New Year’s resolutions

Holiday Cranberry Mimosa!

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Hi friends! Thanksgiving has passed and if you’re like me, you have lots of leftover cranberries. I like cranberries sauce more and more every year, and I make a very delicious and easy cranberry sauce. I came across a Food Network show about the holidays, and in it they discussed mimosas. I had a eureka moment and thought, “Wow, what if I use my delicious cranberries to make a mimosa!” Well, I have to tell you that we have enjoyed them so much that we drink them frequently (but responsibly)! 🙂 I have included the recipe for my cranberry sauce and cranberry mimosas. They are so pretty and festive, besides being really darn good. They make a nice centerpiece to your holiday table. The cranberry sauce itself is so flavorful and bright, and with no added sugar is a healthy addition to your meals. Bon appetite!

Cranberry Sauce

  • 2 -8 ounce packages cranberries, fresh or frozen
  • 1 orange, zested and juiced
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Put all of the ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens, about 15-20 minutes. serve at room temperature or cool and refrigerate. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.

Cranberry Mimosa

  • 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce
  • 1 glass decent quality champagne

Put the cranberry sauce into a champagne flute. Add the champagne to the glass and give it a quick stir. Serve and enjoy!

 

 

 

A Few of my Favorite Things!

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YEP!

YEP!

In my last post, I mentioned that I’m not a big believer in New Year’s resolutions. So often, it seems a resolution is yet another thing on a much too long to do list, and when it is not followed through with, it leads to a sense of sadness and failure. Definitely not the way to go into a new year! Now that’s not to say that I don’t advocate eating healthily and exercising regularly, if you’ve read my past blog posts you know I am all about that. It’s just more about being good to myself, and setting aside regular time for ME! I’m definitely not very good at that. Are there any others out there who are the same? It seems I’m so good at being there for others, but not so good about that for myself. With that in mind I am trying to be better about doing things just for me, and I mentioned a few things on my list of things I love to do in my last post, “New Year’s resolution? Nah, just be good to you!”. Listening to music, reading my Kindle, and taking a luxurious bath were some of them, but there’s more, my friends, and I want to share some more with you now.

Ashes with my Jac!

Ashes with my Jac!

1. Spending spiritual time- In past posts, I have discussed my time spent each morning in meditation. I try to do that every morning without fail and most days I achieve that- at least 5-10 minutes worth. That’s only part of my spiritual time though. My favorite way to deepen my faith is by attending church services at my parish, Holy Spirit Geist (HSG).

Jac took this pic of our church and I think it's awesome!

Jac took this pic of our church and I think it’s awesome!

It is a young, vibrant parish and has rejuvenated my faith. I especially like to attend with my daughters, but that isn’t always possible these days since they’re attending church in their college town now. Still, they come back to go to church with me as often as they can, because they find the atmosphere at HSG as uplifting and inspiring as I do. I especially love the Sunday 5 pm mass, because they have a band and they play contemporary Christian music which I really like. My advice would be that no matter what beliefs you have, spend time with other people who believe similarly because it really helps me feel in communion with humanity and with a higher power too.

Ashes with Danz!

Ashes with Danz!

Another thing that uplifts me is to pray a daily rosary. For those of you who aren’t Catholic, the rosary is a series of prayers to Mary. We do not WORSHIP Mary, which is a popular misconception about Catholics, we only worship God but we do hold Mary in reverence as the mother of God. We pray the rosary for her to intercede for us to God on our behalf. I use a rosary made of Swarovski crystals that my Mama gave me, and it gives me such a loving feeling to use this gorgeous rosary given to me by MY beloved Mom to pray to Jesus’s beloved Mom!

That perfectly sums up my feelings about praying the rosary!

That perfectly sums up my feelings about praying the rosary!

