Muffin Madness

It's been a long time since I've spent all day in the kitchen baking for fun! Today has been a blast! I had a pantry and fridge full of random ingredients to use up and four hungry kids that are always begging for a snack. So I pulled out my favorite Better Homes and Garden Cookbook (circa 1996) and got creative with the basic muffin recipe to make healthy and delicious muffins. I tried four different interesting flavor combinations, outside my comfort zone, and to my pleasant surprise my kids loved them:
Banana Coconut, Cherry Cheese, Lemon Fig, and Orange Coconut Plum

Here's my revised basic muffin recipe:
Mix:
1 Tablespoon flaxseed meal with 3 Tablespoons water (this replaces the egg in the recipe)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup cooking oil
Add fruits/flavors (see my list below)

Add to wet mixture:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons wheat germ

Mix well. Spoon into paper baking cups (or greased muffin tins). Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Remove from pan, let cool at least 5 minutes. Enjoy!!

Flavor combinations that I tried today:
Banana Coconut: 1 mashed banana, 1/4 cup shredded coconut
Cherry Cheese: 3/4 cup chopped cherries (I used thawed frozen cherries), 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (next time I will probably use shredded cheddar)
Lemon Fig: 2 drops Lemon Essential Oil (or 1 teaspoon lemon extract), 1/4 cup fig jam
Orange Coconut Plum: 2 drops Orange Essential Oil (or 1 teaspoon orange extract), 1/4 cup shredded coconut, 1/4 cup plum jelly

Book Review: Since You've Been Gone

Since You've Been Gone is a  fast-paced, intense story,  where author Mary Jennifer Payne deals with hard teen issues like bullying and abuse in a realistic way. Fifteen year old Edie moves with her mother to London to escape an abusive father.  Her mother promises that this move will be different, a place they can be safe, but that dream is shattered when Edie's mother disappears. Too scared to go to the police, Edie and her unlikely friend are determine to solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance.

Although I felt like the story had an abrupt ending and wrapped up too quickly, it was entertaining and kept my interest throughout the entire plot line. The main characters were well developed - I didn't always understand why Edie acted the way she did, but her background explains a lot of her irrational decisions. I also appreciate how the author dealt with difficult teen issues without being overly graphic or inappropriate for teen readers. This would be a good book for high school students who like thriller/mystery fiction.

*Special thanks to Dundurn through Netgalley.com for sharing this book in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Book Review: Ordinary: How to Turn the World Upside Down

I have known many people who struggled with the balance between social justice and theological understanding for the Christian life. There are churches and Christians that only focus on good deeds toward those in need and still others whose main focus is gaining intellectual knowledge of the Bible.

Tony Merida answers this dilemma in his book Ordinary: How to Turn the World Upside Down. By using gospel-centered, sound doctrine, Merida motivates his readers to pursue "mercy ministry" as a way of life for every believer.

Merida argues that loving our neighbors like the "Good Samaritan" is not just for the "Super-Christians," but should be a regular part of every Christian's life. "Most gospel ministry involves ordinary people doing ordinary things with gospel intentionality." (p. 52)

With a right and deep understanding of the gospel - our salvation, our adoption, and our advocate, Jesus - we should be motivated to follow our Savior's example of mercy ministry to love, show hospitality, and care for the orphans, widows and vulnerable people around us.

Merida does a wonderful job of making the truth of Scripture on this subject very practical with many options of involvement. He doesn't call everyone to adopt an orphan or volunteer at a shelter, but he does challenge every reader to prayerfully consider these and many other options of being involved in gospel-ministry by serving those in need.

It is easy, after reading a book like this, to want to be involved in everything to change the word. But as Merida suggests to his readers, I will prayerfully consider which specific mercy ministry I can focus on to incorporate in my daily life to love others like Christ has loved me.

P.S. Lifeway currently has this book on sale for $5
Buy Me Now

*Special thanks to B&H Publishing through Cross Focused Reviews for providing this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

#20minute Challenge

I always have high hopes when a new year rolls around. I like to pick a theme for each year to grow and mature in my walk with Christ. I like to set goals and resolutions to improve my quality of life. I want to share these things with you, knowing only by the grace of God and hopefully with the accountability of others, will I resolve to actually do these things! So I hope you will encourage me to not give up and keep going on these things and share what your goals are so I can encourage you!

2015 Theme: Kindness to Others Leaves Little Room for Selfishness
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness,and to walk humbly with your God?      Micah 6:8 (ESV)

2015 Personal Goals & Resolutions:
1. More Healthy Eating (I would say lose weight, exercise more, cut out sugar - which are also in the plans, but let's be honest, my eating habits are really the most important point here.  I plan to post menus again - healthier ones.)

2. Declutter!! (This is always an on-going project - somehow we keep getting more stuff - but I plan to be more intentional about it - more on that later.)

3. Write Daily (If I really want a presence in the blog world and to be a published author - I have to make my writing a higher priority and not just when I find time to do it.)

4. Make time for Hobbies (One of my favorites is scrapbooking/card making - I have a corner full of supplies begging me to come play. I plan to share how I use my hobbies to bless others.)

5.  More Reading (Some may say it goes under hobbies, but for me, reading is it's own category. My reading list is forever long and those books are also calling my name. Besides, several books currently on my reading list help me learn to accomplish these other goals...so it's a win, win.)

