Author: mark_user

  • Broccoli Cheese Soup

    Broccoli Cheese Soup

    Cooked in crock pot

    1 1/2 lbs frozen broccoli ( or half broccoli and half cauliflower)
    1/2 cup graded carrot
    1 1/2 cups water
    3/4 tsp salt
    2 cups milk
    1 lb Velveeta cheese
    1/2 tsp pepper

    place water and milk on crock pot. cut cheese into cubes and place
    in crock pot. Add salt and pepper. cook on low heat about 2 hrs.
    stir occasionally.

    Steam (2-4 minutes), then finely chop broccoli. Add to pot, then
    cook another 1-2 hrs on low heat until soup thickens. Add a little
    more water if it thickens to much.

    serves 4. Remaining soup you can ladle into containers and freeze.

  • Italian Mushroom Soup

    Italian Mushroom Soup

    1 Tbsp olive oil
    2 cups chopped onions
    12-16 oz of chopped mushrooms
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1/4 tsp dried tyme
    1/4 cup flour
    2 cans chick broth ( 4 cups)
    1/2 cup whipping cream (or milk)
    1/2 cup white wine (optional)
    1/2 tsp black pepper

    heat oil in large sauce pan over medium heat. cook onions until
    transparent. add mushrooms, garlic, and tyme; cook 8 minutes.
    stir occasionally. add flour and stir until everything is coated;
    cook 1 minute. stir in broth.

    bring to boil over high heat. reduce heat. simmer 10 minutes.
    stir in cream, wine, pepper. simmer 5 minutes.

    serve immediately. makes 4 servings.

    NOTE: I have used both white button and Portobello mushrooms, but
    the best is to use both types. 2/3 Portobello and 1/3 white button.

  • Chicken Tortilla Soup

    Chicken Tortilla Soup

    Slow Cooker recipe

    1 – 1.5 lb schredded cooked chicken
    1 – 2 cans (or 1 lb) diced tomato
    1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce
    1 or 2 cans (4 oz) chopped green chiles
    1 med onion, chopped
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1 package frozen corn

    1 can chicken broth
    2 cups water

    1 tsp cummin
    1 or 2 tsp chilli power
    1 tsp salt
    1/4 tsp black pepper
    1 bay leaf
    1 Tbsp cilantro

    1 avacado (optional)
    1 lime (optional)
    corn chips

    Combine chicken, tomato, enchilada sauce, green chiles, onions, garlic.
    Add water, broth, cummin, salt, pepper, chili powder. stir in corn and
    cilantro. cover and cook on low 6-8 hrs or high 3-4 hrs.

    Cut avacado into cubes and add last 15 minutes. Cut lime and add just
    before you serve. Crush and sprinkle corn chips on top jwhile eating.

    makes 6-8 servings

  • Butternut Squash Soup

    Butternut Squash Soup

    6 TBspn Chopped Onions
    2 TBspn Olive Oil
    1 apple cut in half
    1 large butternut squash
    3 cups chicken broth
    1/2 tspn dried marjoram
    1/4 tspn ground black pepper
    1/8 tspn ground cayenne pepper
    1 (8oz) package cream cheese

    Roast squash whole in oven at 320 degrees for 45 min. Cut in half
    and roast face down w/ olive oil, salt and pepper another 20 minutes
    or until fork tender. Cut apple in half and roast for last 20 minutes.

    In large saucepan, saute onion in olive oil until tender. Scoop squash
    and apple out with spoon. Combine onion, cream cheese and puree in
    blender, add broth majoram, black pepper and cayenne pepper.

    Return to saucepan, heat through. Do not allow to boil.

  • Cincinnati & Hamilton County Parks

    Introduction

    This project is about visiting all the the parks in Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH. It is intended as a quick reference for users and they can see if a specific park is worth their time.

    Details of the parks can be found at Great Parks and Cincinnati Parks respectively. I have color coded each park based on my own evaluation. Red means you can skip it, green is a favorable recommendation, and finally orange is neutral.

    Hamilton County Parks

    • Otto Armleder Memorial Park & Recreation Complex – Smooth flat paved bike\walk trail, 1.8 mi.
    • Campbell Lakes Preserve
    • Embshoff Woods
    • Farbach-Werner Nature Preserve – 23 acres of woods, paved walking trail. No bikes.
    • Fernbank Park -1.4 miles of flat newly paved walking trails in Saylor Park along the Ohio river, no bikes.
    • Francis Recreation
    • Glenwood gardens
    • Lake Isabella – No walking or biking, fishing, camping, picnics, boat rental available.
    • Little Miami Golf Center
    • Miami Whitewater Forest – a 1.9mi and 10 mi paved loops for biking or walking, frisbee golf, kids area.
    • Mitchell Memorial Forest
    • Sharon Woods
    • Shawnee Lookout
    • Triple Creek
    • Winton Woods – Bike and walking paths, kids area, camping.
    • Withrow Nature Preserve
    • Woodland Mound

    Cincinnati Parks

    • Alms Park
    • Geier Esplanade
    • Annwood Park
    • Hyde Park Square – Not a real park
    • Ault Park
    • Kennedy Heights Park
    • Bettman Nature Preserve
    • Larz Anderson Park
    • California Woods Nature Preserve
    • Owls Nest Park
    • Daniel Drake Park
    • Pioneer Cemetery
    • French Park
    • Stanbery Park
    • Buttercup Valley
    • Mt. Airy Forest – Off road biking and walking trails, very steep. Frisbee golf.
    • Mt. Echo Park – No biking or walking trails. Just overlooks City. Heard it can be dangerous after dark.
    • Olden View Park
    • Parkers Woods
    • Glenway Woods
    • Rapid Run Park – Small park, biking and walking, large hill and ice pond for sledding, picnics .
    • Hoffner Park
    • LaBoiteaux Woods
    • Wilson Commons
    • McEvoy Park
    • Avon Woods
    • Hopkins Park
    • Bellevue Park
    • Inwood Park
    • Burnet Woods
    • Laurel Park
    • Caldwell Nature Preserve
    • Lytle Park
    • Eden Park
    • Mt. Storm Park
    • Fairview Park
    • Piatt Park
    • Fleischmann Gardens
    • Rawson Woods Nature Preserve
    • Hauck Botanical Gardens
    • Washington Park
    • Smale Riverfront Park
    • Sawyer Point & Yeatman’s Cove.
    • Magrish Preserve
    • Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park

  • Success in the Workplace

    Brian Dunn, Director of Marketing of Western Southern Life Insurance was the keynote speaker at a lunch I attended. He spoke about achieving lifelong success in the workplace. Although, I had long believed in the concepts, he was able put the ideas into words. I have taken some of what he said about understanding yourself and achieving a successful career, put them in my own words, and modified them to fit my own life philosophy.

    1. Understand what really motivates you. (more money, free time, paid time off, etc).
    2. Be prepared to do hard work. (working long hours without immediate payback).
    3. Know what your good at. (and what are your weaknesses). Ask for help when necessary.
    4. Volunteer for more responsibility. (Even if you don’t know anything about the topic).
    5. Learn as much as you can from other people (this will shorten the learning curve of new tasks).
    6. Select a good mentor. (Someone to give good CAREER advice). (A boss or older co-worker).
    7. Learn how to think (You need to be able to problem solve on your own).
    8. Be really good at execution. (Be able to actually get things done and not just talk about it).
    9. Have personal integrity. (Do NOT lie, cheat, or steal. It will always hurt you in the long term). Can People trust you?
    10. Relax. (This is your life, you will always make some money).