Duelin’ Deals Blog by Marlaine

Earth Day On March 29th!

Twenty six major cites and a growing number of towns and villages all around the world are committed to turning off their lights for one hour to bring global warming to the attention of the multitudes. The dark hour is set for 0900 GMT on March 29th. “Earth Hour” was founded by Andy Ridley one year ago. Cities in Australia, United States, Europe, and Canada, among others in 35 countries, have officially signed up to participate in this 2008 event.

Use the GMT clock link to synchronize your time with Greenwich Mean Time. I am posting this at about 1pm Central Standard Time in the United States on the 28th of March so there isn’t much time until the event! It’s about 6pm on the GMT clock.

Be sure nothing will be damaged or hurt by turning off your power. Refrigerators and freezers can withstand being off an hour if you leave the doors shut.

Help the environment by becoming more energy efficient in your daily activities. If you can avoid driving or riding in a fossil fuel using vehicle, do so, and reschedule any trips for before or after that hour. Or walk, use a bicycle, roller skate, errrmmmm – be creative, smiling!

Tell everyone you know about this event and possibly get some big businesses to participate as well. Every extinguished light bulb counts!

• This won’t save you much money on your energy bill and may not do a great deal of good this year but “Earth Hour” is destined to become an annual event because the global emissions that are damaging the ozone layer are getting increasingly worse every year.
• Approximately 2.2 million people participated in Sydney, Australia, last year and during that hour, cut their central business district’s energy usage by more than 10 percent.
• If you turn off your power for an hour, remember to reset your clocks!

We try to save energy every day. Even simple things like drying shirts on hangers adds up to a few dryer loads less a year and that adds savings to your pocket as well as keeping those shirts looking newer longer! (Clothes are literally beaten against the walls of the dryer, weakening threads every time they are mechanically dried!) I used to hang laundry outside but being in the same block with two gas stations, we get so much soot and gas smells clinging to it that I’ve stopped now.

We always combine our driving trips to get the most out of our outings… Library, Aldi’s, Pick & Save, and the post office are all a part of our usual circle and we usually hold off going anywhere until we have books in at the library!

To read other articles I’ve written, go to MarlaineMarie@eHow!

Though late for Easter, here is a way to make perfect hard boiled eggs every time! You can find this recipe and other articles on various topics on eHow by MarlaineMarie.

Sometimes those thick green yolks can be kind of unpleasant because it usually means the yolk is over cooked and dry. Avoid them with this easy method of cooking! While I can’t guarantee that there will be no green around the yolk, if you use this method, they will probably be lemon yellow and fully cooked! With the price of eggs being so high, don’t buy eggs on impulse – try to wait for a sale.

Refrigerated raw shell eggs will keep for about 4 to 5 weeks beyond the pack date. They really are best kept in the carton they came in but, yes, I put some in the egg tray I saved from two refrigerators ago because it takes less space and more convenient to grab an egg or two when I need them. When you know your eggs are getting on the old side time-wise, consider hard boiling them – they will keep at least another week.

How to Make A Perfect Hard Boiled Egg and Then Peel It

Step 1:
First of all, make sure the eggs weren’t bought the day before. Eggs that are too fresh are nearly impossible to peel and usually don’t leave much of the whites intact when pealed! Buy eggs at least a week ahead of time for easiest peeling.

Step 2:
No matter how many eggs you want to boil, put them into a pot that has enough room to completely cover them with cold water, plus an extra inch of water and three inches of boiling space. Do a maximum of 2 dozen at a time to insure even cooking.

Step 3:
Put the pot of water and eggs on the stove and turn the burner to high.

Step 4:
Watch the pot. Yes – it will boil even if you are watching! (Don’t look for the first two minutes -hehehe- will cut down your watching time!) When you see it in a full rolling boil – when the bubbles are nice and vigorous – turn off the burner. Leave the pot right where it is and do other things for half an hour or until the water is cool.

Step 5:
To peel… If you have older eggs, they will peel in one sheet most of the time. If they are new…… tisk…… don’t use them to boil unless you want spooned out eggs, like three minute breakfast eggs. Roll each egg gently on a counter top after a starting tap until most of the shell is cracked all over. Run cold water over the cracked egg after breaking through the membrane at the big end.

