Soul Food

Spiritually Fit

25.7.18

“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8

This year I am less worried about getting into physical shape than I am getting into spiritual shape. While it’s true, being physically fit is very important, (after all God gave us these bodies and it honors Him greatly when we do our best to take care of them) if we are spiritually unfit, it’s kind of pointless. These bodies will die, they will decay, no matter how many kg (or lbs) we lift or how much anti-aging cream we put on. We will get old and these bodies will stop. BUT our spirits will live on in our new and glorified bodies (Check out 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 for more info on that).

I mean, how sad would it be to get to Heaven, stand before God with nothing to show, and have to give Him some lame excuse like, “oh I’m so sorry I have nothing to show for my life, but hey, that six pack I had though, pretty cool, huh?” Now again, I am NOT downing you gym bugs. I too go to the gym four times per week, I get excited when I see results, and, I’m a dancer… being in shape is kinda of a must. But what I am saying is that having strong spiritual muscles will sustain you far more than any physical ones ever could.

We’ve all met that guy or girl who looks stunning. They have the perfect body. Perfect looks. They’re everything we’ve ever wanted to be and then… they open their mouth. It sadly becomes all too clear that they have spent more time working on their appearances than their character.

Or on a more serious note, what if, God forbid, your body took a hit, contacted some sort of disease or injury? Then what? Would your faith be strong enough? Would your character be well shaped in order to take on life’s hardest moments? (Fun fact: I’m re-writing this blog post while recovering from Covid and can do no physical activity. Though it is not nice, my faith is definitely getting exercised, haha)

The verse says, “godliness has value for ALL THINGS, holding promises for both the present life and the life to come.” That means, when we devote our life to God, not only does He promise us eternal life in Heaven, but also it has immense value for our present life.

So what is Godliness? Well, in very simplified terms, it is God-like-ness. So the next question would be, what is God like? The Bible says, He is patient, He is kind, He is faithful, He is slow to anger and abounding in love, He is gracious, He is strong, He is pure, He is holy, He is wise, He is forgiving, He is selfless, He is fearless, He is caring, He is just, He is passionate. He also is not temperamental, careless, shaken, insecure, selfish, deceitful, bitter. He knows who He is and because of that, we can know who we are and who we should be. He is everything whole, perfect and good.

If life did take its toll on you, but you had spent everyday of your life making yourself strong in “godliness”, then you will find you’re able to withstand the hardest storms with utmost strength. Not to say that it will be enjoyable or easy, but you will be strong enough to go through it and come out victoriously.

And not just that; going back to our ‘beautiful person’ analogy. How cool would it be, to not simply have a beautiful body, but a beautiful heart! Then out of your inner strength you can strengthen others? To not only be able to lift x-kg but also lift up a friend in need. To be known for your care, your wisdom and big heart rather than your big biceps (even though those are cool too 😉 )

I know that the world, society, IG, Tic-Tok, Ads, commercials, etc all push fitness and beauty down our throats 24/7. But what if we spent just as much time (or more), as we do in the gym, or applying make up, or editing a post, as we do in reading our Bibles, in praying, and in reflecting on our lives, choices and actions. Then take what we learn and apply it to our life. I think we’d all become much nicer, kinder, stronger, and happier people.

And then, to top it off, when we stand before Him one day, we will actually have something to show for this incredible life He has given us. All the lessons learned, the people we loved, the changes we made. I think it will bless His heart so much that we lived our lives in pursuit of becoming who He made us to be both spiritually and physically.

Lasagna

Lasagna, lasagna, lasagna. We all need a good Lasagna recipe in our lives. But even more, we need a sweet, kind and fun Italian friend. I have both! (Hint: if you find an awesome Italian friend, the Lasagna will follow.)

The first time I had this recipe was when my friend, Anthea, made it to contribute to our Christmas feast this last holiday. It was so fun to listen to her video-call her mama, (not that I could understand a word, haha) to get all the instructions and tid-bits for making a perfect Lasagna. I was waiting the whole day to try this beautiful creation.

Finally dinner time rolled around… and, needless to say, it was a highlight on my plate! But due to its huge success the lasagna did not last long. Thankfully, Anthea had made me and my flatmate a pan of our own. It comforted me to know that it sat, hidden away in the freezer, waiting for us. A couple of weeks later it brought us a lot of love and comfort during one of our many days in isolation, haha.

See, I told you this girl is awesome!

And now, on top of all that, she came over to help me so I could share it with you! Thank you Anthea!

Let’s dive in!

