Dinner Confession

Sorry I missed the past few days as I was out on family business. Now that I'm back, and it seems my random thoughts have been boring so far, I've decided to switch to the food track. People have asked me over the years about my recipes, but I tend to use the handful and pinch methods. On occasion I will take the time to translate my recipes into standardized form and decided this might be an interesting way to do that.

My confession? I love oatmeal (and other rolled grains). Please understand that I am not referring to the dull gray slop you may have had at camp, but to REAL whole grain oats and other grains mixed with a variety of healthy and yummy toppings. My current favorite is Bob's Red Mill 5 Grain Rolled Hot Cereal. Bob's is a local company with high standards and I have used his products for years.

1 cup Bob's Red Mill 5 Grain Rolled Hot Cereal

Add 1 cup water

The water should come just above the cereal.

Add 1 cup each of water and rolled hot cereal to a microwave safe bowl. Pop it into the microwave for 3 minutes. Stir. Add a pinch of salt and sugar, if you like. you can eat it as is or throw in any number of yummies for a unique meal.

Lately, I have been adding 1 cup of frozen Three Berry Blend by Summers Peak. It's great because the strawberries have been cubed to a size similar to the blueberries and blackberries. You'll want to warm this back up, so put it back in the microwave for a minute. Top with milk or cream, if desired.

Sweet, textured cooked rolled grains for breakfast or any time.

My added notes:
When I make this, I usually do only 2/3 cup of grains and water. You can change the amounts as long as the amount is equal for water and grains. I'm watching my sugars, so I add a mere 1/8 tsp. of sugar and I use 0% milk instead of cream. Hot cereal welcomes other fruits, nuts, and add-ins. Sometimes, swap out the water for apple juice and add some cinnamon before eating.

Please leave feedback. Happy eating!

Gray Matters

Our brains are amazing. Twenty-four/seven most of us benefit from breathing, circulation, and the ability to move our muscles. Those neural pathways formed even before birth keep things running without much thought. Your thoughts travel more easily down a trail than setting out in unknown territory. And yet by "thought" the pathways can further develop or change.

The ability of our brains to create new pathways fascinates me. The first analogy my brain conjured up involved cattle and the paths they create walking to and fro on the hillsides along California State Route 57 between Pomona and Brea. I'm sure cattle leave paths elsewhere and other animals, like deer, make paths, too, but since I'm writing we'll go with the image that helped me understand.


Through the magic of Google Maps, Street View, you can travel to these hills without leaving your home. As you can see, trails traverse the hill and angle up or down to connect to other trails. The trails are the things you know.

To learn new things, you need to make a new path. A path is not made by walking once. Consider how many trips these cattle make to create a firm path. Over time the dirt is compacted and it is nearly impossible for grass to grow. That is knowledge you'll not forget easily.

Our brains go beyond this. Suppose Paul Bunyan walked by and dropped his cell phone right in the middle of these paths. Imagine the cow walking the path and running into the huge slab, her way blocked. What would happen? Of course, the cow would walk around and make a new path in order to continue her daily trips.

Amazingly, our brains have the capacity to make new paths, too. It may not be easy, but just the fact our brains can reroute it's paths/circuits is impressive.


Okay. I promised the answer to that second photo last week. Did you say an old tire? An elephant's skin? Take a gander. It surprised me, too.

Please leave a comment and vote in the poll. Thanks!

Close Up

Sometimes the most routine and common things seem very different when close up. In this first picture, what was your first guess (before you looked at the 2nd photo for the answer)? Maybe a poorly plastered wall? Something goopy? Were you surprised at all that it was an egg? I was at first. Handling eggs since I was a child, I believed what I felt and what I saw in photos and illustrations - that the shell was smooth. How different when close up! 

Here's another. I'll post a photo of this common item tomorrow, so we'll have no cheating! <smile>

You'll find soon, if you haven't already, that for nearly every discovery, every photo, every event, my mind derives some kind of story or application for life. (Strange, I know, but that's the way my unique mind works.) If you like the stories, great. If you don't, maybe you need to find another blog, though we'll miss you if you go.

I almost hesitate to share this simple application because I feel that everyone at some point has heard it. On the off-chance you haven't, consider your life an egg. (No, I'm not about to tell you you're rough and bumpy. that would be rude.) We live our lives in a shell. We show the world around us what is safe, acceptable, and "normal", whatever the heck that means. We imagine that if people saw the REAL, inside us we'd risk rejection. We don't like rejection. We want to be liked, appreciated, to belong, and yes, to be loved. We think we are protecting ourselves, but even when we receive positive interactions we know others like our outsides. We still fear the rejection that might happen if our shell cracked.

So what? What if we cracked open and all our goopy insides fall out? Guess what? All the other goopy people will say, "Whew! I thought that I was the only goopy one. What a relief to find a companion I can confide in." Eggs can be messy when broken. Eggs can be plopped in a hot pan, scrambled, or whisked together with non-egg things and popped into the oven. They call it "cake".

I firmly believe our lives are meant to be broken. That's how we change the world. We are here to give to others, to help others in this journey. Not to be used or abused, but given freely in a positive manner. Alone in your shell you will stay in your carton until you rot and are tossed out. 

I'm a slow learner... or just have to take baby steps. I "know" this information and think I follow it, but then see there's another shell inside the first one. That must be cracked open, too. We will never reach perfection in this life, but we can allow ourselves to be broken and re-broken, becoming more and more real, in service to those in need.

Now, on to that next close up that you can ponder overnight. Post your guesses in the comments. Please be as specific as possible. Don't forget to take the poll. I moved it to the right column so you can now actually read it! 

No day without discovery

Friday, May 20, 2016

Took a nice walk in the neighborhood this morning, so thought I'd act least share some photos before I need to leave town. Updates later. Be sure to take the poll.

Wonder

A feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable. (Google)

Our world provides many opportunities to feel wonder. That sense of wonder isn't just a positive feeling, research has shown that experiencing wonder can quite literally change our lives. Generally, prompted by media, we link wonder to nature, sports, powerful cars, and viral videos. I mean, who isn't fascinated by The Slow Mo Guys' videos. Yet it seems that between these "events" life can become monotonous. We don't expect wonder in the the mundane routines of life, but what if we could?

I love the feeling of wonder. During difficult times I make the decision to seek out wonder and pause a few moments to relish the the feeling. Wonder can bring a bit of peace and joy to life. A favorite place for me to find wonder is looking for the small. I take photos of plants, egg shells, insects and ice crystals. Something admired from a distance becomes more intriguing the closer one gets. My days are brighter when I just take the time to look around. Wonder is always waiting.

What discoveries did you make today? Do they make you smile?

Please leave a comment. Questions are always welcome.