"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." —Dr. Seuss
Sunday Thoughts - Good Advice
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." —Dr. Seuss
Saturday Share Recipe - Southern Coleslaw
Coleslaw. You either like it or hate it. Coleslaw started out as a pickled food way back in the 18th century in the Netherlands.
In the days without refrigeration, preparing a food with vinegar was a way of preserving the food.
Over the years, this salad that often comes as a side at a barbeque or fried chicken joint has undergone many changes and probably doesn't resemble the one from the 18th century.
However, cabbage is an excellent vegetable to eat for good health so perhaps finding a recipe utilizing it that you like would be a good thing.
Personally, I like how we make it in the South. Maybe you'll like it too. Yes, it uses buttermilk which seems to be found in many southern recipes so add that to your shopping list and give this a try. This serves a crowd so you might want to cut it in half.
By the way, if this sounds like a lot of sugar, remember it's an ingredient for a dressing over 8 cups of shredded cabbage. You can always decrease the sugar a little at a time to see if it still tasts good with less sugar.
SOUTHERN STYLE COLESLAW
Ingredients5 tablespoons of white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon groound black pepper
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 T. white vinegar
2 1/2 T. lemon juice
8 cups finely shredded cabbage (usually 1 large head)
1/4 - 1/2 cup finely shredded carrots
DirectionsIn bowl or large measuring cup, combine all of the dressing ingredients. Beat until well blended.
Shred the cabbage and carrots in a food processor.
Place shredded vegetables in a salad bowl and pour dressing over veggies. Toss well. Cover the salad bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
TAKEAWAY TRUTH
This is really good coleslaw so I hope you'll try it. Because it uses milk products and mayo, be sure to refrigerate any leftovers.
Fun Facts - February, the Cake Month
(1) Let's begin with why February has that name which comes from the Latin word februum meaning purification.
It all has to do with the old Roman calendar which called for a purification ritual called Februa to be held on February 15.
Some historians assert that the purification was all about purging from fever or the sweating that comes from fever or the Latin word febris.
(2) Everyone knows February has 28 days except once every 4 years when it has 29, thus calling the year Leap Year. Did you also know that because of this 28/29 days cycle that once every 6 years, February is the only month to have 4 full 7 day weeks?
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FREE this weekend |
(4) The Welsh called this month y mis bach, meaning little month.
(5) Native American tribes usually named months based on natural phenomena that occurred during that period of time. The full moon in each month was always significant so months are usually called by their respective names for the full moon.
Some of those tribal names are:
Algonquin called it Snow Moon because of the heavy snowfall that often occurs then.
Cherokee called it Hungry Moon or Bony Moon becuase of the scarcity of food during winter which affected hunting.
Ojiibwe called it Bear Moon because this is when bear cubs are born.
(6) February is the least common birth month, and the rarest day to be born is Leap Day, February 29. The odds of being born on February 29 are about 1 in 1,460. Most people born on this day pick either Feb. 28 or March 1 to celebrate their birthdays, but some choose to celebrate on both days.
TAKEAWAY TRUTH
I learned a lot. Did you? I say it's time to celebrate February with cake. In fact, I made my cake recipe book FRIDAY IS CAKE DAY, recently revised and updated to today's ebook format. Bake a cake and celebrate February!
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Review - Streaming Service Known as Tubi
If you ever wondered whether Tubi was worth it, I'm here to tell you it is.
Did you know that Tubi is the most watched free ad-supported television strreaming service in the U.S.?
As of December 2024, Tubi surpassed 100 million monthly active users and 10 billion streaming hours. In May of last year, Tubi had its most-watched month ever—an average of one million viewers every day.
In fact, it consistently outranks Peacock, Max, Paramount+, and Apple TV+ in total viewing time.
WHY IS TUBI WORTH IT?
It's free, and free is good especially now when people are struggling to make ends meet.Sure, it has ads, but so does Amazon Prime, and now so does Netflix which has ads in its basic subscription of $7.99 per month.
If you want ad-free on Netflix, that's $17.99 per month.
Other services, offer a Basic subscription, usually with limited selections, and they all have ads.Love to read? Sign up for my free Newsletter, I LOVE READING. Once a month, you'll receive exclusive content and news about giveaways, bargains, and new releases.
How Wednesday Became Hump Day
I had searched Google for an answer to that question and received an AI response that the expression could not be attributed to a specific person.
I wasn't satisfied with that because I knew there had to be more to it than that. As Paul Harvey would have said, "Here is the rest of the story."
MUCH MORE TO THE ANSWER
I dived deeper to find information from human sources. A quick perusal of the SERPS showed a response a few years ago from someone on Quora who stated that the phrase originated in 1965 from a man standing around a water cooler at a Dupont plant.
