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Sugar Cookies ~ the Whole Wheat, Low Sugar, Super Delicious Way

September 3, 2015 by Laura 15 Comments

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Easy (Low) Sugar Cookies

I tinkered with my old sugar cookie recipe and cut the sugar from 1 1/2 cups down to just 1/2 cup. I personally think it could be cut even more, but that’s because I am weird about sweetness levels now. I’m the one who thinks coffee is sweet when it has only cream stirred into it. It looks so creamy delicious, and I say things like “mmm it is so sweet and good” while I’m sipping it, so my people keep trying it thinking that maybe this time I really mean it. I mean, I do mean it – why would I lie? It’s sweet. But then they take a sip and they make faces and say, “Eww that is so not sweet, what are you even talking about?” This is how I never have to share my coffee.

Now sharing these cookies is a different story. Everyone loves these lightly sweetened jewels. The butter makes them flaky good. This will be my new go-to sugar cookie recipe at all holidays, special events, and uneventful Wednesdays when the mood strikes.

Note about the sugar: Most of the time I use sucanat because it is sugar with some nutrients left behind. For occasional recipes when I’d like to avoid the product turning out too dark brown, I pull out some organic raw sugar. It’s only barely better than white sugar, but we’re going light on the sugar here so I don’t throw a fit about this.

Sugar Cookies the Healthier WayYum

4.0 from 1 reviews

Sugar Cookies ~ the Whole Wheat, Low Sugar, Super Delicious Way

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Author: Laura

Serves: 20-30

Ingredients

1 cup melted butter
½ cup sucanat or raw sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
3½ cups of whole wheat flour (give or take)

Instructions

Stir together melted butter and sugar.
Add eggs, vanilla, and baking powder.
Stir in flour until a solid ball of dough forms.
Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to chill for about an hour.
Roll chilled dough on a well-floured surface and thin or thick as you like.
Cut with cookie cutters and place them about a half inch apart on a baking sheet.
Bake in a 350° oven for about 12 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.
Makes 20-30 cookies depending on the thickness and size.

sugar cookies 4

Notice the little round piece of squished circle dough, ready to be baked along with the pumpkin-shaped cookies. It is a part of the “No Cookie Left Behind” program. It’s what you do when your remaining dough isn’t big enough to shape.

Frost these cookies if you like, but then they fall out of the Low Sugar category. We find these to be perfect as they are, and some of us love to eat them with our coffee that is sweetened only with cream.

It’s almost cookie rolling, cutting, and baking season – so I can’t wait to hear what you think about these! (We’re on our third batch already. I may have failed to mention to my kids that I cut down the sugar in this recipe. Do not tell.)

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Look What I Just Found to Go With the Pancake Muffin Idea!

September 3, 2015 by Laura 10 Comments

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Some have asked where I got the pan that turned out my cute Pancake Muffins. Oh, I replied with the back of my hand resting on my forehead, I used a regular muffin pan, then I carefully hand-carved each of them to become a flower.

Easy Pancake Muffins

Yeah, right.

How to make a cute pancake muffin

I used silicone baking cups I had received from Demarle as a review product several years ago. That’s when I learned how fun and easy silicone is to work with. I’ve done the research on silicone, and as long as it is BPA free, I trust it to be safe to use. Wow are they ever easy. I love them.

I looked on Amazon to see if I could find something similar at a lower cost. Not only did I find some flowers here – they are at a much lower cost.

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You just set these cups on a baking sheet, fill them, and bake as normal. The muffins pop right out and you can just rinse out the cups or throw them into the dishwasher.

After I found the flowers, I was curious if they had any friends. Oh yes. They do.

Hearts

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12 regular Muffin Rounds together with a set of 12 Stars – the best deal of all of these since this one comes with 24 altogether!

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And oh my goodness…Bears!

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Our regular muffins and Pancake Muffins turn into works of art. It is too easy.

Take note that the coupon is not available on all these sets, but some of them are priced lower than the sets with coupon anyway. Sweet! Have fun impressing everyone with your beautiful baking skills, while you spend very little time cleaning up after your brilliant self.

