Makeup Magic

Do you use mineral makeup? I use Bare Minerals, and I love it. All my life, when I tried to wear liquid or powder foundation, it just caked up on my skin. Now I like how my skin looks. It evens out the blotchy skin inherited from my red-headed mama, feels good, and is easy to remove.

I understand that there are several good brands, but this is the only one I've tried, and I have quite a few friends who also use it. My best recommendation is to go into a store that sells it (Ulta is one), and let the demonstrator figure out what is the best color for you. You can get it applied, then go away and look at it in natural light and see how it feels on your skin. If they don't have someone knowledgeable to help you, come back when they do.

I highly recommend that you watch the video that comes with it for tips on how to apply, or at least ask a lot of questions to the demonstrator applying it to you. You need to do it right for it to look good.

Since the containers look the same for each one of the "steps", I used a silver Sharpie marker to write a number on top of each container in the order I use it. No more having to look on the bottom to see what it is each time. I use:

1. Well Rested Concealer
2. Fairly Light Foundation
3. Mineral Veil
4. Rose Radiance Blush (the Warmth that comes in the kit is too dark for me)

It seems expensive when you start out, but it lasts a long time, and it's quick to apply. I'm very happy with it. Tomorrow...how to clean your brushes, and "Fluffy-doodles".

Day of Rest - A Favorite Pic

Today's my day of rest - so here's a favorite photo of me with 4 of my sisters. We're the "stair-steps". Oldest to youngest, shortest to tallest. Love 'em all!

Order in the....Garage

Alas, this is the last day of Dear Hubby week. Today let's talk about one of DH's favorite things in the world -- ORDER! I don't know if he was born that way, or just got there as soon as he could, but he is a fanatic about order. Women look at our garage and want to slap their husbands :). Though his penchant for order can be frustrating at times, it does have its upside.

In the garage, he likes for everything to be off the floor. So he has put up a lot of pegboard and made a special place for each item. As you can see, even the barbecue tools have their special place. Our garage floor is painted with a special floor paint that also has sand (or some such thing) in it to prevent it from being slippery. I'm not kidding, DH mops the garage floor, almost as often as I mop the kitchen floor.

The time and expense it takes to set up the garage like this pays off later in being able to find things. We can also always park our cars in the garage.

Well, I hope Dear Hubby week has inspired you. The key is to make little changes that improve your daily life. If you make one small change, but do it for the rest of your life, and then another and another....it all adds up to a more comfortable, profitable life.

Be blessed!

Hubby Week - The Agony of Da Feet!

Another thing my DH is very picky about -- his shoes. He is quite active and tends to be very hard on shoes. His favorite brand of shoes and boots is Red Wing. They're expensive up front, but cheap in the long run. They are made of leather that is thick and supple at the same time. They have solvent-resistant soles, and form to the shape of your feet after one day of wearing them. A pair of Red Wing work boots will last DH from 5 to 10 years, and that's saying a lot because of all the abuse he puts them through. His boots are the high-top kind with a steel toe.

Pictured are his favorite Red Wing casual shoes, which he says are extremely comfortable, and also last a very long time. And he LOVES his Red Wing motorcycle boots!

You can go to www.redwingshoes.com to find out where they are available in your area.

His 2nd favorite brand of shoes is Dockers. He uses those for less strenuous activities.

Walk on!

DH is Fruity over these

Today I can recommend Dear Hubby's favorite after-dinner snack. Private Selection Premium Fruit Bars (no sugar added) are available at Kroger. No, they're not 100% healthy since they are made with Splenda. We try to avoid all artificial sweeteners these days, but no one has started making popsicles with stevia yet, and man are these tasty!

One popsicle has 30 calories, 0 fat, and 2 grams of sugar. I would be happier if they left out the artificial colors also, but as snacks go, these are not too bad. Each box of 12 has 3 flavors: strawberry, raspberry and orange. They are all equally delicious.

These will make you feel like a barefoot kid on a hot summer day. Guaranteed. :)

Sock It To Me

I know, the young ones reading this won't know what "sock it to me" means! (Ask anyone who's old.)

Dear Hubby and I are both very finicky about our socks. They need to be comfortable and cushy. DH has found 2 brands of socks that he loves. They are both more expensive than regular socks, but well worth it, and they are extremely long lasting.

The top socks in the picture are Fox River brand, available at Academy Sports, and he has some that he's been wearing for over 10 years that are just starting to show a little wear. He wears these with his boots and tennis shoes. They are blended with 2 different fabrics, wick away moisture from the feet, stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. They come in at least 2 different lengths.

