Nine Tips To Help You Think Outside The Box

Whether it is debt, employment, business, personal crisis, government, etc… people are facing challenges that our generation has never seen before. Common approaches to uncommon problems has not worked. The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. Yet, we continue to embrace ingrained concepts that are simply not applicable to today’s world.

How many times have you heard the cliché, “Think outside the box?” We are told to think out of the box all the time on political matters, in business, in personal crisis, and by employers. I admit that it’s funny that a phrase meaning to think of clichéd situations from a non-clichéd perspective has become a cliché by it’s own right. However, the irony does not negate the fact that solutions to our current problems will only come when we stopping thinking with a safe and confined mentality.  

Read the nine tips HERE

German Chocolate Cookie Sandwich

Cookie Ingredients:

1 ¾ c. all purpose flour
1 ½ c. sugar
1 ½ sticks of softened butter
2/3 c. cocoa
¾ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ c. finely chopped pecans

Coconut and Pecan Filling Ingredients:

1 stick of butter
½ c. packed light brown sugar
¼ c. light corn syrup
1 c. of toasted coconut flakes
1 c. finely chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all cookie ingredients except pecans.
3. Beat on medium speed until all ingredients are well incorporated.
4. Stir pecans in.
5. Form dough into 1 ¼ inch balls.
6. Place balls on cookie sheet and slightly press to flatten.
7. Bake 9-11 minutes.
8. Cool cookies on wire rack.
9. Make coconut and pecan filling- in a medium saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup- stirring until thickened and bubbly; stir in coconut, pecans, and vanilla.
10. Spread one heaping tbsp onto half the cookies.
11. Top each of the cookies with the remaining unused cookies to form a German Chocolate Cookie Sandwich. 

Easy Cherries Jubilee

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Ingredients:

• 2 (15 oz) cans of pitted Bing cherries in syrup
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/4 c. Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur
• 1/4 c. brandy
• 6 tbsp Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
• 1 qt vanilla bean ice cream
• 6 chocolate pirouette rolled wafers 

Method:

1. Place cherries in a heavy non-aluminum saucepan, reserving 6 tbsp of syrup in a small bowl.
2. Add cornstarch to the 6 tbsp of syrup, mixing well; set aside.
3. Stir sugar and allspice into cherries.
4. Bring cherry mixture up to a boil over medium heat.
5. Reduce heat to low and add cornstarch mixture.
6. Stir until mixture thickens (3-5 minutes.)
7. Remove from heat to add raspberry liqueur and brandy.

8. Return to medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. 
9. Place 1 tbsp of Godiva Chocolate Liqueur in each of 6 serving dishes.
10. Place two scoops of vanilla bean ice cream in each serving dish.
11. Evenly pour cherry mixture into each serving dish.
12. Garnish with a chocolate pirouette wafers in each serving dish.

Mango Salsa

Very fresh and summery recipe. Hope everyone enjoys!

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Ingredients:

4 peeled and diced mangoes
1/3 c. chopped cilantro
1/4 c. finely diced celery
1/4 c. finely chopped green onion
1/4 c. finely chopped red onion
1/4 c. finely chopped yellow or green bell pepper
1/4 c. peeled and finely chopped cucumber 
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
3 tbsp fresh lime juice

Method:
1. Combine all wet ingredients in a large bowl
2. Add all dry ingredients, tossing to coat.
3. Cover and chill 1 hour to 24 hours.

Mango Salsa works great as an appetizer served with -tortilla chips, bagel chips, or any toasted bread of choice. It can also make a great garnishment for seafood, lamb, or chicken.

For more great cooking, check out Chris Stonecipher's Peanut Butter Logs and Bren Park's Homespun Solutions: Cooking Tips and Chef Lauren's Sicilian Style Penne Mediterranean Pasta

Insurance Companies Busted for Owning Stock in Tobacco and Fast Food Companies

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I found some really Cute Blogger Layouts at Doobix.com

Just when I thought that I couldn’t loathe the insurance industry more, I read a stunning article in the American Journal of Public Health.

These insurance companies spend no telling what on PR that touts what all they are doing to promote healthy lifestyles. This is a quote straight from a very well known insurance companies- HealthyLifestyles pamphlet. 

