Figs are rich in fiber, potassium and manganese. They’re also a surprising source of calcium. It is thought they were first cultivated about 11,000 years ago in south-central Asia and I love them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quick bread is fun and easy to make. This recipe is one of my favorite for flavor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (unless you like more)
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup strawberries
3/4 cup walnuts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grease your pan and preheat the oven to 350

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wash your berries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hull the berries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chop the berries and set aside

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dump flour into mixing bowl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add baking powder and baking soda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add salt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the cinnamon and mix well then set aside

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a separate bowl dump in softened butter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add in the sugar and brown sugar and beat by hand for a minute to combine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the eggs into the butter sugar mixture and mix to combine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add in the sour cream

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add in the vanilla and mix again. Stir in the flour mixture just until all moistened

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fold in the chopped strawberries and nuts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mix gently

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pour into your greased bread pan and bake at 350 until done

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let stand 10 minutes then remove from the pan. This is what it will look like

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is what it looks like when you cut it open hot. I couldn’t wait until it cooled down!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With butter while it is hot it is extra yummy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This quick bread is really good! I like it with more cinnamon than the original recipe. Why not try 1 teaspoon cinnamon instead for extra flavor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great for breakfast or anytime you have a sweet tooth

Haunted tour of OU tonight and Saturday
Transcript staff The Norman Transcript

NORMAN — An adjunct instructor at the University of Oklahoma plans to lead tours of spooky haunts on the Norman campus, just in time for Halloween………

Angela Startz, media specialist for the College of Arts and Sciences, issued a news release Thursday with information on Ellison Hall from Chris Borthick, an OU Gaylord College academic counselor and member of Society of the Haunted.

“Ellison Hall originally was named Hygeia Hall, after the Greek goddess of health and wellness, and served as the infirmary for the campus,” Startz wrote in a news release. ”The first floor served as a clinic to OU students, the second floor held patient rooms and the third floor was filled with operating rooms. The same windows where students checked into the clinic now serve as check-in windows for students waiting to be advised in the college. ”

“Legend has it that a boy roller skating on Elm Avenue was struck by a car,” she continued. ”Carried into Hygeia Hall, he died. Since that time, the sounds of his skates are heard along the hallways of the second and third floors. Most members of the dean’s staff have experienced other occurrences that happen in the quiet after-hours: motion-sensitive lights turning on for no reason, noises coming from the empty end of the hall, knocks on the wall of empty and locked offices. Other staff members have reported hearing voices and dishes clinking on the first floor.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
http://normantranscript.com/headlines/x2010687192/Haunted-tour-of-OU-tonight-and-Saturday

This is an easy and elegant dessert

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 quart water
1 1/3 cup sugar
4 pears
cinnamon stick

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get some parchment paper ready to cut into a round shape

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fold the parchment paper into a triangle and folding over again

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Measure the pot and cut off the excess

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You now have a round shape to cover the pears in the pot… yay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the water, sugar and cinnamon to a saucepan, heat until the sugar is dissolved

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pick out some pears

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peel the pears

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add whole pears to the saucepan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover with parchment paper and simmer the pears until cooked through (knife goes in easily). This will take 15 to 25 minutes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remove the pears and let cool

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To core: cut a pear in half, take a spoon, scoop and pull out the core

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Core all the pears

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For a fancy dessert plate whole with reduced sauce. It looks even more fancy when poached in red wine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plate them cut open with ice cream, reduced sauce and chocolate syrup…yum!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can plate them sliced or use for something like pear tart

Go check out my pear tart at http://www.hauntedchef.com/2011/10/10/pear-tart/

To keep: refrigerate in their own syrup

 

You hear about stories like this on the news from time to time. A couple who loved each other so much in life that they could not be apart even through death. I have always been fascinated by this. As a nurse I have witnessed this for myself several times. It is more common than you think  for one spouse to die and the other one will follow not too far away.

One study showed you are at least 30 percent more likely to die of any cause in the first six months following a spouse’s death. Another study found the bereaved spouse’s risk of death during those first six months rose by up to 50 percent!

Is it a broken heart? Is it a lack care? One of my favorite movies “Somewhere In Time” starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour shows this type of love. The movie was about a man who went back in time and met a woman with whom he fell passionately in love with. They were plotting their life together when he saw a penny that propelled him back into the correct time frame. He tries to find his love and learns that she has already passed away. he fell into depression where he was unable to continue doing anything without her being right by his side. He winds up sitting in a chair unable to do anything until he passes away. The movie then shows them meeting back up together in the afterlife. I love this movie! Now let me share this true life love story with you.

 

Gordon and Norma got married the same day she graduated from high school in 1939 and they spent 72 years together. On this fateful day however, they were separated in different rooms of the ER. They were sent to these separate rooms because of an accident that happened at an intersection. This event took place last week on Highway 30 and Jessup Avenue west of Marshalltown, Iowa. Gordon Yeager,94 was driving with his wife Norma, 90 had just left the house on their way into town. For unknown reasons Gordon failed to yield to an oncoming vehicle.  The approaching car tried to avoid the inevitable accident but just couldn’t do it.

