Live in the present moment

To a large degree，the measure of our peace of mind is determined by how much we are able to live in the present moment．Irrespective of what happened yesterday or last year，and what may or may not happen tomorrow，the present moment is where you are，always it is.

Without question，many of us have mastered the neurotic art of spending much of our lives worrying about a variety of things，all at once．We allow past problems and future concerns to dominate our present moments，so much so  that we end up anxious，frustrated，depressed，and hopeless．

On the flip side，we also postpone our gratification，our stated priorities，and our happiness，often convincing ourselves that ‘someday’ will be better than today．Unfortunately，the same mental dynamics that tell us to look toward the future will only repeat themselves so that "someday" never actually arrives.

John Lennon once said，‘Life is what’s happening while we’re busy making other plans．’When we’re busy making ‘other plans’，our children are busy growing up，the people we love are moving away and dying，our bodies are getting out of shape，and our dreams are slipping away．In short，we miss out on life.

Many people live as if life were a dress rehearsal for some later date.It isn’t. In fact，no one has a guarantee that he or she will be here tomorrow.Now is the only time we have，and the only time that we have any control over.When our attention is in the present moment，we push fear from our minds．Fear is the concern over events that might happen in the future，we won’ t have enough money，our children will get into trouble，we will get old and die，whatever．

To combat fear, the best strategy is to learn to bring your attention back to the present．Mark Twain said，‘I have been through some terrible things in my life，some of which actually happened．I don’t think I can say it any better .Practice keeping your attention on the here and now . Your efforts will pay great   dividends.

perfectly coiffed hair

Grammie Esther lived across the street from us, which Daddy hated but used to his advantage. When he was hip deep in a story for the paper, for example, he’d send us off to school and holler at our backs, “Make sure you go to Grammie’s right from the bus pola ba!”

Every time we did that, she’d stand on the front steps and smile at us like it was the first time it had ever happened. Grammie Esther had a lot to say about Daddy and his method of raising his daughters and when it was just the three of us, she leaned into her argument hard. She fussed over our hair and recombed it, braided it into plaits. She tucked our blouses firmly into our skirts, even though school was over and the point moot ecig accessory. She put on records and shooed us away from the television set, ushered us into the kitchen and stuffed us to the gills. She’d set down a plate of sweet potato biscuits and interrogate us about our day as we ate. Her kitchen was spotless, her utensils and pots and bowls shining and practically new. There was a whole spread of food when we walked through the door but not a single dirty spoon or pan to be found. Biscuits, pound cakes, platters of crisp fried chicken, bowls and bowls of greens, soups and stews, delicate little cookies that crumbled in your hand before your mouth could reach them, chocolate cakes with white icing, you name it and she would produce it for you. And when I say “produced” I mean literally- she would emerge from the kitchen with the plate and the item of your request piled high, brushing off your compliments with a swish of her perfectly coiffed hair hk company set up.

I would learn later that she didn’t make a lick of it, not a single thing. Grammie Esther raised three sons and saw all of them and her own husband through two great wars, worked the line at the phone company into her sixties, was the president of the local rotary for a notorious four month tenure of terror but her greatest accomplishment, by far, was that she perpetuated a lie of her good, from scratch Southern home-cooking for years and years. Her house smelled glorious, even on holidays, and there was plenty for everyone and a few nosy neighbors too but Grammie Esther had her hands in absolutely none of the making. To this day, and she’s been dead for many of them, nobody can suss out how she managed it, where it all came from (did she have a secret maid stashed in the pantry?) (a whole and operating bakery in the basement?) and how she avoided the knowing eyebrow raise of the other women in the neighborhood who could smell a store-bought pound cake from a mile away. What’s most amazing to me, even now, is how she managed to take food from away and make it feel like home.

Dates in the filling

I had every intention of making an applesauce pie. But a reader requested a Dutch apple pie, and I try really hard to deliver on all of your requests. So I pushed my applesauce plans aside and tried to go a more traditional route HKUE amec…

Which completely failed because I really can’t be traditional. I try, but nope!

As I was researching Dutch apple pie, I found a lot of pies with a traditional bottom crust and a crumbly top. Then I came across what I think is the true Dutch apple pie, which is made in a springform pan with a cake-like deep-dish crust mask house. Now I see what makes it special. But I haven’t figured out how to make that work without a lot of butter and gluten and eggs…yet.

