Welcome Readers!!



I hope you will enjoy some of my everyday musings on things yet unknown! I know I will enjoy expressing them to you! Questions and comments are always welcome! Have a peaceful day! P.S. Don't forget to scroll all the way down - you never know what you might miss!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Football Food and How I Got The Bears Into the Playoffs...

Yes, you read it right...I'm expecting a call anytime from The McCaskeys (The Bears Owners...) to thank me for what has been no small feat (ahem...Cutler...ahem...)  If you read my previous post, you'll know that I have been meditating for about twelve weeks now on a regular basis.  Have I been praying for the Bears to make it to the playoffs AND have a buy? Of course, not.  What gives?

**Source Unknown


A little background:  I am originally from Niles, Michigan a great little town in the SW Corner of Michigan, 10 minutes from Notre Dame, 30 minutes from Lake Michigan, and 90 minutes from Chicago.  So, of course, I was raised a Bears Fan.  When I was 19, I moved to my current city of Muncie, Indiana - home to none other than Ball State University, and I mean that...(just kidding Muncie!)  Slowly, but surely, I strayed...it was so easy - Peyton Manning is awesome, and well, I found myself joining those around me and becoming a Colts Fan.  In the past couple of years, we have toyed with the idea of moving back to the Niles area...Naturally, I felt a big connection to my roots and vowed to go back to them, forsaking the Colts, and returning all of my love to Da Bears and Da Bulls.  I never left Da Cubs...sadly. 

So, couple this change of heart for me, and the meditation that has put me so in sync with the world, and I just can't help but think that, yep, I've had a pretty strong influence on where the Bulls and the Bears are today, despite Jay Cutler.  Please save your comments for four weeks from now, when my meditative powers will undoubtedly run out...Hey, I can't do it all!!

With that said, let's move on to the important things: FoOtBaLl FoOdS!  Today's Recipe List will include the first three; stay tuned for more to follow in the next couple of weeks!!

1. 
Buffalo Chicken Dip
 
recipe image
Rated: rating
Submitted By: NUNPUNCH
Photo By: Robin Sue
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Ready In: 45 Minutes
Servings: 20
"This tangy, creamy dip tastes just like buffalo chicken wings. It's best served hot with crackers and celery sticks. Everyone loves the results!"
Ingredients:
2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken,
drained
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese,
softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup pepper sauce (such as Frank's
Red Hot®)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
 
1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4
inch pieces
1 (8 ounce) box chicken-flavored
crackers
Directions:
1. Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly. Serve with celery sticks and crackers. 

======================================
2. 
Jimmy's Mexican Pizza
 
recipe image
Rated: rating
Submitted By: Jimmy Simian
Photo By: B@KER
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Ready In: 45 Minutes
Servings: 8
"Jimmy's specially seasoned ground beef, refried beans, salsa, and cheese layered between two flour tortillas for a Mexican inspired deep dish pizza. "
Ingredients:
1/2 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
4 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 green onions, chopped
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup finely chopped jalapeno peppers
1/4 cup sour cream (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat 2 pie plates with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Place beef, onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until beef is evenly browned. Drain off grease. Season the meat with chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper.
3. Lay one tortilla in each pie plate, and cover with a layer of refried beans. Spread half of the seasoned ground beef over each one, and then cover with a second tortilla. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven.
4. Remove the plates from the oven, and let cool slightly. Spread half of the salsa over each top tortilla. Cover each pizza with half of the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Place half of the tomatoes, half of the green onions, and half of the jalapeno slices onto each one.
5. Return the pizzas to the oven, and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven, and let cool slightly before slicing each one into 4 pieces.
======================================
3. 
Hot Sausage Dip
 
recipe image
Rated: rating
Submitted By: Carey
Photo By: amandak23k
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 45 Minutes
Servings: 48
"This spicy sausage dip is great with tortilla chips or crackers. It's so thick and tasty, it could be a meal in itself!"
Ingredients:
1 pound ground pork sausage
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with
green chile peppers, drained
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
Directions:
1. Place pork sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown.
2. Drain sausage and stir in onions. Cook until slightly tender, about 2 minutes. Mix in diced tomatoes with green chile peppers. Stirring occasionally, allow the mixture to simmer approximately 15 minutes.
3. Blend cream cheese and sour cream into the sausage mixture. Season with crushed red pepper.            

Thursday, January 6, 2011

So What Does It All Really Mean, Anyway?

"Oz Never Did Give Nothin' To The Tinman..."...the title of my blog came to me almost immediately as I was creating it Sunday night...The quote is an excerpt from the lyrics of a song called Tin Man by America that was released in 1974, when I was just the ripe old age of three!