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Busy Morning Breakfasts That Can Be Made Ahead of Time

September 2, 2015 by Laura 11 Comments

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I am so messed up on breakfasts right now. Our second son started taking a college class on MWF and he has to be on campus at 8:00. Color me late to this “get your kids out the door for school on time” game, but well, that’s exactly what I am. We work from home and we’ve home-schooled forever, so getting out the door to church with combed hair on Sundays has been our only morning schedule struggle. On school days, we usually eat while beginning our Bible time and school time in our jammies a few minutes after we wake the kids. Now, if you can possibly imagine, I must actually be dressed and have breakfast on the table by 7:20.

Yes, I’m sure most of you can possibly imagine, and many of you are thinking, “Really, girl? 7:20 am is practically mid-afternoon at our house.” God bless all of you early morning head-out-the-door-to-work-and-school friends. I have some recipes to share with you. We shall all eat well together…at whatever time each of us considers to be early.

Busy Morning Breakfasts That Can Be Made Ahead of Time

Yum

Busy Morning Breakfasts That Can Be Made Ahead of Time

My goal this week was to prep breakfast foods and put them into the freezer so that I’ll be perfectly organized and never have to think again. Scratch that. My goal this week is simply to prep some breakfast foods and put them in the freezer. I’ll never be perfectly organized and in typical mom-life fashion, I found myself having to think straight and answer difficult questions like “are my soccer socks clean?” just a few minutes ago.

Here are my favorite breakfast foods to put into the freezer. They save time, money, and brain – my favorite things to save.

1. Hashbrowns and Hashbrown Patties

I’ll be baking a few pounds of potatoes this week to shred and put into the freezer. Fry up some eggs with these, serve with fruit – done. Everyone loves these and thinks you’re wonderful when you make these. It is fun when everyone thinks you’re wonderful.

Homemade Hashbrown Patties

2. Muffin Batter

You knew I would say this one. I can’t help it. Making and freezing muffin batter saves so much time. Not to mention dirty dishes. Deliver me from dirty dishes.

frozen_muffins_3

3. Cooked Turkey Sausage and Prepared Biscuits

I can make biscuits and gravy sooooo fast when I do this. My family is always amazed. Let’s just let them keep thinking that I am incredible to pull this off. Add the above mentioned Hashbrowns to this meal and you can picture my kids breaking into a lively Mom is Our Favorite Person in the Whole World dance (not really).

Freezer Biscuit Tutorial

4. Oatmeal Cups

You wouldn’t think that this would save time, but it truly does. At least it saves brain. That’s worth a whole lot.

frozen oatmeal3

5. Giant Breakfast Cookies

Best thing to pull out of the freezer for breakfast…ever.

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6. Pancake Muffins

Yep. My newest favorite. I cannot get over how easy these are.

Easy Pancake Muffins

7. Quick Breads

Find our favorite quick bread recipes here. I usually double or triple a batch. If I allow them to cool completely, then wrap them well before freezing them, quick breads thaw and serve well. It is so very nice to pull a prepared loaf or two out of the freezer to go with breakfast in the morning.

If you freeze nothing else to save yourself time, brain, and money (while also eating healthy, because you are just that awesome) – make and freeze some of these breakfast foods. It will make your morning routine so much easier. Pick the recipe that looks the easiest to you – then go for it!

What are your favorite breakfast foods to prep ahead? Have any new ideas for me? What time to you eat breakfast at your house?

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Easy Pancake Muffins – Great for the Freezer!

September 1, 2015 by Laura 24 Comments

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Pancake Muffins? Seriously?! Why did I not think of this before?

Easy Pancake Muffins

I think I heard this idea from one of you brilliant minds a few dozen weeks or possibly even years ago. If it was you, thank you. My apologies for taking so long to try it. It’s just that...change is hard, you know? I’m so used to pouring pancake batter on a griddle, so scooping it into a muffin cup was just such a hard, hard adjustment for me.

Not really. I just never got around to trying it. Sheesh.

