Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 25 Oct 2010

Check out news, political opinion, political humor and funny cartoons, recipes, poetry, funny posts, photography, science, spiritual thoughts and great quotes.





From Denny: Check out the funny political season along with the crazy Halloween taunts mixed in and life is ever, oh, so entertaining! Plenty this week to amuse, educate and entertain you - as I'm catching up the past three weeks of posts. Note to self: Never take time off - OK, not! :)

I've included some of the more popular posts at the humor blog as well since people come blasting in at Dennys Funny Quotes every Monday through Wednesday looking for funny relief for their work week. Thanks for visiting all the blogs and your great support all year!


The Social Poets:

American and World Economy Cartoons - 24 Oct 2010 - Check out the national mind and opinions of our economy through the eyes of cartoonists.

American Political Season - 23 Oct 2010 - This sure is a mean - and more competitive than usual - political season.

Friday Lite: Funny Elvira Spoofs I Am Not A Witch Ad - Where Halloween humor meets political humor in America.

CNN Interviews Outted American Spy Valerie Plame About Traitors - Check out this explosive interview about the truth of the outting of one of America's successful spies tracking down rogue nukes in the world.

Roundup of Late Nite Jokes and Videos - 18 Oct 2010 - Check out this week's late night jokes, latest cartoons, funniest video clips from Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart.

American Economy and Crazy World Politics - 16 Oct 2010 - To our politicians: the nation's cartoonists are watching you... Check out their latest opinions about the state of the economy, the current election season and world politics

Popular President Clinton On The Economy, Mid-Term Election, Wedding - America's most popular ex-President talks about how to get the economy jumpstarted and the serious erosion of the middle class if the election is turned over to the Republicans.

Chilean Miners Video: All 33 Miners As They Emerged From Mine and More - Listen to rescued miner Mario talk about getting out more Love in the world.

1 Billion Worldwide Watch 33 Chilean Miners Rescued From Abyss - Check out the jubilant celebrations as the miners are rescued today.

Monday Lite: Roundup of Late Night Jokes and Videos - 11 Oct 2010

American Economy and Crazy Politics - 9 Oct 2010 - Check out this week's latest political humor from the nation's cartoonists. The Tea Party wins hands down on the most talked about this election season.

Poem From God - Libations Friday 8 Oct 2010 - Even God has a sense of humor about how to handle repeated rejection. Take a look.

Rapping Politically Slamming Poetry Inspired By Rally to Restore American Sanity - The politics of insanity in this election season inspires this poet who is well worth the listen as he reflects the frustration of American voters.

Prez Obama Slaps Down Big Banks For Shady Home Foreclosure Bill - Obama catches last minute sleaze Republicans and Big Banks tacked on into new bill to cheat homeowners of their consumer protection rights while in foreclosure.

Obama Investigates: Big Banks Screw Up Home Foreclosures - Learn how the Big Banks just screwed themselves out of all their profits.

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 5 Oct 2010 - Check out news, political opinion, political humor and funny cartoons, recipes, poetry, funny posts, photography, spiritual thoughts and great quotes.






Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:

Inspiring Quotes About Dealing With Rejection - Some great advice from famous people about handling rejection.

11 Inspiring Quotes and Poem About Dealing With Rejection - Check out this mind food when you need to pick yourself back up from rejection.

A Delightful Way Of Seeing Our Lives

How Do You Fit Into The Universe?

How Well Do You Handle Adversity?

President Theodore Roosevelt Quote About Courage

Do You Promote Others As Well As Yourself?

Meditative Moon Photos - The moon continues to fascinate humanity - and creative photographers.

7 Thoughtful Quotes About The Future - Enjoy these reflections upon how we think about our future.

A Healing Spiritual Poem: Waking The Day - Spiritual symbolism is all around us in our daily life, ready to help heal and balance.

Ancient Healing Oil: Sandalwood - Modern technology life can be stressful and counter productive to spiritual growth. Try this essential oil to bring balance into your life.








Dennys Funny Quotes:

Funny Work Cartoons - 25 Oct 2010 - When your life does not seem to be quite all together - get a grin to make your day good again.

Funny Video: Scientists Study Drugged Spiders - Check out the crazy antics of these drugged spiders.

42 Monday Morning Funny Coffee Quotes, Coffee Cartoon

Funny Photos: Voraciously Hungry Birds - Check out some startling photos of birds as they catch some unusual finds for their dinner tables - complete with irreverent commentary.

Funny Video: Colbert Fuses Halloween Holiday With March To Keep Fear Alive

Funny Video: Jon Stewart Reveals Rally to Restore Sanity Location

Funny Situational Hunh?! Are You Kidding?! Cartoons - 16 Oct 2010 - Check out the latest funny finds from America's cartoonists this week.

Funny Situational Hunh?! Cartoons - 9 Oct 2010 - Check out some hilarious thoughts about how to approach life from this week of cartoonists.

Funny Video: Jon Stewart Scorches Big Banks 4 Accidental Foreclosures

Funny Video: Jon Stewart Comments On CNN Firing Bigot Rick Sanchez

Funny Video: Jon Stewart Reveals Rednecks Living in Delaware

Funny Video: Colbert Looks At Tea Party Coloring Books For Kids

Murphys 15 Laws About Sex - Yet another funny list joke making the rounds.

Funny Video: Surfing Group Known as The Radical Rodents - Laugh at these funny talented rodents surfing the waves in Australia.

Funny Legal News Story: The Case of a Contraceptives Miss-taken Use - Laugh at this funny use for a contraceptive that exemplifies the kind of humorous cases found in our court systems every day sure to amuse us!

Funny Video: Colberts Sound Advice on How to Get a Job - Bad economy? No problem. Comic Stephen Colbert to the employment rescue to help you land that all important life-changing job.

