Author: Joy

Rainy Mornings, Gungor, & Inspiration

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A Dreary Sring Morning

It was a rainy spring morning. The sun hid behind gray clouds as I stood in the quiet kitchen, humidity seeping through the open windows. I could hear the birds chirping outside, their cheery songs lilting through the damp air.

I had a sudden inspiration.

It was the perfect time to listen to Gungor’s album Ghosts Upon the Earth. (Although I don’t endorse all of Gungor’s music, I do enjoy most of their songs on this album.)

I turned on the album and reveled in the beginning strains of “Let There Be.” As I continued to listen, I realized that it truly was the perfect match for the rainy morning. It harmonized with the birds outside and turned my thoughts to Creation–the beginning–the vast empty space brought to life by the the Creator’s simple, revolutionary words:

Let there be…

It’s moments like that when I’m struck by the transcendent beauty of music. Suddenly something I’ve listened to so many times before comes alive in some amazing way. It’s not just reaching my ears anymore. It’s resonating with my very being.

Inspiration.

That’s what the artist feels when he plays a song with all his heart. And that is what I feel when I allow my heart to get carried away too.

The sky brightens, the birds sing along–and suddenly–music bursts to life.

Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

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Oatmeal Raisin Muffins
Moist, dairy-free, oatmeal raisin muffins topped with cinnamon sugar and finely chopped walnuts.
Oatmeal Raisin Muffins
 
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Moist, dairy-free, oatmeal raisin muffins topped with cinnamon sugar and finely chopped walnuts.
Author:
Yield: 1 dozen
Ingredients
  • 1 cup quick cooking oats (or a heaping cup of rolled oats chopped a bit in a food processor)
  • ¾ cup whole wheat flour
  • ¼ cup ground flaxseed
  • 1 Tbs baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup coconut oil
  • ½ cup almond milk
  • ¼ cup sucanat (or brown sugar)
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ½ cup applesauce
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts
  • 2 Tbs sucanat (or brown sugar)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Stir together the oats, flour, flaxseed, baking powder, and salt.
  2. In a saucepan melt the coconut oil, add the almond milk, ¼ cup sucanat, and honey; stir until combined. (The mixture should be warm to the touch but not hot.)
  3. In a separate bowl combine the coconut oil mixture and applesauce.
  4. Mix in the flour mixture; stir in the raisins.
  5. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. Pour the batter evenly into the cups.
  6. Combine the chopped walnuts, 2 Tbs sucanat, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
  7. Sprinkle over the tops of muffins. Press the topping gently into the muffins.
  8. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Haunted by Wild Onions

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There are many things that I love about spring. And today I realized something else that makes spring special. Its something small. Something that goes mostly unnoticed, but something that has haunted me ever since my sisters discovered it in the back yard.

It’s wild onion plants.

Not only do I smell them and see them, but thanks to my two youngest sisters who have taken such a liking to them, I hear much about these smelly sprouts.

Just last night I was given one as a gift. My sister handed me a tiny box constructed of scrap paper and held together with lots of tape. A smile lined her face as she told me how to open the makeshift package. I peeked inside to find the tip of a wild onion with a wobbly smiley face drawn on it and roots flaring out like it had a bad hair day. Despite the smell of the gift, I was delighted with it.

Then the wild onions came back to haunt me again this morning. I was sitting on the back porch writing when my other sister handed me two precious onion plants with the command to “keep these safe.” After leaving me with the smelly sprouts, she ran off to toss onion stems at a squirrel in an attempt give him a “delicious meal.”

So, yes, wild onions haunt me. They sprout up in my yard, they pester me with their smell, they smile at me with Sharpie marker faces, and they even accompany my writing. And some how, some way, they bring a smile to my face.

My Green Smoothie

~ Joy ~ 2 Comments

A day without a green smoothie is like a day without sunshine.

Thus a green smoothie greets me almost every morning.

My Green Smoothie

What’s even better is listening to Josh Garrels music while I’m sipping my morning smoothie.

Now that’s a recipe for success.

