Tropical Fruit juice smoothie

The right regrets

I live with the right regrets. There are some losses I am to forced to live with and ones that I’m peacefully willing to accept. My journey has taken me through betrayal and back. I wallowed in my own funk for a while, fought a good fight with anxiety and depression. I have come out on the other side clearer, still healing and found my old kooky self hiding behind all that life drama, ❤️ and love that I found myself again. After all of it, many would hate me if they could only read my mind. Mainly because I’m my own health advocate and don’t believe in many modern approaches to recovery after inevitble setbacks everyone has in their lifetime. I find the pharmacy world most revealing and alarming. I felt talk therapy was like throwing 20 dollar co pays at brick walls. (Talking to friends was free and way better). Popping pills for the betrayal that led to my anxiety was the first solution from a psychiatrist who knew me less than 3 minutes. No, no, no, no! I wasn’t okay with that so don’t do that. But they did. The medical world makes money hand over fist masking one symptom with a pill to only create another symptom to push another pill. Kickbacks. It’s a win, win for docs and pill pushers. Obvs, I wasn’t happy with this scenario but it was the “right plan of action” because “this was what normal people do after devestating life events.” Well, it might have been the right plan for most, but not this little cookie. I’m resilient. Yet I listened and the experience has left me with more evidence backing my own personal life choices of what constitutes my meaning of happiness. And it’s not a quick fix like swallowing a pill to tolerate my emotions. I knew healing from devestation takes real time and that you just have to go through those tough uncomfortable emotions. You just have to. Cope and heal. And I will not relinquish my thoughts. Anxiety, depression and popping pills for happiness and getting lost along the way is a safe mindless choice to stay in. However, I won’t be labeled. It’s a cycle of victimhood for me and not a personal choice I would advocate for myself if I ever have to do it again. I have fought a good fight. And have replaced these choices with meditation, healthy eating, good company, massage therapy, writing, mindfulness and exercise. These are my preferred methods for dealing with stress and emotional problems. Right. Wrong. Indifferent. That’s how I roll. That’s how I operate. I try not to hold grudges. A knew thing for me these last few years. This leads to bitter chips on my shoulder. And I won’t have it. I was more than motivated to move myself out of a terrible scenario. Mainly because I knew my kids were observing. They were listening, watching and they are still learning. I wanted to teach them that the harsh realities of life will not paralyze me. With a strong mind I came out on the other side way better and I led by example. My readiness to change my environment and my new surroundings provided me with powerful settings that helped my new story begin! I figured, if I’m healthier and happier, my kids, the two most important people in my life, will most likely benefit. Only through witnessing the changes I have made and to have them watch me evolve can they see that anything is possible. And if that’s alright with them, then that’s alright with me.

Onward to the recipe….

I was having breakfast with myself in Vancouver Canada a few weeks ago and gluttonly took over after I had 3 glasses of the tastiest smoothie ever known to mankind. I broke down and asked what the ingredients were. It tasted fresh, sweet and the tart notes combined with the coconut water gave it a very different flavor jam. Don’t bother buying frozen berries. Ingredients have to be fresh or it doesn’t taste the same. I tried the recipe with frozen berries and kids didn’t like it. Tried a week later with fresh fruit and the kids asked for it all weekend long!
I got this dope vintage blender from the Salvation Army in mint condition. It works so much better than my bullet ever did and ninja. I couldn’t wait to bring it home and give it a whirl. I don’t have faith in these new mixing appliances. Old school is the way to go. If it ain’t broke then don’t try to fix it.

Ingredients:

1 can coconut water (I use Goya)
2 bananas
2 handfuls of fresh strawberries
2 cups fresh pineapple

Directions mix all and hit it with the liquify button. Done!!!!

As always thank you for visiting. Become a Follower if you’d like. I have a ton of recipes on this site you maybe interested in. I would love that! I’ll get back with you as soon as I can with your questions and comments. Happy eating and have a beautiful day!

October 22, 2015 0

Turmeric, coconut COFFEE!!

Coffee! An integral part of my balance!

