Friday, June 30, 2017

Friday, June 30, 2017

Friday, June 30, 2017

What the Beck???

Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location: Caramel Nut Truffles
Found in: The Pioneer Woman blog


I figured out that there are 70 calories, if 40 truffles are made. (Please note that the calorie counts vary depending on the specific brands of ingredients that you choose to use.)

I really liked these truffles. Some had a little taste of lemon in them, while others had a little kick of cayenne.  If I were really lucky, I would get both flavors. Another huge benefit was that they were extremely easy and fast to create.

There were mixed reviews on these truffles. The people who do not like spicy food were turned off or wouldn’t even try them. I didn’t used to like spicy food at all, but cooking Ree’s recipes have changed every taste bud in my system. I now LOVE spicy food, and have learned to try a taste of every recipe that I create.  I am a REE DRUMMOND FAN for life. She doesn’t even know that I exist, but I owe so much to her.



 Here are the ingredients that I used to create this recipe.



 I began by chopping the mixed nuts.


 I added in the sugar


 and the cayenne pepper.


 In went the lemon zest.



 I mixed it all together.


 I had the papers ready to go



  I rolled each caramel into a ball, and 
rolled it into the mixed nuts.



Individual yumminess!

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

What the Beck???


Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location: Cheesy Bacon Hot Dogs
Found in: The Pioneer Woman blog


I figured out that there are 416 calories, if 1 serving are made. (Please note that the calorie counts vary depending on the specific brands of ingredients that you choose to use.)

I love a good hot dog! I would make a few changes to this recipe (for me) when I make these again. The hot dog was great. I chose to use Colby Jack cheese, but next time I will either use Pepper Jack, for a little kick, or Mozzarella if I want it a little tamer. I used two strips of bacon, so the whole dog was covered, even though one would have done the trick.  I like my bacon crispy instead of loosey goosey, so next time, I would fry up the bacon and chop it into pieces and apply it after the hot dog and cheese are melted. I took these dogs to my neighbors and it was a resounding NO. I am not a campfire girl, so I will cook the hot dog and cheese in the microwave, which negates the entire process.
Oh well, these may not be for me, because I am a non-camper.


 These are the ingredients that I used to create this recipe.


 I began by splitting the hot dog almost in half.


 I inserted a cheese stick.


 I wrapped the entire dog in bacon.



 I sealed the dog in foil.



 The cooked dog oozing with cheese.


 Put them on a bun and enjoy!









Monday, June 26, 2017

Monday, June 26, 2017

Monday, June 26, 2017

What the Beck???


Bucket List Update
Academy Award Nominated Movies


2016     Fences        
starring: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen Henderson, Jovan                  Adepo, Russell Hornsby
plot –   Washington plays Troy Maxson who had a dream to be a                      professional baseball player.  He didn’t achieve his                      dream, so he became a garbage man. He was angry that                  his dream could not be achieved. As a father he doesn’t                  want his son to achieve his dream either.
This movie was not what I expected. In many Denzel movies, he is a great guy to be admired, but this movie had him play the sad, angry man who cheated on his wife. His acting was so good, that I truly disliked his character!


2016     Manchester by the Sea
starring:  Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, Lucas                      Hedges, Ben O’Brien
plot –    Casey Affleck plays a character who has gone through many                tragedies in his life. He moves to a big city to avoid his                  hometown, but is called back after the death of his                      brother. He is now the guardian of his nephew, who                      himself is struggling with the death of his father and             typical challenges of a teenager.
This was such a sad movie that it was difficult to watch. Affleck plays his character so well that he actually had my sympathy.


2016     Arrival
starring: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael                       Stuhlbarg, Mark O’Brien
plot –   Amy Adams plays Louise Banks who is hired by the                     government to work with a team to communicate with an               ET. She and her team of people, enter the spaceship and            actually communicate with them. This is a global                         problem.
I can’t believe that I am about to say that I really liked this SciFi film. The story was extremely well written and didn’t focus on violence or ridiculous aliens. I would definitely recommend this movie.


2016     Hacksaw Ridge
starring:  Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Teresa                       Palmer, Hugo Weaving, Rachel Griffiths, Vince Vaughn,                   Richard Pyros, Jacob Warner, Milo Gibson
plot –    This movie is a "based in truth' story set in WWII. Desmond                    Doss refused to hold or fire a weapon, but wanted to                    enter the war as an army medic. He was a hero and                      eventually received the Medal of Honor for his               contribution to the war in saving so many lives.
For a person who hates to watch violence and usually dislikes war movies, this movie touched my heart. This man followed his own beliefs and fought to enter a war where those in charge did not want his presence. I actually shed a few tears near the end.  A DEFINITE MUST SEE!!


