Raisins, Wanuts, and Flax oh my!

For those of you who requested the recipe for my raisin walnut loaf I posted on my Facebook yesterday, here it is!

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups of sugar
3 1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup of raisins
3/4 toasted walnuts
3 tbsp. flax seeds

In a bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. No need to sift, just fluff all ingredients with a fork.

In a separate bowl beat room temperature eggs until they are light yellow. To that, add vanilla, sugar, and vegetable oil. Stir until well combined.

Add dry to wet, mix just enough, then fold in walnuts, raisins, and flax seeds. Do not over mix!

Pour into 2 loaf pans, muffin tins, or a 13 x 9... whatever you have! Make sure you grease them!

Bake at 350F for 45 minutes or until a knife or pick comes out clean.

An electric mixer is not needed here, that why I love it! Quick and easy.

Miss Representation

I am sure that all of you have had an experience that has changed you, or in the very least shaped, molded, or dented you. It may have been an experience that you rather not remember or maybe you're fond of the event. Either way, it impacted you and whether you judge it as bad or good, ultimately it was for the greater good. I love being affected by the world and I love that I can take that energy and transform it into something productive to further develop who I am as a person.

Last night, I saw a documentary called Miss Representation. It is all about how women are misconstrued and misrepresented in the media. Now, I know this isn't a new thing and we've been fighting for women's equality since the 60s, but unfortunately we've regressed in a way that women are now mocked in society. (i.e. in politics) The movie was raw and powerful and actually really sad. Not just because I am a women but because of the dehumanization I witnessed throughout the documentary.

I left the movie feeling like I wanted to do everything I could to empower women and make them realize their worth and wholeness. I wish I could look every woman in the eye, hug them, and tell them that they are validated. That they don't need to be 90 pounds, date an athlete or a CEO, or be a mother to be worth something because they already ARE something. So what can I do? What can you do? Follow your passion, whatever that is, to the end of the road. And if you don't know your passion, you still know yourself, and you know what you love and what you hate, so start there. Don't lose yourself, love yourself. And if you want to take a really easy step, stop watching reality television.

I graduate college in two months. All of my friends are in law school, graduate school, dental school, med school--I have some pretty amazing friends-- and for a while I didn't really know what I wanted to do. Nothing my friends were doing interested me and all I knew was that I loved to eat, travel, write, and cook. And that's where I started. Now, I have my start date for culinary school (Octboer 10th!!!) and I believe that it is really my purpose, or my calling-- I know how romantic that sounds but it's true. So if your lost or defeated just make a list of what you love. NOT what you love to do but just waht you love and she where it takes you.

(missrepresentation.org)