To Do List

So, without going into detail, because detail is irrelevant. Bottom line is, this gal with a perfect driving record, never a speeding ticket, or any moving violation, never an accident that was my fault, has a suspended license. For 90 days. I'm stressed and frustrated. However, today I am trying to have a good attitude, so I have compiled a list of things I would like to accomplish in these next three months.

- Get some preschool learning materials and "home school" Korinne. (I'd like to at least teach her all her letters- to recognize all of them consistently, and know what sounds they make)

- Complete a Beth Moore 90 day bible study.

- Read a book a week.

- Take public transportation at least every other week.

- Get organized

- Walk more

- Learn to use new ingredients in my cooking / learn new cooking techniques.

- Learn to humbly ask for help when I need it.

*side note- thanks to all my wonderful friends who have offered to come hang out/ take me out when I get outrageously bored/overwhelmed. :)

Feeling Uninspired

Yesterday I had a million things I was thinking about blogging about. Today I don't have much to say.

I'm really glad I got a fresh cut and color today. I think if I hadn't gotten out of the house this morning this afternoon would have been a lot worse.

On the bright side I'll have lots of time to blog in the next 90 days.

I'm trying to have a positive outlook. I think in the end I'll be fine, it's just frustrating and daunting looking at a full 90 days of not stepping foot behind the wheel.

I can't understand our justice system. That they would punish someone for trying to take responsibility after someone else makes a mistake.

Birth Story: Khloe

I have always thought it was really interesting to hear other women's birth stories. Recently a dear friend of mine asked if I had any advice, since she is going to be having her first baby soon. Really, I think I'm the last person to give advice. My pregnancies and the birth of both of my children weren't really normal. Her question inspired me to share the birth stories of my children. I already shared about my pregnancy with Korinne, so I thought I'd start with Khloe. 

I'd been having pre term labor for awhile, but whenever I talked to my doctor about it, they were convinced it was Braxton Hicks. Weird, since I had a history of preterm labor. It really taught me that I need to be my own advocate because I know my body the best. 

It was a Monday night, and I was having so many contractions that I couldn't sleep. In the morning, Tuesday, September 2nd, we took Korinne to Jay and Becca's and headed to Women's and Babies triage because I knew something was wrong. 

At the hospital they hooked me up to monitors, but my nurse assured me I wasn't having contractions. I was so frustrated because I knew I was. My nurse was annoyed with me, because of course she knew best. I was getting ready to leave, and I stood up because I had to go to the bathroom. I thought I had peed a little bit in the bed, so I tried to cover it with the blanket because I was embarrassed. When I stood up there was a small rush of fluid. My nurse convinced me that I had just had an accident. She swabbed some of it off the floor to make sure it wasn't amniotic fluid. In the meantime I went to the bathroom- and I was sure my water had broken because I still had to go to the bathroom. 

I came back to my room, and my pleasant nurse informed me that she had looked under the microscope and the fluid she had wiped off the floor wasn't amniotic fluid. I told her I was certain my water had broken and I wanted to see a doctor. She finally agreed to get a midwife to check me. The nurse looked over the midwife's shoulder as she checked me, and as she did there was another huge gush of fluid. The nurse was still insisting it wasn't amniotic fluid, because she had checked it. (i must just have an enormous bladder) The midwife looked at her in disbelief and made her go check it under the microscope. And yes, my water had broken. Just another reason why we as women have to be our own advocates!

So my water broke around 11:30. Since I was only 34 weeks pregnant, and had a hard time controlling my diabetes while I was pregnant, my doctor thought an emergency c section would be best. This was for two reasons 1.) they weren't sure if her lungs would be mature, so they wanted to get her out and to the nicu, and 2.) I had a hard time delivering a 7lb baby, so she might not fit. The OR was supposed to be ready for me by noon. 12 o'clock came and went. For the first half hour my contractions weren't too bad. Then they got really bad. I didn't even think to ask for pain medicine since I thought I would be going in for the c section soon. I don't know if I even would have been able to have any. 1 o'clock came and went, I don't even remember what I was thinking then, I felt like I was "in the zone".  :) Finally, I felt like I needed to push, and, miraculously, an OR opened up. I was fully dilated by 2pm- so this little girl wanted out! 

