Puss in boots

Took the G's to see this movie. It was cute. I was surprised that there wasn't any mention of Shrek or subtle hints. Oh well. Fun was had by all. I even got the picture of the G's with the display. Sorry not posting it though. Glad that I have such good sports. The things I put them through. Sorry guys! Mwah!! Love you!

Pumpkin carving

Little Guido created his annual masterpiece today. It even has a scar running down its face. Big G didn't want to do one this year. Boo!

From Dr. Oz - Prehistoric Diet Recipes

Prehistoric Diet Recipes

Breakfast: It’s Easy Being Green Smoothie

Ingredients
4 cups of your favorite leafy greens, such as kale, spinach, collard greens
2 tbsp hempseeds and/or flaxseeds
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup frozen cherries
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
1/4 cup frozen pineapple pieces
1/4 cup frozen mango chunks
1 medium frozen peeled banana, broken into pieces
2 cups unsweetened almond milk

Directions 
In a high-powered blender, combine greens, hempseeds, blueberries, cherries, raspberries, pineapple, mango, banana and almond milk.

Blend on high speed for 60 seconds or until smooth. Enjoy icy cold.


Lunch: Mexican Noritos

Ingredients
2 sheets of nori
3 tbsp guacamole
1/4 cup jicama, julienned
1/2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp salsa

Directions
Place nori sheet on a flat surface. Evenly fill with guacamole, jicama, salsa and cilantro. Tightly roll nori like a burrito and enjoy!


Dinner: Beans and Greens Chili

Ingredients
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
3 ribs of celery, chopped
2 cups vegetable broth
2 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 (28 oz) can chopped tomatoes with juice
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
8-12 medium baby bella mushrooms
1 (15 oz) can corn, rinsed and drained
2-3 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp curry powder
4 cups leafy green vegetables, chopped

Directions 
In a large soup pot over medium heat, sauté onions, carrots and celery in 1/2 cup vegetable broth for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent.

Add kidney beans, chickpeas, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, mushrooms, corn, chili powder, black pepper, curry powder and remaining 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When chili appears soft, mix in leafy greens and turn off heat. Serve warm.

Recipes courtesy of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition by Julieanna Hever, M.S., R.D., C.P.T.

Nintendo

As a consumer of electronics these babies are gonna have to come down just a little bit more. 

From the Technabob blog:

Nintendo Braces for First Annual Loss in Three Decades, Points to 3DS and Yen as Cause

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 05:15 AM PDT

Nintendo is having a hard time for the first time in 30-years – as it eyes its first annual loss. The net loss is estimated to be about $264 million for the year that will end in March. Last year, the company made about that much in profit. The reason for the falling profits is not surprising.

Nintendo 3DS adoption has been very poor and much worse than anticipated by Nintendo. Even after theprice cut, Nintendo is unable to sell sufficient quantities of the console. That is no surprise, considering the console launched before there was anything close to a robust game library available, and general market interest in 3D technology has been questionable at best.

The other problem for Nintendo is that the Japanese Yen is rising compared to other currencies. With the Yen worth more than other currencies, money made overseas is worth less on the books in Japan. Nintendo had a 52.4 billion Yen foreign exchange loss in the first half of the fiscal year.

[via Bloomberg]

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Starbucks breakfast sandwiches

I think I am hungry. Must go make/eat food. 

Anyway Starbucks had this yummy looking breakfast treats I must try someday. They sound delish. 

Bacon & Gouda Artisan Breakfast Sandwich What's breakfast without bacon? Applewood smoked bacon, aged Gouda and egg are nestled perfectly in an oven-toasted Artisan roll. It's a delectable take on breakfast that will keep you going all morning long.   Sausage & Cheddar Classic Breakfast Sandwich We do this iconic sandwich right – a Southern-style sausage patty and egg are topped with aged Cheddar on a perfectly toasted English muffin.     Ham & Cheddar Artisan Breakfast Sandwich Hickory smoked ham and egg embrace under a layer of melted, aged Cheddar – all between an oven-toasted Artisan roll. Breakfast has never tasted so good.   Veggie & Monterey Jack Artisan Breakfast Sandwich Who needs meat when you have the bold tastes of fire roasted red and green peppers and onions baked into a scrumptious egg frittata and then topped with Monterey Jack cheese?

