Search Results for: giving thanks

Being Alone Doesn’t Mean Being Lonely

November 7, 2014 by thiscookindad 1 Comment

Our language…has created the word “loneliness” to express the pain of being along. And it has created the word “solitude” to express the glory of being alone.

–Paul Tillich

I am a self-professed introvert. I generate my energy from within. I’m not that guy who is comfortable jumping up on stage and being the center of attention. I’ll do it if needed, but it’s not where I do my best work.

I am happiest when I am alone in a quiet space or in a small setting with a few close friends. The nice thing about that kind of solitude is that you get to know yourself really well. The problem is that many of us are unprepared to face all of our fears insecurities and the ramblings of our own minds. When we can push past that, though, we find out about our true selves. We find out who we are, what we most love, and, ultimately, how we will find, not only happiness and pleasure, but true joy in our lives.

For the introvert, solitude is a must, but even the most extroverted among us need the occasional reset to get back in touch with themselves. I’m thankful for the few moments of solitude that I manage to squeeze in each day and I hope that each of you can find the time to do the same.

Throughout November, I’ll be posting about those things for which I am most thankful this year. Look for more of my Giving Thanks series all month long.

What are you giving thanks for this year? Leave a comment and share your story!

Little Big Man

November 6, 2014 by thiscookindad Leave a Comment

A boy’s story is the best that is ever told.

–Charles Dickens

I’m a proud father to a fantastic little man. As Beth would say, he’s all boy all the time. He’s bright, energetic, and full of personality! Most importantly, he’s a polite and helpful young man. In this day and age, it’s not unusual to see boys whose manners are, at best, lacking. Matthew has been raised from the get-go with the notion that boys are supposed to take care of their girls and that he can do this through little things like carrying stuff for them and opening their doors.

There are, however, two sides to this. In teaching my little guy how to treat ladies, I am also teaching my ladies how they should expect to be treated. One of the hardest things about raising a little gentlemen is that so many ladies don’t want to take the time to “allow” him to be one. Just the other day, we were at the movies. On the way out of the theater, Matthew ran up to the door to open it for an older lady. She was headed to a different door, but went out of her way to go through his door.

This sort of thing is so unusual to see that I actually thanked her for letting him hold the door for her. Her response? “Oh, I’ll always let a door be held open for me!” This sort of back and forth is something that we need more of in our society. People helping each other and people letting others help. I think the world would be a better place.

Throughout November, I’ll be posting about those things for which I am most thankful this year. Look for more of my Giving Thanks series all month long.

What are you giving thanks for this year? Leave a comment and share your story!

The Artist in Me

November 5, 2014 by thiscookindad 1 Comment

An artist is a dreamer consenting to dream of the actual world.

–George Santayana

Art is largely about seeing the world differently. Lots of people dream, but artists dream while soaking in the world around them. The artist sees the mundane as beautiful and attempts to recreate his or her vision to share with the rest of the world.

Each artist has a different medium and each expresses that vision differently. Chef, painter, writer, even cake decorators. All are artists. Myself, I’m a photographer. At times, feel less a creator of beauty than one who simply captures beauty that already exists.

As my skills evolve, though, I find that, while artistic subject help, my artistry is in the prep work, in knowing where to stand and when to kneel, how to frame a shot, capturing motion or freezing time, and in processing the photos to bring out the truest intent of the scene. Seeing the world through the lens of a camera has helped me to grow more in touch with myself. I’m thankful for this gift and I look forward to exploring it fully.

Throughout November, I’ll be posting about those things for which I am most thankful this year. Look for more of my Giving Thanks series all month long.

What are you giving thanks for this year? Leave a comment and share your story!

Seeing the World Through a Different Lens

November 4, 2014 by thiscookindad Leave a Comment

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

–Mark Twain

In my life, I’ve been blessed with incredible opportunities to travel across the country and around the world. What I love most about travel is that it helps you to put things into perspective. When you are at home, you tend to get stuck in the daily grind, often failing to appreciate the simple blessings around you as you rush to manage kids, get to work, etc. It’s easy to take things for granted.

When you travel, though, you are of a different mindset. You go out of your way to search for the new, the exciting, or the unusual. Quite simply, you look at the world through a different lens. I often find that, while I love the experiences that I have when I travel, similar experiences are available to me closer to home if I’ll only take the time to explore a little more.

As I travel, I find fewer and differences and more similarities between different types of people. Our cultures and practices may vary slightly from place to place, but, ultimately, we are all affected by the human condition. I firmly believe that, if we were all to spend a little more time traveling, seeing the great majesties and shared struggles of this planet, and trying to understand each other just a little better, we would experience a greater collective peace. I’m thankful for the chances that I’ve had to just be a part of the larger world.

Throughout November, I’ll be posting about those things for which I am most thankful this year. Look for more of my Giving Thanks series all month long.