But the idea of a crumbly-topped apple pie sounded scrumptious, so I made my own unconventional creation: Caramel Apple Crumble Pie!

Plantains in the crust. Dates in the filling. Oats in the crumble mvp 20w
Oh, and this pie is reminiscent of last week’s applesauce in one way…there’s apple juice in filling!

Plantain pie crust? My mind was a little blown when I came across this whole-wheat banana crust recipe from Happy Herbivore. Using a cold banana instead of cold butter, genius! Switching up the flours to make in gluten-free was easy. But instead of the underripe banana I used a ripe plantain, which is naturally firmer than a banana. It’s easy to roll out, sturdy to flip, and not chewy like an oat crust. Plus I’ve been wanting to work plantains into another dessert recipe ever since these brownies.>

Best ingredient though

Today, I’m giving you a recipe for cookies made with real, simple, natural HEALTHY ingredients. SO many basic adjectives, so much cookie goodness.

This is for all of my nutella lovers; I know who you are compass college. Well not exactly, but I do know what it’s like to have a nut butter obsession. The kind that makes it difficult to buy a jar because you can’t stop at one spoonful, or two, or even four. I need a NBSG (nut butter support group).

In my opinion, these cookies magically taste very similar to nutella except you don’t have to go out and buy a jar so that you have to worry about drowning in a sea of chocolate ecstasy with a side of guilt.

The truth is when I thought about these cookies, I was determined to track down some hazelnuts (thank you Trader J’s). Of course if you didn’t know, Nutella is made up of beautiful toasty hazelnuts Serviced apartment Sheung Wan. All you’ll need to do in this recipe is toast your hazelnuts in the oven for 10 minutes before making it into a creamy nut butter.

Of course instead of using refined sugar in my dough, I opted to use unrefined coconut sugar, which still contains many nutritious minerals and is all natural. There isn’t much else in these cookies: eggs, cocoa powder and chunks of dark chocolate for good melty measure.

Best ingredient though? Love DR-Max.

You can call them healthy nutella cookies but since I actually didn’t use any nutella, I opted for double chocolate hazelnut. Regardless of the name, they are amazing, chewy and easy to whip up. Plus, you get to add sea salt on top, and you know how I feel about that. AMAZINGGGGG.

The difference is stunning

Well this week has flown by.  My little boy has been sick for a few days, so my usual routine has been interrupted.  I absolutely don’t mind the interruption, and like having him home with me all day again, but I just hate it when my little ones are sick California Fitness.  Since he hasn’t been eating a whole lot (sore throat), I’m so thankful to have frozen broth at the ready for both the ease and the nourishment that it can give to him.  I guess this is as good a time as any to post this recipe, then.

Making broth isn’t a new concept, but it seems as though the foodie/health world has rediscovered it lately.  There’s a good reason for that.  Making broth is simple and it offers so many healthy benefits that store-bought versions simply do not.  They also taste so much better.  Make a homemade broth and then do a taste-test with a store brand.  I have.  The difference is stunning California Fitness.

For my beef broth, I start with finding some good, properly-raised beef.  You know I’m a grass-fed beef advocate.  So, I suggest you find some grass-fed beef bones (you’ll want a mix of marrow bones and some with a bit of meat on them) to make the healthiest, most nourishing broth possible.  Soup bones can easily be found at a good co-op or grocery store, your local butcher, or from the farmers market. They’re cheap.  Sometimes they’re even labeled “pet bones”– which is kind of odd.  But trust me, they’ll make a rich broth that you’ll love.

The other ingredients you likely already have at home– carrots, celery, onion, garlic, cider vinegar, and some dried or fresh herbs.  It’s a simple process that involves roasting the bones and vegetables first– to really amp up their flavors– then simmering on the stove for hours with water, herbs, and vinegar.  The vinegar is added to, supposedly, draw out some of the minerals from the bones California Fitness.  I’ve read conflicting information on this, but I finally decided that since I love the flavor it imparts, I’m going to go with it.  Simmer this broth as long as you can.  The longer you do, the more nutrients it will draw out of the bones.

