Soul Food

– Elisabeth Hasselback

We live in such a vocal culture. Which, don’t get me wrong, is and can be an amazing thing! But though speaking out often begins with beautiful intent, it seems to repeatedly lead to horrible division. It seems like people are more interested in having their voices heard than actually solving problems, being right, rather than doing right. It seems to be the hardest thing to love some one, and yet completely disagree.

Why is that?

There is a time to draw clear lines between good and evil. But often, at least for me, I realize I am taking things way too personally, haha. And I think we all know how loud wounded pride is.

We read into people’s words to justify our complaining, assume people’s meaning without asking questions or giving them the briefest second to explain. Our language is polarizing and unclear. Social media influences our opinions and motives as we jump from one band wagon to the next.

And for what? Isn’t change meant to be for the bettering of our lives and the lives of our fellow humans? If the point of all of this is for their good and growth, why are we so impatient, non-compassionate, judgmental, quick tempered?

I wonder what would happen if we were, “quick to listen and slow to speak”(James 1:19).

God forbid, we might actually see someone else’s perspective, and develop and understanding and compassionate heart. 😉

Real Easy Chili

Chili. You can never go wrong with some Mexican. This is my low budget, 30 minute, one pot, go to chili recipe. It probably one of the easiest and fastest dinners you will make. and it’s tasty. Spice blends are life savers! I feel like if you find a good spice blend you can fool anyone into thinking you are a master chef! In this cases Taco seasoning is the bomb. I use it in almost all of my quick-dinner, Mexican dishes. You can also find it in my Enchilada recipe. So, I highly recommend always making sure you have a couple packets of this at home in your pantry. Alrighty, lets cook!

1 tablespoons oil
1 red onion
1-2 teaspoon minced garlic (3-4 cloves)
Chili’s (optional)
400g minced beef
1 packet taco seasoning (28g)
1 can diced tomatoes (400g)
1 can Tex-mex veggies (340g)
1 can black beans (400g)- or two cans for vegan option
1/2- 1 cup water (237ml) + 1/2-1 cube vegetable bouillon

Heat a tablespoon of oil on medium-high heat.

Sauté onion and garlic until onion is soft.

In the meantime you can slice some chili’s if you’d like an extra kick. You can add these in anytime while you’re cooking or save them for garnishing. (Or both 🔥)

Make sure the meat is brown and fully cooked through before adding your taco seasoning.

Stir in 1 packet of taco seasoning until evenly combined. Cook for 2 min.

Stir in bouillon and water. (1 cube per 1 cup water)

Bring heat to low, then simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Add some of my tasty, fluffy rice to serve, and that’s all there is to it!

Real Easy Chili

Serves: 4-5
30 minutes 

Ingredients:
1 tablespoons oil
1 red onion
1-2 teaspoon minced garlic (3-4 cloves)
Chili’s (optional)
400g minced beef 
1 packet taco seasoning (28g)
1 can diced tomatoes (400g)
1 can Tex-mex veggies (340g)
1 can black beans (400g)- or two cans for vegan option
1/2- 1 cup water (237ml) + 1/2-1 cube vegetable bouillon

Instructions:
1. Dice the onion and mince garlic. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large pot on medium-high heat.
3. Once the oil is hot, sauté the onion and garlic for about 3 minutes or until the onion is soft.
4. Then add the minced beef and cook until brown.
5. In the meantime you can slice some chili’s to go in, or on top of the chili at end.
6. Once the meat is cooked through, stir in 1 packet of taco seasoning until evenly distributed. Cook for two minutes.
7. Add 1 can chopped tomatoes. Stir. And cook for another 2 minutes. 
8. Add the can of Tex-mex veggies and can(s) of black beans. Mix altogether. 
9. Lastly, add 1/2 - 1 cup of water (depending on how runny you want your chili), plus 1/2 - 1 cube of bouillon. Keeping in mind that the ratio is 1 cube per 1 cup of water. 
10. Serve with some rice, nachos, cornbread, or just as is. Enjoy!

