Our Good Life: November 2016

Posted by Terri Steffes / 30 November 2016 /

Project Beautiful's #PBColorOurWorld Brown

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Say hello to Project Beautiful, a group of bloggers who are fascinated by the world around them, including things such as gardening, nature, books, cooking, children, and more! This is our monthly blog round up of posts centered around a specific color.  Last month, we featured the color <a href="http://www.terristeffes.com/2016/10/project-beautifuls-colorourworld-orange.html">orange</a> and now this month, brown!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Let's talk about brown a bit.  Brown is a composite color, meaning it is a combination of colors to make it.  There are many ways to make brown.  You can combine all the colors together, or you can use red and green in specific proportions to make brown.  Brown is the least liked color, according to some, but I love its richness and velvety smoothness.  In languages other than English, brown sounds a lot like our word for coffee.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><a href="http://www.bloomingsecrets.com/blog/the-year-in-color-brown-the-natural-color">Blooming Secrets</a> featured these lovely brown tinted flowers.  I am in love with these irises.  Gorgeous.</span><br />
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<a href="http://landscapedesignbylee.blogspot.com/2016/11/this-months-color-in-garden-november.html#.WDuJ92orLZB">Landscape Design by Lee</a> has a lovely photo essay on beautiful browns in the garden.</div>
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<a href="http://www.daytodayadventures.com/blog/brown-bag-low-carb-freezer-chimichangas">Day to Day Adventures </a>made these easy Low Carb Chimichangas with her son.  Adorable!</div>
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<a href="http://www.daytodayadventures.com/blog/brown-bag-low-carb-freezer-chimichangas">Sensible Gardening </a>wrote a wonderful piece about using chocolate brown plants in the garden.  Lovely photographs!</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><a href="http://www.thefreshmancook.com/2016/11/3-simple-ways-to-decorate-acorn-sugar.html">The Freshman Cook</a> has a wonderful recipe for her Acorn Cookies that has the prettiest shade of brown icing ever!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><a href="http://gardenchick.com/cover-crops-turn-a-brown-garden-green/"><br /></a></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"><a href="http://gardenchick.com/cover-crops-turn-a-brown-garden-green/">GardenChick </a>has fantastic advice for all of us who are finished with our gardens for the year.  Look for how to turn a brown garden green!</span><br />
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<a href="http://tikkido.com/blog/Gingerbread-for-Beginners-E-Book">Tikkido has a new Gingerbread for Beginners</a> that is just adorable.  I bought my copy and you should get one, too.  Such a great guide for making gingerbread!</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">You might remember my brown posts on</span><a href="http://www.terristeffes.com/2016/11/homemade-cough-drops.html" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15.4px;"> Homemade Cough Drops.</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">  It was quite the hit!  </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Our world is a beautiful place and our colors make it a wondrous place to behold.  Treat it with kindness, after all, it is home to all of us.</span><br />
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Project Beautiful's #PBColorOurWorld Brown

Say hello to Project Beautiful, a group of bloggers who are fascinated by the world around them, including things such as gardening, nature,...

Posted by Terri Steffes / 21 November 2016 / Thanksgiving

Teamwork and Thanksgiving: Our Best Tips

My mother has been organizing Thanksgiving dinners since 1958.  We were talking during her recent hospitalization about her memories of Thanksgivings through the years and I got to hear many stories which lead to these best hints for a holiday filled with Teamwork and Thanksgiving.<br />
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My mom's earliest memories are with her mom's family.  Her cousins and her aunts and uncles took turns hosting the event and would come together at one of the homes. They spent the whole day with these families and playing with the cousins.  The women all brought dishes to help the hostess.  The kids sat away from the grown ups and in this family, no wine or alcohol was involved.  The best teamwork tip from this era was <b><i>let people bring a dish!</i></b><br />
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My grandmother started hosting her own Thanksgiving when her brothers and sisters bowed out of hosting the event.  My great grandparents and my aunts and uncles and my cousins met at the house. My grandmother cooked the turkey, rolls and pies and the side dishes were brought in by her sons and daughters.  We all worked together and helped Grandma in the kitchen.  The best teamwork tip from this time is to <i style="font-weight: bold;">make sure that everyone has a job to help with!  </i>Have a sign up list or an assignment chart ready to go when people arrive.<br />
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When my grandparents died, my mom invited the whole family to our house, my aunts and uncles and their kids.  Mom cooked the turkey, someone brought rolls, and the rest brought side dishes.  One of my aunts didn't like going to different houses, so she stopped coming with her family.  Then mom started inviting people from my dad's family.  That was a great experience.  Each year we'd get our grandparents and bring them to our house.  We never knew who would be coming!  This went on for about forty years!  The best teamwork hint from this era is to<i style="font-weight: bold;"> let people extend invitations to others but expect an Rsvp.  </i>We make it clear that you need to give a call and tell someone you are coming!</div>
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My mom moved to a senior housing facility last year.  Now we have our Thanksgiving in the party room of the complex.  Last year was our first year and we invited all our cousins and their families. We had it on a Saturday and the crowd was huge.  This year we are back to having in on Thanksgiving and our crowd will be smaller.  Mom makes the turkey, my sister makes rolls, I make a pie and a side dish, and then we ask the rest of our guests to bring paper goods, desserts, side dishes, games for the kids, electrical cords, decorations and whatever else we might need.  We coordinate all of this through a Facebook event page.  Our best teamwork hint is to <b><i>take advantage of Facebook's event pages, </i></b>which allows you to invite via email, so you can invite those without a Facebook page, too!</div>
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While our traditions may have changed over the years, there is one tradition that stays:  our gathering is full of family and friends whom are loved and cherished.  We come together to say thank you for the blessings we have received this year.  This year we will be using this printable to ask everyone to complete a page of their blessings as a family.  We will gather those and create a book that can grow year after year.  You, too can <a href="file:///C:/Users/steffest/Downloads/thankful%20journal.pdf">download this printable </a>for your family as well here.<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><b><i>Happy Thanksgiving to all!</i></b></span></div>

Teamwork and Thanksgiving: Our Best Tips

My mother has been organizing Thanksgiving dinners since 1958. We were talking during her recent hospitalization about her memories of Than...

