Saturday, April 30, 2011

Ham and Potato Soup

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
  • 1/3 cup diced celery
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
  • 3/4 cup diced cooked ham
  • 3 1/4 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk

Directions

  1. Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
  2. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
  3. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

Monday, April 25, 2011

I hope you dance

We had a lovely Easter yesterday. It was my first Easter without my dad so I thought of him throughout the day. My dad loved Easter and the meal that went with it! While my husband was cutting the ham I could just see my dad taking a few pieces to "sample" before it hit the table. Memories of last Easter kept flooding my mind as I was preparing Easter dinner... my dad getting punch, my dad joking around with me in the kitchen while I prepared the food, my dad making kielbasa, etc.. I really missed him this Easter!

My mother came for Easter with her sister Joyce. They each brought food due to the fact I was not intending to have Easter this year... I was going to the beach to sit a stare at the ocean and oh yeah, go see Charles Stanley! We changed our plans and decided to stay here so we could be here for my mother who would be "alone" this Easter (without dad). We will still go to the beach and see Charles - tonight... can't wait to leave. Anyway, back to my story.. those two sisters can really make some great food! My mother brought green bean casserole and scalloped potatoes and my Aunt Joyce brought pineapple casserole and her famous Jewish brownies - those have got to be my favorite! Together they brought an Easter cake, rolls, lots of candy for the kids and a beautiful Easter plant for me. Steve and I made the Ham and my famous Easter cornbread casserole. The day was perfect and jazz played in the background. We spent most of our time on our screen porch drinking ice-tea... I made a good chai iced. For those two, they spent a lot of time reminiscing about old times. They had a good childhood. There mother is full Italian and their father was full Russian.. oh the stories! Another time, another blog...

Since I saved the ham bone with lots of ham still on the bone I will be making and sharing a ham soup recipe with you all... later this week. If you still have your ham bone or leftover ham, save it for this recipe.... you will love it!

I am looking forward to the beach... there is something about the ocean at night which I adore. The strength of the ocean makes you realize just how "small" you are in this world. Here is a clip from a song that I like and think it's appropriate to list here:

 I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance...
I hope you dance…

Take care everyone...



Friday, April 22, 2011

Easter Peeps

The History of Everybody's Favorite Candy
During the Easter season, Americans will enjoy an estimated 700 million Peeps, that sweet marshmallow candy shaped like a chick or bunny. With those kinds of numbers, it's no wonder Peeps are billed as America's favorite candy.

Are you a Peeps fan? Have you ever been curious about Peeps history? Where they came from and how they developed into the ultimate Easter treat? Just read on!

Nearly a century ago, a young Russian-born man named Sam Born was living in France, where he learned the fine art of chocolate making. Sam immigrated to the United States in 1910. Seven years later, he opened a small candy shop in New York City, where he not only sold sweets, but made them, too.

As Born's operations outgrew his store, he moved his company, by then coined Just Born, out of New York City to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

That's right: Bethlehem! First, the birthplace of Easter's superstar, and then (much) later, the site of the most popular treat eaten in his honor.

In the mid 1950s, Just Born acquired another company that had invented a three-dimensional marshmallow mold that turned out Easter chicks and bunnies, called Peeps. With some fine-tuning of their assembly line and clever marketing, Born had an Easter hit on his hands.

But why was the chick and rabbit so appealing? How did those particular animals-albeit sugary ones-so quickly become adopted as the symbols for Easter?

Interestingly, Just Born was based in Pennsylvania, which was also home to America's largest community of German immigrants who are largely credited with popularizing the Easter Bunny tradition in America.

In the 19th century, German children would eagerly await the arrival of the Oschter Haws, a rabbit who delighted children on Easter morning by laying colored eggs in nests. The Germans expanded this tradition into the Easter egg basket, delivered by a hopping bunny.

While the symbolism of the Easter bunny might be rather obvious, the chick question requires one to dig a little deeper. And to ask the perennial question: Which came first? The chicken? Or the egg?

Historians have long speculated that the egg was actually a Pagan symbol of fertility and rebirth, first associated with ancient equinox festivals, whose traditions were later folded into the Christian Easter. It stands to reason, then, that the chick would be a natural byproduct of this egg-y fertility.




The Easter Lily

The Easter Lily, also known by its Latin name Lilium longiflorum, has become the traditional Easter flower. With all the different flowers available in the spring garden, it is this beautiful, white flower, that has come to symbolize the spiritual values of Easter: purity, life and renewel. The flower's trumpet shape is a reminder of the heralding of Jesus, returning triumphant to Jerusalem.

The History of the Easter Lily
Native to Japan, Easter Lilies were imported to the United States until 1941, when World War II prompted Americans to start growing their own bulbs.

Today, nearly all of the 15 million Easter Lily bulbs grown in America are produced by just ten farms along the California-Oregon border. The bulbs are harvested in the fall, and then shipped to commercial greenhouses in Michigan, California, Pennsylvania and Ohio, where they are planted in time to bloom for Easter.

Easter Lilies are the fourth largest selling potted plant in America, upstaged by the popular Christmas-time poinsettias, mums and azaleas.

