In Case You Were Wondering Why...

Hi all, as you can see, my blog has been hit by a hurricane lol ... I am doing some re-vamping to the page, making some color changes etc so just bear with me for a few days until I get everything where it should be! If you happen to see a different layout for the next few days, don't mind me .. I'm just trying to make up my mind on what looks & feels best!


Bettie

Added a Poll Section to my blog

Hi guys, I have decided to add a Poll to my blog. I will run a new poll every week, if you look at the bottom of the Poll gadget it tells you how long it will run for so be sure to check back to view the results!


Look forward to seeing how things pan out :)


Bettie

Is this thing on ???

Hi everyone, I've been quite busy the last few days so I apologize to those of you that stopped by and found nothing new to read.. my bad! I've been working on a few new projects online and just got tied up with learning all the in's and out's. First off, I found myself at the doors of Squidoo .. they offer free, single page websites called Lenses. I spent some time getting to know the site and decided that making a lens or two would really help me network... You can file this under tips & tuts for the new blogger ;)

On top of that, I started my own shop @ CafePress called ExpressionX. Feel free to check it out and let me know what you think.. It won't be for everyone as it has a darker theme .. comically speaking that is, but I had alot of fun setting it up. Of course, there is only one page of products right now, but over the next week, I will be working on some original art/graphics that will get incorporated into my designs.... I'm kind of excited! doo doo dee dooo...

Before I forget, if you want to check out the lenses or my shop, you can find links to both in the left column. And as always, comments & suggestions are always welcome!

As for life in general, not much is new really .. Mother Nature decided that since it was nice and warm out, it was about time to throw one more snow storm at us ... Let's hope that pesky Yeti doesn't come back to visit me ... Well, it's 2:10 am and I am definetly ready for bed! So until next time ....

Take care and I will see you soon ;)



Bettie

Monday Madness and my Ramblings ...

Wow, what a busy day I've had! It started off rather slow today as I just didn't want to get out of bed to be quite truthful.... I actually greeted the rest of my house at about 1:00 pm today... I know, I'm lazy... but the extra rest was much needed!

I grabbed myself a tea and a ciggie in an attempt to wake up and was out the door in about an hour. So, all in all ... I made fairly good time. I headed downtown, sharing the sidewalk with everyone from the business man in his $3000.00 suit to the lady on the corner who talks to herself... I don't get what she's saying really, but from the expression on her face it's rather important. Never a dull day in downtown ....ahh, right, I am annonymous. You almost got me! ;)

After a few hours downtown, I made my way back home .. taking my time as it was a nice light, breezy day today. I end up at my landlords door as I have completely forgotten to do the most important thing on my list and ended up using her fax to finish the task! After that's taken care of, we sit and talk about vacation spots, relationships and a slew of other topics that one rarely speaks to her landlord about... But alas, she is a wonderful lady and you enjoy being around her when you see her... My kind of people for sure :<)

Realizing it was 5:00 pm I head downstairs to get dinner ready... We've decided that were going to brave the deer sausage (venison) that was given to us by some friends. Now, I have eaten this twice in my life. The first time it was like chewing on a rubber tire... my second meal of venison was quite good. Cooked with different spices & veggies as well as a homemade gravy to pour on top... yum yum! So, I figure it will turn out tasting like a rubber tire and I'll have to cut that guy a break from so many years ago or it will be yummy & juicy and my partner will not ask me what in the %$&# he's chewing on..

I am hoping for the latter of course. If all goes well and my experiment is a success, maybe I will post the recipe on here for anyone interested in trying something different. Well, dinner will be ready soon so for now I bid you guys goodbye. I may be back to post later on if the mood strikes! :<)

Bettie

Calling All Bloggers ...

I just wanted to talk about my latest venture and this is .. becoming a blogger. I have written in the past, whether it be journal entries, stories or poetry and rather enjoyed the time I put into it .. However, most of it was for my eyes only ... As of late I have felt the need to express myself to the world a bit more. Not the world around me but the internet community... This is not to say I am an anti-social person online, not by any means .. In fact, look at me now .. I've gone public ;)

So here I am.... at the gates of the blogger kingdom .. a magical place where people write to entertain, educate and amuse thousands of "screen people"... In my few weeks as a blogger I have rather enjoyed myself ... I've joined some fantastic communities and exchanged idea's with my fellow bloggers, learned some more html ... what a pain that is, but hey, it sure helps at times!

