Joie de Vivre Lifestyle

Coffee Spanish Torrijas

2012-03-11T08:32:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:

1 (14 oz.) can Sweetened Condensed Milk, divided
1/3 cup strong brewed coffee, plus 4 tsp., divided
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 to 3 tablespoons butter
1 (6 oz.) loaf French bread, cut into 16 (1/2-inch) slices
Ground cinnamon

Instructions:

HEAT oven to 250°F. Place small baking sheet in oven.
WHISK together 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk, 1/3 cup coffee and vanilla in large bowl. Whisk egg in medium shallow bowl until blended.
HEAT 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium heat. Dip one bread slice at a time in milk mixture, then in beaten egg, turning to coat both sides. Place 5 to 6 slices in heated skillet. Cook until browned, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Place on baking sheet in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining slices adding more oil as needed.
COMBINE remaining sweetened condensed milk and 4 teaspoons coffee in small bowl to make topping. Drizzle topping over warm bread slices just before serving. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
For a citrus topping, stir 1 teaspoon lime juice and 1/4 teaspoon grated lime peel into topping.

Yield: 6-8 servings / Prep Time: 10 Minutes / Cook Time: 5 Minutes

(reblogged from CakeSpy.com)

Bollywood Breakfast

2012-03-04T07:07:00.000-08:00

An Indian Breakfast (reblogged from What's For Lunch Honey)

Bollywood Cooking: Spicy Egg and Mushroom Roll & Masala Chai

Indians love their breakfast. Each region of India has a marvelous variety of hot and cold dishes to start the day. Although in the modern cities today, with most family members working, breakfast has usually come to mean a simple sandwich or increasingly cornflakes, you will still find many families enjoying a hot breakfast every morning.

The south offers steaming hot rice cakes called idlis and pancakes called dosas. These are served with an assortment of colorful relishes made with coconuts, mangoes or hot chillies.
In Bombay (Mumbai) spiced rice slivers called pawa are cooked with onions, potatoes and green peas to provide a nutritious start to the day.

The north provides big hearty breakfasts. As farming is the main occupation of the people living here, breakfasts need to be more robust. Housewives and mums will serve their families different varieties of stuffed bread called parathas, which is accompanied with a refreshing relish and washed down with cooling lassi

Other popular dishes include fried bread served with spiced potatoes - the classic puri-bhaji, scrambled eggs and omelettes made with spices, potatoes and onions and served with flat breads or porridge made from cracked wheat or oats and served either sweetened with sugar or accompanied by hot spicy pickles.

And, not forgetting fresh fruit. Mangoes, papayas, watermelon, sapotas (chikoo in Indian), pomegranate, apples and many other types of fruit are always served at breakfast, making an excellent start to the day.

Although tea is the more common drink in many parts of India, in the south of India, coffee is the caffeine provider of choice. Many people buy the beans raw and roast them at home. Both tea and coffee are flavored with aromatic spices like cardamom, cinnamon, ginger or nutmeg.

I remember when we would visit my grandparents in New Delhi, indulging in the breakfasts prepared by my grandma was always the highlight of each day.

The day for my grandparents would begin early - at 5 AM. Once, I was about 9 or 10, I too decided to get up early and accompany my grandparents on their early morning ritual, when the rest of the family were still fast asleep. My granddad and I collected two steel containers from the kitchen and set out on the short walk to the milk depot, where every morning fresh milk was delivered. My grandfather, tall and elegant, personified a respectful figure in the community and was greeted by everyone we passed.

"Sasriakal, Bhagwan Singhji!" (Good morning, Bhagwan Sigh sir). Even his name matched the names of Gods. See, in Hindi/Punjabi Bhagwaan means God! I was always left in awe of him. He was my idol in every way.

As we arrived at the depot there were already a few people lined up, waiting for the cracked wooden doors to open. In the meantime, important chit-chat and small talk was made.

Returning home, we delivered the fresh milk to my grandma and her house-help in the kitchen, both busy with the preparations of breakfast. My granddad poured himself a large glass of the white liquid in one of the steel glasses and gulped it down in one go. That gave me the shudders as I never was the one to drink pure milk. He looked down at me, wiping the remains from his white beard and mustache.

"Come, it's time to go to the Gurdwara."

The clock had just struck six and my granddad, grandma and me quickly washed ourselves and walked to our temple. I loved going to the Gurdwara and still do whenever I visit my parents. I would look up at the pictures of our Gurus in awe, then looking at my grandfather I would smile with pride. The resemblance to our Guru Nanak Dev was uncanny.

As we got home it was still quiet around the house. My grandfather would sit on the porch and unfold his daily newspaper. Our house-help brought him a cup hot masala tea and few biscuits. It was almost seven and breakfast was not going to be ready for another hour. As I joined my grandma in the kitchen, she was busy kneading dough for fresh bread. The house-help was cutting steamed potatoes for the stuffing and I got to lay the table.

Just after eight the larger part of the family was seated at the table. My cousins, my aunts and uncles, mum and dad - all visiting from the US or Qatar gathered around to enjoy a wonderful traditional Indian breakfast. Stuffed bread, eggs, relishes, tea, milk, yogurt and fruit was plentiful and the chatter was lively. Glancing at my grandparents, I saw them nod and smile at each other, wordlessly they both knew what the other was thinking.

To honor two of my favorite people and to the memories of those wonderful times, I would like to serve you a lovely Indian breakfast.

Spicy Egg and Mushroom Roll

Ingredients

6 large eggs - beaten
Salt and pepper
Canola oil
1/2 teaspoon black cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
150 g mushrooms - I used button mushrooms - sliced
Fresh cilantro leaves - chopped

Method

Season the beaten eggs with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a heavy pan add the oil and heat. Add the cumin seeds and fry till they change color and spread a wonderful aroma.

Add all the spiced powders and then immediately add the mushrooms. Stir until the mushrooms have softened. Remove from heat and reserve.

Using a kitchen paper towel wipe the pan. Pour about a quarter of the beaten egg in a thin layer, swirling it around to even it. Once it turns golden at the bottom, flip it over and cook the other side. Keep warm and make the rest of the omelets in the same way.

Season the mushrooms with salt (adding salt to the mushrooms earlier makes them watery). To assemble the egg roll, place an omelet on a serving dish. Spread a quarter of the mushroom mixture down the middle. Sprinkle with cilantro leaves and fold both sides to make a roll.

Serve warm with toasted bread or a typical Indian flatbread (coming soon) and hot masala tea as below.

Indian Masala Chai

Tea in India is often flavored to provide a variety or to make it more healing. Brewing for fragrance and flavor, you will often be served tea with many spices and herbs. Generally, Indian tea is made by boiling the tea leaves in water and adding milk to the saucepan before it is taken off the heat. You will never see an Indian adding cold milk to their tea, as it reduces the temperature of the tea and also leaves the milk "uncooked".

Ingredients

4 small pieces fresh ginger - crushed
4 shavings nutmeg
2 cinnamon sticks
4 green cardamom pods - lightly crushed
5-7 teaspoons good quality black tea leaves
Dash of milk
Pinch of sugar

Method

In a small pot bring about 4-5 cups of water to a rolling boil. Add the ginger and the spices to the water and reduce the heat. Simmer for approx. 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and add the tea leaves. Let it steep for 5 minutes. Bring the pot back to the heat and add a dash of milk and sugar. Warm through making sure that the liquid does not boil again. This turns the tea leaves bitter.

Using a strainer, strain the brewed tea into a teapot. Enjoy hot!

Verdict

In my little family our breakfast ritual is normally reserved for the weekend. Then Tom and Soeren go down and lay the table and go to the bakery for fresh bread. In the meantime I will cook up breakfast. Whatever the craving might be. Scrambled eggs, omelets, French toast or just boiled eggs with cheese and a variety of spreads like fruit jams and honey. Sometimes, I go back to my roots and cook up a nice Indian breakfast like this. It satisfies my desire to get in touch with my roots and also takes me back down memory lane. Tom and Soeren thoroughly enjoy this kind of breakfast. Different to the usual Continental breakfasts, this is spiced and flavorful. At our table there is also chatter - about what's on schedule for the weekend. I can't help but sit back, sipping my masala tea and hope that my grandparents are looking down on us, smiling and nodding at each other knowingly.

Happiness is as happiness does

2012-02-27T12:56:00.000-08:00

We all want happiness. Its pursuit was deemed so vital an ‘unalieable’ right by our founding fathers that they penned it into our country’s charter. But what exactly is this thing called happiness? How can you describe it? How can you quantify it? These questions and more exist at the core of Positive Psychology, or the Science of Happiness.

The preponderance of 20^th Century psychology has dealt with the “disease model” of the mind, focusing on what makes human beings mentally unhealthy. Abraham Maslow’s “self-actualization” brought attention to qualities of the optimal experience. But it wasn’t until 1998 that happiness became a focus of study, when Martin Seligman delivered an address to the American Psychological Association, calling for his colleagues’ return to the roots of their discipline, identifying and realizing what makes for an extraordinary human life experience.

Their subsequent work has produced findings many consider surprising. For instance, most blue-collar working folk are as happy as rich people, and teenagers from working class families describe themselves as happier than teenagers from affluent families. Surveys in many countries conducted over decades indicate that, on average, happiness levels have not increased over the last four decades, despite significant increases in real income per capita.

Research bears out that once your basic needs are met, additional income does little to raise your sense of life satisfaction. Same goes for education, weather and youth. Even spending time with the kids failed to top the charts. When it comes to marriage, “it’s complicated.” Married people tend to be happier than singles, but it is suggested that may be because they were happier to begin with. As for success, it has been concluded that happiness brings success, not the other way around

The Road to Happyville

So what then makes us happiest? Faith, family friends. In a world where so many of us relate electronically it is noteworthy that Positive Psychologists stress the importance of social skills and support through close interpersonal ties, however those are cultivated.

After reading a dozen or so self-proclaimed definitive “Top #” lists promising the keys to the happiness kingdom, here is what they collectively boiled down to when it comes to how to get happy. (put in c’mon get happy vid here)

gratitude
acts of altruism
relationships, emotional intimacy... and forgiveness
meaningful vocations or avocations. getting involved in something bigger than yourself
savoring the present moment
meditation

So are there any benefits to this happiness business above and beyond the obvious? Plenty. Happiness seems to have nearly magical properties. Just as stress can trigger ill health, so can friendship and happiness have a salubrious effect. The current science suggests it leads to longer life, better health, greater resilience and improved performance in most pursuits. It can add 9 years to life... that’s 3 times as many years as the increase in life expectancy associated with quitting smoking!

And the best news of all? It’s highly contagious!

