L.Y. Levand's Blog, page 50
July 23, 2012
July 23rd, 2012
If you've ever had the experience of knowing there's a candy bar, cake, or pie in the house and knowing you shouldn't eat it, even though you want to, you're not alone.
We all have our little dietary weaknesses. Mine happens to be pastries. Cakes, pies, cookies, and donuts. Usually, I eat pretty healthy. But if we have cake, I will eat it. I'll eat smallish servings, but after both lunch and dinner, so it doesn't make much of a difference.
Since I have such a weakness for sugary baked goods, I'm very happy to report that I have a recipe for delicious frosting that is better for you than the store-bought kind. Although, if you eat it by the bowl, it might not be so much better. It's good for strawberry dipping, mixing with blueberries, or icing cakes. Did I mention it's yummy?
Buy a half-gallon carton of heavy whipping cream, and get out a bowl, a mixer, and some sugar. Pour all the cream into the bowl (make sure it's a BIG bowl) and use the mixer on it. You're making home-made whipped cream! Add sugar a little bit at a time. You don't need much, way less than a cup, or even half a cup. But you add it to taste, so it doesn't really matter. You beat the cream and sugar until it's thick, and very stiff.
This stuff is delicious, and, unlike the canned spray stuff, doesn't melt into liquid. It's perfect for people who think store-bought frosting is too sweet, or that stores put too much frosting on their cakes. My favorite combination so far is a white cake, this frosting, and strawberries (blueberries are good, too). What's your favorite combo?
We all have our little dietary weaknesses. Mine happens to be pastries. Cakes, pies, cookies, and donuts. Usually, I eat pretty healthy. But if we have cake, I will eat it. I'll eat smallish servings, but after both lunch and dinner, so it doesn't make much of a difference.
Since I have such a weakness for sugary baked goods, I'm very happy to report that I have a recipe for delicious frosting that is better for you than the store-bought kind. Although, if you eat it by the bowl, it might not be so much better. It's good for strawberry dipping, mixing with blueberries, or icing cakes. Did I mention it's yummy?
Buy a half-gallon carton of heavy whipping cream, and get out a bowl, a mixer, and some sugar. Pour all the cream into the bowl (make sure it's a BIG bowl) and use the mixer on it. You're making home-made whipped cream! Add sugar a little bit at a time. You don't need much, way less than a cup, or even half a cup. But you add it to taste, so it doesn't really matter. You beat the cream and sugar until it's thick, and very stiff.
This stuff is delicious, and, unlike the canned spray stuff, doesn't melt into liquid. It's perfect for people who think store-bought frosting is too sweet, or that stores put too much frosting on their cakes. My favorite combination so far is a white cake, this frosting, and strawberries (blueberries are good, too). What's your favorite combo?
July 22, 2012
Prayer
I went to bed last night with a headache. Or, more accurately, a neck ache that was making my head hurt. I thought if I went to sleep it would go away. Typically, I can fall asleep with a headache and wake up just fine.
Not last night. I went to bed, and discovered that laying down made my head/neck ache even worse. So I got up and took some pain medication. My mother brought me a Benadryl and some water, and I curled up in an easy chair with a blanket.
A while later, my stomach was getting upset to the point where I decided I wanted to lay on the floor. I sat up, and promptly lost everything in my stomach.
Praying was instrumental in keeping me calm. It kept me centered, as well as distracted from the pain and nausea. This morning, other than feeling a little dazed and fragile, I'm feeling fine. The pain is gone, and so is the nausea. I look at that as a direct answer to prayer.
How has prayer helped you?
Not last night. I went to bed, and discovered that laying down made my head/neck ache even worse. So I got up and took some pain medication. My mother brought me a Benadryl and some water, and I curled up in an easy chair with a blanket.
A while later, my stomach was getting upset to the point where I decided I wanted to lay on the floor. I sat up, and promptly lost everything in my stomach.
Praying was instrumental in keeping me calm. It kept me centered, as well as distracted from the pain and nausea. This morning, other than feeling a little dazed and fragile, I'm feeling fine. The pain is gone, and so is the nausea. I look at that as a direct answer to prayer.
How has prayer helped you?
July 21, 2012
July 21st, 2012
Beenie flew down and sat on a branch.
