You gotta see this

Acceptance

November 27, 2009 By chrystibella 1 Comment

americanriver

I see myself mirrored back to me in you.

I see YOU as you do not see yourself.

It is a habit for me to tear myself apart. The wounds of life can be harsh and I am easily obliged to become caught up in a wave of
self loathing.

But when I look at you, listen to you speak, your wounds are sometimes as visible as my own.

Yet I see more. Beyond the surface. I see what you don’t see.

I admire qualities in you that you probably don’t realize you have.

Your beauty is so apparent.

I overlook or don’t even notice the faults you hold within your being and in that regard it makes me feel safe.

You don’t have to be perfect.

I accept you when you are in good moods or bad, goofy or sad. I rejoice in your happiness and support you when you are down. When I see your smile and feel you radiating positive energy towards me I tend to focus less on my own short comings and instead accept me for who I am (through your eyes instead of my own), regarding the joy you leave upon my soul with your friendship, your love and the foundation that you bring to my life with the greatest appreciation I have ever experienced.

Your awareness helps me to love myself because you love me, and for knowing you, I am a better person.

Filed Under: Dream Catcher, Life, Raves, Spiritual, You gotta see this

More recipes and homemade girl scout cookies!

August 8, 2009 By chrystibella Leave a Comment

I love the web! I rarely use cook books anymore. If I want a recipe I do a search on the Internet and get some great options and find new things I wasn’t even looking for. This morning I was doing a search for baked eggs and found this:

Here is a really great blog that has recipes for all kinds of yummy delicious foods. It is called Baking Bites. There are even recipes for making homemade Girl Scout cookies! The Thin Mints are my favorite so I am definitely going to try this one.

I have added this website to my links so that I remember where it is. I always do that when I find something that I want to return to. With so much info on the web it’s easy to misplace or forget a good site when I come across one.

Here are more of the recipes for the Homemade Girl Scout Cookies:

Filed Under: Raves, You gotta see this

Easy to make household cleaner

July 29, 2009 By chrystibella Leave a Comment

easy-cleaner-pic-smaller-size

Every month my friends and I get together for what we call our “New Moon Goddesses Night.” It doesn’t necessarily occur at the new moon but close. Usually on a Sunday night. We always have a theme and everyone brings a dish to share. We take turns hosting. Last Sunday we made organic cleaners that work a lot like soft scrub. This one is non-toxic and organic. I’ve been using mine and I love it! I cleaned the whole bathroom, including the toilet with it yesterday. Plus I used it on my stove and kitchen counters and it works great. Smells so fresh and clean and it feels good on my hands too.

We each made our own and Adelle (our host) gave us the recipe to take home. Here’s what’s in it:

1 2/3 cups baking soda

1/2 cup Dr. Bronner’s soap (we used lavendar)

3 tbls vinegar

1/4 cup water

Put all ingredients in a bowl and use a spatula to stir. It will become creamy and foamy when mixed together. Use a funnel to place into a bottle. We used empty mustard bottles (see photo above) This recipe will fill one bottle. Shake it up before using.

You will need to rinse if off after using just like soap. Caution, it may cause you to go on a cleaning spree. =)

Filed Under: Favorites, Raves, Recipes, You gotta see this Tagged With: dr bronners soap, organic household cleaner

This could happen to anyone.

May 12, 2009 By chrystibella Leave a Comment

I just read a touching story of a woman in San Francisco who escaped a violent relationship with her three month old infant and two young children. She basically left with the clothes on her back. While she has gone through the “proper” channels, has a social worker and is trying to get shelter and aid for her family, resources are in short supply. She has had to beg in order to pay for the hotel and food for herself and her family.

It takes a great deal of courage to leave an abusive relationship. Especially when still nursing an infant and having nowhere else to go.

I found out about this from my friend who sent me the link via her blog. You can read about K’s story here at tangobaby. I encourage everyone to read K’s story and follow her progress as she pulls herself together, gets a job and regains her life.

Filed Under: Life, Redeeming, You gotta see this Tagged With: domestic abuse, domestic violence, your daughter, your friend, your mother, your sister

Who'd a thought? Chocolate cake in five minutes!

May 7, 2009 By chrystibella Leave a Comment

So, the other day my sister emails me with this five minute chocolate cake recipe. The title of the email? We’re doomed! LOL!

