my love

this top picture is my baby Lil' Fish after he got his teeth trimmed. it doesnt seem like anything till you look at this bottom picture, and you can see how huge they were.... to the point he couldnt eat. : (

Easy Truffles

Attention all you chocolate and cheese cake lovers!!!

I stumbled across this recipe the other day in a coupon ad and decided I'd try it. I wasn't to keen on it but the 3 other people who had them were in love. Chocolate truffles, made with cream cheese. So if you like rich chocolate and or the richness of cheese cake, then this may be for you.

Chocolate truffles

1. The small blocks of cream cheese... halved.

2. 10 squares of semisweet bakers chocolate.

3. sorted sprinkles (if you want)

Directions:
In a double boiler, if you have one, (if not, vigilantly microwave in a bowl, with a little bit of milk. Or make your own double boiler by placing an empty pot inside/on top of a pot with boiling water) melt the chocolate squares. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until creamy and smooth. Slowly add the melted chocolate and mix completely. Put the mixture into the fridge for about 20-30 minutes to let cool. Remove and use teaspoon or melon baller type instrument to portion and shape the chocolate mixture into balls. If you want you can dip the tops of the truffles into sprinkles to add color and texture.

I recommend using mini cupcake/muffin containers to put the individual truffles in.

Share and enjoy... oh yeah and don't forget the best part... licking the beaters! :)

Thanks for reading!
Eliza

Shooting Stars

When was the last time you went outside at night and looked at the stars? As a kid, I used to do it all the time with my dad. The other night an old co-worker invited me out to a bonfire out in the country. The fire was amazing but when the talking lulled, I found myself looking up out at stars- I had not seen such a clear night sky in quite some time. As I gazed up into the beautiful sky, I saw a SHOOTING STAR!!! I was so taken a back by it I forgot to make a wish.

Next time you get a chance, go out on a clear night, look up at the stars, and be amazed by the vast expanse of beauty.

Sorry for the delay in writing these last few days, my internet has been acting up, hopefully its back for good. haha.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far!!

Thanks for reading,
*****Eliza********

Friends

Hola amigos!

Being a friend. Tonight one of my good friends' roommate/best friend, after not being able to afford rent, had to move out. My friend, although she probably won't admit it, is having a rough time. She usually keeps to herself and rarely asks for help. Tonight I invited her over for dinner and told her I was here if she needed anything. She politely thanked me but declined my invitation. As I was cleaning up the dinner mess I got a text from her asking if she could come over for a bit. It'd been awhile since I'd seen her, and it was nice to talk, but more importantly, it felt good to be there for a friend. My friends have been there for me more than I can remember, so it really was an honor to be able to be there for her when she needed me.

A lot of the time I think I get to caught up in the day to day life that I forget to make time for my friends. That is something I need to improve. Do you have any suggestions? I am going to start by calling back one of my friends who moved away. Is there something I can do to be there for you as a follower, as a friend?

Thanks, your friend,
Eliza

Make new friends but keep the old. One is silver the other gold.

I recently noticed that I have a few more followers, so this is for all of you.

To all my newest followers, thank you. I appreciate your willingness to give my blog a read every now and again. I hope that you like enjoy.

To my loyal friends who have followed me from the beginning- thank you. Your following means a lot to me. I was beyond tickled the other day when I saw Kimberly commented on my hot chocolate recipe. It is wonderful to feel like the little things making my life a bit better are helping in yours too. : )

Thank you to everyone. I appreciate your following more than you know. You all give me a reason to find some good in the little things each day. Please continue commenting and always feel free to share.

Many thanks,
:) Eliza :)

-"What is your new years resolution eliza?" -"uhhh"

Hello how are all of you doing today? I've had a mildly frustrating start, but I'm not going to let it get to me! Every year I always end up setting myself up for failure with a new years resolution. But this year I decided to do things a bit differently. When a friend asked me: "What is your new years resolution Eliza?", I paused and looked at my friend blankly and said: "uh....".

The other day I was reading someones blog and she was talking about making resolutions. She said that you should make a whole lot of resolutions, some really easy ones (that you know you'll be able to accomplish) and some other, more challenging ones. That way, even if you don't get the hard ones you still can get little ones (like brushing your teeth). I like her idea. (If you're interested, feel free to check it out, some of her blogs are pretty comical. : http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-to-stick-to-your-new-years.html )

So I have decided on a unofficial resolution for myself to work on, a goal you could say. As I was laid off before the holidays, money is a little thin and eating out (which I love to do) is expensive and can add up. I like... no love to cook. My resolution, to try and help save money and expand my cooking skills, shrink my waistline, is to cook dinner each night.

Did you make any resolutions this year, if so what? How are they going so far? Thus far(since I've been back at my apartment) I have done great! 3 delicious dinners! Last night my boyfriend even offered to help pay for groceries if I wanted to keep cooking!! Doesn't it feel great to be successful in something you set out to do? No doubt I will probably get off track somewhere, as I usually do, so feel free to remind/ ask me how I'm doing.

This was the flounder pot pie we had for dinner last night.

Thanks for reading, and good luck with your resolutions!