The Easter Connection
According to Biblical scholars, the Easter Lily was found growing in the Garden of Gethsemane where Judas is said to have betrayed Jesus. Legend tells that white lilies miraculously sprung up from the ground where drops of Jesus' sweat and tears fell during his last hours.

The Easter Lily also has close associations with Jesus' mother, the Virgin Mary. In early religious paintings, the Archangel Gabriel is pictured extending a branch of white lilies to Mary, symbolizing that she had become the virgin mother to the savior.

Today, many churches use large bouquets of lilies to adorn their alters and crosses during the Easter season.

Taking Care of Your Easter Lily
To keep your Easter Lilies fresh and fragrant for as long as possible, purchase potted plants with flowers at various stages of opening and with abundant, dark green foliage. As the flowers open and mature, pinch off the yellow anthers before the pollen sheds. The yellow pollen will stain the other white flowers. Once a mature flower has started to wither, you may cut it off at the base to better showcase the new buds.

Easter lilies thrive in moderately cool temperatures (no higher than 65 degrees Fahrenheit) and enjoy bright, but indirect natural sunlight. Keep soil moist and well-drained. Avoid over-watering. Remove any decorative wrappings or coverings, which can trap standing water in the pot.

You can expect your potted Easter Lily to bloom for 1-3 weeks around the Easter holiday. Despite its name, the natural bloom for the Easter Lily is actually during the summer. Under controlled greenhouse conditions, the lily is brought to an early bloom in time for Easter. If you want to continue to enjoy your lily for years to come, try planting the bulb and remaining greenery in your garden after the flowering is finished. Subsequent blooms will occur naturally in the summer.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Why Easter Eggs?

Of all the symbols associated with Easter the egg, the symbol of fertility and new life, is the most identifiable. The customs and traditions of using eggs have been associated with Easter for centuries.

Originally Easter eggs were painted with bright colors to represent the sunlight of spring and were used in Easter-egg rolling contests or given as gifts. After they were colored and etched with various designs the eggs were exchanged by lovers and romantic admirers, much the same as valentines. In medieval time eggs were traditionally given at Easter to the servants. In Germany eggs were given to children along with other Easter gifts.
Different cultures have developed their own ways of decorating Easter eggs. Crimson eggs, to honor the blood of Christ, are exchanged in Greece. In parts of Germany and Austria green eggs are used on Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday). Slavic peoples decorate their eggs in special patterns of gold and silver.

Austrian artists design patterns by fastening ferns and tiny plants around the eggs, which are then boiled. The plants are then removed revealing a striking white pattern. The Poles and Ukrainians decorate eggs with simple designs and colors. A number of eggs are made in the distinctive manner called pysanki (to design, to write).

Pysanki eggs are a masterpiece of skill and workmanship. Melted beeswax is applied to the fresh white egg. It is then dipped in successive baths of dye. After each dip wax is painted over the area where the preceding color is to remain. Eventually a complex pattern of lines and colors emerges into a work of art.

In Germany and other countries eggs used for cooking where not broken, but the contents were removed by piercing the end of each egg with a needle and blowing the contents into a bowl. The hollow eggs were dyed and hung from shrubs and trees during the Easter Week. The Armenians would decorate hollow eggs with pictures of Christ, the Virgin Mary, and other religious designs.


Wednesday, April 20, 2011

The Beautiful Flower In The Broken Pot

Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out patients at the clinic.

One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. "Why, he's hardly taller than my eight-year-old," I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body. But the appalling thing was his face, lopsided from swelling, red and raw.

Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, "Good evening. I've come to see if you've a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there's no bus 'til morning."

He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success, no one seemed to have a room. "I guess it's my face... I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments..."

For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: "I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning."

I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us. "No thank you. I have plenty." And he held up a brown paper bag.

When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It didn't take a long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury.

He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was preface with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going.

At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch.

He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said, Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won't put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair." He paused a moment and then added, "Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don't seem to mind." I told him he was welcome to come again.

And on his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning.

As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they'd be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.

In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden.

Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly preciou s.

When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning.

"Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!"

Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But oh! If only they could have known him, perhaps their illnesses would have been easier to bear.

I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude to God.

Recently I was visiting a friend, who has a greenhouse, as she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, "If this were my plant, I'd put it in the loveliest container I had!"

My friend changed my mind. "I ran short of pots," she explained, and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn't mind starting out in this old pail. It's just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden."

She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven. "Here's an especially beautiful one," God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. "He won't mind starting in this small body."

All this happened long ago - and now, in God's garden, how tall this lovely soul must stand.



Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Strawberry-Sugar Biscuit Trifle

Ingredients
  • Sugar Biscuits
  • 6 tablespoons orange liqueur or orange juice, divided
  • 2 1/2 pounds strawberries, halved
  • Trifle Custard
  • 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • Garnishes: strawberries, mint leaves
Preparation
  • Cut Sugar Biscuits in half; brush cut sides evenly with 5 tablespoons orange liqueur.
  • Line bottom of a 4-quart bowl or trifle bowl with eight Sugar Biscuit halves. Arrange strawberry halves around lower edge of bowl. Spoon one-third of Trifle Custard evenly over Sugar Biscuit halves; top with one-third of remaining strawberry halves. Repeat layers twice, ending with strawberry layer. Drizzle remaining orange liqueur evenly over top. Cover and chill 3 to 4 hours.
  • Beat whipping cream until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Spread over trifle; serve immediately. Garnish, if desired.