The flavor will be good after three hours, or so– but shoot for 8 or even 24, if that’s a possibility for you. Also, after simmering for about 2-3 hours, I remove the bone with meat on it, and trim the cooked meat off. I put the bone back into the broth and save the meat to use another time. At this point it hasn’t been overcooked, but it has still added plenty of flavor to the broth already. If you don’t want to bother, just leave it in the broth for the duration of the time. As long as you hit that three-hour mark, the broth will taste amazing! Use it in soups like this Paprikash that is one of our family favorites. Fill your freezer up with both this beef broth and this chicken broth for quick, healthy soups this winter.

present wrapping

I am so happy it’s the holiday season! Well, I mean, now I am, after my annual early-December freak out last night over the stress that this month brings (my busiest work month, two birthdays and Christmas all wrapped up into one not-so-calm package). But now, with the freak out officially behind me, I am ready to dive into present wrapping and cookie baking!

I started the whole holiday baking shebang with these chocolate-dipped peppermint shortbread cookies. I’m a sucker for shortbread. No, really, I kind of can’t control myself around the stuff. I decided to give my favorite shortbread recipe a holiday twist by incorporating chocolate and peppermint. The twist worked beautifully. And now there are about 30 ridiculously-adorable and delicious cookies taunting me in my kitchen.

These cookies are peppermint perfection. Even though there is peppermint in every element of the cookie, the peppermint flavor is not overpowering. The shortbread, which has just a hint of peppermint, is then dipped in high-quality dark chocolate, also sporting that peppermint hint. Top it all off with crunchy peppermint pieces and you’ve got yourself a COOKIE, filled with flavors and textures that work together oh so nicely. And they look crazy cute!

In addition to these lovely cookies, I have some lovely dishes to share with you today, too! You all know how much I love Q Squared. Well, I love them even more now that their holiday dishes are out! When I put in my order for the Winter’s Eve collection, I knew the dishes would be cute but I was not prepared for how much I would love them once I saw the dishes in person. Serious love, people.

Today we are giving away a complete set of the Winter’s Eve collection from Q Squared! One randomly-selected winner will receive 1 large platter, 1 serving bowl, 6 dinner plates, 6 tapas plates and 1 coaster set. To enter, please do the following by midnight PT on Tuesday December 9, 2014 (prize must be shipped to a US address):

Good luck with the giveaway – I wish you could all win! And now for the recipe!

my manuscript

This weekend was exhausting. Although I love consulting, and enjoy the fact that I live a creative life without being chained to a desk five days a week, sometimes my flexible schedule means I have to work nights and long weekends. I wrote a lot this weekend, so much so that all I want to do is lie supine and not write. From finalizing the final draft of my novel for submission to creating recipes for a fun work project to writing positioning and marketing copy for an appliance and a new type of agency, I’m a little spent. Exhilarated for what’s to come, but spent. So apologies for the super short post. I did want to pop in and humbling thank everyone who sent me kind notes regarding the first chapter of my new book. I’ve been tethered to these characters for so long it feels as if I’ve been writing in a black box, a box so dark no light gets in. Imagine me putting on blinders after sharing 14 pages and getting such a warm reception, suggestions from friends on editors to whom my agent should submit

Thank you! Your fist pumps mean the world and back, and then some.

So don’t mind me as I lie on the floor, spooning this guacamole into my mouth.

INGREDIENTS: Recipe from The Oh She Glows Cookbook
2 medium avocados, pitted and roughly chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion (I nixed this as I don’t dig onions in my guacamole)
1 fresh mango, pitted, peeled, and finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped hulled strawberries
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped (optional)
1 to 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, to taste
Fine-grain sea salt
Corn/gluten-free chips, for serving

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, gently mash the avocado, leaving some chunks for texture. Rinse and drain the chopped onion (if using) in a strainer to wash off the sulfurous compounds. This makes the taste of the raw onion more pleasant. Fold the mango, strawberries, onion and cilantro (if using) into the avocado. Season with the lime juice and salt to taste.

Serve immediately with your favorite corn or pita chips. Avocado tends to spoil quickly, so leftovers won’t keep for longer than 12 hours or so. Makes 3 cups.
my manuscript, and virtual fist pumps.