You are what you think you are

All that we are is the result of what we have thought.

 The mind is everything.

What we think, we become.”

~~ Buddha ~ ♥ ~

Venison Pot Roast

Venison is a delicacy here in the states. It is not sold in the grocery stores.  If you know someone who hunts, then try to get them to share their catch with you.  I remember as a girl my mother made the most wonderful roast with venison. It is was so tender and delicious. Even though this is not her recipe, I bet she would have liked it just as much.  

 

Tonight for dinner I had a venison pot roast.  The recipe is simple yet delicious.  It only has four steps and you are done.  Pot roast is a popular American dish that used to be served for Sunday dinner because it took so long to cook.  I put the meat in a slow cooker/crock pot and it is done in about nine hours. It really depends on the amount of meat and how tender you want the final product to be.   

Ingredients:

1 package of brown gravy mix

1 package of dry ranch dressing mix

1 package of dry zesty Italian dressing mix

1/2 cup of water

Pepper to taste 

Pour the water in the bottom of your crock pot.  Put the meat on top.  Sprinkle the mixes on top of the meat. Cover and cook until the meat is tender. Serve with mashed potatoes and a vegetable.  Enjoy!

 

Bengali Butternut Squash and Garbanzo Bean Curry

Here is a recipe that is great if you want to eat healthy and you are short on time.  This is a savory\sweet dish with a hint of heat that can either be served with plain rice or without.  I love this dish and will be making it often.  The smell of the spices filled the air as I sauteed them in the pan. My mouth began to water. I could hardly wait to take the first bite. I was not disappointed either.

Ingredients:

3 TBS vegetable oil

a large pinch of ground asafoetida (can be found at Asian or Indian markets)

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp of panch phoran (also known as Bengali five-spice)

1-2 mild dried red chilies or canned green chilies (about a tsp of canned)

1 small - medium onion, chopped

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander powder, heaped

1 tsp ground fennel seeds

1 tsp garam masala

salt to taste

1/2 tsp sugar

2 tsp ginger paste

2 cups of butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes

1 cup of boiling water

1- 8 oz can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed.

1 tbs Ghee, optional

Heat the oil and ghee in a large pan over medium heat.  Add the onions and saute until translucent/golden brown.  Next, add all of the spices and saute for about 2-3 minutes.  If it becomes dry add a bit of water to make a sauce.  Next add the boiling water, squash and garbanzo beans.  Simmer until the squash is tender.  Adjust the salt/sugar to your taste.  Serve Immediately.  Enjoy!

The Art of Forgiveness

I have been battling forgiveness. I wrote in my journal that forgiveness is the next step in the healing process. I knew in the beginning that what I did was risky. But isn't everything that you do risky?  However, I thought that I would be an exception.  When I saw the signs, I turned my head and looked the other direction. I listened to my heart and not my head.  Oh this will not happen to me, I told myself. But it did. Then there is the anger. The rage is sure to tag along. You dream of revenge. Sometimes guilt or shame keeps you company far too long.  Misery takes residence where it wills. What to do? All the while hoping they die in a fiery car crash.

When I think about forgiving, the first thing that comes to my mind is that if I forgive it is like saying, oh that was ok what happened, when in fact it was the worst thing that could ever happen.  It is ok to be angry for being wronged. What happened, well, happened. I cannot change it. To forgive is that it removes you from being entangled in the rather dark thing that hurt you in the first place. This, however, is a process and cannot be done in an instant.  I was encouraged to pray.  Make a list of what the offense(s)was/were and pray. Am I there yet?  Oh no, but I am at least making an effort.

Job Fulfillment: Reality or Illusion

How many people do you know who are truly happy with their job?  Are you working in the vocation that you have always dreamed of? The other day, I was talking to a lovely lady about work in general and she described a position in a company that she held for 10 years, but it wasn't like work for her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she told me that her position was eliminated.  She was in her element while working in this position.  She wrote articles to her hearts content and was doing what she truly loved. Yet so many people have jobs to just get by, not feeling any sense of fulfillment. I need money, I need insurance, I need a roof over my head and have to feed my family, they tell themselves.  All the while dreading the next day and upon arriving at work, they are waiting for quitting time. 

