Bonnie the Baker - A Cooking & Baking Blog

Dark Chocolate Covered Frozen Banana Bites

Bonnie — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 21:38:51 +0000

I am a runner. I don’t usually run because I feel like I need to work out. I mostly run because it’s the time that I feel most alive. As my feet hit the pavement, I am able to let a few things out, and I imagine stomping my frustrations below my feet. I like the feeling of getting somewhere fast, of getting nowhere, fast. I run with our stroller, I run without it. I run trails and I run pavement.

But, running makes me hungry. Like, really really hungry. And I have a major sweet tooth, which I have my mother to blame. She claims that she ate lots of sweets when I was being formed, so this is all her fault. Think that’s a myth? My doctor told me that after 13 weeks I could have one cup of coffee a day as long as I had an extra glass of water that day as well. My two year old? Love the taste of coffee. I only know this because I caught him drinking it, followed by a loud “YUM!” when my back was turned.

Thankfully, this little snack is about as healthy as it gets for a sweet treat. It’s bananas, dark chocolate, walnuts and then a few sprinkles for good measure. This way I can run, and pop some of these into my mouth to satisfy my sweet craving, but not feel weighted down and lethargic.

Plus, Chip and I made these together, and had tons of fun. They are super easy and a good, healthy treat for the little ones as well!

Chocolate Covered Frozen Banana Bites

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes, plus freezing

Ingredients:

1-3 ripe bananas (just yellow)
1 cup dark chocolate (75% or higher) squares
nuts of your choosing for sprinkling
sprinkles for fun

Directions:

Set up a double boiler but filling up one sauce pan half-way with water and then placing a small pan inside. Place both sauce pans on stove and turn heat to high. Place dark chocolate squares in top sauce pan and allow water to boil. The dark chocolate will begin to melt slowly. Stir occasionally to keep chocolate from getting too hot.

While water is boiling and chocolate is melting, place one piece of parchment paper onto a baking sheet. Then, slick your bananas about 1/4 inch (thinner or thicker if you'd like) and place on your baking sheet on top of parchment paper.

Once chocolate has been melted, turn down heat to low. Using tongs, pick up each piece of banana and drop into melted chocolate, and turn over so the banana slice is fully covered. Once covered, place back on baking sheet with parchment paper. Repeat for all remaining slices. Warning this chocolate dries quickly, so I would put your sprinkles and nuts on at this step so that they stick. If you have any chocolate left over, I'd recommend just drizzling it on top of slices, and either adding your nuts and chocolate here, or doing it before hand. The nuts and sprinkles will only stick to chocolate that has not hardened, so it depends on how many fixin's you want on there!

Place entire tray into freezer and allow to freeze completely. You can leave them on there, or to save space, place them into a freezer bag! Take them out one by one and enjoy!

Gluten Free Coconut Lemon Pancakes

Bonnie — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:11:05 +0000

I woke up this morning and was craving a big breakfast. The problem, however, is that big breakfasts generally don’t sit well with me. I always feel full, bloated, and super tired no matter how many cups of coffee I have. It’s those dang carbs! They taste oh, so good but they feel oh, so bad! I’ve been Gluten Free for a few weeks now, and the other day I had some gluten for dinner and my body was in shock after. As good as it tasted going down, I swore I would never have gluten again!

These pancakes are made with gluten free flour and coconut flour, and they tasted IN-credible! They are fluffy, light, and full of flavor. I added the juice of a whole lemon and coconut extract to give these babies an extra kick. These are the perfect pancake for spring, and give you a little break from the ordinary buttermilk. I also used coconut sugar instead of refined sugar, and coconut milk as well. Natural sugar and non-dairy milk also help in allowing your food nourish you instead of feeling full, tired, and unsatisfied.

And to change the pace for the syrup, I made mixed berry syrup and served it warm. The berries were the perfect addition to the lemon flavor, and I think next time I may get real crazy and add some powered sugar! Livin’ on the edge over here.

I hope you enjoy these pancakes and please let me know if you feel a difference in your energy and digestive track!

Gluten Free Coconut Lemon Pancakes

Yield: about 9, 6-inch pancakes

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 mines

This blog post was inspired by Amazing Paleo's Coconut-Lemon Paleo Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose gluten free flour (I used Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup coconut flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Coconut Flour)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
2 tablespoons plus one teaspoons coconut oil, divided
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
juice from one medium sized lemon
1/2-1 teaspoon coconut extract

For the syrup:
1 cup 100% pure maple syrup
1/3 cup frozen mixed berries

Directions:

Mix together all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Measure out two tablespoons coconut oil and then heat in microwave until melted. Add coconut oil, eegs, milk, lemon juice, and coconut extract to the dry ingredients. Mix until completely combined. Place large skillet on stove top, add the two teaspoons coconut oil, and set to medium heat. Once coconut oil has melted, turn the pan around to make sure that the entire bottom is coated. Now, using a 1/3 measuring cup, measure two to three pancakes into pan and cook until you see bubbles on the top of the pancake and edges begin to golden. Flip and cook until it is cooked through. Cook as many as you'd like, serve and enjoy!

