From Denny: Great cartoons this week from the busy mind of editorial cartoonists! They sure had a wild time with all the ways the American people got screwed over this week like by the Supreme Court for starters. Check out all the goodies over at The Social Poets blog because the blog template here is not wide enough to include the entire cartoon - and the cartoon site doesn't have a smaller version available for embedded linking.
For this week's funny political cartoons about the State of the Union, iPad and more, go here: Editorial Cartoons This Week 30 Jan 2010
*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, a big shout out to current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email!
30 January 2010
5 Tasty and Weird Bacon Recipes
From Denny: OK, I've been hearing about the popularity of "bacon blogs" and wondered "is there anything you can't pair well with bacon?" Answer: not much as "the pig" is quite versatile. I see why the pig has so many devotees.
Check out the savory bacon recipes:
Bacon Explosion (BBQ)
Bacon Pie
Bacon Balls (mini-cheese balls)
Bacon Bread
Clams Casino
Bacon Explosion
This is a calorie monster, weighing in at 5000 calories! Read that as "bring your friends" to this BBQ because it reigns as King of BBQ.
Ingredients:
2 pounds thick-cut sliced bacon
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage, casings removed
3 tablespoons barbecue rub
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
Directions:
Using 10 slices of bacon, weave a square lattice like that on top of a pie: first, place 5 bacon slices side by side on a large sheet of aluminum foil, parallel to one another, sides touching. Place another strip of bacon on one end, perpendicular to the other strips.
Fold first, third and fifth bacon strips back over this new strip, then place another strip next to it, parallel to it. Unfold first, third and fifth strips; fold back second and fourth strips. Repeat with remaining bacon until all 10 strips are tightly woven.
Preheat oven to 225 degrees or light a fire in an outdoor smoker.
Place remaining bacon in a frying pan and cook until crisp. As it cooks, sprinkle bacon weave with 1 tablespoon barbecue rub. Evenly spread sausage on top of bacon lattice, pressing to outer edges.
Crumble fried bacon into bite-size pieces.
Sprinkle on top of sausage. Drizzle with 1/2 cup barbecue sauce and sprinkle with another tablespoon barbecue rub.
Very carefully separate front edge of sausage layer from bacon weave and begin rolling sausage away from you. Bacon weave should stay where it was, flat. Press sausage roll to remove any air pockets and pinch together seams and ends.
Roll sausage toward you, this time with bacon weave, until it is completely wrapped. Turn it so seam faces down. Roll should be about 2 to 3 inches thick. Sprinkle with remaining barbecue rub.
Place roll on a baking sheet in oven or in smoker. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 1 hour for each inch of thickness. When done, glaze roll with more sauce.
Bacon Pie
Ingredients:
12 Bacon slices (crisply cooked, crumbled)
4 Eggs (beaten)
1 cup Shredded Cheese
1 cup Baking Mix
1-1/2 cup Milk
1/8 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1/3 cup Onion (chopped)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Sprinkle cheese, bacon slices and chopped onions on a greased pie plate.
Stir milk, eggs, baking mix and black pepper in a medium bowl with a fork.
Pour this blend into pie plate.
Bake it for about 40-45 minutes.
Bacon pie is ready.
Bacon Balls
Bacon, cream cheese, cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese and... Miracle Whip mayonnaise??? Yep, and these are awesome tasting! They are basically mini-cheese balls. A shot or two of Louisiana hot sauce would complete this recipe in my not so humble opinion! :)
Ingredients:
1 lb bacon, cooked until crisp, cooled and drained on paper towels
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins brand)
Directions:
Process the bacon in the food processor until finely minced. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and Miracle Whip with an electric mixer until well mixed.
Beat in the remaining ingredients (except the bacon). Beat in the bacon only until mixed.
Shape into two small cheese balls and wrap each well in plastic wrap. Chill overnight.
Serve with crackers or pita chips.
To serve, you can leave the cheese ball as is, or roll in finely minced parsley, chopped nuts or finely shredded cheese. This keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator.
Bacon Bread
Super simple recipe for a bread, cheese and bacon combination. You might think you had died and gone to heaven. Of course, with this much fat in a recipe you just might go to heaven...
Ingredients:
12 slices bacon, diced
1 (1 pound) loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil, divided
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (1 ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
Directions:
In a skillet, cook bacon over medium heat for 5 minutes or until partially cooked; drain on paper towels.
Roll out dough to 1/2-in. thickness; brush with 1 tablespoon of oil. Cut into 1-in. pieces; place in a large bowl. Add the bacon, cheese, dressing mix and remaining oil; toss to coat. Arrange pieces in a 9-in. x 5-in. oval on a greased baking sheet, layering as needed. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cover with foil; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until golden brown. Yield: 1 loaf.
Clams Casino
From: Rhode Islands' Narraagansett Pier Casino, originating in the early 1900's. Shellfish and pork marry for one tasty dish.
Ingredients:
24 small clams in the shell
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
Directions:
Open clams; remove clams from shell. Wash shells; place each clam in deep half of shell. Discard remaining clam shell halves. Sprinkle clams with a little salt. Blend butter, chopped green onion, chopped bell pepper, chopped celery, lemon juice, and crumbled bacon. Top each clam with a scant tablespoon of the butter and vegetable mixture. Arrange the clams casino shells on a bed or rock salt in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 425° for 10 to 12 minutes. Clams casino recipe serves 8 as appetizer.