* New eggs sink to the bottom. Older eggs have more of an air pocket and will float. If they rise out of the water, they are probably too old to use.
* If you want to save a dozen or so eggs for hard boiling, keep them in the carton, mark with a sharpie pen and place low in the fridge, away from regular use eggs.
* Putting a tablespoon of salt in the water will keep those surprise cracked eggs from losing so much of the whites into the water.
* If you see that you have a “hard peeler”, use a teaspoon to scoop off the shell instead of massacring it in hopes of finding an easy peal spot.
* When using the timed boiling method for “breakfast” eggs, if you aren’t sure the eggs are done, lift an egg out of the boiling water with a spoon. The shell dries in five seconds or less if it’s hard boiled. If it takes longer than five seconds, your egg will be softer boiled.
* If the eggs boil too long, the green yolk will develop – so keep an eye on the pot near the point of boiling.
* Store raw and boiled eggs lower in the fridge. Sometimes they freeze when they are too close to the cooling element.

While I have worked in restaurants, supper clubs and breakfast dinners as either cook or chef’s assistant, I never really thought I could write up recipes that I’ve come up with. My success rate has soared so, now, when I say – “Dinner is an experiment tonight” – Brad says Yeehaw! I grew up not knowing that mashed potatoes could be made without using a box of flakes so I had a big disadvantage when I started my first job in a buffet style restaurant…. but I was wide open to learning the basics. If you know the basics, the variations are endless and sometimes unbelievably good!

Ok here’s a recipe I submitted to Woman’s World and they turned it down……….sigh …………. but it is worth a try because it is so good! Granted, I’ve re-written it and took out most of the “Healthy” parts……….smiling! The different textures of the toppings and the Sloppy Joe style sandwich make this a unique sandwich dinner that’s filling & often requested! I’ll be adding the recipes Woman’s World DID publish (and paid nicely for) soon. The ones published by Woman’s World are healthy but don’t groan – they are really yummy too!

Sloppy Joes Mexican Style

Sucio Jose’s!
Here’s a fast and easy, healthy alternative to hamburgers and a change from tired old sloppy Joes. It’s a taco on a bun! And so tasty, too!

2 pounds hamburger, well browned and drained, completely.
Add:
Packet of taco spice mix.
1 cup chopped red and/or green peppers
16oz can of tomato sauce, plus a half cup of water
Simmer until thick, about an hour.
While the meat mixture is simmering, chop up the toppings of your choice listed below.
If you are going to use a taco shell or two, just hand break a bit and then crush it in a bowl with a glass – mortar and pestle style.

Fill buns of your choice (Onion buns recommended) with the meat mixture and top with your choice of the following:
Chopped onions
Chopped tomatoes
Sliced black olives
Sour cream
Shredded cheddar cheese
Crushed taco shells

If you are going to use a taco shell or two, just hand break a bit and then crush it in a bowl with a glass bottom – mortar and pestle style.

* You can use Italian sausage in addition to the hamburger to spice it up nicely.
* I get the big 3 pound pack of Italian sausage when it’s on sale and put 3 or 4 (flat – not tangled) in a zipper bag to keep in the freezer until needed. Easier to grab 1 or 2 when I need them when they are in little packs.
* You can slice the sausages thin or take the skin off and brown like hamburger.
* It is easier to cut the sausages while they are frozen but easier to brown skinless if thawed.
* If you are going to buy the hot peppers, do not touch sensitive areas like the eyes when you are cutting them up. Yowich! You can buy little cans of hot peppers but be sure you can handle the heat before you dump a whole can in!

I will be posting this recipe on MarlaineMarie eHow articles. Go ahead and have a read or three on various subjects.

I am not a die-hard, run-around-in-a-cheese-head-hat Packer fan but this opening news page on Yahoo Sports makes me sad, yet incredibly proud of Wisconsin’s all-time most unbelievable football quarterback, Brett Favre…….

Brett Favre retires after 17 seasons

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN (TICKER) —Brett Favre has decided to end his legendary NFL career.

Favre informed the Green Bay Packers that he will retire after 17 record-setting seasons, the team announced Tuesday.

The Packers confirmed Favre’s retirement, which was first reported by FOXSports.com, in a written statement by general manager Ted Thompson.

“Brett Favre has informed us of his intention to retire from the Green Bay Packers and the NFL,” Thompson said. “He has had one of the greatest careers in the history of the National Football League, and he is able to walk away from the game on his own terms – not many players are able to do that.”

