Since it's a cold, rainy day here on the Gulf Coast, I think staying at home is a grand idea. Whatever you do, enjoy the day!
BLOG PAGES
Celebrate Stay Home Because You're Well Day
Since it's a cold, rainy day here on the Gulf Coast, I think staying at home is a grand idea. Whatever you do, enjoy the day!
Holiday Gifts for Barbie Fans
Truthfully, she never went away and has been part of pop culture since she was introduced back in 1959.
Women in their 70's love Barbie as much as little girls today. That's why the Barbie movie this past summer was such a big hit.
Smart marketing has kept Barbie viable during the new millennium, i.e., the image of a woman who can be glamorous, beautiful, smart, popular, rich, and happy.
In other words, Barbie has it all, and that's something women want even though it's impossible to attain.
The movie's popularity has given birth to countless products for those who adore Barbie. Here are a few gift ideas found on Amazon for the Barbie fan in your life.
These 3 items—that come in many different styles and designs—are just the tip of the Barbie iceberg.
Barbie Pink and Magenta Crystal Martini Glasses
I have to admit these are pretty, and they're embellished with the signature Barbie branding. This set of 2 martini glasses is $44.99 and qualifies for Prime shipping.
There are all kinds of Barbie socks for women. I think I'll be ordering some of these for a special young lady.
Barbie T-shirts for Women and Girls"Come on, Barbie, Let's Go Party" tee comes in white, black, and pink.
TAKEAWAY TRUTH
There are coffee mugs, insulated carry cups, games, shirts, shoes, jewelry, books, and so much more as well as dolls for those who play or for those who collect.
Barbie is here to stay!
Sign up for I LOVE READING, my free NL.
Go For Cyber Monday?
What's that you say? You're exhausted from online bargain shopping? I hear you, sister.
It seems as if the Christmas holiday sales started with Amazon's second Prime Day back in October. At that same time, other big retailers had big sales.
November rolls around and Black Friday started a week before Thanksgiving and continues until the 29th.
So why Cyber Monday?
Tradition? Maybe. Or a last ditch effort to tap those shoppers who abstained from the previous 8 weeks of special price sales.
Personally, I can't think of anything else to buy. My list has already been completed.
Then I saw these Swarovsky Pink Crystal earrings.
To Bling Or Not To Bling
Oh, dear. They're on sale for $80.69, and I know someone who loves pink stones as well as Swarovsky Crystal anything.
All of those darling pieces of jewelry are on sale. Oh, my. What to do, what to do? I guess I will be shopping Cyber Monday today after all, but not for anything techie. Going for the bling.
TAKEAWAY TRUTH
When I was in Hong Kong many years ago on the street lined with businesses that sold loose gemstones, there was a sign in the store where I was buying a couple of emeralds and some small diamonds. "Go broke saving money."
Oh, what wisdom there is in those five words.
Sign up for I LOVE READING, my free NL.
Holiday Mystery: Where Did November Go?
The days, weeks, and months seemed to disappear faster than one can turn the pages of a calendar.
Like Dr. Seuss said:
"How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?"
Seriously, I'm beginning to think the days are passing at warp speed. What if I go to sleep tonight, wake up tomorrow, and it's Christmas Eve?
Yikes! Give us a break Father Time! By the way, why is it Father Time? Why not Mother Time? She might be more benevolent.
Time waits for no one. Time flies. Yada yada yada. Forget about the time that has already passed. Charles F. Kettering said, "You can’t have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time."
TAKEAWAY TRUTH
Regretting the wasted time is simply a great way to waste more time. You can't make up for time you lost. Just plan to use your time more effectively and efficiently in the future. Now that's a good thought to start the new week.
Saturday Share Recipe - Hot Pot Medley
Do you still have Thanksgiving leftover turkey, ham, or roast beef in the fridge?
You served leftovers yesterday. Today you may make sandwiches, stew, or chowder, but there will still be leftover meat hanging out in the fridge?
Don't despair, and don't throw it out because you're already tired of eating it.
The best thing about leftovers is that they can be transformed into something new and delicious.
Here's a recipe that's a quadruple threat: (1) it uses leftover meat (2) it tastes delicious (3) it's easy to make (4) it can be prepared, frozen, and defrosted at a future date when you want a hot meal but you're too tired to cook.
