Why It Is Not "OK" for LDS Members to be Vague in their Opinions Toward Gay Marriage

In a recent interview with KUTV News, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Council of the Twelve Apostles stated "that Mormons who support gay marriage are not in danger of losing their temple privileges or church memberships." He goes on to say that church members are free to hold their own personal opinions and will only be in trouble for attacking the church and trying to draw others away, or supporting organizations which attack the church or attempt to sway church members away from their beliefs. However, articles which quote the initial interview can be misleading. One article in the Huffington Post reads, "Mormons are free to back gay marriage on social media," which then translated in many articles and Facebook posts that Elder D. Todd Christofferson said it was "OK to support gay marriage on social media." 

It's easy to play the game of Telephone on social media--details get lost all the time. But I went back and watched the original interview so I could not only hear his original words, but also hear his voice inflection and see his facial expressions. 

The interview was about the SBO296 anti-discrimination law passed in Utah. This law was set up to protect the rights of those who want to practice gay marriage as well as those businesses and organizations that are opposed. It's clear that he and other church leaders are very excited about this law. They're excited, I believe, because it affirms the 11th article of faith which states, "We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where or what they may." They are truly excited that the LGTB community now has equal rights, but they are also rejoicing because, due to this law, the rights of the Church are not being inflicted upon. 

However, being excited about the law, and having love and respect toward the LGTB community, did not change his position that doctrinally, gay marriage is contrary to the Plan of Salvation and the commandments of God. The Family: A Proclamation to the World states, "We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unity of society." From the opinions that I've read so far from LDS members, we seem to come across as condescending toward or supportive of gay marriage. Many of the opinions I've read have been wishy-washy, probably because members want to stand up for their beliefs without being condescending, which can be challenging. I believe the trick lies in focusing on what you believe to be right vs. what you believe to be wrong. 

In other words, I feel it is the responsibility of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints NOT to bash on gay marriage, but to uphold and voice God's standard of what we believe to be right and true. Do you see the difference?

I am not very knowledgeable about homosexuality in general and I have some, but not a lot, of homosexual friends. So my views are limited. However, I am extremely knowledgeable about the gospel and the Plan of Salvation. So I can safely say the following: 

That I believe gender is an eternal characteristic, existing as part of us before we were born and will continue with us into the eternities. I believe that the purpose of this life is to give us the opportunity to gain immortality and eternal life. This requires a physical body and also knowledge about how to return to our Heavenly Father--thus God established the family. Marriage between man and woman is divinely designed to provide bodies for those spirits waiting to come to earth, and teaching and learning opportunities about essential gospel truths. 

The Family: A Proclamation to the World also states that "Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity." Because gender is eternal, and not a "luck of the draw" when we come to earth, each gender has innate qualities essential to the learning and growth of children. (There are single parent exceptions, but that is a whole 'nother blog post...) Gay marriage is seen as an offense toward God because it inhibits His eternal purpose. 

I am happy that homosexuals now have equal rights. However, I do stand firm and open about my beliefs: that marriage between a man and a woman is divinely appointed by God. 

Does the legalization of gay marriage worry me for the future of my children and their testimonies? 
Not in the least. I am glad that they will grow up respecting those who are different from them, and loving those who don't believe as they do. My parents never taught me that the reason drugs were bad were because they were illegal, neither would I have ever taught my daughter that gay marriage was wrong because it was illegal. I will teach her what's right, and what's true and the reasons behind it all. And hopefully she will feel the love and spirit enough in our home to be able to combat the confusing tidal wave of opinions she will face out in the world and online. 

I will not add to her confusion by being wishy-washy with my opinion or testimony, neither do I think we should be wishy-washy on facebook or social media. 

Dear Baby Monibidor...

Today I watched my belly as you kicked and punched me from the inside. This is the first time I've really seen my stomach move because of you hitting me. Daddy just started school and now I'm in less of a hurry to get home from work, because I know he won't be home when I get there. So I sat staring at my belly move for a long time and loving you and wondering what the future holds for our little family.

You at 20 weeks

The world you're coming in to is a rapidly changing one. Not only is it changing because of advancements in technology, but also in moral standards. One thing I see on a daily basis is young peoples' dislike for learning. I'm a middle school and high school teacher, so I try daily to inspire 13-15 year old people to love reading, and English, and discovering. Some of them do, but others flat out refuse to learn. They are lazy and crave to satisfy this laziness by drinking alcohol, getting high, and playing mindless video games. Many leave no time or effort for reading and thinking.