Posted by Terri Steffes / 18 November 2016 / Pumpkin

Homemade Pumpkin Puree

As much as I like my easy cooking, there are times when some things are just worth going the extra mile for.  One of these extra mile things is pumpkin puree.  You've done it, opened a can of pumpkin and seen that orange mass and scooped it out of the can for your pie.  This is what I know of pumpkin.  Pie filling and the puree that comes from a can.<br />
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 Until I met Evelyne from <a href="http://nemcsokfarms.com/super-easy-diy-pumpkin-puree">Nemscok Farms</a>.  Evelyne told me the joys of roasting your own pumpkin and making your own puree.  Evelyne is no stranger to this blog.  She's my friend who sells the <a href="http://nemcsokfarms.com/product/wild-chamomile-tea">delicious chamomile tea</a> that I love and<a href="http://nemcsokfarms.com/product/super-duper-knit-hats-beginners"> recently published an eBook on knitting.</a>  Her Nemscok Farm blog talks about all kinds of things related to homestyle living and <a href="http://knitsend.com/">her knitting blog, Knit's End, </a>shared all kinds of delightful patterns and tricks about knitting.  All worth checking out!<br />
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To make your own pumpkin puree, it is really quite simple and not really a recipe as much as it is steps.<br />
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1. Preheat your oven to 350.<br />
2. Destem your pumpkin.<br />
3. Clean any dirt off your pumpkin.<br />
4. Cut your pumpkin in quarters.<br />
5. Grease a bar pan with about 2 T vegetable oil.<br />
6. Place pumpkin quarters cut side down.<br />
7. Roast for 15 minutes.  Check for doneness.  Pumpkin shell will be soft and will indent with slight pressure.<br />
8. Continue to roast until you get the correct doneness.<br />
9.  Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes.<br />
10.  Using an ice scream scoop, scoop away seeds and strings, then scoop pulp into a separate bowl.<br />
11. Pour pulp into a food processor.  Process until smooth.<br />
12. Measure 1 cup into ziplock baggies and freeze.<br />
13. Remove from freezer 1 hour before using.<br />
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That's it.  The processed pumpkin looks smooth as silk.  It will be lighter in color and not as thick.<br />
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To use, replace equal measures of canned pumpkin puree with homemade pumpkin puree.  Your pies will be lighter in color, as the puree is lighter.  So easy, and when you tell your family the pie is made from scratch, you will really mean it!<br />
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Homemade Pumpkin Puree

As much as I like my easy cooking, there are times when some things are just worth going the extra mile for. One of these extra mile things...

Posted by Terri Steffes / 17 November 2016 /

10 Reflections on my 58th Birthday

It's my 58th birthday today, and I am thinking about my life and all the lessons I have learned that have helped me grow into the person I am today.<br />
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<i>1.  There is no such thing as fair.</i></div>
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Everyone gets handed things in life that aren't fair.  My brother passed away when he was three.  I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian disease in 1982, lupus in 1996, and breast cancer in 2009. This isn't a pity party.  Each of us our dealt our own hand.  It is what we do with the cards that matters.<br />
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<i>2.  Worrying solves nothing.</i></div>
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Worrying is such a time waster.  There are so many things you can do in the same amount of time as worrying, and in the end, you will have a painting, a knitted blanket, or a blog post.  Worrying never solved a problem, made your bank account flush, or brought your spouse home any earlier.<br />
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<i>3.  Cats are a little bit of heaven.</i></div>
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Yes, I have two dogs that I love dearly.  But when it comes to out-and-out love, my cats have always been the ones to show it the best.  Heidi, Bustopher and Tugger, I miss you.<br />
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<i>4.  Being nice costs nothing.</i></div>
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I don't have to go anywhere, or buy anything to be nice.  I can wave, smile, pen a note, send an email, or make a call.  I can choose the words I say.  I can choose to say nothing. When I chose to be mean, I feel small all day long.  I'd much rather do something kind, say something kind and feel good about it.<br />
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<i>5.  Never burn any bridges.</i></div>
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You never know when you might need someone's help.  As a classroom teacher I have had former students take care of me at a hospital, wait on me at a restaurant, drive me to the airport and hire me for a job.  It is important to me that people know that I value their contributions to my life and I try to tell them as much as I can.<br />
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<i>6.  Diets suck.</i></div>
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Ok, so this is a new learning for me, even though I have been on diets for 40 years and have lost probably 300 pounds, I always gain it back.  I am figuring it out, although so slowly that it may not ever come to pass.  A healthy lifestyle is where its at.  I am going to have to fake it until I make it or I might not ever make it. <br />
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<i>7.  It is what it is.</i></div>
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I had a big disappointment centered around my family this year. My family has never disappointed me before and I did NOT know how to handle something like this.  I moped.  I cried.  I cursed.  Did the situation change? Not one little bit.  I cannot change people, how they feel, what they believe is important or how they behave.  What is important that I love them for who they are, not for who I thought they were or wanted them to be.<br />
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<i>8.  Good friends are where it's at.</i></div>
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I have good friends.  I have been so lucky in this regard.  I am not always a great friend, letting long periods of time go inbetween calls or texts. But my friends hang on, knowing how I am and loving me all the same.  I had a scary episode last year with a cancer diagnosis of one of my friends.  It was during this time that I discovered how much I loved her.  Now we tell each other often.  And we meet as much as we can, even though there is now 100 miles between us.<br />
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<i>9.  Good neighbors are a must in life.</i></div>
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Our life is too short to have bad neighbors.  My husband and I found our current neighborhood four years ago and sometimes feel overwhelmed at how blessed we were.  We found a neighborhood of people who think like us (mostly), love their homes, party together, feed each other, and look out for one another.  It is such a beautiful thing. I had this growing up but didn't value it like I do now.<br />
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<i>10.  Finding joy in everyday living makes living joyful.</i></div>
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I constantly have to find joy where I can.  My blog is an outlet of joy for me.  When I share recipes, or experiences or family events, or Christmas, that is me finding my joy.  I know that I can experience physical pain when I am unhappy or sad. I try to avoid such feelings as much as possible. I've learned that I have to do it for myself.  I can't ask or rely on others to provide my joy, because it is always disappointing.  I'm still learning this one.  It's hard, isn't it?<br />
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<i>And a bonus one:  You don't always have to be right.  I think that says it all.</i></div>
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So as I approach my 59th year of life, my 40th high school reunion, my 40th wedding anniversary and my 8th year of being cancer-free, I want to take these lessons I have learned and get a better grade.  I am challenging myself to refine these lessons even more.  I'm looking forward to what changes might be in store.<br />
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<i>Happy 58th birthday, Terri.  </i></div>

