When you get the blues . . .

I started off yesterday as having a bit of a *blue* day. You know the kind I mean. We all have one once in a while. It's nothing in particular that you can put your finger on really . . .

Nothing big, and nothing small . . . it's just a day you feel a bit out of sorts and sorry for yourself. You don't really know why . . . but something just doesn't feel right. I don't like it when my days begin like that . . . and so . . .



I spent some time in prayer and meditation with my Heavenly Father. I asked Him to lift my mood and help me to feel better . . . I thought about all of those that I know that need a little help and I lifted them up to my Heavenly Father in prayer . . . I sat and thought about all my blessings and I thanked Him for His great abundance . . . and I started to feel a bit better.



I cleaned the house. I cleaned all the bathroom and I hoovered upstairs and down, and washed the floors. I dusted throughout and kept at it until everything sparkled . . . things started to look a bit better . . .



I picked up the phone and I called a friend that I had not spoken to in a while. Before too long I was smiling and laughing. Friends are good medicine, especially kindred spirit friends and I am grateful that I have more than a few of them! I am very blessed in this way.


I put some of my favourite music on the stereo and I danced. It felt good. Surrounded by some of my favourite sounds and losing myself in the melody. Sometimes it's good to lose yourself in a melody, and abandon yourself to the song it sings to your heart . . .



I went out and helped Todd collect in some of his catalogues. One of the best ways to forget yourself is to lose yourself in service to another. It really helps. It drizzled on us from time to time, and not everyone is friendly, but being able to do something to help Todd made me feel better. Many hands make light work.



I lost myself for a time in my craft room and finished my doll. Miss Florrie Brighteyes . . . she is another mouse but this time with a lace trimmed skirt and a bustle in the Victorian fashion. As my fingers worked and plyed my needle and thread, my mood lifted.



How can this not make you smile??? I don't know. She sure makes me smile. I'll be listing her in my Etsy shop a bit later on today. If you would like to read a bit more about Miss Florrie Brighteyes, you can do so here. Tis truly a delightful tale, or is it *tail?*



I went through my Big Blue Binder and read recipes and thought of my family, and friends and some of the happy memories and times spent in cooking some of the recipes on it's pages . . . and then I baked a cake for Todd. An old fashioned cake . . . an old family recipe . . . and suddenly I felt completely and totally in the pink.

That's the way to shake the blues. Forget yourself . . . go to work, pray for others, do some service, phone a friend, dance, create . . . bake.

*Happiness consists in activity . . . it is a running stream, not a stagnant pool.*

Here's that cake I baked yesterday. I got the recipe a long time ago from my dear Aunt Freda. it was four years ago on Monday that she passed away . . . and there is not a day go by when I don't think of her and smile in my heart. She was a dear sweet Aunt, a friend . . . and much beloved. Baking her cake helped me to feel close to her, and to remember sweet and special times spent together.




*Lazy Daisy Cake*
Makes one 8 inch square cake
Printable Recipe

A hotmilk sponge with a coconut topping that is baked on. Old fashioned, low in fat, simple and very tasty. I like to serve this with tinned fruit for an extra special treat.

2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 TBS butter

Topping:
3 TBS butter
3 TBS brown sugar
2 TBS cream or canned milk (undiluted)
1/2 cup flaked coconut

Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F. Grease and flour an 8 inch square baking pan. Set aside.

Beat the eggs well. Beat in the sugar and vanilla. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Heat the milk and butter together until the butter melts. Stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture alternately with the heated milk. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes. About five minutes before the cake is done make the topping. Blend the cream, butter and brown sugar in a small pan. Bring to the bubble. Stir in the coconut. Remove from the heat. Once the cake is baked, remove from the oven and spread the coconut topping on top. Heat the grill. Replace the cake into the oven and bake for an additional 2 minutes under the grill until bubbling. Allow to cool in the pan. Cut into squares to serve.



Over on The English Kitchen today, a delicious Chicken and Barley Simmer! Cooked in one pan on top of the stove while you sit around with your feet up. What could be better?