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It's no secret that I love dessert. It's the reason I went cold turkey for a month. I'm happy to say that dessert has become less frequent, yet more enjoyed since our relationship resumed in March.
I've figured out a few ways to keep my dessert-loving ways under control.
1) Don't keep it in the house. While I have ice cream in the freezer, it's just one kind. If I make dessert for an event, it doesn't come back. No more buying cookies from the bakery- it just means I'll rationalize eating them for breakfast.
2) When I'm offered something sweet, I ask myself if it's worth being my "one dessert of the day." Sometimes it is, but sometimes I decide to skip it, even if I don't have anything else later.
3) Figure out ways to make it personal/single-sized. Just one serving is enough!
A couple of years ago the Chicago Tribune Food section printed a recipe for a brownie made in a mug. It was a tiny blurb and I might have overlooked it, but "brownie" called out to me like a siren song. I quickly became a convert of the Mug Brownie.
It's the perfect pick-me-up! I can't say whether it's healthy or not but it's better than eating a whole pan. In fact, sometimes I just eat half and save the rest for the next day.
Mug Brownie
4 T flour
4 T sugar
2 T cocoa
2 T vegetable oil
2 T water
(optional: dash of salt, 1/4 t. vanilla)
Assemble ingredients and mix thoroughly. It helps to use a small spatula so you can be sure the dry ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.
Microwave for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. It won't be entirely set in the middle.
Be careful- it'll be really hot! Best to cool for a couple of minutes and then eat warm. Top with vanilla ice cream, if you'd like. Then sigh with pure happiness and joy. All is right with the world when you're enjoying a Mug Brownie.
Bonus: Throw in a handful of nuts, chocolate chips, or Reese's peanut butter cups when mixing the batter to take your Mug Brownie to a whole new level. I'm a particular fan of adding a Cadbury Creme Egg during Easter.
Tip: You can use a mug or a ramekin. It's entirely up to you.
Do you have any pint-size dessert tricks up your sleeve? Any variations on the Mug Brownie recipe?
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I'm ashamed to admit this but I haven't had a regular housecleaning schedule since I graduated college. Between living at home with my parents during grad school and then living with roommates, cleaning was something to do in my occasional downtime or before having company over.
I'm not a perfectionist when it comes to homemaking. I'm comfortable in the kitchen and I'm familiar with the contents of my toolbox. I can hem with the best of them and enjoy taking on home-related projects. Cleaning, however, remains something I'd prefer to avoid.
Now that I live by myself, I can only blame myself if my house isn't pristine. I subscribe to the idea of cleaning once I notice its dirty. (Lest you think I'm a slob, I'm not. I just don't dust and polish as often as I should.) I keep up on laundry and the dishes but other chores tend to be delayed. I know it's just an excuse but the idea of cleaning after a hard day's work makes me feel more exhausted.
Clearly I needed Home-Ec 101, written by blogger Heather Solos. When the One2One Network offered to let me read a free copy of the eBook, I didn't hesitate to say yes.
The full title of Home-Ec 101 says it all: Skills for Everyday Living. The book is divided into 4 sections, comprised of Clean It, Wash It, Fix It, Cook It. It is jam-packed with helpful information.
Wondering about why you shouldn't mix ammonia and bleach? And did you know you still shouldn't mix them, even if they're included in other cleaners?
Do you know how long your appliances will last? Are you versed in how to get rid of all manner of stains?
What should you do if you need a rolling pin but don't want to buy one? (I felt proud that I already knew this answer- use a bottle of wine.) What are common cooking substitutions?
All this and more is contained in Home-Ec 101. Thanks to Heather, I have now developed a cleaning schedule that works for me. She breaks up chores into daily tasks. Dusting becomes more manageable when you do it one room at a time. She walks the reader step by step through deep cleaning, then offers tips on how to maintain a clean home. This I can handle.
While the eBook was helpful, I'm glad that Home-Ec 101 is available in hard copy at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Depending on your question, it would be easy to flip to the pertaining section. This is a handy manual that you'll want to keep around.
What are your cleaning habits? How do you stay on top of the demands of your home?
Disclosure: One2One Network provided me with a free copy of the Home-Ec 101 eBook for review, with no expectation that I would provide a positive review. The thoughts, opinions, and reactions are entirely my own.
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(Stay tuned for a giveaway at the end of this post!)
The tray contains these words ringing around its edges: wonderful grace, simple joy, unending hope, authentic peace, unfathomable love. The carved flowers on the sides add to the beauty of its message. At 14" x 14", it's perfect for your serving or decorating needs.