10 Reflections on my 58th Birthday

It's my 58th birthday today, and I am thinking about my life and all the lessons I have learned that have helped me grow into the person...

Posted by Terri Steffes / 16 November 2016 / breakfast

Wine and Tea Poached Eggs #TastyParTEA

<span style="font-family: inherit;">A baker's dozen bloggers have come together to share different recipes that use tea during the month of November. Whether you're a fan of sweet or savory #TastyParTEA's creations will make your mouth water.</span><br />
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This is a creation I read about years ago in a magazine I subscribed to that was all about Tea. I loved that magazine but I believe it went out of print a few years back.  The recipe was for Wine and Tea Poached Eggs.  Doesn't that sound different???<br />
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So, while I am making the eggs, I thought I would share with you my morning ritual of having a cup of this ImmuniTea with breakfast every day.  I am a breast cancer survivor and I am always looking for ways to boost my immune system and doing it naturally.  This tea is a perfect way for me to boost my immune system and start my day off right.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SX8JnQMH6EY/WCYCULoffHI/AAAAAAAAi7Y/099l-ERBIe4mL4aUvfIsDSptPsbJJWUcgCLcB/s1600/ImmuniTEA1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SX8JnQMH6EY/WCYCULoffHI/AAAAAAAAi7Y/099l-ERBIe4mL4aUvfIsDSptPsbJJWUcgCLcB/s320/ImmuniTEA1.jpg" width="304" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mug is from Charles Viancin #TastyParTEA</td></tr>
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To make the wine and tea poached eggs, I just wanted to tell you that if you already know how to poach an egg, all that is different here is the liquid.  I am going to proceed as if you do not know how to poach an egg.  To get a quick overview, watch this short video!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="b-hbp-video b-uploaded" frameborder="0" height="266" id="BLOGGER-video-e180e3ba969511a6-19168" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwBH3XjxJ4EnnDFsI33yyc8PEUwXs3HrBuOpnih-6eiJ3jOJxXOLVKK4CbuMwce-H677VdI5uFX2fE-2j_5nWX6PboMeg4f7hs-XCS7ngihgcA7lrqwolQm1Y448G704A" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Wine and Tea Poached Eggs</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4 eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 c brewed ImmuniTEA</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 c red wine (you can use white, which takes away the color)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 T soy sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">pepper</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Pour liquids in a pot and bring to a boil.  Turn to simmer.  Add 1 egg and poach for 3-5 minutes, depending on desired doneness of egg.  Remove from liquid and drain on paper towel.  Poach each egg in turn. Serve with buttered toast, or as a part of Eggs Benedict.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The eggs whites have a distinct color to them that is a delightfully rich and decadent wine flavor.  The soy deepens the richness and the tea adds a spark of sweetness to the overall dish.  It is unexpected and very pleasant.</span><br />
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Wine and Tea Poached Eggs #TastyParTEA

A baker's dozen bloggers have come together to share different recipes that use tea during the month of November. Whether you're a f...

