PAY IT FORWARD

02 Desember 2006 – 07:32   (Diposting oleh: Editor)

“To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer. – Memberi kebahagiaan kepada sebuah hati dengan suatu tindakan nyata yang sederhana adalah lebih baik dibandingkan ribuan kepala yang bersujud dalam do’a.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Pay It Forward adalah sebuah judul film drama Hollywood yang diproduksi pada tahun 2000. Film yang disutradarai oleh Mimi Leder itu mengisahkan tentang sebuah ide sederhana dari seorang anak kecil berusia 11 tahun, Trevor Mckinney, yang dibintangi oleh Haley Joel Osment. Trevor Mckinney hidup bersama ibunya, Arlene, yang diperankan oleh aktris Helen Hunt. Dikisahkan bahwa ibu Mckinney adalah seorang pemabuk, sedangkan ayahnya jarang berada di rumah.

Kisah film tersebut berawal pada saat seorang guru ilmu sosial di sekolah Mckinney memberikan sebuah tugas. Sang guru, Mr. Simonet, yang diperankan oleh Kevin Spcey, meminta para murid memikirkan sebuah ide yang dapat mengubah dunia. Para murid juga diminta untuk mewujudkannya langsung ke dalam tindakan nyata.

Pada saat itulah Mckinney
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Percaya Kemampuan Diri Sendiri

WAKTU masih kecil, Anda mungkin pernah mendengar kisah adaptasi ?The Little Engine That Could?? Buku itu bercerita tentang kereta api yang bergerak ke bukit dengan perlahan dan tersendat. Lokomotifnya berkata pada diri sendiri, ?Aku bisa, aku bisa, aku bisa.? Kereta pun terus bergerak perlahan naik hingga tiba di bukit dengan selamat.

Pelajaran sederhana yang dapat diberikan ialah: percayalah pada kemampuan diri sendiri. Seandainya lokomotif itu tidak percaya akan kemampuannya tiba di atas bukit, bisa jadi kisah dalam buku itu berakhir menyedihkan.

Bukan hanya lokomotif itu saja yang dapat mengatakan, ?Aku bisa, aku bisa, aku bisa?, tetapi Anda pun dapat melakukan yang sama. William Arthur Ward, penulis kondang asal Amerika mengatakan, ?Saya adalah pemenang karena saya berpikir seperti pemenang, bersiap jadi pemenang, dan bekerja serupa pemenang.? Ward betul, jika Anda berpikir menjadi seorang pemenang, maka memang benar Anda seorang pemenang.

Kisah heroik lokomotif itu dalam dunia nyata dibuktikan sendiri oleh Hendrawan, atlet bulutangkis Indonesia. Tahun 1997, Hendrawan dinyatakan sudah habis oleh PBSI. Karena faktor usia dan prestasinya yang menurun, PBSI bermaksud mengeluarkan Hendrawan dari Tim Pelatnas. Tapi Hendrawan punya keyakinan sendiri, bahwa ia percaya kemampuannya dan belumlah habis. Hendrawan masih percaya bahwa ia dapat meraih prestasi yang lebih baik lagi
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Senja dan Catatan Tentang Kita

Senja tengah mematung di barat cakrawala. Arak-arakan awan mulai berganti warna, dari biru laut menjadi oranye kemerahan. Sinar keemasan dari barat cakrawala menyemburat ke seluruh arah mata angin. Serpihan kemilau emasnya menyilaukan mata bagi siapapun yang tengah menikmatinya.

Senja menjadi pertanda bahwa sang surya akan kembali ke peraduannya dan tak lama lagi akan tergantikan oleh rembulan. Dan kemudian turunlah Batara Kala. Sebelum batara kala turun, burung-burung berlalu lalang kembali ke sarangnya di rerimbunan dahan-dahan pohon.

Jalan raya yang sejam lalu masih dilalui banyak kendaraan karena jamnya pekerja pulang kini melenggang. Sepi. Rasanya benar-benar senja yang indah. Karena suasana begitu memikat hati, menarik untuk kutulis agar menjadi sebuah cerita. Sungguh beruntung aku dapat menikmati senja bersama orang-orang yang kelak menjadi orang hebat, orang-orang yang kelak akan terukir namanya dalam deretan nama sastrawan Indonesia.

Senja kali ini membuatku tak ingin pulang. 18 bulan sudah aku belajar di salah satu sekolah menegah atas di kota minyak ini, jarang merasakan momen alam yang indah. Kecuali senja yang benar-benar memikat dan membuatku
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Wiro Sableng #64 : Betina Penghisap Darah

WIRO SABLENG

Pendekar Kapak Maut Naga Geni 212

Karya: Bastian Tito

DUA ORANG penunggang kuda itu menuruni lembah Batusilang dengan cepat. Di sebelah depan adalah seorang lelaki berdestar hitam, berpakaian sederhana dan berusia sekitar 40 tahun. Di belakangnya mengikuti lelaki muda berpakaian bagus yang di kepalanya ada topi tinggi berwarna merah dengan pinggiran kuning, emas, pertanda dia adalah seorang berpangkat. Dua kuda tunggangan melewati sebuah telaga kecil dan akhirnya sampai di hadapan sebuah rumah berdinding kayu beratap rumbia.

"Ini tempatnya," kata lelaki berdestar hitam seraya hentikan kudanya. Lalu dia melompat turun sementara yang satu lagi memandang berkeliling dan tetap di atas punggung kudanya. Orang berdestar melangkah menuju pintu rumah dan mendorong daun pintu yang ternyata tidak dikunci. Terdengar suara berkereketan. Orang itu masuk ke dalam. Tak lama kemudian dia keluar lagi.

