Living Well Etc.

  Changing Season Affect Those With Multiple Sclerosis Ah, the lazy days of summer often involve outdoor activities, except for those living with MS.  The heat can exacerbate our symptoms.  Truly, each season brings challenges we must face.  However, for every challenge, I have found solutions or at least methods for making the most of a bad situation.    Stay Warm and Limber During the Winter with These Tips The winter chill can be difficult for many people, not just those with MS.  Older people tend to have arthritis and may often feel stiff and sore.   Since I'm older and have MS, that handily describes me: stiff and sore.  Fold in weakness in my arms and legs and the description is complete.  Therefore, in winter, I keep the house a constant 75 degrees to keep warm.  Warmer temperatures or heavy clothing can cause my symptoms to flare up.  Additionally, after a hal...

  Celebrate With a Mother and Daughter Tea Party! May is all about Mother's Day and what better way to celebrate than to have a tea party with just the girls.  So, let's get ready for the big day by learning what to do for our special party!  Plan the Party Together!  Mom , it's best to involve your daughters in the planning of your party.  If you wish to invite other mothers and daughters, you will need to consider how many you can afford to host and accommodate.  Once this is decided, decide on what type of invitations to send.  Creating your invitations is so easy these days and will help to create the desired mood. Moreover, it is a fun activity to share with your daughters.  You may wish to include attire choice on your invitations.  Dressing up is part of the tea party experience.  Encourage your guests to wear dresses and hats.    Let Them Eat Cake We have our guest lis...

Summer is the Best Season for Dieting! As a woman over sixty with an activity-limiting autoimmune disease, I must adhere to a calorie-reduced diet if I wish to fit into anything remotely resembling a swimsuit this summer.  However, the good news is that this is the absolute best season for dieting!   Best part, for me at least, is that most of my diet food choices come from my backyard.  I plant a few vegetable plants in the garden, apply a bit of water, and a flood of ripe, yummy, low-cal treats is my reward.  Interested?  Follow along to get summer-thin with me by eating healthy summer foods like these.    Low-Calorie Summer Breakfasts Can be Colorful and Delicious. Taking advantage of the plentiful fruit in summer , I begin the day with vibrant colors and unbeatable flavors.  My favorites include blueberries and halved strawberries topped with a 1/2 cup of fat-free yogurt--less than 200 calories.   ...

  Dining Gluten-Free I am planning a special tea for my favorite gal pal.  I thought creating desserts for the tea might be difficult since she is gluten intolerant.  Surprisingly, I have found that some of my favorite recipes are perfect choices—delicious too.     My Favorite, Decadent Flourless Chocolate Cake Through the years, I have streamlined the steps of this amazingly simple, yet elegant recipe.  I cheat a bit by using a microwave and bittersweet chocolate chips.   Begin by setting the oven to 350 degrees, spray a 9-inch springform pan with oil and dust it with cocoa powder.   Cut 1-cup unsalted butter into pieces and add it, ¼-cup heavy cream, and 8-ounces of chocolate chips to a glass bowl.  In the microwave, heat at full power for one minute and stir.  Continue cooking at 30-second intervals until melted.    Lightly whisk 5 eggs with 1-cup sugar and ¼-cup ...

  Join Me for an Alfresco Dinner From My Organic Vegetable Garden Summer is the best time for organic gardeners.  This summer is no different.  Most days were hot, but not too hot.  Most nights were cool, but not too cool—perfect for a bountiful and healthy garden.  In fact, since the weather has been so perfect, my vegetable garden is overflowing with delectable goodies just ready to make their table debut.  Tonight should be ideal for an alfresco dinner on my herb and flower-lined patio, so let's get cooking! Munchies Are An Imperative. Purple eggplant orbs hang like plentiful ornaments just waiting to be plucked for my culinary masterpieces.  Today's will be a roasted-eggplant-herbal dip served with freshly harvested carrots, bell peppers, and zucchini cut into pencil stick pieces. Slicing the eggplant in quarters, I sprinkle it with olive oil and salt and roast it on high heat until done—about 20 minutes. It...

