I recently had my annual Women’s Wellness Weekend with nine ladies from my family. It was our best weekend ever. We rented a beautiful home on the St. Croix River in Hudson, Wis. Our age range is 44 to 93, but we are all 21 at heart. The theme this year became “Birds Up!” as we all, yes all, got a calligraphy bird tattoo on our wrists. This was not planned! And had we asked at breakfast about tattoos I guarantee that five of the nine would have said when the Devil catches a cold, yet it happened.
I went first, of course. I had no idea tattoos were so quick and relatively painless. Three minutes from start to finish. Then my two aunts, Donna and Bonnie got theirs, and then my cousin Michelle. By then my Great Aunt Beverly called her husband to ask permission. Just as she was getting her “ink” my 93-year-old friend Gloria grabbed my mom and said “Come on LaVonne!” I have never seen my mom’s face go so white. She followed Gloria to do the paperwork with a look of panic on her face. Then I had to call my sister-cousin’s daughter to beg her permission so Dawn could join the group. The last holdout was my Auntie M. (Marcia) She really didn’t want to do it. So she had hers made VERY, very TINY. All are awesome. The rest of the weekend was spent yelling “Bird’s Up!” With our hands raised in the air. Even the captain on our riverboat cruise joined the fun by announcing “Birds Up!” over the intercom.
We also enjoyed a spa night of massages, facials, and foot scrubs. With wine and appetizers of course! A spinach artichoke dip to die for. Breakfasts of sourdough pancakes and cashmere pashminas. We made a handprint art tree with my favorite “Do All That You Can” John Wesley quote. Had gluten-free homemade “Fat Head” pizzas and Oatmeal Energy Balls prepared by my talented aunts.
We played dominos, relaxed in the hot tub, made Lake Superior rock art and just enjoyed the company of being together. Getting all of us together once a year is not as easy as it sounds. Two fly in from North Carolina, one comes from Las Vegas. My mom drives from the North Shore and the rest are over an hour away. By the time we get to the house it is a huge sigh of relief and three days of fun. We have already booked next year and started planning. I have to tell you, if you don’t plan it, this kind of get togethers WILL NEVER happen. And yet, they are so special and memorable, with or with out the ink! Birds Up! My friends and Peace to you.
“Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.” ~ JOHN WESLEY
Three-Cheese Hot Artichoke Dip
1 (8 ounces) block cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (14 ounces) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 green onions, sliced thin
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Dash hot sauce
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand-held electric mixer until smooth. Then beat in the mayonnaise until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and stir together until combined. Transfer the dip to a pie plate or shallow gratin dish. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and the dip is bubbling. Serve hot with crackers, tortilla chips, crostini or veggies.
Fat Head Pizza Crust
3/4 cup almond meal/flour
1 and 3/4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1 egg
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Desired pizza toppings (tomato paste or sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms, bell peppers, etc.)
Combine almond flour and mozzarella cheese in a microwave safe bowl. Add in cream cheese and cook for one minute. Stir, and cook for additional 30 seconds in microwave. Mix in egg, salt, and Italian seasoning, and stir.
Shape dough into a ball and place between two pieces of parchment paper.
Use a rolling pin on top of parchment paper to roll dough in a circular shape.
Remove the top parchment paper and slide dough onto a baking sheet or pizza stone. Bake at 425 degrees in the oven for 12-14 minutes until slightly browned.
Add any desired pizza toppings and sauce you’d like to the top of the crust. (Keep in mind, if using raw meat you’d want to cook it first before putting on pizza.) Continue cooking in oven for 5 minutes until cheese melts.
Oatmeal Energy Balls
1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I like old-fashioned)
2/3 cup toasted unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add everything to a medium bowl and mix to combine well. Stick the bowl in the fridge and let it chill for about half an hour. This resting time helps to ensure that the balls will stick together when rolled.
After the chilling time, take a tablespoon of the mixture in your hand and roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining oat mixture. If your balls aren’t sticking together after the resting period, you can add a little more honey or peanut butter, stir well, and try rolling again. Sometimes it just needs a little more of the wet ingredients to hold together well. And the moisture in the peanut butter will depend on the brand/type that you use.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks, or in the freezer much longer.