Daily Devotional

Another devotional from a Purpose Driven Life that I thought was really, really applicable to my life. Schedules always seem to be more full than I have time for and especially with me in the physical state that I am I really need to make sure I am setting my priorities straight. When I saw this it just hit home...

Surviving Your Schedule
by Rick Warren

An intelligent person aims at wise action, but a fool starts off in many directions. Proverbs 17:24 (TEV)

*** *** *** ***

Do you ever get to the end of your day and think “Did I accomplish anything today?” Where does all the time go?

If you don’t master your schedule, it will master you. Here are three suggestions from the Bible for reducing the stress of your schedule:

Line up your priorities. Obviously, you don’t have time to do everything. You must make choices. You must decide what’s really important and what isn’t. Take some time to consider the direction of your life.

· “It is stupid to waste time on useless projects” (Proverbs 12:11 TEV).

· “You may make your plans, but God directs your actions” (Proverbs 16:9 TEV).

Lighten up your attitude. Do you really have to do everything on your to-do list? No one is holding a gun to your head. A lot of your stress is self-imposed. The Bible says that God gave us humor as a stress reliever.

• “Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up” (Proverbs 12:25 NLT).

• “A relaxed attitude lengthens life; jealousy rots it away” (Proverbs 14:30 NLT).

• “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength” (Proverbs 17:22 NLT).

Look up to God. Stress is always a warning light that you’ve taken your focus off God and are looking at your problems from your limited viewpoint. I believe the single greatest cause of stress is this: We take ourselves too seriously and we don’t take God seriously enough!

Need more time in your schedule?

• “Fear of the Lord lengthens one’s life, but the years of the wicked are cut short” (Proverbs 10:27 NLT).

• “Those who fear the Lord are secure; he will be a place of refuge for their children” (Proverbs 14:26 NLT).

Illness Update

So, I am still sick. Nice, huh? Well, last week I went back to the doctor and here is where I am today...

On Friday the doctor took some blood work and when I heard back from the doctor they said its no longer strep and its not mono. The trouble is an elevated liver count. They are running additional test for things like hepatitis, etc and they should have the additional results back in a week. In the meantime I am on prednisone. They say the prednisone should help me to feel better and more awake. So far I am barely staying awake. I do very little and I am exhausted. In the past week I have worked about 2 hours... and after the 2 hours I could barely keep my eyes open.

This isn't the first time I have had blood work come back with an elevated liver count so who knows what will come of it. I just ask that you keep me in your prayers and once I know more I will definitely let you know again.

However, I am still very lucky. I have the best friends anyone could ask for who have brought me soup and flowers. And I include the people I know from work in the friends category... they have kept up with my illness and have even sent me flowers! My boss has told me every time I have tried to work to go back home and get better. I can't ask for more. Want to see my flowers?? Check them out...

From Work!

From Work

From Erinleigh & George

Its nice to look around and see such beautiful flowers! I am super lucky!

Missing Life

Once again MIA. Well, this time I blame it on strep. I have been out of life basically since last Wednesday and I am tired of sleeping!! I have spent the last 6 days either on my couch or on my bed. I had to go out today to get a few medications that I ran out of and I have to say it was nice to move but it made me sleepy.

When I think of the fun times that I was supposed to have this past week (my friend Victor's birtday party, seeing Nick Arrojo with Heather, small group, Oasis, Atlanta Challenge Celebration, Church, seeing my friends both at work and outside of work) I am a little sad however I need to get better.

So, medication will be taken and back to the couch I head to lay back down. Hope everyone else is feeling better than me!!!

Rich People Problems

Tonight for small group we went out to Seasons 52 and I had a great time! I love my small group and had never been to Seasons 52 before and was excited to go. The premise of the restaurant is that there is nothing over 500 calories. Tiffany (who is also vegan+) and I decided to split two of the entrees... Salmon Flatbread and the Autumn Market Vegetable Plate. To go with it, everyone in the group had a glass of wine. Everything was wonderful and I would recommend this restaurant to anyone. The service was slow, however it was just fine because we each had so much to talk about it made time just fly! Let me say that this part of the evening was more than I could have asked for... I had a blast.

But the rest of this is going to be written before all this healthy rage wears off...

Seasons 52 is in a retail/business area called One/Two Buckhead Plaza. I have been to the Plaza before to go to J. Christophers, a breakfast restaurant, and the first time I parked in the wrong parking garage and ended up paying more to park than I did to eat, needless to say I was frustrated.

However this time I searched and searched until I found the correct parking garage, it was a maze to get into and I passed complimentary valet parking but because I was being really cheap and didn't want to pay the tip to valet, I parked myself. Where I parked was for retail customers and was 2 hours free parking. Or so they said.

However, when I tried to get validated they said that Seasons 52 is not a retail shop. I question what it is then? I defined retail in this setting as something other than business. Since I am going somewhere to pay them money for a product (aka food) I figure this was retail. Crazy me.

So then I go to exit (and luckily it was evening) and I ended up paying $5 to park. Not that $5 is a lot of money, however I was expecting free. And more than that I feel like they purposefully made it complicated just so they can get money off of people like me (and had this been during the day it would have been $6 per hour or in this case about $15). And more than that, this isn't downtown Atlanta where there is no free parking to be had, this is Buckhead where its free to park pretty much anywhere. And more than that I could have done complimentary valet, pulled up to basically the exact same place and I could have tipped them this money, which I prefer to do, I was just being really economical (or cheap).

As I was driving home and I was stewing over this and basically just making myself more and more angry I started thinking about Oasis and Andy Stanley.

The anger training that we just went thru in Oasis class talked about healthy anger. And since I wanted to hurt someone over this means its not healthy anger.

And as Andy would say, this is a rich people problem.

I was able to eat, inside a restaurant, I was able to pay for the food with my own money, I was able to drive in my own car home, and I have a home to go home to. If any of those things were not there, this would be a real problem. Me having to pay a parking garage to be able to park my car is a rich people problem. And really, I need to just get over it.

So why am I still upset?

JJ Heller

During my run on Friday a song popped into my iTunes that I had downloaded from here but hadn't listened to it. The song is called 'Not Mine Anyway' and it made me smile...

More and more away to you
It’s not mine anyway

I could not ever try so hard
I could buy a place in your heart
But here I am
My name written on your hands
Because you paid the debt I owe

Without you we all fall down
Without you we all fall


As most of you know, I have felt a strong pull from God that the way I was living my life needed to change. There has been many things that I have prayed over and changed in my life to live the way I feel God calling me to. And the last sermon series at Buckhead Church really fit into what God has been showing me in my life.

Namely, you are what you think. Where are your thoughts leading you. My notes from the sermons are as follows:

You think. You are.
Clay Scroggins

Week 1 - What Was I Thinking?

Philippians 4:8

- Your thoughts drive your actions.
- Thoughts that hold us most, mold us most.
- Use this passage as filter for your thoughts. Filter all your thoughts thru this grid.

Week 2 - Above the Influence

What was I thinking? Thoughts drive our actions.

Changing your mind is a very difficult thing to do. Any human system of self control is frustrating.

Colossians 3:1-4

Jesus died for the things that we can't change on our own. But then he rose and we have been raised with Christ and are in eternity with Christ. This should be the backdrop for your mindset, for everything you believe.

I am not a slave to my mind. You can not change your mind, Christ can. What will He change?
- Your general perspective
- There is ultimate hope in every circumstance.
- Recalibrate your heart to what's really meaningful.

