Friday, July 9, 2010

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Posts Roundup at Dennys 14 Blogs - 4 July 2010

*** Check out news, political opinion - serious and funny cartoons, recipes, health news, poetry, funny posts, photography, spiritual thoughts and great quotes.

Cup of coffee from Brazil by il Quoquo @ flickr

The Social Poets:

Fourth of July Fireworks Cartoons - 3 July 2010

How Do We Live Freedom and Liberty? Libations Friday - 2 July 2010

8 Funny Posts 4 A Grin From Dennys Blogs - 2 July 2010

How To Save Obamas Presidency AND The American Economy

Funny Smile Quotes - Cheeky Quote Day - 30 June 2010

American Revolt: How You Can Break Big Business, Big Banks, Big Insurance, Big Oil, Big Lobbyists

Roundup of Late Night Funnies: BP Oil Spill, McChrystal Firing - 28 June 2010

Funny Video: Colbert Says McChrystal Had To Have Been High

Funny Video: Stewart Nails Republicans As Flip-Floppers On BP Escrow Fund

Funny Video: Colbert Lampoons Barton's BP Apology

Funny Video: Stewart Lampoons McChrystal's Balls For An Honorable Discharge

Dennys Global Politics:

American and World Politics Cartoons - 3 July 2010

Taiwans Whale-Sized Skimmer to Gulf Coast Rescue, Obama Ranked High as 15th Prez - News Headlines 2 July 2010

Kagan Takes Hits From GOP For Not Being Christian Enough - News Headlines 1 July 2010

8 Funny Posts 4 A Grin From Dennys Blogs - 30 June 2010

Spies Among Us, Scumbag Congress Denies Food to Children of Unemployed - News Headlines 29 June 2010

Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:

63 Quotes About Freedom and Liberty: Happy Birthday, America!

Why Smiling is Good For Your Spiritual Health: 7 Quotes About Smiling

Poems From A Spiritual Heart:

Fourth of July When Life is Simple

The Healing Waters:

Craving Ice: Is It A Sign of Anemia?

How I decided to start helping the economy recover: promoting small businesses while blogging on Muffin Monday recipes. I'm promoting bed and breakfast inns over Big Business hotel chains.

Romancing The Chocolate:

Cake Tuesday: Shenandoah Apple Cake

Muffin Monday: Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins

Cake Tuesday: Coffee Toffee Fudge Cake, Tunnel of Fudge Cake

Comfort Food From Louisiana:

Cake Tuesday: Red, White and Blueberry Shortcakes

Muffin Monday: Sour Cream Walnut Cinnamon Muffins

Unusual 2 Tasty:

Muffin Monday: Egg, Ricotta Cheese, Sun-Dried Tomato Breakfast Muffins

Cake Tuesday: Red, White and Blue Independence Day Cake

Dennys Funny Quotes:

Dark Humor: BP Oil Spill Cartoons - 3 July 2010

5 Funny Shorts: What Kids Think About Love and Life

Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious And Odd:

Funny Iran Sanctions Cartoons 3 July 2010

Funny Video: Surfing Group Known as The Radical Rodents

Visual Insights:

Hunh?! Cartoons - 3 July 2010

Dennys Photo Gallery: Fourth of July Spectacular Fireworks

*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets
Dennys Global Politics
The Soul Calendar
Visual Insights
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations
Poems From A Spiritual Heart
The Healing Waters
Dennys Art Sanctuary
Romancing The Chocolate
Comfort Food From Louisiana
Unusual 2 Tasty
Dennys Blog Feeds
Dennys Funny Quotes
Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious And Odd

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Check Out 5 Funny Cartoon Posts This Week - 3 July 2010

*** Keep the laughs going while you catch up on the latest cartoonist political opinion of the news!

Fourth of July Fireworks Cartoons - 3 July 2010

American and World Politics Cartoons - 3 July 2010

Dark Humor: BP Oil Spill Cartoons - 3 July 2010

Hunh?! Cartoons - 3 July 2010

Funny Iran Sanctions Cartoons 3 July 2010

*** Photo by Randy Son Of Robert @ flickr

*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets
Dennys Global Politics
The Soul Calendar
Visual Insights
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations
Poems From A Spiritual Heart
The Healing Waters
Dennys Art Sanctuary
Romancing The Chocolate
Comfort Food From Louisiana
Unusual 2 Tasty
Dennys Blog Feeds
Dennys Funny Quotes
Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious And Odd

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

8 Funny Posts 4 A Grin From Dennys Blogs - 30 June 2010

*** When times are tough what do you do? Laughter is the best stress reliever! Here are 8 posts from this week's posts at Denny's blogs for you to enjoy.

Cup of coffee from Brazil by il Quoquo @ flickr

From Denny: Between Colbert and Stewart, well, let's just say they have BP's shenanigans covered. Nothing gets past them!

In my ongoing effort to provide stress relief when the national conversation is so depressing - because of the BP Gulf Coast oil spill, a fragile economy and politicians who continually refuse to do right by the American people - we all need to keep laughing our way through these times until they get better. Trust that times will get better and they will. Until then, while we are in transition, we must develop coping skills for managing daily stress like making sure we are laughing often.

