into the house it’s time to put it all away.
And, because of the heat, the beautiful Lily I bought died on the way home. 🙁
Most Everything Scratched Off The Shopping List
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On the plus side to Gordon working overseas, I don’t need to buy as much food, although you would never know that to look at the photos above. Also, his food is provided to him so we don’t need to dish out a food budget for him. When I do cook something I always share with our kids and their families. I also usually end up freezing a few things as well to save for when Gordon comes home for visits.
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Watching Isabelle
Isabelle
Just when you think that there is no more room in your heart to care about anyone else, you suddenly find this hidden room that is HUGE and suddenly there is plenty of room to welcome that new love in. 🙂
Julie Lancaster-Whann
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What I love the most about Isabelle is that she loves her books as much as she loves her toys. Just surround her with them and she doesn’t get tired of flipping the pages and feeling the touch and feel books. She also loves the story books that I read to her. I just don’t let her turn those pages and she will tear them.
I am Isabelle’s main caregiver. Both Veronica and Brian work.
Right when I found out that Veronica was pregnant, I immediately offered up my services. I was not about to have her be in some daycare. I’m sure there are some very nice ones out there. But, the odds of us finding one of those nice ones is probably slim. I know it’s important to have the secure feeling that your child is being taken care of while you are at work. I didn’t have that when we were living in Hawaii which is why I was a ‘stay at home mom.’
Besides, I didn’t have children just to turn them over to someone else to raise.
If that’s what other people want to do, then it is their choice. I think when given good options then it can all work out well for everyone, but I didn’t have good options.
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I’m very lucky that I have a flexible schedule in keeping Isabelle. We have our full days, but there are also plenty of short days and days off. Brian, our son-in-law is a Fireman with a great schedule that is adjustable. Veronica, however has a set schedule.
We are all adjusting and things are getting easier and easier. I’m a very hands on Tutu (Grandmother in Hawaiian.) I don’t just plop her in her crib all day. She is only in her crib a few hours a day. (Some days I have her 11 1/2 hours!) We have our play time on the floor crawling. We take the dogs outside. We have story time on the couch. I put her in her walker when Bluey is on the Disney Channel. I also set her in her high chair in the kitchen with a teething treat while I do dishes, or put things away. The older she gets, the easier is it becoming. She enjoys her independence and she is happier with it. She is a very intelligent baby girl.
Isabelle Rigged That Up!
She wanted to touch the T.V. so she scooted that toy over there to stand on it so that she could. So very proud! And yet terrified all at the same time. She can’t even walk yet. 🙂
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Having Fun With My Personal Projects
This area of our backyard has seen a few changes over the years. Whenever you place anything wooden outside here in Florida, it only has a shelf life for about 3-5 years, if you’re lucky. We had the house painted in February and I was once again given a clean slate here. So, I decided that I wanted to add a nice white cabinet to hold pots and gardening items. The nicer ones anyway. We have other wooden cabinets to hold the other items. I also wanted it to work as a nice buffet for when we eat outside. And, when the months are cooler I want Isabelle and I to do some gardening projects together.
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THE PESTS!!!
We currently have RATS living around our canoe and kayaks.
(I did buy rat killing pellets and sprinkled them around the area so that they will eat them and….)
We also have Ghost Ants coming in through the kitchen nook window.
One morning about a week ago, I woke up to all these things crawling all over my kitchen floor. I immediately got out the “safe” bug spray. You see, I only use the more toxic stuff outside the house. The “safe” stuff I do use inside the house. I am very particular. I believe in living with some dirt in the house. Dirt is safe. I don’t use the more modern day cleaners because they aren’t safe to breathe. I even still clean everything with Bar Keeper’s Friend. It’s been around forever and isn’t harmful. Well, I was able to trace the ants with wings coming in through this window….
Ghost Ants (Dead) 🙂
I then grabbed the more toxic ant and roach killing spray, and doused them with it. I got all of them. This week we have had lots of rain. After I killed all of those you see dead above, I cleaned the window with the garden hose so as to wash them away.
It was while I was spraying the “safe” bug spray in the house that I suddenly saw from the corner of my eye something big fly over from one side of the kitchen, to SPLAT against the cabinets on the other side! it was a huge FROG!
Where did you come from???
It was looking at me so helpless as to ask, ‘Why are you using that stuff?’
That’s when I grabbed the dish towel off the stove rack and caught it, and then took it outside and let it go. It fought me every step of the way because it feared for it’s life. Poor thing.
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Now you can see all the dead bodies stuck to the window because of all the rain we’ve had. Apparently, all this flooding rain drowned them underground, then splashed them against the nook window. Good to know that between Mother Nature and Me, we seem to have solved that problem.
AND,
HORNETS have taken over our beautiful Elk Horn. 🙁
It was over a week ago when I was outside watering, we hadn’t had rain in a long time and if I don’t use the hose to water certain things then they die. We do have a sprinkler system but it doesn’t reach everything, including our Elk Horn. So, I was watering it when I suddenly saw all these kind of bee like things buzzing all around it. There were anywhere from 35 – 50 of them. I wasn’t alarmed or anything like that, so I finished all my watering and then went into the house to grab some wasp spray. I sprayed the area really good, or so I thought. A few days later I noticed that when I watered the Elk Horn again that about the same amount of hornets came out buzzing around it. That’s when I got more wasp spray and used almost a can dousing the Elk Horn.
Three days ago I went outside to peek and see if my wasp spray efforts had done any good. I pretty much just poked the Elk Horn when all of a sudden a few hundred flew out and at ME! Amazing how fast you can run when you need to! The dogs and I made it safely to the inside of the lanai. I had a few in my hair, and one-two stung me on my arm. I thought it was one but it actually might have been two.
I will have to call in the pro’s for this. This is way out of my league.
Remember when I said above that having Gordon work overseas has it’s Pro’s and Con’s. I also mentioned that lately there are more Con’s than Pro’s? Well, now you know why!
Barely Surviving in Florida,
Julie
P.S. Remember the frog I got out of the kitchen and took outside? Well, oddly enough when I took the dogs out that night I suddenly heard this very loud CROAK. The frogs don’t usually sing when a person is around, they sing when they are alone with no “predator.” I couldn’t help but wonder if that wasn’t my frog from the kitchen. So, I told it, “Your Welcome.”
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April 13, 2024
Isabelle in the New Dog Bed
She Loves It! 🙂
I’m Thinking About Getting Her One!
Sparky Has Laid Claim to This One
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March 22, 2024
Kate Reveals She Has Cancer
The royal family are opaque on a good day. There has just been way too much deception from the beginning. Those of us “conspiracy theorists” picked up on it. Now, the cancer diagnosis is being revealed. So, both Kate and Charles have cancer? Why tell us Charles has cancer and not Kate? The royals are in crisis.
I do stand by what I write below. I believe there is more going on than what is being revealed. However, I also don’t believe in piling on someone who is in crisis.
Julie
P.S. I do remember seeing a photo of Kate online many months ago where she was wearing a green dress. She just looked emaciated, anorexic. My eyes went straight to her stomach. I can even remember commenting on it on Twitter how they can’t put the entire monarchy on her shoulders and expect her to carry it. (Something to that effect.) And now, we hear about all of this? Interesting.
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March 22, 2024
I Wanted to Add to What I Write Below About The Unraveling of The Royal Family
American Riviera Orchard
So excited for Meghan and Harry’s new projects in the works! 🙂
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The difference in Harry and Meghan venturing out on their own when they left the royal family, (although they were actually ran off by the haters and bully’s), as opposed to ‘perhaps’ a William and Kate divorce, is that Meghan knows how to make money, Kate doesn’t.
Meghan was self made before she even met Harry. A successful actress with her humanitarian causes and not to mention a very successful lifestyle website called, The Tig.
Ms. Tig
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Meghan knew how to take care of herself. She knew how to cook!
So many people seemed to look down upon her for being an actress. (Yeah, like the royals don’t know how to act?) Pleeze!
Meghan is an intelligent woman who doesn’t use her intelligence to harm people, but to help people. As it should be.
She and Harry are actually a perfect couple. She has strength’s that he doesn’t, and he has strength’s that she doesn’t. Together, they combine those talents and qualities to be the power couple that they are now.
Kate doesn’t have the talent or resources that Meghan and Harry have. Kate may know several influential people but they are all tied to the palace. Kate never really built up any kind of life or support system before entering the royal family. She has mainly relied upon the royals from the very beginning. Along with her own family, the Middleton’s.
If there were a divorce between William and Kate, Kate would be pretty much destitute. We’ve seen how they strip the women they no longer care about of their protection. Kate will have to find someone rich enough to offer her the protection that she will need.
From what I understand, the Middleton’s have filed for bankruptcy, so their money supply has dried up a bit. Where will Kate go?
Pippa married well into money, perhaps she can foot the bill for Kate’s protection?
What sort of a future would Kate even have? To go back to some desk job? No. She would have to marry well in order to maintain the lifestyle that she has become accustomed to. Well, she had better do it quick before she gets too old. Men of significant means don’t want women in their 50’s or 60’s, they want women in their 20’s, 30’s and even 40’s if the woman still looks good enough. And Kate does.
If Kate is waiting for William to change, most people don’t. Especially those from that upper echelon of society. After all, in their arrogant minds there is nothing wrong with them? Just everyone else.
If Kate is o.k. out there, although I’m not so sure she is, then it looks to me that her only option at this stage is to stay in that toxic family for as long as they will have her. I don’t think a divorce between them will play well with the British public, or what’s left of their Commonwealth. It will just further speed up the demise of the monarchy.
Pity that they never recognized Meghan as the lifeline they needed to extend the monarchy by a generation or two?
Meghan and Harry are a dynamic duo when not being abused by a bunch of rotten human beings. She was an asset that they were too arrogant to realize. You know, I never gave a crap about the British royals until Diana came along. SHE made me want to know more! SHE made them all look interesting! Exactly what Meghan did for them. Except this time people of color around the world were becoming interested!
That royal family blew it and they continue to.
Good riddance to them!
Julie
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March 21, 2024
The Unraveling of The Royal Family
Although I am not a fan of Kate Middleton, I do recognize her hard work for the family she has married into. From the very beginning she has smiled, waved, hand -shaked, and finagled her way in. As degrading as some of the Royal Traditions are, she has performed them beautifully. She has obviously done her homework. She has done so much with grace and dignity. She is a very beautiful woman, with a lovely slim figure, and gorgeous features. She looks wonderful in clothes. Most of the time she looks very happy and healthy. She has given birth to 3 beautiful children. 2 boys and a girl. They are lovely as well.
The reason that I do not care for Kate is because of how she treated Meghan Markle from the very beginning of Meghan’s entrance, and engagement, and subsequent marriage to Prince Harry, and into that toxic family.
Kate, and the other Royals were very cruel to Meghan, and to Harry by extension. Some of them were quite racist in their prejudiced towards her. Some even worrying what a child between them would look like? As in, what would the child’s skin color be?
From the onset of the wedding, it was quite obvious from photos of Kate, and Camilla, that they were very prejudiced. The looks that they would shoot each other were very telling, and all the while sitting there at Harry and Meghan’s wedding. Something that should have been a happy affair.
I can remember feeling quite sad for Harry and Meghan seeing those expressions on the faces of Kate and Camilla and even William, as Best Man. That William sure can smirk! Harry was so happy, and instead of everyone in his family being happy for him, they were such grumps!
Once the wedding was over, the senior royals were still very prejudiced towards Harry and Meghan. At one point in all the harassment, Meghan even alluded in an interview that she contemplated suicide.
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William, Kate, and Rose Hanbury
I remember reading about 6 weeks prior to this photo being taken, that Kate had banished Rose Hanbury from her inner circle.
Then, all of a sudden, Kate then went out of her way to welcome Rose back into her circle, here at this public event.
With William’s Knowing Smile Nearby
In my digging into ancient royal protocol, I remember reading how a queen, or future queen could give the nod to a favorite mistress of her husbands, the future King of England. Is that what Kate did? There was obviously something that happened to change Kate’s mind in originally banning Rose Hanbury?
It is alleged that Rose Hanbury is William’s mistress. The gossip does actually get worse, but I will leave it here for now.
It is also alleged that William started the affair with Rose while Kate was pregnant with Louis. Sadly, if that is true, then that is the worst time for any husband or partner to cheat, it is when women are at their most vulnerable and insecure. So, if that did happen, then I’m sure Kate had a very hard time of it.
About Gossip in General
When I was young and moving around from place to place with my parents and brothers, there was always gossip about me, the new girl. Usually about 15% of it was true, the rest was made up. So, I know how gossip works. I also know to be careful about what I believe when I hear it. I also know to think twice before repeating it to anyone else. However, in the case of William and Kate, there is plenty of photographic evidence of how little he has regarded her over the past few years. In one interview he placed his hand on her shoulder and she shrugged it off with her body. There are a few photos of William holding an umbrella over his head to keep dry in the rain, while Kate walks beside him getting wet. Any gentleman would have either shared the umbrella, or held it over her and not just himself.
My point is that all you have to do is listen to an interview of Kate and William, or see them in person being interviewed, or just watch how they interact with each other out in public to know that things are not so rosy in paradise over the past few years that the palace would like for us to believe.
Also take into account that you are dealing with a man, William, who has been told from birth that he is special and will be the King of England someday. Pretty much raising a future narcissist right there.
King Charles is also of that same ilk. Generally, children of narcissists and sociopaths tend to grow up to be narcissists and sociopaths themselves. So, this behavior by William should be of no surprise to anyone in the know. Even in interviews, when William was asked about his mother, Diana, he would refer to her as ‘paranoid,’ and the look on his face wasn’t that of someone that loved and missed his mother. William had pretty much turned into Charles.
(P.S. Diana was justified in her paranoia. Many were out to get her.)
Now For The RED MEAT!
From what I have read Rose Hanbury is divorcing her husband, who from what I’ve read, has a French boyfriend.
For those of you that may be surprised by that? Don’t be! Things work differently over there in royal circles than they do here in America. When someone of entitlement happens to be gay, they still need to marry a woman in order to produce an heir, so that that line can continue. Gay men have been getting married forever to women, but yet having sex with the men that they are attracted to on the side.
Also, men of entitlement can’t just go out to some bar and pick up some man/woman to have sex with for the night. NO! That would be scandalous! They can’t after all, bring some woman back to the palace. So, they will have an affair with the wife of someone of entitlement. That way, they get what they want, sex with someone else, and because all of these extended nobles are sworn to secrecy, an affair can continue without much of a scandal. The wives of these husbands who do have affairs with Princes or Kings, their husbands are generally given promotions in order to maintain their silence.
It really is quite gross, except they do all this while wearing designer clothing and magnificent jewels. They are no different than our trailer trash, they just look, smell, and sound better.
(These are excepted traditions with the aristocracy. This isn’t just the bad behavior of one or two people.)
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Christmas Day, 2023
The Last Time Kate, William, and Their Children Were Seen In Public Together, Christmas Day, 2023
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Now, For the Online Timeline
From what I understand, three days after Christmas while the family were enjoying their Christmas holiday at Sandringham, an ambulance was seen speeding away with a police escort to a hospital that night. Then, on January 17th. the palace announces that Kate has underwent a “planned” abdominal surgery and will be in the hospital for 2 weeks, followed by a recovery, and that she won’t be seen until after Easter, 2024.
(The word “planned” is what bothers me. If I were to announce that someone in my family was having surgery I would not use the word, “planned.” I would simply say that they were having surgery.)
We also then learn of King Charles’s Prostate and his subsequent cancer diagnosis which no one will say what kind of cancer he has?
It’s at this point that the entire world is wondering what is going on with that family? Health wise?
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The Papers in Spain
In early February, 2024 the papers in Spain are reporting that Kate Middleton is in a coma.
Then I learn that the “Spanish Nanny” has been fired.
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It’s at this point that the frenzy is starting. Granted, we were suspicious from the beginning, but now things are really heating up! We have here a full fledged mystery and those of us that love a good mystery, are suddenly captivated!
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March 4, 2024
TMZ then releases this photo of Carole Middleton with “Kate.” Except, when you actually look at the close up photo it isn’t Kate at all. It looks more like Pippa, her sister. Also, since when do these kinds of cars have 3 tires on one side, and only two on the other side? Thus, further adding to the furor of “Where Is Kate?”
Also, nothing in the U.K. is green at this time of year. Ask anyone over there.
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Mother’s Day March 10, 2024 Photo, Allegedly
March 10, was Mother’s Day in the U.K., or Traditionally, Mothering Sunday
Allegedly Kate released this photo to commemorate the day. But, upon close scrutiny, there are so many inconsistencies. It is truly amateurish, and sloppy work. An obvious forgery. It’s as if they took photos of everyone from other publications, then pasted them all together calling it a ‘family photo.’
NOW, people are really wondering what is going on?
Allegedly, Kate took the blame for the botched photo by saying that she experiments with editing photography sometimes. Even calling herself an “Amateur Photographer.” Let me just say that she has put out a book on her photos, that makes her a professional photographer, not an amateur. Once someone pays you for your work, then you are now a professional. I AM AN AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER! Because I have never been PAID!!!
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It’s at this point that the public is really starting to pile on Kate. I’m starting to wonder if she is even posting in her own accounts? After all, why do so much editing to a photo of herself with her children? There is no need! They are a good looking family. Why all the edits? It never made sense!
Why wouldn’t Kate want to take a photo on Mother’s Day with her children no matter what was happening in her private life?
I don’t think she was able to. For whatever reason, she was not available. So, they pasted together a lie to appease the public that supports them.
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Then, because of all the uproar, and the condemnation of those of us that want photographic proof that Kate is alive, they release this:
March 18, 2024
It’s weird because it looks like Kate, but it also doesn’t look like Kate.
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Apparently a week to 10 days prior to this photo we were all told that Kate can’t even sit up. Now, all of a sudden she is able to almost sprint down a path while holding a shopping bag. Also no one there that “saw” her is willing to go on the record as having seen her at all!
The footage was obtained by TMZ, which is owned by Rupert Murdock, who also owns The Sun, The Daily Mail, and the Fox News Networks. The British Tabloids are also known to be in bed with the royal family.
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Netflix: Harry and Meghan
Release Date: December, 2022
Gordon and I watched this series with great interest. I had been such an admirer of Princess Diana for decades, I had also seen what all that toxic royal family, and the firm had done to her. Hearing this account of what all Harry and Meghan went through was very believable. It was something of a repeat over what the palace and that family had done to Diana.
Harry and Meghan explained perfectly how the royal family and the tabloids are in bed together. They even won a lawsuit or two against them. The Daily Mail doesn’t just report news, they create news. Meghan and Harry alluded to it as well. I’m not going to get into all of that as what I want to write about is Kate, but Harry and Meghan explain it all quite well if you care to watch their Netflix series.
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What I Believe Has Happened
(This is My Opinion Only)
It is said that Rose Hanbury’s youngest child, a daughter, is the child of Prince William. Now, I have no earthly idea if this is true or not but, I do know that William and Kate have not been such a happy couple for years now. I also observe that William is turning into his father, Charles. William really doesn’t have any regard for his mother, he is very much his father, and we all know how Charles felt about Diana. You can also observe William’s disregard for Kate while out in public.
Once Charles and Diana had divorced, the palace pulled Diana’s protection, stripped her of her titles, (she pretty much changed her first name to Princess so she could continue to be Princess Diana), she pretty much turned to Dodi Fayed as he was the only one rich enough to offer her protection. Which she needed from all of us!
It is obvious to me that William is a selfish bastard, and selfish bastards want what they want.
Perhaps over the Christmas holidays William informed Kate that we wanted a divorce?
Kate, feeling very slighted by this perhaps reacted by arguing, threatening, and even acting out as in taking some pills? Kate is the type that will not do any cutting to herself. She is quite vain in that regard. If she were to contemplate suicide, it would be with pills.
Kate, more than anyone knows how the family and firm treat women they no longer want?
If you are Kate, and you have invested decades into marrying, bearing children, and sacrificing for a family that is willing to discard you in a moment, you are going to be highly upset. Can you imagine going from being the future ‘Queen of England’ to being discarded and ending up in some desk job?
Wouldn’t that perhaps make you want to kill yourself?
Is that really such a stretch of the imagination?
Diana, in her abusive palace days threw herself down the stairs a few times, which led to her cutting herself. Meghan, being in that toxic and abusive family led her to contemplate suicide. So, is it really such a stretch that Kate may consider the same thing? After all, she knows perfectly well how she will be treated if William discards her.
These royal women own nothing while they are in that family. And therefore, they take nothing with them when they leave.
All those gowns, jewels, etc…. Do you think that Kate can keep that Diana engagement ring if she divorces William? NO!
She doesn’t even own her children. They belong to the palace.
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Frogmore Cottage
Frogmore Cottage was a gift to Harry and Meghan from Queen Elizabeth. The British taxpayers paid 3 million to renovate it. When all of that came out and Harry and Meghan had fled to America during Megzit, Harry and Meghan had paid that 3 million back to the British tax payers. Once that happened King Charles seized the property away from them. Pretty much screwing them out of that inheritance because he is an evil narcissist.
This is what Charles did to his own son, daughter-in-law and his own grand-children! The man is pretty evil.
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What The Royal Family Has Learned
I think that the royal’s have learned that the public does care about Kate’s well being, whether they like her or not.
Perhaps William will put his selfish plans on hold until things die down.
I do know that Kate is cut from a different clothe than Diana or Meghan.
Diana and Meghan are too honest to put up with some deceptive facade. They want honestly and daylight, whereas I think Kate is willing to put up with a hell of a lot in order to be queen someday.
I guess we will see how all of this turns out?
When the palace discarded Harry and Meghan, they lost a generation or two of extending the monarchy. (It will end fairly soon.) Meghan was an asset that they were too threatened by, to realize her importance. The world is no longer white. It has many colors. Meghan brought in those colors to the royal family that were interested and wanted to be there. Now, they no longer are.
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In my own personal experience, Narcissists, Sociopaths and Psychopaths are their own worst enemies.
They continue to abuse those that are loyal to them. However, every abuse tends to take the abused further and further away from them.
Eventually, everyone leaves their abusers. If they are lucky to live long enough to finally come to this conclusion. The abusers are just to stupid to understand it at the time. Only when the abused leave them do they realize it.
Every abuse that you do takes us further, and further away from you.
(I do happen to be speaking about my own mother here. But it does apply to everyone.)
I guess we will all see how this plays out.
Julie
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March 9, 2024
Catching Up
Me, With Isabelle
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Shooting An Italian Natale
I originally wanted to shoot this while Gordon was here but we just didn’t have the time. So, since I had already bought so many of the ingredients, I decided to just cook everything myself and do the shoot so that I could then take down our Christmas decorations. Yeah, that’s right, still have Christmas up!
This Was Delicious! (If I do say so myself.) 🙂
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Gordon is currently working overseas and does get to come home every 6 months for a few weeks. This will go on for awhile. We have long term goals which we are both working towards. Those will be revealed in the future. But for now, Gordon just wanted to spend time with me and Isabelle, our Peanuku.
Isabelle is a handful, so it was nice to pass her off to someone else so that I could get a break. She is an intelligent baby and she requires constant stimulation. I am her main caregiver and I am a constant with her. I don’t just put her in a baby swing with the T.V. on and leave her while I do other things. Oh, NO! She and I have our daily schedule of Sleeptime, Tummytime, Storytime, Playtime, Feedingtime and Disney Channel Blueytime.
Now that I am also watching The Disney Channel along with Isabelle, I see why the Florida Ron DeSantis republican party can’t stand Disney. Disney is teaching children about love and inclusion. Something republican’s are not for. Disney’s family values are our family values. Which is why we will continue to watch Disney, and support Disney.
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Australian Cartoon, Bluey
This show is Brilliant!
I wish the Heeler’s were my parents. 🙂
The parents, Bandit and Chili, are Blue and Red Heeler dogs. Their children are Bluey and Bingo, Bluey being a blue Heeler, and Bingo a Red Heeler.
The parents are very hands on in raising their children. They play with them. They teach them. They are good dogs! 🙂
There are many different breeds of dogs on the show, and they all work towards getting along with each other. I love how tolerant they are.
Probably what I love the most about the show is that it teaches creativity and using your imagination. I myself grew up moving around a lot and most of the time I only had my imagination and creativity as companions, along with lots of books. Which is why our Storytime is so important.
Isabelle with Talking Bingo and Bluey
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Gordon Bonding with Isabelle
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One thing I desperately wanted Gordon to make while he was home is his Fried Eggs with Sausage Biscuits and Gravy. 🙂
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We Recently Got Our House Painted
We hired people this time to do it for us. We were just too busy and I also think we are getting a bit old to do these things ourselves anymore. None the less, this took some time and I wanted it done while Gordon was here to supervise.
New Garage Lights (Gordon Installed)
They first came out and pressure washed the entire house on the first day, then they came and inspected and caulked on the second day. On the 3rd. day they started spray painting the eves, and on the 4th. day painted the entire house and the accents.
They did a wonderful job! I love the accents that are so bold.
We pretty much went from a Peach to a Coral.
We have no desire to change our house color, much. We love the Florida look to our home. While some people may paint their home a brown or a blue, we have no desire to do that. Vintage Florida is all that we care about.
WET PAINT
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I still have so much more to say, but I just don’t have the time right now. Which is my life….
Until next time,
Julie
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March 2, 2024
My Little Dumpling/Pot Sticker
Our Isabelle/My Peanuku
As an Amateur Photographer, She is my Favorite Subject
Cute Little Potsticker Booties in a Felt Bamboo Steamer
Her Plush Potsticker, w/ Fortune Cookie Rattles and Dipping Sauce w/Dumpling Rattles
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February 19, 2024
An Old Vintage Style Purse w/ Added Bling
Our / My Bedroom
The Chest of Drawers I am Standing in Front of Was my Grandmother’s
(The Mirror was her Friend Annelle’s)
I’m not here to tell you what a great decorator I am. Nor am I here to tell you what a great sense of style I have. I’m also not here to tell you how normal any of this is, I’m just here to show you how I do it, that’s all. I respect and admire those that are different. That do things differently than the magazine people tell us to do things. The so called experts that know so much more than the rest of us do. The celebrated decorators and designers. The “beautiful” people. I’ve never cared about any of them. I’ve always done things my way. I am the only one that I choose to please. Having said that, in a marriage or relationship there is always a compromise. And, I do, especially when it comes to decorating our home, and choosing how our bedroom will look. However, there are times when I make it all mine when there is no reason to compromise.