Coffee rituals say a lot about us. I do mine mostly alone but enjoy it very well with my closest crew and good conversation which often ends up gearing towards the meaning of life type discussions. Flying multiple day trips strips away a lot of my balance. So when I have time off, all I want to do is be grounded. And part of my returning to balance is morning coffee! Usually alone, with a good book to start and basking in my thoughts…….

Today’s deep thoughts…..It’s been one year. Exactly 1 year today, we celebrated my mother’s passing. When I stop my busy life, in these still, quiet moments, I think of her most. It dazes me. Mainly because we didn’t have the ideal relationship. But what is really? I never walked a mile or two in her shoes. But the older I get, the more aware I am of why she made the choices she did. The only way she knew how. There was 5 of us. As with any relationship with any mother. It went something like this. There are times when we hated her, yet we loved her. Times when we despised her, yet we were in awe of her. There is nothing more magical than that of a mothers’ caress, tucking you in bed. The way she looks at you with her soft, gleaming eyes and her glowing face with love illuminating from her whole being. Nothing feels more safe as you radiate your love back to her. Those magical moments when mothers exube that unconditinal love. Nothing quite like it in the world! That kind of energy moves mountains. Time is borrowed. I wish it was an endless source. Especially now that I have my own children. I can never give enough of myself to them. And there are times when I feel like I’m ripping one off. I only have two and I can’t imagine how my parents felt with 5.

As I’m returning to balance, cup of coffee in hand and soaking in the quiet, stillness of the air, she’s in my morning thoughts. I reflect on my relationship with her. And that with my own children. I wonder how she felt when she made mistakes. Parenting. It’s full of them. Mistakes and forgiveness, and you’re at center stage with no dry runs.

Anyhoot, snapping back, I’ve accidentally made my morning cup healthy. A light went off a while back and I started adding coconut oil, cayenne pepper, cinnamon and turmeric. Another part of my ritual is drinking out of meaningful cups. Today, I chose my late Auntie Lynn’s old school Corelle. Mama and auntie Lynn had the same pattern. Green and yellow. I feel very sophisticated drinking out of vintage. And privileged. What an honor it is to have them. The memories! Plus, it gives me comfort knowing my ancestors are all around me in my daily rituals. I listed some health properties of these spices. I add a dash of each, a tsp of coconut oil & with cream-n-sugar naturally. Careful with the cayenne. Even just a little karate chops me in the throat like whoa first thing in the morning!

Health benefits of coffee:

Improves energy and makes you smarter
Burns fat and improves physical performance
Lowers risk of type 2 diabetes
Protects from Alzheimer’s, dementia, and Parkinson’s
Protects liver
Fights depression and makes you happier
Lowers risk of stroke and some cancers
Helps you live longer and is the biggest source of antiboxidants in the western diet

Health benefits of Coconut oil:

Increases energy and burns more fat
Lauric acid in coconut kills off bacteria, fungus and viruses
Helps cholesterol levels
Boosts brain function in Alzheimer’s patients
Helps loose belly fat

Health benefits of Turmeric:

Strong anti inflammatory paired with oils and black pepper
Lowers risk of brain disease and improves brain function
Lowers risk of heart disease
Prevents and treats cancer
Helps arthritis patients
Studies show helps with depression
Helps delay aging

Health benefits of cayenne:

Promotes weight loss and boosts metabolism
Anti fungal
Treats cancer
Digestive aid
Relieves joint pain
Treats headaches

Benefits of cinnamon:

Anti inflammatory
High in antioxidants
Has powerful anti diabetic affect
Beneficial effects on neurodegenarative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
Protective against cancer
Helps fight fungal and bacterial infections
May help fight HIV

October 4, 2015 0

Lazy pinakbet

It’s been 2 years & 7 months since I’ve touched this blog. I even forgot my user name and password. Whoopsie! Finally got in. And a smile came across my face. Pleasantly came upon dozens of unapproved comments. A lot of re-pins on Pinterest. My blog is now an established and trafficked site with as many as 100 hits a day. And my “Filipino mocha cake recipe” is one of the top searches on Google. Tadow!!! Not bad for not maintaining it forever and ever and ever! Not that I have an excuse why I shouldn’t have all along. But as my story goes, along with every other person on Gods green acre, I took a planned path in life that was meant to happen with a little meandering here and there but then ended up writing a whole new story. I dived into a world where I was forced to bear the unbearable. And this envoked in me the courage to develop the kind of coping mechanisms in a world with harsh realities. And that’s life. It goes on. I discovered during my sabbatical, feelings I never knew existed or was capable of. To endure hardships and go through life as best as I can, unafraid. It’s something I always did before quite eloquently and now that life has forced me to reinvent, I can’t help but be proud that resiliency is now one of my finer assets.