The dark socks are from www.duluthtrading.com, and he wears these with his dress/work shoes. They are Item #78549, Coolmax men's socks. Like the other ones, they wick away moisture, are thick and padded, and very well made. They also come in other colors.

Notice that on both of these brands of socks, they have ribbing in the middle that hugs your feet. Another plus for both: they come in different sizes, a feature which is hard to find these days.
DH loves these socks! File this under "highly recommended" by a sock aficionado.

Souped Up

I continue this week with some of Dear Hubby's favorite things, and one of his favorite quick lunches is Wolfgang Puck Signature Recipe Soup. He says you could serve this soup in a restaurant and make money. The only problem is that it's not available just anywhere. In our area, the only store that carries these soups is Tom Thumb. So once in a while he makes a Tom Thumb run and stocks the soup shelf in our pantry. He's narrowed down the many flavors to his six favorites:

• Savory Pot Roast with Vegetables
• Country Tomato with Basil
• Chicken & Dumplings
• Chicken Tortilla
• New England Clam Chowder (he claims it's as good as any he's eaten in New England - and he's eaten this a lot)
• Thick Country Vegetable
  

It's not cheap, but it's worth it to Dear Hubby to pay extra for a really good soup. And it helps to keep him away from bologna sandwiches (yuk). Happy Hubby, Happy Home.

Dear Hubby's Favorite Tips

As promised, all this week I will post my sweetie's favorite tips. We'll start out with his life motto: NEVER FRY BACON NAKED. Enough said.

Sort of along the same topic, we recently found a product at Garden Ridge that he is very happy with. It's a small nonstick skillet for cooking an egg or a small omelet. You put the egg in, close the top, cook on one side, then flip it over and cook it on the other side. It's only good for one egg at a time (or 2 if it's an omelet), but it cooks a good egg and really fast with hardly any mess.

I'll add a little tip to this. With nonstick cookware, never use them anywhere in the vicinity of a pet bird. The fumes can kill them. Also, never heat nonstick pans on High -- stay at a medium or lower heat, again because of the fumes. Alternative doctors will tell you not to use nonstick pans at all, but it's really hard to cook an egg on anything else.

This is a nifty little product and the cost was $9.99. We debated in the store over whether it was worth it. But after using it, we think it is. More hints from hubby tomorrow!

Happy Resurrection Day

Today being my day of rest, I'm posting a favorite pic of my sweetie, taken in our younger days. All this week, I'll be posting his favorite tips, so stay tuned!

Happy Resurrection Day. He is Risen.

God Bless America

This is a very special idea from our son Austin. If you have a loved one in the military, or know someone who does, you can share this idea with them.

Austin purchased an American flag and flew it over his base in Afghanistan on 9-11-06, the 5th anniversary of the 9-11 attack on America. We have it in a flag box now, with a plaque that bears his name and the date.

Following that idea, our son Barrett flew another American flag from the highest point of his base in Afghanistan on 9-11-07. He took pictures of the flag flying. It is also in a special box with a plaque.

We are very proud of our sons. And their Army service, though often frustrating, has taught them so many valuable lessons they will carry through life. God bless all our men and women who serve so that we may remain free.

Utility Websites

Our friend Russ calls me the world wide Debi (WWD) because of my large e-mail list. ;0) There's anything and everything on the world wide web, but I have found some websites that are so practical, I use them nearly every day.

Quite often I have a large or extra-heavy envelope to mail, and I don't want to make that trip to the post office. I have found it very useful to go to the U.S. Post Office website at http://www.usps.com/. If you have an accurate scale (please admire our antique one shown in the picture - it still works), you can fill in the blanks and find out how much postage you need, as well as an estimation of when it will arrive.

• At http://www.usps.com/, choose "Calculate Postage".
  
• Then choose "Calculate Domestic Postage" (or international, if that is your case)
• Then select the shape of your envelope or package: postcard, letter, large envelope, etc.
• Enter the weight, as in: O lbs., 4 ozs.
• Enter your zip code and the zip code you're sending to
• Optionally, you can enter the shipping date and time
• Click continue
  
• It will give you some other options, and then your postage amount and the approximate day of arrival

There are also other useful services at this website, like looking up the zip code for an address. Quite handy!

Another website I use a lot: http://www.dictionary.com/

• Type in the word you want to look up and hit enter
• Voila! There are entries from several different dictionaries.
  

