Odds are that some people who read this will say my post is all hogwash. Others may read on just out of curiosity. Then there are a few that will print this out and try every single idea!
The Merrium-Webster online dictionary defines superstition as ‘A belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation’. Personally, I don’t like that definition – except for the part about trust in magic or chance. There is nothing wrong with believing in chance, but if I throw spilled salt over my shoulder, should I be called ignorant? My mother told me to do that!
Most people are superstitious about something, but they may not even call it superstition. Throwing salt over your shoulder is a perfect example of that. It was something we were told long ago, and now we just DO IT, with very little thought. How do you feel about opening an umbrella inside? Do you hesitate when a black cat crosses your path? What about New Years traditions – like eating Black eyed peas?
In an effort to bring good luck to everyone who reads my blog, I am passing along good luck superstitions for anyone who would like to try something to improve their luck. Disclaimer: I make no promises or guarantees that these ideas will work, but no one will be harmed if you chose to try them!
Counting Stars – Count nine (or ninety-nine stars) on nine consecutive nights and a wish will be granted.
Socks – Putting on a non-matching pair of socks is lucky.
Bubbles – Finding bubbles on the surface of your cup of coffee or hot tea will lead to financial good fortune in the future.
Itching – If your right knee or right elbow itches, you will get good news.
Pennies – Keeping a jar of pennies in the kitchen is good luck.
Sneezing – If you sneeze to the right or first thing in the morning it is lucky.
Bucket – If you pass a full bucket when leaving the house you will have good luck all day.
Gloves – Finding a pair of gloves means you will have a successful week in business.
Tomato – A tomato placed on a hearth ensures prosperity for all occupants of the house.
And finally, finding a dead donkey is lucky!!
I have been away from posting for a little longer than usual. I had a darn good reason though!
Let me offer some insight into the past week of my life first though. I love the weekends – who doesn’t? My weekends ALWAYS (well, everyday actually) start with a trip to Starbucks. On Monday through Friday I walk into ‘My’ Starbucks and dreamily look at ‘My’ table just counting down the days until I can come back and sit there. My family knows that every weekend morning must start with my coffee, newspaper and my favorite drink or the weekend is ruined. Well, over a week ago I was on my way to ‘My’ table on this particular Saturday. I never made it though.
While driving, I just didn’t feel right and I turned around and went back home. I should have called 911 right then and there but we delayed a little bit. Back at home, I had crushing chest pain (I originally attributed it to caffeine withdrawl and the Starbuck Gods sending bad Mojo my way) and I ended up in the ER. Hours later, I was lying on this very uncomfortable bed being told that I had just had a heart attack! Seriously? I am only 47 years old with low blood pressure, not so awful cholesterol and no family history of heart disease.
After the doctor gave me this news, he looked at the counter and saw several soda bottles lined up (these were not mine, they belonged to the family). He informed me I would have to stop drinking that soda (again, NOT mine). I don’t care about soda, but what about Starbucks? The very nice doctor said Starbucks was just fine and life was good.
So other than Starbucks, I wanted to think of other ways to help me stay positive… because there is nothing positive about having a heart attack.
Exercise is always a good one. Getting fresh air usually makes me feel better about most things and I have been exercising quite a bit in the last week. I have done many loads of laundry, and other random household chores that were neglected during my hospital stay.
A change in diet always improves your outlook on life. My diet has now changed from ‘You can eat anything’ to ‘You can eat anything that is fat free, low calorie, bland and is a fruit, vegetable or whole grain’. The good news is that now I can pronounce all the ingredients in my food, however, Paula Deen and I are no longer friends.
When feeling down or lonely, it is good to force yourself to socialize because family and friends will always be there for you. They will try to lift your spirits by taking you out to eat (to a hamburger place) or playing games (Operation), but they really do care!
I will try to remember to just keep a smile on my face. I am alive, I can still drink coffee and January 18, 2010, will be the most depressing day of the year (according to an MSN Health article) – but it is almost over. So tomorrow MUST be a good day.
Winter is perfect for spending extra time in the kitchen preparing warm, hearty meals. I am not fond of the cold, so I tend to stay indoors all winter long. Making hearty soups and casseroles is the perfect way to warm up the house and our stomachs.
Casseroles are easily doubled as you prepare them so you can have one for dinner, and the other one later in the month. Soups are the same way. One big pot of soup is usually too much for one meal and I tend to tire of the leftovers after a day or two. These two types of dishes are perfect candidates for freezer food. Here are a few tips to know when freezing meals.
