From My Mind to Yours...

Cast Iron Is A Great Investment!

2009-10-05T10:33:00.002-04:00

When you’re looking for a set of new cookware, the choices can become overwhelming. You want your investment to not only make cooking easier, but you want it to last. That’s why enameled cast iron is so wonderful. It works as great as a Teflon pan and lasts so long you can pass it on to your children, or your children’s children!

Cast iron construction provides even heating and excellent heat retention. The enamel finish means you don’t have to pre-season (or re-season) your cookware, ever! The only care these wonderful pans require is hand washing and drying.

You can use a single cast iron frying pan or cast iron skillet for just about any cooking task: Bake a cake, sear a filet, roast or fry a chicken, fry potatoes, stir-fry vegetables, etc. One skillet is all you need, but because cast iron cooking is a lot of fun and makes the food you cook taste great, you’re probably going to want more than one cast iron pan.

You can see all of Rachael Ray’s Enameled Cast Iron Cookware at JaZon.us|Rachael Ray Porcelain Enamel Cookware

One of my favorite places...

2009-10-04T13:48:00.009-04:00

One of my favorite places to visit is Shipshewana, Indiana. It's an Amish community that holds a flea market during the spring/summer/fall months. Not only that, they have great shops and restaurants as well. If you've never had Amish food before, I highly recommend it.

My sister, my cousin and I started a tradition last year in meeting together and spending a day there. We had some problems working out a date this year because of summer commitments but we finally made it.

Last year, I found a wonderful quilt for my bedroom. It's a bit hard because my bedroom's walls are a burnt orange. But this quilt has a wonderful blend of fall colors and a nice design. I also found a set of large wind chimes that's in the key of A and a major key as well. So many wind chimes are toned in minor keys and I find them somewhat depressing.

This year, they were having a festival so the flea market wasn't going on but this only created the opportunity to focus on the shops. And WOW, do they have shops! The one I found fascinating was for quilting. That's one craft that I haven't learned yet. But, seeing all the different kinds of material, patterns, colors and designs, I've become very tempted! The game shops were wonderful as well. Not ONE electronic game was to be found (of course not!) and I saw some wonderful ones I remembered from my childhood as well.

Since we missed the flea market, the purchases I made were of a more edible nature than decorative. I bought a large wheel of cheddar cheese at $1.99/lb, soup mixes, rice mixes, apple butter and such. The cheese is almost gone, all but one of the soup mixes have been consumed, and the rice was history long ago.

We're going to Indiana again shortly and I've warned my husband that on the way back home, we're making a detour. With the price of cheese as it is right now, the savings alone will justify the gas. Perhaps we'll even find a good sale on something else! Maybe, just maybe, we'll also hit one of the Amish restaurants that are so wonderful too!

Excuse me please, may I have your attention?

2009-10-02T09:12:00.014-04:00

My brother celebrated his 48th birthday yesterday. Come January 2nd of next year, mine and my sibling's ages will be 50, 49, 48, and 47. Mom and dad were married 4 years before they had me (I'm the oldest) and once they got the baby factory going, they didn't seem to be able to turn it off again. Not only that, we were all born at the projected dates of our births and were healthy and strong.

One thing that my brother stated regarding his milestone was that he was thankful for his sons, Mott's, and RMHC. His children weren't like us. They came earlier than predicted and faced a litany of health issues because of it.

My nephews -- they are simply amazing. They have the reddest hair I've ever seen on boys. It's not orange, it's RED. Rion (named after a Civil War Hero in our family) is so brightly intelligent it's a joy to watch him show off his latest discovery. Thomas is so unafraid of anything that he has to be watched like a hawk. But his independence and strength remind me to hold onto those qualities in myself. They were both preemies and they do have some difficulties to overcome. Scott and Melanie are working with them and medical personnel to ensure they have the highest quality of life possible. The difficulties that show now aren't going to hinder them much in any way. Scott and Melanie are installing strength, courage, and strong character in them even at their tender age!

