Main navigation

Angie and a Ginger

Faith Food Love Life

7 Cheap or Free Date Ideas

 

February. Valentine’s Day is in February and is the perfect time to focus on relationships. Whether you are currently married, dating or single, I am sure that you have had your share of fun or even disastrous dates over the years. Remember that one time, at band camp? I joke, but really I am being dead serious. Like the one time that someone thought it would be a great idea to take me, who hates sitting still and more importantly, one who doesn’t like to sit through movies if they are boring, to see a horrible James Bond movie. To this day, the only thing I can remember about that night, was not the guy I was with, but were the words, I am invincible, I am invincible. Those words really did become my mantra for awhile and while I know that may not seem like a horrible date to you, it was for me and this is a family friendly website remember? [Read more…] about 7 Cheap or Free Date Ideas

butter cookies with a cookie press

We are well into the holiday season. Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is just a few weeks away. It is hard to believe that 2018 is knocking on the door.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, even as a kid. It meant family time and good food. We would eat and then spend time as a family playing board games or cards, running outside, telling stories and just being silly. My family never participated in any Black Friday sales or went to the movies. We just enjoyed each other’s company. Growing up, we had the traditional Thanksgiving meals and some very untraditional meals – stir fry, anyone? But even when we had those untraditional meals, we would have a special drink, cranberry juice with a scoop of orange sherbert or orange sorbet. Simple, but so yummy.

Now that Thanksgiving has passed, Christmas songs and the smell of apple and cinnamon fill the air. There is decorating the Christmas tree and putting up Christmas lights.  As a kid, we sipped hot chocolate and ate candy canes while watching Frosty or Rudolph and we baked.

We baked Chrusciki, a sweet crisp Polish dessert topped with powdered sugar and we baked cookies. It truly was a family affair.  We baked butter cookies using a cookie press and decorated them with sprinkles. [Read more…] about butter cookies with a cookie press

Dream a little dream

Never let it be said that to dream is a waste of one’s time, for dreams are our realities waiting. In dreams we plant the seeds of our future.

Think back to when you were a little kid, what did you dream about being or doing? What were some of the costumes you wore for Halloween or dress up for school? What did you declare that you wanted to be – a doctor, veterinarian, super hero, teacher? Where did you think you would live or travel to?

Are you still dreaming now as an adult? Do you still stare out a window and think and ponder? I remember day dreaming as a kid. I would stare out my bedroom window where there was this huge tree, and I got to see the greenery around the tree, the flowers blooming or the lizards and or squirrels scattering along the branches. And I would let my mind wonder. I would dream of running and competing, of trips and fun and the future. There was hope in those dreams, even when at times life seemed hopeless.

Dream. Believe. Hope. I have dreams now. Dreams for Angie and a Ginger, for my family, for my future. I dream. I dream even when I do not feel like anyone else believes when my dreams, because they are my dreams. They can not be taken from me. They encourage and inspire me. They help me on days when I feel so overwhelmed and discouraged, and then..I remember. I remember why I make sacrifices now. I remember why sometimes you have to feel the hurt or forgo sleep. I remember. Dream. Hope. And then create.

I think the above sums it up nicely. Dream Big. Ferocious dreams. Believe.

Blessings and keep dreaming,

Angie

Taking Responsibility for YOUR life :)

Good evening! I hope that this post finds you well. It has been a good week, made a crockpot white bean chili stew which made plenty of leftovers. Finally got caught up on some laundry that got a little behind while we participated in the Homestead Hollow festival and the pups and I walked in the then tropical storm of Nate. Watching the rain and wind was reminiscent of living and growing up in South Florida, I even enjoyed the extra humidity – yes I am a little weird like that. Oh, and got to see an awesome full moon pictured below.

 

Recently I have been reading a book called “The Success Principles” by Jack Canfield, it is the 10th anniversary addition. In the first chapter, he discusses taking 100% responsibility for your life, getting rid of the victim mentality and letting go of complaining.

This chapter has struck a cord in my heart. It is more then a chapter, it contains principles that you need to embrace.  Some key take always from this chapter:

*If you want to be successful, you have to take 100% responsiblity for everything that you experience in your life.

*You have to give up blaming and complaining and take total responsiblity for your life – that means all your results, both your success and failures.

*You have to give up all your excuses.

*If you don’t like your outcomes, change your responses

*The circumstances you complain about are all situations you can change – but you have chosen not to.

*Complaining means you have a reference point for something better that you would prefer but that you are unwilling to take the risk of creating.

*Learn to replace complaining with making respects and taking action that will achieved your desired outcome.

So are you ready to take 100% responisibity for your life? Willing to take some risks, where you have been staying stagnant. Ready to stop complaining. I know that I am. I encourage you to make some changes. Pick up the book, let me know what you think and some of your take aways are.  Oh, and you can check out our facebook for my video where I discuss this topic as well.

Much love and blessings all,

angie

 

Hot Chocolate 2 Ways

We are officially in fall and have been for about two weeks now and at least where we are, there is a crispness in the earlier mornings. The change of seasons is slowly becoming evident, though we haven’t had any changing of the leaves yet and I may have to mow the grass one or two times more this year.

One of the reasons that I love fall is because it is football season. Go SEC 🙂 college, not pro, but with that means that we have get togethers with friends to watch the games. Saturdays in the South. Makes my heart happy. There are other reasons I love the fall too, the leaves changing, the cooler mornings and nights, the beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Fall is perfect for cuddling, fire pits and hot chocolate.

On facebook live tonight, I discussed making two types of hot chocolate. You can watch the video here:

In the video, I show you how simple it is to make two types of hot chocolate. One with dutch process and one with raw cacao. Dutch process, also called alkalized, is treated with an alkali to neutralize acids. It does not react with baking soda alone and must be used in recipes calling for baking powder. Dutch process cocoa is darker in than natural, raw, cocoa and has a mellower flavor and dissolves easily in liquids. [Read more…] about Hot Chocolate 2 Ways