Honey Graham Crackers {No Sugar!}

Finding healthy, yummy and easy to eat snacks for toddlers is not easy. At least not for me. It's hard for little ones to eat veggies (and honestly, they just aren't that filling!} Fruit is good, but not for every snack. And when I read the ingredients on most boughten snacks I just feel like an awful Mom to feed it to my kids very often. I start imagining what all that sugar and preservatives, not to mention high fructose corn syrup, is going to do to their little systems and I can hardly give it to them!

So yesterday I decided to just try to get a little more creative. I have made Graham Crackers before, but they're not much healthier than a cookie. So I decided to be brave and try to replace all the sugar with good, raw honey. And all the white flour with whole wheat.

And they turned out!! I was so excited. :)

I think it's all the butter that makes these so perfectly good. They have such a mellow, buttery, healthy flavor that is completely yummy. I cannot wait to try them with a marshmallow and some chocolate. Maybe even homemade marshmallows. :)

So, without further ado, here is the recipe. {adapted from Brown Eyed Baker at: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/homemade-graham-crackers-recipe/

Honey Graham Crackers

Yield: about 20 crackers - Prep time: 2 hours, 20 minutes - Cook time: 15 minutes 

You will need:

2 7/8 cups Wheat Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 cup Butter, room temperature

3/4 - 1 cup Honey

Directions:

Mix the Flour, Baking Soda and salt together in a medium sized bowl.

Cream the Butter and Honey together with an electric mixer {I used the dough attachment on my blender} for about 2 minutes, or until it's nice and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just well blended, right around 30 seconds.

Put the dough in the fridge for at least 2 hours. It will keep for up to 5 days.

When you are ready to bake the crackers preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a couple cookie sheets.

 On a lightly floured surface roll the dough out to 1/8" thickness.

 Cut them out in any shape you like. {this is the fun part!} 

Even little Kade was in on the fun!

I love this dough because there is no eggs and I let the kids eat lots of it. It makes baking so much more fun! :)

Make sure you space the cookies at least 3/4" from each other on your cookie sheet. I sprinkled them lightly with Raw Sugar, just because it makes them look pretty. Cinnamon and Sugar would be good too. Prick them with a fork for a more authentic look.

Bake for 15 minutes or until they are a nice golden brown. You don't want them to get dark around the edges. Let them cool slightly and then put them on a cooling rack. Make sure they are completely cool before you store them in an air tight container. Enjoy!

The kids and I had so much fun making these together! :)

So yummy with coffee!

Happy Memorial Weekend to you all!

I would love to hear how you like these and about any variations you came up with. :)

God bless you. <3

Purpose {Mother's Day Week Musings}

I had a terrible, grouchy, nothing-went-right day this week. Needless to say, it was not fun. It seemed like everything that could go wrong, went wrong. The kids were naughty and grouchy, I was halfway through making a meal and realized I didn't have the ingredients, I hit my head so hard it ached all day...and on and on and on. I dropped things and hit things and ran into things and got mad at things...you get the picture. I would not wish it on anyone. I was so glad when the day was over.

When I woke up the next morning I was so horribly, awfully ashamed of myself. How could I have let a few {ok, a bunch} of things get me down? I had not chosen joy, I had not chosen God, I was grouchier than the kids and in all honesty, it was quite mortifying to me. There is so much shame in falling short of our own standards ~ let alone God's desires for us. I thought about it a lot all day and knew that I must never let a day like that happen again. I felt God showing me that it is totally possible to choose joy. And I purposed to do that all day, and every day.

And then I read a blog written by a childhood friend whom I have not seen for years and years. And although her post was not specifically about purpose, there was a paragraph that stood out to me.
She basically said she lives her life by the conviction that life is God's gift to her and her response is living a life as a gift for others. {You can read her blog here:  http://charitymaurerblog.com/uncategorized/a-big-announcement-for-cmp-introducing-new-team-member-april/ ~make sure you check out her *amazing* photography!!}

And I was like wow. What purpose!! I need that in my life! And so this is a challenge - a challenge to me and to you-: Every day, have a purpose. And cling to that purpose. And live by that purpose. And think by that purpose. Have purpose, always.

Because of the stage of life I'm in, my purpose will be a relationship with God that pours into my relationship with my husband and children. We can purpose to not have regrets down the road when our children are grown. It is so easy to get caught up in the every day mundane. To do laundry and dishes and floors and dress kids and read Bible Stories with your mind on everything but tending your little "olive plants". What if I added purpose behind each of those? The results would be amazing!

And just having purpose for a day...purpose to blow bubbles, purpose to clean a room, purpose to memorize a verse or try a new recipe or have an all day "I love you" text campaign for your husband. Baby steps in purpose...some days I think that's just what it takes!

I wrote this on my chalkboard cupboard door, because what is better than having inspiration popping out at you all day? :) My chalkboard font skills aren't that great, btw.

What is your purpose?

Iced Coffe {AKA Java Coolers}

Does anyone remember Java Coolers? I think maybe it came out at the beginning of the Iced Coffee Craze. Or maybe Iced Coffee has been in for decades and I just never realized it until I was around 13 when we found our first bottle of Java Coolers at a little Amish Bent and Dent store. Up to then my main coffee experience was drinking Dad's coffee after it got cold when I was...well at least a little younger than 13. {bleh!} 

Anyway, I remember us kids thought Java Coolers was the most awesome drink ever invented. It came in a bottle like Hershey syrup, but it was coffee flavored. And it made us feel really cool to drink it. I tried finding a picture of it but it must be totally outdated, because this is what I found:

Getting back on track...I had totally forgot about it until I found a recipe for an Iced Coffee concentrate Virgil had gotten from someone before we got married. When I drank the first glass I immediately felt like I was 13 again, back on our farm with bare feet in the hot Missouri sun. It was a whole rush of nostalgia, even though it took me a while to figure out why. And then I remembered Java Coolers. And now I'm going to quite rambling and just give you the recipe, in honor of the fact that Summer or at least Spring might be around the corner. :)

Iced Coffee Concentrate

2 cups Boiling Water

1 cup Instant Coffee

1/2 cup Maple/Pancake Syrup

1 cup Sugar

2 teaspoons Vanilla

Just mix it together, put a a tablespoon or 2 in a glass and add milk and ice to taste.

Resurrection Cookies

One of my favorite Easter memories is making Easter Resurrection Cookies. I am so glad Dad and Mom started this tradition with us. It is such a good way to "bring the Easter story home" to little - and not so little - minds. Mom would usually direct the mixing while Dad read the corresponding Bible stories. We can't wait to start making these with our kids when they are old enough!

To make the cookies you will need

• A mixer
• 1 cup of whole pecans
• 1 tsp. vinegar 
• 3 egg whites 
• pinch of salt
• 1 scant cup of sugar
• a gallon zip lock bag
• wooden spoon
• tape
• Bible 

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. 

Put the pecans in the zip lock bag and have your children take turns beating them with a wooden spoon while you read John 19:1-3. Explain how Jesus was arrested and beaten by soldiers.

When Jesus was on the cross he was thirsty, but was only given vinegar to drink. Have each of you children dip their fingers in the vinegar and taste it while you read John 19:28-30. Put the vinegar in the mixing bowl.

Eggs represent life. Jesus gave his life so we can have eternal life. Read John 10:10-11 and add the egg whites to the vinegar. 

Salt represents the bitterness of our sin and the tears of Jesus's followers when He was crucified. Let each of your children taste the salt before you add it to the bowl. Read Luke 23:27.

The sweet part of the story is that Jesus died for our sins so we can have eternal LIFE with Him! Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16 and add the sugar. 

Beat the egg whites on high until peaks form, about 12-15 minutes. Just like the beaten egg whites are pure white, our hearts are white in the sight of God because Jesus has cleansed us from sin. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold the pecans in by hand.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Each mound represents the rocky tomb were Jesus was buried. Read Matthew 27:57-60. 

Put the cookies in the oven and turn it off. Seal the oven door with tape, just like the tomb was sealed. We used to put so much tape on we had to cut it open. But one small piece of tape for each person works just as good. :) Read Matthew 27:65-66. 

Now go to bed! It is sad to leave the cookies in the oven all night - Jesus' followers were so sad when he was killed! Read John 16:20 & 22.

In the morning open the oven and give everyone a cookie. When they take a bite and see that they are hollow inside talk about the empty tomb. The friends of Jesus were amazed to discover Jesus is alive!! Read Matthew 28:1-9. 

Share the cookies with friends and have your children share their meaning with kids if they are old enough.

Jesus is alive!!!

The Modesty Debate

The modesty debate. It rages on and on around us with endless variations and bunny trails. Dresses. Skirts. Jeans. Leggings. Mini skirts. Tank tops. Yoga pants. Cleavage. Don't offend. Not my problem. Don't judge me. You're causing lust. And on and on and on it goes.

Can I just say I don't think it's about jeans or tank tops or the length of your skirt? It is about Jesus. What if we would quit applying men's opinions to our lives and just look at what the Bible says? I think there are 2 main questions we need to answer in a completely honest way and the debate could disappear.

1. What does "modest" mean?
2. Who am I glorifying/dressing for?

What does "modest" mean?

"And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes." 1 Timothy 2:9

Modest: unassuming or moderate in the estimation of one's abilities or achievements; free from vanity, egotism, boastfulness, or great pretensions.

If we put together the Bible command for modesty and the dictionary definition I think we can reasonably say that modesty is dressing in a simple, unassuming way that doesn't draw attention to ourselves - in an egotistical, look at me sort of way.

Who am I glorifying/dressing for?

I think maybe this question alone could answer the modesty debate. I personally don't like the "keep our brothers from lusting" argument. It is putting the focus on people. If we keep the focus on God the rest will fall in line. If a girl would ask herself in a brutally honest way why she chose to wear whatever she put on, then immodesty in the church just might disappear. 

