Recipe: Golden Harvest Muffins

Golden Harvest Muffins

GOLDEN HARVEST MUFFINS

2 c. flour
2 c. wheat flour
2 c. sugar
4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cloves, ground
4 tsp. baking soda
4 c. (5 med) chopped or grated, peeled apples
1 c. grated carrots
1 c. shredded coconut
1 c. raisins
1 c. chopped nuts
1 c. oil
1/2 c. plain yogurt
1/2 c. milk
4 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 36 muffin cups or line with paper baking cups. Combine flour, sugar,  cinnamon, salt, cloves, and baking soda. Add apples, carrots, coconut, raisins and nuts; mix well. Add oil, yogurt, milk, vanilla and eggs; stir until moistened. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Makes 36 muffins.

Five Minute Friday - Race

It's FRIDAY! That means it's time for another Five Minute Friday where, as our hostess and inspiration, Lisa-Jo Baker, puts it, we write "For only five short, bold, beautiful minutes. Unscripted and unedited. We just write without worrying if it’s just right or not." 

Today's topic is race. So...here...we...

Go!

It seems that most of my days are spent in a blur of pouring out self in order to meet the need of others. Most of the time I feel like I'm racing here, racing there, and racing yonder...never doing anyone or anything justice. Everything is always kind of done half-way. Come to think about it, when I look back, it seems that I've always been racing...even when I was little...always in a hurry to do the next thing. For what? What's the hurry? I recently read something that helped me a lot. It was in one of Ann Voskamp's daily posts where Ann said something about being 'faithful to do the next thing'. I can't remember everything she said, but, whatever it was I came away, after reading it, with the feeling that it's not in how much we can accomplish, but rather it's about faithfully accomplishing the next thing in full and to completion. Does that make sense? Whatever it was that Ann said and however she said it, it challenged me to purposefully stop racing through life, to purposefully slow down, and to purposefully, faithfully do the next thing...whatever it might be.

Stop!

31 Days of Praise - Days 5 - 12

As Lisa Jo's challenge rolls on without me, I find myself dreadfully behind. I will not make excuse, but I will say that life has been full and, though I've not had much time to spend writing, when I have had time I simply have not had the mental or physical energy to do so. I have made a few notes though and here are a few of the praises that I have to share from the past week or so...

31 Days of Praise - Day 5

Day Five of Lisa Jo's challenge found me on the road with family. Our oldest son and his wife invited us to share a couple of days with them just kicking around Kansas City. Friday we ended up in Northeast KC. We visited Cascone's Grill, the City Market, and Corinthian Hall. Corinthian Hall has been home to the Kansas City Museum for decades and John and I both spent many happy hours there as children. It was good to go 'home' and visit such an old friend, but that wasn't the best part! The best part was getting to spend a few blessed hours with our youngest daughter and her husband as that's where we spent the night! That is what I praise God for most! An extra unexpected visit with my daughter. That usually only happens twice a year!

31 Days of Praise - Day 6

Day Six of the challenge found me still in Kansas City with family. After visiting a short time with our daughter and son-in-law in the morning, we took to the road and started working our way home. Our first stop was at Roma Bakery. After that it was on to the cemetery to find my husband's grandfather's grave. We knew which cemetery it was, but have never been able to find the grave. With a little help we found it this time. The stone was nearly covered over by tall grasses. My daughter-in-law and I cleared the weeds away and we were able to get pictures. I am thankful that after all these years we were able to find it. It meant a lot to my husband. After the cemetery we worked our way on down to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and took a quick run through the Plaza. After that it was time to scoot on down the highway and home. I am thankful for the getaway. I just wish it could have lasted longer. I am always so thankful to get an opportunity to get back home!

31 Days of Praise - Days 7 and 8

Here is where I praise God even in the hard things. Beginning even as early as late Saturday night, Sunday and Monday did not go well. They were full of stings and strife. Rules change, people hurt, and all is tears, frustration and anger. I am thankful for the prayers of one who is older late Sunday night, and the words of wisdom and practical advice given by one who is younger come Monday morning. Praise God for spirit-filled believers who come along side in that moment of need! It turned the tide of what could have been catastrophic to me.

