Heart On My Sleeve

Gluten/Grain/Sugar Free LCHF Cheddar Biscuits

2018-09-16T19:25:00.003-06:00

Okay, that is an obnoxiously long title. LOL

So, I was craving bread. Cheesy, bread to be exact. I've been going strong not eating any wheat, and staying pretty low carb (60-75g a day) because carbs are not my friend when I'm struggling with my blood sugars. So I decided to take a drastic step and heavily restrict my diet. I'm not counting carbs or calories. However, I've been keeping a food journal with an app and it has a food list that has all the nutritional info for most things I have been eating. If it doesn't have it, I can add that from a label or use a recipe nutrition calculator to find out the nutritional info on something I've homemade. I'm tracking my blood sugar trends and trying to figure out the weird blood sugar spikes I've been getting even if I haven't eaten anything.

Anyway, so all that struggle led me to searching for a way to use my coconut and almond flour to make bread that won't spike my blood sugars. This led me to Yummly which is super handy because it has all these filters to find exactly what you are looking for in a recipe. I had to tweak the recipe I used a bit, and considering conditions where you are might be different from mine, and/or differences in brands of flours used, you might need to fine tune this recipe. The point is, you can adjust until the consistency of dough is more like a drop biscuit, if your dough starts out too runny. It should be easily mounded up on a spoon. Don't skip greasing your sheet pan or else your bread is very likely to stick. I heard some people grating parmesan cheese on top before baking, which sounds delicious, as does using aged white cheddar. Either way, have fun and enjoy your results!

Keto Cheddar Drop Biscuits

1/4 cup coconut oil or butter, melted
1/3 cup coconut flour
1/3 cup almond flour
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 - 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Blend together eggs, coconut oil or butter, salt, and onion powder. Combine coconut flour with baking powder and whisk into batter until there are no lumps. Fold in cheese. Drop batter by the spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Tea Jelly

2018-06-21T17:07:00.001-06:00

Strawberry Pomegranate Tea Jelly

If you enjoy sweet tea, tea with your toast in the morning, herbal, green, black, any kind of tea, you will love tea jelly. Not to be confused with tea infused jelly (which is also delightful) that is made using gelatin. No, this is a jelly like you spread on toast and made using pectin. I was going through a jam/jelly making phase recently and ran out of strawberries and rhubarb to put in pretty jars for gifts this winter. So I started researching and doing a bit of trial and error. I found that liquid pectin produced more success than powdered pectin. Here is a basic recipe and I encourage you to explore with different tea. Chai tea seems like it would be particularly delicious spread on a scone with clotted cream. What is your favorite tea? Is it fruity like ginger peach? Is it spicy like Chai or Market Spice? Have fun and create collections to give as gifts!

Basic Tea Jelly

Tea Jelly on a Biscuit

1 3/4 C water
12 tea bags (I used strawberry pomegranate herbal)
1/4 C orange juice or related juice (I used white grape)

*if not using juice, increase water to 2 C

3 C sugar
1 (3oz) pkg liquid pectin

Bring water to boil, add tea bags and steep for 30 mins. Discard tea bags.
Add juice and sugar to brewed tea and bring to a boil stirring until dissolved and then occasionally to prevent burning. Don't stir too vigorously. It will tend to foam up.
Boil for 2 min. stirring ocassionally.
Remove from heat and add pectin, return to boil and allow to do so for 1 min. Skim off any foam.
Pour hot jelly into jars and process for 20 min. I got 4 8oz jars from this recipe.

Enjoy your tea, spread on toast next time, rather than (or in addition to) in a cup!

Adapted from a recipe by Sue Neitzel from her blog Old Fashioned Living.

Thai Tea Infused Cookies

2018-01-07T15:23:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning, thinking about how lovely Thai tea smells when it's brewing. Like sweet baking cookies. It has notes of vanilla and caramel. I started my day with a cup and then thought, "there has to be a way to get those flavors into cookies!". I went to Google of course, and searched, 'how to incorporate tea into cookies' and was delighted by the first post I found. Stef of the blog "Cupcake Project" posted a very helpful tutorial for how to infuse tea into baking. I'll walk you through the recipe I altered, but please follow the link over to her post "The Secret To Baking with Tea" for full instructions as well as more delightful recipes. The recipe I altered came from a blog called "This Silly Girl's Kitchen" and utilized her recipe for "Cinnamon Cream Cheese Cookies". Check out her blog for more delicious recipes as well! Lets get started!

The tea I used which is found on Amazon.

Creamy Thai Tea Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) softened
12 teaspoons Thai tea
3 ounces cream cheese softened
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch kosher salt
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Instructions For Tea Infused Butter

In a saucepan, place butter on low heat and melt until just liquid.
Add tea leaves and stir.
Allow to steep on low heat for five minutes, and remove from heat.
Allow to stand for an additional five minutes.
Strain butter out of tea by placing cheesecloth in a strainer. Press well to get as much butter out as possible. You can gather up the cheesecloth and twist to get the last bits. You'll lose a little butter, but that's okay. I increased the amount of butter for this recipe in order to compensate for that.
Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Instructions For Cookies

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar until combined. Add egg, baking powder, and salt. Mix to combine. Add flour in slowly until fully incorporated, scraping the sides as needed. Place in fridge for one hour to rest.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, add sugar. Set aside.
Roll dough into 1 inch sized balls, about 2 teaspoons worth of dough. Roll until coated in sugar. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 9-10 minutes, until just set. Do not over bake, it is hard to tell when these cookies are ready, they will puff up but won't get golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.

And there you have it! Delightful tea infused cookies! Serve with either a warm mug of Thai tea with a splash of milk or tall glass served as a classic iced Thai tea with sweetened condensed milk. Yum!

Bonus!

How to make Iced Thai Tea:

Thai Tea is made from strongly-brewed black tea, often spiced with ingredients such as star anise, crushed tamarind, cardamom, and occasionally others as well (often making this beverage a favorite among masala chai tea fans). This brew is then sweetened with sugar and sweetened condensed milk, and served over ice.
- 1 cup (80g) Thai tea
- 4 cups (960ml) water
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- about 1 cup (240ml) sweetened condensed milk
or half and half
- ice
1. Bring water to boil and add the Thai tea mix. Add sugar and gently stir to completely dissolve sugar. Gently boil tea for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Allow tea to steep for at least 30 minutes and allow it to cool. The more concentrated the tea flavor, the better the Thai tea tastes.
3. If you are using the Thai tea mix, strain the tea leaves. Set finished Thai tea aside to cool.
4. You can make this ahead of time and have the Thai tea chilling in the fridge. I like to make this tea mix one day ahead.
5. Fill glasses with ice and pour in Thai tea leaving enough room to fill in your sweetened condensed milk (or half and half for less sweet flavor). Stir. ENJOY!

Scrambled Eggs w/Umami

2017-09-11T20:02:00.001-06:00

If you don't know what umami is, let me first explain that.

According to Wikipedia, Umami, or savory taste, is one of the five basic tastes (together with sweetness, sourness, bitterness, and saltiness). It has been described as brothy or meaty.

Since umami has its own receptors rather than arising out of a combination of the traditionally recognized taste receptors, scientists now consider umami to be a distinct taste.

Some of you might not know what miso is, so lets next explain that.

High in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals, miso played an important nutritional role in feudal Japan. Miso is still widely used in Japan, both in traditional and modern cooking. Typically, miso is salty, but its flavor and aroma depend on various factors in the ingredients and fermentation process. Different varieties of miso have been described as salty, sweet, earthy, fruity, and savory.

