Micro-Review: The Lost Virtue of Happiness

Claim: Happiness is a virtue accompanying a life well-lived, developed through spiritual disciplines in partnership with God.

Corrects our skewed perspective and offers whole-life guidance.




Disclosure: If you purchase an item through the affiliate link, I receive a percentage of amazon's profit.
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Since the title should match the contents...

...I slightly modified my blog's title to "Laura's (Tangential) Writings."

It's more accurate and warns folks about the apparent lack of theme (though, there is a theme: note the subtitle).

For further clarification, here is the American Heritage Dictionary definition of "tangential."

• Merely touching or slightly connected.
• Only superficially relevant; divergent.

There is a connecting thread and that thread is me. So, welcome to my mind, dear readers. :-)
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Sweet Sausage and Peppers

• 3 Sweet Italian Sausage
• 4 Red bell peppers
• 1 Brown onion
• 1 t Star Anise powder
• 1 T coconut oil
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 c Red Car Night Train Ale

How

1. Trim and slice peppers and onions into strips.
2. Saute sausages in coconut oil, then remove from pan.
3. Add pepper and onion slices and saute until soft and slightly browned.
4. Sprinkle anise on veges.
5. Slice sausage in 1 inch chunks and return to pan.
6. Deglaze pan with ale and simmer until ale is reduced to nearly nothing.
7. Pour olive oil over mixture.
8. Let sit so the flavors can marry.
9. Enjoy plain or (if you are not of the primal sort) in a nice Italian roll.

What I'd Change

• Needs fennel.
• Maybe black pepper.
  

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Micro-Review: Primal Body-Primal Mind

Claim: Humanity functions best physically and mentally eating moderate protein, little to no carbohydrates, and ample fats.

Researched and thorough, this is a primal must-read.






Disclosure: If you purchase an item through the affiliate link, I receive a percentage of amazon's profit.
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A Touch of (the Other) California Winter

Beautiful time to be in the mountains: there is a bit of leftover snow on the ground, the roads are clear (no need for pesky chains), and there's a nice winter nip in the air. So unlike the green, cool winter of the flatlands (which I also enjoy).

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Breakfast: Beef, Squash, Cheese

• 3 oz cheap steak
• 1 Chayote, chunked
• 1 small Zucchini, chunked
• 1/2 green Poblano chili, sliced in strips
  
• 2 small slices, Kerrygold Dubliner Irish Cheddar
• 3 pats, grass-fed, European-style butter

How

1. Melt 1 pat of butter over moderate heat
2. Add steak and chili strips
3. Turn steak once, then remove
4. Add squashes and two remaining pats of butter and saute over moderate heat
5. Place steak on top of veges to keep it warm
6. Add herbs or spices to taste (I sprinkled on a bit of powdered ginger)
7. When squashes are softened to your liking, transfer all ingredients of pan to a plate
8. Place two slices of cheese on top and cover to melt.
9. Enjoy.

Serves one

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Envisage (Definition)

to see mentally before seeing by clarifying implications and inherent relations and by determining contrasts and connections

• definition of "tangent" in Merriam-Webster 7.0 for Windows Mobile, (c) 2004-2007.
• definition of "envisage" in synonym discussion under "think" in Merriam-Webster 7.0 for Windows Mobile, (c) 2004-2007.

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Post-Christmas Breakfast--stocking up on fats

A bit of breakfast to sooth the self after going off the rails for Christmas: avocado, over-medium eggs, and pepper. Simple. Good.

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Christmas Breakfast - Primal Style

Julienned turnip, in butter, served with repurposed roast chicken (from Ralph's) that was rinsed of the salt (they added a lot) and sauteed in coconut oil (topped with the crispy scrapings from the fry pan).

Putting Gedgaudas into practice.

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Cod with Smoked Paprika

I was vacuum-packing and freezing some cod and had a bit of extra, so I poached it in coconut oil, with a bit of Smoked Spanish Paprika. Delicate, flavorful--good stuff.

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Commenting Reminder

I'm getting picky in my old age: comments really need to be clearly on point. I will not approve comments that say, "Good post," or any such thing. At the very least, it is not engaging and at worst, it is spam.

