Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Family Favorite Pancakes


These truly have become our family favorites!

FAMILY FAVORITE PANCAKES

Ingredients:
- 1 large ripe banana
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1 (8oz) carton of egg substitute (Egg Beaters Original)
- Non-stick cooking spray

Method:
In a blender add all of the ingredients (except cooking spray) in order of appearance. Blend for 8- to 10- seconds. If the mixture is too thick, you can add a drop of non-fat or soy milk. Preheat a non-stick frying pan or spray with non-stick cooking spray. On medium heat, pour 4 inch x 4 inch pancakes. Flip when you see air bubbles on the top. Cook on the second side uncovered until the bottom is golden brown. Serves: 2. Serve and top with sugar free syrup or other topping of your choice. (I top with 1 TBSP Madhava vanilla or maple Agave Nectar.) Serve with 1 cup of fresh strawberries or blueberries and have a complete fat burning breakfast!

Fat Loss Rich & Chewy Brownies


Made these for the first time tonight. Delicious!

RICH AND CHEWY BROWNIES

(This decadent delight is made with only fat burning ingredients.)

Ingredients:

Dry
- 1 cup Evaporated Cane Juice
- 1 cup 100% whole wheat flour (use rice flour if gluten-sensitive)
- 1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 heaping scoop of vanilla protein powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 TBSP 60% cocoa semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup walnut pieces

Wet
- 2 egg whites
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 TBSP original soy milk (Silk)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set aside 1 TBSP of both the chocolate chips and the walnuts for the topping, then mix remaining dry ingredients together in a big bowl. It is best if you get the lumps out of each dry ingredient before you add it to the bowl. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients together. Then, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing well to prevent lumps from forming. Spray an 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray. Pour the brownie mixture into the pan. Top with the leftover walnut pieces and chocolate chips. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Cool and serve. Makes 16 servings.

Susan and the Rain by Madye Lee Chastain


Here in southwest Missouri it's been raining for days!

When I was a child, on rainy days like these, my mother would pull out Volume 1 of my favorite set of books, The Bookshelf for Boys and Girls, and, together, we would read Susan and the Rain by Madye Lee Chastain.

The other night, while listening to the rain, I suddenly got an overwhelming desire to revisit my old friend, Susan Amantha Cottonwood. The problem was, I had lent Volume 1 of my favorite set of books to one of my granddaughters.

I tried to find the story online, but couldn't find it anywhere! So, after making a call to my daughter, and making sure it was okay to come over at such a late hour, I went and got my Volume 1 of The Bookshelf for Boys and Girls and revisited my dear, old, childhood friend, Susan Amantha Cottonwood.

I'd like to share that story with you here in hopes that you, in turn, will share it with your own children on beautiful, rainy days!

Are you ready? Here we go...


Susan and the Rain
By Madye Lee Chastain

Susan Amantha Cottonwood
  was a little girl
     who was always good - 
        when the sun shone.

But when the clouds piled up in the sky
And began to rain - she would cry!
    And cry and moan!
Susan Amantha hated the rain.
She would press her nose to the window-
       pane
   And complain, And complain,
       And complain!

"There's nothing to do if I can't play
       outside.
If the sun was out, I'd take my doll for a 
       ride,
I'd bounce my ball, I'd swing on the gate;
I'd go round the block on one roller skate, 
But there's nothing to do in the whole
        wide world-
   When it rains!"

Now one summer she went to the coun-
      try
    To visit her grandpapa,
And her uncles and aunts and cousins,
    And her grandmamma.

She played in the barn on the piles of hay,
She played in the meadow the livelong
       day.
The sun shone bright and Susan was gay!
But one day   It rained!
           
               And Susan complained!   

Her gandpapa was amazed to hear
So many complaints and he said, "I fear
You don't know why we have the rain
Or you wouldn't complain!"

"We have the rain to water the crops,
To make fine lettuce and big beet tops.
It makes the corn tall, row on row,
And the apples juicy and the blackberries
       grow.
It fills the rivers and streams and lakes.
It softens the soil the gardener rakes.
It washes the dust from all the leaves
And makes a song as it drips from the 
      eaves.
Why, nothing would grow on our very 
       own farm
If it didn't rain.
   Susan - don't complain!"

Susan Amantha Cottonwood
Told grandpapa that she understood,
But just the same
   It wasn't much fun
       When there was no sun!

Susan went home and though she tried,
Nevertheless, when it rained, she cried.
Until . . .
One day the postman rang the bell.
Mother opened the door and said, "Well,
       well!
Here's a package for Susan from Grand-
       papa!"

When Susan got the strings untied
And opened the box, she found inside,
A bright red umbrella, shiny black boots
And a red plaid raincoat
With a rainhat to suit!

Well, the next time it rained
Did Susan complain?
        NO!
She put on her boots
And her raincoat and hat
And she took her umbrella and went
        spitty-spat
Out in the rain -
     And in all the puddles!

Rain thumped her umbrella,
Rain spattered her coat;
each boot was as wet as a shiny black
     boat.
She splashed and she sploshed,
As happy as could be, and she said,
       "Why the rain is fun,
       And it's raining just for me!"


Found this image of the 1947 of edition of Susan and the Rain on Amazon 5/23/15. Lovely! <3


Monday, March 19, 2012

Around Our Yard - Spring 2012

Thought I'd share a few photos that our son, James, took around the yard today...

 
Bleeding Heart
Flowering Quince


Red Bud



Tulips
Grape Hyacinth


Plum Tree
Ivy On The Side Of Our House

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Celebrating Purim/Hamantashen Recipe/Esther Study



Greetings, Dear Friends!

It's been a long time since I've had opportunity to visit with you here, and I've missed you! How have you been?

Things here have been cRaZy! There's been a lot going on and every day has been full to the brim and overflowing...mostly with good things! Praise the Lord!

The thing I want to share with you today is our celebration of Purim. In addition to renting the movie ONE NIGHT WITH THE KING, this afternoon we made Hamantashan (Haman's Hat Cookies) and listened to an on-line reading of the entire book of Esther (we were able to listen to the entire book in the time it took to make the cookies). In addition to this, we are praying over Israel and her deliverance, once again, from the threat of Persia (Iran).

Here is the link to the recipe that I used today, along with step-by-step instructions on how to cut, fill, and fold the cookies. Be sure and check out the 'Purim Rap' at the bottom of the page! CUTE!!!


CLICK HERE FOR HAMANTASHEN RECIPE

Also, for those of you who are interested, I wanted to share an on-line study of the book of Esther that my friend, Darlene, over at Time-Warp Wife is presenting  right now. It's a lovely study! One that I'm enjoying very much! And very timely, too! Just thought I'd share while I was on the subject of Esther. Click HERE to go to Chapter 1 of that study.



I hope to be with you again soon! Have a beautiful and blessed day!

All My Love and HAPPY PURIM!

~Rebecca