Crockpot Spinach Casserole

I've come to the realization that ever since I joined Facebook, I just don't post here in my blog all that much anymore, and I don't know if that makes me sad, glad, or indifferent.

However it makes me feel, I'll still come here as often as I can to post a new recipe, or whenever whatever I have to say is just too much for a Facebook post.

Such is the case today.

I came across this recipe recently while thumbing through an old 'Taste of Home' magazine my grandmother once had and thought I would give it a try. Since so much of my time these days is taken up with work, the gym, or the theatre, I found it to be a real time saver, and quite tasty as well. I hope you enjoy it at much as I did, and please, feel free to add your own 'ala (insert your name here)' touches and let me know how it came out.

CROCKPOT SPINACH CASSEROLE

• 2 boxes frozen spinache, thawed and drained


• 2 1/2 cups cottage cheese


• 1/3 cup margarine


• 3 eggs, beaten


• 1/4 cup flour


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1/4 tsp pepper

1. Lightly grease your crockpot slowcooker (I used an olive oil non-stick spray from Western Family)


2. Mix together all ingredients and spoon into your crockpot


3. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours

It's just that simple, and as always, eat and enjoy.

Norwegian Stuffed Cabbage Stew

I knew I hadn't posted a 'Recipe of the Month' for a long time, but didn't really realize how long till I was getting ready to post this one. I hope all of my readers can forgive me.

This dish was inspired by my involvment in the Stockton Civic Theatre production of 'I Remember Mama', when the Hansen family of early 20th century San Francisco had to eat a LOT of it to save money. I therefore tried to make it not only economical, but as tasty and nutritious as I could.

You will need a 5 quart crockpot for this dish.

Norwegian Stuffed Cabbage Stew

1 head of cabbage. Quarter your cabbage to remove the tough spine, then roughly chop.

1 large white onion

1 - 2 yellow bell peppers

1 lb lean ground beef

2 cloves minced garlic

1 cup uncooked, intant rice

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp peper

1/4 tsp ground thyme

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 can (6 0z) tomato paste

32 oz low sodium chicken stock

Finely chop the onion and bell pepper and place them in your crockpot.

Brown your ground beef with the two cloves of garlic, then strain through a collander and discard the greasy hamburger fat.

Add the browned ground beef to the onions and bell peppers.

Sprinkle over the mixture in the crockpot the salt, pepper, ground thyme, nutmet and cinnamon.

Add your one cup of uncooked instant rice

Add your roughly chopped cabbage

Combine the tomato paste and chicken stock. Whisk till throroughly blended then pour over the cabbage.

Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours.

You'll find it filling and tasty, and it won't break the bank, not even 'The Little Bank'.

As always, eat and enjoy.

Crock Pot Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I haven't posted a recipe on my blog in long time. Not in fact since I posted my recipe for Polenta Style Corn Casserole back on April 26th, 2011, and for that I'm sorry. Not for the recipe, but for not posting any new ones for such a long time.

Anyway, my good friend Mike Moon was talking about how he made blueberry muffins on his BBQ because he didn't want to heat up his kitchen (In this weather I can sooooo understand that), and that got me to thinking of another baking recipe in my collection that won't heat up your kitchen.

CROCK POT PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

• 1 package of your favorite poundcake mix


• 1/4 cup butter


• 1/2 cup brown sugar (tightly packed)


• 15 oz canned pineapple chunks (reserve the juices)


• 8 maraschino cherries, halved

1. Mix the cake according to the mix directions, using some of the juice as part of the liquid


2. Melt the butter or margarine in a lightly greased (ie Pam) baking tin that is small enough to fit into your crockpot


3. Stir in the brown sugar and spread evenly over the bottom of the baking tin


4. Add the pineapple chunks and cherry halves (and if you want to get creative, try making a happy little face with them)


5. Poor in the cake batter and place the tin in your crockpot. Cover and set on high for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours


6. Before removing, insert a knife in the center of the cake. If the knife comes out clean, the cake is done (that is assuming of course you used a clean knife to begin with)


7. When the cake is done, remove the tin from the crockpot and emediately invert onto a plate


8. "TAH-DAH". You've just made a pineapple upside down cake in something most people think can only make soups and stews.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. I just wish Nutrisystem had this as a menu option.

