Asian Chicken Marinade

20 November, 20138 July, 2014Marissa

I’ve finally decided to write this recipe down (partly so I can remember how to make it, and partly so I can share it here). I like to serve it with salad and my Oriental Salad Dressing. In fact, this is what my brother requested for his birthday lunch this week. I wonder how many other 16-year-old boys want an artisan salad for their birthday?

Asian Chicken Marinade

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¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon ginger powder

½ teaspoon sesame oil

2 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 Tablespoon rice wine

Mix ingredients in gallon-size, plastic zip-lock bag. Add 1-½ pounds chicken breast tenders and seal the bag. Turn to coat chicken. Let rest in the marinade for 30 minutes. Place chicken in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 20-30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.

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My Favorite Fantasy Books

18 November, 201318 November, 2013Marissa

I’m writing a fantasy novel for NaNoWriMo this year, and since I have that genre on my mind, I thought I’d share a list of my favorite fantasy books. Maybe someday the novel I’m writing will be on another blogger’s favorite books list.

Books In No Particular Order

Concerning Hobbits

Though it is often considered childish compared to The Lord of the Rings, and I’ve heard that Tolkein wished he’d had time to re-write it, The Hobbit is my favorite book by J.R.R. Tolkein. I love all the books of Middle Earth for what Tolkein can teach me about writing fantasy, but just to sit down and enjoy reading a book I pick up The Hobbit.

“It’s all in the wardrobe just like I told you!”

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis are a few more “children’s books” that I didn’t read until I was in my late teens, and not all at once. I think I read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe when I was 16, then The Magician’s Nephew, and finished the series a few years after that. I suppose it is fitting that I didn’t appreciate Narnia until I was older, since it was C.S. Lewis who said, “Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”

I’m Okay With Corlath Kidnapping Me

I mentioned The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley on my previous book list, but it belongs on here as well. I like the way McKinley handles magic in this world, the lore she weaves through the story, and the strong characters she creates. Some of the most interesting characters are not even human — the heroine’s incredible war horse and a hunting cat named Narknon.

How To Melt Wizards

I don’t hesitate to laugh-out-loud when I’m reading books, and The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede kept me giggling most of the time I was reading. I received some pretty puzzled looks from my family, until my sister read the four books and laughed almost as much as I did. The first book, Dealing With Dragons, is the best, and features a princess who asks a dragon to take her captive so she can avoid marriage, then proceeds to chase off all the princes who try to rescue her.

Dancing Bears

The Shadow of the Bear by Regina Doman is the first in a series of modern fairy tale retelling. It’s based on “Snow White and Rose Red.” Bear (aka Arthur Denniston) is one of those fictional men I fell in love with as a teenager the moment I read the scene where he dances with Blanche. I also really like the cover art for the first edition.

“True love is the best thing in the world, except for cough drops.”

If you like the film The Princess Bride, you’ll love the book by William Goldman. I recommend the 30th Anniversary Edition, so you can read Goldman’s introductions. He talks about being on-set for filming (which was, of course, done on location in Florin). It can be fun trying to figure out what actually happened and what didn’t (and whether or not it really matters).

McKinley Fairy Tales

Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley is my favorite “Beauty and the Beast” retelling, and is also the only novel of hers that I’ve thought had a thoroughly satisfying ending. Her retelling of “Sleeping Beauty,” Spindle’s End, also deserves an honorable mention just for the fact that magic in that world is so thick and tangible they have to dust if off the kitchenware before cooking.

Visionary Fiction

A Sword For The Immerland King, by F.W. Faller, is the book that introduced me to “visionary fiction.” His website defines it this way:

a fiction, stated as fact to allow the reader to explore the greater life issues in the safety of a good armchair, to wonder at their own shortcomings and marvel at the confidence of others who inspire them to vision and purpose in their own lives. It is allegory and truth rolled together in a plausibility that transcends time and space and gives us pause to ponder who we are and where we are going.

What Faller does with his world of Tessalindria reminds me of Tolkein’s work with Middle Earth, and what I’m hoping to do with Ves’endlera.

An Oracular Pig

The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, follow the adventures of an assistant pig-keeper named Taran. It spans five books and is, I suppose, technically another series of children’s books. One of the most interesting things about these novels is that they are based in part on Welsh legends. The author uses some names from the original legends and hints of Welsh geography (which he warns is “not to be used as a guide for tourists”), then inserts main characters born out of his own imaginings.

Worlds of Ink

Inkheart, Inkspell, and Inkdeath are the three books in the Inkworld series by Cornellia Funke. Setting aside the great fantasy content for a moment, these are beautiful books. Each chapter begins with a quotation and ends with a sketch. They are books about books, with main characters being read into the real world and back into books and blurring the lines between reality and fiction.

Shy, Frumpy Doormats

16 November, 201316 November, 2013Marissa

The subject of Godly femininity has fascinated me for a number of years. It’s well nigh impossible to be a woman in the church without reaching the point where you’re comparing yourself to Proverbs 31, and if we’re honest we rarely (if ever) feel we measure up to that standard. The picture of a virtuous woman is not meant to discourage us, but that can still be how we feel.

