My Religion...

With all of this talk about Mitt Romney running for president I have had more chats with people outside of my religion about my beliefs. I have nothing to hide and have been very open about my religion. It is who I am. Its been very interesting to see these shows on primetime TV about the Mormon church. I just thought I would take a moment and blog about this ABC news special that I thought was interesting to see even as a Mormon. I think that they hit on some of the main topics, but there is so much more to know. Every week when I go to church I learn so much more and I feel like you can't just have one documentary to tell what we believe. It's so much more than that there is learning going on throughout the week and at church. Which makes this religion so real to me. :)

The link to the ABC News special is below:

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/08/abc-world-news-airs-special-two-part-series-inside-the-mormon-church/

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

Can people stop hating?????

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/08/rachel-ehmke-13-year-old-_n_1501143.html



I read this article today of a teen who was bullied in school. It makes me sick to hear that someone felt that they couldn't live on this Earth anymore because of actions from their peers. I remember when I was in Middle and High school and I would have to defend my friends or even people I saw in the halls because they were being bullied. I know that it is hard to stand up to them, but I feel that this could all be prevented if those bullies knew the toll that their bullying took on their peers lives. Most of the bullies that I have seen are ones that are living hard lives themselves, with broken apart families and are treated the same way by people that are close to them. I guess I could see the pain on both sides and I think parents need to step in and realize the issues going on in schools. I feel like I could go on and on about the issues by telling stories from my experiences, but that is not the point of this blog post. I just really wish there was a way to show everyone that you don't gain anything by destroying someone else's life to make yourself popular. Just end the hate.

Empanadas de queso

Empanadas de Queso Ingredients: • 4 cups flour • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1 cup milk (hot) • 16 ounces Monterey Jack cheese • Vegetable oil for frying Preparation: 1. Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. 
 2. Gently mix the vegetable oil into the flour. 
 3. Place the milk in a saucepan and heat until almost boiling. Stir the hot liquid into the mixture. Add more water (1 tablespoon at a time) if mixture seems to dry and crumbly, or add more flour if mixture is too wet and sticky. 
 4. Knead dough gently until well mixed and homogenous. Divide dough into 16 portions, and roll each piece into a ball. Let dough rest for 5 minutes. 
 5. Chop cheese into cubes. 6. Roll each ball of dough into a 6-7 inch diameter circle. Place one ounce of cheese in the center of each dough circle. 
 7. Fold dough in half over the cheese to form a semicircle. Press down firmly along edges to seal. Roll edge inward over itself and press down again to seal. Crimp edge decoratively with fork, pressing to seal. 
 8. Heat several inches of vegetable oil to 350 degrees in a deep sided skillet, pot, or deep fryer. Fry empanadas in batches, turning at least once, until golden brown. Drain empanadas on paper towels. 
 Empanadas can be kept warm in a 200 degree oven for up to 1 hour before served. Serve warm.

Empanadas de pino (meat)

Empanadas de Pino • Empanada dough (see recipe below) • 2 large onions, chopped • 1 pound ground beef • 2 teaspoons cumin • 1 beef bouillon cube • 1/2 cup raisins • ½ cup olives • 4 hard boiled eggs, sliced • 1 egg , to brush • 1 teaspoon sugar Preparation: • Prepare empanada dough. 
 • Cook the onions and garlic in the vegetable oil Add the ground beef, cumin, beef • bouillon, and salt and pepper to taste. 
 • Cook the beef, stirring and crumbling the meat, until browned and continue to cook for • 5 or 10 minutes more. 
 • Remove the meat mixture and let cool. The beef mixture will keep up to 2 days in the • refrigerator. 
 • Shape the empanadas: Separate the dough into golf ball size pieces, and roll into • smooth balls. Let rest for 5 minutes. On a floured surface, roll each ball of dough into a • 6 inch diameter circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Add 1 tablespoon of the beef filling, a few • raisins and some chopped olives, and a slice of hard boiled egg to the middle of the • circle. 
 • Brush the edges with water and fold the pastry in half over the filling, to make a semi • circle. 
 • Seal the edges by pressing down with your fingers. Brush the sealed edge lightly with • water, then turn the edge toward the middle and press with your fingers to seal. • Make a hole with a toothpick in the middle of the empanada. • Mix the egg with and brush the empanadas with the mixture. 
 • Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Ingredients for the dough: • 4 cups flour • 1 teaspoons salt • 12 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening, chilled • 1 cup hot water • 1 teaspoon sugar Preparation: • Sift the flour into a bowl. Stir in the salt
 • shortening (or lard) into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or with two knives, until fairly well blended. 
 • Add 1cup hot water., a little at a time until the dough starts to come together smoothly. Keep kneading the dough, adding more water/egg a little bit at a time as necessary (you made need a few tablespoons extra of water), until the dough is smooth. The dough • Dough should be soft and smooth, and elastic - if you poke a hole in it with your finger, the indentation should remain.
 • Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and roll into desired thickness.
 Makes enough dough for 10-12 large empanadas.

dreams...

Sometimes I think it's important to take a deep breath in and reflect. This blog post is one of those what I want in life posts. Someone had asked me where do I see myself in a few years from now? I thought about it and I had no answer. I mean all of my goals and ambitions were to go to college and to find a job/career. Those were some of my goals and I have completed them, but in a different way that I thought I would.

It is weird to think that I have gone through so many experiences in my life that have molded me into the person I am today. I always hear that trials make you stronger. Let me tell you when you feel like you are going to die and you over come that, you are stronger than ever! There were times in my life where I thought "I will never be able to do this." Or I would just simply say, "I can't." At the time I thought that my dreams or goals were impossible, but over time and with great effort I have succeeded.

Going back to the question of where I see myself in a few years. Your guess is as good as mine. My goals seems to change after I make them because sometimes the Lord has another plan in store. It makes life a little more interesting that way. If I was able to plan out the perfect life for me it wouldn't be perfect because I wouldn't have all of these other amazing experiences.

I have had dreams to pursue other careers and study other things, but sometimes those dreams weren't a reality. For example I always wanted to be a journalist. Newspapers and newspaper writers are basically non existent anymore. It is all going on the web. That was a choice of mine to change my topic of study so I could be successful in something else, even though writing is my thing.

To be honest if you had known me growing up you would not believe me if I told you I was working in the position I am now. Natalie to math is like water to oil. Accounting is so much fun though. I enjoy doing what I do and hope to learn as much as I can.

I'm living in the present and I think I did need to take some time to think about my future again. I still don't have my thoughts together on what I will do, but eventually I will get there. Just taking it day by day and trying to do my best is what my goal is right now. How can I improve myself each day? Will be the question I ask myself.

Of course I added a song to go with my post. One of my fav singers. Tyrone. :)

Music...

I like a wide variety of music, but i'm really diggin' these covers right now. Especially this Daddy Yankee Song. Its just chill, but I can also dance to it if I wanted to.