Category Archives: Holiday Celebrations

Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Holiday Celebrations, Stress Reduction

In The Moment

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How did you like Kim’s Corner last week? Please let us know.

Little did I know, I would be using this new approach the very week I learned about it!

The PEACE and LOVE technique has sped my recovery from a sprained ankle using no ice and no anti-inflammatories! I was walking without a limp just over 24 hours after the injury! Elevation is vital early on and periodically throughout the healing process.

I stopped wearing the Ace bandage after day 4, returning to my normal light compression socks.

A challenge came on Day 10 when embarking on a full day of airplane travel to Hawaii. Because of prolonged sitting and wanting to combat normal swelling that occurs with flying, I returned to an Ace bandage for the flights.

After landing and when we got settled in, my daughter tenderly applied Arnicare Cream to my ankle. The combination of her TLC and the pain relief I got from Arnicare was amazing.

This plant-based cream provides relief for muscle pain, stiffness, and swelling from injuries and bruises. I have been using it almost daily, especially while the flight-induced swelling eased off.

Other than daily movement, while I’m seated, I also draw the alphabet in the air with both feet. These movements help restore full range of motion.

I am a believer! Thank you, Kim!

The heart of this week’s message is inspired by our experiences here in Kona with my daughter, son-in-law, and darling grandson, who will turn 3 years old in April.

As any parent and grandparent knows, the life lessons gleaned from a young child are clear: live in the moment with joy.

This approach is not reserved for toddlers – although, we tend to lose those skills if we are not aware we are letting them go.

Watching the US figure skater, Alysa Liu, exuded pure, unadulterated joy both in her practice warm-ups and during her gold medal winning Olympic performance this week. Alysa was blissfully in the moment, thrilled to be doing what she loved.

I had not seen such pure joy on the face of an adult in such a long time. Everyone watching her Olympic performance felt and shared her joy.

As we absorb the joy from our tropical environment with family, and as we share in my grandson’s exuberance in every experience, we feel such inward peace and healing in areas we didn’t know were broken.

As our last message about love – in this month of love – please take a moment to read the following message from Eric Dane recorded before his passing this week from ALS, HERE.

How he resolutely walked toward the final days of that terrible disease is an inspiration to us all and another reminder to find our joy and to live in the moment with that pure joy.

We remember you Jim Tyler, Dan Logan, Eric Dane, and so many others taken too soon by ALS.

In love and health –

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Holiday Celebrations, Stress Reduction

Reflection

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What were your final moments of 2025 like?

Before all the hoop-la … before the bubbly … before the final 10-9-8- countdown …

I hope you took a few minutes for some reflection.

I was recently reminded reflection requires stillness.

Now, stillness seems to come at a premium these days, doesn’t it?

With our instant access to the barrage of news headlines, and as we conclude a season of rushing from one thing to another in our attempts to add special sparkle to each holiday event, we would do well to pause.

Let’s own being captain of our boats and steer to calmer waters where we can drop anchor and truly be still.

Ahhh …

Maybe light that candle I spoke of before …

Pull out your gratitude journal entries from 2025, or pour out a year’s worth of blessings from your blessings jar, to thoughtfully review, savor, and underscore your gratitude for the people, events, and things that touched your soul in a meaningful way.

Pause to evaluate where life has taken you this past year, and how you responded to those new circumstances.

Sure, there have been bumps along the way – but what did you learn; where will you improve, and how will you implement those improvements?

How did you feel when you felt at your best? How can you create more of that?

Give yourself some kudos for a job well done, values you honored, and ways you shined!

Rather than that proverbial list of resolutions, consider a Word of the Year, CAPTAIN, that contains one over-arching theme to guide your actions in 2026. Apply that one theme in all you do.

My job is done here – this reflective process is yours to do now – so I will let you have the space to do just that.

In health –
Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Holiday Celebrations

Stop and Take Comfort in the Light of the Season

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So, I paused while deep in the holiday cookie baking marathon to just absorb the message of the candle flame burning on my countertop.

Gazing to look at a flame dancing and glowing will melt away so much tension.

For safety reasons, all my decorative candles are battery operated, but there is always a real wax candle ready to burn and enjoy in a safe spot, so I can calm and ground myself.

