Weekend Positives

HAPPY SUNDAY and Happy Valentines Day! How was everyone's weekend?! Mine has been pretty good, I can't complain. Saturday was errand day. My son and I had a few things to do, so off we went. My son (17) and I are close, as is my daughter (20) and I. Sometimes, when we are driving, he is in his own world. He has his headset on and is usually either lost in his own music or some kind of sports cast/radio, which is fine. I get it. We do have different music tastes. However, yesterday, for whatever reason, even though he had his headset with him, he never put on his headset. We talked. It was so nice. So when I get those little moments, they are cherished beyond measure. I don't really know how I got here so fast with a 20 and a 17 year old. I can still see them as babies in my head. 

Anyway, as I wipe the tears away, we went to the bank, out for a little bite to eat, and I had to run an errand downtown. Well, I completely forgot that he wanted to go to Walmart so he could get a little something for his girlfriend for Valentines day. He mentioned it when we were about 15 minutes from home and without even a second thought, I turned around and headed back towards Walmart! I think I was enjoying our time together so much that I just didn't want our day to end. So while I was there, I was able to get my ingredients for my soup I made last night and of course, I am going to share it with all of you!

This recipe is for a comforting chicken, orzo and ginger soup. This soup is always requested by my daughter when she is especially feeling a little under the weather and sometimes, just because she's in the mood for it. Although for last night, it was because she was feeling some sinus issues coming on, so this soup was her request. 

This soup, very easy peasy and, if you're on a tight budget, this is very inexpensive to make as well. As I usually most always do, the recipe has been doubled. But here is the original:

Chicken Orzo and Ginger Soup
adapted from: La Fuji Mama

9 c. chicken stock
2 oz. (about 2 Tbsp.) grated ginger (or more if you’re like me!)
1 oz. (about 1 Tbsp.) minced garlic
8 oz. orzo pasta
2 c. shredded cooked chicken
7-8 sprigs of cilantro, chopped
4-6 green onions, thinly sliced

1. Place chicken stock, ginger, and garlic in a pot and bring to a boil.

2. Add orzo and cook as per package directions (10-12 minutes) or until al dente.

3. Add chicken and cook for an additional minute, or until the chicken is warmed through.

4. Take off heat and stir in cilantro and green onions.

Now of course, if you have been reading my recipes, you know I always have to play around to suit it to my tastes. So my suggestion to you is, if you love garlic and ginger, have at it and add as much as you like, or stick to the basic recipe to try it, and play around with the flavors later. Please keep in mind that these pictures depict the double amount for a doubled recipe.

Garlic! I LOVE IT!!! Can you tell?! The recipe calls for 1 Tbsp, and ummm, well this is a lot more than that. I used heaping tablespoons, and I want to say probably about 6 of them. I used the minced garlic in a jar because it's just easier. Plus, I don't know, I can never find really big cloves of garlic. I always get little puny ones, which are fine to add a little flavor to some chicken or what not, but for a soup like this that I like to use a lot of, I go for the jar!

This is ginger root. I am sure I can get this in a jar somewhere, but personally, I find great joy in peeling it and grating it. Ginger has such a fresh, almost citrus like aroma that I find very therapeutic. What could be better than natural aromatherapy?

This is the fresh ginger all grated and smelling simply fresh and fragrant. As you can see, it's definitely more than what is called for in the recipe. Not only did I grate what was in the picture above, but a little extra. You do need to be somewhat careful with the ginger as too much can make the soup a touch bitter if you don't have a good ginger to liquid ratio. That's from my personal experience.

Once the ginger and garlic have met in the pot, pour in your chicken broth. I should have used 18 cups, but I only had 16 cups because I bought 4-32oz boxes of chicken broth and didn't think about 5th box.* Once that chicken broth, garlic and ginger start to boil, the house will begin to smell amazing as the ginger releases is tempting aroma.

