Spirited Essence Works

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  • Words of Wisdom

    Words of Wisdom

    My mom sent me two books a couple weeks ago. I’ve had more time lately to read while waiting on the baby to arrive. They are pretty quick reads, but the messages they stated were so inspiring. The concepts make you reevaluate the way you live your life and make you change for the better. Both books are by Miguel Ángel Ruiz and his son, Jose Ruiz, co-authors the “The Fifth Agreement: The Practical Guide to Self-Mastery.”

    The first book I read was “The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom” by Miguel Ángel Ruiz. In this book, you discover four ways to live your life to help create a personal heaven in the world today. The four agreements are:

    1. Be impeccable with your word.
    2. Don’t take anything personally.
    3. Don’t make assumptions.
    4. Always do your best.

    The way Ruiz explains each agreement makes it easy to grasps each concept. He also explains each agreement with real life examples that show how easy it is to change the way you live your life.

    The second book was The Fifth Agreement: A Practical Guide to Self-Mastery” by Miguel Ángel Ruiz, Jose Ruiz, and Janet Mills. In this book it goes over the four agreements again with new concepts of how to look at each agreement. Then, dives into the idea of be skeptical but listen! This agreement uses doubt as a tool to find the true messages that are presented to you on a daily basis. Once you are able to master each one of these agreements. You have truly created a heaven on earth for yourself.

    These books has changed my outlook on life for the better. It is challenging to commit to these agreements and it will take time to master each one. But in the end, I think if I can master these agreements, it will be well worth it. I hope you give these books a glance and I hope they change your life for the better as much as they have mine.

  • A Healthier Option: Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars

    A Healthier Option: Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars

    I’ve been having such a sweet tooth lately. My normal goto for baking is chocolate chip cookies or berry pies, which taste fantastic but are so full of sugar and fat. My hubby and I have been trying to eat more healthy lately. It’s been difficult for me especially being pregnant because it seems like all this baby craves is sweets. I’ve been curving those cravings by eating more fruit but the thought of something chocolate always sounds better. I had made my boys some pumpkin dog treats and had leftover pumpkin and didn’t want it to go to waste. I did a little researching and found this recipe. And surprisingly, it doesn’t use a ton of sugar and satisfies that sweet tooth craving. It also uses molasses that has not only has a fantastic flavor but great health benefits.

    Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars

    2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
    1/4 cup flour
    1/4 cup brown sugar
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
    1/2 cup milk
    1 large egg
    1/4 cup molasses

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8×8 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

    Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Add vanilla, pumpkin, milk, egg, and molasses. Stir together until well combined.

    Pour the mixture into the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool, then cut into bars.

    Yields: 16 bars

    Hope you enjoy and happy baking!

  • Gluten Free Pumpkin Dog Treats

    Gluten Free Pumpkin Dog Treats

    Recently, we found out that one of our sweet boys had to go on a Gluten Free Diet. I, normally, would make dog treats for my boys but wasn’t sure of how my regular recipes for dog treats, with a gluten free flour substitution, would turn out. I bought some of the gluten free treats at a pet store, but the variety of flavors were lacking. My boys were not impressed either. So after a little research, and trial and error batches, I have found a delicious gluten free dog treat recipe.

    Gluten Free Pumpkin Dog Treats

    1/2 c. + 1 tbsp canned pumpkin

    4 tbsp molasses

    4 tbsp water

    2 tbsp vegetable oil

    2 c. organic brown rice flour

    1/4 tsp baking soda

    1/4 tsp baking powder

    1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

    Directions:

    1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

    2. Blend the pumpkin, molasses, vegetable oil, and water together.

    3. Add the rest of the ingredients, then stir until a soft dough forms.

    4. Grab the dough by teaspoonfuls and pat into disks with your hands. Place the disks onto a greased cookie sheet/pizza pan.

    5. Bake until hard (approximately 25 minutes).

    Yields: about 75 treats.

    Hope your doggies love them as much as mine do!

