Heavy and Light

 

    For lemon lovers, here's a cupcake frosting recipe I found on Pinterest,  the recipe and photo originated at rosebakes.com. 

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS

• 2 sticks of real (salted) butter, at room temperature
• 4 ounces of shortening
• 4 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 8-9 cups of powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2-3 Tablespoons milk

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and cream cheese until very smooth. Add in the vanilla and mix again.
2. Begin adding powdered sugar, one cup at a time up to 8 cups.
3. Your frosting will be very stiff at this point – now add in the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of milk.
4. Mix and check the consistency.
5. From here, I had to add a little more powdered sugar (it was too soft) but then I went too far, so I added a little more milk. Just play with it until you get a consistency you’re happy with! I made mine on the softer side so it was silky smooth …

    And since we started with a sugary treat,  let's balance it with something healthy.  Oh the struggle is real, a balance I don't always get right.  This recipe and photo courtesy Wellplated.com

Tomato Eggplant Zucchini Bake with Garlic and Parmesan. 

Produce

• 1/4 cup Basil, fresh
• 1 pint Cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1 Eggplant, small medium
• 4 large cloves Garlic
• 1/4 cup Parsley, fresh
• 3 Zucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds), medium

Spices

• 1/4 tsp Black pepper, ground
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt

• 1 tbsp Olive oil, extra-virgin

2/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a deep 9×9-inch baking dish or similar 3 1/2-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.
2. Quarter the zucchini then cut into 1/2-inch slices and place in a large mixing bowl (each piece of zucchini should be roughly 1/2 to 3/4 inches in size). Next, slice the eggplant into 1/4-inch rounds, then stack the rounds and cut into roughly 3/4-inch pieces. Add to the bowl with the zucchini. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add them to the bowl. Drizzle the cut vegetables with the olive oil, then add the garlic, salt, pepper, 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese, and half of the basil and parsley. Toss gently to combine.
3. Transfer the vegetables to the prepared baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes, cover the pan with aluminum foil, then continue baking for 10 to 20 additional minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese, basil, and parsley. Serve warm.

  As for this government shut down -  45 once said it is the President's fault when the government shuts down - He also said it would never happen on his watch because he is the great deal maker.  There is actually a documentary about his first year in office - consisting of his 2000 lies told in this first year.  He's since added at least 50.  That this  is OK with ANYONE, for any reason and on any level.. is flabbergasting. 

   Women are marching again this weekend - I'm not attending but I've donated to the cause once again  and bought the tee shirt  too,  because I think it's so important to call this blossoming bullshit what it is.  None of it's new.. but it's found a stronger foothold thanks to 45, hard to imagine in these "enlightened" times.  We've gone backward as a society, not forward, and at an alarming speed. 

   I'm convinced it will be women who save humanity eventually.  Men have been in charge till now and look how they've managed to  f*ck it all up.   *** TO BE CLEAR - there are many, many decent men out there. Many.  Just not the ones who currently wield all the power... and if you look at our world history - it's man's ego and greed that dragged us through the ugliest times.  I think it's women who will eventually make this world a more humane place in every aspect.  Not as superiors to men, but as equals. We have certainly earned our place. 

                    

  On the fitness front - I've stopped beating myself up over failed attempts to achieve my best body weight.  Life hands you enough insults, no?  I'm tired of adding to the heap,  so I've been working on my interior voice - the one that shouts when I look in the mirror "You're still fat!  WTF! Stop the nonsense!  Girl, where's your will power?"...  have you heard that interior voice too?  She sucks.. she's sapping the joy right out of everything and it truly doesn't help the cause. 

  So this is what I'm working on...the new dialogue from the inside -   OK - today's a new day - so far you've managed a good intake of water and you've been out for that hike with the dogs.  Most of your food choices were healthy. You need to work on the portion sizes, and you know you didn't need the cupcake, but it's done.  Let's do better tomorrow, but you got some good stuff in there today.  Onward. 

So much better, right? 

   I'm walking every day that it's not absolutely frigid - a few miles anyway, up and down hills and some nice straightaways.  I'm drinking more water - these two things are so important for all of us, mild exercise regularly and hydration.  I have found that filling up a favorite large mug of water and leaving it out on the counter at room temperature has been a successful habit to form. I'm drinking more water and I'm not using all that plastic from refrigerated bottles.  Room temperature water is easier to drink, too. 

   I take Vitamin B12, D3 and Biotin daily.  I'm finding sticking to the combination of all these things is helping the Fibromyalgia and I am feeling better and stronger over all.  As we get older, any significant slacking off comes home to roost quickly. It's important to keep moving, keep striving to gain or keep better health.  Doesn't have to be an obsession, just a gentle daily process with  a little wiggle room and forgiveness when you don't get it perfect.  

*That word shouldn't exist, truth be told. Nothing.. is perfect, ever.  

   What steps do you take for your well being, emotionally and physically?   Feel free to share them in the comments below - and I'll leave you with a little gem a friend shared on her page.. 

   

Till soon, friends -