Ready? OK!

Leadership Camp - June 2010

2010-09-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

This is the leadership camp we ran to teach the youth leaders how to run the kids camp!!

Hope Soccer Camps - June/July 2010

2010-09-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

This is the soccer camps we ran during the World Cup this past June! I hope you enjoy!

Creamy brocoli pasta!

2009-12-24T11:51:00.000-08:00

Really good creamy pasta that can be eaten hot or cold!

1/4 cup onion chopped however you like
1/4 diced carrots
1/4 cup diced orange pepper
2 cloves fresh garlic
^saute in a olive oil until onions are soft

add 1/2 cup very finely chopped brocoli to the mixture and coat with the oil

52g package dehydrated creamy brocoli soup mix
1 cup milk
3 cups of water
^mix really well into the vegetable mixture so there are no lumps left in the soup mix and let simmer until the soup starts to reduce

-at the same time you'll be cooking about 5 or 6 cups of your favorite pasta, I used spirals.
-when the pasta is done and the sauce has reduced a little then add the pasta and stir it all together
-you'll see that the sauce will start to thicken really fast after the pasta is added so make sure you act quick!
-the last step, just add some pepper to taste and about 1/2 cup of paremsian cheese
-as soon as the cheese is melted you are done and it is ready to serve!

This dish tastes great like this or you can make a parmesian and bread crumb mixture to put on top and bake just until it starts to brown.

Also, with any left over just stick it in the fridge and the next day it is a fantastic pasta salad. Just add some cubes of cheddar cheese and serve.

It's so versitile and awesome! It's really good.

Confirmation

2009-10-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

They want me back! I just got an email today saying they want me to come back to South Africa and help at Orchard Camp!!

Praise the Lord! I am so excited!!

Now I need to raise all of the money in time!

Please pray:
I need to raise $3500 and it would be ideal for it to be all paid by November 13th 2009.

Africa and Brooke - Part II

2009-10-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

I have realised that there is nothing more I would like to do then go back to Orchard Camp this November. The trip does not include Swaziland, it's not supposed to ever again. So it's only a 3 and a half week trip. Which is still totally sweet.

I want desperately for this to be what God wants me to do this fall.

I don't even know if there is any room for more volunteers. I have no idea. And with zero money and no job, this could be a very, very difficult thing to pull off.

The trip is from November 20-December 15. That means, if I have the chance to go I have 45 days until I leave. To get $3500. But it may not be what God wants and may not work out.

My preference would be to move to this place and help them year round. But for right now that's not possible.

For right now all we can do is pray.

Please join me in praying for God's provision right now. Pray that if this is something he would like me to do that all the peices of the puzzle would just come together completely! Thank you so much!!

Congregational Meeting.

2009-10-04T23:47:00.000-07:00

Now a member of both the missions committee and the personnel committee!!

My two favorite things! Missions and people! Best day ever!

Random thought for the day: I love things that are thought provoking.

The best dips and dippers.

2009-09-21T23:25:00.001-07:00

Mmm, I love dipping...anything. French fries, grilled cheese, fake chicken strips, fondue! Oh the possibilities. But one of my favorite things to dip is chips. Simple, but classic. I like to take simple chips and salsa and add a little twist to it and make it slightly more exciting; although it is hard to improve upon perfection.

We recently had mexican night at our bible study and what's more mexican then corn chips with the perfect dips to complement, salsa and quacamole.

To make my very fresh tasting, chunky salsa:

2 medium tomatoes
1/2 medium onion
about a cup of fresh cilantro
^all roughly chopped and tossed into a bowl.

1 clove garlic
1/2 jalapeno pepper (optional)
^finely chopped and added to the bowl.

juice of one small lemon.
salt and pepper
^season to taste.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and then strain out all the liquid. Return salsa to a nice serving bowl and toss with a light coating of olive oil. Mmmm, this salsa tastes so fresh and also has a little bit of bite from the jalapeno!

To make the guacamole:

2 ripe avacados - peeled
2 cloves garlic
1/2 medium onion
1/2 jalapeno pepper
juice from one small lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 tsp ground cumin
^ mix all ingerdients in a food processor until you get the consistency you desire. I prefer mine to be very finely blended. You may prefer yours to be slightly chunky.

And to top it all off, we need the chips! My favorite are Tostitos Scoops. You get all the dip you love without the mess you hate! Perfect match! The best finger food for any gathering.

If you desire a spicier salsa or guacamole then leave the seeds in the jalapeno. For a slightly milder taste still with a kick, simply remove the seeds.

Enjoy these party favorites...I know I am.

L is for the way you look at me...

