Remember ME

Next time you start to make fun of or judge people who work for minimum wage...before you call them lazy, stupid, uneducated, or any number of derogatory adjectives...remember ME...because I work for minimum wage at my third job, you know the one I do on the weekends because teaching and my Masters' degree don't pay me enough to make ends meet...yeah minimum wage...just like all my co-workers there...several of whom have master's degrees, too, and others with bachelor's degrees, some are nurses, photographers, pastry chefs, moms, and so much more, quite a few of them are also college students (you know future doctors, lawyers, nurses, and so on)...so before you judge people who work for minimum wage and say they deserve to make poverty wages...remember ME.

"We Are Not Trayvon Martin"

I am writing this post as a response for a Blog that's called "We Are Not Trayvon Martin."  Please check it out, read, THINK and ACT!  Please, I encourage you to add your own version as a comment below!
http://wearenottrayvonmartin.tumblr.com/

I am not Trayvon Martin, but I do love to wear my hoodies!   No, I am not Trayvon--I am a petite, white, 30-something woman.  Do I look suspicious, too?!  I am not Trayvon, but like him, behind that hoodie and some shadows lies a uniquely created human being with a family, with friends, with dreams, with fears, with love, with laughter and with tears... so much more than a "suspicious person" or "fucking punk."  I am not Trayvon Martin, but I am a person sharing this planet with many other persons, and as they say in Key West, Florida: "We are all equal members in one human family." 

I am not Trayvon Martin.  I am a lower-middle class English teacher.  I have taught many 17 year-old Trayvons and Davons and Devins and Kevins.  The injustice of this acquittal feels like someone just slaughtered one of my former high school students, my babies, and got a way with it.  When I talk to my current college students about the outcome of this trial, the hairs on my arms stands up straight, and I get the chills...tears come to my eyes as I try to speak.

I am not Trayvon Martin.  When people see me, they haven't been programmed to be afraid of me.  The media hasn't taught anyone that I am a gangsta or pimp or drug dealer or criminal of any kind.  People don't teach their children to fear me or avoid me or suspect me of anything.  As a child, my role models were not gansta rappers like Lil Wayne.  I didn't see myself that way, nor did others see me as a potential gangsta.  I never got followed in a store while I was shopping because no one assumed I was shoplifting.  I never got pulled over when driving out of spite.  I never had to fear being abused, incarcerated, endangered, mistrusted, or hated because of my skin color.

I am not Trayvon Martin.  I've never been followed in the dark by a man with a gun.  No paranoid vigilantes have ever hunted me down.  I've never been racially profiled to the extent that it endangered my life.  Society and culture do not assume that I am a trouble maker, that I am lazy, or that I am a threat.  People don't look at me and automatically assume I am a criminal or that I do drugs.  I am not Trayvon Martin, but if a black man shot me in the dark, do you honestly think he would be acquitted of all charges?!

I am not Trayvon Marin.  I am alive today.  I will get to hug my mom and tell her how much I love her.  I got to go to work this morning and do what I love--teach. I got to have my Mountain Dew this morning. 

I am not Trayvon Martin, but I will continue to use my voice to stand up for our Trayvons and our Davons and our Devins, Kevins, Mariahs, Marias, Marys, and Monicas.  I will fight for our children and for a better world.  I will teach my students to look critically at what they see and hear and experience in the world. I will try to teach them tolerance and compassion and understanding in any way I can. I will continue to share my motto for life, a saying by Gandhi, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."  I will live that motto to the best of my abilities.  I will not forget Trayvon or his family.  I will not forget the strength and patience his parents have shown through this horrific ordeal.  I will never forget the image forever burned in my soul of Trayvon's corpse lying still and limp on the concrete that night.  I will fight against hate.  I will fight against prejudice.   I will fight against intolerance.  I will not stay silent when I see injustice.

I am not Trayvon Martin, but he is my brother.  I mourn for him.  I mourn for his family.  I mourn for our children, our country and our world.  It is time for ALL OF US to EVOLVE and ELIMINATE HATE!

Hot Chocolate Beverages from America and Around the World

I know this is a little untimely for some of us...but I'm inclined to share these recipes anyways...save them for a cold, rainy day!  I did some research into various hot chocolate and hot cocoa recipes...including reading up on my history, searching many Internet recipes, and a lot of yummy tastings. 

I spent the cold winter indulging myself in the wonderful world of chocolate and found that the first recipe listed below is my favorite for hot chocolate.  For a delectable twist add a teaspoon of peanut butter!  The second recipe was my favorite for hot cocoa...made with powered cocoa as opposed to melted chocolate chips.  The third recipe makes a great wintertime gift for friends.  After you have found your favorite recipe, don't forget the toppings and other goodies:  marshmallows, whipped cream, peppermint candy, peanut butter, caramel...be creative!  I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I did!  Bon appetit!

How to Make Real Hot Chocolate:
Ingredients:
2 squares unsweetened or semisweet chocolate
1/3 cup sugar
4 cups milk
You may substitute 1/3 cup semisweet morsels for the 2 squares unsweetened or semisweet chocolate.
 
Break or chop the two squares of unsweetened or semisweet chocolate into smaller pieces.

