On My Mind Today

Relationships – at best they are difficult. It’s not easy ensuring that two parties feel valued and that they are heard when they speak. We too often can’t open our minds to listen to one another when all we can hear is our own voice saying “it’s not fair”, “I don’t agree with you”, or “listen to me”. We all like to have our own way, but also know that it’s not possible all the time unless we choose to live alone. In a perfect world things would go our way, and our partner would always do whatever we wished.   Not going to happen! As I have always told my children, there is no such thing as perfect. Sharing your life with someone takes a lot of hard work and compromise. Many times we feel like we’re the only one compromising, but the reality is both parties do. Circumstances in our lives make a difference in how much we are willing to, or can compromise. When faced with difficulties we are less open to hearing another point of view, or willing to go along with somethi...

Chicken and pineapple, chicken and mango, chicken and apple - so many ways to add a twist to plain chicken. Weight Watchers Quick, Light & Healthy cookbook has given me one more way to add a multitude of flavor to chicken. Peaches, orange marmalade, nutmeg and ginger spice up this chicken recipe which is sure to become a family favorite. You can also impress your guests with something out of the ordinary. Bon appetite! Chicken with Spiced Peach Sauce 1 (16 ounce) can sliced peaches in light syrup, undrained 1/4 cup low sugar orange marmalade 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper Vegetable cooking spray 6 (4 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1 teaspoon corn starch 2 tablespoons water 1. Drain peaches, reserving 1/2 cup syrup. Set peaches aside. Combine 1/2 cup syrup, marmalade, nutmeg, ginger, salt and pepper; set aside. 2. Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray; plac...

For generations parents have been telling their children, “do as I say and not as I do”. We may think this is great advice, but we all know that it truly makes no sense. We also know it doesn’t work because our children mimic our actions from the time they are very young. When they are infants and see the smile on our face they will soon learn to smile in response. As we talk to them they begin to pick up simple words, and then their vocabulary increases as they listen to our voice. They will eventually start to imitate our walk, facial expressions, and reactions to everyday situations. They are little sponges taking in everything they see and hear. For the most part the things they learn are positive. However, they will also learn the bad behavior very quickly. If we raise our voices in anger, then they will too. If we stomp around, throw things, and have a tantrum when things don’t go our way, then this is the behavior they will exhibit when they are frustrated. If we use...

Today we recognize all the fathers in the world who do the right things each and every day for their children. There is no doubt that they are extremely valuable in helping their children grow into strong, responsible, and kind adults. Their role differs from a mother, but is just as important, and we thank them. The men I want to address today are the ones who may not be fathers, or may be someone else's father or grandfather, but make a choice to try and fill the void for a child with an absent father. Regrettably, there are too many children in our society who struggle with the fact that their fathers have chosen to be absent from their life. Who show no regard for the repercussions of this choice or the damage it does to a child's self-esteem. Fortunately, I have seen first-hand some amazing men who freely give their time to one of these children. Nobody has asked them to step in; they just saw the need and knew they could help. Maybe by doing so they could fill a littl...

 I am always on the lookout for quick, easy and delicious recipes to share with family and friends. From Pampered Chef, the ricotta in this cake keeps it nice and moist, and the raspberries and lemon glaze add refreshing flavor. A great addition to your brunch menu that everyone will love. Berry Ricotta Cake with Lemon Glaze Cake:   Vegetable oil for spritzing 1½ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup maple syrup 1 cup whole milk ricotta ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs 6 oz. raspberries Glaze: ½   lemon ¾ cup powdered sugar 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 inch loaf pan with oil. 2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. 3. Combine the maple syrup, ricotta, vanilla, and eggs in a large mixing bowl, then add the dry ingredi...

Sometimes when life gets chaotic and everything seems to be out of control, all we may need is a few minutes of peace. Some quiet time to take a breath and gather our thoughts, or just to try and clear our mind of the clutter making us crazy. Amidst all the noise buzzing around us it’s easy to feel like we are losing control, or even losing our mind. Many people, like me, have a tendency to believe we must be in control of all aspects of our life, and that everything must be perfect. I often try to remind myself that there is no such thing as perfection. That is just a grand illusion we tell ourselves is possible, and in doing so we set ourselves up for failure every time. If we don’t let go of this perception of what life should be, we will never truly be able to find the quiet time we need. With work demands, and personal demands on our time it’s no wonder that we feel stressed so much of the time. Our need to make sure everything is done, and everyone’s requests or wants a...

As the end of the school year approaches, it has brought to mind how excited we were as children to see summer vacation within our reach. It was difficult to keep our minds on the school work at hand as we dreamt of all the fun times that lay ahead. Once school was over we were busy from sunrise to sunset. After breakfast our mothers would see us for lunch and dinner, and would have to remind us to be in before dark. We would have to check in throughout the day to let her know where we were and what we were doing, but we certainly didn't hang around the house unless it was a rainy day. We played all the "old" games like Kick-the-Can, Red Rover, Hide-and-Seek, Red Light-Green Light, and Tag. We would ride our bikes and if we were lucky, on a real hot day someone might take us swimming or to go and get ice cream. On the occasional rainy day we would play board games or cards, and rarely watched TV. On the weekend our parents would sometimes pile us in the car and go to ...

Several years ago I found a recipe for an Apple-Anise Galette. It was very good, so I decided that using the base and adding different fruits would work for those who are not a fan of anise. It is a quick and easy dessert to make, and you can use either a pre-made pie crust or use your own favorite recipe. Apple, Peach & Blueberry Galette 1 round refrigerated pie dough (or make your own) 1 peeled, slice apple 1 peeled, sliced peach (sprinkle apple & peach slices with lemon juice) 1/3 cup fresh blueberries 1 egg 1/4 cup sugar 3 Tablespoons flour 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest 4 Tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon vanilla 1. Place pie dough on parchment-lined baking sheet. Top with the apples, peaches and blueberries leaving a 1-1/2 inch border. Fold in the edge of the dough 2. Whisk the egg, sugar, flour and lemon zest until smooth; set aside. 3. Melt butter and vanilla. Slowly whisk the butter into the egg mixture, then pour over the fruit. Bake at 400 d...

Obsolete: no longer in use or no longer useful. No longer used because something newer exists. Every day advances in technology help to create something "better" to replace what we have. Each new model does more than the previous one, and they tell us it will make life easier. In some ways it can, however, many times these advancements lead to humans losing one more skill in their intellectual toolbox. Each skill lost will not be passed on to the next generation; skills that will become obsolete and not useful anymore. Since I was a child there are many things that have become obsolete. A few that come to mind: Manual Typewriter Manual Cash Register Rotary Dial Telephone Slide Projectors 8 Track Tape Deck VHS Player Pagers I'm not saying the "newer" models aren't better, but with each thing we no longer have use for, we also lose the skills and knowledge required to use them. Think of how many young people you know that can't count bac...