Monday, April 18, 2011

A great start to the week for everyone!

The day is beautiful... nearly all the trees have their leaves now and so many flowers have bloomed. The Carolina's are gorgeous states to live in. We have fruits stands popping up everywhere. As a matter of fact I think I will visit the one just down the street and buy some green tomatoes today. My husband makes the best green tomatoes around - and I am not kidding! I am a fried green tomato expert and I have had many from many different places.... to taste his are a bite of heaven!

I was reading a quote today and thought it was a good one to share:

The chief beauty about time
is that you cannot waste it in advance.
The next year, the next day, the next hour
are lying ready for you,
as perfect, as unspoiled,
as if you had never wasted or misapplied
a single moment in all your life.
You can turn over a new leaf every hour
if you choose.

That is true... read it again!

I wish you all a great week with lots of love, success and health... I need to sign off now and go buy those green tomatoes before they turn red! xoxo

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Brew the Perfect Cup of Tea

For many tea drinkers, making a pot of tea is practically a religious experience.

For these people, placing a bag in a bowl and dousing it with boiling water doesn't get the job done. Check out our quick tips for brewing the perfect pot!

Loose Leaf


Until the middle of the 20th century, there were no tiny cloth bags of individually parceled tea. For thousands of years, the leaves and buds were either placed in a tea pot or were held in a tea infuser (a tea ball, for example). For most tea-making perfectionists, there is no comparison: it is loose-leaf tea or nothing.
TIP: In a pinch, a French press coffeemaker approximates the infused-tea experience.
How much loose tea is enough? A common rule of thumb is one teaspoon of leaves for each cup of water plus "one for the teapot." Of course, the outcome will be determined by how strong the tea leaves are and by how much hot water the tea is steeping in. Experimentation is in order.
Water temperature. The temperature of the water matters, too. Most black teas do best in boiling water. Green and white teas prefer hot, but not boiling, water. It all comes down to how oxidized the leaves are: black teas are more oxidized and can handle the hot, hot heat.
TIP: Some tea drinkers insist on warming up the teapot before pouring in the hot or boiling water.
How long to steep? Allow black tea to brew anywhere from 1 to 5 minutes. Two to 3 minutes is preferred for a bracing tea. But too much steeping can produce a mouth-puckeringly bitter brew.
Steeping vessels. There is much ceremony associated with tea drinking. And pretty teapots are part of the enjoyment. Some are extremely elegant with delicately painted patterns. For steeping, though, many tea drinkers prefer simple, unglazed earthenware teapots. After steeping, it’s time for the beautiful porcelain teapots.
Tea making don'ts. Don't stir the loose leaves around in the pot. This is called "winding." And it's a no-no. It won't speed up the steeping process, but it probably will release bitter-flavored tannins. Wringing the last drop of tea from the teabag produces the same effect.

    The Three Types of Tea


    Tea is the processed leaves (along with twigs and buds) of the tea plant Camellia sinensis, a bush native to warm, rainy climates. Processing freshly harvested tea leaves begins the same for all types of tea. Fresh leaves are sorted out, cleaned, and allowed to wither. From there, a few nuances come into play.
    Black--English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Darjeeling, Assam
    The most common kind of tea, black tea leaves are allowed to ferment before being dried. Westerners call it "black tea" because of the dark color of the leaves. The Chinese know it as "red tea" because of the reddish color of the liquid. Black tea tends to have depth of flavor and lack bitterness.
    • Most teas from India (Darjeeling, Assam) are black.
    • Earl Grey is black tea scented with bergamot.

    Green--Gunpowder, Tencha
    From the same plant as black tea leaves, green tea leaves are steamed and dried directly after being picked to prevent fermentation, which develops a light, gently bitter flavor much like the fresh leaves themselves. Japan is a leading producer of green tea.
    Oolong--Formosa Oolong
    Partially fermented large-leaf tea, oolong tea is delicate in flavor, occasionally scented with rose petals, jasmine, or gardenia. Formosa, Taiwan, is an important producer of oolong tea.

    A Very Special Meal

    Once there was a very poor and devoted woman who always prayed to the Glory of God, asking very little, if anything for herself. But one thought, one desire continued to recur and finally she asked: petitioning the Lord, that if it were possible she would love to prepare a special meal and have God share at her table. And God, in His Love for this goodly woman, said He would indeed come the next day and share a meal.

    Filled with ecstasy, the woman went out the following morning with her meager purse and purchased such delicacies that she felt would please the Lord.

    Returning home, she prepared a banquet and waited patiently for her most honored guest. Soon there was a knock on the door, and when she opened it, there stood an old beggar asking for something to eat. Being a woman of God, she could not turn the beggar away, so she invited him in to partake of her table. The beggar felt as if he was in a dream - such a feast set before him. He finished all the food, thanked his hostess and left.

    The woman was only slightly disheartened, she gathered up her purse, her coat, and hurried back to town to get more food for her special guest. Her funds were less now and so the food was not quite so elaborate. Nonetheless, she lovingly prepared another meal and sat to await the arrival of the Almighty.

