Whole Wheat Pancakes

2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour (now you can actual use a combonation of flour, corn meal, protein powder but use mainly the flour. I use 1 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup of soy protein powder so I will feel full longer.)
4 tsp baking powder (If you have never shopped at ALDI..seriously save where you can baking powder is baking powder no matter how you add it up),

2 tsp LOCAL Honey (Again among other places Root Beginning cares some, Tuttle Orchard and I have a friend who will have supply soon at Locust Farms)

1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree (You don't taste this, it add vitamins and you use it in place of eggs so you save on fat and cholestrol, if you would rather use eggs, you can use 2 eggs instead)

2 Cups of milk or milk substitute ( I use Silk Vanilla Soy LIght)

Splash of Vanilla

Mix all ingredients if seems a little thick add a little water. I then heat griddle to 350 degrees. Pour batter, once they bubble and edge set, flip. Serve with LOCAL maple syrup(http://www.locustfarms.com/) and Natural Peanut butter.

All Natural Chocolate Pudding.

GREAT Recipe for those weak moments of PMS. Ingredients for vegan, all-natural, chocolate pudding!
One ripe avocado one ripe banana

1/4 cup cocoa powder one cup alternative milk (I use SILK Vanilla Soy light)

2 tablespoons of local honey.( pick it up at our local farmers market or at http://www.rootbeginnings.com/)

Blend in blender. EAT right out of blender (With it off of course) or refridgerate and eat later. Personally like it better once it has been in the fridge but who has time for that. :)

Slightly Adapted from http://www.nutritionturnaround.com/

Fall Sweet but Good for you recipes

Pumpkin Fluff


Ingredients:

2 packages vanilla sugar free instant pudding
2 1/4 cups skim milk
16 ounce can of pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
8 ounce tub of fat free cool whip

Directions:

1. Whisk together vanilla pudding and milk until thick (about a minute or so).

2. Add (to the pudding/milk mixture) pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and fold in cool whip.



Caramel Apple Salad

1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple (do not drain)
4-6 Granny Smith Apples (According to size of apples)
2 small boxs sugar-free fat-free butterscotch pudding (or regular)
1 (8 ounce) container fat-free cool whip
Directions:
1Mix all together. The longer you let it refridgerate the better it taste.

November: Not to be overlooked or ignored.

November: Not to be ignored. A time to reflect on the gifts God has blessed one with. Today I am thankful for this day, and each one God has blessed me with. Some are bad, some are good but each one a gift. Another day to love my family and the ones around me.


Thankgiving Menu

Turkey (Trash can turkey)
Apple Salad
Cranberry Salad
Pink Baby Poo (AKA Jello Salad)
Cheese Ball/ Crackers/Celery
Pumpkin Pie
Mashed Potatoes
Mac and Cheese
Rolls

Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin.

Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. He opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all the yucky stuff-- including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see.

Traditions:
Pumpkin Patch
Carving Pumpkins
Pumpkin Seed Roasting
Weinie Roast

Pumpkin Seed Recipes

Spiced pumpkin seeds

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
2.Combine the margarine, salt, garlic salt, Worcestershire sauce and pumpkin seeds. Mix thoroughly and place in shallow baking dish.
3.Bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

REALLY Spicey Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper salt
1 teaspoons Worcestershire sautabasco
2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
2.Combine the margarine, salt, garlic salt, Worcestershire sauce and pumpkin seeds. Mix thoroughly and place in shallow baking dish.
3.Bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.


Ingredients
2 cups pumpkin seeds, rinsed and dried
1/4 cup margarine, melted
1 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 cup white sugar, divided
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F .
2.Combine the pumpkin seeds, margarine, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl; stir to coat the seeds. Spread the seeds in a single layer in a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan.
3.Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes; stir and return to oven for 15 minutes more; remove from oven and sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over the seeds; stir to coat. Return to oven and bake another 15 minutes before removing again to sprinkle with remaining sugar and stirring. Bake another 15 minutes. Allow to cool before serving. Store leftover seeds in an airtight container.

Movies of the season:

Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin
Practical Magic

Halloween Night

Everyone meets the house. Food.

Chili, Cracker, Cheese, Peanut Butter
Cookies, Molasses
Hot Apple Cider

Control

This week I have been focusing on God and what he is trying to tell me about me, I have been keeping my eyes wide open. I have been blessed over and over this week. The truth is that I like to be in control of everything, not because I want to be a controling person but because I feel like I need to be on top of everything all the time as not to let my family down. I want to make sure my children are successful, I want to make sure my Husband has a good relationship with my children, I want to make sure I have a good relationship with my husband. Therefore I am always evaluating how I can change what I am doing, what my husband is doing and what my kids are doing to assure they are on the right track. IT is a huge weight to carry. I was doing all this because I was not TRUSTING that God had my back. Don't get me wrong, I realize a person still needs to make good choices. But the point is that really although you can guide your children, you can share what you feel is right with your husband, they are still their own people with their own minds...they have that pesky "Freewill" that God gave us. I can really only make choices for myself and know that God is working with them as well. The funny thing in all this is that this week, I have let go of so much. I have share with my children how I feel and continue to set boundaries for them, but I have been quick to listen, slow to anger, slow to speak with them. (Sound familiar..you can find it in the bible.), with my husband, I have let go and let him be the leader, I share with him ONE time what I might think or feel and let it go from there. If I worry that he is not leading, I remember that he loves me and the children and know he will always base his decisions on that and let it go. The truth is that my burden has been lifted and this has been the most amazing week with my family. I have witness whole family less stressed, have meaningful conversations. want to be in the same room all without my suggestion. My family is as "Perfect" as I have been working for and guess what... God is GOOD and GOD is always walking beside you.

True Love

As think about Valentines Day and the true meaning of LOVE, I am brought back to the verses I chose to be read at my Wedding and the Bible.

Recently attending a service, or maybe even something my child shared with me they had learned at church, it was suggested to read the verses I listed below but when the word LOVE was, insert your name.

It really puts a new meaning on if I or YOU really know what true love is. To be more Christ like in my thinking, I have decided to evaluate how I stand with my walk with LOVE. By putting my name in this verse. Because I firmly believe in the verse that start this out, "But have not love, I gain nothing."

Also with this think about are you truely loving the ones you should be showing this TRUE love to. For me it is easier with the kids but harder with the husband, Easier with when my children were younger but harder when they push the limits.

1 Corinthians 13 3-7
If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast,
it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres.



(Laura) is patient, (Laura) is kind.
(Laura) does not envy, (Laura) does not boast,
(Laura) is not proud.
(Laura) is not rude, (Laura) is not self-seeking,
(Laura) is not easily angered, (Laura) keeps no record of wrongs.
(Laura) does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
(Laura) always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres.

What I am going to try to take from this, is before responding to the people I LOVE, I will first evaluate if I am responding like above.