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Could Sunday be Soup Day?

Posted by Unknown Posted on 6:16 ص with No comments

Yesterday was one of those days when I am so grateful to be living in Florida. We didn't really so too much but the weather has just been perfect. Nice and cool during the night and warm during the day. We went to Boca Grande. Spent some time on the beach and then went for lunch. All the while I was making soup at home!

When I was shopping last week I found some Turkey soup bones at the meat market. They were on sale so I grabbed them up and figured I would make a nice soup out of them. Turned out really good too!

Homemade Turkey/Mushroom/Wild Rice Soup - or Sunday Soup!

Stock

turkey bones
onion (quartered)
dried parsley (about a handful)
garlic (peeled)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
celery (rough chop)

Brown turkey in 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Add enough water to cover. Add remainng ingredients and allow to simmer for at least 4 hours (we left our on for about 8). Strain when finished. Keep the bones and the greens from the stock and return the strained stock the the stove top.

Turkey Soup

2 C. Wild Rice (uncooked)
1 C. dried mixed wild mushrooms
2 C. chopped Swiss Chard
2 tsp. Better Than Bouillon Turkey or Chicken Base

Add wild rice to the stock as well as the wild mushrooms. Allow to cook for about 1 hr. You may need to add some more water to your soup but be sure to add hot water. When the rice and mushrooms are done cooking you can take the stock ingredients that you saved and chop up some of the onion and garlic to return to the pot. Also pick all of the meat from the turkey bones and chop into bite sized pieces and add to the soup.
Now is when you will need to be taste testing the soup. I found that I needed about 2 tsp of soup base (Better Than Bouillon) and some ground pepper. Add the greens close to the end. You really just want them to steam down.

This soup was so good and earthy tasting. Even the girls loved it!!!

I made biscuits to go with this. I used a recipe from one of my favorite blogs...Life on A Southern Farm by GA Farmwoman.

Click here for recipe! This goes great with the local Orange Blossom honey that I bought last week.

As Always...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

Jenny McCarthy Honored for Autism Efforts

Posted by Unknown Posted on 3:48 ص with No comments

In news that might anger the Neurodiversity blogger bees Access Hollywood reports that actress Jenny McCarthy has been honored for her efforts towards autism. At the 2008 Gridiron Glamour event – a celebrity fashion show/benefit auction designed to raise money for autism research Ms McCarthy received the 2008 Trailblazer Award for the attention she has brought to autism with her book and for her honesty. The Gridiron Glamour event itself raises funds for autism research.

autism

Autism Rising in California - Why?

Posted by Unknown Posted on 12:03 ص with No comments

The headlines trumpeting the recent California epidemiological autism study as the final stake through the heart of the thimerosal /vaccine theory of autism causation are premature according to some proponents of that theory. They point to the 2005 expiration dates on some of the vaccines containing larger amounts of thimerosal, thimoseral containing flu shots given to pregnant mothers, immigration to California of children who would have received vaccine shots elsewhere, the combining effects of remaining trace amounts of thimerosal with other substances contained in the vaccine etc. Opponents of the theory point out that autism rates in California continued to rise AFTER most of the thimerosal was supposed to have been removed from the vaccines. Those opposing the thimerosal autism theory have the weight of medical and scientific opinion in support based on earlier epidemiological studies from other countries. The big question which remains though is WHY is autism still rising in California?

As stated by California DPH Medical Officer Robert Schechter, MD:

""We are reassured that we found no link between routine childhood vaccination and increases in childhood autism in the data," California DPH Medical Officer Robert Schechter, MD, tells WebMD. "But the finding that there are increasing numbers of kids who need services is not reassuring. We support efforts to find preventable causes of autism."

There are those who routinely claim that autism diagnosis increases are due entirely to the 1994 definition expansion of autism, greater public awareness and the knowledge among assessing physicians and parents that an autism label may provide access to services for their child. It seems safe to assume that such factors would be significant factors in the increases, particularly the change in definition of autism. But where are the studies showing that such factors explain entirely the large increases in autism diagnoses?

If environmental factors, such as the pesticides sprayed in California fields which may have contributed to elevated numbers of autism diagnoses of families living near those fields, are also at play should we not know about those factors and modify them? If we are in fact causing autism by use of various chemicals should we not modify our practices to prevent autism?

autism

Paczki-Palooza!

Posted by Unknown Posted on 7:49 م with No comments

To continue on with Paczki-Palooza, we got to fry and fill our own packzi. Paczki are traditional Polish doughnuts The fillings included plum butter, rose petal jelly (a traditional filling made with fried rose petals), raspberry, blueberry, custard & "boozy" custard.

