The Road Less Traveled

Earlier this week, I made some cookies for my dad to bring to his office. A few weeks ago, I brought some chocolate chip cookies to his office—and ever since, his co-workers have been asking for more. I was happy to make more cookies, but this time I wanted to try something different. I know that lots of people have gluten intolerance and/or lactose intolerance, so I wanted to make something they could enjoy too. I wanted something that had simple, not-too-expensive ingredients and was easy to make. Not only do these cookies taste great, they only have 4 ingredients and they don't contain any artificial colors. Ingredients: 1 cup Jif creamy peanut butter 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed 1 large egg Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 3. Using a mixer, combine all ingredients on low speed. (Or mix by hand.) 4. Scoop dough onto parchment paper using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie ...

I get it. It's tempting to stay out of politics and give both the Democrat Party and the Republican Party the well-deserved middle finger. Well, I hate to break it to you, but you cannot escape politics. Your very existence is political. Your boss cares about politics. Your landlord cares about politics. Your insurance company cares about politics. The Congress members who are legislating away your rights care about politics. And guess what? They're all perfectly willing to take advantage of your apathy and ignorance.  Also, newsflash—the world does not revolve around you. So even if a particular issue doesn't affect you, you should still care about your fellow humans. It's not about Democrats versus Republicans. It's about common sense and basic morality. You wonder why I take these things so personally. Why I can't take a joke, why certain issues are not up for debate. The reason is that you and I have completely different views on the nature of politic...

Today I read a news article about a mother who posted a video of her child on social media. Her 9-year-old son, who has been bullied for having health problems, was saying that he wanted to kill himself. So the mother decided not only to film her child during this vulnerable moment, but to post the video on Facebook. And the worst part is that people are actually applauding her for doing so. The mother claimed that she was trying to make people aware of the harmful effects of bullying, but that doesn't exactly add up. First of all, bullies tend to be perfectly aware of how their behavior affects others. They usually have above-average social intelligence, which they use to hurt and manipulate others. Their goal is to shame and humiliate others. Bullying is an issue of willful cruelty, not ignorance. Second of all, by posting the video on social media, this mother was participating in the bullying as well. Children are people, not political pawns to be sacrificed in the name...

"Why can't you just let it go?" That sentiment, in some form or another, has been echoed throughout my life. As a young girl, I learned that "good Christians" not only forgive but forget. However, that mentality left me vulnerable to bullying, harassment, and abuse. As I got older, I began to resent having to forgive and forget. I tried to let go of the past, but no matter how hard I tried, the past wouldn't let go of me. Eventually, I learned that forgiveness is about more than just letting go. It's about holding on—to your faith, to your values, and to your well-being. Forgiveness is not the absence of the storm, but learning to dance in the rain. Also, forgiveness is not a re-writing of your story. It is a re-framing of your story. And yes, there is a difference. Re-writing means that you ignore or cover up what has happened to you. Re-framing means that you acknowledge what has happened to you, while also keeping the bigger picture in mind....

Yesterday I went to a large family gathering, so I tried out a new apple dump cake recipe for dessert. I've seen a few recipes like this one before, but I wanted to make a cake without eggs or dairy because so many people are allergic to those foods. The cake turned out great! It tasted like a sweeter version of apple pie. I had a few people taste-test it, and they were amazed when I told them it only had 3 ingredients and didn't contain eggs or dairy. Ingredients: • 1 can (21 oz.) Lucky Leaf premium apple pie filling • 1 box (15.25 oz.) Duncan Hines Perfectly Moist Classic Yellow cake mix • 1/2 cup Country Crock Original vegetable oil spread, melted Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. Spread apple pie filling evenly over the bottom of a greased 9" x 13" baking pan. 3. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over pie filling. 4. Spread melted Country Crock evenly over cake mix. 5. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. 6. Remo...

Competition is woven into the very fabric of our culture. It's as American as pickup trucks, John Wayne movies, and apple pie. Or so people say. My friends and I usually roll our eyes at whatever "latest and greatest" thing our culture rolls out. Personally, I don't participate in—or view—competitive events. I don't watch Cutthroat Kitchen or Toddlers & Tiaras. And I don't care who got an Oscar nomination or who won the Super Bowl. Why? Because those things aren't important to me. And they shouldn't matter to you—or to anyone else, either. Just so you know, I'm not saying this out of bitterness or resentment. I'm saying it from experience. As a child, I won my fair share of medals and trophies. By high school, I was obsessed with "being the best." My schedule was full of Honors classes and varsity sports. And you know what? All that pressure was just too much. But really, I'm not against competition because it puts too ...

#1: I’m pro-choice because I understand biological reality. If a fertilized egg is a person, then every woman with a functioning reproductive system is a murderer. About 2/3 of embryos fail to implant, and of those that do implant, 25% are miscarried by the end of the first trimester. An embryo is not guaranteed to become a person, and sometimes it becomes two or more people (identical twins/triplets). Also, in the case of a molar pregnancy, the embryo has not developed into a person, but into a potentially life-threatening tumor. A fetus has no brain activity until the 24th week of pregnancy. Without consciousness, a body is not a person. (That’s why it’s legal to withdraw life support from those that are brain-dead.) Also, until the 24th week of pregnancy, the fetus is fully dependent on the mother and has no chance of survival outside her body. The fetus and the mother cannot be equal; no matter which side you’re on, the rights of one must outweigh the rights of the other. Eit...