God may want us all to be in his flock but He isn’t a puppeteer and He doesn’t want us to be puppets. This is the gift of freewill, the freedom to make choices, the freedom that we always abuse.

I once talked to an old guy on the street. He was an acquaintance. With my incapacity to sugarcoat his situation, making it sound a little less brutal, I could say his life is broke. “I am very unfortunate! God, made fun of my life,” he said. If I were too harsh to be too frank with him at the moment, I would have told him “you are so wrong, sir!” I could do that. I just chose not to. It would be unhealthy for both of us. And I simply couldn’t bear the guilt of making him feel worse.

His wife and children left him. The temptation, according to him, is so strong that he couldn’t be faithful to his wife. He had my sympathy but inside my mind, I was rationalizing things over the principles that I believe in. Temptation, no matter how strong has no power over us. It is us, who decided to give in to it. The reason temptation appears very strong, is its ecstatic effect on us. And it is simply hard to say no on things that we fancy or things that make us feel immensely pleased even just for a moment. Ice cream for me is very irresistible. It is so strong that once I start eating a scoop of ice cream from the fridge, I sometimes end up eating almost half a gallon. It happens not because the ice cream possesses some kind of power to control over me, but because I chose to give in to the pleasure of eating ice cream. Even the biggest form of temptation, like sex and infidelity, come in somewhat similar packaging.

Life as a whole is governed by the different choices we make. Everything we do, even the moment we wake up, we are faced with decision-making situations. Some things may appear like routine works that don’t need much thinking, but whether we are aware of it or not, everything is subjected to making a particular choice. Should I pray or not? Should I fix my bed or postpone it or let someone do it? Should I brush my teeth first before peeing or the other way around? Should I take a bath or not? Should I wear this or that? Should I eat this or that? Whatever we do, it is part of the decision we make. No one can stop anyone from doing anything because that is everyone’s freewill. Knowing that everything is a choice, why can’t we simply choose the right ones?

Homemade Mango Ice Cream Recipe:

Ingredients:

Pureed pulp of 4 to 6 ripe mangoes

200 ml full fat fresh cream 

200 ml whole milk(cold)

2 tablespoons ground sugar(you might want to add more if you like your ice-cream sweeter)

Method:

Put all of the above ingredients into the electric  ice-cream maker and in half an hour your your ice-cream will be ready to eat. Now if you don’t have an electric  ice-cream maker then blend together all of the ice-cream ingredients, that are listed above, in an electric blender for a few minutes. Pour the contents into a bowl, cover and then place in freezer to set. 

Tip: For creamier ice-cream. After the ice-cream has set(or almost set) take it out of the freezer and whip it till it is light and creamy again. Then keep to reset in freezer. Repeat two or three times. But, as kids, our ice-cream would get over by the first or second round of whipping and setting. 

If not using an electric ice-cream maker the ice-cream tends to be a little icy but tastes divine!

This recipe is for a large ice cream maker.

English: (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

• 1 quart heavy whipping cream or half and half, very cold (cream is best, half and half is slightly better for you)
• ¼ gallon of whole milk, 2% or 1%, very cold (depending on how many calories you want, whole milk is best)
• 1-1/2 cups washed mulberries, best if frozen when put into the cream, lightly crushed or mashed up a bit.   It’s okay to leave the stems on.  They are edible and you won’t note them in the ice cream.
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ tsp. vanilla

Put cream and milk into the barrel of the ice cream maker, add sugar and mix slowly until the sugar is dissolved. Don’t go too fast or wait too long, or you will end up with sweet butter.  Add in the vanilla , stir again.  Add in the mulberries and mix up again.  Large chunks will float, but as the ice cream churns the berries will be mixed throughout. 

Follow the directions on your ice cream maker and enjoy!

