Cinnamon Tortilla Chips Recipe with Bonus Honey Drink Recipe

I figured, hey this is going up on Friday and most of this week has been recipes, so... lets ruin the diet again!

On the other hand, each of those tortillas as prepared is right around 100 calories.  Once you break them into chunks, then the calories get smaller right? 

Here is another one of those Dead Simple Recipes that I like to share!  Besides, it's a rare kid that didn't make Cinnamon Toast when they were a wee brat like we did...

Right, Pat?

Ingredients:

• 4 Small Flour Tortillas - I used 6 inch Tortillas.
• 1 Teaspoon of melted butter
• Cinnamon
• Sugar

Preparation:

• Line cookie sheet with Foil or Silpat or Parchment.
• Preheat Oven to 350F or 180C (if you must)
• Melt the Butter in a small bowl.
• Coat both sides of each tortilla with a light amount of butter.   I used a pastry brush.
• Place all four Tortillas evenly on a cookie sheet so they do not touch.
• If you are going to cut the tortillas evenly, now is the time.  I did not cut mine since I wanted a more homey feel to the presentation.
• Dust each Tortilla with Cinnamon and Sugar - To Taste.  I used a prepared cinnamon sugar mix that was sent to me over the Holidays... Thanks Pat!
• Bake for 8 to 12 minutes until they are crisp.
• Break into "bite sized" pieces.
• Enjoy.

This is one of those recipes that is tough to get wrong.

I guess if you are distracted and walk away from the oven you could burn them, but Cinnamon and Sugar is a wonderful taste so you really can't ruin this even if you are banned from every kitchen on the face of the planet.  If you only wanted one, you could even do this recipe in a toaster oven. 

Oh as a drink to wash this down, have a tablespoon of Cinnamon, two tablespoons of honey, and add 8 to 10 ounces of boiling water.   Allow to cool and serve with Ice.   Healthy drink that has only 120 calories!

There, did that drink redeem me?

Have A Mango - Picture

I was helping the neighbor this weekend.

They had a problem.  About 100 pounds of mangoes.  On a tree.  A BIG tree with BIG mangoes. Oh... there may be a second crop this year on that tree too.

The largest of that giant pile of fruit is around 2 pounds.  Almost a Kilogram for my Metric Readers. 

If one of those monsters fall from the sky, you're going to have a bad day.  Or you will lose windshield. 

The neighbor knows that I like mangoes, and since I won't eat all of them, I'll pass some of them out to friends who do.  After all, who can eat 100 pounds of fruit?   On top of it all, this is a Haden Mango tree.  There are many varieties of Mangoes in the world, but this one is my favorite.

The tree is right next to the driveway so that was the first side that we hit.  The tree being 30 feet tall, it took some effort to get to the ones that were highest.

We stood on the corner with a fruit pole extended to its maximum, then duct taped another pole to it for another 10 feet.  Since I was the tallest one around, I was elected.  Picking two at a time meant that there were four pounds of the fruit in a little metal basket on the end of a 20 foot tall pole.  Think of a lever.   We only lost one or two from the weight at the end getting out of control.

Beyond giving passers by some entertainment, we ended up with three large buckets of fruit, which gave me a totally full kitchen sink and a little more to spare.  After all, you don't stand on a busy corner with a long pole that has an orange basket on the end pulling fruit down without having a bit of a crowd.  Bucket after bucket went home, the work ended and the result was a kitchen sink full of the stuff.

The Spring bounty of fruit has arrived.  We'll be looking for a good Mango recipe or five.  I want to find a decent Mango Jelly, perhaps a Mango Butter, and yes they are different things.  I remember this recipe we made called Mango Chicken.  First you take mangoes, add Lemon Juice, puree... what happened after that didn't matter because you then had to keep me out of the mixing bowl with my trusty teaspoon because that was some of the finest pudding I have ever had.

Really Simple Pineapple Angel Food Cake Recipe With Just Two Ingredients

You got this far. 

You must either like Cake, like Pineapple, or just like my writing and are wondering what I'm banging on about.

You may just like my picture.  Sweet, isn't it?

Let me put it this way... You can bake this cake.

It took me about 5 minutes to make, and about 30 minutes to bake.

I saw the recipe float by on a feed of recipes, er... well you know what I mean by that... on Facebook and I thought I have the ingredients and didn't have cake laying around so why not?

Angel Food Cake is very light, even recommended on some diets if you are going to have a snack.

Personally I just really enjoy Pineapple.

Ingredients?

• 1 box of Angel Food Cake Mix.
• 1 12 ounce can of Pineapple chunks - IN JUICE.  Syrup will mess the recipe up and besides you don't really need the sugar.

