Peanut Butter Muffins

These are really good and super easy. I just put around 1/2 cup raw baby carrots, a full banana, a dash of applesauce, the peanut butter, and the egg whites in the food processor and pureed them in one fell swoop.

I have a feeling this link won't be available for long, so here's the recipe...


PEANUT BUTTER MUFFINS

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

½ cup natural peanut butter

½ cup carrot puree

½ cup banana puree

2 large egg whites

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper baking cups.

2. In a large bowl, mix ½ cup of the brown sugar with the peanut butter, carrot and banana purees and the egg white, using a wooden spoon.

3. Put the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a separate bowl and mix. Add to the bowl with the peanut butter mixture and stir just to combine (batter will be lumpy). Add the remaining ½ cup of brown sugar and stir once or twice.

4. Divide the batter among the muffin cups and bake until the muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center, 15 to 20 minutes. Turn the muffins out onto a rack to cool.

Apparently this is an adaptation from the cookbook listed in the story. I will have to check it out of the library and give it a looksee.

Quote o' the day

"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met."

Matthew 6:30-33 ("The Message")

Another flashback

Many years ago, when kiddo was probably seven or eight, he incessantly watched television at my home while I worked. The cable was probably the first draw, and I'm sure the food and the lack of screaming and drama in our home was also a plus.

We started to realize that kiddo never laughed at words or signs in cartoons, like the Road Runner. Also, kiddo would stop on commercials like "The Phonics Game" and watch the whole thing rather than abruptly changing the channel like usual. Eventually we realized this bright kid couldn't read, and that Metro would never help him learn to read.

So one day I said "If you're serious about wanting to learn to read, we will help you. But I don't want an answer from you right now. I want you to think about it overnight. Then you can tell me what you want to do."

The next morning kiddo pounded on our door like usual, but when I opened the door they were wearing a shirt and tie. This kid lived in sweats and t-shirts, so this was quite a shock. I still remember the monster trucks all over the little kid tie.

I said "wow, you look nice, why are you so dressed up?"

Kiddo said "I wanted you to know I'm serious."

How could someone not spend tens of thousands on a kid like that. And read he did, and does. At the time his test scores in reading were in the single digits. After two years of the right instruction, he tested average in reading--a 600% increase.

If you teach a smart kid the right way, they can learn. I wish metro tried. But I will never regret the money we've spent on someone else's kid. What an amazing kid.

Hey, are you slow or what?

Ole Chuckie Swindoll had a message that I didn't even completely listen to, because I had heard enough. One day the disciples saw Jesus feed a horde of people (5000?8000? They just counted the men, apparently...hey, us chicks count too!). Then right after that they were in a boat in a storm and Jesus was coming to them on the water, and they were STILL afraid. You would think that after they saw him feed that many people that they would be a little more confident in the storm.

So I don't feel so bad about riding a rollercoaster of trusting, and then not trusting. I guess they did it too. Hopefully I can keep learning to trust.

I don't know what you're doing, God, and often I don't like it, but I still trust you as best I can. Help me with my lack of trust sometimes.

Apricot Almond Muesli

I didn't think I'd like Muesli, as I usually like my cereals really crunchy. But after reading about Muesli in the Mediterrasian Cookbook, I decided it was worth a try. I changed it, of course.

Here's my version:

One whole box of Nature's Path Heritage Flakes. You could use Wheaties if you prefer.

Four cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup diced dried apricots

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped almonds

1/2 cup shredded coconut

Mix it all up in an airtight container. Then when ready to eat, pour some in a bowl, douse it with soy milk to keep that perimenopause gremlin from messing up your day (well, at least for me that does seem to help) and let it soak a little bit before eating. It was actually good, which to me was a big surprise, and it was way easy to make.

Pesto Chicken Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper and Broccoli

This is from the Mediterrasian Cookbook. I can't find the recipe at their site, but it is based on the diets of mediterranean and asian cuisine as the name suggests, making note of the fact that these cultures are usually WAY healthier than ours here in the US and talking about the straightforward and not incredibly difficult changes that we need to make in order to follow this way of dining. I mean, how hard can it be to eat pizza and have it be okay? Alright, the pizza has less cheese and more veggies, and little or no meat, but hey, it's still pizza.

Anyway, I'm putting this on my blog because my hubby really liked it, and I figure any recipe that the hubs likes is worth posting because he usually doesn't like anything that is remotely healthy.

Cook one pound of pasta in boiling water. I used rotini, and I use either whole wheat pasta, or one of the "white" pastas that has extra fiber and protein. I can sneak the latter on the "boys" that eat here and they seem to be none the wiser.

