Imperfection

Appetizer- Crushed Garlic Bread w/ Hummus

Main Dish- Homemade Soup with meatballs, baby bok choy, oyster mushrooms, carrots, noodles, ginger, cilantro and scallion (courtesy of Eva)

Featured Novel - "Faith and Doubt," by John Ortberg (2008)

Spoonful Rating - 4 spoons

Dessert - Strawberry Cheesecake w/ Bananas & Fudge

Beverage - Pineapple Spritzer

Life is a gift, not a privilege. Oftentimes we seldom realize the deposits we make in our lives and the lives of others. Far too often, it is assumed that we care for a person, love someone, and cherish the time we have. On the surface, we can mask genuine understanding and compassion in the guise of being friendly; but, the real challenge is share what we know and feel for others.

In "Faith & Doubt," the author pulls on various sports and family examples to exhibit this point --- take the time to share what you know and tell those you care for them the truth. While it seems ease to portray one cares for, and about, others; it is life lesson to show not tell. In journalism, I learned the hard way in painful interviews and many re-writes that I, as the author, need to illustrate the message poignantly NOT tell the reader. In this case, I have stolen the very essence of the message in the story --- don't give it away so easily!

If you have Faith, then compel yourself to push farther than you normally would go; and, if you Doubt, then recount the many opportunities given and A-HA moments, to fully understand there is a gift in life --- faith & doubt. To this end, the faith to believe in the impossible is possible, and the doubt that tomorrow will be different if one does not make a change today. Two different but essential gifts we are given in this life, and the choice is always which one will you choose.

"There are no guarantees for the perfection of [our] choices. In fact, to the contrary, there is the guarantee of imperfection...If I refuse to sing a word or play a note until I'm certain of perfection, there will never be music.. If you don't want to go to the grave with all your music in you, you'll have to take a shot. --- Faith & Doubt, John Ortberg, 2008

At the expense of gaining, you must first loose yourself! The greatness within you cannot come forth until one is challenged --- until broken (in many cases). Do not wait 'til the last mile or second on the clock ticks for you to share what you know and for those you love. There are no guarantees for success, but I am confident you can achieve more by giving up yourself, first.

The bad medicine of perfection can cripple one from ever realizing the genuine truth and blessings that lie within. One sure measure of your life are the imperfections --- choose to make soup with the ingredients handed to you!

Go ahead, take a shot!

Bon Appetit!

Homemade "Imperfection" Soup w/ Chinese Cabbage, Meatballs, Mushrooms & Ginger

10 oz. minced pork(preferred meat)
3 scallions, finely chopped
6 oz. Chinese cabbage
1.5 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine
7- 8 oyster mushrooms
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
2 cups of baby bok choy
1 tablespoon of shredded ginger
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 tsp sesame oil
fresh noodles
1/4 cup of cilantro

Heat the oils together and saute the ginger and garlic, until the garlic begins to turn brown. Set aside.

Shred the cabbage and boil for 2 minutes. Drain and squeeze the remaining water out of it. Pat dry with a towel.

In a bowl, combine the pork, scallions, cornstarch, rice wine, cabbage and cilantro. Put in the fridge and chill for one hour. Then shape into 22 meatballs, using about 1 tablespoon of the mixture for each one.

In the meantime, boil water and then put the fresh noodles in for 1 minute until soft. Drain.

Saute the baby bok choy, oyster mushrooms and carrots together in 2 tsp. of sesame oil.

Heat 6 cups of chicken stock infused with several slices of ginger and 3 scallions. Bring to a boil. Add the meatballs, cover and cook over low-medium heat until they rise to the top and are cooked.

Put noodles in each bowl. Add a spoonful of the bok choy/carrots/mushrooms, a few meatballs and chicken stock. Garnish with chopped scallion and chopped cilantro.

Enjoy!!

Brevity

Appetizer - Stuffed Mushrooms

Main Dish - Chicken Avocado Salad

Featured Book - Out of the Dust, by Karen Hesse

Spoonful Rating - 5 spoons

Dessert - Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Beverage - Pomegranate & Cranberry Cocktail

I am reminded of a conversation I recently held with my 10-year-old daughter, Jordan, where she quotes her mother saying, "A book does not have to be long to be powerful." How true!

