LoL - I LOVE it!
I was seriously craving brownies tonight, so I decided to try this recipe (with a few minor changes - denoted in GREEN) ... and OMW! They were*So* delicious!!Ingredients
- 1/4 cup applesauce (I used homemade, which was already slightly sweetened)
- 3/4 cup white sugar (For a healthier alternative, I used 1/3 cup honey + 1½Tbs of sugar)
- 2 egg whites (I used flax... 1¾ Tbs + 5 Tbs water)
- 1/4 cup butter, melted (this can be interchanged with oil, if you wish)
- 1/4 cup buttermilk (If you don't have buttermilk, you can always use ¼ milk + ¼ tsp vinegar or lemon juice...)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon coffee flavored extract (I actually used coffee grounds, & it worked fine)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I omitted this, and doubled the whole wheat flour)
- 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional - I used mini chocolate chips)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional - I didn't do this!)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Grease an 8x8 inch square pan.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the applesauce, white sugar (honey/sugar), egg whites (flax), and butter until smooth. Mix in the buttermilk, vanilla extract and coffee.
- In a separate bowl, combine the cocoa, flours, baking powder and salt;
- Combine into the sugar mixture, just until incorporated.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the brownies look like they are pulling away from the sides.
- Cool, and cut into squares.
"Watch what you say: for you never know who is listening."I know, I know... it's one thing to say... it's another, to actually do. Matter of fact, it's can even be quite easy to emulate & adhere to, when you are out & about under other people's watchful eye.... But what about when you're at home? It is said: "Character is what we do when no one is watching." - Do your attitudes & character differ between one or the other, just because "no one" is watching? Do you treat your children, spouse, parents, siblings with the same respect at home as you do when you're not. Just something to think about....
As KB and I settle in to eat lunch, I suddenly notice my phone's display blinking. "That's odd!" I think to myself.... so I set in to do some investigative work. Then it hits me! about 5 mins 7 secs previous, KB had been holding my phone... and in pressing buttons, apparently called someone in my contacts. Then I started thinking... what did that person hear in those 5+ mins? Sometime in there, may have been when KB was begging me a bite of lunch.... as I tried to stall her until the food cooled down, did I let myself get at all irritated towards her? Did B ask me anything during that time? How was my attitude with him? Wow.... though I know the person on the other line is a very understanding & forgiving person (thankfully!)... the sudden realization of what was & (even worse), could have been heard, was very humbling...
We also possibly, have another funeral to go to, later in the week/weekend. It's for an evangelist friend of my husband's family... (Ok people!! I know they say these things come in threes... but *please* no one else die to make that true, and our week busier... k???)
"Be Still, My Soul"
by Catharina von Schlegel, 1697-?
Translated by Jane Borthwick, 1813-18971. Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly, Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.2. Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.3. Be still, my soul, though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay
From His own fulness all He takes away.4. Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
One of my dearest & closest friends, is getting married.... and I am going to be a bridesmaid! She just asked me tonight!! I am SOO excited!
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (or canned pumpkin)
- 1 cup buttermilk or yogurt (I actually used vanilla yogurt)
- 1/3 cup melted
margarine(I used butter or coconut oil, of course!)- 1/2 cup white sugar (I used honey, and did a little less than a 1/3 cup, as the yogurt was slightly sweetened, and I wasn't looking for a very sweet muffin)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 medium eggs (or 1 Tbs flax + 3 Tbs water, ground together = one egg)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
Instructions:Get out a big bowl. Scrape the pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin into the bowl. Add the buttermilk, margarine, sugars, vanilla, eggs, salt and cinnamon. Use your whisk to work everything together until it is well blended. Add the baking soda and flour. Mix again, stirring only until the flour is moistened. Be careful not to over beat, muffin batter should be lumpy. Spoon the batter into well oiled muffin cups. Bake at 350° for about 25 minutes (12 mins for mini-muffins).This recipe makes about 18 muffins. (40 mini-muffins)
And at this moment, DH is in the process of juicing carrots for us! (yum!)
Praying... DH's interview goes well on Thursday.
Stop Global Whining
The Right Brothers
written by Frank Highland and Aaron Sain
There's a crisis on the planet
It's heated up almost a whole degree
It hasn't been this hot in a long time
Not since the 16th Century
When there were no evil SUVs
(Chorus)
Stop Global Whining
It's up to you
The earth's been heating up and cooling back down
Since the day it started spinning 'round and 'round
Stop Global Whining
Get your head out of the clouds
His name is Al Gore, yeah he's a loser
He says the blame falls on me and you
He flies around in a private jet
While he tries to sell an inconvenient "truth"
Hey Al here's something you can do
(Repeat Chorus)
Maybe you should shut up Al
Cause every time you talk you're filling up the air
With carbon dioxide too
So if you really think that we'll become extinct
The best thing that you can do is
(Repeat Chorus)
Stop Global Whining
It's up to you
Stop Global Whining
I'm sick and tired of hearing you
© 2006 Friday Group Music (ASCAP) & PoolGuy Music (ASCAP)
All Rights Reserved / International Copyright Secured
I LOVE this saying!!