*** ALSO: Chef Sandra Lees Easy Frozen Chocolate Cookie Cake
*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, a big shout out to current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email!
Check out the savory bacon recipes:
Bacon Explosion (BBQ)
Bacon Pie
Bacon Balls (mini-cheese balls)
Bacon Bread
Clams Casino
Bacon Explosion
This is a calorie monster, weighing in at 5000 calories! Read that as "bring your friends" to this BBQ because it reigns as King of BBQ.
Ingredients:
2 pounds thick-cut sliced bacon
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage, casings removed
3 tablespoons barbecue rub
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
Directions:
Using 10 slices of bacon, weave a square lattice like that on top of a pie: first, place 5 bacon slices side by side on a large sheet of aluminum foil, parallel to one another, sides touching. Place another strip of bacon on one end, perpendicular to the other strips.
Fold first, third and fifth bacon strips back over this new strip, then place another strip next to it, parallel to it. Unfold first, third and fifth strips; fold back second and fourth strips. Repeat with remaining bacon until all 10 strips are tightly woven.
Preheat oven to 225 degrees or light a fire in an outdoor smoker.
Place remaining bacon in a frying pan and cook until crisp. As it cooks, sprinkle bacon weave with 1 tablespoon barbecue rub. Evenly spread sausage on top of bacon lattice, pressing to outer edges.
Crumble fried bacon into bite-size pieces.
Sprinkle on top of sausage. Drizzle with 1/2 cup barbecue sauce and sprinkle with another tablespoon barbecue rub.
Very carefully separate front edge of sausage layer from bacon weave and begin rolling sausage away from you. Bacon weave should stay where it was, flat. Press sausage roll to remove any air pockets and pinch together seams and ends.
Roll sausage toward you, this time with bacon weave, until it is completely wrapped. Turn it so seam faces down. Roll should be about 2 to 3 inches thick. Sprinkle with remaining barbecue rub.
Place roll on a baking sheet in oven or in smoker. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 1 hour for each inch of thickness. When done, glaze roll with more sauce.
Bacon Pie
Ingredients:
12 Bacon slices (crisply cooked, crumbled)
4 Eggs (beaten)
1 cup Shredded Cheese
1 cup Baking Mix
1-1/2 cup Milk
1/8 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1/3 cup Onion (chopped)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Sprinkle cheese, bacon slices and chopped onions on a greased pie plate.
Stir milk, eggs, baking mix and black pepper in a medium bowl with a fork.
Pour this blend into pie plate.
Bake it for about 40-45 minutes.
Bacon pie is ready.
Bacon Balls
Bacon, cream cheese, cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese and... Miracle Whip mayonnaise??? Yep, and these are awesome tasting! They are basically mini-cheese balls. A shot or two of Louisiana hot sauce would complete this recipe in my not so humble opinion! :)
Ingredients:
1 lb bacon, cooked until crisp, cooled and drained on paper towels
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins brand)
Directions:
Process the bacon in the food processor until finely minced. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and Miracle Whip with an electric mixer until well mixed.
Beat in the remaining ingredients (except the bacon). Beat in the bacon only until mixed.
Shape into two small cheese balls and wrap each well in plastic wrap. Chill overnight.
Serve with crackers or pita chips.
To serve, you can leave the cheese ball as is, or roll in finely minced parsley, chopped nuts or finely shredded cheese. This keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator.
Bacon Bread
Super simple recipe for a bread, cheese and bacon combination. You might think you had died and gone to heaven. Of course, with this much fat in a recipe you just might go to heaven...
Ingredients:
12 slices bacon, diced
1 (1 pound) loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil, divided
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (1 ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
Directions:
In a skillet, cook bacon over medium heat for 5 minutes or until partially cooked; drain on paper towels.
Roll out dough to 1/2-in. thickness; brush with 1 tablespoon of oil. Cut into 1-in. pieces; place in a large bowl. Add the bacon, cheese, dressing mix and remaining oil; toss to coat. Arrange pieces in a 9-in. x 5-in. oval on a greased baking sheet, layering as needed. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cover with foil; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until golden brown. Yield: 1 loaf.
Clams Casino
From: Rhode Islands' Narraagansett Pier Casino, originating in the early 1900's. Shellfish and pork marry for one tasty dish.
Ingredients:
24 small clams in the shell
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
Directions:
Open clams; remove clams from shell. Wash shells; place each clam in deep half of shell. Discard remaining clam shell halves. Sprinkle clams with a little salt. Blend butter, chopped green onion, chopped bell pepper, chopped celery, lemon juice, and crumbled bacon. Top each clam with a scant tablespoon of the butter and vegetable mixture. Arrange the clams casino shells on a bed or rock salt in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 425° for 10 to 12 minutes. Clams casino recipe serves 8 as appetizer.
*** ALSO: Chef Sandra Lees Easy Frozen Chocolate Cookie Cake
*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, a big shout out to current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email!