UM's Mott Children's Hospital is a salvation to not just my nephews, but to children with medical needs in general! The U.S. News Media Group’s 2009 edition of “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals” ranked the UM's C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital among the best pediatric hospitals in the nation. Mott's is the only one in the state to be nationally ranked in eight of the ten pediatric specialty areas featured in the report:

* heart and heart surgery
* kidney care
* orthopedics
* children's cancers
* diabetes
* digestive disorders
* neonatal care
* respiratory disorders

Mott's was directly responsible in giving my nephews the best opportunity at a long life. The care they received from the moment Melanie entered their doors was astounding. Their equipment, staff, and physicians all worked together to sustain their tiny forms when they weren't able to themselves and released them to their parents as healthy as could humanly be possible.

If it hadn't been for the Ronald McDonald House nearby Mott Children's Hospital, the physical and emotional toll on Melanie and Scott would have been astronomical. RMHC made it possible for them to stay as close to their sons as possible for the duration of the boys stay.

For nearly 35 years, Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) has been creating, finding and supporting programs that directly improve the health and well being of nearly 3.7 million children worldwide every year. At every House, families can enjoy:

* Home-cooked meals
* Private bedrooms
* Playrooms for children

Depending on the House, these services may also be available:

* Special suites for children with suppressed immune systems
* Accredited education programs
* Recreational activities
* Non-clinical support services
* Sibling support services

The generosity of volunteers and donors make it all possible. In return, families are asked to make a donation from $5 to $25 per day, depending on the house. The RMHC Global Policy is that families are never turned away; if its not possible to pay, the fee is waived.

If you're of a mind, you can donate to Mott's by clicking here and/or to Ronald McDonald House Charities by clicking here. There's another way to donate to RMHC. Every time you go to McDonald's, look for the coin box. It's in the store and at the drive-through. Every penny goes to RMHC to build new homes and upgrade existing.

And just in case you needed a face to put with your donations, here they are again...

Thank you for your attention!
Janan

Anodizing -- Who Knew?

2009-09-28T12:06:00.003-04:00

Many metals are structurally weakened by the oxidation process, but not aluminum. Aluminum can actually be made stronger and more durable through a process called 'anodizing'. Anodizing involves placing a sheet of aluminum into a chemical acid bath, quite often acetone in laboratory experiments. The sheet of aluminum becomes the positive anode of a chemical battery and the acid bath becomes the negative. An electric current passes through the acid, causing the surface of the aluminum to oxidize (essentially rust). The oxidized aluminum forms a strong coating as it replaces the original aluminum on the surface. The result is an extremely hard substance called anodized aluminum.

Because of its lighter weight and non-conductivity, anodized aluminum has become a popular alternative to steel in manufacturing circles. But many applications call for a process called anodizing to give aluminum a stronger surface. Essentially, anodizing involves immersing aluminum in a bath of sulfuric acid, called an electrolyte, and running a low-voltage electric current through the acid solution. The result of normal anodizing is a thin coating of aluminum oxide (rust) on the surface of the original aluminum sheet. If the acid solution is cooled to the freezing point of water and the amount of electric current increased substantially, however, the process is called hard anodizing

Now, why would I let you know about this? Because anodized materials have an extremely long life span. Anodized surfaces do not chip or peel. In fact, anodized aluminum is used to protect satellites from the harsh environment of space, to harden automotive racing parts against friction and heat, as well as for display cases, coolers, and grills for the food industry.

An anodized finish is chemically stable. It does not decompose. It is nontoxic. High heat levels will not damage the anodized finish. Anodized surfaces are heat-resistant to the melting point of aluminum (1,221°F).

Most important for cookware, hard-anodizing makes cookware surfaces so ultra-smooth that they become virtually nonporous (without pores). Pores in metal cookware are one of the leading reasons why foods stick while cooking.

