Here's the Scoop!

Hey Sports Fans! Cheryl Here! I hope you are having a great week. Today I will be wrapping up my painting workshop and headed home. I need to rest up.

In two days Super Bowl XLIV will be kicking off. If you've been hanging around this past year you'll know that the Super Snack Throwdown Super Snack Bowl challenge is on between Kate and Ray. And all this Frito talk makes me want to share a recipe with you. It's a good one.

And since Claudia gives pretty much free reign on my Free For All Friday's- away we go....

Today's recipe is Black Bean Salsa. This is a really tough recipe so pay close attention to each step. I mean it! Pay attention. Your Super Bowl Party is on the line.

First, start with one of these. Open it up and take a drink. Ah!

Unless you're under the age of 21. In that case, open one of these and take a drink.

Here are your ingredients sitting all together. Aren't they pretty. Ooh. Aah.

Let's get started. First up: 2 (15oz) Cans Black Beans - any brand you like. Open them up- drain and rinse.

Throw them in a big bowl.

1 (17oz) Can Whole Kernel Corn - that's what the recipe calls for but my store doesn't have 17oz cans so 15 ounces of corn will be just fine.

Drain the corn. You don't have to rinse it. I just wanted to show you that there is none of the can juice- water? - whatever - in it.
Throw the corn in with the beans. Hey! That kind of looks like the Saint's uniform colors.

The recipe calls for 2 Large Tomatoes but I always use Roma tomatoes because they're so easy to seed.Seed and chop those red beauties up. I wound up only using 3 of these.
Throw them in with the beans and corn.

Next up is 1 Purple Onion. This purple onion was on steroids so I only used half of it. Just gauge for yourself how much onion you want in it.
Chop up the purple onion and throw it in with the beans, the corn, and the tomatoes.

1 Large Avocado is all the recipe calls for but I never know if the large is large enough and I like avocado so I used two mediums. I know I'm making it more difficult for you. Hang in there.
Chop up the avocado and add it to the beans, the corn, the tomato and the purple onion.

You'll only need 1/8 - 1/4 cup of chopped fresh Cilantro but you'll have to buy this whole bushel of cilantro! I'm not angry even though the rest of the cilantro will go bad in my refrigerator because I don't cook.
But go ahead and chop up that cilantro. I just pick off the leaves. No stemmy stems. Bleh! And throw that cilantro in with the beans, the corn, the tomato, the purple onion, and the avocado.

3 to 4 tablespoons of lime juice - 3 tablespoons is 1/4 cup. I measured. These three fresh limes equaled 3 tablespoons.


See.

Pour that fresh lime juice over the beans, the corn, the tomato, the purple onion, oh- you get the picture! Throw it in the bowl. Where's my beer?

Now, pour out 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. You got it. Add it to the mix.

1 teaspoon of salt & 1 teaspoon of pepper

That picture didn't turn out Bu you know what to do.

Let's see... all you have to do now is mix it up.

At this point you'll want to chill it for a little bit.

Did I say tough? I meant to say easy!

Okay- but I didn't use the secret ingredient- Frito!

Here you go! Get the Scoops and dive in! I'm going to tell you something. Don't count on any being left over! I have never made this recipe and had any leftover.

Say, "Ah"

So what are doing for the Super Bowl? Hanging with friends? Going to a bar? Making a Super Snack? And most importantly who are you cheering for?

I'll go ahead and tell you have to cheer for the Saints or the two monkey's I'm raising will tie me up and lock me in the closet! Go Saints!!

Signing off until tomorrow...

Scarecrow

I'm not going to lie, this morning my head is full of stuffing.

Initially I considered doing a fun little segment on Superbowl Sunday. Then I took a sneak peak at the post Cheryl has in store for us tomorrow and I decided there was no way my idea could live in the shadows of her brilliance.

So desperate am I for some creative inspiration on this rainy, dreary, I'm-so-over-it-Thursday morning, that I decided to consult with Roger von Oech. Roger is Highlowaha's trusted friend and author or the Creative Whack Pack, most often seen trolling our site on Wednesdays. But, desperate times, desperate measures.