The thing about the traditional pancake is how long one has to stand at the griddle flipping the cakes. Yum, and all that. But it is time consuming if you must ~~move~~ make mountains of pancakes to fill up your people. With the muffin idea, you can scoop the very same pancake batter into muffin cups, slide them into the oven, and be on your way. And {please hold your applause} you can make extras of these and put them into your freezer, then pull them out and rewarm them without even having to think or stir or dirty up a bowl.

I may never stand at a griddle again. {standing ovation}

I no longer know how to cook in small quantities, as is evidenced by the following large-sized ingredient list. Forgive me, cut the recipe in half, or simply put your leftovers in a freezer bag and then into the freezer for a no-brainer breakfast of the future.

Pancake Muffins Yum

Easy Pancake Muffins - Great for the Freezer!

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Author: Laura

Serves: 24

Ingredients

3 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground white wheat - hard or soft)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup melted butter
3 eggs
2½ cups milk

Instructions

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth-ish.
Scoop into prepared muffin cups (buttered, paper-lined, whatever you choose).
Drop in berries or chocolate chips if you wish.
Bake in a 350° oven for 15-20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown.

Easy Pancake Muffins - Great for the Freezer

You’d think I would have done this earlier since I’ve been making Sausage Pancake Muffins for so long.

If you want to make these a “to-go” muffin, simply add about 1/4 cup of real maple syrup to the batter before scooping and baking. Then you can skip the necessary “dip them in syrup while holding your chin over the table” step.

Ever tried this idea? Were you the one who told me about it? Love you.

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Gratituesday: My BFF Jen Hatmaker

August 31, 2015 by Laura 17 Comments

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Did you know? Jen Hatmaker is my BFF. So what if we’ve never actually met?

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This message brought to you by a refreshed and relaxed me who just returned home from…wait for it…a girl weekend.

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I know. A little get-away like this doesn’t seem like much. But remember who I live with. I love all of my many male people so, so much. But this weekend I got to go to where there were all women, all the time. For 26 hours.

Here’s part my private Facebook thread conversation with friends before leaving Friday:

Tonya: What are you guys wearing tonight/tomorrow?

Emily: Jeans, tennis shoes…

Me: Capris and comfy flip flops. Debating on a bra. #girlweekend

Of course I was serious. So off we went to the Women of Faith conference. (Fully clothed, with all appropriate underthings in place.) The closer we got, the more excited we got.

Now I’ve got to tell you something before going any farther. I am not one to be star struck. Our family has been to Newsboys concerts in which Michael Tate was close enough that we could reach out and stroke his hair (which we did not do). All my guys were like, “Dude, that is Michael Tate!!” and I’m all chill with, “Now which one is he again?” We’ve been to a Toby Mac concert where we were sitting so close that the sweat from his brow could have sprayed our cheeks. We rocked out with Lecrae and loved it. But hey. These are just regular (very famous) people. No need to get all silly about it.

But…Jen Hatmaker

All that went out the window though, because this weekend, here’s what I discovered. Sometimes you just need to get silly. Need I remind you of the lack of male people in the arena this weekend? Not to mention my complete lack of any responsibility or need for thinking, answering questions, or any other such mothering or wifing on my agenda for 26 hours. This brought out my silly. I’m not even ashamed about how totally age 12 I was acting half the time. For real – laughter is so good for the soul, as is quality time with girl people who speak my language.

So guess what? My favorite author and best friend, Jen Hatmaker, was going to be speaking at the conference. If you do not read every word that she writes, I encourage you to change that immediately. I adore her writing style, but mostly her heart for Jesus and people. I’d never heard her speak before (which is so odd seeing as we are best friends and all.) While I was looking forward to many things about the weekend, I was really looking forward to seeing and hearing Jen. (I dropped the last name here because we are on a first name basis, obviously.)

Here’s where I started to get silly. I mean, I already was silly, because #girlweekend. But as my friends and I were talking more and the conference was about to start, our hashtag turned from #girlweekend into #mybestfriendjenhatmaker (because my friends claim her too).

