Small, Simple Gifts

Someone gave me a compliment today. I needed it, too. It was a cold, bummer day  and I had bad hair and the wrong outfit and a bunch of other stuff happening. Then, one of the ladies in my card group told me I loooked like I had lost weight. Boy, you can’t get a better compliment than that I don’t think. I battle weight daily and felt like I had lost 5 pounds right then and there.

Thanks, Barbara!!!

Leftovers-Ugh, Not Again, Honey!

Two things came together for me this Christmas and what a hit. I got a cookbook called “The One Peaceful World Cookbook” and I got a box of Harry and David pears. This is my own recipe but their picture and idea, so give it a try. It fits the quick, easy, and delicious criteria!! This recipe is so easy and has so few ingredients I am almost embarrassed to share it, except that I use it so often with huge success!

Ingredients

Pears, apple juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, corn starch, red wine (optional)

  1. Peel and slice the number of pears you need for your number of people. I guessed at 1 pear per person and we could have had more.
  2. Simply place the sliced, peeled pears in sweet (not the unsweetened kind) apple juice and add a little cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, and a little splash of red wine.
  3. The pears should not be completely covered by the juice as you will toss them a couple of times in the cooking process.
  4. Bake the pears at 350 until pretty soft-to your taste. Toss a few times in the process to be sure all of the slices are kept moist.
  5. Remove the pears to the dish you will use to serve then thicken the sauce with whatever you like. I use a bit of corn starch. Pour the sauce over the pears and serve either by themselves, with whipped cream, ice cream etc.  Yum, Yum

PS-This is NOT just for dessert!!

Women’s Groups

#Yes, We Can!  I know, I Know, we are pretty much hash tagged up these days, but I just wanted to have a word or two. I am not famous, not an actress, not a business woman trying to get ahead nor am I a single mom who has to keep her job no matter what. I have been in a field that has a low threat of sexual harassment and I have seldom been afraid of a man. I say seldom, not never.

The show of power lately among women has made me very proud of those who have come forward, but also fearful for them. I saw a woman on TV the other day who was one of the original Clinton accusers and she was intimidated, frightened, and yes, harassds repeatedly in both overt and covert ways the first of which was a job loss.

The rich and famous seem to simply go on. Meryl Streep “did not know” and many others say the same and get away with it. (#Eyes Closed, Ladies!)  Yet, they criticize  Ivanka Trump instead of championing her causes and respecting her courage. She praises Oprah and “they” again tear her to shreds. Boy, it is so difficult to even speak up with one’s opinion either way and that should NOT be. Where is our loyalty and understanding and compassion for the sisterhood?

Anyway, the purpose of this post is about a totally different empowerment of women. I am blessed to belong to a lovely Women’s Bible Study Group that meets monthly in members homes and let me tell you, we are our own tower of strength. We care for each other, trust each other, pray for each other and offer a place to simply vent when necessary. I could go on and on, but you tell me-do you belong to a group of women like this? If so, talk, or just think to your self,  a bit about its value to you.  Love, Judith

Quote from Mr. Rogers

Fred Rogers, yes the old Mr. Rogers Neighborhood Children’s TV show host, was a big hero of mine. I have many of the over 40 children’s books he wrote and a also a book of his writings and quotes. I frequently use them in things I write and say. This morning I liked:

“Peace means far more than the opposite of war,”     Fred Rogers

I ask you this morning to give this some thought. think about peace of mind, inner peace, freedom from fear, and even YOU sitting having a quiet moment in the tub, perhaps meditating for five minutes alone in a room with a lit candle, or my personal favorite when my kids were little: Going into the bathroom, closing the door, turning off the light, and taking 3 deep breaths. As a young mom, sometimes you get desperate, right?

Have a blessed day-Love, Judith

Now That’s a Really Good Question!

The other day a reader asked me why articles and nutritionists, and even Doctors keep recommending different things and often even totally revising or completely change recommendations. Well, the answer is that there is always new science in the nutrition and health areas just as anywhere else in fields where there is ongoing research.

The other thing I must say about this is that YOU may also be changing due to such factors as age, health, weight gain or loss, emotional condition etc. My advice is to keep reading and asking, of course, but also take care of/protect yourself. Don’t keep taking a medication just because it was prescribed five years ago. Let your Dr. know about any changes you may have so that he/she can better do their job. The same with side effects too. Watch it!

Do the same with foods. Watch fad diets or nutrition advice that does not seem right to you. Try something new, yes, but if anything disagrees with you stop at once. Allergies, believe it or not, may come and go. Be aware that you may eat something that has not bothered you before but may hit you big time out of the blue. Also you may have been allergic to something in the past that no longer bothers you.

Be very aware of your own mental and physical health. No one knows YOU like YOU and no one can read your mind. Watch it, and speak up!

Affirmation

“Finding our true self may be the work of a whole lifetime, but surely it is well worth the ongoing search. Are we not different people with each lesson learned, person loved, and trust upheld?”

The Uphill Skater

(Love, Judith)

And the winner is????

Ads for diet products are fast becoming as rampant on TV as almost anything. Honestly, Marie Osmond did good to loose all of that weight and I am happy for Jillian Michaels and all of those other skinny PELETON people, but would you like to know who is actually the best? Well, this is not an ad or an endorsement by any means, but the winner for the sixth year in a row is Jenny Craig. Don’t ask me why but I actually read that on a very reliable web site. By a large number of criteria, Jenny Craig was pronounced the best weight loss plan to use. So There!

After Christmas

It has been long enough for me to ask you the big Christmas Question: What was your favorite present and why?

Was it an item?

Was it homemade food/candy

Who was it from? Was that part of why it was a favorite?

I shared a favorite a couple of days ago, but here is another : It  was tickets-yes, tickets to an event., and it was a gift I gave, not a gift I received.  My husband had always wanted to see Celtic Thunder and lo and behold, the show came to a town near us. I grabbed up tickets ASAP and when he open them on Christmas he was thrilled. It is not often in this world of Pajama Gram, Harry and David, and WalMart that we are able to give a truly thoughtful gift and I did it.

Did you get or get something unique? What to share your story?

Love, Judith

Thought for the Day

“There are better things ahead than any we may leave behind.”

C. S. Lewis

So, what does this actually mean?  Personally, I think that it is a statement about hope. Boy, I’ll tell you what, without hope for a better future, life would be totally bleak. If you are having good days, hope for great days. If you are having great days, hope for greater days for more people, and on it goes. Can we actually pay it forward HOPE wise? Why, yes. Of course we can!

Love, Judith

Happy New Year

2018 is going to be even more eventful than 2017. Hard to believe? Well, trust me, it is true. No FAKE NEWS on this blog, ever. 

We have had a lovely morning and it has been such a great kick-off to the New Year that I wanted to share a thought with everyone:

Treasured and cherished gifts are often small and inexpensive. My favorite gift this Christmas was a cookie sheet from my daughter-in-law. She is frequently in my kitchen and she saw that my old cookie sheet was exactly that. It was so scared, burned, and bent that it was really not usable. It is gone now and, I hope, happy in old cookie sheet heaven. My NEW one has a non-stick surface-who knew? That tells you how bad the old one really had become. 

What was your favorite gift and why?