25 Ridiculously Funny Celebrity Duck Face Photos - Laugh at celebrities posing for the camera, mocking sexy.







Visual Insights:

Funny Life Cartoons - 21 Oct 2010 - Get a grin today while tripping through the cracked minds of some talented cartoonists while they explore our lives and give us their opinions.

Art and Music Videos: Chinese Painting Demo and The Misty Rain of Jiangnan in China - This music video is great for meditation.

Music Video: From Enya - The First of Autumn - Enya pairs some beautiful autumnal photos with music.

Music Video: Classic Happy Song from Belle Stars - Iko Iko - This catchy song will have you dancing in no time, looking silly to the neighborhood - and you won't care 'cause you will feel so good.







The Soul Calendar:


Funny Tech Cartoons - 22 Oct 2010 - Get a grin as cartoonists entertain us with their take on the technology of the day and the influence upon society.

Are These Fossils The Earliest Traces Of Complex Life? - Check out what was happening on the Earth over two billion years ago as scientists discover new fossils to shed new light on how Life evolved here.

How Northern Lights Are Created By Sun Flares - Check out 3 video clips of the solar flares and magnetic filament in action as they create the Northern Lights on Earth.

Giant Asteroid Threatens Earth In 170 Years - Crank up the planet asteroid defense system because Earth is expecting an asteroid impact soon - by astronomical time.

Popular Funny X-ray Pin-Ups Calendar: Stripped to the Bone - Definitely this is a fit for the strange but true category and amusing too.

Why Black Holes Burst With Light When Galaxies Merge - Scientists got good news about the odd behavior of supermassive black holes from NASA's cosmic gossip, the Swift satellite.

Big Oil Nixs Competing Aviation BioFuel: NASAs Project OMEGA - Big Oil finds ways to eliminate the competition from taking over any segment of the fuel market in the world.

Mapping Our Complex Brains: Human Connectome Project - Fascinating new project mapping the complex circuitry of our brains.

Brain: Relationship of Thinning of Brain's Cortex Linked to Depression

Bad News for Teachers: Research Says Doodling Boosts Concentration








Dennys Food and Recipes:

Drink: Chocolate Martini - A chocolate martini, with the glass rim coated with fresh pear and shaved chocolate, for that perfect sip.

Candy: Almond Brittle - The best combination ever invented: almonds and chocolate. Enjoy this chef recipe of a few ingredients.

Chocolate: Chocolate Risotto - Enjoy a rice pudding style dessert made with chocolate.

Chocolate: Beef Stew With Chocolate - This Chef David Rocco is on a roll with awesome savory recipes using dark chocolate as a star ingredient.

Chocolate: Penne Pasta with Chocolate and Anchovies - Another creative food thought from Chef David Rocco.

Appetizer with Chocolate: Sauteed Shrimp Drizzled with Chocolate - Check out this unusual dish employing chocolate as a spice.

Pair With Pork: French Onion Casserole - Cooked slowly onions can turn wonderfully sweet. Try this easy casserole for your holiday or weekend dinner.

Healthy Recipe: Fiesta Southwestern Cheesecake, Oven Baked French Toast - Check out a creative beautiful dish that is a lower calorie version of our favorite Mexican flavors.

Halloween: Caramel Apples From Culinary Institute of America - Check out how easy and less expensive it is to make your own caramel apples for the spooky season.

Cake Tuesday: Bobby Flays Awesome German Chocolate Cake - A special cake for celebrations and the holidays! Recipe and video.


*** 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!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Best Spiritual Posts - my own best as well as links to other spiritual posts from all viewpoints
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

Drink: Chocolate Martini

A chocolate martini, with the glass rim coated with fresh pear and shaved chocolate, for that perfect sip.

From Denny: To tie this week's worth of awesome chocolate recipes from Chef David Rocco he presents us with a chocolate martini to wow your guests at your next gathering. It's also simple and quick to make. Drink recipes this easy come in handy when you want to spend time talking to your guests instead of getting tied up in the kitchen. This one is also so simple you could get your guests to make them while you plate up the appetizers.

What was so cool about this drink is the simplicity of few ingredients well placed. What do I mean? Chef Rocco cut a fresh pear in half crosswise and then rubbed the rim of the glass onto the cut side of the pear so the rim was wet and well coated with pear. Then he turned the pear coated martini glass upside down and dipped it into the shaved chocolate. Pears and chocolate are an awesome combination. Pears give a mellow pairing to chocolate that is pleasing in a drink.


Gianluca's Cioccolatini: Chocolate Martini

From: Chef David Rocco

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time :5 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 1 serving

Ingredients:

1 pear, halved
Bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Ice
2 fluid ounces/59 ml vodka
1 1/2 fluid ounces/44 ml chocolate liqueur (he used an Italian one but whatever your favorite)

Directions:

Rub the rim of a martini glass with a pear half, wetting the rim. Then dip the rim of the martini glass in the finely chopped chocolate. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, vodka, and chocolate liqueur. Shake vigorously. Strain the liquid into the prepared martini glass. Serve immediately.



*** Check out more great chocolate recipes from Chef David Rocco:

Candy: Almond Brittle - The best combination ever invented: almonds and chocolate. Enjoy this chef recipe of a few ingredients.

Chocolate: Chocolate Risotto - Enjoy a rice pudding style dessert made with chocolate.

Chocolate: Beef Stew With Chocolate - This Chef David Rocco is on a roll with awesome savory recipes using dark chocolate as a star ingredient.

Chocolate: Penne Pasta with Chocolate and Anchovies - Another creative food thought from Chef David Rocco.

Appetizer with Chocolate: Sauteed Shrimp Drizzled with Chocolate - Check out this unusual dish employing chocolate as a spice.




*** 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!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Best Spiritual Posts
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

Candy: Almond Brittle

The best combination ever invented: almonds and chocolate. Enjoy this chef recipe of a few ingredients.