<<~Eliza~>>

<>< Fish <><

Blub Blup Blup! ( I imagine that's how you say 'hello' in fish). How is everyone today, staying warm I hope.

Whilst I was staying warm inside today I decided to clean my fish tank. The slimy green algae was more than taking over the tank. After I'd finished scrubbing the last of the glass walls of the tank, I sat back and looked and admired the job I'd done. The walls of the tank were so clear. Looking through the glass at my little fish swimming around in they're newly clean tank brought me a sense of peace and accomplishment. It must be nice to be a fish, or any other pet that has a loving family- relaxing, without much worry or care.

Do you have a fish, a dog, cat, bird, snake, hamster, turtle, horse, or rabbit? If so, take a minute to sit and watch them, and just relax. You might be surprised at the sense of calm you feel.

Thanks for reading,

Eliza

homemade hot chocolate

It has been a long 48 hours. I am finally back in my apartment, and it is good to be home. Only it seems the cold weather has followed me back, unfortunately without the snow. :( I know that a lot of places are getting a nice blast of cold winter weather right now, so I thought I'd share a delicious recipe to help warm you up.

Homemade Hot Chocolate:

You will need:

1. 4 tablespoons of Cocoa powder
2. 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
3. 2 tablespoons of sugar
4. 2 tablespoons of honey
5. 1.5 tablespoons of vanilla extract
6. 2.5 cups of milk

Directions:

In a pot, mix sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa powder together. Add enough of the milk that the cocoa powder and sugar are blended smoothly. ( This takes a little more than a fourth of a cup). Add the vanilla extract and blend it into the mixture. Put the pot on the burner at low-high or medium-low heat. (You don't want the temperature too high or the milk will burn to the pan). Add the rest of the milk and the honey. Continually stir the mixture till it is heated to your desired temperature. Pour into mugs, and enjoy. :) mmm

Note:

If you like food that has a bit of a 'kick' to it, you can add a teaspoon Cayenne pepper. Now you have a hot chocolate similar to what the Mayans used to drink.

Do you have any good hot chocolate recipes? If so I would love to hear them!

Thank you for reading, go warm up with a cup of homemade hot chocolate. :)

***Eliza***

Fight Fat; Give Grapefruit a Go

Hola como estas?

Alrighty guys and gals, today I will make it short and sweet... or bitter rather.... haha. Grapefruit juice. Have you ever had it? At first you may not like it, I didn't. I started drinking it as a substitute for coffee. It's bitter taste works as an excellent wake up call in the mornings, but grapefruit juice is really quite good for you. An article I read in "Clean Eating" magazine stated that:

" Make one of your five daily servings of fruits and vegetables an orange or a grapefruit to help you manage your weight....narigenin, a flavonoid, in citrus fruit causes the liver to burn excess fat instead of hanging on to it. The molecule also helped improve triglyceride and cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of insulin resistance and stabilize glucose metabolism (risk factors for type 2 diabetes and heart disease".

If you're interested in trying some grapefruit juice in your daily routine, I recommend going for the half gallon containers that say 'Not from concentrate' at the bottom. This helps to ensure what you're getting is actually juice not a juice substitute.

Enjoy your grapefruit! Thanks for reading,

Eliza

Spread the Love, Share the Excitment, Starve a Vampire

Hello today! Hopefully you are staying warm, I know most places around the country are feeling pretty chilly.

All the delicious holiday treats, and the cold weather seem to catch me every day, acting as if I'd just eaten a full blown thanksgiving feast. Since it I am on a mini vacation, I have taken advantage of every minute of it. I sit around reading all the books that have backed up over the last year, baking holiday treats for various family members, and spending time with my family. Pretty picture aside, I have been LAZY. As I was trying to think of something to do, besides sit around at my parents house, a commercial came on the radio, inviting people to come downtown and donate blood as there was a shortage. So, I called up my mom, and asked her if she'd be interested.

Today myself, my mom, and my brother all went to donate blood. Im sure that donating blood was not something that they normally would have thought about doing, but it didnt take much to convince them. As my brother and I left we joked about how we'd been lazy again today, but at least we'd done one little thing and made a difference in someone's life. It felt good.

Not that you have to, but if youre interested, check out the American Red Cross's website to see if there is a local blood drive you can go to donate. Donating doesn't take long, and is relatively painless, but in 1 visit, you save 3 lives!

Thank you for reading, I hope that you have a WONDERFUL day!

~ Eliza

Patience is a Virtue

Hello everyone, Happy Holidays! I am sorry about the lapse in posting I have been very busy with my research these last few months, but it is starting to pay off.

I will make this short and sweet because I am sure you've heard it many times; Patience is a virtue. I am not a patient person... at all. But for awhile I had had my eye on a young gentleman. As I got to know him we became great friends, and as time progressed I wanted something more to come of it, but he was not ready. Never have I been so patient for such a long period of time in my life! Sure enough my elders were right. My patience paid off. Right before I went to visit my family, my friend took me out to a wonderful dinner, and asked me to be his girlfriend.

Paitence is a virtue, that I think I will try to practice a bit more often. Have you ever waited patiently for something and finally recieved it? Didn't it feel amazing?!

Thank you for having patience and not abandoning me.
Happy 2010!
~ Eliza.