My PhotoHunt Post

My PhotoHunt post is over at my other blog, Flamingo Musings. Please click here. See you there!

PhotoHunt: Low

The PhotoHunt theme this week is "Low"

Meet Mr. & Mrs. Bufo Toad. Is this low enough?

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Don't forget to leave your link with MckLinky and your comment!

PhotoHunt: Entertainment

The PhotoHunt theme this week is "Entertainment"

Tough theme, this week. I started thinking about what I've been doing for "entertainment" lately, and it came to me. Do you remember one of last month's topics, "Creamy"? Well, this is how it turned out:

Plain Guilt-Free Cheesecake

Over the last month, I've been working on low(er) fat, low(er) sugar cheesecakes, suitable to serve my husband, who was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, back at the end of March.

Guilt-Free Chocolate Marble Cheesecake

First, I'm delighted to tell you that, as of this writing, MJ has lost 50 pounds, his blood sugar has dropped below the magic "diabetes" line, and the doctor has cut his medication in half. He'll test again in another 3 months, and we're keeping our fingers crossed that the improvement continues.

Some of you asked for the recipe for the cheesecake when I got it to where I want it, because either you or loved ones have the same issue, or you'd just like to eat a little healthier without sacrificing foods you love. I've published these recipes on my other blog, Flamingo Musings, with notes, tips, and tricks. The recipe for the plain Guilt-Free Cheesecake is here. My post on the Guilt-Free Chocolate Marble Cheesecake is here.

That's the other thing - the Chocolate Marble Cheesecake was chosen to be featured on Cheesecake-Recipes.org! You can find the complete recipe by clicking that green badge.

And that, boys and girls, is what I've been doing for "entertainment"!

PhotoHunt: Rock

The PhotoHunt theme this week is "Rock"

A couple of years ago, MJ and I attended a Hindu wedding. At one point in the ceremony, the bride places her foot on a rock, illustrating her promise to be the rock, the foundation of their home (I forgot what he's supposed to be doing there). I've always thought of it more as her demonstration that she's putting her foot down. ;-)

PhotoHunt: Garbage

The PhotoHunt theme this week is "Garbage"

This is what the Hubs and I have spent the better part of the last few months' worth of weekends digging out from under. No, it's not our house, but my in-laws'. The MIL wouldn't let anyone touch a damn thing in there, while she was alive. When she passed away at the end of January, we saw our opportunity.

But wait! There's more...

Would you believe there's a couch, coffee table, and end table under there?

Twenty years, and we had no idea that we would be doing archaeological excavations in a 6th floor condo! Click on the images for details - if you dare!

I'm attempting to update the look of this blog, and it's not happening quite the way - or as easily - as Flamingo Musings, so please bear with me!

JJ & The Pollock Fish

Please don't make me explain the joke...



Do we think Jackson is rolling over in his grave?

PhotoHunt: Pink

**TnChick's husband is very ill and has been (maybe still is) in the hospital. Please send positive thoughts, vibes, and prayers their way!**

Happy Independence Day!

Do try to stay out of trouble with the fireworks and all, okay?

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AND... Today is Flamingo Fotos' One Year Blogoversary! One year ago today - July 3, 2008 - I created Flamingo Fotos and made so many new friends out there, who also share my love of photography, nature, irony, and sometimes just plain silliness. This was my first post. Thank you for visiting over the last year!

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And now, to the Hunt!

If you follow my other blog, Flamingo Musings, you might already know that my house was burglarized several days ago. And yes, they got my shiny new laptop with all my photos on it. So, while I backed up my drive before I went on vacation, I hadn't yet had the chance when we returned, and I haven't replaced the laptop yet. I'm using my husband's desktop, in the meantime, but it's just not the same, you know?

The PhotoHunt theme this week is "Pink"

As if this blog weren't pink enough for you! In any case, I'm stealing one of my vacation photos from Flamingo Musings for this week's theme:



It's been a mixed bag, this week... let's hope the stars align in a way more favorable position in the days ahead!

