Dreamgoddess

about me

How I Rate Recipes......

We all have our own valid ideas on how to rate recipes. Starting August 2007, I'm trying to rate recipes more along the lines of the descriptions Zaar has above the stars.

5 Stars (Outstanding!) - this is a recipe that makes me sit up and saw "WOW!". This is an exceptional recipe that I will be making over and over exactly as written.

4 Stars (Loved It) - this is a recipe that I thought was really great, but might need just a little something to put it over the top for my family. Will definitely be making again.

3 Stars (Liked It) - this will be a recipe that we thought was good, but I need to do a bit of fine-tuning to make the recipe suit our tastes. Will make again utilizing any changes I think it needs.

2 Stars (OK) - this recipe wasn't at all what I thought it would be. Probably won't ever make it again.

1 Star (Didn't Like It) - this says it all......it was something my family totally could not eat. Definitely will not be making it again.

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I love cross-stitching and reading any and every book I can get my hands on. I love going antiquing on the weekends. I love reading and watching tv shows about the ancient world...Greece, Egypt, Rome. My dream is to one day travel to Greece...wish we had time travel - I'd love to travel to ANCIENT Greece.

I'm married to a wonderful man...we've been together since I was 14 years old. (Well, except for about 7 years we both spent married to other people.) He was my very first boyfriend...sent me pink roses on Valentines Day when I was 14. Boy, were all my friends at school jealous! We have four children, three of them still at home and they keep us running and on our toes. My oldest daughter is married now and I have three fantastic grandsons.

Here are photos of DH and I when we got married (both times! LOL).

First wedding...I was 19, DH was 21 (gosh, we were so young then!)



Second wedding 8 years later...



Along with four children come an assortment of pets. We have cats which remain nameless since there are so many of them. Tippy (a Rat Terrier) and Henry (Jack Russell) rule the yard at our home. Our children have gone through having turtles, rabbits, birds, hamsters...sometimes I felt like I was living in a zoo!

I've always loved aquariums and have had at least one for most of my life. In 2007, I bought my largest one to date and I spent months restoring the stand before everything could be set up. After finally getting everything ready, I decorated it in an ancient Grecian theme. Making their home in a 100g tank are my "babies" - Sultana (chocolate Oranda), Dandy (orange/black oranda), Selene (lemonhead oranda), Aladdin (panda butterfly moor), Sandy (fantail) and Oreo (fantail). Someday I would love to have a saltwater tank also...but that will have to wait until I win the lottery. LOL!



Our home is about 50 years old, and for the last few years we've been in the process of remodeling and redecorating. Hopefully, some day I'll have it close to the way I want it.

Being born and raised in Alabama, I love southern comfort foods the best. Give me some black eyed peas, corn bread, collards, and fried chicken and I'm in heaven. But I do love collecting and cooking new recipes. My four children love to pass judgement on my "concoctions" in the kitchen. If it passes their test, it's a keeper!

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My children say I have a black thumb when it comes to gardening and growing flowers. I must admit, I don't really know much about them. However, my husband just seems to have "the knack"...so he helps me out. I've been on a planting binge lately and these are a few photos of flowers I have growing around the house.













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Ever since I was a little girl and knew what a convertible was, I've always wanted one. Well finally on July 2, 2007, my dream came true! I bought a wonderful little Sebring convertible, which I absolutely love! My oldest daughter said I'm going through a mid-life crisis...what mid-life??? Shoot, she must be adding wrong...I'm still young, this isn't middle age! LOL!!

Here's a pic of me in my car, which I bought while the ZWTIII was going on. I had posted the pic for Andi...and that Naughty Peter said my hair needed a bit of Photoshop help. Now Peter, we don’t really wanna get personal, do we??? I mean, all of us members of the Naughty Gang do know secrets about you! LOL!! Well, all I can say is that I forgot to bring something to put my hair up with, and since I was zipping home at a nice little speed...well, it's a miracle that it doesn't look worse! LOL



This car will do for a while until all my children are grown and I can really buy my dream car...a 1972 red Corvette Stingray Convertible. What a car!!!

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Now, let me tell you a little about my Xena obsession...LOL!



In a Time of Ancient Gods, Warlords & Kings
A Land in Turmoil cried out for a Hero
She was XENA
A Mighty Princess Forged in the Heat of Battle
The Power... The Passion... The Danger
Her Courage will change the World


I've been a huge Xena fan ever since the first episode.

