Ok, so I am little late getting out the details; but here they are nonetheless. Every year the church we attend here has an International Meeting over the holiday weekend. Fellow believers from all over the world gather together once a year to fill our sanctuary and our homes. I have always loved being able to keep people for a meeting. It is such a blessing to be able to serve God’s people in a home environment. I have always wanted to have a huge house where I could house families for varying periods of time and help them out. When I first got saved, or gave my life to Christ, an older couple took me in and gave me a good home to live in while I got myself on my feet.  I learned so much while living in that communal atmosphere, good examples and not so good:) But all in all, it put a deep desire in my heart to want to do the same for other young families. I want to be able to minister to them, show them a godly and biblical pattern for family life, for living healthy, for raising children for the glory of God.

Anyways, so if you hadn’t guessed, acts of service is my love language and I love to “do” things for others. And it also means to much to me when someone “does” something to me. It speaks volumes to me. (That’s why I rave over my new friend Jodi for helping me out at the end of our first homeschooling year - she’s awesome, by the way.) So, being able to keep my friends and their parents that past weekend was truly a blessing to me. They wanted me to sit down and relax, but I tell you, I got more pleasure and joy from serving them than I ever would just resting:) So, thank you my sweet friends, Amber and Rachel, for allowing me to take care of you for a few days. I had such a great time of fellowship and wished our time had been longer where we could have just spent days talking and working together. Rachel’s mom had suggested that I open a “wellness center” where I would take people in and teach them how to live a healthy lifestyle and prepare/cook healthy meals and snacks. If I did, Rachel and Amber would the perfect people to help me pull that one off:) I am blessed to have such wonderful friends.

I am sure the messages were great during services. I did not hear all that much, working in the nursery most of the meeting. But the night service that I was out (and the one I snuck out of during song service) the Spirit was rich and I had a wonderful time praising and worshipping the Lord with friends I do not see so often. I know some might call this just an “emotionalism”, and you can call it whatever you want. God made us with emotions and if He wants to use those as a vehicle to allow me to “feel” what being in His presence must be like, I am totally in for it. I know that serving the Lord is not all in what you feel and that your feelings will often lead you astray, but it is refreshing when God uses them for what He created them for - to assist us in praising Him. As the song says, “The reason I live, is to worship Him.” I was created to serve and bring glory to God. And I have to say, it is the most fulfilling reason for living I have found, and trust me I looked.

Well, I was asked for some recipes that I used this weekend. So, here they are:)

Partially Baked Granola

2 cups barley flakes

2 cups rolled oats

3/4 cup raw honey

1 cup sunflower oil

3/4 cup flax seeds

3/4 cup sesame seeds

1 cup mixed premium nuts

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup dried fruit (cherries, cranberries, apricots, etc.)

dash salt

cinnamon to taste

Mix all dry ingredients first, then add oil and honey. Stir. Bake in glass casserole dish in oven on the lowest setting your oven will go (mine was 170) for a few hours (you could leave the door partially cracked if you don’t have little ones running around at that time). If you have a dehydrator, that would be the ideal way to have some raw granola. (But for me this, is just going to have to work. I consider it to be partially raw, kind of like Ezekial bread.) Stir occasionally. Remove when slightly browned. Place on aluminum foil to dry and cool. When it has cooled, place into an air-tight container. And enjoy:)

Double Chocolate “Oatmeal” Cookies

Preheat oven to 375

1 cup butter

1 cup turbinado or raw sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 egg

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cup whole grain flour (I use spelt)

1 1/2 cup barley flakes (or rolled oats)

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Mix. Bake for about 10-12 minutes.

I usually double this recipe for my family (cookies don’t last very long around here).

Nut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Preheat oven to 375.

3/4 cup butter

1/2 cup nut butter ( I use sunflower)

1 - 1 1/2 cup raw sugar cane (the less sugar the better;) I often use 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce as a substitute for 1/2 of the sugar allowance, then I just have to add a bit more flour to make the consistency thick enough)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cup whole grain flour (still using spelt)

2 cups rolled oats, or barley flakes

1 cup dark chocolate chips

Mix. Bake for about 10-12 minutes.

Oat Bran Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Preheat oven to 400.

