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'Peace' in
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Cool!
Czech Republic - countryside
We have been having very hot days here in the Rocky Mountain Foothills.
Today is a cooler day,
but I thought perhaps we should get ourselves ready for more
HOT!!!
So today's blog is all about staying
COOL!!!
COOL THINGS TO EAT:
The first thing that comes to mind is.................JELL-O!
This recipe has always been one of my favorites. It's easy to make, and sets up in an hour or so. A perfect cool ending to a summer meal.
Lemon-Cheese Chiffon
from JELL-O fun and fabulous recipes, published by Beekman House, c. 1988 General Foods Corp.
makes 2 1/2 Cups or 5 servings
3/4 Cup boiling water
1 package (4-serving size) JELL-O Lemon Flavor Gelatin
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 Cup cold water
Ice cubes
1 package (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened and cut up
Pour boiling water into blender. Add gelatin and sugar. Cover and blend at low speed until gelatin is completely dissoved, about 30 seconds.
Combine cold water and ice cubes to make 1 1/4 Cups.
Add to gelatin and stir until ice is partially melted.
Then add cream cheese.
Blend at high speed for 1 minute.
Pour into individual dessert dishes or serving bowl.
Chill until set, about 1 hour.
Garnish as desired.
This recipe also works well with other gelatin flavors! Cherry, Pineapple/Orange,
you get the idea!
You can switch up your garnish to match the main flavor.
Use a twist of lemon peel on top of the LEMON-CHEESE Chiffon.
Use a twist of orange peel for a PINEAPPLE/ORANGE-Cheese Chiffon,
or a section of mandarin orange with a sprig of mint?
How about a candied lime slice for LIME-ORANGE-Cheese Chiffon?
There are lots of ways to make this fancy, or just serve plain. You decide!
MORE COOL THINGS TO EAT:
JICAMA
Jicama (pronounced 'hick-a-ma') is a wonderful, fresh vegetable.
It really has no taste to describe it, except it is mild and kind of juicy.
We grew up with Dad always cutting up vegetables and eating them raw.
Jicama was a favorite
(so was turnips! Really! Try them raw.)
As you can see in the photo, jicama doesn't look like much on the outside.
It is bumpy, with a kind of potato like skin.
You don't want to eat this skin though!
Peel, and then slice, chop, etc. to eat.
It is GREAT in salads, on a veggie tray
or try throwing some in to your next tuna salad!
CELERY slices
Used to eating celery as long logs with some kind of filling?
Try this shape instead.
You don't need the extra calories, sodium and sugar that those fillings have.
This celery shape travels well in a snack-size baggie.
It is juicy, and has a satisfying crunch!
As an added bonus, you don't have to deal with those long, tough fibers!
Cool.
A friend sent this to me, so I don't have any photo creds. Sorry.
LAST COOL FOOD OF THE DAY:
Jelly Belly Spring Cupcakes
Cupcake Corner blog
I can take no credit for these, I found them via google.
But aren't they charming?
and so COOL looking?!?
I think kids would have fun decorating these cupcakes too.
Set out a few small bowls of jelly bellies (or jelly beans) separated by color.
I think I also see some Jordan Almonds, and maybe a gum ball or two.
The stamens look like those pastel licorice candies...
plus some pastel mints.
Add a can of frosting to help 'glue' the jelly beans to the cupcake top
and voila!
Cool Summer Cupcakes!
Why not come up with your own combinations?
There are rainbow chocolate chips,
gummy worms,
sweet and sour gummy just about anything you can think of,
sliced almonds
chocolate chips in mini and regualar
Hershey's kisses
all kinds of fancy colored sugars
and sprinkles in all shapes...
what else can you think of?
Some COOL Summer Reading -
"Reading with Moon Lighting" courtesy Laurent Laveder
I just finished
"the rhino with glue-on shoes
and other surprising true stories of zoo vets and their patients"
by
Lucy H. Spelman, DVM
and
Ted Y. Mashima, DVM
This is the addy on Amazon. Be sure and copy & paste all the addy to get there.
Or, if you have the computer feature like I do you just click on the addy, and then it magically goes to the place/link!
I also recently finished
"The Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara
This is the best book I have ever read that actually explains,
in language I can understand and relate to,
the Battle of Gettysburg.
Other books either assume I know all the people involved-
and which side they were on-
or are so filled with this battalion and that regiment
that it has been very confusing.
The Killer Angels brings the battle to a personal level,
collected from diaries, letters and interviews of actual participants.
Michael Shaara writes characters that are personable and believable.
I will certainly check out other books by him.
What are you reading right now?
illustration by Beatrix Potter
COOL SUMMER MOVIES:
We've watched some great movies lately,
plus I need to share more of my list of
Must-Watch-Movies!
The Wizard of Oz
with Judy Garland and a host of other great actors!
This is just a feel good movie you need to watch every couple of years or so.
found on http://www.etsy.com/ - sorry I didn't jot down the shop name.
Operation Dumbo Drop
by Disney, and based on a true story I beleive.
Ray Liotta (an actor I like) is in this,
Danny Glover (another favorite actor) and Denis Leary.
Set in war-time, it is kid friendly and just a great story.
John Wayne in
Hatari!
and
Hondo
You know me though, anything John Wayne is pretty cool!
Have you seen his version of The Alamo?
It's great!
For some great Washington, D.C. comedy
watch
Dave
with Kevin Kline (an all-time fave) and Sigourney Weaver
and Charles Grodin, who just doesn't act in enough movies for me!
An added bonus: an evil Frank Langella!
Snow White and the Huntsman
with Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron
We actually paid $10 per ticket to go see this in the movie theater.
It was worth it.
This is a movie I will enjoy getting on DVD when it is released.
And if you haven't seen it lately,
The Pirates of the Caribbean - The Black Pearl
with Johnny Depp (stellar performance!),
Kiera Knightly, and Orlando Bloom.
Sit with smaller kids as there are a few 'scary' scenes.
Really,
sit with your kids for most if not all movies!
You can talk with them after the movie about highlights,
what's real and what's pure fiction.
You can explain what you agreed with and what you thought wasn't ok.
Ask your kids what they thought about it.
What parts were silly?
What parts would happen in real life?
This is a time for great family bonding and instilling your views/values.
Well, that should get you started on some
Cool Things To Do in the Hot Summer!
What are you doing to keep cool?
Let me know!
:0)
"Beautiful Mermaid"
original Collage Art Doll by inkspired
inkspired
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