My icon shows Xena's sword and chakram and is taken from the episode "Looking Death in the Eye" - one of my favorites. Xena and Gabrielle fake their deaths and Ares, believing them to be truly dead, buries them in an ice cave. He places Xena's sword and chakram close to their ice coffins. (Check Ares out below...what a hunk!)



My screen name "Dreamgoddess" is a takeoff from another of my favorite episodes "Dreamworker".



Words of Wisdom from the Warrior Princess:

I have many skills.

There are people you meet who walk in and out of your life like ghosts, and after they're gone, you find that they've left a part of themselves with you. It's as if, in some small way, their spirit helps to find who you are and what you want to bring to the world.

Sanity is just a veil the gods throw over our eyes to stop us from seeing the truth.

Sometimes you have to stand and fight.

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I'm very proud to be the Forum Host for Table Setting & Decorating Ideas ...there is always something fun going on there!

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Swaps I've Participated In:

2003 Mini Swap
2005 Cookbooklet Swap
2005 Kitchen Towel Swap
2005 Refrigerator Magnets Swap
2006 Anything Easter Swap
2006 Salt & Pepper Swap

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Beginning September 2006, NcMysteryShopper and I hosted a cookathon for Amy (better known in the Zaar world as Chef Redneck Epicurean). Amy was a disabled diabetic and we asked the Zaar community to join us in showing our support and good wishes for her.
The response to Amy's cookathon was overwhelming and a wonderful testament to how much she is loved here at Zaar. A total of 109 Zaar chefs signed up to participate and a total of 142 reviews submitted. I was told that makes this the single largest turnout for a Zaar cookathon ever!

Amy's Cookathon Recipes cookbook can be seen above in my public cookbooks. Every recipe that was made and reviewed in the cookathon is listed there.

Sadly Amy passed away May 13, 2007. The Zaar world has lost a shining light in Amy and she will be so very greatly missed here.

God's promises are like the stars;
the darker the night
the brighter they shine.
-David Nicholas-

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!!Games and Events!!



For my first PAC game, I adopted Quiltn99. I chose three yummy recipes to make.

Hamburger Pacific
Bridgeford Pepperoni Rolls
Zesty Butterbeans

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I made some of the most delicious recipes during this game! My daughter still raves about Caramel Pie’s Buttermilk Biscuits and lovecooking#2’s Rolo Turtle Pretzels. Rita’s Cajun Buffalo Wings quickly became my absolute favorite recipe for wings.

CaramelPie:
Pineapple Coconut Pie
Elegant Spicy Roast Beef
Buttermilk Biscuits

JanetC-KY:
Chocolaty Caramel Pecan Bars
Yet Another Southern Pulled Pork BBQ
Barbecue Pit BBQ Beans

Rita L:
Easy Blackberry, Lime Filled Angel Food Cake
Cajun Buffalo Wings
Kielbasa Potatoes, Onions & Carrots

MSZANZ:
Simple Peach Pie
Raspberry Pecan Thumbprints
Yoo Hoo Chocolate Drink

lovecooking #2:
Pineapple-Black Bean Enchiladas
Rolo Turtle Pretzels
Curry Broccoli Salad
Famous Dave’s Cornbread With Jalapeno Honey Glaze

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What sweet little babies I adopted during this game! They all had such yummy recipes and I enjoying having them in my home for a little while. LOL

bayou-mimi:
Crawfish Bread
Maple Squished Sweet Potato Bake W/ Spiced Pecan Streusel
Cochon De Lait (Cajun Pulled, Smoked Pork)
Slice of Sin

Momma Zakaria:
Honey Barbecue Baked Chicken
Lemon Pepper Grilled Cornish Hens
Buttery Baked Potato Slices
Mom's Southern Homemade Simple Biscuits

Nick’s Mom:
Sugar Cookies (Light & Crisp)
Buttermilk Pie
Janice's Shrimp Spread

Baby Kato:
Pan Fried Steak with Sauce
Ger's Favourite Chicken Bake
Dragonsbreath Slabs

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Cavorting Chefs Rock!!

During the 2006 Zaar World Tour II, I am proud to have been a member of the Cavorting Chefs team. At the end of the tour, we had tied for !First Place! with the Quisine Queens. The charity we played for is Second Harvest and $500 was donated to them by Zaar.

I also hosted the Zaar World Tour Australian Challenge in the Seafood Forum.


We had a great time coming up with our pizza challenge recipe! The Cavorting Chef's Fabulous Fruit Pizza was a team effort with each member contributing an ingredient.