Sharing the experience of reading together with my daughter has given me two (2) wonderful lessons thus far --- 1) re-igniting the passion to read and read (especially together w/ a companion); and, 2) the shear joy of knowing we share a special bond that I pray will last forever --- the love of reading and sharing our experiences of a book, time, memory or just thoughts together. This is the case for the novel, "Out of the Dust."

Reading Out of the Dust reminds one to treasure the small, precious moments in life. Taking placing during the Great Depression, the era of poverty but hope, brings out the humane and decent desires in life --- food, shelter, family, love, and self-worth. When the reader is challenged to choose, the question arises, "what will yield more value, and can one deal with the unknown circumstances that surround the ultimate decision?"

"Often our lives are so crowded, we need to hold to what is essential and weed out what is not...historical fiction [gives] us a safe place in which we can grow, transform, transcend. It helps us understand that sometimes the questions are too hard, that sometimes there are no answers, that sometimes there is only forgiveness." --- Out of the Dust

If you are 14-years-old, the answer bears great sacrifice despite the limited life lessons experienced. But, the reader cannot help but grow attached to the character's desire to empower herself and bridge the gap between the generations that separate her world from the loneliness she becomes accustomed to living in the mid-west during the 1920s. If you are 14 going on 29, does it matter that love takes on the form in the least expected way, or you pull towards family strain you, causing you to make drastic changes.

"The way I see it, hard times aren't only about money, or drought, or dust. Hard times are about losing spirit, and hope, and what happens when dreams dry up." --- excerpt from Out of the Dust, 1997

Well, as my daughter cautioned me in our follow up discussion, "Mom, you give too much of the book away!", so I will learn this lesson and encourage you to share the tug-a-war of emotions from the eyes of a 14-year-old heroine, who has hope for breakfast and a destiny unfulfilled for lunch and dinner daily. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and plunge forward, and reading the Newberry Award Winning novel, "Out of the Dust" captivates the inner desire to want more even with less.

Bon Appetit!

Chicken Avocado Salad
4-6 oz. of chicken breast
1 head of red leaf lettuce
1 ripe vine tomato
1/2 red onion (sliced)
1/2 cucumber (diced)
1-2 oz. red/green grapes
3-4 sm. sweet peppers (orange/red/yellow)
1 bunch carrots (julienne)
1 hard boiled egg (sliced)
1 -2 avocado(s)
feta cheese
handful of cranberries

Prepare salad as listed. Combine ingredients in order and top with your favorite honey mustard vinaigrette dressing. Serve chilled.

Change..

Appetizer - Hope is everything, IT is EVERYTHING....

Main Dish - "Tough Choices" by Carly Fiorina
Southern B-Que Quarters w/ Cabbage & Grilled Vegetables

Spoonful Rating - 5 spoons

Dessert - Double-Deluxe Chocolate Brownies

Desired Beverage - Mint Iced Tea

"Change always takes great effort...in many real ways, change is an unnatural act and so requires a sustained disruption of sufficient force," says Carly Fiorina. Change, indeed requires continues acts, and perhaps the best medicine in preparation for change is, "a sustained disruption" of responses that requires one to do something he/she would not ordinarily do.

Today, we are witnessing vast changes in people -- the way in which individuals address, clothe, speak out about, and stand-up for themselves. In many ways, the new attitude of expression rest on yesterday's emotion of self --- that is, happy one moment, sad and depress the next, and eventually joy, at some point in the process (one hopes). Through each phase a series of disruptions mandates one to respond to a given situation. In most cases, the ability to actively respond and be aware denotes one is plugged into the environment. However, when change requires a sustainable response, a sense of uncertainty arises and, it is the insecurity in the unknown, that makes change difficult.

In Tough Choices, the once-law-student drop-out and later HP CEO, Carly Fiorina chronicles the life and times as an aspiring business women. The multiple drawbacks and set-ups she orchestrated in the course of 5-plus decades serves as the back drop of hope --- that is, the hope to dream bigger than herself, the belief that she will make a difference, and the opportunity to risk it all, if success was to be achieved --- made all the difference in the world.

In fact, she dispelled this notion of maintaining the status quo to succeed, and preferred the least expected route where she admits she "learned over and over, many people prefer even a deeply problematic known to the risks of the unknown...don't change horses in the middle of the stream are all cautions about the risks of uncertainty and the consequences of imprudent action."

