The Happy Hammock

The Benefits of Reading Inspirational Books and Why It’s Essential for Living Life

Being inspired is a threshold to a happy life. Life without inspiration is an unimaginable life of despair and melancholy. An inspired person gains optimism from all the things that give them life and purpose. There are a lot of ways to gain inspiration, and reading a book is one of them. An inspirational book can help you realize your potential power in your life. Books such as Straight from My Heart by Jacqui DeLorenzo is an exceptional example for that. This book is a collection of inspirational stories and poems that are life-changing to the readers and give the vigor to have faith in life’s loveliest creations.

Thus, reading inspirational books is crucial for survival, and it really affects your way of life big time. Immersion in these magnificent kinds of books will give you the following benefits:

Inspirational books help an individual regain their faith in themselves. It revitalizes your eagerness to start your everyday life and believe that something excellent will happen today. Books that reflect the struggles of other people and how to overcome them are the best way to inspire readers that anybody is not alone.

Inspirational books will never make you feel lonely. As humans, problems, depression, and anxiety are almost inevitable. In such a gloomy state, we often cling to isolation and loneliness. Anyone who has ever felt lonely will say that it is not a good feeling. Being in sorrow also has inadequate benefits that could ruin your healthy lifestyle. But with an inspirational book by your side, you will never feel lonely again.

Inspirational books help you regain self-confidence and self-esteem. Biographies or Memoirs from authors who have the same life stories are the best way to inspire readers that “anybody is not alone.”

Inspirational books help the readers to understand and empathize with others. When a reader reads something, they permit themselves to fit in someone’s shoes. The best thing that it gives is that it builds something deep between the reader and the character. Some of the stories are from the real experiences of other people or the authors, and it adds up to the idea that it builds something particular underneath.

Inspirational books can help you learn from failures. Remember that failure is not an obstacle. Instead, it is a stepping stone towards fulfillment and success. Many think that failure is a hindrance, but it is not the case in inspirational books. These books will teach you the essential benefactors of failure and how to use it by learning from it.

Inspirational books can broaden your horizon. By creating an optimistic look at things, a book that is motivated to inspire readers can also help broadens a reader’s view of life. It helps readers realize how broad their life’s opportunities are and how vast the world is. By that, it gives you fresh new ideas and insights that can be useful and essential for the next steps readers take in their own decisions in their lives. Being able to impart some broader knowledge can also widen readers’ understanding, and it can help them cope with upcoming challenges, and also they’re able to adapt very quickly since they already have the necessary knowledge.

Reading an inspirational book will remind you that your destiny is in your control. Reading this kind of book will make you believe that you are the own creator of your own destiny. It will teach you to go out of your shell, experience life, and make your dreams come true. These books encourage you to do the things you’re so afraid of and believe that nothing is impossible if you have dreams and aspirations that you want to achieve.

Through the years, books have become a testament to the indomitability and triumph of the human spirit. Books that empower us and re-instill faith and confidence in us. Books also stimulate our thinking, visualization, action, and implementation of the things written on paper. The most important thing is that we always make every second count. Let every book that comes your way add meaning and color to every moment in the present.

From Old to New: A Taste of the Past Through Family Recipes

Family recipes are considered historical memorabilia passed within the family from generation to generation. In essence, these recipes are a family heritage. People eating meals made from family recipes enjoy a taste of the culture and history that their family has gone through. “Generations of Good Food,” a cookbook by Eleanor Gaccetta, is an excellent example of a cookbook containing family recipes spanning six generations. Eleanor brings to life food recipes, stories of her Italian life, and how family recipes bring the family together around the table.

From Traditional to Modern Day Recipes

Just like the style and technique of cooking, recipes over time have evolved into the modern-day recipes that people know of today. It is hard to pinpoint the exact origin of a recipe, much more so a family recipe. Recipes are made out of a person’s particular taste or liking for a specific ingredient and then developed based on the lifestyle of the current society when that recipe was first thought of. Take, for instance, the Irish people. Potatoes are considered a staple diet in Ireland. This vegetation found its place within Irish soil, growing easily and abundantly. Not only is it easy to grow, but it is also very cheap, making it a mainstay in the diet of the Irish working class and the lower class. Potatoes can be mixed, mashed, and cooked in many different ways. Hence, the abundance of potato recipes. Over the years, Irish potato recipes have evolved. A simple Irish potato soup consisting of large potatoes, Irish butter, onions, garlic, milk, parsley, cheese, and celery has added different ingredients ranging from various vegetables and meat.