Traditionally, the reason for making paczki has been to use up all the lard, sugar & fruit in the house, which are given up during the religious season of Lent. Paczkis are eaten especially on Fat Thursday, the last Thursday before Lent... but over the years, it had been a treat eaten on Fat Tuesday. Here are pics of the Paczki making event:

Paczki dough that has finished proofing:

The glorious globes bobbing in the hot oil:

They're turned twice until a golden brown color is reached:

Hot finished paczkis, straight out of the fryer to cool:

Not quite perfect paczkis... see the difference?

The fun jelly filler machines that contain flavors such as
plum jelly, rose petal jelly, raspberry, blueberry, apricot & custard:

Colleen was brave enough to tackle the filling machine:

Filled Packzis!

We also filled cooled paczki with "boozy" custard.
The custard has some alcohol mixed in to cut the sweetness.
For these, the packzi has to be filled by hand

My favorite filling of them all is the
fresh strawberry & whipped cream paczkis.
Chef Dobra uses fresh strawberries,
mixed into a strawberry gel and whipped cream.

The paczkis are sliced in half,
given a ring of whipped cream on the edges
and fresh strawberry filling is placed in the center
before topping it with the second half.

To finish them strawberry & cream paczkis off,
a nice dusting of powdered sugar sweetens the deal...
done by Stacey:

Here's my box of paczki I took home...
Happy Fat Tuesday!

All in the name of Chrus-ciki!

Posted by Unknown Posted on 12:19 م with No comments

In honor of Fat Tuesday, I attended a "Paczki-Palooza" of sorts! Thanks to Chef Dobra and her family at Delightful Pastries, we helped make chrusciki crueller cookies and fried our own paczki, glazed and filled them.

Delightful Pastries

5927 W. Lawrence Avenue

Chicago, IL 60630

773-545-7215
http://www.delightfulpastries.com/

The following are pics of the chrustciki making event:

Chef Dobra talking about the chrusciki dough
which has orange & lemon oils, sour cream
and even alcohol mixed in!

The tool that we deemed as the
chrusciki "doo-dad" or "thingamajigger"
It was a special piece Chef Dobra received from
a family member and is over 50 years old!

The chrusciki or "angel wings" ready for the fryer:

Let's get frying!

Chef Dobra checking the finished chrusciki:

Dusting them with powdered sugar
while slightly cooled:

Behold... the beauty of Chrusciki!

Medicare for Autism Now Rally March 2 - Burnaby

Posted by Unknown Posted on 6:01 م with No comments

"Medicare for Autism Now!" Rally

Sunday, March 2^nd, 2008

2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Shadbolt Centre for the Arts

6450 Deer Lake Avenue

Burnaby

Why should you attend?
Despite a decade of lobbying, collaborating and litigating – autism treatment is still excluded from our universal health care system. Canadian families are still bankrupting themselves in order to provide treatment for their autistic children.

The current and limited funding provided through the provincial government’s social services ministries could evaporate tomorrow with the stroke of a bureaucrat’s pen. No legislation exists within these ministries to protect or enshrine our children’s medically necessary treatment.

In 30 years of "advocacy", the only two initiatives which have achieved ANY success for our children and families has been litigation, and more recently, focused political action. Both were brought by the members of FEAT of BC – a 100% volunteer organization.

Autism is an epidemic of staggering proportions, it now afflicts one in every 150 children in North America, one in every 94 boys. It is time for the Federal Government to act! We need to let those who govern and those who wish to govern that they are going to be held accountable at the ballot box in the next federal election.

Who should attend?

You - and every fair-minded Canadian you know!

Children with autism suffer from political indifference. It will take the sustained energy and dedication of EVERY CANADIAN who desires a just society to correct this injustice. For our children’s sakes, and the sake of future generations, we urge you to attend this rally. Please bring friends, family, anyone and everyone you know who is appalled by the gross injustice done to our children every day by the governments of Canada and its provinces.

Featured speakers will include:

Dr. Sabrina Freeman – Executive Director, FEAT of BC and parent

Jean Lewis – Director, FEAT of BC and parent

David Chan – Director, Autism Society of BC, FEAT of BC and parent

Dubravka Skrijelj – FEAT of BC member and parent

Dr. Glen Davies – Clinical Director - ABLE Developmental Clinic

Beverley Sharpe – FEAT of BC member and parent

Louise Witt – Director, Autism Society of BC, FEAT of BC and parent

David Marley – FEAT of BC member and Political Strategist

Please RSVP to www. featbc.org and forward this notice to anyone you think will be interested.

FEAT of BC: " To see justice is done"

autism

Ιερές Μητροπόλεις στο Διαδίκτυο

Posted by Unknown Posted on 8:24 ص with No comments

Οι Ιερές Μητροπόλεις της Αυτοκέφαλης Εκκλησίας της Ελλάδος με τους προεξάρχοντες μητροπολίτες στο διαδίκτυο.
Γιατί καθέναν πρέπει να γνωρίζουμε και να κρίνονται από τα έργα του. Η σειρά είναι με προεξάρχοντες τους γεροντότερους .