Save the Whales, Kill the Babies?!

I was stopped in the street today by a GreenPeace worker. You know the type: mostly liberal, whale-saving tree-huggers with an agenda for your money. Or maybe that's a little harsh... Anyway, I let myself be stopped. Probably because I was having a lovely Friday afternoon (just picked up my slide film from being developed, looking forward to a nice dinner with hubby and a relaxing weekend) and didn't mind having to refuse him at least once, if not more. I give him credit for being friendly and charistmatic. He even caught my attention when he stated that GreenPeace operates completely free of federal funding (at least we could agree on that). He even walked with me, spouting his wisdoms, for a much greater distance than necessary (at least two blocks). Finally, I asked him what he wanted from me. It was, of course, money. $30, in fact. Monthly. Did you know that's more than I pay to sponsor a little girl in Brazil through the Christian Children's Fun ($24 monthly)? I didn't say this to him, but I am not going to shell out more for the whales and the seals than I do for a living human being.

But once I had let him down gently and began to walk homewards, it got me thinking about what exactly my duty to the environment is. We (humans, of course) are certainly responsible for the domain that God has given us, but we are also granted (commanded, even; see Gen. 1:28) the privilege of using natural resources as we wish. From a Christian worldview, it does not seem even possible to abuse that privilege. In the belief that God will provide--not "Nature"--and that we are to be responsible and Christ-centered with our resources rather than selfish and man-centered, how can a Christian feel panic that global warming is going to suck us all into an oblivion of volcanic ash or, perhaps, ice? The answer is: they don't. And that is exactly my response (belatedly) to the friendly young man who stopped me on the street.

On the other hand, I am a PRINT designer and artist. That means I work with papers and other non-biodegradable or "non-evironmentally-friendly" materials (oil paints, solvent). I recycle when I can (and I think it would be a good thing if more paper companies did the same to cycle products), but that still doesn't erase the fact that I probably throw away gobs of paper each year that just pile into a trash heap somewhere. And yet, I cannot help but appreciate the sheer tangiability of paper and all things paper-made. Books, magazines, letterheads, stationary...even postcards can be delightful. So does that make me a bad person? I refuse to submit to a world where all things become digital. I hate the idea of the Kindle (the digi-book). I prefer something I can touch and feel and connect with emotionally. Or put away without having to turn off and unplug.

I wish I could tell the little GreenPeace boy something about how the world is worse off from the advance of the Wii than it is from the Japanese "research" on whales in the Arctic.

From the Kitchen...

Being the *real* housewife that I am (despite the loads of unwashed laundry and un-ironed linens lying around the house), I decided it's time to share some of my day-to-day activities...today's is cooking! I have had ups and downs with cooking over the past several months, especially considering my picky eater (aka husband) and attempts to eat healthfully and economically. It is truly a task! So, here is one of my recent favorite recipes that may become a stand-by for lunch or dinner.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI
Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 60 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

* 4 long zucchini (as opposed to the round variety)
* 1/2 pound ground beef or turkey sausage (I used fresh ground lamb bought at the local farmers' market!)
* ¼ cup Bread Crumbs (homemade or store bought)
* ¼ cup grated mozzarella or mild cheese
* 1 egg
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* Minced fresh parsley (a small bunch)
* 1 T Herbs Provencal (or your preferred combo of basil, oregano and thyme)
* Black pepper and salt to taste

PREPARATION: Wash the zucchini, split them lengthwise, and scoop out the pulp with a spoon. Reserve the pulp for filling.

Mix the remaining ingredients (except cheese) in a bowl, and use it to fill the zucchini shells. I used the zucchini pulp to cut down the amount of bread crumbs needed in the recipe--this also reduces overall calories in the recipe!

Place the stuffed zucchini on a baking sheet lined with foil, sprinkle with cheee, and bake @ 375 F for 40 minutes.

Yield: 2-3 (3-4 zucchini per person)
Approx. 400 calories per person

Voila! Enjoy!

Photo credit: Because I forgot to take photos of my own after first experimenting with this recipe,
I've included some photos borrowed from another blog, found HERE. My recipe differs from the one posted on Gina's blog.

Summer in the City...

It is summer in Chicago--and that means it is only slightly warmer than it was 4 months ago! I am still getting used to these northern climes. I never spent a full summer in Michigan while in school there (only beginning of June last year...it was still cold then, too) and I have to consider this my first real summer north of the Mason-Dixon line. To be honest, I'm not sure it's that great. I miss the hot, lazy afternoons of a Georgia summer that most always ended in a warm thundershower before clearing up into a hazy, pink evening sunset. My favorite memories of summers past often involved sitting on our back porch (well, my parent's back porch), watching the rain blow in...it was exhilarating and beautiful and calming, all at the same time.

Alas, we have no porch in our current apartment (or at least not one with a view better than the rear parking lot)--and a sad lack of hot, lazy summer afternoons. Most of my days are spent so holed up in my closet of a home-office (basement floor of the building--often cold) that I sometimes I go a whole day without seeing the sun! It is a shame. But I am trying to amend this.

I schedule little outings for myself--a trip to the grocery store for tomatoes and basil; a jaunt to the used book store for a fresh read; an impromptu coffee date with a friend; and, of course, trips to the gym. On nice days, these little adventures are quite lovely, making me wish the summer would last just a bit longer here in the city. I have yet to make a trip to the so-called "beach" for fear of the crowds that may be lingering there, but it is one of my goals before the summer is out to read a book on the shores of Lake Michigan. I will have to choose a particularly hot day, or else I might freeze from the breezes blowing off the lake.

Until then, I'll just be doing laundry in my little basement of a home. :)

Yours,
RHoC