Killing it. Cait Miers/World Surf League via Getty Images
Views: 76
43-Foot Wave Lands Pro Surfer Laura Enever in the Record Books.
After conquering a giant wave in Oahu, Hawaii, in January, Australian pro surfer Laura Enever is officially a world record holder. Enever broke the record for the largest wave surfed paddle-in by a woman, tackling a crest that reached 43.6 feet.
“I knew when it picked me up that it was a massive wave,” Enever told The Washington Post earlier this week, after the wave was certified as the biggest by the World Surf League. “But then when I looked over the edge and saw how far I had to go down and how big the drop was, I was like, ‘OK, this is the biggest wave you ever caught.’”
The 31-year-old athlete said she didn’t set out that day to make history, but nevertheless considers the achievement a “monumental” part of her surfing career. She told the World Surf League she hopes the next generation of female big wave surfers continues to push the envelope and smash records.
“I would never be in this position if it wasn’t for all the big wave surfers who have come before me and paved the way, especially the really brave, courageous females who have always inspired me and made me feel like I could get out there and give it a crack,” she said.
As the sun rose in California yesterday morning, so, too, did a new airship backed by Google co-founder and dirigible fanatic Sergey Brin.
Pathfinder 1 flew its first test flight on Wednesday after 10 years spent developing the next-gen airship full of “blood, sweat, and tears,” according to LTA Research CEO Alan Weston. With funding from the billionaire Brin, LTA (“Lighter Than Air”) has claimed huge breakthroughs in modernizing the old-fashioned technology.
Longer than three Boeing 737s, the electric aircraft could usher in a new, greener era in flight:
LTA’s airships could eventually carry 200 tons of cargo each—roughly 10 times as much as a Boeing 737, according to Weston, making them a viable alternative to freight planes, ships, and trains.
Weston and Brin want to use the airships for humanitarian relief missions since the aircraft doesn’t require much infrastructure to take off or land.
Looking ahead…Pathfinder 1 has a long journey of tests before it can fly irl. The plan is to move the operation from Cali to Akron, Ohio, where LTA is already planning to make a larger version of the craft. The airships will be among friends—Akron serves as the headquarters of Goodyear and its dwindling fleet of advertising blimps.—CC
A dump cake is a cross between a cake and a cobbler. Basically, all the ingredients are dumped into a baking dish and then baked until golden brown. This Pumpkin Crunch Dump Cake is a delightful combination of pumpkin pie and cake with a crunchy pecan topping. Serve with some whipped topping for a pumpkin dessert that will knock everyone’s sock’s off!
Pumpkin Crunch Dump Cake
Ingredients 2 (15 oz.) cans of pumpkin 16 oz. evaporated milk (2 cups) 4 eggs 1 cup sugar 2 tsp cinnamon (or 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice and 1 tsp cinnamon) 1 1/2 sticks of butter 1 box of yellow cake mix 1 cup chopped pecans Instructions In a large mixing bowl combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, and cinnamon.
Stir until smooth. Pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Sprinkle cake mix over pumpkin mixture and then add the pecans. Cut butter into slices and lay all over the top. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until top is golden brown and center is set.
It’s Wednesday. Hump Day. So let the music flow. This used to be the middle of the work week for me, but since I’m retired, every day is a weekend day. But enough. Play the music that you enjoy.
My favorite car. There’s nothing special about it. It’s a 2014 Malibu. 40,000 miles, clean. So if you have a favorite, post it. You don’t have to own it, just like or love it.
Getting the Gardens ready for winter. Well planting time’s over and this was a so so year. Sure had a ton of Tomatoes and green bell peppers. But the Cantaloupe and Watermelon not so good. Cucumbers were also so so. Garlic and onions were awesome. But now it’s time to get the gardens ready for next year.
I’m going with only two gardens plus sharing another. My first garden will be something new for me. It’s my tree, garlic, onion, and berry garden. I’m going with a Lemon, Orange, Peach, Plum, and Nectarine trees.
This garden will be the shared garden. Tomatoes, Watermelon, and Cantaloupe.
And finally my world famous ghetto garden. This year I’m changing the name to the Fred Sanford Garden. This will be strictly a vegetable garden. Last year I went with heirloom seeds. Next year we do the plants.
