BANANA NUT MUFFINS

BANANA NUT MUFFINS

Friday, March 27, 2015

Happy Friday, friends! I have been really good lately about not eating sweets. I was strong. I stood my ground. I fought back against temptations. Then I got a hankering for muffins.

The solution? 

Bake banana nut muffins. Surely the banana will make them.. healthy.. less fattening.. right? Oh yeah, they're gluten free, so that means I can eat at least five or all of them. You know me, I love to scratch bake, but, we don't always have time for that now do we. Prepackaged dry ingredients aka baking mixes can be so truly helpful. Being the gluten free girl that I am ( fist bump to all of my gluten intolerant friends ) I keep a Glutino baking mix or two in the pantry at all times. It's a great foundation for all kinds of delicious muffin indulgences. 

These gluten free banana nut muffins in particular are my absolute favorite. I don't care much for super sweet baked goods, so these lightly sweet muffins are just the ticket.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1 BOX GLUTINO BAKING MIX

2 LARGE BANANAS

1 STICK UNSALTED BUTTER (SOFTENED)

2 LARGE EGGS

1 TSP VANILLA EXTRACT

1 1/4 CUP OF MILK

1 CUP OF WALNUTS ( ROUGHLY CHOPPED )

1 1/2 TSP PUMPKIN PIE SPICE ( OPTIONAL )

+ HAND MIXER WITH WHISK ATTACHMENT

PREPARATION

Preheat over to 370˚ and line muffin tins. Mash the two bananas and set aside. Roughly chop walnuts, and any other nuts you would like to add, and set aside.

In a medium size bowl beat together the softened butter, two large eggs, and teaspoon of vanilla. The butter might not break down completely and that's okay. Add muffin mix and milk then beat on low speed until well combined. 

Fold or beat in the mashed bananas and walnuts (  or any nut you like ) until well distributed through batter. Add the teaspoon and a half of pumpkin pie spice and beat on low speed until fully distributed though batter. 

+ This is the point where you can add in any of the add ons that you like. Add some cinnamon for extra flavor, or honey for a little more sweetness. Cocoa powder is a really nice addition. Chocolate granola, I use Nature's Path, is an incredible add on. I strongly suggest it! If you don't want to add anything else into the batter, sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon on top of each muffin before baking. 

ADD ONS:

1 CUP OF PECANS ( ROUGHLY CHOPPED )

1 TSP CINNAMON

1 CUP OF CHOCOLATE GRANOLA ( A HEARTY CUP FULL )

1 CUP OF FRESH BLUBERRIES

1 TSP COCOA POWDER ( UNSWEETENED )

1 CUP OF SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS

1/4 CUP OF HONEY (FOR ADDED SWEETNESS )

Spoon a generous amount of batter into each muffin tin. I use a soup spoon for this, and spoon in the batter twice for decent size muffins. Sprinkle some cinnamon on top of each unbaked muffin, and place in your 370˚ oven for 20-25 minutes.

My oven cooks low, so you might have to adjust the baking time depending on how hot your oven cooks. I do find that these muffins turn out best baked low and slow. When in doubt, look for lightly golden brown tops, and do the toothpick test. If the toothpick comes out clean, they're done!

These banana nut muffins are moist, flavorful, and just sweet enough! Our family loves them and I hope you do as well. 

+ Store the muffins in a airtight container. Baggies, I've found, will make them taste a little like plastic. You can reheat these muffins the next day, in the microwave, and add a little butter.. it's heaven!

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THE WAITING GAME: 7 THINGS TO DO WHILE YOU'RE SINGLE

THE WAITING GAME: 7 THINGS TO DO WHILE YOU'RE SINGLE

Monday, January 26, 2015

Hey girls. Can I get personal here for a minute?
I recently started my favorite month long prayer challenge again. I have devoted the month of January to praying for my husband, that is, my future husband. I am living the single life. I'm okay with that. And then again.. I'm not. God has knit into each of us the desire to pair up. It's natural. It's good. It's a God-given desire. So, some days the "single life" is lonely. You can be surrounded by family and friends that genuinely love you, and you them, yet feel a little alone. Another person does not complete us. Our wholeness should come from our relationship with Christ, but there is a complimentary oneness that is born in the marriage relationship. You get little snippets of it as you grow to know and love that one person that you are working toward forever with.