What makes you happy? Please share your thoughts and joy on Facebook.

The love affair that never ends

2012-02-13T10:50:00.000-08:00

"True love stories never have endings."
~Richard Bach

I jumped out of bed at 5am prepared to be productive and professional... (all right, those who know me... no snickering at the 'professional' part)

I am in week 2 of my Monday host duties with Women as Visionaries and had every intention of blogging as pre-planned on the topic of each individual's distinct, intrinsic, and indiminishable value. But...
I got a bit sidetracked...
by Valentine's Day.
[Did any of you just sigh or roll your eyes?]

The commercial promotion of the 'day of love' as well as the searing reminder that one does not have a love interest with whom to share it.... or perhaps not the 'one' for whom he or she yearns most... has caused not a little in the way of tears, melancholy and pathos in general... not to mention many a Top 40 hit. But even though I have had very little true romance in my own life and am not in a romantic relationship at present, I absolutely relish Valentine's Day. To me it represents the opportunity to express love to all... not just the one.

Remember as a grade schooler, how you would give out Valentine's to the whole class? That is the kind of Valentine attitude I share and celebrate -- a recognition and appreciation of everyone in my sphere whom I adore. To me the day serves as a reminder to pause for a moment, and thoughtfully regard our loved ones with an eye to why we care about them so deeply -- and what makes them so unique and indispensable to us.

Even more thrilling is the thought that at that very moment someone somewhere is thinking the same of you. You are unique to someone. You are indispensable. You are loved!

And why? It is so beautifully simple.
Because you are you. ♥

Vision's fine line

2012-02-06T09:55:00.000-08:00

Each Monday in February I will be serving as 'host' for the new InJoy series on the Facebook pages run by Woman as Visionaries, with Lore Raymond. The activity looks to afford opportunities to glean inspiration, share ideas, make some lovely new connections, and hopefully learn a thing or two. As a nod to the overall theme, my focus topic during the month is EnJoying Who You Truly Are. In considering how to approach the project, I began by regarding the audience to whom I'd be speaking -- visionaries.

These days, if you say the word visionary what most often comes to mind is someone like Steve Jobs... or for a SoCal kid like me, Walt Disney. These were men who saw beyond the limitations of what had been deemed the way to do things up until any given moment. They saw what was possible... and determined to make it not only doable, but practical. In so doing, they have left not only laudable personal legacies, but they grew successful businesses that have thrived after their passing, and helped create products that delight millions of fans... many of whom are willing to wait in long lines in order to be a part of the magic these men have made real.

Interestingly, shrewd businesses accumen and fiscal forecasting do not rank highly on the definitions of the word they exemplify.

The dictionary offers this:

vi·sion·ar·y [vizh-uh-ner-ee] adjective, noun, plural -ar·ies.

adjective 1. given to or characterized by fanciful, not presently workable, or unpractical ideas, views, or schemes: a visionary enthusiast. 2. given to or concerned with seeing visions. 3. belonging to or seen in a vision. 4. unreal; imaginary: visionary evils. 5. purely idealistic or speculative; impractical; unrealizable: a visionary scheme.

noun 7. a person of unusually keen foresight. 8. a person who sees visions. 9. a person who is given to audacious, highly speculative, or impractical ideas or schemes; dreamer.

If this term is so closely related to flights of impracticable fancy... to that which is unreal and imaginary, why then do we admire and strive to emulate people who we describe as visionary? Is it not because of their pioneer spirit... can-do attitude... willingness to take risks... and unflagging belief in the practicality of industrious magic.... as born out time and again by their proven successes?

People such as these show us that successful business need not just be about making a buck. It can be about making a difference.... even making people happy!

Enter the New Year Dragon

2012-01-23T17:56:00.000-08:00

As as child I questioned why New Year's day fell on January 1st, while Spring is the season of new birth. It just never quite quite made sense to me. I was delighted to learn that in China, New Year's is known as the "Spring Festival". Like Carnival in the West, it marks the end of the winter season.

Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays and has been observed for over 5000 years. The festival begins on the first day of the first Chinese month Zhēngyuè, in pinyin. The festivities end with the Lantern Festival on the 15th day. Whereas New Year’s Eve in the West is often celebrated as a time for single adults and couples to get dressed to the nines for an evening of Champagne, dance and an amorous moment at midnight, the Chinese celebrate their Eve by getting together for dinner with family.

The menu includes foods that are associated with wealth, happiness and good fortune, including pig, duck, chicken and sweets. During this rowdy meal, family members, especially the younger ones, are often given red envelopes that contain money in even numbers that reflect good luck and honor. Adult gifts usually include oranges, cakes, cookies, chocolates, candies, and so on. The evening concludes with fireworks, which, incidentally, originated in China.

As part of the 2 week plus event, the family will thoroughly clean their house in order to sweep away ‘ill-fortune’ to make way for good fortune. Windows and doors are then decorated with red paper cut-outs conveying the standard themes of wealth and long life.

The origin of Chinese New Year itself is based on myth and centuries-old tradition. Chinese New Year is celebrated in countries and territories with significant Chinese populations, as well as in Chinatowns worldwide, most notably stateside, in San Francisco.

The East is big in the West

The San Francisco Chinese New Year celebration began in the 1860's during the Gold Rush era and is now the largest event of its kind outside of Asia. The festivities include two major fairs, the Chinese New Year Flower Fair and Chinatown Community Street Fair, all which culminate in their official parade, which is named among the world’s top ten parades.

Highlights include elaborately decorated floats, marching bands, martial arts demonstrators, stilt walkers, lion dancers, Chinese acrobatics, the year’s Miss Chinatown USA and the piece de resistance, the Golden Dragon -- a 200+ feet long ‘costume’ with a 6’ head. It is trimmed with rainbow pompons, colored lights and white rabbit fur. Made of bamboo and rattan skeleton, it requires a team of 100 men and women to carry the Golden Dragon. The dragon’s grande finale appearance is accompanied by 600,000 firecrackers.

For those of us who have either not quite gotten around to our new year’s resolutions, or may have perhaps already abandoned them, this colorful celebration of Spring and its promise offers renewed hope and expectation around the world.

"Selfish" Recipes

2012-01-17T22:58:00.000-08:00

January is the month of resolutions... most of which tend to fall under the category of 'self-help'.... so in that vein we offer the following self-centered recipes from The Delicious Miss Dahl

The BBC's "Sophie Dahl revels in the joy of cooking for one on a purely selfish day." Simply click on the dish of your choice below for the full recipe and instructions.

Arnold Bennett omelette

Buffalo mozzarella bruschetta with shaved fennel and courgette

Roasted halibut with spinach and watercress sauce, healthy sweet potato chips and wild mushrooms

Peanut butter fudge

Rich chocolate pots with brandy-soaked cherries

Dirty martini

Bon appetit, and enjoy your fun for one!

Eek! a Bat!

2011-12-28T13:38:00.000-08:00

.... and other Bavarian traditions
by Joie de Vivre

One of these days I am going to realize my dream of spending New Year's Eve waltzing at the Kaiserball in Vienna, groggily and begrudgingly awakening the next day only to attend a performance of Die Fledermaus.

But this year, as I will be wishing you all Glückliches Neues Jahr from a different continent and warmer clime, I will share just a bit of these charming year-transitioning customs with you from sources in the know.

Kaiserball

"Austria has one of the most glamorous of New Year’s celebrations. At the Imperial Ball, a tradition of the Hapsburg dynasty that has continued for hundreds of years, dancers wear white gowns and black jackets. At midnight, “The Blue Danube,”is played. The Strauss operetta, “Die Fledermaus, is performed each New Year’s Day. Celebrants dine on suckling pig – considered good luck. The tables are often decorated with candy pigs. Children pour molten lead into a tub of water. A soothsayer then reads the shape of the lead. It is considered bad luck to find that your lead resembles an old woman." [listverse.com]

Die Fledermaus

"Austrians have a long tradition of welcoming the New Year with a performance of DIE FLEDERMAUS operetta (1874) by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss, Jr. (1825-1899). Musical sentiments like "Glücklich ist, wer vergisst, was doch nicht zu ändern ist..." ("Happy is he who forgets what can't be changed...") and the story of a masquerade ball make this popular Operette appropriate for the New Year. Besides the annual New Year's Day performance, both Vienna's Volksoper and Staatsoper offer more performances of the most popular of Strauss' operettas in January. A New Year's performance of DIE FLEDERMAUS ("The Bat") is also a tradition in Prague, in neighboring Czech Republic, as well as in many other parts of the world. English versions of DIE FLEDERMAUS by John Mortimer, Paul Czonka and Ariane Theslöf, or Ruth and Thomas Martin (and other translators) are performed frequently in the US and other English-speaking countries." [german.about.com]

From the New Years Day concert 2010 in Vienna

Merry Textmas!

2011-12-24T09:41:00.000-08:00

Someone just texted me a holiday message by mistake... they got the wrong number... and that got me thinking....

How many people are there out there who could use a little extra love today?
And so I decided to start sending a bit of holiday cheer to random numbers anonymously. Here is what I quickly wrote... it's not Shakespeare, but it is heartfelt:

"Just sending you a little love and gratitude for all the ways you bless and care for the people in your life. You have no idea what a blessing you are, but you make the world a better place. Merry Christmas, a secret admirer xo"

Those of you who have unlimited texting, will you join me in sending some comfort and joy to a stranger? Thank you, bless you and Merry Christmas!

A Whole Lotta Noggin'

2011-12-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

I searched high, I searched low, I searched the internet.... for the best gosh-darned egg nog known to man. Here's the winter winner...

1958 EGGNOG
from a Times article by Craig Claiborne

Ingredients

12 eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup bourbon
1 cup Cognac
½ teaspoon salt
3 pints heavy cream
Grated nutmeg
1 to 2 cups milk (optional)

Directions

In an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until thick.
Slowly add the bourbon and Cognac while beating at slow speed. Chill for several hours.
Add the salt to the egg whites. Beat until almost stiff.
Whip the cream until stiff.
Fold the whipped cream into the yolk mixture, then fold in the beaten egg whites. Chill 1 hour.
When ready to serve, sprinkle the top with freshly grated nutmeg. Serve in punch cups with a spoon.
If desired, add 1 to 2 cups of milk to the yolk mixture for a thinner eggnog.

Makes about 40 punch-cup servings.

* * *

DIABETIC OPTION
Serves 6

Ingredients

5 1/2 cups skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (1 1/2 ounce) box sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
3 1/4 tablespoons Splenda sugar substitute
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

In a large bowl, combine vanilla and milk
In another bowl, combine the dry pudding mix, sweetener, and nutmeg
Whisk the dry mix into the milk mixture until smooth. Refrigerate until serving

NOTE: Diabetic exchange is for one cup: 1 skim milk and 1/2 starch; 17 g. carbs.