Hot Pot Medley (Serves 6-8)
Ingredients - Meat
2 cups turkey, ham, or beef, trimmed and diced
Ingredients - Vegetables
1 medium to large onion, diced
2 carrots, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon ground bllack pepper
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco (only is you like it spicy)
3 sliced potatoes (like you'd cut for scalloped potatoes)
Ingredients - Liquid
1 1/2 - 2 cups leftover gravy for turkey or beef. For ham, use a cheese sauce, bechamel, or mushroom sauce. You can use cream condensed soup mixed with milk if you don't object to those or an Organic Alfredo Sauce mix.
Not enough leftover gravy? Make more using a mix like Organic Turkey Gravy Mix or the beef version from Amazon.
Directions
(1) Spray a casserole dish with a baking spray or butter the dish.
(2) Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit (approximately 177 Celsius).
(3) In a large bowl, mix the meat and vegetables—except potatoes—together.
(4) Sprinkle the seasonings over the mixture and pour into the prepared baking dish.
(5) Layer the thinly-sliced potatoes over the top of th mixture
(6) Pour the gravy over everything in the dish.
(7) Bake at 350 Fahrenheit (approximately 177 Celsius) for 35 minutes.
By the way, I have fancy baking dishes, but I usually use the plain glass ones with snap-on plastic tops like the ones shown here.(1) Put the whole thing together except for the potato layer and the gravy or sauce.
(2) Place the dish into a freezer storage bag or use heavy duty aluminum foil to wrap completely around the dish and seal the foil properly. Also freeze the leftover gravy if that's what you're using for the liquid component.
(3) When ready to serve it, thaw and remove the dish and the sauce.
(4) Place sliced potatoes on top, pour the gravy or sauce you've made over the potatoes.
(5) Bake as directed above.
Takeaway Truth
Leftovers are a great thing for a busy cook. A little time space from the original serving of the item and a little transformation make for a great new meal.
A 99¢ EscapeBlack Friday Specials for Readers
Image by Basim Miller of Pixabay |
Backstory of Black Friday
When online shopping began, I changed my mind about Black Friday, now a national shopping day that was named by the Philadelphia police back in the 1950s when they noticed the huge crowds who came to the city the day after Thanksgiving simply to shop.
Black Friday Ongoing
Since Amazon and other retailers started Black Friday early this year, it's lost a little of its impact. I've already completed my post-Thanksgiving shopping.
Sales continue until the 27th I believe, but here are a few things I think Readers would be especially interested in.
Black Friday Specials for Readers
The Amazon Fire 7 Tablet is about the best bargain I've found. It has over 12,000 reviews averaging 4.5 stars. Fits in your hand and perfect for kids. Parental controls available.
You can read ebooks with it and go online too. This model is an unbelievable $39.95 and has a 10-hour battery life and 16 gb of storage.
You can get this tablet in black, denim, and rose. This one displays ads on the lockscreen. If you want a model without the ads, the cost increases to $54.99.
If you want one for yourself, this is the perfect model for streaming, reading ebooks, checking social media, etc. It's lightweight and has 13 hours of battery life and can have the storage upgraded.
If you want a dedicated ereader that has a built-in light, this is the latest version and a great buy at $99.99 for the version with lockscreen ads. Without lockscreen ads, you'll pay $119.99. A single charge lasts weeks, not hours. It comes in black and denim, and you can get a discount if you trade in an older Kindle.
Relax on Black FridayJUST ONE LOOK, my first bestseller on Amazon that sold more than 50,000 copies the year it was published on Kindle, is on sale now for 99¢.
(I think it sold almost twice that many, but I don't have time to go check my old spreadsheet.)
"This story gripped me and didn't let go. I finished it in five hours! It was fast-paced and filled with emotion and very HOT moments. The hero -- Matt -- is delicious and sweet. Very enjoyable read." 5 Stars —MWatson Review
Check back daily because I'll have sales throughout the rest of the year on my books and books by author friends.
Takeaway Truth
I hope you grab some of the Black Friday bargains to enhance your reading time. If you read one of my holiday books, please do me a favor and leave a review—just a couple of sentences saying what you liked about the story. Happy bargain shopping.
Joan participates in Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click links in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.
