Thursday, July 27, 2017

TREATS, TIPS AND TRIVIA

I was almost ready to rent an igloo due to this sweltering NC heat, until I came across this really cool idea for Ice Pops. Even better, it takes just moments to prepare.  The hard part is just waiting for it to set.


PAPAYA-RASPBERRY-LIME POPS - Real Simple

INGREDIENTS
1/2 Large Papaya, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/4 Cup Lime Juice
Pinch of Kosher Salt
4 Tbsp Sugar, Divided
12 Oz. Raspberries


DIRECTIONS
Combine papaya, lime juice, salt and 2 tablespoons sugar in a blender and puree until smooth. Transfer to a pitcher or liquid measuring cup.  Place raspberries and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar into a blender, and puree until smooth.  Divide about half of the papaya mixture among 10 3-ounce ice pop molds  Top evenly with the raspberry mixture, then the remaining papaya mixture.


Insert wooden sticks and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 1 week.  To unmold, dip your molds in cold water to soften very slightly, and remove the pops.  Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and keep it in the freezer until just before serving.



COOKIES + ICE CREAM = CREAMYCOOKIEICECREAM
It's been a hot summer, so no one is probably in the mood to do a lot of baking, but that doesn't mean we don't still love our cookies. It's easy to grab a package of Keebler, Chips Ahoy, your store brand, or Pepperidge Farms to snack on, but why not make it even more decadent by sprucing them up with ice cream?  


Grab your fave cherry ice cream, smooth it out then sandwich it between two vanilla wafers for your own special treat. Or use two peanut butter cookies and add double chocolate chunk for the filling. 

Decorate the ice cream with sprinkles, or m&m's or butterscotch chips. Play around with different flavors and ask the kids or guests for other unique ideas.




DISNEY
Disneyland in California opened in 1955 for the first time.  The park's 40th anniversary was celebrated in an unusual way.  Artifacts from 40 years were placed in a time capsule and buried in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle in 1995.  It will be opened for all to see in July 2035.


MOVIE NEWS
Mary Poppins was originally released in 1964, and viewers fell in love with Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews in their roles.  
Mary Poppins Returns on Christmas Day 2018, and Emily Blunt takes over this classic fantasy.  The buzz is already positive, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the updated version.



AUGUST ROCKS
Not only do I celebrate my birthday next month, (yay to the 12th!) but there's a lot of other fantastic things going on too.


AUGUST 20 - National Lemonade Day. This is perfect because I mix lemons or lemonade in almost all my drinks.


AUGUST 21 - Total Eclipse of the Sun to cross the contiguous US since 1918.  Find out where you can see it by visiting eclipse2017.nasa.gov


AUGUST 26 - National Dog Day, where we celebrate with our four-legged furry friends.



Most of have to work for a living, and some of us may hate our jobs.  But what if you worked at a place that not only paid you a salary, but gave you other unique stuff, as employee appreciation.?

THE ZEBRA, a car insurance comparison company in Texas offers maid service each month, and money to make you happy for things like specialty classes or manicures.  In addition, employees have a company gym, and get unlimited PAID time off!

BASECAMP, a project management software maker in Chicago that offers up $1000 reimbursement for any type of lessons.  So if you're thinking about learning to cook or becoming a yoga instructor, this is the place to be.  If you need to find yourself every 3 years, the company provides a 30 day PAID sabbatical and vacation expenses.  To beat the heat in the summer, there is a 4 day work week and FREE massages. Well ok!


Is getting cut off enough to cause a person to follow someone else to get into an altercation?  I just don't get all that anger.

If I think about driving behind a slow driver a year from now, I'll probably be laughing and talking about it on this blog.  If I murder someone that does 20 miles per hour in a 65 per hour zone, I'll have the rest of my life to regret it in a tiny, tiny cell and no computer.



42 comments:

  1. I was very obviously in the wrong job all my working life...
    Any sort of rage is wasted effort. And I don't have enough energy to apare.
    Love your trivia. Thanks.

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    1. I agree with you, EC! We're working in the wrong place for sure. I agree - that road rage is pointless. Happy Saturday!!!

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  2. I always enjoy the recipes you post, RO. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Popsicles sound so good right now along with some berries. Hugs...and Happy Saturday!

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  3. I've always liked Emily Blunt

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    1. She's a great actress, but I also love how she can be super funny! Happy Saturday.

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  4. Papayas are so good for digestion. I've been eating them in moderation just because they're also high in sugar. Otherwise, I could eat them the whole day. Lol.

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    1. I had no clue about the digestion thing, Joy. That's good to know. I'm like you and can eat them all day, but it plays havoc with my sugar level, so I try to tone it down. My guilty pleasure now are berries and plums.

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  5. The popsicles look so good. I love fruit ones especially coconut or pineapple. Papaya would be awesome.

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    Replies
    1. The fruit is the best thing about the summer. I love pineapples too! Just need to take away the heat. Happy Saturday! Hugs...

