Being Quiet

     This week has been another busy one, so, once again, I missed my Wednesday post for Lent. I apologize to anyone who was disappointed. I chose two delicious recipes for the post to help make up for it. I'll try to make the rest of my post of few words, as befits the topic I've chosen for this week: quiet times.

     Throughout human history, people far wiser than me have expounded on the benefits of times of silence and solitude, as well as the difficulties of procuring such times. I won't try to top their wisdom today. Rather, I will simply admit that, even for an introvert like me, planning times of quietness, particularly to be used for prayer or meditation, can be a struggle. I can find time on the train to read a chapter of my book, but blocking out the world is not always easy. I find that I often have to take myself out of my normal environment to truly have time alone. Like many others, I prefer to find the quiet places outside, and use those spaces to meditate and pray as I walk or sit in contemplation. However, sometimes the weather works against you (Massachusetts is welcoming the first day of spring with a new snowfall as I type), and you have to improvise. For me this has meant using my walks to the train or to work as times to pray, rather than listen to music or a podcast. This didn't come easily at first. Prayer is something I've struggled with for a while. My mind wanders, or I find it hard to be silent for long enough to actually listen. I've found though that, even if I don't do this every time I walk, the habit of praying is slowly becoming ingrained into my life. 

     I wouldn't say that I "pray without ceasing," not yet at least, but it has become much easier to simply take whatever quiet moments I have throughout the day and use them for prayer. Sometimes the prayers are just small, scattered things like a simple thank you for beauty or a request for a friend, whereas at other times prayer becomes fluid, almost like breathing -breathing out a request or frustration and breathing in God's response. Sometimes my prayers sound a bit like one of David's psalms, the ones where he simply cries out in frustration at God's apparent inaction or at his own failure to perceive what God's purposes are. Like David, I don't always get a specific answer. When I say, "why?!" or repeatedly remind God how much more I'd like to know, God doesn't always explain. Sometimes the answer simply seems to be the reminder that He is God, and I am not, or that He is trustworthy. These aren't always the answer that I want, but they seem to be the answers I need. No matter what shape my prayers take, whether a wrestling with the Creator or a friendly conversation or respectful awe, the key thing I'm learning (ever so slowly) is that you never get better at doing something if you never try. Prayer is hard. Being silent is hard. Giving yourself time for meditation and self-reflection is hard. But they are so worth it. Perhaps this Lenten season you can try to find moments of quietness, even if just once a day or once a week. 

World's Easiest Cinnamon Rolls

I'd been waiting to try out this recipe for a long time and I was so happy that I could yesterday morning because I had it off. These were the first cinnamon rolls I've ever made from scratch entirely by myself and they were delicious. My opinion can be confirmed by the two friends lucky enough to try these rolls. I could have had more expert testimony, but these rolls disappeared to quickly to let anyone else try.

Brownies

I made these last year for one of my vegan friend's birthdays. They are soooo good. I was very happy because I've been, and still sort of am, looking for a great from-scratch brownie recipe and voila! These are both easy and tasty. However, I will caution you that they are also very fudgy, even after baking a bit longer and adding a smidge more flour than the recipe called for. 

A Time for Compassion

     Two Sundays ago, the sermon at my church began with the story of Rev. Everett Swanson, the founder of Compassion International. Swanson traveled to South Korea in 1952 during the Korean War to preach the gospel to the soldiers. When he arrived though, it was the many children orphaned by the war that consumed his thoughts. Their needs were great, and when Swanson told a fellow missionary about the situation, his friend asked him what he was going to do about it, challenging Swanson to action. He returned to the U.S., unclear of his next steps, and was presented with two checks, completely out of the blue. With this money Swanson returned to South Korea and began caring for 35 orphans. Swanson told American Christians of the situation and eventually set up a sponsorship program. Through this program, people anywhere in the world were given the opportunity to sponsor a child, providing them with food, shelter, clothing, medical care, and education until the child became an adult. What began with one man caring for 35 orphans in South Korea is now a program sponsoring 1.5 million children in 26 countries. 

