We’re Back!

It’s good to be back home! 

Unfortunately the hubs wasn’t feeling so hot, so it wasn’t exactly the trip we were hoping it was going to be.  We made it to Arizona and back all in one piece, but everything in between is kind of hazy! 

The church planting conference was held at Cornerstone Christian Church in Chandler, AZ. and it was amazing to say the least!

 Cornerstone’s Worship Center…complete with a coffee shop/cafe and bookstore!

Cornerstone’s Kid’s Center….looked like you were walking into a movie set! 

 The stage in the Worship Center…the center screen was floor to ceiling!

A fabulous worship team!While the hubs agreed that last years’ conference was a bit better, we both walked away from our time here with a sense of excitement as to where God will lead us, our family and Ignite Church next!

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His Word I put my trust.” Psalm 130:5

The hubs was a trooper and took me to try a couple of the restaurants that I had picked out ahead of time. 

24 Carrots

So many choices!  For the hubs… A Pina Colada smoothie (fresh coconut, pineapple, probiotic yogurt and some mint leaves).  And for me…A Peachy Kean smoothie made green! (peaches, mangoes, apples and kale).  The server said it was the first “green smoothie” on the menu and it tasted so refreshing.  Adding the kale was a perfect match with the peaches and mangoes…definitely need to recreate this one at home!

 Oooo!La!La!  Such a lovely shade of green!

Jason’s Deli

 A little somethin’, somethin’ for everyone!

 For me…a “build your own” veggie sandwich on gluten free bread!  I loaded the sandwich with cucumbers, avocado, lettuce, carrots, red onion and topped it with a drizzle of their house-made italian dressing.

 I opted for the “half sandwich” option so I could try a cup of their organic vegetable soup.  I’m so glad I did because it was SO YUMMY!

 The hubs tried a half roast beef sandwich with a fresh fruit cup. 

Run time!!

So, a not so “happenin’” trip to talk about, but we did our best to make the most of it!

We made good time on the way home and managed to pick up the princesses a bit early!  It was good to see their smiling faces and hear about their adventures…the first thing out of their mouth was, “we ate good for you mom!”  Love it!

Today brought me back to reality…the laundry, cleaning, grocery list, lesson plans and cooking!  Like I said, “It’s good to be back home!”  And it was good to start our day off with a little something “green!”

Zucchini-Carrot Muffins (gluten-free)

Yields 12 muffins

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose gluten free flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp xanthum gum

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

1 “chia” egg (1 Tbsp chia seeds + 3 Tbsp warm water)

1/2 cup raw coconut crystals (or cane sugar)

3 Tbsp + 1 tsp coconut oil

1/2 cup grated zucchini

1/2 cup grated carrot

pinch of sea salt

3 Tbsp flax meal

1/4 cup raw, sliced almonds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a muffin tin with paper muffin cups or lightly spray with cooking spray.  Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthum gum, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the chia egg, sugar and oil.  Stir in the zucchini and carrots.  Stir the flour mixture into the vegetable mixture.  Fold in the flax meal and almonds.

Fill the muffin cups halfway with the batter.  Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in pan for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  Enjoy yourself something “green!”

  Just sweet enough to enjoy for breakfast or a mid-morning snack! 

Put a little dab of cream cheese frosting on top and call it “DESSERT!”

The weather is dreary today, but the grocery shopping must get done!

Blessings,

J’lene

Just a Few Thursday Things…

The sun is shining and we’re in flip-flops and shorts…crazy, but loving this January weather!  While it was nice to have the warm breeze blowing through the house and the sun shining through the windows, we needed to get out!  Sometimes a little break in the day does wonders.

We met up with Grammy and my little nephew along with a couple other friends for a picnic lunch in the park…

and some swing time!

Lovin’ the fresh air….

Flyin’ like “superwoman”!

 How could this smile not melt your heart?  His sweet giggles going down the slide brought the sunshine to my day!

There’s something about a nice warm day that calls out for a fresh “green” smoothie.  In the mix: kiwi, strawberries, mango and spinach…oh yumm!!

Even saved some for my “man of steel”!  The hubs was most deserving of this post-workout treat!  He’s been working extra hard at incorporating more cardio at the gym so he’s prepared to run alongside me (notice I say “alongside” and not WAY ahead of me!) for our March 5K!  He’s also been willing good at incorporating more “greens” into his diet while at the same time lessening the amount of sugar intake. 

