Tuesday's Twist: Nut Butter

Tuesday's Twist:  A basic recipe with a fun twist.  In other words, just another excuse for me to play around with weird recipes I've been dying to try.

Making your own nut butter is ridiculously simple.  It's also healthier, cheaper, tastier and more versatile.  I don't even want to think about the impact this will have on my already crazy peanut butter addiction.

I got a little carried away with picture taking, so this is more of a picture post with step by step photos.  Even if a picture is worth a thousand words, these can't begin to describe my relationship with peanut butter.  

Mindful Monday: Change Now or Later

Mindful Monday: On Monday's I'm going to share what's been on my mind. I by no means have any of this figured out, I'm just thinking out loud here.


Over the past week we've been moving my grandma into assisted living.  She's been presented with a lot of changes and new things all at once, but overall she's doing great.  Sometimes it's hard to watch as she struggles with simple things like numbers or directions.  In spite of the small struggles, it's been a blessing to watch her open up and discover new interests.  She's done things the same way for many years and is just now discovering how enjoyable change can be.

It would be easy for me to get stuck on the unpleasant changes that come with aging. Often times when I look at my grandma I see an older version of myself.  So many of her traits and characteristics have been passed on to me.  Sometimes I have to pause and remind myself of all the years of life and adventure I have before I will be in her situation.

Like my grandma, I'm a creature of habit and often find myself stuck in routine patterns.  But, I don't have to wait until I'm older to embrace change.  As I watch her open up and assert herself I am reminded that now is the perfect time for me to do the same.  

I've always considered my grandma to be quiet and reserved.  She would rather sit and watch than be the center of attention and prefers listening over talking.  One would think that a major change, like loosing your independence, would drive a person deeper into these patterns.  Yet as she toured her new home, I saw a side of her I had never seen before.

She initiated introducing herself to all the ladies she saw in the hall. The first lady couldn't hear and just gave a nod and a smile.  I thought my grandma would retreat and discouragingly give up.  Instead, she pushed her walker right up to the next lady and tried again.  She laughed and joked with strangers and talked about how important it is to be social and active.  She spoke up to ask questions and stated what she needed help with.  After all these years she is opening up and letting herself enjoy new things. I have much to learn from her time of transition. I only hope I can apply her wisdom to the changes I face now rather than holding back a lifetime.

Food for Thought: "Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many." -unknown

Fermented Friday: Peanut Sauce Pizza with Beer Chicken, Veggies and Basil

Fermented Friday: recipes featuring yeast, wine, beer or some form of fermentation

I actually had something completely different in the works for today, but I found out the hard way that the spare jar of baking powder was expired.  Of course I used up the last of several other key ingredients at the same time.  After trips to several grocery stores and a few empty shelves, I still didn't have all the ingredients for a second attempt.  With a sore throat and zero energy I decided to save that recipe for another day and go with pizza instead.

Thursday's Thoughts: Curiosity Transfer

Thursday's Thoughts: a taste of what I'm thinking


When it comes to a new food technique, concept or recipe, curiosity will get me every time.  I'm also a sucker for the recipes claiming to have a secret ingredient.  Most of the time I can guess the secret ingredient in my sleep, but more often than not I click and keep reading just in case.  It's like I don't want to miss out on something new and exciting.

Or maybe it's my rebellious side unleashing itself via creativity.  In general, I was the kid who followed all the rules, stayed in the lines and didn't rock the boat.  As a people pleaser and perfectionist, the black and white rules of math, science and logic were my safety nets.  But then there's the side of me just itching to break the rules and touch the paint to make sure it's really wet.  Give me a crazy flavor combination or a weird concept and I just have to try it for myself.

Breaking the rules with food is a fun adventure to me.  Understanding the science behind the food helps  prevent disappointments, but it doesn't eliminate them altogether. Curiosity and excitement of the unknown drive me to try new things.

If only I could transfer that to the rest of life.

