Happy New Years

Wishing you a Happy New Year From Salt Dental Practice Management:

May the New Year bring you happiness and change.

Find Salt Dental Practice Management on:

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin

Salt

Holidays are Here

Enjoy the season of giving, family and great food.

Happy Holiday

Happy Holidays From Salt Dental Practice Management

No matter where you are today and what you are doing Salt DPM hopes that you are enjoying good friends, good food and holiday fun.

Find Salt Dental Practice Management on:

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin

Salt

Holiday Treats

I usually write posts about being positive and positive work choices. In celebration of the holidays here are some recipes that I thought I would share from the Farmers' Almanac. Recipes were from My Recipes, Martha Stewart and Cooking Light. 

                  Homemade Hot Chocolate 

                           http://www.marthastewart.com/274769/hot-drink-recipes

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 1/4 cups cocoa
• 1 tablespoon table salt
• Whole milk for serving

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine sugar, cocoa, and salt, and whisk to combine well. Store the mixture in an airtight container.
   
2. For individual servings, pour 1 cup whole milk into a microwave-safe mug, and microwave on high just until hot. Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa mix, and stir to dissolve. For a larger batch of cocoa, warm the milk in a saucepan set over medium-low heat, taking care not to let the milk boil; as it warms, stir in 2 tablespoons of mix for each cup of milk.
   

Christmas Breakfast Sausage Casserole: 

Ingredients: Makes 8 servings

 

1 pound pork sausage

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 Eggs Beaten

2 cups milk

6 slices white bread, toasted and cut into cubes

8 ounces of mild cheddar cheese, shredded 

 

 

Directions

1. Crumble sausage into a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat until evenly brown; drain.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together mustard powder, salt, eggs and milk. Add the sausage, bread cubes, and cheese, and stir to coat evenly. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Cover, and bake 45 to 60 minutes. Uncover, and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until set.

Chai Tea Eggnog Cookies:
                   Ingredients

• 1 chai tea bag
• 1 (17.5-oz.) package sugar cookie mix
• 1/2 cup melted butter $
• 1 large egg $
• 4 tablespoons eggnog, divided
• Parchment paper
• Cinnamon sugar
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Remove tea leaves from tea bag; discard bag.
2. 2. Stir together tea leaves, cookie mix, butter, egg, and 2 Tbsp. eggnog until well blended.
3. 3. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Flatten dough slightly with bottom of a glass dipped in cinnamon sugar.
4. 4. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet to a wire rack, and cool completely (about 10 minutes).
5. 5. Whisk together powdered sugar, nutmeg, and remaining 2 Tbsp. eggnog until smooth. Spoon over cooled cookies.
6. Note: We tested with Tazo Chai Organic Black Tea.

Recipe from

Raspberry Linzer Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

• 7.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons), divided $
• 1 cup whole blanched almonds $
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar $
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened $
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 4 large egg yolks $
• 6 tablespoons raspberry preserves with seeds
• 2 teaspoons powdered sugar

Preparation

1. 1. Weigh or lightly spoon 2.25 ounces (about 1/2 cup) flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 2.25 ounces flour and almonds in a food processor; process until finely ground. Weigh or lightly spoon remaining 5.25 ounces (about 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) flour into a dry measuring cup. Combine almond mixture, remaining 5.25 ounces flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt, stirring well with a whisk.
2. 2. Place granulated sugar, butter, and rind in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add egg yolks; beat until well blended. Beating at low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat just until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap; knead lightly 3 times or until smooth. Divide dough into 2 equal portions; wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Chill 1 hour.
3. 3. Preheat oven to 350°.
4. 4. Roll each dough portion into a 1/8-inch thickness on a floured surface; cut with a 2-inch rectangular cookie cutter with fluted edges to form 36 cookies. Repeat procedure with remaining dough portion; use a 1-inch rectangular fluted cutter to remove centers of 36 rectangles. Arrange 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake, 1 batch at a time, at 350° for 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks.
5. 5. Spread center of each whole cookie with about 1/2 teaspoon preserves. Sprinkle cutout cookies with powdered sugar. Place 1 cutout cookie on top of each whole cookie.

Butterscotch Bars Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup packed brown sugar $
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted $
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten $
• 9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups) $
• 2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Cooking spray
• 3/4 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk $
• 1 1/4 cups butterscotch morsels (about 8 ounces)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts, toasted

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. 2. Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl. Stir in vanilla and egg. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Add oat mixture to sugar mixture; stir with a fork until combined (mixture will be crumbly). Place 3 cups oat mixture into the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray; press into bottom of pan. Set aside.
3. 3. Place sweetened condensed milk, butterscotch morsels, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until butterscotch morsels melt, stirring every 20 seconds. Stir in walnuts. Scrape mixture into pan, spreading evenly over crust. Sprinkle evenly with remaining oat mixture, gently pressing into butterscotch mixture. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. Place pan on a cooling rack; run a knife around outside edge. Cool completely.