Team Members were:

Saturn (captain)
Mama's Kitchen
Nick's Mom
SusieQusie
Pan Nan
Sugared Almond
Katie in the UP
Galley Wench
Dreamgoddess

I can't say enough wonderful things about the ladies I was teamed up with. This was really an awesome experience for me. It was my first ZWT and I was stumbling around in the dark at the beginning. The ladies on my team were so supportive and helped me out, and pointed me in the right directions...(I would probably still be in Greece if it hadn't been for them! LOL!)

I tried so many wonderful recipes during this tour, and it was hard to choose two for the "Best of ZWT".

I guess my first favorite is PanNan's Southwestern Pasta Salad . I've already made it several times to take to work for lunch and it's simply delicious. It takes about 15 minutes to make it and the flavors are wonderful.

I also absolutely loved Mama's Kitchen's General Tso's Chicken . This was to die for good!

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I adopted four wonderful babies during this game – lizbits, knitaholic, snowangel and Michelle_your_Belle and I chose some delicious recipes to make!

lizbits:
Cajun Sweet Potatoes
Copycat Hardees Peach Cobbler
Golden Praline Ham

knitaholic:
Cheesy Bacon Bread
Chocolate Caramel Wafers
Pecan Praline Squares

Michelle_your_Belle:
Mother's Dream Pie
My Grandmother's Sugar Cookies
Steak Marinade My Way

snowangel:
Amish Cornbread
Whiteout Muffins
Pound Cake

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For the 2007 Zaar World Tour III, I am a proud member of The Naughty But Nice Gang! We're a wonderful diverse group and this tour was so much fun! The charity we played for is Save The Children.

I hosted the Australia & New Zealand Challenge in the Dessert Forum. The first part of the challenge was to identify this dessert and who it was named for.

"Light and airy, this dessert dances along the taste buds. Created in the first half of the 1900’s, this dessert is too, too romantically ethereal. It is delicately lovely in presentation and one taste will make you feel as if you are soaring on wings. The dessert is “like a butterfly which appears and delights us for one brief moment but soon flits away”. This dessert will make a perfect swan song to your dining experience.

Traditionally attributed to being created in Australia, there has been some controversy that instead it was created in New Zealand."

I love this banner that was made for the challenge!


I also hosted the Spain & Portugal Challenge in the Desserts Forum. The Crusaders originally brought sugar to the Christian European countries when they returned from their campaigns. They called it “sweet salt”.


In the Seafood forum, I hosted the 2nd part of the Mexican seafood challenge "Plan it...Grill it...Wrap it Up.



We hailed from the US, Greece, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. I had terrific team mates! Peter and Chef floWer were fantastic co-captains, and I couldn't have done this without them to keep me sane. Team mates were:

Chef FloWer (co-captain)- Flower was terrific as co-captain. She made sure we could easily keep up with finding all the different challenges, cookbooks, etc. I can't even begin to thank her for all the moral support she gave me. Big hugs to you my friend!

Katia - Katia is our Greek beach bum baby (I'm still so jealous!)...she could always be counted on to scope out all the best beaches wherever we went...every time she went missing, we always knew to look at the local beaches first!

LittleKiwiChook - LittleKiwiChook is a new friend that I very much enjoyed getting to know. She did have a slight problem with her partner and a "dog box" during family picks... but 'nuff said about that!

LittleBee - Little Bee lost her purse in customs trying to get into Mexico, but she finally got it all straightened out! I wonder if she was trying to slip in a few "triangles"???

**Jubes** - Jubes is a cooking mama and let me tell you, she can take some delish looking photos! I really enjoyed seeing all the photos she shared with us (and not just the foods!) and hearing about life Down Under.

Iewe - Iewe had a little trouble with some stairs during the tour...we told her to stay away from those Bermuda Triangles, but she finally admitted it was an over indulgence of chocolate that caused the trouble!

Andi of Longmeadow Farm - Andi was an awesome late addition to our team and she jumped right in like she had been there from the beginning! She kept us entertained with life on the farm (and she even brought me Ricardo Montalban from our Caribbean jaunt...now how's that for friendship!)

PeterJ (co-captain) - Peter was wonderful at keeping up with all the rules and making sure we were on the right track. Now, if we could just get him to hide those Bermuda Triangles, we'd all be in good shape.

PjD#2 - PjD#2 got lost somewhere in Mexico and we haven't seen her since. I think she decided to stay on Paradise Island...can't say I really blame her though.

Dreamgoddess (captain) - I've had such a wonderful time getting to know my fellow Naughties...I feel like I have a new family!

