Truth Be Told

I have been so busy with the start of school and honestly haven't had as much time to make masterpieces in the kitchen as I thought I would. I've also been dealing with a lot of personal issues, and health issues so I apologise at not posting in like a month...but thats why. Anywho it's good to be back in the blog world, and here's what I've been upto  in my absence.

1) Joined my schools fashion club as a designer...not sure if this is a mistake or no

2) Got involved in an intense community service program

3) Had a few nervous breakdowns

4) Started watching New Girl again...YAY!

5) Splurged on this beautiful Vegan Leather Jacket....beyond excited.

6) Learned not to make promises I can't keep :P

BUT WHAT I DID MAKE...

 ...and City LOVE

My First Kitchen

I am living off campus this year, and as such  have a kitchen all to myself (....and my 2 lovely roommates!) I am elated! I love food. Baking it. Frying it. Cooking it. Using rare and exotic ingredients to stretch my palate. Trying new recipes. Humbly crawling back to old faithful recipes for their comfort and reassurance after my escapades..

Food, for me, has always functioned as more than just a vehicle for nourishment and an appeaser for hunger, but as a therapist after a stressful day, a balm for a broken heart (chocolate anyone), a connection to a home and loved ones that are hundreds of miles away on days when I feel especially alone in spite of living in a crowded big city.... a friend. I LOVE FOOD and am beyond grateful for all it has and continues to offer me. And am sooooo excited to be off the college diet of love-less cafeteria food, and even less loving late night pizza.

I am committing to preparing all my meals each week, except one. That means No Starbucks, No Top Dog, No Fat Slice, and absolutely no Cafeteria food. I am excited, and nervous as to what to expect of myself. I am a fast food junkie and might be biting off more than I can chew. But i guess time will tell :)!

Here is my MENU for the week. Its based on 1) my college student budget and 2) the fact that its JUST ME these days and 3) my lack of "extra" time! So here's what's cooking this week:

....and here is Saturday night!!!

                                                                                                                .... yummy yummy in my stummy! The chicken was bought roasted and will be reincarnated in SEVERAL dishes this week, but the herb roasted potatoes and green beans were all me and sooo simple to make. And YES that is Ketchup! However on the green beens its A1 ^-^!

Herb Roasted Potatoes for One

1 Russet Potato

Seasonings to Taste (I used Lawry's Seasoned Salt, Garlic Salt, Pepper, and 21 Season Salute from Trader Joe's with a dash of Everyday Seasoning also Trader Joe's)

2 Green Onions

2 Tbs Olive oil

Preheat oven at 425 degrees

Scrub potato down vigorously (as you'll be leaving the skins on). Quarter length wise and then cube the quartered wedge (try saying that 5 times). Also chop green onions. Combine Seasonings and Olive oil in a mixing bowl and add potatoes and onions. Wash your hands and mix the cubes meticulously until all is thoroughly coated in seasoned goodness.

Place coated potatoes in foil wrapped baking tray, and back at 425 until golden brown, crispy and tender (20-35min) to poke of blunt wooden spoon. I DESPISE UNDERCOOKED POTATOES!

Bon Appetit!

Current Obsession: Clutches!!!

Absolutely adore them!

Now to find an occasion to go with them...or not. Maybe my next statement will be to wear a clutch with out an occasion attached. Wear the clutch simply because it's a Tuesday...I like it. ^_^. It's a testament to celebrating life for life's sake!

on that note...

One of my ultimate favorite bloggers, Rosetta Thurman of Happy Black Woman, created this idea of conducting a monthly review to check in with herself at the end of each month as way to track her progress and live more deliberately. The highest form of flattery is imitation and as such I hope she is flattered by MY attempt to mimic here wonderful personal development habits! So here it goes ^-^

Last month I...

Worked my tail off (literally :()

Saved more money than I thought possible for me!

Stayed within my budget for the first time EVER

Went to Church on a regular basis!

Rekindled old friendships

Fully understood the blessing of family

Slept on an air mattress for the majority

Went white water rafting on class 4 rapids...and lived

Saw amazing fireworks with amazing people

Watched the last piece of my FAVORITE trilogy (Dark Night all the way)

Gave up my diet :(

Got a New Job

Quit my old job (the one before the last one i quit lol)

Became more obsessed with Fashion (if that's even possible)

Interviewed for a position I REALLY WANT

Got a yoga mat :)

Cleared most of the post-move in clutter in my new apartment (will post before and after shots soon!!)

Biggest personal milestone: I can be financially responsible for myself (which if you know my history this is HUGE I've never been able to save before this month)!

Biggest professional milestone: I interviewed for this volunteer position I really NEED to get experience directly tied to my field of interest ALSO I changed career paths and am now working a grown up job!

Most valuable lesson learned last month: NO ONE is an island and everything is better when you treat your family like friends and your friends like family!

If I could describe July in one word it would be: Humility

My goals for AUGUST:

To be balanced:

Exercise regularly, pamper religiously, exercise my spirit and intellect, finish moving in, get ahead academically (START STRONG), read through my Nikon manual and take pictures everyday, maintain socially, and POST POST POST POST.

