FAMILY FAVORITES

FAMILY FAVORITES JAR

One thing we started having fun with recently was a "Family Favorites" jar! The idea came to me when trying to meet multiple goals:
1.) Considering creative ways to trim the budget
2.) Adding variety on Fridays instead of always doing pizza
3.) Trying to include everyone's faves, while still keeping the majority of our meals healthy. :)

Everyone got to put in a few menu ideas, and then then fun is everyone is surprised when we pull that week's choice out of the jar!  This week's surprise menu:  TACO BURGERS

:)

MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE BACON MAPLE PRALINE PULL-APART BREAKFAST ROLLS

I know, right? 

We have a "pull-apart breakfast rolls tradition" in our house for Thanksgiving morn.  My kids count on them every year.  While we watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  While everyone wears flannel jammie pants and drinks coffee (or cocoa).  We sit, and eat, and drink...enjoying the smells of the future feast as they begin to waft through the house.  Last year, we decided to kick it up a notch, and *BAM!*  It was A-MA-ZING!

Introducing.....

MACY'S-THANKSGIVING-DAY-PARADE-BACON-MAPLE-PRALINE-PULL-APART-BREAKFAST-ROLLS (it's a mouthful, isn't it?)  ☺

Print this recipe


Here's what you're going to need:

Bundt OR tube pan
Non-stick cooking spray
a covering to let the rolls rise (damp tea towel, plastic wrap, etc.)

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen Rhodes rolls (20 ct)
1 large pkg. Jello cook and serve pudding (vanilla OR butterscotch)
1 1/2-2  c. chopped pecans
1 c. real bacon crumbles (I use Kirkland brand from Costco)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2-1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
1/2 c. maple syrup
1/2 c. butter, melted

 Directions:

1. The night before; GENEROUSLY grease a tube or bundt pan.  (I use spray coconut oil and I line an angel food cake tube pan with foil to keep the butter from oozing out).
2. Melt butter, and mix with maple syrup.
3. Sprinkle about 3/4 cup chopped nuts into the bottom of the greased pan.
4. Add approx. 1/2 cup bacon crumbles on top of nuts.
5. Mix 1/4 c. brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon (if using) and sprinkle into bottom of pan over nuts and bacon.
6. Place the frozen rolls into the pan around and on top of each other over the nuts/sugar/bacon mix.
7. Sprinkle the dry pudding mix over the rolls, then sprinkle remaining brown sugar over the pudding mix.
8. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup chopped nuts and 1/2 cup bacon over the brown sugar.
9. Drizzle the melted butter/syrup mixture over all.
10. Cover with a damp tea towel, or place a piece of plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non-stick spray *very loosely* over the top (but don't secure/wrap).
11. Allow to rise overnight at room temperature or about 8-10 hours.
12. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
13. Bake for 22-25 minutes (baking times vary, so watch closely), until gold and bubbly!
14. Remove the pan from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
15. Turn the pan over and invert onto a serving plate.
16. Serve by pulling apart chunks with a fork.  Or your fingers.  Or whatever...I won't judge!

~Happy Ooey-Gooey Thanksgiving Breakfasting from our home to yours!

30 DAYS OF THANKFULNESS

Much has happened in our family lately that has given us a run for our money in the "give thanks in all circumstances" department.  We have been keeping busy with school, chores, family gatherings, and Bible studies; we have also had our share of health concerns, home repairs, and financial challenges. If we find ourselves continuously complaining, our focus is likely on our comfort rather than our Calling.  We must be INTENTIONAL about praising God and giving thanks!

 I THESSALONIANS 5:16-18 says~

"Rejoice always, 
pray continually,
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

In an effort to prepare my heart for Thanksgiving every November, I strive to make a list of 30 (at least) Days of Thankfulness.  Here's my list so far.