2009-09-21T23:10:00.000-07:00

Ah, Tiff and Jon! Amazing wedding. You guys are beautiful!

When life hits the fan...

2009-09-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!!

Don't you love it when you think you've got life figured out and then God tells you you're wrong?? I'm not joking. It's actually a really cool thing.

I thought I had it totally figured out that I wanted to work at Qwanoes for a year and be surrounded with people that know me as someone who loves Jesus and it being really easy to live a life wholly devoted to him. I thought it was the perfect time in my life to do that. I even said in my previous post. Then when they told me they didn't want me they said they thought it wasn't the right time in my life! I was so mad because I was convinced that this is where God wanted me.

But I've been thinking a lot about it. Why would God want me to be a Christian where it's easy?? I need to be his light to the dark world. I know that God wants me to be able to be as devoted to him here as I am at camp. I have always known that. I really think that with moving to Langley he is giving me a fresh start. The only people I know in Langley are Christians. That is the complete oppisite to Ladner. I mean I know some really awesome people in my church but we don't hang out too often because they are all quite a bit older than me. Which is fine. I still love them to bits and we have so much fun when we do hang out! I just need so friends my age that love Jesus as much as I do. Because I don't have any that live very close to me.

So all this being said, I am really excited for the fall. Living in a new place and meeting new people. I love being in a place where I don't know anything! I love it! But I am the most excited to see how God is going to use me out here. I am in need of a place to live out here in Langley and a job. But I'm not worried about that at all. I truly believe that God wants me out here now. I believe he has made that very clear. And I see that more and more every day with how he's been blessing me! God is good. I can never, ever, ever forget that. He is an amazing God who can do amazing things!

Food for thought.

2009-08-27T16:34:00.000-07:00

Just chew on this statement for a little while:

I CAN DO NOTHING WITHOUT GOD, BUT GOD CAN DO EVERYTHING WITHOUT ME

Spicy Sweet Potato Soup

2009-08-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

I cooked today! It was so much fun! I miss cooking. What with being in Africa and living at my grandmas now..I don't get to do it all to often.

Tonight I was craving soup so started googling a few recipes when I came across one that totally caught my eye. Spicy African Yam Soup. It combines so many of my favorite things! Salsa, sweet potatoes, and peanut butter.

Here is what I used, slightly altered from the original recipe:

1 tsp vegetable oil
1 small onion - chopped finely
1 large sweet potato - peeled and diced
1 clove garlic - minced
^saute in a large soup pot until onion is soft

5-6 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried cumin
^bring to a boil, cover and simmer 15 minutes

1 cup chunky salsa
1 19oz can chick peas - drained
1 large zuccini - diced
^stir into soup and let simmer until tender, about 15 minutes

1 cup cooked rice
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
^stir into soup until peanut butter is completely dissolved

Serve with flax bread

It sounds totally weird. But it's so good! It should make enough for 5-6 good sized bowls. It's super chunky so it fills you up. And with awesome protein. I think this is a winning vegan meal. I will definitely make this again.

Enjoy!

Decisions

2009-08-21T06:58:00.000-07:00

My life. Oh man. There is a lot of stuff going on right now. I have just recently come home from Africa and I counselled for a week at Qwanoes and I have to figure out what the heck it is that I am going to do with the fall!

Well, my parents have moved to Langley. They were supposed to be moving at the end of August but it just worked out for them to move at the end of July instead. WHILE I WAS IN AFRICA! So I came home to....no home! No bedroom! My parents took all of my stuff to Langley with them. So now I have to live at my grandmas until I can find something to do. I am working right now but I just recently quit my job so that I can go to youth camp at Qwanoes! I hated working nights anyways. It was too hard on my body.

So all I have decided so far is youth camp. But what happens after that?

Here are my options:
OPTION 1: -I have applied to be the Qwanoes intern for one year. I am still waiting to here back from them but if this option works out then I wouldn't have to worry about looking for a job or a place to live. But more importantly I would get some awesome camp experience and be in a place I love so much! I have always wanted to do this and it is the most perfect time in life right now.

OPTION 2: -I could move in with my parents in Langley. No...please no. My life is in Ladner and since I don't drive...well it's a 2 hour bus ride. AT BEST!

OPTION 3: -I move in with my parents until I can find a place to live in Ladner. I would see if they'll take me back to Starbucks as a shift supervisor for more hours then I was getting before. I havce been informed that in October my church is accepting new people to be on all the different committees. Since I have such a passion for missions I could be on the missions committee. I could also continue to be a Thrive leader and love crazy pre-teens [Thrive is a preteen youth group]. I could also continue to be a youth leader and love the more mellow highschool kids.

