you are loved!

happy valentine's day everyone! whether you are single, married, divorced, happily in love, or in a relationship and "it's complicated", i hope you will remember today and for every day afterwards that

you are loved by the One who created you, who literally knit every part of you together; beautifully, fearfully and wonderfully made. He knows every hair on your head and every thought and feeling that you have and He will never leave you. even when you mess up and feel like you are "unlovable", your Father still loves you and nothing will ever change that! praise God!

lately, i have been feeling a little bit unlovable. a few things have happened in the last couple of weeks and i was really starting to get down on myself. but this week i have been reading romans and i came upon this passage that i've read hundreds of times:

"for i am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." [romans 8:38-39]

when we get caught in the rut of eat, work, sleep, repeat, we often forget these truths about God and ourselves. we start to believe in the "truths" of the world, which are actually lies and go against everything the bible tells us. we need to be reminded daily of who we truly are and remember that we are not part of this world but that we are preparing for the kingdom to come. 

recently i have forgotten that my Father will always love me no matter what, even though i don't deserve it, and i'm sure that it happens to you every now and then. but remember that there is nothing that can separate us from God's love and He will pour out His gracious love and mercy on us until we are completely overwhelmed. so on this day full of hallmark cards, roses, and red heart-shaped boxes full of chocolates, i pray that whether you are with someone or not, you remember that you. are. loved.

one is the loneliest number?

hello, my name is megan and i am single.

i have struggled with my singleness for a majority of my life. i have always wanted a boyfriend but have never had one.  and it's not always easy to see your friends dating, in relationships, getting engaged or married, all while you have a non-existent love life.  but as i have gotten older, i'm starting to accept myself and who i am in my single state.  i still struggle with being single sometimes but i'm starting to realize that my identity is not rooted in who i am dating or what my relationship status is.

for most of my life, i have defined myself by many things; daughter, sister, auntie, granddaughter, friend, student, and dancer.  but one sunny easter morning, i received the most important identity of my life, a daughter of the highest King who loves me beyond compare.  four years later i'm still trying to accept my newfound, true identity, but i know that nothing can take that away from me.  God is mine, and I am His.  and nothing will separate Him and His love for me.

and while i am so thankful for this identity full of grace and unfailing love from God, i can easily forget who i am when i hear any one of the following questions/statements:

- "do you have a boyfriend?"
- "why aren't you dating anyone?"
- "boys will be lining up around the block for you when you get older" (yes, people really told me this... such lies!!!)
- "how can a (beautiful/sweet/funny/other adjectives here) girl like you still be single?!"

i become that girl who, despite being ridiculously funny, talented or whatever, is defined by my relationship status.  i'm sure that people don't mean to cause any harm when they ask if you are dating anyone, but when you ask those kinds of questions to someone who always thought that her value was based on if she was in a relationship or not, it makes them feel like they aren't a complete person.  like my life cannot possibly be wonderful, fun or exciting because i am by myself.

my life may not yet be "complete" with a husband or children, but my life is full of many wonderful things.  just read my last blog about what i have accomplished in the past few years!  and i am going to try my best to not let anyone make me think that i am less of a person because i am single.  so from now on, whenever someone asks me if i am dating someone, i will boldly and proudly say with a smile on my face, "no, for now, i am single."  because i know that i already have a love that will never fail,  fade or change.  i am loved by my Father for now and forevermore!

the meaning of accomplishment

A few weeks ago, I ran into a friend from high school who I haven't seen in awhile.  It was so good to see her and we began to talk about what we have been up to over the last few years.

I told her my usual speech about how I graduated from college (almost 4 years ago... yikes!), still live only 30 minutes away from my family, have multiple jobs, and that I try to dance and perform as often as my schedule allows.  That is basically my life in a nutshell.  I felt silly telling her what I have been up to because since high school, she has danced professionally and travelled abroad.  I told her that I didn't think that I had really done a lot compared to what she has done.  But my friend reminded me that I have actually accomplished a lot since I graduated high school.