30 DAYS OF THANKSGIVING (2015):
DAY 1~La Famiglia! This family God gave us is a crazy, loud, sweet, sacrificial bunch!! 
DAY 2~A delicious, hot cuppa coffee with cream, cocoa powder, and cinnamon!
DAY 3~Daughters who bless us with their awesome talents...like pumpkin scones with cinnamon glaze!
DAY 4~ Being married to my best friend is awesome! We don't always see eye-to-eye (he's a lot taller), he puts up with my corny jokes and even laughs (most of the time). He makes me coffee, brings an occasional bouquet of flowers, and loves to surprise me (even though he usually gives it away accidentally)...I'm so thankful God blessed us with this journey together!
DAY 5~ We are so thankful God blessed us with our 4 Little Women! When the doctor told us we may never have children, we cried. And we prayed. And God chose to bless us with His gracious miracles. Though we have children waiting for us in Heaven, the ones God shared with us here are our earthly riches, indeed!
DAY 6~ My parents, who faithfully live out their marriage vows with grace...for better or worse, in sickness and in health...I love you, Mom and Dad!
DAY 7~ I am so thankful for my besties/blessed sisters! I'm loving growing older with you wild and crazy gals!!
DAY 8~ Today I am thankful to be able to live in this cozy house, where my grandparents used to live, and where we Live, Laugh, and Love!  This has been a hospitality house over the years...many special memories, family holidays, visits with friends, meals around the table, cups of coffee, and much laughter here!
DAY 9~ These kiddos are such fun & entertaining blessings! Having nieces and nephews and a "Cousin Club" 10 members strong is pure awesomeness!
DAY 10~ So THANKFUL for the privilege and blessing of being born in America with liberty and freedom we cherish so dearly! We are undeserving of so much bounty, but ever so thankful!
DAY 11~ What can I say about our Veterans that hasn't already been said today? In the words of George M. Cohan [composer of "She's a Grand Old Flag," "Yankee Doodle Dandy," "Over There," and many other patriotic songs], "My mother thanks you, my father thanks you, my sister thanks you, and I thank you..." including our own family...Daddy, Grandpas, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and friends who have served! 
DAY 12~ I'm thankful for humor and laughter!
DAY 13 ~Today, I am thankful for the truth and comfort of God’s Word!
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." ~Philippians 4:4-9
DAY 14 ~ Today I'm thankful for the OMNIPRESENCE, OMNISCIENCE, OMNIPOTENCE, and LOVE of God!!
DAY 15~ God hears and answers our prayers! He is intimately involved in the affairs of men and governments! He sustains the universe with the same power that created it. God works through people and nations in great events and unnoticed details. All His actions demonstrate the gravity and brilliance of His justice and goodness.
DAY 16 ~ FREEDOM is never free...it always has bloodshed as the pricetag! Thank you, Jesus, for shedding your blood to set us free from sin's deathgrip! And thank you, veterans, patriots, and defenders of liberty! {"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."~Galatians 5:1}
DAY 17~ So thankful that we can KNOW where to find the TRUTH, even though the world around us is full of conflicting voices, beliefs, and ideologies!
TRUTH =Honest, correct, authentic, fact
HONESTY=Speaking the Truth
KINDNESS=Speaking the Truth in Love
DISCERNMENT=Speaking the Truth Wisely
DAY 18~ I am so thankful that HE IS....
The Breath of Life,
The Passover Lamb,
Our High Priest,
Living Water,
Bread of Life,
The Lion of Judah,
The Lamb of God,
Our Savior,
Our Shepherd,
Our Mediator,
Our Salvation,
The Way,
The Truth,
The Life,
Our one and only way to Heaven,
The Alpha,
The Omega,
Our Everything....
DAY 19~ Our pets!  They keep our house wild, noisy, cuddly, and entertaining.  Two pugs and two Siamese kitties are more than enough! 
DAY 20~ So thankful for the Voice of Truth reminding us of 1 John 1:9 ~ "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
DAY 21~THANKFUL that God is our Helper and our Sustenance! {Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul. ~Psalm 54:4}
Thank you, Lord!
DAY 22~ No matter how good the words of men sound, no matter how the promises of men fail, I am so THANKFUL that God's Words are ALWAYS good and true, and His promises NEVER fail! Don't live as those who have no hope! Our hope is found in Him alone!  
DAY 23~

 So let me ask you:  WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR????

