Hollye Jacobs's Blog, page 17
July 4, 2014
This Weekend: Choose Freedom
This Weekend: Choose Freedom
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July 1, 2014
The Power of Ginger Root
The Power of Ginger Root
When I was sick, I became a humongous fan of ginger. As many of you know, chemo knocked me on my a** in a big, bad way. Ginger was a great source of relief for me. The Silver Lining is that has many other amazing benefits. So, I thought I’d take the opportunity to share them with you.
WHAT IS GINGER ROOT?
The ginger root from the underground rhizome of the ginger plant. Hmmm, what’s a rhizome you ask? (Well that’s what I was asking!) A rhizome is a stem of a plant that is found underground. Ginger is typically yellow, red, or white in color depending on which kind it is. It is covered with brown skin that can be either thick or thin depending on when it was harvested. The ginger root originated in China and is extrememly popular within Asian cuisine… and sushi of course!!
WHY I LOVE IT
Besides the fact that it is absolutely delicious, the ginger root is a well known remedy for nausea, indigestion, and travel sickness due to its ability to disrupt and expel gas in the intenstine. Studies have shown that it is extremely effective at relieving nausea and vomitting during early pregnancy and during chemo. It also is very, very high in antioxidants (more than most berries!) making it an excellent defender against cell damage caused by F-bomb cancer! The ginger root is also an anti-inflammatory in which it is very effective at reducing pain and swelling in patients with various types of arthrititis and general muscle pain. So basically, it’s all-around fabulous!
THE POWER OF GINGER ROOT
Here’s the part that I didn’t realize: containing around 40 antioxidant compounds, the ginger root is a definite go-to natural remedy to use on your skin. It protects against aging, acne, and blemishes by stimulating blood circulation and using its antiseptic and cleansing properties. This results in the delivery of more nutrients to your skin as well as the removal of toxins. Not only is it powerful internally, but by using it as topical agent for skin problems such as a sun burn, you will find immediate relief and restoration of your skin.
So, go get yourself some ginger and prepare to be transformed!
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June 30, 2014
Musical Monday: Fearless
Musical Monday: Fearless
Alisha Zalkin’s new single, “Fearless” is a beautiful, powerful, and moving song. It addresses the courage it takes to live life to the absolute fullest and was inspired by Alisha’s brave childhood friend who was diagnosed with lymphoma. The music video brings together people from all walks of life to interpret and express their own version of the message.
I am a firm believer in not giving up…no matter what life throws at you! As you begin a new week, I hope that you will be fearless!
Fearless- Alisha Zalkin
Living in a moment
Your eyes can’t see
Your miles ahead
Of where you should be
But what would you do
If you only knew
The doctors would say
You have just a few days
Would you climb in your bed
Throw the sheets past your head
Or would you say
I’ve got nothing to lose
Nothing to prove
I’ll let go and be fearless
I won’t run and hide
Look this in the eye
and be fearless
The worry you carry
Is weighing on you
You’re missing the beauty
You’re traveling through
But what would you do
If you only knew
The doctors would say
You have just a few days
Would you climb in your bed
Throw the sheets past your head
Or would you say
I’ve got nothing to lose
Nothing to prove
I’ll let go and be fearless
I won’t run and hide
Look this in the eye
and be fearless
Don’t wait for the day when
Your world might crash in
Tear down your walls and breakthrough
You’ve got nothing to loose
Nothing to prove
Just let go and be fearless
Don’t run and hide
Look this in the eye
and be FEARLESS!
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June 27, 2014
Friday Fixin’s: Cauliflower Mash
Friday Fixin’s: Cauliflower Mash
Slowly but surely, I am making my way back into my kitchen. Sorry ’bout the dearth over the past couple of months! Been just a wee bit busy. But I’m BACK! The Silver Lining is that I have actually been using Friday Fixin’s as my cookbook. Ha!
Today’s recipe is from my dear friend Kathy Freston (the New York Times bestselling author of The Lean). It is a fantastic substitute for mashed potatoes. Take it away, Kathy!
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Being a Southern gal, I love comfort foods! But I also love to be healthy, which is why I have a soft spot for this delicious dish of Cauliflower Mash (they are so much like mashed potatoes!) from my friend Daphne Oz, who just came out with her second book, Relish. Although the book isn’t a vegan one, Daphne is talented at adding some healthy plant-based recipes into her repertoire so someone “leaning in” can get a taste for how scrumptious healthy food can be.
