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Fabulous Turkey Cranberry Stuffing Sliders

FABULOUS TURKEY CRANBERRY STUFFING SLIDERS

Oh how I love Thanksgiving and all the wonderful flavors of this tasty holiday! These fabulous Turkey, Stuffing & Cranberry Sliders recipe taste just like Thanksgiving- in-a- sammy and makes me very, very happy!

I got the inspiration for this sandwich from Starbucks.  They serve a panini sandwich this time of year that has turkey, stuffing & dried cranberries in it.  I thought I could take the recipe to another level by making my Hall Of Fame Cranberry Sauce, taking a sandwich recipe that is already to die for, and switching the sandwich fillings up a bit.

The result was so very yummy.  I am going to make these little sliders for our family’s Thanksgiving Day Brunch.  They are a great way to get the traditional flavors into a non-traditional meal.

To make this recipe, you simply make your favorite stuffing recipe (mine happens to be the 5- minute- type from a box) and this Hall Of Fame Cranberry Sauce recipe, have some white turkey breast, swiss cheese, & Hawaiian Rolls on hand, and whip up a zesty butter sauce to brush on top of the sandwiches.  You than assemble the sandwiches by slicing the rolls open, adding turkey, stuffing, cheese & cranberry sauce as the filling, adding the top roll, then brushing it with the butter sauce.  After just a few minutes in the oven, you have soft,oowy gooey cheesy rolls with a bit of a crispy bottom, as some of the butter sauce drips down the sandwiches and makes the most amazing crust.  The sandwiches are soft on top and filled with the savory stuffing, and the sweet but tart surprise of the cranberry sauce is what makes these sandwiches shine.  I can’t tell you how wonderful this recipe is! I can’t wait to make them for my guests.

turkey cranberry stuffing sliders

Fabulous Turkey Cranberry Stuffing Sliders

2 packages of King Hawaiian Rolls (12 count each)

2 -7 oz packages sliced turkey breast (about 24 slices) OR (about 2 cups shredded, cooked turkey)

6 slices swiss cheese (cut in 1/4’s)

2 cups stuffing (one box of stuffing usually makes about 3 cups)

1 cup cranberry sauce (I used my Hall Of Fame Cranberry Sauce (recipe below–make ahead and cool to let flavors meld))

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup Butter melted

1/2 tablespoon Onion Powder

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

 

Step 1
Brush 9×13 baking dish with a bit of the butter mixture. Slice rolls in half (keeping them attached to each other while cutting all at once is much easier than slicing each individually) and place bottom of rolls in buttered pan.  Place a slice or two of turkey (or layer shredded turkey over rolls evenly) and top with stuffing, layering it evenly over the turkey. Drop small spoonfuls of the cranberry sauce evenly over the stuffing, then add a slice of swiss cheese on top of each roll. Replace the top of the rolls and bunch them closely together into the buttered baking dish.

Step 2
In a medium bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, melted butter, onion powder and Worcestershire sauce.

Step 3
Brush the rest of the sauce over tops of the rolls. Cover with foil.

Step 4
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and the bottom of sandwiches are slightly crisp. Watch closely and avoid over-browning. Serve warm.

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HALL OF FAME CRANBERRY SAUCE

1 1/4 cups brown sugar (original recipe calls for white sugar. I was out so I used brown, and it was so delicious that I will always use brown!)

3/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (12 ounce) bag fresh cranberries

Zest of 1 orange (orange part only)

 

~In a large saucepan, add sugar, water and spices.  Cook, stirring often, until sugar dissolves and syrup comes to a rolling boil, about 3 minutes.

~In a colander, rinse and pick over the cranberries to remove any mushy ones.

~Add cranberries to boiling syrup and continue cooking, uncovered, just until they begin to pop, about 2-3 minutes (set the timer). Be careful not to cook them to long of they will get mushy.  I allowed mine to pop quite a bit, as I wanted the syrup to ooze into the cracks to infiltrate the cranberries.

