The Key to Happiness

Where does true happiness come from?

In asking someone where happiness comes from, you may hear several different answers.  Common answers may include money, possessions, and people.  I agree, those things may add to your happiness.  However, if a person relies solely on these things for happiness they are sure to be disappointed.  Say you are happy because you are rich.  We all know how easy it is for finances to be turned upside down in the blink of an eye.  If the money is gone, then the happiness is gone.  Some rely on special possessions for their happiness, such as an heirloom or a treasure.  What if a fire consumes all those possessions?  The happiness went up in flames too.  Some people's happiness depends on a particular person in their life, such as a spouse.  What if that spouse becomes unfaithful, loses interest in the relationship, or dies?  That person's happiness just left too.  Human history proves you can't rely on humans 100% of the time.

Have you known a person without joy?  Have you lived without joy?  It is painful to watch and painful to live.  Unhappy people are prime targets of the enemy.  They seek something to fill them up, something to make them happy.  If they can't get these things, they may turn to the unthinkable in order to find relief from their pain.  This in turn leads to more unhappiness.  If happiness doesn't come from money, possessions, or people, where does it come from?  Let's see what the Bible says.


Psalm 51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Here it says that joy comes from salvation.  Salvation means that you have been saved from eternal death.  Salvation means that your sins have been forgiven so that you may have eternal life.  This is something free God gives to all of us.  All you have to do is ask.  Admit you are a sinner.  Confess that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that He died for your sins before ascending to sit at the right side of God Almightly.  Ask Him to forgive you.  Make Him the lord of your life.  All you have to do is call on His name and you will be given the gift of salvation. Salvation brings a joy that isn't dependent on anything but God.  That means you can lose all your money, lose all your possessions, and even lose people around you and you will still have joy in your life.  Sure, losing those things won't be easy to bear, but when your happiness isn't based on what you have/don't have your perspective will be different.  Once you get past the grief of losing those things, your joy of salvation will still remain.


Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Bonus!  Get your joy from God's salvation and He will bless you.  That is where those previous things come to play: people, money, and possessions.  God grants us those perks but doesn't expect us to base our happiness on what we have and don't have. 

Enjoy Paul Baloche's "Our God Saves"", which I think goes  well with this reflection.

Blessings,
Rachael

Roasted Root Veggies and Barley

This is an easy meal that can be prepared in about 30 minutes.  I ate two new veggies in this dish-turnip and fennel bulb.  The apple adds a sweetness to the meal, which is your treat for eating so many veggies!

  This recipe was adapted from Clean Food cookbook.

Preheat the oven to 425 F.  Bring water to a boil for your barley.  For each cup of uncooked barley you need about 3 cups of water. 

While waiting for the water to boil:

Trip off the ends of the brussel sprouts and cut them in halves. 

Dice a turnip.

Dice a fennel bulb.

Dice a gala apple into chunks larger than your veggies since apples tend to cook quicker.

In a roasting pain, toss your brussel sprouts, turnip, fennel, and apple in olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place the pan in the oven.   It takes about 25 minutes until it carmelizes.  Be sure to stir the mixture every 8-10 minutes to ensure even roasting.

Meanwhile, once your water comes to a boil, pour in the barley, turn the heat down to low/med and let it simmer with the lid on.   It takes about 30 minutes for the barley to cook.  Drain any remaining water.

Serve the veggies on a bed of barley.

This meal was simple and delicious!

Asparagus, chickpeas, and quinoa

This was my first time to eat asparagus.  I know, that is a shame!  It was simple to prepare and didn't taste at all like I had imagined.  Funny how we have preconceived notions about certain foods.  You really should try something before you decide if you like it or not.  :)  My mother may have just had an aneurysm reading that...all those years of lectures.  It finally sank in, Mom! 

This dinner was on the table in less than 20 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 425.

Measure out 1 cup Quinoa and 2 cups water.  This is enough for two with some leftover.  Double or triple if needed.  Cover, turn on the heat, and bring to a boil.  It will be done in about fifteen minutes, when the grain separates.

Snap the ends off of a bunch of fresh asparagus.  Lay onto a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Squeeze half a lemon onto the asparagus.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Put in the oven when 425 F.  Roast for about 10 minutes.  It should come out tender, not crunchy.

