Came across a very interesting article the other day on-line posted by 7 News about the <strong>Top Ten Foods</strong> that can actually be affecting your mood! Items we eat almost daily and never even know about! I was shocked to see foods on this list that I eat that could be contributing to a low mood or a sugar rush crash!

According to the article number 1 is ham…I love ham and had no idea that this was a mood killer but apparently it is due to being packages with high amounts of preservatives that trigger low moods.

Number 2 is something most people use as a substitute for butter since what we know of butter is that it isn’t the best for you but I guess now I know neither is margarine which holds high levels of omega 6 fatty acids which tend to tamper with our moods.

Number 3 is peanuts that include high salt levels and MSG .

Number 4 is pumpkin and I’m stunned by this and the amount of pumpkin I have been enjoying this fall season! Apparently pumpkin seeds are coated in preservatives which block iodine from being absorbed by the thyroid which is a big part in depression.

Number 5 is a big staple in holiday cooking…shortening! Used a lot in baking this item increases omega 6 fatty acids which we know is not good for us!

Number 6 is something most people drink on a daily basis…soda but as we know soda is pure sugar and turns to fat once inside the body sending moods plummeting after that initial sugar rush.

Number 7 is another holiday staple in most households..sweet potatoes which when packaged they tend to be packages with excess sugar that cause a crash and burn affect.

Number 8 is agave nectar which may seem healthy and in most grocery stores is sold in the organic food section but it is actually made with high fructose which is definitely not a healthy item.

Number 9 is another popular breakfast item…a bagel.. and yes, we all know they are high carbs so that in itself is a bad thing but they are made with refined cards that cause us to have a quick pick me up in the morning but by lunch time we tend to crash and send our mood with it.

And lastly number 10 is a huge american favorite especially during football season but potato chips are fried in oils laden with omega 6 fatty acids that block out mood enhancing. Some of these might be a shock to you but some of course may not but was still an interesting article to read about foods we might be ingesting on a daily basis and weren’t aware they could be affecting our over all mood!

Everyone is a kid on Halloween. You can play dress up, stage pranks, decorate, party, and eat all kinds of fun treats!
The Disney family website always has some great ideas. http://family.go.com/holidays

I’m going to make the Mickey mummy cupcakes and pumpkin whoopie pies for our neighborhood trick or treat night!

Wicked Pumpkin Whoopie Pie Recipe- http://www.squidoo.com/utility/print_module/162356029
Mickey Mummy Cupcakes- http://family.go.com/food/recipe-924031-mickey-mummy-cupcakes-t

Happy Halloween!

Every September and October, Connors Farm in Danvers, has an amazing corn maze. This year’s theme is Old Salem’s Village. Admission is only $12.95 per person and this includes unlimited access to the maze, hayrides, cow train, grain train, jumping pillow, bouncy houses, pedal carts, duck races, pumpkin teatherball, cornball, mini hay bale maze, hay jump, barnyard animals, sand box, corn box, pig races, spider web. There is even special activities as well: corn cannon, pumpkin blaster, sling shots, pick your own apples, pumpkins raspberries.

For additional information, please check out their web page www.connorsfarm.com

It’s hard to believe, but the holidays are approaching and life is about to get a little bit busier. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a fun time of year and it’s nice to spend even more time with family & friends…but it also kind of makes me daydream about getting away. I’ve never been very interested in “typical” vacations (you know the ones: an all-inclusive resort in Mexico, a Caribbean cruise, and the like), but I’ve always loved the idea of going to historical sites or far-out places. When I saw the Yahoo! headline that read <a href=”http://travel.yahoo.com/ideas/10-trips-of-a-lifetime.html?page=all”>Ten Trips of a Lifetime</a>, I had to check it out! From Bora Bora to Turkey and all the way to China, they’ve listed some trips that they claim could actually be life-changing. With rent and other bills dictating where my money’s going, these places are all probably going to remain daydreams for me (for now, anyway) – but it’s fun to imagine the day I book my flight. Check them out for yourself…and feel free to suggest other places I should add to my must-see list!

The Mayonnaise Jar.

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and fills it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “YES”.

