Belle

T&O, check out this thread and then decide if ck is worth your time and energy to defend. ^_^ ck in the early days This part is my favorite - where he pretends he's his daddy.... ck's daddy speaks ck, oldiesman, allan and mike are all notorious for completely derailing threads and other behavior that generates the same type of complaints. The funny thing is, I think they don't even get along all that great with each other. :ph34r:

Mmmmm...... what time's dinner?

I've been truly protected in that I had never really experienced the death of anyone close to me, till this year. This year my favorite aunt died. She was only 14 years older than me and had been more like a big sister to me growing up. Her death came on the hills of the death of my maternal grandfather. I had literally been home only days after his funeral when she died. (I wasn't close to that grandfather at all, so his death hurt me more because of the pain it caused the rest of my family). Death does sting something awful and I can't imagine going through a series of losing those you're close to. Two of my elderly neighbors have adopted me as a surrogate granddaughter and I love them dearly. They are constantly losing good friends these days and it's very difficult for them on some days. Just about every Thanksgiving we celebrate together with a few of their friends. This year, there was one less of us at the table and I felt the emptiness despite not really knowing Rudy all that well. I loved the times I got to spend with him and he was so funny and interesting. I can only imagine how much greater the loss hurt them. My grandparents are also losing friends left and right. They are just a few years older than my neighbors and they have hardly any friends left alive. My grandmother finds it more difficult to find things to live for and is rapidly declining in her health (I believe as a result of her tender heart and how much these deaths hurt her). She's got one sister left alive (she had five other siblings) and, as of this past month, my grandfather has only one brother left (he had six other siblings). My heart aches for them. It aches for y'all, too, Dot. I'm afraid I'm not sure how I'll be able to handle it when I find myself in these situations.

Glad you and the missus are okay, Eagle. :) It's so cool when things like that happen, isn't it? I've seen more things like that since leaving TWI than I did during my whole time in TWI. And, I know you know this, but God does those things because he loves us, not because he wants us to "pay him back" in any way shape or form. I know you do great things for those you love and it would take away from those things if they tried to pay you back. Just thank Him and continue to love and live for Him. That's all He wants anyway, isn't it?

I know that in the past 6 years or so you've been presented with ample evidence and accounts. You just refuse to believe anything negative about your god, OM. I'm not going to waste my time on the foolish.

Thanks, WW! Disturbing and yet, the same talent for twisting scriptures that we learned, eh? This especially stood out to me.

Tonto, I believe you're right. Where did I get that last name??

Shanny Cakes These are awesome!! Kids will love these and Kristopher might even be big enough to help make them. 4 Egg Whites - I use ½ cup egg beaters 1/4C Cottage Cheese - I use low fat 1/2C dry measure Oatmeal Cinnamon - 1tsp or more to taste Splenda - 4 packets or to taste (optional) 1 cap of Vanilla Extract Place all ingredients into a blender for 20-30 seconds. This makes a very thin watery batter. Preheat a non-stick pan on low to medium low. Spray with cooking spray and pour in the batter. I make 1 large pancake but you can make several smaller ones. The pancake is ready to flip when small bubbles appear on the top of the batter. OTHER OPTIONS: Omelette Omit the cinnamon, splenda and the vanilla. Add some Italian seasoning, spicy salt and garlic to the batter before it cooks and then after it is cooked I top half of it with fresh spinach, diced fresh tomatoes and salsa. Then fold over the half like an omelet and Voila! Pumpkin Pie add 1/2 c. pumpkin puree, more cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and serve with sf maple syrup (yum- pumpkin pie!) Spinach Quiche Leave out the cinnamon,splenda and vanilla, but add 1 cup spinach, 1/4c. fat free cheddar or mozarella, and some garlic seasoning to the blender. Pour it into the pan and sprinkle 1 tablespoon meatless bacon bits on top. Sort of spinach quiche. Chocolate-Peanut Butter Desperation Add 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder to the basic recipe. Top with 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter. Apple Upside Down Cake Finely dice 1 small apple. Pour batter into srayed pan, and sprinkle apple on top. Flip it, cook through and serve with sf syrup. ( any fruit works as long as it's not really wet)

Lots of accounts of people being kicked out for not tithing, OM, but you wouldn't believe those any more than you believe people were kicked out for buying homes or refusing to sell their homes to get out of TWIt defined debt. <_< Lots of teachings from HQ on it, too. Your memory is awfully selective and you were in a totally different TWI than 99% of us.

