by Paula D.
on January 15, 2025 8:59 am in Gifts
My eye was caught by the shiny gold box sitting on the folding table. I was shopping at the First Congregational Church’s thrift sale. I opened the delicate box. The paper read:
The GOD-BOX Insight Cards. Thank you for your willingness to receive the GOD-BOX Insight Cards into your life.
These Insight Cards are sparks – “Re-Mind-ers” – designed to trigger and awaken greater Joy, Abundance and Serenity in our lives. They work through the principle of Synchro-nicity: all minds are joined, and all events are interconnected. When we “tune in,” we attune to the Whole. Some of the Insight Cards are affirmations: simple, positive state-ments to uplift us. Some are meta-phors: powerful images designed to trigger internal processes. Some are seeds, to be planted now, to be har-vested in years to come. Many of them are multi-level: they have deep and multiple meanings, continuing to ripple and resonate deep within our minds as we use them. “To heal, is to make happy.”
The GOD-BOX Insight Cards may be enjoyed in many ways:
- A Thought For The Day: Choose a card in the morning, and meditate on its meaning several times throughout the day. Notice how the events of your day deepen its meaning for you.
- An Oracle: Clear your mind completely, and ask your Higher Power/Higher Self for guidance. In stillness ask your question. Wait until you feel a sense of inner peace, then select the “right” card. (The card you select is always the “right” one.)
- A Re-Mind-er: Choose and read a card whenever you need a quick “pick-me-up” or instant inspiration. Send a card to a friend!
- Dessert Cards: The perfect way to end a meal or a meeting. Pass the box around, and everyone reads a card aloud for “dessert”!
- The GOD-BOX Insight Cards are a tool to use, a toy to play with, and a Gift to share. We hope you receive as much joy & as many blessings from them as we have.
Please request our catalog of fine gifts. To re-order, send $7.98/set + shipping ($1.00/ 1st box + .50/ea. additional) (3 or more: $6.98/set + free shipping) (in AZ add 7% sales tax) to:
Software For Serenity
John and Rebecca Freedom
3038 N. Mountain Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85719
602-881-1314
My first thought, “Clearly John and Rebecca Freedom were cult leaders.” I bought the box for $1—way cheaper than their pre-order asking price of $7.98. After a peek through the deck of wisdom, I needed to call the phone number. No answer. I googled the address. Turns out, the location is a new home: 2 beds, 2 baths, 1,215 sqft, sold in 2023 for $299K. (God, so cheap)
I’m getting the sense that this box is from the ’70s, thanks to its cool vintage typography. There’s no trace of my gold GOD-BOX on the internet. “But I did find one reference to “Software for Serenity” (sickest name) and John and Rebecca Rizzo Freedom – they made Music, guided meditations, and there’s a cassette, from 1983. This all still checks as a love-making, mind-melding cult (thank God.) My investigation will continue, and with this column now published online, I am filled with faith and hope to learn more about the origins of the oracle GOD-BOX. How did the box journey from Tucson, AZ to Rockaway Beach?
Caption 1: Here’s a taste of the treasure. Follow my Instagram (@theglorifiedtomato) every morning to see how God speaks to me through the “right” card I pull during my morning coffee. Re-Mind-er: all minds are joined.
I procrastinated ordering the now-required, rat-resistant NYC Sanitation bins because, frankly, I was bothered by having to pay $177.90 when I already had bins. The garbage cans I had, though, didn’t meet the requirement—55 gallons or smaller, with a lid.As of November 12, 2024, New Yorkers with 1–9 residential units are required to place all trash in 55-gallon bins or smaller for pickup. No more trash bags on the sidewalk! Recycling and cardboard remain optional.
As of January 2, 2025 — last week — homeowners and building owners can be ticketed for non-compliance: $50 for the first offense, $100 for the second, and $200 for each subsequent offense.
By June 2026, all residential units will need to purchase the required rat-resistant bins. Why? So automated, side-loading garbage trucks can be implemented across the five boroughs. Fewer hernias: good!
The bin requirement is part of the Mayor’s “Rat Pack” Campaign. Adams, last April, even appointed the first-ever Director of Rodent Mitigation, Kathleen Corradi. I am so jealous of her title. While I really like rats because they’re intelligent and cute, I get it—a cleaner NYC is a good idea.
A strange thing happened shortly after I ordered my bins—I found myself eagerly anticipating their arrival. I was excited that I splurged on all three: trash, recycling, and cardboard. I started brainstorming how I’d label my bins with my house number—it could even turn into a cool art project! Paint pens or spray paint, maybe?
Something about having the color-coded bins lined up on the side of my house suddenly sparked a sense of NYC pride! There’s something uniquely NYC about feeling a deep connection to your garbage cans—part homeownership pride, “if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere,” and part practicality, all bagged up in a commitment to community cleanliness.
Last Thursday, I looked out the front window, and there they were! I ran outside and snapped a picture to post on my IG feed: “My bins arrived, and I think I’m more excited than I should be!” The story blew up with hearts, “fire” emojis, and comments. I was wishing for a share from @nycsanitation but I got a thumbs up, good enough.
Apparently, I’m not the only Rockaway resident excited about the bins. My neighbors reached out in conversations — some debating what size to get, others relieved that trash will finally be off the streets. Rockaway Beach has so much litter flying around, there was a real sentiment and hope for cleaner streets.
