Wednesday's Weekly Recipes - Christmas 2017

With Christmas comes baking (or stopping at the bakery) so what better time to share recipes?

I confess, I am a Pinterest junkie and I LOVE to try all the fancy things that people post on their Recipe boards. I don't always have TIME for these kitchen adventures and am learning that sometimes it just isn't worth the stress to do homemade. HOWEVER, when I DO have time, I love to bake. Over the next few weeks I'll share some of my favorite recipes.

Let's start with something super easy. This is my absolute favorite thing to make for parties. 

Jalapeno Cream Cheese Crescent  Poppers

1 package Cream Cheese (8oz) softened

4 oz diced jalapenos ( you can add more or less to taste)

1 Tablespoon Sugar

1 can Refrigerated Crescent Rolls

Makes 32 crescent Poppers (I usually make 2 batches...they go fast!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Add Cream Cheese, Jalapenos and sugar to mixing bowl and ... mix

Sometimes I use a mixer, sometimes not. Up to you.

Once everything is blended together, I taste to see if I want more kick.

If you want more, just add more peppers and mix again.

Set mixture aside (Don't put it in the fridge. It's easier to spread at room temperature)

Open can of Crescent rolls and separate into 2 rectangles. Pinch the seams together.

Spread 1/2 the cream cheese mixture over one of the rectangles (I use the back of a spoon for this).

Once you've spread the cream cheese, roll the crescent starting with the LONG side. (like a pinwheel log)

Once it's rolled up, get a really sharp knife and cut it in half.

Cut those 2 in half

Cut those 4 in half

Now you have 8, right?

Cut those in half.

You should have 16 .

Now do the same to the other rectangle of Crescent Rolls.

Once you get them all cut, you can refrigerate and cook later if you are making these ahead of time.

When you are ready to cook them (oven preheated to 375), place them on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam and bake for 13 minutes or so...might want to watch them since all ovens are different. When they are golden brown, take them out.

They are sooo good right out of the oven!

Enjoy!

Much love and Big Hugs!

K

Tuesday's tips and tricks - Christmas Edition - Week 1

Oh my GOODNESS! Is it December already???

I am totally not ready for Christmas and all the craziness that goes along with the Christmas season!

In an attempt to defend against Holiday Overload which can lead to extra anxiety and depression (which I definitely do NOT need), I am making a conscious effort to NOT get overloaded. Thought I would share my tips and tricks for surviving the holidays.

Week 1

USE YOUR CALENDAR!

I have a propensity to over-book myself. I love Christmas and all the things we do during December, so my immediate answer to most any invitation is "YES!!!!" I am TRYING to make a habit of saying "Let me check my calendar." This will help me keep my schedule doable. That being said...

I've already stretched myself too thin and it is only December 5!

Saturday was our Ladies Christmas Table Scape dinner. (pictures and post to follow on Thursday of this week) Sunday was church, I'm on the Praise team rotation this month, requiring practice Sunday morning and afternoon. We had a Chili and Soup Fellowship Sunday night.

Last night was my youngest's band concert.
Tonight we are attending a Christmas party.
Tomorrow is Church.
I have horse therapy scheduled for Saturday and am chaperoning a bonfire that night.
Then Church all day Sunday again.

This brings me to my second tip...

BE REALISTIC ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO!

For my friend Christie, the schedule above is no problem. She has 4 children and manages them flawlessly. I, on the other hand, am lucky to get to work with matching shoes most days! Christie can handle this week's schedule without breaking a sweat. Me...not so much. It seriously pushes my limit. My chest is tight and my heart is racing just thinking about it. The thing that is saving me from a panic attack is my calendar...where I can SEE that Thursday and Friday nights are clear.

My point is simply this...be realistic about what you need in terms of social interaction and time alone. If you need alone time like I do, be SURE to schedule that,  which segues nicely to tip number 3...

SCHEDULE EVERYTHING!!

A calendar, if used properly, will not only keep you from being over-booked, but will also insure that you have time to care for yourself. Perry told me to schedule EVERYTHING and this has proven more valuable that I thought possible. While you are marking out time for parades, parties, dinners, and concerts, be SURE to also mark time on your calendar for...

• house cleaning (i know...YUCK! but better to have time to do it than to have someone show up with Christmas Cookies and see a week's worth of laundry piled on the couch!)
  
• REST - oh my goodness, sweetheart...schedule some "me time" - Merry Christmas to ME!!! Schedule time for a nap, reading a book, watching a movie in bed...whatever is relaxing to you. Take time to just REST.
  
• baking - if you like to bake, that is...if not... just buy it...not worth stressing over!
  
