Discontinued NOISY Sunchips Bag

Ok, this bag was supposed to decompose in 16 weeks. Well, it only looks dirty with a few tears in it. Granted, some neighbor behind us added a privacy fence behind our pile (which added some extra shade time) and it's been a dry summer & we've not watered the compost pile. Still, we expected this 'unique green package' to disappear a little better than this one did.

Frito Lay has quit making it saying it's due to noisy bag complaints. Well, it was annoying but in the name of science, I had to share our experience in Ohio with this bag. I did not believe it from the get go. I also detest the fake "Green" packaging being bastardized in the same way the name organic/free range/cage free labels are basically lies, but I digress. Still I thought I would share our photographs.

The top one, has a log on it, as I dragged it out of the pile after six weeks for a photograph. Then the other photos were taken today. According to my calendar, this bag was supposed to completely break down by the 20th of October. Not gonna happen.

(Click on any photo to enlarge it)

So there you go. Sophia's experiment in the lies of packaging that is supposed to make us feel we are doing our part to make less garbage in landfills. Don't you believe it.

Just recycle the best you can, try not to waste things, and for goodness sake, enjoy your Sun Chips!

Cynical Sophia

p.s. And if you still buy plastic bottled water, shame on you! :) Get a reusable stainless steel one. They are really affordable these days and you can even find them at Kroger, Target, etc.

Squirrel & Cat Slide Show

My cats love to watch the squirrels & birds on the brick patio. There are three feeders, two bird baths in the yard, and a water dish outside the sliding door. It's true real HD tv viewing for the cats. Especially 16 month old Stewart, still curious about so many things.

First few photos are of the 'squirrel proof' feeder. See, if the squirrel doesn't trip the lever with weight, the squirrel can get some sunflower seeds. Hangs upside down to eat it! He worked so hard in the heat.

Stewart Video 1 yr later

I can see why I've gone one year between cat videos!!! Enough attempting cat video today with a webcam. Ya need a portable flip video for moving critters. And drugs...for the cat and the producer !--just kidding.

All I got was a bedspread and face full of fur for my attempt, though Stewart was purring his brains out. At one point he pauses the eyejot video & you can hear him purr---- have no clue how he did that, as he stepped on the keyboard! This is my first double-coated cat. Needs brushing/raking. It's hot. I'm done. This was the result. He was lying on the window ledge after this & now on side of bed, having grown weary of the fuzzy toy.

The video does stop abruptly with him looking lop-eared & bored (Though still purring) He meant to meow good-bye.

Next blog will be something easy to photograph..... my flowers. When it's cooler. Maybe October.

A Year +2 wks Ago Today New Boy

Here Stewart is now, and below, when I rescued him at Nine wks from a vet office near me!

Hueston Woods Slideshow

Remembering the cool weather break we had a few weeks ago, I escaped to Hueston Woods Lodge for the night. It was a pure nourishment of my soul for a glimpse of water, quiet & nature. The following is a slide show of pics with butterflies & some pics of the lake. Not all great photos but the clip of music is, Smetana's "The Moldau", one of my favorite pieces.

Slideshow of Critter pics From Yard

When Engineers Own a Dog

I am a cat mom but saw this on Twitter and found it very amusing. :)

Deer in Yard on Indy 500 Day

This deer came into yard before the race & again afterwards! Crazy. Some of the pics were thru the window so a little fuzzy in spots. But who can resist Bambi? Twice, in one day? Thankfully, I keep the zoom lens on the Nikon this time of year for bird/critter pics. The song is Glenn Miller's "Little Brown Jug".

Signed,
Sophia aka modern "Elly May Clampett" (she also loved critters!)

Tunes of Sister Rosetta Tharpe & others

Tunes of Sister Rosetta Tharpe & others

I'd never heard of Sister Rosetta Tharpe until I got a CD called "Shout, Sister, Shout" from the library with Maria Muldaur, Marcia Ball & others on it. Some great tunes. Rosetta did Gospel with a rock n roll beat in the 1930's. Also did some great Swing tunes which are part of this show I did. Midway the show switches gears to other songs by Dino, Glenn, Willie & Wynton & even a song by the Dead ...Ok, I'm a moody wench & somedays, have the attention span of a gnat. With my little music shows done from my little 'office bunker', ya never know what you are gonna get! I close with a favorite song "Canal Street Blues" recorded in Richmond, Indiana in 1932. It features Joe King Oliver, a young Louis Armstrong, Lil Hardin~~later she married Louis~~ & many other late, great musicians.