We love our black accent pieces. We tend to use black chairs and tables in our decorations. Some of the pieces are seasonal and some are year round. I can’t take credit. My wife usually picks out the items and we will then either restore them or change them all together.
Some of the pieces are Antiques, some Vintage, and some are just cheap pieces of furniture that add that special touch.
Yes, the plant is real. Using a black accent piece
Our Black collection.
The ugliest piece we ever bought. Paid $3.00. I couldn’t do anything with it.
When you add the ingredients of a delicious pizza with the heavenly cream cheese, you get this amazing hot pizza dip! Caution: don’t serve this unless you want friends and family to ask you to make it over and over!
Hot Pizza Dip Recipe
Ingredients you will need:
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 8oz. can pizza sauce
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons thinly sliced onion
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mini-pepperoni
Breadsticks, crackers, or tortilla chips (for dipping)
Chop 2 tablespoons green peppers. Thinly slice 2 tablespoons onions.
In a bowl, mix 1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
Spread mixed cream cheese across bottom of 9″ pie pan.
Combine 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese in bowl.
Sprinkle half of the cheese across the top of the cream cheese in the pan.
Pour 1 8 oz. can pizza sauce over the top of cheese mixture.
Spread the sauce evenly.
Put remaining cheese on top of pizza sauce.
Spread chopped green peppers and onions across cheese.
Place 1/4 cup mini-pepperoni across the top. Place in microwave and heat on high for 3 or 4 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Remove from microwave. Let sit for 2 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Be the hit of the next party with these quick and easy pepperoni pizza puffs. These appetizers are great at any number of different events. They are easy to make and in no time at all you will have a great snack. Even better, kids love them!
How to Make Pepperoni Pizza Puffs:
Ingredients you will need:
3/4 C. flour
1 (3 oz.) pkg. pepperoni
3/4 t. baking powder
1 C. shredded Italian cheese blend
3/4 C. milk
1/4 C. grated Romano cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C. pizza sauce
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grab the pepperoni and chop it into smaller slices. Kristy used the Rada Cook’s Utility knife. Set aside.
Be the hit of the next party with these quick and easy pepperoni pizza puffs. These appetizers are great at any number of different events. They are easy to make and in no time at all you will have a great snack. Even better, kids love them!
Prep Time15minutesmins
Cook Time20minutesmins
Total Time35minutesmins
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Servings: 28puffs
Ingredients
3/4C.flour
1(3 oz.) pkg. pepperoni slices, chopped
3/4t.baking powder
1 T.Italian Seasoning
1C.shredded Italian cheese blend
3/4C.milk
1/4C.grated Romano cheese
1egg, beaten
1/2C.pizza sauce
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°. Spray 28 mini muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and Italian seasoning.
Whisk in milk and egg.
Stir in chopped pepperoni, Italian cheese blend and Romano cheese; let stand about 15 minutes, then stir again.
Divide mixture evenly among greased mini muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
Mix crushed vanilla wafers, melted butter and 2/3 cup of the crushed peanuts. Put in a 9×13” pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
SECOND LAYER: Mix cream cheese, peanut butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in 2 cups whipped topping.
Spread over first layer.
THIRD LAYER: Mix chocolate pudding and milk. Chill to set. Spread over second layer.
FOURTH LAYER: Spread 2 cups whipped topping over third layer.
Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the chopped peanuts over top. Grate chocolate bar (Rada Cutlery Vegetable Peeler shown above) and sprinkle over top. Chill overnight.
Wow your guests and enjoy rave reviews with this recipe for Drumstick Bars!
Course: Dessert
Ingredients
2cupsvanilla wafers, crushed
1/2cupbutter or margarine, melted
1cupcrushed salted peanuts
1(8 oz.) pkg.cream cheese, softened
1/3cuppeanut butter
1cuppowdered sugar
4cupswhipped topping
2small pkgs.instant chocolate pudding
3cupsmilk
1largechocolate bar
Instructions
FIRST LAYER: Mix crushed vanilla wafers, melted butter and 2/3 cup of the crushed peauts. Put in a 9 x 13″ pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.
SECOND LAYER: Mix cream cheese, peanut butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in 2 cups whipped topping. Spread over first layer.