~Remove from heat, stir in the orange zest.

Note: Syrup will thicken and turn a beautiful cranberry color once cooled and refrigerated.

Optional: mash some of the berries, keeping some of them whole. How much to mash? This depends on the consistency you personally like. I like half of them mashed, and half left whole.

~Cool to room temperature, uncovered.

~Ladle into clean jars and refrigerate until serving time.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups of sauce, enough to serve 6-8 people.

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What are your Thanksgiving Day Plans?  What is a favorite recipe that you are making or look forward to each year?

FUN/DIY/ Holidays/Parties/ RECIPES/ Sides

Hall Of Fame Cranberry Sauce

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This Cranberry Sauce recipe certainly deserves its dramatic title.  I made the recipe about 3 days ago and I cannot stop getting into my refrigerator to take “just one more taste.” I may or may not have my own secret jar stashed in the back of the refrigerator that I grab and just dig in with a spoon!

I found the recipe at Shockingly Delicious, and she sold me on it once I read these words:

“I’ve experimented with dozens of versions of cranberry sauce over the years – with Port, with Grand Marnier, with blueberries, with cherries, with raisins and nuts, making it a chutney, with sour cream and onions – even doing a cranberry sauce taste test with three different versions a few years in a row. While the taste tests were certainly fun and delicious, it soon became clear that everyone kept reaching for the same dish repeatedly, year after year.”

My cranberry sauce experience has not been as extensive as Dorthy’s above, as I have never made it from scratch.  Back in the day, I just bought the canned version, and it acted more like a table decoration than actual food! I bought it because everyone expected it, and it looked pretty and added color to the Thanksgiving table.  The problem was, it never got eaten! What a waste.  The last few years I have bought Trader Joes Cranberry Sauce, which was a huge improvement from canned, and I thought it was quite good, UNTIL I TASTED THIS HALL OF FAME VERSION!

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This recipe is simple and easy to make, so it is surprising that it is so delicious.  It has just the right amount of spices. It is the perfect balance of tart and sweet.  It is not mushy & has a great balance of crushed cranberries and whole cranberries.  It tastes amazing on a turkey sandwich, spread on toast, and drizzled over vanilla ice cream.

I plan on making another double batch for our Thanksgiving brunch, to use in our Turkey Stuffing Cranberry Sliders (recipe coming in the next couple of days) and in our Jaw-Droppingly Good Cranberry Simosas — also from Dorthy at Shockingly Delicious.

This sauce would also make a great hostess gift for the holidays.  It is so pretty just in a simple mason jar.  Wrap around the jar a few times with some jute and tie a bow. The color of the cranberries in the jar against the naturalness of the jute is just enough decoration.  I did this at a little holiday blog party I went to last night & it was fun to show up with something tasty and festive.

The flavor of this Cranberry Sauce gets better over time, so you can make it ahead of time for Thanksgiving.  It can stay stored in your refrigerator in a jar for up to two months.

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Hall Of Fame Cranberry Sauce

1 1/4 cups brown sugar (original recipe calls for white sugar. I was out so I used brown, and it was so delicious that I will always use brown!)

3/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (12 ounce) bag fresh cranberries

Zest of 1 orange (orange part only)

 

~In a large saucepan, add sugar, water and spices.  Cook, stirring often, until sugar dissolves and syrup comes to a rolling boil, about 3 minutes.

~In a colander, rinse and pick over the cranberries to remove any mushy ones.

~Add cranberries to boiling syrup and continue cooking, uncovered, just until they begin to pop, about 2-3 minutes (set the timer). Be careful not to cook them to long of they will get mushy.  I allowed mine to pop quite a bit, as I wanted the syrup to ooze into the cracks to infiltrate the cranberries.

~Remove from heat, stir in the orange zest.

Note: Syrup will thicken and turn a beautiful cranberry color once cooled and refrigerated.

Optional: mash some of the berries, keeping some of them whole. How much to mash? This depends on the consistency you personally like. I like half of them mashed, and half left whole.

~Cool to room temperature, uncovered.

~Ladle into clean jars and refrigerate until serving time.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups of sauce, enough to serve 6-8 people.

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Do you have Cranberry Sauce during the Thanksgiving holiday?  Do you make it or buy it?  What is a favorite recipe you making for Thanksgiving?

 

Brunch/ Holidays/Parties/ Meals/ RECIPES/ Thanksgiving

My Thanksgiving Day Brunch Menu – 11 Great Recipes!

Thanksgiving-Brunch-Menu-Recipes

I am having my family over for Thanksgiving Brunch this year. I have 3 sisters and their families coming, and my Mom & Mother-in-Law. I’m truly looking forward to some fun family time.  I have the most precious nieces and nephews, 3 are teens and 3 are under the age of 4. I can’t wait to see them all!

I’m excited to switch up our regular menu and come up with some great breakfast/brunch recipe ideas.  I have a few ideas of my own that I will need to experiment with before Thanksgiving day, and I also found some amazing recipes on Pinterest that I want to try.

Here is the menu

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Best Ever Cranberry Sauce

Jaw Droppinly Good Cranberry Mimosas

3 Ingredient Pumpkin Spiced Chai

Turkey, Stuffing & Cranberry Sauced Sliders

Oven Scrambled Eggs

Cornflake Topped Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole

Apple Kale Slaw With Curried Almond Dressing

Deviled Eggs

Easy Elegant Yogurt Berry Parfait in a Trifle

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Perfect Ancestral Pumpkin Pie

Coffee | Hot Tea

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Best Ever Cranberry Sauce – Hall Of Fame Version

After trying many different cranberry sauce recipes, this one is by far my favorite. Everyone who tastes it asks for the recipe. It is the perfect balance of tart and sweet. Some cranberries are left whole, some and smashed. It is not too spicy with just a touch of cinnamon. It is perfection, and thick enough to smear on a piece of toast like a jam.

 

Jaw Droppingly Good Cranberry Mimosa

This is also a recipe from Shockingly Delicious.  She takes a tablespoon of the Best Every Cranberry Sauce recipe above, puts it in the bottom of a champagne flute, adds some sparkling wine (I plan on using Moscato) & serve! Can’t get much easier than that.  The color of these Mimosa’s is so pretty, & I plan on adding a spiral of orange peel to each glass to make them look even more festive.

 

Turkey, Stuffing, & Cranberry Sliders

This is a recipe I will need to experiment with. Update: I did! Here it is.  I was inspired by Starbucks Turkey, Stuffing & Cranberry Panini– a sandwich that tastes like Thanksgiving!   I will be making these for dinner next week & will post the recipe if they turn out yummy!

 

Oven Scrambled Eggs

Sometimes simple is better.  I was going to make quiche or a breakfast casserole, but with so many other rich recipes that we will be having, I thought I would keep the eggs pure and simple.  I love this recipe. It makes enough for a crowd and couldn’t be easier.

 

Cornflake Topped Cheesey Hashbrown Casserole

This recipe has been made by our family for years.  It is so far from good for you, but boy, it sure tastes good!  I like to ask my sister to bring this. She makes it the best, and then I don’t have to face how junky the ingredients really are for you! Those cream of ‘something’ soups get me every time, but it IS a celebration, so bring it on.

 

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Apple Kale Slaw With Curried Almond Dressing

I must have some greens on the plate at any holiday celebration.  This recipe for Apple Kale Slaw is really hearty, delicious & beautiful to look at.  I am going to leave out the tomatoes and add dried cranberries or maybe pomegranate seeds.  Mmmm!

