Rae Jones's Blog, page 10

Beer and Chocolate? Yes Please! – Updated

St. Patty's Day is around the corner….

And what better excuse to crack open a beer at 11am than to make brownies. Oh yes, I said BEER and BROWNIES, together, like a happy marriage of everything wonderful in life that makes me happy.

First off – I love me a good Guinness from the tap. It is everything smooth and milky and has the least amount of calories in a beer (bet you didn't know that, huh?). If you can't get a Guinness on tap, the next best thing is in the can. YES, IN THE CAN! I can't stress this enough. The can has a little nitrogen nodule which cracks open upon the cracking open of the can and it makes the Guinness infinitely more delicious than just having it out of a bottle. Just trust me on this one.

Second – Chocolate solves every problem. End of story. There is no argument here.

Third – This recipe was stolen off the internet in a variety of places (too many to list) but thanks internet for supplying me with a helpingful (is helpingful a word?) of awesome-sauce this weekend.

**Guinness Brownies**

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted room temperature butter, cut into cubes

8 ounces dark bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I personally like Dark Chocolate, so, I'm sure it can be used as a halfsie here.)

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 CANS! Guinness beer, reduced to 1 1/4 cups

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

icing sugar for dusting (optional if you are into frou frou'ing your desserts. Mine never make it that far and usually end up in my mouth before 'decorations' can be added.)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside.

In a double boiler set over low heat, melt butter, bittersweet chocolate and milk chocolate chips. Remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy. Pour in melted chocolate mixture and beat until combined.

Add flour-cocoa mixture and beat until just combined. Whisk in cooled Guinness and vanilla. (It will take a few minutes for the beer to incorporate. I used more of a folding technique with the whisk for the first minute or two to keep everything from slopping everywhere.)

Pour into prepared pan. Scatter over semi-sweet chips.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Note: mine only took 24 minutes; start checking at the 20-minute mark.

Let brownies cool (otherwise be prepared to live with burnt skin on the roof of your mouth).

It is kind of a tedious process, but ….

Soooooooo

Worth

IT!

Updated:

I just found a treasure-trove of deliciousness when it comes to Guinness. (click click click)

Tax-opolypse

It is a scene out of a sheer horror flick, and lived by thousands in the country….

Hunched over your desk, late at night on April 14th, drowning in a pile of papers and forms, receipts and notes, trying to make heads or tails of dividends, interest, capital gains, losses, deductions, credits, and exemptions you are entitled to in order to pay as little tax as possible, shuffling through 87 pages of instructions to fill out a two page 1040 tax form, you have just transformed into ….

A TAX ZOMBIE!



Don't worry, don't worry *holding hand up* I have been known to slay a few zombies in my life, and I am here to help.

First – take a deep breath. No… really – A DEEP breath, the kind that tickles your belly button and you can feel in your toes.

Second squish your shoulders up as high as they can go in your neck … tighter, tighter, tighter…. okay – RELEASE!

Finally, make tiny circles with your wrists and ankles…. change directions.

Feel better?

Good.

To feel even better, below are a few tax tricks and tips for help with the coming zombie apocalypse on April 14th, as well as some techniques for reducing a bit of the stress in your life you might be feeling.

1. Start Early! – Like now. It will give you a good solid month to check, double check and triple check your return before you send it in.

2. Charitable Contributions – There are thousands of non-profits that need your help. Any donation can be tax deductible as long as it was made sometime in 2011.

3. Did you make any major life changes? Get married? Move? Go back to school? Make energy saving improvements on your house? Start your own business? All of those events qualify for deductions.

4. Do you have investments? Don't forget it when doing your returns, lots of good deductions.

The only difference between the tax man and the taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin. ~ Mark Twain



Still feel like the money monster is out to get you? My book will help. I promise. You should buy it.

Still stressed?

Stress Sucks.

We all know it does.

Below are four easy tricks to reduce some stress in your life.

1. Breathe – It's so easy, but we totally forget that we need to breathe to stay functioning at our optimum levels. Take 10-20 minutes a day and sit quietly doing nothing but focusing on your breathing. Inhale and release.

2. Balance – Keep your elements (earth, water, air and fire) in balance! Take a few minutes and connect to these elements to gain better health, vitality and wellness. There are more details in my book HERE.

3. Endorphin Release – This means Move! Dance! Run! Have Sex (Orgasms are a great endorphin release)! With nicer weather on the way, there are thousands of parks just begging to have their trails used again!

4. Relax – There is really nothing better than a soak in a hot tub, massage, or resting for just a little bit in a sauna.

STILL STRESSED?

Buy this. It will guide you through reducing the stress in your life in an easy step by step way.

Stress is at the root of it.

Stress is a Holistic problem, and we need holistic answers.

Most people suffer and treat symptoms with what is 'wrong' with them without ever addressing the root problem.

