Triple Header

It’s been a crazy August here in Tulsa. The weather has been more like fall. Rain showers with 70’s and 80’s instead of upper 90’s and triple digit temperatures with high humidity. So we’re trying to enjoy it, as are Mamma Mia’s remaining commando’s aka the five puppies we still have here.

I must have had cloud stroke or something when I went to the store earlier. After filling up a grocery cart, I still forgot the pizza I went after. So as the ice cream was melting, I headed home making the command decision that instead of pizza we’d have fajitas. Of late I’ve found a new friend when it comes to cooking. Well, actually two friends. Their names are Birdseye Tri Color Pepper & Onion Blend and PictSweet 3 Pepper & Onion Blend.

PictSweet had another pepper & onion blend, but the pieces were real small. These new blends have much larger pieces of peppers and onions. What it really means is that the fajitas taste really good. Just sauté the pepper and onion blend with some frozen fajita meat, and within minutes it’s done. I also use it with eggs and sausage for a good breakfast scramble. Again, the scramble is done in just minutes.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love using Vidalia sweet onions and fresh bell peppers. The problem is, it’s time consuming. I don’t mind cooking if it doesn’t take all day, and I don’t have to clean up afterwards. But there’s a lot to be said about pre-sliced pepper and onion blends and an electric skillet. So whether you’re cooking for yourself, for your honey, or a herd of kids, sometimes you just want easy.

And if you interested in easy shopping for healthy products, check out the link below.

http://www.TheJourneyIsWorthIt.com

Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine

Roughhousing, jumping, licking your face and tail wagging. Yes we’re talking about the four legged kids most of us have in our house. It’s National Dog Day. Sorry cat people, it’s not your day. This year our local dog population has increased.

                        This is Ninja after playing in the mud.

Our Mama Mia had 13 puppies in June, of which we still have 5. We’re keeping 3 and the other 2 go to grandsons in October. So our jumping, licking your face and tail wagging has greatly increased this year. Yet what are these endearing qualities that us dog lovers deal with?

The “experts” say:

Tail wagging by your dog is only partially a sign of happiness. Tell that to the dog imitating a helicopter. Of course the problem with experts is they claim a dog’s tail is a communication device. The claim it communicates different emotions like happiness, fear, tension, even attack. And if they’re really happy they’ll wag their tail with their whole butt or in circles. Our Mia wags not only her whole butt, but her whole body. She turns into a U-shape.

Dogs licking your face in many cases is a sign of love and affection, with puppies even more so. They say this behavior comes from wolves, of which they claim that technically dogs are a subspecies of wolves. It may simply be that they are grooming you. Dogs groom each other or their human when a solid bond is in place.

So what about jumping? It’s usually an unwanted behavior you have to train out of the dog.  Again, the experts say it’s an instinctive display of affection, and if they try to lick your face it’s because they recognize you as their parent.

Dogs are generally social, but not always. Your dog will look to you for guidance, approval, companionship and love. Of course, the experts blame that on wolves also. Does it make it sound better to say dogs are part wolf? What do these experts really know? For those of us that have dogs, we know they are loyal if you treat them right. In fact, they become part of the family. Your kids and grandkids play with them and use them for a pillow. And as for your dog leaning on you, I think maybe they’re tired, but those pesky experts say it’s another sign of affection. They claim it’s the dog asking for your attention, so as you’re falling over anyway, sit down and pet your dog.

The person who probably said it best was Tom T. Hall in his song; “Ain’t but three things in this world that’s worth a solitary dime but old dogs and children and watermelon wine”.

Now I don’t have a recipe for watermelon wine, but I do have one for watermelon smoothies. It lets you sip something cold that tastes of watermelon as the children play and the dog is laying on your feet.

Watermelon Smoothies:

When the weather is hot try watermelon, cucumber and mint smoothies or you can use just watermelon and strawberries. Place the ingredients in the blender, add some ice cubes or Greek yogurt and blend.

