Cinema Sunday ~ It Happened One Night (1934)

This oldie is packed with comical moments delivered by the coupling of Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable. And what a great pairing that is! You have comedy rolled in with class and sex appeal all at the same time.

When an heiress decides to go against her family in an attempt to be reunited with her husband and in the process take a journey into a world that she knows nothing about, she’s in for the ride of her life and unexpected love. Ellie Andrews (Colbert) begins her journey on a bus and makes the acquaintance of Peter Warne (Gable). Warne begins to put two and two together realizing that Ellie is the heiress that has a bounty (a $10,000 reward for any information about his daughter) that has been established by her father for her return...

View complete posting: Cinema Sunday ~ It Happened One Night (1934)

Why Isn’t There Bold Printed Warning For Parents?

Today I am dealing with two little darlings who have sick tummies. This is probably the thing that I hate to deal with the most. Diving with a large bowl to catch anything that might come out of my little one’s mouths is definitely not on the top 10 of my favorite things to do.

My little Rose started off yesterday with intestinal cramping and diarrhea. Also not my favorite thing to deal with, but I can manage it pretty well. At least she wasn’t spewing anything all over the place.

Then, at about 1:30a I was awakened by my Grace with a call for water. As I come back into the room with a glass of water, I hear (because it was too dark to really see) the sound of liquid flowing onto everything around her. Her jammies, the sheets, comforter and her brand new purple unicorn Pillow Pet…they all felt the wrath of her tummy.

View complete posting: Why Isn’t There Bold Printed Warning For Parents?

XXII Reno Rib Cook-Off ~ We Came, We Drooled, We Consumed!

As the anticipation grew, so did the tummy growls…
First, all I had with me was my cellphone, so these are definitely not my best photos…and for that I apologize. Now back to the story at hand…

Here in the Reno & Sparks area the Labor Day weekend means one thing: R-I-B-S

And not just any run of the mill ribs, oh no, we’re talking about a flat out smoker showdown. This weekend, 24 competitors lined the Victorian Square to take part in an invitation only battle for the best ribs. John Ascuaga’s Nugget hosts this premier rib competition every year…and for rib, BBQ, brisket and pulled pork lovers it’s an event not to be missed. Seriously…DON’T MISS IT!

View complete posting: XXII Reno Rib Cook-Off ~ We Came, We Drooled, We Consumed!

Machaca (Shredded Mexican Beef)

This just might be my favorite Mexican dish...every time that I've seen it on a menu I have instantly jumped over all of the other options to order it.

It varies a little from one restaurant to another, but I've never been disappointed.
Never.
It' perfect in burritos, soft corn tortillas or with eggs for breakfast.
I LOVE Machaca!

Alright so let's get down to it...here's my little adaptation of Machaca...

Marinade

Ingredients:
1 Serano Chili, stemmed, seeded & diced
3 Garlic Cloves, minced or through a garlic press
Maggi (a Mexican spice) OR 1 Tbsp. Worchsetershire Sauce and 1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp. Water
1 Lime, juiced
1/4 Cup Canola or Olive Oil
1 tsp. Balck Pepper
2-3 lbs. Skirt Steak

Start by slicing a serano chile lengthwise. Remove the seeds and the membrane…if you like it extra spicy, then go ahead and leave them. Then dice the serano and place into medium sized bowl.
Add 3 cloves of garlic, minced or through a garlic press. (I love the garlic press)
Add Maggi (a Mexican spice) or substitute with 1 Tbsp. Worchestershire sauce and 1 Tbsp. soy sauce.
Add 2 Tbsp. water.
Whisk in 1/4 cup canola or olive oil.
Add 1 tsp. black pepper.
Pour marinade into a gallon sized sealable bag.

2-3 lbs. of skirt steak. Trimming off as much of the large sections of fat as possible. Cut into 3-4 pieces (per skirt steak).
Add skirt steak to marinade bag.
Refrigerate 5-8 hours. (overnight is recommended, but not necessary)

Cooking DirectionsIngredients:Marinated Skirt Steak
3 tablespoons canola or olive oil
1 1/2 cup Onion diced, yellow or white
1/2 cup Red Bell Pepper, seeded & diced
1 Serano Chili diced, stemmed & seeded
2 Garlic Cloves, minced or through a garlic press
1 can Diced Tomatoes (with juice)
1 cup Beef Broth
1 Tbsp. Worchestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano
Salt and Ground Black Pepper
12 Corn Tortillas
Lime wedges, for serving

Allow the meat to come to room temperature before cooking, about 30 minutes. Remove the meat from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. (this will allow the meat to brown and not essentially be steamed by the marinade) Discard the marinade.

In a deep skillet or large heavy pot heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Sear the meat on all sides, a few pieces at a time, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the browned meat to a platter and set aside.

Add the onions, peppers, garlic, and chiles to the hot pan. Saute for 5 minutes, then add the beef broth, Worchestershire sauce, soy sauce, tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper, to taste. Mix well, then return the meat to the pan.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer slowly until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours. If the mixture does not cover the top of the meat, flip the meat over 1 hour into the cooking process.

Transfer the meat to a cutting board and allow to rest until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Continue to cook the onion mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.

Using your fingers or a couple of forks, shred the meat into 1 or 2-inch-long pieces. Return the shredded meat to the pot, stir to combine, and cook until meat is very hot, about 3 minutes.

Warm the tortillas over a burner over medium heat or in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 20 seconds.
Place about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture in the center of each tortilla and top with a lime wedge’s juice, cheese (Queso Fresco) and guacamole.

Refrigerate unused meat in an airtight container.  Great reheated with scrambled eggs for a breakfast burrito the next day! 

Cinema Sunday ~ How To Marry A Millionaire (1953)

This happens to be my favorite Hollywood bombshell triple threat movie...Bette Grable, Marilyn Monroe & Lauren Bacall. These women deliver their comedic roles wonderfully. The fashion is amazing...I just love the dresses, suits, gowns, swim suits, capri outfits....everything from that time!

Shatze Page (Bacall) orchestrates a grand plan of how she and her two fellow models can land themselves a few unsuspecting millionaires. Her head is in the game and the plan is simple...pool the financial resources, rent a ridiculously expensive penthouse from Freddie Denmark (David Wayne), who was in hiding to avoid the IRS, and seek out the millionaires wherever they might be frolicking. Shatze is one tough cookie who doesn't go for anything less than what she believes is the perfect million dollar catch...one very kind, older widower J.D. Hanley (William Powell). And you can't help but feel bad for the striking young man, Tom Brookman (Cameron Mitchell), who is nothing more than a "gas pump jockey" to Shatze. He tries so hard to crack her icy exterior only to hear after each date that she never wants to see him again. Yet when it all comes down to it Shatze can't go through with her wedding to J.D. Hanley and ends up marrying Tom Brookman instead. (thinking that she's ended up with the poorest choice of all)...

View complete posting: Cinema Sunday ~ How To Marry A Millionaire (1953)

Giving In The Desert Moments

2 Corinthians 9:7-9
(New International Version)

⁷Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

⁸And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

⁹As it is written:
"He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever."

A lot of people get funny when they are hit with the topic of giving an offering and/or tithing at their church. You typically can hear a pin drop. We are SO tied to our money. I think that people make the mistake at looking at it as the "church" wanting to just get their hands on people's money. And I understand how they can get caught-up in that. Really, I can.

But here's what I've experienced...when I haven't been faithful in my tithing in the past, my financial world has gone literally bonkers. I mean it. Who would have thought that when you don't give just a 10th of what you earn...just a 10th...that your finances could actually go completely awry? We're talking going from being in a financial balance with a family income of almost $4,000/mo. to not being enough to get caught up on credit cards and student loans...thus resulting in a bankruptcy filing. Oh yeah, let's just say that I've learned my lesson. It's a lesson that I never want to have to repeat again.