    A few hours went by and there was a loud knock on the door. This time it was an old gypsy woman with no teeth, who was deaf, who spoke quite loudly and was, rather rudely, insisting that any true believer in the Lord would not deny her something to eat.

    Though the woman had no more money with which to buy more supplies, she invited the woman in and offered her a seat at the table. The gypsy ate everything, did not even thank the woman and left without closing the door.

    By now it was beginning to get dark both inside and out. The woman's faith was strong, so that, though somewhat distraught, she did not give up, but rather, looked around her humble house to see if there was anything she could sell in order to buy more food to set before the Lord.

    She hurried to town with a little silver cup that had been in her family for several generations, but she was willing to part with it for the great honor that God was going to bestow on her - the sharing of a meal.

    Late in the night she rushed home to prepare yet a third meal. She waited and waited until, once more, there was a knock on the door. Holding her breath, she slowly opened the door to find yet another poor man in the guise of a wandering monk, in search of a meal.

    Again, she offered hospitality, with as much grace as she could muster in her disappointment. This man also ate all that was set on the table and left after blessing the woman for her kindness. So discouraged and dismayed was she that all she could do was nod slightly, in acknowledgment of the thanks.

    Now it was too late, with no way to buy any more food and no more money with which to buy it. She got down on her knees, weeping such heart-broken tears. She asked God what she had done wrong. Why had God not come to share at the table as He had promised?

    And God, in all His Divine Compassion and Mercy, lifted the woman off her knees, and holding her close to His Heart, said, "My child, I enjoyed your hospitality so much that I came three times!"


    With a very special thank you to Mirabai Chrin for sharing this beautiful story with us. This story will be included in Mirabai's upcoming book about 'cooking with spirit.'

