HAPPY LEAP DAY!!

Well it only happens every FOUR years so I guess we can be happy about that, unless today is your birthday. I can’t imagine having one today and trying to have my birthday on the 28th or March 1st on the other years. It must seem weird.  Did you know it goes all the way back to JULIUS CEASAR’S day 2000 years ago? I guess I never looked it up before or even cared about it. It just was one extra day every 4 years. WHY not every year is the real question in my mind?   Here is the history.. (if you care)

  The Romans originally had a 355-day calendar.  To keep up with the seasons, an extra 22 or 23-day month was inserted every second year.  For reasons unknown, this extra month was only observed now and then.  By Julius Caesar’s time, the seasons no longer occurred at the same calendar periods as history had shown.  To correct this, Caesar eliminated the extra month and added one or two extra days to the end of various months (his month included, which was Quintilis, later renamed Julius we know it as July).  This extended the calendar to 365 days.  Also intended was an extra calendar day every fourth year (following the 28th day of Februarius).  However, after Caesar’s death in 44 B.C., the calendars were written with an extra day every 3 years instead of every 4 until corrected in 8 A.D.  So again, the calendar drifted away from the seasons.  By 1582, Pope Gregory XIII recognized that Easter would eventually become closer and closer to Christmas.  The calendar was reformed so that a leap day would occur in any year that is divisible by 4 but not divisible by 100 except when the year is divisible by 400.  Thus 1600 and 2000, although century marks, have a Leap Day.    

 NO WONDER I DIDN’T CARE!!  EASTER close to Christmas.. yikes..well that would have been really weird.  So today you LEAP… You forget your diet, you forget your chores, you forget whatever you want because it won’t come again for 4 years. Celebrate and do some great things..things that make you feel like LEAPING!  HAVE FUN!

 

3,2,1 CAKE

 

Wow I was sent this recipe in my e-mail from one of my long time blogging friends CHERYL. It is so simple and I will be trying it very soon.. This is pretty hard to mess up and I can see children even being able to use it too. If you are on a diet or just in a household of one or two people..this will help you greatly. THANKS CHERYL. 

 

These individual little cakes are amazing
and ready to eat in one minute! They are perfect
for whenever you feel like a treat without all the fat
and calories that cake can have. Genius idea!

INGREDIENTS: 1 box Angel Food Cake Mix  (One step method)

 1 box Cake Mix – Any Flavor

 2 Tbsp Water

 Makes 1 serving.

 DIRECTIONS: In a ziploc bag, combine the two cake mixes together
and mix well.

 For each individual cake serving, take
out 3 Tablespoons of the cake mix combination and mix it with 2 Tablespoons of water in a small microwave-safe
container. Microwave on high for 1 minute, and you have
your own instant individual little cake!

KEEP remaining cake mixture stored in the ziploc bag
and use whenever you feel like a treat! You can top
each cake with a dollop of fat free whipped topping
and/or some fresh fruit. Helpful Tips:

This recipe is called 3, 2, 1 Cake because all you need
to remember is “3 tablespoons mix,
2 tablespoons water,
1 minute in the microwave!”

TRY various flavors of cake mix like carrot, red velvet, pineapple,
lemon, orange, etc. Just remember that one of the mixes has
to be the angel food mix; the other is your choice.
The flavor possibilities are endless!

NOTES:
The best thing is, you open both cake mixes into a gallon
storage bag, one that ‘zip locks’ or ‘self-seals’, or a
container that seals tightly, shake the two cake mixes to
blend and then make the recipe. Storage of mix is simple,
put it on a shelf. No need to refrigerate, since the mix is dry.

Always remember, that one of the cake mixes MUST be
Angel Food. The other can be any flavor.
The Angel Food is the cake mix that has the eggs whites
in it. So, if, anyone is allergic to egg whites, you can NOT
serve this recipe.

SHARK TANK

If you haven’t seen this show..you should be watching it. Ordinary people who come up with ideas to make money with products that will sell. OR WILL THEY? Seems that the panel of Sharks, who are pretty rich individuals and have made billions, sometimes don’t think the products are worthy. Sometimes they fight to see who can get the best deal. Sometimes they all go in together and make an offer. If you ever have lost a lid to a garbage can in a bad storm and try to buy a new one to fit..FORGET IT..you have to buy a whole new can. The couple on this episode came up with an idea to fit ANY garbage can. DID they get backing??? GO HERE and see. I have lost many a lid in my day and boy keeping critters OUT is a real problem. I gather if you have a problem that other people have too, and you come up with a way to solve it..BINGO you got a product that will sell. So my sister says to me.. “I need to find something to keep the cat busy while I am away.” DARN..someone already came up with many ideas like that. Well I will keep looking and thinking.

                                                                         Photo courtesy of ABC

This past Friday night I was watching  the program and  a mom and two young girls walked in the room. Right away, they smiled and were polite when the teen girl spoke and told of her product and how it got its name and why she came up with the idea. They did NOT seem interested a whole lot, until she told them how MUCH MONEY she has made on it ..MILLIONS already. You visibly could see them jump and fidget in their seats. How in the world could this young woman and her little sister be millionaires? ” Then why come to us for money ?”  To branch out and make more money! She came up with another idea. You can read the whole recap of the last segment on the show SHARK TANK here.  I hope they keep this show on the air. More of us regular Joes and Janes need a place to go to get someone’s attention and help. SOMETIMES, they turn them down..but does not mean they lose out. Just for BEING on the program they get coverage that can boost them into bigger sales. If I have mentioned this show before in my blog, well I guess I am losing my mind..but this show is worthy of watching for a few minutes. It sure will  make you start thinking, it has me. Show airs on ABC on Friday nights at 8PM.

VALENTINE’S DAY!!

WHAT to do?? All my cooking and baking things are in storage now so I decided maybe to find something I could make that was simple, easy and CHOCOLATE!! First I had to figure out exactly what I did have available without having to go to the store for something extra.  THEN it hit me.. why not the cake in a cup recipe I have. It’s sooo good and so fast..   and I have a large cup!

 I posted this on my recipe blog a long time ago and had forgotten all about it. It works!!  Here is the link to the recipe .. Hope you try it out.  Hope all my friends here in blogland have a 

 

WHITNEY HOUSTON..

I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU… my favorite song she ever sang..I must have watched BODYGUARD over 25 times in all these years.  I own the movie and the CD and loved all the songs.I was stunned to hear the news of her passing tonight. A real talent that will be so missed. When this nation suffered so after 9-11 she sang the national anthem. It gave me chills and was one of the best versions I have ever heard.

 

 

 Rest in peace…Another angelic voice for God’s choir in heaven.