Sonnet 4.3

I thought today I would share another poem with you! I am planning on posting another recipe soon but am at school right now. I hope you enjoy the sonnet! I wrote this sonnet for my AP English class. It is dedicated to my dad after he hurt his hand at work. I get frustrated with his injury often because I am mad that he isn't better yet. I'm not so much mad at him as I am mad at the situation, at what happened. I love my dad, don't get me wrong, but sometimes its hard to see that things are getting better.
My dad cut his hand with a saw when he was at work in November. He hasn't worked since then and has nearly lost all movement and dexterity in his fingers. I am upset because since his accident he hasn't been the same. He can't work in the yard or fix things-everything has changed; and it's been very difficult to get used to this change. However, this poem isn't so much to help him as it is to help me keep going. I wrote this for him when I felt he was getting more upset about this injury and when I needed to see the real perspective again. I wanted him to know that his injury doesn't define him. He is still my dad. His strength is still in the Lord. And God has not abandoned him. I hope you enjoy it!

Until next time,
~Carissa

Sonnet 4.3

I call you an Overcomer. Why? Well...

You say you are not strong, not brave, and yet

No weakness in your soul have my eyes met.

‘I am not great’ but God in you still dwells.

‘I am afraid’ but darkness in you quells.

I call you a hero. Can you forget

How in the face of pain your mind you set

Not to be brought down, but to pass this fehl.

You stood steadfast in the Holy Power

Without your two hands to help you excel.

I hear you cry out ‘God! why at this hour?’

But I feel your resolve to be stronger.

I don’t see you weak, I see your Tower.

But who are you? I call you my father.

A Dove Moment

Hello Viewers! I have another recipe for you!

How often have you come home and had the arduous task of trying to find something for dinner? The proverbial question of what sounds good is asked to everyone and the common answer is the Neanderthal stare and a grunted answer: "Food". The recipe that often comes to my mind as being stupendously easy and always favorable is my Dijon Chicken and Couscous. The sauce, the Dijon mustard cream, is so smooth and adventurous; the flavors something that you can't simply eat, but something you have to taste. It's a great compliment to the chicken and couscous. (If you are wondering what couscous is, it is very similar to a noodle. Couscous are like tiny balls of noodle that have a somewhat earthy taste. It cooks in 5 minutes and can honestly be served with anything. It's usually by the rice in the grocery stores.) Overall, this dish is absolutely one of my favorites. I have served it to my family on several occasions and they ALWAYS go back for seconds. I don't think you would regret trying it either!
BUT WAIT! What would a blog post of mine be without something inspirational to it?

When I was at the Tea House one day I was listening as my boss, Audrey, introduced the menu to the guests. She had explained the courses and teas when she reached the end of the menu and had everyone pause. She went on to explain to them that they were about to embark on a Dove moment. Audrey told them a Dove moment was a moment to stop what we were doing, what we were thinking, and what we were feeling and to simply be still. We so often lose our understanding of what a hug feels like and what a piece of chocolate really taste like because we have all these distractions running around our minds at full speed keeping us out of the moment. Sometimes we need to take a moment to be still.
As Audrey continued, she had the guests admire the blue of the wrapper and the shimmer as the light hit the foil as they slowly opened the sweet candy and admired the chocolate in their fingers. They were to imagine the taste of the Dove, the smooth texture as it melted on their tongues, and the creamy sensation as they swallowed. The guests had to savor the anticipation of the chocolate in their mouths.
They were then instructed to slowly bite into the chocolate and think about the flavor they were experiencing. They let the chocolate melt slowly on their tongues or chewed it almost ceremonisouly as to not waste the moment they were in. They simply enjoyed the creamy texture and taste of the Dove. When the last bit was gone they guests opened their eyes and made exclamations of it being the best chocolate they had ever tasted. These people had just been reminded of the beauty of a peaceful moment and of the fantastic taste of chocolate.
I encourage you to have a Dove moment of peace as you create the recipe below or as you go about making your own dinner. Listen to the sound of the food sizzling, the smell of dinner wafting from the oven, and the explosion of flavor as you take the first bite. Enjoy the moments you have as you cook dinner for your family and think about the lives you are supporting as they sit around the table. They are the reason every meal you make and every question you ask about what sounds good for dinner is not vain. Overall, put your guard down, let your hair loose, and stop thinking about your worries. Let God tell you who you are and what you are worth. And maybe for desert you can have a Dove chocolate to top it all off. God Bless. Happy dinner making.