This is one of those times.
It was Charmian Carr, who starred as Liesl Von Trapp in The Sound of Music. Who created a business called Charmian Carr Designs, who was hired by Michael Jackson for a designer job because he was such a fan of the movie.
The Sound of Music 1965
It was during an interview where she spoke of her Michael Jackson job and she referenced the fact that he had many mannequins in his home. She seemed to imply that it was weird. Well, I guess that I am weird because I have one in our/my bedroom along with a wig on a styrofoam head.
Actually, it was when I was taking down Halloween decorations that I didn’t have the heart to dismantle her, so I moved her into the bedroom to get her out of the way.
Our furniture was given to us by our son Brodie’s, girlfriend’s, aunt and uncle. They are the ones that found a Da Vinci painting at a yard sale, paid $___.__ for it, spent 5 years to get it authenticated, then sold it to a collector for $81 Million, who then turned around and sold it to a Sheik for $450 Million, making it the most expensive painting ever sold. It is called Salvatore Mundi.
(The reason I blacked out the amount of money it was purchased for at a yard sale is because the seller of that painting was so embarrassed he sold it for so little that he asked Mackenzie’s uncle to say that he actually paid $10,000.00 for it.)
I LOVE Costume Jewelry
A lot of this jewelry I purchased at thrift stores. I don’t spend a lot of money on jewelry. I never have cared for the real stones. To me, vintage is just so charming.
The Plaster Hand above is our son Brodie’s, taken when he was a young boy. I like having it out and incorporate it in my vintage rhinestones.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
That’s my 1960’s Miss America Barbie along with some special ready made treats, left.
Strawberry’s Blanc, Right.
Although I am BarefootInFloridaWithJulie, I do own a few pairs of shoes. Mostly flip flops, but still…..
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Picking Gordon up at the Airport
Gordon is currently working overseas for the forseeable future. He does get to come home every 6 months for a few weeks at a time. Here is his first time back since he left back in late August 2023.
Although I cannot tell you when he arrived, and I cannot tell you when he will leave, it will be soon.
But, the reason I am even writing this blog entry about our/my bedroom, is because when Gordon was in the Navy and the ship would leave on an Eastpac or a Westpac, once I dropped him off at the ship in Pearl Harbor I would immediately drive home and clean the house from top to bottom, starting with our bathroom and bedroom.
It Was Important For Me To Make the House All Mine
In our early years of marriage Gordon wasn’t always into the flowery bed linens that I loved. He also wasn’t into certain feminine things that I was into. So, when the ship would pull out and go to sea, whether it was for 2-3 months (Eastpac), or 5-6 months (Westpac), I always used those times to make our home all MINE!
I think we do what we have to do in order to get through whatever it is we are going through.
Let’s face it, it’s hard being a single parent for months at a time. Not just caring for the children, but managing the finances, doing all the shopping, paying all the bills, mowing the grass, watering the lawn, homework, kids activities, car maintenance, changing the tires, (I can do that btw.), doing all the cooking…..
At one point I was even the President of The Wordon’s Wives Club, (U.S.S. Wordon), eventually becoming Ombudsman of the ship as well.
The one thing that made me happy was coming home to a house that was all mine!
That doesn’t mean that I didn’t love Gordon, it just meant that this was my opportunity to have everything my way and to be able to enjoy it all while I could, without any compromise whatsoever.
Also, cleaning the house from top to bottom was my way of burning off stressful energy, all the while cleaning up Gordon’s body hair that did tend to end up all over our bathroom floor. 🙁
Pros and Cons
I always look to the Pros and Cons of everything. I will get to those soon. But for now, we are very much enjoying our Gordon being home visiting with all of us. I’ll get to that a bit later on. But for now, take care and we’ll talk soon.
Julie
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January 27, 2024
My Peanuku, and Tutu’s Hale Daycare
Holding Her Own Bottle
Yummy Prune Juice, (To help with Bowels.)
I realize that I am not the first grandmother in the world to be proud of their grandchild. I also realize I’m not the first grandmother to brag about their grandchild, however, SHE IS SO WORTH BRAGGING ABOUT!!!!!!
This girl is so smart! She was saying ‘I love you’ at 3 months. She was mimicking my chewing food at 3 months. She amazes me every day. She may not be able to stack things, but she understands the concept of stacking. Her hands haven’t caught up to her brain yet.
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Tummy Time
She makes me feel as if I need to brush up on teaching and flashcards.
In some ways I feel too incompetent to even teach her. When she looks at me I feel as if I am interacting with a 40 year old adult.
Our young Jedi is far surpassing us. 🙂
No matter what your future holds Isabelle, I will do my best to be there for you as long as I can.
But for now….
Sweet Dreams…
Love, Tutu
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January 13-14, 2024
Julie and Isabelle’s Very Horrible Extremely Terrible Shitty Day!
(Her poop is a lovely Chartreuse. I always think of that sweater I used to own, whenever I change her diapers.) 🙂
Izzy Napping
When I found out that Veronica was pregnant, I immediately offered up my daycare services to her. After all, I would have loved to have had someone I knew, loved, and trusted, to babysit my children when we were living in Hawaii. As it was, I only had my neighbors, or some local day cares, or home day cares, that I would blindly trust to keep her while I attended some meeting or doctor appointment that I may have had.
My Little Snizzy Belle w/ Sparky and Spooky
I did have it in my mind that Veronica would be dropping off Isabelle somewhere between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.. And then picking her up between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. And to my surprise the day before I was to start keeping Isabelle I am told by my daughter…. “I’ll be over at 5:30 tomorrow.”
Me: 5:30? Five-Thirty? FIVE-THIRTY!!! A.M.!!! As in the morning?!!! Are you kidding me???
OMG!! That means that I have to be ready before 5:30.. Meaning!!! That I have to get up at 4:00 a.m. in order to get my shower and be dressed and ready, having also taken care of my dogs before you guys even arrive! OMG!!!
Snizzy Watching Bluey
I Have Her Weighted Down!
The Australian Show Bluey on The Disney Channel
Before I get to our “Shitty Day” I would like to talk a little bit about the show Bluey.
I happen to love this show! It is a show about imagination and creativity. All the characters are dogs. There is a lot of Blue and Brown, the only colors that dogs can see. I love that the parents play with their children. Because of that, the children, Bingo and Bluey are very well adjusted and happy.
I love that the parents will let their children tear apart their home to create whatever set they want. A restaurant? A Doctor’s Office? A Train Station, etc….. I also love how the parents aren’t afraid to ‘look stupid’ out in public, and will sometimes do some very silly things that their children want them to do. The love they have for their children far outweighs any embarrassment they may experience.
When I was young I would take the cushions off the couch and line them up on the floor in the living room to create a gymnastics mat. I would then line my little brothers all along the cushions while I would dive over them, tumbling. I don’t think that I ever hurt any of them. But, if I did, I’m sorry. 🙂
It was because of that, that my mother signed me up for gymnastic lessons. She figured that I would love them. But, I hated them! It was no longer fun. I was made to compete. I was graded on my performance, my style, my technique, how graceful that I was, how limber that I was, etc. I was expected to “perform.” All I ever wanted to do was to have fun. They took the fun out of my gymnastics tumbling. What I love about Bluey’s family is that they keep the fun in the family. They aren’t sending their children out to compete in a world that will just make them feel bad about themselves if they aren’t perfect. They all use their imagination and it helps to promote their creativity.
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I believe it was Einstein that said, “Imagination is more important that knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.”
When translated, he didn’t mean that knowledge wasn’t important, it is, but imagination can take you so much further.
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Being Isabelle’s main caregiver has taken up quite a bit of my time. Oh, I’m not complaining mind you, but it was an adjustment for both of us. She did have the first 3 months of her life totally with her mother and father, and now she comes to my house anywhere between 3 and 5 days a week, depending on their working schedules. Some days I may have her over 11 hours a day, and other days just a few hours.
In addition to my childcare services, I also provide diapers, formula, baby water (yes, that is a thing), clothing, blankets, swaddle clothes (she loves those), along with toys and books and all the other little things that baby’s need. We may watch some Disney in the mornings but we also have story time and playtime.
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I’m creating a library for her here. I also pass books along for Veronica and Brian to keep at their house.
I’m going to do my best to create a “Bluey” environment here in my home. I’m looking forward to all of our imaginary adventures we will have going on in the future.
I do mourn the day when she is out there on her own where she will be judged by her attractiveness, her weight, her parents bank account, the cars they drive, where they live, whether or not she is wearing the latest designer this or that, and as always what devices does she own? But, until that day her Tutu will do my best to make her feel as if she is the most important person in the world, because she is, to me. 🙂
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And now, for Julie and Isabelle’s Extremely Horrible and Terrible Shitty Day!
(Warning: I will be using the word SHIT instead of nicer words such as Crap, or Poop, or Poo, or Doo-Doo, etc.)
It was early one morning when Veronica dropped off Isabelle at that UNGODLY hour of 5:30, when she informed me that Isabelle hasn’t pooped in 3 days. ME: 3 DAYS???
Panic, immediately ensued! 3 days? Three days? O.K. Julie, you can handle this. Sure, you do have her all day today but perhaps she will be kind and poop when she gets home tonight. Yeah. That’s what’s going to happen. We are going to be in the clear! Whew!
So, as our day progressed I had placed her in her little chair that I have sitting on top of our very sturdy nautical hatch covered coffee table. I do have it weighted down with some hand weights as well. After all, that girl is strong! And we don’t want her tipping over the side. (Her parents would kill me if that happened.) 🙁
Isabelle was starting to become a bit fussy. As in she was ready to launch into one of her meltdowns.
And, I do mean MELTDOWNS!!!
When Isabelle gets upset, the entire neighborhood knows about it. That girl can get louder just when you think there is no way she can get any louder than she is! I used to (ridiculously) think that if I just put her down she will cry herself to sleep and that will be the end of it. (Silly me.) But, NoooOOOoooOOOooo! She would only get louder!!! LOUD-ER!!!
I am honestly surprised that no neighbor has ever called the police on me. Especially since she would sound as if I was torturing her and skinning her ALIVE!!!
‘Hello 911? There is a baby next door to me in my neighborhood being tortured! I can hear her cries!!! Please hurry! HURRY!!! This poor child doesn’t have much time left!! HURRY!! Oh the cries!! OH, THE CRIES!!!! PLEASE!!! I always knew that woman over there was strange! HURRY!! HURRY!!!
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It was then that I removed her from her little chair and had her against my body, hugging her. I knew that she was sleepy, but she fights it every step of the way. I decided to lay down on the couch with her on top of me so that she could listen to my heartbeat, and we could both perhaps drift off to sleep. Especially seeing as how I am up at 4:00 a.m. every frickin’ morning!!!!
It was when she was laying on me that I felt the back of her legs. What? Why are they wet? I then looked at my hand. Chartreuse. Chartreuse? CHARTREUSE!!!!! OMG! It’s SHIT!
Oh, NO! OMG! There is so much of it!
I then pulled her away from me to look at her. She was covered in SHIT! I then looked down at me.
I WAS COVERED IN SHIT!!!!
What do I do?
Needless to say, Isabelle was SCREAMING her head off! She was totally blood red with rage!!!!
I then grabbed the hand towel rag that I used to place underneath her when I change her diapers and I placed it on the floor on top of the doormat leading outside to our back.
It All Happened Right Here! See the Rug Bottom Left?
I knew that before I could clean her up that I had to clean myself up.
When I placed her on top of the hand towel I looked at my clothes. I had SHIT all over me!
It was running down my tunic top I was wearing, it had penetrated through the cloth onto my bra and the shorts I was wearing, and my underwear, while it was running down my legs, while dripping onto my feet!
I knew that I had to clean myself up first so I immediately started stripping! I used my wadded up clothing to try and wipe myself off so that I wouldn’t drip onto the carpet or Isabelle, for that matter.
I then ran through the house to the laundry room with my wadded up clothing which I immediately placed into the washing machine.
Warning: It can be hazardous to be 62 running through the house naked! You just might give yourself a couple of black eyes unintentionally!!
I then quickly gave myself something of a sponge bath in the laundry room sink, and drying off with some towels that were in the laundry room. I also luckily, had done laundry a few days prior and had clothes drying in there which I quickly put on and ran back to Isabelle.
She was still SCREAMING her head off!!!
I used some of the laundry room towels that I had doused in anti-bacterial soap, and proceeded to give her a sponge bath. Shit was in her hair, between her fingers, between her toes, it was disgusting!!
I would have given her a bath except that at that time I had no way to do that. She couldn’t sit up, so I couldn’t give her a bath in the sink or the tub. And I didn’t have anything for a baby that I could place down into a bathtub to bathe her. But, I did give her the best sponge bath ever! Then I put on a diaper and some clean clothing for her and then placed her in her bed, SCREAMING, while I set about cleaning everything up.
Some towels I threw away, and other towels and our clothes, I placed into the washer on the SANITARY setting, and washed them THRICE!
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When Veronica picked her up that afternoon I told her about our Shitty Day, and that she should give her a good bath once they got home. I also immediately took a nice hot shower once they left. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so shitty in my life!
Moral of the story: We then switched from Number 2 Diapers to Number 3 Diapers. (The Number 3’s hold more shit, if you know what I mean?)
Julie
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January 7, 2024
My Delicious Crappy Looking Breakfast
I cannot believe that my first post on this 2024 blog is to post my crappy looking breakfast.
The reason that I am is because I don’t cook breakfast. Gordon is the master at eggs in the morning.
Oh, I may have toast, or a bagel with butter, or a blueberry English muffin, or even a frozen biscuit with turkey sausage and egg whites to be heated up in the microwave, or even some frozen Eggo Waffles, Pancakes, etc. that I can add syrup to….
But, on this particular day, I browned some ready made turkey sausage, baked a hash brown potato, toasted a slice of bread, and scrambled (to death) some eggs. Does it look good? NO! But, it tasted wonderful! 🙂
Isn’t that all that matters?
Julie
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You Only Live Twice
You only live twice: Once when you are born, and once when you look death in the face. After Basho Japanese Poet 1643-94 ———————————————————- More Recipes Will Be Added In The Future, Julie and Gordon ————————————————————————————————- 00Whann’s Asian Balls (You Only Live …
Outside Movie Night with Bond
How To Create An Outdoor Movie Theater In Your Own Backyard Area DOCTOR NO Released in 1962 Dr. No is the first movie to be released in the James Bond Franchise, written by Ian Fleming. Dr. No was …
I’ve Got a Licence to Grill
(We have Licence/License spelled the two different ways because it is spelled one way in the U.K. and the other way here in America.)
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JUST ASSIGNED TO DR. NO IN CRAB KEY, JAMAICA
I Have A License To Grill, /Won’t you Join Us?
James Bond
License To Grill
Whann, Gordon Whann
Why is it that I am always camera ready, and he isn’t?
Julie Whann
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Did you know that James Bond was a foodie? True! He was!
Ian Fleming wrote him that way. Bond loved food, especially breakfast.
It was his favorite meal of the day.
We however, are going in the direction of other meals that Bond would have enjoyed.
So, join us in our Bond tribute. We think you will enjoy yourselves and perhaps even try a recipe or two, or three, or four. 🙂
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What in the world is he doing? 🙂
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Our FAKE Bomb
Planting our FAKE Bomb in 00Whann’s Grill
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00Whann Won’t Know What Hit Him!
Walking away like I know what I’m doing.
BOOM!!!
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Time to Celebrate!
It’s now my turn 00Whann
My name is Whann, Julie Whann
I’m 0013.
Stay Tuned!
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Our Classic Bond Martini
Shaken, Not Stirred
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We wanted to base this particular website page dedicated to the James Bond Franchise,
on the very first movie made, Dr. No.
Doctor No was written in 1958 by Ian Flemming. The Dr. No movie debuted in 1962.
The most famous line ever spoken was in this movie by Sean Connery. When he introduced himself to Sylvia Trench while gambling. He asked her name and she replied, “Trench, Sylvia Trench.” She then asked him his name and he replied, “Bond, James Bond.”
“Trench, Sylvia Trench.”
“Bond, James Bond.”
I suppose the English actress Eunice Gayson started the whole thing.
She was after all, the very first Bond Girl.
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Welcome to Bar Whann
Ready to Create The Florida Whann Cocktail
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Blackwell Jamaican Rum 007
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Ingredients:
Ice – as needed
2 Shots Blackwell Fine Jamaican Rum 007
2 Shots Everglades Passionfruit Flavored Vodka
1 1/2 Cups Orange Pineapple Juice
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Here is the Vodka we used.
I placed about 10 ice cubes into the shaker.
Now add your 007 Rum… here you can see it has a great spiced color.
This was a flavorful Vodka which worked nicely with this drink.
Add your Vodka and Orange Pineapple juice.
Shake it for about 60 seconds…
Now, pour it into your glasses and enjoy!
I love to wooo my beautiful girl at my bar! She has still got it!
(Thanks Gordon. I’ll always be your Bond Girl.) 🙂
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The James Bond Martini
Welcome to Kingston, Jamaica
(We are just doing our bit to create the Bond Experience that we imagine would be from the movie.)
Care for a Cock Tail?
How about a Martini?
Shaken, or Stirred?
3 Shots of Vodka
1/2 Shot of Dry Vermouth
Lemon Peel for Garnish
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Pour the ingredients into a Cocktail Shaker with Ice Cubes.
Shake until Chilled.
Pour into a Martini Glass
Add the Lemon Peel
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Our Shaken, Not Stirred Shrimp Cocktail
We Based This On The Bond Martini
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Don’t Forget That Lemon Peel
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Perfect With a Garlic Aioli Dipping Sauce
And, Cocktail Onions…
(Recipe Down Below)
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Our Dr. No Crab Key Spread
(Just a few appetizers to start off with.)
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Caribbean Mango Coleslaw
Jerk Seasoned Onion Rings, Fried Clams, and Fried Shrimp
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Potatoes in Pepper Sauce w/ Cocktail Onions
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(Recipes Down Below)
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Crab Key, Jamaica
(Good Morning= Gud Mawmin)
Caribbean Coffee and Coco Bread
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The lead up to one of the most famous scenes in movie history…
Urusla Andress as Honey Ryder
(In the book, Doctor No, her name is actually Honeychili Rider.)
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From the book Doctor No…..
Quarrel steered the boat towards the lee of a rocky promontory where the beach ended. Bond wondered why the beach didn’t shine white under the thin moon. When they grounded and Bond climbed stiffly out he understood why. The beach was black. The sand was soft and wonderful to the feet but it must have been formed out of volcanic rock, pounded over the centuries, and Bond’s naked feet on it looked like white crabs.
They made haste. Quarrel took three short lengths of thick bamboo out of the boat and laid them up the flat beach. They heaved the nose of the canoe on to the first and pushed the boat up the rollers. After each yard of progress, Bond picked up the back roller and brought it to the front. Slowly the canoe moved up the sand until at last it was over the back tideline and among the rocks and turtle grass and low sea-grape bushes. They pushed it another twenty yards inland into the beginning of the mangrove. There they covered it with dried seaweed and bits of driftwood from the tideline. Then Quarrel cut lengths of screwpalm and went back over their tracks, sweeping and tidying.
Bond Awoke Lazily
The feel of the sand reminded him where he was. He glanced at this watch. Ten o’clock. The sun through the round thick leaves of the sea-grape was already hot. A larger shadow moved across the dappled sand in front of his face. Quarrel? Bond shifted his head and peered through the fringe of leaves and grass that concealed him from the beach. He stiffened. His heart missed a beat and then began pounding so that he had to breathe deeply to quieten it. His eyes, as he stared through the blades of grass, were fierce slits.
It was a naked girl, with her back to him. She was not quite naked. She wore a broad leather belt around her waist with a hunting knife in a leather sheath at her right hip. The belt make her nakedness extraordinarily erotic. She stood not more than five yards away on the tideline looking down at something in her hand. She stood in the classical relaxed pose of the nude, all the weight on the right leg and the left knee bent and turning slightly inwards, the head to one side as she examined the thing in her hand.
Her hair was ash blonde. It was cut to the shoulders and hung there and along the side of her bent cheek in thick wet strands. A green diving mask was pushed back above her forehead, and the free rubber thong bound her hair at the back.
The whole scene, the empty beach, the green and blue sea, the naked girl with the strands of fair hair, reminded Bond of something. He searched his mind. Yes, she was Botticelli’s Venus, seen from behind.
How Had She Got There?
What was she doing? Bond looked up and down the beach. It was not black, he now saw, but a deep chocolate brown. To the right he could see as far as the river mouth, perhaps five hundred yards away. The beach was empty and featureless except for the scattering of small pinkish objects. There were a lot o them, shells of some sort Bond supposed, and they looked decorative against the dark brown background.
The girl looked down into her left hand and began to whistle softly to herself. There was a happy note of triumph in the whistle. She was whistling ‘Marion,’ a plaintive little calypso that has now been cleaned up and made famous outside Jamaica. It had always been one of bond’s favourites.
It went;
All day, all night, Marion,
Sittin’ by the seaside siftin’ sand….
The girl broke off to stretch her arms out in a deep yawn.
Bond smiled to himself. He wet his lips and took up the refrain:
‘The water from her eyes could sail a boat,
The hair on her head could tie a goat…’
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Stay Where You Are!
I’m another trespasser, don’t be frightened.
Who Are You? What Are You Doing Here?
The girl dropped her hand down from her face. It went to the knife at her belt. Bond watched the fingers curl round the hilt. He looked up at her face. Now he realized why her hand had instinctively gone to hilt. It was a beautiful face, with wide-apart deep blue eyes under lashes paled by the sun. The mouth was wide and when she stopped pursing the lips with tension they would be full. It was a serious face and a jawline was determined-the face of a girl who fends for herself.
‘I’m an Englishman. I’m interested in birds.’
‘Oh,’ the voice was doubtful. The hand still rested on the knife. ‘
‘How long have you been watching me? How did you get here? ”I’m no one in particular. I come from Jamaica. I collect shells’.
‘I came in a canoe. Did you?’
‘I’ve got a friend with me. We’ve hidden it in the mangroves.’
‘There are no marks of the canoe landing.’
‘We’re careful. We covered them up. Not like you.’ Bond gestures towards the rocks. ‘You ought to take more trouble. Did you use a sail? Right up the reef?’
‘Of course. Why not? I always do.’
‘Then they’ll know your here. They’ve got radar.’
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‘Then they’ll know you’re here. They’ve got radar.’
‘They’ve never caught me yet.’ The girl took her hand away from her knife. She reached up and stripped off the diving mask and stood swinging it. She seemed to think she had the measure of Bond. She said, with some of the sharpness gone from her voice, ‘What’s your name?’
‘Bond. James Bond. What’s yours?’
She reflected. ‘Rider.’
‘What Rider?’
‘Honeychili.’
Bond smiled.
‘What’s so funny about it?’
‘Nothing. Honeychile Rider. It’s a pretty name.’
She unbent. ‘People call me “Honey”.’
‘We’ll, I’m glad to meet you.’
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She came up with him and at once went down on one knee and began picking up the live shells and stowing them in the knapsack.
Bond said, ‘Are those rare?’
She sat back on her haunches and looked up at him. She surveyed his face. Apparently she was satisfied. ‘You promise you won’t tell anybody? Swear?”
‘I promise,’ said Bond.
‘Well, then, yes, they are rare. Very . You can get five dollars for a perfect specimen.
In Miami. That’s were I deal with.
They’re called Venus Elegans- The Elegant Venus.’ Her eyes sparkled up at him with excitement.
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‘Okay, folks! Come on out and you won’t get hurt.’
It was an educated voice. There was a trace of American accent.
‘Now, then, folks.’ the voice thundered, ‘make it quick! We’ve seen where you came ashore. We’re spotted the boat under the driftwood. We ain’t fools an’ we ain’t fooling. Take it easy. Just walk out with your hands up. You’ll be okay.’
Silence fell. The waves lapped softly on the beach. Bond could hear the girl breathing. The thin screeching of the cormorants came to them muted across the mile of sea. The diesels bubbled unevenly as to swell covered the exhaust pipe and then opened it again.
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The man was lifting his loud hailer. The voice roared. ‘Okay, folks! Just so as you’ll know this thing isn’t for show.’ He lifted his thumb. The machine gunner trained his gun into the tops of the mangroves behind the beach. There came the swift rattling roar Bond had last head coming from the the German lines in the Ardennes. The bullets made the same old sound of frightened pigeons whistling overhead. Then there was silence.
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Our Dr. No Geriatric Version 🙂
Hiding our boat in the Mangroves and covering it with Palm Fronds.
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A big lorry was racing down from the huts, dust streaming from its wheels. Bond followed it for ten minutes until it disappeared amongst the mangroves at the head of the river. He listened, the baying of dogs came down on the wind, cain’t move ‘cept up de ribber, assumin’ we ain’t dead. Dey’ll surely come down de ribber to de beach and look for de pieces, Den mos’ likely de boat come wit’ a dinghy an’ take de men and dogs off. Lestways, dat’s what Ah’d do in dere place.’
Honey said, ‘That’s what they do when they look for me. It’s quite all right. You cut a piece of bamboo and when they get near you go under the water and breath through the bamboo till they’ve gone by.’
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My Depiction of Honeychili Rider.
I’m 62. I’m not 25, nor do I think that I am. This is just my interpretation at my age, of the scene with Ursuala Andress on the beach at Crab Key, Jamaica with James Bond.
