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Brownie Recipe with hint of Almond Icing

September 7, 2011 By Debbie 1 Comment

Being Happy First to me is living a life you love! It is all about family, friends, hobbies, pursuing your passions.

Many of you that know me know that I love to be surrounded by family and friends. We love to have people over and entertain. Usually it is simple recipes!

This brownie dessert is my mother-in-law Joyce’s recipe. Joyce is an incredible person. I have learned so much from her. When Randy and I first got married I knew nothing about cooking and Joyce and my sister in laws, Lyn and Missy, taught me so much. I also learned how to entertain.

When I had to go through chemo and radiation for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Joyce was the one who really took care of me. My kids were 2 months and 3 1/2 years old and I needed help with them. We would spend a couple of nights at her home ever 2 weeks after my treatment and she would look after all of us. So when I think of Joyce, I think of love, family and comfort.

So now I would like to share some comfort and sweetness with all of you!

Joyce’s Brownie Recipe

ingredients-

8 Tbsp. cocoa powder (like Hershey’s, Nestles, whatever)
3 sticks butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
1 box powdered sugar (16 oz, about 4 cups)
dab of karo syrup
splash of coffee
splash milk
1 Tbsp. almond extract (I use pure)
4 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour

Use 2 saucepans, one big, one little

Put 2 sticks of margarine in big saucepan (batter) and 1 stick in the little pan (for frosting), melt. Add 4 Tbsp. cocoa to each pan.
Add 2 cups of sugar to the big pan, stir and then set aside to cool.
Small pan-add 1 box of powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp almond extract. Then add enough coffee and milk to make smooth but not too runny and just a dab (maybe a Tbsp. or 2) of Karo syrup to make glossy.
Big pan-Mix the 4 eggs in a bowl with a fork then add to the big pan. Add 1 Tbsp. vanilla. Stir. Then add in 1 1/2 cups flour.
Pour the contents of big saucepan into a “pammed” large pan-13x9x2 works great for me. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Pour the frosting over it as soon as you take it out of the oven.
Enjoy!

Helping Anna’s friend Micaela battle Leukemia

July 29, 2011 By Debbie 12 Comments

Click on the tee to see details

In my last blog entry, Anna Basso’s Impact on Others, I told you about my sister’s 18 year old next door neighbor in Dallas, Anna Basso, who passed away in June from a year and a half battle with Ewing Sarcoma. My brother in law, Mark Hall, along with his ad agency, Firehouse, had set up a website to get 1 million prayers for Anna, www.1millionprayers.com .The key verse in the site was Romans 12:12, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” and they wanted people to pray for Anna every day at 12:12 pm.

The night before the funeral we went to Anna’s visitation. She wanted everyone to wear purple (her favorite color) and bright colors to her visitation and funeral. Her friends and family spoke about her life at the visitation. She had so many good friends. I was so impressed with their maturity and love for Anna. One thing they kept saying that night was what a “Rock Star” she was and how she loved music. In fact, Manchester Orchestra (Anna’s favorite band) had flown in from Atlanta to be with her family-they were at the visitation and later at her Aunt and Uncle’s that night to play to a small group of friends and family. That night the singer said he didn’t realize when he wrote “I feel your pain” five years ago that it would be for Anna. It was a very emotional night.

The funeral was the next day. Just like the night before, their church was packed. I was wearing my bracelet that has Pandora beads and Confidence Beads. My friend, Linda Waters, owns Confidence Beads and each bead has a word or phrase on it. I was playing with my beads and reading the words. The purple bead says “Rock Star” ! I couldn’t believe it. It was as if it were made for Anna!

Then, after the funeral, most people went to the reception hall. We followed Mark and Susan (my sister), with the close friends and family, not being sure if we should, but we wanted to stay by them. They were going to be with Anna’s family while they put Anna’s casket in the hearse. As they did this, the priest looked at his watch and said “It is 12:12!”.Then Randy pulled out his phone, and it was 12:12! This was not planned. I don’t think it was a coincidence.

Instead of flowers, the Bassos asked that any donations go to Anna’s good friend, Micaela White, who just had a bone marrow transplant for leukemia. I am just in awe of the type of people the Bassos are. I want to be like them. They have shown tremendous grace, faith and strength. They immediately went to help someone else. They are now keeping us all posted on Micaela’s needs and progress.