Pluses for Qwanoes:
-don't have to move out / find job
-get super awesome camp ministry experience
-learn how the camp really functions
-be in a place that I love so much doing work that I love so much
-be surrounded by people that love Jesus and are always striving to have a closer more intimate relationship with him.
-I can love and support the Kaleo students
-make new life long friendships - true friendships
[there is nothing negative about this option]

Pluses for Ladner:
-be close to boyfriend and family minus parents.
-be closer to my friends
-get to go to church and be super involved
--^ this is a good thing because I have been away from church all summer and I miss it so much
-get to learn about living on my own and paying bills [should be a negative but I am trying to think of it as a good thing]
-get to preteens and teenagers

Negatives for Ladner:
-have almost no Christian friends around me.
-be surrounding myself with temptations by hanging around with the friends that I do have.
--^these two are very very very hard things for me. I have been struggling with this for years now.
-have to find a roommate.

Pretty much the only thing that's making Ladner look good is being able to be on the missions committee at church. If it wasn't for that I'd say Qwanoes without a doubt. I mean I don't even know if they want me yet. I can just pray. And I guess we'll see more when I get that answer. Maybe that answer will cause me to decide something or maybe that answer will tell me what I've decided..more what God's decided for me. Praise God for giving me options though!

On a side note! I have some really really really exciting news! Atleast I think it's exciting! There is a girl that I work with latenight at Mcdonalds and she's going to come to church with me on Sunday and check it out! I am so excited about it! I can't wait! She used to go to church actually to South Delta Baptist but then the only friends she had left to go to The Way which is run throught SDBC but it happens at the movie theatre. She went with her friends there but then her friends left again and went to some church in Richmond. She wasn't about to up and move churchs again so she stayed. For a little while anyways. She's in the middle of a divorce right now and it's a pretty hard situation for her. She is struggling with why God would make her go through that and just has so many questions. She is an amazing lady though and I hope that LBC can give her the answers she is looking for. And some awesome fellowship. She needs that so badly right now.

Prayer:
-Please pray for Marcela. She is the lady that I was just speaking about.
-Prayer for my future. That I would listen to God and decide to decide right.
-Prayer for the Qwanoes ministry. Prayer against spiritual warfare and prayer for the kids every week that have to go back home to everything secular.

Thank you so much! Sorry it's been so long.

An overpowering joy!

2009-07-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

THE JOY OF THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH!

One of the simplest and most common phrases from the bible. Just one of those things that you don't think to hard about because it's so common! But these words have been burned into my mind the last couple of weeks. God has certainly shown me this in Africa. I was feeling very discouraged at one point. Like it wouldn't have made any difference if I hadn't of gone to Africa. But then the Lord said to me, "Brooke, my beloved child! My joy will strengthen you, if you let it. You are doing my work here. I have chosen YOU." God is GOOD!

Thank you Lord for giving me a heart that loves your children!

Bye for now!

2009-06-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

I will always remember my Auntie Bev for saying, "Bye for now!" Every time she leaves or says goodbye that's how she does it!

Anyways, I am off to Africa now for 6 weeks! So talk to you in August friends!

Bye for now!

Go To My Africa Blog

Daily Encouragement

2009-06-05T16:35:00.000-07:00

"For the Lord does not abandon anyone forever. Though he brings greif, he also shows compassion according to the greatness of his unfailing love. For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow." -Lamentations 3: 31-33

Ok, now here is a verse just for pure entertainment. This is, by far, my favorite verse in the whole Bible.

" "All right," the Lord said. "You may bake your bread with cow dung instead of human dung." " -Ezekiel 4: 15

Daily Encouragement

2009-06-02T15:51:00.000-07:00

"...But others trusted God and were tortured, preferring to die rather than turn from God and be free. They placed their hope in the resurrection to a better life. Some were mocked, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in dungeons. Some died by stoning and some were sawed in half; others were killed with the sword. Some went about in skins of sheep and goats, hungry and opressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world. They wandered over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground. All of these people we have mentioned received God's approval because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had far better things in mind for us that would also benefit them, for they can't receive the prize at the end of the race until we finish the race." -Hebrews 11: 35-40

Daily Encouragement

2009-06-01T18:14:00.000-07:00

Every day I am going to jot down a verse or passage from the bible that has helped me or encouraged me that day. All in hopes that it can do the same for you.

Day 1 encouragement:

"For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised as he was. Our old sinfun selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also share his new life. We are sure of this becuase Christ rose from the dead, and he will never die again. He died once to defeat sin, and now he lives for the glory of God. So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus." -Romans 6: 4-11

More from Africa

2009-05-19T06:26:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness is there a lot of heartache in Africa or what?? I have been doing a lot of research about orphans in Africa and it just tears my heart to bits!

