Weekend fun finds…

“A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.”

Proverbs 15:30

My heart was filled with gladness today as we headed out to tackle the day’s tasks, one of which was to clean the church.  It was hot, and we have no AC in the church building, but instead of grumbling and disappointment pouring forth from the mouths of my little princesses (as well as myself) there was a sense of contentment and a willingness to serve.
With nothing but helpful hearts I sent them off emptying trash cans, vacuuming the sanctuary and nursery, and wiping down tables and toys in the classroom.  The Lord had put a “song” in each of our hearts today as we served together as a family, not out of obligation but inspiration!  If there is one thing I’ve learned on this journey, it’s that “church planting is not for the spiritually flabby!”  There is still a lot of “conditioning” to be done in my life, but it does bring such joy to my heart when I see Him “training” up our family together.
The next task at hand was a quick stop at the Farmer’s Market, so we braved the heat once again and oh how beautiful the produce was!  We feasted on nectarines, white peaches, pluots, green beans, and zucchini.  I usually pass by the vendors with bakery items, such as fresh baked breads, muffins, scones, cookies, etc..because I can’t indulge in any of their tantalizing treats being the fact that I can’t eat anything with gluten in it.  However, the hubs struck up a conversation with the gentleman from Belen Bakery (probably because he offered him a sample!) and I kept a close ear as I heard him talking about the ingredients that go into making his breads.  Besides the fact that he bakes fresh bread daily, you can actually read and recognize the ingredients on the label!  Today I made an exception and bought some lovely Ciabatta Bread for the hubs and my princesses.  They’ll be feasting on fabulous sandwiches this week for sure!
Here are some other fun finds from today…

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and…

I needed a “break” from all our errands today, so instead of lesson planning and making much needed copies of schoolwork, I baked these for church on Sunday morning!!

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Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Spice Donuts
(Inspired by Angela @ Oh She Glows)
Ingredients:
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar (I used “raw”)
6 Tbsp non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened Almond)
1/2 cup fresh or canned pureed pumpkin
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
3 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
2 Tbsp lightly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp Earth Balance (or other non-dairy butter substitute), melted
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon + 1/2 tsp ginger, + 1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour blend (you can sub this with 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 tsp xanthum gum (omit if not using the gluten-free flour blend)
Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
1/4 cup Earth Balance, melted
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray two mini donut pans or two regular sized donut pans with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, milk, pumpkin, sugar, applesauce, brown sugar, and melted Earth Balance.
Sift in the dry ingredients…baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt, and flour).  Mix until just combined.
Using a zip-loc baggie or a pastry bag, spoon the batter into the bag and then secure with the “zip-loc” or rubber band.  Twist the bag slightly and then cut off the tip of one of the corners to “pipe” out the batter.  Pipe the batter around the circle and gently flatten down with the tip of a butter knife.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until they gently spring back when touched.  Cool in pan for about 5 minutes before gently removing with a butter knife.  Cool for another 10-15 minutes.
Cinnamon Sugar: Melt the Earth Balance in a small bowl and dip the cooled donuts into the butter one at a time.  Transfer the dipped donuts into a bag with the cinnamon sugar and shake until thoroughly coated.  They will keep for 2-3 days.

Nourishing Thought For Today:
Hosea 13:6 says, “When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me.”  After reading this verse today I was reminded of Francis Chan’s words from his book Crazy Love.  He says, “It’s easy to fill ourselves up with other things and then give God whatever is left.  God gets a scrap or two only because we feel guilty for giving Him nothing.”  God is holy and He deserves the very best I have, not just what I advertise, but what I’m really made of!  I also want to give the very best to my family, and while I strive not to give my “leftovers” to God, I am okay with nourishing my family with leftovers for dinner!!!!
Blessings,
J’lene