Happiness book announcement 📣.
Today is the first day of spring and the a hashtag event calendar day for #InternationalDayofHappiness.
It’s also coincidentally the weekend of my happiness book release. And I have a spring roll (swiss cake roll recipe to share below 🍥) to celebrate the occasion.
Up to now, most of us have learned to be more patient with the world, and uniquely in our individual lives. For better health and to enjoy your day, it’s better to celebrate what you have. Time today is a gift.
In the wait, focus on the positive things. You are a day closer to your destiny and joy if you decide to focus on love, beauty, and growth that you can find evidence all around in spring and nature.
In my muse and self-reflection today, I’m tickled (and a bit relieved) that my happiness book, Empowered Happiness, that I started editing last summer is completed and available now. I had intended for the book to be published last year.
I started writing in 2019, but for all kinds of start and stop reasons, I didn’t make the deadline. …and now I understand why it takes most authors more than a year to publish a book that has nothing to do with procrastination or writer’s block 😊
You know how things always take longer than you expect… my happiness book project was no different.
On the other side now, I see how slow cooking a book takes patience but produces a better, heart-filled, and soulful meal (end-product) than microwaving can ever produce. (…and as a writer, we prefer “simmering” over “nuking” and also the rhyming words associated).
When asked yesterday in a phone interview why I wrote the happiness book, I was stunned by what came out of my calm thoughts, mind, and mouth.
Like you, if you choose, I’m here to impact others’ lives with the gifts and opportunities I’ve been given. With the book, I aspire to impact readers in their own lives, no matter what stage they’re in as I know others have gone through similar experiences as I have. The mentors that I’ve turned to, time and time again, have been self-help books. And this is my way of giving it back as a writer and mentor advocate.
Everything else is gravy.
We all need each other for validation and can learn from one another about authentic living in this beautifully organized, delicate, and sometimes complicated Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs place we share called Life on Earth.
With what you can do, you just never know how you can positively impact someone else with similar or different backgrounds.
While piecing together my happiness book, I decided to include a childhood story about an older neighborhood kid who put on an Easter egg hunt. What suddenly happened that day, impacted my life and helped put a memorable smile on my face, like colorful confetti or rainbow sprinkles can.
You never know what an ordinary day can bring. Maybe I’ll get a chance to put on a surprising egg hunt someday and you’ll get a chance to plan or suddenly impact your local community in a way you never imagined.
Make it a great first day of spring… and if you think about it, reach out to someone you haven’t talked to for months. They may just be waiting for your text, call, or a nudge of encouragement that only you can give ♥
I was inspired to bake this spring imprime cake roll from watching an episode from The Great British Bake Off. Enjoy! 🍒
Spring Sponge Swiss Cake Roll
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup plain flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1.4 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp salt (or pinch of salt)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- 1/3 cup granulated or monk fruit sugar
- Filling (Jam or Greek yogurt for healthy version)
Instructions
- Separate egg whites from yolks. Tip: it's easier to separate eggs cold and straight from the fridge. Then let them warm to room temperature.
- In a bowl, beat egg yolks and add in sugar. Add water and vanilla.
- In the same bowl, add flour to make a slightly thick batter.
- In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold in fluffy egg whites.
- Pour on rectangular baking sheet (Silpat recommended).
- Level with a spatula or knife. Then bake at 325°F for about 12-15 minutes. Watch closely toward the end. Look for when the cake is set/baked. If thinner, browning on edges can happen quickly after the 12 minute mark.
- Immediately peel off Silpat-lined pan onto a tea towel.
- Roll into a spiral log while warm-fresh-out-of-the-oven.
- Let cool in fridge for 20 or more minutes.
- Unroll and cut off ends.
- Add filling of choice (Greek yogurt for healthy) and then roll cake back up.