I wanted to get on today and wish everyone the very Merriest of Christmas to ya'll. May your Christmas and every day throughout the New Year be blessed with God's love and joy for you and your families.
Be safe and savor every moment of being with your families. I know we have been extremely thankful for the precious time we've been given with our families and will continue to be.
Blessings and good wishes to all of you.
Hugs!
Bathroom Cleaning
Bathrooms can be a source for all sorts of cleaning problems. Keeping mildew under control in the bathroom can be a challenge. Try spraying a mixture of 50% hydrogen peroxide and 50% water on the walls every six months to prevent mildew. Cut the seam off of the bottom of the plastic shower curtain to keep mold from growing there. Also, put a couple cups of bleach in the back of the toilet every few weeks to help control germs. Be careful that children and pets don't come into contact with this water.
Bathroom OdorsBathroom odors can be controlled by putting cotton balls filled with vanilla extract in bowls or under the sink. Also put baking soda in the bottom of the trash cans to absorb odors.
Use car wax on the clean shower walls everysix months or so to prevent soap scum from sticking. (Be sure NOT to get any of it on the shower floor!!!) Vinegar works well on soap scum, especially hot vinegar. Try heating up vinegar in the microwave, clean the microwave and take the vinegar to the bathroom to clean the soap scum from the shower curtain and walls.
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This was my daily OM from yesterday. I thought it appropriate to post today since most of us will be going here or there to get together with family or friends at some point this week.
December 18, 2006
The Gift of Sincerity
Holiday Obligations
During the holiday season it is easy to feel scattered and overwhelmed. We may feel obligated to send cards, buy gifts, bake sweets, host parties, or give hostess gifts. But there is no need to feel any obligation when we commit to being our best selves as fully and sincerely as we can. Because then we are already giving the best and most precious gift we have to offer: our presence.
At any gathering, we each bring our own unique light to the party. When we think back on pleasant memories of events in our own past, we recall the fun and love that was shared, or the moments that touched us far more than anything else. A sense of obligation rarely brings out the joy within or moves us in any meaningful way. So as we walk through the holiday season, let’s choose to only give what we can give joyfully, lovingly, and sincerely—whether the gift is a smile, a compliment, a handmade card, or friendship. Once out from under the ‘should’s, we will be free to share the love and kindness we sincerely feel with those who we truly value—from the mailman to our nearest and dearest.
Each gift we give and card we send carries the energy of our intention. If we are not giving from a true desire to share, it’s loss of time and energy that could be better spent by sharing life’s best gifts: love and joy. When we live each moment to the best of our abilities, then every second becomes a gift shared with the universe. Our positive choices have a ripple effect, touching those near and far, friends and strangers. In that way, sharing the light of our beautiful and unique presence becomes the best present we could possibly give, to ourselves and everyone else.
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That's about all for this morning. I am a bit busy this week but will try to keep up with my journal posts. Now I am off to try to get around and get some Christmas shopping done today. I am probably only about half done, if that. Oh goodness! I have so much to do! LOL
Many hugs!
Here are a few recipes for you. They sound kind of yummy.
Chicken Marsala
Serves: 4
Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with 1/3 cup sauce
Tomato juice, lemons, and mushrooms flavor this chicken recipe the lower salt and lower fat way.
INGREDIENTS
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup flour
4 chicken breasts, boned, skinless (5 oz.)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup marsala wine
1/2 cup chicken stock, skim fat from top
1/2 lemon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
DIRECTIONS
1. Mix together pepper, salt, and flour. Coat chicken with seasoned flour.
2. In a heavy-bottomed skillet, heat oil. Place chicken breasts in skillet and brown on both sides. Then remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
3. To the skillet, add tomato juice and stir until heated. Add juice, stock, and mushrooms. Stir to toss, reduce heat, and cook for about 10 minutes until the sauce is partially reduced.
4. Return browned chicken breasts to skillet. Spoon sauce over the chicken.
5. Cover and cook for about 5-10 minutes or until chicken is done.
6. Serve sauce over chicken. Garnish with chopped parsley.
NUTRITION INFO
Calories: 232.5
Fat: 5.6 g
Carbohydrates: 35.5 g
Protein: 8.2 g
Apple and Pork Stir-fry with Ginger
Serves: 4
Serving Size: 2 oz. cooked pork per serving
Featured in the revised edition of The New American Plate. Printed with permission from the American Institute for Cancer Research.
INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp. peach jam, preferably fruit sweetened
2 Tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1-1/2 tsp. dark toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp. finely minced fresh ginger root
1/2 pound (8 ounces) pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips
1-1/2 tsp. canola oil
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 firm apples, such as Fuji or Gala, cut into one-inch pieces
1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. In small bowl, combine jam, soy sauce, water and cornstarch. Set aside.
2. In large non-stick skillet, heat sesame oil over medium high heat. Add pork and ginger and stir-fry until pork is browned and just cooked through, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Transfer pork and ginger to bowl with slotted spoon. Add canola oil to skillet. Stir-fry peppers, water chestnuts, and apples until peppers are crisp tender, about 3 minutes.
4. Add pork back to skillet along with scallions. Stir-fry 30 seconds. Add jam mixture. Continue to stir-fry 30 seconds to one minute, or until sauce thickens. Season to taste with black pepper.
NUTRITION INFO
Calories: 296.8
Fat: 7.5 g
Carbohydrates: 41.2 g
Protein: 18.6 g
Have a good day!
Hugs!
The gifts we craft with our own hands are often the most significant because the love that drove us to create is infused in the products of our creation. And the recipients of these homemade offerings receive a token of our willingness to invest ourselves in their joy. Allow these ideas to inspire you:
1. When you craft a beautifully decorated prayer box (or jar) for loved ones, you give them the gift of spiritual awareness. As you share this gift, explain that it should serve as a receptacle for their hopes, dreams, and loves—as well as worries—and thus a reminder of who they were, are, and will someday be.
2. If you love journaling, share your writing joy with family and friends by giving each a unique, handmade personal journal. A simple spiral notebook dressed up with paper, fabric, photographs, or other embellishments will give your loved ones a special place to record their private thoughts.
3. Erase the distance between yourself and your far away loved ones by presenting each with a photo journal documenting how your life has changed in the past year. Or introduce them to your locale with a homemade guidebook that highlights everything you love about your town or city.
4. When you sew medicine bags for the people you care about, you can rest assured your gift will always be close to their hearts. A small pouch can be filled with many meditative or symbolic items, such as quartz crystals, sage, or magical objects.
5. A progressive photo album, wherein pictures tell the story of your relationships from the past up to the present, can be a simple yet poignant reminder of the many wonderful experiences you and your loved ones have shared over the years.
6. Give the gift of serenity with a guided meditation you create and record to CD or tape. Your loved ones will take pleasure in being led through tranquil landscapes by the soothing sound of your voice.
7. Hand-crafted ornaments that can be hung on trees, in windows, and on walls afford you an opportunity to surround the important people in your life with beauty. Whether you prefer to work with clay, crystals, fabric, baked dough, or natural objects, your gift can serve as a calming focal point in your loved ones’ homes.
Whether you choose to give a gift or simply share your friendship and love, remember that it is the intention behind the thought that is most important.
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The following are some homemade gift recipes taken from my Web page, JillMarie's Stuff. Real creative name, huh? LOL I just couldn't think of anything at the time that would desribe everything on there.
Anyway, I hope you find something you like here. These are all easy enough for the kids to do with a little help from you. I love how excited and proud kids are about making and giving their own gifts.
Now, remember that recipe I posted recently about the bakers clay dough that you bake? Take a clean old jar with a metal lid. Let the kids make something cute out of the bakers clay to cover the lid and bake it. While it's baking have them mix up some coffee mix or something that can go into the jar. What a great way to spend some great quality time with your children.
Spiced Mocha Mix
2 cups sweetened cocoa mix
1/3 cup instant coffee crystals
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Combine cocoa mix, coffee, and cinnamon. Stir thoroughly. Store in airtight containers. Makes 2 1/4 cups mix.
Directions to pack with mix: For one serving, combine 3 Tablesppons mix with 2/3 cup boining water in a cup.
Hot Tea Mix
1- 9 oz jar orange flavor breakfast drink powder (1 1/4 cups)
3/4 cup iced tea mix with lemon and sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Store in airtight containers. Makes 2 cups mix.
Directions to pack with mix: For one serving, combine 2 tablesppons mix with 1 cup boiling water in a cup.
Hot Choco Coffee Mix
2/3 cup Granulated sugar
1/3 cup Cocoa
1/4 tsp. Ground cinnamon
1/4 cup Instatnt coffee granules
Measure sugar into small bowl. Sift cocoa, cinnamon and coffee granules into sugar. Stir. Store in plastic bag or jar with tight fitting lid. Makes about 1 cup mix.
Directions to include: Heat 1 cup milk in large mug in microwave on high for about 2 minutes or until very hot. Add 1 1/2 Tbsp. mix. Stir. Serves 1.
Trail Mix
Combine 1 Cup each of the following in large roasting pan:
Chopped dried apricots
Golden raisins
Dark raisins
Chopped dried pineapple
Chopped dried pears
Dried banana slices
Pecan halves
Broken cashews
Peanuts
Melt 1/4 cup magarine in small saucepan. Add 1 tsp. seasoned salt. Stir. Drizzle over the fruit mixture. Stir to coat well.
Sprinkle with 2 tsp. salt. Bake, uncovered, in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. Makes 9 1/2 cups.
Variation: For added flavor, add 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce or 2 tsp. barbecue sauce or 2 tsp. teriyaki sauce to melted margarine.
Bath Salts
Makes 3 cups of bath salts.
You will need:
Large glass or metal mixing bowl 2 cups Epsom's salts 1 cup Sea salt, rock salt or coarse salt Food coloring 1/4 teaspoon Glycerin Essential oil for fragrance such as vanilla, citrus or peppermint, optional Clean, dry jars with cork stoppers or metal screw-on lid
How To Make It
Try and do this on a day with low humidity, the salt will absorb moisture from the air.
1.Combine salts in bowl and mix well. Add a couple drops of food coloring and mix well.
2.Add glycerin and essential oil (4 or 5 drops) and mix well.
3.Spoon salts into the jars and close them.
4.Make a gift tag with the scent (if you used one) and suggesting using 1/3 to 1/2 cup in the bath.
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Rylie and I are off to visit Santa today. Ray is out of town, so Samantha is going with us. I wonder if I can get Sammi to sit on Santa's lap with Santa so I can get a picture of the two of them.
I hope you found something useful by visiting me today.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Hugs!
Arthritis
Here are some additional home remedies I've found:
1 quart popcorn, popped 1/2 tablespoon margarine, melted 1-1/4 teaspoons chili powder 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin Dash garlic powder
Here are a few holiday recipes I thought some of you might enjoy.
Scented cinnamon ornaments
Yield: 1 servings 4 ounce Cinnamon
1 Tb Cloves
1 Tb Nutmeg
¾ cup Applesauce
2 Tb White glue
Ribbon
In medium bowl, combine cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Add applesauce and glue; stir to combine. Work mixture with hands 2 to 3 minutes or until dough is smooth and ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Divide into 4 portions. On floured surface, roll each portion to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut dough with floured cookie cutters of desired shapes. Using straw or toothpick, make a small hole in the top of the ornament. Place cutouts on wire racks and allow to dry at room temperature for several days or dry them in a dehydrator. Thread ribbon through hole in ornament. DO NOT EAT. Makes about 32 (2 inch) ornaments.
You may find that the consistency of your "dough" just doesn't seem right. I added more spice to mine to make it work. Actually I didn't have enough glue, so I just kind of added this and that until it seemed right. You can also wrap it in saran wrap and put it in the fridge before you roll it out. Make sure you keep it at least 1/4" thick when rolling out or your ornaments may be too thin and fragile. Mine were probably a wee bit thicker and I liked them like that, they were nice and chucky.
I made a bunch of these in the shape of gingerbread men. I put some holes on the tops of their heads to use them to hang on the tree. Then on the others I put a hole on each of their hands so I could string them on a twine garland with dried apples and what-not. The ones that I am using for a garland I am going to cut felt to fit and glue on the backs so that when I hang it they won't cause any discoloration of the wall.
I put mine in a 200 degree oven and let them dry in there for a few hours. The house smelled wonderful! What a great project to do with children. Speaking of which, I am not putting mine on the tree this year...Rylie thinks these are actual cookies...ewww! I also had to chase Ray away from them when he got home. LOL
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When David, Sammi and Christopher were small I made a batch of this up and we made a bunch of ornaments. I had so much fun with the kids doing this. I think they still remember it too and that was at least 10 years ago.
Bakers Clay Dough
This dough is intended for craft projects. Please do NOT eat it.