I think of the place where you just came from and wonder what it must be like: in the very presence of our Heavenly Father and the excitement of this life's purpose strong and fresh in your heart. I feel that you are special and I imagine that you were very excited to come to earth. Probably excited to take on the challenges of earth life, and continue to battle for your agency here as you have done there.

Part of that battle of agency must include learning. Christ declares in Doctrine and Covenants 88:79-80 that we are to learn of things both in heaven and in earth "that [we] may be prepared in all things when [He] shall send [us] again to magnify the calling whereunto [He] has called [us] and the mission with which [He has] commissioned [us]." The more we learn about God and this earth, the more able we are to serve Him. It's like a warrior who has trained long and hard for battle--he will fare better than the warrior who procrastinated his training.

I hope you love to learn, my dear. I hope you enjoy the reading of good books that make you think and consider your complex human experience. I hope you delight in the scriptures to discover your true identity as a daughter of God. I hope you are able to think and to reason and to work hard and think of others' needs as you think of your own. I hope you feel free to exercise your god-given creativity, that you can express yourself and find joy in expanding your unique talents.

I will do all that I can to teach you these things and to create an environment where you can flourish. Daddy and I are so excited to meet you and so grateful that our Heavenly Father is letting us care for one of His precious daughters. The world is changing rapidly, but we have the ability to resist this change. Through God's grace we can maintain purity, intellect, character, and spiritual sensitivity. One day you will understand all this, but more importantly, I hope you know more than anything that Daddy and I love you! We are working hard to create a home where you will feel God's love and where you will find peace and purpose!

We aren't perfect, and neither will you be! But we have each other. And we will love each other in spite of, and even because of, our imperfections.

Until later, sweet baby girl :)
Love, Momma

Don't Mess With Agency!

-Choice and Accountability #3-

Agency, or the ability to choose, is one of God's greatest gifts to His children. Read about agency in Joshua 24:15; 2 Nephi 2; and Doctrine and Covenants 82:2-10. With a parent or leader, discuss the blessings and responsibilities of agency. Record in your journal your understanding of agency and the consequences of choices and actions.

       I have always loved the topic of agency, probably because I love to choose for myself! I'm very independent and hate it when others even hint at forcing me or guilt-tripping me into choosing something. Let me guess? You're probably the same way! There's a reason for that, and the scriptures explain why.

       The interesting this is, even though I fight so hard to choose for myself, there are times I still find myself trying to control others. Why do I do this? I don't think I am the only one. I think it stems from a lack of understanding about what agency really is. The more we study and understand it, the more we are able to apply it to ourselves AND to how we treat others. Below are the findings of a study I've been doing on agency, I hope you find in them something that ignites your curiosity and begins you on your own journey to learn about agency.

What is agency?
The ability to act and choose for ourselves. This is a gift from God.

• 2 Nephi 2:16 The Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself.

Really, it's only because of the atonement that we even have repentance and salvation as options.

• 2 Nephi 2:26 And the Messiah cometh in the fullness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever.

Thank goodness for that atonement! We would all be forced to choose Satan if it weren't for that.

Why is agency so important?
         We read in Ezekial 18:27 that "when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive."
Our very salvation is based upon choice. Have you ever wondered why "it is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance"? Well, you can't CHOOSE to follow a path that you are ignorant, or unaware of.

         Before we came to this earth, Satan tried to take away our agency. (Moses 4:3 "Satan...sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him.") He was planning to force all men to choose righteously! Now what's so bad about that? Everyone would make it back to heaven because we would all choose good!

        But wait...nobody would choose anything. "Man could NOT act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other" (2 Nephi 2:16). Without opposites, there is nothing to choose from.

        The very essence of Godhood is the ability to think, decide, then act. The very foundation of love is based upon choice. My husband loves and stays with me because he has made a choice to do so, and isn't that much more romantic than if I were to chain him up and force him to stay? :)

God cast Satan out of Heaven

How do we react when we feel others would take away our agency?
       Well we know how God reacted. He cast Satan out of his presence because he was threatening the very essence of God's plan. The Plan of Salvation would not exist without agency.

       The whole war in heaven that we talk about was based upon agency. Those who chose Christ wanted to keep and protect their agency. They are also all those who have ever been and will be born on this earth. We learn in Revelation 12: 7 that "Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels." We were likely among the angels of Michael.

