This easy-to-make recipe is the perfect gift, one for yourself and one to give. Find a pretty mason jar to store the scrub in, write down the instructions and tie it on with string.
1/2 cup frozen blueberries, thawed, can use fresh or frozen blueberries.
Food processor/immersion blender
1 cup natural sugar
1/8 cup coconut oil, melted
Spoon
Mason Jar
To Make
Puree the blueberries in the food processor or with an immersion blender until no large chunks remain. Add natural sugar and coconut oil, and stir to combine. Spoon the mixture into a mason jar. Store the scrub in the fridge, and use it within one month.
Wash and finally chop mint. Mix sugar into hot water and add vinegar. Add mint and serve with roast lamb and gravy. You’ll find a little goes a long way.
Heat a large skillet or frying pan. Add sausages and cover halfway with water. Cook over medium heat until sausages are halfway cooked (15-20 minutes). During the process, prick the sausage with a fork to release the juices from the sausage.
While cooking sausages, place sweet peppers in a colander and rinse off the water. Add the peppers and tomato paste to the sausages. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens.
Cut sausages into 2-inch pieces, making sure that they are cooked all the way through.
I’m so glad you’ve joined me this week for another edition of Weekend Music Share.
Have a great weekend!
Melinda
Welcome back to Weekend Music Share, the place where everyone can share their favorite music.
Feel free to use the Weekend Music Share banner in your post, and use the hashtag #WeekendMusicShare on social media so other participants can find your post.
Yesterday my husband brought home an amazing floral arrangement for our anniversary. He’s my best friend, husband, and caregiver. He has spent most of our marriage taking care of me. I can’t thank him enough!
I married a man who believes in sickness and health!
He has Skin Cancer, has 3 inches of stitches, and is on light duty. It will be the first Thanksgiving he doesn’t put up the tree. It’s been a great day for him while he watches football.
In this fast-paced social media world, it can be difficult to find the time to look within or back in time. I hope you find these quotes and questions interesting. So glad you stopped by today!
From Mary Frances McFadden, Jackson Township, New Jersey
Basic Salad Dressing
Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of black pepper
1 teaspoon celery seed
Fresh herbs of your choice (parsley, rosemary, thyme, dill or other)
Cucumber Salad
Peel one or two cucumbers and slice into rounds. Use English cucumbers or peel if skin is tough. Place in bowl. Thoroughly mix or shake ingredients for dressing and pour over cucumbers. Chill well in the refrigerator before serving.
Cole Slaw
Peel and grate two carrots and one half green cabbage and place in a bowl. Pour dressing over the bowl and refrigerate.
Triumphing Through Science, Treatment, and Education
ADAA improves the quality of life for those who suffer through evidence-based educational resources, professional practice, and scientific research.
ADAA’s promise is to raise awareness about the impact of mental health on physical health, to find new treatments, and one day prevent and cure anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, and co-occurring disorders.
Our Story
When Mariska Hargitay started playing Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims’ Unit, the content of the scripts, as well as the work she did to prepare for the role, opened her eyes to the staggering statistics about sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse in the United States. She received hundreds, then thousands of letters and emails from survivors disclosing their stories of abuse, many for the first time. She wanted to answer—really answer—those letters, to address the suffering they described, and honor acts of courage they represented.
Her response was to create the Joyful Heart Foundation.
Welcome to bpHope.com, your community for hope, inspiration, and insights from people living and thriving with bipolar.
For those facing a recent diagnosis, managing daily symptoms, or supporting a loved onewith bipolar disorder, bpHope provides evidence-based information and unwavering support. We’re with you at every step on your road to living well with this common brain disorder.
My life is blessed, I understand life is about ups and downs and how we respond can change our life’s course. With the ups and downs I’ve experienced, my backbone is much stronger which helps when I feel pushed around, lately by doctors.