So now lets get down to how to make some of the most delicious and satisfying scrambled eggs you've ever tasted. I didn't invent this. I stumbled across a recipe that touted, "You have to drop everything and try this right now!!" So I did. Now you can too!

Umami Scrambled Eggs

4 eggs
4 tsp white miso paste
3 green onions (scallions) diced
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 C finely diced onion

1. Carefully crack eggs into bowl. Add miso paste. Whisk until well combined and slightly frothy. Stir in 1/2 green onion into egg mixture.

2. Melt butter in skillet until bubbly. Saute onion until soft. Pour in egg mixture and agitate with a heat proof spatula. Do this carefully for 15-20 seconds, then remove from heat and continue stirring. (add rest of green onions at this point) Do this until eggs are just barely cooked. Since they continue cooking in the hot pan, you don't want to wait until they are actually done. You'll dry the eggs out and the texture will suffer.

3. Plate and enjoy with bacon (more umami!), and/or toast... or whatever you fancy with eggs.

Note: I live in southeast Alaska and it's really hard to find exact ingredients so we often have to be creative. I couldn't find miso paste. So I bought miso soup mix and used a sifter to separate out the freeze dried veggies and tofu. Then used 2 Tbsp of the powder, and added 1 1/2 Tbsp boiling water to create the paste. I'll be checking Amazon for white miso paste in a tube on Amazon.

Rhubarb Ginger Freezer Jam

2017-09-02T15:47:00.000-06:00

It's fall. Time to harvest rhubarb (or pull out the frozen rhubarb from an earlier harvest) and make something delicious with it. I love the tart sweet flavor of rhubarb jam on hot buttered toast. This is partially from looking for recipes for rhubarb that didn't require canning expertise and a little experimentation. Everyone makes rhubarb with strawberries and I had to do something different. The hint of spicy ginger was just the ticket. Have fun and don't be afraid to taste and play with spices and additions to make this jam your own!

I just love the color!

Rhubarb Ginger Freezer Jam

4 cups rhubarb (chopped, about 1 1/2 pounds rhubarb stalks)
3/4 to 1 1/4 cups sugar (taste as you go)
2 tablespoons water
1/4 C finely chopped candied ginger

Place all the ingredients in a medium sized pot over low heat, starting with the lesser amount of sugar. Stir constantly until all of the sugar is dissolved.
Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the rhubarb pieces fall apart. When the compote is about as thick as applesauce, turn off the heat and add ginger. Stir until well incorporated.
Taste, and add additional sugar if you desire more sweetness. Keep in mind, though, that the sour flavor is part of what is special about rhubarb. If you do add additional sugar, return the heat to low and stir constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Fill freezer containers with the rhubarb jam, leaving an inch of head space. Small containers no larger than a pint are recommended, so that when you thaw one it isn't an overwhelming amount of jam to use up. Alternatively, fill quart size freezer bags with 8 to 16 ounces of the jam.

Rhubarb jam will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. It is still safe to eat after that but the quality will decline. Freshly made, unfrozen rhubarb jam will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Pickled Avocados: Brave A New Flavor

2017-09-02T15:30:00.002-06:00

When I first heard about pickled avocados, I was a bit skeptical. I am now a fan. I love savory pickled veggies... and yah, so avocados are technically a fruit, but never mind that. You wouldn't believe how hard it was to find a pickling recipe that didn't have sugar in it. I am not a fan of sweet pickles. Yuck. I like savory. So I found a basic recipe that was just vinegar, water and salt. Then I experimented with seasonings and what was really great about this recipe, is that it doesn't take long to get your reward. Just 24hrs before it's minimum flavor is reached. I thought it was best after 4 days. Another plus is that it uses unripe avocados. Costco gets bags of them and they're all usually unripe and very firm. As the avocado pickles, it softens and is the PERFECT consistency.

You can eat these right out of the jar or have them on salads, burgers, sandwiches, hotdogs (yes!) and a friend of mine made portobello mushroom burgers and these pickled avocados were made for them. She's vegan and used vegan cheese too and it was a fabulous flavor profile. The plus to this recipe is it's a small batch. Just enough to share with friends/co-workers and enjoy in short order. So, I'm sure you're curious and want to try this out, so here is the recipe:

I ended up with three jars from 2 1/2 avocados.

Pickled Avocados
2 unripe avocados sliced or chopped
2 cloves garlic sliced thin
1/2C cilantro leaves

Place in clean pint jar.
While preparing jars, boil:
1C white or apple cider vinegar
1C water 1 Tbsp iodized sea salt
1 Tbsp pickling spice
2 tsp dill weed
1 tsp cayenne
1 Tbsp dried onion

Pour brine over avocados, cover with lid loosely tightened and allow to cool before putting in refrigerator. Not shelf stable! Full flavor after 24hrs. Keeps for 3wks in refrigerator.

I encourage experimenting with the amount of seasonings and adding or subtracting anything to make it what you want. Just imagine how you would want a customized pickle to taste and go for it!

It's Been One of THOSE Days...

2017-07-14T02:58:00.001-06:00

Yes. It's been a day of frustration, followed by anger, sorrow and defeat. We've all been there. How we react to those days can really say a lot about who we are. Our perseverance. Our ability to withstand what is thrown at us.... then there are those days where we fall apart and Just. Can't. Even.... Today was one of those days.

Let us all come together now, and commiserate over the days that bring us to our knees and have us ugly crying and screaming, "Uncle! UNCLE!!!!"

I'm usually pretty hard knuckled about adversity. I will fight through it. Brave face and all, insisting that, EVENTUALLY, we WILL see the end to this tunnel and we only have to press on and make it through and we'll be rewarded. Sometimes it pans out, or something better comes along so it doesn't sting so much or at all when we have to shift gears.

Sure, I'll vent on Facebook (avert your judgy eyes elsewhere), because that's what we do, right? It feels reassuring to have people tell you it's going to work out and to just keep pressing through.

Normally, I can hold my family up and keep them going until things finally work out, one way or another. This time... this time was different. Guess what, I have no bothers to give either. It's my pity party and I'm going to piss and moan about it if I want to, while drinking an entire bottle of wine by myself.

Housing is just a total crapshoot in this town. Seriously. Every posting on the "Buy Sell Lease" local pages is the same thing over and over. Someone posts a place for rent, and there are literally 100+ comments that are often times, people tagging a person or numerous people in it because they are
needing housing, OR asking "is this still available?" and the desperation is palpable. I say this with no judgements because I know the struggle. The desperation. I've been homeless with my family and IT. SUCKS. Right now, we have the landlady from hell and a rental that has been one insane moment to the next, a testament to how badly our city needs slumlord laws.

Tell me, does the smell of sewer gases sound delightful to you? No? Well in our landlady's opinion, we should be more grateful to even have a place, that we should either, just live happily amidst the smell of sh*t or, trust God (because that's what us religious folk do) and move out because God will magically deliver housing to us, our four children and two dogs (not mentioning the mounds of material human possessions we've collected over the years) right at the moment we walk out the door.Riiight... she actually used an analogy of Indiana Jones, trusting with a leap of faith that looked like he would be falling into a never ending pit. Because fictional adventure movies are totally how it works in real life.

(do I sound bitter? Angry? HANGRY?)

So today, after filling out the 20th rental application (why can they not have a database for all seeking shelter to fill out a uniform application available to all legit landlords? Why the eff do they all have to be only slightly different? Why must I go through this stupid process over and over and over and over again ad nauseum???!!!) I just hit a brick wall and felt so overwhelmed with how ridiculous this whole process is. I feel like I'm on a terrible version of The Bachelor, waiting for some glorified frat boy to deem me worthy of a rose. Sadly, I'm watching all the shallow self serving bitches, who don't really NEED a man, but nonetheless are there being picked over me, who actually cares and needs the security.

