Author Archives: Goodwin Ardith

Lake Painting

One can only feel blessed by being able to sit out by a lake and paint. There are days I don’t feel up to painting, but today was not one of them and I am thankful. Plein Air Painting is something that intimidates me and it is on that list of challenging art skills I would like to master but for today, abstract miniatures are in the works and I am perfectly fine with that. If you have been stuck in the studio lately, consider moving a table outside, capture a view, and paint on! Might just recharge those artistic juices!

By Ardith Goodwin

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Bake Some, Give Some, Bless Some With Cupcakes

Trying new recipes is something I love to do but I can’t always enjoy the fruits of my labor because some of the recipes just aren’t on my food list. These cupcakes fit that bill, Dark Chocolate with Meyer Lemon Cream Cheese Icing. There were two reasons I wanted to make them.

1. I had some cream cheese I needed to use and wanted to try out the Meyer Lemon with it.

2. I wanted to try the Diet Soda cake recipe with chocolate cake this time, like I did with my angel food.

After I made them, my family loved the recipe but doesn’t eat a ton of sweets so I decided I would bless somebody today and gift them the 9 cupcakes that I made. Gifting food is something I don’t do as much as I should, but when I do, it feels really good to share. Below is the recipe. I might challenge you to gift some food as well. It doesn’t have to be cupcakes, it can be anything, but I just know somebody would be blessed to receive a blessing of food! Hope your day is filled with beauty friends!

Diet Soda Chocolate Cupcakes – All you do is mix one store bought box cake mix with one can diet soda….I kid you not. I used diet cream soda for mine. Makes the moistest cake ever. It also knocks the cake calories back to 140 instead of 270 if you mix it the traditional way.

Meyer Lemon Cream Cheese Icing

2 8oz packs of cream cheese at room temp

3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp Vanilla

1/4 cups fresh squeeze Meyer Lemon Juice

Cream the cheese and liquid ingredients then slowly begin to incorporate the sugar. Add/take away as you see fit. This icing stays wet to touch, but is quite yummy!

by Ardith Goodwin

Epic (Delicious) Fail, Tupelo Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

The steaks were sizzling and I had wanted to try my hand at making a spicy honey mustard vinaigrette dressing to go with our fresh tomatoes for a long time…so tonight was the night. I looked up a version to follow, decided how I would ‘tweak’ my own version, and started grabbing my ingredients.

3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons Tupelo Honey
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons brown mustard
5 dashes hot sauce
dash of salt, pepper, and I added some Mrs. Dash as well for seasoning.

Mixed all of that with an immersion blender and tasted it….made my eyes roll in the back of my head. It was just yummy.
There was a tang, a mild sweetness, and a savory texture that was unexpected and it went well with the tomatoes, fresh green beans, and even made wonderful dipping sauce for the sourdough bread.
My only complaint, which is an EPIC FAIL one since I didn’t notice this ahead of time, is that is has about 168 calories per serving. Holy Freakin Cow….168 calories in one ounce of this dressing! I just hung my head with disgust. Why does the most delicious recipes in life always have to have so many calories?

Anywhoo…if you aren’t counting calories you might want to try this, by far it was some of the best tasting dressing I have ever eaten.
Spicy Tupelo Honey Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing by Ardith Goodwin

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Motivational Quote of My Day

Be fit for more than the thing you are now doing. Let everyone know that you have a reserve in yourself; that you have more power than you are now using. If you are not too large for the place you occupy, you are too small for it. -James A. Garfield

Every now and then a quote will connect with me right in the heart…to remind me that I am on the right path. This one did just that this morning. I am getting my gumption up to go out and make some waves today, because yes, I know I am more powerful than I believe. Wrapping this one up and taking it with me….but not before I share it with you.

(wish I knew who to credit for the image, sigh….)

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Progress Not Perfection, A Journey of Wellness Week Three

If you have been following me since last July you might be aware that I struggle with orthopedic issues and chronic pain, and that I have had more than my share of surgeries. If you haven’t, to make a long story short, I have had both ankles reconstructed, right knee surgery 9 times with a partial replacement, my lower back fused and my neck fused. (That is the short story, With all that said, I could easily live a life of being defeated but I refuse to. Three weeks ago my doctor gave me a challenge that if I wanted to age to the best of my ability, considering my spine and joint issues, I would have to make some changes….so I am.
I started out with simple ones, like giving up sugary drinks, letting go of fast food, and such. These were easier to do than I thought. I then began to really consider my diet, why I ate, what I ate, and when. I did this because I knew it wasn’t about a diet, it was about a life change. With every little change I could see a small difference, and it feels good.
This week I started out with my biggest hurdle….exercise. I knew that I could only do that in a pool, so I joined one, and began ever so slowly to walk and then start deep water exercise with a float belt. I have surprised myself. Walking without falling is a challenge on land, but in the water I can do this well, I can even RUN, for a short period of time. I can’t tell you how important this is because one of my dreams is that I will be able to run on land again without a walker…and I will achieve that dream, despite the surgeries, despite the foot drop, despite the pain.
10 pounds down, one step at a time, and progress has been made. My challenge is a huge one, but I am determined to rise above my disabilities and love my body as much as possible. For today, I am reminded that I can do more than I ever though, it simply takes moving one foot in front of the other and allowing my mind and heart to tell me….Yes…I can.

