The only difference between a good day and a bad day is YOU! My daughter has a sign on her front door that says: “Today Is a Good Day For Having A Good Day.” Do your best to keep upbeat, as cheerful as you can be to others, and open to good suggestions. Your Good Day can easily become a good day for anybody else you come into contact with!!
There seems lately to be a lot written about the term “Mindfulness.” I have read several pieces in Yoga journals, Prevention Magazine and even in Better Homes and Gardens. It makes me feel really deeply happy to see so many meaningful and well written articles about a method of relaxation and well being development that works, is free, and can really create a healthier lifestyle. As you know, this BLOG is titled “Skating Uphill” and sub-titled Living a Healthy Lifestyle and living mindfully is such a big part of that.
Oh, so what does Mindful mean? Well, I will elaborate more on this in future statements, but for all purposes in general, the word Mindful simply means that one lives in their moment. Do not dwell on the past for better or for worse, and do not worry about the future. Breathe, center and be right where you are.
I just read in a magazine that big changes are started with small thoughts. I am going to disagree with that. I think any changes are made with and start with small irritations. If something bothers you, you are apt to try to think of a way to change it. The more something bothers you the more apt you are to make bigger changes. Think about it. If something is really getting to you, what can you realistically do about it?
I know it has been a while since we last posted on this BLOG and for that I am really sorry. PINK Magazine has, of course, continued to publish and my articles have appeared monthly, but the BLOG has been sadly neglected. We are back in all categories, and we hope that you will try us out, or return if you were a regular. Again please accept apologies and Welcome Back!
Here are some more recipes from the Four Ingredient Cookbook that are fast and easy. Boy, time savers that are also tasty and do not look nearly as easy as they must be some kind of a gift, right?
Pineapple Coconut Sherbet
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Chocolate Express
Boy, is this ever GOOD!
Combine liqueur and gelatin in a blender container. Wait for 1 minute for gelatin to dissolve a bit then add hot coffee. Blend until gelatin granules are all dissolved. Add ice cream and blend until smooth and pour into four servers, custard cups, etc, and chill until set.
Obviously you can really make this with any ingredients to your own taste. Do watch proportions though.
As promised, here are a few more of the Four Ingredient Recipes from the book by Linda Coffee and Emily Cale. I have made a few additions and I hope you always do the same to modify recipes to your own personal taste.
Marinated Vegetable Salad
Meat and Bean Casserole
This is quick and easy and I use Morning Star Farms Ground Beef Crumbles
Sometimes something old makes a comeback and that is what happended to me. No, I did not get any younger, but I discovered, in a used book shop, one of those recipe books that have a certain number of ingredients.
This is a four ingredient book and I am passing on some of the recipes because this is something a bit different. Most recipes with a limited number of ingredients use packaged mixes and count that as an ingredient and that does not seem quite fair to me. This book, by Linda Coffee and Emily Cale, is not like that. It does not cop out. In fact, I found it quite clever. See what you think as I share a few recipes.
Cheese Rounds
Vienna Cocktail Sausages
Strawberry Yogurt Pie
All of these recipes are great and soooo easy. I will add more in the nest few days. Stay tuned!
Putting stuff on toast has become popular all of a sudden and boy, do I ever support that. Oh, of course there is a catch. Isn’t there always? Watch your toast-I am using Dave’s Killer Bread and putting avocado and goat cheese on it. Also try any spreadable cheese with any veg you like. For example, lo fat cream cheese with thin sliced cucumbers, or Laughing Cow Lite with chopped broccoli. also, you might like fruit better than veg. I know I do. I spread pineapple cream cheese, lite of course, with blue berries or grapes or strawberries or ….you get the idea??
Anyway, the message is-good idea but watch the toppings and watch the bread. Go for fresh in the toppings and high fiber, low fat on the bread you select.
Skating Uphill
By Judith Lawrenson
January Issue 2020
Is there such a word as “unmotivated?” I’m just wondering!
Last year, 2019, was very up and down for me. I do not mean just weight either. A week or so ago I was so unmotivated to look to the future that I took my 2019 resolution lists, yes, lists, and made the 1 into a 2 by putting a little curl on the top and made the 9 into a 0 by filling in the empty space up the side. Can you picture it? It now looks like I have made new resolutions on the 2020 totally unmodified lists. BTW I still have them shamelessly up on my fridge.
Well, times change, and something happened that actually got me motivated-Christmas! I love it and as soon as I went down to the basement to unpack my boxes, the world changed. I put up all of my stuff and loved it then went to California to see my daughter for a week, then came home and slowly over the period of a week, I put things away and had quite a good time doing it. I looked at everything, re-loved it, and saw it into its box. Strangely enough, that got me on the move. I checked out my old resolutions and still liked them so that was good. I figured I could just try it all again. I had stuff on the lists that were good resolutions: write letters, eat less white sugar, call my friends, etc. those are good things, right? So, I just kept them, and I am ultra-motivated to do them. You know what they say about the second time around, right?
Okay, that is one motivation done and I am really happy with that. Happiness means you have picked something good to be motivated about, you know. In fact, I believe that thinking about doing something that will make you happy is the best of all motivators. In truth, why would you not? So, let’s try to recall a happy time, or think about a new thing that we have seen or read about that perhaps is going to move the “happy bar.” I love to cook and take several cooking magazines and I am going to try to try something our of each one at least once a week. I do not think that sounds hard since I am always trying to think of something new to have. I always check for exotic ingredients first lest I get stuck in the middle or the recipe contains something expensive that the recipe needs ½ teaspoon of and I will never use it again. That criteria dealt with, sets give some new food a try. Motivation? Sure, eating pleasure and perhaps even compliments. I love compliments and consider them to be right up there with my top motivators.
This next one is one of those “If you can afford it” ideas. How about a little trip? It is pretty cold and ugly here in January so I was thinking a small cruise? You can actually go on week-end cruises for a smaller price than you would think. If you do not like to cruise, how about just a getaway? Sometimes one night in a hotel with a pool and spa can do wonders for your outlook. Other outlook improvers that can push that motivation button are very simple. Shop a little. I do not mean for clothing, I mean for a feel good thing. Giving of yourself can bring not just a good feeling, but actual JOY! Help someone, pet a dog, or better yet adopt one, do anything that makes you feel that you have given yourself a forward push and that it felt so good you want to do it again.
My greatest motivator is a very selfish one. I am in to my very own personal health and wellbeing. I feel sometimes that I am getting pretty old and those numbers are looking me stone cold in the eye. On the other hand, I don’t feel that I am done yet if you get what I mean. I can only go on to do more of the things that I want to do if I am fit and well enough to do them. I make myself go to the Dr. and get that flu shot and mammogram and talk about preventative medicine. I exercise and watch my weight. Perhaps that is my biggest battle, but not being able to breathe in my jeans for a whole day or having to lie on my back to zip up a pair of pants can motivate the hell out of both you and me!
Motivation is a funny, and very personal emotion. Sometimes it lasts and sometimes not, but if it is something that becomes a part of your life and value system, your original effort will be well worth it-I promise!