Political Cartoons of the Week 30 Jan 2010
From Denny: This has been an interesting week. The State of the Union address by President Obama basically summed up how the Republicans have been screwing over the entire country in every aspect of our lives and how much fun the Republicans have had screwing over Prez Obama at every turn while he continues to be inclusive and gracious to them.
Let's see, then our very own highest court in the land decided to screw over the American people by letting loose the floodgates of the greedy Big Business monopolies to fund elections and completely control the politicians elected. Granted, the corrupt basically control most of the politicians, all of the Republicans and far too many of the Democrats.
And the most recent group to get screwed over? The print publishing industry. Those adorable hold-in-your-hand books may soon be no more. Why anyone is shocked is the surprise. Come on; we all grew up on Star Trek and Sy-Fy spin-off shows where they featured hand-held computers and digital books decades before computers were any smaller than a football field, filling whole cavernous rooms like over at NASA. Of course, comparing Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, to God is a bit of a stretch - OK, it's downright creepy. :)
Take a look and chuckle for the day at how the cartoonists responded to this week's news stories:
Obama's State of the Union:
See Cartoons by Cartoon by David Fitzsimmons - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon
See Cartoons by Cartoon by David Fitzsimmons - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon
The Obama Scream vs. Big Banks
See Cartoons by Cartoon by Patrick Chappatte - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon
Screwed by the Supreme Court that is supposed to guard our liberties:
And the latest tech toy the iPad:
See Cartoons by Cartoon by Patrick Corrigan - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon
Can it be the death of print books as we know it?
OK, this one is a little scary...
*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, feel free to leave a comment, a big thank you and shout out to current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email!
Let's see, then our very own highest court in the land decided to screw over the American people by letting loose the floodgates of the greedy Big Business monopolies to fund elections and completely control the politicians elected. Granted, the corrupt basically control most of the politicians, all of the Republicans and far too many of the Democrats.
And the most recent group to get screwed over? The print publishing industry. Those adorable hold-in-your-hand books may soon be no more. Why anyone is shocked is the surprise. Come on; we all grew up on Star Trek and Sy-Fy spin-off shows where they featured hand-held computers and digital books decades before computers were any smaller than a football field, filling whole cavernous rooms like over at NASA. Of course, comparing Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, to God is a bit of a stretch - OK, it's downright creepy. :)
Take a look and chuckle for the day at how the cartoonists responded to this week's news stories:
Obama's State of the Union:
See Cartoons by Cartoon by David Fitzsimmons - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon
See Cartoons by Cartoon by David Fitzsimmons - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon
The Obama Scream vs. Big Banks
See Cartoons by Cartoon by Patrick Chappatte - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon
Screwed by the Supreme Court that is supposed to guard our liberties:
And the latest tech toy the iPad:
See Cartoons by Cartoon by Patrick Corrigan - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon
Can it be the death of print books as we know it?
OK, this one is a little scary...
*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, feel free to leave a comment, a big thank you and shout out to current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email!
29 January 2010
Chef Sandra Lees Easy Frozen Chocolate Cookie Cake
From Denny: Chef Sandra Lee specializes in great tasting recipes made simple and easy to do in a short amount of time. This chocolate cake with a frozen ice cream as a filling is a real show stopper for holidays, entertaining or your sweetheart on Valentine's Day. She uses cookies and cream ice cream flavor in this recipe but we could easily substitute any flavor we love.
What I like about this cake is its versatility. For Valentine's Day or Christmas you could add a little raspberry syrup drizzled on top or on the plate for color. In the summer you could use chocolate mint ice cream for the filling. To satisfy total chocoholics like myself you could make it with chocolate almond ice cream filling! :)
The greatest beauty of this cake is that you can freeze all the components until it's time to assemble and frost with the awesome ganache. That's a real time saver in my book with the way we are all busy these days!
And remember, this cake allows us yet another excuse to eat ice cream in the winter besides the fact we need the calcium... :)
Chef Sandra Lee gives great instructions! Food Network does not yet allow embedding of their videos so I can only provide the link, go here.
Frozen Chocolate Cookie CakeFrom: Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Desserts, Miramax Books, 2003.
Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: 3 hr 0 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Level: Intermediate
Serves: 1 cake, about 12 servings
Ingredients:
Ganache and Filling:
1/2 gallon cookies and cream ice cream, softened
1 cup heavy cream
1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate morsels
Cake:
Butter, for pans
Flour, for pans
1 (18.25-ounce) box devil's food cake mix
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
Directions:
Line 1 (9-inch) cake pan with plastic wrap, with 3 inches overhanging. Spread softened ice cream into lined pan in a smooth, even layer. Freeze for 3 hours, or until frozen solid.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter and flour 2 (10-inch) round cake pans and set aside. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, beat cake mix, water, oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl on medium speed for 2 minutes, or until well blended. Using a spatula, divide batter between the 2 prepared cake pans. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each pan to loosen cakes and remove from pans.
While cakes are cooling, heat heavy cream in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat until bubbling around the edges. Remove pan from heat, add chocolate morsels, and stir with a whisk until smooth. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, until cool and slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Spread ganache on top of and around sides of both cake layers, keeping layers separate and not fitting together yet. Refrigerate entire cake for 1 hour, or until ganache is set.
