My first AMAZING experience with BEETS.

Everyone thinks I must love beets because of the name of my blog. The truth is that I really like beets, but I really like A LOT of vegetables. Actually, I didn’t realize how much I liked them until about  5 years ago when I tasted one of the most delicious salads of my life.

I remember it vividly, but I had no real “recipe” per say. I had to try to recreate it.

Here are some tips on how to guess a recipe. I’m good at this… It’s like I told my boyfriend on our first date, I’m a detective.

STEP ONE: Collecting Clues..

1. What ingredients?
2. How are ingredients prepared?
3. In what ratio?
4. Is there a sauce/dressing?
5. Does it taste tangy? Sweet? Salty?
6. What goes on top? What goes on bottom?
7. What does it look like when it’s finished?

I’ve always been a visual learner – so maybe that’s why these clues just seem natural for me. I know the difference between the way a roasted potato looks compared to a boiled potato. I wouldn’t confuse those two things. As you begin to cook more, you’ll be able to pick up on these differences, too.

STEP TWO: Be Bold with Confidence…

What if the recipe calls for something you’ve never done before? Well, why don’t you come up with some basic guidelines and wing it?

This particular recipe called for grilled steak. My cooking companion and I had no experience grilling. I told her a couple of tricks someone told me a long time ago and then I told her to “Do her best.” You know what happened? She did great. You never know what you’re capable of until you try it.

Recipe: Steak and Root Vegetable Spring Salad

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb sirloin steak or flank steak
• 1 large sweet potato, cubed with skin
• 2 large beets, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 Large onion, cut into half slices.
• 1/2 C water
• 2 T Cumin
• 1 T Pepper
• 1 T Salt
• Olive Oil
• Spring Mix Salad Greens
• 1/4 C Almonds, toasted
• Salad Dressing: 1/2 C Sherry Vinegar, 1/4 C Beet Juice (from roasting pan), 3 Tbsp Olive Oil.

Directions:

1. Combine cumin, pepper, and salt in a small bowl. Rub steak with spice mixture. Grill over high heat (approximately 5 minutes on each side). Remove from heat and let rest before cutting.
2. Cut tops of beets off, wash, and cube. Place beet cubes in small glass baking dish with 1/2 C water. Roast for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F.
3. Cube sweet potato. Place on lined baking sheet with onion slices.  Rub with olive oil and sprinkle salt. Place in oven, alongside beets, and bake for 15-20 minutes.
4. Toast Almonds for last 5 minutes of roasting time.
5. Toss greens with prepared salad dressing.
6. Lay salad greens down in plate and top with roasted vegetables, slices of steak and almonds.

A Note to the Diabetics:  Each serving of salad is approximately 15 grams of carbohydrate (mostly coming from the roasted vegetables). In order to get the rest of my carbohydrates, I served this with grilled asparagus (free) and 3 pieces of grilled pineapple (10g per large chunk or per ring). It was plenty of food and very low in calories!

Big thank you to my brave steak grill master and assistant chef. :)

The Progression of an Athlete

Some of you know that I used to be a hammer thrower in college. Surprisingly, hammer throwing is not very widely known. So, you’ll have to take my word on the fact that I was good at it. As a division one athlete, I was a bit of a prisoner to the athletic department. While other students were free to sign up for intramural sports, I was required to sit out. I had to ask permission to go on long bike rides over the weekend. I was not allowed to untrain or cross train my body. And I certainly wasn’t allowed to put it at risk for injury in any way.

My body belonged to the team. It did not belong to me.

Aerobic, Anaerobic, and Mixed Fiber Athletes

Depending on your sport and the actions required, most athletes fit into one of these three categories.

• Aerobic – endurance athletes, using oxygen well for long periods of time. They might pick a fight and then run away because they know they can go longer and stronger than the next athlete. To train, these athletes run for miles and miles at a time. They do not train as hard in the weight room and they are not allowed to gain weight.
• Anaerobic – sprint or bursts of energy type athletes. These athletes are powerful, but not likely to win in a mile long race. When training, these athletes are not allowed to run over 400 meters at one time. They ARE allowed to run 100 meters ten times. They are encouraged to put on muscle in the weight room and weight is less of an issue, depending on the sport.
• Mixed – athletes like basketball players and certain football players need to have a mixture. Some endurance for running and some power for playing and quick bursts of energy.

As an anaerobic athlete…

• I was barely allowed to ride my bike to and from school.
• I was not allowed to run over 400 meters at one time.
• I threw hammer and drilled for 2-3 hours every day.
• I was required to lift 5x per week for 60-90 minutes.
• On endurance training days, we did not jog, we sprinted.