Wanting to expand on this theme of a calming flame and our natural attraction to and need for light, I have unabashedly used ChatGPT to assemble a brief list of worldwide celebrations centered upon light:

🌟 Holidays & Festivals of Light (Worldwide)

Diwali (India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, global Hindu communities)Festival of Lights — triumph of light over darkness.

Hanukkah (Jewish communities worldwide)Festival of Lights — miracle of the menorah.

Christmas (Worldwide)Light symbolizing hope, guidance, and renewal.

St. Lucia Day (Sweden, Scandinavia)Celebrates light during the darkest days of winter.

Loy Krathong / Yi Peng Lantern Festival (Thailand)Floating lanterns and lights honoring renewal and gratitude.

Vesak (Buddha Day) (Asia, worldwide)Temples illuminated to honor enlightenment.

Lantern Festival (Yuan Xiao Jie) (China, East Asia)Lanterns mark the end of Lunar New Year celebrations.

Kwanzaa (African diaspora)The Kinara candle-lighting ceremony symbolizes principles of unity and purpose.

Fête des Lumières (France – Lyon)Citywide celebration using artistic light displays.

Inti Raymi (Peru, Andes region)Festival honoring the Sun god, celebrating solar light.

Nowruz (Iran, Central Asia, global Persian communities)Fire and light rituals symbolizing rebirth and renewal.

Obon Lantern Festivals (Japan) Lanterns guide ancestral spirits.

Mid-Autumn Festival (China, East Asia)Moonlight symbolizing unity and reflection.

More than any other time in my life, I am sensing a radical increase in darkness in the world, and the sense of being overwhelmed by it grows by the day.

For so many of us, may we first absorb the message of the single flame this holiday season:

How a single flame can brighten a dark space

How taking a few minutes of contemplative gazing at a candle’s flame can transform how we feel inside

How we can take that calm and gentleness in our hearts to be kinder to ourselves and others

How we can share that light to lift others

How other people are naturally pulled to the light with their own light

How a group of people with lights can light up the world!

So, in the fray, first keep a candle handy in a safe spot to get yourself centered and calm, and then take its message with you back into the world.

In light, peace, health, and calm –

Deidre

Thank you, dear readers, for all your feedback and praise for our posts this year! It is thrilling to hear how our messages have helped and inspired you!

Coming soon – more techniques, recipes, thoughts and movements as foodtalk4you.com heads into 2026!

Please remember to subscribe so you won’t miss out on any of our weekly posts and make a point of sharing our blog with someone this week!

GREETINGS FROM SHEREE: Merry Christmas everyone! I have so much to be thankful for this year. One of the most important things is the fact I’m still here – more than many can say. Only one reason why, Jesus!

So, this Christmas, I’d like to give thanks to Him for sparing me – and allowing me to be with my family for one more memorable Christmas Season.

Heaven’s Song

Beneath the midnight sky so still, on Bethlehem’s quiet hill

A chorus rose – so pure, so strong, the angels filled the night with song

“Glory to God,” their voices rang. As heaven’s hosts in wonder sang

The King had come the world to save, to light the darkness, free the slave

Their melody swept through the air. A holy sound beyond compare

Shepherds in awe, their hearts took flight

Led by the song, they found the light

This Christmas may that song resound, in every heart where grace is found

For heaven’s joy still sings on earth, a timeless hymn of Jesus’ birth

God bless us, everyone.

Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Holiday Celebrations, Stress Reduction

Throwing Sparkles in the Winter Snow

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A little sparkle here on that cookie.

A little sparkle there on that tree.

Holiday bling on earlobes, around necks, and attire.

We immerse ourselves in making so much feel, and look, extra special this time of year.

Is the doing of all this sparkle taking away from sitting back and enjoying it all?

So many of us say, “This year, it’s going to be different.”

But – is it ever?

Sigh.

We had a moment the other night, though, when after leisurely experiencing the sights and sounds in a local park with a large group of dear neighbor friends, we scattered in search of dinner.

Nine of us scored a large round table at a nearby eatery; and as I looked around, I was overwhelmed with a profound sense of gratitude for all the history, love, and special connections we had shared since our moving into this brand new community four years ago.

Now – those were some moments that went beyond sparkle and morphed into a deep soul-satisfying GLOW!

So, today’s short message is to enjoy the sparkle, and go for the GLOW!