Once it's boiling, add in your orzo pasta and cook til just about al dente. **Keep in mind that the orzo will keep absorbing the liquid, so you might want to keep an extra can/box of chicken broth on hand for left overs,

This is a rotisserie chicken that I bought, just to keep things easy. There is no rule saying what kind of cooked chicken you have to use. So if you want to cook up some chicken thighs, or breasts (although I believe chicken thighs would be cheaper and give you some better flavor), feel free to do so. You can probably even just boil the chicken, and use that homemade broth for this soup and then just add in some regular chicken broth as well. It would all work well, I'm sure. 

While my orzo is cooking, I chop up my rotisserie chicken and get ready to add it in to the soup once the orzo is done. 

The recipe calls for some green onion, Again, I used what I wanted for my own personal taste. The same with the cilantro. I am a cilantro fiend!! LOVE IT!! So this is just some rinsed cilantro that I have here, but I didn't use all of that.

Sliced green onion and my chopped cilantro all ready to go here.

Once the orzo is al dente, add in your chopped or shredded chicken and heat it through for a minute or so. Remove from the heat and then stir in your green onion and chopped cilantro.

This soup smells as amazing as it looks, I feel that with the garlic and the ginger, it also has some medicinal qualities about it, so when you're sick with a full blown cold, it just tastes so soothing, especially if you have a sore throat. But even if you're not sick, it's still a really delicious soup for a cold night and last night, we were in single digits. As I said though, my daughter felt like she was coming down with a cold/sinus issue and just wanted some of this comforting soup, so this was last nights dinner, served with a nice loaf of sesame french bread and butter.

As for the rest of the weekend, so far my Sunday has been very nice. It's cold, but we have a beautiful, gorgeous sunny day filled with clear skies. I took my daughter to work this morning at 6 am, it was -21 degrees according to my car thermometer. But the great laughs my daughter and I shared at such an early time in the morning warmed the car right up! 

As for Valentines day plans, I have none. My daughter and her boyfriend are going out to dinner. My son works and then his girlfriend is coming over later for the evening and that will be about it. It's going to be a very quiet evening of just keeping warm and cozy with the cats! LOL

Happy Valentines day everyone. I hope your weekend was a beautiful one, but if not, and you're going through some rough times, sit down and take a moment. Just breathe and think about all the good that's in your life. Find the positives, the good moments you've had over the weekend, I am sure you have had something good happen. Think back and find them, hold on to those and remember tomorrow is a new day. So cherish the good moments, and embrace the positivity. 

Source: http://www.lafujimama.com/2008/12/comfort-chicken-orzo-and-ginger-soup/

Valentines Day Images: http://www.thecourierdaily.com/happy-valentines-day-2016-quotes-wishes-images-pictures-latest-collection-gift-ideas-cards-love/10393/

All soup prep images were taken by me. 

Finding my Sunday Positivity

Happy Sunday!! More than likely, today's post will be done in shifts throughout the day here as I will be off and on the computer today. I also plan on making a pot of loaded baked potato soup today as well, so I thought I would share that. If not on this post, then definitely within the next day or so. 

So, for now....Good Morning! How has your week been? I had a rather early start to my day today. 3:30 am (EST) to be exact. My daughter works as a dietary aide for a rehabilitation and nursing facility. Well this weekend was supposed to be her weekend off, but she saw that there was some open hours and she decided to take them. Not only did she decide to take some extra hours, but she decided to pull a double shift. She normally works a 4 hour evening shift, but for today, she decided to take on a morning shift. Well, I was afraid she might oversleep, so I set my alarm for 5:30 am. So I think I might have been worried about oversleeping, so my internal clock decided I needed to be awake at 3:30 am!! I tossed and turned until I heard my alarm go off at 5:30.

 I went to check on her and she was awake. Her boyfriend who stays over sometimes was also awake. He was driving her in to work today. So I went back to lay down and as I am starting to doze off, I hear soft clinking noises. Her boyfriend decided to empty the dishwasher. He is such a good kid and we adore him, but the dishes could have waited til later. But it was ok. I went back to lay down and they leave. I heard him come back and I thought, ok...she's at work safe. He's back safe. I can go back to sleep for a bit. It's now about 6:40 am. 