2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 C salt
1 C water
In large mixing bowl combine flour, salt and water. Mix thoroughly with spoon till all the flour is moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead till smooth, about 10 minutes. Shape into a ball; return to bowl. Keep covered with a damp cloth or paper towel till ready to use.
Before beginning project, check the consistency of dough. If the dough is too sticky, add a small amount of additional flour. If dough is too stiff, knead in several teaspoons additional water.
Roll dough on floured surface 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters. Place ornaments on lightly greased cookie sheets. Make hole in top of ornaments for hangers. Brush ornaments with 1 beaten egg. Bake at 325 degrees till hard, 25-30 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 2 dozen.
You have to watch so they don't get too brown if your going to decorate them. After we made our ornaments I let the kids decorate them with acrylic crafters paint and glitter. When the paint dried I sprayed them with a fast drying glossy clear coat.
*Word of warning for those with pets. I made these ornaments to give away one year and someone told me that her dog just loved the ornament I gave her. So much so, that he ate the whole thing. Although it is all natural, so perhaps it's also a good recipe for doggie biscuits too.
This is a great recipe to keep on hand for projects with the kids year round. They can also roll out long strips and make baskets or whatever their imagination wants. For bigger, bulkier items you may need to let it sit in the oven longer.
To make a basket, have them roll, or cut (plastic knife) out a bunch of strips. Then "weave" them over an oven safe bowl. Leave them on the bowl and put in the oven. Your kids will be thrilled if you use their basket to serve bread at the dinner table.
They could even make matching napkin ring holders, or name plates for the table and decorate it all for the holidays. Or give them an old glass vase that you don't use anymore and let them put the dough over that and decorate it. I'm not sure how well the glass will take to being in the oven. I would turn the heat down and leave it in longer. I may need to look that information up. But imagine how thrilled your little one would be to see you use that vase for your holiday center piece? They will feel so proud when you tell all your guests that they made that. What a way to bolster their self-esteem.
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Ray loves to have Eggnog during the holidays. However, making a drink with raw eggs kind of freaks me out. Here is a recipe I found for making eggnog that I am comfortable with. I hope you enjoy it!
Eggless Eggnog
8 cups milk
One 3 oz package of French Vanilla Instant pudding
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
In a large bowl, mix the pudding with 1 cup of the milk. When pudding is formed, add in the remaining ingredients and mix very well. Chill.
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I hope you found something useful here today. If you try out any of the projects, drop me a line and let me know how it went. Or better yet send me a picture of what you and the kids made so I can share itwith everyone.
Have a wonderful day!
Hugs!
A cleaning tip, or two, that you may find useful. As I say on my Web page, these are tips that have been emailed to me, or that I have found on the Internet. I have not tried all of them and do NOT guarantee their effectiveness. If you do try one and it works, or if you have another one that works for you, please let me know.
Here is a good one with the upcoming holidays. It's time to clean up that...
Tarnished Silverware
For tarnished silverware, heat 2 cups of water and add 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Put silverware on a sheet of aluminum foil in a pan with the silverware making contact on the foil. The combination of metal and baking soda will cause the tarnish to disappear.
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I got this in the email and wanted to share it with everyone. While this organization is so busy "protecting" other peoples rights not to be "violated" by my belief in CHRIST, it sometimes seems as though they are taking away my right to display or share my belief in CHRIST. What do you want to bet that one day they will try to make it illegal to wear a crucifix because it somehow offends non-believers and impedes on their rights? That is just how ridiculous some of their court cases are.
This is coming early so that you can get ready to include an important address to your list. Read on........
What a GREAT idea!
Fun with the ACLU....... Want to have some fun this CHRISTMAS? When you
mail out your Christmas cards this year, send the ACLU a CHRISTMAS CARD.
The American Civil Liberties Union is working so very hard to get rid of
the CHRISTMAS part of this holiday as it offends other's civil liberty.
We should all send them a nice, CHRISTIAN, card to brighten up their
dark, sad, little world.
Make sure it says "Merry Christmas" on it.
Here's the address, just don't be rude or crude. (It's Not the Christian
Way , you know!)
ACLU
125 Broad Street
18th Floor
New York, NY 10004
Two tons of Christmas cards would freeze their operations because they
wouldn't know if any were regular mail containing contributions. So
spend 39 cents and tell the ACLU to leave Christmas alone.