I Feel Like I Am Falling Behind

I noticed that I am not updating as much as I have been... where do the days go!! I had a great weekend. Friday became my day of rest and what do I do on my day of rest... I run for an hour and a half. Well, not really run the entire time, but most of it! I was going to go on a 4 mile run, which should have taken about 45 minutes. However as I started running I wanted to try a new course so I ran around different streets, thinking I knew where I was going. However, about an hour into the run I realized I had no clue where I was. Luckily I had my trusty I phone on me so I pulled it out, used GPS to find my location and mapped my way home. I was about 2.5 miles away from home!! I couldn't believe how far I had gone, and I would have to go about 2 miles down Peachtree to make it home. I don't like running on such a busy street so once I got to Peachtree I called my mom and talked to her on the rest of the walk.

The rest of the day was then resting. I sat on the couch, took a nap, had lunch and dinner, and knitted. It was great!! I am making Victor a scarf for his birthday, which is this week, however it may not be done on time. If not, he will get it a little late! Oh well, I am actually impressed on how far I already am on the scarf since I just started it last weekend!

Yesterday I worked out again in the morning, but this time I played it safe and went to the gym. I ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes, did 30 minutes of cardio-kickboxing, and 30 minutes of yoga. Since the cardio-kickboxing and yoga are done to FitTV (and they have commercials) I did a few minutes of weightlifting during the commercials.

After the workout I ate some lunch and went to my friend Erinleigh's house for her dog, Bauer's, 2nd birthday party!! It was a lot of fun and I got to meet some new people which was very cool. After the party the ladies wanted to go to an art fair so we left around 6pm to head over there... however the fair closed at 6pm so by the time we got there all the booths were closed up. The guys were going to another house to play video games so us ladies headed over to that house to hang out. The game the guys wanted to play was missing some key parts so indeed we played Apples to Apples. I hadn't played it before but it was a lot of fun! Around 9pm Erinleigh got hungry so she, her husband George, and I went to La Fonda Cantina for a little Mexican food.

The Cantina (on Peachtree) is very close to my apartment and I had been there before but just for drinks. Their food was pretty good. I had the veggie tacos and Erinleigh got the salmon fish tacos. Since we each got 2 tacos with our order we decided to split them. We both preferred the veggie. We also got dessert to split... Apple Empanadas. They reminded all of us of apple pies from McDonalds. I wouldn't get the dessert again but I would go back for the main course. And, like all Mexican restaurants, they had chips and salsa. The salsa was super fresh and super good! And, for those that care, the price was very good.

Coconut Cupcakes... or Muffins

I am following a few vegan food blogs and in my reading one day I came across this Coconut Cupcake recipe, so I made it last night in preparation for Oasis tonight. In the end, I had one extra so I tried it and I would call it more a cross between a muffin and a cupcake. I liked it :)

I haven't iced them yet but I have added the icing recipe below as well. I will be icing tonight.



Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unsweetened, reduced fat coconut flakes (dehydrated)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup lite coconut milk
2/3 cup raw sugar
5 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp coconut extract or vanilla

Directions:
Preheat 350F
1. Mix flour, flakes, soda and salt in a bowl
2. Combine coconut milk, sugar, applesauce and extract
3. Mix wet until dry, stirring as little as possible until just combined
4. Spoon into a greased muffin tin 3/4 full
5. Bake 15 minutes

Coconut Creme Frosting

Ingredients:
4-5 tbsp reduced fat coconut flakes
3 tbsp non-hydr. cream cheese
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp coconut extract or soy milk

Directions:
1. place 2 tbsp of coconut flakes on a cookie sheet
2. bake 5 minutes at 350F until light brown
3. mix another 2-3 tbsp flakes, cream cheese, sugar and extract or soy milk
4. whip using electric beaters until blended and creamy
5. add another 1/2 to 1 tsp extract or soy milk if its too thick
6. ice cupcakes and sprinkle with toasted coconut

imago dei

Front Note: This posts is mostly for me. Something as a reminder for when I check past posts and remember where I have been and where I am going. But please, read on...

As I have talked about previously in posts, I am going thru Oasis (divorce) counseling thru North Point Ministries. Since my divorce, I have struggled with the idea of dating and marriage post-divorce. What good, Godly man would want to date/marry a lady who has been divorced? Would that make him/me an adulterer? There is some harsh punishments (i.e. stoning) in the Bible for divorce so what does that mean in this present day... does God see someone who is divorced as unlovable, unworthy, or unforgivable?

I have had to believe that God does forgive, that I am worthy and lovable. And there are so many other Christian people who have gone thru this so I know that it is possible to get remarried. However I have continued to struggle.

On Thursday I had some work to do so I stayed pretty late. During part of the work I was transferring data so I started looking at the website Blue Like Jazz and was looking around and then remembered the church Don talked about a lot, imago dei, and started poking around there. I really would love to visit the church some day but that's a completely different topic.

As I was poking around I found their stance on divorce and remarriage. It gave me hope...

Position
Imago Dei Community seeks God’s help to build strong marriages and families. Marriage is God’s gift for believers and unbelievers (Genesis 2:24); but, in a broken world, marriages will fail and we must be ready to respond with grace and truth.

The New Testament allows, but does not require divorce for sexual unfaithfulness. God’s grace encourages us to forgive and have hope that God’s transforming power can redeem even the most broken marriage. However, when there has been sexual unfaithfulness, divorce and remarriage are allowed, and do not constitute adultery. The marriage bond includes a covenant and then uniting sexually in “one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). Biblically, a marriage is viewed as ending when one spouse dies (Romans 7:2). It can also end when two things occur: (1) the one flesh has been violated (sexual unfaithfulness) and (2) the legal covenant has been revoked (divorce); if only one of these two things has occurred, the marriage continues to exist.

If someone divorces without a valid cause, they are still married in God’s sight. If one of them remarries, their new sexual union is adultery against their former spouse, and the first marriage is ended. Their union forms a new marriage. The new couple should repent of adultery, receive God’s forgiveness, and seek to make their marriage faithfully permanent. The former spouse is now single and free to remarry (Matthew 19:3-12).

One further exception is the so-called “Pauline privilege” in I Corinthians 7:15 (the believer “is not under bondage in such cases”) . The “bound” condition is best understood as the marriage bond (I Corinthians 7:39). In a marriage of believer and unbeliever, the believer should seek to preserve the marriage (1 Corinthians 7:13-14; 1 Peter 3:1-2). However, if the unbelieving spouse deserts, the believer, after patient prayer, may divorce and remarry.

Unmarried sexual cohabitation is an expression of sexual sin that seeks intimacy without commitment. The couple should either separate or make a marriage covenant in harmony with Scripture and state law (Hebrews 13:4; Romans 13:1).

Qualifications for church leadership involve one’s current life style. No one is disqualified because they did not meet the requirements in the past. The “husband of one wife” qualification for elders and deacons (I Timothy 3:2; 3:12) requires a person to have a reputation of living faithfully with their current spouse. The qualification is an idiom meaning a “one wife kind of man” not someone who has never been divorced or never remarried. For a single person this would require a reputation of sexual purity. Taking the phrase literally results in the unlikely view that it excludes single men like Paul, and those who have remarried for any cause. (Kostenberger, God Marriage and Family, chp. 12; Strauch, Biblical Eldership, 189-193).

