Therapy Thursday -- Dear Diary

First, let me say, I can't imagine ever starting a journal entry with those words. To me, that's more of Martha May Whovier's style. I was never much into journaling when I was a child. I was way too much of a tomboy to ever go for anything so girly. I was the girl who was out playing baseball and fishing with the boys instead of playing with Barbie and hosting tea parties. As I’ve gotten older and learned a whole lot more about life and myself, I’ve found journaling to be very therapeutic. I’m a very train of thought writer, so needless to say, my journal topics are all over the map. Some days my entries are a written prayer. Some days the entries are a venting session. Other times, I write about what I’m loving about life at the moment, and things I’d like to change. If I had any drawing capabilities at all, I know I would sketch. I think I’d even like to start adding photos if I’m journaling about a particularly great day I’ve had or event I’ve gone to. Although my journal entries are always different, there is one thing that I always try to do. I make a point to write down things I’m thankful for. Sometimes when life is hard or even when it’s great, we forget to take the time to be thankful for things we’re able to do or have, lessons we’ve learned, or relationships we share. I’ve recently been in situations where I see spouses/boyfriends and girlfriends putting one another down and being really hard on the other (almost John and Kate plus 8 style). This isn’t healthy. There is always a reason why we like or love someone, and it’s important not to lose sight of it. We all get annoyed with people from time to time, but constant nagging or bashing is only going to push the person further and further away… even if they don’t say anything at the time. I say, if you’re upset with someone, stop and think before you speak. Nine out of ten times, the situation is too petty to be worth harsh words and an argument. Later on that day, once you’re removed from the situation, take time to write down a few things that you appreciate about the person you were ready to lash out at earlier. I guarantee, you’ll be more thankful that they’re in your life than angry about the irritating situation. This works for husbands, boyfriends, good friends, family, kids etc. Even if you’re not upset about anything or anyone, take the time to write down the little things in life you’re thankful for. I think it’s almost human nature to dwell on the bad and turn a blind eye to all the good in our lives. Let journaling turn that around for you.
Journals are things that I never want to get rid of. I think reading them 20 years down the road will give me such a wonderful and personal glance back into my life. I know feelings will change, I’ll mature and my perspectives will be different years from now, but I’d like to remember how things are for me as I see them. It will also be neat for relatives to have once I’m gone. It’s not that I journal for someone to read it… it’s the opposite really, but I would have loved to have had a journal from one of my grandmothers’ younger years. It would be so special to have a closer look into their lives when they were closer to my age. I wish I’d started journaling so much earlier in my life, and maybe you do too, but it’s never too late to start. Never doubt your potential to give self- therapy.

Wednesday Whatabouts -- Calgon take me away!

I’m having one of those weeks where I need an escape. I love my job. I really do, but I get so fed up with the constant gossip and complaining some folks do. It’s exhausting. I need a private beach, sunscreen that smells like coconut, beautiful weather, and great music STAT. Too bad that isn’t going to happen anytime soon. I do, however, have my first ever spa day coming up soon. I’m excited and curious to see if a hot stone massage is really all that magical. I’m thinking it could be. I’m very interested about the whole spa experience. I may or may not have called to see if they could get me in a day early, and they may or may not have returned the call. Should I take my I-pod or would that take away from the new age music they’re sure to have? I wish I had a friend going with me, but this was a gift, and I don’t exactly think it would be a great friend move to ask someone to shell out hundreds of dollars so I’ll have someone to go with… but I digress. Can I make it through two and a half more days?

Tasty Tuesday -- Not your Mama's chicken.

I love chicken, and I try my best to come up with new ways of seasoning it so I don’t get tired of the same ole’ thing. Here’s quick and easy recipe you’ll enjoy by yourself, with friends, or with family. I love mushrooms, and Baby Bella’s are my current favorite, but I know that a lot of folks hate mushrooms all together. If that’s the case, substitute grilled red onions for the mushrooms.
This chicken is great by itself or as a sandwich. If I’m doing this as a sandwich, I use a whole wheat bun; add some lettuce, tomato, red onion and some honey mustard. If you don’t have any pre-made honey mustard, you can easily make your own. I’ll put a honey mustard recipe below. Be sure to let me know if you ever try one of my recipes. I’d love to know what you think. Have a tasty Tuesday!

