That's What Jenni Said

---adapted from Oxygen magazine --- Alright, I know this recipe seems very strange at first glance but it's actually fantastic! One 16 inch pizza dough (I like to use the recipe from The Professional Chef, but use whatever you like) one half cup freshly made cranberry sauce mozzarella cheese 2 cups arugula (rocket) 2 cups shredded turkey breast one half cup carrot, shredded one quarter cup diced fresh tomatoes one half cup walnuts or pecans Oven to 375 degrees. Spread sauce over dough after stretching or rolling it out onto pizza stone. top with the toppings listed & bake 15 to 20 minutes. Yum!

---adapted from Oxygen magazine --- Ready in 10 minutes - Makes 5 pancakes 1/3 c. nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt 1/4 c. low-fat cottage cheese 1/8 c. vanilla whey protein powder 1/8 c. coconut flour 1/4 c. rolled quick oats 1 whole egg 1/4 c. skim milk Pulverize all ingredients together in blender. Once blended, stir in: 1/4 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen) Cook pancakes on skillet that has been coated in cooking spray. Cook on a slightly lower heat that you would with normal pancakes and cook a little longer.

Today is the feast of Saint Nicolas! From Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas) and St Nicolas Center (http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/who-is-st-nicholas/): "Saint Nicholas was born a Greek in Asia Minor during the third century in the city of Patara  which was a port on the Mediterranean Sea, and lived in Myra, Lycia (part of modern-day Demre, Turkey), at a time when the region was Greek in its heritage, culture, and outlook and politically part of the Roman diocese of Asia.  He was very religious from an early age and according to legend, Nicholas was said to have rigorously observed the canonical fasts of Wednesdays and Fridays. His wealthy parents died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young and he was raised by his uncle—also named Nicholas—who was the bishop of Patara. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He ...

For the first time in months, we will be home for a full week, giving me a chance to plan and execute a weekly menu. We’ve got quite the international range this week, and as usual, most recipes are those that are new to me. The menu items are rounded out with small snacks of fresh veggies or fruits daily. Recipe sources: www.epicurious.com Art of the Slow Cooker 1000 Indian Recipes 400 Soups ths.gardenweb.com domesticfits.com mylittleexpatkitchen.blogspot.com Sunday: Breakfast: orange cardamom tea cake (epicurious.com) Lunch: Taos soup (Parks family recipe) Dinner: fresh naan, califlower pakoras, red lentil soup, cumin potatoes, grilled lamb, pistachio ice cream (all dinner items from 1000 Indian recipes) Monday: Breakfast: peach grits (p.115 slow cooker) Lunch: leftovers Dinner: grilled tilapia with lemon pepper, rice, peas Tuesday: Breakfast: cheerios, fresh fruit, juice Lunch: egg salad sandwich, pop chips, red pepper strips Dinner: pea and basil soup with par...

Note: I suppose that for those who struggle with self-discipline, this morning's post will provide a measure of empathy. For those who are masters of self-discipline, my comments will likely seem alien in nature and sad/entertaining/baffling. Additional note: I don't suffer from tragic self-esteem *all* the time, I don't *really* hate myself (I just say hurtful things when I am mad), and yes I really do have these kinds of silent conversations with myself.   Actual internal dialogue that took place this morning at 6am in my head between "Good Me" and "Bad Me": (alarm rings) GM: Time to get up! Time to go running! Time to tackle the day! BM: It's cold. Going back to bed. GM: NO! We are going running. Let's go. (gets out of bed and turns off alarm) BM: It's cold. I don't want to go. And I'm tired. GM: I'm tired, yes, but we need to get up and get going. BM: Why don't we just sleep in till 6:30am and then go running t...

Many years ago I read the following prose penned by an African pastor and was immediately convicted by the Holy Spirit. It embodies the life of the disciple I want to be for Christ and illustrates so clearly how wide the gap is between who I am and who I want to be:  I’m a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of His and I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure. I’m done and finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, or first, or tops, or recognized, or praised, or rewarded. I live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by Holy ...

This week during my daily commute I have been reading Captivating (Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul) by John and Stasi Eldredge. The book promises to reveal what it means to be a woman and how to live the life of a woman as God intended on a day to day basis. The thesis of the work is a philosophy of gender reasoned as follows: 1. Gender is imprinted at the spiritual level on the soul and not just in our physical form and genes.  According to the authors, this principle is suggested by the contextual language of the versus in Genesis describing creation. Specifically, the verse dictating that God made mankind, MALE AND FEMALE, in his image. The authors argue that based on this inclusive language, both men and women represent the spiritual image of God and so it follows both genders display/embody attributes of God at a spiritual level. 2. Women reflect the following attributes of God: romance, adventure, and beauty. Using numerous scripture references, the authors do a good...