The Merchant of Venus

2011-11-28T12:46:00.001-08:00

A drama about a pound of flesh

by Joie de Vivre

I ate whatever I wanted on Thanksgiving day... and the day after.... and the day after.

That's how long it took to go through all the leftovers :)

I also gained weight.

I may be making a great assumption here, but I am going to guess I am not the only person in America to have done so. I am also going to go out on quite the long limb by saying that I imagine there is a slew of holiday revelers who are kicking themselves, if not starving themselves, in the festivities' aftermath.

They have vowed to stop eating for the rest of the year. Gotta fit into that little black NYE dress. After all, they fought long and hard for it on Black Friday, having to camp out all night at the mall and dodge the random stream of pepper spray.

But ya know what.... it's just weight. Our physical pounds may come and go.. or come and keep on coming at times. But the goodwill and delightful memories we keep from our holiday revelings stay with us long after the calories have been burned off. Plus, if you washed enough Thanksgiving dinner dishes you may have burned them off already!

Is it really worth letting a few excess pounds of flesh take away our joy this season? Or can we resolve to enjoy ourselves and one another during this sweet time of year. There will be plenty of opportunities to drop those pounds, and to look at every circumstance during the holiday frenzy as a chance to live the axiom of 'peace on earth, good will toward men".

Next time you can't find a parking spot close to the shop door, smile -- you get to expend a few more calories. Is there a person in a rush behind you in the checkout line? Why not make their day and let them go ahead of you? What a lovely holiday gift to offer a stranger, your time, your attention and your respect.

You will never appear lovelier than when you share love and kindness. Your smile and thoughtfulness will get those 'likes' and kind comments on the holiday Facebook photos you post far faster than if you focused on acquiring a rocket body and neglected those who love you.

You can lose the weight -- promise.

So go celebrate life with those you love. It will put roses in your cheeks and a spring in your step.. and you will look beautiful.

Home is in their their hearts

2011-11-16T09:21:00.001-08:00

November is National Homeless Children's Awareness month -- and an opportunity to share some holiday cheer with a segment of the population who often go unnoticed during these seemingly unstable times.

60 Minutes reports "One of the consequences of the recession that you don't hear a lot about is the record number of children descending into poverty...... it is estimated the poverty rate for kids in this country will soon hit 25 percent. Those children would be the largest American generation to be raised in hard times since the Great Depression... In Seminole County, near Orlando, FL, so many kids have lost their homes that school busses now stop at dozens of cheap motels where families crowd into rooms, living week to week."

Despite the dire statistics, there is reason to take heart. According to Elle Hart-Shegos (in a report prepared for the Family Housing Fund):

While research on homeless children paints an overwhelmingly bleak picture of their current and future status, there is hope that with early and consistent intervention strategies, children can learn to overcome many of the detrimental effects of their poverty and homeless experiences. A local study of homeless children conducted by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) noted that some homeless children were succeeding academically despite highly challenging situations. In their efforts to collect information directly from homeless parents, CURA found that parents typically are “quite concerned about their children and value education as the most important need of their children beyond the survival basics of shelter, food, and clothing.”

When CURA analyzed what practices contributed to the success of these children, they noted:
• parental closeness with their children and involvement in children’s education;
• high-quality relationships with teachers in special intervention support programs;
• one-to-one relationships between tutors and children; and
• relationships with competent and caring adults.

It is clear that the problem of child homelessness is not a quick fix. But there are ways that we as individuals can do something to feel part of the solution. Please visit Shared Treasure Hunt if you would like to participate in a one-to-one child-to-child activity that offers young people the opportunity to help children less financially fortunate to have a happy holiday. The treasures and toys shared may wear out over time, but the blessings and lessons shared will last a lifetime.

Pint-sized Pirates Commandeer the Holidays

2011-11-03T20:07:00.000-07:00

Kids share treasures with homeless counterparts in philanthropic adventure

by Joie de Vivre

The costumes have been put away, pumpkins smashed, and sugar rushes survived, but kids across the country are being called on to indulge their inner Jack Sparrow once again in search of treasure.

Conceived and created on a spur-of-the-moment whim, Shared Treasure Hunt is a not-remotely-for-profit entity designed to aid homeless children while teaching more fortunate children the value of philanthropy.

Here be a Piece of 8 medallion
for our little scallywags to wear with pride,
as a show of their participation.
SImply print it out (perhaps reinforced
with cardboard backing) and attach
to any chain, ribbon, string etc. Voila!
An instant custom STH pirate necklace

As our first show of piracy, our fledgling do-gooder group is staging a Black Jack Friday event, on November 25, 2011. Children are invited to participate by collecting 21 items (hence the ‘black jack’ tie-in) to be delivered to a homeless child the day after Thanksgiving.

The hope is that the recipient will be awed and grateful, the participating scallawag will feel warm and tingly inside while learning a valuable life lesson, and all involved will enjoy the opportunity to do something a little different than just camping out at the mall.

Any child, or anyone who knows a child, is invited to join in the jolly holiday fun. There is no cost, though the investment in goodwill may be substantial.

For more information, or just to use the “what’s my pirate name” link, visit Shared Treasure Hunt on Facebook.

Ghoulish Halloween recipe for the adults: Brain Hemorrhage Cocktail

2011-10-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

Feed your inner Hannibal Lecter with this delightfully diabolical concoction

Ingredients:
1 ounce of peach schnapps or strawberry schnapps
1 teaspoon of Baileys Irish Cream
2 drops of grenadine.

TO CREATE THE BRAIN -- Pour the schnapps of your choice into a chilled shot glass. Slowly pour in the teaspoon of Baileys Irish Cream. Do not mix!

TO CREATE THE HEMORRHAGE -- After the cream clumps together, add the drops of grenadine over the brain. Then enjoy your hemorrhage!

Ghosts in the Graveyard Halloween Dessert

2011-10-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

3 cups cold milk
2 pkgs Jello chocolate instant pudding
15 Oreo cookies
3 cups thawed Cool Whip
3 Vanilla cream cookies
Red decorating gel
1/2 cup Cool Whip (for ghosts)
Candy pumpkins and candy corn

Directions:

Whisk the milk and Jello pudding mix together until smooth. Set aside and let it set for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, crush the Oreo cookies in a plastic bag using a rolling pin.
Once the pudding has set, fold in the Cool Whip topping. Add 1/2 the bag of crushed cookies and mix in gently.
Pour the mixture into a 9" x 13" pan and sprinkle the remaining cookie crumbs over the top, covering the entire area. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
Use the red decorating gel to outline gravestones on the 3 vanilla cream cookies.
Take the chilled dessert out of the fridge and place your gravestone cookies into the dessert. Add dollops of Cool Whip to resemble some ghosts and finish off with candy pumpkins and candy corn. Keep chilled until ready to set out on the table at your ghost party.

Watch the video to see how it's done

a Kraft Foods recipe

Carpe Atumnus (Seize the Season)

2011-09-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

I'm gonna lose 25 pounds by Summer!

I am going to finally get this place organized

By Christmas I will have paid off all my bills and have a little extra to spend on gifts

This is the year I go on safari and learn Italian

Well, 2011 is now 3/4 over. How many of your do-or-die resolutions have been implemented? I myself have somehow ended up sleep walking through the entire year to date. At first I thought I just missed Summer - then I realized I'd more or less lost the bulk of the year!

It is tempting to just shrug off the rest of the year and allow it to be swallowed up by the impending holidays.... OR...... you can use this new season as a new start. Can you imagine approaching New Year's Day with a project or two ticked off your tasks list, a lowered credit card balance and a better relationship with your bathroom scale under your belt?

This morning I went through a couple of bags that had been stashed in the closet and started a new fitness tracking program using MyFitnessPal. I have not eaten well so far today but hey, the day isn't over yet! Before I turn in for the night I plan to do something ANYTHING nominally physical as well as do some recreational reading, even if it's only a page -- it's been far too long.

So who's with me? Are you ready to embrace this glorious new season and make it your own? If so, come share your quarter's aspirations on Facebook. Next on the list - taking time to enjoy the awesome beauty of Autumn's foliage.

Thoroughly Modern Miserables?

2011-09-18T23:39:00.000-07:00

Women are getting everything we wanted -- so why aren't we happier?
by Joie de Vivre

Regarding the state of the modern woman, Kate Mulvey of The Times UK writes, "The widespread view is that accomplished women are at a disadvantage in the marriage market because men start out by saying they want a strong, powerful woman and then end up running off with the secretary....... Since 1975 the number of women entering the workforce has increased by a third and in 2005 one-third of all managers were women. Women are better educated – there are more women with advanced degrees than before – and there are now more female trainee lawyers and doctors than male ones."

Vicki Haddock writes in the San Francisco Chronicle, "Factor in an unprecedented level of education, greater earning power, more economic independence, more reproductive control and access to virtually any career, from CEO to soldier to leader of the free world. In theory, at least, a woman's prospects for happiness have never looked brighter..... Yet the paradox: Two recent studies reveal that a majority of American women are finding the holy grail of happiness more elusive. Researchers were startled to find that women now report less happiness than in the early 1970s; and where they once indicated greater levels of happiness and life satisfaction than men, that's now reversed."

Despite better education, higher paying jobs and husbands increasingly willing to pitch in domestically, the common lament is, "I'm just not happy. I've lost my joy." And it looks like this trend does not favor a certain female age group, pay grade, marital status or ethnicity. So just why is it that while salaries have gone up and technology has taken up some of the chore-related slack, women have not become smilier?

Unsettling as it may seem, my research on this topic raised more questions than answers! I admit to having a tad of prescience when it comes to trend spotting. A few years back I noticed a palpable absence of joy among the women with whom I came in contact. Finally, last year I determined to put a stop to the madness by starting a female-centric business dedicated to helping women rediscover their joy.

In determining the approach to take in accomplishing this tricky task, I chose what to me is the most liberating, empowering, beautiful and joyful activity a woman can engage in on her own -- dance. And not just the time-honored American forms of tap, ballet and jazz. Nope, I am talking about the stuff that reminds women of what it feels like to be them, and reminds them what it feel like to be beautiful -- Bellydance, Polynesian, Jazz age Charleston, classic Burlesque, Salsa and so on. I especially like the dance forms practiced sans shoes. It's just so darn freeing.