2016     Hell or High Water
starring:  Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, Ben Foster,  Dale Dickey, William                     Sterchi, Gil Birmingham
plot –    Toby and his brother, Tanner, resort to robbing banks to pay                 off the loan and taxes on their deceased mother’s Texas                 home. Toby plans to leave the land to his sons. Bridges                   plays the Texas Ranger in hot pursuit.

This was a really good movie. I wasn’t surprised by the ending, but the acting was outstanding, and the movie was action packed. This is anther one you should see.


Saturday, June 24, 2017

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Saturday, June 24, 2017

What the Beck???

What can be more fun than 
talking to cattle???
I'm sure you have already figured out that I LOVE cattle!
Look at that sweet baby.


It was a really hot day, so they were resting 
in the share of the lane. When I talk to them,
they really do make eye contact. 


 I talk to them all of the time, so they don't even 
flinch anymore when I pull up, open the window, 
and have a quick conversation.  OMG that sounds 
like I have lost my mind.  Oh please - y'all know 
that you talk to your pets, too. Okay, these are not
my pets, but I love them. Denise, have I lost my mind??

Gardening!

 Pot #1:  When I planted this pot, I hoped that it would fill out.

My hopes came true.  When you keep Coleus and potato vine in 
partial shade, they do very well and fill out completely.


Pot #2:  It was quite pretty,



 but now it is breathtaking. I do turn the
pots every week so the plants grow up rather
than lean toward the sun.



PURE HEAVEN!!

 After the men left, and the girls started playing in the yard,
I just broke into tears. I have waited for this moment for so
long. It gave me tremendous pleasure to see my girls so happy!
Sabrina is finally leash-free.

 Sabina is so beautiful. She can now drop
the two pounds she gained, since she can run
like the wind again.


Sage was investigating the yard.
When she was finished, we played
a game of Frisbee. She was one happy girl.

Now, we can mow the yard. We had to wait,
because we would have removed the markings
in the grass for the utilities.

Life is so great!!

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Thursday, June 22, 2017

What the Beck???

The Fence is in!
The Fence is in!
Life is finally less stressful
(at least to my left knee that hates walking on uneven ground
as I take the dogs for walks throughout the day)



This hole worried me as it was filled with water.  
I was getting upset when Billy Barnett saved the
day!  He showed me how to read the water meter 
by the road. It was not moving, so they hadn't hit 
the water pipe. Thank Heavens and Billy Barnett!


I learned that this machine is called a "skid steer."



 They tried to dig the holes by hand,
but the Kentucky clay was too solid,
so they called in the skid steer.

 While the holes were being dug by, Thomas,
the owner of the fence company, the crew
began mixing the cement.

 It's ready to go!
Let the cementing begin.


 I laughed at the amount of cement that they brought.  
Boy was I wrong, because they used all but two bags.


 They holes are dug out, so they just leaned 
the poles in the holes.



 Here we go!

 First side is done, so on to the next side.


 The top poles are ready to connect the posts.
My fence is on the truck!  Yeah!


 YEAH!!!
All that was left on this side was to trim
the middle pole's height.


 The fence is going up.  I am really
glad that I chose black chain link. It
isn't as noticeable as the silver one.

 I love this side gate.  At first I didn't think I
asked for one. With this beauty, Robbie can bring the 
big mower into the yard.  WHEW!  I thought that I
was going to have to mow this area.


 I love that I still have a view that I can
enjoy. I have always had a wooden fence
that I could barely see through.


 I can also see the horse pasture.  I would hate
to miss seeing Snow and Mister every day.


 A GIANT THANK YOU to my friend, Vanna,
who told me about these fences. She originally
told me that they were great for traveling, but
this use is making my life so much easier, since I
can temporarily close off the breezeway until the
real fence is installed.



I will not leave the dogs out here unattended, because
they are smart, and will eventually figure out how to move 
this fence and escape like a thief in the night.


Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

What the Beck???

