I haven’t been around here for a few days – though it wasn’t necessarily for lack of trying as much as lack of time. By the time I sat down at the computer to get any writing done, I was starting to doze off in my chair. Yesterday was my day off, which normally gives me a couple of spare hours, but I was on my feet from early morning through the end of the day, cleaning up the house and preparing food for company. Today though – today I plan on doing NOTHING that I don’t want to do. Why? Well, because it’s my birthday and I am choosing to watch movies with Hubby, eat leftovers from last night and relax. I MIGHT go into the kitchen and play around with a recipe I’ve been looking at later on, but after yesterday’s cooking palooza has me questioning my thought process on that. We’ll see. Depends on how intense my craving for something chocolate gets. At this particular moment in time, my craving for keeping my feet up and resting is bigger than the call of cake.
Verse of the Day
January 12, 2019
You are to help your brothers until the LORD gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
I find it so easy to think of my needs and my safety first. I don’t want to be selfish, but when it comes to making decisions about the investment of my time, it’s so easy for me to see things only from MY perspective. But with God’s people, it’s a “we” and “us” perspective that is important, not a “me” and “mine” perspective. The Eastern tribes of Israel had reached their Promised Land. But they were not to quit the fight and settle there until all God’s people were safely in their homeland. The same is true for us in God’s Kingdom today. We are to look not only to our needs, but also to those of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
January 13, 2019
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Thoughts on the Verse of the Day
We are to be devoted to one another. We are to honor one another. And the basis of this loving devotion and honor is found in one central truth: Because God is our Father, we are one family. We are siblings in God’s Kingdom. Our relationship is eternal and built on God’s grace to us and our grace expressed to each other.
Food for Thought
I will admit that Hubby and I don’t have many people over to visit who aren’t family. It isn’t that we don’t want to have friends over to visit, it’s that we don’t often find people who we both like and who aren’t difficult to identify with on many levels. We are very politically conservative – and if you’ve been reading the posts for any period of time, this won’t surprise you – so we enjoy having other like-minded people over too. I have a low tolerance for what I consider to be BS, so we pick and choose carefully. When we DO find people to have over to visit, they tend to be closer to our parents’ ages than to our own. That’s fine, because people who have lived life for awhile have some of the most interesting life experiences to talk about! The couple that came over for dinner last night were so incredible, have lived a life filled with adventure and had so many great stories. When they left, it didn’t feel like it should be nearly bedtime. I know we would have been able to visit for much longer without running out of things to say, but that just makes the next visit something to look forward to!
Saturday – January 12
Eagle Day – Eagles are beautiful birds of prey that are known for their amazing hunting abilities. There are more than 60 species in Africa and Eurasia, two in North American, nine n Central and South America and only three species in Australia. The ones found in North America are the bald eagle and the golden eagle. These incredible birds can dive at speeds of 100 miles per hour. They have a lifespan between 14 and 35 years, depending on the species, with the female being larger than the male. Eagles are active during the day, sleeping at night. The eagle’s vision is amazing, with eyesight estimated to be 4-8 times stronger than that of the average human. This is fascinating – the eagle’s eyes do not move much in their eye sockets, but because they can rotate their heads 270 degrees, just like owls, they can see almost all around them. They also have a clear eyelid that protects their eyes from dust and dirt. They are the king of birds, because of their strength, how naturally ferocious they are, and their rapid speed and elevation of flight. They are carnivores, which means they only eat meat, though they do not eat every day. Their special digestive organ, the crop, stores food until there is room for it in their stomach, which allows them to store a large meal until they need it, which prevents them from growing weak if food is scarce for a time. They build their nests in tall trees or on high cliffs. Amazingly, as fast as the bald eagle is, the golden eagle can reach a max air speed of 200 mph! Now that’s fast!
Feast of Fabulous Wild Men Day – for all the men out there, this could be YOUR day – if you’re a fabulous wild guy! I searched everywhere I could to find out why this day was set aside for this, and nobody knows. It’s listed on many sites, but none have anything but speculation as to what it all means. One idea is that it’s a day for women to feast their eyes on some fabulously wild men. Others suggest that perhaps it’s a day to treat your Fabulous Wild Man to a feast. No matter how you choose to celebrate it, if you have a fabulous man in your life – give him a special treat and let him know that to you, he’s the most fabulous of them all.