Ironically, of the five women I had recruited to join me in this cause, all have had their own conflicts that have precluded their total involvement, despite their enthusiasm. In short, they are just as busy and stressed out as the women they seek to serve! So then, what to do... throw in the towel? Not a bit of it. The heavy setbacks I've encountered have shown me ever more clearly the need to act as a standard-bearer for joy. So I have rethought the business, am beginning to implement changes and to regain my own joy, which had been on hiatus this Summer.

~ * ~

To get down to the brass tacks of what really makes us humans happy, here is a blog post I wrote on this very subject, done a couple of months ago for a sweet company for whom I was volunteering: Happiness Is as Happiness Does.

Grilled Peaches over Arugula with Goat Cheese and Prosciutto

2011-07-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

(from MyRecipes.com)

For a bit of crunch, sauté the prosciutto in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for two minutes or until crisp.

YIELD: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups arugula mixture, 3 peach wedges, about 1/3 ounce prosciutto, 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic syrup, and 1 teaspoon cheese)
COURSE: Salads

Ingredients

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
3 peaches, pitted and each cut into 6 wedges
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of kosher salt
10 cup trimmed arugula (about 10 ounces)
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 1/4-inch strips
2 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese

Preparation

1. Bring vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer until vinegar is reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in honey. Cool to room temperature.
2. Prepare grill to high heat.
3. Place peach wedges on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 30 seconds on each side or until grill marks appear but peaches are still firm. Remove from grill; set aside.
4. Combine oil, pepper, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add arugula, tossing gently to coat. Arrange arugula mixture on a platter. Top with peach wedges and prosciutto. Drizzle with balsamic syrup; sprinkle with cheese.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving
Calories: 100
Calories from fat: 36%
Fat: 4g
Saturated fat: 1g
Monounsaturated fat: 2.4g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.5g
Protein: 3.9g
Carbohydrate: 13.1g
Fiber: 1.3g
Cholesterol: 7mg
Iron: 0.8mg
Sodium: 183mg
Calcium: 61mg

Bushels of Blessings

2011-07-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

When life gives you lemons

say Thank You

and create some magic to share.

Your NeverEnding Story

2011-06-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

by Joie de Vivre

Every now and then you stumble upon something that changes your life.... even rarer are the instances when you come across something that changes the way you think.... and then there are those collective consciousness-changing occurrences that are so singular and profound that even as they happen, must be absorbed in stages: 1. we cannot quite grasp the idea, 2. we become adoring fans of it, 3. it seems so obvious we take it for granted and can't picture the world before it.

Case in point -- Columbus. He went looking for a terrestrial new world and inadvertently stumbled (ok, sailed) upon a new world of thinking.... on a cosmic level.... and nothing and no one has ever been quite the same since we learned we live on a sphere.

In my own travels, I have fallen into a few rabbit holes which have resulted in the changing of my interests, paradigms and even life path, always in wonderful satisfying ways. These days my primary means of transport is the internet. Given that my tastes run rampant and eclectic, it is not uncommon for me to have 50-70 internet windows open at any given moment (techies, feel free to cringe). At this very second, first thing in the morning, I have all the basic social media pages quietly at the ready, a couple of work-related how-to articles, some personal reading on my interests du jour (Einstein's last days and Zen Habits' take on minimalism) as well as reward pages -- those are the online treats I get to enjoy once I accomplish certain work tasks. These pages tend to skew deliciously geeky. Today's picks are a ticket order form to see the extended version of the Lord of the Rings trilogy on the big screen over the next few weeks, and touring information on Soundgarden..... OK, when it involves Chris Cornell it transcends geeky and goes straight to rockstar cool.

So what does all this mindless rambling have to do with anything, the title of this post to be specific? It serves to show the blithe otherwise-engaged mindset we may be in when we hap-hazardly trip over something huge. This was the case when I found iLivediLoved.com. In truth, I have no idea how or why I found the site. I conduct so many name searches each day, with all their imaginable variations, that I come across some strange things indeed. And with the viral effect of the multiple social networking pages I frequent, online life is like a box of chocolates the size of our solar system.

This pretty site with the sweet name engaged me the instant I landed on it. Its warming buttercream palette and homespun calligraphic logo font invited me to take my shoes off and set a spell. As I explored the tasteful and unassuming site, it quickly became apparent that despite it's easy-breezy window dressing, its content was weighty and momentous. In bluntest terms, it is a site which allows us to come to grips with our own mortality.... Now don't click your mouse away just yet.... there is more... and it is beautiful.

With a tagline of The Gift of Goodbye, this thoughtful web-world enables members to share their lives with loved ones in an enduring and intimate way.

iLivediLoved is a website where members go to create goodbye messages for loved ones.

iLivediLoved works like a keepsake box of special memories. But it's digital, so all your personal letters, family photos and home videos are stored safely and securely online. And here's the twist. iLivediLoved holds the special messages and keepsakes you create for the rest of your life. Then, after you’ve passed away, your goodbye messages are delivered to loved ones to be cherished forever.

Within moments of reading that homepage summation and clicking through the easily navigable pages, I stopped to ponder what I had found.... and then the dam of ideas burst in my brain as I considered the vast and resonant ramifications a site like this could have on individuals..... and even our entire culture as it pertains to the way we handle the passing of loved ones.... talk about celebrating a life! I admit I wondered if the creators of the site had any real inkling as to what they were onto. And so, I asked! I went the Contact Us route and just sort of gushed about the new existence-validating toy I had found in them. Much to my surprise I learned that their site is literally an infant... only a few days old at the time I wrote to them!

But there is plenty of experience and sweat that went into its formation, as well as careful thought and preparation. The creative team is a veritable triumvirate of marketing talent. Graphic designer Jeff has been working his artistic magic for nearly two decades, detailed developer JoJo has ten years' experience in both front and back end web development, and wordsmith Kristin has worked as a professional writer and editor for about twenty years... or so she claims.... during our phone conversation I could have sworn I was speaking with a wise and gracious-beyond-her-years teen! She expressed a genuine and contagious exuberance about both the business and her working relationship with her partners, who have dedicated the last two and a half years to their cherished project.

I asked the obvious questions -- what inspired the business, how has it evolved during development, what do you foresee it becoming -- many of the questions that their members will consider when looking at their own lives and chronicling them for loved ones.

iLivediLoved was developed because its creators discovered an unmet need. What if you could express your thoughts, memories and goodbye wishes to loved ones in email messages—and then have these messages delivered after you die?

Unlike other websites that memorialize people after they have already passed away, iLivediLoved takes a more "proactive" approach. iLivediLoved members decide what to write and who to write to, and they can add their own photos, videos and audio recordings to make each message even more personal and meaningful. And, most importantly, iLivediLoved members feel at peace knowing their final communications to loved ones will be received as a gift of goodbye to be cherished forever.

At iLivediLoved, we offer more than just a website —we offer people the power to create the ways they want to be remembered.

They definitely offer far more than just a website! In my initial curiosity and excitement over the site, I signed up for a free membership... once I saw the inner-workings and prospects, I upgraded to a premium account. Sharing eternal and unlimited love with the people you care most about deserves the ability to do so unlimitedly.... hence, the premium account, which frankly is quite reasonable for what you get. Then again, I reasoned, 'They are a start-up biz and may not yet realize the dollar value of what they offer. So I better sign up before their reason sets in and/or their prices go up!'

from my own message
to Scott - our happiest place
on earth to be together

Upon becoming a member I began creating my first message to a loved one, with nothing specific in mind, just for the fun of it. I was so deeply moved with love by the experience, it took me hours to get back to business normal. I'd addressed the message to my best friend and soulmate, and just oozed sugar about how much he means to me, and how colorful and enriching my life has been because of HIM. This soul-bearing exercise was liberating and life-affirming, neither melancholy nor melodramatic.

As a now semi-seasoned and happy member, I asked Kristin what she would wish the customer experience to be like. "We [want them to feel they have] a safe place to go and share their thoughts and memories and celebrate their life with the reassurance that their loved ones will remember them the way they want to be remembered -- [with] highly personal messages including photos, home video recordings, [whether it be a soldier] reading a bedtime story to his child [before being shipped out], or a 'hey' to the world, or a highly personal message to just one person."

In discussing what she would like the public to know, something that may not be mentioned on the site... a tough question since the site is extremely informative and efficient, Kristin said, "Anyone can start at any age, as a sort of personal journal -- the ups and downs of your life stored, safe from computer crashes, private and always secure."

Bingo! That is just what I envisioned when I first saw the site and its potential -- something akin to Jim Carrey's movie The Truman Show, but on your own terms and very very real. I not only pictured aging seniors, people battling life-threatening illnesses and those in the armed forces joining the site in the face of their eventual passing. But I saw mothers using the site to chronicle their baby's first breath, first step, first communion -- just as they used to clip a lock of baby's hair to keep in a scrapbook. I see this site and all it stands for literally changing the way we celebrate our lives to the extent that our passing does not plunge our loved ones into darkness and despair -- because we will have left such a rich legacy and treasury on iLivediLoved that if family or friends feel pangs of missing us, they need merely take a healing dip into the pool of warmth and affection we have created for their ongoing enjoyment, in the form of images, videos, voice recording, memories, best intentions, well wishes, and love letters.... starting to get a little verklempt here...

So... what's next for this new internet darling? Nothing less than going global. People in other countries eventually depart this world too. And since partner JoJo speaks French the team is planning on translating the site into various languages. For now I have no doubt they will have their hands full dealing with the untold numbers of English-speakers they will have knocking on their virtual door, craving admittance into their inviting and cozy online habitat where individual lives are valued and meaningful relationships are memorialized. Here you will find more than just keepsakes, you will find humanity at its best.

iLivediLoved site

Facebook

Twitter

P.O.Box 73766
Davis, CA 95617

(530) 794-8871

i lived i loved - the gift of goodbye - ilivediloved.com

June 1st Course - Chilled Avo Soup with Chipotle Shrimp

2011-06-09T07:10:00.000-07:00

Here is the next Summer-salivating course in our June menu:

(from http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chilled-avocado-soup-50400000113001/)

Chilled Avocado Soup with Seared Chipotle Shrimp

A delicious combination of tastes and textures, this first course soup combines smoky chile heat, crisp sweet corn, and silky-rich avocado.

