Archive for March, 2014

Menu Plan Monday March 31

Monday, March 31st, 2014

Another Menu Plan Monday!

On the menu this week:

Enchiladas Con Mole
Soba Noodles/Tofu/Peanut sauce
Falafel/Hummus/Pita bread
Scalloped Potatoes/Field Roast Apple and Sage Sausage

I actually did my cooking yesterday because we are off to paint again today.

But where are the food pictures? Well, after I finished cooking, I took a good hard look at everything and all I could see was brown. Mole – brown. Falafel – brown. Soba Noodles and Peanut Sauce – brown. Scalloped Potatoes – not brown, but I not that long ago posted a picture of scalloped potatoes and, let’s face it, scalloped potatoes does not merit a second picture.

How about some green pictures? I think of these as my dinners TO BE.

To be chili:


To be marinara with eggplant:


To be pesto with pasta:


What’s on your menu? (Or your menus TO BE?)

Sandra

P.S. If you just come to read the blog, check out the Easter Fun at Bry-Back Manor!

How Do I Know If A Blog Comment Is Spam?

Saturday, March 29th, 2014

When I first started a blog I was a little confused about blog spam. I mean, the comments sounded so sincere. But, then I realized that the commenter went by something along the lines of “acid reflux” or “wholesale bags” and that had to be fake, right?

Well, I was completely amused to receive this comment one day recently. There is the blog spam formula for all the world to see.

Comment:

{I have|I’ve} been {surfing|browsing} online more than
{three|3|2|4} hours today, yet I never found any interesting
article like yours. {It’s|It is} pretty worth enough for me.
{In my opinion|Personally|In my view}, if all {webmasters|site
owners|website owners|web owners} and bloggers made good content as you
did, the {internet|net|web} will be {much more|a lot more} useful than ever
before.|
I {couldn’t|could not} {resist|refrain from} commenting. {Very well|Perfectly|Well|Exceptionally well} written!|
{I will|I’ll} {right away|immediately} {take hold of|grab|clutch|grasp|seize|snatch} your {rss|rss feed} as I {can not|can’t}
{in finding|find|to find} your {email|e-mail} subscription {link|hyperlink} or {newsletter|e-newsletter} service.

Do {you have|you’ve} any? {Please|Kindly} {allow|permit|let} me {realize|recognize|understand|recognise|know} {so that|in
order that} I {may just|may|could} subscribe. Thanks.|
{It is|It’s} {appropriate|perfect|the best} time to make
some plans for the future and {it is|it’s} time
to be happy. {I have|I’ve} read this post and if I could I {want
to|wish to|desire to} suggest you {few|some} interesting things or {advice|suggestions|tips}.

{Perhaps|Maybe} you {could|can} write next articles referring to this article.
I {want to|wish to|desire to} read {more|even more} things about it!|
{It is|It’s} {appropriate|perfect|the best} time to make
{a few|some} plans for {the future|the longer term|the long run} and {it is|it’s} time to be happy.
{I have|I’ve} {read|learn} this {post|submit|publish|put up} and
if I {may just|may|could} I {want to|wish to|desire to} {suggest|recommend|counsel} you {few|some} {interesting|fascinating|attention-grabbing}
{things|issues} or {advice|suggestions|tips}.
{Perhaps|Maybe} you {could|can} write {next|subsequent} articles {relating to|referring to|regarding} this article.
I {want to|wish to|desire to} {read|learn} {more|even more}
{things|issues} {approximately|about} it!|
{I have|I’ve} been {surfing|browsing} {online|on-line} {more than|greater
than} {three|3} hours {these days|nowadays|today|lately|as of late}, {yet|but} I {never|by
no means} {found|discovered} any {interesting|fascinating|attention-grabbing} article like yours.

