Green Toads and Ham

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This is my version of Humpty Dumpty.   Breakfast on a wall.  Breakfast that can serve itself.  Breakfast with lots of melted butter. Breakfast that appears as if it could eat its own cereal!  It is also a take on Toad in a Hole.  

Egg is the theme of the week over at www.illustrationfriday.com

Have a joyous Easter everyone!

P.S.  If you are one of the 600 blog authors/artists for Monday Art Day, please stop over and post for the Sad theme. www.mondayartday.blogspot.com  I'm trying to save the poor abandoned art blog.  Sniff. 

Granola People

There really isn't a set in stone recipe for granola. I've posted a recipe for granola before.  But I've updated it to make it even better.  This is something you really should be making at home.  Because it is super expensive to buy and you'll only get a fraction of the nuts. You just need to start with at least 8 cups of your favorite oats, seeds and nuts. But here is what I use.


4 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups pecans
1 cup walnuts
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup sesame seeds
4 tbsp ground flax seed
4 tbsp toasted wheat germ



Mix these dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Then heat the following in a medium sized pan to boiling.


1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar free maple syrup
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt




Add heated sugar mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well.











Line 2 baking pans with parchment paper and spread 1/2 of granola on each pan.

Bake for around 20 minutes at 350.  Or until brown.  It helps to used a sided jelly roll pan and to mix the granola up while baking.  (to ensure it browns evenly)

When cool you can add your favorite fruit mixture. (This new recipe is so good I don't add dried fruit anymore)  I store the granola in large ziploc bags. And I freeze the 2nd bag. Enjoy!

Words Of Wisdom

I was visiting The Smitten Image recently.  And I came across this rhyme:

A wise old owl sat in an oak.

The more he heard, the less he spoke.

The less he spoke, the more he heard.

Why can't we all be like that wise old bird?

I loved it so much I put one of my owl photos on facebook along with the rhyme.  No likes or comments.  Radio silence.  No one gave a hoot.  So I thought I would share it with you.  I don't give up easily!  Then my high school friend Barb sent me an email with words of wisdom.  It seemed smart to create a words of wisdom post.  Here is the rest of the story...

Some words of wisdom...

A young lady confidently walked around the room while leading and explaining stress management to an audience with a raised glass of water. Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, "Half empty or half full?" She fooled them all. "How heavy is this glass of water?" she inquired with a smile. Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz. She replied , "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it.  If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.  If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an Ambulance.  In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.  And that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on." As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden - holding stress longer and better each time practiced. So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night.  Pick them up tomorrow. 1) Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue! 2) Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have  to eat them. 3) Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it. 4) Drive carefully... It's not only cars that can be recalled by  their Maker. 5) If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be  vague. 6) If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it  was probably worth it. 7) It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as  a warning to others.  8) Never buy a car you can't push. 9) Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time.  Because  then you won't have a leg to stand on.  10) Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance. 11) Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird,  sleep late. 12) The second mouse gets the cheese. 13) When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong  lane. 14) Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer  you live. 16) Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once. 17) We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are  pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box. 18) A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a  detour. 19) Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY... 20)Save the earth..... It's the only planet with chocolate!  I  THINK !!!! Thanks Barb!

Swim With The Sharks

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"Don't make me angry.  You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." The sharks are angry because they have been forced to eat blackened fish.  Blackened by an oil spill that is. 

I did this piece after the gulf oil spill.  Thank goodness sharks are swimming in relatively clean waters these days.  If a person can be happy that sharks are swimming at all.  Da dum.

Swim is the theme of the week over at www.illustrationfriday.com

Florida Food

We just got back from a fun Florida vacation. I can still feel the warmth on my skin.  But it is fading fast!  And it is Wednesday here in cold old Minnesota.  The day of the week that I have devoted to glorious food.  I'm not quite back into the blogging swing.  I'll be visiting all my blogging friends next Monday.  

But until then enjoy a Malibu Salad thanks to the guys behind the wonderful Deli Stage 62 in Naples, Florida.  Fresh baked potato bread, grilled chicken, apples, avocado, soft cheese, dried cherries, almonds, tomatoes and the best darn poppy seed dressing around.  Yum!

And for dessert enjoy a sunny chocolate Yogurbella sundae.  Mine is capped with these fun little mango caviar.  They pop with juice when you eat them.  Yum!

Happy Spring!

I've got mad skills!

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I've been making a splash in the art world for quite awhile.  O.K., maybe just a ripple!  But I thought my self portrait Mermaid Me was perfect for the www.illustrationfriday.com theme talent.

It shows me using my painting skills.  I'm adding some color to my ocean lair.  I finally used the word lair in a sentence.  Nice.

I got to pretend I was a mermaid in Belize this winter.  We did a little snorkeling. And we got up close and personal with giant sea turtles.  It was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had.  But one of the turtles started swimming towards me.  Da...dum.  Da...dum.  DadumDadumDadum.

 I learned that I was no mermaid after all.  I awkwardly tried to twist and flail out of harm's way.  It didn't work.  The turtle thumped into me.  Of course I was unharmed and exhilarated.  But later on the boat I found out that darned turtle took a big poke at me. Tastes like tourist.  Not fish.