My Green Smoothie
 
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Total time
 
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Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients
  • Handful fresh kale or spinach leaves (about ½ cup packed)
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1 Tbs coconut oil
  • 1 scoop dietary fiber or protein powder (optional)
  • ¼ cup vanilla yogurt (optional but delicious)
  • ½ cup + 2 Tbs vanilla almond milk (It's a odd amount because that's what fits in my small Nutri-Bullet cup, but you can use as much has you'd like)
  • 2 ice cubes (to chill the smoothie a bit)
Instructions
  1. Place the ingredients in a blender (I use a Nutri-Bullet) and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Life is an Ocean (Short Story)

~ Joy ~ 3 Comments

Life is an ocean. Vast. Deep. And powerful.

You float along this ocean, sunning yourself on the deck of your little boat on blissful days, and hiding for cover when storms rage.

Slowly the strip of land that marked the beginning of your passage slips from view. You become better acquainted with your vessel, learning how to ride the waves of life and survive the storms.

You sail further and further into the heart of this vast ocean of life. And then one day a startling question whispers to you as you sit alone on the deck of your boat. “Where am I headed?”

You hadn’t considered that when you set sail. You had only dreamed of adventure. You had only wanted to sail. To be free. To live.

You tell the question to leave you alone. But it haunts you, flitting through your mind at the oddest of times. And you still can’t answer it. You don’t know what lies beyond. You don’t even know where you are. You can’t go back to the shore you launched from. You’re on your own. You’re scared.

The sky begins to darken and a low rumble pierces the salty air. As the fiercest storm you’ve ever fought rages against you, the answer to the question strikes your heart like the bolts of lighting in the sky. “Where am I headed?”

Fear grips you as you realize that you are headed down. The waves are forcing your vessel lower and lower into the encompassing ocean. Yet you fight. Fight for the sake of life. Fight until your strength is all but gone, your boat all but sunk. Then you call for help.

The storm still rages, but an unexplained peace wraps around your heart as you feel strength returning to your limp body. You continue to fight. Fight for the sake of life. And slowly the waves begin to calm. The lightening stops, and you discover that the morning has come. It dawns in brilliant hues against the clear sky above.

The storm of the night before seems like a nightmare from your sleep. You almost excuse it as such. Yet you know it was real. You shudder at the thought of it. You remember your call for help and realize that something beyond yourself helped you survive the storm.

Your eyes spot something on the horizon. Your heart skips a beat as you realize what it is. It’s a shore. A vast shore glistening in the sunlight. You wouldn’t have discovered it if you hadn’t survived the storm. The miracle of it all overwhelms you. You are headed somewhere. Somewhere beautiful. All you must do now is continue to sail toward that distant shore–your destination.

****

Some say there is no distant shore, that life is simply an ocean we sail on until death parts us forever. Many never question this worldview. Many fear to question it. Yet it haunts each one of us. “Where am I headed?”

For the believer of the biblical account of redemption, the answer is simple. We are sailing along this ocean of life toward another life–toward a heavenly shore. We don’t fight the storms alone. We don’t drift along aimlessly. We have our course set. And though we wander, we strive to sail straight toward that ever-fixed mark. Toward that glistening shore. Toward our Heavenly Father.

Words can’t capture the majesty of this truth. Neither can music, yet I believe that Phil Wickham struck along this line of thought when he wrote his song Sailing on a Ship. It’s vivid. It’s real. It’s a reminder that we are sailing–closer and closer every day–to that golden shore.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Frozen Strawberry Crumb Bars

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This scrumptious dessert features strawberries, homemade whipped cream, and a nutty crumb topping. Frozen Strawberry Crumb Bars It tastes similar to strawberry ice cream. But even my mom who happens to not like strawberry ice cream likes it. So maybe that makes it better than strawberry ice cream.

Whatever the case, it’s a sweet and refreshing spring treat.

Frozen Strawberry Crumb Bars
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup finely chopped walnuts
  • 2 Tbs sucnanat (or brown sugar)
  • 6 Tbs softened butter
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups frozen strawberries, partly thawed and sliced in half
  • 1 cup honey granules (or sugar)
  • 1 Tbs lemon juice
Instructions
  1. Stir together the flour, finely chopped walnuts, and sucanat. Mix in the butter 2 Tbs at a time. (I do this with my hands.) Spread loosely on a jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes (be careful not to burn). Stir and let cool.
  2. Whip the heavy cream and vanilla until fluffy. Set aside.
  3. Beat the strawberries, honey granules, and lemon juice until mostly smooth (about 5 minutes). Fold in the whipped cream.
  4. Spread half the crumb mixture on the base of a 9" by 13" dish. Pour on the strawberry filling, and top with the remaining crumb mixture. Freeze and serve.

