Every Christmas my Aunt Frances makes the most wonderful candy out of mashed potatoes and peanut butter. This is an old Irish recipe, handed down from family to family for many, many years. I asked Frances last week to write out the recipe, and here is what she gave me. Enjoy!

Irish Potato Candy

Ingredients:

• 1 Irish potato the size of a large egg
• 1 or 2 boxes of confectioner’s sugar (depending on consistency of potato when mashed)
• Peanut butter, smooth or crunchy

Preparation:

• Boil potato. Peel and mash up.
• Place in a large bowl and start adding the sugar. (I get two boxes even though I might not use but one.)
• Mix and add sugar until a firm consistency is acquired.
• Roll out “dough” as if making biscuits. Roll it fairly thin. You may have to keep sprinkling sugar to keep your roller from sticking.
• Then spread a thin coat of peanut butter all over it. (If you put it too thick, it will create too much oil and the “dough” will get too soft.)
• Start on one edge and make a roll, like a jellyroll. Gently roll until all is rolled in a log.

I usually put mine on waxed paper to roll out; and then I can just wrap it up and put it in the refrigerate until it gets firm. Maybe overnight. This makes for less handling.

Love,
Frances

Two Cds, a Cassette and a Website

First, let me tell you about the website: Heartmath.com. At the Institute of Heartmath, breakthrough scientific research is being done on how to deal with negative and debilitating emotions, lower anxiety, and achieve satisfaction in reaching one’s goals. I first heard about Heartmath when their book, Heartmath Solution, was published several years ago. This book included information on how to lower stress hormones and how to maintain emotional clarity in the midst of chaos, among much other useful scientific research on aging, and peak mental performance. (Recently I saw a piece in The Wall Street Journal outlining Heartmath’s Freeze-Frame approach to emotional control, which is discussed at length in Heartmath Solution. I highly recommend that you browse the Heartmath website to learn about the latest research in vitality, emotional control, reduced fatigue, anxiety and stress.

But now to the music: two cds and a cassette by Heartmath. (You can find these on their website.)

Heart Zones was the first music of its kind to reach Billboard Magazine’s top sales charts where it remained in the top 25 on the Adult Alternative chart for 50 consecutive weeks. Research conducted by the Institute of Heartmath confirms that individuals who listened to Heart Zones while focusing on positive emotions such as care and appreciation were found to have:

• Reduced anxiety, fatigue, and stress
• Increased Vitality
• Greater Mental Clarity
• Enhanced Intuition and Creativity

This cd is an intelligent blending of creativity and science that is most pleasant to listen to. In fact, USA Today said about Heart Zones: “It’s like a psychological cup of coffee without the side effects.”

Speed of Balance is a cassette written and produced by Heartmath that helps to energize the listener—to balance the emotional and mental natures, enhancing creativity and improving clear decision making. The sub-title of Speed of Balance is “A Musical Adventure for Emotional and Mental Regeneration.”

Quiet Joy is Heartmath’s offering for a peaceful and serene listening experience. Individuals have used this cd to reduce stress, calm young children and babies, and to aid in meditation and centering, as well as yoga and massage.

I find myself playing one or the other of these music selections almost every day, now that I have discovered them. I hope you find them as invigorating and stress-reducing as I do.

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Dr. Elizabeth Harper Neeld offers wisdom and practical insights to anyone whose life is in a time of transition, change, grief and loss of any kind. As an internationally recognized and accomplished consultant, and author of more than twenty books - including Tough Transitions and Seven Choices: Finding Daylight After Loss Shatters Your World - she is committed to work that helps lift the human spirit.