I also like to heat my oven to 350 and put the pancakes I've cooked into a serving dish with a lid into the oven while the others cook. That way, my first batch doesn't get cold and we can all eat at the same time.

While pancakes are cooking, place maple syrup and frozen berries in sauce pan on stove. Turn to medium high heat and allow berries to melt, smashing them into the syrup occasionally to spread the flavor. Once syrup begins to boil, turn to the lowest setting. Serve warm.

Daily 5 Minute Breath Prayer

Bonnie — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 05:33:30 +0000

My husband and I, 2009. Photos courtesy of Stephanie Fay Photography.

A battle of the wills is constantly going on in my home. I have a toddler; so that’s self explanatory. And a man and woman who are wired completely differently live in the same space, share the same bed, and we all share one bathroom. I like to just grab the toothpaste in the middle and squeeze, while my husband prefers to roll it from the bottom. Both methods drive the other crazy. And on a given day we all have our desires of what we want to do, what we ought to do, and what we have to do.

But the biggest battle comes form within. The minute that I get space and quiet, I can feel my two wills rising up to argue with one another. One the one hand, I need to get things done. I need to work. To clean. To cook. To call her back. To write them that email.

On the other hand, I can feel the groaning of the Spirit tugging on my heart. That can wait. I really can’t explain this feeling, but it’s a pull and sometimes I am so thankful for this, albeit annoyign when I am trying to do what I want to do, because it gets so strong that I must stop and spend some time. In prayer. In worship. In my Word. I am forced to set down what I am doing, enjoy the moment, and to embrace what He has for me in that minute.

Before you go thinking that I sit beside my bed, pray for hours and churn my own butter, let me set the record straight. I am too busy in so many ways. I have timers to ensure that I am spending enough time with the Lord; so being saintly isn’t the issue here. It’s out of necessity, for my sanity and so that my family and friends still want to be with me that I have learned to drop what I am doing and take a minute.

Don’t stress yourself out here. There is a time and place for longer times in communion with God, and there are times for shorter ones. On a daily basis, spend five minutes. Notice the change in yourself, in your attitude, and in your relationships. Try to go longer. Or not. But commit that five minutes to truly immersing yourself. As time goes on, and seasons change, you can spend longer time as the Lord calls you to do so.

So let’s do this. Let’s set aside 5 minutes and spend some time with the Lord. Before your day, in the middle of it, or at the end. It doesn’t matter.

But here me in this: give yourself grace. Breathe. You don’t need to do it all in one day.

Daily 5 Minute Breath Prayer Devotional

In the book of 1 Thessalonians Paul gives instructions to “pray continuously” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and while this is an ideal, to actually pray continually is a hard feat to achieve. As humans we have needs that need to be met: we need to eat, we need to sleep, we need to breathe. And, as relational beings who are in friendships, relationships, families, school and work places, we have other tasks which demand our attention: we talk, we sing, we think about the tasks at hand.

However, if Paul tells us that we should pray without ceasing then we absolutely should! The discipline of Prayer is so important as it opens our minds and hearts to God, and Paul tells us to “pray without ceasing” and to be “joyful always” and “give thanks in all circumstances.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) This command can be hard when we don’t feel joyful or when we aren’t sure what there is to be happy about. This command is easier to keep when we are happy or when things are going our way. However, Jesus is with us always and the book of Acts tells us that in Jesus we “live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)

Prayer often feels like something we must do in a quiet place, silent, and alone. It also often feels as though our prayers should be long and involved, and sometimes we don’t have the energy or the words to explain to God how we are feeling. Praying without ceasing, no matter what the circumstance, reminds us that God is with us, living and present within us. The discipline of Breath Prayer reminds us to pray to God, just as easily as we remember to breathe. Below is a list of names or characteristics of God. Spend a few minutes reading through this list and look for a name of God that you can relate to in this time in your life. Perhaps you are fearful about a situation so the name of God, “Great Shepherd” stands out to you. Or maybe you have felt very close to God recently, and so the name “Comforter” is what resonates with you.

Take your time here. Pray that God would reveal his characteristics and attributes to you as you read through the list. Look up the verses that correspond with the name so that you can better understand why this is a name of God. If none of the names below stand out to you, most Bibles have a concordance in which lists names of God, or reading through the Psalms or the Gospels will give you even more examples of names and characteristics of God.