One small onion
One small carrot
Olive oil
1 1/3 cup tomato sauce (300ml)
300g minced beef
3 cloves garlic (whole)
Salt
3.5 tablespoons butter (50g)
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk (250ml)
Lasagna pasta
Parmesan (approximately 1/2 cup (40g) grated)
Mozzarella (1 ball)
Breadcrumbs (about a 1/4 cup(30g) )
23×23 cm pan (9×9 in)

To begin making your Ragú, dice your onion and carrots into small pieces.

Pour enough oil in the pot so that it covers the bottom evenly and about a centimeter deep. Let it heat up on medium-high heat, then sauté the onion until soft.

Next, add your meat and cook, stirring frequently.

Once the meat is almost cooked through, add in the tomato sauce. (Hi Anthea!)

Now toss in the carrots with some Italian flare. (Just look at that hand… can you get more Italian?)

Lastly throw in the garlic and 1/2 a teaspoon of salt. Cook it together for up to 40 min, or until the carrots are soft.
According to Anthea’s mama, she really lets the meat cook in this sauce for a long time, even up to an hour to get optimal flavors. She’s the expert, so we highly recommend listening to her advice. 🙂

Before you start the Besciamella, preheat your oven to 180’ C (356’ F).

Melt your butter in a small sauce pan, and prepare your flour and milk.

Whisk in the milk and flour until you have a nice creamy consistency. Should be a bit thicker than condensed milk. If you feel like it is too thick just add a bit of milk, and if it’s too runny add in a bit more flour.

So, time to assemble! First spread a nice think layer of Besciamella into the pan, then add your first layer of pasta.

Finally add small pieces of mozzarella, and add shredded parmesan. Repeat until last layer.

Last layer!! Exciting! Add a layer of Ragú and Basciamella, but no mozzarella or Parmesan. Instead add some bread crumbs for a nice little crunch.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until you can pierce the pasta easily. Annnd Finito!

Set your table, and eat up! Buon appetito!!

Lasagna

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:

One small onion
One small carrot

Ragú-
Olive oil
1 1/3 cup tomato sauce (300ml)
300g minced beef
3 cloves garlic (whole)
Salt

Besciamella-
3.5 tablespoons butter (50g)
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk (250ml)

Lasagna pasta
Parmesan (approximately 1/2 cup (40g) grated)
Mozzarella (1 ball)
Breadcrumbs (about a 1/4 cup(30g) )

23x23 cm baking pan (9x9 in)

Directions:
1. Dice onion and carrots into small pieces.
2. Pour enough oil in the pan (medium-high heat) so that it covers the whole pan and is about a centimeter deep. Sauté the onion until soft.
3. Add meat. When it’s almost cooked through add tomato sauce and stir together.
4. Then add carrots, garlic and salt and bring to a simmer. Let cook for 40 minutes or until carrots are soft.
5. When the Ragú is almost ready, preheat your oven to 180’ C (356’ F) and prepare your Besciamella.
6. To make Besciamella, melt about 3.5 Tablespoons of butter (50g)
7. Once melted add flour and whisk vigorously. When it’s combined you can add the milk, keep whisking. Should be a bit thicker than condensed milk. If you feel like it is too thick just add a bit of milk, and if it’s too runny add in a bit more flour.
8. To assemble the lasagna, first add a thin layer of Besciamella to the bottom of the pan. Next add a layer of pasta, try not to overlap them too much. Then, add Ragú, a more generous layer of Besciamella. On top of that, put small chunks of mozzarella, and a thin layer of parmesan. And repeat until the last time. (Will depend on the depth of your pan.)
9. Last layer! This time add the Ragú and Besciamella, but no mozzarella or Parmesan. This time top it off with a bit of breadcrumbs for an extra little crunch.
10. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until you can pierce the pasta easily.
11. And you know the last step. EAT!

Tips:
You can also freeze it and have lasagna on demand anytime!! But. Don’t bake it before. But it in the freezer uncooked, then pop it in the oven any time!

Shine a Light on Slavery Day – Feb 25, 2021

In 1525-1866, a period of 341yrs, it is estimated that there were 12.5 million slaves ripped from their homeland, Africa, and shipped out like cargo to the Americas. That is a heartbreaking figure and an embarrassing fact; a fact that has not left our current generation untouched. It is a wound that many people are still recovering from. And while the abolition of slavery in the United States was a massive and monumental step the right direction, today, there are currently 40million people enslaved globally. Friends, our fight is far from over.

I hope and pray that we don’t turn a blind eye to the battle before us.

July 30th is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. Last summer, I was home on that day, and I remember my Papa reading to us articles relaying information, statistics, and stories in regards to human trafficking, specifically child trafficking. I remember being stunned, heartbroken, and disgusted. I needed to know more and make some kind of difference. The last six months have been very informative to say the least.