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There is a point in the book where Bond, Honey, and Quarrel come across an abandoned camp, while they are running from Dr. No’s henchmen.
They find cans of Beans and some old Bread.
This is our rendition, except that we added a Jerk Chicken with Spring Onions, Jerk Sauce, some Jerk Potato Chips, along with the cans of Beans and the Bread.
Also, I added a Coke because in the book Honeychili Rider does drink one at another time.
This is their dinner while they are on the run, and before capture.
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This is also something of a rendition of our set.
The belt with the knife of Honey’s, her shells she found, the bamboo reeds where they breathed underwater to hide from Dr. No’s henchmen.
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Our Honeychili Rider Chicken Wings
It was my idea (Julie) for us to create some food based on Honeychile Rider’s name. I immediately thought of Chicken Wings. I also knew that we could come up with a great recipe with of course, the main ingredients being Honey and Chili’s.
They were Licensed to Grilled Perfection!
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We Added Our Herbs and Chives
(Recipe Down Below)
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Honeychili Rider and James Bond About to Partake of a Great Jamaican Dinner
Jamaican Caribbean Coleslaw with Vinaigrette, Honeychili Rider Chicken Wings, Coco Bread, and Red Stripe Beer
(Recipes Down Below)
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Jamaican Coco Bread
(Recipe Down Below)
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Our Crab Key, Jamaica
In honor of Crab Key, Jamaica, we knew we had to do something with crabs.
After all, near the end of the movie, Dr. No’s henchmen tied up Honey Ryder so that she would be eaten by crabs.
Therefore, we knew we had to incorporate crabs into our food.
Gordon Bought Us 3 Dungeness Crabs
These Things Are HUGE!
In Addition to our Crabs, we also have some Jamaican Coco Bread, Mango’s, Bananas,
and a Papaya, along with a few Coconuts
I do have to say that it made me sad to see these beautiful creatures, ALIVE, and knowing that Gordon would be killing them soon.
I did have thoughts of grabbing them and driving to the ocean to turn them loose, but I also knew that Gordon had just spent around $100.00 for all of these crabs and that my idea would not be appreciated.
It’s one thing to buy a crab cake at a restaurant and eat it. You don’t really think about where it comes from? But, it’s another thing to buy it alive, and then kill it to cook it and eat it.
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Stay Back! I Have a Bucket!
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The Dungeness Crabs Were Very Docile
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Cooking LIVE Crabs!
These are Blue Claw Crabs as you can see their beautiful blue claws. Give all your crabs a good rinse in fresh water to remove any mud or other ‘not so desirable’ particulates on the crabs before steaming them.
These particular ones are female (Sooks) as you can see the broad triangular section on their underbelly. If they were male (Jimmy), the triangular piece would be much thinner in width.
(I Julie, would like to add that I always admired Gordon’s family when it came to crabbing. They would always throw back the females. They would recognize the importance of having them continue to live and thrive to bring about new crabs in the future.)
We also cooked these Dungeness Crabs. They usually come with rubber bands on their claws as they can do a lot of damage if they grab you. The rubber bands also keep the crabs from hurting each other.
I am using a steamer pot to cook them in.
Simply add about a quart of water to the pot and heat the water to a boil.
Add your crabs when the water is a temperature to kill them quickly.
I add a good amount of Old Bay Season to each crab as shown.
I steamed the Dungeness Crabs by themselves and not with the Blue Claw’s so they would cook at the same time.
Steam these crabs for about 10-12 min. or until bright pink as shown. They will continue to cook as you bring them out of the steam.
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I used the side burner of my grill to cook the crabs.
Here you can see the Blue Claws are much smaller than the Dungeness Crabs.
Beautiful Blue Claw Sooks
Here you can see I am using long tongs to handle the crabs as they don’t have rubber bands on their claws. Be sure to have your water at a boil before steaming the crabs. Give each crab a good dose of Old Bay Seasoning as you fill the pot.
Steam these crabs for about 7 minutes, or until they reach that nice pink color. Again, they will remain very hot for some time after removed from the steamer. This residual heat will continue to cook the crabs.
What a nice feast!
This takes me back to my childhood.
They look and smell great!
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Here we have prepared a great meal…
Herbed Roasted Red Potatoes and Radish’s, Coconut Lemon Lime Corn on the Cob, Green Beans and Coco Bread
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The Crabs We Ate
Here is a great picture of the side dishes we prepared.
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Picking Crabs
Picking crabs is something I have done for many years. In my pre-teens, I was picking crabs with my family most every summer. For many summers my parents rented a beach house off the Chesapeake Bay where we used our own Crab Trap to catch our own crabs. We spent many nights picking and eating crabs. Most of the crabs meat we froze and months later, my Mom would then make the best crab cakes in the world. All of our family would sit around the table, talking about our day at the beach just picking crabs into the late night. At the time, my little fingers could easily get into the small sections of the crab.
Here you can see I have a large bowl for the shells.
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How To ‘Step By Step’ Pick Crabs
What you will need…
a knife, mallet, and cutting board, a bowl for the picked crab meat, and bowl for the shells/waste.
For the Blue Claws, start by removing the legs. You may pull them off and bring some meat with them. Save the claws as the rest of the legs aren’t worth the effort. With the Dungeness Crabs, all the legs are saved as they have a good amount of meat in them.
Now, pull back on the underbelly shell and remove it. This will provide an opening to place your thumbs into and pry the top shell away from the main shell as shown.
Here is a good picture of the top shell.
The main shell has what is call Mustard – a tart substance in the main cavity of the crab. This is edible but is more of an acquired taste. You can usually remove it without much trouble. Then remove what are the lungs of the crab.
They are on both sides of the main body of the crab and NOT edible.
Now, break the crab’s body in half, then using your knife, slice through the body as shown.
Doing this will make it easier to get at the meat within the crab’s small cavities.
Here you can see the large lump crab meat which I removed from the back fin section of the crab.
Use your fingers or the tip of the knife to remove the meat from the small cavities.
This is where little fingers worked well.
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You do the exact same procedure with the Dungeness Crabs as they are just larger.
Remember to save all the crab’s leg as they have a good amount of meat inside them.
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Break the legs apart at the joints as shown.
Use your knife and a mallet to crack the legs apart. Remove the meat being sure to search for small parts of shell.
Here you can see my bowl of crab meat is getting pretty full.
I usually save the legs until the end and pick them all at once.
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Stay Salty
The Waste
All The Crab Meat
(We froze all of this Crab Meat.)
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Crab Wine, and Crab Chips
This was a wine that Gordon bought in Ocean City, Maryland.
Also, the Crab wine glass.
Crab Cakes w/ Red Pepper Sauce
(We used one of Gordon’s Mother’s crab recipes. She has several crab cake recipes.
We also used her Red Pepper Sauce recipe.)
I made this tray back in 2001, and I gave it to my Mother-In-Law for Christmas.
I simply painted a wooden tray the color I wanted. Then decoupaged a paper with the photo of a crab and one of her recipes.
I decoupaged quite a few trays for people back in the day.
To: Sarajane
From: Julie
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Our Imitation Crab Pasta Salad
(Recipe Down Below)
We took this delicious Crab Salad with us as our Picnic Food to the Beach.
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Apollo Beach, Florida (A.K.A. Our Crab Key Jamaica) 🙂
Apollo Beach is something of a ‘not too populated’ beach.
We knew it would be perfect for our Crab Key, Jamaica Dr. No’s beach.
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Gordon Setting Up Our Umbrella
Just Trying to Keep Cool!
It did feel so good to dig my toes back into the sand.
It’s been a while since I’ve been to one of our many Florida beaches.
Apollo Beach is now more of a Nature Preserve
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Ready For Lunch
Our Pasta Imitation Crab Salad Lunch w/ Crackers, and our Veggie Balls
As hot as it has been, we didn’t want anything heavy.
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Solitaire, Anyone?
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DR. NO
I got the swimsuit for Gordon as a gift. 🙂
Could that be Dr. No’s Nuclear Powerplant Reactor?
Apollo Beach is a beautiful area to just enjoy nature.
(With or without Dr. No..) 🙂
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Our Pineapple/Mango Frozen Delight
Ingredients:
5 Sliced Mango Sections
4 Pineapple Rounds from the Can
1 Cup Frozen Pineapple Chunks
4 Shots Captain Morgan’s Rum
2 Shots Pineapple Liqueur
2 Shots Triple Sec
1/4 Cup Coconut – Skinny Syrup Brand
Garnish with Lime Slices
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What a great day for a nice tropical drink!
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Here are all the ingredients I used.
I love the glasses that Veronica and Brian got me. 🙂
Start by placing your Mango and Pineapple slices into the blender.
Now place your frozen pineapple chunks into the blender.
Next, add the Rum to the blender.
Here I am adding both the Pineapple Liqueur and Triple Sec at the same time.
Here is a close up of what I used.
Lastly, add your Coconut “Skinny Girl Syrup”. This gave the drink some great tropical flavor.
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Blend the ingredients until smooth.
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Add your garnish to the glass and pour the drink into the glass.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
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Our Great JERK Dinner
Coco Bread, Jerk Chicken, Jerk Sauce, Caribbean Coleslaw w/ Vinaigrette…
Our Garden Grown Peppers, Herbs, and Edible Purlsane Flowering Weed
Some Almonds and Sunflower Seeds for Crunch
w/ Our Vinaigrette
Coco Bread (Coconut Bread)
Throw it All Together!
(Recipes Down Below)
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Jamaican Dessert
Coconut Drops
Coconut Drops w/ Pound Cake and Coconut Pops
(Recipe Down Below)
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MONEYPENNY, DICTATION!
I’ll be there in a minute. (Jane Moneypenny)
RECIPES START HERE
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How To Make A FAKE Bomb
I, Julie, wanted some sort of “bomb” to place in the grill. I originally thought of the old bombs in the movies where they would tie sticks of dynamite together. However, Gordon said that in the Bond movies they use a putty. So, he set out to make our bomb.
I’m the one that suggested we use one of our ice packs from our freezer to use as a base.
I also had the kitchen timer that I thought would be great!
I’ll let Gordon take it from here as to how he created our great prop!
I bought a few containers of plumbers putty which to me looks like the material often used to blow up safes and other things.
I then got a wire that we use to go into our car’s lighter which looks like a switch of some sort as every old style bomb needs some wire. I then used some red electrical tape to wrap it all together. Then added the old style timer as the timer for the device.
The BOMB!
(Our Son-In-Law saw it and thought it would make a great Halloween Prop.)
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Our Shaken, Not Stirred Shrimp Cocktail
Served in a Martini Glass with a Lemon Peel Slice
Ingredients:
1 Lb. Argentine Red Shrimp
3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Chopped Vidalia Onions
4.2 oz. Cocktail Onions
Sea Salt, and White Pepper to taste
6 Garlic Cloves – some sliced and some minced
The Juice of 1 Lemon
~1/4 Cup Extra Dry Vermouth
Garnish with Lemon Peel
Garlic Aioli – Hellmann’s Brand for Dipping
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These are some of the best shrimp we have ever eaten.
Their shells are thick like a lobsters which I think gives them their great flavor.
Start by heating your pan to medium high heat and add your Olive Oil.
When heated to temperature, add both your chopped onion, and cocktail onions.
Saute the onions in the oil until softened… about 5 min.
Now add both your Sea Salt and White Pepper to the pan.
Using this garlic mincing tool is a quick way to mince your garlic.
Here I am adding the chopped garlic as I wanted to have a pronounced garlic flavor.
Let this saute for about 5 min.
Now, add your shrimp to the pan.
Then add your Lemon Juice …
and Extra Dry Vermouth.
Stir all the ingredients well being sure to turn the shrimp in the sauce.
They are done when they are pink and no longer opaque. They will also slightly curl.
As they cooked I noticed one shrimp curled around a cocktail onion. I thought the look was great. What a nice accident. When the shrimp were cooked I removed them to let the sauce cook longer.
Here is a great picture of letting the sauce reduce which really brought out the flavors of the dish.
Scoop the shrimp into the glasses as shown.
Here we found some Garlic Aioli which matched very well with this Appetizer.
I hope you enjoy this ‘Shaken Not Stirred Shrimp Cocktail’ as much as we did!
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Seminole HOT Cocktail Sauce
Another Favorite of Ours!
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Our Caribbean Mango Coleslaw
Gathering All The Ingredients
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. Ginger – Minced
2 Garlic Cloves – Minced
1 Jalapeno Pepper – Diced
1/2 Red Bell Pepper – Diced
4 Sweet Peppers – Diced
1 Yellow Carrot – Grated
1 Purple Carrot – Grated
~10 Baby Carrots – Cut into sticks
2 Cups Napa Cabbage – Shaved
2 Cups Purple Cabbage – Shaved
1/2 Sweet Onion – Diced
1 Mango – Sliced into long strips
Sea Salt and Ground Pepper to taste
1 Heaping Tbsp. Sugar
1/4 Cup Lime Juice
1/4 Cup Aji Mirin – Sweet Cooking Rice Seasoning
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Here I am peeling the carrots getting them ready to be grated.
Peel your fresh Ginger with a spoon.
Mince your Ginger and Garlic…
and place them into a large bowl.
Remove the stem and seeds of your Jalapeno Pepper…
then slice it into a small dice.
Do the same with your Bell Pepper. Here I only used half of the Bell Pepper.
These are a variety of Sweet Peppers from our garden I used in this recipe.
Chop them the same way and add them to the bowl.
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I love all the colors of the ingredients in this recipe.
Grate your Carrots into the bowl…
then slice your Baby Carrots as I felt they were too big if they were not sliced.
Looking nice!
Now, slice your Cabbage thinly.
Add it to the bowl.
Do the same with your Red Cabbage.
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Slice your Onion into small pieces and add them to the bowl.
Again, look at all the colors.
Slice your Mango using a curving motion to avoid the seed. Do this on both sides, then slice the halves into small thin strips.
Add them to the bowl.
Now, add your Salt and Pepper to taste.
The salt will help to break down the vegetables, making them shed some of their liquids, helping to make the sauce.
Add some Sugar, Lime Juice, and Aji Mirin to the bowl…
and toss all the ingredients well.
I like to do this with tongs as shown.
Place the coleslaw into the refrigerator to let all the ingredients marinate.
Here you can see the change in the ingredients where some of their liquids have been extracted.
This was a great summer slaw!
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Potatoes and Pepper Sauce
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Colorful Peppers From Our Garden
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Gathering All of our Ingredients
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Those are Cocktail Onions in the baggie, top photo right.
Fresh Herbs From Our Garden
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Ingredients:
3 Lbs. Red Potatoes – Cubed
Salt for the Boiling Water
~2 Quarts of Water
3 Tbsp. Butter
1 Medium Onion – Chopped
4-5 Sweet Peppers – Chopped
Salt and Pepper to Taste
2 Pints Stewed Tomatoes – we used our own that we canned
~1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
~ 1 1/2 Cups Cheese (We used Red Witch and Transylvanian Hard Cheese – or use your favorite White Cheese)
10 Cocktail Onions.
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Wash, then slice your Red Potatoes into quarters.
Add your Sea Salt and enough water to a large pot to just cover the potato wedges.
Turn the heat on high to boil the potatoes.
While they are cooking, add your butter to a large saute pan and turn the heat to Medium High.
Slice your Onion and add them to the pan when the butter has melted.
Saute the Onions for about 5 min. or until just softened.
Meanwhile, remove the stems and seeds of your Sweet Peppers.
Slice your peppers into a small dice and add them to the pan.
Saute the ingredients for another 5 min.
Add your Salt and Pepper to taste and mix the ingredients often to ensure even cooking.
Here I am adding our own canned Stewed Tomatoes to the pan.
These had Onions and Peppers mixed with the Tomatoes.
These were really good.
I then added another jar to our Stewed Tomatoes.
Here your can see the potatoes cooking next to the other ingredients in the saute pan.
Lower the heat and add your Heavy Whipping Cream to the sauteing vegetables.
Mix the ingredients well..
Here is a great picture of the Cheeses we used.
Then add your favorite Hard White Cheese.
Mix the ingredients well… this now really looks good. 🙂
When your Red Potatoes are fork tender, drain them in a colander, and then place them on a large platter.
Pour your Vegetable and Cheese mixture over the potatoes…
and garnish with some Cocktail Onions.
Try this amazing potato side dish, we are sure you will enjoy it!
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Jerk Onion Rings
How To Make Jerk Onion Rings,
Easy!
Just simply sprinkle some Jerk Seasoning onto plain Onion Rings and then bake according to package directions.
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How To Season Plain Potato Chips
Jamaican Jerk Style
One thing that irk’s me, Julie, is that when I buy flavored chips from the grocery stores that they never really taste that good to me.
They are either over seasoned, or under seasoned.
So, I got the idea for us to buy some very sturdy low salt Potato Chips, brush them with Vinegar, and then sprinkle them with some of our Jerk Seasoning.
Gordon is the one that suggested I use a Malt Vinegar.
I brushed the Malt Vinegar onto the chips….
I then sprinkled them with Jerk Seasoning…
And then baked them in a 350F oven for 10 minutes.
They Came Out So GREAT!
Our Chips Taste Better Than The Store Bought Version
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Making Jerk Sauce
We purchased this from the grocery store to help us better understand the taste that we were going for.
All The Ingredients
You Will Need A Blender
Ingredients:
3 Spring Onions – sliced
2 Chili Peppers – Stem and seeds removed and sliced
1 Jalapeno Pepper – Stem and seeds removed and sliced
5 Garlic Cloves – sliced
1 tsp. fresh Thyme
1 Tbsp. Chicken Bouillon
1/2 Orange Bell Pepper – Stem and seeds removed and sliced
2 Medium Sized Sweet Onions – chopped
Sea Salt to taste
2 Tbsp. AllSpice Berries
2 Inches of Thumb Sized Ginger
3 Tbsp. Soy Sauce – Aloha Brand
3 Tbsp. Lime Juice
2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar – Splenda Brand
1 Cup Water
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Here I am slicing the Green Onions just enough to help out the blender.
Then I sliced off the stems and removed the seeds of the Red Chili Peppers and Jalapeno Pepper.
Now, slice the Garlic Cloves again just to help out the blender.
Add your fresh Thyme and Chicken Bouillon to the blender.
Here is the nice Orange Bell Pepper I used.
Slice this in half, remove the seeds and chop as needed.
Here I have shown three onions, but I only used two in this recipe.
Add your Sea Salt to the blender.
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Here are the fresh Allspice berries which I ground using a Mortar and Pestle.
You can see it does a great job of grinding the Berries.
Add the Allspice to the blender.
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Here is my 2 inch thumb sized piece of Ginger.
I used a spoon to remove the skin of the Ginger. Slice the Ginger into rings as shown.
Here I then added the Lime Juice and Soy Sauce to the blender.
You can see the blender is getting full.
Aloha Brand Soy Sauce is the best soy sauce in our opinion.
The seasoning requires some sweetness so I added some Splenda Brown Sugar.
Then add your water.
Turn the blender on long enough to make the ingredients almost smooth as you want to still see small vegetable pieces.
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When done, taste the mixture and add any ingredients to make it to your liking.
I liked ours better than the store bought one.
Here you can see the Rotisserie Chicken we bought earlier that was seasoned with Jerk seasoning.
Pictured is our Dr. No James Bond meal!
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Jamaican Coco Bread
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Ingredients:
1 Cup Coconut Milk
4 Tbsp. Butter – melted
2 and 1/4 tsp. Rapid Rise Yeast
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 Egg
3 3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour – sifted
3 Tbsp. White Sugar
As Needed – Pam Coconut Oil
Parchment Paper
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Pictured are some of the tools you will need.
Start by adding your Coconut Milk to a large bowl.
Cut your butter from the stick and add it to a microwaveable dish.
Heat the butter about 10 seconds at a time until it melts.
Add the butter to the bowl.
Now add your package of Yeast to the bowl. I measured it and it was 2 1/4 tsp.
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Add your salt to the bowl.
Then your Egg.
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Whisk the ingredients until well combined.
Sift your flour into the bowl.
Using your very clean hands, mix the ingredients well in the bowl.
Now, place some flour on your counter top and remove the dough from the bowl. Knead the dough on your counter top by pushing it forward then folding it onto itself. Then repeat this action for about 5 min. Kneading the dough builds the gluten and the elasticity into the dough.
Here is what your dough should look like when done.
It is very soft to the touch and when pushed in slightly, the dough bounces back.
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In a clean bowl, spray your Coconut Oil all over the sides and bottom. This will help the dough to easily slip up the sides when it sits. Place the dough in a warm spot for about an hour until it basically doubles in size. Cover with plastic wrap.
Since we live in Florida, we just placed it outside.
Here you can see this simple dough doubled in size.
Remove the dough from the bowl…
and place it on a floured surface.
Measure out 10 even pieces about 1 Cup in size then roll them into balls.
Measure out the parchment paper to fit the baking sheet and spray it with some Coconut Oil.
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Roll out one piece of dough as shown.
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Melt about 3 Tbsp. of butter in the microwave … and brush it over the top of the dough.
Fold the dough over as shown and brush it with more of the butter. Do this for all the dough pieces.
Bake the dough in a 350’F oven for 15 to 20 min. or until the dough is brown and firm.
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This was a simple and great tasting dough to make.
I hope you try to make it yourself!
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Coconut Cream Corn
Gordon’s Own Coconut, Lemon, Lime Corn …
I came up with this recipe while in Culinary School and was a big hit with the instructing Chefs.
They wanted us to make an interesting Mexican styled corn side-dish and this is what I came up with.
Ingredients:
4 Ears of Corn
The Juice of 2 Lemons
1/2 Cup Lime Juice
2 Cans Coconut Milk
1 Can Cream of Coconut
1 tsp. Sea Salt
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Fresh Corn
Start by shucking and cleaning the corn.
Slice the corn into small sections as shown.
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Place the sections into a large pot.
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Slice your lemons in half…
then add their juice to the pot. Now, add your Lime juice to the pot.
Add your cans of Coconut Milk to the pot…
then add your can of Cream of Coconut.
The coconut milk played well with the creaminess of the corn and the Cream of Coconut added to the sweetness of the corn.
Boil the corn in the pot as shown for about 25 min.
Stir the corn periodically during the cooking process.
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Here we let the corn cool in the pot.
Letting the corn sit in the coconut lemon/lime mixture will only enhance the flavor of the corn.
So, eating this the next day is recommended.
I hope you like this recipe as much as we do.
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Roasted Red Potatoes and Radishes
Ingredients:
~ 3 Lbs. Red Potatoes
~10 Radishes
1/4 – 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Onion Powder
1 Tbsp. Jalapeno Powder
1 Tbsp. Roasted Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Sweet Paprika
1 tsp. Black Pepper
1 Tbsp. Creole Seasoning – Zatarains Brand
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Start by adding some Olive Oil to a large roasting pan. Preheat your oven to 425’F.
Wash then slice your Radishes into quarters and place them in the roasting pan.
Mix them in the oil using a spatula.
Wash your Red Potatoes…
and slice them same way as your Radishes.
This will ensure they all cook evenly as they are about the same size.
Add your Red Potatoes to the roasting pan.
Now add your Onion Powder, Jalapeno, and Roasted Garlic to the pan.
Then add your Sweet Paprika, Black Pepper and Creole seasonings to the pan.
Add more Olive Oil as needed to just coat the ingredients. The oil will help to transfer the seasonings over all the ingredients.
Roast the ingredients for about 40 min. turning after 20 min. of roasting. The radishes will add lots of water to the pan, so you want to drain the water and then place back into the oven after the first 20 minutes of cooking time. Add more seasonings as needed.
These make a great side dish for any meal.
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Washing and Drying All of Our Herbs
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Sarajane Whann’s Crab Cakes and Red Pepper Sauce Reicpe’s
These are two of my Mom’s classic recipes, which we have loved eating for many years.
We hope you will like them as much as we have.
Julie found the recipe shoved into my mom’s Herb Notebook.
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Sarajane Whann’s Red Pepper Sauce Recipe
Red Pepper Sauce
Ingredients:
1 Large Jar Roasted Red Bell Peppers
4 Cloves Roasted Garlic
3 Raw Garlic Cloves
4 Anchovies
1/4 Cup White Wine Vinegar
The Juice of 1 Lemon
1 Heaping Tbsp. Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste – being wary that you have salty Anchovies
3 Sweet Peppers – de-seeded and chopped
1/2 – 3/4 Cups Olive Oil – or as much is needed
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You can place the ingredients into the blender in any order you want.
Don’t be afraid to try Anchovies.
They do give the sauce a nice well rounded flavor.
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Here I started with the Roasted Red Bell Peppers, being sure to drain them well.
I also added the raw Garlic Cloves.
Now, add the Roasted Garlic not found on my Mom’s original recipe.
Then add your Anchovies.
Now, add your White Wine Vinegar to the blender.
Add your fresh Lemon Juice to the blender then I added the Dijon Mustard.
Add your Ground Pepper and pinch of Hawaiian Sea Salt or other salt you may have on hand.
Here are some Sweet Peppers from our garden also not in my Mom’s original recipe.
Just remove the stem and seeds and give them a light chop.
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Add about 1/4 Cup of Olive Oil to the blender to get the ingredients moving and pulse for a few times.
Now, add more Olive Oil until you get the consistency you desire. We like this sauce very smooth. Give it a taste and add any of the ingredients to your liking. Set aside in the refrigerator for later use. This will last at least a week, if not longer in the refrigerator as the acid from the vinegar will keep it from spoiling.
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Sarajane Whann’s Crab Cake Recipe
Crab Cakes
I can’t tell you how amazing these are… you will just have to make them for yourself.
Makes 12 AMAZING Crab Cakes
Ingredients:
2 – 1 LB. cans of Lump Crab Meat – Check for shells
1/2 Orange Bell Pepper – cut into a small dice
1/2 Cup Sweet Onions – chopped into a small dice
4 Garlic Cloves – chopped thinly
1/2 Cup Parsley – chopped thinly
1 Tbsp. Dried Thyme
1 Tbsp. Garlic and Herb Bread Crumbs
5 Shakes Worcestershire Sauce
Hot Sauce – to taste
1 Tbsp. Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
2 Cups Peanut Oil
Dredge for the Crab Cakes
1 Cup Corn Meal
1/2 Cup Flour
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I am so ready to make the amazing Crab Cakes.