Other ice cream recipes you might enjoy:

Lemonade Ice Cream

Homemade Peach Ice Cream

Orange Zest Ice Cream

It has great 8 megapixel camera with the new Google Android 4 Ice cream Sandwich. The best thing is the touch events in the phone which are extraordinarily awsome. Its not just tapping to run a smartphone now but the eye motion makes things working in the phone. The astonishing looks that were never been observed so attractive before makes it the new revolution and an Abstract to the coming smartphones.

Now’s the time to let go of the old past, so you can tell a new, happier story in the future. If you want happiness, love, and a more positive life style, pray, ask, seek and knock and start speaking and living a positive experience This is what was laid upon my heart and I am sharing this with you because it is important. Read this in light of your situation and think about it carefully after reading every word.

Whether you’re thinking and talking about a tragic event or even a minor irritation, with every negative word and thought you’re working against yourself and really perpetuating negative conditions.  There is a Law of Dominant Thought, which states that we’re always moving in the direction of our currently dominant thoughts.  That’s why it’s so important to keep your mental eye focused on what you want instead of what you don’t want.  Said another way, what you focus on slowly in time expands.

I once read a book that said, “You don’t attract wealth when we contemplate being broke.  We don’t get healthy by contemplating how sick we are. . . and how bad we feel.  Even if you talk about the event while mentioning a desire to change it, you’re still reinforcing the negative event.” It is a mental comprehensibie kind of thing that you have to grasp. 

It is true that some people, especially in America as well as other parts of the world, have fallen prey to many of the TV commercials and many of the advertisements in the Magazines, Newspapers and Radio broadcasts that focus on the Negatives of life.

We forget oftimes that the ads and commercials are there to sell products so they can stay on the air so you can look at your favorite negative programs for your entertainment. If you’re watching TV for two are three hours a day and the programs that you watch are filled with Negative ads dealing with Pains and Ache Medications, Violent Negative Acts or even your Local News, remember what you watch can have a Negative effect on you.

For instance, you might keep watching Commercials about sodas and Ice Cream and Fast Foods. Soon you start saying to yourself and others, “I love eating that kind of ice cream. I never get enough.” You keep that up day after day and soon before you know it you have gained lots of weight and you’re bordline unhealthy. Your mind hears “ice cream” and will want more ice cream or you hear “chocolate” and you just got to have chocolates. It’s far better to think about having a healthy body and to eat more fruits and vegetables while maintaining daily walks or excercise.

It is important to understand that in this life you have painful, sometimes heartbreaking and sorrowful experiences. These are natural events in life and few of us, if any, live this life without them. Sometimes it’s an illness, a tragic accident or a disease that snuffs out the life of a loved one suddenly. A simple thing like losing your livelihood can cause you to think along negative lines, the hurt of it all is real and you have to talk about it to somebody until the hurt subsides. There will be others who will ask you about it just for laughs and kicks.  This of course is a negative that lasts for a while. Satanic forces know how to rub it in just to make “life live you”and not let you live your life in the positive.

Your quest in life is to put every negative event behind you as quickly as possible and not crumble with every Commercial, Negative Sataic Ad that the Devil and his advocates throw your way.  In other words, stop thinking and talking about the past event as soon as you can and live according to the word of God. I can’t tell you how long it will take or what particular verses in the Bible to read but there is some Scripture that covers your situation. Take all the time that is appropriate to search it out.  It depends on your unique situation because you are God’s unique creation. There is no other just like you. Just remember, don’t run from life because “life will live you” but live your life with God as your guide. This is about moving your life forward in a positive direction and YOU can do all things through Christ who strengthen s you.

Now’s the time to let go of the past, Let God have your life. Take Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior so you can tell a new, happier story in the future.If you wanttrue happiness, love, and a more positive life style, pray, ask, seek and knock and start speaking and living a positive experience. Don’t think sad, Think glad. Don’t be sappy, think happy and remember life IS what YOU make it. Read this everyday.