{It’s|It is} {lovely|pretty|beautiful} {worth|value|price} {enough|sufficient} for me.
{In my opinion|Personally|In my view}, if all {webmasters|site owners|website owners|web owners}
and bloggers made {just right|good|excellent} {content|content material} as
{you did|you probably did}, the {internet|net|web} {will be|shall
be|might be|will probably be|can be|will likely be} {much
more|a lot more} {useful|helpful} than ever before.|
Ahaa, its {nice|pleasant|good|fastidious} {discussion|conversation|dialogue}
{regarding|concerning|about|on the topic of} this {article|post|piece of writing|paragraph} {here|at this place} at this {blog|weblog|webpage|website|web site},
I have read all that, so {now|at this time} me also commenting {here|at this place}.|
I am sure this {article|post|piece of writing|paragraph}
has touched all the internet {users|people|viewers|visitors},
its really really {nice|pleasant|good|fastidious} {article|post|piece of
writing|paragraph} on building up new {blog|weblog|webpage|website|web site}.|
Wow, this {article|post|piece of writing|paragraph} is {nice|pleasant|good|fastidious},
my {sister|younger sister} is analyzing {such|these|these
kinds of} things, {so|thus|therefore} I am going to {tell|inform|let know|convey} her.|
{Saved as a favorite|bookmarked!!}, {I really like|I like|I
love} {your blog|your site|your web site|your website}!|
Way cool! Some {very|extremely} valid points!
I appreciate you {writing this|penning this} {article|post|write-up} {and
the|and also the|plus the} rest of the {site is|website
is} {also very|extremely|very|also really|really} good.|
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is a great} {blog|website|web site|site}. I stumbledupon it 😉 {I will|I am
going to|I’m going to|I may} {come back|return|revisit} {once
again|yet again} {since I|since i have} {bookmarked|book marked|book-marked|saved as a favorite} it.
Money and freedom {is the best|is the greatest} way to change, may you be rich and continue to
{help|guide} {other people|others}.|
Woah! I’m really {loving|enjoying|digging} the template/theme of this
{site|website|blog}. It’s simple, yet effective.

A lot of times it’s {very hard|very difficult|challenging|tough|difficult|hard}
to get that “perfect balance” between {superb usability|user
friendliness|usability} and {visual appearance|visual appeal|appearance}.

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with this. {In addition|Additionally|Also}, the blog loads {very|extremely|super} {fast|quick} for me
on {Safari|Internet explorer|Chrome|Opera|Firefox}. {Superb|Exceptional|Outstanding|Excellent} Blog!|
These are {really|actually|in fact|truly|genuinely}
{great|enormous|impressive|wonderful|fantastic} ideas in {regarding|concerning|about|on the topic of} blogging.
You have touched some {nice|pleasant|good|fastidious} {points|factors|things} here.

Any way keep up wrinting.|
{I love|I really like|I enjoy|I like|Everyone loves} what you guys {are|are usually|tend to be} up
too. {This sort of|This type of|Such|This kind of} clever work and {exposure|coverage|reporting}!
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guys to {|my|our||my personal|my own} blogroll.|
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so I came to {give it a look|look it over|take a look|check it
out}. I’m definitely {enjoying|loving} the information.
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design|design and style|design}.|
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{Howdy|Hi there|Hey there|Hi|Hello|Hey} would you mind {stating|sharing} which
blog platform you’re {working with|using}? I’m {looking|planning|going} to start my
own blog {in the near future|soon} but I’m having a {tough|difficult|hard}
time {making a decision|selecting|choosing|deciding}
between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.
The reason I ask is because your {design and style|design|layout} seems different then most blogs and I’m looking
for something {completely unique|unique}.
P.S {My apologies|Apologies|Sorry} for {getting|being} off-topic
but I had to ask!|
{Howdy|Hi there|Hi|Hey there|Hello|Hey} would you mind
letting me know which {webhost|hosting company|web host} you’re {utilizing|working with|using}?
I’ve loaded your blog in 3 {completely different|different} {internet browsers|web browsers|browsers} and I must say this blog loads a lot {quicker|faster} then most.
Can you {suggest|recommend} a good {internet
hosting|web hosting|hosting} provider at a {honest|reasonable|fair} price?
{Thanks a lot|Kudos|Cheers|Thank you|Many thanks|Thanks}, I appreciate it!|
{I love|I really like|I like|Everyone loves} it {when people|when individuals|when folks|whenever people} {come together|get together} and share {opinions|thoughts|views|ideas}.
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work|stick with it}!|
Thank you for the {auspicious|good} writeup. It
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from you! {By the way|However}, how {can|could} we communicate?|
{Howdy|Hi there|Hey there|Hello|Hey} just wanted to give you a
quick heads up. The {text|words} in your {content|post|article} seem to be running off the screen in {Ie|Internet explorer|Chrome|Firefox|Safari|Opera}.

