02.10.2009

Hello. We are currently out of our deep freeze here in West Virginia! We have had snow on the ground for weeks and now it is finally gone. Like I posted on my MySpace page, "under all the white, it's green!" ha I think by the weekend it's back to winter weather, but this break has been wonderful for as long as it lasts. It was warm enough that John and I were able to wash the car and truck today. I love playing with the water hose, so I had a super time. Happy Valentine's Day to everyone ~Toni
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~~Phyllis~~

Hi everyone! I didn't do my part of the newsletter last week because I was on vacation in central Florida with my two grown sons. We had a great time and the weather was perfect...sunny and in the high 70's! It was nice to have a taste of warm weather, although it made it hard to come back to cold Maryland!
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Here are links to two of the places I went to when I was in Florida. We didn't go to DisneyWorld...we prefer the "old school" type of tourist attractions such as GatorLand and Silver Springs. GatorLand was established in 1949 and is still going strong today. They have shows, (including a gator wrestling show), a nature walk and lots more. They even serve alligator ribs at the food stands for anyone brave enough to try them!

http://www.gatorland.com/

Silver Springs is home to the famous "glass bottom boats" and the beautiful, clear spring waters that pump out over 500 MILLION gallons of water a day...enough to supply New York City! They also have animal shows, a jeep safari ride and beautiful gardens full of tropical birds.

http://www.silversprings.com/

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February is black history month. Since I went to Silver Springs last week, that got me thinking about Paradise Park. Segregation was a way of life in the South in the 1940's, and Paradise Park was an example of how one of Florida's biggest tourist attractions handled it.
Paradise Park opened in 1949 right next to Silver Springs. It was billed as "Silver Springs for Colored People." There were glass bottom boats there, along with animal shows. Fortunately, Silver Springs became integrated and Paradise Park closed in 1956.

To read about Paradise Park and to see an old brochure for it, click here

http://www.lostparks.com/paradisepark.html

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HEALTHY LIVING

The way to lose weight is summed up in four words; eat less, move more. Sure it SOUNDS easy, but losing weight is hard work. Here are five tips to help you lose weight once you are mentally ready to begin the effort.

1. Drink plenty of water!
64 ounces a day is recommended. Every organ and tissue in your body needs water for good health. Drinking more water not only helps you feel better, it also helps break down fats after exercise.

2. Eat protein.
Protein is more filling that carbs and fats. It also helps keep your metabolism revved up. Meat is the obvious source for protein, but if you're a vegetarian (like me) you can also get protein from eggs, peanut butter, beans, lentils, tofu and cheese.

3. Pay attention to your portions and eat slowly.
Take about 20 minutes to eat so that your body has time to alert your brain that you are full.
If you don't like to take the time to weigh and measure your food, try this; divide your plate mentally into 4 quarters. One quarter should be filled with starches, one quarter should be filled with protein, and the other half should be fruits and/or vegetables.

4.Eat more fiber.
Fiber is a great way to keep yourself full. You can get fiber from fruits and vegetables, or from high fiber cereal.

5. Be sure to exercise.
To lose weight, you need to burn off more calories than you are taking in. One pound equals 3500 calories. Don't use exercise as an excuse to "reward" yourself with food. Just because you work out doesn't mean you can eat more and still lose weight.

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Here's an entertaining website for the youngsters


http://www.totlol.com/

Powered by YouTube, Totlol is a video website designed especially for kids.
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Meeting up with some friends? Go to

http://www.happymedian.com/home.jsf
and you can find a place to meet halfway!
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COOL PICK

This weeks cool pick is

http://www.getridofthings.com/

This site does just what it says...it tells you how to get rid of things! What kinds of things? Pretty much everything, from Spyware on your computer, to odors in your home, to age spots! The info on the site is written by "poor college students" and has plenty of humor and sarcasm mixed in with the advice. It is meant to be useful and entertaining. So if you need to get rid of something, take a tour of the site.
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Another way to get rid of things is to Freecycle them! Freecycle is a great way to find free things or to give away things that you no longer want/need, but are still useable. Its a green concept because it helps keep things out of landfills.
To find a Freecycle group near you, go to
http://www.freecycle.org/
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Here is an easy, healthy, low calorie recipe

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN

1 medium onion, chopped
one 16 oz can of black beans
one 16 oz can of kidney beans
one 16 oz can of corn, drained
one 8 oz can tomato sauce
two 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes with chiles
one 1.25 oz packet of taco seasoning
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Mix everything together in slow cooker except for chicken breasts. After everything is well mixed, lay chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. In the last 30 minutes of cooking, remove chicken breasts and shred them. Place shredded chicken back into slow cooker and stir in.

