Cookies and Oreos and Brownies, Oh My!

When people ask me to make things, they normally ask me to make pillow cookies.  Pillow cookies are AWESOME!  They are a chocolate chip cookie with a brownie inside.

My boss actually sent me a recipe (not knowing that I am famous at my church for pillow cookies) about a chocolate chip cookie with an OREO inside of it.  How crazy is that?

Cookie Progression:

The cookies were actually REALLY good.  That was my half.

Do you have any good, fun recipes you'd like to share?

Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.

~The Cockle Bur

A Month Of Rice

I would like to apologize.  I know that I haven't been around lately.  I mean, I've posted stuff but ME, my words or thoughts have been slightly absent.

But I thought I'd tell you guys about something I'm gonna try ("try" being the operative word).

A few months ago, I got an e-mail from Oxfam.  You clicked on a link to see what you would be "eating" tonight, depending on where you were in the world.  You could get one of three things:

It was either rice, rice and a staple food (like beans) or a full meal.

I got rice:

You are one of the 50% of people in the world who will eat nothing more than basic staple foods like rice today. While you go hungry, 35% of the world’s population will eat slightly more than you – and only 15%, the lucky ones, will get a full meal. 

And then I thought...50%?!  50% of the world will only have RICE for dinner?  What is it like to eat only rice for dinner?

My husband is an accountant and you know that we're gearing up for tax season.  Once tax season comes, he eats dinner at work...perfect timing for me to try this (especially since Steve gave it the big N-O)

So here's my plan:
I am going to eat rice for dinner for a month, starting on March 8th.  I know, random date.  My husband's birthday is March 1st and I want to take him out to dinner, so I'm starting on a random date.  The money I would have used for groceries will go to help build a playground for children in Uganda.

The only reason I bring it up is...

WOULD ANYONE HERE LIKE TO JOIN ME?

Sure, maybe a month is crazy, but maybe you could try a week?  Or even a day?  I think it would be a lot of fun to do it together (of course I do!  I'm the crazy one doing it for a month!).


You can leave a comment if you want to join me or, if you'd like to check out some links on hunger in both the US and around the world, you can visit these:
ELCA World Hunger
Feeding America
Bread for the World
Oxfam

Jesus says, "You are the light of the world." I like even more what Jesus doesn't say. He does not say, "One day, if you are more perfect and try really hard, you'll be light." He doesn't say, "If you play by the rules, cross your T's and dot your I's, then maybe you'll become light." No. He says, straight out, "You are light." It is the truth of who you are, waiting only for you to discover it. So, for God's sake, don't move. No need to contort yourself to be anything other than who you are.

- Father Gregory Boyle, 'Tattoos On The Heart'

If It Were My Home

There's a new website called: If It Were My Home.  Using this tool, you can see what it would be like to live anywhere in the world and then see the size of the country compared to where you live.  It also gives you a list of books to read about that country.

Let's give it a try:
Ethiopia:

If Ethiopia were your home instead of The United States you would...

have 12.9 times higher chance of dying in infancy

The number of deaths of infants under one year old in a given year per 1,000 live births in Ethiopia is 78.99 while in The United States it is 6.14.

This entry gives the number of deaths of infants under one year old in a given year per 1,000 live births in the same year; included is the total death rate, and deaths by sex, male and female. This rate is often used as an indicator of the level of health in a country.
Source: CIA World Factbook

be 3.5 times more likely to have HIV/AIDS

The number of adults living with HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia is 2.10% while in The United States it is 0.60%.

This entry gives an estimate of the percentage of adults (aged 15-49) living with HIV/AIDS. The adult prevalence rate is calculated by dividing the estimated number of adults living with HIV/AIDS at yearend by the total adult population at yearend.
Source: CIA World Factbook

have 3.1 times more babies

The annual number of births per 1,000 people in Ethiopia is 43.34 while in The United States it is 13.83.

This entry gives the average annual number of births during a year per 1,000 persons in the population at midyear; also known as crude birth rate. The birth rate is usually the dominant factor in determining the rate of population growth. It depends on both the level of fertility and the age structure of the population.
Source: CIA World Factbook

die 22.44 years sooner

The life expectancy at birth in Ethiopia is 55.80 while in The United States it is 78.24.

This entry contains the average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year, if mortality at each age remains constant in the future. The entry includes total population as well as the male and female components. Life expectancy at birth is also a measure of overall quality of life in a country and summarizes the mortality at all ages. It can also be thought of as indicating the potential return on investment in human capital and is necessary for the calculation of various actuarial measures.
Source: CIA World Factbook

use 99.72% less electricity

The per capita consumption of electricity in Ethiopia is 36kWh while in The United States it is 12,484kWh.