I looked it over and thought, “I’ve got all that stuff.” So I went into the kitchen and made the concoction in a large coffee mug. You know, the kind that could suffice as a BOWL? Yep, the kind of coffee cups I like to use. In the back of my mind I’m thinking about the times my doctor asks me how many cups of coffee I drink a day and I say, “Just one.” I leave out the part that my coffee pot registers 4 cups to fill that one cup. LOL!

So, back to the cake recipe. I mixed my ingredients in that coffee bowl and put it in the microwave and viola! I had myself a nice little chocolate cake. I didn’t have any chocolate chips and boy they would have been dreamy delicious melted in that warm chocolate cake.

It was really good.

See how nicely it fits on a saucer? I bet it would be good with a sauce drizzled over it or maybe some powdered sugar sprinkled over the top. As for this baby, it was gone in no time. Yep, my sister was right, we’re doomed when we have the ability to cook something like this up in five minutes.

Here’s the recipe:

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (Microwave safe)

Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well. Add egg, milk, oil and vanilla. Mix well. Mix in chocolate chips if you have them and mix thoroughly. (The recipe she sent actually says to add the egg first and stir before adding the rest of the wet ingredients, but I just added them all at once.)

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.

Don’t be alarmed if the cake rises over the mug, it will settle back down.

Allow to cool for about 30 seconds. =) Tip out onto a small plate. Eat.

It can be cut in half for two if you’re feeling generous. Tastes best warm.

Filed Under: Just for fun, Raves, You gotta see this Tagged With: fast desert, five minute chocolate cake, something for the sweet tooth

A lovely lady

April 17, 2009 By chrystibella Leave a Comment

Wow! You just don’t expect this kind of vocal to come from a frumpy looking lady who lives in a small village in the country. But then again….. why not?

Filed Under: Raves, You gotta see this

My American Idol Pick – Adam Wins!!!!

April 9, 2009 By chrystibella 1 Comment

Adam Lambert is one of the best American Idol contestants ever. He brings to the stage a charisma like Elvis Presley. Not, like Elvis, not like an Elvis impersonator, but instead the same quality in his performances that attracted people to Elvis. I also see in Adam a style that is like Freddy Mercury of Queen. He has that vocal range and many of Queens songs were ballads which is Adam’s forte. I think Adam is headed for a huge and successful career in the music industry.

I expect to see Adam, heading some Broadway stage shows as well. But not before he goes on tour to sell out auditoriums across the United States. I think he is going to be bigger than Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood or David Cook.

If you didn’t catch Adam’s performance on last Tuesday’s American Idol (they ran over schedule) you can watch it at this link or going to http://www.rickey.org/?p=13956

Filed Under: Just for fun, Raves, You gotta see this Tagged With: adam lambert, american idol

Coffee filters ..who knew! And you can buy 1,000 at the dollar store for almost nothing.

February 22, 2009 By chrystibella Leave a Comment

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave.
Coffee filters make excellent covers.

2. Clean windows and mirrors. Coffee filters are lint-free so they’ll leave windows sparkling.

3. Protect China
Separate your good dishes by putting a coffee filter between each dish.

4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.

5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.

7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.

8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.

9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent
the soil from going through the drainage holes.

11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.

12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips of coffee filters.

13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them.
Soaks out all the grease.

14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great “razor nick fixers.”

Oh yeah, they are also great to use in your coffee makers!

Filed Under: Raves, You gotta see this Tagged With: coffee filters

Real Live Women

January 30, 2009 By chrystibella Leave a Comment

I thought it was silly how all the media was making a big deal about Jessica Simpson putting on a few pounds. I think she just chose an unflattering outfit. And if Jessica were to put on weight would that mean she would no longer be worthy of our attention?

I have been following a channel on YouTube called Project Lifesize. It is a collaboration channel that was started by Meghan Tonjes.

Meghan started the channel as a way for people who felt overlooked and unloved due to their size to feel worthy. The channel covers issues such as eating disorders, self respect and relationships, as well as love and acceptance of people regardless of what size they are.

Meghan has also proven to be a talented songwriter and artist. She is about to launch a record album of her songs.

Filed Under: Raves, You gotta see this, YTube Picks Tagged With: jessica simpson, meghan tonjes