Do ALL things for the Glory of God!

God is so good and provided us with some amazing talents and abilities that are unique to each one of us. Yet, how are you using those talents? Who are you using them for? Do you feel like they aren't important to God or His kingdom? However it is that YOU express your love, interest, creativity, talents or abilities, like Nike says, JUST DO IT, and do it for the glory of God!

Just as the great Apostle Paul says so elegantly in 1 Corinthians 10:31, "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." God did not give us our personal and unique talents and abilities so that we might hide them or selfishly use them or keep them to ourselves. God gave them to us as a gift and blessing so that we might use them and use them for Him and His glory and so that we might be a blessing to others. We are blessed to be a blessing! You might think that the things that you are talented in or interested in or the things laid on your heart aren't appropriate or useful to and for God and His kingdom. If your abilities and talents line up with God's Word then they ARE from Him and should be used FOR Him. They are a blessing from God Himself! Therefore, "Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God's words; if help, let it be God's hearty help. That way, God's bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he'll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes! " (1 Peter 4:11, MSG)

Let me ask you a question, if you don't use your unique talent, abilities, and platform to bring God's light to that specific situation, who will? God did not bless me with the talent to paint, draw, speed skate, garden, build houses, or do dry cleaning. Yet, he gave all those talents and abilities and many more to someone. Maybe that someone is YOU! If we aren't using them for His glory, what are you using them for? Your own glory?

Do ALL things for the glory of God. It doesn't say just the things that you think are "churchy" or the things that you feel like doing, it says ALL things. The word 'all' means EVERYTHING. As the dictionary defines it 'all' means the whole quantity or amount, everything. This means that you can't pick and choose! Whether it is driving, doing your job, working out, cooking an amazing meal, eating a delicious cake, scrubbing the toilets, loving your kids or spouse, or just plain relaxing. Do it ALL for God's amazing glory and watch the blessings that He will continue to pour out in your life; "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:17)

Remember if you don't do it, then who will?

Spicy Guac with Chile Pequin's!

Last weekend my mom and I got to spend some quality time bonding. It was nice and one of the things that we both enjoy is not only being creative but cooking and baking. We kind of went on a roll and made a bunch of different things. We made the Sunshine Sponge Cake, some fresh guacamole, fresh and homemade chips, Asian stir-fry, homemade french fries, homemade potato chips, and chicken stew with cheese dumplings. We were definitely on a roll that is for sure.

Yet, there is just something about cooking and adding the ingredients and trying new things and seeing how all the little ingredients that you might think don't matter can all come together and meld and mix and create and amazing dish. I just love to cook because it makes me feel like it is a creative expression and an easy and fun way to show and share love with others. There is just a joy of pulling out some cupcakes from the oven or taking the lid off a pot on the stove and seeing a finished product.

I definitely enjoy utilizing others amazing recipes yet one of my favorite things to do is come up with my own or somehow modify existing recipes to make them unique to me and make them my own.

The guacamole is something that I never measure anything, I just go by taste. I use fresh avocados, fresh limes, basil, cilantro, garlic, salt, tomato, onion, jalapenos, and sometimes a random ingredient to mix it up or change the taste. I also really enjoy spicy foods, so I add cayenne pepper to mine. This time I was able to add a new and different ingredient to it, the chile pequin pepper. My dad has a friend that grows them and uses them to make fresh salsa. My dad was telling him that I really enjoy spicy things, so he gave him some for me to try and use. I had never heard of the pequin pepper before so I did some research on it, and this is what I came up with:

It is a hot chile pepper, that is known as the "bird pepper" because birds like them and often eat them. The pequin is the smallest chile pepper. It is typically 0.3 - 0.6 meters tall, with bright green, ovate leaves and small fruits that rarely exceed 2 cm in length. Like most chiles, they start out green, ripening to brilliant red at maturity. You can eat the pequin right off the vine. Yet, they are often dried and used for spice and to add to salsas, sauces, and soups. The pequin peppers are very hot. Some people say they are often 7-8 times hotter than jalapeños and on the Scoville scale they rate at 30,000-60,000 units. Their flavor is often described as citrusy, smoky, and nutty.You can find pequin peppers in Cholula hot sauce.

