The Morning After

I always want to blog about positive things.  I want to be a voice for higher vibrational living.  But some days I am in a great deal of pain.  Sharing this part of my journey is equally as important as sharing all the fun stuff.  And hopefully it will help another find their way through the, often lonely, sometimes bewildering and difficult path through chronic pain.  

There is a way through.  I do it regularly.  It is not fun, but I can attest to the fact that it can be a very growing, enlightening and inspiring experience.  In fact, it can sometimes be the very reason for a person to be on the spiritual path, learning to transform very difficult things into positive and helpful things.

It takes whatever it takes.  All roads lead to the same place.  I can do it peacefully and with positive intention, no matter my personal circumstances, or I can cause myself great discomfort--additional and unnecessary discomfort.   

I had such a wonderful time with my family yesterday, and the days before that, gathering supplies and doing prep work to do the Valentine's Day project and dinner with them!
  
The mornings of the day after Project Days I do can sometimes be very challenging for me.

I always try my very best to pace myself.  It is something I used to not do very well at all.  I have been beaten into submission about this.  (Translated--I have beaten myself into submission by, in the past, doing whatever I felt like, regardless of the consequences I knew would likely occur the next day if I pushed myself so hard.)

But sometimes, regardless of how well I plan and space out my work or myself, I still end up feeling like I've been run over by a Mack Truck the next day.

This is one of those days.

For me, chronic pain is about deep aching all over the place to the point of distraction.  My hands hurt, my lower back feels like it is going to give out and is shooting pain down my legs, my left foot/ankle is numb and feels like it is going to spasm and turn over.  My shoulders and upper arms and upper back are aching.  I am throbbing and aching at the core of my being nearly everywhere. 

I feel like I have been beaten with a 2" x 4" board.

Is it arthritis?  Is it the end results of multiple back surgeries and hand surgeries?  It is Fibromyalgia?  Am I just nuts?

Who knows!?!  Maybe it is all of these things. 

I have physical pain every day of my life.  It is the degree of pain that differs.

It is what I do with it and about it that makes the difference in my life. 

I have always been a very physically active person.  I love being very active!  But my body surely recoils greatly at times these days!  It has been like this for me since the last spinal fusion surgery I had in 2003.  I just never recovered from that surgery. 

I could get really depressed about this.

I could get really angry with myself about this and be a real grump with everyone, too.
 

I will take the day today, and just hang out by myself.  I will look for the gift in this pain and aching.  I will take a really long, hot shower.  That always helps relieve the aching some.  I will meditate.  I will do energy healing work for me and be as quiet and as peaceful as possible.

Surrendering to what is going on in my body, my mind and my spirit always makes things so much easier and better for me!

The intensity of feelings always pass eventually.  Fighting only makes the experience stay longer and/or hurt more.  So I will honor it, honor me and honor the process. 

 
I surely enjoyed myself with my family yesterday!  It was worth it!  They are worth it!  I will also spend the day today, remembering all the fun I had with them yesterday!

Love & Hugs & Blessings,
Barbara

Thank you Google Images for the Commercial Reuse of your images

© Copyright 2009-2013, Transformation Of A Mystic | Barbara F. Manning. 

All Rights Reserved

The Rest of Valentine's Day Activities!

For Daughters-In-Law, Granddaughters-In-Law, Granddaughters and anyone else wanting the recipes for the additional items we had at our Valentine's Day gathering, below here I have copied the links and the recipes as well.
  

I made the Pioneer Woman's Broccoli Cheese Soup for dinner http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/broccoli-cheese-soup-recipe/index.html and we used her mother-in-law's recipe for Heavenly Creme Filled Cupcakes--but we didn't Heavenly Creme Fill them!  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/heavenly-creme-filled-cupcakes-recipe/index.html 
 

I also used a CDKitchen Recipe for Chocolate Chip Icing on the chocolate cupcakes. http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/356/Chocolate_Chip_Icing59843.shtml

And I used the Buttercream Frosting on the back of the bag of C & H Powdered Sugar for the Vanilla Icing.

I had such fun with my family tonight!  The kids had a blast decorating cupcakes and eating them!

The soup turned out great, even though I quadrupled it!
   
Thank you for coming and spending this special time with me!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Love & Hugs & Blessings to you all!
Barbara / Mom / Grandma

© Copyright 2009-2013, Transformation Of A Mystic | Barbara F. Manning. 

All Rights Reserved

Broccoli Cheese Soup
2011 Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:
10 min
Inactive Prep Time:
--
Cook Time:
35 min
 
Level:
Easy
 
Serves:
10 servings
 
Ingredients
1 stick butter
1 whole onion, diced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
2 cups half-and-half
1 pinch nutmeg
4 heads broccoli, cut into florets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups grated cheese (mild Cheddar, sharp Cheddar, Jack, etc.)
Chicken broth, if needed
 
Directions
Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat, and then add the onions. Cook the onions for 3 to 4 minutes, and then sprinkle the flour over the top. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute or so, then pour in the milk and half-and-half. Add the nutmeg, and then the broccoli, a small dash of salt and plenty of black pepper.
 
Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the broccoli is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the cheese and allow to melt.
 
Taste the seasonings and adjust if needed. Then either serve as is, or mash with a potato masher to break up the broccoli a bit, or transfer to a blender in two batches and puree completely. (If you puree in a blender, return the soup to the heat and allow to heat back up. Splash in some chicken broth if needed for thinning.) 

Heavenly Creme Filled Cupcakes

2012 Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:
40 min
Inactive Prep Time:
5 min
Cook Time:
15 min

Level:
Intermediate

Serves:
18 cupcakes

Ingredients
Cupcakes:

Baking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 whole eggs
2 sticks butter
4 tablespoons (heaping) cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water

Ganache:

1 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons corn syrup
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Creme Filling:

1 stick butter
1/2 cup shortening, such as Crisco
4 cups powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly spray 18 muffin cups with baking spray.

To make the cake batter, combine the flour, granulated sugar and salt. Set aside.

In a separate container, combine the buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla and eggs. Stir to combine and set aside.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and stir to combine. Add the boiling water, allow to bubble for a few seconds and then turn off the heat.

Pour the chocolate mixture over the flour mixture. Stir a few times to cool the chocolate. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the top and stir to combine.

Fill muffin cups just over half full (do not overfill!). Bake for 13 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, and then remove the cupcakes and allow to cool completely on a baking rack.

For the ganache: To make the ganache, heat the cream and corn syrup over medium heat. Chop the chocolate and add to a bowl. Add the vanilla to the cream mixture, and then pour the cream mixture over the top of the chopped chocolate. Whisk together until melted, smooth and glossy. Allow to cool slightly.

For the creme filling: Whip together the butter and shortening until light and fluffy.

Sift together the powdered sugar and salt and add it to the butter mixture in batches. Add the milk, then the vanilla, beating the whole time. Scrape the sides of the bowl, and beat until very light and fluffy. Put the filling into a pastry bag fitted with a medium tip.

When the cupcakes are totally cool, insert the tip of the pastry bag into the bottom of the cupcake and fill with creme filling. When cupcakes are filled, spoon ganache so that it completely coats each cupcake OR dip to coat.

Let them set before serving.

Chocolate Chip Icing
CDKitchen http://www.cdkitchen.com

Serves/Makes: 2.5 cups    |   Difficulty Level: 2    |   Ready In: < 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup milk
6 ounces chocolate chips

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except chocolate in saucepan over medium high heat. Stir constantly until melted. Bring to a boil for 1 minute, still stirring. Remove from heat. Add in chips and stir until completely melted. Spread on cooled cake.
 

Makin' Old Fashioned Cupcakes with Grandkids!

Happy Valentine's Day, Everybody!

Today is a day of fun for me with my family!  We are going to make Valentine's Cupcakes using a very old recipe from my Grandmother Martha, (who was born in 1904.)  She was phenomenal in the kitchen!   The recipe is below here for you to try!  There is no "box cake" that compares!

I am so looking forward to teaching my grandkids how to make these from-scratch cupcakes!  Frosting them is a feat for some of the younger ones.  But all is great fun for me, just getting to be with them and spend the special time together!

Afterwards, we are going to make Broccoli Cheese soup and have a nice family dinner together!  I love doing these things with them!

Where ever you are, I hope you are having a wonderful day and enjoying your life!

I am!

Love & Hugs & Blessings,

Barbara                                           

Grandma Martha Sheahan’s

Best of All White Cake

350 degrees for about

35 minutes in cake pans,

(shorter time in cupcake tins)

In a Bowl:

          2 Cups Sifted Flour

          1 1/3 Cups White Sugar

          ½ Teaspoons Cream of Tartar

          1 Teaspoon Soda

          ½ Teaspoon Salt

Into the ingredients in the Bowl, cut in 1/3 Cup Butter, like you would for pie crust.  Mix until the mixture looks like meal.

Then Add:

          1 – 1 ½ Cups Buttermilk or Sour Milk

          1 ½ - 2 Teaspoons real Vanilla

Beat for 2 minutes by hand 

Then add 2 Unbeaten Eggs

Then beat an additional 2 minutes by hand

Add ½ - ¾ Cup chopped walnuts, if desired

Pour and Bake

Makes 2 – 8” round cake pans or ¾ of a 9 X 13 Cake, (a thin cake)

© Copyright 2009-2013, Transformation Of A Mystic | Barbara F. Manning. 

All Rights Reserved

Thank you Google Images for the Commercial Reuse of your Images!