And a favorite I've been using for years: http://www.biblegateway.com/

• You can type in a biblical reference, as in John 3:16, and it comes up ready to read or copy and paste into a document. You can choose from 22 different versions of the Bible in English, and several in other languages.
  
• You can type in a word or phrase and do a search through the whole Bible or specific parts
• It also has audio Bibles, commentaries, e-books, dictionaries, study tools and reading plans, and a verse of the day.
  
• Very, very useful!
  

What are your favorite utility websites? Let me know and I'll share them with all the readers.

How Wet I'll Be

Continuing on yesterday's theme that moisture is not good in certain situations, let me introduce you to my frog. This little guy sits at a critical spot in my closet to keep watch for water. You see, a couple of years ago, the water hose came loose from the back of our refrigerator and water leaked under the wall and into my closet. It probably took a couple of days for the water to work it's way out far enough for me to notice it was wet. Then there was a big ordeal of moving everything out, pulling up the carpet, removing the padding, and placing big fans in there to dry it all out. What a pain!

I found this little frog on the clearance table at Bed, Bath & Beyond recently, and now he sits in that spot in my closet right by the wall that's behind the refrigerator. Whenever his little feet come in contact with any wetness whatsoever, he starts to ribbit! I tested it, and it only took a small amount of water to make him start talking.

I've tried to find this particular frog online and haven't yet -- you may find it when you're out shopping. But there are other choices, and I've listed a few below. If you have an area in your home that's prone to wetness, it would surely be worth the small investment to purchase a water alarm.

The little green guy on the right is called a Leak Frog Water Alarm and is available at www.amazon.com, as well as other places.





And then there's the Zircon Leak Alert. It's available at Home Depot, and other places.











But if you have more than one vulnerable location, the best bargain seems to be this 5-pack of Water Warning Leak Sensors from www.amazon.com. It got good reviews on Amazon, and they usually have very competitive prices. You can see a demo at www.waterwarning.net. Check it out!

Something like this may save you a lot of money and heartache. Don't even get me started on the dangers of mold and mildew!

How Dry I Am

This will seem like a silly little tip to some, but you might just be able to use this information. You know all those little silica gel packs that come in vitamins and medicine to keep them dry? They also come in shoe boxes and purses, and they absorb moisture in a contained environment.

I've started saving them, in an airtight bottle, for other uses. If you sew, keep one or two in sealed containers of pins or needles to keep them from deteriorating over time. It would be a good idea to put them in purses that you have stored, or in shoes that you have stored away for the season in a box, or suitcases. It will also help to protect anything that you have stored in a waterproof case, but the silica gel packs will lose their effectiveness if they're exposed to air for very long. People actually buy this stuff to preserve stored electronics, important papers, or metal items.

Make sure no one eats them -- I'm thinking of pets, babies. Apparently it would absorb a lot of the moisture in your body and make you very sick, if not worse! Even if you don't save them, be sure to dispose of them properly if you have hungry little mouths at your house.

Here's Your (Other) Sign

Maybe you have a better memory than I do, but it really helps me to put out a visual reminder of things I need to do. For example, I put out these signs the night before the trash is due to go out. It's especially important on recycling day, since the truck often comes as early as 7:30 a.m.! Whatever way you have to prop the sign up will draw extra attention to it. I like the little "Page Pal" shown on the left. You can find this or something like it at any office supply or discount store. But anything you have around the house will work.

Remembering to put out the sign is another issue...

Online Jukebox

Today I'd like to recommend a website that Dear Hubby found and we both enjoy. It's an Online Jukebox at www.tropicalglen.com. While you're working at your computer, you can have music running in the background -- choose any year from the 1950's to the 1980's and random songs play from the top 100 songs of that year. You can choose a category of music rather than a year, and there are lots of other features, too.

Isn't it funny how you can't remember what you had for dinner last night, but you can sing every word to a song you haven't heard in 20 years? Hmmm......interesting.....

Reminds me of an experience I had yesterday -- a very nice, polite young man took our order at a salad bar. Later I looked at our receipt and found that he had given both of us the 60-and-over senior discount! And neither of us are 60 -- I'm only 52! My very first senior discount. Not the best moment of my day, but I'll just enjoy the discount.

That young man would be surprised to know that later that night we were standing in a mosh pit at The House of Blues, listening to an up and coming (clean) alternative rock band. The little girl in front of us was picked up and passed across the top of the crowd. Thankfully, we weren't. But never judge a book by its cover.