"Rumah ini kosong. Dia masih belum datang rupanya."

Orang berpakaian bagus di atas kuda mengangguk. Dia memandang lagi berkeliling. "Kalau memang belum datang aku bisa menunggu, Turangga. Sekalian
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Inilah Saat yang Kami Tunggu

Inilah saat yang kami tunggu! Kami akan membuktikan bahwa matahari punya energi dahsyat.
Sejak belajar tentang matahari, kami memang penasaran. Sebab, Pak Akma selalu membuat kami tercengang ketika menyimak penjelasan tentang matahari.
Kelas kami dibagi dalam 5 kelompok. Tiap kelompok terdiri atas 4 siswa. Hari ini, kami ke luar ruang kelas. Dengan riang ria, kami berhamburan menuju lapangan yang berada dekat kelas. Jam menunjukkan pukul 09. 15. Matahari melesat sepenggal dari orbitnya. Suasana terasa cukup panas. Sesekali kami harus mengelap keringat, karena matahari memang mulai menyengat kulit.
Kami disebar agar tidak berhimpitan. Masing-maing kelompok sudah mempersiapkan bahan dan alat yang diperlukan. Bahan yang diperlukan hanya selembar kertas buku dan sesobek kapas. Sedangkan alat yang dipakai adalah kaca pembesar. Pak Akma menyebutnya suryakanta.
Kini, kami mulai beraksi.
”Ayo anak-anak kita mulai! Semua kaca pembesar diarahkan ke kertas!” Demikian aba-aba Pak Akma.
Teman-teman tampak mulai gaduh. Mereka berebut memegang kaca pembesar. Maklum, karena tidak setiap anak memegang kaca pembesar. Tiap kelompok, hanya kebagian satu
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Berkompetisi Yuk!

Dalam sebuah obrolan dengan salah seorang pemimpin redaksi sebuah majalah ternama, ada satu ungkapan dia yang membuat dahi saya berkerut. ”Saya lagi bingung. Saya merasa gak ada musuh! Jadi, saya malah takut kalau tidak ada ancaman…”

Waw? Saya jadi bertanya. Kok bisa? Bukankah kita bisa hidup lebih tenang kalau tidak ada musuh? Ternyata, jawaban teman saya ini sungguh menggelitik nalar saya.

”Sekarang majalah saya ada di level paling atas. Nah, kalau nggak ada musuh atau kompetitor yang selevel, kami jadi merasa sombong. Akibatnya, kita bisa jadi lengah dan kehilangan motivasi untuk menghasilkan media yang berkelas bagi pembaca kami!”

Pikiran saya langsung melayang pada sebuah kisah yang saya alami beberapa tahun silam. Karena takut pada anjing, begitu mendengar anjing menggonggong, saya akan lari ketakutan. Kebetulan, waktu itu saya sedang santai berjalan di sebuah taman. Tiba-tiba, ada anjing yang menggonggong, dan, ternyata tak cuma menyalak, ia juga mengejar saya tanpa sebab. Maka, dengan sekuat tenaga, larilah saya. Dan, ketika melihat sebuah tembok, tanpa ba bi bu lagi, saya langsung meloncatinya. Waw! Saya berhasil lolos dari kejaran anjing itu. Yang membuat saya heran, tembok yang saya loncati dengan mudah itu ternyata tingginya hampir dua kali
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Prinsip Ayurveda untuk Meningkatkan Kualitas Kehidupan

Apabila Anda mengeluh sakit kepala atau mengalami insomnia, maka biasanya Anda akan menelan pil analgesik untuk mengurangi rasa sakit kepala dan obat tidur untuk membantu mengatasi insomnia yang sedang Anda alami. Sakit kepala akan segera lenyap dengan menelan pil analgesik dan Anda akan segera mudah tertidur dengan minum obat tidur.

Persoalannya adalah apabila obat-obatan tersebut yang biasanya diberikan untuk jangka waktu lima hari habis, sakit kepala Anda datang kembali dan insomnia juga menemani malam-malam Anda, then……, so what? Biasanya ya minum obat-obatan yang sama lagi dalam jangka waktu tertentu. Kalau penyakitnya terus kembali lagi, and again, then ….,so what? Biasanya minum obat lagi…, lalu sampai kapan Anda akan menggunakan obat-obatan bila penyakit Anda tidak kunjung sembuh?

Dunia pengetahuan modern memperlakukan penyakit sebagai gejaja fisik lalu diberi obat untuk mengatasi gejala simtomastis. Apabila diare, diberi obat untuk menghentikan diarenya. Apabila tekanan darah naik, pasien diberi obat untuk menurunkan tekanan darahnya. Untuk sakit kepala, batuk, dan diare, kita juga akan dapat obat-obatan untuk meredam penyakit tersebut. Bahkan banyak jenis obat-obatan yang ditayangkan di tivi sampai-sampai kita hafal nama obatnya. Seperti seorang mekanik yang memperbaiki sebuah mobil di bengkelnya.
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Bob Sadino vs Mario Teguh

Bob Sadino vs Mario Teguh

Bob Sadino: "Mau kaya? berhentilah sekolah atau berhentilah kuliah sekarang juga, and start action, karena ilmu di lapangan lebih penting daripada ilmu di sekolahan atau kuliahan."

------ vs -------

Mario Teguh: "Berhati-hatilah dengan orang yang membanggakan keberhasilannya walaupun dia berpendidikan rendah. Itu tidak boleh dijadikan dalil. Pendidikan itu penting. Buktinya, dengan pendidikan yang sedikit saja, dia bisa berhasil, apalagi jika dia terdidik dengan lebih baik. Bukankah kita dianjurkan untuk menuntut ilmu sampai ke negeri Cina? Dengan ilmu, segala sesuatu bisa mencapai kualitas tertingginya."

