Get warm with Chili!

We’ve all experienced some cold weather and it can be really rough on us. I’ve been trying our several things to stay warm. I bundle when I go outside, I bundle when I’m inside. My heating bill is starting to rise because of this weather. What I realized was that to stay warm you need to start from the inside. I tried this recipe for chili from Allrecipes.com and it was so great! I’m warmer in the cold weather and full!

To find more recipes click here

Ingredients
” 2 pounds lean ground beef
” 1 (46 fluid ounce) can tomato juice
” 1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
” 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
” 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
” 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
” 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
” 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
” 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
” 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
” 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
” 1 teaspoon salt
” 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
” 1/4 cup chili powder

Directions

1. Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, and crumble.
2. In a large pot over high heat combine the ground beef, tomato juice, tomato sauce, kidney beans, pinto beans, onions, bell pepper, cayenne pepper, sugar, oregano, ground black pepper, salt, cumin and chili powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. (Note: If using a slow cooker, set on low, add ingredients, and cook for 8 to 10 hours.)

Great Dane being silly…

We know our dogs can all be silly. They get scared of the littlest things, they hear unknown sounds and they bump into things sometimes. A pet can be a great companion to us and bring joy into our lives. Dogs are my personal favorite and from time to time I look at videos of dogs for a laugh. They can be so funny and entertaining. I found this video of a Great Dane, it explains their personality perfectly. They are large lazy couch potatoes that love their owners.

Thinking of Getting a Dog?

Getting a new dog can be very exciting for people. It’s a big emotional investment and a lifestyle change. Owning a dog should not be taken lightly, it’s a large financial commitment as well as an emotional one. In order to be a responsible dog owner there are a few things to ask yourself before you own a dog.

One of the first things to do is to evaluate your life before the dog. Are you athletic, are you neat, what are your hobbies, what’s your personality like…etc. You need to ask yourself these questions before you begin thinking about a dog, answering these questions will also help determine what kind of dog you wish to get. After asking yourself those questions determine what kind of dog you might enjoy, you have to determine the breed and the breeder.

Wait, have you thought about getting an older dog, how about a rescue dog? Getting a puppy is great but there are so many older dogs that could use a home as well. These are just a few things to think about when getting a dog…for the full list click here.

Need some ideas for Valentine’s Day?

It can get difficult deciding what to do for Valentine’s Day. You want to do something extra special but not too cliché. Don’t fret too much over it; you have to remember to just spend it with your loved one enjoying what you have together.
Whether you choose to spend it staying at home or going out, Valentine’s can be an easy enjoyment. Over the past few years I’ve done many things for this day of love. Here are some of the things I’ve done in the past for V-day.

- Making a special dinner at home
o It’s something special when you’ve made the meal
- Going to a new restaurant for dinner
o Trying something new with your loved one is a great experience
- Finding free things to do around town
o It’s fun and FREE
- Finding the Valentine’s Specials that are promoted
o You can find some great promotions for this day of love
- Renting love comedies and ordering take-out
o Just relax and cuddle up to your loved one
- Having a vacation in the city (book a hotel for the night)
o Experience a vacation get-away while you’re in town

No matter what you do, or who you choose to spend it with, enjoy it!

Leading Men!

This morning the Academy announced the men who were nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role.  While I love to watch the entire awards show, I focus all my attention on who wins Best Actor and Best Actress.  This year the nominees for Best Actor in Leading Role are: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart, George Clooney for Up in the Air, Colin Firth for A Single Man, Morgan Freeman for Invictus, and Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker. Woah that list sounded like the real thing.

For more information on the Academy Awards click here!

A Bartender in your own home!

You always see it; you probably have done it yourself.  You or your friends go out and you spend way too much on drinks.  I know that my favorite drink is pretty expensive but I found a solution.  Instead of going out, invite some friends over and hand out at your place.  You can be your own bartender and make your own drinks, for a fraction of the price!  While I’m not promoting heavy drinking, I’m promoting this delicious recipe for a Gunga Din Cocktail!

¾ oz. Gin

¼ oz. Vermouth- Dry

1 slice of a Pineapple

¼ oz. Juice- Orange

Shake all ingredients with cracked ice (preferably in a cocktail shaker) and strain into a chilled glass.  Enjoy!

Please drink responsibly, and never drink and drive!

For more drink recipes click here

Money Manners

I used to have this friend that each and every time we went out together, or even with a group of mutual friends, and it came time to split the bill, it always presented a sticky situation. She either only had the “exact change” and I (or the rest of the group) would have to “cover” her share of the gratuities; or she’d want to break down the bill to the last penny, rather than just simplify things for everyone and just divide it evenly amongst our group. Honestly, there was never much of a price differential in what we all ordered. It was so annoying, and she quickly became the brunt of many catty jokes. (Notice I said “friend I used to have”)

That’s not the only sticky money situation that calls for some finesse and etiquette.

Here are some others to consider.

10 Things Movie Theaters Won’t Tell You

We just passed through one of the hottest movie seasons of the year… Christmastime and Summertime are the two “blockbuster” seasons for the Motion Picture Industry, and as a result, the movie theaters as well.

In recent years the box offices have experienced quite a slump in business, but is now beginning to rebound, and it’s likely 2009 will have set a new record.

Being a movie lover, I found this article interesting. It outlines how theaters maintain their bottom lines, even in the slumps…. and there’s another slump season coming up – February.

It will be interesting to go to the movies in February and see which of these 10 things are even more prevalent then.

Happy New Year Wellsford Oaks

It’s the New Year and we all try to make some type of change for the year to come.  What are some of your New Year’s Resolutions?  The resolutions that you had last year, did you follow through with them?

If you need help with making your list of resolutions, here is a “Top 10 List” to get you started.

Share with us how you spent New Year’s Eve. 

Happy New Year from Wellsford Oaks

Rock A Bye Baby

My little niece has had problems sleeping lately.

She goes down for a little while and then wakes back up. It is driving my sister crazy but she is more concerned about my niece. Personally, I think that my niece is still coming down off the whole Santa thing. My sister just wants my niece to sleep well. So I found an article to help her out, it might help you too.

How do you get your children to sleep?

To read “Insomnia in Children”…click here.

Next Page »