Now you know more than you ever wanted to know about these little tiny peppers! Yet, they added an interesting unique ingredient to the guacamole that made it spicy and totally delicious!

Golden Sunshine

A box without hinges, door, or lid, yet inside a golden treasure is hid?  What is it?

This was a riddle that I have remembered since I was a kid because I always thought it was so interesting and most people never quite figure it out. Have you? 

Well, I guess I will make it easy on you and just give you the answer, it is an egg! Currently in my diet for one of my meals I am eating a cup of egg whites, so one might assume that I go the easy route and just buy egg beaters or egg whites that are already separated. Yet, this would just be waaay too easy and who wants to make my life any easier in all of the craziness, right? So I actually physically separate all of the egg whites individually. I like to do this because it is cheaper and it is healthier. I don't eat anything processed or fake and unfortunately most of the egg white products that are out there are pasteurized and processed and have added things in them. I go through about 7-8 eggs a day to fill up a cup. That means that every day I have 7-8 egg yolks that I usually just throw down the disposal. I always feel like I am wasting these especially in the recent perspective of the events in Haiti. I just feel like I am wasting precious food that could be used for something. 

So I went on a mission. I wanted to find yummy recipes that involved only egg yolks to try and use them instead of just throwing them away. I found some custard, crème brulee, cakes, cookies, ice cream, hollandaise sauce, mayonnaise, and a couple of other random things. Many of the things that I wanted to make I didn't have all of the ingredients and neither did my parents. Yet, I found a cake recipe for a Sunshine Sponge Cake that I was able to utilize the most egg yolks and had all the ingredients. Also, I knew it was something that people would actually eat and I thought it might bring a little sunshine to the cold, rainy, and snowy weather we have been having.

Sunshine Sponge Cake

Makes 1 - 10 inch cake

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 10 egg yolks (at room temperature)
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract

Directions

1. Sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. With electric mixer, beat egg yolks until slightly thickened; add hot water gradually, beating until mixture is very thick and light (about 10 minutes).
3. Add flavoring to egg yolks, then add sugar gradually, beating constantly.
4. Fold in flour, about a fourth at a time (I do this by hand) folding until well blended.
5. Pour batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan.
6. Bake at 375°F for 40-50 minutes until done.
7. Remove cake from oven and invert pan.
8. Let cake stand for an hour until cool.

*The only ingredient that we didn't have was the lemon extract so instead of the lemon we used vanilla extract. Also, instead of the whole cup of sugar we condensed it and only used 2/3 cup of sugar.

The cake did not end up cooking for the entire time and was well done. I think that the time should be a little less. Also, I think that the pan needs to be greased because it was definitely a pain trying to get it out. The cake tasted good but it was not very sweet. It was more like a bread. My mom and I decided that with the lemon it would make it lighter and probably would taste better. Also, the egg yolks that I had were not fresh; they were a couple of days old. They probably would have risen more and gotten more fluffy and light had they been fresh.

I think I am going to try making this cake again, but with egg yolks that are fresh and make sure they are at room temperature. Also, I will probably use lemon extract and some fruits and nuts. It would be a very good breakfast bread. I also might try and make it with some whole wheat flour (just to make it healthier).

My dad, who is definitely a sweets guy, didn't like it too much because it is not very sweet. Yet, by spreading jelly, honey, or peanut butter to it gave it some more zing. Well, the cake didn't shine as bright as I had hoped but it wasn't awful and I got to use 10 egg yolks that would have usually just gone in the trash! So maybe next time the sun will shine brighter (and sweeter)!

Quilted Together

It sure has been awhile since I have been able to sit and write a blog. In fact this one is actually being pieced together in between the rest of life (since I keep getting harassed about no new updates!) I am going to try harder to update more, but there is no guarantee since I rarely have time to just sit down let alone write a blog! I don't even have time for Facebook anymore (now you know that is bad!)

Let's see, what has been going on?!? Hmm...well, for starters I can't believe that it is already February! Wow! A whole month of 2010 is already gone! I can't believe it. Yet, with all that I have going on I feel like I will look back in a couple of months and barely remember February either. I am currently taking 15 hours of school, working about 25 hours a week, and training for my competition in April. In the in between time, I spend driving! All of these places are in completely different and opposite places from where I live and from each other. I definitely feel blessed to be able to be apart of all of them and to have the means and ability to get to all of these places. God sure is good and I am already seeing his amazing blessing being poured out into my life this year and I can't imagine what else is in store for the next 11 months! :)

My classes are very interesting and exciting actually. It is kind of like a melting pot mix of classes, which is probably good for my ADD! :) I am taking History (my least favorite), Marketing, Social Psychology, Systematic Theology, and a Graphic Design class. It is hard to pinpoint which class is my favorite because I am really enjoying learning about graphic design and being able to actually produce and make my own stuff. I am also definitely enjoying learning the history and progression of Christianity, as well as why we as humans act certain ways and the way we relate to others. I also definitely feel blessed to be able to continue learning and taking classes at such an influential school. Dallas Baptist University is definitely a unique university and my favorite school that I have been to. (Since I have made my rounds for a total of 12 schools in my life) I think its is awesome how even in a secular class like social psyc we base everything on the Bible and are given examples throughout the Bible. I also find it awesome that we pray before and after most classes! What a totally different and unique experience from all the rest of my schooling!

I am also required to go to Chapel at least every Monday and Wednesday. This is basically a church service with a new speaker every time. At first I found it sort of an inconvenience to have to go to school way earlier just to attend. Yet, I enjoy getting to worship God and learn about Him more through some amazing and seasoned speakers and children of God. I find it rather amazing that all of us college students can gather together in worship. Of course God is always in church no matter what the age of the attendees. Yet, I find it totally unique and interesting the power that we as college students have and the up and coming next influential generation has when we all band together. Wow! It is awesome to get to be apart of that!

The 25 hours or so a week that I am working now are still nannying for the Massey family. They have four great, interesting, and unique kids, Morgan, 3 and a half years old, Aaron, 6 years old, Hannah, 9 years old, and Jake, 11 years old. Although they can definitely be a handful they are totally adorable! I feel blessed to get to be a part of their family and to have a job in this economy!

Now, I am sure this is the section of our you impatient people (you know who you are) have been waiting for, updates on my training! Well it has now been close to a month that I have been training (yay for making it that long!) I have about 8 weeks left of training before the BIG day! My first competition of the year is going to be the Ronnie Coleman here in Mesquite on Saturday, April 10th. I have been fighting with myself about whether or not I should put up pictures of my weekly process or not. Yet, I haven't yet because honestly I haven't really wanted anyone to see me in a bikini. Maybe sometime during this process I will put them up, but not until I am ready. This way I can stay sort of sane and not be stressing about how much farther I have to go and have the whole world be looking!

Training started out a little rough actually. My diet has been perfect and I haven't missed a beat in my training yet the first week I actually gained a pound!!!! As you can imagine, I was not very excited about this! :( Yet, I persevered on and kept going, and instead of going out and eating sushi and Ben and Jerry's (my classic cheat meal) I decided to use it to my advantage and train harder! With the reassurance from Tad on my diet, and the butt kicking from Jerome, I kept pushing.

Well, here is another piece that I can knit and add into this started and added onto quilt of a blog but still haven't finished. I have been writing this blog since the very beginning of February and now it is almost the end and I am just now finishing it up. Unfortunately, with the training thing I have missed a couple of cardio days here and there and oddly for me my diet hasn't been spot on. I think I am finding it MUUUCH harder with time around because of all the stress of the rest of my life that is going on. I literally feel like I never have time to relax or do anything for me. All of my time is consumed with running around and getting stuff done. There is always a list in hand of the millions of things that need to be checked off before the end of the day or the end of the week and yet they never all seem to get checked. Oh well, I guess this is my life for now and I am trying to stay as positive as possible about everything and just keep putting one foot in front of the other! I am so blessed to be able to participate and be a part of all of them that it is hard to get disappointed when you put it all into perspective. Especially when you spell perspective like Haiti! Wow! Aren't we all blessed?

I do know that I keep saying this, but I am going to do my best to try and update more and more even if they are just short quick blogs so that way all you harassers can lay low for a while! ;) Have a very blessed and amazing day!


