Noodle on laptop

Noodle again on her favorite place in the house.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eGCxMkLobw&hl=en

Three Great Halloween Cake Ideas

If you're celebrating Halloween with a party this year, chances are that you'll want to have a stunning cake to wow your guests. Here are three Halloween cake ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Haunted House:

For those who are ambitious in the kitchen, a haunted house makes a perfect Halloween cake. Take one sheet cake and frost with black or brown frosting for the base of the cake. Then, with a second sheet cake, cut up pieces of cake to construct a "house" which is held together on top of the base with frosting (and wooden skewers, if necessary). Then frost the house and add windows, doors, scary pumpkins, and spooky bats. A graveyard beside the house with creepy ghosts and spindly trees is an added bonus.

Kid-Friendly:

For kid-friendly fare, a spider web Halloween cake is great. Cover a plain round two-layer cake in black frosting. Then, pipe on white frosting in the shape of a spider web. In the center of the web, create a large spider, either with frosting or with non-edible decorations like a black pom-pom and pipe cleaners.

Scary:

A scary Halloween cake is perfect for more grown-up gatherings. Body parts are a great idea: a cake in the shape of a severed hand, skull with oozing green filling, or bleeding heart can all be simple to make but have a huge effect on your guests. If you can't find a cake pan in the shape that you want, get creative and look at other cake pans that you might be able to use to achieve the shape you want. If all else fails, just make a sheet cake and cut it into the required shape.

Your next Halloween cake can be as tame or as spooky as you like it. The important thing is to have fun with it and make it a truly unique part of your celebration. When the sugar highs wear off and the costumes have been tucked away into the closet, everyone will remember the effort you put into making your Halloween cake special.

Gorillaz: The Sounder

Artist: Gorillaz Album: G-sides Song: 04 The Sounder WARNING: PARENTAL ADVISORY! EXPLICIT LYRICS! THIS IS NOT THE CLEAN VERSION! ALBUM WISE!!! NOT SONG WISE!! This video is for listening purposes only. I did not create the song nor the album art. All credit goes to Gorillaz and it's creators.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4rVaEwoPJs&hl=en

Two Delicious Lemon Cake Desserts

Sunday dinners and holidays were always a special treat at my mother-in-law's house. She was famous throughout the county for her wonderful desserts. Here are two lemon cake recipes she enjoyed making. Sadly, we lost her in April 2008, but these and other recipes bring us sweet memories of her joy in serving her family nutritious meals and delicious desserts. Happy mealtimes bring a family together through memories shared. Build some memories for your family and try these wonderful lemony desserts today.

Lemon Meringue Cake
(makes 12-16 servings)

1 pkg. Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Deluxe Cake Mix
1 regular-size package lemon pudding and pie filling
2 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar

Using 8 inch round cake pans, make and cool cake as directed on the label. Cook lemon pudding and pie filling as directed for pie filling. Cool 30 minutes according to the box instructions; stir several times. Beat egg whites until frothy; gradually add sugar; beat until stiff but not dry. Split each cake layer into 2 thin layers. Stack on cookie sheet or oven-proof plate, spread lemon pudding between layers and on top of cake. Spread meringue around sides of cake. Bake at 450 degrees F for about 5 minutes, until light brown. Cool to room temperature before serving. Store cake in the refrigerator.

Lemon Pound Cake

1 package Duncan Hines Lemon Supreme Deluxe Cake Mix
1 Package lemon instant pudding mix (4 serving)
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup Crisco oil
1 cup water
4 eggs
10 lemon drop candies

Blend all ingredients in large bowl, then beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Bake in a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan at 350 degrees F for about 45-55 minutes, until center springs back when touched lightly. Cool right side up for about 25 minutes, then remove from pan.

Glaze: Blend 1 cup confectioner's sugar with either 2 tbsp. lemon juice. Drizzle over cake. Press lemon drops into the glaze at equal distances.

Salad Toppings - Top 10 Ways to Make Your Salads More Tasty and Filling!

OK, so summer is approaching very quickly and most of us are turning our attention to getting in shape in time for bathing suit season.  At this time of year, salads become our friends. We turn to them for their delicious lightness, for a quick bite and for their tried and true body shaping qualities.

But uninteresting salads can make for a very dull meal and a very unhappy eater.  And if you don't top a salad the right way, you are going to very hungry, very quickly.

So here my top ten salad toppings to turn your salads from boring to delightful! Some of these tips are useful for eating salads at restaurants and others are for homemade ones.  If you decide to create homemade salads and bring them with you to work, you may want to try those new salad plastic containers that hold the salad in one part and the dressing in another.  That way your salad and salad toppings will be crispy when you decide to eat them.