Aside from compiling a Hall of Fame resume, Favre built a legacy as one of the game’s most dynamic leaders.

A Mississippi native, Favre possessed one of the strongest throwing arms in NFL history and became one of the most revered players in the storied tradition of the Packers franchise.

“The uniqueness of Brett Favre his personality, charisma and love of the game undoubtedly will leave him as one of the enduring figures in NFL history,” Thompson said in the statement.

Favre, 38, had flirted with retirement during the past two offseasons. Many expected him to call it quits after a disappointing 2006 season, but Favre saw encouraging signs in the Packers’ rebuilding and said he wanted to return.

Favre’s decision was justified by an outstanding season, as the Packers went 13-3 en route to the NFC North Division title and an appearance in the conference championship game.

Along the way, Favre enjoyed one of the finest individual seasons of his storied career, passing for 4,155 yards and 28 touchdowns while posting a quarterback rating of 95.7 – best in 11 seasons.

During the course of the season, Favre also etched his name into the NFL record book, becoming the league’s all-time leader in passing yards (61,655 yards), touchdown passes (442), and career wins (160).

But the magical campaign ended in disappointing fashion in the NFC title game, when the Packers suffered a 23-20 overtime loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

The heartbreaking loss was especially sour to Favre, whose last pass was intercepted by Giants cornerback Corey Webster.

“The Packers owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude,” Thompson said. “He has given Packers fans 16 years of wonderful memories, a Super Bowl championship among them, that will live on forever.

“Brett’s many accomplishments on the field are legendary. He leaves the game holding virtually every career passing record, plus his consecutive starts streak, which may never be duplicated.”

The only three-time MVP in NFL history, Favre is the league’s all-time leader with 5,377 career completions. A nine-time Pro Bowler, Favre has started 253 consecutive regular-season games for the Packers, a streak that dates to September 27, 1992.

Acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons on February 10, 1992, Favre led the Packers to a 35-21 victory over the New England Patriots in the 1997 Super Bowl, the franchise’s first title in 29 years.

The MVP in 1995 and 1996 and co-winner of the award in 1997, Favre has five seasons with at least 4,000 passing yards and eight campaigns with at least 30 TDs.

While my Aussie hub says that our football and the way it’s played (sans padding and protective gear) is nothing compared to the high impact of Australian football, I’d have to say that Brett Favre would have been great in any game he chose to play. He struggled in the early years with the Green Bay Packers and I remember a period during the first years when it wasn’t sure if the Packers were going to trade him or not. Brett also overcame some serious personal problems with courage and honor. Favre had biggggggggg shoes to fill, too – Bart Starr! At the start, everyone was linking the two names, hoping that Favre just might be close to Starr’s caliber.

Starr’s honors include 16 years as a Packer Quarterback, a three time Most Valuable Player – once as a Green Bay Packer MVP in 1966 and MVP of Super Bowls I and II, a lifetime record of 57.4 percent completed passes and he lead the Packers to five NFL titles and two Super Bowl Championships. When Starr retired, he stayed on as the Packer’s head coach from 1975 to 1983 and was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in 1977. (Today Bart Starr runs Healthcare Realty Management and is Co-Founder of the Rawhide Boys Ranch an organization that helps troubled boys.)

And there then was the legendary Vince Lombardi!

Our Green Bay Packers have had really great role models. Looking up to someone and emulating their ways is a wonderful way to set goals and a course in life for any person. I have a feeling that Brett Favre isn’t going to just fade away now – I feel sure that he has even more greatness coming. Good luck Brett! You are one heck of a guy!

To Bart Starr – Thank you for giving so much of yourself to others. Your Rawhide Boys Ranch does such wonderful stuff for kids! Hugs to you!

It’s been a veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy long time since we’ve ordered pizza to be delivered. For one, the price of a delivered pizza is unbelievably high! Two, the place that we used hooked us with their coupon for extra meaty pizza…… called Meat Lover’s Pizza… but only the first pizza was exceptionally great! Maybe because the phone number used was a first time call in for pizza to be delivered and they added more of everything but, I must say, we were disappointed in the next three pizzas. We used coupons when we ordered the 2nd and 3rd but both seemed to be missing something or another but we were charged for the extra ingredients anyway. The last pizza was free because the 3rd was completely wrong AND that free one was the last pizza we ordered from them ever. I will add that the pizza place tried to make it up to us but – dang it – the pizza we craved was not the pizza they delivered. We had to pay for delivery, a tip and a high base price, too, so I decided to try to get it the way we loved it myself and I knew I could do it a whole lot cheaper!