Names of God

Advocate - 1 John 2:1
Almighty - Revelation 1:8
Alpha - Revelation 1:8
Amen - Revelation 3:14
Angel of the Lord - Genesis 16:7
Anointed One - Psalm 2:2
Apostle-Hebrews 3:1
Author and Perfecter of our Faith - Hebrews 12:2
Beginning - Revelation 21:6
Bishop of Souls - 1 Peter 2:25
Branch - Zechariah 3:8
Bread of Life - John 6:35,48
Bridegroom - Matthew 9:15
Carpenter - Mark 6:3
Chief Shepherd - 1 Peter 5:4
The Christ - Matthew 1:16
Comforter - Jeremiah 8:18
Consolation of Israel - Luke 2:25
Cornerstone - Ephesians 2:20
Dayspring - Luke 1:78
Day Star - 2 Peter 1:19
Deliverer - Romans 11:26
Desire of Nations - Haggai 2:7
Emmanuel - Matthew 1:23
End - Revelation 21:6
Everlasting Father - Isaiah 9:6
Faithful and True Witness - Revelation 3:14
First Fruits - 1 Corinthians 15:23
Foundation - Isaiah 28:16
Fountain - Zechariah 13:1
Friend of Sinners - Matthew 11:19
Gate for the Sheep - John 10:7
Gift of God - 2 Corinthians 9:15
God - John 1:1
Glory of God - Isaiah 60:1
Good Shepherd - John 10:11
Governor - Matthew 2:6
Great Shepherd - Hebrews 13:20
Guide - Psalm 48:14
Head of the Church - Colossians 1:18
High Priest - Hebrews 3:1
Holy One of Israel - Isaiah 41:14
Horn of Salvation - Luke 1:69
I Am - Exodus 3:14
Jehovah - Psalm 83:18
Jesus - Matthew 1:21
King of Israel - Matthew 27:42
King of Kings - 1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 19:16
Lamb of God - John 1:29
Last Adam - 1 Corinthians 15:45
Life - John 11:25
Light of the World - John 8:12; John 9:5
Lion of the Tribe of Judah - Revelation 5:5
Lord of Lords - 1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 19:16
Master - Matthew 23:8
Mediator - 1 Timothy 2:5
Messiah - John 1:41
Mighty God - Isaiah 9:6
Morning Star - Revelation 22:16
Nazarene - Matthew 2:23
Omega - Revelation 1:8
Passover Lamb - 1 Corinthians 5:7
Physician - Matthew 9:12
Potentate - 1 Timothy 6:15
Priest - Hebrews 4:15
Prince of Peace - Isaiah 9:6
Prophet - Acts 3:22
Propitiation - I John 2:2
Purifier - Malachi 3:3
Rabbi - John 1:49
Ransom - 1 Timothy 2:6
Redeemer - Isaiah 41:14
Refiner - Malachi 3:2
Refuge - Isaiah 25:4
Resurrection - John 11:25
Righteousness - Jeremiah 23:6
Rock - Deuteronomy 32:4
Root of David - Revelation 22:16
Ruler of God’s Creation - Revelation 3:14
Sacrifice - Ephesians 5:2
Savior - 2 Samuel 22:47; Luke 1:47
Second Adam - 1 Corinthians 15:47
Seed of Abraham - Galatians 3:16
Seed of David - 2 Timothy 2:8
Seed of the Woman - Genesis 3:15
Servant - Isaiah 42:1
Shepherd - 1 Peter 2:25
Shiloh - Genesis 49:10
Son of David - Matthew 15:22
Son of God - Luke 1:35
Son of Man - Matthew 18:11
Son of Mary - Mark 6:3
Son of the Most High - Luke 1:32
Stone - Isaiah 28:16
Sun of Righteousness - Malachi 4:2
Teacher - Matthew 26:18
Truth - John 14:6
Way - John 14:6
Wonderful Counselor - Isaiah 9:6
Word - John 1:1
Vine – John 15:1

What name of God resonates deep within you right now?

After you choose the name that is meaningful to you, ask yourself “why?” What desire of your heart does this name reveal in you? For example, if you chose the name “Great Shepherd” it might be because you need guidance about an upcoming decision so your desire would be “guide me.” Or, if you chose the name “Comforter”, maybe it’s because you feel His Fatherly protection around you and so the desire might be, “I am yours.”

These two simple statements is what makes up your breath prayer: Name of God + Desire of your heart = breath prayer

Spiritual Exercises

Practice this prayer by saying the name of God slowly as your inhale deeply, and then saying the desire of your heart as you exhale. Do this many times until you find a rhythm doing it, just as natural as your breath.

Now, make a list of times in your day or situations in your life that you can use the discipline of Breath Prayer as a reminder of God’s presence within you. Then, think about a specific situation that causes you stress, joy, fear, excitement or any other strong emotion, and find a breath prayer that would be perfect for that setting. Write it down, and have it ready in your heart and mind before you enter into that situation, reminding yourself to pray through it.

Let’s do this daily, for one week and check in with each other. How has it helped you? What name of God did you choose?

Seven and the Stones of the Prophets

Bonnie — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 04:02:23 +0000

It’s 105 degrees in the room and I find my self inhaling and exhaling in the middle of a yoga class. Sweat is dripping out of pores that I didn’t know I had and I am wondering if it’s too late to sneak out and get my money back. So let me rephrase: I put myself into that hot room. I have a love/hate relationship with a self-inflicted rough road. I had friends in high school who would look at me crazy as I would pray for God to “wreck me.” And still, I grimace when I pray these words. I know I need a wrecking. I know I need a good sweat. A chance to be uncomfortable, a chance to sweat out the bad and be replenished with the good.