It's utterly unfair, but a game I've been playing out for so long, I just hit my "I'm out" moment. Other people in the house have had their tantrum moments and I've been trying hard to be the strong one. Today however, I am throwing in the towel, at least for a day or two. I'm so over the bs that comes with trying to pimp myself to potential landlords. We're not polished and perfect, but dammit we try and why can't we just be given a chance? I'm done hearing another turn down speech, wherein the landlord tells me, "We've decided to go with another candidate, but we'll keep you in our prayers." as if it isn't total irony that I've been praying fervently for safe housing, and YOU could have answered my prayers, but instead, you'll give me empty words and rejection. Thanks, but you can keep that sentimental bs. We both know you won't give a second thought to me or my family once the chosen ones have signed the rental agreement and you have first, last and deposit, safely in your bank account.

So I may or may not have walked over to the local pub, so conveniently next to the grocery store I was shopping at, and sipped a shot of Jameson whiskey. Maybe I even followed it up with a clove cigarette. Then downed over half a bottle of sweet delicious malbec wine at dinner while offering surly remarks about the economy and evil landlords. My husband thinks it's funny because I rarely give no f**ks so openly. But here I am.

As Pink so eloquently put it in her ode to walking away from negativity, "I've had a shit day."

So for all you moms, struggling to do everything for your family and hitting brick wall after brick wall: I Feel You Sister.

Keep fighting through the desire to pull a Thelma and Louise, clutching your favorite bottle of wine and go flying off the nearest cliff. I'm right there with you, hanging by my fingernails to the edge of my sanity, waiting for the tiniest karmic boost that will help me get just a little closer to saving myself from the abyss. No judgements here. None.

A Home of Our Own

2017-05-20T20:19:00.001-06:00

The short story is that we returned to Alaska after traveling to help family out. We felt God calling us home and it was time. There were bumps along the way. Five months of homelessness and being separated while my husband commercial fished to make money to get into a home was hard, but we survived. We finally found a place that was the only home available at the end of October, nearing winter. Unfortunately, the landlady took advantage of our desperation and lied about the house we rent now. It is NOT efficient, and costs $600/mo in fuel in the winter months. There are structural problems with the house that are hazardous to our health, especially our children. We don't have any way of getting out because the cost of utilities and the rent (which was increased) cost approx. 70% of our income. There is no way to save in order to escape, but we worked hard and now have a home of our own within our sites. We just need the earnest money to secure the home while the rest of the loan process finalizes. We're halfway there and are now asking, if anyone can help out, would you be willing to donate? If you feel God's tug at your heart to help, we sure would be grateful. You can find our fundraiser here:

The sooner we can get out of the current housing situation we're in, the healthier we'll be. Thank you in advance for prayers and/or donations you feel led to provide.

16 Years Down the Road...

2017-04-06T23:59:00.001-06:00

16 Year Anniversary

It's been 16 years of ups and downs, but with God's grace we've made it this far. I pray God will bless us with many, many more.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread

2017-01-27T18:06:00.000-07:00

I love banana bread. I love chocolate banana bread. Then I found this recipe for chocolate PEANUT BUTTER banana bread and I was in heaven! Three things that simply belong together! In this recipe, I wanted to add chocolate chips for the extra bit of chocolate in every other bite, but alas, I had no chocolate chips. I had about half a bag of butterscotch chips and well, that was the direction I went and they worked! Enjoy this with a dark cup of coffee or black tea. It’s delicious!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cocoa
⅓ cup peanut butter, slightly melted
¾ cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed bananas
½ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 - 1 C. chocolate or butterscotch chips (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the slightly melted peanut butter, sugar, mashed bananas, vegetable oil, and eggs. After mixing, stir in cocoa, baking powder & soda, salt, and vanilla. Stir in flour last. If using chips, stir in just until incorporated.
Pour into loaf pan and bake for roughly 55 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.

Broccoli Avocado Tumeric Soup

2017-01-27T17:55:00.000-07:00

Perfect healthy cold weather soup! This is dairy/grain free and vegan (for those on restricted diets use veggie broth). It’s relatively easy to make. I don’t have a food processor, but my heavy duty blender did the trick. Just be very careful and start off slow. Don’t overfill, otherwise you could have scalding hot soup everywhere.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp coconut or extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp turmeric powder
4 cups chicken stock or bone broth (for vegan use veggie broth)
1 head broccoli, trimmed and chopped (6 cups)
3 cups baby spinach
1 avocado, chopped, plus more for garnish
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, chili powder, and turmeric and cook, stirring, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add broccoli and cook, covered, until bright green and tender, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, stir in spinach, and let cool slightly.
Transfer soup to blend and puree with avocado. I like a little texture, so I left 3 cups out and mixed in the blended portion with the reserved. Adjust seasoning. Garnish with avocado and a drizzle of olive oil.
Enjoy!

Cauliflower Coconut Ginger Tumeric Stew

2017-01-27T15:44:00.002-07:00

This delicious stew is perfect for vegetarians or meat eaters. It’s full of healthy fats and turmeric is an anti-inflammatory. Comforting and warm, it’s one the whole family can enjoy for dinner. Add in some chicken or tofu for extra protein. If you’re enjoying a bit of grains, this pairs nicely with wild rice.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
1 medium head cauliflower, stemmed and cut into bite-size florets
1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, chopped
1 C chopped kale or spinach if you don’t like kale
2 tsp ginger paste
1 Tbsp cumin powder
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 can full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk
1 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

Instructions

In a medium stock pot, heat the coconut oil for 30 seconds on medium heat.

Add the cumin seeds and stir until they start to sputter. Then add the onions and cook for another minute, and then, add the tomatoes, stir and cook for a few more minutes until the tomatoes soften.

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir together. Cover the pan and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to keep from burning.

Ladle the soup into 4 serving bowls and enjoy! Leftover stew can be stored in air-tight container and saved for lunch the next day.

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving:

calories 204 • fat 24 g • saturated fat 20 g • cholesterol 0 mg • fiber 6 g • protein 6 g • carbohydrate 18 g • sodium 588 mg

With All Due Respect...

2017-01-23T16:16:00.001-07:00

I've avoided politics for years on my blog. Mostly because it's just too contentious. I don't like the strife and the bottom line is that those who want to argue, aren't going to change their minds and I'm not going to change mine. So, it's kind of pointless. However, this election is different. It has destroyed relationships more than Obama's ever has. It has split churches even. That is who I want to address.

With All Due Respect Church, You Are Wrong

While I think that the issues that arise with every election are important to discuss as a church, I think that declaring loyalty or favoritism to a specific candidate is wrong. I experienced the discomfort of actual fist pumping in my church with the gloating announcement that Trump is our president now. This election has been painful for me. I've had people call me horrific vile names for being skeptical of Trump. My own family has essentially questioned my loyalty to this country, for voting third party.

So to "whoop! whoop!" about a man who has been so divisive and disrespectful is kind of opposite what I think a church should encourage. I stumbled across this video and it will be my final say on the matter. I've also included some verses I think the church should seriously consider as I believe they are prophesy coming to pass right now.

Ephesians 5:6-13
"Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light."

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Amplified Bible (AMP)
"Let no one in any way deceive or entrap you, for that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first [that is, the great rebellion, the abandonment of the faith by professed Christians], and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction [the Antichrist, the one who is destined to be destroyed], who opposes and exalts himself [so proudly and so insolently] above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he [actually enters and] takes his seat in the temple of God, publicly proclaiming that he himself is God."

