SPARK on Monday

Happy Monday!  It’s SPARK time!  Every Monday is the day to share a thought – we call them SPARKS.  “SPARKS” was started by Annie McGuffy of McGuffy’s Reader but ended when she stopped blogging some time ago. It was meant to be a way to start out each week with with a meaningful thought – something that spoke to each of us and hopefully everyone else who read it. Although Annie isn’t currently blogging,  a lot of us who enjoyed her SPARKS decided to keep posting SPARKS of our own.

I’ve said this before but looking for a SPARK for Mondays sometimes takes me HOURS…..I really love reading quotes and waiting until one just HITS me.    This quote is one that I’ve seen MANY times before but today – it HIT me.

I like this so much I’m pretty sure I’ve used it before as my SPARK.   But still – after all this time – it STILL speaks to me and I so TOTALLY respond to it.

Have a good week full of sparks….

Hugs, Pam

Bakin’ With Bacon and King Teddy

“Welcome to the Castle Kitchen!  It’s time for BACON!”

Greetings loyal subject (and even not so loyal subjects!) – everyone is welcome in the Castle Kitchen because just about everyone loves bacon – even people who aren’t supposed to eat it, love it – am I right?    ANYWAY, this is an interesting recipe I have for you today.   It may sound crazy – lots of ingredients and some of them you might think just don’t GO together but trust me – THEY DO!     It’s something different to serve for company as an elegant starter or for spending an afternoon watching something on TV, or DVD, etc. while you munch away on something delish.     Ready?

Cranberry and Bacon Swiss Cheese Dip

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup spreadable chive and onion cream cheese  (surprisingly most grocery stores have this semi-exotic item in the cream cheese department!)
• 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic pepper blend
• 3 cups shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped onions, thawed and patted dry
• 8 pieces ready-to-serve fully cooked bacon, chopped (obviously you can fry your own if you wish)
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, divided
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• Slices French bread baguette (1/4 inch thick), toasted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, cream cheese, mustard and garlic pepper blend. Add Swiss cheese; mix well. Stir in onions, bacon, 1/4 cup almonds and the cranberries. Spread into a greased 1- or 2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup almonds. Place on a baking sheet.
2. Bake, uncovered, until bubbly, 25-30 minutes. Serve warm with baguette slices.

 

Doesn’t it sound yum?   Well it is.   The Royal Family loves the stuff since we “discovered it”.    And the toasted French bread baguette is the perfect thing to spread it on but it’s good spread on anything.

I’ll be back next Saturday with another incredibly fabulous “baconized” treat……………….I promise.

Royally Yours, King Teddy

 

Friendly Friday Fill-Ins

YAY!  Friday!   Friday means fill-in-the-blanks with our two co-hosts.   We love this Hop and you would too if you join in.   You can get the sentences and hookup  with the HOP by clicking the badge above which will take you to 15andmeowing.     This week:   BLUE-Pam   GREEN-David  RED-Teddy

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1. Back in the day, I was very thin and tried very hard to gain weight – now I need to lose weight!

2. (NOTE:  Neither Ted, David, nor I could answer this one because the only pets we want EVER are cats!) is an unconventional pet I would like to have.

3. Though mouse/chipmunk catcher is my dream job, I’d also settle for working as professional napper.

4. I’d like to get Charles Lindbergh‘s autograph.            (David is a pilot!…….Pam)

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And that’s that for another week!   Thanks co-hosts…………we love filling in the blanks with you!    By the way – we love just about all animals (except for snakes….LOL) but as a pet, cats are the only ones on the list……both David and I have had dogs before but as we’ve aged we’ve sort of become more “cat like” in many ways……needing to nap a lot, loving snacks, etc.    LOL     Anyway that’s why #2 was tough to answer and of course Ted doesn’t want ANY pets – he likes being the STAR OF THE SHOW!

Hugs, Pam and Ted

Thankful and Poetic Thursday

Time for Thankful Thursday followed by Angel Sammy’s Poetry Fun.   Busy day right?   Right – but it’s “all good” !     I’d like to say we’re thankful for the wonderful weather we’ve been having BUT we’re back in a rain pattern and day after day of rain – everything from light showers to monsoon wind and rain.    Just the wettest Spring we’ve had as long as I’ve been alive (all 8 years of it) and my FIRST year was spent out in the weather on my own so I can handle this weather – – – it’s Mom and Dad who are cranky about it.   HAHAHA

Anyway, we’re thankful for all of you – our blog friends – thankful for Angel Brian’s family keeping Thankful Thursday going, and thankful we haven’t had SNOW every day.  See?  I turned my complaint into a positive.

Now, how about we switch over to read Angel Sammy’s Poetry message to all of us!

Please wake me when the rain stops Mom!   Hugs, Teddy

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Hello Poetry Fans!  It’s Our Time!

Yes once a week we get together and share our efforts at writing a poem to fit with a crazy (or not so crazy) photo that I’ve picked as our inspiration.    I have to admit most of my photos for all of us lately have had a “crazy” look but not all of them are.    What do I have for us to use for NEXT Thursday’s poem?    Well, I’ll show you after I share the photo I showed you LAST week for today’s poem – and my poem for that photo:

“Up Against The Wall!”

Poem by Angel Sammy Kimmell    ©May 15, 2024

 

He said “all men against the wall and spread your legs!”

Normally I only take this position when I’m ready to beg!

I know he’s a cop so I wonder what’s up?

After all, I’m just an innocent pup

All I know for sure is we’re all in a pickle…….

I hope when he gets to me his “frisk” doesn’t tickle!!!

 

I’m sure this photo was “set up” but it strikes me so funny that the dog is doing what everyone else is doing – I’m also sure the policeman isn’t going to find a gun or something stolen on the dog – he doesn’t have any pockets!!!!!!     

If you wrote a poem for the photo – please tell us in my comments – we want to read it!   Give us a link OR even write your poem in comments – but I sure hope you’ve written something because this Poetry From Photo thing is SO MUCH FUN………………………….

Now as promised, here’s next week’s photo – you have all week to come up with something to share next Thursday and I can’t wait to read yours!    Thanks for having fun with me.

Until next week….please be kind, helpful, and HAPPY!

I am the Angel Poet in the green beret…..and I hope you join me for POETIC FUN each week!

Love Forever, Angel Sammy

 

SPARK on Monday

Happy Monday!  It’s SPARK time!  Every Monday is the day to share a thought – we call them SPARKS.  “SPARKS” was started by Annie McGuffy of McGuffy’s Reader but ended when she stopped blogging some time ago. It was meant to be a way to start out each week with with a meaningful thought – something that spoke to each of us and hopefully everyone else who read it. Although Annie isn’t currently blogging,  a lot of us who enjoyed her SPARKS decided to keep posting SPARKS of our own.

My SPARK today is one that (a) either I’ve posted before because is seems so familiar, or (b) I have seen before and didn’t choose it over another one I DID post or (c) a thought that truly SPEAKS to be so loudly it SEEMS familiar.    I hope that makes sense.    It’s just that this really sounds a lot like something I’ve told myself more than once in my life and I am happy to SEE again!   I bet it speaks to you too.

It’s actually one of my favorite quotes – I’m sure I’ve even been TOLD this before and it left an impression on me.     Hope you find it inspiring too – as I get older it’s even MORE inspiring.

Hugs, Pam