For a sampling of the recipes that we prepared, check out our Naughty But Nice Gang cookbook.

One of the most interesting and complex challenges that we did was the US Build A Burger challenge. We came together as a team and created the Nutty for New England Naughty but Nice Crab Burger. Andi offered to be the guinea pig and prepare this first. Her husband proclaimed it the "BEST" burger he has eaten that comes from the sea. We were all relieved to know that it tasted good! Looking scrumptious!

(PHOTO BY ANDI)


Well shoot, just when we got over building the burger, along came the Game Hosts (sly little chefs, aren't they...yeah, you know who you are!! LOL! ) and wanted the teams to come up with a Jerk recipe for one of the Caribbean challenges. Never let it be said that the Naughty ones aren't up for a challenge! In no time at all, we had come up with The Hot Little Naughties but Sparking Nice Jerk Chicken Kabobs. Also once again, Andi offered to be the guinea pig and make these first. These were Andi's comments after eating the kabobs - " The rice, (with just a little hint of hmmm? from coconut) mixed with flavors from the yam, the sweetness of the mango, and pineapple, and the tartness of the peppers, and the wholesomeness of the yucca, coupled with the jerk chicken was really delicious." Well what I can say...another Naughty but Nice Gang winner! Check it out!

(PHOTO BY ANDI)


The challenge that was the most fun for me was the Zaar Stars. My daughters had such fun creating their stars and the three of us together chose Charlotte J's Cheese Danish to prepare. We had a blast working on this challenge! Here are their Zaar Stars along with the danish.



I've made so many wonderful recipes during this tour. It was very hard to narrow it down to just two outstanding ones for the "Best of Tour".

Since I had to choose two though, my first thought was Jewelies' Barbecue Sesame Prawns (shrimp). As I said in my review, I believe this recipe produced the most outstanding, delicious shrimp I've ever tasted. My husband and I still talk about how good they were. To hear my husband rave about a recipe is very unusual...this is something he just does not do. So for him to still talk about how good these were, they've got to have been super fantastic!

Annacia's Crema Catalana is tied with Jewelies' recipe as my favorite. This was soooo delicious! The crunchy carmelized sugar with the creamy custard underneath...the taste was absolutely to die for, and it was a snap to prepare.

This has been such a wonderful time for me and I've loved getting to play with my fellow Naughties. Wish we could all be together on the next ZWT team!

After the tour came to an end, Peter made an exclusive pass for all us Non-Aussie/Kiwis to use so we could visit our Naughty friends in the Aus/NZ forum. Of course, we also have to provide the secret code words too... but 'nuff said about that!



The Good Lookin' Cookin' Mamas won with 688 points. They were playing for the American Diabetes Association in honor of Redneck Epicurean. Way to go ladies! Our team came in 6th place out of 15 teams with 621 points. We didn't win, but boy did we have a great time!

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My theme for this game was Cajun foods. The recipes I chose to make were:

Tasha Leah's New Orleans Crab Spread
Paula Giles' Spicy Cajun Shrimp
Nurse Di's Cajun Potato Salad

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I'm really tickled pink to be hosting Zaar's new forum Table Settings and Decorating Ideas! The new forum was launched on July 9th, 2007. To commemorate this event, I'm hosting the Place Settings and Table Decor Photo Contest! From July 16th through July 30th, chefs will be submitting photos of their decorated dining tables. Zaar chefs will choose the winners by voting for their three favorite photos!

I'm so excited about this contest and can't wait to see how everyone decorates their table!

UPDATE 8/4 - after much counting... stopping to make my husband's coffee...then more counting...

We have three winners!

A total of 25 chefs submitted entries for the contest and 127 chefs sent in votes for the winners.

The general consensus from the voting chefs was how difficult it was to choose favorites. Each photo submitted demonstrated such incredible creative talent!

French Tart was the overall winner with her Old Roses, Lavender and Lace table setting! A very beautiful setting showcasing old shrub roses, lavender and ivy from her garden. Decorating the table was antique glassware and lace with c1930's Indian Tree china.





First Runner Up was Joyfulcook with her French Rustic Table Setting! Joyfulcook was visiting with French Tart and raided her kitchen for this table setting. For aperitifs on the terrace, Joyfulcook showcased wines, cheeses, breads in a gorgeous outdoor setting.





Second Runner Up was CountryLady for her Black & White New Year's Eve table setting. Highlighted in this very elegant table setting was individual s/p shakers, lovely black and white china dishes and a black wispy centerpiece with black candles.