As I’m in there sweating, Im staring in the mirror and all I can think about is the fact that I chose to wear gray pants to a hot yoga class. Groaning inwardly, I just picture the inevitable sweat marks that will appear on my pants and I grimace. Maybe, if I have any luck at all, I will sweat so much that my whole pants will turn black and thus, no awkward dark areas. But the chances of that are about as high as my hopes for my first day of grad school: I had stepped into my first class at seminary and after one look of my large sunglasses, pink laptop case, and over-sized earrings my professor kindly asked me if I was lost. I think he thought I still was until I turned in my first paper. And as I’m sitting worrying about my sweat lines, the voice of the teacher interrupts me: ”try to find some ease during your effort.” And I begin to deeply inhale and deeply exhale and I close my eyes so that I can’t see my pants in the mirror anymore.

I started a book study with a group of women today. We are reading through the book “7″ by Jen Hatmaker. She’s a woman who has identified 7 areas of excess in her life and purged, spending one month on each area. Trying to create space for God to move, and get rid of distractions so that she could hear the voice and calling of her Creator a bit more clearly. We will be going through this book together and doing a modified version of it, hoping to purge and create some space.

Inhale. Exhale. Flat back, engage those hamstrings. I’ve been to yoga enough times that these instructions can play in the very back corner of my mind reserved only to instruct my body; much like tying my shoes or eating cereal. Thoughts that are there just to manage movement. What’s on the for front of my mind, of all things, is the seven woes that Jesus lays out in a not-so-cherry manner in the book of Matthew (or Luke. You choose). The back corner of my mind is directing my body and as I inhale and exhale deeply, I just keep thinking about those stones.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I havegathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate…Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple.But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” (Matthew 23:37-38…24:1-2)

An entire city, an entire religious system of the Pharisees that kills the prophets that are sent to them. Stoning was used to condemn and to kill others. Stones also happen to be the state of the Pharisee’s hearts: hard. unwilling to repent. And it’s also the same material they use to build their temple. Jesus, in addition to my Savior, is my literary hero. His play on words in a situation like this is so masterful, that the wordsmith in me reads passages like this and shouts “Bravo!” Which, I am sure, He gets amusement from. I digress.

Jesus spends the first part of Matthew 23 condemning the Pharisees for what hypocrites they are. He ends this admonishment with the passage above: talking about stones. The act of stoning. The stones that built the temple. And what they represent: nothing but a beautiful, but desolate temple. The Pharisees have spent their life in a religious system that had everything to do with legalism and nothing to do with Christ. Of course, Christ has just entered the scene, but still, their hard hearts are not willing to put these stones down and repent. Instead, they insist on holding these laws…these stones…these things that they insist are most important and aim them at anyone who disagrees. As laid out in the many verses prior, they are stoning those around them by their judgements and insistence upon following their way of life. And the worst part is is that these stones aren’t necessarily in their hands, but represented in their hard, hard hearts. They have no idea that they are carrying these heavy burdens around, and that an easy yoke is right in front of them.

I’m now dripping sweat and I’ve forgotten about my pants. It’s a balancing class which seems quite humorous to me as I begin thinking about the book 7 and the areas of excess, the places I need to purge and find more balance. Mrs. Hatmaker gave up physical things because she needed to declutter and make space. And while I am on board, I fear that the “things” I will give up will have to be because of the stones that I carry. As I am controting my body in different poses and shapes, I have to let go of some muscles and engage others. I have to concentrate on one point in front of me or I will tumble over. I have to be firmly grounded in my foot that is holding up my body, and light as a feather in every other muscle. I can’t let any part of my body hang with extra weight or it will throw off my balance completely. And it’s in that moment I realize why our journey through 7 will be so very hard for me: I have stones that I throw. I have stones that weigh me down. I have places of my heart that are as hard as stone. And, like the Pharisees, I have built my own place of worship out of these. same. stones.

You see, Jesus called the temple desolate. It was beautiful, make no mistake, but it was empty. And in His genius, literary, oh-my-goodness-God-is-the-best-writer-EVER way, this very passage ends with Jesus promising not one stone will be left standing. Yes, historically, not one stone of the temple will be left standing. But more importantly, not one stone of the Pharisee’s legalism, their own religion they designed and built places of worship, their hard hearts, will be left standing. They will crumble. They will fall. In the face of the glory and supremecy of Christ, their “religion” can not stand.

And as I tumble out of my balancing pose, I realize, that this will be true for me, too. That all my stones, the religion I’ve built that has everything to do with everything else and nothing to do with Christ in many areas will come crumbling down. That not one of those stones will be left, and the desolate temple that I walk in so many times a day, when faced with the magnificent splendor of Christ, can not…and will not stand .

THANK GOD.

Vegan and Paleo Ice Cream Pie

Bonnie — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 21:59:46 +0000

Today I have a special treat (no pun intended) for you! My sister in law Mariel has an amazing Paleo food blog. I have been so inspired by her creations that this week I made a Vegan and Paleo Ice Cream Pie, and she offered to have me guest post on her site! Here is an excerpt from the full post:

At what point in our lives do we go from having opinions to have convictions? An old pastor of mine once said that as he got older, his list of convictions got shorter and his list of opinions got longer. I guess this means that as he learned more and more he allowed his mind to be changed, and things that he once felt very rigid about became a part of a category in which he held his thoughts loosely. On the other hand, his list of convictions were few, but that much stronger.

