Dont Stop Being Successful!

So many times in everyday life we get so overwhelmed with everything. Between having bills to pay, work to do, being successful, being happy and the added holidays approaching we tend to get stressed out. The key is to keep on working on things that make you happy and prioritize Some days you will not be able to get everything done but it will still be there later. So try not to get everything done all at once. Trying so hard can be so frustrating and you may just want to give up.

When you get frustrated and start to lose faith remember this... Most people quit when they are just about to succeed. So whatever it is you are working on don't give up. Most successful people are those who keep raising the bar even higher and do not stop till they reach the top... and still look to do better. Sometimes its easier to make small goals that lead you to that larger goal. That way you are appreciative of each small goal you make leading you to something even better, instead of focusing on how you haven't accomplished the larger goal yet. Keep striving and you will succeed, just take it one day at a time.

Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Here's a Yummy Treat for The Season:

Pumpkin Pie Recipe:
(Makes 2 pies)

What you need:

• 1 (6 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1 cup half and half
• 1/4cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 pre-made pie crust
• whipped cream, for topping

What to do:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. place empty pie crust into over 15 minutes
3. For the filling, in a large bowl beat cream cheese and pumpkin with a hand mixer.
4. Add all other ingredients and beat until well mixed.
5. Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for an hour or until centers are set.
6. Let cool and serve with whipped cream on top.

For more fun recipes check out recipes in the book "Good Cooking For Bad Girls"
http://goodcookingforbadgirls.yolasite.com/

Jambalaya Recipe

Here's a quick and easy Recipe for Jambalaya

What you need:
2cups rice
1 lb smoked sausage cut into 2in circles
1 small chicken breast
1/2 onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp creole seasoning
1/2 tsp celery salt

What you do:
1.Cook rice with 2 cups water

2.Heat oil over med/high heat, saute' onions and pepper until tender, add sausage and continue cooking 5 mins stirring occasionally.

3.Cook chicken in a small pan until done, chop into 2in cubes and add to sausage mixture.

4 .Add creole seasoning, celery salt and pepper.

5.Mix pepper mixture with rice and serve.

For more fun recipes check out my book "Good Cooking For Bad Girls" by Tori Bradley

Its all about YOU

Lately I have noticed people complaining about being single or being lonely. I want to give them some good advice. Don't depend on someone else for your happiness. Sure we all enjoy companionship and having someone there for you. However you must make yourself happy before you can make someone else happy.

Don't look for someone that completes you but someone who enhances the person you already are. Heck if you are that lonely get a pet. In reality someone who is happy is much more attractive. Think about it, would you rather hang out with Eeyore or Tigger (if you are familiar with Winnie the Pooh)? Personally I would not want to be around someone who is constantly negative all the time. Sure we all have our bad days but there is always a way to pull through them.

Find something that makes you happy and pursue it with full force. When you set your sights on your goals and dreams it gives you a sense of purpose and accomplishment. Find what makes you tick. It could be anything that makes you happy. Think about a career change, losing weight, eating right, playing a sport, picking up a hobby you have always wanted to do, dancing, moving to another home, redecorating, building your own business.. whatever works for you. Then stop making excuses and start making a plan!  When you find something you love, love will find you!

"Don't wait for someone to bring you flowers. Plant you own garden and decorate your soul....!"

- Unknown

Fearless

 

I deemed it appropriate for Halloween to write about fear. I'm not referring to the monster costumes or spider decorations but your personal monsters. Fear holds so many people back from accomplishing things they are more than capable of pursuing. We all have our own personal fears that stunt our growth. Some of us fear the unknown, fear rejection, fear change, fear what others think or fear failure. I read somewhere that your desire for success has to be greater than your fear.

Think of all the people in history that accomplished so much. They had to get past their personal fear that something may not work and push forward. What if Marilyn Monroe would have let her fear stop her from making a name for herself? What if Alexander Graham Bell would have been too afraid to present his idea of the telephone to the public?

Do not let your fears hold you back from getting everything you can out of life. You do not want to look back and wish you would have tried something but was too afraid to. You may not succeed but you will never know until you try. Go out there and find your next adventure.

"You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore."

Follow Your Own Path

In every day life we are constantly being influenced. We are influenced by friends, family, strangers, people on TV, role models etc. Some of the influences are great and inspirational. Other influences create standards for us that in the long run do not even make us happy.

Every person has different qualities and things that they enjoy. Do what works for you! Society has created boundaries for us that are supposed to define us. Some people get so caught up in following the path that society has set for us. Some believe the only way to have true success is follow the traditional roles. We are expected to live in a world where success is defined by having "X" amount of cash in the bank, driving the newest car on TV, having the body of the girl in Cosmo magazine, having the traditional 9-5 job, running a happy house hold and all at the same time remaining sane.

To me this is just insane! Follow your own path, different things work for different people. I know someone I consider very successful. They have not stepped foot in an office (except to pick up their check) in over 3 years. They do not fit the definition of the traditional job according to society. However they are happy and successful.  I also know a couple that does not fit in to the typical marriage setting... the woman actually has a career and the man takes care of the house hold. It is not traditional but they are happy and it works for them.

I have personally found out when I have ditched the traditional and gone with what makes ME happy then success has followed. So go out there embrace your nontraditional wild side (of course check your morals and local laws at the door) and build your own path! The best path to follow is the one you look back at and are proud to say "I made that".

Potpourri Dating

Four little letters... What is this little thing called "LOVE"? Songs are wrote about it, books are wrote about it, movies are based on it, some people search for it their entire lives. Some refer to is as "friendship set on fire" ,others simply believe it is a chemical reaction our bodies convince us to feel.

A friend asked me the other day "Are you seeing anyone?". My response "I am Potpourri dating". After the jokes and laughs simmered down I really considered the term.

According to Wikipedia "In English, "potpourri" is often used to refer to any collection of miscellaneous or diverse items."

Why not Potpourri Date? I find its a great way to explore options! Each person has something wonderfully unique about them and there is usually at least one great thing to discover about each person. With potpourri there will be spices that you do not like or that do not fit your style. The key is to find that right spice that is just right for you!

So until I find that one ingredient that brings the true meaning of that "little four letter word" into my life I will happily continue to Potpourri Date!