Thursday, February 19, 2015

#1000Speak: Compassion Takes Practice

As you may know, sometimes I practice yoga. When I do, it is in a heated room with a mirrored walls. You know what that means? Half-naked, we face the mirrors. We face ourselves, and all of our glorious imperfections.

Bend your body? Yes. Then bend your mind to imagine you can reach further.
Stretch your limbs? Yes. Then stretch your mind so far you can embrace your entire self

Always focus on the beauty & strength you bring to each time you show up. Face yourself. Love what you see.
Ok, that's probably too absolute.
If you don't love it, embrace it & work to change it.

Yoga didn't teach me this lesson, however. I've long had an understanding that no one is perfect.

When I was a Girl Scout I was asked to read John 8:1-11 in church one Sunday. For those who aren't familiar, that's the story of Jesus and the Adulterous Woman.

While it now seems a strange choice for a child to read, I honestly cannot say how it happened. Was it suggested by the minister? By my troop leader? Did I pick the verse? No clue.

What I can tell you is I was terrified to stand in front of that congregation and raise my voice. So I practiced, and practiced, reading the passage over and over until I could recite it with hardly a glance.

I practiced until I could picture the scene in my mind.
I could see the accused woman, shamed.
All the people gathered around, waiting to see someone get beaten down in public.
Then after all the accusers and onlookers have recognized their own imperfections and left, the Rabbi Jesus telling the Woman to also go.
Go and change her ways.

I read and re-read it so many times this allegory became a part of me.

None of us is perfect, and therefore, everyone deserves our compassion. But more, it was a lesson that the compassionate do not stand in judgement.

That's what I internalized. I cannot judge.
I will not judge.

I have worked hard to grow my compassion. I've had to, because.. well,  because it is difficult.

If it is hard not judge ourselves and our own decisions, it's a thousand times harder not to make judgements about someone who's motivations we can never fully understand.

It's hard to see someone in our lives, or on a television show, making poor choices and not snap on that. Seriously? What was she thinking???!! 
It is hard to see someone wearing fashion we find questionable and not make fun of their outfit or call them ugly. Seriously? What was he thinking???!! 
It is difficult to see someone expressing an opinion that is different than your own & not call them an idiot. Seriously?? Are you a total fecking moron??!! 

Hey, I'm not judging. I am certainly not without sin. Who among us hasn't thought these things?

I mean, right?!! That's what the internet is for, isn't it? All of us snarking & standing in judgement of one another. 

No. A thousand times NO. That is absolutely not why I'm here, at least. I'm here to deepen my own understanding of the vast world I am raising my children in. I am here to learn how to be more tolerant. More compassionate.

I am here to speak my mind, yes, but also to listen to the voices of others. Even if I don't agree.

I am here to practice, practice, and continue to internalize my mantra I will not judge. 

As I am writing this, my son is listening to a story about The Golden Rule. You remember that, right?
Do unto Others as You would have Done unto You.

Well, that's pretty much the crux of compassion, isn't it?

So, with that in mind I'll ask You: Would you be the one to throw the first stone? 
How about the snide comment? 


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Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Sexy Lorraine: Serendipity's Lazy Quiche

What makes my Lorraine such a sexy dish? Well, let's just say she's down for a little experimentation. 


So, I have a confession to make. I'm not great at following a recipe. Damn near every time I make something it will be a bit different, as I make adjustments based on what I have on hand.

Over the years, my "tried & true" dishes are the ones that allow for a good degree of variance & still please the masses. This Quiche Lorraine is a perfect example.

For one thing, onions or shallots can be used in place of the chives. Use about 1/2 cup, finely chopped, and sauté in either the rendered bacon fat or butter. Then spread them over the bottom of the quiche crust just before you layer on the bacon & cheese.

I have adjusted the amount of liquid (milk/cream what-have-you) from my mother's recipe in order to reduce the cooking time. Honestly, it's also because I have also been known to use a little extra cheese if I have plenty of milk but don't have enough half & half on hand for both quiche today and coffee tomorrow! (Priorities, ya know?) By the same token, substituting either light or heavy cream for the half & half will only make this quiche more yummy.

I imagine if you were a vegetarian, you could skip the bacon all together and possibly even add mushrooms or broccoli instead. If you go the veggie route, make sure you remove as much moisture from them as possible, so they don't make the egg mix too watery.

See what I mean? Lots of ways to tweak this! OK - Here's my basic recipe:


INGREDIENTS

  • 1 Pilsbury pie crust. 
  • 1/2 pound of bacon (you can use more or less to your taste)
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup half & half
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Black pepper to taste (maybe 1/2 teaspoon?)
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup grated cheese (I usually have reduced fat mexican blend on hand, so that's what goes in)
  • 1 heaping tablespoon chopped chives (I usually use dried so I don't have to chop them)

METHOD

Preheat oven to 375°F. 

1. Roll the pie crust over your pie plate. Use your knuckles to gently press the crust into the sides and crease of the pie plate and press gently into the bottom. (Do NOT Pierce with fork!) There is no need to try and flute the sides, just turn them and twist so they don't curl under the lip of the plate. It will make it easier to serve.
Bake the empty crust for about 5 minutes - just enough to set it up a bit.
Remove from oven and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, start cooking the bacon in a large frying pan on medium heat.
My lazy tip? I usually buy bacon in bulk packages or when it's on sale, so I always have it on hand in the freezer. I find if I cut it down to 1 1/2" strips when frozen, I can fit all the bacon in the pan for one batch. I use a fork or tongs to break it up and cook until nicely brown (most of the fat is rendered out).
Drain the bacon on a paper towel to absorb the excess fat.
If you aren't going to cook any onions or shallots in the rendered fat, pour it out of the pan into a jar for future use, or wait until it solidifies and discard in the trash.
If you didn't cut it up before, chop the bacon into 1/2-inch pieces.

3. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the nutmeg, salt, black pepper and chives and whisk a little more. Add the milk and half & half (or cream) and whisk together vigorously.  This is great for getting out some frustrations, and it also introduces a little air into the mix which helps make the quiche light and fluffy.

4. If you went with onion or shallots, spread them on your crust now.

5. Arrange first the bacon, then the cheese in the bottom of the pie crust.

6. Whisk the egg mixture again for a few seconds, then pour it gently into the pie crust.
Use a fork or spoon to gently still the bacon and cheese around a bit, so they are floating suspended in the egg mix. If you use chives they will float, so move them around with a spoon until you like where they are - Or don't. All depends on your control-freak level, really.

7.  Carefully put the quiche into the preheated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes.
You  can check for doneness after 30 minutes by inserting a knife all the way down into the center of the pie. If the knife comes out clean, the quiche is done. Alternately, you can gently jiggle the quiche - it should still have just a little wiggle.
Either way, it will finish setting while it cools on a wire rack.

Eat warm, at room temperature, or cold - Your call!!
Note: a quiche will keep for several days in the fridge & can be reheated gently in a 200-degree oven.
Serves 6.

Any questions? Leave them below and I'll get back to you ASAP. 
Let me know how it turns out!


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