I could find nothing to back up that assertion. The same Quora respondent also said that in 1975 J. J. Cale wrote a song titled Friday, and that the phrase “Wednesday's hump day," was part of the lyrics.
Intrigued, I tried to find that song and found it mentioned in various Google SERPs, but I couldn't find the lyrics or other information. Next, I went to Lyrics.com and searched there.
Apparently, Cale wasn't the only one who used the phrase in a song. In fact, the search engine at Lyrics showed "968 lyrics and 126 artists matching the "hump day" search string.
At that point, I decided I'd wasted enough time on the quest, but I did have fun making a cute graphic I'll use in future Wednesday posts.
TAKEAWAY TRUTH
Being curious eats up a lot of time that I probably could have used in a better pursuit—like working on my book in progress. Do you ever get distracted like that?
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Thought For The Week - Struggle
Guess what? Only through your struggle do you grow stronger. Sure, it would be nice if success just fell into your lap, but that probably isn't going to happen.
Success requires commitment, consistency of effort, hard work, and persisting long after you want to quit. All of that makes you strong and capable.
Arnold Schwarzenegger famously said, "Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength."
So the moral of this story is hardships, struggles, and challenges are stepping stones to emotional strength.
TAKEAWAY TRUTH
Saturday Share Recipe - Spicy Chicken and Rice Casserole
Happy Saturday! It's a beautiful sunny day here in Gulf Coast Texas with a high projected to be 70 degrees F.
I would love to be outside, but I'm working on more book covers today. I've set a deadline for myself—all new book covers by the end of this month.
So I'm cooking easy things like this Spicy Chicken and Rice Casserole for tonight. Actually, this is my adaptation of a recipe from my Mom's generation.
You can use cooked chicken in this or raw chicken breasts. Just adapt the time to reflect cooked chicken.
Also, this recipe calls for Uncle Ben's Wild Rice which includes parboiled long grain white rice. If you want to use plain wild rice instead, add your own spices and adjust the cooking time.
I should point out that now Uncle Ben's Long Grain Rice and Wild Rice now sports a label that says "No Artificial Flavors and No Colors from Artificial Sources."
If you choose to use plain wild rice, here are the spices and/or fresh vegetables to add. These amounts are based on my family's taste palate. You may want to use more or less depending on your taste.Using Campbell's cream soups has long been part of making casseroles in America. However, not all cream soups are equal. Read the label ingredients. I have found that some house brands at supermarkets tend to use less of what I consider unhealthy ingredients.
Also, many home cooks have cracked the code of what makes a cream soup. I'll publish a post about those recipes eventually.
However, using a canned cream soup once in a while is like having a piece of candy once in a while. It shouldn't greatly impact your health regimen as long as you're not eating it every day.
Spices to add to sauce mixture if using plain wild rice
1 teaspoon dry parsley OR 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon dry minced onion or onion powder OR 1/4 cup small diced onion
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds OR 1/4 cup diced celery
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder1/4 teaspoon black pepper, sage, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
SPICY CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE (Serves 6 - 8)
Ingredients
6 medium size chicken breasts, washed, patted dry, salted, and browned in olive oil or butter
1 can cream of celery soup or cream of chicken
1 can cream of musroom soup
1/2 can of water
1 seeded and finely diced poblano or jalapeno pepper, optional
1/4 cup diced carrots
1/4 - 1/2 cup diced tomatoes, seeded (I actually use half a can of Rotel)
1 small box Uncle Ben's Wild Rice Mix
Directions(1) Preheaat the oven to 350 degrees F. (176 degrees C.) and prepare a rectangular baking dish.
(2) In a large measuring cup or bowl, mix the two soups, water, vegetables, and wild rice mix. If using plain rice, add the spices.
(3) Pour this mixture into the baking dish and arrange the chicken breasts on top.
(4) For raw chicken, bake for 30-45 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken breast. Use a meat theremometer if uncertain. For cooked, chicken bake 20-30 minutes until rice is done and casserole is heated through.
There is a certain percentage of the population who think a casserole should always be topped with bubbly cheese. If that's your household, feel free to sprinkle the top with grated cheddar cheese and pop it under the broiler before serving.
TAKEAWAY TRUTH
That's it for me. I'm headed to the kitchen to throw this family pleaser together. Bon Appétit.

January Success with 25 in 2025
How well did you spend the first 30 days of the New Year?
Me? I worked on the first 2 items of my 25 in 2025 list.
I revealed the first item on my list on the first day of January.
#1 - Be realistic in setting goals, planning work, or writing resolutions.
I succeeded! I wrote only 3 things down each day that I wanted to accomplish. Each of the 3 directly affected my progress toward achieving my biggest goal of the year.
