Thursday, June 14, 2012
Quick Pickles
Monday, May 7, 2012
The reason why I left the corporate world----
Friday, April 27, 2012
Much "to do" at The Art Garage
A Crappy Week
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Oatmeal and Chamomile Bath for Allergic Rash
1 Cup Oatmeal (Unflavored, just sayin')
2-4 TBS of Chamomile Tea (The Contents of about 4 Tea Bags)
Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until creamy. Add to warm bath water, and soak for 15- 20 minutes to relieve itchy skin. Rinse skin afterward and pat skin dry gently with a soft towel.
Friday, February 24, 2012
If— By Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Napa Cabbage Salad Recipe
2/3 cup slivered almonds
8 cups (1 lb) coarsely shredded napa cabbage
12 ounces snow peas, strings removed, rinsed and thinly sliced
1 1/3 cups thinly sliced radishes
1 1/3 cups thinly sliced green onions (including greens)
1 1/3 cups lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
Dressing ingredients
3 Tbsp rice vinegar (seasoned or unseasoned)
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 clove peeled and minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 cup mayonnaise
METHOD
1 Spread almond slivers out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in a 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes, until nicely browned. OR toast in stick-free or cast-iron skillet on medium high, stirring frequently until browned. Set aside.
2 Combine cabbage, snow peas, radishes, green onions, cilantro in a large bowl. Can make this step a day or two ahead.
3 In a separate bowl, mix together the rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, ginger, and cayenne until sugar has dissolved. Whisk in the mayonnaise.
4 When ready to serve, gently combine the dressing and almonds with the cabbage mixture.
Serves 14-16.
Thai Slaw
Photo by: Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross
YIELD: 10 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup)
COURSE: Salads
Ingredients
Slaw:
3 cups thinly sliced napa (Chinese) cabbage
1/2 cup (1/8-inch) julienne-cut yellow squash
1/2 cup (1/8-inch) julienne-cut zucchini
1/2 cup (1/8-inch) julienne-cut red bell pepper
1/2 cup (1/8-inch) julienne-cut yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup (1/8-inch) julienne-cut seeded peeled cucumber
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup grated radishes
1 minced seeded jalapeño pepper
Dressing:
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek)
Preparation
To prepare slaw, combine first 11 ingredients in a large bowl.
To prepare dressing, combine juice and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until sugar dissolves. Drizzle over slaw; toss well to coat. Serve immediately.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Cookies Remorse Discourse by DeAnne Pearson
My swimsuit this summer won’t be too revealing.
Oh, what a delight I find in the coconut,
I am sure to develop a great big butt,
From relishing the shortbread, devouring the peanut butter,
And those Thin Mints aren’t exactly a calorie cutter.
So, watch out co-workers, relatives and friends!
We must sell these cookies before the month ends,
Or, I will have to write a big check to the Girl Scout Leader,
Because now I have gone from cookie seller to cookie eater.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Blackberry Muffins
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon milk
2/3 cup sugar
8 Tbsp warm melted butter (1 stick)
1 teaspoon vanilla
11 oz of fresh blackberries, cut in half (often available at Trader Joe's)
(You can use frozen blackberries if fresh are not available.)
1 Position rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a standard 12 muffin pan or line with paper muffin cups. (Actually, with the berries you'll have more batter than just for 12 muffins. This batch made 18 muffins.)
2 Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
3 In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, milk, sugar, butter and vanilla.
4 Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix together with a few light strokes, just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Add the berries. (If you are using frozen berries, defrost them first, then drain the excess liquid, then coat them lightly in flour.) Do not overmix! Overmixing will cause the muffins to be dense, not fluffy. The batter should not be smooth.
5 Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of 1 or 2 of the muffins comes out clean, 17-20 minutes (or longer). Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes before removing from the pan. If not serving hot, let cool on a rack.
Serve as soon as possible, preferably within a few hours of baking.
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Stitches in Hearts by Haley
Monday, January 9, 2012
Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
Ingredients
- 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded or filleted to 1/2 inch thickness
- 6 string cheese sticks
- 6 slices ham
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup Ritz cracker crumbs
- Dash pepper
- toothpicks
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Lay out the pounded chicken breasts on a clean surface. Place a slice of ham on each piece, then one stick of cheese. Roll the chicken up around the cheese and ham, and secure with toothpicks. Dip each roll in melted butter, then roll in cracker crumbs. Sprinkle with pepper. Place in a shallow baking dish.
3. Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is browned and juices run clear.
Aromatic Lamb Meatballs
Add Timer
Ingredients
· 1 pound ground lamb
· 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
· 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
· 1 teaspoon ground cumin
· 1 teaspoon ground allspice
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 3 tablespoons semolina
· 1 egg
· Vegetable oil, for frying
Directions
Put the lamb into a bowl and add the scallions. Sprinkle over the spices, salt, and semolina, and then beat the egg adding to the bowl. Work everything together thoroughly with your hands, and then cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator for half an hour.
Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap and scoop out a scant teaspoon of the mixture. Roll in your hands to form the meatball and place on the lined baking sheet. Have a bowl of cold water beside you to dampen your hands with; this helps them not get too sticky for rolling the meatballs.
When you are ready to cook them, heat about 1/2-inch of oil in a frying pan. Line another baking sheet with kitchen towel, and when the oil is hot, fry the meatballs in batches without overcrowding the pan. Cook them for about a minute a side, or until golden brown all over.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Smiling
1. Some people really don't like a lot of attention, not even the "good" kind. (Obviously, this is not in my genetics.)
2. People don't always have the same values, and may not appreciate in themselves what you see as a gift, expertise or skill, etc.
3. Yet, other would rather need a bigger sign of affection or encouragement, a hug or, even applause.
4. It is just polite to ask before you mention someone else by name, especially in these times when privacy is rare.
It is amazing how one smile turned into 4 right before my eyes....Our school is good at math.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Just Because You Are Downsized Doesn’t Mean You Have To Be Supersized
The connection between your waist line increasing as your bottom line decreases could be due to four key factors: loss of self-esteem, a more sedentary lifestyle, less money to spend on food and gym membership, and tackling the search alone. Each of these components can be perilous on their own, but together, they create a perfect storm for increased weight. Let’s take a closer look at these factors individually, and explore some ideas for keeping our physical life together as we work toward our fiscal future.
While in the throes of job loss, many people become disoriented by this personal blow to their self-esteem. The loss of employment puts the average person into unknown financial waters and disrupts the part of a person’s self-image, which is identified with a profession or position. If much of the person’s worth, social status, active hours or security is wrapped up with the previous job, then job loss or retirement can wreak havoc on a person’s self-image and feelings of worth. Recovering from the personal blow to your self-esteem may require reconnecting to personal values such as family, creativity, health and travel.
Values’ inventories abound online and can help you connect with what is most important to you in your life, give you a perspective from which to measure your next step, filter out opportunities that would not be a good fit and keep you grounded. You can easily perform a search for a free personal values’ inventory online, and I have included a Values Compass on my own blog at http://passionforlifepassionforfood.blogspot.com.
Another ego boost that comes to mind includes making lists of your talents, skills and knowledge. Often making these lists on your own and then asking previous co-workers and colleagues that you trust to contribute to these lists benefits the job seeker two fold. First, these lists help expedite written materials such as resumes, marketing plans and reference pages that are needed to conduct a productive search. Second, this process provides the added benefit of highlighting your best attributes adding buoyancy to how you view yourself and your current situation.
Although sitting on the couch in your comfy jeans or sweats pants with your laptop can seem like an ideal working situation at first, this prolonged time in sweats can promote a lack of routine eating habits. A sedentary lifestyle and over-eating, at extremes, can signify depression and a need for additional help. A meeting with your family doctor or a healthcare professional may be in order. So, I whole-heartedly recommend making a weekly schedule, designating a quiet work space with office supplies, the appropriate phone connections, computer or tablet, and even add in a professional dress code. Not only will these boundaries make the job search process more streamlined, but it will also define boundaries of work space from household duties and interruptions from family members. I also suggest that job seekers delegate household chores or leave the house to find privacy, structure and a change of scenery.