When I got into the OR they told me that a student, or someone in training would be doing my spinal. All I remember is that they told me like five times, "ok, honey, this will be the last contraction you feel!" and I was getting really irritable. 

After they finally got the needle and medication in, I was just really tired and out of it. They told me I would feel pulling and pressure, but I didn't really feel anything. When she was born she was quiet. They let me see her for a second and I could see them giving her oxygen. The NICU doctor told Kevin he had to come with them right away, they didn't have time to get a bracelet on her like when Korinne was born. I think if I hadn't been so out of it I would have been freaking out. 

photo credit bjf photography

I fell asleep as they were stitching me up, and taking me to recovery. After I could move my feet they took me to see my baby. ( I don't actually remember this, Kevin had to tell me about it.) Apparently they put her on my chest so I could see her (they brought me in on a bed). Then they took me to a room in couplet care, even though I couldn't have my baby with me. It was really hard for me to hear all the new mommies and their babies when I couldn't have mine. The first few days were very emotional for me. 


For about two days we didn't have a name for our baby. We hadn't been expecting her because my doctors had told me I would go to 37 weeks, so we didn't have a name picked out. I wanted to name her Laken or Ireland. Kevin wanted to stick with "k" names. (You know, Kevin, Kelly, Korinne) Finally we settled on Khloe Ireland Lapp. (Once someone at the grocery store asked her name, and then wondered if we'd named her after a soap opera character. Really?) 

Khloe stayed in the NICU for 11 days, she had some problems with blood sugar, and got all her nutrients through an iv for several days. Initially she had some breathing problems, but was ultimately able to overcome them on her own.

photo credit: bjf photography

Then she had some feeding problems.

photo credit: bjf photography

Then she came home. 

photo credit: bjf photography

And we couldn't imagine life without her! 

Trying Something New

One thing Kevin and I haven't really agreed on is what kind of church we want to go to. I was pretty set on a Mennonite church.

Today he convinced me to try ACTS, where his family goes.

I kind of liked it.

The church was so alive.

So we're going back next week.

And I'm feeling excited about our church hunt.

Exploring Relationships

So at my last therapy session I was talking to my therapist about how Kevin and both thought that we got married too young. (not that we regret it, we just recognize that we're going to have to work hard on our relationship.) It's interesting being at an age where were are supposed to be "discovering" ourselves, but we're already settled down and have a family. It's hard to relate to people our own age because most of them seem shallow, and, quite frankly, really irritating. Just because a lot of them have no life experience, like living on their own, paying rent, taking care of children, etc, and we do.  (For example, Kevin is currently customizing a pink Lamborghini with purple rims for the girls on one of his racing video games, what do you think most 22 year olds are doing tonight?)

So, back to Kevin and I, she recommended this book (that I love already) called Getting the Love You Want It's all about exploring the laws of attraction, and what part of our brains process how we feel about other people. I'm on page 20 and I'm already thoroughly hooked.  I can't wait to blog about it soon. :)

The last book I read that my doctor recommended was Suffering is Optional . Alright, so technically it's about the three core beliefs of Buddhism. Ok, ok, I know how many people are gasping in shock. Don't worry, I'm not converting. It was an amazing, life changing book. Don't be put off by the fact that it's written by a Buddhist. It's awesome.

The most important thing I learned was don't take anything personally. Everything other people say to you is a projection of one of their beliefs or assumptions and has nothing to do with you. That's what all opinions are. It's our choice to internalize what other people say. Sound easy? It is. If you do tend to take everything personally and don't think you can just adopt the idea of it being someone else's problem, not yours, sit down and take a moment for yourself. Practice some deep breathing and try to explore why it is that you need to take things personally. Can you identify that assumption/belief that you have, and probably don't even consciously think about, that makes you do that? It's crazy digging into yourself and being about to recognize your core beliefs and where they came from. 


