#DailyProverbs January 24, 2012

Proverbs 24:3 Homes are built on the foundation of wisdom and understanding.

Do you remember the parable in the New Testament about the two guys, and one built a house on a rock. And one built a house on the sand. Then the rains came, and the sand washed away, and the moral was to pick something good to build on? Like... you know, a rock or something? And the moral was that Jesus was a good rock to build on. The cornerstone, the foundation?? Anyone?

Well, that's very true. But todays' Proverb goes a just little deeper for me. Homes, in this instance, means family. Household. Groups of relations. Pick a good partner. Pick someone that is stable. That is responsible. Someone like a rock. Someone that can be there for you, and that you can be there for. Don't try to get wet sand of temporary lust and pleasure to stand the test of time for someone that can be a real, true partner to help you realize your life's goals and your dreams.

Cheers,
#JustBeingMichael

#DailyProverbs January 23, 2012

Proverbs 23:4 - Be wise enough not to wear yourself out trying to get rich.

I saw a quote the other day that I posted about how so many spend their youth and their very health to gain wealth and security. And then, in turn, they spend the wealth they acquired to regain thier lost health. Ironic, no?

There is nothing worth making yourself sick over. No money is worth your family, your friends, or YOU.

Cheers,
#JustBeingMichael

DailyProverbs January 18, 2012

Proverbs 18:4 A person's words can be a source of wisdom, deep as the ocean, fresh as a flowing stream.

How true that is... People don't always realize the power of their words, and how it can help, hinder, build, tear down, encourage, or hurt... And when people use them for good. It is refreshing and it is something that feels good. Helps. Builds. Encourages.

Cheers,
#JustBeingMichael

#DailyProverbs January 17, 2012

Proverbs 17:4 Evil people listen to evil ideas, and liars listen to lies.

Have you ever noticed that, generally, in today's society, we are all TOO polite to stop someone from lying or being just plain rude, evil, or hateful?? We are trained to politely listen, to deal with it, and just let the person go on and on...

Well, misery loves company, and sometimes, you just have to tell the person that their hate, their lie, or their other issues are just not something you want to hear. It's not popular, and it isn't easy, but in the long run, it'll set the boundary for you, and you won't have to be a part of something that you later regret.

Cheers,
#JustBeingMichael

Get Over Yourself...

Look, I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but you are not special. You are not unique. You are not irreplaceable. You are not your mom's big boy. You are not a genius. You are not a savior. You are not your dad's little man. You are just like the rest of us...

You are a human. And you can be good or bad like the rest of us.
You are full of hope, just like every other human.
You are full of mess u...ps, just like every other human.
You are full of possibility for greatness or detriment, just like every other human.

Soooo, lose the agonizingly undeserved ego, and buckle down, work hard, pay your dues, and hope for the best... Just like the rest of us.

#DailyProverbs January 12, 2011

Proverbs 12:18 "Thoughtless words can wound as deeply as any sword, but wisely spoken words can heal."

I don't know about you, but sometimes... I forget to watch my mouth. I forget that my brand of humor, tough love, and candor can negatively affect someone, or possibly hurt them. I sincerely hope that I keep a good perspective, and speak good things to people that help them. Not intentionally, or snarkily just add hot air to the atmosphere.

Cheers,
#JustBeingMichael

RecipeOfTheDay MK's Meatloaf

I love a good meatloaf. It's just good Southern comfort food. And I love cooking it, if done correctly. This is something I love that I took my Mamaw Sue's recipe, my Mamaw Estelle's recipe, and tweaked what my mother had done to come up with my own when I first moved out and started cooking. Now, it's not for everyone, but in reality... it is. It's very good meatloaf, and you can top with whatever you like, but I love the recipe "as is"...

I am TRYING to work up an organic or vegetarian/vegan alternative recipe that actually tastes/compares to this one, but I just haven't gotten it "right" yet. Until then, I do try to make sure I buy local, buy organic, and buy the best quality I can. Hopefully soon...

You Will Need:
~1/2 cup ketchup (if you can, get the sugar free/juice sweetened kind that is organic. It is just as tastey, but the glycemic levels are much, much lower and will help with insulin spikes.)
~1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons brown sugar
~1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons bacon bits (NOT the chemically treated fake kind. Either get real bacon, fry it, and then crumble it. OR get the fake soy bacon, cook it, and crumble it.)
~1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons crushed pineapple, drained
~1-1/2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
~1 pound ground beef, sirloin, or chuck (the leaner the better since we are combining meats that also have a fat content for flavor and juice. We are all trying to be more conscious of our diets)
~1/4 pound ground pork (as lean as possible from the butcher. Get you some pork chops and have them ground)
~1/4 pound ground turkey (this is already pretty lean. Just get it from your local trusted organic butcher)
~1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs (I usually like these to be very, very fine so there are not hunks of bread in the meatloaf, but please feel free to do this to YOUR liking. I sometimes use Jiffy cornbread crumbs that I will make the cornbread and then crumb them in a blender or food processor)
~1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons crushed saltine crackers (crushed finely)
~1-1/2 egg, beaten
~3/4 clove FRESH garlic, minced
~3/8 onion, minced (just a little less than half of a medium sized onion)
~1/2 medium green bell pepper, minced
~Salt, pinch
~Black pepper, pinch
~White pepper, pinch
~Cayenne, pinch
~Paprika, pinch
~3 dashes Worcestershire sauce (or a tablespoon if your aren't very sure of your dashes)