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  • Snow Days

    Snow Days

    The winter weather in the South has been so crazy this year. I haven’t seen so much snow in a very long time. It may have been bothersome for some, but to me and my boys it has been so much fun. It’s such a delight to see everything with a beautiful snow covering. The way the sun glistens off of the snow makes you appreciate how amazing Mother Nature is. My boys absolutely love to play in it. They get so excited and wired. Even though it came and went pretty quick this past week. It was quite beautiful to watch and enjoy while it lasted.

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  • Like Father, Like Son

    Like Father, Like Son

    Trinkets, memoirs, and keepsakes mean so much to me. We were recently given a shirt, that my husband wore when he was only 9 months old as well as a charm with a picture of my handsome husband, at 9 months, fashioning that same shirt. I thought it was so amazing to be able to have this for my son’s wardrobe. I can’t wait to dress him up and I most definitely will be taking pictures of how cute he is that day. Not many people get to dress their son or daughter in something that was theirs as a baby. Being given this item makes me want to continue this tradition by saving this article of clothing as well as something that my son will wear so it can be passed down to his child one day. And hopefully, it will mean as much to him as that shirt means to me.

  • Loving Mother Nature

    Loving Mother Nature

    My cloudy morning turned into a radiant sun filled afternoon. It was so nice to enjoy Mother Nature today. We went hiking with our beautiful little niece.

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    We hiked by the lake. The boys were loving playing in the water.

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    Spending time with our niece has been such great practice for what we will be in for with this baby boy. Playing outside and games all day sure can wear you out, but we have been loving spending time with her. We were so far away for so long we didn’t get to spend as much time with her as we do now. I love how spirited and imaginative she is. Being able to enjoy nature and spend time with family really make you appreciate how wonderful life is.

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  • Baby Keepsakes

    Baby Keepsakes

    The closer and closer my due date comes, the more excited I get about doing keepsake projects. I absolutely love arts and crafts projects. I’ve already started a keepsake box for all of the little trinkets and things I want to hold dear. I have been looking through Pinterest and have found all sorts of cute ideas and projects. I want cherish every moment I can with my sweet baby boy, because I’m sure that he’s going to grow up quicker than I want him to.

  • Spaghetti Casserole

    Spaghetti Casserole

    So lately, I have had more time on my hands waiting on this baby boy to get here. I’ve been trying to tackle this housewife role. It is perplexing to me still that I don’t have a fast paced work schedule I need to keep up with so cooking and cleaning are my new schedule of events. Ever since we moved back to the South, my husband has been raving over this recipe called “Spaghetti Casserole” that his grandmother makes. So finally, I got my shopping list ready and called his grandmother up to find out how to make this delicious casserole. Turns out it’s super easy to make, tasty, and is perfect if you love leftovers because it makes a lot. But you don’t have to take my word on it, try it out for yourself.

    Spaghetti Casserole

    1 pound uncooked spaghetti
    1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    1 pound Italian Sausage
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
    1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    Pinch crushed red pepper
    2-3 15oz cans of Tomato Sauce
    1 medium Onion, chopped
    1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
    1-15oz can of Jumbo Olives
    1-8oz package of sliced Mushrooms
    1-4oz package of Pepperoni
    3 ounces Asiago Cheese, freshly grated (about 3/4 cup)
    8 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
    16 ounces of Cottage Cheese

    Cooking Instructions:

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions and drain. Drizzle olive oil over noodles to keep noodles from sticking together.

    In a large Dutch oven, brown the Italian Sausage, breaking up the meat as it cooks then drain. Pour in Tomato sauce into Dutch oven with sausage and add the salt, oregano, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the onion, green pepper, olives, mushrooms, and pepperoni. Cook on low heat for 30 mins. Mix together the cream cheese, cottage cheese and Asiago cheese until well combined. Then begin layering your baking dish, place a layer of noodles in first, then a layer of sauce, then a layer of the cheese mixture. Repeat layering once more. Top evenly with a sprinkle of grated Asiago. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

    And Voilà! You have a fantastic meal prepared and plenty of leftovers. Enjoy!