Here’s how you do it…

Things You’ll Need:

* On sale frozen pizza of your choice or try this with your fav frozen pizza brand! If you do use your fav brand, you will see that this turns out better than anything a pizza place delivers!
* Sliced pepperoni – 1/4 to 1/2 the pack
* Ham – 1/4 to 1/2 cup diced
* Ground pork – 1/2 to 1 pound
* 2 teaspoons Italian spices
* Chopped onions – 1/2 cup
* Mushrooms – 1/2 cup sliced
* Red and green peppers – 1/2 cup
* Mozzarella or Italian 3 cheese – 1/2 to 1 pound shredded
* Olives – Green and/or black 1/4 to 1/2 cup

Step 1:
Choose your favorite style of pizza – thin crust, oven rising, thick crust, Chicago style, or garlic bread. Any type will work! I’ve gotten really cheap oven rising pizzas from Aldi’s and they turned out fantastic – but beware, if the sauce or crust is lousy, it ruins the pizza! Even a higher priced frozen pizza can stand some pizazz!

Step 2:
Decide what you would like to add. Every extra ingredient is optional! How much you put on is also optional! If you only want pepperoni, ham, onions, peppers, mushrooms, olives and/or extra cheese, you are ready to build your pizza.

Step 3:
If you want sausage on your pizza, you’ll need to brown it first. Brown it quickly without stirring very often so the meat will stay a bit chunky. Drain off any excess fat. Add the Italian spices and stir in. If you like your onions softer, add them to the meat with the spices. I often get whole mushrooms and slice them thick to add them into the mix at this stage. Brown while moving the mix around just a minute more. Turn off heat and let it sit.

Step 4:
Now to build your pizza…… Get the pizza(s) out of it’s box and off the cardboard. Place on cookie or baking sheet or pizza pan – whatever you care to call it. A baking sheet makes it easier even if you are going to bake it right on the rack – if you don’t have one of those pizza peels.

Step 5:
Here’s where it all comes together…. Add the meats or meat mixture you’d like. Add the peppers, olives, and onions if you want them. Add the cheeses. We love the cheese – smiling!

Step 6:
Follow the cooking directions but plan on leaving it in up to five minutes longer. Always check at the recommended time though – better to see that it needs more time than see it go into the garbage or the dog’s food. (I recommend cutting a bad pizza up and adding maybe a half cup of chopped pizza to dry dog food each day til the pizza is gone – keeps your dog’s diet balanced.)

Tips & Warnings:
* Buy peppers on sale. Cut out the whitish membranes and seeds and rinse them, then slice or cut in chunks. Freeze in good freezer bags. When you need some for pizza, grab a handful from the bag and put on pizza. (Also a great idea for any recipe you need chunks of peppers for if there is a short amount of cooking time.)
* When you have left over ham, dice some of it up and put it in a good freezer bag – use when needed straight from the fridge just like the peppers!
* The more you stir while browning the meat, the smaller it crumbles. Very little stirring while browning gives you near meatball style browned meat – so if making spaghetti sauce, add herbs and a bit of bread crumbs to make easy, though uneven meat balls!
* When baking two pizzas at a time, they seem to cook differently than just one – they don’t get as crispy. Try to use round baking sheets so you can bake the pizzas on the same rack. If not, half-way through the baking time, swap the lower pizza to the top and the top pizza to the bottom rack and turn them around 180.
* Use a baking sheet if you want the pizzas softer and no baking sheet if you want them crisper but be prepared – these most likely will drip onto the bottom of the oven without a baking sheet or something to catch the drips.
* As always, when using my recipes, do not invite the Food Police to dinner!

No matter! This pizza is outstanding! Even my brother makes it this way and forgets about delivery! Even with the extra ingredients, this pizza is half the price. When you buy things like the pepperoni at a place like Aldi’s, you are paying less and can save some of the pepperoni for 1 or 2 more pizzas later on – maybe more.