Place 1 cake layer, ganache side up, on a serving platter. Remove ice cream from pan, peel off plastic wrap, and place on top of cake layer. Place second cake layer on top of ice cream, ganache side up. Freeze until ready to serve, but let stand at room temperature 5 minutes before serving.
*** ALSO: 5 Tasty and Weird Bacon Recipes
*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, feel free to leave a comment, a big thank you and shout out to current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email!
28 January 2010
67 Charities to Donate: Helping Haiti Heal
From Denny: The outpouring of donations worldwide for the relief of suffering in Haiti following a 7.0 devastating earthquake is incredible. The following are a list of 67 well-known established charities to which you can donate safely.
The Mobile Giving Foundation has received over $30 million in text pledges from cell phone donors the past two weeks. Even the Pew Research Center was well impressed and threw out some statistics:
14% donated by text message
12% donated by phone
23% donated via the web
5% donated via email
39% donated in person via a church or other group
Here's something I doubt any of us thought about when we donated by text message or phone: how long will it take for the phone companies to send out that donation? Turns out it can take from 30, even up to 60 days to transfer customers' contributions, which is then added to the mobile phone bills.
The biggest carriers like Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile have all decided to expedite those donations.
Here's each company's status:
Verizon Wireless: Last Friday, 22 January, they transferred $2.98 million. Today, 28 January, they transferred $4.84 million. Jeffrey Nelson declared the campaign "the largest outpouring of charitable support by texting in history — by far. In all of 2009, all mobile giving (via texting) to all charities totaled just under $4 million for the year."
AT&T: Donations are up to $10 million. The company says they will "advance payment of verified texted donations" to the Red Cross.
Sprint: Donations so far are $3.1 million. By Friday, 29 January, they will advance 80% of the donations with the remaining 20% placed into the usual 30 to 90 day settlement cycle.
T-Mobile: They are working hard to expedite on a weekly basis.
Relief Agencies where to donate:
Action Against Hunger 877-777-1420
Agape Flights 941-584-8078
American Red Cross 800-733-2767
American Refugee Committee 800-875-7060
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee 212-687-6200
American Jewish World Service 212-792-2900
AmeriCares 800-486-4357
Beyond Borders 866-424-8403
B'nai B'rith International 202-857-6600
CARE 800-521-2273
CarmaFoundation
Catholic Relief Services 800-736-3467
Childcare Worldwide 800-553-2328
Church World Services 800-297-1516
Clinton Foundation 501-748-0471
Concern Worldwide 212-557-8000
Convoy of Hope 417-823-8998
Cross International 800-391-8545
CRUDEM Foundation 413-642-0450
CRWRC 800-55-CRWRC
Direct Relief International 805-964-4767
Doctors Without Borders 888-392-0392
Episcopal Relief and Development 800-334-7626
Feed My Starving Children 763-504-2919
Food for the Poor 800-427-9104
Friends of WFP (World Food Program) 866-929-1694
Friends of the Orphans 312-386-7499
Habitat for Humanity 800-422-4828
Haiti Children 877-424-8454
Haiti Foundation Against Poverty
Haiti Marycare 203-675-4770
Haitian Health Foundation 860-886-4357
Healing Hands for Haiti 651-769-5846
Hope for Haiti 239-434-7183
Hope for Haiti Now 877-99-HAITI
International Child Care 800-722-4453
International Medical Corps 800-481-4462
International Rescue Committee 877-733-8433
International Relief Teams 619-284-7979
Islamic Relief USA 888-479-4968
Lions Club International Foundation 630-203-3836
Lutheran World Relief 800-597-5972
Medical Benevolence Foundation 800-547-7627
Medical Teams International 800-959-4325
Meds and Food for Kids 314-420-1634
Mennonite Central Committee 888-563-4676
Mercy Corps 888-256-1900
Nazarene Compassionate Ministries 800-306-9950
New Life for Haiti 815-436-7633
Operation Blessing 800-730-2537
Operation USA 800-678-7255
Oxfam 800-776-9326
Partners in Health 617-432-5298
RHEMA International 248-652-9894
Rural Haiti Project 347-405-5552
Salesian Missions 888-608-2327
The Salvation Army 800-725-2769
Samaritan's Purse 828-262-1980
Save the Children 800-728-3843
ShelterBox
UN Central Emergency Response Fund
UNICEF 800-367-5437
United Methodist Committee on Relief 800-554-8583
World Concern 800-755-5022
World Hope International 888-466-4673
World Relief 800-535-5433
World Vision 888-511-6548
Text to donate:
Text/ Number/ Giving campaign/ Amount
"HAITI" 90999 American Red Cross $10
"QUAKE" 20222 Clinton Bush Haiti Fund $10
"GIVE" 25383 MTV telethon $10
"HAITI" 25383 International Rescue Committee $5
"HAITI" 85944 International Medical Corps $10
"YELE" 501501 Yele Haiti foundation $5
"HAITI" 52000 The Salvation Army $10
"HOPE10" or "UNICEF" 20222 UNICEF $10
"HABITAT" 25383 Habitat for Humanity $10
"OXFAM" 25383 Oxfam America, Inc $10
"HAITI" 40579 National Religious Broadcasters $10
"SAVE" or "SAFE" 20222 Save the Children Federation $10
"GIVE" or "WORLD" 20222 World Vision, Inc $10
"CARE" 24383 CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, Inc) $10
"AJWS" 25383 American Jewish World Service $10
*** THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS - even the smallest amount delivers a huge impact!
*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, feel free to leave a comment, a big thank you and shout out to current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email!