Thanksgiving Blessings from our home to yours!

BREAKFAST BLESSINGS {CRUSTLESS QUICHE} (S)

Breakfast is one of the most difficult meals to meet all the important criteria in our house.   We want our breakfasts to be quick, easy, affordable, nutritious, and sometimes portable, too! When you add in the Sunday Morning Scurry for church in addition to trying to conquer the weekly breakfast battle, I need a fool-proof, protein-packed plan.  If a recipe can meet all of the above, we consider that a Breakfast Blessing.  I present to you:  "Crustless Quiche Two Ways!" 

This is a basic quiche recipe that can be adapted by changing the meat, veggies, cheese, and even the serving style.  The Crustless Quiche Master Recipe is listed at the end of this post.  For all you Trim Healthy Mamas out there, this is an S meal!

Today, I chose 2 options with 2 different preparations to illustrate: 

Print this recipe

 SOUTHWESTERN CRUSTLESS QUICHE (S) ~ Family Style

Basic Ingredients:  Eggs, shredded cheese (fiesta blend), Ro*Tel diced tomatoes/green chiles, small can roasted green chiles (mild), sliced black olives, 1 lb. mild pork sausage;  also, milk/almond milk, salt and pepper

 I use gloves when I deal with the sausage, because I find it easier to pull apart for easier frying without getting my hands all gooey!  Highly recommended!

 Break apart sausage into skillet preheated on Med to Med-High heat...

 I cut the thumb off an old oven mitt and rubber banded it to the handle of my cast iron skillet...not fancy, but it works great!

 Have you seen these handy-dandy things for breaking up meat?  I use it all the time now...TA-DA!

 Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray--I used coconut oil spray

 Layer the cooked ground sausage in the bottom of the pan

 Sprinkle a handful of cheese on top--1/2-1 cup

 Crack 9 eggs, 1 at a time into a measuring cup (so you can retrieve any broken egg shells before adding them to your master quiche mix!)

 Add 1/2 cup milk or unsweetened almond milk (or your milk of choice)

 Salt & Pepper as desired

 Add 1 c. Fiesta blend shredded cheese

 Dump into a blender (or whisk by hand in a bowl); Add 1 can Ro*Tel diced tomatoes/green chiles + 1 small can (or 1/2 large can) mild roasted green chiles (or hotter if you prefer!)  Blend briefly, or  "pulse" a few times to incorporate well, but not puree` your tomatoes and green chiles!

 Pour over sausage and cheese in baking dish

 Only 1/2 of our family like olives, so I put them on 1/2 of the quiche

 Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, or until center comes out clean when tested with a butter knife.

This is delicious plain, topped with sour cream, or this tangy Greek yogurt dip form Costco!

I added a few chopped fresh tomatoes and a dollop of sour cream.  Ole`!

For you Trim Healthy Mamas, this is a wonderful Sastisfying Breakfast (or lunch, or dinner) for your whole family!


BACON-TOMATO MINI-QUICHE (S) ~ Individual Style

 Basic Ingredients:  Eggs, shredded cheese (colby-jack blend), 2 Roma tomatoes, diced, 12 oz to 1 lb. bacon or turkey bacon;  also, milk/almond milk, salt and pepper

 Line a baking sheet with heavy duty foil

 Lay bacon on the foil...clean up later is so much happier this way!  Bake the bacon at 375 for 12-15 minutes, until desired brownness...

IN THE BLENDER COMBINE:

9 Eggs

1/2 cup milk or almond milk

 Salt and Pepper

 Line muffin tin with silicon baking cups--my recipe filled up 18 muffin cups--and spray with cooking oil if yours are sticky like mine are!  I used coconut oil.