Is it the American dream to have a fulfilling dream or just an illusion? The reason I ask this is that people in various parts of the world have no choice.  To have a job is the greatest of luxuries.  I was reading an article the other day about Moroccan students who have degrees still find it hard to get a job in their own country. Some even go to great lengths of setting themselves on fire in protest. We, here in America, cannot imagine doing something so drastic. 

Oh just quit your job and travel: Kien Lam did.

Can you imagine being able to quit your job and travel for a year?  A photographer by the name of Kien Lam did just that.  He travelled to 17 different countries during the span of a year.  As I write this I am thinking of places that I would like to visit. He went to: USA, England, France, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia,  and Peru. He stayed in hostels, slept under the stars, on a bus, and various other places. 



He took over 6000 photographs and then made this video. If you could do something like this, where would you go?  Enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Orange Cream Cheese Snowballs

Here in the midwest we have finally had snowfall.  This makes a good day to bake cookies.  I have been wanting to make this recipe for a long time.  At our local food co-op they have flavored oils for cooking.  I found orange and lemon and have really enjoyed using them.  But if you cannot find orange flavored oil that is ok. Use orange extract instead.  This recipe is simple and delicious. 

Orange Cream Cheese Snowballs

1 cup powdered sugar

½ cup ground walnuts

½ cup shortening

½ cup butter, softened (1 stick of butter)

½ cup of cream cheese, softened (4 ounces)

½ cup of granulated sugar

½ tsp orange extract

1 tsp orange zest

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl mix together the powdered sugar and ground walnuts.  Set aside.  In a mixing bowl add the shortening, butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Mix until the sugar is completely combined.  Next, add the orange extract, vanilla extract, orange zest, and flour. Mix thoroughly with a mixer.  Form 1 inch balls and place about 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.  I used to teaspoons to do this.  Then bake for about 5-7 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden brown.  Don’t over bake these.  Remove from the oven and let sit for about a minute.  Then immediately roll them in the powdered sugar mixture and place on a wire rack to cool. These are delicate, so be gentle when rolling them. This will make about 20-24 cookies.

** I used 1 tsp of orange flavored oil instead of the orange extract and orange zest and I used vanillin instead of vanilla extract. **

Courage to Move on

"Courage is reclaiming your life after a devastating event
robs you of your confidence and self-esteem.
It is facing tomorrow with a firm resolve to reach deep
within yourself to find another strength, another talent...
It is taking yourself to another level of your own existence
where you are once again whole, productive, special."

Catherine Britton

Widows are the same everywhere

I watched a documentary on September 11th.  But this was not just about September 11th it was a parallel between two countries, the United States and Afghanistan.  The documentary dealt with the widows of this tragedy.  Not just American widows, also Afghan widows too.  I was deeply moved by this short film.  Susan Retik and Patti Quigley documented their journey to Afghanistan to meet the Afghan widows they have worked to empower. If an Afghan woman is widowed and has children she is dependent upon the family of her husband. A husband is considered as "shade" for the women. As long as he is alive, his wife sits in his "shade". Once the shade is gone she is exposed to the elements. Often she lives in extreme poverty. The culture prevents her from having an ordinary job because she is a woman. To honor her family, the woman is required to wear a burka out in public.  If she remarries then her children remain with her husbands family while she lives with her new husband, which is a price many of them would rather not pay.  The contrast between American life and that of Afghanistan is striking and at times hard to fathom.

I have to admit I cried when I watched this film.  Women are the same the world over.  Many of the women said that their whole lives were horrible. They cried together as they opened their hearts to one another. Then I think about my own life. I am truly blessed. 

Darkness Versus the Light

Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.