And if you’re really into watermelon, try cutting some up into small pieces then freezing them in an ice cube tray. You can add a small amount of water also. Then use your frozen watermelon instead of ice cubes.

http://www.TheJourneyIsWorthIt.com

Men Are You Tired of Getting Up At Night?

I’m sitting here this morning with a cup of coffee enjoying the cool 72 degree weather in Tulsa. It rained earlier, and everything is fresh and clean. The puppies are sleeping and Mama Mia is bothering Grandpa for part of his snack.  Then as my wife calls it, I started my morning ritual of checking the news online. I gave up physical newspapers so long ago that I have trouble remembering what it was like. Anyway, I get past MSN, sports news and Facebook and decide to check out Yahoo.

Well I see this advertisement article link, Boston scientists stumble upon prostate breakthrough. The article is about Peak Life prostate products and their proprietary Flow Enhancement complex which includes premium prostate health ingredients like saw palmetto and beta-sitosterol. And that's when I said HOLD YOUR HORSES.

I've been using a product called ProstAvan for over 10 years. It's only available through one company, but it's affordable, and best of all, it really works.I know that if I want to feel better and sleep better, I don't run out. And I haven't gotten up at night in years unless I ran out of ProstAvan, which happened once. That's all it took, once. I just order it once a month and I can drink coffee, tea, beer or whatever right up until bedtime.

So, here is a company using some of the same ingredients that I've been taking for years, and claiming they have the cure. They sound like one of those juice companies. And yes, Peak Life may work, but they're still testing it, but I've been using ProstAvan, a proven product for over 10 years. So why would I change? The answer is simple. I'm not going to change.

ProstAvan is a scientifically developed blend of lycopene, saw palmetto berry, pumpkin sees, selenium, vitamin E, and zinc. All natural-source ingredients that support prostate health without unwanted side effects.

Lycopene - a powerful antioxidant that gives tomatoes and other red fruits their red color and helps maintain normal prostate function.

Saw palmetto berry - An extract of the fruit Sernoa repens that is rich in fatty acids and phytosterols that has shown promise in treating enlarged prostates.

Pumpkin seed - Rich in antioxidants and polyunsaturated fatty acids, pumpkin seed extract has been used for the treatment of urinary tract problems and enlarged prostates.

Zinc - a mineral most men don't get enough of and is associated with proper prostate function.

Selenium - a mineral that naturally occurs in foods such as whole grains, seafood, garlic, eggs and mushrooms. Selenium is believed to maintain a healthy prostate by neutralizing harmful free radicals.

And if you other guys feel the need to go all the time, you should check out our company and consider trying a really great product. Just click on the link below.

http://www.TheJourneyIsWorthIt.com

P.S. There are a lot of great products that are safe, that really work and don’t require child proof caps.

Restart

When you stop writing because you’re moving, the hardest thing to do after you’re done is to start in again. I’m sure others out there have life get in the way, and have to get started again afterwards. The same thing happens with work, children, family, pets, who really are family. We’ve also dealt with several ill or injured family members and the loss of a dog since moving. Now we’re recovering from our dog Mia having 13 puppies, 5 of which still are with us. We were going to keep 2 of them, and then our daughter Samantha wanted a third one. And then the other 2 are slated for 2 of our grandsons. In the mean time they wreak havoc on the house and Mama Mia gets jealous if we pay too much attention to them.

In case you need to hear ABBA sing Mama Mia….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5d6cPSOzTI

So as many of you are dealing with children going back to school, remember, even in retirement you may have to deal with the college years.  We’ve spent 2 hours trying to get a 23 year old daughter moving for class. Believe me, it doesn’t get any easier. So if you need a refreshing something, here’s something you might enjoy.

Watermelon Slushie

We combined antioxidant-rich pomegranate juice with fresh watermelon and ice to create this ruby-red slushie.

Ingredients

·         2 cup(s) (1-inch pieces) seedless watermelon

·         1/2 cup(s) pomegranate juice

·         1/2 cup(s) ice cubes

Directions

1.   In blender, combine watermelon, pomegranate juice, and ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Pour into tall glass.

And something else that might interest you...

http://www.TheJourneyIsWorthIt.com