YIELD: 8 servings
HANDS-ON: 19 MINUTES
TOTAL: 30 MINUTES
COURSE: Appetizers, Soups/Stews

Ingredients

SOUP

3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups diced peeled avocado (about 2)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

LIME CREAM

3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
SHRIMP:
3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
Cooking spray
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Preparation

To prepare soup, place chicken broth and next 5 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon black pepper) in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Cover and chill.
To prepare lime cream, combine sour cream and next 3 ingredients (through 1/2 teaspoon black pepper) in a bowl; stir well. Cover and chill.
To prepare the shrimp, sprinkle shrimp with cumin, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside. Remove 1 chipotle chile and 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from can, and finely chop chile. Reserve remaining chiles and adobo sauce for another use.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add shrimp, and cook 2 minutes. Turn shrimp over. Add corn, onion, and garlic; sauté for 2 minutes. Add chopped chipotle chile, 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, and 1 tablespoon lime juice; sauté for 2 minutes or until shrimp are done and vegetables are crisp-tender.
To serve, ladle about 1/2 cup soup into each of 8 bowls. Top with 1 1/2 tablespoons lime cream, one-eighth of shrimp, and about 2 tablespoons corn mixture.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving
Calories: 184
Fat: 10.5g
Saturated fat: 2.9g
Monounsaturated fat: 5.3g
Polyunsaturated fat: 1.3g
Protein: 12g
Carbohydrate: 13g
Fiber: 4.6g
Cholesterol: 63mg
Iron: 1.7mg
Sodium: 286mg
Calcium: 28mg

June Appetizer - Apricot Canapes

2011-06-03T14:19:00.000-07:00

This first course of our five-course June menu is as light as it is tasty.... and Summer simple

Apricot Canapes

from EatingWell

Servings: 16 pieces

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

16 dried apricots
8 teaspoons crumbled blue cheese
2 ounces chopped shelled pistachios
1/2 teaspoon honey
Freshly ground pepper

PREPARATION

Top each apricots with 1/2 teaspoon cheese. Sprinkle with pistachios and drizzle with honey; sprinkle with pepper.

NUTRITION

NUTRITION PROFILE: Diabetes appropriate | Low carbohydrate |Gluten free | View Our Nutrition Guidelines »

Per piece: 64 calories; 4 g fat ( 1 g sat , 2 g mono ); 1 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 1 gfiber; 20 mg sodium; 170 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Protein, potassium, calcium.

Carbohydrate Servings: 1/2

Exchanges: 1/2 fruit, 1/2 fat

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/apricot_canapes.html

One Woman, One Love, a Multitude of Blessings

2011-05-31T20:11:00.000-07:00

I just FINALLY finished a project that had me working 16 hours a day 7 days a week for the last month and a half. So what did I do to celebrate? Kick up my feet and relax a bit? Turn on Tivo to watch the chilling suspense-filled finale of Dancing with the Stars? Catch up on all the work I slagged off on over the last six weeks? Take time to reconnect with loved ones I kept putting on hold until the behemoth project was done?

Without even realizing it, while sipping my celebratory cup of victory tea (insert Yorkshire Gold plug here) and listening to the Joie de Vivre Lifestyle anthem, Beethoven's Ode to Joy, I mindlessly sat down at the computer to do some site surfing to unwind. Next thing I knew I'd signed up on VolunteerMatch and proffered my services to a very worthy cause, One Love-One Community, based in DelRay Beach, Florida (Love-Community.org)

In chatting with Founder & CEO Barbara Haider to learn about her community-embracing organization, my heart was profoundly touched by her thoughts on community, as well as the kind of caring woman she is.

Here I relate an iota or two of the love and compassion she mentioned to me by phone. I gleaned that Barbara had grown up in an environment of giving. Her church was always giving things to people in need, lots of hand-me-downs, lots of recycled treasures.

"It was a high like nothing else and I thought when i grow up I want to do the same thing."

And so while in school she became active with philanthropic groups such as The Red Cross and Salvation Army.

Once she had a family of her own she shared that same spirit of generosity with her children and their friends. Unsurprisingly, she was the mom on the block who had the house that all the kids in the neighborhood wanted to stay at. This became such common knowledge that at one point the administration of the school which her children attended issued a threat that students who misbehaved would not be allowed to go to Mrs. Haider's house!

Barbara Haider, Founder & CEO
One Love-One Community

[I'm hoping this blog post will enable me to shmooze my way into a slumber party invitation at Chez Haider!]

In addition to being a postermom for all things happy happy joy joy, the perpetual "26-year old" has also enjoyed a career as an extremely successful business woman who owned a vibrant and viable professional firm called Total Office Management serving high-end corporate clients in Northern California. Not even her employees were spared her contagious altruism, as she offered them their full regular pay for any hours they committed to doing community service...... you may continue reading once the slight jaw-dropping stun wears off....

Ask her what she found most rewarding about having her own business and you will learn that it was "the flexibility to help others and make a difference"...... yep. When her children were growing up and were asked what their mother did for a living they ingenuously answered, "She goes off every morning to save the world." And I am beginning to believe she just may do it!

While in California she served as president of several charitable organizations as well as joined affiliated committees. She also started up a mentoring group for girls on the verge of being 'kicked out' of school, and began volunteering in community areas that most people did not want to go to, including schools with armed guards. She blithely mentioned that she never faced any problems visiting such locales.

Of the various kind-hearted activities she mentioned, I think the one that struck me most sweetly was the Backpacks for the Homeless program she began in San Francisco. Ever the practical business woman, she figured backpacks with basic necessities would be something those without closets and cupboards or things to put in them could actually use. And so she got her friends and family collecting hotel toiletries, product samples etc, going so far as to including snacks and umbrellas. Soon the project evolved to include blankets for the winter.

When her husband's career took the family to Florida she transplanted her passion and empathy to the East Coast and founded her current child-based nonprofit, One Love-One Community. She stresses the importance of investing in children because frankly they really are the future! Of the kids she reaches out to she says, "They care because you care, and they don’t want to disappoint you.... [Our goal is] to level the playing field and provide inclusion for those who are not included, especially those who just need someone to take the time to say hello."

The organization's projects include the annual Juneteenth celebration, Heal Not Kill - an anti-violence/anti-bullying program, and Winners by Design - dedicated to empowering young women. "We are creating a village to raise confident, educated and empowered young ladies."

And if these young ladies turn out to be a fraction as confident and caring and empowered as she, we will all be the beneficiaries.

Just when you thought it was safe to open the fridge

2011-04-27T12:49:00.000-07:00

Your stomach may not be the only thing bulging after the Easter holiday. Your refrigerator and freezer may be right there with you, packed to the chilled gills with yesterday's delicacies. So what to do with it all? Especially since you are most likely hammed and egged out? Mint.com has these savory suggestions to share:

"Leftovers are inevitable after a holiday, especially one that involves baskets of appetite-spoiling goodies. Easter, in particular, is when consumers tend to stock up on big cuts of meat such as hams and lamb tenderloins that, at other times of the year, are very expensive. While you probably have enough leftovers to reprise the original meal two or three times, you’ll be more enthused to enjoy ham, lamb, eggs and other Easter goodies with a little recipe creativity:

Ham

* Add to macaroni and cheese. You can also experiment with the cheeses used and other add-ins to tailor it to your taste and the type of ham used. A ham with a spicier glaze, for example, might work well with pepper jack cheese or salsa. Consider in-season asparagus as a mix-in."

Here is a quick Mac/Cheese/Ham recipe from Rachel Ray:

Cook Time:
15 min

Level:

Easy

Yield:

6 servings

Recipe Tools:

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Ingredients

Salt

1 pound cavatappi (hollow corkscrew shaped pasta) or other short cut pasta

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken stock

1 1/2 cups whole milk

Freshly ground black pepper

A few grates nutmeg

1 cup shredded Gruyere

1 cup shredded white sharp Cheddar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 pound French ham, deli sliced, finely chopped

Directions

Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil, drop in pasta. Cook pasta to just shy of al dente.

Heat sauce pot with butter over medium heat, whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute, whisk in stock then milk, allow the sauce to thicken, and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in cheeses in a figure eight motion. Stir in Dijon and ham and remove the sauce from heat. Drain pasta and combine with sauce.

more ham ideas:

"* Use in a split-pea or other vegetable soup.

* Layer ham into a grilled cheese sandwich.

* Freeze individual slices to thaw later for breakfast meat, served alongside eggs and toast.

Lamb

Roast lamb is the less versatile of the traditional Easter meats, but leftovers don’t have to go to waste.

* Use instead of beef or chicken in a shepherd’s pie. Other leftovers, including mashed potatoes and peas, help round out the ingredient list.

* Mix into a casserole of fresh vegetables and rice.

Eggs

Dyed, hard-cooked (i.e. hard-boiled) eggs are good for up to a week, according to the Egg Safety Center, an industry food-safety group. Egg salad is the standard, but it gets boring fast, especially if you have a whole Easter basket’s worth of dyed beauties.

* Prepare deviled eggs — with a twist. Michelle Gillette, a chef and kids-culinary instructor from Brightwaters, N.Y., recommends blending the yolks with a half-cup shredded cheddar, one-quarter cup salsa, and a tablespoon each of sour cream and sliced green onion as well as the usual one-quarter cup mayonnaise. The result: festive colors inside and out.

* Chop up, along with some of the ham, for a fast chef’s salad.

* Pickle to make them last even longer. Boil a jar of pickled beets with a half-cup vinegar and a pinch of salt. (You can also include sliced onions if desired, or sub the beets and beet juice for another cup white vinegar. Just know that without it, your eggs may look a little odd: the purple-red beet juice masks any odd colors on the whites left over from dying the eggs.) Fill a large jar with the hot liquid, and add peeled, hard-cooked eggs. Let brine in the refrigerator for at least one week.

Easter candy

To many people, Peeps taste better with age. But all that candy becomes decidedly less appealing after about a week, when chocolate develops a white coating from changes in temperature and moisture and Peeps harden into rocks. You can lengthen the life of that chocolate bunny by stashing it in the freezer, but that really only buys you an extra week, Joseph says.

* Save jellybeans to decorate cupcakes and cakes.

* Chop up Peeps to sub for marshmallows in your favorite Rice Krispies or other cereal bar dessert. (Add jelly beans if you like.)

* Make Frugal Foodie’s springtime version of Nigella Lawson’s holiday rocky road bars, chopping up your chocolate bunny in lieu of buying chips, and subbing in chopped Peeps, candied nuts and jelly beans for the called-for mini marshmallows, Brazil nuts and dried cherries. (Frugal Foodie is a journalist based in New York City who spends her days writing about personal finance and obsessing about what she’ll have for dinner.)

* Melt down a chocolate bunny for fondue. Dip any spare candy, or go for healthier fruit options including strawberries, bananas and pineapple.

* Grate a chocolate bunny into shavings for ice cream and other desserts, Joseph says.

* Substitute Peeps for marshmallows in s’mores. If you’re never cooked Peeps in the microwave before, you’ll want to watch this — the chick or bunny swells to monster proportions!"

Which Came First? The Easter or the Egg?