1. Double the lean protein (turkey, chicken, eggs, fish) - add chicken and turkey or salmon and eggs.  Do this especially if you often feel hungry after your salads.  A little more protein may help you go the extra mile to avoid the vending machine in the afternoon.

2. Add beans, like black, kidney, cannelloni, or garbanzo.  Beans have lots of great complex carbs, fiber and protein.  They also help to fill you up and keep you that way.

3. Create your own dressings as salad toppings. My favorite is a combination of orange juice, balsamic vinegar, and Grey Poupon mustard.  You can add some olive oil to make it even richer.  I especially like this dressing with spinach leaves.

4. Add some fruit.  Fruit can be great salad toppings.  It can turn a boring salad into a sweet sensation.  My favorites are: orange slices (fresh or canned), strawberries, blueberries, and pineapple slices (fresh or canned). If you are using canned, sugar-free fruit, use the juice to mix into the salad dressing.

5. Add some hummus, Baba-Ganoush or mashed white beans to your salad or salad dressing.  This may sound odd, but it is actually quite delightful. 

6. Make your own glazed nuts as salad toppings.  Dry roast some walnuts or pecans and then add some honey or maple syrup to the pan to coat the nuts.  Take them out of the pan and separate them before they cool, so they don't clump.  The nuts become a flavorful addition to a boring salad.  This is great if you have a sweet tooth that you are trying to control.

7. Add cooked diced sweet potatoes or regular potatoes. Dice some potatoes into squares.  Coat them in some olive oil and fresh rosemary and roast them until they are soft. Then toss them over mesclun greens.  I especially like this salad with roasted asparagus spears and sliced eggs.

8. Add apples and pears.  Cube up some apples and/or pears and sprinkle these on top of your salad.  I especially like to mix apples and pears with walnuts and have them over spinach.

9. Skip the leaves.  Chop up tomatoes, cucumbers, and avocadoes.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice.  Enjoy.

10. Change up your vinegars and oils.  Spend some time in the oil and vinegar aisle at your local health food store.  A new vinegar or oil can really change up your dressings and make for tasty salad toppings.  Try mixing apple cider vinegar with apple juice and spicy mustard.  Or rice wine vinegar with mirin wine (in the oriental section) and orange juice.  Another suggestion: toasted sesame oil and rice wine vinegar with orange slices over cabbage greens.    

Do Da Stanky Leg

We be doin' dat stanky leg up in da house.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_TBiYD2abM&hl=en

Shockers Squeez Tongue Trippin' Lemon

'Shockers Squeez' is the brand new line of candies from Willy Wonka. 'Squeez' is a liguid/gel/goo candy, that is packaged inside a resealable squeezable tube. The flavor I'm reviewing has the tongue twisting name of 'Tongue Trippin' Lemon.'

It's very tart, no doubt about it. A bit less so than the bite size solid, chewy, original Shockers that I have been known to eat from time to time, but it will definitely get your attention if you're not expecting it. The 'goo' has a fairly thick consistency, just slightly thinner than, let's say, a tooth paste. It's a little gritty, but that's not a bad thing; it adds quite a bit of texture. Not unpleasant at all.

As far as lemon candies go, this may actually be the best I've ever tried. I'm generally not all that big on the flavor, but I really did enjoy this stuff. The product design is very child oriented, so I can of course never be seen consuming this in public, but I don't doubt that I'll be sneaking a tube into the house from time to time.

Not sure which I enjoyed more, the lemon, or berry variety of 'Shockers Squeez.' A draw, I guess? They're both great, and any 'tart candy' fan will gain great pleasure from them. 130 calories is dished out per 1 tube serving, along with 32 grams of carbs; not exactly diet friendly, but great for 'hypering' up a hated neighbor's kid! Speaking of kids, if you give a tube of this to a special little one in your own life, keep an eye on him or her; these could get messy in a hurry! Look for them soon where other Wonka products are sold. Enjoy!

A Trip to Cadiz

CADIZ GOT TALENT!

This city in Spain can be called the hub of all kinds of creative talent because it host's the third largest carnival in the whole of Spain. Music, Dance, Street acts and various other performances are held in this so-like theater place which has no comparison to any other stage.

The major highlights of this carnival are its talented comedians whose acts are satirical. They use instruments like guitar, kazoos and base drums. The carnival starts around Shrove Tuesday in February or early March and lasts two weeks. The Plaza holds a firework display daily along with puppet shows for the children.

Cadiz's history can be traced back to 3,000 years making it one of the oldest inhabited cities in Western Europe. Other than the carnival the city is full of unique elements and boasts of its very ancient architecture which includes medieval walls, cathedrals, carved doors and streets acknowledging ancient heroes.

