A Sweet and Savory Morning

Due to my diligence (by God's grace), I had partially prepared my granola recipe and was ready to mix it up this morning.  After my plain cinnamon granola (Danny likes it that way) was in the oven, I realized I had used olive oil instead of coconut oil in the recipe.  Grr.  Just a little difference in taste, but I'm a perfectionist.

So I went ahead and created a brand new gourmet granola recipe, adding coconut flakes and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) that I had bought from Becki's co-op.  I borrowed a few ideas from others' recipes, and I have to say, the end result was the best-tasting granola I've ever made!  Now I must write my new recipe down and include it in my special cookbook (that is the subject of a future post!).

Then, since I had harvested the basil and parsley from my garden this morning, I prepared those and chopped them up for the freezer.  The herbs are a lot of work--picking leaves off of stems is tedious--but once the jars of chopped herbs are in the freezer, I experience a wonderful sense of satisfaction, plus thankfulness that the Lord, once again, has provided for my family.

Now it's back to preparing for vacation.  :)

Doesn't Everybody...?

We're preparing for an upcoming vacation.  We're going to be gone for a while, so there's a lot to be done.  And doesn't everybody can jalapeños right before leaving on a long road trip??  Oh.  Well, okay, maybe I'm a bit different than others.

There is an actual Biblical lesson in this, y'know!  Let me quote a verse or two:

"So this I say, and affirm together with the LORD,

that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk,

in the futility of their mind,

being darkened in their understanding,

excluded from the life of God

because of the ignorance that is within them,

because of the hardness of their heart..."

Ephesians 4:17-18 NASB (emphasis mine)

I'm sure not many women prepare for vacation by canning vegetables or fruits.  But it was an item on my list, and now it is done.  I don't do many things that other women do, simply because I am a Christian woman.  I have laid aside my old self, and have put on the new self, which has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."  (Eph. 4:22-24)

Obviously, now, I'm not perfect.  But my heart's desire is that I would peer intently into the Scriptures and ask myself, "Is my life lining up with His Word?  What is the will of the Lord in this area?"  And then, oh that I would turn around and walk in that truth, in whatever area--wifely realm, discipling children, home business, modesty, education, etc.  I hope that I don't do things simply because everybody is doing them.  I want to live my daily life in the way I do because the Lord wants me to do it.

The world behind me, the cross before me...

No turning back!

Love,

Christine,

who is listening to Jacob play I Surrender All on his harmonica   :)

and who is happy about all those jars of jalapeños to put up/sell in the future   :D

What's For Breakfast??

It's difficult, now that the boys are older, when they come knocking at my bedroom door and asking, "What's for breakfast?"  My usual response is, "You know where the kitchen is; knock yourself out!"  Actually, I make breakfast on a regular basis, and I reserve that particular response for their non-meal hunger attacks.

So, when 19yo Jacob asked the question this morning, he was blessed in that I had just finished re-organizing my new and improved cookbook.  I spent two days de-cluttering my two three-ring binders, combining them into one wonderful binder.  I trashed a two-inch stack of recipes I'd never used, grew out of, or which were too similar to existing recipes.  The practical side of me decided--a girl can have only so many recipes!  (Picture of cookbook to come, probably after vacation...)

Since I had just scrutinized all my recipes, I knew there was a new one I'd stuck in the "Breakfasts" section that I wanted to try.  Jacob and I whipped up these (two) baked apple pancakes.  The recipe suggested serving slices drizzled with syrup, but seriously, plain was perfect.  Please wipe the drool off your keyboard.  :)