The Unlikely Housewife

Tested and Legitimate Ways to Earn

2013-02-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

Ways I make a little extra income from home:)
1.
If any one is looking for a way to make a little extra at home by writing or editing I just found this app through fb from one of my mommy groups. You have to pass a few tests like English composition and editing. It can't hurt you for trying and whatever you make goes directly to you paypal account the next day. Even if I don't make much any extra is going to be appreciated and I thought I'd pass it along, that's the link,

Cloud Crowd

2.
Recently discovered Cashcrate. Search and surveys. They will send you a check out each month after you reach $20.00. :)

CashCrate

3.
Hey, for those of you who don't know about Swagbucks it's a great way to get gift cards and other things to help you out. I get cards for Amazon, Walmart, restaurants, and even Gamestop for my man.
All you have to do is search, watch videos your interested in, and if you want to you can do surveys. Give it a shot♥

Swagbucks

Living on one income is hard so this help us out by having something extra.<3

Google Nexus 7 32GB Tablet NEXUS7ASUS- (Google Affiliate Ad)Google Nexus 7 Black Wi-Fi 32GB Tablet - NEXUS7ASUS1B32 (Google Affiliate Ad)

Rainy Weather Zapping My Strength

2012-01-23T06:55:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Everyone!
This weather outside is just dragging me down. It's cold, wet, and just plain hibernating weather. So, in result of this I'm going to be lazy and post some music for this rainy day. Hope you enjoy and stay dry.

Would You Cheat and Go to the Ending?

2012-01-18T06:53:00.000-08:00

   Good Morning Everyone!
             Feeling a little philosophical this morning. If you could hold your life's story in your hand, would you read page by page or go straight to the last chapter and see what happens. Would the temptation to know be to much? All your hopes and aspirations, would they have come true?
             We all sit around and daydream about our lives. We wonder if things will ever turn out as we planned them. Will I have the career that I'm striving for? Will my house be just as I dreamed it? Will I have the two kids with the white picket fence and the dog yapping in the yard? I wonder why it's so hard to live in the present and forget about the future. But, thinking on it if we didn't dream about these things would we ever strive to get anywhere.
               What about when we are faced with the dreams of those we love? There are many different people in this world. There are those that support unquestionably, those who turn all ideas into trash, those who run you over to achieve their own, and there are those who will combine both dreams to work hard at making anything possible. What do you think you are? I like to think I'm the latter, at least I'm hoping I am, but I hope that I can think logically too.
                For the ones who look at you like your crazy, what can you say to them. You can only plan for the worst and hope for the best, but how do you explain that to others when it's pertaining to you. Unfortunately, the comments from these people can wear you down, make you wonder if you are doing the right thing, or even wonder if those wonderful hopes you got are full of hot air. How far can you fill your balloon up before it pops in your face?
                 We all want a better life and to want it, most need to struggle for it. You will never know until after it's done if you have made the right choices, what if there were all right choices, what if they were all wrong? There are so many questions pertaining to life, is it wrong to try to make your own answers to those questions. There's a big question that only can be answered by you, though. Would it be worth it? If the answer to this is yes, then you need to focus on that. Find your strength to deal with those who question you. Don't just jump, make a plan of attack. Gain a backbone to face those who will disagree with your actions. Be prepared for things to fall apart and be prepared for your dreams to come true.
                  I ask again, would you skip to the ending if you had the chance? Most would, but others would say just enjoy the ride. I find myself just hoping for the best. I hope those around me will be gracious enough to put forth a effort to hide they're negative thoughts and pursue the greater hope that we will all achieve what we are meant to. I hope that I can support the ones I love and to strive to make our dreams come true together. I hope to fight against the negative voices which will try to bring me down. But in the end that is what all this is about just hope.
                  Have a good day everyone and I, also, hope all your dreams you are fighting for will come true for you. Thanks for listening.

Revenge Can Happen in the Morning

2012-01-15T06:12:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Everyone!
              Recently I've come to the conclusion that my daughter is never going to want to sleep until her teenager years arrive and since that means another 10 to 11 years of me being woke up at the wee hours of the morning I've decided that when the time finally comes revenge will be totally justified. Now let me explain for a minute I don't mind waking up early on the weekdays, but when the weekend arrives I would really relish another extra hour of sleep. I'm a Leo, which means I'm part kitty cat and as all of you know cats really enjoy their sleep, especially in the early morning hours where we can stretch out in the rising sun. Oh, to sleep in the bright sunshine how I miss you........
The plus side of being awake in the early hours of the weekend is that I have plenty of time, while the rest of the world is still asleep, to plan my rightful revenge against my child. Now some of you prissy people out there right now may think I'm a horrible person for planning revenge against my child, well this is what I have to say to you.........I'm the one who spent 38 weeks carrying her around inside me, while vomiting the entire time, there is no such thing as morning sickness it's anytime sickness, then went through almost 13 hours of hard labor not counting the first 17 hours I sat in that hospital bed because my water was leaking and I was having contractions. Then as a "thank you mommy" she precedes to wake me up all through the night and early in the morning since then. I love her and I will do anything for her, even if it means dragging my a** out of bed every morning. So, with all that I don't think planning some premeditated revenge against her teen years is all that bad. If you feel different on that, I'm sorry, but I think it will be awesome fun.
               Here are the few ideas I have planned so far.........................

                                                 Breakfast With A Side of Revenge

1. Learn to play the drums, play drum solo to the sunrise.

2. Hide the crying baby doll under her bed.

3. Give a whipped cream hair do in her sleep.

4. Make a recorded tape of people screaming "Good Morning!," place on a timer.

5. Buy cymbals, play cymbals while marching through house.

6. Place 2 car jacks under bed, gently rise bed, Scream Fire!!!

7. Make recorded of people screaming for "Barney!," place on timer.

8. Set clocks forward 2 hours on a school day, see what happens when alarm goes off (keep straight face)

                                  --------------------------------------------------------

          Well, that's all I have for now, but as I said I still have 10 to 11 more years to come up with some really great stuff. Time to go get started on the day. I hope you all have a wonderful day and if you come up with any great revenge plans, let me know, maybe when the time comes I'll have a book full of things I can try. :)


Going to be so much fun!!!