Penny pinching is often a critical part of budgeting when facing a job loss. These cuts may include dropping gym memberships or reducing the grocery budget. Both of these activities can lead to weight gain for obvious reasons and some not so obvious reasons. Although some gym memberships can be pricey with additional services and amenities, there are cheaper alternatives available. Some athletic clubs will put your membership on hold for a number of months, and allow you to return at your current monthly fee schedule or extend the hold if needed due to special circumstances. Additionally, there may be less expensive fitness facilities in your neighborhood that offer more basic services and equipment for a lesser fee. So, ask around and do your research before dumping the gym altogether.
On the brighter side, a change in schedule can afford you the time and flexibility to start new habits related to fitness, and add to your social well-being. Many people complain that they would exercise or participate in more activities with family and friends if they just had the time. Finally, you have the time to swim in the local pool, play a pick-up game of basketball with the kids, or start a neighborhood walking group. This break in the daily search routine gives you something to look forward each day and gets you off the couch or away from your computer.
Daily exercise can also lessen the symptoms of depression that often accompany job loss. How does exercise help depression and anxiety? According to the Mayo Clinic, exercise probably helps ease depression in a number of ways which may include:
• Releasing feel-good brain chemicals that may ease depression
(neurotransmitters and endorphins)
• Reducing immune system chemicals that can worsen depression
• Increasing body temperature which may have calming effects
The second victim of cutting the family budget is often the grocery bill. Unfortunately, spending less money on food often means sacrificing whole foods and organic options in favor of cheaper items. This change may also lead to weight gain. Simply put, many of the less expensive choices at the local market are the convenience foods that tend to be lower in nutritional value and higher in calories. These food items are often loaded with salt and simple carbohydrates. In addition, the repetitive nature of searching job boards, e-mailing resumes and updating your social media can lead to mindless eating at your computer.
So, this is a critical time to purge the pantry, plan healthy meals and take the time to shop wisely. Studies have shown that people who plan their meals keep a healthier diet and weight by having healthy food on hand for meals and snacks. A bag of crisp carrots, a few almonds, bottled water, fruit, granola, celery and other low calorie or portion controlled snacks can help you save those couple of pounds over a lengthy job search.
Even if you have everything you need to conduct a job search right there at home with healthy snacks and a solid routine, it is still a good idea to step away from the computer on a regular basis and connect with your peers. I suggest combating the stress of going it alone in a job search by finding a job search group or work team that will share the ups and downs of job search. There are several ways to find a group to support you in your search endeavor: tap into current job search clubs formed by civic or religious organizations, government sponsored programs found in your area and private organizations. Also, you can find local Success Teams originally created by world renowned career coach Barbara Sher. These teams are not just for job search but designed to build groups that help people reach their dreams through the sharing of ideas, connections, leads, resources and support on a regular basis. Check out http://shersuccessteams.com/. If needed, build your own support team to remain motivated and stay afloat as you share similar the struggles and victories of the career changing seas.
Creating a job search strategy that works for you should include: reconnecting with your personal values and your strengths, scheduled time for search, physical and fun activities, planning for healthy eating habits, and making social connections that are positive, supportive and consistent. With these factors in place, both you and your waistline can weather the storm of landing your next job.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Time for School and Time for Self-Care
Okay, so the kids were very excited to start school, more excited than I have ever seen them about a first day of school. With the gain of uninterrupted time without kids in the house, my first instinct was to make a list of all the things that I would do, catch up on, and fill time with completely. Then, I realized that was the opposite of what I really needed to do. Yes, I can rush around, slamming down the gourmet coffee, knocking things off the “to-do” list with the best of the crowd, and come to the end of the day exhausted, often feeling empty, asking, “Where did the day go?” Long gone are the days when I was exhausted from feeding and diapering my kids, where I was the center of their world and each moment was a milestone. Now my kids can scramble eggs, do their own homework and dress themselves. Boy, can they ever! So, what do I do with my new glimpse of freedom? How do I make it work for me, not just work me?
I took my own advice. Hard to do for a coach, but that is what I did. Often I advise clients who are unhappy with their lives, relationships or careers, that to find the satisfaction, the joy that they are looking for, they need to get back to the basics, their values. So, I spent time completing the Values Compass again featured on my blog http://passionforlifepassionforfood.blogspot.com/2011/08/set-your-values-as-your-compass_10.html . I followed the steps there and came up with my top 5 values, my compass-Fun, Creativity, Family, Art and Encouraging.
