For Today...

Hope...

Ringing....

Dark, horrible, despairing news just about everywhere I turn. If it's not the tragic details, speculations and debates over Friday's massacre, it's the talk of the impending end of the world. 

I found this link on another blog and it's just a series of tiny reminders that we have a choice, every single one of us, to make a positive difference. You might want a tissue nearby when you watch it.

Our sermon on Sunday was called "Bells" and it was a how-to to live a life of few regrets and to make a tremendous mark on the humanity around us and within our orbits.

B = set out to BLESS three people this week. A blessing can be a compliment or kind word, buying a cup of coffee or someone's lunch. Holding a door and offering a smile. It is not difficult to offer hope and goodwill. It's actually embarrassingly easy at times.

E = eat with at least three different people this week. Share a meal or snack and connect. Make eye contact, listen, engage, silence the phone and put it out of sight. We, as a society, are quickly becoming islands connected by fragile threads of technology.

L = Listen to God. An hour a week, get somewhere where you can just listen to and for God. No noises, no distractions, just racing thoughts that eventually calm into listening and connecting to the creator of the universe. 

L = Learn. As religious folks we are prone to follow rules, sometimes to the point of crushing people. Spend an hour a week reading the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - the first four books in the New Testament). We all think we know who Jesus was/is. He was a baby who changed the world, an amazing teacher, and then He died and rose again (to simply sum up the Christmas/Easter stories and common overall feeling). The Gospels display Him in action, quote His words, and show us His heart towards us. He is the ultimate picture of grace and this world needs all the grace it can get. 

S = Sent. Our lives have purpose. Every last one of us. We are not random, disposable creatures. We were created to love and be loved at the most boiled down level. Beyond that we were created to live life to it's fullest. And to give, love and be for others. We will interact with the world. Our lives will tell a story. It's up to us to decide what story we will tell. What picture we will paint.

In this Christmas season, into this hurting world, we can all ring with the hope and joy and truth that light does penetrate darkness. That heroism and grace, mercy and love exist and can be found. Be a bell. Ring.

Grief and Horror

This world has a dark underbelly, doesn't it?

Andy Warhol once said that everyone would get 15 minutes of fame. And that sometimes feels true. Reality television, YouTube, the blogging world all have made fame a reality for people who otherwise might not ever reach an audience.

And as twisted minds and broken people strive to make their mark, grab their fame, heinous behavior seems to be increasing.

Shootings and terror once happened infrequently. The little pockets of affected world would gasp, question, grieve and begin to heal before the next lunatic struck the next community.

The massacre in Connecticut takes suicide and mass murder to the next level of horror. Suicide by cop has existed for a long time. Have we now entered a societal norm of suicide by sensationalism?

My heart goes out to the families who have been victimized and who have lost their precious babies. And to the community that has suffered such a tremendous blow. I can't begin to wrap my mind around the loss and the horror.

Stolen from these families are the babies, this Christmas, all future normal, safety and security, peace, sleep, and large chunks of their hearts. The community has lost normalcy, peace, a sense of protection, a mere fraction of population that, like a thread, runs throughout the warp and weave of the entire town.

Added to them all is fear, twisted memories, grief over what will never be, and even the loss of being able to mourn and remember each individual person outside of this horrible mass victim tragedy.

My prayers are with you. And, though, none of us can even begin to understand your loss and the depth of this tragedy and what it means for your future, so many grieve your loss and your pain.    

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Java Shop Update

No, I didn't make this one. A little Seattle trip reminiscing.

I'm getting to know the customers at the coffee shop. The guy in the uniform = the large Caramel Frappe with extra coffee...unless he wants to mix it up and go with a hot caramel. Never, ever whipped cream, don't even ask. He could come back behind the counter and make his own because when I was still learning and asked & how many pumps or ounces of one of the components he'd supply the answer.

Mocha Jim, skim, extra shot mocha with a sticker on the spout. Generous tipper, too, I might add. 

The four to five guys who buy varying scenarios of brewed coffee. One likes four ice cubes, another likes an inch of hot water. One buys a small, then comes back up to pay for a refill. Another likes the endless mug but in the smaller cup.  Another buys an Americano then sits down while we make it. I delivered it the other morning. The guys complained, "Hey, why do you deliver his coffee? Why are you so nice to him?" (Said in whiney, pitiful voices.) Mr. Americano thanked me graciously. So I told them that they could learn a little bit by paying attention. With a smile, of course, my sarcasm is always delivered with a smile. 

So yesterday, when I delivered the Americano, one of them piped up. "Hey, are you and your daughter the same age?" 

Did I mention that I like my little coffee gig?

Scrambles and Scribbles ~ Vegan 101. Meet the "Meats" Part 1

"You don't eat meat!?! That's Okay. I fix lamb."  uh, no. Thanks. 

Meat. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that your first experience with a meat substitute will rock your world and replace meat in your heart forever. If you are committed to getting meat out of your life, you need also to commit to allowing your tastebuds a chance to change and grow. And they will. Some of the meat subs we've tried have tasted as good to meat eaters as they do to us, others have been utter fails to all. But the key is to keep trying and growing. I'll post links to some of my favorite recipes (mine or others) the next time in Part 2. But for now, he's something to chew on.