So, I feel like I should give you a little background, before I tell you my interpretation of the lyric.  About eight weeks ago, I began the practice of meditation.  I'd tried before, but it just never stuck.  I commited to fifteen minutes, four times per week.  The first couple of weeks it was: "Are we done yet?"  It definitely takes practice to be able to quiet the mind.  But, by the end of six weeks, it became something I craved as much as I crave a workout when I don't get it in...(or Mexican food on the weekend!!)  Along with the meditation, I had the pleasure of reading several books that talked a lot about the power we have over our feelings by virtue of controlling our thoughts.  And, OMG, I have found it to be so very true! I'm certainly not perfect, I still have lapses...but, wow! What a powerful thing to realize we are in control of the degree of happiness and joy, or, fear and disdain, for that matter, that we allow into our lives.  Now, of course, there are extreme circumstances that, I imagine, are so difficult, that no amount of positive thinking will wash those feelings away.  (Although, I do believe, they could improve one's general outlook...)  But, believe me, the vast majority of us could benefit from reading Self-Coaching 101 by Brooke Castillo.  We can talk more about that later...I've digressed...



Hmmm? How did these lyrics just pop into my head? My reason for beginning this blog were twofold...one, I enjoy technology and creativity and two, I've always enjoyed writing.  It's as much for me as it is for you, which is a good thing, since I only have three "followers" so far!  I suspect the openness of my mind as of late due to the meditation, kind of POPPED these lyrics into my head.

What do they mean to me? The lyrics continue..."Oz Never Did Give Nothin' to The Tin Man, That He Didn't, Didn't Already Have..."  Now, if you were raised on seventies feel good hippy music, than, you would have heard the rest of those lyrics in your head as you read my Blog Title.  To me, this means, wait for it......wait for it........!

It's all inside you! The ability to feel love, to express joy,  to be happy and  to be "present"...are all inside you already! And, no person, no object, no destination is going to give that to you in the long run.  You truly are the one in charge!  It's nice to know...

Peace...E.

Monday, January 3, 2011

iFit? You bet...My favorite fitness apps for the iPhone/iPod Touch!

Good afternoon my friends! Welcome to the first Monday of 2011! I hope you are feeling energetic and enjoying life!

It is no secret that I am most definitely an Apple FanGirl...I have found several apps to be useful in both my mental and physical fitness endeavors.  I'd like to share some of them with you today!


1.  "MyFitnessPal" is a Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker.  It has a 4.5 star rating from over 1,000 users.  Best of all, it is FREE!  F-R-E-E that spells Free!  It's food database includes over 600,000 foods.  It is very simple to use.  This app has been featured in USA Today, Family Circle, Marie Claire, NBC, CNET, Shape, and more.  The database is available offline, which is nice for iPod Touch users.  Food entry is very easy - it remembers your favorites, allows you to add multiple foods at once and lets you add entire meals. The app syncs with the website so you can log in from your computer or  your iPod/iPhone.  It also allows you to track your exercise and calories burned and it keeps track of your weight.  The exercise database includes more than 350 exercises.  You can set personalized goals as well.  It also allows you to post your progress to Twitter and Facebook if you choose to.

2.  "Streaks" is an awesome app that has made a Flosser out of me!! Streaks allows you to set up as many "Calendars" as you want.  You can make daily tasks, weekly tasks, or other variations in between.  The goal is to "not break the streak".  The app always displays your current streak as well as your longest streak.  I am a detail oriented, list-person and I like it for making sure I drink enough water, eat enough fruits and veggies, take my vitamin, floss, and get my exercise.  I make those items daily, with allowance for one day off per week.  I have other goals that I set up as Weekly Streaks, such as meditating 4 times per week, strength training once per week, and reading for 15 minutes 4 times per week.  It has been an extremely useful app for me.  Streaks is $1.99.

3.  C25K by Bluefin Software, LLC is an app that I am using with my son.  We plan on doing the Sunburst 5K in South Bend, Indiana this year.  This is a 5K/10K/Half-Marathon that allows its runners to finish on the football stadium of Notre Dame!  The app is $1.99.  It is a 9-week program that has users workout 3 times per week.  The program alternates between walking and running and each workout session is between 30 - 40 minutes long.  It allows you to listen to your playlist while running.  The "trainer" will give you a audio cue when it is time to run or walk.  The app is also equipped with Facebook/Twitter integration.

Try them out and let me know what you think!!! Good luck!

Have a mindful day! Peace...E.

Stay tuned...

NY Nana & Michael, Allie, Ryan, Riley & Dylan
Hi there! Well, I have to say setting up this Blog was half of the fun! I am glad to be back in touch with my creative side! What a wonderful Christmas Break we had! As you can see, we had great times with family doing all of the usual festive things the holidays bring! I plan on writing more tomorrow, but 6:30 will come awful early tomorrow after many days of sleeping in! Stay tuned for the following:

  • The Power of Positive Thinking
  • Verizon and the iPhone?
  • College Football Playoffs?

See you soon! Peace...E.