The Giving Tree

One of my favorite children's books of all time is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.  But it's not a story just for children, it gives a message to all ages about unconditional love.  If you've never read it, it's a beautiful story about a little boy and a tree.  The boy would come every day to the tree and benefit from all the tree had to offer- fruit, shade, a play place.  The tree loved the boy so much, and as the boy got older, he demanded more from the tree.

When I read this story, I become more aware of how easy it can be for a friendship or relationship with another person to become one-sided.  I can say that in the past I have un-knowingly demanded so much from particular people, just because it served my immediate needs.  I am particularly struck by this excerpt from the book, after the little boy (now an old man) had taken all that he could from his beloved tree:

And after a long time the boy came back again.

"I am sorry, Boy," said the tree, "But I have nothing left to give you-

My apples are gone."

"My teeth are too weak for apples," said the boy.

"My branches are gone," said the tree.

"You cannot swing on them-"

"I am too old to swing on branches," said the boy.

"My trunk is gone," said the tree.

"You cannot climb-"

"I am too tired to climb," said the boy.

"I am sorry," sighed the tree.

"I wish that I could give you something...

but I have nothing left.  I am just an old stump.  I am sorry..."

On the other hand, I also have experienced what it feels like to be the one giving giving and giving, and not receiving much in return.  In the book, the tree gives without hesitation, without question.  It doesn't consider what loss it will suffer to please the little boy.  I have struggled to have friendships that are not reciprocal because I want something in return from that person.  I have even considered ending those friendships, because I didn't get what I needed.  This story is a reminder to me of how God loves us.  He loves us unconditionally, even when we take and take from Him, without giving back the love He wants from us.  It's an encouragement to me to love God even more than I do now, and to recognize that He's going to love me no matter what I do.  He's going to meet my needs, and He's going to find a way to meet them even when I all I need is a safe place to rest.

"I don't need very much now," said the boy,

"just a quiet place to sit and rest.  I am very tired."

"Well," said the tree, straightening herself up as much as she could,

"well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting.

Come, Boy, sit down.

Sit down and rest.

And the boy did.

I pray that I would be able to love in the same way as the tree, to anyone I cross paths with.  I pray that you would be able to do that as well.

If you'd like to watch the original 1973 animated version of the story, narrated by Shel Silverstein, click here:  Giving Tree animated movie

Recipe of the...Month?- Dr. Pepper Ribs

Okay, so I've been kind of MIA for a little while, and I am not quite keeping up with my whole "recipe of the week" idea.  Things have been a little crazy for the past couple weeks and I haven't done as much experimenting as I would have liked to.  I won't post any recipes that I haven't tried before, so I'm going to revert to an oldie but goodie that I have tried several times since getting the book "Cook This, Not That" (by David Zinczenko) from my mom.  It's a great book if you're looking to eat somewhat healthy, but still want to try flavorful, fun dishes. 

Many of you have heard me rave about my new love, Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce.  I have used this mostly on ribs (in the book it suggests baby-back), but it can be used on pretty much anything that you like to put BBQ sauce on.

Dr Pepper Ribs

What you'll need:

2 racks baby back ribs

1 large (2 liter) bottle of Dr Pepper

1/4 cup salt

1 Tbsp chili powder

1/2 Tbsp canola oil or vegetable oil

1/2 onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup ketchup

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp cider vinegar

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

How to make it:

1 Place the ribs in a large baking dish. Pour in Dr Pepper to cover them, reserving at least 1/2 cup for the sauce. Add the salt and soak the ribs in the fridge overnight (or at least 2 hours).

2 Heat the oven to 350°F. Remove the ribs from the liquid, dry them, and rub with the chili powder. Place them on a baking dish, add 1 cup of water, and cover tightly with foil. Cook for 2 hours, until the meat nearly falls off the bone.

3 For the barbecue sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic until they're soft and fragrant, and add the ketchup, Worcestershire, vinegar, cayenne, and 1/2 cup of Dr Pepper. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.

4 Fire up the grill, and brush the ribs with sauce. When the grill is hot, cook them bone side down on a cooler part for 10 to 15 minutes. Flip them and cook until lightly charred and smoky. Remove, and brush on more sauce. Makes 4 servings

Per serving:

400 calories, 15 grams (g) fat, 1,140 milligrams (mg) sodium

Cost per serving:

$5.17

Finding Peace in the Midst of Violence

Last weekend I found out that a student from Cornerstone (the school that I work at) was shot and killed.  Ryan (who was 21) was in 8th grade during my first year there, and while I didn't know him as closely as some of the teachers did, this tragic incident impacted me in a way I never would have imagined. 