Basically, my point is, I'm really loving this phase of life right now. Exploring and Discovery. I'm especially excited to read this new book. (I was talking to a friend this morning about how I prefer to read secular books. Want to know why? Because I feel like when a Christian writes a book there's too much theology and their perception of how a certain fact applies to a Christian, or other biblical principles. When I read a secular book I can read it through the lens of my own personal relationship with Christ, and I don't feel like someone is trying to push their beliefs on me.) 


Stay tuned for more discoveries! 

Spinach and Chicken Alfredo Pizza

So, this definitely isn't the healthiest meal I've ever come accross, but I made quite a few modifications to help it out a little. So, here you go:

Spinach and Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Ingredients:

Dough

1 cup warm water

• 1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast (or 2 1/2 tsp)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 cups whole wheat flour (or all purpose) *you may need a little more 

Chicken

1 whole chicken breast

dried rosemary

dried thyme

old bay seasoning 

olive oil

garlic powder

salt 

pepper

Garlic Butter

2 cloves garlic 

2 tbsp butter

a pinch of dried crushed rosemary

pinch of salt

Sauce

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 dash ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 1 cup skim milk
• 3/4 cup grated Romano cheese

Toppings

1 package frozen spinach (microwaved 4 minutes and drained)

or steamed broccoli florets

crushed red pepper flakes (to put on after it's cooked- Kevin likes a little spice) 

skim milk mozzarella 

Directions

Dough

put the 2 1/2 tsp yeast into the 1 cup warm water, stir until dissolved and let sit 5 minutes. Meanwhile Stir together the 2 tbsp veg. oil, 1 tbsp white sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp rosemary, and 1/2 tsp garlic powder.  Mix in the yeast, then slowly at the flour. (you want it to form a ball) I used my kitchen aid dough attachment to knead it for a few minutes, but you could knead it by hand. Let it sit for 30 minutes. 

Chicken

preheat the oven to 400. Sprinkle chicken with olive oil, garlic powder, old bay (i know it sounds weird, but it adds a nice spice) salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme. roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the juices run clear. chop or shred after it is cool enough to handle. 

Garlic Butter

melt the butter over med. low heat. add 2 cloves of minced garlic, crushed rosemary, and salt. cook until the garlic is soft, but not brown. if the butter starts to bubble, lower the heat, or turn the heat off and just let it sit on the burner to soften the garlic. set aside.

Sauce

melt the butter over medium heat. add the 4 tbsp of flour and the salt and pepper mix well.  add the 1 cup milk and 3/4 cup ramano cheese. stir constantly until thick. set aside

To Assemble

Roll out the dough and put on a 9x13 cookie sheet with a lip. spread garlic butter all the way to the edges. toss the chicken with the sauce and spread over garlic butter. then put on the spinach or broccoli. sprinkle mozzarella on top. bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. 

All the work is worth it, because this is what it turns out like:

You Can Only Change Yourself

I used to be a person who couldn't handle criticism. I thought that I knew what was best, and I blamed all my problems on other people. I was so miserable and I didn't even know where to begin in terms of fixing my life. It was around that time that I received these words of wisdom, though, at the time I thought they were ridiculous, and kind of made me mad.

You can only change yourself

You can't change the way people act toward you, you can only change your response. You can only change you. It's one of the most important things anyone has ever said to me. I so appreciate the people in my life who were willing to step up and tell me what I needed to hear, even if I didn't want to hear it.  In the last few years, and especially the last few months, I've realized that I  have all I need to make changes in my life. I don't need other's approval (although, I'm human, I do appreciate approval) I've learned not to take it personally when I perceive other people to be unkind toward me. I've learned that so much is based on perception. I never know what another person is thinking- I may just read into how they're acting. That gets people into a lot of trouble, and sometimes a world of unnecessary hurt. 