The feedback I have gotten as of late has been a major influence for me as well.... I appreciate the comments my reader's have taken the time to post. Whether it be a simple hello or advice from someone looking in from another angle.. Keep em coming, I find it inspiring! :<) My purpose for this post is twofold. I would like to say, that I am really glad I decided to give this a whirl and also ... I would like to thank my readers and fellow bloggers for supporting this new girl in her venture to be an online writer...


Bettie

In bed with my baseball bat...

Last night I'm getting ready for bed .. it's about 2:30 am and I've just finished my blogging activities for the evening. I do my usual rounds .. make sure the ashtray isn't on fire, turn the lights out, use the loo .. the normal routine.

So, there I am, all snuggled up in my big warm comforter and within about 10 minutes I can hear a few people outside and directly below my bedroom window. Now .. I certainly won't reveal where I live but it's very close to downtown, the concrete jungle as I like to call it. It's not a "terrible" neighbourhood but it's not the safest place for a woman to walk around at night all by her lonesome either... safety, safety, safety, I always say!

Right ... back to my story. So I'm in bed, listening to these two people yacking under my window when all of a sudden what do I hear? The female says to her friend ... " I wonder who lives in the apartment above us" Of course I sit up thinking, why is this faceless stranger in the dark inquiring about my place???

I leave the lights off and go to my window, can't see them as they are right up against our front door. Our building has magnectic locks on both the outside and foyer doors .. again better safe than sorry when you live in the "jungle".

Next thing I know, the male is saying to the girl .. "I bet it would be really easy to climb up there" as you can imagine ... I am getting a little worried. My other 1/2 is gone to work on a midnight shift and I am home alone ... just me and the bat that sits in my hallway lol ..

Now to set the scene a little more, we had a snowstorm and a rainstorm brewing outside... Mother Nature must have had herself a bad bad day. I suppose they were looking for cover but were unable to get into the building...

My wheels are spinning by this point... am I going to have to bonk some snow covered Yeti over the head when he decides to climb up to my window and hang from the sill?? Or do I just go open it now to make it easy on him and maybe put on a pot of tea to warm his burglarin' bones?

If he tries this idea out, what do I say to the operator when have to call 911? Hi there, my name is so and so and I live at %$#%&$ Street. Ummm, there is a Yeti on my windowsill and I am about to hit him out of the park with one of my trademark grand slam hits! Please send someone immediately!!

Of course, she/he will look at the other dispatchers in the room and make that "this caller is squirrely" face and before I know it, me, the VICTIM, will be hurled off to the booby hatch ... I mean really, we all know that Yeti's aren't real right? ;) That and the fact that I live in/near the jungle only further implies that I must be nuts!

Thankfully, the Yeti and his female companion decide to leave and work thier way down the snow covered streets .. no doubt to find a window much lower in height...

If I wanted to be featured on "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" I would just ring up Lorne Green and ask him to send me a ticket..


Bettie

Irish Recipes Part 3

Now that I have added some meals for you to make how about we look at some beverage choices to serve after your meal! These are great about an hour after your meal once your tummy has settled a bit!


Irish Coffee

you will need the following:

60 ml of Irish Whiskey (I personally suggest Bush Mills)
1 teaspoon of brown sugar
freshly made strong black coffee
double cream freshly whipped to peak

Put your Irish Whiskey in a sealed container and place it in a glass/bowl of hot water. Once warmed, pour the whiskey and sugar into a glass/mug and stir. Then add your coffee, leave about half an inch or of space at the top of your glass/mug. Gently pour the cream onto the top of the mixture. Do not stir!!

Sprinkle grated chocolate if desired.

Yeilds one serving



Hot Irish Whiskey

you will need the following:

1 measure of Irish Whiskey (about 2 ounces will do)
2 teaspoons of brown sugar
2 slices of freshly cut lemon
6 cloves
8 ounces of boiling water

Pour whiskey and sugar into a strong heat resistant glass. Stick 3 cloves into each lemon slice and place in glass.Add the boiling water and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Serve immediately.

Yeilds one serving



Black Velvet

you will need the following:

500 ml's of Guinness
500 ml's of Champagne

Combine the two in a previously chilled glass and serve!

Yeilds 1000 ml's (4 cups)

Irish Recipes Part 2

I recently received a few requests to add some more tasty recipes to my Irish recipe collection. Of course, my main objective as a writer is to supply my readers with what they want! I hope you enjoy what I have added here and please feel free to come back and let me know how these turn out when you make them!