*You can freeze both cooked and uncooked casseroles. However, it is best to freeze uncooked casseroles that have cooked food in them, got that? Lasagna would be one of those dishes – when you make lasagna, everything is already cooked when you put it in the casserole dish, but it still needs to be cooked as one dish. Whew, hope that wasn’t too confusing! Another example is a chicken dish that uses – cooked, cut up chicken. If you want to freeze a baked dish, undercook it for about 15 minutes, then let it completely cool off before storing in the freezer. When I make a big pot of soup, I will usually package the leftovers up for freezing the next day – after it has completely chilled down in the refrigerator.
*If you want to freeze a casserole with vegetables, make sure you blanch them first (partially cook them in boiling water) so they are about half way cooked. That keeps them from getting too mushy after freezing. Green peppers do not freeze well at all. Substitute another vegetable in its place or just leave it out all together.
*If your casserole uses cloves, garlic and or pepper, reduce the amount you would normally use because the flavor intensifies after freezing. However, if you are using sage, onion and or salt in your recipe, increase it by half because their flavor mellows during freezing.
*Here is the easiest way to prepare a pan for freezer food. Turn your casserole dish upside down on your counter. Take a big piece of heavy duty foil and mold it to the bottom of the dish (making sure there is plenty of foil overlapping the sides). Turn the casserole dish right side up and gently put the molded foil inside the dish – a perfect fit without tearing the corners! Then proceed to fill the dish with your recipe. Cover the dish and place the filled casserole dish into the freezer. After it is frozen, gently remove the foil covered food from the dish and wrap again with foil. When you are ready to cook, just slide the frozen food right into the original casserole dish and bake.
*Storing soups and batches of spaghetti sauce (which is a GREAT freezer item to have on hand) could not be easier with this trick. Fill freezer bags with the amount of sauce or soup you want to store. Small freezer bag portions are great for lunch or quick weeknight meals too. Place the first bag into another freezer bag the same size and lay flat on a baking sheet. Put the baking sheet into the freezer. Once frozen, remove the baking sheet and your frozen soups and sauces are now flat and take up less room.
*Always date your freezer items and use within 2 months for freshness.
*Chicken is one of the easiest meats to cook up and freeze. When you find some chicken on sale (boneless breasts or a whole chicken), cook it up, cube it and then store in freezer zip locks to have on hand when you want to make a quick weeknight meal (measure chicken into one cup quantities for ease).
One last note on baking frozen casseroles. Thaw a frozen casserole in the refrigerator for 24 hours before use or bake frozen right from the freezer and allow twice the original cooking time. Happy Freezing!
Many times we say ‘Yes’ and we really mean ‘No’. Then we have struggles with resentments because we couldn’t – or didn’t know how – to say what we really meant. Saying yes when we mean no may be an instant reaction to avoid conflict or hurt feelings. Let’s start the New Year off with a faith that we can learn how to say no gracefully and avoid all those guilty feelings.
*Learn to say no to a request and not to the person. ‘I cannot go the bank’ is less personal than ‘I cannot go to the bank for you’. Our defenses automatically go up when we feel attacked, regardless of the situation. Sometimes less is more.
*Do you want to say no, but yes just always jumps out of your mouth? When a question is asked of you, take a few seconds to consider your answer. Take a deep breath and formulate your no answer carefully. Pausing will actually show the other person that you are considering the question and may actually soften your no.
*Consider turning your no into a compromise or offer an alternative solution. ‘I cannot go to the bank today, but I usually go on Friday’s and could take care of your business then’. This approach is particularly effective in the work environment because saying no the boss can be a sensitive situation. Let’s say the boss wants you to take on an additional project but you already have a desk full of projects to complete. Suggesting another coworker for the assignment, and offering to assist them as time allows, is a much easier way to step back.
*Avoid feeling guilty when saying no. Sometimes we have to say no when we really want to say yes. Maybe you have previous commitments or obligations that you cannot or should not change. Go ahead and explain your answer in a short statement, but do not get long winded. If you are feeling guilty, a long explanation will leave the door wide open to challenges that you may not be comfortable with.
However you say no, learn to be comfortable and confident with your answer. Learning to say no can become a stress reliever too. Stop feeling guilty about having to do it all, and let go of some resentments along the way.
When I started researching this topic, I became overwhelmed (one of the reasons for the delay in a new post)! There is so much to know that I think I actually added some brain cells gathering data. But, no worries, I am only going to give you some ‘highlights’ to give you something to think about – since this blog post is all about thinking better.