Open up a can of chickpeas.  Drain, rinse.  Put into a sauce pan and heat over low to medium heat, occasionally tossing.


Enjoy!

Give credit where credit is due

Sometimes I forget to give credit where credit is due.
Deuteronomy 8:10-18

10When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.  11 Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.  12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.  15 He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions.  He brought you water out of hard rock.  16 He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you.  17  You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce weath...


I know that sometimes I am proud.  I am proud of where I came from, proud of what I have accomplished, and proud of who I am.  God reminds me that HE GAVE me the ability to do EVERYTHING.   I grew up with all my basic needs being met.  Some would have called our family poor, but in comparison with most of the world, we had plenty.  Still, on occasion I have run into a childhood friend, classmate, or parent and have seen the surprise on their face when they learn I am a physician assistant, am married, and have a child.  Contrastingly, friends learn of my background and are very surprised, assuming that because of who I am today that I must have "come from money, grew up in church, etc". 

I didn't come from money.  I didn't have a stable home life.   I didn't grow up learning about Jesus.   I overcame all of those things.   Sometimes, I take the credit for everything.  I worked hard.   I applied myself.  I am smart.   I didn't want to continue certain family traditions.  I chose to go to church.  The truth is I couldn't have accomplished anything without God.  HE GAVE ME THE ABILITY, the encouragement, and the path to get to where I am and to allow me to do what I do both professoinally and in the home.  He also gives me the wealth that occurs beause of the abilities he has blessed me with.  Also, wealth isn't just measured in money, but in love and in the fruits of my labor.



Questions to ponder:
1)  Do you ever find yourself giving credit to yourself instead of to God?
2)  Do you feel you are using your abilities  as God intended?  If not, what are you going to do about it?

Homemade Pizza

I found this pizza dough recipe on 100  Days of Real Food.

Take one cup warm water and add 2 tsp active dry yeast.  Let it sit until it bubbles.  Then add 2 tsp salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Mix it all together, then add to 3 cups of whole wheat flour.  Mix into a dough, then knead.  This only takes about 2 minutes.  Place the dough into a bowl and cover for one hour, up to overnight, while storing in the fridge.  This makes enough for two pizzas.  We ate one pizza for dinner, then kept the dough overnight and had the second pizza for dinner the next night. 

We brushed our dough with olive oil, then sprinkled garlic powder, basil, and oregano on top.  Then we added sliced up mozzerella and fresh parmesean, along with some spinach leaves.  My daughter was a great help with sprinkling ingredients!

Bake at 500 F for 8 minutes.

Muesli

Tired of oatmeal but still wanting a healthy breakfast?  Try muesli!  I tried Bob's Red Mill version, which is made of whole wheat, date crumbles, sunflower seeds, raisins, whole grain rye, whole grain barley, whole grain oats, flaxseed, almonds, and walnuts.  It can be eaten hot or cold.  Today I tried it hot (add water and microwave) with a side of fresh berries.  This was very filling and would be a great Daniel Fast meal! 

Menu plan (80% plus Daniel Fast approved)

I planned this menu with the goal of striving for at least six servings of veggies/fruit per day.   It seems hard to reach this goal if you don't plan it out in advance.  This week, our protein will mostly come from beans, fish, and nuts.  It isn't 100% DFA, but you could easily modify a few things to reach that goal if you are interested.  If you are thinking about a Daniel Fast, this menu would certainly help prepare you as it is mostly based in plants. You would only need to eliminate the fish, make a few small adjustments on the stir fry recipe (no alcohol or added sugar) and avoid adding cheese to the lentil casserole and baked potato. 

Sunday:  Whole grain cereal with fresh mango
                Baked potato with baby green salad
                Lentil and green bean casserole
                Nectarine

Monday:  Oatmeal with cinnamon and raisins
                 Brown rice tortilla with peanut butter and granny smith apple
                 Grapes
                 Baby carrots
                 Grilled tilapia with squash and zucchini

Tuesday:  Whole grain cereal with banana
                 Brown rice tortilla with peanut butter
                 Clementine
                 Homemade trail mix (dried fruit, nuts, seeds, and grain)
                 Cabbage kale salad with chickpeas and pear (recipe later if this is good)

Wednesday:  Oatmeal with cantaloupe
                      Leftover salad with grapes
                      Veggie tacos

Thursday:  Whole grain cereal and a clementine
                   Leftover veggie tacos
                   Apple
                  Chinese veggie stir fry with rice

Lemon Apple Veggie Juice

This juice is tart and tasty!