Lately I've been more anxious about the unknowns in life.  I get worried and impatient in regards to where I think I should be in life right now.  If I replaced fear of the unknown future with curiosity, life would be a lot more enjoyable.  I've prayed a lot about where I'm supposed to be both right now and in the future.  Unfortunately, I haven't nailed down the trust and patience aspects.  God is giving me answers and direction, but they make me wonder and want to say "hey, that's not how my plan went."

It takes conscious effort on my part to remind myself that His plan is infinitely better than mine.  There's no need to fear the future; God's got it all figured out.  It's so easy for me to fall into the pattern of worry based on my limited perspective.  Fear of the unknown holds me back.  Curiosity and excitement drive me forward.  What's in store for me next? I don't know, but I choose to be curious!

Food for Thought: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:6-7

Weird Recipe Wednesday: Caramel Corn Muffins

Weird Recipe Wednesday: Because some recipes are so weird I just HAVE to try them.  My curiosity always gets the better of me.


Do you still have some browned butter caramel corn left from yesterday?

Let's make muffins with it. Just for fun. 

Tuesday's Twist: Browned Butter Caramel Corn

Tuesday's Twist:  A basic recipe with a fun twist.  In other words, just another excuse for me to play around with weird recipes I've been dying to try.

These browned butter chocolate chip cookies opened my eyes to the magic of browned butter.  Heating butter slowly until golden brown adds nutty, toffee notes on top of the rich, buttery flavors.  It reminded me so much of caramel corn I figured why not use browned butter IN caramel corn.  Because caramel corn just isn't addicting enough as it is.

Mindful Monday: Ongoing Practice

Mindful Monday: On Monday's I'm going to share what's been on my mind. I by no means have any of this figured out, I'm just thinking out loud here.


Once again I find my mind going a million directions.  My thoughts feel as scattered as broken glass and piecing them together seems like it will take more energy than it's worth.  Perhaps God is using these times to direct me back to his Truth.  I need to replace my thoughts with his thoughts all throughout the day.  This is not a task or accomplishment that can be checked off or finished. It's an ongoing practice that must be repeated over and over, much like breathing or the beating of a heart.

Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. -Psalm 25:4-5

Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.  -Psalm 86:11

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? -Psalm 8:3-4

The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him. -Lamentations 3:25

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. -Hebrews 12:11

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. -James 4:7-8

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. -Isaiah 41:10

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. -Psalm 51:10

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. -Psalm 106:1

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Food for Thought: "The thing about quotes on the internet is you can not confirm their validity." -Abraham Lincoln :)

Fermented Friday: Beer Hummus with Beer Rye Crackers

Fermented Friday: recipes featuring yeast, wine, beer or some form of fermentation


The hoppy bitterness of an IPA is less than ideal for cooking or baking.  Yet somehow, an IPA found its way off the shelf and into my six pack mix.  An IPA is also not the first thing I would pick to drink.  If we cross off cooking, baking and drinking this IPA, then what's left?  Marinating fruit doesn't require cooking or baking, but I've done that (twice) in the past few weeks.  Hmmmm, it has been a while since I've made any dips or spreads....let's make hummus. Beer hummus.

 And while we're at it, let's just make beer crackers too.

Thursday's Thoughts: Life Lessons

Thursday's Thoughts: a taste of what I'm thinking


I feel like things have been a little lacking around here lately.  Call it summer, call it lack of planning, call it avoidance, call it whatever you want.  I want to put more thought and effort into the posts for Mindful Monday and Thursday's Thoughts, but I find myself taking less time to reflect on life.  Or perhaps I'm still reflective, but not writing it out for everyone to read.  Hashing out my thoughts can be helpful, but I can also get stuck over-analyzing and dwelling on the what and why.  Sometimes it's better to keep it pure and simple, use less words and just focus on Truth like I did this past Monday. On the other hand I also need to be willing to share what I'm learning in life and not keep it to myself.  God is teaching me a lot right now, though sometimes it's too painful, too personal or just hard to put into words.