• cooking - (see note on baking)
  
• visiting with friends - with all the traveling we do in December, it is so nice to have a stress free evening or afternoon with the people we do life with day in and day out. 

STOP GUILTING YOURSELF!!!!

Yes, your kiddo would LOVE for you to make those amazing Santa cupcakes she saw on Pinterest for her class party, but if it requires you to miss 4 of your 6 hours of sleep...not worth it. Go buy some cupcakes and call it a day. 

STOP STRESSING YOURSELF!!!

Let's face it. Some women can pull out all the stops, be the perfect hostess or guest and make it look completely effortless, but we ALL know that one woman who is present at EVERY event, is the BEST at everything from decorating to baking, whose kiddos are always dressed all matchy matchy and NEVER have chocolate on their faces, who ALWAYS brings the most beautifully wrapped gifts...and is a total sleep deprived, stressed out jerk.

Don't be that girl honey. No one likes to be around that girl.

• Use your calendar.
• Be realistic about what you can do.
• Schedule EVERYTHING (including rest)
• Stop guilting yourself.
• Stress less...ENJOY MORE!

Much love and BIG BIG hugs!!!!!!!

K

Equine Assisted Therapy - session 1

I started "Horse Therapy." 

My friends and family have had great fun telling me what they envision this to be. 

I've only been once so far. Yes,  I talked to the horse. No,  he did not talk back. 

I was talking to the horse the way a person NORMALLY talks to a horse. Ya know, "Hey big guy. Aren't you a sweet boy." He acted like horses act. He wanted me to rub his nose and scratch his back and he sniffed my hair and clothes. The therapist, Nancy, was there of course and we were getting to know each other as well. The horse startled and I said "Oh! I'm sorry!" 

Nancy asked, "Do you realize you just apologized to the horse?"

I don't remember my response, but I do remember she laughed and told me I'd done it twice. She asked what I thought happened just then and I said something startled him. She asked what I though that was and I said that I thought he saw something over my shoulder. She said something along the lines of...

"So you are apologizing to a HORSE for something you have absolutely nothing to do with."

Imagine a 3-D puzzle. Say its 100,000 different shaped pieces that, together make some random abstract image. It has holes and gaps and some pieces are placed in precarious positions that make the structure vulnerable in multiple places. The entire structure is fragile, but familiar and that familiarity allows it to remain intact, albeit unstable. You believe the structure will fall apart if anything about the structure is altered. You are afraid of it all falling apart and fiercely protect the out of place (even broken) pieces that make the structure unstable and fragile...because this abstract, unstable, fragile structure is all you know. 

Initially this was me. Just me. That's almost exactly how I felt for...well...forever I guess. I have said so many times "I am afraid if someone touches me I will break into a million pieces"

I tried so HARD to keep this structure together.  The catalyst that drove me to the point of suicide was the realization that I cannot maintain the "structure."  Almost everything in my life was viewed through the lens of what "should be" or what I "should" do/think/feel.  All these "shoulds" make up the structure.  When my suicide attempt was unsuccessful, I THOUGHT that the way to get over this was to figure out how to get back to "normal" and protect and support this unstable structure that is... well.... I guess it's me. 

Enter the horse.

I realized that I was taking complete responsibility for a horse being startled by something I had nothing to do with, and something that fragile structure shifted.

I realized that I take complete responsibility for LOTS of things that might not be completely my responsibility, and it shifted a bit more...

Add Counseling with Perry back into the picture...

Perry and I revisited my session with Nancy and the horse. We talked about that for a bit and then about the upcoming holidays and how I'm feeling about that.

Somewhere in this discussion, it hit me that I am not responsible...not just that I don't have to FEEL responsible, but that in reality I am NOT responsible for SO MANY things, and that one little piece of the structure that shifted with the horse fell out of place... and when it did, the entire structure started falling apart...

But it didn't really fall apart at all...

It caused other pieces to shift and tumble and find NEW places...places where they actually fit.

That structure that was so precarious and fragile before is now becoming a solid cube, with all those 100,000 pieces becoming firmly seated in their proper place. I can see that the end result will be something solid, dependable, safe, whole, durable, finite, and stable.

It SEEMS like our world will implode if let go of the death grip we have on the way things "should" be, but letting go of the precariously put together, fragile, unstable image of how things "should" be and accepting the reality of the way they ARE is how we find healing.

I've said many times that I truly believe that every part of this journey has been necessary. I absolutely believe this to be true. I believe that my medicine is necessary, as is counseling with Perry and with Nancy. I believe that my time in the hospital was necessary.

I still have good days and bad days...the crazy thing is...it is very freeing.  It's okay to have bad days because I am beginning to feel...

 solid. 

I don't know how else to describe it.

Much love and BIG BIG hugs!

K