Spring to Fall, 2018

 I have found the most amazing treatment, that has diminished my high blood sugars, lowered my blood pressure and erased the pins and needles and numbness in my feet caused by metabolic syndrome and Pre-Diabetes.  Together with a change in diet, inflammation has greatly reduced.   This treatment is covered by medicare and many health insurance companies.   

Find out more information at www.trinahealth.com

Recipes for Christmas

 Christmas Stollen Bread AT A GLANCEPREP30 mins. to 45 mins.BAKE30 mins. to 35 mins.TOTAL3 hrs 1 mins. to 4 hrs 8 mins.YIELD3 stollen loavesAs a traditional German fruitcake with a profound history, it's no wonder thatthere are as many variations of stollen as there are people who make it. Thisversion includes a rich filling of almond paste (or marzipan), which adds to thedecadence of the bread-like cake. Stollen's dense butter and sugar coating makes it an excellent candidate forpreparing ahead of the busy holiday season, wrapping, and giving to friends and family up to 2 weeks later.
Fruit3 cups Fruitcake Fruit Blend1/3 cup orange juice or rumDough1 tablespoon instant yeast3/4 cup warm water1 large egg1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened1/4 cup Baker's Special Dry Milk3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour1/4 cup granulated sugar1 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon ground mace1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom1 tablespoon grated lemon zest1/2 cup chopped toasted almondsFilling3/4 cup almond paste or marzipanTopping2 tablespoons melted butterBaker's Special Sugarconfectioners' sugar or non-melting white sugarDirections1. To prepare the fruit: Combine the fruits and orange juice or rum, cover, andset aside at room temperature for up to 12 hours.2. To prepare the dough: Using a stand mixer, mix and knead together all of thedough ingredients (except the almonds) to make a smooth, soft dough.3. Cover the dough and let it rise until puffy, about 60 to 90 minutes.4. To make the filling: Divide the marzipan into three pieces and shape each intoa flattened 7" log.5. To assemble the stollen: Knead the fruit and almonds into the dough. Turn thedough out onto a lightly greased surface, divide it into three pieces, and shapeeach piece into an 8" x 6" oval.6. Place one piece of almond paste or marzipan down the longer center of eachoval, and fold dough over it lengthwise, leaving the top edge of the dough justshy of the bottom edge.7. Press the top edge firmly to seal it to the dough below.8. Place the loaves on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Coverthem, and let them rise for 45 to 60 minutes, until puffy.9. While the stollen are rising, preheat the oven to 350°F, with a rack in the upperthird.10. Bake the stollen for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown and its internaltemperature reads 190°F on a digital thermometer.11. Remove the stollen from the oven, and brush them with melted butter. After 5minutes, dust with Baker's Special (superfine) sugar and/or confectioners' ornon-melting sugar.12. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Wrap airtight and store at roomtemperature for up to 2 weeks. Freeze for longer storage.13. Yield: 3 stollen.Tips from our bakersSubstitute almond paste for the marzipan, if desired.If you've frozen the stollen, you may need to dust them with sugar again, oncethey're thawed.
https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/PrintRecipe?RID=5597&radio=1
Yule logBûche de Noël or Christmas Yule LogAuthor: Layla PujolBuche de Noel or Yule Log is a traditional Christmas cake in France and other parts of the world. It is made of a thin rolled sponge cake with a coffee cream filling and chocolate cream icing.IngredientsFor the sponge cake:

• 3.5 ounces of flour
• 3.5 ounces of sugar
• 5 eggs
• ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

For the cream filling and icing:

• ½ cup of water
• 3 egg yolks
• 3.5 ounces of sugar
• 9 ounces of butter (room temperature)
• 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate
• 3 teaspoons of instant coffee diluted in 2 tablespoons of water

InstructionsInstructions for the sponge cake (Step 1 of 3), using the cake ingredients:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F degrees. Take 4 egg yolks and mix them with sugar and vanilla extract. Use a hand whisk or wood spatula and blend them gently for about 3 minutes. Add the whole 5th egg and continue mixing for 3 more minutes. Slowly add the flour to the mix. Take the 4 egg whites and mix them into foam using an electric whisk. Once the egg white foam turns into firm peaks, add them slowly to the egg yolk mix. Using a floured large rectangular metal baking sheet, lay a sheet of parchment paper or if you have one, a silicone jelly roll pan. Spread the cake mix on the rectangle surface, keeping a little over half an inch of thickness across the area. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 10 minutes at 400 F degrees. Take the cake out and cover it with a damp towel for 5 to 10 minutes. At this point, carefully detach the cake from the parchment paper or jelly roll pan.