Part of this learning process involves a lot of trial and error.  I'm trying to jump into things I'm not comfortable with or good at because "practice makes perfect".  Results are sometimes frustrating, awkward or disappointing, but I'm learning none the less.  After all, learning from mistakes is often the most effective.

I want to thank those of you who interact with me for your patience and understanding. Thanks for encouraging me. Thanks for loving and accepting me just as I am yet helping me grow and learn. Thanks for not giving up on me.....when I'm indecisive and caught up in perfectionism, when I try new things that don't go smoothly, when I'm tired and frustrated with myself, when I'm inconsistent and hesitant, when I'm not fully present or I'm caught up in my own circumstances, when I make things way more difficult than they need to be, etc. I am truly blessed to have people like you in my life. THANK YOU for being part of my life.  I can't really express in words how grateful I am but hopefully that gives you a taste.

Food for Thought: "You have to get hurt. That's how you learn. The strongest people out there, the ones who laugh the hardest with a genuine smile, those are the people who have fought the toughest battles. Because they've decided that they're not going to let anything hold them down, no matter how badly it hurts them." -unknown (source)

Weird Recipe Wednesday: Peanut Butter and Basil Quinoa Salad

Weird Recipe Wednesday: Because some recipes are so weird I just HAVE to try them.  My curiosity always gets the better of me.

I haven't been able to get the idea of peanut butter and basil out of my head since I saw this Peanut Butter and Basil Sandwich.  A million weird ideas are floating around my head. In fact, they're probably too weird to share with you right now.  Instead, I'll introduce you to this flavor combination in a dish that's a little  more normal.  (After it grows on you I'll utilize this duo in an application even I consider weird.)  

Tuesday's Twist: Zucchini Carrot Mushroom Burgers

Tuesday's Twist:  A basic recipe with a fun twist.  In other words, just another excuse for me to play around with weird recipes I've been dying to try.

I never intended to post this recipe and it's a bit of a stretch to post it under Tuesday's Twist. But in real life the zucchini and mushrooms in the refrigerator needed to be put to use and I had all the right ingredients without going to back to the store. The recipes I had planned for this week need a little more work and one of the ingredients melted in the car.  All this means you are temporarily being dragged into my quest for a decent homemade veggie burger.  Don't worry, I'll keep most of them to myself (unless my chocolate chips melt into single entity on a weekly basis).

Mindful Monday: Wisdom

Mindful Monday: On Monday's I'm going to share what's been on my mind. I by no means have any of this figured out, I'm just thinking out loud here.

While I'm back from the weekend road trip, my mind doesn't quite feel like it's caught up yet.  So instead of me trying to think of a topic or rambling on here, I'll write out a few verses from Proverbs.  On my quest for wisdom and direction in life I've been reading a chapter from Proverbs most days. There are 31 chapters so it works out just right to read the chapter corresponding to the day of the month.  Since it's July 16th, these are some verses from Proverbs 16.  There's a ton of wisdom packed in here but I just picked out some of the verses.  I encourage you to take the time to read the whole chapter here. It won't take long, and even if it did it would be worth it.

To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue. - v1

All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord. - v2

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. - v3

Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice. - v8

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. - v9

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. - v18

Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. -v20

A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction. -v23

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. -v25

A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends. -v28

Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city. -v32


Food for Thought: "If I find in myself  a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." C.S. Lewis

Friday Fun

I'm off for a road trip to spend some time with friends.
Have a great weekend!

Food for Thought: "Taking time to live will only inspire your work." -unknown

Thursday's Thoughts: A Story and a Solution

Thursday's Thoughts: a taste of what I'm thinking


Two completely unrelated things today.

First, I wrote a guest post over at Espresso and Cream this past Tuesday.  Espresso and Cream is one of several blogs I follow.  Each Tuesday, Madison hosts a series called No Fat Talk Tuesday.  The idea behind these posts is to stop the negative body talk and encourage positive body image and self-esteem.  Earlier in the year Madison asked for volunteers to share their stories related to body image and the ban on fat talk.  It took me a while, but I finally made an attempt at putting my story into words. You can read it here if you're interested.

