Give Liam Back....

I've had a major blogging lag.

This summer has been filled with news and media coverage of tragedy after tragedy...from auto accidents, recent mid air helicopter crash and the list goes on..

I just learned about Liam. How can social services in this country where he is being held in an orphanage ignore the pleas of his father, who has sole custody? This sickens me. How can a country be ALLOWED to blatantly violate International Law?

It occured to me a year or more ago that this country has a major glitch in their judicial system. Has this ever occured to anyone else? This is the second atrocity between the same two countries. Immediately, Amanda Knox comes to mind!


This suddenly occurs to me...BILL CLINTON who just secured the release of Euna Lee, Lisa Ling's sister needs to somehow be reached. Maybe, just maybe there can be another miracle, even greater.

www.saveliam.org

Current Events in Real Estate News!

Really, really good information that you should check out and read!

Home prices are in sync with incomes!
http://blogs.wsj.com/developments/2009/07/29/what-the-case-shiller-numbers-mean-for-home-buyers/

Home prices up for 1st time in 3 years!
http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/27/real_estate/May_Case_Shiller/index.htm?postversion=2009072811

Smart Homeowners are Buying Now..Check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP1DVnXlaFM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSbF6h7ties&feature=related


Home Resales in U.S. Increased 3.6% in June, More Than Forecast.
http://njrereport.com/index.php/category/national-real-estate/

Only 124 Days for First Time Home Buyers to close on their Dream Home and benefit using the $8,000 Tax Credit!

http://www.weichert.com/firsttimebuyer/

Deserves a RePost Folks!

Meatballs with Mushrooms

Staceys Mushroom Meatballs

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
3/4cup flavored breadcrumbs
2 eggs
¼ cup cold water


4 cups roughly chopped Portobello mushrooms- double if you love mushrooms
(I have also made this with a variety of mushrooms)
S&P
1 ½ cups cola soda (I use diet coke/pepsi)
Serve on egg noodles or a rice/grain


Combine first 4 ingredients into meatballs-
Spray a skillet with oil spray and heat, cook/brown meatballs. Drain and remove meatballs, leaving a small amount of fat in the pan.

Add roughly chopped Portobello mushrooms to pan and sauté (just to heat the mushrooms is enough or you might have to add some oil spray). Deglaze with ½ cup of cola soda- immediately return meatballs, add mushroom soup and combine using a whisk adding another ½ cup soda. Continue cooking, you will probably need another ½ cup of soda for the right sauce consistency.

Great over noodles or rice.

Let Freedom Ring.......

Tocsin of Liberty: rung by the state house bell, (Independence Hall;) Philadelphia, July 4th. 1776 Photo Credit: National Archives

It was not declared a legal holiday, until 1941. However, folks have been observing Independence day since July 8th, 1776.

July 4th Independence day
On this date in history . . . . .

1781 - The first official state celebration as recognized under resolve of a legislature occured in Massachusetts; at Newport, R.I., the militia hosts French officers at a celebration dinner

1801 - The first public Fourth of July reception at the White House occured

1804 - The first Fourth of July celebration west of the Mississippi occured at Independence Creek and was celebrated by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark

1805 - Boston has its first fireworks display; in Charleston, S.C., the American Revolution Society and the Society of the Cincinnati meet at St. Philips Church

1866 - General George G. Meade watches 10,000 war veterans parade in Philadelphia; the Nashville Banner, in an editorial, urges its citizens not to celebrate the Fourth

1876 - Centennial celebrations (many are three-day celebrations, 3-5 July) occur throughout the United States and abroad

1884 - The formal presentation of the Statue of Liberty takes place in the Gauthier workshop in Paris

1887 - First Fourth of July celebration in Yellowstone National Park takes place

1912 - The new national flag with 48 stars is "formally and officially endowed"

1926 - The 150th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence takes place throughout the nation

1960 - The 50th-star American flag waves for the first time as Hawaii is given statehood

1976 - The nation's Bicentennial occurs.

Eat Cake! It's the Fourth of July, Celebrate! ~Be Safe~

In the State of New Jersey, all Fireworks are prohibited. In other states where they are permitted, check out this web site for Safety precautions and handling;

They urge SAFETY!
Check out the site! www.americanpyro.com

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If you follow some simple tips,
you can avoid rushing to the Emergency Room this Fourth of July.

July 4th Safety Tips: Be Uber Careful with Fireworks!

Fireworks are not toys. Sadly there are many irresponsible folks who play with these explosive devices.

Many people even allow their children these fireworks to play with before the 4th of July extravaganza. This is the #1 reason why many children are rushed to the hospital each 4th of July.

Consider everyones safety when buying fireworks. Supervise your older children very closely if you're going to allow them to help you. Children under the age of 13 should not even be allowed to light their own fireworks. (thats NOT my personal recommendation though.) Use your judgement if you allow your children to help, only you know your child best to make the decision.