IRISH POTATO FARLS

you will need the following:

1.25 lbs of Potatoes (4 potatoes)
2 Teaspoons of Melted Butter
1 Cup of Flour
Half Teaspoon of Salt
4 Teaspoons of Vegtable Oil

Peel and half the potatoes and boil in water for 20 minutes or so until soft. Drain and then add the butter and mash thoroughly. Add the flour and salt, mix together well. Divide the flour/potatoe mixture in half and put the first half on a lightly floured surface. Knead until flat - approx .25 inch thick. Divide into 4 sections/pieces. Repeat the process for the other half of the mixture.

Fry/Griddle using the oil for approx 2 minutes or until crispy brown on each side. Serve warm.

Yeilds 8 Farls

topping suggestions:

grated cheddar cheese
sour cream & chives and/or bacon bits (homemade being the best)
onions (lightly cooked, do not caramelize)


IRISH OMELETTE

you will need the following:

4 large eggs
1 large mashed potato
some lemon juice (to taste)
1 Tablespoon of Chives
Salt and Pepper
1 Tablespoon of Butter

Separate the eggs and beat the yolks. Add them to the mashed potato, mixing thoroughly, add the lemon juice, chives, and salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a pan. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and stir them into the potato mixture. Cook the mixture until golden brown and then place under the broiler (just enough to "puff" them up)

Serve immediately

Yeilds 2 servings (double recipie for 4 servings)




Traditional Irish Stew

you will need the following:

1 pound lean mutton pieces or high quality stewing beef
1 pound carrots (peeled & diced)
1 pound onions (peeled & diced)
1 pound potatoes (peeled & diced)
salt & pepper
pinch of thyme

Put the mutton/stewing beef & the thyme in a saucepan and add cold water (just enough to cover the meat). Slowly bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for one hour. Add onions, potatoes, carrots.. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until vegetables are tender. Adjust seasoning if you prefer more zip.

This dish can be served alone or with cooked green cabbage or sprouts. Personally, I prefer to have the stew on it's own with some bread/buns on the side for dipping.

Yeilds 4 servings (double recipe and freeze some if you'd like)



Irish Pork Roast w/stuffing

you will need the following for the roast:

2 pounds of good quality pork tenderloin or lean pork chops
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of apple cider or water if preferred
Pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Lightly salt and pepper the meat then coat it with the butter. Place in a dish and cover with foil. Bake at 350 Farenheit for 1 & 1/2 hours. Serve with the stuffing and fresh cooked vegtables.

you will need the following for the stuffing:

4.5 large potatoes, boiled or steamed and coarsely mashed (do not overcook)
butter (same amount you would use for regular mashed potatoes)
1 large onion
2 large cooking apples, chopped
a handful of chopped "fresh" sage & thyme (thyme can be powdered)
Salt and pepper to taste

Add the butter to the potato & mix well. Chop the onion & add it to the mixture. Stir in the apples, herbs salt and pepper (mix well)

Serve beside your roast

Yeilds 4 servings

Watch out world ... I am smokeless

I've been comtemplating whether or not I should do any posting tonight as I am out of cigarette's... I know, you non smokers are just going to tell me to suck it up right? Well that's exactly what I want... to suck me up a big ole ciggie ....

Of course, the smokers out there ... you understand what I am going through, you FEEL my pain, dontcha? Well maybe you don't since your probably lightin one up as your reading this... I'm looking at 9-10 hours before I see one of those precious sticks again and I'm not happy about it one little bit!

Maybe I should hide all the clocks in my house so that the time will "seem" to go by quicker... Of course, there is still that clock in my system tray, hmmm nothing a little white out won't fix! Do you see what's happening here ??!!?? I'm simply delirious ...

So I now have two choices ... sit here and suck it up or go and eat everything in the fridge and then explain to my better half when he comes home, why there is no food left in the house.. haha! Honey ... you remember that mouse I told you about that lives under our fridge?? He's the real culprit!! Honestly, I didn't do it, I was too busy curled up in the corner of the tub rocking myself into hysterics!


Oh, the shame ....

Idea's for the new blogger

I have compiled a modest list of things for the new blogger to post about. When I decided to start blogging I was stuck for idea’s big time! I ended up deciding that I could just write what was on my mind at the time...

Hence my title “BettieBlogger, conquering the world, one blog at a time” ©

Hopefully this helps new bloggers who are just stuck for words … some ideas/topics:

music
local news
the environment
causes you believe in
your pets
hometown
clothing designs
new technology
family & friends
events around the world
history
movies
reviews
wildlife
artwork
photography
food/recipes
poetry

The list goes on and on but this gives you an idea … if you can come up with an subject/topic to write about, there is someone out there who will want to read it. Of course, it will take some effort on your part to get together a nice looking blog as well as getting a reading audience but if you work at it, you’ll get there!