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I started by cutting the Bell Pepper in half then I removed the seeds.
Slice the pepper into long stripes then into a small dice as shown.
I cut the entire pepper, but only used half.
Open the cans of Crab and drain if needed.
Empty the crab into a large bowl.
I like the lump backfin as I like to see the chunks of crab meat.
Gently sift through the crab meat looking for shells.
Now I added the Bell Peppers and Sweet Onions to the Crab Meat.
Slice your Garlic thinly then into small pieces.
Add your Garlic to the bowl.
Remove the large stems of your Parsley, then chop it finely.
Add your Parsley, Dried Thyme, and Bread Crumbs to the bowl.
Now add your Worcestershire Sauce, Hot Sauce, and Dijon Mustard to the bowl.
Lastly, add your Mayonnaise and Black Pepper to the bowl.
In a smaller bowl, add your dredge mix of Corn Meal and Flour.
Give it a quick mix with your hand.
Here you can see all the ingredients for the Crab Cakes in the bowl.
Gently fold the ingredients, so as not to break up the lumps of Crab Meat.
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Form the Crab Cakes into a patty that is about 1 inch thick. Be sure to press it firmly together as there is not much to bind the ingredients together. Now, gently place the Crab Cake into the dredge and cover it on both sides. Meanwhile, add about 2 Cups of Peanut Oil to a large skillet and heat to Medium High Heat. We like using a cast iron skillet as it keeps the temperature and fries evenly.
Place your pressed and dredged Crab Cake onto a plate and make at least three more.
When your oil is at temperature, gently add your Crab Cake to the skillet. It should sizzle in the oil.
Add your other three Crab Cakes and place a splatter screen over them just it case the oil splatters violently. Let these Crab Cakes sit in the oil for at least five min. or until golden brown. Meanwhile make at least four more crab cakes. Turn the Crab Cakes over when done and fry for another five min. or so until again golden brown. They should look as mine do in the last picture.
Place the fried Crab Cakes onto a plate lined with paper towels to catch any excess oil.
Continue to fry the rest of the crab cakes.
Here we placed the Crab Cake on a piece of lettuce and on a nice bun, topped the some Red Pepper Sauce.
This was an amazing meal which we know you will also enjoy!
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Our Honeychili Rider Wings
Ingredients for the Wing Marinade:
2 Red Chili Peppers – de-seeded, sliced and chopped
1 Family pkg. of Wings
2 Tbsp. Roasted Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp Chili Powder – Badia Brand
2 Tbsp. Chili Powder – Spice Hunter Brand
2 Tbsp. Ground Cumin
3 Tbsp. Onion Powder
3 Tbsp. Smoked Paprika
2 Tbsp. Ground Chipotle
2 Tbsp. Jerk Seasoning
3/4 Cup Olive Oil
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Here I have sliced the Red Chili Peppers in half and removed the seeds.
Now, slice the peppers lengthwise thinly.
Then slice them into a small dice as shown.
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Here is the family package of wings we used.
Be sure to rinse them off in a colander to remove any excess blood or cuttings.
Let them drain well.
Now, using a sharp knife, cut between the wing and the drumettes. You should be able to see the area between the two bones. If you are off a little that is fine.
You will get better at finding that area with your knife as you cut more, and more of them.
Your knife should easily go through the small space between the bones.
Discard the wing tip.
Place the wings and drumettes into a large zip lock bag. Wash your hands well….Then begin to add your seasonings. I like using two different types of Chili Powders as I feel they are all different because they use different Chili’s.
Here I am adding more of the seasonings… I don’t measure as I go by more of the look of the wings. Add more or less of the ingredients as you like. I enjoy all of these seasonings so how can I really go wrong?
The Chipotle gives the wings a nice peppery taste while the Jerk seasoning provides that great Island flavor.
You may have noticed that I did not add any salt.
When I tasted the Jerk seasoning, I found it had plenty of salt in it, so be sure to taste all of your mixed seasonings.
The olive oil help to convey the seasonings throughout all the chicken. Pour in a little at a time. Don’t add too much as you don’t want to waste it and you need just enough to coat the wings.
Close the bag tightly leaving a little bit of air so that you can easily roll the wings in the herbs and oil.
When mixed well, remove the air in the bag by folding the bag over on itself then zip the bag closed. Place the bag of marinated wings in the refrigerator near the bottom just in case the bag leaks. You can also place the bag in a large bowl. Let the wings marinate for 24-48 hours.
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TIME TO GRILL!
When you are ready to grill them, heat your grill for 5 min. on high to help remove any old food and to heat up the grates to give the chicken those great grill marks. When done, turn your grill to medium high and place the wings and drumettes evenly over your grill grates and close the lid. I used some long tongs to place the wings on the grates.
Turn the wings as needed being sure to check for hot spots on your grill which are areas that cook the wings faster than other areas. The wings in these spots will be done quicker than the rest. You will also have cool spots on your grill which are areas that don’t get a lot of heat. These wings I move to the hot spots so that all the wings cook evenly.
When the wings are mostly cooked, which takes about 7 min. per side, I place the wings on the upper section of my grill where they are away from the flames and tend to bake. Close the lid and let them bake for another 5 min. Doing this will ensure the wings are fully cooked, but still remain juicy and tender. An overcooked wing is a horrible thing. I also look at the wings to ensure the meat is firm and the skin is brown.
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Meanwhile….make your wing sauce before, or as the wings are cooking.
Ingredients for the Wing Sauce
3/4 Cup Honey
8 good shakes of Chipotle Pepper Tabasco Sauce
1 Tbsp. Roasted Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp. Spice Hunter Chili Powder
2 Tbsp. Jerk Seasoning
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Add your Honey and Tabasco to a large bowl as shown.
Then add your other seasonings …
and whisk them all together until well combined.
When your wings are done, add them to the bowl and toss them well.
I can tell you these wings are great even without the Honey Chili Sauce… but it does make them so much better.
Here is a great shot of the wings in the sauce.
Turn them in the sauce as needed.
These wings are now our most favorite that we have ever made. This is a bold statement as we have made many different types. They even beat out my cherished Teriyaki wings, which I have made for years. We are sure you will enjoy them as much as we did.
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Jamaican Dessert
Coconut Drops
Coconut Drops w/ Pound Cake and Coconut Pops
A Coconut Sweet Treat
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I Julie, made these. I wanted some nice dessert that was specifically Jamaican, but that was also a bit different than what we have here in America. This was my first time making them. Generally, whenever I make any sort of candy type dessert, I tend not to do it correctly the first time. I’m just not a candy cooker, so to speak.
However, my mistake led to me deciding to eat them on a pound cake and with some ice cream.
Therefore, my dessert did turn out great! Just not in the Jamaican Coconut Brittle kind of way. 🙂
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Ingredients:
4 Cups Dried Coconut
2 Cups Cane Sugar
1 T. Ground Ginger
1/2 t. Ground Nutmeg,
1/2 t. Sea Salt
4 Cups Water
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You can use fresh Ginger and even grate your own Nutmeg, but I wanted to use the ground versions.
I bought two different kinds of Coconut, the Coconut Strips above are delicious!
The other brand was good, just not as good.
The Coconut should be chopped into small pieces.
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Meanwhile…
Add your Water to a Saucepan on Medium/High Heat, bring to a boil.
When the mixture starts to boil, add your Sugar and give everything a good stir until Sugar dissolves.
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These are some Dried Papaya and Mango that I had in our pantry and thought I would use them in this recipe before they went bad.
You see how I used them, keep scrolling.
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Bringing The Mixture To A Boil
Turn the Burner to High and boil for about 10 minutes.
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Now Add The Other Ingredients
You want to reduce the liquid to about half.
Turn the burner down to a Medium-Low, stirring occasionally.
You want this to cook for about an hour.
You want the mixture to become very thick and sticky.
This is where I never do well in cooking candy- like foods. This should become a toffee like consistency.
Mine ended up being a nice ice cream topping consistency.
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Spray a Baking Sheet with some Cooking Oil Spray.
This Coconut one is perfect!
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I “Dropped” my Coconut Mixture onto the tray, and even dotted some of the Dried Papaya and Mango into some of them.
They never hardened as well as I would have liked, but that DID NOT take away from this great taste! Perfect addition to any dessert!
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Our Great JERK Dinner
Pictured are the Coco Bread that we made previously, a Jerk seasoned Rotisserie Chicken we bought from the grocery store, and our home-made Jerk Sauce.
Here we decided to make some more Coleslaw, and create these great Sliders.
We combined the sunflower seeds, chopped nuts, and our home-made slaw dressing, shown in the closed container.
To revive Coco bread. Simply place on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes in a 350F oven. You can then add a little bit of butter to them and it wakes them right up!
When all the ingredients are combined, they made this great meal. 🙂
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Kind of Like a Taco
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Time To Make The Coleslaw
(Made by Julie)
Here are some of the ingredients we used from our garden to make the coleslaw.
Our garden peppers add a nice taste as well as beautiful color.
We made this one a little different than the other coleslaw that we have above. We used more of our Herbs and our edible Purslane Flowering Weed. It adds beauty and crunch.
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Ingredients:
1 Medium Napa Cabbage – also called Chinese Cabbage – sliced thinly
3 Green Onions – sliced thinly
2 Cups Carrot Sticks
4 Sweet Peppers – sliced
1 Jalapeno Pepper – sliced
1 Mango – sliced thinly
1 Cup Parsley
1 Cup Purslane Flowering Weed
Garnish with…
Roasted Almonds
Sunflower Seeds
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To start, slice your cabbage thinly as shown and place them into a large bowl.
Slice your green onions thinly and add them and your carrot sticks to the bowl.
Pictured are the sweet peppers we grew in our garden.
Slice off the stem and remove the seeds, then slice them thinly.
Do the same with your Jalapeno Peppers and add all your peppers to the bowl.
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Slice your Mango off the seed as shown and then slice those sections thinly as shown.
Add them to the bowl.
Here you can see the great mixture of vegetables which are the base of our coleslaw.
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Here are the Purslane Flowering Weed, Sweet Peppers, and Parsley we picked from our garden.
This will also go into our coleslaw.
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Chop your Parsley thinly and add them to the bowl.
Mixing the coleslaw ingredients with some tongs.
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Here I chopped the nuts using a sharp knife. These will be used as a garnish for the coleslaw.
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The Vinaigrette
(I Julie, started making this but it just lacked something, so Chef Whann appeared and was able to balance the flavors better than I did.) 🙂
Ingredients:
4 Garlic Cloves – minced
1 Jalapeno Pepper – chopped thinly
The juice of 1 Lemon
3 Tbsp. Grey Poupon Mustard
1/2 Cup Red Onions
1/2 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
4 Shakes Chipotle Pepper Tabasco Sauce
2 Tbsp. Honey
1 tsp. White Pepper
1 tsp. Sea Salt
~3/4 Cup Olive Oil
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You may want to accomplish this wearing gloves. Remove the stem of the Jalapeno with your knife and remove the seeds. Then, slice and chop the pepper. Slice the Garlic cloves thinly, and then chop to a mince. When done, add your Jalapeno and Garlic to a medium sized bowl.
Slice your Lemon in half and squeeze the juice into a bowl.
Add the rest of the ingredients into the bowl and whisk well until the honey is fully dissolved. Taste the mixture and add more of any ingredients to suit your taste. The Vinegar should basically tickle the back of your throat.
When done, place the vinaigrette into a sealed jar as shown.
Now, you can add the vinaigrette to the coleslaw as needed.
Simply shake the vinaigrette in the jar, and then use. This will keep for many weeks in your refrigerator.
Here you can see the Coleslaw, Vinaigrette, and Nuts/Seeds for garnish.
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Our Grocery Store Bought Jerk Chicken
Just Re-Heat in the Oven
(If you don’t have the time to make your own, the grocery stores usually make a pretty good one.)
You can R-Heat the Coco Bread in the Oven as well to Soften it.
Now You Just Want to Put it All Together
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When the Chicken is Nice and Warm, then Slice
Jerk Sauce
We made our own, but you can buy one at your local grocery stores.
Try the Ethnic Aisle.
We Used Both
Coco Bread, Jerk Sauce, Jerk Chicken…
Now add the Coleslaw, Nuts/Seeds, and Vinaigrette
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Delicious!
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Our Pasta Imitation Crab Salad
Gathering Our Ingredients
Ingredients:
14 oz.Crab Shaped Pasta – (Pastabilities – Let’s go Crabin’ Pasta)
1 Tbsp. Sea Salt
2 Quarts Water
3-4 Celery Stalks – Chopped to a small dice
2 Pkgs. Imitation Flake Crab Meat – (Crab Classics Brand)
1/2 Cup Sweet Yellow Pepper – diced
1/4 Cup Red Onion – diced
6 Water Chestnuts – chopped
~1 Cup Miracle Whip
1/4 Cup Aji Mirin – Sweet Cooking Rice Seasoning
1 Tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning
Garnish with Flat Leaf Parsley
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Add enough water to a large pot to cover the pasta.
Then add your sea salt to the water to help flavor the pasta.
Turn the heat to high, to boil the water.
Meanwhile, wash and slice your Celery first in long lengths…
Here, my water is boiling so I am adding the pasta, and boiling it as directed by the package instructions for 6 min.
Stir the pasta while it boils and turn the temperature down slightly.
Now slice the Celery into a small dice.
Pictured is the imitation Crab Meat I used.
I like this brand and flake type the best.
Break the flaked meat into smaller chunks as shown and place it into a medium sized bowl.
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Your pasta should be ready by now, so drain it into a colander and rinse it well with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Now, add your chopped Celery to the bowl.
Here I sliced and removed the seeds then chopped the Sweet Yellow Pepper into a dice.
Add the Pepper to the bowl.
I then chopped a Red Onion into a small dice and added about 1/4 of it to the bowl.
Here you can see the nice array of colors in this salad.
I used Water Chestnuts to provide more crunch to the salad.
Chop the Water Chestnuts as shown and add them to the bowl.
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Here I am adding Miracle Whip to the salad.
I like using this more than Mayonnaise as it provides a subtle sweetness to the salad.
Mix the ingredients by using a folding action… this is done by placing your spoon into the center of the ingredients, then pulling the ingredients up and over the center and repeat this action.
Now add your Aji Mirin and Old Bay Seasoning.
The Aji Mirin is a ‘go to’ item for me in most all of my pasta salads as it too gives a subtle sweetness to the salad.
Of course, Old Bay Seasoning is a must in most anything having to do with Crabs.
Fold all the ingredients together and taste the salad.
Adjust the ingredients as needed, such as you may need a touch more Miracle Whip or Old Bay Seasoning.
Taste the salad again and adjust as needed.
When done, add the salad to a large serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Here we garnished the salad with some Flat Leaf Parsley. Enjoy!
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Leftovers Rearranged
Crab Cakes Placed in our Crab Shells, Red Pepper Sauce, Caribbean Coleslaw, Vinaigrette….
Jerk Chicken, Caribbean Coleslaw, Vinaigrette, and a Spring Onion
What I love about leftovers is how they can be rearranged into something else.
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Hope you enjoyed our License to Grill.
We have other Bond Website Pages to browse if you so choose.
But, in the meantime….
We could also watch Ian Fleming’s Dr. No.
Gud Nite!
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Also Check Out:
A Happy Christmas CLUEDO For 007
The Bond/Whann Franchise Continues….
AND,
A Proper English Breakfast For 00Whann From (Your) Valentine
AND,
AND,
Let Me Make You A Sandwich (Bond Style)
AND,
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AND,
AND,
AND,
Steamin” and Pickin’ Crab, w/ Recipes
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Blogging With Julie All Along (Past and Present Blogging)
Hello and Welcome to My Personal Blogs I started this website in July, 2011, along with my very first blog post. I tend to write about whatever I may be going through. When I started the website I was …
An Old Florida Jezebel (Sauce)
(The picture above not only showcases my Old Florida Jezebel Sauce, I also depict our daughter Veronica’s art from when she was a Fine Arts student in college. Any chance I get to do that, I do!) Let The Sunshine In …
Grillin’ Italian
Ciao and Buongiorno!
Welcome to Grillin’ Italian
We love to grill, we love Italian, therefore it makes sense that we would create a page dedicated to Grillin’ Italian.
Italian food showcases a lot of food that we love.
For example, tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, olive oil, cheese, artichoke, eggplant, herbs, etc.
So, here we bring to you some of our favorite recipes that are Italian inspired for the grill.
We hope that you will enjoy them as much as we do.
Arrivederci!
Gordon and Julie
(Be sure to check back periodically to see what new we have grilled.)
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Grilled Colorful Bell Peppers with Mozzarella, Pesto, and a Basil Leaf
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Grilled Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Sandwiches w/ the Works!
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Grillin’ All The Peppers and Portobello Stuffed Mushrooms
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A Lovely Appetizer
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Feta and Spicy Pepperoncini Oil
(Baked in the Oven)
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Fresh Peppers
Sourdough Bread
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Our Sandwich Spread Ingredients
(For our Portobello Stuffed Mushroom Sandwiches)
This was a delicious sandwich spread and very easy to make.
My suggestion is to just eyeball the ingredients to your liking.
Of course you will need a Mayonnaise and a Mustard.
(I, Julie, used Dukes Mayonnaise and a Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard.)
I chopped some leftover Marinated Artichoke Hearts that we had in the refrigerator into small pieces.
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Just place the Artichoke into a bowl.
add some Mayonnaise and Mustard to your tastes.
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Grate in some Parmesan Cheese…
Stir Together
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Leftover Quinoa
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Beautiful Colorful Sweet Peppers
This was actually an afterthought.
We had some leftover Quinoa and these beautiful Sweet Peppers.
I, Julie, thought it would be great to stuff them with the Quinoa and bake them with some Cheese.
Here Gordon is slicing them down the middle and removing the seeds.
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Stuffing the Peppers w/ Quinoa
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The jar you see in the photo top left, is a favorite food of mine.
Cheese stuffed Peperoncini.
The oil has some heat and I love it! I will sometimes cut up other cheeses such as Manchego to marinate in that delicious oil. We don’t tend to throw it out. We use it whenever we can in our cooking and eating. Here I wanted it drizzled over the Quinoa and Feta Stuffed Peppers to be baked. Simply place them into a 350F oven for about 15 minutes or so until they are done to your likeness.
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Gordon Creating the Colorful Bell Pepper, Mozzarella and Pesto Appetizers
(This write up by Gordon)
Here, I am cutting our Bell Peppers into wedges using the natural curves of the pepper to hold the ingredients.
Now, lay the cut sections on a baking tray.
I like using the Fresh Mozzarella as it melts easily and tastes great.
Being pre-sliced is another good option.
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Use your knife to slice the Mozzarella sections to fit into the peppers.
Fill the pepper sections with the cheese as seen above.
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Jarred Pesto
Use about a tsp. of some nice Pesto to accent the Mozzarella as it needs some additional flavor.
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Here I scraped out the black gills of the mushroom with a spoon, as they don’t taste good when they are this big. I left the stem of the mushroom in, but it can also be removed and chopped up and mixed with the stuffing.
The Stuffing Ingredients for the Portobello Mushrooms
To make the stuffing we used Cream Cheese, Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Pecorino Romano Cheese. Fresh Garlic, Roasted Garlic, and Bacon. How can this combination of ingredients not taste delicious on anything?
To start, grate your cheeses into a large bowl
Sharp Cheddar
Now, add your Cream Cheese…
Then slice your Garlic thinly using as many, or as little as you like.
Once sliced, continue to chop them into a small mince.
Add the minced Garlic to the cheese mixture.
Chop the Roasted Garlic as well.
I like using the varied flavors of Garlic which make the stuffing mixture more flavorful in my opinion.
Add the Roasted Garlic to the bowl.
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BACON
Into The Microwave
We like to cook our bacon using this cup like device which keeps the cooked bacon away from the grease.
Using the microwave to do this is another plus!
Here are the results.
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We recently used most of the Grilled Artichoke Hearts which are in a nice seasoned oil. I thought it would be good to use this olive oil on the mushrooms to keep them from sticking and add some great flavor.
Use a brush to coat the olive oil onto the mushroom caps as shown above.
Here I am breaking up the bacon to place into the stuffing mixture. Be sure to taste the bacon to ensure it’s good!… Yeah right! Add some freshly cracked pepper then mix the bacon into the cheese mixture until well combined, then taste the mixture. You shouldn’t need any salt as the Parmesan Cheese and Bacon should have enough salt in them. Either way, add more ingredients as needed to suit your taste.
Use your best tool to load up the mushroom caps. Stuff them staying just below the stem as if stuffed too full, the cheese will run out creating a big mess.
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Here you can see all the items I am about to grill for this great meal.
I usually preheat the grill on high for about 5 min. then scrape off any excess items using a grill brush. Then I turn the heat down to medium and spray the grill grates with a high heat oil. Pam makes a brand especially for the Grill. Now, place your stuffed mushrooms on the main part of the grill.
I placed the stuff Bell Peppers on the top rack to bake.
When the mushrooms become pliable, remove them and place them back onto your baking sheet.
I then grilled the long sweet peppers for a few minutes on each side until they were soft and slightly charred on each side. When the cheese melts and the peppers are slightly softened, you can remove them and place them on a baking sheet. You may have to remove some liquid around the cheese during the cooking process or as least before you place them on the tray.
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Take the baking sheet and place the stuffed mushrooms under the broiler until browned as shown above. It will take a few minutes to broil them to this color.
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Here you can see the melted Mozzarella Cheese inside the pepper sections.
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The Sourdough Bread
Slice your bread loaf into sections about 3/4 of an inch thick as shown.
Use your broiler to toast the slices as shown on both sides.
To make this great sandwich, spread the Mayonnaise mixture on one side of the bread
Add some lettuce leaves, Green Leaf, Red Leaf, Romaine… etc then top with a stuffed mushroom cap.
Add a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar and top with another slice of bread!
Here we basically did the same thing, but this time added some of the Grilled Sweet Peppers that were skinned and de-seeded!
Another great way to eat these great ingredients between two slices of bread!
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Here we garnished the Bell Peppers with some Basil Leaves.
You could also add a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar to them.
What an excellent grilled Italian dinner!
CIAO!
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If you would like to view our other Italian food posts…….
Julie’s Italian Appetizers and Edible Gifts
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Gordon and Julie Italian Seconda Parte 2
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La Sciatta Giulia Anna’s (Italian Sloppy Julie Ann’s)
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Edible Gifts: Italian, Greek, and Irish
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Modern Day Mona (Lisa) Halloween
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Even More Italian (Just For You)
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Tavolino Da Caffe Italiana (Coffee Table Italian)
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Grazie,
Gordon and Julie
It’s a Mermaid Thing…
Just a Tails up, everything is going to be Mermazing…. What with the popularity of Mermaids now, I would like to welcome you. I love Mermaids! At this writing (2022) I am a 61 year old woman on the outside, …
Pizza, Pizza
Pizza: Latin for “to pound, or stamp.” The Lombardic word bizzo, or pizzo, meaning mouthful. Was brought to Italy by the Lombards in the middle of the 6th. century A.D. A Pizza consists of a base of dough with a selection of …
The Chubby Mermaid
The Blue Sirenia
The First Launch of our Canoe
Sparky and Spooky
Sirenia: An order of large aquatic plant eating animals that includes the Manatees and Dugong. They live chiefly in tropical coastal waters and are distinguished by paddle like forelimbs and a tail flipper replacing hind limbs.
Hence, the name we chose for our canoe.
It was while we were out that we came across so many Manatee. Some swimming underneath our canoe. We would like to think that they were Christening it for us.
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The Manatee are Also Known as Sea Cows
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This Pretty Mama Put on Quite a Show For Us
She Was Cleaning/Scratching Herself on This Palm Tree
This is Hospital Hole where Manatees come to clean themselves. There is a place just a few yards from where you see this Manatee that goes down 141 feet. It is a sulfur mine. It helps to keep the Manatees clean. But this mama was swimming underneath the palm tree, and over the palm tree, scratching herself. That palm was really shaking too!
The reason we know the manatee above was a female is because she had her baby with her.
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Gordon and I Enjoying Our Blue Sirenia
We are on the lookout for a Manatee boat sticker to place onto our canoe but haven’t found on we like yet.
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Vintage Weeki Wachee Postcards
Wishing You Were Here!
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It All Starts Right Here, Planning Our Vacation
My Visual Aids
Books, Vintage Postcards, Vintage Hair Barrett’s, My Viewmaster Reel and Slides of Weeki Wachee Mermaids
Planning Starts With Making Lists
My Red Clipboard
(I had this extra vintage mermaid boat sticker that I decided to place on my clipboard, just because. It does make me smile.) 🙂
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Now exactly what is it that I am leading up to with all this planning?
Here is a big clue!
But let’s keep reading….
I just want to immerse myself into everything Mermaid and Manatee…
Grapes and Mermaid Barrett’s
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My Mermaid Lunch
My Mermaid Ham Salad Sand
O.K., so this isn’t exactly a Mermaid Ham Salad Sandwich, but yet, it IS! 🙂
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My Recipe for my Favorite Ham Salad
I first start out with a 1 lb. pre-cooked Honey Ham.
Although it is fully cooked I still like to place it in a pan and put it in a 300F oven for about 25 minutes.
(Don’t ask, just move on…)
Even though it is sliced, I still chop it into small chunks when I take it out of the oven and I then place them into a bowl.
These are our Whole Homemade Dill Pickles. Here I am chopping up about 2 – 3 of them into small chunks and adding them to the bowl of chopped Ham.
Here I am chopping some Celery, probably half a cup.
Although you see the Spring Onions to the left, I don’t add them to my Ham Salad, I eat them alongside.