 

Deviled Eggs

We always have deviled eggs at our family Thanksgiving celebrations.  My older sister makes these the best, too! Her secret ingredient?  Instead of using regular mustard, she uses a bit of honey mustard.  The teens go nuts over these so she usually makes a couple dozen.

 

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Easy & Elegant Yogurt Parfait

I love the idea of using a classic trifle dish to make this pretty parfait! Just simply layer in granola, fruit & yogurt.  Can’t get any easier!

 

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting

I may put my 13-year-old baker to work on these the day before Thanksgiving.  She is a super gifted baker and would do a great job.  This recipe caught my eye because they can be rolled out and sliced the night before, then raise for an hour in the morning, then baked.  I like the idea of greeting my guests with the scent for freshly baked cinnamon rolls!

 

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3 Ingredient Pumpkin Spiced Chai

I plan on brewing this ahead of time and keeping it warm in the crockpot for guests to help themselves.  It is such a warming, comforting drink! It tastes like fall!

 

Perfect Pumpkin Pie With A Secret Ingredient

Gotta have pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving! This recipe is my all-time favorite recipe for Pumpkin Pie.  My sweet neighbors spoil us by delivering pumpkin pie during the holiday season, and it was by far the best pumpkin pie I had ever tasted.  I asked for the recipe & then of course, had to write a blog post about it.  It uses a secret ingredient! Click through to see what it is.

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I’m so ready for Thanksgiving Day Brunch with my sweet family.  Cannot wait to savor the food & the moments with them!

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More Thanksgiving Posts From New Nostalgia:

Thanksgiving-Ideas

13 Easy Ways To Host Thanksgiving In Style

A Perfectly Imperfect Thanksgiving Day Banner

Using Willow Tree Figurines For A Thanksgiving Day Tablescape

Getting Ready For Thanksgiving

A Child’s Heart On Thanksgiving

A Casual Un-Perfect Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Craft – A Thankfulness Tree

Giving Thanks In The Midst Of The Unknown

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What are YOUR Thanksgiving Plans?

What is your FAVORITE Thanksgiving Day Recipe?

Halloween/ Holidays/Parties/ RECIPES/ Sweets

Caramel Apple Biscuits

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Fall has arrived and with it is some of my most favorite flavors, holidays & traditions! I love all things about fall– the changing colors of our midwest trees, lighting candles to cozy up on cool fall evenings, and both the color and the taste of caramel!

Halloween is the first fun fall holiday, and with it comes many traditions our family has participated in, old and new.  It has hit hard lately how quickly time passes and I never realized until lately that some traditions are destined for change.  As the years pass, our girls get older and some things that excited & brought joy to them years ago, just are not quite what they used to be!

Trick or treating is one of those things, and will only be done by our youngest this year, which is really hard to believe! The older two used to LIVE for Halloween, with the most anticipated moment being when they arrived back to our warm home & dumped their bags of candy out.  They would immediately start sorting their candy, lining all the ‘likes’ together and trading out their least favorites.  I loved watching it, their rosy cheeks puffed up from smiling so big (and also because they were so full of candy!)

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{a recent family photo-2015}

This year, I will be home with my older two girls, Teagan & Colsie, while Todd takes Avery trick-or-treating.  I will make a crockpot full of chili, which is our traditional Halloween meal.  I do not like being in the kitchen on Halloween, so chili in the crockpot is a great way to be able to offer a warm, comforting meal to my family by making it earlier in the day.

I’ve been thinking about what I could make that was sweet for my older 2 girls who are home with me and not out gathering a bunch of candy. I wanted something easy & festive, and I did NOT want to be in the kitchen for very long. I wanted something that would make the house smell like fall and help us make a new traditions of being home together, passing out candy and eating a great dessert instead of trick-or-treating.

 Since I did not want to make anything from scratch, and it IS a holiday after all, I have decided to make my girls Caramel Apple Biscuits using Pillsbury Grands®!