My first post is going to be a quick and easy recipe. Getting use to my new normal has been a game of not ever having enough time when I land from work and I just wanna order a damn pizza for dinner. But my kids look at me like I’m straight crazy when I do that. My sons response to fast food? He throws his body on the floor in a straightened stiff tantrum screaming, “no pizza!” My daughter’s rebuttals against any kind of take out in her sophisticated 9 year old voice is, “Mommy? We want real food. Like pinakbet, adobo or sinigang. None of this fake stuff.” Oh great! They request all of the Filipino foods that are quite time consuming before my new normal began. You see, I use to have all the time in the world to cook extravagant being an at home mama most of the time. But now my new life has me back to work on the regular. Getting use to our new normal has taken time. But we almost have the hang of it. I’m never caught up to begin with these days and I’ve come across probably the fastest way of cooking a classic Filipino meal that requires a lot of time and chopping. My relatives would die if they knew how many steps I took out but this version still tastes sooooo good.

Ingredients:

1 package frozen Whole okra
1 package frozen julienne or cut green beans
1 tsp minced garlic
Dash pepper
1 pound ground pork
1 large cut tomato
2 tsp pink bagoong
1 tsp onion powder
Cup of water
1 tbsp oil

Brown pork and add minced garlic and onion powder in oil

2. Add frozen packaged vegetables, tomatoes, pink bagoong dash of pepper and water. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer for 1 hour or until vegetables are done.

Uncover. Mix

And here you go!

Kiddos just about loose their minds over this stuff every single time!!!

October 1, 2015 3

hardcore 313 and the kimchee connection

Hard core 313

Back when I was half smart and lived in the honors dorm, I met my next of kin away from home. This is Jeremy showing off his red wing playoff look. He use to mock my “I will cut you cause I’m from Wayne-Westland” attitude, but I never cared simply because he was so damn like-able. The instant we met, I coined him “my wittle Jeremy” cause I always felt the need to nurture him, as did the rest of our Goddard circle, like God gave me an instant little brother when I came to college. Talk about one of the most malleable and interesting personalities I’ve known. Jeremy is one of those people that can solve world problems with his brilliant ideas. I am still waiting for him to come up with a solution to the U.S. deficit here. He always introduced me by saying “This is Sarah. My Filipino! I got her from collecting enough bazooka gum wrappers. So back off sucka!” lol, I use to love when he ran interference. Good thing too. We’d do our own little Sarah and Jeremy thing.

I’d take him to my all inclusive Filipino parties forcing dry roasted pig down his throat and he’d take me to his old stomping grounds in Marine City and we’d listen to Jimmy Hendrix all the while. We’d go to the REC I.M center to work out and shoot hoops. He’d show up sporting his appropriate Jeremy workout attire which, if my memory serves me correctly, were pieces consisting of light blue shorts, lime green tank tops, red or blue striped socks hiked up to the knee, & 2 inch tennis wristbands. Oh yes, and a white head band that said sweetness across the forehead. Quite the intimidator if you didn’t know him. He’d boss up with the rest of the b-ball players on court, even with earl boykins and dribble circles around me rockin his snazzy outfit and I’d shake my head laughing. Then we’d go downstairs to lift weights. He’d poke fun of all the roided dumb blind, douches by going in the mirror, grunting and flexing. And I’d be in the corner thinking, “seriously? o.m.f.g., I love this damn kid!” Good times! Funny thing is, he’d be more cut then the rest of them without even trying.

