light my fire | All Things Gwen

Posts Tagged ‘light my fire’

Sweets!

December 12, 2010

I’ve never really been into baking. My mom doesn’t bake much, so I never really grew up around desserts and sweet treats.

One time, when Billy and I started dating, his mom was making a pudding-filled cake. I actually made a comment about how many Snak Paks she must have opened. (NO IDEA you could make pudding! … or whipped cream — which I would soon discover.)

Over the years, Billy’s mom taught me how to make a lot of great meals (like homemade pizza and shrimp parm) and desserts. We’ve had a lot of good times in the kitchen and around the table. One birthday, she made me a gigantic cupcake cake! Another time, she made Billy an ice cream cake; and she even made trays of cookies for my bridal shower. And, a few weeks ago, we made mini apple pies in a mini mold together. [Follow the link at the end of this blog post to see more pics of Marie's goodies/the treats I just described!]

Marie has definitely inspired me to get into baking, but so have some of my friends. Here are some really yummy and sweet recipes; Chinese Haystack Cookies (recipe from Ashley) and Pineapple Stuffing (recipe from Kathy). ENJOY!

Chinese Haystack Cookies
Thin, chow mein noodles – available in the ethnic/Asian section of the grocery store
Bag of butterscotch chips
Bag of chocolate chips

Melt the chips in either the microwave or on the stovetop, using equal parts of butterscotch and chocolate. Add noodles and use two forks to cover with melted mix. Move small bunches of covered noodles onto parchment or wax paper. Let them cool and dry on the counter or in the fridge. (This is an easy recipe that would be great to give away to co-workers and friends as holiday “gifts.”

Pineapple Stuffing
2 – 20 oz cans of crushed pineapple
8 eggs
2 sticks of butter softened
2 cups of sugar
10 slices of white bread

Blend everything, except bread, together with mixer. Fold in bread. Place in a greased 10”x17” baking dish, 350 degrees for one and a half hours.
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“Teacher”

April 20, 2010

A true blessing! Friend, inspiration and teacher - Matthew Rich, Jr.

A few months ago, I met Matthew Rich. Although we’ve only hung out two times, I consider him a good friend. In fact, I’d call him my inspiration. He’s taught me so much about life.

How we met
It was interesting how we came to know each other. See, I have this Fit Friends fan page on Facebook and one of my friends suggested that Matthew fan the page. Right away, I noticed him. He was really enthusiastic about the health and fitness information I was posting, and was adding a lot of interesting comments. He really loved the purpose of the fan page — to motivate others to be happy and healthy.

We decided to chat on the phone — we were both interested in creating a video with workout moves and other fun stuff. After a little while, I had to go, but we made plans to keep in touch and get together to do more brainstorming. I’ll never forget what Matthew said before we hung up … he told me that there was a lot more he still had to tell me. Matthew told me he has cerebral palsy and is in wheelchair. That really caught me off guard because I knew he was a personal trainer, loved karate and just started dance classes. He uses his crutches whenever possible.

The key here is that I didn’t know he had any physical challenges. With his attitude, his accomplishments and his goals — you’d never know it. That’s how he lives his life. He doesn’t let things hold him back or feel saddened by what he can’t do. Matthew pushes ahead and does the things that people wouldn’t expect. He does it for himself, but he does it for other people too. He’s an example of how with hard work and determination, anything is possible. He says his place in life is to inspire others. I LOVE IT.

Appreciating the small things
After we hung up the phone, I got emotional immediately. I never told Matt this, but I called our mutual friend right away and cried. “Meeting” Matthew really put things into perspective. At the time, I was really stressed out with work, managing my time and meeting my personal and professional goals. I’m often really hard on myself … looking ahead to the next big thing … but Matthew’s influence has helped remember the little things.

It’s easy to forget how fast and easy it is to tie my shoes, go out for groceries or make myself a meal. For him, it’s more challenging. It takes more time, or maybe he needs help. Read the rest of this entry »

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Let Go, Live Loud, Have No Fear

April 4, 2010

Today, I woke up with a need to be creative and express myself. I’ve been having so much fun with my nieces — they help me reflect on the simple things. They inspire me, and I love it. So this morning, I just wanted to be free … alone with an open mind, chalk and some sidewalk.

I wasn’t sure what to write or draw, or really want I wanted to say. But that’s the great thing — sidewalk and chalk is like life — you have a whole big open space to do whatever you want. If you mess up, you can start over or move on to the next big thing/space. You can “be” big, small, simple, loud — whatever you want!

I love that I just got out there this morning. I didn’t care that it was 8 am and the neighbors were out walking their dogs and that they might think I was a lunatic … and it’s Easter Sunday. Sometimes you just need to go do what makes you happy — short or long term — and be ok with being alone with your thoughts.

Next time you get the urge to do something, don’t hold back! Let Go, Live Loud, Have No Fear.

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