Most recently I learned of a Tribe in Ethiopia called the Karo Tribe. When a child is born imperfect with any flaws they are deemed cursed and called Mingi. The elders of the tribe will not allow any Mingi children to live in the village as they believe it brings curses upon the land if they do so. So when they come across a Mingi child they drown him in the closest river.

A few people doing YWAM in the area met with a woman hiding from the elders of her tribe. She had a Mingi child and could not bare to see her baby drowned. She agreed to let the young americans take her child and care for it where it was safe. These people set up an orphanage and continually try and save as many Mingi children as possible.

This video shares more about the orphanage:

Drawn from Water from Drawn From Water on Vimeo.

Doesn't that just tear you apart? It's so weird to think that the Karo Tribe is superstitious enough to kill 7% of all children born into the tribe.

If you want to learn more about the Karo Tribe and the orphanage, you can check the Drawn From Water Blog.

I wouldn't be suprised if I found myself serving in this orphanage in Ethiopia.

Makin Banana Pancakes

2009-05-07T06:36:00.000-07:00

Now with my new... awesome... work schedule, my eating patterns are, well, I don't have a pattern anymore.

My perfect day consists of, getting off work at 6:00am and heading straight home to bed. [Obviously I check facebook before I go to sleep, all the action happens after 10:00pm when I've started work.] Then I wake up about 5:oopm have a shower and go make food. I don't know why but there's something comforting about a good breakfast after a long sleep. So when normal people are preparing dinner, I am preparing a hearty breakfast! Nothing beats a great breakfast before a day at work!

My best work yet would have to be the banana pancakes I made for [insert meal name here] last night before I went to work. They were so fantastic I had to share the recipe with you.

So I took a recipe off the interweb as kind of a gage as to how much dry and how much wet I would need for pancakes. Seeing as this is the first time I have experimented with pancakes.

Here is my recipe:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oat bran
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups soy milk or water
2 very mashed, ripe bananas

This was the perfect amount for 2. It makes about 6 good sized pancakes.

I didn't happen to have any syrup or honey in the house so I had to improvise. I used a sugar-free apple sauce and it was a perfect pairing. I also used almond butter (not on the same pancake as the one with apple sauce of course) and it was also fantastic.

This tasty treat is not only nutritious but delicious too! Perfect for a pancake breakfast in bed for Mother's Day!

Cat got your tongue?

2009-05-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

"...so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts." -1 Thess. 2:4b

I recently read these words at the bottom of a friends email and they burned into my brain. I have not been able to stop thinking about this since I read it.

We have all heard the following classic, cliche phrases:

"Sticks and stones will break my bones but your words will never hurt me."
"I'm rubber, you're glue; whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you!"
"If you don't have anything nice to say, well then don't say anything at all!"

The first being very untrue! Words can hurt WAAAAY more than anything physical. The tongue is a very powerful, very risky thing to use.

Just think about what James says about our tongues:

"So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by hell itslef." -James 3:5-6

Everything we do matters. We are God's representatives - showing the world that Christians are different people with a different lifestyle. There are a lot of people that know nothing about God except what they see in the lives of God's people.

Can we really say that we are different? That we live a different lifestyle?

We need to be different. We need to be an accurate representation of Christ, and one of the biggest ways to do this is to watch what we say. This brings me back to my favorite phrase my dad used to say to me when I was a kid, "If you don't have anything nice to say, well then don't say anything at all!" This is very true. If you seriously think hard about it, how much of the stuff you say brings glory to God? Not enough I bet! It doesn't matter who we are with, we can always be bringing glory to God through the things we say.

I have heard so many stories just about Christians that don't swear. People really notice it. You'd be suprised. Something so minescule, but so powerful.

Let's prove James wrong and use the tongue as a positve, powerful insturment in sharing God's love to the world! To the people that see us at our worst! I can guarantee that it will be a very hard thing to do, but the amazing thing is God wants to help us! He is here beside us every step of the way.

Try this, try and think about everything you are going to say today. And when you do, ask yourself if there is any way you can say it so it brings glory to God. And if it really doesn't, maybe it's not worth saying. Pray about it before you go out. Remember, God wants to help you.

Africa and Brooke

2009-05-01T14:26:00.000-07:00

I know, dear bloggers, that it has been far too long since I have updated you. But that is besides the point!

I have always wanted to go to Africa and work with orphans! I just have such a huge heart for kids, especially orpahns! Combine my love for orphans with my love of the world and my love for Jesus and you've got a pretty amazing thing! Guess what?!?! It can totally happen!

