WNCTIMES Blog

Fun to make! Yummy to Eat! Ingredients ½ cup confectioner's sugar ½ cup sprinkles, divided 1 white cake mix 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 egg 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened Step 1 Cream together the butter and the cream cheese. Add the egg and the vanilla and beat just until combined. Beat in the cake mix until well blended. Stir in ¼ cup of the sprinkles. Refrigerate at least one hour or overnight. Step 2 Preheat oven to 350℉. Lightly grease a cookie sheet...

​The generosity of an anonymous donor may help pets to find furever homes for the holidays. Fees for pets adopted until December 23, 2019 will be waived. Also covered,  the pet's spay and neuter fee, microchipping along with standard medical tests and treatments. Posted on the shelter's Face Book: Procedure for adoptions will still be followed as usual. Adoptions applications must be filled out and approved by staff. This holiday event only applies to ADULT (does not include ...

MILTON, Mass. (AP) — Authorities say no one was hurt when an evacuation slide fell from a jetliner into the yard of a suburban Boston home.  A Delta Air Lines spokeswoman tells the Boston Herald that the uninflated slide fell from a flight from Paris to Boston around noon Sunday. The Federal Aviation Administration says the pilot reported a loud noise as the plane approached Logan Airport and landed safely. Police in Milton, south of Boston, alerted the agency that the slide had been found ...

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A magnet-wielding angler has fished a World War I-era grenade from a western Michigan river.  WOOD-TV reports the angler found the explosive Tuesday after dangling the magnet from a bridge in the Grand River in Grand Rapids. Joseph Alexander told the television station he "thought it looked like a grenade, but not one" he'd seen before. Alexander said he posted photos of it online and people commented that it was a grenade and he should call police. Grand Rapids p...

  Nov. 30, 2001 -- (NPR Special Report) George Harrison, the "quiet Beatle" often thought of as the soul of the Fab Four, died Thursday of cancer. He was 58. Harrison died at a friend's home in Los Angeles, his wife Olivia and son Dhani, 24, at his side. "He left the world as he lived in it, conscious of God, fearless of death, and at peace, surrounded by family and friends," the family said in a statement. "I'm devastated and very, very sad" Paul McCartney told reporters in London Fri...

Who doesn't Love Baked Mac & Cheese! Well, read on and find out how you can make this tasty side dish! Fannie Farmer's Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese READY IN: 40mins SERVES: 4 UNITS: US INGREDIENTS Nutrition 1 (8 ounce) package macaroni 4 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons flour 1 cup milk 1 cup cream 1⁄2 teaspoon salt fresh ground black pepper, to taste 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded good quality 1⁄2 cup breadcrumbs, buttered DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook and drain macaroni acco...

Let's say guests are staying with you for some part of the holiday. You've planned a beautiful, robust holiday dinner. You've even been prescient enough to make a big batch of soup and buy a graze board's supply of cheeses, charcuterie, olives, etc. for a casual midday meal.  Setting out breakfast for your guests to help themselves when they wake up in the morning is a low-stress, make ahead way for you to offer the morning meal. You've made the beds, laid out fresh towels, remembered to bu...

The Best Banana Pudding! Recipe by:Kenneth Strother "The best no bake banana pudding you will ever find (or so I've been told by many)."  Ingredients 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed 1 (16 ounce) package vanilla wafers 14 bananas, sliced Add all ingredients to list Directions Prep 25 m Ready In 25 m In a large mixing bowl, beat pudding mix and milk 2 minutes. Blend in condensed milk until smooth. Stir in vanilla and fold in whipped topping. ...

So, Thanksgiving is coming up and many of us hope to conquer mashed potatoes! Yes, this year will be the year for no lumps! Well, this is the year! Read on to find out how! Recipe by:Chef John "This recipe will hopefully give you the proper techniques to turn out perfect mashed potatoes every time; always light, fluffy and lump-free."  Ingredients 3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut in half lengthwise 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup whole milk salt and ground black pepper to taste Add all ingred...

Today, I was surprised to learn that Joe Biden has  always had to cope with a stutter. In a new article in the Atlantic by John Hendricks, who also deals with stuttering, talks to Biden about their common struggle. A link to the article with be posted at the bottom of the page. I wanted to find out more about stuttering, I found the website: Stuttering Foundation. There I found earlier interviews and links to articles talking to Biden about his stuttering. Below is an article...

