Why You Should Bake Cookies… Erm, Build Community

This guest post was written by Rachelle Rea.

About fifteen young women piled into the small apartment that day and split into two groups. Most chose the living room as headquarters and plopped down on the couches and the floor. Their job? Writing Bible verses and encouraging notes on slips of paper to go in the bags of goodies we were making. A few of the girls—including myself—chose the kitchen as base. Our first order of business? Searching the cabinets for pans and bowls.

I love to bake, so when I learned that my Bible study group was meeting to bake cookies for a campus event, I knew I wanted to go. I thought I was going to bake. What I did was laugh, smile, joke around, and talk about Jesus.

You see, somewhere along the line of living this set-apart life I equated separate with loner. Big mistake.

Our Bible study met on Wednesday afternoons last semester in one of the dorm lounges, and Wednesday afternoons quickly cemented itself as my favorite time of the week. Those times of prayer, fellowship, and digging into the Word right alongside young women my age meant a lot to me—those are memories I treasure. The icing on the cake was that the girls who sat around me were just as in love with Jesus as I.

As the scent of cookies baking permeated the small apartment, music wafted from the living room. Bags that would soon hold cookies were beginning to take shape. The cookies themselves were starting to take shape, too, beneath several sets of doughy fingers.

After pulling a green bowl from one of the cavernous cabinets, I mixed one batch of cookie dough and rolled cookie circles until my wrists were sore. But I hardly noticed because we were laughing and talking and having a good time swapping stories of how our semesters were going.

Sister, don’t make my mistake. Don’t trade in the fellowship and think holy means lonely.

I learned last semester that spring can be a time of renewing in so many more ways than one. I saw God’s love play out every Wednesday afternoon and in our cookie-baking excursion. I see His love even now, because those friendships have endured.

If there’s one thing I could tell you today it would be this: make time for the cookie-baking, erm, community building. Find those kindred spirits and rub shoulders with them in a squeezed-tight kitchen. You won’t regret it.

March 2013 Featured Girl: Melinda P.

This month's featured follower is a special girl named Melinda. She is the authoress of the blog Radiant Purity and True Beauty. She is a twenty-something homeschool graduate, living at home and enjoying farming, writing, government, cooking, creating recipes, and volleyball. She's a girl with big dreams, big faith, and big ideas.

Let's hear what she has to say.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your family. What is life like around your house?

I'm the youngest of seven children. Most of the older ones have left, except my Down's syndrome sister, Rachel and my brother just older than me, Jonathan. We live on a farm in Oklahoma. I was taught at home by my parents for my entire education, something I am truly grateful for! Life on a farm in Oklahoma has its daily ups and downs, joys and sorrows. Since we're a self-employed family, the "typical" moments of our days are doing farm chores, eating, cleaning, and sleeping...and the work we get done in between often differs from day to day. :-)

As a twenty-something single girl, how are you supporting yourself/preparing for the future?

I graduated from being home educated in 2007, but even before that I was working for my dad who is an accountant. During the tax season months (January through February), I do quite a bit of work for him. During the rest of the year, I help with bookkeeping and accounting for our business and family. I also have done some things around here on the farm (including milking) which brings me some income. My brother and I have also had a history book business which has taken us to several states for home education conferences. We're actually planning on putting it aside for now as we've both gotten too busy to give it the attention it needs.

Since I don't know what the future holds, I'm preparing both for married life if it is in God's plan for me, and for potential singleness if that is what I'm called to. Since my graduation, I've studied a lot about nutrition, which is a big interest for me (you can see some of my own recipes and insights from my nutrition study from my other blog, Healthy, Witty, and Whole. I occasionally blog there too). I've learned how to cook, bake, sew, and do some gardening. I've also been able to learn how to manage money and run a business, something is useful whether I'm going to be married or not! Right now, I'm praying about some options for starting a business of my own, something I'm nervous and excited about at the same time! :-)

From your blog it looks like you are passionate about Christian femininity. Do you have any help for us on how to be truly feminine from the inside out?

Femininity is one of my favorite things to talk about as you can probably tell! My views on femininity have changed so much over the past few years. One of the main things I've learned about femininity is that it isn't complicated as we usually make it out to be. It's not some legalistic moral code we have to follow. It's not even something we put on by ourselves. Femininity is something that we develop inside. It's the quiet beauty of a meek and gentle spirit mingled with the robust strength of a Proverbs 31 woman.True femininity for me is being a hard-working woman of God who trusts in Jesus to develop His humility, love, meekness, quietness and compassion in me. It's allowing myself to be changed from the loud, clamoring woman that Proverbs warns about to the Spirit-filled, meek and quiet woman of 1 Peter. Obviously, this will affect how I live out my days, how I dress, how I talk, what I listen to and watch, and how I relate to others. However, it all starts with me abandoning my ideals of womanhood and trading them for what Christ has called me to do...abide in Him. It's very freeing! :-)

Who is your favorite woman in the Bible?

