Iced Japanese Coffee Jelly Cooler, Breaks, & Priority Lifehacks

Iced Japanese Coffee Jelly Cooler. Take a break. You deserve it.

Iced Japanese Coffee Jelly Cooler. Yummy.

Iced Japanese Coffee Jelly Cooler, Breaks, & Priority Lifehacks

Originally Published Sept 20, 2022

The start of the school year is a hectic, exciting, and sometimes a hilariously, befuddling maze for us parents, just as it can be for students. My daughter has two color coded calendars on my phone. She’s 5. Just wanting her to be a kid, I’ve made it a priority to make sure she has tons of free time to just explore life. In spite of my best intentions, I admit it. I gave up trying to micromanage, after the start of the school year. There were too many pressing issues vying for my attention. I knew the best way to attend to her was to honor a few commitments and be as relaxed around her as possible. It’s taken me years to understand that the only way I could be fully present for life, work, and personal commitments was to look at my color coded calendar and “To Do” lists like a ruthlessly, organized CEO.

Like most fully functioning adults, I’m continually learning that balancing life is (surprisingly) a full time job. It takes humility to fully understand and acknowledge your limits and effectively communicate them to other people. For me, this includes the ability to know when I’ve taken on too much, communicating clearly defined goals, and most importantly, accountability. Lately, I feel like it's become more and more acceptable for people to shift accountability onto others instead of dealing with their own uncomfortable feelings of helplessness, doubt, inadequacy or fear in times of uncertainty. As a mother to a young daughter, how do I shape and instill accountability for both good and poor choices? How do I model behavior so she understands that there is always an option to walk away from someone or something that is hurtful while honoring that (hopefully) they're trying to make the best choices for themselves? When is the right time to speak up?

Oftentimes, especially in groups where social cohesion is highly valued (and hence status) over individuality, how do I make her understand that oftentimes, the biggest advocates in maintaining the status quo are heavily invested because they benefit from it in some way? (More status, better treatment and resources). How do I express to her that sometimes, the most compassionate act is letting someone fail so that person understands accountability and consequence? How do I express the boundary between helping and enabling? Our world is at odds because of our inability to find a universal, common ground between accountability and enabling behavior. How many times through revisionist history have we heard that “someone else made me do it”, or “it’s that person’s fault” or “it’s that group’s fault, I acted poorly” or “I can’t have what I need” because of a certain group? It seems pretty innocuous when a child says it on a playground… but human atrocities have been committed by the world’s political and religious leaders due to the same faulty reasoning.

After absorbing too much information and being frustrated by the current state of affairs, I realized the physical and emotional toll this philosophical conundrum was taking on me and my family. I woefully, realized the obvious. It’s not my job to fix these problems nor am I equipped to fix them. I leave it to the experts. My only job, as a mother, is to try and create a supportive, open, and loving community around my daughter and shelter her from those who do not have her best interests. Period. I am truly grateful she is surrounded by wise women who have helped us navigate life’s seas. I hope these articles make you laugh and smile, and hopefully, help you prioritize the most important people, dreams, and hopes in your life.

I love silly lists like this. I like googling stupid questions just to see what comes up. (My daughter and I love doing this.). I was pleasantly surprised with this result. I hope it makes you smile, too.

What are the Top 7 Priorities to Have in Life

Here’s a quick 5 minute podcast by an entrepreneur about the difference between “urgent” and “priorities.” Hospitals and medical staff have protocol to distinguish and execute what is most important to the critically injured. Why not appropriate the same response with your values?

Difference between urgent and priorities.

Lewis Howes

Thanks for reading! I hope this makes you laugh, smile, and hopefully, helps you think about the most important aspects of your life. Have a wonderful week!

Xo, Melissa

Iced Japanese Coffee Jelly Cooler

from, "The Spruce Eats"

Here's the original link: https://www.thespruceeats.com/coffee-jelly-2031112

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin powder

• 1/4 cup water

• 2 cups brewed strong black coffee

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• Whipped cream, optional

Directions

1. Gather the ingredients.
   

2. In a small bowl, combine the gelatin powder and water.
   

3. Place the brewed coffee and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a near boil over medium-high heat.
   

4. Turn off the heat, and whisk in the gelatin mixture until it dissolves. Set aside to cool, about 10 to 15 minutes.
   

5. Pour the coffee gelatin mixture into a shallow baking dish (8- or 9-inch square or 11 x 7 inches) and refrigerate until set, about 5 hours.
   

6. Once the coffee jelly has set, cut the gelatin into 1/2-inch cubes.
   

7. Spoon the cubes into individual serving dishes and top with whipped cream, if desired.

Enjoy! Thanks for reading!

#icedjapanesecoffeejelly, #lifehacks, #priorities, #coffee, @thespruceeats