PILIH MANA ???

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Creative Destruction

William R. Patterson, penulis bestseller berjudul The Baron Son, mengatakan, “Knowledge opens the door to many opportunities – pengetahuan membuka pintu ke berbagai kesempatan.” Saya jadi bertanya-tanya, adakah penanda utama abad ini yang perlu kita ketahui agar kita bisa menghadapinya dengan sebaik-baiknya?

Memikirkan hal ini saya ingat buku suntingan Rowan Gibson. Judulnya Rethinking The Future. Buku itu terbit setahun sebelum tutup abad yang lalu, jadi sudah berumur satu dasawarsa, tetapi banyak hal yang masih amat relevan.

Dalam buku itu disajikan beberapa tema yang amat inspiratif bagi kita sebagai individu, maupun sebagai representasi dari suatu lembaga, entah bisnis, kemasyarakatan, maupun pemerintahan. Di situ ada tokoh seperti Charles Handy dan Stephen Covey yang memikirkan kembali mengenai prinsip-prinsip dasar kita. Ada pula Michael Porter, CK Prahalad, Gary Hamel yang memikirkan ulang mengenai kompetisi. Ada Michael Hammer, Eli Goldblatt dan Peter Senge yang memikirkan kembali mengenai kemampuan kontrol kita di tengah kompleksitas. Ada mahaguru kepemimpinan War
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Pengembangan SDM Indonesia

Tulisan ini saya ambil dari diskusi antara 4 panelis dalam Launching acara Mini Workship Series tanggal 15 September 2009 yang terdiri dari Ibu Mooryati Sudibyo, Bapak Michael dari Combi Phar, Bapak Koes dari Astra Management Development International, Ibu Neli dari Manulife.

Acara ini dipandu oleh Anthony Dio Martin yang membuka panel diskusi dengan slogan dari Andrew Carnegie yang mengatakan bila anda mengambil alih perusahaan miliknya maka di masa yang akan datang akan berdiri pabrik baru dengan teknologi yang lebih baik namun bila anda mengambil SDM terbaiknya maka cepat atau lambat area pabriknya akan ditumbuhi rumput saja. Ini membuktikan bahwa pengembangan SDM menjadi area yang penting.

Menurut Pak Michael pada sesi awal diskusi bahwa Pemerintah kurang memberikan dukungan perihal rangking Indonesia yang mencapai Top Ten Worst dalam segi mutu SDM dan peran HR dinilai masih berkisar pada Recruitmnet dan administrasi saja, peran HR sebagai partner bisnis belum berkembang, ini yang membuat perkembangan pasar menjadi terhambat karena pengembangan mutu SDM tidak sesuai dengan tuntutan bisnis atau persaingan pasar yang berkembang dengan pesat sekali.

Diberikan juga sebuah gambaran tentang era apakah sekarang ini. Seperti yang kita ketahui bahwa pertama-tama adalah era pertanian atau tanah, dimana siapa yang memiliki tanah paling banyak, itulah orang yang berkuasa untuk menguasai perekomian, era ini kemudian berubah menjad
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Kebaikan Seseorang Kadang Terlihat Setelah Ia Wafat

Oleh: Titi Setianingsih

Tadi pagi aku melayat teman kantorku, almarhum Mas Darmanto di daerah Kayu Manis. Setiap ada teman/kerabat yang meninggal yang terbayang mesti kebaikannya. Aku tidak terlalu dekat dengan almarhum, tapi sebagai teman satu kantor aku berusaha berbuat baik padanya, menghormati dia karena usianya lebih tua dariku. Tapi kadang akupun bercanda padanya. Karena almarhum namanya Sudarmanto, aku suka ngeledek. Awas … awas … minggir … ada Mas Manto. Entar dimakan lho…!! Ingat kan tokoh orang makan orang? Sumanto yang dari Purbalingga itu.

Maafkan ya Mas Manto. Semoga Mas Manto berpulang dengan tenang dan damai di sisiNYA. Amin.

Sepulang ngelayat, aku jadi ingat juga almarhum pak Mus, PUKET I di kampusku. Beliau orangnya baik, bijak, sabar, sangat menghargai orang lain, dan kebapakkan. Kayaknya semua ucapannya tidak pernah menyakitkan. Beliaupun meninggal beberapa bulan yang lalu. Bagi orang Yayasan tentu merupakan derita yang amat mendalam ditinggalkan orang yang membesarkan Yayasan, yang berjuang hingga di penghujung usianya.

Ketika itu aku lagi ambil S2 di kampus tempat aku mengajar sekarang. Memasuki semester ke 2 aku hamil anakku yang ke 2, Farah. Dari mulai hamil muda sampai hamil tu
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Local Wisdom: Sing Jembar Segarane, Luaskan Lautanmu

Oleh: Agung Praptapa

Saya terkejut dengan datangnya telepon yang mengaku dari Gedung Putih. “Ini dari asisten pribadi Presiden Obama, beliau minta disambungkan pada Anda” kata suara seorang wanita dalam bahasa Inggris yang temponya dipelankan karena sadar sedang berbicara dengan seseorang yang berbicara bahasa Inggris sebagai bahasa kedua. Tentu saja saya setuju. Suatu kehormatan yang luar biasa ditelpon oleh seorang presiden Amerika. Dan ternyata benar, ini memang telepon dari Obama. Saya sangat kenal dengan suaranya, termasuk diucapkannya “kata-kata sandi“ yang sering kita jadikan sebagai guyonan. Saya cukup heran karena dia masih ingat dengan baik beberapa istilah yang sering kita gunakan saat itu. Setelah berbasa-basi dengan Obama karena sudah hampir 10 tahun kita tidak saling berjumpa, dia masuk pada pokok persoalan.

