'Tis the Season

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

MATTHEW 6:19-21 

I can feel the anxiety of the season coming. I love the holiday, and yet every year, I let the consumerism and the fact that I stink at shopping steal my peace. I want to give everyone a very special, thoughtful, beautiful gift that is homemade or from the heart. I want to ship it to them on time to show them how much I love them. I want my godchildren to know I am thinking of them as well as my sisters and brothers and parents and friends. It quickly gets overwhelming to me. I feel evermore convicted that today more than ever, Christmas is to be holy. It must not be stolen and gutted like any other secular holiday. Am I guilty of handing it over to its ruin? Am I participating in their Christmas without Jesus? No, I must not forget our Savior. And so I am going to try to do two things this year: 

1. I am going to keep it small.

2. I am going to keep it sacred.

Ideas of things to keep it small:

1. A beautiful Christmas candle center piece made from garden leaves or buy a cheap poinsettia for the kitchen table.

2. Get the house smelling great with a Christmas scent jar with lights or simmering spices on the stove.

3. Make a pomander.

4. Listen to a good holiday music play list like this one or the classic Charlie Brown Christmas Album.

5. Watch your favorite Christmas movie. Mine is  Ziggy's Gift. Mr. Peasant's is Die Hard. The Happy Prince and The Selfish Giant are two amazingly heartfelt old animation movies (from Oscar Wilde Stories).

6. Drink hot things like mugs of apple cider, hot chocolate, pumpkin lattes or Chai tea.

7. Use your oven. Bake with people you love as much as possible. Share your recipes!

8. Make and send out Christmas cards. Let everyone know how much you love them.

Ideas to make it sacred:

1. Don't shop on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Let everyone spend time with their families and with God.

2. Call an old friend or a family member you haven't spoke to in a while.

3. Invite someone over to dinner or bring food to someone.

4. Make peace with someone you are fighting with. Pray for them and forgive.

5. Use the symbols of our faith in decorating. Candles, lights, evergreens, nativity scenes, angels, star, bells, wise men, advent wreaths, the color red (blood he shed) and the color green (life eternal he offers us). Find more symbols here.

6. Fill your house with the singing of religious Christmas Carols. This is the only time of year when we can sing poorly without feeling self conscious. Let's enjoy it!

7. Give gifts of prayer, offering up a lunch fast, saying a novena or a rosary for our loved ones.

8. Go to church. Let the activities of the church fill your calendar this month. From the children's play to the choir performances, spend time in God's house.

9. Dedicate time to reading God's word. Focus on Jesus' birth or on the Song of Mary- Magnificat.

Now no man lighting a candle covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it upon a candlestick, that they who come in may see the light.  --LUKE 8:16

Let's shine.  Let's light up this dark world. Let's fight for a holy, sacred, peaceful and simple season. Let's show the love of God to everyone we meet and lets spend more hours in prayer than in stores. The Christmas gift has already been picked out, paid for and delivered to us. What we need to do is rejoice! Our Savior has come!

Frugal Tactics: Ask Yourself, Can I Do Anything With This?

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

MATTHEW 25:20

Before you throw anything away, ask yourself a question. Can I do anything with this?

A food container, a jar, an overripe apple, a sliver of soap in the tub, a dish of leftovers in the fridge. A piece of fabric, a holey sock, a shampoo you hate, a stained shirt, half an onion from yesterday.

Ask yourself, can I do anything with this?

Can I eat it today?

Can I freeze it for later?

Can I give it to someone who can use it?

Can I mend it?

Can I rip it into rags?

Can I use it in a different way?

Can it be transformed into something else?

If you can't come up with anything on your own, do a quick google search. I can't count how many new ideas I've gotten and how much money I've saved just by searching for a new use for an item I was going to throw away..

I've made delicious quick breads with the 1/4 cup of cranberry sauce left over from Thanksgiving.

I've insulated our windows in the winter with the bubble wrap from our Amazon orders.

I made cloth napkins from old plaid shirts and rags from really worn t-shirts.

I've turned my old scrub pants from my hospital job into comfy Capri pants by cutting them.

I dried orange peels to simmer with cinnamon sticks and cloves on the stove this winter. I never knew of that idea until I googled "What to do with orange peels?".

I am not advocating saving everything or hoarding. But I do believe that being mindful of what you have and using it up if possible is wise. Lets be good stewards of the little things.

Thank you for reading!