Stress.

No two people respond to stress triggers in the same way, each reaction varies based upon their upbringing, triggers, mental and emotional state, past injuries (physical, mental and emotional) and a host of other factors. Symptoms can manifest as everything from headaches to insomnia, anxiety to a chronic upset stomach, moodiness and depression to heart attacks and strokes. If left 'unchecked', Stress can and will effect every single part of your life.

When I was younger, I swam competitively for sixteen years in addition to playing volleyball in high school and eventually college. The transition from participant to coach was a natural and easy one, coaching each sport for 4+ years afterwards. The same could be said for how I started a 'stress management' business (writing books, teaching classes and doing one-on-one coaching). The truth is, I don't handle stress well. I suffer tremendously in my body from past athletic injuries and car/motorcycle wrecks. My emotions and moods become unstable when I am overtaxed or triggered (due to a long-standing battle with PTSD). Overall, my body, mind and emotions are sensitive to external stress-inducing factors. This is something I will have to address every day for the rest of my life.

Knowing this about myself, I search far and wide for holistic practicers (read: not a doctor quick to start prescribing unnecessary medication. Read further: Not a doctor who is a pawn of prescription drug companies). I needed a doctor who address problems and doesn't just treat symptoms.

In Seattle, Washington, I have found this in Dr. Christopher Hill at New Balance Chiropractic in Seattle Washington. Dr. Hill is not only personable and friendly, but the first question he asks when sitting down with you is: "What is going on in your life?" and then LISTENS to what you have to say. From the very beginning, he wants to know the story, the reason, the triggering problem – not just the symptom, before he even considers prescribing 'treatment'. I think it is because his own personal story is pretty incredible (read it on his website here). With the help of Dr. Hill, I am currently addressing some long term health problems I have had, with the added bonus of tangible, measurable goals going forward. I am truly thankful I found him. In addition to being a great Holistic practitioner and Chiropractic doctor, he speaks fluent spanish and does a (free) weekly health and wellness radio show. The man is service in the flesh. He absolutely lives an example of giving back to the community by providing health care to thousands of people who would otherwise not be able to afford it. If anyone deserves your patronage and support, it is this man who will give it back ten-fold.

If you are in Portland, Oregon, I would highly recommend Karin Edwards the Portland Rolfer for Structural Integration. Especially if you are working through mobility issues. She helped me in assisting a self-healing process which included breaking up scar tissue which was impairing my mobility. She is kind, gentle and well-educated in how small changes in your body can lead to a greater overall health. She offers classes on a regular basis and is doing a FREE Rolfing clinic for children in May.

Please support these local practitioners who are passionate about their work and are tremendous assets to our communities.

If you have a holistic or naturopathic doctor that has helped you deal with stress-induced problems, please feel free to leave their contact info and why you recommend them in a comment.

And don't forget, SHARING is caring (Share this post with your friends)!

The Value of Passion

I will never forget a lesson I learned when I was young.

"Doing what is popular is not always right, and doing what is right is not always popular."

and reminded:

But, what is "RIGHT" when there is endless debate in politics and social media about everything from:

*The right for LGBT marriage,

*A woman's right for full health care coverage (or denial of such coverage until a government mandated invasive procedure is done) ,

*The #Occupy movement or the

*#Kony2012 awareness campaign.

Everyone has their own opinions, judgements, ideas and passionate displays. Each are controversial, each with passion supporters and detractors.

Is there a 'right' way?

We, as a society, need to stop criticizing each other for our passions, and start doing something productive. Something WE (as individuals) are passionate about. Something more than just sitting down and watching TV at the end of the night. There is so much going on the world, it is a shame to NOT get involved.

I believe:

*Deep down, each person wants to make their world a better place to be.

*Change starts small. It could be one small voice on a school yard that stands up to a bully.

*Everyone has the ability to be great catalyst for change and part of a solution.

My point:

Never stop learning.

Never stop being part of a solution.

Never stop pursuing your passion, dreams or desires.

Never stop doing what you love.

No matter what.

Coffee is my whipping boy.

I am going to start this post by saying

I LOVE COFFEE!

I love it in all of its shapes and sizes. I love that it never judges me, doesn't care about those extra couple of pounds, or even if my socks match my shirt. I love that it is ALWAYS THERE when I need a warm hug.

Coffee will stay up with me all night watching movies, it will go out dancing with me, it won't care what I look like 'the morning after', and is Always happy to see me.

Coffee is… in fact, the best boyfriend ever.

However….

I've been thinking of cutting back.

So, what do I do? I go around and search on the internet of all the harmful effects…. Here is what I found (full disclosure – I have no idea if any of this is true… I found it on the internet after all):

On Cholesterol

*Coffee consumption is a major contributor to the variation in levels of total cholesterol, of sedentary middle-aged men.