Anna's Butterfly tee, click on pic for details

Micaela and Anna have been friends since they were young. You can read about the two of them in this article entitled “Kindred Spirits” posted by the Texas Catholic Youth. Micaela still needs blood products. Every day, in addition to platelets, she is given 1-3 units of blood.

The day after the funeral I went for a long run by myself trying to process everything. I’m still trying to process everything. I was wondering if I should write about Anna and tell others. I was hoping to see a butterfly along the way (Anna loved butterflies) or just see some kind of sign of what I should do, how I could help. Then it hit me! Design a tee shirt in memory of Anna, and have the proceeds go to help Micaela. Happy First has been giving to leukemia and lymphoma research; this is a way we can help someone directly in need affected by leukemia. I got back to my sister’s and she thought it was a great idea! She mentioned it to Carol (Anna’s mom) and Carol said Patrice (Anna’s older sister) had the same idea too. So now Patrice and I are working on a tee together! The tee is includes words from the band Modest Mouse‘s song “Float On” , featured in the video “Dear Anna” created by Anna’s high school friends. If you would like to order one, click on the picture to take you to the Happy First site to place your order. (ps-I am adding this note 8/1-we have had requests for a crew neck, it is now available-picture and info at Anna’s Float on Crew Neck tee)

Then I realized, I already have a cute organic a-line tee that is purple with butterflies on it! It was meant to be! So I have decided to donate the proceeds from this tee too to Micaela’s fund.

I am so happy to help in some way and I am so enjoying getting to know Patrice better. By the way, Patrice has a wonderful blog, it is www.patricesblog.com where she talks about Anna’s journey. I know this fundraising for Micaela won’t bring Anna back, but will help her memory live on and help us in our healing and also help her dear friend, Micaela. I haven’t met Micaela yet, but hope to some day.

Another weird so-called coincidence. When Anna was first diagnosed, my sister and I gave Anna, her mom, and Patrice Happy First necklaces with their favorite charms. In April, Carol said Micaela would really like one too. She wanted one of the charms to be the relic cross. I went to fill her order and realized I was out of the relic crosses. I had lost my own Happy First necklace with the relic cross about 6 months ago. The day I was working on Micaela’s necklace I just happened to find my missing necklace in my closet! Micaela was meant to have my cross! The weird thing is, after I sent her package, I found an extra cross in my stock. I think it is more special that Micaela has my cross and was meant to be.

I keep looking for silver linings and found one with a new friendship. I went to a business conference back in February-Tory Johnson’s Spark and Hustle, and saw Jo Khalifa, owner of MoJo Roast Coffee speak. After the conference we became friends through email and Facebook, talking back and forth, realizing we had lots in common. Then in one of her messages to me she mentioned that one of her daughters had Ewing Sarcoma 17 years ago when she was 8, and is now 25! I immediately called her on the phone and we had a long conversation. I feel like Anna brought us together.

So, I just had to share Anna’s impact on others. Her life may have been short but she and her family did (and still are doing) more for others than most people do in a long lifetime.

Anna Basso’s Impact on Others

July 28, 2011 By Debbie 3 Comments

We lost a close family friend this June. I have been wanting to write about all of this since then, I just haven’t been able to sort my thoughts. I am now ready to tell you the story of Anna Basso and her incredible family. It is about how one person’s precious life has affected so many people.

Anna Basso’s family lives in Dallas next door to my sister Susan and her husband, Mark, and their 3 kids. Over the past 6 years I have been going to Dallas a lot more often than I had, beginning with my dad’s diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma — cancer of the plasma cells (in the leukemia and lymphoma family). I would run down there whenever my sister called. My dad passed away in September of 2007. Over that period I really got to know Dave and Carol Basso. They are 2 of the kindest, most thoughtful people I know. When I was in town often we would end up at their home for dinner. They always opened up their home to others. When my dad passed away, my sister’s house was full of relatives, so I spent a couple of nights at Carol’s. She was so thoughtful in preparing their guest room for me, I felt like I was at a nice cozy hotel. My mom lives about a block away and has had a rough time with my dad passing away. The Bassos would always include my mom on gatherings and Carol would dutifully deliver the USA weekend paper to my mom every Friday. She would also take meals over to my mom’s house regularly.

