DowieGateDisgrace...........Court Day Six

Round Six - Day Six - Wednesday 16th May 2007

In Court today...

Iain Dowie claimed his bitter £2 million High Court wrangle with Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan has destroyed his managerial reputation.

The former Crystal Palace manager spoke of the "very abusive, ultra-aggressive, demeaning and angry" telephone call with chairman Simon Jordan that signalled the end of his time at the club.

He told a top judge that he was prepared for Mr Jordan to be "upset" after the club failed to win promotion to the Premiership in May 2006.

And, from past experience, he also said he knew that the club chairman "would be aggressive and outspoken".

But Dowie told the High Court: "I was not prepared for the way that Simon spoke to me on the telephone and the very abusive, ultra-aggressive, demeaning and angry nature of the call."

"Simon shouted and swore at me constantly."

"I was used to Simon being aggressive and swearing, but this was by far the worst I had ever experienced either by Simon or generally in my time in football."

Dowie is being sued by Palace for alleged 'fraudulent misrepresentations' when he left the club last summer and joined Charlton Athletic.

He told the court: "The litany of personal abuse didn't help my chances of finding work after I left Charlton."



Tale of the Tape: Dowie 7, Jordan 6
Temperature: Damp start but brighter with sunny spells by mid-afternoon 21*C


The case continues on Friday 18th May...

The 'Beer Footy And Birds' Bog Standard Guide To Snaring Celebrity Eye-Candy.

The easiest way is to close your eyes and dream.
If you’re really into this, let’s consider the pros and cons. Picking up a celebrity girlfriend is not an easy mission. The more major they are, the harder it is for you to get them.

I am not discouraging you but celebrities are known to date their own high profile kind. However, here are a few things which could help you:

Do your research
Yes, get the tabloid and see their whereabouts. I am not suggesting that you be a stalker. The thing is you should know where they hang out, so you will know where to strut your stuff.
Going local is not a bad idea, for example The Albion in Islington or The Pineapple in Kentish Town are both used by celebrities.
It helps to get to know the staff too.

Dress smart casual but stylishly
Go for a relaxed cool look, using trendy, up-to-the-minute fashions.

Use her friends
Chat up her friends first. It gets them onside, and leaves her craving your attention.

Be yourself
Try to act normal! Do not let her think that you are about to faint.
Act self-assured and do not let yourself be affected by her so-called celebrity status.
Treat her as you would any girl. For her this would probably make for a refreshing change, and she’ll see you in another light - as a 'normal' bloke.

Circumvent name-dropping
Skirt around at all costs, she probably has more celeb friends than you could ever wish for.

Make honest compliments
Choose them carefully and sparingly but make them count!

Timing
Wait for her to go outside for a cigarette, then join her and seize the opportunity to flirt away while the distractions around her are minimalist.



Here are some other tips that may work if you cannot see a star within your vicinity:

A letter from a fan.

You can easily look up their fan mail address. However, asking them out through letters is not a feasible idea. So if I were you, forget this even if others advice you to do it!

Join a 'Date a Celebrity' contest.

Scour the country to look for a 'Date a Celeb' contest. Fortunately, you do not have to visit every town/city to do this.
Just check it out online to see if there is one near you. Gofish.com has a 'Seduce a Celeb' contest which you may want to give a try!

Money talks.

Sometimes you can see them on auction at eBay or other similar sites. This is an innovative method if you have the resources.
Most of the time, the money goes to charity. At least your madness goes to a good cause, the less fortunate. Keep an eye on the bidding process if you badly want it. However, your choice of stars is limited!



Well, some might think that making your wish come true to date a celebrity is a waste of time. But if you really want it, I say go for it!
Actually it’s not impossible. Stars can be within reach, but do not try so hard that you start to make a fool of yourself. Happy hunting!

Zucchini Bread

When I moved into my second house many yrs ago, a neighbor made this and sent some over to my house with her daughter. She and my daughter had become friends right away. I thought it was a nice gesture and my next thought was ......eeewwww zucchini. But I went ahead and tasted it so at least I could say I ate some and not lie about it. lol. But omg , this recipe is awesome!!! I had to get it from her and told her how wonderful it was. She generously shared it with me and now its become a regular in my own home recipe files.

This is the original recipe.....the only change that I made is , I peeled and seeded the zucchini. In this way you get all the good stuff even from the huge zucchini. There's no green flecks to gross some out and you de-seed the huge ones so all you get is pulp. Then I grate it on the lg. part of my grater. I like to use pecans but walnuts are yummy too. And imagine using another extract and perhaps some orange or lemon zest for a change. YUM!


