Friday Feature: Staples in my ‘Raw Food Kitchen’

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Eating healthy can be a hassle if you don’t know where to shop, what to buy or what to make with what you buy. Beginning today and in the coming weeks I will share some of my raw food staples, meal plans and recipes that you might want to incorporate into you food plan. Today I simply share with you what you are likely to always find in my kitchen. If I have these, I can make a variety of meals for about two weeks. What’s also good about most of these foods is that my entire family eats them.

Fruits and Vegetables

1. Apples—For juices, smoothies, desserts and to be eaten alone
2. Oranges—For juices, smoothies and to be eaten alone
3. Bananas—For smoothies, desserts and to be eaten alone
4. Strawberries—For juices, smoothies, desserts and to be eaten alone
5. Lemon—For juices and ingredients in dressings and main dishes
6. Celery—For juices, smoothies and ingredient in main dishes
7. Kale—For juices, smoothies and ingredient in main dishes
8. Cucumbers—For juices, smoothies, toppings and ingredients in main dishes
9. Tomatoes—For juices, toppings and ingredients in main meals
10. Lettuce (usually Romaine)—For juices, smoothies, salads, wraps and ingredient in other main dishes
11. Carrots—For juices, smoothies and ingredients in main dishes
12. Red bell peppers—For ingredients in main dishes
13. Green bell peppers—For juices, smoothies and ingredients in main dishes
14. Onions—For toppings and ingredients in main dishes

Nuts, Seeds and Such

1. Dates—To sweeten protein drinks and desserts and for toppings
2. Brazil Nuts—For milk, protein drinks, dressings and toppings
3. Almonds—For milk, protein drinks and to be eaten alone
4. Cashews—For cheeses, main dishes and to be eaten alone
5. Hemp Seeds—For toppings and to be used in main dishes (I have yet to try in protein drinks, which I hear people do)
6. Sunflower Seeds—For toppings, main dishes and to be eaten alone
7. Garbanzo Beans (Chick Peas)—For toppings and to be used in main dishes
8. Olives—For toppings and to be eaten alone

Condiments and Seasonings

1. Honey—To sweeten drinks and desserts
2. Nutritional Yeast—To add to vegetables, salads and drinks
3. Sea Salt—An ingredient in main dishes
4. Pepper—An ingredient in main dishes
5. Oregano—An ingredient in main dishes
6. Paprika—An ingredient in main dishes
7. Cumin—An ingredient in main dishes
8. Coriander—An ingredient in main dishes
9. Garlic Powder— An ingredient in main dishes
10. Onion Powder— An ingredient in main dishes
11. Olive Oil— An ingredient in drinks, dressings and main dishes
12. Apple Cider Vinegar—An ingredient in drinks, dressings and main dishes
13. Tahini—An ingredient in dressings and main dishes

What are some healthy foods you would like to know more about? What are some healthy foods that you cannot do without?

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Defending Marriage as God’s Institution

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What Do You Think? Wednesday

As I stated on my Facebook page Monday, I have been ruminating on President Obama’s announcement of his personal opinion in favor of homosexuals being able to marry. I stated then that I don’t agree with his opinion but believed I needed to say more. As one who writes publicly I believe I need to say publicly more than I disagree. So this post gives some of my early thoughts that I’m sure will develop as I come to conclusions I have not yet reached.

First, this post is first and foremost a Christian’s response (mine) to a fellow Christian (President Obama) with whom I disagree. Second, I want to explore how a personal opinion impacts political decisions. And finally, as I always do, particularly on a What Do You Think? Wednesday, I want to invite you to give me your opinion that may add to the debate (not tear down anyone for their opinions).