Time For Our Mustard’s
We did make these ourselves. Our Almost Yellow, and our Tarragon.
Click Here For: Pork, Sausage, and Mustard
(If you would like our mustard recipe’s.)
I added to my Ham Salad, just a tablespoon or two, or three…
I will say this, our Tarragon Mustard is a bit strong and perhaps not a mustard that children would be interested in.
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Now for the binder of this goodness.
A good Mayonnaise. Either Duke’s or Hellman’s.
You can use as much as you like. That is the beauty of making these kinds of salads.
(Although I don’t have the photos for it, I also added several twists and turns of Freshly Ground Black Pepper and about 10 shakes of Tabasco Sauce.)
I am also adding two Hard Boiled Eggs, Chopped.
(Yes, I see the unpopular “green ring” but so what? I’m from the south and I like it.)
Ahh.. All Ready!
Time for Lunch
Doing a bit of reading in my books. I bought this one book second hand and between the pages I found this note. I think it is very cute. Sounds like a high school girl conversing with a friend that’s mad at her. 🙂
My Mermaid Ham Salad Sand Lunch
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On my way out the door to do some shopping….
I always take food with me.
Yet more of my Ham Salad from above.
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Brodie, Mackenzie, Julie, Gordon
But, before we get started if you would like to check out our other Weeki Wachee and Mermaid pages:
Click Here For: Kayaking in Florida With Julie and Gordon: Adventure, Food and Fun Blogging
AND,
Kayak Weeki Wachee Springs, Florida
AND,
Weeki Wachee Weekend For Christmas
AND,
AND,
My Mermaid Lagoon Christmas in the Nook
AND,
AND,
AND,
It’s a Mermaid Thing…. 🙂
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The reason I am doing all this shopping and planning is because we are going to Spring Hill, Florida and Weeki Wachee, ‘Home of the Mermaids,’ for our family vacation in this August of 2021.
Florida is famous for it’s live Mermaids and has been since 1947. In it’s heyday people used to come from all over the world to try out to be a Mermaid. In order to qualify they had to actually be able to do a dive down 117 feet. Not an easy thing. I originally saw the Mermaids when I was a young girl and fell in love with them. I guess that fascination just never went away.
Reading With Lunch
If you would like to do some reading on the subject this is a good book, Images of America Weeki Wachee Springs, by: Maryan Pelland and Dan Pelland.
Elvis Even Visited The Mermaids
(Of course he did.) 🙂
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The Weeki Wachee Mermaids
Click Here For Weeki Wachee Information
Occasionally, Manatees have been known to get into the area where they perform the live shows. That’s why they also have people looking out for alligator’s, just in case.
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The Florida Manatee
and Old Florida Fire Roasted Salsa w/ Chips
Planning a vacation for me all starts with the idea and then it takes off from there. Usually way further than it needs to go, but then again that’s me! I’m usually having to make myself scale back with my ideas as I just tend to plan too much sometimes.
However, I wanted to share with you all the Vacation Planning, Packing, Preparations, and of course our Adventure, and the Memories we are creating right now.
Packing for our Vacation
(There is a suitcase underneath all of that I assure you. My fashion inspiration was to look as if Florida had thrown up all over me. I do believe that I achieved that one.) 🙂
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This was a much needed vacation for all of us especially in the age of Coronavirus. We needed a vacation but we wanted to do it safely and with some social distancing and this truly is the best idea for that. Veronica and Brian didn’t join us because they aren’t vaccinated and we don’t want to be the ones that may be responsible for their illness, just in case.
So, strap the Canoe on the roof of the car and let’s go!
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I’ve got Spooky and Sparky with Me! 🙂
Gordon will lead the way in his car.
Destination?
The Chubby Mermaid
We’ll See You There!
Julie and Gordon
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Here WE Go!
Let me just grab my purse and lunch, and shoes, of course.
It should just take us under 2 hours to get there depending on traffic.
Quit Whining Sparky, Your Fine.
Once you get off the highway it is a lovely drive out there.
I brought along a nice little lunch to snack on during the trip. We didn’t have time to eat before we left so we quickly made some sandwiches to nibble on in the car. Nothing too elaborate, just finger foods.
These small Hawaiian Tortillas, some Hawaiian Pineapple Ham, and our various Cheeses, Mustard’s, and even this Papaya Dressing. I thought it would be best to place the dressing into these small squeeze bottles instead of putting it on the sandwich ahead of time. I don’t like a soggy sandwich.
I believe I’ve got some Pepper Jack with my Hawaiian Ham.
Not to mention my favorite Tequila Mustard and even some Romaine Lettuce.
Ready to Pack Away
My Lunchbox on top of this Pile in my Passenger Seat
I’ve also got Grapes, Red and Green, Parmesan Goldfish Crackers, and some Asian Seeded Candies
I also brought along plenty of water in the car for me and the dogs.
Hint: Because we had been doing a lot of cooking before we even left on this trip I had a messy kitchen with a lot of dirty dishes laying around that I didn’t have the energy to wash the night before. Therefore, I washed them all before we left and even ran the dishwasher as well. That way, when we came home we did so to a nice clean kitchen.
Also, be sure to turn your Air Conditioner setting to under 80 degrees. That way it won’t strain itself to run for no one in the house, and you will save a bit of money on the bill while you are gone. I wouldn’t turn it off completely. You don’t want to come home to a house that is around 90 degrees, now would you?
STOP YOUR MAIL: It’s a good idea to stop your mail a good 2 days before you actually leave on vacation. That way, you are there to witness that it did indeed stop so you know all is well where that is concerned. Then have the mail delivered to your house a good 1-2 days after you return.
Carry Out Your Trash: Nothing is worse that coming home from vacation only to be hit in the nose with the smell of garbage that was neglected to be taken out of the house before you left. So…..
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And Here We Are
Now Comes the Hard Part, UNLOADING!
Spooky did throw up A LOT! It was quite the clean up! Spooky and Sparky aren’t used to going anywhere and when they do they panic as they are rescue dogs that know when they get in a car it is generally to be taken somewhere else to be abandoned. 🙁
I love that directly across the road from us is wilderness and beyond that, the Spring.
I’ll Check out the House. Come on Up!
I Love It! It’s Perfect!
Nice Big Kitchen Table
I Like Our Bedroom, Nice and Roomy
Hiding Underneath the Kitchen Table
(Still Upset and Stressing Out.)
Our Master Bathroom
Driftwood Mermaid
(I told my daughter Veronica, the artist, that I would like for her to paint me a mermaid on a piece of driftwood just like this.)
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The Guest Bathroom
This will be for Brodie and Mackenzie
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I LOVE all the Mermaid and Manatee Touches Throughout
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Brodie and Mackenzie’s Room, and Hank
Love The T.V. Stand
Trying to get the Dogs Settled In
Because…..
Gordon Needs My Help With The Canoe
We just need to set it on to the Roller Cart and steer it to the back.
Look How Beautiful it is Back Here
Gordon Securing Our Canoe
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It’s Almost Time for Dinner and we Brought Something Special
But first….
Mermaid Tail Craft
This is something that I was excited to make.
I thought it very appropriate for our meal for tonight.
SUSHI MERMAID TAILS!
Gordon bought these for me.
They are Shrimp looking Lures. Red, Gold, and Neon Green.
It was simply a matter of removing the fishing hooks from them, cutting off their shrimp heads and legs, and inserting some mini skewers.
I didn’t want them to touch the sushi as they are coated in something a bit “fishy” and I didn’t want that on our food. So, I placed them in a few bites, but not so that they were touching anything. These were the closest that he could find to mermaid tails. Some don’t come with that fishy coating but we couldn’t find any of those.
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So Excited About This Excellent Dinner
(I decided to get out of my travel clothes and change into something a bit more comfortable in a Manatee Grey.)
Our Delectable Table
We’ve got a variety of Sushi, Dipping Sauces, View Master Reels of Vintage Mermaids at Weeki Wachee, and something special to drink. I knew that we would be too tired and busy to cook anything so we brought a nice dinner instead. Actually, we brought all of our food. I’ll get to that more later on.
Feasting on Fish, Salmon, Chicken, Shrimp, Crab and Rice
You Can See My Mermaid Tail Cocktail Picks Here
I brought the comfy grey throw from home.
Hey, you never know what the condition of a rental place may be so I always bring touches from home with me.
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Saving These For Another Time
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Next Morning
Manatee Coffee
Actually, it is just our Hawaiian Coffee with Sugar, Creamers, and Splenda that we brought from home and our new Manatee Mugs we bought for everyone as a souvenir.
Star Fruit
Our Banana Mer-Muffins For Breakfast
The morning before we left to come out to The Chubby Mermaid I baked these Banana Muffins to bring along with us to eat for breakfasts. I also bought a few Star Fruit to eat with them. And the Mermaid Cake Toppers are just that.
Beautiful Cake Toppers
(Recipe Down Below)
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We also brought with us Bear Naked Banana Nut Cereal and KIND Peanut Butter to be eaten with milk and berries, and my Banana Mer-Muffins.
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I LOVE These and want some for myself. 🙂
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Food and Water
Although we are happily eating, our dogs are not. They have launched some protest and are on a hunger strike. Gordon was worried that they would starve to death and I pointed out to him that I have never heard of a dog starving to death with a bowl full of food in front of him.
They Will Eat When They Get Hungry
(Right now they are just upset and worried.)
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The Christening, and The Launch
Christie Brinkley’s Bellissima 🙂
It was the closest thing we could get to it being appropriate and besides, it was in our bathtub. (Only someone that is a regular reader of our website will know what that means.)
Gordon Pretending to Break the Bottle
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Actually, we decided to drink it instead. We don’t waste alcohol. 🙂
And no, we did not drink so much of it that we were ‘drunk paddling’ down the spring.
The canoe belonged to Gordon’s parents and passed it down to Gordon.
(Well, for $100.00.) Not bad, huh?
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http://www.VisitMermaidCove.com
Time to get going on our Maiden Voyage.
Spooky and Sparky are ready!
Gordon Getting Us Underway
Gordon grew up in a boating family so he knows how to maneuver many kinds of boats. He also knows the knots associated with everything nautical. Plus, he was in the Navy for 20 years. His parents also at one time owned a Marina in Shallotte, North Carolina.
Pulling Away From The Chubby Mermaid
(Yes that is a Jet Ski that we are not allowed to use. Although I don’t know why they would need a “JET SKI” in an area where you are not allowed to make a wake?)
Spooky was so intrigued. She is our intelligent dog. She is so smart. Sparky is more of just a regular good ol’ dog. She is the alpha in any dog setting we have seen her in she is the leader and gets everyone in line. She is the family BITCH! Literally! 🙂
They are so cute here looking around. They did really well out in the canoe. It was an adventure for them.
They are still on their hunger strike though.
That is, until……
…I pulled out my lunch. Chicken Spring Rolls. They LOVE chicken! And seeing as how they haven’t been eating their food I gave them the chicken out of my spring rolls.
Goodbye Delicious Lunch!
You will see many interesting homes all along the waterway. This is extremely unique. I call it The Barbie Dream Swamp House. This is a perfect location though. It was all along here where we saw so many Manatees. Just think how nice it is to just walk down the steps to the water and wade around? Easy to climb into your canoe or kayaks. This is also along the main drag where the current will carry you very nicely downstream. And this house has a view of nothing but wilderness across from it. Another bonus. I just wish I had a granddaughter or at least a gay grandson that we could take here with us on a nice vacation. 🙂 A senior can dream….
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Late Afternoon Canoeing
Before we put the canoe away for the night we wanted to take her out for another run. The dogs had done really well and seem to love being in the canoe so we thought we would take her out for a few hours and then come back to The Chubby Mermaid to have dinner.
The Lazy Pirate
(Yet another unique house along the waterway.)
I love their bottle fence! We did speak to this woman who owns this house when she took her grandson out for a kayak ride and passed by our place. Her kayak had pedals and she didn’t need a paddle. She just used her legs as if she were on a riding bicycle. She was also able to steer that way as well. She flew by! It makes sense actually because for a woman all of our strength is in our legs, not our arms.
Down the Waterway
I made sure that I brought with us plenty of water, a water bowl, towels, snacks, and lots of cameras.
Bring extra water because the dogs might spill what you have in the bowl. Expect that.
I found these Manatee stickers online and I bought them specifically to adhere to my Water Bottles.
Let’s Get Back as the Sun is Starting to Set
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Gordon Securing the Canoe
I’m Headed Inside with the Dogs to Change and Clean up for Dinner
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Hitting Up The Bar 🙂
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Gordon’s Yumbo Gumbo and My Pickled Shrimp For Dinner
We Brought This From Home
Gordon Made it the Day Before We Left
It was my idea for Gordon to make a big pot of Gumbo for us to take with us. Something delicious that is already made that we just had to heat up on the stove top with some Rice.
We brought out a big pot of it because we wanted to give about half of it to Brodie and Mackenzie for them to take back home with them when we all left. We knew they would love it!
The reason that I wanted Gumbo is because it just reminds me of New Orleans and Bayou’s and Snakes, and Alligator’s, which is the kind of environment that we would be living in for the week.
We Just Heated it Up and Made Some Rice to go With It
(We did bring our Rice, and Rice Cooker.)
Easy, Easy, Easy
Yum!
Eating Outside on our Upper Deck Porch
Julie’s Pickled Shrimp
(Recipe Down Below)
Gordon’s Yumbo Gumbo
(Recipe Down Below)
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Day 3
Good Morning
Fruit, Mer-Muffins, Coffee, and Juice
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Every Morning Gordon Would Sit on the Dock and Manatee Watch
(Even Found a Trap)
There is a Manatee!
The Most Beautiful Spot Around
It Truly is Beautiful Here
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Today We Are Going Kayaking
The Chubby Mermaid has Plenty of Kayaks to Choose From
I Want This One
I Wanna Go Where The People Aren’t….
(The t-shirt was a gift from my daughter Veronica. She does know me quite well.) 🙂
Taking Some Kayak Snacks
(These Asian Seed and Peanut Snacks are Tasty and Healthy)
Time to Go! I’ll Grab the Paddles!
My Kayak is Ready
Hint: Take plenty of Water, some healthy Snacks, Towels, Hat, Sunscreen, and if you do have expensive camera’s then have a waterproof bag to place them in so they don’t get wet. I always have my camera bag at my feet and open so that I can shove my camera in it at a moment’s notice.
Here I am in front of The Chubby Mermaid.
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This was a special little corner where tons of Turtles congregated. If you see one on the surface there are 100 swimming underneath you. 🙂
Also, a great place to spot the Blue Heron’s.
We do envy everyone who lives along this spring. No matter if your home is a mansion or a shack. I do want to say this, all of these people are very like minded in their love and appreciation for the manatee. They are nature lovers that are very tolerant of alligators and snakes. That mindset and concern of nature are people that I would happily live around whether they live in a mansion or a shack.
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Spooky and Sparky Did Really Great With Gordon
Our Dogs Really Took to Water Life
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Spot the Gator
Although a bit hard to see, that is an alligator swimming by in front of my kayak. It was about 4 feet long judging by the head.
Alligator Wall Painting
There was one point where Sparky accidentally fell into the water. And another point where Spooky actually dove into the water and swam over to me. It was in the same spot where we saw the alligator. And we know how much they love to eat dogs.
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Headed Back to The Chubby Mermaid
What a Great Ride!
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Time For Lunch
It was just a matter of washing a ton of vegetables.
Fresh Vegetables and Dips
Edamame and Roasted Red Pepper Dips
I made these dips before we left for our vacation in order to make lunches a bit light, healthy and delicious, and so that kitchen time would be down to a minimum.
Let me see if I can remember everything here. Mini Colorful Tomatoes, Celery, Colorful Carrots, Hawaiian Peppers, Bell Peppers of Red, Green Yellow and Orange cut into slices, Cucumbers, Broccoli, Purple Cauliflower, Orange Cauliflower, and Snap Peas,
Grapes and Star Fruit
Key Limeade
Easy Enough Just Add The Limes
Grab a Plate and Let’s Eat!
I also have some Ranch Dressing for Dipping!
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Julie’s Antique Salad Dressing
This dressing recipe is over 100 years old.
I did add my up to date touches on it, but it is based on a very old recipe.
Notice the Long Grassy Chives? It reminded me of the Long Sea Grass the Manatees eat. That was my inspiration so I tried to spiral the “grass” all around the jars to look like the sea grass.
I wanted us to eat a lot of Vegetables and Salads and I knew that I wanted a special Salad Dressing.
Hence, this one. It was originally a Chive Dressing and I elaborated on it by also adding Wild Garlic, Hard Boiled Eggs, and Paprika, along with the Olive Oil and Vinegar. I’ll bring the recipe write-up and list it below.
You can never go wrong with lots of salad inspirations.
This is Gordon’s Salad w/ Chive and Wild Garlic and Egg Dressing
And of course our Salad Toppings and Croutons
Leftovers are Easy!
Placed into my Palm Tree and then into the Refrigerator.
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Chubby Gordeo, Chubby Gordeo, Wherefore Art Thou Chubby Gordeo..
Fore It is I, Chubby Julie Ann…
Staying at The Chubby Mermaid 🙂
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Light Dinner Tonight
Sauteing Some Butter, Garlic and Shrimp
Local Florida Dipping Sauces
Shrimp and Calamari
Gordon Digging In
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Happy 10 Year Birthday to BFIFWJ
http://www.BarefootInFloridaWithJulie.com
I started this website on July 6, 2011 and it has been 10 years since.
We wanted to do something special to celebrate our 10 years so here it is!
Julie Barefoot Cake
I have been Julie Barefoot my entire life. I have always hated shoes even when it was snowing. It was a no-brainer in coming up with the name for this website. It has been a nice journey in bringing to you our lives and ideas for living. Food, projects, inspiration…
We thank you for your interest in us and our website.
I don’t know if we have 10 more years in us, but, we do have a few more good years left.
And besides, I do so love cake. Perhaps that is the inspiration for me to keep on going. 🙂
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Day 4
I Brought Herbs From Home
Coffee Table Full of Inspiration and Ideas
(That we brought with us.)
The Cozy Living Room
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Manatee Coaster Craft
There are several of these coasters on the tables here and I love them! As someone who has done quite a few crafts in my day these are so perfect, appropriate, and easy to make. I don’t know if the owner made these or if they purchased them at a craft fair but I’ll tell you how they were made and you can make some yourself if you like. You don’t have to just do manatees you can do anything you want.
The tiles you can buy at stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s for very cheap. The felt circles you see on the back you can buy at a craft store and just hot glue them. They are used so that the coaster won’t scratch the surface of a table.
If you have a printer for your computer you can print out any photos that you like online, even some photos that you have taken yourself. You will also need some decoupage glue from a craft store as well.
Instructions for how to decoupage are probably written on the decoupage bottle but if not then I will tell you what to do next. You will need a paint brush to brush some of the glue onto the top of the tile and then quickly place your photo on the glue. It may start to bubble up some so you then brush some more of the glue on the top of the photo and then just let dry. That’s it!
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Another Great Mer-Morning
That is my tray I brought from home. My Mer-Muffins, Banana Nut Bear Naked Cereal, Berries, and Milk. Not to mention, Coffee, and one of my books.
‘And Then I Turned Into A Mermaid,’ By Laura Kirkpatrick
I happen to love Children’s and Adolescence Books.
Having a Quiet Breakfast and a Book Read on the Porch
Gordon Doing Some Spotting
He did spot a baby alligator right beside him. Wonder where the mother is?
Although we never captured a photo of the fish jumping up out of the water, they do! Quite a bit too! I believe they are Mullet. They can also put on quite the show for you. We loved watching them and hearing them as well.
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Food Craft of Gator Eyes
Forgive the hair, it’s still early and I haven’t gotten around to it yet. 🙂
Gator Eyes
This is pretty self explanatory. De-seeded Dates, Peanut Butter, Dried Banana Chip, and an Almond.
We also thought about removing the Date Seed and replacing it with an Almond so it looks as if you are eating the Date Seed which you don’t do. Regardless, they are a healthy Kayak/Canoe Snack.
Made Some To Take With Us
(And even brought some home with us when we left.)
These would have been perfect to take with us when we went canoeing down Hillsborough River in Thonotosassa, Florida earlier this year.
Click Here For: Canoeing Hillsborough River, Thonotosassa, Florida
If you would like to take a look…we saw about 35 Gators
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I’m Ready to Go!
I’m Launching
Gordon with Spooky and Sparky
Lots of Turtles Were Piggy Backing onto Each Other
There must have been about 20 swimming all around me.
Water Moccasin Swimming in Front of Me
Look at my View 🙂
We Did See a Bevy of Chubby Mermaids Pass By
(I’m not fat shaming anyone. I also refer to myself as a Chubby Mermaid.)
Spooky is Worried About Me
It is Time to Head Back
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Kayak, Canoe, and Boating People
I just wanted to say that boating people are very friendly people. The people that you pass by when in your boat will speak to you and acknowledge you. Larger boats tend to do that to smaller boats so that you know they see you and won’t run over you. It’s just their way of letting you know not to worry. There is just this friendliness on the water that we don’t seem to have on land. It was the most perfect social distancing vacation and lifestyle where you can be social and distanced all at the same time. It’s perfect!
Plus, the fact that we are all on water is an indication that we have something special in common. Not so in cars on land. Everyone needs a car to get around but water people are choosing to be on the water. It’s almost like a club of exclusive people without belonging to a club of exclusive people. 🙂
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Light Lunch for Me
I’m Making Room For The Great Dinner We Will Have
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Brodie, Mackenzie and Hank are Here!
The dogs loved being outside and together.
Sparky and Hank are good buds but Spooky being the alpha in the group does tend to get jealous and then can start some trouble.
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Something to seriously consider when you are around any body of water in Florida whether it be Fresh Water or Brackish Water. (Brackish Water is a mix of Fresh and Salt Water.) There are ALLIGATORS! And they love to eat DOGS!
We kept a very close eye on our dogs and wouldn’t let them go near the water.
This also applies to Children as well!
Spooky and Sparky are still on their hunger strike although they will eat treats. Hank will eat, and eat, and eat, until he explodes if you don’t take food away from him. 🙂 They adopted him from an environment where he didn’t always have food to eat and had to fight for what food he was given. They just give him his normal amount per day and everything else has to be locked up. He’s something of a rascal. And we adore him!
Brodie and Mackenzie
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Dinner Is Ready!
This is a Spanish Sofrito Tilapia with…
…Sofrito and Salsa Verde Rice with Herbs
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Julie’s Homemade Salsa Verde and Sofrito
(I made this ahead of time and brought it out to The Chubby Mermaid with us.)
We wanted to make something special for dinner for when Brodie and Mackenzie and Hank arrived. I wanted Tilapia seeing as how we have a spring full of them right outside the back porch. It was just a matter of Gordon and myself putting our heads together to decide on this particular recipe. I wanted something Spanish with our meal seeing as how Spain discovered Florida and even named it Florida. Florida means flowers.
It was the most perfect dinner!
I took this photo while we were eating and in looking at it now it really does depict our personalities. Brodie always into the food and wanting seconds. Mackenzie very sweet and nice and friendly. Gordon always running his mouth. And me taking a picture of it all with a camera that is always within reach. 🙂
My Dinner Plate
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After Dinner on our Beach
Gordon Making a Fire
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I Do Love a Good Campfire
Especially With Smores on the Agenda
When it came to Smores I wanted to do the same old traditional ones, but I also wanted to try something new. When I thought of marshmallows I remembered the ones that my kids grew up on in Hawaii, and that we all still eat occasionally. The Asian stores sell these marshmallows with jelly fillings of chocolate, blueberry, strawberry, orange, mango, pineapple, etc… So, we picked up a few bags of them.
I also thought that they would be great with some fruits as well.
I’ll get to that in a minute.
Our Table of Ingredients
Of course we brought along some Aluminum Foil.
I thought that instead of roasting marshmallows over an open fire that we could just put together little Smores bundles and place into the fire coals to melt that way.
Here is a Traditional Smores
(Graham Crackers, Chocolate, and Marshmallows)
This One is Experimental
I Call Them Fruity Smores
Graham Crackers, Chocolate Bar, Blueberry Jelly Stuffed Marshmallows,
with Fresh Blueberry’s and Blackberry’s
Just Wrap in Aluminum Foil…
…and then Place Around the Campfire
MAN, FOOD, FIRE!!!
I’m just going to sit here and enjoy myself. 🙂
Gordon and Brodie
When we brought them in and unwrapped them some looked pretty good and others were just too burnt. I do love the Fruity Smores and I am going to replicate them in order to give you a better idea because the photos that were taken were not that clear. The lighting wasn’t good.
However, I’ll bring that to this spot soon. And here they are: 🙂
FRUITY SMORES
Orange Wedges, Blackberries, Blueberries and Marshmallows
(The marshmallows we buy at the Asian supermarkets. They are jelly filled and delicious. Adding a different twist on these Smores.)
In Addition to the Fruit and Marshmallows we Have Graham Crackers and Hershey’s Chocolate.)
If you look closely you can see the Jelly inside the Marshmallows.
Just take some NON-STICK Aluminum Foil and place two Graham Crackers down flat. Then place some Hershey’s Chocolate, Marshmallows, and Fruit. Now wrap together and place onto a Baking Sheet.
Like So…..
Put into a 350F Oven for about 20 minutes or so.
This is why you want to use NON-STICK Aluminum Foil.
You can also turn the broiler on inside your oven to brown the marshmallows.
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Doing Some Broiling
These are the Strawberry Marshmallows with the Chocolate and Graham Crackers
They May Look Like a Mess But They are Delicious!
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Campfire Plantain Smores at Home in the Oven
(What we didn’t eat at The Chubby Mermaid, we brought home.)
All that is required here are some Plantains, Butter/Marjarine, and Brown Sugar.
Fried Plantains are Always a Hit!
You just want to saute around the pan while the sugar and butter all melt together caramelizing the Plantains until they are perfectly delicious. Probably about 20 minutes on a medium heat. Stirring constantly!