Until Next Time,

Carissa



Dijon Chicken and Couscous

4 ServingsPrep: 20 min. Bake: 20 min.

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon or 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/8 teaspoon pepper
COUSCOUS:
1-1/2 cups water
1 cup uncooked couscous
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon or 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
SAUCE:
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup 2% milk
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Directions

 Place chicken in an ungreased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish. Pour wine over chicken; sprinkle with tarragon and pepper. Cover and bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 170°. Remove chicken and keep warm, reserving the pan juices.

For couscous, in a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Stir in the
couscous, butter, bouillon granules and tarragon. Remove from the
heat; cover and let stand for 5-10 minutes or until liquid is
absorbed. Fluff with a fork.

For sauce, in a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour and salt
until smooth; gradually add milk and pan juices. Bring to a boil;
cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the
heat; stir in sour cream and mustard. Serve with chicken and
couscous.
Yield: 4 servings.

The World and I

Hey there! I thought today I would share a sonnet I wrote! Hope you like it!

The World and I

I sit and ponder the weight of the world,

Choosing between the sides that have fought on

For Thousands of years. They senselessly swirl,

Smearing the lines between the good beyond

And the evil at hand. I look to find

My place among the men, the brave and meek.

But I cannot see. The Battle abides,

Here, in heart and mind, slashing my Beliefs,

Causing me to question whom I will choose.

With cries of war reaching desperate ears,

I stretch out my hand to let blood diffuse.

As crimson washes with water, I hear

In distant land my name called, hallowed.

There I leave the Doomed City... to follow.
Until next time!

Carissa

Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hey there! I thought today I would share one of my favorite recipes!

I love to bake. I love to whisk around the kitchen in a lissome, almost all knowing way. I love to rule the kitchen and know every part of what is going on it. But most of all, cooking is my outlet. Whenever I have a passionate fit of anger or a burst of insane joy, my instinct tells me to bake. Most of the time when I am angry I make cookies and when I'm really happy it is something I have never tried before or something I have made up. Whatever it is, I am able to lose myself in baking. I can clear my mind, calm down, and think things through. I am able to talk to God as I go about creating something. In one of my happier moments I stumbled upon a chocolate chip cookie. But not any cookie. This is the softest, chewiest, most delicious chocolate chip cookie ever. I swear by this recipe. It has a few steps to it that are not included in your average recipe, but every hour of every step is very well worth the result of such a recipe. I really hope you try it! It. Is. Amazing. God Bless and happy Baking!

Carissa's Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg + 1 egg yolk (room temperature)

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips or chunks

Toss together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a medium size bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg, then the egg yolk. Finally, whisk in the vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft, yet thick. Fold in the chocolate chips. They may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to have them evenly dispersed among the dough. Cover the dough and chill for 2 hours, or up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory.

Preheat the oven to 325* degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow to slightly soften at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Roll the dough into balls, about 2 Tablespoons of dough each. The dough will be crumbly, but the warmth of your hands will allow the balls to stay intact. Roll the cookie dough balls to be taller rather than wide, to ensure the cookies will bake up to be thick. See this post for more clarity and a photo. Put 8 balls of dough onto each cookie sheet. Press a few more chocolate chips/chunks on top of the dough balls for looks, if desired. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes. The cookies will look very soft and under baked. They will continue to bake on the cookie sheet. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

*Rolled cookie dough may be frozen up to three months and baked in their frozen state for 10 minutes.

I found this recipe on sallysbakingaddiction.com She has AMAZING recipes on there. This happens to by my favorite.