Same with traditional family recipes. Traditional family recipes over the years have gone through several changes, depending on the chef’s personal taste and available ingredients in that area. What started as a simple family spaghetti recipe with one meat ingredient in the sauce is now upgraded into a two-meat sauce ingredient.

Connecting the Past and the Present

Evolving family recipes does not necessarily mean letting go of what was initially created. Family recipes are intended to remind future generations of what has occurred in the past and the significant changes that led to the family’s future. A taste of food is a taste of culture and history – a connection between the past and the present. Family recipes are heirlooms, a souvenir to the thought process of what the person cooking is going through. A proof that there is and always will be a connection between the past and the present.

Family recipes also served as an inspiration and motivation to create new recipes. Have you ever gone through an experience when you are eating, then suddenly you get inspired to recreate that dish in your hand? That’s the start of the food evolution, right there.

Going way back, a person’s food palate is primarily influenced by the cooking of their family and peers when growing up. That smell and warmth coming from grandma’s cooking taste like no other. It’s those delicious desserts, specially made with your mom’s twist on them. It’s those moments that come to mind when thinking of family home-cooked meals and family recipes. As the person becomes exposed to the outside world and its different cultures, they start to experience various tastes from these cultures. But it’s always that first taste that the person developed that they go back to. In the person’s longing and the quest for that primary comfort food, they imitate their family recipes and eventually add their own flavor and style they had acquired from being exposed to different cultures – another example of family recipe food evolution.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to the ultimate benefit that a family recipe gives. A family recipe may go through several changes over time, but the essence of its creation remains. And it’s found in the word “family.” A family recipe is meant to be cooked, shared, and passed on within the family. A family recipe is intended to bring the family together. A family recipe is meant to serve as a remembrance of a family’s history. And a family recipe is meant to produce that warm, positive experience that recreates family history and bonding moments repeatedly.

Are You Miserable? Ways To Find Joy Despite The Miseries In Life!

We live in a world built on capitalism, taught to believe that reward is the answer to happiness. Because of it, both ownership and security are given as the answers to all our woes.

Miseries in life could be in many forms. Some of us lived on it day by day, and it seemed there could be no end to it. Miseries could also be traced from our roots and have been passed down to us. Here are a few of the sufferings one is experiencing in their life.

Miseries of being teenagers. There have been those people who constantly whine about their life. This attitude is the most significant disease coursing through developed countries for teenagers. Drug addiction, alcoholism, suicides, AIDS, sex, and fornication are just a few on the list. Another hidden disease that haunts Generation X is a deficit of positive energy. This shortfall can be seen in the music they listen to (Think about how many of those bands sing about how low their self-esteem is!), the number of drugs, alcohol, sex, gang wars they put into our systems, and the violence in our society that is.

Misery of discontentment. It can be a container of certain condiments, one of which is discontent. Some people, no matter how much they have, always want more. That might not seem so bad, except when they get more, they want even more. It is like a constant outpouring of liquid into a basket. It keeps draining away until there is nothing, just nothing. Discontent leaves the heart in a most undesirable state, constantly hungry for things that don’t matter in the general scheme of things.

The misery of being rejected. I don’t know anyone who wants the feeling of being left. I know it has probably been one of the most complex feelings. Rejection penetrates even to the core of who we are as human beings. Of all the emotions we can experience, it is probably one of the most destructive and hurtful emotions we can feel. Some people may be more sensitive to rejection than others. I happen to be one of those people who, having suffered rejection early in life, carried a lot of that baggage into adulthood with me, and it is unpleasant and undesirable.

For some, to address miseries in life is to have positive thinking that leads us to success. One who thinks that he can achieve things will put his best to achieve, will not be fooled by the problems on the path to success, and will win positively one day. Self-confidence, determination, perseverance, and hard work are the critical factors of success.

However, I believe that there is a better move that one can do than having positive thinking and confidence in ourselves. There is more! The most important thing one will do is to turn to God. Return to our first love! Which is GOD.