Want one, NEED one? NYC Bins for property owners will be delivered to your home by ordering here: www.bins.nyc or by calling 1-855-NYC-BINS. They’re also available at Home Depot if you need bins asap.
For more on weird obsession with the NYC Sanitation tag along with me in Rockaway on Instagram: @theglorifiedtomato.
Look!
I was looking for a bowl on the bottom shelf of my mother’s closet to make a salad, and I saw an old, faded blue box. Reaching, I pulled it out and brought it to my mother. “Whose is this?!” I asked. “It’s your grandmother’s,” mom said.
My mother doesn’t bake, so I’m guessing that when Grandma Mary passed away in 2012, it went from her kitchen to my mother’s kitchen and hasn’t been touched since.
I carefully opened the box with frayed corners. It revealed a mustard yellow mixer. It instantly brought my heart back to Grandma’s kitchen with her yellow, ornate wallpaper. Of course, she chose the yellow mixer over the pea green – to match. I do the same with red. What makes this vintage appliance unique are the little illustrations of pie, butter, jam, and cake on the body.
It’s heavy by today’s standards and that’s funny because the marketing on the box boasts how lightweight it is. The handle showcases a bright orange “extra power” button perfectly placed where your thumb naturally rests. The speed switch is more of a dial—the higher the number, the stronger and faster it goes. It’s loud!
It was made by General Electric, and the brand is the Sunbeam Mixmaster, New DeLuxe, 1960. I know the year because my grandmother saved the user booklet, which doubles as a recipe book with over 20, now vintage recipes to explore. Alongside it, in this treasure box, I found a Mirro (the “Finest Aluminum”) Fancy Cookies, Donuts, and Pastries recipe pamphlet.
It’s fascinating, really—just 65 years ago, discovering new recipes came from exchanging them with neighbors, friends, and family. Or you’d get a new recipe book for Christmas and actually use it, or find recipes on boxes of food in the supermarket or included with new cookware and kitchen appliances. Now, Instagram feeds them to us. Only 65 years, and it’s a different world.
I mentioned in my column last week how funny it is to hear General Electric as the maker. Today, when we think of GE, we picture air conditioners, oil and gas, and military aircraft—not Grandma’s trusty baking mixer! And trusty it is. I’ve used it three times now, to make besciamella, banana bread, and last week’s ricotta cookies. She’s a strong and powerful machine, something we all should aspire to in 2025!
This mixer will now live another lifetime. I’m happy to give it that new life as I experiment, grow and learn more about the art of baking. All the while having my Grandmother’s memory in hand.
Follow my baking misadventures on Instagram: @theglorifiedtomato.
The hand mixer was invented in 1953 by the Sunbeam Corporation, which, strangely, began as a manufacturer of sheep shearing machinery (Chicago Flexible Shaft Company). Over time, the company expanded into the lawn sprinkler market. Sunbeam’s long and wildly diverse duration ultimately ended in a massive accounting fraud scandal. Oops.
I’m glad I was able to fit one batch of cookies in before Christmas and if you can only choose one, it is Ricotta Cookies.
Us Sicians are thrifty, ricotta (and the cookie) origins trace to Southern Italy, where ricotta — a byproduct of cheese-making — was used in desserts to avoid waste. Ricotta means “recooked.” Some of the most classic Italian dishes we enjoy today are the result of humble resources transformed through culinary creativity.
Italian Ricotta Cookies are soft, cake-like treats with a subtle, creamy flavor from the ricotta cheese. Their light, airy texture makes them melt in your mouth – yum alert. The sweet glaze on top adds a touch of sugary richness, accented with a hint of almond. I feel the glaze isn’t even needed, though. I prefer a less sugary cookie, but the mini sprinkles add a festive touch that makes them a Christmas classic.
When our food pics aren’t perfect, we call it ‘Italian rustic charm’.
My batch got a little messed up, just like me. But kinda cute and sweet – also just like me. Here’s the recipe!
Ingredients for the Cookies:
- 2 sticks butter
- 1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 small container ricotta cheese 15 oz.
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Ingredients for the Glaze:
- 4 – 6 tablespoons milk
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, ricotta cheese, and vanilla extract; mix until well combined. In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the ricotta mixture; mix well. Roll the dough into teaspoon-sized balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2-inches apart.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, powdered sugar, and almond extract until smooth. Dip the tops of the cookies into the glaze and set upright back on the wire rack. Immediately top with sprinkles. Repeat for remaining cookies.
What I learned: If the cookies turn out too soft, draining the ricotta a bit beforehand will help. I didn’t do this but found out later that it’s a good step for firmer cookies. I also had some trouble with the glaze—it wasn’t drippy enough and was hard to apply. To fix this, you can slowly drizzle in more milk, and mix to loosen the glaze up. Warming it in the microwave for a few seconds also makes it easier to work with.
What made this baking session extra fun was using a hand mixer I found in the back of my parents’ pantry a few weeks ago. (Look, Joe!) It was my Grandmother Mary’s—General Electric, Sunbeam Mixmaster, New Deluxe! Made in 1960. Nowadays, when we hear “General Electric,” we think air conditioners, oil and gas, and military aircraft—not Grandma’s trusty baking mixer! I’ll have to write a whole column on this gem, but for now, I just had to flex!
Follow me for the day-to-day in the kitchen on Instagram – @theglorifiedtomato.
