resolutions & many other things

There is a few things I wanted to share with you...

2010 Resolutions (this is my list thus far...)
* these are in no particular order

1. exercise at least 3 days a week
2. be more organized about how/when I clean the house
3. eat more whole foods and less canned, processed, and crappy food. Cook meals by scratch. Experiment more with soaking grains.
4. learn more about photography
5. be more aware of the things that distract me from growing a deeper relationship with Christ and remove them from my life.



I have been reading thru the book 'Suffering and The Sovereignty of God' by John Piper and Justin Taylor. This is a fabulous book that will really challenge anything you have ever been taught about why God lets/permits/ordains/causes bad things to happen. I really encourage you to read it.

I really LOVE love love my chocolate chip cookie recipe. HOWEVER... I hate that it uses vanilla pudding (because it comes in a box), so I decided to try a new recipe today. Now, this new recipe isn't fabulous... it isn't near as good as my recipe. But it doesn't use anything from a box, and it seemed to work quite nicely using whole wheat pastry flour instead of all purpose. So here is the recipe:

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
1 stick (1/2 cup )butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp. hot water
1/4 tsp salt
1.5 c. chocolate chips
Directions
1. Cream butter and sugars. Beat in egg, then vanilla extract.
2. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt and mix. Mix flour and cream of tartar, then add them to the batter and mix it all up. Stir in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate for an hour, even longer if possible.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add cookies to baking sheets in average sized portions. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely.








Well friends, have a lovely night celebrating together. Thanks for reading my random thoughts. Farewell 2009 and welcome 2010!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. "
Jeremiah 29:11

Healthy Refried Beans

OK so I promise: today I'm going to sit down and pray and think about my resolutions for 2010. Hopefully I will post them in the next few days. But today, I wanted to share with you a new recipe I just tried. I love making bean and cheese quesadillas for lunch or an easy quick dinner, but have always felt bad buying canned refried beans. In an effort to make me feel less guilty we've have always gotten the vegetarian refried beans so that they're a little bit healthier. Anyway, I found this recipe on http://nourishingcookbook.blogspot.com/ and it turned out really well. So Here it is;

Healthy Refried Beans
yield: 9-10 cups

THE NIGHT BEFORE: cook dry beans in crockpot. Put the following in the crockpot and cook on low all night (or 9 hours)
51/2 cups (2lbs) dry pinto or black beans
about 31/2 quarts water, as needed
1 tsp garlic powder

THE NEXT DAY: place drained cooked beans, reserving the bean liquid, in a mixing bowl; add remaining ingredients:
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 tbsp chili powder
4 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp salt, to taste, optional

Blend beans with electric mixer or by hand with a potato masher, adding amount of reserved bean liquid until beans are the consistency desired.

And VOILA! There you have it folks! Yummy, healthy refried beans that are easy to make!

Time flies...

While spending time praying this morning I was remembering this time last year. We had just moved into our house and were trying to get settled. Life was busy, and we feeling so blessed. Time flies... can I get an amen? I've been thinking about 2010 that is just around the corner, and was wondering if I had made any resolutions for 2009. How sad is it that I couldn't remember?! hehe! Anyway, I was pretty sure that I had made some, and so I decided to search my blog to see if I had posted them. Sure enough I had;
http://themrsbrom.blogspot.com/2008/12/2009-new-year-resolutions.html

I was reading over what I had resolved to do in 2009 and out of the 9 I have done about 6 of them. Although I'm disappointed in myself for not doing all 9 I would say that even just accomplishing 1 of them would've been a big deal. So wait a minute.. let me rephrase... I haven't mastered those 6 things... I just think I'm better at them then last year. Make sense? Its like, they are still a work in progress.

So I haven't really came up with an official list of resolutions for this 2010 that is coming, but once I do... you will hear about it. 2010 is going to be different. 2010 is going to have me being intentional about physical activity. 2010 is going to have be working on being a better wife... mastering my homemade bread recipe.... learning more about whole foods and how to cook in a nourishing way. 2010 is going to be centered around Christ, and learning more about who He is and what effects that should have on my life.

Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
and your plans will succeed.
Proverbs 16:3

Here I come, 2010!

A little late, but still before January...

homemade lotion

hello folks! Two things:

1.) I just made my first order from http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/ and they are FABULOUS to work with! Check them out!

2.) With the ingredients I ordered from Mountain Rose I made some homemade lotion, and I want to share the recipe with you! I got the recipe from Lindsay at http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/


photo by Mountain Rose Herbs

Here is the recipe:

Shea Butter Lotion
1/8 cup coconut oil (extra virgin is preferred)
1/4 cup raw shea butter
3-4 Tablespoons talc-free cornstarch or arrowroot power (optional, to thicken)

Combine coconut oil and shea butter in a small bowl with a hand mixer or stick blender. You may have to soften the shea butter just slightly over very low heat in order to incorporate them well together, but it should combine well with a mixer. Add cornstarch or arrowroot a tablespoon at a time until you achieve the desired thickness.

Give it a try and let me know what ya think!