Now as I write, I wonder, where do I begin?

There are so many avenues to go down. It’s like a giant web. The more I learn about it, the more I see the complexity of this issue. But to start, let’s breakdown some statistics.

– At any given time there are estimated to be 40 million slaves in the world today. 1 in ever 4 is a child.

– 16 million enter into forced marriages.

– 24 million enter into forced labor. I.e. construction, agriculture, mining, domestic work.

– 4 million enter into state-enforced labor.

– 4.8 million enter into sex labor.

– Human trafficking is a 150 billion dollar industry.

– Sex trafficking makes 99 billion of that 150 billion.

Anything, peculiar stand out to you? Maybe the fact that only 19% of human trafficking, sex trafficking, generates 66% of the the revenue? When I found this out during my research for this post, I couldn’t say I was surprised. After listening to countless podcast and interviews, watching documentaries, reading research papers, and following different activists (all of which I will link to later) my heart broke all the more for the sexually exploited. Sexual abuse is something that has always broken my heart in a way few things can. I’ve seen the toll it’s taken on people very close to me. I’ve seen the way it’s destroyed lives, families. It has twisted our perception of love. I believe to abuse someone sexually is one of the most horrid things you can do to a human. And the worst part, is we have figured out how to monetize that. It may seem like something very far off, in a distant, poor land. But it is much closer to home than we realize.

I did a quick google search and found out that the USA is the number one consumer of sex.

With a just the logic of supply and demand, you can see where this is going. Geoff Rogers, co-founder of the United States Institute Against Human Trafficking (USIAHT), said “The United States is the number one consumer of sex worldwide. So we are driving the demand as a society.” The TIP Report reported that 199,000 kids are trafficked every year within the United States.

The United Nations Office on Drug and Crime did a report on Human trafficking. Here is the map. Let it sink in.

To drive this point home, I want to bring up another topic. Porn. Please keep reading, I know it’s a touchy subject. I’m not here to shame anyone, just hang in there. We’re in this together.

It’s almost impossible to talk about sex trafficking without talking about Pornography. Thanks to the very helpful tools of Fight the New Drug and TraffickingHub I started to become aware of the detrimental effects it is having on our society. Not only are we monetizing the objectification of human beings, most of whom have been coerced, deceived or forced into the sex industry, but also we are take on a skewed vision of what sexuality is. Sexuality is no longer seen as a beautiful, secret, priceless part of our humanity created by God with immaculate design and purpose. No, we treat it as a consumable good, a service on demand, one that costs the consumer nothing and the victim everything. Could it be, that in our hyper sexual culture, where sex is shoved down your throat every minute of the day via music, movie, ads, jokes, etc, that we have forgotten the purpose and beauty of our sexuality? Have we traded in selfless love for selfish lust?

One day a couple months ago, I came across this insane story in the Bible. It is covered in Judges 19-21 if you want to read it yourself. However just to recap, this is basically what happened: a man and his concubine (problem number one) were traveling and decided to spend the night in a certain town in the tribe of Benjamin. In the evening some men came to where the man was staying and wanted to rape him, so he gave them his concubine! She was gang raped and dead by morning. When the man found her dead, he sent word to all the tribes of Israel. When they heard of the atrocities that had taken place they rallied together to go fight those who had allowed these things to happen. 40,000 men ended up laying down their lives to bring justice to this one concubine and ensure that something like this would never happen in Israel again.

There was a lot messed up to begin with in this story: like having a concubine. Unfortunately as history shows, women have never been honored and held equal to men in ways that they should have been, but when these tribes heard this news their hearts were moved. They asked God, should we go fight? And God says, Go! I was so encouraged by this action. I couldn’t help but think, at least things aren’t like that now.

The next day it came up on my IG feed that PornHub (a site with more than 120million daily users) had been accused of criminal activity. In response to this accusation they took down 10 million videos of women and children who were being abused and raped. That was 75% of their content- content that people were paying to watch! Maybe things haven’t changed as much as I thought…?

Human trafficking is a big and very complex mess. Sex trafficking is a big part of that mess. And on top of that we are all a little broken and a little guilty. I may not struggle with a Porn addiction, but I sure like shopping cheap. Im slowly learning that it may come at the price of a beautiful human life half way across the globe. But tell you what, we can keep each other accountable and encourage one another to do better! How does that sound? And I know, we can’t all do everything, but we can definitely all do something. Find your something(s) and go for it!