I found that I have spent very little time operating in my top 5 Values. Specifically, I have left little time for creativity and family, lately. So, instead of working late last night, I went to the movies with my family. The movie was okay, but to hear my family laugh was priceless. I also, have made the conscious decision not to take on some of the assignments offered to me lately, if they do not line up with my values. This is difficult, since my husband has just started his own business and finances are a bit tight. However, I have to know that when I am living and working in my values, I am happier, more rested, of better service to the ones around me. So, by taking on less, I hope to be more.
Taking care of you can mean doing less, putting away thoughts, reframing an experience, or just quietness. Cell phones, e-mail, the Internet are ever present.....It is said that people on average handle 6 times the information on a daily basis as they did in 1960. http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2595 With all this information zooming at us, we may feel the need for speeding up. It is easy to understand why there is a major coffee shop on every corner and "energy" drinks galore at every check-out stand and convenience store. We become over-stimulated, overscheduled, overworked, overwrought; overwhelmed.......I see this as one the ways that we as a culture dilute our power and our presence.
So, as we have opportunities, offers, obstacles and ideas, we need to ask ourselves some questions:
How does this fit into my values?
How does this fit into my vision for how my life could be?
What will this cost in energy, time, relationships, and money?
If I take this on, what will I have to give up in order to maintain my life balance?
Who can help support me in my decision?
How would I advise my best friend in this same situation?
Is there a "should" involved? (“Shoulds” are great signals for when something does not fit into your life, but is hard to say no to because of old stories or habits.)
Friday, August 12, 2011
Filè Gumbo
Ingredients
1/3 Cup Oil
1/3 Cup Flour
1 Lb. Fresh or Frozen okra -sliced about ¼ inch thick
3-4 Medium tomatoes diced in large chunks - about ½ in.
1 medium onion diced ¼ inch thick
1 diced bell pepper
1 Cup diced celery
1 TBS. Joe’s Stuff or your favorite Cajun seasoning
½ tsp. Garlic Powder or 1 small clove garlic, crushed
1-2 dashes Tabasco
2 bay leaves
3-4 tsp. File’
3-4 Cups Chicken Broth
Salt and Pepper to Taste
2 cups left-over turkey, diced or shredded*
(Add water if needed to fill pot.)
2 Cups cooked rice
Instructions:
1. Make Roux by heating oil in large non-stick skillet on high. Sift flour into pan. Cook until medium-dark (The color should be between caramel candy and coffee with a little cream.)
2. Add okra, bell pepper, onion and celery to Roux. Brown in pan on high. Do not over-stir. Flip with spatula until vegetables are dark brown on 3 sides. (About 10-15 minutes)
3. Add tomatoes. Sauté about 5 minutes, until tomatoes are fork tender. Do not over-stir.
4. Move vegetables to large stew pot. Stir in chicken broth and all remaining ingredients.
5. Simmer 20 minutes or longer and serve with additional file on the side. Remove bay leaves.
6. Serve over the cooked rice.
* You may use cooked chicken, sausage, or seafood instead of turkey.
Vegan Option:
Skip the meat and substitute vegetable broth.
Grill okra, onion and tomato brushed with a little olive oil and file’ for 10 or 15 minutes. This will add another depth of flavor.
Add on TBS tahini.
GAZPACHO (COLD SPANISH SOUP)
1 med. cucumber, pared, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 med. green pepper, coarsely chopped
1 28 oz. can Italian style tomatoes (Cento brand works well)
2 TBS. fresh cilantro
2 TBS. balsamic
2 TBS. olive oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. chili powder
1 dash Worcestershire
Seasoning salt and pepper to taste
Put all above ingredients in blender or processor and process until smooth. Chill several hours. Serve in ice cold bowls and garnish with chopped cucumbers, cilantro, tomatoes, celery, chilled cooked shrimp and dollop of sour cream.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Set Your Values as Your Compass
Eliciting Your Values
Here is a step-by-step method to create your own personal values compass. This can be a time consuming process, and it will require your concentrated attention. If this is not a good time for you to do this, feel free to read it over now and then complete it when you can put in the time. It is worth the effort and is a process worth repeating every six months or even more frequently if you find yourself struggling with your level of satisfaction or success in your life or career.