In the past few months, as I've shared about a bit before, I hit an all time low. As I've also said before, I'm certain God allowed me to hit this low so I would reach out for help, and realize the fullness of life that was available to me. After reaching out for help, I've come to a place of amazing discovery. 

I've been immersed in change, and I love it. I try to learn something new every day. There is so much to learn. I've learned that as self aware as I think I am, I also need to be aware that I don't know everything, I'm open to the fact that today I might hold one opinion, and tomorrow I might learn something new that stretches me, and may change my opinion, and that's ok. People think they know everything, until they realize they know nothing. 

I believe that when people turn inward to work on themselves is when true change can occur. I feel like so many people look to others to blame. The way others treat you is not an excuse to be a miserable person. 

Through my struggles I have realized just how deep my faith goes. I don't believe I do anything on my own, I believe God provides the grace we need. My faith wouldn't be as strong and as deep as it is if it weren't for God's grace. The belief that I cling to is that God is always good. No matter what circumstances. Believing that gives me so much strength and hope. 

The point of my ramblings is that I believe we should be constantly be changing and evolving, and listening to what God is saying to us. Change can only occur when we look inside ourselves. And I mean truly look inside ourselves, and rely on the word of God to bring change into our hearts. 

Our Valentines Day Meal

Pulled pork, coleslaw, and baked beans. One of Kevin's favorite meals. I discovered this pork recipe- it's amazing and SO worth the time. Here's the recipes! (I'm having a hard time uploading pictures right now, I'll try again later.)

Pulled Pork 


Ingredients
3 lb pork shoulder
2 cups water
4 cups white vinegar
1/4 c salt
1 lg onion cut into wedges
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground mustard
1/2 c brown sugar

Directions
put the pork into the ceramic bowl of a slow cooker. pour enough water and vinegar into the slow cooker to cover pork. (2 to 1 vinegar to water) Add the salt. Refrigerate for 12-24 hours. (I've done both but I think the flavor is definitely better if you do 24 hours- especially if you use a larger pork shoulder)

Drain enough liquid to expose about 1/2 inch of the pork, add the onion. Mix the cumin, chili powder, mustard and brown sugar and rub on the exposed pork.  But the bowl into the base of the slow cooker. Cook on high for 8-10 hours.

Transfer the pork to a cookie sheet with a lip (so the juices don't run everywhere) and shred.

Coleslaw

 Ingredients

1 1/2-2 bags of coleslaw mix from the grocery store.
3/4 c mayonnaise
1/2 c sugar
1 c sour cream
1/4 tsp salt

Directions
Mix together the mayo, sugar, sour cream, and salt. Add to coleslaw mix and toss. Let sit in the fridge overnight.


Not going to lie, the baked beans came from a can. I can't beat Bush's. :)

Happy Valentines Day, Santa

It has been one of those days.  All I can do is laugh at my crazy, sweet, amazing girls. 

For the last few days I've been thinking about going through their clothes, packing away the really warm stuff, and bringing out the spring clothes- just organizing overall. So, this morning I tackled it. I tend to get really immersed it what I was doing- there I was, packing, folding, and sorting. The girls were playing quietly in their play room.... too quietly.... so I went out to check on them. I found them sitting sheepishly amidst lots of shiny candy wrappers.... they had eaten an entire bag of peanut butter cups (which was my v-day gift from my husband). When I found them Khloe looked up at me and said "Happy Valentines Day, Mommy!" Needless to say, a sugar high quickly followed, and naps were out of the question. 

Then we went to visit my parents, and my mom gave them each a page of stickers. By the time we got home, the back windows and doors of my car were covered in colored smiley faces. It's days like these that make me glad I'm a mom. All I could do was laugh. I think to be a parent you HAVE to have a sense of humor. What good would it do if I had yelled when they ate a bag of candy, or lost my cool when they "decorated" my car?

All day Khloe has been trying to grasp the concept of Valentines day... this pretty much sums up my whole day... 