10 Random Ideas for a Boring Rainy Day

2012-01-11T06:52:00.000-08:00

Good Morning! Woke up to a dark, dreary, rainy morning here. So, now I'm sitting here thinking of things to do today. Here's the random list I've created:

1. Throw all the dishes outside and see if Mother Nature can clean as good as you.

2. Make mud pies with your kids, then take it out of the oven when husband comes home, say it's chocolate cream, and see what happens.

3. Sit in the dark telling ghost stories till someone screams, hopefully not you.

4. While your throwing the dishes out there, might as well throw the laundry out there too.

5. Put on the ugly clothes you got for Christmas last year and go roll in some red mud, use the excuse the kids attacked and you'll never be guilt tripped into wearing it again.

6. Use the mud as war paint and have a mud-ball fight.

7. Collect the rainwater and make wet drawings on the kitchen floor, because it's gonna get dirty anyway.

8. Make muddy sculptures.

9. Create mini pool in your yard for a free mud bath, inexpensive spa day.

10. Cover yourself head to toe in mud and see how many people you can sneak up on.

Hope you enjoy these free rainy day ideas. Personally, I think I'll just watch some old movies and read a book, but it was fun coming up with these ideas and to really freak out Lover man with number 2. (Told him I'd cover it with whipped cream and he'd never know.) Y'all have a safe and wonderful day.

Good Tarot Readings Make You Feel Good

2012-01-09T05:39:00.000-08:00

           Good Morning! As you can all tell from my last post my life has got scrambled (mmm...eggs sound good) a little bit, due to the fiasco with schooling. I'm taking the positive route, though, being upset about it would have just pushed me the wrong direction. Instead I am going after what I really want for myself and that is writing. Well, happiness yesterday was I received the information from Penn Foster that I had requested. They are a regionally and nationally accredited school. I still need to check if the credits I earn from them would later be accepted for any further education I desire after them. They should, but I'd like to hear someone say yes to that exact sentence. What I'm looking at is a course in Freelance Writing to just help me get into the business of writing and to help improve my righteous skills.:)

Here's their link: http://www.pennfoster.edu/writer/index.html

They have low monthly payments, books included in payment, which is why they received my attention. It'll be nice to feel like I'm learning something again, since last semester it didn't feel like I learned anything. I should be able to start after tax time, so Woohoooo!! Happy Dance!! :)
   I know your probably confused by my title now, but I'm getting there. After learning more of their program I feel at the least like I'm heading in a direction. Last night after some thought I figured it might be good for me to do a reading for myself. I'm not the greatest with tarot readings, though, I don't feel a strong connection with the deck I have. I think I need to get a new one, but it does serve my purpose when I need it to. One thing I'd like to say right here is that nobody should devote themselves to the outcome. The future can not be told. Things like that would make life too easy. It would be depressing to think we have no control over our lives, so know that whatever outcomes you receive in anything that is foretelling you should take it with a grain of salt. Last night, though, I needed to see something telling me I was at least pointed in a good direction.

My Spread Last Night

I'm happy with what I received. I had a lot of harmony and balance showing and creative juices flowing. The next photo is of the first column represented Self. I love when I get the Magician.

I'm not going to go in to a long thing of telling you what each card means, because they can mean different things for different people. I just wanted to let y'all know that after this I feel a lot better about where I'm heading and for the people who are weirded out about stuff like that let me explain. It's like waking up and reading your horoscope for the day, you don't have to believe it, but it does give you a positive on the day if it's good. So, I got my positive boost. Thanks for listening, hope you all have a wonderful day.

*****Below is a link to learn more about tarot reading, it's not a good one, (because I don't trust wikipedia a lot) but it could be a place for you to start an interest.*****
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarot

New Year and New Beginnings

2012-01-06T05:15:00.000-08:00

                Well I'm back, took some time for the holiday season. I think next year I'll start in June on the Christmas presents. Sitting up till 2am and waking up at 5am just to sew was ridiculous. I did have wonderful time though. Lover man of mine has always made me enjoy the holidays more and when our daughter came into the world during that season just made it a whole lot better. Her birthday falls in the beginning of December. While it's wonderful, I'm still exhausted with everything squished together. Cooking the meals for the regular holidays, pagan holidays, and 2 birthdays was extremely daunting. Then decorating and de-decorating. Gifts to be made, parties to plan, cards to send..............it just got crazy. So fully decided I'm starting early next year.
                 But, the new year, as wonderful as it is, there are always something that rises up and smacks you down. I was denied my financial aid this semester due to my low grades. I tried, I truly did, but the child development classes I was taking online should have never been there. I took online classes because of Lover man working and us only having one car. I needed to be home with the kid. Which you would think are all good reasons to take online classes, right? So, you wouldn't need to leave the house, right?.......Not!!!! Three of my classes all required me to complete assignments by going somewhere. This was not in the course descriptions and I figured when the time came that I needed to do that kind of stuff would be later in my education. Besides that it defiantly wouldn't be offered online. Well, the worst part was these assignments turned out to be the majority of my grade. One class wanted me to find an after-school program, go there and rate it on the SACERS scale. When at the time Lover man wasn't coming home till way after any after-school program was open.
                Life is not fair, though. So, without the backing of the government I watched as my world was narrowed back down to crummy customer service jobs paying minimum wage for the rest of my life. Sad, I know. For all you people in those jobs, I'm sorry, it is great just to have a job, but I've been there done that. I have served my time. Eight long years is more than enough for me to handle. One of my friends trying to console me stated, "But, we're good at it." Well, just because I'm good at barking like a dog and shaking my tail doesn't mean I necessarily need to do it in public all the time. It's fun sometimes but you can't make a good living at it. Actually, I should probably try to make money by barking and shaking, probably would pay more than McDonald's. Anyways beat down once again I decided to take it as a sign. This was never my dream. My dreams, though, were thoroughly set ablaze by the ex-marriage from hell. A person can only take so much of being told it won't ever happen and you should just do something else before they start to believe it.
                It's been three years now, I need to get over it. Get that voice out of my head saying that I'll never complete anything. In the light of the new year I will uncover my lost hopes and dreams, dig them out and blow away the dust that has gathered. I will start again. A phoenix rising up through the fire. My dream has been inside me for as long as I can remember, well at least from the time I was old enough to realize it was a real career. I want to be a writer. I want that book with my name on the inside and my words to be remembered after I'm gone. I want to convey fear, hope, love, and loss all on a page and to know something I might of said would stick to a person's mind.
                I have begun looking for new education options to help me on my way, but I think this time I can do it. I talked it over with Lover man and told him about the mental support I would need. He gave me the best ever answer I could ever hope for, "I know you can do it." Sweet, huh? He has his moments.:) I dug out the various books I have started and began looking them over. Picked the one that has been running around in my head begging and pleading to be finished. As I was doing further research for my characters last night, guess what, I caught Lover man helping me. I asked him if he was going to help me research for more after that and with a big grin he said, "I can." What more can I ever ask for than someone backing me up and encouraging me.
                  And, as my mother is reading this, just let me stop here and make her feel better. She has always supported my writing. She has always supported everything I feel strongly about, except my morgue attendant plan (which would have been totally awesome, but way to much math for me to handle). With all her support it still didn't effect me against the negative responses I received from the past. Mommies have to support their kid's ideas, it's a law. So, with all your support momma your opinion seemed bias, but still very much loved. With the two of you backing me and the help of my wonderful hippie mermaid friend, you know who are, my goal doesn't seem nearly as hard to reach as it once did.
   With all this my new year may have started rocky, but has become a new refreshing beginning. I'm not living in make believe fantasy land either. I know writing a book is hard and writing a good book is extremely hard, but I would like to know I've tried and tried damn good at making it work. This is my new beginning, my new hope for this year, by the end of it I hope to have my manuscript done and sent in to some of the wonderful publishing companies I have looked at. One day my name will be on the cover of some book that hopefully some of you would read, no pressure though. I hope everyone else had a wonderful holiday season and bright beginnings this year. Wish me luck on this new hope of mine and I will be back on here with some new posts, maybe more entertaining than me blabbing on about my precarious future in writing:). I will leave you today with a song I found for housewives to help you get through the day of cleaning and child-rearing ahead of us...............................................