Congratulations ladies!

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For the A/NZ Recipe Swap #7 during August '07, I was on Team Twelve along with Polly_Waffle_Kid, Elmotoo, Pot Scrubber and Chickee!

The recipes I chose to make were:

Chickee's Stuffed Mushroom Appetizers

Pot Scrubber's All Purpose Crab Stuffing

Elmotoo's Polish Jam Kolaches

Polly_Waffle_Kid's Pecan and Choc-Bit Brownies

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For Pick A Chef Fall 2007, I adopted Chef Jeff S and made the following recipes:

Creole Beef Tips

Gumbo

Shrimp Etouffee With Roasted Corn

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2007 Holiday Tablesetting & Decor Photo Contest



From Dec. 3-10, I hosted the first ever Zaar Holiday Tablesetting & Decor Photo Contest. Seven chefs participated by showing off their beautiful holiday tables. I'm so glad I didn't have to vote...LOL! There were some beautiful entries!

Winners were...

For her absolutely breathtaking "Fire and Ice" tablesetting, CountryLady won first place.



Carolinajewel's beautiful Victorian tablesetting was the runner up.



A secret tablesetting item was chosen and the first chef to post a photo using the item won a very special gift. Kiwidutch donated a lovely set of serviettes to Kim D. for using a set of salt/pepper shakers in her tablesetting.



Congratulations to all the chefs that participated!

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March 2008 - For this game in the Photo Forum, I made Vicky Kiddy's Greek Potato Wedges.

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This was a really fun recipe game the Asian forum hosted. I chose to make Ellestrange's Tamagoyaki With Green Onions and Ham and Lavender Lynn's India Chicken Curry. Both were enjoyed by my family.

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For the April 2008 Australian/New Zealand Recipe Swap #15, I'm on team #2, Boronia, with some absolutely awesome team mates...Jewelies, mary winecoff, Seasoned Chef and mersaydees. I'm planning to make the following:

Jewelies' Caramel Scones by June

mary winecoff''s Mary Lou's Hash Brown Potato Pie

Seasoned Cook's Southern Rutabaga With Ham Bits

mersaydees' Chinese Barbecued Chicken Wings

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Pick A Chef - Spring 2008
PAC is one of my favorite games on Zaar. I always look forwarding to playing it! I adopted two very sweet little babies this time and made some delicious recipes.

From Montana-GemBob's recipes, I made:

Baked Lemon Pork Chops
Cheesy Carrot and Rice Casserole
South of the Border Hot Dog Tamale Pie

From School Chef's recipe, I chose to make:

Oven Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Maple /Brown Sugar Glaze for Ham
Warm Shrimp and Crab Dip

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April 2008 - For the Soups, Salad, Sandwiches and Starters Event in the Photo Forum, I made some delicious recipes.

HokiesLady's Mini Shrimp Cocktail Appetizers

Little Bee's Classic Club Sandwiches

Evie*'s Tomato and Pasta Soup

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May '08 - For the Australian/New Zealand Recipe Swap #16, I'm on Team #3 Bottle Brush along with Stardustannie, MeliBug, and Lauralie41. I'm planning to make these fabulous sounding recipes!

MeliBug's Brownie Cherry Cobbler

Lauralie41's Big Boy's Strawberry Pie

Stardustannie's Layered Potato Cake

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In honor of my uncle who died with cancer, I participated in the Photo Forum's A Taste of Yellow for LIVESTRONG Day challenge during May '08. I chose to bake Marty Hugo's Nana's Lemon Supreme Cake.



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1800Flowers

Favorite Foods:

One of my favorite restaurants is Outback Steak House....their Alice Springs Chicken is out of this world. I've tried some of the copycat recipes and found some that come really close, but Outback is still the best. I also adore eating at Dreamland BBQ. They simply can't be beat for bbq'd ribs.

I guess my favorite dish to make is Chicken and Dumplings like my Grandmother used to make. It takes me about 2 1/2 - 3 hours to get it done, but boy is it worth the effort!

I'm not a picky eater and love to try new recipes. HOWEVER, my DH is very picky so there are several things I don't cook. These are some of the foods he won't eat so I tend to stay away from preparing them:

rice (this has gotta be a "man thing"...DH's father doesn't eat rice, therefore DH won't eat it)

sour cream (after coming to Zaar, I discovered creme fraiche, so I get around this aversion that he has)

meat loaf (this one is almost a sin...!)

DH is not fond of Mexican foods (which I truly adore!).

Other than these, most everything else goes!
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