Healing Remedies

As the snow is falling outside and soft christmas music is playing in my apartment, I realize that something is missing! I'm not sniffling from a runny nose or massaging my neck from swollen glands and a sore throat. It's a miracle! I am almost always sick at this time of year, and actually at most other times of year too. Despite my fairly active and healthy lifestyle, I've spent most of my life under the cloud of some illness. I was contemplating what I did different this year to ward off the cold and flu season and realized I introduced 2 new things into my diet. (and don't worry, I'm a firm nonbeliever in supplements and most herbal/organic remedies. (as a exercise science/nutrition major this is almost a given since the "facts" about supplements are pounded into my head in every class) No echinacea drops or O.D.ing on vitamin C for me when I get a cold) These two home remedies are just comfort food for me and probably give me enough boost in mood to create the placebo affect that can be so healing. First, whenever I've begun to feel poorly I've made myself a cup of the most amazing, soothing drink:

Stephen's Gourmet Wassail (Citrus & Spice)



and if that doesn't work I buy a cabbage and make this fabulous soup:

Healing Cabbage Soup (recipe on allrecipes.com)



Hopefully these warm, comforting foods can help you ward off sickness and enjoy the most wonderful time of year too. :)

Yo-Yo Garland

Wahla! This year's Thanksgiving craft! Haley and Kellie (2 of my older sisters) discovered this amazing garland online (at heatherbailey.typepad.com/heather_bailey/2006/12/yoyo_garland.html). It was so fun and so easy but unbelieveably time consuming. We cut up millions of fabric scraps into 5" circles and then sewed around the edges to make each cute yo-yo. That process took about 8 minutes per circle. Multiple that by the 60 I was able to complete on the drive home from Montana (a 12 hour journey) and you get one short, but very cute Christmas tree garland and several bruised and punctured fingers. :)


Some of my still uncompleted circles...



The end result!

Cookies Galore

Jason and I wanted to do something Christmasie and fun last night, so I whipped up some sugar cookies shaped like stockings, candy canes, evergreens and stars. We transformed them with red, green, and yellow icing into these masterpieces as we listened to the Christmas Devotional. What a fun way to begin the holiday season. We love Christmas!

Before...



After!

Handicapped

Recently we noticed that a couple of pixels on our camera were dead, so we shipped it out to our Canon headquarters to be fixed. That was 8 days ago. I'm going through withdrawals. Food has lost its flavor. Colors have lost their brilliance. And I seem to feel a lot like this guy. Yep, I'm addicted to taking pictures.

Provo Canyon Unlimited

Jason and I rode the Heber Valley Railroad through Provo Canyon on Friday. It was wonderful! Cold, but beautiful. And I got my last long look at fall in the canyon before it blows away.

Autumn

Anyone who hasn't gone to Sundance in Provo Canyon absolutely must go! Today, Jason and I went for the third time this month for a small hike to Stuart falls. We took a new path and loved every minute of it. Here is a very small selection of our day. Enjoy!

Hinkles

Tonight as I was preparing a lesson for Relief Society on Sunday I came across this quote and this photo.


"Now, as we separate for a season, God bless you, my beloved associates. I so pray, as I say good-bye, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen." --Gordon B. Hinckley

I don't think I can adequately describe my love for President Hinckley or how deeply I miss him or how grateful I am to have grown up while he was president of the church. And I'll forever miss him, and his goofy smile, and his enduring optimism.