So here's the DL. I have been looking over the years for something that combines all these things I love that would actually be realistic for me. And well, becuase I am not the most awesome person at saving money nothing has really worked out. But here I am with this new job and big pay checks! I have been able to save quite a bit of money from each paycheck. But I have only had 2 of them! Lol. But I found an organiztion and a missions trip that would work perfectly for me! And this is the closest I have ever been to actually going!

I always say I want to do something but can never finish the application! Well I finished the application and they've talked to 2/3 of my references who have both said amazing things about me! [Thanks Dub and Dotto!] And he phoned me today!!

This is how it all happened. I met him at missionsfest. The best and the worst place ever! Anyways, I put my name down for their email list and recieved and email about a week later telling me about all the upcoming missions trips available. And so I decided, why not take a look? I have always wanted to do something like this, let's check them out. And as I was parusing the website I decided that it was something I could definitely see myself doing. Now what they do is work with Aids orphans and vulnerable children in Southern Africa. ORPHANS!! IN AFRICA!!! That is enough to seal the deal for me. Not even joking. So I looked into it further and ended up emailing back and forth with a gentleman who works for Reachout2Africa.

Anyways, long story short, I applied for a missions trip in November for about 3.5 weeks. It is $3500 including everything; airfare, food, accomodation, the works! But I got an email back saying he really needed someone to come on the June/July missions trip and after talking to my references, thinks I would be a good fit. [AWESOME!!!] The trip starts June 19th and ends July 28th. But if I can't make that work, then he is willing to make something else work for me.

He is completely willing to work around whatever shedule works for me! He suggested a trip starting July 2nd ending July 28th. It would be a reduced cost and it would be totally realistic for me.

Ok, now that I've gotten all excited I need to sit and think about this and actually decide if this is something that I could do/if it is somewhere that God wants me to be.

There are quite a few things to take into account. I have been accepted to work at camp again this year. I was accepted as Senior Counselor and would LOVE the job. Only problem is I can't do both. I just got a new job working as the late night manager at Mcdonalds and can't take the entire summer off work. But I could still go for one week.

MONEY! More like lack of it. It's the only thing stopping me from ever doing anything aweosme like this! Well I have finally been able to save some of my money. And I think that it could actually work. The entire trip [June19 - July28] costs $4200.00. Right now I have $1200.00 saved. I need $3000.00 in 6 weeks. Now saving $600 every 2 weeks mean I can save $1800. That means I will still be short $1200. I can apply for short term missions at my church and that will cover some of the cost but certainly not the whole $1200. I will also get about $800 back from taxes. So it could work if I don't spend any money over the next 6 weeks!

I really want to do this and know that if this is where God wants me to be then everything will work out perfectly!!

Now all I ask of you is prayer! Please pray for me as I have to make a decision very quickly! And I mean like very quickly!

I need to know if I am going becuase I need to pay for baseball! And if I'm going to Africa then there is no point in playing baseball this year.

Thanks for your prayer! I will keep you updated!

"Earthlings" by OurCorruptWorld

2009-04-18T03:59:00.000-07:00

"Earthlings" is a documentary film about mankind's complete economic dependance in animals raised for PETS / FOOD / CLOTHING / ENTERTAINMENT / and SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.

Using hidden cameras and never before seen footage, "Earthlings" chronicles the day-to-day pracitces of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit.

Powerful, informative, controversial and thought provoking, "Earthlings" is by far the most comprehensive documentary ever produced on the correlation between nature, animals, and human economic interests.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Ok, I admit this sounds super lame. "Oh it's just the vegan, caring about the animals, again. Yah, yah; what's new?

Are you kidding me? Please, just watch the video, if only, to prove that satement false.

This movie is indescribable. It is amazing in what it uncovers, incredible in how it uncovers, and powerful in that way it uncovers itself to reveal to us the lies of the meat industry.

This is not just another vegan movie.

This is powerful

This is real

This is animal cruelty

Watch "Earthlings" by OurCorruptWorld

A little bit of knowledge for the vegan mind. (Facts for vegans #1)

2009-02-20T00:41:00.000-08:00

A lot of the things I have learned being a vegan I have learned on vegan forums. My favorite is cleverly title The Vegan Forum. This information is some of the information I have accumulated since becoming vegan.

