World AIDS Day

Tomorrow, December 1st, is the 20th observance of World AIDS Day. HIV/AIDS carries quite a stigma even after more than 20 years of education, research, and awareness. We've come a long way in understanding what it is, how it develops, and how it is transmitted but there is still a lot of misinformation out there. Just over 1.1 million Americans are estimated to have HIV and 232,000 don't know it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I encourage you to take some time today to update your HIV/AIDS knowledge. Here are some links to get you started:

What activities increase your risk of infection?

Types of HIV Tests: Did you know there is one blood test that gives results in 5-60 minutes or a saliva test for the needle-phobic?

About 29% of all people with AIDS in the United States are age 50 or over. In 2001, this proportion was 17%. "Viagra and other drugs that help men get and maintain an erection may contribute to increased rates of sexual activity and sexually transmitted diseases among older people, as they do for younger people." (This reminds me of the herpes outbreak at a retirement community).

Top Ten HIV/AIDS Myths

Is the AIDS crisis overblown? Should governments be investing funds into diseases which affect more people than AIDS (like pneumonia, measles, and malaria)?

Will HIV testing be as routine as a cholesterol check? In September 2006, the CDC recommended routine testing for everyone ages 13 to 64, whether they think they're at risk for HIV or not. Would you be tested if your doctor offered it to you?

An Unhappy Ending for Adoption

Woman gives back her adopted son after 2 weeks - After years of trying to get pregnant and a long adoption process, a woman in the UK returned her 2 year old son to foster care after only two weeks with him because she felt she could not "love him properly". For his own safety, he was returned to foster care and later adopted again. Instead of looking at her son as a gift, she saw him as a reflection of her own personal failure to have biological children. I find it hard to believe that any person could be so self-centered and have their only thought be "but how does this make ME feel", especially when there is a child involved. What makes this story more tragic is how her husband was initially against adoption, feel in love with this child, but allowed her to make the decision to return him to foster care instead of addressing her obvious mental health needs.

This is a heartbreaking story, but I have a feeling there is more to it than is being presented (isn't there always?). Not having children myself, I don't know how long it would take to "bond" with or feel connected to a child, adopted or biological. Were her emotional expectations of having a child too high, especially after years of infertility? Did she set some impossible standard of perfection for herself and her child? The one question I don't have an answer to is: How do you know you don't love a child "enough"?

Easy Macaroni and Cheese

During this month, I've been posting different versions of my favorite holiday recipes. Last time it was "Real Simple" Macaroni and Cheese (which really isn't). Today I have a great recipe for Macaroni and Cheese to share. This recipe is so easy to make and it doesn't involve cooking milk and cheese over a stove. I made this recipe last Easter and my family enjoyed a lot more than the other Macaroni and Cheese I used to make.


Ingredients:
1 box (16 oz.) elbow macaroni
1 lb. grated Cheddar Cheese
1/2 lb. grated Muenster Cheese
1 pint heavy cream
3 eggs
1 stick of butter

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350F
• Cook the noodles according to the package directions
• While noodles cook, grate cheeses
  
• Place a few pats of butter in the bottom of a rectangular casserole dish
• Pour 1/2 the noodles in the bottom of the dish
• Sprinkle 1/2 the cheese and top with a few pats of butter
• Pour the remaining noodles on the top, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and top with more pats of butter
• Crack the eggs in a bowl, and beat the cream and eggs until smooth
• Pour the cream and egg mixture over the top of the macaroni (do it slowly giving the cream time to get to the bottom of the pan)
• Bake for 20 minutes
• Continue to bake until the cheese is bubbly and a little brown on the edges

Enjoy!

"Real Simple" Macaroni and Cheese

Welcome back to Holiday Cooking the Traditional Way and the Holly Way! Today's recipe is a Macaroni and Cheese recipe I got out of Real Simple magazine. I had always wanted to make homemade Macaroni and Cheese, but I never knew how to do it without opening a box of the blue stuff. I was excited when I found this recipe because I was confident I would make a fantastic dish that everyone would love. This is a good recipe and it does makes delicious macaroni and cheese, but it is challenging to make for a novice chef. In this recipe you make the sauce for the macaroni and cheese with milk and cheese. Cooking milk and cheese over a hot stove is not as simple as one would think. It tends to stick to the bottom of a pan if you're not stirring it fast enough (which I learned the hard way more than once) but if you stir it too fast it doesn't get hot enough. This recipe is more of what I would call a "gourmet" Macaroni and Cheese (especially with the Gruyère) and not what I would consider suitable for a casual family Thanksgiving. Here is the "Real Simple" recipe for Macaroni and Cheese:

Ingredients:
1 pound elbow macaroni
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups whole or low-fat milk
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Cheddar
2 cups (8 ounces) grated Gruyère
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350° F.

Cook the macaroni according to the package directions.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the top. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Still stirring, slowly add the milk. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, about 7 minutes. Add the Cheddar, Gruyère, salt, and cayenne (if using) and heat until the cheeses melt.

Drain and rinse the macaroni. Add it to the sauce and toss. Transfer to a buttered casserole. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

I've made this recipe twice and it's always gotten rave reviews. But with the cost of Gruyère cheese and the time involved in making this, I started looking for other Macaroni and Cheese recipes. I'll share the new family favorite next time.

Sunday Leftovers

Here's some links I've come across this week that were of interest to me, so I hope they'll be of interest to you:

- Jess over at Making Home reminds us that God is Sovereign over ALL Human Authorities. This is a good reminder that we should acknowledge the Sovereignty of God not just when we want to and not just at election time, but all the time.

- How Facebook Status Updates Are Ruining Your Post-Election Social Life. I have Facebook friends of various social and political leanings. Some were thrilled about the results of the election because they believe the country will have an abundance of hope, change, prosperity, and other great things. Some have mused that our country is heading towards Marxism, Socialism, Godlessness, Terrorism and that we should stock up on guns because pretty soon we won't be able to own any. Everyone's entitled to their opinons, but I'm more inclined to respect those (despite their political preferences) who present them in a knowledgeable and non-condescending way. Until then, I can select the "Less about (name)" option in my news feed.

- In non-election news, Ramit over at I Will Teach You To Be Rich has begun a Save $1000 in 30 Days challenge. He's posting one tip per day for the month of November. He promises no stupid frugality tips:

I’m not trying to save $1 or even $10 per week, because it’s not worth changing your behavior for that kind of money. Guys, we’re aiming to save $1,000 in 30 days. That’s why this series will not include suggestions like “Start a garden” or “Buy day-old food from bakeries.” I certainly won’t tell you to cut your rent or move to a cheaper place, because NOBODY WILL DO IT! Does anyone ever follow those stupid tips? No, but it sure makes other personal-finance authors feel good about themselves for coming up with a suggestion that theoretically, maybe, somehow could save money for the moron who would do it. Not here.

- Dry Pet Food and Salmonela in Humans - FYI, eight new cases of human salmonella infections linked with dry pet food have been reported this year. I erronosely thought dry food was safer than wet food, but apparently not.

And finally, The Shiba Inu Puppy Cam. How can anyone resist a webcam of adorable puppies?

No Bake Double Layer Pumpkin Pie

Today's recipe is the next feature in my unofficial series "Holiday Cooking the Traditional Way and the Holly Way". It's taken me a few days to get back to blogging after Tuesday's election (which I spent in a newsroom, but that's another story). After my first pumpkin pie baking experience left me with a huge mess and a sorry looking (but tasty) pie, I was on the lookout for a way to make pumpkin pie that wasn't going to be so complicated. A few years ago, I found this recipe in a magazine ad.

Double Layer Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened (my recipe calls for 4oz...hmm)

1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. milk, divided

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

1 HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin

2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Directions:

Mix cream cheese, 1 Tbsp. milk and sugar in large bowl until well blended.
Gently stir in half of the whipped topping.
Spread onto bottom of crust
Pour 1 cup milk into a large bowl
Add pumpkin, dry pudding mixes, and spices
Beat with a wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended (mixture will be thick)
Spread over cream cheese layer
Refrigerate 4 hours or until set. Top with whipped cream. Store in refrigerator.

I figured it was too good to be true and that no pumpkin pie this simple could be so good, but I was wrong. It's so easy to make and took me less than half an hour. I took it to a family gathering expecting mediocre feedback. It was an instant hit. People could not believe that it took such little effort and didn't involve much mess or baking. I don't know if Aunt Betty would approve, but this pie is too delicious (and easy) for me to care.

Next week's feature - Macaroni and Cheese!

Traditional Pumpkin Pie

Halloween is over, the leaves are falling, and the holidays are coming up. Today I'm going to begin a new feature: Holiday Cooking the Traditional Way and the Holly Way. I've been a novice cook for about 8 years now and I've learned some lessons along the way. One of the most important things I've learned is that you can make delicious homemade holiday dishes without having to do everything "the old fashioned way". I'm going to share my favorite simple and traditional recipes for pumpkin pie, macaroni and cheese, and turkey during the month of November.

