Drones - Air Rights

I saw an article posted today concerning a father who shot down a drone that was hovering over his yard where his daughter was sunbathing in their backyard.

Full Story Here

This is getting a bit scary. That father was arrested. I actually don't fault him for firing and hitting that drone. Where are our personal rights to privacy? I can only imagine what actresses and actors have to say about this.

I am reminded of the movie Burlesque where I actually first heard the term. Air rights are a type of development in real estate which refers to the empty space above a property. I know in OK one can own land but not own the mineral rights underneath the land.

I did some research and learned that until the 20th century, one didn't care about air rights. It was with the invention of airplanes that air rights became important. It is actually illegal for an airline to go below 500 feet over private property. I know when we purchased and built our house I did consider how close it was to O'Hare, a huge airport, so I went to the site many times a day on different days to see how it was affected. I researched the local library for airplane paths and noise levels. Our house was outside of those areas. That has changed in the past few years when O'Hare purchased and built 2 new airstrips. We are now awakened even at 2am to the sound of airliners taking off or arriving. I am happy to say they are above that 500 feet over my house and can't imagine what the noise level would be in they were at that level. It is loud enough now.

Back to air rights. A popular thought about property law was "Cuius est solum, eius est usque ad coelum et ad inferos" which translates to "whoever owns the soil, holds title all the way up to the heavens and down to the depths of hell". That is what I always understood until I learned from my relatives in OK that the land can be sold but not anything underneath it or what they term 'mineral rights'. This property law can actually be traced back only as far as the 13th century.

As a property owner you should have the right to the airspace above your land located in the lower stratum but actual boundaries are not explicitly defined. Commercial airlines are considered a public highway so you can't ask that they stop flying over your house. You could take exception to say a helicopter that blocks the enjoyment of your land.  With the invention of drones. the United States has been considering lowering that airspace even lower than 500 feet over your land. But right now, in the good old United States, law enforcement can put you under drone surveillance without a warrant as long as the drone never lands on your property. Scary!

So unless I build a top to my pool, I will have to stop any skinny dipping in case my face and body would be plastered all over social media. You will have to stop your children or yourself from sunbathing topless or bottomless too.

So beware of the things in the picture above.

Recipe Thursday - Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

2 chicken breasts (bone-in, skin-on) see Note*** below
1/4 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
1/3 cup granny apple, diced into small chunks (1/4-1/2 inch)
1/2 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
1.5 tablespoons shallot, minced
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons light mayo
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon rosemary, minced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub chicken breasts with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Set aside to cool.
NOTE** I usually use leftover chicken that I freeze to make quick meals. If you do this, then defrost the chicken overnight in the refrigerator. You will need about 2 cups.

Once chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and cut chicken breast off the bone. Shred chicken breasts using your fingers or two forks or dice with a knife to about 1/2 inch cubes.

Mix together Greek yogurt, mayo, apple cider vinegar, and rosemary.

In a large bowl combine 2 cups shredded chicken, pecans, shallots, green apple, and cranberries. Toss with dressing until well combined.


Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill for at least an hour until ready to serve.

I usually either serve this on gluten free buns or wrapped in lettuce leaves or just serve it on a piece of lettuce on a plate.

Watermelon

I know I know....a strange topic to write about. But really? Why do so many people think people are crazy if you don't like watermelon?

I. HATE. WATERMELON. I hate the taste. I have never liked it. I would rather go hungry if this was the food served. OMG and please please don't put it in a fruit salad. It contaminates everything in there that is good.

I also hate the taste of cucumbers and honeydew melons. I love cantaloupe though! I also hate any pickle but homemade bread and butter pickles but will tolerate sweet gherkins in my potato salad as long as there aren't too many. I hate pickle relish too.

I often thought it was the texture I didn't like because cucumbers, watermelon, pickles, and honeydew all have a slimy type texture but I love okra if properly cooked. I have also wondered if it is the sweetness of watermelon because I abhor sweet foods but I like cantaloupe. I like raw zucchini but hate it when it is cooked (gets way too slimy) but I love yellow squash cooked anyway but hate it raw.

This is why I bring lettuce salads without cucumbers, potato salad with minimal sweet gherkins, and fruit salads without watermelon and honeydew.