Second, remember the annoying issue of the random white text appearing in some of the posts lately?  I looked into it a little more and found a few answers, and more importantly, a way to fix it! I still can't explain why it happens but it has something to do with editing posts when using Google Chrome.  After a bit more searching I found another blogger kind enough to share a solution I could understand.   

Here's what I did in the most basic terms I can put it.
-At the top left of the page where you write posts (if you are using Blogger) there are two buttons: "compose" and "HTML"
-Click on the HTML
-You will get a lot of what looks like Greek to me. Thank goodness for computer people, I'll stick to the kitchen. Anyway, your whole page will now look something along the lines of this:

<br />

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBi2tCAgZtXK9VA6Xyt_x9n7hMe-ettaXbkLR8M00w4yx5HmOtQ6ErWgubavnEPPHta5Iz4JehId_NJehgKAXENkkm-YQhMsKkxI0z-iRgS8q8njONwcZtTyRw9GeY-ox_hZ33FQIlWQ/s1600/IMG_1407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiBi2tCAgZtXK9VA6Xyt_x9n7hMe-ettaXbkLR8M00w4yx5HmOtQ6ErWgubavnEPPHta5Iz4JehId_NJehgKAXENkkm-YQhMsKkxI0z-iRgS8q8njONwcZtTyRw9GeY-ox_hZ33FQIlWQ/s400/IMG_1407.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">

-Press Ctrl and the letter F at the same time.
- A little window with a search bar will appear in the upper right hand corner.
-Type in the word "white" and press enter. (don't use the quote marks)
 - Everywhere the word white appears will now be highlighted in yellow
-  Every time you see the word "white" replace it with "transparent" (unless, of course, you want another color or like the random white background).  
-Problem solved, no more white highlighted text!!!


This can be a bit tedious depending on how many times it appears in the code (or whatever that stuff is called).  Perhaps there is an easier way, but it worked for me and I understood how to do it.  Now if I could just understand when and why it happens!  


Oh what irony. As I was typing this the last two paragraphs randomly turned white.  Nice try, but now I know how to fix it....So I just went back to fix it, and now the spacing is off.  Looks like I have a little more to work on. Such is life :) 


Food for Thought: "She discovered her real measurements had nothing to do with numbers or statistics." -Kobi Yamada

Weird Recipe Wednesday: Spiced Rosemary Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Weird Recipe Wednesday: Because some recipes are so weird I just HAVE to try them.  My curiosity always gets the better of me.

I was skeptical too, but one bite and these will change your mind. The warm flavors of spiced pecans mingle with a buttery brown sugar cookie and gooey dark chocolate.

The longer I looked at this recipe, the more curious I became.  It sucked me in and I just had to try it.

Tuesday's Twist: Artisan Bread in the Slow Cooker

Tuesday's Twist:  A basic recipe with a fun twist.  In other words, just another excuse for me to play around with weird recipes I've been dying to try.


When it was way too hot to turn the oven on I tried baking bread in the slow cooker.  For those of you who haven't heard of the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day technique, it's a simple, no-knead dough that takes less than five minutes of your time. Baking with a hot stone and steam yields a crusty loaf bursting with texture and flavor.  I have both the original and healthy cookbooks and have tried many of  the recipes.

Typically, the recipes require you to pre-heat your oven to 450 for 20 minutes before baking a loaf.  There was no way my oven way going all the way to 450 in last week's heat wave. I was going crazy not being able to use the oven, and then I came across this idea of baking bread in the slow cooker.  A little extra heat from the slow cooker wasn't going to heat up the whole house, so I ended up making it 3 times to try out a few variables.    

Mindful Monday: Annoying Habits

Mindful Monday: On Monday's I'm going to share what's been on my mind. I by no means have any of this figured out, I'm just thinking out loud here.