It's kinda long so I cropped it. Check out the site if you want to see their position in its entirety.

Red Lentil Curry Soup

As I was going thru blogs the other day I found a recipe for Red Lentil Curry Soup from this site. It sounded really good and I had all the ingredients on hand so I made it this weekend.

PS this weekend I slept all weekend long... I don't know what was wrong but I literally slept in my bed or on my couch about 90% of the weekend. I was awake just enough to eat and watch a few movies... but I would wake up and fall asleep in the middle of most of the movies.

Anyway, back to the recipe. As usual, I changed it up a bit so check out the link above for the original. Here is what I did...




Ingredients:
3/4 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups of water, plus a little more1 cup uncooked red lentils
1 cup vegetable stock
16 baby carrots, sliced
1 tsp bay leaf
1 tsp mild curry powder
1″ fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp cilantro
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cloves
1-2 tsp garam masala
1 cup lite coconut milk
salt/pepper to taste

Directions:
1. line a large pot with a thin layer of water
2. turn heat on high and add onions
3. boil/saute for three minutes, add garlic
4. continue to cook until most of the water has cooked off
5. add vegetable stock, water, lentils, carrots, bay leaf, curry, ginger, cilantro, flakes and cloves
6. bring to a boil
7. cover and reduce to low
8. simmer 20 minutes
(or until lentils are cooked and most of the water has absorbed)
9. stir in garam masala
10. let sit (no heat, but covered) 5 minutes - optional
11. transfer to a blender
12. add soy milk or coconut milk
13. puree until smooth and creamy
14. salt and pepper to taste

Note: the older the soup gets, the more flavorful it becomes– if you can, make it a day in advanced.

I am eating some right now and am loving it!! Its a nice fall soup!!

Another Tofu Recipe

A few days ago I made a Savory Tofu and Vegetables Over Tomato Couscous recipe. Its another recipe from the Vegetarian Times. I made it pretty much according to the recipe with only a few minor changes. If you want to see the original please click on the link. Otherwise see below for what I made.

Ingredient List

• 1 6-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts
• 1 16-oz. pkg. extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. black pepper, divided
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 medium carrots and about 8 baby carrots, thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 large leeks, white and light green parts thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup couscous
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
• a few basil leaves

Directions

1. Combine artichokes and liquid, tofu, cumin, and 3/4 tsp. pepper in nonstick skillet. Cook over high heat 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring constantly. Transfer to bowl, and set aside.
2. Heat oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, leeks, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Cook 10 minutes, or until carrots are tender and leeks are lightly browned.
3. Meanwhile, bring tomatoes and liquid and 2/3 cup water to a boil in saucepan. Stir in couscous, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with fork.
4. Add garlic, basil, and reserved tofu mixture to vegetable mixture in skillet. Cook 3 minutes over medium heat, or until heated through and garlic is fragrant. Serve tofu and vegetables over tomato couscous.

I really did like the recipe and will have to make it again!! For you meat eaters you could substitute chicken for the tofu and I bet it would be pretty good too!

JJ Heller

I was checking out a friend's blogs and came across a free download... thought I would pass it along to those who read this one.

Just in case you are interested...

Blue Like Jazz

I just finished maybe the greatest book I have ever read... Blue Like Jazz. I love the author, Donald Miller, and pray that maybe one day I will be lucky enough to meet him. On the cover it states the book is 'nonreligious thoughts on Christian spirituality' and I love the explanation. I love the way the book flows. I love the thought patterns presented. Some of the things I took away from the book are:




I just finished maybe the greatest book I have ever read... Blue Like Jazz. I love the author, Donald Miller, and pray that maybe one day I will be lucky enough to meet him. On the cover it states the book is 'nonreligious thoughts on Christian spirituality' and I love the explanation. I love the way the book flows. I love the thought patterns presented. Some of the things I took away from the book are:

Wasting time - this is why the devil tries so hard to get Christians to be religious. If he can sink a man's mind into habit, he will prevent his heart from engaging God. Pg 13

I am the problem. Pg 20

God is not here to worship me, to mold himself into something that will help me fulfill my level of comfort. My problem is not that God is not fulfilling, my problem is that I am spoiled. Pg 92

The trouble with deep belief is that it costs something, it carries responsibility and if I believe these things I actually have to do something about them. Pg 107

Passion about nothing is like pouring gasoline in a car with no wheels. It isn't going to lead anybody anywhere. Pg 110

What I believe is not what I say I believe; what I believe is what I do. Pg 110

A person who thinks of himself unlovable cannot be in a relationship with God because he can't accept who God is; a Being that is love. We learn that we are lovable or unlovable from other people. That's why God tells us so many times to love each other. Pg 146-147

"I think it would be easier to trust God if I had extra money to trust him with." "That would not be faith, then, would it?" pg 196

It comforts me to think that if we are created beings, the thing that created us would have to be greater than us, so much greater, in fact, that we would not be able to understand it. It would have to be greater than the facts if our reality, and so it would seem to us, looking out from within our reality, that it would contradict reason. But reason itself would suggest it would have to be greater than reality, or it would not be reasonable. Pg 201

The problem with Christian culture is we think of love as a commodity. We use it like money. Pg 218

Instead of withholding love to change someone, pour it on lavishly. Nobody will listen to you unless the sense that you like them. Pg 220

Pray often that God will give you the strength and dignity to receive love. Pg 226

And so I have come to understand that strength, inner strength, comes from receiving love as much as it comes from giving it. I think apart from the idea that I am a sinner and God forgives me, this is the greatest lesson I have ever learned. When you get it, it changes you. My friend Julie from Seattle told me that the main prayer she prays for her husband is that he will be able to receive love. And this is the prayer I pay for all my friends because it is the key to happiness. God's love will never change us if we don't accept it. Pg 232

Amazing. My little quotes don't do it justice. I suggest reading it if you haven't done so already.

Do it immediately.

Chris's Wedding Picture...

Victor (aka VJ) went to our friend Chris's wedding a few weeks back and tonight I got an email with a link to the pictures in it. I went thru the pictures and I wasn't in any... but Victor was in one...



Hahah... how awesome of a picture is that! Just so you know, VJ did catch the garter and he did hang it from his rear view mirror. I guess this means he will be getting married before me!

Heheh!!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Absolutely amazing!!! Seriously better than any conventional chocolate chip cookie I have ever made (EVER). Fabulous, so fabulous, and you soooo have to make them yourself!! You will love them, I am so sure of it!! I made the cookies last night for my small group and everyone loved them!!

I got this recipe from the Vegan Issue of the Dessert Magazine I had mentioned before...




1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 tsp dark molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup (generous 1/4 C) canola oil
1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Stir until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla. Then stir in the oil until well combined.

Add the wet mixture and chocolate chips to the dry mixture and stir until just well combined. Place large spoonfuls of the batter on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Flatten a little. Bake 11 minutes, until just golden brown. Let cool on the sheet for a minute and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Makes 8-10 large cookies.


Enjoy!!

Sitting in line for gas...

So this is what my gauge looked like while I was sitting in a 30 minute line waiting for gas...

I just kept praying that I wouldn't run out in the line. And thank God I didn't!! I have never been so happy to pay so much for gas.

When is this gas shortage going to end??