                                                Pistol Annies-Housewife Prayer:)

For the Mothers Out There

2011-11-02T07:58:00.000-07:00

             I haven't wrote on here in a while, things have been hectic and when my brain goes on overload I tend to lose my inspiration for a little while. But, I found something that needs to be said, something that is too important to me not to be said................

Mothers everywhere this is for you..........................

          From the moment most women learn that they are carrying a new life, the worries begin. How am I going to do this? Will I be a good mother? Can I give my child a happy life?
All these questions are legitimate, because we can only hope right? Well this will continue for the rest of our life's, because a mother's work is never done. We can constantly berate our own parenting skills because of our child's tears. We will make mistakes, but only because that fantasized handbook we all wanted never does appear. Although, the mistakes are made naturally for lack of better knowledge at the time we will still condemn ourselves to that dreaded name, "Bad Mother."
          When we must be strong and teach our children right from wrong (wow I rhymed), the kids or anyone else for that matter will never know we are normally sitting behind a door somewhere crying our eyes out wondering if we have done the right thing. Sometimes we have to take a break and we will feel useless as parents for this need. They're my children why should I need a break? We shed many tears in the name of parenthood. We call ourselves names. We say all these things to ourselves, but we forget that those tears, these worries, and the fear, are what prove we are good mothers. We forget that the number one thing in being a good mother means that you care.
           And this is where we get twisted. Sometimes, we must say no. No is a word that can be horrible to tell your own offspring, in the face of their tears and their words. We must say this sometimes, though, for their protection, their safety, their health, their maturity, and even their future feelings. The term, "I've been there," is often thought of when we save their feelings. We are the ones who must help our children to grow and learn to survive on their own. At times, we have to be the bad one, the mean one, the unfair one, just so we can save our children from themselves. Then in the end we shut the door, cry, call ourselves horrible mothers, and wonder why we can't always make our children happy.
           This is what should tell us we are good mothers, though. We care and we cry. We forget that there are mothers out there who don't do these things. That could care less if their child cries. That allow all just to make them not cry, those who don't protect them. Those who can't stand up against the pain of being told by our children that they hate us for saying no. We are good mothers because we bear the burden of our child's tears. Their tears become our tears. In the end, we do what's best for our kids. It hurts, but we bear the pain for our children just as we did when we brought them into this world.
          I will leave this with a story I found and though it makes reference to God I think we can all take something from this story. We are good mothers, even when we think we are not. I can't say that what I am writing will make any of us change our minds, but I hope it can sometimes remind us of why we feel the way we do and that in the end we are good mothers. We are just doing are best.

~ Tears of a Woman ~

"Mom Why are you crying?"
"Why are you crying?" he asked his mom.
"Because I'm a woman" she told him.
"I don't understand," he said.
His mom just hugged him and said, "and you never
will"..........

Later the little boy asked his father, "Why does
mother seem to cry for no reason?"

"All women cry for no reason," was all
his dad could say........

The little boy grew up and became a man,
still wondering why women cry...

Finally he put in a call to GOD; when GOD got on the
phone the man said, "GOD, why do women cry so
easily?"

GOD said.......
When I made women she had to be special. I made her
shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the
world; yet, gentle enough to give comfort....

I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and
the rejection that many times comes from her
children......

I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going
when everyone else gives up and take care of her
family through sickness and fatigue without
complaining......

I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under
any and all circumstances, even when her child has
hurt them very badly...

This same sensitivity helps her to make a child's
boo-boo feel better and shares in their teenagers

anxieties and fears.......

I gave her strength to carry her husband through his
faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his
heart.

I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never
hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and
her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly.