Zucchini Bread
Makes 2 9 x 5 in. loaves

3 eggs
1 c. salad oil
1 c. sugar
2 1/2 c. grated raw zucchini
3c. flour
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. b. soda
2 tsp. b. powder
1 c. chopped nuts

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans. Fill and bake for 1 hr. at 350 degrees.

President's Choice Mojito Mocktail Review

$2.99 for 4!!!!! This shit is cheap. But is it good yo? It's alright I guess. It tastes like lemon/lime pop drink with some added lime juice (as in the lime concentrate you buy in small, green squeeze bottles that resemble limes) and a bit of mint for that mojito-like taste. But you guessed it, the main ingredient, rum,is missing.

I would buy a pack again as it is quite refreshing and the cans are 250 mL. I only say this because most times I don't feel like drinking an entire pop can, and these are smaller.

Scores:
Cost - 10/10 ($2.99 CAD per pack, or just under $0.75 per can)
Taste - 6.9/10

Overall - 16.9/20...i would buy it again, and maybe even try the other mocktail flavours

Read about the other Mocktail flavours I have tried:

• Bay Breeze
• Raspberry Martini
  

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

I love Junior League cookbooks. They are usually well tested recipes compiled by the Junior Leagues themselves ,of course to raise money. But many of these have become award winners.

I chose this one because altho its an older book, many of the recipes are typically Californian and awesome.This is one of my favorite recipes from this book. Ive made it many, many times.

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE MAKES 1 9in. cake

Crust:

3/4 c.graham cracker crumbs(about 12 single crackers)

1/2 c. ground pecans

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1/4 c. butter, melted

Filling:

3/4 c. granulated sugar

3/4 c. pumpkin puree

3 egg yolks

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground mace

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 lbs. cream cheese, softened

6 tb. granulated sugar

1 egg plus 1 yolk

2 tb. whipping cream

1 tb. sifted cornstarch

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. lemon extract

Whipped cream and whole pecans for garnish

To prepare Crust: Combine all ingredients and mix well, coating crumbs completely with butter. Pat crumb mixture firmly into bottom of a 9in. springform pan. Place in freezer while preparing filling.

To prepare Filling: Mix 3/4c. sugar, pumpkin puree, 3 egg yolks, cinnamon, mace, ginger and salt in a bowl. Set aside. With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and 6 tb. sugar till smooth. Add the egg plus egg yolk and the whipping cream. Mix again till smooth. Add cornstarch and blend well. Add vanilla and lemon extracts. Mix again till very smooth. Add spiced pumpkin puree to cream cheese mixture. Mix until no traces of white remain. (The smooth texture of this cheesecake depends on the thorough mixing.)

Pour filling over crumb crust in springform pan. Bake 45 min., or until sides have risen. The center will be somewhat soft. Remove from oven. Cool to rm. temp., then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Run knife around edge of pan and release the sides. Remove cheesecake from pan bottom. Garnish with whipped cream rosettes and pecans.

Monster Khaos Review

I mentioned in another post that I kind of liked this one, but couldn't find any in the local stores. Well, guess what, one of the stores had recently gotten a new shipment of Monster beverages. This one tastes a bit different from the other Monster drinks. It tastes like a mix between a tropical juice and a standard monster. Let me know if I am wrong, but I detect mango and orange flavouring, which might also explain the color of the M on the can - orange. I like the taste
and that it is more like a fruit beverage than an energy drink. The one thing I do not enjoy is the cough syrup" undertone. If you are drinking it fast, the undertone may not become apparent, but as soon as you start taking small sips, it will. On the positive side, the cough syrup taste does not stay for long as it is overpowered by the taste of the fruit juices. I would also prefer the juice to not be as sweet, but what can you do? Diet version? I don't think a diet one will taste as good, it might be even worse.

As for the energy, it is there. You get the same kick as with any other Monster. The can contains 150 mg of caffeine which can boost your energy levels in several different ways - gulping down the drink, which will result in some jitters, or drinking it slowly, which will deliver small bursts of energy with just the possibility of some jitters.

Scores:
Cost - $2.99 CAD
Taste - 7.9/10
Performance - 7.5/10

Overall - 15.4...go for this one if you want a Monster, but don't like the taste of the regular one

Read about the other Monster drinks I have tried:

• Originale
• Mean Bean
• Irish Blend
• M-80
• Assault
• MIXXD

Panda Cupcakes for a Kickin' Kung Fu Panda Party

This year we decided to surprise Ryan with a Kung Fu Panda birthday party. He had no idea we were going to do this. We invited a bunch of his friends over for the excitement. Each of the kids were given a foam sword and a balloon. They were asked to keep the balloons off of the ground, and they could only use their swords. It turned into a giant sword fight, but the kids had a blast! After the sword game, each of the kids were able to make an oragami frog. Then they were given a bowl of noodles and chopsticks, where they had to eat the noodles only using the chopsticks. Then they got to eat the yummy panda cupcakes (which were decorated with mini oreos and mini chocolate chips) and ice cream. Party favors were given out in Chinese "Take Out" boxes. What a fun party!

