Marypause50 ~10 years later still a blog about gardens, simplicity, friendships, gratitude, health,

Don't Let One Bad Thing Ruin Your Day!

    Here is a few experts’ advice to not let one bad thing ruin your day. We all know how that day goes; you awake with the hope & promise of a new day and then all hell breaks loose. (Or a few small ones) You know, the locks are frozen in the car, the internet is down (again) at work. Your cell phone won’t keep a charge again or much worse. So here are a few suggestions:
   Detach yourself and observe the bad situation instead of reacting. Take a few deep breaths and calmly access. The older you get the better we are at this technique; it takes lots of practice.
    Facing it is a sign of learned resilience. Accept what you cannot change like being stuck in traffic and be ready with great music or a book on CD. By facing what could happen you can practice being better prepared for the situation. Practice leads to a better calm.
   Admit how you feel, then go from there. Once you acknowledge your feelings, you can move on. When an emotion is indefinable, it has more power than when you see it for what it is.
   Fake some joy by jumping up & down for instance. Getting both feet off the ground makes you feel energetic and childlike. Or choose to go for a walk; some fresh air can sooth an irritated soul for sure.
   We all have learned techniques over the years because of our need to survive & stay sane at the same time. So the next time you get a flat tire, take a deep breath, be grateful for AAA (be prepared with a membership!), blast some joyful music until they arrive and even though your tire won’t roll, be glad that you’ve learned to roll with it!

Eat Your Seeds for Good Health!

   In the March issue of Real Simple magazine, they give us the reminder that great things come in small packages ~ seeds! Nutritionally, these little guys pack a wallop. All seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids, which benefit your brain, heart and skin. Each type of seed boasts its own flavor and benefits too. So here is the list:

Chia seeds ~ weight management, heart health, better bones; tons of tummy-filling fiber and excellent calcium source.
Flaxseed ~ diabetes prevention, super omega-3 boost; rich in sugar-regulating fiber.
Hemp seeds ~ inflammation relief, protein power; contains all 8 essential amino acids.
Pumpkin seeds ~ immunity boost, muscle tone; zinc and whopping amount of protein for a vegan food.
Sesame seeds ~ cholesterol control, healthy tissues; can lower your bad LDL cholesterol and contains a boatload of iron.
Sunflower seeds ~ antioxidant boost of Vitamin E, cancer protection; loaded with selenium - a mineral linked to the repair of DNA.
    We also can’t forget the fruity/tart pomegranate seed! Choose a different seed each week & research a recipe to try out or in the case of sunflower & pumpkin, just grab a handful & get healthy!

Chapstick Hydration Lock Product Review

    Did you know that humans have worn lipstick for approximately 6,000 years! In 1880 Paris a relative to what we wear now was born. Earlier in the 1800’s, Charles Browne Fleet created the first ChapStick by wrapping lip balm in foil. Real Simple’s March 2014 issue has included ChapStick on their list of the 26 legendary beauty products of all time. The company has come so far from then (I always considered it too waxy), now this latest product is one I would categorize as their best yet.
     With more cold weather on the way (yes, the resident groundhog here, Punxatawny Phil, saw his shadow on GHday – 6 more weeks of winter), I wanted to give my review (and my niece’s) on ChapStick brand hydration lock chapstick. With the ingredient CoQ10, this chapstick boasts 8 hours of moisture and has a pleasant faint vanilla smell. I do believe that this is one your lips will not get ‘addicted’ to keep reapplying. It really works as a one time and forget it chapstick. It is super smooth; love that. You can use alone or under your favorite lip color. One downside is this one contains no sunscreen. My niece reported that it was really smooth and definitely helped with dryness. She mixed with her darker lip colors and it helped lighten them some. For approx. $2.99 I would say this is a quality product at a great price! Remember at night to go outside the lip line with your chapstick to keep those fine lines around the lips in check! Pick some up and stay hydrated the rest of the winter.
    On a nostalgic note, one more lip product that made Real Simple’s top 26, Bonnie Bell’s Dr. Pepper Lip Smacker; the first flavored lip gloss invented in 1973. My friends & I had every flavor they made (loved cherry cola!) even though the tubes were huge and could never fit in a pocket. They eventually made them with cords to wear around your neck! We loved it! Easily our first and favorite lipsticks!