I’m not sure if this is a {format|formatting} issue or something to do with {web browser|internet browser|browser} compatibility but I {thought|figured} I’d post
to let you know. The {style and design|design and style|layout|design} look great though!
Hope you get the {problem|issue} {solved|resolved|fixed} soon.
{Kudos|Cheers|Many thanks|Thanks}|
This is a topic {that is|that’s|which is} {close to|near to} my heart…
{Cheers|Many thanks|Best wishes|Take care|Thank you}!
{Where|Exactly where} are your contact details though?|
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on {net|web} as compared to {books|textbooks}, as I found this {article|post|piece
of writing|paragraph} at this {website|web site|site|web page}.|
Does your {site|website|blog} have a contact page? I’m having
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interested in hearing. Either way, great {site|website|blog} and I look forward to seeing it
{develop|improve|expand|grow} over time.|
{Hola|Hey there|Hi|Hello|Greetings}! I’ve been {following|reading} your
{site|web site|website|weblog|blog} for {a long time|a while|some time} now and finally got the {bravery|courage} to go ahead and give you a shout out from  {New Caney|Kingwood|Huffman|Porter|Houston|Dallas|Austin|Lubbock|Humble|Atascocita} {Tx|Texas}!
Just wanted to {tell you|mention|say} keep up the {fantastic|excellent|great|good} {job|work}!|
Greetings from {Idaho|Carolina|Ohio|Colorado|Florida|Los angeles|California}!
I’m {bored to tears|bored to death|bored} at work
so I decided to {check out|browse} your {site|website|blog}
on my iphone during lunch break. I {enjoy|really like|love} the {knowledge|info|information} you {present|provide} here and can’t
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.. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. {Anyhow|Anyways}, {awesome|amazing|very good|superb|good|wonderful|fantastic|excellent|great} {site|blog}!|
Its {like you|such as you} {read|learn} my {mind|thoughts}!
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{great|wonderful|fantastic|magnificent|excellent} blog.
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I visited {multiple|many|several|various} {websites|sites|web sites|web pages|blogs} {but|except|however} the audio {quality|feature} for
audio songs {current|present|existing} at this {website|web site|site|web page}
is {really|actually|in fact|truly|genuinely} {marvelous|wonderful|excellent|fabulous|superb}.|
{Howdy|Hi there|Hi|Hello}, i read your blog {occasionally|from time to
time} and i own a similar one and i was just {wondering|curious} if
you get a lot of spam {comments|responses|feedback|remarks}?
If so how do you {prevent|reduce|stop|protect against} it,
any plugin or anything you can {advise|suggest|recommend}?

I get so much lately it’s driving me {mad|insane|crazy} so any {assistance|help|support} is very
much appreciated.|
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this particular} {article|post}! {It is the|It’s the} little changes {that make|which will make|that
produce|that will make} {the biggest|the largest|the greatest|the most important|the most significant} changes.
{Thanks a lot|Thanks|Many thanks} for sharing!|
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{your blog|your site|your website}.. {Very nice|Excellent|Pleasant|Great} colors & theme.
Did you {create|develop|make|build} {this website|this site|this web site|this amazing
site} yourself? Please reply back as I’m {looking to|trying to|planning to|wanting to|hoping to|attempting
to} create {my own|my very own|my own personal} {blog|website|site} and {would like to|want to|would love to} {know|learn|find out} where you got
this from or {what the|exactly what the|just what
the} theme {is called|is named}. {Thanks|Many
thanks|Thank you|Cheers|Appreciate it|Kudos}!|
{Hi there|Hello there|Howdy}! This {post|article|blog
post} {couldn’t|could not} be written {any better|much
better}! {Reading through|Looking at|Going through|Looking through} this {post|article} reminds me of
my previous roommate! He {always|constantly|continually} kept
{talking about|preaching about} this. {I will|I’ll|I am going to|I most certainly will} {forward|send} {this
article|this information|this post} to him. {Pretty sure|Fairly certain} {he will|he’ll|he’s going to} {have a good|have a very good|have a great} read.
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has pretty much the same {layout|page layout} and design. {Excellent|Wonderful|Great|Outstanding|Superb} choice of colors!|
{There is|There’s} {definately|certainly} {a lot to|a great deal to}
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{You made|You’ve made|You have made} some {decent|good|really good}
points there. I {looked|checked} {on the internet|on the web|on the
net} {for more info|for more information|to find out more|to
learn more|for additional information} about the issue
and found {most individuals|most people} will go along
with your views on {this website|this site|this web site}.|
{Hi|Hello|Hi there|What’s up}, I {log on to|check|read} your {new stuff|blogs|blog} {regularly|like every week|daily|on a regular basis}.

