Words of Inspiration from JKRowling

I have to admit I did read all of the Harry Potter books and have seen all of the movies made so far. I really enjoyed them but I know of some who didn't or some who had no desire to attempt them. Even if you aren't a Harry Potter fan, you should read the commencement address JK Rowling gave to Harvard Grads last spring. To find the address she gave go to: www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2008/06.05/99-rowlingspeech.html
Along with giving some of her writing background she has some pretty good advice for grads that also applies to most of us. This is my favorite quote from her speech "As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters. "
Gathered has added some new aromatherapy blends to our website. Check them out at gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

Cupcake in the Microwave?

This just seems too cool! A cupcake made in the microwave. I haven't actually tried it but it looks great. Here is the recipe. For more info go to widowspeak.livejournal.com


Microwave Rum Cake in a Mug Recipe

Glaze first:1/4 cup rum (dark Bicardi in this case)

3 Tbsp. butter

1-2 Tbsp., or 1/8th cup if you can manage it,

sugar (turbinado raw cane sugar here)

In a pyrex measuring cup, heat this mixture in microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between each cycle. You're looking to achieve a uniform slightly translucent simple syrup mixture here. Just keep mixing and heating until it is homogeneous solution in consistency. (Do NOT take your eyes off the microwave for this. You WILL have boil-overs if you do not take great care here.)

Once that has been achieved, set aside and get to the cake part.

Cake:1 cup yellow cake mix

1/4 cup Bicardi rum (clear)

1 egg

a couple pats of butter

In a microwave-safe heavy-duty mug or bowl NO LESS THAN 16-oz in capacity, combine cake mix and rum until well blended. Add in the egg and mix again until well blended. Cut pats of butter into cubes and fold into batter. Place mug in microwave and cook for 4-minutes at 70% power. (Worry not, it *is* supposed to puff up like that. Trust me.) After that, zap it on high for another 50 seconds.

Remove from microwave and let sit for 1 minute.Turn out onto plate.
Carefully.Poke holes in cake with bamboo skewer or fork. Gently spoon 1/2 the glaze onto cake. Let sit for at least 1 minute to let the glaze soak in. Or, douse the whole cake in the glaze and immediately DECIMATE FOR INSTANT NOM.

Nuts are optional. Enjoy. :)

How To Stay Young
I found this article in an old newspaper clipping. There is no author listed. I think it has great ideas for any age...

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them.
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. (Keep this in mind if you are one of the grouches.)
3. Keep learning: learn more about your computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let your brain get idle.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath or cry. If you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with him/her.
6. The tear happen: endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life is yourself. LIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love: whether it's family,pets,keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home should be your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. It if is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

New Hope For Beating Breast Cancer

I was at my sister-in-law's house on Sat. and I saw half a dozen pink roses on her table. She explained they were from her daughters in honor of the anniversary of her breast cancer surgery. She has remained cancer-free for seven years now so it is indeed worth celebrating!

Coincidentally, I was reading the Sept./Oct. issue of AARP magazine. (aarpmagazine.org). There is an article about new research findings and breast cancer. It lists how to lower the odds of your getting this illness. Here are some things to try:

Lose weight--a Harvard study suggests that losing weight and keeping it off after menopause will cut your breast cancer rate by 57%.

Exercise--it also reduces your risk and it's never too late to start.

Love those fruits and veggies--Survivors who exercise and eat five servings of these a day are less likely to have a recurrence than those who don't.

Dim the lights--(this one is really news to me) Women who live in brightly lit cities at night are 73% more likely to get breast cancer. So keeping your bedroom dark might protect your health.

Get those mammograms!--Mammography offers survival benefits even to women in their 80's. Men should also report any lumps to their doctor.

Speak up--ask your doctor about all your options and seek a second opinion if necessary.

AARP Magazine says that 89% of women with breast cancer will survive without a recurrence for at least five years. That's a good percent but I'm thinking it should be better. Pass this info along to the women in your life and for more info check out the article in the AARP Magazine.

If you've read our blog or checked out our website (gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com) you know that pink is our favorite color!

Bonjour!

Jerry and I just spent the most awesome week in Paris. We saw most of the tourist sites, ate French cheese and pastries and of course had some wine. We observed many differences and similarities in the French people and Americans. The French lifestyle is marked by frequent family gatherings, an appreciation of life's small celebrations, a love of good food, wine and healthy living. (They do however, smoke a lot.) Being that we are in the beauty and skin care business we had to check out some French beauty tips for you.

French Skin Care
Compared to the average American woman, the French view investing in their appearance as an absolute necessity, not an optional luxury. They're more inclined to pamper themselves. Their biggest focus is on developing a beautiful, glowing complexion. French women take pride in their skin, whether that means getting regular facials or buying the best moisturizer their budget allows. (I think this in part to combat the effects of their smoking.) They use sunscreen religiously. Fighting cellulite is a big deal for French women—much more so than for Americans. Any Parisian drugstore is stocked with various creams, lotions and other products meant to minimize cellulite. The French are known for preferring a natural face over a "done" one. While French women do wear makeup, they do so in a way that isn't necessarily obvious. So while you might start with foundation (to give a flawless-skin finish), you'd go easy on the blush, dab on some mascara and a light lip gloss. We rarely saw eyeliner/shadow at all in Paris. At night, they might favor a little bolder look but still less is more.
The French in major cities (Paris, Nice, etc) tend to be much thinner than their American counterparts in major US cities because they walk everywhere. We felt like we had walked miles and miles each day. Using the metro requires many staircases and lots of walking to get to your train! The French utilize portion control, and don't snack. We never went hungry at any café or restaurant we ate at but we didn’t need a doggie bag when we left either. We never saw a sign to “super-size” anything!

*****So-- to look as fabulous as some of the French women we saw, we recommend using Gathered’s Facial Moisturizer, Toner and Clay/Dead Sea Masks to give your skin a beautiful, glowing complexion. Don’t smoke, use sunscreen, go easy on the make-up and snacks. Add some extra steps to your daily rountine. Check out our products: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com

People Are People...

I just got back from a fabulous trip to Paris. We visited all of the tourist spots and explored some side streets on our own. The food was delicious--from crepes to pastries and of course wine! We especially enjoyed being able to sit at a sidewalk cafe and people watch for hours.

In the course of a week we met many people. Some were native Parisians, some visitors like us and a wonderful American who had moved to Paris 20 years ago. He helped us navigate the menu at a cafe one afternoon along with giving us tips about Paris. We saw young professionals, the elderly and families with small children.

Although their language is different I think people in Paris are basically the same as Americans. For the most part they were friendly and we had people stop on the street willing to help us find our way. One waiter at our hotel was very up on current events in the U.S. Interest in the Olympics was evident. We saw the French enjoying each other's company, hurrying off to work in the morning, shopping, touring Paris on their "holiday" and worshiping in the churches we visited. Such common threads woven in the pattern of daily lives.

We truly enjoyed seeing another culture and learning from it. While there are things about the French we didn't agree with (seems like everyone there smokes) we could still appreciate the differences and similarities. It just doesn't seem so important in the grand scheme of things to let those differences and similarities keep us from enjoying each other. Why can't people in the world recognize that?

I had such a great time. I hope that I can travel abroad again to see more of the world. It does make you appreciate home so much more. Have you traveled abroad? What were your experiences?

Gathered From the Garden products made it to France too. We took some along with us to be sure we could pamper ourselves after a long day of sightseeing. Our foot products were especially appreciated after a long day of walking. Check out our website: gatheredfromthegardenllc.4t.com