THE PURRFECT, EASY RECIPES, Part 1 of many

I enjoy this dish when its really cold outside and after Ive been out for a walk.

Cooking time: 2-1/2 to 2-1/4 hrs.
Main cooking utensils: saucepan, casserole.
Oven temperature: 350F

For 4-6 people you need:

* 8-12 small onions.

* 2 lb. beef stew meat***

* 1/4 cup flour.

* seasoning.

* 2 tablespoons drippings.

* 14 oz can tomatoes

* 1 - 2 tablespoons made mustard

* 1 tablespoon chutney (or Ketchup)

* 1 tablespoon honey

* 1 tablespoon cherry or blackcurrant jam

* 2 cloves crushed garlic.

*** Use plate, chuck, blade, round, flank. For more luxurious dish, rump steak.

1. Peel the onions and leave whole.

2. Trim excess fat from meat and cut meat into 2 inch cubes.

3. Toss meat in seasoned flour.

4. Heat drippings in a large pan and brown the meat.

5. Add tomatoes with juice and mustard and blend well together.

6. Add all the other ingredients, stir well and season.

7. Transfer to a casserole with well fitting lid and cook for 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 hrs until meat is tender.

TO SERVE: Remove any excess fat and serve with boiled rice.

TO VARY: Use red currant jelly instead of honey and jam. This combination of flavors could be used to for mutton or pork. The mustard used could be English, but to vary, use French mustard which gives a slightly more spicy flavor.

TO STORE: In the refrigerator, reheat gently but thoroughly.

I know you’ll enjoy this dish in the winter time.

You MUST taste this to believe how delicious it is. Its purrfect for snowy days, when you’ve been out playing in the snow and then come in to this warming dish.

Cooking time: 2-3/4 hrs.
Preparation time: 35 minutes.
Main cooking utensil: Covered saucepan.

For 4-5 portions you need:

* 1-1/2 lb. beef stew meat

* 2 large onions.

* 2 large carrots.

* 1-2 cloves garlic.

* 3 tablespoons butter or peanut butter.

* 2 tablespoons tomato paste or ketchup.

* 1 bay leaf.

* Dash ground cloves.

* Dash ground ginger.

* Dash cayenne pepper.

* Seasoning.

* 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar.

* Scant 2 cups stock or water and 2 bouillon cubes.

* 2 tablespoons peanut butter

* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

* About 3 tablespoons water.

1. Cut the meat into neat pieces, then peel and slice the onions and carrots and crush the cloves of garlic.

2. Melt the butter or peanut butter and toss the meat and vegetables in this for a few minutes.

3. Stir in the tomato paste, bay leaf, spices and seasoning, together with the lemon juice and stock.

4. Bring to a boil, then cover the pan and simmer until tender - approximately 2-1/2 hours.

5. Add the peanut butter and the flour blended with the water.

6. Cook, stirring well, for a few minutes until well thickened: taste and re-season if wished.

TO SERVE: with mashed sweet or ordinary potatoes.

TO VARY: use diced stewing chicken instead of beef. A very little honey added gives a faintly sweet taste to this type of stew.

TO STORE: in the refrigerator, reheat thoroughly.

I know you’ll enjoy this dish. I do add a little honey and its simply de-li-cious!!!

The first time I tasted this at a friend’s, I had to have this recipe. Its simply DELICIOUS.

Handy Pork Loaf:

Cooking time: 2 hrs
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Main cooking utensils: Saucepan 9 x 5 loaf pan.
Oven temp: 350-375F
Oven Position: Center

For 8 people, you need:

* 3-4 lb fresh pork picnic shoulder.

* Bouquet garni (mix of herbs you like or buy “ready-made”.

*seasoning

* 1 cup sausage meat

* 4 slices bread

* 2 eggs

* 3 tablespoons chopped parsley

* 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

* 1/2 teaspoon celery salt

* 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Coating for pan:

* Little shortening

* 1/2 cup crushed Cornflakes

* 1 teaspoon powdered sage.

1.- Put the pork into a saucepan, just cover with cold water, add the bouquet garni and seasoning.

2.- Simmer gently for 1 hour, then remove meat from stock, cut away from bone and chop finely. The bone and stock may be used as the basis for soups or stews.

3.- Add the sausage meat to the pork.

4.- Cut the crusts off the bread and put the crumbs into the eggs, beat until smooth then mix with the meat.

5.- Beat in the parsley and seasonings.

6.- Grease the bottom and sides of the pan very well, mix the crushed Cornflakes and sage and press over the bottom and sides of the pan.

7.- Put in the mixture and press down.

8.- Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

TO SERVE: Hot or cold. Carry in pan, cut in slices and serve with sliced tomatoes, green salad and bread.

TO VARY: Use 2 lb. pork and 2 lb. stewing veal.

TO STORE: In refrigerator.