Kiss a Ginger Day – I have to wonder why red headed kids get kicked around so much? I really want to know! For one thing, they are called “gingers”, and they are often treated badly. Personally, I think that many shades of naturally red hair (no, the garish store-bought reds don’t count) are stunning! This celebration was started as a direct response to a Facebook campaign started in 2008 to “Kick a Ginger”. Many red headed kids were assaulted in school, causing outrage and condemnation . . . and this celebration. The idea is to grab every “ginger” you see and give them a kiss. Keep in mind, that this is ALSO a form of assault if they do not want to be kissed, and if you’re a grown-up and the ginger in question is a child . . . well, the kiss could open up a can of worms you really want to leave alone. Use discretion with this one. Spread some “Ginger love” today though by at least being nice to anyone you see who happens to have red hair.
National Pharmacist Day – Can I get a Woohoo? Think this one isn’t very exciting if you aren’t a Pharmacist? Well, think about this for a moment. Pharmacists must have knowledge of the chemistry of all medicines. They have to be able to tell their customers/patients about the side effects of drugs, and all aspects of prescription medication. It is very important that they understand and recognize the interactions that different medications may have when taken together, since so many people take multiple medications at a time. I only have to see a pharmacist on very rare occasions – but if you happen to see your pharmacist today, wish them a Happy Pharmacists Day!
Sunday – January 13
International Skeptics Day – Do you doubt everything you hear if it isn’t immediately provable by scientific fact? Do you even doubt things that HAVE been proven? If you are the quintessential Doubting Thomas, then this day is definitely for you. Some folks just have a difficult time taking anything on faith, where others believe everything they hear, whether or not it is even logical to believe. Faith is a big part of my life, but I feel like I temper it with enough skepticism to balance myself out – of course what I am most skeptical about is people and their motives for doing anything. There are people who just can’t believe ANYTHING that is seemingly outlandish – Big Foot? Not a chance. Ghosts? Never! Aliens? Are you serious? Yep, if you question everything, then this day is going to be a special day for you, so enjoy!
Make Your Dream Come True Day – How many of us say, fairly often, that we’d like to do something . . . someday? We’d like to go somewhere special . . . someday. We’d like to get something that means a lot to us . . . someday. We’d like to lose the weight . . . someday. We’d like to get in touch with this friend or that friend that haven’t seen in awhile . . . someday. What will make “someday” come? And when will that happen? For some people it never does. They wait for the perfect moment, and it never arrives because something will always get in the way. Whether it is work, finances, weather, obligations, health issues . . . something happens and life passes you by without that dream coming true. This is the day to start changing all of that. Make your dreams come true. Write them down, set a date to have certain parts of the dream come to pass and make it happen. Whatever your dreams are they are worth making them come to pass.
National Sticker Day – I LOVE stickers – well, I used to when I was little. Today is about all things sticker related from the custom printing of them to sharing them with other people because every sticker has its own story. Historians give credit for stickers to European merchants in the 1880s. They were the first to put labels on their products to promote them to passersby. They used a gum paste to get the labels to stick, and that’s where the name started – “stickers”. Nice! By the time the 1900s rolled around a paste that was sticker-specific was created and began to be widely used, at that point mostly on stamps. This celebration is today in honor of R. Stanton Avery, who was born on this day in 1907. My own little history with stickers – I’ve always been a bit of an entrepreneur, always trying to sell something. Quite honestly, I was better at sales when I was a kid than I am now, but my 1stforay into individual sales that wasn’t through a school fundraiser, was stickers. Puffy plastic stickers had just started appearing in stores – I must have been around 12 years old – and I saw an opportunity to make a little extra money, so I bought a few sleeves of stickers and started selling them individually to my friends – the sleeve cost about .79 and I was selling the stickers for .15 each or 2 for .25. It was awesome! They sold out right away, so I bought more and moved on to other items and sold them too. The teachers didn’t mind, until I started selling jingle bells to put on shoes at Christmas time – apparently that was a bit of a distraction. Enjoy sticker day by buying some fun little stickers to decorate your papers with – it’s fun!
National Sunday Supper Day – This one is celebrated on the 2nd Sunday in January, though honestly, I believe it should be celebrated every single week. Families are so busy with work, school, activities and hurrying here and there, that Sunday supper has been a disappearing tradition for quite some time. The Sunday Supper movement started with the goal of bringing families together in the kitchen and around the table, starting with one Sunday at a time. It’s a good one to start today!
