Bless Your Pea Pickin' Heart - Whoopie Pie Recipe

Nothing brings on Spring like flowers.  I love pansies.  They get a bad rap with that name! They are not delicate. They are the toughest bloomers I've ever met.   Pansies last through a harsh winter, hunkering down under the snow, and pop their beautiful petals until the Summer sun beats them down.  And they are edible unlike the shamrocks I put on my husband's birthday whoopie pies.  Happy to report that he is still kickin.    

This recipe is from my Grandma Helen Bessie Cecil who is like the pansy, beautiful and resilient.   It's called Pea PIckin' Cake.  Pea pickin' is a term from a country song by Tennessee Ernie Ford. It is a term of endearment because we grow peas in the South and pick them, shell them, and eat them off the vine, so thus, "bless your pea-pickin' little ol' heart."  There are not any peas in the recipe.  That would be gross.  Bless you.

Pea PIckin' Whoopie Pies

1 box butter cake mix
1 can 15 oz mandarin oranges-  drained
4 eggs
1/2 c vegetable oil

Beat ingredients and pour into whoopie pans.  Or bake in 3 x 8" cake pans for cake.
Cook at 350 degrees: 15 minutes for the whoopies.  Cook 25 minutes for cake. 
Toothpick should come out clean.  Cake is super moist.  Cool thoroughly before frosting.

Frosting
8 oz cool whip (or whipped cream)
Large can crushed pineapple - drained
1 small instant vanilla pudding
Beat ingredients.  Spread on the love between layers.

Glaze:
1/2 cup confectionery sugar
2 tablespoons hot water
2 drops yellow food coloring
Adjust glaze with confectioners sugar to get a consistency that will "set up."
Top with flowers.  Pansies were purchased at Whole Foods.

Bless Your Pea Pickin' Heart!

ADDICTED TO "BUSY"

A DAY IN THE LIFE:  husband. two kids. dog. business. friends. social life. errands. soccer. lacrosse. swim practice. birthday presents. after school activities. meetings. workouts. love. sex. marketing.  comedy. positive psychology classwork. social media. spiritual time. reading. fun. cooking. cleaning. traffic. workshops. parents. family. love. joy. self care. bath. grocery store. research. writing. eat. sleep. smile. coaching. planning. recharge time.

The above list identifies my day.  They are not in the order of importance or we all know fun would be first.  Our culture is so busy.  We are frazzled, don't turn off our cell phones, and we are running every which way.  WE ARE DEPLETED.  

Hi, my name is Cyndy and I'm addicted to "being busy."  I volunteer for this group and that effort.  I over-commit.   It's something I constantly work on and have been better until a recent over scheduled Winter season.  I've become a drill sergeant for my kids telling them to get their water bottle, hurry up, we have 5 minutes to get to the afternoon's activity.  ENOUGH!   I'm going down, I'm going TIMBER.  

We would do well to remember that we choose how our day rolls out.  A few years ago I "minimized" for a summer, only doing what I had to do.  I found that I was able to be much more present with my friends and family.  I wasn't scattered.  Using the advice from a woman and coach I adore, Barbara Stanny, she suggested I keep a "receiving journal."  http://barbarastanny.com  I wrote down feelings that I received from my day and it guided me on how I wanted to plan my future.  It was transformative.  And I learned that it is of utmost importance to make time for myself. 

So I challenge you to take a SPRING BREAK FOR THE SOUL and recharge your batteries.  Schedule daily time to take care of yourself. They say teachers teach what they need to learn.  Here I go.  Join me in this effort.

VIDEO:  ASK CYNDY - HOW TO GIVE "OVERWHELM" THE WHOOP POW!

And if you would like more in-person ideas, join me at an upcoming workshop: 

GET UNSTUCK USING POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY WITH A SPLASH OF WHOOP POW Saturday, 3/29/14 in Bethesda, MD, 1-4p.  If you ever feel like life is so busy, you wanna pull your hair out, this gathering is for you.  If you feel frazzled and sometimes stuck on how to move forward, get your bootie in this class.  Join me in this three hour play-shop for some creative ways to problem solve using positive psychology tools with a splash of whoop POW.  Fun is involved.  Hair pulling is not.  For more information and registration:  http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e90qxl4p2091c367&llr=u87xkypab

Bring on Spring

ASK CYNDY - BEAT THE WINTER BLUES WITH THIS CAN OF WHOOP POW!

Finally, the Spring Equinox is just around the corner on March 20^th.   Cyndy, The Whoopie Queen, is here with ideas on how to shake off the winter blues.  The video above has three quick steps to bring in more sunshine using positive psychology with a splash of whoop pow.

Here are a few more ideas that I'll be sharing on my March Let's Talk Live TV appearance next week:

1. Get Lucky. 

Believe good fortune is coming your way.  St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner which has me thinking about luck.  In the book The Luck Factor there is a quiz and great tips on how to grow your luck.  How you feel about your good fortune influences what comes into your life. Perspective is everything.  See the picture below...turn it upside down.  

2.  Create a Happy Hour.  

The times, they are a changing.  Spring forward is here.  How about using it as a symbol to do something more productive with our time?!  Gretchen Rubin, author The Happiness Project, suggests creating a Power Hour to do forgotten chores once a week. No thanks. I suggest Happy Hour EVERY DAY that is used for self care. Recharge the batteries and reset your happy clock by taking time to call a friend, go for a walk, take a bath, meditate.

3.  Spring Clean Your Relationships.

• Let go of relationships that don’t support your dreams. 

• Surround yourself with people who reflect the person you want to be.  

 
4.  Grow Something Pretty. 
Here are 33 irresistibly Spring-rific things to inspire you.  http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/irresistibly-spring-diys