Mary, the mother of Jesus is probably the woman I've learned the most from over the years from the Bible. Her example of humility and faithfulness despite very trying circumstances is a convicting inspiration to me. She had to know that she dealing with all manner of rejection and hate from her own people when she was found to be with child, and yet she willing to do what God had called her to do anyway. In fact, she magnified the Lord in spite of her trials! It's such a good example for my life. When I'm faced with rejection and trials, I want to be able to praise the Lord for His goodness in my life!

Visit Melinda's blog at radiantpurityandbeauty.blogspot.com, and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

You can be featured too! Just drop us a line via our contact form to nominate yourself or another homeschool girl who is living large with Jesus.

5 Steps to a Zestful Day

Do you know anyone who aspires to live a dull, mediocre life? I certainly don't. Some people may end up living such a life, but they certainly don't purpose to go there. 

The new subtitle of my personal blog is "pursuing a life of zest, love, and purpose". As I travel onward in this pursuit, I'm finding that an extraordinary life doesn't happen by accident. It requires intentionality. 

Do you know the one difference between a dull, mediocre life and an amazing life full of zest and adventure? You. Not your circumstances, not your parents, not your finances or education--who you are and what you choose to do with what God has given you are what determines how your future will look. 

You're writing the story of your life. And do you know what? It takes shape chapter by chapter. You can't have a fascinating novel made up of boring chapters, and you can't have a zestful life made up of days taken for granted. 

But how do we discover the magic in everyday things? Is it possible to make even uneventful days into small adventures? 

Here are 5 practical ways that you can make just about any day more zestful:

1. Take every opportunity. Big or small, don't pass up the chance to do something out if the ordinary. It might just be going to a movie with friends on the spur of the moment, or adding an extra dollop of hot fudge to your ice cream, but who knows what might come of it?
2. Stop, Look, Listen. Make the most of this moment by shutting up, unplugging, and absorbing with wonder the world that surrounds you. Don't be a passive observer, relish every second with all your senses. 
3. Rejoice Always. If you want your life to get better immediately, start giving thanks. It is impossible to simultaneously complain and give thanks. Even something as basic as a bowl of oatmeal or a busy highway can offer the observant beholder a vital opportunity for gratitude. Try giving thanks for one thousand gifts. 
4. Make the most of food. I've been participating in a 40 day fast to raise awareness for people living in poverty, and I don't think I've ever appreciated food this much before! Get this: You're probably going to eat at least 2 or 3 meals a day for the rest of your life. Setting your average preparation and consumption time at 30 minutes per meal (obviously a low estimate), you'll spend roughly 8% of your waking life preparing food and eating it. You'd better enjoy it, sister. Take pleasure in cooking your food, and savor every smell and flavor. 
5. Go deeper. Relationships will be your greatest legacy on leaving this earth. Obviously, building friendships is a lifetime process, but something you can do today is to go deeper with one person. Broach a thoughtful subject, share and get personal, or do an activity that brings you together. Also, don't forget to spread rainbow sprinkles. 

These are just a few ideas. I'd love to hear what you girls do to add zest to ordinary days!

Reese & Hayley Synchronized Crazy Happy Dance!, a photo by  Pink Sherbet Photography

Zingy Home-Made Lemon Curd, a photo by French Tart on Flickr.

The NMS Covenant: How To Spice Up Your Meals

Food was meant to be enjoyed. It's a fact. When Nehemiah wanted the Israelites to show joy and strength in the Lord, he said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks." In Ecclesiastes, Solomon determed that "man has no good thing under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun."

So, do you think that God meant for us to eat utterly boring meals, or fulfill the working mother's dream of a little pill that takes away hunger? Of course not! Food is a blessing that should be experimented with, explored, and generally celebrated. Sometimes it's hard though, isn't it? Our schedules are rushed, there's no food in the house, or we're on our own and don't feel like going to the trouble to cook something new and interesting. So we fall into a rut.

The venerable Earl of Sandwich

For me, the rut is sandwiches. This is the go-to food that sucks the life out of eating. For you it might be an egg, a piece of fruit,  boring leftovers, breakfast cereal again, or something similarly uninspiring. Whatever it is, I'll bet it tends to get repetitive and mindless after a while. I know that whenever I'm on my own for lunch or supper (it's not often, but it does happen), I am tempted to go for quick and easy, predictable food. But last year I made a covenant with myself--the NMS (No More Sandwiches) Covenant. I resolved to use what food was at hand to create something wild and deliciously unexpected!

