I lift up my eyes to the hills,

From where does my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2

Some recipes are easy to memorize the ingredients for and this is one of them. When I was doing advertising for a cooking school the owner told me the difference between their school and others was that they taught skills that could be applied to many recipes.

So, this recipe is sort of a take on that idea. You can adjust how many you make depending on the size of your crowd. 

There are just four ingredients. You combine equal parts of your favorite pancake mix and milk. Two tablespoons of butter per 3/4 cup of mix and milk and one egg per 3/4 cup mix and milk. You should combine liquids first and then add them to the dry mix. Some pancake mixes even have a recipe on the box. The recipe I follow is from a Food Lion Blueberry Complete Pancake & Waffle Mix.

If you’re cooking for two, for example, you would combine 3/4 cup of mix and milk, two tablespoons of butter and one egg.

Double the recipe if you’re making them for three or four people. So, you’d combine 1 and half cups of mix and milk, four tablespoons of butter and two eggs.

Then, you add a little butter to the pan, pour the batter into a skillet just like you would pancakes, wait until you start seeing bubbles and flip.

The filling can be as easy as adding your favorite preserves inside, then rolling them up, to more elaborate creations like a combination of Nutella, graham crackers, caramel and anything else you like thrown in that would be appealing to you.

Recently, I’ve enjoyed making savory crêpes filled with a cucumber, tomato and feta cheese salad–Like the picture below. You can purchase a prepared salad or make it yourself. Generally, the salad consists of equal parts chopped cucumber and tomato, green onions, a sprinkling of feta cheese on top then dousing it with oil and vinegar and adding salt and pepper to your liking. I topped them with homemade hummus from the cookbook Easy Elegance from Fabulous Fairholme [This is a recent favorite cookbook of mine. All the recipes I’ve tried so far have been ones I’d make again, and like the title says, they’re pretty easy].

I finished with a couple pieces of arugula. I think splashing more oil and vinegar dressing over the hummus would really make this one you’d want seconds to. Easy right?  Now it’s your turn to experiment. Enjoy.

On this day in 1776, the United States declared independence which was adopted by the Continental Congress. It meant that the thirteen North American colonies separated from Great Britain.

Wondering what novel to take with you on your summer trip? Years ago in anticipation of long flights oversees, I would read a book that was based in the area I was going to. I read Pride & Prejudice on a flight to England, then The New Italians on a flight back from Italy. You get the picture. Sometimes it’s fun to immerse yourself in the culture of the area. Or, you can indulge in a book that is just for fun. 

Let’s take a look at the popular books that are making the top seller lists right now.

The New York Times Bestseller List for the week of June 25, 2023

This is a list that combines print and e-book fiction. Click Here for more rankings from the New York Times.

1. Cross Down by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois
2. Happy Place by Emily Henry
3. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
4. It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover
5. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

The Los Angeles Times Bestsellers List for the week of May 21, 2023. Go here for more LA Times Lists.

This is a list of hardcover fiction.

1. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
2. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
3. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Grams
4. Happy Place by Emily Henry
5. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
6. The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks
7. Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
8. Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
9. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
10. In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

Amazon Bestseller List Overall. Click here for more from Amazon.

1. Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS by BTS
2. Why a Daughter Needs a Dad by Gregory E Lang
3. Why a Son Needs a Dad by Gregory E Lang
4. Dad Jokes: Over 600 of the Best (Worst) Jokes Around by Jimmy Niro
5. Lessons in Chemistry: A Novel by Bonnie Garmus
6. Happy Place by Emily Henry
7. Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, 1) by Rebecca Yarros
8. The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hildebrand
9. Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia MD
10. Atomic Habits by James Clear

Also, check out Barnes & Noble here.

Happy reading.

Have you noticed more public art features at malls and outdoors? This one was at a shopping mall. Fun.

Those little containers of shampoo, lotion and toothpaste are there every time you go to the grocery store. But now with travel plans looming it’s time to consider which ones you need. Also, what snacks will you allow yourself to indulge in? Here’s an article that might help when planning snacks for airplane travel. TSA-Approved snacks.

Packing Checklist

Here is a list of items to pack on your vacation. This checklist is for traveling where there is bedding and towels already supplied like when you are staying in a hotel. Check with the place you will be at to make sure you will not need to bring your own sheets and towels or any extra items like electronic adapters if you’re going overseas.

One of the best things about planning your packing is that you can spend time thinking about how much fun you’ll have, and sort of experience your trip before you go.  Most hotels supply shampoo, conditioner, and soap. It is suggested keeping jewelry to a minimum.

__ Nightclothes

__ Outfits for the total number of days and a few extra items just in case

__ Shoes and sandals

__ Underwear

__ Swimsuit

__ Exercise/special activity clothes

__ Extra items like hiking boots or wet suit depending on your destination

__ Evening wear for special outings

__ Sunscreen

__ Deodorant

__ Hairspray/gel

__ Makeup

__ Razor

__ Toothbrush/Toothpaste/Dental Floss

__ Facial cleanser

__ Hairbrush/comb

__ Socks

__ Prescriptions/vitamins

Extras

__ Deck of playing cards

__ Snacks

__ Novel

__ Sunglasses

__ Emery board

__ Nail polish and remover

__ [What else do you need?] __________________________________________

Considering traveling this summer? Here is a link to the best places to visit this summer in the US and the World according to US News & World Report.

In case you forgot, the season doesn’t officially start until June 21, 2023. With Memorial Day behind us though, it already feels like summer, right? And, the funny thing is that most usually think the end of summer is after Labor Day (September 4, 2023), but it actually ends September 23.

With travel plans to consider, check for a future post that will include a packing list so you remember to bring everything you want. It might prove useful.

Happy Travel Planning.

Each year on the last Monday of May, Memorial Day is celebrated in America. It is meant as a time to recognize U.S. Military personnel who died serving the country. The day’s beginnings started after the Civil War and became a federal holiday in 1971. Most people consider it the first day of the summer season.  Source: History.com, April 20, 2023

In years past when fashion trends were held to a higher standard than the relaxed atmosphere of today, it also meant storing winter clothes and refreshing closets with summer items, like summer whites. But, don’t mistake Memorial Day with Labor Day when that day marked the official end of wearing white.

What Motivates A Person To Join The Military?

A National Interest article nationalinterest.org dated March 19, 2021, reported on the top five reasons people join the military based on a RAND Corporation survey from 2018. Surveying 81 Army soldiers, they found 46 percent joined for occupational choices, meaning most were concerned about work. It appeared that medics were the ones who found the job to be a calling. Their research showed the top five motivating factors were:

• Adventure and Travel
• Benefits
• Job Stability and Pay
• Getting Away From Bad Environments
• Job Training

Summer Fashion

So, is the don’t wear white after Labor Day still a rule in fashion? Pretty much no in the anything goes fashion season we’ve been in. According to an article in community made.com, dated September 1, 2022, celebrities started challenging the rule by wearing white any time of year. Of course, depending on where you live, it might not make sense to walk around the remnants of muddy snow in white sneakers.

Finally, to help you get ready for summer, here is an article from lifetimeorganizing.com that gives you planning ideas on how to get your closet ready for the Summer season. The examples are for a woman’s wardrobe but men can apply the same principles.

Happy Memorial Day!

We have been creating videos and have placed them on YouTube. Most are made by one creator and a couple had a few extra helping hands with the camera and editing. That being said, we just want you to know that we’re still learning.

So they would be easier to find, we added a Videos page on this site. Go to this page to access the videos.