My Strawberry Sponge Cake

I decided to make my famous strawberry cake for a potluck dinner at church tomorrow.  I say "famous" because I have made it for a few gatherings, and everyone seems to really like the cake.  I've gotten lots of requests for the recipe, and when we have a gathering I'm usually asked if I'm making the strawberry cake.

It's always come out just right, and I thought it had this time too.  When the timer went off, it looked great.  I was surprised how it had risen clear to the top of the pan on the sides.  I shut the oven off and opened the door slightly on the oven.

I looked at the cake a few minutes later, and it had shriveled up like letting the air out of a balloon.  I couldn't believe it.  I've never had anything like this happen before.

I was perfectly willing to work with the shriveled up cake.  I already had the strawberry frosting made, so I needed to use it anyway.  I was thinking I could frost it and then cut it up and put it on a serving tray.  I decided I had better try the cake, so I cut off one of the corners to give it a try.  The consistency of it is like a very old sponge.

What looks like a big hole in the middle of the cake is where I stuck the knife in to check it.  When I pulled it out, the slit wasn't even visible.  Now, it's looks like someone gouged a hole in it.

Since the frosting was already made, I considered making a white or yellow cake.  I got out my cookbook to find a recipe, but Dh offered to go to the store to get any ingredients I might need to make another one.  (I told you everyone really liked this cake.)  I soon realized it would be easier to make another strawberry cake, so here we go again.  If it doesn't come out, I'm done!

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Giving a Butterfly a Bath

Image via Wikipedia

Cinderella came up with another wild story last weekend.  We spent the afternoon at Grandma's house.  We took a bowl of pasta salad and had lunch together.

Later in the afternoon Cinderella was sitting at the table drinking a glass of lemonade.  There was a slotted, serving spoon sitting on the table that I had brought for the pasta salad.

Cinderella started her story, "One time a butterfly fell into my lemonade.  I used a spoon to scoop it out and then I gave it a bath."

I asked, "Oh, really? You gave your butterfly a bath?"

Grandma said, "Oh, poor butterfly."

Cinderella exclaimed, "Then I took it outside and smashed it into the ground!"

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Cinderella, Her Mother, and Tornadoes

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Dd has quite an imagination and comes up with some wild tales sometimes.  Some days she is herself, other days if you ask her her name she'll tell you that she's Cinderella.

At dinner tonight she was telling me that her mother was killed in a tornado.  I looked at her and said, "Then who am I?"

She replied, "You're Lori."

I thought for a moment about how I was going to outsmart this three year old.  I then said, "What's your mother's name?"

She looked at me with a straight face and said, "Rebecca."

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Westboro Baptist Church Plans Protest for Joplin, Mo

The controversial Westboro Baptist Church is planning to protest President Obama's visit to Joplin, Missouri Sunday.

Scripture tells us over and over that we are to love one another.  If we go to someone about their sins, we are to do it out of love and concern for that person.  These protests are done out of hate, not love. "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." - Jhn 13:35 NASB Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. - Rom 13:8 NASB Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, - 1Pe 1:22 NASB Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. - 1Pe 4:8 NASB For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; - 1Jo 3:11 NASB Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. - 1Jo 4:7 NASB

via Westboro Baptist Church Plans Protest for Joplin MO - OzarksFirst.com.

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Government Regulation of Light Bulbs

Please tell me where the U.S. Constitution says that our government is to regulate light bulbs. I bought a LED night light a while back.  It does not work well at all.  It shoots a single beam straight up to my bathroom ceiling.  I hunted and hunted at the store for a night light that takes an incandescent bulb.  It took me a while, but I finally found one in the baby section.  It's got  the moon and stars on it, but at least  I can see when I get up in the middle of the night. LED bulbs hit 100 watts as federal ban looms - Yahoo! News.

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Muslim Mothers Kill Daughters

I can imagine being upset with your children.  I can imagine not being happy with some of their choices.  I can imagine mourning some of their choices.  Still, they're your children and you love them.

That is, unless you're Muslim and your daughter marries a Hindu:

Two Muslim women in an Uttar Pradesh town, 40 km east of Delhi, allegedly killed their daughters because they had eloped and married migrant Bihari Hindu labourers, police said.

. . .

On Wednesday night, Khatun and Subrato, both of whom are widows, allegedly tied their daughters, 19-year-old Zahida and 26-year-old Husna, to cots and threw a rope around their necks. They then held the girls down and tightened the noose until the victims suffocated to death, police said.

. . .

"We killed them because they had brought shame to our community. How could they elope with Hindus? They deserved to die. We have no remorse,"Khatun and Subrato said Friday.

