Friday, December 31, 2021

Bourbon Milk










This is my tone down version of a cocktail drink I first saw prepared in Giada's Show on tv. I developed a fondness for it even with the decreased amount of bourbon in it as compared to the milk. Actually I increased the amount of milk per serving but you are imbibing the same amount of the liquor but in dilute form. I could see this served as punch at a party instead of eggnog.  Just provide shot glasses not big glasses so your guests do not get grogged. It is addictive.



Bourbon Milk

Adapted from this site.

1 serving


Ingredients


1/2 cup plant based milk   

1 tbsp bourbon

1-2 tsp maple syrup

pinch of salt

1/8 tsp vanilla extract 


Add ingredients in a small glass or cup or a shaker with ice and mix.  Drink with favorite cookie.


Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Carrot Cake Overnight Oats







This is awesome.  The cinnamon, ginger and carrot combination is dynamite.  I ate some before the overnight sitting and it was still soooo good.  I have made this without yogurt but when I did I used oat peach yogurt or plain yogurt.  I used oat milk for the nondairy milk.    I added more drops of maple syrup, cinnamon and ginger when needed.  


Carrot Cake Overnight Oats


Ingredients:


1/2 cup oats

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1/2 medium size carrot, finely grated

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of sea salt

1/2 cup plant based milk

1 tablespoon nondairy yogurt (if using)


Instructions:


Combine all your ingredients in a large container or in a jar.   Mix well to combine and refrigerate overnight.   In my case I ate it right after mixing. You can add more shredded carrots and chopped nuts or granola on top if you have it.

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

pray share chat 12/29/21 sign of God's love

 Focus of today’s meeting is on a sign of God’s love  

1 Meditation 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bxD5obBOwEU


2 Songs

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bZOMtVBPTzE

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iKYfzax-sNk





3  Narrative 

AOL Mail

Thursday, December 23rd, 2021


Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation

From the Center for Action and Contemplation


Week Fifty-One: Christmas Presence


A Sign of God's Love

Father Richard counts the German Jesuit Karl Rahner (1904–1984) as an influential theologian in his life. Here Rahner reflects on the Incarnation and the meaning of Christmas:


If in faith we say, “It is Christmas”—in faith that is determined, sober, and above all courageous—then we mean that an event came bursting into the world and into our life, an event that has changed all that we call the world and our life. . . .


Through this fact, that God has become human, time and human life are changed. Not to the extent that God has ceased to be Godself, the eternal Word of God, with all splendor and unimaginable bliss. But God has really become human. And now this world and its very destiny concern God. . . . Now God’s self [as Jesus] is on our very earth, where he is no better off than we and where he receives no special privileges, but our every fate: hunger, weariness, enmity, mortal terror and a wretched death. That the infinity of God should take upon itself human narrowness, that bliss should accept the mortal sorrow of the earth, that life should take on death—this is the most unlikely truth. But only this—the obscure light of faith—makes our nights bright, only this makes them holy.


God has come. God is there in the world. And therefore everything is different from what we imagine it to be. . . . When we say, “It is Christmas,” we mean that God has spoken into the world his last, his deepest, his most beautiful word in the incarnate Word. . . . And this word means: I love you, you, the world and human beings. [1]


Father Richard also celebrates the Incarnation as God’s positive and affirming “I Love You” to all creation:


What we are all searching for is Someone to surrender to, something we can prefer to life itself. Well, here is the wonderful surprise: God is the only one we can surrender to without losing ourselves. The irony is that we find ourselves, and now in a whole new and much larger field of meaning. An eternal promise came into the world at Christmas, “full of grace and of truth” (John 1:14). Jesus is the gift totally given, free for the taking, once and for all, to everybody and all of creation. This Cosmic Risen Christ really is like free wireless, and all we need to do is connect.


Henceforth humanity has the right to know that it is good to be human, good to live on this earth, good to have a body, because God in Jesus chose and said “yes” to this planet and this humanity. As we Franciscans have said, “Incarnation is already Redemption.” The problem is solved. Now go and utterly enjoy all remaining days. Not only is it “always Advent,” but every day can now be Christmas because the one we thought we were just waiting for has come once and for all.


