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Friday, May 14, 2010

Dennys Photo Gallery: Garden Views

From Denny: On one of my visual coffee breaks I found the most beautiful garden views. From Japanese garden landscapes to intimate closeups to Zen styled photoshopped there is something joyful and meditative for everyone to enjoy! I especially like the key hole views where you peer into a walled garden...




Garden Gate in Shanghai, China by d'n'c @ flickr






Curled fern leaf by backbackphotography @ flickr






Cute garden lizard by williamcho @ flickr






"Flutterby" Butterfly on clover blossom by tanakawho @ flickr






Humorous English garden sculpture by Crinklecrankle.com @ flickr






Le jardin provençaux de Pierre Bergé by hortulus @ flickr






Rain bucket with lotus blossom by backpackphotography @ flickr






Waterfall in Japanese garden by backpackphotography @ flickr






Red garden clogs by nadine nadeau @ flickr






Rusted Garden Gate by MyArtfulLife @ flickr






Kylemore Abbey garden door by slideshow bob @ flickr






Entry into walled garden by recursion_see_recursion @ flickr






Magic garden by Randy Son Of Robert @ flickr






Zen garden photoshop by h.koppdelaney @ flickr






Colorful Rock Garden by Margaret Anne Clarke @ flickr





A beautiful blooming walk by Margaret Anne Clarke @ flickr


*** Be sure to pay a visit to all these photographers to see what else they offer! Just click on the links beneath their photos.

*** For more photo posts like this please visit Visual Insights!


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

3 Positive Attitude Quotes to Help Shape Your World




From Denny: Lately, the way the economy has been shifting continually under our feet, never knowing what to expect from month to month, it's a good idea to cultivate a positive attitude. After all, what does a negative attitude get us beyond a moment of acting like a safety valve to blow off frustration and anger?

The problem comes when we stay stuck in anger and frustration. When Life seems to be constantly coming at you - and you know darned well it isn't Lady Karma paying a visit but you have to deal with it anyway - catch your balance by giving yourself and your loved ones around you a refocus.

It's important for us not to react to situations but rather step back, slow down, think and then, after pondering for a while, even a few days, to then act. And when you do act, act in progressive stages, a slow step at a time and observe how the situation presents itself.

As you slow down the resolution of the issue you will be able to clearly see which step is the best to take and which step to succeed that one. Eventually, you work your way through the problem or situation. It seems to be in our American DNA that we want instant gratification and instant one step solutions to complex problems. Well, Life just doesn't work that way or they wouldn't call it "spiritual testing." :)

What's also important for our refocus is to remember we didn't come into this world just to pay bills but rather to impact our world in a positive light. In order to successfully fulfill ourselves we need to quit allowing others to keep our emotions in a tail spin like the tail wagging the dog.

We are spiritual people living in a physical world not the other way around. We have more power to address our circumstances if we only take the time to listen inwardly to our spiritual heart that contains all the wisdom of the ages and the universe.

To finish our refocus when Life presses in make sure to add Hope to the list. Hope keeps our attitude from falling off a cliff into despair. It's also a reminder that just as our situation changed for the negative or chaotic it will change again into the positive and the peaceful - if only we will focus upon that good thought. In no time Life will greet us with our positive focus as if to say, "I don't know what you were stressing about. See? You knew what to do all along and everything worked out right."


Quotes


* We are not here merely to make a living. We are here to enrich the world. - Woodrow Wilson

* We are not creatures of circumstance; we are creators of circumstance. - Benjamin Disraeli

* Practice hope. As hopefulness becomes a habit, you can achieve a permanently happy spirit. - Norman Vincent Peale



*** For more spiritual thoughts please visit Beautiful Illustrated Quotations!

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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Triple Chocolate Toffee Brownies

From Denny: Who doesn't love brownies? If more people fought wars with brownies instead of bullets there would be no squabbles worth fighting! :)

Here's a recipe I ran across in our local newspaper when they were doing a cookbook review on a Food and Wine cookbook that features the best recipes from many recently published cookbooks. This recipe really loads you up on chocolate: semi-sweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, mini-chocolate chips and then toffee chips. Whew! A serious download of chocolate and intense flavor. Sounds like pure Heaven.

Remember to stick with unsalted butter as the chocolate chips already have some salt in them - and eggs have natural salt in them too. Trust the recipe; you don't need to add any more salt.

There's also a link to my Amazon store where you can purchase the book at a discounted rate. Never pay retail is my motto! :)




From: “The Art and Soul of Baking” by Sur La Table with Cindy Mushet

From Amazon review:

2009 IACP Cookbook Awards Winner! Nominated for a 2009 James Beard Foundation Award.

Sur La Table teamed with pastry chef and baking teacher Cindy Mushet to bring you the ultimate guide to baking. Beautiful photographs and more than 250 easy-to-follow recipes lead you into a world of alluring aromas and light, flaky pastries. Illustrated asides take you step by step through important techniques, from carmelizing sugar to working with croissant dough. Plus, you'll find invaluable information on over 100 ingredients and 50 baker's tools. A true pleasure for anyone who loves to bake.

Each selection of the Gourmet Cookbook Club is handpicked and road-tested by the editors of Gourmet magazine, so readers can cook with confidence, knowing the recipes really do deliver. Online at Gourmet Book Club you can find videos of the authors demonstrating recipes, share your thoughts on the cookbooks in the forums, and learn more about each book's topic.

BENEFITS:

* The ultimate book for bakers.

* Professional tips and tricks are made easy for the home baker.

* Step-by-step techniques of baking.

* 100 photographs, 250 foolproof recipes and variations, and information on over 100 popular baking ingredients and over 50 pieces of baking equipment.