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Quote of the day

No shit! And a whole lot of other words. 

Quotes of the Day

"    

The word             skepticism would     be in order at this time."

LEON PANETTA,
U.S. Defense Secretary, casting doubt on talks aimed at persuading North Korea to abandon its nuclear program. 

 iMickey! 8(; - )
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Christmas ideas

Great christmas ideas from the Smockity Frock blogs friend. 

Homemade Christmas Gifts

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 09:10 PM PDT

CLICK HERE for up to the minute daily updates on how we are dealing with our layoff.

Are you looking for some ideas for homemade Christmas gifts?

The Happy Housewife has you covered. She has a full 100 days dedicated to different homemade gift ideas!

She even featured myhomemade lotion bar tutorial recently.

Did you know she is one of my close friends? Seriously! I know her phone number and her sister and brother. We are like that. (crossing fingers) You could not find a sweeter, more generous friend if you tried!

And I only wish I had half the brains she does! Whenever she posts something ingenious like 100 homemade gifts, I always slap my forehead and think, "DOH! Why didn't I think of that???" She's a genius, I tell you!

That's why I think you should all go over there right this minute and check out all the great ideas she has forhomemade Christmas gifts. You are bound to find at least half a dozen ideas you can use!

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Halloween music

Oh crap I had a whole post on this then my mail crashed. 

Oh well I will add to it later. 

Dang ghosts. 

From the Disney parks blog:

Sights & Sounds at Disney Parks: Chilling, Thrilling Disney CD Picks

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 07:30 AM PDT

The Haunted Mansion Attraction Soundtrack

What you get: A complete soundtrack "ride-through" of The Haunted Mansion attraction that runs over 13 minutes (oooh!); isolated music tracks of Buddy Baker's groovy graveyard music (my fave), the Graveyard Band and Happy Haunts; never-before-released organ music takes, a fully orchestrated "Phantom Manor Suite" by Joel McNeely that includes "Grim Grinning Ghosts" and more.

Why it's cool: This is the real thing, starring the original Ghost Host, Paul Frees, the organ music performed by legendary Hollywood theater musician Gaylord Carter, fantastic sound quality and rare tracks, all courtesy of the masterful Walt Disney Records Producer/Historian Randy Thornton.

The Story & Song From The Haunted Mansion

What you get: A delightfully campy, vintage Disneyland Records "Storyteller" dramatization that follows "two teenagers coming home from a date" and find themselves in the "living nightmare" of the mysterious mansion, a separate track of "Grim Grinning Ghosts" and an 11-page booklet illustrated by Imagineer Collin Campbell. The CD also allows you to download the magnificent artwork from the book.

Why it's cool: It features a who's-who of Hollywood voice actors and singers: Yes, that's Ron Howard as Mike! Robie Lester (voice of Jessica in the Rankin/Bass special, "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town") plays Karen, Thurl Ravenscroft (voice for one of the graveyard ghost busts) is the narrator; and Peter Renaday (Henry at Country Bear Jamboree) plays the Ghost Host, with an interesting "doubled" effect. It includes fabled details like the raven and the Hatbox Ghost PLUS a bonus track with a condensed attraction soundtrack.

Magic Kingdom Park Event Party Music

What you get: The HalloWishes fireworks show soundtrack and Boo to You! Halloween Parade music from Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom Park, plus music from the Disney's Pirate and Princess Party of days past.

Why it's cool: Loads of great tunes – from "Pink Elephants on Parade" and "Poor Unfortunate Souls" to "This is Halloween" and "The Skeleton Dance" – are included, plus some sound memories from an event that we can no longer experience except through its wonderful music. There should be more CDs with the excellent music from so many of the fine entertainment offerings throughout Walt Disney World Resort. I'm glad this one exists.