Good luck :<)

Exchanging links with your fellow blogger...

Hi all, during my research I have learned many valuable lessons … one in particular I would like to touch on is link exchange. The idea here is that you exchange links with by doing this, you both get “votes”.

Each time someone clicks on your link … you gain “more” PR (pagerank) status! The catch here is to only exchange links with those that have a popular site with good strong content included.

Does this make you a blogger snob? I don’t think so … as the idea is to increase PR not decrease it .. which is what happens when you link to sites with little to no content and a low PR ranking.

Please feel free to leave me a comment with your url and if all is well, we can exchange links and help promote each other. It’s a win win situation no matter how you cut it!

Information Overload ... yes please!

I have spent days now, learning the ropes here. I use to think that blogging was as simple as jotting down a few sentences and hitting your submit button … boy was I in for a suprise! I must say, I’ve rather enjoyed doing my homework…

By taking a few hours a day to do some serious reading/research I feel quite confident that I have armed myself with some of the best “be a great blogger” tips I could find. I am truly looking forward to watching my blog blossom into something that my readers will enjoy….blog blossom?? sounds like a widget doesn’t it?

Again, I would like to thank all of those who have taken the time to create help & FAQ pages for those of us out there that are/were & will be unsure of where to start as well as “really” understanding the key ingredients to becoming a successful blogger!

Cheers! :<)

Bettie’s a busy bee ..

It’s been about a week since I posted last … life has just been busy and hectic lately. I think I’ve attended more appointments in the past week than I have all year. When “they” say Spring brings new beginnings “they” aren’t kidding!

I started my spring cleaning earlier this week and it was an eye opener… who knew I was such a packrat! I easily tossed out 2-3 garbage bags of material crap. Old papers, articles, comics, pizza flyers lol .. you name it, I had it in my possession. Of course you’d never notice any of this stuff strewn about my house … It was all tightly packed away, this must have meant I was a packrat in denial? Oh the shame …

On a good note though, I did manage to donate another 2 bags worth of clothing to those in need as well as 3-4 medium bags of kids clothes, toys & stuffed animals… Maybe Karma will look graciously upon me for the next little while!

I have also found myself diving into some charity work as of late. I am doing my little part to help raise awareness for Muscular Dystrophy. Particularly, those affected by MTM/CNM. It is a cause I am personally affected by in a few ways and thought what better thing to do with some of my time!

I’ll be sure to post some info/links in case any of my readers are curious about these conditions and ways to help out. I am not looking for donations from you the reader .. just trying to help educate people about this condition as it is so rare…

Irish Recipes Part 1

Irish Brown Bread

2 cups whole-wheat flour2 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for kneading1/2 cup toasted wheat germ2 teaspoons salt2 teaspoons sugar1 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes2 cups well-shaken buttermilk

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F. Butter a 9- by 2-inch round cake pan.

Whisk together flours, wheat germ, salt, sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar in a large bowl until combined well. Blend in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Make a well in center and add buttermilk, stirring until a dough forms.

Gently knead on a floured surface, adding just enough more flour to keep dough from sticking, until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Transfer dough to cake pan and flatten to fill pan. With a sharp knife, cut an X (1/2 inch deep) across top of dough (5 inches long). Bake until loaf is lightly browned and sounds hollow when bottom is tapped, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool, right side up, about 1 hour.

Cooks’ notes:– Bread can be served the day it is made, but it slices more easily if kept, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature 1 day.– Leftover bread keeps, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature 4 days.


Corned Beef and Cabbage

5 pounds corned brisket of beef6 peppercorns, or packaged pickling spices3 carrots, peeled and quartered3 onions, peeled and quartered1 medium-sized green cabbage, quartered or cut in wedgesMelted butter (about 4 tablespoons)

Place the corned beef in water to cover with the peppercorns or mixed pickling spices (in supermarkets, these often come packaged with the corned beef). Cover the pot or kettle, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 hours or until tender, skimming occasionally. During the last hour, add the carrots and onions and cover again. During the last 15 minutes, add the cabbage.

Transfer meat and vegetables to a platter and brush the vegetables with the melted butter. Serve with boiled parsley potatoes, cooked separately. (The stock can be saved to add to a pot roast or stew instead of other liquid.)



