#FoodieFriday

I’d like to start a new Foodie Friday format for weeks when getting into the kitchen to create and photograph just won’t happen. I’ve been pinning delicious food ideas for a couple of years now, and I’ve accumulated 350 pins solely dedicated to my love of food. This week I was inspired by the cooler temperatures that finally made their way to Northwest Georgia — I’m all about apples and pumpkins during the autumn months, and I’ve always got room for dessert!

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First up, we have the Brown Eyed Baker’s apple cheesecake crumb bars. Oh. My. Yum! Don’t these look just amazing?

Next we’ve got this apple pie cake. While I’m typically pretty clever in the kitchen, pie crusts are my enemy. I opt for cookie crumbs, butter, and sugar whenever possible — or I put my husband to work since he’s got the whole rolling pie dough thing down. When I saw this recipe, I was delighted. I prefer the texture of cakes, so this went straight to my food Pinterest board.

And what about these pumpkin doughnut muffins? Cooking Classy shared this recipe,inspiring me to bake a batch of little pumpkin muffins coated in cinnamon sugar. They were gone in a flash!

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I’ve become dependent on coffee over the past two years, and I love flavoring it. This time of year, everyone’s all about the pumpkin spice latte. It’s hard to find someone who makes a good one in my rural community, especially now that we’ve lost our wonderful little chocolate cafe. This sounds like a great idea for the chillier days ahead.

Cooking Classy snatched my heart when I saw these caramel apple mini-cheesecakes with streusel topping. Everything about these delicious looking desserts screams “eat me!” Of course, my thighs are beginning to scream at me because I’m attempting to shrink them once again, but viewing contains zero calories, right?

Finally, I’m a sucker for secret ingredients that change things up. Adding pudding mix to cookie dough batter? Sounds like fun. Adding pumpkin spice pudding mix to cookie dough? Sounds like a festive little treat! I can’t wait to try this out.

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#ThankfulThursday Prompt Series

It’s been so long since I felt inspiration thug my sleeve and entice me to the publish button. I owe quite a bit of thanks to Kat and her August Moon series this year. Her words prompted me to search deep within my soul to find the writer who had been shoved down a dark hole, waiting to be pulled back out into the light. Because she essentially shined the beacon for me, I gathered an intimate group of followers for my new September Equinox series. I’m so thankful for each person who decided to explore balance and transition with me. I shared my responses with my readers in the hopes that I’d both find my way back to the keyboard and inspire others to find inner peace. I’m relieved to be back, and I’m looking forward to returning to my craft.

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#SeptemberEquinox14 Day 8

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September Equinox 2014

Day 8: Balancing Goals

I have a huge confession to make — I’m terrible at balancing things in my life. It was because of this issue that I decided to create the September Equinox prompt series. I’m so terrible at balancing my life that I barely met my deadlines to get these prompts written, emails drafted and scheduled, and blog posts with responses ready for publication. If you’ve found that these prompts spoke to your soul, I want to invite you to set some goals with me. I have a tutoring student who recently completed a SMART goal paper, which reminded me of that system. I’m assigning you some homework to create specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound goals to keep your life in balance. You may choose to share your goal(s) as a response to a prompt, or you may wish to tuck them safely away for your own personal reference.

My laundry list of goals are far too personal and lengthy to post here, but I promise you that I’m going to be setting goals to return to my gratitude and happiness practices. I will be restarting my Cultivate project with a new sense of purpose and direction well before I host my next prompt series in January. I will be reviewing September Equinox to evaluate the direction of March Equinox. And I will definitely be spending more time playing instead of just working, working, working, and crashing. I’m glad I’ve had an intimate group following along with the series, and I hope that you’ve gained as much insight about balance and transition as I have.

Keep your eyes out for Kat’s Reverb series coming in December and my Cultivate Series in January!

Don’t forget to share your responses by commenting on the blog or using the hashtag #SeptemberEquinox14.