Posted by Terri Steffes / 14 November 2016 / breakfast

The Final Secret Recipe Blog Post~Milk Poached Eggs

It is with a heavy heart that I share with you that the <a href="http://secret-recipe-club.blogspot.com/">Secret Recipe Club</a> is coming to a close. I met some awesome food bloggers during this time and learned so much from each of them.  I wish all the participants the best of luck and hope to work together in the future.  I must say thank you to our two wonderful bloggers who kept us organized, Camilla from <a href="http://culinary-adventures-with-cam.blogspot.com/">Culinary Adventures with Camilla</a> and Sarah, from <a href="http://www.fantasticalsharing.com/">Fantastical Sharing</a> who was the curator of Secret Recipe Club.<br />
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For this final event, I was assigned Melissa from <a href="https://smellslikebrownies.com/">Sme</a><a href="https://smellslikebrownies.com/">lls Like Brownies</a>.  Isn't that the cutest blog name?  Melissa is a stay-at-home mom, which we all know is a fantastic opportunity for her and her family.  She started her blog with the intention of finding the perfect chocolate chip cookie.  Through her experiments, she learned a life lesson: variety is the spice of life!  There are many shades of perfect and she learned to appreciate many!<br />
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I love this part of the adventure: snooping through the Recipe Index.  I always find so many things to try, and Melissa's blog was no exception.  Look at these <a href="https://smellslikebrownies.com/2015/05/03/chipotle-sweet-potato-burgers/">Sweet Potato Burgers</a>.  This <a href="https://smellslikebrownies.com/2011/11/28/curried-butternut-squash-soup/">Curried Butternut Soup</a> sounds perfect for the fall.  And of course, I had to share one of the chocolate chip cookie recipes, here's the <a href="https://smellslikebrownies.com/2011/03/31/brown-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies/">Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie</a> recipe.<br />
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So what did I choose???<br />
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Dad's Poached Eggs.<br />
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When I read the recipe and saw the seasoned milk, it immediately made me think of my <a href="http://www.terristeffes.com/2016/05/shirleys-potato-soup-sundaysupper.html">Mom's Potato Soup.</a>  The seasoned milk in this dish is one of the highlights and made my mouth water just to think of it.  I knew I needed to try these eggs.  This recipe is copied from the blog.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: , , sans-serif; font-size: 2rem;">Milk Poached Eggs</span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1.615em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">from my dad</em><br />
<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">serves 2</em></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1.615em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ingredients:</strong><br />
2 thick slices Sunbeam White Bread<br />
3 cups milk, as needed<br />
salt and pepper<br />
4 eggs</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1.615em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Directions:</strong><br />
Toast the bread and set on a plate. Butter lightly, if desired.<br />
Meanwhile, liberally season milk and bring to a boil in a medium to large pot. When it begins to bubble up, drop in 2 eggs, 1 at a time.<br />
Once the milk begins to boil gently for the second time, poach for 2 minutes more. Do not let the milk boil over. Use a slotted spoon to remove eggs from the milk. They will be done once they look solid on the outside.<br />
Drop the poached eggs on top of the toast, then pour about ½ cup or less of the hot milk over the eggs.<br />
Repeat for the second serving. (It may be ideal to scrape the burned milk from the pan before breaking in the second set of eggs.) There will be extra milk left over after both breakfasts are complete.<br />
*Note: These eggs are best warm, so allow to sit for no more than 1–2 minutes before eating. This also means that each person might need to eat separately.</div>
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The Final Secret Recipe Blog Post~Milk Poached Eggs

It is with a heavy heart that I share with you that the Secret Recipe Club is coming to a close. I met some awesome food bloggers during th...

Posted by Terri Steffes / 09 November 2016 / headache remedy

Homemade Headache Salve

Trying to reduce the amount of chemicals in my body, I looked for a solution to my headaches.  Most of my headaches are caused by allergies or stress, so I wanted to find a easy, inexpensive and effective method for easing the pain.  I had tried a wonderful product that was a roller ball that you stroked across your forehead that was very effective, but the product was a bit expensive and hard to find.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GxjLft6f26M/WBdsekdMFTI/AAAAAAAAiq4/6CHB52xNXEUu8KtZtSna5CENu51Enwq2gCLcB/s1600/Headache.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GxjLft6f26M/WBdsekdMFTI/AAAAAAAAiq4/6CHB52xNXEUu8KtZtSna5CENu51Enwq2gCLcB/s400/Headache.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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This homemade product reminds me of the rollerball one.  The idea is to smear a bit of the product across the forehead, on the temples or on the nape of your neck.  You can also just simply inhale the scent.  The scent of the product (essential oils) helps your muscles relax so that the tension can be relieved.<br />
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Combine 1/4 c coconut oil with 1 T sweet almond oil.  Melt by either microwaving it for 15 seconds or by placing the oils in a bowl and placing that bowl in a bowl of hot water.  Stir until incorporated. Add 10 drops of lavender, 10 drops of frankincense and 4 drops of peppermint and stir well.  Pour into small containers.  Refrigerate until hardened.  The product doesn't need to be refrigerated but it will melt in temperatures over 76 degrees.  Be mindful of this if you are carrying it in your purse. I store ours in the refrig all the time.<br />
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I find this to be soothing and relaxing which helps the headache.  It is also my first solution before deciding that I do need to take a pill. <br />
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What pain relieving solutions to medicine do you use?

Homemade Headache Salve

Trying to reduce the amount of chemicals in my body, I looked for a solution to my headaches. Most of my headaches are caused by allergies ...