The Best Vegan Thanksgiving Recipe Ever

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
COLOSSIANS 3:17

I have to confess that the first few vegan thanksgivings we celebrated were blah. We had the old stand-by boxed Tofurky Roast with potatoes, and it was nice. But Thanksgiving should be a feast-- labor intensive and decadent. It is a celebration of thankfulness. I love this recipe because it has all the holiday tastes in one dish.  I hope you try it. You and your non-vegan guests will love this.

THANKSGIVING VEGAN WELLINGTON

Serves 6 people

INGREDIENTS: 

1- package Prepperidge Farms Puff pastry (in the frozen pie section)
1- 8 oz package of white mushrooms sliced
1 1/2 cups dried Pepperidge Farms Herb Seasoned Stuffing (cubed or classic style)
1/2 cup diced yellow Onion
1 package of Tofurky Slices (oven roasted)
3  Leeks (use the white parts)
6 cups of kale chopped
1 medium sweet potato
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup Earth Balance original spread
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp vegetable oil to grease pan

INSTRUCTIONS: 

PREPARE EACH PART TO STUFF THE WELLINGTON:

1. Stuffing-  You will need about 2 1/2 cups of prepared stuffing for the Wellington.

Slice mushrooms and sauté in pan with a little olive oil. Season with salt.

Place diced onions in glass measuring cup with Earth Balance spread. Microwave 30 seconds or until butter melts.

In a large bowl, combine sauteed mushrooms with the mushroom juice and onions with butter and 1 1/2 cups dried stuffing mix. Stir well. The goal is to have the stuffing moist but not wet. You can add a little water or more butter if needed.

2. Leeks- Slice the white parts of the leeks and sauté in approximately 1 tbsp of olive oil until caramelized (about 20 minutes.)  Add sugar if you want more sweetness. Season with salt.

3. Kale- steam kale until it is bright green (about 5 minutes. ) Then drain it.  Pat dry with paper towels.

4. Sweet Potato- Peel and thinly slice (about 1/8 inch thick.)

TO ASSEMBLE THE WELLINGTON:

1. Place the frozen puff pastry onto parchment paper to thaw. This can take 20 mins.   When thawed, unfold both pieces. Place them side by side with one sheet overlapping the other and roll out into one large sheet.

IF YOU WANT TO EAT TODAY- Place the pastry onto a large greased cookie sheet.

IF YOU WANT TO MAKE AND FREEZE FOR LATER- Slide the parchment paper with the puff pastry onto a large cookie sheet.

2. Layering your Wellington: Place each layer onto the puff pastry. All the ingredients should be cooled to room temperature.

The first bottom layer is the Tofurky slices. ( I layered mine like a deck of cards fanned out.) Then press two cups of stuffing into a mound and sprinkle the caramelized leeks evenly in a layer. The next layer will be kale. Finally, add the raw sweet potato slices fanned.

3. Bring the ends of the puff pastry upward and then pull in the sides of dough so the veggies are completely covered. Score the top and poke a couple of holes in it so steam can escape.

4. Chill the wellington for at least an hour before baking. It can also be frozen at this point (no need to thaw before cooking.)

5. Place wellington on a large greased (canola oil) cookie sheet, Bake at 425 for 15 minutes then reduce the heat to 350 for 30 to 45 minutes or until puff pastry is nicely browned.

This recipe is labor intensive so you should go ahead and make two. They freeze great!  I make mine weeks before Thanksgiving and freeze them. We eat one wellington for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas. I also prepare and freeze the stock for the gravy. On Thanksgiving morning, I pop the frozen wellington into the oven. I serve my wellington with gravy (see below), green beans, the pan of stuffing and jellied Cranberry Sauce from the can. That's it. A simple delicious Thanksgiving meal.

TO FREEZE: Assemble your wellington on a parchment lined large cookie sheet. Then, you can just wrap the parchment around the wellington. Then, wrap it in tin foil. The wellington is odd shaped so it doesn't fit in a regular freezer bag. I place the wellington in a grocery bag and tie a knot. I place it in another grocery bag and tie a knot. I do this 5 times to make 5 layers of grocery bags. I have kept one in the freezer for two months without freezer burn.

VEGAN GRAVY:

I use this recipe for an awesome vegan gravy. I freeze the gravy stock in a plastic container until Thanksgiving morning. For the gravy, I make a rue (Earth Balance and flour) in a small sauce pan. Then, I dump the frozen brick of stock into the sauce pan and stir slowly as it melts.

I hope you try this recipe. It is an absolute game changer. You will never buy a Tofurky Roast Box again. Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for reading!

Vegan Gravy

This is a vegan gravy recipe I found online, and I modified it a bit. It is the perfect companion to the Vegan Wellington. I hope you enjoy it!

