What If . . . You Need to Light a Match in Adverse Conditions?

                                                                    

Have you ever tried to keep a match lit 
 in adverse conditions?

       Very difficult! Always frustrating! Often impossible!


                Unless you are using the simple-to-make 
                       5-minute match!


Perfect for times you need to start a fire when the wind            is blowing and/or you are lacking proper kindling.  


Quick and Cheap to make ---- 
invaluable to have!


Gather

• a box of wooden "strike anywhere" matches
• yarn cut into 18" lengths
• paraffin wax and
• a small empty tuna can or similar

1. Tie a piece of yarn just below the head of the match, then using a series of half-hitches (for the men) or chain stitches (for the women), wrap the entire length of the match stick with the yarn, leaving just enough area uncovered at the end of the  stick to allow you to hold the match. There should be a "tail" (or length) of yarn remaining.

2. Once the matches are complete, melt the paraffin wax in the can which is sitting in a pan of water over low heat. Watch carefully as wax is highly flammable! 

3. Holding each match by its remaining yarn "tail", lower the match into the melted wax. After a few moments remove the wax covered match and allow to dry on a piece of waxed paper or aluminum foil. Repeat the process.

4. When the wax is completely dry, cut the off the excess yarn and store the matches in a safe container. An empty plastic medicine vial is good for this.

I have yet to see one of these matches fail to light and have never needed to light a second one to get the job done!

I love quick, cheap and useful things you can recreate yourself. I hope you do also! I am 

          Simply, Gail

Turning Negatives into Positives . . . Changing the Way We View Our Circumstances

When you look at this image what do you see?

And if you look again, do you see the same image?


Do you see a pretty young maiden. . .?  


Or do you see a haggard old woman? 


And when you look again, do you see the same image?


I rediscovered this fascinating drawing when I was busy cleaning out my bursting-at-the-seams file cabinet last week. 


I have had this illustration for years but this time it vibrantly illustrated for me, the different ways different individuals view life. 


 Negatively?  Positively?  


Which ones are the happiest?


Which ones are we drawn to?

In A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh, Tigger is cheerful and enthusiastic.  Another character Eeyore the donkey, while lovable, "is dismally gloomy for almost eternity." 


If you say "Good Morning to Eeyore he replies http://www.just-pooh.com/assets/audio/eeyore/eyegmorn.wav

To get up each morning with the resolve to be happy is to set our own conditions to the events of each day. To do this is to condition circumstances instead of being conditioned by them.
                                                                                                                         Ralph Waldo Trine


We can take simple steps to make sure we, and subsequently others, have a good positive day.  If we can't make it an entire day, we can start with just the morning, or maybe just an hour.

Happiness increases automatically when we

• Look for the good in any situation 
• View a glass as half full rather than half empty
• Count blessings rather than problems

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life: 

• It turns what we have into enough, and more --- 
• It turns denial into acceptance --- 
• Chaos to order ---
• Confusion to clarity ---
• It can turn a meal into a feast ---
• A house into a home, 
• A stranger into a friend.

Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                         (thanks to Melody Beattie for her wonderful insight insight and reminders on gratitude)

Warning: Attitude Adjustments don't happen overnight!

But they can happen! At first we have to be aware of how, over and over, our attitude can change as fast as our situation ----- and practice, over and over, turning the negative into the positive ---- as often as necessary.

There is no time like the present to begin . . .

A Short Prayer

Dear Lord,

     So far today, I’ve done all right. I haven’t gossiped, haven’t lost my temper, haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or over indulgent. I’m very thankful for that.

    But, in a few minutes, God, I’m going to get out of bed. And from then on, I’m probably going to need a lot more help.                                                               author unknown

      

Cob corn in nature's own microwaveable shake-and-eat packaging!

My thanks to Ken for teaching me the seemingly impossible --- 

The "Bestest"! Quickest! and Neatest! Way to Cook and Shuck an Ear of Corn


I happened on the recipesfromgrandma.com website two weeks ago and couldn't wait for the first corn of the season to hit the grocery shelves so I could try it out.


That was earlier today. I really didn't think it would work---- even after watching him do it. (With modern technology, these days, seeing is believing is not always the case.)  


But. . .It did! And it was!

These are Ken's word-for-word directions: Basically, put two corn cobs complete with husks and silks in the microwave, and cook for eight minutes. Cut the husk off one end, and shake the cob out.

Can’t be any easier!

Actually, he shows you which end to cut off in his video.


See for yourself by clicking on the below link.  He is easy to watch and the introductory music is perfect.


http://www.recipesfromgrandma.com/tag/microwave-corn-on-cob/


Thanks Ken.  Hope you don't mind me spreading the word.

It can't get more simple than this and this is what I am all about because I am
Simply, Gail

The best help we can give our addicts/alcoholics is. . .

NO help!


Though harsh sounding, this is what we have learned over our years of seeking help for our addicted loved one.


We tried everything we knew in the attempt to fix our addict, gave too many "second chances", and much more in our quest to cure our loved one of these dreaded two diseases. 


We became addicted to our addict!


What the years of trying, like so many others have been doing to help their loved one, to change him/cure him/assist him/fill-in-what-YOU-have-done we learned that no matter what we do, we can't fix him. 


Any help WE gave basically added -- not aided. 