Both Gordon and Norma were hurt in the accident where they were taken to the ER. Even though they were both hurt and had their own personal pain they were more concerned about the other rather than themselves. When the staff realized they were not getting any better they decided to move them into the same room. They put them in the intensive care unit so they would be able to comfort each other while they received care. The beds were placed side by side and through the bars of their hospital beds they were able to hold hands.

Gordon passed away an hour before his wife did. The monitors were still hooked up to Gordon even though he had passed. The family noticed it looked like his heart was still beating even though he had stopped breathing. Then they realized he was actually transmitting his wife’s heartbeat through his body as if it were his own through their hands.

Gordon used to say all the time a good woman is worth waiting for so he only had to wait one hour for his sweetheart to begin to spend an eternity together. The family stated they did everything together in life and so it seems right they go out together as well. The family decided that Norma and Gordon should stay together for the funeral as well so they placed them together in one casket where they could continue to be together holding hands. Family also stated that they will be cremated and they would mix their ashes together.

It is that time of year when everything turns brown, orange and yellow. The leaves fall from the trees, pumpkin patches are out and there are hay rides in the country. Families are busy getting ready for Halloween with decorations going up in my neighborhood already. I hear kids walking to the bus stop talking about what or who they are going to be this year. My daughter wants to be a female Freddy Kruger. I am not sure I am going to let her go that way or not yet. Grocery shopping is even done in the same brown, orange and yellow color scheme if you are a seasonal shopper like me. Pumpkins, squash and fall vegetables are in abundance. The end of the year is also fast approaching with Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner.

Sweet potatoes are sometimes just a side dish at Thanksgiving but they should be a regular part of your everyday meal planning. Sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory nutrients, and blood sugar-regulating nutrients. They are an unsurpassed source of vitamin a in the form of beta-carotene. It is also a very good source of vitamin C, manganese, copper, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium and iron. The healthiest ways to eat them are steamed, baked or boiled. Why not try them as baked fries?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 or 5 sweet potatoes (depends on size)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 Tablespoon sugar
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gather up 4 or 5 sweet potatoes and preheat the oven to 450.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peel all the potatoes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am now hungry!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise to stabilize

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slice them up as thick as you would like them

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lay the slices down and slice the next side to square them up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep cutting….you could alternately cut each piece into wedges instead if you like

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put the sweet potatoes into a large bowl, add the oil and toss well

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sprinkle with the sugar and spices then toss again to combine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spread the sweet potatoes out into a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for a total of 30 to 40 minutes tossing half way through baking

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you want them more crunchy you can bake them on a wire rack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These fries are really good!

6915 Cypresswood Dr
Spring, TX 77379

There is an interesting cafe in North Houston and is only one of three locations. The original place was opened up in Beaumont in 1941.  It is a cafe offering breakfast and lunch items as well as a coffee house that features a full bakery. You can walk in and pick out what you want to take home instead of sitting down to eat. The counter people will pull them out of the case and box everything up for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They have a case full of fresh made gelato. Have you ever tried it? There are a few differences between ice cream and gelato. For example gelato has less air whipped into it because it is churned slower than ice cream which makes it denser. To some this means it is more creamy even though there is less fat. In the USA  ice cream has to have at least 10% fat to legally be called ice cream. Gelato usually has only 5-7% fat. The flavor of gelato is more intense.

 

According to the counter person the lemon is the best seller. This flavor is really surprising and the most unexpected because of how tart and refreshing it is. I highly recommend you to try some before you leave.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The coffee is fresh and hot all the time. They even have pictures on the wall of one of the places they get coffee from. Yes, they even have single origin beans. They will whip up the specialty  drinks for you behind the counter.  If you order a regular coffee they hand you a cup and saucer or plastic cup  (if the order is to go) over the counter for you to serve yourself at the coffee bar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The atmosphere is laid back and relaxed which makes talking with friends over coffee nice. Most of the pastries in their cases have been taste tested by me at one time or another.

 

There other locations:
2596 Calder St, Beaumont,

4440 Dowlen Road, Beaumont, TX

Hwy 365, Nederland, TX

Today is your 18th birthday! I just cannot believe how fast time flies. I also cannot believe I am now the mother of 2 adults. How is it that I only have one more child left to cross into adulthood? Jordan will be turning 15 in a few weeks so I have a little more time before she is where you are right now. I want you to know I am so proud of you and always have been. I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday. You were born into the world as an old soul always wanting to take charge and act like an adult. You are smart, funny, caring, energetic, curious, sweet, enigmatic and many other things. I know as you move through life you will always carry these qualities with you and you family will always be behind you.

 

 

Have  you ever seen something out of the corner of your eye when you turned to look you couldn’t see anything? This makes most people question if they really saw something at all and you should. Was it the shadow of a passing car outside or just in your imagination because you haven’t gotten much sleep lately? Some people in this situation are too quick to jump to the conclusion that it is paranormal even if they haven’t had anything else happen in their home. You should be open to the possibility that there could be a logical explanation for the noises or shadows.