I settled in and then Houdini starts his morning shenanigans! Have I mentioned I have 6 cats? You can meet the pride here. Houdini is the mischievous one of the bunch and he likes to climb all over me in the morning. He tries to lay down, then climbs on me some more, lays down again and tries to get comfy. But basically, he isn't happy until I get up! Anyway, after being off and on the computer and doing other things today, it's been a long day. 

So, now the Super Bowl is on and I am in the process of making some loaded baked potato soup on this fine evening. I found this recipe about 2 months or so ago. I've made it a couple of times now and it's so good. The hardest part is peeling your potatoes, but once that's done and they're cooked, this soup comes together fairly quickly. So you can check out this loaded baked potato soup recipe here.

So first, you start out with some potatoes. These are russet. I used four large ones and four smaller ones. Get those all peeled and cubed. or chopped. Whatever you prefer. I like a little chunkier myself. I rinse the potatoes, boil them til soft. 

As my potatoes are cooking, I take a medium white onion and chop that up. The recipe calls for 1/2, but I just go ahead and use the whole thing. I also add in some garlic here because I LOVE garlic in everything and pretty much use it whenever I can!! I don't really measure it, but this is probably about 3-4 tablespoons. The recipe doesn't call for garlic, but I throw it in. After your potatoes are done and set aside, you're going to start making your roux. You take a 1/2 cup of butter and melt that in your pot. I have an enameled cast iron dutch oven that is my favorite pot in the kitchen. To that melted butter, you add in your chopped onion and let that saute for about 6 minutes. Just before the 6 minutes are up, I toss in the garlic for about 2 minutes. To that, I add a 1/2 cup of flour and whisk that together for about a minute. Then I gradually add my milk about 1 cup at a time, gradually whisking that in until its all blended into my pot. 

I bring that to a boil and then turn it down to medium and let it simmer. Give it about 8-10 minutes to thicken. This is another one of those dishes that is magical to me. Not quite as magical as my split pea soup recipe that I found over at Valerie's Kitchen, but still a little magical to me as to how it just all comes together. Once, 8-10 minutes is up and this white liquid is nice and thick, I add back my potatoes. I add in some salt and pepper to taste. Now this is where it all comes together, and rather quickly, I might add. Add back in your potatoes, and cook for 5 minutes. Then I add in my cheese. The recipe calls for 2 cups, I add in 3 cups. I use 2 cups of a sharp cheddar and 1 cup of mild cheddar. 2 cups works just fine, 3 cups will obviously make it a bit more cheesier, but it works!! Then I add in the sour cream....confession here.....I didn't realize the container I had bought was a 16 oz container, and it all went into the soup. Again, it tasted delicious, but it really only calls for 8 oz. I add in a little bit more salt and pepper, if you think it needs it, then by all means, do so. At this point, stir well and its ready to serve. 

For garnish, the recipe calls for bacon bits which I am not a fan. They taste fake to me and I just don't like them. So I made up some real bacon and chopped up some green onions which I love using because it does give the soup a really nice pop of color!!

After I ladle out a serving of soup, I sprinkle a little extra cheese on top, a little dollop of sour cream, some crumbled bacon and some green onions, and we are ready to eat! The great thing about this recipe is I do NOT have to double it. It makes more than enough for my family and we have it for about 2-3 days which is really nice. 

So there you have it......Loaded baked potato soup!! It is definitely a rich and comforting soup. Again, you can find the recipe here. Let me know if you try it and how you like it. I think the nice thing about this soup also is, if you're looking for something comforting, but more healthier, I believe this could definitely have some substitutions made. Skim milk and a light sour cream would help trim the fat and calories. You could use the bacon bits, or even turkey bacon. Like my Dad says, a recipe is a guide line to follow. You can always tweak things and change things to make it the way you want to. 

So all in all, despite my early start to my Sunday, I found myself just counting my blessings for the day. I woke up and had another day. I have 2 amazing children who I love to the moon and back. I am blessed to have a roof over my head and a house full of love. As I always say to my client...."It's all good." So I hope you have a good week, and I hope life is treating you well, and as always, remember to take the time to find some good moments in your day to be thankful for, cherish them and embrace the positivity. 

