What do you picture when you think of family photos?  If you are like most people, your family photo shows a picture of the whole family posed and smiling in front of the camera.  Right?  I have my share of family photos and most of them are downright appalling.  Certainly not the way I want to remember things!

Not Just Any Photo

So, when I decided to once again embark on the journey to the family photo, I decided to take a different twist.  The idea was birthed from a picnic.

Those who know me - know that I hate picnics.  All picnics.  Bugs and bees of all kinds are frequent guests of picnics and for some reason - they all love to be around ME.  I am miserable and just wait for ‘it’ to be over.  But then, my imagination got the better of me.

Many years ago, I invited my husband (who was not yet my husband!) on a picnic.  Yes, I know - - I hate picnics.  But wait - it was not just any picnic.  I had come up with a way to make the traditional picnic something out of the ordinary and special.  Special enough to over-ride my dislike…

He showed up for the ‘picnic’ expecting a peanut butter sandwich in a paper bag.  What he got instead was: my best blankets, satin pillows, croquet (from the list of perfect picnic games), classical music, a sun umbrella, and a picnic basket filled with chilled shrimp, tiny assorted sandwiches, cold chicken, fresh fruit, my finest china, candle sticks, a bottle of wine and small cakes, cookies and candies.  I have never forgotten the look on his face.  “My idea of a picnic,” I said.

It was a wonderful memory - and when it was time to think about the new family photo, I decided to remember that picnic in a special way.  A local photographer was intrigued with the idea and offered to do the shoot for free.  (He actually won a prize with our finished photo!)

The Perfect Family Photo Takes Time and Effort

It turned into so much work - as one thing led to another - that it almost didn’t happen.  I sewed dresses for each of my four girls - simple, cotton, timeless dresses.  We wore our romantic ‘Sunday best’ - complete with hats - but no jewelry - to keep it timeless.  We had seventeen boxes of props to carry to our picture site - among them - blankets of lace, baskets of both real and artificial flowers, 25 yards of assorted ribbons, my best tea set and china, and carefully selected cheeses, tiny cakes, breads and fruits.

Picture day finally came.  It had rained - no, poured - for 2 days and the ground was saturated - the air was hot, thick and steamy and the mosquitoes were out in droves!  My worst nightmare - come true!   We put sheets of plastic under the blankets of lace in an attempt to stay dry, and sat - posed - in what - at least to curious onlookers - appeared to be a very natural position for most of two hours!  Have you ever tried to sit up straight and balance a teacup precariously while perched on an uneven piece of wet ground?  Not fun! But, we did it and the result was incredible. 

Make A Memory

The pictures hang on my wall today and I will never forget the memories.  When it’s time to once again think about your family photo, I encourage you to go the extra mile and put some effort into the picture.  Do something different.  Make a memory you’ll never forget.

I have never been much of a fan of butterscotch pudding - that is, until I tried this recipe.  I make homemade breads and I cook amazing meals, but somehow I have never gotten into homemade pudding.  I am guilty of getting the ready made or instant in a box variety.  After tasting this pudding, I think I’m on to a new line of cooking delectable taste treats!  This recipe comes with my highest recommendation!  I found it here.  You can check it out or read it below.

Butterscotch Pudding

1 cup packed brown sugar (I used light, but many of the recipes I checked out used dark)

1/4 cup cornstarch

3 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 egg yolks, beaten

1/4 cup butter (I used unsalted)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cornstarch and salt.  Add enough milk to make a thick paste.  (I added too much milk and it still turned out!)  In a saucepan over medium heat, bring milk to a boil.  Stir in brown sugar mixture.  Return to a boil and cook for one minute.

Place egg yolks in a small bowl.  Temper the yolks by slowly  stirring in about 1/4 of the hot milk mixture.  Pour yolk mixture back into the hot milk mixture.  Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute.  Remove from heat.  Stir in butter and vanilla until butter is melted.  Pour into bowls and let cool slightly.  Makes 4 good sized servings.  Serve hot or cold.