The city which was unheard of has now very recently come into the limelight due to the renaissance and the city's effort to restore historic buildings and it's newly instilled civil pride.

While around the city's Old Town, you see narrow streets leading to ancient squares, cafes and restaurants. Various ancestral homes like the Admiral's House and House of chains are to be seen for sure. The mansion La Santa Cu Eva has an awesome collection of Goya paintings.

The beaches are the finest parts of the city. The backdrop scene in a famous James Bond flick was the Playa de la Caleta which is 400 meters long between the castles of San Sebastian and Santa Catalina. These beached provide the best view of the place. The most tantalizing beach is Conil de la Frontera with whitewashed villages on its sandy shores. It is lined with beautiful eateries and guest houses.

The seaside in this region are also popular for their Atlantic weather and rough sea which attracts wind surfers and the kite surfers as an attractive bonus.

Cadiz also supports wildlife in its five national parks. Donana, is the most popular and one of the finest parks in Spain. The various other parks like Los Alcornocales, La Brena, La Bahia de Cadiz are famous for cycling, hiking, canoeing and bird watching. The paintings in the caves of the national park can be located back to the medieval times.

The streets of the city's Old Town are full of tapas bars which are open till the wee hours in the morning provide superb nightlife to the city. The most famous bar is located at the north of the Plaza de San Francisco. At the seaside there is Barabass on Calle Munos Arenillas on Playa Victoria.

The love for art of people in this city shows in their amazing theme parties. The famous club Deep Ocean has the most beautiful crowd and another place called Woodstock Bar is equally popular.

Cadiz is also famous for its regional dishes and its seafood cuisine. The highly famous ones are omelettes with prawns, noodle with prawns and clams and other dishes with shell fish. Other than seafood the most famous dish is Aceitunas Alinadas.

Cadiz's rich cultural treasure which is unique in its own way from the rest of the country is highly welcoming and will fill you with happy memories throughout no matter whatever you go there for.

Father & Son DIsagreement about 'in your face' stuff..

Brendon tells his dad a thing or two...about personal space!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_S9QKRSRqb4&hl=en

Southern Living Kids Cookbook

Southern Living has published another winner with their Kids Cookbook. Recipes are divided into ten main sections: Snacks and Beverages; Breads; Eggs & Cheese, Main Courses; Soups, On the Side; Sweets; Voyages; Fun Food; and Party Time.

The cookbook begins with some basics about cooking tools and equipment.  Color photographs show such kitchen basics as measuring cups and measuring spoons, a colander, electric mixer, dutch oven, rubber spatula, and tongs. Directions on how to follow a recipe and what a proper place setting should look like are also covered. Terms such as chop, mince, slice, cube, dice, and julienne are masterfully explained and are accompanied by full color photographs. 

What I loved best about this book was the full color photographs of every recipe. I like to know what the end product should look like. I am basically challenged in the kitchen so photographs are really important to me.

I had the opportunity to test may of the recipes from the book with a budding eight year old chef.  The first  recipe we tried was Ranch Snack Munchies from the section on Snacks and Beverages. This recipe took just six ingredients and it was so tasty.  There is a secret ingredient in this recipe that makes it so much better than a packaged mix!

Who doesn't love the smell of fresh baked bread coming from the oven? The Cinnamon Raisin Bread that we made from the bread section was so easy to make and everyone who came into the kitchen could hardly wait for it to cool before they cut into it. This recipe makes a such beautiful loaf that it would be the perfect gift for anyone.

There were so many good recipes in the Eggs and Cheese section that it was difficult to chose just one. There was my all time favorite food macaroni and cheese (Better-Than-The-Box Mac and Cheese) but my child chef decided that we should try the Bacon-Cheese Cups.  The cups, or child size portions, are just the perfect portion perfect for children. This was a really unique variation of a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit but it was so much tastier!

I think that one of the most fun recipes that my young chef and I found was the recipe for Doggie Treats in the section on Fun Foods. Several interesting ingredients went into this recipe and my Bichon Frise, Paddington, never left the kitchen while the biscuits were baking.  Paddington gave this recipe a resounding Woof!

I am not sure who had more fun with the recipes in this book - my young chef or me.  Children will definitely love this cookbook.

Includes a glossary of important words and a recipe index.

You can find this book at your local public library.  If you have young children you will definitely want to add this book to your cookbook collection.

ISBN: 9780848731786

Compiled and edited by Elizabeth Taliaferro

Oxmoor House, 2007

Jack o' Lantern Halloween Cake - A Bundt Cake Treat!

Just as Jack o' Lanterns can inspire laughter, the heebie-jeebies, or a round of "Trick or Treat!" so can your sculpted Jack o' Lantern cakes!