Bacon is delicious!

 Get ready to cut your tomatoes...my knife was a little dull, so I did a quick sharpening by using the bottom rough edge of a ceramic coffee mug, gliding the blade along at a slight angle from hilt to tip a few times, then flipping it over and doing the same on the other side...

 Slice tomatoes in half...then seed your tomatoes.  I used a baby spoon to scoop out the seeds and insides.

Mostly.  I see a few seeds left, but anyway... ☺

2 diced, seeded tomatoes

Here's the difference in the liquidity in seeded (L) & unseeded (R) tomatoes.  Big difference in outcome of the recipe...

 1 cup frozen pepper/onion blend

1 cup colby jack shredded cheese

 Dump it in the blender and blend briefly or "pulse" a few times, so you don't puree` your peppers too much.

Add about a tablespoon of diced tomatoes

Some chunky bacon crumbles

And a pinch of shredded cheese on top...

Fill muffin cups with egg mixture about 2/3-3/4 way full...

Pop in the oven at 350 for 20-25 minutes

 Until butter knife inserted in center comes out clean

 Pop it out of the silicon cup & enjoy as is...OR..........

 FALL IN LOVE WITH SOME Sriracha Ketchup on top!! *Swoon*

CRUSTLESS QUICHE MASTER RECIPE (THM -S)

Ingredients:
9 Eggs

1/2 c. milk of choice

2 c. shredded cheese of choice, divided

1 lb. meat of choice

Veggies of choice

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 9 x 13 baking dish or 18 muffin cups.  Cook meat (or use Kirkland bacon bits, leftover meatloaf, chopped sausage links, etc.).   Layer meat on bottom of baking dish or muffin cups.  If using fresh veggies (diced tomatoes, pepper, onions, broccoli), add on top.  Add a little more (1/2-1 cup) shredded cheese on top of meat/veggies if desired.  In a blender, mix together 9 eggs, 1/2 c. milk of choice, 1 c. shredded cheese, any frozen veggies, and salt and pepper to taste.  Pour over meat/veg/cheese mix in prepared baking dish or muffin cups.  OR...omit meat and make a veggie-packed quiche! Bake at 350 degrees for: 40 minutes for 9 x 13 baking dish; or 20-25 minutes for muffin cups.  ENJOY!

Can easily be reheated and enjoyed if prepared as a make-ahead meal!  I like to make these on a Saturday evening, and enjoy them for a fast breakfast on Sunday before church and throughout the week! (Or Lunch...Or Snack...Or Dinner...)

~Blessings and Peace from our home to yours!

YOU ARE MY STRENGTH WHEN I AM WEAK...EVERY MORNING...even during mourning

Overwhelmed. Burdened. Wiped out. Weary.

Have you been there? A lot? I have...and it's not pretty!

Last Friday I had every intention of cleaning/de-cluttering the house and being finished by Monday (today). Lofty goal, I know, but I've been gnashing my teeth at the chaos that has continued to multiply in the face of lovely, precious gifts of clothes, shoes, etc. being donated to our very grateful family...and yet, needing to wash, sort, store, utilize, donate, etc. bundles of many things. Sometimes I feel like the guy keeping all the plates spinning on those poles, only to have one wobble and fall and systematically every other plate comes crashing down. Disaster. Discouragement. Disheartenment. (is that even a word?) Dread.

I have cried out to the Lord so many times for the strength, wisdom, guidance, help, etc. for the health and energy to complete all my chores. He is faithful, as always, but I never--ever---ever get done. Ever. Sometimes in my distress I cry out to the Lord, but am unable to put into words all that I feel, think, need...the words get choked in my throat and I have nothing, but I know His Word promises that the Holy Spirit interprets for me to my Father in Heaven!