Anyway, I began praying a daily rosary about 10 years ago and I prayed it with my daughters on the way to school. It’s a rhythmic series of prayers (1 Our Father and 10 Hail Mary’s followed by a Glory Be and a Fatima prayer- 5 times), and each day corresponds to a different set of mysteries about Jesus. I truly love to pray my rosary, and now I usually do it as I first awaken and am laying in bed trying to wake my brain up. Praying the rosary brings me so much comfort and peace. There have been MANY times in which I awaken in the middle of the night, and all my fears and concerns keep me from going back to sleep. I pray my rosary, and before I know it I’m calm and comforted back to sleep. I also say my prayers every day. I used to pray with my girls, and now I pray by myself in the morning after my daily rosary. I pray for just about everyone I can think of, all my family members, friends, and all of the sick and suffering I know about. It’s my way of helping those I love, and it makes me feel really good about myself.

Wine and a good meal!

Wine and a good meal!

2. A good meal and glass of wine- As you know if you’ve read my past posts, I LOVE a good meal accompanied by a nice glass of wine. I love to make the meals usually, however I’m a sucker for a delicious dinner that someone else has made. Since I cook so much, it is the ultimate luxury to have someone else cook for me, or to go out for a nice meal. Now, I said go out for a nice meal, not fast food which I in no way consider a nice meal. However, it doesn’t have to be FANCY to be a nice meal. I also love Chinese, Mexican, Thai, Vietnamese, Sushi, etc, etc, etc which are more simple meals. The only requirement is that the food HAS to be delicious! One of my favorite meals in Indianapolis is at a Vietnamese restaurant called Sandra’s Rice and Noodles. My roommate from college, Terri, took me to this restaurant the first time, though now I’ve been there many times. Their Pho is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten, granted everything there is wonderful and I’ve never ordered anything I haven’t loved! It’s a very simple restaurant in which you can enjoy the most amazing meals! Eating is one of my greatest pleasures and even though I eat mostly healthy food I find that I savor and enjoy my food more now than I did when I ate less healthily. I go more for flavor and quality rather than quantity, which means that I eat less than I did and I enjoy it more. That’s a win-win!

Also, the wine doesn’t have to be expensive to be delicious, and I’ve had many great $10 bottles of wine that I’ve really savored. One of my favorite $10 bottles of wine is Kris Pinot Grigio and if you like Pinot Grigio I think you’ll enjoy this brand. Plus you can’t beat the price!

My favorite wine!

My favorite wine!

My favorite Pinot Grigio however is Santa Margherita which my stepmom introduced me to. It’s more like $22 for a bottle so I don’t drink it every day, but when I do I’m in heaven! It is truly a fine glass of wine. And remember, when you’re eating or drinking the really good stuff a little bit goes a long way, so a glass or two is all you need to satisfy.

So these are some of my favorite things- my church Holy Spirit Geist, my Swarovski crystal rosary beads given to me by my mom, praying my daily rosary, a delicious meal like I’ve had at Sandra’s Rice and Noodles, and a good glass of wine like Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio. These are things that give me comfort and help me be good to myself. I’ve got more for you so tune in for my next post to see what else I have. I hope you are good to yourself today. Doing so will help you live a life of vitality- with Valerie!

New Year’s Resolution? Nah, just be good to you!

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My daughters jumping for joy! This is how I feel at the start of a new year!

 

This is EXACTLY the way I feel at the beginning of a new year. I am always very energized by the start of something new. There is so much hope looking forward to the unknown. It can be a little scary too, so for me, though I’m excited I am also in need of comfort. Especially after the end of the holidays which are so HECTIC and crazy, I’m definitely in need of some ME TIME. Let me tell you though that about five years ago, I was so stressed out and burned out that I sat down to make a list of the things I enjoyed and that give me comfort BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN SO LONG THAT I’D DONE ANYTHING FOR MYSELF THAT I HAD TO MAKE A LIST TO REMIND MYSELF OF WHAT I LIKED TO DO!.I don’t want that for any of you, so I’m going to share my list with you now. However, I urge you to make your own list, I’m just giving you a jump start with mine! As we begin a new year and a new chapter in our lives, I wish you a cozy new year! Here we go!

