Who Says Grilling Is Only For Father's Day?

Yesterday was Mother's Day. My boyfriend decided to grill out for the special occasion. I recently ordered BBQ Grill Mats made by OxGord to review. Which is something I ordered after reading a review about BBQ Grill mats on my friend Martha blog post. Since I have Amazon Prime, I received them with in two days of ordering.

The OxGord BBQ Grill Mat came in the size 13 X 16. They are a non stick pad and easy to use. The best thing I like about this mats is that I can actually grill without dropping food off in to the fire. In the past, I lost many hamburgers that way. 

The OxGord BBQ Grill mats was great for the burgers and chicken. However, the hot dogs cooked much better not using the mats. We decided to remove one mat as we were grilling. To grill the hot dogs the old fashion way. Not everything grills so good the OxGord BBQ grill mats. 

I did notice the OxGord Grill Mats do clean up pretty good. It is easier than cleaning a grill. If you want a fast and easy clean up after grilling. These mats are a must have. 

Even my grandson couldn't wait to get food off the grill. I found the mat helped the food cook quicker. Without being black on every side. 

Who says grilling is only for Father's day? Not this Momma who loves to grill. 

Dog Quotography

For today's Quotography share, I have decided to share three  Quotography photo instead of one. I hope you enjoy them.

I think Gilda Radner got it right about dogs being amazing creatures. They give us so much love and trust. Even on our darkest days when we don't deserve it. Dogs will be there wagging their tails, accepting the pat on the head, or snuggling in our laps no matter who we are or what we did. Dogs never judge us. They choose to enjoy our company instead. 

Snuggling with dogs is something I do a lot when I am not feeling well. Or something is really bothering me. Both of my dogs will stay by my side til I start feeling better. Only leaving to eat or occasionally going outside. It feels good to know that are always there for me. It is like they know when I need comfort without me saying a word. The compassion dogs share with humans are like none other I have ever known.

Recently something happened in my personal life that shocked my family to the core. Something I can't find myself to talk about. We don't choose our human family. However, I am glad we can choose our furby family. As they have not let me down yet. They are more willing to stay by our side to help us get through any difficult situation. 

Has a dog brought you comfort?

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This blog participate in sharing a weekly post about Quotography. If you decide to join in, please drop me a line and let me know. Or simple add your link in the comments. Photos from Pixabay, a free use photo sharing website. 

It Was The Tomatoes

As I have grown older, I have had some health issues come up. One that has caused my stomach to swell to where I look like I am carrying twins. It hurt. When this started happening a few years ago. I started having issues with constipation. Which I didn't understand. I was eating a fairly healthy diet. Due to having type 2 diabetis.

I went from one doctor to another doctor to only tell me to use over the counter medications. Or to eat a diet with my vegetables and fruits. Except the ones that mess with my GERD.  I was getting confused by the minute. As to treat one health issue, it was effecting another in a negative way. All I knew is my stomach would hurt when it swelled. Til I layed down to sleep. Than I would wake up up coughing to the point of puking til my stomach was empty. By that time only thing coming up was yellow bile. Yuck! I would be exhausted by morning.

One day I was enjoying a pizza sub when my lips broke out in blisters. My stomach started to swell again. The constipation set in. I knew it was something I ate. So, the next day I ordered a cheeseburger from McDonalds that was only ketchup. Which is the ingredient I ate the night before. Guess what! It happened again.

This whole time I have been allergic to tomatoes and not had a clue. Now I can enjoy a pizza sub from Subway with no tomato base pizza sauce. Instead, I had pepperoni, spinach, olives and american cheese.  Place on a honey oat bun. It still taste delicious. No blisters on the lips, no stomach swelling, no constipation or digestive issues. Now I need to learn how to make chili without tomato sauce or V-8 juice.

Any suggestions?

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 Photo #1 thur #3 shared from Pixabay, a free use photo website. Photo #4 is owned and © by Sandy KS aka rusty2rusty.

