MINDFUL MOMENTS

It's December and in some parts of the world this means colder and shorter days. It's also a time of year to yearn for comfort. What better way to warm your heart and soul than with spicy tasty masala chai. In India "Masala Chai" is the national beverage of choice. Black tea infused with spices like cardamon, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg is so comforting, add a bit of steamed milk and some fresh ginger and you have the ultimate masala chai. Enjoy "Masala Chai" moments in December with a warm beverage that will spice up your life during those dark and cold days. MASALA CHAI is truly a perfect beverage. Happy "Masala Chai" moments! M A S A L A   C H A I   2 cups of water 4 teaspoons raw sugar 2 teaspoons of loose black tea 1/4 cup milk 1 inch of fresh ginger peeled, and cut finely 2 cloves, ground 2 to 3 cardamon pods, ground 2 teaspoons of cinnamon 2 teaspoons of nutmeg Heat 2 cups of water in a pot. Let the water...

Sometimes you find what you need in the most unexpected places. That's called "Sweet Moments"                                Chicken Pot Pie Moments                                 Amazing "Chicken Pot Pie" made by master chef Sherry After getting caught in a windy rainstorm with nothing on but shorts and a sweatshirt I was longing for something warm and comforting. I found it in a family run supermarket called Deering's in the little village of Empire in Northern Michigan. Just as I approached the back kitchen master chef Sherry was taking her handmade chicken pot pies out of the oven.                       This is the kitchen where "comfort food" is made from scratch. "Wow those look delicious" I said in amazement. "Yes everyone loves Tuesdays when I...

Lifeguard: An expert swimmer employed to rescue people who get into difficulty in a swimming pool or at the beach.                                           The official last day of SUMMER is September 21st but in the United Sates a lot of summer fun activities end on Labor Day.  This summer Labor Day was on September 5th and this was the day to say goodbye to all the awesome lifeguards that have kept us safe while we were swimming in lakes, pools, and the ocean. How fortunate it is to have summer moments on the water with lifeguards. Whether you prefer swimming in lakes, pools, or the ocean chances are there's usually a lifeguard on duty to keep you safe during the popular summer months.  Hope you had some special swimming moments this summer. Thumbs up to all the lifeguards across America who kept us swimmers safe. ...

Croquet- A game played on a lawn in which colored wooden balls are driven through a series of wickets by means of mallets. Croquet is a wonderful game to play during the warm summer months. All you have to do is own a croquet set and than you can play as many games of croquet as you like.  Some people like having a team to play against while others such as myself are solo croquet players. Croquet can be played in your yard, at a public park, in a field....wherever there's lawn. My love of this addicting sport happened quite a few years ago when I first discovered croquet at theTrapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont. I fell in love with the game instantly and I've been a fan of croquet ever since.  Summer just isn't summer without playing croquet. Croquet is a physical and mental sport that doesn't cost money to play. Playing croquet is a "win win" situation. Enjoy your "CROQUET MOMENTS."                   ...

"Summer only comes but once a year so don't let this summer pass you by without rewarding yourself with the simple things that make summer the best season of them all." Summer, a season where the days are extra long and warm, when an ice cream cone tastes extra special and the sunrise and sunset is glorious. So many activities going on in the summer like baseball games, picnic's, and outdoor concerts. Don't let this summer pass you by without having some sweet summer moments.  #1    Go to the beach and enjoy some water sports. #2    Go to the mountains and take a hike. #3    Go camping. #4    Take a bicycle ride through the countryside. #5    Have a picnic. #6    Have a bonfire with a singalong and eat s'mores. #7    Play a game of bocce or croquet on the lawn. #8    Have a refreshing swim in a lake. #9    Go fishing. #10   Enjoy a baseball game or outdoor concert...

First played in ancient Rome, BOCCE is a game of precision in which a player rolls their bocce ball on a level surface such as an asphalt court or natural soil. Consisting of anywhere between 2-8 players on a team each player is given a bocce ball.  The object of the game is to get your bocce ball as close as possible to the small ball known as the boccino or pallino. The player or team to do this is the winner. BOCCE is a great summer sport that can be enjoyed outdoors. It is a good mental sport that also has physical benefits. Why not fill your summer moments with some games of BOCCE? Happy Bocce Playing Wherever You Are!

