Vince Lombardi Quote

Vince Lombardi said, “It is time for us all to stand and cheer for the doer,  
the achiever-the one who recognizes the challenges and does something about it.” These words resonate with me. At times I have been the one who recognized the challenge but yet did nothing; a sad state of affairs because my conscious is always in shambles as an after effect. It is important that we all are both aware and that we respond to our awareness. So if you are aware that you are overweight, then do something; if you are aware that there is a bully on the playground, do something, at least tell someone; if you are aware that you are a  spendthrift, then create a budget. Where ever your awareness leads you, respond  and in so doing you are leading yourself on the inevitable path of success. Let  us be doers. I have always said that the Universe/God that great spirit that created us all, rewards action. Be action focused and action centered.

Salvation Army Red Kettle

The Salvation Army's red kettle is a staple of the holidays. You see them outside of the grocery stores, department stores and various other public spaces where people frequent. I know it is the holidays when I hear those bells. It puts me in the spirit of sharing and giving.

How many times do we pass them? For me it leaves me with a guilty feeling when I don't have not even a single dollar bill to place in the kettle. But that red kettle reminds me to give, not only to the Salvation Army, but also to the people who have served me so willingly throughout the year: my postal carrier, hairdresser, manicurist, garbage collector, etc. etc. That red kettle reminds me to go to the bank and collect the money that I will give to these individuals. It also reminds me to give my favorite charities an added bonus.

The spirit of giving should not only be for the holidays. We should embrace it each and every day. However the holidays reminds us of the importance of giving and the Salvation Army's red kettle is a physical symbol of the joy of giving and sharing.

To learn more on how the red kettle tradition started, read here and Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas:) Life is Good!

Libraries

Libraries are serene, beautiful, peaceful spaces. As a lover of knowledge, it is expected that this space would be one where I am perfectly and divinely in my element. But what about you? We all need to find spheres/spaces, whether public or private, that inspire us to live more and to be more. We are very much influenced by our physical environment. So if you need to go somewhere to be inspired, then bon voyage. If you can't go, then imagine you are already there. Your mind's eye is more powerful than you think. Whether you create it mentally or you are there physically, your place of peace, tranquility, inspiration will help you live your best life ever. 

What's for Dinner: Chicken Prepared in 3 Different Ways

I love to cook, always have, always will. When I was growing up, I thought we would fly. That's how much my Mom cooked chicken. As a result, I have many recipes for chicken. Here are three chicken dinner ideas.

Barbecue Chicken, with Gluten Free Baked Macaroni and Kale Medley

I shop mostly at Trader Joes. Love the store and the quality of the ingredients. This meal was fun and simple to prepare. Gluten free baked macaroni with kale medley and barbecue chicken. Trader Joes has a very nice organic barbecue sauce. Try it. It is delicious, according to my family. Almost forgot to mention that the vegetables are a medley of kale, carrots, and radishes.

Baked Chicken Wings

The second chicken dinner shared here is baked wings. It is a Friday night tradition in our house. The trick to baking chicken is to pat the chicken completely dry, season with salt and pepper and preheat the pan that you are going to bake the chicken on. These details are important. If you preheat the pan then when you place the chicken in the oven it will begin to cook right away, which makes for a more crispier chicken on the outside and more succulent on the inside. Also it is extremely important to pat the wings dry with good quality clean paper towels. If the skin is as dry as possible, before you season it with the salt and pepper and before you place it in the oven, then again it leads to a better tasting chicken. I don't understand the secret behind it, I just know that it works.

For vegetables I cut up carrots and celery into strips and made a dipping sauce. For the dipping sauce I combined, mayonnaise, ketchup, a drop of apple cider vinegar, a little bit of olive oil, salt & pepper to taste and pickle juice. Whisk it all together, add and subtract ingredients to your taste.

Stewed Chicken

My third chicken dinner idea is stewed chicken. I am an island girl, born and raised so it was a frequent meal for me as a child. I believe some may call this chicken cacciatore. Not sure how similar the recipes are. I begin by seasoning the chicken and letting it sit for at least 1 hour. Always make sure that the chicken is at room temperature before cooking. Then I cut up the vegetables: onions, sweet peppers, garlic, thyme. Saute the chicken and the vegetables together. The chicken will spring its own water so don't add any initially. After it cooks for a while and you smell the sweet fragrances then add ketchup and your best pasta sauce. Again let it simmer a while before adding a little hot water. Season the gravy to taste. I tend to add some worchester sauce when checking the flavoring. Let the chicken simmer for at least 45 minutes. This chicken with some basmati rice and veggies is utterly delicious.

I hope you enjoyed the chicken dinner ideas shared herein. Maybe you thought you would fly as a child  because your Mom also cooked a lot of chicken. Share some of your chicken dinner ideas below. Life is Good! :)

5 Articles Worth Sharing: Curated by Mompreneur's World

1. 8 Reasons to Become an Entrepreneur (Infographic) The infographic is so pretty and cool that I almost want to print it and frame it as a reminder of why I do what I do.
2. 10 Fascinating Things you Probably Did Not Know About Warren Buffet's Berkshire-Hathaway, Inc. Did you know that Berkshire-Hathaway owned Dairy Queen and Geico? Find out more.
3. 3 Things to Watch in the Stock Market this Week Yes you have an awesome business! But you also need passive income. Why not invest in stocks?
4. 16 Tips for Upcoming Self-Made Entrepreneurs As an entrepreneur for well over 25 years, I have learned the hard way, the importance of tip number 1.
5. How to Stop Burnout With 1 Simple Rule Damon Brown tells us that we all need a healthy dose of selfishness.