Fun Facts from Infection Control

Fun facts from Infection Control

I just got this e-mail and although I wanted to throw up - I thought I would share it. During an hour's swimming at a municipal pool you will ingest 1/12 liter of urine.

In an average day your hands will have come into indirect contact with 15 penises (touching door handles, etc.)

An average person's yearly fast food intake will contain 12 pubic hairs.

In a year you will have swallowed 14 insects - while you slept!

Annually you will shake hands with 6 women who have recently masturbated and failed to wash their hands.

Annually you will shake hands with 11 men who have recently masturbated and failed to wash their hands.

In a lifetime 22 workmen will have examined the contents of your dirty linen basket.

At an average wedding reception you have a 1/100 chance of getting a cold sore from one of the guests.

Daily you will breath in 1 liter of other peoples' anal gases.

HAVE A GREAT DAY...

... and wash your damn hands!

Favorite Ingredient Friday - Soup Edition

Ok, so we all know - it doesn't get too cold in Houston. My husband and I went away for the weekend - last weekend, and it got down into the 30s and we both swore up and down that we would freeze to death. We don't "do" cold. Although, I love when it actually feels like fall and winter - I like to be inside enjoying it - in the warmth. Part of that enjoyment comes from a nice big fire, the other part is from a heaping bowl of steaming hot soup. I can't help you with the fire, but I have got a great soup recipe that I think you will just love. We sure do! Baked Potato Soup Ingredients: 4 bacon strips, diced 1 small white onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon dried basil ¼ teaspoon dried thyme ½ teaspoon pepper 3 cups chicken broth 2 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 cup half-and-half ½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce Shredded Cheddar cheese Directions: 1. In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. 2. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. 3. Set bacon aside. 4. Sauté onion and garlic in the drippings until tender. 5. Stir in flour, salt, basil, thyme and pepper; mix well. 6. Gradually add broth. 7. Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. 8. Add the potatoes, cream and hot pepper sauce; heat through but do not boil. 9. Garnish with bacon and cheese.

Looks delicious, doesn't it?!?

Favorite Ingredient Friday

Overwhelmed with Joy is hosting Favorite Ingredient Friday, and shared with us a “Southern” recipe – Southern Grits! Unlike "Joy", I am from the South and I know the rest of you southern gals will agree with me on this – we G.R.I.T.S (girls raised in the South) believe this above all else: cleanliness and Good Cooking is close to Godliness! :) Whether you can actually cook, or you just need to appear that you can – you know, for the husband (or in-laws); these recipes will make you a Hero! I decided to share two recipes that have one thing in common: Black Eyed Peas. Now, I don’t know about the rest of you, but my husband would just as soon eat them every day. He loves them, to say the least! With the New Year quickly approaching – these might bring a new, and fun way to get in your “Good Luck Legumes” on the 1st. Texas Caviar (with Avocado) 1. 2 cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed 2. 2 small tomatoes, chopped 3. 1 medium sweet onion, chopped 4. 8 ounces Italian dressing 5. 2 avocados - peeled, pitted, and chopped 6. ½ cup chopped jalapeno peppers (optional) 7. Cayenne pepper to taste (optional) Directions: In a large bowl, mix together black-eyed peas, tomatoes, sweet onion, Italian dressing. Add jalapeno peppers and cayenne pepper, if desired. Stir in the avocados just before serving. Cottoneyed Peas 1. 1 bag of Oscar Meyer Real Bacon Pieces 2. 2 cans black-eyed peas 3. 1 can black eyed peas, with jalapenos 4. 1 can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers 5. ½ small onion, chopped 6. 2 stalks celery, chopped 7. 4 tablespoons of butter (or margarine) 8. Garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste 9. 2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped (optional) Directions: In a medium skillet, over medium heat sauté the celery, and onion in 4 tablespoons of butter, until translucent. In a large saucepan, combine the canned black-eyed peas and canned tomatoes. When the onions and celery are done, add them to the saucepan. Add jalapenos, if desired. Season with salt and pepper and garlic powder, to taste. Add bacon pieces before serving. Enjoy!

Holiday Goodies!