"Happy Valentines Day, Santa!..... When am I getting my birthday present, Mommy?" 

Put Down Your Gun

The only army that shoots its wounded is the Christian army. 

I found this quote today and for the last hour it's been churning in my heart. I've been learning that, if I really quiet my heart and listen, God speaks in some not-so-subtle ways. The above sentence pierced my heart because today I shot one of the wounded. This is how my mind excused it:

"they should have known better!"

"they deserved it! look how they live their life!"

"i'm glad they got what was coming to them, finally!"

"they needed to learn that life isn't without consequences!"

What a Christ like attitude I have. I should be the last to pull the trigger. I still remember piercing words that I heard in the months after a particularly trying time the summer I turned 16. They can still bring tears to my eyes. I definitely haven't forgotten the comments made to my when I got pregnant at 18. How did I become so self righteous? 

Apparently I lack short term memory. It was only a few weeks ago that I was overcome with anxiety and fear when I was diagnosed with bipolar. In my heart I knew that many Christians in my own life wouldn't be accepting. They would reject the secular doctor I was seeing, taking medicine would certainly be out of the question. I must be doing something wrong to have a mental illness (even now I get a knot of anxiety just typing that). I'm not praying enough, not going to church enough, not being good enough, not reading my bible enough. 

JUST STOP! 

Where is Jesus? I don't remember him in combat boots carrying a gun. I remember him casting out demons, showing compassion to prostitutes, and thieves. Why do we feel the need to condemn our brothers and sisters, even if they did "get themselves" into trouble? What does it matter? If they're in trouble and need help, how they got there is irrelevant, isn't it? You know what's even worse? Trying to sweep problems or problematic individuals under the rug. Where do all those people go who don't fit into your pretty little "christian" box? 

but the greatest of these is 

LOVE

When did I forget that? Somewhere between criticism and judgement? Have I forgotten that judgement isn't my job? Have I been that conditioned to criticize? Where did this come from? This sickening need to point the finger? To look at the speck in our brother's eye before we pull the log out of our own? 

I believe we should be kneeling down, humbling ourselves as servants to the hurting and brokenhearted. Stop casting judgement and blame and listen. Rejecting the instinct to blame, and embracing love. Learning compassion, and how to effectively reach out to the wounded. Acknowledge the hurt that they feel with genuine kindness, and softening our hearts that have become hardened. 

My challenge to myself and anyone reading this:

Put down your gun. 

Peace, Gandhi, and More

I don't think anyone would argue with me if I said that Jesus was a big believer in peace. If you don't believe me, here are some references I like.

BLESSED are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.Matthew 5:9

THE FOLLOWERS of Jesus have been called to peace. When he called them they found their peace, for he is their peace. But now they are told that they must not only have peace but make it. And to that end they renounce all violence and tumult.Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

BEING a peacemaker is part of being surrendered to God, for God brings peace. We abandon the effort to get our needs met through the destruction of enemies. God comes to us in Christ to make peace with us; and we participate in God's grace as we go to our enemies to make peace.Glen H. Stassen and David P. Gushee,Kingdom Ethics

[MANY CHRISTIANS] demand that the Ten Commandments be posted in public buildings. … I haven't heard one of them demand that the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, be posted anywhere. "Blessed are the merciful" in a courtroom? "Blessed are the peacemakers" in the Pentagon?

Kurt Vonnegut, "Cold Turkey," In These Times

So, let me tell you where I'm going with this. Ever heard of Gandhi? Unless you had your head buried in the sand all through your years of schooling, then I trust you have. He was the epitome of peace. He showed that you can indeed make a statement with peace. Gandhi was a protester. Now, when I think of a protester I think of someone who is angry and shouting, and I also imagine police and riots. However, Gandhi had a revolutionary, and very biblical idea. Peace. It reminds me of someone familiar. Who could it be? Oh yeah, Jesus. I think he had a pretty revolutionary idea of change based on peace and love. So now I come to my next point.

