Wishing you a fulfilled New Year!

I didn't want to start out saying happy new year although I do want it to be a year filled with happiness and peace and health but I know you will have all those things if it has been a year that is fulfilled.  We all start out the new year with our various goals of losing weight, stop smoking, stop drinking, be more disciplined, spend more time praying and this list can go on and on. So whatever your goals may be for this new year or whatever changes you would like to see in your life it's my prayer and wish that they will be fulfilled.

May your life be filled with determination, diligence, an attitude of I will never, never give up. And on the other side of that coin remember to be gentle with yourself, don't take life too seriously and always remember tomorrow is a new day.

These are the words to a song I have been listening to recently and they are my prayer for you this  new year.   Always love to you~

May the angels protect you and trouble neglect you
May you always have plenty your glass never empty
Know in your heart your never alone
May your tears come from laughing
You find friends worth having  with every year passing they mean more than gold
May you ever stay humble and smile more than grumble and
Know when you stumble your never alone.

Will I have to be honest as much as I want it I'm not going to promise the cold
winds won't blow but when hard times have found you and fears surround you
know in your heart that you're never alone.

Cauliflower Salad

This is a salad that we have had for years only on Thanksgiving and Christmas. My mother loved this salad and years ago she had eaten it at Dodson's Cafeteria.  Luckily, she found the recipe and after that we always had this on holidays.  For some reason the men folk in our family do not eat this. But the women love it.

It is a wonderful salad and of course I have carried on the tradition.  My sister usually brings the salads for our holiday meals and this Christmas she was out of town and so I had to make it.  It only has four ingredients but I couldn't remember if it was mayo or miracle whip for the dressing.  I looked in several recipe books and no one had this salad.  So I thought this might be a good one to share on my blog.  It is a wonderful addition to turkey and dressing and all the fixins.

1 head of cauliflower (sliced very thin) use just the flower part not the stalk
1 tablespoon of chopped onion (if it is a large head you might want to use 2 tablespoons)
1 small can of chopped black olives ( I used sliced but chopped is better)
1/4 to 1/3 cup of Miracle Whip
salt and pepper to taste

New Table Ideas

Sorry the picture is sideways! :( 

This morning I was sitting and thinking about dishes, new glasses, redecorating and I became very excited.  I know there are a lot of you who are thinking, are you kidding, you got excited thinking about dishes, glasses etc.  Well, it's really true.  My energy level starts to go through the roof when I start thinking about things like this.  I truly love it.  I love putting things together that you think wouldn't work but comes out looking wonderful. 

I really do need new glasses and everyday dishes but I haven't seen yet what I love.  I would like red or green dishes.  My mom used to have an everyday set dishes that had huge red roses on them.  You would have to see it.  It wasn't an expensive set but I still remember them (that should say something) and I loved them.  I have wanted red dishes for years but haven't seen just what I want.  I recently saw some green glasses that I liked at Tuesday Morning. I loved the color and the glass but they didn't have a full set.

The picture above is my china pattern.  Years ago I got a free set of china and crystal with my cookware.  My cookware was very expensive but it was great and has lasted a long time but it is starting to ware  also. When I got married, I liked the cream colored china with the small gold edging. The china I have, I have never been totally happy with but decided to go with it because it was free. It was not exactly what I wanted but it was close and I thought I would be happy with it.  I wasn't! I find that I just don't use it.  First Lesson - Never buy what you are not totally happy with even if it's free!

This is my new idea for my china.  I going to start looking at garage sales, thrift stores, and junk stores for salad plates that are china that are patterned to go with my plates. I will keep you posted on my discoveries.

The other thing I have decided to do is to start using my mother's silverware.  I love the pattern and it all needs to be shined up.  Again, my everyday silver ware that I bought when we got married has seen better days.  Some of it is missing and I still love it and will use it some but I am going to use my mom's too. She has tea spoons and soup spoons and I love the shape of them. Why not use these things that are beautiful and get enjoyment of out them instead of keeping them put up and out of sight.