Also tell them that there is no such thing as a "
Holiday Tree". . . . It's a Christmas Tree even in the fields!!
Good Idea!!!!!!!! And, be sure and print, "IN GOD WE TRUST" ON THE
CARD, ALSO.
Really, lets keep it nice and civil. I personally am going to close with "God bless you and yours throughout the new year! In Christ's Love, Jill Marie."
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I should have a fairly easy day today. I got my blood work done, finally, after running all over town trying to find a lab that would accept my Care Net card. I did 4 loads of laundry, cleaned Rylie Jo's bedroom carpet. It seems she spilled milk on her floor at some point this past weekend...eww! Then I cleaned the front bathroom, another "eww" job, lol.
Maybe Rylie and I will make some more Christmas cookies. I bought some red and green M&M's to make cookies, so maybe today we will do those. Rylie loves to help me in the kitchen. I can't wait, though, until Santa brings Ry her own pots, pans and kitchen utensils. Let's just hope he is able to get a little kitchen into that big red bag of his.
David, my oldest son...yikes! he turns 21 in a mere 16 days! Anyway, David was talking about getting her a bike. Which would be very cool because when we talk to Rylie about Santa coming and what does she want...she always says "biiiiiike". (the K is barely audible when she says it) Unfortunately, this year Santa probably can't bring both a little kitchen and a bike.
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Have a good day.
Hugs!
I think this one is cute, although her left eye looks a little funny since her head is tilted to the side.
Daddy like this one. I think her smile is pretty here. However, last night daddy let her play with my red paint pen (who knows why men do anything that they do) and you can see all the paint on her hand. I could crop it more, but I like her holding the present.
This is my favorite. I love the big, happy smile on her face. It looks just like her...you can just see the naughty behind those big baby blues, trying so hard to look like a good girl, lol.
Well, that is the baby. Isn't she just precious? I can't wait until we get all 6 kids in the house together at one time. I really want to get a picture of them all together.
Have a good night!
For food stuck on pots and pans, put a dryer sheet in the pan and leave overnight. In the morning the food will slide right out. The fabric softener will soften the food overnight.
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I found this site while I was wandering around the internet this morning. You can go here and print out these cute little recipe cards, shopping lists and gift tags. They aren't just for Christmas, there are designs that can be used all year long. The designs are real cute. The Christmas tags are near the bottom of the page. Original Country Clipart by Lisa
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I almost forgot, I also found this great site: Youth Online Club. IT's really cool for those of us stay at home moms who need some ideas for games for kids.
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Have a great day!
Hugs!
Fudge
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup half-and-half or light cream
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, cut up
1 teaspoon light-colored corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1. Line a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with foil, extending the foil over the edges of the pan. Butter the foil; set pan aside.
2. Butter the sides of a 2-quart heavy saucepan. In saucepan combine sugar, half-and-half, chocolate, corn syrup, and salt. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils. Clip a candy thermometer to side of pan. Reduce heat to medium-low; continue boiling at a moderate, steady rate , stirring occasionally, until thermometer registers 236 degree F, soft-ball stage (20 to 25 minutes.) (Adjust heat as necessary to maintain a steady boil).
3. Remove saucepan from heat. Add butter and vanilla, but do not stir. Cool, without stirring, to 110 degree F (50 to 60 minutes).
4. Remove thermometer from saucepan. Beat mixture vigorously with a clean wooden spoon until fudge just begins to thicken. If desired, add nuts. Continue beating until the fudge just starts to lose its gloss (6 to 8 minutes total).
5. Immediately spread fudge evenly in the prepared pan. Score into squares (or other shapes) while warm. When fudge is firm, use foil to lift it out of pan. Cut fudge. Store tightly covered up to 1 week. Makes about 1-1/4 pounds (32 pieces).
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3 Step Microwave Fudge
Ingredients:
2 cups chocolate chips
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. Mix chocolate chips with milk on 50% power 3 to 5 minutes, stirring once.
2. Stir in nuts and vanilla.
3. Put into a 8 x 8 greased baking pan. Cool and cut into squares.
Yield: 2 lbs
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Diabetic Chocolate Fudge Recipe
14+1/2 ounces (or 435ml) evaporated milk
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/4 cup butter OR margarine OR oleo OR olive oil
liquid sweetener (equal to 1/2 cup sugar)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2+1/2 cups wholemeal biscuit crumbs (Graham crackers etc)
1/4 cup nuts
In a medium saucepan, mix together milk & cocoa.