But what is the meaning of accomplishment?

      :something done, achieved, or accomplished successfully

      :the successful completion of something

      :a special skill or ability gain by practice or training

1. I went to college AND graduated!  Dancing in college was one of the most fun, exciting and sometimes stressful times in my life.  I grew so much as both a dancer and a person during that time. I am so thankful for the education I received and I couldn't imagine going down any other path.

2. I moved out of my parents house and have lived on my own for 6 years.  Minus the year after college when I lived at home, I have been on my own (with some help from my parents) since I was 19!  It definitely was not always easy, but I have learned so much and appreciate all of the things I have because I had to work really hard to get them.

3. I still live close to my family.  I love my (crazy) family so much that I can't imagine how hard it would be to live so far away from them.  I moved far enough away that I could create a life of my own, but not far enough away that I can't see them often.  [I would like to experience living in a different state one day, but for now I'm thankful that my family is just 30 minutes away :)]

4. I have a job (or two, or three!)  After graduating from college, I had to move back home because I didn't have a job.  I call this time "the dark period" because who wants to live at home after you slaved away for four years to earn the most expensive piece of paper I have ever owned?!  Well, thankfully only 6 months later I got the two jobs that I still have today.  They may not be the most glamorous jobs, and the only benefits I get are little kid drawings and Starbucks gift cards (which I will gladly take any day!), but they are honestly the two best jobs I have ever had!  I have the opportunity to teach the next generation of young dancers everything I can from the amazing teachers that I have had over the last 18 years.  I also get to work at a fitness studio where the women are so friendly and inspiring that I can't help but smile.  I am truly blessed that I have not just one great job but TWO!

5. I still get to dance and perform!  I definitely don't dance as much as I used to... I mean I got a degree in dancing barefoot, wearing sweatpants daily and having permanent bun head!!  But I still get to dance!  Not only do I get to take class every now and then but I have had some AMAZING opportunities to perform over the last few years.  I have performed many times while at Cal State Long Beach, even dancing my own choreography!  I joined a jazz dance company and performed in L.A. where we got paid!  But best of all, I have been a part of the dance ministry at my church for the last three years!  I love that not only do I still get to dance, but I get to dance for Jesus!  So amazing!

Looking back, it appears that I do in fact have a lot of accomplishments.  My accomplishments might be different from someone else but that doesn't mean that either are better than the other.  So if you ever feel like you haven't really accomplished anything in your life or feel like you a stuck in a rut, just look back at all of the things you have done, no matter how big or small, and smile at all of the wonderful things you have accomplished :)

25 and feeling alive!

I have officially been 25 for a little over a month now and to avoid a mini meltdown of the "quarter life crisis" I've decided that I want to set 25 things or goals to accomplish over the course of the year. Some are small lifestyle changes and others are crazy, adventurous things that I've always wanted to try but have been too afraid to do. Life is too short to just wish about doing things so this is the year that I'm going to get things DONE! So here is my list of 25 things that I want to do with my 25 year old self:

1. Read my bible and spend time with God daily
2. Journal at least once a week
3. Read 25 books on my book list
4. Watch 25 movies I've never seen before
5. Travel to at least ONE new state (Colorado or New York to visit friends please!)
6. Travel outside of the country for the first time (Italy, I'm coming to you soon!!)
7. Explore new places in my city
8. Walk/bike & just be outside every week
9. Work out at least 3 times a week
10. Be at least 5 minutes early to everything (this one is going to be tough!)
11. Write letters to friends and family
12. Cook more often
13. Try new recipes (especially the hundreds from Pinterest!)
14. Start sewing again
15. Go snowboarding
16. Try surfing for the first time
17. Practice Italian before my Italy trip
18. Donate time or money to one new charity a month
19. Put on an arts fundraising event for childhood cancer research
20. Try 25 new beers
21. Call friends to talk instead of just texting them
22. Pay off a lot of my debt and start saving more (oh the joys of being an adult...)
23. Be more prayerful and ask friends their prayer requests (and actually pray for them!)
24. Observe and actually keep a Sabbath. Absolutely NO work!! (I need to have a least one day off right?!)
25. Think of one thing to be thankful for every day

If you have any words of encouragement or want to participate in any of these things please let me know! Even if I don't accomplish all of these things this year, I want to be more intentional with doing the things in life that I enjoy or want to try. Here's to a year of growth, joy and adventure!!