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things – God, family, children, health, friends, and favourite passions. Things, that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else — the small stuff.” he said.

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you…” he told them.

“So… pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Worship with your family. Play with your children. Take your partner out to dinner. Spend time with good friends. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap. Take care of the golf balls first — the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled and said, “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

1) Don’t delay: Leaving costume selection until the last minute is never a great idea, especially if you have a specific costume in mind. Deciding on a costume now will give you enough to plan accordingly.

2) Get groupy: Coordinating costumes with a partner or group of people very popular. Some examples are the Flintstones, the Jetsons and Saturday Night Live’s Spartan Cheerleaders.

3) Vintage is in: Costumes inspired by ’80s-era and earlier shows are gaining popularity. Offerings include Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Pony and Smurf costumes, with many available in adult and child sizes.

4) Think big screen: Many of the newest costumes on the market are based on movies that were blockbuster hits this past summer For instance, there are costumes inspired by this summer’s “The Dark Knight Rises”, “Ted”, and for the kids “Brave”, and ” The Avengers,”

5) Accessorize, accessorize: For maximum impact, don’t stop with just a costume. Accessories like wigs and colored contact lenses can really take a costume to the next level, There are thousands of wigs available through Halloween costume retailers – Check out iparty.com and costumecraze.com for some great ideas.

Remember have fun and be safe!
Happy Halloween!!!

One of the things I look forward to LEAST after a long day at work is grocery shopping. I hate the busy parking lot, the long lines at the deli counter and fumbling through my coupons once I reach the register. As I was complaining about this to my sister Brittney last month she asked “Why don’t you use Stop & Shop’s Curbside Pickup?” Brittney has an 18 month old son who refuses to sit still in a grocery cart so she’s been using this service for months – I had never heard of this before but was quickly intrigued!

Now some may call me crazy for using curbside pickup when I am fully capable of walking through the grocery store but curbside pickup has its benefits for me too! I am able to login to their website, see the specials, choose the items with the best prices this week and everything is bagged and waiting for me at my chosen “pick up time.” Also, shoppers aren’t allowed to tip when they pick up their groceries so there is no added cost! I simply pull up, pop my trunk, hand over my coupons and payment and the Stop & Shop team fills my car with groceries.

There’s something to be said for choosing your own produce and meat at the store, but the next time you have had a long day and don’t feel like fighting the crowds at the grocery store, give Stop & Shop Curbside pickup a try!

Starting on October 4, 2012 at 6:30pm Salem will be kicking off Halloween with their Annual Haunted Happenings Grand Opening Parade! I grew up in Salem so I know what an exciting time October is for not only residents but for visitors from all over. The parade happens rain or shine so let’s hope that tomorrow will be a sunny bright day!

To get a complete list of street blockings go to www.salem.com.

Happy Halloween Everyone!!

APPLE CRISP
Printed from COOKS.COM
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4 cups apple slices, peeled
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup oats, rolled (raw)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup butter
Put apples in shell baking dish and sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine dry ingredients, add melted butter and mix until crumbly. Sprinkle crumb mixture over apples. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes or until apples are tender. Makes six servings.

Okay so I know in past posts I have mentioned many great things this time of year has to offer and right there at the top of my list is beef stew! There is no better comfort food on a cold night and yet, it can be something really simple to make! C’mon you 9 to 5 people, I know you know how tough it is to get home after a long day at the office and have to think about preparing dinner and be stuck eating at a late hour but with a crock pot its wake up, throw the ingredients in and you are good to head off to work and know that when you get home dinner is done and ready for you to eat! It’s definitely a great lil time savor that cooks just about anything! Beef stew, soups, chili etc…i could go on and on and what better than a steaming bowl of chili while huddled around the tv this Sunday for a football game!? So many websites out there offer amazing easy recipes for crock pots so don’t worry about that you are going to cook tonight after a long hard day when all you want to do is go home and put on sweats and sit on the couch in front of the tv and enjoy some home cooking that was cooking all day and ready for you as soon as you need it! Enjoy all the fall goodness with simple recipes and a crock pot! What a time savor!!