I gave her a tear to shed, It's hers exclusively
use whenever it is needed. It's her only
weakness....It's a tear for mankind.......
~Author Unknown~

Delay

2011-09-21T05:44:00.000-07:00

I'm not having a lot of time for posts right now, as I'm preparing for Mabon. I will get back to posting after the holiday. Thank you. Have a Blessed Mabon Everyone!:)

Day 8 - A photo of a magical place outdoors

2011-09-16T05:45:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!!!
So for this challenge I have to tell you my magical place for me is a secret. No one knows where I would go if I needed this place of mine and I kind of like it that way. A place of serenity just for me. Public can see it and not understand it. People live by it and never realize it's there. I've mentioned it many times in different conversations, but no one will remember the significance. It's not out of the way but in the open. People can see me and not realize I'm hiding. It is wonderful to me and I will keep my secret. So, instead of pictures of my space, I'm posting pictures of other beautiful places...........

Any place can be magical, people just need to look harder.:)

Day 7 of my Witchy Challenge

2011-09-15T07:01:00.000-07:00

Air

Air is the element of the East, connected to the soul and the breath of life. If you’re doing a working related to communication, wisdom or the powers of the mind, Air is the element to focus on. Air carries away your troubles, blows away strife, and carries positive thoughts to those who are far away. Air is associated with the colors yellow and white, and connects to the Tarot suit of Swords.

Air Signs: Libra, Gemini, & Aquarius

Air signs represent the mind, intellectual, ideas, detached, social, conceptual.

Thanks to Molly Hall for below check link:

http://astrology.about.com/od/elements/qt/BalanceAir.htm

The air element is expressed through thoughts, currents and the nervous system. It's associated with synapses firing in the brain, and Oxygen flowing into the lungs and blood stream. This element is about the breath, and seeking inspiration, a word that means "breathing in." It's home territory is the vast mental field, where "thoughts are things" that creates the tangible outline of our lives.

Air is one of the four elements -- the others are fire, water and earth -- and each one is important for your sense of well-being. Air lifts us up to seeing with new eyes. When air is in balance, your mind is free and flexible. You mentally travel and explore, allowing new ideas to widen your horizon. It's exhilarating to breakthrough old ways of thinking, because that sets real external change in motion. Air brings emotional detachment, and that helps you make good decisions. When the air is moving, it makes for lively sociability, and keeps you curious and always learning.

When there's too much air, it's hard to feel grounded and in your body. You can be lost with your head in the clouds. You find it hard to tie down your free-floating ideas to tangible, daily effort. Your busy mind keeps you awake with insomnia. You are high-strung with erratic breathing (possibly a smoker). You dissipate your energy by talking, texting, emailing, etc. You feel like you can't organize your thoughts. There's too much static and not enough space...room to breathe.

When there's too little air, it's hard to see yourself with any objectivity. You're apathetic, bored. You don't see a point to what you're doing.

Ways to ground Air:

Don't skip a meal and take time to eat slowly.
Cut back on caffeine and other stimulants.
Take a break from the information deluge.
Turn off your cell phone for awhile.
Give yourself time to wind down before bedtime.
Steer clear of anxiety-inducing images and news.
Find healthy ways to burn off nervous energy.

Ways to Bring Air Balance into Your Life:

Spend some time watching clouds.
Plant flowers or visit a butterfly garden.
Fly a kite.
Spend some time bird watching, draw them to your home.
Sage your space.
Open the windows on fresh air days.
Seek out a high perch with a view to the horizon.
Breathing meditation (following the breath)
Make a wish and blow out a candle.
Work out, bringing Oxygen to the cells
take a beginner's course in something that fascinates you.
Keep a journal as a tangible record of your thoughts.
Bring wind chimes into your garden or home.

Other ideas:

Try Tai Chi or Qigong, two flowy meditative martial art practices.
Experiment with aromatherapy.
Experience wind surfing or hang gliding.
Parachute out of an airplane.
Making sure you get plenty of time with no set agenda.

Day 6 of my Witchy Challenge

2011-09-14T05:45:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!

Day 6 is about a Favorite God.

Odin

In Norse mythology, Odin was a one-eyed god, the wisest of the Aesirs and their leader, displacing Thor. Odin was also a god of the dead. He helped to slay Ymir. Odin was accompanied by two ravens who informed him of the doings of the gods, giants, dwarves, and men. He lost his eye in exchange for a drink from a sacred well full of knowledge and learned songs and runes by hanging onto Yggdrasil for nine days. At Ragnarok, Odin dies while fighting Fenrir.
Odin is also known as Woden among the Teutons.

Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

2011-09-13T07:06:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 (15 ounce) can solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 to 1 cup pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg in a large bowl.
*~(Add chopped pecans to mixture, don't forget to save some for top. If some don't care for nuts you can either leave out or just top with pecan halfs on top for easy removal)~*
Add pumpkin, ½ cup of water. Stir until just mixed.
(I only used the pecans for topping since my daughter doesn't care for them much.)
Spoon batter into oil-sprayed muffin cups, filling to just below tops. Top with pecans.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until tops of muffins bounce back when pressed lightly. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Remove muffins from pan and cool on a rack. Store cooled muffins in an airtight container.

6. Enjoy with some coffee!!!!

***Posted for The Pagan Mom Blog- it's not the Pumpkin Pecan Bread, that will come closer to Mabon but here's a quick treat:)***

Danny's Fried Chicken

2011-09-12T19:35:00.000-07:00


Danny's Fried Chicken

Ingredients -
2 cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon basil
4 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 tablespoon onion power
8 chicken pieces
2 beaten eggs
Oil

Directions:

1. Heat oil in pan.

2. Pat chicken with paper towel to remove most of the grease/juice.

3. Mix all the spices and flour in a large plastic bag.

4. Dip the chicken pieces in the egg.

5. Place them in the flour mixture bag and shake, completely cover.

6. Place the chicken pieces in pan, one at a time with tongs careful not to splash hot oil.

(Don't overcrowd your pan, very Important)

7. Fry the chicken for 10 minutes on each side, until it is golden brown and cooked through.

Drain on racks for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Tips on Frying Chicken:

If you want to make fried chicken, you can get good results using a fryer, broiler, capon, young chicken, and roaster or game hen.
Soaking the chicken overnight in brine or buttermilk makes the meat more tender and juicy.
Slice whole chicken breasts in half for more even cooking. They also cook faster like this.
Adding celery sticks to the frying oil enhances the color and flavor of the fried chicken.
Dry any wet utensils before they touch the hot cooking oil to avoid the hot fat spattering.
Use tongs instead of a fork to turn the chicken. A fork might pierce the skin and the chicken will lose juices.
If you like your chicken fried, try peanut oil. It gives the chicken a great flavor.
Drain fried chicken on a brown paper bag or metal rack. Draining it on paper towels might make it lose crispiness. In addition, covering it will make it lose all crispiness.