Bye-bye for now, and remember as always, 'Eat and Enjoy'.

My Minor Little Coup

I haven't talked about my investments in a long time, and there is a very good reason. Like most of the people who had money in "The Market", the last few years were a disaster, but I think I've rounded that corner, beginning my long, slow climb back up.

A few months ago, when it became clear to me that the politicians were starting to play a serious game of "I've Got Bigger Balls Than You" (aka "Chicken") with the United States' AAA credit rating, I slowly started selling off the bulk of my investments and got into a 100% cash position. Then I began to slowly take small bites out of the investment pie for lack of a better term. In a phrase, I did my research.

I wanted more diversification than I could get at the moment by buying my own stocks, I wanted to keep the expenses down, and I wanted the ability to get into and out of a position quickly if I had to. That meant ETFs, or Exchange Traded Funds.

Keeping my eyes and ears open (Thank you CNBC TV and 740 AM radio), I started taking $100 bites out of 4 different stock ETFs and one bond ETF that concentrates on TIPS (Treasury Inflation Protected Securities).

Since I had built up my cash position to 100% of my portfolio, every time the market took a dive, I would set a limit order to buy a small number of shares in the 5 ETFs I chose, and then, after I bought, I set new limit orders to buy into each fund again when the price fell 1% or more below the previous price. This is called "Dollar Cost Averaging". That and keeping calm has served me well so far.

My total gains for the year, 16.4%.

I wonder if anyone would be interested in starting an investment club.

When I Cannot Let it Rest

In my work for the State of California as an accounting technician, every last working day of the month I am required to 'balance the checkbook' for three different divisions in my section. I really enjoy my work, but the last working day of the month can be a very stressful time.

For years now, as a little treat for myself, whenever that day fell on a Friday, I made it a habit to go out to dinner. I used to go to one of two different buffets, but that got to be to fattening (lol), so now it's either a trip to the Olive Garden or Appleby's.

This month, I ended up at Appleby's.

Now, my great-grandmother and many others have often told me that God puts us where we most need to be. Whenever we save a life, help a friend change a tire, help a child who has fallen down, or a winter coat at a 70% off sale, it's because God put us there, and I like to think God had me decide on Appleby's last night to witness the stupidity of man.

Since I was eating alone, I saw no point in waiting for a table or booth, so went right up to sit at the bar. I hadn't been there very long (just long enough to order a glass of water with lemon and the chips and salsa appetizer) when this one guy took a seat not to far from me. What made me notice him was the fact that he was wearing a tank-top.

Please know that I have nothing against tank-tops, I just don't think you should wear anything that exposes your armpits to a restaurant.

Something else that drew my attention to 'Tank-Top Man' was a tattoo I noticed on his upper left arm. The tattoo? It was of a bible passage, not the whole thing of course, just
'Leviticus 18:22'.

Now, I am not a Bible scholar, but I do have a passing familiarity with the Bible, and believe me when I say, it really made me mad that he would display such a tattoo in public. I mean, why not one of the following tattoos instead;

• God hates shrimp - Leviticus 11:9-12


• God hates poly-cotton blends - Leviticus 19:19


• God approves of slavery - Exodus 21:20-21 & Ephesians 6:5-6


• God wants you to pay your taxes without griping about it - Matthew 22:17-21


• God approves of the killing of women and children - Deuteronomy 2:33-34

Oh, and lest I forget;

• God hates tattoos - Leviticus 19:28

I'm sorry, but I'm really getting kind of sick and tired of so called 'Christians' picking and choosing what parts of the Bible they are going to follow.

I also came very close to calling the police on that guy. Why? Well;

1. He had shrimp with his dinner.


2. That tank-top was probably a polly-cotton blend.


3. In a conversation he had with the bartender, he started to complain about 'Those fat cats in DC wanna raise our taxes again'.