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350F. (It doesn't have to be exact, but let the oven heat up and get hot. Don't turn it on and then let the loaf heat up with the oven.)
2. Stir ketchup, brown sugar, bacon bits, pineapple, and 1 dash Worcestershire sauce together in a small bowl; Cover, and reserve in the fridge.
3. Combine the ground beef, pork, and turkey together in a large bowl and fold with your hands. (Don't get squeamish now, it's messy, but it's necessary to thoroughly mix the meat, and to get the ingredients mixed in well.) Add the remaing (2 or so dashes) of Worcestershire sauce in with the meat and keep folding. Then add the dry ingredients and keep folding. Add the bread crumbs, saltines, garlic, onion, bell pepper, and then last, the eggs (the eggs are necessary as a binder, if you are watching cholesterol, you can use an egg substitute or a vegan alternative); Mix well. Pat meat mixture into a loaf pan.
4. Bake meatloaf in the preheated oven for 30 or so minutes. Remove from oven; pour reserved pineapple mixture over loaf. Return to the oven; bake until no longer pink in the center, about an additional 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160F when done.

Enjoy!
#JustBeingMichael

#DailyProverbs January 11

Proverbs 11:17 "You do yourself a favor when you are kind. If you are cruel, you only hurt yourself."

Ain't that the truth... intentional cruelty is something that eventually entraps and hurts the one that weilds it. It is always better to be kind, to help others when possible, and to be the best "you", that you can.

Southern Fried "Chicken" (Vegan)

I grew up country. Really country. Like on a farm with my grandparents in Smith Count, Mississippi country. And I love my vegetables and my meat to be fresh, clean, and to not have chemicals in or on them. I don't like how the world has become when it comes to farming and especially to "farming" meat. That disclaimer being said, that's why I eat clean, and why I mostly eat vegetarian or vegan. But it's not a moral choice, it's a healthy choice. Now, I love fried chicken. I specifically and especially love my grandmother's homemade fried chicken. That woman wasn't afraid of going out in the yard and getting a chicken to cook. She could make just about any part of a chicken taste amazing... And she was "green" in her approach because they chickens were raised in the yard, and she used the gizzards, livers, meat, and bones. She made fried chicken, cooked the bones and carcass for stock, and used the organ meat for other meals... Like I said, it was as humane and green as possible. And I loved her fried chicken and her dumplings!

However, fried foods, and overprocessed farm animals filled with hormones make it more difficult to economically buy and eat free range meat. So, whether you are vegetarian or vegan for health reasons or moral reasons, I like this recipe for "Southern Fried Chicken":

You Will Need:
Oil (I use grapeseed oil to fry. It's smoke threshold is higher, and it fries cleaner. However, EVOO is awesome too. Just be sure to use the cleanest, healthiest oil you can.)
1 lb tofu, drained and pressed for at least 1 hour
1.5 cups flour, all purpose white flour ORGANIC
2 cups buttermilk
1 tsp salt (I use sea salt)
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp vegetable stock powder
1 tsp granulated onion
1 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 tsp cayenne or a red pepper (not too much, though... I don't like heartburn. 2 pinches will do)
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp oregano (or a big pinch, I am not a huge oregano fan...)
1/4 tsp basil (dried, OR fresh and chopped very, very finely)

Step One:
Get a large pot or stockpot and heat 3" to 4" of oil. Or a "Fry Daddy", OR if you have one of those NEW oil-less fryers that use 2 to 3 tablespoons in a vacuum frier, then that... (They are quite amazing.)

Step Two:
Cut tofu into approximately 1/2" wide x 2" long pieces (cut it how you like it, just not too thin, or the breading will outweigh the tofu).
Place buttermilk and flour in separate mixing bowls.

Step Three:
Dip tofu in buttermilk, then dredge in flour, then dip in buttermilk again, then dredge in the flour once more and drop into fryer. Fry about 2-3 minutes, until golden brown.

#DailyProverbs January 9, 2011

Proverbs 9:12 You are the one who will profit if you have wisdom, and if you reject it, you are the one who will suffer.

Truer words have not been spoken. You have to take care of you. Get some wisdom.