Positively Inspirational

Art comes in many forms. There are musicians, painters and even people that just simply sketch. But it doesn't stop at the actual art itself. What about those with disabilities? Even disabled people can still find ways to make....art! Art can be amazing all on its own. But when someone disabled can find ways to express the gifts that hide within them, I believe it takes a life all on its own.

I'd like for you to meet Paul Smith. Paul suffers from cerebral palsy. Typically speaking, Cerebral palsy is generally caused by damage to the brain before or at birth. The brain damage can occur from a brain injury or abnormal development of the brain. The condition is evident by impaired muscle coordination or spastic paralysis and/or other disabilities.

This man, that no one believed would survive long enough to learn anything as a child, creates some of the most amazing artwork you'll ever see.  This is a definitely a feel good video that you will want to watch!!

We all have struggles and challenges in our every day lives. But I believe that if we can just take a few moments to find some focus and breathe, we can find just a little bit of good that happened in our day that we can be thankful for. A tidbit of positivity if you will. Cherish it, embrace it and let it help carry you to the next day. I think we can all find ways to make life beautiful in our own way just like Paul has.

Tonight as you wind down, take a few moments, cherish them and embrace your positivity. Thanks for reading.

Source: http://cerebralpalsy.org/about-cerebral-palsy

Powerball Madness and Finding Happiness

Hey Everyone! I hope everyone had a good week. It seems like it's been a while since I posted last. I am trying to get better at this whole blogging thing. But anyway, a little segue before I get into my topic. Last Monday, January 11th, my dad had knee replacement surgery.As with all surgeries, there is risk involved. Dad has a little more risk than others due to a heart condition...atrial fibrillation. We were told the surgery might be done by 9:30 am, but that it was a possibility that he might not get done until 10 am. We escorted him to just before the OR, and said our good luck wishes, gave kisses and said our I love yous.

While my mom, my daughter and I waited in the surgical lounge, there came a time where we started to become concerned. It was a little after 10 am. All these other doctors were coming out and talking to their patients families that had arrived around the same time as we did and there we sat. Every time the surgical lounge door opened, we expected to see my dads' doctor and it was someone else's doctor. It was well after 10 am and my mom started to cry insisting that something just had to be wrong.....this was taking too long. While trying to keep her calm, I began to get anxious myself. I tried desperately to just try and focus on my breathing and not make my mom more anxious than she already was. Finally at 10:30 or so, my dads' doctor came out to tell us that he was fine and everything went better than he expected. We all breathed a sigh of relief, cried a few tears and waited for him to come down to his room from recovery. Dad is doing pretty well, all things considered. 

So last week as the power ball reached the $1.5 BILLION jackpot, the nation was sent into a frenzy, picking numbers and buying tickets hoping to be the lucky winner!! Some people put in hundreds of dollars hoping they would have the winning combination. They had high hopes that this would be their ship sailing on in to port.  Some people were thinking that this money is the answer to all their financial woes and the answer to happiness. But is it? Would it be? I'll admit it. I spent about $10 on some numbers with hopes and dreams I would win. My daughter and her boyfriend spent a few bucks as well. We all said we wouldn't be greedy. Even a million would have made life a little easier. But would it make us happier?

As we sat there on Wednesday night waiting for the drawing, my 16 year old son said out loud, "No matter what happens guys, win or lose, we still have each other." I love that boy of mine. It's not like I needed that to be put into perspective for me, but he is right. In the end, family is what always matters the most. As I sit here now, typing out this blog entry, I can't help but think....if God forbid, something happened to my Dad during his surgery and he was no longer with us, no amount of money would bring him back to us. We couldn't buy new happiness to help us with the loss we would feel by losing a husband, a dad and a grandfather. $1.5 billion, or a million, it just wouldn't matter. Now mind you, IF, again....God forbid, something had happened to my dad, I doubt any of us would be thinking power ball tickets anyway, but you get my point. 

You can have all the money in the world. but it doesn't buy happiness. It might make you feel a little bit comfortable. It buys you things. But think about it, is it really things that make you happy? You could have anything you wanted, but I can't see how those "things" would make you happy. If you don't have the love of family and friends, would all those "things" even matter? 

