peanut butter quesadillas recipes

These taste good, are quick and easy to make, and with a little variation, can serve multiple purposes.

The basic recipe is a 10 inch tortilla, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, and a buttered fry pan. Spread the peanut butter evenly on the tortilla, fold in half, then fry each side till golden brown or color you like it.

Add jelly, jam, or preserves for a “peanut butter and jelly” experience. We’re partial to strawberry preserves in our home.

For a nice breakfast twist to it, slice a banana lengthwise and lay out on the peanut butter covered tortilla, then spread around 1 teaspoon of honey over it all, fold over fry as above. Good quick breakfast food.

Use whole wheat tortillas and no sugar added peanut butter for an even healthier snack.

If you came up to me two months ago and told me that in two months I’d be listening to a swedish hip-hop band’s album over and over again, I would have assumed you were on drugs or feeble minded in some other way.
After all, I’m one of THOSE Americans, I just can’t seem to get into any foreign music where I can’t understand the lyrics. I had been able to do foreign films for a long time, I grew up on Kung Fu flicks and Japanese monster movies and I’ve enjoyed plenty of other language movies since then. But foreign language music I simply never was able to get into, until now…

From the first minute of the first song I ever heard by them, I was captivated by the sound. A sound that is classic and classy, yet simultaneously modern and unpretentious. Enough complexity to have substantial musical depth and soul, but simple enough that it doesn’t overload the senses. A lot of modern music seems unable to get the right balance in my opinion, but Movits! has it down perfectly.

From the toe tapping and popular “Fel del av garden” to the smooth chill-out sound of “Stick ivag Jack del II”, the sound is moving, solid, and compelling. There are a few songs of theirs I can’t get into, like the last song on their album “Vals pa Vinkelgrand”, it’s too polka-ie for my tastes. The lion’s share of the songs though are just plain good if not outstanding.

I really can’t comment much on the quality of the lyrics as I don’t speak swedish. I did look up the english translation to “Fel del av garden” and the translation I found seemed as down to earth and authentic as the band sounds musically. I have to admit, the first few days I kept thinking “this sucks that I can’t understand them”, but, after a while you realize that if you understand the music, the lyrics are a secondary concern.

So, I’m hooked on this band “Movits!”. If you haven’t checked them out, then I strongly recommend you play one of the youtube songs embedded here. Their songs are available thru Amazon and iTunes and their CD, Äppelknyckarjazz(translated: Apple Swiping Jazz), can be ordered but it is expensive as it’s an import. Luckily from Amazon and iTunes the album is only 8.99 for the 12 song album in mp3 format, or 99 cents a song individually. Either way, very reasonable in my opinion.
Currently, one of my favorite bands in the world. I should write a letter thanking Stephen Colbert, but he’d probably just take that as a sign of weakness, thus ruining my chances of obtaining the coveted “Alpha Dog” award.

Movits! website:
The Best Band In The World

Business on a Budget: Free Office Applications
(“free” as in “free beer”)

A substantial cost facing business these days is software. These costs can be especially burdensome on small or just starting out operations on tight budgets. For example, Microsoft’s Office Standard goes for 300 and up. That 300 alone could be used to buy a good black and white laser printer and a multi-function ink jet printer with fax. Yet, pretty much every business these days needs at least one computer with an office application suite.

The ability to produce professional looking documents and invoices, track customer and financial data, and engage in complex calculations to deal with tax and operating cost issues is an undeniable advantage for any business. Whether it’s a mobile car washing service, a restaurant, or on-line store, you will be at a disadvantage if you don’t have these tools. Luckily, for those looking to trim costs without losing functionality, there are several no cost office applications available.

.

OpenOffice.org

OpenOffice.org is derived from Sun’s “Sun Office”. With over 20 years of development behind it, it is a robust office package consisting of Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, and Base. That’s a word processor/desktop publisher, spreadsheet, presentation, draw/image manipulation, and database application respectively. OpenOffice is available for all major computing platforms, including Windows, MacOS, and Linux. Click on “OpenOffice.org” above to visit their site and try it out.

.

Google Docs

Google Docs is a relatively new offering. Google Docs is a web based application that you run through a web browser connected to Google’s website. This allows Google Docs to run on all modern desktop platforms, as well as provides truly universal remote access to information created and stored in Google Docs. While Google Docs currently supports word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation functionality, it is likely that more functionality will be added. Does require you to be connected to the Internet to use, so if your connection is not near constant, this could pose a problem. Click on “Google Docs” above to visit the site and try it out.

.

Lotus Symphony

Lotus Symphony is an office suite developed and maintained by IBM. Also with decades of development behind it, it consists of a word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation application. Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, it has a modern tabbed user interface that some find superior in use. Click on “Lotus Symphony” above to visit their site and try it out.
.

Try Them All. They’re Free.

Before standardizing on any one suite, you should try them all and make sure the one in question is going to do what you need done, in the way you want it done. This is important, as each suite has slightly different interfaces and philosophies behind them, so they each have a different “feel”. What feels right for someone else, may not feel right for you. As they each support OpenDocument formats, you can put each one through its paces while you’re getting real work done, and still be able to use the file with another suite, should you choose another. You might even find yourself using all three. You aren’t likely to miss paying 300+ per seat.