I come from a family with two parents who worked two or more jobs at all times. Therefore, there wasn't a lot of cooking going on, and especially not a lot of recipes. But bless my mom and my aunts: they always made sure we had a tasty and delicious Thanksgiving meal, even if all the recipes came straight from the food labels! So I thought I would pass on the tradition...here is a really neat looking recipe I found on the HEB website. I will be trying this one next week when I cook my very first Thanksgiving Dinner on my own!
Swanson Sausage & Apple Stuffing
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth (Regular, Natural Goodness™ or Certified Organic)
Generous dash ground black pepper
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, coarsley chopped
1/2 red apple chopped
1/2 green apple chopped
1/2 lb. bulk pork sausage, cooked and crumbled
2 cups Pepperidge Farm® Cubed Herb Seasoned Stuffing
2 cups Pepperidge Farm® Corn Bread Stuffing
Directions:
1. Heat broth, black pepper, celery, onion and apples in 3 quart saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. Add sausage and stuffing and stir lightly to coat.
For an interesting twist: Omit apples. Add 1/2 tsp. chili powder. Use 1/2 lb. smoked chorizo sausage, casing removed, and cut into 1/2" pieces for the pork sausage.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
Morality as Goal
Goal setting is a daunting task - just asking someone what their goals are can open a door to a whole new and unpredictable world of opportunity. The open-endedness of the question can be enough to send even the most ambitious dreamer in to retreat. So what about those who do not regularly or easily contemplate their potential? How difficult it can be for some to articulate any bigger ambition than surviving the day! So I propose the following goal setting baseline: Do not think about what you COULD do, start by considering what you OUGHT to do.
In The Moral Sense, Wilson approaches the term "ought" as something so integral to the human experience that it can not be defined. At the same time, Wilson reminds us that we are not all ready to admit that our core values guide our actions for fear of appearing intolerant or old-fashoned. However, even if it has fallen out of fashion to "discuss" morality, Wilson demonstrates that there are undoubtedly basic lines which all humans innately know should not be crossed. Wilson's examples of how violence is still "newsworthy", of the relatively low rates of infanticide, and of repeat offendors still wanting more for their children seem to prove that all of us must have an internal, unspoken moral compass that guides many of our actions.
If we all have the tendancy toward behaving "sympathetically" or fairly, and if the end result of these actions is that society is better off, could this "morality" be put to good use for developing community? I propose that we might challenge ourselves and our families to strive for better for ourselves and for each other because it will be better for the community as a whole. If we can encourage someone to improve their own conditition as a way to contribute to their community, they have more motivation than just their own success to keep going. Similar results have been acheived in "buddy-system" weight loss and excersise regimens, when one dieter continues in order to not let their buddy down.
The challenge is to gain audience with those most likely to be persuaded by this appeal to their morality. How do you communicate the morality message to community and family influencers? I believe you can get part of the way by appealing to the sense of kinship that Wilson found among the most striking facts about human societies - the family bond. If we can educate parents as to what "they ought to do" to acheive the most benefit for their community and family, then they have an instant set of goals for their family from which to build upon for the future.
In The Moral Sense, Wilson approaches the term "ought" as something so integral to the human experience that it can not be defined. At the same time, Wilson reminds us that we are not all ready to admit that our core values guide our actions for fear of appearing intolerant or old-fashoned. However, even if it has fallen out of fashion to "discuss" morality, Wilson demonstrates that there are undoubtedly basic lines which all humans innately know should not be crossed. Wilson's examples of how violence is still "newsworthy", of the relatively low rates of infanticide, and of repeat offendors still wanting more for their children seem to prove that all of us must have an internal, unspoken moral compass that guides many of our actions.
If we all have the tendancy toward behaving "sympathetically" or fairly, and if the end result of these actions is that society is better off, could this "morality" be put to good use for developing community? I propose that we might challenge ourselves and our families to strive for better for ourselves and for each other because it will be better for the community as a whole. If we can encourage someone to improve their own conditition as a way to contribute to their community, they have more motivation than just their own success to keep going. Similar results have been acheived in "buddy-system" weight loss and excersise regimens, when one dieter continues in order to not let their buddy down.