Cover of What You Make It

But, let’s get real.  If we gained pounds just by looking at and repinning all those recipes, we would probably gain 500 pounds.  Thank god that won’t happen!  But some of that chocolate stuff looks so so good!

So far, I have tried just a few of the recipes.  I tried one that I ended up not liking, and tossed it.  The ice cream punch with poured coffee on top looked good, but I figured I would be the only one drinking it.  I decided to just do a few ice cream scoops in my cup and pour my coffee on top.  Tasted good, but I still needed to add more sugar to get it sweet like I like it.

I did a few yesterday.  A hummus dip, an orange sugar scrub, and then that natural orange cleaner.  That’s sitting in a jar for a few weeks right now.  Looks nice.  Then, I wanted to try a gnoddi recipe that I saw on the Today show.  I did my own version.  And tomorrow I will boil them and add them to a pasta sauce.

Then the other fun things I have learned from Pinterest.  How to make braided bracelets from tee shirts.  How to make tee shirt yarn, a tee shirt mesh bag (which I might end up throwing out.  A reinvented tee shirt top which I had to throw out as I made the top part too low cut.  Whoops.  Couldn’t wear that one!

How to make i-cord.  That was very cool.  I learned how to do it on two double pointed needles.  Didn’t know you could do it that way.  It’s going to be useful for the felted bangle bracelets.  Also another Pinterest inspired idea.  Trying to figure out the tutorial for unravelling a sweater.  

That one is a pain in the neck.  I cut up the good seam, but still, it was a machine knit sweater and it didn’t unravel hardly at all.  Waste of time.  So only cut up a sweater, if you know that it was handmade and you will probably have good luck.  The girl at the knitting shop said some people buy the wool sweaters to cut them up and felt them.  I had some good luck unravelling a few of my knitted scarves and one I bought at Goodwill a few weeks ago.  But I bought some at Goodwill today and they didn’t even unravel and I wasted my money one them.

Now I have listed them instead on ebay, but I’m not sure how well they will sell at this time of year.

When I go to pinterest, I usually like to scroll down and repin things I like, then check out what my followers are pinning and then I usually go straight to the crafts section.  And I check out knitting stuff.

I learned a few weeks ago how to click on a picture to get you to the site for the tutorials.  Love that.

Although, sometimes it just sends you to an ad, and once in a while it sends you to spam and warns you not to go any further.

All in all, Pinterest is addicting and fun.

Although, now, I don’t dare to pin my stuff onto the site.  I have heard that there is controversy with Pinterest.  Once you pin something, anyone can take it and do whatever they want with it.

But I would say, check out the site and proceed with some caution.  As with any site, there could be some things that you need to watch out for.

But mostly, it is a friendly site and a very visual one.  Love it.

Goodbye.  Going to Pinterest now, as I haven’t had my fix yet today!

Jennifer Jo Fay

Copyrighted May 2, 2012

My doll bottle cap knitting markers I am selling on ebay.  Another addicting site.  I’m always selling stuff there.  My knitting markers are doing pretty well.  There are a bunch that don’t sell, but then I get pleasantly surprised when I sell some of my sets.  They do sell.  Yay!

People liked some of my pretty cabochon ones too.  And of course I had to keep a few of them for me.  And some of these doll ones I am keeping too.

Sleep activity is essential for proper functioning of our body. While some of us might almost no sleep for 5-6 hours at night, others may sound sleep as much as 9-10 hours. However, the average amount of sleep you need is 7-8 hours.

Good night’s sleep can make you feel refreshed when you wake up in the morning. However, most people may have trouble sleeping difficult. This can happen because of the influence of the food you eat before going to bed. Some of the foods you need to know to make your sleep disturbed.

If you’re looking for a peaceful night, here are 4 foods you should avoid before bed as quoted by website AskMen:

Ice cream and candy

Ice cream loaded with fat, so you will not give your body a chance to burn all the calories before bed. Plus, the sugar content in ice cream is very high. Sugar will just turn into fat and stored. Thus, consumption of ice cream can make your weight increase.