This entry consists of total electricity generated annually plus imports and minus exports, expressed in kilowatt-hours. The discrepancy between the amount of electricity generated and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is accounted for as loss in transmission and distribution.
Source: CIA World Factbook

consume 99.33% less oil

Ethiopia consumes 0.0176 gallons of oil per day per capita while The United States consumes 2.6400

This entry is the total oil consumed in gallons per day (gal/day) divided by the population. The discrepancy between the amount of oil produced and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is due to the omission of stock changes, refinery gains, and other complicating factors.
Source: CIA World Factbook

make 98.06% less money

The GDP per capita in Ethiopia is $900 while in The United States it is $46,400

This entry shows GDP on a purchasing power parity basis divided by population as of 1 July for the same year. A nation's GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rates is the sum value of all goods and services produced in the country valued at prices prevailing in the United States. This is the measure most economists prefer when looking at per-capita welfare and when comparing living conditions or use of resources across countries. The measure is difficult to compute, as a US dollar value has to be assigned to all goods and services in the country regardless of whether these goods and services have a direct equivalent in the United States (for example, the value of an ox-cart or non-US military equipment); as a result, PPP estimates for some countries are based on a small and sometimes different set of goods and services. In addition, many countries do not formally participate in the World Bank's PPP project that calculates these measures, so the resulting GDP estimates for these countries may lack precision. For many developing countries, PPP-based GDP measures are multiples of the official exchange rate (OER) measure. The differences between the OER- and PPP-denominated GDP values for most of the wealthy industrialized countries are generally much smaller.
Source: CIA World Factbook

spend 99.61% less money on health care

Per capita public and private health expenditures combined in Ethiopia are $26 USD while The United States spends $6,719 USD

This entry contains the per capita public and private health expenditure at purchase power parity using US Dollars. This figure combines government, personal, and employer spending on health care
Source: World Health Organization

experience 33.33% less of a class divide

A few books to read:

Famine and Foreigners: Ethiopia Since Live Aid

Revolution and Genocide in Ethiopia and Cambodia

Surrender or Starve: Travels in Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea

Let's do another country...

This one will be a bit opposite.  Hong Kong!

If Hong Kong were your home instead of The United States you would...

have 52.61% less chance of dying in infancy

The number of deaths of infants under one year old in a given year per 1,000 live births in Hong Kong is 2.91 while in The United States it is 6.14.

This entry gives the number of deaths of infants under one year old in a given year per 1,000 live births in the same year; included is the total death rate, and deaths by sex, male and female. This rate is often used as an indicator of the level of health in a country.
Source: CIA World Factbook

use 52.43% less electricity

The per capita consumption of electricity in Hong Kong is 5,938kWh while in The United States it is 12,484kWh.

This entry consists of total electricity generated annually plus imports and minus exports, expressed in kilowatt-hours. The discrepancy between the amount of electricity generated and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is accounted for as loss in transmission and distribution.
Source: CIA World Factbook

have 46.13% less babies

The annual number of births per 1,000 people in Hong Kong is 7.45 while in The United States it is 13.83.

This entry gives the average annual number of births during a year per 1,000 persons in the population at midyear; also known as crude birth rate. The birth rate is usually the dominant factor in determining the rate of population growth. It depends on both the level of fertility and the age structure of the population.
Source: CIA World Factbook

have 43.01% more chance at being employed

Hong Kong has an unemployment rate of 5.30% while The United States has 9.30%

This entry contains the percent of the labor force that is without jobs.
Source: CIA World Factbook

consume 30.44% less oil

Hong Kong consumes 1.8365 gallons of oil per day per capita while The United States consumes 2.6400

This entry is the total oil consumed in gallons per day (gal/day) divided by the population. The discrepancy between the amount of oil produced and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is due to the omission of stock changes, refinery gains, and other complicating factors.
Source: CIA World Factbook

live 3.72 years longer

The life expectancy at birth in Hong Kong is 81.96 while in The United States it is 78.24.

This entry contains the average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year, if mortality at each age remains constant in the future. The entry includes total population as well as the male and female components. Life expectancy at birth is also a measure of overall quality of life in a country and summarizes the mortality at all ages. It can also be thought of as indicating the potential return on investment in human capital and is necessary for the calculation of various actuarial measures.
Source: CIA World Factbook

experience 18.44% more of a class divide

The GINI index measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of family income. In Hong Kong is 53.30 while in The United States it is 45.00.

This index measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of family income in a country. The index is calculated from the Lorenz curve, in which cumulative family income is plotted against the number of families arranged from the poorest to the richest. The index is the ratio of (a) the area between a country's Lorenz curve and the 45 degree helping line to (b) the entire triangular area under the 45 degree line. The more nearly equal a country's income distribution, the closer its Lorenz curve to the 45 degree line and the lower its Gini index, e.g., a Scandinavian country with an index of 25. The more unequal a country's income distribution, the farther its Lorenz curve from the 45 degree line and the higher its Gini index, e.g., a Sub-Saharan country with an index of 50. If income were distributed with perfect equality, the Lorenz curve would coincide with the 45 degree line and the index would be zero; if income were distributed with perfect inequality, the Lorenz curve would coincide with the horizontal axis and the right vertical axis and the index would be 100.
Source: CIA World Factbook

be 83.33% less likely to have HIV/AIDS

The number of adults living with HIV/AIDS in Hong Kong is 0.10% while in The United States it is 0.60%.