Pillsbury® has been part of a few of our past family traditions, from a family favorite Monkey Bread recipe that came from my aunt, to a Taco Ring recipe from a cousin of mine. Both recipes  have been passed around and are favorites at family potlucks. It is only fitting for Pillsbury® to be a part of our new tradition!

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When it comes to special occasions, I am totally at peace with taking shortcuts.  These little Caramel Apple Biscuits were actually inspired by shortcake! A shortcut shortcake.

I did a little practicing on the recipe to make sure what was in my head would actually work, and boy, did it ever!  It turned out beautiful and scrumptious.  I think this sweet will be the perfect follow-up to our spicy chili dinner.

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Grands-Biscuits-buttered

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I went to Wal-Mart and took advantage of all things store-bought to keep this recipe short and sweet! I grabbed Pillsbury Grands® Buttermilk Biscuits, some already-made apple pie filling, some caramel bits for melting, and whipped cream. I had butter on hand for coating the tops of the biscuits. This little step made me very happy, as I am a big salted caramel lover, and the saltiness of the butter and the biscuits give this recipe a nice salty/sweet balance. It is so good.

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It took no time at all to put together, and I think my girls will be quite impressed with how sophisticated it looks.  Their palates and tastes have become pretty mature, which I love because they appreciate pretty food that has a variety of flavors and textures.

This recipe certainly has a variety of flavors and textures, with the cinnamon-y apples, the tender biscuits with salty-buttery tops, the ooey- gooey caramel drizzled all over, and the creamy whipped cream. It is key to serve it up warm which keep the soft gooey factor to a maximum! It is super shortcut easy, and really delicious — and I can’t wait to serve this new tradition to my girls on Halloween night!

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Caramel Apple Biscuits

{a no recipe, recipe}

1 Roll Pillsbury Grands!® Buttermilk Biscuits, warm from the oven

1 can apple pie filling, warmed up a bit

1 pkg. caramel melting bits or plain caramel’s, melted

Whipped cream

Cube of butter

Bake:

Bake the Pillsbury Grands!® Buttermilk Biscuits according to package directions.  Remove from oven and immediately rub tops of biscuits with the cube of butter.

Assemble:

~Cut the buttered biscuit in half.  Add a scoop of warm apple pie filling to the bottom part of the biscuit.

~Drizzle with melted caramel. Note: You may need to thin with some milk and stir well until drizzle consistency.  I melted mine in the microwave.

~Add the top biscuit.

~Top with a dollop of whipped cream.

~Drizzle the whole thing, including the plate, with more caramel.

~Serve warm

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What is your favorite holiday tradition?

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{my youngest, Avery, last year in her ‘nerd’ costume, which she made by herself!}

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Pillsbury. The opinions and text are all mine.

Beauty

A Healthy Perfume Amber Oil

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I didn’t initially buy this perfume oil because it is a healthier way to wear a scent.  I bought it because the cashier at my local Whole Foods store smelled so fresh & clean that I had to ask her what perfume she was wearing.

She told me it was Amber Oil, and took me over to their essential oil section and showed me Amber Oil by Nemet International. Nemat is a line of rich perfume oil blends that has its company roots going back 170 years to India.

She told me just a few drops in the morning is all it takes to keep her smelling great all day, and that she gets compliments on it all of the time.  I bought it, and now I am the one getting compliments…even from my teenage daughter which is a feat in and of itself!

I call it a healthy perfume because this perfume oil is bare bones with no added filler oils or alcohol.

Did you know that many perfume sprays can be harmful to your health?

Why A Healthy Perfume

  1. Many main stream perfumes have ingredients are irritants and can trigger allergies, migraines and asthma.
  2. They contain chemicals that are synthetic and can be harmful to the environment and toxic to aquatic life & humans.
  3. Many fragrance’s have ingredients are used to enhance the performance of the perfume, such as the one that I am most concerned about personally– Diethyl Phthalate or DEP.  DEP is widely used in cosmetic fragrances for its lingering effect. Phthalates are in most of the popular selling fragrances.  They interfere with hormone function and have been linked to early puberty in girls.  Being a hormone receptive breast cancer survivor, I care about anything that messes with hormones!