Purpose Driven Life Devotional

So, as you know from my last post, I am in counseling basically do deal with past regrets. I was praying and studying last night and in my study I had to discuss 3 things that God has taught me this past week. One of the things I wrote down was that I need to face the issues that I have and not suppress them so they don't turn into regrets. And then in my inbox this morning here is what I found...

How to Get Past Regrets
by Rick Warren

Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands. Isaiah 43:18-19 (MSG)

*** *** *** ***

How often do you play the “If only” game?

· If only I could do it over again.

· If only I had listened sooner.

· If only I could erase the past.

· If only I could forgive myself.

The thing to remember is that no one is perfect. We all have regrets; we’ve all made bad choices, and said foolish things; we’ve all wasted time, and hurt ourselves and others.

How do you release your regrets? In my experience as a pastor, I’ve seen several strategies we tend to use that simply do not work:

· You try to bury your past. But burying the past will never help you get past your regrets. You can try to minimize (“It wasn’t a big deal”), rationalize (“Everyone does it”), and compromise (lowering standards), but your regrets are still there, and if unresolved, they’ll keep coming back to haunt you over and over again like a creature in a horror movie.

· We blame others. This tactic is as old as Adam and Eve. When Adam sinned, he took it like a man: he blamed his wife!We use blame to balance out our guilt.

· We beat up on ourselves. We try to pay for our guilt unconsciously through illness, depression, setting ourselves up for failure, and other forms of self-punishment. The problem with beating up on yourself is this: your conscience never knows when to stop!Some people spend their entire lives in self-condemnation.

What does God want you to do with your regrets?

· Admit your guilt. Own up to it.Don’t make excuses. “A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful.But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance”(Proverbs 28:13 LB).

· Accept Christ’s forgiveness. He’s waiting to clean your slate.Ask him to clear your conscience. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 NIV).

· Forgive yourself and focus on the future. “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands” (Isaiah 43:18-19 MSG).

Hmmm... does God work in some crazy ways or what! It seems that the day I need to hear something in particular, that is what is in the devotional.

It's amazing!!

Emotional Mess

On Thursday I finally broke and cried a ton!!

On Wednesday I had my first of thirteen group divorce counseling sessions. Since it has been so long I thought that emotionally I would be alright and that this would help me grow. I don't know what I was thinking though... I just ripped off a band aid so I don't know why it wouldn't hurt! It was amazing to be in the first session, however it left me emotionally drained.

Then on Thursday I saw the pictures of Dan and Dad. I loved seeing the pictures and at first was really happy but after looking thru them I started missing my family so I got a little sad. At lunch, my team met with a North Point Care councilor to discuss how we are handing the loss of our friend and co-worker Ashly's baby. During lunch session I don't think I said a word but I started crying and worked really hard at not bawling.

I was able to hold off most of the crying until I got into my car and drove between North Point and Buckhead. That's when I lost it. I cried for all of it. For both counseling sessions, for the fact that I am so good at suppressing my feelings, for the changes in a job (that even though this is the best thing that could have happened I am horrible at big changes), and for missing my family. I cried for a good majority of the drive but was able to stop before I got to Buckhead Church.

I worked the rest of my day, made it home, worked out, showered, and laid down on my couch. And the tears started again. At this point, I figured I just needed a good cry and just let myself go. I bawled again for a few minutes before calming back down.

Friday was a pretty good day for me... Marcus and I drove a ton but we were able to get me some new rims (after 3 years I now have round rims again... woo hoo!!) and new tires. Now all I have to do is not run over any more curbs. I love curbs too so this will be difficult.

After that, we met up with Ron, Carlos, and Jonathan for dinner at Chequers. Chequers is a seafood restaurant. The food was amazing however too full of butter/cream and about 10 minutes after dinner ended my stomach reminded me how lactose intolerant I really am. Dang! I would go back again however the pain wasn't worth it!

On the journey Marcus and I tried to get gas for my car but, if you listen to the news at all you know there is a slight (and by slight I mean there is no gas in the city) gas shortage and I wasn't able to find any. Oh well, I figured, by morning some of the stations would have gotten a delivery and I'll be able to get gas. I figured wrong. I didn't pass anywhere this morning on my way to North Point. The one place that I always go for gas has had gas the entire time so I figured they would still have some... however there was none there! I literally teared up again! How crazy! I know that God will take care of me and that He would work this out however I still felt all alone. Silly me!

Today I spent most of the day at North Point at a Walk Thru The Bible - Solving the People Puzzle seminar. We went thru a DISC personality test and then learned about our own strengths and weaknesses and how we should interact with people based on their personality. I thought it was pretty amazing and really enjoyed the opportunity!!

Luckily (or God directed - you choose) my friend Laura was also at the seminar and afterwards she drove me to find gas. However everywhere we found was too far away and had at minimum a 45 minute wait. So, instead of getting gas we left my car at North Point and she drove me home. Praise God, the 2 people that I called to get a ride to work on Sunday to Buckhead Church and on Monday to North Point Church answered their phones and agreed to pick me up! All I have left to do is find a ride home from Buckhead Church tomorrow. However, even if I don't find a ride I will still be able to get home easily... by walking (its a few miles) or more likely by taking a Marta train. It was be a straight shot from the church to home. Either way, God is working this out perfectly and now I am just praying that on Monday I will be able to get gas!

I work with some of the most amazing people!!

DAN & DAD!!!

I checked my Facebook account this morning and found some pictures of Dan and Dad. Here are a few!!




See if you can see the rest here.

My new favorite restaurant...

I was introduced to a restaurant called Sweet Tomato today at lunch and I am super in love!! Once again, I was able to go to lunch with members of my work team... Rachael, Griffin, Chip and Josh... and we had a great time!

I had never been to Sweet Tomato before and when we got there I found out its a soup/salad buffet. It was amazing... some of my favorites were the Honey Minted Fruit Toss salad, the Indian Lenil soup and the Asian Ginger Broth. And, they had TOFU!! It was pretty inexpensive and has many vegetarian/vegan options! I will for sure be going back!!

Sweet!

Today's Devotional

I thought todays devotional from the Purpose Driven Life was amazing...



How to Determine What Matters Most
by Rick Warren

There are three things that will endure – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NLT)

*** *** *** ***

The most important lesson God wants you to learn on earth is how to love. Here are three simple truths about love:

1. Life without love is really worthless. We often act as if relationships are something to be squeezed into our schedule. We talk about finding time for our children or making time for people in our lives. That gives the impression that relationships are just a part of our lives along with many other tasks. But God says relationships are what life is all about.

Jesus summarized what matters most to God in two statements: love God and love people. He said, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart. . . . This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40 NLT).

The point of life is learning to love God and people. Life minus love equals zero.

2. Love will last forever. Another reason God tells us to make love our top priority is that it is eternal: “These three things continue forever: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13 NCV).

Love leaves a legacy. Mother Teresa said, “It’s not what you do, but how much love you put into it that matters.” Love is the secret of a lasting heritage. In our final moments, we all realize that relationships are what life is all about. Wisdom is learning that truth sooner rather than later.

3. We will be evaluated on our love. One way God measures spiritual maturity is by the quality of your relationships. In heaven God won’t say, “Tell me about your career, your bank account, and your hobbies.” Instead he will review how you treated other people, particularly those in need.

Jesus said the way to love him is to love his family and care for their practical needs: “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40 NRSV).

People need to understand that when you transfer into eternity, you will leave everything else behind. All you’re taking with you is your character. That’s why the Bible says, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (Galatians 5:6 NIV).