For information on purchasing select Disney merchandise items, call Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Merchandise Guest Services at 1-877-560-6477 or send an email to 
merchandiseguestservices@disney.go.com.

Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House

What you get: A remastered version of the landmark 1963 Disneyland Records album containing dozens of collected sounds grouped by category, and ten short stories in which a narrator sets up the situation and the sounds take over.

Why it's cool: This best selling 1963 album is the granddaddy of all creepy sound effects collections, much imitated but never equaled. Laura Olsher (Mrs. Cratchit in Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol) narrates the stories in an ominous manner that is loads of fun to imitate (try it!). Disney Legend Jimmy MacDonald compiled the sound effects, drawing on the vast Disney Studios library. If you know your Disney movies, you'll recognize the screaming ghouls from Lonesome Ghosts, the hunting dogs from Mary Poppins and much more.

This album can be downloaded on iTunes.

Sights & Sounds at Disney Parks: Chilling, Thrilling Disney CD Picks by Greg Ehrbar: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog

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Ghost Adventures

I like this show and wanted to watch it yesterday but forgot. 

I am attaching a post from a blog I read - Shescribes. 

It's interesting to read other peoples views and see that maybe what they are showing isn't exactly the way things are.

I have not read or heard anything about the place. I will do that and make my own opinion. Like she said take everything you read or see with a grain of salt.      

Ghost Adventures: Letchworth Village is NOT the Village of the Damned

Posted: 28 Oct 2011 08:21 PM PDT

** You can click on any photo in this post for a larger view **

My family just finished watching tonight's episode of the showGhost Adventure that was shot on location at Letchworth Village in Haverstraw, New York. For the record it's "Have-er-straw", not "Hay-ver-straw" like it was pronounced on the show.

We were super excited when we heard that a show was filmed at Letchworth. My daughter heard that Ghost Hunters from the SyFy Channel were the ones that shot on location. We are huge Ghost Hunter fans. We have been watching the show for many years. We were disappointed to hear it wasn't Ghost Hunters but a show on the Travel Channel we have never heard of before calledGhost Adventures. 

After watching the show tonightwe feel that the show did Letchworth Village a injustice. We feel like the show portrayed Letchworth Village more like theVillage of the Damned rather then what it really is – a series of beautiful, decaying buildings that might house the sad spirits of the people who once lived there. It is NOT an evil place!

 

My family has walked the grounds of Letworth Village many times. We never enter any of the buildings because it's against the law. You are allowed to walk the grounds during the day, but not at night. The local Police patrol the area often (and I suspect aftertonight show they will do it even more frequently). They will not hesitate to arrest trespassers. Especially considering over the past few years teens have set fires to some of the buildings.

Part of Letchworth Village was turned into a Middle School and Junior High School. It is illegal to trespass on their grounds. In fact they have gates that are closed to keep people out.

The buildings are NOT safe either. I heard there is asbestos in the buildings too. I wouldn't be surprised if they also contained lead paint since they were built long before lead paint was found to make people sick.

I know they interviewed a lady who onced worked there and a couple who have explored the grounds on numerous occasions. What they failed to do was interview people who walk the grounds regularly. Letchworth is a popular location for people to take their dogs for a walk or a leisurely morning stroll.

My family, including my husband and children, have walked the grounds of Letchworth many times and have never experienced anything "evil". We've heard strange sounds, oddly enough coming from the building the men spent the night in on the show.

We have walked close to the buildings, even peeking into windows from time to time, and have never experienced anything that would make a afraid to be there. Personally I always feel very sad when I am there. Overwhelmingly sad. I don't know if I feel sad for the residents who suffered there and who were abandoned by their families. Or I feel sad because the buildings at Letchworth are beautiful and left to rot.

I did find it amusing that the one fellow they interviewed on the show had a spirit follow him home (or at least he/she came through on his car radio). We had a spirit follow us home two years ago. In fact I mentioned that in the post I wrote about Letchworth last night BEFORE the show aired.

The spirit that followed us home was not malicious or evil. We sensed the it was a child because the things he/she would do around our home were playful. It only lasted for about three weeks then it stopped.

