I'm a Dipper...

...but not a Double Dipper! I love dip. All kinds of dips. Dips intrigue me, so do sauces but that's another story. Actually, it's a love/hate relationship. haha I do feel a little less guilty eating this dip because there is some protein in it! I'm a tofu lover too. :) 

Yummy Garlic Ranch Tofu Dip

1/2 Block of Firm Tofu

(could use soft tofu if you prefer)
1/2 C Sour Cream
1 Tbsp Dry Ranch Seasoning Mix
1 green onion
1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp lemon juice ( may add more if too thick)
salt & pepper to taste

Put all in food processor and blend until smooth.
Serve Cold.

A Rare Glimpse of Me...

...there are no pictures of me that I know of on the internet. I hate my picture taken. I am never happy with any of them. ever. This is a rare occasion.

The reason I am posting this picture is because it's of me and one of the most important people & beloved friends in my life, Layne aka "Bobbi". We are more like sisters having been the best of friends for 25 years. I have my arms around her & she is the one with the big beautiful smile. She doesn't like her picture taken either so this is a few years old. Just last year we were talking about how we don't have many pictures together then started taking goofy pictures of ourselves with our cell phones. We were belly laughing. I wish I had saved them all even though they were hideous & ridiculous.

I am asking for your prayers as she is battling for her life today & in the next few days & months to come. Cancer attacked her this summer. She has been very brave. Keeping her chin up even though she is being bombarded with heavy radiation & chemo but it's beginning to get the best of her. She had emergency surgery in the middle of the night. I know God says I shouldn't worry but I am unable not to. I can hardly think of anything else & in constant prayer.

Thank you for your prayers, they are so appreciated.

I Can't Believe...

... or *be leave* this year is almost over! Coming home from our walk today I noticed how the last of the leaves of 2010 are hanging on, draping the trees like a red frilly skirt, and the mossy path to the front door has a lovely red carpet welcoming me home.

Men!

Simple, Strange & Scrumptious!...

...I'm first in line for a culinary adventure. I love messing up the kitchen, experimenting, trying something new, a little strange, or out of the ordinary. This vegetarian salad is that! It may sound a little strange yes, but be prepared to be surprised at how scrumptious it is! It's cool & refreshing, sweet & tangy, bright & pretty, and so easy to throw together. 1/2 lb spaghetti cooked, drained & cooled *broken into pieces before boiling 2 packed Tablespoons of pickled ginger

2 Cups of undrained bean salad *this bean salad is not super sweet2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 green onion finely sliced2 Tablespoons of peanuts *adds tasty crunch

2 pinches of dried parsley *just for looks reallyServe cold with a sprinkling of fresh ground pepper.

I had a little photo help from Hubby (olive oil) before he left for his gig in Old Sacramento today. He loves noodle salads. When he gets home a cool dinner will be just what he needs. Grilled chicken breast & this salad. bye-bye salad. I will definitely be making this again. It's perfect for a summer party on the patio or packed into Chinese take-out cartons to take on a picnic.

Big Shout Outs go to Whatshername & Sharon Clancy Designs for featuring my art in their beautiful Etsy Treasuries! Thanks so much! Please stop by their lovely shops by clicking on their names above.

You're The Sweetest!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by today! I hope you are having a perfectly sweet day!

The Art of Analysis

Beauty Shop Girls

"Pump Up The Volume"

4x6 Acrylic on Paper

The inspiration for these beauty shop girls are my 2 Grammas. Mollie & Theda. Both of them had beauty shops in their homes. I myself am a beauty school dropout, failing to follow in their footsteps, to pursue other careers that didn't involve smelly perms, long hours on my feet, stained & waterlogged hands, but I still cut hair for my boys. Now I have a job that stains my hands, but I avoided it for many years and had hands with manicures to be admired.

My Gramma Mollie's beauty shop & her kitchen were magical places. A steady stream of people went in & out of both all day. As children, her shop was where our imaginations ran wild. Playing Beauticians after all the blue haired customers had gone home, we spun in chairs until we got in trouble, sat under big hair dryers pretending to be astronauts and letting the world drift away, had disastrous hair cutting "accidents", rollers & brushes stuck in our hair (also "accidents"), spills, fights, kisses, messes; we listened to gossip & gossiped ourselves, learned life is like a soap opera sometimes, had lots of tears & belly laughs. The shop was a place to get & give advise on life, although not one woman ever mentioned menopause that I can recall. haha Many of my happiest memories were in "Mollie's Beauty Nook". My Gramma worked in her shop for some very loyal customers until finally retiring at the age of 72.

My Gramma Mollie. Wasn't she beautiful?!

Finished Up & Giddy Up

Work in Progress (see below) is finished. I am calling this one "Sink or Swim". I love that name for this one and it's thanks to one of my favorite bloggers and blogs Teri Rees Wang. If you haven't taken a visit to her blog you should head over there now. It's delicious & delightful place.

I love The Dollar Store

Bought this horse for One Dollar and we had a Million Dollars worth of fun with it today!

Sunday Song

It was my first visit to Di4Art's blog that I heard this touching song. I ended up listening to it about 3 times and then her entire play list! I found this beautiful video of stunning photographs accompanied by the song. I thought I'd share. Thank you Diana.

Haiku Hello

Waiting for your call
Minutes pass by like raindrops
I am immobilephoto by radiofreesealab's