VEGAN GRAVY
Serves 6, Makes 1 1/2 cups of gravy

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
8 oz package of button mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped
2 Medium onions roughly chopped
2 Medium carrots thickly sliced
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp brown sugar
3 cups vegetable stock
2 celery sticks, thickly sliced
1 Tablespoons coffee (we use Cafe Bustelo)
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

3 Tablespoons of Earth Balance Original Spread
3 Tablespoon all purpose flour

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) In a large pot, heat the oil over a high heat. Add the mushrooms and fry until the mushrooms caramelize- about 6 minutes. Once they are brown, you can start to stir them. They will release some liquid. Continue cooking until all the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are thoroughly browned. Remove mushrooms from the pan and keep to the side for later. Do not clean pot, keep all the browned bit on the bottom of the pot.

2) Now add a Tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the chopped onion and cook until golden. Then add the carrots and herbs and cook till all the vegetables start to brown. Don’t worry if there’s browned bits in the pan. This add delicious flavor to the gravy.

3) Pour in the vegetable stock. Return the mushrooms back into the pot. Stir and scrape any bits from the pot bottom.

4) Add the celery. Bring up to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add the coffee, cider vinegar, brown sugar and soy sauce. Stir again. Now remove the pot from heat.

5) Taste the stock. Now add salt and pepper to your taste.  You can add a little more coffee, if you like, to give it extra depth or you can add more (another 1/2 tsp) of apple cider vinegar to sharpen the flavor.

6) Place a colander over a large bowl. Strain the liquid into the bowl. Take the strained vegetables, and place to the side for soup*

7) Heat a small sauce pan to med heat. To make the roux, place 3 Tablespoons of Earth Balance into the pan until melted. Now add 3 Tablespoons of Flour stirring constantly for 5 minutes or until the butter is absorbed in the flour and the mixture turns golden.

8) Now pour your broth into the sauce pan stirring until well mixed. (If your broth was frozen drop the broth brick into the pan and stir while it melts). Bring the gravy to a simmer. Stir and then remove for heat. The gravy will thicken as it cools.


IF YOU WANT TO USE THE STOCK LATER.  You can cool the stock and freeze the stock in a plastic container until you are ready to make the gravy. Then start on step 7.

**I take the strained gravy vegetables and make a delicious soup by adding a can of diced tomatoes, a cube of vegetable bullion and some water. Add some bread and you have an easy dinner.

I've Got Corporate Trust Issues

I found a piece of glass in my bowl of spaghetti dinner last night. Thank God I didn't eat it. Of course I have no clue whether we ate any smaller pieces. We ate it Sunday and then Monday night leftovers. First, I went into the trash to check the jar and the jar itself was not cracked or chipped. I went through all my drinking glasses- thinking maybe I broke a glass. I didn't find any chipped drinking glasses. The piece looks like the rim of a jar, about an inch long, with some threading and curved. Again, the sauce jar I opened and dumped into the pasta pot was not chipped or cracked. I am concerned. Our meal consisted of a box of noodles and then I dumped the sauce into the pot and stirred. I can't think of any other way the glass shard got into my dish.  I wanted to let you know. I would hate to find out anyone got harmed by swallowing glass and I didn't say anything. This has killed the possibility of ever buying your products again. I've never contacted a company before. I just want a clear conscience.

submitted to the Ragu complaint website 9/4/2018

I don't know the ramifications of swallowing a one inch piece of curved glass. I can't even google it. I would rather not know. I imagine the sound of biting down on glass and then I stop myself. I can't imagine its destruction would be minimal as it slides and slices through my soft digestion track. Or what if it tore my ass? We could've played detective at the ER with our 3500 dollar deductible PLUS picking up another 40% of the remaining tab of a glass shard bender. All of this over a $1.50 pasta sauce.  I'm shaken up. I never thought my spaghetti sauce could kill me. It opens up an entire new level of trust issues. Can there be trust between a huge corporation and consumers?

The self-driving car future. The robot factory future. The anti-well-paying-factory guy who took pride in his work and who retired after working there 25 years future.  Sounds like we'll be eating a lot of glass, folks.

P.S. Does anyone have a good marinara recipe?

UPDATE: I waited to publish this in order to see the process through. The company contacted me quickly and paid a courier service to pick up my jar and glass piece within three days. I was told by the Consumer Engagement Team that they would investigate. They apologized in a generic letter that was unsigned. They enclosed three coupons for free pasta sauce for my inconvenience. As of today, no recall as been declared. Perhaps my jar was the only one with glass? My experience with the company was very professional, but I still can't shake the thought of how easily and often this must happen.