The Mobile Giving Foundation has received over $30 million in text pledges from cell phone donors the past two weeks. Even the Pew Research Center was well impressed and threw out some statistics:
14% donated by text message
12% donated by phone
23% donated via the web
5% donated via email
39% donated in person via a church or other group
Here's something I doubt any of us thought about when we donated by text message or phone: how long will it take for the phone companies to send out that donation? Turns out it can take from 30, even up to 60 days to transfer customers' contributions, which is then added to the mobile phone bills.
The biggest carriers like Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile have all decided to expedite those donations.
Here's each company's status:
Verizon Wireless: Last Friday, 22 January, they transferred $2.98 million. Today, 28 January, they transferred $4.84 million. Jeffrey Nelson declared the campaign "the largest outpouring of charitable support by texting in history — by far. In all of 2009, all mobile giving (via texting) to all charities totaled just under $4 million for the year."
AT&T: Donations are up to $10 million. The company says they will "advance payment of verified texted donations" to the Red Cross.
Sprint: Donations so far are $3.1 million. By Friday, 29 January, they will advance 80% of the donations with the remaining 20% placed into the usual 30 to 90 day settlement cycle.
T-Mobile: They are working hard to expedite on a weekly basis.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Relief Agencies where to donate:
Action Against Hunger 877-777-1420
Agape Flights 941-584-8078
American Red Cross 800-733-2767
American Refugee Committee 800-875-7060
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee 212-687-6200
American Jewish World Service 212-792-2900
AmeriCares 800-486-4357
Beyond Borders 866-424-8403
B'nai B'rith International 202-857-6600
CARE 800-521-2273
CarmaFoundation
Catholic Relief Services 800-736-3467
Childcare Worldwide 800-553-2328
Church World Services 800-297-1516
Clinton Foundation 501-748-0471
Concern Worldwide 212-557-8000
Convoy of Hope 417-823-8998
Cross International 800-391-8545
CRUDEM Foundation 413-642-0450
CRWRC 800-55-CRWRC
Direct Relief International 805-964-4767
Doctors Without Borders 888-392-0392
Episcopal Relief and Development 800-334-7626
Feed My Starving Children 763-504-2919
Food for the Poor 800-427-9104
Friends of WFP (World Food Program) 866-929-1694
Friends of the Orphans 312-386-7499
Habitat for Humanity 800-422-4828
Haiti Children 877-424-8454
Haiti Foundation Against Poverty
Haiti Marycare 203-675-4770
Haitian Health Foundation 860-886-4357
Healing Hands for Haiti 651-769-5846
Hope for Haiti 239-434-7183
Hope for Haiti Now 877-99-HAITI
International Child Care 800-722-4453
International Medical Corps 800-481-4462
International Rescue Committee 877-733-8433
International Relief Teams 619-284-7979
Islamic Relief USA 888-479-4968
Lions Club International Foundation 630-203-3836
Lutheran World Relief 800-597-5972
Medical Benevolence Foundation 800-547-7627
Medical Teams International 800-959-4325
Meds and Food for Kids 314-420-1634
Mennonite Central Committee 888-563-4676
Mercy Corps 888-256-1900
Nazarene Compassionate Ministries 800-306-9950
New Life for Haiti 815-436-7633
Operation Blessing 800-730-2537
Operation USA 800-678-7255
Oxfam 800-776-9326
Partners in Health 617-432-5298
RHEMA International 248-652-9894
Rural Haiti Project 347-405-5552
Salesian Missions 888-608-2327
The Salvation Army 800-725-2769
Samaritan's Purse 828-262-1980
Save the Children 800-728-3843
ShelterBox
UN Central Emergency Response Fund
UNICEF 800-367-5437
United Methodist Committee on Relief 800-554-8583
World Concern 800-755-5022
World Hope International 888-466-4673
World Relief 800-535-5433
World Vision 888-511-6548
Text to donate:
Text/ Number/ Giving campaign/ Amount
"HAITI" 90999 American Red Cross $10
"QUAKE" 20222 Clinton Bush Haiti Fund $10
"GIVE" 25383 MTV telethon $10
"HAITI" 25383 International Rescue Committee $5
"HAITI" 85944 International Medical Corps $10
"YELE" 501501 Yele Haiti foundation $5
"HAITI" 52000 The Salvation Army $10
"HOPE10" or "UNICEF" 20222 UNICEF $10
"HABITAT" 25383 Habitat for Humanity $10
"OXFAM" 25383 Oxfam America, Inc $10
"HAITI" 40579 National Religious Broadcasters $10
"SAVE" or "SAFE" 20222 Save the Children Federation $10
"GIVE" or "WORLD" 20222 World Vision, Inc $10
"CARE" 24383 CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, Inc) $10
"AJWS" 25383 American Jewish World Service $10
*** THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS - even the smallest amount delivers a huge impact!
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27 January 2010
5 Cutest Puppies, Most Popular Dog Breeds in America
From Denny: Check it out, see the most popular dog breeds right now in America. It's no surprise that family friendly dogs top the list. It's worth it to watch the video just to see the adorable huge puppies as models for their breeds. :)
5. Beagle - high energy dog good with children, a small compact hound dog that needs lots of exercise and companionship.
4. Golden Retriever - active and very trainable which makes them an excellent choice for guide dogs and and search and rescue work because they are also highly intelligent.
