My Public Speaking Report

I appreciated all your encouragement regarding the program I had to present earlier in the week. We ended up with a small group, but it was a very receptive group. Everything went well and I have to admit it wasn't as painful as I anticipated. I think a lot of that had to do with the subject matter. I really, really like that book!

Not only did I give the program, my "Circle" group was responsible for the meal as well. In addition to a bowl of red seedless grapes, I contributed the following two items. I apologize for the poor quality of the photos, but they were snapped quickly and without preview. The first recipe is from Southern Living Magazine, the second from Simple & Delicious Magazine.

Creole-Roasted Black-Eyed Peas

Preheat oven to 425F. Gently toss 2 (15.8 oz.) cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed, with 3 Tbsp. olive oil and 1-1/2 tsp. Creole seasoning. Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 17 x 12" jelly-roll pan. Bake 55 or 60 minutes or until crispy and dry, stirring every 10 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes.



Party Vegetable Dip
(Amy Engle, Geneva, NB)

2 cups mayonnaise
1-1/2 cups (12 oz.) 4% cottage cheese
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
1 envelope (1 oz.) ranch salad dressing mix
1 Tbsp. dried minced onion
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Assorted fresh vegetables

In a food processor, combine the first six ingredients; cover and process until blended. Transfer to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled. Serve with vegetables.

Public Speaking

I am not a public speaker. In fact, the mere thought of standing up in front of a group of people terrifies me. So how, you might wonder, did I allow myself to be talked into presenting a program for my church's UMW (United Methodist Women) General Meeting next week?!

I'm still trying to figure that out.

I'm going to do a presentation on "Writing Your Life Story" based on a book I shared in an earlier blog entry. I've prepared an outline, practiced my presentation over the phone with my daughter, and feel fairly confident at this point. It's not like I'll be facing a hostile crowd, for heaven's sake! If anything, it has re-inspired me to work on a project I had unfortunately set aside.