Change requires more than a sustained disruption of sufficient force, it connotes risks, consequences, and it also champions hope, success, and unattainable desires.

Accepting change does not mean one relinquishes the necessary faculties of reason or logic, it simply puts courage, faith, belief, and self-worth on stage amid the unknown acts or responses that follow a change. Change challenges the individual's core value --- who are and what makes you different? As the MBA course taunt, what is the differentiable factor that separates one from another?

In many ways, the response and sustainable actions of one in the midst of change speaks volumes about the individual. In Tough Choices, the title says it best, in life there are tough choices, and I would advocate that one not run from the risks and unknown acts; instead, embrace and challenge the changes that emerge. Fiorina models this behavior on and off the stage of business, and one cannot help but wonder can you say the same.

If your book title was released today, what would your title speak of you?

Bon Appetit !

Southern B-Que Quarters w/ Cabbage & Grilled Vegetables


1 pk of Chicken Quarters (slice and/or section parts)
1 celery stalk
1 red onion
1 or 2 small red potatoes
1 bunch of green onions
1 handful of cilantro & rosemary herbs (diced and sprinkled on meat)
1/4 melted non-salt butter
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp Italian spices
1/2 tbsp cumin
1/2 tbsp allspice
1 jar sweet honey glazed barbecue sauce
Dash salt/pepper
1 tbsp olive oil

Prepare ingredients as listed.

Separate chicken parts or sliced meat to the side. Combine chopped red onion, red potatoes, green onions and herbs together in medium bowl. Sprinkled 2 handfuls of H2O on seasonings. Add melted butter with paprika, cinnamon, Italian spices, cumin and allspice to mixture. Stir for 10 beats, and spread b-que sauce on chicken quarters. Heat oven to 350 degrees and cook for 60 minutes.

Dice cabbage and vegetables in large saute pan. Melt non-salt butter, dash of salt/pepper and add cabbage. Cook until tender adding sm. amounts of H2O to avoid burning pan. Stir continuously for 15-minutes. Spray grill with olive oil and add vegetables. Turn over frequently until crisp and sultry.

Male Mystique

Appetizer (Quote) - Understand oneself before you judge others.....
Main Dish (Book) - "The Male Brain" by Louanne Brizentine
Spoonful Rating - 4 1/2 Spoons
Dessert (Featured Dish) - Curry Chicken & Jasmine Rice
Drink (Desired Beverage) - Strawberry Lemonade

Learning is a life long lesson, where maturity and development are subsets of the growth process. Rarely do you find learning, maturity, development, and growth intertwined in one source, and oftentimes than not, one has to choose between the options. In "The Male Brain," the reader experiences all four (4) perspectives at the expense of delicate, academic objectivity without biases --- even more rare phenomenon.

Through the multiple stages of a male's life --- youth, adolescent, mature, seasoned, and andropausal --- he continues to discover, define, and develop his sense of self in his eyes, as well as, the eyes of others. The process of stretching himself socially, financially, and politically become second-nature to his life long journey in becoming a man, and his ability to transform the many learning episodes of his life into tangible benefits may (to some) determine where he ranks in the grand scheme of societal pecking order. To this end, his learning curve is both biologically and psychologically-driven. The endless tug-a-war between hormonal defenses and external societal pressures will shape his male mold, and if successful, he will gain 2nd and 3rd degree residual benefits through the learning stage.

Maturity will come as a sacrifice. As the male continues to grow mentally and physically, a complex cocktail of hormones will drive his decisions and mental perceptions --- whether accurate or falsely. This stage enables the male to stretch himself and challenge conventional wisdom, but he will need constant reassurance from the female population until he grasps the internal hunger to make an impact and leave a legacy behind. While no male is an island, the male brain is a sophisticated, mean-problem solving machine that requires little to no emotional support baggage. It is in this stage of the male's life that he defines and redefines his boundaries as he sets to leave his mark in society.

Development is continuous, and through many failures, set backs, and costly choices, the male will uncover intangible but necessary characteristics of who he is, and why he does what he does. No excuses or apologies will best explain the fully developed male brain, but one can ascertain a better appreciation for the myriad of differences --- not in size but complexity --- that shape the male brain. Unlike his counterpart's make-up [the female brain], there are fewer emotional connections driving the decision-making, instead more analytics and logical pattern-making. The simple landscape of the male brain at this stage resembles the 6-lane highway traffic heading in one direction, full speed ahead with limited cautions.

