Substance of Living

Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil When I was asked to sample and review Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil, I knew a special recipe had to be created.  Something everyone would enjoy, something for the holiday season, something new and something easy. These cookies hold their shape, slightly crunchy on the outside with a moist and crumbly interior that melts in your mouth.  Mini muffins were tried and they held up to the test of the cookies as well as the baking time.   Ingredients: 2 cups All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour 2 teaspoons Baking Powder 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt 1 cup Brown Sugar 1/3 cup Sugar 3/4 cup Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil (room temperature or slightly melted) 2 teaspoons Vanilla 1 cup Pumpkin Puree (not pie mix) 1 cup Chocolate Chips  Directions: Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.  Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.  Combine wet...

This is a story about miracles, blessings, and the belief in angels. There are times throughout the year that I find myself cynical and sweet stories, such as this - even though it is fictional - restore my heart. Source Three years ago, a little boy and his grandmother came to see Santa at the McAllister Mall in Saint John. The child climbed up on his lap, holding a picture of a little girl. "Who is this?" asked Santa, smiling. "Your friend? "Yes, Santa," he replied. "My sister,  Sarah, who is very sick," he said sadly. Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, and saw her dabbing her eyes with a tissue. "She wanted to come with me to see you, oh, so very much, Santa!" the child exclaimed. "She misses you," he added softly. Santa tried to be cheerful and encouraged a smile to the boy's face, asking him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas. W...

I'd like to take a moment to remember those who have left us this year or in past years before reading today's message. There are moment ous times th roughout our lives that we remember exactly what we were doing , where we were, and who we were with .  Last year, 2012, we had a few of those moments.   Twas' 11 days before Christmas around 9:38 when 20 beautiful children stormed through Heaven's Gate.  Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air. They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there. They were filled with such joy, they didn't know what to say. They remembered nothing that happened earlier that day. "Where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.  "This is Heaven" declared a small boy. "We're spending Christmas at God's house." When what to there wondering eyes did appear, but Jesus, their Savior, the children gathered near. He looked at them and...

Buffet Table Setting as seen on Divine Dinner Party This has to be one of my more politically correct, non-offending party ideas.  You may already know this, but in case you forgot or are new, I'm 99% vegan, my oh-so-fabulous husband is pretty much 95% vegetarian, and our family and friends are probably 100% meat eaters (with a vegetable or two thrown into the mix).  Oh!  I'm also gluten-free.  I'm overstating this but I think you get my point. In the eyes of our family and friends, we are the non-normal ones out of the whole bunch of bananas. It used to scare our family and mostly our friends to come over and eat at our house in fear that they may have to eat seaweed and tofu.  lol What DH and I like to do is come up with a theme for the party / event / dinner and work from there.  So, say we are going to have a Father's Day buffet, a Mystery Murder Buffet, or a Theater Buffet.  Once we figured that out we would decide on a bunch of food...

When the holidays and winter is upon you, do you often think about nesting?  Sweaters, scarves, mittens, warm coats, boots, fires in the fireplace, and of course hot cocoa are all some of the things we do to nest. Another thing we can do to warm up our homes and nest is to cover our dining chairs. Christmas Inspired Chair Covers Santa Hat Chair Cover by Uncommon Designs Red Ribbon with Pine Cone and Greenery Chair Cover by Happy Interiors Poinsettia and Burlap Chair Cover by I'm a Little Hanukkah Inspired Chair Covers Blue and White Chair Cover by Our Little Nest on the Lake White Faux Fur Chair Cover by Seasonal Home Decoration New Year's Eve Inspired Chair Covers Blue, White, and Silver New Year's Eve Chair Covers by Minimalisti Black and White Formal New Year's Eve Chair Covers by Elite Mobile DJ New Year's Eve Clock Chair Cover by Whimsy Decor New Year's Celebration Chair Cover by BHG Ho...

Merry Christmas!  December is about family and getting together to share special moments.  So, with all of us running around, we've selected a few books to enjoy this month when you get some spare time or need to unwind. Ways to give books this month: Be a Secret Santa and give a book to a friend, co-worker, neighbor, or family member anonymously Hostess Gift - Give each party attendee a book at the end of the evening Bring a book to give as a Hostess Gift when you're invited to a dinner or party Advent Calendar - Choose one person to give a book to each day or give a book to a different person each day Choose a theme to give - Christmas, cooking, mysteries, biographies, travel, hobbies Give a gift that fits each person's personality or hobby.  Say someone likes crafts and mysteries, did you know that there is a genre that includes these two items? White Christmas by Emma Lee-Potter Forever Christmas by Christine Lynxwiler Bah, Humbug! by Heath...

Homemade Hot Cocoa See all the dark chocolate swimming around in that rich and creamy cup of steamy hot cocoa?  If we hadn't drank all of it last night, I'd be sitting here with a cup right now.  Then again, there might be some chocolate left in the pantry.  As soon as I'm done here, I'm going to go see.   There are all kinds of cocoa. There are instant, homemade, kid friendly and of course adult versions. So let's start with your favorite version of cocoa or hot chocolate mix, whether that is from a package or a secret family recipe passed down through the generations.  If you don’t have a favorite, here is one I think you might enjoy. Ingredients: 4 cups Non-Dairy Milk 2 Tablespoons Vegan Butter 8 ounces Chocolate (candy bars, baking chocolate) 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract Directions:   Chop the chocolate very finely.  If you’re using dark chocolate you might need to sweeten your drink a bit.  However, i...