The Problem with "Beautiful"

I stumbled upon this blog post yesterday and I just had to share it here. This guy nails the problem with the "everyone is beautiful" sayings, on the head. My favorite lines in the article, he writes:

Because we have created a culture that values beauty above all other innate traits… So it reassures you that everyone is beautiful. Because if everyone is beautiful or everyone can be beautiful or everyone is beautiful to someone, it’s okay to base a civilization around it.

Genius. This guy couldn't be more right. I mean, sure the whole concept of "everyone is beautiful" seems really nice. After all, God created us in His perfect, beautiful image. But beauty is relative. Some people are attractive to me, and others not at all. Someone may find another attractive, while I do not. Some people have outer beauty, with really ugly souls. Others the opposite. And in all honesty, some people are not beautiful on the outside or the inside. Despite that, it is o k a y. Beauty depends on the one who is perceiving, and anyone who knows the smallest bit about philosophy knows that our perceptions deceive us time and time again. 

Admitting that I, or anyone else, think everyone is beautiful somehow benefits no one. It's also a lie. But everyone has value and worth. Everyone was created in God's perfect image and we ought to love them, beautiful or not. What we need to do is reclaim qualities with real meaning. Worth, value, importance. All qualities that make it someone worth getting to know. Qualities worth loving someone for. Qualities which everyone truly comprise. And perhaps, when we begin to look at people and see that really matters, the fact that God made them and He loves them unconditionally, it may become easier to love them and our personal obsession with beauty may diminish as well. 

Read the full article here. You won't regret it: 

http://nathanbiberdorf.wordpress.com/2014/06/09/not-everyone-is-beautiful/

Carrot, Apple, Ginger Juice Recipe

One of my favorite wedding gifts was our juicer. Well, we actually received 3 juicers, so I guess everyone else knew I would get good use out of it too. Anyone who knows me also knows that I am a bit of a chemical-phobe. I hate all of the junk in processed food, so whenever possible, I make my own from scratch. And with the help of a juicer there is nothing easier to make than your juice! 

Last night I experimented and made carrot, apple, ginger juice. 

Here is the recipe! :)

Carrot, Apple, Ginger Juice

Using a juicer, juice:

1 green apple

5 large carrots

1 1/2 tablespoons ginger

then squeeze 

2 tablespoons lemon juice by hand. 

Enjoy! 

Chia Seed Pudding

I haven't abandoned this blog completely, I swear. The semester is just finishing up and I can honestly say I've never been more relieved for finals. This semester was by far the busiest one I've had yet, but also the most successful, so I am thankful for that. 

After weeks of endless lab reports, research paper, discussion posts, and quizzes, I have been feeling so crummy. I literally haven't had time to take care of my husband or our home, let alone myself. (Thankfully Buck is so supportive and forgiving of this).  So after a weekend of reenergizing, spring cleaning the apartment and taking care of my sweet husband again, I decided I need to start taking care of myself again too. 

A few weeks ago I watched Hungry For Change and after they briefly mentioned the benefits of chia seeds I have been dying to try them. So yesterday I made the trip to Sendiks and, without intending to, purchased a pound of the super seed. (Then they sat on my counter all evening as I tried to stomach *read: justify* the $15.68 I had spent on them). After successfully justifying the purchase I decide to put them to good use. 

The first thing I decided to do was add a few tablespoons to the leftover juice I had from my morning juicing adventure. I read that the longer you let the chia seeds gel, the more nutrients you will get out of them, so I let the juice and seeds chill until this morning. 

The next thing I decided to make was this chia seed pudding. It was so easy to make! I literally just poured all of the ingredients into a little jar and then stuck it in the refrigerator to enjoy this morning. And enjoy it I did! This was so tasty, I may just make it a routine treat. Give it a try and let me know what you think! :) 

A Wedding Video

I am getting closer and closer to finally getting around to sharing our story, but the semester has been really busy, and my employers added an extra 7 hours to my weekly schedule (along with a raise, so I won't complain). In the meantime, here is a little wedding video my maid of honor put together for us. I hope you enjoy it! :)

Slow Morning + a Name Change

Today I chose a slow morning by making and enjoying one of my favorite breakfasts with the mister, and I am so glad I did. There's something about a slow morning that feeds productivity for the rest of the day. And what better way to start out the new season than with a little productivity, and perhaps a name change?