DH was home *all* day... so after stopping in to Best Buy to make a return & check on the job application B put in earlier today.... we spent a good part of the afternoon walking around Barnes & Noble, drinking our coffee (I love coffee!!), and looking at all the fun books. With Christmas coming up quickly, the economy being as it is.... a lot of people seem to be looking for frugal alternatives for Christmas gifts this year. I am especially intrigued by how many people are considering making homemade gifts... which was apparent by all the neat crafty books! Not knowing myself, what I was going to do for KB for Christmas... and not really wanting to get more toys for KB (esp not battery-eating, plastic ones - we're trying to stick to the "simple is better" thing)... I found myself leaning towards also making something. But what? Then I found it, in this book....
Sock and Glove: Creating Charming Softy Friends
So then I had my idea... what if I made a few of these little birds... and then buy Heather (my wonderful crafty sister) some brown yarn to knit or crochet a "bird's nest"?? So that's my idea... what do you think??
Now all I have to do is get the book [oh*twist*my*arm!]... find some red socks... and then figure out something I can do for my hubby!!! -- I am SO excited!!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground turkey
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- Garlic powder
- 1 can cream soup (recipe calls for cream of potato, but I used Onion or mushroom, and it was just as good!)
- 1 small bag frozen mixed vegetables
- Mashed potatoes (enough to cover a 9 x 13 pan)
- Grated Cheese (cheddar, colby, jack… your choice)
Instructions:
Brown turkey on stove top, add onions during the last 3 minutes of cooking, I also season with some garlic powder. Mix turkey and onions with the cream soup. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick, then spread the turkey mixture in the bottom of the pan. Then layer the corn on top of the turkey, finally spread the mashed potatoes on top of the corn. Bake covered for about 25 minutes @ 350 degrees. During the last 5 minutes of cooking uncover the casserole and sprinkle with grated cheese.
One of the Forums I frequent, recently asked us to fill out this survey....1. Do you recycle? Yes! Anything & everything I can!
2. Do you do anything to reduce the amount of waste you and your family produces? How about reducing the amount of resources you use? I hardly run the lights during the day, and try to keep things turned off as much as possible.... Have changed most of our light bulbs to Compact Fluorescent... Hang some stuff on the clothesline as an alternative to running the dryer.... Use reusable grocery bags... Clean using natural ingredients like vinegar, baking soda, etc... EC & cloth diaper (also make/use reusable wipes)... Donate/FreeCycle to pass on items we no longer use or need... Have/use an water ionizer instead of buying bottled water... Reuse glass jars & bottles for drinking & storing water... Buy my clothing second hand... instead of getting my license, I either walk, carpool or just don't go... (I also just got a bike & trailer, so now I can get around that way, too!).... and we hardly use paper towels any more (only for dog/poop messes!)... next to never use paper plates. (we still do use some napkins - but I want to buy some cloth & make some reusable ones - paper is just so convenient!!)....
3. Do you reuse anything to save money or waste? We have reusable grocery bags... we have a reusable coffee filter, instead of using the paper ones... we reuse glass jars & bottles for drinking & storing water.... and I try to use tupperware-type of storage, instead of plastic bags/foil/etc., as much as possible!
4. What is your ecological footprint? Do you think it has changed for the better in the last year? Don't know what it is, but I know it's changed for the better!
5. What kind of impact do you feel the "reduce, reuse, recycle" philosophy has on our lives, if any? On my life, personally, or society in general?? Society in general has become disturbingly blasé about it... but is starting to become a little more aware, as this whole "going green" movement has come about. - Personally, I feel it encourages us to be more prudent & economical with the resources of which we are blessed to have!
I just found out about this company that sell Organic candy! The company is called Pure Fun Organic Candy... it's products are made exclusively in Canada and the US... and have built a fine reputation for what is NOT found in their candy: NO Gluten, NO GMO'S, NO FD&C Colors, NO Casein, NO Dairy, NO artificial flavors, NO dyes, NO Synthetics, NO Pesticides, NO preservatives…nothing but Pure Fun. BUT they do have good stuff IN them to: organic cane juice, organic brown rice syrup, and natural colors derived from great stuff like red beet concentrate, alfalfa extract, red cabbage, annatto, and other yummy fruits and vegetables.They come in many different flavors and candy types….fruit rocks, pure pops, fruit pinwheels, citrus slices, chocolate meltdowns, candy canes, and root beer barrels, to name a few.I wouldn't give any to KB yet... but it's good to know it exists for if I ever want an alternative, away from all the the high fructose corn syrups, coloring, preservatives, etc.