 

My family believes in ghosts and spirits. We had some unusual things happen over the years, but never anything that would make us fearful. We believe the spirits are simply beloved family members coming to pay us a visit. Our son was especially sensitive to spirits when he was a toddler. He told me that my mother (he called her Nanny) passed away about 20 minutes BEFORE I received the phone call from my father that my mom had passed away. There is more to the story (she visited him a couple of more times after she passed on… I'll leave that for another post).

My point is that we believe in ghosts and spirits and what lingers around Letchworth Village are NOT evil like the show made viewers believe they are.

Our concern is that the show is going to make people flock to Letchworth Village seeking evil spirits. If you want to come and see the beautiful architecture of the stone buildings that still remain, by all means, please do. Just please don't come to Letchworth Village thinking that you are going to stumble upon demons and evil entities.

My family has a rule when we visit Letchworth Village – RESPECT. We respect the grounds. We respect the buildings. We respect the random artifacts that we come across and most especially we respect the residents that once lived there. If you visit we hope that you will do that same. Feel free to speak to the spirits that remain. Say "hello" and wish them a good day. They were people once too, just like you and I.

We are sorry that Ghost Adventures portrayed Letchworth Village in a bad way. We understand that they needed to have drama and spooky effects to sell the show, but they could have done it in a less menacing way.

If you would like to learn more about Letchworth Village simply Google it. You'll find a lot of websites that talk about the location. Always remember to take what you read with a grain of salt. Not everything you read is the truth.

If you would like to read more about my thoughts on Letchworth Village, or look at some more photos that I took there, you are welcome to read my other post,http://www.shescribes.com/2011/10/letchworth-village-sad-decay-or-haunted-homestead.html.

FYI… if you love photography, Letchworth Village is a wonderful place to photograph. And if Ghost Hunters wants to come and do an investigation PLEASE DO! I'd love to meet you guys. 

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There's my brains.....

GUMMY BRAIN ZOMBIE FOOD

Zombie food!  Have you ever wonders why zombies have a hankering for brains?... it's because brains taste like delicious fruity pink bubblegum! Zombies will debate which part of the gummy brain tastes best: the telencephalon, the dicencephalon, the mesencephalon, the cerebellum, the pons, or our favorite -  the medulla oblongata! Get one in time for your Halloween party table centerpiece! Hand made in the USA.  Fruity Pink Bubblegum flavor. Gluten-free. Weighs about 3 yummy pounds.

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I need "brains"

ZOMBIKEYS KEY COVERS

Don't be left for dead... use a zombie head!  Remember Rule # 1 - Cardio.  You've outrun the undead horde and you've finally made it to the safety of your impenetrable, triple locked fortress … but in the midst of the horror you can't figure out which key opens which lock! The brain-starved living dead mob presses closer and you prepare for your last stand – why hadn't you scooped up a set of our Zombikeys Key Covers?!   Don't trust your life to anything but the best in zombie head key identification technology.  Set of 6 unique key covers, sure to save you from the zombie apocalypse.

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Kids Reference Site

Interesting kids reference site to check out:

http://www.shmoop.com/

 

 

"All of your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them." -  ºoº Walt Disney ºoº  

 

R2D2 candy tin

From the Technabob blog: 

Another must have. 

R2-D2 Mint Candies: Altoid-Droid

Posted: 24 Oct 2011 07:46 PM PDT

So why is it that every time I think that all possible ideas for new Star Wars merchandise have been 100% exhausted, someone comes out with yet another product which nobody ever thought about. Case in point, these R2-D2 mints.

Now this particular R2 unit seems to have flipped his lid, but that's only so you can get at the minty goodness inside, and not because he has a bad motivator unit. It's hard to tell from the picture, but each mint is also shaped like a little R2-D2 too. It's too bad that there's no matching C-3PO candy tin, because they'd look pretty good standing alongside each other on your desk. Oh well, one droid is better than no droids, I suppose.

On the other hand, they will be offering Stormtrooper,Darth Vader and Death Star mints, which freshen your breath with the full power of the Dark Side of the Force.