From Denny:  Learning to work with cooking sugar as it gets hot akes a little effort yet is well worth it for the end result - almond brittle nirvana! :) This is for regular almond brittle.  I figure anything almond deserves a drizzle of chocolate after it cools to kick it up a notch - but you may enjoy it just like it is.


Croccante: Almond Brittle

From: Chef David Rocco

Prep Time: 5 min

Inactive Prep Time: 30 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Level: Difficult

Serves: 4 servings


Ingredients

3 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
5 cups almonds
Butter, for greasing cookie sheet


Directions:

In a saucepan, add the sugar and cook on high heat. Continue to stir until the sugar begins to sweat and liquify. Add a bit of water to help, if necessary. Continue to cook until the sugar turns into a deep rich brown color.

Add the almonds and mix well. Cook for a few minutes, making sure the almonds are fully coated. Remove the almonds from the heat and quickly pour and spread the hot almond-sugar mixture onto a buttered cookie sheet to the desired thickness.

Let cool for 30 minutes before breaking it into smaller pieces.



*** For more savory and sweet chocolate recipes from Chef David Rocco:


Chocolate: Chocolate Risotto - Enjoy a rice pudding style dessert made with chocolate.

Chocolate: Beef Stew With Chocolate - This Chef David Rocco is on a roll with awesome savory recipes using dark chocolate as a star ingredient.

Chocolate: Penne Pasta with Chocolate and Anchovies - Another creative food thought from Chef David Rocco.

Appetizer with Chocolate: Sauteed Shrimp Drizzled with Chocolate - Check out this unusual dish employing chocolate as a spice.

Drink: Chocolate Martini - A chocolate martini, with the glass rim coated with fresh pear and shaved chocolate, for that perfect sip.

Here's a wonderful Italian cookie recipe from another chef:

Chocolate-Hazelnut Smooches: Baci D'Alassio




*** 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!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Best Spiritual Posts
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

Chocolate: Chocolate Risotto

Enjoy a rice pudding style dessert made with chocolate.

From Denny: How many times have you made risotto only to wonder how good it would be with chocolate? Here's your chance as Chef Rocco shows us how easy it truly is to do. Lately, this chef has been exploring how to use chocolate in savory dishes too, employing chocolate as a spice. Be sure to check out the links at the bottom of this post to enjoy more of this chef's creativity.


Risotto Al Cioccolator: Chocolate Risotto

From: Chef David Rocco

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Level: Intermediate

Serves: 4 servings


Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup arborio rice
4 cups of milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup bittersweet chocolate, finely grated
Walnuts for sprinkling, quartered


Directions:

Similar to a regular risotto process, melt the unsalted butter in a hot pan and add the rice. Stir for about a minute or until the rice is translucent. Pour a cup of milk into the pan and stir until the milk reduces. Add the sugar and stir continuously. As the milk evaporates, add another 1/2 a cup of milk to the rice and continue stirring. Repeat this process until the rice is at the 'al dente' stage.

Add the chocolate to the rice, and stir until the chocolate has melted and the milk has reduced to a creamy consistency.

Serve the dessert immediately in cups and finish with a sprinkle of walnuts on top.



*** Check out more of Chef David Rocco's sweet and savory recipes for chocolate:


Chocolate: Beef Stew With Chocolate - This Chef David Rocco is on a roll with awesome savory recipes using dark chocolate as a star ingredient.

Chocolate: Penne Pasta with Chocolate and Anchovies - Another creative food thought from Chef David Rocco.

Appetizer with Chocolate: Sauteed Shrimp Drizzled with Chocolate - Check out this unusual dish employing chocolate as a spice.

Candy: Almond Brittle - The best combination ever invented: almonds and chocolate. Enjoy this chef recipe of a few ingredients.

Drink: Chocolate Martini - A chocolate martini, with the glass rim coated with fresh pear and shaved chocolate, for that perfect sip.



*** 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!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Best Spiritual Posts
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

Chocolate: Beef Stew With Chocolate

This Chef David Rocco is on a roll with awesome savory recipes using dark chocolate as a star ingredient.

From Denny: This has shaped up to be Chocolate Week at this blog! :) I've been hunting some great - and easy - savory dishes to make with dark chocolate. This week I stumbled upon Chef Rocco with the same sense of adventure employing chocolate as a spice.

Too often, especially we Americans, think inside the Godiva chocolate box when it comes to using chocolate in our cooking. I've often wondered what we could do with chocolate - minus the usual suspects paired with it: milk, cream and sugar.

Besides, the health community is always telling us to eat more dark chocolate because of the health benefits. But who really wants to be found day after day nibbling on a huge hard bar of messy cooking chocolate? Now, is that terribly original? Savory recipes using chocolate are the best answer to give us variety and explode our imagination!


Spezzatino di Manzo al Cioccolato: Beef Stew with Chocolate

From:  Chef David Rocco

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 1 hr 45 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 4 servings


Ingredients:

5 tablespoons/74 ml extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces/114 g smoked pancetta, cubed
Flour, for dredging
2 pounds/900 g stewing beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 fresh sage leaves
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
Salt
1 cup/240 ml sherry
4 cups/941 ml vegetable broth
2 cups/457 g chopped finest quality plain dark chocolate (at least 70 percent cocoa)


Directions:

In a saucepan, heat up the olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook until the fat has been rendered down.

Place the flour in a shallow bowl or dish. Dredge the beef in the flour, shake off any excess flour, and add the beef to the hot pan. Sear the beef, stirring well so that all sides are browned. Add the sage, thyme (without the stem), and salt, to taste, to the saucepan. Deglaze the pan with the sherry and stir to pick up any brown bits. Once the sherry has reduced, add a couple ladles of vegetable broth and let reduce. Continue stirring and add the chopped chocolate. Once the chocolate has completely melted, add a few more ladles of vegetable broth.

Allow to cook for 1 hour on medium heat, adding more vegetable broth, if necessary.