What are you giving thanks for this year? Leave a comment and share your story!

Loving Sisters

November 3, 2014 by thiscookindad Leave a Comment

“Is solace anywhere more comforting than in the arms of a sister?”

–Alice Williams

Sisterhood is a special kind of relationship. Sisters just seem to share a bond that brothers never do. My wife and her sister share the kind of information that I couldn’t imagine sharing with my brother. It is love and friendship and mutual admiration all rolled together.

As I watch my daughters grow up, I’m struck more and more at how they interact. They fight with each other less and have better success talking through their problems. There’s still all of the drama that you would expect with two girls sharing a room, but they have a better ability to keep that drama from getting in the way of their relationship.

I’m proud of my girls and I love the way that they are growing up together. If only I could get their brother in line!

Throughout November, I’ll be posting about those things for which I am most thankful this year. Look for more of my Giving Thanks series all month long.

What are you giving thanks for this year? Leave a comment and share your story!

Hugs, Smiles, and Laughter

November 2, 2014 by thiscookindad Leave a Comment

“What is it that affectionate parents require of their children for all their care, anxiety, and toil on their accounts? Only that that would be wise and virtuous, benevolent and kind.”

–Abigail Adams

The best part of having a family is watching those under your care grow up, becoming more and more independent and responsible. The hardest part is that those under your care just don’t seem to care! For all of the heartache and frustration, late nights and early mornings, temper tantrums and nastiness, you are rewarded with nothing more than hugs, smiles, and laughter. Somehow, that always seems to be enough.

You can only hope that you are raising them right and, every now and then, someone a few years older…someone who’s been there…will let you know with a simple, “Your kids are so great.”

Thanks! They are, aren’t they? Just don’t let tell them that!

Throughout November, I’ll be posting about those things for which I am most thankful this year. Look for more of my Giving Thanks series all month long.

What are you giving thanks for this year? Leave a comment and share your story!

There’s No Place Like Home

November 1, 2014 by thiscookindad Leave a Comment

“Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.”

–John Howard Payne

Home means many things to many people. It can be where you heart is or where you hang your hat. For me, home is my safe place, my retreat. No matter what happens anywhere else in the world, I know that, at home, everything will be ok.

A dog’s wagging tail, a cat’s incessant purring, a child dragging you down for a hug, and a kiss from my lovely wife somehow reset everything and make all troubles disappear. At the end of the day, I’m thankful to have a home that I can call mine and a loving family to share it with. From time to time, we may talk about fixing all that’s wrong with our house, but our home is perfect the way it is.

Throughout November, I’ll be posting about those things for which I am most thankful this year. Look for more of my Giving Thanks series all month long.

What are you giving thanks for this year? Leave a comment and share your story!

Easy Peasy Hoppin’ John

December 29, 2015 by thiscookindad Leave a Comment

The past couple of months has seen us on the run just trying to keep up with the holiday season. A few things got away from us, but, in the end, it all came together and I’m truly looking forward to a fresh start for 2016. If, like me, you are from the South, you know that a fresh start for the new year has to begin with beans, greens, rice, and a nice big hunk of cornbread. A can of READ Greens & Beans with Sausage makes this a whole lot easier and helps set this year’s tone of balancing our time in the kitchen with our time spent living life outside of the kitchen.

Hoppin’ John is poor food at it’s finest and, for many, represents prosperity for the new year. By starting the year off with a frugal meal, it’s argued, you get it in your mind to stay frugal throughout the year. While, traditionally, Hoppin’ John would be made with black-eyed peas, I don’t have any problem changing it up slightly for convenience sake. Really, the components of the dish began with using those options that were available locally and have become very symbolic of wealth and prosperity for the new year.

The peas, or beans in my case, have come to represent coins; the greens, dollars; and the cornbread, gold. Who couldn’t use a few more coins, dollar bills, or gold in their pockets, right? And if I can start the year off right by saving a little money with a frugal meal, why not start the year off by being frugal with my time as well?

Instead of spending New Year’s Day chopping greens, soaking peas, and watching pots, I can simply cook up a little rice in some chicken stock (or, if I’m being really frugal, some turkey stock made from those saved carcasses from Thanksgiving or Christmas) and adding a can of READ Greens & Beans with Sausage.

Mix up and bake a box of cornbread and you’ve got yourself a perfect New Year’s Day dinner to bring you all of the prosperity that you deserve.

What are your New Year’s Day traditions? How are you planning to start the year off right? Leave a comment and share your story!

Easy Peasy Hoppin' John

Author: Brian

Ingredients

1 can (15 oz.) READ Greens & Beans with Sausage
1 cup white rice
2 cups chicken stock

Instructions

Combine rice and stock in a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
Mix in READ Greens & Beans with Sausage and serve with cornbread. Enjoy!

