Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
~ Robert Frost, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
We often buy things with good intentions and big plans. Things like musical instruments, foreign language CDs, DVD courses, and craft supplies.
More often than not, all this stuff ends up in our garage or basement or attic, gathering dust and taking up space.
If you’re not using this stuff anymore, and you know you probably won’t get around to it, turn it into a gift for someone who has a new passion for the same thing.
Regifting is fine as long as you repackage and personalize the new gift. Put the cooking DVDs in a basket with some new cooking tools or some staples (like extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar). Add a French dictionary and a photo or wall calendar of Paris to French foreign language CDs. Offer several hours of babysitting with the craft supplies, and a gift card for some introductory lessons with the musical instrument.
Make good use of the things you don’t use. Pass them on. Recycle them. Regift them. Your good intentions make great gifts.
And just in case you need reminding
Girl you’re beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
You know, we’re not reminded enough that we’re beautiful.
That we should never sell ourselves short, or settle for a relationship that’s less than we deserve.
That we’re worth more.
Yes, it’s time for a holiday dessert recipe. Making this Chocolate Almond Bark is quick and easy, and everyone loves it. Bonus? It’s vegan. It makes a great hostess gift, holiday potluck/buffet contribution, and (of course) dessert.
If you’re going to make it for your family, though, don’t make more than one batch at a time. You don’t need it sitting around tempting you.
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Susanmik’s Chocolate Almond Bark
from Healthy Holidays, by Marilu Henner Yellow * Makes one jellyroll pan
1 sleeve Barbara’s Wheatines, or similar saltine-style cracker
1 cup Earth Balance (1/2 tub)
1/2 cup Sucanat®
3 oz sliced almonds
12 oz Tropical Source chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, making sure it goes up all four sides.
Place a single layer of crackers in the pan (basically cover the bottom – like tiling a kitchen floor!!! They do not break well, so to fill in the spaces, I cut mine with a knife so there were no gaps).
Melt butter and Sucanat®, whisking the whole time, until just starts to get frothy and the slightest golden brown (careful – Sucanat® is already brown!!! So really watch this!) Do NOT caramelize. Pour immediately over crackers, covering as evenly as you can. The Sucanat® does not completely dissolve and this still works fine! Bake immediately for 7 minutes until caramel colored.
Remove from oven, sprinkle with almonds, then sprinkle with chocolate chips evenly and bake for 2-3 minutes more. Take out – chips will hold their shape but be soft – swirl chips with butter knife to spread the chocolate.
Cool. Refrigerate while still on the baking sheet. When completely cool, break into pieces and ENJOY!!! Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.
Despite objections from the chemical industry, most scientific studies show that Bisphenol-A (BPA) may pose major health risks, such as breast and prostate cancer, reproductive system abnormalities and a host of developmental problems in the womb and early childhood. Concerns about exposure early in a child’s life also extend to early onset of puberty in females and obesity.
BPA may pose major health risks because it mimics estrogen, affecting reproduction and neural development. Infants and toddlers have the highest risk because they have the highest level of exposure at a time when risks to reproduction and neural development are the greatest.
BPA is used in a wide range of products and consumables, despite scientific studies that demonstrate the harm to our health and the health of our nation’s children. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that 95 percent of Americans tested have BPA levels at or above levels that cause abnormalities in animals.
This is the same chemical used in the plastic reuseable water bottles we all replaced a year or so ago. So why is it still being used in baby bottles? It’s time that we stop exposing our children and ourselves to this toxic chemical.
On Sunday, Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand from New York introduced a new bill that would prohibit the manufacture and sale of food and beverage containers for infants and toddlers that are made of BPA. This bill could come to a vote before the holiday recess, so don’t delay.
Tell your senators to support the BPA-Free Kids Act, and stop the manufacture and sale of food and beverage containers for infants and toddlers that are made of BPA!
We spend a good part of our day in a chair. And our posture – especially our neck and shoulders – are starting to show it. All that slumping toward the computer monitor makes us look old. And seriously, we don’t need any extra help with that.
Join us in fighting against the slump. This little exercise – really a bit of desk yoga – helps release tension in the chest, neck, and shoulders by moving in the opposite direction – stretching backward instead of slumping forward.
Sit near the front of your chair.
Place your forearms on the armrests of your chair with your palms down. Place your feet flat on the floor. Anchor your arms and feet into the chair and the floor.
Then lift your sternum-the bone at the center of your chest-up toward the ceiling. Let your neck relax and allow your head to fall gently back.
Take several slow, deep breaths.
When you’re ready to come back to the starting position, first move your shoulders forward over your ribs. Then bring your head back up slowly. Enjoy the feeling of balance between forward and backward.
If your posture starts slumping again, just repeat.
Remember the tortoise and the hare? The hare got off to a quick start and seemed like the obvious winner. The tortoise, while naturally much slower than the hare, moved steadily toward the finish line and was able to cross it first.
Slow and steady wins the race. It’s the moral of the story because it’s true for about a million things. Weight loss is one of them. To reach your weight-loss goals, you need to think like a tortoise.
Weight loss is not about speed; it’s about slow and steady determination, even when the goal appears futile.
Set your goal, then create small daily steps to help you achieve it. You don’t have to change everything at once, and you don’t have to set unrealistic expectations. Just don’t ever skip those daily steps. Be diligent and focused on your steady progress.
Right now, while we’re in this holiday season, we’re likely to act like the hare – distracted by the shiny of loaded buffet tables and cocktails. Don’t give in to the temptation. Keep taking your small, daily, realistic steps. You’ll get to the finish line as a winner.
Vitamin D is known as the “sunshine vitamin” because the body synthesizes it with exposure to sunlight.
The experts used to think that if you just got 20-30 minutes of sun each day, you’d have enough vitamin D. Current wisdom says that if you live north of Florida, it’s pretty difficult to get enough sun exposure, especially in the winter months, when the sun is further away.
To get enough vitamin D, you probably have to take a supplement. Look for supplements that provide 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day of D3 (cholecalciferol) – not D2 (ergocalciferol).
Dietary sources include fortified foods (cereals), eggs, salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines, but it’s difficult to get enough without taking the supplement, too.
Vitamin D:
Helps maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus.
Assists in the absorption of calcium and promotes bone mineralization, which may prevent or slow the progression of osteoporosis.
Strengthens the immune system and protects against a number of serious diseases, including rickets and osteomalacia.
May provide protection from hypertension, psoriasis and several autoimmune diseases (including multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis).
Plays a role in defending against cancer (studies link a deficiency of vitamin D to as many as 18 different cancers).
, by Marilu Henner
