Eve

                                                2     cups powdered sugar                                           

                                                1/4  cup whipping cream                                           

                                                1      cup packed brown sugar                                           

                                                1/2  cup butter or margarine

                                                1      tablespoon ground cinnamon                                           

                                                2   cups Bisquick Heart Smart® mix                                           

                                                1 1/3   cups milk                                           

                                                1     egg                                           

                                                1/2  cup raisins                                  

 

In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and 1/4 cup whipping cream with whisk; set icing aside.

 In 2-quart saucepan, cook brown sugar, butter and cinnamon over medium heat, stirring often, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm

In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, milk and egg with fork or whisk until blended. Stir in raisins.

Heat griddle or skillet over medium-high heat (375°F). Grease griddle with vegetable oil if necessary (or spray with cooking spray before heating). For each pancake, pour about 2 tablespoons batter onto hot griddle. Cook until edges are dry and bubbles form on top. Turn and cook other sides until golden brown.

Serve pancakes stacked with warm cinnamon mixture between each pancake. Drizzle with icing.

Wow! I can’t believe it is that time again–THE Ultimate Blog Party is upon us and you can feel the electricity running across the internet.

My name is Evelyn Leon and I am Super Spice.   I have been a Watkins associate for 15 years and officially disabled for a year.  You can read more about my 3 year ongoing battle to find out what is robbing me of my once active lifestyle here.

This is a photo of one of my procedures which you can read more about here.

I live in Michigan  with my fiance Craig , with his two cats, Dude and Shadow, and part time with his 15 yr old twins. My father lives about 2 hours from me and his constant companion is my dog Aila.

Eve and Craig

We are in Myrtle Beach last Spring break. It was a rough drive through the mountains on my head, but worth it.  Craig and I had a chance to have a date night.

 

 

 

 

 

Craig's Twins Jack and Sydney

 

Shadow and his fuzzy friends

 

Dude checking on the laundry

 

My precious Aila

 

Believe me I am so happy that past “ideas” are not correct, such as MS, a brain tumor, but when you are a on the go, non-stop energy type, skidding to a stop is hard. And when it stops the forward motion in your personal life, it is crushing.

In June of 2011, I went to see a doctor at Michigan Headache & Neurology Institute. It was pretty quick in the visit that she felt I was way past an outpatient relieve, and it was determined I was going to go in the hospital for about 2 weeks.  A snafu in my insurance, pushed it to December.

I thought it would never come, but finally I was admitted. What was neat was this was just a 20 bed wing of the hospital, we could wear out own clothes, and it was a team of about 15 doctors who were looking at your case along with the main doctor. If you ever watched the tv show “House”, it is that on steroids.

I had some tests done, but mostly I was testing different medication combinations that showed some relief. It took forever to find something that worked, but I did leave with 9 medications to do something.  After having a facet block, and some muscle relaxants, my neck “released” and it seemed to allow the medicine to go to work on breaking  up my headache.  Now instead of one massive headache on the left side of my head, I now had two headaches, both their own identities, which is weird feeling. But this was progress!

The experience in the hospital was love/hate. I wasn’t prepared to see my doctor and his team for a minute or less a day.  Yep you read that correctly. Some people walked in to the conference room, and walked back out, I don’t see how they could have sat down let alone gotten a consultation. I hardly got to say anything, he looked over the chart, and then sent me back out. It was only with someone coming to get me did I know I had tests. The nursing staff was fabulous! I have never had such kind and gentle people take care of me.

I left with a routine of 9 medications. As long as my neck is not immobile in a muscle spasm, the meds get through. I am thankful that I found my doctor and someone who isn’t afraid to just go for it and also listens to her patient. My next appointment is 6 weeks and I am excited to see where we are then.

Rose and I were double trouble from the minute we met. She was a store manager at a new store that was opening, and I was the operations manager who came out to get her store set up, and worked there with them for 2 weeks. We clicked, and werepeas in a pod even after I went back to my store, which was just 60 miles away. We got together when we could, and at company meetings and conventions we laughed and laughed, and had such a great time.

We were with each other in good and bad times. Even when we both left the company, we got together and had fun! she was soo excited to become a grandma for the first time ( a young grandma…), and a few years later a second time.

Rose had been dealt some bad hands in life, but she met them all with a smile and energy that lit up the room. She had a rare blood disease (that would not be what would be her death, and she always found that funny) and had to take these horrific shots every month that she was in such pain for days. She had a bad first marriage, issues from her childhood, but she never ever let any of that bring her down.  If only we all could take a lesson from her…

I am not new to losing someone. My mother passed in 1999 suddenly. I have lost aunts and uncles, and a cousin. This was my first friend, and it felt different. Rose is only a couple years older than I am. I think it made me feel your time can be up at anytime.

Live your life as if it were your last. Love the ones around you. And be sure to laugh and dance as much as possible.

Ease your frustration and simply flip the bottle over and squeeze away!

Chocolate Berry Pound Cake with Whipped Berry Cream

The JR Watkins Naturals Baby Care line is something you can use on your precious little one without worry. Made with ingredients as wholesome and harmless as your baby, our Baby Line is free of synthetic preservatives, fragrances, and dyes. With products to soothe, nourish, and cleanse, we’ve got every inch of your baby covered.

Baby Oil: Natural oils lock in moisture. Perfect for infant massage, Essence of Fresh Shea and Rice Flower. 4 oz 100% Natural

Baby Wash: Dual-purpose, tear-free formula is great for hair and body.  Natural glucosides and glyerin create a luxurious lather.  Convenient pump dispenser. Essence of Fresh Shea and Rice Flower. 8 oz. 100% Natural.

Baby Lotion: Shea butter and sunflower seed oil provide lightweight moisture. Essence of Fresh Shea and Rice Flower. 8 oz

Soothing Baby Balm: Calendula and chamomile extracts soothe and calm minor skin irritations. Convenient stick application.  Fragrance free. .6 oz 100% Natural

The line is comparable with other natural lines such as Burt’s Bees, Nature’s Baby Organics, Earth’s Best (Jason) to name a few.  To see a chart of how we compare, please click here.

The Baby Line is not just for babies!  This gentle line is especially great for anyone with sensitive skin. I personally am finding great relief from the lotion and wash, which I use both on my face, as well as body.  My skin is hyper-sensitive from the many medications I am on, and I find such an “Ahhhhh” using these two.

Another one of my friends is using the baby balm on her lips. She says her lips feel fantastic, and soft.

One customer is using the balm on her cuticles.

Please give this line a try.

Serves: 6