For my fellow Christians who are in the same uncomfortable position as I am, worried about our church, it's ability to witness and the state of faith in our country, take the following words to heart and find comfort:

"Stay the course, Christian Constitutionalists, remembering a profound truth: We don't live the lives we do, in order to achieve a particular outcome. We abide by our principles, because they are the highest order in our lives, second only to our spiritual devotion.

Those virtues properly guide and direct our every move, and are part and parcel of that very devotion. Indeed, they emanate from the very fountainhead of that devotion...our Heavenly Father.
We can no more act independently of these values, especially in matters of great import...than the rushing river can climb out from its banks. It must continue on its path...its destiny is set.

Stay your course. Let the fool say you're wrong. Let the weak and ignorant decry the very laws that govern your own morality and eternal destiny. Yours is a higher calling. Though you stand alone, your integrity will sustain you. Stand strong. You have known the Truth...and HE has set you free!"
- Duane Langenberg

An Epiphany Inspired By Life

2017-01-19T16:55:00.002-07:00

I'm going to delve into a very emotional topic. Just fair warning. This is a very personal account and I have no reason to embellish or lie. This is my story and I've stuck to it for 13 years. Take it or leave it, but I hope that it inspires or helps you find answers to the questions you have not easily Googled.

*Deep Breath*

I haven't always been so strongly against abortion. I didn't really have a feeling about it one way or another. It just wasn't on my radar. I was raised in a Christian home, but it wasn't a topic discussed specifically. So when my husband and I got pregnant for the first time, it wasn't under duress that we found out. We were in a good place so feeling trapped or overwhelmed wasn't something we experienced with the knowledge that we were about to have a baby. We were overjoyed.

I am Type I Diabetic and so considered high risk. We were trying to get pregnant so I was keenly aware to any changes and would immediately take the home pregnancy test. It took some time to get pregnant and I was starting to worry it wouldn't happen for us. But it did and we were ecstatic. I went to the doctor and confirmed it really early (barely 4 weeks), but this was a doctor appointment made just a week prior. I had to travel to see specialists and there were lots of tests early on and we told our parents. I know, they say to wait just in case, but we were too excited and couldn't imagine anything bad happening.

At about my 6th week, I woke up at about 4am, in a pool of blood. We knew what it meant and I immediately started crying. We called the ER to let them know we were on our way. Luckily, that was about 5 minutes because we lived in a small seaside town. The doctor was kind, and very gentle. She forlornly gave me the news. I had to come back the next day for an ultra sound and then D&C. They allowed me to clean up, gave me scrubs to wear home, and we left.

We lived in a cute little cottage on the water. To get to it, we had to walk down a boardwalk from the parking area. We walked in silence. My heart was torn up. I couldn't cry anymore. I was thinking in my head that I just wanted to drink whatever we had in the house and obliterate the pain. I wanted to black out and forget. This is what it feels like when someone says they feel "gutted". I felt empty where my heart should be. I kept hearing this voice in my head and thought I was going crazy.

"I'm still here!" "It's okay! I'm still here!"

Soft and quiet. I was instantly mad at God. I said in my head, "Years of never hearing you despite begging to hear your voice and NOW you want to talk? Go away!" But the voice didn't go away until I fell asleep. Crying again. I never drank a thing. I was too tired. The effort felt like too much.

Later that morning I had a whole day to simmer in my grief before I went to my appointment the next day. My parents came by to console me. My husband's parents brought flowers. My husband was commercial fishing at that time, and was working to prep the boat, so he was busy during the day. I was alone. Half sad. Half angry. It wasn't fair! I heard that voice still pleading they were "still here" throughout the day. I think it was the only reason I didn't take the opportunity to drink again. I slept off and on.

The next morning my husband dropped me off at the hospital and told me he would be there for the appointment as soon as he could. He had to go to the boat, check on some things and let the rest of the crew know what was up. I trudged to the waiting room and sat. Soon I was brought back to the ultrasound room. The tech was very solemn and kind. I laid there. Waiting to hear that, yes, my baby was dead....

"Wait... I think... there's.... THERE'S A HEARTBEAT! THERE'S A BABY STILL THERE!!"

I almost fell off the table. He jumped up, told me he had to get the doctor and ran out. I was in shock. I started to cry and right then my husband walked in. The look on his face was fear because he thought my tears meant something worse had happened. When I told him, "WE'RE STILL PREGNANT!!" I saw him tremble slightly before he rushed to me. The doctor came in with a full smile and tears in her eyes. She told us that this happens far more often than people realize and her experience taught her to always do an ultrasound to verify there is no life before proceeding with the D&C. She explained that we had most likely had twins and one, for whatever reason, died. I was sent home on temporary bed rest.

Our First Born, Russell

Seven months later, I gave birth to Russell. My smiley sweet boy. It was when I was holding him for the first time, something happened. I don't know how to describe it, except like a spark going off right between my eyes, but in my head. I heard the voice, "I'm still here!". It was a memory, but from familiarity. I looked at this new baby boy and it struck me that HE had been reassuring me that he was still alive. I just didn't realize it consciously.

So early on, in the womb, his spirit was present. I have no doubt it was him trying to talk to me and in some way, I think he was the only reason I didn't fully give up.

When Russell was 3yo, he started verbalizing about a sister in heaven. We had never told him he was a twin. So this was amazing to us. Family swore to us they hadn't mentioned it. They didn't see the reason for it. To this day, around his birthday, he'll make a comment about his sister in heaven. So how has this shaped my feelings about abortion?

Life is precious. There is a soul from the very beginning. You cannot convince me otherwise. You can believe me or not. But this is my personal experience and for the rest of my life, I will speak out against the horrors of abortion. Thank you for listening to my story. I hope you found the answers to the difficult questions you had. I hope I inspired you. I hope you take the time to think about this issue, and at least, research more deeply and ignore the emotional shouts from either side of this issue. Seek the truth urgently. The truth, truly will, set you free.

Good Morning, I Love You!

2017-01-17T17:02:00.001-07:00

I've been on a long health journey. I have Type I Diabetes, which is an autoimmune disease that doesn't go away with diet or exercise. A cure would be required to eliminate it, and 40,000 people a year are diagnosed. Between 20-60 children die a year from something called "Dead In Bed Syndrome" which is a complication of T1D (Type I Diabetes). It's a scary disease to contend with. My second son also has it. Coupled with Hypothyroidism, it makes gaining weight super easy and losing it a constant battle.

I've found different tricks that work for me to get optimal blood sugars and in turn, help me to slowly lose weight and maintain. Increasing my energy is also a plus. So lets start from the top of the day!

So I start my day, minutes after waking up, checking my blood and taking my insulin shots, I drink a glass of lemon water. The recommendation is a full lemon squeezed into a glass of water. Keeping up with a supply of fresh fruit can be hard, so I just get lemon juice and follow the directions for making lemonade (minus the sugar). Two tablespoons of lemon juice for 3/4 C. of water and a couple ice cubes. I take this with my morning meds but make sure you check to make sure you don't have medications adversely affected by citrus. Drink this on an empty stomach to purify and detox the body, at least 30 min before eating breakfast. This is also purported to jump start the metabolism.

Next, it's time to think about breakfast. Reports state that eating fruit first thing in the morning is more optimal for utilizing the nutrients in the fruit and distributing the sugars through the day. I get my two servings of fruit knocked off the list doing this. I have apples chopped up with a drizzle of nut butters and cinnamon. Here is my "recipe":

Coconut Manna is blended coconut meat. It's basically a nut butter.