When I retired after my senior year of college, I wanted to be free of rules when it came to exercise and my body. Since that time…

I stopped lifting to become more girly, and I tried dancing.

I went rock climbing in Colorado…

I tried running half marathons…

I surfed in Hawaii…

I competed and trained for a strong man competition…

Competing in Florida for my first Triathlon…

See, I’ve been doing everything since I finished as a thrower. You know why? BECAUSE I CAN.

The human body is highly adaptable. Most things we want it to endure, we can train it to get there. If exercise seems like something you’re doing as part of your daily torture routine, switch it up! Make it fun again.

Eventually, I know I’ll run out of things to try, but that’s okay. I had fun at each one of these different events. And, it wouldn’t be bad at all to go back and repeat any of them.

If you are a competitive spirit, I warn you of this…

Anytime you can “specialize,” you allow yourself to be more competitive. By switching around from one sport to the next, I am not allowing myself to be very competitive. But, I am past the point of wanting to “win” all the time. I am finally allowed to just have fun.

That’s what I intend to do.

Having fun in Missouri.

The (Extended) Milk Stage.

We Americans really like to pretend like we’re baby cows. Usually the milk drinking infant/child stage passes, but not for us. We love milk.

As a kid, I would critique the taste of each new gallon of milk. I would inform my mom whether it was a good cow or a bad cow that made our milk that day. I think she probably thought I was a little bit crazy, but she went along with it.

Some people just pick up on those subtle taste differences.

European Milk Experience

The first time I tasted milk in Europe, I realized I had been cheated in life. All this time I thought I was drinking really good milk – I had no idea it could get even better. I couldn’t get enough of it. I started asking for milk everywhere. I didn’t realize that this was going to set me up for a variety of different comments from the staff serving me.

“Oh! Are you a little baby? You need to drink the BABY milk?”

“Look at the American! She orders milk like a BABY!”

“I think she’s just going to drink it straight – like a BABY.”

I looked at them in return like they were crazy. I loved the stuff. I wasn’t going to quit just because they thought I was a baby. I did learn something though – they don’t drink milk as adults in Europe. They might use it in cooking, but the majority reserves the drink for infants and young children.

What an idea.

All of this to say that milk doesn’t need to be quite the staple that it has become. I think in America we tout the benefits of calcium in milk a little too much. We encourage people to drink it all the time. But, in truth, there are plenty of other things that you can eat/do to lead to strong bones. Not to mention, as you age – it gets less and less likely that you’ll be able to break down the lactose found in milk. Unfortunately, lactose-intolerance can lead to diarrhea post-milk-consumption… a benefit, only if you’re constipated.

Drinking Less Milk

Since I drink milk less now, I have started only buying half gallons and sometimes it will actually go bad in my fridge.

Luckily, I have found a solution: ORGANIC MILK.

• Stays better longer (Sometimes the expiration is WEEKS past the other milks)
• It tastes better (approaching the quality of European milk)
• The skim milk version tastes like real milk instead of tasting like “milk water.”
• Less antibiotics and growth hormones – healthier cows, healthier humans.

It costs more than the regular milk – but, I think it’s worth it.

A Note to the Diabetics: Milk is a source of carbohydrate. Every cup of milk is about 12 grams of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates do not change from milk to milk – in whole milk, 2%, 1%, and skim the carbohydrates are the same. Excessive milk consumption can raise your blood sugar too high. I would encourage you to drink it as a treat, instead of drinking it as if it were water.

Would I lie to you about peanut butter cookies?

I think not. I’ve been around the block. I’ve had my fair share of different peanut butter cookies. I’m here to tell you, it doesn’t get much better than this…

After all, if you’re going to eat an empty carbohydrate – it might as well be a DELICIOUS, AMAZING, PERFECTLY COOKED empty carbohydrate.

Recipe: The Best Peanut Butter Cookies Ever.

Makes 18 Medium/Large Cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 C Butter, softened
• 1/2 C Crunchy Peanut Butter
• 1/2 C Brown Sugar
• 1/3 C Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 3/4 C Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 C Oats
• 2/3 C Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips

Directions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine butters, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and oats.
3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well.
4. Add peanut butter chips.
5. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes.

A Note to the Diabetics: Each cookie is 17g carbohydrates and 160 calories. If you are interested in learning how to find carbohydrate information for your own cookie recipes… you can do it easily online with a “recipe analyzer tool.” I use http://www.caloriecounter.com. Remember to enter your ingredients in their simplest form so the tool can find them easily.

