Thursday, April 07, 2005

Try this:

Think outside yourself. You may like yourself even more than you already do.
  1. Smile at people. If they smile back, all the better. Perform small courtesies; try not to feel hurt when your courtesy is not returned.
  2. Give away possessions rather than selling them. (Don't mean big-ticket items like real estate, vehicles, etc.) If you have items surplus to your needs, give them to thrift shops like those the Salvation Army operates. They're also great places to shop at, for yourself.
  3. Give a donation to a worthwhile cause; think: Red Cross, Cancer Society, Medecines sans Frontiers for example. Alternatively, welcome kindly those volunteers who come to your door for the Kidney Foundation, MS, Heart and Stroke, Diabetes, and give what you can afford.
  4. If time and your schedule permits, select one social entity or charitable enterprise a year to which you can volunteer a little time to help them achieve their goals.
  5. Get out with someone you like, or go yourself into a nature preserve of some kind and relax in its natural beauty, whether by hiking nature paths or simply observing the life around you, or resting your back against a tree and reading a good book.
Try this excellent recipe:
Using olive oil or Canola oil, stir-fry two chopped garlic cloves, a medium-sized onion, and one Scotch bonnet or two Jalapeno peppers, chopped. When they're transparent, add 4 to 5 medium-sized chopped tomatoes, and stir until the tomatoes become somewhat soupy in texture. Sprinkle basil over and set aside.
Cut floppy tortilla shells into halves, and brown each half in hot oil on both sides. Drain on paper towels.
Shred one to two cups of old cheddar. Beginning with the browned tortilla pieces, line the bottom of an oiled casserole, and begin layering with the tomato sauce, the cheese, repeating until all ingredients have been used. Bake in a 350-degree oven until sizzling, about 30 minutes. Serve. Goes nicely with a small tossed salad of lettuce and grape tomatoes, followed by a dessert of sliced fresh fruit served over natural yogurt. Yum!

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