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to misunderstand God’s heart for humanity the way the Israelites did. Right after their epic battle they fell right into another dumb decision and the chapter ends saying,

“In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.”Judges 21:25 NLT

I want to know God’s heart, what is right in His eyes, and pursue that.

“Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but helping the poor honors Him.”

Proverbs 14:31 NLT

“We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”

1 John 3:16-18 NLT

I hope and pray that this very simple and short article, educates, challenges, and inspires you to make a difference in your circles. Whether it be just spreading the word, shining the light, donating, or making some changes in your life it all helps immensely!

And just to end on a positive note. Here are some encouraging stats!

-“In partnership with local law enforcement, we have rescued more than 1,300 children and women from sex trafficking in the Philippines. Sex trafficking has plummeted between 75% and 86% in the cities we have worked.” – International Justice Mission

-Founded in 2011, our trained operatives are ordinary heroes with a proven track record of over 1,431 rescues and 739 trafficker arrests.” –The Exodus Road

-helped 4,240 people caught in sex trafficking in 12 different countries. –Exodus Cry

To Learn More:

Check out these podcasts:

Videos:

I highly recommend to follow these sights on their Fb and IG accounts to provide a steady flow of helpful information into your feed.

Mushroom Risotto

Who doesn’t like a creamy bowl of Risotto? I like to think of Risotto as fancy comfort food. It has the comfort levels of Mac-n-cheese, with the flavors of a gourmet meal.

But, as much as I love it. It took me years to getting around to making it. And once I did get around to it, I didn’t have some of the ingredients that were required in the recipe I wanted to use. So,through some quick improvised changes, I made my own recipe.

It is now my go-to girls night dinner and has had a 10/10 review from each lovely lady who has tried it. Sorry boys, will make it for you too one day.

So, what will you need?

1 small onion chopped
1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups (200g) chopped mushrooms
A dash of salt and pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon thyme
1 cup (200g) Uncooked Arborio (risotto) rice
1/4 cup (60ml) white wine
3 cubes bouillon + 4 cups (940ml) boiled water
1/4 cup (22.5g) grated Parmesan

All ready? Let’s go?

First thing is first, prep your food.

Heat oil of choice (I use olive oil) in a pan on medium high heat. Once it’s hot add onion and garlic and sauté for about a minute.

Next, add your mushrooms and sauté until soft and reduced in size. you may need to add more oil as they soak it up very quickly.

While your mushrooms are cooking this is a good time to prepare your broth. Crush 3 bouillon cubes and mix into 4 cups of boiled water and set aside.

Now add your soy sauce, thyme, and rice. Mix and cook together for about one minute. (Stirring often to keep the rice from burning.)

Then add the wine and cook and stir until mostly absorbed.

Add the broth with a ladle or 1/2 a cup at a time. Mix continually, only letting it to rest for a few seconds here and there. Once the broth is absorbed, add more and stir. Repeat until creamy (taste to see) or until broth is gone.

Take the pan off the heat, throw in your parmesan and stir until all melted in.

Ta-da! Fancy comfort food perfect for every kind of occasion.

Mushroom Risotto 

Servings: 2-3 bowls

Ingredients:

1 small onion chopped
1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups (200g) chopped mushrooms 
A dash of salt and pepper 
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon thyme
1 cup (200g) Arborio (risotto) rice 
1/4 cup (60ml) white wine
3 cubes bouillon + 4 cups (940ml) boiled water
1/4 cup (22.5g) grated Parmesan 

Directions:
1. Dice onion, mince garlic, chop mushrooms.
2. Heat oil on medium-high heat. Once hot add onion and garlic. Sauté for about one minute.
3. Add mushrooms (and salt and pepper as desired). Cook until soft and reduced in size. In the meantime prepare broth by mixing together 3 cubes bouillon and 4 cups (940ml) hot water).
4. Add soy sauce, thyme, and rice to the pan. Cook for approximately 1 minute, stirring frequently.
5. Add wine and cook until mostly absorbed.
6. Add broth with a ladle or 1/2 cup at a time and stir until absorbed. Repeat until soft and creamy. (Taste to check.)
7. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan.

Papa’s Pancakes

Saturday’s, Christmas mornings, birthday breakfasts in bed, those were the occasions that my Papa would get up early and make pancakes for us. I have some of the sweetest memories of waking up to the smell of pancakes, or waiting eagerly for pancakes in bed on my birthday or Christmas morning.

I believe my dad got this recipe from an old Betty Crocker cook book that is probably as old as me and absolutely falling to pieces- which is a testament to how much we love these pancakes- so, I wanted to get this recipe down before it’s too late.

