What We Can Learn From Dogs!

I love this!

Someone forwarded me this today and I wanted to share it with everyone.

A transcript from Face The Nation two weeks ago:
  
BOB SCHIEFFER: Finally today, I have no idea where this comes from or who wrote it. If I did,
I’d give them credit. But a friend who knows I love dogs e-mailed the following, which I pass
along today only because it seems a nice thing to share at the beginning of a new year.
 
It is a list of what we would learn if dogs were our teachers, such as:

• Always run to greet loved ones when they come home.
• Never pass the opportunity to go for a joy ride.
• Recognize the ecstasy of fresh air and wind in your face.
• Take naps.
• Stretch before rising--a good plan.
• Run, romp and play daily.
• Thrive on attention. ~ And let people touch you.
• Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
• On warm days, lie on your back in the grass.
• On hot days, drink lots of water and find the shade.
• When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
• Enjoy long walks.
• Be loyal.
• Never pretend to be something you’re not.
• If what you want is buried dig deep until you find it.
• And when someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

We’d be better off, better people if we acted more like dogs.

Take Back the Control in Your Life

Get out of the cave!

How many of us are running on auto-pilot or cruise control - Just going through the motions of everyday life, repeating the same mundane tasks over and over and accepting the status quo?

I think a lot of us are.  I know I fall into that routine often enough.  But, isn’t there more to life than just walking around with blinders on? – What about making a difference in the community, the world? – What about following your passions and achieving your dreams? – What about taking care of you? (Emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically)

Everything starts at home, right?  Well, when I say “home” – I mean within you.  Get yourself in tune first and then you can take back that control you may have lost within your life.

I and perhaps you too, find myself thinking that I can’t make any real difference in the world.  Well, that just isn’t so.  People make a tangible difference every day.

What is it that fires you up?
– For me, a couple of big ones are:  The abuse of animals and the FDA’s hypocrisy that caters to big pharmaceutical companies.

When I look at these two “big” things, I think that while I would like to help make a change, I feel overwhelmed and unarmed with the tools to do so.

I realize that I am not going to go to DC to lobby against the FDA and Big Pharma. – But, I have signed many a petition to rally against the issues and I have joined in the consumer boycott of using their drugs.

And as far as animal rights…I know that I’m not going to be a major player in the protection of all animals. – But, when I lived in MN I adopted two little Huskies and tried very hard to find their parents, got them scanned, ran ads in the papers, contacted all the right groups, took them to the vet and got all of their shots, cared for them for months, and finally found them two adoptive homes.  Did I make a difference in changing the fact that people abandon their animals? No.  Did I make a difference in the lives of those particular puppies?  Yes!

So, you see when you feel like the issues are too large – remind yourself that even the small things really do make a difference and never stop being a part of the resolution.

Another place “auto-pilot” landed me is a slowly progressing weight gain.  It did not happen overnight, but, I sort of just realized it overnight.  I should not have let it get this far, but I did.  Now, I need to take back the control and do something about it.  I know there are a lot of women out there with a long road ahead of them as far as reaching their fitness goals and I wish them much success, for me I need to lose about 30 pounds, still no laughing matter.  The most disconcerting is the fading level of strength and endurance that has accompanied the weight gain.

Shifting out of cruise control and into drive is the first step.  Life is too precious to simply exist and not be a part of the larger picture.

Take care of yourself first and then get involved in what motivates you.  Follow those passions that have been buried for way too long.  Dust yourself off and drive into your future consciously with both hands on the wheel, eyes on the road, headlights on, and shift from first all the way to fifth. – Where you can make great strides, progressing your life in a direction that you have chosen.

No more sleepwalking through life.  We can all make a difference, if we choose to.        

Look at this Sea Lion in Cabo San Lucas.  Do you have any idea how hard it was for him to get on top of that rock?

I took several pictures of him, but I like this one the best.  His head is turned all the way back almost like he is laughing at himself for ever having doubted that he could do anything he set his mind to.  He wanted on that rock so he just did it.

He could have sat with the others (see below) on the smaller more surmountable rock, but he made a choice to go after what he wanted and he should be proud.

Make 2010 a Great Year - Set and Accomplish Your Goals

 
Here is where the two Oceans meet in Cabo San Lucas.  The Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean meet between the rock formations around the famous Arch.

On a recent trip I captured some great shots.

This is a "window" looking from the Sea of Cortez to the Pacific.

To me this photo looks like the window of possibility...a doorway to your dreams.
 