I am excited to see what I'm going to find and I'll keep you posted of my discoveries.

Frankincense

Since today is Christmas eve and the Bible tells the story of the gifts that were brought to Jesus, one of those gifts was Frankincense. There are over 52 references to Frankincense in the Bible.  Frankincense is considered the holy anointing oil in the Middle East and has been used in religious ceremonies for thousands of years.  During the time of Christ, it was well known for its healing powers.  Used to treat every conceivable ill known to man, frankincense was valued more than gold during ancient times and only those with great wealth and abundance possessed it.  It is mentioned in one of the oldest known medical records, Ebers Payrus (dating from the sixteenth century B.C.) an ancient Egyptian list of 877 prescriptions and recipes.

The medical properties of Frankincense - Antitumoral, immunostimulant, antidepressant, muscle relaxing.

The uses for Frankincense are depression, cancer, respiratory infections, inflammation, immune-stimulating. Frankincense contains sesquiterpenes which stimulate the limbic system of the brain (the center of memory and emotions) and the hypothalamus, pineal and pituitary glands.  The hypothalamus is the master gland of the human body, producing many vital hormones including thyroid and growth hormones.

Dr. Linn at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center is now doing clinical studies on treating cancer patients with Frankincense. The Frankincense for his clinical studies is being provided by Young Living Essential Oils.  Thus far, he is having phenomenal results having cured 4 to 5 different types of cancer in a matter of a few months.

Also Frankincense coupled with copaiba (an essential oil) is a great fighter against inflammation in the body.

Frankincense can be taken internally, diffused, inhaled, 2-4 drops on chakras/vita flex points.

BURZYNSKI

Last night I watched a documentary on Netflix, it is simply called Burzynski.  Dr. Burzynski came from Poland, he is a medical doctor and the bottom line is, he found a cure for cancer. He lived in Houston and treated patients from there.  When the documentary was over, I wasn't sure if he was still living in Houston and practicing medicine. I'm assuming he is.  I didn't do any research on him presently before I started writing this.

I was outraged as I watched this documentary. Dr. Burzynski must have thought he was living back in Poland and the communist had taken over. The FDA took him to court 7 or 8 times and every time he was acquitted. He had patented his drugs and it's protocol.  They were not toxic! When the FDA couldn't get him The National Cancer Institute started after him.  To make a long story short ( I can't urge you enough to watch this documentary) the United States government stole his patent and made it their own.

Our government  is corrupt to the core but when I watched this documentary, and we all know the devastating effects that cancer has on the victim and the family it touches, I am still surprised at the ruthlessness that greed and power can put in the hearts of men and woman.

I can't remember if I've told this story on my blog before, but 25 years ago I was having symptoms with my heart.  Thankfully, the doctor didn't find anything and my heart was ok. But I was explaining something to my doctor and I said, "I know this is going to sound weird to you" and it was the concept that if there is not a physical cause for illness it could be something spiritual.  When I got in my car that day to leave the doctor's office, out of the blue God said, "don't ever say my ways are weird again, it's their ways that are weird." I asked God that day, "what are YOUR ways"?  I've spent the last 25 years learning what God's ways are and I by no means have it figured out but through the years He has led me to alternatives that work.

Good organic food and good water is a good place to start. Not the public water supply! I know organic is expensive and if you can't afford that (and I can't always either) I try to buy the freshest food possible.  That's why I try to grow our own. God made your body to heal itself.

In the last year, I've found Young Living essential oils and I believe these oils are a game changer for your health. And by the way, the FDA is after Gary Young, owner of Young Living. So that should tell you something about how good essential oils are if they are a therapeutic grade.

Drugs are made from chemicals that have terrible side effects.  There are other alternatives.
I hope you will be able to watch this documentary.