So, if you have commented of late and have not been approved, give it another whirl.

Related post: Suddenly, I Believe in Comment Moderation

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Pomegranate-Glazed Chicken with Lemon Zest

Mixed it up a bit for lunch, combining shredded meat from a leg of the Baked Chicken with Cardamom-Pomegranate Glaze with the zest of one lemon, tossing, and heating in the microwave. Yum.

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MI

The Second Annual Elf Spaghetti Feed

Yesterday was the (I think) second annual Registrar's Office Elf Spaghetti Feed. I will say without apology that I observed. It looks fun, but disgusting.

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Baked Chicken with Cardamom-Pomegranate Glaze

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Ruth's Pomegranate Jelly
• 1/2 t cardamom, freshly ground
  
• 1/2 t black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 T Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
• 3 whole chicken legs
• Sea salt to taste

How

1. Combine freshly ground cardamom with 2 tablespoons of the jelly and all the coconut oil.
2. Heat slightly to melt jelly.
3. Whisk ingredients: this is the marinade.
4. Place chicken in a zip top bag and add marinade.
5. Remove as much air as possible and sit in the refrigerator for three hours or more.
6. Heat the oven to 500 F.
7. Place chicken in an oiled oven-safe fry pan, sprinkle with sea salt, and place pan in oven on middle rack. Cook 5 minutes at 500 F.
8. Reduce oven temperature to 350 F and cook until the inner temperature of the chicken reaches 165 F.
9. Move pan to stove top, remove chicken to a platter, and turn burner on high.
10. Add remainder of jelly and freshly ground pepper to the drippings.
11. Heat on high until thickened--this may happen quite quickly, so pay attention.
12. Pour over chicken, serve, and enjoy.

Makes 3-6 servings, depending on the carnivore status of the diners.

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Why Christmas? Part Three

Our oozing, spreading conflict under-the-sun, is transformed by incarnate God into diffusible wholeness and healed relations, so intriguing peace can flow among us.

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Micro Review - The UltraSimple Diet

Hyman claims by reducing inflammation and toxicity through simple dietary adjustments, your body heals itself. Makes a good case. Much to glean; detox raises questions.





Disclosure: If you purchase an item through the affiliate link, I receive a percentage of amazon's profit. 
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Realize (Definition)

vividly conceiving multiple aspects and inherent connections in order to grasp the logical implications and necessary integrity of ideas or impressions under consideration at present

• definition of "tangent" in Merriam-Webster 7.0 for Windows Mobile, (c) 2004-2007.
• definition of "realize" in synonym discussion under "think" in Merriam-Webster 7.0 for Windows Mobile, (c) 2004-2007.

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I May Have Found My Perfect Walking "Shoe"

I've been looking for warm walking shoes close to barefoot, but pesky bunions made it tough. These comfy slippers seem to have done the trick.


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Celebrating the Return to Regular Time

'Twas a tasty celebration.

Related Post: Holy Time Has Begun.

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Bowed Psaltery: Just One Project Between Terms

Sunday, a TFB member donated this beautiful instrument to the band, as long as someone learned to play it. I can't wait to start discovering.

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The Great Pizza Fire of December 2009

Thursday at Biola, Rose Hall filled with smoke, people filed out, Metzger folk left their cubes to gawk: just another day of exciting university life.

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Asparagus, Broccoli, and Kippered Herring

Ingredients

• 2 bunches, Asparagus, trimmed and cut into one inch lengths
• 2 heads, Broccoli, cut in one inch bits
• Crown Prince Natural Kipper Snacks (one can per serving)
• 1 bunch Cilantro, rough chop
  
• 1 T Light soy sauce

How

1. Coat asparagus in soy sauce and saute in dry pan until just before soft.
2. Steam broccoli, leaving it a bit crunchy.
3. Toss asparagus and broccoli with cilantro.
4. Top with herring.
5. Enjoy.
   

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The Regular

Every morning at Norwalk Station, he arrives, two bags in hand, wipes the windows of his car, and drives away. It is a comforting routine.

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And after the Samurai, the battle against the Gingerbread men

My workmates possess a touch of dark humor: this year's winning decorated cube was, “Let it snow, let it snow, die Gingerbread men, die.”

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