The challenge is to gain audience with those most likely to be persuaded by this appeal to their morality. How do you communicate the morality message to community and family influencers? I believe you can get part of the way by appealing to the sense of kinship that Wilson found among the most striking facts about human societies - the family bond. If we can educate parents as to what "they ought to do" to acheive the most benefit for their community and family, then they have an instant set of goals for their family from which to build upon for the future.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Notes on Redford
In Democracy and the administrative state, Redford reminds us that Open society requires 1. access to information, based on education, open government, free communication, and open discussion, 2. access to forums of decision; 3. ability to open any issue to public discussion; 4.ability to assert one's claims without fear of coercive retaliation; 5.consideration of all claims asserted. It occured to me that although we in the United States live in an open society, several segments of our society are left out of this open situation. Having spent some time with students in an inner-city school and with their families, I have observed that these families feel no connection and no in-roads to the open discussion of issues. As Redford puts it, policies seldom deal with individuals, but I feel that what is lacking is an appeal to the individual's values, lifestyle, etc when trying to move them from apathy to participation. This feeds into one of the main issues I wish to study - community motivation. However, as Redford reminds us, policy does not typically look to personal fulfillment or other psychic pursuits. I particularly enjoyed Redford's example about being able to mandate worship, "but not the quality of spirituality that would emanate(or would not emanate) from it" This is exactly the kind of frustration that I have faced when I present what I think is the perfect motivation to certain segments of Texas Communities to change certain behavior. You can have all the tools avaialble and expend a great deal of time, money, and resources on communicating these tools, but without inherent belief this is a worthwhile excersice, everthing becomes "optional" and unfortunately, does not become an integral part of the community.
Overall, I have enjoyed reading Redford's work and applying his ideas to my overall policy interests approach. More to come as I continue review the work...
Overall, I have enjoyed reading Redford's work and applying his ideas to my overall policy interests approach. More to come as I continue review the work...
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Getting "community" online
After two weeks of working with hurricane victims programs, I am finally able to sit down at a computer. I thought there would be no better time to reflect and share my experiences working with communities that were truly under stress and enduring changes.
In my work in Pharmacy, my ultimate daily goal is to find a way to make sure people can access their prescriptions. Millions of people were affected by the recent hurricanes, and the devastation left many of them relying on others to provide them with the most basic resources like food, water, and shelter. In the scramble to provide these essentials, things like medications were forgotten and left behind. In many cases, paying for these medications had been an enormous burden on the household finances - now the dilemma: how to pay for the same medicine again? How to afford another doctors visit for a new prescription? What about the effects of the hurricane on my physical and mental health? What I have experienced over the past couple of weeks is community building in action, helping individuals answer these questions through the efforts of the entire community.
In the literal sense, hurricane victims have been thrust into new temporary communities (in shelters and other emergency housing). Even beyond their shelter, the larger community was set to embrace it's new members. These communities (the neighborhoods, cities, States that offered them shelter) had a new goal to add to their own vision: how to best care for our new neighbors without unnecssary overexertion of our resources. Ultimately, doctors, pharmacists, and other health professionals have come from all over the Country to evacuee shelters and other areas to care for hurricane victims, while "regular citizens" pulled together to help victims adjust to their new settings. Federal, State, and local governments organized quickly to provide financial assistance for prescription medications and other urgent needs.
We believe we are on solid footing to take good care of the victims of the hurricanes while they are sheltered among us. However, the work must begin now towards rebuilding the communities they left and to test the resiliency of these communities.
I look with hope to the future, to the great things we can accomplish in helping to rebuild the damaged communities.
In my work in Pharmacy, my ultimate daily goal is to find a way to make sure people can access their prescriptions. Millions of people were affected by the recent hurricanes, and the devastation left many of them relying on others to provide them with the most basic resources like food, water, and shelter. In the scramble to provide these essentials, things like medications were forgotten and left behind. In many cases, paying for these medications had been an enormous burden on the household finances - now the dilemma: how to pay for the same medicine again? How to afford another doctors visit for a new prescription? What about the effects of the hurricane on my physical and mental health? What I have experienced over the past couple of weeks is community building in action, helping individuals answer these questions through the efforts of the entire community.
In the literal sense, hurricane victims have been thrust into new temporary communities (in shelters and other emergency housing). Even beyond their shelter, the larger community was set to embrace it's new members. These communities (the neighborhoods, cities, States that offered them shelter) had a new goal to add to their own vision: how to best care for our new neighbors without unnecssary overexertion of our resources. Ultimately, doctors, pharmacists, and other health professionals have come from all over the Country to evacuee shelters and other areas to care for hurricane victims, while "regular citizens" pulled together to help victims adjust to their new settings. Federal, State, and local governments organized quickly to provide financial assistance for prescription medications and other urgent needs.