Southern Italian Chicken Soup

I made this soup for dinner last night and it is a very hearty delicious soup.  The recipe calls for chicken breast and you brown them in a skillet for about 5 minutes.  I already had a whole chicken, so I boiled my chicken, let it cool and then took the meat off of the bone. The fried chicken breast may really give the soup a little different flavor and next time I make it I am going to try the fried breast but you now have two options. I love soup and I cannot have to many soup recipes!

1 large onion diced
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
2 carrots, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced  (the recipe calls for only one)
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups chicken broth
1 (15.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (I used diced tomatoes flavored with basil, onion and garlic)
1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 (6 to 8 oz.) skinned and boned chicken breast
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups sliced fresh okra ( I used frozen)
1 (15.5 ounce)can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed ( I had frozen and used them)
1 (9 ounce) package refrigerated cheese filled tortelini
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Saute first 4 ingredients in 2 tablespoons of hot oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes or until tender.  Stir in broth and next 3 ingredients; bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Cook in remaining olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat 5 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.  Cool slightly (about 5 minutes) cut into 1 inch pieces.

Add okra, black-eyed peas, and chicken to Dutch oven, simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until okra (and if you use frozen blackeyed peas) and peas are tender.  Add tortelini and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes or until tortelini is done.  Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

This soup is great alone but would be good with a small salad or a big piece of garlic crusty french bread. We had the bread and it was great for dipping. :)

Proof of Heaven

A couple of days ago, I finished reading Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander, M. D.  He is a neurosurgeon that contracted bacterial mennigitis.  He was in a coma for one week and during that week is his Proof of Heaven.

It was very interesting because he didn't believe in God and scientifically he had come to the conclusion  that there wasn't any consciousness after death.  His experience was very interesting, he didn't start out seeing the tunnel with the bright light at the end.

I became interested in what happens when you die when my dad died.  I had one of those (the light came on experiences) when he died.  I had been in his room only 10 minutes before he died and even though he was in a coma I knew he was there.  After his death, and we went back into his room because we were not permitted to be in the room when he died, immediately even though his body was there I knew he was gone.  I know you are probably thinking duh, yes he is gone, but for me it was an awakening point where I realized we are not our body, that our body is just a shell that carries us around. So I really wanted to know what happens when you die and over the years I have read quite a few books on the subject.

It's probably the best book I've read on near death experiences and it's a quick read.

YUM! Chocolate

The first thing I want to tell you about is Woody's Candy Company.  He is located east off of North Western on 72nd.  Check the address before you go over but I think it is 72nd.  He has been in business for years.  My best friend's mother in grade school worked for him and she always had tons of candy canes at Christmas time.  Then for years, the old Farmer's Market carried all of his candies during the holidays as well as privately owned grocery stores.  In the past two years, he stopped supplying the grocery stores with his candy and the old Farmer's Market has closed their doors.  So believe me when I say," it is worth a trip to his candy store." You will be so glad you took my advice. He also sells candy for Valentine's Day and Mother's Day.

He makes the best chocolate peanut clusters I have ever eaten and his almond chocolate toffee is out of this world.  All kinds of brittle, peanut, cashew and pecan.  All kinds of hard candy - peppermint and old fashioned lemon drops just to name a few.  Chocolate covered raisins, white chocolate covered pretzels and I could go on and on.  Everything is beautifully packaged and these candies make wonderful gifts. For the person who has everything.....they will love these candies.

Now for Katie's (our daughter) wonderful peanut butter balls.  This is a recipe from my beloved aunt.  I used to get with her every holiday season and we would make these peanut butter balls. This is one of those candies that our family loves and I haven't made them in a long time.  Katie came down Sunday and brought us a container full of some she had made.  They were wonderful.  I had forgotten how good they are.  I couldn't stop eating them :(  

I wanted to share the recipe with you.  If you have never tried these and you like peanut butter and chocolate....you'll love them.

