11 Comments
Dec 22, 2022Liked by Elissa Altman

"Don't take the Bait", I think it will be my new mantra! Thanks for sharing this with us!

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Dec 22, 2022Liked by Elissa Altman

This strongly resonated with my experience. Thank you identifying the difficult relative's need for power, which helped me realize it matches their controlling behavior - and their OCD. Knowing their parents' own controlling behavior, and understanding their low self-esteem, your post made me feel less judgmental and more forgiving. I had already decided to free myself of them, but after reading your post, I don't feel that raw hurt and anger any more. Just bye-bye, and good luck to them.

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Dec 22, 2022Liked by Elissa Altman

I love this! And I'm so excited to try the orange cake, although my food processor is a tiny two cup thing, I'll try to ground those oranges in batches. I think trader joes ground almonds should work well! (they're too crunchy for some other baked goods I've tried.)

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Dec 22, 2022Liked by Elissa Altman

Lucy & the football is my favorite example. ♥️ For the cake - can I use almond flour for the ground almonds?

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You have captured a feeling and a hazard I know well. It cost me a friendship that was past due to fade away, but I wish the end had not been so ugly.

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Dec 22, 2022Liked by Elissa Altman

Elissa: You express your feelings and thoughts beautifully and truthfully. I always am able to relate to your thoughts. Thank you for being the writer, truth-teller, giver of love, good food and recipes that so many of us enjoy. You nourish us. Take good care of your big heart.💖

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Dec 22, 2022Liked by Elissa Altman

You are very wise. If only I could stop taking the bait...

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Dec 22, 2022Liked by Elissa Altman

Beautiful writing

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Thank you so much for this.

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Excellent advice, I remember listening to Pema explain shenpa and hopefully learning from it--she always brings humor to these lessons and makes them all the more memorable.

The orange cake--I LOVE this recipe, after making it several times I discovered that I could submerge the oranges (or try it with and orange and a lemon) in an 8 cup Pyrex and microwave at four or five 3-4 minute periods on high to get the citrus where the 90 minute stove top method gets them. Just keep checking for softness, it generally takes about 15 minutes. :)

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