Each card in Roger's Whack Pack contains a principle about creativity. The idea is to whack your idea with a card from his pack and, by virtue of applying his creative principle, improve the quality of your original idea.

I drew a card wondering how one of von Oech's creative principles might work in the absence of an original idea. Here's what I got...

See the Positive. The human mind, "notes scientist W.I. Beveridge, "likes a strange idea as little as the body likes a strange protein and resists it with a similar energy." When you judge new ideas, focus initially on their positive ad interesting features. This will counteract a natural negative bias, and help you to develop more ideas. What's positive about the idea?

I have no choice but to ask myself, what is positive about my having no idea?

Richard just walked by and said, "It's positive, because it makes you appear human." I'm pretty sure there's no question among readers as to whether or not I am human. But, Richard loves me and he hasn't had coffee yet. What can I expect?

How about...

• It's positive because you'll get through the post faster and you'll have a couple extra minutes to spare.
• It's positive because in the absence of something new to think about, you might actually reflect on something old.
• It's positive because it reminds us that new is not always better and there's room for tried and true.
• It's positive because, having no idea means my brain is declaring today a holiday and, as is usually the case after holidays, that it will come back better and more refreshed.
• It's positive because my lack of idea might prompt one of you to jump in and share one of your ideas...

Do I finish with an invitation to join me in the comment section and to share one of your ideas? Or, maybe you'll help generate more reasons why my lack of ideas is positive. Or, maybe someone takes a hand at applying von Oech's creative principle to a totally different idea. Or, maybe I scrap the whole meet-me-in-the-comment-section thing and end with something trite or witty. Here's the thing...

I have no idea.

Signing off until tomorrow...

Fancy Flours Cookie Cutter Challenge: February

I inspired myself with all of yesterday's mumbo jumbo about getting off the merry-go-round and doing things differently. I've decided this month we will select the cookie cutter for our monthly Fancy Flours Cookie Cutter Challenge a little bit differently than we do normally.

Newcomers, once a month Highlowaha readers put me to the test. I select a holiday worth celebrating and you, the readers select a cookie cutter from the Fancy Flours website that you think I should have to use. The key is to find the cookie cutter you think I will have the hardest time incorporating into my celebration. My job is to bake them, decorate them, and package them.

This month you vote on both - the cookie cutter and the holiday. Check out the polls below.

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

Now for the cookie cutter...

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

The holiday and cookie cutter receiving the most votes will be my winning combination for the month of February. Tune in at the end of the month to see what I have come up with.

Signing off until tomorrow....

Shine: Back to the Future

Dust off your notes from last week. It's time to revisit our commitments to dreams so important we named our years in their honor. My year for instance is the Year of the Book. Robin committed herself to the Year of Me. Kat's year is named the Year of the Schedule, Katie the Year of the Phone, Lindsay the Year of Yoga, Peggy the Year of Balance, Holly the Year of Organization, and so many more.

If you haven't dedicated your year yet or you've had a change of heart and want to rename your year, no worries. Now is the time. We have eleven months of thought provoking fun ahead of us.

We'll take our cue for today's topic from Groundhog Day - the annual celebration for which we have come to know and love February 2. It is not only the day that weathermen gather to see if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow at Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, it is also the holiday around which the hilarious movie Groundhog Day was based.

Murray plays Phil Connors, an egocentric Pittsburgh TV weatherman who, during a hated assignment covering the annual Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney, finds himself repeating the same day over and over again. After indulging in hedonism, Murray's character begins to reexamine his life and priorities.

One, two, three, JUMP.

That's right I'm making a leap.

In her book, "This Year I Will..." M.J. Ryan poses the question, "How do you get off the merry-go-round of doing the same old thing again? How, oh how can you have faith that this time will be any different?" Like Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day, how can you assure this year's dream won't result in failed attempts again and again?

I talked about writing a book at least two years ago. I started off last year with a renewed sense of promise and even told a few friends of my plans. Two years later and still no book. Holly, I am assuming you didn't wake up this year suddenly wanting to be organized and Kat, I assuming you've been in search of a schedule that works for a while. The question is what will make this year different for Holly, Kat, me, and... f or, that matter, for the rest of you?