When I refer to values, I am not talking about how much money you have, what type of car you drive, or where you live. Although cars, clothing and locations can be symbols of what are your deeper desires, more important than these symbols are words like comfort, adventure, excitement and financial security. I am talking about what is truly important to you in life.
Brainstorm a list of your values as the answers to this question. Try to reduce your responses to a single word or two that encapsulates each answer. For example, if one of your answers is, "having a successful career," then you might edit that phrase to the value of "success." Don't worry about the order of your list yet or how long it is, just get everything down in writing.
To make this task easier for you, I've put together an extensive list of values below which you can use to help build your own list. Most of my clients usually find it easiest to circle the words that most appeal to them right away then narrow the circled list further and further. There's no hard rule for how long your list should be, but I usually prefer a list in the range of 5-8 values. If you have more than this, consider cutting out the marginal values that just barely made your list, or combine multiple values that are nearly identical on a single line, like achievement/accomplishment.
So you might end up with a list that looks something like this:
- Love
- Health
- Wealth
- Comfort
- Fun
Prioritizing Your Values
The next step is to prioritize your list. This is usually the most time consuming and difficult step because it requires intense thinking. Many people find this exercise enlightening and take a quiet personal approach to the process. However, it can be fun to do this with a partner. I encourage people to tackle it with a nonjudgmental friend over coffee or lunch. It could be fun!
My preferred method of prioritizing my values list is to identify the top value, then the second highest value, and so on until I've rebuilt the whole list in order of priority from the top to the bottom. So you may begin by asking yourself these questions: Which of these values is truly the most important to me in life? If I could only satisfy one of these values, which one would it be? The answer to this question is your number one value. Then move down the list and ask which remaining value is the next most important to you, and so on, until you've sorted the whole list in priority order.
- Success
- Wealth
- Adventure
- Learning
- Health
- Fun
These values in order become your Values Compass. Even though you may have a Destination (Vision) and a Map (Goals) and Steps (Clarity/Direction) to getting the career or life you want, this Values Compass builds awareness that may keep you heading in the right direction. You can be confident each step of the way by measuring, or filtering, each opportunity against these values to see if they are in line with your ultimate desires for your life. This values compass can be integral to overcoming obstacles also, but we will discuss more about that in another post.
Complete the exercise and reflect on where you are, where you want to be, and what steps you need to take between. Then, move as you follow your Values Compass to a better life.
Values List:
- Acceptance
- Accomplishment/Achievement
- Acknowledgement
- Adaptability
- Adventure
- Affluence
- Altruism
- Ambition
- Attractiveness/ Beauty
- Balance
- Belonging
- Charity
- Cleanliness
- Commitment
- Confidence
- Conformity
- Consistency
- Contentment
- Control
- Courage
- Curiosity
- Determination
- Devotion
- Dignity
- Directness
- Discipline
- Diversity
- Education
- Equality
- Experience
- Faith
- Family
- Financial independence
- Generosity/Giving
- Growth
- Happiness
- Health
- Holiness
- Honesty
- Honor
- Hospitality
- Humility
- Industry
- Integrity
- Intelligence/ Knowledge
- Justice
- Leadership
- Learning
- Liberty
- Logic
- Love
- Loyalty
- Making a difference
- Obedience
- Open-mindedness
- Optimism
- Order/Organization
- Originality
- Passion
- Patriotism
- Perfection
- Perseverance
- Philanthropy
- Power
- Professionalism
- Prosperity
- Punctuality
- Realism
- Reason/Reasonable-ness
- Recognition
- Recreation
- Refinement
- Reflection
- Relaxation
- Reliability
- Religiousness
- Respect
- Sacrifice
- Satisfaction
- Selflessness
- Self-reliance
- Sexuality
- Silliness
- Solitude
- Spirituality
- Strength
- Structure
- Success
- Support
- Tradition
- Trust/Trust-worthiness
- Truth
- Understanding
- Uniqueness
- Usefulness
- Wealth
- Winning
- Wisdom