Researchers also have found that eating foods high in sugar before bed can cause nightmares. A recent study showed that 7 out of 10 people who eat junk food like candy before bed is more likely prone to nightmares. The hypothesis is that high levels of sugar to create a more terrible brain waves.

Garlic

Should avoid the consumption of garlic before bed. In addition to causing bad breath reason, garlic is also known as “hot ingredients”. Just as with spicy foods, garlic tends to have several properties that can cause heartburn.

Sometimes, garlic also has the annoying side effects of the stomach, so if you have a weak stomach or are prone to acid reflux, you should avoid the consumption of garlic to your night’s rest undisturbed.

Black chocolate

Who would not want to slip to enjoy a little bite of chocolate before bed? Unfortunately, if you want to sleep more soundly tonight, dark chocolate can actually be disturbing your sleep, so it should be avoided.

Dark chocolate or dark chocolate is a food high in caffeine, which is known to make one more person’s eyes widened. Almost all chocolate contains caffeine, so if you want to sleep more soundly should avoid chocolate before bed.

Processed Meats

Processed meats such as bacon, burgers or sausages containing amino acid tyramine which is quite high. This substance will trigger the brain to release norepinephrine, which keeps you awake all night long. Choose fish, chicken or fresh beef for dinner, not to have undergone a process of preservation.

Gelatin cut in cubes

Shredded Coconut                                           

Sweetened white legume

Sweetened banana                                         

Leche flan

Milk                                                                   

Ice cream for topping

Ube jam                                                            

shaved ice

Preparation

Scoop a spoonful of sago, shredded young coconut, banana, gelatin cubes, and legume. Put them all together in a tall glass. Add the leche flan which is made of egg yolk and milk with the ube jam. Cover the mixture with the shaved ice and pour enough milk. Depending on the sweetness or your taste, you may add sugar. Finish the mixture with a scoop of ice cream of your flavor placed on top.

Halo halo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Although, this is the common way of preparing halo-halo, there are other ways to mix it. You may mix yours depending on your creativity. However, people who are on the go may just mix the ingredients in any manner they wish as they do not have the time to fix ingredients beautifully. In most restaurants, ingredients are arranged artistically for a better presentation. It is understood that such marketing technique is an effective “come on” to draw more customers.

Eating halo-halo also varies. There are people who may blend the whole ingredients before they eat it. However, there are those who wish to eat ingredients which are on top of the glass first and then mix the rest. Some of the ingredients can also be substituted with other alternatives if the halo-halo is prepared at home. Cherries could be a good substitute for an ice cream. Sweet potatoes are another substitute. Ingredients all depends on the preference of the person preparing halo-halo.

• Shakespeare said that a rose by another name would smell as sweet.
  ~      I say that you could call a cat by any name you want, she still won’t come when you call.

• The Bible says that a house divided against itself cannot stand.
• ~      I’m thinking that it would also have a very leaky roof.

• I have heard that fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
• ~     I have noticed that fools rush in where others would have read the “Wet Cement” sign and   stayed out.

• Some have said that flattery will get you nowhere.
  ~     I’m pretty sure that if you are using flattery to get somewhere, it’s not a place that you have any business trying to go anyway.

• They say that when you are looking for something, it’s always in the last place you look (because when you find it, you stop looking).
  ~     It seems to me when I am looking for something, it usually turns up in the first place that I look, but I just didn’t see it the first two or three times that I looked there.

• They say that laughter is the best medicine.
  ~     In my opinion, laughter comes in a close third after ice cream and chocolate.

• They say absence makes the heart grow fonder.
  ~     I’ve noticed that ice cream and chocolate make the body grow rounder.

• An Old English proverb says that before you criticize a man, you should walk a mile in his shoes.
  ~     But take a walk in a woman’s shoes, and you should criticize the fashion industry for making such ridiculous footwear to torture women, and wonder why we are so foolish as to buy them.