Nutty Apple Breakfast

1 large apple or 2 small apples chopped into bite size pieces.
1Tbsp coconut manna
1Tbsp peanut or almond butter
1tsp cinnamon

Place chopped apple in a bowl and set aside. In a small microwave safe bowl add butters and cinnamon and microwave for 20-40 seconds until melted. Stir well and drizzle over apples. Enjoy!

It's delicious and filling. The ratio of protein, fat and fruit sustain me until almost one in the afternoon!

With this lovely concoction, I drink a large mug of green mint tea (about 2 cups). I also have my water bottle handy so I continue taking in fluids. The goal is to drink 64oz by the afternoon.

Now we're on to lunch. I avoid all grains at lunch time. It helps me prevent an inevitable blood sugar spike prior to dinner time that can make me feel sluggish. So lots of veggies and protein. I've taken to making veggie soups that I can add whatever protein I have on hand. Today, I made a wonderful veggie soup and topped it with a few strips of grilled chicken and a sprinkle of cheese.

Here is the recipe for the soup so you can make your own. It would pair well with ground hamburger, chicken, and I even had some with leftover pulled pork and it was awesome! It nearly fills a 6 quart crock, so consider cutting it down if you don't think you'll be able to eat it all within a week.

Classic Veggie Soup

approx 45min to prepare

Ingredients:

5 carrots, chopped
3 onions, chopped
10 stalks celery, chopped
6 mini bell peppers, diced
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1 Tbs tumeric
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
2 (16 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with garlic & peppers, w/liquid
1 (15 ounce) can cut green beans, drained
2 quarts spicy tomato juice
14oz beef broth
3 bay leaves
1 medium head cabbage, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions, carrots and celery until onions start to sweat and turn translucent. Add peppers, soup mix and spices and stir well, allowing spices to toast for 5 min (stirring constantly). Add rest of ingredients except cabbage. Bring soup to a boil and add cabbage. Push down the cabbage into the liquid and cover. After about 10 min, check to make sure it is just simmering (increase or decrease heat if necessary), stir well and cover. Cook until the celery is tender. Remove bay leaves before serving. This freezes well, and if you like to share with others, it would be a wonderful meal to split with another household.

Dinner can be difficult due to my family not being quite on the same restrictive diet as me. Often times, I just have some of the protein if it's gluten free. Then I pile half my plate with salad. I will allow for starchy veggies at dinner and even allow for multi grain tortilla chips in a small amount. I try to keep my carb intake very low as this helps me reduce my insulin need which is what causes weight gain if overused.

I try to be done eating by 9pm and so far, I am usually done by 8pm. I then sip 4 cups of green tea up until bedtime. Now, this might be too much caffeine for some, but I've found that it doesn't affect my sleep, but I cannot sleep much after 6:30-7am and will be up and getting the day started before everyone else, which is an accomplishment if you have thyroid issues. My theory, is that I metabolize the tea slower at night and the affect of caffeine doesn't hit me until early morning. I don't tend to start drinking the tea until after 9pm and don't usually finish until 10:30-11pm. Check out this article about the benefits to drinking green tea. It's truly fascinating: 10 Proven Benefits of Green Tea

So there you have it! That's how I am managing my conditions and health/weight with diet. Exercise isn't my focus just yet, but I do stair climbing and other strength exercises. No cardio until spring/summer. Then I jog/walk. I hope these give you some ideas for a healthy day!

The Middle East Conflict: Maps Don't Lie

2017-01-12T13:48:00.002-07:00

This is my best attempt at recreating a cached website that I found after the creators abandoned it for one reason or another. It's possible they created a better page and this info is found elsewhere with a better design, but the information is sound and I didn't want it lost. So here it is:

Israel: The Most Disputed Piece of Real Estate On Earth

Unlike Islam's Koran, which commands Muslims to force the entire planet to submit to literal control by Islam, the Jewish Torah promises the children of Israel a modest and reasonable allotment of land. Israel in RED , is a democratic nation 1/19th the size of California, surrounded by 22 hostile Arab/Islamic dictatorships with 640 times her size, 60 times her population and ALL the oil. How dare Arab propagandists call Israel "expansionist". How dare anyone believe them! How can Israel, which occupies one-sixth of one percent of the lands called Arab, be responsible for the political dissatisfaction of 22 Arab countries? How can the 13 million Jews in the world (almost 5 million fewer than they were in 1939!) be blamed for the problems of the 250 million Arabs, who have brotherly ties to 1.4 billion Muslims worldwide?

Israel is an oasis of Western Democracy and Judeo/Christian morality in the middle of an otherwise totalitarian Arab/Muslim Middle East. For over 55 years since she became a nation in 1948, Israel has sought peaceful coexistence with neighbors dedicated to her destruction. Thus far only Egypt and Jordan have formalized a peace treaty. In reality, these two peace treaties are questionable.

Only 1/640th the land mass occupied by the 22 Arab States.
Is Israel REALLY "taking over" the Arab Middle East?

Israel is one of the tiniest nations on earth. Only about 8,000 sq. miles, 2½ times the size of Rhode Island and only slightly larger than the Canary Islands!. It is only 260 miles at its longest, has a 112-mile coastline, 60 miles at its widest, and between 3 and 9 miles at its narrowest! A very high-powered rifle could launch a projectile right across the country! This is particularly frightening when one considers that 65% of Israel's population is within this 9 mile wide section (Tel Aviv). Yet Arab propagandists call Israel "expansionist" and the "aggressor" against all Arab peoples. For those unfamiliar with the Arab interpretation of "aggressor," it means one who dares fight back against Arab aggression!! So even though Israel may have fought only defensive wars, the mere fact that she resisted total destruction is viewed as an "act of aggression." This is highly illogical and quite frankly, insane. Unfortunately, Israel doesn't have the luxury of picking her enemies!

a. 3 miles wide here
b. Golan Heights
c. Sea of Galilee
d. Jordan River: Sea of Galilee to Dead Sea

e. 1967 "Green Line": the 1949 armistice lines separating Israel from its heartland of Judea-Samaria when Jordanian forces illegally annexed it. After the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, Israel regained that land... at which time the world began referring to Judea and Samaria as the "West Bank" in order to try to erase any Jewish connection to this historically Jewish land!

f. 9 miles wide here
g. Tel Aviv
h. Jerusalem
i. Dead Sea
j. Gaza Strip

The surrounding 22 Arab countries are 640 times larger than tiny Israel yet they expect Israel to turn over all the West Bank, Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights and half of Jerusalem... territory they lost after they started the 1967 war!

Need More Proof? The photo below shows a west-east view of Northern Israel's Hula Valley (a---b). The photo is from atop the Menara Cliffs, just above Kiryat Shmona (a). In the opposite direction (not shown) is Lebanon. Along the entire top of the photo (light blue area) is Syria with the Golan Heights rising up from the Hula Valley. The distance from Kiryat Shimona (a) to base of Golan Heights (b) is only 3 miles! It's no wonder that underground bomb shelters are everywhere!

For those who wish to have Israel relinquish Judea and Samaria ("West Bank") so that the Arabs can form a SECOND Arab "Palestinian" Nation (the first being Jordan), take a close look at the map (below right). Notice the 2,200 foot high Judean Mountains running North to South 60 miles along the entire length of the West Bank. A Palestinian sniper (of which there are many) or a rocket launcher would have a bird's eye view of Israel's most densely-populated areas. Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport would also be just a few short miles from the edge of a West Bank Palestinian nation! Israel's capital city of Jerusalem would be nearly encased within Palestinian territory, jeopardizing its ability to survive an attack. In effect, Israel would be reduced to a defenseless nation 9 to 25 miles wide at areas separating Israel Proper from enemies on her eastern flank! Also, if the Gaza Strip and the West Bank were joined to form a continuous "Palestinian" land mass, Israel would be cut in half! (below left)

Look again at the above-left map. If Arafat (or his successors) and his murderous, Nazi terrorist thugs ever take possession of Judea-Samaria ("West Bank") and Gaza and call it their State, how will these two SEPARATE land areas (West Bank + Gaza) be connected? Will there be some underground tunnel? Some overhead bridge? Or will the Arabs simply demand a land corridor connecting these areas... in the process, cut Israel in half! This is a prescription for Israel's suicide and the Arabs know it!