Quick Chicken Casserole

2011-09-12T19:06:00.000-07:00


Quick Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:
1 box (regular size) Velveeta Mac 'N' Cheese
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 a Onion (chopped) --optional
1/2 - 1 cup Sliced Mushrooms (1 small can, drained) --optional
1 cup Chopped Bacon
2 Chicken Breast (cubed)
Handful of Shredded Cheese (Mozzarella colors real good in oven & tastes good)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cook noodles as directed by box.

3. Fry Chicken Breast and Bacon together in pan.

4. When chicken and bacon are fully cooked, add Onion and Mushrooms to pan.

5. When it all looks as pretty as you want it to, mix in Noodles and cheese sauce packet.

6. Pour in Cream of Chicken Soup, mix well and pour in a casserole dish.

7. Top with Shredded Cheese and put in oven for 10 mins.

8. Take out and enjoy! :)

***You can also top the casserole with french fried onions, gives it some crunch:)***

Day 5 - Favorite Goddess - Artemis

2011-09-12T08:12:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!!!

            Day 5 of my witchy challenge is who's my favorite Goddness. I connect more with the deity, Artemis, a strong woman who can stand toe to toe with any man and still have the caring and compassion to help with child birth. She protects the land. Her arrows are painless, she protects the animals, even though she hunts. She is a warrior from birth and I look up to her strong will power. Thanks to Ron Ledbetter from http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/artemis.html , I can provide some information on her.
              She is the daughter of Leto and Zeus, and the twin of Apollo. Artemis is the goddess of the wilderness, the hunt and wild animals, and fertility (she became a goddess of fertility and childbirth mainly in cities). She was often depicted with the crescent of the moon above her forehead and was sometimes identified with Selene (goddess of the moon). Artemis was one of the Olympians and a virgin goddess. Her main vocation was to roam mountain forests and uncultivated land with her nymphs in attendance hunting for lions, panthers, hinds and stags. Contradictory to the later, she helped in protecting and seeing to their well-being, also their safety and reproduction. She was armed with a bow and arrows which were made by Hephaestus and the Cyclopes.
         In one legend, Artemis was born one day before her brother Apollo. Her mother gave birth to her on the island of Ortygia, then, almost immediately after her birth, she helped her mother to cross the straits over to Delos, where she then delivered Apollo. This was the beginning of her role as guardian of young children and patron of women in childbirth. Being a goddess of contradictions, she was the protectress of women in labor, but it was said that the arrows of Artemis brought them sudden death while giving birth. As was her brother, Apollo, Artemis was a divinity of healing, but also brought and spread diseases such as leprosy, rabies and even gout.
            Being associated with chastity, Artemis at an early age (in one legend she was three years old) asked her father, the great god Zeus, to grant her eternal virginity. Also, all her companions were virgins. Artemis was very protective of her purity, and gave grave punishment to any man who attempted to dishonor her in any form. Actaeon, while out hunting, accidentally came upon Artemis and her nymphs, who bathing naked in a secluded pool. Seeing them in all their naked beauty, the stunned Actaeon stopped and gazed at them, but when Artemis saw him ogling them, she transformed him into a stag. Then, incensed with disgust, she set his own hounds upon him. They chased and killed what they thought was another stag, but it was their master. As with Orion, a giant and a great hunter, there are several legends which tell of his death, one involving Artemis.
          It is said that he tried to rape the virgin goddess, so she killed him with her bow and arrows. Another says she conjured up a scorpion which killed Orion and his dog. Orion became a constellation in the night sky, and his dog became Sirius, the dog star. Yet another version says it was the scorpion which stung him and was transformed into the constellation with Orion, the later being Scorpio. Artemis was enraged when one of her nymphs, Callisto, allowed Zeus to seduce her, but the great god approached her in one of his guises; he came in the form of Artemis. The young nymph was unwittingly tricked, and she gave birth to Arcas, the ancestor of the Arcadians, but Artemis showed no mercy and changed her into a bear. She then shot and killed her. As Orion, she was sent up to the heavens, and became the constellation of the Great Bear (which is also known as the Plough).
          Artemis was very possessive. She would show her wrath on anyone who disobeyed her wishes, especially against her sacred animals. Even the great hero Agamemnon came upon the wrath of Artemis, when he killed a stag in her sacred grove. His punishment came when his ships were becalmed, while he made his way to besiege Troy. With no winds to sail his ships he was told by the seer Calchas that the only way Artemis would bring back the winds was for him to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia. Some versions say he did sacrifice Iphigenia, others that Artemis exchanged a deer in her place, and took Iphigenia to the land of the Tauri (the Crimea) as a priestess, to prepare strangers for sacrifice to Artemis.
       Artemis with her twin brother, Apollo, put to death the children of Niobe. The reason being that Niobe, a mere mortal, had boasted to Leto, the mother of the divine twins, that she had bore more children, which must make her superior to Leto. Apollo being outraged at such an insult on his mother, informed Artemis. The twin gods hunted them down and shot them with their bows and arrows; Apollo killed the male children and Artemis the girls.
          Artemis was worshiped in most Greek cities but only as a secondary deity. However, to the Greeks in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) she was a prominent deity. In Ephesus, a principal city of Asia Minor, a great temple was built in her honor, which became one of the "Seven Wonders of the Ancient World". But at Ephesus she was worshiped mainly as a fertility goddess, and was identified with Cybele the mother goddess of eastern lands. The cult statues of the Ephesian Artemis differ greatly from those of mainland Greece, whereas she is depicted as a huntress with her bow and arrows. Those found at Ephesus show her in the eastern style, standing erect with numerous nodes on her chest. There have been many theories as to what they represent. Some say they are breasts, others that they are bulls testes which were sacrificed to her. Which is the true interpretation remains uncertain, but each represent fertility.
          There were festivals in honor of Artemis, such as the Brauronia, which was held in Brauron; and the festival of Artemis Orthia, held at Sparta, when young Spartan boys would try to steal cheeses from the altar. As they tried they would be whipped, the meaning of Orthia and the nature of the ritual whipping has been lost and there is no logical explanation or translation. Among the epithets given to Artemis are: Potnia Theron (mistress of wild animals) this title was mentioned by the great poet Homer; Kourotrophos (nurse of youth's); Locheia (helper in childbirth); Agrotera (huntress); and Cynthia (taken from her birthplace on Mount Cynthus on Delos). When young girls reached puberty they were initiated into her cult, but when they decided to marry, which Artemis was not against, they were asked to lay in front of the altar all the paraphernalia of their virginity, toys, dolls and locks of their hair, they then left the domain of the virgin goddess.

