A Life of Simple JoyReducing stress, increasing joy one post at a time!

It is raining today. Not so unusual if you live in the Midwest where I grew up but a bit off the norm for Southern California, at least this time of the year.

I love the rain. I like the way it sounds outside my office window this morning. I love the way it smells, so fresh and clean. Most of all, I love what it is doing in my garden. When I know we are scheduled for a rare Spring rain, I like to get out in the garden before the sky opens up. I take time to turn the soil around my plants so the rain is able to soak in more effectively. I put in any new plants so they can have a day or two of cool, damp weather before the warm SoCal sun returns. Even more important, I bust out the manure. Yes, I am old-school when it comes to fertilizer. I try to avoid chemicals as much as possible. Don’t like them in my yard. Don’t like them in my ocean. Most of all, don’t like them in my cat. Fido walks around in the garden, gets the chemicals on his paws and then licks it off. YUCK! So, it’s manure for me!

Manure has always been inexpensive at the store but they have lowered the price even more. Such a deal! I put my gloves on (I’m not THAT into manure!) and drag the bags to my yard and garden. Reaching into the bag, I break up the clumps and spread a layer of manure over my grass. I add it around my roses. I spread it in my flower beds. Then I wait for the rain to do its part. Drop by drop, the rain breaks up the manure and carries it into the soil. Between the rain and the manure, my garden plants and grass must feel like they are in paradise. Does the manure smell? Of course! It smells like Spring and that’s a Simple Joy any day!

I am working on a new book, well, more of a booklet on the simple joy of tea. I love hosting teas. Find them to be the very best way to entertain friends. Much easier than a full-blown meal and perceived as being more elegant and difficult. Tea may be elegant, even the way I do it, but it is by no means difficult when it is done The Extreme Diva way. I frustrate myself trying for perfection with my writing. I must turn my internal editor off and push ahead. The info in this book is too important and a precursor to my book on the simple joy of entertaining. We need to begin entertaining in our homes more.

I believe women are feeling isolated. Many of us have gone back to work or are working longer, harder hours. We are struggling to keep up with things around the house and with our families. We are coping with financial difficulties. All these things have overwhelmed us and caused us to shut ourselves away. Instead, we need to turn to one another for strength, support and guidance. Women do not function well alone. We are social creatures that need a strong social network to build a strong self esteem. Without that strong network, we lack the confidence necessary to tackle the issues facing us daily.

So, I must get busy. Not for my sake but for the sake of all those women out there needing my help. And I know you are out there!

HOPE: Even when things are extremely difficult, you must maintain hope. This is not a Pollyanna attitude or even Annie singing about tomorrow. Too often, we only focus on today and how bad things are. We only focus on the bad causing us to become more depressed. Depression leads to inaction which only makes the situation worse. Soon, it becomes an out of control cycle that is almost impossible to escape.

No matter how bad your situation is, you must spend time each and every day envisioning a better future. You must work to maintain hope for yourself and your family. You must make the vision strong. You must find ways to make it real. Mr Diva and I have photos taped to the side of our frig to remind us of the things we are working for today. Some days, the vision is the only thing that keeps you pressing forward. But you must ALWAYS be moving forward. Even if it is only baby steps, make them steps forward. If you slip backward, then make up the lost ground and press farther ahead. Keep the vision in front of you, maintain the hope in your heart and mind and soon the vision becomes a reality. Remember, most people quit immediately before they achieve success. Hang on, press through and see the incredible things that happen in your life and the life of your family.

Maintain F*A*I*T*H when life is difficult and you find a strength, peace and determination you never knew existed within you.

•    ½ lb butter
•    2 tablespoons granulated sugar
•    2 small packages cream cheese
•    2 cups flour
•    2 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat oven 350. Mix ingredients together. Roll out on floured surface. Cut with a glass (yes, a drinking glass.) Put a spoonful of apricot jam in the center of cookie. Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar when cooled.

