Time Lapse Cloud Video from Alex Schueth

Check out this time-lapse video of a cloud formation called Undulatus Asperatus by Storm Chaser Alex Schueth during a storm over Lincoln, Nebraska in summer 2014. It was over on Colossal.com today. It is just under a minute, and if you love thunderstorms like I do, I recommend taking a moment to watch. 

Yesterday's Best Funnies

Bizarro - September 22 2014

The Flying McCoys - September 22 2014

Sherman's Lagoon - September 22 2014

Zits - September 22 2014

Princess Bride Day is September 25th

 So it's time of that year...time to talk like a Princess Bride!

At work this year instead of giving out the DVD of the movie again, I printed out these meme's and am putting up one a day at my desk to honor the occasion. In the theme of the movie, some are just the play on words.

Of course it hasn't caught on with anyone, because I'm a dork, but everyone does love the movie, so It's still fun to share that common love of all things "Inconceivable!!"

This n' That

Calvin & Hobbes

Pickles - September 20 2014

We are having beautiful weather here right before the start of fall, today was sunny and high 70's and I think tomorrow is supposed to be about the same.

I am starting to get myself started on indoor projects for the fall/winter. I changed up the blog a little bit - it was time for a visual update.

Happy Friday

The Duplex - September 19 2014

Pickles - September 19 2014

Sherman's Lagoon - September 19 2014

What A Day

I took today off work for a doctor's appointment, and glad that I took the whole day, because I ended up fainting when they were drawing blood, and was there for almost another hour getting back to normal so I could leave.

When I got home I changed back in to my P.J.'s, climbed into bed, and thankfully fell to sleep pretty quickly and slept for a hour and half. But my stomach has been upset almost the whole rest of the day. It's weird I feel sick and hungry at the same time, I hope that feeling is gone by tomorrow morning.


After developing hyperthyroidism about 15 years ago, I had to go through about 2 years of treatment and get my blood drawn every single month and I never fainted. I don't really like needles, but I learned to deal with it. Today the gal was having a hard time getting the vein, and the needle was hurting my arm and then she had to pull it out and start over again, and I started to feel anxious I guess, and immediately felt nauseous. I said out loud that I think that I needed some water, and then passed out.

It's so weird to technically only be out of it for less than a minute, but still manage to have a dream that I suddenly come out of, and they are saying my name. It's extremely embarrassing to come to and have several people fussing over you. What a day.

Groundskeeper Willie's View of Scottish Independence

Like most of Scotland, I'm split 50/50 on this too. But what I can say with 100% certainty is that this is a great "Simpsons" video to mark the occasion!

Laser-Cut Wood Sculptures by Martin Tomsky

Laser-Cut Wood by Martin Tomsky

Check out these, and more amazing laser-cut wood sculptures by Martin Tomsky over on Colossal.com from today. His work is available for sale on the shopping website Etsy.

Today's Best Comic Strips

Today's Get Fuzzy and Sherman's Lagoon were pretty good.
We had another beautiful day today,  tomorrow is supposed to be just as nice,  but rain is in the forecast for the rest of the week.  Bummer.

Sherman's Lagoon - September 14 2014

Get Fuzzy - September 14 2014

Two Kittens in Poland Walk in to a Park.....

I subscribe to the YouTube channel of a guy in Poland named Krzystof Smejlis for hilarious videos of his cats Bobo & Nikita. He got Nikita over a year ago as a rescue kitten, and she is a character with a capitol C. She is so playful and talkative, and a perfect foil to the laid-back Bobo.

A week ago he started posting some new videos of these two kittens that he has taken in, but he can't keep, and OMG, they are so funny to watch. He has this teeny, tiny, little apartment, and it's barely enough room for Bobo & Nikita, but I bet he really would love to keep them if he could. This is the third video, and it's the best yet, enjoy!

Woodworker Frank Howarth

Over on Colossal.com today there is a post on woodworker Frank Howarth who has his own YouTube channel called Frank Makes, for the stop animation films he makes of (at least some) of his projects. Definitely worth a look-see.