*** For more savory and sweet recipes from Chef David Rocco:

Chocolate: Chocolate Risotto - Enjoy a rice pudding style dessert made with chocolate.

Chocolate: Penne Pasta with Chocolate and Anchovies - Another creative food thought from Chef David Rocco.

Appetizer with Chocolate: Sauteed Shrimp Drizzled with Chocolate - Check out this unusual dish employing chocolate as a spice.

Candy: Almond Brittle - The best combination ever invented: almonds and chocolate. Enjoy this chef recipe of a few ingredients.

Drink: Chocolate Martini - A chocolate martini, with the glass rim coated with fresh pear and shaved chocolate, for that perfect sip.


*** 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!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Best Spiritual Posts
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

Chocolate: Penne Pasta with Chocolate and Anchovies

Another creative food thought from Chef David Rocco.

From Denny:  Continuing along in a chocolate recipe week is another delightful unusual and savory chocolate recipe from Cooking Channel's Chef David Rocco.  In this recipe he paired some chili pepper heat with very dark unsweetened chocolate. This chef does so love to push the status quo boundaries when it comes to food! He noted too that to add the fresh parsley at the end of the dish as you serve so it will not overcook and lose its bright flavor and color.


Penne al Cioccolato con Anchovies: Penne with Chocolate and Anchovies

From:  Chef David Rocco

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 4 servings


Ingredients:

1 pound/450 g penne rigate pasta
3 tablespoons/45 ml extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 dry chile peppers, crushed
8 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
2 cups/457 g chopped finest quality plain dark chocolate (at least 70 percent cocoa)
1/2 cup/114 g finely grated bread crumbs
Small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:

Cook the penne in a pot of boiling salted water. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce.

To make the sauce: In a saucepan heat up the olive oil. Gently saute the garlic, add the chile peppers, and anchovies. Cook until the garlic is golden and anchovies have somewhat dissolved. Then add the chopped chocolate. When the chocolate has completely melted, stir in the bread crumbs.

Drain the pasta just before the 'al dente' stage and add to the saucepan. Add the chopped parsley and mix well for a few seconds so that the pasta and the sauce are well amalgamated or combined. Serve the dish immediately.



*** For more savory and sweet chocolate recipes from Chef David Rocco:
 

Candy: Almond Brittle - The best combination ever invented: almonds and chocolate. Enjoy this chef recipe of a few ingredients.

Chocolate: Chocolate Risotto - Enjoy a rice pudding style dessert made with chocolate.

Appetizer with Chocolate: Sauteed Shrimp Drizzled with Chocolate - Check out this unusual dish employing chocolate as a spice.

Chocolate: Beef Stew With Chocolate - This Chef David Rocco is on a roll with awesome savory recipes using dark chocolate as a star ingredient.

Drink: Chocolate Martini - A chocolate martini, with the glass rim coated with fresh pear and shaved chocolate, for that perfect sip.



*** 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!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Best Spiritual Posts
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

Appetizer with Chocolate: Sauteed Shrimp Drizzled with Chocolate

Check out this unusual dish employing chocolate as a spice.

From Denny: This Cooking Channel is as mesmerizing as Food Network where you can park on the couch and watch endless great cooking shows in succession. Sooner or later you have to force yourself to get up and start posting all your favorites! :)

The beauty of Italian food is its simplicity and easy to create. Using the freshest ingredients and only a few spices it's pretty amazing what tasty dishes you can create to please the whole family.

Well, this week Chef David Rocco got adventurous and wanted to prove you can use chocolate in more than just sweets. It can be used in savory recipes - and it just so happens I've been on the hunt for savory dishes employing the use of dark chocolate. We all think of Mexican cuisine and ancient Mayans using chocolate in savory dishes but certainly not Italian. When Chef Rocco went to the open air market in Florence, Italy, where he resides, the local fishmonger was shocked he would consider pairing chocolate with seafood, especially shrimp. In a word, she thought he was a bit crazy.

Daring to push the borders of the status quo is what I like to see in the food arena, especially when it's done with so few ingredients like Chef Rocco's recipes.  He prepared this dish for a Chocolate Theme Party and it was served as an appetizer.


Gamberi al Cioccolato: Shrimp with Chocolate

From: Chef David Rocco

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 25 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 4 servings


Ingredients:

1 cup/229 g chopped finest quality plain dark chocolate (at least 70 percent cocoa)
1/2 cup/118 ml milk
3 tablespoons/45 ml extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pound/450 g shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt
1 cup/240 ml white wine
Small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped


Directions:

Combine the chopped chocolate and milk in a stainless steel bowl. Rest the bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted.

In a frying pan, heat up the olive oil and saute the garlic until soft. Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp are pink and just opaque. Add the salt and wine, and let reduce. Then add the parsley. Plate and drizzle with melted chocolate.


*** Check out more savory and sweet chocolate recipes from Chef David Rocco:

Candy: Almond Brittle - The best combination ever invented: almonds and chocolate. Enjoy this chef recipe of a few ingredients.

Chocolate: Chocolate Risotto - Enjoy a rice pudding style dessert made with chocolate.

Chocolate: Penne Pasta with Chocolate and Anchovies - Another creative food thought from Chef David Rocco.

Chocolate: Beef Stew With Chocolate - This Chef David Rocco is on a roll with awesome savory recipes using dark chocolate as a star ingredient.

Drink: Chocolate Martini - A chocolate martini, with the glass rim coated with fresh pear and shaved chocolate, for that perfect sip.



*** 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!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Best Spiritual Posts
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

Pair With Pork: French Onion Casserole

Cooked slowly onions can turn wonderfully sweet. Try this easy casserole for your holiday or weekend dinner.




From Denny: Talk about sweetness in a casserole - and easy to do at that! This recipe goes well with pork. Pork is in season this fall. Any meat needs a good pairing of veggies to help digest the heaviness.