Running

In Genesis 16 there is a story of a slave woman, Hagar, who ran away from her mistress. And right in the middle of her running God met her and asked her,

“…where have you come from, and where are you going?”- Genesis 16:7

I often see people running away from problems, I am guilty of that. Often we run away from problems because it seems so much easier than facing them and fixing them. But unfortunately, the problems stick to us like shadows. I’ve watched so many people lately react to others in hurtful ways, yet never expressing the pain they feel or bring up the problem with the one by whom they’ve been hurt. I watch and wonder, where does all this hate and bitterness come from and where is it all going? To where is it leading? Anywhere good? Is it leading to a place of peace and joy? Is it leading to healing? Or do we find ourselves stranded in the middle of nowhere like Hagar? The beauty of this story is that God met this woman in that middle-of-nowhere-place. He met her in her pain and did not let it consume her. He gave her the direction she needed.

Often, like Hagar, facing those who have hurt us is the first step to healing, whether it be a friend, family member, coworker, or even country or environment, but it’s not always the case. If I was offended by a harsh correction made by my ballet master, the excuse isn’t to find a new job or complain to my boss. Maybe I need to ask myself why it stung so badly? Was it true? Do I just not want to be wrong? Did it remind me of something hurtful said in the past? I probably need to show up the next day and keep working. But maybe you’re in an abusive relationship, then you probably should step away, but get counseling and work through the trauma. God will show you what facing your problems looks like as long as you open your heart to healing.

I can’t say how many people I’ve seen get mad at each other, hurt each other but never talk about it, never have the desire to seek peace or healing. They just keep hurting each other thinking that at some point it will make them feel better, but hurt + hurt always equals more hurt.
I think these two questions are great to ask ourselves whenever we find ourselves trying to escape an uncomfortable place. Where are all these feelings coming from? And where is it leading me? If it’s not leading to life and restoration, we should probably try a new path.

May God give us the grace to look back and the strength to move forward.

– Social Club Misfits

The Fortress for My Flustered Self

19.11.19

Ahhhhhhhhhhh. The last few days I have been too busy for my own good. Between work, meetings, appointments, trying to keep up with my friends, it’s been a lot. In general, I’ve been feeling a need to “be still”, to slow down a bit, to pray more, to spend time with God, but it’s been such a battle. I just can’t seem to get everything done. And on top of that, I keep forgetting about things I need to do! It’s like there’s no space in my brain and things just keep falling out. Like today, I completely forgot that I am supposed to teach a girls Bible study- tomorrow! I haven’t even prayed for it, let alone study! And what I should talk about, I have no idea… So when do I prepare? Tonight is a no, I already committed to another event; that means I have to cancel gym tomorrow, which is fine, but I was just feeling motivated and wanted to push my body. On top of that my normal morning routine hasn’t been happening the last few days, because I need to buy a new journal, and, guess what, forgot about that too. I forgot about a coffee date I had arranged, forgot to reply to my dear friend who is in Iceland at the moment. Finally, I wrote back today, and we arranged to call on the weekend. Yay! Brain don’t fail me now. The last thing I want is for my friends to feel uncared for or forgotten! That would just be the worst. (I know some of you are thinking, have you ever heard of a calendar? Turns out sometimes you look at it then forget five minutes later..)

What’s hilarious is that today I’m writing on the first page of a fresh new journal. The last page of my previous journal ended with an inspired and confident Abby, and this one opens with a very flustered and frustrated Abby. Haha gotta laugh at myself sometimes. Two days without my devo time can make all the difference I guess. And just to add to the humor, I’ve been reading a book about the important balance of work and rest, and it feels like the more I read it, the busier I get…ironic I know. It’s as if God is trying to tell me something…

What does one do in the middle of all of this chaos? Call their mama. At least that’s what I do.

I unloaded my concern onto her and as always she pointed me to the One who has the solutions and grace I need. Her words to me felt like a breath of fresh air and as she prayed I felt my perspective take its proper place once again.

She reminded me that I can still take everything to God, even a messy schedule. So I did.

My life right now isn’t horrible or broken; In fact, I’m simply trying to balance a lot of good things. It’s just a bit knotted and tangled at the moment. So,

“I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.’”

-Psalm 91:2

Thankfully no tangled mess scares God, and there is no knot He cannot undo. He actually invites us to give Him our mess because He cares for us.

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

-1 Peter 5:7

Today I felt so beat down with thoughts like, “why can’t I do better?”, “How could I forget?”, “It’s just not good enough.” And now I realize that God’s thoughts toward me are so different. So much more hopeful and encouraging, full of grace. I’m so glad He’s not that angry man in the sky that so many think He is. But rather a Father, who cares for, corrects and strengthens His kids for their journey.