Peanut Butter Balls

1 pound 14 ounce jar crunchy peanut butter, 1 box powdered sugar, 1 stick butter, 3 cups rice crispies.
Mix the peanut butter and butter together then add the powdered sugar.  When the powdered sugar is incorporated well then stir in the rice crispies. Then form walnut size balls. 
Melt one slab of paraffin over low heat the it is melted add one 12 ounce bag of chocolate chips.  When the chips are melted, dip the balls into the chocolate and let the balls set on wax paper.
My daughter used just chocolate chips this year because she didn't want to use the paraffin and they turned out great.  If you do not use the paraffin, they cannot stay out at room temperature for a long period of time.

Hope you are having a wonderful holiday season.  Try not to get so busy that you need a holiday from the holiday. Keep it simple and enjoy the people you love!

Thieves Oil

This oil is named after a group of 15th-century thieves who rubbed oils on themselves to avoid contracting the plague while they robbed the bodies of the dead and dying.  When apprehended, these thieves disclosed the formula of herbs, spices and oils they used to protect themselves in exchange for more lenient punishment.

Thieves is a blend of several oils; clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus and rosemary.  I have been diffusing this a lot lately in our home.  It has great killing power against airborne microorganisms.  One analysis showed a 90 percent reduction in the number of gram positive Micrococcus luteus organisms after diffusing for 12 minutes.  After diffusing for 20 minutes, the killing jumped to 99.3 percent.  I run the diffuser for 15 to 20 minutes every 3 to 4 hours.  It really makes the house smell good also. 

This is great for sore throats, colds, sinus problems.  You can apply on the bottoms of your feet. Or if you have a headache put a drop on your tongue and then push against the roof of your mouth.

You can also put 4 to 8 drops on a cotton ball and stick it in your air vents.  Add several drops to a wet cloth and put in clothes dryer.

Pecans, Pecans, Pecans!

We have a bumper crop of pecans this year.  This may be the only benefit of the mild winter from last year.  Our fruit trees and pecans trees had wonderful crops this year.  It did not freeze in the spring this year so all the fruits and nuts did very well.  You would not believe all the pecans, Gary and I will be cracking nuts for quite some time.

I'm not complaining, very thankful for these especially when I see the prices continually rising at the grocery store.

Making Wreaths

A very dear friend and (my Indian food eating buddy) invited me out for the day to celebrate my birthday.  We had a wonderful time.  First on the agenda, was a wreath making class at Will Rogers Community Center (not sure if that's the exact title).  This is a well kept secret.  There are gardening classes there once a month taught by a very knowlegeable horticulturalist.  I have attended a few of his classes and I always learn something new.  The last class of the year is a wreath making class and the wonderful thing is, it is FREE.  You can't believe all of the different types of natural greenry.  It is all the trimmings from the park and another property. And there are tons of it. 

I didn't really know what to expect from the class but was pleasantly surprised.  I made a small wreath for our bedroom window and when the class was over they passed out huge plastic bags so you could bring more greenry home.  I brought home enough greenry to decorate the wreath that hangs on our pickett fence and to fill my old wheelbarrow by the den door.

Well, after we loaded our cars with all our greenry we headed for our favorite Indian restaurant. It was wonderful, all the Indian dishes I love plus their wonderful mint sauce and cucumber sauce.  You already know, I ate too much, but I always do when I go there.  We then headed back to her home for some afternoon tea and a good visit. We were both so full, if we had been honest with each other we probably could have laid down and took a good nap! :)

It was a wonderful day, an activity that I loved, great food and I shared it with a great friend.


P.S.  Next time you are trimming shrubs or a neighbor is see if you can be creative with the clippings!

Making hand and body lotion

Ok, this is my first attempt at making lotion.  One of my dear friends gave me some lotion she made last year at about this time of the year and it was wonderful.  My husband always has trouble this time of the year with the skin around his fingers cracking (it gets very painful) and the lotion you buy at the store didn't seem to help that well.  The lotion my friend made, he loved.  In fact, he told me to never run out of this, it's great.  It was a jar about the size of the ones in the picture and it lasted all winter.  It was very soothing and my hands and legs were very soft.  It really helped my dry skin.