“Kamu kan orang jawa, saya ingin dengar saran kamu yang khas seperti kamu sampaikan sewaktu kamu masih di Amerika dulu” katanya. Saya jadi ingat, sewaktu sama-sama kuliah di Amerik
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Cita-Cita Ashley

Pagi itu tidak seperti biasanya, raut muka Ashley kelihatan murung, tampak kesedihan yang teramat sangat tercermin di sana. Canda, tawa, dan semangatnya seakan sirna, kebiasaannya bersenandung setiap saat pun tak ada, tak sepatah katapun sempat terucap dari bibirnya.
Ashley terus bertanya-tanya dalam hati, “Memangnya salah ya kalau punya cita-cita jadi pelukis? Memangnya aku nggak pantas jadi pelukis? Kenapa papa nggak suka aku jadi pelukis?..” . Tiba-tiba Ashley menjatuhkan air matanya. Ia menangis. Ibunya yang akan pergi ke kantor mendengar tangisan itu.
“Kenapa, shley?” “Ma, papa itu kenapa sih? Kenapa aku nggak boleh jadi pelukis?” “Mama nggak tahu ya, sayang. Kalo papa nggak bolehin kamu ngelukis, ya mulai sekarang nggak usah ngelukis lagi, dari pada papa marah lagi” “Tapi, ma….” “Udahlah. Mama mau ke kantor dulu ya, sayang. Dadah.”
Ashley mencoba menahan semua rasa sedihnya, ia tidak mau terlalu lama tenggelam dalam kesedihan.

Bel berbunyi, semua murid sesegera mungkin masuk ke kelas mereka masing-masing. Di kelas 7F, semua murid berbincang-bincang kecuali Ashley. Ia masih larut dalam kesedihan. Tiba-tiba, Ardine teman sebangku Ashley mengagetkannya
“Ashley…!!!”
“Ardina, apaan sih.. Kamu mau bikin aku jantungan ya?” kata Ashley
“Gitu aja mar
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Arti Sebuah Kehidupan

Tarakan kota tercinta, dimana limpahan semua kekayaaan alam ada disana. Ikan, minyak bumi, dan masih banyak lagi kekayaan alam yang berlimpah di kota Tarakan yang kucinta. Ya, walaupun masih banyak orang yang tidak bertanggung jawab dan salah memanfaatkan kekayaan alam di kota Tarakan.

Aku dilahirkan di keluarga sederhana, ayahku seorang nelayan yang sebulan beberapa kali pergi melaut. Ayahku selalu meninggalkanku dan keluargaku untuk mencari nafkah di laut sana. Sekali melaut hampir satu minggu ayahku tidak pulang. Hasil tangkapannya pun selalu menjadi masalah, kalau ikan yang di dapat sedikit, sedikit pula rupiah yang di dapat Ayahku. Tapi kalau laut bersahabat Ayahku bisa membawa rupiah yang banyak untuk kelangsungan hidup keluargaku. Sedangkan Ibuku seorang ibu rumah tangga, walaupun seorang ibu rumah tangga, beliau adalah seorang penyemangat bagiku untuk lebih baik dan ayahku untuk lebih semangat dalam mencari nafkah.

Di masa perpisahan SMP Negeri 1 Tarakan sangat mengharukan. Aku dan teman-temanku harus berpisah setelah ini. Masuk di sekolah yang kami dambakan mer
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101 Cara Mengatasi Stress Courtesy of the Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii

Bangunlah 15 menit lebih awal Mempersiapkan untuk pagi malam sebelumnya Hindari pakaian ketat Hindari bergantung pada bahan-bahan kimia Atur janji ke depan Jangan mengandalkan memori Anda ... tuliskanlah Praktekkan pemeliharaan preventif Membuat duplikat kunci Berkata "tidak" lebih sering Menetapkan prioritas dalam hidup Anda Hindari orang-orang negatif Menggunakan waktu dengan bijak Sederhanakan waktu makan Selalu membuat salinan surat-surat penting Mengantisipasi kebutuhan Anda Perbaiki apa pun yang tidak bekerja dengan benar Meminta bantuan untuk pekerjaan yang tidak Anda sukai Bagilah tugas besar menjadi bagian kecil yang dapat dikerjakan Lihatlah masalah sebagai tantangan Lihatlah tantangan yang berbeda Variasikan hidup anda Senyum Bersiaplah untuk hujan Menggelitik bayi Pelihara anjing yang ramah / kucing Tidak harus tahu semua jawaban Ambil hikmah dari segalanya Katakanlah sesuatu yang baik untuk seseorang
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Platinum

Air mataku menetes. Aku masih memandang foto itu. Tidak terasa, dua tahun sudah kakakku, Malik pergi. Sebenarnya bukan untuk meninggalkanku, hanya menjagaku dari suatu tempat di atas sana. Aku ingin menceritakan semua hal yang aku alami selama beberapa bulan ini kepadanya. Andai kamu disini Malik…

“You can take everything I have
You can break everything I am
Like I’m made of glass
Like I’m made of paper”
DEMI LOVATO – SKYSCRAPER

Waktu yang aku tunggu pun tiba. Istirahat jam pertama. Aku putuskan untuk menghabiskan istirahat 30 menit ini dengan menikmati lagu-lagu Demi Lovato di bangku depan kelas. Bukan karena aku tidak lapar, bukan juga karena tidak ada yang mengajakku, tapi aku tidak mungkin makan ayam kremes di kantin, sedangkan adik dan mamaku hanya makan telur ceplok dan kecap sebagai lauknya.

