Saturday This and That

Food For Thought:

1. Most important six words: I admit I made a mistake.
2. Most important five words: I am proud of you.
3. Most important four words: What is your opinion?
4. Most important three words: I love you.
5. Most important two words: Thank you.
6. Most important word: We
7. Least important word: I

I found the above this morning in a book that I have. It's just chocker block full of little quotes and poems. I thought this one was pretty good! I changed the fourth one. It was supposed to read, "if you please", but I thought "I love you" was way more important. We should still say please though, even if it isn't on the list!

The other day I was thinking . . . I do that a lot. Every day I get at least three e-mails asking me for help from these rich people in Africa that have millions of dollars in the bank that they have not been able to access. All they need is my help to get it. Just yesterday I got a request from a woman who has been recently widowed, has no children and has no need of her husband's millions for herself, because . . . alas . . . she has terminal cancer herself. What she needs though, is the help of a good Christian, such as myself, that she can transfer this money to, so that I can start up an orphanage or some other charity in the name of God. All she wants, poor dear, is my bank details so that she can transfer this money into my account. Other days, I get notification that I have just won the Spanish Lottery, amounting to millions of pounds, or even the Euro Lottery. I have to ask myself the question . . . how can I win something I have never even entered? Luck must indeed be my middle name!!

I wonder though, how many people actually get taken in by these scams? It beggars belief that anyone would . . . but, then again, they must or these people wouldn't be taking the time to invent them and spend so much time e-mailing people all over the place. One of these days I just may e-mail one of them back and offer them something in return . . .

We have a busy day planned here today. I am off to the shops early this morning and then I have promised Todd that I will clean out the larder . . . *grumble *grumble. I don't know how it always gets in such a mess. I think it's caused by someone moving things around in there to find stuff and then taking things out and not putting them back in the right place. I guess that someone must actually be me, so . . . *sigh* . . . it's only right that I put it straight. Todd is definitely a place for everything and everything in it's place kind of a guy.

I did some really nice sketches yesterday, actually I've done a few nice ones over a few days, but I only have one piece of water colour paper left so I better get me some more. I do hope to have the chance to do a painting this weekend though, and some baking and cooking. A girl at work wanted a card this week for a little boy's Birthday party so I did her up this and called it Snaps and Snails.

Todd is always telling me I need to do more little boys, instead of just little girls all the time. I did a sketch of a little boy with his dog this week as well, so maybe I should, do more boy pictures that is.

I was ever so pleased to get that news from my son last evening. God is indeed good, and prayers do get answered. I have experienced answers in my life over and over again. Sometimes I like the answers, sometimes I don't . . . but they are always the right answers for me, even if they are hard answers to cope with . . . well I am prattling on now so I will leave you with a quote I received the other day that I thought was amazing.

"I can't believe that God put us on this earth to be ordinary." ~ Lou Holtz

You know what Lou? I can't believe it either!

I mde up the most amazing recipe for Brisket the other day. We had it for supper along with some colcannon and steamed carrots. It really was delicious.

*Marie's Casseroled Brisket*

Serves 4

Brisket is one of the cheaper cuts of meat that truly benefits from a slow braising in the oven. It turns out meltingly delicious this way, with a wonderful gravy that goes really well over potatoes or rice.

1 large onion, peeled and sliced

1 4-pound piece of rolled beef brisket

2 TBS beef gravy mix

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 (10 3/4 ounce) tin of condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 1/2 cups water

Pre-heat your oven to 160*C/325*F. Place the beef gravy mix, garlic powder and black pepper in a little bowl and mix it well together. Rub this mixture into your beef all over. Place the sliced onions into a small roaster with a lid. Put the seasoned beef on top of the onions. Mix the soup and the water together in a jug and then pour it around the brisket in the roaster. Put the lid on and then bake in the heated oven for about an hour and a half to two hours, until the meat is really tender and the gravy is nice and thick. (Check it occasionally to make sure that it is not cooking dry. Mine didn't and I didn't need to add any more water, but better to be safe than sorry.)

Remove from the oven and remove the meat from the roaster to a platter to let rest. Let stand for about 10 minutes before slicing. Serve thickly sliced, along with some of the gravy from the roaster spooned over top. Delicious!