Tuesday, September 27, 2011

practical

           Some of my friends introduced me to this wonderful place called McKay’s Used Bookstore. Its full of stacks and stacks of books, movies, music, and TV series like Alias.  I’m currently on Season 2 and enjoying some loose leaf Moroccan Mint green tea courtesy of my new, lime green, French press.
             This week hasn’t felt as overwhelming as the last two. Time almost seems to be going too slowly, but I suppose I should enjoy it. I feel a little restless, but I have a few art projects in mind that should be relatively inexpensive to make.  I’ve also been experimenting with some new recipes, and I’m excited to try a few more.
I’ve been living off of vegetarian chili and guacamole (not together) this week. It’s not uncommon for me to toss fresh baby spinach into my breakfast smoothies, but this week I combined it with Kiwi and had a tongue-tingling green breakfast. My coworkers were a bit grossed out, but it was so good. Today I made Cream-Cheese Filled Sweet Potato muffins. They weren’t as successful as I’d hoped, BUT I have a few changes in mind for next time. I decided that when I have kids I want to try and make my own baby food. It was easy and kind of fun prepping the sweet potatoes today. One of my coworkers gave me her recipe for homemade Chinese dumplings. That’s next on the list.
Working weekends has its pros and cons. Pros – you have 4 marvelous days off in a row, there are never long lines at the grocery store, and you can almost always find a free treadmill at the gym in the middle of the day…and you get paid more.  Cons – you’re not exactly on the same social schedule as everyone else, and your days get all mixed up. This is my second day of four off and I’m already struggling with things to occupy my time for the next two days without spending money… the current lack of creativity is incredibly annoying.
To be quite frank, my life is currently boring and at times lonely. It comes with the transition – relationships take time to develop in a new place and new stage of life. So, while this post is very disjointed and while my blog has been mostly about food recently, I can see the Lord drawing me close to Him and closer to others. He has blessed me. He has blessed me. He has blessed me and I am learning to be thankful.
A verse that has been heavy on my heart, convicting in its context, has been James 1:27 – “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”  (Taken out of context this can sound legalistic and performance driven – but I’ll leave you to look up the passage).

There are about 225 million professing Christians living in America today.
There are almost ½ million children in the US in need of a loving home. Of those, about 130,000 of these children can be adopted immediately.

Stats from UNICEF:
o    In Central and Eastern Europe alone, almost 1.5 million children live in public care
o    In Russia, the annual number of ‘children left without parental care’ has more than doubled over the last 10 years, despite falling birth rates.
o    Conflict has orphaned or separated 1 million children from their families in the 1990s.
o    An estimated two to five per cent of the refugee population are unaccompanied children.
o    An estimated 143 million children are orphaned by one or both parents. (‘Children on the Brink 2004. A Joint Report of New Orphan Estimates and a Framework for Action. UNICEF/UNAIDS/USAID. July 2004).
o    The number of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS is expected to jump to more than 25 million. In 12 African countries, projections show that orphans will comprise at least 15 per cent of all children under 15 years of age by 2010.

              These statistics do not include children who have been sold or trafficked, nor do they reflect the portrait of orphans living in countries who fail to report orphan statistics. I think it’s easy to get distracted and overwhelmed with numbers… which is where I’ve been for a while. It’s harder to live with when you realize these are real kids. Caring for orphans and widows is not a special calling reserved for certain individuals – it’s a command and invitation to put my faith in action. I have no idea what that looks like right now in my life, but I do know that I want to live a life that makes sense. A life that lines up with what I believe. A life that reflects the Gospel.
All my love from this Tennessee state,
<3 a

