Sweet Tea & Conversation

It's important how we treat our waiters and waitresses who serve us at restaurants.  How we treat them reflects back on ourselves. It goes back to the Golden Rule, "Do unto others and you would have them do unto you."  Sadly enough, many servers see Christians as rude and pushy and terrible tippers.  It's time that changed.

I have a friend who makes it a point to learn the name of his server every time he is waited on at a restaurant or any other place of business.  He makes sure to use the person's name when speaking to them and carries on conversations with them and asks them questions about themselves.  I really admire that about him, because it makes the servers feel like less of a servant and more like a friend.  Some people treat waiters and waitresses like servants and are very impatient with them.  I've seen people yell at their server when their meal wasn't prepared the way they wanted it. It makes me cringe every time.  I wish I could remind those customers that their servers are people too and deserve to be treated with respect.  

I treat my servers the way I would like to be treated if I were in their shoes.  I learn their names and make small talk with them and am pleasant to them.  If something is incorrect with my order, I don't shout and yell, but I politely seek to correct it, if it's not something I can live with. (meaning, if there's broccoli on my plate, a SERIOUS mistake has happened and I can't live with that...bleh....)  I've found if you are polite and friendly to your servers, they'll be more likely to be polite and friendly to you.  There's no point in being rude and angry, because it just makes you look bad.  I also try to tip above the recommended 10%, especially if my server has really been attentive to my needs. Even if the server has had a rough night, I still try to tip well, because I know that no one is perfect. You don't always have great days. By not tipping or giving an extremely low tip, you aren't making the situation any better. Be gracious when you tip, because you don't know what may be going on in the life of the person serving you. You may be the only example of Christ that person encounters.

Almost every Wednesday my friends Kristen, Colleen, and myself make it a point to go eat at McAlister's Deli.  It kinda happened on accident.  We just started going to McAlister's more and more (the sweet tea was definitely a major factor) and ended up making it a weekly trip.  We visit the same store every week and we've become friends with several of the employees and managers that work there and know them by name.  It's nice to go to a place where people call you by name and remember what you like to drink. (sweet tea...that's a given when visiting McAlister's...I know, I'm a true southern girl) :)  We go there because we want to build relationships with those employees and maybe eventually invite them to church activities.  I look forward to our trips to McAlister's now because of those friendships.

Even if you can't or don't want to regularly visit a specific restaurant every week, you can still make a difference in the places you do visit (whether it be a department store, home improvement store, grocery store, etc.) by the way you act.  A smile or kind word can go a long way.  Everyone that you encounter (servers and employees) are people just like you and have feelings just like you do.  They are mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, and friends, just like you.  Treat them with respect and kindness.  You are able to control your attitude and choose how you treat people.  It's easier to be nice than it is to be grumpy and mean.  So, smile! You never know what a simple smile can do.  :)

  

New Recipe: Mexican Lasagna

I tried a new recipe for dinner tonight and it turned out really well, so I thought I'd share it with you. I didn't make the recipe as listed because I knew I couldn't eat that much food. (and I still have a ton of leftovers) Below is the original recipe (my changes are in parenthesis). I've included pictures of the process to break up the monotony of text...and because it's just more fun with pictures!

First off, here are the ingredients you'll need...

4 cups Unprepared Rice

6 cups (to 8 cups) Low Sodium Chicken Broth

4 whole (to 8) Tomatoes (your choice) ~ (I used 4 Roma tomatoes)

2 whole (to 3) Onions (your choice) ~ (I used 1/2 of an onion)

8 cloves (to 14 cloves) of Garlic (your choice) ~ (I used 7 cloves of garlic)

Taco seasoning (or chili powder, paprika, & cumin) to taste

1 can (to 2 cans) Black or Pinto Beans (your choice) ~ (I used 1 can of black beans)

3 lbs Lean Ground Beef ~ (I cooked 1 lb of ground beef)

2 jars (16 oz) Salsa Verde

Flour Tortillas

3 pkgs (16 oz) Mexican Cheese Blend ~ (I used 1 pkg of Mexican Cheese Blend & 1 of Cheddar melt topping cheese...it was cheaper)

1 jar (16 oz) Enchilada Sauce

3 cans Corn, drained ~ (I accidentally bought creamed corn. It still worked out.)

Sour Cream, to taste

Cilantro, to taste

Butter

Start by cooking the rice with chicken broth. Once prepared, salt to taste. (I used low sodium chicken broth and didn't salt the rice after it cooked and it was fine.) Chop up tomatoes, onions, and garlic as small as you'd like.