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There are moments of true contentedness, and moments of "God, I've waited patiently, please press skip ahead on this". 

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I do not believe in prince charming, love at first sight, or soul mates. Those ideas permeate our society's idea of love, but it's not realistic or biblical. In Genesis 2:22 it says: "The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man". Isn't that beautiful? God fashioned her. The word used here for the fashioning of the woman is banah. This word is used to describe the making of a temple, palaces, or forms of art. The word itself implies that the woman was not only meant to be a companion, but also an aesthetic work.  I know, I know.. we are women, hear us roar, but God has given us worth and value so far beyond "I don't need a man" or "Anything a man can do I can do better". He created us uniquely the way that we are. He created us to be the compliment to masculinity.  

We should embrace our femininity and womanhood. God has fashioned us. God brought Eve to Adam. He didn't create them separately and then wait for them to bump into each other. He also didn't tell the woman to search out the man. He created her from Adam's rib, making Eve flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone. Then, God simply brought her to Adam. God is sovereign, and He has a will for your life. If God has given us the desire to pair up, then we can trust Him to bring that pairing to fruition. It's a faith walk.

There is this idea in the church that life doesn't begin until you get married and begin a life of serving Christ together. This is ridiculous. Marriage is good, we should aspire to it, but God wants us to be serving Him in our singleness too. Our life should be full and complete before we pair up. If you are not busy serving Christ as a single young woman, you won't start after you say "I do". We should be growing, focused, serving, independent, and purposeful in our singleness. When we get to the stage of marriage in our lives, who we are carries right over. We are a compliment and a helpmate to the man that God has for us. 

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So what is a girl to do while she waits for God to unfold her pairing in His perfect timing?

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1. BE A WOMAN OF PRAYER.

Prayer is powerful. We have a direct line of fellowship with the Lord through prayer. Pour out your heart to God. Praise Him in prayer. Search out wisdom through prayer. Do you talk to your mom regularly? Perhaps your girlfriends? You talk with them, sharing happiness, fear, anger, you seek guidance, and ask for opinions. Are you there for them in the same way? Yes. You cultivate the relationship. Prayer is like those intimate conversations. If we do not cultivate our relationship with Christ through prayer, it will wither. 

Pray for a heart of contentment. Pray that God would grow you into a woman of integrity. Pray for courage and strength to stand firm in your faith. Spend time praising God in prayer.

2. BE GROUNDED IN YOUR FAITH.
In order to be grounded in our faith we must be in God's word. That is where instruction and wisdom come from. Spend time studying scripture so that you may grow spiritually. If you are a woman that can be easily swayed in your beliefs, you will find yourself on unstable ground. Set aside time in your days to study God's word so that you may grow spiritually and be solid in your faith. When we have this stable foundation we can move forward, with any step in life.

3. GET INVOLVED.

Get involved in your church! God has given us all spiritual gifts, and we should use them to the benefit of the body of Christ. Plugin to your church. Serve in the nursery, help with children's program,  or serve in an adult bible fellowship. Can you sing? Well, join the worship team. Maybe you're good with social media. Find a place to serve on the media team at your church. There are so many ways to plugin to your church, and use your time, and gifts wisely.

4. KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

Who are you? What are your thoughts? Your likes? Your fears? Before you can share yourself with another person you have to first know who you are. You can't explain your values and your heart unless you are grounded in your identity. If you are not grounded in who you are and what you believe, you can easily be swayed and changed. Be confident and secure in who you are.