It is so hard to believe that another year has passed.  I feel as though 2009 came and went with lightning speed.  I did not accomplish my 2009 goals.  I did not get fit and lose weight like planned.  I did not finish my manuscript.  I did not become more active within the community.  I did not purge my myriad kitchen gadgets.  And the list goes on.

Does this upset me? - Not really.  I did accomplish a lot in 2009, even if these things were not necessarily on my list. That's part of the problem.  I make lists, lots and lots of lists.  It helps me feel organized and in control.  Even if I do not finish all of the tasks on my multiple lists - list making frees my mind to concentrate on the moment.

I couldn't imagine trying to remember all the things I need at the market or that I need to pick up dry cleaning, luggage from the repair shop, my dog's medicines, or that I have a dentist appointment, or that there is a meeting at the club on Wednesday...all these "tasks" get listed and then I don't need to remember everything all the time.

Today, I have started to organize 2009 files and start new 2010 files.  During the process I will hold aside necessary paperwork for taxes.  I feel overwhelmed, yet, I know when I am done that I will be super happy at having completed the task at hand. 

I also just purchased some great Franklin Covey Organizers - Large binders with folders for organizing important home and personal documents.  Franklin Covey does a great job with their organizers.  The ones that I purchased are from a line they call "Buttoned Up".

As the New Year is starting, I am compelled to make lists.  Setting goals for yourself is exciting and gets you energized.  Even if some of them fall by the wayside, there will be a handful that you will accomplish.

I am full of hope and anticipation at what the New Year will bring.  I am energetic and thrilled to embark upon a brand new list of goals.

I am hopeful to spend quality time with family and friends, finally get fit and trim, finish that elusive manuscript, and enjoy all that life has to offer.

I hope to relish in both the large and small, appreciate the special moments, gaze into the beautiful Arizona sunsets, enjoy the crisp breeze when it caresses my shoulders, laugh at the absurdity of the mundane, accept the difference of opinions in others, take everything with a grain of salt, and pretend to like Muscle Class at the gym. 

I wish you all a very wonderful, magical year in 2010!  

A Round-up of a Few of My Favorite Recipe Websites

Taste of Home Holiday Recipes

Paula Deen

Southern Living

Southern Plate

Eating Well Magazine

Easy Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

6 slices fresh chopped uncooked bacon
1 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped celery
3 c. peeled and chopped potatoes
3 c. fresh or frozen sweet white corn niblets
1 c. chicken broth
2 Tb. Garlic Olive Oil
1 c. Prepared Béchamel Sauce
1/2 c. milk
2 Tb. butter
2 tsp. salt
dash black pepper
dash white pepper
1 tsp Nature's Seasoning Blend

• Saute fresh bacon in garlic olive oil for five minutes, add the onion, celery, and chicken broth - cover and simmer on med-low for 15 minutes until tender.
  

• Boil the potatoes in salted water until just cooked (can penetrate with a fork).
  

• Add the drained potatoes, corn, milk, butter, and seasonings. - cover and cook on medium-low heat for another 15 minutes.
  

• Prepare the Béchamel Sauce (per package instructions) - add to the soup.
  

• Puree one half of the soup mixture in a blender or mini chopper and add back to the remaining soup.
  

Serve with sourdough bread and a salad. 

Lemon Drop Martini

Stirrings makes a great Lemon Drop Martini Mix as well as an awesome Rimmer.

3 oz. Ciroc Vodka
1/2 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
1 1/2 oz. Stirrings Lemon Drop Martini Miz

Shake Vigorously with ice.  Pour into a chilled, Lemon-Drop Rimmed Glass and garnish with 2 fresh lemon wheels.

Enjoy!

Southern Hoppin John

This Southern Hoppin John is full of healthy fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals.

• 2 cups fresh shelled, rinsed black eye peas (from produce section) - Boiled in 3 cups of water for 10 minutes, drained, set aside.

• 1 med. onion chopped
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• dash celery salt
• dash black pepper, white pepper, and sea salt
• 1 package Uncle Ben's microwavable whole grain brown rice  (2 cups)
• 2 cups washed, fresh chopped Kale
• 2 Tb. butter to finish

Add the cooked, rinsed, and drained peas with the ingredients that follow (except the rice and butter) and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.  Fold in the rice and butter to finish.

This is an excellent, healthy dish.  Hope you enjoy!  