My sister and Mark tried to sell their home in the spring of 2009 to buy a different home about a mile away. Their home just wouldn’t sell. It was on the market for 6 months. I think they weren’t supposed to move away from Dave and Carol. They ended up staying and remodeling. Dave and Carol had 2 daughters, Patrice and Anna. In November 2009 their youngest, Anna, 16, a junior in high school, was having pain around her pelvis. Carol took her in to the doctor. At first they had trouble diagnosing it. I was hoping if it had to be cancer, it would be Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, like I had, which is usually curable. It wasn’t — it was Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare cancer of the soft tissue and bone.

The Bassos were going to fight this thing. They set up a journal on Caring Bridge so everyone could keep up with what was happening with Anna. My brother-in-law, Mark, came up with the idea of creating a site, www.1millionprayers.com. He owns an ad agency, Firehouse (by the way, he was instrumental in creating Happy First). Mark and his creative team went to work. They wanted to get 1 million prayers for Anna. This site reached people all across the world. The verse they chose was Romans 12:12 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” and they wanted people to pray for Anna every day at 12:12 pm.

The Bassos gave it their best. After a year of treatment, we all thought Anna was ok, but then they found more cancer cells. Treatment again. It was hard to see Anna and her family going through all of that. But she held her head up, was strong, positive and an unbelievable inspiration to others. She was surrounded by her family and friends. Anna loved the Dallas Mavericks, the color purple, music and butterflies. I didn’t know Anna really well: I knew her parents better, so this story is from a somewhat outside perspective. She went to a Catholic high school in Dallas that absolutely loved and embraced her. She was their homecoming queen. Her high school friends made a video “Dear Anna” for her when she was going though treatment that really touched me and makes me think of her every time I hear this song- Float On by Modest Mouse.

I have been back and forth to Dallas a lot this spring because my mom has had major health problems, so I have been at my sister’s a lot. Susan and Mark have had quite a hard time, being so close to Anna and her family, watching everyone suffer throughout her treatment. Since I have been going to Dallas so much, I have gotten to know Patrice better, Anna’s older sister. She will be a senior in college, studying journalism. I just love Patrice and think she is so talented-she is an excellent blogger. Her blog is www.patricesblog.com. It’s now as if Anna is with Patrice in Patrice’s writings.

Anna went to prom and looked absolutely beautiful. It is one of my favorite pictures of her. I know she really didn’t feel well at the time, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at her. She then saved all of her strength for her graduation day Memorial Day weekend. She had lots of family come in for it. That night she wanted to go out with her friends to see her favorite band, Manchester Orchestra that was in town. Her mom didn’t think she would be able to have the strength, but she did. What Anna didn’t know was that her friends had arranged for Anna to be on stage. The band sang “I can feel your pain” to her. They gave her gifts and took pictures. Anna told her friends and family that it was the best night of her life. Then the website reached 1 million prayers on June 1, 2011 (the first of the month always has a special meaning to me-happy first) Sweet Anna died a week and a half later, on June 8, 2011.

I don’t know why she had to pass away. I know God has a plan, but sometimes it is hard to see. I know she is in a better place, but I am so sad for all of us, her friends and family. Everyone misses her intensely, dearly. I have friends that never even met her that were praying for her, following her story since day 1 of her diagnosis. Anna has touched so many lives. The Bassos have received letters from people around the world that have been affected by Anna.

In my next entry I will tell you about some things that happened that I don’t think were coincidences and also an idea to help someone else in Anna’s memory.

Basil Pesto Recipe

July 6, 2011 By Debbie 3 Comments

basil in pots In one of my earlier posts, Live in Full Bloom, I talked about living in full bloom, finding your passion and pursuing it!
One of my passions is cooking and I thought I would this summer recipe with you. I grow lots of basil each year. I usually plant the basil in the ground but this spring the grasshoppers and snails were so bad that they almost ate it all so I planted some in pots too.
The great thing about pesto is you don’t need to be exact.