Close to the end of cooking, add four cups of broccoli florets. I just used frozen ones. When both the pasta and broccoli are cooked, drain and return to the pot. Add a jar of roasted red peppers (drained and cut up into small pieces), threeish cups of cut up chicken leftovers or chicken breast pieces (you could just use that chicken in a can if you wanted, or use up what you have left), and pesto (I just used a 10 oz jar of ready made pesto but of course you could make your own).

So darned easy and fast.

Do you want to get well?

A little ditty about John 5. Or read it here in the Message.

What an interesting comment Jesus made. You would think that He would just assume that the person at Bethesda wanted this, surely, but He asks something important. Have we lost hope for things to get better? Obviously with God on our side, the truth is that yes, healing is possible. But our wanting the healing makes a big difference. Here's some good stuff from Ray Stedman...

"What did Jesus say to a man who had lost all hope, a man who had given up on himself? Did he say, "Oh, come on, I'll help you get into the pool the next time the water is troubled"? No, he did not say that. He did not offer that kind of help. He could have, but he did not. Did he say, "Hang on. Keep coming here. Perhaps some day you'll make it in time. Some day it will all work out. Some day you'll be right at the edge of the pool when it's troubled and all you'll have to do is fall in"? No, he did not say that either. Did he say, "Let's at least make you comfortable. Let's get you a new mattress to lie on, put a few flowers around you and bring you two meals a day"? No, he did not. These are the suggestions of men, what we say to people. But Jesus does not say any of those things to people who want to hear from him.

"What does Jesus say, then? Notice carefully his method: First, he asks an impossible thing; secondly, he removes all possibility of a relapse; and thirdly, he expects a continued success. All these are involved in the words,

"Rise, take up your pallet, and walk." And at once the man was healed, and he took up his pallet and walked. {John 5:8b-9a RSV}

"That is a critical clue many miss when they are looking for help from God. There is always something God tells them to believe, and do, and act on. This is a word of action. Jesus does not say, "Try to build up faith in your mind. Try to fasten your thoughts on this or that." He tells them to do something: "Rise! Stand up!" Obviously it was Jesus' will that this man should do what he told him to do, and the moment the man's will agreed with the Lord's will the power was there. I do not know whether he felt anything or not. All I know is that strength came into his bones and into his muscles and he could stand. He knew he could stand, and he did."

I saw a very strange couple on Dr. Phil the other day. Yeah, Dr. Phil really rubs me the wrong way but the premise was interesting and for a while there, I thought the guy was an old boyfriend of mine from years ago...looked just like him and shared his name, Minnesota accent, everything. The couple had around seven kids, both were college educated, but neither worked, and were expecting to be foreclosed on any day. The guy was just full of excuses and kept saying that God would provide for them. Yeah, maybe, but are you doing what He is telling you to do? Doubt it. Sorry to be so crass, but when kids are involved, I get pretty "mama bear" about it all. Pray like it depends on God, work like it depends on you? Perhaps that is a summary of all this.

That guy needed to be part of the solution. Yeah, God could just drop a healing on someone, but our action in the midst of the pain shows that we trust Him and are willing to obey. I want to be a grown up, mature child of God and my actions can show my trust or lack thereof. I want to show I still trust Him even when things totally suck, as they have. I want to also acknowledge the good stuff going on too. These are small changes, but maybe more profound than I realize. I hope they are.

At any rate, I got some good encouragement from this passage to keep fighting for healing and working as hard as possible to get better, and be productive in whatever way that means. I want to seek the productivity God wants for me and pursue that. I don't want to be a people pleaser, I want to please God. Learning a lot about that along the way. Surely burning myself out caring for others because I didn't think I was worth caring for is not what God wants. I'm a slow learner, but the good thing is that I'm learning, so I'm encouraged about that.

Oh! One more thing!

Silly me, I thought Bev had mistakenly left a pin in the lovely craft/sewing case she sent me. Au contraire. It held this. Here is an action shot, commemorating the team that will surely go down in the national rankings this week... ;-)

Goodness gracious, bee lady, thou art kind. Your kindness resonates with me deeply, and comes at a time when we have had many struggles so it's particularly lovely! Thanks.

Lookie lookie at this beautiful stuff from the empress of creativity

Bev had a giveaway on her blog. Little old me was the recipient of some very, very nice stuff. You're going to want this, I'll bet she has some for sale on her etsy. Don't you think her combination of different fabrics is just over the moon? Well, I do! :-)

Those cuddly cat web sites have nothing on our felines

Our little meows can compete any day! :-)

Quote o' the Day

There's far more to this life than trusting in Christ. There's also suffering for him. And the suffering is as much a gift as the trusting.

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Receive and experience the amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, deep, deep within yourselves.

--various verses from "The Message", Philippians

Quote o' the day

Calamity is the perfect glass wherein we truly see and know ourselves.
William Davenant