When we first saw her come out to be introduced with the rest of the speakers, I got so excited I actually jumped up and down and pointed (see age 12 behavior admission above). This is when I knew, whoa, I cannot even believe how excited I am that she is here. I now want to turn into a weirdy weirdo about this. I just love her so much.

At this point, since she was so closely in front of me, I decided I’d best try to get a picture. It was either that or holler her name, jump over eight people, and grab her into a big bear hug so we could start catching up on the past 40-whatever years we’ve missed out on together. I totally could have done it (like a weirdy weirdo), but I settled for a picture. (You’re welcome, Jen.)

Allow me to now present to you, the Jen Is About To Be Introduced and I’m Seeing Her For the First Time Scrapbook. What? The only reason I took so many shots was because I hoped to get at least one good one (which I did not). It’s okay though. I don’t need no stinking picture. To be star struck is sooo silly.

Here is #mybestfriendjenhatmaker standing beside another conference speaker when she first came out from back stage and stood eight people in front of me:

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Here’s another of her smiling and talking to that same other conference speaker. Told you I didn’t get any good pictures. Being a groupie is not my gift.

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Here’s another in which she continues to talk expressively with her hands. Isn’t that so endearing? Yes. It is very endearing.

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Jen, pointing to the left.

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Jen linking arms with other speakers while the lights went down.

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Jen sitting in the chair farthest left by the stage where she would later impart wisdom and humor and blessing.

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The evening continued with worship, fun, and speakers. And also #mybestfriendjenhatmaker was there.

By the end of Friday night, I was at a high point of silly and decided to just go with it because it was #girlweekend and I was having so much fun. This is why, as my friends and I were leaving the conference arena and we walked by the very chair where #mybestfriendjenhatmaker had been sitting, I was all, “Ooh, there’s her chair, I’m going to touch it!” One thing led to another and well, I have no idea how I ended up sitting there, but would you just look at that?

mybffjenhatmaker8

There’s me. In the very chair #mybestfriendjenhatmaker had been sitting on.

Well anyway. I had a super fun weekend. It was a blessing to see #mybestfriendjenhatmaker and hear her heart on stage. If you haven’t already, go right away and read her new book, For the Love.

Now I am back home and no longer acting like I’m 12, nor am I speaking girl language because of all of the obvious male household mothering and wifing reasons. (Spell check does not like the word wifing. I think it is a brilliant word, so you just need to get over it, spell check. What makes you think you are the spelling authority? My brilliant words trump your red squiggles of dismay.)

While I found the Women of Faith conference to be less meaty overall compared to last year, I still feel filled up because I had so much stinkin’ fun. I have not let my guard down and laughed so hard in months.

Also, I really recognized the value of enjoying friendships this weekend. While I’d love to have a sit down with #mybffjenhatmaker sometime because I appreciate her Spirit-filled life and work – lemme just tell you how blessed I am with the women right here in my life, right here on my porch, right here in this very place.

I am loved by many. I have many to love. Life is fun and full and rich.

May we live life entirely. May we see people through the eyes of Jesus. May we love and be loved, bless and be blessed.

And every few months, may we all have the chance to act the part of a silly 12 year old, laughing for hours until we almost pee (because you are – in real life – much older than 12 and your bladder does not agree with your choice to revert to that time of life).

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How I {Easily} Get My Kids to Eat More Greens

August 30, 2015 by Laura 13 Comments

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How I easily get my kids to eat more greens. Easily.

This post will obviously be followed by one titled, “How I {Easily} Get My Kids to Eat More Corndogs” since that is also a huge problem most mothers run into. Not to worry. I am here to help.

Man, what is up with kids and veggies? Maybe I’m in the minority, but even with our family putting great choices on the table for almost nine years now, I still see my kids going heavy on the other stuff and skimping on veggies and salads if at all possible. It’s not like they don’t like veggies and greens. I just think for some reason that the main dish is more appealing.