We eventually lived in the hood across the tracks and shared a bunk bed, but fought over the couch. I won! He since has joined the peace core, and worked with children in African countries like Namibia selflessly giving of himself and raising money for their education. He also traveled the rest of God’s green acre as an E.S.L. instructor. He taught in Korea, where he claims that kimchee is the cure all condiment. And I think his last where-abouts were Namibia. Speaking of which, the last time Jeremy graced me with his presence, he gave me a Namibian bracelet made by a local. I don’t wear jewelry, but this bracelet is the cat’s meow. It is now the only piece of jewelry I wear today… Rock Namibia! Shout out to my old and wise friend Jeremy! Wurd!

Ingredients

1 large head nappa cabbage cut

plus 3/4 cups kosher salt for soaking

1 small onion

3 cloves garlic

5 tbs fish sauce aka patis

5 tbs korean pepper flake powder

3 long green onions cut in small pieces

1 small tsp sized chunk of fresh ginger

1 tbs sugar

1/2 tbs kosher salt

procedure

1. in a large bowl soak napa cabbage in salt water and let soak 4 to 5 hours then drain and rinse very well

2. mix korean pepper flake powder, fish sauce, sugar, ginger , garlic, onion, and 1/2 tsp salt in blender until very fine paste then add green onion at the end.

3. mix paste with cabbage and put into a seal-able airtight container. store in fridge. crack the seal the first day to let gases escape. re-seal and store in fridge for 4 days. The longer it sits. the more it ferments.

As always thank you for visiting. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask, vote 5 stars or even follow me. I have a ton of recipes on this site you maybe interested in. I would love that! I’ll get back with you as soon as I can with your questions and comments. Promise. Happy eating and have a beautiful day!

Adobo Pusit Recipe and a little bit of papa vs. gangnam

My Dad vs. Gangnam

Dad takes all!!

I’m slowly getting my mojo back. Life’s been a country song lately and I’m gettting these monkeys off my back one day at a time. So I’m switching it up a little…

So check it. I’m dedicating this post to my pops because this video was playing the other day and my children said, “Look mommy! That looks like Lolo.” And I was like, “Shoot! Lolo’s got more swagger than that.” Apparently they forgot to check the swagger polls when they found this guy because my dads got this fool beat. He could clear the dance floor any day and cut a rug like no other.

Here’s yours truly. And my father. What can I say about him. He is everything I could ever ask for in a father in this lifetime. I’ll make it short and sweet. Strong father figure, fear thereof. And anyone that knew him knew that he was a bad ass mother fucker…

I love my dad. He is one of the hardest workers I know. There needs to be more strong men like him. He is a survivor. Always will be. He’s dang near 80 and he’s still got it like that.

He’s given me many gifts. Courage. Strength. Endurance. The gift of respect. The gift of fear. The knowledge that you are loved but you are not above authority and to honor the law. It’s funny the stages a daughter goes through with her dad. I remember when I was a wee bitty girl, melting in his arms at night before I fell asleep. Then came my teenage years where I thought he was the worst parent ever. He was always a protector. Now that I’m grown, and have the knowledge of experience underneath my belt, I wish he would re-appear from out of the blue like a superhero and protect me from adult life. I remember clearly the kind of protector he was. Like back in the day when he would pick me up from cheer practice and he always had that, don’t fuck with my daughter look because I have a loaded shotgun therefore I will shoot your ass ambiance. His number one goal during my high school years……to protect me from trifling creepers aka teenage boys.

Matter of fact, these are how some of our conversations went down…..

Me, “I’m going out. Is that ok?
Pa, “With a boy?”
Me, “Ummmm… yes.”
Pa, ” It’s 4:30 in the afternoon, (laughing). You ain’t going anywhere”
Me, “Ugh, ok”

Lol’ing. These conversations happened on a daily basis. So naturally, I found ways to be sneaky. But that never ever went copacetic. Like when I dated the captain of the football team in high school, Jeff Tapp. It was a Friday night And I was caught off guard when my dad came home. So I did the first thing any teenage daughter who didn’t want to get caught would do. I hid him in the closet. And of course, my dad, being the ex soldier he was sniffed him out with a quickness and caught him red handed in my closet. After my father struck the fear of God in him, I thought I was in for it and going to die that night. But that never happened. My dad laughs about it now after he told the story over and over again to people through the years. I would be so embarrassed because he never let me live that down. Guess that was punishment enough.