2011-04-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

CHOLESTEROL WARNING! This post will have eggs coming out of your bunny ears!

While most of us are very familiar with Easter weekend's main event, the resurrection of Christ Jesus, we may not be as familiar with some of the customs we blithely go about observing, seldom bothering to stop and consider their meaning and import. One such tradition, especially popular with children, is the decorating (and subsequent hiding and seeking) of Easter Eggs.

TheHolidaySpot.com has this to share:

Easter eggs are specially decorated eggs given out to celebrate the Easter holiday or springtime. It is the influence of the traditional spring rites that made Easter so egg-special. And myths coming down to us from an incredibly distant past have shown man's relationship with the egg to be very deep seated one. This is caught in old Latin proverb: "Omne vivum ex ovo". This means "all life comes from an egg". Not just the Latin saying, eggs are just laid well over all corners of the world. From ancient India to Polynesia, from Iran, Greece, and Phonecia to Latvia, Estonia, and Finland, from Central America to the west coast of South America, there are reports of myths of the whole universe created out of an egg. Thus, it is not unusual that in almost all ancient cultures eggs had been held as an emblem of life. The concept of all living beings born from an egg is also a foundational concept of modern biology.

But how did eggs come to be associated with Easter?

Despite claims being made that Easter Eggs were originally pagan symbols, there is no solid evidence for this. It was not until the 18th Century that Jakob Grimm theorised a putative pagan connection to Easter Eggs with a goddess of his own whom he named Ostara, a suggested German version of Eostre.

At the Passover Seder, a hard-boiled egg dipped in salt water symbolizes both new life and the Passover sacrifice offered at the Temple in Jerusalem. The ancient Persians painted eggs for Nowrooz, their New Year celebration falling on the Spring Equinox. This tradition has continued every year on Nowrooz since ancient times.

In Christian times, the egg was a symbol of new life just as a chick might hatch from the egg. The Easter egg tradition may have celebrated the end of the privations of Lent. In the Medieval Europe, eggs were forbidden during Lent as well as other traditional fast days. During the strict Lenten fast of forty days no eggs were eaten. It was traditional to use up all of the household's eggs before Lent began, which established the tradition of Pancake Day. This was because, in Christian times, the egg was a symbol of new life just as a chick might hatch from the egg. Eggs were viewed as symbols of new life and fertility through the ages. It is believed that for this reason many ancient cultures, including the Ancient Egyptians, Persians, and Romans, used eggs during their spring festivals. In Eastern Christianity, both meat and dairy are still prohibited during the fast, and eggs are seen as "dairy" (a foodstuff that could be taken from an animal without shedding its blood). That is the reason why eggs laid during that time were often boiled or otherwise preserved.

It was during Easter that the consumption of eggs resumed after the strict Lenten fast. Eggs were thus a mainstay of Easter meals, and a prized Easter gift for children and servants. And this is probably the reason why eggs came to be associated with Easter.

Many traditions and practices have formed around Easter eggs. In Europe an egg was hung on New Year trees, on Maypoles, and on St. John's trees in midsummer. Indeed, all were of one accord in using the egg as a symbol of the regenerative forces of nature. Later during the Christian period, it was believed that eggs laid on Good Friday, if kept for a hundred years, would have their yolks turn to diamond. If Good Friday eggs were cooked on Easter they would promote the fertility of the trees and crops and protect against sudden deaths. And, if you would find two yolks in an Easter egg, be sure, you're going to be rich soon. That's what they believed!

An Orthodox tradition related with Easter celebrations is the presenting of red colored eggs to friends while giving Easter greetings. According to a History channel documentary about Mary Magdalene and her role in Christianity, the custom derives from a biblical event. After the Ascension of Christ, Mary supposedly went to the Emperor of Rome and greeted him with "Christ is risen", whereupon he stated, "Christ has not risen no more than that egg is red" (pointing to an egg on his table). After making this statement it is said the egg immediately turned blood red.[citation needed] She then began preaching Christianity to him. The egg is symbolic of the grave and life renewed by breaking out of it. The red symbolizes the blood of Christ redeeming the world, represented by the egg, and our regeneration through the bloodshed for us by Christ. The egg itself is a symbol of the Resurrection while being dormant it contains a new life sealed within it.

The coloring of eggs is a established art, and eggs are often dyed, painted, and otherwise decorated. Eggs were also used in various holiday games: parents would hide eggs for children to find, and children would roll eggs down hills. These practices live on in Easter egg hunts and egg rolls. The most famous egg roll takes place on the White House lawn every year.The oldest tradition is to use dyed and painted chicken eggs, but a modern custom is to substitute chocolate eggs, or plastic eggs filled with confectionery such as jellybeans. Candy Easter eggscan be any form of confectionery such as hollow chocolate eggs wrapped in brightly-colored foil. Some are delicately constructed of spun sugar and pastry decoration techniques. The ubiquitous jelly egg or jellybean is made from sugar-coated pectin candy. These are often hidden, supposedly by the Easter Bunny, for children to find on Easter morning.

The Spanish dish hornazo (traditionally eaten on and around Easter) contains hard-boiled eggs as a primary ingredient. In the North of England, at Eastertime, a traditional game is played where hard boiled pace eggs are distributed and each player hits the other players egg with their own. This is known as "egg dumping" or "egg jarping". The winner is the holder of the last intact egg. The losers get to eat their eggs. It is also practiced in Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, the Republic of Srpska and other countries. They call it tucanje. In parts of Bavaria, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland it is called Ostereiertitschen. In South Louisiana this practice is called Pocking Eggs and is slightly different. The Cajuns hold that the winner eats the eggs of the losers in each round.

There are many other decorating techniques and numerous traditions of giving them as a token of friendship, love or good wishes. A tradition exists in some parts of the United Kingdom (such as Scotland and North East England) of rolling painted eggs down steep hills on Easter Sunday. In the U.S., such an Easter egg roll (unrelated to an eggroll) is often done on flat ground, pushed along with a spoon; the Easter Egg Roll has become a much-loved annual eventon the White House lawn. An Easter egg hunt is a common festive activity, where eggs are hidden outdoors (or indoors if in bad weather) for children to run around and find. This may also be a contest to see who can collect the most eggs.

Hanácké kraslice, Easter eggs from the Haná region, the Czech Republic, decorated with strawEaster eggs are a widely popular symbol of new life in Ukraine and other Slavic countries' folk traditions. A batik-like decorating process known as pysanka produces intricate, brilliantly-colored eggs. The celebrated Fabergé workshops created exquisite jewelled Easter eggs for the Russian Imperial Court. A 27-foot (9 m) sculpture of a pysanka stands in Vegreville, Alberta.

When boiling hard-cooked eggs for Easter, a popular tan colour can be achieved by boiling the eggs with onion skin. In the North of England these are called pace-eggs or paste-eggs. They were usually eaten after an egg-jarping (egg-tapping) competition.

Deep-fried chocolate Easter eggs are sold around Easter time in Scottish fish and chips shops. The idea was invented in a northeastern Scottish takeaway as a sequel to the extremely popular deep fried Mars Bar.

Recently Easter eggs have been specially prepared keeping in mind those who are visually-impaired. These are called "Beeping Easter eggs" - Easter eggs that emit various clicks and noises so that the visually-impaired children can hunt for them. Some make a single, high-pitched sound and others play a melody. The purpose of this is to include one and all in the joyous Easter celebrations and to spread happiness and goodwill among everyone. After all, that is what Easter is all about.

And About.com has some interesting info on the subject as well as an Easter basket full of links to similar topics:

....... Easter falls in the spring, the yearly time of renewal, when the earth renews itself after a long, cold winter. The word Easter comes to us from the Norsemen's Eostur, Eastar, Ostara, and Ostar, and the pagan goddess Eostre, all of which involve the season of the growing sun and new birth. The Easter Bunny arose originally as a symbol of fertility, due to the rapid reproduction habits of the hare and rabbit.

The ancient Egyptians, Persians, Phoenicians, and Hindus all believed the world began with an enormous egg, thus the egg as a symbol of new life has been around for eons. The particulars may vary, but most cultures around the world use the egg as a symbol of new life and rebirth. A notation in the household accounts of Edward I of England showed an expenditure of eighteen pence for 450 eggs to be gold-leafed and colored for Easter gifts. The first book to mention Easter eggs by name was written five hundred years ago. Yet, a North African tribe that had become Christian much earlier in time had a custom of coloring eggs at Easter. Long hard winters often meant little food, and a fresh egg for Easter was quite a prize. Later, Christians abstained from eating meat during the Lenten season prior to Easter. Easter was the first chance to enjoy eggs and meat after the long abstinence.

Some European children go from house to house begging for Easter eggs, much like Halloween trick-or-treaters. Called pace-egging, it comes from the old word for Easter, Pasch. Many old cultures also attributed the egg with great healing powers. It is interesting to note that eggs play almost no part in the Easter celebrations of Mexico, South America, and Native American Indian cultures. Egg-rolling contests are a symbolic re-enactment of the rolling away of the stone from Christ's tomb. The decoration of small leaf-barren branches as Easter egg trees has become a popular custom in the United States since the 1990s.

More About Easter and Easter Recipes:
• Top 10 Ways to Use Hard-Boiled Eggs• More Hard-Boiled Egg Recipes• How to Make Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs• Traditional Easter Foods History• Easter Egg Coloring History• Easter Egg History• Easter Foods

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The Latest Angle on Beauty: CURVES

2011-04-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

More than 2 1/2 years ago Stylist.com posted this welcome blurb:

"Here at Stylelist we try to make sure we do a good job of covering fashion for all sizes. We can't say that we were ever big fans of the super size zero trend because of the insane amount of pressure it puts on normal non-celeb women to be unhealthy in their quest for thinness. So, we're relieved to hear cries from the rooftops that size zero is back out and curves are back in!

The proof is in the pudding. Karl Lagerfeld was recently quoted after sending girls away from a casting because, 'They looked as if they had grown up in a Third World country with no food to eat.'" (Stylist.com on Curves)

... yet the bulk of mainstream America has yet to completely catch on to the trend... To be fair, changing the direction of the behemoth battleship that is 'general consensus' is not the work of a moment.

It is not just that Americans are skewing obese... and yes, we are, but that is quite another story if not debate. But the point here is that pop culture has actually, FINALLY, tired of the waif-look. Think of the latest buxom body icon, Mad Men's Christina Hendricks, and you'll grasp the new pinup paradigm... or picture my longtime model of beauty, Salma (Hayek would be her last name, but owing to my awestruck worship I always refer to her by first name only).

