My “Elmo” Christmas!

Guess who stopped by my house on Christmas Day? One of my favorite Sesame Street characters…Elmo!  I think Elmo is so cute and adorable that I had to ask  Santa if he could stay with me.  Santa said I was a good girl this year (wink) so he granted my wish.

Elmo sings, tells stories, dances, cracks jokes and will keep audiences young and old entertained.  I love him, my parents think he’s quite interesting and I believe my husband is contemplating getting me a therapist. Whatever!!!

It was my christmas wish and it came true.  The magic of the holidays is that you’re never too young or too old to have your little dreams(or big dreams) come true. I guess I’m still a kid at heart and that’s why Elmo’s entrance on Christmas day put a big cheesy smile on my face.

Hope you had a great holiday and may your new year be filled with peace, happiness and a little bit of Elmo!!

Take Care,

Danita

Your Christmas Wish!

Happy Holidays to all of you!!

Christmas is just a few days away and I’m excited!  I’ve always loved this time of year because it’s a time for family and friends to come together and share in the Christmas spirit.

My wish this year is that we would all try to love one another. Show kindness to strangers, and speak an encouraging word to someone who is sad or depressed this holiday season.  There  are a lot of people who experience depression during this time of year and a smile or a hug goes a long way!

So what’s your christmas wish? Write back and let me know!

Take Care,

Danita

Dr. Valerie Cooper is unstoppable!

She was declared legally blind at the age of thirty two.

Despite that, in 1984 she founded the Greater Cleveland Tutorial and Training center and has helped thousands of high schools students and residents of her east cleveland neighborhood, improve their computer and medical technical skills.

Doctors told her, her mission was impossible. But  this woman is unstoppable.

Dr. Cooper has earned four doctoral degrees and travels all across the country lecturing and teaching. She also plans and develops religious word conferences for churches in Baltimore, Indiana and the Cleveland area. 

For more information on this program call 216-249-2711 or you can e-mail Dr. Cooper at valerie6639@sbcglobal.net  

If you missed my Woman2Woman segment last night, here’s Dr. Cooper’s incredible story.

http://www.newsnet5.com/video/18300128/index.html

 

Take Care,

Danita

 

 

Your Newscast

If you could program a newscast what would you put in it? Would you always lead with a good positive story? How about crime?  Would it be filled with strictly local stories or would you sprinkle a few national stories in there?

You are the producer. Share your “ideal” newscast with me! I’m sure you have some great ideas.

Take care,

Danita

Oprah Keeps It Real!

 

 

There’s a lot of talk about Oprah’s latest weight confession.  Once again she admits she’s not perfect. All of us watched her weight gain this past year and probably wondered at times what was going on.

Well, Oprah has come clean about her eating and thyroid problems and she wants to do better. Haven’t we all been there in some area of our lives?  You started out with good intentions and somewhere along the way you fell off the wagon.

Now, I know there are some who would say she’s filthy rich, she has a personal chef, doctors at her fingertips, and all the exercise equipment a person could want.  And you’re right. But remember, just because Oprah is wealthy doesn’t negate the fact that she is HUMAN!

Have we lost sight of that when it comes to celebrities? They are not perfect. No matter how much we try to make them out to be. And sometimes even they try to make themselves appear to be perfect.  But at the end of the day, we all put our pants on one leg at a time. We are all HUMAN!

I applaud her for sharing this part of her life with us. She didn’t have to. Oprah says she’s doing this because there are millions of people who can relate to her situation. Maybe it’s not weight. Maybe  it’s something else that’s challenging you. The truth is, we ALL have something!!

Everyone seems to have an opinion about this.  I would love to hear yours! So, what do you think about Oprah’s latest confession????????

Take Care,

Danita

Marcella Boyd Cox…Celebrate Life!

The adjectives that come to mind when I think of Marcella Boyd Cox are vibrant, inspirational, and driven.  Marcella’s family owns one of the oldest funeral homes in Cleveland.  She is a licensed funeral director and the Chief Marketing Officer for E.F. Boyd and Son Funeral Home.  She loves what she does and it shows!