Knowing this, I encourage you to pray this simple prayer every morning: “God, whether I get anything else done today, I want to make sure that I spend time loving you and loving other people – because that’s what life is all about. I don’t want to waste this day.”

Good Day of Food!

So, today I had a great food day! I tried 2 new recipes!! Woo hoo!! Actually, one wasn't a recipe but something I made up.

For breakfast I wasn't in the mood for the oatmeal that I had been making, I was in the mood for protein and vegetables. So I sauteed 1/2 a potato, 3 strips of red pepper, 2 strips of red onion, and garlic in olive oil. I added some tarragon and pepper as the seasoning. On the side, I had a tofu steak and a few slices of cucumber. For dipping, I used a little bit of ketchup and mustard. It was really good!

I had a full day at work... we did a Google migration in the morning, had a lunch meeting, and then went to The Cheesecake Factory for lunch and I ordered the fresh fish tacos. There were 3 huge tacos, rice, and black beans. Yummy!! But it was so much food I was able to bring some home. It was great having lunch with my team... and we are lucky because we get to go to lunch together quite often! I love how much time we get to spend together and I love the people I work with!! Its so great!!

I have been wanting to make a recipe I have been eying in the Vegetarian Times... Root Vegetable Chili Soup. I had walked to Publix yesterday and picked up the ingredients I needed. After work I decided to make it! The recipe takes a long time to put together and I decided to have a bowl of the soup with a left-over fish taco. It was ok. I was a little disappointed, I felt like something was missing. But I checked the magazine again and it did mention that its better on day 2. So, I will have left-overs tomorrow and I'll see what I think!

Velvet Elvis

I just finished reading the book 'Velvet Elvis' by Rob Bell. It was an amazing book about how our faith is painted. Some of the highlights that I took away were...


114 - 'Your job I'd the relentless pursuit of who God has made you to be. And anything else you do is sin and you need to repent of it.'

116 - kill your superwhatever. The person I am convinced I am supposed to be. The image of how I am supposed to look, act, work, play, talk, etc. The negative voice shouting on my ear that I am not good enough.

166 - Why blame the dark for being dark? It's far more helpful to ask why the light isn't as bright as it could be.

Dinner with a View

For as late as I was up last night, I just couldn't sleep in!! By 7:30am I was ready to be up. So I made my way to my couch, rested for another 30 minutes before doing my workout... 30 minutes of yoga and 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer.

After working out I came back upstairs to the apartment and dyed my hair. As the dye was setting I made breakfast. I may have already mentioned this but Tiffany, one of the ladies in my small group, gave me a whole bunch of Vegetarian Times magazines. I decided that I would take one magazine at a time, mark all the recipes that I want to make, and then make them all before going to the next magazine. Yesterday while I was running my errands I picked up some of the ingredients to make some of the recipes in the magazine, but I did have almost all of the ingredients to make one... which I made as my breakfast.

Pressed Waffle Panini
(my recipe is a little different from the original, I am giving you mine)

2 Italian soy sausages
2 t homemade strawberry jam
1 t vegan cream cheese
pinch of dried thyme
2 leftover waffles from last weekend
4 T reconstituted sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
7 basil leaves, whole,
1 slice vegan cheese

Cook sausages over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes per side. Pull off the grill and cut each sausage into 4's. Combine jam, cream cheese, and thyme in bowl.

Thawed waffles in microwave before toasting in a toaster. Spread jam mixture on the waffle. Sprinkle sun-dried tomatoes over waffle, top with basil, vegan cheese , and sausage. Topped with 2nd waffle to form sandwich.

Coat heated pan with cooking spray. Grill sandwiches 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cheese melted.


I loved the panini, however I couldn't taste the cheese so I wouldn't put it on again. If I can't taste it, it's not worth having the extra calories! However, the cheese on its own tastes really good!! I bought it from Publix yesterday and when I ate it by itself I loved it, it tasted just like smoked provolone!!! I haven't had any cheese in so long it was amazing to have!!

After breakfast I finished getting ready for my day and headed up to the outlets off of 400. I had to go up to North Georgia because the funeral for my friends baby that passed away was today at 3:00pm. Since the funeral location and the outlets are pretty close to each other I decided to take a look at the outlets. Mostly to see if I could find a new rug or some pictures to hang in my apartment but I didn't find anything. However, what I did find was 2 dresses (one I am wearing now and have gotten a ton of compliments today on it) and the second I will be wearing tomorrow to work and then to a wedding. I also picked up a present for my dear friend Lynette!! Her birthday was on September 11 and I was supposed to go to her birthday party however I was laid up sick! So, now I will need to get together with her soon so I can give it to her!

After the outlets I went to the funeral, which was held right at the grave site of the baby. I expected it to be sad, however I wasn't ready for how sad I would be. The last funeral I had been to was for my grandfather. It was sad to see him go, however he had lived a good, long life; had children; had a wife who loved him; and was now in a nursing home. So, it was sad to see him go however it also felt like the circle of life. However, seeing the small coffin for the baby, knowing this baby hadn't lived even one day, the devastation this caused to my friend and her family made this so much harder! Andy, our preacher, gave the sermon and it was very good... discussing how this is something that we can never understand and how we need not try to. God does understand and what we need to do is lean hard against him. He talked about how David in the Bible had gone thru the same thing and he leaned on God to get him thru and how David was given compassion and was blessed.

After the funeral I stopped by the Lenox Mall because I had a birthday certificate from Aveda to get a free perfume. I got the perfume, looked around a few stores, stopped into Anthropolgie to see my friend Krista, and stopped by Teavana to pick up some Yerba Mate before heading home.

On my drive home I could think of nothing better than to eat my dinner on the rooftop. Once I got home I knew I needed do it. So I made myself a pear martini, heated up my left-overs, added a salad and headed upstairs.

Could it have been more beautiful?!?!?

While sitting upstairs all I could think of was dessert... and I new I had the ingredients to make some rice crispy treats and knew that I needed some! I have had a recipe that I have been waiting and waiting to make and finally decided it needed to be done... as always, I don't have all the ingredients from the original recipe however you can get the original here. Here is what I made...

Brown Rice Crispy Bars

Ingredients:
3 cups puffed brown rice
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon orange blossom honey
couple drops vanilla
2 cups mini marshmallows,
1/3 cups toasted slivered almonds
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried cranberries, white raisins, dark raisins mixed
2 dried fixed, coarsely chopped
couple pinches coconut flakes
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Lightly coat the inside of a 7 x 5 pan by 2-inch metal pan with oil and set aside. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Spread the brown puffed rice and almonds evenly on a sheet pan. Toast the oven for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the rice is toasting, prepare the marshmallow mixture.

Place the oil, honey, vanilla, and marshmallows in a large mixing bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water. Stir until the marshmallows are melted, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Once the marshmallows are melted, quickly add the toasted brown rice, almonds, and fruit and stir to combine. Coat your hands or a spatula with oil and spread the mixture evenly into the pan. Once the mixture has cooled completely, cut into squares and store in an airtight container for 1 to 2 days.


These are so good I have had like half the pan already! I am about to freeze the rest so it won't be so easy to eat so much so quickly!! I love the mix of fruit and cereal with the marshmallow!! Yumm-o!!!