The Menu for My Grown Up Lunch 4/18/13:

• Grilled Chicken + Beer Can Chicken Seasoning
• Small Baked Potato (30g)
• Broccoli, Cherry Tomatoes, Mini Peppers
• 2 slices Colby Cheese
• Orange, small (15g)
  

Before I get into the business of how to make this meal (very easy), I want to cover the fact that you should have a microwave before attempting this. It’s pretty easy to assemble there, and all the ingredients are very inexpensive to bring.

It’s amazing what you can make work when you have limited groceries in your house for lunch.

Side Note: Know Yourself

One thing I know about myself is that I’m an “eater.” Some people can sit down to a meal and have very little on their plate and still feel satisfied. Not me. When I sit down to eat, I want to eat a lot.

I’ve been able to work with this by incorporating lots of “healthy eating” into my lifestyle. I want to maintain my current weight instead of gain weight and I want to lead a healthy lifestyle. To do these things I have to keep my calories down and make smart choices. These smart choices that are low in calories and high in nutrients help me to be able to eat bigger portions. Bigger portions make me happy.

Now that we’re all happy, let’s get started…

How to Make Your Grown Up Lunch:

Grown Up Lunch Instructions:

1. AT HOME: Dice up one chicken breast, coat in “beer can chicken” seasoning mix from McCormick (or whatever you like best) and cook over high heat in a skillet with 1 Tbsp oil. When chicken is done, remove from heat.
2. Dice up 3-4 mini sweet peppers and add to chicken. Grab one small potato, a crown of broccoli, two slices of cheese, and a handful of cherry tomatoes and head out the door.
3. AT WORK: Poke holes in potato and microwave on high for ~4 minutes.
4. Once this is done, add cheese to potato and assemble broccoli in a microwavable bowl with 1/2 inch of water. Cover with a plate and heat on high for 2 minutes. This will steam the broccoli.
5. Add broccoli to top of potato. Reheat chicken, or add cold to potato mixture. Add tomatoes to potato.
6. Enjoy!

Calorie Breakdown

• 1 small potato = 120 calories, 30g carb
• 2 slices of colby cheese (1 oz) = 110 calories, 0 carb
• 3 mini sweet peppers = 15 calories, 0 carb
• 1 crown of broccoli = 15 calories, 0 carb
• 1/2 chicken breast = 60 calories, 0 carb
• 1 tsp oil = 50 calories, 0 carb
• 1 orange = 60 calories, 15g carb

The whole meal: 430 calories, 45g carb 

Appropriate…and filling. I’m a happy person.

Happy Eating!

Yesterday, I asked my boyfriend if he thought I looked fat.

He said no. He said that I’m beautiful.

Really, I knew that I wasn’t “fat.” I’ve been the same weight +/- 10 pounds since I was 15 years old. Why would I pick yesterday to call myself “fat?”

I think we all do this. I can sit and nit pick all day long on myself – but when you ask me to give a report on someone else, I think they are beautiful. Why can’t I remember that I am beautiful, too?

Fortunately, I was set straight by a great marketing campaign for Dove Beauty Products.

We are more beautiful than we think.

Watch this… it’s real crazy… http://realbeautysketches.dove.us/

There is a disconnect in what we perceive in ourselves and in what others perceive of us. I think this is due to the comparison game. When I see someone with a beautiful nose, I look at my own nose and wonder – why can’t my nose be like HER nose? Her nose is beautiful. It can be disheartening when we look in the mirror and see something different.

But here’s the BEAUTIFUL truth: We ARE different.

We’re different, but the differences are beautiful. Do something for me… try to embrace the way that you look. For too many years, poor self esteem has been used to “motivate” people to eat better or exercise more.

You are beautiful already.

If you’re not currently eating right and exercising, don’t do it on account of the fact that you think the world doesn’t find you beautiful.

You ARE beautiful already.

Instead of starting healthy behaviors because you feel unattractive, change your mindset. Act differently because you care about the person staring back in the mirror. That person matters today and tomorrow. If you don’t take care of him/her today, you could lose out on him/her being there for you tomorrow. We take care of the things that are valuable.

You are valuable.

Take care of yourself, beautiful reader.

In Diabetes Education class, I like to give an example relating to alligators.

I ask them to envision a world where 70% of of females are dying of alligator bites. If this were true…

• Would it make sense that I show women pictures of alligators?
• Would it make sense that I show them a map of the USA and highlight the areas where alligators are likely to live?
• Would it make sense that I ask them not to take vacation there, even though their friends might be asking them to go?

