Welcome to my
Perfectly Imperfect Life..........

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Sunday, September 28, 2014

EatSmart Precision CalPal Digital Bathroom Scale Review


I was so excited to be chosen to review
Thank you so much EatSmart!


The first thing you notice is this is not your ordinary bathroom scale. The sleek modern look had me mesmerized.

It's no secret I need to lose weight. I've been through a rough patch and am a stress eater :/  It's so easy to get caught up in  numbers...especially since my current 30 year old scale can't decide what I weigh!
It comes with the Owners Manual and 3 AAA batteries so that right out of the box you are ready to go. 


It has 4 individual settings for four users. You easily input each persons information; gender, height, activity level, age, etc. and it stores it. In fact, it can tell who is stepping on by your past weight, how cool is that!


  
 Next it needs to be calibrated. Just lay it on a hard flat surface.  Turn the scale on and press on it. The scale will light up, let it go, it will turn itself off automatically. It is now calibrated and ready for you to weigh yourself. I love that it has this innovated ''Step-On'' Technology which automatically turns itself on when stepped on.

  
When you step on the scale the large (even I can see it) bright blue LCD screen lights up to display three readings: your current weight, your BMI (Body Mass Index), and Estimated Calorie intake needed to maintain current weight. This is very handy should you want to lose weight. It gives you an idea of where you stand and by cutting back on calories it will aid you in your weight loss goal. After stepping off, The CalPal Scale will turn itself off automatically.

I am totally impressed with this marvelous scale and give it a two thumbs up! I look forward to using it to help me get back to my ideal weight.  After all I really need to get back to my healthy self since I recently found out I am going to be a Grandma for the first time!! I want to be around and healthy to watch this precious bundle grow up!
The EatSmart Precision CalPal Digital Bathroom Scale 
is available on Amazon.

Don’t forget to follow EatSmart Products on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
"EatSmart provided me with the product mentioned above for free 
in exchange for a product review.
However, all the opinions expressed here are my own"

Preserving the Harvest AND Exciting NEWS!!!


Cannin', Cannin', Cannin'
Cannin',Cannin', Cannin'
Move 'em on, peel 'em up,
 Cut 'em up, move 'em out,
Move 'em on, bake 'em out Canning!
 Peel 'em out, cut 'em in
 Bake 'em in, crisp 'em out,
Cut 'em out, move 'em in Canning.
Cannin', Cannin', Cannin' 
Cannin',Cannin', Cannin'

Yes, that would be to the tune of Rawhide,
I know I'm giving away my age and 
 yes, I believe I just maybe a tad delirious from the last few days.
Another 3 batches of Strawberry Fig Jam (recipe here) and 2 batches of Pina Colada Jam (recipe here),
  

2 Zapple Pies, one to eat


and one for the freezer.


That pretty much finished up the Figs and Zucchini.
A bunch of Tomatoes ripened at once, so the next day
 I made a Fresh Red Tomato Cake (recipe here)


I ran out of canning jars so I made a Zapple Crisp.
Love crisps, they are so easy to make.
I noticed the bunch of bananas we had were getting overly
ripe so I made Banana Bread (recipe here)
and put it in the freezer.


Whew, all caught up! No wasting the harvest here!

Then B showed up with 2 boxes of
Apples and a box of Pears!!


From T's Aunt Sharon's garden.
Thanks Aunt Sharon! 



After picking up more jars I started
 cannin', cannin', cannin' 
Whoops, don't want to get that started again!

But to make a long story and weekend shorter 
I made 4 batches of Chunky Cinnamon Applesauce,
2 batches of Cinnamon Rum Pears
(first time make them
OMG they are delish!),


A Pear Crisp and 2 Pear Crumble Pies!
The pantry and freezer are full of yummies!


Whew, all done..........
or so I thought.

M came walking in with a box of Pomegranates off our tree!
 And she said there's more, but they aren't quite ready yet.