Take care of your brain
Since the brain runs your body, it makes a lot of sense to take care of it. First though, how do you protect it? If you have a few extra pounds, work on shedding at least 5-10% of that extra weight. That is a simple first goal, and the New Year is approaching (who hasn’t made a diet part of their resolution at some point?). Start to limit your alcohol consumption by having no more than one drink every day. Alcohol shrinks your brain – plain and simple. Lastly, limit your caffeine intake. Drinking too much caffeine can prematurely age your brain by dehydrating it. The caffeine also stimulates the body and hides the need for rest. Our bodies need to rest to regenerate, so go ahead and take a nap!
How do we feed our brain?
Most of us know that good nutrition leads to a more healthful life, but not all of us take it seriously enough – me included. Eating healthy foods nourishes all our organs and allows them to function at full capacity. Also, healthy foods rid our bodies of harmful toxins that can lead to disease. So what types of food specifically feed our brains? That question is not so simple, because there are many. However, there are some foods that just scream ‘Brainpower’! If you are a tea drinker, you may have heard the benefits of drinking green tea. Green tea is great for the heart, which improves circulation and can block the growth of bad cells that form cancer and tumors. Oatmeal, Wild Salmon, kale and other dark green veggies, nuts, eggs, garlic and sweet potatoes top the list of great brain foods. Blueberries are a super fruit because they are high in antioxidants – which slows the aging process and can reduce cell damage related to cancers. All of the foods are great for heart function, which again leads to better circulation. Better circulation keeps the brain working optimally.
This is also where I remind you the importance of eating breakfast. Skipping breakfast will slow your metabolism and not feed your organs properly. Everything you put in your stomach feeds the body, so make every bite count! Well, almost every bite – no one said you had to be a saint.
Exercise your brain
Exercising your brain is related to exercising your body. If you have paid attention, you might have noticed that taking care of your brain by eating and drinking healthier, benefits everything else in your body – specifically your heart function. Funny how it all kind of works together! So that physical exercise that we moan about, really is just as important as eating an apple a day. Exercise does not have to mean going to the gym. Achieving a greater level of activity can be as easy as a good housecleaning, dancing or a taking a brisk walk with your children.
Exercising the brain isn’t all about sweating and donning workout clothes. Working the daily crossword, reading and watching informative television stimulate the brain as well. Get out of the house and take a class, go to church or join a social club. Learning a new skill or challenging our memory banks keeps those brain cells moving around.
With all this talk about exercise and getting motivated, my last thought here will actually appeal to everyone. It is as simple as learning to relax. Take time out to meditate and practice breathing deeply. Rejuvenate your brain by sitting quietly and not thinking about anything or think about something good. Light a scented candle, drink a cup of green tea and eat some dark chocolate. I feel those brain cells multiplying already!
If you still have holiday shopping to do at this point, you are either a last minute shopper every year, or there is someone on your list that is impossible to buy for and you are still looking for that ‘special something’. Maybe it is your grandmother and you want to find that perfect gift. Or maybe it is a mother in law who will not be happy no matter what you purchase (my mother in law doesn’t read my blogs).
I always try to be really creative every year, at least for one person. Here are some of my ideas this year. If you are on my gift list, and read my blog, just open the darn gift and act surprised!
*Family game night – With the poor economy, I have heard about more and more families spending time at home playing games. Head to the store and find a great family game (maybe your kids can help chose one) – even a classic like Monopoly. Package the game with a 6 pack of soda, and some snack food and you just created a gift for the WHOLE family.
*Remember when you were a kid and you made those coupon books for your parents? Put that computer software to work and create some great coupons for an elderly relative or your very busy friends. Create ‘Cookie of the month club’ coupons, and then once a month make a double batch of cookies and deliver them to the lucky recipients. What a great gift that gives all year! Older family members and friends would rather have something you made and a few minutes of your time to visit than another cardigan anyway. You can get really creative here with different types of coupons. Just remember you have to actually DO the things you promise, so be reasonable. Yard work, washing windows, cooking and babysitting are always good choices.
*Themed gift baskets – These are always a hit because you can please anyone with a little thought. Breakfast items for a cold morning, a puzzle/book basket with the latest novel and crossword puzzles (and some fun pens), Gardening items including a current related magazine or book and some new garden gloves, or a Snack Basket with lots of sweet treats and some tea bags.
*Magazine subscriptions – Again with trying to please elderly family members (maybe it is just me, but shopping for them is SO difficult). Reiman Publications has a magazine called Reminisce which claims to be America’s #1 Nostalgia magazine. Great articles and no advertising. There are so many magazines to chose from – and most are reasonably priced. Click on any of the Amazon items on the right of this article and you can purchase subscriptions through Amazon right from my website. Create a fancy note on your computer and wrap it up as the gift, or purchase the current issue of the magazine to wrap.