Posted by Terri Steffes / 08 November 2016 / Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Our family takes great joy in my sister's perfectly cooked turkey and her rolls made from my grandmother's from scratch recipe (Lorraine Wilson Holt).  When we have these at our table, Thanksgiving is complete!<br />
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Our side dishes generally compose of the following: homemade noodles, dressing, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and corn.  Standard fare by most Thanksgiving dinners, I would assume.<br />
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This list of Thanksgiving side dishes will give you a lot to think about, as it has our own family.  This year we are looking forward to cornbread dressing, brussels sprouts and bacon, and bourbon cranberry sauce!  Spreading our wings and learning to fly!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZKxpoJvXew4/WB1fp2yv0oI/AAAAAAAAi1E/H_oQknpjJeASI_gKiQwsgo-NPhvbK834gCLcB/s1600/15%2BSide%2BDishes%2BTo%2BBe%2BThankful%2BFor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZKxpoJvXew4/WB1fp2yv0oI/AAAAAAAAi1E/H_oQknpjJeASI_gKiQwsgo-NPhvbK834gCLcB/s640/15%2BSide%2BDishes%2BTo%2BBe%2BThankful%2BFor.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Even our green bean casserole is getting a make over!  I'd love to know your favorite Thanksgiving side dish, and where I might be able to find the recipe, even if that means putting a link in your comment! <br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://homemadehooplah.com/recipes/cranberry-sauce-with-apple-orange-and-cinnamon/">Cranberry
Sauce with Apple Orange & Cinnamon</a> – by Homemade Hooplah<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2013/11/citrus-and-pomegranate-brussels-sprouts.html">Citrus
& Pomegranate Brussels Sprouts</a> – by a Beautiful Mess<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://www.thecookierookie.com/apple-pie-baked-brie/">Apple Pie Baked
Brie</a> – by the Cookie Rookie<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://hungryhappenings.com/2013/11/crescent-roll-cornucopia-turkey-salad.html/">Crescent
Roll Cornucopias</a> – by Hungry Happenings<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://www.theidearoom.net/2014/11/orange-cranberry-bread.html">Orange
Cranberry Bread</a> – by the Idea Room<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://www.handletheheat.com/pumpkin-bread-rolls-cinnamon-butter/">Pumpkin
Bread Rolls</a> – by Handle the Heat<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://www.blessthismessplease.com/2015/11/fall-salad-with-maple-candied-pecans-bacon-apples-and-shaved-brussels-sprouts.html">Maple
Candied Pecan Salad with Bacon Apples and Brussels Sprouts</a> – by Bless This
Mess<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2014/12/sweet-potato-appetizer-bites.html">Sweet
Potato Appetizer Bites</a> – by Kalyn’s Kitchen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://domesticate-me.com/three-cheese-cauliflower-gratin/">Three Cheese
Cauliflower Gratin</a> – by Domesticate Me<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://lilluna.com/garlic-mashed-potatoes/">Garlic Mashed Potatoes</a> –
by Lil’ Luna<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://ourbestbites.com/2008/03/stuffed-bleu-cheese-potatoes/">Stuffed
Bleu Cheese Potatoes</a> – by Our Best Bites<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://thecraftingchicks.com/cornbread-dressing-christmas-tradition-series/">Cornbread
Dressing</a> – by the Crafting Chicks<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/06/brown-sugar-bacon-green-beans.html">Brown
Sugar and Bacon Green Beans</a> – by Six Sisters Stuff<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://howdoesshe.com/delicious-dinner-rolls/">Delicious Dinner Rolls</a>
– by How Does She<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><a href="http://nemcsokfarms.com/deep-dish-baked-pumpkin">Deep Dish Baked Pumpkin</a>
– by Nemcsok Farms<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Start planning in advance, make a couple of these before you head to your mom's or mother-in-law's for dinner.  Bring your favorite and please your whole family.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></div>

Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Our family takes great joy in my sister's perfectly cooked turkey and her rolls made from my grandmother's from scratch recipe (Lorr...