Although we didn’t get to make my Plantain Smores out at The Chubby Mermaid, we decided to make them at home.
I just knew this combination would be wonderful!
Graham Crackers, Chocolate, Marshmallows, and Fried Plantains
When you cut the Plantains on a diagonal they fit nicely inside the sandwich.
Because we don’t have a campfire at home I wrapped them in foil and placed them into a 300F oven for about 25 minutes. I wanted them warm and the chocolate and marshmallows melting. 🙂
Oven Smores with Plantains
Try it!
P.S. Use NON-STICK Aluminum Foil!
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Day 5, and 6
Good Morning!
Tocino Pork, Small Fried Eggs, Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, and Mustards
We wanted to make a hearty breakfast for Brodie and Mackenzie so we chose a favorite of ours. Tocino Pork and Egg Sandwiches. Easy to make, delicious to eat!
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After Breakfast Gordon, Mackenzie and Brodie did some Kayaking
And Hank too!
Hank took to water life easy as well.
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We LOVED our Backyard Beach
Brodie and Gordon
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We didn’t really eat lunch because we had such a big breakfast and we were going to be eating a very big dinner tonight so I think we just did some light snacking. BUT, before we set out on our afternoon canoe/kayaking we decided to do something a little special.
KINKY SHOTS!
Another gift that I purchased for all of us was a Mermaid Tail Shot Glass. and some Kinky.
(I believe in souvenirs.)
But, something special that I got for everyone was a shot of Kinky. Kinky is a liquor that is flavored with Coconut, Pineapple and Lime. Although we aren’t “shot” people, we do like to occasionally sip a “shot” from a shot glass. We are sippers, not chuggers. Just sayin.’
It was our afternoon treat. 🙂
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Brodie and Mackenzie on the Upper Deck Porch
I bought all of us ‘Save The Chubby Mermaids’ T-shirts.
Yet another souvenir.
The Manatee’s are The Chubby Mermaids.
Family Photo, 2021, The Chubby Mermaid
A Cute Spontaneous Brodie and Mackenzie that I Captured
Brodie and Mackenzie on our Dock
Me, Sitting in The Blue Sirenia Ready to go!
Spooky and Sparky are Ready Too!
And Here We GO!
Love This Photo of Hank Watching Us
So, Exactly Where Are We Headed?
Downstream to The Upper Deck Restaurant for Take Out!
So Very Proud Of Hank 🙂
I just wanted to say that I realize I am not sitting correctly in the canoe. In calm waters Gordon does the paddling and I keep and eye on the dogs and taking photos. BUT, when it comes to rougher water then I am faced appropriately and doing a hell of a lot of paddling. There just aren’t photos to capture those times.
Mackenzie and Brodie are Becoming Kayak Experts
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Headed Down Stream
Down Stream is Easy, You Just Need to Steer and Allow the Current to Carry You
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We Did Try Passing the Dogs Back and Forth
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Cute Little Nose Coming Up For Air
It was while we were heading down stream that we saw so many manatee.
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My Little Brodie 🙂
The Upper Deck Restaurant
We called in our order a few hours ago.
Most people use the drive through with their cars, we used the drive through with our canoe and kayak. 🙂
We Brought Along an Empty Cooler
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Now It’s Time to Paddle Back Taking Our Appetite With Us
The reason there are not photos at this point is because I am having to help paddle back upstream. Not fun! It was a challenge going against the current all the way back but I was proud that we all did it! It was hard, but we did it!
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Our Upper Deck Dinner
This was a FEAST!
We don’t eat out often but when we do it is a treat!
Let me see if I can remember every delicious thing that we ordered.
Gator Tail for me, a must!
Smothered Grouper, Clams, Lobster Bisque, Fish Dip, Mahi with Fries, Shrimp Po’Boy, Steak Fajitas, Steak and Onion/Mushroom Gravy, Conch Fritters, etc.
Everyone was Stuffed, Everyone was Happy
I’d say that we earned this delicious dinner seeing as how we got the work out of paddling our way back upstream back to The Chubby Mermaid. 🙂
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Well, there you have it. Our summer vacation. It was the most social/anti-social vacation that we could have had. In this era of high contamination we found an excellent balance between the two. The best socially distanced vacation that anyone could have had. Interesting times does require some imagination and forethought. We are living in those times right now where some imagination can actually save your life.
Thank you for joining us on our best socially distanced vacation that we could have ever had. We hope that you had a good time too!
Stay Safe,
Julie and Gordon
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PREPARING FOR OUR VACATION:
Packing For The Trip
The Dogs
(We bought them life jackets for this trip.)
You would think we were packing for 3 small children.
As it is we keep bags packed throughout the year because with all the hurricane’s, tornadoes, flooding, fires, you just never know when you may have to grab what you can and then leave in a hurry. In our laundry room we keep things packed for the dogs that are mostly ‘grab and go.’
You really should treat your animals in the same way you treat your children. You need to think about their food, water, blankets, towels, and even toys and treats. Also things like their shampoo and any medications they may be taking such as their heart worm and flea and tick.
And don’t just pack a small amount of food for them, you need to pack enough food for each dog for a good 2 weeks to a month. I like that their dry dog food bag is resealable velcro and waterproof. Also, their moist food does not require a can opener but if yours does then throw a can opener into that travel bag as well.
Spooky loves to be wrapped up in blankets and I know that comforts her so we bring plenty of them. She also gets worried at new situations and tends to throw up so we have to consider that.
Sparky loves his toys. They seem to comfort him when he gets nervous and worried.
We also brought along plenty of Urine Pads just in case they have their accidents in new environments.
BRING PLENTY OF WATER
If you won’t drink that tap water from that vacation rental, then don’t expect them to either. We brought plenty of water for the week. We drank it, the dogs drank it, and we cooked with it.
We also brought every dog, Spooky, Sparky, and Hank a stuffed Manatee to play with.
Hey, we believe in souvenirs for the canine kids.
And That Pile is Just For The DOGS!
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FOOD
Making Food Ahead to Take With Us
We are the kind of people that actually like to bring food with us while we are on vacation. We do love to eat out every now and then, but that is when it is a treat. We don’t eat out on a regular basis. This may seem to be a lot of trouble to you but it isn’t to us. But bringing food with us for one week is why we took both cars with us on vacation.
We also stayed in a waterfront home with a full kitchen. I suppose that we could have just gone grocery shopping once we arrived, but why? In this era of food inflation our commissary on the base is very cheaply discounted for the military and retirees so we either have the choice of taking one car and spending lots of money at the local grocery stores or, buying food cheaply from home and taking it with us. So, we took it with us.
We didn’t just bring a bunch of food with us, we also prepared a lot of it ourselves before we even left. That meant that we had some great meals with hardly any cooking time.
I present to you our menu of foods we took with us out to The Chubby Mermaid that we made ahead of time and the recipes that go with them.
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Marinated Manchego and Stuffed Olives in Olive Oil, w/ Herbs
I initially wanted the small one for myself but I decided to give it to Mackenzie because she likes Manchego as much as I do. But I did take out one of the tall jars for Gordon and myself to snack on.
I LOVE MANCHEGO!
Letting It Come to Room Temperature
This was something delicious and fun to make. I love marinated cheese and I knew I would love this seeing as how I love Manchego. I also liked the fact that the recipe called for Olives and some of my Herbs.
This is all about eyeballing how much of this and that that you prefer.
I chopped the cheese into various lengths of chunks. I did NOT discard the rind! I wanted it in each jar if not just for the character and presentation of it all.
Simple Ingredients: Manchego Cheese cut into chunks, any kind of drained Olives, Fresh Herbs of Thyme and Rosemary, and plenty of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
You just place everything into jars and then cover with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
See How Pretty?
Now Just Place Into Your Refrigerator and Enjoy Whenever You Like
It will congeal so set it out a good half hour before you plan on eating them.
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Julie’s Pickled Shrimp
Aren’t They Beautiful?
Excellent with our Yumbo Gumbo
You can start to eat them after about 24-48 hours if you like. You don’t have to wait until the full pickling effects takes place, which is about 2 weeks kept in the refrigerator.
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Ingredients:
2 Pounds Medium Sized Shrimp, Shelled and Deveined
1 Bag of Crab and Shrimp Spice Boil
(The bag is 5 ounces but we only used about 3 ounces of it.)
4 t. of any Salt you desire.
(We used our specialty New Zealand Pacific Sea Salt)
2 Lemons, Cut Lengthwise
8 Cups of Water
2-3 T. Mustard of your choice.
(We used my Oriental Hot Mustard)
3 T. Spicy, Grainy Mustard, we used Boar’s Head
2 Cups Vegetable Oil
1/2 Cup Lime Juice
1 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
3 t. Red and White Peppercorns
You can also use Black Peppercorns
(Use a total of 3 whether they be all white or all red, or a combination of both.)
2 t. Fennel Seeds
1/2 t. Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 t. Chinese Pepper Flakes
(If you don’t have any Chinese Pepper Flakes you can just use 1 t. of Red Pepper Flakes.)
6 Garlic Cloves, Sliced Lengthwise
6 ROASTED Garlic Cloves, Optional
4 Bay Leaves
2 Medium Sized Sweet Onions, Chopped into Half Moons
Rainbow Carrots, Peeled, We used about 5-6
2 Limes, Thinly Sliced into Rounds
1 Lemon, Thinly Sliced into Rounds
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You will also need a few jars with lids to house the pickled shrimp.
Let’s Get Started!!
You need a large pot, like so.
Pour approximately 3 ounces of your Crab and Shrimp Boil into the pot.
Next, Add Your Salt
Slice your two lemons into lengths and place into the pot.
Add 8 Cups of Water
Bring Almost to a Boil
Add Your Shrimp
Lemon and Shrimp 🙂
Turn off Your Heat so as Not to Overcook the Shrimp
Let it Sit and Marinate For Awhile
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Meanwhile….
Add Water to Your Oriental Hot Mustard and Mix Together
(You can find this mustard at your local Asian food supermarkets.)
In a Medium Sauce Pan Add Your Vegetable Oil and Lime Juice
You Want to Bring This to a Boil
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Ready Your Red Wine Vinegar
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Now, Dump Your Shrimp and Lemons Into a Colander to Drain
Reserve All Those Little Bits of Flavor
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Add Your Red Wine Vinegar to the Sauce Pan
Now Add Your Mustard’s….
Peppercorns…..
Fennel Seeds….
Add Red Pepper and Chinese Pepper Flakes…
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Now Add Your Garlic Chopped into Lengths
And Just a Bit More of Your Salt For Flavor
Whisk Together and Then Add Your Bay Leaves
Chop Your Onions into Half Moons
Place Your Carrots Whole Into the Sauce Pan
Now Add All of Your Chopped Onion
Now Place Your Shrimp and Goodie Flavors Into a Large Baggie
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When The Sauce Comes to a Boil, Reduce Heat and Simmer
We Had Some Roasted Garlic in our Refrigerator That We Decided to Add Here
Just Letting Things Simmer Away….
We Allowed the Mixture To Cool
We Then Poured it Over the Shrimp in the Baggie
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I Then Added the Lime and Lemon Slices
I Kept Them in the Bag for 24 Hours Marinating and Massaging Periodically.
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I Then Added The Shrimp to These Jars and Placed Into the Refrigerator
You can start eating them immediately.
They are quite delicious!
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Star Fruit
Our Banana Mer-Muffins For Breakfast
The morning before we left to come out to The Chubby Mermaid I baked these Banana Muffins to bring along with us to eat for breakfast. I also bought a few Star Fruit to eat with them. And the Mermaid Cake Toppers are just that.
Beautiful Cake Toppers
Ingredients:
4-5 Very Ripe Bananas
(I keep old Bananas in the freezer for just this purpose. If you do the same then let them thaw first.)
2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, Packed in Cup (I used Splenda Brown Sugar)
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 t. Salt
1 t. Baking Soda
1 T. Baking Powder
2 t. Ground Allspice
1/3 Cup Whole Milk, or 1% Milk
1/3 Cup Buttermilk
1/3 Cup Ricotta Cheese
1 Large Egg
1 Egg White from an Egg
2 T. Canola Oil
1 t. Vanilla Extract
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You Will Need Your Mixer For This
Allowing My Bananas to Thaw
Get Out a Large Mixing Bowl
Add Your All Purpose Flour, Brown Sugar, Sugar, Salt, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Ground Allspice.
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Adding All The Dry Ingredients
Whisk All The Dry Ingredients Together
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And Now For The Wet Ingredients
(Ignore the sushi in the photo top left.)
In the bowl to your mixer place your Bananas and Buttermilk.
Mix until combined.
Like so.
Adding The 1% Milk and the Ricotta Cheese
Adding My Egg and Egg white
Now Add the Canola Oil and Vanilla Extract
Mix All The Wet Ingredients Together Until Blended
You Can Use A Whisk For This
Then Add The Wet to The Dry and Mix
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Cupcake Tins and Pam Cooking Spray
(Spray each tin with the cooking oil spray.)
I chose these tins because I wanted something a little bit wider than a regular cupcake one. Plus they are sturdier than the flimsy cupcake cups and I wanted them to travel well.
Pre-Heat Your Oven to 375F.
FILL TO THE RIM!
I ran out of my sturdy tins and had to scavenge around for the extras.
Bake For About 20 Minutes
Cupcakes are done when you can insert a toothpick into the center and it comes out clean.
Allowing To Cool on the Rack
Once cooled I placed them into a large airtight container and then into the refrigerator to take with us.
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Gordon’s Yumbo Gumbo
Perfect With a Bowl of Rice
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This is Going to be Soooooo Good!
Assembling The Ingredients
File Powder was hard to find in our local stores so we ordered this online.
Ingredients:
~2 Lbs. Chicken – De-boned Breast and Thighs
~ 1 Qt. Vegetable Stock
1/2 Qt. Water
~ 1 Lb. Okra – cut into 1 inch slices
4 Tbsp. Butter
4 Tbsp. All Purpose Flour
1 Medium Yellow Onion – Diced
1 Medium Sweet Onion – Diced
1/2 Red Bell Pepper – Diced
1/2 Green Bell Pepper – Diced
2 Celery Stalks – Diced
3 Garlic Cloves – Sliced
3 Andouille Sausage – Sliced on a bias
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Cans Diced Tomatoes
2 Bay Leafs
1 Tbsp. Fresh Thyme
2 Tbsp. Fresh Basil
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp. Chili Powder
1 1/2 T. File Powder
Hawaiian Sea Salt to taste
Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
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Rinse your chicken to remove any excess blood, bones and such. Then remove any excess fat with your knife. Place the chicken breasts and thighs into a pot of cool water, top with a lid and bring the water to an almost boil.
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Meanwhile, slice your okra tops off then slice the rest into 1 inch sections as shown.
After about 10 minutes of cooking, the chicken should be just cooked. Remember, it will finish cooking in the main pot with the other ingredients. Remove the chicken from the pot and place in a bowl for later use. Reserve the water.
Okra and the Chicken Water Broth
Now, place your cut okra into the pot and cook for about 5 min. on medium-low heat.
Here you can see I used the same bowl the cut okra was in to let the chicken rest.
Still Removing The Chicken From The Pot
Here is all the cooked chicken.
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Place your butter into a cast iron skillet on medium heat to melt.
Here you can see I placed the lid on the pot cooking the okra.
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Make sure in these next steps you use a spatula that can get into the corners of your pan.
Making The Rue
Place the same amount of flour into the pan as butter so as to make what looks like wet sand when the two are mixed together.
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Here you can see the wet sand look of the combined butter and flour. Continue to stir the ingredients together as they slowly cook over medium heat.
As the rue cooks it will begin to change colors. Now it is a pale tan and has a good deal of thickening ability when used to make a sauce or stew.
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As the color gets darker the flour takes on a nutty flavor but looses its thickening power.
Here the rue is cooked down to a medium dark tan and perfect for the gumbo.
Remove the pan from the heat and place the rue into another bowl to use later.
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While the rue is cooking, quickly dice your onions.
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Place the rue into a large pot and turn to medium high heat.
(You could forgo placing the rue into a mixing bowl and just place it directly into the pot you will be making your gumbo in. We didn’t think that far ahead as the cooking was going on.) 🙂
Here you can see the great color to the rue.
Add your diced onions to the rue.
Mix the onions in well.
Slice your bell peppers…
and celery stalks into long wedges.
Then dice them as shown.
Add the diced celery to the pot and stir.
Now slice your red bell peppers into dice sections.
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Do the same with the green bell pepper.
Now, slice your garlic as shown.
Add the garlic and bell peppers to the pot when done.
Mix them together as shown.
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Continue to slice your bell peppers as needed.
Cook the mixture until the onions, celery and bell peppers are softened.
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Meanwhile, prepare your Andouille sausage for slicing.
Now, that the vegetable mixture is tender, add your chicken and okra water to the pot.
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Stir all the ingredients together.
Slice your Andouille sausage on a bias as shown and place them and your olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat.
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It’s Coming Together Nicely
The Chicken, and the Sausage Cooking
Add your diced tomatoes to the gumbo pot.
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Slice and shred your chicken into thin sections as shown.
Cook the sausage until nicely browned.
When finished, remove the sausage and place into gumbo pot and turn the heat down to low.
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Now, place your cut and shredded chicken into the pot.
Add your Bay leaves to the gumbo.
Thinly chop your fresh basil.
We use a variety of basil types as you can see the purple leaves.
Remove the thyme leaves from the stem by starting at the top of the stem and working your way down.
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Now, add your chili powder…
cayenne pepper…
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Now add your pepper and Hawaiian Sea salt to taste.
Taste the mixture and adjust your seasonings as needed.
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FILE POWDER
Add your File Powder to the pot which will help to thicken the gumbo and add some earthy flavor.
The gumbo is now complete… I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Have it over some rice or eat it as it. You may want to add your favorite hot sauce as well!
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SALAD and VEGGIES
I suppose this is a mini equivalent to a Salad Bar.
I wanted it to be healthy and tasty and easy. The hardest part about all of this was washing and chopping all the vegetables.
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Cilantro and Spring Onions Drying
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In deciding that we would be eating lots of Salads and Fresh Veggies I knew that I wanted some really nice dipping sauces.
We have in the past made this excellent Edamame Dip.
It’s delicious and healthy too.
Ingredients:
3, 16 oz. Frozen Edamame, THAWED
Hawaiian Sea Salt (for boiling water)
3 Spring Onions
Fresh Cilantro about 1/2 Cup or more
2 Whole Cloves of Garlic
4 T. Water
2 T. Canola Oil
Juice of Two Limes
Zest of Two Limes
1 T. Honey
Salt, About 1 Teaspoon
Freshly Ground Black Pepper to Taste
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Some of Our Fresh Ingredients
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The Edamame is in the frozen section of your grocery store.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, about 8 cups of water.
And add your Hawaiian Salt or any that you so desire.
Boil the Edamame according to package directions.
Then Drain Into a Colander
This is the HARD PART!
You want to pop all those beans out of their husks and into a bowl.
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Now, take out your blender and place all the Edamame beans, Spring Onions, Garlic Cloves, and Cilantro in.
Add the Zest of Two Limes and the Juices
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Now you want to add the rest of your ingredients and then pulse until you have a nice paste. If you like it a bit more pliable then add some more water.
When it is to your liking then place into a container that is easy for dipping.
I love a sprinkling of Chili Powder on top of this dip.
I think it enhances the flavor.
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Roasted Red Pepper Dip and Edamame Dip
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A neighbor who used to live next door to us, Lesia, made this for us a few times and she gave us the recipe. It is an excellent dip! We thank her for this recipe. She since moved from our neighborhood several years ago and I learned that she has died as of this past March, 2021. Thank you Lesia for the recipe. RIP.
Lesia’s Red Pepper Dip
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Roasted Red Pepper Spread
This is an excellent dip for pita chips, or a spread for crackers, or as a dipping sauce for shrimp. Also great eaten with our fresh veggie bar.
This recipe makes a little over 2 cups.
Ingredients:
15 oz. jar of Roasted Red Bell Peppers, drained
¾ Tbsp Cumin
½ Tbsp Turmeric (To help fight off Cancer)
½ Tbsp Smoked or Regular Paprika
½ Med. Onion chopped, (Red Onion would also add to the color)
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
3 to 4 Tbsp Lemon Juice
3 Tbsp Plain Greek Yogurt
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 packages 8 oz. light or reg. Cream Cheese (softened)
In a blender first mix all the ingredients except the cream cheese until just combined. Then add the cream cheese and blend until smooth.
When done top with a sprinkling of paprika or chopped scallions!
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Getting out all of my ingredients and allowing my Cream Cheese to come to room temperature.
Placing My Ingredients Into a Blender
Onion, and Lemon
Everything Into the Blender, Now Puree Until Smooth
Place Into Dipping Containers and Refrigerate
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Julie’s Chives, Wild Garlic and Egg Dressing
This dressing is over 100 years old. I came across it from a hoard of old antique recipe books my mother-in-law gave us when they downsized and moved into an independent living apartment. The original recipe was just for a Chive Salad Dressing. I wanted to expand on that and include our Wild Garlic that we have growing in our backyard as well as our abundance of Chives.
Ingredients:
Abundance of Chives
7 Shoots of Wild Garlic
Red Wine Vinegar
Hard Boiled Egg
Olive Oil
Paprika
Salt
Granulated Sugar
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All Ingredients are up to Taste
The first thing I did was to wash all of my Chives and Wild Garlic.
When dry, I placed many Chives all around these jars to look as if they were the Sea Grass that Manatee’s eat.
Now, we are going to make this to as much volume as you desire.
Here is the recipe:
3 T. Olive Oil
1 T. Vinegar
1 t. Minced Chives
1 t. Minced Wild Garlic
1 Hard Boiled Egg, Chopped
Sprinkling of Paprika
1 t. Salt
Sugar to Taste
Oil and Vinegar
Hard Boiled Egg, Chopped
Oil and Vinegar Blended and Chopped Chives
Adding Some Hawaiian Sea Salt and Paprika
Chopped Wild Garlic
Sugar To Taste
I Added The Hard Boiled Egg, Chopped, to the Jars
You can double, triple, quadruple, etc. this recipe to make as much as you like. But again, this is also up to taste. Perhaps you don’t want that much sugar? Or Hard Boiled Egg? Or Paprika? Just experiment and then taste until you have achieved your desired effect.
It does tend to congeal a bit in the refrigerator so set it out a good 30 minutes before ready to eat.
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Our Spanish Sofrito/Salsa Verde Tilapia and Sofrito/Salsa Verde Rice
(The Chubby Mermaid had the most attractive pottery dinnerware. It would be something I would chose for us at our house. And after eating off these for a week I just might try and find us a set for our kitchen.)
In order to lessen the cooking time I made my Salsa Verde and Sofrito at home and just brought it with us. The recipes are below this one.
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Our Spanish Sofrito/Salsa Verde Tilapia and Sofrito/Salsa Verde Rice
Ingredients:
7 Tilapia fillets – Thawed if previously frozen
3-4 Tbsp. Sweet Paprika
Salt and Pepper to taste
~ 4 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Sauce Ingredients:
1 Cup Dry White Wine (your favorite Chardonnay)
2 Cups Salsa Verde (Julie’s Homemade)
1 Cup Sofrito (Julie’s Homemade)
~10 Large Pepper Stuffed Olives – sliced in half
1/2 Cup Old Florida Chunky Salsa
1 Tbsp. Smoked Paprika
1/2 Tbsp. Cayenne Pepper
2 Tbsp. Fresh Cilantro – Chopped
2 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley – Chopped
2 Tbsp. Fresh Basil – Chopped
(The herbs we brought from home.)
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Ready to Get Started in The Chubby Mermaid Kitchen
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Place the thawed fillets on a sheet pan and liberally coat with the sweet paprika.
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Turn the fillets over and coat the other side as shown.
Now add your salt and pepper to taste.
Spanish Olives
Slice your pepper stuffed olives in half.
Place the sliced olives in a bowl for later use.
These black olives are for the Sofrito Rice recipe.
Slice them also in half as shown.
Place the black olives in a bowl for later use.
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We Brought our Rice, and Rice Cooker With Us
For your Sofrito/Salsa Verde Rice recipe, add about 2 cups of rice to your rice maker’s pot. Rinse the rice about 3 times or until the water is clear. This is done by placing a few cups of water into your rice bowl and using your hand to stir the rice for about 45 seconds. You will begin to see the milky white starch to come off the rice. Pour the water out of the bowl and fill the bowl back again with a few cups of water and repeat the previous steps until the water is clear. Remove the remaining water from the rice.
Add the vegetable broth until it is about one inch above the rice. One inch is about one knuckle above the rice.
You can place your finger inside to make that determination.
Close the lid and turn the rice maker on as shown.
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Meanwhile….
Sofrito/Salsa Verde Rice Ingredients:
2 Cups Rice
~ 2 Cups Vegetable Broth – or until the broth is one inch above the rice.
1 Small bag of Frozen Peas and Carrots
~ 30 Pitted Black Olives – sliced in half
1 Cup Sofrito (Julie’s Homemade)
1/2 Cup Salsa Verde (Julie’s Homemade)
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Back to the Tilapia
Add your olive oil to a large cast iron skillet and turn on to medium high heat.
Oyster Bay New Zealand Pinot Gris
Here is the wine I will use to de-glaze the pan after the tilapia is cooked. Also pictured are the fresh herbs from our garden we will use for the tilapia.
Letting the pan get hot on the Stove Top
(We did bring this from home.)
Adding some of the Tilapia fillets to the pan. Just sear the fillets for about 2 min. on each side as they will continue to cook while in the sauce.
Pictured are the olives and both of Julie’s homemade Sofrito and Salsa Verde… which were both so good!
Once the fillets are cooked, place them back onto the sheet pan which I used to hold the fillets for seasoning.
Here are the last of the fillets.
See all those bits in the pan? They are pure flavor!
Liberally add your white wine to the pan or about 1 Cup of wine.