4. He had that ugly tattoo.

That's four biblical violations right there.

A Miserable Savings Account

Being single visits a kind of constant, low-intensity misery on a person - at least on a person who doesn't want to be single.

Coming home to an empty house, not having anyone to confide it, facing illnesses on your own - being alone hurts, but people can get use to it.

But being in a long-term relationship doesn't spare you from all that day to day pain. It just banks it. Every day you're not alone, a little misery gets put into a miserable savings account, where interest is compounded hourly.

The day you and your loved one separate, or even worse your loved one dies, all the pain that was avoided when you were coupled gets paid out at once with all the accumulated interest. You will suffer a windfall of misery.

I still wish I could open that miserable savings account though.

A Thing I've Never Done

I honestly don't know how it all got started, but somehow, my e-mail address book was hacked into, and someone or some group with nothing better to do, started bombarding my friends, family (including a 13 year old niece), and co-workers with spam adds for porn and Viagra.

I have said, and will continue to say (and please excuse the yelling) "I HAVE NOT SENT, NOR WOULD EVER SEND ANYONE (well, maybe Ann Coulter, Michele Bachmann, and Maggie Gallagher to annoy them because they annoy me) ANY INAPPROPRIATE E-MAIL TO ANYONE!"

I've said this till I'm blue in the face and my eyes have crossed, and for the most part, I like to think that my friends know me well enough in the first place that those e-mails were never from me, and in the second place would accept my word to be as good, if not better than platinum (gold can be so garish).

One 'friend' however has chosen not to believe me, and that makes me very sad and angry because they know and think so little of me, that they would assume my instant guilt for a thing I've never done.

I'm Sorry, but Not Sorry

Today was a cardio day at the gym, and I had a great workout for the most part. My only problem is that I don't know why some people even bother going to they gym if they insist on maintaining certain unhealthy habits, and then take offense because I took offense.

I was on the treadmill, going strong at 3.9 MPH with a goal of going for a full 60 minutes. I had been on for about 20 minutes and everything was going fine when this one gentleman got on to the treadmill next to mine.

Ordinarily, that would not have been a problem, but I could tell within less than a minute that the guy was a very (and I do mean VERY) heavy smoker. The man reeked of smoke, and I found the odor offensive. I have nothing against people who smoke, as long as they don't do it around me, but this guy stank of it so much, he might as well have been a giant pile of tobacco ash.

If I had just started on the treadmill, I could have gone to another, but I had already been going on the one I was on for about 20 minutes by that point, and I don't like breaking my stride when I've been going for that long. So, I took my little towel and held it over my nose, to block out the smell.

This apparently offended the guy, because he made a big to do about stopping his machine and stomping off to another one further away from me.

Part of me wanted to apologize for giving such offense that he felt the need to throw a temper tantrum, but . . . I wasn't sorry.

Last Night I had the Strangest Dream

In the dream, I learned that a flood was coming and I had no time to escape the path of destruction. I didn't even have time to write a farewell epitaph. All I could do was try to secure myself to a stone table (I have no idea why the table was stone) and pray for the best.

I could see the water getting closer and closer, and hear the roar of it's waves getting louder and louder and time seemed to go into slow motion.

Finally, the rushing water of the flood was right upon me, so I put my head down and held on tight, but then the strange part happened. Nothing happened. For some reason, the water and all it's flotsam and jetsam passed over me and didn't so much as scratch me.

After the water stopped rushing, I thought at first that I would have to dig myself out of the mud and other debris, but with the exception of plodding though the mud which came up to my mid shins, the mud wasn't that deep.

I wish I knew what the dream meant, if it had any meaning at all.

Rude People & the 6:00 a.m. Cutoff

I've noticed lately that when I get to the gym before 6:00 a.m., it's not only less crowded, but the people seem so much nicer.

Today, I got to the gym at about 8:00 a.m., and the people were NOT nice.

I do a circuit training system I've been developing and tinkering with for a while now, based on the book "Spartan Warrior Workout" by Dave Randolf. When I say tinkering, I mean that I've adapted it to my somewhat hurried schedule, so that I get the maximum amount of training in the minimum amount of time.

