Your choice

Posted by a friend on Facebook.  Thanks.

Phone-y baloney

Phones, like  many other things, have gone through multitudinous changes and each change comes faster than the last.  In the case of 4G, the change comes before it’s even arrived, since not many places even have 4G, but the companies are selling it as if it were universal already!  Although I don’t have a smart phone (I like to be smarter than my phone), here’s a pictorial progression, based on phones we actually own.

You’ve got the cutest little Babycakes

Do you like doughnuts (or donuts?) If so, you’re in luck and it doesn’t even matter if the Krispy Kreme near you went out of business, because the people from Babycakes gave me permission to share their recipe for chocolate cake donuts with you.  Here’s the good news…besides tasting great, these doughnuts are baked, not deep-fried, gluten-free, vegan, and low in pretty much anything bad except they use some sugar.  They’re easy to make and the cost won’t give you sticker shock the way many commercial baked goods do these days, even with the different flours.  An aside on the flours, I’ve found these some places in bulk or Bob’s Red Mill carries all of them and many more products besides.  You can keep the rest in the freezer and you’ll have plenty for lots more doughnuts.

Road trip necessities

Good preparation is the biggest part of a successful road trip. When the girls were little, I made them surprise boxes, boxes filled with age-dependent goodies, boxes that could only be opened once we were on the highway. My husband drove our younger daughter crazy when he drove through Cleveland rather than getting on the highway right away. She would keep asking, “Are we on the highway yet?” I know road trip supplies depend on a lot of extraneous factors but here are things that I find either essential or great-to-haves. Although we don’t have surprise boxes anymore, everyone has a bag or box filled with whatever works best to keep him or her occupied. But as when the girls were little, food and drink are of vital importance!

More road trip food

A serious road trip (by which I mean going from one place to another as non-stop as possible) means that your (good/healthy) food options are seriously limited. So you need to think about what to take with you. I’ve been on the road a lot recently, so I’ve given this some thought.

Spicy road food

This recipe became a favorite in our house after our local Chinese restaurant for some inexplicable reason stopped making their cold sesame noodles, something about not being able to get the sauce, although I never really did figure out what the problem was.  But the sauce evidently never came back. Then I discovered this recipe in a mailing from Vegetarian Times and tried it, serving it the first time with trepidation for fear it wouldn’t be a suitable replacement.  Luckily, our younger daughter said she likes this better, making me a happy cook.  This makes excellent travel food as well as a dinner entrée.  You don’t have to put it in the take-out box, though.

A little humor

“A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.”

Herm Albright quotes (1876 – 1944)

 

Shameless plug #2—perfect for road trips

Now that spring’s here, so are the rains and what you need to make your travels much easier is Rain-X. Put Rain-X on your windshield (be sure to clean it thoroughly first) and the next time you drive through the rain, the rain will roll right off the top of your windshield! I’m not kidding.

Road trip

Our garbage truck

Our younger daughter gets accepted at all three art schools to which she applied. Wonderful news…but suddenly, lot of decisions to be make. One art school, Ecole Parsons à Paris, she’s already visited. Camberwell, England, may or may not be viewable before the decision has to be made. But PAFA, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, is an easy 7 hour drive away. Time for a flying road trip—one afternoon & evening, then an entire day.

Just do it

Seen on a church sign….

Put your creed in your deed.

I like it.
Catchy.
Simple to say.
Hard to do.
Put what you believe into everything you do every day.
Do as well as you can every day you can.

You won’t be the only one to benefit.