Adding the wine to the pan will de-glaze the pan or lift up any pieces of fish that were stuck to the pan or what is called fond. Using your spatula, move the wine around the pan scraping up the fond.
Let the wine cook for about 2 minutes and continue to stir the mixture.
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For the Sofrito Rice recipe, I cooked the frozen peas and carrots in a sauce pan with a little bit of boiling water and when done, I drained off the water.
Now, add the cooked peas and carrots to a larger pot as shown above.
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Back to the Tilapia, add your sliced green olives to the wine and fond.
Saute the olives in the wine.
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For the Sofrito Rice, add about 1 Cup of Sofrito to the peas and carrots.
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Now add your sliced black olives to the pot.
Here you see the olives cooking in the wine and I am stirring the Sofrito Rice ingredients.
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Once the olives have cooked for a few minutes in the wine, add a cup of Sofrito to the pan.
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Now, add 2 Cups of your Salsa Verde to the pan.
Turn the heat down to medium and let the Tilapia sauce simmer and reduce.
NOTE: It was at this point that we decided to add some Salsa Verde to our Peas and Carrots. Photo not shown.
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Add your Cayenne to the Tilapia pan sauce.
Now add your Smoked Paprika and stir all the ingredients together well.
Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings as needed.
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We had these green beans as a nice side dish to our meal. These taste a lot like Julie’s Grandmothers. Not everything needs to be homemade from scratch. Bring along some cans to add to your homemade vacation meals.
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Here on the left is the rice mixture and on the right is the Tilapia Sauce.
Here I added about 1/2 Cup of this Old Florida Chunky Salsa to the Tilapia Sauce.
As the Tilapia Sauce reduces, I will chop the fresh herbs.
Be sure to stir the sauce occasionally so it won’t burn.
Here on the right the Tilapia Sauce has reduced to my liking, so turn off the heat.
I then added the cooked Tilapia fillets to the sauce and then will continue to cook over the hot sauce. You can nestle the thicker fillets in the sauce. I also poured the left over juices from the fillets into the skillet.
Add your cooked rice to the peas, carrots, and other ingredients and fold together.
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Beautiful, Rustic, and Delicious
Add your freshly chopped herbs to the rice.
Both of these recipes were really good and will be a staple to our family favorites.
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Cilantro Galore and Spring Onions Going in These Next Two Recipes
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Julie’s Salsa Verde
(Gordon wanted to drink this, he thought it was that good.) 🙂
Ingredients:
1 28 Ounce Can of Whole Tomatillos (Costena Brand)
1-2 Jalapeno Peppers, Deseeded
3 Spring Onions
1 Bunch of Cilantro
1/2 Cup of Sugar
1 t. Garlic Salt
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This was so easy and fast. I was thrilled to find this can of whole Tomatillos. I was dreading having to use fresh ones. They are just so sticky and you have to remove that husk from them which sometimes takes a bit of work.
You just throw everything in the blender and zap it until it’s ready.
Couldn’t be simpler! Just place into jars and keep refrigerated.
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Julie’s Sofrito
(Sofrito is Puerto Rican)
Ingredients:
4 Cubanelle Peppers, Deseeded
2 Medium Sized Spanish Onions
(I have 3 pictured because one looked a little bad. I probably used about 2 1/2 Onions though.)
4 Plum Tomatoes (I used Roma, they are similar.)
1 Large Red Bell Pepper
2-3 Spring Onions
12 Large Garlic Cloves, or 18 Regular Ones
1 Bunch Cilantro
4-6 Culantro Leaves
Hawaiian Sea Salt, or any you so desire.
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Yet another very easy recipe.
If you cannot find Culantro in your usual super markets then you can at the local Asian and Spanish grocery stores.
My Culantro Herb Plant
Just Chop Everything and Place into Your Blender
You of course want to deseed your peppers and remove the stems.
Blending the Onions and Peppers
Deseeding the Red Bell Pepper and Chopping it and the Tomatoes
In Go the Tomatoes and Red Bell Pepper
Next, Add the Green Stuff
Garlic Cloves and Hawaiian Sea Salt
Then Add The Culantro
Place into jars and keep refrigerated.
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The Blue Sirenia
This canoe belonged to Gordon’s parents. They were downsizing and moving into an independent living apartment and were getting rid of quite a few things. We got the canoe! This is very exciting for us as we love water life here in Florida and we are thrilled to own it.
The first thing that Gordon did was to clean it up and removing all the old boating stickers that were on it.
We also had to decide the name for it.
We first thought of the Julie A.
That was more of a joke because Gordon’s parents second boat they named the Sari J, after Gordon’s mother Sarajane.
Gordon’s father Milton was on some game show in the early 60’s called Say When. (We believe that was the name of it.)
He was on there for almost 2 weeks and won quite a bit. One thing he won was a boat, a small outboard, that was their first boat. The Sari J. was their second boat, a 16 foot Thunderbird.
When we were trying to think of names for our canoe we were thinking about doing something that would be in line with that. However, we then thought of doing something to honor our love of Florida, the Manatees, the Mermaids, etc.
Boating Stickers
And that is when The Blue Sirenia was born!
We just need to find a nice Manatee boat sticker and then we are done.
But, we do have our Mermaid…
and the Barefoot’s bring up the rear. 🙂
Going Bananas
Our Home Grown Bananas Whether you grow them yourself or buy them…. When I think of Bananas I always think of Babies, Toddlers, Banana Pudding, Nilla Waffers, Banana Bread, and my Grandmother Aycock’s Banana Sandwiches that she would make for me …
Gordon and Julie’s Everyday Seafood
Blackened Grouper Cheek Po’ Boys These are actually based on our love of Grouper Cheeks. The Slaw above is actually an excellent one we did for St. Patrick’s Day and we used the leftovers here. See that recipe below: …
ONO Hawaiian
(I took the photo above when we first moved to Hawaii in 1986.
This is Diamond Head side of the island.)
We sure do miss riding around the island playing tourists.
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ALOHA!
May Day is Lei Day
When I was a Girl Scout Leader in Hawaii we made these lei’s from the tops of soda cans with ribbon. It was an excellent way to recycle. When I showed this project to my friend Trish in New Zealand she was very excited to make them for her Girl Guides. I taught her how to do it. Her troop then won some award for them in New Zealand. 🙂
Past Girl Scout Lei’s and Tins
(I passed these on to my daughter when I came across them.)
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Welcome to ONO Hawaiian
ONO Means Delicious
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Aloha Kakahiaka
(Good Morning)
A Rainbow for Breakfast
I saw these rainbow bagels at the grocery store and they brought me back to our years of living in Hawaii. You see a rainbow most every day there. Hawaii is known to be called The Aloha State but it is also called The Rainbow State. The Hawaii football team is even known as The Bows, named after all the rainbows.
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A Bird House our daughter Veronica painted to remind us of Hawaii.
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Hawaii = Pineapple
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Aloha Right Now
A Hawaiian Birthday Gift to Me from my Daughter
The Maui Cookies are the best I have ever eaten!
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Look at these beautiful peppers we found at our commissary on base?
Grown in Hawaii. They tasted delicious on a garden salad.
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Maui Onion Chips
Just what we needed!
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Lei Day in Hawaii
A Lei for my Honu (Hawaiian for Sea Turtle)
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I wanted to start this Hawaii page as a continuation from all of our other Hawaiian website pages. Hawaii means a great deal to us as we lived there for 13 years while Gordon was in the Navy. Also, both Veronica and Brodie (Kanakaleo) were born there and grew up with the many colors and flavors, cultures and traditions, that we all still honor to this day.
A Fish Sandwich Just Tastes Better on a Plumeria Blossom Plate
The food of Hawaii is made up of many contributing cultures.
Polynesian, Asian, Western…..
Even though we left Hawaii in 1999 we brought the cultures and lifestyle with us and keep them very close to us even now. The foods we enjoyed in Hawaii we still enjoy here in Florida.
It thrills me when Veronica will cook some of the dishes that she grew up on from the islands in her own kitchen now that she is married and has her own home. It also thrills me when Brodie makes his favorite Hawaiian Sticky Rice and steams Potstickers while grilling our favorite Asian Teriyaki Wings, or making his Bao Buns or Manapua. These are the foods they grew up with and the exotic cultures that have shaped them into the adults they have become to this day.
We will always hold a special place in our hearts for our island of Oahu and the people that welcomed us.
Julie and Gordon
Just an Old Oahu Board Game
Roll the Dice!
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The little ornament I made from Sculpy Clay and then colored in.
My Hand Painted Pots
With Hawaii on my mind I wanted to find my old hand painted pots that I painted from when we were living in Hawaii. I had used to do craft fairs when we lived there and these pots are an example of what I would sell in my booth. Although I think I gave away more than I ever sold.
I pretty much painted whatever I could get my hands on.
Clay pots, tiles, coconuts, driftwood….
On our kitchen table in Hawaii were nothing but paints, paint brushes, along with whatever it was I was painting. Everything was set up for me to just sit down and start painting whether I had 5 minutes or an hour to devote to it. I miss those simple days.
But, it was around Mother’s Day that I wanted to find my extra pots that I had in the garage and set them out to enjoy. We did find these, although I know I have a box full of them all in their packaging from being freshly painted by me and placed into pretty wrappings to be sold at my craft fairs or given away as gifts. They should be in pristine condition too, if I ever find them.
Coffee and Leilani
I also found one of Veronica’s dolls. I just wanted to enjoy her one morning while having my coffee outside. I will pass her on to Veronica this summer.
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Shannon Diana Veronica Whann 🙂
Born and Raised in Hawaii
Veronica, back row, right.
My Girl Scout Troop, Ala Moana State Park
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Our New Pineapple Plant on our Lanai
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A Few Favorites
(From The Asian Supermarket)
Wax Apples
Edible White Flowers w/ Salad Dressing/Dip
We purchased the White Flowers at our local Asian Supermarket
and then added a salad dressing for dipping.
A Beautiful Snack or Appetizer
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Gordon’s Hawaiian Potatoes
These are a favorite that Gordon created while we were living in Hawaii.
He created them by accident. We eat them quite often.
If you would like the recipe:
Click Here For: Gordon’s Hawaiian Potatoes and Huli Huli Pork Chops
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Gordon’s Bar
Honolulu LAVA Rocks!
(Recipe Down Below)
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Gordon’s Tropical Hawaiian Wings
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Gordon’s Teriyaki Wings brushed with a Pineapple Glaze and rolled in Toasted Coconut.
(Recipe Down Below)
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How To Propagate a Pineapple
To grow a pineapple is a really pretty easy process. To start, grasp the top or crown and the bottom of the pineapple and twist off the crown.
Now, remove about an inch of the leaves surrounding the base of the crown. You may, or may not find roots already growing as either way is fine. Here you can see the brown roots which will make it less time until ready to plant.
More pictures of the roots. Before you purchase your pineapple, you can peel back the leaves and find one with roots.
Now, place your pineapple crown into a small jar with enough distilled water to cover the one inch section of peeled back leaves. Use distilled water and not tap water as tab water has chlorine in it, which isn’t the best for starting plants to root.
After just a few days you will see the white roots begin to appear. Change the water when it becomes cloudy. After about two weeks the roots will become more distinctive and about an inch long. Only when you see new green leaves sprouting out of the top of the crown is the pineapple ready to plant. Take a gallon sized pot filled loosely with potting soil and push the small jar into the soil creating a hole for the pineapple. Now, remove your pineapple crown from the jar and carefully pull off all the old leaves as they are dead and not of any use. Lastly, place your pineapple crown into the hole and move the surrounding soil around the plant. Water your pineapple with the distilled water from the jar that it has been in all this time. Place your pineapple in a sunny spot and continue to water the plant every other day or as needed to keep it moist.
(WE WILL BE BRINGING YOU UPDATES ON OURS A THEY COME IN.)
And Here They Are!
Gordon Planting it into a Pot
We Will Bring It To You As It Progresses
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May 27, 2024
And Here They Are!
The Results 🙂
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Our Southern Tropical Drink Recipe
Makes 2 Drinks
I Gordon, made this drink as I liked the combination of peach, passion fruit, and pineapple and thought together with some nice Rums would make a great summer drink! The Peach Flavored Skinny Syrup gives it the Southern taste, and the hint of cherry, really brings all the flavors profiles together.
The Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. Grenadine Syrup
2 Shots Guy Harvey Spiced Rum
2 Shots Captain Morgan White Rum
½ Cup Peach Flavored Skinny Syrup
1 Cup Pineapple Juice
1 Cup Passion Fruit
1 Cup Ice
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Place all the ingredients into a shaker and seal tightly. Shake the mix for about 30 seconds or until the container is very chilled and hard to hold. Pour into your glasses and enjoy!
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Memorial Day 2021
Sometimes people confuse Memorial Day in May, and Veteran’s Day in November. Memorial Day is about honoring those in the military that died while defending our country. Veteran’s Day, November 11th., is about honoring our living veteran’s.
Navy Grog
I like using a variety of Rums and mixing it with some fruit juices mainly from Hawaii.
(Write up by Gordon)
Our Navy Grog Recipe:
2 shots Pineapple Juice
1 shot Passion Fruit Nectar
1/2 shot Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp. Honey
1/2 Tbsp. Sugar
2 shots The Kraken Black Spiced Rum
2 shots Florida Mermaid Rum
Mix all the ingredients together in a shaker with a touch of ice and shake until well mixed. Pour the Grog into a tall glass filled with ice and enjoy!
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Gordon is a retired Navy Chief. We spent the majority (13 years) of his 20 year career in Hawaii. So, when it came to creating a Memorial Day feast we chose a Hawaiian one. We pretty much just threw all of this together and made it up as we went along and had a blast doing so. 🙂 Besides, honoring those that died in Pearl Harbor was what our little feast was created from.
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Hawaiian Tray Bakes
(2021)
Mahi-Mahi Wrapped in Banana Leaves with Chinese Long Beans
Our Whann Way Hawaiian Traybake
Our Haole Traybake
(Haole is the Hawaiian word for white person. It’s original meaning was to identify a foreigner, although it now just means a caucasian. Sometimes the word haole is used as being offensive, and sometimes it is just used as a description. For example, I was described as being my local friend Cathy’s “haole friend.” Kind of the same way we may describe someone as being our daughter’s “Asian friend.)”
Although to be perfectly honest it really is ridiculous for us to use those terms anyway. A friend should be a friend no matter what color or culture they belong to.
Our ONO Hawaiian Tray Bakes
(Ono Means Delicious in Hawaiian.)
Mahi-Mahi wrapped in our home grown herbs and banana leaves.
When Done…
AI IHO!
(Eat up!)
Gordon and Julie’s Dinner Plates
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Our Leftovers From Memorial Day
(Recipes down below.)
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Grilled Pineapple Pizza
Gordon has loved a Pineapple Pizza ever since we were living in Hawaii and he discovered it at a take-out restaurant. This was in the late 1980’s. Ever since then, it is his go-to pizza.
I can take it or leave it. Most of the time, I leave it. 🙂
Gordon’s Pineapple Pizza Ready for the Grill
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Off the Grill, Topped with Herbs, Ready to Devour
To the Left, and Bottom of the Photo, Right, is MY Pizza!
Just a Simple Pepperoni. And that is fine by ME!
Ready to Devour MY Pizza!
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Grilling The Pineapple
Grilling the Pineapple Brings out the Sweetness
Delicious Eaten Just As Is!
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Pretty Spooky Break 🙂
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Here We Ate Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Ice Cream,
and Toasted Coconut
Also, Grilled Pineapple on Skewers
A Bit of Coconut Malibu Rum over top the Ice Cream
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Pineapple Relish
This recipe was given to us many years ago by my Mother-In-Law. I have no Earthly idea where she got it from, but she was a fountain of knowledge when it came to recipes. She has collected them most of her life. From family, friends, acquaintance’s, cookbooks, travels, newspapers, magazines, etc.
The relish is excellent as a dip for chips. These are Hawaiian chips with black rice in them.
I also got the idea to just carve out our two Pineapple halves and place the relish inside of them. What a great presentation.
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We also served our relish over top a grilled Pork Tenderloin and even topped it off with some Maraschino Cherries.
Served With Some Sides 🙂
Delicious!
(Recipes Down Below)
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Aloha Kitchen
(Honestly, it’s as if this book were written just for us!)
The Hand Painted Coconuts were done by a young Veronica and Brodie. I came across them during all of our renovations and decided that I needed to start giving them their childhood things so that they can enjoy them.
When I saw this book online I knew that I would instantly love it! And we do! But, I also knew that my children would also love to have a copy so I ended up buying 2 extra copies for Veronica and Brodie as well.
An Inscription From Us
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It wouldn’t be Hawaii without Sticky Rice.
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I also saw this cookbook online and bought 3 copies sight unseen.
And we are not disappointed.
Poloki and Walonika
(Brodie and Veronica’s names in Hawaiian)
I have decided to give to Veronica and Brodie my jewelry with their names on it. I’m not sure if Brodie will wear the charm on a necklace, but I know that Veronica will wear the bracelet. And besides, that bracelet will no longer fit over my wrist. Sadly.
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My latest find online. This will most likely be my last Hawaiian cookbook purchase for awhile. All 3 books are giving me such inspiration and satisfying my mental journey back to the islands that I love and miss so very much.
Aloha,
Julie (Kulii)
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Our Aloha Kitchen
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Hawaiian/Filipino Sliders
Gordon and I had made some Purple Sweet Potato w/ Taro Steamed Buns prior and Gordon got the idea to bake some Tocino Pork to eat with them. They were so delicious! That is when we started thinking about other things that we could eat with that delicious Tocino Pork.
Our Purple Sweet Potato with Taro Steamed Bun Sliders
Here we just used the Tocino Pork with Kimchi and Pickled Ginger
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If you would like to see the post:
Our Purple Sweet Potato and Taro Stuffed Steamed Buns and Asian/Pacific Sliders
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The above sliders were the inspiration for these little sliders.
Here we used the mini Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, some baked Tocino Pork and Tocino Chicken, Kimchi, Pickled Red Onion and Pickled Daikon Radish.
Although we didn’t use any sort of mustard or sauce, a lovely Asian mustard would have gone quite well with these, if there is indeed such a thing? 🙂
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Thawing Out Tocino Pork and Chicken
I don’t know where you can find these marinated meats, but we buy them at our commissary on military bases. However, look for these cured meats in the ethnic section of your grocery stores.
Although the package directions are different from how we are cooking them, we decided just to bake them in the oven, 15 minutes on each side, 350F oven.
Just spread the marinated meats onto a foil lined baking sheet.
Tocino Chicken
Here Gordon is Cutting up the Chicken with Scissors
Ready for the Oven
Bake 15 Minutes Each Side
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Time to Pickle Some Red Onion
Peel the onion then slice thinly as shown above. The thinner you slice it the quicker it will pickle.
I like to use a variety of vinegar as it will give the onions a great taste. Using a medium sized bowl, I used Malt, White, Rice, and …
then Apple Cider Vinegar. If you only have one type of vinegar, the recipe will still work. You want to have enough vinegar in the bowl to cover the onions.
Now, add enough sugar to the vinegar to give it a slight sweet taste. Start with one Tablespoon. Stir the sugar and vinegar together until the sugar is dissolved. Taste the vinegar sugar mixture to see if it is as sweet as you like. Add more sugar until the mixture tastes the way you want.
Peel the onion and slice it thinly.
Place the onion slices into the sugar vinegar mixture. In a few hours the onions will be slightly pickled. The longer they sit in the vinegar mixture, the better they will taste.
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Checking on the Tocino Pork and Chicken
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Pickled Daikon Radish
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Just Slice Into Rounds
Hawaiian Sweet Buns, Whole Wheat and White
Here Gordon Sliced Them in Half and is Broiling Them to Brown
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Nice and Browned
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The Tocino Pork and Chicken is Ready
Now It Is Time To Assemble Our Sliders
Hawaiian Sweet Roll, Tocino Pork or Chicken, Kimchi, Pickled Onion, Pickled Daikon Radish
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Manawa E ‘Ai Ai
means…
Time To Eat!
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Our Hawaiian/Filipino Tocino Pork/Chicken and Egg Sliders
This is just an expansion on the sliders from above.
Reheating the Tocino Pork and Chicken
Frying Some Medium Eggs
Pickled Red Onion, Kimchi, and Pickled Daikon Radish
Now It’s Time To Assemble
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Perfect Little All Day Sliders
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
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Hawaiian Tray Bakes
Mahi-Mahi Wrapped in Banana Leaves with Chinese Long Beans
Our Whann Way Hawaiian Traybake
Our Haole Traybake
Our ONO Hawaiian Tray Bakes
Mahi-Mahi wrapped in our home grown herbs and banana leaves.
When Done…
Gordon and Julie’s Dinner Plates
Leftovers Arranged the Aloha Way
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Our Whann Way Hawaiian Traybake
Just Washing Some of our Traybake Ingredients
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Ingredients:
2 Cans of Spam
(SPAM is a local staple food in Hawaii. It stems back to WWII when our government sent over many cans to feed the sailors and locals alike. It was something that didn’t go bad quickly.)
2 Hawaiian Bell Peppers – sliced to 1 inch thick wide lengths
2 Onions – sliced into quarters
~15 Cherry Heirloom Tomatoes
4 Yams – sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds
~1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
Banana Leaves – enough to cover the base of the roasting pan
Hawaiian Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
Sprigs of Tarragon
Chow Mein Stir-Fry Noodles
Salt for the Noodle Water
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Remove the Spam from their tins and place onto a larger cutting board. Now, slice the spam in half then into 1/4 to 1/2 inch wedges.
Place the sliced Spam into a large saute pan with about 2 Tbsp. of vegetable oil. Turn the heat to medium high …
and cook the Spam until they are slightly browned as shown.
Place the browned Spam on a plate lined with a paper towels.
Slice your Bell Peppers in half and remove the seeds and stem. Now, slice the Bell Pepper halves into 1 inch thick wedges.
Place the wedges in a bowl for later use. Peel and slice your onions into quarters as shown.
Here we started loading up our large roasting pan with our ingredients.
Hawaiian Bell Peppers, SPAM, and Cherry Tomatoes
Slice your Yams into 1/2 inch thick rounds.
Use a large saute pan and some oil to saute the Yams until slightly cooked for about 5 min. on both sides.
Add all the ingredients into the roasting pan.
Add enough oil to coat the vegetables and add your freshly ground Pepper and Hawaiian Sea Salt to taste.
Using your hands, mix all the ingredients together so that the oil and seasonings are distributed well.
Add your sprigs of Tarragon to the pan.
Here, we forgot to place the banana leaves on the bottom of the roasting pan so we removed the ingredients and placed them into a large bowl. Now, line the bottom of the roasting pan with banana leaves.
TIP: When you purchase Banana leaves, they usually come with plenty of leaves. Banana leaves contain a natural tenderizer within them and will help to cook the ingredients.
Now, add the vegetable mixture back to the roasting pan.
Roast the vegetables in a 350’F oven for 30 min.
Half way through the cooking process, turn the vegetables over to promote even cooking.
You can see the Banana Leaf on the bottom.
Here is the brand of Chow Mein noodles we used.
Heat 3 quarts of water to high in a large pot.
Add a half Tbsp. of Sea Salt to the water then add your Chow Mein noodles.
When the 30 min. cooking time with the roasted noodles is about up.
Remove the roasting pan and set on the oven for later use.
Cook the noodles as directed or until just tender stirring occasionally.
When cooked, drain the noodles into a colander as shown.
When fully drained add the noodles to the roasting pan.
Stir the noodles and roasted ingredients together as shown.
Now, place the ingredients back into the oven for about another 10 min.
After about 10 min. of roasting, the noodles will become slightly crispy and flavored with all the other ingredients.
What a great easy meal to feed the masses!
(And that is what Hawaii is about, the Kamaaina and feeding those large Ohana’s.)
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Our Banana Leaves
Here we are growing our own bananas in a large pot on our screened in Lanai.
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Here are the banana leaves we purchased from the Latin Supermarket, which usually come frozen.
The best way to clean the banana leaves is to let them soak in some distilled vinegar.
Here I poured the vinegar in the bag the leaves came in.
Another way is to remove the leaves and place them into your clean sink. Then pour some vinegar into the sink over the leaves. Open the leaf sections to allow the vinegar to penetrate all sides of the leaves.
Let the leaves sit in the vinegar for a min. or so to remove and kill all possible bacteria.
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Julie’s Herb Garden
Here is a great example of why we love our herb garden. Fresh herbs are amazing to use in any recipe as they are at their peak of flavor.
Here we are using Regular Chives, Garlic Chives, Dill, Tarragon, and Thai Basil.
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The Mahi-Mahi Fillet
I will explain the recipe as I go. (by Gordon)
I started with an entire Mahi Mahi (Dolphin Fish) fillet.
Slice the fillet into three equal portions as shown.
Of course for this Hawaiian recipe you want to use some Hawaiian Sea Salt, and Black Salt. If you don’t have those then any Sea Salt will work.
Lay out a piece of Banana leaf large enough to entirely enclose your fish. Place your banana leaf on your cutting board, and place some Chives on the leaf as shown. Then, place your fillet on top of the chives and sprinkle some of your Sea Salt on the fish. Then place some of your herbs on top of the fillet as shown.
Wrap the fish tightly with the banana leaf. I started folding the bottom section of the leaf up then folded the top portion down. Now, wrap the left and right side of the leaf enclosing the fish tightly within the leaf.
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On note: Banana leaves contain a natural tenderizer within them which will help to tenderize anything you wrap them in. They also protect the items within them from the fire as well as to steam them as the leaves hold a great deal of moisture.
Here are more pictures of me folding the Mahi Mahi within the banana leaf.
Yes, I forgot the Chives underneath the fish, but this is easily fixed.
You don’t have to use all the herbs I did as a simple bunch of Dill will work great! You could also use some slices of Lemon or Garlic in this recipe as well as some nice Olive Oil!
More pics of wrapping the fish.