“In the beginning God…” (Genesis 1:1). This begins the Christian narrative of creation. God existed before He created anything. When He did, He decided to create the heavens and earth and what would dwell in each and how each would operate. He created land animals, sea animals, plants, trees, insects and other species that fit into some sort of system. He decided how the ecosystem would work. He decided how the family system would work. “And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, ‘This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh’” (Genesis 2:22-24). And Jesus repeats this standard in Matthew 19:4-6: “He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Genesis gives us God’s design for marital relationships—between a man and a woman—and Jesus expounds upon this, first repeating the original design and stating that divorce breaks apart God’s intent for men and women coming together in marriage. We know that divorce happens but that doesn’t change what God’s intent is for marriage. As some might believe, God is not speaking in isolated terms in Genesis when he specifies a man and a woman. This mention goes beyond Adam and Eve, as Jesus uses Genesis to make a proclamation of God’s doing, His putting a man and woman together. So, by application, divorce is not just individuals separating from one another but individuals separating—tearing apart—the original meaning of marriage to make it something new. “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matthew 19:6b). I believe redefining marriage is a tearing apart of God’s original intent for His institution therefore I do not and cannot support homosexual marriage.

And though I have used the narrative of the creator defining how His creation is to be from the Bible, the Christian’s guidebook, this is not a narrative limited to Christianity. As a Christian who believes all Scripture was given by inspiration of God and is beneficial for instruction in righteousness and that God desires that no man should perish, I believe His word and the intent of His word is applicable to all mankind (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 3:9). As a Christian who recognizes the authority of my creator over my life and the life of all mankind that He created, I believe I must follow His intentions and not my opinions, whatever they may be. Sure, God created us with free will, but He wants us to freely choose the best that He has for us. There are deadly consequences when we don’t choose what He wants for us (Deuteronomy 30). These consequences are not just for individual participants, but God doesn’t approve of people approving others who choose opposite of what He would want (Romans 1:32).

Though I don’t agree with President Obama’s support for gay marriage, I am not yet clear how my disagreement affects my support of him or any candidate who supports gay marriage or any other issue with which I disagree. I am well aware of the latest cliché “Obama is the president not the pastor of the United States.” Actually, this statement is not entirely true. Any individual put in charge of anything has been given the job of shepherding (pastoring) their responsibility. President Obama has been given the responsibility of shepherding the nation and thus the people that comprise the nation. He is to defend the constitution,which still has the Defense of Marriage Act and uphold the laws of the land, including the Defense of Marriage Act that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

With that in mind, how much of an impact do personal opinions impact the job of shepherding and, therefore, affect the sheep? I know my personal opinions impact how I shepherd those under my leadership. I also know that my opinions impact how I support someone, including casting a vote in favor of political candidates. I know that it’s unlikely that I will agree with every decision a candidate makes. This is true in marriage or any relationship any of us has. We—I—just have to decide what issues are deal breakers. Can a candidate’s personal opinion translate into political policy? It could. With Mitt Romney as a Mormon, a member of a cult, and one whose business practices clearly seem to economically and otherwise disenfranchise those less fortunate than he, and President Obama who seems to have opinions and actions based mostly on political expediency, I am in a quandary. I have prayed and am committed to praying as to who will have my vote. I want to be in God’s will not my own. And only God can guide me in that way.

What do you think about President Obama’s support of gay marriage? Does his opinion affect your opinion of him? If so, how? Should a candidate’s support of gay marriage cause you not to support that person? Please, tell me what you think.

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Holding On in Your Holding Pattern

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Saturday a dear sister in Christ told me she felt like she was in a holding pattern. She has been waiting for this promise the Lord gave her but it has yet to come to pass. She has begun to wonder if what was promised is really for her, if she heard right and if she needs to look somewhere else. I know this feeling. For one promise in particular, I have been in a holding pattern for 10 years. Over these 10 years God has shown me the depth of my pride, that deep-seeded section of my heart that masked itself as a subtle part of my personality. Others could see my actions or hear my words and not immediately see it was pride. But man sees the outward appearance; God sees the heart and knows so well how wicked it can be (1 Samuel 16:7; Jeremiah 17:9). While in my holding pattern, I have had an eagle’s eye view of my sin and the wreckage it would cause if I had landed in my new season prematurely. Over these 10 years God has given me several words to help me succeed in my coming season. As my season is coming to an end, I recognize these words as the foundation on which I will land and continue to stand firm on when I get to my next level. Holding patterns can be frustrating: They make you antsy; they make you doubt; they may make you fear, but they are good.