I hope to do another show on her down the road but had tech glitches uploading songs to the BTR switchboard. Stop by to listen to some tunes. Then go to youtube and google some video on her (but remember it's VERY old stuff, she was born in 1915 and died in 1973) and read on her life. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sister_Rosetta_Tharpe

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sophiasplace/2010/04/28/sister-rosetta-tharpe-other-songs

It's been a long several months with medical issues keeping me from doing a show and reading things in small boxes, or reading in general. Sorry to be so inconsistent, random & intermittent with shows. Might consider a time change. I'll try to Tweet a new show or check the Blog Talk Radio site for updates, especially if you enjoy music from days gone by.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

To kick things off, since I don't really drink much these days except the occasional glass of wine or beer, I still remember with fondness a late uncle and his wife. I only saw them about 6 times in my entire life. But they were from L.A. and on one trip in the 1980's brought this great Margarita Recipe with them. So with that, I shall toast today, the Fifth of May!

Home Made Margarita Recipe

You will need Tequila (we used SILVER Label Hose Cuervo for mildness)

A good brand of Triple Sec

One Lime

Base:

1 cup limeade (in frozen foods)
3 cups Sweet and Sour Base (Good brand?!)
1/2 Egg White (If afraid, leave out but we always used it)

For Drinks

1 cup base mix (shake before measuring so the egg white is mixed)

1/2 cup orange juice, fresh or the NOT from concentrate variety

3 jiggers Tequila

1 jigger Triple Sec

1 cup crushed ice

Put in blender. Pour in glasses rubbed with a lime and dipped in Kosher or Margarita salt.

Enjoy and stay home or have designated driver if you go out and about. Ha!! :)

This may seem like quite the investment but I have never found anybody that did not like this recipe. But remember, it's only as good as the ingredients.