The UK Times Online article referenced above by Stylist had this to say back in October 2008:

“Much of the fashion industry is tired, constricted, suffocating,” Leon observes. “It’s time to break away from these gaunt, miserable girls. There are many people who are unimaginative and afraid to go out on a limb. It just upsets me so much that beautiful, perfect girls like Daisy worry that they aren’t thin enough when prestigious magazines won’t book someone like her because she doesn’t fit the typical thing.”

Not only is this trend blossoming in the world of dress, but in undress as well. Check out popular burlesque entertainer Dirty Martini, who embraces and flaunts her soft body. If she has 6-pack abs they are loving embraced by womanly full-figured flesh.

Per Wikipedia:

Dirty Martini (born Linda Marraccini in New Jersey) is a New York City-based Burlesque dancer, pin-up model and dance teacher.

She is best-known for her over-the-top performance acts, which mostly incorporate various classic burlesque styles such as the fan dance, balloon strip tease, the Dance of Several Veils, and shadow stripping, as well as her 50s styled pin-up images.

Martini regularly performs in New York City and extensively throughout North America and Europe in a wide range of venues from Carnegie Hall to weekly burlesque venues to gay leather bars. She was crowned Miss Exotic World 2004.

Now while I have no desire to strip down onstage... and my interest in pasties leans toward the high tea meat pie variety, I am nonetheless heartened by the quietly growing trend that indicates an appreciation of the aesthetics that make a woman womanly! I myself gained 35 pounds following a cycling accident and I am debating just how much I intend to shed. I do need to firm up and would like to do something about my in-the-way stomach; but I really do not care to lose all I gained. My friends thought I appeared gaunt pre-accident anyway! Gad, does that mean the newer curvier modality battleship has actually weighed anchor?

Sleepwalking through Winter - Spring Awakening

2011-03-23T10:17:00.000-07:00

I am going to out myself by admitting that I literally hibernate during winter. I don't work out, eat more, sleep more.. I 'hunker down' frequently and basically enjoy all things cozy that the colder months offer. After doing a fair bit of research on my 'condition' I found that this is a practice intrinsic to the human race, whether or not our busy regimented lifestyles allow us to implement and indulge it.

I won't bore you with all the statistical details, but here's a little ditty from people who conducted a poll... of those who were awake, one presumes (http://www.bettersleep.org/pressroom/hibernate.asp):

According to the nationwide survey of 1,000 adults, more than five times as many adults spend more time in bed during the winter than in the summer.
'The findings confirm what we've suspected all along. After all, who hasn't snuggled further underneath the covers for a little extra sleep on a cold morning?" In general, people prefer to lounge in bed rather than venture out in wintry climates. More than one-half of adults read more; and almost two-thirds spend more time watching television. With all the sleeping, reading and TV watching to be enjoyed while it's cold outside, only one person in ten pursues outdoor activities more in the winter than the summer.

So then it's NOT just me! Whew. Now while all this is well and justifiable, the calendar makes it clear that we are no longer in winter... we have sprung! Even Punxsutawney Phil has proclaimed the season is rebirth is upon us.

Fortunately my internal widgets have responded in kind. Suddenly I am ever so keen to ride my bike in order to take in mother nature's newly green and fragrant glory, to wake up and start my day earlier... despite daylight savings' time absconding of morning light, to start buying lettuce again -- as a saladaholic it is disconcerting that i eschew cold greens in the winter months.

All said, I am eager and jubilant about the prospects of this year's rebirth. I have had my winter roots weaved, have ceremoniously stored my Ugg boots, and am about to break out the white apparel and pastels... heck I may even go get a smoothie!

Bikini body here I come!

From Hibernation to Spring Vacation

Guest Blog: "The Martial Art of Giving"

2011-03-01T15:36:00.000-08:00

Karla Bravo is a fighter…. but you may not know it talking to her. She is gentle, civic-minded and cultured. But as Manager of the Z-Ultimate Self Defense Studio in Long Beach she is also trained and qualified to teach others the martial art of kempo.

Z-Ultimate is a national name that specializes in personalized martial arts instruction. Founded in nearby Huntington Beach the board of masters has been training together for about 40 years. Karen explains part of what makes their open-hand style so appealing is that anyone from age 3-103 can participate and benefit from the training.

Her own introduction to the martial arts began in the late 90′s.

“I got into kickboxing for weight loss 12 years ago when I moved to Orange County.” It was then that she encountered Z-Utimate. “I fell in love with all of it. After a year I asked if I could help at a class and they said ‘yes!’”

When I went to meet Karla she was in the process of giving instruction in doing a form using a staff. She said they teach technique with a variety of traditional weapon enhancements such as spears, nunchucks, staffs and swords.

I was impressed not only with her prowess, but her patience with her pupil as well as her ability to teach clearly and productively. Frankly, I had a hankering to throw on a gi and jump into the action!

I asked Karla what she enjoys most about her work at the studio. She didn’t have to think twice before answering that she loves to see people transform and their lives change… pretty heady stuff I thought, unable to think of words worthy of a response. Karla noted that she had worked in a corporate environment which was a far cry from the perpetually positive and always uplifting atmosphere she works in now at Z-Ultimate. But none of this feel-good stuff is meant to be selfish. Time and again she stressed the importance of giving back to the larger community.

No surprise then she was thrilled to learn of Quiznos on Spring Street's offer to give the studio’s students special deals on food and beverage for the whole family. There are 3 specials available through March 31st including a free sub sandwich when a student advances to the next belt level.

I asked if Z-Ultimate hosted any tournaments and my oh my do they! Their competitions held at UCI’s Bren Events Center attract more than two thousand in-house competitors. Tournaments are also held in Washington, Colorado and Kansas with a total of about ten competitions per year.

Her goals for the future involve growing the LB studio and finding a balance between running a business and teaching the art, between social responsibility and the bottom line. To that end they have come up with a wonderful program to benefit local schools that have been heavy hit by the deepening budget cuts. Call Karla for details, as well as to register for classes at 562-425-9878 and visit http://zultimatelb.com for more info.

And, of course, after training come into Quiznos and relax to enjoy a well-deserved toasty treat… at a discount, no less!
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Super… make that Sub Sunday

2011-02-19T17:21:00.000-08:00

Guest blogspot:

Our first blog kicks off… literally….
SuperBowl Sunday marked Quiznos on Spring Street Long Beach’s foray into the world of serious social media. So much to say, so many menu choices. Since our store’s owner is from Wisconsin it only made sense to launch out into the blog waters with a blurb about the now (thankfully) victorious Green Bay Packers.
Winning Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (a California native, I might add) is the kind of role model our ailing country has been pining for: hardworking, humble, and very VERY patient. Few of us with that kind of talent would quietly sit on the sidelines and in the shadows as he did for so many years… potentially watching the best years of his career from the bench. But his patience paid off in spades and a ring on Feb 6, 2011 when he won a well-deserved championship for his team.
The household where I watched the game was all a-twitter, being packed with Cheeseheads from way back. Nerves were on edge and the munchies were in full force… that’s where Quiznos on Spring Street comes in!

We had about 30 or so guests and in these days of special requests when it comes to food we wanted to make sure that no one went hungry during the 3 hour plus game spectacular. I literally threw myself on the mercy of the Quiznos staff and just said ‘this is how many people we are having, just give me whatever you think we should have.’ The move played as well as one of Rodgers’ spot on passes.

The Quiznos crew sent us on our way with chili, chicken salad, subs & sammies galore, chips and a few desserts so delicious we nearly fought over them. Guests brought the beverages and a dip or two and our feast was complete.

Many thanks to Manny and Chris for making our party so easy and delicious. Can’t wait for the next excuse to have a game party catered by Quiznos… I wonder how the Lakers are doing this season….

Guest Spot - Blog from Amy Allen Photography

2011-02-09T07:03:00.000-08:00

Taking on a blog may be all but imperative in today's social networking world, but it can also be daunting and bring on the inertia of writer's block, or in my case, photographer's block. Which photos to showcase? Which heartwarming stories to relate? Which trends to mention and, perhaps most important, what advice to share with brides.

The answer was quite simple really -- do it all! And so I welcome you to the Amy Allen Photography Blog where you will find not only thematic words on photography, but the pictures which are worth thousands of them. At present I am anticipating blogging as follows: each week I will feature photos and tales of weddings past in all their unique glory.... As anyone will tell you, I have been blessed to work with the best brides in the world! They have taught me a lot when it comes to both love and grace... and some have had simply gorgeous shoes!!!!... You'll find I have a penchant for fine footwear.

Additionally I will include a weekly Ask Amy or Amy Speaks post or something along those lines, where I address questions I commonly receive from clients as well as photography lovers. And last, perhaps nearest and dearest to my heart, I will post something pertaining to my beloved historic East Village where my studio is located. The area boasts not only a rich tradition, but a current and vibrant small business community as colorful as the neighborhood's history.

I look forward to sharing my love of photography with you and would be delighted if you would interact with me through comments and of course questions.

Feel free to visit my site at http://www.amyallenphoto.com
or fiend me on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=49560882991&v=wall
or my new flickr photostream I am just launching at http://www.flickr.com/photos/amy-allen-photography/

Thanksgiving & the Homeless.... when the shoe is on neither foot

2010-11-27T07:46:00.000-08:00

Do you have a Life List? OK, so most people call it a Bucket List, but for me it represents the stuff that I want to do to celebrate life, so the moniker stays ..... oooooooh that gives me an idea for a future blog.... hmmmm but my tryptophanned brain digresses. Today I want to talk about a desire I have had for oodles of years that was finally satisfied this Thanksgiving... the opportunity to serve others by participating in a homeless feeding program.

Now it may seem far-fetched to think that I have not been able to do this before, but in short, "my mom wouldn't let me." Not that she in any way disapproved of doing kindnesses for those in need... she just wanted me around at the holidays. But now that she and the rest of my family are gone and I (for once) did not have skads of commitments.... I finally managed to find such an opportunity to serve... which by the way was located on the way to my own T-day celebration. So I seized the turkey by the paper-riffled legs and did it!

And boy am I glad I did! The experience was nothing like I expected... in the best way possible. First of all, look (above) at the garden spot where it was held.... looks more like the grounds of Westminster Abbey than the Westminster CA Senior Center. The volunteers were of all ages and ethnicities, something that warmed my heart, being as I am a huge fan of diversity.

A couple of things struck me most. First off, the fact that had volunteers not worn name tags it is highly likely that one could not distinguish the volunteer workers from most of the grateful recipients!!! Everyone was affable and happy to be there, regardless which side of the buffet table they were on. And people kept trying to cajole me to eat! There was no feeling of want or scarcity or pity... just a community coming together to share abundance and thanks. It was beautiful!