Many years ago, my neice Erica, wanted to be a chef when she grew up. Erica had every toy she could ever want so I had to come up with something special for Christmas as her gift. I decided to give her a basket of kitchen utensils and ‘private’ cooking lessons. We spent several winter weekends making cookies and other fun recipes. We both had a really great time together and even though she was only 5, we have the memories to last a lifetime. So when it comes to shopping for a difficult person this holiday season, take a few minutes to think outside the box and remember that the gift is not nearly as important as the time you will share together.
Over the years I have had to extinguish several small kitchen fires, yet I am sure all of them could have been prevented. On Thanksgiving, we had a small fire in the oven which was caused by food bubbling over. When you have a kitchen fire, the first thing you might say is ‘Get the fire extinguisher!’. In our case, we were at my mother in laws home for the holiday so we did not know where the extinguisher was kept. When it was eventually retrieved, long after the fire was out, we could only stare in amazement at this dust covered red container that was close to 20 years old – and was found in the locked shed outside!
There are several things you should do to prevent this emergency in the first place.
*Make a kid free zone (and pet free too) of at least 3 feet in front of the stove.
*Remember to “Stand By Your Pan”. Never leave the kitchen unattended while something is cooking on the stovetop.
*Clean the stove area, including the drip pans, to be rid of food crumbs and grease.
*Keep flammable items away from the stove area. This includes pot holders, paper towels, dish towels and food packaging. Never wear loose, long sleeves (like a robe) while cooking.
*Always turn the pot handles in toward the stove – not hanging over the edge.
*Do not overfill dishes in the oven . This is what happened to me on Thanksgiving. The sweet potatoes with all that gooey brown sugar bubbled over because they were too full!
In case a small fire starts, here are a few tips.
*A box of baking soda can be a lifesaver. Baking soda will put out any SMALL fire caused by grease and food.
*If a fire starts in a pot or on a stovetop, putting a pan lid on the fire should smother it quickly.
*A fire in the oven, will usually extinguish itself if you close the door.
*NEVER pour water on a grease fire. The water disperses the grease and the fire and makes a small problem a 911 problem.
Having a fire extinguisher on hand is always a great idea. However, there are several types of fire extinguishers and not all of them are for kitchen fires. Check carefully to make sure you purchase an extinguisher suited for kitchens only and understand which types of fires they are used on. Always learn how to use the extinguisher BEFORE you need it.
If the fire is larger than a small stovetop fire or spreads, leave the house and call 911. If a fire should start, be calm and be prepared!
Everybody is going green these days, so I found some great ideas to help us put good use to things that are lying around the house. For years now I have been saying I need to organize and downsize all my holiday decorations. Well, this is the year to do that with my first tip.
Single socks – Gather up all those random socks that have lost their mate and put delicate holiday ornaments in them when you store your decorations. Next year you will get a good chuckle when you take out the ornaments and realize how resourceful you became!
Old pantyhose – Cut them into rings and slip over opened wrapping paper rolls to keep them from unraveling.
Shower curtains – Fold one up and pack into the corner of the car trunk. This will come in handy for an impromptu picnic (liner under a nicer blanket) or if you need to kneel and change a tire in lousy weather.
Old pillowcases – Put newspapers for recycling into the pillowcases to keep the newsprint off your hands.
Old linen sets – When the kids have outgrown the Spiderman sheets, send clean linen sets to a homeless shelter or home for battered women.
Bent fork – I have one of these! Everyone grabs it, and then puts it back because I cannot bear to get rid of it. Take the bent fork, put it in a glass and use it to hold your recipe cards so they are up off the counter. I love this idea!
Old wineglasses and candy dishes – Take old wineglasses and crystal dishes and give them a new home this holiday! Fill with candies, wrap in cellophane and a pretty bow and give them as gifts. This is not the same as ‘re-gifting’ – it is ‘recycling’!
I cannot wait to get rid of all those loner socks this year! So much better than throwing them away, because if I ever find its mate, I know where it is!
So by now you have contemplated the Thanksgiving menu, figured out where all the food will be cooked, and received a head count. The head count doesn’t really matter anyway, because you have probably planned to prepare enough food to feed the neighborhood, right? In all honesty, I try to make too much food. That way I can have leftovers for days and enjoy the food even more because it will only take 2 minutes per plate in the microwave to feed the family for the next week.