----Well I'm trying to fix lunch. I have 3 recipes I'm posting soon. Have a good day people.

Day 4 of my Witchy Challenge - Picture of nature (water element)

2011-09-09T05:36:00.000-07:00

Hey, yeah I'm trying to catch up a little......

Pictures I've chosen to represent Water

Water can be seen as soothing and tranquil or it can be a battle of force, raging, and dangerous. We should respect all the qualities of the elements. Water is something that we can never catch all of and it will slide out of our hands if we try. As humans we need to take the time to preserve the purity of our waters. Between the chemicals being poured in and in the air. Our natural resources are being polluted by the disregard we now place on our planet. So many forget that the earth is living and trying to survive too. We need to be careful before that movie, "The Happening" becomes reality and all the plants decide, since we are not taking care of them and destroying large amounts of land for property, that they just might need to reduce our population some. Something to think about.......
Hope everyone has a good day!!!

Day 3 of the Witchy Challenge- The Athame

2011-09-09T04:47:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!! Sorry about the delays......Day 3 - About the Athame

           An Athame or Athamé is a ceremonial dagger, with a double-edged blade and usually a black handle. The athame stands as one of the four elemental tools in Wicca and is also used in various other neopagan witchcraft traditions; traditionally standing for fire, as does the ritual sword. (From the known origins of Wicca, with Gardner's own Book of Shadows, the athame represents fire; where the wand corresponds to air. Other varieties of Wiccan practice may switch those two around.) The athame is an individual ritual tool, while the sword is more appropriate as a coven tool, or the personal tool of the high priest or high priestess. There are obvious risks associated with an entire group of people all wielding swords, while confined within a small ritual circle space nine feet in diameter; this safety factor, as well as ease of use, may explain why the emphasis within Wicca is more on each witch's personal athame, rather than the ritual sword.
             The athame's primary use is to channel and direct psychic energy, generally conceived as etheric fire. If things such as herbs or cords need to be cut, another knife called a boline - a white-handled knife - is used. An exception is the "kitchen witchcraft" philosophy, which actively encourages the use of magical tools for mundane purposes to increase the witch's familiarity with them.
             The ritual drawing of the boundary of the Magic circle - also known as "casting the circle" - is usually done with either a ritual sword or an athame, in traditional coven practice. For open rituals in public places, this is sometimes done with a ritual wand or staff instead, since there may be legal complications involved with swords and daggers in public places, even when the edges have been dulled. In most traditional covens, the athame is associated with the magical element of fire, so the circle is considered to be cast in etheric fire. This fire is traditionally envisioned as blue, indigo or violet; although it may equally well be envisioned as other colors. When the circle is ritually purified after being cast, that is traditionally done with the remaining three elements -- air (incense), water (salt-water), and earth (salt) -- because the element of fire has already been imbued into the circle during the casting, by the use of the athame.
              After the casting, the athame is the tool traditionally used to invoke the elemental guardians of the four directions - also termed "calling the quarters" - typically by drawing elemental pentagrams at each quarter. This important traditional practice is one of the reasons often given for the requirement that the athame must be double-edged; because attempting to trace a pentagram in the air with a single-edged blade will require some awkward twisting of the hand and wrist, in order to keep the single cutting edge in the direction of motion.
              As a masculine principle, the athame is often used in combination with the chalice, as feminine principle, evoking the act of procreation, as a symbol of universal creativity. The athame represents the magical element of fire, associated with the Sun and the Horned God; while the chalice represents the magical element of water, associated with the Moon and the Goddess. The union of the two then represents the union of God and Goddess, male and female, sun and moon, fire and water. The marriage of the Sun and Moon -- the union of opposites -- is an ancient idea in alchemy; and the hieros gamos or sacred marriage of god and goddess is an even more ancient idea in pagan religions. (For example, in ancient Greece - from whence the term "hieros gamos" comes.) This rite is done by dipping the athame into the chalice to bless the wine. This is a symbol of the Great Rite in Wiccan rituals.
^{--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------}
^{Thanks Wikipedia for helping me easily give information. At the moment I only possess a sword to work with, but for small things, I make do with my grandfather's knife when I need to, though. I am a strong believer of it being the power of the mind we put in to things. I am unable to afford something more appropriate at the time being. But, I think with the strong connection I hold with the particular knife I've chosen to use, it does not disrupt my flow. I like to remember that in the old days not every person could of possessed an athame to work either. So I'm just remembering where we've come from and making due with what nature has given me.}

Slacking

2011-09-08T05:07:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Everyone!!!
Just wanted to let everyone know my posts will start back either today or at the latest tomorrow morning. I've some house hold responsibilities I couldn't put off. I have some new recipes to post and my Day 3 witchy challenge. Hope everyone's having a good week:)

Day 2 of My Witchy Challenge - A Myth or Folklore

2011-09-05T16:19:00.000-07:00

The Unicorn

The Unicorn is approx. 5000 years old, according to ancient documents and is found throughout world legends.

The Unicorn is traced back to Pagan mythology. This pagan creature was accepted into medieval Europe and became a symbol of Christ. Some early Hebrew scriptures also mention the Unicorn as a biblical beast. In some Christian interpretations the Unicorn was associated with the Virgin Mary and Christ.