Place your herbs and seasoning on the fish as shown…
Then bring the bottom of the leaf up, then the top of the leaf down.
Now, wrap the left and right sides of the leaf creating a purse. Here the leaf ripped a little so I wrapped more banana leaf around the other leaves using the same technique.
Once done, you can then wrap the entire package with aluminum foil using the same technique…
making sure you have a tight seal around the fish.
We wanted to pair the fish with some Chinese Long Beans that we purchased at The Asian Supermarket. Start by cutting off the ends of the Green Beans.
Use enough Vegetable Oil to coat the Green Beans.
An Excellent Fine Hawaiian Sea Salt
A Sprinkling of Fine Hawaiian Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
We then added some Tarragon sprigs.
Now we added some Green Onions. Simply cut off the root ends as shown.
I placed the Chinese Long Beans down first into a large roasting ban. Then placed the fish fillet packages on top then placed the Green Onions on the sides. Lastly, place a Banana Leaf on top of the ingredients tucking in the sides.
A Nice Cover
Preheat your oven to 400’F and cook for about 30-35 min. or until the fish is at a temperature of 137’F. If you were just cooking the wrapped fillets in your oven or grill, the time would only be around 10 to 15 min.
Into the Oven They Go
When checking your fish for doneness, remove the packages from the roasting pan.
Carefully unwrap the packages trying to leave the juices inside the package.
I wanted to cook them a little more, so I placed them back in the oven for a few minutes longer.
Now that the fish were done, I removed them from the pan and set them aside.
The Chinese Long Beans needed a little more cooking time, so I placed them back in the oven to roast for about 10 more minutes.
Here the Chinese Long Beans were nice and tender.
Here is a piece of fish wrapped within the banana leaves.
When Done, it looked like this!
Delicious!
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Our Haole Traybake
(Haole is the word that the locals in Hawaii use to refer to white people. Therefore, I wanted to create a Haole Traybake with everything in it being white. Hence, Our Haole Traybake!)
Here is our other Traybake we came up with!
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Ingredients:
2 Onions – sectioned
1 Large section of Taro Root – peeled and sliced into French Fry sections
~20 Whole Cloves
~15 Yellow Cherry Tomatoes
Olive Oil to coat all the ingredients
10 White Carrot sections
Salt and Pepper to taste
~10 Garlic Chives
~10 Oyster Mushrooms
~15 Edible White Flowers
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Slice the ends off the onion then slice it into quarters as shown.
Now, peel the Taro Root.
Slice the Taro into 1/2 inch slices as shown.
Then slice the pieces into French Fry sections.
Place the ingredients into a bowl or into a roasting pan. Slice off the root ends of all the Garlic Cloves.
Here I am placing the vegetables into the roasting pan in the back of the stove top.
I also sliced some of the Garlic thinly.
Pictured are the White edible flowers I found at the Asian Supermarket.
Add your freshly ground Black Pepper to the vegetables.
Now, add your Hawaiian Black Sea Salt. If you don’t have this, any Sea Salt will do.
Add your Olive Oil to the vegetables and mix all the ingredients with your hands. Add more oil to coat the vegetables if needed.
Remove the vegetables from the roasting pan and place a section of banana leaf to the bottom of the pan.
Add your Green Onions and Garlic Chives to the mixture and pour all the vegetables back into the roasting pan.
(Gordon had forgotten to place down the Banana Leaf originally. That’s why he is playing Musical Chairs with the vegetables.) 🙂
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Roast the vegetables in a 350’F oven for about 30 min. turning after 15 min.
Here the vegetables have cooked for 15 min. so I am turning them for even cooking.
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Oyster Mushrooms
After 30 min. add your Oyster Mushrooms to the pan.
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Let the mushrooms cook for about 10 min. then toss them with the other vegetables.
Add more Olive Oil if needed.
Our Traybakes Baking
When the mushrooms are tender, add the White Flowers to the pan and let them cook for another 5 min.
Have a nice Memorial Day!
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Grilled Pineapple Pizza
(Write Up By Gordon)
Our take on how to make a grilled pizza of which I like pineapple on. You may or may not like pineapple on a pizza, but I find the fruit’s sweetness pairs well with the tang and saltiness of the cheese, tomatoes, pepperoni, and seasonings. The sweet and salty flavors are much like teriyaki sauce that just work so well together.
Here is a close up of the pizza prior to cooking. You can see the grill marks on the pineapple giving it even more flavor.
My grill being used like a pizza oven which you will see worked great!
Here are the end results where we even made a classic pepperoni pizza for Julie.
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I started by heating the grill on high for about 5 min. getting the grill nice and hot which makes those great grill marks. I also clean the grill with a wire brush which the high heat will help to more easily remove. Once heated and cleaned, I turn the grill down to medium high and place the pineapple on the grill being sure to simply place it, and leave it. I close the lid and let the heat do the work. After about 8 to 10 min. depending on the temperature, I then take a peak at one of the slices then either turn them all over or let them cook a little more. After turning them, let them again sit without moving for another 8-10 min. repeating the process.
Here you can see the nicely grilled pineapple which will give it a caramelized flavor from the browning of the pineapple’s sugar.
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Making the pizza…
Ingredients:
Ready Made Pizza Dough
Cooking spray
~ 2 Tbsp. Yellow corn meal
2 Tbsp. Flour
3-4 Baby Bella Mushrooms – sliced
~1/2 Cup Pineapple Tomatillo Salsa
~1/2 Cup Pizza Sauce
~1/4 Cup Mozzarella Cheese
~1/4 Cup Italian Blend Cheese
Grilled Pineapple Chunks – as wanted
Turkey Pepperoni – as wanted
Garlic Salt – to taste
Pizza Palooza Spice Blend – to taste
Red Pepper Flakes – to taste
Fresh Basil – to taste
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Here is our purple and regular basil from our garden.
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To prepare the pineapple for grilling… first slice it in half as shown.
To remove the inedible core, make a diagonal cut on one side of the core just below the stalk, then do the same cut on the other side. Now make a horizontal cut just below the stalk and remove the core. Repeat for both pineapple halves.
Here you can see both pineapple cores removed.
Using another pineapple, cut off the stalk then the bottom of the pineapple. Now, slice down the sides to remove the outer skin.
Slice this in half an then into wedges. On each wedge you will then slice off the little section of core.
I place them on a try as shown and take them to the grill.
Leaving the section of pineapple where you first placed it will give you great grill marks.
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Back to making the pizza… slice your mushrooms.
Spray your pizza pan with a little bit of cooking spray then spread some corn meal equally over the pan to help the pizza to not stick, as well as helping to provide a crispy crust.
Here you can see I just have a light coating of corn meal.
Throw your flour onto your kitchen counter to evenly spread it out.
Your pizza dough should be slightly chilled and not at room temperature.
Begin to work your dough by gently pulling and stretching it.
Even let it just hang.
Now you can place it on your counter top and begin to stretch it more with your hands. Turn the dough to make an even circle.
When stretched, place it on your pizza pan and stretch it more if needed to fit the pan.
I spread some Pineapple Salsa in lines on the pizza to begin getting that pineapple flavor in the pizza.
I then did the same in the other direction with some Pizza Sauce.
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Now, evenly spread your Cheese over the Pizza.
Place your Mushrooms and Pineapple over the Pizza.
Now, place your Turkey Pepperoni over the pizza.
Now place your seasonings on the Pizza like Garlic Salt, Pizza Palooza, and Hot Pepper Flakes.
Here the Pizza is Ready for the Grill
I turn the grill on medium high and closed the lid to let the pizza bake. After about 12 minutes I checked the pizza to see if it was cooking evenly. If not, turn the pizza, then let it cook for about another 6 min. depending on your grill’s temperature.
Repeat the same process for your other pizza’s and enjoy!
Right after you remove your pizza from the grill, place your fresh basil evenly over the top as shown.
Enjoy!
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Honolulu LAVA Rocks!
Ingredients:
This recipe makes 4 large drinks
1/2 Blender full of ice
About 8 ounces Coconut Water, or more to taste
~1/2 Cup Pineapple Juice
~1/2 Can Coconut Milk
4 Slices Canned Mango Slices
1 1/2 Cups Frozen Pineapple Chunks
2 Cups Frozen Jackfruit Bite Sized Pieces
4 Shots Malibu Rum – add more to your taste
4 Shots Captain Morgan White Rum – add more to your taste
Cherry Juice to make the molten lava
Garnish with large straw and Orchid Flower and or Pineapple Rings and Stemmed Cherries
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Place the ice into your blender.
Add your Goya Coconut Water…
then your Pineapple Juice.
Now add your Coconut Milk
then your Mango Slices to the blender.
Now, add your frozen Pineapple Chunks…
and Frozen Jackfruit pieces.
Here you blend it for the kids,
then you can add as little or as much of your Malibu Rum for the adults.
Now, add your White Rum of which we used Captain Morgan.
Blend the mixture until smooth and taste the mixture.
Add more ingredients or alcohol to your liking.
By adding the cherry juice close to the inside of the glass will give you this Lava Flow look.
Garnish with a wide straw and an Orchid. Attach the Orchid using a vine clip usually found with live Orchid plants. You could also slice through a pineapple ring and attach it to the glass. The Asian Umbrellas are also a nice touch!
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Pineapple Coconut Relish from my Mom’s collection of great recipes!
Here we placed the relish in a bowl and grilled pineapple halves.
Pineapple Bowls and Pineapple
Ingredients:
~1 Cup Red Onion – diced
~1 Cup Red Bell Pepper – diced
1 Jalapeno Pepper – diced
1 Canned Crushed Pineapple – drained
1 Canned Pineapple Chunks – drained
3/4 Cup Sweetened Coconut Flakes
2 Tbsp. Aji-Mirin Sweet Cooking Rice Seasoning
1/2 Tbsp. Hawaiian Sea Salt
1/2 Tbsp. Chili Powder
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I used canned pineapple in this recipe for the convenience.
Here you can use as much or as little of the ingredients to suit your taste as well as depending on how much you want to make. I used about a cup of Red Onion. Place all the ingredients into a large bowl.
I also used the same amount of diced Red Bell Pepper. Slice the Bell Pepper in half, then into thin long strips, then dice.
Slice the Jalapeno the same way but into much smaller pieces.
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Drain your pineapple well before placing it into the bowl.
Reserve the pineapple juice for drinks later.
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Here I also drained the Pineapple Chunks.
Mix all the ingredients together then I added the Sweetened Coconut Flakes. You could toast the coconut if you wanted.
I love to add Mirin, for the sweetness.
Also add your Hawaiian Sea Salt and Chili Pepper to taste.
Mix all the ingredients well.
Add any other ingredients to suit your taste.
What a great looking relish.
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To make the Pineapple Bowl, slice the pineapple in half then use a spoon to remove some of the center.
I kept the Pineapple Juice for later.
Spoon the relish into the pineapple and place it on a large platter.
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Serve the relish with some nice chips and dig in.
This recipe is also great on fish and chicken!
Cook or grill your fish on one side, flip it over to cook on the other side and top the chicken or fish with some of the relish.
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Grill It! 🙂
Also, great topped on a grilled Pork Tenderloin.
Enjoy, and Thanks Mom, for the Recipe.
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Gordon’s Tropical Hawaiian Wings
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Ingredients:
Halve the ingredients if only making 1 Family Sized pkg of Chicken Wings.
2 Bottles (750ml each) Datu Puti Soy Sauce – Aloha brand is also great to use
2 pkgs. Family Size Chicken Wings
~1 1/4 Cups Brown Sugar (You can use any, or a mixture of sweeteners (Brown Sugar, Honey, White Sugar, Sweet Soy Sauce for this step)
8-10 Tbsp. Sweet Soy Sauce
4 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
1 large piece of Ginger ~5 inches long – sliced thinly
8 Garlic Cloves – sliced thinly
3/4 pkg. Sweetened Shaved Coconut – Roasted at 350’F on a sheet pan until golden brown, mixing as needed to brown the coconut evenly
1 Jar Pineapple (Smuckers) Preserves
5 Tbsp. canned Crushed Pineapple and 2 Tbsp. Pineapple Juice
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To make the Teriyaki marinade I used two containers, because I didn’t have a single container large enough to hold all the marinade and wing sections. To start, pour one bottle of your Soy Sauce into each large container then add half of your brown sugar into each container. Now add 2 Tbsp. Sweet Soy Sauce to each container and mix all the ingredients making sure the sugar is fully dissolved. If the sugar isn’t fully dissolved you will not get an accurate taste in the next step. Taste the mixture ensuring it is a little more sweet than salty. Add more sweetener (Brown Sugar, Honey, White Sugar, Sweet Soy Sauce) as needed to make it sweeter than salty. If you mess up, you can always use a touch more Soy Sauce to balance out the flavor. Once you have the taste to your liking, you have made your Teriyaki Sauce! Easy right! Now add your Sesame Oil.
Make sure your wings are fully thawed if previously frozen.
Using a sharp knife, separate the Wingette from the Drumett slicing right between the joint. Then slice off the Tip of the Wingette at the joint and throw the Tip in the trash. Do this for all the chicken then using a colander, rinse the Wingett’s and Drumett’s with cold water to remove any excess bone fragments and blood that may have been left behind.
Here is the Teriyaki marinade showing the Sesame Oil on top.
Add your sliced wings to the Teriyaki marinade. Make sure you don’t add too many to each container if making two batches, so they will marinate evenly.
Pictured is the large section of Ginger I used.
Use a spoon to remove the outer skin of the Ginger. Once removed, slice the Ginger thinly as shown.
Add as much or as little of the sliced Ginger to the wings.
Peel and slice the Garlic thinly as shown.
Add as much or as little of the Garlic to the containers of wings and mix well.
Here you can see the two containers of wings marinating in the Teriyaki sauce. Refrigerate these for at least 24 hour or up to 36 hours. Be sure to gently shake the containers around every 12 hours to ensure the marinade penetrates the wings evenly.
Turn your oven to 400’F. As your oven heats, remove the wing sections and place them on a cooling rack that is on top of a large sheet pan that has been lined with aluminum foil. Ensure your wings have a little space between them so they evenly cook. I like to add the marinated Ginger and Garlic slices to the tops of the wings as when cooked they add a great flavor.
TIP: If you boil the marinade, killing any bacteria, you can use it over rice to make another great addition to this meal.
To kill the bacteria simply place the marinade into a sauce pan and bring the sauce to a boil on a medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. It will then be safe to eat.
Place your wings into the oven and when at temperature, cook them for about 30 min.
Here I am adding the second batch of wings to the sheet pan. The last picture shows the large section of Ginger on top of the wing to be cooked.
Here I am placing the second set of wings into the oven.
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While the wings were marinating, I used about 3/4 of a bag of Sweetened Shaved Coconut and spread it evenly over a sheet pan.
Roast the coconut in a 350’F oven for about 10 min. then use a spatula to mix the browned coconut evenly with the white uncooked coconut. Place the coconut back in the oven for a few minutes at a time, mixing it so that it cooks evenly. Remove the coconut from the oven when cooked and browned to your liking and place in a bowl when done.
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Pictured is the Pineapple Preserves and Crushed Pineapple that I used.
While the wings are cooking, add your Pineapple Preserves, Crushed Pineapple, and juice to a small pot and boil the mixture to slightly reduce the ingredients, making a somewhat thick glaze. Stir as needed.
Here I have cooked the wings for about 30 min. and they look great!
Liberally brush your Pineapple Glaze and Crushed Pineapple onto the tops of each wing.
Now, place the wings back into the oven and cook for another 5-10 min. or until the wings reach an internal temperature of 160’F. If they go a little over, this is fine as when the wings rest out of the oven, the super heated juices (400’F) on the outside of the chicken will go back into the center of the meat and bone, cooking them to ~165’F.
Here I am removing the first set of wings from the oven to let them rest.
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As explained before, I stopped the cooking of the coconut when it still had some variations of color.
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I just pulled these wings out of the oven as they are nice and sticky from the glaze.
I wasn’t sure how to adhere the roasted coconut onto the wings when Julie thought of putting it into a bowl and dunking the wing into it as shown above, and below.
Toss the coconut over the wing and press down gently.
Place the coated wings on a sheet pan to fully rest for about 8 min.
These are some tasty wings!
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Here is the cooling rack and sheet pan as it looked after we cooked the wings. Be sure to gather and eat all the garlic and ginger that may have fallen off the chicken as it is delicious. I used non-stick aluminum foil for an easier clean up.
Here is how Julie beautifully displayed our newly invented Tropical Hawaiian Wings!
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Aloha and Mahalo,
Julie and Gordon
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Check Out Our Other Hawaiian Pages:
Click Here For: Whann Way Aloha
AND,
Click Here For: Whann Way Aloha, Hapa Elua (Part 2)
AND,
Click Here For: Blue Hawaiians and Huli Huli Chicken
AND,
AND,
AND,
Click Here For: Weekend Spamin’ Spam Musubi
AND,
Click Here For: Julie’s Lunchbox
AND,
Click Here For: Gordon’s Hawaiian Potatoes and Huli Huli Pork Chops
AND,
Click Here For: Whann’s In Not Always Paradise
AND,
Click Here For: Julie Barefoot Cookies and Beachy Edible Gifts
AND,
Click Here For: Grillin’ With Aloha
AND,
Click Here For: Julie’s Vintage Hawaiian Mango-Mac Nut Bread Cake w/ Pasta Flowers
AND,
Click Here For: Gordon’s Dole Pineapple Outrigger Canoe and Cocktail
AND,
Click Here For: Hawaiian Hum Lum Sun Prunes
AND,
AND,
AND,
Click Here For: A Mother’s Day Aloha
AND,
Click Here For: Aloha Wahine Jezebel Sauce
AND,
Click Here For: Whann Way Hawaiian Luau
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Click Here For: Hawaiian Popcorn and Moana Maika I’ Loa
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Click Here For: Beachy Hawaiian Thanksgiving Pu Pu’s
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Click Here For: Barefoot Beach Teas
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Click Here For: Hawaiian Kalikimaka
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Click Here For: Christmas/Kalikimaka Oysters on the Grill
AND,
Click Here For: Tropical Hawaiian Cranberries and our Mele Kalikimaka Me Ka Hauoli Makahiki Hou
Sixty’s, (Sensational or Surviving?) We’ll see, right?
Welcome to My Sixty’s Currently Aging to Perfection (Or Rotting and Disintegrating? But I swear this to you, as long as there are moisturizers and Loreal Superior Performance Medium Blonde, I will always be here for you.) 🙂 When I look …
Barefoot Beach Teas
Welcome to Barefoot Beach Teas I got the idea about 3 years ago to create a nice tea and have it look like the beach. I even thought of putting some sort of seashell candy inside of the tea so that …
Fruit
Dessert, Anyone?
I made a Fruit Salad yesterday and I was just fixing to spoon some over a nice Pound Cake I bought.
Would you care to join me?
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There is nothing prettier to me in the Spring and Summer than Fruit.
All the pretty bright colors, tastes, and textures. I also love nothing more than to create some delicious Fruit Salad to either eat by itself, or spooned over some Pound Cake or Angel Food Cake. It makes an excellent light lunch, or a nice dessert for a hot and humid Southern evening. It’s cool, refreshing, sweet and nourishing.
Here is something I whipped up that I would like to share with you.
Julie
So Happy To Burrow My Way Through A Watermelon Any Day Of The Week!
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Julie’s Palm Beach Fruit Salad
Based on my love of Lilly Pulitzer’s 1960’s Palm Beach, Florida Living
(Recipe Down Below)
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Julie’s Fruit Roll-Ups
(Recipe Down Below)
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Pears, Galore 🙂
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Strawberry Short Cake
An inexpensive, but tasty and quick dessert for the summer:
Not everything has to be complicated with several ingredients and homemade to perfection. Those times are great! But, for those simple and easy days, here is something quick and it actually kind of, goes without saying, but I will say it anyway. Just buy the ready made shortbread cakes from the grocery store, fresh strawberry’s, and some sugar free Kool-Whip. Perhaps serve with a dessert wine.
Enjoy!
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RECIPES START HERE
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All In ONE!
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I wasn’t going for some stunning presentation.
I just wanted to use the fruits and flavors that I loved best.
Here are my Ingredients for this delicious Fruit Salad:
Strawberry’s
Blueberry’s
Blackberry’s
Raspberry’s
Green Seedless Grapes
Kiwi
Watermelon
Honeydew Melon
Cantaloupe
Red Seedless Grapes
Yellow Dragon Fruit
Lime Juice
Chia Seeds
Honey
Mango Juice
Fresh Mint
(NOTE: The dark berries such as the Blueberry’s and Blackberry’s tend to stain and take over the salad with it’s dark color. If you want your fruit salad to show it’s natural colors then I would eliminate those berry’s.)
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Of course the first thing that you want to do is to wash all of your fruits and allow them to dry.
Removing the stems from my Strawberries and slicing them lengthwise.
I wanted them to look like hearts.
Washing my Berries
(Washing Raspberries can cause them to go soggy but I did anyway. But you can use a wet paper towel and wipe each individual berry if you like.)
Peeling My Kiwi
Ready to Slice and Add to Bowl
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A leftover fruit salad that I had in the refrigerator I decided to add to this salad.
I’m also squeezing some lime juice in as well.
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Adding the Green Grapes
Yellow Dragon Fruit
I just sliced the fruit in half and scooped out the seeds and pulp.
You can eat the seeds the fruit is quite tasty.
Now it’s time to add the Chia Seeds, Honey and some Mango Juice.
I just eyeballed how many of the Chia Seeds and Fresh Mint that I wanted and then stirred together.
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I then placed all of my fruit into a jar and refrigerated overnight just so all the flavors could meld together.
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The next day I removed my jar of fruit from the refrigerator and I poured the juice from the jar into a small saucepan to heat up on the stove top to thicken. It was convenient to have the two holes at the top of my jar, it made for easy pouring.
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I kept the juice on a medium heat just to get it boiling a bit so it would thicken up and made a nice syrup.
I bought a plain Pound Cake from the grocery store and sliced it…..
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I then drizzled some of the syrupy juice over a few slices of the Pound Cake…..
I then spooned over the delicious fruits.
Beautiful and Delicious
Dessert, Anyone?
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Julie’s Palm Beach Fruit Salad
I wanted to make a beautiful fruit salad. I wanted to base it on something lovely that would have been served in Palm Beach, Florida in the 1960’s. Something that would have been served at pool parties, or summer picnic’s.
I have my beautiful fruit salad above, sitting on a rug that I recently purchased.
Looks a bit Palm Beach, don’t you think?
Flowering Chives and Thai Mint
Along with some Blue and Black Berries
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Dragon Fruits
I wanted to use a few fruits that were exotic and only something Palm Beach society in the 1960’s would know of?
These Dragon Fruits do look a bit “scary.” Do not fear them! Just slice them, as I did in the photo above…
and then peel off the outer ring, as in the photo top left, so that they will then look like the photo, right.
Yellow Dragon Fruit
Do the same for these as you did for the Pink Dragon Fruit.
The seeds are soft and you can easily eat them. Don’t fear this beautiful and tasty fruits!
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Mini Melon’s From The Asian Supermarket
They call them Mini Melon’s at the Asian Supermarket. I have no earthly idea what their true name is. I will say this. The melons were delicious! They added some firmness to my fruit salad.
Notice The Seeds?
These seeds were so easy to remove with a spoon.
It was basically one swipe with a small spoon and the seeds were gone!
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Using my Manatee as a Spoon Rest
You Want To Place Your Fruits Into a Mixing Bowl
I knew that the Pink Dragon Fruit would turn everything Pink.
I was fine with it!
I’ve Added My Blue and Black Berries, Above
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Sugar Plums, De-seeded..
and then Chopped.
Sugar Plums Added, Along with Some Firm Green Grapes
The Salad is Coming Together
I’ve Added it to a Pretty Serving Bowl
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Now For The Extras
The Flowering Chives, Thai Mint, and my Mini Bananas
I sliced the Bananas in half, and placed them around the bowl with some Flowering Chives.
I also added some of my pretty Orchids.
I Added Fresh Thai Mint to the Middle of my Fruit Salad
If you are wondering if I added any sweetener, I didn’t. As a borderline diabetic there is plenty of sugar in all of these fruits as it is. There is no reason for me to add anything else.
Eat Up and Enjoy!
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Julie’s Fruit Roll-Ups
(I didn’t know what to call them. I know they aren’t what we think are “Fruit Roll Up’s,” but they do have fruit in them, and you do roll them up, so…)
They Actually Lasted a Few Days in the Refrigerator and Held Up Good
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I made these with my Grand-Daughter Peanuku in mind. I am kind of experimenting with foods that she will like to eat when she gets older, whether for a snack or lunch, or something for us to take with us in the car.
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These Are Really Easy To Make, Delicious To Eat
You Can Use Any Fruits That You Like
My Ingredients:
(You can use as much or as little as you like.)
Tortillas, (any you like)
Preserved Lemon Hummus
Pink Dragonfruit
Yellow Dragonfruit
Kiwi Fruit
Bananas
Micro- Beet Greens (I think that’s what I used. I was looking for something with a tinge of PINK.)
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Slicing The DragonFruit
DragonFruit may look a bit scary, but it is very easy to slice whether you slice it in rounds or lengthwise. The other skin always peels away quite easy. Because I was placing this fruit into the tortillas, I wanted to slice it all lengthwise.
Same With the Yellow DragonFruit…
I placed both on a few paper towels to help absorb all the liquid.
The Kiwi Fruit is also a bit juicy so I did the same with the paper towels here.
I allowed the fruit to sit for a little while on the paper towels.
The Bananas were great in this! They added something a bit firm to the roll up.
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Everything Sliced, Time to Assemble
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To Assemble:
Start out by spreading your Hummus all over the Tortilla.
Then add your Micro-Greens.
Next, start layering your Fruit only on one side of the Tortilla.
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Time To Roll Them Up!
Then Slice In Two
Eat Immediately, Refrigerate the Rest 🙂
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Have a sweet day!
Julie
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