*Increases blood pressure

*Increases Heart rate

*Aggravates coronary heart disease, related to heart attacks by interfering with fatty acid and glucose balances in the blood. 1-5 cups of coffee daily increases the risk of heart attack by 60%. 6 or more cups a day risk is increased to 120%

On the Stomach

*Two small cups stimulates acid secretion and irritate the stomach lining for more than an hour and longer in people with ulcers, therefore will interfere with the healing of ulcers or assist int he development of ulcers. There is a five times higher incidence of stomach cancer in peopel who consume more than 5 cups daily.

On The Adrenal Gland

*This is important for those of you who follow my 'stress-reducing' tactics*

The adrenal gland is the controller of our nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system is our rest and repair mode and the sympathetic nervous system is our fight flight response mode. Caffeine stimulates the epinephrine and norepinephrine hormones to bring about the "caffeine high" turning on the sympathetic nervous system. If this happens too often, the gland becomes exhausted and will eventually be unable to react appropriately to stress. The "caffeine high" briefly increases mental speed for the type of thinking required in mathematics but impairs motor coordination. This effect may last up to 3 hours.

Mutagenic Effect

Caffeine breaks (splits) chromosomes of cells and interferes with the repair of DNA. This inhibits the body's ability to heal itself. (Think Wolverine in X-Men, but backwards)

Other Random Coffee Info:

*Caffeine belong to the same alkaloid group as morphine, nicotine, cocaine and strychnine.

*Been called the 'bad habit glue', increasing urges in users for the consumption of alcohol and nicotine.

*Caffeine is one of 273 poisonous alkaloids in coffee

My conclusion:

According to the internet, coffee is bad for you.

But, that doesn't make me want to quit drinking it.

Besides, everything on the internet is a lie anyway, right?

Yum Yum, Lamb for Dinner

Welcome to March.

The phrase 'In like a Lion, out like a Lamb' apparently has its origins with the constellations Leo, the Lion, and Aries, the ram or lamb. It has to do with the relative positions of these constellations in the sky at the beginning and end of the month. But don't take my word for it… check it here.

Personally, I like March. The word just oozes springtime. The Sun starts it's annual courtship with everything green, and everything green responds.

Flowers start unfurling, trees begin to blossom, and the skies are a little less threatening and a little more flirtatious.

Everything 'march'es forward.

What I love the most is the people. Everyone is wide-eyed in wonder and admiration for the blooms, like it is the very first time they have ever smelled a Daphne, or seen the Sakurai. No one is immune to the beauty.

Hearts open, hugs abound and everyone ventures out of their winter caves to tease their skin to the sun. Even the people bloom in the spring. It is as though everything battles the elements all winter, then summons the courage, beauty and strength to show the fragile, graceful petals that have been hiding underground all winter.

So, to all those embodying the Lion's strength, grace and beauty in blooming this spring, three Rawr's for March-ing forward – oh and a little recipe for dinner, just in case you have the Lion's appetite too.

Rack of Lamb with Pecan Herb Crust





Ingredients:

1 rack of lamb, about 7 or 8 chops to each rack, olive oil,salt and pepper, Herb and pecan mixture (including but not limited to: Rosemary, oregano, parsley, mint, chives and 2/3c chopped/toasted pecans), and Dijon mustard (or bold'n spicy sauce)

Preparation:

Wash lamb and pat dry. Rub with olive oil and salt and pepper. Position meaty side up in roasting pan; roast at 400° for 12 minutes. Remove from oven; let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a mini food processor or chopper, combine herbs and pecans; process until finely chopped. Rub mustard over the lamb, then coat well with the pecan and herb mixture. Return to oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes longer, or to desired done-ness. Cozy up and share with the ones you love.

Rawr!

Balance.

Today, in short, was interesting.
A short experience this morning in which my reflection showed someone who needs more balance.

For the past couple months, I have been solely focused on writing. And, when I'm not writing/working, I'm beating myself up for not writing/working. Agonizing over moments of writers block, rather than just taking a time out to do something else.

It was this morning which showed me that, while yes, I do need to continue to write, I also need to take time out and serve. Serve not only myself on a deeper level, but also serve others.

I forgot that.

Service is a big part of why I left a corporate life. Service is a big part of why I was involved with esoteric/spiritual studies and practices for so long. Service is a large part of my life and yet, here I am, not serving myself which translates in not serving others.

Thanks to this experience and reflection this morning, I realized, balance needs to be restored.

Thanks Universe.
I am paying attention.

It's ALIVE!

Kind of like Frankenstein, it is alive!

Meaning…
I finally got a few things up on my shop on Etsy.

See it here (click)

More to come soon…

Fear can help.

Fear is one of the 7 major stress triggers in life. But, it can also help you appreciate abstract art at a new (and deeper) level.
Click here.

(my personal favorite – Jackson Pollock)