PhotoHunt: Flags

This is my last night of vacation in Sarasota, Florida. I'm posting
from my iPhone (original flavor), so apologies for the appearance of
this post. :-)

Several weeks ago, for my PH: Memory post, I showed you a happy memory
of last year's visit to Sarasota. This week, I show tonight's sunset,
the clouds and waves blowing like flags in the stiff Gulf of Mexico
breeze... Another memory for another year...

PhotoHunt: Creamy

Click on the little green Mr. Linky at the bottom of the post to add your link!

The PhotoHunt theme this week is "Creamy"

I'm working on a recipe for lower fat, lower calorie cheesecake. Not quite perfected yet, but getting there! When I get it right, I'll be posting the recipe on Flamingo Musings. But until then, a shot of the Creamy process:

Okay, it's a little tough to pour with one hand and shoot with the other!

Happy Weekend!

PhotoHunt: Lock

Click on the little green Mr. Linky at the bottom of the post to add your link!

The PhotoHunt theme this week is "Lock"

I went rather traditional, this week. The word evokes power, and so I went for the powerful image.



This last one presented itself just this morning!

PhotoHunt: Advertisement

The PhotoHunt theme this week is "Advertisement"


That sea life mural is painted on the back of the Macy's department store building in downtown Miami. It was supposed to be an advertisement for the pleasures of visiting Miami. No one is really quite sure why it shows frolicking whales. Which don't live around here. Unless you visit the Seaquarium. Really. And yes, it is a little vague, which is kind of the point. Artistic license, I guess, but I remember when it was done, we all gathered around, stared at it for a bit, and said (with nearly one voice) "Whales?"

If you look closely, you'll see the Metromover and tracks running alongside it. The station opens directly into the second floor of the Macy's. Convenient when it's raining, as it was when I shot this photo. :-)

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Well, I didn’t win, but my recipes ranked 5th & 6th in the Ile de France contest. WooHoo! Thanks to everybody who voted for me!

PhotoHunt: Books

The PhotoHunt theme this week is "Book(s)"

The natural choice for this theme is our cookbook collection. These are just a couple of small sections - I couldn't stand far back enough to get the whole thing in one frame. :-) At last count there are just over 200.

Most of our cookbooks are practical: cooking, baking, various ethnic (particularly Indian) cuisines... but I got this one for it's historical value and reference : the 1924 edition of The Boston Cooking School Cookbook, by none other than the original Miss Fannie Farmer:

It has loads of fabulous recipes like, umm... "Sweetbreads and Celery Salad".... yuck! But the real fun is the advertising pages in the back of the book. I've chosen just a couple to show you what "state of the art" meant in 1924:


Many of these companies are still in business today, so it's kind of neat to compare then and now... Please click on the images to read them better, if you like!

Happy Weekend!

(Mr. Linky isn't functioning, so please be sure to leave a link to your post so I can find you easier when I come to visit!)

PhotoHunt: Plastic

The PhotoHunt theme this week is "Plastic"

As I'm sure you'll see in the various Hunt posts, Plastic surrounds us - is part of us - every day and in every way. Plastic bags, plastic kitchen tools, plastic surgical replacement parts for our bodies, even our cars are generally made more of plastic than of metal, these days.

I could show you my Plastic birdbaths or Plastic bird feeder. Dull.

So instead, here is a photo of the Plastic that I'm betting most of us have in common. Probably one of the most utilized bits of Plastic in the world. A useful tool and the bane of many's existence; a source of hope and of dread, all at the same time:




Happy weekend, all!

And for those of us in the US, have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend! Please take a moment to remember those who put their bodies in harm's way for us. As I have said so many times in the past, while I'm not so wild about this war, I am for those brave men and women who go where ever and whenever with their own best intentions to serve us. If you have a moment this weekend, please send a birthday card to one such soul who at this moment is feeling unloved and forgotten in Texas. Here is the link to my post at Flamingo Musings on the subject (you may have received an e-mail to the same effect from elsewhere). It is absolutely true and has been verified.

Rainy Season = Mosquitoes

The TV weatherman just announced that the "Rainy Season" has begun. Well, after so many months of drought, rain will be welcome. We can finally look forward to the grass greening up and letting Mother Nature water the garden for us, now and then. They say that we here in South Florida get around 70% of our annual rainfall during these next five months.