And then there was the night I actually bought corndogs. I know. Sick. But Malachi had earned the privilege of choosing any meal he wanted as a part of our summer reading challenge. He wanted corndogs – the boxed kind. He had read for hours, so I honored his choice and bought some. Beef corndogs, but still. I didn’t read the label because it helps the “food” not be as harmful if you avoid reading the label. Don’t you dare quote me on that because that was sarcastic and we’re really here to talk about eating lots of greens.

I guess the reason I brought up the corndogs was to share that we made the boys eat some peas and raspberries before the freaky corn covered meat on a stick came out of the oven. All of our kids love both peas and raspberries. They ate their obligatory servings – because they had to – then ate their weight in corndogs. I’m glad they enjoyed themselves because that won’t be happening again for quite some time.

Now that you are thoroughly disgusted or perhaps strangely comforted by the fact that I compromised and bought boxed corndogs, let’s get back to talking about the greens. Again, our boys actually like salads, which is why I struggle to understand the following:

When they are making a sandwich for the road, they put like three little pieces of spinach between the thick slices of bread and four pieces of meat and cheese. When they add a salad to their plate at dinnertime, they prefer their pile of greens to be the size of their pinkie toe. Sometimes they spread out the greens just a bit to make the pile look bigger, but I’m onto them. I know a tiny salad when I see one.

How I easily get my kids to eat more greens

Proof that my boys like their greens:

taco salad1
That is a serving bowl, not a cereal bowl. It is chuck full. The contents of said serving bowl were consumed entirely by one person. Our family ate this amount x5 last Friday. I rest my case.

See, when I make a salad as a main dish, adding meats and cheeses, my kids will eat giant bowls full and sometimes go back for more. We go through entire packages of mixed greens in one meal in this way.

The moral of this story is this: I shall be serving salads as meals as often as possible. Bring on the mixed greens and spinach tossed together with taco meat or bacon. This is how everyone wins. We are filled with nourishment, and it is more delicious than a corndog.

Our favorite Main Dish Salads

What are your favorite main dish salads? How does your family do when it comes to eating greens? Last and certainly least, when is the last time you bought a box of corndogs?

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Learn Your Numbers, Learn to Serve Curriculum Kit ~ Ready NOW! (Download Your Free Sample Lesson)

August 28, 2015 by Laura 5 Comments

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It’s here!! I am so excited to share our brand new early learners curriculum kit with you! It contains 148 pages filled with activities, patterns, printables, instructions, crafts, and games – all with the purpose of teaching your child numbers, counting, Bible stories and teachings, and a heart of service – all at the same time.

What will you find in Learn Your Numbers, Learn to Serve Curriculum Kit?

Let's Learn!

The Academics

This book will offer your child the chance to develop skills in

0-12 Number Recognition
0-12 Number Writing
One-to-One Counting (one to one = a number is assigned to an object during the counting process)
Pattern Building
Sorting
Critical Thinking
Additional areas beyond numbers and counting (such as colors, shapes, etc.)

Bible Learning and Application

What Does the Bible Say

Why not use the story of Jesus feeding 5,000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish to teach numbers? How about reading the story of the young 8 year-old King Josiah along with learning the number 8? The 7 days of creation while learning about the number 7? Of course! There’s a Bible story/reading suggestion for every number lesson from 0-12.

Count Your Blessings!

Count Your Blessings!

If we’re learning to count, we may as well start with our blessings! This book provides you with this great opportunity to participate in gratitude with not only your little one(s), but with your entire family.

The Service Training: Be a Blessing!

Be a Blessing!

This is where we bring it all together. Each lesson will offer a variety of suggestions, patterns, printables, recipes, or other fun ways to use number knowledge to serve others. For example, when reading about the 5 loaves of bread Jesus served the people – make 5 mini-loaves of your favorite quick bread to deliver to 5 people. What fun, and what a wonderful opportunity for your family to look at ways to serve others!

This is available in download form only.

There are lessons in the book from numbers 0 through 12 – thirteen complete lessons in all. Do one per week, do one per month, do whatever works best for your child(ren) and family! There’s no right or wrong way. There’s no specific Bible translation used. This is all created with flexibility for your family.

Want to peek inside learn Your Numbers, Learn to Serve?

