So, if you’ve been with me the last few weeks, since the re-launch of this blog, then you know that I firmly believe in harnessing your inner strength, being flexible, and being the person you are meant to be. Yep, that’ me in a nutshell.
It hit me this morning as I was lying in bed listening to the rain pelt the trampoline outside my open window, that you haven’t really, and I mean really, seen the other facets of my personality. Could I possibly preach all the time? That would be a resounding, “Hell NO!” I have many other beliefs, joys and passions, not the least of which is cooking. So today, I wanted to share a recipe from my first novel, the one that went nowhere but taught me so much I owe it homage (crying uncontrollably, writhing in pain over THAT birthing). The name of the project is Feel Better Butter and someday I will go back and revise it with all that I have learned and try again to find a home for it - other than the file box underneath my desk - but for today I will share with you a little piece of it – the recipe for Feel Better Butter and a feel good snack. Don’t laugh! This is for real. I promise. And, you won’t regret it if you make your way into the kitchen to prepare the recipe.
Many thanks to Tyler Florence for being the inspiration for my butter recipe that morphed into a novel. Buddy, I’ll cook for you next time you make it to Atlanta!
Now, before I dive right into the recipe you need to understand the healing powers of some of its ingredients. 1) Rosemary helps in depression, muscle-relaxation, anxiety and calmness. I’ll bet you’re feeling better already. And 2) Lavender is used in treating various emotional problems like body relaxation during pain by acting as a cooling herb. These two healing herbs work together with other yummy, comforting ingredients to make the recipe for Feel Better Butter absolutely magical (Sarah Addison Allen…keep out, or call me).
Feel Better Butter
Ingredients:
1 qt. heavy cream
Zest of one orange
1 tsp. dried lavender (the culinary derivation)
1 tsp. dried rosemary
½ cup good honey
1 pinch salt
Method:
In a food processor bowl add all the ingredients and turn on high. The liquid will slosh, whip, then separate after about four minutes. When the mixture separates (these are the butter solids and buttermilk) stop processing and strain out the buttermilk (reserve the buttermilk for the fried chicken you will be making for dinner because you feel inspired to cook) – there should be just under a cup. Take out the butter and squeeze dry. Kneed the butter a bit to form a nice ball then refrigerate it until you are ready to use it. Easy enough, right? Thanks again, Tyler!
Butter is done; now let’s look at our pantry. Let me give you a little black bra insight – every time you go to the grocery you must purchase the following items: fabulous dark chocolate (not the cheap kind), a fresh toasty baguette, the best brie available, soft goat cheese, fresh fruit of your liking (I prefer pears and apples), and a bottle of your favorite wine. Hey, at least I didn’t tell you to buy snails. Any successful woman needs these staples in order to survive. Don’t believe me? Okay, next time you have a rough day toast up the following recipe, pour yourself a glass of wine, and snuggle up with a good book. You’ll see what I mean.
A Truly Feel Better Snack
Ingredients:
Toasty baguette
Brie
Dark Chocolate
Feel Better Butter (from above)
Method:
Cut baguette into 4 inch sections (if you are making for more than one person, otherwise, slice 4 inches for yourself and reserve the rest for tomorrow because you will want this again). Slice baguette in half cross-wise like you are making a hoagie. Spread open-face baguette with a generous helping of Feel Better Butter, then lay down the lovely chocolate squares, enough but not too many because it gets all sorts of messy, and on top of the chocolate lay ½ inch brie slices enough to cover the bread. Place the open face baguette on a piece of tin foil and put it in a 350 degree oven for approximately ten minutes or until it looks just perfect (you’ll know). If you can’t wait ten minutes, use the broiler but the bread won’t be as crunchy. I’m just sayin’. After you have waited ten minutes, you must wait another ten for this yummy goodness to cool unless you want to drip brie and melted chocolate on everything. I personally don’t mind a little mess. Enjoy!
So there you have a little light-hearted wisdom this Wednesday and a new recipe for a day when you really need it, or you just want it. It’s what makes me Unstoppable. Give it a try. Until tomorrow, I remain grateful you are with me on my journey.
Showing posts with label relief. Show all posts
Showing posts with label relief. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Wisdom Wednesday - Is Self-Defeat Defeating You?
Some days I can’t turn my face away from the ground. Life’s drama – too much work, too little time, too many “mommy, mommy, MOMMYs!” and nary enough hands or brains – oftentimes has me so afraid of “what ifs” that I can’t comprehend how to even pick up and do thing number one. How frustrating it is to wake up and know immediately that the few blessed hours you get in a day have already been eaten up with time commitments. It’s debilitating.