Karl Rahner, The Eternal Year, trans. John Shea (Helicon Press: 1964), 21, 22. Note: minor edits made for inclusive language. 


Adapted from Richard Rohr, Preparing for Christmas: Daily Meditations for Advent (Franciscan Media: 2008), 72–73.


4  Prayer 


Christmas Prayer, by Lama Surya Das

Source: surya.org


May the lamp of love

which eternally burns above

kindle divine fire

in our hearts

and fan that innate spark

of divinity

into flame-

illumining all, opening our eyes

and consuming our differences,

driving the shadows

from our faces.


As love dawns

on the horizon, may our community

awaken in the Kingdom

of true communion

which is at hand

always.


May we recognize ourselves

in each other

each in each-

fellow pilgrims on this infinite

journey-

in truth

in that light.


May we learn to love

one another

better even

than we love ourselves.


May joy radiate.


Amen.


5  meditation 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9DlD7-TykIU


6  song


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XUJRZRymd1I



Monday, December 27, 2021

and so it will go on

 




the picnic 

was ending. goodbyes were

starting to be said. three were

leaving first with joey

giving a ride to joel and the

kid with blue hair.

joel and mr blue hair gave me goodbye

hugs. happy ones while joey stayed where

he was waiting for them atop the steep slope 

of al and leah's backyard  by the potomac river.

something in my heart leapt with a deep

emotional thought.  i knew that i witnessed

how paase our organization will

live on forever and ever. from the effort of the 

generous caring hearts of octagenarian

founders like joey showing kindness 

to an ideals filled awestruck newbie scientist

with blue hair and an ever enthusiastic

dreamer joel who came all the way from the Arizona 

desert. here was joey a nobel prize climate

change multi awarded aging oldtimer

still making a point to come and brave the steep hill

of a backyard to be present  because that is

the way it is gonna be.  what was conceived

will go on through the heart not just the brain.

i do not want the founders dream to ever end.

it won't.  the founders will not allow

that to happen. and this was how the 

apams meeting ended for me with this hope

and awesome feeling of gratefulness.

Saturday, December 25, 2021

Monday, December 13, 2021

Brittany's Breakfast Potato Casserole

 




Brittany's Breakfast Potato Casserole

Based on the Breakfast Hash Brown Casserole By: The Jaroudi Family 

 Serves 8 

 Ingredients: 

  •  4-5 baked yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled, sliced or 20 oz bag Hash Browns or 2 baked yukon gold unpeeled, sliced plus 1/4 cauliflower, sliced
  •  1-15oz can of white beans,  (northern or cannelleni beans) 
  •  2 medium size peppers, chopped or two large roasted red peppers from a bottle
  •  1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 handfuls of baby spinach (optional)
  • 1 cup cauliflower walnut meat (optional) 


Queso sauce 1

  • 2 cups Mckeever sauce (recipe below)
  • 1/2 cup salsa

Mckeever Cheese

Jill’s 5-minute Game Changer Cheese Sauce (nut-free, gluten-free)
FULL RECIPE:
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons onion granules
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 12-oz. jar Roasted Red Bell Peppers in water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Pecan or Apple liquid smoke not used
4 cups warm water

Using a blender with the ability to cook food, blend on high for 5 minutes, or until sauce begins to thicken. (I can hear my Vitamix motor slow down and the sound deepens as the sauce hits the thick mark.) Once thickening has begun, stop the blender and quickly transfer to a large container that holds at least 6 cups.  The cheese sauce will continue to thicken as it cools even slightly. 

Allow it to cool before you begin schmearing it all over yourself.

or

Queso Sauce 2: (Based on The Jaroudi Family Recipe for Taquitos with Queso Sauce)

  •  2 cups cooked Yukon gold potatoes (with skins on) 
  • 1 roasted red bell pepper 
  •  1 tbsp white miso 
  •  ¼ cup raw cashews 
  •  ½ cup water 
  •  1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 cup salsa


Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 In a 9x13 casserole dish add in potatoes, beans, chopped peppers, onions and spinach and cauliflower walnut meat or similar add ins if using. 