One of my favorite things- my Bose Bluetooth speaker!

One of my favorite things- my Bose Bluetooth speaker!

1. Music- My sister and I were talking on the phone this morning and she was mentioning how important music is to her, and she suggested I write about how HEALTHY music can be for you. Now you might think, “How is music healthy for you?”, but it really is. I always say that music soothes the savage beast in me, and I believe it to be true. There have been MANY days when I’m sad or upset, I turn on my music and feel SO much better. My Honey bought me my Bose Bluetooth speaker, which goes wherever I do because it’s cordless, and I link it to all the songs on my phone (over 2,000 at current count), and I have instant uplifting music. I make different song lists and depending on my mood I can “Pump Up”, listen to my “Faves”, or be inspired by my “Inspirational” list. I always say that I don’t collect things, that’s my Mama’s passion, not mine, but I do collect songs!

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Another thing I really like to do associated with music is to attend concerts of my favorite singers/bands, and I’ve seen quite a few of them. As much as I enjoy listening to my music at home, I love hearing live music a hundred times more. There is an energy and electric feeling at a live music show, and it is awesome for me. Besides seeing famous bands, I also like to see local bands and musicians around Indy. My Honey and I share a love of classic rock music, and have spent many fun evenings rocking out near home. It’s great couple time too!

 

Jacsy loves her bath time!

Jacsy loves her bath time!

2. Baths- This is a newly acquired love for me. I’ve always been a showerer- you know, get in quickly, get out quickly. My older daughter, Jacqueline, loves to bathe and her enjoyment is so infectious that I was inspired to try it. I downloaded some classical music to my phone, lit some candles, put in some wonderful bath products and soaked. I LOVED IT! It was so relaxing and soothing!

Lush bath products are environmentally sound and wonderfully luxurious!

Lush bath products are environmentally sound and wonderfully luxurious!

Jac loves Lush bath products and when I got some for Christmas for her I also tried them myself. The bath bombs rule! You drop them into your bath and they sparkle and fizz. They are all natural and have different aromas too. They make bathing even more fun! I highly recommend them!

 

Love my Kindle and my doggie!

Love my Kindle and my doggie!

3. My Kindle- I’ve been a reader as long as I can remember. I don’t ever recall a time in my life in which I didn’t have a book in my hand. Reading gives me comfort, a sense of peace, and a satisfaction I don’t get from any other past time. Something else I collect besides songs are books on my Kindle. I got a Kindle about five years ago, after being VERY resistant to the idea of reading on an e-reader type device. I’m an avid reader, and rarely does a day go by that I don’t read something. I also read my morning mass readings and devotions each day. So when going out of town I’d be dragging around tons of books. That’s what convinced me to get a Kindle, for the ease and convenience of transporting and reading books. I read some pretty big books and instead of holding up a weighty book, I am using my very light Kindle.

This is from my new Kindle Paperwhite!

This is from my new Kindle Paperwhite!

This Christmas my Mama got me a new Kindle Paperwhite with the built in light and I LOVE IT even more than my old one. I can store tons of books on it and the battery lasts forever! I currently have around 120 books on my Kindle waiting to be read, and probably 300 in the archives that I’ve already read. I told you I collect books! I also save inspirational phrases and things that move me in some way by taking a picture and storing them on my phone like the two pictures above. Reading is life!

So, these are a few of my favorite things, and I’m going to share some more with you in the next few posts. I challenge you to think of some of your favorite things, and ENJOY THEM EVERY DAY! Life is too short to wait for time to do the things that comfort you and bring you peace. I’m going to be reading, listening to music, and taking baths because these things make me feel cozy and comforted. Try these things and you’ll be living a life of vitality- with Valerie!