"I didn't want any old acorn," she said. "That Troy wasn't very nice to me. I just wanted to know what it was," she said to a big, green leaf. The leaf waved at her.
She heard a scurrying noise, and then a voice.
"You don't want my acorn?" It was Troy.
"No," Beenie said. "I don't want your stinky acorn. I just wanted to know what it was, and you ran away."
Troy sat next to her, and Beenie looked up at his big, black eyes.
"I'm sorry I made you sad," Troy said. "But I really, really, really like acorns."
"I don't want your acorn," Beenie said. "I just want to explore and play games."
"Explore?" Troy's ears perked up. "Play games? I want to explore, too! I know where there's a stream, full of pretty rocks and little fishes."
"Little fishes?" Beenie said. "I want to see the little fishes."
"I'll take you," Troy said. "I love the little fishes and the pretty rocks, and the moss and the bugs."
"What's moss?" Beenie asked.
"I'll show you!"
And Troy scampered off into the trees. Beenie decided to follow him. She wanted to see the moss and little fishes and the bugs.
"I didn't want any old acorn," she said. "That Troy wasn't very nice to me. I just wanted to know what it was," she said to a big, green leaf. The leaf waved at her.
She heard a scurrying noise, and then a voice.
"You don't want my acorn?" It was Troy.
"No," Beenie said. "I don't want your stinky acorn. I just wanted to know what it was, and you ran away."
Troy sat next to her, and Beenie looked up at his big, black eyes.
"I'm sorry I made you sad," Troy said. "But I really, really, really like acorns."
"I don't want your acorn," Beenie said. "I just want to explore and play games."
"Explore?" Troy's ears perked up. "Play games? I want to explore, too! I know where there's a stream, full of pretty rocks and little fishes."
"Little fishes?" Beenie said. "I want to see the little fishes."
"I'll take you," Troy said. "I love the little fishes and the pretty rocks, and the moss and the bugs."
"What's moss?" Beenie asked.
"I'll show you!"
And Troy scampered off into the trees. Beenie decided to follow him. She wanted to see the moss and little fishes and the bugs.
July 20, 2012
July 20th, 2012
Birds are loud. Have you ever noticed? I have a cockatiel on my shoulder right now, and she's making that annoying 'squawk! Squawk! Squawk!' noise that makes my family want to shoot her with a squirt gun. You'd think, at almost ten years old, this bird would understand that she has better ways to get my attention. Climbing down my back, claws digging into skin is one of them. Getting tangled in my hair and flapping wings in a panic is another.
Did I mention she's mine? She's nice to everyone unless she's sitting on my shoulder. Then, if someone tries to pick her up, she bites. She also freaks out when I leave the house. She plasters herself to the back of her cage, nearest to the window, and tries to follow me, all the while making her 'where are you going?' call.
Do you have a pet? What makes him/her unique?
Did I mention she's mine? She's nice to everyone unless she's sitting on my shoulder. Then, if someone tries to pick her up, she bites. She also freaks out when I leave the house. She plasters herself to the back of her cage, nearest to the window, and tries to follow me, all the while making her 'where are you going?' call.
Do you have a pet? What makes him/her unique?
July 19, 2012
July 19th, 2012
Kym is a real baby when it comes to shelling boiled eggs. She will do almost anything to get out of it. She can't stand how the shells break and poke into her fingers. But what she hates the most is how, sometimes, the shells just will not come off.
Sometimes, the eggs are cooked in just the right way as to make peeling them virtually impossible. You know, when you smack them on the counter and go to pull off part of it, and the white just disintegrates? When that happens to Kym, all she wants to do is toss the offending egg in the trash. How are you supposed to make 'pretty' deviled eggs when the egg white has a gaping hole the size of the Grand Canyon in the bottom? It takes exaggerated patience on her part to keep from ripping the egg to pieces, although if looks could kill, the egg would explode.
You know, if the egg exploded, I think she would decide she likes peeling better. Holding a teeny white bomb in her hand would improve her mood considerably, don't you think? I guess you could say the egg would be on her face.
Sometimes, the eggs are cooked in just the right way as to make peeling them virtually impossible. You know, when you smack them on the counter and go to pull off part of it, and the white just disintegrates? When that happens to Kym, all she wants to do is toss the offending egg in the trash. How are you supposed to make 'pretty' deviled eggs when the egg white has a gaping hole the size of the Grand Canyon in the bottom? It takes exaggerated patience on her part to keep from ripping the egg to pieces, although if looks could kill, the egg would explode.