Saute in a pan with a tablespoon of butter. Add approximately 3 tablespoons of chili powder, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of paprika & cumin. (I didn't use as much of the spices since I didn't use the recommended amount of onion, garlic, & tomato) Stir until combined. If you like beans, add them to the mixture. Don't worry about draining them. Just add the can. (I decided to be adventurous and added black beans. I highly recommend it.)

Mix the finished rice with the tomato, onion, & garlic mixture (and beans, if you decided to go the adventurous route).

Brown the ground beef, then add 3 tablespoons of chili powder, 1 1/2 tablespoons of paprika and 1 1/2 tablespoons of cumin and salt (to taste) with 4-6 oz of water to give the beef a taco flavor. (Again, I didn't use as much of the spices because I didn't cook the recommended 3 lbs of ground beef... 1 lb was more than enough for me.)

Spread one container of salsa verde in the bottom of a large casserole or baking dish. Place tortillas to cover the salsa verde. Overlapping is inevitable. Put half of the rice mixture on top of the tortillas and spread it out. Layer half the cheese on top of the rice. Add another layer of tortillas on top of the cheese layer. Pour the entire can of enchilada sauce on top. Add ground beef on top of the sauce. Add 3 cans of corn (drained) on top of meat. (I only added 1 can of corn. As mentioned earlier, I accidentally bought creamed corn. Luckily, it worked out alright in the end.) Add remaining rice mixture and follow it with the remaining jar of salsa verde. Add the rest of the cheese to the top. Feel free to sprinkle taco seasoning or cayenne pepper on top.

**When a recipe states that you use a large casserole or baking dish, there needs to be clarification of what their definition of "large" is. I used what I considered to be a "large" dish, a standard 9x13 pan, and to my dismay, it wasn't deep enough. My lasagna made it to the corn stage, but the pan was almost overflowing. I added a tiny bit more rice with the corn and then sprinkled the rest of the cheese on top. If I'd added the remaining jar of salsa verde, my lasagna would've overflowed out of the pan. Yikes!

If you end up with a pan as overloaded as mine, you may want to line your lowest oven rack with aluminum foil. I'm thankful I did, because my delicious dinner did overflow out of the pan and the foil saved me from having to clean sauce and cheese off of my oven.

Bake at 375 for 25-35 minutes, until cheese has melted and browns. Serve with sour cream and cilantro. Enjoy the deliciousness! I know I did!

I can tell this recipe is going to be added to list of favorites. If you try this recipe, let me know what you think!

What's In A Name

A few Sundays ago, our youth pastor at church preached and he mentioned the importance of names. He and his wife named one of their daughters, Norah Blake. Norah means "shining light" and Blake means "dark." Yes, they named their daughter an oxymoron. It may sound like a strange combination, but after he explained it further, it made sense. He said that he and his wife pray that Norah Blake would be a shining light in a dark place.

After hearing that message, I realized that I didn't know what the meaning of my middle name. My first name, "Sara," means "princess." I already knew that meaning and laughed, considering the fact that I am a very unconventional "princess." I don't like what I call "girly colors" (pinks & purples) or being dressy all the time. In fact, I prefer greens, blues & yellows and would prefer to be outside hiking, if I had the choice.

I was surprised to find that my middle name, "Paige," means "young servant." I wonder if my parents realized that when they named me. You wouldn't think of a princess being a servant.

It's funny how I've lived up to the names my parents gave me. Even though I'm not a conventional, girly princess, I am a child of Christ. He sees me as the true person that I am. He looks past all the rough edges, pain, faults, and fears and sees straight to my heart.

God has really given me a heart for people. I love to serve others, especially behind the scenes when no one notices. It gives me joy to help out and I can't explain it other than it comes from God.

I remember as a kid, wishing I had a "cooler" name. I'd sit around thinking of a name I liked better than the one I was given. Strangely enough, no name that I came up with seemed to fit me. God knew that I was meant to be "Sara Paige," a serving princess. He knew the heart He would grow in me and what I would do with it. He had a reason for my name, even though I didn't understand it at the time. I pray I will continue to live up to the name I've been given, that I will be a humble and sacrificial servant.

"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!"
~Philippians 2:5-8

To Blog or Not to Blog...

Finally, after much deliberation, I have created a blog.  For all 6 people that are going to read it, the purpose of my blog is to share life with you.  I've been trying to decide on a title for weeks and finally came up with "Walking With Detours."  I figured it was only fitting since my posts will be about my journey (aka life) and the many "detours" that go along with it.  These "detours" may be random thoughts, baking/cooking successes and comical mishaps, photography, missions and anything else that seems blog worthy. Whether you're a close friend or complete stranger, I hope this blog will encourage you along your journey and give you a laugh or two along the way. :)