How to Cook White Rice

Let me be the first to say that making rice can be STRESSFUL!! I’ve burnt rice, made mushy rice, undercooked, overcooked… I have had my fair share of ups and downs with this grain for sure. You’d think that this staple side dish would be the easiest thing ever, but everyone I know has had their battle with rice. However, I have found a way that works perfectly for me, and maybe, just maybe, it works perfectly for you too!

1 cup rice (185g)
2 cups water (475ml)
1-2 cubes bullion (Bullion makes rice so tasty, you could eat it on its own. Seriously, you might not go back to plain rice after this, haha.)

First step, rinse rice in a strainer until the water runs through clearly.

Add the rice to a pot and 2 cups of water.

Next crush in the bouillon with your hand and give it a little stir. This helps the seasoning to be evenly distributed in the rice since you won’t be stirring it like a soup during the cooking process.

Bring to a boil. Then cover the pot with a lid, change the heat to medium-low, then let sit for 20 minutes (do not uncover during this time). Then, leaving the lid on, remove from heat and let sit for another 5 minutes so it can steam.

How to Cook White Rice 
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 cup rice (185g)
2 cups water (475ml)
2 bouillon cubes (optional)

Instructions:
1. Rinse the rice in a strainer until water runs through clearly.
2. Add rice and 2 cups of water to a pot.
3. Crush in the bouillon, into the pot, with your hand and give it a little stir. This helps the seasoning to be evenly distributed in the rice since you won’t be stirring it like a soup during the cooking process.
4. Bring to a boil. Then cover the pot with a lid, change the heat to medium-low, then let sit for 20 minutes. (Do not uncover during this time.)
5. Then, leaving the lid on, remove from heat and let sit for another 5 minutes so it can steam.
6. Fluff with a fork.

From a Grandpa

How to Make a Flax Egg

Flax eggs! One of my favorite vegan substitutes for baking!

Some how the consistency always comes out spot on! And to top it off, it’s cheap! One 200g bag can be as low as 0.90€ cents! Yay. The only problem is that I have yet to find a place where they sell flax meal. (If anyone in the Tallinn area knows, do send me an email or DM on Instagram 😉) However if you got a handy dandy coffee grinder finding flax meal is not a problem!

Here I’ll show you how to make your own flax egg from scratch.

You will need:

For Flax Meal

Coffee grinder
50g-100g Flax seeds

For Flax Egg

1 tablespoon flax meal
2 tablespoons water

That’s it.

First, pour your flax seeds into the coffee grinder.

Pour the flax meal into a jar. You will only need 1 tablespoon for the next step. Save the rest for the next time you bake.
You may wonder why I don’t grind the whole bag at once. Well that’s because flax meal “technically” only lasts about a week or so. However, that being said, I have used flax meal after a month and it has been fine. As long as it smells fine and tastes fine you’re good to go. But I would still recommend making smaller batches so not to waste.

Now to make the egg. Add 1 tablespoon of your flax meal to a small, deep dish. I use a soy sauce bowl.

Mix together and set in the fridge for 10 minutes.

And there you have it, a thick, gooey substance ready to be the perfect egg substitute in your baking.

Flax Egg

Tools:
Coffee grinder (if you only have flax seeds)

Ingredients:
(FOR FLAX MEAL)
50-100g flax seeds

(FOR FLAX EGG)
1 tablespoon flax meal 
2 tablespoons water

Instructions:
1. Pour 50-100g flax seeds into grinder.
2. Grind for about 10 seconds or until fine and soft.
3. Pour into jar or container.
4. Measure out 1 tablespoon of flax meal into a small, deep dish. (I use a soy sauce dish.)
5. Add 2 tablespoons water and mix together.
6. Set in the fridge for 10 min and you’re ready!

*flax meal normally lasts 1-2 weeks so it’s best to grind a small amount at a time unless you use it regularly.