Overwhelmed With Joy is hosting Holiday Cooking, Blogger Style and I decided to participate! A dear friend of mine got me excited, and I couldn't wait to post a couple of my family's favorite recipes here. Honestly, it was SO HARD to decide! But, this weekend, when I was busy with my holiday baking, I chose two of the recipes that I was working on and made sure to take some pictures to show you how easy they are, and how great they come out! So, I am sharing these two: Fantasy Fudge (It's on the back of the Kraft Marshmallow Creme jar). Ingredients:

3 cups granulated sugar 3/4 cup (1 ½ sticks) butter or margarine 1 small can (5 oz.) evaporated milk 1 ½ boxes (12 squares) Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped 1 jar (7 oz.) Marshmallow Creme 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional) 1 tsp. vanilla Directions: 1. Line a 9" square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan; set aside.

2. Place sugar, butter and evaporated milk in large heavy saucepan.

(I get the rest of my ingredients together in a measuring cup, or mixing bowl, so when ready for them, I can just jump them all in).

3. Bring to full rolling boil on medium heat, stirring constantly.

4. Boil 4 min. or until candy thermometer reaches 234°F, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. 5. Remove from heat. 6. Add chocolate and marshmallow creme; stir until completely melted.

7. Add walnuts and vanilla; mix well.

8. Pour immediately into prepared pan; spread to form even layer in pan.

(Get your husband to help, like I did)! :)

9. Let stand at room temperature 4 hours or until completely cooled; cut into 1-inch squares. 10. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature. Enjoy! Pecan Tassies Ingredients: 2 cups (4 sticks) margarine 12 oz. cream cheese 4 cups all-purpose flour 3 eggs 2 ½ cups packed brown sugar 3 tablespoons melted butter ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 1 pinch salt 1 ½ cups chopped pecans Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 2. In a medium bowl, mix together the margarine and cream cheese until well blended.

3. Beat in flour, 1 cup at a time, until the mixture forms a smooth dough.

4. Roll into small balls, and press into the bottoms and sides of tart pans or mini muffin pans.

Pampered Chef's Mini Tart Shaper works wonderfully when forming these tassies! (And if anyone from Pampered Chef is reading this and wants to give me some free stuff for plugging their products, I wouldn't mind at all)!! :)

5. In another bowl, mix together the eggs, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt. 6. Stir in the pecans. Use a spoon to fill each of the crusts 2/3 full with the filling mixture.

7. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes in the preheated oven, until shell is light brown, and the filling has puffed up.

8. Cool, and carefully remove from pans.

Enjoy!