I really can't be the only person out there that hates the taste of these items.......someone please say you agree!

Inspirational Sunday - Listening and Talking/Talking and Listening

My husband and I have been very busy since Thursday. Our 2nd son aka our son's best friend got married Friday so festivities began Wednesday with picking up the tux, hair cut, etc. Wednesday evening was filled with watching our granddaughter. Thursday was the rehearsal dinner and work. Friday was the wedding. Saturday was the brunch followed by driving 3 hours to a reunion when it should have only taken 2 hours followed by the reunion then the 2 hour drive home. Did I mention we have been watching our granddog for a week now? Today was crash day for both of us and reflection day.

With all the hustle and bustle of life we forget to talk to one another or just plain listen. One would think that we all know how to listen and talk to each other because haven't we been doing that since the day we were born? We learned that by crying a certain way, our parents listened and fulfilled our need. As we grew older, we learned friendship and relationships took both listening and talking skills. Sometimes we listen more than we talk. Sometimes we talk more than we listen. But these two should balance out. They can't be rushed or scheduled and they happen the best when they are allowed to just happen along the way. 

So why is this the topic of today's Inspirational Sunday? Because even though we were so busy being task oriented, sometimes we need to just put down our phones, turn off the television and radio, turn off our computers, and just do things together. The Gospel during the wedding stated that successful marriages do not just happen. A good marriage must be developed. No one is perfect. You are both on the same team. Make your marriage a pleasant experience. Don't expect perfection. Overlook faults. Hunt for the good in the other. Make each other happy. The secret of any successful marriage lies not in having the right partner, but also in being the right partner.

Those were a few notes I jotted down from the ceremony. My husband and I chose on the way to the reunion to talk and listen to each other the entire drive. We had a blast and so much so, that we forgot the way and ended up adding an hour to our drive. We didn't blame each other. We took that extra hour to continue our talking and laughing and remembering. At the reunion, I took the time to listen to my nieces and nephews and my sisters and brother and their spouses. I learned quite a few things about them I never knew. I think they were kinda surprised at how quiet I was because they did mention that they liked and appreciated how much I listened to them which made them feel special. My godson had just returned from a mission trip to India. Two nieces brought new boyfriends. My 2 grand-nieces and grand-nephew make a point to come tell me how much they enjoyed playing with my granddaughter. They had a great time telling me how my granddaughter was using sign language with them that I had taught them. It was like our little secret. They knew that I carried a bottle of nail polish in my pocket as they knew I would always polish their nails whenever I saw them.

It is the little things that make another feel special but in order to do those things, one had to listen while the other talked. Today my husband and I turned off the TV and cell phones and computers. We just spent the day with each other. We didn't always talk. We didn't need to. But we did listen.

Recipe Thursday - Paleo Pulled Pork

I started following a modified Paleo diet a couple of years ago and my intestines began liking me again. I have had less heartburn and less gluten sensitivity problems. Now if I have the least little bit of gluten I do react faster but I will still eat it but in reduced amounts and not that often.

I started taking my favorite recipes and modifying them to make them gluten free. Truthfully before I started this, I never made pulled pork from scratch, I ordered it from restaurants. My father has a recipe but I always reacted to it so would never eat it.

This recipe is not only gluten free but MSG free (another ingredient in a lot of things I just cannot tolerate) and it is super simple. I make a large batch of it and freeze it by using either the Food Saver or by putting it in a mason jar and making each portion sized to feed 3 adult people.

Ingredients:
3 pounds boneless pork roast (I get my roast from a deli that specializes in organic no hormone meat)
1 cup warm water
1 cube or 1 teaspoon beef bouillon (gluten free too - make sure you read the ingredients)
1 - 2 18 ounce bottle(s) of barbecue sauce (my husband makes a good one but I will also use Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce) - again make sure the sauce is gluten free and is MSG free which Sweet Baby Ray's sauce is. I tend to like their sauce better because it is sweeter. My husband always sprinkles hot sauce to his sandwiches.

Trim off any extra fat from the pork roast (the one I get is always very lean). Place in a large slow cooker. Dissolve the bouillon in the water and pour over the roast.

Cook on low for 7-8 hours or until meat shreds easily. I use a baster to remove most of the juices from the slow cooker before removing the meat. Set aside the juice because you might need it later.