Trusting God in Our Daily Lives

If we trust someone, we feel at ease being open with them about anything. God is much more dependable and reliable than even our most trustworthy friend. When things feel so hard for us, He doesn’t ask us to keep those feelings to ourselves. Because God loves us, we can trust Him by talking about all our senses and circumstances with Him — the good and hard — through meditation. Don’t let our emotions rule our life; bring them to God so He can help us address them. God is not frustrated or disappointed by our struggles, doubts, or pain. He cares about us, and we can trust Him with those things. Here are some practical ways to trust God in our everyday life:

Seek Truth in Scripture

Scripture is God’s Word. God knows we need someone to go to when we feel unsure. That is His Word. It is entirely trustworthy and unchanging. We need a strong foundation of Scripture to stand on, especially when we feel uncertain. The Bible is God’s unchanging, unfailing Word. We can cling to its truth when life throws us a curveball.

There are some inspirational and spiritual books like “God Cares, But Do We?” authored by Kwaku Mensah that we could consider. The book will guide us to find a solution to our problems and get ourselves back on track. God is the only higher power that can help us, and all He needs in return is our faith in His plan and love. We all are God’s creation, and it is our steadfast faith that He is the only one we ever need to make our life better.

Share Your Concerns With Your Community

We are not facing these difficult times alone. Our God is always with us every step of the way. He also gives us faithful people to walk with. Paul was a follower and a disciple of Christ, and a leader in the early church. He shared this with the fellow believer as an encouragement.

“And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.” -Philemon 1:6, NLT.

Fellow believers can remind us of God’s characteristics through encouragement and accountability. They can remind us of the truth when we struggle and pray for and support us. The believers remind us that we are never alone, even in hard times.

Remember God and Spend Time With Him

God is more significant than our problems. Tough times may feel like they last forever, but they are short-term and nonpermanent. God is present in bad times as well as the good. He is always faithful. God wants us to go to Him with our circumstances. He also wants us to come to Him to spend time with Him. We should not let our events shape our relationship with God. God can shape our view of our situations. Spend time with God. Devoting a consistent time with the Lord when things feel good will help us continue going to Him when things feel rough. It’s never too late and futile to start if we have not established that.

Ultimately, miseries are an integral part of our lives. But the question is, How long can we keep struggling and battling them? Instead, return and have faith in God because He is the only one who can provide us joy even in our problems.

Loving Your Own Individuality

Individuality marks a person’s identity. It is the quality or characteristic of a person that makes them unique, distinguished, or stand out from the rest. Individuality is often identified along with a person’s demographics. A person could be identified according to their age, gender, culture, affiliation, etc. But a person’s demographic profile does not automatically tell of a person’s true identity or unique individuality. Audrey A. Thomas’ book about personal transformation, Your Eyes Can’t See My Heart, talks about knowing a person through looking deep into their life’s experience. The demographics and standards that a person is brought up with at birth do not define a person’s individuality. Accepting a person’s passion or the willingness to change and grow defines a person’s uniqueness.

Significance of Individuality

There are many reasons why individuality is important, aside from the fact that it provides an identifier to the person. One of the significances of having individuality is that it encourages a person to go beyond the boundaries, get creative when coming up with ideas or solutions, or get innovative. Realizing one’s uniqueness also meant realizing their capability. Getting in touch with their true nature sets them free from whatever boundaries or stereotypes are given to them at birth or by their peers.

For instance, a child grows up and adapts to their family’s culture, values, and beliefs. These cultures, values, and beliefs are what the child automatically knows to be true and correct since these were practically spoon-fed to them when they were born. As the child grows into adulthood, little by little, they begin to realize their distinctive traits, their distinct likes and dislikes, than that from their own family and peers as the child starts to explore the real world. Being free from these given perceptions and developing their own gives a child or a person to explore their individuality, which ultimately connects to their passion. This acceptance of who they are ultimately giving them the confidence that they need to go out of their way and get creative with whatever they’re passionate about.

Recognizing one’s own identity also leads to a happier life. Rather than living a life of happiness defined by their family, peers, or society, individuals who have accepted their uniqueness are happy by choice and are not bound by any set of rules on how to be happy. They live their life by their rules, and society’s approval does not constrict their choices.

Transforming Into One’s True Self

Identifying one’s individuality requires transformation, a personal transformation. Transformation begins with a choice, awareness that something needs to change and that change is imminent. By going through a personal transformation, the person can discover and achieve their unique characteristics. Personal transformation is when a person expands their consciousness, becomes aware of old and new perceptions, and identifies which perceptions to integrate that best fit their views. It involves letting go of old norms and values to inculcate the new norms and values that best suit their passion.