You know, if the egg exploded, I think she would decide she likes peeling better. Holding a teeny white bomb in her hand would improve her mood considerably, don't you think? I guess you could say the egg would be on her face.
July 18, 2012
July 18th, 2012
Kym (my inner child) is having a field day. Or, more accurately, a hissy fit. At least she was this morning.
She got too used to the idea that writing a blog post on the same topic every day was not only boring, but annoying and difficult. So she didn't want to sit down and write. At all. It took some convincing, and some bullying, to get her to do it, believe me. A nice guilt-trip works pretty good, I've found.
Once I talked her into it, she found out that having a different theme every day was pretty cool, and a lot less boring. Plus, she gets to air her grievances one day a week. She hated having to sit down and get started on this stuff. The only way to convince her to do it was to remind her that she has one day where she can write all about her adventures - and wouldn't that be fun?
So here we are, telling you about how I bullied her into what turned out to be quite fun. Except she doesn't want to admit that, of course. Just because I made her do it.
She got too used to the idea that writing a blog post on the same topic every day was not only boring, but annoying and difficult. So she didn't want to sit down and write. At all. It took some convincing, and some bullying, to get her to do it, believe me. A nice guilt-trip works pretty good, I've found.
Once I talked her into it, she found out that having a different theme every day was pretty cool, and a lot less boring. Plus, she gets to air her grievances one day a week. She hated having to sit down and get started on this stuff. The only way to convince her to do it was to remind her that she has one day where she can write all about her adventures - and wouldn't that be fun?
So here we are, telling you about how I bullied her into what turned out to be quite fun. Except she doesn't want to admit that, of course. Just because I made her do it.
July 17, 2012
July 17th, 2012
There's something about a zucchini plant...it just seems so much stronger than a broccoli sprout or onion seedling. I've thought so since I watched my first zucchini pop out of the miracle-gro potting soil in my cutoff milk jug planters. My zucchini didn't die when I transplanted it, unlike my broccoli sprouts.
Imagine my ecstasy when I discovered big, gorgeous orange blossoms unfurling on my hardy little plant! I might actually get some veggies off it, I thought. I took pictures of those blossoms, too. For someone who hates cooked zucchini, I was thrilled with the pretty flowers. And even more happy when, just recently, I discovered an itty-bitty zucchini with a dead blossom on its end. It's about two inches long, and about as big around as my pinky finger. I couldn't resist the urge to drag family members out to see it. They were appropriately impressed, but not as thrilled as my brother was when he ripped up one of my baby onions last week and ate it with dinner. Without my permission, the little snot.
Provided we can keep the deer, and the new threat, rabbits, out of there, I should be able to eat raw zuchini sometime this year! Because, you see, my brother won't go out there and eat my zucchini. He doesn't like it, thank goodness.
Imagine my ecstasy when I discovered big, gorgeous orange blossoms unfurling on my hardy little plant! I might actually get some veggies off it, I thought. I took pictures of those blossoms, too. For someone who hates cooked zucchini, I was thrilled with the pretty flowers. And even more happy when, just recently, I discovered an itty-bitty zucchini with a dead blossom on its end. It's about two inches long, and about as big around as my pinky finger. I couldn't resist the urge to drag family members out to see it. They were appropriately impressed, but not as thrilled as my brother was when he ripped up one of my baby onions last week and ate it with dinner. Without my permission, the little snot.
Provided we can keep the deer, and the new threat, rabbits, out of there, I should be able to eat raw zuchini sometime this year! Because, you see, my brother won't go out there and eat my zucchini. He doesn't like it, thank goodness.
July 16, 2012
The Sandwich Game
Have you ever played the sandwich game? I haven't played it too much. I was made to, though, just recently.
The sandwich game is where two people hold enormous blue shield pads, and, looking extraordinarily like evil cohorts, try to pin you between them. Getting stuck is no fun, because in this game you're not allowed to kick below the belt or bite. You're also not allowed to kick their teeth in. So you get to run around the room, looking like a doofus spinning in circles, throwing any kick or punch you can, and praying that you hit the pads, not the scary people behind them. Because if you hit the scary people behind them, a bigger, scarier person in a black belt comes up and gives you pushups, and, worse, the big scary person behind the pad turns into a normal, perhaps bleeding, person that makes you feel guilty for not watching where that hand went.