Part of the Unicorn's origin, like many other mythical creatures lies in Greek Mythology.

This is the story:

The Greek God Zeus was nursed by the she-goat Amalthea, which was later transformed into the star "Capella" (latan for "goat") because of the god's gratitude. In one version of this story Zeus broke off one of the goats horns which spilled out and unlimited amount of food. This horn became known as the "Horn of Plenty".

The Horn

A Unicorn's horn was very valuable in medieval times because it was believed to cure illnesses including stomach trouble and epilepsy as well as neutralize poison. This all was believed because of the horn's fabled purity, so it was commonly used in medications. The actual horns that were used in medieval times were that of the Narwhal (Monodom Monoceros), which is also called the "Unicorn of the Sea" The male narwhals have one twisted tusk on their nose, much like that of the Unicorn. The healing power of this horn is what made the Unicorn a symbol of medicine and healing.

In Medieval times there was concerns whether or not Alicorns were true. Rumors were that there were many fakes. So scientists came up with tests to tell whether they were true or not.

- When a true horn is put in water it will bubble. The water will seem to boil, though cold and you can hear boiling.

- The true horn will give out a sweet odor when burned.

- Poisonous plants and animals burst and die when brought near to a true horn.

- A true horn will sweat in the presence of poison.

- It is said to bleed when poisonous food is brought near it.

- A true horn is heavy, extremely hard and the color of boxwood.

- It will save the life of a pigeon poisoned with arsenic.

- A true horn will kill scorpions.

- If you draw a circle around a spider with a true horn it will not be able to leave the circle and will starve to death.

The Unicorn Symbolizes

-Spring

-Purity

-Honesty

-Religion

-The Virgin Mary

-Christ

-Healing

-Medication

-King of Animals

-Medieval Heraldry

-The Moon

Day 2 was spent trying to figure out all day what myth I wanted to put up. Finally, my mom called me to tell me about how when I was young I had a magic Unicorn in my backyard. This was how my mother would get me ready for bed. Every night we would set out apples for my magical pet and in the morning only the core was left. My mother who doesn't like apples admits to devouring a lot back then. So, this story from my mother made my decision. Unicorns may represent all those things up there, but to me they represent how lucky I am to have my mother. Someone who has always done everything in her power to see me happy, even by eating something unpleasant. I will never be able to express the gratitude I have for the wonderful gift of her being in my life. I Love You Momma!!!!!

2011-09-04T18:38:00.000-07:00

As soon I get to go back to the grocery store I am so, so, so going to try this recipe. I just found it and I had to share.

Coffee Fudge Recipe
1/2 pint full cream milk
1/2 cup caster/superfine sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons strong black coffee

Put the milk and sugar into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Add the butter.
Stir continuously over a low heat, allowing all butter and sugar to melt and slowly bring to the boil.
Allow to boil gently for about 15 minutes, stirring several times.
Drop a little of the fudge into a saucer of cold water, when it forms a soft ball, it's ready.
Add the coffee.
Leave it to cool for a few minutes then use a wooden spoon and beat until the fudge becomes thick and creamy.
Pour into a greased tin.
Mark into squares.

I'm having a strange moment here where I sometimes realize how much my life has changed. I'm super exciting about going to a grocery store and cooking. I think I can look at it two different ways, one being, I've become very multi-talented or, two, that I'm getting duller by the second. But, who really knows. I'm just going to focus on eating yummy fudge........
Have a good night:)

Day 1 of My Witchy Challenge-What’s your witchy background?

2011-09-04T06:40:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!!!
For the first day of my challenge I'm supposed to tell you how I blossomed into my beliefs. Well this is how it went:
I believe it was in 1997 and I was in seventh grade. I lived with my dad and even though my grandmother was very religious, we only attended church a few times with her. I had a hard time accepting everything that was told to me there because I would witness so many hypocritical actions from the people trying to tell me to do right. My family is baptist but it just never felt like it fit with me.
Now, I kind of feel bad saying this because some of them paint a really bad light on pagan and wiccan beliefs, but it was the release of the movie "The Craft" and the show "Charmed" that brought the curiosity of witchcraft to me. Let me just stop there and try to redeem myself a little bit........
I didn't actually believe that (or even want to) make a girl go bald, that I would have demons chasing me after I came "out," or that some crazy b*tches were going to come flying in my window terrorizing me in my sleep. No, I was more curious that it was a real religion. I didn't really know at that age with how sheltered I had been that there were other choices. I just thought what you were born into you believed, because your family believed. Those were real books in those movies, though. So, I made a trip down to my local library.
What I found was that it was still real, it wasn't just a bunch of fantasy crap or part of history that had been distinguished. I had found something that explained all my questions and I finally had some answers. There was still a lot of fantasy I found in some books, but they became the authors I avoided. But, I was still young and since I live in the bible belt there was a lot of controversy at school. A group of girls that seemed to take enjoyment out of hurting others seemed to have some big rivalry against my friends and me. You know the sort, hateful, uppity, attention starved little girls, with that look that says your nothing but dirt beneath my feet. I had seen this one fake cry all the time but, of course, no one took that into consideration. I wasn't even at school that day, but the whole group of girls went to the counselor boo-hooing their little hearts out saying that me and my friends put death spells and hexes on them. Sounds a little familiar, doesn't it. Even though I was home on this day I was put on the stake to to burn, which I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else but standing by my friends. We were told that any book on witchcraft was banned from school, doesn't matter that we got some of the books from the school library, but if we were found with another one on campus we would be expelled. It didn't matter when they even read the books and found the number one rule, "Harm None." Everyone just believed witchcraft was meant to harm and control. I wish I could do some of the things I was accused of. I still wouldn't do anything bad, but maybe my kitchen would be clean and possibly some of those girls would burp the alphabet every time they tried to lie. Ah, if only, that would have been hilarious.:)
The newspapers soon got involved and then the news channels, I was probably the fist accused witch on television to be wearing a pink and blue tye-dyed shirt. Maybe I helped change the perceptions that we all wear black and have warts on our noses. Samantha would have been proud. Here's the links if you want to see some of the stupidity some people spout.
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?article_id=16056
http://www.rickross.com/reference/wicca/wicca41.html
http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Audio.details/ID/617/Occult.htm
But, even with all that I didn't give up. I found that somethings I'd believe and others I wouldn't. I started out focused on wicca, then moved to pagan, because I wanted to focus more on nature. In the end, I believe all religions came from one source, but were just misinterpreted and skewed to fit what people wanted to believe. So, I like to take something from everything. My main beliefs lay rooted in paganism where I feel at home and natural. This is what I came from. Not always the funnest story to tell, but at least I can say I stood up for what I believed in and faced the flames. I came out alive though and now plan to teach my child about all religions, so that she can have the knowledge to make a decision for herself. I want her to be proud of her choices and have her parents stand beside her when one day someone tells her she is wrong. It is my hope.

