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Mar 9, 2009

Living La Vida DIVA! & 3 Matters of Bidness: a prize, a shortcut & a cut-out



My other blog found here is where I am now writing my teaching posts. (photograph by Linda Charlene)

If you are curious about this speaking topic: Living La Vida DIVA, click on the link!


WARNING: You are about to read an eclectic post.


First matter of bidness is the give-a-way from A Roof With A View! A Roof With A View is a fresh blog with several contributors, one of which is my blog buddy, Angela, from Crumbs In My Butter. Check out her blog and her spring nail polish picks & the cute, cute scarf that is included in the give-a-way.


Second matter of bidness is a shortcut when you make Chicken & Dumplins. (Yes. I know it's actually dumplings but I like to say dumplins. I also like to say bidness.) Although I can and do make dumplins from scratch meaning I mix the dough and roll it out and cut it into strips, sometimes I take this shortcut.


Instead of the delicious but time consuming art of dumplin' makin' I sometimes use a can of refrigerated biscuits for my dumplins. I flatten each biscuit in my hands, and using a pizza cutter I cut them into quarters (or more depending on the size of your biscuits). When my stock is at a rolling boil, I drop the "dumplins" into the pot. I never stir the dumplins as they may fall apart. Just lift the pot from the burner and swirl it to submerge the dumplins.
If you don't already have a good recipe for chicken & dumplins' let me know and I'll share mine. For now...I just thought I'd give you a delicious time saving tip!
Chicken & Dumplins ~ it's what's for dinner at my house tonight. And I served it early so I could take a walk after dinner. Because even though I will not be having dessert, I had chicken & dumplins for dinner. With cornbread. So, you know, I might need a walk. *

Third matter of bidness is I have decided to take a vacation from what may be the only junk food I eat: chips - wonderful salty, crispy tortilla chips or sour cream and onion potato chips, or original sunchips...

Mr. Chips will be going the way of sugar & the fake sweetener (except stevia). I am on day 15/21 of my sugar/sweetener free ride. Whee. My ride has lost it's ! because One Fine Man brought home a BOGO yesterday. Pecan Sandy and her luscious twin sister - Dark Chocolate & Almond Sandy. I say she is luscious but I'm only surmising as I have nibbled nary a crumb! NOT. ONE. CRUMB.


I'm going to give myself a vacation from Mr. Chips for 21 days. That is the same amount of time I picked for the sugar/sweetener. Why 21 days? The whole habit thing.


Eventually I will post on why I am taking a vacation from the sweet stuff and now the chips! It may not be why you think. Then again...it may.

Have you ever "disciplined" yourself for 21 days in hopes that it would become a habit? Were you successful?

Eclectically Yours,
Bella~Mella


* I took that walk and now I'm ready for my Florida ruby red grapefruit ~ chilled and sprinkled with sea salt. Ahhhhhhhh as good as the Sandy sisters. At least that is what I tell myself!

13 comments:

  1. You are quite the cook.

    I don't have much of a problem with chips, only sugar stuff!

    I was wondering if you gave it up for Lent.

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  2. I just got back from Publix. I am having the roast tomorrow. I'm with Kelly on the sweets. I can live w/o chips but I have a sweet tooth. Please don't tell any of those kind of recipes. You are my cookbook. Keep up the good work. Now, on to other bidness...the fresh blog. B

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  3. Melanie, thanks so much for the tip!! I'm going to try the can biscuits. I've always done the whole flour thing which is probably why I don't make them often -- messy.

    Enjoy your chip break (smile). If someone would stop making scoops (totilla chips) and Salsa then I'd be ok (smile).

    Bless you dear friend.

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  4. We JUST polished off a bag of SC&Onion chips last night. What is it about those??? I mean, they stink, but they are so good.

    I have tried to get up early for 21 days. It lasted for 3. Sheesh.

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  5. hey you bidness woman....Sounds like you all serious about the no sugar thing...i mean dark chocolate...really? completely impressive that you would pass up that yumminess!
    I don't know about giving up chips...that's almost sacreligious!!:0

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  6. Hi there! Thanks for the tips. I'm doing a Pay it Forward Give-away so stop by by Thurs. if you're interested. I'm checkin out Roof with a View.

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  7. Thank you soooo much. I had only heard you can do this so now I can try! :) The Tigers would be thrilled. They love chicken n' dumplings so it is high time they love mama's. right!

    Go Bella Mella! on the sf. THat is awesome and the Mr. Chips. Gee, maybe I need to try they way you do. I like the certainty of the days. :)

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  8. Oooh that chicken 'n dumplins looks delicious to me. Please do share the recipe. I haven't had that in a very long time. My daughter hated it so I never cooked it and now (since it's no longer habit) I don't even remember til I see it. Mmmm, yummy.

    I used to be a complete carboholic and never gained weight. As I moved into my forties, I started gaining quite a bit of weight.

    After trying lots of ways to diet, I finally cut way back on the bad carbs and tried to get my carbs from fruits and veggies. After just a couple of weeks my cravings for sweets, pastas, potatoes, etc almost completely left and it ended up changing my eating habits for good. AND I had SO much more ENERGY!

    I do eat those things still but not at all like I used to.

    Not sure why you're doing it but I bet you feel GOOD!

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  9. the biscuits do just the trick for me too. but come sauerkraut & dumplings...HAS to be the real thing. i sure enjoy getting to know you. and look forward to hearing about your reasons for the 21 days.

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  10. Oh my! You watched Caption Kangaroo and Romper Room!!!! Were you a good do B? B

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  11. **off topic** Even though SHE (Romper Room) never saw you - God always did. Your husband sounds sweet.

    Be blessed.

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  12. I haven't baked with Stevia - you could try it. It might make an interesting post! You might want to check out some diabetic recipes / ingredients. At times I could use a break from sugar (it is highly addictive for me)! Let me know what you find out.

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  13. Good for you - for your discipline! That's inspiring. :-)

    And, if you can get around to it one of these days, I'd LOVE your chicken and dumplin recipe. I don't make that because I think it's too complicated - but the biscuit short-cut sounds right up my alley. If it's easy, I'd love to try it.

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