Posts Tagged ‘recipe’
The 10 Commandments of Bingo
I told you I’d be back more often so here I am with another post for all my fave bingo buds! Have you ever been to a bingo hall and wondered if there is a certain set of rules or etiquette during a bingo game? Well we have the answer for you. For all of you who were wondering what the 10 golden rules of bingo were, here they are in all their bingo glory.
Follow these simple rules and be guided into a state of bingo enlightenment. They will keep you well-liked at the bingo hall as well as in the bingo chat rooms.
THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF BINGO
1. Thou shalt not sit in thy neighbor’s lucky seat.
2. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s bingo card.
3. Thou shalt not take the Caller’s name in vain.
4. Thou shalt not call false “Bingo.”
5. Thou shalt not wish bad luck on thy neighbor.
6. Thou shalt not threaten to kill the Bingo Caller.
7. Thou shalt not steal thy husband’s money for Bingo.
8. Thou shalt not brag about how much thou hast won.
9. Thou shalt not whine about how much thou hast lost.
10. Thou shalt honor thy Bingo Host.
And if you know me I love cooking almost as much as I love bingo! The weather is starting to get warmer which always gets people in the mood for BBQ! Here for all my meat loving bingo buddies is a yummy and super simple recipe for Pulled Pork. I just made it last weekend and everyone thought it was to die for! Hope you enjoy it too!
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork (8 servings)
-1 (2 lb. pork tenderloin) or you can use roast I’ve heard
-1 (12 fluid oz) can or bottle of rootbeer
-1 (18oz) bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
-8 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted
Directions
- Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker; pour the root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours. Note: the actual length of time may vary according to individual slow cooker. Drain well. Stir in barbecue sauce. Serve over hamburger buns.
Recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com
Enjoy!
Until next time….
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We love Bingo!
Hi y’all! I’m back and writing my first blog in awhile. We’ve been busy at Bingo.com over the past few months. Bingo is our passion and we are always working hard to make it the best free bingo site. The one thing we love about our site is our loyal players. Many of our players have been playing since the first year the site was up in 1999. It’s so nice to see the same usernames still playing after all these years. There is also many more signing up every day, which is so exciting! Next year marks our 15th anniversary of the site. Wow- can you believe it! Even I, Ava Von Bingo, have been around since 2001 and have so enjoyed playing bingo on the site with all of you.
We wanted to thank all of you for your continued support of Bingo.com! We love our players and are looking forward to many more years of fun playing our favorite game. What game is that you ask….BINGO!!!!
Also, I wanted to share with you a recipe is absolutely delish! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Hoping to post more regularly now so send me your recipes or topics you’d like to read about to freesupport@bingo.com and maybe you’ll see it on the next post.
Until next time bingo buddies….
Broccoli-and- Cheese-Stuffed Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 8 large baking potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 pound broccoli florets (5 cups)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups grated low-fat Cheddar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup milk
- Salt and pepper
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Rub potatoes with 1 Tbsp. oil; pierce with a knife. Bake until tender, 1 hour and 30 minutes. Steam broccoli until tender, 5 minutes. Drain; rinse. Pat dry and roughly chop.
- In a skillet over low heat, warm 1 Tbsp. oil. Sauté onion until soft, 10 minutes. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Let potatoes rest until cool enough to handle. Set oven to 350°F. Cut top 1/4 inch off potato. Scoop out flesh.
- Mash potato flesh. Mix with remaining ingredients. Fill potato shells with mixture; bake 30 minutes.
Recipe courtesy of Myrecipes.com
Posted in Ava's Corner | Tags: avavonbingo, Bingo, bingo online, Bingo.com, free bingo, recipe | No Comments »
Homework, shomework…
Although I do miss them while they are school it gives me more time to work and more time for playing bingo, which is always fun. However, as a mom you always seem to have 100 things to do and only so much time to do it. It seems like time is going by so fast and there’s less and less time to get things done, even making dinner. Since school started it has also cooled off a little bit and I have been craving comfort food already. Dangerous I know! So here is a quick and easy recipe for a weeknight dinner. Yum!
Farfalle with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cream
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 pound farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
• 1/2 cup (packed) chopped fresh basil
• Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Preparation
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and crushed red pepper. Sauté until sausage is no longer pink, breaking up with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is tender and sausage is browned, about 3 minutes longer. Add tomatoes and cream. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sausage mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to same pot. Add sausage mixture and toss over medium-low heat until sauce coats pasta, adding reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry. Transfer pasta to serving dish. Sprinkle with basil. Serve, passing cheese separately.
