Beautiful Paintings for Decoupage

3D Decoupage

Shadow Work

Get ready for Christmas

Make your own Christmas tree decorations with old light bulbs.

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Conserve your energy

Koeksisters

A koeksister or koesister comes from the Dutch word koekje, the diminutive of koekmeaning "cake". It is a South African syrup-coated doughnut in a twisted or braidedshape (like a plait). It is prepared by deep-frying dough in oil, then dipping the fried dough into cold sugar syrup. They are best eaten cold, koeksisters are very sticky and sweet and taste like honey.

This recipe yields approximately 2½ dozen koeksisters.

Ingredients for syrup

• 4 cups (1000 ml) sugar
• 2 cups (500 ml) water
• ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) cream of tartar
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 cm piece of gingerstem (optional to enhance flavour)
• 1 cinnamon stick (optional to enhance flavour)

Ingredients for dough

• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) baking powder
• ½ teaspoon (2 ml) salt
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) butter
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) sugar
• ½ cup of water and milk mix (100 ml water, 25 ml milk)
• 1 egg
• Cooking oil for frying

Method

Please note: it is important to prepare both the syrup and dough in advance, before using it.

Making the koeksisters

1. Take syrup from refrigerator and keep it ice cold by placing the syrup's container inside a larger container that is filled with ice and water. Another trick to keep the syrup cold is to use two bowls of syrup. Keep one in the refrigerator while using the other .
2. Roll out dough to a thickness of 7 mm. Do not use dry flour as it will cause the oil to foam, rather roll it out on waxpaper or use sunflower oil to prevent sticking.
3. Cut strips 15cm long, twist in opposite directions and join ends
   Heat the oil over medium heat until warm but not too hot. If the oil is too hot, the koeksisters will be brown on the outside, but raw on the inside. When the oil's at the correct temperature, it takes 10 seconds for a piece of dough to pop to the surface after it has been dropped into the oil.
4. Deep-fry four koeksisters at a time, in until brown on both sides.
5. Remove two koeksisters using a slotted spoon and immediately submerse it in the ice cold syrup. Don't allow them to breathe air. A plastic potato masher is an ideal tool to keep it submersed. Remove the other two koeksisters and drown them in the syrup too.
6. Keep the koeksisters submersed until it has they are soaked through. Remove from syrup with a slotted spoon and place on a wire rack. To keep them crisp, store the koeksisters in the refrigerator, or even better, in the deep-freeze.
7. 
   

Journey of Love

Enigma - WHY

Knowingness

"Part of our spiritual skill set is having the intuitive dexterity to read people. We must be aware of how people shield their true selves to harm us in order to elevate themselves and how they project distorted impressions of us. 

When we know our true purpose, we work alongside God. We can't be afraid of what others think of us; it's not about us. It's about mediating the conflict that arises when we feel that our purpose is compromised. God can't be forced down the throat, godliness has to live in the heart. We are all searching for personal truth that may not be found in tradition or religion, but the stark nakedness of knowingness.

You have to belong to yourself, no matter what you do? If you don't have a sense of belonging; a sense of being in the right place at the right time, then you are spinning your wheels.

Rituals are hard to break especially if one is entrenched in them, but they can certainly be a starting pistol to get you to your own finish line."


~Alexys Fairfield

It Takes Courage

It Takes Courage

Author Unknown

It takes courage
To refrain from gossip
When others delight in it,

To stand up for the absent person
Who is being abused.

It takes courage
To live honestly
Within your means,
And not dishonestly
On the means of others.

It takes courage
To be a REAL man or a TRUE woman,
To hold fast to your ideals
When it causes you
To be looked upon
As strange and peculiar.

It takes courage
To be talked about,
And remain silent,
When a word would justify you
In the eyes of others,
But which you dare not speak
Because it would injure another.

It takes courage
To refuse to do something
That is wrong
Although everyone else
May be doing it
With attitudes as carefree
As a summer song.

It takes courage
To live according
To your own convictions,
To deny yourself
What you cannot afford.
To love your neighbor
As yourself!

Frog Story

    A group of frogs were traveling through the woods and two of them fell into a deep pit.  All the other frogs gathered around the pit.  When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their might.  The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead.  Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up.  He fell down and died.
    The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could.  Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die.  He jumped even harder and finally made it out.
    When he got out, the other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was deaf.  He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.
    This story teaches two lessons:

1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.
2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them. Be careful of what you say.

    Speak life to those who cross your path. The power of words....it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times.
    Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.
    Be special to others.

Author Unknown

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