MY UTTERLY-USELESS BROWNIES

I made brownies last night. Well, I attempted to. hahah. But I was so busy that I didn't hear the oven timer go off. I left it a tad bit too long and it dried out. I could not swallow the dry, crumbly brownies so I went to bed defeated, swearing to never baking again (like I always do when I get defeated by a baked pastry lol)!


Tonight, I tried to eat the brownies again, slapped some honey-whipped peanut butter on it which helped me swallow a few bites down. But I was too disappointed that I didn't want to eat anymore nor give it away. I almost tossed the entire batch into the trashcan when the thought of my parents' disapproving "Don't waste anything" face came across my mind. Then I remembered...  A few years back, I experimented on some Quinoa Zucchini bread and utterly failed at it. I was about to chuck the whole pan out when my Mom stopped me and told me to leave it alone. She cooled it down and made an amazing pudding out of it.

So, rolling my sleeves up, I tried again. I placed the brownies in a large mixing bowl, wet it with a couple hot espresso double shots and crumbled it a bit. Then I grabbled a can of condensed milk, some beaten egg, a splash of vanilla and a few dashes of flour. I mixed it up and plopped that gooey mixture back into the pan whence it came and rebaked it for 20 minutes.

The result? An utterly amazing Chocolate brownie pudding (I don't even know if there is such a thing...lol).  I made a raspberry compote to go with it and I couldn't be happier with the result.

As I scooped a spoonful into my mouth, I couldn't help but smile and be grateful for this reminder.  Many times in my life, I've hit dead ends and have written myself off.  I have thought of how utterly useless I am and everything I have ever been or known has become trash. But each time, God reminds me that He is not done with me yet. He can still re-purpose me as long as I trust Him. Everything that I experienced in my life--all the pain, the hardships, the joy, the sorrow, the shame and regrets...all of them--can still be made into something beautiful. Because after all, I am God's Recipe. I have just been subjected to many things that made me dry, crumbly and stale. But one touch from the Master's Hands and I am made new. Better for His purpose and for His glory.

So now, I have renamed this into My Utterly Delicious Brownie Pudding. =)

THE CURRY

The house smells soooo good!

Tonight, I was prepping the curry mix for my Spicy Beef Curry which I will be cooking on Tuesday. So I gathered all the spices I needed to make the curry mix. This is by far my ultimate favorite type of curry: Roasted curry. To assemble it, I have to roast each type of ingredient, cool them down, and grind them together to powder size. There are about 12-13  different ingredients just to make the curry powder. But as I roasted each one of them, Mama Mia! The fragrance of each individual spice was so different, yet each was so wonderful, so aromatic and so relaxing! 

It got me thinking... what kind of aroma do I release when I am "toasted?"

As individuals, we each have our own aroma. Some are stronger than the others the moment they hit the hot pan, and some are seemingly fragrance-less at first until they start to brown, then the aroma comes through.  Roasting these individual spices reminded me that in order for my aroma to come through, I have to first hit the hot pan. OUCH! Sure, I can be fragrant without trials and without getting out of my comfort zone. But in order to release my full potential, I have to hit the "hot pan" from time to time.

And once the spices hit the hot pan, guess what? The aroma lingers for a while. My dress, the curtains, even the second floor of our home smelled of roasted spices for a while. The aroma sticks! The fragrance filled every corner of our house.  Compare that to when a spice just sits in its jar, covered and useless. It doesn't affect anyone. It doesn't impact anyone. It doesn't reach out to anyone. But when I look back at my life, every time I have to hit the hot pan, chances are, someone else will hit the same hot pan later. I then become kinder to them, gentler to them, more caring to them. Because we have been to the same hot pan so I know what they are going through. 

But what's even more amazing is though each ingredient has its own aroma, when put together in a pot to make a curry, we don't smell just turmeric or fenugreek seeds or cardamom. What do we smell? Curry! Just curry! As a whole, these spices create a completely different, and pleasing, aroma! Amazing!  The rice is virtually fragrance-less but when toasted, it adds a depth to flavor of the dish and it actually holds the curry together. The cardamom and cloves, on the other hand, seem to be very potent even with just a tiny amount and are added only in little measure. But with each spoonful of curry, they blend in nicely and don’t overpower the other spices.

This curry mix reminded me of Ephesians 4.