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Quebec judge orders three-year-old into daycare for ‘socialization’ | LifeSiteNews.com

What is it the government is afraid of?  Children that will turn into adults that will think for themselves! Quebec judge orders three-year-old into daycare for 'socialization' | LifeSiteNews.com.

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North Korean Prisons Hold 200,000 and Growing

We do not realize how fortunate we are to live in this great country, the U.S.A.

Former inmates at the political labor camp at Yodok, North Korea, said they were frequently tortured and had been forced to watch the executions of fellow prisoners, the report said, noting that the North's network of political prisons is estimated to hold 200,000 inmates. "North Korea can no longer deny the undeniable," said Sam Zarifi, the Asia Pacific director of Amnesty International. "For decades, the authorities have refused to admit to the existence of mass political prison camps. These are places out of sight of the rest of the world." The report says that almost all of the human rights protections that international law has tried to set up for the past 60 years "are ignored." After comparing recent satellite photos of prison camps with images from 10 years ago, Mr. Zarifi said, Amnesty International became concerned that the "prison camps appear to be growing."

North Korean Prisons Hold 200,000, Rights Group Says - NYTimes.com.

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Chick-fil-A: Guilty by Association

Chick-fil-A donated sandwiches and brownies to a Christian, family seminar hosted by the Pennsylvania

Family Institute, an affiliate of the Arkansas-based nonprofit Family Life, co-founded by Dennis and Barbara Rainey.

Now Chick-fil-A is under attack simply for its association with Family Life and their stand on same-sex marriage.

It started with student groups at universities across the country demanding that their administrations kick Chick-fil-A vendors off campus. According to change.org, which led the charge on petitions against the company, organizations at more than 20 schools are agitating against Chick-fil-A—including Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Duke, North Carolina State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, and Indiana University-South Bend (IUSB). (As a result of student outcry, IUSB temporarily suspended the nearby franchise's campus food service. Though now reinstated, its status remains uncertain.)

Then, last month after receiving appeals from PROMO, a group that describes itself as an advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality, the Clayton County, Mo., Chamber of Commerce abruptly canceled a planned appearance from Chick-fil-A COO and president, Dan Cathy. Chamber head Ellen Gale told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that until PROMO contacted them, chamber leadership had "no idea he [Cathy] held such controversial views." The disinvite led to unflattering coverage in national outlets like The New York Times and Time magazine questioning whether the restaurant giant, which operates in 39 states and employs more than 60,000 people, is anti-gay.

This is not just an attack on Chick-fil-A, but also an attack on Christianity.  It looks like a visit to my local Chick-fil-A is in order.

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We Have a White Squirrel

There's a new squirrel in town . . .

We named him Whitie.

He's small but appears to be growing.

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Just Between Friends (JBF) Sale this Weekend

Image by David Reber's Hammer Photography via Flickr

If you missed the Just Between Friends Northland sale earlier this spring, you have one more chance this weekend to attend a great JBF sale.  This sale is located at the Kansas Speedway.  You can find everything you need for baby and children here for a fraction of the cost of retail.

Event Hours:
Friday, March 25th from 9am to 8pm
Saturday, March 26th from 9am to 5pm
Sunday, March 27th from 9am to 5pm  **Sunday is half price day**

Due to construction, the only entrance to the Speedway that is open is the southwest entrance off of 110th Street.  This entrance is accessible via I-70.   Still, if you have little ones or a little one on the way, it is well worth the trip.

Go here for more information on this sale.

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When Murder isn’t Really Murder

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Johnson County, Kansas prosecutors seem to think that if you plot, plan and murder someone and then lead a crime-free life for 20 years before being caught that you shouldn't have to serve the time.

Mr. Mangelsdorf and Mrs. Harmon were having an affair  They planned and succeeded in murdering Mr. Harmon.  The two then went their separate ways, married, and had children before the murder was then solved some 20 years later.

Evidently, then prosecutor Paul Morrison made a deal with Mr. Mangelsdorf that he would support an early release for him after serving five years if he didn't get into trouble in prison.

Five years have now passed, Mr. Mangelsdorf has managed to stay out of trouble, so the prosecuting attorney's office is now lobbying for Mr. Mangelsdorf's release.  Mr. Mangelsdorf's family and attorney are lobbying for his release as well.

"For 20 years my client worked, married and had children and was an absolute model citizen and still is a model citizen in prison," Kreamer told the parole board. "There can't be any doubt that when he gets out he will be a model citizen."

"Model citizens" don't bludgeon their lover's husband to death with a crowbar.  You could argue that model citizens don't have affairs to begin with.