       We fought to protect our agency. And since Satan and his angels were cast out of heaven to this earth, the war continues here. Even though we have a veil of forgetfulness, I think we continue to protect our agency because part of us remembers how hard we fought before we came here.

       The sad thing is, if somebody tries to force us to do good, we usually choose the only thing we feel we have a choice over--the opposite of what is being forced. That is why it is SO dangerous to "invite" somebody to do good to the point where they feel you are forcing them. There is no more sure way to drive somebody away.

What's the proper way to "invite" rather than force?
       Jesus Christ, of course, is the perfect example of how to do this. The natural man is always trying to force people to act a certain way, even with the best of intentions. But if you look closely at Christ's example, you'll notice he does not guilt-trip us. Neither do many of his prophets.

       My favorite example is when Christ is talking to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, explaining why they should not eat of the fruit of knowledge of good and evil. He says,
         "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto the; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Moses 3:17).

1. So first of all, he makes the instruction, or his hope, clear. Do not eat of that fruit.
2. Then he reminds them that they have a choice whether or not to obey him.
3. Then he explains the reason WHY. Here he explains the consequences of that action. 
4. He leaves. He gives them space. He allows them to exercise their agency and doesn't "hover."

       I think sometimes we get annoyed when people (especially children) ask "why?" too often. We just want them to do it and stop asking! But we know that man cannot be saved in ignorance. Why? Because he must know the reasons behind things in order to make well thought out decisions. The fact that you or your child is always asking "why?" is evidence of your diving nature as a child of God. No other creature on earth asks this question.

The family is the best place for children to learn to choose for themselves.

How are commandments different from being "forced" to choose a certain way?
       I think sometimes we see commandments as rules that are so strict, they feel like a way to force us back to heaven. Perhaps that idea has come from imperfect parents or teachers trying to enforce rules in the home or at church. It is our natural instinct that tempts us to control others.

       However, in Doctrine and Covenants 82:8-9, Christ gives a very clear definition of what a commandment is. He says,
"I give unto you a new commandment, that you may understand my will concerning you; Or, in other words, I give unto you directions how you may act before me, that it may turn to you for your salvation."

       So a commandment from God can also be called directions how we may act before him, in order to receive salvation. Curious. He's only giving us a road map back to him. He hopes we will choose him, but He knows, better than anyone, that forced love is not love at all.

No Chastening Seemeth to Be Joyous

I've realized that working on my personal progress is more than checking off tasks in the inspired booklets provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Even though I haven't had time to work on it, I have realized that I am still progressing every day. Those are sometimes the moments when the most progress happens--when we're not expecting it. And it's even more potent when it's something we've failed in.

Today was one of the more difficult days in my student teaching. I was feeling overwhelmed and disillusioned. I guess you could say I gave up today. I didn't put in my best effort. Afterward I was reprimanded by my mentor teacher and all my frustrations came bubbling out--in tears.

He stayed after school and talked to me, or rather let me talk, and he shared a few things with me about what made teaching worth it for him. It was a large stack of notes from students. I questioned him about whether or not he thought the difference he was making in his students lives was really significant. He told me: Nobody can answer that question. But I have to believe that I can make a difference, otherwise it's not worth it to keep moving forward.

Then I created the metaphor of the puzzle. I said: each person is like a million-piece puzzle, and as a teacher you are one minor little piece!

Then my teacher, in his usual, optimistic manner, said: But if you are the bud of a rose or a ray of light, that little piece is significant.

I immediately thought of my Little Mermaid puzzle from my childhood and remembered the time I lost the puzzle piece with her eye on it. I told my teacher about it and said: If you're the eye puzzle piece and you're missing, they'll get rid of the whole puzzle. "But," I said, "I don't feel like I would be the eye puzzle piece. I feel like parents would be the eye piece."

"No way," he responded, "I've got a feeling that parents add more than one piece to the puzzle. They're the edge pieces."

"That's true. Because the edge pieces are the first things you do in a puzzle. Well, if you're smart."

With that I began laughing and he felt like he could leave me. Then I went home to my husband where I cried some more. I really want to be the eye puzzle piece in the puzzle--but how many eye pieces can there be in a puzzle? After discussing my failures I pulled out my scriptures and opened to Hebrews in the Bible, which reads:

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness unto those which are exercised thereby.

