Spinach Strata

54 Ritz crackers
2 10-oz pkg frozen and chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
10oz. Muenster cheese, grated
2-1/2C milk
5 eggs
2T Dijon mustard
1/2tsp liquid hot pepper seasoning
2 cloves of garlic, minced

In 2-qt shallow baking dish, arrange 18 Ritz crackers in 3 long rows. Combine spinach and 2C grated cheese; sprinkle half mixture over crackers; repeat layers. Top with remaining crackers; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

In medium bowl, beat together milk, eggs, mustard, liquid hot pepper seasoning and garlic. Pour evenly over mixture in baking dish. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Bake at 350* for 1 hour or until puffed and golden. Cut into squares to serve.

A Real Freebie Site

There are a lot of sites out there that claim to have free samples all over the place. Many of them do, but expect you to fill out a survey or add your cell phone number in order to get your free products. That sucks. First of all, I don’t like giving out my cell phone number for the fact that I end up getting charged $10 for something that I had no intention of ever using. Or worse, something I didn’t even know was there. Then the hubby yells and things just get complicated and it’s just not worth it.

But thanks to the diva over at Mommy Wants Freebies, I’ve found a really cool little site filled with freebies. And not unrealistic freebies, but the kind that you’ll eventually get to hold in your hands. And best of all, there are no surveys to fill out, no cell phone requirements, and no hidden fees or promises. The site is called Free Samples Without Surveys and that’s exactly what it is. No bells, no whistles, no promises that will never come true. Just a little blog where you can find real free samples to things like shampoo, hair color, and food items. Sorry kids, no free laptops here.

The best part about this site is that the webmaster tells you on the front page what to expect. They also tell you what to watch out for when looking for free samples on other sites. They don’t hold anything back, but they’re not rude about the way they put it either. It’s an awesome site and there are links to all kinds of free samples. I’m pretty impressed so far. I haven’t put in for any of the samples yet, but I do like the no-nonsense approach to the site.

So, if you like free samples, check out Free Samples Without Surveys. You won’t find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but you will find real freebies and real samples without having to give out all your personal information in the process.

Life On The Rocks

(The following is a work of fiction written by Christine Senter. No part of this story may be copied and/or used in any other circumstance without the author’s expressed permission. All rights reserved)

Herman Silago was a bit actor who played Uncle Emil in three episodes of the popular television series The Five Sisters. He had hoped it would turn into a regular gig, but the show’s producers decided that his character should have a heart attack at the end of his last episode. It didn’t take much to realize that he wouldn’t be returning the following week.

Herman had been working as an actor for some 18 years, but had never hit that one role that would have made him a star. He had been stereo-typed for most of his career as either a simpleton or as a villain, which usually meant that his character wouldn’t last long in whatever he was playing. Now, his hair was thinning and a few wisps of grey were beginning to show. Though make-up artists and stylists could easily take care of those problems, it was the mere thought that seemed to torment his mind.

As he sat in his modest home, he began to reflect on the past. How his agent had kept telling him that his big break was just around the corner and that he just needed to hang on a little longer. The truth was that his time had come and gone, and he’d missed out on the best years of his life. Herman had never married nor had children, but until that moment, he’d never really thought about it. He had made his career his only focus, believing that once he made it big, the rest would fall into place. Now, it was just him and the bottle of rum he clutched in his arm.

When the phone rang, Herman checked the caller ID to see his agent’s name. There had been a time when he’d have answered in a heartbeat, but these days it just didn’t seem to matter. He heard the beep of the answering machine, and listened to the message as it was being received. “Herman, dude. Michael Valentine here. Say, wanted to let you know I just landed a commercial for you. They need an older guy for a Hair Plugs For Gents spot. Only one line, but it’s a paycheck. Give me a call when you get this. Ciao”. The line went dead while Herman took another swig from his bottle.

He sat there and watched the little red button flash. The idea of doing a spot for hair plugs made him want to throw in the towel. This was not the way it was supposed to be. He was supposed to be a star by now. He should be getting scripts from all the major studios, instead of throwing out one-liners about going bald. He tipped his bottle back one last time, finishing off in a single gulp.