Cleaning the Temple

20.9.10

Tonight is our first performance of the season, Swan Lake! I’m so excited! But quite nervous… maybe a bit more than I’d like to be, haha. But I suppose that’s normal. Today I was reading Matthew 21; it describes the time when Jesus cleared out the temple of all the sellers and money exchangers. This might be a stretch of my imagination a bit, but I had this thought of the stage as a temple, a place where I meet with God, worship Him and dwell in His presence. Last year it turned into a place of fear. Many times it became just a job, something I do to get paid. The pressure, the stress had far too much say in my life. My prayer is that God would clear it out and make it a beautiful, holy place, not cluttered with stress, fear, and greed. I don’t want to push God out of this beautiful space in exchange for a thing that brings me no real gain. I want it to be a place where I meet with Him again.

“My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.” – Matthew 21:13

In John 10:10 it says that the devil is a thief.

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.”

For too long I have allowed him to steal my joy , kill my worship, and destroy my confidence. It’s time for him to be kicked out.

“May both my heart and the place that I dance be a holy space for you, God. May You be the audience I dance for.”

Build your Bowl – Meal prep #1 – Roasted Veg

Meal prep. For many people just the thought of meal prep is scary. But what if I told you it’s actually not that bad. The thing that makes it feel overwhelming is probably just the fact that you’re not sure where to start. I mean the whole point of meal prep is to save time, save money and to eat more healthily and those are big boxes to check. But not to worry. As a meal prep lover, my goal is to help you help yourself.

This will be the first of many meal recipes. And most of them will be recipes that I myself use on a regular basis.

The breakdown of a meal prep bowl will be more or less as follows:

Salad
Carbs
Protein

Each recipe should create five lunches for under 10 euros or under.

As a dancer who only gets a 30 minute lunch break, finding a lunch that is filling but not heavy, nutritious but not bland is tricky but not impossible! But why should filling, nutritious, tasty lunches be reserved for dancers?! These are for everyone!

So let’s dive in. Today’s recipe has a bit of a Mediterranean vibe. We got a roasted veggies base with two protein options, vegan and non vegan.

You will need:

1 medium-large sweet potato
1 large carrot
1 large zucchini
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon salt
Salad
Medium cucumber
100g tomato of choice
4 eggs
1 can chickpeas
1 packet falafel
Tahini or hummus

Mix it all together. (Put a plate on top of the bowl then shake.)

Spread it out on a baking sheet. And bake for 20-30 minutes (or until sweet potato can be easily pierced with a fork).

While it’s roasting make your salad. I always buy a pre-washed/pre-chopped salad, because it saves sooo much time. I really really don’t like washing salad.

Your water should be boiled by now, so add your eggs. Boil Large eggs for 8 minutes or small and medium for 7.

As soon as their done transfer the eggs into icy or cold water. This will stop them from cooking and make it so much easier to peel later.

Now time to assemble. Fill up one third of your container with salad.

Slice your eggs and add those. Then finish off with some hummus or tahini. You can buy a tub hummus or you can make your own Hummus right here!

Repeat this process for as many bowl as you’d like!

The other option is the vegan option. Add salad and roasted veggies like before, but then add 1/3 can of chickpeas (rinsed).

Top off with a few falafel and drizzled tahini (or hummus).

Repeat this as well for however many bowls as you’d like.

Build your Bowl - Meal prep #1 - Roasted Veg

Ingredients:
1 medium-large sweet potato 
1 large carrot 
1 large zucchini 
1  1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon paprika 
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon salt
Salad
Medium cucumber
100g tomato of choice
4 eggs
1 can chickpeas
1 packet falafel 
Tahini or hummus

Instructions:
1. Peel potato and carrot 
2. Chop potato, carrots, zucchini
3. Put in a large bowl. 
4. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. 
5. Then add 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoons paprika, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon salt. 
6. Mix it all together. (Put a plate on top of the bowl then shake.)
7. Spread it out on a baking sheet. And bake for 20-30 minutes (or until sweet potato can be easily pierced with a fork).
8. Put some water on to boil.
9. Add your greens to a bowl with chopped cucumber and tomato. 
10. Add eggs to boiling water and boil eggs for 8 minutes or small and medium for 7 minutes.
11. To assemble add salad to 1/3 of the bowl. Then add 1/4tg of the roasted veggies. (Before assembling let your roasted veggies cool for a bit.)
12. Slice your eggs and add those. Then finish off with some hummus or tahini.
13. Vegan option: Add salad and roasted veggies like before, but then add 1/3 can of chickpeas (rinsed).
14.Top off with a few falafel and drizzled tahini (or hummus).