On My Mind Today

We love our sweets, but know that we also need to cut down on our consumption of sugar. In order to eat a bit healthier I went on a quest for dessert recipes that are sugar-free. From Taste of Home contributor Shirley Vredenburg from Ossineke, Michigan, this apple pie recipe is easy to make and is diabetic friendly. It is sweet and delicious, and we both loved it. I will have to try other variations of this pie in the future with different fruits and gelatin/pudding flavors. No Bake Apple Pie 1 package (0.3 ounce) sugar-free lemon gelatin 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1-3/4 cups water, divided 5 medium tart apples, peeled and sliced 1 package (0.8 ounce) sugar-free cook and serve vanilla pudding mix 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1 reduced-fat graham cracker crust (9 inches) whipped cream, optional In a large saucepan, mix gelatin, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1-1/2 cups water. Add apples; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until apples are tender, about 5 minute

Show Us Real People  If I have to watch one more unrealistic advertisement about exercise equipment I may scream. The manufacturers of exercise equipment need to take a reality check before having an advertising agency create their ads. The people they use to promote their products on television look like they spend hours a day exercising. Who are these people, and do they go to work every day? They try to make it look like people we know, but I can tell you that in real life that baby would start crying the minute you tried to slip by to exercise. Let’s face it, the average person must work. In addition to work, they come home and face a multitude of chores before the day is done. Between meals, laundry, cleaning, and helping with homework most fall into bed exhausted at the end of the day. If we have a full life, we are lucky to fit in perhaps 3-4 twenty minute workouts in a week, and that’s if we can find the time and energy. At this rate we certainly won’t look like the hard bodies

Hope - to cherish a desire with anticipation: to want something to happen or be true. To wish for · dream of · hope against hope for. What would life be if we had no hope for things to be better? If all we expected were for everything to remain the same, then what words of encouragement could we give to our children for a better world? Recent events have given us a glimpse of it would feel like without hope. We all have hopes, dreams, and desires; some of them on a personal level, and others that pertain to our communities, our country, and the world. All of them equally important when it comes to what we foresee for the future. A desire for a better life keeps us moving forward, it makes us feel alive. The dreams and aspirations that we have not only for ourselves, but for our children, are the catalyst to strive for better. Hope should come from a positive place; never from a desire for bad things to happen for personal gain. If we obtain something from someone else’s loss, there is

If you are looking for something new and delicious for the upcoming Superbowl, these are sure to be a big hit with family and friends. Recently I heard someone talking about asparagus, prosciutto and blue cheese wrapped in puff pastry, so I went looking for a recipe. I found a similar recipe from Kylie Lato and made a couple of adjustments. They turned out great and were a big hit with our dinner guests. Asparagus, Prosciutto and Bleu Cheese Wraped in Puff Pastry 2 sheets puff pastry dough, thawed  18 thin slices prosciutto  36 spears asparagus, woody ends removed, halved width-wise  Crumbled Bleu Cheese 1 egg, beaten  1 tablespoon olive oil salt fresh ground black pepper Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 1. Unfold puff pastry and cut along seams, creating 6 long rectangles out of the two sheets. 2. Roll each long rectangle a bit thinner (about 3.25" wide by 13.5" long). 3. Cut each rectangle into 3 equal size rectangles. This will give you 18 equal size puff pastry rectangles.

3 a.m. is the hour of writers, painters, poets, musicians, silence seekers, overthinkers, and creative people. We know who you are. We can see your light on. Keep on keeping on. ~ Iheart Intelligence ~ I came upon this quote some time ago and it settled deep into my soul as I read it over and over. The longer I write, the more I fully understand its meaning. Whether you are a writer, poet, or musician you must feel deeply about something to make it come to life. The story or poem that has simmered slowly in your mind, or the lyrics and melody vibrating through your veins, eventually take on a life of their own and they must be shared. Creativity in any form needs the right environment and time to develop and flourish. I suppose there are some who thrive with chaos around them, but for many, they need silence to allow their minds the freedom to go to places that chaos does not allow. When creativity must take a back seat to what is done to earn a living, the random thoughts that may lea

When I was growing up things were difficult enough for young women when it came to self-esteem. We were in a time when models went from being curvy, to Twiggy changing the modeling industry forever. How could anyone compare to her waiflike figure and big soulful eyes? Today, between the fashion industry, Hollywood, and the music industry, it has become even more difficult for young women to feel good about themselves. As parents it is a struggle to make them understand that all of those images are not reality. In real life you cannot air brush away any imperfections, nor can you (or should you) have surgical procedures to improve any perceived flaws. We need to teach our daughters to focus on how unique and special each of them are, and what skills they have that will help them become successful at reaching their goals in life. Who they are as a person, and what they have to offer to improve their communities, should be what they are recognized for; not their physical “beauty”. Fortuna

After the Thanksgiving holiday we had leftover turkey and I decided I wanted to do something different than hot or cold sandwiches. I went in search of a Shepherd's pie recipe that used turkey and found one by Valerie Bertinelli on the Food Network website. I used turkey cut into bite sized pieces in place of ground turkey (added with the gravy and vegetables), and petite peas in place of the lima beans. The added Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce gives it great flavor. A wonderful way to use the leftovers from your Thanksgiving feast. Turkey Shepherd's Pie 2 tablespoons vegetable oil  1 yellow onion, chopped  1 clove garlic, minced  2 pounds dark and white meat ground turkey, 85% lean (I used leftover turkey cut into bite sized pieces)  1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt  1 teaspoon paprika  1/2 teaspoon garlic powder  1 cup leftover gravy  1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed  1/2 cup frozen baby lima beans, thawed (I used petite peas)  2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley  1 table

  Self-Centered - concerned solely or chiefly with one's own interests, welfare, etc.; engrossed in self; selfish; egotistical.  Although there are many kind, compassionate, and giving people in the world, all one needs to do is look around and they will quickly find a society that has become more self-centered than in the past. For some it is all about their own wants and needs; never thinking about those around them. Over the years, in an effort to build up our children’s confidence, we may have failed in some ways by making them think that they are “special” compared to others; that it is all about them and their needs. We want to raise children who are confident in who they are, but not at the expense of thinking less of those who are different, or who don’t have as much. If we want a peaceful and kinder society, we need to recognize it will be accomplished by the children of the world today; our time has passed, so we need to ensure they are educated and ready to take on

 Another new year has arrived and with it comes the desire to make grand new year resolutions. Somehow, we think that if we say it out loud and declare it to the world, we just might make it a reality. Unfortunately, we have a tendency to set the bar too high when we make the new year, new me plan. Some of these goals we would be lucky to achieve in two years, and in the process of trying to make them happen, we lose our momentum. Once again, we set ourselves up for failure and end up feeling defeated. What we need to do is set realistic expectations, take baby steps, and put no end date for completion. Any project or self-improvement is always a work in progress, and along the way our goals may change. What we had originally intended may take a twist or turn if our circumstances change. Sometimes making one small change can make a big difference. If we want to lose weight, we should not look at how much we want to lose as we can become overwhelmed. Instead, we should try to make one s