He laid down on his couch, listening to the silent background. He stared at the ceiling, remembering the ways things had started out for him. He’d done a couple commercials for local businesses, then landed a national ad spot. That’s when he contacted Michael Valentine to act as his agent. Within a few weeks, Michael had gotten him a part on a daytime soap opera. Though it wasn’t a major role, it was something worth putting on a resume’. Before he knew it, he won a spot on a pilot for a sitcom. That’s when things took a turn for the worse.

After only two episodes, the show was cut from the network’s lineup and Herman was out of a job. His manager tried to get Herman to change his name, but he refused. He knew his mother would be devastated. She and his father prayed for a son in order to pass on the family name, Herman Melville Silago III. As he lay there looking back, he wondered if he had made the right decision.
As the rum coursed through his body, Herman began to drift off to sleep. He thought he heard the phone ring again, but wasn’t sure. After the answering machine picked up, he was awake enough to know that it was the phone. Thinking it was probably his agent again, Herman drifted off to sleep.

In his dream, he saw himself standing on the red carpet, beautiful woman on his arm. The crowds were cheering his name. The flash bulbs were going off all around him, while the sounds of drums beat in the back ground. Soon, the sounds of the crowd was being drowned out by the beating of the drums. He looked around and the flashes were gone, the crowd had disappeared, and he was all alone. Yet, the beating of the drum echoed all around him, with a faint sound of his name in the distance.

Slowly, Herman began to wake. He noticed traces of daylight coming through his living room drapes. Again, he heard the banging he’d heard in his dream. “What is that”, he thought out loud. Once again, the sound of beating came from across the room and the distant sound of someone one calling his name. As the fog began to clear from his mind, it dawned on him that someone was beating on the front door.

“Yeah, just a minute”, he yelled from the couch. He needed a minute to gather his thoughts. Finally, he got up to answer the door only to find his agent standing there. “Dude, why didn’t you answer your phone? I’ve been trying to contact you since about 9:00 last night. Where have you been?”. Herman just turned and walked back into the house, Michael right behind.

“Herman, what’s up?”. Michael could tell that the aging actor wasn’t himself. Herman sat back down on the couch, staring at the floor.

“Mike, I think it’s time to give up. I’ve been working at this for almost twenty years now, and I’m still struggling. I just don’t want my career to come down to a hair plug commercial”.

Michael sat down across from his client. “Dude, that’s why I’ve been trying to get a hold of you. After last night’s episode, the phone lines went nuts. Apparently, killing off your character made a lot of the viewers mad, and they’re protesting the studio. You’re a hit”.

Herman sat in silence. He thought maybe the booze from the night before was still reeling in his head. “What?”

The agent chuckled to himself. “Dude, they loved you. The public loves Uncle Emil. This is it. The studio called this morning and they want to talk. This is it, my friend, your big break. I told you it would come if you just waited. Now, get cleaned up. We have some negotiating to do”.

Herman remained still, the words vibrating in his mind. He’d done it. He finally managed to catch his break. After all those years, his talents had been noticed by the people who mattered most, the audience. It was finally time for Herman Silago’s star to shine.

My Favorite Craft Site

I’m a sucker for a great craft site.  I love finding patterns for all kinds of things, including things that can be made from items I already have lying around the house.  That’s why I love FaveCrafts.com.  This is by far my favorite craft site on the entire Internet.  They have patterns and ideas on just about every type of craft you can imagine, and then some.  They’ve got patterns for quilters, knitters, crotchers, and everyone in between.  And they’ve got an entire section on making crafts out of used items or things you probably already have at home.

Another thing I love about this site is the fact that they’ve got an entire section of e-books that you can download for free.  I’ve already downloaded the Recycled Crafts book and noticed that they’ve added a couple more since my last visit to this section.  Might have to check out the Father’s Day ideas book, already have the Mother’s Day version.

Seriously, if you’re looking for crafting ideas, check this site out.  I’m not endorsing this site because I’m gonna get something for nothing.  They don’t even know I’m doing this.  I just really love this site.  Whatever type of craft you enjoy, there’s something here that will spark your interest.  And if you’ve been looking for new projects to try, this is the place to stop.  Check it out, you’ll be glad you did.

Why Smoking Is Bad For Your Health

Everyone knows that smoking is bad for your health, but when your young and dumb, you do things that you someday regret. That day came for me when I was about 20 years old. A friend of mine and I were getting ready for a night out on the town. We got all dressed up, had perfect make-up and perfect hair, and were set for a wicked night out.