Take the meat out and using 2 forks, shred the pork. If the meat is too dry you can add back in some of the juice by tablespoons. I usually add 2-3 tablespoons but again, it is a matter of personal preference. Place the shredded pork back into the crock pot. Pour in the bottle of BBQ sauce or your own creation and gently fold it in. Put the lid back on and cook for another hour on low.

I usually pull out what we need for dinner and freeze the rest. It is a personal  preference to add more BBQ sauce or not or to add hot sauce and to serve it on a sandwich bun or plain. I just always have extra sauce available.

Leftovers: if you have frozen pulled pork, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator. I don't mind mine cold but it is easily reheated via a pot or microwave (just cover and stir a lot).

Enjoy!

Inspirational Sunday - Being Yourself

"About once a month I run across a person who radiates an inner light. These people can be in any walk of life. They seem deeply good. They listen well. They make you feel funny and valued. You often catch them looking after other people and as they do so their laugh is musical and their manner is infused with gratitude. They are not thinking about what wonderful work they are doing. They are not thinking about themselves at all."

I ran across this quote when reading an opinion column by David Brooks of The New York Times.
 (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/12/opinion/sunday/david-brooks-the-moral-bucket-list.html?_r=0) I saved it because it just spoke to me.

I meet a lot of people in my life. There are some I meet that I am instantly drawn to. As the quote above states, they are people you are instantly drawn to. They are humble people and are there for others. It isn't that they are doing this just to garner attention or that they are too insipid. Rather, these people are true authentic people.

One of my cousins and I were talking this past week. We both have 'people pleasers' around us. I think they are around everyone. They put this fake face on to the world when inside they are insecure and are afraid to let anyone in to see what a mess they think they are. As you have probably figured out, I am not a people pleaser. I don't know that I ever was. I tried to live that life, thinking it was the proper to 'put a public face on when one was in public' and otherwise behind closed doors, one could be who they wanted as long as that public face shined through.

I do not think God would have wanted us to be like that. I strive to be like the person above. It is hard to do when sometimes all I want to do is shake the other person. But we all have to live our own lives. We can only lead by example and hope that example is like that person above - one who truly believes that money can't buy happiness and truly believes that they can be loved and seen as they strive to live and be and one who doesn't believe they have a public and non-public face. We are not perfect people. We make mistakes and yet we can see them and make changes through our own internal character and with the help of our spiritual belief system.

Just be yourself!

Recipe Thursday - Chopped Salad with Chickpeas with Cheesey Gluten Free Biscuits

I don't know about any of you but I don't like hot weather. If the temperature goes over 40 degrees I am not happy but if the temperature goes over 90, I melt. I usually can't stand to eat hot meals when it is hot outside and I hate turning on the oven or even cook over a stove. Instead I find myself drawn to salads that are super easy to put together and I usually have frozen leftover cooked meats to top it off. This is one of my favorite summer salads and the biscuits? They just melt in your mouth!

Chopped Salad with Chickpeas and Chicken

Ingredients:
2 large Romaine hearts, washed and chopped
1 cup cooked chicken breast
1 can (15.5 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup grape tomatoes sliced in half
3/4 cup sweet corn (I use what I have canned and froze)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (or crumbled goat cheese)
1/3 cup cilantro, washed and chopped
1 small avocado diced
1/2 cup dressing of your choice - I love Raspberry Vinaigrette or Ranch

I toss all the above except the avocado and dressing in a large bowl. Garnish with the diced avocado and drizzle with dressing if you wish. I serve with the following biscuits which I also make a huge batch of and freeze.

Cheesy Gluten Free Biscuits

Ingredients:
6 eggs, separated
6 oz whipped cream cheese, not softened
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon dried mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil (for greasing the muffin tins)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Separate the eggs. Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat them until they form stiff peaks. Add the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, and spices to the egg yolks and mix thoroughly. Using a spatula gently fold the yolk mixture into the egg white mixture. Be careful not to lose too much volume. Scoop the mixture into the greased muffin tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes. They are done when they are a golden brown. They will look very fluffy but as they cool they flatten a little (this is normal). This should make 12 muffins. I make them ahead and freeze them. I then will defrost them in the fridge overnight and reheat in a toaster oven or microwave.