What are the benefits of onions?

Well, for starters, onions act as blood thinners to keep cholesterol from forming in your arteries. The sulpher in them also helps kill possible parasites in the digestive track. While you get the most benefit and vitamins like vitamins B and C from raw onions, cooked onions are good too.

Did you know that onions have been used for centuries to cure various illnesses? They act as an expectorant to help clear up mucous which is why drinking onion soup when you have a cold helps relieve the symptoms. Onions also have iron in them and this iron is easier to assimilate than from most sources.. Physicians have recommended onions in the diet since ancient times to allieviate anemia. Who knew onions were so useful? :)

Onion varieties to use in this recipe:  Vidalia, Walla Walla, OSO Sweet or Texas Sweet.  These are all mild and sweet onions.  Yellow, white or red onions will have a more intense flavor but if that's all you have on hand just know that the cheese and mushroom soup mixture will help reduce the sharpness.  This casserole has a slight nutty flavor.

When I use butter in a recipe I always clarify it to remove the cholesterol trouble-makers: the milk fat.  Clarifying it to the point of when the milk fat browns will give this oil a wonderful rich golden color and a nutty flavor that is irresistible.  You can sauteed veggies in it without much more seasoning if you like.  Yes, the flavor of browned clarified butter is that good!  I even put it on uncooked pizza before I put it in the oven to bake.

For a party:  make sure to have at least one French bread slice for each person you are serving.





French Onion Casserole

From: Barrie Griffin

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

3 Vidalia onions or onions of your choice
2 tbls. margarine or butter
1 (8-oz.) pkg. sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (5-oz.) can evaporated milk
2 tsps. soy sauce
6 (1/2-inch thick) slices French bread (she uses Pepperidge Farm Twin French loaves, it’s about a 2-2 1/2-inch diameter loaf)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley


Directions:

Peel and slice onions into about 1/4-inch slices. Cut those slices into quarters.

In large skillet, melt margarine or butter and sauté onions and mushrooms until tender.

Using a slotted spoon remove onions and mushrooms to lightly greased 7- x 11-inch casserole dish.

Top with half of the Swiss cheese.

In small bowl, combine cream of mushroom soup, milk and soy sauce. Whisk together until smooth. Pour soup mixture over cheese. Spread evenly over the top.

Top casserole with French bread slices.

Mix chopped fresh parsley and remaining cheese together and spread over top of casserole. Refrigerate 4 to 8 hours.

Bring to room temperature then bake, covered with foil in preheated 375-degree oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking an additional 15-20 minutes or until top is nicely browned. Watch to prevent over-browning.



*** 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!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

Healthy Recipe: Fiesta Southwestern Cheesecake, Oven Baked French Toast

Check out a creative beautiful dish that is a lower calorie version of our favorite Mexican flavors.

From Denny:  Out local TV show (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) personality and chef is delighting her fans with yet more great tasting recipes in her latest cookbook.  She specializes in lots of flavor without packing on the pounds.  Clegg's recipes are  simple and user friendly too, aimed at women of all ages.  Of course, to give you a grin there are those whimsical illustrations along with the full-color photos.

New Book:  "Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle at Any Age" by Holly Clegg

(Save 28 percent by purchasing from Amazon Books)


Clegg's concept for this book was to make the book very visually pleasing so it would be eye-catching to give as a gift.  It's packed full of information and focused upon great recipes.  Clegg's books are always the kind of recipes that stimulate you to want to cook.  This book is 237-pages, featuring 200 recipes, 100 photographs and illustrations and also details  the nutritional and diabetic exchange information too.  There are also special icons to draw your attention to those recipes that are freezer friendly or vegetarian.

Some of what sets this cookbook apart from the rest is she gives advice as to which types of coffee will pair best with a particular recipe: medium-light, dark roasts or flavored coffees.  Like any good Louisiana cook she also offers up advice on spices, serving suggestions and cooking information.

And get this, Clegg has a chapter called “Diva Dermatology.”  Here she parks her  recipes for facials - which are made from everyday foods:  Avocado Carrot Cream Mask, Applelicious Wash and Margarita Salt Body Buffer.  Holly Clegg has always a reputation for being fun and this new book sure captures her essence for others to enjoy.

The majority of the new book, is for what Clegg  is most famous:  recipes "designed for busy women.… as they experience and embrace the many stages of life,” she says.

In the first chapter of the book, "Foods to Improve," she gives an overview of the best foods to include in your diet.  "Remember to eat with color," she advises, "using the colors of fruits and vegetables to ensure you will get a wide range of vitamins and minerals into your daily eating."

For the busy cook there is an amusing chapter called "Lovin' No Oven."  You guessed it.  These are recipes where you can skip turning on the oven and running up your utility bill or spend more time on a recipes.  There are yummy recipes like Tomato Bruschetta and Lemon Pie.

For the busiest among us, Clegg designed her "Quickies" chapter.  These recipes require just a few ingredients and are very easy to pull together:  Watermelon and Feta Salsa, Home-Style Chicken and Chocolate Fudgies.
Party recipes for groups: "Effortless Entertaining" is the chapter to visit.

For those empty nesters, the retired or young couples without children, Clegg has a chapter for recipes for just two servings: "Table For Two."  These recipe gems are simple and make-ahead for entertaining if you like.  There are high fiber, sweets, breakfast, snack foods and even ethnic-inspired:  Asian Slides With Pineapple Salsa to Garlic Fried Rice.


If you want to pay full retail for this book it can be ordered from her websites: Holly Clegg or The Healthy Cooking Blog - $24.95, plus tax and handling or call 1-800-884-6559.

Here’s a recipe from the book that would be welcome at tailgate or holiday parties.





Fiesta Southwestern Cheesecake

From: “Holly Clegg’s trim & TERRIFIC Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle at Any Age — 200 Simple and Sexy Recipes”

Makes: 20-25 servings. Make ahead and freeze this savory Southwestern-style cheesecake for an appetizer taste sensation. If freezing, top with salsa when serving.

