Thanks, Entrecard Friends

Please go visit these great blogs who advertised with me this week.

Technorati Tags: Entrecard

The Five Second Rule

Click to enlarge if you have trouble reading this.  It’s hilarious.

Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Pet

Specialist Brandon K. Steffy
23 years old from Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan
178th Military Police Detachment, 89th Military Police Brigade, III Corps
October 29, 2009


He came into to this world a rather large baby, so big the doctor thought that he’d just walk home with his mother. Brandon was well mannered, polite, and tough with a contagious laugh that lit up those around him. In 2005 he graduated from Brimley High School and in 2006 enlisted in the United States Army, following a tradition of family military service.

He served in Iraq as a gunner from May 2007 until July 2008 and was deployed to Afghanistan in June 2009 where he was a canine tracker handler for Forward operating Base Fenty Kennel in the Laghman Province. He and his K-9 dog Maci were inseparable, working on tracking terrorists; Maci specialized in tracking the scents of IED making materials.

Spc. Brandon Steffy was killed when the vehicle he was riding in was attacked. His decorations and awards include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorism Service, the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.

Spc. Steffy is survived by his wife, daughter, parents and his sister.

Brandon made people laugh and he made them cry. There was not one dry eye at his funeral, from every day townsfolk, to big construction workers to police officers; they all recalled Brandon, this "Gentle Giant." They want everyone to know that if you never knew Brandon, then you really missed out.

All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com & Freedom Remembered

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

A Trip To The Grocery Store

I had a great trip to the grocery store today.  Nearly everything I needed to buy was on sale.  The bottom of the receipt lists how much I saved, but each item also shows the savings.  Here’s how I did.

Item	Amt Saved
bacon	$1.30
cold cuts	$0.14
ice cream	$3.49
ice cream	$3.49
lettuce	$0.49
lettuce	$0.49
ground round	$4.81
ground round	$4.99
Total Savings	$19.20

How cool is that?!  I saved almost $20.00!!

How did you do at the store this week?

I Love LOL Cats

Thanks, Entrecard Friends

Please go visit these fine blogs who advertised with me this week.

Technorati Tags: Entrecard

Have You Made Your Reservations?

 

Honey, I’m taking you to Chateau Blanc for Valentine’s Day this year.

Pink Gup

(Scroll down to the next post for Flag Friday.)

A couple of you expressed interest in making pink gup (see yesterday’s post) so I thought I would give you my recipe.  This is one of the easiest things you can make. 
Ingredients:

• 8oz Cream Cheese
• Large box of Jell-O.  Regular or sugar free will work fine.
• 16 oz fresh, frozen or canned fruit
• 12 or 16 oz Cool Whip

Here’s the hardest step.  Choose a Jell-O and fruit combination that you like.  When gup is pink it’s usually strawberry Jell-O and frozen sliced strawberries.  But you are only limited by your imagination.  Mom first made this with lime Jell-O and crushed pineapple.  I like orange with Mandarin oranges.  Don’t use the juice from the can if you make this one, but put in a little OJ.  I’ve also used apricot Jell-O and diced peaches.  Or fresh blueberries are nice.  See what I mean?  There are so many delicious ways to make this that it’s hard to decide which to choose.
Now back to the easy stuff.

1. Let the cream cheese come to room temperature so it’s soft.
2. Make the Jell-O using only the hot water.  That would be 2 cups.  BUT you’ll want to make some adjustments here to allow for fruit juice.  You don’t want this to be soupy. 
   
   • For example if I used the frozen sliced strawberries I use 1/2 cup less water to allow for the juice.
   • If you want a more intense flavor, use 1/2 cup less water, then add 1/2 cup juice at the end of the next step.
   
   
3. Gradually mix the hot Jell-O into the cream cheese.  This will dissolve the cream cheese.   Now is the time to add any juice.
4. Add fruit to the mixture.  I like to have frozen fruit still mostly frozen at this point as it will help cool things down.
5. Chill until mixture begins to set up.
6. Add Cool Whip and stir together.  I use a whisk, but you can use a big spoon.  The whisk gives a nice mix without any white spots.
7. Refrigerate until completely set.
8. Grab your spoon and your appetite!  Yummy!

Let me know how you like it!

Flag Friday – Pakistan

0

Pakistan's flag was adopted on August 14, 1947, when Pakistan became an independent Muslim state, no longer part of Great Britain. The flag was designed by Ali Jinnah, who founded Pakistan.
The Pakistani flag is green and white. A white crescent moon and a five-pointed star are on a green field; a white stripe by the hoist side represents the nation's minority non-Muslim population. The crescent and star are traditional symbols of the Islamic religion. The star symbolizes light and knowledge; the crescent moon symbolizes progress.

The above information is from this site.

The following information comes from the Flag Counter widget in my sidebar.  There is much more to be found there about geography, government, population, economy, and military.