Sunday, September 18, 2011

seasons

This past week was noisy. I found myself exhausted, busy, and furiously moving about in a fog. Even my days off were packed with getting things done on my to-do list. I came home to an empty apartment which, by the end of the week, was stifling. I enjoy spending time by myself, but when it’s on my own terms. It’s why I like coffee shops – I can be alone without being isolated. The apartment just feels different when Adrienne is home, even though there are nights that we barely speak to one another because we’re so tired or on opposite schedules.
This has been a hard week. Frustrating to the core. Full of confusion, doubt, and at times fear. I feel like I’ve buried myself under work to the point where I don’t quite remember who I am. I sat in church this morning and realized just how quickly and how extensively I had forgotten key elements of what I say I believe. The reality of Jesus coming back one day was like a cool splash of water on my face – the realization that I hadn’t thought about that truth in a while stung. I feel so disoriented – I spent the drive home today just asking Jesus to wake me up. All of this self-focus/self-absorption has me feeling completely confused and lost. Let’s just say I’ve eaten a LOT of cake this week…

I know that this is a season. As the summer is turning into fall, my heart is taking it all in. I’m in a place where I’m so excited for fall – for the leaves to change colors and for the cooler weather to set in over these mountains. At the same time, I love the green of summer. I love how the grey rock faces make the green trees pop out on my drive home every day. I find it ironic that my favorite – Autumn - is a season in which everything is dying. It’s a season of transition – of saying goodbye to summer and welcoming winter.  It’s in the transition that beauty is most strikingly evident. I’m learning to welcome each season in my own life as it comes…and trying to be content in each without rushing onto the next.

I find myself wanting a deeper, more intimate, more real relationship with Jesus. I’m frustrated with my lack of faith and perspective, and yet I’m comforted by His promise to complete the good work that He started in me.  I’m consistently coming up against His question, “Do you trust me?” and if I’m being honest, it’s a constant struggle to say, “Yes” and walk in that answer… but He’s faithful.

Thankful for grace.
All my love from Nashville,
a
PS: I’ve got a TN license plate now… more signs of adulthood. J

Friday, September 9, 2011

one of my favorites....

While I’m on a recipe kick, I thought I would share with you one of my favorite dinners. Every now and then I change it up with the seasoning, but this meal definitely sums up my typical dinner fare. It’s easy, quick, and very healthy… not to mention tasty (I think anyways).  Let’s start with the protein…
Baked Salmon

Depending on how many folks you’re feeding, this will vary.  I generally do 1-2 fillets at a time so that I can have leftovers later in the week. Planning to do 1 fillet per person is usually a good amount. You can do fresh, but I hit Sam’s Club and get a bag of frozen salmon fillets. If you’re lucky, they’ll have wild salmon fillets – those are the best. It’s not going to be cheap up front, but one bag will last you for a while, especially if it’s just you and/or two of you eating off of it.

If it’s frozen, take your fish out and thaw it. If you want to stay on top of things, throw a fillet or two in the fridge before you leave for work in the morning. If you’re like me and you don’t get home till late, throw the frozen fish in a bowl of water and it’ll be thawed in no time. I wouldn’t recommend defrosting it in the microwave, because it can cook in funky places and be tough.

What you’ll need:
·         Salmon
·         One lemon cut in half (pop it in the microwave for about 5-10 seconds then roll the lemon in between your hands to release more of the juice) **this is optional**
·         Olive oil (I usually do 1 tsp per fillet)
·         Your favorite seasoning/herbs or you can use a marinate (like Teriyaki sauce.. but that’s for another dish at another time)
·         A paint brush (optional, but it makes coating the fish easy)

Preheat your oven to 350F. Coat your fish in olive oil and squeeze one half of the fresh lemon over the top. I love McCormick’s Montreal Chicken seasoning on this – or their Mediterranean Sea Salt spice mix.  If you want to use what you like (I like oregano, red pepper, garlic, pepper, salt and citrus flavors). Cover the fish with the spices and pop it in the oven for 15-20 minutes until it flakes with a fork.

