Happy New Year! Did you have a great time ringing in 2018? Its been extremely cold up here in Michigan, so people have been staying inside for the most part. We’ve had temperatures in the single digits every day for almost a week!

Well last week my review of a few recipes to ring in the New Year was so well received, I thought I would showcase the best of 2017! These 3 recipes are absolute favorites and I use them several times a year! And each one can be a baseline recipe that you can tweak and make your own! These are perfect for entertaining, potlucks and looking ahead to the Super Bowl, so hopefully these will be timely for you this month.

Before we begin, I want to thank my dear friend Maribeth Schmidt for her incredible photos! She is so passionate about photography and is so gifted in the perspectives she brings to this blog! She drenches the ordinary in extraordinary perspective, and I am so blessed to have her in my life! You can learn more about her work at Maribeth Schmidt Photography.

The first recipe today is the very first Tasty Tuesday Recipe I shared, and it was last May. Its a recipe for Onion Chip Dip. And its just 3 ingredients and will quickly become a favorite in most households.

I had this with our Christmas dinner as a snack this year, and it got wiped out! And if you serve it with fresh veggies as you see here, there is no guilt! To see that recipe, click here: The Crowd Favorite – Onion Chip Dip

You can also use the “light” or “fat free” or “low sodium” versions of each ingredient to make it healthier!

Next, I am including a great go to side dish, cheesy potato casserole. I got this recipe as a new wife some 30+ years ago from a dear couple who taught our new married Sunday School Class, Cliff and Marge Mayes. They were incredible mentors. This recipe is a winner you will not regret having in your repertoire! Its smooth and so hot and hearty! A perfect side for everything from sandwiches and burgers to ribs or ham or sloppy joes! (Sloppy Joes sounds kind of good!) You can read how to make these cheesy potatoes here: Party Potatoes

And finally I wanted to include in this little vignette, my most requested dessert that is soooo easy! A one pan wonder! A fabulous bar cookie! I am currently working on a few variations of it. You can get the recipe for this one here: Bar Cookie, A One Pan Wonder!

And finally I want to encourage you as you go into this brave new year, 2018… to go into it breathless with anticipation and to make it amazing for yourself! I think we all get a little reflective this time of year about things we would like to change, things we want more of and less of, and ultimately things that a year from now we will be glad we turned the ship in those directions!

I love the idea of setting time aside just to think of what changes you want to see. You are worth the plan… you are worth investing in! So don’t feel it indulgent to think it through, it is strategic! And it does take a little courage but you have it in you, and oh how lovely to be breathless with anticipation for what is on the horizon!

Some people like to write out actual goals. I think this is a great idea! Then you should keep it visible or put it in your life schedule to revisit those goals often to help set your compass in the right direction.

Some people have started using the “One Word” approach to shaping the next year. You think through a list of the things you want to include in this upcoming year, and see if you can come up with a word that your various goals have in common. And then that word can become a lens with which you plan and proceed in the next year. It might be a word that expresses an emotion such as “Joy” or improvement such as “Thrive” or maybe you want to “Simplify”. Maybe you need to break out of the routines you are in and you want to “Explore”. Sometimes choosing one word is easy to think of everyday and inspires you to keep on track because it rallies everything you want to modify.

A good friend told me one time that he thinks of wellness as a 3 legged stool, “Body, Mind and Spirit”. If any of those are lacking, the stool won’t stand. I always thought that was such a great analogy.

Some categories to think of if you want to take some time to write some things out: With each one I like to look at “A) Where I am at” and “B) Where I want to be” Some of these may not apply to you and there are sure to be some not on this list you would want to include.

• Health Goals
• Personal Growth Goals
• Career Goals
• Family Relationship
• Friendship
• Hobby/Interest Goals
• Travel Goals
• My Style – Maybe you want to shake it up this year! Could be your decorating in your home or personal fashion.
• Home Improvements
• Fun
• Adventure
• Hopes and Dreams for My Life Story

Just allow yourself the gift of dreaming where you want your life to go. If you want to travel, it can happen if you put a plan in place to make it happen, and that starts with the dream. If there is something you want to build, maybe a successful business, or a dream home, or maybe its restoring life to something that needs some TLC… oh how exciting to make this the year you start that journey! Maybe its finally putting the plans in place to take care of yourself! Maybe its writing a book you’ve always wanted to write! Or maybe you are longing for friendship, or adding some new interests, or simply are tired of the status quo! I want your life to be as sweet as this bar cookie! Rich, indulgent and decadent, because your dreams matter, and they are in you for a purpose! And I don’t want any of us missing out on our own personal hopes and dreams!

May 2018 be drenched in blessings, and joy, and peace, and good health, and prosperity, and love, and new discoveries and fun for you! Have a great week my friend!

I’ll be back Friday for another Fashion Friday!

Love Always,

Amy

“Today is a perfect day to start living your dreams.”  Unknown