Posted by Terri Steffes / 07 November 2016 / best , breakfast

Breakfast Polenta #TasteCreations

It's November and while the rest of the United States is thinking Thanksgiving and election, we took a moment to revere the humble polenta. Polenta was a peasant's food, and not always made from ground corn.  In Roman times the grain was often ground chickpeas, or mullet, or other readily available grain. The grain is ground, boiled with water and served with salted fish or a sauce.  When you read about gruel or mush, you are often reading about polenta.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eVtzXZRWToI/WB33dnkc1cI/AAAAAAAAi1g/4Y3Lxa1jImEN_X-6x1eRSnWNZkMl5OIoQCLcB/s1600/BreakfastPolentaPIN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eVtzXZRWToI/WB33dnkc1cI/AAAAAAAAi1g/4Y3Lxa1jImEN_X-6x1eRSnWNZkMl5OIoQCLcB/s400/BreakfastPolentaPIN.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
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In this decade, polenta has become a food that gourmands are using in all kinds of ways.  This breakfast polenta is such an example.  Very simple to make, and very delicious.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="306" id="vp1FFQgq" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/embed.animoto.com/play.html?w=swf/production/vp1&e=1478358434&f=FFQgqU8qCaA84ui9HQbxuw&d=0&m=p&r=360p+480p+720p&volume=100&start_res=480p&i=m&ct=Find%20Recipe%20Here:&cu=http://www.terristeffes.com/2016/11/breakfast-polenta-tastecreations_5.html&asset_domain=s3-p.animoto.com&animoto_domain=animoto.com&options=" title="Video Player" width="544"></iframe><br />
<div class="hrecipe f13"><div class="fn single_recipe_header" style="color: #11bfeb; font-size: 18px; margin: 5px 5px 5px 0px; padding: 0;"><br />
Breakfast Polenta</div><br />
<div class="single_recipe_text" id="author" style="color: black; font-size: 15px; margin: 5px 5px 5px 0px; padding: 0;">by <span class="author">Our Good Life</span></div><div class="single_recipe_text" style="color: black; font-size: 12px; margin: 4px; padding: 0;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cook Time:</span><span class="cooktime"> 15 minutes</span></div><div class="single_recipe_text" style="color: black; font-size: 12px; margin: 4px; padding: 0;"></div><div id="get_media_div" style="clear: both; max-height: 100px;"><div id="recipe_id_div" style="display: none;">6080061</div><script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.6.4/jquery.js" type="text/javascript"></script><script src="http://www.recipage.com/new_scripts/get_html2.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><div id="ingredients"><div class="single_recipe_header" id="ingr_header" style="clear: both; color: #11bfeb; font-size: 18px; padding: 0; text-decoration: none;">Ingredients<span class="single_recipe_text" style="color: black; font-size: 14px;"> (2 servings)</span></div><ul class="single_recipe_text" id="ingr" style="color: black; font-size: 14px;"><li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 3px;">2 c water</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 3px;">pinch of salt</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 3px;">black pepper</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 3px;">1.2 c instant polenta or ground cornmeal</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 3px;">1 T butter</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 3px;">1/4 c milk</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 3px;">4 slices bacon</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 3px;">1/2 c minced onion</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 3px;">1/2 c sliced mushrooms</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 3px;">2 eggs</li>
</ul></div><div id="instructions"><div class="single_recipe_header" id="inst_header" style="color: #11bfeb; font-size: 18px; padding: 0; text-decoration: none;">Instructions</div><div class="instruction">Bring water to a boil.  Add salt, turn water down and add cornmeal in a stream. Whisk briskly so no lumps form.</div><div class="instruction">Fry bacon slices, drain on paper towels.  Add onions to the grease, cook until transparent, add mushrooms.  Chop bacon and add to mixture.  Scoop and remove from grease.  Fry two eggs sunnyside up.</div><div class="instruction">Place a scoop of polenta in a large bowl.  Top with onions and mushrooms. Top with bacon and lastly top with a fried egg.</div><div class="instruction">Sprinkle with hot sauce, if desired.</div></div><div class="single_recipe_text" style="color: black; font-size: 10px; text-align: center; width: 100%;">Powered by <a class="single_recipe_header" href="http://www.recipage.com/" style="color: #11bfeb; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Recipage</a></div></div><br />
This is the basic dish.  Doctor up the polenta with butter and maple syrup.  Add other veggies and garlic to the onions and mushrooms.  Go crazy, folks!<br />
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Enjoy these other yummy polenta dishes from the Taste Creations group!  If you are a food blogger interested in joining us, please contact me at terri@terristeffes.com<br />
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<div class="hq gt" id=":2ts" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 15px 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></div><br />
<div class="ii gt adP adO" id=":2t5" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 5px 15px 0px 0px; orphans: 2; padding-bottom: 5px; position: relative; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div class="a3s aXjCH m1583b991a5a0aaa1" id=":2t6" style="overflow: hidden;"><div dir="ltr"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://anitalianinmykitchen.com/traditional-polenta&source=gmail&ust=1478555041029000&usg=AFQjCNFPlnMA7Sq6YhWAioYNVAhJ3Zxmkg" href="http://anitalianinmykitchen.com/traditional-polenta" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">An Italian in my Kitchen</a>  Traditional Polenta </div><div dir="ltr"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1oTKdZi4IG8/WB-kTjRd1EI/AAAAAAAAi2A/Qt9nURbjlwwbWLxE92MbsSCBEmKvZ6iCwCLcB/s1600/traditional%2Bpolenta%2B200%2B%25281%2Bof%2B1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1oTKdZi4IG8/WB-kTjRd1EI/AAAAAAAAi2A/Qt9nURbjlwwbWLxE92MbsSCBEmKvZ6iCwCLcB/s1600/traditional%2Bpolenta%2B200%2B%25281%2Bof%2B1%2529.jpg" /></a></div><div dir="ltr"><br />
<div><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://tikkido.com/blog/EASY-oven-baked-polenta-roasted-mushrooms-recipe&source=gmail&ust=1478555041029000&usg=AFQjCNE-K8JDj_x1xsWNdfqZaT--lg2TcA" href="http://tikkido.com/blog/EASY-oven-baked-polenta-roasted-mushrooms-recipe" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Tikkido</a>  Baked Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g8Zr6pdk1jg/WB-kaI6R0iI/AAAAAAAAi2E/baRFF03Ve48yumTUcJQKdlOca7AumUwxwCLcB/s1600/baked-polenta-roasted-mushrooms-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g8Zr6pdk1jg/WB-kaI6R0iI/AAAAAAAAi2E/baRFF03Ve48yumTUcJQKdlOca7AumUwxwCLcB/s320/baked-polenta-roasted-mushrooms-9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YtY024UnYrQ/WB-keWMnuaI/AAAAAAAAi2I/NYy4CuoLIUEf8-YJWWtslyUtzJFdKVcOgCLcB/s1600/TCPolentaPIN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YtY024UnYrQ/WB-keWMnuaI/AAAAAAAAi2I/NYy4CuoLIUEf8-YJWWtslyUtzJFdKVcOgCLcB/s640/TCPolentaPIN.jpg" width="448" /></a></div><div><br />
</div></div><div class="yj6qo"></div></div></div>

Breakfast Polenta #TasteCreations

It's November and while the rest of the United States is thinking Thanksgiving and election, we took a moment to revere the humble polen...

