I’m so happy today! In fact, I’m so happy, it’s difficult for me to sit here and type something interesting to read! Why am I so happy? Because the sun is shining on this beautiful morning and it’s a warm 70 degrees outside!
I got up this morning to write my articles, but I’ve been unable to think of a single thing to discuss – until now. I sat down earlier to write, but instead checked all of my unimportant, uninteresting emails, then moved on to Facebook.
After finding nothing relevant in either, I got up to dust mop my floors. Still no ideas. I guess the time change made me crazy. Or maybe it was my extremely busy weekend. Maybe after having to think so hard and stay so organized over the weekend, my brain finally fizzled out.
The only thing I could think of to solve this problem was to get a strong triple-shot espresso. “Silly,” you think? Maybe so, but then here I am writing. And getting out in the beautiful weather made me happy!
Also, another plus from getting out – our next door neighbor is having some work done on her house, and one of our best friends is doing it. Well, he was outside when I drove by (our garages are in an alley), so I was able to say hi to him. He told me he had something for me, and went to his truck and pulled out a beautiful red cedar cutting board he’d made for me! It was such a surprise, and it’s so pretty! It’s now sitting on a prominent spot on my kitchen counter!
See – that’s why I’m so happy! It’s a beautiful morning, I’m thinking about the flowers I can start planting outside, and I got a surprise gift from a dear friend! Wow! With Monday morning starting off like this, I wonder what the rest of the week holds? However, I already know that will be good because Wednesday, I’m getting one of my granddaughters, who’s on Spring break. And the rest of her family is coming down for the weekend, so we will have a fun next weekend. Happy, happy, joy, joy!
I love cooking in my crockpot. It’s so easy and convenient. So, I have one of my favorite crockpot recipes for you today. I mean, with the weather getting so nice, who’s going to want to stay inside and cook? We have been cooped up in the house since Christmas, for Pete’s sake – whoever Pete is. What’s more, it’s a St. Paddy’s Day recipe!
Before I get to the recipe, I have a few more things to share. I ran across some strange food trivia I thought was fun:
Did you know that celery has negative calories? Zero. By eating celery, you are using calories. Hum, exercise by eating. I like that!
Honey is thought to be the only food that doesn’t spoil. Honey found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs has been tasted by archaeologists and found to still be edible.
Cheese closes the stomach and should always be served at the end of a meal. Closes the stomach…I have to look into this one!
Peanuts are salted in the shell by boiling them in a heavily salted solution, then allowing them to dry.
The canning process for herring was developed in Sardinia, which is why canned herrings are better known as sardines.
A quarter of raw potato placed in each shoe at night will keep the leather soft and the shoes smelling fresh and clean.
Pineapples are classified as berries.
The Mai Tai cocktail was created in 1945 by Victor Bergeron, the genius of rum, also known as Trader Vic. The drink got its name when he served it to two friends from Tahiti, who exclaimed, “Maitai roa ae!” In Tahitian, that means, “Out of this world – the best!”
The cashew nut in its natural state contains poisonous oil. Roasting removes the oil and makes the nuts safe to eat.
It takes, on average, 345 squirts from a cow’s udder to yield one gallon of milk.
The white part of an egg is called the glair. The glair is 90 percent water; the remainder is mainly protein. Thicker and firmer than the outer white, the inner white cushions the yolk and will appear cloudy when very fresh. That’s a good sign when making soufflés: Fresh whites make for more stable foams.
Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into bite-size rounds
10-12 new red potatoes (small potatoes)
1 onion, quartered
4 cups of water
1 beef brisket with spice packet
6 ounces of beer
1 small cabbage, quartered
Place the brisket in the slow cooker. Mix the spice mix with the water; add to the cooker. Place all of the remaining ingredients except the cabbage in cooker and cook for six hours. Place the cabbage in cooker and cook for one hour longer.