6. Play with my Kids (When you're a homeschool mom and you are with your kids all day, everyday, it's easy to get wrapped up in the business of being teacher-mom and forgetting to just spend time listening and playing and going at their speed - we all need more playtime.)


How to I plan to accomplish these goals? I'm calling it T Time's  #20minute Challenge.

I will spend 20 minutes every day on each of these 6 goals - that's only 2 hours of my day - focused, purposeful, intentional - on accomplishing the things that always end up at the bottom of the to-do list labeled "When I have time".

What goals or plans do you have for 2015? Will you pledge to spend 20 minutes a day working on it with me? Share with me what your #20minute Challenge is and we can encourage one another!

Book Review: Nest

With rich characters and a solid plot-line, Nest, by Esther Ehrlich should be be an instant classroom classic. Set in the early 1970's, Nest narrates the life of 12-year old, Naomi "Chirp" Orenstein, her neighbor Joey, and the ups and downs of life on the coast of Cape Cod.

Esther Ehrlich's experience as an oral historian serves her well in her writing, as I can almost hear her the telling the story with the beautiful rhythm and language she uses. This book is a wonderful example of an author staying in character within the perspective of this young girl. Ehrlich clearly shows that she understands how a young girl thinks that her thoughts and actions affect the outcome of situations. Chirp's whole world revolves around how she feels about the what's going on around her, which is so true of girls at that age.

The book also addresses difficult mental health issues in a real and honest way, as Chirp's mother suffers and Chirp tries to control the stability of her family. Staying true to the setting, Ehrlich reminds us that during the '70's, family matters were kept quiet, adults were respected, and childhood seemed unending; things today's social-media teens don't really understand.

This is a memorable novel that every middle-grade student should read, with unforgettable characters that makes family and friendships real and powerful.



*Special thanks to Random House Children's Books through Netgalley.com for sharing this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Music Review: His Kids United Christmas

Usually we don't listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving, so my kids all moaned as I turned on  the His Kids United Christmas album at the beginning of November. But, they were all pleasantly surprised as the music was fun and energetic. Here are their thoughts on this debut album:

My 13 year old daughter thought that the songs had a good beat and were pretty cool for kids' music.

My 7 and 8 year olds enjoyed dancing and singing along to some of their favorite Christmas classics as well as some new tunes.

The 4 years old was the most impressed and said, "Mommy, I love those songs. Can you play them again?"

As a mom, I was very pleased with what I heard. The songs were a good mix of classics and original songs from the group. There was also a good blend of upbeat songs and slower ballads. But, most of all the true message of Christmas, Christ's coming to redeem His people, was the main message of the album.

In forming the group, executive producer Jimmy Swan said, "Our mission with this series is to give kids an opportunity to be encouraged, inspired and drawn to the Lord through the powerful tool of music, and give them something to relate to."

I also love that all the proceeds of His Kids United Christmas (Volume 1) CDs benefit the Dallas Neighborhood Art & Music School where all of the tracks are recorded and produced.

This album is a great addition to our Christmas collection. I hope it will be for yours too!

Would you like a free sample?? Follow this link for a free download of Hark the Herald Angels Sing:
http://emailunlock.com/hiskidsunited/hark-the-herald-angels-sing


Special thanks to Cross Focused Reviews for providing this album in exchange for my honest opinion.

Book Review: The Stories We Tell

What do Dexter, Pulp Fiction and Honey Boo Boo have in common? They all fill our desire for entertainment while, also revealing our need for redemption.

By examining movies and television, Mike Cosper demonstrates that every story we tell is longing for the truth of the gospel in his new book, The Stories We Tell.

Cosper goes into great detail of certain characters and plots from movies and TV shows, revealing how each one points to one of the four main gospel implications: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consummation.

I love what Tim Keller says in the foreword, "Mike's book will help readers learn to put the gospel on like a pair of glasses in order to see the good, the bad, and the ugly in our culture more clearly...seeing God's story in the stories we tell today - will be a way for us to deepen our own understanding of and joy in the gospel we believe." I completely agree! After reading this book, I now watch TV and movies in a new way. Instead of just enjoying the entertainment of the story, I'm watching and looking for the storyline of the gospel - to see how characters are looking to redeem themselves or how a plot reveals our sinful hearts. (Please note, our stories are not the gospel, as some people like to think - if there is no mention of Jesus, it can't possibly be a complete telling of the gospel. Stories simply point us to different aspects/implications of the ultimate story, God's redemption of mankind through Jesus Christ.)

Cosper recognizes that "we tell stories because we're broken creatures hungering for redemption." Everything from fairy tales, murder mysteries, bedtime stories to horror movies are pointing out someone's mistake or looking for a solution to sin problem. Even if the authors and screenwriters don't recognize the spiritual nature of their tales, all stories reveal the heart's longing for the gospel. In the final chapter, Cosper says, "I've intentionally tried to view the stories in this book in the light of the gospel, treating their characters, plots, and images as signposts for a truth that the writers, directors, and actors might not even be aware of, but that we all nonetheless, long for."

*Special thanks to Crossway through Netgalley.com for sharing this book in exchange for my honest opinion.