Hope you’ll enjoy this pork loaf as much as I do.

Your sick friend could be a family member also. If you know someone who’s not well and you’re close to them, you want to do all you can to help.

I previously wrote about someone you know in the hospital. Theres so much you can do as they are under medical supervision, but once they come home, theres plenty you can do.

First thing to do is ASK what they need and IF they need your help. No need pushing yourself on someone if they insist they dont need your help…..back off then. But if they want your help, heres what you can do.

Depending if there mobile or not, eating is very important in recuperating after a illness. When someone is sick, the least thing on their mind is cooking.

Soup is nourishing and healthy. Make your own please, no canned soup!!!

Make it with lots of vegies and meat (ask if the person is on a restricted diet first). You wont be with the person all the time, so reheating soup is very easy.

Ask if theres anything they feel like eating and cook it for them in small portions so they can easily microwave it.

Ask if they need you to run errands for them (pay bills, renew prescriptions, go shopping, etc)

It would be welcomed if you could help around the house also. Cleaning or doing the washing. Clean bedsheets will make your friend feel much better, trust me!! Do the dishes and tidy up a bit will help speed up the recovery and lift the spirit. (dont start vacuuming, the sound of a vacuum usually gets on people’s nerves, especially if you’re sick)

Let the person rest, dont go into long conversations or gossip, now is not the time. Do what you need to do and then ask if they’d like to rest and if so, LEAVE.

Let them know you’re only but a phone call away and tell them you’ll call on them once a day to find out if they need anything.

Whats important is that your friend or family member knows that you’re there for them.

I remember going through a rough time, my friend would come by at mealtime with a hot meal, set it on the table for me to eat. In the meantime, she would change my bed, start a washing, tidy up a bit, clean the bathroom and ask if after eating, id like a nice hot bath. After my bath, she would help me get into bed, tuck me in and make sure I had everything nearby (books, remote control, water, medicine, phone, etc) then she’d be gone.

I have her to thank for my speedy recovery. She was heaven sent!!

You can also be an “angel” to someone dear to you.

It may have happened to you already, your best friend is sick.

What can you do to help. How can you be sure your friends wants your help.

Some people welcome company when they’re sick…..some do not!!

What to do if your friend is in the hospital.

Dont call, unless your friend has called you to make you know calls are welcome.

If you go visit your friend, make it short and sweet. Depending how old your friend is, if man or woman, here are a few ideas of what you can bring: body/hand/foot cream, wet towelettes, sleeping eye mask, ear plugs, magazines, crossword puzzles with a pen/pencil, IF a woman, since our feet are always cold, a few pairs of soft, warm socks would be welcome.

You might ask your friend if they need anything in particular before visiting.

Make your visit short and sweet unless your friend doesnt want you to go.

You probably believe in your heart that smoking is bad for you and that other people’s smoke is also bad for you.

What you believe …….IS. So lets re-program your mind so you are now protected against other people’s smoke. You might have friends or even your partner still smoking and surely you wouldnt want to be without your friends now?

So here are a few statements you can also include on your recording to protect yourself from your beliefs, to begin with, and to keep you healthy.

” My body can protect itself from other people’s smoke.

My body has all the resources and capabilities to heal itself from any exterior substance.

Day after day, I feel better and better.

I feel good, healthy and happy even if Im surrounded by smokers.

Drinking water cleanse my body from any substances irrelevant to its functioning and well being”.

Know in your heart that those statements are true. Whatever your mind believes will happen.

You have the power to stop smoking and you deserve to be healthy no matter what……know this and believe it.

If you take the time to write your own statements, record them and listen to them, you will succeed…….I did.

If you dont feel comfortable with self-hypnosis, you might want to find a reputable hypnotist. Dont be afraid to ask questions, or for references. You can share your positive statements with him/her or ask that they’re included.

If you feel uncomfortable with your hypnotist, find another one.

You must now have a very good idea how self-hypnosis works from my previous posts.

You might want to go even further with the statements, especially if you’re not 100% convinced you want to quit.

Do remember that if you do NOT want to stop smoking, hypnosis will NOT make you stop. As I said before, hypnosis wont go against your will.

A few statements you might want to listen to before you go ahead with the “quit smoking recording”.

“The smell of MY cigarettes is very offensive to me. (You need to emphasize the word “MY” here as you dont want to find other people’s cigarettes to be offensive to you and ruin your day).

The smoke from MY cigarettes smells awful.

The smell of MY smoke on my clothes is very repulsive.

I hate the taste of cigarette in my mouth.

I hate how MY smoking makes my house, furniture, curtains, etc smell.

I hate the yellow stain on my fingers.

I hate the smell of MY ashtrays”.

Its important to emphasize YOUR smoking. You live in a society filled with other smokers and you have NO right to force them to stop smoking because YOU decided to be smoke free. Its best to help yourself be rid of smoking and NOT be bothered by other smokers…..it will also make your life more pleasant and you wont need to hide from the rest of the world.

