Adulthood

It's been a while since I've posted on this sucker.  Mostly because I've been busy doing better things and haven't had the need.  I've been expressing myself in many other creative outlets which I believe is a very important thing. 

  This has been my first year (almost a year) of being completely 'on my own' from my family of origin.  Thank God.  Relying on my family has been something I've been resentful of in the past for a variety of reasons.  Because I would be guilted over financial dependence and would not be empowered or encouraged to do anything about it.

  I do not think that ANY young adult should be completely financially dependent on their family.  I don't care if they're in college or not.  I think it is the PARENTS responsibility to teach (via personal experience and example) their kids how to live on their own.  If a parent feels their child is taking advantage of what they're given, that is the fault of the parent.  

  I have also come to learn a lot about non-family relationships.  And thank God because I surely had it WRONG before.   I am not a people pleaser.  I am a thinker, who is judging on what I think is right and wrong and there is nothing wrong with that.

  Some people are more emotional than logical, some people sense things out instead of being intuitive, and so forth.  Well, I am a very 'what you see is what you get' kind of person.  And that is what I expect from other people.  If someone isn't like that, then likely I won't like them.

There's nothing wrong with that and it doesn't make me wrong and them right or me right and them wrong.  It's just a difference of personalities.

 Well, the difference in me now and me how I used to be is that I'm not afraid to see things how they are.  Before I would deny how people truly were.  I would have an instinct or knowing that someone was not acting the way I thought was right and instead of putting 2+2 together to = 4, I would be in denial over it.

  Bottom line, if you have a friend who repeatedly screws you over they are not a good friend and maybe not a good person.  If you have a boyfriend/girlfriend who takes advantage of you in ANY way, it's not because they haven't learned certain life lessons.  It's not because they didn't realize they hurt you.  It's not because it was an accident.  If you are friend with someone or in a relationship with someone who treats ANYONE poorly at any time and isn't repentant about it, they are not who you need to associate with. 

 Before, I have had an eerie desire to make people want to be my friend.  I didn't want to cut people out.  I was thinking "forgiveness", "patience", "acceptance", "loyalty".  And do you know what 5+ years of that has got me?  Honestly, I'm being serious.  It has gotten me way too many scars from putting myself on the line (emotionally, socially) for people who are NOT worth it.

If you don't have a 100% 2 way street kind of relationship with someone then it's not the kind you should value highly.  Do not have expectations on people who have proven to you they do not deserve your high expectations.

  If someone lets you down, plan on them letting you down until proven otherwise.  Don't think that all of the sudden they will be a gem when they have changed zero.  Someone not wanting to be best friends with you is not necessarily a reflection of you and what you have to offer.  Some people just do not want it.

 Some people do not search for friends with openness, honesty, character, commitment, emotional depth, who are fun, smart, etc etc etc.  Some people do not seek out those characteristics.  And if you DO seek out those characteristics, you can't MAKE someone fit that mold.  Believe me, I've tried.  I've told myself for years that someone was a 'friend' and it is absolutely not true.  They possess 10%, at best, of the qualities of a friend that I want. 

  And the good news is this, we all have the ability to chose.  We don't have to be friends with someone just because we lived with them in college, were close for one year, knew them for 10 years, are their oldest friend, or because they need you.  Like all things in life, we get to choose.

Choose who builds you up, who gives to you, who is reliable,  and who is genuinely interested in your life and in what's important to you.

  You can easily choose wrong, get attached to a person who is wrong for you, and feel left with nothing when the wrong situation pans out in a wrong way.  And like I said, you end up feeling left with nothing.  And the bottom line is what you were settling for 'nothing' in the first place.  

Hello Veggie

Well, I am here and I am enjoying keeping up with my fellow vegan bloggers.  I would like to put out a plug for my website  http://helloveggie.org

Please feel free to comment!  I love talking to fellow bloggers and I getting feedback really helps!

Blogs

Well, I've started a blog for my business, Details.  Also, I'm in the midst of starting a blog about learning to be Vegan.

Obviously, I've posted some blogs here that are about cooking or nutrition. But so many different subjects start to get things congested after time.  So, I'm think about breaking it down!  Stuff about justjenn, goes here.  Stuff about veganism, go there.  Details, over there. 

Things are great at the home front right now.  David and I are both little working machines and we're trying to stay strong.  It can be tough making time for each other in the midst of everything else.  David has his career, personal/free lance projects, friends, family, second job, his band.  That's a lot. 

Tonight may just be laundry night for me!  I cannot express enough how much I love to have a clean house, all messes put away, and all laundry and dishes done!  And when I say messes 'put away', I mean put where they belong and not just shoved in a closet!  Because then, when you open the closet you get to look at a messy gross pile of crap and realize that you're house only LOOKs tidy and that it's not really true!  It's a 'wanna-be' neat and clean!

Speaking of clean.  I love David, I love him more than anyone.  And I love my little 1br 1ba apartment.  HOWEVER, sharing a bathroom with a man is a lot trickier than just having your own.  Did you know, Blog, that if a man shaves his face you are left with all of these teeny, short, straight hairs all over your sink, faucet, and countertop?  Not only do you have to clean up more frequently, but those little suckers can be hard to get!

I'm ready for fall/winter.  You know, not summer/fall but fall/winter.  We've been keeping the windows open in our apartment all day and night.  It's been amazing.  I hate having the air conditioners blazzzzing...and we haven't had to have them blaze anymore.  Hooray!  Thank you God!  You are good!

Stir-Fry. Oh, one of my favorites!

Brown rice. Good for you, just a little chewy. Luckily, when you eat it with a tasty sauce it gets moistened up nicely and is delicious!

Get a large pan or preferrably a wok. Put a couple of tablespoons of sesame oil in there and let it start to heat up. Med-high heat. Nothing to fierce, we wouldn't want to start a fire.
(five words= little sister, wok, fire, tuscaloosa)

It's super easy and tasty to use a frozen bag of stir fry veggie. Frozen veggies are great because you don't have to rush to eat them before they go bad, they are much more healthy than canned veggies, and they are cheaper than fresh produce.

So, dump in a bag of frozen stir fry veggies. I like to add in some extra broccoli, fresh or frozen, to hearty up your stir fry. Those stir fry bags are great but I say, the more large crunchy veggies the better!

Once you've got all your veggies sizzlin', add in some minced fresh giner (about two or three tsp) and a large clove of minced garlic. Mix it around. THEN douce that junk with some soy sauce!

OH mercy. So tasty. You'll have your rice cooking before hand, since rice takes longer to cook- duh. So, once your rice is done just get yourself a hearty scoop of vegestable stir-fry and you're golden.

I also like making stir fry with noodles. However, that recipe requires more of a saucy saucy, whereas the rice resonds well to the light, thin, sesame oil and soy sauce combo. Oh yum. This is what I shall make Thursday night for dinner.