Preparation:

• To a large mixing bowl, add the box of Angel food Cake Mix.
• Add to the mixing bowl the can of Pineapple chunks and all of the juice.
• Stir until the mix is smooth.  It will foam a bit to give body to the cake.   That's what you want!
• Add the entire mix to a GREASED 13x9 Baking Pan.  Yes, you do not normally grease an Angel Food Cake, but it worked fine for me when I did this.
• Bake as per the instructions on the box or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  My instructions said 375 for about 30 minutes.

Variation - Mash the pineapple chunks in a bowl before adding to the mixing bowl until they are smallish.   It will make the cake smoother and not quite as chunky.  Unless you like that sort of thing.  I have another box of Angel Food cake mix so next time, I'll try it with mashed Pineapple.  Just use a big salad fork and take your frustrations out on the Pineapple!

Discovering the Bonus Amaryllis - Picture

I'll admit it, I'm a bit of a lousy gardener.

Oh sure, I can get some things to grow or come back, but when it comes to keeping the flower beds tidy and free of weeds, I'm overwhelmed.

I was out back the other day trying to get the dog used to his new home.  Since he's terrified of any loud noises, I have to be aware of where he is at any moment.  

We have only had him for a little over two weeks, so he's still getting used to us and the environment.

First, dragging him outside the back door was a training issue.  You see the back door is a heavy sliding glass door that makes a lot of noise when it is moved. 

It reminds me of a trolley rolling down hill. 
Out of control. 
On rusty rails. 
Over the speed-limit.

So how did I solve that?  I added to the noise by hanging some bells on the door.   Now when the door is opened, it sounds like someone put an elephant on that trolley and is holding a wedding ceremony.   At least that is where I got the original set of bells, from my sister's wedding.   She may not have her bells any longer but I have those and the candles that were on the table displays that she didn't want.

Yes, Pat, I kept them.  They make me feel happy.

They don't make my dog, Rack, feel happy at all.

The first time he went to that door, and I opened the latch, he was gone in a flash of black and white fur.  I calmed him down, and managed to get him back to the door.   Picking the bar out of place sent him running a second time.  The door was actually opened with him there, but my hand firmly planted under his collar.

Purple collar.   Stands for a dog that has some issues.   He's not a Red Collar dog, by any means.

So we finally got outside and well away from the trolley tracks and eventually calmed down.

What to do with him that I have him out there?  

He managed to follow me around the yard, distantly, after sniffing the pool and judging that maybe it isn't quite right for a fearful little guy, and found his spot.   He has two of them, one under the big palm that can be seen from space.  It's a 30 footer, and quite imposing, so I suspect a little dog felt safe under it.   The second spot is next to the Tiki Bar under the Jasmine Hedge.  

I prefer the palm tree since it is out in the open.   I don't have to wrestle with plants if I want to get him inside quickly.

Walking around the yard I pretended to know what I was doing while pulling weeds from the pots and noticed the Amaryllis.  Just like the Mango tree around the corner, it's putting out a second set of blooms.  Rack couldn't care less, he just parked at Dog Rest Station closest to me and let me go about my little fantasy of knowing what to pull in the pots.  

If it's a vine, pull it, which is ironic since my yard is the perfect place for Virginia Creeper, Stinkweed Vines, and Asparagus Ferns.

After an hour of communing with nature and considering the benefits of Napalm use on the residential Floridian gardening scene as well as the possibility of introducing a goat to the yard, I realized that a mostly black dog with white accents might be a bit warm on a mid-80s day and my own back was striped with perspiration.  

Time to go inside and recuperate from the fearful back door drama.  Come on, Boy! Time to go!  I need to get to the home improvement store and get some asphalt.  The yard will look great dressed in Basic Black!

Honeybell Orange Blossom Picture

Wandering around the yard with a camera, you see some things pop up in Spring. 

My front yard that day smelled sweet, and floral.  The Honeybell Orange Tree was in Blossom.

That doesn't mean that there will be oranges on the tree.  I've had some bad luck the last few years.  Last year, nothing.  I didn't get a single fruit.   In fact, we were worried that the tree was done for.

This tree is too close to the carport, too close to the fence.  While oranges grow well in this town, and in Broward County, they don't like to be "too hot". 

Over the winter, we made sure it got its fair share of water when the twice weekly irrigation was done.   The drip feed lines were extended and pipes run out to the tree.   It also gets some water from the air conditioning as well.  May as well use that water instead of creating a home for more of my pet mosquitoes and algae. 

Every year we fret about this tree, but somehow it manages to hang on.  I want to dig it up and move it to a new spot, but I am afraid it would hate the experience and give up on us. 

One year that it did give fruit, I had the pleasure of walking to the yard, picking a ripe honeybell, and standing in the yard while eating it.  Yes, the Florida Trifecta of Home Ownership was won - the ability of growing fruit, eating it off your own tree, and doing so in your yard on a pleasant day.  That was pointed out to me by a tourist who was walking down the street.