I don't have a lot of material things. I have necessities. I also have wants, as most do. But, I have come to realize in my life that it's not the things that make you happy. Although I do have one exception to that....and that is my house. We moved, almost 3 years ago now, and I do have to say that my house changed me. Long story short, there was just some bad energy in our other home, despite some changes we tried to make. It just made me overall, a very miserable person and someone I didn't like very much. The move gave us a new outlook, a little more space and brand new energy that we provided....positive energy!! The kids even talked with my mom and said how the new house has changed me for the better. Everyone noticed a difference in me and we all believe it was the change of homes and having a fresh start. 

But, with that being said....my house is full of second hand furniture. We will need a new couch soon as the one we have has seen some better days, but it is still good for curling up on, and sitting on, but it is old and starting fall apart around the edges. But you know what? It's all good!! I recently just got a "new" (to me) vehicle....it was the most practical for me. I went from a 2005 vehicle with 170k miles to another 2005 vehicle with about 86k miles on it. I love it, and I am happy with it. It has a sunroof, a great stereo and it gets me where I need to go. 

But out of all of this....what is most important to me is my family. I have two of the most amazing parents and two amazing kids. I love all of them with all that I am. My kids are two wonderful young adults that are on pretty decent paths in their lives. I am nothing short of proud. My daughter has the most loving and caring guy in her life. They've been dating for about 3 years and I couldn't be happier for her that she has found someone that treats her as she deserves to be treated. 

Family should never be sacrificed for anything. They're too important. We only have a little while on this earth and we have to enjoy them while we are here. Remember to take time for them. Don't work so hard for the big house and the fancy car that you lose site of what's important. 

  I have spent the better part of the last 2-3 years of my life, if not longer, looking for happiness. I used to think money was needed to find that happiness. I have reflected even more so on my life since losing my cousin in August. I have learned that you don't necessarily need money to make you happy. 

You can't find happiness. You create it. You create it by making memories with your family, finding hobbies you enjoy, or just finding contentment in sitting out on a porch on a warm sunny day and taking in the moment. You surround yourself with positive people and share in happiness with them. Take in nature, breathe in life. Cherish every moment and always remember to embrace the positivity.

Positive Focus

I actually started this post on on 11/22. To be honest, I haven't felt much like writing the past couple of weeks. I thought about it several times, but after the terrorist attacks on Friday evening, November 13th in Paris, I have been having a hard time with my thoughts and a bit of anxiety. With that being said, and as hard as it is sometimes, we can't give in to fear and terror. 

I found myself on quite a few occasions this past two weeks having to take a step or two back and refocusing on what's right in front of me at any given moment. I found myself taking those moments to meditate and trying to be at peace. I needed to just refocus and channel positive thoughts and some positive energy. 

A few months ago, I started experimenting with meditation and was surprised at how it made me feel more calm and relaxed. I stumbled onto an app called "OMG, I can meditate" through the App Store. I found the woman's voice very calm and soothing. When you start the app, they give you a free week trial on ALL of the different meditations. Of course, once the week ends, then they want you to pay for it, and honestly, I found it a bit pricey. I just use it for the basic meditation practice. I am going to start looking for something else in the app department for meditation, and I am usually looking for articles online to help me as well. 

I feel it is so important to do what you can to help yourself get back into that positive state of mind and embracing the positivity. Otherwise, you just downward spiral and you're struggling to survive on a mental level. Just something as simple as being mindful of the present moment, taking the time to breathe and focus can be very helpful. 

I found my positivity again with Thanskgiving. We had a wonderful holiday with a nice dinner out, and a post Thanksgiving weekend get together at my home with my cousins! It was awesome to have the house filled with love and laughter. Since losing my second oldest cousin in August, I have felt a strong urge to make sure the rest of us all stay close. We definitely got that this weekend. 

Life is too short to live it in fear; to worry about things that might not ever happen. Overall, you to learn to control the things that only we can control. Keep yourself focused on the moments right in front of you, cherish them and always embrace the positivity.