Until next time…
Ava
Change of scenery
I think I had a bit of cabin fever from being in the house for 4 days looking after my lil’ sicky. It’s strange to see a normally active child laid out for days on the couch and totally lethargic. After playing all her board games, doing all her puzzles, reading a ton of books, watching a little TV, coloring, doing activity books etc we were both getting a little bored. We decided it was time to do some crafts. If you follow freebingo on Facebook I posted a picture of our creation-Aliens! Our creation was inspired by one of my fave slot games Area 51. Love the graphics in that hall!
We had a bunch of paper plates leftover from a party. I used a couple of those and stapled them together to make spaceships and used a plastic cup as a body, a balloon as a head and plastic cutlery for arms. My daughter decorated the space ships and alien faces. I thought she would make them scary or at least a little alien-like but she decorated them pretty. She is a girl after all and wants everything purple and pink. Here is a picture for those of you who haven’t seen it yet. Pretty cute huh?
When kids are sick it almost seems inevitable that the parents will get sick too. To prevent that from happening I usually have a go-to soup that is sure to kill any bugs that may try to sneak up on you. It also gives you pretty bad breath but what do you expect-it’s garlic, ginger, and onions. Even if you are already sick it makes you feel like curling up in a ball and having a nap; when you awake you will probably feel the best you have all day with the exception of the bad breath. lol.
Flu Fighter soup
1/2 inch piece of ginger, chopped into small pieces
1 clove of garlic, pressed
Mug of hot water
1 tbsp miso paste
1 green onion, chopped
Steep the garlic and ginger in a mug for 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile mix the miso paste with a little water to smooth it out. Pour in the miso and add green onion. Drink up! (recipe from Ripe Around here cookbook)
Trust me if this doesn’t kill the bug your breath sure will! Haha.
Until next time my bingo buddies….
Posted in Ava's Corner | Tags: Area 51 slots, Bingo, classic games, crafts, flu, freebingo, recipe | No Comments »
Love day
1) Play a romantic bingo game. Couples can have some romantic fun while competing to win Romantic coupons. Simply make bingo cards and once you get five in a row or in each of the four corners of your card then claim your sweet reward. Some coupons can be sweet, some can be romantic, and others can be a little naughty! You are sure to have lots of fun playing your favorite game and getting in the mood. Oh la la!
2) Leave a short love note if their jacket pocket or briefcase. Love messages and notes are the best way to express your feelings to the one you love. If you don’t have a special someone write a note to a dear friend expressing what you appreciate about your friendship.
3) Make a surprise special meal. This is a perfect idea for people with kids who have a hard time finding babysitters. Put the kids to bed and have a romantic meal with your partner.
4) Give your partner a massage
5) Have a fun scavenger hunt with different clues at different locations leading them to a surprise location to meet you
6) Have a night out and stay in a hotel in your town. It is a great opportunity to reconnect and change it up. I never really like going far from my little one but going out for a night on the town offers a change of scenery and will feel like a mini-vacation. Order room service and enjoy each other’s company.
Did you meet your partner or a dear friend playing bingo? Bingo does help bring people together as friends and even as partners. If you have a special friend or partner that you met playing bingo please send me a picture of the two of you to avavonbingo@bingo.com and a story of how you met and I’ll feature your story in my next blog post.
Here is a yummy recipe that is sure to get you in the mood. A friend made Lava cake for a dinner party and it was the first time I have ever had it. It was soooo good. Enjoy!
Bittersweet Molten Chocolate Cakes
• 12 teaspoons plus 5 tablespoons sugar
• 8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3 large eggs
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
Preparation:
Generously butter eight 3/4-cup soufflé dishes or custard cups. Sprinkle inside of each dish with 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar.
Stir chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat. Using electric mixer, beat eggs, egg yolks, and remaining 5 tablespoons sugar in large bowl until thick and pale yellow, about 8 minutes. Fold 1/3 of warm chocolate mixture into egg mixture, then fold in remaining chocolate. Fold in flour. Divide batter among soufflé dishes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic; chill. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)
Preheat oven to 425°F. Place soufflé dishes on baking sheet. Bake cakes uncovered until edges are puffed and slightly cracked but center 1 inch of each moves slightly when dishes are shaken gently, about 13 minutes.
Until next time my bingo buddies….
Posted in Ava's Corner | Tags: Bingo, lava cake, love, recipe, romantic bingo, valentines | No Comments »
Kids say the funniest things
Here’s a yummy recipe I like using beets. If you use red beets then your pasta will be pink; my daughter might like that. Every girl loves pink! Lol!