Just after I’d finished getting my hair done, I made sure to apply an ample amount of hair spray to keep every preened strand in place. As my friend was adding the finishing touches to her hair, the phone rang. It was my then boyfriend (now husband), telling me that he was on his way and to be ready to go when he got there.

Being the cool rocker chick I thought I was, I decided to have a cigarette while talking to him on the phone. I held the phone to my ear with my shoulder, put the cigarette in my mouth, and flicked my lighter. The only thing I heard after that was a very loud WHOOSH. Because of all the hair spray on my head, the flame had set my head on fire.

In a panic, I began putting the flames out with the only thing I could grab, the telephone. There I stood, beating myself in the head with the phone receiver and all my friend could do was stand there and laugh at the sight. My boyfriend on the other end of the line said it sounded like I was banging the phone up against the wall. It didn’t take long for the flames to go out, but the room reeked of singed hair. My friend had laughed so hard that she had to sit down and catch her breath. And to this day, every time someone says they need a fire extinguished, my husband throws me a phone.

I learned that day that when they say smoking is bad for your health, they had no idea how right they were.

Preparing for the Holidays

Yeah I know it might sound odd, but I’m already starting to prepare for the holidays.  Seriously, I’m trying to get a jump on the whole thing and actually be ready for Christmas this year.  I posted about looking for Christmas ornament patterns, but I’ve also started getting some shopping done.  Nothing extreme yet, but I’m getting there.  I still have to get through the month from hell, or as everyone else calls it “October”, before I can really get into the whole shopping for Christmas presents.

I’ll probably end up making most of my gifts this year, especially for my friends and co-workers/customers/people that come into my restaurant and just hang out. (Gina-lol).  I’m the kind of person who wants to give everybody something, even if it’s just something silly.  Unfortunately, God decided to make me a poor person and I can’t give to everyone like I want to.  So, that means I have to improvise and do something creative.  The creative part isn’t the problem.  It’s the making-it-look-like-it-does-in-my-head thing that’s the problem.  I get a cool idea and in my head, it’s perfect.  When I’m done, it’s not even close and I get frustrated and I throw it away and I give up.  Yeah, I know.  Not the best way to handle the situation, but I never claimed to be the smart kid.

Anyway, if anyone has any cool ideas for home-made Christmas ornaments or gifts, leave me a comment and I’ll check it out.  I love Christmas and I want to pass that happiness on to everyone I meet.  Whether they be in person or online, I think we should all take one month out of the year to spread a little joy and friendship instead of hate and discontent.

I Appreciate My Readers

Tonight’s post is inspired by The Follower Appreciation Extravaganza over at In Through The Out Door! I found this site because of this little giveaway their having, but the entry for doing the blog post is what really caught my eye. Normally, I’d do up a little report about the site and the giveaway, but this post isn’t about the giveaway or the contest, it’s about YOU. Yeah, all of you who actually take time to read my blog.

As anyone who’s been reading for the past few weeks knows, I’m working very hard to enter a blog post here every day for the August NaBloPoMo challenge. This month’s theme was “green”, and I’ve done several blogs about that subject in one form or another. Other days, when I’m running out of day and need to get something posted, I recycle some of my old poems that I wrote years and years ago as a way of making sure something is posted. And because it’s recycled, that makes it green. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. LOL

If anyone has actually read any of my posts from this month or even before, thank you. I know my friend Gina has stopped by on occasion, and I love ya for it honey. But to all those who read but don’t leave a comment, I appreciate you too. I’d love to hear from you, but it’s not a major issue. I’ve spent years trying to turn this blog into something that was worth mentioning to others, but nothing seemed to work. I don’t care anymore. It will be what it wants to be and I’ll be happy that I have a few people here and there that stop by.

To everyone who’s ever left a real comment, thank you. To all of you who like to leave your nasty little spammy comments, thanks for giving me something to laugh about each day. I even appreciate the fact that you seem to think having your link associated with my site is such a good thing. I’ll take that as a complement.

I know I don’t have as many followers her as I do on my other blogs, nor do I have as many as a lot of other sites. But I do appreciate each and every one of you who stop by once in a while to see what’s going on. I’ll keep plugging away, you just sit back and let me do all the work.