31 Days of Praise - Day 9

Ah! A morning of perfection! A morning of perfection spent with a lovely group of homeschool mommies and their young children (several of them my own grandchildren) under blue skies and amid the gently swaying wildflowers and grasses of southwest Missouri's tall-grass prairie! I praise the Lord for those few hours of heaven on earth for it is there that I am truly in my element! It is those rare days that I long for and to actually get one is truly heaven-sent!

31 Days of Praise - Days 10 - 12

These days have been spent going back and forth getting son to and from work, running errands, getting things done around the place, and getting things marked off my long overdue to-be-done list. I am thankful for little successes...a clothesline restrung, a carpet shampooed, a bag of clothes delivered to the secondhand shop, pictures put on a flashdrive and delivered to a friend...all little things in and of themselves, but little things add up and for months...maybe even years...I've felt like I'm drowning in an overwhelming sea of to-dos that never get done. I am truly thankful for the little successes that have been achieved over the past few days and I pray that they continue.

Looking Forward To Tomorrow...
~Rebecca

One Thousand Gifts - October 6-12

One Thousand Gifts

As you probably already know...off-track I've gone again! Despite the best intentions my '31 Days of Praise' and 'One Thousand Gifts' posts lasted all of five consecutive days. Then, boom! I was derailed with life again and that's where I've been...living life in the ditch beside the track instead of living life on it. Will it ever change? I have no idea, but, here I am today with a few extra moments, so, once again, I'm determined to set my sights on the things that the Lord has laid on my heart and go at it again. As I post I will try to include things that I have thought of along the way over the past week. Some of them I've written down and some I haven't. We'll just have to wait and see what we come up with! Here goes!

Day 6 Gifts...

     Three Gifts Redeemed...

          57. my eternal soul...bought and paid for by the shed blood of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
          58. a reputation...what I once was I no longer am
          59. money-saving coupons...I used a coupon this week for $2.00 off on olive oil. That's big savings!

Day 7 Gifts...

      A gift baked...
                ...stirred...
                    ...eaten...

          60. brownies, fresh from the oven, warm, gooey love for those I hold dear
          61. a heart (stirred with emotion)
          62. food...both physical and spiritual

Day 8 Gifts...

     Three gifts prayed for...

          63. wisdom from on high
          64. direction from the same
          65. that no weapon formed against us shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17)

Day 9 Gifts...

     Three gifts praised for...

          66. a new-to-us vehicle (Thank You, Lord!)
          67. the opportunity to visit Phillip and Amanda over the weekend (our son-in-law and youngest daughter)
          68. for faithful friends and family members who don't hesitate to come along side

Day 10 Gifts...

     Three hard eucharisteo...

          69. struggling financially (but learning to trust God in the bleakness)
          70. watching my children struggle and not being able to help (but I know the One Who can!)
          71. learning to let go (even when it hurts)

Day 11 Gifts...

     Three gifts of change...

          72. nearly two and half decades of homeschooling ended
          73. the last of our children...a boy-man...engaged
          74. an empty nest looming large

Day 12 Gifts...

     A gift small...
            ....smaller...
                  ...smallest...

          75. grandchildren...small in size, but huge in blessing
          76. my problems compared to some
          77. an act of kindness...it may seem insignificant to the giver, but it might just mean everything to the one receiving

One Thousand Gifts - October 5, 2012

One Thousand Gifts

Today's Gifts...

    Three gifts returned...

54. love from those we cherish most

55. a lovely hand-written letter 

56. a phone call from a dear friend

31 Days of Praise - Day Four

As Lisa Jo's '31 Day' challenge continues, and even though we're only on Day 4, I find myself focusing more and more on praising the Lord in all things...in distresses, perplexities, and in times of trouble, as well as in the good moments that are spattered throughout these, otherwise, difficult days. Already I am beginning to see that 'making a way in the wilderness' that was promised to me by God on Day 2 and I praise Him and thank Him for that!

I intended to write more, but, as I have just been called away and must leave, I will stop here for today and will share more of what's on my heart and mind some other time.

Blessings To All,
~Rebecca

"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised..." (Psalm 48:1)