Chicken breasts
Zataran’s Blackening Seasoning
Baby Bella Mushrooms (sliced)
Bacon (optional)
Monterrey Jack or Sharp Cheddar Cheese (use 2% for a healthier option)

Cover desired number of chicken breasts liberally with blackening seasoning. Grill or sauté (sauté in 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil plus 1 tsp Butter) chicken until the juices run clear. Bacon and mushrooms can be cooked in a grill pan that is covered with foil as well. I like this option for easy clean up. If you’re not grilling, cook the bacon and drain most of the grease from the pan. Save enough to sauté the mushrooms or you can use a little olive oil for that instead. If you’re grilling, throw the mushrooms and the bacon together to cook. If after cooking for a few minutes, you want to make your bacon crisp, just put it directly on the grill for a minute or so. After everything has finished cooking, place chicken in grill pan. Top with bacon and mushrooms, then put cheese on top to melt. If you’re cooking inside, it’s easiest to just layer everything and pop it in the microwave it until the cheese is melted.

Homemade Honey Mustard
Disclaimer: This is very approximate. I generally do this by sight and taste. I recommend you do the same.

1 tsp honey
1 tsp mustard
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
You can add a little BBQ sauce for an added kick if you like.

Make a Difference Monday -- Sunflowers and a Milk Shake

I’m having the kind of day where I’m going to have to force myself to make a difference, but I know once I make an effort, I’ll be glad I did. There’s no doubt, we all go through hard times. We deal with loss, depression, break-ups, anger, hurt feelings, little annoying things that get under our skin, accidents, loneliness… you name it. At one point or another, we’ll all deal with most if not all of the above. I can name at least five friends/relatives who are going through a rough time right now. I know people who are out of jobs, who have just had their house burn down, those who have had miscarriages, several who are battling cancer, some who are stressed about work, stressed about what their kids are doing that they don’t know, and some who are just depressed about getting older. All of us can go from being on top of the world to being at the lowest low within a matter of minutes. I know. It’s so depressing to read all of those things, but what can we do? Well, first, we can be thankful if we’re not at a low point. Then, we can hopefully bring a little cheer to those who aren’t so lucky. Sure, you can help monetarily sometimes, but that’s not always possible, and depending on the situation, money isn’t always the right or best answer. Sometimes folks just need a shoulder to cry on, or a great friend to veg out and watch movies and eat ice-cream with. If you’re too busy for that, a simple card can still make anyone’s day. I try to be creative when I’m trying to cheer up a friend. Here are some of my favorite things to do. A bouquet of fresh flowers (bouquet of sunflowers at Publix for $3.33), a homemade CD, handmade card, chick flicks, milkshakes, favorite coffee drink, a candle and some Mr. Bubbles, window shopping, going for a walk, gifts for pets, gift cards, homemade cakes, something for their house in the color they’re diggin’ at the moment, etc. There are so many creative things to do that are either free, or cost hardly anything. Now that I’ve inspired myself, I just need to pick a friend, and go make a difference in their day. We can all make a difference one person at a time we just have to do it. Add to the beauty today.

Forget About It Friday -- Movies

This is going to be short and sweet because I'm about to leave to go to a cookout, but I wanted to wish everyone a happy, fun and safe weekend and also give a shout out to my best friend whose birthday is tomorrow. There are several good movies out right now, and some sneak peaks too. Lately, I've seen, Star Trek, Up, The Hangover, Night at the Museum, and I'm going to the sneak preview of The Proposal tomorrow night. As you can tell, all of the moives I've seen lately have been really diverse, and all were good in their own way. By the way, even though "Up" is a Pixar film, it's really more for adults. It deals with some pretty heavy issues that your kids may not enjoy. "The Hangover" is really funny, but I could have done with a lot less f-bombs and all of the gd's. " Night at the Museum" is pretty cute, but not as good as the first. If you're looking for a family friendly film, this is the one I recommend. As for "Star Trek"... to say that I'm not a fan of any of the old shows is a massive understatement. The only thing I knew about it going into the movie was that there were guys named, Spock, Kirk, and Scottie. That being said. I really enjoyed the movie. It far exceeded all of my expectations. My best friend saw "My Life in Ruins" this week and said it was cute, but that the writer will never do anything as good as "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". I have high hopes for "The Proposal", and I hope the movie lives up to its' hype. Wow... not so short after all. Take a couple of hours to go enjoy a movie this weekend. I'll be back Monday. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Wednesday Whatabouts -- Sew Blue

I love these dresses. They're simple, and just right.