Your {story-telling|writing|humoristic} style is {awesome|witty}, keep {doing what you’re doing|up
the good work|it up}!|
I {simply|just} {could not|couldn’t} {leave|depart|go away} your {site|web site|website} {prior to|before} suggesting that I {really|extremely|actually} {enjoyed|loved}
{the standard|the usual} {information|info} {a person|an individual} {supply|provide} {for your|on your|in
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{check up on|check out|inspect|investigate cross-check} new posts|
{I wanted|I needed|I want to|I need to} to thank you for
this {great|excellent|fantastic|wonderful|good|very
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it. {I have|I’ve got|I have got} you {bookmarked|book marked|book-marked|saved as a favorite} {to check out|to look at} new {stuff you|things you} post…|
{Hi|Hello|Hi there|What’s up}, just wanted to {mention|say|tell you},
I {enjoyed|liked|loved} this {article|post|blog post}. It was {inspiring|funny|practical|helpful}.
Keep on posting!|
I {{leave|drop|{write|create}} a {comment|leave a response}|drop
a {comment|leave a response}|{comment|leave a
response}} {each time|when|whenever} I {appreciate|like|especially enjoy} a {post|article} on a {site|{blog|website}|site|website} or {I have|if I have} something to {add|contribute|valuable to contribute} {to the discussion|to the conversation}.
{It is|Usually it is|Usually it’s|It’s} {a result of|triggered
by|caused by} the {passion|fire|sincerness} {communicated|displayed} in the
{post|article} I {read|looked at|browsed}. And {on|after} this {post|article} I

And there you go!

Sandra

P.S. Wait for it…NEW spam is on the way!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

Wednesday, March 26th, 2014

Just like I have go to recipes, I seem to have go to miniatures artisans.

When I began making minis, my go tos were House of Miniatures kits and Chrysnbon kits. They were affordable and easy to find.

As time went on, I was fortunate to be able to afford some special pieces by Dennis Jenvey, Jean Yingling, George Becker, Warren Dick and a few other artisans I discovered through Nutshell News. I would have loved for some of these folks to be go to too, but alas and alack, the money wasn’t available.

Fast forward two children and a few (cough cough) years. Now I have a few new favorite miniatures craftspeople.

One of these is Kris Compas. Kris makes the BEST upholstered furniture. I saw this green furniture set and simply could not resist it.

If you notice in the pictures, I have a few pieces from Pati at minisx2. Incredible stuff and the best part is that she (as well as Kris) do custom orders.

I was a total sucker for cats for a bit. Represented are Bridget Mccarty –


And Teresa Summers – (I just love what I call the Mardi Gras cat)


And if you look close, the kitten by the coffee table is by Reve. Now I say good on her, but I totally can’t afford Reve anymore. (The kitten was thirty some dollars “back in the day”.)

I can’t remember who made a few of these pieces. There are some super fun acrylic vase turners on eBay. The white cup and saucer are part of a custom made service for 8 of plain white china from Jean Yingling. (I really treasure this set and it made through our move with out breaking.) (knock on wood)

Cue the Sound of Music – these are a few of my favorite things.