Here's how it started out...there has always been some credit card debt, but it was basically manageable. I didn't like it, but it was slowly coming down. Then Charming & I got married and two months later found out that we would become parents that coming December. Shocker! We also were hit with the news that Charming was a Type 2 diabetic a month later. Another shocker! It was just about this time that we stopped tithing. The first time either of us had ever stopped tithing in our lives. Mistakes were made trying to keep an online business going...didn't work out well and only got us further into debt. Couple that with the purchases for new things for our little one that was on the way and it equalled even more debt. That debt machine was in full force and wasn't stopping. We become late on a couple of payments and the interest rates went from 6% to 26%! By this time we were about 2 1/2 years into our marriage...and trying to pretend that our world wasn't financially falling apart. We were completely in denial.

Long story short, in December 2008 we completed our bankruptcy...and a huge weight was lifted. And a promise was made that no matter what we were going through, we weren't going to pull back on our tithing. We need God's protection over our finances, especially with the way that this economy is today. And in that scripture above you see that we are called to fulfill an action...and in our fulfilling that action, it allows the promise that God made to be put into motion.

See the promise? Right there in verse 8? I love that promise.

Some might get the wrong impression that since we started our tithing again that things have been easy for us. Nope. They haven't been easy...but we've been able to meet our financial obligations every month. It may be tight, it might be a bit uncomfortable, but we have always had what we need to cover the bases. Most of the time I look at the month's obligations and wonder just how we're going to squeak by, but we always do. We give our tithes and offerings now with a joyful heart. And we have seen that God has been faithful in fulfilling His promise to us.

In a state where we lead the nation in unemployment, Charming has been blessed with a job and been shown favor in it and I have been able to get an evening part-time job (even though it fluctuates)...I call that God's favor and His provision. We've known too many people that are looking for work and can't seem to even get an interview anywhere...yet we have been able to. Our bank accounts have been stretched and we have been faithful in our giving even when we look and see that there wouldn't be enough to meet other obligations between checks. Yet, somehow in a way that only God can, our money seems to stretch and stretch to cover everything. It hasn't been easy and there are times when I think, "There's no way that we can give any more", yet we look at eachother and we give above our tithe...and we give happily because we know that somehow God is going to make everything work out.

The floor has been paced, praying & praise has been something that I do in the still of the night (12am-2am) almost nightly and I have seen God move on our behalf. I have seen Him honor His promises...every time. And I find peace in His presence. That peace is priceless. Especially during the desert moments. I thank God for His faithfulness, His grace and His mercy. When everything starts billowing and looks chaotic, I know that in the midst of it all God is right there to hold our hand and walk us through it.

Chocolate Flecked Coconut Bark (Cocada con Chocolate)

This recipe is so simple that it's perfect for having your little kiddles help out. 

This may infact be the simplest and fasted baked good that I've ever made. And if you are a lover of Mounds candy bars, then you are absolutely going to adore this coconut bar. There are two ways to have it...a little crunchy or more gooey and chewy. I love it gooey and chewy...especially when still warm. Mmmmmmm! So all you have to do is grab a couple items from your pantry...sweetened coconut flakes, sweetened condensed milk and bittersweet chocolate chips. (I prefer the 60% cocoa chips) That's all you need for this treat! Oh, and a little cooking spray for the baking dish. In a medium-large sized bowl combine the coconut and sweetened condensed milk.* Be sure to get all of the coconut coated, if not then you're liable to end up with peices of burnt coconut. (not so good) * For the gooey version, use 14 oz. of sweetened condensed milk. Do not increase the coconut. Once your coconut has been well mixed, add in the chocolate chips! You can leave them whole, buy mini ones, half or quarter them. Since I use the 60% cocoa chips, which are pretty big, I quarter them.