    Friday, April 15, 2011

    Panic Attack! by Cindy Baum

    Labor day weekend in our small town had been uneventful and relaxing, so it came as a shock when I suddenly experienced heart palpitations and lightheadedness. A panicked call to my physician determined that exposure to paint fumes from painting inside our home over the weekend was probably the cause. After getting some fresh air, I did feel better.
    But the symptoms returned two days later while I was waiting in the checkout line at the grocery store. Somehow, I managed to load my groceries in the car, then I drove home quickly, gripping the steering wheel with sweating hands, praying I wouldn't pass out.
    The symptoms continued over the next few days with even more severity, causing constriction in my chest and throat and trouble breathing. Finally, I called my husband, Brad, at work and asked him to take me to the local emergency room. While I waited for him, I found myself crying uncontrollably. It was unlike me to be so out of control emotionally—and that frightened me as much as my physical symptoms. I'd hit a wall and didn't know why.
    The emergency room physician ruled out life-threatening causes of my symptoms such as asthma or heart problems, then ordered an electrocardiogram (EKG). He finally reentered the curtained-off "room," said, "You're having a classic panic attack," then wrote out a prescription for a tranquilizer. So that's all it is, I thought, relieved it wasn't a heart attack, thinking once these symptoms settled down that would be the end of it.
    Instead, that was only the beginning of a bewildering, frustrating journey as the attacks continued. One would come while I was at a movie theater or out to dinner, leaving me desperately wanting to return home. I'd awaken in the middle of the night with my heart pounding, and end up in the living room, crying out of fear and discouragement that this wasn't going away. Often disturbing symptoms such as a choking sensation or chest discomfort would occur as I did normal chores around the house. This began the most difficult year of my life.
    I had joined 23 million people who suffer from some form of anxiety disorder.
    Anxiety disorder has many faces. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), panic disorder is one of several anxiety disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and phobias such as social phobia and agoraphobia. Panic disorder typically affects women and young adults with workaholic, "type a" personalities, but it also can be found in children, or can begin later in life, as in my case.
    Stress is a key indicator, but grief, depression, and physical trauma also can contribute to its onset. Physical problems such as hypoglycemia, diabetes, mitral valve prolapse of the heart, hormone changes, and thyroid conditions can mimic the symptoms of a panic attack.
    "All of us can have a panic attack under stressful situations," says Jerilyn Ross, author of Triumph Over Fear and president of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA). When a person encounters acute stress or danger, the body naturally responds with a "fight or flight" response, according to Ross. If someone is almost in a car accident, her heart will race, and she'll probably feel sweaty and shaky. When the crisis is over, her body relaxes and adrenaline levels return to normal. "In a panic attack, the 'fight or flight' response misfires," Ross says. "When a person has four or more attacks in a four-week period, or continues to have them with no apparent trigger and becomes preoccupied with fear of another attack, then a panic attack becomes a disorder."
    I never would have considered myself a candidate. After all, I was 43, a married mom of 4, and a homemaker with a relatively peaceful life. It wasn't as if I had a high-pressure job outside the home or was trying to climb a corporate ladder. In fact, I prided myself on being one who could handle crises well. Yet a closer look revealed factors that accumulated in my domestic life to the point that my body physically reacted to the emotional stress.
    Several events had occurred within the past six years. Some were sad, as in the loss of two grandparents and my husband's father and sister. The death of my grandmother just a few months before the panic disorder began was the most devastating to me, and perhaps contributed to the onset. My mother and I were involved in a minor car accident. Three of my four siblings went through divorces. I had a benign tumor surgically re-moved from a tendon in my hand. We'd discovered my youngest daughter, Caitlin, now age 12, had a mild learning disability. And our son, Nate, developed asthma and allergies as an infant, causing frequent illness.
    Others were happy yet stressful events, such as the unexpected pregnancy and birth of Nate, who entered kindergarten that fall at the same time our eldest daughter, Jo, started her senior year of high school, and our other daughter, Kelli, now 15, began competitive sports. We also did extensive remodeling in our home. Add to that the fact that I tend to be a perfectionist and self-appointed worrier, and yet one who thinks she can rise above anything life dishes out. Obviously, I didn't see the stress building up, and it left me emotionally and physically depleted.
    Dr. Archibald Hart, Christian psychologist and expert on stress and anxiety, says in his book, The Anxiety Cure, that "many hard-working, driven people (like you and me) don't realize just how close [we] walk to the precipice of anxiety until one day, out of the blue, a panic attack strikes. … We don't realize how close we are to the edge of anxiety until we lose our footing and tumble … into the dark abyss of panic."
    In the beginning, my greatest challenge was accepting that what was happening to me was a physical problem, not a mental or spiritual flaw. It was simply my body's natural response to too much stress. I came to realize God used it to let me know changes were in order, not as punishment because
    I failed spiritually. Still, it took several weeks of praying and searching to come to that realization. In the beginning I was afraid, discouraged, and bewildered, and felt I was somehow to blame.
    The other obstacle I had to overcome was the need for counseling to deal with the emotional side of panic disorder and stress. Like many Christians, I believed therapy was only for those with serious psychological problems, and I still believed I could just "snap out of it." But when that didn't happen, I knew I needed to talk to someone who could help me understand what was happening and put it into perspective. Without counseling, I think the difficult months could have turned into years, as is the case with many people.
    I sought counseling from a Christian psychologist, who taught me how to manage stress more effectively, and control my symptoms. "You've already been through the worst attack," he assured me. "When another one comes, you know it'll be uncomfortable, but it won't harm you. Breathe deeply and allow it to pass." He was right. I'd experienced the worst while in the emergency room, and subsequent episodes have been less frequent and severe, although I'm still disappointed when they return. The fear that builds upon the symptoms only makes them worse, so being told a panic attack is physically harmless was instrumental in my recovery.
    Medication also helped. According to author Dr. Hart in The Anxiety Cure, there is no magic cure; only lowering your stress level alleviates anxiety. But medication can help relieve the physical symptoms, thus decreasing the fear associated with them. For some, the need for medications is temporary, while others need them for several years. Still others re-cover without the use of any. With the help of our family physician, I was able to find a medication that helped relieve the symptoms with no uncomfortable side effects. While I still take medication when I need to, my physician has assured me that one day soon I'll be able to manage on my own.
    Besides counseling and medication, recovery's included giving up my beloved mocha lattes and other forms of caffeine that can stimulate anxiety symptoms. I've turned to a more natural diet with less refined sugar and processed foods. Exercise to relieve stress is now part of my daily routine, as well as time spent on deep breathing and relaxation, combined with prayer and meditation on the Bible. Together, they create a powerful tool in dealing with stress.
    Most important, I learned all I could about panic disorder through books and the Internet so I could take responsibility in the healing process. In order to change, I had to understand the factors that caused this disorder in the first place, and how to prevent it from happening again.
    I've become more compassionate as a result of this because, for the first time in my life, I know what a debilitating condition feels like. People can't "just get over it," as I once thought. On the days when I experience heart palpitations, tightness in my chest and throat, and lightheadedness, it continues to be a difficult journey. Yet while I know I may have these symptoms off and on the rest of my life, the worst is behind me. And no matter where I go, I take my cure—relaxation, knowledge, and prayer—with me.
    It's still hard for a perfectionist such as me to give daily concerns over to God and realize my limitations, but doing so replaces fear and anxiety with hope and healing. According to experts such as Hart and Ross, recovery comes in learning to live a normal life without fear of recurring panic attacks. Nearly two years later, I'm almost there.

    Thursday, April 14, 2011

    Reminds me...