Farfalle with Golden Beets, Beet Greens and Pine Nuts
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 large onions, quartered lengthwise through root end, sliced crosswise (about 4 cups)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bunches 2-inch-diameter golden beets with fresh healthy greens; beets peeled, each cut into 8 wedges, greens cut into 1-inch-wide strips
• 12 ounces farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
Heat heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts and stir until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons oil and onions to same skillet and sauté until beginning to soften and turn golden, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to sauté until onions are tender and browned, about 30 minutes longer. Add garlic and stir 2 minutes. Scatter beet greens over onions. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons oil over; cover and cook until beet greens are tender, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook beets in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer beets to medium bowl. Return water to boil. Add pasta to beet cooking liquid and cook until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.
Stir onion-greens mixture and beets into pasta. Add pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls to moisten. Season with salt and coarsely ground black pepper. Stir in 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Divide pasta among shallow bowls. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve, passing additional cheese.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Farfalle-with-Golden-Beets-Beet-Greens-and-Pine-Nuts-351260#ixzz1AwpsSTxL
Here’s a few other funny stories from kids:
One summer evening during a violent thunderstorm a mother was tucking her son into bed. She was about to turn off the light when he asked with a tremor in his voice, ‘Mommy, will you sleep with me tonight?’ The mother smiled and gave him a reassuring hug. ‘I can’t dear,’ she said. ‘I have to sleep in Daddy’s room.’ A long silence was broken at last by his shaky little voice; ‘The big sissy.’
A kindergarten pupil told his teacher he’d found a cat, but it was dead. ‘How do you know that the cat was dead?’ she asked her pupil. ‘Because I pissed in its ear and it didn’t move,’answered the child innocently. ‘You did WHAT???’ the teacher exclaimed in surprise. ‘You know,’ explained the boy, ‘I leaned over and went ‘Pssst!’ and it didn’t move.’
Kids do say the darndest things. Gotta love em. What have your kids said that made you LOL?
Happy New Year
Although I love winter time the cold weather is starting to get to me. When I go walk the dog I look like I’m heading out in a snow storm-puffy jacket, toque, gloves, scarf, and boots. You’re probably thinking I am a sissy but I do love the snow just not the wet, cold nasty weather. It is nice that everything is still green but I am still longing for spring…or a hot vacation-whichever comes first. Lol.
Here’s a yummy recipe to help warm you up on a cold, blistery day like today. Enjoy!
Winter Vegetable and Bean Soup with Pesto
Pesto:
• 2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup drained canned diced tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
Soup:
• 2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled, diced
• 1 6-ounce white-skinned potato, peeled, diced
• 3 tablespoons water
• 8 cups canned vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 6 ounces green beans, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation
For pesto:
Puree all ingredients in processor. Season with salt and pepper. (Pesto can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
For soup:
Combine first 4 ingredients in heavy large pot. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add broth; bring to boil. Stir in orzo; boil uncovered until orzo is almost tender, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Add green beans; reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in cannellini and crushed pepper; simmer until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide pesto among 4 bowls. Ladle soup over pesto; swirl to blend. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese.
Recipe from http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/healthy/nutritiousdishes/wholesomewintermeals/recipes/food/views/Winter-Vegetable-and-Bean-Soup-with-Pesto-105969#ixzz1ABxxx5mc
Happy New Year everyone. May 2011 be full of bingo wins, great times and great friends!
All the best!
Ava
Attempting a Healthy Holiday
At this time of year people tend to have lots of events to attend-work party, family, friends getting together to name a few. There is also so much food associated with all these events that it is hard not to gain weight. I usually eat very healthy but there are so many appys and desserts that are only around at this time of the year, I digress. My weaknesses are pecan tarts, shortbread and chocolates which are probably some of the worst offenders. How do you do it?
Have you ever wondered how celebrities do it? It’s all about moderation and keeping active even over the holidays. The pros on Dancing with the Stars have just created a new DVD to help burn off those holiday pounds called Fat Burning Cardio Dance and Ballroom Buns and Abs. Sounds interesting. Not sure what ballroom buns look like but I imagine they’re better than mine. Anyway here are the Dancing with the Stars tips for the holidays from People.com:
• Eat what you want – in moderation: “It’s unrealistic to not eat the good things around the holidays. If you deprive yourself, you’ll want something even more, give in and then feel bad about it later.”