DO: Presto Pesto! This is a great alternative to mashed potatoes. Easy to whip up, even easier to devour. If you’re planning on kissing anyone tonight, make sure they have at least a bite, as it’s very garlicky!
Cauliflower Mash
Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into medium florets8 fresh basil leaves1 or 2 garlic cloves, peeled2 tablespoons olive oil¼ cup pine nutsSea salt and fresh-cracked black pepperInstructions:
Bring 2 inches of water to a boil under a steam basket and steam the cauliflower until it is tender, 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the size of the florets. If you want to steam the cauliflower whole, it will take a bit longer, usually 25 to 35 minutes.Coarsely chop the basil leaves and garlic.Add the cauliflower to a blender or food processor and pulse once or twice.Add the basil, garlic, oil, and pine nuts and puree or process until smooth.Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.The post Friday Fixin’s: Cauliflower Mash appeared first on The Silver Pen.
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June 26, 2014
10 Extraordinary People
10 Extraordinary People
Feeling the need for a little extra inspiration and motivation, I happened upon the most incredible, divinely placed story about 10 Extraordinary People on the Daily Good. I absolutely love and am so grateful for the synchronicity of life and how things always seem to happen when they are supposed to. Anyhoo, I was so inspired by this that I had to share with you. Happy Reading!
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor- on having long-term colleagues
“Treat people well. Don’t mislead them. Don’t be prickly. Don’t say things that are aggravating. Try to be as agreeable as you can be. Try to be helpful rather than harmful. Try to cooperate.”
Cartoonist Scott Adams- on using his MBA
“When the comic strop first came out, it showed Dilbert in a variety of settings –not just the office. I didn’t really know what was working, because I had no direct contact with readers… So way back at the dawn of the Internet, I started putting my e-mail address in the margin of the strip… I found out that there was a common theme: People loved it when Dilbert was in the office, and they liked it a lot less when he was at home or just hanging around. So Dilbert became an office-based comic, and that change made it all work.”
Chef Nobu Matsuhisa- on starting as an apprentice
“I was 18 and didn’t know anything about fish. My mentor taught me the basics. For the first three years, I didn’t make sushi; I washed dishes and cleaned the fish. But if I asked questions, he always answered. I learned a lot of patience.”
Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels- on hiring
“I would choose anyone whose side I didn’t want to be on. It isn’t like we hire 12 and figure six will work. We don’t bring in anybody we’re not rooting for. Sometimes they succeed in week five, but for most people it’s two, three, four years before they become who they’re going to be. You have to allow for that growth.”
Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons- on meditating twice a day
“Every creative idea, every second of happiness, is from stillness… But the way you move around the world has nothing to do with the stillness in your heart. Moving mediation –that’s what we have to practice. It doesn’t wan you have to move slow; you just have to see the world in slow motion.”
Golfer Arnold Palmer- on learning humility
“One time at Augusta, I was going into the last hole with a one-shot lead to win the Masters, and a friend from the gallery hollered at me, so I walked over and accepted congratulations. And then I proceeded to make six on the hole and lose. My father had warned me about that. I was told all my life not accept congratulations until it’s over.”
Poet Maya Angelou (rest her soul) - on courage
“One isn’t born with courage. One develops it by doing small things –in the way that if one sets out to pick up a 100-pound bag of rice, one would be advised to start with a five-pound bag, then 10 pounds, then 20 pounds, and so forth, until one builds up enough muscle to lift the 100-pound bag. It’s the same way with courage. You do small courageous things that require some mental and spiritual exertion.”
Designer Philippe Starck- on persuading clients
“I’m very good at explaining. I don’t work like a diva. I don’t say, “Oh my God, that must be pink,” and refuse to discuss it… I am cuckoo, yes. I am the king of intuition. But I am also a serious guy. I explain in a clear way. And then, even if it’s something that looks completely different than expected, something completely against mainstream thinking, clients understand. I explain that it might look strange but why, given the two to five years it will take for development, it will for so many reason be exactly the right things to do… And then the clients agree, always, 100%.”
President Mary Robinson- on being frank
“At every stage, it’s [a] passion for human rights that has prompted me to speak truth to power, to stand up to bullies, to be prepared to criticize even the United States after 9/11. People told me it wouldn’t help my career as high commissioner, but it seemed much more important to do the job than to try to keep the job.”