Keluarga kami sedang berhemat. Benar-benar berhemat. Adikku akan mengikuti festival tari nasional, dan biayanya cukup mahal. Rencananya aku akan mengumpukan uang sakuku, dan apabila sudah cukup banyak, akan kuberikan pada mama.
Lamunanku terbuyar ketika lagu Demi Lovato yang kudengar mulai terusik dengan suara yang tidak asing lagi bagiku. Para suara anak lelaki yang sekelas denganku
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Bangkit!!!

Oleh: Agus Riyanto

Ini adalah kata yang harus selalu kita ucapkan, bahkan kalau perlu kita teriakkan ketika kita mengalami kegagalan. “Bangkit!” adalah kata untuk Anda yang sedang terpuruk, untuk Anda yang sedang bersedih, untuk Anda yang sedang putus asa, untuk Anda yang sedang patah hati, dan untuk Anda yang sedang kehilangan semangat.

“Bangkit!” adalah jawaban untuk sebuah kegagalan; ketika kenyataan tidak sesuai harapan. Bukannya berhenti mencoba dan pasrah—menganggap diri sendiri sebagai orang yang gagal, tapi bangkitlah! Mulailah langkah yang baru dan terapkan determinasi diri. Kita tunjukkan keteguhan hati kita, konsisten dengan apa yang sedang kita tuju, dan tidak berhenti sebelum berhasil.

Kita mengalami kegagalan bukan untuk menjadi orang yang gagal, kecuali kita berhenti mencoba, berhenti melangkah dan menghapus mimpi indah kita. Kita gagal untuk belajar sangat banyak hal dari kegagalan itu sendiri. Kita gagal untuk bangkit lagi. Kita gagal untuk mencoba lagi. Kita gagal untuk sukses!

Tanpa kegagalan, kita akan sulit dan jarang mau menyelami diri sendiri. Mau berusaha mengenal siapa diri kita yang sesungguhnya; mengetahui kelemahan dan kelebihan diri kita yang sebenarnya unik. Dan pada akhir
... baca selengkapnya di Bangkit!!! Cerita Motivasi dan Inspirasi Nomor 1

Double Chocolate Silk Cream Pie

We all know I don't bake, but when I saw this recipe for Double Chocolate Silk Cream Pie I had to have it. An Oreo cookie crust and rich, chocolate filling sounded heavenly. And since there's no baking involved I figured it would be a piece of cake (or pie...ha!) to whip up one weekend.

The only downside to this recipe is that the pie has to cool overnight. The original recipe says you can let it cool for 4-6 hours, but you really want this ice cold so overnight is probably best (at least in my opinion). The lingering smell of crushed Oreos and cooked chocolate drove us all crazy until we could finally enjoy a slice of this decadent pie.

A little goes a long way for this one, unless you have a serious sweet tooth. I served this with fresh whipped cream after Sunday dinner and we were all in love. Baby Girl especially loved this one, so I know I'll be making it again soon.

Double Chocolate Silk Cream Pie
As seen on Lauren's Latest

CRUST
20 Oreo cookies
6 tablespoons melted butter

FILLING
5 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips

whipped cream, for serving

Place all the Oreo cookies (use the whole cookie) in a food processor. Pulse a few times until the cookies become crumbs. Mix the crumbs and melted butter together until moist. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate or cake pan. Refrigerate while making the filling.

Separate the eggs, reserving the egg yolks in a bowl. Reserve or discard the egg whites. Lightly beat the yolks and set aside.

Place a medium-sized glass bowl over a pot with about an inch of simmering water (this is called a double boiler). Make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Add the cream to the bowl and heat until you start to see bubbles forming. This will scald the cream. Stir in the sugar and salt, whisking until dissolved, about 2 minutes. Stream one tablespoon at a time of the hot cream into the egg yolks, whisking after each tablespoon is added. Do this 4 or 5 times. This is called tempering. Stir the tempered egg yolks back into the cream in the double boiler. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the eggs and cream start to thicken and coat the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes. The pie won't set if you don't thicken the cream and egg mixture long enough, so if you're unsure whether or not the mixture is thick enough, continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

Remove the cream and egg mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla and chocolate chips. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and all the chocolate has melted. Pour the filling into the prepared pie shell and cool to room temperature.

Once the pie is cool, cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap directly onto the filling. Refrigerate the pie overnight. Cut into pieces and serve with whipped cream (recipe below).

Homemade whipped cream

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' (powdered) sugar

Place a metal, glass or ceramic bowl in the freezer for 15-30 minutes to chill. Once chilled, pour the cream into the bowl and add the sugar. Using an electric hand mixer or balloon whisk, beat the cream to the desired consistency. For soft peaks, the cream will be just thick enough to hold its shape. For stiffly beaten cream, the beaters or whisk wires will leave distinct traces on the cream and stand in firm peaks when the beaters are lifted.

MAKE AHEAD
The cream can be whipped up to 1 day ahead, covered tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerated. If liquid separates from the cream, whip it again to incorporate the liquid.

Oklahoma Fried Onion Burgers

A few weekends ago we were all watching Cook's Country together (yes, my 5-year-old loves to watch cooking shows. It warms my heart). They were making something called Oklahoma Fried Onion Burgers and they looked mouthwateringly good.

For some reason that episode was on at least 3 or 4 more times within a two-week span and I finally told SP I had to make them. So, he picked up some ground beef at the store and I planned to make them one Saturday for dinner. Then we had a ridiculously huge lunch and couldn't stand the thought of eating again. The ground beef went into the freezer, where it was promptly forgotten. I finally remembered that I wanted to make the recipe and put the burgers on the menu two nights ago. They were so good I had to blog them immediately.

I thought these would be more complicated but it's actually a very easy recipe. All you need to do is plan ahead enough to let the onions sit in the colander. SP said they tasted like a McDonald's hamburger only a million times better. Baby Girl had the mini burger in the center of the picture above, sans onions because she isn't a fan. They even reheated well the next day.

Oklahoma Fried Onion Burgers
As seen on Cook's Country

1 large onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1 lb ground beef
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4-8 slices American cheese
Mayo, mustard and pickles, for serving
4 hamburger buns, toasted

Combine the onion slices and 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl and toss to combine. Transfer the onions to a colander and let sit for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Transfer the onions to a clean dish towel, gather the edges together and squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the onions. Do this over the sink or a large bowl since the onions will have quite a bit of liquid in them.

Divide the onions into 4 separate mounds on a rimmed baking sheet. Form the beef into 4 lightly packed balls. Place the beef balls on top of the onion mounds and flatten the beef firmly (use your palm) so the onion adheres to the beef. The patties should measure 4 inches in diameter. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.

Melt the butter with the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Using a large spatula, transfer the patties to the skillet, onion side down. Cook for 6-8 minutes, until the onions turn a deep golden brown and begin to crisp around the edges. Flip the burgers, then increase the heat to high and cook until well browned on the second side, about 2 minutes.

Add 1 or 2 slices of cheese to each burger and allow to melt. Add mayo, mustard and pickles to the top buns, then place each burger on a bottom buns. Serve immediately.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Can we talk about chicken thighs for a minute? I know I'm late to the party but holy moly are they good. Tender, juicy, flavorful, almost impossible to overcook. And cheap as all get-out. I had a serious craving for Chicken Tikka Masala recently and realized I'd never gotten around to trying my friend Melissa's version. This is now my go-to recipe.

It's not that different from the previous version I used to make in terms of ingredients and flavor. The big differences are the use of chicken thighs and the cooking method. Melissa's recipe has you marinating the chicken and then baking it. My old version had you grilling the chicken. Baking is so much easier and clean up is a snap.

This was outstanding. Utterly fantastic. We all gobbled it up, using some delicious buttered naan to soak up the sauce.

Chicken Tikka Masala
As seen on Alosha's Kitchen

Marinade
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into large cubes

Sauce
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno chile, minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 cup half and half
1 cup water
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro

In a large food storage bag, combine yogurt, lemon juice, grated ginger, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the chicken, toss to combine, seal the bag and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350. Spread the chicken out on a foil-lined baking sheet and cook for 25 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, melt the butter in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and jalapeno and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the ground coriander, 1 teaspoon cumin, paprika, garam masala and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the tomato sauce, half and half and water and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.

Add the cooked chicken with all the accumulated juices (don't omit that!) to the sauce and let simmer for another 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serve over basmati or jasmine rice with naan for soaking up the sauce.

Fried Mozzarella Sticks

Baby Girl loves cheese sticks. She eats them as a snack almost every day after school. Or rather, she used to. One week I noticed the package in the fridge was still mostly full so I checked the expiration date. It was that weekend. Since the Super Bowl was coming up I figured I'd turn them into Fried Mozzarella Sticks and went searching for a recipe.

The key to any mozzarella stick recipe is to freeze the cheese sticks before you bake or fry them. I'm not sure why the recipe I used doesn't say to do that but it's an absolute MUST. The cheese will melt if it's anywhere close to room temperature. Heck, even mine frozen started to melt and ooze as they fried. So do not, under any circumstances, forget that step.

These were delicious, full of melty, gooey cheese. I only made 8 since it was just the three of us. SP and I each had three and Baby Girl devoured two. I'll definitely be making these again the next time we have cheese sticks that need to be used up.

Fried Mozzarella Sticks
Modified from Add a Pinch

24 mozzarella sticks
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 cup flour
3 cups panko
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
vegetable oil
pizza or marinara sauce, for dipping

The day before you plan to make these, place however many cheese sticks you want to eat into the freeze. Freeze them overnight. Do not skip this step!

The next day, prepare three separate bowls for dredging your mozzarella sticks. Whisk the buttermilk and the egg in one bowl. Put the flour in the second bowl. In the third bowl, combine the panko and the Italian seasoning.

Dip each cheese stick into the buttermilk, then into the flour, then back into the buttermilk and finally into the panko. Set aside on a sheet pan until all the cheese sticks have been coated.

Pour about 1 inch of oil into a 12-inch non-stick skillet. Heat over medium heat until the oil starts to shimmer. Add a few cheese sticks at a time, being careful not to crowd the pan. Use tongs to remove them as they turn golden brown.

Place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Serve warm with pizza or marinara sauce for dipping.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup {Panera knockoff}

I'm not much of a soup person, but when Stephanie posted this recipe for Creamy Tomato Basil Soup {Panera knockoff} I was intrigued. I enjoy a good bowl of tomato soup with grilled cheese every now and then and the recipe seemed really simple and straightforward.

As luck would have it, I had this on the menu the night the temps dipped to -30 degrees. As anyone in the northeast (heck, even the southeast has been seeing record low temps lately) can attest, it's C-O-L-D out there. This soup was hearty and delicious, perfect for a frigid night.

We only had one complaint and that was with the chunks of tomato. We wanted a rich, creamy soup and the chunks of tomato just didn't fit. I modified the recipe below to puree the diced tomatoes before adding them to the pot. You could also puree the soup once it's done cooking, using a blender or an immersion blender.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup {Panera knockoff}
Slightly modified from Stephanie Cooks

1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
2 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy cream
15-20 basil leaves, minced

Place the diced tomatoes and their juice in a food processor and pulse to coarsely chop. Add the processed tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, garlic and chicken broth to a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the sugar and butter. Continue stirring until the butter is completely melted and well combined.

Very slowly pour in the heavy cream while stirring constantly. You need to do this slowly to get the thick, creamy texture.

Stir in the basil and let simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

Easy Cheddar Cheese Sauce for Vegetables

We all love pierogies but it had been ages since I'd served them for dinner. I always serve them with bacon and caramelized onions, with a big dollop of sour cream. And I always serve steamed broccoli on the side. This time I wanted to do something a little different with the broccoli. Enter this Easy Cheddar Cheese Sauce for Vegetables.

This is the same sauce you'd make for mac and cheese. It's an easy sauce to make and was really good with the steamed broccoli. I thought the original recipe was a bit thick, so I've halved the butter and flour in the recipe below.

Easy Cheddar Cheese Sauce for Vegetables
As seen on Iowa Girl Eats

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper
1 cup milk
1-1/2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk for one minute.

Slowly whisk in milk then season with salt and pepper and switch to a wooden spoon. Stir and cook until thickened, about 4-5 minutes.

Turn off heat and add cheese. Stir until melted and smooth. Taste then season with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately.

Cheater Korean Beef

This is one of those recipes that makes you wonder how something with so few ingredients (and pantry staples at that) can come together into something downright magical.

Amy's post about this Cheater Korean Beef recipe made it sound like one of the best things she's ever made so, of course, I was intrigued. I trust her judgement when it comes to food, and after a quick glance at the ingredient list I figured it would make a quick and easy weeknight meal.

What I wasn't expecting was for it to be so delicious I was fighting my 5-year-old for a second helping. And wishing my husband had other dinner plans that night. Seriously, this is so utterly amazing, there are no words. And it's ridiculously easy. So easy that said 5-year-old could probably cook it herself. You know, if she was allowed to use the stove.

Make this one soon. You won't be sorry.

Cheater Korean Beef
As seen on Very Culinary
Serves 2 (so double it or make a side dish if you want leftovers)

1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 pound lean ground beef
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1/4 - 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (adjust to your spice preference)
salt and pepper
3 scallions, chopped
toasted sesame seeds

Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Brown the beef until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Toss in the garlic and cook for another minute. Drain off all the fat*.

Stir in the brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, and chili garlic sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 1-2 more minutes to blend the flavors. Toss in the scallions.

Serve over hot rice and sprinkle with a few sesame seeds.

*Quick tip: An easy way to drain off the fat is to use paper towels. Turn off the heat, then move all the beef to one side of the skillet. Tilt the pan the other way so all the oil runs to the other side, away from the beef. Use balled up paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Leave a little oil in the pan (you want some moisture). Then simply throw the paper towels in the trash.

Florentine Lasagna Roll-ups

I haven't made a lasagna roll-up in years. I don't know why; they're so easy to make and more fun than regular lasagna because everyone gets their own roll or two. As soon as Kylee posted these Florentine Lasagna Roll-ups on her blog I knew I had to make them.

I prepped the roll-ups on a Sunday and popped it in the fridge for later in the week. The night we had them for dinner I just had to preheat the oven, make the salad while the roll-ups cooked and dinner was served. I love easy meals like that.

The only change I made was adding ricotta cheese to the filling. I had some to use up and ricotta is synonymous with lasagna, in my opinion. But feel free to leave it out since there's enough going on with that delectable Alfredo sauce.

Florentine Lasagna Roll-ups
Slightly modified from Kylee Cooks

Alfredo sauce:
1 stick butter
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2oz cream cheese
2 cups half and half
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

12 lasagna noodles

Filling:
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
1 1/2 cups baby spinach, chopped finely
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, or cheese of your choice

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add the cream cheese and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the half and half. Season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Bring to a simmer (don�t boil!) and whisk frequently until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Add the Parmesan and whisk until melted and blended. Set aside,

Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse the noodles with cold water. Lay them out to dry on clean kitchen towels. This will make them easier to work with.

While the noodles are cooking, combine the chicken, spinach, ricotta, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and 1 cup mozzarella cheese in a large bowl.

Spread about half a cup of the Alfredo sauce in a 9x13" baking dish. Working with one noodle at a time, place some filling onto each noodle, then roll it up. Place each roll seam side down into your baking dish. Top with the remaining Alfredo sauce and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. (If making in advance, stop here, cover the dish with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake).

Bake at 350 degrees, for about 30 minutes until the casserole is heated through and cheese is bubbling.

Best of 2014: My Favorites

On Friday I brought you your 14 favorite recipes from 2014. Today I'm sharing my favorites from the year. Looking back through my posts, I realized I made quite a few awesome recipes. A few of these we eat time and time again while others are ones I need to remember to remake in 2015.

And this is where I struggle. There are only so many meals in a day. I want to remake all of these again and again, but there are literally hundreds of other recipes I want to try. Oh, the trial and tribulations of a food blogger.

14. Breakfast Risotto - I love risotto and I love runny eggs. Put the two together and you've got one heck of a dish. The poached egg is key - you want that gooey yolk to mix with the risotto, almost like a sauce. So amazing.