If you're new to cake decorating or cake sculpting, you'll find the Jack O' Lantern cake is fun and easy. And, if you're already experienced, you will have all the more fun by adding intricate details. Either way, this Jack o' Lantern Halloween cake is sure to light up faces at your next Halloween party.

Jack o' Lantern Cake Instructions

Before you whip up a batch of buttercream, take out a piece of paper and sketch some Jack o' Lantern faces. If you have kids at the house, enlist their help. Searching “Google Images” for Jack o' Lantern will also deliver lots of ideas. Once you've narrowed down your favorites to a final selection, practice drawing it to make the piping easier.

Ready? Here we go!

1. Bake 2 Bundt cakes. Coincidentally, pumpkin works like a charm for a Halloween sculpture cake because of its firmness (see recipe below). Butter cake works well too.

2. After releasing and cooling the 2 cakes, level the bottoms.

3. Ice the bottoms with orange buttercream (non crusting is best for this project). Place one upsidedown, and the other on top, so the iced bottoms fit together.

4. Now, cover the cake with orange buttercream. As you smooth your icing, you can work with the natural indentions left by the Bundt pans that mimic the vertical lines on a real pumpkin.

5. Using the orange buttercream, pipe the outlines of the facial features. If you make a mistake, just smooth it and start over. 5. Now for the fun part! Here are a few ideas for creating the details of your Jack o' Lantern's face.

a. Fit an icing bag with a small star tip and fill with chocolate buttercream. Fill in the eyes, nose and gaps between the teeth.

b. After completing the step above, add details such as pupils to the eyes with icing candies, like M&M's and black licorice.

c. To make your Jack o' Lantern glow, use yellow gel instead of chocolate buttercream (remember not to cover the teeth and other places that would be left intact in a real Jack o' Lantern).

d. Instead of piping facial features, bring Jack to life by modeling eyes, nose, teeth and any other features you want to add (eyebrows?) with rolled butterceam icing or marzipan.

Just like a real Jack O' Lantern your Bundt o' Lantern will have a hole in the top. Here are a few ways you can put the lid on Jack.

a. Cover an ice cream cone with green or chocolate buttercream and using icing, adhere this upside down over the hole in the top. Then using a large leaf tip, pipe a few green leaves around the top.

b. Model the stem and leaves with rolled buttercream.

c. Save just enough batter from the recipe below to make a cupcake. Trim it for the stem shape you want and adhere with icing to the top.

And here's your pumpkin cake recipe!

Halloween Pumpkin Cake

Note: This pumpkin cake makes a great treat for grown-ups too, and it's even more devilishly delicious with a buttercream and chopped nuts icing.

4 cups canned pumpkin

6 cups sugar

2 cup vegetable oil

6 eggs

6 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cloves

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour 2 10-inch Bundt pans. Blend the pumpkin, sugar, oil, and eggs. Sift remaining ingredients into a separate bowl. Mixing as you add it, spoon the pumpkin mixture into the dry mixture. Blend well. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middles comes out clean (around an hour and 15 minutes). Allow cakes to cool in pans for 5 minutes. Release, and after completely cooled, decorate.

Serving Tip: This is even better tasting and easier to work with after mellowing overnight, covered in the refrigerator.

The Homemade Pumpkin Cake recipe is adapted from "Cake Decorating Made Easy!" Here's what one reader wrote about our Video Books:

"Incomparable! I've not opened my other books now that I have yours...don't decorate another cake until you've seen these Video Books!"

Pia, Lynnwood, WA

Last but not least, here's one more tip. The quantity of liquid food coloring needed to concoct Halloween brown and black will bring a bitter flavor to your buttercream. Here's what you can do to keep the ghoulish elements in the design and out of the icing:

• Instead of liquid food coloring, opt for the more intense gel or paste forms. Can't find these locally? Try www.CandyLandCrafts.com

• Use chocolate for brown and start with dark chocolate for black (and you won't need as much black food coloring).

• Skip the chocolate and food colorings, and use instead candy and cookies. String black licorice works great for outlining. Crush, dark chocolate cookies or crumble dark chocolate cake to use to fill in large areas, like around Jack's teeth.

Happy Halloween Cake Making!