In order to prepare this bounty of wonderful food, you still have to do a little more planning. Let’s take our list of menu items and actually head to the kitchen. Get out those family recipes and go over each item. Take time to actually go to the cabinet and check for EVERY ingredient. A few years ago my mother in law forgot to do this and she was sure she had stuffing in the cabinet. So there I am on Christmas day, looking for the missing bags of stuffing and there is none. Did 7-11 carry stuffing? Nope. So I had to improvise. I went back to my house and got 2 boxes of Stove Top. That is an experience I do not want to repeat.
As you search the corners of your cabinet, start your shopping lists. On one list, write down the needed non-perishables that you can purchase now – spices, STUFFING, dessert ingredients etc. Then use the other list for the fresh items to pick up a few days before Thanksgiving. Here is a quick suggestion, avoid last minute shopping on Wednesday. Go out late Monday night or early in the morning. We are trying to be stress free this holiday, not make it worse!
Don’t forget about the turkey! Most of them are frozen and need time to thaw. Plan on allowing 24 hours to thaw in the refrigerator for each 5 pounds of frozen turkey. So a 20 pound frozen turkey will take 4 days to thaw – and maybe a little more. I am not even going to tell you how to quickly thaw a frozen turkey because you are reading this and planning ahead, right? There will be no last minute freaking out because you have organized a beautiful, balanced holiday meal but forgot about the turkey.
Once all your shopping is done or almost done, start gathering your dishes and special platters. Polish the silver and dust off the candlesticks. In the past years, we have found it is so much easier to set up a buffet with all the platters and casseroles laid out. Passing dishes all around was mentally draining! Once food was on our plate we wanted to eat, not play ‘pass the potatoes’! Serving buffet style will allow you to set up placement of dishes in advance. You can even go ahead and make little labels so helpers know right where to put hot dishes at the last minute.
If you have children in the house, assign them the job of decorating the table. We have had many years of pine cones and dried leaves strewn across the table.
Whatever your plan is for the holidays, I wish everyone a happy and enjoyable meal!
Thanksgiving is just over 2 weeks away, and my brain is already thinking ahead to that gluttonous meal I need to prepare. Actually, my coworker prodded me into thinking about this weeks ago, long before I was ready. Nancy gave me a copy of her ‘to do’ list last week which listed menu items and who was bringing what dish in a nice little spreadsheet. She even listed things like chairs and tables! Now THAT is a big family gathering! Nancy is the epitome of organization (and she is Italian which always means lots of food and lots of family).
Nancy suggested I write a blog about this time honored tradition of food and family – not that she needs any of my suggestions – but I agree it is a good topic!
Let me give you a little background on my family. My husband is the youngest of 10 children, and I am an only child. I grew up in a quiet home where our holiday dinners for 3 were usually something fancy for us – lobster, shrimp or Cornish game hens. My husband’s holiday dinners (well, every dinner for that matter) were loud and chaotic and traditional. As a young wife many years ago, I was fascinated by the massive amounts of food and people everywhere. Over the years, I gradually learned to cook for 10 (regular Sunday dinners) and up to 20 for a holiday meal without worry or stress.
Just like Nancy, I have this holiday dinner planning down to a science and I will share some of my tips.
Make a list of the dishes that MUST appear on the table, or else. No need to make a fancy spreadsheet – unless you want to work on your Excel skills.
Add any dishes that will automatically be brought to dinner – because everyone has relatives who bring their ‘famous something’ whether you like it or not.
Now, fill in the holes with recipe categories. Not enough veggies? Too much starch (ok, really there is no such thing)? More dessert? Don’t jump in with recipes just yet; your first task is to make sure you have enough variety.
This is really the most important tip of all. You need to identify your cooking sources. 1 oven or 2? Microwave? 4 burners on the stove in working order? Crock pot? It is impossible to put 5 hot veggie casseroles and freshly baked dinner rolls onto the table at the same time with 1 oven. So take the list of the items you have already and think about cooking times and heat sources. Many veggie casseroles can be made ahead, and reheated in the microwave without losing quality. Can a vegetable dish – like green beans or glazed carrots – be cooked ahead and then put in the crock pot to stay warm?
Now that you know what heat sources you have available, start filling in your menu holes. For example, you need another vegetable, but you need it to go on the stovetop. Dig in the recipe box or spend time browsing your cookbooks to find a dish to fit your needs.
Last but not least, delegate! I have a sister in law who is not fond of cooking, but she can make some killer deviled eggs and whip up some fluffy mashed potatoes (I loathe peeling potatoes – hehe). Again, watch your heat sources and help guide the lucky cooks in the right direction. If you want to add a cold salad to the menu, give that direction and see what they bring!
Now that your stomach is growling, and you are counting the days until the big feast, get out that notepad and start planning your stress free holiday meal!
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