Meaning of Thanksgiving—Profound to Funny
- prepping food
- cooking and/or baking
- yelling (at kids or spouse)
- giving orders (run to the store for milk
- setting a table
- or primping to look your best in a game day jersey or fancy dress clothes.
Thanksgiving is a time to count your blessings, one by one, as each relative goes home. —Melanie White
Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. —William Arthur Ward
Cooking Tip: Wrap turkey leftovers in aluminum foil and throw them out. —Nicole Hollander
Give thanks not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of your life. Appreciate and never take for granted all that you have. —Catherine Pulsifier
Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind. —Lionel Hampton
If there's one thing I’ve learned over the eons, it's that you can't give up on your family, no matter how tempting they make it. —Rick Riordan
It's like Charlie Brown said, "We should just be thankful for being together."
Wishing you a day of full of happiness with family and friends.
Thanksgiving Recipe: Fresh Cranberry Relish
Most think of cranberry sauce as that burrgundy jelly stuff in a can. You plop it out onto a plate and slice where the rings of the can impressed upon the jelly.
Want to make a cranberry dish that's fresh, delicious, and contains no artifical anything? Oh, and it's delicious and easy to make too.
Have I got a recipe to share with you even though it's not Saturday when I generally post recipes.
FRESH CRANBERRY RELISH
Ingredients
1 bag of fresh cranberries
1 navel orangesugar to taste
(Since some oranges are sweeter than others, and cranberries are sometimes tarter than others, add sugar until the sweet-tart level is what you like.)
Directions1. Wash the cranberries in a colander and remove the bad ones.
2. Wash the navel orange, dry it, and cut into chunks.
3. Place the orange chunks in a food processor and pulse to get smaller chunks
4. Add the cranberries to food processor and about 1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar depending on the tartness of the berries.
5. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped. Taste. Add more sugar if it's too tart for you. Pulse again to blend. Add sugar a spoonful at a time as needed.
Every year, this is what I'm required to make for the Thanksgiving table. In fact, I have to make a separate container for one of my sons-in-law—just for him. Family and friends love it. It provides the freshness, acid, and contrast to turkey and dressing. I think it acts as a palate cleanser too.
In the event you have any leftover, make cranberry orange muffins with it. They're absolutely delicious!
TAKEAWAY TRUTH
I wish you a Thanksgiving day full of laughter, happiness, and fun. (The good food is a given, right?)
Photographs Used
1. Image Christmas-background-berry-21949 by PublicDomainPictures
from Pixabay.
2. Image Oranges-navel-oranges-bahia-oranges-27304 by Stefan Schweihofer
from Pixabay.
Blame Nancy Drew: Sex, Murder, and Mint Juleps
Sex, Murder, and Mint Juleps, A Dullsville Mystery, is the first book in the series.
Like the 2 previous books I finished this year, Small Sins and Stone Angel—still available on Vella until further notice— I'm writing this mystery-romance and publishing it a chapter at a time as a Kindle Vella serial.
Also like the 2 previous Kindle Vellas, this book will be published in print and ebook a couple of months after the last chapter, or episode, is published online.
BOOK BLURB
When Marty returns to her hometown, she has it all figured out: a job writing a syndicated column, a home inherited from her ex's great aunt, and a desire to get her mom to accept her as she is.Book of the Week: Happiness Is A Serious Problem
Last week, I watched a video inspired by the book, Happiness Is a Serious Problem by Dennis Prager. I was intrigued by the title and by the content of the video and bought the book.
A lot of people talk about happiness, but no one really stresses why it's important or how to "get happy" and stay that way.
Maybe it's because we don't really understand the state of being happy.
Book Blurb
Takeaway Truth
Review: 24 Hours to Live on Prime
If you're not a Prime Subscriber, you can rent or buy this flick on Amazon or at your favorite retailer. Just click More Purchase Options on the movie's page.
BLURB
"Ethan Hawke gives an explosive performance as a former special-ops marine turned mercenary who's given one last shot at redemption in this nonstop action-thriller from the producers of John Wick."Monday Magic: Unscrambler for Word Games
Unscramblerer is a website with a menu of options that helps you tap into the magic of words.
Randoh Sallihall is the Word Enthusiast behind this website which he describes this way:"Word unscrambler helps to unscramble letters to make words. The word scrambler only finds words that are valid in Scrabble. Words unscrambled from letters are ordered by highest scoring."