WW
Bloody Mary
Whenever I go to brunch, lunch or a day time event like a bridal shower, my go to drink is a Bloody Mary. I love tomatoes any way, fresh, canned or juiced. Whenever I fly I always order a tomato juice, with lots of ice – no booze.
Tyler Florence is one of my favorite chefs and here is his recipe for a whole pitcher full to share and enjoy!
Bloody Mary by The Pitcher
6 limes, juiced
1 tablespoon celery seeds
3 tablespoons grated fresh or prepared horseradish
2 quarts tomato juice, chilled
2 tablespoons hot sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups pepper vodka, chilled in the freezer
Celery stalk, sliced limes for serving
Directions
Combine the lime juice, celery seed, and horseradish in a pitcher. Muddle the mixture with the end of a wooden spoon to blend and break up the celery seeds. Pour in the tomato juice, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce; season with salt and pepper. Stir everything together to combine.
Divide the vodka among 6 tall, chilled glasses filled with ice. Fill the glasses with the bloody mary mix, stick in the celery and garnish with the lime slices. Give the bloody mary a good stir and serve.
Disney Cruise Line/Walt Disney World
Back in July, I got a call from my daughter asking me to join them on a 4-night Bahamian Disney Cruise/3-night Walt Disney World vacation. My auto answer to my daughter is usually “O.K.” This time was no different.
There is one problem, I get seasick on boats, planes and not as much as I use to, car rides too. Depending where I am sitting and who is driving 🙂
Anyway, I am a wreck now that the trip is a few weeks away. Everyone tells me how much fun I am going to have and I really want to believe them. But I have butterflies and sometimes I get a little panic attack. I am almost packed up and ready to go. I just have to remind myself, I’ll be with my daughter and her family and my niece Sandra is coming too. So it’ll be alright.
I know I am going to enjoy Walt Disney World – love that place. But the boat thing is weighing me down. Keeping my fingers crossed and believing for a wonderful time on the cruise. Do you cruise?
http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/
Gettysburg
This past September I had the pleasure of visiting Gettysburg, PA. When it was decided that a trip to Gettysburg would be a nice weekend getaway, I was not aware that this Gettysburg was the same Gettysburg were Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg address.
How stupid am I?
Yes, I knew the civil war was fought in Gettysburg and I knew President Lincoln gave his address there but what I never knew was that Gettysburg was located in Pennsylvania. So close to New York.
It was a great weekend. I learned so much about this famous battle and the Civil War.
Here is the actual battlefield. Here the north and the south came together as Americans at war with each other.
Seeing the actual grounds of the battle just gave me an eerie sensation. 
On top of high ground the Union soldiers were able to hold back the Confederate army. Had the Confederate army taken over these grounds the battle of Gettysburg could have had a different ending.
Our guide explained to us every detail of the battles and how the artillery were used.
The cannons would blast canisters tin can which were filled with iron balls, the iron balls would then be sprayed all over the landscape. Let me tell you loading and firing one of these weapons could not have been easy.
“The cannon became a huge sawed-off shotgun, and at ranges of 250 yards or less it was in the highest degree murderous.”
New York provided 400,000-460,000 men during the war, nearly 21% of all the men in the state and more than half of those under the age of 30. More American lives were lost during the Civil War than all the wars after it.
The battle of Gettysburg was just the beginning of the battles that comprised the Civil War. The war lasted 7 years and took 600,000 American lives.
When I see pictures of President Lincoln I understand why he always seemed to look so sad. President Lincoln believed what the founding fathers believed,
“All men are created equal.”
“That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
I pray that this still holds true today!
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Wordless Wednesday
