Food for thought!

Good Afternoon, or whatever is the best greeting to you, in your part of the world!

It was a full week; where did the tid time go! We were / are wearing many 'hats'; so this weekend is a bit of a respite for us to recharge our bit batteries for the upcoming week. Sometimes, do you not find that everything comes all at once? As the expressions go, 'It never rains, but it pours', or 'Feast or Famine'. When you find yourself 'overwhelmed' by circumstances that 'pile up', take a deep breath, Ask Him for His Guidance, Understanding, and Grace. 'Things' become a lot simpler; and you are able to handle challenges with a confident calm, almost as if in 'slow motion'. Enduring with FAITH, having a simple focus and keeping things simple really help! If you wish a bittid of encouragement, please refer to my post of May 14/07,' In Pursuit of Happiness'; wherby FAITH shows up!

In addition to the 'Crab Crostini with Baby Shrimp' photo image, these are 13 attempted 'layman' (as you can see! LOL!) pictures, of the 'linen cupboard', that once held my parents' towels and sheets, when they lived here. There are 4 built in shelves (by my Dad) and the carpet (we added) becomes the '5th shelf', for 'added shelf life'. LOL! Thought it best (experimenting as a 'layman') to include more than less, in this case; although it is often said, that 'Less is best!' LOL! As you look directly, Photo #1 - 4th shelf; Photos #2 & #3 - 3rd, 4th, & a tid of 5th shelves; Photo #4 - 2nd & 3rd shelves; & Photos #5 & #6 - 1st, 2nd & 3rd shelves; Photo #7 - 1st & 2nd shelves; Photos #8 & #9 - 1st, 2nd, & a bit of the 3rd shelves; Photo #10 -3rd, 4th, & 5th shelves (carpet is 5th); Photo # 11 - 4th & 5th shelves; Photo #12, -3rd, 4th, & a bit of the 5th shelves; and photo # 13 - 3rd, 4th, & a tid of the 5th shelf. Hope this is of more tidbitz help than not; eventhough I am a wee bittidz 'cross eyed' at the moment! LOL! As you can see, our COOKBOOKS have taken up residence, along with a few special Lady Head Vases appreciatively presiding over these local and innundating International cookbooks. Some other time, I will take some photos of our other Lady Head Vases! Our towels and linens are in our armoire (If you like, you can refer to 'Be thankful for Blessings', Jan 18th post, to see the photo of our armoire).

If you wish, you can refer to various posts for a tidbitz of background.

This particular bittid post is from May 27/07 with a recipe for 'Crab Crostini with Baby Shrimp!' Am sure you can substitute other tids and bits to create your own tasty tidbit sandwiches! Am hungry already; eventhough I enjoyed a hearty breakfast! Methinks, I will print this recipe out for quick and easy reference; so that I can make it often; as well as applying different concoctions. ie Chicken, tuna, whatever is in the kitchen cupboard and or leftovers in fridge. Whatever comes to mind!

Ingredients Serves 6 slices
6 slices baguette-style bread, sliced thinly
1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, grated
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced scallions
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
8–10 dashes Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound lump crabmeat
1/4 pound baby shrimp


Directions
1. Grill the thinly sliced bread or place it under the broiler until toasted. Turn and toast the other side. Set aside.

2. Combine the half of the cheese, the sour cream, mustard, scallions, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, Tabasco sauce, salt, and pepper in a medium mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.

3. Check the crabmeat for any small pieces of shell and discard them.

4. Gently add the crab to the mixture. Don’t over mix; you want the lumps of crab to remain intact.

5. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours so that the flavors meld.

6. Remove the crab from the refrigerator and spoon it onto the toasts. Top each with a portion of the remaining cheese and a few baby shrimp.

6. Sprinkle a small amount of the cheese over the shrimp and place under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, until melted and bubbly.


Preparation time: 15 minutes plus several hours downtime.

Another post, 'Pam', of February 27/07 gives you a bittidz of history about Lady Head Vases.

"They are pottery "vase" pieces dating back to the 1940 and 1950 era (and later); and were originally from Japan. There are various pottery companies; ie in the United States...Napco, Enesco, Ruebens, etc. that produced these little wonders! The Ladies are of all sizes - anywhere from 3" to 10" approx. Generally, 3 sizes - miniature / small (3" (or a tidbit tinier!) to 4.5" tall), medium (5" to 6" tall); and the larger ones (7" to 10" tall +). These unique "gems of Ladies" were a nice added touch to florist shops; and for "special occasions," bouquets of flowers would be assembled in these unique "hole in the head" vases; and then sent / delivered to whomever! I LOVE the Ladies with the "pearl earrings and the pearl necklaces!" Just awesome! Of course, if you are a Lady Head Vase collector, (or on the road, to becoming one! - remember, more than one, is considered a "collection!" LOL!) this may be a fun read! I welcome your comments and stories you wish to share about Head Vase collecting; or any other collections that you are "crazy about!"

Ultimately, these Ladies, have become very collectible over time. There are Newsletters, Books on the subject,(you can track on Google), they are being sold on Ebay, and in Antique Stores etc etc etc! AND THE FUN PART - THERE IS EVEN A HEAD VASE CONVENTION! held in Orlando, Florida every January!!! So, this is a "SERIOUS" adventure, enterprise, investment!(whatever category fits!) It is so exciting to meet "collectors," who are passionate about what they "collect!" Makes life even more interesting! Right?


Tidbit - Whatever your collection is; be it re: lady head vases, toby jugs, thimbles, art, china, silver, plates, etc. take time out every so often, to appreciate and ENJOY what you have already gathered over the hours, days, weeks, months, years! The fun is also, how you "found your piece(s);" whom you have met, the "tales!" etc. all add to the mix, in the "spice of life!" ".

Would like to add another 'tidbit' - Cookbooks are collectible too; as you can see! LOL! One can never have enough Cookbooks; now all I have to do, is USE them and more often! LOL! I happen to have an antique authentic White House Cookbook, dating from 1887. It is in good shape, save that some of 'The White House Cookbook' pages need to be 'rebound' (which we will have done professionally). This unique piece of history, with mouthwatering recipes, is on our one kitchen shelf, along with a few other favourite cookbooks! Our kitchen is not the White House, and our shelves are minimal; hence the 'linen cupboard' was 'pressed into service'. LOL!

Also watched 'Stop - Loss' last night; very impactful movie, of what took place in real life. We hope and Pray those situations have been remedied; and / or if not, will be changed.

Tomorrow is Sunday; and I look forward to watching in the am, the Vision Channel on T.V. -'Hour of Power' - the Schullers; 'Enjoying Everyday Life' - Joyce Meyer, and 'Living Truth' - Charles Price. If you wish, please refer to some of my past posts for info' about these wonderful International Bible Teachers. As it has been an extra busy week for us; methinks, it is best to 'get caught up' on last week's inspirational messages (if you are genuinely interested to gain knowledge and insights first hand), to simply access their websites - www.hourofpower.org: www.joycemeyer.org; and www.livingtruth.ca.

Here is wishing you a tranquil R & R weekend! Am going to take 'a bit of time out' to look through some of the cookbooks, for 'future ideas!' LOL! We would also like to do a tid of renovating of our kitchen, to create more space and shelves; however, we have other priorities to deal with during these particular times. However, it is always good, to have 'fun' projects to joyfully look forward to!

Peace and God Bless.