September 10th 2014 is the Internet Slowdown 

Cable companies want to slow down (and break!) your favorite sites, for profit. To fight back, let's cover the web with symbolic "loading" icons, to remind everyone what an Internet without net neutrality would look like, and drive record numbers of emails and calls to lawmakers. Are you in? 

Ten Fast Facts about Captive Exotic Animals

I know I haven't posted anything in a long time, but this morning I saw this on Facebook and just had to share it with everyone.  Animals don't have a voice, whether they are wild animals or pets, we MUST speak out for them.

1***Captive exotic animals are abused and exploited in a variety of settings, including research and product testing, the entertainment industry, fur farms, and the exotic “pet” trade.

2***Keeping wild animals in captivity is inherently cruel, as it deprives them of the ability to freely engage in instinctual behaviors in their natural environment.

3***Even when bred in captivity, exotic animals retain all of their natural instincts. They cannot be considered “domesticated” or “tamed.”

4***Every year, captive exotic animals are involved in incidents in which humans are injured or even killed.

5***Although many industries using captive exotic animals claim to be aiding in conservation, very few captive breeding programs actually address the real threats facing imperiled animals in the wild, such as habitat destruction.

6***The demand for wild animals as “pets” or for use in entertainment harms populations of these animals in the wild by increasing the likelihood of poaching and wild capture.

7***Whether in the zoo or the circus, wild animals produced in captive breeding programs are almost never released into the wild; instead, they are doomed to a life in captivity

8***It’s a myth that public display of wild animals is necessary to engage people. Many wild animals, including several whale and sea turtle species, enjoy a high degree of public interest and concern despite having never been kept in captivity and put on public display. And many children develop a keen interest in dinosaurs despite having never seen one in the wild.

9***Industries using captive exotic animals also claim that they have educational value — but what they really teach is that it is acceptable to use animals for human amusement. And since captive wild animals often exhibit abnormal behaviors due to captivity-induced stress, they fail to teach audiences about the real nature of wild animals.

10***Industries that use captive wild animals, such as the circus, frequently engage in abusive training methods, such as the use of hooks, chains, whips, electric prods, and blunt instruments.

Source: BornFreeUSA.org

Cauliflower "Bread"

This is a recipe I found on Facebook and wanted to add to my Pinterest board, however since we can't "pin" from Facebook, I had to add the recipe here so I don't lose it. As it is, I had shared this week, thinking I'd be able to find it on my Timeline, but when I tried to find it, it was impossible to find, lucky for me, hubby had added a comment to it, so in looking through my notifications, I was able to find it!! Yeaaaaaaaaa! So here it is folks:

Cauliflower 'Bread' Sticks

Ingredients:

1 head of Cauliflower
1/2 cup shredded Cheese
2 Eggs, beaten
1 tsp dried Parsley or Oregano or Basil
2 cloves Garlic, minced
Onion powder, Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cut up Cauliflower and steam till soft.. put on a tea towel and blot, try to get as 'dry' as possible.
3. Put in food processor or blend till it's mashed potato texture.
4. In medium bowl stir Cauliflower, Eggs, Cheese, Garlic & Seasonings
5. Lightly spray baking pan and pat the mixture out.
6. Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes or until top starts to brown

Cut into bread sticks

The kicker in this recipe is that it's low carbs and low in fat (as long as you don't use a cheese that is high in fat content) but high in fibre. And it's gluten and grain free. For those, (like me) who love bread, but had to give it up because it's too fattening, it's a great substitute.

I haven't yet tried it, but I will tomorrow night for sure :)
Enjoy!!

About images on my blog

Just a short note to let everyone know that the space where I store images used on my blog is having a problem and are moving their server to another location. Until such time, most of the images are not available to be viewed. So, please be patient, I'm not sure when all will return to normal, it could be well into November. :(
Thanks for understanding.

ADDENDUM

Seems that everything is back in order, thanks for your patience (I wasn't so patient.....lol)

Homemade Dry Shampoo

This dry shampoo recipe is perfect for days when you have no access to a shower or want to skip the shower and still have grease free hair that looks wonderful.