    The smell of anise reminds me of my grandmothers house...
    Strawberry gum reminds me of my dad...
    The song Cool Change by Little River Band reminds me of my friend Robin and how we could sit for hours listening to music talking out life's problems and then play this song and say " that's all we need to do"...
    U of M reminds me of my brother Mike...
    Coloring Easter eggs reminds me of Easter and my Grandmothers in Pennsylvania...
    The smell of cookies reminds of my husband...
    A Johnny on the spot will make me laugh, it reminds me of a friend named Dan who has now passed but never forgotten. Imagine a heavy set women sitting on the "thrown" when the door swings wide open in the middle of a festival with hundreds of people looking on - courtesy of Dan.. ha ha....oh, and he did NOT know it was occupied... one to many Bud Lights I guess...
    Orange Popsicles reminds me of the birth of my son Jesse...
    Wild strawberries reminds me of my childhood living in the country... that big blue house with the red door...
    Fantasy Island reminds me of Saturday nights when my father would bring pizza home - in that big blue house with the red door...
    Square pizza reminds me of my school days...
    Gardenia's reminds me of my mother... so does Wisteria...
    Jim Beam reminds me of my long lost friend Megan, our teen years and the Hot Rock Cafe...
    Chili reminds me of a Hispanic woman named Elsie and the day she taught me how to make it... everyone to this day says I make the best Chili...
    Avocado's reminds me of the time I lived in California and walked the farms with Jim every Tuesday and Thursday night...
    Making salads, breads, baseball, Utah Jazz/Bulls, Redwings, Newsboys, Jazz and the Linden Park reminds me of 1997 and my time dating my husband Steve...)
    White Lily's reminds me of calm, peace and family...
    Chantilly Lace reminds me of my grandmother Mary where Tabu reminds me of my grandmother Guzy...
    A deck of cards reminds me of Pap... I miss him...
    Fruit bread reminds me of trips to Frankenmuth with my family...

    I could go on.... Our memories help shape our lives. People, places and things will remind us of good or bad times/memories. I say don't dwell on the bad and think often of the good. Everything you do, everybody you meet and every place you go will make a memory. Make it a good one.

    Sunday, April 10, 2011

    Slow Cooker Pot Roast


    Cook a fabulous dinner while your at work!

     

    Ingredients

    • 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
    • 1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
    • 1 1/4 cups water
    • 5 1/2 pounds pot roast
    • optional -  add onions ... as many as you like!

    Directions

    1. In a slow cooker, mix cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix and water. Place pot roast in slow cooker and coat with soup mixture.
    2. Cook on High setting for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low setting for 8 to 9 hours.
    3. Serve with your favorite vegetable... anything goes with this savory meat dish.

    Saturday, April 9, 2011

    Cades Cove - Life back in the day..

    We are back from Tennessee... what a beautiful state. Touring through the national forest in Cades Cove was enlightening. We saw where the first settlers (John Oliver) claimed land and built a house (cabin) that the state has preserved for us to see...
    The Oliver's bought land in the Cove in 1826 and this cabin site remained in the family until the Park was established. The house is typical of many found on the eastern frontier in the mid-1850s, and reflects the skills and techniques brought into the mountains by descendants of British and European immigrants.

    The round logs were scored first along their length with a
    felling axe, then hewn with a broad axe. The notched corners need no pegs or nails, as gravity locks them together. Chinks (open spaces between the logs) were filled with mud to seal out wind and rain. The stone chimney was laid in mud mortar. Windows and doors are typically small, to conserve heat, and maintain the strength of the building. Split wooden shingles, the most common material used here, cover the roof. The materials to build this house are growing or lying all around you. Could you duplicate this shelter if need be?
    Privacy in the home was rare. Life centered in the main room. Children were welcomed. The more kids, the lighter the farm work. Older folk lived here, too. A head count of ten to twelve under one roof was not unusual. The home was a business, school, hospital, orphanage, nursing home and poor house.

    Several cabins exist throughout this national forest and they are quite spread out from one another yet they were neighbors. They depended on one another for support and bartering. Every Sunday they would gather at their church (yet another preservation from the state) Primitive Baptist Church. There they would bring the families and stay the entire day... one service in the morning and one in the evening. The middle of the day consisted of rest, fellowship, food and play.

    I have included a picture of the outside and the inside.. nothing has changed. It is in the original form as it was back in the day... a little help from the state with paint is all that has changed. The church was built in 1827 and utilized until 1887.

    You can see the cemetery behind the church...
    In the cemetery lie Oliver's, Gregory's, Shields and Anthony's who first populated the Cove. Only descendants from the original families are allowed to be buried here.

    Take a minute and noticed the two headstones next to one another.. They were twins... one twin died the day of birth and the other lived 93 years before she was put to rest along side her sister in 2004. They were from the Gregory family..


    All cabins were built next to fresh water streams... 


     How simple life once was. No phones, tv, stores, etc... your time was spent working and appreciating the fruits of your labor with family and friends.. back then, the value of family and friends were of much higher importance than it is today. These people were not in competition with their neighbors for the best "toys"... they needed each other and found appreciation for their very existence.

    I suppose we can find the good and bad with both eras... but I hear more times than not from the elders I know "If only the times were like they used to be" or "life was much more simpler back then"....

    Today's new technology was designed to make life easier but maybe it's just adding to our stress. One thing is for sure - we can never go back to "like it used to be"... life is ever changing.

    Sunday, April 3, 2011

    Hormones and Behavior

    • Julie finds herself crying without explanation. She has screaming fits over minor things. The next day, she is not sure why she was so upset. She knows her behavior is creating a lot of stress in her relationship with Phil, but doesn’t know how to change it.

      Julie doesn’t feel like herself for a few days each month. She senses her behavior changes with her menstrual cycle. She discussed it with her physician who told her it was expected and normal.

      Paul just passed his 45th birthday. He feels lethargic and lost motivation for the usual activities that were once stimulating to him. His body doesn’t feel the same to him. He finds himself withdrawing from his family. He is questioning everything about his life. He feels like giving up.