No, I didn't give him the other orange from the tree.  It was a very small crop.

Some "Good" Questions - Humor

Why is it considered necessary to nail down the lid of a coffin?

Why don't you ever see the headline "Psychic Wins Lottery"?

Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?

Why is it that doctors call what they do "practice"?

Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

Why can't they make the whole plane out of the same substance that little indestructible black box is?

Can fat people go skinny-dipping?

If a person with multiple personalities threatens suicide, is that considered a hostage situation?

If a cow laughed, would milk come out her nose?

So what's the speed of dark?

How come abbreviated is such a long word?

Since light travels faster than sound, isn't that why some people appear bright until you hear them speak?

Ever wonder what the speed of lightning would be if it didn't zigzag?

If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the OTHERS here for?

A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a Train stops. On my desk, I have a work station..

If Fed Ex and UPS were to merge, would they call it Fed UP?

If quitters never win, and winners never quit, what fool came up with, "Quit while you're ahead"?

Do Lipton employees take coffee breaks?

What hair color do they put on the driver's licenses of bald men?

Should women put pictures of missing husbands on beer cans?

Why do people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older ... they were cramming for their finals!

Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office?

What are we supposed to do . . . write to these men?

How much deeper would oceans be if sponges didn't live there?

Clones are people two.

If a man says something in the woods and there are no women there, is he still wrong?

After eating, do amphibians need to wait an hour before getting OUT of the water?

If you're sending someone some Styrofoam, what do you pack it in?

Why do they sterilize needles for lethal injections?

Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?

Whose cruel idea was it for the word "lisp" to have an "s" in it?

Why do so many old people eat at cafeterias?

Why does Wendy's have square hamburgers?

A Golf Accident on a Sunny Saturday Morning - Humor

A couple of women were playing golf one sunny Saturday morning. The first of the twosome teed off and watched in horror as her ball headed directly toward a foursome of men playing the next hole.

Indeed, the ball hit one of the men, and he immediately clasped his hands together at his crotch, fell to the ground and proceeded to roll around in evident agony.

The woman rushed down to the man and immediately began to apologize. She explained that she was a physical therapist: "Please allow me to help. I'm a physical therapist and I know I could relieve your pain if you'd allow me", she told him earnestly.

Ummph, oooh, nnooo, I'll be alright...I'll be fine in a few minutes, he replied breathlessly as he remained in the fetal position still clasping his hands together at his crotch.

But she persisted, and he finally allowed her to help him. She gently took his hands away and laid them to the side, she loosened his pants, and she put her hands inside and began to massage him. She then asked him: How does that feel? To which he replied: It feels great, but my thumb still hurts like hell.

The World's Most Dangerous Recipe - One Single Cupcake!

Why is this so dangerous?

ANYONE can make this in under 5 minutes.

Anyone?

Sure!

Well... there is a catch.  This is from a mix.

I used a mix that called for 1/3 cup of mix for one serving.  There was only one ingredient other than that, water.

So if you have a mix that only calls for Mix and Water... you're done.

Ingredients:

• Cake Mix - 1.65 ounces or 47 grams.  Measure this by weight.
• Water - 1 ounce or 28 grams.  1/8 cup or 2 tablespoons.

Assembly:

• To a large coffee mug or small mixing bowl, add the cake mix.
• Add 1 ounce of water.  That is two tablespoons or 28 Grams.
• Mix it up until it's smooth.
• Take one Muffin Paper or Cupcake Paper.  
• Insert into a coffee mug that allows it to sit inside.  This will hold the paper upright so you get the Cupcake Shape.
• Microwave at full power for 2 minutes.  My microwave is 1200 watts.  Yours might not be and you will have to watch this timing.  Your Mileage May Vary!

My cupcake turned out fine, if a wee bit over done.  Next time, I will shave 10 seconds off.

Training the Dog to Stay Out Of The Trash

When I hear myself tell this story, I wonder whether it is Dog Training or Humor.

I think it really is a little bit of both and more.

We just got Rack, our little Mc Nab Dog rescue home.  Mind you, every dog has inborn curiosity.  Puppies are usually very curious.  They have to be taught what the rules are.

This being taught is usually something that Momma Dog will do, and if you are not in a puppy mill situation, the puppy should never go to their new home before 8 weeks.   Some say more, some say less.  Be conservative.  Momma Dog will teach the puppy how to play.   If those razor sharp teeth nip too hard, puppy will get taught just how that can feel.   Nippy puppies would most likely be the ones that didn't get taught by Momma.

Momma knows best.

So if you're lucky, you will find yourself with a warm bundle of fur that will be a companion for the rest of their life, knowing that you don't pull on the next dog's tail or bite its ear. 

After all, nobody likes their tail getting bit, do they?