Happy Birthday Ryan!!!

Ashley's Cupcake Decorating Birthday Party

Ashley had an AWESOME birthday party this weekend!

We had a great group of kids, and we kept things simple. We had the kids do some balloon relay races. They also got to take a swing at a pinata.

The big attraction of the party was cupcake decorating. They had so many choices to make! They could take a strawberry, white, or chocolate cupcake.

They could top it off with strawberry, vanilla, or chocolate frosting.

The many toppings were endless. The kids could choose from M&M's, Dots, Candy Corns, Gummy Bears, and Chocolate chips.

And every child likes sprinkles, right?

Here they are making their creations.

And the pictures say it all......

And yes, I even made one!

What a great day! Happy Birthday Ashley!

A What? A Peach Upside Down Cake!

My Dad gave me some peaches the other day off of his tree. I didn't have quite enough to get a canning operation going, so I went on a quest to find a yummy peach dessert recipe. I came across a lot of peach pie recipes, and they all looked great. But when I found this recipe for a Peach Upside Down Cake, I just had to try it. It turned out AMAZING! It was almost like a peach cobbler, and was especially wonderful served warm with a scoop of ice cream.

Start by heating your oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square or round cake pan, or spray with baking spray. Peel and pit the peaches, slice thinly.

Fruit Mixture:

3 peaches, peeled, thinly sliced, about 2 cups of slices (I think I used 4 or 5 peaches)

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 scant teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 Tablespoons melted butter

Toss the peaches with the brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 3 tablespoons of melted butter. Arrange the peach mixture in the prepared baking pan.
Cake:

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, stirred before measuring

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

2/3 cup milk

Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl. In a large mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla extract, and almond flavoring. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, alternating with the milk, beating just until blended. Spoon the batter over the peach slices.
Gently spread it around to cover the peaches.
Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Invert the hot cake onto a platter or cake plate and let stand for about 5 minutes. Remove the pan and scrape up any fruit slices clinging to the pan and arrnage them over the cake.
Like I said before, it was especially wonderful served warm with a scoop of ice cream.

Toffees Need To Stick It To The Gunners - Betting News with Betfred

versus

Everton have been painfully shy in front of goal all season but are going to need their strikers to be on top form if they are to get all three points against Arsenal on Sunday at Goodison Park.

Arsene Wenger's men are riding high in the league despite losing three games and looking shaky. The defeat against Newcastle showed the continued fragility of goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski and the Gunners rode their luck against Wolves in midweek to earn a win.

Everton have recovered from the early season jitters to climb the Premier League table, and should certainly not be on the end of a 6-1 home thrashing like they were in this fixture last season. However despite home advantage and an improvement in results recently, the Toffees are still the outsiders in the Premier League betting at odds of 12/5 for the win with Betfred compared to the 6/5 on offer for Arsenal to take all three points.

David Moyes earned the manager of the month award for October, but he knows his team could be even higher if his misfiring strikers could score on a more regular basis.

Yakubu and Louis Saha have struggled as Everton have scored only 13 goals so far this season, but now the Toffees fans are hoping that Jermaine Beckford can be the one to fire them up the table.

He has been poor so far, but finally came to life with a brilliant last-minute goal against Bolton in midweek, the type of goal his team-mate Leighton Baines claims he has been doing "quite regularly" in training.

"He has now proved he can be a valuable asset for the club," said the defender.

While one goal does not a goalscoring legend make, it could fill the Everton fans with some optimism - especially as the Arsenal rearguard looks more vulnerable than in recent seasons. Beckford is 8/1 in the football odds to be first goalscorer, so this could be a good option, if the game is stalemate going into the latter stages.

With the right pressure in the correct areas the Blues should be able to cause the Gunners defensive problems, but they will have to be wary as the likes of Fabregas, Wilshire, Walcott, Chamakh and Arshavin could really trouble them on the break

My Tip of the Weekend:

Expect a tight game in which Arsenal will be too strong and take all three points back to London with a 1-0 win, a result which is 6/1 with Betfred.