EGG SUBSTITUTES
FLAXSEEDS - 2 1/2 tbsp ground flaxseed to 3 tbsp water = 1 EGG
-Blend on high for 2 minutes then let stand in refridgerator for 1 hour to set
-Becomes gooey and gelatinous, much like an egg white
-Contributes vital omega-3 fatty acids

SILKEN TOFU - 1/4 cup blended silken tofu = 1 EGG
-Add other wet ingredients to get it to blend properly
-Use for fluffy things - ie. cake

BANANAS - 1/2 banana blended until smoothed or mashed well = 1 EGG
-Use for breads, muffins, cakes, and pancakes

SOY YOGURT - 1/4 cup soy yogurt = 1 EGG
-Makes things moist and yummy.
-Use for breads, muffins, and cakes

MILK SUBSTITUTES
SOY, RICE, OR ALMOND MILK - Add 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to milk and let it stand for a couple minutes to make a buttermilk replacer

BUTTER SUBSTITUTES
MARGARINE
-Use unsalted margarine

OIL - 1/3 cup oil = 1/2 CUP BUTTER
-Use vegetable oil or canola oil

SOY CHEESE
Almost all soy cheeses contain CASIEN /or RENNET. These are used to make the cheese melt. They are not vegan.

Casien is a protein percipitated from milk, as by rennet, and forming the basis of cheese and certain plastics. Casien is allowed by US law to be called dairy-free because the percentage of dairy actually in it is so low.

Rennet is the lining membrane of the fourth stomach of a calf or of the stomach of other certain young animals. Rennet is a by-product of the meat industry.

VEGAN GOURMET - This cheese alternative is made by Follow Your Heart, a company dedicated to making the vegan life more enjoyable.

SHEESE - This is the best vegan cheese I have ever eaten! It doesn't taste fake at all. I had the aged cheddar kind and it was fantastic. There are so many different kinds of sheese as well as many varieties of creamy sheese (the cream cheese alternative)! I highly recommend this brand. The website is full of awesome recipe ideas as well as a list of all the different kinds of sheese to choose from.

My favorite sheese recipe:
Mmm, best lunch ever would have to be a tofurky hummus sandwich.
Use organic whole rye bread and layer each side with a basic hummus. On the bottom side fold over 3-4 peices of organic torurky deli slices, On top of the meat put a little bit of mustart then top with aged cheddar sheese. On top of that slice some cucumber then some leafy lettuce and you're all set! I ate this every day until I ran out of stock.

NUTRITIONAL YEAST - This is not a soy cheese but is another great alternative to cheese. It melts and tastes like cheese! It's pretty sweet. Plus it's full of that sweet kind of iron that our bodies can actually absorb! Bake with it or just add it to already hot food and watch in wonder at how it melts!

NUTRITION
Being vegan isn't only eating no animal products of any kind. You need to make sure that you are giving your body all of the nutrients that it needs to run like a well oiled machine. If you are vegan or are considering becoming vegan I would suggest doing some, no A LOT of research! It's really interesting when you get reading about some of this stuff. Believe me, I hate reading and I couldn't stop!

There are some basic things I can tell you but as a new vegan I am still learning myself.

PROTEIN - Semi-active women need 46g of protein every day.
Here are some foods that contain high amounts of protein:
-1/2 cup firm tofu = 20g
-1 cup cooked lentils = 18g
-1 cup cooked chickpeas = 14.5g
-1/3 cup soy nuts = 12g
-1 tbsp peanut butter = 8g
-1 cup cooked brown rice = 5g
-1 baked potato = 4.5g
-1 tbsp hempseed = 4g
If you find that you are not getting enough protein in a day then try adding hemp seed to your cereal or oatmeal in the morning. Hempseed has a very creamy taste so you won't really notice it. I find that if I have either hemp /or flax rich oatmeal for breakfast and one major meat substitute for either lunch or dinner then I don't have to care too much about getting enough protein becuase I usually do it without paying too much attention to the protein in anything else that I eat.

IRON - Semi-active women need 13mg of iron every day.
-Nutritional yeast has the good kind of iron that our bodies can absorb.
-Tea cuts down the amount at which your body absorbs iron by 50%. Vitamin C increases the amount at which you body absorbs iron. So drink your orange juice!
-I am very anemic so no matter how much orange juice I drink I am still pretty iron defficient. I take an iron pill call SlowFE. SlowFE is a slow release iron pill that takes 24 hours to completely release in your body. This means you don't have to take it every day. 1 pill every couple of days, depending on how difficient you are. It helps you to sleep a lot better and it makes you happier. Take it with some Vitamin C.
-Some Iron pills can really plug up the works but these ones are great! Your bowells will love you!

It is almost 2 in the morning and I am starting to lose concentration. This has been facts for vegans #1, see you next time!

Banana, blueberry muffins

2009-02-20T00:07:00.000-08:00

I love food that I can eat! I love cooking food! I love cooking food that I can eat! YEAH!

I made delectable banana blueberry muffins this eventhing that are very vegan friendly! And very tasty too!