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#SeptemberEquinox14 Day 7

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September Equinox 2014

Day 7: Clearing Space to Grow

If you want to grow a garden, you have to clear some space for the plants to grow. Without ample space, their roots won’t spread, and their growth will be stunted. Clearing space — whether literally, figuratively, or both — makes for ample growth in people, too. Are you clearing your slate enough to grow? If not, what do you need to do in order to grow into the person you’d like to become?

My life is so cluttered on so many different levels. I feel so overwhelmed by my lack of space that I’ve reverted inward, losing a lot of ground I gained to build an audience and grow a business. I lost ground to cultivate a thriving life worth loving. I feel incredibly pressured to just “get it together,” but I just don’t have the motivation to move forward. It’s time for a good clearing.

I need to set some goals for myself to get back on my path. I have to release a lot of the clutter — whether it’s part of my physical or mental being or part of my environment. I have to reassess exactly what it is I’d like to accomplish, where I’d like to go, and what “the perfect day” will look like once I get there. I have to spend a lot of time resting and recovering. By the time spring gets here, I want to feel rejuvenated and ready to thrive. I want a clearer vision for my life.

Don’t forget to share your responses by commenting on the blog or using the hashtag #SeptemberEquinox14.

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#SeptemberEquinox14 Day 6

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September Equinox 2014

Day 6: Giving Thanks

No matter how unfortunate we may feel at times, there are always things to be thankful for. There are always opportunities to practice gratitude. Anecdotally, people tend to be happier when they practice gratitude. Do you regularly practice gratitude? How can you take some time to practice gratitude regularly?

I used to practice gratitude by writing daily lists: five things I’m grateful for, five things I accomplished, and five things that make me happy. I’d include a list of concerns to release them from my head, too. I was much happier. I’ve probably gone over a month since I last written my lists, and I could list a plethora of excuses — but none seem worthy enough to neglect my need to practice happiness and gratitude. Lately I’ve spent more time irritating myself trying to connect to wifi on my tablet during my lunch breaks rather than spending time writing my lists. It’s time to get back to practicing happiness and gratitude. I feel so much better when I’ve counted my blessings daily. Instead of grumbling while I wait, I can write my lists instead.

Don’t forget to share your responses by commenting on the blog or using the hashtag #SeptemberEquinox14.

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#SeptemberEquinox14 Day 5

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September Equinox 2014

Day 5: Letting Go to Embrace

Sometimes you need to let go of the things that are holding you back from embracing the life you want to live. Maybe it’s a bad habit. Maybe it’s a bad relationship. Maybe it’s a bad mindset. Whatever it is — or whatever combination of things for that matter — you have to let go to embrace a life worth loving. What’s holding you back? How can you let go to embrace more happiness and peace?

I’m being held back by fear, regret, resentment, and anger. I’m afraid of failing. I’m afraid of losing everything. I regret that I haven’t worked harder to make my dreams come true. I regret that I’ve made some decisions that turned out to be wrong. I resent the fact that other people have had too much power over me, my family, and my life. I resent that I’m stuck in limbo while waiting for events to progress organically. I’m angry that I can’t snap my fingers and fix things. I’m angry that my family has been dealt painful blows. I’m angry — too angry — that I’m holding in all this fear, regret, resentment, and anger. It’s not fair. And that’s when the inner voice says Suck it up, Buttercup.

I need to let go of these painful emotions — or rather the reasons for these painful emotions. It’s time to let them go, leaving them in the past where they belong. I have to move on to embrace the present and the future. I want to embrace my days as precious moments in time that I cannot get back. I want to embrace proper self-care. I want to embrace family meals around the table without the constant nagging inside my own skull. I want to embrace a life worth loving.

Don’t forget to share your responses by commenting on the blog or using the hashtag #SeptemberEquinox14.