You see, the thing about opinions and convictions are that opinions are often determined by our life circumstances while convictions are time-tested, well thought out, I’d-die-on-that-hill, beliefs. It takes a strong person to have well-educated opinions and an even stronger one to have firmly established convictions.

Teaching Toddlers the Bible: A Few Tips

Bonnie — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 23:56:08 +0000

If you haven’t already figured as much from reading this blog that we are a Bible-reading (and believing) house, then now you will discover such news! My husband and I both grew up in Christian homes and our faith is the most important thing in our lives . We make all of our decisions in life based upon what we feel God is calling us to do, what would please Him, what will bring Him the most glory, and we believe in the Bible and treat it as a firm foundation for our lives. While we each have our own “come to Jesus moments” in our lives, the lessons, songs, and illustrations (flannel graph anyone??) that we learned in our childhoods have been foundational in how we view the world.

Now that we are parents, our goal is to provide our children with the an understanding and comprehension of the Bible. We believe that knowledge of the Bible will help inform our children about the life that we lead and the choices we make, the God we serve, as well as give them a context as to how to sort through the many questions that they will encounter throughout their lives.

I have a Masters in Theology so picking through the foundational Bible stories and deciding where we should start has been an exciting task for me. I am naturally inclined to teaching, illustrations, and I truly love to do it. I know at first that teaching children, especially toddlers can be daunting, but I have found a few good tactics that have really helped us to teach Chip biblical truths and stories.

A good place to start are picture Bibles. My mom got Chip this book for his birthday last year, and I was kind of doubting that he’d be ready for it. But the pictures are fantastic! He loves to look at the animals, people, and nature settings in the book.

The colors are vibrant and the illustrations are great. On top of that, it’s a board book which, of course, is the only reason that this has been around for a year. The stories are only a few sentences long and the author does a good job condensing these stories down to a few key points. My First Read and Learn Bible can be purchased on Amazon, but I think that my mom found it at T.J. Max for an even better deal. What I really love about this Bible are the stories that the author chose to include:

The Story of Creation

The Story of Noah

The Story of Moses

David and Goliath

Daniel and the Lions

Jesus is Born

The Shepherds and the Wise Men

Jesus Does God’s Work

Jesus and the Little Children

I feel like these stories are key stories in both the Old and the New Testament and provide good conversation starters for things that inevitably your toddler will hear you discuss. For example, when Chip fell and had to have his tooth out earlier this fall, we talked at length about how Jesus would heal him and we learned about Jesus healing the blind man. Now, when someone is sick or hurt and we pray for them, Chip always points to his eyes in reference to this story. However, you will notice that a key story, the Crucifixion, is not mentioned. Sort of a big one, eh? But, I do think that this Bible serves the purpose of introducing Jesus and the narrative of Scripture to little ones, and then from there we can get a Bible which tells a more complete narrative.

We just purchased this Bible for Chip for Christmas. I have only skimmed through it, so I can’t speak too much to the stories it covers. However, it is a lot bigger than his first Bible, and the stories are more in depth. We feel really excited about this Bible as I know that Chip will recognize the stories from his first Bible, as well as learn new ones.

The colors, again, are vibrant and the illustrations are fabulous. This, however, is not a board book so until we can play nicely with books, it will remain on the highest shelf and only be used with supervision. The Jesus Calling Bible storybook is part of a series of books written by Sarah Young. She has devotionals for adults, kids and teens as well as children. We bought ours on Amazon, but I am sure that your local Barnes and Noble has it too.

One thing that has really helped me in getting things to stick into Chips mind are to pick out images, themes, or parts of a story that he is already familiar with. So, for example, when teaching him the Birth of Jesus this year, I built upon what he already knew. Since he has already been introduced to Jesus, that was a logical place to start. We taught him last year that Jesus lived in his heart, and so he knows who He is already. Below are a few aspects of the Christmas story that we were able to relate to things that Chip knows of in his day to day life:

Daddy: Chip not only knows who a “daddy” is, but can say the word, so we explained that God is Jesus’ Daddy. So now when we ask who God is, we get a resounding “DADA!” out of him.

Mama: Same thing here. We built on the concept of Mommy and taught Chip that Mary is Jesus’ Mommy. By pointing to Mary in these Bible stories, Chip has since been able to pick her out in a life-size nativity.

Choo-choo: I so wish there were trains in Bible stories. Ha! Chip is obsessed with trains so that would really make teaching these stories easier. However, instead, we explained that because they didn’t have trains, Mary had to ride into Bethlehem on a donkey. This was an important thing for me, as I want him to remember the donkeys for later conversations about Jesus riding into town on a donkey before He is crucified. Later in life, I hope that Chip learns to pick up on this symbolism in the Bible but in other literature as well. In addition, we can then point out donkeys and recall these stories when we visit petting zoos etc.

Animals: Chip loves animals and can make most animal sounds. So pointing out these animals that are in the story (lambs, cows, etc.) has helped Chip engage in the story more than if we left out their presence. We also discuss how crazy it is that they baby Jesus was born next to animals! My hope is that this will lay a foundation to later discuss how humble the birth of Jesus was.

