Gluten Free Bread in the Breadmaker

Originally this calls for 1 egg and 2 egg whites, 1 1/2 cup of warm skim milk, and 1 cup of white rice flour and 1 cup of brown rice flour.  

It is in my bread maker as we speak (or...as I speak).  I will let you know how it turns out.

I got this recipe from here.

• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 1/2 cups warm buttermilk
• 
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
• 1/4 cup millet flour
• 2 cup brown rice flour
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast

(Originally the recipe says 1 egg and 1/3 cup of egg whites, 1 1/2 cups of warm skim milk and 1 cup of brown rice flour and 1 cup of white rice flour.)

I put it in my bread machine for 1.5 lb of regular white bread and medium crust.

It doesn't look or feel like normal dough, i've tried to add some more tapioca flour and rice flour...I'm not confident in this, my first attempt...it's on it's first rise right now...

:-)

No Bake Granola Bars

So I got this recipe from a website that got it from Rachel Ray...I think.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups quick cooking oats {not rolled oats!}
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
As many chocolate chips as you want

I boil the butter, honey and brown sugar together.  When it's bubbling I turn the heat off and mix in the vanilla.
While it's on the stove I mix together, in a different bowl, the oatmeal and rice krispies.

Once the butter, honey and brown sugar are done boiling i mix it into the oats/rice krispies mixture until it is all combined really really good.  

Then I poor it onto a cookie sheet or into a 9x11 cake pan and smmmmooooooooosssssshhhhh it really good (Pay attention to the thickness as that will be the thickness of your granola bars)

Then, i pour chocolate chips on top and smoosh them into the top of the bars, but be careful...once you start smooshing them in they start to melt some and eventually start sticking to the spatula you're using.

Then I stick them in the fridge for awhile.

Then, we want some we just cut off what we want.  i do pack them in lunches but after they warm up they do fall apart some.....or alot.  But they are DELICIOUS.  My daughter just packs a cold pack with it and she loooves them!

:-)

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread..YUM!

Here is the recipe I've started using in my bread maker and it is turning out SOOOOO GOOD!  It is half 100% whole wheat flour and half unbleached bread flour.

I put it into my bread machine in this order....
1/2 cup warm water
1/8 cup honey
2 Tbls oil (i've been using canola, next loaf I'm trying olive oil)
1/2 cup milk
1 1/4 cup 100% whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup unbleached bread flour
1 tsp yeast (i use Fleischmanns's Bread Machine Yeast)
salt (i use 2-3 pinches)

ONCE IT STARTS MIXING I CHECK IT....both times I've made it I've had to add about a tablespoon of water....

I put the settings on my bread machine at White Bread, 2lb and medium crust...When I did it like this my crust was reallllllllly crunchy. The consistency of the bread was almost like store bought and the flavor was REALLLLLLY good!

I've been searching and searching for good sandwich, toast and whatever bread machine bread....for years...so far this is by far the easiest and the yummiest with the exact consistency and size that I was looking for!

WOOHOO!

Actions Speak Louder Than Words...

Let me clarify....I absolutely believe that when it comes to the Gospel, actions and words must be both used equally, and what we say MUST match up with how we live and how we live MUST match up with what we say.  What good is it to live a Godly life pursuing Holiness when we don't share the Gospel of Jesus Christ's death, burial and resurrection with others?  However, what good is it to share the Gospel with others when our lives are full of sin and we look no different to them than the rest of the world?


Today I'm just talking about our actions.


Matthew 5:14-16
¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.


When you think about your life, and I mean REALLY think about it...what is the PURPOSE of your life?  Every action, thought, word...what is your motive behind it?  It can be a really deep, thought provoking question that many believe there is no answer to, or don't believe they know it.  But as believers and followers or the Lord Jesus Christ I would suggest this, as followers of Christ our purpose and motives should all be exactly the same...to Glorify God in ALL we do (Whether in front of others or behind close doors when no one else is around), and to bring as many souls to Heaven with us as we can when our days on this earth have ended.


Now, the way this looks in each of our lives may be radically different from one another.  But the purpose, or end goal, should be the same.  And I believe if we desperately pursue the first part of that (glorifying God) then the second part (others coming to know Christ) will be a natural by-product.


I challenge you to go through your day today and constantly ask yourself "What was my reason for saying/doing/think that, in that way at that moment"...


1 Corinthians 10:31
So whether you eat or drink, or WHATEVER you do, do it all for the GLORY OF GOD!


Do we recognized the importance of salvation for every single soul we come into contact with?   When we get out of church on Sunday do we leave our "walk" at the door just to pick it up on Wednesday night or the following Sunday when we walk back in the door of the church.


We are the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world!!!  For some people we are the only Gospel they will ever see.  It seems so foreign to many of us who have heard the Gospel our entire lives, but there are many in our own town that have NEVER heard it!  


