What would it feel like if you set an intention each morning for how you'd like your day to flow?

It would make your day start out on a positive note.

Here are some intentions I've set for myself each day and I've rewarded myself each time I've stayed true to my positivity.

They've been words in the form of actionable results because I set the tone each day for how I'd like to see the day go, or what I've liked to accomplish, it helps keep me accountable to an overall schedule of progress in my life.

Easy achievable goals set with simple yet profoundly meaningful words. 

Gina

http://www.ginameyers.com

Here's some simple yet actionable words to get you started:

Prosper

Happiness

Joyful day

Education Oriented

Meaningful conversations

Hopeful

Dedicated

Manifesting Dreams

Reading meaningful books

Learning Attitude

Comfortable

Cozy

Marketable

Abundance

Financial abundance

Focused

Present

Peace

Organized

Donating

Giving attitude

Protective

Completion mindset

Cleaning

Propelling my..... (you fill in the blanks)

Relaxed

Fun

Happy

Gratitude

Explore

Abundance

New beginnings

Dream mindset

By doing this, I was able to complete a book I had been wanting to read called The Four Agreements. By doing this I was able to organize my office space, and enjoy my day more giving myself space to stop and smell the roses or relax and unwind and watch a movie.

Whole Grain Soda Bread & Corned Beef & Cabbage

 

I fairly recently learned that I am about 12 1/2 percent Scottish, not Irish as was previously believed. You don't have to be Irish to enjoy Saint Patrick's Day. Saint Patrick also wasn't Irish and his name originally was Maewyn, so there you go. Enjoy these recipes and have a Happy Saint Patrick's Day. 

Whole Grain Soda Bread

1 Tablespoon of Cornmeal

1 cup of quick-cooking rolled oats

1 ½ cups of buttermilk, divided

2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 cup of whole wheat flour

2 Tablespoons of packed light brown sugar

1 Tablespoon of baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons of caraway seeds

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

6 tablespoons of butter or margarine, chilled, cut into pieces.

2 eggs, lightly beaten, divided

1 cup of currants

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle large baking sheet with cornmeal. In a bowl, combine oats with ½ cup of buttermilk; let stand ten minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine all-purpose and whole wheat flours, sugar, baking powder, caraway seeds, baking soda and salt. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs: set aside. Reserve 1 Tablespoon of egg; combine remaining egg with remaining buttermilk (1 cup). Stir into oat mixture; stir in currants. Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture until stiff dough forms. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Shape dough into round loaf; place on baking sheet. Brush top of dough with remaining egg. With serrated knife, cut an “X” in top of bread, extending cut over sides of loaf down to baking sheet. Let stand in warm place for fifteen minutes. Bake 40-45 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped on bottom. Cool slightly on pan on wire rack before serving. 

Mustard-Herb Corned Beef with Cabbage

 

1 teaspoon of olive oil

2 ribs of celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons of dried thyme, divided

1 ½ teaspoons of cracked black pepper, divided

¼ cup of beef broth (substitute whiskey at home)

2 bay leaves

4 pounds of corned beef

1 head cabbage, about 2 pounds, cut into wedges

2 Tablespoons of mustard

1/3 cup of minced fresh parsley

 

Add celery, onion, garlic and 1 Tablespoon of thyme. Cook until onion softens, ten minutes. Add ¼ cup of beef broth, ¼ cup of water, ½ teaspoon of pepper and bay leaves. Simmer, covered, fifteen minutes. Increase heat to high. Add corned beef and enough water to cover meat by 1”. Cover; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, skimming fat, 3-3 ½ hours. Remove meat from pot: set aside. Over high heat, bring liquid in pot to a boil. Add cabbage; reduce heat to low. Simmer until cabbage is tender, 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, position oven rack 6” from heat source; preheat broiler. In bowl mix mustard with remaining beef broth; set aside. Combine parsley with remaining thyme and pepper. Trim fat from meat. Spread mustard mixture over meat; sprinkle with parsley mixture. Transfer to rack set in broiler pan; broil until browned, 2-3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, remove cabbage from pot, serve with the meat. http://www.ginameyers.com

Ways to cook an egg

Here’s a brief introduction on different ways to prepare this protein powerhouse. 

Hard-cooked eggs

Tips- to prevent cracking, remove eggs from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. 