Blogjob Suspended The Point System

The past few months I have been promoting Blogjob as a way to earn online. I can no longer do that. As of today, Blogjob has suspended the point system. If you can't earn points. You can't cash your points in for Amazon codes or paypal. You can no longer earn from your activity on the website. However, you are able to use the points that has already occurred to cash out.

This is sad news in the writing and blogging industry where people depend on these small websites to earn a little bit of money. I have seen so many of these types of websites come and go. To name a few : Gather, Boomertowne, Persona Paper, Bubblews, CP Gallery, etc.

As of last month, Blogjob claimed it was doing well in the earning department. Blogjob decided to close down for a few days to upgrade to a faster server. Eventually opening membership to new users. Ever since the server migration. The website has ran to a multitude of issues. In the last week or so, Blogjob issued a maximum point reduction per day to help fight the influx of memberships looking for a huge payday - spammers.

Blogjob is still open as a blogging website. You are free to create new blog posts and use the website freely. The only difference, you will no longer be able to earn from participating on Blogjob.  Blogjob has been honest and upfront with an issues of their website. Right now point suspension is suppose to be temporarily. I have no reason to believe otherwise.

However, in the meantime. I plan to remove a few blogs that have became inactive and leave groups that are dead. I do plan on supporting members who choose to stay on Blogjob and continue to write. Maybe with everyones help Blogjob will become a way to earn a little bit online again.

Cheers! Here is hoping to a bright future and a big thank you to Blogjob for being honest about the issues on their websites. I understand why Blogjob had to suspend the point system.

Are you a Blogjob member? If so, do you plan to stay or remove your content? What do you think of all the new changes? Do you think Blogjob will survive? Or do you think this will be the doom of Blogjob?

Dandelion Jelly Recipe

Dandelions have been growing all over my front and backyard. My daughter and I went around and picked a large batch of them. As I decided to make something out of them. Before they went to waste.

There are all kinds of things you make out of Dandelions. Plus, the health benefits you get out of Dandelions are worth all the fuss.

9 Things our bodies need that are obtained by eating Dandelions

1. Beta-carotene which the human body turns into Vitamin A

2. Vitamin C
3. Iron
4. Calcium
5. Fiber
6. Potassium

7. Phosphorus

8. Magnesium

9. Zinc 

Health Benefits You Obtain From
Eating Dandelions  

1. Protects bones from age-related damage.

2. Detoxifies the liver.

3. Promoting digestion.

4. Helps to stimulate the production of insulin from the pancreas. 

5. Useful in treating skin issues. Such as  itching, ringworm, and eczema.
6. The juice fights acne.
7. Low in calories which help promote weight loss.

8. Fights cancer - high in antioxidants

9. Jaundice - helps regulate bile production
10. Helps fight constipation 

11. Anemia - high in iron

12. Helps diabetics to lower their blood sugar

Learning all about the benefits made me determine this year I will make something from Dandelions. Not just write about it.  I looked up recipes for dandelion jelly, tea, and fried Dandelion greens etc. I decided on making Dandelion jelly. The original recipe I found through Simply Canning website. I converted the recipe to make a larger batch.

Dandelion Jelly
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9 cups of Dandelion tea
12 cups of Stevia or other sugar alternative
6 Tablespoons of lime juice
3 boxes of powdered pectin

You make the Dandelion tea by adding the yellow flower of the Dandelion to a pot. Add as many cups of HOT water, as you have Dandelions. Cover pot, let sit overnight. Sometimes I let it sit for a couple of days. The longer it sits, the stronger the tea will be. It should have a yellow to light brown tint when complete

Add Dandelion tea, lime juice and pectin in sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Add sugar. Make sure sugar gets blended into completely. Otherwise, it will stick to bottom of your sauce pan and burn. Bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat. Add to jars. make sure you leave 1/4 inch of space from the top.

You can process these in a water bath for 10 minutes. Or process for 10 minutes if you are under 6000 feet elevation. 15 minutes if you are over 6000 feet elevation.