Sweet Home Alabama

~ Joy ~ 2 Comments

I’ve lived in Alabama for six years now. Even though I’m not much of a southern belle, I’ve come to connect with my country surroundings. (I even know what okra is now.) And yet, as my mom was driving me through town last night, I saw something I’d never noticed before. I saw rolling hills in the distance beyond our little town. I stared at the view. How could I have missed that every time before?

A favorite shot from last Fall
A favorite shot from last Fall

Sometimes it’s the beauty right before our eyes that can be the hardest to see.This year I’m striving to notice those simple things around me–such as a landscape of rolling hills–that make life so beautiful.

So here are a few blessing from my day:

#1:The Weather

Today was gorgeous. The sun was shining, the wind blowing, and the temperature was a pleasant 65 degrees. My younger brother and I rode our bicycles on a local trail with our home school group. Simply blissful.

#2: Mango and Black Bean Pasta Salad

I came home from being out in the great outdoors today craving this salad. I had already cooked the noodles, so I threw it together and then came outside to sit on the deck and munch on it. Just what I wanted.

IMG_6499

 #3: The Clouds

And as I sat on the deck, I glanced up at the bright blue sky and saw this gorgeous array of clouds:

Look at the Clouds

Yep, today was a great day to live in sweet home Alabama.

Light Lemon Cheesecake

~ Joy ~ Leave a comment

Spring is coming.

Are you as excited as I am? I hardly have the right to complain about cold weather. But even in Alabama, this winter has been quite cold. We got a few inches of snow altogether here in our little town (that’s quite a bit for us).

Two Inches of Snow (1/28/14)
Two Inches of Snow (1/28/14)

Winter has its advantages–cute jackets, boots, scarves, occasional snowstorms, etc. But I’m looking forward to spring. Daffodils are blooming, the grass is slowly turning green, days are growing longer, and the weather is turning blissful once again.

Life is good.

And so is this lemon cheesecake. It tastes of spring–sweet, tangy, and light all mixed together. I imagine you could substitute lime juice for the lemon juice to create a scrumptious key-lime cheesecake. (I’ve got to try that sometime!)

Thankfulness #1,874: Light Lemon Cheesecake
Thankfulness #1,874: Light Lemon Cheesecake

Light Lemon Cheesecake
 
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Ingredients
  • ½ cup whole almonds
  • ½ cup flaked coconut
  • ½ cup graham cracker crumbs (about 4 graham crackers)
  • 2 Tbs honey granules (or sugar)
  • 2 Tbs maple syrup
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 12 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into pieces
  • ⅔ cup honey granules (or sugar)
  • Juice of 2 lemons (about ½ cup)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
  1. Place the almonds and coconut in a food processor and chop until fine.
  2. Add graham cracker crumbs, 2 Tbs honey granules, maple syrup, and salt; process until combined.
  3. Press into the base of a 8″ by 8″ dish.
  4. Whip the heavy cream with an electric mixer until fluffy.
  5. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
  6. Pour over the crust and chill for several hours before serving.

 

Mexican Casserole

~ Joy ~ 2 Comments
This Mexican Casserole makes a quick and tasty meal.
Mexican Casserole
 
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Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 (16 oz) container salsa (I use Newman Own's medium salsa)
  • ½ green bell pepper, chopped (about ½ cup)
  • 1 (15 oz.) can organic sweet corn, drained
  • 1 (16 oz.) can chili beans, not drained
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 2 cups crushed organic corn chips
  • 1 cup firmly packed fresh kale (or spinach)
  • 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained well (or about 1 cups fresh chopped tomatoes)
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Place the beef and onion in a skillet with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Cook until browned; strain and rinse.
  2. Return the cooked beef to the skillet and add the remaining ingredients. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
  3. Place the crushed corn chips on the bottom of a greased 9" by 13" baking dish.
  4. Spoon half the bean mixture over the chips. Spread the kale (or spinach) on top. Add the remaining bean mixture. Sprinkle on the diced tomatoes.
  5. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Sprinkle on the cheddar cheese and cook another 5 minutes. The casserole should be warm and bubbling.
  6. Serve with sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro if desired.