 

When you call a group be mindful that you will be asked questions to see what you may have going on. There have even been times when I try to explain that there may be a logical explanation where I have had potential clients get angry and defensive. Part of my job as case manager is to see if a case warrants our group to go out in the first place. There is no reason to be defensive because I am asking questions to try to figure out what may be going on. Just because I am asking questions does not mean I do not believe you or think that you are crazy. I really want to help you figure it all out. I may schedule our team to come out or refer another group that we know to check out your property.

If you do have something in your home where you feel the need to prove it you can call our group or any paranormal team in your area to investigate. My advice is that you should be careful with who you let come into your home. Are they a legitimate paranormal group? How long have they been investigating? Do they screen all the members of the team? Do they charge? Is the team just a group of kids who have decided to form a team because they thought it would be fun to scare each other on a Saturday night? What equipment do they have? How do they investigate?

 

 

After a team comes into your home you should be told what happened while they investigated that night. The group will then give you what evidence they collected after a period of time which varies from group to group. The evidence can be video, photos and audio clips with evps. You should be patient with waiting for the evidence. Groups have to go through everything with a fine tooth comb so to speak. They may want to go back through it a few times to ensure they caught everything. Most people reviewing the evidence have other jobs and families where they are not sitting down dedicated to evidence review all day. Make sure the group is even going to give you copies of the evidence. I have had a few cases where groups went into a home before us but the client was not given anything even though the group told them they caught a full bodied apparition on video.

Paranormal groups can show what they call evidence all day that is real and you may think it is not real, was faked or has some reasonable explanation other than the one the group is sharing with you. This is the problem with proving anything paranormal. You should question everything for yourself anyway! How would you know if a group was being honest with you? There are new teams that pop up every day with no experience. Many of the new groups think everything is paranormal. Some groups want fame and are willing to throw together things that are not real or questionable at best. Some things that are questionable are orbs, feelings and psychic impressions.

After you get the evidence look through it and question it for yourself. You should not blindly believe in whatever a group tells you. Have they given you orb photos? Some groups will take a picture of dust and say this is an orb which is a spirit. A photographer cannot tell the difference between dust and what some would call a spirit. How is it that anyone can say it is a spirit then? This is the reason our group does not show orb photos as proof of the afterlife. I know many people really believe in orbs even when you show them proof that dust can create the same effect.

 

 

An evp can really be another team member whispering. If the group has a high turn over rate for members they may not recognize each others voices. Was the evp collected at a public event or was the whole team in the location at the time the evp was collected? It is hard to rule out another member or person in this case. When running audio there should not be anyone whispering ever. How many people run audio in the group and do they synchronize their equipment? If only one person is collecting audio how can it really be ruled as an evp?

Has the group given you a psychic report? The world is filled with psychics who are out to get money or fame and who are fake. I am not saying all psychics are fake but there are enough in the world where you should question what is being said. It is sickening to think that while some are really gifted there are others who really are nothing better than con artists. How would you know the difference? Our group has had personal experience with both real and fake types. Our group uses every means we can to investigate and this can include psychics. When we give you information from a psychic it is just another piece of information in the puzzle that is your property and you should view it as such.

Some teams only come in to look and verify that you have paranormal activity. After they leave your house you should only expect to be given whatever evidence they found. These types of teams are not here to help you figure out what to do now that they have confirmed you have something in your home. You are then left on your own to figure it out for yourself. Some teams will not even call you back to give advice. Be careful with groups who charge you to investigate and then do cleansings. They are in the business of trying to make money by making you scared to give them money. Your priest or pastor can come in and do a cleansing/blessing and will not charge to help you out.

The bottom line is that if you do call a group out know what you are getting yourself into when you call them by asking them questions. Try to be open to the experience when they do come and please think for yourself!

1500 Towson Ave
Fort Smith, AR 72901

When I am in Fort Smith I love to stop by to get the comfort food offered at Ed Walker’s. This is THE proverbial diner. I love this place all the way down to the melamine plates. If you love watching diners drive ins and dives this is one of those types of places. The burgers are on point with the juices running down your arm. Salads are fresh and pleasantly larger than what you expect. I have eaten here on several occasions and never have I been disappointed with the quality of the food or the service. You may have to wait at peak times for a seat but it is not for long..

The decor is all funky diner in mostly red, white and black. It is a fun place to make memories. Several things are different here than at other restaurants. One thing different is on the menu and is the 5 pound burger. It is huge! It comes with all the fixings on the side. I have not personally eaten a 5 pound burger by myself yet but I have seen it done. You can order outside from your car and get a car hop to bring you a beer! How is that for service!

I have had the burgers which are really good. The chopped steak smothered in onions, bell peppers and gravy is just really good. The flavors blend really well together especially with one of their super duper side salads.

 

 

 

You may want to remember your trip in a special way by grabbing an ed walker cup before you leave. This has now become my daughters favorite cup in the house.

 

 

Just look at this smothered steak. It tasted as good as it looks here. I have also tried the famous french dip which is also yummy