In a saucepan, add: 2 chopped squares unsweetened or semisweet chocolate, 1/3 cup sugar and 2 cups milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously. Once the mixture comes to a boil, add the remaining 2 cups milk and heat all the way through. Do not allow the hot chocolate to come to another boil.  Remove from heat and serve immediately.
 
How to Make Real Hot Cocoa:
Ingredients:
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
4 cups milk

In a saucepan, add: 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/3 sugar and 4 cups milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously. Heat all the way through without allowing the mixture to come to a boil. When steam begins to build and a few bubbles escape along the sides of the saucepan, the cocoa is done.  Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix:
4 cups of dry milk
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup of powdered coffee creamer
3/4 cup of cocoa powder
one package of instant vanilla or chocolate pudding

Put all the ingredients in the food processor and mix until blended. To serve put 1/3 cup of mix into a mug and stir in hot water.

Hot Chocolat
Have you seen the movie, Chocolat? This is like the hot chocolate that was served in the movie.
2 cups boiling water
1 chile pepper, cut in half, seeds removed (with gloves)
5 cups light cream or whole or nonfat milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 to 2 cinnamon sticks
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate or 3 tablets Mexican Chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey, or to taste
l tablespoon almonds or hazelnuts, ground extra fine/span>
Whipped cream
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add chile pepper to boiling water. Cook until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Remove chile pepper; strain water and set aside.  In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cream or milk, vanilla bean and cinnamon stick until bubbles appear around the edge. Reduce heat to low; add chocolate and sugar or honey; whisk occasionally until chocolate is melted and sugar dissolves. Turn off heat; remove vanilla bean and cinnamon stick. Add chile-infused water, a little at a time, tasting to make sure the flavor isn't too strong. If chocolate is too thick, thin with a little more milk. Serve in small cups and offer ground almonds or hazelnuts and whipped cream.

Angelina’s Hot Chocolate

The Angelina Cafe in Paris, open since 1903, serves a thick hot chocolate version in demitasse cups with a tiny dollop of mascarpone and whipped cream. They are famous for making hot chocolate from melted chocolate bars. It is incredibly easy to prepare by mixing chocolate shavings with hot water. You can serve it in small cups or in 17th-century style chocolate pots and demitasse cups such as those sold in gourmet shops.

6 ounces fine-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup water, room temperature
3 tablespoons hot water
3 cups hot milk, divided
Sugar to taste
Whipped cream, if desired
In a double boiler over low heat, combine chocolate and 1/4 cup water until melted, stirring occasionally; stir until smooth. Remove top of double boiler pan from. Whisk in 3 tablespoons hot water. Pour into pitcher or divide among individual 4 mugs. Either stir 3/4 cup hot milk into each mug or serve milk in a separate pitcher. Pass sugar and whipped cream in separate bowls; add to taste. Makes 4 servings.

 
Italian Hot Chocolate - Cioccolato Caldo
Italy is famous for their Cioccolato Caldo, especially during the fall and winter months. This hot chocolate is sometimes served so thick (like a pudding), that you need a spoon to actually eat it! this recipe doesn't make it that thick. The luxurious richness comes from using top-quality chocolate. 

5 tablespoons Dutch-process Cocoa powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 ounces dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao solids), finely chopped
2 cups milk
In a small saucepan over low heat, add the cocoa powder, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of the milk, Heat until the sugar melts and no lumps remain, stirring well. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly; add the remaining milk. Turn off the heat, add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth.
Pour into serving cups and enjoy! Makes 2 servings.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Recipes

In central and southern Mexico, people commonly drink chocolate twice a day year-round. Having a layer of foam on hot chocolate is as important today in Mexico as it was in ancient times. Mexicans believe the spirit of the drink is in the foam. The chocolate is whipped to a froth with a carved wooden utensil called a Molinillo and served in mugs.

Mexican Hot Chocolate I
6 cups milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 ounces unsweetened Mexican Chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Stick cinnamon (for optional garnish)
In a large saucepan, combine milk, sugar, chocolate, ground cinnamon, and salt. Heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate has melted and the milk is very hot. (Do not let the milk come to a boil.)
Beat 2 eggs in a mixing bowl. Stir in one cup of the hot mixture into the eggs, then return this mixture to the saucepan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes more over low heat, still stirring.
Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Beat with a Molinillo or a rotary beater until it is very frothy. Pour into mugs, garnish with cinnamon sticks, and serve. Makes about 6 (8-ounce) servings.

 Mexican Hot Chocolate II
This recipe and photo are courtesy of Cynthia Detterick-Pineda of Andrews, TX.

4 (1-ounce) squares of Mexican Chocolate
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup hot water
Small pinch of salt
1 teaspoon instant coffee
2 cups of milk
1 egg (optional)
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 dried red chile peppers
Ground cinnamon for sprinkling

In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-low heat, add the Mexican chocolate, honey, hot water, salt, coffee, and chile pepper.  Heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture just begins to boil; reduce heat to low and let simmer, stirring constantly, for approximately an additional 1 minute. Carefully stir in the milk and let sit over low heat until the chocolate is too warm to touch (you can see the steam rising from it).