Posted by Terri Steffes / 03 November 2016 / A Sentence A Day

A Sentence A Day~October

This month for my Sentence A Day, I am going to take part of a <a href="http://www.townsend-house.com/2016/09/31-days-of-overcoming-overwhelm.html">31 Day Challenge </a>to combat my feelings of being overwhelmed at different aspects of my life.  This will be a real challenge, keeping it to a sentence a day!  The 31 Day Challenge will help you walk through the different aspects of your life, prioritize them and keep them in your clearly defined focus. I'm ready to be focused!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ppfwo2G2IDA/WBEXJbtBr1I/AAAAAAAAiik/i9WolYwX4ecCpzgIBfzcbE3t2x_LE4bIACLcB/s1600/IMG_5802.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ppfwo2G2IDA/WBEXJbtBr1I/AAAAAAAAiik/i9WolYwX4ecCpzgIBfzcbE3t2x_LE4bIACLcB/s640/IMG_5802.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
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For past editions of the A Sentence A Day journaling, check out these links:     <a href="http://www.terristeffes.com/2016/05/a-sentence-day.html" target="_blank">May</a>, <a href="http://www.terristeffes.com/2016/07/a-sentence-day-june.html" target="_blank">June</a>, <a href="http://www.terristeffes.com/2016/08/a-sentence-day.html" target="_blank">July</a>,  <a href="http://www.terristeffes.com/2016/09/a-sentence-day-august.html">August</a> and <a href="http://www.terristeffes.com/2016/10/a-sentence-dayseptember.html">September</a>.<br />
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October 1.  Starting where I am right now: a full week of travel and work presentations, running two blogs, teaching two college classes, balancing family and friends, and time for myself.<br />
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October 2.  Recognizing that my life is full and that I am happy about it, makes me wonder if I am a product of adult ADD, and that I need all this stimulation in order to feel.<br />
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October 3.  Examining my priorities has helped me to realize that I think everything is a priority, and we all know that cannot be true, so I pick my family, my work, my college classes and my blogs, in that order.<br />
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October 4. I am working on my planning and that is really helping me with being overwhelmed, because when I have a plan in place, I feel like I am in control.<br />
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October 5.  Another thing I have learned, to combat the feeling of being overwhelmed, have fun with friends!<br />
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October 6.  I am remembering to count my blessings and to drink my water, which seems to help me focus and be more aware of what I have to do.<br />
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October 7.  The weekends always make me feel excited, as I get to plan or not to plan, and both feel right!<br />
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October 8.  I took a day trip to a wonderful place to see a statue that represents pioneering women everywhere, and took the time to say a prayer of thanks.<br />
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October 9.  Went to my hometown to attend their annual cancer dinner with my mom and spent the night in her apartment.<br />
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October 10.  Took a picture of my high school best friend and put it on Facebook and got the sweetest reply from her, doing things for others is a wonderful feeling!<br />
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October 11.  NOT a stress free day when you have to work with overworked and underappreciated teachers who feel you are the perfect punching bag.<br />
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October 12.   Driving to my next school allowed me a bit of time to enjoy the fall colors and a peaceful ride with my music.<br />
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October 13.  I had the best time watching school children tell adults how important it is to find win/win solutions to problems and that you need to sharpen the saw daily.<br />
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October 14.  Spending the day revising a presentation that consultants across the state will use to inform teachers is an awe-filled task.<br />
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October 15.  Such a great time with our book club watching Girl on the Train and having dinner together.<br />
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October 16.  Date Night with my husband to see the Symphony at 3:00 and Howie Mandell at 7:00 and loved the differences!<br />
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October 17.  Spending the day with my colleagues doing work that will help teachers work smarter, not harder.<br />
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October 18.  TWO DAYS with the amazing Jan Chappuis as we learn how to share good formative evaluation with our state's classroom teachers.<br />
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October 19.  I am overwhelmed with information to share with our teachers, but in such a great way!<br />
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October 20.  A day to unwind and to get prepared for the upcoming weekend and next week, so needed after so many days on the road.<br />
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October 21.  My husband and I shared a dinner out with friends at an amazing restaurant where the food was O U T S T A N D I N G and the company even better!<br />
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October 22.  The band had a full weekend with the first night at the Moonshine Whiskey Bar and I am always amazed at their incredible talent.<br />
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October 23.  One of those days when you know that you made a good decision to build a house in a neighborhood that supports you 110%.<br />
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October 24.  The most special day of the year, better than Christmas and the Fourth of July, is our daughter's birthday, who is 31 this year!<br />
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October 25.  Book Club night is always so much fun with the group who loves to read and discuss books so much, likes a great glass of wine and wonderful snacks!<br />
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October 26.  As I read over these sentences, it looks like I have more fun than overwhelming feelings.<br />
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October 27.  I am enjoying a lovely overcast, fall day, with nothing more to do than to fill out some papers for work, read a couple of articles, and pack my bags for tomorrow's presentation!<br />
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October 28.  Today I was with a group of eager educators, who want nothing more than to do what is best for their students and their teachers, which makes me so eager to do my best for them.<br />
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October 29.  Today my feelings were overwhelmed multiple times as my dear friend Linda had her friends at a painting party to celebrate her 65th birthday, one we were not sure she'd make it to, when she was diagnosed with liver cancer a year ago.<br />
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October 30. A day of relaxation and harmony while we enjoyed another beautiful day!<br />
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October 31. There is such satisfaction in seeing the faces of happy children trick-or-treating!<br />
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This is October, 2016!

A Sentence A Day~October

This month for my Sentence A Day, I am going to take part of a 31 Day Challenge to combat my feelings of being overwhelmed at different aspe...