 In a high-speed blender add all of the Queso sauce ingredients and blend until smooth. 

 Pour sauce over casserole mixture and incorporate well.  Cover casserole with tinfoil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the tinfoil and bake for an additional 20 minutes more.





Wednesday, December 8, 2021

2 Ingredient Sauce for Everything














When one is tired or just does not want complicated long recipes, this is a go to basic bbq sauce to put on vegetables or meat substitute you have on hand. It has the umami to give your palate a lift. The two sources of such flavor are hoisin sauce and catsup. It is up to you to enhance it with garlic or onion powders and heat from sriracha or hot sauce for example if you are into that.

The two main ingredients are preferred to be mixed in 1:1 ratio but I have lowered one over the other when I need to.  One such situation was when my husband was wary about his rising blood pressure and had to lower his salt intake. I then decreased the amount of hoisin sauce.  If I have a guest who is watching his or her blood sugar I then would lower the catsup. One can also prepare the catsup by simply mixing tomato paste with water and maple or date syrup to taste.  You also avoid the corn syrup in catsup as a result. Another alternative is to prepare your hoisin sauce yourself using the recipe I give below and alter both soy sauce and sugar to your taste and needs.

Since this is a “I am too tired recipe”, I usually have resorted to store bought hoisin sauce and catsup from my fridge.  The combination is magical.  Every time my picky taster, my husband, devours what I prepare with this sauce. Try it.


Two Ingredient Sauce for Everything  


Ingredients:

1/4 cup catsup or 1 tbsp tomato paste plus water and maple syrup to taste.  (note hoisin is sweet already)

1/4 cup or less store bought hoisin or home made hoisin.( recipe below. adjust salt.and sugar)

drop of sriracha or hot sauce


Instructions

Mix all ingredients in a bowl  

Add to vegetables or meat substitutes such as tofu or vegan meatballs.



Homemade Hoisin Sauce

(From CDKitchen)


(Makes 1/2 cup)


4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons peanut butter or black bean paste 

1 tablespoon honey or molasses or brown sugar

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1-2 teaspoons sesame oil 

5-20 drops chinese hot sauce, habenero or jalepeno 

1/8 teaspoon black pepper


Whisk all the ingredients together.   At first it does not appear to be mixing together, Keep at it and whisk a bit longer.



Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Sr Paula 12/8/2021 Advent

 

A Time will come for singing - Dan Schutte - YouTube
















Easy Chicken Tocino

 













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Filipinos love to eat eggs, rice and meat for breakfast.  For the meat part, it could be longaniza (sweet or vinegary sausage) or tocino (sweet pork or chicken) among other favorites.  The Asian Store I go to sometimes runs out of them.  I decided to make my own tocino by using ginger ale zero as the ingredient that will impart sweetness and soy sauce to give the characteristic saltiness.  I just added garlic powder, salt and pepper as the other ingredients.  The carbon dioxide in the ginger ale helps tenderize the chicken aside from being the source of sweetness but in a bind you can use sugar and water.  

Here is my recipe.  It is quick with no marination period.  Braising the chicken with the sauce does that job. Enjoy.


Easy Chicken Tocino

2- 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper
1 cup from 1 can ginger ale zero or seven-up or sprite (I used ginger ale zero)
2-4 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
2-4 tsp vegetable oil

Place the chicken pieces in a non-stick saute pan.  Add salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken

Add 1 cup of the soda of your choice into the pan

Add the soy sauce and garlic powder to the mixture and mix.

Allow mixture to boil.at medium heat until the chicken is cooked and the liquid mostly evaporates.

You can add a little oil in the pan and grill the chicken on both sides.

Serve with rice, tomato slices and cucumber.  Enjoy.




Friday, December 3, 2021

sleeplessness

 






hyper mind. worries. 

then gave them up to Him who

never sleeps.  zzzz. came.



Note: photo taken during a river cruise in Phoenix Arizona.