Running Errands on Friday

So, the condo didn't sell... the people who looked at it decided they now want a house so this means I will be staying for the year. This also means that this weekend was the weekend of errands. And I am no where near done!

The goal was to find a rug for my living room and after searching about 7 or 8 different stores I thought I had got one on Friday (its sitting in the living room) however I don't think the color is quite right and VJ and his friends agree. In the store the rug looked blue but in the light in my living room it looks green. So, next weekend I will probably be exchanging it for a new one.

Also on Friday, I stopped at Target and Publix to get the daily needs, Michael's for white paint and a paint brush to paint the mirrors in my bedroom (Angela had left them here and everything else in my bedroom is white so I am going to try to make them match), and Sally's to pick up some hair dye.

After all the running around, I went home and made some dinner for VJ and his friends (Renard and John)... and I don't mean to gloat (OK, yea I do) the dinner was freaking fabulous!! You have to make it yourself!!

Soy-Gazed Salmon

Ingredients:
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1 T orange juice concentrate (frozen)
1 T honey
1 T fresh ginger, grated
4 cloves garlic, grated
1/4 t red pepper flakes
4 salmon fillets

In a pan (I used a baking pan the size smaller than 9x13), mix the soy sauce, juice, honey, ginger, chili, and a little water to thin out, add salmon, turning to coat with soy mixture. Let the salmon marinate for at least 1 hour, overnight if you can (I had it marinate a few hours).

Remove salmon from soy mixture; reserve. Broil salmon 3 minutes on sheet pan covered in aluminum foil; turn over. Brush salmon with reserved soy mixture. Broil 4 minutes or until just barely opaque.


I then topped the salmon with a soy reduction. In the reduction I used:

1/4 cup light soy sauce
1 T orange juice concentrate (frozen)
1 T honey
1 T fresh ginger, grated
4 cloves garlic, grated
1/4 cup soy vey sauce
2 T water

In a small sauce pan I mixed the above ingredients. I let boil/reduce down to about 1/2 (so it turned into a syrup consistency), stirring often with a wire whisk.


On the side I made broccoli and:

Zesty Quinoa

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup dry white wine
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup uncooked quinoa
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Heat oil over medium heat in a medium pot. Add onions and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Stir in quinoa and salt. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.


And OMG, was it good. This is going into rotation. The longest part of the salmon was letting it marinate... and while it did it smelled amazing. VJ's friend John said he could smell the salmon from the minute the elevator opened on the floor. It smelled amazing! I had left overs today and still loved it!

Along with dinner, John and Renard brought over some drinks so we were drinking cocktails all night long. And for as good as the dinner was, it wasn't meant to be super filling, so around midnight we all realized we needed to eat again. Unfortunately, for as much food as I keep here I don't keep snack food. So, VJ bought some pizza from Nancy's Pizza on Peachtree. The guys got a pizza with meat and cheese. On the size the ordered chicken wings. For me, we ordered a small no cheese, thin crust pizza. On the pizza was pizza sauce, garlic, basil, and tomato. It was really good, but I really think the pizza I make is much better. And full of a ton more veggies. However, I am still eating left overs and I will enjoy them!

After pizza I was exhausted and so was VJ, we both fell asleep on the couch. John and Renard decided it was time to go home so they left and then I moved myself to my bedroom and went right back to sleep! VJ went home sometime during the night but accidentally left his wallet so he stopped by my place again this morning to pick it up.

Its all random... isn't it?

This has been a very random past few days.

First, I get a friends request via Myspace from my ex-husband's new girlfriend wanting to know about me (Monday). For those not in the know, its been over 4 years since the divorce and even longer since we have seen each other face to face.

Next, I hear from Angela, my friend who owns the condo, that there is someone who would like to view the condo (Tuesday).

Then I leave my condo and there is smoke and a gasoline odor in the hallway (Wednesday -- and side note, I never found out what the trouble was).

Then last night I couldn't fall asleep, literally I was up until 4:30 am tossing and turning. I tried and tried to think what I may have done yesterday to keep me so active at night but I came up with nothing. And it wasn't fun... completely restless, heart pounding, joints hurt, almost like I needed to go for a long run.

So I started praying. God, what is up? But I hear nothing. God, are we wrestling? But I hear nothing.

At 12:40am I get up, drink some tea, have a few cookies, watch some TV. But still not tired. I am wide awake. I decide to go back to bed at 1:15am, because seriously there is nothing on TV. However at 2:00 am I am back up. This time I am playing with my cell phone. Turn on music. Turn off music. Play a game. Get annoyed. Search thru new applications for the phone. Get bored.

So I pray again. Still not hearing anything.

I turn everything back off and try to sleep again. Still wide awake so back to the TV I go and its now around 3:00 am. I watch some Golden Girls. Maybe I am now ready to sleep. But I lay back down and my eyes can't shut.

So I open my phone again. This time I check some emails and then I see this...

I have some sad news about our fellow teammate, Ashly. She hadn't felt Brooks move much today so her and Denny (the husband) went to the Doctor to make sure everything was ok. And unfortunately it wasn't. Brooks has gone to be with the Lord. She and Denny are very upset.

Ashly is one of my friend and teammates at work. She was in her last week of pregnancy and lost her baby. I laid there, cried, and prayed. I didn't know what else to do. Maybe this is why I couldn't sleep. So I pray about Ashly, her husband, their baby, the life they were expecting and will never know. I pray for them to cling to God and to remain strong in their faith but how hard is that to do in a time like this. I have/will continue to pray for her and please join me in the prayers.

Finally, sometime around 4:30am I finally fell asleep. And at 7:41 am I checked my phone again. The alarm should have gone off at 7:30am but never did. At least I had a few hours of sleep.

It was a great day at work and really enjoyed it thru the foggy tiredness of no sleep. At 3:30pm I decide that any more effort would be in vein so I start packing up, making last rounds, and left the building.

On my way home, I am chatting with my Mom on the phone as I drive a different way than usual and almost literally run into an ex-boyfriend who was walking to my job to give me flowers... 'just because he thought I should have them.' He handed them to me, I said thank you, and then he left.

Random?

Happy Birthday At Benihana

Yesterday the IT department headed to Benihana to celebrate all the birthdays that took place in the past quarter... from right to left is Robbie, Kyle, Kevin and Me!

It was so much fun getting everyone together and I love spending time with my team!! I also really like to have hibachi food so that was fun too! And don't you just love the birthday hats!!

Believe me, I got some pretty strange looks back in the office with that hat on! Man, was it fun!

Where there is smoke...

Really, right now I am hoping there is no fire.

Doing my typical morning routine, I left my apartment for work. However today was not typical... there is a ton of smoke in the hallway. Hmm... there was none in my apartment. The fire alarm isn't going off. And this smoke smells a little like gas. Maybe I should take the stairs...

I tried taking the stairs but they were locked, so now I need to talk to the concierge when I get back home to find out how to use them in the future if necessary. But, the smoke and the smell is starting to get to me. I am chancing the elevator.

I pray the entire time that I'm in the elevator that it will not stop. Thank God, I get to the lobby and find out that the concierge is already aware of the smoke. The smoke is in every hallway in the entire building but they haven't found fire or smoke in any of the condos. They are assuming that the trouble is one of the air inductors on the roof that pushes air to the common areas but they aren't certain.

When I left I knew that the fire department had been called. And while driving to work I drove by the fire truck going to my building.

Please pray that they catch it and that I have a home to go home to!

