Danish Cheater

The Fairy Blogmother is always looking for ways to take off those same 10 pounds. I know, I know- yo-yo dieting is awful, but I keep trying, and that's important. Consistency is the key to successful weight loss whether you go the way of South Beach, Atkins, Weight Watchers, or use the diet of the week from your favorite magazine. Blah, blah, blah. I know it.

Unfortunately, the Fairy Blogmother gets bored easily and switches from one plan to another, resulting in perpetual weight loss and gain. But boredom is the enemy, and the need to try new things is both a real habit and a passion. (Alas, I like to cook and prepare food as much as I like to partake. And the refigerator is always dangerously full.) Eventually, I'll find the 'fountain of slim.'

So, this morning I came upon a new dish to satisfy my hunger and my need to create.
Banish the donut, pass the bag of cookies and go for something full of healthy ingredients.

And thus was born: "The Blogmother's Danish Cheater."

A slice of whole grain bread - toasted. (I found a cranberry-pecan variety made by a local 'artisan bakery,' and you'd be rewarded if you found such a brand in your area.)

Spread with light cream cheese. (Add more dried cranberries or fresh fruit?)

Top with a good sprinkling of cinnamon.

It has fiber, protein, fruit, nuts, and cinnamon (which, research has just revealed, can significantly reduce your cholesterol rates as much as statin drugs if used at the rate of 1 tsp per day)

If you can, add chopped Brazil nuts on top, you'll give yourself added protection against Ovarian cancer. (Women in the area where these nuts are grown, and eaten daily as a diet staple have 0 incidence of ovarian cancer.)

The Goal

The Fairy Blogmother just read one of the best quotes: "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the GOAL." - Hannah More, (English philanthropist of the 18th century)

What a great quote to keep tucked in your pocket and in your mind!

Everyone would be wise to take the time to think about where they want to go, and the steps they're taking to get there. Enlisting help from others is allowed, in fact it's encouraged. Everyone needs a cheerleader or a Fairy Blogmother.

There will always be 'nay sayers,' 'discouragers', and 'belittlers' along the way to your goal (s). You just have to recognize them: the 'friend' with the gift of chocolate chip cookies when you're on a diet, the 'auntie' who says, "Our family never does that," or the co-worker who says, "That won't work." You'd be wise to dismiss them all, with a smile, and keep focused on what YOU want. It's all about YOU.


So get started. Right now! Write down those goals of yours anywhere you can. See some wet cement on the sidewalk? Get a stick and write down your dream, but watch out for the workman who'll yell at you for ruining his perfectly plain and goal-less palate. (Never expect the uninspired for support- they're envious). And expect some detours-that is what makes life interesting.

Advice for the Anxious

The Fairy Blogmother read some advice from a Harvard professor of psychology on ANXIETY, and wanted to paraphrase the main points of the article, add some of her own thoughts, and pass it along. Personal anxiety is increased by the uncertain times we are experiencing in our country: terrorists, high deficit, war, lack of jobs, etc. etc.


Some people handle stress with ease while other feel anxious. The key to calmness is RESILIENCE or ‘bounce-back ability.’


Be ‘bounce-able’ by developing these skills:

1. Make changes in your own behavior that might be causing negative treatment by others. You work to make relationships better, don’t wait for others to change first. Start out by smiling at the office “pain.”

2. Work on only those things YOU can control. Know which things you can’t control and don’t try to do the impossible. Frustration feeds anxiety.

3. See problems as puzzles or challenges, not as crisis. No hysterics.

4. Be empathetic: try to see a situation as another sees it, or wear their shoes for a while.

5. Really listen to others- try to understand what people are saying to you, and validate their feelings. Don’t try to plan your answer to them while they're talking, and NEVER say, “Don’t feel that way.” (They do.)

6. Admit and appreciate your strengths. Remind yourself of the ‘good things’ in your life. OFTEN- in writing, on tape, in song, on the bathroom mirror......

7. Accept mistakes not as personal failures but as something
that will help you learn new skills.

8. Help others for that can add meaning to your life and
help you reduce stressful feelings.

Fairy blog mother's children go back to school

The art of umbrella use

Fairy Blogmother's advice for today is about umbrellas. Take one when you venture out. About the color- my mother always said to me, and I'm sure it was advice from her mother: "Remember that an umbrella is the frame around your face, just like the frame on a picture." If you look awful in yellow or green, don't choose an umbrella that casts that color on your face either. Warm colored umbrellas will give you a glow. If you're a bride, white is nice; black for the groom. Other than that, you don't have to match your outfit, just complement it or yourself.
Carrying an umbrella is smart. Those who don't risk a truly bad hair and outfit day. Your umbrella can invite friendship and closeness , even handholding- invite a friend or interesting stranger underneath its cover and be his or her savior in a downpour. If the rain ends, give it a quick shake and hook it on your arm as a scepter and you'll look regal. Swing it about and you'll look rather 'Chaplin.' Put your name on it, and if you leave it behind (on purpose or by accident) you may get the phone call about it's return and allow a relationship to blossom. For a pesky lagger in a buffet line, its tip can be serve as a cattle prod, or its material side can dismiss a bore or an unexpected attack of flatulance. A few quick open and closures can shield you from the offensive and/or offender. And if perhaps you find yourself in a tough situation, you can always use your umbrella as a weapon a la Ruth Buzzi. No excuses- take the umbrella.

Sweet Start

I found this recipe on the back of the cocoa tin, and also on a friend's table. The cake won rave reviews at a dinner party, so I pass it along to you as a gift.

If you have to take a dish to a picnic, party, the office or to welcome a new neighbor, or impress someone or someone's mother, try this one. It's simple enough and chocolatey enough, and it's not out of a box..

And after you bake it, keep it away from the edge of the counter, especially if you have a dog. Chocolate is toxic to the canine system, and this just might be too tempting for Fido to resist.

Fairy Blog Mother

Sweet Start

Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake

2 c sugar
1 ¾ c All purpose flour
¾ c Hershey’s Cocoa
1½ tsp. Baking powder
1½ tsp. Baking soda
1tsp. Salt
2 eggs
1 c milk
½ c vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c boiling water

Cupcakes: line muffin cups with paper bake cups. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 350 degrees (preheated oven) for 22 – 25 minutes. Cool. Frost. Makes 30 cupcakes ( Cake: 2 nine inch pans for 30 – 35 minutes or until done)

Directions Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Then add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes Stir in boiling water. (Batter will be thin)

“Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Frosting

1 stick butter or margarine
2/3 c Hershey’s Cocoa
3 c powdered sugar
1/3 c milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on med. Speed to spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla. Add more milk or sugar to thin or thicken the frosting for consistency you prefer.