Red, White, and Blue HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA

Bon anniversaire to Leslie Caron who was born on 1 July.  Leslie Caron is C'est  Magnifique. Watching her perform is worth moment upon moment. Leslie Caron is a true legend with extraordinary talent. It was on my birthday this past 12 June that I saw the wonderful film "An American in Paris  for the first time with Leslie Caron and  Gene Kelly. I fell in love with this movie and was mesmerized by the magnificent talent of these two amazing stars. A very happy birthday to superstar LESLIE CARON!

In a few hours the month of JUNE will be gone. For those of you who had a birthday this month I wish all of you a HAPPY JUNE BIRTHDAY!                                                         HAPPY   BIRTHDAY

J U N E I love the month of JUNE for a variety of reasons; it's summer solstice, the days are long, nature is in full bloom, school's over for lots of kids, and JUNE is my birthday month. Don't let summer pass you by this year without enjoying yourself. Take time to de-stress and immerse yourself in childlike thinking....it's amazing what this can do for you. In some parts of the world it's an everyday occurrence to take a few hours of the day to enjoy the simple things that life has to offer. This year for my birthday all I wanted was to get rid of all the tension in my neck and shoulders and to let go of all my responsibilities. It felt so good to put aside some high stress activities and enjoy the simple things like watching the sunrise, feeding the ducks, taking a swim in the lake, reading a good book under the tree, and enjoying a homemade ice cream cone. The beautiful long days of June permit us to stretch the day a bit further with all that extra su...

The best time of the year to eat ice cream is during the summer months. It doesn't matter your age.....ice cream is loved by everyone. So brighten your summer with ice cream. Summer moments are so much sweeter with ice cream! Strawberry Ice Cream 1 pound of fresh strawberries 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 cups of heavy cream An ice cream maker! Mash the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Let stand 10-15 minutes. Transfer half the mixture into a blender and puree mixture with 2 cups of heavy cream until it becomes creamy. Add the remaining strawberry mixture to the blender and mix well. Chill the mixture in an ice cream maker until the mixture becomes very cold. (4 to 6 hours). Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and place the ice cream in the freezer to firm up. This ice cream will be good for about three days! HAPPY SUMMER!

Strawberry Moments! We're getting towards the end of June which makes me sad because JUNE is my favorite month. June equals summer solstice, long sunny days, and strawberries. During the month of June there are many places around the globe where strawberries are in full ripe.  So before June comes to a close get your fresh strawberries and have a berry of a time. Happy Moments are Eating Dessert First.

Strawberries are in full season during the beautiful month of June. This tasty fruit is loaded with antioxidants and vitamins. Strawberries make great desserts too like strawberry pie, strawberry shortcake and strawberry ice cream. If there's a place to pick strawberries near you go ahead and pick some strawberries. Otherwise stop by your local supermarket which often carries farm picked strawberries in your region and enjoy these luscious berries. Strawberry moments in June are precious moments to enjoy these delicious and healthy  berries!             Brighten your June day with some homemade strawberry shortcake!

Summer is here and the long days make it easier to enjoy some precious moments. So don't let this summer pass you by without savoring some of the simple things that summer brings like watching the sunrise and sunset, eating an ice cream cone with two scoops,  a baseball game, a picnic with family and friends, a swim in the lake, a walk in the woods, a day at the beach, a homemade fruit pie, an outdoor concert, or reading a book under a tree. No matter what your age or how busy life can be don't let summer pass you by this year without allowing yourself some fun summer moments that will warm your heart. May your memory be filled with some precious summer moments! Happy Summer!

Friends are a real treasure and they can brighten moments instantly. You can find yourself having a frustrating week, day, or moment and then suddenly it can turn around and be happy. Yesterday my friend brightened my day by bringing me a homemade carrot cake. This was no ordinary carrot cake either. My friend Patty spent four hours making this carrot cake from scratch and what a delicious carrot cake it was. It was made with organic flour, carrots, raw sugar, orange juice, raisins, nuts, fresh cut pineapple chunks and lots of all spices. One bite of that carrot cake and I was in "cake nirvana." I shared the cake with my Mother and a few friends and they all agreed that " Patty makes one of the best carrot cakes in the world."  Moments are much more precious when we have friends to share our moments with.                            ...