To undergo a personal transformation, a person needs to be ready to explore and embrace the strangeness of the situation brought about by the change. It is about getting used to something they’re not accustomed to, as with their old life. To change is to be ready to get uncomfortable, and that includes being willing to accept criticism, both the good and the bad, that always comes with change.

Taking small but sure steps is another way to undergo a personal transformation. After all, a personal transformation is somewhat akin to a drastic change, so the only way to go about it is to take small but progressive steps. Another way to a personal transformation is to learn from the experience of others. Experience is the best teacher. So learn from people who were able to effectively follow through with making a change in their lives, what steps they took, and the outcome of those actions. There are a lot of success stories out there who made a significant change in their life which will keep a person planning to go through a personal transformation inspired and motivated.

To love one’s individuality is the person’s personal choice to make. It should be a decision that should stem from a passion and a need to be recognized for who they are and what they are capable of. To do so is to start with a transformation, a change, and a belief that transforming is worth the risk and is the best risk to take.

Feasting and Celebrating a Family Heritage

Waking up to the smell of your mom’s family home-cooked meal is one of those favorite, intimate memories tucked away in the corner of your memories, yet fondly brought up each time someone mentions your mom. There is always this special link that most people connect between home-cooked meals and families heading up the preparation of a meal. It can be any family member conjuring up a warm, hearty meal over the stove. It can be the mom, dad, grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, etc. The meals cooked can be just about anything, ranging from a family’s favorite meal or a meal that’s cooked from a generation to a generation passed down family recipe. Or, it can be a meal that’s native to the family’s lineage. Eleanor Gaccetta’s book Generations Of Good Food took us through a delightful and heartwarming journey of almost 200 recipes that survived six generations and the stories associated with each of those recipes. From pasta recipes to baking and making bread and cookies and many more, the book is quintessential to the value of family recipes and their benefits for the human soul.

Food and the Family

There is an undeniable intimacy between family and food. It all started as the first taste, the first palate a person develops in their infanthood. As the person grows into adulthood, their appreciation of food, its taste, and flavor continues to be influenced by those closest to them who do the cooking at home; in which case, a family member. Eating food is also described as an emotional experience, especially for family meals. When someone in the family celebrates their birthday, the mother, or even the grandmother, goes all-out slaving away in the kitchen for the birthday party meals. An exceptional meal or a special recipe is often cooked during birthdays, holidays, or happy occasions. But a meal is not only associated with a happy occasion. Specially cooked food also found its way during sad times, hence, the term “comfort food.”

Food in the family is also documentation of a family’s tradition. Coined as the family recipes, family recipes are described as a collection and a record of a family’s heritage regarding ingredients and the cooking process. These recipes are either unique recipes developed over the years as these were passed down from generation to generation, or they could be recipes recorded as the norm of cooking by society back then.

The Importance of Preserving Family Recipes

More than just the creamy, hot broth a family enjoys on a cold day, more than just the steaming vegetable dish served and plated artfully in the center of the dinner table that everyone enjoys or that nostalgic stuffed Turkey thanksgiving meal you looked forward to every year. There are many reasons why it is essential to preserve family recipes. Family recipes are a source of family heritage. These recipes often record events surrounding the creation of the recipe. Take, for instance, the Irish culture and why they’re linked with potatoes. Potatoes are the most suitable vegetation to grow on Irish soil. The nutritious, calorie-filled vegetable thrives naturally on Ireland’s damp climate and has been Ireland’s primary source of nutrition during Ireland’s Great Famine. Hence, a lot of potato recipes were created as a result. Creating these potato recipes is evident in how resilient man is to look for ways to survive during difficult times.

You heard the phrase “food for the soul” used repeatedly, but there is some truth to it when it’s referred to family recipes and how those recipes are “food for the soul.” Home-cooked family recipe meals are brimming with memories, something that’s inseparable from the human soul. These recipes are also a form of therapy. When a person moves to a new place, they would usually find themselves wistfully and longing for home, especially if they’re made to adjust to the staple meals found in the new place.

Family recipes also symbolize the family bond; those dinner meals and occasions spent with the family became a tradition. The cooking of these family recipes is one way to honor tradition and immortalize the memories spent together with the family. And when families get together over meals, not only do they preserve their heritage, they develop a bond that cannot be easily broken down through time.