Similarly, reading New Testament verses addressed to women can make us feel like it’s impossible to be a godly woman, or even make us angry that God’s idea of femininity has so few elements of feminism. It is not always easy to hear, much less heed, admonitions for women to have “a meek and quiet spirit” (1Pet. 3:4, KJV), submit to their husbands (Eph. 5:22), and wear “modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety” (2 Tim 2:9).

Meekly Modest

Many of the words used to define Godly femininity in the Bible have come under attack in modern times. When we hear “submission,” we think doormat. When we hear “modest,” we think frumpy. When we hear “gentle and quiet,” we think shy. Often, this type of reaction shows a misunderstanding of God’s intention for feminine conduct. As discussed in “Redefining Meekness,” our current definitions fall considerably short of the Biblical standard. The Greek words translated meekness carry the idea of strength of character that balances our emotions, expresses anger properly, behaves with gentleness, and helps establish our relationship with God.

The subject of modesty has been thoroughly covered (perhaps “done to death” would be a better phrase) by many other writers. So all I’m going to say about it is, check out Olivia Howard’s Fresh Modesty blog for proof that you can dress modestly and attractively. And honestly, even if modest does sometimes look “frumpy,” would we rather be looked down on for being too covered than for dressing slutty?

Content With Quiet

In Western culture, gentle meekness and silence are seen as negative qualities. They may be okay in principle, but in practice it holds you back from reaching your full potential (whatever that means). It is generally the loudest person in the room who gets the most attention, and we often assume that is an ideal we should strive for.

I’ve touched on this subject before, when writing about introversion. Both shyness and introversion are generally considered “bad” traits (though that is starting to change in regards to introverts). In Susan Caine’s words, “Shyness is the fear of negative judgment, and introversion is a preference for quiet, minimally stimulating environments.” They are not the same, but share quietness as a trait. Many people assume this quietness is a sign of weakness.

Also, shyness implies submissiveness. And in a competitive culture that reveres alpha dogs, one-downsmanship is probably the most damning trait of all.

Yet this is where the shy and the introverted, for all their differences, have in common something profound. Neither type is perceived by society as alpha, and this gives both types the vision to see how alpha status is overrated, and how our reverence for it blinds us to things that are good and smart and wise.

Forget Society

All too often, we hear people twisting Godly traits beyond recognition to make them seem less appealing. We also see traits that God hates exalted by society. I have a hard time finding balance between these two extremes. I struggle with shyness, but I can also speak before I think and wish I had exercised the virtue of silence. I intend to dress with modesty, but sometimes settle for frumpy or wear something a bit tighter than usual because I know guys will notice. I seem to go from walk-all-over-me peacefulness to stereotypical red-head temper with nothing in between.

We can’t let ourselves pick and choose qualities we admire (I like this trait from the Bible, but I like this idea from feminism) to make a “self” that we feel comfortable with. Christ calls us to get outside our comfort zone and follow Him, not matter what outside pressures say. In many cases, our challenge as Christian women is to move past the negative reactions society has to Godly traits and follow His teaching in spite of what the world says. God doesn’t ask us to be shy, frumpy doormats, but neither does he want us to hold on to worldly ideals that conflict with His way of life. He wants daughters clothed with strength and dignity who submit their lives to Him and know when to keep silent and when to speak.

Easy Alfredo Sauce

13 November, 20135 November, 2013Marissa

I was shocked to discover I hadn’t blogged this recipe yet. It’s my mother’s favorite pasta, and it’s a deceptively simple recipe. I’ve been making it for company for several years, and it always gets good reviews. I like to serve it with salad and bread, or with green beans (which my Dad covers in Alfredo sauce). Having made it so many times, I can offer a few suggestions to make timing everything easier. Start water for the pasta boiling right before you start melting butter for the sauce. The chicken should be cooking by the time you are adding cream cheese to the sauce, then everything should be done about the same time.

Easy Alfredo Sauce

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1/2 cup butter

1 (8-oz) package cream cheese

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 cups milk

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-½ teaspoons parsley

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic powder then cream cheese, stirring with a wire whisk until smooth.

Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan cheese and spices. Stir frequently until sauce reaches desired consistency.

Serve with spaghetti, penne, linguine, or fettuccine.

Chicken Alfredo

For chicken Alfredo, chop 2 chicken breasts into cubes. Cook chicken in olive oil, garlic powder, and black pepper until done. Add to sauce right before serving.

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Fictional MBTI — Neal Caffrey (ESTP)

11 November, 20137 April, 2017Marissa

Season 4 of White Collar is now on DVD, which means it’s on Netflix, which means I’m finally catching up on episodes. White Collar is probably my favorite crime drama (the only other candidates are NCIS: LA and Castle, and I haven’t liked them as well lately), and I’m fascinated by the characters.

When I first read David Keirsey’s Please Understand Me II chapter on Artisans, I was thinking of Neal Caffrey from White Collar even before Keirsey mentioned that most con-men were extroverted SP types (though of course most SP types [about 30-35% of the population] are not con-men). A hunch like that isn’t enough to type a fictional character, but it’s a good place to start.

