PENSERIO DEL SPIRITO ~

It's Winter...It's Time for Goulash   American style goulash is nothing remotely close to Hungarian style, except maybe the paprika used.  If you're looking for a fairly fast and economical dinner that is just as good, if not better, as leftovers, try goulash.  Use a large skillet and add the elbow macaroni in the pan right after your meat is brown. Then you can add in the liquid ingredients and simmer in the same pan.  It makes cleanup so much easier too!  Ingredients: 1 lb lean ground beef 1/2 cup each of diced celery, yellow onion and bell peppers) 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes 1 small can tomato sauce 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp garlic pepper 1/2 tsp paprika 1 bag large elbow macaroni 3 cups water Top with sour cream, if desired 6 "normal" servings: Brown ground beef in large skillet with the onion/celery/bell pepper mix, garlic pepper and cumin. Drain, add elbow macaroni and stir so that all the mac is comple...

Shortbread Cookies ~ Norwegian Morkaker I saw this shortcake recipe on Norway-Hei.com  and could not resist its simplicity.  I can assure you with great enthusiasm, I loved these cookies.  Methinks these are a cousin to the snickerdoodle , not so much cinnamon and sugar, but lots of gorgeous butter,  tender, slightly crispy.  This cookie is going to be year 'round favorite with me for its ease of preparation, simple pantry ingredients, and delicious flavor. The dough requires a couple hours of refrigerator time, so you might want to start these earlier in the day and putter about until you're ready to bake. Ingredients: 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter , no substitutes (!) 2/3 cup sugar 2 1/2 cups flour cinnamon-sugar mixture (1/4 cup sugar with 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon) In a medium-sized bowl, cream the butter and sugar until white and creamy, about 6 minutes.  Add the flour gradually until well blended...

Penserio Del Spirito Poesia It’s Italiano for ~   ‘Thoughts of the Spirit Poetry 'Seasons' Autumn leaves start falling as cold north winds come calling Trust ~ it is Mother Nature’s song to us What a glorious sound and sight Green turns to orange and bronze so bright Yellow gold and red are swiftly blown & put to bed Reflections of summer are soon put to rest So never the less we shall do our  best To prepare for a colder and blustery season We’ll bundle up warm just to keep from freezin’ Mother Nature often throws her curve ball Do we think it’s very fair at all Blue Moon ~ Oh bright Harvest Moon Falling leaves have come too soon Goodness sake I’ll need a rake Wild whooshing winds furl up frivolous falling leaf tunes Behold the bright red orange Harvest Moon Sometimes snowflakes appear in early  Fall Truly it's not fair at all Tiny flakes of Nature's trickery will fool us once again Some of us accept this and face it w...

  "The moment a child is born ~  The mother is also born.    She never existed before. The woman existed ~  But the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new.” Rajneesh 'Tiffany ~ Myth & Magic' I loved you my child since well before your birth  Conception even so to my recollection Tiny little ‘Twink’, the object of my affection Furthermore, you were  seriously planned for Little did I know what an angel I had in store I revered the wonders of motherhood Forever & always understood We'd wanted a son first and then had darling Drake It was no mistake & life was great Secondly, a baby daughter became my heart's desire Soon you were born one early morn ~   January 7th, 1973 My heart warmed like fire ~  my spirit soared higher    Our family plan...

A Poem for Daren ~ Happy 19th Birthday! ‘Smile all the while ~ Daren Style’ Since you entered our world we have been greatly blessed Certainly so Dare, I will truly profess My firstborn grandson, you're adored by everyone Dark wavy hair and coal black eyes, with the fairest of skin I consider you 'my Persian Prince' Ever since, and I always will with love immense Fast Forward ~ 3 yrs You set our minds a whirl when you were just three  With a golf club in hand you stood at the tee You hit eleven of twelve balls! What a surprise… I could hardly believe my very own eyes Amazing ~ my grandson a three year old golfer It’s recorded somewhere on video tape You were such a wee form ~ just past toddler shape Wearing  your white satin wedding tux ~ you did so great Fast Forward ~ 8 yrs Soon you were eight and the older brother of Zack We were not fooling when we called him 'Zack Attack' I must c...

  Persian Salad Olivieh HISTORY ~  This salad was invented by a French Chef, M. Olivier. He served it in Moscow around 1860. Variations, sometimes called “Salade Olivier” or ”Russian Salad” abound worldwide. Persians love to make this salad with plenty of mayo & they also spread the top of the salad with mayo & veggies ~ & even fresh flowers for adornment.   Salad olivieh on slices of french baguettes can be addicting .  This  Salad Olivieh is slightly different than the traditional one. While all the ingredients are the same, this recipe cuts down the prep time considerably.   Ingredients: 3 medium large potatoes, cooked 3 eggs, hard boiled 2 cups shredded chicken 2 cups frozen peas and carrots ( optional ) 19 oz can of Persian pickles / or Dill pickels of your choice Dressing 2 cups mayonnaise 1/4 cup fresh lime or lemon juice 1/8 cup olive oil salt to t...

Appreciate the Moments ~ Every person goes through adversities or times of difficulty Maybe you didn’t get a promotion you deserved Maybe you lost a loved one or a friend betrayed you It’s easy to get negative and bitter and lose your enthusiasm for life Understand today, you are not defined by your past  You are prepared by your past  Every challenge you’ve been through, every adversity you’ve faced  God has deposited something on the inside of you  Your character was being developed. Strength was being increased Your vision was being enlarged With every difficulty, you can experience a new level of God’s goodness You may have had unfair things happen But remember, all things work together for good when you love the Lord It doesn’t say that all things are good, but God will turn your test into a testimony No matter what challenge you may be facing now, or what you've experienced in the past  If you’ll stay in faith...

It's all about "ME ME ME ME ME" This is entirely accurate ~ it's eerily unerringly spot on! There are many types of Narcissists: Collective Egomania Malignant Megalomania Narcissistic personality disorder History of narcissism    'Narcissists Are the Land Mines of Life'  Learn to identity them and avoid narcissists at ALL cost. Know your boundaries! Beware of becoming part of their narcissistic supply. A narcissist is charming as long as they get what they want… which is undivided attention, whether positive or negative. If they do not get special treatment, they'll start screaming like a little kid. If you don't agree with a 'N' you basically don't exist.  Recognize them for what they are. D on't react ~ stay consistent with your non-reactions because they will try to continue to try to get a rise out of you.  Walk away from it and remain indifferent, giving them no attention. Pos...