THIS is my all time favorite recipe!!! I learned about it when I was on the SugarBusters! Diet. I still make it when I have to take something to a pot luck. Agave comes from the agave plant (yes, the kind they make tequila from). It's a little bit thinner than honey and little sweeter, imo. It's low glycemic and safe for diabetics. An excellent sugar substitute and I like it better than Splenda and other substitutes cause it's not processed. You can get it from the health food store - just make sure you're getting AGAVE and not GUAVA - Usually you find it on the baking aisle - NOT the juice aisle. I used to order mine online in bulk when I cooked a lot - I used it for everything. Anyway, this will win you lots of cheers and hugs and smiles..... DEBS CRUSTLESS CHEESECAKE 2 packages Philadelphia Brand 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese 1/2 cup agave syrup, (you can actually use 1-2tbl less) 3 eggs 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp lemon juice Spray a 7" cake pan with cooking spray. Cut a circular piece of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the pan. Spray the top of the paper. Bring cream cheese to room temperature in a medium size bowl. Cream with a mixer. Add the agave syrup and mix on low speed, just til blended. Add both the vanilla and lemon juice and blend in. Add one egg at a time, beating on low stpeed til mixed in before adding the next one. Pour mixture into pan and put in a 325 degree preheated oven. Place cheesecake in oven and bake for approx 40 minutes, or until lightly browned on top and it looks set. Remove from oven and let cool for about 30-45 minutes. Place in fridge for at least 3 hours. I invert my cake over a plate and tap the bottom of the pan with a knife to get it to come out, nice and clean. Peel off the parchment paper and then turn it back the right way on a serving dish. You can also serve it right out of the pan, just don't eat the parchment paper!!! ENJOY! NOTE: You could most likely use a small springform pan, like a 7 1/2" one if they have that size, but I don't have one at this time, so used what I had available, a small cake pan. I also put a pan of water on the rack underneath to help it from cracking, which it never did-not sure if this helped, or not. If you are going to double the recipe use a 9 1/2" springform pan as well as measuring the agave to 3/4 cup. If you want to keep it from cracking on the top, go to either of the sites below for directions on hot to do a WATERBATH. http://www.pdxnet.net/cookbook/cheesecaketips.html http://www.baking911.com/howto_waterbath_prepare.htm I have made this numerous times with wonderful results as well as rave reviews!!! IF YOU WANT A CRUST!!! Chocolate Almond Crust 2 1/2 cups ground almonds 2 tablespoons Splenda 4 tablespoons melted butter 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder Place nuts in bowl of a food processor; pulse until ground into a meal. Add sugar substitute, butter and pulse to combine. Transfer to a 9" springform pan. With your fingers, gently press nut mixture to form a crust on bottom of pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes; remove from oven and cool. Other ideas: Cinnamon Cocoa Granola 4 cup rolled oats 2/3 cup honey 1 cup bran flakes 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 cup wheat germ 1 tsp cinnamon 2 tbs cocoa 1/2 cup sesame seeds Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on low heat with lid slightly ajar about 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Cool and store in airtight jar. Use within 1 to 2 weeks. Makes 5 cups. BARBECUE ROASTED SALMON Recipe from: Cooking Light, May/2001, pg. 210 1/4 cup pineapple juice 2 TBS fresh lemon juice 4 (6 oz) salmon fillets 2 TBS brown sugar 4 tsp chili powder 2 tsp grated lemon rind 3/4 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp cinnamon Cooking spray Lemon wedges (optional) Combine first 3 ingredients in a ziploc plastic bag, seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally. Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove fish from bag; discard marinade. Combine sugar and next 5 ingredients in a bowl. Rub over fish. Place in an 11x7" baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400°F for 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve with lemon, if desired. Serves 4 per serving: 314 calories, 14.7 g fat, 35.3 g protein, 9 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 111 mg cholesterol, 1.5 mg iron, 405 mg sodium, 30 mg calcium ZUCCHINI LOAF CAKE 1 egg 1/3c oil 1/2c honey 2 Tbl molasses 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1c shredded, lightly packed zucchini 1 1/2c WW flour 2 Tbl soy flour 2 TBL nonfat dry milk powder 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/8 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/2c combined sunflower seeds and chopped walnuts Preheat over to 350F Beat egg in large mixing bowl. Beat in oil, honey, molasses, cinnamon, and vanilla in that order. Stir in zucchini. Combine remaining ingredients EXCEPT seeds and nuts and add to zucchini mixture, stirring. When mixture is smooth, stir in seeds and nuts. Turn into an oiled, floured 8inch loaf pan. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until cake tests done. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan; transfer to a rack and cool completely. MY NOTES: I used AGAVE NECTAR in place of the honey and molasses-same measurements. Also, when using agave, lower the oven temp to 325 and test for doneness after 40 minutes. Whole Wheat Sponge Cake 6 eggs, separated 1 ts vanilla 1/2 c honey, warmed (use agave nectar in its place) 1 tb lemon juice 1 ts grated lemon rind 1 c SG whole wheat flour Cut waxed paper to fit the bottom of a 9-inch tube pan. Butter the bottom of the pan; place waxed paper on the bottom, then butter the waxed paper. Do not grease the sides of the pan. Place the egg whites and vanilla in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until they are very stiff. Continue beating, and add the honey (agave) in a very slow, thin stream. Beat until the mixture is stiff and forms peaks. Combine the lemon juice and rind and egg yolks in a medium bowl. Then fold one-fourth of the egg whites thoroughly into the yolks, using a wire whisk to stir, not beat, the eggs. Pour this mixture over the remaining egg whites and sprinkle the flour on top. Gently fold all the ingredients together, taking care to incorporate all the flour, yet not lose too much air from the egg whites. Pour or spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake in a preheated 350 deg F oven for 20 to 30 minutes. When the cake is golden brown and springy to the touch, and the sides begin to pull away from the pan, invert the pan on a cooling rack immediately. Let cool for 10 minutes, then loosen the sides of the cake with a knife and remove the pan. Remove the waxed paper and set cake on rack until cool. NOTES: I've had this 3 times now, and it is fabulous, at least it is to me! We used the agave nectar, (no need to heat it as you would if using honey) reduced the temp by 25 degrees and baked it the full 30 minutes. If you try to invert it, be careful, ours slipped right out (thank goodness I was there to catch it). On the 2nd try, I added some lemon extract in it. Though my Mother didn't think so, it does freeze well. I figured out the nutrional values: FOR ENTIRE CAKE: approx. 1205 calories, 29 grams of fat, 210 carbs, 55 protein & 8 fiber. PORTIONS: if you made 10 out of this recipe, it would be 120 cal, 3 fat, 21 carbs and 5 1/2 protein-approx. OR by the ounce, each ounce would be approx. 65 calories, 1.5 fat, 11 carbs and 3 protein. PLEASE NOTE: I had originally made a mistake on the carbs per ounce and it has now been updated to reflect the correct amount