I think that’s very easy for people to understand. Almost all my patients agree with me that these things make sense.

But, I like to do something called the switcheroo.

I tell the class, “That’s good that you agree because 70% of diabetics are dying of heart disease and stroke. So, I’m going to show you what that ‘alligator’ looks like and where the ‘swamps’ are located. Ready to get started?”

Well, they can’t disagree with themselves. I trapped them. Now, they’re ready to learn.

Let’s talk about something I like to call the ‘swamp.’

Eating Out

In today’s world, where nutrition is less and less important in the attempt to make a profit, it’s hard to find a restaurant to support your healthy eating habits. You can do it, but it’s significantly harder. And, it might be more expensive. Tough cookies. I think it’s the price you pay for choosing to eat away from home.

One classic mistake is going to a buffet. Whether it’s a Chinese buffet, KFC buffet, Pizza buffet, or Homestyle Buffet – I would have to say this is a “never appropriate” type of thing. But, then I got to thinking about it …and I think I was wrong. All-you-can-eat buffets are appropriate for some people.

6 Types of people that SHOULD visit an all-you-can-eat buffet

1. Packs of Teenage Boys – These types of predators like to travel together. Be warned! Their appetite can be voracious. Due to their growth season, these creatures might need up to 3000-5000 calories per day. This can be very expensive to provide for, so it might be okay if they visit a buffet together.
2. Underweight Individuals – Some people have really had a hard time in life; and no matter what they do, they just can’t seem to put on the weight. They might have issues with their health that prevent them from storing energy and high fat foods in plentious amounts are just what the doctor ordered. These people belong at a buffet.
3. Homeless Eaters – While some of the humans on the streets like to consume their calories in alcohol, others may fall into the category of “eaters.” If it’s been a long time between meals, a buffet is the best buy for your money.
4. Sumo-Wrestlers – Watch your step around these creatures. If they decide to sit down, they might not see you in time! Excess weight and mass is a MUST for these animals. It’s not easy to keep up a big heavy body like that; but fortunately, they can put in some hard work for less money at an all you can eat buffet.
5. Eating Competitors – Any one making a living out of eating competitions might call the buffet their “home away from home.” Where else can you get 50 servings of one type of food? If you’re trying to train for an eating competition – this is a really good spot to practice.
6. The Extreme Runner - I will include those animals that love to run miles upon miles… just to come back to the place that they started. These extreme runners burn up to 2000-4000 calories in one marathon race. While they may be engaging in questionable behavior (running in circles), they are a loveable bunch of eaters that MAY consume food at a buffet as well.

Well, there you go. It’s a strange group, but this is what I want to see when I walk into an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Now, for the rest of yous…

If you’re not trying to gain weight for less money, do not attend an ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT BUFFET. It’s not a smart choice.

EVERYONE overeats there.

Stay out of the swamp, peeps. It’s for your own good.

*Special prayers go out to marathon runners everywhere. Yesterday was tough, but these are the moments that make us stronger.

Some moments in your life are going to seem pretty dismal…

My advice: Try to see the silver lining.

This past Thursday, I was sitting at my desk going through my emails when the Maintenance worker came into my office with a nervous look on his face.

• Worker: I’ve got bad news to tell you, but I’m not really sure how to say it…
• Me: (Looking at him expectantly) What is it?
• Worker: (Taking a deep breath) Your car rolled down the hill and into a tree. It might be totaled.
• Me: (not believing it) Are you serious?
• Worker: I’m dead serious.
• Me: (totally calm) Okay, let’s go see it then.

My car is a goner.

I stayed pretty cool while I surveyed the damage. I told myself “It’s just a car. It’s just a car.” And, it is just a car. I performed all the neccessary collision steps and called my insurance, but in the meanwhile, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I might not have a car after all of this is said and done. The insurance company told me that if the damage to the car is greater than the value, they’ll just write me a check. They encouraged me to get all of my things out of the car before it was towed because I might not see it again.

That’s a lot to deal with, but I feel like I handled it with the best of them.

You know what is the most exciting thing about this news? I have a bike. I know how to use it.

Allow me to share….