Searching for Good News

November 26, 2015 by thiscookindad Leave a Comment

For the past couple of years, I have spent quite a bit of time in November posting every day about something for which I am thankful. This year, I can honestly say that I am thankful for having so much work that I didn’t have time to write a post like that each and every day.

In truth, though, each year I found myself searching for the things that I am thankful for. My thanks are pretty simple. A magnificent God, a loving wife, incredible kids, a job that I love, and enough food and shelter to get through each month. Most importantly, though, I’m thankful not to be one of the 22 veterans in this country who take their own lives each day.

I have suffered from combat-related PTSD for far longer than I have even realized it and soldiers that I served with have succumbed to the pressures associated with it, taking their own lives and leaving loads of questions behind. I often wonder what makes my story different. Why are some of us more willing to suffer through than others?

A big part of this is support. I would not be here now if it were not for my wife’s strength. I firmly believe that. Support can only take you so far, though. You have to have something to live for. My kids gave me that (even though they may very well be the death of me!). Even that, though, has it’s limits. Too often, you hear stories about soldiers with big smiles and beautiful families who end it all. No one ever seems to know why.

At the end of the day, I think it all comes down to your outlook. I think that fighting these demons is, and must be, a daily battle. With all of the bad news out there, it’s too easy to be drug down into the darkness and wage war down there. However, to quote George Bernard Shaw, “I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.”

Thankfully, a big part of my job is as a freelance photographer for our local newspaper. This gives me an opportunity to focus on, and to search for, the good news that happens in our community. It’s so easy to find the bad news when you look for it and to talk about how our country is on the decline and at the worst stage in our history, but then you learn about local organizations feeding hundreds of needy families for Thanksgiving and a community rallying around a 6th grader whose life is being cut short by cancer.

These are stories full of hope and, if you choose to be a part of them, can be an opportunity to engage in something bigger than yourself. Does this put an end of the battle? Of course not, but it gives you something to live for, something to fight for, not just something to fight against.

So this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for all of the good news out there. I hope that over the coming year, we can share a little more of that and a little less of the bad stuff.

What are you thankful for this year? Leave a comment and share your story!

Roasted Red Pepper and Turkey Sandwich

November 24, 2015 by thiscookindad Leave a Comment

When I cook at home, I’m always looking for ways to add a punch of flavor without adding a ton of time to my cooking schedule. Roasted red peppers have been trending for several years now and with good reason. They are versatile, full of flavor, and as healthy as can be! The best part? They are so easy to make at home that you can skip that tiny, overpriced jar from the supermarket shelves!

Roasted red peppers have become one of those items that kind of wind up in everything, but, now that people appreciate food that is less and less processed, it seems appropriate to know more about how that flavor gets there. Any time you start adding flavors to foods, the ingredient count jumps up. Check labels. What starts as 5 or 6 ingredients in the “Plain” flavor may have 20 or 30 ingredients when you add roasted red peppers.

The solution, of course, is to make them yourself. There are many ways to do this, including over an open flame, but roasting in the oven means that I don’t have to watch as closely and can work on something else in the meantime. Way better for my busy schedule!

I’ll pile some into a cast iron pan with a touch of olive oil and roast in a 500 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the skins are charred.

Then I toss them into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for about 30 minutes or until they cool down.

Now the messy part. Removing the skins. This just takes a little time, but, if the peppers are charred well, the skins should peel right off. The meat of the peppers will separate pretty easily right now, so I have to be careful to remove the seeds, but not massacre the pepper. Once that’s done, slice into large pieces and stack in a sealable jar. Cover with olive oil and place into the fridge for use all week long!

I love doing this because I now have these yummy peppers available for just about anything. If I do a bunch at once, I might get two weeks worth for making dips, sandwiches, etc. This makes eating at home so much easier and I know that I am one step closer to trusting all of the food that goes into my kids’ bodies.

Since we are right at Thanksgiving time here, I want to offer up a great use for these. In my family, part of the Thanksgiving tradition involved leftover turkey, mayo, and sliced white bread for an evening snack after the mid-afternoon meal. By simply substituting a baguette and adding some of my roasted red peppers, I can transform this meager snack into a sandwich that might just have you roasting turkeys year round!

How would you use your roasted red peppers? Leave a comment and share your story!

Roasted Red Peppers

Author: Brian

Ingredients

6 medium red bell peppers
2 tsp olive oil, plus more for jarring

Instructions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Coat peppers in olive oil. Place on sheet pan or into a cast iron pan. Roast, turning every 15 minutes, for 45 minutes to an hour or until skins are charred.
Remove to a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Rest for 30 minutes or until cool enough to handle.
Peel skins away from the peppers and remove seeds. Cut into large sections and place into a canning jar. Cover with olive oil and refrigerate until ready to use.
Enjoy!

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