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Wednesday, April 18, 2007 · Page 10 From: Her Desk Drawer Blueberry Oatmeal Streusel Bars Find out how much fun it can be being square Fun to eat and easy to prepare, bar square recipes are irresistible and a great way to invite small kids or teenagers into the kitchen. Start a lifetime love of baking with your kids with this yummy recipe from Imperial Margarine (www.homebasics.ca). Crust 3/4 cup Imperial Margarine 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour Filling 19 oz can prepared blueberry pie filling 1 tbsp lemon zest Topping 1/2 cup Imperial Margarine 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups rolled oats 1/2 tsp cinnamon Preheat the oven to 350° F. To prepare the crust, cream together the margarine and brown sugar, then slowly mix in flour. Press the dough into a 13 x 8-inch greased baking pan, patting the dough evenly across the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Let cool. In a medium bowl, mix together the pie filling and lemon zest. For the streusel topping, cream together the margarine and brown sugar. Slowly add in the flour, oats and cinnamon until the mixture is uniform with a crumbly consistency. Spread the blueberry mixture over the baked crust. Sprinkle with the streusel mixture and bake at 350° F for 30 minutes or until the top is crunchy and golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes. Makes 36 bars. - News Canada Are you happy? "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." ­ Abraham Lincoln Recently there have been a number of studies conducted around the world to determine the relative happiness of people. Respondents to these surveys were asked to describe their degree of happiness on a sliding scale from "not happy at all" to "very happy". I'm not even sure that they were asked the right question. If those surveyed were to interpret the question as meaning "Am I relatively satisfied with my life in general?", their responses could differ greatly from those who took the question to mean "Am I happy at this moment?" Is happiness an emotion like anger or fear that is dependent upon the momentary circumstances, or is it a balance point by which all of the circumstances of our lives are to be taken into consideration and, after averaging results, we arrive at a figure we can call our "happiness quotient"? One might be happy in the moment but miserable in general. I'd tend to be a little suspicious of anyone who answered "very happy" and meant that to be interpreted as "all the time". (This does not take into consideration friends and acquaintances from the late 60's and early 70's who were living in a magical, faraway, chemically-induced land called Euphoria.) I know very few people who are constantly maxed out on the happiness thing. If you are elated daily, to what do you have to look forward? Does your face hurt from smiling so much? Do you wake up like that? Could you be any more irritating? True, the perpetually happy are more pleasant to be around than the miserable and whiny ­ but everything in moderation, please. One aspect of these surveys was an attempt to answer the age-old question "Can money buy happiness?" The answer seems to be a very definitive "maybe". Those with incomes of $90,000 and more were nearly twice as likely to be "very happy" in comparison with those who made less than $20,000. There was, however, very little difference in the happiness levels of middle and high-income earners. People seemed to be happiest if they had a larger social circle, were in a stable relationship (46 per cent of married couples described themselves as "very happy" compared to 25 per cent of singles), had low expectations (especially financial ones) and had what psychologists are now referring to as "flow". Flow refers to applying yourself to something that is very difficult. It's when you become totally involved and absorbed in something that causes you to stretch the limits of your mental and/or physical skills and abilities. This might mean taking up piano lessons, doing crossword puzzles or training for a marathon. A strong correlation seems to exist between being happy and doing your best. If you aren't happy and are concerned about it, please keep in mind that there are professionals who can help you. Your family doctor may be a good place to start. Want to maximize your happiness? The research would suggest that these things might help: 1. Earn more money (but not too much--that can add stress and lower your happiness factor) 2. Move to Denmark. The Danes claimed first place in a survey of 178 countries on their overall sense of well-being. Canadians came in 10th, the United States 23rd and Russia 167th. That helps put things into perspective, doesn't it? 3. Adopt a pet. Cats and dogs in particular have been found to make people happier, ease stress and lower blood pressure. 4. Stop worrying about comparisons between your life and that of your neighbours. We tend to want to do as well as or better materialistically than our peers. Let them stress out over having stuff. "Don't worry--be happy." 5. Take on a "flow" challenge. Make a list of things you'd like to do before you die and tackle something from the list. 6. Volunteer for community service. The need is always great and the inner peace it can generate is undeniable. 7. Stay healthy. In response to the question "What gives you the most pleasure?" 84% of respondents said "good health". 8. Get a job--preferably one that is secure and at least mildly challenging. 9. Have kids. Children are a source of both the greatest levels of frustration and of happiness. 10. Keep in mind that your degree of happiness is largely attributable to whom you may have selected as your parents. Our genes account for roughly 50 per cent of our predisposition to be happy or unhappy. Isn't it good to know that, if we aren't happy, there's always someone we can blame. To summarize, happiness may be just around the corner for you if you decide to marry that moderately wealthy, incredibly healthy, dog-loving Dane with the smiling parents that you met while volunteering at the triathalon. Good luck with that. i've got issues randy chedour "Rehab With A Personal Touch." MEET THE STAFF DAVID MCCORMICK B.A.Sc., M.Eng., P. Eng., Business Manager Dave graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in engineering. Dave is a lifelong resident of the area and is the Business Manager at Erie Shores Rehab. 35 VICTORIA AVENUE, ESSEX 519.776.7222 375 MAIN STREET EAST, KINGSVILLE 519.733.4008