Pancakes are yummy. Pancakes are fun. Pancakes are happiness. Throw in a whole lot of fatherly kindness in with the ingredients and pancakes are love.

So boys, I hope you’re taking note. You want to have kiddos one day? You want to be the cool dad who makes bomb pancakes? You better screenshot this recipe! It’s golden. Please keep in mind these are instructions for incredible pancakes. For further instructions on how to be an incredible Papa contact my dad. Shout out to the best Papa ever!

So, here you go:

1 egg
1 cup flour (125g)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 cup milk (177.75ml)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Margarine

Put about a half a tablespoon of margarine in a pan and heat on medium-high heat.

Once it’s hot, use a 1/4 cup (or a ladle ) to scoop some batter into the pan. Once its bubbling and golden brown, flip over to the next side. (Should be about 45 seconds- 1 min on each side) If you find that the inside is still wet, turn down the heat a little and cook them a bit longer.

Should make about eight pancakes (using the 1/4 cup to scoop). Or four large ones with the ladle.

So, here is how to make a breakfast fit for kids, friends, family. Why not surprise someone today with a special little breakfast. Nothing beats an unexpected breakfast in bed.

So, here is how to make a breakfast fit for kids, friends, family… or stuffed animals. Softy looks very excited to eat his pancakes. (This may or may not have been written during self-isolation 😅.) Why not surprise someone today with a special little breakfast. Nothing beats the lazy luxury of breakfast in bed.

Papa’s Pancakes

Servings: 8 pancakes

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup flour (125g)
3 teaspoons baking powder 
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 cup milk (177.75ml)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Margarine for pan

Directions:
1. Whisk egg
2. Add the rest of ingredients 
3. Heat margarine on medium-high heat
4. Once hot, scoop in a heaping 1/4 cup. Let cook for about 45 seconds- 1 minute or until you see bubbles on top, flip and repeat. (Check the middle of the pancake once in awhile to see if it’s cooked through. If it’s still wet lower the heat a little a cook for a bit longer.)
5. Serve, share, and eat.

Isolation Contemplations

Well, what a week! Things can change so quickly it’s incredible! One day you wake up, brush your teeth, drink your coffee and assume that it’s going to be a very normal day then, boom! Everything changes. All your plans are thrown out the window. I know, your already thinking, “what did COVID do this time?…”. Basically what happened was, on a fairly normal Friday morning I was making my way to class when our boss announced that we have a COVID-positive dancer and we all need to leave the theatre immediately and self isolate for 10 days!

I was shocked. Up until this point our company had hardly been touched by COVID. In the midst of a worldwide pandemic we had successfully kept the theater doors open, premiered two ballets and stayed healthy even with rising cases! To be honest, it was almost a miracle that we made it so far! I guess it’s easy to get comfortable and think you’re untouchable.

Ironically, I was talking with a colleague earlier that morning about how incredible it was that we made it so far COVID-free, but we also discussed our desire to get back on stage again ASAP (they had recently cancelled shows). He commented on the fact, that ballet is such a short career. I knew what he meant… there is no time to waste. It’s something that had been at the back of my mind for last year or so. Something like a pandemic can be, or seem to be, a huge speed bump in a dancer’s career.

During our isolation, my flat mate and I watched a documentary called Restless Creature. It was about New York City Ballet’s Wendy Whelan, and her retirement years. It was such a bittersweet movie. I walked away inspired, but also thinking, “I do not want to be like her!”. Her passion, dedication, artistry, resilience, and humanity was so moving. It made we want to get up and work hard the next morning. To see the way she impacted lives and created art… wow. But on the flip side, it was heartbreaking watching her walk through the process of letting go of her greatest love. She slowly watched her god die and everything she lived for slip through her fingers. It was almost a grievous process, realizing that no amount of love or passion could keep her body from breaking. No matter how much she worshiped ballet, it wouldn’t allow her to dance forever.

I do not want to go through that. I don’t want my hope to be built on something so fragile as my own ability, health, or age. I don’t want my worth to be tied to how many good roles I performed or how many achievements I attained. It’s too a great burden to bear and it too easily leads to a life lived in fear.

Over the New Years God spoke these verses to me,

“Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. 22 For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own.” – 1 Samuel 12:21-22

I had recently started comparing my life to others: I measured my accomplishments against those around me and felt like I was failing. I had this sudden urge to be successful, and I was scrambling to find ways on how to make that happen and make it happen now! I began to feel weighed down by unachieved ambitions, by a sense of discouragement. And that was when I realized I had turned my beautiful dreams, my beautiful job, into a useless idol. No person, no job, no bank account balance, no role can bear the weight of my heart and of my identity. They never were meant to. Only God can do that. God is the only one worthy of my hearts full dedication, love, and devotion. The moment I realized that, it filled me with sense of FREEDOM and peace… All of a sudden my identity was, simply, in being His and in living out the good works He has called me to. So what am I saying? Never work hard? Never love? Never pursue your dream? Never get married? Since it will all let you down anyways, you can just chill knowing you’re a child of God? Haha noooooooo! This is the cool part! These verses continue to say,

“But be sure to fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.”

Because, your heart is in God’s hands you’re safe to live life to the fullest, “with all your heart”! To just go for it! Love hard! Because He loves you. He will give you love for difficult people, teach you to love wisely and heal the hurt caused by unloving people. Pursue your dreams! “It’s hard to steer a parked car” as they say. Chase your dreams with a humble heart and let the Creator of your life lead you into the fulfillment of it. Work hard! Because, one, God is honored by hard work, and two, even if you “run” for Him, and completely face-plant, He’s going to pick you up and teach you how to fly.

“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:30-31

When you give your life to God, and live for Him, not even COVID can stop you from living out the amazing plans God has for you.

Bagels

“Give us this day our daily bagels…” pretty sure thats how the verse went. No?

Anyways, when I first moved to Estonia, I had a hard time finding bagels. And the thing is… I quite like them. So, I had to learn to make them.

Now, disclaimer, if you want to make the “real deal”, its kinda complicated. But, if you just want a cheat way that tastes super yummy keep reading.

First thing first, hair up, PJs on. Because you’re going to want to throw these together in the evening so you can let them sit in the fridge over night. There are two reasons for this: 1. It somehow makes the bagel consistency way nicer, (i accidentally discovered this when I ran out of time to bake them one night) and 2. Fresh warm bagels in the morning? Yes please.

Alrighty, lets get to the real stuff now.

1 c (125g) flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2/3 c (160g) yogurt of choice
1 egg white or oil of choice
Extras: bagel spice, seeds, fried onion bits, cinnamon, raisins, nuts, blueberries, chocolate chips, whatever your heart desires.

Thats it! I told you this was the cheat version.

Add together all the dry ingredients and mix to combine. (And any dry extras i.e. cinnamon, paprika, garlic powder…)

Add the yogurt. I used oat yogurt, but every kind I’ve used so far works well: soy, greek, flavoured yogurt etc. Also now is the time to add other extras like: vanilla, blueberries, raisins, nuts)

Dough should form into a nice but very sticky ball. Add flour, or yogurt as needed until you get the right consistency. Keep adding a bit of flour and use it to continue to form your ball until you can hold it comfortably, without it sticking to your hands.

Divide into three balls, and wrap each one individually in plastic wrap.

Place in the fridge in an airtight container over night. (Or at least several hours.)

Good morning! Before you go brush your teeth and start getting ready for the day, start preheating the oven to 190’ C or 374’ F.

Now take one of the balls (may need to powder your hand with some flour) and form a hole in the middle and place it on a baking sheet.
Lightly coat the top of each bagel with egg whites (or oil for a vegan option). If you’re making a savoury bagel I highly recommend olive oil; it definitely adds to the flavour of the bagel. If you’re making a sweet bagel, I would suggest a neutral flavoured oil.
And lastly add toppings! My favourite is Trader Joe’s Everything but The Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend (im pretty sure you can order it on amazon 😉)

Last step!

Bake for 20-25 min on top rack in the oven. This is a great time to brush your teeth, fry some egg and bacon that you want to have with your bagel, make a cup of your favourite coffee… you know.

Ta-da! A perfect little brunch for a morning at home.
Enjoy with cream cheese, fried eggs and bacon, or just by themselves.

Bagel

Serves: 3 bagels

Ingredients:

1 c (125g) flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2/3 c (160g) yogurt of choice
1 egg white or oil of choice
Extras: bagel spice, seeds, fried onion bits, cinnamon, raisins, nuts, blueberries, chocolate chips.

Directions:
1. Mix together dry ingredients and any extra spices.
2. Add yogurt and any extras i.e. vanilla, nuts, berries and mix.
3. Form into a ball then divide into 3 small balls. Powder surface and hands to keep dough from sticking.
4. Wrap individual balls in plastic wrap.
5. Leave in air-tight container in the fridge over night (or several hours at least).
6. Preheat oven to 190’C or 374’F.
7. While oven is heating, create holes in the dough and place on baking sheet.
8. Coat each bagel with egg whites or oil, and add any toppings, i.e. spices, seed mix, etc.
9. Bake for 20-25 min. 
10. Cool for 10 min.

Stores well for 3-5 days in an air-tight container.

My 2020 Christmas

Lockdowns + restrictions +3 days off = no home, no family, and no Christmas. At least so I thought…

Around the end of November I started hearing Christmas music in the stores, seeing all the decor, and performing Nutcracker: all the signs of Christmas- but it just didn’t feel the same and I didn’t like it. One day, as I sat and talked with friends about the upcoming holiday, I began to feel so sad. I realized that I didn’t want to listen to Christmas music, I didn’t want to put up decor, I just didn’t want to celebrate Christmas this year. If I can’t celebrate it with my family, and I can’t do all our fun, special traditions, I just didn’t want to do Christmas-not this year. But in that same moment, I felt God’s gentle, sweet voice cut through my thoughts, “and why do you celebrate Christmas…?” Is Christmas really about family and friends? Is it about decor and gifts? Or are they all just a means of celebration?

It was then my thought turned back to the reason for our celebration. The birth of Jesus. God, becoming human! He stepped into our crazy world, into our suffering, into our lives to bring life, forgiveness, peace, healing and redemption. I don’t know about you, but I think this world needs a whole lot of that right now.

As I contemplated on this, my whole being seemed to be filled with this intense joy! All of a sudden, I couldn’t wait to celebrate Christmas! It’s been an insane year. But what better way to end it than by celebrating the hope of Christmas. See, Christmas was really the beginning of the story. 30 years later Jesus would be crucified, he would willing die for our sakes, to offer forgiveness for all our sins-all our hurtful and selfish decisions, to bring peace between God and man, to bring healing to hurting hearts, redemption to broken lives.

In Jesus I realized that whether there is a pandemic or not I can have peace, whether I’m in lockdown or not, I can have joy, whether I’m sick or healthy, my relationship with God is healed, and whether I’m home for Christmas or not I am loved and can love. And all of that is a huge reason to celebrate!

No matter what the circumstances are, because of Christmas there is always a reason to rejoice.

Now I see why my family always went all out with Christmas. Because God went all out for us. He held nothing back. So, this Christmas, I encourage you, love each other relentlessly, give generously, rejoice hard, haha. Because God loves you relentlessly, gave everything, and rejoices in you.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on Me (Jesus) because the Lord has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” – Isaiah 61:1-3

Fool proof – Purée Curry Soup

The last couple weeks in Tallinn have been absolutely gorgeous! The snow hasn’t stopped floating down for quite a while now, and it has left me feeling like I am (not to sound cheesy, but..) literally in a winter wonderland. Since this beautiful change of scenery I have had this desire to be outside all the time. I just can’t get over the beauty. The fresh air, the quietness of a forest trail, and tranquility of nature seems to kiss my soul. I simply love it. However, there is a downside; after an hour or two in minus degree weather I tend to get a bit cold… and hungry.

But what better way to restore your body temperatures back to normal than with a warm bowl of thick, creamy, flavorful soup. And don’t let the idea of soup throw you off! As one of my friends always says, “soup is so underrated!” And I couldn’t agree with her more. I’ve had people repeatedly tell me how surprised they are at how full they feel after eating this bowl of goodness. So before you write it off completely, give this pot of a soup a chance.

And it’s so easy! No excuses. Every time I made this in the past I just eyed it. This was the first time I actually measured it all out. You’re welcome, haha. But what that means is, even if you mess up or do it a bit differently to what I have here, it will still come out great! So no stress.

To get started you’ll need:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 heaping tsp minced garlic
2 medium sweet potatoes
5-7 medium carrots
2 Tbsp curry powder
4 cups water
4 cubes of vegetable bouillon
1 can chickpeas
1/4-1/3 cup coconut milk

Of course keep in mind you will need a purée machine or blender of sorts.

Peel and dice your sweet potato and carrots. Should be a couple centimeters in size.

After all the prepping is done, heat up your olive oil to medium-high heat. Once it’s ready, add your onion and garlic and stir for a couple minutes until it’s soft and your kitchen starts to smell amazing.

Then toss in your veggies and stir for another 2 minutes or so. Now grab your curry powder and stir that into your veggies for a couple more minutes. Careful not to walk away from your veggies for too long or the spice might start burning on the bottom of the pan.

Now add the 4 cups of hot water to your pot, give it a quick stir, crush the bouillon cubes in your hand and sprinkle them in. Once more give it a good stir so all the flavors and veggies cook together evenly. (Feel free to add a bit more or less water depending on what kind of consistency you want. Less water=thick soup, more water=runny soup)

Turn your heat up to high and let it boil for about 5 minutes, then bring it down to a low heat and let simmer for 15 minutes or until veggies are soft.

After you rinse and drains your chickpeas toss them into the veggies and blend away!

When you’re almost done blending add 1/4 cup canned coconut milk and continue to blend until it is completely mixed. Feel free to add more milk if you want it to be creamier and coconut-ier. But keep in mind it may make it more runny, in which case you could add less water to begin with.

Here you go! A soup rich in flavor and in nutrients, ready to keep you warm and healthy during this beautiful , yet freezing winter.

So, to recap:

Fool Proof Curry Soup

Serves: 5-6 

Tools:
Purée machine
Large pot


Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 heaping tsp minced garlic
2 medium sweet potatoes
5-7 medium carrots
2 Tbsp curry powder
4 cups water *
4 cubes of vegetable bouillon
1 can chickpeas
1/4-1/3 cup canned coconut milk

Directions
1. Dice onion and mince garlic. Set aside.
2. Dice sweet potato and carrots.
3. Heat oil to medium-high heat.
4. Sauté onion and garlic until soft. (About 2 minutes)
5. Add veggies and stir altogether for a couple more minutes.
6. Add curry powder and stir together. (Also about 2 min) Keep stirring so spices don’t burn.
7. Add 4 cups of water. Crush bouillon cubes and sprinkle in. Give a good stir. 
8. Bring to boil. Let boil for 5 min and then to low heat so it can simmer for 15 min. 
9. Take off heat. Add in rinsed chickpeas and purée. 
10. Add coconut milk and continue to purée until completely blended and smooth.

*add more or less water depending on desired consistency. Less water=thick soup, more water=runny soup

A Habit of Hypocrisy

days in.10.20

Recently I came across a verse in the Bible. It says,

“Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.” – 1 Peter 2:1

I generally think of myself as an honest person. I do my best to always speak the truth in a loving way. And I try to be honest about how I feel or what I may be going through with others and myself. I hate seeing people put on fake smiles, or hearing the “I’m fine, just tired” statement- although, I am guilty of it, but it is something I actively try hard not to do.

That being said, there has been something I’ve been noticing in myself. A type of hypocrisy that creeps in when I feel hurt.

There have been times when I felt alone, abandoned or hurt by friends. I wonder, why does no one see that im hurting or feel discouraged. I start to judge people in my heart for their selfishness; for their lack of sensitivity. It makes me frustrated and sometimes angry. I start to recollect all the “good deads” I did for them as if wondering when they’re going to pay up. Of course, when those acts of kindness were done nothing was expected in return, but somehow, later on, hurt starts to put price tags on things were originally free.

Pain can also blind your eyes – as I’m starting to realize. I can be so absorbed in my own self-righteousness and my own self-pitty that I stop wondering if I’m in the wrong. This is so dangerous. I find myself wanting to back away from people and retract instead of pursue healing. I take on an “I dont need you” attitude, instead of communicating myself to them in a constructive way.

The more I thought and prayed about it, God started to ask me the question, “and what about you?” As I sat there wondering how people could be so oblivious to my pain, it hit me, am I oblivious to theirs?! Ugh! So simple! How could I not see?! Pride built up its tall walls to protect me from getting hurt, but at the same time blinded me to everything and anything outside of myself.

This realization started to change my perspective so much. I started to remember that I am very much human too, haha. Surprise, surprise… I started to realise that maybe, just as people hurt me without knowing it, I have done the same! Uh-oh. Could it be that I hurt someone and am totally ignorant of it? Yes, its very possible.

All of this has made me want to grow in my sensativity towards others’ circumstances. I want to do my best to be aware of people’s bad days and hurt feelings. I want to communicate my pain to people who have hurt me so they have the freedom to do the same, and so that relationships will last and grow and not be destroyed by surpressed hurt. And lastly, anytime I accuse someone of something, I want to make a habit of flipping it on myself to make sure I’m not guilty of that same thing.

Talking with my mama always puts things in perspective. One night, as I communicated my hurt to her, she challenged me to concider the “why”. Why do people do what they do. I, honestly in that moment, could not care less. I, me, was the one hurting!! The other person was wrong to say what they said and do what they did. In her gentleness, she reminded me that I had every right to feel hurt, and yes, they were wrong, but I needed to have grace and try to understand the why. Trying to understand the why may make you realize that you aren’t that different from them after all, and that you should offer them the same grace and forgiveness you yourself will need one day.

There are “all kinds” of deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander- all of which are destructive. May we all take time to consider, “what about me? What is in my heart that needs to be rid of?”