I've had fun figuring out where to use my Wonderful Grace Tray. I tried three different locations in my house and then played around with what to put on the tray.
First, a look at the serving tray I currently use in my living room. I don't have a coffee table due to space constraints so a serving tray on the ottoman is a perfect fix.
Next, I considered using it with my PartyLite Thai Inspiration Candles in my office. I thought the contrasting woods might add some extra drama.
As to the tray's final resting place, look no further than the kitchen counter/bar. The Grace Tray provides an anchor to the space, allowing me to feature seasonal decor or whatever currently inspires me. Plus, it forces me to put papers away, instead of letting them accumulate there.
I love grouping various items from my house. I started with a Ball jar that collects pennies, then I added the Anthro candle, a votive, and the dried gingko leaves from last fall.
For another touch of color, I added the fantastic red graphic bookmarks my friend Val made me. I loved it!
But then I thought about how it's spring and this seemed to be a very fall arrangement. It happens easily enough in my home, given that fall and its colors are my favorite.
I set to making a more springlike arrangement and came up with this:
I'm sure in the coming weeks, I'll tweak it a bit more. Either way, the Grace Tray has helped me see my home in a whole new light!
(in)courage is kindly offering a $35 coupon code to DaySpring to a reader! (A coupon code is the same as a gift certificate here.) This might be a good time to mention that the Wonderful Grace Tray is 50% through the month of April. Or perhaps you'd like something else from DaySpring. The choice is yours!
UPDATE: Giveway closed.
Disclosure: (in)courage provided me the Grace Tray for free for review purposes, with no expectation that I would provide a positive review. The thoughts, opinions, and reactions are entirely my own. It's always nice when I love the product I've been given!
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I admit I wasn't expecting to enjoy reading The Final Summit. I hadn't read its predecessor The Traveler's Gift
and the time traveling premise didn't necessarily appeal to me. Still, I knew that Andy Andrews has been on the New York times bestselling list a time or two so when the opportunity arose to review the book for Thomas Nelson's BookSneeze program, I took it.
I'm so glad I did.
It didn't matter that I hadn't read about our character David Ponder before. Enough backstory was presented that I had a good idea of who he was and what he'd been through. In The Final Summit, David Ponder is a successful man, who lost his fortune once and then managed to rebuild it based on the Seven Decisions (all gleaned during events in the first book). When we meet David, he is mourning the death of his wife and questioning his purpose. That's putting it too kindly. He basically wishes he was dead.
Instead of getting his wish, the archangel Gabriel appears before him. Gabriel reminds David that he is the last Traveler. A summit of all the Travelers over all time has been called. Their purpose is to determine whether there should be a future on this earth, given the state of humanity.
Books involving time travel and historical figures can go a couple of ways. They can be cheesy and trite. Or they can allow the reader to learn and grow. Thankfully, The Final Summit falls into the latter category.
The Travelers are a diverse group. There are the "dead white guys," of course, but there are also women and representations from various cultures and ethnicities. And while important people throughout history are represented, there are also those souls we know nothing about who forever altered events because of their courage.
David Ponder leads the Travelers as they discuss what humanity must do to restore itself. They are given 5 chances or humanity is done for. Gabriel alludes to a "He" throughout the book, which I assumed to be God. Therefore, I read this as God giving humanity one last chance through this group of Travelers. The reader can't help but dialog with them as answers are tossed out and discussed.
It was interesting to see how King David might respond in a think tank but I was more taken with Eric Erikson's story. Did you know that President Eisenhower said that if not for Erickson, we would not have won World War II? I didn't either before reading this book.
It is that attention to detail and research that makes Andrews' book worth reading.
Now I don't agree that God would give humanity one last chance, as this would negate his promise after the flood. And I didn't always agree with the Travelers' discussion points- though the portion on depression was genius. Still, their discussion is not unlike the things we all talk or wonder about at one time or another. Why is the world this way? What can we do to make it a better place? What is our purpose?
Without giving away anything, I will say this. Their conclusion is one I wish all people would adopt. If our leaders would step up to the plate. If we all could exhibit integrity and courage. If we all did our part. What kind of world would we live in?
This may be the stuff of fiction but The Final Summit helps me keep believing that a better way exists and that change is possible.
Disclosure: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Disclosure: Amazon Affiliate links included in this post. If you click through to Amazon from HopefulLeigh, any purchase you make supports this site.
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