For now, I'm not divulging what that is, but know that I'm making progress. the bottom line is that accepting your limitations and working within those parameters helps you accomplish more with less angst.
#2 - Use a day planner to be accountable and to stay on task.That's my update. If you're working to make changes in your life in 2025, leave a comment and tell me about it.
If you also leave your email addy, written out not as a hot link, you'll be entered in a random drawing for a free copy of my new book set to hit the shelves in March.
More on that later. *g*
Why Is Wednesday Called Hump Day
Yes, a lot of people relax with a glass of wine on Wednesday. Me? I think about things like, "Why is Wednesday called Hump Day? Who created that connection in our minds?
Inquiring minds want to know, and I'm always curious.
One search result I found declared that the origin of the phrase "Hump Day" isn't known.
Hmm. There must be more to be found. If I discover more, I'll post it next Wednesday.
TAKEAWAY TRUTH
In the meantime, take it easy today. You made it to Wednesday, and Friday is only 2 days away. At the end of the work day today, you're officially over the hump.
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Review The Night Agent Season 2 on Netflix
I know I eagerly awaited Season 2 which finally began streaming on January 23, and I was not disappointed.
I especially liked that they brought back characters from Season 1.
So we get to see brilliant computer expert Rose (Luciane Buchanan), Special Agent Chelsea Arrington (Fola Evans-Akingbola), Special Agent Hawkin (Robert Patrick), and President Michelle Travers (Kari Matchett) just to name a few.
The story picks up where Season 1 ended with Peter Sutherland undertaking his first assignment as a Night Agent, a secret organization known only to the President.
ABOUT SEASON 2
Within minutes, Peter is in a life or death situation with his partner, and everyone he trusted now appears untrustworthy. For the next 10 episodes, it's cross, double cross, and a lot of action.
Solid story, likable characters, good acting, and good set up for a continuation. Yes the show is imminently watchable, but I did have a quibble about Season 2.The rising action and drama were based entirely on every character withholding information, lying, and not trusting anyone around them when they should have.
Season 1 had several poignant moments when imminently likable characters were killed off which was heart-wrenching for the viewer. As sad as that was, it was also what gave the series an emotional depth and increased sympathy for the characters.That kind of emotional connection was mostly missing fom season 2 except for some moments between Rose and Peter.
NETFLIX COMPLAINT
With the planned increased fee for Netflix, including ads unless you pay even more to be ad free, I may be canceling Netflix in the future. With the exception of The Night Agent, Gray Man, The Sinner, Old Guard, and a couple of other Netflix originals, there isn't much about this streaming service now that makes me want to pay $18-25 a month for it.
So I'm glad I was able to watch Season 2 before I canceled.
TAKEAWAY TRUTH
With my minor complaint aside, The Night Agent is another solid offering from Netflix. It's proven so popular that Season 3 received the green light. Definitely watch it and host a watch party for your friends who aren't subscribers.
Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision—at no extra cost to you.
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Monday Magic Free App - FlameShot
Sunday Thought to Begin a New Week
A new week lies ahead. Let's embrace it, and this quotation from Allen Klein is a good reminder of how our attitude colors our world.
If you're suffering from SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, or think you might be, take action now. Order one of those daylight lamps that mimics sunlight.
Amazon has a bunch of them at all price points so click the link and check out the selection.
"Your attitude is like a box of crayons that color your world. Constantly color your picture gray, and your picture will always be bleak. Try adding some bright colors to the picture by including humor, and your picture begins to lighten up." —Allen Klein
TAKEAWAY TRUTH
Wishing you a a week with brightly colored days.
Saturday Share Recipe - Baked Potato Soup
With cold weather hanging on, I've been cooking a steaming hot pot of hearty, satisfying soup each week.
Most people like soup and there are a couple of reasons for this. Soups warm you from the inside out and they're easy to make.
Also, leftover soup stirs well and usually tastes better the next day because the ingredients continue to interact and create a depth of flavor.
I usually serve a bread product with the soup based on the type of soup I'm cooking. Because of my southern upbringing, vegetable beef soup, chicken soup of any kind, and bean soups demand cornbread which I make from scratch.
Actually, I guess I should say mostly scratch because I begin with a self-rising cornmeal mix, Pearl Milling Self-Rising White Corn Meal Mix, which is a shortcut because it contains cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder. It comes in the version shown as well as a buttermilk version.
I add the other ingredients (NO Sugar as the recipe on the package lists that.) and bake it in an iron skillet that I use only for that. It comes out perfect every time.If I'm making chili (no beans just meat, spices, and tomato) or chili stew—same thing but with beans added—I also serve cornbread, saltine crackers, or Fritos which turn chili into Frito Pie, a favorite of my Texan husband.)
Back to today's soup recipe. I've added my own touch to my Mom's recipe. If you like a really good baked potato, you're going to love this Baked Potato Soup. Serves 6.