This Day in History –
January 12, 1966 – Batman debuts on television.
Food Celebrations of the Day –
January 12
National Curried Chicken Day – I love chicken curry. It’s warming and full of flavor, the flavors blossoming on your taste buds, creating an amazing dining experience. I did not realize until last year how much hubby hates anything with curry in it though, so this is one I’ll make again as a single serving to enjoy.
https://www.ketoconnect.net/coconut-curry-chicken/
National Glazed Donut Day – Nobody can deny that donuts are delicious. Light and airy, sweet and comforting – there’s just nothing bad to say about them . . . well except that they are fattening in all of their high carb glory. Truth is, I’ve made low-carb donuts and they were more like round muffins – dense and cakey, and though not bad, they weren’t donuts as most of us think of them. Glazed donuts are a simple, sweet and delicious treat. I really enjoy Rae Drummond’s Pioneer Woman blog, and though I have never tried her recipe for donuts, when I am primed for a splurge day, I just may. https://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/homemade-glazed-doughnuts/
National Hot Tea Day – I love hot tea and knew that January is hot tea month, but today is the first ever Hot Tea Day. This is definitely a day I can, and will, celebrate! I have a cupboard – no, a pantry – full of various teas so I have plenty to choose from. Yum! Tea is comforting on a down day, uplifting when things are gloomy, soothing when you’re feeling icky, is used for celebrations and ceremonies, can be medicinal or nourishing. I usually have at least one cup before bed each night, at the very least.
January 13
National Peach Melba Day – Named for opera singer Nellie Melba, the original dish starred peaches in raspberry puree and served atop a carved ice swan. I didn’t exactly make peach melba for this one but there are peaches in the dessert, so I figured it would count. This is a no-sugar added, no grains (see gluten free below!) crust. I got the crust recipe from Carolyn Ketchum’s cookbook “Easy Keto Desserts”. The center I based on this recipe, but substituted ½ Tbsp of Glucomannan for the cornstarch, and 1/3 cup each erythritol and allulose for the sugar. I pressed the crust into mini tart pans, then poured the filling into them, and chilled. They were yummy!
- Peach Melba for Two
- Peach Melba Muffins
- Peach-Raspberry Almond Cake
- Blushing Peach Jam
- Summertime Raspberry-Peach Iced Tea
- Peach Melba Smoothie
National Gluten Free Day – Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, rye and barley. You can’t taste it, but it is there, acting as a binding agent in many foods and beverages that we eat on a daily basis. It is in even in cosmetics and skin care! While many of us don’t give it second thought, there are 2.5 million people in the United States alone that cannot tolerate eating it, and some are so sensitive that having it in their skin products can cause rashes, blisters and horrible discomfort. I wasn’t even aware of gluten or celiac disease until the year 2001 when I met a lady who was so severely affected by gluten that for many years her doctors mistook her condition for a seizure disorder and was prescribing medications for something she did not have. I started researching it and started trying to figure out how to eat gluten free. I searched for decent gluten-free mixes and other easy to make foods and was really frustrated on her behalf because pretty much everything tasted gross! There are important things to know about gluten intolerance. For one, it’s not an allergy. It is an autoimmune condition. People with celiac disease suffer damage to their lower intestines if they eat gluten. There is no cure for celiac – once you have it, you always have it, but eating gluten free will keep the condition under control. Gluten is in so many things – beer, soy sauce, even flavorings and extracts. Learning to read labels is so incredibly important. The good news is that gluten free products have come a long way, and low-carb/keto and paleo diets have taught us a lot about baking with nut flours and using alternatives to grains that contain gluten. *Just my own thoughts here – the gluten intolerance has really hit high numbers since glyphosate started being sprayed on wheat before the harvest. Is it possible that some of the people who are intolerant of gluten are just intolerant of poison? Something to consider.
I have taken literally all of Saturday to write this today. Either I would doze off, or get caught up in the movie we were watching, finally getting done right before time for bed. It was relaxing, I’ll give you that! I think I’ll get this posted, then help hubby figure out what we can scrounge up for dinner. God bless you and I’ll see you on Monday.
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Celebration list sources:
www.verseoftheday.com www.brownielocks.com www.holidayinsights.com www.thenibble.com www.foodimentary.com