So, because hard-anodized aluminum cooking surfaces are virtually nonporous, you have fewer problems with stuck-on foods. The surfaces are stick-resistant. And when you use the simple steps to stick-free cooking (see "Cooking in Calphalon Cookware"), you'll be amazed at how easy and trouble-free cooking can be.

Another reason I've brought this up is that I've put my entire Rachael Ray hard anodized product line on sale! With all you now know about anodization, shouldn't you take a look? Check out what's ON SALE at JaZon.us!

http://www.jazon.us/category/29766101

What to do when you're stumped...

2009-09-28T11:04:00.003-04:00

I started out today thinking of dinner. I usually do this because I like to have it out of the way in some fashion so that I'm not stuck in the kitchen trying to figure something out. I hate having the same meals day in and day out and my boys seem to enjoy my creativity.

Hence, I love my pantry. I've never had a pantry before. It's not huge, but it's enough. And I keep certain things always available in there... things that allow me to be creative, things that aren't the normal compared to when I was growing up. I lived for almost 20 years in Southern California, so I have quite a large amount of beans, rice, chilies, salsas, and spices so that I can either make something or add an additional flare to whatever I'm cooking. I also have an Italian area, an Asian area, and things my mom used as well.

It's a cold rainy day here in Michigan today. We had thunderstorms pass through last night and I loved that. But it's cold, wet and miserable here today. I'm not complaining. We need these types of days as well as the bright and sunny. But tonight is definitely not a night for a salad. Soup... soup is what sounded perfect to warm through the chill. But, what soup? What could I make? I bounced off the thought of my own wicked-good Potato Soup on my youngest, but he wasn't very excited. He DID like the idea of soup for dinner though.

So I went to one of my favorite sites for inspiration. I love AllRecipes.com. It's free (but you can support it if you choose to) and everyday men and women contribute. People will have the same recipe as another with just some slight variation so it gives you a choice. After spending a few minutes there, I was inspired!

I got out the left-over pork roast, the one piece of chuck steak that didn't get eaten Saturday night, a large sweet onion, my jar of minced garlic (it's so much easier than fresh but that's just me), a can of black beans, a can of refried black beans with jalapeno, a box of chicken stock, a jar of salsa verde and a can of green chilies. I cut up the onion and browned it, added the pork and steak cut up bite-size, added the rest along with about 2/3rds of the stock, then added a dash of Tabasco, salt and pepper, and now it's sitting on my stove in my soup pan simmering through the day. Just before dinner tonight, I'm going to make some Jiffy corn bread.

To me, this is what it means to cook. All the ready-made or "just add hamburger" mixes have robbed us of something precious. Oh, they're still important. In this day and age there are times you just can't do without them. But we've forgotten how to cook with love. I've spent a lot of time speaking to young women who are just amazed at the ideas I come up with. But this is exactly the reason for the glut of cooking shows. They're showing us how to blend flavors and techniques and bring them into our own homes.

So I'm going to challenge you. Find a night this week or a meal over the weekend, and determine what you're going to cook. If you've never really cooked before, leave me a comment here and I'll get together with you and help you do some brainstorming. It doesn't have to be fancy, it doesn't have to be expensive. It can be as simple as a soup from the leftovers in your fridge and some spices from your pantry. But it will also hold the love in your heart from you to yours.

Cooking from the heart,
Janan

These reminded me of Tom Sawyer

2009-09-22T22:57:00.004-04:00

Those are my boys fishing during our vacation.

ANNOUNCING!

2009-09-22T22:26:00.004-04:00

After great amount of consideration, I've readjusted all of the prices on the Rachael Ray products that I'm selling. There's even a new one! If you like Rachael's idea of "sammys", there's a pan for that now!

I've also put all of her hard anodized (yes, there's those words again) products on sale as well!

Please take a look at JaZon.us!

This is just too sad for words... and frustrating as all get-out!