Yup. My dad was a man to be reckoned with. I hope that someday I can frighten my children this much. But my children hardly get afraid of me or their daddy. I’ve become a softee and I’m starting to think my softee approach is turning into a problem. I am hoping to teach my kids not to be part of the entitled generation. That they should be a little afraid of things. And to be grateful. To honor their elders. And to be a little scared shitless of authority.

Yes my father was a hard ass that didn’t effin play games. Now-a-days, he’s better known as Lolo, the big teddy bear to my kids. He has and always will be one of my biggest idols. The mans got swaggar. Now that I’ve become a parent, I understand perfectly…

In honor of my dad, I am blogging adobo pusit, a very popular Filipino recipe. My dad was and still is the iron chef. He would be proud. For those of us natives who grew up eating this shit, we all know just mentioning adobo pusit makes our mouths water.

Ingredients:

2-3 pounds squid cleaned
1 packet mamasitas adobo mix
1 cup water
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs vinegar
1 large tomato cut
1 diced onion
3 cloves minced garlic

1.) Cut and sautée tomatoes onion and garlic in large sauté pan

2. ) Add cleaned squid

3. ) Mix packet of adobo mix, soy sauce, salt, pepper, vinegar and water and poor over squid

4. ) Cover and let cook on high for 7 to 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

And there ya go.

January 25, 2013 3

Crunchy Wolverines recipe (because we keep that buckeye shiz south of the border)

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

8 months later……

8 months ago, d-day happened. I took a long walk, came home and cried myself to sleep. And life hasn’t been the same ever since….. 8 months later, the power and strength of God carries me on…

I woke up a few Sundays ago compelled to write. So I wrote on the first thing I could get my hands on, only to come across what I wrote today and decided it was garbage. So here I am, a few weeks later, thinking about the complex emotions I have been going through since it all happened. Most days, I am sad, dazed, confused. I try and create a definitive answer to what has happened, but I’ve come to learn in the process that not everything has to be defined.

Its been 8 months. And I know its going to take longer. I know I have to unwind and come down from the trauma. Period. I know the expectations people will have of me. They will want to see me as strong. But right now, I am not. I have to save the strength I have and keep moving forward. My emotional injuries are as serious as physical ones. I know what I have to do. I have been and will keep on keeping on, facing it head on. If I don’t now, it may resurface and I want to come out of this healed and with an open heart. Not for the funk to creep back up.

I don’t want to make what happened my identity. Nor will I rush through this journey making poor choices along the way. Unnecessary suffering comes out of poor responses. And since I have to live with myself, I will not be ambushed by grief later down the road b/c of poor choices. Nor do I have to live my life having to please people, be pushed around, or be taken advantage of because of vulnerabilities. I also won’t let people intimidate me if I won’t let them.

I have come to learn from wise souls. Those that have learned before me and given me hope. A light at the end of the tunnel and the will to carry on. I’ve come to gain some exceptionally wonderful friends that are worth keeping and have leaned on the ones that have and will always be my rocks. Ones that mean well. Ones who have come out of the wood-work. Who have been through it, teaching me the insight they’ve gained along the way and what the truest treasures in life are to them. Shout out to Gerald. He reigns awesomeness for this one… I remember being so distraught one day on the phone and when these words flowed out of his mouth, it was on point,…. He said, “Sarah, lemme tell you something important. You can’t bring back time. Because that is more precious than gold,… than silver, ….than anything you can ever buy! You can’t buy time. It’s priceless.” And I was like, “dang, that’s like, whoa.” That blew my mind. Slapped me right in the face. And it still resonates. I felt the shame dripping off me because I was feeling so sorry for myself then. And for a moment, I quit doing that. It’s what I needed to hear and it came right on time.