1 cup whole grain flour

1/2 cup flax meal

1/2 -3/4 cup oat bran

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 beaten egg

3/4 - 1 cup milk ( I use vanilla almond milk) (May need more milk, oat bran seems to absorb the liquid)

1/4 sunflower oil

1/3 cup raw sugar (or use some applesauce, or honey, or xylitol)

1 cup chopped apples

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix. Fill paper muffin cups about 3/4 way full. Bake for 20 minutes.

I usually triple this recipe so that they will last for a week or so around here. They make great quick breakfasts for the kids on busy days. Add in a protein smoothie and they’re good until lunch.

Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake

This is a treat around here. I was glad I was able to make it and enjoy it with my friends. It’s a lot of work, but worth it for those who truly appreciate a not too bad for you, once in a while treat.

Preheat oven to 325.

1 cup walnuts or pecans, coarsely ground

1 cup cookie crumbs ( I used the double chocolate cookie crumbs that are left in the bag)

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 tablespoons raw sugar

12-16 ounces of dark chocolate, cut up

1 cup milk (I use the vanilla almond)

5-6 beaten eggs

3/4 cup raw sugar

1/3 cup whole grain flour

1. For crust, combine pecans, crumbs, melted butter and 2 TB sugar. Press onto the bottom and about 1 1/2 inches up the sides of a greased ( I use coconut oil) springform pan. Set aside.

2. In a large saucepan or double boiler, melt chocolate and milk over low heat till completely melted. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine eggs, 3/4 cup sugar and flour; beat 10 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Fold 1/4 of the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture. Fold chocolate mixture into the remaining egg mixture. Pour into crust-lined pan.

4. Bake cake in a 325 oven for about 45 minutes or until puffed around edge and halfway to center (the center will be slightly soft). Cool pan for 20 minutes. Remove sides of pan. Cool for 4 hours. Serve with fresh strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries.

Cover and store any leftovers (yea right) in the fridge.

Be careful! This stuff is really, really rich. A small piece goes a LONG way:)

Okay, I think that was all the recipes I was giving out. The grilled Mahi-Mahi recipe I got off of allrecipes.com, and the wild rice vegetable side dish as well. Oh, eggplant! Okay, here’s how I do mine:

1. Peel eggplant. Slice into 1/2 inch circles. Set out on towels and sprinkle sea salt over all. I use about 2-3 eggplants for my whole family. Let the eggplant dry out for as long as possible (all day, or all evening and then dry and put in the fridge for the next day). Flip eggplants and re-salt.

2. After they are done drying, I rinse off the excess salt and pat dry. Now you’re ready to assemble your “lasagna”.

3. Put it together just like you would lasagna. Layer of tomato sauce, then eggplant, then ricotta mixture, then sauce, then cheese and repeat until eggplant is gone.

4. Bake covered for 40-45 minutes in 325 oven. Remove cover and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until liquid is dried and top is slightly browned.

Ricotta mixture:

1 tub of ricotta

1 beaten egg

1 TB of parsley

1 cup Parmesan cheese

For the cheese on top, I use a mixture of Asiago, Romano, and Parmesan (all freshly grated).

I can’t give away my famous Italian tomato sauce, sorry;). (Just kidding, if you really want it, email me.)

Enjoy!

I am really looking forward to seeing everyone at Campground next week (Lord willing that we can make it!). I also had a great time visiting the White Bear Lake assembly in Minnesota. Hopefully, Aaron will post some pictures from our trip to the zoo online. It was fun. The kids had a great time. The Patton family in White Bear are such wonderful hosts and always treat us so kindly. Makes us want to stay longer and visit more often:) I had a really, really awesome time fellowshipping with Priscilla, Jessica, and Rebecca (and the guys too). I especially enjoyed our late night talk. Why is it that we always bond over those last few moments before we turn in for the night? I always have such good conversations then! Anyways, I am thankful to be able to call them my friends and look forward to seeing them again.

Looks like we are going to get as much traveling in as possible before our newest arrival makes her long awaited debut. I love this time of year when we get to visit and spend time with good friends and make new ones.  Looking forward to seeing more of everyone next week!

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 31st, 2008 at 8:54 pm and is filed under Church, Family, Health and Wellness, Our Christian Walk, Parenting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.