Sandra

Menu Plan Monday March 24/25

Tuesday, March 25th, 2014

Menu Plan Monday!

And yes, I know it’s Tuesday. But yesterday I was over at the old house painting all day and not cooking. This painting thing is very slow. Primer and multiple coats of paint to cover up the old colors on the walls and trim. (Who paints with all those bright colors anyway? Oops, me I guess. And trim work with dentils? Oops, me again.)

On the menu this week is “Meat” Loaf (which I managed to make last night.)


And Pasta with Marinara Sauce (using up the last of the frozen tomatoes from last Summer’s garden).

And General Tso’s Tofu and Rice.


As a bonus, I made a lot of croutons over the weekend. We like our homemade better than store bought. They are not so darn hard and we like the flavor of rye bread or multi grain bread or whole wheat bread better than plain old white.

What’s on your menu?

Sandra

P.S. If you just come to read the blog, check out the Easter Fun at Bry-Back Manor!

Is It Spring Yet? Menu Plan Monday March 17

Monday, March 17th, 2014

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! (I am ready for more green and less snow! This is Central Virginia – enough already!)

And Happy Menu Plan Monday!

Did I fix anything special for Saint Patrick’s? No, I’m afraid not. It seems I just did seitan corned beef recently (and so I am out of seitan) and my husband is not a cooked cabbage fan and there you go.

This is what we will be eating this week.

Chana Dal


The Apple Chutney I made last week will go well with this.

Macaroni and Cheese


And a big pot of Can Can Chili

Not overly exciting, but we will be back to house fixing if the snow ever melts and if it ever gets warm again (which it is SUPPOSED to do later in the week.)

I’ve been picking out paint colors to freshen up the walls. It has been an interesting experience. Not because I haven’t picked out paint colors before, but because I have to pick out NEUTRAL paint colors. I am so not a neutrals kind of gal. I semi cheated and went with what were labeled as Most Popular Colors at the Home Depot. And lots of plain white trim work. When the painting is finished, the house won’t look like we lived there any more and I think that will be a good thing.

What’s on your menu?

Sandra

P.S. I know it will get here eventually. Check out some Spring Goodies at Bry-Back Manor.

Menu Plan Monday March 10 – My Go To Menu

Monday, March 10th, 2014

Menu Plan Monday!

The Go To Menu Plan.

Every cook has some go to recipes. These are recipes that have made so often that they are almost mindless. Good for when the cook is indisposed, just plain tired, ridiculously busy, or three sheets to the wind. (Does anyone use that expression any more?)

I’m not trying to compete with the Drunken Kitchen this week. I just know that I need to do a lot of painting in the old house to prep it for sale and that the weather is finally cooperating with all that painting.

So my go to menu:

Enchiladas (plain old refried beans and cheese with canned sauce)

Scalloped Potatoes and Broccoli

Pasta and Alfredo with Quorn Tenders and Peas (yes! canned!)


Bonus Stuff if I am in the mood; pimento cheese (Okay, I was already in the mood Saturday and made some. Half plain and half with Chipotle Peppers – yum.)

And, since I really need to use up some apples wanting to go south, Apple Chutney.

What’s on your menu?

Sandra

P.S. If you just come to read the blog, check out the St. Patrick’s Day Fun at Bry-Back Manor!

P.P.S. If my pictures seem a little dark this week it may be because I took them Sunday night – no natural light.

Menu Plan Monday March 3

Monday, March 3rd, 2014

Here in Virginia we are getting more snow and extreme (I know it doesn’t compare to Minnesota) cold. Seriously? I am so ready for warm and sun and flowers and digging dirt and planting seeds and running the fans because I am too hot.

On this Menu Plan Monday I prepared not one but two soups for the week ahead. When it is this cold we want soup. So Lentil Soup and Minestrone are ready for us.


In case we get souped out, there’s Tofurkey Italian sausage with peppers, onions, and rigatoni.


For the sweet tooth – carrot cake (half of which will probably end up in the freezer for a future dessert).


Short and sweet today. What’s on your menu?

Sandra

P.S. If you just come to read the blog, check out the St. Patrick’s Day Fun at Bry-Back Manor!