Now, the natural state of Canis Familiaris is to be a companion.  The Dog is not a Wolf, they do badly if they're out in the wild left to fend for themselves.  They will find food where they can and the best you can hope for is to be found by someone and taken in.  Given a job, a dog is most happy, but they do need to learn how to behave in a house.

House broken, don't chew on the furniture, paws off the counters.  These are all things we have to teach our Best Friends.

When I got my little guy, Rack, he had been through a lot.  A shelter that sounded more like a Concentration Camp, followed by a better one, and then an excellent shelter for Herding Dog breeds at The Dog Liberator. 

Being a fearful and shy dog, he didn't have much of a chance to be taught indoor manners.  Intelligent dogs suffer terribly by being in a shelter, they collapse under the stress.  That was how I got Rack.  He needs a steady and gentle hand for training for The Next Level.

The first night was exciting enough, we placed him in his crate and allowed him to rest.   It was a lot to take in when you're only 7 months old.

The next day was exciting.  He came out of his crate, we got to see the other dogs, we walked around the neighborhood learning the lay of the land.   We realized that he's pretty much housebroken, which is a major benefit of having a Rescued dog.   They are vetted for that sort of thing and the most important things like hygene are dealt with.

As he relaxed, he began to show his intelligence and curiosity.  

Rack sniffed Oscar the Parrot's cage.  Oscar is named well, being Green and Crotchety, he lunged at the curious puppy and banged his beak on the side of the cage.   Rack backed off realizing this bird is not looking to be friendly.

Then he went for an exploring run.

We heard the thump of the lid on the kitchen trash.  Looking at each other we realized that we had to make sure that he didn't tear the place apart.

Yes, you guessed it, there's that stainless steel dog bowl perched on top of the trash as a result.

Five minutes later, Rack went back.

Momma Dog is not here, Daddy Bill is.  School is in.

We didn't hear the lid of the trash can thump.  What we heard was the CRASH! of that metal bowl as it hit the hard tile floor in the kitchen.   Immediately we heard Rack's toes try to make a purchase on that floor.  He came with his paws overly trimmed, toenails didn't reach the floor quite yet, but we heard them that time...

I saw a black and white streak come running around the corner, past the crate.   He was still scrabbling to get a purchase.  I smiled thinking that outdoors, he's going to be a fast little boy.

I also realized he wouldn't be in the trash again.

Shooting past the crate, his momentum carried him across the living room, around the coffee table, and past my legs.   He ran from the one side of the living room into the crate.

Panting from the effort, the little dog got his lesson. 

And that was how we stopped the dog from sniffing the trash can. 

He's been in the kitchen before but he carefully avoids that can.  It's a useful barrier. 

I will say that instead of a steel bowl, from this point onwards, I have some "jingle bells" that I got last holiday season.  I'll have a little festive warning instead of a crash.   I don't think I'll need it until the next time he is left unsupervised, but for now, I'll use it as a crutch or much more gentle reminder.

Rack, The Ridiculously Photogenic Dog - Picture and Video

I've been trying to get Rack to be more involved.  When he's indoors, he is very low impact still.  He's still that Shy Dog that I was told about when we adopted him, but he's opening up.

After a week plus of having him here, he still hasn't explored the entire house.   There's a spot in front of the couch in the living room between it and the coffee table that he's adopted as a lair.  He'll lay on the floor absorbing the cool almost all day.

When I stand up to do something, he'll look up and I'll get a wag or three out of his tail, sometimes a smile, and he'll go back to being mellow and lazy.

Since he's afraid of doors, yes, doors, I have to make an effort to get him outside.  Once he's outside, he's a different dog.   He's engaged, although still very laid back.  It's giving me an excuse to go out and weed the pots and planter boxes in the yard.   When I go from side to side on the yard, he'll wait until I'm at a spot before he will wander over.

The other day I was weeding the Mango tree's pot, and he plopped himself down, in the sun.  Absorbing power for a later charge-up, I'm assuming.  I looked over, got a tail wag and a smile and he went back to grooving on the Springtime sunshine.

A goodly sniff of what was on the air was in order when I realized that I had brought the camera out for a reason.   This dog was posing whether he realized it or not.  It's not even the best pose, although it is the best picture.

Ask anyone who takes a lot of pictures and they'll tell you about the one that got away.  It's something that any photographer worth their nose spot on the back of the SLR will tell you they have in common with a fisherman.

The nice thing is that if you have the camera with you, you can capture some memories before they move out of the sun and plant themselves under the bougainvillea to be weeded around.

It's only been a week and a half, but this shy little guy is blossoming.  Every day is something new.  Neighbors are noticing more confidence and he's more engaging.   He has dogs in the neighborhood that he really enjoys meeting.  We approach them and he's making little squeals of excitement and joy.   That says a lot for a dog who was cowering in the corner of an extremely noisy shelter just three weeks ago before he landed at The Dog Liberator in Deltona.


Thanks, Kevin for the Video!