Having survived the previous stages, the growth dynamic is dual-fold: 1) it is a pragmatic puzzle; and, 2) it is a meticulous time machine. The male brain biologically is formed similar as the female brain; however, the distinct preferences for structure and less fuzziness helps one see how every calculating molecule, synapses, and/or connection is apart of the overall puzzle and time machine.

While I do not subscribe to the notion that the differences between men and women can be summed up in the simplicity of biological and varying reactions to hormones, there is something to be said for the acute dynamics that shape the minds of men and women, especially when it comes to the decisions made and choices preferred. If one gains nothing more than a greater appreciation for the way in which the male brain processes information and responds to different stimuli, then the reader has fulfilled one goal of the author. The best attribute to reading both The Female and Male Brain collection is delving deeper into the male mystique, if there is a such.....

Bon Appetit!

Curry Chicken & Jasmine Rice
4-6 oz. of chicken quarters and/or thighs
2 ripe tomatoes
3 med. red potatoes
1 red onion
1-2 bunches of green onions
1 carrot
2-3 pieces of ginger
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 cups of water (H2O)
2 tbsp. of yellow curry spice
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tsp. of celery salt
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp Spanish or Indian paprika
Dash of salt & pepper (to taste)

Prepare chicken quarters separately, and cook rice as directed. Combine spices together in coriander. Heat olive oil over high heat and add seasoned chicken. Cook over high heat until brown, stir in water, adding tomatoes, red potatoes, onions, carrot, and slices of ginger. Repeat heating and stir vigorously over medium heat until chicken is soft & tender. Combine spices and sprinkle water to make paste. Mix ingredients and cook w/ top over slow heat for additional 30-minutes. Serve hot over jasmine rice.

Inside

Appetizer (Quote) - Loving begins within ...
Main Dish (Book) - "The Feast of Love" by Charles Baxter
Spoonful Rating - 4 Spoons
Dessert (Featured Dish) - Molasses-Glazed Salmon Summer Salad
Drink (Desired Beverage) - Mango Smoothie

Love does not choose its partner, it just happens. No matter what we desire deep down inside of the person we want to love, the raw feelings that eruptwithin your heart has no boundaries --- love feels the space of being understood, seen beyond the veil for who we are, manifested to reach our destiny, mostly, transparent regardless of who is around. When love abounds, one cannot plan every move, nor select the ideal person and package the love of one's life; instead, the opposite normally appears, where the unexpected feeling of quesiness in your stomach and heart frequency rates skyrockets and lands at the least undesireable time and relatively foreign partner one didn't expect.

In the Feast of Love, the reader journeys in the lives of a young married couple, seasoned married couple, and two heart-strung out teenagers that all experience different angles of love. Speckled in each story is a thread of uncommon events, such as the wife of the traditional husband falls in love with an untraditional lover - a woman - and decides to follow her passion. In the case of the seasoned couple, love escapes them in the death of their only, privileged son to ills that they couldn't foresee or derail the wreck that blinded them for years. And, for the two heart-strung teenagers, love is pure where every minute is precious, and believe it or not, in the short but purposed life together, they witness the essence every person should live to experience.

In a lifetime, one should get a chance to laugh in the rain, hold hands with a stranger, whisper sweet nothings to the girl/boy next door, giggle and tickle in bed. If you are blessed to love, then you need to run your hands through the hair of the one you love. Go ahead..it's not complicated..just love!

Bon Appetit!

Molasses-Glazed Salmon Summer Salad

2-3 pieces of Salmon

1 Head of Iceberg Lettuce

Handful of strawberries, blueberries, and mixed berries

1 8 oz. can of Pineapples

2 vine tomatoes

1 seedless cucumber

Craisins

Prepare summer salad in order of ingredients. Marinate salmon with molasses and cook for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. Assemble salad by slicing lettuce, grabbing some strawberries, blueberries, and mixed berries. Add pineapples, tomatoes, cucumber, and craisins. Top with with your favorite vinegerette dressing. Serve chilled.