Recent Visit to Wine Country

Above is a picture from the brand new Trinchero Winery location. (The new open kitchen) My husband and I enjoyed a wonderful private luncheon at their new facility.  We had ribs, crab cakes, heirloom tomatoes w/ buffalo mozzarella, Caesar salad...and of course, wine. 

Below is the view of the vineyards from their new location.

 

Trinchero purchased their new winery from two psychiatrists.  The psychiatrist partners (romantic, I think) made their own label of wine and named it "Folie a Deux"...because everyone thought they were crazy for quitting their practice and starting a winery.  It translates as "two people who share the same madness or delusion".  Trinchero liked the wine and the name -  and so they kept it.

From Wikipedia:  

Folie à deux (English pronunciation: /fɒˈli ə ˈduː/, from the French for "a madness shared by two") is a rare psychiatric syndrome in which a symptom of psychosis (particularly a paranoid or delusional belief) is transmitted from one individual to another. The same syndrome shared by more than two people may be called folie à trois, folie à quatre, folie à famille or even folie à plusieurs ("madness of many"). Recent psychiatric classifications refer to the syndrome as shared psychotic disorder (DSM-IV) (297.3) and induced delusional disorder (folie à deux) (F.24) in the ICD-10, although the research literature largely uses the original name.

Too Funny, right?!

 

The Beringer Estate House is exceptional and beautiful. (See Below)

 

We visited a lot of wineries on our trip.  We went to both Napa and Sonoma.  It was so much fun.  Silver Oak was super nice, Chalk Hill, Beringer, St. Francis, Rodney Strong, Stag' Leap,...Oh, there were so many that were unbelievably nice!

Blackstone: 

We met a wonderful woman, Judy Oliver-Rose, at Blackstone Winery.  We tasted everything!  (Here is my new friend, Judy)

We tried a wonderful new wine that I highly recommend.  It is Blackstone Rubric. 

It is a blend of: Cabernet Suvignon, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, Tannat, Merlot, and Petie Sirah.  And - It is amazing!

Judy was so generous with her time...she took us into the barrel room, with a thief in hand, and allowed us to sample some truly wonderful wines.  

Judy then took a little time off and we followed her to the local Cheese Monger.  I do so love cheese.  

Thanks to Judy for her hospitality and making me a fan of Blackstone!

Here is the Cheese Monger: 

Raymond & Company Cheesemongers in Jack London Village - Glen Ellen, CA.

Oh, and I have to say Cakebread Winery, BV, Rutherford, and Charles Krug were all outstanding!

I totally should have taken more pictures, but, I was too busy drinking wine!

 

Beautiful Flowers from My Husband for Our Anniversary

Zucchini and Turkey Lasagna

(This Recipe Makes a Large Deep-Dish Lasagna or 2 square pans)

You can get a disposable deep-dish casserole pan or the recipe can be used to make two 8 x 8 lasagnas - which I did.

• 2 pounds Ground Turkey
• 1/2 Green Bell Pepper (chopped)
• 1/2 Red Bell Pepper (chopped)
• 1/2 Red Onion (diced)
• 6 Cloves Fresh Garlic (minced)
• 2 TB Dried Oregano
• 2 Cups Loosely Packed Fresh Chopped Basil
• 38 Ounces Tomato Sauce

Cook the Ground Turkey in a sauce pot on medium heat until cooked thoroughly.  Add the peppers, onions, garlic, and 1/2 cup of water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients from above and cover and cook for another 20 minutes on low heat.

• 32 ounces of Fresh Ricotta Cheese
• 1 1/2 Cups of Egg Beaters

Mix above two items together and set aside.

• 1 Package of "No Pre-Cook" Dry Lasagna Noodles
• 1 Package of Fresh Shredded Cheddar
• 1 Package of Sliced Mozzarella
• 5 Medium Fresh Zucchini (sliced lengthwise)

Assembly:

Start with a layer of meat sauce. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles. Then spread on a layer of the Ricotta-Egg mixture. Add another layer of meat sauce and then assemble mozzarella slices to top. Next add a layer of fresh sliced zucchini. Top that with the Ricotta-Egg mixture. Then add a layer of meat sauce. Then add another layer of noodles and more mozzarella and meat sauce. Finish with a final layer of shredded mozzarella.

Loosely cover the lasagna with foil to prevent the cheese from browning too soon. Cook on 325 degrees for about and hour to one and a half hours. Remove foil at the end of the cooking cycle for about 15 minutes to brown the top slightly.

I have also made this recipe with just Zucchini and no pasta. You can also use ground beef or buffalo instead of turkey.