In health –
Deidre

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Blogging for good health!, Holiday Celebrations, This -n- That

So … Did You Spatchcock Your Thanksgiving?

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The results are in!

What could go wrong?

We enjoyed the largest turkey I’ve ever bought.

Harboring serious doubts about having a pan and rack large enough to accommodate the bird all splayed out; but comforted by the adequate instructions I shared last week – bolstered by the insider tips my daughter gave over the phone.

After securing the great find of a Wilton Mega Baking Sheet and Cooling Grid at Walmart, I felt pretty confident going into the spatchcocking arena.

Plus, I had a partner in crime to share duties.

The day before Thanksgiving, I removed the mostly thawed bird from the fridge, freed it from the package, and placed it on the cutting boards set up on the counter. In retrospect, I should have covered the countertop with an opened up garbage bag, and used just one large cutting board on top.

Things will get juicy. Have paper towels close at hand.

After removing the apparatus, keeping the drumsticks together and setting the neck and giblets aside for gravy duty, we were ready!

The newly purchased poultry shears worked flawlessly. This process does take some strength – especially when navigating around the bird’s hip juncture. Thanks to my daughter’s tip, we manipulated the leg every which-a-way and avoided plowing through the bones themselves.

I often used a two handed grip on the shears to avoid hand strain.

My sweetheart and I took turns and we assisted each other when doing the cut around the turkey’s hip. Once the spine was removed, we repositioned the turkey with the inside surface facing the cutting board.

Some describe flattening the breast like CPR. I followed my daughter’s excellent tip of getting up on a step stool to put myself above the bird while doing ‘compressions.’

But, unlike CPR, the goal IS to hear and feel the crunch as the breast cage gives way and flattens out.

Still with me?

Somewhere in here, we were either ready to never eat turkey again or to become vegan!

But there was a high-five moment as we celebrated our accomplishments, and we were very grateful for this turkey feeding us and our friends the next night – and providing us with meat for countless meals in the future.

After salting both sides, and separating the skin over the breast, thighs, and any where we could reach to deposit the savory butter compound (unsalted butter, garlic, herbs combined by the food processor), it was time to let the salt do its job overnight as the uncovered turkey in its huge pan somehow found a way into our refrigerator to rest.

Whew!

The baking process was just as I shared with you last week in the link to Crispy Edges. Pull the turnkey from the fridge two hours before oven time to bring the meat closer to room temperature.

When it’s time to roast the turkey, preheat the oven to 425F. Roast the spatchcocked turkey for 45-60 minutes. When the breast hits 150-155F, pull it and let it rest for at least 30-60 minutes.

Resting results in juicy meat! I covered mine with foil to retain heat; but after resting, the turkey can return to the oven set at 400F for 10-12 minutes to bring back up to temp.

Then, be prepared for the juiciest breast meat ever as you slice it to serve.

Thank you, Mr. Turkey! We honored your life by making your meat the best we have ever eaten!

In health –
Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Holiday Celebrations, Recipes, This -n- That

Time For Some Egg Stretching!

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Eggs have long been my main source of breakfast protein. With the price of eggs going crazy right now, I have had to rethink how many we are consuming.

Hmmm. How do you stretch an egg?

I’ve shared a couple recipes recently that have featured cottage cheese – an often-overlooked source of protein.

Thankfully, I do consume dairy without serious adverse effects. A little more flatulence, perhaps, but with the price of eggs, it’s worth it – and its creamy deliciousness is delightful.

Recently, I tried out a frittata recipe featuring sauteed minced potatoes, assorted veggies, optional meat, and – EIGHT … count them – EIGHT EGGS!

Egads!

I cracked one into the mixing bowl. Two. Three. Four. Gulp … Five …

Okay! No more! Nuh-huh!

Clearly, I needed more protein – more stuff – to complete the liquid required to pour over everything.

Enter three dollops of cottage cheese.

The result was yummy in every respect.

“Wait!” you say.  Your family turns its nose up whenever you offer cottage cheese? No worries!

Simply blitz your egg/cottage cheese mixture using an immersion blender or food processor and voila! You have turned the combination into creamy wonderfulness! No one will be the wiser.

Shhh! Our little secret.

Below is how I tweaked the JenSmiley@substack.com recipe. Again, this is a concept recipe that is perfect for modifications based on what’s in the refrigerator.