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  6. Oh I'm definitely trying the popsicles, too bad I worked in a toxic environment for the last 10 years of my career, Now you tell me there are good places to work LOL but really I was already in my mid 50s so I could withstand anything :)
    Great post RO

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    1. It's the pits to have a job that we don't like, so companies offering up cool perks like this, really show how much they appreciate their employees. Thank goodness you got out of that yucky environment Debbie. Hope your day is going well! Hugs...

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  7. The popsicles and the cookies look really good and I bet my kids would like them. :)

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    1. These are great little projects to work on with the kiddies, too. I'll bet they can come up with some fun flavors. Hugs...

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  8. I think the cookies and ice cream would be my favorite, home baked would be better but store bought Keeblers and Chips Ahoy are much better than heating up the house, how about a Keebler on one side and Chips Ahoy on the other? This is a great idea RO thank you.

    Road Rage I don't understand it, even though I have gotten angry while driving in the past, I ignore most of the silly stuff now days...you just have to laugh and blog about it, another good idea there my friend.

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    1. Cookies and ice cream together? Yummy, yummy! You're right, it's much better to talk about it later than to do something crazy on the road, Jimmy. Hugs...

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  9. Great cooling recipes and wonderful trivia, RO!
    My birthday is also in August...six days after yours :)
    Well I may not have had all of those nifty extra incentives at my job but I was paid a decent wage and had a thirty year career when I retired.

    Neat post 🌞

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    1. Yay Jan - you're also a Leo huh? A 30 year career that you loved sounds pretty amazing! Hope all is well! Hugs...RO

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  10. Do you live in NC, Ro? How did I miss that? We may be neighbors:)
    Wonderful beat the heat recipes!
    Too bad all employers don't jump on board with The Zebra and Basecamp. And if an employer can't afford to do that much, any and all sincere acknowledgement is appreciated.
    Another great post.
    Hugs

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    1. I thought you may have lived in the Charlotte area which is about 2.5 hours from me, I think. I live in Fuquay. This NC heat is crazy, but today, I do actually feel a breeze. Wouldn't it be great if all companies offered up such cool perks? I'll bet they have low turnover. Happy Saturday!

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  11. Replies
    1. Yes to great things to eat while reading! Hugs...

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  12. Wonderful idea with the treats, I can almost taste it all. Thanks for the tips and trivia too. Warm greetings to you!

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    1. Yummy things to eat while reading a good book! Warm hugs right back! Hugs...

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  13. Replies
    1. Don't those seem like a great treat? Hugs...

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  14. I would LOVE to follow your wonderful mades instead of renting the igloo my friend!

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    1. No igloo for you, huh Baili? (lol) The heat here is unbelievable! Hugs...

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  15. I feel ya with this heat. It's supposed to go up into the 90's next week and I'm already not happy about it. :(

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    1. I know, right? All that heat makes me sluggish. Come on January! Stay cool Kristin! Hugs...

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  16. I used to have a bad temper and a bit of road rage but I've calmed down in my old age. lol Those ice pops looks good. I made some last summer from fresh fruit and they were so much better than the store bought ones.

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    1. That sounds like such a great idea to make your own fruit pops, Mary! We can add as much or as little as we like to make them yummy. Hugs...

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  17. I love those popsicles! It's been cool this summer, so I don't mind baking at all, we already make our own ice cream...I have to think about ice cream sandwiches! Oh gosh...road ragers are just so pathetic, basically cowards in reality!

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    1. I love so many of the ideas you come up with Rain. i agree, the people with road rage should be more calm to avoid horrible incidents. Hugs...

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  18. Advance happy birthday!

    I've been doing a lot of frozen smoothies & iced coffees too to combat the heat! Whew!

    Can't wait for the new Mary Poppins.

    Disney World is one of my favorite places on Earth hands down

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    1. I've traveled a lot and somehow missed Disney World or Disneyland which seems like a fantasy on earth. Frozen coffee and smoothies are great ideas Braine. I'm looking forward to Mary Poppins as well. She has big shoes to fill. Hope all is well as you prepare to head to Charleston! Hugs...

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  19. Papaya-Lemon pops sound wonderful along with ice cream sandwiches. I haven't had a homemade icecream sandwich in a while. I used to get them at this stand that would always open in the summer.

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    1. I'm all in for ice cream treats! So yummy! Hugs...

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  20. I rediscovered ice cream sandwiches last year I think and was amazed with just how good they are when you use a really good cookie! I need to try some different varieties. The cherry ice cream on a vanilla cookie sounds amazing! I've never understood the level of anger people get to while driving. I'm quick to give "advice" to other drivers but it normally stays in my head and can be dismissed with an eye roll on my part.

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    1. Yay to old school ice cream hacks that we can do ourselves, and it is fun to try new flavors. I know, the anger while driving is just too much. I totally agree with you for sure. Hugs...

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