Add in butter, sweetener & salt.
Bring mixture to the boil, then remove from heat.
Stir in all of the remaining ingredients EXCEPT 1/4 cup wholemeal biscuit crumbs.
Allow mixture to cool (approximately 15 minutes).
Divide the mixture into 30 and roll each into a ball.
Roll each ball in remaining biscuit crumbs.
Chill, serve & enjoy!
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Sugar Free Fudge
There are a lot of people who want sugar free fudge, and this is an easy fudge recipe! It's a great diabetic fudge.
Ingredients:
1 envelope gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 square unsweetened chocolate
3/4 teaspoon liquid sweetener
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1. Soften gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water.
2. In saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate with sweetener. Slowly add evaporated milk and other 1/4 cup of water.
3. Add gelatin to chocolate mixture.
4. Stir until dissolved, then remove from heat.
5. Let cool. When mixture begins to thicken, add nuts.
6. Put in a greased 8 x 8 pan. Cool and cut into squares.
I hope you found one of these recipes useful. Have a great day!
Hugs!
A cleaning tip, or two, that you may find useful. As I say on my Web page, these are tips that have been emailed to me, or that I have found on the Internet. I have not tried all of them and do NOT guarantee their effectiveness. If you do try one and it works, or if you have another one that works for you, please let me know.
Oven and Microwave CleaningMicrowaves can be cleaned easily by putting a sponge soaked in white vinegar in the microwave and cooking it for 2 minutes. Don’t open the microwave for about 5 minutes. The stuck on food should slide right off.
The same procedure can work with ovens except use a shallow pan with a couple of cups of white vinegar and no sponge. Cook for 5-10 minutes and leave in the oven to cool for about 30 minutes. Food will slide right off.
Any left over lemon juice can be squeezed onto the sponge to keep it fresh but to control germs you should bleach it or run it through the dishwasher on a regular basis.
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This is another inspiration email from Spark People. You know how these things can get me rambling, lol.
"The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them." - George Bernard Shaw, playwright
Are you creating your own life?
Take a moment to look at the circumstances of your world. Is it what you want to see? What could you do differently to take one step closer to your ideal vision? We're all dealt different hands in life. That's how things are. To change things, you have to first accept that fact, then figure out where to go from here. We should all be able to count on each other for help, but in the end, we can't expect anyone to change our lives except ourselves. Nor should we want it that way. It's natural to feel powerless and give up in the face of hardships. But complaining and blaming do nothing except prevent action. Without positive action, you're giving up your power and asking for more of the same- a world you did not create. Where you start may not be your fault, but the course you run is still your choosing.
I guess I have always waited for the pendulum to begin it's swing in the other direction. Or for the yo-yo to come back up. But you know that yo-yo won't come back to you if you don't give it a little jerk.
On occasion I have felt the power and strength to make the changes I needed to. My divorce, for example, was a point where I felt completely powerless and yet still found the strength within myself to do what I needed to maintain my sanity.
I won't deny that there have been many obstacles or negatives in my life to overcome. But I think for a long time I felt like things eventually had to swing the other way if I could just wait for it. I spent too much time waiting for it! I should have been effecting the change. It is my life and I should have been more in control of it.
Sometimes it's hard to know how to make "it" happen. Lists! LOL, my life always comes down to a list of some kind or another. But I think its a good way to get an honest look at the situation (whatever the situation may be). Write down the problem, or whatever, on a sheet of paper. There it is, staring right back at ya. Now how important is it? Start listing the possible solutions. Is there anyone that could help? Write their names down too.
Talk to others about "it" too. Maybe someone outside the situation, or distanced from the problem will have a clearer view of it. Maybe they will think of something that you haven't. If nothing else, it gives you a chance to get it off your chest, to have a sounding board, and feel like you're not all alone.
LMAO! I really need to start taking some of my own advice more often. Now, I am going to go make a list of possible ways to get the Explorer up and running.
Oops, but I also need to finish cleaning the carpets today and making some more homemade candy and appetizers. It's going to be a busy day.
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This is one of the many appetizers I have been working on. I hope ya like it.