"And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words." ~Romans 8:26

SOOOOOOOOOO...although I've prayed many times and always received His help and strength enough, last night I gave up. I looked around at my weekend-worn house. Busyness had over-taken my to-do list. We had the lovely pleasure of relaxing with family this weekend. I had been so content to trade chores for precious time with my true treasures--family. Yet now--late Sunday night--I looked around at the "aftermath" and became discouraged and overwhelmed again. (Why, you might ask, do I think I have the time to write in the blog if I have so much to do? Because this has ETERNAL VALUE).

As I lay in bed last night, I began my prayers in the usual way, then began to add these burdens--when I just stopped. I couldn't go on. How could He possibly care? Still? Again? Never-ending problems, never-changing situation, ever-the-same prayer requests.... "I'm sorry, Lord, I know I sound like a broken record. I never learn. I never do better. I'll never get it right. So, never mind...just skip it." And that was that. I spent the rest of the time in bed reading a book until the wee hours of the morning and then drifted off to sleep.

THIS MORNING--
 ..............the one where His mercies are new every MORNING...

Lamentations 3:22-26~

"22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;

therefore I will wait for him."

25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,

to the one who seeks him;

26 it is good to wait quietly

for the salvation of the LORD."

..............the one where this is the DAY that the Lord has made, let us REJOICE and be GLAD in it...(Psalm 118:24)

..............the one where the Psalmist writes in Psalm 5:1-3:

"1 Give ear to my words, O LORD,

consider my sighing.

2 Listen to my cry for help,

my King and my God,

for to you I pray.

3 In the MORNING, O LORD, you hear my voice;

in the MORNING I lay my requests before you

and wait in expectation."

On THIS MORNING of THIS DAY, God sent me a song. Seriously. You may think that I'm being flippant or irreverent, but MY GOD loves me and SENT me a song!

"GREATER" by MercyMe

Bring your tired
Bring your shame
Bring your guilt
Bring your pain
Don’t you know that’s not you’re name
You will always be much more to me

Every day I wrestle with the voices
That keep telling me I’m not right
But that’s alright

‘Cause I hear a voice and He calls me redeemed
When others say I’ll never be enough
And greater is the One living inside of me
Than he who is living in the world
In the world
In the world
And greater is the One living inside of me
Than he who is living in the world

Bring your doubts
Bring your fears
Bring your hurt
Bring your tears
There’ll be no condemnation here
You are holy, righteous and redeemed

Every time I fall
There’ll be those who will call me
A mistake
Well that’s ok

There’ll be days I lose the battle
Grace says that it doesn’t matter
‘Cause the cross already won the war
He’s Greater
He’s Greater

I am learning to run freely
Understanding just how He sees me
And it makes me love Him more and more
He’s Greater
He’s Greater

JULY 6 ~ Laziness and Waffles (S)

Proverbs 6:6-11
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
11 and poverty will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man.

I remember our dad quoting these verses when we were growing up...especially on Saturday mornings when we might have stayed up late and were sleeping in longer. It's so weird how much more wonderful bed feels to me in the mornings when I'm supposed to get up, than when I first went to bed the night before...

Now that I'm a wife and mother, especially, I am so thankful for the way my parents trained us.  Fun has its place, but it comes after work.  I cannot imagine trying to run a household and family with these priorities reversed.  God is very clear about what He desires we women do with our lives.  

SO WHAT?  WHAT does He want me to do, so that I'm not a lazy sluggard? 

Here are a few more verses that put "women's feet" to the verses from Proverbs:

Titus 2:3-5
"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. ⁴ Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God."

Proverbs 31:17
"She sets about her work vigorously;
    her arms are strong for her tasks."

BUT HOW?  I'm so tired sometimes...I'm exhausted, in fact!  How can a woman keep up with the laundry, housecleaning, a happy marriage, church/ministries, activities, Bible reading and study, finances, grocery shopping, meal planning, cooking healthy foods, child training, homeschooling, birthday remembering, hospitality, exercise, family time, organizing, de-cluttering, hygiene, and sleep?   