The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world and dating back at least 5,000 years, spread over much of what is presently Pakistan. During the second millennium B.C., remnants of this culture fused with the migrating Indo-Aryan peoples. The area underwent successive invasions in subsequent centuries from the Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs (who brought Islam), Afghans, and Turks. The Mughal Empire flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries; the British came to dominate the region in the 18th century. The separation in 1947 of British India into the Muslim state of Pakistan (with West and East sections) and largely Hindu India was never satisfactorily resolved, and India and Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-48 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries in 1971 - in which India capitalized on Islamabad's marginalization of Bengalis in Pakistani politics - resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. In response to Indian nuclear weapons testing, Pakistan conducted its own tests in 1998. The dispute over the state of Kashmir is ongoing, but discussions and confidence-building measures have led to decreased tensions since 2002. Mounting public dissatisfaction with President MUSHARRAF, coupled with the assassination of the prominent and popular political leader, Benazir BHUTTO, in late 2007, and MUSHARRAF's resignation in August 2008, led to the September presidential election of Asif ZARDARI, BHUTTO's widower. Pakistani government and military leaders are struggling to control Islamist militants, many of whom are located in the tribal areas adjacent to the border with Afghanistan. The November 2008 Mumbai attacks again inflamed Indo-Pakistan relations. The Pakistani Government is also faced with a deteriorating economy as foreign exchange reserves decline, the currency depreciates, and the current account deficit widens.

Population:

172,800,048 (July 2008 est.)

Languages:
Punjabi 48%, Sindhi 12%, Siraiki (a Punjabi variant) 10%, Pashtu 8%, Urdu (official) 8%, Balochi 3%, Hindko 2%, Brahui 1%, English (official; lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski and other 8%
Government type:
federal republic

Capital:
Islamabad

Independence:
14 August 1947 (from British India)

Currency (code):

Pakistai rupee (PKR)

Technorati Tags: Flag Friday

Thursday Thirteen – Comfort Foods

1.  Meatloaf – We had this on Monday and sandwiches for a couple of days.  I always make extra for sandwiches.

2.  Mashed Potatoes – I like to whip them with my mixer.  But I’m learning to mash them by hand.  They’re yummy either way.

3.  Macaroni and Cheese – Don’t tell anyone but I make it from the box.  Shhh….

4.  Chili – Mild not hot.  With beans and meat.   Best eaten with tortilla chips.

5.  Rice-a-Roni (beef flavor) cooked with hamburger and veggies in it.

6.  Pancakes – Mom had the flu one winter and spent several weeks confined to bed.  During that time Dad was in charge of cooking.  (I was 11 years old.)  We had pancakes several times a week.   Somehow eating pancakes makes me feel safe and cared for.

7.  Popcorn – Mom made it the best long before microwave ovens.

8.  M&Ms – I’m currently hooked on Dark Chocolate with Peanuts.

9.  Ice Cream – Chocolate of course.

10.  Chuck Roast – Put it in the oven and go to church.  Come home to a house that smells like Heaven.  And tastes like it, too.

11.  Pink Gup – A delightful concoction of Jell-O, cream cheese, fruit, and whipped cream.  MWH renamed it from pink salad to Gup.  I don’t care what it’s called as long as I get to eat some.  (This picture is really close to what Gup looks like.  There’s no white layer in the middle of Gup.)

12.  My homemade Chex Mix – I add lots of goodies to it.  We only make it during the Christmas holiday.  Mom only made it for New Year’s Eve when we were kids.

13.  Texas Sheet Cake (or Brownies) – Can you tell I love chocolate?

 

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others’ comments. It’s easy, and fun!
Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Wednesday Hero

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Toni

Stephen Cochran
2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force


Stephen Cochran had it all in front of him. Collage, a fiancée and an offer for a professional recording contract. But life had other plans for him. The day was September 11, 2001. "It was just so horrific," Cochran said. "It's like I'd been called. I'd never been pulled so hard to do something."

It may have been the audacity of the attacks, but more likely it was his family's long history of military service that drew him to enlist, he said. Both grandfathers served, as did an uncle and several other relatives.

So he dropped out of college, walked away from the record deal and joined the United States Marine Corps. "I've always been raised very, very patriotic. It's just what I had to do."

After serving in Iraq, he and his entire battalion volunteered to go to Afghanistan with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit where Cochran was injured in an ambush. 20 yards inside Kandahar, the vehicle he was riding in hit an anti-tank mine and he was thrown from the vehicle and broke the five vertebrae in his lower back.

Read The Rest Of The Story

stephencochranmusic.com
@stephen_cochran
facebook.com/stephen.cochran1

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Choir Practice

Yes, this was us at choir practice Sunday night.  When PT gets a little punchy, we ALL get the giggles.  It’s best to indulge it for a few minutes and then shake it off and get back to business. 

We’re working on our Easter musical.  You’ll see and hear more about that later.  If you’re going to be in the East Lansing area Easter weekend, mark your calendar for Saturday or Sunday evening.  You’ll want to come see the musical.  Or at the very least, you can see me singing and say hi to me afterward.

We Did It!

Mikki, my daughter, gave me this puzzle for Christmas.  We started it the next day and found out that it was harder than it looked.  We finally finished it yesterday.  Then we turned off all the lights.  It really does glow in the dark.   Thanks, Mikki!

The funky contraption it’s sitting on is my puzzle caddy.  Since we had a house full of guests we needed to be able to take the puzzle off the table at meal times.

Thanks, Entrecard Friends

Here are my advertisers for this week.  Please go visit these great blogs.

Technorati Tags: Entrecard