Self-defeat can be the first obstacle some of us have to overcome each day. Don’t think you fall into this category? I didn’t either until a memo citing some traits of self-defeating behavior crossed my desk. In shock, I, the self-sufficient learner-by-osmosis read the statement, “I don’t need help, I’ll figure it out myself.” Now wait a minute! That sounded just like me. But how is that self-defeating behavior?
At that moment I realized that not asking for help to learn or accomplish what I need to grow and thrive in life holds me back. Look at the wealth of knowledge I can access just by messaging someone on Facebook or Twitter – moms, writers, family, sitters, and business people like myself – all right there for the asking.
Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. – Helen Keller
In the face of unbelievable adversity, Helen Keller became the first deaf blind person to graduate from college. If she can experience such amazing achievement in her life, then what in the world could I have to worry about? It’s all relative. We all have our own personal hardships.
When I get out of sorts with misfortunes and the “to dos” of the day, I put on my project management cap and make a list. Though these lists are pretty darn long, at least the things that need accomplishing are on paper. It’s a start and something I have to do before I even know what I need help with.
Next, I prioritize. The key to getting things done in my life is knowing what to let go of. This all too critical stage of time structuring allows me the chance to take what I consider an emergency and imagine it being stricken with a sharp steel axe, chopped right out of my day. Okay, the visual is a little violent, but it works for me. The beautiful thing about the axe is that each day I must face a plethora of responsibilities: my day job, cleaning, laundry, cooking, WIP revisions, whatever “bad thing” must happen (this morning it was a coffee pot spewing coffee onto the counter vs. in the pot), and spending quality time with my little girl. The picture just became clearer to you, didn’t it? It’s impossible for me to imagine the dreaded axe chopping my daughter out of my day. To me, the image is grotesque, and like the reality, I could never allow it to happen.
Finally, I make the necessary cuts and ask for help where I need it. When faced with lengthy projects at work, a blog to write, and family in town yesterday I chopped out vacuuming the floors and running errands, and asked my mom to help by making dinner, so I could spend time with my little girl laughing, playing, and watching a movie. Not only did we get to bond, she got my full attention and lots of love and kisses and I got to see life through her eyes – much less serious and without drop-deadlines.
There may not have been a lot of sun in Atlanta today, but the sky was bright enough and we kept our heads up so the shadows remained out of sight. It made for another Unstoppable day.
Join the conversation. What are some difficulties you’ve faced lately? How do you prioritize? What are you willing to cut out of your day to make time for what’s important? What gives you strength and inspiration in the face of adversity? Do you ask for help when you need it?
I look forward to seeing you here tomorrow for Truth or Fiction Thursday. Until then, I remain Unstoppable.
Self-defeat can be the first obstacle some of us have to overcome each day. Don’t think you fall into this category? I didn’t either until a memo citing some traits of self-defeating behavior crossed my desk. In shock, I, the self-sufficient learner-by-osmosis read the statement, “I don’t need help, I’ll figure it out myself.” Now wait a minute! That sounded just like me. But how is that self-defeating behavior?
At that moment I realized that not asking for help to learn or accomplish what I need to grow and thrive in life holds me back. Look at the wealth of knowledge I can access just by messaging someone on Facebook or Twitter – moms, writers, family, sitters, and business people like myself – all right there for the asking.
Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. – Helen Keller
In the face of unbelievable adversity, Helen Keller became the first deaf blind person to graduate from college. If she can experience such amazing achievement in her life, then what in the world could I have to worry about? It’s all relative. We all have our own personal hardships.
When I get out of sorts with misfortunes and the “to dos” of the day, I put on my project management cap and make a list. Though these lists are pretty darn long, at least the things that need accomplishing are on paper. It’s a start and something I have to do before I even know what I need help with.
Next, I prioritize. The key to getting things done in my life is knowing what to let go of. This all too critical stage of time structuring allows me the chance to take what I consider an emergency and imagine it being stricken with a sharp steel axe, chopped right out of my day. Okay, the visual is a little violent, but it works for me. The beautiful thing about the axe is that each day I must face a plethora of responsibilities: my day job, cleaning, laundry, cooking, WIP revisions, whatever “bad thing” must happen (this morning it was a coffee pot spewing coffee onto the counter vs. in the pot), and spending quality time with my little girl. The picture just became clearer to you, didn’t it? It’s impossible for me to imagine the dreaded axe chopping my daughter out of my day. To me, the image is grotesque, and like the reality, I could never allow it to happen.
Finally, I make the necessary cuts and ask for help where I need it. When faced with lengthy projects at work, a blog to write, and family in town yesterday I chopped out vacuuming the floors and running errands, and asked my mom to help by making dinner, so I could spend time with my little girl laughing, playing, and watching a movie. Not only did we get to bond, she got my full attention and lots of love and kisses and I got to see life through her eyes – much less serious and without drop-deadlines.
There may not have been a lot of sun in Atlanta today, but the sky was bright enough and we kept our heads up so the shadows remained out of sight. It made for another Unstoppable day.
Join the conversation. What are some difficulties you’ve faced lately? How do you prioritize? What are you willing to cut out of your day to make time for what’s important? What gives you strength and inspiration in the face of adversity? Do you ask for help when you need it?
I look forward to seeing you here tomorrow for Truth or Fiction Thursday. Until then, I remain Unstoppable.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Wisdom Wednesday - How Do You Relax?
Okay, here it is, the very first installment of Wisdom Wednesdays. I am so excited to be able to share these special posts with you, because, at my heart, I've learned a lot and want to impart that wisdom on everyone who will listen (in this case, read). Are you laughing? Don’t we all want an audience for our opinions, knowledge, wisdom?
The world today is wrought with time-sucks. You know what a time-suck is, right? It's anything you have to do to get where you want to go. Traffic, for instance, is a time-suck. Albeit enjoyable, catching up on Facebook updates and Tweets can be a time-suck. Wrestling with a three year old who refuses to get dressed for "school" is most certainly a time-suck. So, after a day filled with the crazy that accompanies life and takes away any chance you may have to do a teensy-weensy something for yourself, when and how do you relax?
For me, it's all about getting up early and staying up late. Doesn't sound very relaxing, does it? But, those two things are actually on my "goals" for this year along with a closing statement...Take Care of Myself!
When I get up early I use that time to enjoy my favorite coffee, watch the sun light up the houses across the street, I catch up on FB and Twitter without interruption. It's a wonderful time for me.
Staying up late often allows me to wear my stress-relieving mask (yes, the same goo-filled doohickey you've seen at the drugstore), watch grown-up television, and maybe even, God bless, paint my toenails.
Do you see a theme emerging? Taking care of myself is an important part of Emerging Unstoppable in 2011. They are little things that to anyone else may seem trivial, but to me these are major accomplishments, a part of my happiness that cannot be lived without.
When and how do you relax? Do you take good care of yourself? Share with the group the times and ways that help you stay Unstoppable and every person who comments between midnight March 2nd and midnight March 3rd will be entered into a drawing to win The Unstoppable Coffee Mug (or another available Unstoppable product of your choice).
The world today is wrought with time-sucks. You know what a time-suck is, right? It's anything you have to do to get where you want to go. Traffic, for instance, is a time-suck. Albeit enjoyable, catching up on Facebook updates and Tweets can be a time-suck. Wrestling with a three year old who refuses to get dressed for "school" is most certainly a time-suck. So, after a day filled with the crazy that accompanies life and takes away any chance you may have to do a teensy-weensy something for yourself, when and how do you relax?
For me, it's all about getting up early and staying up late. Doesn't sound very relaxing, does it? But, those two things are actually on my "goals" for this year along with a closing statement...Take Care of Myself!
When I get up early I use that time to enjoy my favorite coffee, watch the sun light up the houses across the street, I catch up on FB and Twitter without interruption. It's a wonderful time for me.
Staying up late often allows me to wear my stress-relieving mask (yes, the same goo-filled doohickey you've seen at the drugstore), watch grown-up television, and maybe even, God bless, paint my toenails.
Do you see a theme emerging? Taking care of myself is an important part of Emerging Unstoppable in 2011. They are little things that to anyone else may seem trivial, but to me these are major accomplishments, a part of my happiness that cannot be lived without.
When and how do you relax? Do you take good care of yourself? Share with the group the times and ways that help you stay Unstoppable and every person who comments between midnight March 2nd and midnight March 3rd will be entered into a drawing to win The Unstoppable Coffee Mug (or another available Unstoppable product of your choice).
Don't forget, if you're not already a follower, Follow me now. Just click on the Follow button on the top of the page and follow the instructions (I must find another way to word this).
Until tomorrow, I remain,
Unstoppable
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