Sharing

I love Spanish rice. For me it is the ultimate comfort food; warm, just the right amount of flavor, great texture, fills you up but not too much. Even when I’m not feeling well, or maybe especially when I’m not feeling well, I love Spanish rice. Mmmmm. For me, that is always the way to judge a restaurant. The problem is, I could never seem to duplicate it at home. I’d tried several different recipes and none of them had turned out. Then one day, after a lengthy internet search, I found one - the perfect Spanish rice recipe. It was SO good. I raved about it for weeks. Everyone knew that I had found a great Spanish rice recipe. I offered it to my mom, my mother-in-law, my sisters, my friends, pretty much anyone who would listen.

And it got me thinking. Why is it so easy to offer something like that to perfect strangers, but when it comes to something really important to me, I’m hesitate? This summer I read a series of books that I loved. And I have a friend who I always swap books with, but I was really nervous about loaning them to her. They weren’t particularly intelligent books, just romance novels that I found at a time when I really needed an escape from a particularly stressful summer. I don’t know if I was worried that she wouldn’t like them, or that she would think I was silly for enjoying them so much - for some reason, I felt that I was revealing too much of myself. And that she would be insulted by my offering her a book if she turned out not liking it.

It gets even more touchy when I think about religion. I have never been happier in my life than when I’m living the commandments of God. I feel such peace and joy in everyday things like playing with my kids and even just cleaning my house when I feel close to my Savior, Jesus Christ. But somehow, even when it comes up in conversation, I worry about offending people. What if they think I’m pushy? What if they think I’m weird? It is the strangest thing. Is it really going to insult someone if I want to share something with them that makes me happy? What am I afraid of?

So here it is:

If you want to read a fluffy romance novel that is also well written and engaging, may I recommend Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer. http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/

If you want more peace, love, patience and joy in your life, may I recommend turning to God in prayer and reading the Bible and Book of Mormon. http://www.mormon.org/; http://www.lds.org/

And if you like Spanish rice, I’ve got a killer recipe.


Spanish Rice Recipe
2 tablespoons olive oil (can use up to 1/4 cup)
1 onion, chopped fine
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups of medium or long-grain white rice
3 cups* chicken stock (or vegetable stock if vegetarian)
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste or 1 cup of diced fresh or cooked tomatoes, strained
Pinch of oregano
1 teaspoon salt
*Check the instructions on the rice package for the proportions of liquid to rice. They can range from 1:1 to 2:1. If your rice calls for 2 cups of water for every cup of rice, then for this recipe, use 4 cups of stock for 2 cups of rice.
1 In a large skillet brown rice in olive oil, medium/high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook onion rice mixture, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes, or until onions are softened.
2 In a separate sauce pan bring stock to a simmer. Add tomato sauce, oregano, and salt. Add rice to broth. Bring to a simmer. Cover. Lower heat and cook 15-25 minutes, depending on the type of rice and the instructions on the rice package. Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes.