Are you an onion?
Shrek: Ogres are like onions.
Donkey: They stink?
Shrek: Yes. No.
Donkey: Oh, they make you cry.
Shrek: No.
Donkey: Oh, you leave em out in the sun, they get all brown, start sproutin' little white hairs.
Shrek: NO. Layers. Onions have layers. Ogres have layers. Onions have layers. You get it? We both have layers.
Donkey: Oh, you both have layers. Oh. You know, not everybody like onions.
Dialog from the Oscar winning animated movie "Shrek" (2001).
Ever noticed when life goes to Hades in the preverbal hand basket, you can't help but see every little detail of how terrible the situation is.
I believe there is a reason for everything that happens in a person's life. It's how you choose to react and live with what happens that makes you who you are.
It might sound strange, but I believe a grief counselor and a cartoon character have the right idea.
Author and clinical hypnotherapist Chris Joscelyne has a unique theory about life and people called The Onion Principle.
The Onion Principle works like this:
* Layer 1 is the outer layer with smooth protective skin. Outside this layer is the world at large including the people we meet, do business with, work with, and with whom we have social contact,
* Layer 2 is the first inner layer. This is for friends, pals and others we know and like,
* Layer 3 is the next inner layer. This is for close family members, and close friends we know and trust,
* Layer 4 is for romantic, trusting friendship (boyfriend/girlfriend),
* Layer 5 is for embarking on a loving long-term relationship,
* Layer 6 is for the children if the onion is a parent,
* Layer 7 is for a total partnership of love and commitment, and
* Layer 8 is the innermost layer (the place where your "inner child" lives). It is your most personal, private inner emotional space. Pretty deep, huh?
Joscelyne goes on to point out that people can be equated with food.
Some people are like a raw egg. They have a hard outer exterior, but once their shell is cracked or broken, they start to fall apart.
Some people are like a jelly. They are soft, squishy and easily devoured. With no emotional barriers, they are easily manipulated and used by others.
And then there are those people who are like an onion. Onions thrive emotionally because they have and understand their emotional layers. They know who can be allowed access to each layer ... when, and under what circumstances without the risk of deep emotional hurt.
It is important to understand that an onion does not practice universal mistrust of others. That would be unhealthy. An onion is simply a discerning person who knows that emotional layers are precious, and should only be revealed and shared when empathy, trust and understanding have reached a point where it's safe to go to the next layer with another person.
While I endeavor to be an Onion in this life, I love and cook with the flavor of onions in many of my recipes. (I haven't made an onion cake yet, but I'm working my way to that.)
The crisp taste of a raw slice of red onion on a juicy cheeseburger or in a salad is almost magical.
Being a confirmed carnivore, I love caramelized onions on steaks, with mushrooms or on hamburgers/hotdogs.
One such delight -- whether served hot or cold -- is Red Onion Chutney.
You need to gather and prepare the following items:
* 2 large red onions and 1 small sweet onion, peeled and chopped finely,
* 2 stalks of green onion, chopped,
* 1 red pepper, seeded and chopped into small pieces,
* 4 tablespoons brown sugar,
* 1 tablespoon of honey,
* 50ml each of white-wine vinegar and red-wine vinegar,
* ½ teaspoon salt,
* 1 dash (or two or three) of hot sauce, and
* 1 garlic clove, chopped.
Dump all the prepared items in a pot and let simmer (stirring occasionally) on a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved and the sauce begins to look like jam. Remove from heat and place in a bowl on the dinner table for a warm sauce, or let cool before placing in a jar for cold use later.
NOTE: You can replace the hot sauce with a couple of chopped jalapeño peppers for a little more kick. However, I prefer to make the chutney without the hot sauce or the peppers. Can't help it, I prefer the taste of the onions by themselves.
- -- Posted by gratefoole on Tue, Jun 15, 2010, at 12:41 PM
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