Now I let the jelly set for 48 hours to jell up before using. Jelly must be refrigerated once opened.

I made 36 small jelly jars.

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WW : Taco Bell

My boyfriend, daughter and I went to Taco Bell for a quick lunch. I normally do not go to Taco Bell because of all the process food they prepare. It doesn't agree with my body as I get older. My family wanted something quick to eat. As I wanted to save money. Taco Bell won.

The photo of cheesy crunchy griller and crunchy cheesy quesadilla looks like a commercial.

My daughter enjoying a potato griller.

I enjoyed eating my Taco Bell food.

Look at all the lettuce and cheese Taco Bell puts on the taco.

Do you eat at Taco Bell? If so, what is something you order routinely?

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This post participates in a weekly challenge called Wordless Wednesday. Where one shares as many photos as possible with as few words as possible. Letting the photos speak for themselves.

National Adopt A Shelter Pet Day 2016

Today is National Adopt A Shelter Pet Day. It is to bring awareness of all the animals in shelters throughout the United States.  Every year, there are an estimated amount of 3 to 4 million animals in shelters looking for a forever home. 

Unfortunately, if a shelter animal can not find a forever home. The unthinkable happens. They will be put to sleep. Shelter animals can put to sleep for a number of reasons. The main reason is overcrowding. The demands for shelter pets do not meet the supply. Sadly, there is not enough space. One must be put to sleep to make room for new shelter animals coming in.

An animal can be held for several days before it is put to sleep. However, if it is an owner surrender. It can be immediately. Black and bully breeds (pit bull, mastiff, rottweiler, etc.) coming in to shelters are a death sentence. As they are hard to adopt. If one comes in with a sniffle, it is automatically put to sleep. In order to prevent an outbreak in the shelter.

Excuses people give when surrendering an animal to an animal shelter : 

1. I'm moving or getting a divorce.

2. The dog is bigger than I anticipated.

3. I don't have time for him.

4. She won't stop chewing on things.

5. I don't want the stress of finding a home.
6. I'm having a baby.

Why should you adopt a shelter pet?

Adopting a pet from a shelter is cheaper than buying from a breeder. As shelter dogs are not only mixed breeds and mutts. I know of a breeder who will surrender a litter if they have to many. Or if all are not bought by a certain age. 

Your adopted pet will be fully vetted before you adopted it. That means the animal will be current on all shots, spayed or neutered to prevent more unwanted litters. Plus, be microchipped. 

I could go on and on about reasons why you should adopt a shelter pet. However, I won't. I will say the main reason why you should adopt from a shelter : You're the animals last hope before death. 

Photod from Pixabay.com a free use photo website.

WW : Dinner Date At Kissners

Things have been rather busy at my place. Between watching my 22 month grandson and having two roommates in my tiny home. Which already includes two adults and two teens can get pretty hectic.

Yesterday, I went on a dinner date with my boyfriend. As we very much needed some alone time. We had not had a date or any alone time longer than I would have liked.

We went on our dinner date to a local place called 'Kissner's'. As we had not ate there in awhile. Kissner's has been around since before I was born.

The place still has the original bar from back in the good old days. When saloons lined up and down the street of Defiance. Before all the hustle and bustle of modern life.

My boyfriend ordered the 'Carl' burger or was it the 'Carl Jr.' The burger was named after the current owner. It is the biggest burger on the menu. What I like about this place, the owner still works there. He actually brought us our menus' and took our drink orders. before telling us who our waitress would be. Not places do that anymore.

I had to share this photo to show how big the 'Carl Burger' actually is. It is almost as big as my boyfriend's head. 

I ordered the 'Sizzler Boy', which is a sizzler served with mushroom and swiss cheese on a hoagie bun.

I won't ruin the surprise on learning the history of 'Kissner's". If you are ever in the NW Ohio area, looking for a good place to eat. Stop on by "Kissner's". 

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This post was written as a part of an ongoing series every wednesday called "Wordless Wednesday". To learn more about it. Please go to the tab page marked "Wordless Wednesday".