My new Psychiatrist who I’ve only met once in person and one video call. We haven’t established a relationship, that takes time. Every time we’ve talked, I leave with more questions. He’s all business which is great but he interrupts me and keeps on talking until he changes the subject, not anymore! At times I feel like he’s charted my future and I won’t fit a peg. Our meeting in January will not be more of the same. I’m taking back control of the topic even if I have to wait until the end of the meeting.
I want a collaborative relationship, which means I am a blank slate and WE fill in the blanks as we go. Taking a predefined peg board and pushing me into the holes will not work and it’s focused on what you want not what I need. He is up on new studies and he likes to mention them as if they are the only way to treat a patient. I will continue seeing him because finding another Psychiatrist is hard, they need extensive training on Bipolar Disorder.
My Life
When I look forward, all I see is the same
I have no extended family
No friends
The only people I see are doctors and my hairdresser
I can only drive in a 3-4 radius of the house due to cognitive impairment and Agrophobia
Have to coordinate schedules when I need my husband to take me to appointments
Lack of joy and hobbies
My Hobbies
Blog
Photography
Bird watching from the kitchen window
Green Thumb inside and out
Ancestry
Reality
Driving limited
Agoraphobia
Dealing with multiple chronic illnesses
Cognitive Impairment
:(
This is a glimpse into my daily life or the lack of it. It’s hard to rebuild your life with several chronic illnesses, cognitive impairment, and Agrophobia. I’m building a new Bucket List that fits my new life. I kept fooling myself that I could complete my old list but it’s not possible now.
If you don’t already have a Bucket List I encourage you to start one, it may change your life.
I work hard not to think about what I can’t do, and stay focused on the here and now.
How do you deal with life challenges?
I can’t wait to see how you respond, and what I can learn from you.
Thank you for the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their blog with you. This week highlights the blog of Olive Tree Saints.
I’m a child of God, wife and mother. I’m also an incredibly flawed Christ-follower who wants to be available to God for whatever He gives me to do in this later chapter of my life. That means taking care of my wellness so I’m ready when He calls.
As someone who lives with fibromyalgia, I know how hard it can be to start and stick to a wellness plan, especially if it’s not personalized for you. I’m here to help you with that!
Terri is a certified Personal Trainer, Health Coach, and Nutrition Coach who wants to help others be as healthy as possible for them.
Terri loves life, and she’s inspiring. You have to check her out.
I’ve been out of the workforce since 2005 to help take care of my Granny who had Dementia. My previous positions were in Executive Sales, a high-stress job. Since my Granny’s death, there have been many stressful times, too many to count but we made it work, or work it out.
Now I’m 60 years old with multiple chronic illnesses including Chronic Kidney Diseases and severe balance problems. I am Agoraphobic and have cognitive impairment which means I only drive within a 3-4 mile radius of the house.
When I learned about the Kidney Diseases my attitude about life changed. I don’t let the littlest things stress me out.
I’ve become a laid-back person after receiving news about my Kidneys, hearing you have 2-5 years to live will kick you in the arse. I’m not taking medication, doing dialysis, or getting a Kidney Transplant. I’m waiting my turn to enter the Pearly Gates and working to be in the moment.
I am more apt to say what’s on my mind, eliminating stress is a daily goal, making sure I’m getting enough sleep, and letting things blow over instead of engaging in conversation. To net it out, I have little joy in my life and at times angry at all the chronic illnesses I have.
I finally accepted that my current Bucket List isn’t relevant anymore and have started a new Bucket List. It’s short now but will grow.
Life is too short for stress to steal your time and affect your mood.
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to celebrate the settlers who migrated to America. I am grateful to the settlers for laying the foundation of our country. If you were born in America, they are our ancestry and family.
Since my Grandparents died we haven’t cooked a proper Thanksgiving meal and this year we’re having steak! It works for the two of us.
I hope you are surrounded by family, friends, good food, and conversation.
If you’re hosting the celebration, have a couple of people to help you. Seems mishaps do happen at holiday gatherings. Be sure to plan breaks for simple self-care and remember nothing is perfect. Quit worrying and enjoy the moment.
