Chocolate Pudding (healthy, of course!)

I have a weakness for chocolate!

This may be another favorite dessert recipe! And of course, it's ingredients are better for you than the store bought pudding mix. I tried it once before using almond milk and didn't care for it. It was sort of watery tasting. This time around I used real milk and man is it yummy!!!

Easy Chocolate Pudding Recipe
http://www.foodrenegade.com/easy-chocolate-pudding-recipe/

• 1/3 c. honey
• 4 tbsp. arrowroot powder (or organic corn starch)
• 2 tbsp. cocoa powder 
• 2 c. milk (or coconut milk) 
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. butter (if using coconut milk, omit this) 

The How-To

1. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together arrowroot powder, cocoa, and milk until relatively smooth. In a small saucepan, combine the honey and the milk mixture over medium heat. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly.

2. Once thickened, remove from heat, stir in vanilla and butter until evenly distributed.

3. Serves 4-6. Enjoy your tasty, warm, gooey, relatively healthy, and definitely easy chocolate pudding!

Enjoy!

Facebook and my thoughts . . .

I love Facebook.

I enjoy looking at pictures that people post of their lives, reading funny status updates and keeping tabs on oversea friends. It's a great resource for staying in touch with local friends too. The birth announcement of a new baby, an engagement or wedding, or a way to share a prayer request; Facebook is a genius tool. 

But like everything else, it comes with some downfalls . . .

The older I get, the more "old fashioned" I realize I am in some areas. I'm not embarrassed by this fact, but at times, I find myself bucking the modern culture instead of embracing it. 

Facebook is one of those things . . .

I disappear from Facebook now and then. Deactivate my account for a few months just to catch my breath. Recently someone took the time to ask me earnestly why I "disappear" from the Facebook world. Here is the shortened version of my reply . . .


1. I want to be more intentional in my relationships.
I want to BE friends with someone in real life, not just over a computer. More coffee dates, texts and cards sent in the mail (yes, MAIL). I want to slow my fast paced life down and enjoy time with people instead of reading about their life or seeing it on Facebook.

2. I struggle with comparison.
It's something I recognize and am dealing with. I've realized that Facebook only magnifies my struggle if I allow it to. People a lot of times posts their most glamorous and sometimes unrealistic pictures of them self and their possessions. If I do not remind myself of who I am in Christ, it's easy for me to tear myself down or become ungrateful.

3. When it comes to Facebook, I'm not a very good time manager.
Enough said :)

All that said, I will most likely return to Facebook at some point. It is a great way to "see" friends and keep in touch. And I do get on hubby's account from time to time. But in case you were wondering why I leave now and then, now you know :)

Would love to hear feedback!

-A

vacationS in a nutshell

Back from vacation! Here's a catch up . . .

Last week Babe and I drove up to NYC for a few days. We spent Tues - Thurs in the Big Apple with my best friend Kristi and her hubs Dan. Kristi and I met in YWAM in Australia in 2005. She is originally from Canada but moved back to AUS after YWAM, where she met Dan. Dan and Kristi are currently living in Australia and were spending some time in the states on 'holiday'. All of us had been to NYC before so we weren't much into touristy things. For us, it was all about spending time together and catching up! 

Orioles and Yankee's game! 

The Aussies wanted to be 'all American' - hot dogs and large sodas

Central Park with our treats for some relax time

What a fun few days it was! Too short if you ask me. Kristi and I may never have lived in the same state, but our friendship is strong and thick. I've never known a sister, but she is to me what I think having a sister would be like. Thank God for technology and smart phones so we can keep in touch on a daily basis. 

________________________________________________________________________

We came home Thursday eve from NYC, worked Friday, packed up and headed off for our annual family camping trip with Babe's family on Saturday. What a fun tradition it has become! 

Camping with with Babe's family mostly involved competition of any kind. The camp ground offers mini golf, swimming, basketball, ping pong, frisbee golf and other activities. While the boys were off getting sweaty, myself and the ladies usually ended up pool side or at our camp site with a good book. It was a good and relaxing time.  

In between our 2 trips, we sold Sophi, my beloved Mustang and first car. After much deliberation, we decided it wasn't worth investing the money in her since we needed a bigger car anyway. Soooo goodbye Sophi.  (proud to say I did NOT cry:) )

On our way home from vacation yesterday, we stopped and purchased our new-to-us car that we've had our eye on for a couple weeks . . . Say hello to MAXIMUS, my new wheels :)

As you can see, it has been a NON STOP past 9 days! But I loved every second of it! Here's to vacation, family, friends and new cars! 

Now, back to "normal" . . . 

Zucchini Craze . . . Frosted Zucchini Brownies

This is now possibly my favorite brownie recipe! They are SO yummy!!!

Frosted Zucchini Brownies
from blogchef

The (italics) are my substitutions to the called for ingredient
½ cup vegetable oil (can use olive oil, coconut oil or apple sauce)
1 ½ cups white sugar (1 1/4th cup agave)
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour (wheat flour)
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups zucchini - shredded with skin on
½ cup chopped walnuts 


Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking dish. 

In a large bowl mix together oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract until well blended. In another bowl combine the flour, ½ cup cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. A little at a time stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in zucchini and walnuts. The batter will be dry and crumbly, don't worry. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.

Place into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the brownies spring back when gently touched. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool.

Peanut Butter Cocoa Frosting

(Yields almost 1/2 cup)

• 1/4 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
• 4-8 tsp pure maple syrup 
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 4 tsp milk of choice (or more for thinner frosting)
• 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• optional: handful of chocolate chips 

Blend everything (including chips, if using) in a small food processor or Magic Bullet. If you have a bigger processor, it might be best to double the recipe so everything blends more smoothly. Best to store uneaten frosting covered in the fridge.