  Pilot, Commander, and Our First Black US Air Force General Frederick Douglas, Martin Luther King Jr., and Harriet Tubman may be the most often mentioned Black History heroes.  However, there are many more whose names most people might not recognize.  One of these heroes is Benjamin O. Davis Jr. As the first African-American US Air Force General Benjamin O. Davis Jr is probably most well known as the commander of the World War II  Tuskegee Airmen .  General Davis grew up fully aware of racial inequality through his father's struggles as one of the only two African-American combat officers in the army.  Due to his race, he was unable to advance.  Thus, young Davis vowed to change segregation and racial inequality and was in a big part responsible for many of the changes we see today.       Even though graduating near the top of his class at West Point, he was rejected, minimalized, and not allowed to...

  Defender of the Race Most grade school children can state what Martin Luther King Jr. and Thurgood Marshall accomplished during their lifetimes.  Yet, we tend to forget about other heroes.  Throughout this month, let us consider all who sacrificed to end segregation and tried to put an end to racial inequalities.  One of these heroes was Robert S. Abbott. Enjoy trivia?  Here's one for you: In what American newspaper would you find the first comic strip?  The answer might surprise you, as it is the first African American newspaper, the  Chicago Defender  owned and run by an attorney unable to practice due to his race, Robert S. Abbot.  His paper was the first for publishing many things including a health column and circulation of over 100,000.  Much more important than that was his focus.   He began his venture in 1905 and quickly built up quite a following, mostly in the Chicago area.  By 1910, with the assistance ...

  The Effects of the MLK Speech on Me It began as a typical sweltering summer day filled with regulars buying their Nehi sodas and Camel cigarettes while a steady hum of soft music played from the store's radio.  My entire world spun around when the music stopped.  It was August 28, 1963, and as Martin Luther King's booming voice shouted from the radio, " I have a dream ", his passion and choice of words confused me.  Since I worked eight+ hours each day when not in school, I knew little of the daily struggles our browner brothers and sisters faced. Raised in a culturally rich neighborhood, I never noticed color.  In fact, at age five I befriended a local black man.  I had no father, wanted one, so I asked him if he wanted the job .  Good-naturedly, he replied that we should ask my mother first.  I didn't understand the quirky smiles emanating from the two of them that day.  After MLK's eye-opening speech, I realized that I lived...

  What to do with an overabundance of lemons?  Try making preserved lemons.  It is amazingly easy and there are a variety of recipes out there.  All one needs to do is to quarter the lemon—I prefer Meyer—sprinkle each piece heavily with Kosher salt, and pack all into a container with lemon juice covering the sour, salty mixture.   I don’t actually 'can' mine.  I just set the containers on the kitchen counter for about a month and then freeze them.    What to do with the preserved lemons?  That’s the fun part.  Since the flavor is remarkably similar to lemony capers, I chose to make a simple pasta with them.  Super yummy choice. List of Ingredients.   Amounts are a personal choice. Roughly ¼ cup of preserved lemons cut into thin half-inch long pieces A bunch of asparagus sliced into one-inch pieces 2 cups of cooked string pasta of choice (I used vermicelli) 2 cloves garlic...

  Labor Day is More Than Just Hot Dogs on the Grill Americans love to celebrate Labor Day as our last summer hurrah, with many heading outdoor with our favorite refreshments.  However, how many people consider why we celebrate this one day above all others in September?  The teacher in me wants to know, I'm in research mode and taking you with me.  Let's find the reason behind this holiday.   Why do we celebrate? According to the U.S. Department of Labor, our day of picnics, barbecues , and parades was created over a century ago to celebrate American laborers.   I think you will agree that a national holiday is a much better tribute to our workers than a statue in some park—much better.    Nevertheless, why would we create a national holiday just to celebrate people doing a job and receiving a paycheck?  The premise seems a bit odd since many of us are just happy to...