Time….I Thought about my children and the time I have with them. Because time is all I have. Children, no matter how much you try to hide it, know whats up with the whats up. They pay attention to everything. And they are learning. I know getting my shite together for whats going to come up is whats important. And my focus. I want to teach my children how to make things right. How to come out from beneath something so difficult. Who else will if I won’t?

Alrighty. Its 3:30 am and I’m tired. I think that’s it for now. That and my sudden bout of carpal tunnel, slash tendonitis or whatever the hell it is I got on the J, O, B, this week is outta control.

Wolverines Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 pound powdered sugar

1 stick melted butter

3 cups rice crispies

1 jar crunchy peanut butter

1 1/2 packages of chocolate chips

1 1/2 Tbs Crisco shortening

Procedure:

1. combine butter, rice crispies, powdered sugar and peanut butter in a large bowl

2. drop into balls on waxed paper with a teaspoon. i found it difficult to work with

3. dip clean hands in a bowl of cold water, shake access water off hands and round out the spoonfuls of peanut-butter balls in my palms

4. Melt Crisco and chocolate in double boiler

5 dip the balls in melted chocolate with tooth picks and place on wax paper

6 let cool and store in fridge. there ya go!

This evening, the kiddos and I got comfy in our jammies, spent quality time in the living room, having a camp out, watching Alvin and the Chipmunks, throwing peace signs up in front of the camera. Eating the wolverines we made earlier in the day and laughing our butts off. Now that’s my kind of Saturday night. My children. My loves! My life! Time well spent….

January 20, 2013 6

Voodoo donut inspired maple bacon glazed donuts

My head has been clouded by major life circumstances these days. And I feel like I have been tested over and over again. I let November pass without any posts. And even writing this now, I feel a huge weight on me. But I find solace in blogging. Since, I didn’t write any posts in November, don’t feel like writing any now and I am in a bit of a funk still, I am going to recap what I am thankful for. My thirty day November gratitude really helped and I for damn sure need constant reminders. But first things first, I needed something cozy and comforting to make because of all the major life shite I have poppin off. This recipe is inspired from voodoo donuts in Portland. I fell in love with the place when I walked in. They had some original donuts there. Even a Marshall Mathers donut smothered with mini M&M’s. What a hoot. The maple glazed bacon donuts are what got me. Went home and made my version of it. Below, after the recipe, I posted what I was thankful for, for 30 days in November on facebook and some of the posts clearly reflected what kind of funk I was in. But for sure I tried making the best out of an ongoing trying situation last month. Hope you all like the recipe…

Ingredients:

4 tbs of butter

4 tbs of pure maple syrup

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp cinnamon

crispy cream maple donuts

1 pound chopped fried and drained bacon

Procedure:

1. Simmer butter, syrup, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in a small sauce pan and let cool.

2. Dip donuts in glaze and dip in bacon bits.

There ya go!

Start of with some chopped bacony bacon. chopped, cooked til crispy, drain access grease and set aside

I bought some krispy cremes for this recipe

Add 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar to sauce pan as well as 4 tbs of butter

1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp cinamon. let simmer until thick

dip donuts into the glaze and then dip in fresh bacon bits

Day 1. I am thankful for…..
When I think I have it the worst, I look at all those people who have been devastated by tragedy worse than me. I am thankful for a roof over my head, wonderful weather for my family to be blessed to celebrate yet another day

Day 2. I am thankful for……..

Got these from a blog titled,”60 thingss to be grateful for. Loved it!!!”

http://tinybuddha.com/blog/60-things-to-be-grateful-for-in-life/

I am thankful for….Tears – For helping you express your deepest emotions
I am thankful for…Disappointment – So you know the things that matter to you most
I am thankful for… Fears – So you know your opportunities for growth
I am thankful for….Pain – For you to become a stronger pers

on
I am thankful for…Sadness – For you to appreciate the spectrum of human emotions
I am thankful for….Life’s challenges – For helping you grow and become who you are
I am thankful for…Happiness – For you to soak in the beauty of life
I am thankful for….Life – For giving you the chance to experience all that you’re experiencing, and will be experiencing in time to come……

Day 3…. family. I am thankful that God has given me family because You don’t choose your family. They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them. Desmond Tutu

Family is a haven in a heartless world.