Day of Rest - Favorite Photo

Another favorite photo -- of a happy, happy day -- the wedding of our youngest son, Barrett, to Beccy, our precious daughter-in-law.

They are planning another, more formal, wedding in Germany when his deployment is done.

Ladies, Be Magnified

This is truly one of Deb's favorite things - a 10X Daylight Cosmetic Mirror.

Because it has a lot of dark wood, my bathroom is rather dark. When we first moved into this house, I could not find a good spot to put on my makeup. I bought what appeared to be a good lighted mirror, but brought it home and it wasn't good enough.

So, I went shopping and actually took mirrors out of the box and plugged them in at the store to find one that was bright enough. The one I found, pictured at right, magnifies 10 times and is very bright. I love it! I took a picture of one on the shelf because it really doesn't have an identifiable brand name. It is available at Bed, Bath and Beyond for $59.99, and it is worth every penny. (Use one of their 20% off coupons - they even honor expired coupons, by the way!) The B,B&B I visited recently had the mirrors on display and plugged in, so you can try it out in the store.

Now, the first look is going to scare you, because it shows every pore and all your sun damage. But it's really great for plucking your eyebrows, putting on makeup and all those things we ladies like to do.

I have been using mine for about 3 years, and I've even been known to pack it when I'm traveling by car. I've not yet packed it for an airplane trip, but I wish I could.

There are only 2 drawbacks as I see it:
I wish it was prettier -- maybe a metal finish instead of white plastic.
I wish the mirror had an unmagnified side as well as the magnified side.
BUT, I've never found anything better.

P.S. Bed, Bath & Beyond also sells a replacement bulb for this. My bulb has not burned out in 3 years, but I bought one anyway (with a coupon, of course) and set it aside just in case.

Got a Little Gunk in the Tub?

Do you have a whirlpool tub? If you do, do you have that black moldy stuff growing out of the water jets, threatening to attack you in your bath? I have the solution, and it's simple.

I learned this from a plumber about 25 years ago, though what he showed me related to the bathroom sink. The principle also applies to the whirlpool bath.

In a sink, when a man shaves, the drain gets filled with the little tiny hairs he has shaved off. That hair is living matter, and it rots in the drain.

In the same way, when a woman shaves her legs in the bathtub, that living matter goes up into the water tubes and rots. You can greatly reduce this problem by not using the whirlpool jets during a bath when you have shaved. It would be even better if you only shaved in the shower, or with an electric razor, but that's not usually practical.

I had to take this photo of my sister's tub, because the people who originally built our house didn't get a tub with jets in it for this very reason. But we did have one for many years, and didn't have any problems with gunk buildup since I didn't shave and run the whirlpool in the same bath. According to my research, it's also a good idea to only run the whirlpool when there's nothing but plain water in it (no bubble bath, etc).

What to do if you already have gunk in your tub? The following procedure is from the Kohler website, steps for flushing your whirlpool tub. There was some discussion on another site that said to use Cascade Complete rather than granular Cascade to avoid damaging the metal on your drain. Please do a little research and proceed with caution.

From http://www.kohler.com/:

Flush your whirlpool system twice a month or more, depending upon usage.

Adjust the jets fully clockwise so there is no air induction. Fill the bath with warm water to a level 2" above the highest jets, or leave water in the bath after using. Add 2 teaspoons of a low-foaming, powder automatic dishwasher detergent and 20 ounces of household bleach (5% to 6% sodium hypochlorite) to the water. Run the whirlpool for 5 to 10 minutes. Then shut off the whirlpool and drain the water. If desired, rinse bath surfaces with water. [I'm thinking it would also be good to refill the tub with cold water and run it again for a little while after the initial cleaning. I'd probably leave out the bleach and just try the Cascade Complete.]

Here's Your Sign...

Today I present a solution for a common question -- "Are these dishes in the dishwasher clean or dirty?" We hand-made a sign on an index card, laminated it, and applied self-stick velcro to the back of the sign and to the top of the dishwasher. This sign guards the dishwasher on those days when I don't get around to emptying it until late in the day -- no way do I want anyone adding a dirty dish to my clean ones!

This picture shows the unobtrusive piece of velcro on the top of the dishwasher when the sign's not there. Depending on your dishwasher, you could do this with a magnet, but mine is stainless steel and magnets don't stick. (Why is that?!!) You could be fancier and print a sign from your computer. You could also print "Dirty Dishes" on the other side and put velcro or magnets on both sides to flip it. Since ours is one-sided, we put a piece of velcro inside a nearby cabinet door. That's where we keep the sign until needed.