Noodle Randomness 2

Hey guys, finally, NOODLE RANDOMNESS 2!!! :D anyway, yeah sorry about the 15 second note in the beginning that I could've easily just put right here. But yeah, Noodle Randomness will now be a series on random videos. They may be maple related or they may not be, we shall see. In this video, Stephen, Christopher, Jacob, and I are walking to my house while the ground is very icy oo yeah.... oo Music (In order): Motteke! Sailor-Fuku -- Lucky Star Opening, preformed by: Konota Izumi (Aya Hirano), Kagami Hiiragi (Emiri Kato), Tsuakasa Hiiragi (Kaori Fukuhara), and Miyuki Takara (Aya Endo) Hare Hare Yukai ~Nagato Version~ -- The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Ending, Preformed by: Yuki Nagato (Minori Chihara) EDIT: Don't ask why the thumbnail isnt working, I don't kno if you can see it, but i sure can't



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ0O2AqcEWE&hl=en

Movie 1

April-24-2009 Friday pm 1:21. Apple Computer store in Court House. I am south korean Homeless Man Jin,Yang Hun who were born in south korea by 1963. I do 1 hand push up 7 times in 10 second.(B4-5 Second) I speak 4+ Language.Not Fluent but enough to travel the world alone. When I eat sushi,wasabi color is beige or mustard color. If anybody pretend me,let the IDIOT try sushi with beige color or mustard color wasabi. What about Vietnam Noodle PHO! The IDIOT should go to restroom for starting Harley-Davidson like this. ((((((((((((((((((((((((("ParararaRang Pootootoo taratarataraaaaaaa~~~~~!!!"))))))))))))))))))))))))))) "IMPRESSIVELY~~~!" www.youtube.com www.youtube.com www.webjam.com www.webjam.com blog.daum.net cafe.naver.com kongcode.webs.com http



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mg2BS59ENg&hl=en

jail abode dish

jail house dish aka ghetto tamale aka chip patty........ crush chips(any kind) crush noodles(raman) mix the chips and noodles boil water mix water with season from noodles pour water into th bag with the noodle+chips shake bag fold the bag up making sure no air is in bag wrap bag in news...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k-a9pwAbaI&hl=en

Gorillaz - Bananaz (Part 7)

Bananaz is a documentary film about the animated music group Gorillaz. It is directed by Ceri Levy. From 2000 to 2006 director Ceri Levy filmed alongside the creators behind the scenes, from first drawings, animations, music and the musicians, through to the faces behind the voices of Murdoc, 2D, Noodle and Russel Hobbs. Made with the spirit of collaboration and madness that is Gorillaz, Bananaz also has appearances from many of those who occasionally pass through this virtual band; Dennis Hopper, De la Soul, Ibrahim Ferrer, Dangermouse, Dan the Automator, D12, Booty Brown and Neneh Cherry.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNCcZt-apcQ&hl=en

Alton Miller - Beautiful (Album Mix)

Download Link: www.traxsource.com Alton Miller, Andy Roberts, Quadrasonic Orchestra, Stephane Vera WMC Sampler 2010 Part 1 EP Alton Miller - Beautiful [Album Mix] (6:00) CAN Mixed Signals Music MSM 018 - release date: 2010 Link: www.traxsource.com www.mixedsignals.ca http www.facebook.com Twitter: signalsmixed www.youtube.com Mixed Signals Music WMC Sampler Pt.1. A sampling of our Unreleased material, upcoming projects and sleeper hits for 2010. Stay Tuned for Part 2 Check www.mixedsignals.ca for more details. MSM022 WMC 2010 Sampler Pt.1 Welcome to the Mixed Signals Music WMC Sampler Pt.1. A sampling of our Unreleased material, upcoming projects and sleeper hits for 2010. Stay Tuned for Part 2 Check www.mixedsignals.ca for more details. 1. Alton Miller-Beautiful [Album Mix] Written by Alton Miller Produced By Alton Miller Published by Honey Dip (BMI) Billingtone Music (Socan) CAMC405-00066 2. Andy Roberts Presents Noodle [Aris Samba Remix] Written by Andy Roberts Produced By Andy Roberts Remix by Aris Published by Billingtone Music (Socan) CAMC405-00067 3. Quadrasonic Orchestra Ochimini in Space [Andy Roberts Soulenoid Mix] Written by A. Castellanos, B. Castellanos Produced By Quadrasonic Orchestra Remix By Andy Roberts Published by Quadrasonic Orch (Socan) Billingtone Music (SOCAN) CAMC405-00068 4. Stephane Vera Multitasking Written by Stephane Vera Produced By Stephane Vera Published by Billingtone Music(SOCAN) CAMC405-00095 Executive Producer: Andy Roberts Mastered ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkQ2J17olu4&hl=en

house

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG0dK7ODs-E&hl=en

Dave the Wave Pizza Eating Contest Dani's House of Pizza June 2009

Dani's House of Pizza 3rd Annual Pizza Eating Competition - 1st Round Winner - Dave! Qualifies for the finals on July 26th - Queens NY - Lefferts Blvd. While The Ramones are playing!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_e7V7DKS5A&hl=en

A Very Special Christmas With Grandma by Leanne Bush

Merry Christmas! Every December many people around the world utter these words to one another as they look forward to the wondrous holiday season. In A Very Special Christmas with Grandma, Leanne Bush charms readers with the story of young Sarah who visits her grandmother for an entire week before Christmas. Readers will find themselves wishing that all children could have the same experience as Sarah-and by writing this book, the author has made this possible. Other children, along with Sarah, can experience an old-fashioned Christmas, with all its wonderful traditions.

