On My Mind Today

"If it were all truly known and planned and determined, life wouldn't be worth living, just a giant to-do list waiting to be crossed off." ~ Helen Mirren Fear of the unknown is probably the biggest reason we don't take chances. The second is usually financial given that we all need a certain amount of money to survive. How many opportunities have been put before us, and how many have we taken over the years? I'm sure that most of us would say that we let many pass us by due to fear of taking that chance. Not knowing if it will make our life better, or worse, can leave us frozen and unable to move in a different direction than we have always gone. I’m not referring to taking chances that could be detrimental to your well being or those you love. We all know that certain “opportunities” are not opportunities at all, but rather a bad choice put in front of us that would only benefit the party offering it. Of course, we all can't be movie stars, musi...

Preface: On September 25, 1789, Congress transmitted to the state Legislatures twelve proposed amendments to the Constitution. Numbers three through twelve were adopted by the states to become the United States (U.S.) Bill of Rights, effective December 15, 1791. Amendment I (1):  Freedom of religion, speech, and the press; rights of assembly and petition Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. The key words are, the right of the people peaceably to assemble .  If a group of people gather and their intent is to destroy personal property, or violently cause harm to another then they should be arrested. Vandalism is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine, or jail time of less than one year. Violence against another is a felony, which is puni...

Considering the cold weather has decided to linger well into March here in New England, I am always looking for a great hot soup for dinner. From the pages of Food Network, this sausage and bean soup is very easy, and full of flavor. From start to finish, you will have a hot meal ready for your family in less than an hour. Smoked Sausage and Baked Bean Soup 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 20-25 smoked cocktail sausages (I used Lil Smokies) 2 stalks celery, diced 1 carrot, diced 1 small onion, chopped salt and freshly ground pepper 1-14 ounce can cherry tomatoes 1-15 ounce can small white beans (do not drain) 1-8 ounce can baked beans (I used Boston Baked Beans) 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock/broth 2-1/2 cups water 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley (I used 2 teaspoons dried parsley) shredded Cheddar cheese 1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly ...

Gratitude - noun: the quality or feeling of being thankful or grateful. Even if we have gratitude for our life as a whole, it's unfortunate that we don't often express gratitude for the exact moment we are in. Seems we are always thinking about, or rushing into, what is next. When our children were infants, toddlers, adolescents and beyond, how many times did we take for granted moments that we should have been grateful for? The cooing of babies, laughter of toddlers, and even the angst of adolescents; all moments we should be present and appreciate that we were there. At the time many of us were too busy working to provide for our families, and these moments were lost in the chaos. Each day of our life there are 1,440 minutes. Even if we sleep seven hours of that day, it leaves 1,020 minutes. Out of all of these, how many are we present and grateful for? With all the external noise and disruption, it's not possible to appreciate every moment. We also know that it...

Sight, sound, smell, taste, touch - our five senses that are a gift; not only for the impact on our everyday life, but also for their ability to conjure up images from years ago. Our sight creates images that are stored in for future use. Something we see during our busy day will remind us of something, or someone, from our past. This can trigger memories we may not have thought about for years; sometimes pleasant, and other times sorrowful. The sound of a certain song on the radio may remind us of a long lost love, a good friend, or a certain place and time in our past. If we close our eyes, the strong vision it can create can be as clear as if we were still there. Buzzing bees and chirping birds can bring us back to sunny days in the garden, and the laughter of children will remind us of joyful days from our youth. Smells can elicit some of the strongest memories. Fresh baked cookies can remind us of childhood, and coming home after school to their delicious aroma. The scent o...

 I hear "what's for breakfast?" in my house every weekend. I found this recipe on the Betty Crocker website, and have always had great results with Betty Crocker recipes. This pancake is dense, but more “eggy” than traditional pancakes and much heartier. It's great topped with fresh sliced fruit and whipped cream, but you can use syrup, honey, cinnamon/sugar, pie filling, or your favorite topping. The recipe serves 4 so can be used for a small brunch gathering. German Oven Pancakes 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 3 eggs 1/2 cup milk 2 tablespoons melted butter 1 tablespoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt fresh fruit of your choice, cut into bite-sized pieces whipped cream 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  2. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a whisk or fork. Stir in the milk, melted butter, salt and sugar. Add the flour to the egg mixture, a big spoonful at a time while you continue to whisk. Be careful not to over-mix, to keep the pancake l...

Whether you believe or not, all of us have had those moments when we can't find a reasonable explanation for things that happen in our lives. That one thing that keeps popping up in your face that you finally realize is a message - a message trying to guide you in a certain direction. You may not know why, but perhaps it's trying to keep you from harm, bring someone to help you, or send you to lift up someone in need.   If we are open, and will listen, these messages can be precious gifts not only to us, but to others also. A chance meeting that brings people together at just the moment it's needed. The stranger that strikes up a conversation with us on a difficult day, with a message and smile that lifts us up, and changes the trajectory of our day. It can also be as simple as a song on the radio, the beautiful call of the birds or a gentle breeze blowing in our face which can make us stop for a moment or two. And in those brief moments our thought process can be redirec...

Perhaps it's because I'm getting older, or maybe it's my dismay over everything transpiring in the world today, but I find myself daydreaming more often of days gone by. Times that came long before me. I imagine a simpler life free of the trappings of our so-called advancements, and the negativity bombarding us every day. I am not naïve enough to think that life was easy two hundred years ago. Their daily life was filled with hard work; much of it physical labor tending to farmland and animals. It was necessary in order to provide for their families. They survived extremely harsh winters, and weak growing seasons that only produced enough to barely get through the next winter. It could be a very hard life at times, but I'm certain most felt it was a good life. Children were allowed to be children, but were disciplined and expected to help with daily chores. They were taught responsibility, and respect for their parents and other adults. There were no distractio...

This recipe is actually called salted caramel peanut thumbprint cookies, but both times I made them they just blended into one big cookie so I just cut them into squares. I figure you should save yourself some time and spread the dough out on the cookie sheet to bake. They are absolutely delicious and were a big hit at home and on Christmas day. These will now be a tradition for the holidays. Salted Caramel Peanut Bars 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream 24 caramels, unwrapped 1 cup peanuts, roughly chopped Sea salt, to taste 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F 2. Combine flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl or mixer, then beat in the butter and vanilla extract on medium speed. Spread dough on cookie sheet. 3. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until edges turn light brown. Cool for about 5 minutes then cut into squares and transfer to wire rack to cool completely...