Why make your own lotion?  Read the label on the lotion you use and then google the ingredients and find out what you are rubbing into your body.  It will be quite an eye opener.  So making lotion has become another item on my resume. :) 

This is my first batch that I made for my children and me and my hubby.  It's not as smooth as the lotion from my friend.  I haven't got to talk to her yet so I don't know why it's a little grainy but it still does the trick of making our skin very soft.  I even use it as a moisturizer for my face.

These are the ingredients:
Small batch:  2 ounces raw Shea butter, 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Larger batch: 8 ounces of Shea butter, 1/2 cup of coconut oil, 1/4 cup olive oil

This is the basic recipe.  I added to this coco butter , bees wax.  I also added red raspberry seed oil, lavender essential oil and peppermint essential oil.  Red raspberry seed oil is extraordinarily high in Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids and is a superb anti-oxidant.  Research shows that its high level of Vitamin E is known to give it an important role in skin repair and conditioning.   Red raspberry oil is known for its prevention of gingivitis, rashes, eczema and other skin lesions.  It creates a lipid barrier providing protection to the skin and provides moisture retention for the skin. It is also a natural sunblock. I added the lavender and peppermint because lavender is great for skin repair, burns, ecemza, psoriasis and peppermint is also good for ecemza and psoriasis and they both smell wonderful.  There are other essential oils that are wonderful for skin problems, these were the two that I had purchased.

So this was my recipe:
12 ounces Shea butter
1 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup coco butter
2 ounces bees wax
6 teaspoons red raspberry seed oil
10 drops of lavender
10 drops of peppermint oil

I melted the first 5 ingredients and allowed them to cool but not completely and then added the red raspberry seed oil, lavender, and peppermint oil.  As I said early, my lotion is grainy I don't know why but I will keep you informed as I perfect this lotion. It is wonderful for your skin and it makes it feel very soft.

Something else I have started to do, got this idea from my daughter, I take about a tablespoon of coconut oil and put 4 drops of lavender and use this also as a moisturizer at night. This will also keep in a small glass container.  Do not put essential oils in plastic containers the plastic will leach into the essential oil.

If you have babies or toddlers read the ingredients on the Johnson's and Johnson's baby lotion. 

Catering a Ladies Christmas Luncheon

Some ideas for your next party or for celebrating the holidays.  First, let me point out the tablecloth how the ends are tied. I love the look and it also keeps your guests from catching their toe in a cloth that goes to the floor. It's hard to tell from these pictures but my client had a beautiful gold tablecloth and I accented it with a white cloth that had gold and silver strands in it. 

Elevating foods on the table looks so much more appealing than having everything the same level. Foods all have such beautiful colors it is easy celebrating the season with so many red and green combinations. The red and greens apples, red cherry tomatoes with green basil and mozzarella cheese balls, red and green peppers and I decorated the top of an herb cheesecake with rosemary from my garden and pomegranate seeds. For the veggie platter, red pepper hummus dip and creamy green avacado dip.

Last but not least, I put cranberries on the ends of picks for the cranberry meatballs I made.  I think it made a great presentation and looked very festive.  The ladies at the luncheon loved the idea.

A lot of work, but I love seeing it all come together.  The food was wonderful and my client was very pleased!

Cranberry Meatballs

2 pounds of ground chuck
2 large eggs,
1/3 cup of dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 garlic
1/2 t. onion powder (I used 1/2 cup finely diced onion, I like the flavor of the real onion)
1/2 teaspoon of thyme ( I used fresh thyme from my garden and I used 1 heaping tablespoon)
1-16 ounce can cranberry sauce
1-12 ounce jar chili sauce
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl.  Shape mixture into about 54 (l inch ) balls.  I used a melon baller to help me get the correct amount.
Cook meatballs, in batches, in a large skillet over medium heat until brown. Remove meatballs from pan and drain well on paper towels. I then put meatballs in a casserole dish and finished them off in the oven, 375 degrees for about 15 minutes.  I don't like pink meat. When meatballs are done, drain off any grease.