HOW, I ASK THEE?  Truthfully, I don't.  But I know some things about HOW God's Word tells me it can be done:

Hebrews 12:1-3
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Philippians 4:13
^"I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

Matthew 11:28-30
  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Isaiah 40:11
"He tends his flock like a shepherd:
    He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
    he gently leads those that have young."

Galatians 6:9
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Isaiah 40:29-31
"He gives strength to the weary 
 and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary, 
   they will walk and not be faint."

Isaiah 48:11-14
"The Lord will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail.
¹² Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,     
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

¹³ “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
    and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
    and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
    and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
¹⁴ then you will find your joy in the Lord,
    and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
    and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."

There are many books written on the subject of women, mothers, wives, and other similar topics, but there is ONLY ONE BOOK that has all the answers.  God's Word IS the standard...He created us, therefore, He is the ONLY ONE WHO has the solutions to our problems.  Human wisdom is simply a re-telling of God's Inspired Word.  

SO, to break it down in mathematical equations:

Laziness=bad
Too much sleep=bad
Tired and exhausted=expected
Solution=our walk with Christ

Our Job=throw off junk+run with endurance+fix eyes on Jesus+do it in His strength+don't lose heart+come to Jesus & learn from Him+hope in the Lord+seek His guidance, satisfaction, and strengthening+ keep the Sabbath a delight [a.k.a. Read the Bible, Pray, Worship & honor the Lord]

God's promises=He will give us rest for our souls+gently lead us+we will reap a harvest at the proper time+He will give us strength and increase our power+we will soar on eagle's wings, run and not be weary, walk and not faint+He will guide, satisfy, and strengthen us+we will be like a well-watered garden+repair broken walls & lives+we will find our joy in the Lord and ride in triumph, feasting on the inheritance [a.k.a Philippians 4:19 ~"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus."]

WHY?  WHY on earth would God give us all we need for free when we're such weak and struggling and fickle creatures?  The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, sums it up beautifully!

Ephesians 3:14-21
¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Amen, indeed!

*******************************************

Okay, since we're talking about laziness today, I think I can confess that laziness is one of the reasons for my recent weight stall, then beginning to gain.  Sad, I know.  Especially because I have the science and tools at my fingertips.  Thank goodness each day is a new day!  I resolved to eat healthfully for all of July, and since that was kind of a flop for the past few days, I decided to try my best for the rest of the month.  One of the things we did was to make these delicious, lovely "Healthified Protein Waffles"  from Keto Adapted by Maria Mind Body Health.  This is a Trim Healthy Mama S meal, which is served here with grass-fed butter and sugar free syrup.

Print this recipe 

INGREDIENTS you'll need:

The batter:

 In the waffle iron--don't fill it too full, even though it's thick:

 Set the timer for 4 minutes:

 And there you have delicious Belgian waffles!  We ate them for lunch while watching "Leave it to Beaver," and it was awesome!

TIP: Make sure your waffle iron is hot hot hot before adding any batter or it will stick.

“HEALTHIFIED” PROTEIN WAFFLES from http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/new-protein-waffle/

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup JAY ROBB vanilla egg white or 1 cup THM whey protein powder
1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
1 TBS aluminum free baking powder
1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
4 eggs
4 TBS butter or coconut oil, melted
Preheat waffle iron to high. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine the wet ingredients in another bowl. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry. Let sit for 5 minutes. Bake according to your waffle iron directions (I spray my waffle iron with THIS Coconut oil spray). Enjoy! Serve with on-plan maple syrup or Nature’s Hollow Xylitol syrup.  Makes 10 waffles.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per waffle)
Traditional Waffle = 223 calories, 8.5g fat, 5g protein, 27 carbs, 0.7g fiber (26.3 effective)
“Healthified” Waffle = 144 calories, 8g fat, 12.2g protein, 4g carbs, 2.1g fiber (1.9 effective)


~Blessings and Peace from our Home to Yours!