On My Mind Today

This morning I was looking back on the many blogs that I have written over the past several years and came upon this. With all that is playing out in our political arena today it seems as timely a piece now as it was then. I feel that it is worth a re-post, and hope that it will be shared with your family, friends, and especially the politicians looking for our votes: It is very disconcerting to see the growing intolerance and hatred in our country over the last several years. Not only because someone is different than you, but because their views of politics or religion do not align with what you believe. It seems that even if you do not agree with someone over religion or politics it is now acceptable for them to demonize your beliefs or views. When did this become acceptable behavior?  Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and beliefs, and nobody has the right to tell you that yours are wrong. Or to portray someone as...

Most of us believe our purpose has to do with what we become - what we do for work. This is a very small piece of the bigger picture. We spend a good share of our life trying to become what we think we should be. Taking steps to do what we believe will lead us to that final destination, and finding that for each step forward there are two back. Wondering why it is such a struggle trying to get there. If we took the time to reflect and look at the big picture we would see the times throughout our life when everything seemed right. When we were comfortable and at peace with what we were doing, and it all fit perfectly. We would also realize all the times we were fighting our purpose. During these times our world was out of sync and we felt unsettled. I have spent much of my life pushing uphill as they say, and feeling that nothing fit. It has taken many years to come to the realization of what my purpose has been all along. Getting there has not been easy as I kept struggling and ref...

There is nothing better than serving homemade breads for your brunch . Now you can enjoy the springy, moist crumb, rich taste of English muffins in loaf form.  This recipe is from the Fleischmann's Yeast kitchens, and once you have these "English Muffins" you will always want homemade. English Muffins in a Loaf (Makes 2 loaves) 2 packages Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast 6 cups unsifted flour 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons salt 2 cups milk 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup water Cornmeal 1. Combine 3 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and soda. Heat liquids until very warm (120 degrees to 130 degrees F). Add to dry mixture; beat well. Stir in the rest of the flour to make a stiff batter. 2. Spoon into two 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 inch pans that have been greased and sprinkled with cornmeal. Sprinkle tops with cornmeal. Cover; let rise in warm place for 45 minutes. 3. Bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes. Remove from pans immediately and c...

At times there can be peace and solitude in the midst of a crowded room. If the people in that room are strangers that have no connection to you, then there are no expectations. And if there are no expectations then there is great freedom. You will hear chatter from every direction, but not really listen because there is no need to. It is not "your" noise to let take over your thoughts. Moments like this allow the mind to go where it needs to be. Perhaps to sort through issues that have been weighing on you, so you can choose to act on them or let them go. Thinking of family and friends, bringing forth visions that let you relive prior life events. Getting lost in the warmth of the memories and forgetting everything else. Maybe it will be daydreaming of beautiful places you hope to go and see at some point in your life. To stand on ground where history was made, or where almost no person has ever been before. To feel something you have never felt w...

If you think that your children grow up too quickly, wait until you have grandchildren. The time seems to pass by even faster with them. When my children were babies and toddlers there were days when I thought they would never grown up. It seemed like an endless array of bottles, diapers and chasing a new walking toddler. Always worried that they would get into the many things they should not. And then they started school, and right before my eyes the teenage years were upon us. Soon they were driving a car which brought on a whole new set of worries. Needless to say we survived all of that and then they stood before me as adults. Ready to take on the world and make their own decisions about life. They now have children and it seems like only yesterday my first grandchild arrived. I still see him as a tiny child, but the reality is he will soon be a teenager. A cell phone carrying teenager. His sister is already a bright second grader. And their cousin, the baby of the three, wil...

Annie Abdai from Calgary, Alberta shared her signature treats in Woman's Day. With caramel in between crunchy cookie and chocolate they taste like a Twix candy bar. I'm sure that once your family and friends try these they will become a favorite in your home too. The only substitution I made was to use raw honey in place of light corn syrup. Chocolate Caramel Candy Bars 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 - 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk 1 Tablespoon raw honey 1 teaspoon molasses 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8 inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment, leaving a 3 inch overhang on two sides. 2. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar and 6 Tablespoons butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer ...

Anyone who follows my blog knows that I don’t do religion and politics – they are very personal and we all are entitled to our beliefs and opinions. This will be one of the extremely rare times that I talk about politics. As you will soon see it will not be in support of, or against, any candidate. A friend recently commented on the negative political climate in America, and she was right. All you have to do is listen to radio or TV ads to hear it. As an American I am both offended and embarrassed, and can only imagine how the rest of the world views our political arena. I am offended by the political candidates for the following reasons: The way they treat us insults our intelligence. They think we are naïve enough to believe anything they say. They try to badger us into thinking what they think. The endless calls coming into my home or to my cell phone, which interrupt my dinner or quiet moments after work. (Which I don’t answer.) For insinuating that we are ...

The playoff games are over and the Super Bowl is only a few days away. So it's time to start thinking about what you will want to serve at your Super Bowl Party. I was looking through all the recipes I have, and came across this in my Crock Pot Cookbook.  Everyone loves chili and cheese so I guess you can't go wrong serving this dip. Chili Cheese Dip 1 pound lean ground beef 1 pound block American cheese, cut into small pieces 1 can (8 to 10 ounces) green chilies and tomatoes 2 teaspoons Worcestershire 1/2 teaspoon chili powder Brown ground beef well and drain off excess grease. Put ground beef and all remaining ingredients in Crock-Pot. Stir well. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, stirring until cheese is fully melted. Serve immediately or turn to low for serving up to 6 hours later. Serve with tortillas or corn chips. For thicker dip stir in a paste of 2 tablespoons flour and 3 tablespoons water. Recipe may be doubled. ...