That brings me to clue #2 which tipped off that I was not at a standard Junior League bake sale... the SHOES.. there was a huge table set up for used donated shoes. It just had never occurred to me what a vital need that might be for someone who lacks resources... I now realize that may well be more important than having a roof over head! Here is what Kristina Radnoti, founder of SolePurpose.com says about the issue:

"a homeless person wears out a pair of shoes every 6-8 weeks and there are more than 350,000 homeless in the state of California. The need for shoes is endless!

Homeless Statistics:

40% are children

20% of the homeless work

Every 6-8 weeks a homeless person wears out one pair of shoes.

An unpaid bill, or health problem can easily push a fimaly over the financial edge and into homelessness. "

And here is a little something about a similar organization founded by a school girl! "Shoes 4 The Homeless is an organization founded by 11 year old Sondra Scroggins. Through Sondra’s organization she has not only given shoes, coats, blankets and food to the homeless she has also given them most importantly hope."

Reading about the efforts of these local heroes was humbling as well as heartening. I now look forward to helping those in my community who are in need more often that just on a popular holiday... oh and rest assured, next year when I do join the sharing of gratitude by serving on Thanksgiving, I will come prepared with as many pairs of shoes to donate as I can muster.

What a glorious Thanksgiving... I am truly grateful.

Smashing Pumpkins

2010-11-17T08:54:00.001-08:00

Do you have some decorative fall pumpkins still lurking about? Or perhaps you never got around to carving them all for Halloween? Well then whether canned, homegrown or from the pumpkin patch, enjoy dishing up these tasty holiday treats

The first is CHILLED PUMPKIN SOUP and comes from a delightful source: http://notdabblinginnormal.wordpress.com/2009/12/05/chilled-pumpkin-pie-soup-holidays/

Chilled pumpkin soup – delicately sweet with the surprise ingredient of coconut milk. The warm spices of cinnamon and nutmeg add depth to this creamy smooth dish. Very easy soup to make and even easier to love!

Ingredients

2 whole Pumpkins
1 can (about 13.5 Oz. Can) Coconut Milk
1 can Water (Use The Coconut Milk Can To Measure)
4 Tablespoons Honey
2 dashes Cinnamon
1 dash Nutmeg
1 pinch Salt

Preparation Instructions

Mosey on out to the garden and pick two small pumpkins. Or drive on over to the local grocer and purchase some..... or ok, toss a can of pumpkin puree in your basket!

Cut the pumpkins in half lengthwise and take out the innards (save seeds for roasting after they’ve been cleaned and dried).

Put pumpkin halves on a baking sheet, cover lightly with foil and roast at 400 degrees until soft (45 minutes to an hour or so).

When they are cooled, peel and cut into chunks.

Into a blender, put 1 can of coconut milk, then with the same can, measure out 1 can of water. Put in your pumpkins chunks, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg. (The spice amounts will depend on you and how you like it. You can also use pumpkin pie spice blend.) Now add a tiny dash of salt.

Blend until perfectly smooooth! Chill thoroughly.
Serve in small bowls. We like ours topped with a few fresh blueberries and a spoonful of yogurt!

Enjoy this easy, healthy, and oh so yummy soup!

Maple-Pumpkin Creme Brulee

from: http://www.suite101.com/content/old-fashioned-thanksgiving-desserts-updated-dessert-traditions-a298644

This dessert is a simple custard with a twist of maple, pumpkin and crunchy sugar topping. You can prepare as individual brulees or make one large dish for multiple servings

Ingredients

8 egg yolks
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 can pumpkin filling
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves

Preparation

Preheat oven 325 degrees

Bake 25-30 minutes

Yield 8 servings

In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar.
In a saucepan heat cream over medium heat until bubbles form around sides of pan. Remove from heat; stir a small amount of hot cream into egg yolk mixture. Return all to pan stirring constantly. Stir in pumpkin, vanilla, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
Transfer mixture to eight 6-oz custard dishes or a shallow 9"X13" baking dish. Place dish(es) in a larger pan filled with 1"of water. Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until center is set (jiggly). Remove from water pan; cool for 10 minutes. Refrigerate for about 4 hours.
To make crunchy top coating, after refrigeration of custards let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar until a thin coating covers the top(s) of the custard. Set the oven to broil and place custard(s) in the oven 8" from the top of the broiler for 5-6 minutes or until sugar is caramelized (will be a rich brown color). Let cool and serve.

Another method is to use a creme brulee torch. Instead of placing custards back into the oven, after layering with sugar, use the torch to melt.

"Those who can, do; those who can't, teach"... what about those who can't teach?!?

2010-11-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

I have to wear that? Yikes

The mere notion of this blog topic makes my fingers tremble as I type. And as such you will find none of my usual mirth or what may pass as humor. That's how nervous I am!

This weekend will be my first experience teaching belly dance, but that is not the last of the firsts. It will also be first Themed Fitness Dance Party tester before my new new little biz ad-venture launches in January.

Invigorating and health-promoting dance seemed the perfect way to celebrate the joy and inner beauty that Joie de Vivre Lifestyle is meant to promote; and belly dance seemed the most beautiful and feminine form of dance with which to start.

I have taken belly dance from 5 or so teachers here and there but certainly on a good day i would consider myself a rank novice. So who am I to teach a class? I think back to a similar conundrum about 12 years ago when I unintentionally started a theater company and became a produced playwright with 20+ original scripts now in the archives.

Goody bags for the girls...
grownup girls

The idea of my teaching never occurred to me when I entered this beautiful world of female beauty and expression. But little by little it seemed that in order to create the kind of beginner party experience I desired, I would have to do it myself.

Last weekend I conducted my first event coordinator training with LaVonne Moore, our premier Party Eventeur. It was a wonderful 7-hour session, just as planned, with what turned out to be a 42-page training manual that frankly I was pretty darn happy with. As part of the process the party coordinator must introduce the dance teacher du jour and share her bio. So I wrote one up on myself since I would be teaching the tester class to assess the curriculum. I kept it very frank and factual and was VERY surprised to find that on paper it looks like I am actually qualified to teach!!!! I even used to choreograph... and so, I with a deep cleansing breath, here I go, to carpe the dance, and apparently my destiny.

Wish me joy!

Thanksgiving - Stuff more than just a turkey... or your tummy

2010-11-04T08:37:00.000-07:00

Rice-Stuffed Squash

Here's an attractive and fun way to serve small winter squashes-filled with a mixture of wild and white rice, chestnuts, dried cranberries, and mozzarella cheese a flavorful side dish or satisfying vegetarian main course.

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients1 cup mixed basmati and wild rice
3 cups water
4 small acorn squashes
3/4 cup cooked chestnuts (canned or vacuum packed), roughly chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper

Preparation1. Put the rice in a saucepan, add the 3 cups water, and bring to a boil. Cover, and simmer very gently until the rice is just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain off any excess water.

2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Using a large, sharp knife, slice off the top quarter (stalk end) of each squash. Set aside these little hats, then scoop out the seeds and fiber from the center of the squashes using a small spoon. Trim the bases to make them level, if necessary. Season the cavity of each squash lightly with salt and pepper, then place them in a large ovenproof dish or roasting pan.

3. Mix together the rice, chestnuts, cranberries, onion, thyme, parsley, and mozzarella in a large bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

4. Spoon the rice stuffing into the squashes, pressing it down, and mounding it up neatly on top. Replace the reserved "hats" on top. Bake until the flesh of the squash is tender when pierced with a small, sharp knife, about 45 minutes.

Serve hot.

Options

Try stuffing other winter squashes such as small pumpkins instead of acorn squash. The cooking time can vary from 45 to 60 minutes, depending on the type of squash and its size. Replace the mozzarella with other cheeses, such as Gruyère.

Pluses
Acorn squash is a winter variety of squash. Winter squashes are allowed to mature into hard, starchy vegetable fruits with very good keeping properties, while varieties such as zucchini are eaten while immature and the skins are still edible. Acorn squash is a good source of beta-carotene, which the body can convert to vitamin A.

Unlike other nuts, chestnuts are low in fat-other nuts have up to 20 times as much fat. Chestnuts are also a good source of thiamine and potassium, and a valuable source of dietary fiber.

Both dried and fresh cranberries are a good source of vitamin C. Cranberries also have the reputation of helping to control urinary tract infections such as cystitis.

Serves 4
Exchanges: starch 5, fruit 1/2

Nutritional Info
Each serving provides calories 415, calories from fat 34, fat 4g, saturated fat 2g, cholesterol 8mg, sodium 85mg, carbohydrate 89g, fiber 14g, sugars 25g, protein 12g. Excellent source of calcium, folate, iron, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, vitamin B6, vitamin C. Good source of copper, riboflavin, vitamin A

From Eat to Beat Diabetes via Reader's Digest

It Isn't Easy Going Green

2010-11-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

After 15 years of flirting with the idea I finally DID it!

OK it took my vehicle's taking its last breath to do it, but who's keeping score.

On November 1st I actually got rid of my car... and I live in the greater Los Angeles area... where our metropolis is more like meet-all-over-the-place and one can easily log a hundred miles a day just by running errands.

My goal in going sans motorized wheels is twofold .... yes, I have been wanting to do my bit to help the environment, but there is also the idea of social experimentation wrapped up in it somewhere. And so.... I intend to pedal a bit, which I did on Monday with great success... riding along a waterway and basking in God's gift of nature.

Then there was my first bus trip.... where, when waiting for the 61, I was asked out on a date by a non-rider!!!! Not a bad way to start things off! The bus ride was just as I had hoped and expected, a potpourri of society. I already have the beginnings of blisters from neglecting to wear proper shoes during the mile walk from bus stop to home, but so far I am eager, nearly jubilant for all that this experience holds.

It is not that the challenge is a 'cakewalk' - to be frank, I have already had to change my schedule and curtail some activities; and living where I do is not really conducive to life without the convenience of a car, especially that I am about to launch a lug-stuff-around business, but I am grateful for the opportunity to check something off my life list while potentially helping our dear planet just a wee bit.

Already I have found the need for greater efficiency in errand planning is affording me more time at home i.e. work. Also, I no longer have the luxury of volunteering to transport people to and from the airport or be the one to pick up and drop off friends when going on an outing with them. And I look forward to beginning yet another experiment by implementing a workout-at-home routine since the gym is now unfeasibly far away.

So far, the only foreseeable drawback is the potential loss of my beloved frozen yogurt fix as I have yet to figure a way to get it home prior to its melting like Elfaba.

Oh, and lest I forget, I stand to save about $400 on gasoline... a month! So here's to saving some green by committing to green!

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