Merry Christmas and Have a Joyous New Year

May your days be filled with love and laughter.  Happy Holidays and I will see you in January.  I am taking a few days off to enjoy family and friends. 

The Life of a Modern Woman, Well, Sort of...

She is smart, she is sophisticated, she is beautiful, she is the All-American woman, uh, I mean girl and is only 3. This is really cute.

A New Moroccan Cookbook by Paula Wolfert

I could hardly wait to buy this new Moroccan cookbook when I heard about it a few months ago. It is over 500 pages of divine Moroccan recipes and lots of pictures too. Moroccan cuisine is like none that I have ever had. The food is spiced but not hot. Its all about the sauce, without it, well, it just isn't Moroccan. Once I ate my first meal, which was M'hummar, I was hooked. My cooking evolved into exotic dishes of chicken with olives and preserved lemons and many, many more. My friends and family rave over the food and often ask me to cook for them. 

There's Bastilla

and the meat lovers tangia

You can buy this book at Amazon for a reasonable price. It is well worth the investment. 

Photo's used with permission from the author.

Lucky Buttons

My Dad always carried buttons in his pants pockets.  I never knew why.  Today, while working on a scrapebook page, I remember going through his pockets as a child.  Oh no, I never looked for money, it was the other things that he carried that I was interested in. I remember that sometimes he would put his hand in his pocket and rub the buttons together. The size or color of the button didn't matter. They were magical. My father believed that they brought him luck.

I don't think this jar of buttons will fit in my pocket.

Photo from the Past

In the past week or so I have been scrapbooking more and came across an old picture of myself.  It is from 1990 and I was 30 years old then. Oh my how time flies. I wish that I was 30 again and could live things over with a little more wisdom, well actually a lot more wisdom. I felt beautiful then. Life was ahead of me and I had dreams. Today, I am still dreaming and shall continue to do so until they put me in the ground. Never give up on your dreams or on life.  Sometimes we get whacked but stand back up and keep going and maybe give a whack back.  

You is Kind, You is Smart, You is Important

These words resonated throughout the movie called "The Help".  It deals with prejudice in the south during the 1960's. We are all important and have value, yet some think that they are better than others just because of skin color.  What amazes me is all of the white people who lay out in the sun to brown up real good. But if they bring someone home who is brown, then, oh my, the world is coming to an end. We all have our prejudices whether we want to admit it or not.  I think that if we look at people on the inside then the world will be a better place to live. 

Look beyond the cover to discover what is written on the pages. Embrace the difference and learn from others and other cultures. Who knows, you may have a richer life for expanding your horizons.

The Eagle and the Raven: It's all about perspective

The Eagle by Houshang Mostoufi

An eagle was flying high above the mountains when he saw a raven well below him.  He remembered that ravens always live longer than eagles and so he flew down toward the raven to ask him what the secret to his longevity was.

The raven told the eagle that the secret was two-fold.  “It is my low flying, and my diet.” “I can fly low also, “said the eagle.  “But I feed off of birds I catch in flight.” And that is the problem, said the raven.  You must learn to eat as I do. Come with me to the swamp tomorrow, and I will show you how.”

The next morning the eagle went to the swamp with the raven and watched the raven feasting on the rubbish in the swamp.  He watched the raven pull apart the decomposed carcasses and sift his beak through the mud.

And to this, the eagle decided, “My friend, the raven, I can fly low, for the rest of my short life, but there is no way I can feed on this scum that gathers on the swamp floor.” The raven looked up to respond to the eagle, but all there was in the sky was the small silhouette of the eagle flying high above.

The moral of the story is:  Do you want to fly with the eagle or go dumpster diving with the raven?

Picture from here

Wadia Boutaba a New and Upcoming British\Moroccan Artist

Wadia Boutaba was born in the UK but her roots are from Morocco.  Her parents are from Nador in northern Morocco.  Although she is British by birth she likes to call herself the Moroccan Artist.  You can view some of her work on Facebook

With a degree in Textile Design Wadia began painting again while on leave from work after having her first child.  Her husband, who is also Moroccan, encouraged her to show her work to the public.

The news media has focused on the negative aspects of Muslims and through her art Wadia wants the world to see that they are not all bad people. 

I like her style, it is simple yet lovely.  She has received a good response to her art and looks forward to what the future may hold.

What does one do with rice bags?

I guess that I may be wierd, and I will be the first to admit it.  I don't want to throw those rice bags away.  It seems wasteful to put them in the trash. Somehow they can be used for other things.  It doesn't matter if they are made of burlap or cotton.  The zipper will keep things in and the bag may prove to be handy.  Should I hang them on the wall?  Will people think that I am strange if decorate with them?  Oh what to do! 

Why in the world did I buy 20 pounds of rice in the first place?  I must be crazy!

City of Cholesterol and One of the Fattest Too: Fort Wayne

In Prevention Magazine this month Fort Wayne, Indiana was #2 on the Most Artery-Clogging Cities in America list.  Oh, I am so proud!  (with sarcasm) However, Fort Wayne made another list in 2002 & 2005 as being one of the fattest cities in the nation. Wow!  We promote healthy eating and exercise here.  The mall will allow people to come in and walk for free.  We have the River Greenway, promoting walking and cycling. There are various avenues for exercise and places that promote healthy eating. 

Eat less and move more is easier said than done. The place that I worked before allowed us to take breaks in the mornings and afternoons.  I would walk up to 3 miles a day. I felt great.  Now that I have a different job, my movement during the day is very limited to non-existent.  Instead of working exercise in my work day, I have to make time at night or get up at the crack of dawn. It is hard to stay in shape. Don't you think?  

Picture is from here

Turkey or Chicken Soup With Rice

Since the weather has been more winter like, it is time to start making soup.  I came home from work wanting chicken or turkey and rice soup.  I still had turkey left from Thanksgiving and thought that I should put it to good use. I like to eat a toasted cheese and tomato sandwich with soup. 

Ingredints:


3 cups of shredded chicken or turkey
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced
6-8 sprigs of Italian parsley, chopped  
1/2 tsp oregano leaves
1/2 tsp thyme
6-8 cups of water
3 extra large chicken bouillon cubes
salt/pepper to taste
1/2 cup of long grain rice
2 tbs ghee or clarified butter
1-2 tbs vegetable oil

In a soup pan add the vegetable oil, onion, celery, parsely, and spices.  Saute until the onions are soft.  Add the water and bouillon and bring to a boil.  Next,  add the carrots, rice, and chicken or turkey.  Simmer until the carrots and rice are tender, about 15 minutes.  Add the ghee for flavor.  Adjust spices to your taste.  Enjoy!  Serve with crispy bread or a toasted cheese and tomato sandwich.