The Creation… Steven & Sheena Gabbard

Sheena and I arrived at Disney yesterday to spend the next week with family. During the next 7 days I will post a few photos that recap what we saw from each park

It’s not that I have much to write about in regards to a tractor pull as much az it is that I want to test the Wordpress plugin for the iPhone.

That’s right… this post is 100% iPhone created. The photos below were taken with the 3MP camera. Now, is this how I will write my future post? Don’t count on it

Thanks for viewing. The photos were taken the week of this post in Hendersonville, NC and Ashville, NC.

The analogy is absolutely right on …

I bought a bird feeder. I hung
It on my back porch and filled
It with seed. What a beauty of
A bird feeder it is, as I filled it
Lovingly with seed. Within a
Week we had hundreds of birds
Taking advantage of the
Continuous flow of free and
Easily accessible food.

But then the birds started
Building nests in the boards
Of the patio, above the table,
And next to the barbecue.

Then came the poop. It was
Everywhere: on the patio tile,
The chairs, the table ..
Everywhere!

Then some of the birds
Turned mean. They would
Dive bomb me and try to
Peck me even though I had
Fed them out of my own
Pocket.

And others birds were
Boisterous and loud.. They
Sat on the feeder and
Squawked and screamed at
All hours of the day and night
And demanded that I fill it
When it got low on food.

After a while, I couldn’t even
Sit on my own back porch
Anymore. So I took down the
Bird feeder and in three days
The birds were gone. I cleaned
Up their mess and took down
The many nests they had built
All over the patio.

Soon, the back yard was like
It used to be…. Quiet, serene
And no one demanding their
Rights to a free meal.

Now let’s see.
Our government gives out
Free food, subsidized housing,
Free medical care, and free
Education and allows anyone
Born here to be an automatic
Citizen.

Then the illegal came by the
Tens of thousands. Suddenly
Our taxes went up to pay for
Free services; small apartments
Are housing 5 families; you
Have to wait 6 hours to be seen
By an emergency room doctor;
Your child’s 2nd grade class is
Behind other schools because
Over half the class doesn’t speak
English.

Corn Flakes now come in a
Bilingual box; I have to
‘press one’ to hear my bank
Talk to me in English, and
People waving flags other
Than ‘Old Glory’ are
Squawking and screaming
In the streets, demanding
More rights and free liberties.

Just my opinion, but maybe
it’s time for the government
To take down the bird
Feeder.

It’s not every day you get a new gun.  Much less a Beretta Xtrema2.  Needless to say, I was ready to get it out and shoot skeet.  I had waited a month to do so and when the opportunity came on May 1st, I was ready.  I was ready to say that four-letter word, PULL!

We started off at station 10 which was 4 report pair. Pull! Shot one went off and down went one bird (clay).  The second bird was out… and no shot went off.  Gun defect!

It’s very rare to get a new gun that has a defect but I indeed did.  I was able to send it back to Beretta but it will be going for 4-12 weeks.  With that said, I’m looking forward to returning to the Sportsman’s League to try it all over again.

PS – I was able to finish the sporting clays event using someone else’s gun.  Thanks Todd.

It’s Spring. That means many things and for me, that means that it is time to get the garden going. Last year was a test run for Sheena and I as it was our first garden at our new home. As with anything, you learn what to do and what not to do after going through your first season. This year, we increased the garden from 7×15’ to 25×15’ and changed the arrangement of plants.

Central Kentucky has received a lot of rain this spring and that has been very good for the garden. After only a week, peas, tomatoes, turnips and beans are starting to show. Planting a garden is not an easy project. The soil requires preparation to reach the correct pH level and weeds must be removed on sight. This year, only a little lime and extra tilling was required. Weeding will take place as needed.

Below is a photo of the garden after two weeks. I’ll keep this post update as the season goes on.

Happy gardening!

Those are the words uttered by DW (Darrell Waltrip) as the green flag waves for lap one of a NASCAR Sprint race (on FOX).  There’s something about 43 cars driving 200+MPH inches apart three-wide at a place like Talladega that keeps me focused on the TV for 3-4 hours.  It is a long time to watch TV but it’s a time I look forward to each week.

I haven’t always liked NASCAR.  I remember my grandpa and uncles watching it at my mammaw’s house when I was younger and thinking it was the most boring sport there was. I had no problem saying that NASCAR stood for Non Athletic Sport Created Around Rednecks.  That’s what I thought about it and to a large degree, that’s how it started out in 1947.