It's a fun game. You work, you sweat, and you trip over your own feet while you're trying to catch your breath from laughing so hard because the two pad-holding demons just ran into each other.
It's good exercise. You should try it!
The sandwich game is where two people hold enormous blue shield pads, and, looking extraordinarily like evil cohorts, try to pin you between them. Getting stuck is no fun, because in this game you're not allowed to kick below the belt or bite. You're also not allowed to kick their teeth in. So you get to run around the room, looking like a doofus spinning in circles, throwing any kick or punch you can, and praying that you hit the pads, not the scary people behind them. Because if you hit the scary people behind them, a bigger, scarier person in a black belt comes up and gives you pushups, and, worse, the big scary person behind the pad turns into a normal, perhaps bleeding, person that makes you feel guilty for not watching where that hand went.
It's a fun game. You work, you sweat, and you trip over your own feet while you're trying to catch your breath from laughing so hard because the two pad-holding demons just ran into each other.
It's good exercise. You should try it!
July 15, 2012
July 15th, 2012
I'm always reminded of how little I actually know about the Bible. I'm particularly confused about the timeline during the time of kings in the Old Testament. I guess a lot of the books were written about the same time period, but about different people.
The Bible is full of many layers of information. It doesn't matter how many times you read a verse, you can always go back and find some new meaning to it. There's even a scientific aspect to some of it. In the book Has God Spoken? A. O. Schnabel goes over a lot of those things. It's fascinating to study.
What's one of the most amazing things you've learned from the Bible?
The Bible is full of many layers of information. It doesn't matter how many times you read a verse, you can always go back and find some new meaning to it. There's even a scientific aspect to some of it. In the book Has God Spoken? A. O. Schnabel goes over a lot of those things. It's fascinating to study.
What's one of the most amazing things you've learned from the Bible?
July 14, 2012
Beenie Meets Troy
Beenie flew away, leaving the praying mantis behind.
She flew up, all the way up to the tippy-top of the tree, and then balanced on a branch.
"Wow," she said. The mantis was right! There were lots of trees, and none of them were the same. She bounced up and down on the branch, and her wings were trembling with excitement. She bounced so hard and fast that the branch wobbled, and she fell off.
"Eeeeeee!" she screamed, flapping her wings. "Oh no!" The ground was getting closer. She reached out and grabbed a branch. She stoped falling, but her arms hurt, so she fluttered her wings and let go.
"That was a close one," a voice said.
Beenie spun around in a big circle, but didn't see anyone.
"Who's that?" she asked.
"Me, of course," the voice said. And a big, gray squirrel scurried along a branch until it could look her in the eye. "I'm Troy." He held a nut up to his mouth and nibbled on it.
"Hi, I'm Beenie," Beenie said. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to the nut.
"No!" Troy said. "It's my acorn and I don't want to share!"
And with that, he shoved the whole acorn into his mouth, and dashed up the tree trunk, until Beenie couldn't even see his bushy tail anymore.
"But...I didn't want your acorn," Beenie said sadly.
She flew up, all the way up to the tippy-top of the tree, and then balanced on a branch.
"Wow," she said. The mantis was right! There were lots of trees, and none of them were the same. She bounced up and down on the branch, and her wings were trembling with excitement. She bounced so hard and fast that the branch wobbled, and she fell off.
"Eeeeeee!" she screamed, flapping her wings. "Oh no!" The ground was getting closer. She reached out and grabbed a branch. She stoped falling, but her arms hurt, so she fluttered her wings and let go.
"That was a close one," a voice said.
Beenie spun around in a big circle, but didn't see anyone.
"Who's that?" she asked.
"Me, of course," the voice said. And a big, gray squirrel scurried along a branch until it could look her in the eye. "I'm Troy." He held a nut up to his mouth and nibbled on it.
"Hi, I'm Beenie," Beenie said. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to the nut.
"No!" Troy said. "It's my acorn and I don't want to share!"
And with that, he shoved the whole acorn into his mouth, and dashed up the tree trunk, until Beenie couldn't even see his bushy tail anymore.
"But...I didn't want your acorn," Beenie said sadly.
