The Myth of Neutrality

That's right, neutrality is a myth, so no matter how much you try to be a "good open-minded American" you aren't.

More than ever I see it in comments on Yahoo articles or on Facebook the word bigot.  Gay marriage is normally the context of that word being thrown around.  If you aren't a proponent of gay rights, you are a cruel, closed-minded person.  You are denying people happiness.  How could you do that?

As a Christian, I don't find it very hard.  I look at the Bible, and I see what God says about homosexuality and that's that.  I am not going to list out a whole bunch of verses for you to read about this issue, y'all can look them up yourselves, because in this post I am going to focus on the myth of neutrality.

So back to the myth of neutrality.  Americans think that they have to be all accepting of every idea, every action, and every religion (except Christianity of course).  However, neutrality isn't an option.  Every person has a set of beliefs and many different people's beliefs conflict.  Christianity conflicts with EVERY other religion and so does Islam for that matter (i.e. we Christians aren't the only "non-neutral" religion).  The idea that we could be neutral to every religion is really almost humorous.  Yes, let's be neutral to people who crash airplanes into American buildings, yes, let's be neutral to serial killers.  Why not?  It's their beliefs, we should all just welcome them into the family and embrace their ideas.

NOT

See the devastating consequences of neutrality?  You start being neutral about a few things and all of a sudden you are being asked to accept murder, stealing and rape.  I think I am probably right in saying that however neutral you may be trying, you won't be accepting murder, stealing or rape.

Do you still want to be a good "open-minded"American"?

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Reliving a Nightmare: Chocolate Krinkles

"Do you want to help me relive a nightmare?" I asked my brother the other day.
He gave me a funny look.  "No.  What are you going to do?"
"I'm making chocolate krinkles," I replied.
My brother's eyes opened up wide and he said, "Really?!"

So what was it about a simple recipe for CHOCOLATE cookies that could have anything do with a nightmare?  A lot.  Several years ago, when I was probably about ten years old, my younger brother and I decided to make cookies, chocolate krinkles to be exact.  I assume we had our parents permission, because getting into trouble wasn't part of the nightmare.  Like the geniuses we were, we decided to make a double recipe of an already humongous recipe.  Fatal mistake number one.  So we mixed up this immense recipe of chocolate deliciousness and proceeded to make probably about two hundred cookies (that is a rough but not exaggerated estimate).  Being just kids, of course we ate tons of the dough as we formed the cookie dough into cookies and then rolled them in powdered sugar.  Fatal mistake numbers two AND three.   Never, let your kids use powdered sugar when cooking, it makes a mess and if you eat a lot of cookie dough, later on down the road you are going to feel sick.  Somehow, we also managed to dirty the most dishes possible.  Fatal mistake number four. Apparently little children also have the tendency to drop cookie dough on the floor.  Fatal mistake number five.  I am sure you can tell by now that the fatal mistakes were rather piling up.  By the time we were done the floor, and the table we were working at were covered in powdered sugar and cookie batter.  My brother and I both felt sick from eating so much cookie dough as well as the baked cookies.  Nevertheless, we had to clean up the kitchen.  Due to the amount of cookie dough on the floor, we had to mop as well as do all of the dishes.    After we were done, we both swore never again to make those treacherous cookies.

And we never did.... until a couple days ago.

Thankfully I am far wiser and I avoided all of the fatal mistakes.  It helps when you have a vivid memory implanted in your mind of all that went the first time.  Due to these unforgettable memories, I made no fatal mistakes.  I also had the good sense to make a quarter of the amount that my brother and I made so many years ago (and that is the amount for the recipe I have below).  They are a very delicious chocolate cookie that have a little crunch on the outside but are soft in the middle.  Just how I like them.  Anyways, it was chocolate, a very hard to mess up ingredient. :)

If you have the courage, make some, they really are delicious.

Chocolate Krinkles
1 1/4 cup oil
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup powdered sugar (to roll cookies in)
Mix together first three ingredients and then add eggs one at a time, mixing well.  Add vanilla and dry ingredients.  Mix well and chill.  Drop teaspoons of dough in powdered sugar and roll into a ball (careful not to make to big).  Bake in 350˚ oven for 8-10 minutes.  Don't overbake.  Makes about fifty cookies.

Enjoy and remember to make NO fatal mistakes. :)


Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.

Chocolate Gingersnap Cookies

Earlier this year my cousin gave me the names of a few food blogs that she had found good recipes from.  I was able to find several good recipes that I tried and one of them was for these chocolate gingersnap cookies.  The idea of combining ginger and chocolate sounded weird at first but I tried it anyways.  The end product was absolutely delicious!  The are nice and soft and the flavor is really great. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family and I did. :)

Soft Chocolate Gingersnap Cookies

2 sticks softened butter

1 Cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 Cup molasses

1 egg

1 3/4 Cup all purpose flour

1/2 Cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Roasted Saigon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon McCormick Gourmet Roasted Ground ginger

1/2 Cup sugar to roll cookies in

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.   In stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Slowly add in molasses and egg until well combined.

2.  In a separate mixing bowl mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Slowly add to wet ingredients, beat on low until just combined.

3.  With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough and roll into sugar then place onto silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.  Press each cookie with the palm of your hand to about 1/2 inch thick.  Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove and let cool for 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.  Now, time to eat!

4-5 dozen cookies 

Note- Dough will be quite sticky.

Lois Johnson, avid writer, tea drinker, and reader but first and foremost, avid Christian.