Happy Easter!

Yes, I'm the one sobbing in the back of the church during a packed-out Easter service.  I'm a sucker for Easter.  I love the food, family, and chocolate.  But I also love my Savior more than anything and the sacrifice He made specifically for me.  Christmas I could do without.  Too much stress, and its hard to picture the Lord who has the grace and power enough to redeem me, as a baby.  But the images and reality of Easter are what truely penetrate my heart.  Who could love me so much that He was willing to carry the burden of my sin and die a gruesome death?  Only Jesus Christ.  Ponder that a moment...yeah, WOW.  I pray this Easter you are reminded that your Jesus loves you.  He died for you.  He rose again.  And He is alive and very much real today.  Ready to heal, redeem, and restore you.  That's something worth gratefully sobbing about, right now or in the back of the church.  :)

On another note: you can see what a dork I am for Easter by the pictures below.  I saw these all over Pinterest this week, but no tutorial anywhere.  So here's one.  Not only does the camera add 10 lbs, but it also makes these almost-29 year old hands look like the hands of a 90 year old.  So please ignore the haggard cuticles and my desperate need for a proper manicure.  :)  Enjoy! 

After painting your base coat, paint entire nail white.  2 coats is usually good.

Cut a small strip of tape with a zig zag design or use pinking shears.  Make sure the white is COMPLETELY dry before sticking tape to nail along the tip (jagged edge facing cuticle).  Paint the exposed remainder of nail a bright yellow.  This means the tip will still be white, while the remaining 2/3 of nail will be now be yellow.

 When paint is dry, CAREFULLY remove tape and throw away. 

Poke a straight pin into the eraser of a pencil to use as a dotting tool.  Dot into black polish for eyes and orange for the beak.  See?  A baby chick!  hehe.

Add a clear topcoat and paint the remaining fingers on your hand.  I chose a neutral color by Essie and made yellow polka dots.  Certainly not perfect, but cute anyways!
Happy Easter!

Boredom...

Webster's dictionary defines boredom as "the state of being weary and restless through lack of interest".  I define it as "the act of baking to fill the time in one's day which should normally be spent doing something of more importance, then eating said baked goods to take up (or waste) more time".  In other words, I'm bored today.  And what do I do when I'm bored?  I bake.  And then I eat.  Because why would a frugal being like myself want anything that I worked so hard on go to waste?  Especially if it tastes good!  So here is a recipe I created today and have filled much of my time today eating.  Anything involving chocolate and peanut butter is time well-spent, never wasted.  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Boredom Cups (Gluten- and Dairy-Free)
*These are adapted from Alicia Silverstone's cookbook The Kind Diet.thekindlife.com

1/2 cup butter (I used 1/4 cup butter + 2 T. coconut oil + 2 T. coconut butter)
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter (I used Peanut Butter & Co. Crunch Time)
3/4 cup cookie or graham cracker crumbs ( I used Annie's Gluten Free Cocoa & Vanilla Bunny Cookies)
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup almond milk or milk of choice

Line a mini muffin tray with cupcake liners.  Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in peanut butter, cookie crumbs, and sugar and mix well.  Divide evenly among cupcake liners.  (Approx. 1 T. each).  Combine chocolate and milk in microwaveable bowl and microwave until melted.  Stir until smooth.  Top each peanut butter cup w/melted chocolate.  Refrigerate until set.  Store any leftovers in a closed container in the refrigerator.

      

More Than I Expected.

Gluten-free living can be expensive.  I have been gluten-free again (NOT by choice) for about 2 months.  My days of cheap or free food thanks to couponing are over, sadly.  Back to a cleaner, healthier diet and less money in the bank account at the end of the month.  Oh well.  There are definitely deals to be had by the allergen-free eater however.  Here in the Pacific Northwest we have a little secret called Bob's Red Mill.  This resturant/store is somewhat of a state treasure for foodies in Oregon.  Right up there with VooDoo Donuts.  :)  Though its only an hour-ish drive for us, I had never actually been up to Bob's Red Mill and soaked in all it's glory first hand.  So when a friend of ours offered to pick up a few things for me while he was up there, I was pretty excited.  Mind you, a small 2 lb. bag of gluten-free oats will run you $7.00 in the grocery store here in town.  Buying direct would save some money.  My friend assumed I wanted the "big" bags of oats and gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.  (He assumed right).  However, my idea of "big" and Bob's Red Mill's idea of "big" are vastly different.  I chuckle now just picturing my friend dropping the bags off at our house.  Each 25 lb bag stacked and nestled tediously on each shoulder.  We now are the proud owners of 100 lbs of gluten-free baking supplies!  Our family of 4 (with me being the ONLY one who has to eat g-free), who is currently also in the process of down-sizing, now has four gigantic bags in our laundry room.  I'm hoping to get to it all before the mice, cockroaches, spiders, skunks, racoons, and ladybugs do!  (Gotta love country living).  Last night's first dip into the supply was to make gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip coconut cookies.  They were delicious, and it was impossible to tell they are gluten- and dairy-free.  The entire family is adjusting to gluten-free living well.  :)  Now only 99.5 more lbs to go.  Lol.  So much for that New Year's Resolution to lose 10 lbs by May...   

Happy New Year!

I recently read a book titled, "Betrayed by God?  Making Sense of Your Expectations" by Shana Schutte.  It is an excellent read that I highly recommend.  It also pretty much sums up how I've felt for the bulk of 2011.  As many of you already know, I have been battling some "mystery" illness since the birth of my second daughter 3 1/2 years ago.  It is one thing to be sick or tired.  After all, I am running after 2 little ones day in and day out!  But its a completely different thing to feel, literally as if you are dying day in and day out.  On top of that, we lost my father-in-law unexpectedly nearly 15 months ago.  What a shocking blow that was to our family.  Grief is an interesting and sometimes ugly beast to say the least.  I've begged, bargained, and screamed out to God for healing in any form.  But screaming at God for 3 years not only leads to the loss of one's voice in the literal sense, but in the spritual sense as well.  Frustration turned to exhaustion, exhaustion turned into pleading (with God), pleading turned into bitterness.  The "I'm-so-pissed-off-at-you-right-now-God!!!"-type of bitterness.  (Which sounds nicer that F*** you.  Excuse my language.)  I begged to know what it meant to be blessed with good health and to know His promises of peace.  One thing the book has taught me is that it is completely, one-hundred percent normal to feel on occassion betrayed by God.  Who knew?  The difference in those that maintain that feeling of betrayal and those that don't is the sense that God has not, did not, and will not actually betray you.  Hebrews 13:5 says, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."  So even if I feel as though I'm dying that day or my grief is just unbearable, the truth of the matter is, my God has not betrayed me.  He is still my healer.  His promises are still very real. 
The author of this book also defines a word that has been my motto for 2012.  Zoe.  This is the Greek word for "life".  The author writes, "'Life', referring to the principle of life in the spirit and the soul.  Zoe is all the highest and best that Christ is, which He gives to the Saints {me!}."  In other words, this abundant life is Christ himself!  What a blessing.  And what a promise I have no matter how I feel.
The good news is, I have actually been feeling better lately.  Whether its the new supplements I'm taking from my doctor or the realization that God is my only true healer and giver of life, I've decided that 2012 is the year to start living.  No more being stuck behind some illness, anxiety, or issue in my head.  I'm going to live just as Christ intended me to.  Will you hold me to it?  I know everyone seems to be blogging these days, but my hopes is with this one I will hold myself accountable to how I'm truely living, document my blessings in writing, and praise God for them.  And above all else, live my life with zoe!