Basil Pesto Ingredients

Fresh basil (pull off the stems and rinse in a colander)-in this recipe I used probably 5-6 cups.
Garlic (We love garlic and I used 10-12 cloves-that may be too much for some people!)
Pine Nuts (used in total about a cup)
Parmesan (I just used the grated in the jar-Kraft- and then use the shredded type on top once I was serving in the bowls), probably used a cup.
Salt to taste
Olive Oil (used about 1/2 to 3/4 cup)
Peel the garlic and put in the food processor with about a 1/2 cup pine nuts. Blend. Then start adding everything else a little at a time- the basil leaves, the parmesan (probably half at a time), dash of salt, olive oil (I don’t add the olive oil all at once, I just add until it looks right), the rest of the pine nuts. When it is the taste and consistency you like, you are done!

Different ways to serve your pesto

Our favorite way to serve it is over angel hair pasta and I put shredded parmesan and more pine nuts on top. Some people add cherry tomatoes. You can even add cooked shrimp (My husband sometimes adds canned octupus!)
Another thing you can do is just put the pesto on top of creme cheese and you have an appetizer to serve with crackers.
My friend Brice said he bakes a croissant (the kind of croissants you buy in the freezer section like Pillsbury) and 5 minutes before it is done he slices it in half and adds mozzarella chunks. Then when it is done he adds pesto in the middle.
My friend Linda Waters reminded me that you can freeze the pesto in ice cubes (or even a zip lock bag if you have a bunch).
Pesto is so fresh and easy, one of our weekly favorites in the summer!

July 1, 2011 By Debbie 1 Comment

Happy July 1st my friends! Click on the ecard to spread happiness! I just love summer! But I have too much going on! So much to tell you all! Be watching! I am having free shipping special at Happy First! Just enter “freeship” in the promo code upon checkout! Got lots of fun summer tees and new ones coming soon! I am so excited about all that is happening! Join my email list to get the monthly ecards and other news. Will catch up soon!

https://happyfirstblog.com/2011/709/

Happy First Day of Summer!

June 21, 2011 By Debbie 2 Comments

: click on this fun ecard to spread happiness!

It’s a new season! I just love summer! My favorite time of the year. Love being outside, the longer days, no homework for the kids! Now I just need to slow down and savor it!

I have had a nonstop spring-just been gone so much with my mom being ill (and out of town) and other trips I had already planned-both business and fun. It has been too much! I just said to someone the other day, I am having the craziest spring, just can’t seem to stay home and I am so behind on everything! My friend looked at me and said “It isn’t spring anymore, it is summer!” Oops! Where did it go?

One of my friends that knows me well says that I live in my head! I think that she means I am not living in the present, always thinking about what I need to do next, my to do list, etc. instead of just slowing down and enjoying now! Guess I need to do yoga more, it is all about being present! (here I go again with that word DO!)

But then I also think that this is a season in my life where I don’t have control. With my mom being ill I don’t know when I will have to drop things and run on down to Dallas again. This sandwich generation thing is not always fun-being pulled between my husband and kids and the needs of my mom and sister in Dallas. Maybe I am supposed to be learning to say no more and not overschedule myself. It is so hard for me to do! But I am learning that I can’t control everything and I need to trust that everything will fall into place as it is meant to be.

Is it just me or do you all have these struggles too?

Let the adventures begin!

June 4, 2011 By Debbie Leave a Comment

team in training jersey party We are here in San Diego! Lots of people coming in for the big run-the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon- there will be over 40,000 runners! Here is a pic from our jersey decorating party on Wednesday night.

Wow, I am amazed in just 24 hours the amazing people who have crossed my path. You just never know what people are going through. The guy that sat next to me on our first flight had a mohawk. I didn’t think we would have anything to talk about. Turns out he is so interesting-was in the marines, now has an IT job and is finishing his computer science degree. Then he told us he just went through chemo and radiation for a brain tumor. He was so positive and uplifting. So happy I got to know him. Then while waiting for our next flight we were talking to a guy that was an engineer and was hit by a car and had a brain injury. After he got better, he went back to school and now speaks at events about brain injuries (he was on his way to be the keynote speaker at some convention). Then this morning I got to know the guy at the front desk at the W Hotel (Team in Training puts their runners at nice hotels-we are loving it!) told me he was hit by a drunk driver 5 years ago, went into a coma and died on the table, then came back to life and was told he would never walk again. Six months later he ran his first marathon and has been running marathons ever since! I love it-if you just are friendly to people and take the time to get to know them, you never know what will happen. I just love making new friends. I get so inspired and uplifted by others.