Get everything well combined so that your chocolate is dispersed throughout the coconut. Grab an 8 x 8 glass baking dish and give it a quick coating of cooking spray. Then pour the coconut mixture into the dish. With a spoon, press the mixture so that it is firmly and evenly packed down. Place the baking dish into a preheated 350°F oven. Bake for 20-22 minutes.** **If you are like me and want the gooey version, then your baking time is going to be approximately 25-28 minutes.

Chocolate Flecked Coconut Bark (Cocada con Chocolate)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Level: EASY
Servings: 12

Ingredients:
Nonstick Cooking Spray
5 1/2 cups Sweetened Shredded Coconut
1/2 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/4 cup 60% Cocoa Chocolate Chips (quartered or chopped)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 x 8-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix the coconut and condensed milk in a bowl until combined. Make sure that all of the coconut is covered with the condensed milk, if not covered it will burn. *For a more gooey bar, use 14 oz. of sweetened condensed milk. Do not increase coconut.

Add chocolate chip pieces into the coconut mixture and stir until well combined.

Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake until the coconut is evenly browned and crisp at the edges. Cook time is about 20 minutes. **For gooey bars 25-28 minutes, keeping watch to avoid burning

Cool slightly, and cut into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

My Night Job Is Like Having A Newborn Again

Okay, so I've now finally gotten a little part-time job that allows me to juggle my family...and I do mean juggle. The nice thing is that I actually get to have a family dinner with my hubby and kiddles, before rushing to finish getting myself ready for the evening. I already miss-out on some bedtime storytelling and prayers, so I'm extremely greatful that I don't have to missout on a family dinner also.

Nights are sometimes done around midnight...sometimes later. (or earlier the next day, depending on how you look at it) Which means that I end up with anywhere between 4-6 hours of sleep on those work nights. And those nights are the ones that I remember having for what seems to be roughly 3 years out of the past 6. (unless there are dreams of monsters & snakes...then it's pretty current) Those nights make the following day extremely difficult...but time moves on and demands a Momma to be at top form at all times. So top form I will be...with a lot of caffeine in my system....

View complete posting: My Night Job Is Like Having A Newborn Again

Cinema Sunday ~ To Have And Have Not (1944)

Lauren Bacall & Humphrey Bogart star in the movie that brought them together beginning their romance. In fact, this is Lauren Bacall's movie debut...she was only 19 years old at the time. (funny little side note, the wardrobe for Bogie in basically the same here as it is for his later flick The African Queen...just add a few more wrinkles to his face)

They fill the roles of a tough ex-patriate boat captain Harry Morgan (which I found hysterical at the thought that here was "Captain Morgan") and a singer, stranded American Marie Browning ("Slim") (Bacall), who fool Nazis on the island of Martinique. Harry's "rummie" friend Eddie (Walter Brennan) & hotel-keeper/Free French leader Gerard ("Frenchie") (Marcel Dalio) frequent the screen as well.


Frenchie pressures Morgan to use his boat to service some "friends" of his...meaning smuggle in some fellows. To which Morgan staunchly refuses to take part in the current political upheaval. Enter Eddie...and his question that just makes me laugh (I don't know why):
Eddie: Say, was you ever bit by a dead bee?
Beauclerc: I have no memory of ever being bit by any kind of bee.
Slim: (interjecting) Were you?
Eddie: You're alright, lady. You and Harry's the only one that ever...
Morgan: Don't forget Frenchie.
Eddie: That's right. You and Harry and Frenchie. You know, you got to be careful of dead bees if you're goin' around barefooted, 'cause if you step on them they can sting you just as bad as if they was alive, especially if they was kind of mad when they got killed. I bet I been bit a hundred times that way.
Slim: You have? Why don't you bite them back?
Eddie: That's what Harry always says. But I ain't got no stinger.

View complete posting: Cinema Sunday ~ To Have And Have Not (1944)