Graciously Conceding Defeat

I will be the first to tell you that I am not happy with the results of last night's Election. Many people I know are not happy. Most people I know are down-right scared to see how the next 4 years will go. With all of that said, there is nothing we can do about it now. It turned out how it did and the only thing we have to do is hope and PRAY that it won't be as bad as we all think it will be. We know that regardless of what happens, we have God and if we trust in him, he will protect us. I did want to mention how impressed I was with Senator McCain. I have never heard a more uplifting and gracious concession speech, as he gave last night. In case any of you missed it, here it is: Thank you. Thank you, my friends. Thank you for coming here on this beautiful Arizona evening. My friends, we have we have come to the end of a long journey. The American people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly. A little while ago, I had the honour of calling Senator Barack Obama to congratulate him. (Crowd boos) Please. To congratulate him on being elected the next president of the country that we both love. In a contest as long and difficult as this campaign has been, his success alone commands my respect for his ability and perseverance. But that he managed to do so by inspiring the hopes of so many millions of Americans who had once wrongly believed that they had little at stake or little influence in the election of an American president is something I deeply admire and commend him for achieving. This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight. I've always believed that America offers opportunities to all who have the industry and will to seize it. Senator Obama believes that, too. But we both recognise that, though we have come a long way from the old injustices that once stained our nation's reputation and denied some Americans the full blessings of American citizenship, the memory of them still had the power to wound. A century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt's invitation of Booker T Washington to dine at the White House was taken as an outrage in many quarters. America today is a world away from the cruel and frightful bigotry of that time. There is no better evidence of this than the election of an African-American to the presidency of the United States. Let there be no reason now ... Let there be no reason now for any American to fail to cherish their citizenship in this, the greatest nation on Earth. Senator Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country. I applaud him for it, and offer him my sincere sympathy that his beloved grandmother did not live to see this day. Though our faith assures us she is at rest in the presence of her creator and so very proud of the good man she helped raise. Senator Obama and I have had and argued our differences, and he has prevailed. No doubt many of those differences remain. These are difficult times for our country. And I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face. I urge all Americans ... I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited. Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans. And please believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that. It is natural. It's natural, tonight, to feel some disappointment. But tomorrow, we must move beyond it and work together to get our country moving again. We fought we fought as hard as we could. And though we fell short, the failure is mine, not yours. (Crowd: "No!") I am so... (Crowd begins chanting) I am so deeply grateful to all of you for the great honour of your support and for all you have done for me. I wish the outcome had been different, my friends. The road was a difficult one from the outset, but your support and friendship never wavered. I cannot adequately express how deeply indebted I am to you. I'm especially grateful to my wife, Cindy, my children, my dear mother ... my dear mother and all my family, and to the many old and dear friends who have stood by my side through the many ups and downs of this long campaign. I have always been a fortunate man, and never more so for the love and encouragement you have given me. You know, campaigns are often harder on a candidate's family than on the candidate, and that's been true in this campaign. All I can offer in compensation is my love and gratitude and the promise of more peaceful years ahead. I am also, I am also, of course, very thankful to governor Sarah Palin, one of the best campaigners I've ever seen ... one of the best campaigners I have ever seen, and an impressive new voice in our party for reform and the principles that have always been our greatest strength ... her husband Todd and their five beautiful children ... for their tireless dedication to our cause, and the courage and grace they showed in the rough and tumble of a presidential campaign. We can all look forward with great interest to her future service to Alaska, the Republican party and our country. To all my campaign comrades, from Rick Davis and Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter, to every last volunteer who fought so hard and valiantly, month after month, in what at times seemed to be the most challenging campaign in modern times, thank you so much. A lost election will never mean more to me than the privilege of your faith and friendship. I don't know, I don't know what more we could have done to try to win this election. I'll leave that to others to determine. Every candidate makes mistakes, and I'm sure I made my share of them. But I won't spend a moment of the future regretting what might have been. This campaign was and will remain the great honour of my life, and my heart is filled with nothing but gratitude for the experience and to the American people for giving me a fair hearing before deciding that Senator Obama and my old friend Senator Joe Biden should have the honour of leading us for the next four years. (Crowd boos) Please. Please. I would not, I would not be an American worthy of the name should I regret a fate that has allowed me the extraordinary privilege of serving this country for a half a century. Today, I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much. And tonight, I remain her servant. That is blessing enough for anyone, and I thank the people of Arizona for it. Tonight, tonight, more than any night, I hold in my heart nothing but love for this country and for all its citizens, whether they supported me or Senator Obama, whether they supported me or Senator Obama. I wish Godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president. And I call on all Americans, as I have often in this campaign, to not despair of our present difficulties, but to believe, always, in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here. Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history. We make history. Thank you, and God bless you, and God bless America. Thank you all very much.

7 Minutes!

I just had to brag for a minute - or 7. That just happens to be the EXACT time it took me to get out of my car, get in the building, sign the registration paper thing, VOTE and get back to my car! Seriously! Everyone kept giving me so much crap about not voting early. Darren voted early and he had to wait in line for an hour and 15 minutes. I heard other people waiting for 45 minutes on up to 4 hours but for me - no wait! So, it just goes to show you - Election Day is the way to go!!

It's That Time!

As of today, we've got exactly a month until Thanksgiving - it's time to start thinking about baking! I have decided that this year - I am starting early (I said the same thing last year and it didn't happen), and then I am going to freeze some things - until Thanksgiving. The first thing on my list to make is, of course, Pumpkin Bread. I love, love, love the smell of it baking. It makes the whole house smell warm and inviting - just like fall. Here is the recipe that I like to use:

• 1 (15 ounce) can of Pumpkin Puree
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce (I use the sweetened)
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 3 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• Walnuts, and raisins are optional!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix the pumpkin puree, eggs, oil and water together in one bowl, until well blended. In another bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together (sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger). Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture, until well blended together. Add in nuts and fruit, if you prefer. Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans and bake for 50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

I also like to bake them in a muffin pan, for Pumpkin muffins, or in miniature loaf pans, to give as gifts.

Since it makes two loaves, I pour batter into one loaf pan, then add some walnuts to the batter left in the bowl, mix it up really well, and then fill the other loaf pan. That way, all of my family is happy - the nuts and the rest of them!

For an extra special treat - melt about 4 tablespoons of butter, and add a sprinkle or two of sugar and cinnamon. While the bread is on a cooling rack, still hot, poke some holes in the top of the loaf/loaves, and pour the cinnamon/sugar butter over the top!

Hope you enjoy!