Posted by Terri Steffes / 02 November 2016 / cough drops

Homemade Cough Drops

Last week I introduced you to a homemade cough syrup that I loved.  I found that I needed something that I could carry around, so I did some research and found a lot of recipes for homemade cough drops. I combined a couple of recipes and made these, which I like for a couple of reasons.  One, they are cheap to make and two, they are very effective.<br />
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To be perfectly honest, these cough drops do require a bit of time spent on the making of them.  Some tips I would offer are these:  use a good pot, use at least a two quart pot, and cool the mixture before making the drops.  I'll explain more as I go.<br />
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Cough Drops<br />
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2 Immunity tea bags<br />
3/4 c boiling water<br />
3/4 c honey<br />
10 drops of Thieves essential oil<br />
1 drop cinnamon oil<br />
1 drop peppermint oil<br />
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Steep tea in boiling water.  Remove bags and add honey.  Heat until boiling.  Using a candy thermometer, cook until the thermometer reaches 300 degrees for one minute.  Turn off heat, cool 10 minutes.  Add essential oils and stir well.<br />
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Using a teaspoon, drop small amounts of the mixture onto parchment paper.  Cool overnight.  Dust with cornstarch.  Store in a airtight container.<br />
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The cooled mixture makes more even sized drops.  When the mixture is hot, it runs all over the place! The cornstarch keeps the drops from sticking to each other.<br />
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While these are kid friendly, they are a grown up taste, especially with the tea and the Thieves oil.  If you want your kids to like them, you may consider adding a few drops of vanilla or cherry flavoring.<br />
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One of these tides me over between doses of cough syrup.  Super cheap, eco friendly and natural ingredients!

Homemade Cough Drops

Last week I introduced you to a homemade cough syrup that I loved. I found that I needed something that I could carry around, so I did some...

Posted by Terri Steffes / 01 November 2016 / Dessert

Tin Roof Caramel Brownies

I love my PEO sisters and we like to do social things together.  One of these events is a cooking school demonstration at our local Dierberg's grocery store.  Dierberg's had beautiful cooking classrooms and offer a huge variety of classes, many with local celebrity chefs.  So much fun!<br />
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This class was a demonstration by one of our favorite instructors, Sally Bruns.  Sally has worked for Dierberg's for many years and is a sister of ours, too.  That makes it all the more fun!<br />
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The whole menu consisted of Potato, Corn and Bacon Chowder and a Mixed Greens Salad with Pears, Feta and Sugared Nuts, plus homemade bread.  I'm featuring this dessert, though, because it features one of my favorite convenience products: a cake mix!<br />
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The brownie is dense, with sweet caramel and salty peanuts for contrast.  Served with ice cream, this is a wonderfully decadent treat that is easy to make and easy on the bank.<br />
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<div class="hrecipe f13"><div class="fn single_recipe_header" style="color: #11bfeb; font-size: 18px; margin: 5px 5px 5px 0px; padding: 0;">Tin Roof Caramel Brownies</div><br />
<div class="single_recipe_text" id="author" style="color: black; font-size: 15px; margin: 5px 5px 5px 0px; padding: 0;">by Dierbergs Cooking School</div><div class="single_recipe_text" style="color: black; font-size: 12px; margin: 8px 4px 4px 4px; padding: 0;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prep Time:</span><span class="preptime"> 12 minutes</span></div><div class="single_recipe_text" style="color: black; font-size: 12px; margin: 4px; padding: 0;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cook Time:</span><span class="cooktime"> 40 minutes</span></div><div class="single_recipe_text" style="color: black; font-size: 12px; margin: 4px; padding: 0;"></div><div id="get_media_div" style="clear: both; max-height: 100px;"><div id="recipe_id_div" style="display: none;">6080024</div><script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.6.4/jquery.js" type="text/javascript"></script><script src="http://www.recipage.com/new_scripts/get_html2.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><div id="ingredients"><div class="single_recipe_header" id="ingr_header" style="clear: both; color: #11bfeb; font-size: 18px; padding: 0; text-decoration: none;">Ingredients<span class="single_recipe_text yield" style="color: black; font-size: 14px;"> (serves 36)</span></div><ul class="single_recipe_text" id="ingr" style="color: black; font-size: 14px;"><li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 3px;">1 chocolate cake mix (dark or devil's food is best)</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 3px;">1/2 c butter, melted</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 3px;">1/3 c milk</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 3px;">1/2 c prepared caramel ice cream topping</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 3px;">1 c chocolate chips</li>
<li class="ingredient" style="margin-bottom: 3px;">1 c dry roasted peanuts</li>
</ul></div><div id="instructions"><div class="single_recipe_header" id="inst_header" style="color: #11bfeb; font-size: 18px; padding: 0; text-decoration: none;">Instructions</div><div class="instruction">In a large bowl, combine cake mix with butter and milk.  Spread 2/3 of the batter into a 9 by 13 baking pan that has been lined with non stick foil.  Wet fingers and spread to all corners of the pan. The layer will be thin.  Bake in a 350 oven for 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes.  Pour caramel over the top, sprinkle on chocolate chips and peanuts.  Spoon remaining batter in tablespoonsful over the top.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until edges are set.  Cool completely.  Life out of pan onto cutting board.  Cool more if the brownies are warm.  Cut into bars.  Makes 36 brownies.</div></div><div class="single_recipe_text" style="color: black; font-size: 10px; text-align: center; width: 100%;">Powered by <a class="single_recipe_header" href="http://www.recipage.com/" style="color: #11bfeb; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Recipage</a></div></div><br />
PEO is a women's organization whose purpose is to help women with their ongoing education.  If you are interested for more information, check out the website at http://www.peointernational.org/<br />
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Tin Roof Caramel Brownies

I love my PEO sisters and we like to do social things together. One of these events is a cooking school demonstration at our local Dierberg...