Sunday 14th November: Everton v Arsenal, kick-off 2pm, Live on Sky Sports 1.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Lovage Part 2 recipes

Now onto some recipes to give you ideas but you could use Lovage anywhere you would use celery or parsley. I love to add it to my soups. It seems to give them a bit more body too.

APPLE LOVAGE CHUTNEY
6 cups apples peeled cored and chopped

1 cup lovage fresh

1 medium red bell pepper cored, seeded and chopped

1 medium tomato peeled and chopped

1 medium tomato green, peeled and chopped

1 medium onion peeled and chopped

3 cloves garlic

1 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup ginger root peeled and minced

1 cup brown sugar, light packed

1 cup white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon celery seeds

Combine all ingredients in non-reactive pan.Bring to boil over med-high heat, stirring constantly.Reduce heat to med-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, for 45mins, or until thickened.Prepare jars, lids and boiling water bath.Fill jars with hot mixture, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe rims with clean towel and attach lids securely.Place jars in boiling water bath, and when the water returns to the boil, process for 15 min. Prep: 20 Cook: 60 Total: 80 Yield: 6 half-pints

CORN ON THE COB WITH LOVAGE BUTTER

4 husked ears of corn on the cob

4 tablespoons of butter

1 tablespoon of shreded Lovage

Salt & Pepper to taste

Steam or boil the corn until cooked through. Melt the butter in a pan and add the salt, pepper, and Lovage. Heat gently until Lovage is tender, 3-5 minutes. Pour over corn and serve hot.

PEAS AND CARROTS WITH LOVAGE

1 pound of fresh or frozen peas

1 1/2 pounds of baby carrots - sliced

2 tablespoons of chopped Lovage

3 tablespoons of mayonnaise

3 tablespoons of regular yogurt

1 teaspoon of mustard

Combine the peas and carrots and steam for 10-15 minutes. Set aside. Mix the other ingredients thoroughly, then add the peas and carrots. Place in the refrigerator and allow to cool completely, and serve as a cool and refreshing side dish.

Lovage Butter Ingredients:

4 tablespoons of butter

1 tablespoon of minced lovage

Salt & Pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a small pan and add the salt, pepper, and lovage. Heat gently for 3-5 minutes. Serve over vegetables.

EGG SALAD WITH HERBS

6 large eggs

3 green onions thinly sliced

2 tsp. minced lovage

2 tsp. minced parsley

1 tablespoon snipped chives

1 cup light or regular mayonnaise

to taste salt and pepper (optional)

Hard boil the eggs, them place in a bowl of cold water to cool. Peel them, place in bowl and mash. Add the green onions and herbs, then add chives, mayonnaise and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Serve on bread or on a bed of lettuce.

POTATO AND LOVAGE SOUP

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 cups water

Approx. 1 1/4 cups milk

3 Tbsp. minced fresh lovage plus garnish

salt and black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onions and potatoes. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Add 3 cups of water and continue simmering until the potatoes are tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Puree the cooled mixture in a food processor or blender. Place into a clean pan and stir in the lovage and milk slowly, stopping when you feel it's the right thickness. Heat through, and serve with a garnish lovage leaves. Makes 4 servings.

LOVAGE VINEGAR

You will need: 1 quart cider vinegar 2 large sprigs lovage Place into a bottle or jar with a lid. Keep in a cool, dark place for 3-4 weeks. Use in dressings, or stews.

LOVAGE OIL

10-lovage leaves

2 shallots

1-2 tb madagascar pepper

Olive oil

Rinse the lovage leaves and chop the shallots finely. Put lovage, onions and pepper in a jar and pour over the oil. Let the oil seep for 3-4 days. The oil is particularly good when frying fish and pork, but it can also be used in marinades, dressings etc.

HALIBUT WITH APPLE, LEEK and LOVAGE RAGOUT

Leek, 1 large or 2 medium or 3-4 small

Butter, 1 tablespoon

Dry white wine 1/2 cup

Tart apple (I use granny smith) 1 large or 2 small

Apple cider or juice., 3/4 cup
Lovage fresh, chopped 2 tablespoons

Vinegar (mild and pale - white wine, sherry, rice) 1 tablespoon

Salt 1/4 teaspoon

Pepper to taste

Halibut (or other whitefish) 1/2 - 3/4 pound

Clean and julienne just the white part of the leek . (Save the green part of the leek for another use.) Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until they soften and start to brown, about 10-15 minutes. Add the white wine and simmer until the liquid is absorbed. Add the apple cider and continue cooking until liquid is reduced to about 25% of initial volume. (This is usually about the time the tops of the leeks are exposed above the liquid.) Add the diced apples,lovage, vinegar, salt and a grind or two of pepper and cook, stirring often, for another minute. Remove from heat. (You can prepare this ahead to the point and store the ragout in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.) Cut fish into individual portions and place in a single layer in a baking dish. Pour ragout over the top of the fish and cover the dish with a lid (or parchment) and bake in a preheated 425° oven until the fish is firm and milky, the center is barely translucent and the flesh flakes with a fork, about 10-15 minutes. Note: Can make this with pork chops, brown one side of the chop on the stove before baking it in the oven as described for the fish.