This makes 14 servings (serving size is 3/4 cup) at only 120 calories per serving! Even if you eat two servings, you'll only have 240 calories.
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~~Toni~~

Print a one day FREE pass to Sam's Club http://www.mysavings.com/free-samples/Sams-Club/8171/
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More tips from Cheryl

Want Family Members to Eat More Salad?
For dinner, create a salad bar. Put out several kinds of greens, bowls of veggies like carrots, celery, chopped mushrooms, bowls of beans like kidney and garbanzo, and bowls of sliced chicken or beef, etc. Let each family member create his or her own dinner salad. Provide a couple of dressing options and also serve with crusty bread.

Refreshing Pillows
Pillows smelling a bit stale? Pop them into the dryer with a fabric softener sheet. Let them tumble on the air cycle for about 15 to 20 minutes. This will fluff them up and they will have a fresh aroma.

Need A Quick Meat Marinade?
Use bottled Italian dressing or an oil and vinegar salad dressing. These will tenderize meat (and chicken), give flavor and are much quicker than taking the time to make your own.
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Louisiana

~The Battle of New Orleans, which made Andrew Jackson a national hero, was fought two weeks after the War of 1812 had ended and more than a month before the news of the war's end had reached Louisiana.

~Louisiana has the tallest state capitol building in the United States; the building is 450 feet tall with 34 floors.

~Louisiana is the only state in the union that does not have counties. Its political subdivisions are called parishes.

~Louisiana is the only state with a large population of Cajuns, descendants of the Acadians who were driven out of Canada in the 1700s because they wouldn't pledge allegiance to the King of England.

~In Louisiana, biting someone with your natural teeth is considered a simple assault, but biting someone with your false teeth is considered an aggravated assault.

~The Saint Charles streetcar line in New Orleans and the San Francisco, California cable cars are the nation's only mobile national monuments

~In 1803 the United States paid France $15 million for the Louisiana Territory. 828,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River. The lands acquired stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border. Thirteen states were carved from the Louisiana Territory. The Louisiana Purchase nearly doubled the size of the United States.

~Louisiana's first territorial governor, William C.C. Claiborne had great admiration for the awkward bird that inhabited the Gulf Coast region. The pelican, rather than let its young starve, would tear at its own flesh to feed them. The Governor's great respect for the Pelican led him to first use the Pelican symbol on official documents.

~French speaking Acadians in the mid-1700s settled the Lafayette Parish region of south Louisiana. The Acadians were joined by another group of settlers called Creoles, descendants of African, West Indian, and European pioneers. At the time of the migration, Louisiana was under Spanish rule and authorities welcomed the new settlers.

~The City of Ponchatoula is the oldest incorporated city in Tangipahoa Parish. Ponchatoula derives its name from the Choctaw Indian language meaning "hair to hang" because of the abundance of Spanish moss on the trees surrounding the area.
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Sue saw this site advertised on TV. I've checked it out and it has lots and lots of great use ideas as well as info on how bleach affects the environment. http://www.cloroxbleachuses.com/
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Did you know...

In 1898, John Breck, a fireman with the Chicopee, Massachusetts, Fire Department, became the youngest fire chief in America.
Personally, however, Breck was troubled. He was only 21 years old and was already losing his hair.

In those days, there was no Rogaine, no Hair Club for Men, not even even much shampoo. Most Americans washed their hair with the same bar of soap they used on their bodies.
Breck was unwilling to accept his hair loss, so he began taking chemistry classes at Amherst College in his spare time, determined to find a cure.
He earned a doctorate, and opened a scalp treatment center where he used his own liquid shampoo.

Breck never did discover the cure for hereditary baldness, but he did introduce modern shampoo to the American public.
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Just a random fact...