The only monkey wrench in the gears comes when someone decides to use the same piece of equipment that I need to use.

I honestly don't mind sharing the facilities, for although I think I'm the most important person in my world, I believe in being considerate of others. I just wish certain others felt the same way.

At one of the chest press machines, I asked the person who had just finished using it if I could work in on the same machine. His response; "I've just got one more set". Well, he just sat there for two minutes (Yes, I timed him) doing nothing. If he was taking a break, why couldn't I use the machine in the meantime, because really, it doesn't take me two minutes to pump out 10 reps at the current weight I press.

Then, at the pull-up machine, a different person draped her towel over the handlebar and just walked away. I asked her if I could use the machine while she was gone, but she just said "I'm coming right back". Well folks, I noticed that she did come back after about 5 minutes. Where was she in the meantime? Talking to her husband/boyfriend or whatever he was to her. I wanted to scream "THIS IS NOT A SINGLES BAR, LADY!" but sadly, couldn't bring myself to do it.

Things like this always happen when I get to the gym after 6:00 a.m.

And the World Kept Spinning

The end of the world was predicted for today, and while I'm not 100% sure, I think we are all still here.

People have been predicting the end of the world since they could first conceive of the world having a beginning, and I have a theory why certain Doomsday cults actually want it to happen so badly. These irresponsible people, who spread fear through ignorance, want it to happen so they can wag their collective fingers at the sinners left behind and gloat how they were right all along as they make their triumphant Ascension into Heaven.

Well people, and yes, I know none of the 'righteous' are likely to be reading my personal blog, I don't think you'll EVER get into heaven. Why? Because when you are filled with so much hate, you're to heavy for God's angels to lift you Up, so, with no other option, you will be sinking Down.

Mastered By None

"Beware of those who would deny you access to information, for in their hearts they dream themselves your master."

Brenden Shucart

Envy

Envy lurks in every body, and oppression hides in every heart; power reveals it, and weakness conceals it.

Scheherazade

from "The Tale of the Wazir & the Sage Duban"

found in "The Arabian Nights"

My Tribute to My Grandma

TO MY BELOVED GRANDMA GENTRY

Oh, God - our heavenly Father.

Oh, God - and my grandmother

Who is Also in Heaven,

May the light of this flickering candle,

Illuminate the night the way,

Your spirit illuminates my soul.

Grandma, can you hear me?

Grandma, can you see me?

Grandma, can you find me in the night?

Grandma, are you near me?

Grandma, can you hear me?

Grandma, can you help me not be frightened?

Looking at the skies, I seem to see a Million eyes,

Which ones are yours?

Where are you now that yesterday has waved goodbye

And closed it's doors?

The night is so much darker;

The wind is so much colder;

The world is so much bigger,

Now that I'm alone.

Grandma, please forgive me.

Try to understand me;

Grandma, don't you know I had no choice?

Can you hear me praying?

Anything I'm saying;

Even though the night is filled with voices?

I remember everything you taught me,

Every book I've ever read.

Can all the words in all the books

Help me to face what lies ahead?

The trees are so much taller,

And I feel so much smaller;

The moon is twice as lonely,

And the stars are half as bright.

Grandma, how I love you.

Grandma, how I need you.

Grandma, how I miss you kissing me good night.

The Ultimate Choice

The world is an inferno, full of darkness and evil, and there are only two ways of dealing with it.

The first is easy, but wrong; you accept it, and become a part of it.

The second way is hard, but right; you fight it.

Polenta-Style Corn Casserole

It's been a long time since I posted to my personal blog, and an even longer time since I posted a recipe. I know it's no excuse, but with everything going on in my life at work and in the theatre, it is only recently that I've had any time.

Anyway, recently, I had a small dinner party for some of my friends ("Thanks again for comming, Shawn, Dan, and Greg"). I really like having people over for dinner. It gives me a chance to expirement a little in the kitchen, adapting recipies to make them taistier (or healthier). I get to see my friends and loved ones in a relaxing and stress free environment, and I'd be lying if I didn't admit, it gives me a chance to show off my cooking skills.