-Megan

Blog Fail/New Beginnings

I fail at blogging.  There, I admitted it.  But I'm going to give it another try because I don't like to give up on things too easily.  The whole 'food blog thing' might have been a little too much for this amateur cook, but I like the idea of expanding my blog to my life experiences, which includes me attempting to cook (again), the things I'm learning from the many books I read and my random thoughts on life.

So here is my revised blog.  A new beginning.  A small look into my life and the things I think about.  Just a hint of Nutmeg :)

-MD

Life gets in the way sometimes...

Wow! It's been over 2 months since I last posted on here!  That's pretty sad...  My only excuse is that I was definitely in a rut during that time and I just got really lazy, especially with things like cooking.  But, I took a week-long vacation in Mississippi to visit my friend Melody and when I came home I felt totally refreshed!  It was exactly what I needed to live each day less tired and more inspired (hey that rhymes!) And with summer coming and my extreme obsession with Pinterest, I feel like I am ready to attempt my mission again.  I've been feeling really crafty lately, so this might be the perfect time to actually TRY some of the crafts on my Pinterest instead of just pinning them.  So here goes my renewed attempt at cooking, baking and crafting for the summer.  Wish me luck!

Sweetly creative

I LOVE sweet potatoes.  It's probably my favorite food that my grandma makes for Thanksgiving, along with everything else that she makes :)  But it never occurred to me that I could eat these beloved vegetables anytime of the year until recently.  Baked sweet potatoes with black beans, cheese and salsa.  So good.  Sweet mashed potatoes.  Amazing.  Candied yams.  Heavenly.  They're all delicious.  But the one way to prepare these little babies for every day meals and my personal favorite?  Sweet potato fries.  These sweet fries have more vitamin A and beta carotene than the traditional french fry, giving you just a few more reasons to eat sweet potato fries without feeling guilty.  


Last week I wanted to bake a sweet potato for dinner because I had nothing else to eat but I discovered that we didn't have anymore foil.  I know that I could have just baked the potato in the oven without foil but I wanted to get creative and try something new.  So I decided to make sweet potato fries :)


The Ingredients

2 pounds sweet potatoes, about 3 large ones
1/4 cup olive or other vegetable oil
1-2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt
1-2 Tbsp spice or spice combination of your choice: chipotle powder, smoked paprika, Chinese five-spice, pumpkin pie spice, garam masala, Cajun seasoning, etc.




The Process

1.  Preheat oven to 450°F. (For more crispiness, preheat your oven to 500°F.)

2. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut off the ends. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and then, if they are really long, in half crosswise. Cut each piece into large, even wedges. (Alternately, you can slice the peeled sweet potato into disks either with a mandoline or a sharp knife.)

3 Put the sweet potatoes into a large bowl and add the oil. Mix well to combine. Sprinkle with salt, sugar and spices of your choice. Use your hands to mix well, so all pieces are coated with oil and spices.

4. Spread the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on a baking sheet; the oil they are coated with should keep them from sticking to the pan. (Note: You can also put them on a wire cooling rack on top of a baking sheet, so that the oven air circulates around the sweet potato pieces and you don't have to turn them in the next step. You can also preheat the baking sheet to help the fries get crisp.)

5. Bake for a total of 25 to 30 minutes. After the first 15 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven and turn over all of the sweet potato pieces. Return to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until they are well browned. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Don't they look delicious?!

Recipe from http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/oven_baked_sweet_potato_fries/