Watching the Sunrise

Welcome! I am extremely happy you are reading this right now because it means that I am not doing this in vane! As I write this post I am sitting by my window watching the sunrise. I love watching the sunrise. To see the sky turn from the black of night into the deep blue of dawn is absolutely astonishing. And then before you know it, the sky explodes with light and color as the hues of red, orange, and yellow show their faces. I find it so beautiful to see the these hidden colors become known as they stretch across the sky and awaken the earth. And all of this is because of one star: the sun. One star dictates the color of the sky, the warmth of the day, the length of the day, and even the behavior of the inhabintants of earth. One star.
One of the things I really enjoy is astronomy because it makes me feel small. People spend so much of their time worrying about life and decisions and knowing whether or not they are good enough that they forget how truly small they are. I know I often forget that my life and opinions are not the most important ones out there, or that a lot of people often do not want to hear about what I had for breakfast or what my plans for the weekend are. There are so many times in life that we all need to see the miniscule importance that we have as human beings compared to the vastness and uncomprehendable size of everything around us. Let me explain, we all know that we live in the Milky Way Galaxy and "know" it is huge and unexplorable. But besides the one Milky Way Galaxy we all live in, there are literally BILLIONS of other galaxies. And within these billions of galaxies there are trillions and trillions of stars and planets. Let that sink in. We are just one earth in one galaxy among one solar system. Doesn't that make you feel small? We as humans, myself included, spend so much time worrying about our hair, our make-up, what we wear, what sports we play in, what grades we get, how much money we earn and what does it amount to? In the end what does that one extra dollar amount to in the face of a universe and time so large, we can only guess what is out there? What does losing that one extra pound or having that one pair of Air Jordan shoes matter when our lives are already so short they are called a mere handbreadth*?
But there is something else. When you go back to the enormity of the universe and the absolute awesomeness of it, put God into it. When you think about the amount of galaxies and stars that exist, think about the Creator who put them there. People always say that God is huge, and I am not exempt from that. But God IS huge. This universe that we live in stretches farther than our minds can think and yet God is bigger than all that. God created the boundaries of the universe, God was there when the galaxies exploded from the starting point of their lives, and the best thing about it is amidst the unlimited God we have, He knows every part about us. He knows when we sleep and when we wake, when we cry and when we laugh, He knows us even to the smallest cell reproduction we have within us. How do you feel now? The very Christ who set up the boundaries for the universe knows who you are and what you are feeling. We are all small. But we have a huge God to love us and make our lives matter. Yes our lives are only a mere handbreadth and yes the things we worry about are petty, but not a day goes by where God does not love the socks off of us. That is our purpose here in this huge thing we call the universe: To be loved by God and to love Him in return.
I encourage you to watch the sunrise one morning. Pick a cozy blanket, your favorite mug of coffee or tea, and the best window in the house, and just watch. Watch and think about the sun that is rising and the Son that has risen. God is vast beyond measure, and He loves you more than your mind can fathom. Until next time,

Carissa


Psalm 39:5 biblehub.com

New Day

Good Morning! Welcome to my blog! Don't see the word blog and simply pass this along. This will not be just any ordinary blog. My plan is to share my favorite recipes, poems, stories, and studies as I go through this next chapter in my life. But first, I want to tell you a little about myself. My name is Carissa. I am 18 years old and am in the last three months of my high school career. This means I will be entering into college this summer, and yes, I am very nervous.
I have a passion for cooking and baking. I love to dance around the kitchen creating something beautiful and delicious and sharing it with the people around me. Baking takes time and time these days is very valuable. To spend a chunk of my day doing something for someone else makes me feel alive. I am currently making my own cookbook as well. If you are wondering what kind of a cook I am, think about this: I can't remember the last time I followed a recipe. In my opinion, recipes are suggestions.
A huge piece of who I am is my Savior Jesus. I became a Christian in 2010 at my Bible camp and have been in love with Him ever since. A huge piece of this blog is also going to be Jesus. He is not just a name people use in church, prayer, or before a swear word. Jesus is the three in one who created the whole earth and has reign over all of heaven and everything under it. He is the one who was there when the universe exploded into life and He is the one who was there when you were in your darkest moments. God is the reason for life.
Among my passion for cooking and God, I have a love for Chemistry, Biology, and just science in general. I love poetry, reading, and writing. I love crafting and creating. I enjoy exercising and being outside. I love people and talking to them and I love nature and all that it encompasses. I am a life enthusiast through and through. Many of these loves you will simply read about as I go from post to post.
One last thing before I leave you: My goal with this blog is to show the world a different side to life. This may include Jesus Christ, nature, silly little things, or seeing the brighter side of every moment. I hope your mind will be open to the beauty that is around us everyday. Life is so much more than cars, work, and sex. Life is a gift that should be enjoyed and cherished. I believe this with all my heart, as you will discover soon enough. But overall, I hope that through this blog your eyes will opened and will become Eyes That See. Until next time,

Carissa