     So why do I retell this story? Is it simply because it's an inspirational tale that might restore some faith in humanity? Or is it just a tale of how one person can make a big difference, or of how God can use us in ways we didn't expect? All of these lessons could apply, but I tell this story now because I think it is appropriate for Lent. While it may have been forgotten in these modern days, or in denominations that don't traditionally celebrate Lent, the Lenten season has long been a time of increased compassion to the poor, above and beyond what should normally be found in a Christian's life. This was once the time when Christians were expected to give alms, if they didn't do so already. It makes sense. After all, if you are giving up certain luxuries (such as meat or sweets) for over a month, you should find yourself with some extra money. Rather than saving it up or spending it on other luxuries, the tradition has been to use this money to give to others who have less. I think it's a beautiful tradition, and one which should be revived and given more attention. Just as a break or relief in a fast on each Sunday during Lent reminds Christians that the hope of Easter, and all that it entails, is coming, so giving of yourself to others during Lent can be a way of joining in the mission of Easter and working to help build God's kingdom in the the here and now. I'd suggest that this is something we should be doing at all times, but the times of reflection, sorrow, and penitence during Lent might be an ideal to truly take a look at the world around you and ask how you can help relieve suffering.
     Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Sponsor a child -Compassion International and WorldVision are great ministries to help you do this
• Find a ministry to support -whether it be the coffee shop that helps homeless youths, the food kitchen at your local church, the church services that began as an outreach to ex-prisoners, or a ministry dedicated to bringing clean drinking water to all -there is likely already a group you can support to help them serve others. 
• Sign up for Pledgeling -Right now Pledgeling will give you $5 to donate to a charity of choice, just for signing up
• Give -The simplest thing you can do is to simply give money yourself, directly to someone who needs it. In the U.S. right now I think there's a lot of worry that any money you give to someone on the street will be used to buy booze or drugs. It's a valid concern, but I'm not sure that should stop you. You might take a chance, and your fears might be proved correct, or you might make the biggest difference in someone's day. An alternative to cash is always to give gift cards (either to restaurants or grocery stores), or to offer to take the person out for a meal. Who knows? If you try the latter option you might just find that they change your life as much as you change yours. 

Just some happy little vegans, both temporary and permanent

The two recipes for this week come from last Thanksgiving. I decided to stay in Salem, work in the morning/afternoon, and then celebrate "Friendsgiving" with two coworkers and one of my roommates. One of my coworkers is a vegan, and even though they said we didn't have to eat vegan for our feast, the rest of us all decided to do it anyway. The result was a seemingly traditional Thanksgiving feast (complete with stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, green beans, and pie) that simply lacked a turkey. If some omnivores could eat an entire vegan feast and be completely satisfied, I figured the recipes were worth sharing.

Garlicky Green Beans with Pine Nuts

Simple and delicious, these were a big hit. I could be biased because I always love anything with garlic, but the green beans were so tasty, and the pine nuts added a little something special. I have yet to try making them myself, but my source tells me that they were quite easy.

Walnut-Apple Stuffing

If you're going full vegan, you should double-check there's no dairy in your bread (you'd be surprised how often milk is an ingredient), but otherwise this is a scrumptious stuffing. My roommate made it and I wanted there to be leftovers so I could enjoy this for days. Sadly, everyone else agreed with me on how good this was and devoured it all. 

A Couple Tips and Tricks for a Vegetarian/Vegan Lent

     It is now the second week of Lent and, as promised, I have a couple more recipes for anyone who decided to eat a vegetarian or vegan diet for this season. The two recipes I chose are favorites (one new and one old), and they both come out of my love for baking. As many baked goods tend to be naturally vegetarian, for today's post I'm focusing a bit more on some tips for anyone who decided to go vegan, since that can be a bit trickier. I'll probably share more tips throughout Lent, but here are my top four.

1. Don't freak out -Whether you realize it or not, eating vegan is probably something you do, unconsciously, from time to time. A lunch of PB&J with carrots and Triscuits? Vegan. A breakfast of Life cereal and a banana? Vegan. A dinner of chips, guacamole, and a bean burrito? Vegan, provided there's no cheese and lard wasn't used in the beans. A snack of deep fried Oreos at the fair? Surprisingly, that's vegan too. So if you decided to go vegan for Lent and are thinking now that you can't eat anything but salad, surprise! There are definitely some adjustments, but you do not have to give up all the foods you normally eat. PETA even made a list of foods that are "Accidentally Vegan." And if you're worried that you'll have to take a bunch of supplements or that you'll become malnourished, relax. You can get more than enough protein from plants (how do you think cows build muscle after all?) and vitamins don't have to be a major concern. The two biggest ones for vegans are vitamin D (acquired through sunshine and animal products) and vitamin B12 (acquired through animal products). If you're already on a multivitamin, you should be pretty well set, especially if you're only going vegan for Lent, and many vegan foods (like soy milk) are often fortified with these vitamins. Here's more info on B12 for anyone who is curious. 
2. Find easy substitutes -For recipes that call for butter, Earth Balance is great. I've used it in pie crusts, cookies, breads, and as a stand alone spread. One of my vegan friends is currently living in South Korea and says there's no Earth Balance, but she's been able to use coconut oil just fine. When it comes to milk, there are so many options. Whether you go with soy, almond, coconut, rice or whatever, they'll each have their pros and cons, so find one that you like and stick with it. Remember that many of these come in flavored varieties, so keep that in mind for your recipes. Vanilla soy might be great in chocolate fondue and frosting, but it might not be the best choice for whole wheat bread. For cheese lovers, there are also multiple varieties of vegan cheese available. I've really only tried Daiya, but even Trader Joe's has their own brand.
3. Embrace the flaxseed egg -When I started doing vegan baking so all my coworkers could eat the goodies I made, I steered clear of any recipes calling for eggs. Once my friend told me about flaxseed eggs, my problem was fairly well solved. Flaxseed eggs won't replace normal eggs in everything (tofu is a good egg replacement in scrambles though), but for baking, they work great. They're quite simple too. For each "egg" you simply mix 1 Tbsp. of ground flaxseed with 3 Tbsp. of water and then either simmer it on the stove until it becomes an egg-like consistency, or you zap it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds. Tada! Eggs for baking. Just be warned that when you use them in cookies, the cookies will not turn the golden brown color you're used to.
4. Go to Trader Joe's -Trader Joe's is awesome to begin with, but they also have a ton of delicious foods that you may have never realized were vegan. Veggie spring rolls? Vegan. Jumbo cinnamon rolls? Vegan. Dark chocolate covered pretzels? Vegan. Chocolate chips? Vegan. As a caution though, the chocolate chips are vegan, but the chocolate chunks are not. In general, most vegan foods are clearly marked there, but there are also some vegan-safe gems that you'll only recognize by checking out the ingredient list. Have fun exploring!

