How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.
Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862)
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
My Quote of the Day
How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.
Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862)
Monday, June 22, 2009
Bombay Beach
Yesterday we had the opportunity to visit one of the smaller communities in Southern California, Bombay Beach. Bombay Beach is located on the east shore of the Salton Sea and, like many communities along its shores, has had to contend with rising and falling water levels. A berm now protects the west end of the town but a portion of the town beyond the berm is either sunken under water or is half-buried in mud.
Most people use golf carts to get around since the nearest gas station is 20 miles away. The community is literally a square. The majority of structures are mobile homes.
Bombay Beach is a rather surreal place, attracting many photographers and visitors. The town, as well as others on the shores of the Salton Sea, is one of the lowest settlements in altitude in North America. It is 223ft below sea level.
Bombay Beach as been filmed quite often and is very near to the San Andreas Fault and was the location of a foreshock in the fictional made for TV movie The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake (1990). Bombay Beach was also the location and the topic segment of the U.S. Southwest episode of the Travel Channel series Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations aired in 2008. A documentary (Plagues and Pleasures of the Salton Sea) about the Salton Sea also filmed and interviewed some of the local residents of Bombay Beach. We actually tried to seek out "hunky daddy" one of the more interesting individuals of this film. We were able to locate his residence, unfortunately, Hunky Daddy was not available. We're thinking he may have been recovering from the night before. It's not uncommon knowledge that Hunky Daddy likes to partake in Milwaukee's Best. (the chosen beer brand for Bombay Beach).
We'll definately be back to explore some more.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
My Fortune Telling Tea Cups
Tasseography : is a divination or fortune-telling method that interprets patterns in tea leaves
About 6 years ago, I went to Canada to visit my Aunt Dorothy. Aunt Dorothy is a collector of many things. I would say her most prevelant collection is Ironstone Dinnerware. She has LOADS of it. She is so passionate about Ironstone that she attends conventions and meets with other folks that collect it. Among some of her other collections are Fortune Telling Tea Cups. They are definately a curiousty and fascinating. I liked them so much that I started a collection of my own. My Aunt has several of these cups. In fact, more then several of them. I only have 9 and my collection is slowly growing. The only places it seems that you can locate them are antique stores and on ebay. They are fairly hard to find. Even when I ask antique stores if they know of any in their inventory, I get a blank look. And lately when I see them on ebay, the prices have increased, so I get the feeling that they are defniately getting even harder to find.
The practice of tea leaf reading originated independently in Asia and the Middle East. English potteries have crafted many beautiful tea cup sets specially designed and decorated to aid in fortune-telling.
Although many people prefer a simple white cup for tea leaf reading, there are also traditions concerning the positional placement of the leaves in the cup, and some find it easier to work with marked cups. Beginning in the late 19th century and continuing to the present, English and American potteries have produced specially decorated cup and saucer sets for the use of tea-leaf readers. Many of these designs are patented and come with instructions explaining their mode of use. Some of the most common were those that were given away with purchases of bulk tea.
There are dozens of individual designs of fortune tellers' cups, but the three most common types are zodiac cups, playing card cups, and symbol cups.
Zodiac cups - These sets contain zodiacal and planetary symbols. Typically the interior of the cup contains the planetary symbols, while the saucer has the astrological sign symbols, but there are many variations and exceptions to this common pattern.
Playing card cups - These cups carry within their interiors tiny images of a deck of scattered cards, either 52 cards plus a joker, as in a poker deck, or 32 cards, as in a euchre deck. Some sets also have a few cards imprinted on the saucers, or the saucers may contain brief written card interpretations.
Symbol cups - These sets are decorated with between a dozen and fifty of the most common visual cues that can be found in tea leaves, often numbered for easy reference and supplied with an explanatory booklet. The symbols are generally displayed inside the cups, but there are also sets in which they decorate the outside or appear in the cups and on the saucers.
I currently own 1 Zodiac Cup, 5 of the Playing Card Cups and 3 of the Symbol Cups.
If you are ever bored and you want to have some fun, I do have loose tea leaves. Come on over for a cup of tea and your fortune! Next I will blog about my Cards. Those are fun at parties!
About 6 years ago, I went to Canada to visit my Aunt Dorothy. Aunt Dorothy is a collector of many things. I would say her most prevelant collection is Ironstone Dinnerware. She has LOADS of it. She is so passionate about Ironstone that she attends conventions and meets with other folks that collect it. Among some of her other collections are Fortune Telling Tea Cups. They are definately a curiousty and fascinating. I liked them so much that I started a collection of my own. My Aunt has several of these cups. In fact, more then several of them. I only have 9 and my collection is slowly growing. The only places it seems that you can locate them are antique stores and on ebay. They are fairly hard to find. Even when I ask antique stores if they know of any in their inventory, I get a blank look. And lately when I see them on ebay, the prices have increased, so I get the feeling that they are defniately getting even harder to find.
The practice of tea leaf reading originated independently in Asia and the Middle East. English potteries have crafted many beautiful tea cup sets specially designed and decorated to aid in fortune-telling.
Although many people prefer a simple white cup for tea leaf reading, there are also traditions concerning the positional placement of the leaves in the cup, and some find it easier to work with marked cups. Beginning in the late 19th century and continuing to the present, English and American potteries have produced specially decorated cup and saucer sets for the use of tea-leaf readers. Many of these designs are patented and come with instructions explaining their mode of use. Some of the most common were those that were given away with purchases of bulk tea.