If you're like me, you look for yummy, easy recipes, especially for the holidays! This recipe is both and looks cool, too! Check it out! At the bottom, a link is provided to more great recipes! Ingredients: 1 (14 oz.) container Marzetti® Light Ranch! Veggie Dip 6 stalks celery 1 pound whole carrots, peeled 2 yellow peppers 1 large English cucumber 1 pint grape tomatoes 16 clear individual serving cups (1/3 cup size) Cut all the veggies into 3-inch long strips. With English cucumbers, you don't e...

Did you know Mission Health in Asheville has a very informative health blog?  No matter where you live, you can read it and find health tips and news! Read a post from their blog and check out the link below. Mission Hospital Blog: In the US, thousands of people with advanced heart failure are awaiting heart transplants. Others have hearts so weak, they're not expected to live a year, but they no longer meet the criteria for a transplant. For them, one option is a left ventricular assist de...

November 18, 2019 Source: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Summary: In learning new tasks, neuron networks in the brain of mice become more refined and selective. Charting changes in neural activity can help inform the design of better computational models for understanding decision making and cognition. When mice learn to do a new task, their brain activities change over time as they advance from 'novice' to 'expert.' The changes are reflected in the wiring of cell circuits and activities of neuro...

Date: November 15, 2019 Source: University of Birmingham Summary: Scientists have uncovered a possible explanation for the mental sluggishness that often accompanies illness. Scientists at the University of Birmingham in collaboration with the University of Amsterdam have uncovered a possible explanation for the mental sluggishness that often accompanies illness.  An estimated 12M UK citizens have a chronic medical condition, and many of them report severe mental fatigue that...

  GODDARD, Kan. (AP) — Authorities have found the owners of a camel, cow and donkey that were spotted roaming together along a Kansas road in a grouping reminiscent of a Christmas Nativity scene.  Police in Goddard had asked for help over the weekend in a Facebook post locating the owners of the "three friends traveling together (towards a Northern star)." The post said that if police couldn't find the owners, they would be "halfway toward a live nativity this Christmas season." Sedgwi...

JACKSON, Mo. (AP) — A rescued puppy is attracting a lot of attention because of his resemblance to a unicorn. The nearly 10-week-old puppy, named Narwhal, has a tail-like appendage growing from his forehead.  Narwhal was rescued over the weekend and sent to Mac's Mission in Jackson, which specializes in fostering animals with special needs. Mac's Mission founder Rochelle Steffen says Narwhal doesn't notice the extra tail and is otherwise a happy, healthy puppy. Although it looks like a tail...

 Science Daily --  November 12, 2019  Source:  University of Basel Summary: White noise is not the same as other noise -- and even a quiet environment does not have the same effect as white noise. With a background of continuous white noise, hearing pure sounds becomes even more precise, as researchers have shown. Their findings could be applied to the further development of cochlear implants. Noise is not the same as noise -- and even a quiet environment does not have the sa...

Low Carb Chili – All the amazing flavors of chili, without the beans. I think you will find that you don't miss them at all. 2 1/2 pounds ground beef 1 medium red onion, chopped and divided 5 cloves garlic, minced 3 large ribs of celery, diced 1/4 cup pickled jalapeno slices 6 ounce can tomato paste 14.5 ounce can tomatoes and green chilies 14.5 ounce can stewed tomatoes 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce or Coconut Aminos 4 tablespoons chili powder 2 tablespoons cumin, mounded 2 teaspoons sea s...

Brother Wolf Animal Rescue (BWAR) warns that pet owners need to take immediate precautions to help keep their animals safe during the approaching sub-freezing temperatures predicted to hit Western North Carolina on this week. We wish all animals had indoor homes, but especially during this bone chilling cold we will be experiencing. However, we are realistic and know that many animals spend much, if not all, of their lives outdoors, so we must do what we can to make them safe and comfortable dur...

​This morning I wondered "Where did the name Monday come from?" For so many people, it is a day that is dreaded. Having found out how the name came about, have you ever felt mooned by Monday? Well, here's why... "Despite being the dreaded start of the work and school week, Monday is actually the second day of the week. Monday gets its name from the Anglo-Saxon word "mondandaeg" which translates to "the moon's day." The second day of the week in Nordic cultures was devoted to worshipping the godd...