A Morning that Shaped My World

When most Americans think of December 7, we think of Pearl Harbor. We remember the attack against America by the Japanese. When we think World War II, we tend to think of Hitler and the war in Europe. Rarely do we think of the Philippines.

While remembering evils of War, mourning the lives lost and honoring those directly impacted, sometimes we forget about the ripples of war through the fabric of time. Children broken by the atrocities of war often grow up broken. While they might not even realize how damaged they are, their children see the fractures and grow up with fractures of their own. If we are lucky, we’ll only inherit our parents physical traits; while their nightmears and demons will leave us alone. Too often, we aren’t so lucky as the realities of any war is that war leaves scares for generations to come. I am but one generation removed from the front lines.

This year for Pearl Harbor Day I wanted to take a moment to honor my mother, a child in the Philippines during World War II. I’m not going to dwell on the negative aspects of man’s cruelty toward his fellow man. I’d rather remember my mother with love. I wish I had been a better daughter. There is comfort in knowing that she knew what was in my heart even if I could not express that in my deeds. Too much fear and anger got in the way. Don’t let fear and anger rob you of the beauty God has placed all around us.

This is an Asian-Filipino inspired lettuce wrap. Lettuce Wraps are delicious. Lumpia is delicious. Why not merge the two? Yum!

Lumpia Lettuce Wraps
1 (12 oz) can Water Chestnuts
1/2 cup finely chopped Baby Carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped Bean Sprouts
1/2 cup finely chopped Garbanzo Beans
1/2 cup finely chopped Onions
1/2 cup finely chopped Celery
1 Yellow Bell Pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped White Mushrooms
2 Garlic Cloves
1 lb Ground Beef
1 lb Ground pork
Salt to taste
Soy Sauce to taste
8 large Lettuce Leaves

Note: Butter Leaf Lettuce works best, but green leaf will be fine in a pinch.

Drain water chestnuts, finely chop. Finely dice carrots. Rinse and finely chop bean sprouts. Drain garbanzo beans from a can, chop. Peel and finely mince onion. Clean, trim and finely dice celery. Stem and core bell pepper, dice. Peel garlic and set aside.

Cook ground beef and ground pork together, crumbling meat as it brown. Season with salt as the meat cook. Drain well.

In the skillet used to brown the meat press garlic. Add all the vegetables, season with salt. Sauté vegetables over medium heat until celery pales in color. Remove from heat, drain vegetables of any liquid. Add vegetables to the meat mixture. Stir to blend. Return to skillet to warm. Add soy sauce, then taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Keep warm

Break apart lettuce leaves. Line the outer edge of a large serving platter with the leaves. Fill the center with the Lumpia mixture. Let each person fill a leave with the desired amount of filling, wrap and enjoy. Serve with sickly rice if desired.

---

Who heals the broken of heart,
and binds up their bruises.
He tells the number of the stars:
and calls them all by their names.