I am going on a retreat this weekend and need to bring most of my own food which is totally sweet. It means I get to eat whatever I want! I decided I definitely wanted to eat muffins!

This recipe is a simple recipe I found online that I altered to fit my needs.

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/4 cup pure fruit sugar (fructose)
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup oat bran
1/2 cup rice milk
1 tbsp canola oil
1 cup mashed bananas (about 3)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Mash the bananas in a large bowl. I found it easiest to add the milk at this point, it helps the bananas mash better. After the bananas are mashed really well add the oil.

Slowly mix in the dry ingredients. When everything is mixed well add the bananas.

Coat a muffin tray with a good amount of cooking spray. Bake muffins in a 400 degree oven for 18-20 minutes. To test the muffins to make sure they are cooked all the way through stick a toothpick through the centre of the largest muffin. If it comes out clean the muffins are done.

This recipe makes 12 good sized muffins.

Making yam fries and spicy Indian lentil soup!

2009-02-09T16:50:00.000-08:00

Cooking could quite possibly be my favorite thing to do. With eating that food at a very close second!

Today I was feeling like something wasn't quite right. Maybe it was due to the fact that I am anemic and ran out of iron pills about a month ago and therefore have been iron defficient ever since. Or maybe it was due to the fact that I haven't been eating enough protein either. All of those things are just details though. I believe it was due to the fact that I have not actually cooked something in quite some time. The last time I really cooked was when I made myself that awesome chili I told you about a couple weeks ago.

Well I decided that there was no reason for me not to cook myself an amazing dinner. It was such a gorgeous day out as well so the walk to the grocery store was very lovely.

Today I made a spicy Indian lentil soup That I ate with yam fries. Mmmm, I love food so much.

This is the first time I have attempted lentil soup and I can tell you that it sure won't be the last! It turned out very tasty. And it's nice because you can change things to make it the taste you want.

Here is the recipe:
1 1/2 cups red or yellow lentils
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper [or to taste]
6 cups vegetable stock
^Bring to a boil then let simmer until lentils are soft [approx. 1 hr]

In my recipe I didn't have any vegetable stock prepared or time to whip any up, so I used the powder store bought stuff [for this recipe use 6 rounded tsp to 6 cups boiling water]. I found it to be quite salty so I added 1 1/2 more cups of water and it was perfect. I do recommend making a vegetable stock for the soup. It will taste much better. Also the soup is pretty spicy if you don't like spicy things then use less cayenne pepper when making it!

I just wanted to eat yam fries so I decided to buy a yam and eat it with my soup. Random combination I know but so what! There are no rules to cooking. You can add and take away what you like and that's why I like it so much. It's like art. That you get to eat! It's fantastic.

For my yam fries I took one large yam and washed it and did a rough peal so that most of the peal was taken off but not all of it. Then I cut it into equal sized strips. Then cut all the strips in half becuase they were very long. You'll want to make sure the strips are a good thickness because it takes quite a while for them to cook and you don't want them to burn on the outside. Grease a cookie sheet and either toss the fries in oil or give them a very generous coating of cooking spray. Sprinkle some seasoning salt on top and bake for 45 minutes or until crispy and cooked through.

Mmmm, this was the best dinner ever! Enjoy!

Matt & Kim

2009-01-30T07:11:00.000-08:00

Matt & Kim played at the Biltmore Wednesday January 28th. It was the best show of my life! Mmmm, I guess it doesn't quite top getting to go onstage at Green Day [during St. Jimmy] on my birthday. That was, dare I say it, legendary. But Matt & Kim are definitely a close second! They've become my favorite band.

The Biltmore has a very low stage and being in the front row is..not a lot of fun. Let's put it this way, I can't cross my legs because my knees are swollen. I have some pretty epic bruises though.

Kim is so cute. She had the hugest grin on her face the whole show. And if you look at they're other live performances on youtube you can see that this is the way she always is. I love it! They just love to perform and make it so much fun for everyone there. After the show they both came out and just hung out for a while which was totally sweet! They are just really awesome people.

I'm so stoked becuase I love chick's in bands so much. I don't know why. But I like chick singers so much more, it's just really hard to find any that are really good. Kim is hot, she doesn't even need too sing and I love her. But she did mention that on their new album there may be chance of her singing on one of the tracks. TOTALLY AWESOME! I haven't had a chance to listen to the new album yet but I'm sure it's great. Just as the rest of their stuff is great.

I can't get the video to embed properly so here is a link to one of my favorite Matt & Kim songs. It's called Daylight.

Another video that is truly fantastic is 'Yeah Yeah'.. you'll see why if you watch the video.

I hope you like them, and if you don't then don't tell me. I don't want to know. I guess all I can leave you with is if you like a band that is super energetic and engaging, this is the band to see.