Amber-Oil

How I Use Amber Oil:

This brand I use is so concentrated, that it only takes a couple of drops for all day fragrance.  I drop 2 drops onto my wrist, rub them together, then give them a quick rub down whatever I am wearing.  Sometimes that is my scarf, sometimes it is my jacket, and sometimes it is whatever shirt I am wearing.  Don’t worry about oil residue on your clothes…I have never seen oil spots or stains from using Amber oil.  Most of it is rubbed into your skin, the rest is just lightly skimmed over your outfit.

My daughter has commented that when she puts on my jacket, that it smells so good.

Amber oil is never over-powering.  It is a light, clean (without being floral or soapy), fresh, & warm (without being heavy) scent.  To me, it smells like a hug!

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Another perk?  It is much more affordable than most perfumes out on the market today, under $15.00. Some have had trouble finding it at their local Whole Foods store.  You can order it on Amazon if you prefer.

Books/ Spiritual/ Sponsored

7 Ways To Journal & Why I Write VS Type

7-WAYS-TO-JOURNAL

I am just coming out of a quiet season, one in which I have been extra reflective and purposeful in sorting out all that is going on in my heart and head.  It has been a profitable time, a time of growth.

The joy of journaling has played a large role in this growth as I have used it to reflect on all this life brings, the good and the bad.

There are many reasons why I journal, here are just a few:

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WHY I JOURNAL

~it shows glimpses of this precious thing called life, and captures moments while emotions are still fresh, real and pure.

~it helps me to put onto paper thoughts and emotions that can clutter my brain and make my perspective cloudy, which brings clarity. It keeps my brain sharp, helps me to retain information better, and the practice of writing makes me a better writer.

~it is a safe place.  A place for inner words that are not ready to be introduced into the world yet.

~depending on the type of journal, it is also a place to leave a legacy and capture thoughts and words to share with generations to come

~it can record a journey.  Where was I one year ago today? What were my thoughts & desires? How have I changed?

~A journal can create a place to look back and remember more hopeful times in the bad times. It also records hardships that have already been walked through and overcome, which in reading can bring hope.

Journals & diaries can be workshops for the soul, laboratories where we an investigate and examine our lives, our secrets, hurts, resentments, memories & joys.

Journals are records for the heart and mind.  They chart the joys and sorrows of our daily lives, and, like a road map, they can direct us back to our hearts.

Journals are testaments of our lives that we live as fully and consciously as we can.

-Roseann Lloyd – Journey Notes

TYPES OF JOURNALS

If journaling intimidates you or just feels too big, know that it does not have to be an everyday thing.  It also can be many words or just one word.  There are so many ways to journal and types of journals.  The key is to just write.

1. Fill in the blanks

I love these types of journals.  I love having a question to stimulate my writing.  I have  given these types of journals as gifts to my mom and my grandmother, asking them to fill them out and give them back to me.  They then become treasures.

2. Art journals

My youngest girl Avery started an art journal.  She has the gift of drawing, painting, and taking bits of paper memorabilia and making it into beauty. She is pretty proud of her creation. Gel pens like the Uni-Ball® 307™ Gel Pens found at Office Depot are perfect for these types of journals, as they roll beautifully onto all types of paper– even glossy paper– skip-free and no smudge! They come in a variety of vibrant colors.

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3. Thankful journals

There has been very few other practices I have done in my life that are as profitable as journaling my thankfulness.  I started doing it with my 1,000 gifts series here on the blog, but this year I started journaling my thanks by hand, in a daily planner type journal. There is something beautiful that takes place when I sit with my thankful journal and pen & gain perspective of all the wonderfulness that happens, even on the most murky of days.