No nation is required to arrange the terms of her own suicide. Any peace-making must be at the negotiating table and not upon an autopsy table! If Israel were to turn over land of this magnitude, they would be signing their own death certificates. The Arabs of Judea-Samaria will just have to find some other place to pitch their tents... preferably in East Palestine (a.k.a. Jordan) or in any of the other 21 Arab Nations that surround Israel!

Tiny Tiny Tiny tiny

Israel would fit INSIDE nearly every U.S. state! In fact, tiny Israel would fit into the United States (Alaska & Hawaii included) 768 times! Israel could fit into Florida SEVEN times!

The United States is a country surrounded by two vast oceans and two friendly countries, Canada and Mexico. Yet the United States Government has the nerve to tell Israel what it must, and must not do, for her own survival or in the name of some phony "Road Map" for Middle East Peace! Keep in mind that the United States has still not placed its U.S. Embassy in Israel's 3,000 year old capitol city of Jerusalem so as not to "offend" the Arab worlds' collective sensitivities! Well, I say it's about time for the United States government to show some backbone. It is our calling as a nation, to protect the nation of Israel. If we fail, we will effectively be furthering our own destruction.

How Does Israel's Size Compare To Other Countries? Click Here!

Deep Pot Chili

2016-12-23T00:35:00.000-07:00

A really hearty chili is a must for cold winter days. It can be served up on it's own, with frito chips (my kids love that), or over potatoes. It's a gluten free option that's easy to make and warms the bones after working (or playing) all day in the snow. Let's dig in!

Hearty and Delicious

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/2 pounds ground sirloin or chuck
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
14 large garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons chile powder
2 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1/4 cup tomato paste
Two 28-ounce cans diced Italian tomatoes
3 cups chicken, beef stock or low-sodium broth
1 19-oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 19-oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Pinch of cinnamon
3 large jalapeño chiles, seeded and minced (this is only if you want more heat)
Coarsely chopped cilantro, for serving
Sour cream, for serving
any shredded cheese desired, for serving
frito corn chips if desired, for serving

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a enameled cast-iron casserole. Add half the ground beef in large chunks and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderately high heat until brown on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Stir and cook until most of the pink is gone, about 3 minutes; keep the meat in large chunks. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining meat.
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the casserole. Add the onion, garlic (and jalapenos if wanting more heat) and cook over moderately low heat, stirring often, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the chili powder and smoked paprika and cook over low heat, stirring often, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the paste is glossy and starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, the chicken stock and the cooked beef and any accumulated juices. Bring to a simmer over moderately high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Add the kidney and white beans, chipotles, oregano and simmer for 30 minutes longer. Season with salt, pepper and a large pinch of cinnamon. Remove from the heat and let stand for at least 20 minutes. Reheat before serving.
Serve the chili in bowls, topped with a generous sprinkling of cilantro (and cheese if desired). Pass the sour cream at the table (and throw in some corn chips if feeling frisky!).

Make Ahead

The chili can be refrigerated for up to 4 days and frozen for up to 2 months

Paleo 90 Second Mug Bread

2016-12-10T18:06:00.002-07:00

Delicious toasted with butter and jam!

Here is a wonderful substitute for when you're craving a sandwich, or toast with your egg or simply toast and jam, without breaking any Paleo rules. This is grain free and if you substitute the butter for coconut oil, it is dairy free as well.

Ingredients

⅓ cup (35 g) almond flour
½ teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
⅛ teaspoon (1 g) salt
1 egg, whisked
2 and ½ tablespoons (37 ml) ghee (or butter if you tolerate it, coconut oil, or olive oil), melted

Instructions

Grease a mug.
Mix together all the ingredients with a fork.
Pour mixture into mug.
Microwave for 90 seconds on high.
Cool for a few minutes.
Pop out of mug gently and slice.

I have doubled this recipe and found that you double all the ingredients except the egg. Then after the initial 90 seconds, microwave an additional 30 seconds, checking after each interval for doneness.

Paleo Banana Bread In A Mug

2016-12-08T10:50:00.003-07:00


Cute little rounds of banana goodness that's good for you too!

Are you craving bread? Are you craving banana bread? Are you on a paleo or gluten free/grain free diet? Well, I have just the thing for you! It's quick, easy and you won't have to hunt for ingredients or break any diet rules. Let's get into it!

Ingredients:

1/3C almond flour
1 Tbs coconut flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
3 Tbs egg whites (or 1 egg)
2 Tbs coconut oil melted
1 whole over-ripe banana
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 pkg of Stevia

Instructions:

Grease a coffee mug w/coconut oil. Mix and mash together all ingredients w/fork in a bowl. Pour mixture into mug. Microwave 3 min on high. Check it. Cook in 30 second intervals until mostly set. Cover w/plate and turn upside down leaving hot mug over the bread. Cool for 5-10 min then slice and enjoy with a hot cup of bullet coffee!

Chimichurri Sauce: Green Goodness

2016-12-01T15:05:00.003-07:00

This is THE sauce that goes amazing on everything savory. I drown my steak in it. Pork, chicken, tortilla chips, toast... you get the idea. I’m obsessed and you will be too!

Ingredients

makes about 2 cups

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
3-4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or minced
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 Fresno chile or red jalapeño, finely chopped
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

Combine all ingredients, except jalapeno, in food processor and blend until desired consistency. I like mine well blended. Add jalapeno and stir well. Refrigerate for an hour. Then you can season with salt to your liking and begin pouring it over everything like I do. If you want to use it as a marinade, remove 1/2 cup chimichurri to a small bowl, and reserve as sauce. Put meat in a glass, stainless-steel, or ceramic dish. Toss with remaining marinade. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.Remove meat from marinade, pat dry, and grill.Spoon reserved sauce over grilled meat. Prepare to have an addiction to this green goodness! Enjoy!

Make Ahead Quick Oatmeal

2016-12-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to move my family to healthier eating slowly. Something I hadn't tackled yet, was cereal. You know. That staple of Saturday mornings and cartoons. Frosted, marshmallows, fruity, chocolatey, etc. There's a lot of bad junk kids don't need in them. From dyes, to heavy metals to outright poisons. We wonder why kids struggle with ADD, hyperactivity, learning disorders and such. A lot of it is diet related. Of course, the FDA is fine with all this because they're in cahoots with Big Pharma that makes the drugs to help "manage" any adverse affects caused by ingesting this garbage. Nice little partnership they have huh? Ask yourself why these various companies need lobbyists in Washington and start researching. You'll be appalled. I'll include links to valuable info at the end of this post.

So! With that little rant aside, lets dive into this great alternative that my kids just gobble right up. There are many variations so it's easy to make any flavor your kids desire. I like having a bunch made up with instructions on a larger bag that I put individual serving bags into so all they have to do is add water and maybe some additional toppings once cooked. This is great for when I have to be gone for a medical trip and can't be home, so mornings are easier on dad. The older two are also getting more self sufficient and this is an easy breakfast for them to make for themselves and even the younger two if need be. Without further ado, lets dive into the recipe!

