Peace in the World

If there is righteousness in the heart there will be beauty in the character.

If there be beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the house.

If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation.

When there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.

Confucius (551-479 BC)

I totally believe on this.For the peace to achieve by a nation, it should start at home. As parents, it is our responsibility to nourish them with good word and works. Setting a good example is the way to do it. And by so doing we will achieve peace and happiness in the world we live in.

Everyone Can Make A Change

It is my dream to meet someone who really makes such change in the world we live in especially the lives of others. It sad that I didn’t get a chance to meet Mattie Stepanek; a young poet, peacemaker and philosopher. He touched the lives of many people around the world with the poems he had written. Anyway, I just hope someday to meet young Bilaal Rajan from Toronto, Canada who changes the world with seeming ease and grace. A young man who knows no limit. He inspires people so much when he raised a huge amount of money to help people especially children who suffers poverty around the world such as India and Haiti. One of his major achievements was when he and his teammates raised $6,387 from selling cookies and donated it to UNICEF. They, UNICEF were so impressed for his achievements that they made him the official child spokesperson for UNICEF, Canada. ; they were so impressed with Bilaal's achievements, that they made him their official child spokesperson. And because of that, he publicly read Toronto Mayor David Miller's proclamation to make October 31, 2004 "UNICEF Day".

What an impact we all could have if we could emulate his ethic. This world would be a better place to live. His example taught us especially children and parents that it doesn’t matter how young or old we are; we all can make a difference in peoples live. I am a parent myself and I can help my son make change even though he is only 4 year old; my role is to instill into his young mind that making change is such a great thing and helping people in need regardless where they live, race, color and circumstances in life is very important.It is never too young to make a difference in the lives of others and around the world, is what I learned from his book: “Making Change Now”. Indeed he is an amazing child.

You can learn more of Bilaal Rajan and more of his achivements by going to his website. If you want to buy his book or donate to his cause, you can do that by purchasing his book at http://www.bilaalrajan.com/donations.html.

Banana Bread

Banana Bread is one of my son's favorite foods to eat aside from Pumpkin Pie. That is why I make sure that there is always a banana bread in our kitchen, so when he gets home from school, he has something to eat that is healthy and not junky foods. Anyway, adding of bananas - providing they are very ripe - brings sweetness, moisture and flavor to this cake. Perfect for children, who usually love banana bread, it will keep for a few days.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup soft light brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 ripe bananas, mashed

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8-cup loaf, pan, 9-by-5-by-3-inches.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a bowl. Cream the butter and sugar together and gradually add the eggs. Add the mashed banana and mix until well combined. Add the sifted flour and mix until smooth.
Pour the mixture into the loaf pan and bake in the upper half of the oven for about 45 minutes, or until the top is colored and the sides are beginning to pull away from the pan. Cover the top of the cake loosely with foil if it starts to darken too quickly. A skewer inserted into the center should come out clean.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan and cooling on a wire rack. When completely cooled, wrap in plastic wrap until served, to keep it moist.