I hope everyone has a good day. I think I'm going to be baking today. If I find any good ideas I'll be sure to post.

Coffee and the many uses:)

2011-09-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

Well after some random searching I found a wonderful website www.skin-care-recipes-and-remedies.com with all types of homemade beauty products. To make a long story short, I found a coffee face mask to go with this morning post of the foot soak, turns out this face mask recipe is extremely easy. Coffee truly is amazing:)

Coffee Facial Mask for Clear Skin
"Skin actually glows and is baby smooth to the touch. Absolutely delightful!! Plus the aromatic coffee scent lingers long after the mask is removed. Another plus point, you're actually using used finely ground coffee, simply collect the used coffee after your morning coffee."

Ingredients
3 tablespoons of used finely ground coffee
A small glass of milk

Directions
1) Add the used finely ground coffee into a bowl. Stir in milk until it achieves a think texture. Mix the ingredients till well blended. Try not to make the paste too diluted or it'll be runny and it's gonna be messy during application. If mixture becomes too runny, simply add a little more coffee into it.
2) When ready, apply the paste onto your face and neck and smooth it out all over your face. Avoid eyes and lips.
3) Slowly massage the mixture to your skin and relax for 20 mins.
4) While washing off the mask, slowly massage the paste to your skin. It acts further as an exfoliator. Don't massage too hard if you have sensitive skin
5) Pat dry face and apply moisturizer while skin is still damp to seal in moisture

Try it, you won't regret it. Remember not to scrub your skin too hard with the coffee grounds though.

The Challenge-44 Days of Witchery

2011-09-03T07:56:00.000-07:00

I am going to attempt this challenge starting tomorrow, so look out for the titles :)

44 Days of Witchery

Here's the list, snagged from A Pagan Mother's Life

What’s your witchy background?
A myth or story from folklore.
Witchy tools: athame.
Picture of nature (water element).
A favourite Goddess.
A favourite God.
Air element.
A photo of a magical place outdoors.
A favourite mythological animal.
Your sun sign.
Witchy tools: oils.
Picture of nature (air element).
What are some of the witchy books that influenced you?
A favourite pagan holiday that you celebrate.
Thoughts on the afterlife?
Favourite witchy website(s).
Picture of nature (fire element).
Have you had any paranormal experiences?
Fire element.
A picture of a tarot or oracle card, and its meaning.
A favourite scent.
Current moon phase.
A favourite candle.
Your moon sign.
How do your close ones feel about your witchy path? Do they know? Why or why not?
A witchy podcast.
Picture of nature (earth element).
A picture of a witchy I-Want-It-Now!
Water element.
Witchy tools: wand.
A favourite pagan/witchy movie.
A pagan/witchy artwork.
Faerie of your choice.
Rune of your choice.
Something that I think people who don’t know much about paganism/witchcraft should know.
Flower of your choice, and its magical properties.
A famous pagan/witch!
Witchy tools: cauldron.
Something that inspires you.
Your altar, if you have one!
A spell you’ve done.
A favourite nature spirit.
A magical recipe.
Witch’s choice!

I Could So Live Without Power

2011-09-03T06:24:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Everyone!!!
For the people from my area, you already know we had a incredibly strong storm last night. Well, my whole street's power got knocked out. It was hilarious to me watching people using their brights to go down my normally very busy road. The power stayed off for 4 and half hours. It was wonderful.:)
It was quiet. You never realize how much noise your fridge makes until you get to go with out it. We opened the windows, which I don't get to do often because my loving man thinks he was an Eskimo in a past life and loves to live in a house of ice. But, the windows were opened and candles were lit. I have learned that I would prefer candlelight over electric lights. My whole house felt so soothing. My world became narrowed by the thought of bath time and that I have a gas water heater that wouldn't be affected by the power outage. This was the perfect opportunity to get a relaxing bath in candlelight.
I grabbed my towels, bath salts, and a Corona, basically tripped over myself before I could lose this perfect moment. Needless to say, but it was wonderful. Afterwords, I let myself air-dry in the fresh air coming from the windows. I felt a oneness with my world, that I have needed to feel for a while.
The fact that my Eskimo was hot and couldn't play his Call of Duty was horrible for him. Every 30 minutes I would find him searching a room because he misplaced his flashlight, cussing to himself about how he couldn't see. I don't think the thought of moving the candles to the room he was searching ever ran through his mind and, of course, you know I didn't tell him. I was having too much fun watching him beat the crap out of himself with furniture that hasn't move in a year. I just kept crocheting my headband (which I finished!!!) and tried not to laugh out load.
In remembrance to my fabulous night, I'm posting a easy homemade foot soak, I know, to help you pamper yourselves. Let me just say you know how much I love my coffee and it's not always just because it taste like euphoria.

COFFEE FOOT SCRUB

Ingredients

4 tablespoons of ground coffee (fresh is the best)
3 tablespoons of corn meal (or ground oatmeal)
3 tablespoons of sea salt or Epsom salt
3 tablespoons of Olive or Almond oil
2 drops of lavender oil

(or peppermint if you don't need relaxing, but simply want some energy boost)

Preparation

Mix all the ingredients well
Scrub your feet in circular motion
Rinse off with warm water and pat dry

Hope everyone enjoys their coffee and has a good day!!!!