Peaches & Cream Recipe by Gina Meyers

 

Peaches N’ Cream

1 cup of coconut whip or 1 cup of heavy whipping cream

½ teaspoon of vanilla

4 medium peaches, halved and pitted

1 cup of sliced fresh strawberries

1 large banana, peeled and sliced

¼ cup of packed brown sugar, light or dark. Dash of cinnamon

Directions: In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken or just use coconut whip. Add vanilla; beat until soft peaks form, arrange fruit on a platter and top with the whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar. May also want to add a little lemon juice.

This 4th of July, celebrate in style with Papagni Sangria.

 This 4th of July, celebrate in style with Papagni Sangria. 

1 bottle of Papagni Red Sangria

1 bottle Spanish cava, chilled (or sparkling apple juice)

Ice cubes, for serving

1/4 cup sliced strawberries

¼ cup of sliced oranges

⅛ cup of blueberries

¼ cup of sliced red and green apples (any variety)

8 mint leaves (optional)

2 Tablespoons of brandy (optional)

Directions: In a glass container, combine all ingredients except for the cava. Refrigerate a minimum of 1 hour, but at least 4 hours is recommended. To serve, pour sangria and a scoop of fruit into an ice-filled glass. Top with sparkling apple juice or cava, depending on preference.

Papagni Winery Website

Thoughts on Reading Books by Gina Meyers

 

If there is a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.-Toni Morrison

Like what you eat, what you digest in the way of books plays a critical role in your emotional and mental health. I recently reread my cousin's small book, An Invitation to Change, and  borrowed a friend's The Four Agreements Book. Then I picked up and read a few pages of The Millionaire at Lunchtime, Suzanne Somers' Menopause Manual and then went onto the Millionaire Next Door and a fellow authors' book, the late Richard Parenti's Emotional Sobriety. So how do these things we read and digest help us navigate life? Thousands of people have lived before us and faced similar predicaments. We won't be the last and we certainly won't be the first, but we can BE the last person in our family to break the cycle of poverty, or the cycle of abuse. We can be the first to get a doctorate, or the first to learn the piano or the first to learn that life lessons aren't meant to hurt us, they are meant to teach us. 

Summertime Reads by Gina Meyers

 Summertime Reads

Summer is almost upon us and it’s the perfect time to get a little vacation in and do some reading.

Here’s what I’ve read so far this year in no particular order. Because I am a new realtor, but a longtime author and publisher-- I get the opportunity to read upcoming books and unique indie books. I have reread my late friend Richard Parenti’s, Emotional Sobriety: Feel-Good Secrets for Everyone, a semi-autobiographical account of his recovering alcoholic status and how he implemented steps from Alcoholic Annonomous and re-worded them to change his outlook and prognosis. I also reread my cousin Marie Lavin’s, MFCC book, An Invitation To Change, a small book chalked full of wisdom and how energy healing can be effective in changing one’s outlook. I also read Don Miguels, The Four Agreements. I read and listened to his book on tape and also watched you tube videos that further dive into the agreements we make with ourselves and others.

For a more in depth explanation to the book, In The Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love. 

Don Miguel Ruiz has dedicated his life to sharing the wisdom of the ancient Toltec.

A book I am listening to that is an eye opener is called, The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy, by Thomas Stanley. 

 

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.