Side note: It has been brought to my attention that comments may not be appearing for those of you who wish to leave them.  I have published all comments that have been submitted.  If you have tried to leave a comment and it hasn't appeared then I never received it.  If this happened to you, let me know the details via email (see contact page) and I'll work on it. Thanks!



Everyone has their own habits and mannerisms that make them who they are.  I'm sure you can think of a person whose habits annoy you.  You know, that one thing they do that drives you crazy.  I've realized that when something a person does drives me crazy there's often a pretty good chance I do the exact same thing.  Ouch.

The first time I was aware of this I was getting pretty annoyed with a person who continued to interrupt me halfway through every sentence.  I complained to another person about the situation (another bad habit) and realized I was interrupting them.  I was doing the very thing I was complaining about someone doing to me.  And it wasn't just a one time thing.  When I stepped back to look at the situation, I realized it happened all the time.

Now, when I come across a habit that annoys me, I try to step back and see if it's also a habit I have. It's really not about the other person, it's about them triggering a dislike I have about myself. It annoys me because it touches a raw nerve and hits too close to home.

Realizing this it makes it easier for me to be understanding and patient in certain situations. When the said person is doing what annoys me, I think of times I have done the same thing to others.  I also think of how patient the other person was with me in either overlooking my habit or gently redirecting me.

Little annoyances can be great reminders of what I need to work on in my own life.  Ideally I would catch these things before I got annoyed with another person. I'll have to work on that.

While I can't speak for anyone else, I'm guessing a few others may find this concept true as well.  I'm pretty sure it's something we all struggle with at one point or another.  There's even a few Bible verses related to the issue.  "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." -Matthew 7:3-5

Disclaimer: This is in no way a reflection of  any recent events or interactions.  I came across this realization quite a while ago.  Please do not over-analyze or think I am talking about you.  I couldn't think of another topic for today's post and figured this would work. Do NOT take it personally :) 

Food for Thought: "Never get tired of doing little things for others, sometimes those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts." -unknown

Fermented Friday: Frosty Beer Kabobs and Watermelon Beer Pops

Fermented Friday: recipes featuring yeast, wine, beer or some form of fermentation

Since 4th of July was in the middle of the week you can spread it out all week and use it as an excuse to make these.  Lately the blogosphere has been loaded with watermelon pops and spiked watermelon.  I decided to put my own spin on it and use beer.

Then some other fruit jumped in with the intention of a fruit salad.   And then I started to cut the watermelon into stars.... because a) I have star cookie cutters that never get used, b) it's 4th of July week and c) what else are you supposed to do when it's soooo hot out and you don't have air conditioning?... But wait, now that I have watermelon stars wouldn't it look cuter to make fruit skewers instead of a fruit salad?  So the fruit jumped onto skewers.  Then it took a bath in blueberry wheat beer.  Oh, and then I changed my mind yet again and decided frozen fruit kabobs would be even better.  So there was a party in my freezer.  You never know what might happen when I'm without an oven.  Watch out.

Thursday's Thoughts: Outside

Thursday's Thoughts: a taste of what I'm thinking


Have you noticed the huge pale orange moon the last few nights?  Beautiful.  I tried to take a picture, but it just looks like a street light.  I was getting too many mosquito bites to try and figure out how to get a good shot.

Speaking of mosquitoes, I've decided they have a deal with blackberries.  You see, the weather that is just perfect for ripening wild blackberries is also perfect for mosquito breeding.  The beautifully ripe blackberries then attract distracted humans who are out for a walk.  The human stops to pick blackberries and the mosquitoes swarm in for an attack.  After a few rounds of that last week, I finally decided the blackberries weren't worth the bites.  This week it's been too hot to be out walking on the trail.  I'm missing it a lot.  On a rare day when the mosquitoes weren't biting I took a few pictures from the trail with my phone.

