#DailyProverbs December 29, 2011 - I'll Make It Home Someday

I'll Make It Home Someday

There is an old song that says, "I am kind of homesick for a country, to which I've never been before..." Now, I am a selfish & willful child. And I've never been one to wish for the Rapture, or death to come quickly, because I love life. I love living life... and there are some many wonderful things to experience and see and do in this life...

However, I'll be honest, and it may just be the passing years or my age - but I can see how my grandmother prays for the Lord to come. There comes a time when you are just "tired" and wouldn't mind hanging out in Heaven. So, that's my proverb for today: "I'll Make It Home Someday"

Exodus 12:25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the Lord will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.

Joshua 22:4 And now the Lord your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side Jordan.

Psalm 40:2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

There is another old song that gives me chills and comfort and something that I can cling to on days where I am just "homesick". This has to be one of my favorite songs ever... It's an old, OLD choir song. I think Jackson did it in 1977. Oldie but a goodie... Hope to see you in my "other" home.

I'm climbing higher and higher.
Day by day, getting closer to my goal.
With the Lord Jesus as my lead, my guide and my keeper,
I'll make it home someday.
I'll make it home someday.

Cheers,
#JustBeingMichael

Year In Review - 2011 Part Deux

The Michael Chronicles
2011 A Year in Review – Part Two:
Reflection, Renewal, Resolution: Become Whoever You Want To Be…
“Great is Thy faithfulness. Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning, new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided –
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.”

That passage is one of my favorite songs. I could hear Madonna Massey sing this song every day and I would never run out of chill bumps. ...Or tears. The full song is so beautiful and powerful. But it’s also one of my favorite scriptures. Ever. Literally.

Lamentations 3:21 – 24 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

And what a wonderful thing to do: Remember that God has unfailing love and mercy for his people. For as sure as the world turns, and the sun comes up, God is all we have and hope is sometimes all we have as a people.

I know that many times, I feel like everyone else is gone and I am all that is left… and that may be true, but it’s God… God in us, God around us, and God through us that allow us to keep moving, to keep going, and to keep putting one foot in front of the other when it seems like you have reached a dead end, and have nothing else.

Now, I don’t know about you, but that just means something to me. It actually makes a super duper powerful statement and can be one of the most comforting things for people like me. You know the kind, people that mean well, but don’t always succeed in following through or sometimes just “mess up”. It’s a great comfort to know that even when I am not faithful, God is Faithful. Even when I am not perfect, God is perfect. Even when I am not as loving, giving, or understanding of people, that God is loving, giving, and understanding of me.

I am not sure where life is beginning to take me anymore. I love my job, and I love my life, but I am feeling change again, I feel growth again, and I feel like I am moving into unfamiliar and deeper territory again... I am not sure of my plans and what I want to happen, but I am sure that God is there. And I am so gonna blow this year up.

Watch. Hide. See.

Cheers,
#JustBeingMichael

2011 A Year in Review – Part One: A Study in Excellence

Right. So, OK… the title is a tad self-serving and conceited. But a study shows gains and failures and there were plenty of both this year.

But this IS me we are discussing. And a self produced and published blog is kind of a personal conceit anyway. Seriously, like people are interested in what I have to say. Well, I mean… they are… but to KNOW that seems pretty conceited, no?

I often wonder aloud WHY I do this? Why do I write these little columns and give myself these projects? I have plenty to do. I already have a pretty schedule-packed life. Sometimes I think it is for my own self reflection or study. I like looking inward and seeing myself. Sigh, even the bad. I’ve gotten pretty good about being horrifyingly honest with myself.

But...beyond myself…me, and my own narcissism; who is this for? Is there anyone actually out there? I remember The Michael Chronicles circa 2003 with tons of people and April Perry and Rachel Busler and the infamous Mood Meter…but that was a lot of child’s play and drunken storytelling. So, again…WHO is this for? Anybody out there?