(Hebrews 12:11)

I felt strangely calm. My normal reaction would to lose all hope and fall into a fit of depression, but I didn't. Not to say that I will react with the same calmness next time, but this time was a success. This time shows progress--toward a life-long pursuit.

Now, I'm not sharing this because I want praise, and I'm not sharing it to vent. I share it because of the principle I learned. Failures are just part of the progress toward eternal life. We are all trying to progress toward becoming like Jesus Christ, which we do with His help. Failures not only will happen, but failures MUST happen. We can see chastening as an opportunity; opportunity for growth and perspective.

I feel bad for what happened, and I have a lot of work to do! But I have not lost the hope to keep trying. I perceive there will come a day when the second part of Hebrews 12:11 is true in my life. I will have a day where I realize that the peaceable fruits of righteousness have been yielded unto me. I'm not talking about after this life either. I mean one normal day, maybe some time a year from now, in the spring. I'll have a student tell me how I've made a difference and I'll think back on this day, and how it made that day possible.

Re-focusing on Christ

If you use Facebook or any type of social media you've likely heard the name Kate Kelly appear in vehement discussions about whether or not the church is still true, and other extreme comments and claims. I thought about writing my views on the subject, but then I decided I was a little bit tired of all this. And I came to the conclusion that all these discussions will only ever go in circles if we have taken our focus off the most important belief in the Church--that this is Christ's church, that He came and lived a perfect life, taught pure doctrine, and suffered and died for us.

Do we really believe that?

If we do, do we believe in Christ or do we actually believe Christ? Do we believe that he existed, or do we believe that His message of hope, peace, freedom, and power apply to us today?

Or maybe the more appropriate question is--do we know His message well enough to believe it?

I've seen many read the Book of Mormon just long enough to gain a testimony of it, and then set it aside believing that is enough. Many of us know the stories in the scriptures, especially those who have grown up in the church, or any church. But it's not enough to know the stories.

Flannery O'Conner, author of A Good Man is Hard to Find, said, "A story is a way to say something that can't be said any other way, and it takes every word in the story to say what the meaning is....When anybody asks what a story is about, the only proper thing is to tell him to read the story."

Similarly, my college professor always used to say, "the words themselves are the meaning."

There is a power in Christ's words that cannot be paraphrased. In the Book of Mormon, King Benjamin gathers his sons around his deathbed to share his last testimony with them before passing away. He testifies to them of the importance of the brass plates--or the scriptures.

He tells them, "I say unto you, my sons, were it not for these things, which have been kept and preserved by the hand of God, that we might read and understand of his mysteries, and have his commandments always before our eyes, that even our fathers would have dwindled in unbelief, and we should have been like unto our brethren, the Lamanites, who know nothing concerning these things, or even do not believe them when they are taught them, because of the traditions of their fathers, which are not correct" (Mosiah 1:5 emphasis added).

The only difference between the righteous Nephites and the wicked Lamanites was that the Nephites had the scriptures always before their eyes, and the Lamanites did not. If not for that, they would have been the same. We see many Lamanites who became converted because of the words of the scriptures, and many Nephites who fell away.

To me, the story that best illustrates the need to know Christ through his words is the story of Lehi and the tree of life.

1 Nephi 8.

We know that the tree is the love of God.
The fruit is exaltation--the greatest gift of God.
The iron rod is the word of God=words given through ancient prophets in the scriptures and modern prophets in General Conference. We need both.
The great and spacious building is the pride of the world.
The fountain of filthy water is the depths of hell.
The mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil.
The forbidden paths are sin.

We know that there were some who didn't hold to the rod at all (didn't read their scriptures at all). They chose sin. Many ended up in the great and spacious building (distracted by the pride of the world) or fell into the fountain of filthy water (found that the holy spirit had withdrawn completely from them, thus being in the depths of hell).

Many held casually to the rod of iron (read their scriptures occasionally or read without purpose). They tasted of the fruit of the tree (felt God's love--exaltation, or returning to God's presence, was within their grasp). But what happened to them?

When speaking of the great and spacious building Lehi says, "And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not. These are the words of my father: For as many as heeded them, had fallen away" (1 Nephi 8:33-34).

Every single person that "heeded" those in the great and spacious building fell away. To heed is to pay careful attention. I don't think we should shut ourselves out from things that are going on in the world and keep ourselves ignorant from attacks others are making on the church. But I do think that we need to be careful to make sure that we are first heeding Jesus Christ--that we make mention of His name more frequently, and that we think of Him and ponder His words.

