Whole Wheat Waffles

This is a good, healthy recipe for someone who doesn't have a lot of time to eat in the morning and it's also a good breakfast for babies and toddlers, which is what I make them for.  The boys can feed it to themselves so that's helpful to me.  : )  Every couple of weeks I make 2 batches full, freeze them and warm them up in the toaster when ready to eat. 

Whisk together 1 1/2 c of whole wheat flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 Tbls. sugar.  In another bowl whisk together 1 egg, 1 1/2 c. lukewarm milk, 1/3 c. melted butter, 1 tsp. vanilla extract.  Then whisk the wet and dry ingredients together.  Add any fruit that you like if you want.  I added blueberries the last time I made them and they turned out great.  Note: batter will be running but that's okay.  Cook in the waffle iron for about 6 minutes.  I serve them to the boys just plain; no butter or syrup and they enjoy them that way, but I'm sure most people would want to add those items.  Give them a try!

Watch out, Olive Garden!!

This is my version of Olive Garden's soup Zupa Toscana.  I had some white beans and ditalini instead of potatoes so I used those instead.  This soup is very easy to make and extremely tasty!

First cook up one pound of italian sausage.  Then saute half an onion and two cloves of minced garlic in some olive oil in a big pot.  After the onions have sweated out I added 10 cups of water and 5 chicken bouillion cubes and brought it to a boil.  I then added 4 or 5 handfuls of ditalini which is a short cut pasta(elbow macaroni would probably work too) and cooked it for 10 minutes. Then I added 2 cans of white beans, the sausage, one bundle of kale torn to bite-sized pieces,  and one cup of heavy whipping cream.  Let it sit for about 10 minutes and salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy!

My Cup Overflows

I came from a broken, dysfunctional family.  Statistically I should be an unwed mother on welfare.  But God in His love and mercy, called me out of darkness and into His wonderful light.  My testimony isn't anything flashy, but it's mine.  I had two best friends in middle school who loved me and prayed for me.  I asked Jesus into my heart at 14 and was baptized months later.  From then until now is a long story, but mainly I want to talk about how God has made my life abundant even though I don't deserve it, and this abundant life is for everyone.  I think most girls, as they're growing up, have a picture in their head of what their life will be like in the future; what kind of husband they want, how many children they'll have and what kind of home you'll live in.  I'm sure I did, though I don't remember giving it much thought.  I don't suppose I had much hope seeing the kinds of things I'd seen.  But as time goes on, I'm seeing more and more how God has blessed my obedience to Him with "a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over."  I have the best husband in the world for me.  He is also a great dad, provider, and treats me how I've always wanted to be treated.  God not only gave me the desire of my heart concerning the characteristics of my husband, He exceded it!  When I was a teenager, twin boys were something I wanted one day when I got married.  And while I didn't have twins, I have two sons that are 13 months apart, so it's close enough!  Again, God gave me the desire of my heart, and then exceded it.  What a great God we have!  Trust in Him and be obedient to His word and He will give you the desires of your heart and then some!     

Tomato Cauliflower Bake

This is another good vegetarian meal/side I found on allrecipes.com  If you've never heard of allrecipes.com, it's a good website to use because if you have an ingredient or two and you need ideas on what to do with them, you can type in those ingredients and they will tell you all kinds of recipes that you can make with those ingredients.  All you need for this recipe is cauliflower, romas, swiss cheese, butter, salt, and pepper.  Heat your oven to 350 degrees.  Cook the cauliflower in the microwave with a little bit of water for about 5 minutes or until firm.  Put the cauliflower in a casserole dish with a little bit of butter, a little salt, and some pepper.  Then top with sliced tomotoes and cheese.  Bake for about 20 minutes.  I use a lot less butter and salt but of course the more you add the better it tastes.  : )  It would probably be good with garlic powder and oregano too.  Give it a try!

Chapter 2: The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven -Matthew 5:3
"The way to deeper knowledge of God is through the lonely valleys of soul poverty and abnegation of all things.  The blessed ones who possess the Kingdom are they who have repudiated every external thing and have rooted from their hearts all sense of possessing.  These are the "poor in spirit."  They have reached an inward state paralleling the outward circumstances of the common beggar in the streets of Jerusalem; that is what the word "poor" as Christ used it actually mean.  These blessed poor are no longer slaves to the tyranny of things.  They have broken the yoke of the oppressor; and this they have done not by fighting but by surrendering.  Though free from all sense of possessing, they yet possess all things.  "Theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Chapter 1: Following Hard After God

I've started reading A. W. Tozer's "The Pursuit of God."  There is some good stuff in it and I'll be sharing periodically!  Here is an excerpt from chapter one:
Everything is made to center upon the initial act of "accepting" Christ (a term, incidentally, which is not found in the Bible) and we are not expected thereafter to crave any further revelation of God to our souls.  We have been snared in the coils of a spurious logic which insists that if we have found Him we need no more seek Him...The stiff and wooden quality about our religious lives is a result of our lack of holy desire.  Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth.  Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people.  He waits to be wanted.  Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very lon, in vain.  Every age has its own characteristics.  Right now we are in an age of religious complexity.  The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us.  In its stead are programs, methods, organizations and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. 

Eat Your Veggies!

Who would have thought that I would become a border-line vegetarian?  But these last few months I've decided to give it a try for my health.  And it's worked out great.  I still eat meat on occasion, but I don't miss meat at all and I can live without it just fine.  Most vegetarian recipes I make myself but I tried this Dole Salad Kit and it was so good I had to share it.  It is spinach, dried cherries, sliced almonds, bleu cheese crumbles, and white balsamic vinegar dressing.  Very tasty, give it a try!