Baking and Life

So, one of the books that I want to write this year and one which is in constant progress, is a cookbook. It’s amazing, because there are so many ways to approach this book. Should I write about a specific meal, for example, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks or holiday meals. Should I write about desserts? What about country specific meals? There are so many ways that I could format this book, and yet, they all sound incredibly wonderful. When I was thinking about how I wanted to approach this, it occurred to me that writing a cookbook and specifically, cooking, is a lot like life. Stay with me now, because this is where it gets interesting.

While writing about, and certainly cooking, all of these wonderful dishes would be incredible and sharing them with all of you even more so, I realized that I can’t just throw them all together and into one book. Not only would it not make sense to do so, but it would be so overwhelming, (not to mention costly to publish) that no one would buy it, no matter how much they wished for it, hoped for it or wanted it. It would be too overwhelming! That’s how life can be sometimes.

There are so many choices in life. Some of them are good for us while others, well, not so much. I’m one of those types of people who would love to experience everything that life has to offer, but like the book that I mentioned in this blog, trying to get to all of it would be overwhelming! So, I need to be content with making lists and deciding what would be the most fulfilling things for me to do during my short stint on this earth. I believe that we all need to do the same thing. Look at the world and the life that you’re living, and decide what it is that you want to do. Decide where you want to go, who you want to be with and what activities would help you to learn and grow and find contentment in this world, while at the same time, bringing a little joy to those around you. You’ll have many chances

Drew~

Driving Force

Years ago, I taught driver’s education for Conahan’s Driving School in Fort Collins, CO. I learned a great deal about driving while teaching there, and continued teaching there for a few years because I thought that they had an amazing curriculum and I was able to teach many of our future drivers how to drive safely on the roads. I thought that their course of study was so good, and is to this day, that I sent my two youngest daughters there before they went for their learner’s permit, and would recommend them to anyone in Northern Colorado who has children ready to learn.

I’ve discovered since that time that our driving is a reflection of our moods and personalities. Recently, I’ve noticed more and more impatient drivers on the roads, and it’s really starting to get to me.

Now, I’m not a perfect driver. I don’t think that anyone is. My wife uses her imaginary footbrake, the one on the passenger’s side, when we drive. I would like to think that I drive well. I stay within the speed limit most of the time. I’m actually one of those people that you might complain about when you’re late. Lately, though, I’ve had so many people tailgating me and, when the opportunity presents itself, find them speeding around me like they’re on their way to a fire, only to have me catch up to them at the next light. Honestly, I have to chuckle when that happens, but I’m concerned about the level of impatience that I see in the world today.

Seeing how so many people are driving makes me wonder why there are so many impatient people out there, and if they’re that impatient in their everyday lives. It used to be said that, “patience is a virtue,” and if that’s still the case, are we becoming less virtuous? Is the art of being patient becoming a lost one?

Patience is a wonderful thing to teach our children by example. I recommend it to each of you. Try being more patient and more kind. Give yourself a little extra time to get places. Be kind to others. Karma has a great way of giving you the extra time that you need when patience becomes a part of your life. Mostly, be patient with yourself, and when you do, you’ll find a whole new world that surrounds you and holds you I a warm hug from the world.

Drew

Being Strong

I’ve always liked to have considered myself a strong person. Physically strong, yes, but I would like to think that I’m more than that. We all do to some degree. I would love to think that I am the master of my life and keeper of my destiny. I would love to believe that no matter what happens in life, it’s leading me to the end goal where I want to be. I want to believe that success is just a few inches away. The funny thing is, I do believe all of that and more!

Everyday, I look at what I’m doing, where I’ve been and where I’m headed, and I make small adjustments. This is much like sailing a ship or driving to a destination. With a ship, one must make small corrections in course, to maintain the correct path to the final destination. When driving, a road might be closed or a route might have changed, and corrections must be made to adjust. Life’s journey is the same way.

Many people go through life, allowing it to carry them along like a river current. They float through life without a destination or purpose. They basically live life by default and what ever good things might happen, they happen at the hands of others, or worse, the hand of fate. I look at life and I have decided that I want to reach a final destination as a writer. I write daily. I look for places to post my works and explore places where I can get paid for what I love to do. The more I look, the more I do and the more I try, the more work I get and the closer I get to becoming someone that is recognized for the words that I put together to make people laugh, think and consider.

Each of us have this internal drive. Many of us, in this day and age, try to ignore it and shove it aside; bury it so that we don’t have to face what our potential could be. My challenge to each of you, is to let that part of you shine through. Explore your inner desires and do your best to release your full potential. If everyone in the world did this, just imagine what we could accomplish, create and become!

Drew~

Baked French Onion Soup

This past week was a all for celebration in my household, and as a way to do so, one of the things we did was to go out and eat. We actually went to a restaurant where I had never dined before. At first, I was a little leery about eating at this particular place. The name of the business was nice, “The Summit”, and it was in this wonderful and rustic looking building, but it was also, in addition to being a restaurant, and arcade, a bowling alley and a section of the building was used for laser tag. As a result of all of the other activity housed in this building, I did not hold the thought of this being a five star restaurant anywhere in the forefront of my mind.

When I first walked in, it was noisy. I expected it would be and so that didn’t surprise me. I was surprised, however, when we walked over to the restaurant and waited at the hostess’s’ station to be seated. As we were shown to our seats, my next impression of the restaurant was that it was more like a sport’s bar than anything else. A full bar graced one side of the dining room and large televisions were hanging from the ceiling showing, you guessed it, sporting events.