Today I hate myself for not really knowing how to sew. These dresses are just a sad reminder. Sure, I have a Singer, but most of the time it just sits in my craft room behind all of my card making and scrapbooking materials. It’s sad really. You would think a Southern girl would know how to sew, but I don’t. My husband is from the country and had to take home economics in high school, so he knows a little bit about sewing, and both of us come from long lines of professional seamstresses. Back in the day, both of my grandmothers made clothes, bedding, curtains etc. and sold them to help pay the bills while staying home with their children. I know that my husband’s Mema did the same. My Mom learned to sew at an early age, and she hated it, so she hasn’t sewn in my lifetime. By the time I became really interested, both of my grandmothers couldn’t see well enough to teach me. My Dad’s mom knows how much I cherish hand-made quilts and blankets and has given me many that she or my great-grandmother made. I’ve tried to ask questions over the years about how to make certain things, and she starts throwing out all of these words that I don’t have the slightest clue what they mean. So, I have given up on her helping me out. I read the instructions to my Singer several years ago, and I can do a basic stitch to do things like throw pillows, but that’s it. If someone gave me a pattern, I wouldn’t know what to do with it. The worst part of it is… I LOATHE sewing. I’m pretty sure it’s because I was never taught the right techniques for cutting and pinning. I hate that part so much and I’m so bad at it that by the time I get ready to actually sew, I’m violent. I suddenly become the 3 year old you see in the mall having a temper tantrum. I throw things, scream made up obscenities, and then once I’m “calm”, I mutter how much I hate what I’m doing under my breath. I’m pretty sure if anyone were around, I’d kick them. Yes. It’s really that bad. All of that having been said, I would love to know how to sew… the correct way. Every time I go shopping I think about how much money I could save if I could just make whatever I’m currently drooling over. I could have three times the clothes I have now, and all of my bedrooms would have different bedding that I could change out at different times during the year. I would have all sorts of beautiful pillows and curtains. (I’m sort of sounding like Ralphie when he’s imagining how glorious his life would be with the Red Rider BB Gun.) So maybe I wouldn’t be that extravagant, but I would have a lot more. I would find a way to justify it in the family budget. So much for that. I’m too chicken to take a class because I’ve heard that the “beginner” classes aren’t really for people who are completely new to sewing. Instead, I will just window shop, and continue to be jealous of those who sew.

Tasty Tuesday -- Coconut Caramel Pie

I don’t know about the temperature where everyone else lives, but it’s starting to climb into the upper 80’s and low 90’s around here. So, for today’s Tasty Tuesday recipe, I’ve decided to go with something that can cool you down and bring a smile to your face at the same time. It’s so simple that anyone who has an oven, a pan and a mixer can make it. It makes two of these yummy pies. The pies should be prepared at least 5 hours in advance so they will be frozen. It’s great to make when you’re entertaining a crowd, but I generally keep one and give one away to a friend or a neighbor. Be sure to ask about any nut allergies before sharing. This pie definitely doesn’t get any points for being healthy, but I assure you, it is divine!!! Hopefully one day, I'll think about it and add pics of the recipes. Sorry for now.

Coconut Caramel Pies
2 baked Pillsbury deep dish pie shells (prepare according to pkg. directions)
¼ c Butter
1 (7oz) pkg. Sweetened, flake coconut
½ c Chopped pecans
8 oz Cream Cheese (softened)
14 oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
16 oz Cool Whip (thawed)
12 oz jar Caramel Topping

Bake and set pie crusts aside to cool. Melt Butter in large pan. Add coconut and pecans; cook till coconut is golden brown (stirring frequently). Remove from heat and cool completely. Combine cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk. Mix until smooth. Fold cool whip into the mixture.
First, layer ¼ of cream cheese mixture in each pie shell. Next, drizzle ¼ of caramel topping on each pie. Finally, sprinkle ¼ of coconut mixture evenly over each pie. Repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients. Cover and freeze until firm. Let frozen pie stand at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

*Note: I occasionally add something chocolate to this.