Stinging Morbid Facts / Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing Mix

People have called me a troll in the past, but I wasn't making fun of someone's wishlist because I made some disparaging comments about her choice in names. It was mocking the NAMES, not the list. I'm sure if I had six kids, I'd love personalized ornaments or whatever she wished for... but I still stand by what I said. Some people just deserve to be made fun of. :P (those poor kids, with names like that...)

I saw something about crayons and flossing, and that reminded me. Today at the toddler Sunday School class, I noticed a RAW AMBER crayon: it looked darkish green. Then on the way to Nathan's, my siblings and I noticed a woman flossing / brushing her teeth while driving! Man...

Some of the football players today looked nice, heh.


Today's Stinging Yet Truly Morbid Fact!

Earl Wells, 75, a retired zoo director, died in September 2004 after he was stung about 1,000 times by European yellow jackets when he fell onto their nest from a ladder while cleaning windows at his home. European yellow jackets swarmed Wells when the stepladder he was standing on to wash windows collapsed onto their underground nest. He was unconscious when paramedics arrived. He suffered cardiac arrest in the attack and remained in a coma after being resuscitated before finally succumbing to his injuries ten days later.

Culled from: The Associated Press
Generously submitted by: Katchaya

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I never knew that yellow jackets had underground lairs! See, MFDJ is educational as well as horrid!

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Morbid Sightseeing!

John has an excellent morbid sightseeing tip for the next time you find yourself stuck a few days in Florence, Italy. (Who knows? It could happen tomorrow!)

"The Specola museum in Florence, Italy is a most fascinating museum. It is a natural history museum and is laid out starting with insects and mollusks, then birds, fish, mammals (all stuffed, sometimes very weirdly) and ending with the most stunning wax anatomical models of humans and their parts. There is a book published by Taschen called Encyclopaedia Anatomica. If you ever find yourself in Florence, I strongly advise you go there. It's near the Pitti Palace."

Indeed, I love those old wax models, so I'm sure I would have a most enjoyable time here!

Museo La Specola

Encyclopaedia Anatomica

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Morbid Mirth Du Jour!

What's a serial killer's favorite pickup line?

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Does this rag smell like chloroform to you?

Thanks to Jill for the joke.


Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing Mix

Here's a clone for the instant dressing mix you buy in the little 0.7-ounce packets. When added to vinegar, water, and oil... you get one of the best-tasting instant salad dressings around. But what if you can't find the stuff or it is no longer sold in your area, as I've heard from so many? Or maybe you want to save some money and make a bunch of your own? Just use the recipe below to make as much dry mix as you want, and save it for when you need instant salad satisfaction.

I've used McCormick lemon pepper in the recipe here because it contains lemon juice solids that help duplicate the taste of the sodium citrate and citric acid in the real thing. The dry pectin, which can be found near the canning supplies in your supermarket, is used as a thickener, much like the xanthan gum in the original product.

1 teaspoon carrot, grated and finely chopped
1 teaspoon red bell pepper, finely minced
3/4 teaspoon McCormick lemon pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons dry pectin
pinch ground oregano

1. Place the carrot and bell pepper on a baking pan in an oven set on 250 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes, or until all of the small pieces are completely dry, but not browned.
2. Combine the dried carrot and bell pepper with the other ingredients in a small bowl. Mix can be stored in a sealed container indefinitely until needed.
3. When ready to use, pour 1/4 cup of vinegar into a cruet or jar. Add 3 tablespoons of water, then the dressing mix. Seal and shake vigorously. Add 1/2 cup of oil, and shake until well-blended. Serves 8 to 10.