4. Inspirational journals

It is quite a practice to take quotes from inspirational type books or from scripture and apply it to oneself.  Writing the inspirational quote or verse down then making it personal is something I enjoy doing. I will either substitute my name where applicable or ask, “What does this say about me?” “How do I apply this to my life?” and then journal it.

5. Nature journal

Go out in nature and journal what you see, hear, smell. Even just simply listing it creates a beautiful journal. You could also take photos and make a nature photo journal.

6. Calendar Journal

My great-grandmother kept a calendar journal.  As her granddaughter, it was so precious to read through what everyday life was like through her calendar journals.  She would jot down who she visited, what appointments were made, and what she did on certain days.  Little daily glimpses of her life, which turned into a great big snapshot of my sweet grandparents and their life together for their grandchildren to enjoy.

7. Classic Journal

This is the type of journaling I do most often.  Anything goes.  Some days I write pages, some days just a paragraph. My classic journal is lined and contains lists, thoughts, reflections, verses of songs I want to remember & things I am learning. I make it a point to have no rules for myself, as there is no perfect way of journaling.

As you can see, there are so many different ways to express your emotions on paper…so explore them all!

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TOOLS OF JOURNALING

~Journal

I am a big fan of Moleskine journals.  They are well made, classic, I like that they look uniform on a shelf and will last for years to come.  They come ruled, squared or plain. I prefer ruled as without it, my handwriting tends to slant down to the right.

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~Pens

To me, the pen is just as important as the journal. I am a bit picky when it comes to the pens I use.  They must feel right in my hand and allow me to write without thinking about the tool that I am using, which means it must flow freely & smoothly.  I need a pen that inspires me to write. I have found just that in the uni-ball® AIR™ Rollerball Pen which can be found at Office Depot. It writes so smooth and at every angle. It gives a perfect fluid writing experience and the ink shows up nice and bold.  It is elegant and sophisticated, and features exclusive uni Super Ink for three-way protection against water, fading and fraud.

 

~Coffee or Tea

Ok, ok, not a necessity for everyone, but it sure is for me.  There is nothing like sitting down with a warm cup, my journal & my favorite pen to clear my head and help me to just exhale.

 

WHY WRITE VS TYPE

I’m sure you would have guessed that I am a nostalgic person, especially with the name of my blog being New Nostalgia.  There is something so nostalgic about handwriting.  I have cards with my great- grandmothers beautiful, loopy cursive writing that I have saved, not because of the card itself but because of how priceless it became once she wrote in the card by hand.

As a blogger, I do my share of typing.  I even write a series to my girls called “Leaving a Legacy” which too, is quite nostalgic. But, I love that despite all my typing, they will also have plenty of journals with my handwriting in them.  It makes it so much more personal. Think about it… would you rather have a typed list of things your mother or father were thankful for or would you like to see it in their own handwriting?

I also keep a recipe box with handwritten recipes, with key family recipes in it that are also hand written.  I have hand written recipes from aunts, friends, my mom and grandma.  I just love seeing all the different handwriting from those I love!

One last point, handwriting is something helps you retain what you are writing and can be quite therapeutic.  Handwriting is the result of a singular movement of the body, typing is not.  It takes movement, thought, fluidity, & pen to paper.

Ahhh…pen to paper.  Even typing that makes me feel nostalgic & makes me crave a cup of tea!

——–

What about you?

Do you journal? Do you keep an online journal or a written journal? Do you still keep a handwritten recipe box? Do you like taking notes by typing or writing?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Uni Ball. The opinions and text are all mine.

Cancer Journey/ HEALTH/ Music Renews/ Spiritual

A Health Update & The Best Girlfriends

Hello & Health Update

I have this special group of girlfriends.  We are not able to get together as a whole very often, but when we do–world watch out! We wine, dine & “go there,”  opening up our worlds and hearts to each other, knowing it is one of the safest places to do so.