It IS amazing therapy. But, are there any other insights, dear readers? Since I can’t literally hear you, I will assume it is just crickets chirping and this might be all there is to it.

I guess, then, this is my brain dump. This is my Where-I-have-been-where-I-am-going blog to put out there publicly. Maybe it’s good that I DON’T know how many people read this stuff. I might be tempted to censor a lot more, and that ISN’T what I want. I want a writing outlet where I feel no shame, no judgment, or anything. Just to be living, experiencing and writing with no, uh…awareness of others. That is the ultimate goal. So, where to begin this blog??

Well, the year was challenging. That is a nice, pretty way of saying that the majority of it was off in some way for my normally charmed life. [read: It sucked.] But that isn’t the whole story. Or even just a part of it…Also: It rocked. It was amazing. I saw some good times, some hard times, some fun times, some sad times. I made some new friends. Lost some old friends, was engaged and seriously near marriage with someone. And, ultimately, the failure of that made me single again. And now there is dating. Falling in love. I had money, made tons of money…lost a lot of money. I gained some insights, let go of some beliefs and I am finally….ready.

But, srsly… what exactly am I ready for? Ready for what? Ready to do what? Ready to be what?

Ready for the next step? Ready to face up, own up, and be an active participant in my life again? Although, it isn’t like I wasn’t active…I just felt like I wasn’t for a while. There was a depression-like period that made me feel impotent and not in control of things as they happened to me. However, I am ready to move on. Ready to change. Change me. Change the world….make a mark. Leave a legacy.

One of my favorite quotes is from (shock!) BTVS. It’s at the end of Season Two when her dead lover is trying to kill her. He says, “No weapons, no friends, no hope. Take all that away, and what's left?”
She says, “Me.”

I like that. No, actually… I love that. I love it. At the end of the day, I have me. Me to depend on. Me to lean on. Me to believe in. I was busy, lazy, super busy, healthy, sickly, drunk, sober, and ultimately…

Just Me.

Country Fried Seitan Steak and Gravy

Country Fried Seitan Steak and Gravy:

Seitan steak:
Seitan: 1-1/4 cup vital wheat gluten flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup of chickpeas
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek seed
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Broth:
10 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup soy sauce

Directions:
1. Seitan: In a bowl, combine wheat gluten and nutritional yeast flakes; set aside.
2. In a blender, combine remaining seitan ingredients; blend until smooth. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the bowl. Mix well. Let the wheat gluten mixture rise for a few minutes.
3. Broth: In a large pot, combine the vegetable broth and soy sauce. Mix. Do not turn on stove yet.
4. Form the wheat gluten mixture into a log. Cut this log into three equal pieces. Put the seitan into the pot and now turn on the stove to medium heat. Place pot cover on, but allow some room for the steam.
5. Simmer for 2 hours, rotating the seitan occasionally. To store, keep the seitan in the broth mixture and refrigerate.

Breading:
1 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
dash of salt & pepper
1/2 cup soy milk flour (enough to coat all the steaks)

Gravy:
1/2 medium onion, sliced
3 tablespoons flour
1-1/2 cups soy milk
1 tablespoon vegan margarine

Directions:
1. Prepare the seitan steaks according to the recipe you use (there are several great recipes on this site to choose from).
2. While steaks are boiling, prepare the breading. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, basil, and oregano. Add salt and pepper if you wish. Then, pour soymilk into a second bowl, and place flour into a third bowl. I like to have these set up right next to each other, to make breading simple.
3. Once the steaks have absorbed all of the broth, remove them from the pan. One at a time, coat each steak with flour, then dip the steak in the soymilk, then coat it with the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat until all steaks are breaded.
4. Pan fry the breaded steaks in vegetable oil over medium heat until brown and crispy. Place the fried steaks onto a plate covered with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Reserve the frying oil when you are finished to make the gravy.
5. After frying all the steaks, add onion to the pan, and fry in remaining oil over medium heat until soft (you may want to add a little more oil if there is not enough left). Add 3 tablespoons flour and stir until mixed. Slowly add the 1-1/2 cups soymilk and 1 tablespoon vegan margarine to the pan, and stir well. Cook and stir until gravy bubbles and thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve over steaks.