There's nothing more beautiful than flowers to brighten our moments. My moment was brightened last week when a good looking guy with a great personality gave me a red rose. That little rose is still hanging on moment after moment in my apartment. A simple gift of a little rose that has brought moments of happiness. I hope a little rose comes your way and brightens your moments. "The Rose" is so lovely.

Every moment someone is drinking coffee somewhere. Coffee is one of the most popular beverages on the planet. In North America it is said that coffee first came to the continent by way of "New Orleans,Louisiana. Everybody has their own preference of what coffee they like best but no trip to New Orleans is complete without having a cup of coffee at "Cafe De Monde." The coffee at "Cafe De Monde" is made with chicory and served Au Lait (French Style) half coffee and half hot milk. If you can't make it to New Orleans you can order their packaged coffee can on the internet. Those "coffee moments" in your life can be enjoyed round the clock. So go ahead have a cup of coffee. cafedumonde.com check out the SHOP link at Cafe Du Monde

This afternoon while bicycling on a trail that meandered past lovely farms, lakes, and rolling hill's, creativity was flowing inside me in all kinds of shapes and sizes. When the seventeen mile journey was over and I was back home I got inspired to do something with the unopened coconut flour that was sitting on my kitchen counter. The gluten free diet is all the rage these days so I decided to attempt to make some gluten free chocolate chip cookies with the coconut flour I had on hand. To my surprise I was able to create what I consider mighty fine tasting chocolate chip cookies. It's my own creation and there's no sugar in the recipe except for the chocolate in the chocolate morsels.   Adrianna's Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies What makes this recipe really work is using Kerrygold Unsalted Irish Butter which I was thrilled to have in my refrigerator. This recipe makes about ten cookies.  4 ounces of Kerrygold Unsalted Irish Butter, softened ...

Sometimes we just feel like singing…. This evening my friend asked me to join her for church choir rehearsal. I don't sing much anymore so I felt awkward but as soon as the choir director had us vocalize and begin our first song "In the Garden" everything changed. All of a sudden the voice I thought I had lost came back as if heaven't gates had opened up that "lost voice." Oh how beautiful those moments of singing were. Sometimes when we give up complete hope in our abilities it's really amazing how having a little faith can change everything. That's what happened this evening at choir rehearsal and I cherished all those wonderful "singing moments." Never give up on anyone or anything because "Miracles happen everyday."

Downhill Skiing is here to stay. Every continent across the globe has mountains and where there are mountains there are places to ski. No need to hibernate from winter, instead you can engage yourself in one of the best sports on the planet. Downhill Skiing gives your body flexibility, muscular fitness, and great cardiovascular benefits. SKIING is the name of the GAME….so make your moments SKI MOMENTS!!! SEVEN CONTINENTS FOR DOWNHILL SKIING (CHECK IT OUT) AFRICA Mischliffen Ski Resort, Morocco (Atlas Mountains) Top Elevation 6,900 feet Tiffindell Ski Resort, South Africa,  Top Elevation 9,846 feet ANTARTICA No Ski Resorts on this continent. Check out "Ski Antartica" Adventure Network International, Salt Lake City, Utah (USA). They have guided ski tours. ASIA Muju Ski Resort, South Korea, Top Elevation 5,296 feet Niseko Ski Resort, Hokkaido, Japan, Top Elevation 4.291 feet AUSTRALIA Mount Buller, Victoria, Top Elevation...

It's a new year and every moment this year a new baby will be born somewhere in the world. Oh what JOY. Babies are ever so precious. Today I got to see a new born girl who was in the bookstore with her parents. There I was sitting near the fireplace and right near me were her devoted parents cuddling their little girl. It was so fun to watch her gestures and baby sounds. She was adorable! Let's be thankful for the babies that bring a smile to our faces and enjoy the moments we have to  observe them. May each baby born this year have a happy and fulfilling life journey filled with sweet moments. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!