Chilled Cucumber Soup With Shrimp

Here is an amazing recipe for some delicious cold soup!?!
Paired with some nice bread sticks it makes an awesome meal on a hot summer day!?!

• 2 (17-ounce) containers Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 3 hothouse cucumbers, unpeeled, seeded and chopped
• 3/4 cup chopped red onion
• 9 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (6 lemons)
• 3/4 pound cooked large shrimp, halved
• Thin slices of lemon, halved, for garnish
• Fresh dill, for garnish

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the yogurt, half-and-half, cucumbers, red onion, scallions, salt, and pepper. Transfer the mixture in batches to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until the cucumbers are coarsely pureed and then pour into another bowl. Continue processing the soup until all of it is pureed. Fold in the dill, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until very cold.

Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice. Serve chilled, garnished with the shrimp, lemon, and fresh dill.

Today I am thankful for the Food Network which provides me with delicious recipes I'd have never thought of on my own!?!

RIP Shannon Stone

Texas baseball fan Shannon Stone reportedly had a conversation with emergency personnel after falling from the stands and before dying in which he expressed concern for his young son.

Stone, 39, a Brownwood, Texas, firefighter, fell head first out of the stands during Thursday night's game at Arlington Stadium while trying to catch a ball tossed toward him by Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton. Stone fell about 20 feet before he landed on the concrete below.

In an interview with an ESPN reporter, Athletics relief pitcher Brad Ziegler said Stone was still conscious and able to talk as he was taken from the stadium.

"They had him on a stretcher. He said, 'Please check on my son. My son was up there by himself.' The people who carried him out reassured him, 'Sir, we'll get your son, we'll make sure he's OK,'" Ziegler told an ESPN reporter. "He had his arms swinging. He talked and was conscious. We assumed he was OK. But when you find out he's not, it's just tough."

The reports suggest that Stone may have experienced a period of time known as a lucid interval -- a window of conscious clarity after a traumatic injury.

Dr. William Goldberg, assistant professor of emergency medicine at NYU School of Medicine/Bellevue Hospital Center, said it would be hard for a physician to determine whether the episode represented a lucid interval or not unless they were present at the scene. But, he said, particularly in the case of bleeding in the brain, such instances can occur.

Texas Baseball Fan Shannon Stone Asked About Son After Fatal Fall - ABC News



Today I am thankful for all the people who are reaching out to the Stone Family!?!

Italian Mac and Cheese Muffins

2

cups uncooked elbow macaroni (about 5 1/2 oz)

1/2

lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef, if desired

1/4

cup butter

2

cups milk

1

loaf (16 oz) prepared cheese product, cut into 1-inch cubes

1

bag (8 oz) finely shredded Italian cheese blend (2 cups)

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2

cup Progresso® Italian style panko crispy bread crumbs

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray.
   
2. Cook macaroni as directed on package—except cook 2 minutes less time. Drain; place in large bowl.
3. Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, cook ground beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked. Drain; set aside.
4. In microwavable bowl, microwave butter, milk and prepared cheese product on High about 5 minutes. Remove from microwave; stir with whisk until cheese begins to melt. Microwave on High in 1-minute increments, stirring after each minute, until cheese is completely melted and mixture is smooth.
5. Add cheese mixture and ground beef to macaroni in bowl. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese until well mixed. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Fill each muffin cup with macaroni mixture. Sprinkle bread crumbs and remaining shredded cheese over tops.
7. Cover pan loosely with foil, making sure foil does not touch cheese. Bake 20 minutes.
8. Remove from oven; remove foil. Cool at least 10 minutes before remove muffins from cups.

Today I am thankful that my husband is a kid when it comes to food - so I can use some of these fun recipes!?!

Happy National Kissing Day!?!

Happy National Kissing Day. In fact, today is also known as World Kissing Day. It is a time to celebrate the most happy of actions - the kiss, two lips locked together expressing passion, love or affection.

People have been kissing for thousands of years. The earliest recorded information comes from Sanskrit texts that are at least 3,500 years old. When you remember your own kissing experiences, it is easy to see why this practice has been around for so many centuries.

Humans are not the only beings who kiss either. Also, apes participate in lip locking to express excitement, affection or reconciliation. Studies say that people remember more details about their first kiss than they do about their first sexual encounter, and there is no doubt because kissing actually acts like a drug on the human body. Do you remember specifics about your first kiss? What was it like? Who was it with?

How will you celebrate National Kissing Day? Will you find your loved ones and plant a huge smackaroo right on his or her lips? No matter who it is, you will find that kissing is a pleasurable way to express yourself.

Today I am thankful for breath mints - which are often needed when kissing!?!

Caylee Marie Anthony!?!

Today I am thankful that Caylee is the arms of the God - where I know she is loved -&- well taken care of!?!

Mishandling of justice!?!

Casey Anthony was found NOT guilty today -&- I am physically sick over it...she in my opinion was GUILTY!?!

At least I know she will have to pay for her sins when she meets her maker -&- that is what I have to grasp when dealing with all of this!?!

Here is video of the reading of the verdicts:
Casey Anthony cleared of murder in daughter's death - CTV News

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A Florida jury has acquitted Casey Anthony of murdering her 2-year-old daughter Caylee.

Anthony began crying when the jury's verdict was read Tuesday after more than 10 hours of deliberations. She hugged her attorney afterward, and a prosecutor shook his head in disbelief. She could have received a death sentence if she had been convicted of first-degree murder.

She was found guilty of lying to investigators. Judge Belvin Perry will sentence her Thursday. She could receive up to a year in jail for each count.

Caylee disappeared in June 2008 and her body was found in woods near her grandparent's home six months later.

Today I am thankful that I have a God who knows all -&- passes the ultimate judgment!?!

Happy 4th of July!?!

Today I am thankful -&- proud to be an AMERICAN!?!
God Bless the USA!?!