Instructions for the butter cream (Step 2 of 3), using the cream filling and icing ingredients:

1. Melt the sugar and water in a pan over low heat. Slowly and regularly stir to avoid sticking. Mix the egg yolks in a bowl, and add the sugar syrup with a whisk. Do this slowly and gently mix until the temperature drops below the level where eggs would cook and solidify. Add the room temperature butter and mix until a thick cream forms. This is where multi-tasking comes in. At the same time in another pan, slowly melt the dark chocolate with a little bit of water. At this point, split the cream into two equal halves. In one bowl, add the liquefied instant coffee and mix. In the other bowl, add the melted chocolate and mix. Both creams should be thick. If you find the creams not thick enough, place them both in the fridge for 15 minutes and the butter will thicken them back. Mix again on exit. Thickness is important for the creams not to leak and dislocate during the assembly process.

For the Christmas log assembly (Step 3 of 3):

1. Remove the damp towel from the sponge cake and apply the coffee cream uniformly on top of it. Make it as thick as possible and use it entirely. Roll the cake length-wise by taking the shorter side and gently rolling it across the length of the cake. Do not press, and do not worry too much about the edges being non-uniform at this point. Now gently spread the chocolate cream from the top and use a spoon or flat spatula to cover the sides and bottom. One tip is to let the chocolate cream fall from the cake, catch it back with a spoon and repeat the process in empty spots until completely and thickly covered. Refrigerate for about an hour to let the icing solidify. Next, use a sharp knife to cut the edges of the rolled cake to make them clean and straight. Do all this on a “draft” plate, which will be full of chocolate and other preparation. Once the cake is all finished you can lift it and transfer it to the plate you’ll use for presentation and final serving. Use the point of chopstick to very lightly carve the chocolate cream into a log like texture, without removing it entirely. Be very soft. Decorate according to your preferences and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Christmas Poem

2018

e Christmas season

With beautiful Christmas lights.

They shine forth across our cities

Throughout the season’s nights.

Many look forward to celebrating

This wonderful time of the year

By decorating their homes with lights

To spread some Christmas cheer.

We string lights on Christmas trees,

On wreaths hanging here and there.

Lights adorn many, many decorations.

We see pretty lights everywhere.

Jesus is the real light of Christmas.

He is the light of the world today.

He died on the cross for our sins.

He is the truth, the light, the way

Fall 2018 DIY Projects

35 best fall crafts from Country Living

https://www.countryliving.com/diy-crafts/g1533/fall-crafts/

Summer 2018 DIY Projects

Check out the 25+ fun and creative DIY crafts and projects for summer

https://diyprojects.com/summer-crafts-diy-projects-recipes/

Spring 2018

With Spring just around the corner, a DIY wreath makes a fun project.

www.countryliving.com/diy-crafts/g3096/diy-spring-wreaths/

 Pottery is one of the oldest materials for sculpture, as well as clay being the medium in which many sculptures cast in metal are originally modeled for casting. Sculptors often build small preliminary works called maquettes. (wikipedia,2017)