For the seasoned gardener and even some beginners, the anticipation of getting outdoors to plant the garden is a long awaited pleasure!  That moment could arrive sooner than you think.  Some vegetables actually thrive in cooler spring weather - even tolerating a light frost or freeze.  The added bonus is: by getting your garden going early in the spring, you can actually free up room to re-plant for warmer weather crops.   Some of the early spring crops are:

Asparagus - Plant 1 year old dormant roots in early spring, as soon as the ground can be worked.  Plan for no crop the first year, light the second year and full crop the third year.

Beets - Plant seeds about one month before the last frost date.

Broccoli - Start seeds indoors, then transplant outdoors about one month before the last frost date.  Broccoli does not like hot weather.

Cabbage - Plant when temperatures are consistently between 40 degrees and 70 degrees.  Stagger plantings.

Cilantro - Start seeds indoors, then transplant outdoors about 2 weeks before last frost date.  While cilantro loves the cool weather, it will not tolerate a freeze.  Cilantro will go to seed quickly if the soil gets too warm.

Carrots - Plant seeds in well-drained soil 2-3 weeks before the last frost date.  Protect from a hard freeze.

Lettuce - Plant from seed using a cold frame to protect.  Does very well in cool, wet spring weather but protect from a freeze.  Stagger plantings.

Onions - Plant partially grown bulbs - or sets - as soon as the soil is workable.

Peas - Plant as soon as the soil can be worked - about 1-2 months before last frost.  Peas will survive a light frost.  Protect from hard freeze.

Potatoes - Plant pieces of potato containing at least one ‘eye’ about 2 weeks before the last frost date.  Protect from freeze.

Spinach - Plant seed in early spring - as soon as the soil can be worked.  Stagger plantings.  Protect from a hard freeze.

As you consider what you will be planting in your garden this year, consider what kind of garden you might like.  How about a weed-free garden?  I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t tried it for myself.  Read all about it here.  Harvest fresh, nutritious vegetables - not weeds!  Happy gardening!

As you sail the seas of life, are you ready to take on the open water or are you still safely anchored near the shore - watching, wishing and longing for something to change?  Do you sometimes feel a burning desire to just pull up anchor and catch the wind?  What holds you back?

Fear Is a Direct Result of Your Self-talk

Fear of the unknown - or maybe even fear of the known - is probably right at the top of your list.  Knowing what you need to do and doing it are two very different things.  Much of fear is a direct result of your own self-talk.  Have you noticed that when you replay negative thought patterns over and over again in your mind, you actually come to believe them?  Be mindful of what you say to yourself.  What you say is what you’ll get.

Maybe you have taken the first step toward that free-sailing freedom, but something is holding you back.  Have you really pulled up the anchor, or are you just safely letting it drag along the bottom where it can snag on rocks and other debris along the way? 

What Baggage Are You Carrying?

Try this very powerful example for yourself.  Place a chair at one side of a room.  This chair represents you.  Now place a chair out of reach on the other side of the room.  This chair represents your goal.  Are you the type to always keep one hand tightly on your own chair - while reaching for your goal?  Maybe you are the type that actually drags your chair with you as you move toward your goal!  Do you get the picture?

Isn’t it time to let go of your anchor?  Meet your fears head on, take a deep breath and take that first step forward.  The winds of freedom are blowing strong.  You can do it!  Reach down, pull up anchor and catch the wind!

Glamour Magazine recently did a survey of 16,000 women on the subject of body image. Results showed that 40% of women struggle with their body image. That fact wasn’t entirely surprising, but this one was: a whopping 71% said they feel they are too fat - even though only 46% were actually overweight. Here’s where the obvious follow up question comes in: What makes women feel they are fat - when they’re not? Maybe our perception of body image has less to do with fat and more to do with - insecurity.

Body Image: What Is Really Underneath It All?