Enjoy!
~~~Sophia

Murals Transform & Other Minutia

Years ago, Fairfield had nationally known artist Eric Henn paint some murals on a boring modern post office building. The paintings are great and give a sense of nostalgia to the area as he remembers the history of the city. The different murals are of original landmarks of the city. I only captured a couple of them due to the traffic in the parking lot. There are five total. Check out his work from other cities here. http://www.erichennmurals.com/

Now the other photos are of cats in the house.The gray Stewart has a huge tail that is always fluffed out. He was looking at the day lillies in front of the house as he shared a hassock with Speedy, house mate's cat. As always, a cat will seek out the sunbeam. He has the finest, softest fur of any cat I've owned. Feels soft as a newborn chick. He has no idea how big his tail is and swings it into everything! :)



I am very conservative with the sunflower seeds this year for the birds, squirrels & chimpmunks. This squirrel kept coming to the sliding door for water and peeking in to see if I might hand out some more but I did not. In the second photo he almost seems miffed that I did not give him more snacks... I almost expected a one finger salute from him but he just moped away after getting a drink.



A few winters ago, another squirrel used to actually tap on the window to ask for food! My housemate found that funny and almost hard to believe until one winter morning, he witnessed the begging squirrel himself. I don't have that picture handy.

Until next time.

Cat & Ladder

Burned out lightbulb in kitchen ceiling. Young 9 month Stewart had never seen a ladder. He commenced to try and climb up it but, didn't quite have it figured out yet. The pictures tell the story. He sat up and enjoyed the view, then was hesitant to climb down. The walk up was precious but by the time I got the camera he'd gotten down but thankfully, tried again. This time quicker. (I need a Flip Cam dammit!) Click on the photo to see them full sized.

Not sure how this deal works, not like my cat tree with the carpet lofts.

Enjoying the view as he figures out how to start down the steps.

Hell with the steps, just leap downward.

*Click on any photo to see full-sized.

Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday Tunes

Forgot to blog I was doing a show. Listen in for about 40 minutes of great tunes. Some tunes by Lagniappe. Some by Willie Nelson, Wynton Marsalis, Original Dixieland Band & others.
Click on the box on the side of this blog for the show's tunes. Listen while you work, cook, or dance!

Merci Beaucoup!
~~Sophia

More Mardi Gras Cajun Tunes

Will start with some Cajun tunes and move into the city with traditional New Orleans jazz.
Meant to promote this two days ago but been resting my eyes...literally. So if you find yourself with a snow day, or just a blah Tuesday, and need some music to cheer you up. tune in. No adds, no talking. Quick 30 minutes or so, give or take, of tunes.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sophiasplace

SnOMG!

Ok, using the old Olympus with no tripod. NOT taking out the NikonD as it's snowing a very wet snow. Just as the snow plow came by the stupid camera started beeping as if batteries were dying. It does this when it gets cold, too. Just like me, I beep when I'm cold :-D.

Sorry they are blurry, too slippery for the tripod, and flash doesn't work when it's still snowing at the lens, as you will see by the one photo. Be interesting to see how much we get as the ground is warmer, snow seems to be sinking into the ground but grass is now covered.
But honestly, all the hoopla on the tv screens are over done as usual. Imagine what tv is like in D.C. where 30 inches is being forecast!!!!

I'm not grabbing a can a Spam, a bottle of water and the family pets to gather under the bed for great Cincy's snOMG nonsense.

Monday Night Music Taste of Mardi Gras

Not able to do show on Tuesday so snuck one in during prime time on BTR, tonight. Thanks to those of you that stopped by the chat room. Appreciate the support for great old, tunes.
Course I had to sneak a couple cuts from Cincinnati's own Lagniappe for the show (The Sheik of Araby & Fidgety Feet)

Simply turn on the Blue & Black BlogTalkRadio player in the side bar to listen to the show.

Thanks for stopping by. ~Sophia

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 Cup Unsweetened coconut (ground up or left as is will add chewieness)
1 1/2* cup All purpose Flour (If deleting Coconut, use 2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped Walnuts/Pecans (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 or 2 cups Hershey semi-sweet Chocolate chips or better brand. (Toll House cchips are terrible in recent years!) I like to enjoy the dough part of cookie so I use less chips but use more if you wish.

Preheat oven to 375° (400 if you use CHILLED dough). Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl till creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then add coconut and beat. Gradually mix in flour mixture by hand or using slow speed on mixer. Over mixing will make cookies tough. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

*Use less flour on first tray, as it depends on size of eggs you are using, humidity and age of flour. The normal recipe calls for 2 1/4 cups.
ut too much like pancakes add another 1/4 c of flour OR chill for 1 hour in fridge or 15 minutes in freezer and bake at 400. bake about 8 minutes or longer. You want them to be browned on edges and no longer pale in center. Using less flour makes them richer and chewy inside, a little crunchy on edges.

**If you use SWEETENED coconut, the cookies will be too sweet and different texture. There is an anti-caking product used in sweetened coconut so it makes a huge difference in finished product.


The cookies look a little different than the traditional Toll House Recipe looking cookie. The top has texture from the coconut & lower amount of flour I think. Click on any photo to see them full sized & check out cookie texture.

Almost Mardi Gras Time, Again!

EDIT: FINALLY did another show on Blogtalkradio.

Rather than go there, with tons of ads & clutter just click on the right of this blog and play the BTR Player in the blue & black box. 35-40 minutes of uptempo tunes to help you work, cook, or clean house. Or just lift your spirits. Had a nice guest in the chat room who enjoyed the tunes and I hope you will, too.

Thanks for stopping by, ~Sophia

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sophiasplace/2010/01/26/midday-with-sophia

Sloppy Joe Recipe from 1950's

Sloppy Joe Recipe from 1950's

2 lb's ground beef (whatever grade, drain fat as needed)
1/3 cup diced onion
19 oz tomato puree (tough to find can this size, I know. Measure & freeze extra to throw in soup later.)
1/2 cup Heinz Ketchup (never used another brand)

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tablespoons Water
1 Tablespoon Vinegar
1/4 c. br sugar, lightly packed
salt & pepper to taste

Brown ground beef and drain fat. Add diced onion and cook a few minutes, until transparent before adding rest of ingredients. This steps helps keeps the onions from tasting undercooked, watery and squishy. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 30 minutes before eating. Stir sometimes to keep from scorching or sticking to pan.

For comfort food purposes, I like to serve these on small Wonder hamburger buns from the bread store, 12 to a package. If you choose a larger bun, you may want to eat open-faced with fork or wear clothes of which you are no longer fond. I eat with with a side of wavy potato chips.

*Notes, original recipe called for 1/3 bottle of Heinz Ketchup but many sizes today.

Snow pics 2010, song written 1917

So the photos and song are almost a 100 years apart. Course the song is performed by Lagniappe via 2009. Some snow photos of male and female Cardinals, Junco's (black & white snowbirds) & Downy woodpeckers (striped birds, one with red dot in back of the head is the male) If you aren't a bird lover, this will bore you but the Dixieland tune is an oldie but goody in my opinion. :)