These are a few things that we have found to be helpful. However, we are still learning! What are some practices that you have done to help your toddler learn about the Bible? Please share so we can learn from one another!

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. The authors, illustrators, or publishers of these titles have no idea who I am. In addition, I will not receive any money or gold stars if you purchase these books from the links above.

DIY: Frozen Breakfast Burritos

Bonnie — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 05:09:31 +0000

I’m a firm believer in starting the morning with protein. I’ve been known to shed a tear over the need, and sight, of bacon. In fact, just the other day, I spotted some blueberry maple bacon at Whole Foods and lost it. My two year old looked alarmed and said “weird”. Fair enough child, fair enough.

I digress.

You can put bacon in these, all veggies, cheese, beans…anything you want! I did scrambled eggs with spinach, avocados, chicken sausage, black beans, and cheese. They re-heat so very easily, just three minutes in the microwave oven. Perfect for a quick breakfast on your way out the door, or just because you have a toddler who wakes up too early and you stayed up too late watching a TV show on Netflix acting like you are twenty-one again.

Fill ‘er up. Roll ‘er up. Wrap ‘er up.

I am assuming these can stay in the fridge for quite some time, but I honestly don’t know because ours were gone in about a week. Enjoy!

DIY Frozen Breakfast Burritos

Yield: 10-12 burritos, depending on amount of tortillas you use

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

This recipe was inspired by Frozen Burritos on Tracy's blog, Shutterbean. I used her technique only made them into Breakfast Burritos instead!

Ingredients:

Your choice here! Below is the list and ratio of what I used, but be creative and make your own stellar combinations!

1 dozen eggs (approximately one per burritos)
1 cup spinach, chopped
1 can black beans
2-4 avocados, depending on how much you want in each one
1-2 cups of shredded cheese (your choice of blend)
1 package large flour tortillas
tin foil, cut into large enough pieces to wrap each burrito successfully
Gallon bags if you think that your burritos will not be eaten in a quick period of time
Sour cream (optional) for placing on top after you heat it up.

Directions:

Scramble eggs according to your liking. I chopped up the spinach and put them into the eggs to fool my toddler. :) (It worked!) Once eggs are cooked, set aside. Cook sausage or meat of choice according to your liking, and set aside. Open all other ingredients and set them out so that it's easy for you to grab a small amount and place them in each burrito.

Wet a thin kitchen towel and ring out so that it's still damp, but not dripping wet. Wrap the damp towel around all of the tortillas at once and microwave on high for 1 minute. This allows the tortillas to be folder easier and prevents breaking. Unwrap towel and begin your assembly line! Don't put too much in each burrito, or you will have too much filling and your burrito will break. Fold up that baby like you've seen them do so many times at chipotle, being careful to fold in the sides and then wrap up the burrito in a piece of tin foil. Mark each burrito with the date so you are aware of when you made them, place in plastic bag, and place in freezer.

To heat up these burritos: Remove form tin foil and heat on high for 3 minutes. Done! Add sour cream if you feel so inclined!

Bacon Herbed Risotto

Bonnie — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 04:40:16 +0000

We are all wired so very differently. I see this in the fundamental differences as my husband and I squeeze toothpaste onto our brushes. He pushes from the end and I just squeeze in the middle. Some of us are planners, type-A’s who really and truly like structure, who enjoy a good agenda, and don’t enjoy steering off the course. Some of us are coffee people, while others still, prefer tea.

Me? I’m a bacon gal. I enjoy a good, rich cup of coffee with a splash of milk, but not stirred. I’d rather the milk find it’s own way in the dark liquid roast. I appreciate a beautiful feast and when things are prepared with love, care, and a unique twist, I will absolutely, most definitely cry. My parents tell me that when I was little I threw tantrums and that period of time lasted for about a year. This week as I was reading a book on discipline to figure out a bit more about how my own child’s actions give me insight into how he is wired and it’s said that the most sensitive children are the ones to throw tantrums. As an adult, I see that this is probably true. There are times that I see an injustice, a picture of love, or a beautiful meal and in seconds I’m in tears-still sometimes the only way I know how to process something of great magnitude.

And so, I’ve learned to implement a few rituals in my life which help me mull things over and process them in a way other than an overflow of emotions. Although these change with the seasons, my rituals of late include sipping a glass of wine, Adele, yoga, Mumford and Sons, a long run, cooking, and, of course, a hot cup of coffee.

My husband and I, we are wired so very differently. Beautifully different as we fit like puzzle pieces in many regards. He’s not an emotional processor, but a decisive man who is committed to his decisions and the integrity of them. He doesn’t waiver, but thoughtfully and silently prays and thinks things over until he’s confident enough to announce his thoughts. While I’m still processing through the first page the ink I’ve scribbled on my heart, he’s waiting patiently at the end. Most of the time, we end up on the same page, and when we don’t, we wait and talk some more until we get there. But most of the time, as long as I’ve taken the time to process, and he to think and pray, we find one another there.

