This might come as a shock to you, but I wasn't always a professional artist. In fact, there were years when my creative talents were geared more to making a home than making art. Creativity will NOT be stopped. It simply must seep out through the pores of a creative person (I believe we are All creative in our own ways).

Cooking and baking were once my main passionately creative outlets. That's why I enjoy sharing my recipes with the you. 

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE to eat cranberries! I like fresh cranberry muffins,  fresh cranberry bread,  fresh cranberry relish, and fresh cranberry sauce.

Fresh! That is the key word! The Cranberries MUST be FRESH. And that only happens once a year. Now!

Every year I wait for cranberry season to arrive — it is frightfully short here in Hawai‘i!

The folks at the grocery store are beginning to know me as the cranberry fanatic. I ask for them weeks before they are here, knowing full well they will be gone before December first rolls around. That is why I buy up and freeze bags of Fresh Cranberries every year. 

You HAVE tasted Fresh Cranberries, right? Yes, they are tart, AND they are filled with vitamin C and fiber. They are the “good-for-you, healthy fruit.”

Try my recipe for Foolproof, Fresh, Hawaiian-style Cranberry Relish and you will be hooked — I promise. 

Foolproof, Fresh, Hawaiian-style Cranberry Relish

1 Cup Orange Juice

½-1 Cup sugar (I use ½ C, but you can use up to one cup)

1 Bag Fresh Cranberries

¼ Fresh Pineapple cut into bite-size pieces (substitute 1 small can of pineapple OR 1 apple OR 1 orange)

½ C chopped Mac Nuts (walnuts are a good substitute)

Cinnamon to taste

Bring the juice and sugar to a boil and add the remaining ingredients. Turn heat to medium, and cook for ten minutes, stirring every few minutes. Watch your stove, you don’t want this to boil over! Enjoy!

Remember, if you live here in Hawai‘I, Please save a few bags of fresh cranberries for me. I haven't stocked up just yet!

 It was a Sunday morning and I'd just taken a shower. I turned on the radio to listen to it while I got ready for the beach. We go to Bellows Beach almost every Sunday; I almost NEVER turn on the radio on Sunday.

This was a Sunday where the slightest change in my routine would have a profound effect on the rest of my life.

Okay, so I’m being a little melodramatic, but I want to make a point. What I heard on the radio that Sunday was, and is, really important. That’s why I’m sharing it with you here today. When I turned on the radio, I heard Dr. Gay Hendricks discussing his latest book, The Big Leap.

More specifically, what Dr. Hendricks was discussing is what he calls “The Upper Limit Problem”.

About two weeks before I heard him speaking on the radio, I was on the beach (hello, I live in Hawai‘i) and was aware that I had been feeling REALLY good lately.

My paintings were turning out to my satisfaction, I was very happy in my relationship, I had had a good month of sales, the weather was beautiful (okay so that’s not unusual here), and I felt on top of the world.

My very next thought was “Oh s—t, I’m in for a period of feeling down again.”

Really, I remember thinking those exact words. Not only that, I remember having had this same kind of situation happen to me more than once before.

My friends, this is the kind of Upper Limit Problem Dr. Hendricks has addressed in his new book, The Big Leap. The REALLY good news is Dr. Hendricks has included solid advice on what to do once you recognize your upper limit so you too can expand beyond your comfort zone and enter your zone of genius.

Buy it! Now! Then read it — at least once! I’m on my second reading now.

Essentially Dr. Hendricks postulates that we all have varying set points of comfort, our very own comfort zones. These zones are often unconscious and were set early in our lives. As long as we operate within our zones of comfort, we feel good. When we stretch our limits, we start to feel bad and sabotage ourselves back into our zone of comfort.

This is precisely what I did for myself that day on the beach when I realized how happy I was. I had over-reached my zone of happiness. Something inside myself said, “Oh no you don’t. You are NOT allowed to feel this good for this long. Something bad will happen to you, OR it will happen to someone you love.”

I have NO idea when that “demon” took up residence in my brain, but thanks to Dr. Hendricks and The Big Leap, I am happy to report that she is on her way out!

This book is a fast, easy read, and YOU are worth it! Go. Now. Either check it out of the library or buy it for yourself. You’ll be glad you did.

All happy now, 

Patrice

Who among us does not want to be recognized or picked? I’m not referring to your exterior self, but about being seen as the wonderful, loving, core person that you know you are within.

At one time or another, we have all had trouble remembering to see ourselves this way. Sometimes, when the outside world gets demanding, we forget who the real person is within us. Is that why the painting speaks to you?

Do you remember when you were a child? You used to raise your hand in grade school because you wanted to be picked. There was always someone in class who had all the answers. Their arm was held so high they were practically levitating out of their desk. Their hand was waving back and forth as “ooh, ooh” eeked out of their scrunched-up face. They KNEW the answer. They wanted to be SEEN, to be picked, and so did you.

“Me, Me, Pick Me!” Now it is YOUR turn to be called upon.

Do you remember those times you found yourself sliding down in the chair trying to become invisible instead of sitting up tall to be seen? Do you ever feel the need, even today, to be picked, to be the chosen one? I suspect that most of us do.

Now is the time to remember who you are. Now is the time to be visible not invisible, and not only to yourself but to the rest of the world, too. The world wants to meet you, to know your thoughts, to hear your words. We want to feel your heartfelt voice. Come on, raise your hand. Let us pick you. Step up, it is your turn.

Raise your hand, not just metaphorically! Show yourself and the rest of the world that you are here, that you have the answer, that you are relevant, that YOU matter!

If this painting reminds you of your joyful child within, or if you know a teacher, a friend, or a parent who will appreciate that same feeling, this will make an excellent “end-of-the-school-year gift” from you. To order your prints, go to: The Shop Page

To download the article "Me, Me, Pick Me!" and receive your yummy Coconut Custard Pie Recipe, click here.

This is one of my mom’s new favorite recipes. Try it, you’ll love it too, it’s easy, fast, fun, and delicious!

To download the recipe along with the article "Me, Me, Pick Me!" click here.

Beat 4 eggs
Add 3/4 C sugar and continue to beat
Add 1/4 C flour (I used WW flour), and 1 1/4 tsp
baking powder
Add 2 C milk, 1 tsp vanilla,
1/4 C melted butter,
and 1 C coconut

Pour into a glass pie pan sprayed with “pam” and bake at 350º for 1 hour 5 min.The pie makes its own crust. The coconut floats to the top, the sugars caramelize, and turn a lovely golden brown.

YUMMY!