Tobacco use, obesity, stress and physical inactivity have a significant
effect on employee productivity and happiness, and encouraging healthy
behaviors may impact more than your organization’s financial statement:
It may help presenteeism and the productivity of your employees.
Transforming unhealthy lifestyles is not easy, which is why we focus
on the five key behaviors that have the greatest effect on both your
employees’ health and the overall health of your organization:

Tobacco Cessation: We offer an educational program, a personalized
“quit” plan and an online community of support.

Weight Management: From dietary education to personal coaching, we help
participants help themselves reach and maintain a healthier weight.

Yet, these insurance companies are speaking out of both sides of their mouths. On one hand they tell consumers to be healthy...then, they are busted by a research team at  Harvard Medical School as owning stocks in tobacco and fast-food companies. Read about the insurance companies that were busted HERE

Southernisms Aplenty

If you want a good laugh, check out the "Southern Aplenty" article in the Hattiesburg American newspaper. The author, Chloe Oliver watched a an episode of the "Real Housewives" that involved a Southern colloquialism calamity. Although she didn't mention the particular offender by name, I happen to watch the Real Housewives of New York myself. Countess Luann deLesseps got into an altercation with another housewife and said she was on me like "white rice." For those of you not from the Southern United States, ya'll might not know that the expression is... "white on rice." Anyhoo, for a good laugh and taste of wit, read the Southern Aplenty article HERE 
 

7,500 Online Shoppers Sold Their Soul & Didn't Even Know It

Do you read the fine print before putting your John Hancock, or are you like millions of Americans who skim, if that, the fine print?

British owned, GameStation, a computer game retailer, wanted to play a benign April Fools Day joke on  customers. However, I think they proved a much greater point about fine print.

Read how 7,500 online shoppers unknowingly sold their soul and what they missed out on in the process- HERE

Dark Chocolate Benefits Liver Patients

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A new study of 21 patients with end-stage liver disease has found that eating dark chocolate restricted the rise in post meal abdominal pressure, which can be dangerously high in cirrhotic patients, and even lead to blood vessels rupturing.  The study was presented to the European Association for the Study of the Liver in Vienna.

Cocoa contains antioxidants called, flavanols. These flavanols are believed to help the smooth muscle cells of blood vessels widen and relax; therefore, it’s beneficial to those with blood pressure issues.

The 21 research patients were given a meal with 85% cocoa dark chocolate….now that is my kind of diet! The end stage liver disease patients that were given the dark chocolate had a smaller rise in blood pressure in the liver than those that were given white chocolate.

Coconut Muffins

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Who needs a cupcake when you can have a coconut muffin. If you have busy mornings and a hungry family, make these coconut muffins the night before...and you have a no-fuss and fast breakfast.

Ingredients:
2 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 c. sugar
½ c. flake coconut
2 lg eggs, lightly beaten
½ c. melted butter
8 oz plain yogurt
¼ tsp coconut extract

Method:
1. Combine first four ingredients in lg bowl.
2. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
3. Combine eggs and last three ingredients; stir just till moist.
4. Lightly grease muffin tin and line with paper muffin cups.
5. Evenly spoon mixture into each muffin cup, filling each ¾ full.
6. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.  




Recipe yields 1 dozen coconut muffins.

Judge Tells Mississippi Schools To Stop The Segregation

The Justice Department accused the rural Mississippi Walthall County School District of permitting over 300 students to transfer to a school outside of their residential area. Most of the students were white. So, this shifted the racial makeup of each school system. Administrators at three other Mississippi schools were also accused of grouping white students in classrooms and black students in other classrooms in various grade levels. 

This has been a battle between several Mississippi school districts and the Justice Dept since the early 90’s.
In fact, the Justice Dept says despite lawsuits seeking reform, these school districts have become even more segregated over the last 20 years. The Walthall Co. School Board rejected a settlement in 2009 that would have overhauled the district's transfer policy and prevented students being assigned to classrooms based on race.

So, on April 13th 2010, Mississippi U.S. District Judge Tom Lee ordered the school district to significantly limit transfers and  to stop assigning students to classrooms that resulted in segregation. A software program to randomly assign students to classrooms was demanded.




See the full story at Reuters