Posted on 12/19/2003 8:15:26 PM PST by carlo3b
Someone Loves you, more than you know...Everyone, every single person on this earth has someone that loves them. Everyone!
This magical time of the year is when we turn our attentions and our thoughts to all of the special people in our lives that we love above all others. Most every faith, creed, and nationality has some special season that is set aside to ponder on our emotions, and the real meaning of life. For many, this is a Holy time, the Holiest time of the year. It is a time of faith, of reflections on our past, rejoicing in our good fortunes, and the expectations of our future. It bring us together for celebration, and for many it reminds us of those who we love from afar and brings back memories of those far beyond.
For most of us, these are the happiest time of the year, and we look forward to these days with excitement and joy. But for some of us, far too many, these are emotional times, stressful, and lonely times. While the world around us seemingly enthralled with the celebrations, it has a deepening sadness for others, and since the majority of us are thrilled at moment, I'd like us to think about those less fortunate.
I was fearful to bring this subject to the fore at this time of the year, as it is too often, for less than charitable reasons, we are punished for our good fortune and made to feel guilty for our happiness, no matter how hard fought to achieve it. However, it is the exact opposite that I want us, you and I, for just a moment, to focus on those who can't, or won't, or unfortunately, those truly unable to share in the glory of these holidays.
Love, is the secret, love is the answer, and being in love is summit of our lives. The deeper in love we are, the closer to the surface is our emotions. Love is the driving force that brings Kings to tears, and paupers to euphoria. We love, because we need love, and we are born wired to give and receive love. Which is why the absence of love is so devastating, and those who don't feel loved, are so very sad.
When we are painfully reminded of our emptiness, as in the season of love like the holidays, that we are without someone special to share love that we feel most lonely. Everyone needs love. Babies left untouched, and unloved after birth will invariable die, or left emotionally scared for life. We all need to be loved and we all, need to love someone or something to fulfill our existence. Loneliness is an unnecessary crime, and loveless emptiness is a death sentence.
But are we really unloved, or are we alone? Being alone isn't as bad as being unloved. Are we alone by choice, or have we been forgotten, or left behind? There are very few good reasons to truly be alone in this world. If you can read this, you are never alone. If you have access to a phone, a TV, a neighbor, or a friend, you are never really alone. However, if you are unloved, now that is a problem. Are you unloved? Or, sadly, are you unlovable? Have you become bitter and unapproachable perhaps because of loneliness? Only you know the answer, but I have an answer that you may not know. Someone Loves you, yes YOU, more than you know.
Everybody is loved by someone, yes even you. GOD loves you, and nothing that you can do, or have done changes that. Sometime GOD uses things to do his work for Him, He is GOD after all, and has those kind of perks. Sometime GOD uses my puppy Zeke, to bring love to someone that needs to feel loved. I know, don't ask me how, that GOD uses my puppy, and millions of his cousins in all different shapes and sizes, to bring true love to a lonely older person, or even worse, a shy withdrawn child.
Sometimes GOD, without your knowledge, even uses you, yes you, to bring love to someone devastated in loneliness. He may remind you, out of the clear blue sky to call someone left alone, sick, or maybe forgotten. Sometime GOD may even makes you smile at a stranger or remind you to hug a kid or worse your own spouse..YIKES! And sometime, and again don't ask me how I know, GOD uses even me to do something I seem to always forget.. that is to tell you that..
.....I LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH, ...MORE THAN YOU KNOW.. kiss...... developing ... :)
MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR
I LOVE YOU!
.. a.. er.. yes.. :)
HOMEMADE BAILEY'S IRISH CREMEBlend on high for 30 seconds. Bottle in tightly sealed container and refrigerate. Shake well before serving.
- 1 cup light cream
- 1 14 oz. can Eagle Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1 2/3 cups whiskey
- 1 tsp. instant coffee
- 2 tbs. chocolate syrup
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. coconut extract (optional, but think about it before you leave it out.. LOL)
- 1 tsp. almond extract
MERRY CHRISTMAS
HOLIDAY CINNAMON BREAD WITH LOTS OF GOODIES This baby is a special treat, made moist with cottage cheese.. don't wince, it's perfect.. :)
1) Blend sugar, butter add egg add cottage cheese and orange peel until blended. Combine and add the next 6 ingredients and stir until dry ingredients are just moistened. Do not over mix.
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup small curd, low-fat cottage cheese
- 1/2 orange, grated (use fruit, juice and peel, remove any hard membranes)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup yellow raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2) Scrape batter into a greased 8 x 4-inch foil loaf pan, and sprinkle top with mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Place pan on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree F oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a cake tester, inserted in center, comes out clean.
3) Allow to cool for 15 minutes, and then remove pan and continue cooling on a rack.
Serve with cream cheese and jam and a few sliced strawberries.Yields 1 loaf.
Nothing says love like a scoop full of Chocolate ;0)
Oh ok .. there are other things, but chocolate sure does taste good .. Thanks for the recipe Carlo
Does Santa Carlo have any recipes in his goodie bag for egg nog cookies, puddings, bars, whatever? Just something to nibble on for that egg nog high?
Leni
Egg Nog Cookies
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
1) Reserve 1/2 tsp. of the nutmeg for garnish. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and the rest of the nutmeg. Mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.
2) In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter with an electric mixer to form a grainy paste. Add AE Egg Nog, vanilla and egg yolks and beat at medium speed until smooth.
3) Add the flour mixture and beat at low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.
4) Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets, 1 inch apart. Sprinkle lightly with reserved nutmeg. Bake for 2325 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown. Transfer to cool, flat surface immediately with a spatula.
Yield: 3 dozen
I knew I would draw out the Chocolate lovers with this thing.. How about Chocolate with a kick..LOL.. :)
JACK DANIELS CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM PREP TIME: 1 Hour MAKES: 4 QuartsLiquor and liqueurs are often used to flavor ice creams and sorbets. In the south, sour mash whiskeys provide the Southern flavor that adds the perfect finish to chocolate ice cream.
INGREDIENTS:METHOD:
- 2/3 cup Jack Daniels® Whiskey
- 1 (5 1/3 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolates, chopped
- 1 2/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 quart heavy whipping cream
- 1 quart half and half
- 12 large eggs, room temperature
In a heavy bottom sauce pan, sift together the cocoa powder and sugar. Add heavy whipping cream and half and half and, using a wire whisk, stir until well-blended. Add the semi sweet chocolate and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until chocolate is melted. Remove sauce pan from heat and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Add 1/4 of the hot chocolate mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Add remaining egg mixture into the hot chocolate whisking until well-blended.
Stir mixture over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes until chocolate coats the back of the spoon. Do not allow mixture to boil as eggs will scramble. Pour the chocolate into a metal bowl and place it into a larger bowl of ice cold water to help chill the mixture. While chocolate is cooling, place the Jack Daniels® in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat. Heat until liquor ignites.
NOTE: Take care as flame will flare up and extinguish itself quickly. Stir the Jack Daniels® into the chocolate mixture and allow to cool. Once chocolate custard is completely cooled, place into a homestyle ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturers directions.
Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas Carlo3b!
:-)
Quick and Simple LowCarb Egg Nog Pudding
1) Using a small bowl beat the softened cream cheese until very creamy.
2) Slowly pour in cream & water & beat until well blended.
3) Add the vanilla pudding, spices & extract; beat until the pudding powder is dissolved.
4) Pour into 8 fancy serving dishes,sprinkle with a touch of nutmeg.
Chill well before serving so the flavors of the spices blend in well.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.