3. Yorkshire Terrier, the Yorkie - these are big personalities in small bodies with the typical terrier tenacity. Did I mention they are also quite portable? Just ask Hollywood celebs and their imitators.
2. German Shepherd - an intelligent breed that needs daily work, social and loves children, very protective of family, makes a great guide dog and works a lot with Homeland Security and the military.
1. Labrador Retriever - because of their extreme gentleness they are the most popular family dog. They are also great companions for family pets and highly intelligent to make great service dogs.
They ranked all 164 AKC registered breeds in America. These are the top five favorites.
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5. Beagle - high energy dog good with children, a small compact hound dog that needs lots of exercise and companionship.
4. Golden Retriever - active and very trainable which makes them an excellent choice for guide dogs and and search and rescue work because they are also highly intelligent.
3. Yorkshire Terrier, the Yorkie - these are big personalities in small bodies with the typical terrier tenacity. Did I mention they are also quite portable? Just ask Hollywood celebs and their imitators.
2. German Shepherd - an intelligent breed that needs daily work, social and loves children, very protective of family, makes a great guide dog and works a lot with Homeland Security and the military.
1. Labrador Retriever - because of their extreme gentleness they are the most popular family dog. They are also great companions for family pets and highly intelligent to make great service dogs.
They ranked all 164 AKC registered breeds in America. These are the top five favorites.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
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26 January 2010
Secrets to the Tastiest Tailgating Party
From Denny: Well, it's official! The New Orleans Saints won their last game and are on their way to the Super Bowl!!! Can I tell you that all of Louisiana is shocked and amazed - and deliriously happy? The Saints deserved a break and this season God finally shined His Face upon them. What a wild ride with so many people holding their breath, wondering if The Saints would make it. Congratulations, Saints!Sports are big here in Louisiana and tailgating is a long time honored tradition to get together with friends and loved ones to make new friends. CBS Early Show had a great video and some recipes to share.
From CBS: "Wing expert Kevin Roberts, executive chef and owner of San Diego's East Village Tavern, chili queen Elizabeth Karmel, executive chef of New York's Hill Country and pitmaster Ed Mitchell, of Raleigh's The Pit, prepared their best to fill up your guests on game day. You can see Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday February 7, on CBS."
Recipes:
Smokey West Coast Wings
Far East Wings
The Original Buffalo Chicken Wings
Super Bowl Sunday Ribs
Bowl of Red (Chili)
Watch CBS News Videos Online
Kevin Robert's Smokey West Coast Wings
INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 pounds Wings (flats and drumettes only)
1 stick butter, melted
1 bottle Cayenne Pepper Sauce
1 can Chipotle Peppers with Adobo Sauce Grilled - until crispy
METHOD:
In a large pot with boiling water boil the chicken wings for 10 minutes. Remove the wings from the water and pat dry. Place on a hot grill and cook until crispy and cooked all the through.
Combine the melted butter, cayenne pepper sauce, and chipotle peppers with adobo sauce. Add the wings and coat thoroughly. Serve immediately.
FAR EAST WINGS
INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 pounds (flats and drumettes only)
1 bottle Sweet Chili Sauce
1/4 cup Honey
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
METHOD:
In a large pot with boiling water boil the chicken wings for 10 minutes. Remove the wings from the water and pat dry. Place on a hot grill and cook until crispy and cooked all the through.
In a large bowl combine the sweet chili sauce, honey, soy sauce and lemon juice. Mix well and add the chicken wings and coat thoroughly. Serve immediately.
THE ORIGINAL BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS
INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 pounds Chicken Wing Pieces
1/2 cup Cayenne Pepper Sauce
1/3 cup melted Butter
METHOD:
Deep-fry* wings in hot oil (400°F) for 12 minutes until fully cooked and crispy; drain.
Combine Cayenne Pepper Sauce and butter. Dip wings in sauce to coat.
Serve wings with celery and blue cheese dressing if desired.
Note: For equally crispy wings, bake 1 hour at 425°F, or grill 30 minutes over medium heat.
Ed Mitchell’s Super Bowl Sunday Ribs
Ingredients:
Spareribs
Your favorite seasoning or rub
Eastern North Carolina-style, vinegar-based sauce Your favorite tangy barbecue sauce
Prepping: With a good knife and cutting board, remove “skirt” on the bone side of the ribs. Turn ribs over and remove about 2 to 2 1/2 inches along top of rack. Clean both ends of rack if they are ragged. With a small paring knife, lift up membrane on bone side, grab with a kitchen towel and remove from rack. Remove large fat deposits on “meat” side and lightly make several “knife scores” along the rack, parallel with the rib bones.
Next, cut the rack into five bone portions. Four bone or six bone portions are fine, but five are ideal. Once all the ribs are portioned, sprinkle the rub on both sides of rib. Place in covered container if not grilling immediately.
Cooking: Once you have the grill pit hot with charcoal, arrange seasoned ribs, meat side down, on the grill. Allow this side to cook uninterrupted for about 15 minutes. Using tongs, carefully and quickly turn ribs over (bone side down). Baste with Eastern North Carolina-style vinegar sauce. Allow to cook for another 15 minutes or so. With a clean kitchen towel, blot off any blood on the meat side of the ribs. Repeat, turning over ribs at 10 to 15 minute intervals for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until just fully cooked. After each turn, baste with vinegar sauce A properly cooked spare rib will have a nice seasoned browned color.
After removing the ribs from the grill, baste the ribs with vinegar sauce again. This step helps keep the ribs moist and gives the ribs additional flavor. Cover pan with aluminum foil and put in a low-temperature warmer (150˚ F.) until they will be served. Lightly brush ribs with barbecue sauce before to serving.
Elizabeth Karmel's Bowl of Red
Serves: 4 - 6
INGREDIENTS:
2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
Olive oil
1 pound ground sirloin
1 pound ground chuck
1 12-ounce bottle of Lone Star or other beer
2 10-ounce cans Rotel tomatoes with Chiles
6 ounces tomato paste
2 tablespoons freshly ground cumin
1 tablespoon freshly ground oregano leaves
1 tablespoon dehydrated garlic
2 teaspoons kosher salt or more to taste
1 tablespoon Ancho Chile powder
2 teaspoons New Mexican Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cold Kreuz Market Jalapeno Cheddar link, chopped (optional)
Cornbread or Tortilla chips as an accompaniment
METHOD:
In a large heavy-bottomed pot, onions in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add beef and continue cooking until onions are translucent. Add beer, Rotel tomatoes and tomato paste and stir. Stir and simmer for a few minutes, then add spices. Stir thoroughly.
Cover pot and cook on a low heat for 2 hours. Stir occasionally to break up the pieces of tomato and make sure all the spices are well incorporated. Add sausage if using and heat for 5-10 minutes more or until sausage is warmed through.
If chili is too thick, additional water or beer may be added, but add slowly and cautiously.
Serve with a slice of cornbread or tortilla chips and extra hot sauce for the heat freaks on the side.
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Chocolate Cake Recipes at Romancing The Chocolate
From Denny: Thought I'd start cataloging these chocolate recipes so you can find them faster than a blog search! This is going to take a while so be sure to check back often for added links. Why waste time looking for a chocolate recipe when you can be digging into it with your fork and enjoying it? :)
CAKES
Most Popular Web Recipe: Double Chocolate Cake
Chef Sandra Lees Easy Frozen Chocolate Cookie Cake
Valentines Day: Impressive Four Chocolates Cake
Flourless chocolate espresso cake with berries
3 Quick Awesome Chocolate Recipes for the Holidays:
Almond Fudge Topped Shortbread
Easy MINI KISSES Cookie Torte
Really Chocolate Chocolate Cake
CHOCOLATE FUDGE FROSTING
Warm Chocolate Pudding Cake
Calorie Monster Chocolate Truffle Cake with Raspberry Sauce
Recipe: Easy Black Russian Cake
Recipe: Easy Cocoa Chocolate Sheet Cake
Recipe: Swiss Chocolate Cake
Recipes: Chocolate Alcoholic Drinks That Taste Like Favorite Foods!
Recipe: Sour Cream-Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
Recipe: University Club's Skillet Chocolate Gooey Cake
Recipe: How to Make German Chocolate Cake Without a Mix
Recipe: German Chocolate Cake and Coconut Pecan Frosting
Recipe: Triple Chocolate Mess in a Crock Pot
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How to Cook Perfect Al Dente Pasta, Giadas Simple Recipe
From Denny: Beginner cooks are always asking how to cook pasta just up to the right texture without going past it to the gooey too soft uninspired noodles like you get at a cafeteria. First of all, start with a huge pot of cold water. Once it comes up to the boil, throw in a fair amount of salt for the volume of water so you get a layered effect of taste. If you wait to salt the pasta after it's cooked it tends to sit on top, not soaked in like if you had cooked it into it.
Second, you don't really need to put any oil into the boiling water to prevent sticking. If you have a large enough volume of water the pasta will "dance" and not stick together at all. Though I like to stir it every now and then with a pasta fork to make sure, especially if it's long noodles.
Or you can break all the proper rules like I do when I'm hard-pressed for time: use a small volume of water to boil and stir constantly. It can get tricky unless you are used to how the pasta is supposed to look when just cooked properly. So, before you break all the rules, first learn them! :)
When you go to drain the pasta, make sure you save a little pasta water, about one cup or so, that has all that starch and vitamins from the processing. Use that to marry your sauce or sauteed veggies to the noodles, thickening the sauce without added butter or oil so you save on calories!
Take a look at the demo:
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*** Chef Giada from Food Network is always showing how to make delicious simple Italian food quickly and this recipe is so easy!
PENNE WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO PESTO
From: Chef Giada De Laurentis
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy
INGREDIENTS
• 12 ounces penne pasta
• 1 (8 1/2 ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
• 1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, blend the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil, basil, and garlic in a food processor just until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer the tomato mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Season the pesto with salt and pepper, to taste.