This is a repost, it’s been a blogger favorite since it was first published. A sugar scrub is perfect for your self-care needs so why not make a double or triple batch and give it as a gift. There aren’t many ingredients that make this an Inflation Buster!
Pink Peony Sugar Scrub Recipe
This Pink Peony Sugar Scrub leaves skin feeling soft and smooth. Skin-loving cranberry butter and champagne extract are whipped together with Foaming Bath Butter to create a smooth base for the sugar. Foaming Bath Butter lathers with water, so the scrub washes off the skin without an oily residue. To use, apply the scrub to wet skin, gently rub in circular motions, and wash away.
In a large mixing bowl, add 10 ounces of Foaming Bath Butter and 2 ounces of cranberry butter. Using a hand or stand mixer, whip until they’re completely combined and smooth.
Add 2.5 ounces of champagne extract and 8 mL of Pink Peony Fragrance Oil. Whip the ingredients until smooth.
Add 15 ounces of granulated sugar and about 1/16 teaspoon of Hot Pink Mica. Use the mixer to thoroughly incorporate.
Spoon the mixture into jars.
To use, apply a small amount of the scrub to damp skin, gently rub in circular motions, and rinse off.
One of my favorite sweet treats during that ravenous time in my second trimester was a homemade peanut butter cookie. The recipe is so quick and it’s easy, it’s a snap.
INGREDIENTS
1 beaten egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
Mix well and drop on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes until golden.
Gluten-Freedom by Alessio Fasano, MD with Susie Flaherty
Ingredients:
1 1/2 to 2 pounds salmon (wild-caught preferred with skin on)
Juice from 2-3 limes
Olive Oil
Sesame Seeds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and coat very lightly with olive oil. Place salmon, skin side down, on parchment paper in the pan.
Squees the juice of 2-3 limes into a bowl. Use a pastry brush to coat the salmon with lime juice. Coat the top of the salmon with sesame seeds. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork. Be careful to not overcook.
I’m so glad you’ve joined me this week for another edition of Weekend Music Share.
Have a great weekend!
Melinda
Welcome back to Weekend Music Share, the place where everyone can share their favorite music.
Feel free to use the Weekend Music Share banner in your post, and use the hashtag #WeekendMusicShare on social media so other participants can find your post.
Photo by Sebastian Coman Photography on Pexels.com
A Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 oz. semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chocolate together. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar and cornstarch. In a separate blow, whisk the eggs and yolks together. Add the melted butter and chocolate mixture to the sugar mixture and combine thoroughly with a wire whisk. Stir in eggs and whisk until just smooth. Place in refrigerator overnight.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide the mixture evenly into four buttered and sugared baking cups or ramekins (approximately 2 inches in diameter and 3 inches tall). Scoop the mixture into the molds so they are two-thirds full.
Place cups or ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake on the top oven rack for 20 minutes. Using oven mitts or potholders, remove from oven and turn upside down. to release the soufflés to individual plates. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
I’ve kept these thoughts to myself but this post came together as thoughts of my childhood and teenage years. My life didn’t get better until I went to boarding school and went to live with my grandparents 14 years old.
“how many times can I scrap the food off my plate and spit the rest into my napkin before an explosion happens”.
“no way will I invite anyone to the house, it would probably be the last time I see them”.
“why me and not my brother, I forgot he’s the chosen child”
” house is an explosion to happen, either I get beat or she gets it, it will happen”
“you cut my hair so bad, probably on purpose”
” I can’t make any noise so most of the time I’m in the closet.”
“I won’t make friends because I don’t want anyone to find out.”
“you tried to kill me at 6 months old by leaving me in the bathtub and going downstair to talk to granny, you left me to die?”
“you always tell me how much you hate my father and I’m just like him. Does that mean you hate me? I think so.”
“my first attempt at suicide was at 9 years old.”
“you abused me starting at 6 months old, you’re a monster”
“out of sight, we called him Hitler.”
“because you were forced to marry Daddy when you got pregnant, might I add that you were engaged to someone else?”