I AM CANNED OUT!

Whatever is left over that we don't eat fresh I will be
drying instead of making Pomegranate Jelly (recipe here).


This little bunch is left from last year.
I make our "instant oatmeal" because we go thru a lot and it's too darn expensive to buy. But I toss in Walnuts, Chia Seeds, Almonds, granola, whatever I have on hand. These dried Pomegranate Seeds work out well in the Oatmeal.
Here are the recipes I haven't posted before.
Chunky Cinnamon Applesauce
Ingredients:
12 cups peeled, sliced, cored apples
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
Directions:
Place apples in large pot, add 1 cup water. Bring to boil, let simmer until apples are tender. Remove from heat. Mash with potato masher until desired chunkiness. Add sugar and cinnamon and stir until well mixed. Pack your sterilized jars with applesauce leaving 1/2'' head space.  Using a wooden spoon handle, gently slide down the inside edges of each jar to remove any trapped air bubbles. Clean top of jars with damp cloth and place lid and ring on each jar. Tighten. Water bath for 20 minutes.  When done remove the jars and place them on counter to cool. When cool, feel tops of each lid to test the seal. If you can press down on the seal it didn't properly seal so you'll need to refrigerate those. 

Fresh Fruit Crisp

Ingredients:
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup margarine
5-6 cups peeled, cored and sliced apples, peaches (whatever fruit you want to use)
2 Tablespoons sugar
Directions:
Combine oats, brown sugar, flour cinnamon. Cut in margarine till mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside. Place fruit in a 10x6x2 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with sugar. Sprinkle crumb mixture over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 mins.
Fresh Pear Crumble Pie
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
5 cups sliced, peeled fresh pears
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
Pastry for single crust pie
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter 
Directions:
Combine 1/2 cup sugar and the 2 Tablespoons flour. In a large bowl sprinkle pears with lemon juice. Add the sugar mixture to pears and toss to coat. Fill 9'' pie crust with pear mixture. In another bowl combine the 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 sugar, ginger, and cinnamon. Cut in butter till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle crumb mixture over pear filling. Cover edge of pie with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 mins. Remove foil, bake 25-30 mins. more or till pie is bubbly and crust is golden. Cool on a wire rack before serving.
Rum Cinnamon Pears
courtesy Florassippigirl
Ingredients: (2 pint jars)
4 cups orange juice or 4 cups water with 1/4 cup lemon juice
6-8 pears (depending on size)
2 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
2  shots Spiced Rum (like Captain Morgan, I was out so used C's Sailor Jerry) shh don't tell him!
Directions: 
Pour the OJ into a large bowl. Peel, core, and slice your pears. Place the sliced pears into the OJ to keep from turning brown. Make a light syrup by combining the water and sugar in a saucepan. Drain pears. Pack your sterilized jars with sliced pears and 1 cinnamon stick per jar. Pour 1 shot of spiced rum into each jar. Then top the jars off with the light syrup. Leave 1/2'' head space.  Using a wooden spoon handle, gently slide down the inside edges of each jar to remove any trapped air bubbles. Add more syrup if necessary. Clean top of jars with damp cloth and place lid and ring on each jar. Tighten. Water bath for 25 minutes.  When done remove the jars and place them on counter to cool. When cool feel tops of each lid to test the seal. If you can press down on the seal it didn't properly seal so you'll need to refrigerate those...or eat them!


Instant Oatmeal
In each sandwich bag: add 1/2 cup quick cooking oats and 2 Tablespoons brown sugar or 2 Tablespoons cinnamon sugar, which ever you prefer. You can eat as is or add pecans, walnuts, raisins, granola, etc.  Prepare with hot water as you would with store bought Instant Oatmeal.