From the moment that Sarah's parents leave their daughter at Grandma's house, it is a very busy time for this couple who are separated by generations but united by love. It is obvious that the grandmother and grandchild are very close as they happily work together on Grandma's "to-do" list to prepare for the yearly holiday. There are Christmas cards to prepare, and a tree to decorate. The tree is a real one given to them by a neighbor who lives on a large farm. The tree goes into a stand that holds water; it is Sarah's job to water the tree every day. The author describes in detail how they decorate the tree, going into detail about how they make a long chain from loops made of construction paper. Though I'm revealing my age, I remember doing this for our Christmas trees in grade school. It is fun and seems to look better than many modern decorations we buy from stores today. 
 
After the tree is finished, Grandma makes them some mouth-watering hot chocolate with her added ingredients of crushed peppermint candy and small marshmallows on top. Then it's time for bed so they can go to church the next morning. The rest of the week keeps them continually busy as they make various kinds of cookies and take some of them to a local nursing home where a group of people from Grandma's church sing Christmas carols to the elderly. The true "reason for the season" is not forgotten as Sarah helps her grandmother set up a nativity scene on the coffee table, and later, Grandma tells her the story of Jesus' birth. 
 
The week passes quickly as the two build a snowman, wrap Christmas presents, watch Christmas shows on TV, and read Christmas stories together. And on Christmas Eve, they hang up a stocking for Santa to fill with goodies for Sarah. Of course, they don't forget Santa, leaving the jolly old man milk and cookies. Before going to bed, Sarah's grandmother gives her a Christmas ornament and a special stuffed rabbit named Levi that she had received when she was a little girl. Grandma had kept him in very good condition. Now Sarah will need to do the same.
 
On Christmas morning, Sarah discovers that Santa Clause has come and given her many nice presents. Later Sarah's parents arrive, and there are more presents to exchange. Then, after a delicious ham dinner with all the trimmings, it is time for Sarah to go home. She gives Grandma a very special hug and kiss, and of course, thanks her for the wonderful memories of such a special week. 

This book is excellently narrated and an adventure that young children should not miss out on. It is written in age-appropriate language for children who want to be read to as well as for children who are old enough to read the words all by themselves. Readers should thank the author for reminding children of the values of yesterday and the special bond that they can have with their grandparents. It is my recommendation that individuals buy several copies of this book for Christmas gift-giving. The children on their list will truly enjoy it-so will the parents and grandparents

Tasty Old Fashion, Economical Casserole Recipes

Wintertime is a great time for casseroles. It is a perfect time to use the oven as it can spread warmth throughout the house. The warmth, the delicious aroma wafting through the house, and you with your feet up while your meal cooks without your assistance! And one of the best things about casseroles is that they are economical. Here are two very different casserole recipes to add to your recipe box. This Spanish Rice Casserole is made with bulk sausage and rice. The Chinese Noodle Hamburger Casserole uses Chinese noodles and ground beef, as the name implies.

SPANISH RICE CASSEROLE

1 lb bulk sausage
1 1/2 cups uncooked rice
1 onion, chopped
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 cups boiling water
1 can tomatoes
3 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
5 slices bacon, cut-up

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook sausage until brown; crumble and drain. Combine rice and onion; brown lightly in reserved drippings. Dissolve bouillon in boiling water. Combine sausage, rice mixture, bouillon, tomatoes, chili powder and garlic powder; mix well.

Spoon mixture into a greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Place bacon over the rice and bake another 35 minutes.

CHINESE NOODLE HAMBURGER CASSEROLE

1/4 cup butter
1 lb extra lean hamburger
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can Chinese noodles

Brown meat, onions, celery and bell pepper in a skillet in the butter. Add the soups and simmer for 30 minutes. Add Chinese noodles and mix well. Pour into a lightly buttered casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Book Review - 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Raise a Child Who Loves Math

This was a great, albeit quick, read. I really enjoy books with suggestions for math games and integrating them into real life. Although none of my kids hate math, I like to find ways to make it a part of their day, and I appreciated the various suggestions this book made. I also thought that the author's idea of breaking the book into various sections, including one actually explaining to defunct parents how to handle things like word problems, algebra, geometry, etc would be very helpful. (It certainly made me feel better to retain most of the information, LOL!)

