Do you think we drink coffee in this house?

Displayed prominently atop our kitchen desk is this sign. My husband presented it for my birthday several years ago. It is perfect and appropriate, not only for myself, but for all of us in this household. Yes, even my thirteen year old daughter, though not yet drinking coffee on a regular basis, loves coffee ice cream. Need I say more?

So since today is National Coffee Day, heck yeah, we are going to celebrate! Well, we really celebrate everyday in fact. This annual event is observed on September 28 for the enjoyment of one of the world's leading beverages. While the exact origins of the holiday are unknown, it is a day celebrated around the world in Costa Rica, Ireland and even Japan, mentioned as early as 1983.

Part of my husband's professional career was spent as the coffee taster for Eight O'clock Coffee, then later coffee buyer, as a commodities trader. Coffee is the commodity deemed second only to oil worldwide. So how did we grow to love this beverage so much? The legend explains about Kaldi, an Ethiopian goat herder, taking notice of his goats who ate the berries becoming "so spirited that they did not want to sleep at night". He then began to experiment with the seeds. Brewed coffee was introduced in Arabia a century later. Today, those berries are harvested and processed, beans dried, milled and exported, tasted, roasted, ground and brewed. It certainly is a long journey from berry to beverage. But for many of us, worth the trip!

So, a coffee break today? No problem... It's always coffee time in this house... xoxo-Sonya

For years, cultures have been fascinated with the power of the mind, dreams and the individual thought process. Businesses thrive on positive attitudes and encouraging words. What we think about and focus on manifests in our lives, so states the Laws of Attraction. An intention is defined as "an act or instance of determining mentally upon some action or result". What intentions do you hold dear in your heart?

As wisely stated by nature artist and illustrator, Kate Zamarchi: 

"One thing that does work is to set 'intentions' rather than 'expectations'. Intention is different than expectation in that we are focused on a direction or element rather than an exact outcome. A true intention is an inspiration that comes from your spirit, your heart - a natural desire to share life with all that lives. An intention will raise your enthusiasm for life and free you from fear of not measuring up. Ask yourself  "What is my aim?"... this sets direction not exact results (as an expectation would). This is not about setting goals or to do lists and working our butt off the achieve them. This is about being quiet and listening to our inner voice and aligning ourselves with that. It's about planting seeds, nurturing them and enjoying the beauty / love that comes from it".

Words from one's heart and mind can be fashionably displayed to reflect your focus. Whether for love, strength, family or to simply inspire, they can empower you with the voice in a new expression.

Trust you will find the right words for yourself...  

All are good intentions... xoxo-Sonya

The day was perfect... light breeze, blue sky and no traffic. We headed down to the Jersey shore one more time en route to enjoy the company of dear friends. A boat ride upon arrival kicked the afternoon into gear. After a scrumptious dinner, we decided to take a walk on the beach just as the sun was beginning to set. Such a picturesque time of day, we encountered some unexpected delights of inspirational value. Here, have a look...

You already know I like to get creative. Sometimes I create challenges stemming from frugality. With Brenna's thirteenth birthday, making her cake is an anticipated task, as each year. It has become tradition. Conquering past requests of various shapes, sizes and themes, this year she wanted simple. A round three-layer cake - vanilla cake on the bottom with chocolate on top, sandwiching in a layer of mint chip ice cream - enrobed with homemade whipped cream frosting. Flavorful and delicious...

Deciding to have some fun with the party favors, what about fortune cookies? I found a recipe online to doctor-up. To think, the Chinese Fortune Cookie is not even Chinese. It actually originated in the good old USA, California. I learn something new everyday...

So before I made the cake layers, I scooped out a 1/2 cup of each vanilla and chocolate cake mixes (remember, sometimes I'm a semi-homemade gal!). The batter for the fortune cookies is easy.

Quick Fortune Cookies:

1/2 cup cake mix

2 room temperature egg whites

2 tablespoons melted butter

Cut fortune cookie sayings (to save time, I downloaded some at Chinese-Fortune-Cookie.com)

With the back of your spoon, smooth a thin spoonful of batter in a 3"- 4"circle (eye-ball it) onto the cookie sheet. Only make three, or even two - you'll have to be fast to fold them while still hot out of the oven before they start to crisp up and crack. Bake for about 5 minutes or until the edges slightly brown. Out of the oven, quickly place a fortune across the middle of the circle, fold over in thirds, two sides over the fortune, and lift up gently to fold in half. To retain their shape while cooling, I placed each one in a mini muffin tin. This takes a lot of practice - I must have gone through about a dozen before they emerged looking like they should! At least I got to sample them, making sure they tasted good...  Just be patient and have fun with them!  

They were a big hit! The girls loved them, especially tucked in Chinese take-out containers I made dangled with original phone charms. 

From cake mix to fortune cookies, A little something to take home... xoxo-Sonya