Christ

 Local places to see 

Posted Dec 4, 2018Are you in the holiday spirit? How about a trip to Shore Acres, by Coos Bay, to enjoy more than 325,000 lights and beautiful displays that include a life-size gray whale, giant butterflies, mushrooms, cluster flowers, Christmas trees, a ship sculpture, lighthouse and much more.The Newport 60+ Activity is sponsoring a trip to Shore Acres on Monday, Dec. 10. The cost of the trip is $15, and a van will leave Newport at 1 p.m. are return around 9 p.m.Shore Acres was once the grand estate of pioneer timber baron and shipbuilder Louis Simpson and his wife, Lela. It began as a private estate with luxurious gardens featuring trees, shrubs, and flowering plants brought from around the world aboard Louis’s sailing ships.When fire destroyed the mansion in 1921, Simpson began to build an even larger replacement, two stories high and 224 feet long. However, financial losses in the 1930s caused both the house and grounds to fall into disrepair. In 1942, Shore Acres was purchased by the State of Oregon for use as a public park. Later additions were acquired from other owners between 1956 and 1980.A community tradition was born in 1987 when the Friends of Shore Acres decided to “string a few lights” to help celebrate the holidays. That first season, 6,000 miniature lights, one Christmas tree and the decorated Garden House drew 9,000 visitors. Today, around 50,000 visitors view the light display and enjoyed hot cider, punch, coffee and cookies at the Garden House. 

https://newportnewstimes.com/article/holiday-lights-at-shore-acres

Summer/Fall 2018

Discover the central valley of California.  There are so many things to see and do.  Everyone is different and has different likes and interests.  Check out the link below for more information.

http://www.visitcalifornia.com/region/discover-central-valley

Spring 2018

 Places to See

In Fresno are 1906 hand-built underground gardens, home of Sicilian visionary and self-taught artist/builder Baldassare Forestiere.

www.undergroundgardens.com  Local places to see

From the Editor's Desk

12/2019

Merry Christmas to all.  It is my hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

12/2018

At this time of year I find myself giddy as a school girl, so smitten with the love of Jesus.  He is after all the reason for the season, He is my hope and my joy.  He is always with me, no matter the challenge.  This year I am so blessed with a roof over my head and some of the most loving people I have ever experienced in a church family.  Through them I have experienced the love and healing power of Jesus.  Many are walking wounded with no outside evidence of injury.  I pray that today, others will see Jesus and His love, not me. May the Lord bless and keep you,  may His face shine upon you, may His glory rest upon you and give you peace.  

I have linked a video below, I hope it blesses you.

7/20/2018

I am currently house-sitting in Gulfport, Ms. for my brother and his wife while they are on vacation.  It gave me the perfect opportunity to start writing more on my book, adjust a few blog posts etc. 

I cannot tell you the shock of finding nothing was working the way it was intended when I pulled up my website or blog.  I found out last night that the latest updates I had done to this site, were never applied.  I also found out that my blog, hosted on an un-named site, had  also not been updating either.  Oh my!!!   For this I truly apologize.  I have spent hours on the phone with the prior web host and my new one at GoDaddy.com.  I have to say, I have found GoDaddy.com much more responsive to my needs.  

90 second Almond Mug Bread, Keto Friendly 

"Bread is one of the foods that people miss most on keto – at least I know I did – and  almond flour breadis  a great alternative.  For those folks on the go, or those without ovens  and those simply without the time or inclination to cook, this 90-second  keto bread made in the microwave is the perfect  solution. It’s literally as simple as mixing a few ingredients in a mug  and popping it in the microwave. And in less than two minutes you have a  keto friendly bread, almost as easy as putting bread in the toaster." Headbangers Kitchen  

Recipe  

https://headbangerskitchen.com/recipe/90-second-almond-flour-keto-bread/

How to:  https://youtu.be/uE98gHygT4Y

Chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Bacon Cookies - Low Carb&Gluten Free  Makes 12 cookies Serving Size 1 

Cookie Ingredients:

For ingredients, baking instructions, nutritional information and other great recipes check out https://peaceloveandlowcarb.com/recipes/    

Nothing is closer to each of us than the skin we live in.  How we handle it, feed it and keep it healthy is up to us.  We hold the reins to whether we live a life abundant in spite of circumstances, or live a life of barely getting by.   I am sharing a link, it is not for the purpose of purchasing a single thing, but for the excerpts that are shared on the link about the importance of health, fitness and wellness.   https://www.mercola.com/ 

The main difference between traditional medicine and alternative medicine is the approach. Whereas traditional medicine treats symptoms and problems of a certain given area, alternative medicine focuses on cause and prevention, overall health, and non-traditional, often natural treatments.

https://bancswellness.com › conventional...