THIRD LAYER: Mix chocolate pudding and milk. Chill to set. Spread over second layer.
FOURTH LAYER: Spread 2 cups whipped topping over third layer. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the chopped peanuts over top. Grate chocolate bar and sprinkle over top. Chill overnight.
Celebrate the end of a hard week's work with a playlist of pop, rock, country, and R&B songs about Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Priscilla du Preez via Unsplash, Free Domain, Modified by Flourish Anyway
Views: 44
Music for the weekend.
Play any song that has something to do with the weekend. It can be about the weekend, have weekend in the song or the title. Also it can be about Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
Since we have a holiday Monday, Mondays included. So, this should be an easy one.
The West Region team from El Segundo, California was helped to the Little League World Series title by Louis Lappe's hero ball. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Views: 28
Little League World Series: California’s El Segundo wins title with walk-off home run vs Curaçao.
California’s El Segundo is bringing home the Little League World Series championship title after a 6-5 victory over the team from Willemstad, Curaçao, on Sunday.
The thrilling game ended with a walk-off home run from Louis Lappe, who was given a perfect setup from the booth by ESPN broadcaster Karl Ravech.
The West Region team from El Segundo, California was helped to the Little League World Series title by Louis Lappe’s hero ball. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
With the score tied in the sixth inning, Lappe stepped to the plate.
“Curaçao has not allowed a home run at the World Series,” Ravech said in an announcer jinx for the ages. Almost instantly, Lappe, the series’ home run leader, sent one flying for the win.
California has been in the championship game 24 times and now has its eighth title. The region has the most victories by any U.S. team but hadn’t won since 2011.
The team had some of the best bats in the tournament, including Lappe and Brody Brooks. En route to the U.S. title on Saturday, Lappe had five RBIs, including a three-run homer as California beat Texas 6-1.
But Curaçao didn’t go down without a fight. Having appeared in the LLWS championship four times, the team was hoping for its first win since 2004 — its only title. Last year, the team made it to the championship game and lost to Hawaii 13-3. Five of its players returned from last year’s disappointment, the most in the tournament.
Down 5-1 in the top of the fifth, Nasir El-Ossais showed the grit of a seasoned veteran. With two outs, he tied the game 5-5 on a dramatic grand slam to right field off Max Baker.
“I am sweating right now, and not from the heat,” El-Ossais’ dad said after the play, adding that emotions were at an all-time high.
Curaçao overcame a big deficit thanks to El-Ossais, but California’s pitching strength and defense won it. Brooks, a shortstop and strong pitcher, tied the World Series record by scoring 13 runs. On Sunday, he had a single and finished the tournament with 12 hits and three home runs.
In a tear-filled postgame interview, El Segundo manager Danny Boehle said he told his team “the game’s not over.” He was surprised Curaçao pitched to Lappe, who said he was close with the Curaçao players and offered kind words after hitting the winning home run.
There was plenty of sportsmanship all over the stadium in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. “Great job, keep your head up,” Lappe recalled telling the opposing team.
California also posed for photos with Japan after the victory:
This 20-minute Big Mac salad recipe (or simply cheeseburger salad) will convince you to skip the drive-through! This dish captures the satisfying taste of a cheeseburger with all the crisp freshness of a salad. It also gets a classic McDonald’s upgrade with copycat Big Mac sauce — just like the casserole version of this burger.
The inspiration for a hamburger salad came from my childhood memories of rare stops at McDonald’s after gymnastics practice. We seldom ate out when I was growing up (my parents much preferring home cooked meals), so even though I loved my mom’s food, those unexpected stops for fast food were such a treat. Now I try to avoid all those processed ingredients myself, and with this keto Big Mac salad recipe, I can enjoy the same flavors at home, all the time — and so can you!
Let’s be real — the key to this cheeseburger salad is the Big Mac salad dressing! The sauce at the fast food joint is loaded with sugar, but I sweeten mine with Besti powdered instead. It’s just as sweet and has no aftertaste, but has 0 net carbs, 0 calories, and unlike most sweeteners, dissolves easily for a smooth texture. Try it out and see for yourself!
INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS
This section explains how to choose the best Big mac salad ingredients, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
CHEESEBURGER SALAD:
The main ingredients for this salad are very similar to what you’d find in a Big Mac:
Ground Beef – Use hamburger for classic flavor (I usually use 85/15 lean ground beef), but if you like, you can use ground turkey or ground chicken instead.
Sea Salt& Black Pepper
Romaine Lettuce – Chopped iceberg lettuce, arugula, or spinach leaves would also work.
Tomatoes – I used chopped Roma tomatoes, but you could use cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes if you prefer. You can also omit them if you want to, as a traditional Big Mac doesn’t have any.
Cheddar Cheese – The Big Mac sandwich traditionally includes a slice of processed cheese, but we’re using shredded cheddar. You can omit to make the salad dairy-free and paleo-friendly if needed.
Pickles – Dice up some dill pickles and add them to the salad for a delightful crunch and an extra layer of flavor. You can also add diced or sliced red onions for even more crunch!
Sesame Seeds – Instead of a sesame seed bun, garnish with sesame seeds for the same flavor!
Mayonnaise – I used my own homemade avocado oil mayonnaise, but store-bought would work as well (this is my favorite store-bought brand when I don’t have time to make my own).
Pickles – Use dill pickles and dice finely for the special sauce. You can also use sweet pickle relish instead, but beware that this will have added sugar or corn syrup.
Mustard – I used classic yellow mustard, but you could use Dijon instead, or even keto honey mustard if you like extra sweetness.
Vinegar – Adds tang to the dressing. I used white vinegar, but apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or rice vinegar can all work instead.
Smoked Paprika – Adds a subtle smokiness to the dressing, and is responsible for its signature color. Regular sweet paprika would also work.
Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – I used this instead of ketchup to add natural sweetness to the dressing, as it dissolves better than other sugar substitutes. You could also use zero sugar honey or sugar free ketchup. Regular powdered sugar works from a recipe standpoint, but I can’t recommend it because the whole point of this Big Mac salad is to make it healthier!
HOW TO MAKE BIG MAC SALAD
This section shows how to make cheeseburger salad, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Brown the meat. Add the ground beef to a large skillet. Break apart with a spatula and season with salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink.
Blend the Big Mac salad dressing. Combine the mayo, pickles, mustard, vinegar, smoked paprika, and powdered Besti in a blender. Puree until smooth. Adjust sweetener to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
TIP: Need thinner sauce?
If the dressing is thicker than you like, you can thin it out with water or oil and puree again.
Plate the cheeseburger salad. Add lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and pickles to a salad bowl.
Add the beef and dressing. Top with ground beef crumbles, then drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.
Garnish. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS
Store: Keep leftover Big Mac Salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, with the dressing stored in a separate container. If you already added the dressing, it will only be good for 1 day.
Meal prep: Chop the pickles, tomatoes, and lettuce, precook the ground beef, and make the sauce. Store in separate containers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Assemble just before eating.
Make this fresh 7-Layer Greek Dip recipe for a tasty appetizer everyone will love! This healthy dip recipe features an array of fresh ingredients perfectly layered for an out-of-this-world flavor. Just be sure to make enough for everyone!
8 oz. hummus
1 C. fat free Greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 t. fresh dill, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Pinch of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 t. red onion, minced
1 C. English cucumber, 1/2-inch dice
1 C. Roma tomato, seeded, 1/2-inch dice
1/4 C. feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 C. Kalamata olives, sliced
In a bowl, combine Greek yogurt, garlic, chopped dill, lemon juice, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
Make this fresh 7-Layer Greek Dip recipe for a tasty appetizer everyone will love! This healthy dip recipe features an array of fresh ingredients perfectly layered for an out-of-this-world flavor. Just be sure to make enough for everyone! 7-Layer Greek Dip Recipe
Ingredients
8oz.hummus
1C.fat free Greek yogurt
1clovegarlic, finely minced
1t.fresh dill, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Pinchsalt
Freshly ground black pepper
2t.red onion, minced
1C.English cucumber, 1/2-inch dice
1C.Roma tomato, seeded, 1/2-inch dice
1/4C.feta cheese, crumbled
1/4C.Kalamata olives, sliced
Instructions
In a bowl, combine Greek yogurt, garlic, chopped dill, lemon juice, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