Download Learn Your Numbers, Learn to Serve Sample Lesson – for free!

Our Heavenly Homemaker’s Club Members have access to this amazing resource plus ALL of our eBooks, eCurriculum, printables, and so much more – for one very low price! Join us here!

Or purchase separately below:

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We encourage using Learn Your Numbers, Learn to Serve alongside Learn Your Letters, Learn to Serve.

Pair this curriculum kit!

Our Heavenly Homemaker’s Club Members have access to this amazing resource plus ALL of our eBooks, eCurriculum, printables, and so much more – for one very low price! Join us here!

Or purchase separately below:

[wp_eStore_fancy1 id=3]

And this one too!

Our Heavenly Homemaker’s Club Members have access to this amazing resource plus ALL of our eBooks, eCurriculum, printables, and so much more – for one very low price! Join us here!

Or purchase separately below:

[wp_eStore_fancy1 id=47]

Want the entire Learn and Serve 3-Pack?

Our Heavenly Homemaker’s Club Members have access to this amazing resource plus ALL of our eBooks, eCurriculum, printables, and so much more – for one very low price! Join us here!

Or purchase separately below:

Get a major discount when you buy all three books together!

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We hope these curriculum kits are a blessing to your family!

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When People Let You Down

August 27, 2015 by Laura 5 Comments

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When people let you down. When they hurt you. Say the wrong thing. Disappoint you. Disagree with you. Don’t meet your needs. Don’t meet your wants. Don’t hear you out. Don’t understand. Don’t see things your way. Frustrate you. Confuse you. Drive you crazy. Make you cry. Make you mad. Take your breath away.

When decisions are made that you don’t agree with. When you are discouraged. When you just don’t get it.

What do you do?

When People Let You Down

When People Let you Down

First, maybe we could stop being shocked that this is all about the when, and not the if. People are going to let us down. People are going to hurt us. People are going to fail. This is a part of life. People are human.

How’s that for a redundant, yet powerful statement? People are…human. Even the God-fearing ones. Sometimes right and wrong is involved and sometimes its just a matter of perspective or opinion or preference. But no matter what it is, there will be times we feel the ache of discouragement over a person’s words or actions.

Hello, human person. I am also a human person. Thank you for coexisting with me in a fallen world in which God is still supreme and you and I are striving yet still awkward human people with weaknesses. Is this why you sometimes let me down? Is this why I sometimes let you down too? I’m sorry for this. Sometimes it’s hard to be a human person with you.

So this. What do we do when someone lets us down?

Wallow in a corner? Feel sorry for ourselves and complain to others about how unfair life is and how stupid people are? Replay conversations over and over in our heads, attempting to imagine a better outcome? I mean, those are certainly options, and wonderful ways to remain in a state of non-productivity for the Kingdom. So go ahead, if it helps you feel better. Which it won’t.

This is what I know is true. People are going to let me down. I can cry (and I do), I can feel the sting (because it does), I can acknowledge that I am hurt (because I am).

And then I can turn to Jesus.

As in, literally, I find some quiet and I turn to the red letter pages of the Gospels. All other words can feel jumbled to me when I am upset or confused or hurting. But the red letters are solid. They are the words Jesus spoke to all the human people. They are words of promise, words of hope, words with roots, words of Life.

It is here, in the red letters, I find fulfillment and focus. It is here that I find perspective. It is here that I find grace.

Grace to hold and grace to give – the perfect gift from Jesus for all the human people.

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Bacon Tomato Dip With Baked Tortilla Chips

August 26, 2015 by Laura 11 Comments

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Bacon Tomato Dip. It is so yum.

Bacon Tomato Dip

When I first came upon a recipe like this one, it was called BLT Dip. This sounds delicious, but with one problem. The recipe included no L. There was only B and T.

(Translation: There was only bacon and tomato – no lettuce.)