Google+: View post on Google+ by Ardith Goodwin

Wise Words

I saw this floating in my stream this morning and it resonated with where my head and heart is. Thought it just might do the same for some of you. Hope you all have a really blessed day today and hope your self talk is filled with love and not discouragement.

Reshared post from +Nasrin Mohebbian

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Viviane over at the Chocolate Chilli Mango Website shares here recipes for some delicious…

Viviane over at the Chocolate Chilli Mango Website shares here recipes for some delicious food and this little jewel of a dessert caught my eye, (Protein) Cherry Bombs! For one thing, they are low in sugar and another they are high in protein, so if I am going to go for a sweet treat, especially one that won't spike my blood sugar much, these yummy looking bombs may be just the thing to make and try. I have never used Whey or Coconut Sugar in a recipe as well, so this concoction will hold many firsts. Can't wait to try these for myself.
You can find the recipe here:
http://chocolatechillimango.com/2011/12/11/ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry-bombs-protein/

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Follower Counts Do Not Equate To Celebrity Status

Lately I have been getting feedback from newbies that they feel intimidated here on Google+ for several reasons but one in particular has stuck out to me as more of an issue than others. The perception from some is that "If someone has a high follower count here they will never take the time to engage with those of us who are new." I can only speak for myself but will let you in on a little secret about that crazy follower count and go out on a limb to shed some light on it. For me, it is a total crock. (ducks head) I am no celebrity and I LOVE to engage with anyone who wants to engage with me. I sit at home, in Alabama, most days in pajamas, and paint, or write, or cook, and simply take photos of things I love and I share them here. I study and work hard at posting well written/knowledgeable posts, but that doesn't make me in of need to the Google+ paparazzi. Some days I even deal with nightmare chronic pain but that's ok too. What I need for you to know is that I am an ordinary person her on Google+ who chooses to 1. Be Myself, 2. Be Kind, and 3. Reach out to strangers.

I don't sell a brand, could give a rats arse about numbers, and really want you to know that on a hunch, the MAJORITY of us that have what appears to be a large follower count to you who are new, most likely are just like me and enjoy interacting with YOU……and we are not celebrities.
So, please, ignore the follower counts. Be yourself, be kind, share what you love, and engage with others about what they love….that is my recipe for having a great Google+ experience here. (And if it helps, picture us all nekkid with hairy chests or something lol), just don't be intimidated in the least.

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Orange Creamsicle “light” Popsicles

After tinkering with the recipe for the Pina Colada Popsicles yesterday I decided to change up the recipe for those who weren’t big banana fans. What I came up with was an Orange Creamsicle variety of the same, and I must say, it turned out delicious!

This recipe makes 8, 6 oz. popsicles, and as popsicles go those are actually really large servings, at around 130 calories depending on the size of the oranges and the type of coconut milk you choose to use. I poured mine into 3oz popsicle sticks so my treats, like the one in the photo, are only 65 calories. A traditional Creamsicle that you would purchase is 2.75 oz runs 100 calories, so this is a good alternative for me and it is yummy!

Recipe:

15oz. can of coconut milk

13.5 oz can of mandarin oranges (with liquid)

The juice of one medium size Cara Cara Red Navel Orange

1/2 tsp. orange extract

1 tsp. Vanilla extract

Crushed Ice

Optional: (I added 2 tbls. Splenda and a drop of yellow/red food coloring for color)

I added all my ingredients in a pitcher and blended with an immersion blender. Then I poured it into 3oz ice cream molds which is the perfect size for me. This recipe can be adapted in lots of ways, such as using all navel oranges instead of mandarins to cut down on the sugar but not the taste. You could also add a bit of cream or sugar, but just be mindful what you add changes the sugar/calorie content of each one.

* For me, coconut milk is a much better alternative than heavy cream. Yes, it is high in calories and saturated fat, but it is not stored in the body as fat but is converted to energy and helps maintain blood sugar levels. Here are two links that explain the benefits of it, but I would suggest that if you are concerned about the saturated fat to consult your doctor.

http://coconutoilbenefits.biz/coconut-milk-health-benefits/

http://www.drgranny.com/2011/05/05/benefits-of-coconut-milk/

Pina Colada Ice Pops Healthy Recipe

I am on a mission to find ice cream and popsicles that I can eat and still maintain a low sugar/low calorie diet. These popsicles only have 117 calories and are made with coconut milk. I plan on making these as well as blueberry and strawberry ones too. Found the recipe at allrecipes.com and http://therealityofskinny.tumblr.com/foodrecipes, wooohoooo!

Blend and freeze the following ingredients (don’t forget the sticks!): (Makes 6 servings)

1 can pineapple chunks, in juice
1 banana
1 can coconut milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Calories: 117 per pop

Google+: View post on Google+ Text by Ardith Goodwin