The Veggies

I really like green beans and squash with salmon…mainly because they don’t overpower the fish. Vegetables can be hard to incorporate into your diet, and so make it easy…

I grabbed some fresh yellow squash at a local Farmer’s market for super cheap, and I grabbed a bag of frozen green beans for about $1 at the grocery store. Frozen vegetables are great because they’re cheap, and they‘re sealed with a lot of their nutrients.

Get a microwave safe bowl and throw in the vegetables. (If it’s just one or two of you, a large cereal bowl will work for portioning). Season with garlic, pepper, and salt. Add about a teaspoon of water to the bowl and cover it with cling wrap. Using a fork, stab a few holes in the top of the plastic wrap and pop it into the microwave for about 3-4 minutes. This steams your vegetables really quickly and it can be a lot cheaper than buying the steam-in-the-bag brands.

The Potatoes

One large potato is probably enough for 2 people, but if it’s just you I like to use a smaller potato. It doesn’t matter the kind – yellow, russet, baking – they’re all good. The thinner you cut the potato, the faster it will cook! Leave the skin on for extra fiber, but make sure you scrub them good before you eat them. If you’re in a hurry, slice the potatoes very thin and toss them in a Tupperware container or a plastic storage bag. Use ½ tsp of olive oil (or melted butter) per serving. Toss in some rosemary and thyme (or another seasoning if you prefer). Seal the bag or container and shake away (this is great if you’re babysitting because the kids can help). When the potatoes are coated evenly, throw them on a baking sheet (or I use a sheet of tinfoil for easy cleaning) and bake at about 350-400F for 15-30 minutes (depending on how thick you cut them).

During the fall/winter time, you can swap potatoes out for different squashes – I really like butternut squash. Cut the squash up into chunks and substitute it for potatoes – it’s a great way to get more vegetables, and butternut is high in great vitamins J

Dinner tonight took me about 20 minutes and the clean-up consisted of three dishes and one cutting board.  

Love from Nashville,
a

Monday, September 5, 2011

a recipe for you...

I don't know about you, but I crave sugar. If it's chocolate and in the form of a cake, brownie, or ice cream, I'll take it. I really think it's an addiction - everyday around 4pm the cravings hit and I need a fix. I was telling my preceptor about it and she asked me if I was getting enough protein in my diet. I told her I probably wasn't.  I eat a lot of fruit and veggies, and whole grains - but I rarely eat meat or good sources of protein outside of the occassional serving of beans or peanut butter. She told me that I could be craving sugar so badly because I'm not getting enough protein - cravings usually key you into the fact that you may not be getting what your body needs. I thought it was interesting, and she told me her secret is adding protein powder to smoothies. I took her advice 1. because I like smoothies, and 2. because I wanted to see if adding protein would help with my dessert cravings. So here is a quick and easy recipe for the smoothie I made this morning for breakfast - it tastes fabulous, has a lot of protein and even some fiber in it :)

Peanut Butter Bananna Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 large banana (about 7-8 inches long) frozen (I break it into four pieces cause it blends faster)
1/2 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon of Naturally More peanut butter (This is a great peanut butter - it has an extra kick of protein AND flax seeds in it - so you get a kick of fiber too!)
1 cup of unsweetened almond milk (AlmondBreeze is my favorite, but Silk's brand is good too and has fewer calories)
1 scoop of whey protein powder (I used Publix's Greenwise Vanilla Whey protein powder - mainly because they didn't have unflavored powder at the store, but it's good - I like it).

Blend that junk together and enjoy it :) It makes a fairly large smoothie, so you can split it in half and enjoy the rest later.

Nutrition breakdown: 1 serving:  about 367 calories; 10g Fat; 15mg Cholesterol; 274mg  Sodium; 47g Carbs; 7g Fiber, 24g Protein; 26g Sugar (you can decrease the sugar greatly by leaving out the honey, especially if you get vanilla flavored protein powder because it's already sweetened).

<3 a




Sunday, September 4, 2011

hullo september!