I don’t care how poor a man is, if he has family, he’s rich! Mumford, M*A*S*H

Day 4… i am thankful for Sundays and my faith because I can do all things through Christ Jesus who gives me strength!and because of him, I am thankful for the new year to come, the endless possibilities it will bring, and a hope that refuses to die. The hope that I will someday soon make peace with all the trials and tribulations this past year has brought.

Day 5

I am thankful for…..My children, who have been my constant companions and have enriched me with endless rewards.

Day 6. I am thankful for……An open mind and the right to vote. Which has allowed me to seek out the necessary information I need to make a sound decision today. I am thankful for friends and family who have shared where they are coming from during this election and for the most part, I am thankful for the people I have talked to who have not needlessly pawned their political shenanigans on me, but have given me their sound opinion through this process. Now time to get out and vote!!!!

Day 7. I am thankful for diversity because without it the world would be a boring place. Plus I love hearing differing opinions on one thing.

Day 8. I am thankful for…..Travel because it is an eternal education that has far surpassed any schooling I have ever accomplished. It has humbled my biased opinions. It has empowered me and and at the same time has made me feel insignificant in a world full of billions. It has taught me about humanity and compassion. Travel enriches my soul….

Day 9….I am thankful…..that the world is a colored place!!!

Day 10,….is thankful for Saturday nights, popcorn and living room camp outs!

Day 11 ….Is thankful for Sundays, church and all day Filipino stew (kare, Kare) on the stove top to enjoy with my kiddos and their aunties.

Day 12….I am thankful for….
The view from my office window

Day 13…. I am thankful for… Brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each others hearts. We share private family jokes, remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of

time. 80 percent of us have at least one. Siblings outlast marriages, survive the death of parents, resurface after quarrels that would sink any friendship. They flourish in a thousand incarnations of closeness and distance, distrust and loyalty, warmth and love

Day 14… I am thankful for…. en”courage”ment. And the people who have supported me in my life. The root word is courage. For some, this comes naturally. For others, it is hard to face some of life’s uncertainties, yet they find encouragement from others and muster up the courage to bounce back . I am thankful for those who are natural at encouraging because without encouragement, I would not have made it through life this far. So I find ways to feel encouraged. In what ways do you find encouragement today?

Day 15….Gratitude and the wisdom of others.Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more.If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”
Oprah Winfrey

Day 16 I am thankful for…. Accountability and acceptance.accountability because I know that I am accountable for myself and my life. and acceptance because I am glad that people accept me for who I am.

Day 17….. is thankful for….. basking in the glory of Saturday mornings. Waking up to the sun shining, birds chirping, kids laughing and lots of hugs in bed, Saturday morning cartoons and jamming out to music while I make a wonderful Saturday morning breakfast.

Day 18. Is thankful for Love……. Where there is great Love, there are always miracles……”Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude. It is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” Corinthians 13:4-8

Day 19…..Is thankful for my blog and the many blogs i love reading. it is one of the many forms of therapy i love to indulge in. here is a recipe circa 2011 thanksgiving. hope you cranberry lovers will be able to use it. enjoy!

Day 20. Is thankful for the beauty of choice……

Day 21….is thankful for music……Music has a way of stirring up memories and attaching itself to points in my life. I love all genres of music. There are certain songs that helps my attitude get through rough times and some personal songs that stir up the happiest emotions from certain points in my life. Music is something I literally can’t live without. I have an immense gratitude for it!

Day 22…Is thankful for coziness. its so wonderful to get cozy with the ones you love. in this case its with my beautiful children, watching movies over full bellies on this thanksgiving evening!

Day 23…is thankful for memories….Memories are the treasures that we keep locked deep within the storehouse of our souls, to keep our hearts warm when we are lonely. – Becky Aligada

Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose – From the television show The Wonder Years

Day 24... Is thankful for enlightenment. now i know the truth and my peaceful life begins today….

Day 25. Is thankful for the power of prayer. And for those who have lifted me and my family up in prayer.