Add the pasta to the pesto and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta to taste with salt and pepper and serve.
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24 January 2010
Mission of Hope Run by American in Haiti
From Denny: A few years before the disaster struck in Haiti, American Brad Johnson decided to move there and help the people in his parents' ongoing Christian mission to Haiti. He was in a unique position to help after the earthquake as he already had an established school, an orphanage and a medical clinic operating, along with plenty of supplies. His mission is just outside of Port-au-Prince. He is busy distributing supplies to survivors and has been within hours of when the disaster hit.
Here is the website: Mission of Hope in Haiti
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Here is the website: Mission of Hope in Haiti
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
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23 January 2010
Funny Quotes About Chocolate
From Denny: Here it is - All the funny quotes about chocolate I have found so far and given a home here at Romancing The Chocolate blog!
* Bumper sticker: If they don't have chocolate in Heaven, I'm not going!
* Nobody knows the truffles I've seen. - Anonymous
* Money talks; chocolate sings! - Anonymous
* Chocolate doesn't make the world go around ... but it certainly makes the ride worthwhile! - Anonymous
* Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you'll get one thing done. - Anonymous
* In the beginning, the Lord created chocolate, and he saw that it was good. Then he separated the light from the dark, and it was better. - Anonymous
* Life without chocolate is weird like a beach without water. It's just plain unnatural! - Denny Lyon
* "Las cosas claras y el chocolate espeso." (Ideas should be clear and chocolate thick.) - Spanish proverb
* Exercise is a dirty word. Every time I hear it, I wash my mouth out with chocolate. - Anonymous
* Man cannot live by chocolate alone but it sure is fun trying! - Anonymous
* There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate. - Anonymous
* I would give up chocolate but I'm no quitter. - Anonymous
* In the cookies of Life, friends are the chocolate chips. - Anonymous
* There is no such group as Chocolates Anonymous; no one wants to quit! - Anonymous
* LADIES AND CHOCOLATE
"The Spanish ladies of the New World are madly addicted to chocolate, to such a point that, not content to drink it several times each day, they even have it served to them in church. This sensuality has often brought down upon them the wrath of their bishops; but the latter have ended by closing their eyes to sin, and the Reverend Father Escobar, whose spiritual reasoning was as subtle as his moral doctrine was accommodating, issued a formal declaration that chocolate made with water was not contrary to the rule of the fast days, even evoking (to the profit of his penitents), the time worn adage, Liquidum non frangit jejunium."
- Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826), The Physiology of Taste
From RTC reader Joann Vallo and fellow blogger friend of women's issues: "I meditate, I do yoga, and I have a lot of friends who are healers...and if none of that works, I go buy a chocolate bar and a bottle of cognac." - Susan Strasberg
"After about 20 years of marriage, I'm finally starting to scratch the surface of what women want. And I think the answer lies somewhere between conversation and chocolate." - Mel Gibson
"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." - Charles M. Schulz
"Anything is good IF it's made of chocolate." - Jo Brand
"I am not a strict vegan, because I'm a hedonist pig. If I see a big chocolate cake that is made with eggs, I'll have it." - Grace Slick
* Look, there's no metaphysics on earth like chocolates. - Fernando Pessoa
* Forget love - I'd rather fall in chocolate! - Sandra J. Dykes
* I never do any television without chocolate. That's my motto and I live by it. Quite often I write the scripts and I make sure there are chocolate scenes. Actually I'm a bit of a chocolate tart and will eat anything. It's amazing I'm so slim. - Dawn French
* I owe it all to little chocolate donuts. - John Belushi
* I reckon I tried everything on the old apple, but salt and pepper and chocolate sauce topping. - Gaylord Perry
I was handed a chocolate bar and an M-1 rifle and told to go kill Hitler. - Jack Kirby
* Ice cream was my undoing, and six chocolate milk shakes in a row were nothing to me at one time. - Kate Smith
* It's about avoiding reality through various escape routes that become addictions and lead to Hell. My character is addicted to television, chocolate, coffee, to her dream of her son, which has no basis in reality. - actress Ellen Burstyn
* Most men, no matter how well or badly dressed, carry overstuffed, beat up wallets that should have been replaced years ago. Why is that? Every time I see a guy take out a wallet anywhere, it looks like a piece of old melted chocolate cake-with strings. - Jonathan Carroll
* Number one, I absolutely love making chocolate chip cookies. I mean, it's fun. It's exciting. Beyond the fact that I love making them, I love eating them. successful cookie company owner Debbi Fields
* People get so in the habit of worry that if you save them from drowning and put them on a bank to dry in the sun with hot chocolate and muffins they wonder whether they are catching cold. - John Jay Chapman
* Researchers have discovered that chocolate produces some of the same reactions in the brain as marijuana. The researchers also discovered other similarities between the two but can't remember what they are. - Matt Lauer, NBC Today Show host
* Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go. - Truman Capote
* You know an odd feeling? Sitting on the toilet eating a chocolate candy bar. - George Carlin
* Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of the pieces. - Judith Viorst
* Your face makes my soul want to eat chocolate pudding! - Andy Milonakis
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