I finished the book last night, and this morning put one of the suggestions to use on our upcoming vacation. Although I had already been planning to have the kids help me map out our destination, I took it a step further and had my seven year old "measure" (using both string and a ruler) the distance from Pennsylvania to Disneyworld, and then try to determine whether it was shorter to bypass Atlanta and the trip to Grandmommy's house. (Luckily, the two came out about the same! Of course, we would have stopped anyway...maybe...) Tomorrow, we'll take it a step further and determine that if we travel 50 or 75 mph, how long will each leg of the trip take us? I am hoping that this will help remedy part of the problems with traveling, as well. Of course, the best part was that my 7 year old had been struggling a little with adding three and four digit numbers - or several three and four digit numbers - and carrying, but she performed brilliantly when math was in action!

We also found a fun card game, "My Ship is Sailing," that I have never heard of before but that my 3, 5, and 7 year old all enjoyed playing.

Anyway, this short brag on my (brilliant!) children was primarily to show how well math can be integrated into our daily lives. This book is sure to spark off various creative ideas in your minds, as well, especially since it take the time to give various age-appropriate suggestions throughout the text.

The book was simply and clearly written, and things such as communitive and associative properties are spelled out. The point was made that, while a child's geometric proof may take longer than the "fastest" response the teacher determines, we should remember that finding the solution is the goal most of the time, not being the fastest or shortest (although there are times for both). In short, I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to parents whose children are struggling in math - and those whose children are not!

Hand-Cranked Ice Cream Makers Are Still a Worthwhile Investment

Who doesn't enjoy a cold bowl of deliciously silky and rich ice cream? Dating back to ancient Rome, blocks of ice would be hauled in from surrounding mountains in order to manufacture some of the predecessors to our much loved modern frosty dessert. Even though ice cream is widely available--from the corner drug store to upscale, couture parlors--there is something special about a bowl of freshly turned out ice cream made at home with an old fashioned hand-cranked ice cream maker.

While the hand-powered frozen dessert maker has a number of disadvantages compared to its electric counterparts, these disadvantages however, do not outweigh the overall value of these older machines. For one, the hand-powered machines require the availability of lots of ice and rock salt. Often times these machines were messy and would leak melted rock salt and ice slurry all over the place. But if you find yourself going to the store to pick up the ingredients, why not also pick up some ice and rock salt? After all, these are two materials which are fairly cheap. As for the leaking, an easy remedy is to encase the machine in a larger vessel such as a bowl or basin.

Another disadvantage is of course all the extra work required to churn a six quarts of vanilla which takes between 20 or 30 minutes of work. The way to get around this is to have lots of help. Growing up, every summer, we'd make a trip to grandma's house and that always meant lots of home made treats. Grandma would prepare the custard, my little brother would sit on a towel on top of the machine, and me and my sister and cousins would take turns cranking. I have to admit, that what we turned out, was much better than anything you could get at the Dairy Queen or Braums.

Hand-cranked machines do have many advantages over the more modern contraptions as well. Hand turning the cream allows you to feel just how frozen and thick the custard is. This allows you to turn faster to add more air, as opposed to the electrical versions which operate at a set speed. Additionally, hand-cranked machines often have a larger capacity, allowing you to make larger batches as opposed to the smaller 1/2-1 quart capacity of electric versions. Hand-cranked machines also allow for a certain amount of portability, allowing you to whip up a bowl of mint chocolate chip anywhere such as while out camping, while electrical machines are confined to where electricity is available.

Old fashion machines are still widely available and can be purchased from companies such as the White Mountain Freezer Company which is now owned by Rival. Another suggestion is to visit your local yard sale or antique shop and for the truly intrepid, there's Ebay.

Seven Village Noodle House

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS5mhwVk4Oo&hl=en

Heaven Only Knows Pt 3

This is an informational video on how to survive if you wake up in a random alley in Korea town. Somebody gonna get a hurt real bad



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2faD-TaH5o&hl=en

Randomness #1 - Pool Things.