Oh, where's the one where ck's "dad" posted under his name? That one had me giggling for days.

LOL! When I saw the title, I thought it said Restroom FLOOR and expected to see this: LOVE THE SONG!!

Thanks, Jim. :) That smile changes the whole meaning, doesn't it? Kind of like commas and "also"s. I have a friend who refuses to be called "black" or "African-American"; he says he's BROWN. I'm just floored!! My MBA group was with an Islamic Black among others. She deferred to her husband on a lot of "small stuff", but so did I. She never gave any indication that she believed that and we really got along great. I wish I had kept in touch with her because I think she'd be willing to discuss it with me. I'm intrigued and apalled. I never learned much of anything about Malcolm X or any of the others mentioned in the article, but if that's what they believe(d) for real, then it explains their hate and intensity a bit.

I'm serious about my research being "innocent". Maybe I'm reading y'all wrong, but, I'm looking at finishing a book on Greek culture and found this purely unintentionally. It's something I never knew about before today. :blink: I really never knew about this and wouldn't be the least bit surprised if one of y'all did. Seems I was living under a rock after 1993 when I got involved with TWI. Prior to that I was having a blast learning about different cultures and beliefs.

OMG - have you heard of this? :o Obviously I hadn't till today. Shocking! I was doing innocent research on Greece and, here I come across this from the Patmos entry in Wikipedia: The island is also the place where the Nation of Islam claims that the black scientist Yakub created the white race as part of a misguided breeding program. According to the Nation of Islam (NOI), Yakub (also spelled Yacub or Yakob), was an evil scientist responsible for creating the white race — a race of devils, in their view. Yakub created white people by a process of "grafting" from the original black population of the world. It took 600 years for Yakub and his successors to fully whiten his creations.

He has stated his purpose here. It's not to engage in any sort of dialog or discussion. It's to raise hell. To torment, abuse and disgust folks. <_< I don't engage or acknowledge him most of the time. I was rather surprised and somewhat upset to see that folks even gave him any kind of recognition on the thread he started. But that's just me. Things have been really nice around here without ck, allan and the like attacking, derailing and otherwise disrupting a great dining experience.

Polar Bear, here's a link to one of the articles where they teach to give everything beyond your need: Josephene Wallace Article

Polar Bear, I remember when I was trying to get my ex-husband to see the doctrinal errors of TWI, especially when he was assigned to teach on the tithe and abundant sharing once. He couldn't find anything in the scriptures "to us" regarding tithe. In fact, I believe tithing isn't even mentioned in the Epistles (been a while). He ended up having to do some fancy scriptural gymnastics to teach what they wanted him to teach. I believe they picked him to teach it because they knew he would "do the right thing" and find a way to teach what TWI wanted him to teach - "give TWI your money and as much of it as we can get from you - minimum 15%". Truth is, there's nothing in the New Testament scriptures to advocate people giving money to anyone other than those who need it. We have no Levi Priesthood anymore who are required to live off the offerings (offerings - not money) of the people. At least, that's the way I see it, ymmv. :)

ROFLMAO!! And now, Patrick & Sarah, you can see what happens when one doesn't move past what we learned and experienced in TWI. Especially, the worship of men.

Cool Beans!! A co-worker is dating the girl who was hired by MGM Studios to set up, choreograph, etc. the Osborne Light Show. It's so much more impressive live and in person, not to mention that she's a young, tiny little thang with the most adorable southern accent..... And cute as a button. :) There are 3 views posted by this person. Since I'm not too familiar with YouTube and how to post these, I'll apologize now if I messed it up.

Sushi, you have to take one of the dogs with you when you go and ONLY use the drive through. :) They LOVE Vixen and so they remember me and always get my order to me pronto so they can give Vix a treat and say hi to her. If you go often enough, they recognize your car right away and already know what you're going to order, so it's even quicker. Shellon, that's grosser than gross! ewwww

Please say it isn't so, Strange One! PLEASE say it isn't so!

It appears as though, according to OM-logic, the alcoholic father who abuses his children is a good father because he "tells" them NOT to do what he does. Thanks for helping me see the (il)logic so clearly, Mr. Strange.

A recent report says that blondes are becoming extinct. And, no, I don't know if this is a "report", "press release" or "news article", but I do think it's interesting.