In a medium-size bowl, beat the egg until it is frothy, you can use an electric mixer, a Molinillo, or a fork for this. You just need to make it as frothy as possible. Add the vanilla extract and beat in well.  

Pour the hot chocolate mixture over the frothed egg and beat it vigorously for about 15 seconds.  You want to beat it until you have about 1/2- to 1-inch of foam on top.

Pour into cups or mugs to serve.  Sprinkle some ground cinnamon over the hot chocolate once it is in the mug.

 

"Morning Meditation"

When I was young,
My curiosities wandered
From the realm of God
Which could have been my downfall,
But God saved my desperate life
With miracles repeated.
I explored the darkness,
And I ignored the Truth,
And the gnawing pain inside me
Fiercely grew and grew.
And when I fell into the depths,
Of this deep pit of angst,
And the bottom came crashing toward me...

And hand of light held me tight.
And so my heart was softly cradled
And mercifully forgiven,
And God began to speak to me,
And I began to listen.
Slowly, ministry took my heart,
And my curiosities flourished,
But now my quest lies in his words,
His teachings and life lessons.
Closer to the truth I march,
My life renewed with spirit.
God was patient;
God was kind,
And through his mercy saved me.
With this second chance,
And by the grace of God,
I begin my life afresh,
My path becoming clearer.

Lenten Reflection

I watched the movie Lincoln last night...the story of how he fought to pass the 13th amendment to free the slaves and to end slavery in this country for all time.  Tonight, I'm watching the Ten Commandments which is about Moses who also freed slaves from the oppression of tyrants.  Very similar themes and rhetoric got me thinking about how timely the Ten Commandments movie was.  Published in 1956--one of the hottest years of the Civil Rights movement--the words and themes ring true.  Undoubtedly these themes of freedom, equality, compassion, respect, and so on hold true in all three time periods...ancient Egypt, Civil War America and Civil Rights America.

But has humanity learned the lesson yet?  Let's not forget how relevant these themes are in today in issues ranging from race and gender equality to equal marriage rights.  For example, I love that the new pope washed the feet of juvenile prisoners on Holy Thursday to commemorate when Jesus washed the feet of the disciples at the Last Supper.  He broke the tradition that required the pope to wash the feet of other priests.  He has exemplified the heart of Christ's true message of love, compassion, humility and charity.  His message this Easter demonstrates a fresh, new tolerance and selflessness.  Pope Francis even washed the feet of a female Muslim prisoner...something that irked a few of his haughty Catholic co-workers.  Finally the Catholic church has a Christ-like leader! 

Maybe Pope Francis will help spread the words that were passed from Moses to Lincoln to civil rights heroes like MLK Jr. and Rosa Parks ...the words that ring from every mountain top from ancient Egypt until now...the words that we celebrate on Easter as Christians and that Jews also celebrate during Passover...the words that shout that all men are created equal...that all people are created equal members of one human family (the motto of Key West Florida).  When will we listen to the wise words of so many that came before us from Moses to Buddha, from Christ to Jefferson, Lao Tzu, Mother Theresa and so many more wise souls?  Maybe then humanity can begin to transform into the enlightened beings that so many before us hoped for us to become.  Maybe then the world will begin to heed the wisdom that came to us in so many word from so many voices...words like those of Albert Einstein:


"A human being is part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from the prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which they have obtained liberation from the self. We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if humanity is to survive.  I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."

Or if you'd rather have it simply put...it's like Pink Floyd sings:  "Us and Them... after all we're only ordinary men...Me, and you."

Yin Yang

The sun of day ceases so rest may come.
Darkness reminds us to savor the fleeting light.
Coldness must come so we can truly feel warm.
In the depths of the frozen winter, we await summer--
Only to curse the blazing sun.
Shiver or sweat--we could not know one with out the other.
Just as we cannot feel true joy without knowing pain.
We cannot rejoice in spirit
If we know nothing of grief.
Loneliness shows us the value of others.
Mistakes teach us what is right.
And so the universe seeks balance--
Karmic energy moves us.
The heart and the mind must join;
The masculine and the feminine must coincide and cooperate.
Logic and emotion must seek the middle path.
The battle between good and evil will rage on
Defining for us how to be human in the universe.
Life creates, but death destroys,
So life can begin again.
In the day there are shadows,
And even at night the stars and the moon in the heavens
Cast a glimmer of light on the face of the Earth.

Age

With my birthday coming up this week, I've been thinking a lot about age...how much it matters and how much it really doesn't. Sure I might not be able to physically do the same things I could when I was in my early twenties...I definitely don't snowboard like I did back then for example. But looking back on all that I've gained through my experiences in life, I realized that I gained a whole lot of wisdom...though I still am not done learning. There are plenty of things I've gotten better at over the years. Most importantly, despite my age, I am still me. I still am myself everyday in my own way. But with age, I have grown much more confident and comfortable being myself. Do I ever wish I could still spin a 360 method grab off a 25 foot table top? Sometimes. But, do I wish I were young again. No way! Things are so much chiller now...more stable, more peaceful, and just a little bit easier because I've lived and learned.