Years of "trying" -- in giving our all -- experience, hours of counseling and years of support groups led us to understand that addiction and alcoholism is unlike any other illness.


Six years ago Dave gave a talk which evolved into a small book.
(See previous post of April 20 "The Best Laid Plans" for more about that.) 

     We certainly don't know it all but what we have learned has seemingly helped many others. 
     What we know for certain is that our Heavenly Father gave us each the ability to make our own decisions and then reap the consequences or rewards of those decisions.  
     We do know that "unconditional love" is not taking these consequences upon ourselves in our effort to protect our loved ones from their often harsh reality. 




Unconditional love is instead, not giving up on our loved ones emotionally but letting them have the dignity to face and embrace their consequences. 


If you are among the many affected by the addictive habits of another, hopefully we can help a little by making Dave's book available.  Contact us at davengail@infowest.com. We ask $4.00 to cover the cost of printing and postage (in the United States).


Again, although life is rarely simple, I remain 
Simply, Gail

The Best Laid Plans . . .

No matter what wonderful dreams we have for   our children and how hard we to try to teach them to make correct choices, some of them choose another path. 

One of our children is a recovering alcoholic/drug addict—currently in his seventh year of sobriety. We are proud of his strength and determination.

Our learning path slowly led us to the fact that the best help we had to offer him was NO help!

After years of struggling---trying to help him, save him, get help for him, and help for ourselves---we finally started to “get it.”

When Dave gave an LDS Church presentation on the topics of Agency and Accountability (Choices and Consequences) six years ago, it quickly took on a life of its own, evolving by request (totally by word-of-mouth and e-mail) into a small 50 page book, which was printed a few at a time as needed. We quit counting in December 2010 when it passed the 500 copy mark.

Our son gave permission for the talk and for the book. In fact, he even gives them to others.

While geared to members of the LDS Church (Mormon) and their understanding, it is a message applicable to anyone of any faith who is experiencing the horrors of addiction in a family member or other loved one.

Since we continue to have people of all faiths request additional copies of “The Yellow Book” to share with family and friends, we feel it must be beneficial.

The Scriptures referenced in this book are taken from the four standard works of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:  The King James Version of the Holy Bible, The Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ*, The Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price.

* The Book of Mormon is a volume of Holy Scripture comparable to the Bible.  It is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas and contains, as does the Bible, the fullness of the everlasting gospel.

If you are interested in The Yellow Book, please e-mail us at davengail@infowest.com.  We ask $4 to cover the cost of printing and postage (within the United States).


I am Simply, Gail . . . but life isn't always simple.

The Greatest Gift for Grandma

Then

NOW

                                               Slade and Siera are 20 and 19!

                                         (and the family photo is 8 years old)

and the gift is still giving.

The Background of Cinco de Mayo and . . .

a yummy taquito recipe!


I was born and raised in Southern California. Frequent visits to historic Olvera Street in Los Angeles were a part of my life----specifically the little taquito spot located at the top of the street.  They were the best!!!


Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for "fifth of May") is a celebration held on May 5. It is celebrated nationwide in the United States and regionally in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is called El Dia de la Batalla de Puebla (The Day of the Battle of Puebla).

The date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride, and to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War.In the state of Puebla, the date is observed to 
commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.


Contrary to widespread popular belief, Cinco de Mayo  is not Mexico's Independence Day—
the most important national patriotic holiday in Mexico—which is actually celebrated on September 16th.

   From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Since this is a "celebration" dish I am including it even though it isn't as cheap as I usually offer. Our daughter-in-law Kris shared this recipe with me. There are quite a few ingredients but I hope that doesn't stop you---most are probably in your pantry; and the recipe goes together quickly. Plus they can be made ahead and frozen! 

The recipe is from Our Best Bites and Pennies on a Platter.  They may not be "authentic" but they are definitely  delicioso.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Yield: 12 taquitos

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup green salsa (or green enchilada sauce)

1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice (about half a lime's worth)

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro (I left it out)

2 Tablespoons sliced green onions

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 cup shredded Mexican-flavored cheese (Kris used Pepper Jack &I used Colby-Jack)                        

small flour or corn tortillas (I used corn)

Kosher salt

Cooking spray

In large bowl, combine the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic, mixing well.  Next stir in the cilantro and green onions. Add the chicken and cheese and mix thoroughly.  

At this point you may proceed or cover the mixture and refrigerate until you are ready to make them.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat them in the microwave between two damp paper towels until they are soft enough to roll (about 20-30 seconds). 

Working with one tortilla at a time, spoon 2 to 3 Tablespoons chicken mixture onto the lower third of the tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can. Place the rolled tortilla seam-side-down on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Make sure there is a little space between each so they do not touch each other.

Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with Kosher salt. (I am sure you can use regular salt but I happened to have some Kosher on hand. Doing this really adds to the taste.) 

Bake 15 - 20 minutes until crisp and golden.

Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

To Freeze: Before baking, (but before spraying and salting -- or at least that is how I did it) flash freeze the taquitos in a single layer on a baking sheet until they are hardened. Then, when you place them in a freezer bag they will not stick together. You can freeze them for up to three months. 

To bake (no need to thaw first): Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray and salt them if you didn't do it before freezing, and bake for 20 minutes. 

'til we eat again, 

     Simply, Gail