EIGHT life improvements since wrecking my car:

1. I’ve been wanting to start riding my bike to work for awhile now. This is my chance to do it. In fact, this is my chance to ride my bike EVERYWHERE I go.
2. I no longer have to pay for car insurance or gasoline.
3. I prevent myself from going on shopping sprees because I can only buy what I am capable of carrying back with me.
4. By the same limitation, I prevent excess groceries and food waste.
5. I get to spend more quality time with friends… while they drive me around on rainy days.
6. I have extra money, so I can offer to PAY for someone ELSE’S gasoline.
7. This provides a great excuse to carpool OR have your friends come to you.
8. Duh… I’m in shape and can eat more cookies ’cause I burn more calories. ;)

How can you use the sad parts of life to get your body moving in the right direction? Or in any direction at all…? ;)

Birthdays are funny.

You think they’re going to go one way, but usually they don’t.

• 25th Birthday: I made plans for a big dinner party to be hosted at my apartment. Unfortunately, a snow storm the day before resulted in lots of food, but only half as many guests. Limited as the guests were, somehow a random acquaintance (I invited him as a joke) shows up, along with my ex-boyfriend (invited, but I anticipated he would not come). Fortunately, the random guy is a natural born performer and  proceeds to do a choreographed dance to Michael Jackson’s Thriller in my living room. My ex-boyfriend is so mad, he leaves immediately.
• 26th Birthday: I accidentally missed my flight from San Francisco to St Louis the night before. Luckily, I was able to catch a flight the next morning, but I would be getting in JUST in time for my party. Normally, I wouldn’t have such big plans, but it was my big “golden year” birthday party. I cried on my way home from the airport. I don’t remember exactly why I was crying except that it was related to my boyfriend, at the time. Ended up he broke up with me one week later.
• 27th Birthday: My birthday falls on a Tuesday – the only day of the week that I have to work until 9pm. In an effort to avoid keeping people up late, I made them get up early. My birthday breakfast party started at 6:30a this morning. I was up and ready by six and I originally thought I would have help getting things ready. But, due to an error in communication, I did most of it myself. I ended up getting to my party late with freshly wiped tears.

“Happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday,” says Everyone. 

I think the hardest thing about birthdays is the expectation that it will be happy all the time. And it is happy, in a way; but, it’s also tiring having to be on cue all day long. It’s exhausting trying to make that day as special as everyone else wants it to be.

The point is.. your birthday doesn’t always go like you planned. Sometimes, you have to cry on your birthday. And you know what? That’s okay. Life is not represented by one perfect day. It’s full of messes and opportunities to grow.

Here’s the other thing to remember…

Maybe when your friends and family tell you “happy birthday,” they’re not trying to say that YOU HAVE to be happy. Maybe they’re trying to say that THEY are happy. Happy to know you and experience you. Happy you were born.

We may not be happy 100% of the time on our birthday, but we are BLESSED.

Fact: There’s a lot of people that woke up very early this morning to celebrate my birthday with me.

I knew that by setting the time for my birthday party at 6:30am I might only get a few people to come. But, I also knew that anyone willing to get up at 5:30 to get ready for their 6:30am party would be someone that really cared a lot about me.

I’m lucky to have people in my life that care so much about me.

• My mom text me at 4:45a this morning to tell me what we were doing 27 years ago and made me a wonderful fruit salad for my birthday party. She also bought me my very own Jackie Kennedy dress. I’m going to be very professional some day and take conference calls while I’m wearing it.
• Kirt, my amazing step-dad, got me pretty flowers with all kinds of bright beautiful colors. He also helped neutralize my frustrations this morning as he did is best to take the attention off of me direct it elsewhere.
• Amber, my sister, sat across the table from me and made me laugh. Ever since she was a little girl, she has been a source of strength and serenity for me. Anytime I’m upset, she works her magic to soak up my hurt and replace it with laughter and comfort.
• My dad, who lives an hour away, woke up extra early to drive to my party and then sat and watched the rest of us eat while he fasted. AND, I’m excited because he’s going to take me on a trip to Kansas City to go shopping and pick out a new knife for my kitchen!
• My littlest sister, Karina, did her part to scream and jump up and down to greet me as I came in the door this morning. She’s a great welcoming committee.
• My boyfriend, Adam, woke up extra early to come help scrape off some of my car and graciously paid for three group dance lessons earlier in the month. I’ve always wanted to go to a ball and dance around the room with my partner. It was even more special to include our parents in the deal.
• Joan, my boyfriend’s mom, offered to let me use her house for my party since my apartment is so small. She bought all the plates and decorations. She takes a lot of thought and care to make things look great and I appreciate that.
• Robs, my boyfriend’s dad, provides constant entertainment to anyone in a 50 foot radius. He and Joan also got me a great pair of new dancing shoes.
• Carol, my co-worker, helped me clean dishes and prep all the food the night before my party. Not everyone would wait an additional 3 hours after work to eat supper just so they could help out a friend.