This is where the omnivores (meat and veggie eaters) in your life really notice the "Vegan thing."  It's pretty difficult to fake steak and pot roast, turkey and ham. However, you can get the sensation of a meaty feel or flavor. And you can usually satisfy the meat itch. My favorite go to cookbooks for meat replacements are by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Vegan with a Vengeance has the best Seitan recipe. (more about Seitan in a moment). And Veganomicon brings us the Chickpea cutlet. These recipes are worth the purchase price of the cookbooks and as a bonus she has lots of other great recipes in them as well. If you buy fake meat at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's you're making an investment. With some fairly inexpensive ingredients and a little time you can make your own and you control what goes into the end product. But fake meat that's packaged and ready to go is wonderful for convenience. We love the Gardein, Fieldroast and Upton products we've tried. Trader Joe's has an inexpensive meatless strip that has fooled a few omnivores.
Seitan is wheat meat also known as gluten. You buy gluten flour either packaged or in bulk. Most recipes call for anywhere from a 1/2 cup to 2 cups depending on what you are making and how many you need to feed. Average price that I pay is about three bucks a pound and a pound makes several servings. The Vegan with a Vengeance recipe is very close to the same taste as found in the processed seitans. Machine made seitan texture is hard to replicate, but I've made seitan rolls and sliced it pretty thin and frozen it and it's a satisfying meat replacement. The chickpea cutlet recipe I mentioned above contains gluten as well as chickpeas and they make a really filling and delicious chicken breast substitute. But. People with wheat allergies can't do gluten.
Tofu and tempeh are other meat substitutes. Tempeh is a step beyond tofu, basically tofu that has fermented and may contain grains.  Both of these are an aquired taste. Tofu, unless it's breaded and fried or blended into something like "scrambled eggs" is pretty tasteless and the texture will not fool anyone. And tofu is the classic Vegan staple from the seventies. Tofu will develop a chewier texture if you freeze it to help dry it out. Tofu bacon is really tasty and easy. Tofu is pressed (to push out water) marinated in soy sauce (some add liquid smoke and maple syrup) and then sliced and pan fried. I will marinate, slice and freeze it. Otherwise, my tofu usually ends up as scrambled eggs...how to:. saute the veggies you want, dump your pressed tofu (to get the water out, put it between two plates on a few paper towels set something heavy on top plate for a half hour or so) into the pan. Toss in some spices like salt, garlic powder...and tumeric. Tumeric gives it the yellow you need to fool yourself into thinking you are eating scrambled eggs. Cook until the tofu is broken up and yellow and you have what resembles scrambled eggs and veggies. Isa Chandra Moskowitz has a Vegan Brunch cookbook that has several "egg" dishes. Google vegan scrambled eggs and you'll find a lot of recipes. A local Asian restaurant serves peanut butter tofu which is on my list to recreate at home.
Tempeh is a smokier, nuttier taste and is firmer and smaller than tofu. It can be sliced, marinated, breaded, crumbled. It can work as bacon, in dishes to replace chicken or beef. I've not found a must go to recipe with tempeh. But I keep trying.
Beans, nuts, grains and vegetables can stand in for meat. Meaty vegetables are eggplant, mushrooms and cauliflower. Cauliflower has become a new favorite. I haven't done what some have, slab it like steak, but have discovered breaded cauliflower wings and that alone makes me sing it's praises. Portabella mushrooms are another favorite meatlike vegetable, we love them grilled or roasted. And we love then sliced and sauteed with pepper and onions. We have come to the point we are not seeking to have a "meat" with each meal. Instead we are trying to find foods that makes us feel alive and nourished. If that's three piles of different styles of veggies, then that's what it is.
Binders like eggs are limited in cooking. Ground flax seed and liquid (1 TBSP flax to 3 TBSP liquid)  works in something like "meatloaf." As I mentioned with scrambled eggs, tofu is a usual substitute. I've even seen tofu used as egg salad. I haven't tried it, don't know if I want to. Ya know?
Chicken and tuna salads are all over the internet. I've seen seitan, tempeh, tofu and chickpea versions. I've made one that almost scratches the itch for us. But we were never big chicken salad fans. Tuna, I haven't even tried, though sea vegetables add the fish to the "tuna". I think the key is to add similar spices and bits. For tuna salad I'd need to add sweet pickles and mustard because that's what my mom's recipe included.
The following websites have some great meaty type meal ideas and recipes.

Fat Free Vegan
Peas and Thank You
PPK
Happy, Healthy Life
Oh She Glows

The following cookbooks have great recipes. Each of these has multiple vegan recipes I've made and love, Peas and Thank you (check out her blog for a feel) is a go to book with traditional recipes tweaked and some new creative ideas. I've already mentioned Vegan with a Vengeance and Vegiminicon. Both of these have traditional and ethnic recipes. (The authors blog at PPK so you can check out some of their recipes there.)

Scraps and Snippets ~ Peanut Butter Crack Bars

A recipe fail that turned into a delicious, addictive candy cookie. 

I attempted to tweak a toffee recipe into a Vegan version with an extra tweak. 

Yeah. These aren't toffee. And they are oh so good. Addictive actually. 

Grease a cookie sheet with a rim. Preheat the oven to 350.

Fill the cookie sheet with saltine crackers. (40 squares, approximately a sleeve.)

1/2 Cup peanut butter
1/2 Cup coconut oil
1 Cup brown sugar

Put in a saucepan. Mix and stir over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Boil for three minutes. 

Dump and spread over the crackers. Place the cookie pan in the oven for 5 minutes. 

Remove the pan.

Using the same sauce pan melt and combine:

1/2 Cup peanut butter
1 and 1/2 Cups chocolate chips

Pour over peanut butter crackers. Sprinkle the chocolate with salt. Just a few shakes. 

In a clean pan dump 1/2 Cup crushed peanuts and heat until fragrant. When heated add 1 TBSP sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir until sugar melts and begins to stick to peanuts.

Sprinkle peanut mixture over chocolate layer. 

Place the pan in the fridge until completely cooled. When chilled through use a pizza cutter and cut diagonally so the pieces are bite sized. Keep in the fridge.