We believe we are on solid footing to take good care of the victims of the hurricanes while they are sheltered among us. However, the work must begin now towards rebuilding the communities they left and to test the resiliency of these communities.
I look with hope to the future, to the great things we can accomplish in helping to rebuild the damaged communities.
Working glossary
The following terms are defined with respect to communities and community building
System - a complex convergence of resources, working in tandem toward a common goal. A system can be seen as a "machine" with many working parts that must function. When there is a breakdown in one area, the system can rarely move forward toward realizing the final goal.
Activism - involvement in solving problems or accomplishing goals on behalf of a community or cause. Solving the problems and accomplishing the goals can be seen as the "vision" for community. Activism requires work toward this vision. This work is more than thought or discussion excercises. An activist must develop (or participate in the development of) a plan of action for how the community can fulfill this vision
Sustainability - the ability for an organism to continue at it's current state of wellness or better with little or no outside assistance.
Resilience - Prof Rhodes gave a great definition for resilience in class - "the ability to 'bounce back'" This has serious implications for sustainability. Communities, like individuals, will occasionally suffer setbacks. How they handle these setbacks, and where they land after the dust settles, will be a key indicator for the long-term sustainability of the community. Ultimately, they must be able to "weather the storms" that will come along. The most resiliant communities will be able to return to their level of wellness and continue working towards their vision.
More to come...
System - a complex convergence of resources, working in tandem toward a common goal. A system can be seen as a "machine" with many working parts that must function. When there is a breakdown in one area, the system can rarely move forward toward realizing the final goal.
Activism - involvement in solving problems or accomplishing goals on behalf of a community or cause. Solving the problems and accomplishing the goals can be seen as the "vision" for community. Activism requires work toward this vision. This work is more than thought or discussion excercises. An activist must develop (or participate in the development of) a plan of action for how the community can fulfill this vision
Sustainability - the ability for an organism to continue at it's current state of wellness or better with little or no outside assistance.
Resilience - Prof Rhodes gave a great definition for resilience in class - "the ability to 'bounce back'" This has serious implications for sustainability. Communities, like individuals, will occasionally suffer setbacks. How they handle these setbacks, and where they land after the dust settles, will be a key indicator for the long-term sustainability of the community. Ultimately, they must be able to "weather the storms" that will come along. The most resiliant communities will be able to return to their level of wellness and continue working towards their vision.
Capital - resources at the disposal of the community toward furthering the vision. These can be, as discussed in class, financial, physical, human, natural, social, and more
More to come...
Defining Community
Community can best be defined as a group which shares resources. Whether it is a geographic, demographic, or psychographic “group”, the unifying factor that turns a simple collection of people in to a community is the resources they share.
Conversely, while open sharing can shape the strongest communities, they are also inherently defined by the boundaries beyond which they do not routinely allocate their assets. In seeking to meet the needs of its members, a community must have a clear sense of who “belongs”, or is eligible to benefit from the available resources.
In addition to shared resources, another definition for community is a group of individuals which are brought together by lack of resource(s). A community can often be based on what deficiencies the members jointly seek to fill; a shared sense of insufficiency or injustice can often define a community more than the resources it brings to bear.
While individuals are often very engaged in their communities, some parts of a community can be passive members rather than active participants. This is to say that community is not an exclusively voluntary arrangement and need not be defined as a consciously formed group. Likewise, a community does necessarily have a defined organizational structure or administration. Rules and mores can be unstated yet simply understood by members of the community as they seek to share from the resources available.
Ultimately, a community is a group of people with enough in common that they will enjoy more success by working together than focusing on individual needs.
Conversely, while open sharing can shape the strongest communities, they are also inherently defined by the boundaries beyond which they do not routinely allocate their assets. In seeking to meet the needs of its members, a community must have a clear sense of who “belongs”, or is eligible to benefit from the available resources.
In addition to shared resources, another definition for community is a group of individuals which are brought together by lack of resource(s). A community can often be based on what deficiencies the members jointly seek to fill; a shared sense of insufficiency or injustice can often define a community more than the resources it brings to bear.
While individuals are often very engaged in their communities, some parts of a community can be passive members rather than active participants. This is to say that community is not an exclusively voluntary arrangement and need not be defined as a consciously formed group. Likewise, a community does necessarily have a defined organizational structure or administration. Rules and mores can be unstated yet simply understood by members of the community as they seek to share from the resources available.
Ultimately, a community is a group of people with enough in common that they will enjoy more success by working together than focusing on individual needs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)