Applesauce to the Rescue

I just love to bake with applesauce.   I use it as a substitute for butter/oil/margarine in a recipe – to make it more nutritious.  The recipe I use for spice muffins calls for 1 1/3 cups of oil, I simply substitute 1 1/3 cups of applesauce. I’m fortunate to have an apple tree, which grows very tart apples.  When the apples are ripe, I make my own apple sauce and freeze in 2-cup amounts.   To make the sauce, I cut apples (peel on) into bite size pieces. I put these into a large pot and sprinkled with cinnamon.

Then I add a little water and let simmer on the stove for ½ hour or until the sauce is chunky. When cool, I put in freezer bags, label and freeze.

Applesauce is so nice to use in baking or simply on a piece of toast.

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Fall Chores

It’s Fall! Previously, I shared my spring chore list, here is my fall list. Really, ordinary days are less complicated by having these not so common chores organized. 

Inside

Clean out freezer.

Vacuum and Spray beds with dust mite spray

Move coats from storage to back door and front closet.

Move summer coats to closet in storage room.

Sort summer and winter clothes and put away or give away

Move summer shoes to storage and bring out winter boots and shoes.

Check filters in vacuum and change if necessary

Furnace filter

Outside

Wash out rain barrel

Wash outside of house

Clean eaves

Spray for spiders

Clean up yard – move spring flowering plants

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Flower Cards

Ladies, if you are interested in flower gardening, you may like this idea. When your flowers are looking their best, take pictures. Print the photo and glue it to a blank note card (available at craft stores).  Now you have a lovely card. I use my cards for all occasions. Have a nice day. Linda

By the way, I also use landscape photos on my cards. Fall photos look great too.

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Express Gratitude Today

Ladies when you receive good service do you send a note to express your gratitude? If so, good for you. If not, I really encourage you to do this frequently.  This practice will train you to see and express gratitude. When you write the note, just say what you experienced. Don’t worry about grammar and such.  Here is a letter that I recently sent to a bank manager. I’ve changed the names.

Dear Mr. Soh,

I am sending this note to inform you  of the wonderful  support I received from Shelley at your branch.  In dealing with my late mothers affairs, I felt peace as Shelley displayed much care and attention to detail.  I hope you recognize her in a very special way.

Sincerely, Linda Carmel

Pick up your pen and paper today and start expressing gratitude in a new way.

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No More Drifting for Me

When my friend Carolyn greets me, she always looks intently into my eyes and usually touches me on my arm.  Her gaze is never broken by a noise or a passerby.  It is like shes connected with my soul.  At times, when I have walked with Carolyn, I’ve noticed that she’s really aware of her surroundings. She sees a delicate vine creeping along the ground; curious mold attached to the bark of a tree; or an interesting rock.  Things don’t seem to bounce off of her, she engages in all that she participates in. I’ve always found this fascinating about her and wondered how I could get some of this for myself.  I recently came to realize that Carolyn has cultivated mindfulness into her life.  Shes perfected paying close attention, on purpose, to one thing at a time.  I really want to have this quality in my life. I’m pretty sure that through my practice of meditation and my love of nature, I should get better at paying attention.  For others it may be through art,  music or contemplation.  Ladies, lets together get good at not drifting through life mindlessly. Have a superb day.

P.S. At times, when  I mention Carolyn’s name to my daughter Erin, she will say ‘oh, I love Carolyn’.

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