Today's feature is Traditional Pumpkin Pie. I remember the first time I made pumpkin pie. I used my Great Aunt Betty's recipe which called for canned pumpkin (instead of fresh, thankfully), spices, sugar, eggs, and half and half. I carefully measured and mixed all the ingredients, poured the mixture into the pie crust, and gently put the pie into the oven (but I managed to spill some of the pie mixture into the oven anyway). When the pie was done, well, it didn't look that great but it tasted good. After all that work and cleanup, I realized that my efforts weren't much better than what I could buy at the grocery store and weren't nearly as good as Aunt Betty's (perhaps the secret ingredient was patience). I don't have Aunt Betty's recipe, but here is the recipe for Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie:

Ingredients:

• 1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 eggs
• 1 (15 ounce) can LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can NESTLE® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell.
3. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. (Do not freeze as this will cause the crust to separate from the filling.)

Next time, I'm going to post my no-bake recipe for Double Layer Pumpkin Pie that tastes just as good but takes half the effort.

Riding a Segway

Last week I had the opportunity to take the Around the World at Epcot Segway tour. I've been fascinated with Segways since they first came out but I had not had an opportunity to ride one until this trip. It looked so easy and fun that I figured once I hopped on it would be a breeze to ride and zoom around. As it turns out, it takes about 45 minutes to really learn how to safely operate and ride a Segway. Here are some thoughts on my Segway experience:

- What's the hardest part of riding a Segway? Staying still. Once you're on a Segway, it responds to your body movements as you shift your weight on your feet. It's impossible to remain perfectly still, so you tend to drift back and forth when you're not activiely moving.

- What's the second hardest part of riding a Segway? Getting on and off. The Segway is very sensitive to your body movements so getting on and off requires you to step up on it with one foot, balance, and then step on it with your other foot. Getting off requires the same coordination, but you also have to ensure that you hold on to the Segway handles as you step off so the Segway doesn't roll back over your feet.

- Once you've mastered getting on and maintaining your balance, maneuvering the Segway is easy. On the model I rode, all you do is shift yout body weight on your toes to move forward and shift the handlebars in the direction you want to go. To stop, you shift your body weight towards your heels (no leaning involved). Our Segways would only go 6mph, which was fast enough. Before we went outside, we had to practice maneuvering around cones and up and down hills.

- The tour itself was fantastic and I would recommend it to anyone visiting Epcot. There were only 10 people in our group and 3 guides, so there was enough help for everyone. The tour books up months in advance, so plan ahead.

I loved riding a Segway and I would love to take other Segway tours in different areas. If you're considering a Segway tour, it's a fantastic way to see new places.

Cold Remedies

After enjoying a wonderful vacation last week, I seem to have come down with a cold this week. This one hit rather quicky and I have a feeling it will stick around. Instead of pumping myself full of DayQuil and Robitussin, I'm going to try a more traditional approach this time around: rest and fluids. I don't like the way I feel on cold medicines, and they really don't help you get better quicker. So far I'm drinking lots of water, juice, hot tea (orange spice tea is my pick right now), and soups. My other favorite cold remedy is a nice Hot Toddy before bed. The recipe I use is:

1 1/2 oz. Whiskey
1 oz. Honey
1/3 oz. Lemon Juice
3 oz. Hot Water

- Heat water, pour into mug
- Stir honey and lemon juice in
- Allow to cool slightly
- Add whiskey
- Drink, and sleep well

Any other recommendations?

Six Things I've Learned

I decided to tag myself on the meme I saw over at Pursing Titus 2. I'm supposed to list 6 things I've learned in the past month, and then tag 6 friends.

1) I've learned that are 7 levels of "gloss" when it comes to paint. We're currently painting the trim in our house and I told my husband to get high gloss paint, never imagining that high gloss was so, well, shiny! After the first coat we realized that we didn't need our trim to be quite so reflective, so we're going to switch to a lower number of glossiness.

2) I've learned that there's a great name for when I'm feeling depressed and overwhelmed. I'm not crazy and hormonal, I just have a case of the "emotional flu". Luckily, the emotional flu doesn't last too long.

3) I learned that Barack Obama got a D in 8th grade French and that John McCain has a stuffed dancing hamster on display in his Senate office.

4) I've learned that my Great Uncle Henry is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans and that my grandmother taught school when she was 14

5) I've learned that some foods and vegetables have more pesticide levels than others, and now I shop with this knowledge in mind

6) I've learned that you really shouldn't substitute canned cranberry sauce for this cake. It doesn't turn out as good and the taste is a bit off. Use fresh cranberries.

I tag Holly, Kelli, and the "D.I.N.K."