Ryan maintains, and I agree, "we have a wealth of information and experience from the previous attempts , no matter how many those may be, to draw on this time." Rather than believing that nothing can be done about failed attempts, she suggests that successful people view failure as an opportunity to learn new things. When people have a "growth orientation" (as opposed to the previously described, "fixed orientation") they focus more on developing new strategies for success and less on simply giving up.

For example, I've learned quite a few things from my last two failed attempts to write a book. I've learned:

• It's never going to happen if I try squeezing writing time into my already busy schedule.
• I get easily distracted by other ideas and projects.
• A year goes fast.
• I have allowed the magnitude and unknown elements of this project to intimidate me.
• I am most productive in the morning.
• It helps me to have an outside person to whom I feel accountable.
• I am more successful when I carve out some time every day, as opposed to big blocks of time periodically.
• I excuse lack of progress on my book by reminding myself of the time spent writing my blog post each day.

How about you? What does your Groundhogs Day scene look like and what can you learn from it?

Signing off until tomorrow, Tuesday, February 2.

Psst...

Hey Kate,

FritoRay here. Get that Polaroid of yours ready. You made it to the Superbowl. Just barely, though. That was neck and neck. Gotta love some buttery crust around a kielbasa. Nice touch. Okay, so here's the deal. I'm tempted to change the rules again, but I'm afraid that Michelle friend of yours might lose her mind. So, we'll use the same four criteria Heather, Cheryl, and Claudia laid out at the start of football season.

Your secret ingredient, in case you haven't figured it out yet is Fritos.

Who are you competing against? Why, none other than the King of Krunch, the Colonel of Corn, Master of Muncha a Bunch and the Deacon of Dip. Yours truly, FritoRay. Kate, you better leave all that sweetness behind. This is the real deal. You're going to have to dig deep. The Deacon of Dip is going to dish out defeat and you're first in line at the buffet.

You've got until Friday at midnight to post your recipe, so Struble Suds can get busy in their test kitchen. This is for all the glory......and of course the hand painted Highlowaha super bowl. Good luck Kate, you're going to need it.

What about the rest of you? Other than rooting on Team Ray in the Second Annual Snack Throw Down, what will you be doing Super Bowl Sunday?

FritoRay out.

Yellow Envelope Project: Georgia

The recipient for this week's Yellow Envelope Project seems particularly fitting considering we just finished celebrating, National Have Fun at Work Day.

Those new to the site might wonder what we mean by the, Yellow Envelope Project. The project was created to recognize everyday people who reject the status quo and opt for excellence. Recipients of our Project shine and, because they shine, their corners of the world are brighter

This week's recipient was nominated by a fellow colleague. The nominator described their office environment as serious and corporate. A strict dress code is in place, rules exist about what items you can and can't have on your desk, and no promotion is granted to an employee until the spouse is interviewed (I suppose so the company can assure there is mutual understanding about the "real order of things").

Today's winner of the Yellow Envelope Project is a ray of sunshine in an otherwise gloomy environment. Below is brief description of what makes Brace deserved of our recognition.:

"Brace singlehandedly brightens up our entire office. She pushes the envelope by decorating her cubicle for every holiday. She also surprises people in the office by decorating their cubicles for special events such as birthdays, promotions, and people getting engaged and having babies. She is a one woman show. Brace uses her own money to do special things, since our office would never support the activities. A while back I received a handmade birthday card from Brace and when I opened the card, out poured a bunch of confetti. Brace makes work fun. She shines and that's why I think she deserves to be a winner of the Yellow Envelope Project."

Telling Brace she shines is easy.

Simply take five minutes to jot her a short note. Tell Brace you heard about her thoughtful gestures and that you think it is great she spends time brightening her corner of the world. Put your note in a yellow envelope - or a white envelope decorated with all kinds of yellow markers and stickers. Write the words, "Yellow Envelope Project" in the return address and mail it to the address below. You'll feel great about doing it and you will make her day.