B :)

Brittany vs. The Kookamunga Burger Challenge

If you aren't aware, I LOVE really BIG food (and really small food too). I love to go to restaurants where they serve oddly BIG food. I guess that is one of the side effects of being a Texan! :) Because I have a BIG food fetish, Man vs. Food is one of my favorite TV shows. In fact, I really think that Adam Richman could use a female co-host and I would be perfect for the job. It has been a goal of mine to go to the restaurants that Adam visits across the country and try all of the eating challenges. When I knew my dad and I were driving to Indy I knew I had a shot at finding at least one place on the list. I had always wanted to try this HUUGE burger that I had saw Adam eat in Memphis, TN at the Kooky Canuk. With my luck, we were going right by Memphis. So, on the way back to Dallas my dad and I made a slight detour and stopped off in Memphis. Fortunately, I had wanted to meet my friend Kirstin, who also lives in Memphis and so she agreed to meet us there.

Although it looks sort of like a whole in the wall, the Kooky Canuk is a popular bar and restaurant in downtown Memphis and is home of the 7 1/2 pound burger known as the Kookamunga Challenge! Immediately as you walk into the restaurant on the wall by the door are the pictures of the only 3 people that have been able to finish the challenge out of the thousands that have tried. Two of the winners have actually done it more than once.

 

At this point I was excited and eager to sit down and order it. On the road on the way to Memphis I has already looked up the menu and tried to call to see about the even BIGGER burger so that my dad and I could share it. Yet, their phone was busy the entire time. When we got there and I asked about it she said that you have to notify them about 24 hours in advance but if I wanted to wait a couple of hours then she could have the King Kookamunga, a  delicious and HUGE 12lb burger, ready.  Although disappointed, I decided that a couple of hours was too long to set us back on our drive and so I would settle for the measly 7 1/2lb Kookamunga burger.

The Kookamunga Challenge consists of  4 pounds of pure beef, on a fresh baked bun, topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and cheese. If you and only you eat it ALL, plus the fixings, in under 60 minutes it's on us, not to mention that you get your picture on the Kooky Canuck wall of fame!

Not only is there 4 pounds of 80/20 ground chuck meat, there is a pound of bun on the top and a pound of bun on the bottom, and 1 1/2 pounds of the fixings totaling the 7 1/2 lb massive burger. The manager brought it out in one hand and a stopwatch and camera in the other. I graciously accepted it and looked a little scared as he explained the rules.

WOW it is HUGE!

Yep, def in shock over the size of the burger but to eat it all in only an hour...OMG!

Well, it was definitely worth a try!

I hadn't even made a dent in it yet.

Well, this is what I had left with a little time left.

The interesting thing about it is that if I would have started the challenge with the mindset that I could actually finish it, I think I actually would have and could have done it. When I started, I was eating slowly because in my mind, there was no way that it was going to happen. Yet, when I got a fourth of the way into it I started to get more confident. And the stakes were definitely raised when the guy at the table in front of me said he would pay me a $100 if I could finish it.

All of the waiters kept coming by to check on me and see what my progess was after the realized that I wasn't just an "average" girl and that I could actually take down some food (and put it in my hollow leg, like my dad always says). I tried to have them give me some extra time because I was a girl and all the waiters were on board, but the manager was too busy to take the time and said that they would bring it up in their next meeting and that I would have to come back and try again. (Not so sure that will happen, but if it does, I WILL finish it!) Yet, despite the disappointment of not being able to finish it in the alloted time, they did tell me that I was the best girl that has ever tried it and that I got the farthest out of any girl! (That was enough vicotry for this attempt!) In fact I was pretty stocked because I beat one of my "heros" Adam Richman too! What more could a girl ask for?

My friend Kirstin lives in Memphis, so she joined us for the crazyness! She could barely finish a 1/4lb burger! (Wimp!)

This was lots of fun and I am glad that I was able to attempt it. Although I hate losing, this one I think I will  have to just be ok with my attemp. Yet, I did make it onto the hall of shame (2nd row from the bottom). Now I can check that one off the list of many things to do and many restaurants to try and many food challenges! Hmm...I wonder what will be next?