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. ² Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ³ Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism; ⁶ one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all…. ¹¹ So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, ¹² to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of Godand become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

Some of us have been gifted to preach or sing the heavens down. Some of us can’t even utter a word in front of other people, but can reach out to individuals on a one-on-one basis in a powerful way.   Some of us can dig through the Bible theologically, hermeneutically, exegetically.  Some seem to be “fragrant-less and faceless” yet gracefully hold the group together with their powerful prayers, care for and love on others.

It is easy to just hide inside my home, shut the blinds and curtains, and go on with my life.  Oh I can clean the house all day long, cook my heart out, accomplish so many chores, plan the next country to hit and live contently with my family.  I can just be one of those spices tucked inside a jar, tightly sealed away and locked up in a cabinet. Not affecting anyone. Not impacting anyone. Not reaching anyone.  Of course I avoid the drama everyone has. For all I know, I have enough of my own.  But I also realize that I have been brought to this place to impact someone. To affect someone. To reach someone. And I cannot do that without stepping out of my comfort zone and getting "toasted" in that hot pan.  After all, loving others the way Christ loved is inconvenient, painful and sacrificial.  We always say “stay away from negative people, from dramatic people, from people that suck away your energy.”  But if we do, who else will reach out to them?  Who else will show them Jesus? Where else can they go? Imagine if Jesus had that mantra in His life? Stay away from negative people... from dramatic people… from people that suck away your energy. Ha! That would be virtually the entire human race. At some point, we all have become negative. We all have become dramatic. We all have sucked someone else’s energy.  So we need to be a little bit more graceful, a little bit more kind and a little bit more caring.

 I am thankful for moments like these when God reminds me of why I am where I am.  I will never look at this curry dish the same way again. =)

MY TRAVEL HACKS

Traveling can either be thrilling or daunting. For the past year and a half, my family and I have been traveling in Europe almost every three months and do weekend getaways or day trips in between. Aside from our usual hygiene kit and grooming kit, we have accummulated some travel hacks that we have proven worth carrying around or packing in our luggage to keep our valuables safe, keep us dry in case it rains and  keep us sane! lol

You say these things just add weight? Can you believe that this past 9-day trip to Rome and Naples, we only used 3 hand carry luggages, 10kilos each (2 small suitcases and 1 hiking backpack), and 2 small Jansport backpacks inspite of us being 3 women? Mind you, I also have our Nikon DSLR and iPad to carry around!

So, here are our little hacks. Click on each picture. Maybe you can pick our brain and use these. =) Feel free to add any if you have suggestions!

1. Ice pack: Really helped when I accidentally walked into a chain attached to two short poles (which wasn't very visible because it was just below my knee). I should have bruised the bottom of my knee but this baby kept it from bruising.

2. Dramamine: Harmony gets motion sickness. This small thing the size of my lip conditioner has saved us plenty of throw-up bags, if you know what I mean...

3. Advil (or your choice of pain reliever). Need I say more?

4. My Melaleuca Tea tree oil. It is my muscle relaxant which also doubles as my mosquito repellent!

5. First aid mini kit. I have band aids, a few of different sizes for different occassions =) lol, spray-on Neosporin and some alcohol pads in them.

6. Foldable fabric bag (it opens up into the size of a regular shopping plastic bag). This has helped us carry around many things from souvenirs to water bottles to snacks etc. This is always tucked in my purse. I love it! It's like an extension of my purse!

7. Fan. I could not leave the house without this! Mommy, Harmony and I each had one and during these hot temperatures inside train stations, waiting in line for tickets and all, it helps to have a little but of air. (also great for covering your face from the sun and from wafting the person's body odor or smoke next to you. lol)

8. Flashlight. You should carry one anytime you travel! Period!

9. Toilet paper. Yes, in Europe, you should carry one because toilet seat covers are non existent here and sometimes, when the restroom is out of toilet paper, it's great to have your own.

10. Antibacterial wipes; With the airport security about liquids, I have stopped carrying hand sanitizers and have replaced them with these. I place them strategically in every pocket in our luggaes, purses and backpackes, and place one in my pocket all the time.

11. Flushable wipes. Yes. It is one of those things I always carry around, especially with a 5year old. =)

12. Disposable Poncho. Light enough to be packed, efficient enough protect you from rain and cheap enough to be thrown away after the trip. But buy it before your trip. They will only cost a buck or two from your local store. If you buy them at the tourist attraction, they can cost you between 5-7 euros.