5.  FOCUS.
Rather than pining away for a significant other, go out and do something with yourself! If you're in school, focus on that and doing the best that you can. Don't let loneliness be a distraction from the here and now. Focus on your school, your work, growing your talents, and managing your time wisely. If you're floundering in your singleness, marriage will not stabilize you.

6. BE INDEPENDENT.

Our wholeness does not and should not come from another person. Another person does not complete us. We find our wholeness in Christ. Before you can become one in a marriage relationship, you must be independent as a young woman. Independent in your relationship with Christ, in your thoughts, and in your decisions. Marriage brings two whole independent people together. You don't take on your husband and who he is. You compliment and balance one another. There is a give and take. 

7.  BE PURPOSEFUL.

Dating. It's going to happen. You're going to be asked out, and you're going to want to jump at the chance for that coffee date. Be careful not to fall into thoughtless dating. Just because a young man asks you out doesn't mean you should go out with him. If you're not attracted to him, don't agree to go out with him. We are talking across the board here, not just physical attraction. Do you like his personality? Are you attracted to his mind? How do you feel about his sense of humor? Are you attracted to the whole of his person?

There are few truly godly young men around these days. I know. Don't settle because you're lonely. Be patient and trust God for the right young man. The young man that loves God, and cultivates his relationship with Christ. No man is perfect, but you will see all of the little seedlings of christlikeness, integrity, purity, respect, and spiritual maturity. If you thoughtlessly date guys that cannot lead you spiritually, and that you're not attracted to, you will end feeling emotionally confused and hurting the guy in the process. 

All right girls, that's my heart-to-heart. From one single girl to another.. seek God with all of your heart, and wait patiently. What do you think are some things you should do while you're single?

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GLUTEN FREE BROWNIE PEPPERMINT BARK COOKIES

GLUTEN FREE BROWNIE PEPPERMINT BARK COOKIES

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Brownies are delicious. Cookies are delicious. Brownie-cookies are.. dangerous. I don't make baked goods that often because it's just too darn difficult to stop eating them once I start. I mean, I ate like six of these when I made them, and ate the edges off of some of the others. Then there was that moment of weakness at breakfast the next morning. They're good! I have made these completely from scratch in the past, but, we don't always have the time to scratch make cookies. With a little help from a gluten free brownie mix, you'll have moist, chewy, chocolately cookies with a hint of peppermint, in no time! Perfect for a Christmas party, or just you know, for yourself! 

WHAT YOU WILL NEED.

1 Box of gluten free brownie mix. I used the gluten free Betty Crocker mix.

3 tblsp of gluten free flour. 

2 eggs.
1/3 cup oil. I used Olive Oil.
7 Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Squares.

PREPARATION. 

Preheat oven to 350˚and line baking sheet with parchment paper. Chop or break by hand the peppermint bark squares and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl mix together the gluten free brownie mix and the 3 tblsp of gluten free flour. In a separate bowl beat the 2 eggs and 1/3 cup of oil together ( I just use a fork to beat them ), and fold into brownie mix until a moderately thick dough forms. Fold in peppermint bark pieces, or hold back to just sprinkle on top for a more subtle peppermint flavor. 

Drop generous round spoonfuls on baking sheet and bake for 10-11 minutes. ( I use two soup spoons for this because the size is just right if you want large cookies, and the second spoon keeps my hands from getting messy). If you held the peppermint bark back, sprinkle on top of the cookie dough before baking, as I did. Be careful not to over bake. Brownie-cookies can become super hard if over baked. Like the hard edges of true brownies in a pan. They only need about 10 minutes. 

Let the cookies cool and then share with your friends and family!

Happy eating, friends.