• Do something active every day: ”Every single day I do at least an hour of something – DVD workouts, dance, I use stretch bands. And when I’m traveling, I work out at the hotel.”
• Don’t go it alone: ”Anytime I want to buckle down and do something, my mom and I do it together. When you have a buddy, you have someone to talk to, to motivate you.”
I’m going to give it a try and see how much self-control I can have over the holidays. I will not give in (too often) to temptation!!
Since we’re on the topic of being healthy I figure a recipe for a salad is in order. Yum!
Spinach Salad with Bosc Pears, Cranberries, Red Onion, and Toasted Hazelnuts
Dressing
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 8 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach leaves, stemmed if needed
• 2 firm but ripe Bosc pears (do not peel), quartered lengthwise, cored, and cut into long, thin slices
• 2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted (see Cook’s Notes) and chopped
Preparation
For the dressing use a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover tightly and give it a good shake to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.
Place the onions in a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Let stand for 30 minutes. This crisps the onion and takes away the yucky raw onion taste. Drain well and pat dry on paper towels.
In a small bowl, toss the cranberries with about 2 tablespoons of the dressing to soften them. Set aside for at least 20 minutes or until ready to serve the salad.
To assemble the salad, place the spinach, onions, and pears in a large bowl. Give the remaining dressing a last-minute shake and pour over the salad. Toss to coat evenly. Arrange the salad in a large serving bowl or divide it evenly among 8 salad plates. Scatter the cranberries and hazelnuts over the top. Serve immediately.
Do Ahead- The dressing can be made up to 1 day in advance, covered tightly, and refrigerated. Remove from the refrigerator 2 hours before serving. The nuts can be toasted up to 1 day in advance; store at room temperature in an airtight container. The onions and cranberries can be prepared up to up to 4 hours in advance. Set aside at room temperature.
Enjoy!
I think I can..I think I can…
Posted in Ava's Corner | Tags: avavonbingo, Bingo, Bingo.com, classic games, holidays, recipe | 1 Comment »
Holiday Planning Time
Gail Simmon’s from Top Chef Just Desserts posted a yummy recipe for Toasted Coconut Macaroon on People.com. I love coconut and am the only one in the house who remotely likes it so hopefully I don’t end up eating all these!
Toasted Coconut Macaroons
Makes 24
• 3 egg whites
• ½ tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 20 oz. sweetened shredded coconut
• 7 oz. dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa)
1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2. Beat egg whites in electric mixer on low. Once whites are broken up, add cream of tartar and sugar. Increase speed to medium and beat until whites are frothy.
3. Shut off mixer and fold in condensed milk, vanilla and lemon zest. Add coconut and mix until well incorporated. Let mixture sit for 2-3 minutes.
4. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Drop 12 heaping tablespoons of the batter on each tray, spacing them apart evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool.
5. Melt chocolate in a double boiler over low heat or in the microwave. Dip half of each macaroon into the chocolate. Place on tray to allow chocolate to set. Serve when cooled.
Instead of eating them all yourself you should probably share these goodies with your family, friends or invite some of your bingo buddies over.
The holidays are also a great opportunity to spend time together. I heard that Reese Witherspoon holds a Caroling party with her family and friends. Sounds like fun! I just watched Walk the Line on the weekend. I love her in that movie!
I always like to do crafts with my daughter or make cookies. As a family we like to go skiing or tobogganing. This year we are trying skating for the first time. We’ll see how that goes. My daughter, ever since she could talk, told us that she didn’t want to try skating until she was 5; not sure why but now that time has come and we’re holding her to it. I will probably be holding on to the boards the whole time or falling over but I’m still going to give it a try.
At this time of year remember there are so many people who are less fortunate than us and it’s the time of year to give a little extra whether it be by donating blankets to the homeless, adopting a family, donating a kids present or make a donation to a charity, bringing non-perishable food items to the food bank or volunteering to work at a shelter and serve meals. Over the last 4 years I have taken my daughter to the Food Bank and donated a big box of food and usually a few kids presents. I think it is important for her to learn that there are people less fortunate that do not have everything she has. I know it has been pretty cold here and anyone on the street would sure appreciate a warm jacket, socks or blanket. Luckily where I live there are enough shelters to accommodate all the homeless but I’m certain many cities and towns do not have that luxury.
If you are able please do your part and help those in need and enjoy the time with your families. Happy Holidays bingo buds!
Posted in Ava's Corner | Tags: Bingo.com, classic games, family, giving, holidays, recipe | 2 Comments »