Jennifer Weaver is an award-winning journalist and freelance writer. She resides in Orem , UT, and is the mother of three children.
What also secures Abbey is her ability now to live in the moment. She cherishes reading and homework time with her children. She is grateful for the opportunity to cook for her family and clean-up afterwards by doing the dishes. She enjoys the new awareness she has learned from listening to her body and respecting her own needs. Advice she’d give to others since living with MS is summed up in two words: Slow Down.
“It’s good to not be busy in your life,” Abbey said. “When you slow down, and stop being busy, you actually absorb your life and the moments you are in. You stop and be present in the moment, in the relationship, right then and there.”
“I made the decision that is a wise way to live your life, because as women we tend to wear busy on our sleeves,” she added. “It’s OK to slow down and appreciate the moment. Though MS physically made me slow down, I live by a sign that I have hanging in my home that reads, ‘It doesn’t matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.’ I don’t give up on my life. I’m still going.”
Baguette with Brie, Pears and Sweet Cranberry Relish
1 Baguette (whole wheat)
1 Wedge of Brie Cheese
2 Pears
1 Jar Cranberry Relish
(Recipe for Cranberry Relish: Empty one bag of fr sh cranberries into a small sauce pan. Add 1/4 Cup water. Cook on medium for about 10 minutes, or until berries are tender. Smash cranberries in pot with a potato masher. Next, add 1 2/3cup white sugar and the zest of a very small orange. Allow to continue cooking, on medium-low, for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.)
Procedure: Slice baguette with a serrated knife, into 1 inch slices. Cut Brie into 1 tablespoon-sized chunks. Thinly slice the pears.
Assemble: Spread Brie onto a slice of the baguette. Spread on Brie, top with 3 pear slices, and a teaspoon of Cranberry Relish. Serve as an appetizer or eat for a snack.
Recipes by Chef Abbey Phillips
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The Beauty Battalion Magazine