Tomorrow, I’ll give statements to protect yourself from other people’s smoke and keep you healthy even if you’re surrounded by smokers.

You should be able to relax your body rather well now with the 7 color rainbow visualization. As for quieting your mind, dont worry about it. Once you start playing your recording, you’ll forget about everything else and you’ll concentrate on what you’re saying in the recording.

AFFIRMATIVE statements to be smoke free:
They must be repeated 3 times.
You might want to change some of the statements to make them more personal.

I want to be smoke free. (or cigarette free)
I feel healthy and happy being smoke free.
I am smoke free.
Smoking is totally out of my mind.
I feel Ive been smoke free all of my life.
The urge to smoke is gone.
The idea of smoking makes me nauseated (feel sick, feel bad, etc)
Other people smoking leaves me indifferent, free of the smell or the health damage to my body.
The more I see someone smoke, or smell cigarette smoke, the more I become smoke free.
My need for food will remain the same.
I will replace smoking by drinking water (optional)
I can feel my whole body becoming smoke free, more and more each day.
I go about my day indifferent to the need to smoke.
Smoking is completely out of my mind.
My body heals itself to what it was, before I smoked.
Im smoke free, happy, healthy and will remain at the same weight I am now. (unless u want to lose weight ,mention your desired weight)
If I should try to smoke, the taste will be awful and make me nauseated.

You may change any of those AFFIRMATIVE statements to suit your needs. Remember that your brain doesnt understand “not” or “non”.

The more time you spend writing down your statements, the better it will work for you.

Have fun making your recording. You may listen to it anytime, before bed, while you’re having a shower or bath, whenever you can find time to relax. (not when driving…….pu-lease!!

I’ll give you an example of what type of recording you can make for yourself so you can get in a receptive mood to suggestions to become a smoke-free person.

We’ll go through the color of the rainbow and with each color, you feel yourself being more and more relaxed.

Get in a comfy position. Lie in bed or sit on a chair, whatever does it for you.

Put everything in writing so there are no long silent moment on the recording.

Speak in a low voice, no background noise and turn off your cell.

You can copy my example, but its best if you make it your own.

Here it goes:

“You are in a comfortable position now. You want to be relaxed and receptive.

You feel your whole body relaxing slowly.

You feel your legs becoming very heavy and warm. Your legs are comfortable and relaxing more and more. You feel your legs becoming very heavy and warm, relaxing more and more.

Your arms are becoming heavy and relaxed, your fingers, your hands, your arms, heavy and warm and relaxed. Your arms are completely relaxed.

Your neck and shoulders are relaxing. Feel the tension leaving your whole body, your shoulders and neck becoming warm and relaxed. Your whole body is warm, relaxed and heavy.

You see your whole body surrounded in RED as if a RED light was shining down on you and bathing you in this warm RED color.

You see your whole body surrounded in ORANGE as if the light has turned to ORANGE now, bathing your whole body in this warm ORANGE color.”

Do the same for the rest of the colors: YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE, PURPLE, VIOLET.

“You feel completely relaxed now, comfortable and receptive to the idea of being smoke free because YOU want it.

You can hear my voice very clearly and you know you are safe. You want to do this, you enjoy feeling comfortable and relaxed.

I will count to 3 and at the count of 3, you will open your eyes, you’ll feel refreshed and eager to do this again.

(repeat 2 more times starting at “I will count to 3″)

1 - 2 - 3…….your eyes are open, you can still feel very relaxed and able to go about what you were doing before, knowing you can go back to this state of relaxation anytime you wish to”.

Tomorrow I’ll give you some hints as to what to say to stop smoking.

I think its best I show you how to be in a state of relaxation first.

You wont be receptive if you’re all stressed out.

This is what I do to get myself relaxed and receptive. You can practice it when you go to bed, or when you have 15 minutes to yourself.

Practice visualizing. Think of the color red, what do you see in your mind’s eye when you think of RED. A fire truck? An apple? Your favorite pair of shoes? Whatever it is, focus on it, really see the RED and surround yourself in that color.

Do the same with the rest of the colors of the rainbow.

So you start with red, then orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, violet.

Once you can SEE those colors, you can start.

Lay down in a comfortable place or you can sit if you feel more comfy that way.

Close your eyes and start seeing the color RED, feel yourself surrounded in red, then move on to the other colors and with each color, feel yourself becoming more and more relaxed.

You can make a recording for yourself to help you.

Talk in a low voice, make sure there are no background noises to disturb you.

Be nice to yourself, you want to do this, you want to conquer your craving and come out the winner.

You might not be sure how to do the recording, so tomorrow, I’ll write the exact words on “how to” but remember that its best if you use your OWN words.

Working on your recording with your own words will assure you a permanent, positive result.