Ingredients:

1 cup toasted corn Chex cereal crumbs
1 tbl. butter, melted
1 tbl. olive oil
2 (8-oz.) pkgs. reduced-fat cream cheese
1/3 cup nonfat sour cream
1 egg
2 egg whites
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
2 (4-oz.) cans chopped green chilies, drained
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups salsa, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In springform pan, mix together cereal crumbs, butter and oil, press into bottom of prepared pan.

In mixing bowl, mix together cream cheese, sour cream, egg and egg whites until creamy. Add garlic, chili powder and cumin, mixing well.

Fold in cheddar cheese, green chilies, green onions and onion. Carefully spread half mixture over crust, top with 1 cup salsa, and cover with remaining cream cheese mixture; do not mix.

Bake 50-60 minutes or until mixture is set. Remove from oven, let cool in pan 10 minutes. Run knife around inside edge to loosen; remove sides from pan. Cool to room temperature before refrigerating. When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator and top with remaining 1 cup salsa.

Spicy advice: For extra flavor and kick, use a flavored salsa such as roasted tomato or your favorite. I like to purchase fresh salsa from the grocery store. Also, you can add shrimp or crabmeat to cheesecake for a seafood southwestern version.

Nutritional analysis per serving: 96 calories, 58 percent calories from fat, 6 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 26 milligrams cholesterol, 252 milligrams sodium, 6 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram dietary fiber, 2 grams sugar and 4 grams protein.



From Denny: This recipe from the cookbook too was a huge hit with a cook who wrote a review over at Amazon Books. She forgot to put up the nutritional information but raved about how easy it was to make and, most of all, how popular it was with the group who scarfed it down in no time.


One Dish Oven Baked French Toast

Makes: 10 servings

Ingredients:

1 large loaf French Bread, cut into 1-inch thick squares (whole wheat my be used)
1 (10 oz) jar seedless all natural blackberry fruit spread
1 (8 oz) package reduced-fat cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup skim milk
2 eggs
4 egg whites
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 cups fat-free half-and-half
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Coat 13x9x2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray

Place half of French bread squares in prepared baking pan. In microwave-safe dish, heat fruit spread until melted, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over bread.

In bowl, beat together cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar and milk until smooth. Drop over bread mixture and cover with remaining French squares.

In large bow, whisk together eggs, egg whites, brown sugar, half-and-half, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour mixture evenly over bread. Gently press bread into liquid mixture, cover, and refrigerate as time permits, preferably overnight.

Preheat over 325 degrees. Bake, covered, 30-35 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes more or until bread is golden.

New Book:  "Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle at Any Age" by Holly Clegg

(Save 28 percent by purchasing from Amazon Books)

*** 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!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

Halloween: Caramel Apples From Culinary Institute of America

Check out how easy and less expensive it is to make your own caramel apples for the spooky season.

From Denny: One of the pleasures of childhood during the spooky silly Halloween season was when one of our neighbors, the local baker, used to make awesome candied apples. They were beautiful and his wife gave them out every year at the door as she congratulated the kids on the creativity of their costumes.

Fast forward into adulthood and now chefs have taken off with their own versions of the candied apple, offering all kinds of variations like the caramel apple, the caramel apple with nuts and the chocolate coated apple.

Of course, the food companies got on the trend wagon and now have sent the price of those same childhood delights soaring into the stratosphere price wise. The Culinary Institute of America is here to show us how easy - and far less expensive - it is to make our own caramel apples! To get the freshest apples that are not coated with wax like the grocery store versions, take a trip to your local farmers' market to pick up your area's apple stars of taste.



Caramel Apples

From: Chocolates and Confections at Home with The Culinary Institute of America

Makes: 12 to 18 apples

Skill level: 1


Ingredients:

12–18 Apples
12–18 sticks
4 oz (½ cup) Water
1 lb (2 cups) Sugar
1 can (14 oz) Sweetened condensed milk
12 oz (1 cup) Light corn syrup
6 oz (12 tbsp, 1½ sticks) Butter, unsalted, soft
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Vanilla extract


Directions:

Clean and dry the apples. Insert a stick into the stem end of each apple. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Combine the water, sugar, condensed milk, corn syrup, and butter in a heavy-bottomed 4-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant rubber spatula.

Continue stirring while cooking until the batch reaches 245°F. This is a good estimation of the required temperature. When the thermometer reads 240°F, begin testing the caramels using the spoon technique outlined on page 30 (below). The cooled piece on the spoon should be firm but not hard when the caramel is properly cooked.

Stir in the salt and vanilla extract.

Pour the caramel into a 2-quart saucepan or other narrow, deep, heatproof container.

Dip the prepared apples in the hot caramel. Allow the excess caramel to drain off and place on the prepared pan. Allow to cool fully, about 20 minutes. Any excess caramel can be poured onto parchment paper or into a buttered pan, allowed to cool, and cut and wrapped.

Caramel Apples with Nuts: Before the caramel has cooled completely, roll the dipped apple in chopped toasted walnuts or pecans.

Chocolate-Coated Caramel Apples: After the caramel has cooled entirely to room temperature, melt and temper 2 lb/5¹⁄³ cups milk chocolate, chopped into ½-inch pieces, and dip the apples. Roll in chopped toasted nuts before the chocolate sets fully, if desired.


Keys to Success from the Culinary Institute of America:

• If using supermarket apples, wash off the wax for the caramel to adhere.

• Caramels tend to foam during cooking. Use a larger than normal saucepan to prevent boiling over.

• A few degrees can make a big difference in the finished product: Undercooked caramel will be too soft, and overcooked caramel will be too hard to bite.

• If the caramel gets too thick during dipping, rewarm it by stirring it over low heat or in the microwave.