Make Ahead Quick Oatmeal
Ingredients: (makes 3-4 servings)

1 cup rolled oats (not quick!)
2 cups water
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (Himalayan is my choice!)

Optional additions

1-2 Tbsps cocoa powder
chopped almonds (maybe honey roasted?)
dried cranberries, raisins, cherries
freeze dried or dehydrated strawberries or bananas?
peanut butter (or any other nut butter): creamy, chunky, powder

In a food processor or blender, add oatmeal, cinnamon and salt. Blend until desired consistency. I like a little bite to mine, so I don't blend it down to powder. For little ones just starting on solids, fully blending to flour is probably recommended. Blending partially helps it cook quicker and gives a nice mouth feel.

If making right away, you can then add this and the water to a pot and boil for about 8-10min until desired consistency. Then spoon into bowls and add desired toppings. My kids like it pretty basic. So a little pat of butter, spoonful of brown sugar and sometimes a splash of milk.

To make ahead, you can add the blended ingredients to a ziplock snack sized bag and label "cinnamon". OR you can add more ingredients to make it even more adventurous. Here are some of my mini recipes. Following the above directions (minus cooking) you can make up baggies of these and all you have to do then is add 2 C. water and cook!

Chocolate Oatmeal
to the basic oatmeal recipe above, add:

1-2 Tbsps cocoa powder (adjust to how chocolately you want it)

I add to the blender to make sure it is well distributed, or you can just toss it on top in the bag.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal
to the basic oatmeal recipe above, add:

1-2 Tbsps cocoa powder
1 Tbsp peanut butter powder (or add instructions to add nut butter after cooking)

Almond Cranberry Oatmeal
to the basic oatmeal recipe above, add:

1-2 Tbsps chopped or slivered almonds (I use honey roasted!)
2 Tbsps dried cranberries

Add these ingredients to the bag with blended oatmeal. After cooking, you can add a Tbsp or two of white chocolate chips for a fun festive breakfast (Christmas?).

Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal

2 Tbsps freeze dried or oven dried strawberries (diced up is best)
1 tsp vanilla
cream (alternative creams like coconut are also great!)

Add the strawberries to the bag with the blended oatmeal. After cooking, add to your desired flavor level of cream. YUM!

The sky is the limit on all the flavor combos you can create really. What do you think would be a great addition to the recipe? What would you add to the dry mix and what would you add as a topping after cooking? Let me know!

Here are the links to why today's store bought cereals should be banned from our pantries and breakfast tables:
10 Toxic Kid Cereals To Avoid
Enriched Cereals Full of Metal Filings
What Is Trisodium Phosphate? Why Is It In Cereal?!

A New Species of 8 Legged Freaks

2016-11-28T05:12:00.000-07:00

I recently saw a post on Facebook, informing folks of a new species of arachnid. I immediately thought of a comic strip wherein a common theme occurred during fall. One character would work feverishly to rake up all the leaves in the yard, while the mischievous one would wait until it was all finished, and jump into the middle, scattering the leaves everywhere. So, with no copyright infringement intended, I had to create the scene where knowledge of this eight legged nightmare was revealed and their reaction to this knowledge. Here is my humble submission...

Buttery Hamantaschen

2016-03-26T05:01:00.000-06:00

This recipe comes from blogger Tori Avey who has an amazing blog. I highly suggest you visit and see more wonderful recipes and beautiful pictures!

click here for Tory's Kitchen

Hamantaschen Recipe

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp grated orange zest
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1-5 tsp water (if needed)

You will also need

Large mixing bowl, electric mixer, sifter, pastry scraper, rolling pin, 3-inch cookie cutter or drinking glass with 3-inch diameter rim

Servings: About 35 hamantaschen

Kosher Key: Dairy

Instructions

Slice room temperature butter into small chunks and place in a large mixing bowl.
Add sugar to the bowl. Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar together for a few minutes till light and fluffy.
Add the egg, vanilla, and orange zest to the bowl. Beat again till creamy and well mixed.
Sift flour and salt into the bowl.
Mix with the electric mixer on low speed till a crumbly dough forms.
Begin to knead dough with hands till a smooth dough ball forms. Try not to overwork the dough, only knead till the dough is the right consistency. If the crumbles are too dry to form a smooth dough, add water slowly, 1 teaspoon at a time, using your hands to knead the liquid into the dough. Knead and add liquid until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky to the touch (not sticky), with a consistency that is right for rolling out. It can easily go from the right consistency to too wet/sticky, so add water very slowly. If the dough seems too wet, knead in a little flour till it reaches the right texture.
Form the dough into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 3 hours to overnight.
Before you begin to assemble the hamantaschen, choose and make your filling and have it on hand to work with. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly flour a smooth, clean surface. Unwrap the dough disk and place it on the floured surface. The dough will be very firm after chilling.
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick. At the beginning, it will be tough to roll out-- you may need to pound it a bit. A heavy rolling pin works best. As you roll, cracks may form on the edges of the dough. Repair any large cracks with your fingers and continue rolling.
When the dough reaches 1/4 inch thickness, scrape the dough up with a pastry scraper, lightly reflour the surface, and flip the dough over. Continue rolling the dough out very thin (less than 1/8 of an inch thick). The thinner you roll the dough, the more delicate and crisp the cookies will turn out-- just make sure that the dough is still thick enough to hold the filling and its shape! If you prefer a thicker, more doughy texture to your cookies (less delicate), keep the dough closer to 1/4 inch thick. Lightly flour the rolling pin occasionally to prevent sticking.
Use a 3-inch cookie cutter (not smaller) or the 3-inch rim of a glass to cut circles out of the dough, cutting as many as you can from the dough.
Gather the scraps and roll them out again. Cut circles. Repeat process again if needed until you've cut as many circles as you can from the dough. You should end up with around 35 circles (unless you've kept your dough on the thicker side, which will result in less cookies).
Place a teaspoon of filling (whichever filling you choose) into the center of each circle.

Do not use more than a teaspoon of filling, or you run the risk of your hamantaschen opening and filling spilling out during baking. Cover unused circles with a lightly damp towel to prevent them from drying out while you are filling.

Assemble the hamantaschen in three steps. First, grasp the left side of the circle and fold it towards the center to make a flap that covers the left third of the circle.

Grasp the right side of the circle and fold it towards the center, overlapping the upper part of the left side flap to create a triangular tip at the top of the circle. A small triangle of filling should still be visible in the center.

Grasp the bottom part of the circle and fold it upward to create a third flap and complete the triangle. When you fold this flap up, be sure to tuck the left side of this new flap underneath the left side of the triangle, while letting the right side of this new flap overlap the right side

of the triangle. This way, each side of your triangle has a corner that folds over and a corner that folds under-- it creates a "pinwheel" effect. This method if folding is not only pretty-- it will help to keep the cookies from opening while they bake.

Pinch each corner of the triangle gently but firmly to secure the shape. If any cracks have formed at the places where the dough is creased, use the warmth of your fingers to smooth them out.

Repeat this process for the remaining circles.

When all of your hamantaschen have been filled, place them on a lightly greased baking sheet, evenly spaced.

Place them in the oven and let them bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, till the cookies are cooked through and lightly golden.

Cool the cookies on a wire rack. Store them in a tightly sealed plastic bag or Tupperware.

What Is Purim?

2016-03-26T03:07:00.003-06:00

The Jewish festival of Purim begins at sunset, marking the start of two days of celebration, remembering God's providence in rescuing the Jewish people from the ancient Persian Empire. It has been celebrated each year on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar – which falls on March 23 this year – for over two millenia.

