Fall is coming – finally!!

September 7, 2011September 11, 2011 / cyrakitty / 1 Comment

The weather is finally starting to think about cooling down and I, for one, am thankful! It also means I may be able to start baking before too much longer. So on this happy occasion I thought I would share with you one of my favorite recipes. Yum. This is from The Vegetarian Way by Virginia & Mark Messina.

Yes, this recipe is vegetarian but don’t let that put you off. It is excellent and wonderfully gooey when straight out of the oven.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE

1 1/2 cups white flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons vegetable ol

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 cup cold water

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (preferably Fair Trade chocolate)

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together the oil, vanilla, vinegar and water. Mix and pour the liquid over the dry ingredients. Stir well to combine.

Pour the batter into an ungreased 8-by-8-inch pan. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Bake for 35 minutes.

Serves 16.

This is a wonderful cake. The majority of the chocolate chips will sink as the cake bakes. This allows for a fudgy layer at the bottom. I first made this cake for a vegetarian friend, however, I loved it so much it has now become a staple in my own kitchen!

An Amazing 7-Year-Old

August 26, 2011September 11, 2011 / cyrakitty / 1 Comment

What do you do if you are 7 years old, have epilepsy but lack $13,000? Well, if you are Evan Moss, you write a book.

This amazing boy suffers from severe and life threatening seizures. One of the best aids to people with epilepsy is to get a specially trained dog that through changes in behavior can alert the patient anywhere from seconds before to 45 minutes before the onset of a seizure. But how to afford the $13,000 price tag?

Evan Moss

Evan wrote and illustrated his very own book, My Seizure Dog. He even sold out his first book signing but the people didn’t mind. They stayed in line just to meet Evan and his parents, Lisa and Rob. So now Evan has raised enough money and is expected to receive his new furry friend in June of 2012. And what has Evan decided to do with the rest of the money his book is earning? He is donating to 4 Paws for Ability so he can help other children raise money to get these life saving furry companions.

A huge “well done” and “thank you” are due to this boy and I will happily stand up and say it – although I am sure I am not the first.

Forgotten English

July 13, 2011September 11, 2011 / cyrakitty / 1 Comment

I have run across some words and phrases that are no longer really used in the English language and personally, I think we need to bring them back.

Scurryfunge – “A hasty tidying of the house between the time you see a neighbor and the time she knocks on the door.” Personally, I am quite guilty of this one and never realized there was a term for it. Although I am not concerned with the neighbors so much as I am the maintenance men!

Married all o’er – “Said of women who after their marriage . . . become . . . miserable-looking.” LOL we have all seen a few of these beauties, have we not?

Gone to Texas – “An American expression for one who has decamped, leaving debts behind.” Sometimes abbreviated G.T.T. In our bad economic time, I think we absolutely need to bring this expression back. And needless to say I am a hair’s breadth away myself.

And what better way to describe our (American) government post-Kennedy. Assishness – “Asinine quality; stupidity.”

And a few more that are just plain fun to say: Googer (“the devil”), toozle (to make one’s hair stand on end) and play dikkop (to try to deceive).

I will keep my eye out for any more forgotten english that I feel worthy of a come back. And feel free to post/comment your own favorite forgotten english words!!

Kitten Rescue

June 29, 2011 / cyrakitty / Leave a comment

I have not been able to find a lot of information on this yet, so let me know if you run across something.

Redding Fire Department rescued a kitten from a pipe. How they found the kitten or even knew where to cut the pipe, I don’t know. However, the mission was a success! After a bath and a warm place to sleep, they named her Piper.

Piper was adopted by the local TV news producer who covered the story.

Well done, guys!!

I Think I Need A Fact-Checker, Please

June 27, 2011September 11, 2011 / cyrakitty / 1 Comment

Ok, tons of people have been writing about this – so I will only take up a little space on it.

Please watch this 7 second video:

Um, wow. Well, the Duke was born in Iowa – just not in Waterloo. He was born in Winterset, which happens to be nowhere near Waterloo. But there was a notable “John Wayne” in Waterloo, Iowa, right? Yeah, John Wayne Gacy. Yup, the serial killer. But even then Gacy was born in Chicago – he just got started on his criminal career in Waterloo.

So, as usual, Bachmann is wrong on all points. So let’s see if a little visual will help this backward lady fly straight for 5 seconds.

Not this John Wayne:

This John Wayne: