Apple Muffins

I'm always looking for a new little treat to make for the ladies who come to Tuesday night Bible study at my home.  I don't lead the study, which gives me the time to go that little extra bit when it comes to treats.

Last Tuesday it was apple muffins.

I found this recipe at The Girl Who Ate Everything blog.  I followed it pretty faithfully, which is near shocking for me.  The only thing I "tweaked" was that I added a little nutmeg along with the cinnamon.  But, c'mon, I'm totally justified in that it is fall!  After all, what is fall without nutmeg?  Exactly.

So I used Honey Crisp apples because... well, I was given a bushel and that's what I have.  Besides, Honey Crisps are the bomb.  I understand someone wanting to go with a tarter apple like a Granny Smith, but in this house it's the HC.  And because they are HUGE, I only used two apples diced to make the three cups required.



Preheat your oven to 350 and line your muffin tins with paper cups.  This recipe makes 18 muffins.

Peel, core, and dice enough apples to make 3 cups. Set aside.

In a large bowl cream together:
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup oil (yeah, I know... but it's fabulous, trust me)
1 TBS vanilla

In a smaller bowl mix your dry ingredients together.  Feel free to sift them all if that is what you do, I'm too lazy.
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix completely.

Okay, so the mix is REALLY thick.  Like between a cookie dough and bread dough.  Add your apples.  I found the best way to do this was just knead it in with my hands.

I then used an ice cream scooper to fill the muffin cups.  One heaping scoop does the trick while using another spoon to scrape it out.  These muffins won't rise all that much, so fill it good and full.  The blog says 3/4 full, but you'll have plenty of batter so don't be shy.

Sprinkle a little brown sugar on top of each muffin.

Bake for 20-24 minutes.  I actually let these bake for more like 25-30 minutes, but my oven is like that.  I don't think with a whole cup of oil, that you'll need to worry about these being too dry!

As you can see, there isn't much to fret about when it comes to filling them too full.  Not much rising happening here.
So yummy and makes the house smell warm and inviting.  Now, where's my cup of coffee?

French Pressed Mexican Mocha in Moscow?

My feeble yet somewhat successful attempt at recreating the blissfulness of a Moscow Mexican Mocha.  Okay, so not Moscow, Russia... think Idaho.  Yup, I said Idaho.

My daughter and I took a trip recently to Moscow, Idaho.  And when you say it, say it like this:  MoscOH, IdaHO.  It's where she intends to spend her college years.  And while we were there we inevitably ended up at Bucer's: the coffeehouse to best all other coffeehouses.

The remnants of my Mexican Mocha at Bucer's.

So after feasting on several Mexican mochas during our trip, I am attempting to recreate the Latin Latte at home.

As a kid, I remember my dad buying a special kind of chocolate called Ibarra.  It came in this great yellow and red hexagonal shaped box. We'd get giddy as he unwrapped one layer and used a huge knife to cut each of us a single triangle of chocolate.  Oh how we savored that wonderful little wedge.   Apparently, Nestle now makes a similar kind of chocolate called Abuelita (Grandma).  Inside the box are discs of Mexican chocolate.  I'm not sure what it is about this chocolate that makes me swoon so much, except for the obvious fact that it's... chocolate.  It's not creamy... actually, it's quite grainy and slightly bitter, with hints of cinnamon lingering on the pallet.

I grind my own beans, so I just dumped a triangle or two of the Mexican chocolate in with the beans and ground it all together.  Put that in the bottom of your french press and pour some seriously hot water over it all.  I use water that I've heated in my tea kettle.  Let that sit for a couple of minutes in order to get the chocolate melted and to seep the coffee grounds.  Give it a quick stir with a plastic spoon (never use a metal spoon with a glass French press!) Then press the plunger down slowly.  Pour your coffee into your teacup or mug and add steamed or hot milk. I like mine especially sweet, so I add sugar free vanilla creamer.  

If you don't grind your own beans, I'm sure adding the chocolate directly to the coffee would work as well... so long as you try to smash it up into smaller pieces first.

It's not quite Bucer's, but I'll take it. :)

Daughters

I was going through some of the drafts in my blog which never got posted and came across this one from a couple years ago written during a learning time; a character defining moment in my daughter's life.  I didn't post it because the situation was still quite fresh and I didn't want to draw any attention to it.  However, time has passed and as I reread the things I wrote, I mean them even more today than I did then.

 Bringing babies home from the hospital, and learning about night time feedings, how to function without sleep, how to understand the needs of this little being who has absolutely no ability to share their feelings outside of screaming incomprehensible cries... It really is very much like the teenage years. :)  I know it will embarrass her a bit, but sometimes I just want to yell out to the world how absolutely breathtakingly beautiful my daughter is.  And to encourage moms of young girls, I say this:

Know what you want for your daughters and hold fast.  Do not let others outside of God's Word tell you it isn't possible.  (Or even those inside the church who have resigned themselves to a diluted version of a godly woman.) Be diligent, pray, and watch... and then do it some more. Be open to correction and direction, and then live in the grace and forgiveness of Christ.

Emily turns 18 this coming February, and this time next year she will have left for college. I am striving to adjust to this new chapter in our lives...  The one that has me letting go of my life's work.  I know it isn't going to be easy, and I know there will be many tears (I'm blubbering as I write this), but she is so ready.  So prepared.  What a privilege it is to be her mom.

Here is my post:

Sometimes I get glimpses of the woman my daughter will be some day.  And I really like her.  It's not easy to do the hard stuff.  It's not easy to hold your tongue when you really just want to scream.  To not tell someone how much they've hurt you,  just so you can hurt them back.

 It takes maturity to stop, decide not to react, assess the situation, and conform your will to God's.

 It takes love to give someone the chance to hurt you more... because you hope and pray they will take that opportunity... your willingness to be vulnerable... to realize what they've done and to ask for forgiveness... which you've already given.

It takes obedience to forgive that person for no other reason than it's commanded by God. To know that God EXPECTS you to forgive...not because you stopped hurting or are free of the consequences of someone else's sin, but because you were forgiven first, by your heavenly Father, when you didn't deserve it and without your knowledge.

It takes wisdom to know that friendships are based not on common tragedies or sins, but on a shared hope, Christ...  and those friendships which are strongest ALWAYS share that bond.


...end of post.

Proverbs 31:28

I am blessed.

Little Boy Blue: A blanket for Joshua

I made my first baby blanket.  I think I have found a new love.  I have been crocheting for a while now, but somehow the baby blanket has managed to elude me.  I've made scarves, hats, toys, purses, booties... but never a blanket, baby or otherwise. The pattern is memorable and so easy to pick up no matter where you left off.  I kept my unfinished project in my purse and whenever I had a few minutes, I'd work on it.  

I used Simply Soft Country Blue and followed the pattern exactly with no alterations or changes.

Originally, I found the pattern on ravelry.com (find me, I'm Iowaycrochet), but now that I'm blogging about it, I can't find the pattern to create a link.  So I will just have to write the pattern from the printout I made.

Hook: Size G 

Yarn: I used Caron Simply soft "Country Blue"

The pattern is easily memorized making it the
perfect project to take anywhere.

Row 1:  Ch 126, sc in 2nd ch from hook and across.

Row 2:  Ch 1 turn, (sc, ch 3, 3 dc) in 1st sc, *Skip 3 sc, (sc, ch 3, 3dc) in next sc, Rep* across to last 4 sc,  skip next 3 sc, sc in lastsc.  (31 shells complete across)

Row 3:  Ch 3 turn, 3 dc in 1st sc, (sc, ch 3, 3 dc) in each ch-spacross.  ending with sc in last space.

Repeat row 3 approximately 55 rows.

Last Row:  Ch 3 turn, 2 sc in ch-sp, *sc in sc, sc in next dc, skipnext dc, sc in next dc, sc in next ch-sp.  Repeat from * across tolast shell, do not skip middle dc of last shell.  (123 sc across)

Trim

Working in Rounds

Rnd 1:  Ch 1 turn, 3 sc in 1st sc, [ *sc in each sc,  rep *across,  3sc in last sc, * (3 sc in ch-sp, sc in sc) rep * across,  working infree loops of beginning chain, 3 sc in 1st ch, sc in each chacross,]  3 sc in last, Rep * around,   last round rep between [ ] .sl st to 1st sc, (changing colors here if using contrasting colors)

Rnd 2-3:  With white, ch 1, sc around with 3 sc in corners, sl st.

Rnd 4:  Ch 2, do not turn, *skip sc, sc, ch 2, rep * around sl st in1st sc.  

Rnd 5:  Ch 1, turn, sc in sl st, *sc in ch-sp, sc in sc around with 3sc in corners.  Rep * around.  

Rnd 6:  Ch 1, turn,  *(sc, ch 3, 3 dc) skip 3 sc, rep * around sl st to1st sc.  Finish Off

Add caption

   The thing I love about this pattern is that it is delicate and dainty for a baby, but it is substantial enough to be washed and used on a daily basis.  I made this for my grand nephew who is expected to make his appearance in September. :)

Be Careful Little Mouth What You Say

Be careful little mouth what you say.  Am I the only one who learned that song in Sunday school? Okay everyone... all together, to the tune of "If you're happy and you know it"...

Oh be careful little mouth what you say.
Oh be careful little mouth what you say.
For the Father up above is looking down with love,
Oh be careful little mouth what you say.

As with many of my posts, (though they be few and far between), my topic is one that has kept me awake at night.  It sloshed around in my cranial juices and wouldn't go away.  Not that I really wanted it to, I am a ponderer, a muller-over..er, an excogitator. (Yes, it is a word).  I confess to being a slow thinker, and although my mouth often has a reputation for being quick witted, sarcastic and sometimes slightly biting, I really don't think very quickly.  I react.  And therein lies a great deal of my problems.

Here comes the segue...be ready for it...

When our theology becomes thoughtless and more of a knee jerk reaction to life or situations, instead of being solidly grounded in scriptural truths, we will inevitably produce wasteful words.  And when I say  "wasteful", I mean to say putrid, bodily excrement.  Yeah, nasty putrescence (Princess Bride reference there, catch it?). 

When I was much younger and quite a bit dimmer...a beautiful man came into my life. (Awwww).  Yes, I speak of my dear husband.  In my attempt to impress the young theologian and win him over with my spiritual prowess... I said something profound.  I don't even remember what it was, but I am sure I thought it was quite a revelation from God.  His response?

"Why do you believe that?"
 ..... huh?
"Well, uh, I don't even know that I do... I was just repeating what I heard someone say.  It sounded good."

If I hadn't been so dumbfounded by his gentle challenging of my words, I might have been offended.  Why did I say what I said?  Did I believe it?  And if I wasn't sure, what the heck was it doing coming out of my mouth?

Fast forward through roughly 20 years and hundreds more humbling experiences like the one I just shared, and you come to today.  And what I have mulled over in my mind is that the common thread among these hundreds of stupid things I have said is me.  Me, me, me, me, me, and  me.  When I place myself at the center of my theology, the result is stupidity and confusion; drivel, incomprehensible BABBLE.  Yes, Babble.  Like the kind that says, I can make up my own name and create my own way to God.  I can think great thoughts apart from Him.  I will build for myself a tower of thoughts and ideas that will be so lofty, it can only raise me to God Himself.  Blah, blah, blah.

When we remove God's Word from our daily speech and attempt to use our own reason and understanding, we babble.  We speak nonsense which inevitably contradicts God's truths, because if we aren't speaking God's Word, we are speaking lies from our own sinful desires.  It might seem like we have allowed God to take part in our deductions of the mysteries of this world... but truly, apart from Him, we can do and think no truth.

 Without continual reformation of our thoughts and speech by God's scripture, we allow lies to shape our thinking.  This begins with the use of phrases which we adopt without truly holding the words and meanings up to the revealing light of scripture.   We ignorantly regurgitate what we heard someone say, without even picking apart what was said.  It "sounded" spiritual and who doesn't want to appear spiritual and wise?  So we thoughtlessly speak back what we heard.  Think of a small child who has been the audience of an adult conversation which included a vulgar word.  The child ponders that word and then, at a most inappropriate time, uses his new treasure to the embarrassment of his parents.  The child seems proud of his new vocabulary, and yet, the reaction he gets from others causes him to realize.. hmmm, maybe I don't really know what I just said.  There is truth to the old saying, "A child should be seen and not heard."  If we are uncertain about something scriptural, don't speak.  Wait for an appropriate time to ask "What does this mean?"  Ponder, mull, excogitate. ;)


The danger with Christians speaking apart from God's Word is that if gone unchecked, and unrepented... the chasm grows.  It produces Christians who pick and choose which portions of the Bible are important and applicable to them, rejecting anything that isn't personally palatable or pleasing. Ultimately, this produces Christians who believe homosexuality, adultery, and living together outside of marriage are acceptable lifestyles... that abortion is okay in certain situations.   Inevitably you have Christians who tragically lose the true language of scripture which had been spoken and taught to them by the Holy Spirit, rejecting it and choosing instead to speak a language that is foreign and incomprehensible.  When we are at the center of our thinking, we babble.  When Christ (God's Word) is at the center of our thinking, through the translating of the His Holy Spirit, the mysteries of scripture are revealed  to us and in us, producing true faith and teaching us to speak a language (His Word) that delivers faith to others.

By no means do I want to even remotely convey or give the impression that this is a past struggle or that I don't daily need my mouth washed out with soap for things I have selfishly confessed.  Again as with all my posts I emphasize the forgiveness we have in Christ and the Hope He gives us for the transformation of our minds even unto the last day when we will be made complete in Him.

May we boldly speak, and speak only Christ.

*Note: When I choose to post about theological things I send my posts first to my husband... who happens to also be my pastor, so that he can correct or adjust anything that might be out of line.  I think it is important to make that point clear. This post has been deemed heresy-free ;)

Parenting 101

  If there is one thing I am passionate about, it is parenting.  "Passionate" should not be confused with "perfect", however.

  I work very hard at being a good mom, but make no mistake, it is not my work that produces anything.  One of the greatest things I can do for my children is to have a repentant heart, understanding that my sinful nature makes it impossible for me to BE anything but sinful.  It is because of the act of Christ; His life, death and resurrection, producing faith in me by grace, that enables me to "look like" I am doing something.  I may say, "Thank you," when someone offers a compliment about my children.  I might even beam a little.  But there is no confusion within me...it is all by the grace of God.

It is the Word which resides in me... in my mind.  It transforms the very process by which I think.  God's Word is the only parenting handbook I really need.    Daily reading, ingesting, and memorizing His teachings clarifies my goals for my children.  God's Word develops and works in me from the inside out.  It creates thoughts in my mind which weren't there before.  It affects what I say, how I react, what I teach.  I can't stress enough, to those who might be reading this blog, that God's Word is the key to good parenting.

So here are some Parenting "tips" I'd like to offer:

Read Scripture Daily:
The book of Proverbs is a wonderful place to start when looking for guidance in parenting.  There is so much about wisdom and instruction.  Each day, take a chapter and read through it with the intention of hearing what it says to the practicality of parenting.   Choose a verse to meditate on throughout the day. Conveniently, Proverbs has 31 chapters, one for each day of the month. Use it to become familiar with God.  Soon you will begin to hear his Word in your head as you encounter different situations within your vocation of parenting.

 I have a little frame with fabric behind the glass.  Using a dry erase marker, I write my chosen daily Proverb and put it in the kitchen where I am most likely to look at it throughout my day.


Attend a weekly Bible Study:
Sunday school isn't just for our children.  It is for us as well.  Our church offers two adult Sunday School classes to choose from.  Not only does regular instruction strengthen our knowledge of Scripture, it shows our children that they don't "graduate" from church once they're confirmed.  Attend Sunday school.  If you're one of those parents who commits to teaching on Sunday (like me), then find a mid week class that works with your schedule. Instruction in God's Word is essential to good parenting.


Attend the Divine Service:
So, it has been said, "Going to church doesn't make you a Christian."  No, perfect church attendance won't regenerate your sinful soul.  But God's Word does and God's Word is found in church.

 God's Word = Christ.  Baptism = Christ. Communion =Christ.

We receive Christ in the Divine Service, where He is preached and the sacraments are administered.  Christ is our salvation. Regularly attending the Divine Service and regularly receiving Christ, strengthens our faith and forgives our sins.  These are the most important tools we could ever ask for when parenting our children.




I realize that while the Scripture doesn't specifically tell you how to toilet train your 3 year old or what curfew to set for your teenager, it does give wisdom about God's creation and His design for it.  The problems of parenting often lie in our own state of unpreparedness.  Our unpreparedness often stems from the lack of time spent in God's Word.  Now, I could give you a list of proper parenting techniques... the "How to's of Timeouts" or the "Dangers of Dating" if you will, but that would be like working from the outside, in. Better than this approach, is to instead regularly ingest God's Word and have it reform our thinking and our approach from the inside, out.

In the fall, I plan to resume teaching the Mothers Class; third Tuesday of each month, 7:30 at the parsonage. 

Best Meatloafballs

Best Meatball loaves... or is it meatloaf balls??

Finding meals that everyone in my family will enjoy is always a bit tricky when you consider that we have one vegetarian and one carnivore sitting at our dining table each night.  Well, this week, the vegetarian was gallivantin' around South Carolina so the carnivores were fed.

My mother in law sent this recipe to me with high reviews.  I "tweaked" it a little to fit my family.  There really isn't a recipe that I don't tweak somehow...



Here it is... the best meatball loaves around.

preheat your oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 pan.

Mix together 1 egg and 3/4 cup milk.
Add to that:

1 c. shredded colby/jack cheese mix (original recipe called for cheddar)
1/4 c. dried minced onions (original recipe called for 1/2 cup chopped onion)
1/2 lb ground beef   (original recipe only used 1 pound ground beef and no pork)
1/2 lb ground pork sausage
1/2 c. oatmeal
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (original recipe didn't add garlic powder... I know, shocking right?)

Mix it up, and don't be a wuss... use your hands.  Squishy, squishy through your fingers.  (If my little sister is reading this, she probably just gagged a bit.)  Sorry Jen!  Now the mix seemed to be a little soppier than what I normally do for meatloaf, but I rolled with it (get my pun? )  Yeah, okay, so I am really glad I did, because these babies were moist and really, really good.  So, resist the urge to use less milk or more oatmeal.

Now, I divided the mixture into 6 large meat balls or mini loaves.  Call them whatever you want, dividing it up like this makes it easier to serve as well as takes less baking time.  Win: Win!

Now, on to the sauce:
Mix together:
2/3 c. ketchup
1/2 c. brown sugar (not packed)
1 1/2 tsp. prepared mustard

Spoon this over the top of each little meat...thingy.
Bake for 45 minutes or until done... you might have to poke into one of them to see if there is any pink left.  I baked mine for 45 exactly and they were perfectly cooked but still extremely moist.

Starch anyone?  My son was overjoyed... seriously.
Not a green thing in sight!  I call this my "TV Dinner" meal.
All we need is a round brownie and a folding tray table.

ENJOY!