7 Ways to add years to your life

Look on the bright side

Optimists live about two years longer than pessimists, reports the Mayo Clinic

Eat Fruit and Vegetables

Studies show that eating brightly colored fruit and vegetables may lower your risk of many diseases

Keep in touch with friends

People in weekly contact with at least five friends were 22% less likely to die in 10 years, says an Australian study. Best reason yet for cell phones, email and facebook!

Get Moving

A short, brisk walk ups energy and can cut tension, says mood experts.

Sleep--but not too much

7 to 8 hours is optimum. Fewer than 6 may put you at risk of heart disease; more than 9 make you likelier to die of diseases such as cancer, says University College London Medical School.

Be Generous

People who give emotional and tangible support to friends and neighbors add years to their lives, according to the University of Michigan.

Worship Regularly

A University of Texas study found those going to religious services more than once a week live about 7 years longer. What a wonderful benefit for being involved at your church!

Blessings,

Coleen Barnes

"Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs"

Psalm 100:2

Chocolate

Valentine's Day is almost here and one of the best things about the day is chocolate. I love dark chocolate, Dove dark is one of my favorites because it's so smooth. Chocolate has a large amount of cocoa butter which melts at 97 degrees. Perfect mouth melting temperature!
Another of my favorites is Ghirardelli baking chips. They have an intense chocolate taste as they are 60% cacao and come in a resealable bag. Eat a few when you get that chocolate urge and make cookies too.
Here a cool video from Consumer Reports...

One birthday, when I was a little girl, my mother says that I made it clear to everyone that I wanted no chocolate, everything must be pink! Oh, how times change, give me dark chocolate now. Speaking of birthdays---today is my youngest daughter's birthday. Happy birthday, Capri!

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Jesus said, "Let the children come to me.

Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven

belongs to those who are like these children."

And he placed his hands on their heads and

blessed them before he left.

Matthew 20: 14, 15

Blessings,

Coleen

Damask

DAMASK, the technical term applied to certain distinct types of fabric. The term owes its origin to the ornamental silk fabrics of Damascus, fabrics which were elaborately woven in colours.

I was shopping with friends and everywhere we went there were all sorts of accessories with damask. Lamps with beautiful shades of damask fabric on the outside or on the inside lining.

Luggage, lunch totes and stationary

In bathrooms and on wallpaper.

vases...

Bedding and textiles.

My daughters in vintage-style aprons of damask print fabric.

" We learn as much from sorrow as from joy, as much from illness as from health, from handicap as from advantage and indeed perhaps more. "

--Pearl S. Buck

Blessings,

Coleen

Baking for the Dogs

Basic Yeast Dog Treats

Mix together : 3 1/2 cup unbleached flour, 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup cornmeal, 1/2 cup skim milk powder, 1 tablespoon (or 1 package) dry yeast, 3 1/2 cups lukewarm chicken or meat broth. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm chicken or meat broth. The richer this broth is, the better your dog will like the biscuits. Let yeast broth mixture set 10 min. Then stir in flour mixture. Roll resulting dough out 1/4" thick. Cut dog biscuit shapes from dough. Brush biscuits with egg wash. Bake on greased cookie sheets at 300* for 45 min. Then turn off oven and leave in overnight to finish hardening. Makes 60 medium-sized biscuits.

(I added about 1/3 c. finely shredded white cheddar cheese)

I was amazed that I could have enough treats for all the dogs in our family...12!!

When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.
Ecclesiastes 7:14

Blessings,

Coleen