But with all the good stuff we can expect from the rainy season, there's also the downside: mosquitoes. We have some of the worst mosquito problems down here as anywhere in the country. And we can't expect our little friends here to do all the work.

Bufo Toads

With everything there is to do outside in our backyards during the summer - the grilling, the gardening, the birdwatching - who wants to douse themselves in chemicals like DEET?

That's why we're considering getting a Mosquito Magnet. With its Octenol attractant cartridge, the Mosquito Magnet attracts the mosquitoes and literally sucks them up into an inescapable net in a sealed chamber, where they dehydrate and die. You just periodically empty the net and see the results for yourself. All without the use of chemicals that could be harmful to us or the wildlife we love to feed and photograph.

Check out a mosquito magnet review and see if you don't think that it might be your family's solution for a happy and healthy summer - virtually mosquito-free.

PhotoHunt: Painted

The PhotoHunt theme this week is "Painted"

In case you haven't seen her before, I bring you the female Painted Bunting:

Female Painted Bunting

She and a sister (daughter?) are regular visitors to my feeders in the winter and early spring. I know there has to be a male somewhere in the neighborhood, but I've only seen him once, and of course I didn't have my camera at the time and he wouldn't stick around till I got it! You sympathize... I know you do...

PhotoHunt: In Memory

Attention PhotoHunters! I received the following email from tnchick at post-time, this morning:

Hey folks! I'm so sorry to report my site isn't allowing me to access it and I do not know why. I've emailed and am waitin'. I've waited up till now (posting time) and still can't get on. Please pass the word for me to those not subscribed to this mailing. I'd appreciate it. The hunt will continue - you'll just have to do it without me this week. If my domain allows me to log in and access it when I wake up - I'll post new thread, then. So sorry - but it's out of my hands. Thanks!

chick

So, let's carry on, shall we?



The PhotoHunt theme this week is "In Memory"

Hmmm... Tough one.

I choose to show you a powerful Memory that I also look forward to repeating:


This is the sun setting over the Gulf of Mexico off of Sarasota, Florida. I shot it with my iPhone last June, on the "Longest Day of the Year".

I spent several languid, blissful days with a few of my friends in Sarasota last year. I literally did absolutely nothing but lay on the beach, swim in the ocean, and share food, drink, and camaraderie. No deadlines, no pressures, no obligations, no sightseeing, nada.

In Memory of one of the most pleasant times, ever. Which I fully intend to repeat this year. I can't wait!

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They finally fixed the Ile de France website, so if you tried last week to rate my recipes, I apologize. But it's working now! Please click on the links below, and rate my recipes (1-5 stars) - I need your votes! :

Brunch Brie Strata by Rennee (yes, they misspelled it) and Spring Brie Mini-Sub by Renee.

They drop cookies, so if you want to vote more than once from the same computer, you have to clear your cookies and cache. But you've been planning to do that anyway, right? It's good computer hygiene! :-)

Voting will continue through June 2nd, but why wait? Vote early and often! Thanks!

PhotoHunt: Walking

The PhotoHunt theme this week is "Walking"




Queen Butterfly caterpillars Walking on my dill. Okay, yeah, and eating it, too. I never did get a chance to actually use any of the dill I planted before it bloomed, so at least someone should enjoy it! Please click on the images to get the best look.

This is what a Queen butterfly looks like (not my photo - I lost my photos of the Queen in the last great computer crash. Back up your drives, people!):

Happy Weekend, All!

Shameless Plug: I have entered the Ile de France 2009 Spring Recipe Contest and I need your votes! Please visit the Ile de France website and rate my entries, Brunch Brie Strata by Renee (they misspelled my name, Rennee)

and Spring Brie Mini-Sub by Renee (Rennee again).

Here's the link: http://www.iledefrancecheese.com/blog/ Voting is points-based (rating 1-5), with the top 3 point totals, winning. The contest runs all through the month of May, so vote early and often! I would love to Walk away with some cheese!