Stir together cranberry and chili sauces and next 5 ingredients in large dutch oven over medium heat and cook whisking occasionally until smooth.  Let sauce simmer about 10 minutes on low heat and then cover the meatballs. Then transfer to a chafin dish or crock pot on low.  When I am catering, I put the crock pot on low and occasionally will turn it off for about 20 minutes and then turn it on again  because I don't want the meatballs to cook I just warm to keep them warm.

Note:  To make ahead you can place cook meatballs in a zip-lock plastic freezer bag and freeze up to one month.  Thaw in frig, warm sligthly in oven and then cover with warmed sauce.

Hungry Cats

I never thought I would be a cat person but after we moved to the country they won my heart.  It's so funny because in the morning when they see me in the kitchen they start to gather around the back door and if I don't bring out the grub, Susie stands and looks in the kitchen window at me until I cooperate.

I've been posting information about essential oils but just a short testimony from me.  Yesterday, I was taking something from the oven and my index finger hit the element and burned the heck out of it.  When I looked at my finger, it was white where it had burned it.  I immediately put a drop of lavendar oil on it and immediately the burning and reddness was gone.  I have a very small blister now but no reddness or burning. It does burn just a little if water hits it but that's it.  I am continually amazed by these oils.  I just can't say enough about them. I love it because it is all natural.

Both of our daughters at different times recently started getting symptoms of a sore throat and sinus congestion. They had some swollen lymph glands in their neck.  One daughter rubbed peppermint oil on her throat and on her sinus area, the other daughter took 4 drops of clove oil in a capsule and they both got up the next morning with no symptoms and the lymph glands were down.

If you are interested in more information about essential oils please contact me at ggschwartz2@juno.com. 

I almost forgot.  This weather is perfect for star gazing in the evening.  Saturday evening I was out for several hours.  It was so nice, perfect temperature, no bugs and in less than an hour I saw two shooting starts. If I had a more comfortable chair I would have dozed off to sleep.

Lemon Oil

As I said in the last post, lemon and peppermint were two of the first oils I used.  The smell of lemon oil is also so refreshing. It's amazing to me that lemon oil has so many benefits.

First, let me tell you of some of the research that has been done on lemon oil.  Vaporized lemon oil can kill meningococcus bacteria in 15 minutes, typhoid bacilli in one hour, staphylococcus in two hours, and pneumococcus bacteria within three hours. Lemon oil has been widely used in skin care and can reduce wrinkles (yeah) and combat acne.

The medical properities  - lemon oil is antitumoral, antiseptic, improves microcirculation, and immune stimulant (increases white blood cells) improves memory, relaxation.  Rich in limonene, which has ben extensively studied for its ability to combat tumor growth in over 50 clinical studies.

The uses for lemon oil are circulatory problems, arteriosclerosis, obestiy, parasite, urinary tract infections, varicose veins, anxiety, hypertension, digestive probems and acne.

When this fragance is diffused it promotes clarity of thought and purpose.  In a study, when lemon was diffused it resulted in 54 percent fewer errors.

It can be used internally and externally but avoid getting in the sun or UV light within 72 hours of using it.

Lemon oil has become my deodorant.  When I firsted started using it, it would sting my underarms but after a week or so it stopped.  It doesn't keep you from perspiring but there is no smell.  It really works great.  Since you have a good amount of lymph system under your arm and it is also close to your breast and lemon oil is antitumoral this is a good place to apply it.  Lemon oil is also good in your water and you can also use it for baking.  If you have granite counter tops it cleans them very well with no streaks and also sterilizes them. It will remove gum, oil and grease spots. Add one teaspoon to mineral oil for a furniture polish. Add a few drops to your dishwasher for spot free dishes. It also helps with bleeding gums and cold sores.

If you have any serious health issues always check with your physician before using essential oils.