 This is one of my favorite viewpoints.  It's past the neighborhoods and power lines and out into the open fields.

Weird Recipe Wednesday: Blue Cheese-Stuffed Strawberries with Balsamic Drizzle

Weird Recipe Wednesday: Because some recipes are so weird I just HAVE to try them.  My curiosity always gets the better of me.

The 4th of July seemed like a perfect time to try out this red, white and blue recipe.  These little appetizers put a savory spin on the traditional stuffed strawberry.  I came across the concept in the latest issue of Healthy Cooking.  You already know I'm on board with the balsamic vinegar  trend. I'm pretty much addicted to strawberries and I have a thing for blue cheese (umm, hello....it's blue).

Sweet berries are filled with a tart mixture of Greek yogurt and blue cheese. The sharp, creamy filling provides savory contrast to juicy strawberries.  A tangy balsamic reduction is drizzled over the top to tie it all together.  

While I've always loved strawberries, blue cheese didn't have any appeal until a few years ago. If you try it in the right combination you just might change your mind too.  The same goes for balsamic vinegar.  That being said, this wasn't my favorite combination.  Strawberries and blue cheese are often paired in salads so this really isn't too far of a stretch flavor-wise.  I'm not sure why this one didn't grab me, maybe a texture thing.  But don't let my opinion stop you from trying it; make your own call.  Happy 4th of July!

Blue Cheese-Stuffed Strawberries with Balsamic Drizzle

adapted from Healthy Cooking

Ingredients:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
8 medium strawberries
3 Tbsp fat-free plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp (1 oz) crumbled blue cheese

Instructions:
* In a small saucepan, bring balsamic vinegar to a boil.  Cook until reduced by half; let cool to room temperature.
* Wash strawberries and pat dry.  Remove stem and core from each berry.
* In a small bowl, combine Greek yogurt and blue cheese. Fill berries evenly with cheese mixture.  Refrigerate until serving. Drizzle with balsamic reduction.

Food for Thought: "God changes caterpillars into butterflies, sand into pearls and coal into diamonds using time and pressure. He's working on you too" -Rick Warren

Tuesday's Twist: Creamy Polenta (without the cream)

Tuesday's Twist:  A basic recipe with a fun twist.  In other words, just another excuse for me to play around with weird recipes I've been dying to try.

I warned you I've been on a cornmeal kick.  I also mentioned that tofu might reappear when I make something a little more, shall we say, repeatable.  Last week I told you about my friend, Emma, and her soy internship.  In addition to using TVP, she also developed recipes using silken tofu.  One of those recipes was Creamy Polenta with Apples and Swiss Chard.  I will definitely be making it in the near future, but for this week I took her polenta base and added something a little different. 

Edit: Does anyone have any idea WHY the above paragraph is in white???? Everything else came out normal and I did  nothing (that I know of) differently to that paragraph. Maybe it has to do with all the links? Please let me know if you know how to fix it.  I've also noticed a lot of spacing issues that aren't posting they same way I type them... But, back to the polenta...

Mindful Monday: Attitude is Everything

Mindful Monday: On Monday's I'm going to share what's been on my mind. I by no means have any of this figured out, I'm just thinking out loud here.


One of my favorite teachers in middle school often stressed "attitude is everything".  I'm not sure I thought about it much at the time, but it applies just as much now as it did then.  Your mindset and outlook make all the difference in how your day goes.  Often times I need to readjust my perspective throughout the day. Here's some things I'd like to work on in that area;

- Choose to be curious, looking for and wondering what you can learn from a situation
- Learn from mistakes and move on, don't dwell on them
- Look at the situation as an opportunity not a difficulty
- Focus on what you do have not what may be lacking
- Find a way to be thankful for everything
- View it as a challenge to tackle
- Focus on what you can do now, not on what you can't/should/would
- Think about what you are doing, not what you're missing
- Remember that your perspective is limited; you can't see the whole picture
- Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)


Food for Thought: "And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." -Roald Dahl