Why SP?

Like Loki, typing Neal is complicated by his criminal behavior and possible psychopathy. I have not seen his Myers-Briggs type discussed often, and most of the ones I have seen type him an ENTJ or an ENFP. Since my decision to place him as a sensor instead of intuitive is apparently unpopular, I’d like to address why. While he does go with his “gut feeling” sometimes and rely on intuition, he does not display classic NF qualities like valuing personal authenticity, a focus on lasting emotional connections, and preoccupation with personal journeys. I could almost see him as an NT, but his problem solving abilities seem more focused on real-world results (a Sensing attribute) than on the abstract ideas behind the problems (an Intuitive trait).

The core characteristics Keirsey uses to describe Artisans are these (quoted from his website):

Artisans tend to be fun-loving, optimistic, realistic, and focused on the here and now.
Artisans pride themselves on being unconventional, bold, and spontaneous.
Artisans make playful mates, creative parents, and troubleshooting leaders.
Artisans are excitable, trust their impulses, want to make a splash, seek stimulation, prize freedom, and dream of mastering action skills.

Extroverted Sensing

Fictional MBTI: Neal Caffrey -- marissabaker.wordpress.com Now that I’ve narrowed Neal down to one of four types (ESFP, ISFP, ESTP, or ISTP), I want to switch from Keirsey’s approach to cognitive functions (which is too elaborate a subject to go into here. If you want background info, see this article). I’ve settled on ESTP for Neal, which gives him this function stack:

Dominant: Extraverted Sensing (Se)
Auxiliary: Introverted Thinking (Ti)
Tertiary: Extraverted Feeling (Fe)
Inferior: Introverted Intuition (Ni)

Note: For the remainder of this post, I rely heavily on Keirsey’s Portrait of The Promoter, and Dr. A.J. Drenth’s ESTP Personality Profile.

Extroverted Sensing types (ESxPs) are life-of-the-party people. They enjoy presenting themselves well (for example, Neal’s expensive taste in clothing), and are generally seen as charming (that Neal fits this description goes without saying if you’ve watched the show). Se types are easily bored by routine, and actively seek out new sensory experiences (such as fine dining, romance, and [in Neal’s case] running a con). They like to take action, accomplish tasks, and experience the world. Keirsey describes them as a risk-taking type.

Introverted Thinking

Fictional MBTI: Neal Caffrey -- marissabaker.wordpress.com I’ve settled on Introverted Thinking instead of Feeling for Neal’s auxiliary function because of his gift for planning and how serious he becomes when he has to stop and think instead of just being free to act. It is one reason he is such a successful criminal, and why he is so valuable to the FBI. Dr. Drenth phrases it this way:

The fluid nature of their Ti, combined with the keen observational powers of their Se, contributes to ESTPs’ acumen as practical problem solvers. ESTPs can analyze a situation, diagnose the problem, and then determine how to fix it.

You can see examples of Neal’s thinking function in most episodes, as he responds to problems that arise by thinking and planning. Primarily, he approaches problem-solving from a perspective of getting things done efficiently (as opposed to worrying about how each option will affect people involved).

Relationships

Farther down the function stack, and less conciously available, is Extroverted Feeling. The typical ESTP does not like to share their judgments or true feelings. Keirsey says, “While they live in the moment and lend excitement – and unpredictability – to all their relationships, they rarely let anyone get really close to them.” Even when Neal does open up to people and form bonds with them (like his friendship with Peter), he is still able to run off to a tropical island and smoothly settle into a new life (though it only lasted for one episode in the fourth season).

So, what do you think? Does Neal fit the profile of an ESTP? Is there another type you think fits him better (maybe you have an argument for him as an iNtuitive)?

Free In Christ

9 November, 20139 November, 2013Marissa

I didn’t realize until I saw this post still in drafts that there wasn’t a Saturday post last week. Oops. Well, here it is now.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free …

“Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:31-32, 34-36)

What happens once we are made free from sin? Some people (especially those in Western cultures, I suspect) tend to think of freedom as license to do whatever they want. This is not what is meant by the freedom that we are given in Christ.

And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. (Rom. 6:18)

The Bible reveals that we have only two options: service to sin or service to God. Though we are “not under law but under grace,” that does not give us license to disobey. Under the New Covenant, God’s commandments are still in effect, and He requires obedience from those who love Him (John 14:15, 21).

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? (Rom. 6:15-17)

This does not mean we can earn eternal life by obedience — it is a free gift from God (Rom. 6:23). However, we can show by disobedient actions that we refuse to accept His gift. When we do that, it’s as if someone pulled us from a burning building and said, “Don’t go back in there,” and instead of obeying we marched right back inside because we thought the heat felt good.

Once we have been redeemed by Jesus Christ, we have to respond by walking not “according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:1). We will surely slip and fall, but we have to stop willfully sinning and make a genuine effort to change and obey. The habit of our life has to become Christ-imitating instead of sinful.

For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men — as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. (1 Pet. 2:15-16)