Although the thought of limiting sugar in our diet sounded a bit intimidating at first, we’ve actually been doing really well at sticking with it!  Check out this blog post for some good tips on eliminating sugar along with some sugar substitutes.  Two of my favorite “sugar swaps” have been simply using more fruit purees (bananas, applesauce, dates, etc..) and I just picked me up some “Raw Coconut Crystals” that I’m absolutely loving.

(source)

These happen to be one of the “sweet treats” that we’ve been indulging in, minus all the added sugar! 

My family LOVES bars…there is just something about grabbing a “bar” for a quick, fun snack.  Ever since I started making my own granola bars about a year ago we’ve never gone back to the packaged kind.  And the same goes for the hubs and I with our “protein bars”…there’s nothing better than homemade!  The princesses still hover over “Z-Bars” (Cliff bars for kids) whenever we’re in Sprouts or Trader Joe’s, but I cringe at the amount of sugar in these so-called healthy bars for kids.  The hubs always says, “Well, if you don’t like it then fix it!” So I fixed the problem!  I found this recipe on the Peas and Thank You blog that just made my day.   Almost like the real deal (and the princesses thought so too)!  I did make a few changes from the original recipe: I made sure to use gluten free rolled oats, swapped in almond flour for the oat flour, took the baking powder down to 1 tsp, used 1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk, and didn’t end up putting in any added sweetener. A “sweet” ending to a sunshiny day!

If you love chocolate and you love granola stay tuned for another fun recipe!!

Blessings,

J’lene

Everything Homemade…

We accomplished two big tasks this weekend…..putting up the church’s Christmas tree and getting our family picture taken!  It’s been awhile since we’ve had a picture taken of the entire family.  My little Cailyn is usually escaping the picture or facing the wrong direction, but today I couldn’t have been more pleased with how well she behaved and I can’t wait to see the final product.  Maybe I’ll actually send out Christmas cards this year…just maybe!!

I snapped this quick pic just before we walked out the door!  My precious babies!

It’s starting to feel a lot like Christmas at church!

Speaking of feeling like Christmas,  I think I may have found a new replacement for dear ol’ pumpkin.  Well, at least for December anyway, I’ve fallen in love with “peppermint and chocolate.”  They are equally delicious in my book, but get them together and you have something more than delicious.  My pantry is now well stocked with peppermint extract and dark chocolate infused with peppermint oil.  Oh the fun I’m going to have in the kitchen!

First up…

 Chocolate Peppermint “Luna” Bars

(Inspired by Katie @ Chocolate Covered Katie)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Erewhon brown rice cereal

1 1/2 cups Erewhon cocoa brown rice cereal

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup + 2Tbsp almond butter

1/2 cup agave

2 Tbsp protein powder

melted chocolate (I used a dark chocolate-peppermint bar – you can use regular chocolate chips)

 Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the cereals and protein powder.

In a medium saucepan, mix the almond butter, extract, and salt. Melt over low heat, then pour over the cereal and powder.  Stir very well, making sure to coat all of the cereal.

Line an 8x8 inch pan with wax paper and spread the cereal mixture evenly into the pan.  Place another sheet of wax paper on top of the mixture, then press down firmly.

Spread the melted chocolate on top and freeze for at least a half an hour before slicing.

  Oh.My.Goodness.  These are out of this world good!

As part of our “countdown to Christmas” we’ve been working on a family project each week.  Since the nights have been getting chilly lately,  we decided this week’s project should include making and delivering hot cocoa mix to our neighbors.  Each jar was well received and it was a great opportunity to teach our little princesses about the importance of giving and loving our neighbors!

 Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

Yields 2 cups (about 8 servings)

Ingredients:

2 cups organic cane sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla powder

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup powdered milk

pinch of salt

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl, mix together the sugar and vanilla powder.  Transfer 1/2 cup of the vanilla sugar to a large bowl (save the remaining sugar for another use or to make another batch of cocoa).  Add powdered milk, cocoa and salt to the bowl with the sugar and mix well. 

You can store the cocoa mixture in an airtight container or put in small mason jars for gift giving.

Making the hot cocoa:

Put 1/4 cup of the mix and 1 cup of boiling water into a mug and stir well.

**For a burst of flavor, try steeping a bag of peppermint or almond tea in the mug along with the hot cocoa.

 I apologize for the bad photos, but I forgot to take pictures after we finished making the jars and ended up taking them in the evening.  Night photos don’t work well for food pics!

Stay tuned for more “chocolate-peppermint” recipes!  Here’s a sneak peak…

May you have a blessed week!

Blessings,

J’lene