Day 26. Thankful for my birthday. Therefore i will do what I want, say what I want and pretty much freakin rain awesomeness today. And for those of u who would like, I will be ringing the bell for the Salvation Army with my son from 1045 to 11 am this morning at the Sams club in Canton. Bring the jingley!:))

Day 27….is thankful for smiles. you never know what hides behind a thousand smiles. I never really knew the meaning til now. so i will never ever again judge someones fake smile because now I know a smile can hide a thousand tears….and i am truly grateful people can still smile when they weather out storms in the level’s of their life’s journey.

Day 28 is thankful for house-guests..and Heather Adams as my house guest and her ear because as she says “Truth is stranger than fiction because you can not be making this shit up”

Day 29…. Thankful for Change….change scares the shit out of me sometimes. But its necessary. life goes on and you move forward. In change I am looking forward to freedom, challenges, therapy, my health, excitement, compassion and a renewed passion in all that has ever sparked my curiosity. Yes, change can be some pretty scary shite. But I will always look forward to the positivity of change.

Final day of gratitude, (although i am grateful 365 days of the year with all my being.)

Day 30…..Is thankful for forgiveness. after all is said and done, forgiveness is the key to everything. Words i have always lived by…Thanks for all the support everyone.

—

December 10, 2012 6

Cream of chicken and wild rice soup recipe ala Au Bon Pain style!

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I love my friends and family for their wrongs. Their rights. Most importantly, I believe forgiveness is the key to everything. And I believe part of unconditional love is loving someone, even when they least deserve it………

And to go with that is some comfort food….

One thing about flying and the J-O-B. It’s the little things that count. I’ve been salty about Newark’s airport closing Au Bon Pain in terminal C because they had the best soups. And that was sooooo 2 years ago. I’ve been wanting to replicate their creamy chicken and wild rice soup ever since. This is pretty much up there with their restaurant quality version and so damn easy too. Okay, Okay. It’s not exactly like it, but same, same! If I would’ve known, I woulda been making this 2 years ago.

Now skip to the present. It was the first day of autumn and my daughter, Love, was coming down with a cold. I was putting her down for bed and she had a terrible cough. She always melts into my arms like mush when I’m hugging her at bed time. She asked me to make chicken and rice soup for her and poof, it was ready the next day. Just like that. She said she loved it. My response, “What are mommies for of course?”My family ate it for days! I tried giving some away but my husband refused to let me. GRRR!!

Ingredients:

2 cooked and shredded chicken breasts

2 sticks butter

1 onion chopped (optional)

4 cloves minced garlic (optional)

3/4 cups flour

3 cans chicken stock

1 box rice a roni instant long grain and wild rice

1 pint heavy whipping cream

2 1/2 cups water

1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper

3) in soup pot add chicken stock, water, onion, garlic, chicken. bring to boil. add rice and cook for ten minutes (set aside seasoning packet)

8) SLOWLY whisk in heavy cream. mixture will be thick!

9 ) Quickly add to soup pot while whisking vigorously

October 1, 2012 2

Home made Hazelnut creamer

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups milk

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 pound shelled hazelnuts

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I was listening to JLB this morning on the way to the airport with Cocoa, Foolish and Mr. Chase. They were talking about not being afraid to be yourself. More specifically, “Be yourself, everybody else is already taken.” How great is that? I’m gonna have to use this line myself from now on. Always getting my juices flowing with the one liners so early. I love my morning radio. 313 and the JLB baby!

Anyways, I’m making some home made creamer. I’m giving a shout out to my friend Jean. I give her some mad props for sharing her idea! We were talking pinterest and creamer over a bonfire we had the other week with our families and she gave me the idea to make creamer. Matter of fact, she just gave me some home made jasmine hand lotion this week too. Her ideas are always right up my ally. And I love it. Hope everyone is having a beautiful week! Chow!

Real quick, it keeps for 2 weeks in the fridge and you can make it with fat free sweetened condensed milk as as well as skim. And feel free to play around with different extracts and flavorings. You don’t have to get complicated with this recipe. You can keep it simple by just using extracts. I would’ve put vanilla extract in this had I remembered. Robert loved how ours turned out anyways and you don’t get all the unknown ingredients as you do in the creamers you buy at the store!