Think about it: it was the Word of God that led to the love of Christ. If you want to get close to Christ, that's how you do it. Other primary answers such as prayer, obedience, Sabbath day observance--are all taught in the scriptures and will come naturally to those who search them daily. Every other principle and ordinance that we dispute and discuss publicly on Facebook is clearly stated there.

I'm sharing this not because I think I'm great at it, but because I can feel my own testimony weaken when I don't read my scriptures daily. I can feel my own judgment blur when His words aren't fresh in my mind. It really is like food for our souls. Our bodies cannot go very long without complaining of hunger. Why would our spirits be any different?

So many of the questions or discussions we read on Facebook/twitter/instagram/snapchat would be more profound and meaningful if we treasured up the words of Christ continually.

I was in a choir a few semesters ago, and we recorded Janice Kapp Perry's "I Testify of Jesus Christ." I created this slide show to go with it. Listen for my voice in the opening trio :) If you know me, that is :)

I leave this song as my testimony--I mean every word of it.

Or if that doesn't work, follow this link to youtube: I Testify of Jesus Christ

Views of an LDS feminist: Why I'm Glad to be a Woman and Someday, a Mother

I like being a girl.

There, I said it. I like being a girl because I like crafts. I like wearing dresses and dancing and putting on makeup. I like crocheting and doing my hair. I like playing the piano and reading and writing and serving others. I enjoy making treats for the sisters I visit teach and I love having girl-friends.

I also like going to work in my dress-suit feeling official and making two grown men, far older than I and with higher educational degrees, listen to my opinion and take it seriously. I like being the Assistant Project Manager in the department of Online Curriculum Development. I'm making a difference and I know that. My ideas are unique and they are good. I am contributing to the cutting-edge online world of education, and I am proud of that.

In July I will have my bachelor's in English and Spanish education. I also studied German for 3 years. I've worked in fast food, construction, office jobs, as a para-educator, as a teacher, and I've served a full-time mission.

I do a lot of the same things boys do, but I am not a boy and I don't want to be.

I like being a girl because being a girl is different from being a boy. Out of all the important things I have done and will yet do, being a mother will surpass all of my accomplishments. There is no doubt in my mind about this.

Satan is Attacking Womanhood
There is no doubt that womanhood as a whole is under attack. Women all over the world are fighting for equal rights with men. We have a lot of rights that women in the past have fought for and I am so grateful to them. We can vote, own land, run for political offices, where pants, be a CEO, fight in the military...you name it. If you think the world is suffocating your potential then it might be a personal problem. We've all just got to get it into our heads that we are enough--then we can stop being ashamed of our gender.

Too many women today don't want to be equal with men...they want to be men.

News flash: You're different. Any scientist will tell you there is a biological difference that cannot be denied. Why not embrace your distinct differences and stop trying to cast away all that makes you unique?

Maybe it was the way I was raised, but I have never felt that there was anything I couldn't do. My parents gave us chores all the time--sometimes the girls would wash the car and the boys would make the bread. The girls pulled weeds in the garden right along with the boys. We all pruned the fruit trees, we all took piano lessons, we all played sports for recreation, and we all played video games. But undeniably the most important thing they taught us was about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I love this gospel, and I love Jesus Christ. I believe he has redeemed all mankind. "he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile" (2 Nephi 26:33, emphasis added).

Those words are true. I have a personal relationship with God and I have never felt less or belittled because of my womanhood. There is a lot of confusion in and out of the church right now about the priesthood of God. What is the priesthood and why is it "kept" from the women?

"The priesthood is the eternal power and authority from God" (True to the Faith p. 124). Preach My Gospel adds that the Priesthood is "the power and authority given to man to act in God's name for the salvation of His children" (p. 32). If priesthood power is used for the salvation of God's children it must mean that it is given to mankind so we can help one another. It is by nature a selfless power. So why this need to hold the priesthood? Why this need to be just like the men? Do we underestimate our power to do good? To serve? To play a role in God's plan--his work and his glory?

We Can't All be Goalies
On my mission I often confronted this concern with an analogy I thought up. When you play a team sport, each member of the team has a different position. In soccer you have your midfielders, defenders, attackers, goalies etc. What would happen if all players tried to protect the goal? They would never make any points, it would be no fun to watch or play--the game wouldn't even function.