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TSA: American Public Needs to be Educated

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Alaska is looking into whether a compromise can be reached with TSA regarding full body pat-downs.  Here's the TSA's response:

. . .the TSA is looking for opportunities to educate but not negotiate security requirements.

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Signs of Spring

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Homeland Security Plans DNA Screening

If groping your privates and looking at your naked body weren't enough, DHS now wants a piece of you—literally!

Read more here.

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UK: Abortion Safer than Having a Baby

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I find this appalling and amazing.  Women are being advised by doctors that having an abortion is safer than having a baby.

In the US you may take the abortion pill, or you may have an abortion at a clinic.  If the abortion pill is chosen, you will first be given a pill that blocks progesterone and causes the lining of the uterus to break down.  Then, you will be given a second drug that will cause you to bleed and cramp and expel the fetus.  You may experience such side effects as dizziness, heavy bleeding, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, and/or chills.¹

The most common type of abortion done at a clinic is an aspiration abortion.  In this procedure, a tube is inserted into the uterus and the baby is suctioned out.  Side effects you might experience are blood clots in the uterus, incomplete abortion, infection, injury to the cervix, and more.²

No matter what procedure is used, a successful abortion will result in a dead baby.

Somehow we are supposed to believe that introducing foreign chemicals and objects into a woman's body is safer than letting the body do what it was meant to do the way God created it.  It's certainly not safer for the child.  Common sense says it's not safer for the mother either.

When making a decision, we all weigh the pros and cons.  I think this is just an attempt to give the abortionists another "pro" to add to their list.

---

¹ http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/abortion/abortion-pill-medication-abortion-4354.asp

² http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/abortion/in-clinic-abortion-procedures-4359.asp

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Sheen Miffs Witches

I haven't really been following all the hoopla with Charlie Sheen, and I certainly didn't think I'd comment on it.  However, this one caught my eye:

In a week in which the embattled actor described himself as having "tiger blood" and other apparently super-human attributes normally reserved in the pages of comic books, the star described himself as a "Vatican assassin warlock" during a radio interview. 

The description evidently did not sit well with the witch community in Salem, Mass.

Christian Day, a practicing warlock -- or male witch -- and member of Salem's Coven of the Raven Moon, said he was "angered" over the statement because it's a "blatant offense against our ways and teachings."

Day held a ritual Sunday with other members of the witch community to send positive spirits in Sheen's direction.

Day said Sheen was "reckless" by singling out the group and should apologize.

"If he made that comment against the Christians or Jewish people, there would be outrage," he told FoxNews.com.

I don't know where Mr. Day gets his news, but comments against Christians and Jews these days are welcomed and celebrated.  Making comments against Muslims, however, will produce outrage.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/03/06/witch-community-upset-sheens-depiction-warlock/#ixzz1GAxQF8W8

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Florida Motorists Illegally Detained at Toll Booth

Folks, we've all got to do like Joel Chandler and stand up for our rights.  Our government has made it clear that they will walk all over us and our rights if we let them.

Thank you, Joel, for sticking to it and seeing this through.

Stand up!  Say no!

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JBF Northland Spring/Summer Sale is On!

Image via CrunchBase

 

Just Between Friends Northland Spring/Summer Sale is Finally Here!!!

 

February 26  & 27, 2011

KCI Expo Center
11730 Ambassador
KC, MO 64153

click here for directions to the sale

 

Yes, we did get some snow yesterday, but the JBF sale is on as scheduled.  If you're concerned about the roads, they are in good condition this afternoon—much better than they were this morning when I dropped my items off at the sale.

Come on out and warm yourself up with those great bargains!

Click here to view the complete schedule for the upcoming sale. This link will provide information regarding the pre-sale schedule including shopping times and hours of operation for our public shopping days.

Use the coupon below for free admittance!

 

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Can I Deduct my Homeschool Expenses From my Taxes?

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I get asked this question a lot this time of year, "Can I deduct my homeschool expenses from my taxes?"  A tax-law change the last few years allowing teachers to deduct expenses has caused even more confusion.

The short answer to the questions is, "no."  Here's an explanation from the Homeschool CPA:

The IRS guidelines say to be an eligible educator:

"You work at least 900 hours a school year in a school that provides elementary or secondary education, as determined under state law."

To work means to get paid for your work as a teacher-employee. Homeschool parents are not employees of a school. We do not get paid; we do not get a W-2. The IRS will check for a W-2 from a school if a taxpayer takes the Educator Expense deduction. Homeschoolers would not have a W-2 from a school, even if your state classifies your homeschool as a private school.

Keep in mind that the tax-law changes from year to year.  Just because you are not able to deduct your homeschool expenses at this time doesn't mean that you won't be able to sometime in the future.

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