June 24, 2013

Everyone Knows...


It has been six months since the community of Newtown endured the nightmare that ensued after a troubled young man entered an elementary school and destroyed the lives of its families.  In an effort to empathize with their unthinkable tragedy, we sent condolence cards, checks to aid in financial support, and spoke out about out country's controversial gun laws.

Regardless of your personal beliefs regarding guns, there is no question in this writer's mind that our system needs to be revamped making common sense changes that will allow our second amendment rights to be preserved while keeping guns out of the reach of those with the intent to commit senseless crimes.

I would encourage you to watch this video.  It was made recently by those who lost children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December.  If you are so inclined, you can follow the site to remain up to date on the work that is being done to fight the fight on gun reform.

In addition, I would also encourage you to contact your legislators to voice your opinion regarding this issue.  Our congressional leaders can be contacted via Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, as well as the good old snail mail.  We are their constituents, which gives us the right to influence our legislators to vote on our behalf.

http://ww.sandyhookpromise.org/everyoneknows

June 17, 2013

A Brave Young Woman...


In 2007, Kainet Soomro was an eighth-grader in Pakistan.  She was from a well-educated family, who owned their own home, cars, and had their own business. One day on her way home from school, she stopped at a local grocery store where she was abducted by four men.  She escaped three days later after being drugged and gang raped, believing the worst was over.  That was until her country failed her.

This is a story of the personal strength of a girl, but also the collective fight by her family.  A family that stood by her in a world where others would have discarded her without a thought.


http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/outlawed-in-pakistan/

June 10, 2013

A Teenage Boy Changing The Vernacular...


The young men in this country have been plagued with a sea of identities ranging from unrealistically judging our young women to demanding perfection at all cost. Honestly, I think men get a bad rap sometimes.  Are they really guilty of seeking out Barbie or is it the media using them as the unfortunate puppets in our smoke and mirrors culture?

Regardless, the young man in the attached video has a response.  Now, I am going to warn you, if you can't deal with the F-bomb, you might not like it.  I would encourage you to look past it because this teen is changing the conversation!


 http://www.upworthy.com/theres-a-good-reason-this-18-year-old-kid-talked-back-to-his-teacher-walked-out-and-got-an-f-5?c=upw1

June 3, 2013

Vegetarian Schmegetarian~A Book That Might Change Your Mind...


If you haven't heard of Mary McCartney, she's the eldest daughter of Paul McCartney.  A lifelong vegetarian and prominent photographer, Ms. McCartney and her three siblings have a myriad of uber creative attributes that were passed down from their celebrity mom and dad.  Like their boy band father and photog mother, each member of the McCartney brood has successfully found a place in the world of art, fashion, photography, music, and now Food, which is the title of Mary McCartney's new book.

Every day we hear of a new cookbook or website that contains recipes that will change your life, and provide your family with yummy options that even the kiddos will smile about.  Well, this book is the real deal.  It is beautifully organized, and the recipes are made from simple and healthy ingredients that come out as visually pleasing as they are delicious.

I highly recommend giving this book a whirl.  In an effort to entice, I have added below one of the book's offerings, which was incredibly easy and quick.  I personally served it with a heaping salad, and it was a lovely dinner.   Enjoy!


                                                           Corn Fritters

1 cup spelt flour or all-purpose flour (I used spelt)
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup milk (Any type of milk is fine.  I used hemp, but don't tell my family)
2 cups corn
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1 TBSP flat leaf parsley, chopped a bit
1 red chili, seeded and chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 TBSP olive oil for frying (I used chili infused olive oil to give it even more flavor)

Dipping Sauce: Combine 1 cup plain yogurt ( I used goat yogurt), 1/2 red chili, seeded and chopped, 1 TBSP flat leaf parsley, the juice and zest of one lemon, and 1 TBSP chili sauce.

Mix the flour and baking powder.  Gradually stir in milk and eggs and mix until smooth.  Add garlic, scallions, corn, chili pepper, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Heat oil in a pan and drop a heaping tablespoon of the mixture into the pan.  Pat down a bit and cook 2 minutes on each side.  Warm the fritters in the oven while you finish the batch.

Serve with the dipping sauce and a big green salad.  The perfect supper!