End of Harvest Casserole (also vegan)

I used to work at a Health food store. I took over for the chef in their deli when she moved. I learned alot about many things including things I never thought Id like. I found out Gardenburgers are awesome and I didnt even miss the meat. I found out whole grains are pretty tasty. And I found out you need surprisingly little oil when making a salad to make it taste good. One thing tho I never thought Id ever eat or like is tofu or soy cheese.

I used to make all kinds of things for this place, muffins, salads, sandwiches and these were things that were already on their menu. But in time I got to play and added cakes, breakfast cookies and this particular dish. We used to serve take out foods for vegans. I was always looking for things and since Im not vegan I wasnt sure what anyone would like. I do know its hard to find good vegan recipes. I love veggies and have grown them for yrs. but I dont eat only that. So when I stumbled on this recipe I had to give it a try. The owner of the shop encouraged me to include products in the store so others would taste things I made and buy those things too.

I decided to make this dish with smoked soy or tofu cheddar cheese.....and omg ....it was delicious and you would never know its soy. This dish became a popular one in our shop for take out.


END OF HARVEST CASSEROLE Serves 8-10

1/2c. chopped fresh parsley
2 tb. chopped fresh thyme
1 tb. chopped fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper
1c. thinly sliced potatoes
1c. broccoli or cauliflower flowerettes
1c. thinly sliced celery
1c. thinly sliced onion
1c. thinly sliced zucchini or summer squash
1c. shredded cabbage
2-3 tomatoes, sliced
1/2c. chicken stock (you might need a bit more)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2c. grated cheddar cheese

Any vegetables in this recipe can be replaced by an equal amt. of whatever vegetable you may have growing in your garden.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a sm. bowl, mix the salt and pepper, parsley, thyme, and rosemary. In a 3qt. casserole , arrange a layer of each vegetable, starting with the potatoes, (They cook the longest so need to be closer to the heat source and in the broth), broccoli, celery, onions, or other slow cooking veggies and ending with the tomatoes, sprinkling herb mixture between each layer and over the tomatoes. Pour the chicken stock over the casserole and scatter the garlic and cheese on top. Cook, covered, till the veggies are tender and the cheese is melted, about 45min. to 1hr. Serve at room temperature.

You can substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock to make it vegan and I topped this with smoked soy cheddar cheese. I like the smoke flavor better on this dish and no one would ever know you used it , it is that good.

I would use the best vine ripe tomatoes you can find on this. Sometimes the potatoes take a bit longer to cook I found. I dont know if it was the little oven I had to use in the store or what so thats why I said it might need more broth or it might need to cook a little longer. Test at the suggested time and see if they are done.

The day after Halloween - the breakfast

Lil man stayed overnight here after Trick or Treating in the neighborhood. His folks went to a party. And so I made some breakfast for us. Ive been wanting to try this recipe out, since I had some blueberries in the freezer I needed to use up. Ive been meaning to do it all week but kept forgetting to put it together so it could soak overnight. Last nite after dinner I decided to do it with lil man helping me put it together.

This is really easy, basically just layers, let it soak and bake the next morning. Its almost like dessert, a bread pudding. So while I cut up the bread......and I often have either sour dough or a nice Italian bread around, lil man cut up the cream cheese and helped assemble this. I like to make hearty french toast and so I use a good sturdy bread when I make it. I decided to do the same with this. You basically layer bread, cheese, blueberries, more bread and pour the custard mix over it all and let soak over nite. My proportions were off because I used more bread trying to use it up. I also added more eggs and milk. To the egg mixture I added some cinnamon and a bit of vanilla. I do that to my regular french toast too.

So while this was baking, I baked off some bacon to go with it. I warmed up some maple syrup too altho you could do without it. But because there is so very little sweet with this......I like it with the syrup, better. Maybe next time if I have more blueberries Ill make a blueberry topping. I certainly have leftovers and Ill be packaging them up to have later on.  I quick warm up in the oven or microwave, will be great. I do that to my leftover french toast too. This way I don't have to cook them all the time.

Fresh Blueberry-stuffed French Toast Casserole 

Assemble this simple casserole 12 to 24 hours ahead, or just before baking.