Just got back from picking up our race packets at the big expo. My nephew and his fiancee live in San Diego and they are running too. They have been showing us around. Off to dinner and more adventures!

Happy June 1st!

June 1, 2011 By Debbie 1 Comment

Happy June 1st card Happy June 1st my friends! I’m so excited, leaving tomorrow for the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon (half for me) with Team in Training! Trying to pack (in my newly organized closet, yay!). We are having a jersey decorating party at my house tonight with the San Diego team and our incredible coach Becky Gilray! We have purple Team in Training jerseys, and we decorate them for the run. A really special thing we do is pin ribbons with people’s names on them. They are people we are running in honor or memory of that has been affected by a blood cancer. I will take a picture of my jersey for you all to see!

Oh, by the way, if you want to send this Happy June 1st card to others, go to the Love tab on my Happy First site! Celebrate a new month! It’s a new beginning!

An Organized Closet

May 30, 2011 By Debbie 15 Comments

I mostly live in tees, since I own a tee shirt company!

I did it! I finally cleaned out my closet! I worked on it all day yesterday. It has been bothering me for months and I just couldn’t (or wouldn’t) get to it. Having an organized closet makes me so happy! It was frustrating me because I am in my closet several times a day and when it is messy it takes longer to find things and to get ready!

In an earlier blog post-Organizing your Home– I had mentioned dividing in 3 boxes-put away (to go in another room), throw away, and give away. Yesterday I divided “give away” in two-to give to charity and to take to consignment. I hung the consignment items on a portable hanging rack, they are clean and now all I need to do is steam them and take them to the consignment place.

I had my timer with me and kept going in 15 and 30 minute increments. Sometimes I took breaks when the timer went off. I had pandora.com on to listen to music. I even sorted all of my jewelry and polished the silver pieces. I found earrings I forgot I had! I took the time to try clothing on-many items I didn’t even like any more or they didn’t fit right. So out they went!

Closet Organizing Ideas

skinny velour hangers (you can get the Real Simple brand at Bed, Bath and Beyond)- they take up less room and things don’t slip off of them

jewelry organizers-a tackle box, even egg cartons will work! I got mine from the Container Store-they stack and also are lined with a velour to prevent tarnishing (got them on sale!)

organize your clothes by activity-for me I have golf clothes, yoga, running clothes each in their own area. I have a drawer that has golf accessories (tees, balls, etc) and running accessories-carb chews, running headbands, etc.

Organize the rest of your clothes by season- short sleeve tees, dressy short sleeve, long sleeve, skirts, pants

Items I have folded on shelves-jeans, sweaters, yoga clothes, sweatshirts

Items in drawers-running clothes, pj’s, panties & bras, swimsuits, socks

Within each category, sort your clothes by color, light to dark- have you heard of the acronym roy g biv ? (it is putting in this order- Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet-i put white/creme at the front end and brown/black at the other end)

Have a spot or basket in your closet that’s items to go to the cleaners or alterations

Use cute baskets or even shoe boxes to hold things-I had knitting projects that were just thrown in bags in the closet, looks so much cuter in the baskets!

Next time when shopping, even if on sale, really ask yourself if you really love and need it. Too much is overwhelming.

I love the blog- simplemom.net – she has great organizing ideas!

What ideas do you all have? Please share!

jewelry organizer from the Container Store

flocked hangers by Real Simple

Fruit and Yogurt Smoothie

May 25, 2011 By Debbie 2 Comments

Yay, I’m so excited! It’s the last day of school for us! I want to share my summer recipes with you. We love to entertain! My younger son has lots of friends spend the night and one of their favorite things is my yogurt and fruit smoothie. And they are very healthy! It is hard to find a really healthy smoothie so I would rather make my own.

Here’s what I use to make a blenderful (is that a word?)

Organic Plain Yogurt – I use 1/2 of a 32 oz. container
1 fresh or frozen banana
1/2-1 whole bag (10 oz) frozen organic raspberries, mixed berries, or whatever frozen fruit
about 3 Tablespoons honey (to taste!)
1/2-1 scoop protein powder (I use unflavored Whey Factors from Whole Foods- I think whey is better for you than soy)
(you don’t have to do the protein powder, my son is a teenager trying to put on muscle weight)

Blend all together, it is that easy!

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