Help! The world is spinning out of control, what should I do? Eat a Chocolate Mouse!

I read more blogs than any one person should in any given day and what I find so often are recipes that literally make my mouth water. Sometimes I get busy right away gathering the ingredients from my pantry to bake or make what I found "in the blogs" because I just can't wait to taste the yummy goodness someone shared in their blog. A friend shared this recipe with me and I thought it was worthy of sharing in my blog. You can choose to use only a few of the ingredients, or all of them. I guarantee you, if you leave anything out you will miss the full flavor and aroma waiting for you in this journey of ours...LIFE! (Enjoy making the chocolate mice with someone you love.)

Help! The world is spinning out of control, what do I do?
A recipe for a healthy life...(and a little something extra)

• Take a 10-30 minute walk every day and while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant. You'll be surprised how many people smile back!
  

• Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Talk to God about what is going on in your life. Lock the door, take the phone off the hook, turn off your cell.

• When you wake up in the morning say to yourself: My purpose is to______today. I am thankful for______.

• Eat more foods that grow on trees and on vines and in the ground. Eat less food that is made "in" a plant and not on it.
  

• Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli , almonds & walnuts.
  

• Try to make at least three people smile every day beginning with yourself.

• Don't waste your precious energy on gossip or the energy vampires: issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive, present moment.
  

• Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out credit card.
  

• Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

• Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

• Don't take yourself so seriously, no one else does.

• You are not so important that you have to win every argument, agree to disagree.
  

• Make peace with your past to have a peaceful present.
  

• Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea where their journey has taken them or where they will be going.
  

• No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

• Frame every "so-called" disaster with these words: 'In a few years, will this really matter?
  

• Forgive everyone for everything, beginning with yourself and everyone you love.

• What other people think of you is none of your business. What you think of them is only yours.

• However good or bad a situation happens to be, it will change with time.

• Your job won't take care of you when you are sick, your friends and family will, so stay in touch!
  

• Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

• Each night before you go to bed say: I am thankful for____. Today I accomplished _____.
  

• Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed. LET GO, LET GOD.
  

• When you are feeling down, think about your many blessings. You'll see the hand of God everywhere in your life.

It's Ash Wednesday today. A good time for all of us to get back to the basics in life and in thought. Spend more time with everyone you love, and sometimes don't love, because it's the little things that mean a lot. Talk to GOD in everything you do. He's interested, really. As our Holy Father He wants to be included in our lives just as you are interested in the lives of your friends and family.

Our world may seem to be spinning out of control but remember...it rests in the palm of His hand.

I'm ending this blog entry of mine with a recipe for something that will fit in the palm of your hand, but not for long or it will melt, besides they taste just too good...trust me! These are quick, easy and oodles of fun to make with kids. Remember, it's the little things that mean a lot...

Little, chocolate mice

• 4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
• 1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
  
• 1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (Oreos work great)
  

What you will need to bring the little guys to life

• 1/3 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (to roll your mice in for their fur)
  
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar (for white mice)
  
• 24 silver dragees decorating candy (for the little eyes)
  
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds (for the ears)
  
• 12 (2 inch) pieces long red vine licorice (for their tails)
• cinnamon candies for their noses. I like to save some from Valentine's Day to make tiny, heart noses
  

1. Melt the chocolate, and combine with vanilla yogurt. Stir in 1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs. Cover and refrigerate until firm. I like to keep most of the dough in the fridge and just a little on my work surface as I make these guys. Once the dough gets too warm it's a bit messy.
   
2. Roll by level tablespoonfuls into balls. Mold to a slight point at one end (the nose).
   
3. Roll dough in confectioners sugar (for white mice), and in chocolate cookie crumbs (for dark mice). On each mouse, place dragees in appropriate spot for eyes, almond slices for ears, and a licorice string for the tail.
4. Refrigerate for at least two hours, until firm.

If you don't have the yogurt handy, you can use peanut butter for an especially yummy variation. Once you have the basic dough made, use your imagination!

For presentation, you can line a shoe box with foil for a little house. I've placed my mice in toasted coconut (shown). You can also sprinkle chocolate jimmies here and there to make it look like they've been in their box for a while.