• They say that if you give a man a fish, you will feed him for a day; but if you teach a man to fish, you will feed him for life.
  ~     But this only applies if he has access to a lake or a river that has fish in it. Maybe if you teach him to sell women’s shoes….

Everyone will like midnight snack or snack before bed to calm the stomach or help you sleep. But not many know the midnight food choices can affect a person’s hibernation.

When some types of foods can help you fall asleep, then so can other foods (fatty or greasy either) in fact be disastrous for your break.

If you want to sleep in peace, here are 10 foods you should avoid before bedtime, as quoted by FoxNews on Monday (4/16/2012).

A. Ice cream

We know full-fat ice cream, so if you insist on eating it, you can not sleep well because your body is busy burning fat and sugar will pump up your energy just right before you go to bed. Sugar also will accumulate and turn into fat.

In addition, according to one study, high sugared foods before bedtime can cause nightmares.

2. Celery

Celery is a natural diuretic compounds. By eating celery before bed, you will urinate more than usual in the middle of your sleeping hours.

Diuretics increase the frequency of urination because the compound is pushing water into the system.

Although vegetables are most nutritious food you can give to the body, but avoid vegetables like celery so that you sleep undisturbed.

3. Pasta

Pasta is a food that fits, quickly and easily created for people who require fast food and fast food runs out before bed, but this is not a midnight snack is ideal for you.

Pasta contains carbohydrates is full and if you go straight to bed after eating, all food will turn into fat.

In addition, most of the pasta has a high glikemi index so that it can play your blood sugar levels, delay sleep and often wake you up at night.

4. Pizza

If you want to give your abdomen a good workout before bed, eat some pizza give an oily and salty. But hardly a pizza snack. Your stomach will be so busy.

A layer of tomato sauce has a high acidity, but it’s generally a fatty and greasy toppings, especially high-fat meat and cheese can make your stomach heat. If you still want to eat at night, look for a nutritious pizza with toppings.

5. Candy

One of the easiest and worst way to ruin your sleep is a nightmare that feels very real. Recent studies have shown that 7 out of 10 people who eat junk food like candy before bed prone to having nightmares.

The hypothesis is that the high sugar content of sugar creates brain waves associated with the nightmare that seemed more terrible.

6. Cereals

Cereals often contain refined sugar and full of carbohydrates. These foods will keep your blood sugar levels soaring, so is not the ideal way to soothe your body before bedtime.

Instead of eating a sugary cereal, look for a healthier cereals with whole grains such as cereals and low in sugar.

7. Garlic

In addition to causing bad breath, garlic is known as “hot herbal” and just as with spicy foods, garlic can also make heartburn.

Because of its side effects upset your stomach, if you have a weak stomach or are prone to acid reflux, better avoid these foods, especially before bed.

8. Black chocolate

Although delicious, dark chocolate is one of the foods you should avoid before bed.

Dark chocolate is also a source of caffeine. In addition, chocolate filled with stimulants such as theobromine which is known to make your heart beat faster.

The only savior is that white chocolate does not contain theobromine and caffeine are usually low.

9. Alcohol

There is a common belief that alcohol consumption is a lot at night makes you sleep very soundly, but it’s not entirely accurate. Although sometimes alcohol does help you fall asleep, but it did not provide a break lasting and refreshing.

In fact, alcohol interfere with the function of the restoration of sleep and often make the hours seem short because of sleep after taking them, you will often wake during the night. Moreover, people who regularly drink alcohol tend to fall asleep to dependence on alcohol, so creating a cycle of frustration.

10. Red Meat

The problem of red meat is full of protein and fat which will make you work hard all night. To get a deep sleep, ideally you want the whole system in your body calm, whereas meat takes longer to digest than other foods.

Do not necessarily avoid red meat because the iron content and high tritopannya can help you sleep. Just do not eat right before bed or your body will be busy digesting all night.