I had been dreading the process of changing my name ever since my latest visit to the SSA to get a new social security card in order to apply for out marriage license. During said visit I had to make the trek downtown, wander around a random building searching for the office, and then sit in the SSA for 2 hours before finally getting a small piece of paper with my ss number on it. So much work for such a minor task. So as not to stress myself out over this one task - going to SSA to begin the name change process, I took my morning slow. 

Maybe it was the lovely morning I had with my husband, or the change in seasons, or maybe just the presence of real sunshine, but the name change went so well! I got into the office and saw a room full of people waiting for their ticket number to be called, grabbed my own ticket, and took a deep breath before sitting down to wait hours before being called. But, much to my surprise, they called my number within 5 minutes and I was out of there within ten! Whew! Two hours later I had changed my name at the SSA, DMV, bank, insurance agency, and the university. I couldn't be more thankful for how smoothly everything went, and I am beyond excited to officially be Mrs. Alicia Knitt. 

Side Note* Whenever an opportunity arises to make little hearts in Buck's food, I take them. I'm just waiting for the day when he's over it. ;) And the Cheesy-Wife-of-the-Year Award should probably go to me. 

French Bread

I have decided that if I could be proficient in the kitchen at one thing, it would be bread. So as intimidating as it is (especially without a bread maker) I've been trying my hand at it. And while I must say that I certainly haven't mastered the art of making "attractive" bread, it has been tasty.

The first bread I made was pita bread, which I made with homemade hummus for a game night we hosted. I still regret not documenting it to share here, but I will make it again, eventually. This french bread was my second attempt at making bread, and it has me so excited to continue on with this bread making adventure. Here is the recipe I adapted from a Better Homes recipe book. The original recipe was meant for a double batch, but I adjusted it to make just one loaf. ( I didn't want to overdo it if I was only going to fail!)

French Bread

*for one loaf of French Bread

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups flour
• 1 package or 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 egg white, slightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl stir together 2 cups of the flour, the yeast, and salt. Add the warm water to the flour mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (8 to 10 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 1 hour). (Note* I cheated and used my mixer to knead the dough for me.
   
3. Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly grease a bread pan. Sprinkle with cornmeal.
4. Put dough in the bread pan and in a small bowl stir together egg white and water. Brush some of the egg white mixture over loaf. Let rise until nearly double in size (35 to 45 minutes).
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Using a sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep across the top of the loaf. Bake for 20 minutes. Brush again with some of the egg white mixture. Continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes more or until bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Immediately remove bread from baking sheet. Cool on wire racks. 

There you have it. Easy peasy. 

Green Tea + Honey Face Mask

There are few things I love more than a good face mask, and being able to make them in my own kitchen really is the icing on the cake. A few days ago I made this green tea and honey face mask and it might just be one of my new favorites. 

It was super simple to make. All I did was cut open a bag of green tea, moistened the leaves and then added enough honey to mix it into a nice paste. Then I put the mask on my face and let it sit for 15 minutes. 

The green tea and honey are full of antioxidants that help clear redness and also prevents blackheads. The honey specifically is also a great moisturizer for your skin, and the green tea also worked as an exfoliant. And just in case you weren't sold yet, this mask smells delicious! 

Side Note* I put this mask on right before Buck and I sat down to watch a movie, and while he has seen me with an obnoxious amount of kitchen ingredients on my face, this time put him over the edge, and I feared he may never stop laughing. He literally lost all composure and went into a belly laughing attack, convinced that pretty soon I would come out of the kitchen with "cheerios on my face".