      Julie discusses her problem with her wellness coach. “I feel like I am out of control some days.  I am irritable, anxious and feeling on edge. I get my period and then I feel normal again. I don’t know what to do. When I am in the midst of these changes, I have no idea how to control my emotions or my behavior. The other day, I totally lost it because one more time, the dirty dishes were left on the table. I know my boyfriend is getting fed up with me. He knows it has something to do with my cycle so whenever I am upset about something, he asks: ‘Is it that time again?’  I really feel he is not taking me seriously. That makes the problem worse.”

      Paul feels the opposite of Julie. He feels he has no edge at all. He describes the changes he has gone through recently. “I can’t pull it together. I don’t know what I want anymore. I am tired most of the time and nothing seems to be very important. I think I am depressed, but I have never been this way before. Nothing has really changed in my life. I can’t really account for why I don’t feel like myself. I use to be a real go-getter, now I don’t really care very much about anything.”

      The Power of Hormones

      Julie feels out of control. The more mysterious the hormonal changes in her body appear to be, the more out of control she feels. She and many women have come to accept that they are victims to their hormones. It is expected by many that women will become emotional during certain times of the month.

      Recent research has supported the belief that emotional homeostasis, or the lack of it, is highly influenced by estrogen. Estrogen may play a substantial role in learning, memory and mood. Science has demonstrated a link between estrogen and serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is linked to mood regulation.

      On the flip side, there is some research to indicate that men experience effects from hormonal changes as well. As men age, their testosterone levels decrease and they are more prone to the following changes: depression, lack of energy, decreased strength and endurance, decreased enjoyment, deterioration in cognitive/physical agility and sharpness, decreased sex drive and erectile dysfunction.

      The changes that men go through during the down cycling of their testosterone, is called andropause. Testosterone decreases steadily after it reaches its peak in late teens and early twenties. The decrease becomes significant enough after age 40 to be noticed with overt signs and symptoms that Paul described.

      Paul and Julie feel like transformed people because of their hormones. Testosterone and Estrogen play significant parts in our lives in addition to the obvious effect on sex drive and behavior. The hormones also work in parts of the brain called the limbic system. The limbic system consists of very important structures, such as the hypothalamus, amydala and hippocampus. These structures play important roles in energy regulation, sleep, biorhythms, mood, motivation, memory and stress management.

      Science of Mood and Behavior

      Hormones change during the course of a women’s cycle. The surge and then the decrease in estrogen are being received in receptors in the important areas of the brain. As such the mood and behavior changes ensue. In men, the cycle of testosterone levels vary in a 24 hour period. Testosterone is highest in the morning and lowest at night. Certain behaviors can cause testosterone levels to surge, such as athletics and sex.

      Estrogen levels can vary for women not only during the normal course of a cycle, but as a result of aging and from medical conditions. An example of a medical condition is polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Estrogen levels are lower than normal with PCOS signaling a change in mood.  Higher levels of estrogen may be responsible for higher levels of serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate mood. A decrease in serotonin can lead to depression. During pregnancy, estrogen levels are very high. After delivery the estrogen levels plummet. The swift and dramatic change in estrogen levels account for decreased serotonin levels: the leading cause for depression. After women give birth, they are more susceptible to depression because of the dramatic decrease in estrogen. Post-partum depression is a very real, biological disorder.

      Are Men and Women Really That Different?

      If you ask men, they will tell you that women are moody and their cycle has a lot to do with mood changes. Men on the other hand, are not known for hormonally related mood changes, but research has proven a clear link between hormone changes in men and their behavior.

      When men experience a downturn in testosterone, they are more likely to be even tempered and relaxed. Too little testosterone can lead to depression and irritability. In women, the fluctuations in estrogen are more clearly linked to mood changes.

      Men and women share the same hormones. Women have testosterone and men have estrogen. Of course the higher levels are responsible for the gender differences in each sex. The more recent research findings are providing interesting developments in the comparison of men and women.

      Men have larger brains (correlated with larger body size) but women have more gray matter.  Women have larger corpus collasums (a structure that connects the two sides of the brain). Men score higher on tests of spatial relationships. Women score higher on tests of verbal reasoning. It is more likely that women use both sides of the brain when language is involved, whereas men use the left brain only.

      Significant gender specific changes occur in the brain prenatally and shortly after birth. During the early stages of development and before birth, the brain is at its most sensitive and responsive state when exposed to gender specific hormones. When females are prenatally exposed to androgen (due to a congenital disorder), they behave more like boys. When gender specific hormones are administered to the opposite sex during adulthood, there are physical changes, but, it is believed that the struturalization and organization of the brain that occurs in the early stages of development, are no longer susceptible to the same types of changes in adulthood. In other words, the male and female brains become fixed at very early stages of development.

      Research indicates that estrogen and testosterone have physical and cognitive benefits. Estrogen has been linked to improved cognition in older age with improved ability to recall and learn new things. It is associated with neuro-protective elements and it is believed that we are less likely to experience neuro-degenerative diseases when estrogen is sufficient.

      Moods, Hormones and Relationships

      Julie and Phil are having a hard time on their relationship. Phil thinks that Julie needs some help to control her moods. Julie thinks that Phil has moodiness too and that he should be more understanding.