•    1 package lemon cake mix
•    1 3 ounce package cream cheese, softened
•    3/4 cup milk
•    4 eggs
•    1 1/4 cup ground cranberries
•    1/2 cup ground walnuts
•    1/4 cup sugar
•    confectioners’ sugar

Blend cake mix, cream cheese, and milk; beat with mixer for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add eggs; beat 2 minutes longer. Mix cranberries, walnuts, 1/4 cup sugar; gently fold into cake batter. Pour into greased and floured bundt or tube pan. Bake in 350 oven for 1 hour or until done. Cool for 5 minutes in pan; turn out on cake rack. Dust with powdered sugar.

•    1/2 cup shortening
•    3/4 cup sugar
•    2 eggs
•    3 cups flour
•    4 teaspoons baking powder
•    1 teaspoon salt
•    3/4 cup chopped, drained maraschino cherries
•    1 cup chopped black walnuts
•    1 1/4 cups milk

Cream shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Dredge cherries and nuts in 1/4 cup of flour mixture. Add balance of flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture. Stir in cherries and nuts.
turn into a greased 5 1/2×9 1/2 loaf pan. Bake in 350 oven about 1 hour. Cool completely and store in frig overnight before slicing.

•    2 eggs, well beaten
•    1 cup fresh orange juice
•    1/4 cup water
•    Grated rinds of 2 oranges
•    1/4 cup melted butter
•    4 cups sifted all purpose flour
•    1 teaspoon salt
•    3 teaspoons baking powder
•    1 teaspoon baking soda
•    2 cups sugar
•    1 cup chopped walnuts
•    1 cup chopped dates
•    1 cup chopped mixed candied fruit
•    1/4 cup flaked coconut
•    2 cups dried cranberries cut in half

Combine eggs, orange juice, water, rind and butter. Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add liquid mixture and stir until blended. Add fruits and nuts; mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into 2 greased and wax paper lined 9×5″ pans. Bake in 325 oven for 40 minutes. Lower heat to 300 degrees and continue to bake 40 more minutes. Remove bread from pans, peel off wax paper and cool on racks. When cool, wrap in plastic wrap and store in frig.

• 2 small acorn squash, cut into half, seeded
• 1/2 pound pork sausage
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs

Preheat over 350 degrees.  Place the squash cut side down in a shallow baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes or until tender. Scoop out and mash the pulp, reserving shells.

Brown sausage with celery, onion, and green pepper in a skillet. Add the mashed squash, 3/4 cup of bread crumbs and salt; mix well.

Spoon sausage mixture into the squash shells. Mix butter and second 3/4 cup bread crumbs. Sprinkle mixture around edges of squash. Bake for 10 minutes.

This cool dish is perfect with chicken. I like to serve it for dinner parties since it is so easy and I am able to make it the day before.

• 3 8-ounce cartons whipped topping
• 1 Large container small curd cottage cheese
• 2 3-ounce packages orange gelatin
• 1 3-ounce package pineapple gelatin
• 1 large can crushed pineapple, drained
• 2 small cans mandarin oranges, drained

Place whipped topping in large bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over topping and mix until thoroughly combined. Add cottage cheese and fruit. Pour into bowl, smooth top and place in frig. Serve chilled.

• 3 3-ounce packages raspberry gelatin
• 2 16-ounce cans whole cranberry sauce
• ¾ cup chopped celery
• ¾ cup chopped apple
• 1 16-ounce can crushed pineapple
• ¾ cup chopped walnuts
• 3 cups sour cream
• 1 8-ounce carton whipped topping
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows

Dissolve gelatin in four cups boiling water in a large bowl. Chill until partially set.

Add the cranberry sauce, celery, apple, pineapple, and walnuts; mix well. Pour half the mixture into a greased 9 x 13” dish. Chill until firm.

Combine the sour cream, whipped topping and marshmallows in a bowl; mix well. Spread over chilled layer.

Spoon remaining gelatin mixture over the sour cream layer. Chill until firm. Cut into squares.