Risotto is a dish that takes awhile. There is a process of constant stirring, adding and stirring some more. Albeit the need to process, this one is more of a hands off version. There is less time spent during the cooking and more time spent on the preparing and enjoying. Because the process isn’t just in the cooking, each step plays and equal role.

Bacon Herbed Risotto

Yield: serves 6

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

1½ tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 yellow onion, chipped
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 pound bacon ( I used Applewood smoked bacon but your favorite kind will do perfectly)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
¾ tsp. salt
2 cups white rice (medium grain rice is recommended. I didn't have that, so I just used a long grain rice)
1 cup dry white wine
2 oz. grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
2 tbsp. minced fresh chives
Ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Place 1/1/2 tablespoons butter into a large skillet over medium heat. As butter begins to melt, place onions in with the butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent. Once the onions are translucent, remove form the heat and skillet, place them on a plate to cool and set aside.

Using the same skillet without removing any of the grease from the onions, begin to cook the bacon according to your liking. I enjoy my bacon cooked all the way through but not crispy. To this end, I cook the bacon over medium to low heat about 3-4 minutes on each side. Once bacon is done, remove from heat and set on a plate to cool. Once bacon is completely cooled, chop into small pieces (or larger) according to what size bacon pieces you'd like in your risotto.

Use a large saucepan and bring the chicken broth and water to a simmer. This may take a few minutes, but better to wait for it using medium to low heat than to use high heat. Once it's simmering, leave it on low, high enough to continue to simmer but low enough to not allow it to boil.

Add 2 tablespoons butter to a large, heavy bottomed sauce pan or dutch oven and place over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the rice and stir constantly, allowing the rice to cook and the edges become translucent. This process will not take long, only about 3-4 minutes. Add the wine, and continue to cook until the wine is fully absorbed, approximately another 5 minutes. Slowly stir 5 cups of hot broth and water mixture, and switch to medium-low heat. Continue to simmer, stirring only twice, until liquid has been absorbed into the rice and the rice is fully cooked. This will take only about 15-20 minutes.

Once cooked, stir in 3/4 more cups of the hot broth and water mixture and stir gently until the risotto becomes creamy. Add more mixture if you feel as though you'd like the consistency to be thinner. Stir in the parmesan cheese. Remove form heat, cover and allow it to sit for 5 minutes.

While risotto is resting, get the bacon, onions, lemon and herbs ready. After the 5 minutes is up, stir in the remaining ingredients so they are equally incorporated. At this point, again feel free to loosen up the risotto a bit more by added more of the broth and water mixture.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Torta de Maqueno (Guest Post by Mariel from Amazing Paleo)

Bonnie — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 02:55:41 +0000

Hey y’all! I’m so excited about today’s post. My sweet sister-in-law, Mariel, has a fabulous paelo food blog and she so kindly agreed to share a recipe with you all today! Mariel is from Ecuador, and this is one of her childhood recipes. No, it’s not paleo, but she has tons of delicious cave-man foods on her site, Amazing Paleo-check it out! Her recipes have been featured on Bodybuilding.com and she also is an amazing fitness expert. If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to ask. She loves to help and you won’t get any bad advice. Seriously, y’all. My legs are toner because of this woman.

Mariel is one of the sweetest, kindest, and most determined people I know. She has a huge heart and her kind spirit is contagious. I am so grateful that she married my husband’s brother, and I feel so blessed that we will be friends for life.

I had the pleasure of having some of this traditional Ecuadorian cake when I visited Mariel last time. It’s DELICIOUS…the perfect amount of sweet, and I’d recommend trying it alongside a cup of coffee. Enjoy my friends!

Bonnie and I met 3 years ago during a family dinner at our in-laws. It was my first time meeting my husband’s entire family (my husband and I had just started dating at the time and he took me to his parent’s house for some quality family time).

Bonnie and Cy were visiting the family in Idaho for a few days. I think it was wintertime, since I recall wearing a red scarf with a matching red hat.

During dinner, I kept thinking the Lewis family was wonderful…they were all so nice and so very entertaining. By entertaining, I mean hilarious and crazy. They had great memories to share and were amazing storytellers, keeping everyone at the dinner table laughing and interested. The conversation took a million different routes; everyone participated and shared little stories about their most recent adventures.

I vividly remember what was served for dinner…a wonderful Teriyaki Chicken with sautéed vegetables and white rice. So incredibly yummy! Can you guess who helped prepare it? Yes, the lovely Bonnie (along with Rachel, our other sister-in-law who is a great cook as well).

Ever since that first day of meeting Bonnie, I’ve admired her. One can instantly tell her love and passion for the Lord, and her natural kindness to those around her. She is so good with people, bringing nothing other than a positive attitude and love to the table. Isn’t that wonderful? Another great quality of her is her writing skills.

She has been a total source of inspiration to me in that area. I’ve always admired her love for sharing her life experiences and recipes. Bonnie started her blog back in 2008 and since then, she has greatly succeeded at sharing her story with the world. She shares her everyday occurrences, her successes and scares, and her love for food and family.

I have to thank her for bringing so much joy to me through her words. I am sure thousands of other would agree with me on this one. Here is to you Bon and to many more years of blogging success!