Join me, won't you? Even feel free to throw in some confetti.

Brace
1 Cedar Run
Apartment F
Dunwoody, GA 30350

Signing off until Monday...

FFAF: Inspire Your Heart...

Happy Friday, Highlowaha fans! Cheryl here.

Sunday, January 31st is National Inspire Your Heart with Art Day. Quite fitting for a girl who will be driving down to next to nowhere Cypress Mill, Texas that very day to embark on a week long painting workshop with a fabulous artist named Bob Burridge. I've been planning it for over a year now. I hear his classes are fabulously inspiring and they fill up quickly so you can imagine how excited I am. I will be eating, sleeping and making art for 5 days straight.

I have no doubt that I will be well on my way to completing my 2010 resolution next week and inspiring the rest of the year to follow suit. (Jessie- your piece WILL be finished next week!!) I can't wait for this new experience.

But, what does that have to do with you. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

I could, of course, go on and on about all the wonderful art out there. Old and new. The Internet provides us with such great resources to discover and purchase art. Just scan Etsy or PapernStitch for lots of great artists.

And art covers a broad spectrum. Photography, watercolor, ceramics, jewelry making, weaving, knitting, cooking, sculpture. Music is a form of art and one of my very favorites. Dance is a form of art. Shoot, kamasutra is the Art of Making Love! Whatever form of art you love I hope you will celebrate it on Sunday.

I was chatting with a friend that said in that sad voice, "I'm not artistic." That's all well and good but it doesn't stop you from appreciating it. On Sunday, just take 20 minutes out of your day and embrace your favorite form of art. (Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned kamasutra.) In the comment section, tell us what form of art you appreciate most? What inspires you? But before we run into the comment section, I have a little project for you.

It's another little Valentine gift for your loved one. Many years ago I attended a wedding shower where the hostess made a sign for the bride and groom. On one side of the sign it said Yes. On the other side it said No. It's a gift for the bedroom when you need to communicate with your honey. My version is a small pillow you can leave on your bed.

Do I need to spell it out for you? We're still PG-13, right? It's for the bedroom, wink, wink. It's an easy way to communicate your mood, wink, wink. Oh hell, let's get on with it.

I chose to work with felt because 1) I had a lot of laying around my house and 2) it holds its shape and is super easy to work with. Especially if you're not a seamstress. If you are a natural with needle and thread or a sewing machine, please feel free to adapt this to your skill level because it could be really cute. But, I'm telling you- this simple one is CUTE if you'll excuse me for bragging on my own work.

1. Cut out two squares of fabric the same size.

2. I drew the words yes and no on paper. You can use the computer if you think you're not artistic enough. I wanted my letters to touch so the stitching would flow from one to the other.

3. Cut out the words on paper. This is your pattern. Your template.

4. Turn the words backward on another contrasting color of felt and trace with a Sharpie and cut this out.

5. Using embroidery floss, stitch one word on each of the felt squares.

6. And embellishments like this cute little heart. Hi cute little heart. You inspire me.

7. Once both sides have their words stitched to them place them back to back and start stitching around the edge. I used double width of floss for the edges. Just tie a knot at the end and stitching the thread up through the middle of the two fabrics so the knot is hidden. Go to town around the edges.

(Note: I did not stitch the edges with the stuffing in the middle. Why make things more complicated trying to hold it in there?)

8. When you get nearly all three sides done, throw some kind of stuffing in the middle. I had Polyester batting laying around (did I do that right Claudia? Laying?) so that's what I stuffed in the middle. (And honestly, I could have used more.)

9. Finish sewing the edges, put it on your bed, sit back and wait for your honey to come in and see what you're mood is. Is cute, yes?

Glad you agree. But maybe your sweety deserves more than just a simple yes and no.

Maybe YOU want to add some spice to your life and in your bedroom. Go ahead. I dare you. Instead of just yes and no... why don't you put Yes on one side and OH YEAH on the other.

Your sweety will thank you for it. I promise.

Don't forget to tell us in the comment section what form of art inspires you most.

My job as cupid is done here. Signing off until tomorrow...