Songs used: Shiro, long tails - Wolf's Rain Kick the Pedal - Dead Rising Unknown Boss Music - MOTHER3 Funfactsss: Shiro, long tails was gonna be used in the series. In the final clip with the lollipops, i had claimed that I indeed had lollipops in my house and went looking for them. When I realized i had none, i made those odd marshmallow things as a backup for lollipops. I was originally gonna melt the jolly ranchers into lollipops but i realized it would've taken too long. Heather, Britt and I were originally gonna make a video of us eating icecream randomly, but that didnt work out lol. All of this was improved. That means, we had no script and it was all done randomly.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXllvscuBFU&hl=en

Best Restaurant Dessert - My Secret Peanut Butter Pie Recipe

Peanut Butter Pie is my absolute favorite dessert and the best restaurant dessert! The trouble is though, it is hard to find on many restaurant menus. I am finally introducing to the world my secret peanut butter pie recipe, formulated over the years and after tasting many different versions of the dessert. I've found that a chocolate crust is a must and the denser versions have always pleased my taste buds the most. The cream cheese in this recipe adds density and extreme richness. I am so excited to be sharing this recipe with you now!

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Pie

1 chocolate crust **
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 small tub (extra creamy) cool whip
1 to 2 teaspoons chocolate flavored syrup

**Chocolate crust: In a heavy saucepan (low heat) melt 1/3 cup margarine or butter and 1 (6- ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips. Remove from heat; gently stir in 2 1/2 cups rice crispy cereal until completely coated. Press into bottom and up sides of a greased 9-10 inch pie plate. Chill 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat cheese until fluffy; beat in condensed milk and peanut butter until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Fold in cool whip. Turn into crust. Drizzle syrup over top of pie and gently swirl with a spoon.

Place in freezer until set (usually over night).

I use a 10 inch quiche plate for this recipe, however a deep dish 9 inch plate will also work. It can be stored in the freezer for several weeks, so it is a great make ahead dessert. Some of the best restaurant desserts are make ahead desserts, because fresh desserts are costly for a restaurant to house. A restaurant would have to have a contract with a high quality bakery in the area or specialize in fresh homemade desserts to be able to present great tasting fresh desserts.

Randolph Caldecott - Why is That Medal Named After Him?

Raise a toast! Sunday March 22nd marks the 163rd anniversary of Randolph J. Caldecott's birth, an ex-banker turned artist who became the father of the modern Children's Storybook.

From Obscure Local Banker to World Famous Illustrator

Most people know Caldecott's name from the embossed medal on the front of beautiful picture books, but there's more to his story. Along with Walter Crane and Kate Greenaway (who has her own UK children's book medal), Caldecott helped define the very form of children's literature in Victorian England.

At 26, after ten years working in local banks, Caldecott abandoned his business career to become a freelance illustrator, arriving in London at the very time when children's books were poised to come into their own. Sadly, he died before reaching the age of 40. Yet even with a portfolio that spans a short decade and a half, Caldecott placed nearly a million books in print and was admired by the likes of Gauguin and Van Gogh.

Witty, talented, and intelligent, his pen and watercolor drawings caused a revolution in children's literature by placing illustrations on par with text. Caldecott's most successful books were collections of classic nursery rhymes and simple stories, such as the tale of The House that Jack Built. However, he also partnered with well known authors such as Washington Irving and the pioneering children's writer, J.H. Ewing.

The Caldecott Medal - Embracing Creative Illustration

In 1937, the American Library Association chose to name their newest book award in his honor. Not to be confused with the Newbery Medal, the ALA's writing award for children's book, the Caldecott Medal celebrates artist's great illustration work. For over 70 years, almost twice Caldecott's lifetime, the award has been bestowed on iconic children's books such as Make Way for Ducklings (1942), Where the Wild Things Are (1964), and The Polar Express (1986).

The ALA selection committees revels in paying tribute to diverse styles and themes. Flow, the 2007 winner, uses no words at all, while the 2008 winner, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, thunks down as a 500 page chapter book. The black and white drawings of 2005's Kitten's First Moon tell the quiet story of a moonlit night, a simple tale that stands in stark contrast to 1997's winner, Golem, which dramatizes the forces of good and evil in 16th Century Prague.

The 2009 Caldecott winners [http://www.dreamswithteeth.com/dwt-features-2009-caldecott-book-awards.html] continue this eclectic tradition. The Medal winner, The House in the Night, features scratch board illustrations alongside comforting good night rhymes. It's a book that Caldecott himself might have appreciated, a gift to the preschooler who is just a little bit afraid of slipping off into the dark. The other 2009 Honor Books strike different notes, a raucous summer at camp, adversity and the cost of hard won knowledge, and the voice of a poetic dreamer.

It's now all part of the vibrant tradition that Randolph Caldecott began over a hundred years ago.

Copyright 2009, Dan McClure

Panic! At Noodles House

My Friend Noodle's brother is dancing to Panic! at the disco , i found it funny so im putting it up on you tube for the fun of it , enjoy lol



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSHAhWoW5Aw&hl=en

Don Simon - Little Wiggle

yoda noodle wiggle dub



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jcm4uBkYU0&hl=en