The waitress came over and asked if we wanted drinks and then left us with the menus.

My wife and I eat well, but are not exotic eaters. The two of my children that were with us at the time, however, have interesting dietary requirements, which, I suspected, might put this restaurant to the test. My sixteen-year-old is extremely finicky about what he eats, while my fourteen-year-old is vegetarian.

I was pleasantly surprised, however, by the great variety the menu offered. The Summit had something to offer each unique pallet at the table.

For me, I ordered the Shrimp and Chips with a side of a childhood favorite, Baked French Onion Soup. It’s really strange that I like it because I’m not at all an onion person. I don’t like them large or small if they are crunchy or if they have a strong onion flavor. But I can save that entire thing for another blog! The fact is that The Summit had amazing Baked French onion soup! They flavor was incredible, the croutons were large and flavorful and the melted Swiss cheese was perfect. My compliments to the chef! In addition, the shrimp was very plump and filled with flavor. The chips were French Fries and not remarkable, but the rest of the meal was amazing. The meals that the rest of my family had were just as wonderful. So, the bottom line, if you happen to be visiting Loveland, Colorado and you want to stop for fun, entertainment and some fine food, think about visiting The Summit.

Drew

Humility is not Weakness

Humility happens when one thinks of him or herself as not being the important thing in the universe. This may sound easy to do. Now, think of the universe as only being your universe. Not quite as simple.

We are all the center of our own worlds. We’re told that in order to care for others, we have to care for ourselves. The importance of self-worth is impressed on us from the time we’re very young. We’re also taught the importance of accepting others, not judging and overlooking the faults of others. In essence, we’re put into a situation where we have to weigh the importance of what we’ve been taught and use them against each situation that comes up based on how they affect us.

It’s important that when things come up, we try not to allow them to get under our skin, but accept that people are all different and have behaviors that to them, are who they are, but to us might be unacceptable. Things that we can’t accept will continue to haunt us and take away from the good things that we need to focus on in our lives.

By helping others, in a kind and humble way, we continue to climb the path to excellence that we are meant to reach. By focusing on the negative in others, we lose our way on our path of progression.

Become a leader. Become a positive light in the negative darkness of the world. Be humble and let your humility shine!

We Are What We Create, Doctor Frankenstein

We Are What We Create, Doctor Frankenstein

If you fail to act and believe that nothing will happen, you are only fooling yourself. When you make no decision, the choice to not decide is a decision in itself. The decision is made for you by default. Life goes on!

If you want your life to be great, happy, joyous and rich, then you have to participate in things that are great, happy, joyous and rich! These things will not just show up on your doorstep, knock and ask to be invited inside. You must participate in the dance of life in order to fully enjoy the music! You must participate in life so that life, in turn, will include you in the wonder and amazement that happens each day.

We may be alone with our thoughts, but our actions all begin with those thoughts. Your insides are truly connected to our outside world. What we want inside will be expressed outside. Only we have control over those things.

Look around your world. Of what does it comprise itself? Do you live in chaos and turmoil? Are you surrounded by people to whom you have trouble relating? Your surrounding give you clues to your inner self. Look around and see the environment that surrounds you. To change that environment, you must first change the environment inside of you!

You don’t have to change who you are. Be yourself and surround yourself with those things that you want to have in life. It might be just written on a piece of paper at first or accompanied by photos, but keep them where you can see them as a constant reminder that this is what you want for yourself. Before you know it, you’ll be where you want to be and will have created that world that you long for!

Drew ~

The Boomerang Effect

It would seem that we always want what we don’t have. We want to be better looking, happier, wealthier, more famous and so on. In wanting more of what is not available to us, we tend to feel misery and lament when others have those things that we hope for. Sometimes, it even turns into jealousy. Did you know that given time and with some patience, it’s really not that difficult to get everything that you desire?

Have you ever seen a boomerang? That elongated ‘v’ shaped object that, when thrown correctly, comes back to you. When I was a young teenager, my parents bought me one. I think that I received it for Christmas, but I’m not entirely sure. Anyway, I went out one day, after carefully reading the instructions on how this thing works, and gave it a try.

My first attempts were admirable. At least they were in my mind. As I  recall, the first try went straight down and into the ground. After a few tries, I managed to keep it from immediately going into the ground but instead, it flew several feet away. Being that age, I was more than happy to run after it, pick it up and throw it again.

Eventually I was able to throw it and watch as it arched through the sky, and headed back toward me and landing only a few feet away. I could not have been prouder! I felt as if I were mastering the fine piece of sports equipment! I had but one more thing to conquer; the art of having it come back to me while I catch it! I had seen people do that before and by golly that’s what I wanted to do.  

I practiced throwing the boomerang and watched as it got closer and closer to me. Then I made the throw that I had been waiting for. The boomerang flew through the air and made the final approach for a perfect landing. At the last moment, I ducked out of the way, realizing that I had no idea how to catch this spinning, and hard, piece of wood.

I was never able to catch the dang thing. It was more than I expected it to be. 

When you send things out into the world that you want, you get them back in a boomerang effect. If you want happiness in your life, you have give happiness out. If you want to be popular, you have to make those around you feel popular. Everything that yo give away to others will come back to you a hundred fold, and usually, when you least expect it! Just make sure that what you’re wanting the universe to send back to you is something that you’re prepared to catch and embrace. 

Drew~