Glove

Today's Prompt: Write a brief bit of fiction using the prompt "Glove."


She stared out the window.  Delicate flakes were falling ever so gracefully, landing in various places on the lawn.  As  she turned away, she felt a sting.  The bite of winter was settling in.


It isn't as though she completely despised the season.  No, that definitely wasn't it.  The beauty of the frost upon every blade of grass, the snow covering the branches, it was all like an enchanted fairy land.  The problem was the length.  The chill.  The everlasting death that came after the fairy land.


The bright red wool was the only light some days.  Those worn out, ratty gloves that she spent so many long hours knitting.  Crafts are not exactly her strong point, but gloves were a necessity during the cold season and she needed something to do.  


Those gloves are the only thing keeping her warm.

Leaf

Today's prompt: What is the dead leaf thinking as it falls to the ground?

Leaves are a incredible.  They provide such beauty simply with their color.  As the weather turns, their color becomes even more beautiful and dramatic.  But as they fall to the ground, what in the world would it be thinking?

Well, if this leaf is dead, it probably wouldn't be thinking anything.

Selfish

Today's prompt:  How are you selfish?

When I first read this, I immediately jumped down the road of "to be human is to be selfish."  This has been a common argument of mine, one that I firmly believe in.  There is always a benefit to yourself no matter what you do.  It may be feeding starving orphans in Africa for free, but you will still feel good about it.  You get something out of it.  To be unselfish is to receive nothing, to benefit in no way.  But you can find some sort of gain from anything you may do, be it intrinsic or extrinsic. 

How am I selfish?  I speak far too much.  I am attempting to relate to people but end up going down the road of talking about myself.  I want to help, but end up "gaining" the opportunity to boast about my own misfortunes or successes.  Please understand, I do this unintentionally.  

I am needy.  Poor Erik must pay attention to me constantly while I often forget  he needs attention as well.

I purchase clothing made by children in sweat shops.  My desire for too many material possessions is stronger than my desire to fight the system, to fight for those with little to no rights.

I would rather spend money on a movie than donate it to charity.

The list goes on and on.  We are all selfish.  But admitting to it and trying to move ahead, to move past our selfishness and become a better person; that is also what it means to be a human being.

A New Challenge

This month is one of rejuvination.  October really took a toll on me in every aspect of my life.  Too much school, too many emotions, too much spending and way too much eating.  Now it's time to get back on track.

I've really enjoyed this time of discovery.   Learning how to refigure life so I can actually spend my time living instead of simply trying to keep up is refreshing.  Finding time to take a few moments to breathe, to soak in the beauty of the day and truly enjoy something is an incredible (and challenging) experience.  Not to mention the difficulty of controlling my wallet and caloric intake.

Part of this includes taking moments to do things I want to do but feel I never have time for.  One of those is writing.  So I have taken on a challenge.  Write about a simple prompt each day for the next month.  I hope you enjoy the next 30 days!

Mere shadows of dairy puppets.. or something

At an appetizer get together, I chose to make an artichoke and spinach dip.  I remember well the deliciousness of these warm dips and really wanted to have some.  It does break a rule of mine though.  As a vegan I try to stay away from meat and dairy mimicking products.  I feel that if I'm choosing to not eat something, it's for a reason and it seems silly to use things that just pretend to be what you want to avoid.  But, I really wanted to make this.  So I'm sharing it with everyone in hopes that if you do feel the urge to go out and buy a big pile of pretend dairy products, this is what you'll make.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

    1 pkg chopped frozen spinach, thawed
    1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
    1 pkg vegan cream cheese
    1/4 cup soy milk
    4 tablespoons Veganaise
    1/3 cup nutritional yeast
    1/4 cup vegan soy parmesan
    1 cup chopped green onion
    1/4 cup chopped chives
    1 red bell pepper, chopped
    4 tablespoons olive oil
    1/2 block vegan cheddar (I use Follow your heart)
    1 tomato, chopped
    5 cloves minced garlic

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat oil in skillet, add peppers and garlic, saute 4 min over medium heat, add soy milk, heat for 1 min. Add chopped artichoke, heat 2 mins. Add cream cheese, green onions and chives, heat through till melted. Add soy parmesan, nutritional yeast, 1/2 vegan cheddar and Veganaise.  Let heat until completely melted and add spinach. Stir and let heat for 3 min. Add pepper to taste.  Pour into oven safe dish, top with the rest of the vegan cheese and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and top with chopped tomato.

Serve hot with tortilla chips or crostini.