Also something I learned was the pure joy of not doing anything, not having any plans...there's really  nothing like it.



Surrounded

Today I read James 1:

v2"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opputunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing..."

 It's often that I stumble on verses that are totally irrelevant to my life. But last night I prayed that this morning I would read something I needed to read, and here it was waiting for me. I started off glancing over the heavily annotated text, and not really taking it in as I should have. I read it several times until I "understood" and then I decided to pray and meditate over it. I found, as I went over the text in my mind, that although I had read it several times I had already forgotten what it had said beacause I had not internalized it nor committed it to action, just like it said I would...

""For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glacing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free and if you DO what it says and dont FORGET what you heard , then God will belss you for doing it."

And so, sitting in meditatiation I neglected the urge to repick up my Bible and instead scratched the recesses of my memory to retrieve what I had read exactly and understand what it meant for me. I found that not only do I NEED to go through the struggles I am currently facing but that I should also be grateful for what they are doing for my faith.

 Changing from faithless to faith-full thinking means not being stingy. Stingy with "my" time, with  "my" money, with "my" kindness, with "my" patience, with "my" listening, but most of all with "my" love. I am the daughter of the creater. Which means everything I need and everything I have is his. I don't need to be rude to the landlord who refuses to fix my rusty bathtub BECAUSE I know that I am surrounded by the source of all love. And I can spare more than a little patience and kindness with her although she does not exactly deserve  it at the time, because my love comes from a bottomless wellspring.  I can afford to be patienct, and loving, and kind to all because I am surrounded by the original love.

And I now have the courage to let go of what I held onto so tightly: my bitterness, my greed, my rudeness, my impatience, my pride, my fear because this was behaviour of poverty and I am rich with love. I dont need to love like these things are in scarcity because I am SURROUNDED by them, my cup runneth over. I just need to have faith that if I share my love, my smile, etc God will be right there to pour it back into my cup overflowing.

I get it ...at least I get this...NOW TO LIVE IT ^-^!!!

Lessons from Eat Pray Love

Perhaps one of my favorite scenes, from one of my all time favorite movies: Eat Pray Love. Is the scene where Liz talks of the history of this building in Rome (built underground) that is called the Augusteum. This building has "endured" so much change: first being a monument to the greatness of Augustus,then destroyed, used as shelter, used as a storage container for fireworks, again used as monument for the greatness of Mussolini, rebuilt, then destroyed again, and now used as a place for homeless people to stay and use the bathroom.

Life happens to all of us. It happens- and has happened to me. I was not "cool" in middle school. Eventually I  changed schools enough times and was voted president of my high school and ended up dating this amazing "jock." I was respected (at least to my face) and held respectable jobs for my age. Then I graduated and life happened and everything changed. I was living back at home, friends "deserted me" and I had to start from scratch. Everyone counted me out. Then I got into a really great university on the fly, ended up recording a CD, and made some amazing life long friendship and then everyone came flocking back. Soon, even I forgot that who I was wasn't attached to approval or title. And now here I am at another "ebb" in this strange river of life with it's ebbs and flows- to be reminded and to learn a new lesson.

The lessons learned from monuments are innumerable; but I have two here for you. 1.) Never stick yourself in a box. A label. Life is like a river and you are like a rock in that river, today you might be large: a CEO, a president, attractive, a big fish in a small pond...whatever. But tomorrow...tomorrow, you might  hit a boulder and become a pebble: a janitor, a nanny, unattractive, big fish in an even bigger ocean. We are not stagnant beings. Our roles change but... (and this brings us to point number two)

You are still you at the end of the day. Maybe your life has been hectic like the Augusteum, or that rock. But you are still what God made on that first day when he thought of you. When he knew the plans he had for you. And don't you forget it! Sure you were once great in the eyes of the world and now the world views you as small. But who is the world ANYWAY in the grand scheme of things. Know thyself, you are and will always be a part of the larger. A child of the king- who does not see things as man sees them. An extension of the Universe. Titles like Prince and Pauper have no leeway in that realm, they're just silly names and labels the world uses to feel comfortable. You are still you. I am still me, and will continue to hold my head up high no matter the circumstance, or titles thrown at me. Because I know who and WHO's I am.

All things..

Is a euphemism for what I believe to be the reason why I have never been able to maintain a blog to date. My track record thus far has been 3 posts. I think my inconsistency with blogging is directly tied to my indecisive nature in general. Anyone who has ever blogged will tell you to pick a theme: something you're passionate about to write extensively on. I have had no such luck choosing a them for my blogs, or my life. I am passionate about soooo many things its ridiculous, and I don't understand when people tell me that I can only pick or do a few. I love to sing. I love to cook good food, almost as much as I love to eat good food. I love beauty. I love photography ( well I'm growing to love it). I love to feel healthy, and balanced. I love to thrift. I love fashion. I love poetry. I love yoga. I love psychology. I love travelling. I love being a great college student. YOU SEE! I'm a mess! So, in my effort to figure out WHAT to create a blog about. I will start with everything. All Things Daise!