What a gift we've been given!  And what an AWESOME opportunity and honor it is that God would want to use US to share it with others!  Are you sharing with others 

Coupons Coupons

I'm on a money saving adventure...couponing!  I've realized there is A LOT to it!  

1)  I have coupons from last Sunday, as well as from the internet, cut out and put in individual envelopes based on store department (i.e. frozen food, meat, cereal etc) and I have written on the outside of the envelope what coupons i have, how much and expiration.  

2)  I have made a list of every store I might possible buy from....and there is a LOT around here!  

3)  I need to make a list of websites from which I can get coupons.  

4)  I also have the circulars for all the stores....

And I've only just begun!  My friend Stacey has a 'manual' online here.

So I'm going to keep notes like this to track how I do my couponing and my results!

Oddly Enough...

I'm usually full of thoughts I have during the day, deep and thoughtful thoughts (at least in my opinion).

But today, I've got nothing. Zip, zilch, zero.

I worked ALL DAY sitting in this very chair, on my husband's website.  I set out to do MUCH more for his website, but the little but that I did took the entire day....and all of my brain.

So now I'm left with mush.

So now, I'm off, to sit and do nothing but watch TV and cuddle with my amazing husband that I adore.

It doesn't get much better than that. <3

Maybe I'll have something inspired tomorrow.

Complacent or Content?

A friend of mine on Facebook made a good point today after I posted the Phillipians verse.  There is a difference between being content and being complacent.  


To me, being complacent is being resigned to the way things are, not hoping or trying for change or for anything better.  It's not at all related to peace or joy, but more in being stuck and hopeless.


Being content, in my opinion, is resting in the joy of our salvation in Christ and our future with Him DESPITE my circumstances.  REAL joy is not a result of our circumstances, but a knowledge that our circumstance won't affect our security in HIM, and our circumstances can be used to glorify God and lead others to Him.


When circumstances aren't "ideal" or when things are outright horrible, look for God's hand.  Nothing He does or allows in our lives is arbitrary.  It is ALL for His glory and usually, if you look really close, you can see His hand.  There is joy and peace in knowing that, if for nothing else, our suffering will be used to bring Him glory and our lives can be a testimony to others of His loving kindness.


Our insignificant time on this earth has NOTHING at all to do with us and our pleasures and desires...it is ALL about THE CREATOR who created us, THE SAVIOR who redeemed us and THE SPIRIT who lives in us being glorified.  


It is my desire in all I do to be available to be used by HIM to do that!

My verse today...

Philippians 4:11-13

"...for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

New Bible Study

Today I am starting a new Bible Study.  I found it on the website www.WomenStudytheBible.com


So far it looks pretty cool.  Today is on being thankful.  It has some interactive things to do to go deeper in your study.


Phil 4:10-13
"...for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do everything through him who gives me strength."


Here is a link to it in case you'd like to check it out.
Study 1, Lesson 1

I feel so funny starting to blog again.  I was reading my old blog posts earlier and feel like I've grown up so much since then.

I started blogging in 2005!  6 1/2 years ago.  My girls were 1 and 11!  Since then I've taken up running and have run in two half marathons, moved across the country, taken up reading, quit drinking coffee, started drinking coffee again, I'm attempting to start extreme couponing, I'm homeschooling this year, my oldest daughter lost her thumb and she also found a long lost brother and aunt (hahaha..confusing if you don't 'know' us), my youngest has turned out to be one of the smartest little people i've ever known as well as one of the most, shall we say, "adventurous" (to a fault).  I've gotten a LOT of gray hairs (totally uninvited btw)....

I've also felt led to start working with girls in the Youth at church.  I feel like they are so bombarded with lies about beauty, relationships, love, modesty, and so on...I just can't stand by and watch as this generation of girls turn into a generation of women who are scarred from the mistakes of their youth and abuse of society.

I've also developed a deep relationship with my Lord, I've realized the one purpose in this life is to bring other's to Christ and glorify Him in all we do...and honestly, I believe that's the most important think I've learned in my whole entire life.  It affects everything I do, every relationship I have, and though I fail quite often...I really feel like I know why we are here and it's not about us.  That brings me comfort.

So, I don't know where this blog will go...I'm guessing there will be posts about all of the things I mentioned above.  AND I don't know who will read it.  But here I am...for some reason for weeks I've been thinking about doing this, so I'm doing it!

So, here we go.
;-)
Stephanie

Here We GOOOOOOO!

So I think I'm going to start blogging about anything and everything.....God, my venture into extreme couponing, parenting, marriage, cooking, running, reading...and anything else that pops into my little head.  I am also known for messing around with computers and I will probably end up totally messing up my template, more than once.  So here I go, maybe, jumping back into the blogesphere...

