How to Buy Quality Essential Oils

As a certified aromatherapist it is often disconcerting for me to see people selling essential oils at fairs and farmer's markets. Usually there is little labeling other than the name of the oil. Oftentimes they are sitting out in the sunlight (which breaks down the oils SO fast!). While I would NEVER suggest buying essential oils this way how can one know if the essential oils you are buying are the best you can get? Dale Grados from Attune Aroma wrote this excellent article about buying essential oils. If you are in the market for oils, you need to read this!

Wordless Wednesday

                                                       

Do You Like To Doodle?

I'll admit it...I'm a doodler. In school all of my notebooks were covered in little squiggles and shapes. I still like to draw while I'm trying to pass the time. Until now it's always been on paper but here's a neat site that will let you doodle online.  It's called Scribbler Too, a drawing website that creates an interesting web around the shapes you sketch with your mouse. Draw faster or slower and adjust the controls to achieve different effects and colors. Even abstract doodles look like art!
This is a sample of a flower that I doodled up while trying out the site. It was really fun! Check it out and let us see what you come up with.

Wordless Wednesday

Special Cupcakes for a Special Occasion

This past weekend we celebrated my parents' 60th wedding anniversary. Isn't that wonderful?!? They have been an inspiration to all of us married couples. All of my nine siblings and their families were there. (Two of my sisters live out of state.) We had the party at a fun place called The Amaze n' Farmyard. They had a great space for us. We had room for a spread of food, a band, tables to eat at and in the other half were some Bounce-arounds for the kids.

All ten of us contributed to the food. My brother Tim smoked chicken and salmon. Others brought salads, fruit plate, veggies and dip and the list goes on and on. I brought cupcakes. Usually in the past they haven't been anything too fancy. But for this special occasion I wanted special cupcakes. My daughter Rana and I made red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, chocolate with peanut butter frosting topped with Reeses and these oh, so delicious Cherry Limeade Cupcakes.

They were a hit! The kids grabbed most of them but a few were left for the grown-ups. I thought you might like to give them a try. The combination of the tart lime cake and the sweet cherry frosting was just perfect!

Cherry Limeade Cupcakes  (recipe from the Cookbook Queen)

INGREDIENTS
18.25 oz white cake mix
1 cup limeade concentrate, thawed
3 eggs
1/4 cup oil
few drops green food coloring

FROSTING:
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, slightly softened
10 oz jar maraschino cherries
4 cups powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners.

2. In the bowl of a mixer, combine cake mix, limeade concentrate, eggs, oil, and food coloring. Beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, then scrape sides of the bowl and increase speed to medium high. Beat for two minutes. Fill liners 2/3 full with batter and bake for about 15 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Remove cupcakes to wire racks until cool.

3. In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter and 4 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice from the jar of cherries until semi-combined. With the mixer on low, slowly add powdered sugar until it is just mixed in. Increase speed to high and beat for about a minute until fluffy.

4. Frost cupcakes and top with a cherry (I also used coarse sanding sugar). Notes: If you’re going to pipe frosting on high like I did, you’ll want to double the frosting recipe. Green food color is NOT necessary, but without it, the cupcakes stayed white.

Here is a picture of her cupcakes.

Obviously she is a professional so hers are extra pretty. I'll keep practicing--especially when I see inspiration like this!!

This summer we have seen two couples close to us suffering difficulties with their marriages. We have also just celebrated my parents' 60th wedding anniversary. What causes some couples to find it impossible to stay together and others to find a way to make it last? I was reading Micheal Hyatt's last newsletter. In it he discusses the importance of praising your spouse in public. He says that praising your spouse in public might be one of the best investments you can make in your marriage and family. I know that for at least one of the couples this didn't happen. I also know that in my own marriage I could be doing a better job of this. I thought I'd share what Michael wrote. It may be too late for our two couples but maybe it will help you or someone you know.

This is important for at least five reasons: You get more of what you affirm. Have you ever noticed that when someone praises you, you want to repeat the behavior that caused it? This is just human nature. It can be a form of manipulation if it isn’t genuine. But it can be a powerful way to motivate others when it is authentic. Affirmation shifts your attitude toward your spouse.

Words are powerful tools. They can create, or they can destroy. They can build up, or they can tear down. I believe most people have a drive to align their actions—and their attitudes—with their words. If you start speaking well of someone, you start believing what you say. Affirmation helps strengthen your spouse’s best qualities.

 Encouragement is also a powerful force for good. All of us need positive reinforcement. This is why when we are losing weight and people notice, it gives us the strength to stick with the program. This is true in every area of life.

Affirmation wards off the temptation of adultery. When others see you are happily married, they are less likely to proposition you. It’s like a hedge that protects your marriage from would-be predators. You simply stop being a target.


I think this is pretty powerful! I'm thinking this would be good advice to share with newlyweds. I might just include this in my next wedding card. What do you think?

Wordless Wednesday on the Fourth

Hoping you are finding a way to stay cool on this hot Fourth of July! We will be at the Lake.