There are dozens of individual designs of fortune tellers' cups, but the three most common types are zodiac cups, playing card cups, and symbol cups.
Zodiac cups - These sets contain zodiacal and planetary symbols. Typically the interior of the cup contains the planetary symbols, while the saucer has the astrological sign symbols, but there are many variations and exceptions to this common pattern.
Playing card cups - These cups carry within their interiors tiny images of a deck of scattered cards, either 52 cards plus a joker, as in a poker deck, or 32 cards, as in a euchre deck. Some sets also have a few cards imprinted on the saucers, or the saucers may contain brief written card interpretations.
Symbol cups - These sets are decorated with between a dozen and fifty of the most common visual cues that can be found in tea leaves, often numbered for easy reference and supplied with an explanatory booklet. The symbols are generally displayed inside the cups, but there are also sets in which they decorate the outside or appear in the cups and on the saucers.
I currently own 1 Zodiac Cup, 5 of the Playing Card Cups and 3 of the Symbol Cups.
If you are ever bored and you want to have some fun, I do have loose tea leaves. Come on over for a cup of tea and your fortune! Next I will blog about my Cards. Those are fun at parties!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Bacon Swiss Squares
Welcome to Paulette's Cooking Column! (Although, I'm not much of a cook, just ask my family!)
So I found another recipe that I just had to try. Bacon Swiss Squares.....the picture looked good in the magazine and it just sounded yummy. Hey! Anything with bacon in it usually is a winner! So I whipped these guys up this morning and my family seemed to like it. I thought they were pretty good myself. I believe I'll make these again out in the Desert. My husband did make the comment that he liked my Christmas Breakfast Casserole better...but that is somewhat time consuming, but admittingly, it is really good and that's why I only prepare it once a year.
Here is the recipe for those of you who wish to try these out.
Bacon Swiss Squares
2 Cups biscuit/baking mix
1/2 cup cold water
8 ounces sliced Swiss Cheese
1 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1. In a large bowl, combine the biscuit mix and water. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 10 times. Roll into a 14-in. x 10-in. rectangle.
2. Place on the bottom and 1/2 in. up the sides of a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Arrange Cheese over dough. Sprinkle with bacon. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk and onion powder; pour over bacon.
3. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cut into squares; serve immediately.
Yield: 12 Servings
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Facebook Quizzes
What is it with Facebook Quizzes and Surveys? I'm addicted. Why? Is it my need to find out what color my chakra is? or if I am 100% girly?...or maybe the meaning behind my name, which by the way, I am Popular!!!! Gee whiz, I wish I could go back in time 25 years, I certainly wasn't popular then. Hmmmm....maybe just a popular dork!
Regardless, I have this wierd obsession with taking these quizes, really the TV show that is on now has more substance then the facebook quizes I continue to take!
Alright, I think I just got a notification there is a new quiz for me to take online. Which one should I do next? What is my cat name? or What is my vampire name?
Geez, the choices are ENDLESS!
Monday, June 8, 2009
South Carolina BBQ Pork Sliders
1 slow-cooker liner (I did not have a liner, and it was fine)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 TBsp each paprika and dried minced onion
1 1/2 tsp salt -free chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp allspice (optional)
4 lb bone-in pork shoulder roast
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sliced scallions
24 small dinner rolls
1. Line a 4-qt or larger slow-cooker with liner. Mix 1 TBsp of the brown sugar, the paprika, minced onion, chili powder, salt, garlic powder and allspice. Sprinkle 1 TBsp into bottom of slow-cooker. Rub remaining mixture over pork. Add vinegar and remaining brown sugar to slow-cooker; stir to mix. Add pork.
2. Cover and cook on low 8 - 10 hours until pork is fork-tender. Remove pork to cutting board and pull into shreds. Return to slow-cooker; add scallions and toss to coat.
3. Put about 1/4 cup onto each bun bottom. Top with bun tops.
Enjoy.
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 TBsp each paprika and dried minced onion
1 1/2 tsp salt -free chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp allspice (optional)
4 lb bone-in pork shoulder roast
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup sliced scallions
24 small dinner rolls
1. Line a 4-qt or larger slow-cooker with liner. Mix 1 TBsp of the brown sugar, the paprika, minced onion, chili powder, salt, garlic powder and allspice. Sprinkle 1 TBsp into bottom of slow-cooker. Rub remaining mixture over pork. Add vinegar and remaining brown sugar to slow-cooker; stir to mix. Add pork.
2. Cover and cook on low 8 - 10 hours until pork is fork-tender. Remove pork to cutting board and pull into shreds. Return to slow-cooker; add scallions and toss to coat.
3. Put about 1/4 cup onto each bun bottom. Top with bun tops.
Enjoy.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Crockpot Dinner Results
Well...it turned out pretty dang yummy....and the house smells great....AND......we have leftovers that will probably last the next couple of days.
Although, I have to admit, my picture isn't nearly as nice as the picture in the Woman's Day magazine where I pulled the recipe from. I tried as best as I could though. :)
Alright, I'm off to eat dinner and go watch New in Town with Renee Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr and have Apple pie for dessert. We picked that up at Costco today during our adventures....oh and speaking of adventures...
We went to Kit Carson Park to feed the ducks day old bread.....yeah, don't go feed the ducks on a Sunday mid-day and expect them to pay any attention to you. Apparently everybody else had the same idea and the ducks are pretty full of bread. Bummer! Maybe mid week we'll have better luck.
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