The real star of my birthday didn’t turn out to be human at all. This star is in the form of a very delicious (Jewish inspired) bread…

Birthday Bread: Cherry Almond Challah

Let me tell you, this bread is labor intensive, but completely worth it. I can’t have cake on my birthday because I gave up sweets for Lent, but I can have delicious bread.

This one is a winner.

Recipe: Cherry Almond Challah

(makes 2 loaves)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 C tart Cherries, sliced and plumped in lemon juice and sugar
• 2 C raw almonds, chopped coarsely
• 1 3/4 C warm water
• 2 Tbsp yeast
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/3 C sugar
• 1/2 C honey
• 3 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 C canola oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 additional yolks
• 4 C wheat flour
• 2-3 C white bread flour
• Egg wash: 2 T water, 2 tsp sugar, 1 egg, 1 additional yolk

Directions:

1. In a large bowl stir together yeast, water, and pinch of sugar. let stand five minutes and allow for yeast to swell and dissolve.
2. Briskly stir in remaining sugar, honey, cinnamon, almond extract and salt. Then add oil, eggs, yolks and about 5 cups of the flour. Stir and let stand 10-20 minutes to absorb flour.
3. Knead by hand for 10-12 minutes adding additional 1-2 cups of flour as needed. Dough should be soft, but not sticking.
4. Let rest for 10 minutes. Then roll out and press cherries and almonds into dough to distribute evenly throughout. Place dough in a greased bowl and let sit covered for 45-90 minutes or until doubled in size.
5. Make a 6 braid challah: Take half of dough and form into 6 balls. With your hands, roll each ball into a strand about 12 inches long. Place 6 in a row, parallel to each other. Pinch the tops of the strands together. Move the outside right strand over two strands. Then take the second strand from the left and move it to the far right. Take the outside left strand and move it over two inner strands. Continue until all strands are braided. Pinch ends together.
6. Place braided loaves on either greased or dusted (cornmeal) cookie sheet and brush with egg wash. Let rise until puffy, 20-30 minutes.
7. Bake bread 12 minutes at 400 degrees F. Then, reduce heat to 350 and bake for 20 more minutes. If browning more than desired, cover with aluminum foil.

Happy Birthday to Everyone.

I came home late last night.

Due to the late hour and my tiredness, I attempted a feat many would try – to carry in several bags/items from my car to my apartment in one trip. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful.

Right outside my car door, one of my bags tore and the contents fell to the ground with a loud shattering. I groaned as I remembered what was in the bag…

My grandma’s bowls.

The beautifully unique retro set of mixing bowls that has been successfully passed down for more than 50 years? Yep, those are the ones that I just broke. Not only broke, but shattered.

Haste.

Juggling too many things at once.

Trying to do it all by myself.

These are the things that end us up in trouble. I used to have mixing bowls, and now I just have broken pieces. What am I supposed to do with this?

Life can be that way. I have a tendency to overextend myself. I’m young and confident. But, young could be another word for inexperienced and confident could be another word for reckless.

I’m an inexperienced, reckless individual?

The sooner I realize it the better. I need help. I’m so grateful to have people around me that help me sort through life. I’m glad I have people willing to stand by my side when situations get tough and I’m not strong enough to get through it on my own.

I am those broken pieces sometimes.

Here I am, this long line of family genetics culminated into one individual. I have tons of potential; and yet, I still drop the ball. I still shatter into pieces at times.

Good News…

Your broken pieces can be used. I heard a friend talk about how sin in our lives can leave us feeling broken, but we’re not to worry – God is a master mosaic maker. He can take those broken pieces and make something beautiful out of it again. I take comfort in the fact that there is nothing that can’t be scraped up and used for good.

My boyfriend’s family talks about “re-purposing” old family heirlooms. This consists of taking a part of that heirloom and letting it contribute to the beauty of something new. We can do that with our lives.

These pieces may not be a bowl, but they are not useless.

If you have experienced brokenness, you may not be the same; but, you are not useless. Don’t believe that lie.

Believe in the good news – God is capable of “re-purposing” you. You can be made into something beautiful – even if you are constructed out of millions of broken pieces.

God is our master mosaic worker. Let Him work on YOU.

Stop rushing. Stop doubting. Stop trying to have all of the control. You can do this.

Love Always, Sarah

(sorry for dropping the bowls, mama)