1 lemon
2 Granny Smith apples
1 bunch Rainbow Swiss Chard
2 handfuls parsley
2 cups of spinach
4 large carrots


It makes about 22 ounces, which is enough for two people to have a full glass. 

Square foot gardening

I started my first square foot garden this past week.  I am using the above book for a reference guide.  I started off with a kit I purchased at Sam's club.  For soil, I used 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 vermiculite, and 1/3 blended compost.  The vermiculite was the toughest ingredient to find; I had to go to a plant nursey.  The big box stores don't carry it.  Maybe one day I'll have my own compost pile, but for now I purchased a couple of different composts.  To mix all the ingredients together, I layed them onto a tarp and mixed them up, then shoveled them into the boxes.  My daughter had a lot of fun mixing the dirt with me.  I have cute pictures but need to find the thingamajig that allows me to upload from the camera.  :)

I measured some latts I bought at the hardwared store and cut them to size to divide each box into squares.  Latts are cheap; I spent about 4 dollars and had leftover wood.  Each square is about a foot, give an each or so.   I planted seeds of different veggies into each square and labeled the squares on the latt.

Voila! 

I will keep you posted on how this turns out!  Hopefully I will find the thingamajig so I can share some photos soon.

Mediterranean Pasta with Chickpeas

Adapted from Clean Food

Cook 1 pound 100% wheat bowtie pasta.  Rinse, drain, and return to pot.  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large dutch oven over medium heat, saute the following for about 3 minutes:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic glove, minced
1 shallot, chopped (could use 1 small onion here instead)

Add to the dutch oven and saute for about 5 minutes:
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups diced tomatoes with their liquid
2 tablespoons tomato paste

Add 1 small bunch of kale, chopped into bite size pieces to the dutch oven, cover and cook about 3 minutes.

Uncover and stir to combine all ingredients, including the pasta.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Serve and enjoy. 

Carribean Style Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans over Brown Rice

From The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen cookbook


Get your brown rice started

Cut up 3 sweet potatoes into bite size pieces
Place sweet potatoes and water into a large saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes.  You want the potatoes to be tender but not falling apart.  Drain and set aside.


In the same saucepan, whisk together:
3/4 cup orange juice,
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon jerk seasoning
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin

Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Boil until thickend, whisking constatnly.

Stir in sweet potatoes and 1 can black beans (after rinsing).  Cook, stirring until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Serve warm over the rice.

Bean Sprout Cabbage Salad

This was my first time to eat cabbage and bean sprouts.  Turns out they were both not as scary as I had thought!  They each were a touch bitter, but mixed with everything else made a tasty combination!  This recipe made plenty for two plus enough for at least 4 more meals.

Remember to wash and spin your greens. 

1/2 head red lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
1/2 head green lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
4 leaves red cabbage, cut into thin strips
2 carrots, shredded
2 cups bean sprouts
1 cup pecans
1 peach, cut into bite size pieces

Dressing
Mix together:
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Ginger-thumb size, shredded
1 small scallion, diced
Salt and pepper-shake of each

Hummus

This recipe was given to me from a co-worker several months ago and I finally got around to making it. 

You could use hummus as a dip  for veggies or as a spread on a tortilla. 
  
You need the following:
1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
6 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons juice from one large lemon (I hand squeezed it into a cup)
2 tablespoons tahini (this is a sesame seed paste)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 garlic clove, minced (about 1/4 teaspoon)
Pinch cayenne pepper

Put the chickpeas, water, lemon juice, tahini, salt, garlic, cayenne pepper and 2 teaspoons of the olive oil all into a food processor and process for about 1.5 minutes.

Transfer the hummus into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  Bring to room temperature and season with additional lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper as needed.

To serve, make a well in the center and drizzle with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil.

Spicy Black Bean Salsa

Mix together:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes (look for organic)
3 peppers:  one jalapeno, one serrano, one red hot pepper
1 small can corn
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice from 1/2 a lime

You can adjust the heat on this salsa by adjusting the peppers to your liking.

