On My Mind Today

The blame game has become more prevalent, and more dangerous to our country over the past year. Fueled by hate speech from the top, telling people who to blame for all that is wrong in their life, the division that has been created should have everyone deeply concerned. We have a choice to either reject the hatred and work towards creating a better world, or sit back and allow things to deteriorate even further.  Once again I ask, "who do you blame?" When our lot in life is not as we envisioned it's easy to find someone to blame for this. Circumstances in our lives sometimes play a role, but the biggest culprit is the economy. When the increase in the cost of living has outpaced the increase in wages, it's a recipe for disaster. What ensues is the finger pointing game. Those with money and power will try to tell us who we need to blame for our financial troubles. Over and over they will spread hatred and fear to divide us along racial, economic and religious lines. ...

This quick bread recipe comes from Food Network Magazine, and is great for either dessert or toasted for breakfast. From the rum soaked raisins to the applesauce, apple butter and pumpkin pie spice, it's packed with flavor. Serve warm with butter, cream cheese, or you favorite spread.  ¾ cup raisins ¼ cup rum Cooking spray ¾ cup apple sauce ¼ cup apple butter ½ cup vegetable oil ½ cup packed brown sugar ¼ cup water 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 2-1/4 cups flour ¾ cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice ½ teaspoon salt   Soak the raisins in the rum for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides; coat well with cooking spray. W hisk flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk applesauce, apple butter, vegetable oil, brown sugar, water, eggs and vanilla. F old the wet ingredient...

This is the 2nd blog I have chosen to repeat to make a point about events happening in the world today. Unfortunately, I fear that we humans will never learn from our history as we always seem determined to repeat it. I pray that we will wake up before it's too late to turn back the tides.  Recently, in view of current events around the world, I have been thinking of history lessons from high school. So much of what I see and hear today reminds me of what transpired prior to World War II. The events that led to this war, and the atrocities that took place, should have been enough to ensure they wouldn't happen again. Sadly, I fear that if we don't wake up and recognize the propaganda being spread by world leaders, we will be doomed to repeat them. I'm not sure what history classes include for today's youth, but I question whether the true depth and damage caused by world wars is clearly laid before them. Have we become so concerned about frightening them that we...

  There is no doubt that many of us feel like we have been carrying a lot of extra weight on our shoulders over these last six months. Being confined to home and having our social connections so limited can become a burden too heavy for us at times. Finding a way to release all of this can seem like a daunting task, especially when we find it hard to get out of our own way. However, as I have always told my children, “just put one foot in front of the other, take one thing at a time, and you will be amazed at what you can accomplish”. Since I have been feeling tired and defeated recently, I decided I should take my own advice over the weekend. It was time to tackle things we had been ignoring to bring order to the chaos. I figured in the process, as each task was completed, the weight on my shoulders might become lighter. The biggest project – the basement. As we all know the basement becomes the catch-all for things we will eventually either throw away or bring to the shed. ...

From Amanda Riva of The Hot Plate, this tart can be served as an appetizer, as part of a brunch buffet, or even a light meal. However, it also makes a great side dish for your nightly meal. It takes very little time to prepare for the oven, and it's absolutely delicious!! It calls for crumbled goat cheese, but I used a mixture of goat cheese and feta for an extra little kick of flavor. We both loved it, so I will be sure to share with my next dinner guests. Asparagus Tart Serves 6 1 pound asparagus, trimmed 1 sheet puff pastry 1 cup half and half 2 eggs 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 ounces goat cheese crumbled 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Plunge the asparagus into a pot of rapidly boiling, salted water for 1 minute. Immediately drain and plunge into ice water; drain and dry well. ( I used very thin asparagus spears so I didn't blanch them first.) 2. Roll the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface, large enough t...

There are many issues that have weighed heavily on my mind over the last several years. I had hoped that with time things would improve, but as we all know that is not the case. If anything, there has been more of a downhill slide which has left me deeply concerned for the future; especially what will be left for our children and grandchildren. Over the next several weeks I will be sharing a few blogs that I previously wrote hoping they would make people think about where things were headed. Here is the first one; perhaps it will hit home as we face even more volatile times.    I try to stay away from certain subjects, but as I watch things transpiring in the world it tends to stir up many emotions. With these emotions come observations and opinions that I find hard to keep to myself. So....forgive me while I share what has been on my mind. Megalomaniac: A person who is obsessed with their own power. A person who suffers delusions of their own power or importance (grandi...

Each one of us have burdens we carry with us every day. Most people shoulder them well, and live their daily life so that others would never suspect what they might be burdened with. Regardless of what we carry with us, we all do the best we can to persevere and push through to better days. Often we spend too much time and energy worrying about things that we have no control over. This excessive worry is not only detrimental to our physical and mental well-being, but also has an impact on our family and friends. This internal struggle leaves us wondering what we can do to let go of some of our burdens. Having a good sense of humor can help. If we can find one thing in our day to laugh at, our troubles may not seem as heavy a burden. As they saying goes, “laughter is the best medicine”. Many years ago when I was sharing some of my worries with a friend, she told me that she had a faith box. This faith box helped to carry her burdens so she could let go of them. Of course I asked her to ...

This recipe was shared on Yummly along with other restaurant favorites. The Zuppa Tuscana at Olive Garden, and this Pasta e Fagioli are two of my favorites, so I was pleased when I found this recipe. If your garden is producing fresh vegetables now, this is a great place to use them. Hearty with lots of great flavors, and it makes a large pot of soup so it's good for a large family or dinner with friends. Pasta e Fagioli 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 pound lean ground beef 1-1/2 cups chopped yellow onion 1 cup diced carrots (about 2 medium) 1 cup diced celery (about 3 stalks) 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tablespoon) 3 - 8 ounce cans tomato sauce 2 - 14.5 ounce cans chicken stock 1/2 cup water, then more as desired 1 - 15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes 2 teaspoons granulated sugar 1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil 1 teaspoon dried oregano 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup dry ditalini pasta 1 - 15 ounce can dark red kidney beans, dr...