Metronomy and Fan death

2009-01-30T01:08:00.000-08:00

OMGOSH!! Metronomy!♥ ♥ ♥

Need I say more!

************************************************

Fan death was amazing!

I am now inlove with Dandi Wind!

Who's footsteps are we following?

2009-01-22T13:52:00.000-08:00

I find myself caring too much about what people think of me. Why do I do that? It doesn't matter what people think of me. The only thing that matters is what God thinks of me. That I am doing what God wants me to do. That I am living a life for him. Why should anything else matter?

I know all of this but I don't live like this. It's so easy to get caught up in the drama and attractiveness of this world. This world offers immediate pleasures. Things that make me feel good now. It just seems so easy.

But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Matthew 5:48

I am certainly not perfect. But how can I be perfect if I don't even try. Jesus came and lived on earth as an example for us. He showed us how we're supposed to live and that it is possible to be perfect. In Philippians it says that "He made himself nothing, he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form" (2:7). By doing that he became just like you and me. All the miracles he performed were not by Godly power but by the power of the Holy Spirit that we all have inside of us. The only difference is that we don't take advantage of that power. But WHY NOT? We have the power of Christ inside of us and we don't do anything with it! We all have the power to save the world! Why don't we take advantage of this power?

We're afraid. Afraid that we might look stupid. What would your secular friends think if one day you said to them, "I'm going to go save the world in the name of Jesus Christ"? They might respond saying something sarcastically like, "Goodluck with that!" To everyone else we would just look like lunatics. We're afraid of looking like lunatics so we don't even try.

But what if we did try? What if we didn't care that we looked like lunatics? What if we believed that by the power of Jesus Christ we could save the nations? And what if we went out and did just that? Would your friends still think you're a lunatic?

You are the light of the world - like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead put it on a stand and let it shine for all. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Matthew 5:14-16

We're afraid that just maybe nothing will happen. What if we don't see any differences in any lives? What if it's all for nothing? If we believe that nothing would happen if we trusted the Lord and went and did his work in the world then we have no faith. For in Luke it says that "Even if you had faith as small as a mustart seed...you could say to this mulberry tree, 'May God uproot you and throw you into the sea,' and it would obey you!" (17:6).

All we need is faith the size of a mustard seed and we can access the same power that Jesus had and used when he lived here on earth! So what are we waiting for? Let's take ahold of this power and use it to do God's work in the world! Within our friend groups! At our churches and schools!

Isn't it cool to think that God doesn't need us to do his work? He could do all of this by himself. He doesn't need us to do anything for him. But he chose to use us! He wants to use us! Isn't that amazing? The God of the universe wants to use YOU to do his work in this world! That's gotta be better then anything else the world can offer you.

Mmmmm, making food.

2009-01-19T15:21:00.000-08:00

There is this book I have recently started reading. It`s called "The Thrive Diet". It`s a book written by an olympic triathelete by the name of Brendan Brazier. In this book Brendan outlines, in a lot of detail, the importance of a balanced diet. That is, a balanced VEGAN diet.

He gives information about almost every kind of food and all the nutritional benefits from them; and also the not so nutritional benefits. He`s brilliant.

In this novel there is a 12 week meal plan following all of his rules on eatng. He is pretty passionate about eating raw foods as well, so quite a number of the recipes are raw. All of his recipes are in the back of the book. Some look quite a bit better then others.

A couple friends and I have decided to choose this lifestyle of ridiculously healthy eating. We are not following the 12 week plan, instead we are creation our own recipes following his direction. That`s not to say that his recipes aren`t good. Some of them are very good. The only difference is it`s pretty easy to just make a soup or a large chili, freeze it, and have it be very good for you.

I am easing my way into this lifestyle change as I have just started to read the book and don`t know the rules yet. But I have cut out a lot of things and started being very careful about the way I think about food and eating it.

As my first big meal I made a very fantastic chili. I was quite proud with the way it turned out.
Here is the recipe:

1 14oz can garbanzo beans
1 14oz can black beans
1 14oz can dark red kidney beans
1 14oz can pinto beans
1 19oz can diced tomatoes
1 12oz can tomato sauce
1 cup water
^these just get dumped in your pot

1/2 of medium onion, diced
8 sliced mushrooms, if desired
1 medium red pepper, diced
^sauté - season with salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. italian seasoning
1 tsp. cayenne pepper, if desired
^or to taste

It makes quite a large amount if you are just eating for one. But it`s great to share. Try having a friend make something different, then swap half and share! My friends and I love to do this becuase it gives us more variety for the week without having to spend all day cooking.

Happy cooking!