“you let your mother and her mother say such horrible things like, I was a mistake, you’ve ruined your mother’s life time after time.”
“you didn’t tell me anything about menstruation. I went to the bathroom at school and totally freaked because something was wrong with me. A teacher had to come get me.”
This is all I can write, so many emotions to deal with. Sharing is good for others in the same place or know someone living with domestic violence.
Melinda
My smile is for my granny while taking me to get a photo taken.
For your next birthday party, make a “pavlova” – a delicious meringue shell filled with whipped cream and topped with fresh fruit. With it’s sweet, fluffy interior and crunchy crust, meringue is a favorite for kids of all ages. The desert, which is claimed by both New Zealand and Australia, was created for the great imperial Russian ballerina, Anna Palova, during her tour in the 1920’s.
INGREDIENTS:
4 egg whites
1 cup fine granulated sugar (castor sugar)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar (if desired)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Strawberries and kiwi fruit
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Beat egg whites quickly until they look like ribbons when dropped from the beater. Add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition. Beat meringue mixture until it forms stiff peaks but isn’t dry.
Fold vinegar, cornstarch, and vanilla into the mixture. Using parchment paper on a cookie sheet, spoon the meringue mixture into a circle on the sheet about six to eight inches in diameter ( a rubber spatula really helps with this step.)
Bake 1 1/2 hours. Turn the oven off and open the door, leaving the meringue to cool. The meringue shell will fall as it cools but that is okay.- that’s what whipped cream is for.
When the meringue shell is cool, whip the cream in the mixing bowl until it thickens. If desired, add sugar and vanilla to the cream. Don’t overbeat the cream or it will clump. Cover meringue with whipped cream and sliced fruit. You might want to make two-this is a very popular dessert! One pavlova serves six to eight people. And just in case you’d like the kids to eat dinner before dessert, try this traditional New Zealand family dinner one weekend.
You can also make roller bottles filled with essential oils that are uplifting and energizing during this busy season. This recipe smells amazing, or you could make your own.
Add the wild orange, frankincense, and peppermint essential oils into a 10-ml roller bottle. Top it off with your choice of carrier oil, such as fractionated coconut oil, jojoba oil, or sweet almond oil.
We replace the flour in this recipe with Pamela’s gluten-free baking mix. Pamela’s baking mix includes xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. you have to add these ingredients if you are using plain gluten-free flour that does not already have them added.
Ingredients:
3 cups gluten-free flour*
2 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups mashed bananas (3-4 very ripe bananas)
2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 bag of chocolate chips
*Or use Pamela’s baking mix and eliminate the next four ingredients.
Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease bottoms of two 9x5x3 loaf pans. If not using a premade baking mix, combine flour, xanthan gum, cider vinegar, baking soda, and salt in mixing bowl; blend well with an electric mixer on low speed. Beat bananas separately in a large mixing bowl, then add all the ingredients except chocolate chips to the bananas and beat on low speed for 1 minute.
Fold in chocolate chips and pour mixture evenly into pans. Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes then remove from pans to cool completely. If you are making muffins, bake for 20 minutes, testing doneness with a toothpick.
Relax in an all-natural moisturizing detox bath that soothes dry skin while you de-stress. This bath soak has the beautiful look and feel of fresh snow PLUS it leaves skin feeling silky soft and promotes better sleep.
Magnesium Sulfate: Popularly known as Epsom Salt. Magnesium is used for treating anxiety, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, leg cramps, migraine headaches, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), restless leg syndrome, skin infections and more.
Sodium Bicarbonate: Popularly known as Baking Soda. Sodium bicarbonate makes bath water alkaline which soothes irritated skin, relieves pain or itching, and leaves the skin feeling silky.
Virgin Coconut Oil: Virgin coconut oil is pressed from the “meat” of the coconut. It has a high content of lanauric acid which is anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial. It aids in skin healing and moisturizing.
Sweet Almond Oil: Almond oil is pressed from edible almonds. It is rich in Vitamin E, monounsaturated fatty acids, and proteins plus minerals and vitamins. It is good for moisturizing and healing skin.