I got a lot of work to do!

It's been more than 3 years since my last post. A lot has changed in 3 years! I'm thinking of blogging again. First I guess I gotta clean up my template cuz it's a mess with all the changes in the browsers over 3 years!

:-)

Messed up template

is my blog all messed up when you look at it?

let me know in my comments...cuz its all messed up looking at it on my computer.

Wow

So, I've been thinking maybe i could start blogging at least once a week. So I'm gonna write today and see if I can do this.

I've been working at my church for the last year part time in the Children's Ministry as a preschool coordinator. Making sure the preschool Sunday school teachers have what they need, make sure they show up and if they don't I make sure someone is there for the kids...I also do other odds and ends in the office too. It's fun!

My husband has been getting more active too, helping out with the elementary school ministry.

My oldest is in the 9th grade now, and she's about to turn 15! She is planning on going on a missions trip this summer and she helps out with all sorts of things at church too. It's great. I can't believe we're starting to talk about college more seriously! 3 years from now she'll be 4 months or so from GRADUATION!!! That's just nuts!

My youngest is 4 1/2 now almost. She is in Pre-K. She's one of the youngest being that her birthday is about 2 weeks before the cut off...but she's so dang smart! She's starting to read. She can sound things out and it's so exciting when she gets it! She'll be heading to Kindergarten in the fall.

God has been so faitful. This economic crisis has hit us pretty hard. My husband is a Realtor. It hasn't been easy but we're still doing ok.

I'm so happy that my hope doesn't lie in the power of Obama, or Bush....Or McCain, or anyone man has appointed....My hope lies in the power of the MAKER of kings, the MAKER of Presidents...My hope is in the ONE TRUE GOD...the MAKER of the heavens and the earth...

One of my favorite verses.

Psalm 121
A Song of Ascents.
1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.

You Are God Alone

I have been singing this song in my head the last few days, in times when I feel uncertain about the future of our country and of our freedoms as Christians...This song means so much!

You are not a god
Created by human hands
You are not a god
Dependant on any mortal man
You are not a god
In need of anything we can give
By Your plan, that’s just the way it is

You are God alone
From before time began
You were on Your throne
Your are God alone
And right now
In the good times and bad
You are on Your throne
You are God alone

You’re the only God
Whose power none can contend
You’re the only God
Whose name and praise will never end
You’re the only God
Who’s worthy of everything we can give
You are God
And that’s just the way it is

Unchangeable
Unshakable
Unstoppable
That’s what You are

My Dear Friend...

A very good friend of mine from High School passed away yesterday. She found out in January that she had a tumor on her brain. Over the last few months she had 2 surgeries. She never fully awoke from the second one.

She was such an amazing example of Jesus Christ. Her and her family have been so strong and faithful.

Ramey had a beautiful voice. You can hear some of her stuff here

There is more about Ramey and her journey here

Yesterday our Lord called her home.
Please pray for her husband and her 7 year old son.
She was only 33 years old. But she leaves behind a legacy of beauty, sharing Jesus UNASHAMEDLY, and honesty and love.

This song has encouraged me through this time.

Books

I haven't been a big reader since I was a kid. But right now I'm working on 2 books. One is a devotional/pray journal type book, and the other is a marriage book.

Life is too short to have a so-so marriage, in my opinion. I can guarentee, for those of you who have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, that if you take the first steps to bettering your marriage, you will begin to see changes and feel changes. But you have to have patience to stick it out. God will WORK OUT what you WORK IN! :-)....I heard that from Beth Moore.

So here are the books:
The Joy of a Promise Kept: The Powerful Role Wives Play


Whispers of Hope


So there is my unsolicited 2 cents for the day.
:-)
Blessings to you all!

Remember When?

Remember when I would write on my blog daily? Several times daily? Now I don't even do it once a month.

Part of me misses the blog world....but I have to say....my house is now USUALLY pretty clean....I've gotten more involved in things here in the real world....

But still...there is something so special about all of you that I've never 'met' but formed such great friendships with.

I just want you to know I am still here...

I will eventually change my slideshow and add some new pictures....eventually.

For now, here are some recent ones....relatively recent I suppose....

Can you believe how my girls are growing up? Where on earth does time go?

Expelled - The Movie...Check It Out

She's 14

When I became mom, she was 7 (almost 8)....holy cow. She's grown up right in front of my eyes. She's 5'8 (I'm only 5'4 mind you)....beautiful, smart, Christ-centered, respectful, considerate, motivated.....WHEN? Tell me where the time has gone!

I'm looking for a pic of her right now....it's tricky to find one...she tends to hide from the camera FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON....most pics are ones with silly faces which would TOTALLY embarass her..

Pic from our wedding, she was almost 8

Last 2 years of posts about her bday with pics...
12th Bday
13th Bday
Just wanted to share!