Historian David McCullough- on hard work
“When the founders wrote about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, they didn’t mean longer vacations and more comfortable hammocks. They meant the pursuit of learning. The love of learning. The pursuit of improvement and excellence. I keep telling students, Find work you love. Don’t concern yourself overly about how much money is involved or whether you’re ever going to be famous.’ …In hard work is happiness.”
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June 24, 2014
8 Ways to Wake Up Early
8 Ways to Wake Up Early
I have always been a morning person. From the time I was a little girl, I got up early. Even in college, it seemed as though I was the only one in the entire dorm awake before 8:00 on a weekend. To this day, nearly 5 days a week, you will find me at yoga, the gym or at my desk by 6:00 am. I am definitely my best in the morning. By 4:00 however, fuhgeddaboudit! And don’t even think about asking me to stay up late! No way, no how. Ha!
I have to admit that after this intensely busy and packed book tour schedule, getting up early was a little more challenging than it has ever been. Oh my gosh, there were a number of occasions when I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and ran into walls because I didn’t know where I was. Impressive, right? Ha! The Silver Lining is that I didn’t break anything or end up with a black and blue anything! On the mornings after these middle of the night mishaps, I needed a little extra help getting up early.
One thing that I know for sure is that if you focus on consciously committing to getting up early, then you’ll be able to! You don’t have to implement these ideas all at one time, but try one or two and see if it makes a difference for you.
Now, could someone please teach me to sleep in?!?!
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June 23, 2014
Musical Monday: What A Wonderful World
Musical Monday: What a Wonderful World
Well hello again Monday morning! Why does it seem like they come around so frequently? The Silver Lining is that they DO come around!
Today, this song has inspired me to take a step back from the hustle and bustle of life and appreciate the beauty all around me. Not to mention how beautiful Louis Armstrong sounds when singing this song! Enjoy!
What a Wonderful World- Louis Armstrong
I see trees of green, red roses, too,
I see them bloom, for me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world.
I see skies of blue, and clouds of white,
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world.
The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky,
Are also on the faces of people going by.
I see friends shaking hands, sayin’, “How do you do?”
They’re really sayin’, “I love you.”
I hear babies cryin’. I watch them grow.
They’ll learn much more than I’ll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself
What a wonderful world
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June 20, 2014
Friday Fixin’s: Energy Chia Breakfast Pudding
Friday Fixin’s: Energy Chia Breakfast Pudding
My friend Melissa Costello’s new recipe book has some amazing healthy and delicious recipes! The energy chia breakfast pudding is absolutely FABULOUS. Not only does this pudding give me sustained energy all day long (which in and of itself is a humongous Silver Lining), but chia seeds themselves are highly nutritional:
High in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, manganese mineral, phosphorus, and protein.Build stong teeth and bones,Fight belly fat (high five!) because they are high in insulin resistance, andImprove the overall health of your heart.WOWSY bowsy! The added Silver Lining is that they taste greatl!
Energy Chia Breakfast Pudding
Ingredients
1/2 cup whole chia seeds1 1/2 cups of unsweetend almond milk or coconut milk1/4 cup cashews2 dates, pitted1 to 2 tablespoons of grade B maple syrup1 teaspoon vanilla extract1/2 teaspoon cinnamin1/4 teaspoon cardamonpinch of sea salt1 cup fresh raspberries or other fruit in seasonalmonds or any raw nuts for toppingInstructions
Put the chia seeds in a medium-sized glass or metal bowlBlend the almond or coconut milk, cashews, dates, syrup (to taste), vanilla, cinnamon, and cardamom and sea salt in a high-powered blender until creamy smooth.Pour over the chia seeds and stir well to combine.Let the pudding sit for about 10 to 15 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator, until it thickens,To serve, top with fresh raspberries or your choice of fruit and add the nuts and a splash of coconut milk, if you like.
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June 19, 2014
Leadership Traits to Instill in Children
Leadership Traits to Instill in Children
I happen to believe that there is no greater or bigger responsibility in the world than raising children. Sometimes, I feel utterly overwhelmed by the largeness of the task at hand. After all, we are talking about a human being! However, when I look into our daughter, a/k/a Excitedly Eight’s eyes, I can’t help but be inspired to be the best Mom that I can be to her.