Picture of the sign hanging inside a cabinet door, also on a piece of self-stick velcro:
So, here's your (first) sign. More sign ideas to come later!

Towel Trick

My sisters are amazing. I have six of them...yes, I really do! And a very special brother. They're a conglomeration of full-blooded, half, and step, but I love them all just the same. We have quite a history together.

This tip is from my sister Alicia. She has a wonderful way of tying her hand towels onto a towel ring. I took a video of her doing it, because it's too hard to explain (click on the arrow above). And I don't have any towel rings in my house, so I can't practice it myself. It helps if your towel is not a really short one.

I know it's a little hard to tell what she's doing in the video. She's wrapping the towel across the front (after folding it into a thin strip), then pulling both ends through the back of the ring to the front. Then she's fussing with it to make it look right.

Alicia's a great decorator. She's what we call a "fluffer", someone who can take an ordinary bow (or a hand towel) and fluff it into something beautiful.

Over time, you'll get to meet all my sisters and try out their tips. Lovely!

To Bee or Not to Bee

Today I want to share how wonderful it is to have a regular time of meeting with friends. I have a group of "quilt friends" that meet together at least once a month for an old-fashioned quilt bee. We bring whatever we're working on and talk and admire each other's work and even get a little help now and then. We started out as a class of women learning how to hand-piece quilts from our amazing teacher, Candy. After two classes, we decided we'd just stick together. It's been going now for about -- actually I'm not sure -- maybe 4 years? Besides learning an art I hope to practice for the rest of my life, that regular time together has bonded total strangers into precious friends. We recently lost two of our group who both moved to other parts of the country, but they will always be a part of us, and we'll see them now and again.

The point is -- when you value a friendship, make a regular point of contact to grow and deepen the relationship. It happens when girlfriends meet for lunch or dinner and get caught up on each other's lives. It's happened in our church home group -- we now have dear friends we would have otherwise never have gotten to know in a significant way. It happens with Dear Hubby's motorcycle buddies because they meet on a regular basis to ride the backroads and feast on diner food.

May you be blessed with a wagonload of people who love you for who you are.

Blender Bottle

I want to recommend the best protein drink shaker I have found: The Blender Bottle. It has this little wire ball that goes inside and really blends things up well. The top is substantial and doesn't leak -- a big deal to me!

According to their website, http://www.blenderbottle.com/ you can also use these to mix pancake batter, scrambled eggs, gravies and homemade salad dressing. I did try it with the eggs, and they came out extra fluffy. You can put the whole thing in the dishwasher with no damage. I am very impressed.

If you order three of these from their website, there is no shipping. And with my recommendation, you can do so without worry. They're terrific.

Day of Rest - Another Favorite Photo

On this day of rest, let me introduce you to our middle son, Austin, shown here with his cousin Tanya.

Declare a Jammy Day

We are all leading lives that are too hectic. If you're not, please let me know how you're doing it.

Why not take a day now and then, when you don't have to be anywhere, to declare Jammy Day. What is that, you ask? It's a day when you get to stay in your jammies all day long. If you have kids at home, they will love it! It's a day to linger over the paper, have a hot cup of tea by the fire, read something just for pleasure, or bring out a board game. It's a good time to put a pot of soup on the stove -- you can get creative with whatever fresh, frozen, or canned food you have in the house, and then just let it simmer.

Whether you do this once a month or once a year, it will be refreshing and fun. You can always get dressed tomorrow! [I know this goes against yesterday's post to get out and exercise more, but, hey, it's just one day...]

A Word from the Amish

Did you know....that the Amish eat a fairly high-calorie diet with lots of carbohydrates and fat? And yet they have a very low incidence of obesity?

So what is the difference between the Amish and us? Well, about 11,000 footsteps a day. According to a recent study, the Amish average about 16,000 steps per day, while other Americans average around 5,000 steps per day.

In our mechanized, computerized culture, we generally have to go out of our way to get in the recommended 10,000 steps each day. (If you keep an eye on your eating, you don't have to move as much as the Amish.) I'm preaching to myself here, because I tend to get particularly sedentary during the winter.

A step-counter is not required, but they're inexpensive and it does help to keep you aware of your activity during the day. Any kind of movement will do -- walking, golf, tennis, basketball, dancing, or just jumping around in your living room. I'm going to have to step it up, how about you?