Ingredients
2 cups diced raw potatoes
1/2 cup finely diced white or yellow onion
1/2 cup finely diced celery
3 cups water
2 cups scalded milk
2 chicken bouilon cubes
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup sour cream (not fat-free)1 tablespoon flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
Optional Ingredients for Garnish
4 slices bacon, fried, fat drained, crumbled
grated cheddar cheese
finely sliced fresh chives
Directions
(1) In a 2 quart sauce pan, place the potatoes, celery, onions, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and water. Cook until potatoes are tender. Lower heat to a simmer.
(2) Add the milk, bouillon cubes, and butter. Stir until bouillon cubes are dissolved and butter melted.
(3) Mix the sour cream and the flour in a small bowl or measuring cup until well blended. Add this to the soup mixture, raise the heat to medium, and cook, stirring constantly until soup is thickened and smooth.
(4) Taste and if not salty enough, stir in the other teaspoon of salt and add the black pepper according to your desire. Stir to blend and simmer a couple of minutes.(5) Serve hot with a bread of your choice.
Cooking Note: Scalded Milk
In case you're not familiar with the term, "scalded milk," it's milk that is heated to just below the boiling point, about 180°F (82°C). That's hot enough to kill bacteria, but that's not the reason for scalding milk for a recipe.
Scalding changes the protein and enzymes in the milk, and that gives a smoother texture, flavor, and better stability to what you're cooking than using plain milk from the fridge. Scalded milk is often called for in making sauces, and the liquid part of this soup is actually a form of bechamel sauce.
Garnish: Garnish the soup with your favorites, just as you would add to a baked potato—crumbled bacon, grated cheese, and chives. Enjoy!
TAKEAWAY TRUTH
This post ran a little long for a recipe that is really simple and easy to make. Please leave a comment if you try this and like it.
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What Is Going On With Google Search?
In fact, if you have already switched search engines, tell me which you are now using.
This started when Search queries began generating responses from the Google AI.
At first I ignored those AI generated results and scrolled down to find results from credible websites.
Those SERPs with credible websites grew smaller and smaller.
On Wednesday of this week, I wanted to write a birthday letter to one of our grandsons. I wanted it to be inspirational because this was a milestone birthday for him.
I thought to include a couple of quotes tailored to a young man—quotes from men who were admired for their leadership and accomplishments. So I typed in a search string, beginning simply with "inspirational quotes for young man."
The number of SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages) was shockingly small. The first third of the page were AI generic results—kind of what you'd see in a birthday greeting card.
To my search string, I added "wise quotations by famous men" and received some that sounded like an actual quotation by someone learned but none of the quotes had attribution. I'm not going to use something without attributing it to its source.I scrolled down to the page and realized many of the quotation websites that I would normally see like BrainyQuote were not shown.
This is a site I often peruse, and I couldn't believe it had shut its doors so I typed in the direct link, and there it was!
BY NOW I WAS INTRIGUED
I changed the search string to be very precise: inspirational birthday quotes for men by men.
The AI generated 3 quotes with attribution, a bunch of generic greeting card stuff, and 8 SERPs below that. Those were for 2 Pinterest boards, Quora, and websites that had something to sell: Swifdoo, FloraQueen, Alibaba, Shutterfly, and The Today Show website. Of those, only the Today Show website had attributions for the quotes they displayed. They also had popups for products featuring the show's "cast."
I think we have reached an era where one must carefully check the credibility and truth of articles displayed by search engines. Even if the source cited is something credible, that doesn't mean that the article was written by a "real" write who fact-checked for accuracy.
Most AI-written articles are created by pulling multiple articles from the internet. Some of those may be fact-checked accurate pieces where others may also be AI-generated. If false information is used then the article you end up with may be inaccurate.
TAKEAWAY TRUTH
Unfortunately, it appears the Google AI has taken over the Search Engine so be careful in using any resource you find using those SERPs. See if you can find independent websites—hopefully with source material written by people and fact-checked—that address the topic.
Houston We Have a Snow Problem
This was the scene that greeted me yesterday morning at 8AM when I stepped out my front door.
Yikes. Where did all that snow come from?
Guess what, it's still here today on our roof and patio, but the snow on the garage melted.
This is so weird. It was 18° F. this morning, and I'm about 70 miles from the Gulf.
Supposedly, we will now have 6 days of rain. This weird weather makes me think of a Stargate SG-1 episode from years ago when a planet's weather device that kept it normal and regulated was stolen which brought on cataclysmic weather changes that made the planet uninhabitable.
I think someone stole our weather gizmo, and they need to bring it back!
TAKEAWAY TRUTH
Best thing to do in this weather? Read, read, read. If not my book, then another author's.
