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Take Control of Your Time – Set Some Boundaries
Poor time management can cause stress you don’t need in your life. If people at work or within your family and friends are taking advantage of you by requesting or demanding precious time – it’s time to set boundaries for yourself. Is It You? Part of the problem with letting people steal your time from you could be you. If you allow people to interrupt you at work, let friends call when you’re trying to interact with your family or if a person in a relationship disrespects you by taking advantage of your good nature, you may need to rethink the boundaries you already have in place and create boundaries…
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It’s National Dessert Day: Lemon Raspberry Loaf
Another cool month: National Dessert Month. So you can eat dessert every day this month! Woo-hoo! And on top of that, October 14th in National Dessert DAY. If you don’t want to have dessert every day, you can just do it on the 14th. It doesn’t matter, this is a great month to enjoy any number of desserts all throughout the month. One selection is this Lemon Raspberry Loaf. This delicious lemon raspberry loaf is a welcome addition to Sunday brunch, or it can be enjoyed as a not-too-sweet treat morning or night. For a little added sweetness, be sure to add a light drizzle of the optional lemon glaze…
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Kid-Friendly Waffle Ice Cream Sandwiches
I can’t believe it is already August! In keeping with all of the ice-cream specific days during the summer, today is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day. It’s amazing how many wonderful ways there are to enjoy ice cream! Today’s tribute to this day is a Kid-friendly recipe for Waffle Ice Cream Sandwiches. This quick and easy “semi-homemade” recipe is perfect for younger children who like to help out in the kitchen. For best results, use square or rectangle waffles* (vs. round) for this recipe (and plenty of sprinkles for decorating!) This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, as needed. You can make your own waffles to use in this…
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Instant Pot® Cheesecakes
It’s still National Cheesecake Day, Post 2! The previous post, Greek Yogurt Cheesecake Parfaits, presented a no-cook cheesecake option. This post presents TWO Instant Pot® cheesecake recipes. One with fruit and the other chocolate… You can make one or both. Go all out for Cheesecake Day! First, here are a few tips before you start on your cheesecake masterpieces: Special equipment needed: 7” (or 7.5) springform pan (for 6-quart Instant Pot®)Non-stick cooking spray or parchment paper You will need a springform pan that fits appropriately into the pressure cooker. You can find them at department stores but here is one developed for the Instant Pot®. I found it at Bed,…
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Broiled Crème Brûlée
I love Crème Brûlée. I like the crunch and the cool smoothness that comes after that. This is just another food that I didn’t care for as a kid but absolutely love now. I was much thinner then too… hmmm LOL Today is National Crème Brûlée Day. Today’s recipe is a litte different in that there’s different way to make that crunchy carmelized top! An Alternative to the Kitchen Torch Normally, a small propane kitchen torch is used to create the coveted caramelized sugar topping that makes crème brûlée so popular. The broiling method described here is a nice alternative for those who either don’t have access to a kitchen…
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No-Churn Chocolate Toffee Ice Cream
Today, July 19th is National Ice Cream Day. It’s celebrated on the third Sunday in July. July is also National Ice Cream Month. Unlike many foods that I post about, ice cream is one thing that I loved as a kid and still love now. I remember both grandmothers making ice cream — typically vanilla — in those old fashioned ice cream makers. First, they would make the ice cream mix over the stove. I always asked for different flavors, which was met with frowns and reminders that I could just not eat what was being made… I usually shut up. Then, they would pour it into the machine and…
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Chewy Ginger Snap Cookies
Hello July! And today July 1st is National Ginger Snap Day! As a child, I ate a lot of ginger snaps while my great-grandmother was alive. She loved ginger snaps so we — the grandchildren — would get into the box when she got some for herself. They were tasty and crisp but not as good as homemade. And little did I know that ginger snaps are somewhat healthier than other cookies — a bit lower in calories. Plus the ginger and the spices of cinnamon and cloves have some anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Ginger can help with digestion and cinnamon may affect glucose in the bloodstream. I think knowing…
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Ice Cream Soda with Homemade Chocolate Syrup
June 20th is National Ice Cream Soda Day. And National Vanilla Milkshake Day… as noted in a post earlier today. If you love ice cream, today is a day full of choices. I remember making ice cream sodas as a child. No measurements or advanced planning… My mom would offer some ice cream for dessert — if there was a little of whatever I was drinking for dinner left — Voila! ice Cream Soda! Ths recipe adds a homemade chocolate syrup to your ice cream soda. Once again, a simple treat becomes a lovely dessert. Did you make ice cream sodas as a kid? What was your favorite combination?
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National Vanilla Milkshake Day
June 20th is National Vanilla Milkshake Day. I know it is summertime but doesn’t it seem like there are a lot of ice cream days this month? Not that I am complaining — at all! But ice cream is a star player in quite a few national days in June. Today’s star is the vanilla milkshake. Seems basic right? Today’s recipe adds a bit of flair so that the basic vanilla milkshake becomes a full-fledged dessert. A little chocolate and sprinkles around the rim. Whipped cream and a cherry? Definitely a delicious summertime dessert. Pro-Tip: The in-process photos for this recipe show how the ramekin is positioned prior to melting…
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Mini-Pavlovas with Fresh Fruit
For some reason, I was not familiar with Pavlovas and never had any as a child. As a rule, meringue was placed on the top of pies — which I did not like!. Any pie that had meringue on it got the fork-scrape treatment. I would eat all of the pie and leave a pile of meringue behind. Seemed like a boring addition to tasty pies… I don’t think I gave meringue much thought until I started watching various cooking shows. Suddenly I saw a different side to meringue — a baked one! Pavlova! Pavlovas are a delicious type of meringue with a delightfully crispy exterior and a soft marshmallow-like…