I considered adding lettuce to the recipe to make it a true BLT dip, but I am quite sure the L would have gotten soggy. Nobody likes soggy L, am I right? Of course I’m right. There are books written about this. People know to run far, far away from soggy L and even limp L will raise eyebrows. So far be it for me to stir crispy L into this recipe and turn out a recipe with soggy or limp L. I love you all too much to put you through that. {wipes tear from eye}

So I played with the recipe and landed on a perfect BT Dip, but decided that BT Dip was a ridiculous name. Come everyone! Try this BT Dip! You will love it! “What a weirdo,” the people will say, “She forgets her vowels.” Then people will try to figure out which vowels and then if they didn’t want to already, they will really not want to try the dip.

Bat Dip, Bit Dip, But Dip (have mercy), Bot Dip… The people would be so busy trying to figure out what the name of the dip is really supposed to be that they would never actually look at the recipe and try the dip. This would be tragic (because this dip is terribly delicious).

I hope this gives you just a glimpse into how hard my life is. This situation has been crippling. Landing on a title kept me up night after painfully long night – so much so that I again considered adding soggy L to the dip just so I could move on with my life and effectively parent my children.

Then I just decided to turn the B and the T back into words. B=Bacon. T=Tomato. Bacon Tomato Dip. How clever.

There is nothing more to say except that you really must make this dip. And also the chips as detailed below because those make the dip many percentages better.

Bacon Tomato Dip (adapted from this recipe) Yum

5.0 from 1 reviews

Bacon Tomato Dip With Baked Tortilla Chips

Save Print

Author: Laura

Ingredients

1 pound bacon
1 cup mayonnaise (I prefer Hain Safflower Mayo)
1 cup sour cream
2 chopped tomatoes

Instructions

Cut bacon into bit-sized pieces, cook, and drain.
Stir cooked bacon into mayo and sour cream.
Stir in chopped tomatoes just before serving.

Serve with corn chips or homemade tortilla chips (details below).

Bacon Tomato Dip with Baked Tortilla Chips

Now let’s talk about making Baked Tortilla Chips. I did not even consider calling these BT Chips because I’d already been through so much trauma. But as you can see, B and T would have also worked for these chips. (B=Baked. T=Tortilla) Try to keep up.

How to Make Baked Tortilla Chips

1. Cut your favorite tortillas into strips or triangles or shapeless objects of any sort. Do not name the objects. It makes for sleepless nights. (I usually make homemade tortillas, but Bountiful Baskets offered a nice variety pack and I grabbed it. This worked very well as it is very sad for me to go to the trouble of making tortillas only to cut them after I’ve rolled them. Naming recipes is hard enough. Do not make me also destroy my hand-rolled creations.)

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Lay the cut tortillas in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place them in a 350° oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the tortillas have become crispy.

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Notice that they puff up a bit as they get crispy. Delicious perfection.

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Throw them all on a platter and serve them with Bacon Tomato Dip. You will love how delicious this combination is.

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I can’t wait to hear how much you love this dip with your homemade chips!

Aren’t you proud of me for actually coming up with a dip that did not involve ground beef or cheese? And also for coming up with such a brilliant name for this new dip? May we all stand (neh, just sit) in amazement.

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(No Flour) Monster Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars – The Heathier Way

August 25, 2015 by Laura 14 Comments

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Monster Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars – come and get ’em!

Real Food Monster Cookie Bars

When I saw the original recipe for these bars here, what really jumped out at me was the “no flour” thing. Avoiding flour is always a nice option in recipes. I also noticed the “mini m&m” thing but decided that while those are fun and tasty, they are on the naughty list and not required to make these cookie bars good. Then I wondered if I could cut back on the 2 cups of sugar and the amount of chocolate chips.

Do I know how to ruin a good recipe, or what?

Hey. I didn’t ruin a thing. I simply cut back on the sugar and cut out the corn syrup and 10 different food dyes. The cookie bars are still delicious, so says my family and several other people I have served these to who didn’t even know I’d healthified this recipe. It probably helps that these bars still have plenty of sugar in them.

The oats and lack of flour create a really fun, chewy bar. I say, make these then wrap them individually and freeze them to grab out for lunch boxes or on-the-go snacks. This makes 24 good sized bars.