Ravioli Lasagna Recipe

   On my recent GWA (Girls Weekend Away) I brought a new recipe for dinner & it won an A+ stamp of approval. I had heard of making a lasagna but using (quality) frozen ravioli as the pasta layer. So I chose the Barilla recipe on their no cook lasagna box. Easy & delicious!
2 dozen high quality ravioli (leave frozen) I chose Tullato’s
1-2 lbs. ground meat (optional) I will use 2 lbs. next time to balance all the extra delicious cheese)
2-24 oz. jars pasta sauce
15-oz. container ricotta cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
2 T. olive oil
In a large skillet heat olive oil and brown ground meat, drain. In large bowl combine well, ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Spray 13 x 9 baking dish with non-stick spray. Pour one cup of sauce and spread evenly over bottom of pan. Top with 12 frozen ravioli. Pour one cup of sauce and ¾ cup of cheese mixture over ravioli and top with 1/2 cooked beef ½ cup of mozzarella cheese. Layer 12 more ravioli & top with remaining sauce, cheese mixture, ground meat & top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 1-1/2 hours (will take longer if made ahead and was refrigerated) leaving covered until last 20 minutes. To serve, a piece containing two-four ravioli makes a nice serving size. Serves 8-10. Absolutely easy & delish!

Great Backyard Bird Count 2014

   You are invited to participate in the 2014 Great Backyard Bird Count! (GBBC) Coordinated every year by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology & the Audubon Society; the help of all dedicated backyard birders is needed. The dates this year are Friday, February 14th thru Monday, February 17th. The link is listed below for all the info you will need. It is as simple as observing your backyard aviary activity for just fifteen minutes. You can do this one day or all 4 days. The site allows you to enter your zip code & it will connect you to a list of birds you may see in your area during February. You print out the list & start counting. The site provides advice & a page to enter your results. I participated last year & it was fun to do & easy too. Recording your results on their site was also very simple. It felt very rewarding. My sister participated also & it was nice to compare results. This is also a wonderful activity to enjoy with your kids. The site provides all types of helpful info to get you started. Last year over 137 thousand checklists were submitted; over 33.4 million birds were counted & over 4,200 species! The Northern Cardinal was the most common bird counted followed by the Dark-eyed Junco, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker & House Finch. Please join in the fun & get to know your backyard friends. Keep your camera ready for photo ops too!
http://gbbc.birdcount.org/?utm_source=Cornell+Lab+eNews&utm_campaign=38aa974817-GBBC_eNewsletter_Feb2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_47588b5758-38aa974817-302358397

Benefits of a Long, Cold Winter

     So I am writing this blog in the dark, power outage still looming after 12 hours so far. Yes, I am an East Coaster with the umpteenth winter storm this year. Yes, I have lost count. We all have in this neck of the woods. We are used to a couple storms a winter, if that. Give me Al Gore’s twitter account, I’d like to give him a piece of my mind – HA global warming! But, we will see some benefit from this Polar Vortex winter! So here my icy cold fingers go:

    ~So the main benefit, as far as I’m concerned, are less mosquitoes this summer! Also, the tree killing ash borer will be in short supply. Woo hoo. Liking that!
    ~Yes, the photo opportunities are one of kind I must say…
    ~Fireplace fires take on much more meaning, warmth and ambiance.
    ~Power outages do give you the chance to clean out your fridge and freezers. You don’t even lose your food. It just goes right outside, (is this what they did on Little House on the Prairie?)
    ~Using up candles for electricity. I have lots of candles to use and love when it is practical and pretty.
   ~A new study shows that exposing the body to low temperatures after exercise may be the most effective recovery method for runners suffering from exercise-related damage & pain.


     In closing, I know I have been craving a Caribbean life for the past 2 months, but I also know I need to be grateful. I also have no idea when I will get to post this, hopefully before the crocuses pop!

Sesame Street Teaches Better Eating Habits

   The Sesame Street project is coming to the US! A three year test in South America proves that these adorable Muppets can influence enough to improve kids’ health. Yes, Bert & Ernie are jumping rope & munching on veggies. Cookie Monster is no longer eating cookies at will. He is eating his namesake treats occasionally. Yes, a way to teach kids you can still have your favorite treats in moderation and still be healthy. The surprising part to me was the spillover of what these children are learning into their homes. Yes, the kids are asking for there to be more fruits and veggies in the house and they are asking the parents to join in. The healthy messages are slowing being introduced into the show and I say it’s about time! I can only imagine what a difference there would be in my child’s generation if this was introduced sooner when they were the 3-5 year old target audience! There is a test run happening now in NYC and more to come.
     Now it’s time for us to start seeing foods as a five year old again. Be open to all the healthy choices. Begin with a clean slate in your cabinets and fridge. Clean out the bad. Go shopping for the fresh, nutritious and delicious and restock those shelves! There is a plethora of healthy, yummy choices out there. Explore the perimeter of the grocery store for the freshest, healthiest choices at first. Avoiding the aisles initially will help keep you away from the processed foods. (until you become a dedicated label reader!). Enjoy eating something nutritious that Elmo would and have a chuckle in the process. When you do have that Girl Scout cookie treat, imagine your younger self eating a cookie with Cookie Monster for the first time and smile.