13. Compass, whistle and small flashlight. If you can get these in one, great! If not, at least the whistle with compass. When you are sight seeing, it's great to look at a map with the compass so you know where to go. Not all the streets here have names like the ones in the States, esp in Italy.  Usually, I have Ryan who is great in interpreting maps. But it should always be carried around when you travel because when WiFi or data fails you, go old school: map and compass!!!  Bring a whistle in case of emergency. An accessible whistle can deter your assailant or alert others in case you need help.

14. Spi Belt. Who knew my marathon fuel belt can double as my credit card, ID, wedding ring, cash holder and belt? lol. It's around my waist, under my shirt, barely visible and keeps all my important things safe, at the same time, accessible when I need to use my bank card.

15. FOR KIDDOS: ID holder/tag. Harmony carries this around her neck when we're in public places. It contains my phone number and our hotel business card. In case she gets lost, people can call me.

16. Lingerie cash holder. This is a gem! I use it for large amount of cash for the entire trip. It passes TSA because it is fabric. I don't have to worry about my cash being stolen. I also hide the money I don't intend to use for that day and keep me from overspending! =)

17. Ziplock bags. Yes!  A must have to keep passports and all kinds of stuff dry.

18. Coin purse. Keep the money you intend to spend that day stored in a small coin purse instead of a large wallet. Hide it in the innermost pocket of your purse zipped away from pick pockets.

19. Granola bars: Jus like the antibacterial wipes, we have these placed strategically in every pocket of our luggages, purses and backpacks. In case we are stuck in line at the airport, train, or ticket booth and couldn't leave to get something to eat, we have something to pull out. =)

20. Tennis balls tied inside a clean sock. This is my therapy! After walking all day and carrying a backpack, I roll my back on these. My physical therapist taught me how to make it and it is my PT on the go! =) I rarely have to take pain meds because of these!  Ask me how it works if you are intersted.  It's really easy and you can make use of those lonely socks. =)

21. FOR THE KIDDOS: Sketch pad and crayons, esp if your child is into drawing and coloring.

22. Hair ties. These double as cord saver. I never have tangled charger cords because I always have these things around.  Keeps me sane (I hate loose cords!)

23. Mint or gum. If you or your travel companion easily gets motion-sickness, this is a must! Be mindful though that in some countries, chewing gum is considered disrespectful so mint is probably better.

24. Laundry soap. Yes, this is why we can fit 9 days worth of clothes in 3 hand carry luggages. We wash them, hang them dry and mix and match for the rest of of our trip.  When my luggage was lost on our way to Czech and Germany last year, I had to wash the clothes I had left in the other luggage so I was saved!  This method though requires planning.  Make sure all your clothes mix and match the shoes you are bringing.

FROM TRASH TO TREASURE...

My wonderful husband made me a sturdy island from scrap woods and palettes. I've been needing an extra counter space for a while because of our growing boxed-meal business. But the islands I find here are either too pretty to be functional or functional but not the right size. So one day, I drew a picture of how I want my functional island to look like, gave it some measurements, showed it to my husband and the rest is history.

It's not the best island in the world. In fact, it's far from perfect. It is not catalogue material and has some rough edges. But for the function I need it to be, it is making me happy. Given the fact that the palette's life will end up as wood for fire pit if we didn't reuse it, it has turned out to be a pretty functional island.  Every time I look at it, my heart swells with pride knowing it was once a throw-away material that we re-purposed.

"That's who you are in My sight." I felt God's tug on my heart as I caught myself staring at the island with a big smile on my face. "You always feel like you're not good enough; like you're not the best at what you do; like you're not an "expert" in the field I have called you in; that someone else can do it better. But you don't understand that by making yourself useful in whatever field, ministry or task I have called you to do, even if you are not the best at it, you please Me. Your willingness and availability, My child, is more than enough for Me. By being washed in My cleansing Blood and walking in My daily sufficient grace, no matter what state you're in, expert or no expert, You please Me."

As tears rolled down my cheeks, I couldn't help but worship God for such a beautiful reminder from such an unlikely item. Many times, Ryan and I look down on ourselves, having achieved no great degrees, no executive places in the corporate world, no high ranks preceding our names, no high value properties to show for, no awards to brag about, being the jack-of-all-trades-but-master-of-none that we are. But oh how refreshing it is to be reminded of God's unconditional love. God truly does not call the qualified. He qualifies the called. And wherever God takes us, He plants us and makes us bloom in His perfect will and His perfect time until He moves us again.

So if you're feeling like a throw-away scrap wood today, come to Jesus. He's still in the business of making something beautiful out of broken lives.