Place eggs in a single layer in a large saucepan; add enough cold water to cover by 1-inch. Bring eggs to a oil over high heat, immediately remove pan from heat and voer. The residual heat in the water cooks the eggs, 15 minutes for extra-large eggs, 12 minutes for large œuf, and 9 minutes for medium eggs. 

Next, drain, and shake the pan gently to crack the eggshells all over. Immediately submerge eggs in ice water bath; set aside to cool. Peel the eggs from the large, rounded end under cool running water.

The cold truth:

Unpeeled, hard-cooked eggs will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If peeled, store covered in cool water in the fridge for no more than four days. 

Poached Eggs

Add 2 to 3 inches of water to a large saucepan or a deep skillet and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to the point where water barely bubbles. Break eggs, one at a time, into small coffee cups. Holding a cup close to the surface, slide egg into the water. Cook the eggs until whites are completely set and yolks are still soft, 3 to five minutes. Take care not to stir. With a slotted spoon, gently lift the eggs from the water and let drain. 

Scrambled Eggs

Crack eggs into a bowl. Whisk or beat together 1 Tablespoon of milk per egg with a pinch of salt and pepper, in a large nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Pour in egg mixture. As the eggs start to set, gently pull them across the pan with an inverted spatula or wooden spoon, forming large soft curds. Continue lifting and folding the eggs until the mixture has thickened and no visible liquid remains.

Chocolate & Wine Pairings

 Pairing your chocolate dessert to your wine is no easy task. We’ve tried to break it down for you so you know what pairs the best. 

The dark chocolate can go with any of the heavier red wines such as our Alicante Bouchet, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera, Sangiovese. Milk chocolate can go with a  lighter red  such as: Nero D’Avola and white chocolate pairs well with many whites or our rose, such as: Grenache Rose, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Muscat. 

Gluten-FREE Coconut Macaroons

 

 Gluten-Free Easy Coconut Macaroons 

Looking for a lower in sugar coconut macaroon recipe, here it is!

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup all purpose Gluten Free Flour, such as White Gold Brand

• 14 oz package unsweetened flaked coconut (if you use sweetened coconut, you will be adding 5 grams of sugar)

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 14 oz fat free sweetened condensed milk (contains 24 grams sugar)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Optional: 6-8oz chocolate chips such as Lily’s milk chocolate style baking chips, with 32% cocoa, stevia sweetened. 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and place cupcake liners in a cupcake pan. You may also use silicone cupcake liners. If lining  a baking sheet use parchment paper or cooking spray. 

2. In a large bowl, mix together gluten-free flour, coconut and salt until the coconut is coated in the other ingredients

3. Stir in condensed milk, vanilla extract. Keep stirring until well combined. Next, add chocolate chips. 

4. Using a cookie scoop, place in mounds of the coconut chocolate chip mixture in the cupcake tin liners or on the prepared baking sheets. 

5. For large (3 Tablespoon) cookies, bake in a preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are golden. For smaller (1 1/2 tablespoons) cookies, bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown the tops.

6. Cool for five minutes and enjoy. Makes about 1 ½ dozen medium sized macaroons.

Favorite Quirky Movie, The Right Kind of Wrong

Gina's Oatmeal Peanut Butter Gluten, Dairy-Free Cookies

 

Perusing through my Mrs. Fields cookbook I came across a Peanut Butter Cream-Filled Cookie. I came up with a dairy free, gluten free version, it was a little bit crumbly but tasty nevertheless.

To purchase one of Gina's cookbooks instantly: https://ginameyers.com

Gina's Oatmeal Peanut Butter Gluten, Dairy-Free Cookies

1 1/2 cups of coconut flour

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1 cup of oats, not instant

1 cup of light brown sugar

2 tablespoons of almond milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 cup of brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup of softened salted butter

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a mixer, add peanut butter, butter, egg, almond milk, vanilla extract, and light brown sugar, and oats and mix on low speed. Next, add flour, & baking soda and mix the ingredients, if needed, add a little more almond milk in teaspoonfuls. Roll each peanut butter ball and placed on a lightly greased cookie sheet. With a fork, gently criss cross the ball and flatten with cross look for the peanut butter balls. Bake for 11 minutes or until golden brown. Yields/makes 2 dozen medium sized oatmeal peanut butter balls.