One of the side dishes I searved that night was a crok-pot casserole I came across in a
cook-book I found at the local Good Will store. I made a few subtle changes, tyring to make it even healthier while at the same time even more filled with deliciousness.

POLENTA-STYLE CORN CASSEROLE

• 1 can (14 1/2 oz) low-sodium chicken broth


• 1/2 cup cornmeal


• 1 can (7 oz) corn, drained


• 1 can (4 oz) green chilies, drained


• 1/4 cup each red, yellow, & green bell pepper diced


• 1/4 cup diced white onion


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1/4 tsp pepper


• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Pour chicken broth into a 2 to 3 quart Crock-Pot slow cooker.

Whisk in cornmeal.

Add corn, chillies, bell peppers, onion, salt and pepper and stir well.

Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours (best results)

After cooking, stir in cheese and continue cooking for another 15 to 30 minutes or untill the cheese melts.

All of my guests really liked this dish, and said it went well with the BBQ salmon and roasted vegetables. I'm sure you'll all enjoy it as well.

Till next time, remember; "Eat and enjoy".

Correct or A Prude?

While I was at the gym (24 Hour Fitness) earlier today, something happened that is making me ask "Was I right, or am I a prude?"

I had finished my work out and had gone into the locker room to change out of my gym clothes and into my regular clothes like I always do, when another one of the club members brought his young daughter (3 to 4 years old) into the men's locker room.

It just didn't seem right to me somehow, bringing a small girl like that into an area where fully grown men are in various states of undress.

I spoke to the manager about it, but he just looked at me like I was some sort of crazy person and said he would look into it.

Now, I ask you, was I right to say something, or am I just being a prude?

Sad and Disappointed

I don't expect my efforts will yield positive results. I've never fooled myself that my dreams would come true. Being used to rejection, I anticipate it. But all the same, I hate it. Wouldn't you?

So what happens now? So, what happens now? What am I going to do?

Time and time again, I say "I don't care". I pretend that I'm immune to gloom, and I'm hard, through and through. But every time it matters, all my words desert me. So, anyone can hurt me, and they do.

So what happens now? So, what happens now? What am I going to do?

Give me a little time, and I'll be fine some how. Well, maybe not that fine, but I'll survive anyhow. I won't recall the names and faces of this sad occasion. But, that's no consolation, here and now.

So, what happens now? I'll get by, I always have before. What am I going to do? Don't ask, because I don't know, anymore.

From the Tao Te Ching: Chapter One

The tao that can be told is not the Etneral Tao.

The name that can be named is not the Eternal Name.

The unnamable is the Eternally Real.

Naming is the origin of all particular things.

Free from desire, you realize The Mystery.

Caught in desire, you see only the manifestations.

Yet mystery and manifestations arise from the same source.

This source is called darkness.

Darkness within Darkness.

The gateway to All Understanding.

A Confession of Weight

I know it's only been two weeks since I started my Nutrisystem diet program, and only two weeks since I started getting back to the gym (24 Hour Fitness) on a regular basis again, and YES (to all the put down artists who love raining on peoples parades), I know I still have a long way to go, but I've had some great progress in this last two weeks, and I wanted to share it with all of my readers.

In the two weeks I've been on my diet and exercise program, I've come down from 256.5 lbs to 248.0 lbs, and my body mass index (BMI) has gone down from 37.96 to 36.7.

That's a loss of 8.5 lbs and a reduction of my BMI of 1.26.

All this means, of course, is that I am still technically obese (I hate that word), but if I were to extrapolate (and I love that word) forward, using and average weight loss of 4.25 lbs per week, and a BMI loss of .63 per week, in 23 weeks I will weigh 160 lbs with a BMI of 23.47. This would put me in the normal weight range.

So, if I can keep up this pace, by my birthday I'm gonna be looking good.