Moses 1:39 says "For behold, this is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." The work and purpose of God is to help ALL men and women return and live with Him again--and we ALL play a part in making that happen. How can people be resurrected with perfected bodies if they were never given a body in the first place? Men can't bear children alone, and neither can women. Men have been given the authority to perform essential ordinances for our return to Heavenly Father, but women, along with men, provide understanding of these ordinances. They help in the sacred preparation, nurturing, and support as their children and grandchildren endure to the end in righteousness. The fact of the matter is--nobody can do it alone. That's the point. We were never meant to get to heaven alone. In fact, we can't make it to heaven alone. Neither men nor women.

Women--don't let the world tell you that your role is unnecessary. If you let yourself believe that then Satan wins. If he can get women to believe that motherhood is a lesser calling, then what happens to the glorious plan of God? It's the same thing that would happen with our soccer game if everyone tried to be a goalie--it wouldn't function.

Strike me down with a lightning bolt, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that child-bearing is the very essence of the priesthood. Think again on the definition of the priesthood: the eternal power and authority of God. Is childbearing not a power of God? It is our most godly attribute.

Isn't she precious?

Let's also remember that when one player on a soccer team scores a goal the whole team rejoices. Let's rejoice in our role as women.

I love being a girl.

Easter Dinner!

So according to Map my Run I ran 3 1/2 miles the other day. It might have been four because afterwards I ran to Broulims, the local grocery store. But then I walked home because I was tired. and it's hard to run with merchandise.

I got my roommate to take a picture of me after my run

I just wanted to prove that I ran, and I'm feeling good :)

I ended up not running the 10k I'd signed up for in Utah because I had too much homework and didn't finish in time. But it's okay because that same day I got to attend a sealing of a family I taught on my mission and the baptism of my close friend's sister-in-law. It was worth being down in Utah just to be there for those even if I "wasted" 30 dollars on the 10k... I'll do it eventually :)

Right now I'm focusing on learning how to cook healthy, vegan food. I've been vegan for about a week and I love it! I've cooked a lot of fun recipes for my boyfriend and me. My boyfriend resists eating healthy food so I've been trying to find ways to make the healthy things taste good to him. So far it's been pretty successful. Get ready for a ton of recipes. I'll post everything I've tried this week and tell you how they turned out. I'll span it throughout a few posts. By the way, my boyfriend's name is Alaowei. 

I wanted Easter dinner to be really special because my Alaowei's brother was flying in from Nigeria to the states for the first time. Also the airport is like five hours away so they had been driving all day. They seemed to enjoy the dinner--I mean, Alaowei actually ate his whole salad. That is success :) I'm going vegan, but Alaowei's favorite food is shrimp, so I surprised him with that--everything else I cooked for that dinner was vegan though. I made Fettuccine Alfredo, All Hail Kale salad with papaya-ginger dressing, a strawberry drink, and pumpkin spice "cheesecake." 

Yep, there it is :) Fancy.

Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce 

My roommate Katie gave me this recipe when she found out I was trying to go vegan. It is delicious! It tastes just like Alfredo sauce but without the chest pain afterward :) This is the first time I've tried it. It called for butter and milk but I substituted them with olive oil and coconut milk, which I've written into the recipe. You can substitute the coconut milk for whichever type of milk you prefer. Aparently from the recipe card she gave me, my roommate got this recipe from Pinch of Yum blog. If you try it, let me know how it worked for you! Both my boyfriend and his brother loved it. Of course, I didn't tell them it was vegan until afterward :)

Ingredients

8 large cloves garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons olive oil

5-6 cups cauliflower florets

6-7 cups vegetable broth or water

1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)

1/2 cup coconut milk (or milk of choice)

Directions

1. Garlic: Saute the minced garlic with the oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. Cook for several minutes or until the garlic is soft and fragrant but not browned (browned or burnt garlic will taste bitter). Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Cauliflower: bring the water or vegetable broth to a boil in a large pot. Add the cauliflower and cook, covered, for 7-10 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender. Do not drain.

3. Puree: Use a slotted spoon to transfer cauliflower pieces to the blender. Add one cup vegetable broth or cooking liquid, sauteed garlic with oil, salt, pepper, and coconut milk. Blend or puree for several minutes until the sauce is very smooth, adding more vegetable broth/water or coconut milk depending on how thick you want the sauce. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender. Serve hot! If the sauce starts to look dry add a few drops of water, vegetable broth, or olive oil.

Notes

I used vegetable broth, which was delicious, but I didn't like how much I had left over. I think if you boiled the cauliflower in water and then added a cup of vegetable broth to the sauce it would taste the same!