      They talk to her wellness coach seeking help with managing the problems. Phil describes his experience: “I can’t take all the yelling and irritability. It seems the smallest things get on her nerves and I feel like I don’t have room to breathe in this relationship. I am even afraid to talk openly. When I come home at night, I am ready to relax. I just want to tune things out and chill out. I’m afraid she is going to get upset and we are going to have another bad weekend. When she is calm everything is great. We have good time together and we enjoy each other’s company. I wish she didn’t have a period. If she didn’t everything would be fine.”

      Julie has a different point of view. “I think there are some real problems in our relationship. He thinks that everything is due to my period and it’s not. He doesn’t show enough understanding and sensitivity. I feel I have to yell to get his attention. He blows me off a lot. I am not sure why he is acting the way he does. Why doesn’t he care more? I think he should be upset too that the problems bother me as much as they do. Maybe my period causes me to react more strongly, but that still doesn’t dismiss the fact that there was something there that either hurt my feelings or disrespected me.”

      Julie and Phil were provided with some suggestions on how to deal first with changes in mood. They were provided with some education about how the changes in hormone affect them. When Phil is having low levels testosterone, he is ready to relax. He is at low tide, so to speak and wants to relax. When Julie has been building up her irritability and frustration during the day, she comes home and experiences another frustrating situation, she is primed to release those emotions. Julie was provided with a planner in which she could keep track of her cycle and record her differences in her mood states. She is less likely to feel out of control which only exacerbates her experience and makes her feel even more irritable.

      Paul describes the changes in himself and family life. “I just don’t feel like myself. I don’t have the same drive. I am not as interested in my wife sexually. I feel like I have lost the zest for life. I look back on my life and I think ‘what was the point of it all?’ I don’t like my body and the changes it has gone through. I use to be fit and it was so easy to lose weight. I have a pot belly now and I can’t seem to get rid of it.”

      Paul is experiencing a change in testosterone levels that has caused him to have physical changes. For females, the stage of menopause does come with physical symptoms similar to what Paul is experiencing, and at times, some women experience mood changes as well. The fluctuations in estrogens and then the steady decline in estrogen during menopause are experienced differently among many women with more or less severity or with minimal changes. For men, the changes are very real and can vary in severity.

      Paul was provided with education on how to identify these changes and he realized that the lowering of hormone levels was the cause of these changes. Paul experienced symptoms that could be assessed as depression, but in reality the physical changes were most damaging to his self worth and self esteem. He sought the attention of a physician for hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

      The scientific jury is still out where HRT is concerned. There is proliferation of evidence that replacing estrogen is helpful in many ways, but there is also some evidence that there may be increased health risks. To determine if HRT is right for you, you and your physician need to assess your particular needs and health history and genetic risks. If mood changes are severe enough to interfere with your ability to enjoy life and function normally, you should have an assessment by a health care professional to determine if you do meet the criteria for depression. There are treatments that are proven helpful for depression which includes antidepressants and various therapies, such as cognitive behavior therapy, that are proven helpful in the remediation of depression.

      Paul decided to take HRT. “I feel so much better. My vigor has returned. I am interested in sex again. I feel more like myself.”

      Julie learned to manage her moods and behavior differently. “I keep a journal and when my cycle is about to occur I know take a deep breadth over everything before I react. I talked to my gynecologist too and she thinks that I could try birth control pills to regulate my hormone levels. I am still thinking about option. I prefer more natural ways to manage my health. Phil and I are getting along better. He knows not to write everything off to hormones and he is listening better as I am talking in a more calm way. I learned a lot about my body and how it reacts to hormone. It’s making it easy for me now that I feel I have an owner’s manual that provides some trouble shooting directions.”

      Dr. Vanessa Gourdine is a psychologist, executive and life coach and Director of Specialized Therapy Associates, LLC and Life Work Strategies, LLC. She can be reached at DrG@LWSCoach.com. She has a behavioral health column in BC Magazine and is a regular contributor to lifestyle publications. She has developed a coaching model based on using strategies to influence growth and change for successful living. She can be reached at 201-224-5200.

    Friday, April 1, 2011

    Hope for you in the Kitchen!

    Today's blog is going to assist some of you on making a fabulous dinner with little effort - when is the last time you did that? There is HOPE for you in the kitchen if that's just not your area! Here is a simple but delicious recipe you can make on a thin budget:

    Easy Baked Chicken and Rice


    • 1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup
    • 1 cup water
    • 3/4 cup uncooked rice
    • 1/2 tsp. paprika (divided)
    • 1/2 tsp. pepper (divided)
    • 2 boned, skinned chicken breasts (you may use thighs if you wish)
    • 1/4 tsp. salt
    • (you may also add garlic, onion or peppers to add a little spice)

    Preheat oven to 375.

    In an 8”x8” baking pan, mix the soup, water, rice, 1/4 tsp. of paprika, and 1/4 tsp. of pepper. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper and 1/4 tsp. paprika, then place on top of the rice. Cover with foil (tightly). Bake 45-60 minutes.


    See how easy! Serve with a simple green salad or peas. Oh, and if your a bread lover... don't forget the rolls!