I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. The materialism of affluent Christian countries appears to contradict the claims of Jesus Christ that says it's not possible to worship both [material wealth] and God at the same time.

Gandhi

Now, lets explore the context of this quote.  Gandhi is referencing the words of Jesus, found in Luke 16:13, 

No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. This literally brings tears to my eyes. Someone looking in from the outside, viewing us western Christians from another country, sees us like this. It's true, and thats why it hurts. I know I find myself all the time feeling bad for myself because we don't have as much money as other people. I definitely need a reality check.  I am one of those people Jesus is talking about when he says : “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:25) After Jesus said this the disciples were astounded, and rightfully so, this is a complete impossibility. Throughout the years, biblical scholars have tried to figure out some different context of this verse. Perhaps Jesus was referring to something less impossible, something difficult but not impossible. Probably because we Christians want to find a loophole, some way we can comfortably live the way we do without feeling guilt, or the fear of not making it to heaven. However, Jesus did not leave us completely without hope. The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God” (Mark 10:26-27). Does this make you breathe a sigh of relief? Because it shouldn't. The miracle of Jesus is that we can receive forgiveness from God, but is it right to use that as an excuse to refrain from doing something we know we should? Or refusing to change? Let me leave you with this. No commentary from me, I just hope this will be as thought provoking to someone reading this as it was to me.  “Everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many. . . . And in the world to come that person will have eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30)  Now GO. Do it.

Actions Speak Louder Then Words

Racism:
noun

1. a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.

2. racial prejudice or discrimination


Prejudice:
noun


1.
a. An adverse judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge or examination of the facts
b. A preconceived preference or idea.


2. The act or state of holding unreasonable preconceived judgments or convictions.
3. Irrational suspicion or hatred of a particular group, race, or religion.
4. Detriment or injury caused to a person by the preconceived, unfavorable conviction of another or others.


Discrimination
noun


1. Treatment or consideration based on class or category rather than individual merit; partiality or prejudice. 


Ok, now that we got that over with, and know what these things mean, lets talk about it. I don't think many people feel that they are "racist". After all, that's such an emotionally charged word. Lets break it down a little bit, though. Has anyone ever heard, or told a "harmless" racial joke? Wouldn't that be perpetuating a preconceived notion without examination of the facts? When faced with the black and white (no pun intended) of what these words mean, doesn't it challenge you even a little bit? Does it make you think a little bit about the things that come out of your mouth? If you say you aren't  racist/prejudice and make comments based on an assumption about a particular group of people because of their race or religion, aren't you saying one thing and doing another? If people hear you saying one thing when you claim to be another, I'm sure your actions will speak louder then what/who you claim to be.
I'm not trying to be overly sensitive, but I'm really just trying to see things from another point of view. I've never had a comment made to me because of my skin pigment, and I can't imagine how I'd feel if that were to happen. So I'm trying to open my mind and heart to the feelings of others. I'm trying to examine the words that come out of my mouth, and what I feel in my heart. I want to make sure those things match up. I'd like to challenge you to do the same. Regardless of whether you agree with things I say or not, I really hope you can take something away from it. I hope it will make you think a little bit, perhaps you will examine your own life, or maybe just take a moment to think about others.
This will be my last post on the subject. I don't want to dwell, I just wanted to share the thoughts I've had since I last posted.

Baked Stuffed Tomatoes

Well, since I shared the brown rice salad recipe, which we almost always have with stuffed tomatoes, I figured I should share the tomato recipe. (by the way, all the recipes on here are my own, unless I've said otherwise.)

Baked Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients 

*6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

6 medium tomatoes 

1/2 c chopped red bell pepper

**1/4 c grated asiago 

1/3 c croutons (or brown rice)

salt and pepper to taste 

6 sprigs of fresh parsley, chopped

sprinkle of italian seasoning

*I sometimes use sausage instead (brown it first, of course) I make my own loose turkey sausage that's really good in it, I'll post the recipe sometime. 