How are you dealing with the rising egg prices in the United States?

In health –

Deidre

Breakfast FrittataDownload

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Blogging for good health!, Holiday Celebrations, Stress Reduction, Titles Worth Reading

New Year With A Better You

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Here we are. Decorations are still up, and anticipation is in our hearts for the New Year.

I hope there is a special sparkle in the air for you.

Many of us well-seasoned adults can even grab hold of that pure childlike awe and wonder from time to time throughout the holiday season – that is, if we are not in the throes of grief, strife, or trauma.

Speaking with a friend recently, I was reminded how the second year of grief can be even worse than the first.

The first year after a grief, we find ourselves stumping along, mostly numb, just going through the motions as we mark ‘the firsts’ – first birthday, first anniversary, first Thanksgiving, first holidays – first everything without whomever or whatever we lost.

If that was not hard enough, we sort of wake up in the second year to the new reality of our situation, and the hurt changes to something much more real, painful, and permanent.

We often hear about “getting over” something – which creates an image of sucking up, chest out, marching boldly forth, oblivious to our past pain – but should that be our goal?

Trauma of any kind affects our total mind, body, and spirit long after the event.

What we are discovering is that resilience and personal growth come when we stop fighting to get over something, and start discovering what lessons those experiences are imparting, that will carry us forward into the future.

Which returns us to the concepts from the December 3rd post: Before releasing something, we need to embrace it first.

Embrace to acknowledge, authenticate, and validate what was experienced. Then we release the pain, taking with us the lessons learned, and then filling our spirits with freshness to recharge.

Even missed opportunities can be processed this way – they are not failures and do not need to negatively color our self-esteem. They can show us where our boundaries are and where we need to grow.

When the cloud of trauma lifts, we feel light and liberated. It can feel like magic when that happens, but it is a process and a lifelong journey.

Use New Year’s Eve as a starting point for exploring lessons learned and how those lessons will help you take your next steps into the new year.

Are you filling up your blessings jar? I am, and I am looking forward to the certain magic that comes when I dump my 2024 blessings out on the table to relive each one in the early New Year!

Now, that’s magic!

In health –

Deidre  

PS- While printing costs are now higher for the latest full color edition of Toolkit for Caregivers, I have reduced the price to make it easier for family caregivers to buy. Spread the love by sharing this link, or better yet, buy it for someone else who could benefit from the helpful information. Thanks.

Blogging for good health!, Holiday Celebrations, Recipes, This -n- That

The Magic of a Wink!

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Tonight, many of us are anticipating the arrival of a Jolly Old Elf, putting his white-gloved finger next to his nose as he bids us adieu for another year.

And that wink!

Winks are full of joy, mischief, and an inside secret.

Well, I’m sharing a little bit of a secret with you right now.

An easy little cookie that seems to wink at you!

Yes, I am speaking of my previously published Almond Macaroon recipe, now updated and even better, as Almond Winks.

These are gluten free, with that over-the-top sweetness of almond paste ramped down, making these little jewels into a ‘wink’ sure to please.

So simple to create, you can whip these up today in time for a family treat, and in time to leave for Santa as he speeds through his rounds in the wee hours.

Thanks go to our own magic elf, Sheree, who is making this recipe easy for you to download and print!

In my test kitchen today, I used a different method of baking. Note the mid/lower oven rack and the one about 4 inches above it. That beginning of a golden color in the cookies was achieved by baking the first 20 minutes on the lower rack – and then finishing on the top rack for 4-6 more minutes, making sure to not over bake.

ALMOND WINKSDownload

Best wishes for peace, love, and joy in all our hearts, regardless of our beliefs.

In health –

Deidre 

NOTE FROM SHEREE: With both Deidre and I being grandmothers, (yes, believe it not), and being the Christmas season, I wanted to post something special relating to warm memories of grandmothers baking cookies with their grandchildren. Hope you enjoy it.

GRANDMA’S SECRET RECIPE

Grandma’s in the kitchen,
with a smile so wide,
mixing up a potion, and I’m by her side.
She says it’s magic, and I believe it, too.
With a sprinkle of laughter,
and a pinch of, “I love you.”
Her cookies are the sweetest,
and the hugs are the best.
Grandma’s secret recipe
beats all the rest!

Unknown author

Merry Christmas, everyone – God bless you all.