The festival commemorates God saving the Jewish people from a Persian official named Haman.

The story is recorded in the book of Esther, named after the Jewish heroine of the story. In the Biblical account, Haman, the royal vizier to the Persian King Ahasuerus, plans to kill all the Jews in the empire. However his plans are thwarted by two Jews – Mordecai and Esther. Mordecai is the cousin and adoptive father of Esther, who has become Queen of Persia.

Haman's desire to destroy the Jewish people begins when he is insulted by Mordecai refusing to bow to him. He declares that all Jews should be killed, and the King agrees. Meanwhile, Esther – who is married to the King – asks all the Jews to fast for three days.

Esther then arranges a feast to celebrate the end of the fast, inviting both the King and Haman, finally revealing her identity as a Jew. The King – realizing that Haman now wants to kill his wife – says he should be hanged, and the Jews are saved.

God used Esther to thwart Haman's conspiracy. She was a simple, orphaned Jewish girl, but was raised up by God to rescue his people from death.

Isn't Esther the book in the Bible that doesn't mention God's name?

Well yes, if you're reading in English. The answer is not so simple when the book is read in its original Hebrew, however.

Though the name of God is not explicitly mentioned, it can be found in the book of Esther five times through the use of acrostics.

Why acrostics?

There are two potential reasons – one practical, and one more thematic.

1. God's name might not have been overtly mentioned because of the context in which in which Esther was written. Tradition holds that Mordecai wrote the book in Persia, where his direct mention of God would have meant he were persecuted. Instead, he disguised his references to the Lord in acrostics.

2. There are no miracles or obvious examples of God's intervention in the narrative of Esther, yet he is by no means absent from these events. The entire story points to God's sovereignty. The Lord redeems his people through the faith and courage of one strategically placed woman. The lack of direct reference to God or the miraculous teaches that God is present in the seemingly natural, sovereign over all.

Why is Purim celebrated?

To commemorate the Jews' victory over Hamman. It is written in Esther "that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor."

There are three main ways that Jews celebrate Purim.

Shouting in the Synagogue. During the festival the story of Esther is read out twice. During the reading, when Haman's name appears – 54 times – the congregation starts shouting and using special wooden ratchets to drown out his name. This is practiced around the world, apart from by Spanish and Portuguese Jews (the Western Sephardim), who consider it a breach of decorum.

Giving food and money away. One of Purim’s primary themes is Jewish unity. Haman tried to kill all Jews, all were all in danger together, so they celebrate together too. Hence, on Purim day they place special emphasis on caring for the less fortunate.

Give money or food to at least two needy people during the daylight hours of Purim. In case you can’t find any needy people, your synagogue/church will likely be collecting money for this purpose. At least, place two coins in a charity box earmarked for the poor. On Purim, we give a donation to whoever asks; we don’t verify his or her bank balance first.

As with the other mitzvahs of Purim, even small children should fulfill this mitzvah.

Obligatory eating and drinking. Unless you have a good medical reason, every Jew is obliged to eat and drink on Purim. A rabbi named Rava said in the Talmud that one should drink until you can "no longer distinguish between arur Haman (cursed is Haman) and baruch Mordechai (blessed is Mordecai)". The drinking has been taken to different extremes throughout history, some saying it best to drink just a little more than usual and then go to bed, while others say there's no limit.

Hamantaschen Cookies w/Various Fillings

Eating Hamantaschen. Although nowadays you can find hamantaschen filled with practically any type of filling (sweet or savory), the classic hamantash was always filled with poppy seeds. Indeed, the very word “haman” can either refer to the wicked Haman or poppy seeds (mohn), and the Yiddish word“tash” means pocket.

Thus, “hamantaschen” means “poppy-seed-filled pockets.”

This is in line with the classic explanation given in the Code of Jewish Lawfor eating hamantaschen on Purim:

Some say that one should eat a food made out of seeds on Purim in memory of the seeds that Daniel and his friends ate in the house of the king of Babylon, as the verse states, “And he gave them seeds.”

But what in the world does Daniel eating seeds have to do with Purim?

The Talmud explains that Hatach, Queen Esther’s faithful messenger and one of the lesser-known heroes of the Purim story, is a pseudonym for none other than Daniel.

Furthermore, as we read in the Purim story, when Esther was in the king’s palace, she kept her identity secret. The Talmud explains that since the food was non-kosher, she survived on various beans and seeds.

It is in commemoration of both Daniel and Esther that there is a custom to eat beans and seeds on Purim. The way this custom is traditionally observed is by eating pastry pockets, a.k.a. taschen filled with mohn, poppy seeds.

Esther exposing Haman to the King

Based on this reason for eating hamantaschen, whenever the classic halachic sources discuss this custom, specific mention is made of the hamantash being filled with poppy seeds.

In addition to the classic reason for hamantaschen, many other explanations have been offered to explain this custom. Indeed, just about every aspect of this treat is laden with symbolism. Here are some explanations given.

The Weakening of Haman

“Tash” in Hebrew means “weaken.” Thus, the hamantash celebrates the weakening of Haman and our wish that God always save by weakening our enemies.

Hidden Messages

During the Purim story, many Jews did not believe they were going be completely wiped out. Mordechai convinced them of the seriousness of the threat by sending them numerous letters warning them of the impending doom. Afraid to send the letters by conventional routes lest their enemies intercept them, he sent the letters hidden inside pastries. In commemoration of this, pastries are eaten with a filling.

Hidden Sweetness

A well-known insight into the hamantash points to the fact that the filling is hidden inside the dough. In earlier times, Jewish ancestors were accustomed to experiencing open miracles. In a time of exile, openly revealed miracles aren't commonly experienced anymore. Nevertheless, the Purim story shows that this does not mean that we’ve been abandoned. On the contrary, God is ever present. He’s just operating in a behind-the-scenes fashion, just as the filling of the hamantash is hidden within the dough.

Three Corners

While there is an old legend that Haman wore a three-cornered hat, and to commemorate his downfall, a three-cornered pastry is eaten, there is a deeper significance as well.

The Midrash says that when Haman recognized (the merit of) three forefathers, his strength immediately weakened. Because of this, three-cornered pastries are eaten and called “Haman weakeners (tashen).”

Another reason for corners: The Hebrew word for “corner” in Hebrew is“keren,” which literally means “horn,” and can also denote “ray,” “fortune,” or “pride.” Thus, the sages understand the verse, “And all the kerens of the wicked I shall cut down” as referring to Haman, and “Exalted will be thekeren of the righteous” as referring to Mordechai.

If you're interested in the Esther story in more detail by an amazing pastor and storyteller. Then please follow this link to Fresh Life Church and watch the series. Trust me, it is well worth it!

Here is the first video in the series: Velvet and Steel

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My next blog post will be of Hamantaschen cookie recipe (for link, click here).. I wanted to get this post out before Purim, but was simply too busy, so now, I hope my readers will be interested in celebrating this amazing story next year by making Hamantaschen cookies and perhaps considering some of the other traditions of Purim.

Broccoli with Garlic Butter & Cashews

2016-03-20T23:28:00.002-06:00

1 1/2 lbs Broccoli
1/3 C Butter
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tsp White Vinegar
1/4 tsp ground Black Pepper
3 minced Garlic Cloves
1/3 C chopped salted Cashews

Place the broccoli into a large pot with about 1 inch of water in the bottom. Bring to a boil, and cook for 7 minutes, or until tender but still crisp. Drain, and arrange broccoli on a serving platter.

While the broccoli is cooking, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Mix in the brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper and garlic. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Mix in the cashews, and pour the sauce over the broccoli. Enjoy!

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