Here is some inspiration for you to spice up your meals and try something out of the ordinary. Some of these foods you can make from scratch, others are compiled from various leftovers, most are quick and easy and relatively nutritious, and all of them have at least one thing in common--they're not sandwiches. More complete instructions and ideas can be found with the full posts over at my personal blog.

Veggie Tortilla

 This is an absolutely delicious, crispy, healthy, pizza-like-thingy inspired by a Taste of Home recipe. Sauté a bunch of veggies and seasonings on high heat long enough to soften but not burn them or let them get squishy. In a separate skillet heat up a large flour tortilla in a bit of butter until it's crispy. Pile the veggie-goodness onto the tortilla, douse it with Parmesan cheese (or any other cheese you've got on hand) and garnish with fresh snipped basil leaves (be careful, it's messy). 

Curry Chicken Salad Nachos

Now this one is crazy! It's what you get when a tornado is bearing down on you and you're really, really hungry. It's a conglomeration of  chicken salad  mixed with raisins, a handful of sunflower nuts, a good dose of curry powder, and a splash of honey dijon salad dressing piled onto a bowl of tortilla chips and topped with a boiled egg. Great use of leftovers!

This is what I like to call

Expatriate French Toast

It's French toast that has immigrated to another cultural cuisine, in this case Mexican. I whipped up an egg, liberally sprinkled the mixture with Mexican seasoning and cumin (I adore cumin), then heated a little butter in a skillet, coated bread with the egg stuff, and fried it up. I did this with two slices of bread, stacked them one on top of the other, and then slathered on the goods: melted colby-jack cheese, homemade salsa, and a dollop of sour cream. I sprinkled it with a bit more cumin, then splashed mild taco sauce over everything but the floor. Yummy? You bet!

Ultimate Baked Potato

This potato has been taken to the next level! With  part of an onion, some bell pepper slices, a couple mushrooms, a bit of leftover cheese, a dab of sour cream, a little olive oil, and/or just about anything else your little heart desires, you too can bury a perfectly decent baked potato under a mass of  sautéed  amazingness.

Dijon Ranch Potatoes

Another way to dress up a few leftover potatoes (did I tell you I like potatoes?) involves just ranch dressing, spicy Dijon Mustard, and parsley for garnish. That's all you need to whip up this delicious little side dish! Make it decadent with crumbled bacon as a topping.

Sweet/Spicy Chicken and Rice

This one was so much fun! I went Mexican again, this time topping some brown rice with cheese, black beans, onions, etc., but the kicker is that the topping is a mixture of salsa and strawberry jam. You've got to try it!

Almost Spiedies

A spiedie is a dish that is basically marinated meat on a shish kabob, and I found a recipe online for "almost spiedies." What I made turned out to be absolutely nothing like spiedies, but it sure was delicious! Olive oil, about a capful of apple cider vinegar, sliced onions and bell peppers, fresh garlic, a precooked chicken breast, salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings, and you've cooked up something really delicious. Make it more authentic by piling it on top of a big hunk of soft Italian bread!

Gluten-free Banana Pancakes

These are awesome as a meal for one (or more!), when you're in a hurry, or when you don't want to dirty up the kitchen. Simply blend 1 banana, 2 tbsp. nut butter (I used peanut), 1 egg, and a dash of vanilla (optional) together and pour into a hot buttered skillet. The result is remarkably like pancakes, and tastes delicious with maple syrup.

Happy experimenting!

the most important meal of the day

I've always loved breakfast. Since it is the most important meal of the day (per the old-fashioned idiom, but also in scientific fact), I've always considered it as a teensy bit more deserving of my whole-hearted attention than the rest of the meals. That, and I just like sweet food that is still considered good for me by dint of being part of a proper meal. One dish that I especially love, and make at least once a week, are cinnamon rolls. I absolutely adore cinnamon rolls, whether from a tube or from another person's kitchen, or from my own. When I discovered this recipe, I found that it was absolutely wonderful, and I couldn't help but share.

I'd hoped to get some pictures of the steps, but I've been crazy busy and had no time to pull them together so, alas, step-by-step pictures shall have to wait until the next time we post about our favorite recipes. So, without further ado: Sweet cinnamon biscuits.

2 cups sifted flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

8 tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 cup milk, optional

I usually eliminate the salt as a matter of course; it can give them a rather sour taste. Also, if you've not got buttermilk in the house, you can add a tablespoon of white vinegar to the cup of regular milk, and let it sit for about ten minutes. It serves the same purpose, and gets the right taste into it.