The R2-D2 mint candy tin is available for pre-order over at Play.com for £3.49 (~$6 USD)

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From EatwellwithJanel blog:

This looks yummy. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins - Dine, Dish, Delish

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins Posted: 25 Oct 2011 03:00 AM PDT Whenever I bake, which is rarely, I always try to take shortcuts or tweak the recipe to make it vegan. It usually fails. But I do have one goof-proof method to make an easy boxed cake mix even easier and much healthier: canned pumpkin. If you add one 14 ounce can of pumpkin to one box of cake, muffin, or cupcake mix, omitting the eggs and oil it calls for, you get a perfectly baked good, without the added fat, and with some serious vitamin A and fiber to boot. And since most mixes are vegan to start, this substitution keeps the sweet treats vegan, without making them dense or gritty like some vegan substitutes. I work as the dietitian at the Boston Conservatory where I also teach the freshmen dance class' nutrition course. This year I have a full class of 37 students. I made a promise to them on the first day of class that if I didn't learn their names by the end of September, I'd bake for them. They were pleased, I was not. I don't like baking, so the thought of making 37 of anything baked encouraged me to learn their names, stat. Which I did not do. I think I came pretty close, but I'm terrible with names. I have a condition. And when you have multiple sets of the same named students, it gets confusing! Fortunately, my sneaky baking trick is super easy. Ingredients: 1 box Trader Joe's pumpkin muffin/bread mix, or any vanilla cake/muffin mix 1 14.5-oz can pumpkin 2 cups dark chocolate chips Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, or according to your boxed mix's directions. Combine dry mix, pumpkin and chocolate chips in a large bowl and hand mix, or use a stand mixer. I was so excited to use my Kitchen Aid mixer that I received for our wedding – the quintessential wedding gift that I'm determined to get good use out of! Scoop mix into muffin tin about 3/4 of the way full, and bake according to the package directions (or a few minutes less if you have a finicky oven). They came out perfectly: light and fluffy with pumpkin pie spice flavor shining through, along side the ooey gooey chocolate chips. They're the perfect treat to ask for forgiveness for my 37 nameless (to me) students. I'm working on it…I swear.

Chicken, Black Bean w/Salsa Soup

CHICKEN, BLACK BEAN WITH SALSA SOUP

by ERIN, THE $5 DINNER MOM on OCTOBER 29, 2010

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So I could have named this recipe a number of things.

Chicken Taco Soup

Chicken, Salsa and Double Bean Soup

Tex-Mex Chicken Soup

Clear out the Pantry Chicken Soup

And in the end I settled on Chicken, Black Bean with Salsa Soup.

(Which definitely hurts the feelings of the red beans…they feel totally left out.)

Chicken, Black Bean with Salsa Soup

Ingredients

• 3 chicken breasts, diced ($2.56)
• 1 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil ($.05)
• 2 Tbsp homemade taco seasoning ($.10)
• 2 cups cooked black beans ($.40)
• 2 cups cooked red beans ($.40)
• 2 cups homemade chicken broth (free)
• (About 2-3 cups water…depending on how thick you like your soup)
• 2 cups frozen corn ($.88)
• 1 cup store bought salsa ($.50) On sale for $1
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Couple pinchfuls of cheese, optional ($.25)
• 1 avocado, sliced for garnish ($1)

Directions

1. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, saute the diced chicken breast in the oil with the taco seasoning mixed in. (If you have cooked and shredded chicken, that will work too!)
2. Once the chicken has cooked through, add the cooked black beans, the cooked red beans, the broth and water.  Stir in the frozen corn, no need to thaw, as well as the salsa.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. (Time it so that the cooking scents are at the best when your spouse walks in the door from work!) Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Ladle into bowls and top with a pinchful of shredded cheese and a slice or two of fresh avocado.
4. Serve Chicken, Black Bean with Salsa Soup with Cheese and Avocado Slices.

Cost $6.14 (6 adult servings!)

Read more: http://www.5dollardinners.com/2010/10/black-bean-salsa-soup.html#ixzz1bfK06OeS