Guns. Grace. Grub.
Phew. WE MADE IT….through the first week of the new year! Is it only us or did it feel like this week would never ever ever ever end?! Regardless of that, we are certainly blessed to have made it through the week and we do not take that blessing for granted. As we were thinking of what our second blog posting would be, we settled on “Guns, Grace & Grub”. You are probably thinking, “where the heck are they going with this?” Valid though. Let us explain.
GUNS
This past week, President Obama announced a series of executive actions aimed at reducing gun violence. Read all about the facts of his proposal here. We want to hear your thoughts on this? Whichever side of the debate you are on, please share. Don’t be shy. Conversations like this should take place without it being weird or hostile. We have been in many conversations regarding this subject. We’ve heard from those who grew up with guns and view them as something harmless yet necessary. We can see both points however, as we speak to different people, one thing is clear. Whichever side they are on, their opinion is based off of their experience alone leaving little room for understanding others and why they feel differently. Guns and their usefulness have changed drastically over the years. Guns have been used to implement both the highest and basest goals of humanity - to put food on the table, to provide personal protection, to enforce or defy the law, to defend or acquire territory and treasure, and to liberate or to enslave. Guns are also used for recreational and competitive shooting and a way to highlight America’s freedom by exercising the constitutional right to own firearms simply for the pleasure of shooting or the enjoyment of ownership, in addition to more serious uses. So the question becomes, “what do we when the use of guns begin taking more and more innocent lives ?”
In our opinion, strict rules are the first step. Improved regulation helps to create some type of order for an issue that is growing more and more heated and uncontrolled. We’ve seen enhanced policies and procedures improve issues such as alcohol and tobacco usage, sport injury assessment, etc., and with the use of guns and senseless deaths increasing, proper and revised regulation is warranted. The time has come. As we all know or should know, this did not “just happen”. The speech surrounding the cons of gun use are becoming louder and clearer due to technology advancement and a bolder generation filled with individuals who are not only unafraid to start the conversation, but are equipped to hold the conversation with their fellow peers and those in authority. KAE has marched for numerous peaceful protests this past year. Not to show support of one side and disregard the feelings of another but to highlight the need for reformation and attention to the details of cases and to help shed light on the reality that many families are being forced to face against their will due to guns. We don’t have the answer but what we do have is a voice and because we promote kindness, our language bleeds into this issue as well. It’s time to see the honest impact of these weapons. Now what we believe the weapon should be used for. Not what we assume the weapon is being used for. But what it is really doing. It’s time to implement strict regulation before it becomes uncontrollable. Let’s keep this conversation going and see where it goes.
GRACE
Has anyone ever heard of Grace Farms?? We heard about it last week and now we are obsessed. Not only with the concept but the overall layout. Grace Farms is a welcoming new place, where a building designed by SANAA is seamlessly integrated into 80 acres of open space for people to experience nature, encounter the arts, pursue justice, foster community, and explore faith. The KAE team will be visiting so we can really show you the ins and outs of this place- stay posted. In the meantime, check it out and tell us your thoughts. Take some pics while you’re at it.
GRUB
Speaking of grub, who took advantage of last Friday’s “Coffee on KAE”?! KAE had the honor of paying for the Starbucks order of KAE supporters around the US. Because of the amazing feedback we received, we are thinking of making a monthly treat as a THANK YOU for those who continuously support KAE and spread our message of kindness above everything. Follow KAE’S Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to stay in the know!
Now we know eating healthy is always on everyone’s mind, especially when the New Year comes around but we have been taking this seriously! We found a great recipe that we think you’ll like. It’s called “Banana Pancakes with Blistered Blueberries”. It’s a very yummy dish however, we are not really banana fans, so we substituted the bananas with strawberries. Check it out below. If you choose to make this dish, tag us in your pic!
(recipe credit: Tia Mowry)
INGREDIENTS
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 ripe bananas
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes, optional
Maple syrup, for serving
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
Add the oats to a food processor and process until they resemble coarse flour. Add the baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Pulse a few more time to mix together.
Mash the bananas in a large bowl until smooth. Add in the eggs and mix well, then add the honey and vanilla and stir. Add the dry mixture to the wet and fold with a rubber spatula until a batter forms.
Put a griddle on medium heat and grease with some of the butter. Drop 1/4 cup of the batter per pancake onto the griddle. Cook the pancakes on each side until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the warm oven and continue with the remaining batter, adding more butter when needed.
To make the berries, set a dry saute pan over high heat. Add the blueberries and swirl the pan to avoid sticking. Heat until the berries are just starting to change to a deep purple color and beginning to blister and open.
Pour the berries over the pancakes and sprinkle with the coconut if using. Drizzle with the syrup. Serve immediately.
If you have any unique recipes that you want to share, feel free to send them. We’d love to see them and share them with the world---of course giving credit to you, we promise!
This has been a great beginning of KAE’s blog posting and we cannot wait to share even more with you. Thanks for reading! Send us your feedback and suggestions using the contact form on the Contact page.
KAE
-where fashion meets philanthropy-