Tortilla with PB and Apple

Here is one of our favorite lunches.  This is Danel Fast approved and actually quite filling.

Start with a whole wheat tortilla. 
Smother with peanut butter.  Ya know, the kind made only of peanuts.
Slice up a green apple to top.

Eat like a pizza or roll it up and eat it like a burrito.

Daniel Fast Menu Day One

Remember you can read more about a Daniel Fast here.  It is basically a diet of foods that originate from a seed.  That means no processed foods, no dairy, no meat...you get the picture.  If you don't know if something is Daniel Fast approved, ask yourself, did this come from a seed/grow from the ground?  That should answer your question.

Here is an example of what you could eat for one day on a Daniel Fast:

Breakfast:
Oatmeal (plain oats) plus sliced up green apple with cinnamon

Snack:
Banana
Handful of almonds

Lunch:
Baked potato, salted
Mixed green salad with a fresh pear sliced, grapes, pecans, and almonds

Afternoon snack:
Two or three celery stalks with 2 tablespoons peanut butter

Dinner:
Veggie tacos

Evening snack:
Popcorn, popped on the stove, salt optional 

Reverse Fondue

Since we don't have a fancy fondue pot, we improvised, following a recipe from Cooking Light.

Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Cut up a head of broccolli and a head of cauliflower. 
Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and spread onto a baking sheet.
Cut up 1-2 slices of bread (we used a leftover homemade baquette) into bite size pieces.
Place the bread on another baking sheet.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, put 1 cup dry white wine and 1 teaspoon cornstach into a sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a slow bubble. 

Stir in 8 ounces of cheese.  We used 1/2 Gruyere and 1/2 Emmenthaler.  Stir until it melts and becomes creamy.

When the veggies and bread are finished roasting, drizzle with the cheese and serve while hot.

Wheat Berry Salad

Wheat kernals, raw

Wheat berries, after cooking

Wheat berries are simply wheat kernals that have been soaked and cooked.  They have a nutty flavor and are chewy.  Many people use wheat berries in several different ways, but tonight I just wanted to add some to a salad.

To make the wheat berries, I measured about one cup of wheat kernals.  I added about 3 cups of water and allowed them to soak all day.  Then I turned up the heat and boiled them on high for about thirty minutes.  Some recipes call for the exact opposite-boil for 30 minutes, then let them soak all day.    You can also cook them in a slow cooker on low heat for a few hours.


Here is one we threw together tonight:
Fresh spinach
Two D'Anjou pears, diced
Dried cranberries, 1/4 cup
Wheat berries

For the dressing:
Juice one orange by hand
1/4 cup Olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Whisk that all together

Toss your salad with dressing and serve. 

Mushroom Rigate Bake

This was adapted from Cooking Light

Cook 8 ounces penne rigate pasta, whole wheat. 

While the pasta is cooking you can slice the following:
1/4 cup shallots
8 ounces shiitake mushroom caps
4 ounces sliced baby portebello mushrooms
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 garlic clove-mince

Heat a skillet on medium high heat.
Melt 2 teaspoons butter, then add the shallots and saute for three minutes. 
Add mushrooms, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and garlic.  Stir frequently and  saute about 8 minutes.

Your pasta will likely be finished sometime during this process; drain and set aside.

Heat a dutch oven over medium high heat.
Add 1/4 cup whole wheat flour and gradually add 2 cups 2% milk, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Bring to a boil, cook one minute, constantly stirring.
Remove from heat, add 1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese and stir until melted.

Add the mushroom mixture and pasta the the sauce and toss well.
Spoon the mixture into an 8 inch square baking dish.
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Asiago cheese (or mix it up and do some parmesean cheese)
Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

Warm Quinoa Salad with Toasted Almonds

From Cooking Light

Rinse 1 cup quinoa in cold water, then toast in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant and golden, about five minutes, stirring frequently.

Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil on high.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until all water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 green onions, thinly sliced diagonally

Toss the quinoa in the mixture, top with toasted almonds to serve.

This is a great side dish and complimented our grilled tilapia well. 

Note: the quinoa salad is Daniel fast approved (the fish is not).