(Julie wrote in to say she's bought a pedometer and is trying to keep up with the Amish! Go for it!)

I.C.E.

No, not the frozen kind -- I.C.E. actually stands for "In Case of Emergency". If something happened to you and you were unable to communicate, who would be called? Chances are the emergency personnel would pick up your cell phone. In my experience, they call whoever is listed as "Mom". But the best thing is to have a contact on your phone entitled ICE (you could also add a name after that). These days, emergency personnel and others know to look for the ICE designation and will make that call. If you haven't set this up already, why not do it today?

It's also good for non-emergencies, like losing your phone. I was a little worried when I got a phone call one day from a bus driver in New York using my son Austin's cell phone. But, thankfully, he was only calling to say that he found the cell phone on his bus. If that driver hadn't called "Mom", my son might have never even realized where he lost the phone. He didn't have a home phone, but I was able to send him an e-mail and he retrieved the phone the next day.

Enough said. May you travel safely throughout this life!

At Your Command

You've probably seen these, but may not have had a chance to try them -- Command Hooks. They are hooks that can be attached to your wall, stay securely, but remove without leaving any residue. I have been using these for years, and they do work well! Possible applications are endless. I use them in my closet for scarves, belts, jewelry, and purses. We've got the one in our shower (see picture on the left), and in our guest bath to hang towels inside the shower/bath (see picture on the right). I've also used them in the kitchen. I've never had one fall off, or had any trouble removing them.

They are coming out with new ones all the time, and now have some that have a metal finish rather than plastic. They also come with extra sticky pads (and you can buy more), in case you decide to move them around. Go for it!

Pasta Joy

Today's tip is not only for my gluten-free friends, but also for those who don't know anything about this, but should.

In case you don't know what it is, or why anyone would want to eat gluten-free -- here is the simple explanation of a complicated issue. Many people (myself included) have digestive systems that are intolerant to gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, and barley. Symptoms are wide-ranging, from mild to very serious, and because of a lack of knowledge, it has taken most people an average of 12 to 14 years to be diagnosed! Chances are someone you know and love has gluten intolerance or even full-blown celiac disease (pronounced silly-yak). You can find out more by researching online. Here's one site from the Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/celiac-disease/DS00319/DSECTION=1

In the meantime, avoiding wheat knocks a whole lot of foods out of your diet! Besides bread and pasta, gluten is hidden in things you wouldn't even think of, like soy sauce, some salad dressings, gravies, sauces, etc. But thankfully the food industry is coming around, and more and more choices are available to the gluten-free eater. Even a small amount of wheat has an effect on someone with this condition.

My favorite wheat- and gluten-free pasta is a brand called Tinkyada Pasta Joy. It is made from brown rice, comes in many different shapes, and is delicious. It is hearty and holds up well, unlike some of the other brands I've tried. Even Dear Hubby likes it, though he does not have to eat gluten-free. Oddly, I've found different shapes at different stores, never all in one place. You're most likely to find this brand at health food stores and places like Whole Foods or Central Market.

Bonus hint (this might work for whole wheat noodles also): When you have leftover noodles but no leftover sauce, freeze the extra on a cookie sheet, then keep in the freezer in a bag. This way they are frozen separately, and you can add them to soups or stews.

Switched!

Do you have a switch that is dedicated to outdoor Christmas lights? If so, here's a nifty idea -- label it with a small Christmas picture. This one is cut from one of those return address labels that I presume we all receive in the mail.

Have a wonderful week!

Day of Rest

Today's Sunday, a day of rest. But here's a picture of someone I'm very thankful for -- our oldest son, Michael.

Dark Chocolate Rules!

You know, it usually takes a long time to use up a container of cocoa, but I don't think that's going to be the case anymore. I don't know how long this has been available, because I wasn't looking, but when I recently ran out of cocoa powder I found this -- Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa - 100% Cacao. Yippee -- it is utterly yummy.

This gives an extra flavor boost to the Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie (see January's post). And who needs those packaged hot chocolate mixes with trans fats? Mix this up with some milk, rice milk or soy milk, and some stevia, and you've got a delicious, healthy, old-fashioned cup of hot chocolate, but with a special dark flavor.

There are recipes on the container for "extra-dark chocolate cake" and "extra-dark chocolate frosting". And imagine putting this in homemade brownies! What will they think of next?

Bonus hint: dark chocolate is a natural blood thinner. I'm taking it for medicinal purposes ;) .