This new found recipe may be my current cure for chocolate cravings!! Oh yum! 

Lemon-Zucchini Loaf with Lemon Glaze

I am surrounded by lovely people who garden and share their bounty with us. My MIL often has yummy fresh things to send home with us as well as an Amish girl I work with. Zucchini is the one veggie gardeners seem to always have a large crop of. And I LOVE it! There are so many yummy things to make with zucchini. Here is a new favorite . . .

LEMON-ZUCCHINI LOAF WITH LEMON GLAZE by NancyCreativeMakes one 9×5″ loaf 
The notations in parentheses are what I altered

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (wheat flour)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil (olive oil)
• 2/3 cup sugar (Agave)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (skim milk)
• Juice of 1 lemon or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup grated zucchini (you don’t need to peel the zucchini before grating it)

- Preheat oven to 35o degrees. Grease and flour a 9×5″ loaf pan; set aside.
- In large bowl, blend flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.- In medium bowl, beat 2 eggs well, then add canola oil and sugar, and blend well. Then add the buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest and blend everything well. Fold in zucchini and stir until evenly distributed in mixture.- Add this mixture to the dry ingredients in the large bowl and blend everything together, but don’t over mix.- Pour batter into prepared 9×5″ loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (if your oven tends to run hot, check the loaf after 40 minutes). Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely. While loaf is cooling, you can make the glaze…

LEMON GLAZE

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)
  In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and lemon juice until well blended. Spoon glaze over cooled loaf. Let glaze set, then serve.
  (For my glaze I mixed up a concoction of honey and lemon juice on the stove top, adding gelatin to make it thick.  I think it was:
  1/2 cup honey
  1 tbsp lemon juice4 tsp cook type clear gel
  I didn't measure exactly so I'm not totally certain.  Play around with it! You can't go wrong with honey and lemon!)

Green Smoothies

Pineapple, pumpkin, spinach and flax seed smoothie

I'm obsessed with smoothies right now! With this hot weather, they're so filling and refreshing.

I struggle with incorporating raw veggies in my daily diet. I love steamed vegetables, but the raw ones don't appeal to me as much. It's much easier for me to grab fruit as a snack. Sooo I started blending my veggies and add a small amount of fruit! SO YUM! 

I know the green kind of looks gross. Babe said it looked disgusting, then he tried it. He liked it :)

I don't have a recipe at all. Whatever veggies or fruit I have in my fridge or freezer, I throw into my blender. And I don't have a fancy blender. Just a basic Oster. Almost all of my smoothies include spinach, flax seeds and some sort of fruit juice. Yesterday I threw in some carrots. I've done watermelon, spinach and mint leaves which is super refreshing! Avocado is great to add too. If you like, you can also add almond milk o r yogurt. Be creative!! If you make one that is to "veggie" tasting, add more fruit!. It's pretty hard to make a gross smoothie when you're using good, fresh fruits and vegetables. 

I would love to hear your smoothie recipes and concoctions! 

Happy blending!

-A

praising in the storm.

Last week was great! The first half anyway... I was finally enjoying work again, had energy and was on a great high. 

And then Thursday rolls around. 

After work I decided to do my grocery shopping. My faithful car of 10 years, Sophi, decided to overheat on me. (I shouldn't have been driving it in the first place on a VERY hot day with a broken fan - but what do I know about cars??) While smoke was pouring out, I was able to pull into a business driveway before she totally shut off. I was blocking the entrance of the business (which was thankfully closed). I began to try to call Babe, father in law, mother in law, brothers in law (3 of them), friends. NO ONE could come to my rescue. It was about 4 in the afternoon so most of the men were at work. A couple would be able to come in about an hour . . . . Talk about a HELPLESS feeling!!!

By this time I've been sitting in the driveway for about half an hour. It's in the heart of touristville, so despite the fact that the business is closed, people are using the parking lot to park. I am getting evil glares from people as they come and go, because they have to go around me (and apparently thought I was just hanging out in the entrance of the driveway to text or something). I am near hysteria. 

A man leans out his window as he is about to go around me to exit the parking lot. He (in a not so nice but not totally mean voice) hollers at me "can you move your car? At least into a parking space?" By this point I am hysterical and yell very angrily "NO, I cannot move my car. IT WON"T START" (I think I almost screamed). By now tears are rolling down my face. He comes to my window and assures me its ok, he didn't realize I was having car trouble and apologizes. 

Talk about feeling like a helpless little girl. He rounded up some men and they pushed me into a parking spot. The kind man and his family asked if I had anyone who could take me home. At this point,  I did not. He asked where I lived, I told him. He smiled and said, we are going to a restaurant and are going right past your house. So, a nice tourist family gave me a ride home. 

And here's my honesty . . . I came home, plopped in my hallway and cried. 

I cried because I felt totally alone (my Babe felt AWFUL that he was so far away!). I cried because I'm pretty attached to my car and had a feeling it had seen it's last day. I cried because I was mad at myself for crying (who does that??!?).

And then, I realized, I'm ok. I wasn't in an accident, I'm not hurt. A nice family brought me home. I am safe. We have a backup car we can use. No matter what, everything will be ok. 

What did I learn from all this? That no matter what situation you're in, there is always something to be thankful for AND God will never leave your side. I am also seeing that I need to work on my first responses :) Instead of wallowing in my self pity, I want to praise Him in the storm. I will work on and improve in this area!

Thanks for reading my looooong story! 

-A