But don’t you think for one minute that this woman is dull, boring,  or gloomy. No way! She celebrates life and encourages others to do the same. One can’t help but to feel positive around her because her energy is contagious.

In case you missed her story tonight on my Woman2Woman segment, click on the link below and listen to this dynamic woman of faith!

http://www.newsnet5.com/video/18239725/index.html

Take care!

Danita

Paula Deen saves the day!

I almost forgot to give you a Thanksgiving day update.  In a previous blog entry I said I wanted to make SPAM gumbo for the family. Some of you encouraged me to go for it. Others…well let’s just say you thought Tom Turkey would be enough.

Well,  my husband pleaded with me to let the SPAM thing go. His parents were coming and some close friends would be there ,and passing a bowl of SPAM around the table was unthinkable to him. So, I came up with another idea to make a corn souffle. I love corn and I figured I couldn’t mess it up.

Paula Deen from the Food Network reminds me of my grandmother when she would cook. Her southern approach to cooking food just draws me in every time I watch her show. So when I started looking for a corn souffle recipe, I went straight to her website.

I found her recipe, printed it out, bought the ingredients and was ready to go!  As I was preparing the dish on Thanksgiving Day, I heard remarks from family members like “Danita, please don’t do it to us”,  “Danita, are you sure you know what you’re doing”, “Danita, what do you mean you’ve never made a corn souffle before”.

Doubters, Doubters, Doubters!!!  Well, the proof is in the souffle I guess because once it was done they were all begging me for the recipe!!!  The doubters turned into believers!  The corn souffle was a hit!  It was really easy to make and it was a wonderful addition to our Thanksgiving spread. Paula Deen didn’t let me down. 

Paula makes cooking fun and she puts a lot of love and “butter” into her meals. Here’s the recipe for her corn souffle. Try it. You’ll love it!

Ingredients:

1 15 1/4-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
1 14 3/4-ounce can cream-style corn
1 8-ounce package corn muffin mix (recommended Jiffy)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
Shredded Medium Cheddar Cheese

Directions

In a large bowl, stir together the two cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and butter.  Pour into a greased casserole.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Top with generous amount of cheddar cheese and return to oven for another 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

Yield:  6 to 8 servings
Preparation time:  10 minutes
Cooking time:  45-60 minutes

Enjoy!

Danita

Ashley’s Song

Tonight’s Woman 2 Woman segment featured a young lady that inspires me to never give up and to always have faith. Ashley Nemeh is not just a wonderful singer but she is a person of faith. Her faith in God keeps her strong and focused on her purpose.

Her angelic tones and humble demeanor touches everyone who hears her.  Ashley is a very well rounded person who loves to encourage people to be their best.  She has a CD called “No Greater Love”. Go to her website www.ashleynemehcd.com  for more information on how you can purchase it. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

 I really enjoyed talking to Ashley about her  life and her love for music. I believe you will enjoy hearing her story as well.

Click on the link below and watch Ashley’s Song.

http://www.newsnet5.com/video/18190409/index.html

Take  Care,

Danita

Holiday Blahs!

  

 

Don’t tell me you’re already down about the holidays!!! Believe it or not I’ve had a few people complain about the materialism of Christmas. Hey, don’t let society dictate to you how your Christmas should be. Keep it simple.  Don’t go into Christmas debt trying to please everybody. Stick to your budget and focus on what’s important.

Spend time with family and friends. Make cookies and drink eggnog. Take a walk around Legacy Village or Crocker Park at night with some friends and sip hot chocolate. Try volunteering at a senior center or a women’s shelter. How about sponsoring a family in need this Christmas. There are so many things you can do to pep up your spirits.

So, what do you do to celebrate the holidays? Has Christmas become too commercialized?  I’m interested in hearing your thoughts!

Take Care,

Danita