Pear Crisp
Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup quick cooking oats
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
3 Tablespoons stick margarine, cut into pieces
4 cups sliced, peeled pears
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Directions:
In a bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in margarine until coarse crumbs form; set aside. Place pears in a bowl. Sprinkle with sugar, lemon juice, ginger and remaining cinnamon; toss to coat. Transfer to an 8 inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with crumb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until pears are tender.  
I doubled the recipe to use my 9''x12'' pan you see in the photo.


Now for that EXCITING NEWS!!

I'm going to be a GRANDMA for the first time!!!!!!

Yep, there's a little nugget in there somewhere
Didn't have these fancy picture taking contraptions when I had mine, So don't expect me to tell you where it is exactly! LOL






Monday, September 22, 2014

Happy Autumnal Equinox!


Autumn begins on Tuesday, September 23, 2014
and ends on Sunday, December 21, 2014


Things I  didn't know about Fall, did you?
Meteorologists consider September 1 the first day of Autumn.
But for those who prefer defining the seasons by astronomy, the autumnal equinox, which occurs
Monday night at 10:29 p.m. ET,
marks the end of summer and
the beginning of Fall in Earth’s Northern Hemisphere.
1. Nearly equal daylight in both hemispheres
During the fall equinox, the sun can be seen at zenith before its direct rays shift into the Southern Hemisphere for the next six months. Neither of Earth’s hemispheres is tilted toward the sun, which results in roughly 12 hours of daylight and darkness at all
latitudes      


2. Sunrise at due east, Sunset at due west 
Except at the North and South Pole, all latitudes on Earth see the sun rise at due east and set at due west on the September equinox. Until the winter solstice in December, the sun will continue to rise and set farther to the south
3. Fastest loss of daylight
Mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere see the greatest loss of daylight around the fall equinox.  At higher latitudes, the decrease in daylight is even more pronounced.
4. Not quite equal day and night
A common misconception is that the equinox means equal day and night everywhere on Earth. In reality, this isn’t quite true.  Not until September 26, 2014 are sunrise and sunset exactly 12 hours apart. The main reason for this is atmospheric refraction, an optical phenomenon that allows us to see the sun even when it’s below the horizon. Most places in the Northern Hemisphere therefore don’t see an exact 12-hour day until after the autumnal equinox, typically between Sept. 25-28.
5. Fastest Sunsets and shortest twilight of the year
Careful sun observers may notice that around the fall equinox it gets dark not only earlier but also faster. And they’re right – the fastest transitions between day and night occur around the two equinoxes. This happens because the sun crosses the horizon at a slightly steeper angle than it does on the solstices. As a result, we see the sun appear and disappear from the horizon more quickly. The difference is subtle closer to the equator, but is much more noticeable in high latitudes.
6. A warmer version of the Spring Equinox
Due to seasonal temperature lag, the Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere is generally much warmer than the Spring equinox in March – even though both days receive the same amount of incoming solar energy. Since oceans cover 71 percent of the planet, and water takes longer than air to heat up and cool down, it takes a while for the Northern Hemisphere to respond to a drop in incoming solar energy. This is why even though the days are shorter, it’s not uncommon to get a period of summer-like weather in October.
Yet, while Autumn is known for its pleasant weather, the September Equinox is a melancholy reminder that we’ll be seeing much less of the sun for the next six months.

More lovely Fall images for you to enjoy

now sit and relax......




Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Someone Had to Reach Back a Ways to Get These Oldies!

Taking a stroll down memory lane ;)

Jimi Hendrix and Mick Jagger, New York, 1969
(are they in jail?)

Paul Newman and Clint Eastwood

Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Warren G. Harding, and Harvey Firestone, 1921

James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor (WOW)

Ian Fleming and Sean Connery

Johnny Cash and Ray Charles

Elvis Presley and Tom Jones

Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash

Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

Charlie Chaplin and Gandhi

Marilyn Monroe and Sammy Davis Jr.
 
A Bay Boomers Time Machine
 







 





 
 
WOW!!
 
Wordless Wednesdays with:
 
 


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