Easy Appetizers
A few pkgs. of crescent rolls
Flavored cream cheese (I like the garden veggies flavor) 1 small tub does 2 pkgs of rolls
Some sliced ham, turkey or whatever
Unroll the crescents so you have 2 strips of dough. Pinch the perforations together. Spread the softened cream cheese over the dough. Put 1 layer of meat over the top, you can add another thin layer of cream cheese, if you like. (If you do add another layer of cream cheese you'll most likely need 1 container for each roll.)
Now at the short end of the strip of dough begin rolling it up. Pinch the end together. I use a serrated knife and slice it in the middle, and so on, until I have 8 small pinwheels. You'll get 16 appetizers from each package of rolls. (Although, after I "sample" theres usually only 14) Bake in a 350 degree oven until golden.
*I do these ahead of time, let them cool, and then freeze them. Put in the fridge the night before you need them to defrost. Then just heat them up as you need them.
*If you like, you can buy plain cream cheese and whip it up until creamy and then add some onion soup mix to flavor it, or whatever you'd like.
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Have a great day!
Hugs!
Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
2 pounds sweet potatoes
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Directions
1. Wash and peel sweet potatoes. Cut off woody portions and ends. Cut into quarters. In a large saucepan, cook potatoes, covered, in enough boiling salted water to cover for 25 to 30 minutes or until tender; drain.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Mash lightly. Stir in sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Transfer sweet potato mixture to a 2-quart casserole dish.
3. In a small mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, pecans, flour, and 1 tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle over sweet potato mixture.
4. Bake, uncovered in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
5. Makes 6 to 8 servings
Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
1 recipe Baked Pastry Shell
2 cups cooked, mashed sweet orange potatoes* or one 17.2-ounce can sweet potatoes, drained and mashed
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk or dairy sour cream
Whipped cream (optional)
Directions
1. Prepare Baked Pastry Shell; set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Meanwhile, for filling, in a large bowl stir together sweet potatoes, sugar, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Add eggs. Beat lightly with a fork just until combined. Gradually stir in buttermilk until thoroughly combined.
2. Place the Baked Pastry Shell on the oven rack. Carefully pour filling into pastry shell. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and edges are puffed. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes or until completely cool . If desired, serve with whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours.
3. Makes 8 slices
4. Sweet Potato Pie with Hazelnut Streusel Topping: Prepare Sweet Potato Pie as directed, except bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the streusel topping. In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/4 chopped toasted hazelnuts or almonds. When the pie has baked for 15 minutes, sprinkle pie with topping. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes more or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes or until completely cool.
5 pounds ready-to-eat ham (can also use pre-sliced) 1/4 cup whole cloves 1/4 cup dark corn syrup 2 cups honey 2/3 cup butter"Dogs and Men" ...
How Dogs and Men Are the Same
Both take up too much space on the bed.
Both have irrational fears about vacuum cleaning
Both mark their territory
Neither tells you what's bothering them
The smaller ones tend to be more nervous
Neither does any dishes
Both fart shamelessly
Neither of them notice when you get your hair cut
Both like dominance games
Both are suspicious of the postman
Neither understands what you see in cats
Both have an inordinate fascination with women's crotches
How Dogs Are Better Than Men
Dogs do not have problems expressing affection in public
Dogs miss you when you're gone
Dogs feel guilty when they've done something wrong
Dogs admit when they're jealous
Dogs are very direct about wanting to go out
Dogs do not play games with you, except fetch (and they never laugh at how you throw.)
You can train a dog
Dogs are easy to buy for
The worst social disease you can get from dogs is fleas. (OK, really, the worst disease you can get from them is rabies, but there's a vaccine for it and you can kill the one that gives it to you).
Dogs understand what "no" means.
Dogs mean it when they kiss you
So in honor of our "dogs" I'm putting a recipe for puppy chow on here today. Hope you like it. It's a great one to let the little ones make.
Puppy Chow
9 cups rice chex cereal or crispix or similar cereal
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Place the chex cereal in a large bowl. Large enough to have enough room to stir things up. Melt the chocolate chips, margarine, and peanut butter in a microwave safe dish, in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes, or until smooth and creamy when stirred. Add the vanilla, and stir. Pour over the cereal and stir until the cereal is evenly coated. Put the powdered sugar in a large size plastic bag, add the coated cereal and shake until evenly coated with the powdered sugar. Spread over a sheet of waxed paper until cooled off. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
Have a great day.
Hugs,