Ingredients:
4 large slices sourdough bread, crust removed and cubed
8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
2 cups fresh blueberries
6 large eggs
1 cup milk
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375*F. Arrange half the bread cubes in an 8-inch square baking dish. Distribute the cream cheese cubes evenly over the top of the bread. Distribute the blueberries over the top.

2. Top with the remaining bread cubes.

3. Beat eggs, milk and cinnamon together and pour over. Bake for 35 minutes, uncovered. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

5-hour Energy Extra Strength Berry Flavour Review

I am not a big fan of the 5-hour energy shots mostly because they don't like to list the caffeine content of the label. The only statement included is the amount of "energy blend" added to the shot. How is the Extra Strength any different from the regular shots? It just has more of the energy blend. I paid $3.39 for the shot at 7-11, which also makes it one of the more expensive ones. I do like the solid black packaging.

This shot actually smells like berries, which is always a good start. The taste, however, is not as good as the aroma coming being given off. It is sweet and sour as well as a bit soapy. The sourness attacks the tongue right away and I felt like I was licking a lemon. There is some berry taste, but it's lost among the sweetness and sourness of the shot. The first sip is also bitter, but once the sour taste attacks the tongue, most of the bitterness goes away. The aftertaste is both sour and sweet with notes of artificial berry flavouring and some bitter soapiness. There is something rough in the shot as each sip felt like was grinding my throat. It's as if I was drinking some bourbon.

Here is where I usually say how much caffeine the product contains, but all I can say is that this shot contains 1,360 mg of the 5-hour energy blend, the ingredients of which are listed below. I started to wake up around 15 minutes after consuming the shot and I did not experience any jitters...well, not at first. A few minutes later I began to calm down and focus on the tasks I was doing. I love shots like this one, ones that help you calm and focus until the caffeine kicks in fully. This feeling lasted for about 20 minutes when the caffeine started to work its magic and I started to feel a bit jittery. The jitters didn't last long and made way for the clean energy, which was rather odd. It came and went like waves for several hours. At the end I wasn't tired, but I just didn't feel all that focused or energized. The shot worked OK, but it definitely did no provide 5 hours of energy.

Medicinal Ingredients:

• Phenylalanine
• Niacin - 40 mg
• Vitamin B6 - 40 mg
• Folic Acid - 400 mcg
• Vitamin B12 - 500 mcg
• Sodium - 18 mg
• Energy Blend - 1,360 mg (Citicoline, Glucuronolactone, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, L-Phenylalanine, Taurine, Malic Acid, Caffeine)

Non-Medicinal Ingredients: purified water, natural & artificial flavours, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate and EDTA, sucralose.

Scores:
Cost - $3.39 CAD for a 60 mL shot
Taste - 5.9/10
Energy - 8/10

Overall - 13.9/20...needs more of the energy blend

Snickerdoodle cookies

Yesterday J and I made Snickerdoodles. We tripled the recipe cuz J wanted to make some for her dad for Christmas as a gift. The recipe says it makes 24 if you make 1 in. balls. They lie! We ended up with about 9 dozen! So J took quite a few and wrapped them all up for her dad. And I have 4 1/2 dozen here and she took the rest home with her to take to her church last nite. She was going to something at the youth group, a huge cookie and cocoa party.

I had 4 baking pans going all afternoon that held about a dozen each pan. I remembered that last yr. I made some Vanilla sugar so for the topping we mixed the Vanilla sugar and cinnamon. I thought it would add an extra flavor boost. They are yummy!

I know most of you probably have a good Snickerdoodle recipe but Ill post the one I used here anyway.

Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies

* 1 cup butter
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 2 3/4 cups flour
* 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 3 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar and eggs thoroughly in a large bowl. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Blend dry ingredients into butter mixture. Chill dough, and chill an ungreased cookie sheet for about 10-15 minutes in the fridge. Meanwhile, mix 3 tablespoons sugar, and 3 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl.

Scoop 1 inch globs of dough into the sugar/ cinnamon mixture. Coat by gently rolling balls of dough in the sugar mixture. Place on chilled ungreased cookie sheet, and bake 10 minutes. Remove from pan immediately. Makes 24

Crab Specialite

A very special, richly delicious soup that is super easy to make. The soup would be great accompanied by a chef salad, fresh fruit and some coffee.

INGREDIENTS:
•½ pound fresh crab meat—or 1 can cleaned Geisha crab meat

•½ cup dry sherry

•½ can condensed pea soup

•½ can condensed tomato soup

•1 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:
Mix the crab meat with sherry and let it stand. Combine soups and cream and bring to a boil very slowly.