St. Sophia Greek Fest 2014

St. Sophia's Greek Church

 For the last several years now I've tried to get to the Greek Fest 2 -3 times for either lunch or dinner, this year I made it twice. It started on Thursday, which is typically a quiet time, with Friday dinner time being the busiest. Thursday I went after work alone, and then Saturday I met Karen, Denise and Jo for an early lunch; good timing, because the lines were long by the time we left.


The weather was gorgeous, warm and sunny. The food is always great, I've discovered that I actually like the Loukamades better than Baklava as far as sweets are concerned. I love getting a gyro and spanikopita for the main course.

Karen, Jo & Denise

Loukamades

The Loukamades are basically a free form donut with a honey glaze with cinnamon sprinkled on top. They are so yummy.

The video is just a very small snippet of the two gentlemen that have played for the last couple of years at the fest. They are good, but it would be fun sometime to have a larger collection of musicians to join them.

Masters of Sexism by Jessica Williams

The Daily Show

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Watch Out, She's Got A Whisk!

Mother Nature saved the downpour for the first day back after the Labor Day weekend, so now I have no excuse not to finally post about ice cream.

My journey to making my own ice cream started with my Uncle Ralph in Delaware Ohio. When I was a kid, going to see my Uncle Ralph & Aunt Eloise was such a treat in so many different ways, but literally one of them was that he made ice cream.

My brother Matt, Uncle Ralph & my sister Melissa

He had the old kind of ice cream maker that was a wood exterior with a ceramic crock that the batter went in. It was hand cranked where you used rock salt and ice, and a lot of elbow grease. He only ever made vanilla and would sometimes add cherries, but oh my gosh, it was the best flavor and you savored every spoonful.

Less than 10 years ago I bought a ice cream bowl attachment to go with my Kitchen Aid stand mixer and my ice cream making adventures began. I mailed my cousin Barb, and asked if she had her dad's ice cream recipe. The one that she sent me made a huge amount, and honestly did not come out like I remember it, so I started experimenting.

I went online and started looking at different recipes and comparing similarities in terms of ingredients and quantities and after just a few attempts I hit on what I consider my 'master' recipe that is now the base for several yummy variations. I also ended up giving away the Kitchen Aid attachment and got a Cuisinart Ice Cream maker which is so much easier to use I should have just spent my money on it in the first place. Mine is a 1 & 1/2 quart capacity, so my recipes are based on that.

Also I should state, that there are some pretty technical qualifications to Ice Cream. According to the FDA it must contain at least 10% milk fat. I like to use half and half, so mine is probably closer to ice milk than ice cream, but it has the texture and consistency that I like. So if you end up trying this, you could use whipping cream instead, or a combination if you want it creamier.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

1 quart Half & Half
1 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 whole vanilla bean
3 egg yolks

• In a medium size bowl I whisk together one fourth (1/4 cup) of the sugar and the egg yolks and set aside. 
• In a medium size saucepan I whisk together the other 3/4 cup of sugar and half of the Half & Half with the salt. Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise and add to the pan, then whisk over medium heat until it starts to steam. Remove the bean and set aside for a moment.
• Pull the pan off the heat and ladle about a cup of the steamed milk into the eggs yolks and quickly whisk until smooth. Add that mixture back into the saucepan and continue whisking over medium heat until the batter thickens enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, being careful not to boil.
• Pull the pan off the heat and carefully scrape the vanilla bean contents into the batter, add the remaining Half & Half and chill for several hours or overnight and process in the ice cream maker according to directions (which for mine takes about 20 minutes).

So the first variation I made to this was to make Coffee ice cream, and so I did everything as above, but added 2 tablespoons of Medalia d'Oro Instant Espresso powder which I added to the warm batter before I pour in the rest of the chilled Half & Half. I do this with a flat whisk to avoid any lumping.

Another variation is to make it without the vanilla bean, but instead add 1 tablespoon of lemon extract. Yet another is to make it without the vanilla bean and add 1 tablespoon of peppermint extract, and then add chocolate shavings to make mint "chocolate-chip". The chocolate shavings are also a nice addition to the coffee.......

I'll post two more recipes in the near future. I'm signing off for now, but not without first posting my joke picture that I put together for the blog profile we did at work a year or so ago. Gotta love those phone apps!

Me, Boo and Julia (Is in there too)