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$225 CHRISTMAS CASH GIVEAWAY

$225 CHRISTMAS CASH GIVEAWAY

Monday, December 1, 2014

simply clarke | crazily normal

the thing about joy | tabler party of two | musings of a wanderer | simply free | lot 48

the mommy glow | rebekah elizabeth | the dwelling tree | the everyday joys | the southern thing

eat drink and be mary | lip gloss and high heels | southern beauty guide | a little too jolley | to the sea

boone + owl | two miracles | just bee | beauty brawler | living for his glory

 

Today I have teamed up with a few other bloggers to giveaway $225 Cash to help with your Christmas shopping endeavors! Enter away below and make sure to check out these amazing ladies.

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THROUGH THE LENS: OCTOBER

THROUGH THE LENS: OCTOBER

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Hey Hey! Today I am linking up with Kristen, from Treats and Travels, and sharing some of my favorite snapshots from the month of October! Kristen tagged me on Instagram ( plus some other lovely bloggers ) to participate in the monthly Through the Lens linkup! If you haven't joined the linkup yet, hop on in! It's a fun way to share some of your favorite shots from the past month and meet other bloggers. Double win.

Is it just me or did the pumpkin month just fly by? I would kindly like to ask time to just hold up a minute. An extra twenty days or so in each month would do the trick. Onward to the turkey feast.. gobble till you wobble, friends!

• Double Trouble. Llana is my best friend! The two of us have been friends since we were little girls. We still can't quite remember how or where we met exactly, but we apparently made quite an impression on one another and have been harassing each other ever since! This snapshot is an abundantly accurate capture of us.

• Deliciousness. I'm always messing around in the kitchen, as you well know by now. Sometimes it's a huge success (and I rock a substantial food baby from overeating), and sometimes I wonder what it was exactly that I was trying to create in the first place? One of the more successful kitchen creations is my favorite Blueberry Kale Smoothie. It's cold, tart, healthy, and quite tasty!

• My People. I've always been a 'quality over quantity' kind of person when it comes to friends. A few really good friends is just the ticket. I am an introvert. So much so that some tend to think I'm aloof and indifferent. This could't be further from the truth! I actually really love people. I'm just quiet.. sometimes. There are a few of my people that would beg to differ. At least two are present in the image above. I'm sweetness and sarcasm, tenderness and sass all wrapped up in one semi-petite package! With a little laughter, loyalty, good banter, and transparancy we'll be the best of friends!

• Cookie Goodness. Who doesn't love some baked goods. Especially fudge filled baked goods. Cookies are my weakness. Even pictures of cookies make me happy!

• The Momma Bear. She's the college roommate I never had! We laugh, we cry, we argue, and we get into plenty of trouble together. We laugh most often so this snapshot captures us well.

• Feed The Addiction. I'm pretty vocal about my excessive love of froyo. If I didn't have some measure of self-control I would be rotund! Okay, that's somewhat of an exaggeration. But I like me some frozen moo cow. Especially if it's peanut butter froyo.. or salted caramel pretzel.. or espresso.. cookies n' cream.. or just all of it. I LOVE all of it!

• Hay Fights. When I was a kid my family always went to our church's harvest festival rather than going trick or treating. The harvest festival has changed over the years ( or maybe I've just grown up ), but it still remains one of my favorite fall activities. Back in the day, during the hayrides, two tractors would pull up next to each other and a full of hay fight would ensue. I have been both buried under a pile of people, and almost decapitated by a flying hay bale. Good times.

• Tuna Love. That delightful brown eyed spitfire is my sister. I affectionately call her Tuna Love. Yes, there is a story behind it, and it has nothing to do with the love of tuna. Much tomfoolery takes place when we're together, as the picture above hints at.

• God's Handiwork. I love a fiery sunset. So much of the time, as we move through our days, we take for granted the beauty of God's creation around us. Sunsets paint the sky with blazing colors demanding we take notice, and in those moments everything is peaceful and you have to just stop and take in the beauty that God has created.


Have a phenomenal Thanksgiving friends!