Reduce heat sharply, add the crab meat and sherry, and simmer for 10 minutes, adding a little extra milk or cream if the soup is too thick.

Serve in soup bowls with a tablespoon of dry sherry added to each. This would also be fabulous in a bread bowl! Enjoy

Lost Energy Drink Review

I have been avoiding Lost on the basis of cheesiness for the longest time. But today, when this was the last energy drink in the fridge of the local convenience store, I had to suck it up and get it. Why was I avoiding this? Just look at the label. It's like someone jumped on the non-conformity wagon a little too late. I think this would have worked like 10 years ago, but now it is all about clean, minimalistic labels. Just take a look at effect. Let me just write some of the
sayings I found on the can - "You're being lied to", "Tear down your idols", "THE system is down", "Search and destroy". Wasn't that great? What about the pin-up girls of the skater cut outs? It literally took me at least 2 minutes before I figured out all the crap on the can. Bravo Lost, bravo.

Now, I shall open the can and try it. I am a bit scared to at this point as I am half expecting this to taste like water, citric acid, some coloring and that generic cough syrup taste. Are you serious? This tastes exactly like Monster. According to wikipedia, this drink is based on Monster Energy, made by the same company for Lost Enterprises. Based on? It's more a change of clothes...label in this case. It costs the same too, so why does this even exist? The regular Monster was even on the same shelf. I am extremely disappointed. I would rather buy Monster than this poser. There is no point to discuss the caffeine content because it is the same as Monster - 160 mg.

Scores:
Cost - $2.99 CAD
Taste - 5.9/10
Energy - 7.5/10

Overall - 11/20...I had to take some points off for being screwed by the MAN pushing outdated slogans

Chicken Fried Steak

I've made all sorts of things over the years. I've been lucky to work in a four star restaurant and we were encouraged to be creative and inventive. So that's the direction my mind tends to go in when I cook. But I was also a mother and a home cook too. So simple things are what I grew up doing. But here and there I wandered thru recipes and such and occasionally run across something Ive heard of but never eaten or cooked. Chicken Fried Steaks is one of them.

My bf says he loves this. And I want to do it well but the fact is Ive never made this ever before. I don't even know what it tastes like. I bought some cube steaks on sale yesterday. I found a recipe online. Then I posted another blog on my personal site and asked all my good southern cook friends what they do to make this dish. So I took that recipe and their advice and made my own. My bf said it was very good and wants the leftovers for breakfast. Anytime he actually wants our leftovers is a good sign that it was excellent. He usually doesn't like eating things a second time.

So heres my recipe based on the one I found and the advice from friends. I did however use a packaged country gravy mix this time. My back has been out real bad and I was trying to limit my time in the kitchen. I do that occasionally when I'm in a hurry to make dinner. Next time however I will make my own.

CHICKEN FRIED STEAK Serves 4

1 pkg. country gravy mix
1 c. flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tsp. of freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 large egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup olive oil
4 large cube steaks

On a plate combine salt, pepper, paprika, onion and garlic powder. Mix well. In a small shallow bowl, beat together eggs and milk. In heavy skillet, heat oil over medium high heat.

Coat cube steaks first in flour mix, dip in egg, then again in flour mix. Fry steaks 2-3 minutes each side, or until desired doneness. At this point I removed the steaks to a plate. Since some of the flour burned and I used a non stick pan, I just wiped it out and added the pkged. mix and water to it. Heat till thick and add steaks back. Cover and cook a few min. more so juices get to flavor the gravy some. Serve.

I served this with mashed potatoes and string beans. I was told corn actually goes great with this but didnt have any in the house this time. Also biscuits are good to for sopping up extra gravy.

Could a Simple Chemistry Lesson be at the Heart of a Winning Formula for England at the World Cup?

=

AIM:

To win a football match, by way of scoring more goals than the opposing side, and in doing so by keeping within the laws of the game.

APPARATUS:

a) 16 players (11 of whom must only be on the field of play at the start of the game)
b) Management team + a bench
c) Matching shirts + shorts + socks (players must provide their own footwear)
d) Seeded grass area with the appropriate markings in white paint
e) Two standard sized goals with netting
f) One official 'Jabulani' adidas ball
g) Flags on sticks
h) One referee + whistle + watch + coloured cards
i) Two assistant referees + flags
j) One further official + display board
k) Crowd of paying spectators (optional)

METHOD:

Manager:

1/ Pick one goalkeeper, 4 defenders, 3 or 4 midfield players and 2 or 3 strikers, up to a maximum of 11 players. There is no limit to how many players you can pick from any one club.