Roasted Tuna with Mango Puree and Lima Beans

Dinner last night. It was alright. Didn't really rock, but it was good. The original recipe called for cod and that may have worked better, I think the tuna was a little tough for this delicate recipe but here is what I did. If you want to try it I would recommend using cod or tilapia.


1 (3-ounce) frozen lima beans 1 teaspoons olive oil, divided 1/2 tablespoon parsley flakes
1/4 tablespoon mint flakes Salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 (6-ounce) pieces tuna 2 tablespoons white wine, divided

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place sheet of aluminum foil on a work surface and place lima beans on it and top with olive oil, chopped parsley, and a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper on each pile of beans and gently toss to combine. Place fish over pile of beans. Pour white wine over the fish and sprinkle a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Seal up the foil packets.

Mango Puree = 1 mango pureed with little sugar, cinnamon and water.

Place the foil packet on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Gently transfer the beans and fish to a serving plate. Add the mango puree on the baked fish. Serve immediately.

Devotional

Rachael, one of my friends at work, introduced me to the devotionals from a Purpose Driven Life. They are free and they are amazing. Today was about service and servant-hood.

“You can tell what they are by what they do” (Matthew 7:16 CEV)

Amazing.

New iPhone Case!!!

Look at my new iPhone case... its it pretty!!


Hehe!! I had ordered it before I had gotten since but hadn't left the apartment to see if it had come in (even though the mail room is inside the building - isn't that sad). Yesterday on my way home from work I checked the mailbox and there it was!!

Oh happy day!!

Left-Over Revamped

On Wednesday, Griffin and I took the contractors out to lunch at the Macaroni Grill to say thank you for all the hard work that they have been doing and to discuss where we think we are headed. It was my first experience at this restaurant I got the seafood linguine and a salad. I have to say the food was good but no better than what I can make at home. It felt like a normal chain (aka bland) restaurant. I would go back because the food was alright but it wouldn't be a spot that I would pick.

Either way, I had some left overs that I needed to make. I first thought I would heat up the left overs in the microwave and have a salad on the side but then I remember I had some greens that I needed to use up before they went bad so what I did was...

- a few hand fulls of greens
- about 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- few tablespoons of water
- few tablespoons of white wine vinegar
- Italian herbs
- crushed red pepper flakes
- EVOO
- tomato, diced

I coated the pan with EVOO and cooked the red onion and garlic, added the hand fulls of greens, and a few tablespoons of water. Added the herbs and mixed everything up in the pan. I added Italian herbs and covered. I let the greens wilt and once they were close to being fully cooked I added the left overs from Macaroni Grill and the tomato. Covered again, let sit about 5 minutes over medium low heat.

Yummy lunch!!

Yummy Vegan Pumpkin Waffles!

I woke up this morning really wanting a waffle and since I hadn't used my waffle maker in forever I decided to give it a go. I found a few recipes that looked good but the one that really caught my eye was for a pumpkin waffle here. I had to change up the recipe a bit because the original would have made a ton and I needed to use the ingredients I have on hand. Here is what I came up with...

Ingredients
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flower
little less than 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
couple shakes of nutmeg
a shake of ground cloves
1 Tablespoon applesauce
1 cup soymilk
7 oz pureed pumpkin pie filling (all natural, no preservatives), canned
little less than 1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
Sift together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, vigorously whisk together wet ingredients until well emulsified. Pour wet into dry and combine. I let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes while I put the ingredients away and got my Belgian waffle maker out and let it heat up. I made 7 Belgian waffles, but most will be frozen.

To top, I used 1 tablespoon applesauce, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a small drizzle of pure maple syrup.

They are amazing!! But I used up too much energy making them... I am exhausted now. I hate being sick!

Doing too much...

When I am trying to do too much my body is quick to tell me... by getting sick! Tuesday night I was really tired but did my workout anyway. I was so tight when trying to do my yoga I thought something was up. Then on Wednesday I woke up with a sore throat. Hmmm...

As the day went on I felt worse and worse. As a precaution I stopped by Publix on my way home and picked up the ingredients to make my bean soup. Since I wasn't feeling well I made it a little bit more like chicken noodle... here is what I did

CUBAN BLACK BEAN SOUP

Vegetable Ingredients:
1c celery, thinly sliced
1c red onion, diced
1/2 large green bell pepper, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
2 tbs canola oil

1 ear of corn, fully cooked & removed from husk
1/2 tomato, diced

Soup and seasonings:
3c canned black beans
3c vegetable stock
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp celery salt
½ tsp coriander
¼ tsp thyme
¼ tsp white pepper
¼ tsp cayenne
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp clove
¼ tsp allspice
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Roux: mix 2 tbs flour, 2 tbs oil, 4 tbs water (was supposed to be vegetable stock but I ran out)

1. In my large soup pot I sautéed the vegetable ingredients (minus tomato) in a pan over medium heat until vegetables are tender.
2. Added the tomato, corn, black beans, vegetable stock, and seasonings to the sautéed vegetables. Brought to a boil over medium heat and simmered on low heat for 30 minutes.
3. Whisked in roux, simmer and stir for a few minutes. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.

It turned out perfect. There was a slight spice that helped clear my nose and throat, and the vegetables made me feel good because of how it reminded me of chicken noodle soup and I always liked that when I was sick before. It has been perfect to just heat and eat too.

Yesterday I woke up feeling dead... headache, body ache, sore throat... so I was happy to have some soup to eat! I called in sick and slept most of the day.

Today I woke up and felt a little better but still will probably not be leaving the apartment...

Vegan DESSERT Magazine... did I mention its free?!??!

I was looking around online and found that there is a Desserts Magazine that you can download in PDF form from online...


And this issue is all VEGAN DESSERTS!! How excited am I!!! I have looked thru it and it looks amazing!!

Tin Drum - Restaurant Review

I always like to get the guys who help me move something for dinner to say thank you (Sad, isn't it that I move enough to have an 'always'). But, nonetheless, in the past the easiest thing to has been to order pizza. However, since I don't do meat/cheese and my friend Marcus doesn't do the crust (he's allergic to gluten) and there were only 2 people who were for sure available to help me I thought pizza was just a bad idea.


I started thinking about the different options and Tin Drum came to mind. Its cheap, its tasty, and there are non-gluten and vegan friendly options... perfect! So after getting all of my stuff out of storage we stopped by Tin Drum on the way home. And like always... it was great! I had tofu instead of meat and Marcus had rice instead of noodles and we all enjoyed our options. The only downside is that I would have loved to have more vegetables in the dish. Either way, always good!

And, it was just enough food to give us the energy to unpack at the apartment. Brilliant!

Cafe Intermezzo - Restaurant Review

For lunch on Saturday (yea, I am reviewing in no particular order) we headed just down the street to Cafe Intermezzo. I have been here a handful of times since moving to the ATL, however I haven't gone since converting to vegan+ so I was interested to see what I could get. And, really there wasn't much. I settled on a black bean burger which I thought was quite pricey since it didn't come with any sides however it did taste really good.


Because I can't come here without getting dessert, I only ate half my burger and shared my dessert with the table... which was espresso, raspberry, something else chocolate cake. Yeah, yea... I am sure it wasn't vegan friendly but I just couldn't resist! It was really good.

We did sit on the back porch and I do love sitting back there... the fans are super fun. If you go, check them out!! And if you end up in the restroom enjoy the language lesson... this time it was Dutch!!