Also feel free to play with the cinnamon/sugar ratio; it took me quite awhile to get it how I like it.

1. Preheat the oven to 400F and grease a baking sheet or round tin lightly. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and soda in a medium bowl and mix well. Stir in vegetable oil; use a whisk to make sure most of the lumps are out. It will clump a little, but should crumble easily. Add buttermilk and stir just until blended
2. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth--if you knead it a bit longer than strictly necessary, it will make the rolls soft and moist.. Roll dough into a rough rectangle.
3. Spread softened butter over the dough. Combine white sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix well. Sprinkle over butter. Roll up the rectangle, jelly roll fashion, starting from one long side. Pinch seam to seal.
4. Cut the roll in 1-1/2 inch slices. Arrange the slices, cut side up, in prepared baking pan. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. Removed from oven. You can pour milk over the top if desired. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

A Sweet Wrap!

The Bloggirls of Altogether Seperate have decided that for the next two weeks we will be sharing our favorite recipes!!  This should be fun! We would all love to know if you end up trying any of the recipes, so please leave a comment and let us know what you think =]

As soon as the topic was decided on I knew exactly what I wanted to share....however, why is it, that sometimes the best recipes are the ones that you've experimented with and you don't have exact measurements????  Guess what?  That's mine...  So you'll have to bear with me as the measurements will not be exact, but if you play with it and tweek it so you like it, you'll want to have it every week!

So....what is the recipe???  Sweet Potato Wraps (No I couldn't think of a more exciting name =])

I first had a sweet potato wrap at our local Co-op and the first bite I had made me thank God for another one of His vitamin rich, healthy vegetables!

As soon as we finished the wrap we new we would have to experiement and see if we could make something similar.  So, the next chance we had we ran to the Grocery store and picked up a bag of sweet potatoes.





What You Will Need:

2lb.  Sweet Potatoes
8oz.  Red Kidney Beans
1-2 tsp. Cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 - 3/4 cup Veganaise - This is the vegan version of Mayonnaise.  I haven't tried it with mayo, but I'm sure it would be fine to use, however, the veganaise is fantastic with this.


Any type of wrap you want - Our family loves the spelt or spinach wraps!
Vegetables you would want in your wrap:  lettuce, spinach, salad mixture, shredded carrot,
celery, tomato, mushrooms, scallions, peppers, olives or whatever else you feel like :]

Optional: 
The Co-op used Vegan bacon bits that gave it some more added flavor.  We have yet to get some of that, but if you want you could add that as well!


1. We always put our vegetables in the sink filled with water and some hydrogen peroxide to clean them from any chemicals that have been sprayed on them, germs that have touched them or anything else that we would really rather not put into our body :] So the first thing I did was wash them and while they were soaking I turned the oven on.

2. We have a propane oven so the tempatures and time will vary as to how hot the oven should be and how long the sweet potatoes should be in there.  I set the oven at 400 degrees and cook them for an hour and they are usually perfect. (Keep checking them until they are done as 400 degrees for an hour may be too long for your oven) ~ For those of you who have never cooked sweet potato, we take a fork and poke holes in them just like regular potatoes so that they don't burst and then we place them in our bread pans.  We put them in the bread pans because they will leek out juices and make a mess in the stove otherwise. ~

You'll know they are done when you can sink a fork into it with no trouble at all. 

3. When they are done take them out and let them cool to room tempature. Once cool, I peel the skins off and break them up and put them in the cuisinart.(or whatever you want to use to puree it, you could even mash them with a fork if you wanted to.  However, you are trying to get almost a hummus consistency, so get it as smooth as possible.)

4.  As you blend the sweet potatoes, start adding the veganaise, cumin, salt and pepper.  When you start to add the veganaise or mayonnaise add it slowly.  Taste to see how much you want.  This helps make the mixture smoother and gives you some added taste, but you DON'T want to over do it. Tasting it as you go along will help :]  Same goes for the cumin and whatever other spice you may want to add =]

5. The very last ingredient to add to the mixture are the beans.  Drain the can and then add the beans.  You don't want to pulverize the beans and make them smooth like the rest of the mixture.  Just mashed slightly or cut in half.  You still want to know that they are beans and when you are eating the wrap it will give you another consistency. (If using bacon bits, this is when you would add them)

6.  And now you're ready to make your wrap.  Just spread the sweet potato mixture over your wrap as thick as you want and add the veggies! 

I know there were a lot of directions, but this recipe is really very simple once you know how to make it.
If you bake the potatoes the day before, it shouldn't take you long to whip this up for lunch and bring for that picnic lunch you've been planning for this spring season!  It's really healthy and makes you feel good about eating it :]

Enjoy!