This is one of those times when it is true that "the pen is mightier than the sword" for the right kind of writing can bring relief to thousands in one moment over the internet. Pretty cool when you think about it. How many people can accomplish so much out of thin air? :)

Funny Smile Quotes - Cheeky Quote Day - 30 June 2010

Roundup of Late Night Funnies: BP Oil Spill, McChrystal Firing - 28 June 2010

Funny Video: Colbert Says McChrystal Had To Have Been High

Funny Video: Stewart Nails Republicans As Flip-Floppers On BP Escrow Fund

Funny Video: Colbert Lampoons Barton's BP Apology

Funny Video: Stewart Lampoons McChrystal's Balls For An Honorable Discharge

5 Funny Shorts: What Kids Think About Love and Life

Funny Video: Surfing Group Known as The Radical Rodents

*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

*** Come by for a visit and check out my other blogs:

The Social Poets
Dennys Global Politics
The Soul Calendar
Visual Insights
Beautiful Illustrated Quotations
Poems From A Spiritual Heart
The Healing Waters
Dennys Art Sanctuary
Romancing The Chocolate
Comfort Food From Louisiana
Unusual 2 Tasty
Dennys Blog Feeds
Dennys Funny Quotes
Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious And Odd

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Cake Tuesday: Red, White and Blue Independence Day Cake

*** Bake an unusual and patriotic attention-getting cake to wow your friends and family this Fourth of July! Please help support Warriors Pearl Foundation, helping homeless female military veterans come home at Denny Lyon Gifts from Cafe Press. Come see what's new!

Photo from White Lily Flour

From Denny: We eat with our eyes before we eat with our taste buds. This pretty patriotic cake sure gets your attention! Red, white and blue layers of cake are slathered with Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting and decorated with summer fresh blueberries and strawberries.

For a beginner baker - or if you are pressed for time and don't want to fuss with a difficult icing - this easy cake is for you. The cake layers are made from scratch and use buttermilk for great taste and texture, much like using sour cream in a cake or muffin.

When you finish icing the cake and have to wait a few hours before serving, hold off on the fruit garnish. With cakes like this I like to garnish with fruit as I serve the slices. That way you don't have to be concerned about the fruit starting to break down its juices and start to run watery all over your perfect cake and icing, sliding off like some summer park water slide! :)

Have a great Fourth of July weekend and thanks for visiting!

Update, July 2014: Since this cake recipe published four years ago, many bakers have moved away from manipulated fats (think Crisco and similar offerings). I prefer unsalted butter as at least you know what is in the product. No mystery labeling here! :)

Also, many have moved away from the traditional red food coloring offered in the standard grocery store as most were made from crushed beetles (serious yuck! factor), some toxic chemicals, and known to contain carcinogens. The substitute natural red food coloring that is more palatable as is offered from grocery stores like Whole Foods, Amazon and other online baking sites does not color as deeply but sure tastes better!

* * * Listed below are some sources for finding natural food coloring. * * *

So, however you choose to make this patriotic fun cake: enjoy your efforts and celebrate our country's birthday!

Celebrate America iPhone 5 Case

* * * Support Warriors Pearl Foundation - helping homeless female military veterans come home. Visit Denny Lyon Gifts @ CafePress.com - see what's new!

Independence Day Cake

From: White Lily Flour and The J.M. Smucker Co.

Makes: 12 servings

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray (or a Tablespoon of soft butter)
3-1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 tsps. baking powder
1-1/2 tsps. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1-1/4 cups buttermilk
1-1/4 cups all-vegetable shortening or unsalted butter (2 sticks + 1/2 stick)
5 large egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1 Tbl. red food coloring
1 Tbl. blue food coloring

Sources for all natural gel food dyes and colorings:

AmeriColor @ Amazon
NaturesFlavors (made from red beets)
India Tree @ Amazon (less intense colors producing more pastels and unenthusiastic reviews but at least it's all natural and no toxic chemicals)

Garnish:

Fresh blueberries and strawberries, optional

Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting:

2 cups butter, softened
2-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
1 (13-oz.) jar marshmallow cream

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat three 8-inch round pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper, cut to fit. Coat paper with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large bowl. Add buttermilk and shortening. Beat with electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add egg whites, vanilla and almond extracts. Beat an additional 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl as needed.

3. Pour ont-third (about 2 cups) of batter into prepared pan. Divide remaining batter into 2 medium bowls. Stir in food coloring to make one red and one blue batter. Pour batter into remaining pans. Tap pans on counter several times to remove air bubbles.

4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes before removing from pan. Remove cake and cool completely on wire rack.

5. For frosting, beat butter in a large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Gradually beat in sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, until fluffy. Beat in almond extract. Stir in marshmallow cream until well blended.

6. Place blue cake layer on cake plate and generously frost top. Stack white layer and generously frost top. Add red layer, frosting top and sides of entire cake. Garnish with fresh blueberries and strawberries, if desired.

Celebrate America Woven Blanket

*** Check out more recipes: Muffin Monday and Cake Tuesday

*** For more Fourth of July posts see also:

63 Quotes About Freedom and Liberty: Happy Birthday, America!

How Do We Live Freedom and Liberty? Libations Friday - 2 July 2010

Fourth of July When Life is Simple poem - Libations Friday 25 June 2010

Cake Tuesday: Red, White and Blueberry Shortcakes

Dennys Photo Gallery: Fourth of July Watermelon

* * * Support Warriors Pearl Foundation - helping homeless female military veterans come home. Visit Denny Lyon Gifts @ CafePress.com - see what's new!

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* Check out Dennys News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food - a place where all my other 20 blogs link so you can choose from among the latest posts all in one place. A free to read online newspaper from independent journalist blogger Denny Lyon. *

*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!