All Hail Kale Salad by The Detoxinista

Apparently the Detoxinista modeled this recipe after a salad at the Veggie Grill, which must be delicious because this salad definitely was! Like I said, my boyfriend actually ate his. And his brother got seconds :). this recipe makes 1.5 cups of dressing.

Ingredients

1/2 cup papaya chunks

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 oz fresh ginger, peeled

2 Tablespoons coconut vinegar (I used red-wine vinegar and it tasted fine)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup honey

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (or just salt)

1/4 cup water, or more, to thin

Directions

In a high-speed blender, combine all of the ingredients and blend until completely smooth and silky.

To prepare the salad you'll need:

1 bunch curly green kale

Papaya mango salsa from Trader Joe's (or any salsa of choice)

Maple glazed walnuts

Papaya ginger dressing (recipe above)

Shredded cabbage (optional)

1. Remove the kale leaves from the stems, and wash and dry thoroughly. In a medium bowl, toss the shredded cabbage in a bit of the papaya ginger dressing, and coat well. Set aside.

2. The Veggie Grill serves this salad with homemade corn salsa, but the Detoxinista prefers the Trader Joe's papaya mango salsa because it matches the dressing better. I bought a corn salsa from the grocery store that tasted great with it. 

3. Top the kale leaves with a bit of Ginger papaya dressing, then use your hands to massage the dressing well into the leaves. The kale will soften and wilt as you go!

Notes

This is normally an all-kale salad, but my kale didn't wilt as much as I hoped. I added other greens to the salad so as not to scare off the veggie-haters from healthy food. I added spinach and dark romaine lettuce to soften the overall texture of the salad. And it turned out great! I also didn't include the cabbage and therefore skipped step 1. 

Strawberry Drink

No picture, sorry :/

The first time I tasted this was on my mission in the home of a sister from Colombia. I thought it must have been some fancy recipe but it was just strawberries, sugar, and water. This type of drink is something the Hispanics make a lot with different types of fruit. They call it "agua de sabor," meaning water with flavor. It's light, fresh, and delicious because it's made with real fruit! 

Ingredients

1 16 oz bag frozen strawberries (whole or sliced, it doesn't matter)

Water (amount depending on your desired texture)

Sugar (to taste)

Place the strawberries in a blender. Fill the blender a little over 1/3 full with water. Pour in a very small mound of sugar and blend. Add more sugar if you desire. Your guests will never guess how simple it was to make :)

Raw Pumpkin "Cheesecake" by the Detoxinista

I was surprised by how healthy and simultaneously delicious this cheesecake was. Some vegan desserts either taste healthy or aren't healthy. But this one is neither. Don't expect perfect cheesecake texture replication, but it is still delicious, whatever category it belongs to. I definitely recommend this. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons raw cashew butter

1/2 cup carrot puree

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 soft medjool dates

2 1/2 Tablespoons raw honey

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions

1. If you're making your own cashew butter, throw 2 cups of cashews into a high-powered blender, like a Vita-Mix and blend on low until smooth and creamy.

2. This will make more than you need, so you can either save the rest or put in less cashews to begin with. You can also use store bought cashew butter.

3. Prepare your carrot puree. I threw about 1 1/2 cups of organic baby carrots into my Vita-Mix, and blended them on low for about 1 minute, tamping them down along the way. (You may have a little extra after this, make sure to measure after blending.)

4. Throw all of your ingredients into a mini-food processor and process until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides occasionally. Adjust the flavor to taste.

5. Pour batter into a greased 4" springform pan, or a pan lined with plastic wrap. Place your "cheesecake" in the freezer to set overnight.

6. Slice and serve IMMEDIATELY from the freezer! The texture is perfect when frozen. 

Notes

Before blending my carrots I steamed them, because I don't have a vita-mix. I also added some water to my cashew butter, so it turned out much thinner than it was supposed to, but it still worked. Instead of a pan I simply used a plastic bowl lined with plastic wrap and let it set overnight. However, I don't think the texture was perfect immediately after removal from the freezer. I let mine sit out for at least a half hour before serving. It was too hard directly from the freezer, so I recommend taking it out in advance before serving.

So overall the dinner was a success! I am excited about learning to cook and I'm happy that Alaowei like it. I mean, he's the one that's going to be testing all my experiments! :)

Let me know if you try any of these recipes!!