Kathryn Conrad, Cooking Light
APRIL 2009

 Find Salt Dental Practice Management on:

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin

Salt

Positive Dog-Opportunities vs. Challenges

 








At some time in our life we will all face challenges. We have to accept this fact. When faced with an inopportune problem however, you can see it as a challenge or an opportunity.  Opportunities provide, "favorable juncture of circumstances" while challenges halt progress. Opportunities give you solutions while challenges build mountains.

When we hit an adverse situation we need to dig deep and look for how it will help us grow instead of allowing this problem to hold us back from the true opportunity that is waiting for us.  

"The Positive Dog," suggests asking yourself three questions to help turn your situation into a positive situation. 
  
                       Jon Gordon, "The Positive Dog."
1. What can I learn from this experience?
2. How can I grow from it?
3. What do I do know?

          

It is what we do with the information and the situation that turn your life around.

 "Rich and successful people are solution-oriented; they spend their time and energy strategizing and planning the answers to challenges that come up, and creating systems to make certain that problem doesnít occur again."  

                  T. Harv Eker

 Find Salt Dental Practice Management on:

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin

Salt

Visualize your future

It is easy to lose sight of what you are working for when you come into work everyday and spend your time putting out fires. Or if you are just trying to get through the work day. 

In order to improve your office, vision or your job in general you should try visualizing your dreams everyday. Spend time thinking about what you want. Create a collage and place it somewhere you look often to remind you of what you are trying to achieve and where your future is headed. 

Visualize yourself achieving the goal. Lee Iacocca said, "The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind,"(Lee Iacocca).  

When you're tired, frustrated or unfocused use your collage to get you back on track. People who write down their goals are more likely to achieve them. Create pictures of what your life will look like when you achieve your goals. How will it feel? What will be different in your life?

Commit to achieving the goal by writing down the goal. Lee Iacocca said, "The discipline of writing something down is the first step toward making it happen."

Writing your goals down helps you become committed to the goal. It holds you accountable and helps remind you of what it is that you are working towards. When you first create the goal you are attempting to achieve you need to create a plan. Your step number one should be you writing down your goal on paper. 

Holiday Fun

Here is fun recipe for the ornament to enjoy the holidays.

Spice up your office with these easy to make ornament.

 Find Salt Dental Practice Management on:

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin

Salt

Benefits of Smiling

           

   Stop and Smile!

You have probably heard people tell you if you want to change how you feel just smile more.  But a fake smile does not give you the benefits that a real smile gives you. How do you produce a genuine smile? Well, one way according to, "The Positive Dog," is to laugh. Author Jon Gordon suggests you find things to laugh about everyday all throughout the day. His story of a dog in the pound who receives special advice from a, "positive dog," brings the special touch of teaching a dog how to change his reality by creating a positive dog. When we feel down or negative it can be harder for us to find moments for us to laugh and smile about. 

In order to accomplish this goal, you must find jokes that make you laugh. Find a lot of them you can read over and over in order to enjoy life. You may even want to make a board of jokes that surround your office or your bedroom. Cover your bathroom mirror with them in order to get that laugh in first thing in the morning.

      The health benefits of smiling: 

http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongbeauty/tp/smiling.htm 


1. Smiling relieves stress.

2. Smiling makes friends

 3. Smiling boosts your immune system

4. Smiling lowers your blood pressure

5. Smiling Releases Endorphins, Natural Pain Killers and Serotonin

In order to smile more, you have to make it a habit. Everyday remind yourself to find something funny or something to smile about. Pretty soon it will be a part of who you are and you will find a shift in your world. 

 Find Salt Dental Practice Management on:

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin

Salt

What does your preception say about you?

-->

Perspective is the reality we create for ourselves. Depending on our perception of a situation will depend on the choices we make in our life.  If we have a negative perception of events then the outcome or the reality we create for ourselves is a negative one. However, if we create a positive perspective of events in our life it will create positive opportunities for us.

Being positive and looking at life through the glass is half full view isn’t something I’m very good at. It wasn’t that I didn’t want positive things in my life. I did. I would look around the world and see what others had and say to myself one day I will have that. Instead of, I’m going to achieve that now and this is how. I would read books on how to be positive and I wore shirts with positive sayings but soon a situation would happen and my positive shirt would quickly be buried under the pile of negativity.

But then I read a book that truly changed my life. It is called, “The Positive Dog.” Although this book is short its message is powerful and a book that has the ability to take you to a different place if you are open and willing to hear its message and to implement its lessons.  

The premise of the book is about a dog that has been placed in a kennel. And he spends his time complaining. Families do not want to adopt him and he finds himself sad and angry. One day another dog comes over and helps teach him lessons to change his life around.  One of the many lessons Matt (the dog learns) from Bubba (another dog) is to, “tell yourself positive stories,” (The Positive Dog, pg. 27)

You can come to work everyday and have a confrontation with co-workers. You can believe that people do not have the money to spend in your business or that your boss is being mean when he asked you to fix something. However, when you feed yourself negative stories and thoughts you create a reality of negativity that keeps you trapped.

This story further tells us that, “how you see the world defines your world.” It determines your reality, beliefs and reactions to every situation you encounter.  By changing the stories you tell yourself, you can change the world you live in.  You can create a business of positivity and success.

 Find Salt Dental Practice Management on:

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin

Salt