DITCH THE STRESS

DITCH THE STRESS!

 

Reading over one of my website links, I was delighted to see my friend Cathy Sexton write an article about managing stress.  Her website is *On Point Solutions, LLC* and features QuickBooks Accounting, Taxes and Office Organizing Solutions.  She tells the following story:

 

A lecturer,  when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?"  Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.  The lecturer replied " The absolute weight doesn't matter.  It depends on how long you try to hold it.  If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.  If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.  In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."  He continues, "And that's the way it is with stress.  If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on.  As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.  When we are refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."

 

This story is the essence of what a continual stressful situation can do to everyday Americans like you and me.  We get so tired of holding the same old situation, trying over and over to put it down, but there it is again in our hand.  Why does this menace...STRESS, seam to rob us of the beauty of living life and being able to appreciate our God, our Family, Others and finally Ourselves?  Something has to give, and we have to lay it down.  This is my idea of dealing with STRESS:

 

STRESS;

 

S...STITCHES...My mother was a sewer, and when she put the stitches in the wrong place, she would simply unravel them and start over.  Sometimes we just have to start the whole plan overb get a new look on the existing plan, and reform it.

 

T...TRUST...If you don't have the brains to figure it out, then trust a family member or friend who may have the knowledge to advise you.  This takes humility, but no kingdom is built alone.

 

R...REVITALIZE...Put a new spin on your old ways.  Get out of the rut and back on the road.

 

E...EXERCISE...Put the burden down and go for a walk, or join the gym and work out for 30 minutes.  It is proved over and over that exercising the mind and body can help us refocus the situation.  If nothing else, go on a date with your spouse.  I'll keep the kids.

 

S...STREAMLINE...Clean off your desk!  Throw away all the things that are NOT important.  The best way to feel better about the situation, is to ELIMINATE  what you really don't need.  Get organized, and feel the weight lift from your shoulders.

 

S...STAY...Don't Give Up!  If God be for you, who can be against you!  Here's a thought...PRAY!  Usually when people have used up every resource including Drugs, Desperate House Wives, and Self Help Books, they somehow turn to God.  So don't burn the house down, stay with your spouse and kids and little by little, Ditch the Stress.

 

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

 

*Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.

*Always keep your words soft and sweet, your never know when you may have to eat them.

*If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

*When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

*Birthdays are good for you.  The more you have, the longer you live.

*You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

* Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

*Drive carefully.  It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.

*Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

 

So there you have it my friend.  Put that glass down and go make a wonderful dish of Pasta right out of my cookbook *Rosalie Serving Italian.*  Check out the Recipe below.

 

Ditch the Stress, and have a great day!

Rosalie 

 

 

STUFFED JUMBO SHELLS:

 

*Marinara Sauce of your choice

*Italian Meatballs recipe found on page 125, of Rosalie Serving Italian, optional

 

1/2 package jumbo shells, about 18

1 tablespoon salt

13-inch by 9-inch glass baking dish

olive oil to brush pan

 

1(15-ounce) container ricotta cheese

11/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped

 

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

 

1.  Preheat oven to 350-degrees.  Prepare the marinara sauce.  If using the Italian meatballs, brown, crumble and add to sauce.  Simmer together about 15 minutes.  Boil jumbo shells in a 6-quart pot with 4 quarts boiling water.  Add 1 tablespoon salt and boil 8 to 10 minutes.  Shells should be a little under cooked to accommodate baking time.

 

2.  While shells are cooking, mix together ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, egg and parsley.

 

3.  Drain shells and cover with lukewarm water to keep separated.  Remove 1 shell at a time and stuff with ricotta mixture.  Lightly brush bottom of baking dish with olive oil.  Place 1 cup marinara sauce over bottom of dish and arrange filled shells on top of sauce.  Pour 2 cups additional sauce over shells.

 

4.  Top with 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.  Cover with foil, making a few slits in foil for steam to escape.  Bake 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.  Let stand 6 to 8 minutes before serving  Serves 6.