She stands at 4’11’’ with her wavy hair dyed red and pulled back into pigtails. She walks with purpose, and she walks quickly with a bit of a bounce in her step. She walks into the room and switches from English to fluent Spanish. Her intuition is sharp, her knowledge base broad, and her taste buds constantly experiencing new flavors with her diverse snacking habits. She’s my preceptor, and I’ve really enjoyed every minute working with her. 
 
I just finished my first week of orientation on the unit, and technically started my second week today. I’m enjoying my job and my coworkers. I’ve started taking on multiple patients, so it’s been good and challenging as I’m learning how to organize my day. My preceptor has been great at graciously reminding me of things I’ve forgotten. It’s also fun because there’ve been a few (few being key) times where I’ve finished a task before she's told me to do it– I feel like a kid getting a gold star… It's like elementary school all over again :)

One of the most enjoyable part of my job so far has been teaching. I work in an area that’s full of transition and life change…transition and life change that I have no personal experience in. I can’t imagine taking home a baby and trying to remember all of the information they threw at me in the hospital. That’s going to be one funny/scary/sweet moment whenever it happens for me, as I’m sure it is for each of my patient’s in their own unique circumstances. I love having patients for more than one shift in a row. I like going into their room, sitting down, and talking through things with them. I like it when I can answer their questions and help them with their concerns.

In other news, I’ve got a pretty nasty cold. I’m blessed because I was still well enough to work this weekend and I have the next four days off, but I’d appreciate prayers for healing J I’ve also been struggling with putting my faith in God’s faithfulness rather than in myself, my confidence/feelings/faithfulness. I’m so prone to forget, wander, and put my faith in my ability to cling to the Lord – when in reality; my salvation is dependent solely upon His work on the cross – on His word. He has done it. He has rescued. He has made me complete in Him. He has declared me righteous, has adopted me as His kid, has fully forgiven me and freed me from past/present/future sin… He holds me. I keep feeling as though I’m constantly struggling to grasp Him and grab hold of Him – to feel Him/hear Him/consistently “feel” secure in my walk with Him that I forget that He never lets go.  I end up trying to convince myself of truth – like if I say something enough, trying to feel it, then that makes it truer. While preaching truth to yourself is healthy and necessary – the actual preaching doesn’t change whether or not it’s true. It’s true because it’s true. It stands whether you feel secure in it or confident about it. It doesn’t change, move, or alter just because you might or your feelings might. I guess what I’m trying to say, is that I’ve been struggling to accept and rest in His Word – receiving it as complete grace and truth without trying to complicate it, earn it, or alter it – and then walking forward in obedience rooted in that grace and love. I suppose everyone struggles with it – but when you tend to see everyone else’s “highlight reel” in light of your own behind-the-scenes, it’s easy to feel alone in your struggling. If this hits in a familiar spot, take heart that you’re not alone.
In other news, I might get to go home for a few days in October/November, and I’m pretty excited about the potential mini-vacation. I’m loving it here, but I miss Hannah’s hugs, Panera lunches with my dad, and popcorn/wine/TV time with my mom. I also miss my sweet coffee times with some awesome now-college freshmen and my hilarious brothers.
Fall is almost here. Football season has begun. And I got a new blender/food processor this week. In the small things and the larger ones, I am one blessed woman.

All my love from Nashville,
a
PS: here's a glimpse of my life in Nashville thus far:
We went to see Romeo and Juliet in a local park...
 Meet Anna and her husband Sasha - not only are they awesome, but they've introduced me to some fabulous desserts, tasty teas, and tasty stuffed peppers.
 Sarah, Pete and Katelyn in the park - they're so fun and always full of joy.
 Anna, Adrienne, and I relaxing in the park
 One of the best productions of Romeo and Juliet I've ever seen. It's never been my favorite play, but this cast did a phenomenal job and we had so much fun!
Of course we had to take pictures of our very first day of work...
My beautiful roommate and dear friend... she is such a blessing.