It is a huge an honor for me to be a guest on this blog. Hope you all enjoy this Ecuadorian inspired recipe!

Torta de Maqueno (Tradition Ecuadorian Plantain Cake)

Ingredients:

Tools You’ll Need:
- 9x13 in baking dish
- Grater
- Mixer/mixing bowl
- Wooden Spoon
- Fork

Ingredients:
- 6 medium plantains (very ripe)
- 3 eggs (separate yolks from egg whites)
- ½ cup raw honey
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 oz. melted butter
- 8 oz. finely grated Queso Fresco (no salt added)
- Zest of ½ lime
- Non-stick spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray your baking dish with non-stick spray.
3. Place egg whites in your mixing bowl and mix them thoroughly until they become like white foam (using fresh eggs and a dash of salt can help reach the desired consistency better and faster). Set aside.
4. Place plantains in your mixing bowl and smash them with your fork until you get a paste-like consistency.
5. Add brown sugar and melted butter to your plantain paste, mix for about 3 minutes.
6. Add yolks, cinnamon, vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.
7. Add in the finely grated Queso Fresco and combine.
8. Add white foam (egg white mixture) to the rest of your ingredients; incorporate using a wooden spoon.
9. Pour mixture in baking dish and bake for about 40 minutes.

Date Nut Smoothie

Bonnie — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 05:21:44 +0000

Thirteen point one. That’s how many miles I ran yesterday with my husband in a local half marathon. As my feet pounded on that pavement, one foot in front of the other, I realized that there is no point in counting down the miles that are left as I hit each marker. Because until you are at mile 8, the number of miles left is daunting. So you have to take it one step at a time. One breath in and another out. You have to learn to settle in and enjoy the ride.

I’ve been a runner since high school and although it may have been my motivation at one point, numbers on the scale is not what gets me to clock seven, eight, or nine miles. Running, like the Good Word, sets you free. It is designed to let us tune into our natural instincts, set our feet on the ground beneath us, and allow ourselves to go forward. Fast. Slow. Paced. But going forward none the less. And as my husband and I took one step after another this weekend, I was reminded of the reason that I run. I run because it reminds me to take life in the same way I conquer the long distances; one step at a time, remembering to breathe, and that when I get to those hills-I keep my eyes only a few feet in front of me.

Our training is over, but like a true runner at heart, I can hardly wait to get in my Vibrams again and go for a long run. I know my body needs at least one day of rest (according to the advice from the pros, maybe even a week…or two) but rest is not something that I am necessarily good at. Chip still naps and I am so grateful because it’s a few hours each day that I’ve had to learn the art of resting. It’s a discipline that I’ve really had to teach myself over the past two years and I’ve gone from being a person that got little to no sleep and hardly did anything for fun, to a person who needs to rest and recharge in order to preserve my sanity.

My times of rest aren’t necessarily times of sleep, but of exploring and doing things that are life giving and cultivate joy. And on one of these moments of rest, I made a shake. My feet had just finished pounding the pavement on yet another long run, and I wanted something sweet, yet life giving. So chocolate, although desired, would not rejuvenate my body. But it was nature’s candy (dates!) that did the trick.

And those dates turned out to be a good choice on many levels. The sweetness they provide matches perfectly with the coconut milk and fall spices of this smoothie. It’s a genuine sweetness that’s not contrived, altered, or fake. It’s a natural and free flavor in which I’m reminded that we all are at our best when we are ourselves. And after doing a bit of researching about the food that I was consuming (and feeding my family), I found a quality about dates that reinforced my discipline to rest.

You see, the date tree takes it’s time before it produces any fruit. Anywhere from four to eight years in fact. It grows, strengthens, and waits until the timing is just perfect before it shows it’s sweetness to the world. It’s patient, and even goes through four stages of ripeness each with their own unique qualities, both good and bad. At what stage they are picked depends on who is eating it, of course. And after they begin producing fruit, they will continue to do so for the next ten years.

And while I’m absolutely not waiting four to eight years until I run again, I am remembering that there is something to be said about gaining strength and taking time to rest. Because when I do, my next run is always stronger. My feet remain one in front of the other, but the power behind them is that much greater. I run with a new excitement, and my stamina not only in the moment, but in the months of training ahead is much, much greater. I am stronger. I am rested. I am free. And the success of each race is just that much sweeter.

Date Nut Smoothie

Yield: 2 smoothies

Ingredients:

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk, or any nut milk will do

1 banana

5 (or more) dates, pitted (The number of dates you put in here will determine how sweet your smoothie is,)

1/2-1 teaspoon nutmeg (depends on how much spice you want)

1/2-1 teaspoon cinnamon (again, depends on how much spice you want)

4-6 ice cubs

Directions:

Pit the dates by making a small but downy he middle and removing the seed. Place all ingredients in the blender, with the milk on the bottom and the ice on the top and blend according to manufacturer's instructions. If you have a frozen banana that will work as well. My blender is a BlendTex blender so the date were not chunky. If your blender is not as powerful, just simply chop the dates up into small pieces before putting them in the blender. Enjoy!