Beef and Guiness Pie

2 lb boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces2 tablespoons all-purpose flour1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon black pepper2 tablespoons vegetable oil1 large onion, coarsely chopped2 garlic cloves, chopped3 tablespoons water1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste1 cup beef broth1 cup Guinness or other Irish stout1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce2 teaspoons drained brined green peppercorns, coarsely chopped2 fresh thyme sprigsRough puff pastry dough1 large egg, lightly beaten1 tablespoon waterSpecial equipment: 4 (14-oz) deep bowls or ramekins (4 to 5 inches wide; see Shopping List, page 301) or similar-capacity ovenproof dishes

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Pat beef dry. Stir together flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Add beef, turning to coat, then shake off excess and transfer to a plate. Heat oil in a wide 5- to 6-quart ovenproof heavy pot over moderately high heat until just smoking, then brown meat in 3 batches, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes per batch, transferring to a bowl.

Add onion, garlic, and water to pot and cook, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pot and stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in beef with any juices accumulated in bowl, broth, beer, Worcestershire sauce, peppercorns, and thyme and bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to oven. Braise until beef is very tender and sauce is thickened, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Discard thyme and cool stew completely, uncovered, about 30 minutes. (If stew is warm while assembling pies, it will melt uncooked pastry top.)

Put a shallow baking pan on middle rack of oven and increase oven temperature to 425°F.
Divide cooled stew among bowls (they won’t be completely full). Roll out pastry dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch square, about 1/8 inch thick. Trim edges and cut dough into quarters. Stir together egg and water and brush a 1-inch border of egg wash around each square. Invert 1 square over each bowl and drape, pressing sides lightly to help adhere. Brush pastry tops with some of remaining egg wash and freeze 15 minutes to thoroughly chill dough.

Bake pies in preheated shallow baking pan until pastry is puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 400°F and bake 5 minutes more to fully cook dough.
Cooks’ note:Stew (without pastry) can be made 2 days ahead, cooled completely, and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before using.


Enjoy!

Irish Blessings

Ever stop and wonder if St Paddy’s Day is about more than just getting drunk? Well guess what, it is … I have comprised a guide for my readers to enjoy. If you find it’s not entertaining you, drink 3 more beer and come back to read it again..

What we do now:

Our generation tends to sleep in until noon, skip breakfast and start catching a buzz by 2:00 pm. Eventually, we stop stumbling just enough to paint ourselves green and call a cab to the local pub… Somehow, everyone who is out on the 17th is suddenly Irish lol… something I have always gotten a kick out of… I’m waiting to see if everyone claims to be a rabbit by next Easter. Ok, getting off track here ….


Tradition:
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over a thousand years.On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink, and feast—on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.

Those wacky Sims ..

Recently I found myself looking for something new to do online … I can only log into Facebook so many times…. . So, I went in search of something that would grab my attention for more than 20 minutes. After numerous trials and errors with this prog and that prog I stumbled upon something called “The Sims”. I know, you just smacked yourself in the forehead wondering how someone could not possibly be informed right?

So, I get to the Maxis website and am flooded with a rather large selection of games I can play. Apparently I can play with virtual pets, go on vacation, build a city … the list goes on and on. I finally made my choice and decided on The Sims “Livin Large” as my new “how to better spend my time on the computer” solution.

I load my game and soon come to a section telling me about my many options & how to play the game successsfully. I can rather move into an already established neighbourhood or start with a blank template and build my own. I opted for the latter and began my journey into the world of The Sims…. I had already decided that I would have one home and two sims….. One week later, I have 3 homes and 5 sims, talk about self disipline….

I’m enjoying the building mode the most so far. Yes the little people are fun to watch but I can only click on the toilet & hear that flush, so many times… I do have to say though that the realism of the game is quite impressive … for example. If I don’t put my dishes away after a meal, the food will attract flies to the plate…leaving that too long can result in a roach infestation which none of us want, virtually or otherwise.

The other day I found myself building my third house for a single male sim and before I knew it, my boyfriend was in on it too. Together we designed a pretty awesome house … one to make
any bachelor proud I am sure. I figure, he would have a better grasp on how to set things up…

Had I done it myself you just know there would have been something frilly lying around somewhere … I’m a girl, I just can’t help it! Either or, his suggestions were right on and we ended up with a really great piece of property in the end. So I’d like to thank him and his testosteroney mindset for helping me to create an awesome space for Kris Kannibas the bachelor sim!