2/ Use a tactical formation familiar to the squad selected for the tournament. We shall call this 'Plan A.'
Do not be afraid to experiment if necessary.

3/ Prepare for different scenarios on the training pitch to accommodate even the unlikeliest of events. Remember practice makes perfect

4/ Have a 'Plan B' in case Plan A is not working.

5/ Name your starting XI more than two hours before kick-off. For example, tell them over breakfast (Continental or English style) on the day of a game that starts at 3pm.

6/ Be open with YOUR players. Express your opinions and thoughts to them, and in turn allow them to convey their views and share with you any underlying issues they may have. Bond with them as if they were your family.

7/ At the end of the day do NOT forget YOU are the boss!

Players:

1/ Once the game has begun, pass the ball to your fellow players (those in the same coloured shirts as yourself), rather than to the opponents.

2/ Move the ball in a forward direction whenever possible.

3/ Continue to play the ball back and forth to your team-mates until the final movement of the ball results in the (whole of the) ball crossing a white line painted between two upright sticks 12 yards apart. This is called a goal!

4/ Do your utmost to stop the opposition from doing likewise (legally of course).

5/ After a goal is scored YOU may then run around and celebrate in whatever fashion floats YOUR boat. Be warned - do NOT remove YOUR shirt in celebration or jump into the crowd. These are law breaking offences and could also result in injury. However YOU may perform acrobatics, themed dance routines, kiss, hug, point, cup your ear and shake your booty if you so wish.

6/ Remember a WAG is NOT for life, so sharing a WAG is at the owners discretion. Do NOT do to someone else what YOU would not like done to yourself. Be polite and always ask (JT) first!

RESULT:

Not known at the time of writing, as kick-off is still some 15 hours away. However the bookmakers odds are as follows:

England to win 4/9
Match Drawn 10/3
Slovenia to win 15/2

(Odds supplied courtesy of Betfred)

CONCLUSION:

An England win and they qualify for a place in the last 16.

Any other result and the express jet will be fuelled and ready to transport the 'prima donnas' to a safe house for their own protection, and a brown envelope containing a document labelled 'P45' will be winging its way to the Italian, Mr. 'not so fabio' Capello, c/o The FA, the governing body of association football in England.


Any questions???

'Why King Really Went Ape'

During the week just gone a pal of mine forwarded onto me an email he received from a work colleague, who was aware I had recently set up a Blog site that was footy orientated.
My pal is a longtime friend, and a big sports fan who earns his crust doing computer aided drawings. The sound, honest, reliable type. The sort you would happily introduce to the in-laws.
He knows who he is and now Gavin has got himself a mention, I shall hopefully get some peace for the foreseeable future!
Anyway his work colleague for the purposes of this posting I shall refer to as Andy. I have never met Andy or even spoken to him. As a result before reading the subject matter I was naturally open minded and I had no pre-conceptions on the material or its origin.
After initially reading it I thought just another footy fan jumping on the anti-Chelsea FC bandwagon.
As the week went by I kept going over it in my mind and finally decided it was worth publishing and deserved some feedback.
The content of the email is very controversial, perhaps overly, maybe even untrue, but what the hell.......... it is without a doubt definitely worth a read!


Andy wrote:
Apparently on the Internet message boards it is alleged that John Terry told Ledley King to 'Shut up you lippy black monkey' before getting sent off on Sunday. This would explain the following:

WHY King went mad, when normally he is mild tempered and the incident appeared harmless,
WHY Chimbonda went berserk and had to be physically restrained. WHY Zakora went mad too, and WHY Drogba, who was there and always gets involved, did nothing.
It may also explain WHY Terry calmly walked away seemingly
expecting to be sent off, for what appeared on TV to be nothing of consequence.

Terry was accused by Eto of making racist comments in the Barcelona game
last year.
Apparently a Spurs player has leaked this, but Chelsea are working overtime to keep it quiet.
Ashley Cole has said that Poll told him the lack of discipline by Chelsea was out of order and Chelsea are trying to discredit Poll, but he cannot possibly come out and say what Terry really said.
He is after all the England captain!
Instead Poll preferred to say he sent Terry off for 'ungentlemanly conduct'.

Finally, Rio Ferdinand said in his recent book that a current England player was a known racist. Wonder who he meant?

If this story is true, it will be massive and I can't believe the press haven't got hold of it yet. Chelsea must be weighing journalists out left, right and centre.


Have you heard this particular race row before? If so, where did you hear it ?
Is there any truth in it, or is it simply idle pub gossip?
Do you have any thoughts or opinions you would like to share on this potentially explosive issue?
If so, then kindly post your comment below.