Bucket List Update
Academy Award Nominated Movies


2016     Moonlight
starring: Mahershala Ali, Shariff Earp, Duan Sanderson, Alex Hibbert,                  Janelle Monae, Naomie Harris, Jaden Piner
plot –   The story of a gay black child growing up in Miami. The city                  and area are filled with drugs and gangs and he leads a                  very difficult life.
This movie won the Academy last year. This was a hard movie to watch at times, because I felt so bad for the lead character. This movie truly made me thankful for the wonderful life that I have led.


1999     The Insider
starring:  Al Pacino, Russell Crowe, Christopher Plummer, Diane                        Venora, Philip Baker Hall, Lindsay Crouse
plot –    A based in fact movie about a research chemist, played by                    Crowe, who turns into a whistle blower when he                          decides to go on “60 Minutes” to expose the real                        hidden dangers of smoking.
This was a great movie. I really enjoyed it because the acting was outstanding, and I lived through that time period and saw the changes that came from this event.


1995     Braveheart
starring:  Mel Gibson, Sean Lawlor, Sean McGinley, Sophie Marceau,                     Mahairi Calvey, Patrick McGoohan, Peter Hanley…
plot – Mel Gibson plays Sir William Wallace who suffered the death of                   his brother and father as well as his wife at the hands of                 King Edward First of England’s men. He begins a crusade                 to turn Scotland into its own country and leads the                       revolt himself.
Braveheart won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1995. This was an award well earned. The acting was outstanding and I have read enough books about Scotland and England to already have background information. Scotland is on my Bucket List to visit someday.


1986     The Mission                 
starring:  Robert DeNiro, Jeremy Irons, Ray McAnaly, Aidan Quinn,                     Liam Neeson,
plot –    Jeremy Quinn plays a Jesuit priest in South America.  He is                   working hard to convert the Indians to Christianity. He                   builds a mission, and is eventually helped by Robert                     DeNiro, who played a new priest who has killed his                       brother. He becomes a priest to make it right with God.             The Spanish land changes hands and it goes to Portugal                who destroys the mission and kills many Indians and                    Spanish priests.
This was a real surprise for me. I really liked the story and the acting was outstanding. Even though there was a lot of violence, especially at the end, the movie was great.


1980     Raging Bull
starring:  Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Frank Vincent,                       Nicholas Colasanto, Theresa Saldana, Mario Gallo, Frank                 Adonis
plot –     Robert DeNiro plays a middleweight boxer. He hooks up with                 a beautiful girl at a club, dumps his wife and child, and                 marries the new girl. He smothers her with love, but has                 no trust in her or anyone around her. He can’t stop the              obsession and ruins his marriage as well as his              fighting career.
This was a very violent movie. I am not a lover of boxing as a sport, because it seems cruel and abusive. The story itself angered me greatly. DeNiro’s character was a jealous, physically and mentally abusive husband. This type of character drives me crazy, because frequently the abused wife stays with the abuser. The acting in this movie was outstanding. DeNiro, Moriarty, and Pesci proved that they are great actors!!


Sunday, June 18, 2017

Sunday, June 18, 2017

Sunday, June 18, 2017

What the Beck???

Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location: Southwest Chicken Soup
Found in: The Pioneer Woman blog


I figured out that there are 667 calories, if 4 servings are made. (Please note that the calorie counts vary depending on the specific brands of ingredients that you choose to use.)



This is my new favorite soup created by Ree. I love all of the flavors and the garnishes totally enhance the flavors. This soup is comforting and so darn YUMMY!!! If you try it once, you will make it many more times in the future. I know that I will!!!



 These are the ingredients that I used to create this recipe.


Ree created this dish in a pressure cooker.
I do not own one and am uncomfortable with
using one, so I decided to use a crock pot.
I began by cooking the chicken on the stove. 


 In went the enchilada sauce,


 and the fire roasted diced tomatoes.


 The black beans went into the pot next


 and the frozen corn.


I absolutely love adding in the chilies.



 Cumin is the next ingredient.



 I added low sodium chicken broth,
 because I had no stock on hand.


 I stirred it and mixed it well. 
I set the crock pot dial on low and heated it up.


 I set this bowl aside for myself in the fridge,
and took the rest over to the Barnett's house for dinner.
I also took the fixins with me for the family to add to the soup.

 For lunch the next day, I heated up the soup
and added in the cheese,



 squirted in some fresh lime juice,


 cut up some avocado,


 and topped it off with a little sour cream.


This is a great make ahead dinner,
or lunch, or gift for a friend.

TRY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!