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September 2008

Grits in my cake?

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I just love the Internet. I was invited to my dear friend’s home ( actually the home they were cat/ house sitting) for a mini cook out and watch the end of summer fireworks from their roof top . Incredible views from every angle! I volunteered to make dessert and since I had fresh blueberries and fresh peaches , I wanted to try a new recipe. After viewing several of my cook books, I went on line, tried http://www.myreceipes.com/ and typed in Summer Fruit dessert. Several recipes popped up, but this one looked the most interesting because it called for stone ground corn meal in the recipe. However when I went to my pantry, all I had were stone ground corn grits. Figured corn grits and corn meal were pretty close, so I used them. Mistake…… Dessert still tasted great ( fresh butter, sugar, fruit- what’s not to love) but the grits were just a bit to crunchy…. so try this recipe, but be sure you use Corn Meal – which I will do next time for sure!

Summer Fruit Upside-Down Cornmeal Cake
The wooden pick test isn’t accurate for this cake since the fruit makes it appear wet when it’s really done. Look for the cake to brown slightly as your best visual cue for doneness. Serve warm with low-fat vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) peach slices

1 1/2 cups blueberries

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Cooking spray

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (5 1/2 ounces)

1/2 cup stone ground yellow cornmeal

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; toss gently. Coat a 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray. Brush pan with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle pan evenly with 1 tablespoon sugar. Pour nectarine mixture into pan in an even layer; set aside.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
Combine remaining 1 cup sugar and 5 tablespoons softened butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; beat just until combined.
Spoon batter evenly over fruit mixture. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until cake is set and light brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes. Place a plate upside down on top of cake pan; invert cake onto plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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The Sad truth about IAMS Dog food….

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I’ve been using Iams Dog Food for my dogs for over 7 years now. This was the dog food the Guide Dog School recommended we use for raising the guide dog puppies and I’ve always stayed with the brand. But I just received a very troubling email from Sari, one of our regular guests about how Iams tests their food products on animals…. I don’t know how much any of you know about animals used in research labs, but if you love or even like animals you will find what is done to animals in these labs incredibly disturbing. Just the fact that these creatures who trust their humans are kept in cages their entire lives is horrible, but it’s not necessary.
I’m not talking about medical research to help cure various diesese ( though that is also very hard to handle) but talking about shampoo or toothpaste for humans- other products that don’t save lives. But to find out a company that sells PET FOOD uses animal in research and treats them the way research animals are treated is just beyond dreadful.
What can you do- first go to www.iamscruelty.com This website gives you all the public , tells you who and how to contact Iams and Proctor and Gamble ( who owns Iams) to protest, how to return the products you’ve purchased, even find pet food that doesn’t‘ test on animals.
Here is the email sent from Sari from her local humane society:
“It is with deep sadness, bewilderment and discuss that I send out this email.
We have used Iams because it was donated to us but never knew that the Iams laboratories were testing on animals kept in their labs, and that those poor test animals suffer so much.

We as an animal rescue organization are committed to saving animals from individuals who keep them in these type of conditions. Never in all of my dreams would I have thought Iams would treat their test animals so curly, even to the point of cutting their vocal cords in an attempt to silence their cries.

We will no longer use or recommend Iams. “

Michelle Doneza
President

Diamond in the Ruff Rescue & Rehab, Inc.
…a non profit 501(c)(3) corporation
Seneca, SC
864-885-1494 Office
864-985-1349 Fax
Email: mdoneza@bellsouth.net

I am returning my 40 lb bag of Iams dog food tomorrow and will be buying dog food that does NOT use research labs or test animals for their products. I am also planning to tell the store manager why I’m returning the product and encouraging them to let their home office know why. Please pass the word.

The Sad truth about IAMS Dog food…. Read More »

Vote for Danny! A Politician we can all get behind!

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The conventions are wrapped up. I’ve watched every minute I possibly could of both the Democratic and Republican events. I love politics and I love my country. I love watching these contests that happen every 4 years where these amazing men AND women of both parties talk about their own love of our country and how hard they want to work to make our United States of America the best she can possibly be. I’ve been amazed at the speeches and dedication- on both sides – and how passionate they all are about changing our world . We can all work together, no matter who wins to create change. Whatever your personal passion- the environment, education, the homeless, children, doesn’t matter- but work to serve a cause greater then yourself so we can continue to make this truly the greatest nation on earth.

There is a cause we can all vote for and agree on! Vote for my Danny for the Tybee Breeze Pet of the Month! Go to http://www.tybeebreeze.com/ then click on Pet Contest. Vote for Danny! Despite the fact the competition is – of all pets- Squirty the Loggerhead Sea Turtle who was released in August! OMG– un fair! Who doesn’t love a sea turtle! Especially one that was raised from a 1 inch hatchling! But look at this picture that was taken by Christine Hall http://www.christinehallphotography.com/ earlier this summer that I submitted to the contest.
The winner will be announced in the October Issue of the Tybee Breeze. Danny thanks you!

AND DON’T FORGET TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN THE NOVEMBER ELECTION! Everyone needs to vote- again- doesn’t matter who you vote for- just vote!!!

Vote for Danny! A Politician we can all get behind! Read More »

We love to fluff our cottages!

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We work hard to get around to all our cottages a few times a year to “fluff”. Re arrange the art, select new furniture that is fresh and fun, plant new flowers in our window boxes. Just have some fun making each home even more special. Here’s some pictures of the recent work done at Surf Puppy as well as pictures of the new home owners to be- George and Pat and their very sweet granddaughters. Welcome to our Mermaid Cottages Family George and Pat!

We love to fluff our cottages! Read More »