When pilots keep the plane mid-air they announce that they must remain in the air until they are cleared for landing. The weather may be bad, there might be too many planes on the tarmac or the air traffic controllers may be busy guiding other planes. Whatever the issue, pilots keep planes in a holding pattern because it’s not safe to land. When you are in a holding pattern, it’s not safe for you to land in your new season. And God, the pilot of our lives, will tell us why it’s not safe for us to land. We may have pride issues, procrastination problems, fear of man issues, integrity problems, unhealthy competition in our character, or a lack of love. But God is saying “I am the author and finisher of your faith. I will complete the perfect work I began in you and put in you before the foundation of the earth. You will succeed if you just trust and believe in me. So take heed.”

So while you are in your holding pattern I want you to hold on by serving the Lord with gladness (Psalm 100:2). Whatever work God has you doing while waiting, you can complete the work with a joyful heart. While in your holding pattern don’t complain about being in a holding pattern, examine your heart for sin issues that will directly affect your new season and work on changing, serve others as you would have them to serve you and speak well of your present season. The season is ordained and, as such, is reason to be glad.

God wants us to be safe. Let’s praise and thank God that He knows His business and a part of His business is guiding us to safely land where He created us to be. And sometimes His guiding includes holding patterns.

My One Thousand Gifts List

#571-580
Flynn buying dinner so I wouldn’t have to cook
Nate’s concern about Josh’s hurting toe
Getting showered and dressed before taking Joshua to school
Nate and Joshua hugging
Getting Joshua to school by 7:30 a.m.
Justus hiding Joshua’s deodorant and laughing about it when Justus tried to take it from under his body (the hiding place)
God helping me to see His good prominently in three ways over the last two days: 1) Reading about and hearing Psalm 18 within one hour of each other; 2) Receiving flowers in the midst of chaos; 3) God’s reminding me that the consequence of one of my sins could be worse
A two and a half hour nap
Productive social media activity
A quick, easy and tasty dinner

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Friday Feature: The Wonders of Celery

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My Grandma Thomas could make the best baked chicken with just salt and pepper, but her secret was adding the right amount of vegetable oil, onions and celery. When I first tried to duplicate her taste, I didn’t have celery. The chicken was good but wasn’t Grandma Thomas great. Next time I made sure to have celery. It gave the chicken that flavor boost it needed where I can now say my chicken tastes like my grandma’s. Even though celery gives my baked chicken that extra flavor I wouldn’t use celery for anything else. It would rot in my refrigerator, not knowing what else to do with it besides cutting the stalks into sticks to eat with blue cheese dressing. And that’s what you do at dinner parties or anywhere else where they serve a vegetable tray; I had no interest in buying molded cheese just to make my celery palatable so I could consume it before it went bad. But since being on a mostly raw plant-based food plan, celery has become a staple in my fridge.

Celery goes in all my green juices and smoothies (one of which I try to consume daily) and my raw burgers. In my opinion, celery tastes awful by itself but teamed with other foods, celery is a great enhancer. Who knows, but maybe because celery is so greatly enhanced with vital nutrient that it can greatly enhance other foods? Celery

Is high in:
Potassium
Magnesium
Manganese
Sodium (natural sodium that’s essential for our bodies)
Phosphorus
Iron
Calcium
Vitamins A, B-complex and C
Amino acids

Is a:
Diuretic
Laxative
Natural diet aid (curbs appetite)

Reduces:
Blood pressure

Helps:
Restore normal blood sugar levels
Prevent stomach and colon cancers
Treat respiratory issues, like asthma and bronchitis
Ease the pain from gout, rheumatoid arthritis and rheumatism
Stimulates sexual drive
Calm the nervous system

I hope you will try celery beyond the tiny pieces you put in soups and other food mixtures. Let it not only enhance the taste of your food but the level of your health and, thus, the level of your life.

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Not My Own

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What Do You Think? Wednesday

In the midst of fruit snacks, brother spats, show and tell and tattle tells, I wrote the sermon, at least most of it, for a message at Kingdom Builders Christian Church in Redford, Michigan last Saturday. God had been speaking to my spirit for two weeks “speak life.” This is what He wanted me to tell the women. This is what He wanted them to do. This is what He wanted me to get. He wanted me to speak life, the one He has for me that is wrapped up in Him: Continue reading →

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