This entry gives an estimate of the percentage of adults (aged 15-49) living with HIV/AIDS. The adult prevalence rate is calculated by dividing the estimated number of adults living with HIV/AIDS at yearend by the total adult population at yearend.
Source: CIA World Factbook

make 7.97% less money

Wow!  Look at THAT!  What a difference, right?

Here are a few books:

Maid to Order in Hong Kong: Stories of Migrant Workers (I will say, Hong Kongers LOVE their maids.  My parents are considered "weird" because they don't have any)

Hong Kong Murders (This book is really good.  My mom sent it to me and I read it)

Okay, let's go back and try a different country.  My country does a lot with El Salvador, so let's do that one.

If El Salvador were your home instead of The United States you would...

have 3.4 times higher chance of dying in infancy

The number of deaths of infants under one year old in a given year per 1,000 live births in El Salvador is 20.97 while in The United States it is 6.14.

This entry gives the number of deaths of infants under one year old in a given year per 1,000 live births in the same year; included is the total death rate, and deaths by sex, male and female. This rate is often used as an indicator of the level of health in a country.
Source: CIA World Factbook

use 93.81% less electricity

The per capita consumption of electricity in El Salvador is 773kWh while in The United States it is 12,484kWh.

This entry consists of total electricity generated annually plus imports and minus exports, expressed in kilowatt-hours. The discrepancy between the amount of electricity generated and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is accounted for as loss in transmission and distribution.
Source: CIA World Factbook

consume 88.17% less oil

El Salvador consumes 0.3123 gallons of oil per day per capita while The United States consumes 2.6400

This entry is the total oil consumed in gallons per day (gal/day) divided by the population. The discrepancy between the amount of oil produced and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is due to the omission of stock changes, refinery gains, and other complicating factors.
Source: CIA World Factbook

make 84.7% less money

The GDP per capita in El Salvador is $7,100 while in The United States it is $46,400

This entry shows GDP on a purchasing power parity basis divided by population as of 1 July for the same year. A nation's GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rates is the sum value of all goods and services produced in the country valued at prices prevailing in the United States. This is the measure most economists prefer when looking at per-capita welfare and when comparing living conditions or use of resources across countries. The measure is difficult to compute, as a US dollar value has to be assigned to all goods and services in the country regardless of whether these goods and services have a direct equivalent in the United States (for example, the value of an ox-cart or non-US military equipment); as a result, PPP estimates for some countries are based on a small and sometimes different set of goods and services. In addition, many countries do not formally participate in the World Bank's PPP project that calculates these measures, so the resulting GDP estimates for these countries may lack precision. For many developing countries, PPP-based GDP measures are multiples of the official exchange rate (OER) measure. The differences between the OER- and PPP-denominated GDP values for most of the wealthy industrialized countries are generally much smaller.
Source: CIA World Factbook

spend 94.64% less money on health care

Per capita public and private health expenditures combined in El Salvador are $360 USD while The United States spends $6,719 USD

This entry contains the per capita public and private health expenditure at purchase power parity using US Dollars. This figure combines government, personal, and employer spending on health care
Source: World Health Organization

have 30.59% more babies

The annual number of births per 1,000 people in El Salvador is 18.06 while in The United States it is 13.83.

This entry gives the average annual number of births during a year per 1,000 persons in the population at midyear; also known as crude birth rate. The birth rate is usually the dominant factor in determining the rate of population growth. It depends on both the level of fertility and the age structure of the population.
Source: CIA World Factbook

die 5.06 years sooner

The life expectancy at birth in El Salvador is 73.18 while in The United States it is 78.24.

This entry contains the average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year, if mortality at each age remains constant in the future. The entry includes total population as well as the male and female components. Life expectancy at birth is also a measure of overall quality of life in a country and summarizes the mortality at all ages. It can also be thought of as indicating the potential return on investment in human capital and is necessary for the calculation of various actuarial measures.
Source: CIA World Factbook

have 22.58% more chance at being employed

El Salvador has an unemployment rate of 7.20% while The United States has 9.30%

This entry contains the percent of the labor force that is without jobs.
Source: CIA World Factbook

experience 16.44% more of a class divide

The GINI index measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of family income. In El Salvador is 52.40 while in The United States it is 45.00.

This index measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of family income in a country. The index is calculated from the Lorenz curve, in which cumulative family income is plotted against the number of families arranged from the poorest to the richest. The index is the ratio of (a) the area between a country's Lorenz curve and the 45 degree helping line to (b) the entire triangular area under the 45 degree line. The more nearly equal a country's income distribution, the closer its Lorenz curve to the 45 degree line and the lower its Gini index, e.g., a Scandinavian country with an index of 25. The more unequal a country's income distribution, the farther its Lorenz curve from the 45 degree line and the higher its Gini index, e.g., a Sub-Saharan country with an index of 50. If income were distributed with perfect equality, the Lorenz curve would coincide with the 45 degree line and the index would be zero; if income were distributed with perfect inequality, the Lorenz curve would coincide with the horizontal axis and the right vertical axis and the index would be 100.
Source: CIA World Factbook

be 33.33% more likely to have HIV/AIDS

Here's a book for you to check out:

To Rise In Darkness: Revolution, Repression and Memory in El Salvador

This is definitely something to check out!  Visit the link here.