Essential Oils:
Lemon Essential Oil is distilled from the peel of the lemon. It is high in d-limonene, a powerful antioxidant. Lemon oil is nourishing to the skin, improves mood, and supports the immune system.
Peppermint Essential Oil is derived from the leaves of the peppermint plant. It helps increase blood flow to the skin, is muscle-soothing, and has a mentally relaxing effect
Rosemary Essential Oil is distilled from the fresh flowering tops of the fragrant evergreen plant. It is used to stimulate blood circulation, relieve headaches and muscle aches, reduce stress, and boost the immune system.
This all-natural moisturizing detox bath soothes dry skin while raising magnesium levels to aid in de-stressing. This bath soak leaves skin feeling silky soft and supple and promotes better sleep.
Whisk together the melted coconut oil and almond oil.
Stir in essential oils. (10-20 drops lemon, 10-20 drops rosemary, 20-40 drop peppermint)
Add Epsom salts and baking soda, and stir to combine.
The bath salts will have the texture of fresh snow.
Store in an air-tight jar.
HOW TO TAKE A MOISTURIZING DETOX BATH
Take a magnesium bath at night just before going to bed for best results. The magnesium will help you relax while the moisturizing ingredients soothe and soften skin.
To prepare a bath: Fill the tub with hot water. Add the Magnesium Detox Bath salts then soak for 20-30 minutes. Add music, candles, a good book or an interesting podcast to make bath time more enjoyable.
Make sure to have a cold glass of drinking water within reach to rehydrate during the bath. After soaking pat dry and go to bed.
DETOX BATH WARNINGS
If you have any medical conditions or take prescription medicines you should consult with your doctor before taking a moisturizing detox bath. Hot bath water can cause dehydration and dizziness. You should drink lots of water while taking a detox bath and never take a detox bath when using drugs or alcohol.
Enjoy!
It sounds very easy to make and it’s great that you can make 5 baths worth per batch. Makes a great gift too.
This DIY is easy, super quick to get done with, and also at the comfort of your own kitchen platform to relieve your eyes of all the exhaustion and also to get rid of the dullness around the eyes.
Carrot (Known for its discoloration properties, carrot juice would help you get rid of the darkness and dullness around eyes)
Cucumber (Known for its cooling properties, cucumber would help in distressing your eyes giving them a relaxed effect)
Raw Milk (Known for its anti-tan properties, milk has always come handy in getting rid of dark circles around eyes)
Rose water (For the relaxation it provides to tired eyes)
Round Cotton Pads
Grater
To make the Eye Pads:
Grate about a teaspoon full of carrot in a bowl
Now, add some grated cucumber to the carrot.
To this mixture, add about a teaspoon full of raw milk (unheated).
Now, add a teaspoon full of rose water to this.
Now let this mixture rest for about 20 minutes to let the carrot and cucumber soak properly in the milk and rose water mixture.
Now, squeeze out the carrot and cucumber pulp and put the juice in a separate bowl.
Now, take the cotton pads separate the two sheets of cotton, and spread a thin layer of the pulp onto one side of the cotton.
Now take about a teaspoon of the juice extract and spread it over the thin layer.
Now, make a sandwich by closing the thin layer sheet with its other cotton sheet.
You have homemade eye pads ready with all the goodness of natural ingredients which will not only relax your eyes but will also deal with the dark circles and the dullness of your eyes.
I hope you enjoy this easy-to-make self-care treat and remember you are worth it! Self-care is mental health care.
This gentle body wash is great for sensitive skin because it’s made with coconut oil and aloe vera gel, making it extra soothing. It’s also super refreshing and the cooling effect of mint is a great way to start the day.
Whisk together all the ingredients until completely combined. Use a funnel to pour the body wash into your container of choice. I like to use one with a pump handle to make this soap easier to use, as it’s thinner than store-bought body wash. This body wash will separate between uses because no binders or stabilizers are included. Simply shake it together before each use.
Looking for the Light 