Girls, we are the bride of a King!! The bride of an almighty God who died an agonizing death, with our sin on his shoulders. Shouldn't we always be conscious of this when we go in public? When you get dressed to go shopping you can choose to dress for man's glory and satisfaction or God's glory and praise. It's actually a pretty simple choice.

What will you choose?

DIY Fleece Sleeping Bag

A couple weeks ago I told some friends it would drive me crazy to do a diy blog because I wouldn't want to take the time to take all the pictures. So I don't know why I got inspired to do this post. But I did. And when I got started it was actually a lot of fun! I don't always have a lot of time for all the projects I want to do, but having one of my wonderful sisters around for a few days helps  lot! :)

I had seen this idea for a doll sleeping bag and just converted it to toddler/child size. So, here goes!

First step, get your fleece. I got 2 yards, 21 inches of my main fabric. {Because that's all there was. I was going for 3 yards. But I got the 21 inches half off of fleece that was already 60% off so I didn't complain. :) } I got 1 yard and 20 inches of the accent fabric. {for the same reason}

I was delighted to find some hedgehog fleece, because I think they're adorable and because Jakki loves all little forest animals. The only stories she tells are about bunnies and squirrels. They usually sound like this: "Bunny! Squirrel! Squirrel is sad! Him got an ouie. He fell off the train. Bunny fall of too. Squirrel is crying. Sorry squirrel." or "Bunny! Squirrel! Squirrel is playing. It's up in tree. Him is at Grammi's house. At the stream! I want to see him."

Anyway. I was happy to find this fleece because she is also fascinated with porcupines. :)

Next get a scissors  {the sharper the better!} and something to measure with and turn on some awesome music.

Trim off the white edges, because it will just look better.

Cut your accent fleece 40"x60" I used chalk to mark all my measurements.

Cut 2 pieces of your main color in the some size. I did mine on a fold to make it easier. You should have 3 separate pieces of fleece, each 40"x60".

Lay one of your main color pieces right side down. Place the accent piece right side up on top of it. The put your second main color piece right side up on top of that. Make sure it is all even on the edges.

Fold the top piece down about 14".

 Now you're ready to start cutting! I cut the tassels 5" deep. Start by cutting a 5" square out of the corners.

I didn't measure for the width of the tassels. They were about 1/2"-1" each. They don't have to be perfect. As long as they are within half an inch of each other I don't think you notice the difference.

Try to make sure the edge pieces come out the size of a full tassel. It just looks  little neater I think. I did use chalk to mark 5" all the way round to keep it uniform.

This is what it should look like when you're finished cutting.

Now for the fun part! Separate the tassels {there will be 2 at the the top part of the sleeping bag, 4 at the fold and 3 around the bottom half}

Tie them in a knot, like you're beginning to tie your shoe. Tie a knot on top of that. You want it snug, but not to tight or it will change the shape of the whole sleeping bag.

Continue around the whole sleeping bag. When there is just 3 tassels hold 2 in one hand and one in the other to tie the knots. When there is 4 you will hold 2 in each hand. {Obviously ;) }

And you're finished! I was hoping to have enough left over to make a pillow too, but I have just enough for a scarf or 2 for Jakki.

Jakki is absolutely delighted with her sleeping bag. I think it will be perfect for weekend trips to Papa and Grammi's to visit the squirrel that lives in the tree and plays in the stream with his bunny friend, when they're not falling off of trains. :D

A Cup of Water

I have been reading a lot of "weary Mom" blog posts lately. They are so good.

They are so...true. Mommy work is never done. Mommies are tired, because they are super-vigilant. Mommies don't hear very many {unprompted} "Thank you's" Stay-at-home Mommies don't get very much credit from the world. Some Mommies don't get very much support from friends, parents or even their husbands. A Mommy house is often cluttered with toys, laundry and dishes. Freezer meal boxes lay out on the counter all day. 

Exhaustion. Should I even go there? Being a Mommy is exhausting.

 But the good news is: We are needed. We are loved. We are important. So important. We are shaping little lives that will shape the future. Our little tiny people we work so hard to teach and train and love are the future.

All these blogs are such a balm to my heart and soul. They give me the strength to keep going and going and going. And going.

But...I do think there is something missing in them. Do you know the real reason our work is so important?

We work, not just for our husbands. Not just for our children. Not just for the future.

We work for Jesus.

Jesus said "If you give a cup of cold water in My name, you are doing it for ME." The cups of water we give to our children are countless. And that is only a tiny part of being a Mommy.

I believe every thing we do for our children, through the love of Jesus, is being done to Him. We are serving Jesus every day of our lives, every minute of our day, when we care for our children. Perhaps even when we wash their faces and put lotion on soft, baby skin it is a reflection of Mary, washing Jesus' feet and anointing him with oil. Is that too radical of a statement? I don't think so. Children are so close to the heart of Jesus.

Mommies...It doesn't get any better than that. There is so much joy and purpose in this wonderful journey.

So go...give your children ever ounce of love and strength that you have today, because you are doing it for Jesus!