For awhile I had been wanting to gather students together at the school who had graduated from 8th grade.  Some are still in high school, while others are in college, and some are working.  I had no idea this mini-reunion would turn out to be so successful, with the word spreading so fast amongst students.  I recognized most of the students that came that night, some had grown up so much and their youthful looks were replaced with a look of maturity that reminded me of how many years had passed.  Most of the time was spent talking and catching up.  Students filled out information sheets with everything about themselves, goals, dreams, etc.  We got pictures of most of them and will create files to track the progress of how they are doing in high school and college.  Ryan hadn't filled out too much on his sheet, but he included his interests which included singing, dancing, and sports.  He loved to sing, and I remember him singing at chapel and in the hallways, getting into trouble, goofing around.

10 days later, we heard about Ryan's death.  He was shot in the back 3 or 4 times.  He was hanging out with some friends and got into an argument with someone.  Later on that evening, the person he had got into a confrontation with found him and shot him in the back.  Ryan had attempted to walk away from the person, turning around to run when he saw a gun being pulled.  This incident has devastated so many...not only his friends and family, but those who just had a short time to be involved in his life at Cornerstone.  Cornerstone Christian Academy is a family of students and staff that always will remain connected, as students tend to come back and visit often.  It's unbelievable that one of our own family's life was cut short so tragically.

When I pray, I am encouraged even more to pray for the young people in this city.  That God would keep them safe and away from the violence that is so senseless.  It seems like it doesn't take much for someone to pull a gun on another person anymore.  You look at someone the wrong way, and you could be dead.  There are a lot of angry people that for some reason believe they are entitled to take away another's life.  I have to wonder what kind of sick satisfaction they get from knowing they killed another human being.  I am angry that a 21 year old kid had to die.  I am angry that he had barely had a chance to live his life and realize all his goals and dreams.  I am angry that the suspected shooter hasn't been found yet.

I find peace in thinking about the short time that Ryan was able to be in our lives and the impact he had on others around him.  I find peace in knowing that he's at rest with God, the safest place that one could ever be.

Sounds of Haiti

Awakened
Crowing roosters, barking dogs
No need for an alarm clock
A woman speaking in a foreign tongue, selling her wares
Voices outside, socializing as they prepare the morning meal
I can hear you Jesus

Working
Songs come from the lips of laboring men, to help them pass the day
Motorcycles, whiz by with Haitians riding three or four deep
Water comes splashing, pouring out into buckets, but not without effort
Crackling fire, it is meal time, a relief from the exhaustion the morning brings
I can hear you Jesus

Children
Shouting “blanco” and asking me “What is your name?”

Giggling at my efforts to speak Creole

Cheering, clapping, laughing after a victorious soccer match

Sometimes silence, smiling, slipping their tiny hand in mine

I can hear you Jesus

Day’s end

The sound of competition on the basketball court

Praises pouring from a small church

My pencil scratches furiously on the page

Recounting the events of the day

I can hear you Jesus

Catering My First Wedding

My friend Mayuko gave me a great opportunity to do her cake for her wedding, which was this past weekend.  I felt honored that she asked me to do 80 cupcakes and a bride and groom cake for her ceremony and reception, which took place at the Ridley Creek State Park mansion.  It was a beautiful setting and a perfect day for her and Lloyce to get married.  I was also able to meet her parents and sister, who all traveled from Japan for the week.  Mayuko was a beautiful bride and all her hardwork in planning the wedding really paid off.

Fortunately, I was able to take a couple vacation days from work prior to catering Mayuko's wedding.  I hadn't baked such a large amount at home before, and if you've ever been in my apartment, you know how much I am lacking in counter space.  Nonetheless, I was able to maximize the space as much as I could.  Mayuko chose red velvet and lemon pound cake cupcakes, and a strawberry shortcake bride and groom cake.  I figured that the baking would be the easiest and fastest part of the entire process, but I was very wrong.  The first batch of red velvet came out burned badly on the bottom of the cupcakes.  I couldn't figure out what happened, except that it was a fairly new recipe and that I should have tried it out before that day.  I continued on with the lemon, and those burnt as well.  I eventually realized (after getting an oven thermometer and testing the temperature) that the oven was over-heating by 50 degrees.  Not a good time to be having oven problems!  After a lot of burned cupcakes and keeping an eye on the oven, I was able to regulate the temperature. 