A family’s recipe is a family’s heritage. It is not only the meals and their ingredients that are being passed down through generations; it is also the culture and the values inspired by the meals created that are also passed down. Family recipes and meals represent more than just looking forward to your mom’s or grandma’s food preparation. It is also about looking forward to feasting and celebrating your family’s heritage.

Fast Food Frenzy

Reading Eleanor Gaccetta’s Generations of Good Food, a cookbook featuring easy baking recipes reminds us of the days before fast-food restaurants. Today, fast food has dominated the food industry. Kids and grownups alike have always preferred it over any other type, which is proven by the countless stores sprouting up every month worldwide. These establishments specialize in a certain kind of taste that they have spent numerous years and billions of dollars perfecting. And true to their slogans, they have indeed captured everybody’s hearts and taste buds, earning more and more as they continue to tempt us with ubiquitous online advertisements and humungous billboards.

One obvious reason why we love fast food is that it is too easy to get. We were already smitten by the drive-through service and the home delivery we used to call using the landline a long time ago. It has become even more accessible because of the invention of cell phones and applications through which we can order and even specify our requests. In addition to that, we are informed how much time we are supposed to wait or where the delivery guy is at that moment. Getting our meals in this manner has become the norm in these Covid times, and I doubt it will end after the pandemic.

Establishments have also done their packaging so that even when we are in the park or just in the car, rarely do we make a mess even with the generous helpings of sauces and dips they provide.

Fast food is, definitely as they promise – fast! The amount of time one is kept waiting for his order is simply the same number of minutes it takes for either a quick shower or to check and read his emails. We usually don’t feel like we are even waiting at all. It is that quick. The best thing about it, especially for the lazy people (for which fast food was most probably invented), is there is no need to do anything except press a few buttons. It is unnecessary to budge from the couch, not even to stand up.

Since we can now pay online, one doesn’t even need to answer the door. We simply choose the leave-at-the-doorstep option. We go to the door and pick it up at our convenience. Even if we opt to drive to the nearest branch, there are so many cashiers and food servers available that even though we are the 50th in line, we can still order our food within the next quarter of an hour. Driving through is the same story. Because of their efficient system, which has us going through many different windows to order, to pay, and pick up our order, it doesn’t seem a burden at all to appease our growling tummies.

Perhaps one of the most important reasons everyone loves fast food is the taste. Companies have spent quite a lot redoing and perfecting their craft, but it is all worth it. All the profit they are making is because of their meals’ tasty, consistent, unduplicatable goodness. After all the warnings the doctors have given regarding the additives, fat, and all irreparable effects of eating fast food, one just cannot resist the crunchiness of their chicken, the creaminess of their milkshakes, or the unmistakable chewiness of the pizza crust dripping with heaps and heaps of mozzarella cheese and toppings! No wonder the public doesn’t mind spending their hard-earned money on something so unhealthy, something that increases their risk of developing a range of serious health conditions.

Judging from the customers’ demand and love for it, fast food is here to stay. There is no telling when the public will wake up from their sugary dreams of honey-glazed doughnuts or their oily cravings of battered sour cream-flavored French fries. If wishes came true, we might witness a future of citizens with willpower made of iron that can resist the melting goodness of vanilla ice cream atop the fizziest of sodas. If not, then maybe it is more reasonable to hope for a fast-food chain that will serve soups, salads, the leanest meat with a side of quinoa, and kefir with chia seeds for dessert.

Of Stars and Planets

“Starlight, Star bright,

The first star I see tonight;

I wish I may, I wish I might,

Have the wish I wish tonight.”

Starlight, Star Bright is a popular nursery rhyme that your parents taught when you were still a child. There is a superstitious belief that your wish will come true when you see a falling star. As adults, when we look up to the sky, we see billions shining brightly at us, and somehow it makes us feel better. When you watch the stars, you see the beauty of the moment. It gives you a sense of peace and makes the world around us seem a happy place.

What Is A Star?

At night, there are millions of tiny sparkling lights in the sky. It is a fact that some are stars and some others are planets which is difficult the tell from afar.

Star is a vast celestial body made up of hydrogen and helium. It produces light and heat. Some stars are brighter than others.

The star’s brightness is a factor of how much energy they give out, known as luminosity, and how far the stars are from the earth. Colors may vary from Star to Star, depending on their temperature. The white and blue stars are the hot stars, while the orange and red stars are cooler.