Sheree

Blogging for good health!, Holiday Celebrations, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

Five Golden Rings

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Hallmark reverie!

This is a month of tidbits for me.

Taking an inspiration from one resource, Karl Moore’s, The 18 Rules of Happiness, and symbolically throwing it up in the air to see what it latches onto, is my Modis operandi right now.

After amplifying his rule #5 of, “Learning to let go,” in last week’s post, I wanted to touch upon Rule #6, “Do Random Acts of Kindness,” for this week.

Since it’s December, it’s easy to think of Secret Santa names being drawn out of a hat at the office or perhaps in your large family. But that’s assigned giving.

We’re talking about random acts of kindness.

Then, I remembered a recent Hallmark movie in which the main character repurposes five holiday greeting cards. Originally purchased to give to her now ex-boyfriend, she used those cards to send thanks and appreciation to five individuals from her past.

Not totally random, but to the recipients opening the card from someone they hadn’t seen for years seemed random – or unexpected, at least.

Close enough.

So, I’m throwing out a challenge.

Before this month is out, let’s all find five opportunities to do a random act of kindness.

Whether you pay it forward in line at the drive through or send a sincere note of thanks in snail mail to someone you haven’t seen in a long while. Find an opportunity to brighten five people’s lives in an unexpected, or random, way.

We’ll be sending out those five goldens rings referenced in that familiar song, The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Just image those five golden rings – each creating ripples of joy, gratitude, and hope.

What could be better?

In health –

Deidre

PS – you could take this idea to another level by involving your children or grandchildren and getting together to compare notes about giving successes. Could be a great teaching tool. Some of the deepest satisfaction from giving, though, is keeping it one-on-one and not seeking fame for your kindness.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Blogging for good health!, Holiday Celebrations, Recipes, Stress Reduction

That’s Nuts!

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With the holiday party and baking season upon us, we turn to the subject of nuts. We’re talking about walnuts, pecans, cashews, and the like.

Nuts can be a powerhouse of nutrition with fiber, healthy oils, and beneficial phytonutrients that cut down on inflammation and ramp up heart health, blood sugar balance, and so much more.

But there can be a downside to nuts, depending on how they are treated.

Longtime readers of this blog or my book, Toolkit for Wellness, know that raw nuts are better than nuts highly processed in unhealthy oils.

But raw nuts still have factors in them that can inhibit proper absorption of nutrients and can contribute to unhappy tummies.

Enter the ‘activated nut,’ which has been handled in such a way as to eliminate the anti-digestive phytates and to activate beneficial digestive enzymes instead.

Activated nuts require soaking first, followed by dehydrating.

To soak:

Use glass bowls, if possible. Metal bowls may discolor but can be cleaned using Bar Keeper’s Friend.

Dissolve approximately 1 teaspoon of sea salt in 6 cups of water, add raw nuts, and soak. I buy large bags of nuts, so this requires multiple bowls.

Walnuts, almonds, and pecans can soak 12+ hours; cashews take just 6 hours. The water will turn quite brown.

Using a large colander, thoroughly rinse soaked nuts and spread out on towels. I have a large bath towel dedicated to this process – some staining may occur. Roll the towel up and let the towel soak up any extra moisture for a few minutes.

If nuts are to be used in a blender or food processor, they can be used now; but if long-term storage is desired or if they are to be used in baking, dehydrating is necessary.

To dehydrate:

If using a dehydrator, spread nuts out in a single layer on each tray needed, allowing for good circulation of air around the nuts. Do not crowd them. Place trays in dehydrator. Set temperature to 115-125 degrees and set timer for 12 hours.

When time is up, check for dryness and lengthen the time as needed. Store in a closed container in a cool environment.

If using the oven method, spread nuts out on large baking trays without crowding them. Set the oven at its lowest temperature. Since oven heat will be higher than the dehydrator, the drying time will be shorter. Stir nuts every hour and check for crispness after 6 hours.

Freezing nuts will lengthen their shelf life.

The resulting nut is light, crisp, and brimming with goodness!

I mostly activate pecans and walnuts, but now that my trusty dehydrator has found a place in my new home, I will return to activating almonds and cashews again as well. The brown outer covering of the soaked almond can be pinched off prior to dehydrating if desired.

Happy, healthy snacking and baking –

Deidre

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