The cupcakes were iced in a cream cheese icing in ivory, teal, and tan, piped on in a swirl pattern.  They also had an edible shimmer dust sprinkled on top.  The bride and groom cake was an American sponge cake also iced in cream cheese with strawberries layered in the middle.  Surprisingly, I was able to fit all the cupcakes in my refrigerator, which was quite a feat!  I was most nervous about transporting everything 40 minutes away on a hot and humid day.  After cranking up the air conditioning in the car, and with the help of Wilmina and her mom, we got everything there intact and in one piece!  I was so relieved.

This was quite the learning experience for me, and I definitely would change the way I did a few things the next time around.  I was pretty happy with the set-up and overall outcome of the presentation.  After all that work, I didn't even eat cake at the wedding! 

Eat, Pray, Love

For the first time in awhile, I went to a movie on opening day.  I decided to go see Eat, Pray, Love, a movie based on the book of the same name by Elizabeth Gilbert.  I read the book two years ago during my trip to Hawaii, and was able to relate to it in many ways.  While I am not a 35 year-old divorcee traveling the world to "find myself", there were some themes in the book that really spoke to me.  The book is basically Gilbert's diary of her life as she stumbled through a divorce, found new love, found God, then decided to travel to Italy, India, and Bali for three months.  While in Italy, Liz (played by Julia Roberts) found a deeper connection to life through the food she enjoyed:  pasta, wine, pizza, and all that is Italian.  As she moved on to India, she attempted to develop a deeper prayer life and was able to reconcile some of her misgivings of the past.  Finally, in Bali, she learned how to fall in love again and really accept who she is.  I thought the book was much better than the movie, but in most cases, it usually is.

This movie did a couple things for me.  First of all, it has increased my desire to travel even more.  I would say that I'm a fairly avid traveler, but my trips have been mostly in the U.S., with a few exceptions.  I realized that now is the time for me to take advantage of having ample vacation time, being single and (hopefully) fearless to travel to places that I have only thought about.  I have a list started of where I want to go next, with China (to visit my friend Sarah who is teaching English there) at the top of the list, followed by Gabon, and some South American Countries.  I'm going to attempt to do some major planning and organizing to ensure that a trip happens next summer.

Eat, Pray, Love also reminded me that prayer is often not an easy thing.  As Liz struggled with finding her voice to speak to God in the movie, I realize that I have the same problem at times.  Some days I find easy to talk to God and open myself up to hearing His voice, and other days I feel very empty and at a loss for words.  I don't think it's unusual for this to happen at times, but God just wants us to try, even though frustrating.  I want to be able to lessen a lot of the distractions around me that prevent me from being able to focus during prayer.  I want to enjoy silence more, although it is uncomfortable at times.

And of course, eating will always be something I can relate to.  Preparing a meal or recipe for me is like creating a beautiful project that in the end, has great rewards.  It's seeing all the pieces come together to make one whole that will, hopefully, be something that others enjoy as well.  Sometimes my "projects" or recipes don't go as planned, and I able to learn a lesson for the next time of what to do or not do.  Even when I mess up, I am reminded that although I have a culinary school education, that doesn't make me infallible when it comes to cooking (and many other things!)

Recipe of the Week

Heirloom Tomato Salad on Grilled Bruschetta

from one of my favorite chefs, Bobby Flay.  I made this last night, just to try it out, and it ended up being my dinner.  Lots of fresh, zesty flavor.  I'm going to make it for an upcoming party appetizer. 
2 lbs. assorted heirloom tomatoes, diced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 Tbsp red-wine vinegar
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup packed basil leaves, thinly sliced
Salt and fresh black pepper
4 1/2-inch-thick slices ciabatta bread

1. Put the tomatoes, onion, garlic, vinegar, 1/4 cup of olive oil, and the basil in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

2. Heat a grill pan over high heat (or a grill to high). Grill the bread on each side until slightly charred, about 30 seconds per side. Remove from the grill and brush the tops with the remaining 2 Tbsp of oil. Mound the bread with the tomato mixture and some of the juices and serve immediately.

Serves 4. Per serving: 290 calories, 22g carbs, 5g protein, no cholesterol, and 22g fat.