Instilling leadership traits is a parenting priority! Did you happen to see the recent New York Times article about the disproportionate number of women in leadership positions? It was simultaneously disheartening (kind of depressing, actually!) but also motivating. So here are some leadership traits that I happen to think are important and that we are teaching Excitedly Eight.
Leadership Trait #1: Observation True leaders aren’t necessarily the loudest in the room, but their actions speak volumes. They are constantly observing and gathering information from their immediate environments, looking for parallels and connections with “the bigger picture.” They consult a variety of sources to collect data and remain in contact with each level of their tribe.
Leadership Trait #2: Humility True leaders recognize the talents of those around them. Instead of feeling jealousy or insecurity, they look for ways to encourage, delegate, and provide opportunities for the growth and development of their affiliates. Prudent leaders find — and create — ways to make their contingents better.
Leadership Trait #3: Foresight You may walk by an empty store and wonder why it closed. A leader sees the vacant lot and envisions what might be. Leaders aren’t restricted by thinking only of what is best for today; they consider the long run and what might happen ten years from now.
Leadership Trait #4: Empowerment Leaders foster a sense of ownership and commitment from their team through trust, responsibility, and reward. By handing off significant tasks — duties in which failure has actual consequence — leaders demonstrate trust in their squad. And with the gift of responsibility comes loyalty and dedication in return. Rewarding a job “well done” establishes feedback loops that promote respect and build work ethic within teams.
What traits do you think are important? I’d love to hear!
* Photo credit to Elizabeth Messina (of course!)
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June 18, 2014
Quotes About Books
Quotes About Books
Being the self proclaimed nerdy girl that I am, my love for books only grows with time. Speaking of which, what are you reading this summer? I’d love to hear! In the meantime, I thought I’d share a few lovely quotes about the Silver Linings many others have also found within books. Enjoy!
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“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” –Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!
“A book is a device to ignite the imagination” –Alan Bennett, The Uncommon Reader
“The world of books is the most remarkable creation of man. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments fall; nations perish; civilizations grow old and die out; and, after an era of darkness, new races build others. But in the world of books are volumes that have seen this happen again and again, and yet live on, still young, still as fresh as the day they were written, still telling men’s hearts of the hearts of men centuries dead” –Clarence Shepard Day
“Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.” – Anna Quindlen, How Reading Changed My Life
“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” –Charles William Eliot
“All good books are alike in that they are truer than if they had really happened and after you are finished reading one you will feel that all that happened to you and afterwards it all belongs to you; the good and the bad, the ecstasy, the remorse and sorrow, the people and the places and how the weather was.” –Ernest Hemingway
“I read my eyes out and can’t read half enough… The more one reads the more one sees we have to read.” –John Adams
“Reading is to the mind, what exercise is to the body. As by the one, health is preserved, strengthened, and invigorated: by the other, virtue (which is the health of the mind) is kept alive, cherished, and confirmed.” –Joseph Addison
“A book, too, can be a star, ‘explosive material, capable of stirring up fresh life endlessly,’ a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe.” –Madeleine L’Engle
“If the crowns of all the kingdoms of Europe were laid down at my feet in exchange for my books and my love of reading, I would spurn them all.” –François Fénelon
“A book is a friend whose face is constantly changing, If you read it when you are recovering from an illness, and return to it years after, it is changed surely, with the change in yourself.” –Andrew Lang
“The love of books is a love which requires neither justification, apology, nor defense.” –J.A. Langford
“The first time I read an excellent book, it is to me just as if I had gained a new friend. When I read over a book I have perused before, it resembles the meeting with an old one.” –Oliver Goldsmith
“No matter what his rank or position may be, the lover of books is the richest and the happiest of the children of man.” –J.A. Langford
“The habit of reading is the only enjoyment I know in which there is no alloy. It lasts when all other pleasures fade. It will be there to support you when all other resources are gone. It will be present to you when the energies of your body have fallen away from you. It will last you until your death. It will make your hours pleasant to you as long as you live.” –Anthony Trollope
“A first book has some of the sweetness of a first love.” –Robert Aris Willmott
“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.” –John Green, The Fault in Our Stars
“No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting.” –Lady M. W. Montagu
“Of all the things which man can do or make here below, by far the most momentous, wonderful, and worthy are the things we call books.” –Thomas Carlyle
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