Because we are not able to get together often, much of this opening of hearts and worlds happens in a Facebook group that we have formed.  It is the place of many smiles and inside jokes, but most often it is the place where we place our prayer requests.

After I wrote this health update, I let my sweet group of friends know about it and asked them to pray for me.  For some reason it took me longer than usual to update them.  I’ve been quiet, a bit withdrawn.  I blame nausea for this. When it lasts at least half the day, it seems to take me the rest of the day to recover emotionally, and then it starts over the next day. So, it has made me quiet.  And tired.  I spin my wheels trying to keep up with life, most of the time in a weird spot of wanting to be busy but being so very tired from just putting one foot in front of the other and a smile on, yet, busyness has brought relief. My girls keep me busy and driving them around is about the only thing that feels normal right now as my body sure doesn’t. And since I’m being honest I suppose it took me a bit to ask for prayer as there is a part of me that is not just physically tired but also tired of being the ‘sick girl.’

I want to be well and strong and happy and fun!

Sometimes life has other plans and they are not fun.

But here is the deal.  God shows up even in the ‘not fun.’  He does.  I’m in the middle of typing this not-so-fun post and my Facebook messenger dings and it is one of my girlfriends from the said Facebook group, who has been praying for a job but that prayer is not yet answered so she has time and wants to be with me during my upcoming scans.  This is the first time I have not asked anyone to come with me.  I am not sure why, it’s just that ‘quiet’ thing I guess. This new ‘a-bit-withdrawn’ me.  Not really knowing what I need or will want moment-by-moment but God sure does.  I’m not sure if we can work it out for her to be there, but just knowing she was willing was a God-kiss for me.

The responses I got from my sweet friends in my Facebook group were so dear. One tells me she is “praying peace over and around” me.  Another sent me the song I post below that just soothed me and was what I needed to hear. It really hit me while listening to it how I’ve been consumed with trying to solve the mystery of my health, trying to figure out why I have been feeling so sick, instead of just resting and trusting. I confessed my anxiety to the group and she also reminded me to hold every thought captive & worship, worship, worship our God. What better advice could one give? I needed it and my heart received it. Such sweet love.

By the time I finished this post my sweet friend group offered to come by an evening this week to pray for me, led by one who told me she has been praying Luke 7:50 at 7:50 a.m. for me every morning since writing my last ‘health update’ post. Yeah, overwhelming love.

+++++++

So scans.  It has been 2 years and my Oncologist wants to look inside and make sure we are not missing anything with my new symptoms of nausea, weight loss and fatigue.  She is also giving me a month-long break from my cancer meds, including my dreaded monthly shot that places an implant under my skin each month to shut my ovaries down. She wants to see if that is what is causing the symptoms.  My next one is due on Friday so if I start having relief from symptoms around that time then maybe the cancer meds are the culprits.  If so, well, that is another post, and I will keep you  updated.

In the meantime, I’m going to obey my girlfriends and trust our very trustworthy God and worship, worship, worship!

Psalms 59:16 But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.

 

worship763c42eee263343cdff439baa

 

 Trust

noun
  1. 1.
    firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.

 

 I Will Trust In You

by Lauren Dangle

Letting go of every single dream
I lay each one down at Your feet
Every moment of my wandering
Never changes what You see

I’ve tried to win this war I confess
My hands are weary I need Your rest
Mighty Warrior, King of the fight
No matter what I face, You’re by my side

When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move
When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through
When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!

Truth is, You know what tomorrow brings
There’s not a day ahead You have not seen

So, in all things be my life and breath
I want what You want Lord and nothing less

When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move
When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through
When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!

You are my strength and comfort
You are my steady hand
You are my firm foundation; the rock on which I stand

Your ways are always higher
Your plans are always good
There’s not a place where I’ll go, You’ve not already stood

When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move
When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through
When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!

I will trust in You!

 

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