The stars, like people, have a life span. As helium sinks to the star’s core and raises the star’s temperature, it causes the expansion of the outer shell.

These stars are now called giants. The life span of the stars will depend on how massive the star is. Just like us humans, our life depends on our fate.

In ancient times, people looked at the skies to identify the different configurations of the stars – constellations. People track their movements because they believe that by looking at the stars, they could tell the seasons of farming and the courses of the sea. There are many myths about the stars, and when you compare their findings to the astronomers today, it is not that different.

Astronomers use constellations for navigational tools. An example is the southern cross constellation is used as a point of orientation by the astronomers. On the other hand, the north star is used for direction.

It does not matter how you see the star. What is important is how you look at it from your perspective.

What Is A planet?

A planet is from the Greek word planetes which means wanderers or as simple as moving. Planets are celestial bodies that are smaller than the stars. Planets have no light. It gets its glow from the sun.

Centuries ago, the earth was not considered a planet. They thought it was a central object around, scan through the pages of solar geoengineering novel, which all other celestial objects orbit. All they know is that the sun is the center of the universe, and the earth is revolving in it.

Presently, astronomers view the planets as celestial bodies. Planets orbit around the sun. Planets have a sufficient mass to assume hydrostatic equilibrium and have maintained a constant orbit.

Astronomers also called the earth the dwarf planet that orbits around the sun. It is not a satellite. Astronomers say that other objects orbiting around the sun are referred to as small solar system bodies.

Planets in the solar system have specific colors. Mercury has a gray and brown color. In comparison, Venus has a pale yellow color. Mars color would vary between pale pink and bright red. The colors depend on the brightness of the light reflected on them.

On the other hand, Jupiter’s color is orange with white bands. Saturn is consistent with pale gold color. Uranus and Neptune are pale blue; however, they are not visible to the naked eye.

Mercury, Venus, and Mars are the most accessible planets to spot in the night sky. They can even be seen on a clear night sky with the naked eye.

The Silimilaries Between A Star From A Planet.

The stars and planets are spherical, composed mostly of gases instead of rock. They are both have masses. Planets and stars orbit around other stars called a multi-star system.

The Differences Between A Star From A Planet.

Stars are composed merely of gas. The sky has billion of stars than planets. Stars make their light, so that is why stars twinkle. Planets are called mass giants. The turbulence in the earth’s atmosphere interferes with the light from the star.

The stars and the planets are important because they play a vital role in helping humans find their route to navigate the earth. During the nighttime, the sky lights up, giving light to people. Since we live on one of the planets called earth, the star helps us, humans, not be exposed to the cosmic radiation that falls from the atmosphere making the earth a good place to live. Therefore, there is no star; there is no life on earth.

POWs: Breaking Free from the Past

What is the worst thing that prisoners of war, or POWs, encounter when they get home? Some say it’s the strange feeling of being displaced. Others would say it’s those uncertain looks and uncertain reception they would get from people whom they used to be familiar and close with, or even from strangers on the street. Then there are others who would also say that it’s those incessant nightmares of being imprisoned that wouldn’t just go away, wouldn’t leave them alone, wouldn’t give them peace of mind. These are just a few of the quandary prisoners of war typically go through. And this is what Bernie McAuley touches on in his book, The Shadows Of Sawtooth Ridge.

Life In Prison

Prisoner of war, or POW, was coined for a person or persons held captive by the enemy, or belligerents, during or after wartime. Capturing and holding prisoners is a common practice whenever there is an armed conflict. Whether the state or the reason for being held as a prisoner is legitimate or not, the debate on how prisoners should be treated is still ongoing. Laws and treaties such as the Hague and Geneva Conventions sought humane treatment and respect for the rights of the prisoners captured during wartime. But who knows what actually goes on behind those steel bars, despite those signed treaties. You’d hear POWs talk about life behind the prison, describing the harsh living conditions that they have gone through, including the exploitation and despotic treatment that they would receive from the hands of their captors. The experience is oftentimes akin to living in hell. There are some prisons that are so overcrowded, where sanitation is so bad that there is a constant looming fear of contracting a deadly disease at any skin contact made. Aside from that, there is the persistent lack of food supplies, which often are intentionally brought about by prison guards who refuse to provide appropriate amounts of decent foods to the prisoners. There are even some prisons that would make their prisoners do manual, laborious, and grueling labor without just compensation. On top of it all, the mental and emotional abuse coming from sadistic prison guards would seem like the cherry on the cake of the already hellish living conditions.