Deposit

Appetizer (Quote) - Deposit in others rather than oneself

Main Dish (Book) - "Consequences" by Penelope Lively

Spoonful Rating - 4 Spoons

Dessert (Featured Dish) - Strawberry Poppy-seed Salad & Chicken

Drink (Desired Beverage) - Green Tea w/ Lemon

Choices are made. In the course of life, we, as individuals, will make a number of choices, producing desires results and relinquishing desires at the expense of others. Regardless of who we are or where we stand, the choices we make define our destiny and decides what legacy will we leave behind.

In the book Consequences, the exploration of 4 generations of love, relationships, family, career, dreams, and dead-ends explode off the page as the backdrop of WWII erupts in Europe. Amid the ruins, the author weaves together a wonderful love story that uproots a family and tradition in the face of uncertainty and gives birth to a kaleidoscope of dreams, passion, and unfortunately, the terminal illness that promises to destroy any relationship that stands the test of time --- unforgiven choices and hopelessness.

Four dynamic but very different women seek to find their place in society, and amid their travel one finds her soul-mate only to lose him within moments of their desires; another struggles to find love and settles for routine life in the suburbs; yet another manages to share her life and bare children with a partner but underestimates the power of the heart; and, finally, one discovers that being transparent with one person she least expected to share the most with is the ideal person. Life is full of choices, and the plan is not to figure out all the answers before you get there. Robert Frost was right when he said, "On the road to life one will [choose] the less road traveled by." The choices one makes defines our lives, and the decisions we opt for refines who we are.

Bon Appetit!

Strawberry Poppy-Seed Salad & Chicken
1 bag of Arugula
A bunch of Strawberries
A handful of Blueberries
Chopped Walnuts, Almonds or Pecans
Feta Cheese
Ripe Cherry Tomatoes
Julienne Carrots
One bag of Craisins
4-6 oz Grilled Chicken (if desired)
1-8oz bottle of Poppy Seed Dressing

Prepare salad in order of ingredients as followed. Wash arugula. Take a handful of strawberries and blueberries and sprinkle on the salad. Chop walnuts, almonds, or pecans coarsely. Sprinkle feta cheese. Add cherry tomatoes, carrots, and Craisins. Top with grilled chicken. Serve chilled with your favorite french baguette.

Spicy

Appetizer - Stuffed Cheese Shitake Mushrooms

Main Dish - The Female Brain (featured novel)
Dirty Rice

Spoonful Rating - 4 spoons

Drink - Diet Lemonade

Dessert - Tiramisu

The Female Brain is a complex and delicate muscle. Unlike no other body part, the brain is the control center that navigates the high traffic pathways of millions and millions of neurons. This muscle decides what to eat, when to get up, how to dress, who and how long to speak to someone, where to go, and most often, what and how to feel about any given situation.
In the Female Brain, the neuroscientist explores the multi-facet muscle that is the center of gravity for women but with one angle --- disclosing the perception that the female brain is inferior to its male counterpart; and, on the contrary, the female brain is a dynamic, complex powerhouse during the 7 stages of the female brain growth development.
One theme that permeates consistently through the book is, the female brain is not smaller, inferior, nor dysfunctional in comparison to the male brain but it is multitasking ability to compartmentalize differentiates the power, strength, and longevity of one of the female's largest muscles.
Two (2) sides of the same coin interest me most, including 1) Hormones in the female brain regulate more than 75% of the emotions, feeling, thoughts, and perception for women, and this unique characteristic plays an important role in how women relate to others and understand their environment, especially when it comes to relationships (both good and bad); and, 2) Every stage of the female brain growth development has a distinct yet essential clue to understanding who and what makes a women different.
Each woman needs to examine herself and know what makes her unique, and no book can tell you this. Growing to know who we are as individuals can be a lifelong course with no syllabus, extra credit, or re-takes. The female brain is the most diverse muscle --- learn to appreciate the delicacies that lies within at the expense of developing oneself.

Bon Appetit !

Dirty Rice
1 box of Basmati Rice (yielding 6-8 people)
1 lb ground meat (preferences differ - turkey, beef, pork, etc.)
1 lge. onion
2-3 green onions
1 ripe tomato
1 12-oz. can of sweet corn
Dash of salt/pepper/basil/Italian seasonings

Prepare rice as directed on box (set aside upon completion). Mix ground meat, diced vegetables, can of corn, and spices. Stir vigorously for 6 minutes. Cook on medium fire for approx. 12-15 min. and serve hot over rice.