Because the orange roughy grows slowly — the average fish is between 30 and 50 years old — the New Zealand government has imposed fishing restrictions. Consequently, the fish is not as abundant in stores as during the 1980's.
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John and I tried Orville Redenbacher Natural Buttery Garlic popcorn. I could barely taste the garlic and really I think that was only because I was looking for it. It was a good butter flavor, but if you're wanting a real punch of garlic, you will be disappointed.
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Here you can find an exhaustive list of abbreviations and codes for text messaging or IMing. http://www.jimhern.com/html/text_message_decoder.html
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~Marie's Laughter~

There were two buddies, one with a Doberman Pinscher and the other with a Chihuahua. The guy with the Doberman Pinscher says to his friend, "Let's go over to that restaurant and get something to eat." The guy with the Chihuahua says, "We can't go in there. We've got dogs with us."The buddy with the Doberman Pinscher says, "Just follow my lead."They walk over to the restaurant, the guy with the Doberman Pinscher puts on a pair of dark glasses and he starts to walk in. The bouncer at the door says, "Sorry, mac, no pets allowed. "The man with the Doberman Pinscher says, "You don't understand. This is my seeing-eye-dog. "The bouncer says, "A Doberman Pinscher?" He answers, "Yes, they're using them now; they're very good and protect me from robbers, too. "The man at the door says, "Come on in. "The buddy with the Chihuahua figures, "What the heck," so he puts on a pair of dark glasses and starts to walk in. Once again the bouncer says, "Sorry, pal, no pets allowed."The guy with the Chihuahua says, "You don't understand. This is my seeing-eye dog. "The bouncer at the door says, "A Chihuahua?" The man with the Chihuahua says, "A Chihuahua?????? They gave me a Chihuahua?!"
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Just for fun, some unusual town names in Alabama

Aimwell
Bobo
Burnt
Corn
Eclectic
Intercourse
Muck City
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Now for a look at the lighter side of Abraham Lincoln, who made many humorous quotes and jokes in his lifetime:

~It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues.
~When I hear a man preach, I like to see him act as if he were fighting bees.
~If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?
~Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
~Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
~Whatever you are, be a good one.
~He can compress the most words into the smallest ideas better than any man I ever met.
~When you have got an elephant by the hind leg, and he is trying to run away, its best to let him run.
~You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.
~Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.
~If this is coffee, please bring me some tea; if this is tea, please bring me some coffee.
~Labour is prior to, and independent of capital. Capital is only the fruit of labour, and could never have existed if labour had not first existed. Labour is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.
~No matter how much cats fight, there always seem to be plenty of kittens.
~The man who murdered his parents, then pleaded for mercy on the grounds that he was an orphan.
~Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.
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Ingredients

3/4 lb red potatoes
6 unpeeled large garlic cloves, flattened
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut potatoes into 1-1/4" wide wedges. Combine potatoes, garlic, oil, and rosemary in 8-inch square baking dish. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast until potatoes are tender and crusty, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Discard garlic; serve potatoes hot.
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Chocolate Fluted KISSES Cups

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups HERSHEY'S Mini Chips
Semi-Sweet Chocolate or 1
HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bar (6 oz.), broken into pieces

24 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates

PEANUT BUTTER FILLING (recipe follows)

Instructions:

1. Line small muffin cups (1-3/4 inches in diameter) with small paper bake cups.

2. Place small chocolate chips in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted when stirred. With small brush, coat inside of paper cups with melted chocolate.

3. Refrigerate 20 minutes; coat any thin spots. Refrigerate until firm, preferably overnight. Gently peel paper from chocolate cups.

4. Prepare PEANUT BUTTER FILLING; spoon into chocolate cups. Cover; refrigerate before serving. Remove wrappers from chocolate pieces. Before serving, top each cup with chocolate piece. About 24 servings. PEANUT BUTTER FILLING 1 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter 1 cup powdered sugar 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened Beat peanut butter, powdered sugar and butter in small bowl until smooth. About 1-1/3 cups filling.
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I hope you will indulge me, since hubby is one of our readers......Happy Valentines Day, John. Thanks for keeping my heart safe another year.