Over time, treatment of captive prisoners, especially in the more modern times, took on a more civilized and humane route, although there are still some talks that prison brutality for prisoners of war still exists in some cultures.

Life After Prison

Who would have thought that the battle continues even after the war for POWs? The battle this time around comes in the form of physical, mental, emotional, or psychosocial problems or traumas for the POWs. Because of the exposure to unhealthy living prison conditions that they went through, POWs tend to develop over time infections or diseases, particularly musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal infections. POWs who have gone through severe mental and emotional abuse while in prison develop high anxiety and irritability levels and often tend to get seclusive. Stress and depression are very commonly felt among POWs, and yes, having recurring nightmares are also reported. But what about the treatment that POWs receive as part of their homecoming after being released? The perception of how POWs are being treated is split in the middle. Some people would treat these embattled war veterans as heroes, while others are shy away from discriminately treating them as outsiders, which further enhances their post-traumatic stress disorder. POWs are caught in a dilemma with life after prison, wondering if there is any glory or heroism at all to being a war veteran and an ex-captive prisoner at that.

At the end of the day, it’s all about breaking free from the grasp of the past. Whether it is a battle out there on the field or it is a battle for the human soul, POWs have a lot to reckon with from their experience. Whether life during imprisonment is humane or not, still, being captured and held against your freewill will always leave a lasting impression and effect on the prisoner’s life. Hence, a support system should be created explicitly for POWs. More benefits, more rewards. Because after all, people who fought and defended their country at the risk of being caught or killed deserve more than just admiration; they deserve the highest respect from the country and from its people that they’re fighting for.

Local Recipes You Can Prepare Whoever You Are in the World

“A recipe has no soul. You must bring soul to the recipe.” a famous quote by Thomas Keller. We all love a portion of food with the perfect look and aroma. No one can beat the satisfaction of the belly when it’s full of delicious delicacies. Typically, food this satisfying costs a fortune. Sometimes you even need to go to another country to eat such foods. Yet fear no more because with the power of the writing, you can indulge in such a heavenly taste.

In a general aspect, we know foods are a necessity in life. We want and need food to be able to live every day. Yet we love to eat foods that aren’t common to us. This reason is one of the reasons the term “food trip” was invented. We love an explosion in our mouth, and a food trip is an effective way to enjoy different variations of food at one time. This activity takes a lot of time and money. But did you know you can try many local recipes and have your food trip in your home!

Cooking may not be your forte, but a good cookbook can give you the master chef skills you have wanted. Cookbooks provide sources that can give us the recipes we need. In the 21st Century, we know that we have many possible resources to help us with certain activities we haven’t tried before. Generations of Good Food, a compilation of recipes by Eleanor Gaccetta is one of those books that presents easy yet tasty foods to cook. There are a lot of possible meals you can cook in your own home without even at a reasonable cost.

To list some examples of a few local recipes you can try, here’s a little compilation that can start your simple at-home food trip!

1. P-I-E

Simple yet Tasty! We can start our local recipes with a classic pie. There are a lot of pies that you can try making. A pie is simple, and tricky to perfect, but is worth its taste. Standard pies are chicken pot pie, hand pies and fruit pies like berry, apple pie, or pumpkin pies. These savory-filled pastries have also evolved through the years. We now have the open-face pie, double-crust pies, lattice pies, hand pies, and even no-bake pies. These are new and fresh from the trend section pies that you don’t want to miss.

2. Cook-ie a Cookie

Another simple dessert is the cookie! I’m serving you the sweets first to head towards the main course later. We all love that cookie Grandma would make. It’s a good thing grandma added love to her recipe. You can now make it yourself. There are a lot of simple cookie recipes that you can follow to make one of your own. All you just need is the right ingredients and tools, and for sure, you can make that cookie that you want!

3. Roast that Chicken

Yes! A chicken recipe is an easy but tasty type of meal. The compilation of recipes by Eleanor Gaccetta can provide you with vast chicken recipes. A chicken recipe is tasty and easy to cook for it acquires its taste. The chicken has its flavor due to the composition of its meat. A chicken meal cannot fail as long as you clean and flavor it correctly. If you don’t want a complex chicken, you can have a roast, fried, or even potted chicken; it will be a hundred for sure.