Check out this recipe from the cookbook:


Triple Chocolate-Toffee Brownies


Ingredients:

6 ozs. semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 ozs. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick (4 ozs.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
2 tsps. pure vanilla extract
1 cup toffee bits
1/3 cup mini-chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper, allowing the parchment to hang over the edges.

2. In a medium glass bowl, microwave semisweet and un-sweetened chocolates at high power in 30-second intervals until melted, about 2 minutes. In small bowl, whisk flour with baking powder and salt.

3. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between additions. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Add the melted chocolate and beat until incorporated. Beat in the milk and vanilla at low speed. Beat in the flour mixture, then beat in 2/3 of the toffee bits and the minichocolate chips until evenly distributed.

4. Scrape batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup of the toffee bits. Bake the brownies for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

5. Set brownies on a rack to cool completely, about 2 hours. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before cutting. Use the parchment overhang to lift the brownie out of the pan; cut into squares and serve.


Make ahead: Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Authors’ note: Toffee bits are available in the baking aisle of most supermarkets, but you can also crush up a toffee bar for this recipe (even a chocolate-covered one will work.)



*** For more chocolate recipes like this please visit Romancing The Chocolate!


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Funny Video: Hilarious SNL Host Betty White



Photo by tansan @ flickr


From Denny: As an actress and comedian, who knew you could be blessed with popularity in your old age? Betty White is enjoying her tenure at Saturday Nite Live and on funny TV ads. Though I've never watched her Golden Girls TV show reruns or the original, whenever I have seen her in interview or previews our house laughed so much we couldn't believe it came out of her mouth. The woman knows how to deliver a funny line.

SNL gave her the spotlight for the monologue and she put on her Betty White comedy track shoes and ran with it. She is almost 89 years old and still going strong. She also went out carousing and drinking all night long with the SNL cast after the show. Like what does she have to lose? She's pushing 90 and she might as well enjoy the time she has left on the planet. :)

In her monologue she referenced the Facebook campaign and basically ripped on Facebook as a total time waster with a "who the hell is facebook?" cheeky grinned comment. "In my day, seeing pictures of people's vacations, was considered a punishment." She's still right about that one. :)






Here's Betty White and Tina Fey together in a census sketch. Betty plays the role of crazy resident. Of course, she nailed it with her usual deft comedic panache.






*** For more funny videos like this please visit:

Dennys Funny Quotes

Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious And Odd


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Posts Roundup This Week at Dennys Blogs 9 May 2010




From Denny: This sure has been a wild ride for the news, the BP oil spill attempt at clean-up, the crazy British election and the huge sudden drop in the stock market. I gathered some of the better stories over at Dennys Global Politics.

You just have to read about the odd new health stories about empathy nasal spray for men and the strange neck treatment for PTSD relief. And the political cartoons were out in full force as social commentary on it all so you know I just had to park a number of those posts on several blogs for Saturday! :)

Hope everyone had a great Mothers Day! And thank you all for your great support!




The Social Poets:


Oil Spill Disaster Cartoons - Whats Happening This Week in America - 8 May 2010

One Mother and One Child poem 4 Mothers Day - Libations Friday 7 May 2010

Transocean Kidnapped Oil Rig Survivors, Coerced Signing No Legal Repsonsiblity

Funny Parenting Quotes 4 Mothers Day - Cheeky Quote Day 5 May 2010

BP Only Responsible to $75 Million 4 Oil Disaster By USA Law

Roundup of Late Night Funnies - 3 May 2010

Posts Roundup This Week at Dennys Blogs 2 May 2010





Dennys Global Politics:

Greek Debt Crisis 4 The World: Political Cartoons 8 May 2010

1,000 Point Stock Market Plunge, Brits Still Tied After Election, Examining Obamas Humor - News Headlines 7 May 2010

USA Offshore New Oil Drilling Halted, New USA Terrorist Screening, 3-Way Tie in Brit Election - News Headlines 6 May 2010

Supreme Court Pick Hunt, Dems Whimp Out on Finanacial Fund 4 Reform, How You Get on No-Fly List, Obama Tough on Airlines - News Headlines 5 May 2010

Pakistan Trained Bomber, Obamas Workaholic Ways, Catholics Polled About Sex Abuse - News Headlines 4 May 2010

BP Oil Spill Coverage - News Headlines 3 May 2010





The Soul Calendar:


Funny Wall Street Cartoons - 8 May 2010


Video: Check Out the River Monsters Swimming Near You


Bloggers: Get The New Google Buzz Buttons

Neuroscience: Want Your Man to Better Understand You? Try Empathy Nasal Spray




The Healing Waters:


Controversial Successful New Treatment 4 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder




Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:


Mothers Day Quote From Rose Kennedy

How Can You Help Your Child Keep Their Balance And Yours?




Dennys Funny Quotes:


The Great American Immigration Debate: Political Cartoons - 8 May 2010

Funny Video: Health Care Rage-Ex by Cartoonist Mark Fiore

Funny Animated Cartoon on Economy: Crashiversary Video by Mark Fiore



Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious And Odd:


Times Square Terrorist Bomber: Political Cartoons 8 May 2010

10 Funny Odd Photos - cute animals and crazy dressed people!

Funny Video: TV Anchor Falls off Chair





Food blogs:


Tradtional Sandwiches Updated: California Tuna Melt, Egg Salad

Chocolate Wonders: Kentucky Derby Pie, Make-ahead Chocolate Soufflé

Video: Louisiana Chef Makes Crawfish Etouffee


Easy Moist Chocolate Mayo Cake From Bon Appetit





Visual Insights:


Dennys Photo Gallery: Garden Views

Funny Love-Hate Relationships of Fox News, Republicans, Tea Party, Airlines and Obama Cartoons - 8 May 2010


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

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