It has been my observation that many women judge their bodies strictly on how they feel they measure up in some else’s eyes - true or not. It is no secret that we are our own worst critic, and our body-image is a ready target. It is an area that we control - even if that control has become a place where we vent frustrations and disappointments.  No one is better at dishing out criticism like a woman looking in the mirror.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall…

When did the mirror image begin to dictate what is and is not an acceptable body-image? The mirror reflects more than body image. It reflects the very core of where we are most vulnerable. It sees us when we are alone - when our insecurities surface and we come face to face with our vulnerability.

Take another look in the mirror. Maybe you see things you don’t like. Maybe you DO think you are too fat. Well, welcome to the real world where 99% of the female population is NOT perfect! And, if you really feel that way - take the first step toward doing something about it.

See a Positive Body Image

On the other hand, maybe you will - for the first time - begin to see the things you DO like. Think back to a time when you felt lovely - when you were confident and ready to take on the world. Then, carry that image with you. While the visible image you portray to others does indeed play a part in your overall body image, it’s what you think about yourself and what you say to yourself that really tips the balance.

Your Body Image and Self-Talk

The important thing is: recognize the challenges for what they are - simply a starting point. Listen to your self-talk. Your overall body image will be a direct result of what you say to yourself. It is made up of more than just visual images. It is made up of who you really are underneath it all.

My 3 year old granddaughter was at pre-school one day. The teacher was focusing in on the letter F. To try to get the children to guess what word she was thinking of, she began to give a few clues. It could be red, and round and it smells really good - trying to get them to guess “flower”. Never one to be left out, my granddaughter shouted out, “Pepperoni!”. Well, it is red, it is round and it smells really good when she helps with home-made pizza!

Your skin absorbs just about everything you put on it - good and bad. Have you thought about the effects - IN your body - of the cosmetics, creams, oils and lotions you use on a daily basis? Our skin was designed to absorb what we put on it. Sometimes we don’t stop to think about the chemicals we are putting in it.

I read an article from the Summer 2004 Newsletter of the Women’s Community Cancer Project where a study showed parabens were found in breast cancer tumors. Parabens are chemicals most widely used as preservatives (to fight bacteria) - preservatives that are found in nearly every product you put on your skin. They can have estrogenic activity when applied to the skin. In other words, they can raise estrogen levels and increase the risk of cancer.

What were once thought to be harmless cosmetics, deodorants, antiperspirants, creams and body sprays are now showing a direct link to breast cancer tumors - triggering great concern that the products don’t just sit on the surface of our skin where they feel good and smell good, but are absorbed into our bodies, putting us at risk for disease.

And, as women are the main users of these personal products, we are at higher risk for becoming one of the growing statistics. Some of the chemicals most commonly used and to be on guard about include:

* Sodium Laureth Sulfate
* Cocamide DEA/Lauramide DEA
* Petrolatum
* Propylparaben
* Ethylparaben
* Methylparaben
* Isobutylparaben
* Mineral Oil
* Coal Tar
* Talc
* Toluene
* Formaldehyde

And the list goes on. I have used creams and lotions for as many years as I can remember - never giving a thought that what I put on my skin could actually cause harm to my body. The next time you are in the store, take a moment to read the labels of what you are putting IN your body.

My kitchen has become the hub of many a family gathering - filling the house with aromas enough to tempt even the fussiest eater. I come from a long line of great cooks and - over the years - have mastered some of the finest down home cooking around. 

While I am an avid promoter of healthy eating, some things just can’t be changed. So, for those moments when I long for that something really special, I pull out my collection of family heritage recipes and indulge. I firmly believe that if I am going to indulge my cravings, it might as well be something worth the calories.

I am never disappointed. I actually compiled a cookbook over the past year and filled it with my favorites - even going so far as to do step by step pictures on making bread and the best pie crust around so others could enjoy these incredible recipes.

Looking at the finished product, it is quite apparent that breads, pies, and main meals come out on top. Yes, some of them - could it be the pies??? - are not a great advertisement for healthy eating - but you won’t fine a tastier treat. Just don’t eat them every day!