On My Mind Today

You can see the wisdom in their eyes, It is like looking into their soul. Living a deep, rich life over the years, Leave many stories to be told. Tales of family from long ago, Keeps our history vivid and alive. There is so much that we can learn, If we hang on their every word. Teachers and scholars fill our minds, Regaling historical events from the past. So much that has led us to where we are, And some a lesson we must learn. Medicine men cured our ills with natural remedies, And they shared them for hundreds of years. Modern medicine replaced them with their side effects, Perhaps we should heed what these wise healers knew. The art of storytelling needs to be preserved, For our children and grandchildren to come. How empty the world would be for them, without the rich history they hold. So, listen now, commit them to memory, Don't ever let them fade. In years to come it will be up to you, To be the storyteller who passes them on.

The definition of beauty from Merriam-Webster Dictionary: the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit. Unfortunately, advertisements on television and in print media continuously bombard us with their perception of beauty. It always seems to be someone who is very young, very thin and wearing enough makeup to cover any slight imperfection they may have. They appear to have absolutely no flaws whatsoever, which only leads young women to focus on anything in themselves that they don't see as perfect. They look at these models and spend their youth desperately trying to reach the unattainable. And even as adults, we women often focus on what we perceive as our faults far too often. Society needs to do more to change this. We as individuals need to change this. Beauty runs far deeper than what we see on the outside. It has more to do with what kind of person you are. Do you strive to do the right

You can give in to your cravings for sweets without sacrificing your overall health. This recipe from nedental.com is considered mouth friendly as it is also easy on your teeth and gums. Hard to believe a sugar-free and gluten-free dessert can taste great but your taste buds will be delighted with the flavor. This is a classic dessert with the wonderful flavors of autumn and whole fruit. I'm sure your friends and family will love this once they give it a try. Sugar-Free Apple Crumble Filling: 1 large banana, thinly sliced 2 large apples, chopped 2 dates, chopped 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced (or 1/4 teaspoon ground) 2 teaspoons lemon juice Crumble Topping: 1-1/2 cups rolled oats 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 1-ounce walnuts, crushed 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 teaspoon salt Make the Filling: Preheat oven to 375 ℉. Spray a small baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place sliced banana, apples and dates in a medium-size bowl

When the time comes for you to meet your maker, what will you have to say? Will you be able to say that you always strived to do what is right and noble; that you tried to leave the world a better place than you found it? Have you treated others with kindness, compassion and understanding? Were you quick to criticize, or did you keep in mind not to judge others when you have not walked in their shoes? Did you find ways to help those less fortunate than you? Did you give more than you took? Did you share when you had more than you needed? Were you generous with praise for the good others did? Were you humble about the things that you did; never bragging or saying, “look at me”? Did you do good deeds when the opportunity arose to do so? Did you offer assistance when you saw others struggle without looking for anything in return? Were you a contributing member of your community? Did you strive to right wrongs even when it may have been difficult to do so? Did you stand up to those who tri

We all go through changes in our life, some of them big and others small everyday things. Change is never easy but most of us manage to work our way through it and find a way to adjust. And then there are Sicilian men. If you change anything in their world, they lose their mind, and you hear about it forever.  I am always looking for everyday essentials that are more environmentally friendly. Each small thing we do can go a long way in helping our planet. Several years ago, I decided that the toilet tissue we were using was one thing I should change since it had the cardboard roll at the center. One manufacturer had come out with toilet tissue that had no cardboard core, once the tissue was gone there would be no waste to throw out. Seemed like a very good decision to me. Boy, was I wrong. When he visited the restroom and discovered my latest environmental purchase let's just say he was not at all happy. Not only did I hear him yelling out "what is this?", but then I had

This recipe for Chicken Francese is from  www.saltandlavender.com  and  has golden pan-fried  chicken in a delicious buttery lemon sauce. I recently made it when my granddaughter  was here, and she can be a bit of a picky eater, and not much of a lemon lover. It was a big hit with her, and we loved it too. You can make this restaurant favorite at home in about half an hour! Chicken Francese 2 large chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise Salt & pepper to taste 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 cup flour + 1 tablespoon flour divided use 2 eggs lightly beaten 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 1 cup chicken broth or 50/50 chicken broth and dry white wine 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 lemon sliced into thin rings For serving: chopped parsley, freshly grated parmesan cheese optional, to taste Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have four thinner cutlets. Place them between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and then pound thin (to about 1/4") using the flat end of a meat

Easter is the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus (when he rose from the grave). No man had taken his life. He had given it freely for us - to restore our fellowship with God. He had been crucified and was buried for three days. All his disciples had believed that he was gone for good.  He had told the religious leaders and his disciples that He would give His life and on the third day rise from the grave. The religious authorities had remembered His words and tried to prevent it by putting a large stone in front of the tomb, a Roman seal, and guards. But none of that prevented God’s plan for that first Easter. Although this is why we celebrate Easter, the holiday also represents time with family for good food and making memories. Unfortunately, family holidays change as years pass, and what once was fades. I was reminded of this recently by something my granddaughter said. She told her mother that she misses Easter dinner with the family at my sister's home. She is the youn

As we age, our memory of what was, can be remembered as though we are wearing rose colored glasses. Although others may think that we have blocked from our memories things that were not so great, I do believe that we are honest enough with ourselves to know not everything was rosy. Each generation endures their share of hardships along the way. I know that our parents and grandparents did not always have an easy life, but I'm sure if you asked, many of these people would have stories to tell of all the good things of that time. I know as I look back to my childhood it is the good that I remember first. We may have come a long way in the last 50 years, and technology has made life easier, but I cannot say that it is always necessarily better. With knowledge and new discoveries, we sometimes lose sight of the things that may not need "improvement". Call me nostalgic, but a simpler life is more appealing as each year goes by. What matters is not how much I have, but the time

Recently I was looking for something to make for a luncheon and found this quiche recipe on  Cookinglight.com . The  scalloped shell is made from thinly sliced rounds of sweet potatoes making  this dish gluten-free. The sweet potato gives the quiche a bit of sweetness, and the flavor is amazing! A great addition to my recipe collection. Spinach and Feta Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust Ingredients Cooking spray *2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-in.-thick slices 1 teaspoon canola oil 1/2 cup sliced onion 1 (5-oz.) bag fresh baby spinach 1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 4 large eggs 2 large egg whites 1.5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/3 cup) *Try to use potatoes of the same size to have uniform slices for the crust. A  mandoline  makes slicing quick and precise, but a sharp chef's knife will work too.  Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking s