Positivity Project

Power of Positivity

During this time of the unknown and the scary, an opportunity has presented itself for us to come together. Distance is irrelevant. As a matter of fact, social distancing is a MUST. But – that doesn’t mean we can’t come together and pass along positivity and help each other thru.

I will use my blog to post positive things. Things are defined as videos, pictures, craft ideas, recipes, anecdotal stories. Anything that doesn’t focus on the negative of our healthcare scare, economy, and politics.

Would love for everyone to get involved and share how they are getting thru. How are they staying close to family and friends, how are they getting thru the day and keeping busy? Share fun stories from now or when you were younger.

You can share your positivity in the comments or send me a direct message and you can send me a blog post. Let's do this together!

Let’s start with Camping Brownies. What? What are camping brownies?

So glad you asked.

Camping Brownies are the best brownies! It's a recipe my grandmother, Maxine (AKA Mad Max) has made since I was a kid. My grandmother is 95 years young and the heart of our family. Not to mention a terrific cook and baker.

I share this recipe for you all to try as part of our Positivity Project.

Why are they called camping brownies? Good question. Because my grandma used to bake them for our camping trips. Camping with my grandparents used to be a summertime activity us kids loved. And the brownies were one of the many highlights.
Can you say YUMMY!!!!

Camping Brownie Recipe:

·         4 eggs
·         1 cup flour
·         1 cup sugar
·         1 stick butter
·         16 oz. Hershey’s chocolate syrup
·         ¼ tsp. salt

Instructions:

·         Melt butter, beat eggs and mix together.
·         Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Camping Brownie Topping:

·         1 1/3 cup sugar
·         6 tablespoons butter
·         6 tablespoons or 1/3 cup milk

Instructions:
·         Boil all the above ingredients for 30 seconds – stirring. Take off heat.
·         Add ½ cup chocolate chips.
·         Beat until it will spread on cooled brownies.

We made these for my grandmother's 95th birthday and they are as good now as they were then.

Enjoy!! And feel free to share a childhood or family recipe of one of your favorite treats as a kid.

Thanks to a running friend

As I was driving in to work today and making my mother laugh on the phone, a thought struck me. I owe my running obsession; I prefer the word passion, to my friend Tony.

Tony is a runner and has been for many years and an inspiration. If not for Tony encouraging me to sign up for a half marathon in Ireland last year (my favorite spot in the world), I would never have run my first half marathon. I ran my first half marathon last February just to get an idea of what it would be like before I traveled across the ocean to Dingle. I cursed Tony every day for six weeks after the race in February. That’s how long it took me to recuperate and before I could walk without wincing.

By the time I did the run in Ireland six months later, I wasn’t cursing Tony out, but was smiling the entire way and recuperated very quickly (three days). This time I had to thank Tony for getting me to sign up for the Dingle half marathon and proving to myself that I could do it.

Tony has encouraged me every step of the way. He offers advice from his own experience and listens when I tell him something new I’ve learned or when I share my latest running feat. I think he secretly laughs at me because I am like a kid in a candy store, eating up every race I can find and getting so excited when I set a new PR (personal record).

Tony still gets me to sign up for more. He helped push me into signing up for my first marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon in October. Don’t you love friends like this?

Honestly, he’s the best and I want to thank Tony for his words of encouragement and his support as my passion for running keeps growing. Thanks for helping me achieve that runner’s high.