On a vacation someodd years ago we drove to Myrtle Beach, SC from our home state of NJ. It is tough to miss the shops dedicated to selling Fire Works, they are legal to 'set off' there. Being native New Yorkers, having spent many childhood years watching the grown ups set off a beautiful display of fire works made us want to have some fun with our kids on the beach. We didnt allow our kids to ignite any, our son was too young and our daughter who is older had no desire. It was a wonderful, SAFE and memorable night on the beach.

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Featured Today will also be Fourth of July Fun Foods and Recipes, so Please Stay Tuned!

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RECIPES
This 4th of July, invite your kids to turn ice cream cones into edible, festive Uncle Sam top hats.

(© http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50261)

More: 4th of July Desserts RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1 Wafer ice cream cone
White frosting
Blue fruit leather
Red and blue decorating gels
Red and blue M&M's
Canister of ready-made whipped cream
1. Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a plate and return it to the freezer to harden. Meanwhile, construct an Uncle Sam hat out of a wafer ice cream cone.

2. Use frosting to attach a blue band of fruit leather around the bottom of the cone. Squirt vertical stripes of red decorating gel down the sides and blue gel on the top.

3. Using a star tip, squirt on white frosting stars around the blue fruit leather, if desired. TIP: To avoid smudging the Uncle Sam hat design, have your child hold the cone from the inside while decorating it with fruit leather and icing.

4. Remove the ice cream-scoop "head" from the freezer and top with the Uncle Sam hat. Working quickly so the ice cream doesn't melt, add blue M&M's eyes and a red M&M's nose. Finally, add a whipped cream beard. To do this, have your child hold the canister upside down while squirting on a long white beard.

5. Serve up your Uncle Sam ice cream cone immediately. Makes 1.

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FLAG CAKE





Make this festive Flag Cake this Memorial Day or Fourth of July and be the talk of the party!!

Ingredients

Margarine
Flour
1 package (2-layer size) white cake mix (plus ingredients to make cake-listed on box)
1 package (4-serving size) JELL-O brand gelatin, any red flavor
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
3 1/2 cups (8-ounce container) Cool Whip brand whipped topping, thawed
1 pint strawberries, washed and sliced
1 cup blueberries, washed
1 cup Kraft miniature marshmallows

Tools
13 x 9 baking pan
Large fork (two-pronged type)
Medium mixing bowls
Mixer
Measuring cup
Rubber scraper or large spoon
Large tray or cutting board (must be larger than 13 x 9 pan)
Table knife
Aluminum foil

Directions
Grease 13 x 9 pan with margarine and dust lightly with flour. Prepare, mix and bake cake mix according to package directions. Cool cake for 15 minutes.
With large fork, make holes in cake about every 1/2 inch.

Pour gelatin into mixing bowl. Add cup of boiling water and use scraper to mix thoroughly until gelatin is completely dissolved. Use measuring cup to pour gelatin over cake. (It will run down into holes, making sliced cake have red stripes.)

Chill cake in refrigerator 3 to 4 hours.

Cover tray with aluminum foil.

Put about one inch of warm water in kitchen sink. Take pan out of refrigerator and dip bottom (don't let water come up over sides) into water for about 10 seconds. Put large tray on top of cake, and invert.

Frost sides and top with whipped topping. Arrange strawberries and marshmallows in alternating rows for stripes, leaving upper left for field of blueberries. Chill again until time to serve.
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Emeril Lagasses Deviled Eggs

Copyright 2009 Television Food Network G.P.,All Rights Reserved

Prep Time: 30 min Inactive Prep Time: 0 min Cook Time: 0 min Level:
Easy Serves:
12 deviled egg halves
Ingredients
6 eggs, hard boiled, cooled, and peeled
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon finely chopped chives
Hot pepper sauce
Paprika
Salt and pepper
Variation: add 1 teaspoon chopped canned jalapeno peppers
4 radicchio leaves, for garnish
3 parsley sprigs, for garnish
Directions
Place the cooked egg yolks in a bowl. Using a fork,
work the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, chives, and salt and pepper into the yolks to form a smooth paste.
Taste. Place 1/2 of this mixture in a small pastry bag with a large star tip. To the remaining mixture, add
the jalapenos and season with Hot pepper sauce. Fill 6 of the egg halves with the basic filling. Fill the pastry bag with the jalapeno filling. Fill the remaining egg white halves. Top with paprika. Place on a
platter on the radicchio leaves, and parsley sprigs.

I'm Baaack

My Blog is back! Im so excited! I have been accumulating posts in my head!! Uh oh...Now I have to see if I can find them so I can post them!

So much (I'm sure?) has gone on since my last post! I just dont know where to begin! ***three days have now gone by since I started this post. That tells me my life is busy and busy = good!***

Well, I thought I was back~n~blogging, I peeked out my home office window and my contractor was pulling into my driveway! Screeeech...........halt.........Call him and tell him he is unexpected and I need to get out of my jammies!

Moving right along.....I
I'm SO Exicted to be Tweeting with so many new folks today!
Kids have left for work, now I start my (house) work...
and prep for Dad's Birthday dinner later! 75 yrs young TODAY! Happy Birthday Dad! We Love You...