Spoon Technique for Testing Sugar:

Place a small bowl of ice water next to the saucepan of cooking sugar.

As the sugar boils, spoon small samples of the syrup out of the saucepan and immerse the spoon holding the syrup in the ice water.

Allow the syrup to cool for several seconds, then remove the spoon from the water.

Take the cooled sample of syrup between your thumb and forefinger and squeeze it to evaluate the consistency.


*** Here's the Culinary Institute of America's newest cookbook they are promoting:

Chocolates and Confections at Home with The Culinary Institute of America



*** 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!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

Cake Tuesday: Bobby Flays Awesome German Chocolate Cake

A special cake for celebrations and the holidays! Recipe and video.

From Denny: We love the Food Network at our house and often watch Bobby Flay on his show "Throwdown!" You get to find out what other people are cooking throughout the country as well as view a trained chef figure out how to match their recipes. It's a friendly "show-off cook-off" and always entertaining. Chef Bobby Flay has compiled his best - and most popular - recipes from the show into a new cookbook called "Throwdown!"

Here's a bit of cake trivia: Did you know that German Chocolate Cake is not from Germany? It's actually named after Sam German because he was the guy who created the type of distinctive chocolate baked into the cake. Technically, says Chef Flay, it should be called German's Chocolate Cake. Well, oops, too late, Bobby. America calls it German Chocolate Cake.

This recipe is a great idea to serve for the upcoming holidays. OK, since it's chocolate I'd serve it year 'round since chocolate seems to make the most mundane suddenly special... :)







Bobby Flay's German Chocolate Cake with Coconut-Pecan Cajeta Frosting

Makes: one 4-layer cake

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the cake pans
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutchprocess cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light muscovado sugar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups strong brewed black coffee, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


Frosting:

1 3/4 cups whole milk
1 3/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup goat's milk or additional whole milk
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, cold
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1⁄8 teaspoon fine salt
2 teaspoons coconut rum (optional)
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1 1/4 cups sweetened shredded coconut


Ganache:

1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Coconut Whipped Cream (recipe follows), for serving
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted, for garnish
1/4 finely chopped pecans, toasted, for garnish


Directions:

To bake the cake, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to
325°F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the muscovado and granulated sugars, and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Add the coffee, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract, and continue whisking until smooth and just combined.

Divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared cake pans, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Then invert the cakes onto the wire rack and let cool for at least 1 hour before frosting.

To make the frosting, combine the milk, coconut milk, and goat's milk in a small saucepan, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Keep warm while you prepare the caramel.

Combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over high heat, and cook without stirring until a deep amber color, 8-10 minutes. Slowly and carefully whisk in the warm milk mixture, and continue whisking until smooth. Add the vanilla seeds and corn syrup. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the sauce is reduced by half and has the consistency of a caramel sauce, about 55 minutes.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, vanilla extract, salt, and rum (if using). Transfer the sauce to a medium bowl and stir in the pecans and shredded coconut. Let the frosting cool to room temperature, stirring it occasionally, before frosting the cake.

To assemble the cake, slice each cake in half horizontally. Place 1 cake layer on a cake round, and spread one-third of the frosting evenly over the top. Repeat to make 3 layers, and then top with the remaining cake layer, top side up.


Coconut Whipped Cream:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream, very cold
1/4 cup cream of coconut, such as Coco Lopez
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar or granulated sugar
1 teaspoon coconut rum
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and whisk until soft peaks form.


*** 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!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Best Spiritual Posts
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 5 Oct 2010

*** Check out news, political opinion, political humor and funny cartoons, recipes, poetry, funny posts, photography, spiritual thoughts and great quotes.





From Denny:  All this weekend - and early this week - I've had the usual case of "Fall Fever." Who really wants to stay inside after a dreadful summer of weirdly high heat and humidity? When Louisiana weather calms down to cooler temperatures at night and low humidity during the day it's, well, irresistible. And the blogging just had to wait this weekend.

It was also a case of cleaning up all the overgrown "everything" in the flower beds since it's been several months - when it was so hot and humid medical professionals were telling everyone it was too hard on your heart to be out in the heat doing hard workouts.

Anyway, my crazy plants thank you for your patience. They now have newly planted homes since there were so many of them multiplying they had to move out from their parents' homes and into new places in the yard. Purple irises love to spread the love.

Chocolate Mint has pink trumpet flowers Photo by Denny Lyon


The party down plants are the chocolate mint. They are indestructible - whether it's flooding rain waters or drought - these crazy plants just keep on thriving! I'm wondering if they are the comedians of the plant kingdom.

What's nice about chocolate mint is that hummingbirds love them as much as those fat bumblebees. When pollinating insects were rare the past couple of years, well, it must have been because they were all partying over in my yard.

Try crushing the leaves of the chocolate mint in your hands and you get this light chocolate scent wafting up into the breeze along with a faint mint companion. You can even cut back chocolate mint and treat it like a low growing shrub or let it go hog wild and it looks like a two foot tall grass. Definitely a cool plant.

I've come to the conclusion that all artists must be gardeners. It's just such an irresistible canvas to play with and shift and change at will. Of course, the mud factor is definitely appealing too. :)

Included here are links from the past couple of weeks and some popular posts too - especially recipes. Lots of humor to keep you de-stressed and laughing!  Make sure to check out the new convenient Google Blogger gadgets on the blogs that feature the most recent posts and the most popular posts.