**sargento makes a yummy blend of asiago, parmesan and romano that's good in this recipe, too. 

Directions

preheat the oven to 350. cook bacon (or sausage), drain and crumble. slice off the top of the tomatoes and scoop out the pulp, finely chop the insides, and reserve 1/2 of it. Mix pulp, bacon, pepper, cheese, croutons, and parsley, and season to taste. Stuff the tomatoes, top with an extra sprinkle of cheese, place in a muffin tin (works much better then on a flat cookie sheet) bake 20-25 minutes.

Brown Rice Salad

It seems like everyone is anxious for warmer weather these days. (although I wouldn't mind one big snow storm before winter is over.) So I decided to post one of our absolute favorite summer recipes. We eat it alone, or pair it with stuffed tomatoes.

Brown Rice Salad

Ingredients

2 cups cooked brown rice (i've also made it with orzo, and that was pretty good, too)

1 md. carrot, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

1/2 c cubed chicken (or ham, or both!)

1/2 cup cubed swiss (or american, but i like swiss better)

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1/2 cup bell pepper (I prefer red)

3 tbsp mayonnaise

2-3 scallions, chopped

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt 

1/8 tsp pepper

1 small zucchini, chopped

combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, and chill 4 hours to overnight.  Sometimes I mix the mayonnaise, olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice as a dressing, and then add it to everything else. You can always make more of the dressing if you'd like.

Want to know what we're having for dinner tonight? Pork Tenderloin! You can find the recipe here. If you haven't already, check out the Daly Authenticity blog. She also has a passion for cooking, and there are some great recipes on her blog. 

Racism

I have to say, I never thought I'd be blogging about this. I think I kind of (naively) assumed that racism was dead. I mean, I don't dislike black people, and I don't know anyone else who does. But my eyes have recently been opened, and I realized that, unfortunately, racism does still exist. 

It seems to me that perhaps many people just make the assumption that because we don't hear about the kkk riding around in nearby neighborhoods that America is just one big happy family. However, in our ignorance are we making the problem worse? Just because the years of slavery and segregation are over doesn't mean there isn't still work to do. When we put our blinders on, does that keep us from finding every speck of racism and destroying it, of finding the core of racism and ridding ourselves of it permanently?

There is neither Jew or Greek, there is neither slave nor free, 

there is no male and female, for you are all one in Jesus Christ. 

Galations 3:28

What does this mean? There is no black or white or hispanic or pink, or purple or polka dot. I was challenged with this verse. Does this mean that it's wrong even to make a distinction? If I'm talking to someone and say, "oh yeah, this black guy", or "oh yeah, this scary white guy.." is that racism? Because according to God's law, there is no black or white. There isn't even a male or female, there are only children of God. And I'm sure God is color blind. I'm sure our skin pigment isn't even in his radar when he thinks about us. If we are to strive to be like Christ, shouldn't our attitude be the same? 

Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.

1 John 2:9

This is a "duh" verse. Obviously, regardless of our skin color, background, sex, or anything else that might distinguish us from others, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. We have no right to hate anyone, it's our duty to strive to be like Jesus, and live in love. 

But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and 

are convicted by the law as transgressors.

James 2:9

Being racist, on whatever level, whatever form it manifests itself, is a sin. It's the same as any other sin. If I'm not mistaken, all sin is equal in the eyes of the Lord. 

For anyone who believes there isn't racism, please open your eyes, and your hearts. Google some stats on racism. If racism is dead, why are thousands of racial hate crimes reported to the FBI every year? Why is there proof that it still exists in the workplace? Don't be naive, people. Isn't it our job to surround our brothers and sisters in love? You know what, even if racism didn't exist, and someone felt it did, it would still be our job to show love, and respect, and kindness. 

What part of the human psyche does racism come from? We might never know. However, shouldn't it be our job as humans to seek out racism and squash it? Shouldn't there be an open dialog so that we can learn from each other?