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#SeptemberEquinox14 Day 4

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September Equinox 2014

Day 4: Balancing Yes & No

We’ve all been told about the power of saying “no.” I will of course back this up as I, too, have a problem saying no at times. However, I want to flip that coin — what about problems saying “yes” to the people and things we love? What about saying yes to our passions? Are you saying yes and no at the right times? How can you better balance your “yes”‘s and “no'”s to enjoy your life more?

I find that despite my best intentions, I still have difficulty saying “no” when I really don’t want to agree to something. There’s something about disappointing or offending someone, but unfortunately I end up disappointing and offending myself. And then there are the times I say “no, I’m too tired” or “no, I’ve got [insert random excuse] to do” when I really want to say “yes.” What I really want is to say “no” when I know that I need the time and space for me to rest or have fun. I want to say “yes” more to spending time enjoying the life I have instead of lamenting my circumstances. I think the best way for me to balance yes and no better would be to say “let me get back to you on that” before making a commitment either way. This would allow me the time to better judge if I should say yes or no.

Don’t forget to share your responses by commenting on the blog or using the hashtag #SeptemberEquinox14.

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#SeptemberEquinox14 Day 3

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September Equinox 2014

Day 3: Challenging Opportunities

Challenges bring us opportunities, even if we don’t see that while going through the storm. Think about the challenges you have faced — either recently, currently, or in the past. What opportunities presented themselves through these challenges? How can you reframe a difficult situation to see the rewards you gained during the process?

I’ve had the opportunity to bond with people through my struggles. I’ve had the opportunity to create a novel based on the drama that overtook my life for 16 months. I had the opportunity to reflect on where I am in life and where I want to be. While these challenges have brought an insurmountable burden upon my life, I can at least see that I have to focus on what matters most to find some happiness throughout my days. I can’t dwell on the dollar signs attached to my struggles, which tends to lead straight back to bed to hide under the blanket like a pathetic rag-doll. I learned that I’ve made great friends who are willing to lend an ear, a shoulder, and a hand to pull me back up. I’m very fortunate to have so many wonderful people in my life who have made it possible for me to come out of this storm alive. For that, I am thankful.

Don’t forget to share your responses by commenting on the blog or using the hashtag #SeptemberEquinox14.

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#SeptemberEquinox14 Day 2

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September Equinox 2014

Day 2: Transitioning Through Life’s Seasons

The equinox is a transition from one season to the next — from summer to autumn here in the northern hemisphere, and from winter to spring in the southern. While life’s seasons don’t have a distinct equinox or solstice, we experience the transitional phases that come with those “seasons.” Think of any transitions you’re currently going through or recently went through. How have you managed the changes from one “season” to the next? How can you help yourself ease into the next season?

My family is personally transitioning out of an incredibly stormy season. In keeping with those figures of speech, we’ve got flood and wind damage to clean up still in the wake of that storm. Literally speaking, we’re drowning in debt accumulated in the hopes that our situation would end sooner rather than later. Each member of our family has suffered our own mental and emotional trauma. It’s taken its toll on my health as well as my husband’s.

Managing the changes has been tenuous. We’ve all been trying to find our balance. Luckily, I see the kids bouncing back with such resiliency, and I’m both proud and relieved. It’s a shame we outgrow that adaptability as we age. So really, I think it’s definitely time to strategize better ways to ease into this next season of life. I have to stop operating under the pretense that I have to do everything right now — everything must get done as soon as possible or else! That’s a bad way to function. I need to slow down to give my body some time to rest. I need to let my mind rest, too. I need to listen to my body’s needs to sleep and drink plenty of water. I have to give myself time to sit and clear my mind, even if I don’t get to write out my thoughts the way I used to. I need to forgive myself for not doing everything “perfectly.” Perfect doesn’t exist. No more extensive to-do lists. No more rushing. Autumn’s here, meaning everything’s going to be slower down. What better time than now to slow down myself.

Don’t forget to share your responses by commenting on the blog or using the hashtag #SeptemberEquinox14.

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