Recent Post Roundups:

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 27 Sept 2010

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 19 Sept 2010

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 12 Sept 2010

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 22 Aug 2010

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 15 Aug 2010

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 8 Aug 2010



The Social Poets:


American and World Politics Cartoons - 2 Oct 2010

Friday Lite: Roundup of Late Night Jokes and Videos - 1 Oct 2010

Funny Video: Jon Stwart Announces Restore to Sanity Rally 

Funny Video: Colbert Announces Keep Fear Alive March 

Funny Video: Jon Stwart Lampoons Republican New Pledge As Tired Old Pledge 

Funny Video: Stewart Questions Character of Congress 

Funny Video: Colbert Ponders Tea Party Christines Next Crazy Outburst

Funny Video: Stewart Finds Obama Kryptonite 

Funny Video: Jon Stearrt Discusses Rally to Restore Sanity Advice From Larry Wilmore

Funny Video: Stewart Says Tea Party Won The Battle For The Soul Of The GOP 

Funny Video: Colbert Proposes Christine O'Donnell Witch Test 

Funny Video: March to Keep Fear Alive Media Coverage 

Democrats: 400 Groups Rally This Weekend 4 Jobs and Votes 

Creep Factor: Feds Turning X-Rays on Americans to Catch Terrorists? 

What Is Really Happening In This BP Claims Process? 

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 27 Sept 2010 

America and World Politics Cartoons - 25 Sept 2010 - Check out cartoonist opinion on American and world politics this week.

Presidential Memoirs: Who Bombed, Who Soared and Why - Check out some fun facts about presidential memoirs, how well they were paid and who really wrote some of them.

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 19 Sept 2010





Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:


A Delightful Way Of Seeing Our Lives

How Do You Fit Into The Universe?

How Well Do You Handle Adversity?

President Theodore Roosevelt Quote About Courage

Do You Promote Others As Well As Yourself?

Meditative Moon Photos - The moon continues to fascinate humanity - and creative photographers.

7 Thoughtful Quotes About The Future - Enjoy these reflections upon how we think about our future.

A Healing Spiritual Poem: Waking The Day - Spiritual symbolism is all around us in our daily life, ready to help heal and balance.

Ancient Healing Oil: Sandalwood - Modern technology life can be stressful and counter productive to spiritual growth. Try this essential oil to bring balance into your life.






Dennys Funny Quotes:


Funny Tech and Situational Hunh?! Cartoons - 2 Oct 2010

AWwwww For Cat Lovers: Animated Cartoon, Simons Cat in the Box

Funny Video: Priest on a Skateboard

Funny Hunh?! Cartoons - 25 Sept 2010 - Check out this week's amusing observations about Life: relationships, pets and the tech world cartoons.

22 Funny Situational Hunh?! Cartoons - 18 Sept 2010 - Check out the funny twisted minds of cartoonists as they envision various life situations.

25 Ridiculously Funny Celebrity Duck Face Photos - Laugh at celebrities posing for the camera, mocking sexy.

Republican Tea Party of the Devil: Meet Satanist Christine ODonnell - Tea Party Delaware Senate nominee admits to practicing witchcraft and Satanism.

Funny Video: Bounty Mocks High School With Rap - Video: Bounty Brings It. Paper Towel Gang Keeps it Clean - great rap music video production for an ad.

Funny Work Cartoons - 23 Aug 2010 - Funny Work Cartoons - 23 Aug 2010





Dennys Food and Recipes:


Famous Restaurant P.F. Chang: Ground Spiced Chicken in Lettuce Wraps

Cake Tuesday: Chocolate Sin Cake From New Orleans - Rich cake from a hundred year old famous New Orleans restaurant: Café Sbisa.

Sesame-Ginger Truffles From Culinary Institute of America - A simple tasty recipe worth of gift giving during the holidays.

Red Lobster Restaurant: Cheddar Bay Biscuits

4 Casseroles 4 School Night Dinners: Chicken, Tex Mex, Tamale, Shepherds Pie - Check out some family favorites, easy and quick to cook - and nutritious.

Muffin Monday: 5 Yummy Breakfast Muffins - Skip the coffee shop muffin, make your own, save some money and save a whole lot of calories too.

5 Easy Game Day Recipes For A Barbecue - Simple crowd pleasing recipes, easy to make, for your successful tailgating on game day weekends.

Cake Tuesday: Lemon Cheese-Filled Cake - Check out what heavenly confection you can do with a simple cake mix.

Celebrate: Yummy Southern Gulf Coast Shrimp and Crab Boil - Find out how easy it is to do your own shrimp and crab boil to celebrate the great seafood of the summer!





Visual Insights:


American Economy Cartoons - 2 Oct 2010

Cartoons About Our American Economy - 25 Sept 2010 - Check out cartoonist opinions this week on the state of the American economy.

Dennys Photo Gallery: Our Mysterious Moon - The moon continues to fascinate humanity - and creative photographers.

Dennys Photo Gallery: Swinging Good Fun!

Arts: Fun Incredible Beach Art Photos

Raucous Tea Party Republicans Cartoons - 21 Aug 2010 - Check out what the cartoonists are lampooning about the Tea Party and the Republican idea of politics this time!

Dennys Photo Gallery: Beautiful Yummy Artichokes and 11 Recipes

Arts: Whimsical Fiber Artist Ed Bing Lee - This fiber artist has a sense of the whimsy while he explores new ways to use simple knotting techniques to develop his art.

Funny Photos: How Your Brain Can Be Fooled

Dennys Photo Gallery: Summer Heat Wave





Dennys People Watching:


Education Reformer Michelle Rhee Takes Hits For Bold Action - Take a look at town hall debate after viewing the education documentary film "Waiting For Superman" as NBC kicks off their reports on education in America.

Funny Outrageous Tea Party Politics - Check out cartoonist opinion this week as they draw the funny happenings from the Tea Party.

American Education Sec. Arne Duncan Talks Reform in Education




*** Coffee photo by Quoquo @ flickr


*** 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!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets - news, politics
The Soul Calendar - science, astronomy, psychology
Visual Insights - photos, art, music
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations - spiritual quotes, philosophy
Best Spiritual Posts
Poems From A Spiritual Heart - poetry
The Healing Waters - health news
Dennys People Watching - people in the news
Dennys Food and Recipes
Dennys Funny Quotes - humor