Sides of mashed potatoes, corn, and green beans all go wonderfully with this dish.

Serves: 2 to 4

The rain stopped...

Now, THAT is a gorgeous sunset. Even if the sun did just peek out right before it was time to go down...

Recipe of the Day: Vegan Crab Cakes (Seaside Cakes)

Vegan Crab Cakes (Seaside Cakes)

Sometimes, you just want to eat a crab cake. You just do. Now, I am very picky about the seafood I will eat. I am spoiled, growing up near the Gulf Coast and being used to FRESH and available seafood. Also, due to work travels, I have had the PRIVILEGE of eating at some amazing seafood restaurants on the lovely Inner Harbor of Baltimore, MD. But, generally, the food is very rich, usually fried, and it can become unhealthy. So, what are some alternatives?

Trying to eat healthier, and to really watch what I put in my body, I loved some of the healthy alternatives that High Noon Café and Rainbow Natural Grocery offered me. I love the fact that it can be completely organic and/or vegan. If you substitute carefully and watch how you make it, it can be gluten free! Thus, this recipe for Seaside Cakes, which is really a vegan version of a Crab Cake.

"Side Note: These are NOT the Seaside Cake recipes from Rainbow High Noon Cafe, but they are similar, with my own twist… and I love the tartar sauce recipe."

You will need:
~.25 cup oil (I use either EVOO or I will use grapeseed oil. It has a lower fat content and higher burn threshold.)
~1/4 cup unbleached white flour (you can find great quality in a local health food store.)
~1 cup non-dairy milk (please use what you can with your specialty needs diet. I like soy milk, or rice milk.)
~1/2 teaspoon salt (this is for the sauce, and not for taste.)
~2 Tablespoons onion, minced (fresh onion is best for this, because it just adds something, but you can use dried in a pinch!)
~1 pound tofu, crumbled (just regular tofu. I get the refrigerated kind, but personal preference should drive you to get what you want.)
~1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
~1 teaspoon sea salt
~Dash of cayenne (dash here means a generous pinch)
~12 to 16 soda crackers, crushed to crumbs (you can also you panko, or a GF cracker or flatbread)
~1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
~Extra-virgin olive oil, just enough to brown the cakes (approximately 2 Tablespoons)
~Lemon wedges, tartar sauce (see recipe below) for serving.

First, turn on your burner. Get a small saucepan and get it heated up. Don't go in cold. Once the saucepan is warmed, add oil and flour. Heat, and let bubble over low heat for 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the non-dairy milk and salt. Stir in the minced onion and continue cooking until very thick.

Second, in a bowl, combine tofu, dry mustard, sea salt and cayenne. Add the flour/milk mixture to the tofu. Mix well. Chill 3-4 hours.

Third, use your hands and scoop and shape the chilled mixture into cakes about 1/2" thick. Then dredge the cakes in a mixture of soda crackers and paprika. Chill the crumb-covered cakes about 1 hour.

Fourth, fry the cakes in a little hot oil. Turn them gently, browning on both sides.

Lastly, serve with lemon wedges, tartar sauce or cocktail sauce. Garnish with parsley.

Yield: 10 large cakes; Per Serving: 210 Calories; 15g Fat (63.8% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 470mg Sodium.

Vegan Tartar Sauce
~1/2 cup vegan mayo (I like Vegenaise the best.)
~1 Tablespoon sweet relish~
~1/2 Tablespoon minced onion
~1 teaspoon minced garlic, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic granules or garlic powder
~1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
~Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Whisk ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate unused portion.

#DailyProverbs December 27 2011

Prov27.2 Let other people praise you—even strangers; never do it yourself.

I personally love this Proverb. Don't let yourself come across as conceited or foolish. And we all know those folks that don't mind telling you just how good they are.