13. Chicken Stew with Biscuits - This was a surprise winner for me. I'm not usually a fan of chicken pot pie, which is pretty much what this is. But there's just something wonderful and comforting about this dish. The biscuits on top just make it even better. I love that everyone gets their own biscuit.

12. Skillet Chicken Saltimbocca Spaghetti - I love one pot meals and this one is incredible. Salty, tangy and easy to make.

11. Collard Greens - I tried this recipe a year ago and it was a huge flop due to an excess of salt. I scaled way back on the salt this time and they were pure perfection, with just a hint of spicy goodness.

10. Oven Fried Chicken - To go with those delectable collard greens, we had this killer oven fried chicken. Not to toot my own horn, but this was some of the best fried chicken I've ever had. Moist and flavorful, with a crackly crust.

9. "The Gobbler" - This sandwich is the perfect way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers. I can't wait for my mom to make another roast chicken with all the trimmings so I can make this again.

8. Grilled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches with Brown Sugar Grilled Onions - These are some incredibly flavorful sandwiches. Don't be put off by the word "grilled" - you can make these year-round on an indoor grill pan or even just a regular skillet.

7. Baja Fresh Grilled Salsa - We made this salsa for a get together with our friends and inhaled it. I love how easy it was to make, too.

6. Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs - These are my new favorite meatballs. So simple to make and I love the addition of the melty cheese inside. My new favorite way to eat them is just with some sauce and extra mozzarella, with some crusty buttered bread to mop it all up.

5. Grilled Hawaiian Chicken with Coconut Rice - I wish Baby Girl could eat coconut because this rice was outstanding. Definitely the highlight of the meal, although the chicken was also delicious.

4. Chicken Piccata Risotto with Crispy Capers - Again with the salty, briny capers. What can I say, I have a thing for those little buds of goodness.

3. Pasta with Chicken Meatballs - Another fantastic meatball recipe, only lighter because they're made with chicken instead of beef. These were like little pillows of softness that melted in our mouths.

2. 3 Cheese Rosemary and Pepperoni Pizza - We make a lot of pizza and this one is, hands down, our all-time favorite. No contest. The fresh rosemary is key and you can't go wrong with three different cheeses.

1. Chicken Chorizo Patty Melts - I made 3lbs of fresh chorizo early in 2014 and had no idea what to make with it. SP did some searching online and found these patty melts. And the rest, as they say, is history. We fell hard for the wonderful flavors. When I found the last bag of chorizo in the freezer I actually shed a tear, knowing we wouldn't be able to enjoy another round of patty melts. I plan to make another batch of chorizo in the spring just so we can eat these again and again.

Best of 2014: Your Favorites

2014 was a tough year for us. Nothing catastrophic happened, it was just little things that piled one on top of another until we cried uncle. As we watched the ball drop on New Year's Eve, we both breathed a sigh of relief that 2014 was finally over and we could look forward to a fresh start in 2015. That's not to say we didn't have some good times in 2014. The highlight of the year was our first family trip to Disney World. And we tried to spend more time with family and friends, something we want to do more of in 2015.

As for this blog, I wasn't the best blogger in 2014. I'm hoping to change that this year. I want to focus on making new recipes and rediscover the joy of cooking.

So, while I didn't make a ton of new recipes in 2014, I figured it would still be fun to share your favorites and mine from the past year.

Here are your favorites from 2014. I'm not surprised to see any of these on the list. In fact, some even made my favorite list, which will post on Monday.

14. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars. Peanut butter and chocolate are a perfect match so it was no surprise that these were just as amazing as they sound.

13. Crunchy Baked Tacos. We have these tacos (or taco rice) at least every other week. It's simple to throw together and usually makes enough to put some leftovers into the freezer for another time.

12. Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions. This is a grilled cheese sandwich with the volume turned up. Melty, gooey perfection.

11. Loaded Baked Potato Dip. I wish I had more reasons to make dips. I think I need to invite myself to more parties, or throw a few of my own.

10. Corn Casserole. I do love it when a recipe calls for stirring a few ingredients together and baking.

9. Artichoke and Brie Dip. I wish SP and Baby Girl like artichokes. Then I might stand a chance of making this delicious dip again.



8. Broccoli Cheddar Risotto. I was on a serious risotto kick in 2014. Not surprised to see this one on the list. It makes a great side dish but if you add some protein like shrimp, chicken or even sausage it would become a one-pot meal.

7. Bang Bang Cauliflower. Man alive was this recipe good. I need another excuse to make it. I'll be sure to invite some friends over, though, since I can't seem to find a small head of cauliflower.

6. Pasta with Shrimp in Lemon Cream Sauce. I used this sauce as the base for various pasta dishes throughout the year. We even had this on New Year's Day 2015. It's just that good.

5. Chocolate Pudding. I love, love, love being able to make pudding from scratch. Rich and decadent, yet so easy to throw together. You just need to plan ahead so the pudding has time to cool.

4. Breakfast Bowls. These bowls need to make another appearance on my dining room table ASAP. How could I have only made these one time?

3. Avocado Enchiladas. Stuff some guacamole inside tortillas, smother with sauce and cheese, bake. What's not to love?

2. Perfect Roast Chicken. I may have only gotten around to posting this recipe in 2014 but I've been making it for years. Like the name implies, this comes out perfectly every single time.

1. Pasta alla Norcina. I admit, out of all the recipes I made in 2014 I was surprised to see this one at the top of your list. Don't get me wrong, it's a great pasta dish, but it just goes to show that you never know which recipes will grab your readers attention the most.