    

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BLOGGER PROBLEMS: THE TALE OF FIFTY-THREE LOST PHOTOS

BLOGGER PROBLEMS: THE TALE OF FIFTY-THREE LOST PHOTOS

Friday, October 31, 2014

It was a beautiful cloudless day when I popped the camera card into my computer. The anticipation of editing photos while listening to music was making me hyper. I was bouncing around my office with childish excitement. "These might be the best pictures yet!" I thought to myself, proud of all that I was learning about taking blog worthy photos.

I had really grown to love editing, and could spend countless blissful hours behind my computer screen working. "I'll make it one of those tested from Pinterest posts!" I proclaimed to only myself, earbuds happily blasting out Taylor Swift's Shake It Off. If only I had known how that song would ring in my ears.

Baby, I'm just gonna shake shake shake shake shake. 

Uploading pictures had become old hat. I did this multiple times a week. I had found myself collecting many shots with my coal-black Canon Rebel. It had become my very best friend; swinging gaily from the strap it hung on around my neck, on a regular basis. I cheerfully inserted the camera card into my Mac and waited for "NO NAME" to spring up in iPhoto. Nothing. "I've done it in the wrong order." Though no specific order had ever been needed in the past, I reasoned that I must close iPhoto and reinsert the camera card, and let iPhoto open when my Mac acknowledged the camera card's presence. "Let's try this agin." I muttered to myself. Nothing. Frustration began to set in. "Are you kidding me!" In the midst of my mild frustration I rushed upstairs and rummaged through some things on the desk in my room."HA found it!" I ran back down to my office with the newly acquired USB cable that belonged the my Rebel. "I'll just plug this bad boy in and upload them that way."

I was back in my bubbly bouncing mood. Surely this would solve the problem. I had no valid reason for thinking this, but I had quite comfortably settled into denial about the entire situation. With Mr. Probz Waves playing in the background, I had unplugged my pearly white earbuds and music flowed freely throughout the room, I plugged the USB cable into my computer and waited with misguided confidence. Fifty-three photos. All fifty-three within my grasp. Would you like to upload all 53 images to iPhoto? blazed across my computer screen. "Yes, yes I would!" 

I pressed on, minimizing iPhoto, while I listened to two more tracks from my Vibe playlist on Spotify. Ignoring the pictures while they uploaded gave relief to my nerves. Perhaps if I didn't watch them upload I would have more success. I put some finishing touches on a new blog header as Stevie Wonder's Superstition finished playing. I knew the pictures had finished uploading from my "NO NAME" camera card. 

I just knew it.

"This isn't happening." A small pop-up window informed me: the following 53 unreadable photos could not be uploaded. "Unreadable?!" The computer was wrong and obviously malfunctioning. "No, nope. It's all a terrible mistake." Somewhere between rage and despair, I brashly snatched the USB cable out of the port on the side of my computer. "This. is. not. happening." I decided to start from scratch. With Eye of the Tiger keeping time for my hate fire, I closed everything out and began again. 

It's the eye of the tiger. It's the thrill of the fight.

I was now burdened with glorious purpose. I was going to win the fight with my expensive blogging paraphernalia. I forcefully plugged the USB cable back into my Mac, switched the Rebel on, and dared iPhoto not to submit. This would all be forgotten once I found victory. The pictures would be edited, and the post would be published. No one ever had to know of the battle waged behind the scenes. But it was not to be.

The following 53 unreadable photos could not be uploaded. 

Those words burned the deepest part of my blogger soul. It was over. Forever trapped on that unnamed camera card, those shots of perfectly baked healthy cookies would never be gazed upon. The evidence that those pins you never get around to testing actually do work out sometimes. Proof that not all Pinterest recipes are tricks. I had gone from childlike bliss to utter despair. The fight was over. The photos were lost. 

I sat back in my chair while Sarah McLachlan serenaded my broken blogger heart... I will remember you.

"Yes, yes I will." 

That's the tale, in all its sarcastic playfulness. Bonus points if you caught the Loki reference! The entire camera card is corrupted and I'm not sure how.  What about you? Have you ever lost photos, or an entire post?

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