Today, NASCAR is one of the fastest growing spectator sports there is.  It’s not uncommon for 150,000 fans to attend a race and several million to tune in for a Saturday night or Sunday Sprint cup race.  The face of NASCAR has changed.  At any minute, you can listen to the driver communicate with his pit crew, see how fast he is going, how many RPM’s, break usage, track position, watch a 3D version online, and view front and rear cameras.  What other sport makes you feel like you are there.  Plug that in with a large LCD TV with HD and surround sound and you too will be uttering Boogidie, Boogidie, Boogidie.

So, who do I pull for/like?  My first choice is Jeff Gordon.  I started liking Jeff Gordon when I was younger just because Dale Earnhardt fans did not.  Earnhardt fans (Jr. and Sr.) have issues with drivers that win (aka beating their driver).  Jeff Gordon is that driver.  Jeff Gordon was the 1991 Rookie of the Year.  He won his first Sprint Cup race three years later in Charlotte.  As for Dale Sr., he finished 3-laps down.  Since then, Gordon has won 82 Sprint Cup races and has won the Sprint Cup Championship Series 4 times.  Gordon’s last win was in 2009 at the Texas spring race.

This makes me wonder, why do Earnhardt fans not like Gordon (other than Gordon not fitting the redneck profile)?  Earnhardt Sr. was a great driver who earned his respect.  Over the course of his career, he won 76 Sprint Cup races and was the Winston Cup (now the Sprint Cup) Championship winner 7 times.  After his death, many fans flocked to his son Dale Earnhardt Jr.  As for Dale Jr. Dale has 18 Sprint Cup wins and 22 Nationwide Series wins since starting in 1999.  His first win was in 2000 and his last win was in 2008 – but yet he is still the fan favorite…  It’s a good thing his dad has a large coat tale for Jr. to ride around on.

At that start of 2009 I asked Sheena to pick a driver that she wanted to win.  She picked the #18 M&M’s car driven by the “Wild Thing”, Kyle Busch.  Again, Earnhardt fans have issues with winning drivers that do not fit the old NASCAR profile.  Kyle Busch has 15 Sprint Cup wins, 24 Nationwide Cup wins, and 11 Camping Word truck series races since staring in 2001 while he was 16 years old.  Sounds like a winner to me.

What does all of this mean?  I’ll let you draw your own conclusion.  As for me, I’ll finish watching the rest of the race at Darlington.  We’ll see who wins tonight.

Driver vs. Driver

Finishes for Busch and Earnhardt since 2008

The following prayer is from one of my most cherished & favorite Bible Teachers, Beth Moore.  May this prayer be the prayer of all of our hearts as we stand up and declare victory for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Prayer for Our Nation

Beth Moore
Father in Heaven,
We lift our eyes toward Your Throne,
where You reign in righteousness.
Your Word assures us that when Your people cry
out in sincerity and humility,
You will never turn a deaf ear to us.
We call upon You now, seeking Your
forgiveness and favor.
Look over this fevered landscape and
heal us, Lord.
Drop knees to the floor and raise eyes
to the sky, for we know where our help
comes from.
Unite these States again in devotion to
You, and blur every dividing line.
Do not give us over to our sins. Give us,
instead, over to passionate prayer that
moves Your heart.
“May Your unfailing love rest upon us,
O Lord, even as we put our
hope in You.”
In the Name of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
Amen.

Just tried this recipe for the first time last Friday…turned out beautifully!  The recipe uses a basic pound cake base.  We southerners love pound cake…you can use this recipe for a warm cinnamon treat  or make your own variations by adding various fruits, chocolate chips, toppings and glazes.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Barefoot Contessa

Prep Time:

10 min

Inactive Prep Time:

30 min

Cook Time:

1 hr 0 min

Serves:

8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 extra-large eggs at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

For the streusel:

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons real maple syrup

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in the walnuts, if desired.

Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with a knife. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Carefully transfer the cake, streusel side up, onto a serving plate. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and maple syrup together, adding a few drops of water if necessary, to make the glaze more liquid. Drizzle as much as you like over the cake with a fork or spoon.

I must warn you these recipes from SBI are not for the dieter at heart.  I myself have a hard time bringing myself to taste test these creations!  However if you are looking for a special treat to serve on occasion these are great recipes that scream or should I say, “hollar” southern hos-pi-tal-i-ty! Enjoy! 

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing the pans
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups good cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Directions

Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Frosting:

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don’t whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

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Well I officially miss home.

It has been a while since I have been able to return to my roots of Hendersonville North Carolina and I must say I am a bit “homesick”!

I am missing the mountains, the apple blossoms in the spring time, the warm sunshine and cool mountain breeze. Kentucky is beautiful right now but the mountains of home have a beautiful mystery all of their own.

Next visit is planned for June..let the countdown begin!