4. The Classic M and C

This recipe is an absolute local classic! We have a lot of versions of Mac and Cheese. They usually differ from one another. There’s nothing wrong with boxed Mac and Cheese, but if you plan to cook one, it’s better if it’s cooked fresh. The taste of fresh elbow pasta that you bought paired with new blocks of cheese that you also picked from the market is no match to the boxed one. A good fresh Mac and Cheese is hands-down a good food for an excellent at-home food trip.

5. Lasagna and Pasta

Speaking of kinds of pasta, one easy and tasty food to cook is lasagnas or any other pasta recipe. Pasta recipes like Carbonara or Spaghetti can never fail. These pasta recipes are a lot when cooking because we all need that specific carbohydrate to give us energy in our meal.

6. Special Soup

This recipe will be your most straightforward food! A special soup of your liking. One of the crowning glories of cooking at home is your control over overcooking. A soup has many kinds that make it a field of debate. So, you can choose from any list of soups to know what to cook.

How to Start a Family Recipe Book

We all have a family treasure that we take good care of and cherish. We pass these treasures from generation to generation. The family treasures that we have can be more special than blocks of silver and gold. We all know that the family and heirlooms given by our forefathers should not be kept in the vault. These gifts should be given and shared as much as possible. The treasures we receive in the family, especially when it’s food, need to be well known in the world.

Family recipes can make it different from the usual and familiar taste. Family recipes have a unique home quality taste that can give a special feeling to those eating them. The warmth and love you used to feel when Mom cooked dinner on a Sunday night is something nothing can replicate. So family recipes will make a hit in the food industry because they bring new flavors. Your family recipe could be one of those recipes that can blow people’s taste buds.

So don’t hesitate and start sharing your recipes with the world!

How will you start sharing your family recipe with the world? There are many options to start with, such as managing your small restaurant. But the best option is to start a family recipe book. With caregiving in the new normal, we usually spend our time at home, and a good recipe book is needed. So definitely, a Family Recipe Book is an excellent step to take. Let me give you a head start on making your family recipe book!

1. Define “Family”

This step is critical in making a compelling family recipe book. Each family is different. They have their own story and have their unique taste. You should include your own definition of family. A clear family description can guarantee readers that this book is proven and tested. Make sure to have a clear description of your family to start writing your book.

2. Formulate the Recipes

Now, this step is a fun one. Whether you are making this book by yourself or your whole family, this can be stressful, but it’s fun. You need your recipe and family recipes that you can add to this book.

Typically, recipe books include the typical: main course dishes, side dishes, cocktails or drinks, and desserts. You can survey your parents or grandparents for family recipes to make this step possible. You can go detective mode and seek some old journals or books with recipes from relatives. As long as you can present a complete book with your recipes, you’re good to go.

3. Pre-Taste Test

Another fun step is this one. You will be pre-testing the recipes and possibly adding your taste. Why is this fun? You get to eat, and when pre-testing, you can fill your book and stomach with the recipes. When doing the pre-test, you want to get the exact measurements of the ingredients, the exact time to spend on specific steps and figure out some steps/processes that have become updated by the 21st Century. Even though we want our recipes to be authentic as possible, our top priority is still to make them more accessible for the readers to do.

4. Consider the V for Visuals

While doing your pretest, another crucial part to look over is the visuals. You need to describe your final recipe look in your book. You can also take photos of the finished recipe and include them. This visualization process can help you see the recipes and describe them as perfectly as possible in your book. A good-looking photo can provide a tantalizing visualization of tasty food.

5. Consistency is the key.

Consistency is the key! That is one of the essential parts of making a family recipe book. Books include different dishes, but one key reason for including such a recipe in one book is consistency. The consistency can be in taste, harmony, or visuals. The looks of all recipes in the book are pleasing consistent in visual. When pairing foods correctly it can create a perfectly harmonized meal. Regarding the taste, it simply means all the recipes should taste good!

6. Plate it all together~

After doing the steps mentioned, you can now start writing your new recipe book! You can start by making it chapter by chapter. You also want to make sure that ideas regarding caregiving in the new normal can be taken care of in your book so that people can relate and appreciate your book. I hope this little article helped you in stating your Family Recipe Book!