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
2 Tablespoons Baking Soda
2 Tablespoons Cornmeal
2 Tablespoons Ground Oatmeal
A salt shaker type container to store dry shampoo

Directions:
1. Use a blender to grind up the oatmeal. You are looking for it to be fine enough to go through a salt shaker, so be sure to blend it for enough time.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the ground oatmeal and you have an excellent dry shampoo that can be used any time you want.
3. Pour the mixture into a container for storing. A salt shaker style container works excellent for this purpose.
4. To apply, sprinkle some of the dry shampoo mixture onto your hand or onto your head directly. Rub the mixture into your hair as if you were shampooing it, concentrating on the scalp and areas where your hair is greasy. This is where the ingredients gather the oils on top of your head.
5. Go over a sink, tub or trash can and brush the mixture out of your hair. Be sure to use a bristle brush to get all the materials out completely.
6. Style your hair as usual. Your hair will not only be grease free but will look like you just showered and will style naturally.

You can find a pre-made dry shampoo here: http://amzn.to/YgINCZ
You can find a good container to store the mixture in for easy pouring here: http://amzn.to/QERJQX

Dry shampooing only takes a few minutes and is a great way to keep your hair healthy and shiny and looking great.

Zucchini Lasagna

Weight Watchers Zucchini Lasagna

 

Zucchini Lasagna - I have modified this recipe from the original on http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/02/zucchini-lasagna.html
Skinnytaste.com 

Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1/8 • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 7 pts
Calories: 345 • Fat: 17 g • Carbs: 16 g • Fiber: 2 g • Protein: 36 g • Sugar: 8 g
Sodium: 801 (without salt) 

I reduced the WW points by 1 point, but maybe it should be even less, as I use extra lean ground beef, which is 97% fat free and I only use 1/2 as much as the original recipe and use more vegetables instead.

Ingredients:  

• 1/2 lb extra lean beef (original recipe called for 1 lb of meat, (I substitute about 1/2 lb 
  coarsely chopped mushrooms and a couple of handful of shredded carrots, I buy the kind that is already shredded, and 1 stick of celery finely chopped for the other 1/2 lb of meat that is missing from the recipe.)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp olive oil
• pepper (I skip the salt as there is already enough sodium in the tomatoes)
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/8" thick (use a mandonline to do this)
• 15 oz part-skim ricotta - if unable to find this, use cottage cheese and put it through the blender to smooth it out
• 16 oz part-skin mozzarella cheese, shredded (I use Saputo Mozzarellissima Lite)
  
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1 large egg, beaten

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan, brown meat and season with salt. When cooked drain in colander to remove any fat. Add olive oil to the pan and saute garlic and onions, mushrooms, carrots and celery about 2 minutes. Return the meat to the pan, add tomatoes, basil, and pepper. Simmer on low for at least 30-40minutes, covered. Do not add extra water, the sauce should be thick.

Meanwhile, slice zucchini into 1/8" thick slices with a mandoline, salt lightly and set aside for 10 minutes. Zucchini has a lot of water when cooked, salting it takes out a lot of moisture. After 10 minutes, blot excess moisture with a paper towel.

On a gas grill or grill pan, grill zucchini on each side, until cooked, about 1-2 minutes per side. Place on paper towels to soak any excess moisture. (This is the part of the recipe that is the most time consuming, and back breaking, at least for me it is, but this is so delicious, that I don't mind it.......too much.......lol).

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a medium bowl mix ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese), parmesan cheese and egg. Stir well. 

In a 9 x12 casserole (I use a 9-1/2 x 13-inch lasagna dish) spread 1/3 sauce on the bottom and layer with 1/3 of the zucchini to cover. Then place 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, then top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese and repeat the process until all your ingredients are used up. Top with sauce and mozzarella and cover with foil.

Bake 45 minutes covered at 375°, then uncovered 15 minutes. Let stand about 5 - 10 minutes before serving.

 

 

Peaches-Rhubard Crisp

Ingredients:

1 (20-oz.) bag frozen peaches, thawed
2 (16-oz.) packages frozen sliced rhubarb, thawed
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice 
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
Vegetable cooking spray 
1/3 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats 
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces 

Preparation:

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; add 1/4 cup flour, stirring well.
2. Pour mixture into a 13- x-9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. Combine oats, brown sugar, and remaining 1 cup flour in a small bowl; cut in cold butter with a fork or pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle mixture evenly over fruit filling.
4. Bake at 375° for 45 to 50 minutes or until bubbly.