On My Mind Today

"Legends say that Hummingbirds float free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration. The Hummingbirds delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life's sweetest creation." ~ Unknown A few Hummingbird facts: They are native to the Americas, and are among the smallest birds measuring 7.5-13 cm in length. Their name comes from the fact that they flap their wings so fast (about 80 times per second). They can fly right, left, up, down, backwards and even upside down. They can hover by flapping their wings in a figure-8 pattern, and fly at speeds up to 49 mph. They live for 3 to 5 years. Their bright radiant color comes from iridescent coloring like on a soap bubble or prism, and are used to attract mates. Out of the more than 300 species, 12 of them summer in North America and winter in tropical areas. Hummingbirds migrate individually and only during the day. Their migration can

Pablo Picasso had it right when he said, “The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls”. We are certainly in times where we all need to have our souls dusted off to lighten our load, and get a new perspective. Art, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. We will not all agree on what art is, but we do know what we like when we see it. Our senses are awakened when we take in its beauty; much of it leaving us to interpret the artist’s intention. Art and creativity do not refer to just what can be hung on a wall. Whether it is pottery, a handmade quilt, creations from wood or woodland materials or many other mediums, they all speak to our soul. These gifted artists allow us to bring beauty into our homes with their work. Mother Earth provides us with some of the greatest artistic creations. Sunrises, sunsets, waves rolling on the ocean, and the vibrant colors of leaves in the fall are more beautiful than any manmade creation. All we need to do is stop and appreci

Although I am a French toast fan, these lemon ricotta pancakes from  afamilyfeast.com , are a great alternative to plain old pancakes. They are light and fluffy, and get two thumbs up! To save time the morning of your brunch or family breakfast, you will want to pre pare the lemon curd in advance so it has time to cool (can be made the day before). This recipe makes about 8-10 pancakes, so you will have to double (or triple) for a larger group. They are sure to be a hit with the lemon lovers in your family. Lemon Ricotta Pancakes 1 cup ricotta cheese (**see note below) 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1-1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar pinch of salt 3/4 cup milk 3 eggs, separated (place the whites in a medium-size mixing bowl, and the yolks in a separate bowl) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon lemon zest (use a very fine grater) 1 cup lemon curd for serving **Note - Before you begin, you want to use a dry ricotta cheese for this recipe. If you are making homemade rico

This has been an extremely hot summer here in New England. We usually have the hazy, humid, and hot (90+) days off and on; however, this summer these days have extended over weeks. Many mornings it has felt like we were living in the south.  This past weekend we finally got a break with lower temps and dryer air. It has been so nice being able to turn off the air conditioner and open windows; once again breathing clean cool air into our lungs. It’s far too early for fall to begin, but this break is reinvigorating. The physical effect is a much higher energy level, which in turn creates a positive mental and emotional response. Some of those tasks that have been cast aside now seem possible to tackle. There is something about fall weather that makes us want to clean and reorganize. It’s a time to discard all those things that we think should be stored because we “just might need them” someday. What we find out is that the same old things are still there the next time we go to clean. It&

News - Noun: newly received or noteworthy information, especially about recent or important events. There was a time when the news was just that, news. The newscaster reported the facts on the events of the day without any personal interpretation. Today it can be difficult to differentiate between facts and opinions. The daily “news” has been turned into a little of what can actually be considered news, and the rest is just the opinions of what I call the “talking heads”. All newscasts are guilty of this practice to some degree. Opinions are not news; they are personal interpretations based on how someone views the events in the world. Most of these opinions are biased based on what they believe, or what they want you to believe. Most of the time they are trying to influence viewers to change their opinions to match their own. When I watch the news I do not want to hear someone’s opinion; just give me a report on the events of the day. When given the facts I can make my own evaluation

From thebrookcook.wordpress.com   (adapted from LadyBehindtheCurtain.com), these churro cupcakes are a perfect dessert for a taco night party. The cinnamon-sugar coating underneath the cinnamon cream cheese frosting gives them a churro/snickerdoodle taste. They will be a big hit with both children and adults alike. A perfect recipe to make with your children or grandchildren. Enjoy!! Churro Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting Yield: 24 Cupcakes For the Cupcake Batter 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1-1/2 cups cake flour 1 Tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 1-1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1-3/4 cups granulated sugar 4 large eggs, at room temperature 2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1-1/4 cups milk For the Cinnamon-Sugar Topping 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1/2 cup sugar 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon For the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature 8 ounce (

 When I originally posted this blog, I hoped that we would be in a different place almost two years later. As we all know there seems to have been no progress towards a kinder, more accepting world. I'm beginning to wonder what it will take to open people's eyes. If we don't start treating one another with decency and respect, this will not be a world any of us want to live in. As I watch the news each day I become more and more dismayed by what I see. What continually goes through my mind is "what has happened to common decency? Has greed, jealousy and hatred replaced kindness, compassion and understanding?" It would be easy to turn away and try to stay secluded in our own little circle, but ignoring the problems will only drive us faster to an unacceptable end.  We all have ownership in some way to what has happened over time, either by contributing to it and perpetuating the issues, or by ignoring it. As if by ignoring it, we will eventually turn and see that

With all the advances we have made in energy alternatives over the last several decades, we are still far too reliant on traditional sources. Much of this falls on the politicians who cater to the oil, gas and nuclear industries, and fail to promote and fund the alternatives such as solar, wind and geothermal. First and foremost, our power grids are outdated and there has not been the funding needed to upgrade the entire system. When we are hit with the huge storms (which is happening more often) hundreds of thousands of people are left without power for not only hours, but some for days. We continually pour money into replacing damaged poles and lines in the same manner we have always done. If the power lines had been moved underground years ago, we would not have to endure the significant outages that occur today. The second piece is promoting renewable resources which are an important aspect of sustainability, and unlike fossil fuels, we can regenerate or replenish these resources.

This was the first time I had Hawaiian Chicken Tacos, and these were absolutely delicious!! I found this recipe online at PinchOfYum.com . They cooked their chicken in an Instant Pot, but I used the crock pot to cook it slow. It was a big hit with our guests, and it will be added to my collection of recipes to keep and share. Enjoy!! Crock Pot Hawaiian Chicken Tacos with Jalapeno Ranch Slaw For the chicken: 1-1/4 pounds skinless chicken breasts (they used thighs) 2 cups fresh pineapple, finely chopped 1 jalapeno, minced (remove ribs and seeds for less heat) 1/2 red onion, minced (I used fine chopped) 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sriracha 1 tablespoon yellow mustard 1/4 cup water (1/8 cup may be enough - it was a bit juicy with 1/4 cup) For the Jalapeno Ranch 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup water 1 tablespoon white vinegar 1 jalapeno (remove ribs and seed for less heat) 1 clove garlic 1 teaspoon dried dill (or