   If you're searching for some menu inspiration, I have some online suggestions. Minimalist Baker provides quick and easy recipes with minimal ingredients that are not only delicious, but usually vegan and/or gluten free. Oh She Glows is a 100% vegan cooking blog, and for those of you who like physical recipes, she also has a cookbook. Other cookbook options include Mayim's Vegan Table, Veganomicon, and Isa Does It, though there are really a ridiculous amount of vegan and/or vegetarian cookbooks on the market. Finally, here are my two recipe suggestions for the week.

Wake-Up Quick Cocoa Bread

I have had this recipe bookmarked for months and I finally found the time to make it last week. Soooo good. I converted it to vegan safe by substituting normal eggs for flaxseed ones, unsweetened soy milk for cow milk, and Earth Balance for butter. Super easy swaps to make and the result was delicious, especially warm with some melted Earth Balance on top. To the right you can see the results of pairing it with a pineapple, four berry, apple juice smoothie: one fabulous breakfast.

Pumpkin Gingerbread

I make this recipe at least twice each year and it is always a hit. This year for the first time I tried making it vegan. The only thing I have to substitute is the eggs, which I can either replace with 4 flaxseed eggs, or do 3 flaxseed eggs and add extra pumpkin. I prefer the latter option, but if you're using puree from a can you'll have to do the former since the recipe calls for the entire can. Whichever option you choose, it works great and I had multiple people ask me for the recipe this year. Bonus tip: sprinkling some gingerbread-spiced or cinnamon-sugar on top adds a little something special. 

Ash Wednesday and First Recipes

     The time has come. Lent officially began today. Some of you may have noticed people walking around with dark smudges on their forehead today, and some of you may have participated in Ash Wednesday and been one of those people. I gotta admit, coming from one of the least churched cities in the U.S., it is a bit odd sometimes for me to see people wearing their ashes so openly. Weirder still was last year when I went to catch my train and saw a priest with a sign that said "Ashes on the Go." I didn't see him this morning, at least not when I caught my train in the wee hours of the morning, but I did see some ash-marked faces on the commute. I wish I had some terribly inspirational or sobering meditation for today, but I can't say that I do, and I'm a bit tired after a long day of commuting, classes with minimal breaks (to make up for snow days), and an exam in clinical medicine. Thus, instead of trying to force something, I shall instead defer to Pope Francis. Whether or not you're Catholic, the Pope has a pretty good reflection on Lent this year. Give it a read here. If you're still looking for ideas of how to observe Lent, the House for All Saints and Sinners compiled a list of an idea for each day, which you can find here. Biola University has also come up with a different reflection for each day of Lent, which you can find here. 

     Lastly, for anyone who is attempting to fast Orthodox-, vegetarian-, or vegan-style this Lent, I promised that I would be posting at least one new recipe each Wednesday to provide some inspiration. Today I present two that I have quite enjoyed.

Simple Asian Soy-Peanut Noodles -This recipe was recommended to me by a friend and it is quite tasty. Pictured at right with some egg drop soup, this recipe is vegetarian, meets Orthodox fasting rules (so long as you're just cutting out olive oil and not all oils), and is vegan if you substitute the honey with agave nectar.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles -This was the first intentionally vegan recipe I ever made. I love baking for my coworkers, but it took me a few months before I realized that one of my coworkers is a vegan and couldn't eat anything I made, so I enlisted the help of another vegan friend to find a good recipe to make for everyone. This was the one she suggested and it was a hit. I've since learned some easy shortcuts (like flaxseed eggs and Earth Balance butter) that make many baking recipes vegan-friendly, but this recipe is still a winner.