I know delays will occur, I know I will reach temporary plateaus (at least the sensible part of my brain knows this), but I am determined to not think about that for now. I'll think about that tomorrow. After all, "Tomorrow is another day".

Theatrical Review - "Run for Your Wife"

Last night I went to see the Stockton Civic Theatre production of the Ray Cooney play "Run for Your Wife". It was FANTABULOUS!

I won't go into a lot of details and write out a whole synopsis, but at it's core, it is about a cab driver in London, England, who has two wives (at the same time) in different parts of the city. Trouble ensues when the carefully orchestrated schedule he keeps to prevent both wives finding out about each other is thrown all out of wack by a chance encounter with two muggers and an old lady's handbag. The lies on top of lies just get more and more outrageous, making it a true comedy of misunderstanding.

Now, while all the actors were truly outstanding, I have to give props to the two actresses playing the wives, and most especially in the opening scene. Their timing was perfect.

I must also mention the fantastic set that was designed by Brian Johnson. I found it incredible, tasteful, and artistic. Mr. Johnson is a genius.

I really recommend this play if you're looking for some good family entertainment. True it is written PG-13, but that's just for the double entendres, but there is absolutely nothing dirty. See this play, and you'll understand why Mr. Cooney was given his OBE.

A Good News Day

So many wonderful things either happened, or I became aware of them, today. I hardly know where to begin.

First (gotta start somewhere) I had a great cardio work-out at 24 Hour Fitness today. I was on the treadmill for an hour at 3.6 MPH and burned off nearly 500 calories.

Then, when I got home, I weighed myself before I ate breakfast, and to my delight, I was down, well, I'm not going to tell you the weight I'm at, but lets just say that I've lost a total of 7 lbs since 1/2/2011. For those of you too pretty do be able to do math, that's an average of 1 lb per day. I was ecstatic.

Then, after breakfast and my other usual morning routines, I had errands to run and bills to pay. One of those bills was my car payment at the Golden 1 Credit Union. As I was handing the teller my check and payment coupon, I noticed something that made me stop and look again before she took said items from me. The number on the payment coupon was 40. That means I've only got 20 payments to go and my car is paid-off! That means that 2/3 of that car is MINE!

Then, to put the metaphoric cherry on my equally metaphoric hot fudge sundae, I checked my mega millions lotto ticket on the way home and found out I had won $10.00. O.k., it's not the jackpot, but it's still kind of nice.

Stuffing Myself Silly

I have now come to the end of day two on Nutrisystem and I've come to realize that a lot of the eating I used to do wasn't so much out of hunger but out of boredom and habit.

I also seem to be going through some kind of withdraw pains as I haven't been to a fast food restaurant (how will McDonald's survive without me) in nearly a week now.

I miss eating and eating and eating. I'm not hungry, but I suppose food was my comfort and my vice. Like drinkers or smokers or people who take other drugs. My high came from burgers and fries, sodas and shakes, cakes and cookies.

I will overcome this though, and in time will not be invisible anymore.

"The King's Speech" - A Movie Review

Today I drove all the way from Stockton to Manteca, California, to see a limited release film called "The King's Speech". It is a dramatization (somewhat fictionalized I'm sure) of the friendship between King George VI and his speech therapist, Lionel Logue.

Now, I know some will think an approximately 30 minute drive (the distance between Stockton and Manteca being some 25 miles) to see a movie that's just a few short steps above a documentary is kind of dumb and (let's face it) nerdy, but I am just so glad I made the trip.

I was slightly amazed by the fact that it is an "R" rated film. My first thought was that it was because of the violence of World War II, but then I came to the realization that it was because of the foul language used by The King and Logue as part of the formers speech therapy. I cannot of course give away to many details of the film and thereby spoil it for any of you who may not have seen it yet, but suffice it to say that there is something supremely funny about the idea of the king of England dropping "F" bombs all over the place and shouting "Tits!" to get over a stutter. I wish my speech therapist had used these techniques.

It was such a good film that at the end, the entire audience (myself included) actually applauded.

I thoroughly recommend "The King's Speech". I give it a 9 out of 10.