Home remedy--obesity

I don't know the theory behind these remedies, or if they work, but what the heck.  I mean if people are willing to go out and spend 30 bucks on pills or whatever, why not buy a few limes or tomatoes for a couple of bucks and give it a try?

Obesity

• Mix lime juice with honey and water; drink a glass of this every morning.
• Mix 3 tsp. lime juice, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. honey, and 1 cup water; drink a glass a day for 3 months.
• Mix 1 tsp. lime juice with 1 cup water and drink each morning.
• Eat a tomato before breakfast.

Now, to go in a completely opposite direction here is a recipe from The Food Network for Florentine cookies.

Florentines (Italy) From Food Network Kitchens
Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 5 dozen 3-inch Florentines, or 2 1/2 dozen 6-inch Florentine

These Tuscan cookies are a Christmas classic. They're nutty, lacy and crisp, as well as deceptively simple to make. Drizzling them with chocolate turns them into the perfect holiday indulgence.

1 3/4 cups sliced, blanched almonds (about 5 ounces)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Finely grated zest of 1 orange (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Chocolate Topping, optional:
2 to 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Pulse the almonds in a food processor until finely chopped, but not pasty. Stir together the nuts, flour, zest and salt in a large bowl.

Put the sugar, cream, corn syrup and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a rolling boil and sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, then pour mixture into almond mixture and stir just to combine. Set aside until cool enough to handle, 30 minutes.

Scoop rounded teaspoons (for 3-inch cookies) or rounded tablespoons (for 6-inch cookies) of batter and roll into balls. Place on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 3 to 4 inches between each cookie since they spread.

Bake 1 pan at a time, until the cookies are thin and an even golden brown color throughout, rotating pans halfway through baking time, about 10 to 11 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve.

Optional chocolate topping:
Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very low simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. (Alternatively, put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue heat until completely melted, about 1 to 2 minutes more.)

For sandwiches: Drop about 1/2 teaspoon chocolate onto on the flat side of half of the cookies and press together with remaining halves. Return to rack and let chocolate set.

For chocolate decor: Drizzle melted chocolate over Florentines as desired. Set aside at room temperature until chocolate is set.

Busy baker's tips: Store baked cookies carefully, separated by parchment or waxed paper, in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Florentines are best stored separated from moist cookies and cakes.

We have decided not to have our usual Christmas party this year.  It is way too expensive and time consuming (for me) and we would much rather spend that money on our family.  We have also decided not to try to work around everyone elses schedule, it never works out anyways as there is usually at least one other family that changes their plans at the last minute and messes up our plans. 

So this year we are telling everyone what time we are having dinner, if they can make it for dinner, GREAT!  If not, come on by when you can and have some dessert and we'll open presents then.  Last year we tried to make Rylie wait until all her brothers and sisters were here until she opened presents.  The poor kid was just busting at the seams to get to those gifts.

Then Grandma and Grandpa left early in the morning to go visiting family and didn't get home until that night.  So she missed out on spending her first and last Christmas with PaPa.  What a shame.  She didn't get to spend alot of time with PaPa, but she sure did adore him.  I really looked forward to them moving back and her being able to spend time with PaPa, especially since my own dad died just weeks before she was born.

This year we are getting up in the morning and letting Rylie open her presents from Santa bright and early.  Just like every other child is able to do.  She will have to wait on the ones from all her siblings until they get here.  But at least it won't be total torture for the child and she will get to open Santa's gifts.

The ideal would be to wake up and have all the kids here in the morning and everyone to be able to open their presents together.  A little Norman Rockwell Christmas.  However, we are not the typical Norman Rockwell family with 2.5 kids and a dog.  We are a family of 8 (no dogs)...a mix of his, hers and ours.  The kids range in age from 3-22 years old.  The older kids have their other parent to visit and the parents of their "significant others" and a whole bunch of grandparents.

Some of them have started their own families and are working on starting their own family traditions.  It is a difficult situation to fit in visiting everyone.  I really sympathize with our kids when it comes to the holidays.  But we are no longer going to stress about getting everyone here at the same time so we can all sit down and eat together.  It is just too crazy and hectic.  This year we will just feel happy and blessed that the kids are able to make it up whenever they can.

Rylie will just be thrilled to be able to open her toys from Santa first thing in the morning.  Yep, this year we're just going with the flow.  It is time to enjoy the spirit of the season instead of stressing over the things we can't do anything about anyway.  I already feel more relaxed. 

Have a great day & hugs to all my friends!