Bliss.Com is challenging bloggers.  We’re kicking off the coming New Year with some
motivations and healthy blogging.

The first challenge is to let everyone know why you started blogging & who or
what inspires you the most.

Why I started blogging:

I have always enjoyed cooking and baking but not keeping track of favorite
recipes.  Blogging began as my own personal cooking and baking journal to
document recipes, cooking, baking, kitchen tips and tricks.  The search option
on my own blog made it easy to find old favorites.  That was the beginning but
THEN…I discovered fitness bloggers who were running marathons!  These weren’t
elite runners nor were they under 3 hour marathoners.  These were fit and
healthy bloggers running 26.2 miles for kicks.  I wanted to do that!  And so
began my blogging, not just for recipes, but to keep me motivated and true to my
running goals.  Once I put it out there, I was committed.

The Who and the What that Inspires me the most:

This one is tough.  The “who” would be an assortment of people in my life.
But just to name one or two, beginning with the wonderfully talented writers
who grab our attention with such mundane daily happenings yet we are
intrigued and bedazzled by their writings and recaps every day.
Moving on to family.  My dad who has heaps of energy and is constantly creating
and inventing.  He inspires me to be a better person and to not be afraid to put
myself out there.

Now for the “WHAT” that inspires me.  Life, nature, health/fitness.

Life, in all it’s infinite circles, is inspiring.  It’s our being, breath,
our soul.  It’s new and old and it’s to be cherished every day because no
second, no minute will ever happen again. Life is inspiring because it’s a
gift to be grateful for.

Nature, inspires creativity because it’s fresh, it’s miraculous.  Nature has
the ability to shock, to soothe, it can bite and be cruel, or gentle and
loving.  It’s brilliant and the things we are fortunate enough to witness
are inspiring to the imagination.

Health/Fitness is inspiring because without our health and fitness, we
wouldn’t be able to enjoy the gift of life.  If we have our health and fitness,
we stay happy and focused. Good health inspires working towards new goals and challenges.

Now, an email gift from my cousin that I want to share with you.  Maybe you’ve seen this, maybe not. Either way, it’s sure to bring a smile.

Always try to help a friend in need
Believe in yourself
Study hard
Give lots of kisses
Laugh often
Don’t be overly concerned with your weight, it’s just a number
Always try to see the glass half full
Meet new people, even if they look different to you
Remain calm, even when it seems hopeless
Take lots of naps..
Be weird whenever you have the chance
Love your friends, no matter who they are
Don’t waste food
RELAX
Take an occasional risk
Try to have a little fun each day. …it’s important
Share a joke with friends
Fall in love with someone….
..and say ‘I love you’ often
Express yourself creatively
Be conscious of your appearance
Always be up for surprises
Love someone with all of your heart
Share with friends
Watch your step
It will get better
There is always someone who loves you more than you know
Exercise to keep fit
Live up to your name
Seize the Moment
Hold on to good friends; they are few and far between
Indulge in the things you truly love
Cherish every Sunday
At the end of the day… PRAY
And smile at least once a day!

This weekend is the Falling Leaves Road Race. I’m not running but I’ll be at the Expo and, for all you bread lovers,  the Marathon Mini Loaf will make it’s debut:

Look for me at the Arbonne table to try a sample.

There will be an Arbonne gift basket giveaway and a $50 raffle.

If you’re a runner

or just intersted in the Expo at the Saranac/Matts Brewery on the corner of Varick Street, come on and visit.

The easiest recipe…

Page 122 of our book

and posted by Pete Maneen, there is the best and the most simplistic recipe for Garlic Pizza.

First you have to pick up a pizza shell or the dough from the store or your favorite local bakery…

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Now you spray a pizza pan (use a square baking sheet if you don’t have a round pizza pan) with non-stick spray.  Put the shell or spread the dough on the pan. 

Top the dough with garlic salt (sprinkle it evenly over the crust) and oregano. 

Add 8 oz of grated Mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Serve warm as an appetizer or side. 

The garlic salt may be replaced by garlic powder. 

This pizza was so good, from a 9 x 13, we had only 4 slices left and there were only 3 of us. 

My parents are home for the holidays!  Safe and sound and freezing cold. They drove up from South Carolina.  My mother has been wearing “Snuggies” under her clothes since THINKING of coming to New York in the winter.   I assured her the house would be warm but she didn’t want to take any risks.

Mocha has her own sweater. 

She’s wishing she had some “Snuggies” as well. 

Shane got jealous.   “Mocha has a sweater?  What about me?!”

Shane:  “Let me check this out”.   Mocha:  “OMG! Get him away from me!”

Ah well….it’s all fun as the family gathers, it marks the official arrival of the festive season in our house.   Let Christmas Commence!

MAKE AHEAD CRANBERRY SAUCE

Getting ahead of the cooking game for Christmas, I made the cranberry sauce.  I made it a bit “soupy” but still…it’s homemade and you can’t beat that.  Here’s my recipe but there’s another really easy and SO GOOD cranberry relish recipe found HERE from A Taste of Utica. I made that one last year and couldn’t stop eating it.

The tart cranberries coupled with the sweet cherries give this sauce a “rounded off” sweet flavor but not so sweet you’d want to heat it up and eat it with ice cream…. but then, on second thought?!!!

Makes about 4 cups

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup water *If you want a thicker sauce, reduce water to 1/2 cup)

12 oz orange juice (Again, if you want a thicker sauce, reduce to 10 oz along with the water reduction above)

2 bags fresh cranberries (12 oz each)

1 can cherries – pitted and tart, drained.

Using a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar, water and orange juice until the sugar dissolves.  Add the cranberries and cherries and bring to a boil.  Cook for 8 minutes, uncovered. 

Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking about 25 minutes or more until slightly thickened.  Pour into a serving dish and chill. 

For years we used to have the cranberry sauce from a can. After I discovered how easy it is to make, no more cans for us!

Have you ever made your own cranberry sauce? What’s your recipe?