2009-09-21T12:20:00.002-04:00

I found this fascinating quote today:

I was a guest this morning on The Doug Stephan Show and he asked me what I thought about the story of the Arizona parents who had their kids taken away by protective services because a Walmart employee felt that some pictures they were developing were not appropriate because they contained photos of the children naked in the tub.digitaldads.com, When “Protecting the Children” Goes To Far | Digital Dads

You should read the whole article.

Wow... did I get excited!

2009-09-21T11:45:00.004-04:00

I was doing some research (I do that a lot of late) and checked out one of my supplier's sites. I noticed a new link in their navigation that said "POURfect". I clicked it and was taken to the list of POURfect products that would be available for me to retail. I'd never heard about POURfect before, so I dug a bit deeper...

They're kinda funny looking. They remind me of "The Flying Nun"! But their shape and appearance intrigued me. I read the product information on several sites that also sell these mixing bowls. I read other people's blogs about them, read about their experiences. Then, I did something that's pretty out of character for me. I ordered a set. I'm waiting for them to arrive even as I type!

The complete set of bowls comes in 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12 cup sizes. The measuring beakers are in 1, 2 and 4 cup sizes. The measuring spoons are a hoot! I've never seen such a complete set of measuring spoons in my life! And I'm OLD! They come in 1/64, 1/32, 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 3/4, 1t, 1½T, 1T, 2T. The first four are specialty measurements. the 1/64t is classified as a drop, the 1/32t is a smidgeon, the 1/16t is a pinch, and 1/8t is a dash! If you ever wondered what those measurements meant in those old recipes you found in your grandmother's recipe book, now you know!

I put them on my JaZon@Bonanzle site. Shipping is included in the price. Even so, they're less expensive than most of the other sites I've looked at. If you're inclined, have a look and purchase. If not, that's ok. I just think these things are pretty nifty.

About Janan

2009-08-17T12:01:00.004-04:00

Hi, my name is Janan. You know how you have an idea about what a person is when you see/hear their name? I wonder what you think when you see/hear mine? That's what I like about my name... there's generally no preconceived notions about what or who I am.

My particular view on life and things in general is pretty skewed. I'm not what you would call "normal". I get labeled with "weird" a lot, but I've never been accused of being normal... thank goodness! I know there are many people who don't like to draw attention to themselves. I don't go out of my way to draw attention, it just finds me. So I've grown used to it. The things I do, the things I say, the way of them, just seems to make people look in wonder. If I make them stop and think or even rethink something, then I'm happy. And since I'm probably the only Janan you have met either online or real life, I hope I get you to stop and think or even rethink as well.

If you haven't done this before, try Google-ing your name. Go ahead, just open the search in a new tab and see what comes up. Take a look at those who share your name with you. What did you find? Did any of them take a look at yourself in a good way? in a bad? What do you think about you and how you fit now?

Me? I Google'd Janan and found some interesting people. My mom named me when she was 11-years-old. It was her oldest sister's best friend's middle name and she decided right then to name her first daughter that. I don't know what nationality that friend was, but my name is middle-eastern. It took me a bit to understand why I received invitations to Islamic groups at my previous job on a college campus. It just didn't click. I wouldn't have minded joining them even though my faith is Christ-based, but I didn't think they'd want a caucasian in their mix who didn't share a like-mind.

Back to the search... what did I find? I found men with my name. I found an island that I share a name with. I found LOTS of belly dancers! I found my name means "mercy" in Hebrew and "paradise" in Arabic. I didn't find "me" but I found others who were just as unique as I am.

That's the whole point to my very first blog post here. Even if you have a very common name, YOU are what's important. If you're the kind who likes to fit in, not be noticed, fly under the radar, that's GREAT! If you're uncommon with a common name, that's FANTASTIC too! The point is, be who you are. Be proud of who and what you are. If you're not, then make the changes necessary. If you are, then find ways to improve! There's always room for that. If you don't learn something each and every day, then I'll challenge that you're actually alive.

Welcome to my blog, I hope you enjoy the ride! Why don't you take a moment and introduce yourself. Supply a link to your blog, or just say hi!