On a side note, I ate the other half of my burger for lunch by heating in the microwave for 30 seconds and it still tasted really good. Just in case you wanted to know.

My vote for here: come for the atmosphere, dessert, and drinks. The food is OK for the price. I love the look of the place and when I own my own house/condo I will use their style to decorate.

Ru Sans - Restaurant Review

I already knew I loved Ru Sans... a chain of Japanese sushi restaurant with quite a few all over Atlanta. So when Angela suggested going when she got into town last Tuesday I was excited!!


If you go at lunch they have an amazing lunch buffet (that I always eat to much at) but for dinner or when I am on a tight budget I love to go with a friend and order a few dollar roles. They have an extensive dollar sushi menu and for $3 (1 maki roll = 3 pieces of sushi) I always eat just enough to feel full.

Just know, if you are going to go by yourself they have a $5 limit per table and if you are going to pay with credit card it jumps to $10. The $5 limit is why I like to go with a friend cause $5 worth of dollar rolls are just too many for me!!

Lola - Restaurant Review

I thought I would start with the best review first... and it has to be Lola!!! On Friday night the following ladies joined up to party with Angela.

(can't remember her name -- sorry), Angela, Heather, Christina, and Me

Heather, Me, Angela

All the ladies again!!

Christina and Me

The the decor is very much what I would consider the Atlanta up-scale restaurant. The service from the employees, I thought, was exceptional... the greater/seater was very sweet and came back many times to check on us, the waiter was very knowledgeable about what they serve, and the cooks definitely know what they are doing. At one point I got up to go to the restroom and one of the waiters stopped what they were doing to escort me. I have never had that happen in a restaurant before but he says that is what they are supposed to do, nice touch.

Some of the ladies started out with an appetizer... however it was meat, cheese and olives so at the end I just stole one of the olives! My main course was their chef's special... a snapper dish with fingerling potatoes, mushrooms (not sure what kind), and a lobster sauce. Honestly, I have never tasted anything so good!! The snapper was cooked perfectly -- still has lots of moisture, the potatoes were amazing (I am going to have to buy some to cook with at home and see if I like them as much), the mushrooms were ridiculously amazing, and the lobster sauce finished it off perfectly.

It was so big I only ate half and had the other half Sunday for dinner... you know how sometimes a dish can be good the first go but not so good as a left over... well, if given the option I would have the left overs any day of the week. They blew me away a second time!!

For a drink I ordered a Bellini, and I have to say I wasn't a fan. But then, maybe I am not a fan of Bellini's and I just didn't know it. To me, it was too dry and too tart.

Earlier in the night, Angela and I had drinks on the roof with a few of her friends in the condo building and I had a blueberry martini made by one of her friends... now that was amazing!!! He used:

Blueberry Vodka
Crystal Light Lemonade
Splash of Pomegranate
Mint Sugar on the Rim

Not sure the quantities but if I could mix a drink like he does I would be drunk all the time! Haha... probably a good thing I can't, huh!

Letters To The Next President

Check out another amazing thing my church is doing...


Pretty cool if you ask me!

Slovakia Mission Trip Revisit

It was amazing seeing many of the people that I spent time with on the mission trip in Slovakia. After getting back, most mission trip groups get together at least once to say hi and catch up. Most groups share pictures as well, but we had already done that so we could spend all of our time finding out what each other was up to since returning. It was great! We picked right back up where we left off after the trip! I laughed so hard my stomach was starting to hurt... ahh, the memories!!

Here is a quick group picture... with all the people there the only camera we had was my camera phone so its a bit dark and grainy but its still good!!

We ate dinner at Stefan's Off the Square in Marietta, which is a Slovak restaurant. Since Slovak's are not known for their seafood, but for their meat, I wasn't able to have a traditional Slovak meal... but the restaurant still had an extensive seafood menu which satisfied me!

We started out the meal by all sharing appetizers... halusky, smelts, and spinach pirogue. Even though I shouldn't, I tried a teeny, tiny bit of halusky and it was amazing. But I also loved the smelts and the pirogue. My dad used to manage a restaurant in Michigan and they would have fried smelts from time to time so it reminded me of that which was pretty cool!

For the entree, both Kristen (sitting next to me in the picture) and I were going to get grouper so instead she got grouper and I got salmon and we split. And I am sad we did... we both should have gotten the grouper cause it was soooooo amazing and the salmon was slightly dry.

A lot of the guys (including Andrej who is Slovak) got the Chicken Patrik which looked absolutely amazing and the portion size was HUGE! It must have been pretty good too cause they each at all of their food.

And we finished off the night by splitting dessert... apple strudel. Not sure how Slovak that is (I would think of it being more Dutch/German, but who knows). We had the ice cream separate so those who can have lactose could have ice cream and I could have a bite of dessert without it. It was pretty good... but I would say not worth getting again.

I have spent a lot of time at many different restaurants this past week with my friend Angela and will have to give you my reviews on all of them... stay tuned (and you can thank my friend Kedrick for the idea of reviewing the restaurants)!

Stuff is Moved

So, my stuff has been moved from the storage unit to my bedroom. I slept in what I would have to call a five-year-old's fort. It was pretty cool... except now I have to unpack it all.


Angela is having her stuff moved out as we speak... so the condo will be pretty empty when I get home... which is exciting cause I can then start moving my stuff in!

However, with my allergies I have a stuffy head from all the dust of moving.

Wish me luck!

Week of the Dogs

Over this past weekend I watched Marcus's dog, Lucy. We had a lot of fun and I took her on a lot of long walks but once again I realize that I am a much better doggie aunt than a doggie owner. One weekend every so often is perfect for me...

But, my friend Angela (the friend who's condo I am no inhabiting) is coming into town this week to see some friends and to take her furniture back home. And she will be bringing her dog, Max. So, I am going to be around dogs for an entire week! I am sure I will survive... and will probably have a lot of fun too!

But, this week has now gotten super busy...

- tonight I will be hanging out with Angela -- we are going to get sushi at Ru Sans!!
- Wednesday I will be moving my furniture into the condo
- Thursday she will be moving her stuff in
- Friday during the day I will be unpacking and evening everyone is going out in honor of Angela being in town
- Saturday during the day I will be unpacking and in the evening I will be getting together for the last time with my Slovakia mission trip group
- Sunday after work/church I am going to a Braves game

So, if I fail to update the blog in the next week this is why... but, a moment or two may creep in to make a random update!

500 Posts!!

I have now had my 500'th post!! How crazy is that!! It only took me like 4 years to get here but none-the-less lets celebrate!!

Blue Ridge Parkway

I finally have the pictures loaded from the Blue Ridge Parkway trip. Check them out!!!

Popcorn Popper!!

A few weeks ago I was chatting with my friend Gidget at work about how I miss my old popcorn popper. I was telling her what it looked like and she was like, 'yea, I have an extra one. Do you want it??' I was like, 'ummmmm, ab-so-freekin-lutely!!' How excited was I when she offered it!!


And when I got it I was even more super excited!! What, what!! The main reason I wanted a new popper, instead of using my normal pots, is that on some of the stoves that I have worked on it will scrape the grates and discolor them. Since I am living in a friend's condo and since she has a really nice stove I didn't want to ruin anything!!

Luckily, since I have moved in I have been using her air popper! But now I can do it on the stove again!! I love it!!

One item to cross off my wish list.